So many shadows... (OPEN)

Fox followed along, wondering if it was okay to simply leave the hotdog cart behind with no one to watch it. Then again it wasn't his cart, and these two probably knew what they were doing... right? At least no one bothered him on the way to wherever they were going. Soon enough they arrived at a store of some kind that had a rather delightful scent coming from inside. Fox licked his chops behind his mask as they entered.

The greeting was another surprise for the Kitsune, as a blue haired beauty welcomed them. It seemed that Hans and Danny were both regulars, or at the very least were known to what Fox took to be the owner of the establishment. Fox saw another girl skate by on some odd contraption with little wheels on the bottom of her feet. It actually looked kind of fun. What really caught his eye however was the girl's spade tipped tail.

Fox tugged on Daniel's arm to get his attention.

"Hey... are these girls human?" Fox asked in a whisper as Daniel leaned down toward him. He didn't want to insult them, but he really wanted to know the answer.

"Hello Adri," Daniel waved at Adri as she passed. She was pretty quiet, and she looked busy so he didn't want to distract her as Fox tugged on his sleeve and asked him if they were human. "O-oh. No, they're not," Daniel replied.

"They're succubi. The good kind," Hans added overhearing them, walking over to his usual spot at the counter. Daniel seemed to be alittle flustered, always getting that way here. Hans seemed perfectly fine.

"You want the usual Hansy?" Alice asked him curiously.

"Nah. I'm fine," Hans yawned, tired from the walk.

"My friend here would like a milkshake. And I will have one of those little puff pastries I had last time I was here," Daniel said taking a seat by Hans. "I recommend the chocolate one to start with," Daniel suggested to Fox.

"Mm good choice," Alice said waiting to see if that's what Fox wanted before she went to make them.

"Danny? Daaaaany. Is that you I smell?" cooed a voice from the kitchen, Daniel immediately flinched and looked around as if planning his escape as a plump, curvy red head emerged from the kitchen. "Did you just get off work? I can still smell the food on your clothes~" the red head purred walking around behind them.

"Hello... Amara," Danny greeted her stiffly, watching her warily.

"Hey Lady Lumps," Hans said raising his arm lazily up to wave at her.

"Hey lazybones~" she smiled playfully at Hans as she looked like she was going to mess with Daniel until she noticed Fox. "Oh. Who's this cutey?" Amy cooed, leaning down slightly and giving him an eye down her uniform.

Fox nodded shyly at the recommendation of a chocolate milkshake, even though he no idea what either of those two words meant. He assumed that there was milk involved somewhere in the dish, but that was about it.

"A chocolate milkshake is fine." Fox said, reaffirming his choice. He was also a bit curious as to what it was he was ordering exactly. Knowing that none of the girls here were human, but instead succubi, made him more comfortable. He was just starting to settle down a bit when he heard a new voice calling out to Daniel, causing Fox's ear to perk up beneath his hood.

Fox couldn't help but notice the way Daniel seemed to tense up so much as soon as Amara appeared. Then he couldn't help but notice Amara herself as she leaned down to talk to him. Fox gulped audibly before replying.

"Hi. I'm Fox. It's nice to meet you." Fox said, staring more at Amara's chest than her face at the moment since it was literally at his eye level.

"Oh the pleasure is all mine~" Amy purred, emphasizing Pleasure strongly with a purr.

"Here you guys go. And Hans, I made you a little something with caffeine," Alice said handing the boys their drinks while she gave Daniel one of the pastries in a display case. Hans didn't look like he heard her and continued to snooze.

"Yes, he is our new friend," Daniel spoke up, watching her carefully as he nibbled at his pastry.

"What's with the mask? You're not hiding something are you?" Amy asked curiously, shifting her body slightly lower as if trying to peer into his hood. She also made her assets jiggle enticingly in front of his face.

"He says his face is scary looking," Daniel answered for him.

"Oh, I very much doubt that. How about we have a look? I'll show you mine if you show me yours~" Amy winked seductively at him as a figure stood behind her. Hans snickered to himself.

"Don't pressure him Amara. If he doesn't want to reveal himself he doesn't have to," Daniel said firmly.

"Oh that's alright. I'll show him anyway if he wants me to~" Amy said silkily until Adri loomed over her.

"Kitchen. The doughnuts will burn," Adri monotoned.

"Eep! My doughnuts!" Amy squeaked as Adri reminded her, completely forgetting them and hurrying off to the kitchen. Fox still had a nice view of her butt beneath her short uniform; even more so with her tail raised slightly in panic as she vanished back into the kitchen.

Fox accepted the milkshake happily, though he was wondering how to go about drinking it with his mask on. Just as that thought was crossing his mind Amara made a rather big deal about it, though in what was probably the nicest way anyone could ever have done so. The Kitsune blushed brightly under his fur, not that anyone but him could tell, as Amara did her best to get him to take off his mask.

He was about to make his decision when Amara was reminded of something she was cooking and took off, her tail raised in alarm and causing Fox's eyes to follow along until she was out of sight.

"Uhm, I suppose I could take my mask off. Just everyone promise not to freak out or anything..." Fox said, still a little uncertain if he should really do this. What seemed to tilt his decision in favor of unmasking however was the fact that three non-humans apparently owned this establishment. Surely they wouldn't care if he wasn't human. With a nervous gulp he carefully removed his mask and set it down on the counter before tossing his hood back so everyone could see his face. The way his emerald green eyes were wide with uncertainty showed just how nervous he really was with showing his face in public.

Everyone waited in anticipation. But only Daniel was really expecting something... frightening, based on what Fox said earlier. So Daniel was the only one... confused by what he saw. "Ooooh! You're a kitsune. So fuzzy~" Alice gushed happily at the reveal.

Adri would simply pat him on the head for reasons unknown, shooting a look behind Alice at Amy who was looking out through the server window. Amy slipped back into the kitchen as Adri went back to busing tables. "How is this... frightening? As Alice said, you're so fuzzy," Daniel asked, totally stumped as to what was going on.

Fox had been anticipating some sort of reaction from everyone, but not the one he received. The compliments on his fuzziness and the pat on his head seemed to confuse him just as much as the big reveal confused Daniel. Frankly he hadn't expected everyone to be so accepting of what he was. When Daniel asked how this was frightening it was almost enough to make the little Kitsune cry tears of joy.

"Everyone used to be so scared of me though. They called me a demon and hunted me down... and they killed my parents. I was afraid everyone here would be like that too if they knew what I was." Fox said, on the verge of tears again.

"Oh..." Daniel said feeling heavier at Fox's words. That explained alot. "Don't cry again. I didn't mean to upset you again," Daniel stated, prepared to friendship hug him again.

"No crying! You're among friends," Alice beat Daniel to it, leaning over the counter and managing to hug Fox from her awkward position.

"He's just happy to have... faced his fears," Hans piped up sleepily. Daniel wasn't bothered by the pun and just softened his expression after Hans explained it in his own little way.

Fox smiled at how nice everyone was being, but before he could properly vocalize his sentiments he found his face buried against Alice's chest as she leaned over the counter to hug him. That seemed to stun him into a near paralysis, his eyes wide and tails fanning out behind him for the world to see. It took a few moments for him to process what was going on, and when he did he started to laugh.

"Thanks everyone. It's so nice to actually have people to talk to." The Kitsune seemed thrilled with just that simple concept of actually being able to talk face to face without needing a mask or disguise.

"And now I can try that milkshake thing too!" He added, still smiling widely.

Alice smiled happily as she let him go, tail swishing behind her as Daniel finished off one of his pastries. "Of course. To new friends," Daniel proclaimed as if making a toast. He even had his other pastry raised in just that manner, his behavior stunning any jealous looks Fox may have gotten with Alice hugging him.

"Not so loud please," Adriana scolded him, picking up another batch of pastries from the window.

"Isn't my turn for front counter? I feel like I've been back here slaving away forever," Amy whined from the window.

"Oh that reminds me. Do not make any mistake that I am quite proficient in the culinary arts. However, I must admit that my dessert making is... not where I would like it to be. Would it be possible for one of you to teach me? I'll even work here part time to pay you back," Daniel asked Alice and Adri.

"I can teach you Danny boy~" Amy called happily. "I know how to make all kinds of delicious pastries!" she added proudly.

"Uh... thanks," Daniel said to be polite.

"I don't think you'd fit into one of our uniforms Danny~" Alice giggled at the mental image. Hans chuckled too, enjoying his drink.

"We may be able to work something out. I know you work hard as it is and teaching you may be... enjoyable," Adri replied thoughtfully. Alice and Amy looked at her for a moment and they could have swore they saw her blush ever so slightly.

"Huzzah!" Daniel said, forgetting to be quiet and quickly realizing that as he blushed with embarrassment.

Fox's tails were wagging happily as Daniel proclaimed them all to be friends, the Kitsune raising his milkshake in imitation of Daniel's own gesture. Then Fox took a big gulp of his beverage and paused, it was so cold and sweet! It took him a little bit to process the mouthful he'd taken but after he'd grown used to the consistency of his drink he started to gulp it down happily... right up until he got a brain freeze.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Fox said as he set his glass down suddenly and started to hold his head.

"Looks you got a brain freeze Foxxy," Alice remarked sheepishly.

"Don't drink milkshakes too quickly," Adriana added simply.

"I heard if you put your tongue up to the roof of your mouth, it goes away faster," Daniel said trying to help him.

Fox didn't know what a brainfreeze was, but apparently it had something to do with drinking a milkshake too quickly. He heard Daniel's suggestion and tried it out, and to his surprise the pain quickly faded away to just a dull memory.

"Why didn't anyone warn me that milkshakes are dangerous?" Fox asked, now eyeing his beverage with suspicion.

"We keep forgetting that you have alot to learn about the modern world," Daniel admitted sheepishly.

"Oh? He doesn't know what stuff is?" Alice said after giving another customer a milkshake.

"Yea. He didn't know what a milkshake was," Hans said still sleep. The caffeine did nothing for him apparently.

"I can help him too~" Amy called from the kitchen, handing out some chocolate glazed doughnuts to Adriana.

"I shudder to think what she'd teach him..." Daniel said so the four of them heard.

"Well you're always free to stop by Foxxy~" Alice smiled, enjoying a milkshake herself. Downing the contents all at once, making her throat bulge until the glass was empty. She winced and made a face. Remembering what Daniel said, she tried it and it actually worked! "Thank you Danny. Now I can eat all the icecream I want," Alice purred, already imagining all of the ice cream she could eat.

"Careful Ally. Eating too much will ruin your figure~" Amy teased her from the window.

"When are you going to exercise more?" Adriana commented, making Amy flinch.

Fox's eyes bulged a little bit as he watched Alice chug a milkshake like it was second nature. He decided to remain silent and simply sipped at his own milkshake, making sure to take his time. That seemed to work best for him as he could enjoy the sweet flavor and unique texture of the treat without suffering another brain freeze.

When the sisters started talking about each others figures Fox's ears perked up and he spoke again.

"I think you're all pretty though." He said, speaking with all the innocence of a child stating the obvious.