ᏴᎬᎪႮͲᏆҒႮᏞ ՏᏢᏆᎡᏆͲՏ • 𝗛𝗮𝗸𝘂 𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝟎𝟎|𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

"Sorry, I didn't hear that last part," you excused.

"Ack - it was nothing! Don't worry about it. Let's just get some sleep, yeah?" You finally let your dreams take over as night progressed.

You were shifting and turning in your sleep. It didn't seem like you were having a nightmare, so Lin decided to let you sleep a little longer. It had been a while since someone your age worked at the bathhouse. She felt a certain nostalgia course through her body. Smiling down at your sleeping figure, she checked the time by looking at the sun. It was still early, but the two of you had to be the first to reach Yubaba. She gently nudged you. To her surprise, you were an extremely light sleeper, so you woke up almost instantly.

"Morning sleepy head, get some clothes on. We have to go." Rubbing your eyes, you hastily got up and found that Lin had folded some clothes beside you. It didn't take you long to get into your new set of clothes, and it wasn't that hard either.

"Hey, um... I forgot to ask last night... how old are you? I mean, you seem small in size, and you just seem really young altogether," Lin asked. She closed the door behind her, leaving the others to sleep in, in time for their shift to start. Did you know your age? Did you know your birthday? No. Not really. You had no recollection of anything whatsoever.

"You don't know, do you?" She sighed and patted your head pensively.

"Poor thing. I'm sure you'll have somewhat of a great time here. The food is amazing. That's for sure," she tried her best to cheer you up.

"You're not the talkative type, huh." She led you to an elevator. It lacked doors and was as traditional as everything else around you. Lin pulled a golden handle and waited for the elevator to reach the respective floor. When you arrived, you were greeted with large, expensive-looking vases, a marbled floor, and two huge but elegant doors. Lin held your hand tightly as if to protect you. However, you didn't feel threatened or scared in any sort of way. Quite the contrary, actually. It was exciting to finally have something interesting happen to you.

"Alright. We just have to knock on the door. She usually dislikes it when people don't do that," Lin said and knocked lightly on the gorgeous door. An older voice boomed in the room.

"Lin... I certainly didn't expect you." You bit the inner part of your cheeks. The doors opened to reveal a series of doors. Lin pulled you closer to her, and the two of you began walking. The place was at least 3 times what you were accustomed to. It was surreal.

"If you're in doubt, we can make up an excuse for coming. I'm sure I can think of something, child," Lin mumbled to you. You could tell that she was genuinely worried about you. Was this 'Yubaba' really that bad?

"I want to stay here." Lin looked at you for a moment before continuing to go fourth. As you reached the last door, you were greeted by an older lady. She had blond hair that was tied up into a neat bun. She stepped off her stool at her large desk. She herself was at least thrice your size. Much like everything else around you. She squinted her eyes to take a good look at you.

"Hmm. You smell like a human, but you're no human, are you?" She asked, leaning forward. You leaned back slightly and shook your head. If there was one thing you knew, it was that you weren't human. Not one bit.

"I'm assuming you've no idea what you truly are. You're in luck, child. I have a spell to reveal every little detail about you." She almost sounded eccentric. Not what you would've expected. The witch lifted her wand in the air, mumbling some words to herself. In a split second, you felt electricity surge through your entire body. The elder had closed her eyes. You couldn't tell whether or not the spell had worked

"Tell me your name," she demanded.

"Y/n. My name is Y/n," you muttered. She kept her eyes closed, nodding slightly to herself.

"Tell me your age."

"I'm 13 years old - what?" The words left your mouth without thought.

"What are you- What is your species?"

"Half Hinoenma, half Kitsune." The witch's eyes perked up and stared into your e/c ones. They nearly shone.

"I believe this is all the information I need. Sign these papers, and I'll get you straight to work." Some paperwork floated towards you as she went to go sit behind her desk again. A feathered pen followed suit not long after. You grabbed it and jotted down your name.

"I take it you have nowhere else to go. I'll let you keep your name. Go on, I'm busy. Don't come back unless you're in dire need," she hissed with a throaty tone.

"You start tomorrow as my informant. I can't have a Hinoenma work the dirty job. Understood?" You bowed, and so did Lin. She followed you back to the sleeping quarters and tucked you into bed again.

"I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do, Y/n." Lin smiled and gave you a hug.

"I'm sure this place will become me with time," you whispered, finally dozing off again.