Kit and Kin   by poetheather

 
Takeshi Saito was a quiet student who kept his head down in Ravencrest High School trying to get along. But strange things happen in this small town and the spotlight finds those who would rather hide. So Takeshi finds himself pulled from his happy geek corner to somewhere else, somewhere he is not sure of.

January 20

Talking to her friends, telling them about her having to move to California with a voice that was no longer her own was really very odd and more than a touch disturbing. Her mind was having some trouble connecting to that voice anymore and she felt off as she spoke, as if she was dealing with some odd disconnect. Her friend Maggie noticed something was off. “Are you okay?”

“Uh… not really. This sucks but I really do need to help my Aunt. This situation with my half-sister is going to put her in a bit of a bind.”

“Are you sure… it sounds like it could be something else.” pressed Maggie.

“Like what?” asked Maeko, a bit worried that somehow the magic was not working, that Maggie was hearing through the glamour.

“I don’t know. You just don’t sound right.” Her words were a bit hesitant, as she was still clearly trying to process all of this.

“Probably because I am not feeling good about this move.” grumbled Maeko, trying to distract Maggie, not wanting to give her any chance of figuring this out. That would be a total disaster.

“When are you leaving?” she asked.

“Tomorrow. Aunt Chiharu drove out here instead of flying, which had to be miserable. So now I get scenery on the way back. I told Wallace I was leaving already and he said he was going to let Greg know.”

“Will we be able to see you before you leave?” asked Maggie. She was clearly full of questions today.

“I guess. I am leaving sometime after lunch. My half-sister is moving in and I am packing out.”

“Is she nice?”

“Yeah, she has been having serious problems with her mom and they have had some arguments that turned into some pretty serious knock down and drag out fights, so the plan is for her to cool off here for who knows how long, at least the school year, maybe the summer as well and for me to be a helping hand out there. At least I am going from one Podunk town to another. Pearson’s Creek is actually smaller than this town if you can believe it, basically just a big tourist stop prior to hitting the parks out there for camping and hiking. I guess I will be outside a lot.” grumbled Maeko, trying to let that nerd flag fly high despite actually liking the outdoors.

“I’ll see if I can get over to your house early, okay?”

“That would be really great.”

Once the phone was dead, Maeko sighed in resignation. How the hell was she going to fool her friends with this farce? It really was an asshole move and that was not cool. But if she told Wallace or Maggie who knows what hell would break loose. The Unseen and the Sacred were supposed to remain invisible from the Norms and basically stating what had happened to her would ruin that. It would not end well for anyone. No, she had to work her ass off in order to make sure that they would be completely fooled by her new identity.

While she was learning from Aunt Chiharu everything it took to be a California girl from the Santa Cruz area, Uncle Satoshi was getting a crash course on how to be him. He would wear Takeshi’s form and introduce Maeko to her friends. The more she thought about it, the more the level of potential awkward involved in that one simple act simply defied understanding.

After discussing it all, it was figured that Maeko would be a bit tomboy-esque to cover things and that meant that she wouldn’t wear a nightgown but rather a cute sleep set that did look good on her nor would she wear skirts and dresses except for special occasions. And not all of her clothes got transformed by the magic that Chiharu used just most. It was a sufficient amount that filled a couple of suitcases with clothes that looked a bit different, since no one else in town would be wearing similar things, except for maybe that girl Ashley, who had also come from somewhere in California and had a kind of California fashion sense.

Now that the calls were done, she was able to sit back and let all the information she had learned all day flood into her head. The brain dump of information, about how to talk and what Pearson’s Creek was like. It made her head spin. She had to review all of this to ensure that she was ready to play the part of her own half-sister.

She had also spent some time learning a little bit of Kitsune magic, being able to summon a ball of foxfire and play with it. That had taken a good bit of concentration and felt really strange, as it was cool and tingly in her hand. Being invisible was also cool, but try as she might going incorporeal just didn’t happen. It was very frustrating as she could see so many possible uses for that skill. As for shapeshifting, she could only do a little of it, being unable to change her gender but able to shift her look to a degree. She was able to go Valley Girl with her look but unable to shift to look like she had as Takeshi. And now she was exhausted, having worn out her magic.

She wanted to get another read through of her new history done before she slept as well as listen to the California language track she had been given, in order to remember how to talk correctly. Trying to make sure words like ‘hella’ and ‘like’ as well as simple things such as calling San Francisco ‘the City’ was going to be a bit of a trick. And talking a bit faster would be somewhat of a challenge. She did get a nice smartphone out of this mess though, as no girl her age would be without one in Cali, especially if her parents could afford it, which her Aunt Chiharu could. This was going to be a neat trick if she could pull it off.

Having her kasa and mother laugh at her when she first tried to sound all Cali girl had been irritating. They had been enjoying things until Chiharu threw them out and made them talk to Sousobo about what needed to happen to ensure her training for the role as liaison. But now all that madness was over and she could rest. She changed into the warm sleep set Aunt Chiharu had conjured, with the fleece bottoms that were a purple plaid and the t-shirt like top also in purple. Shorts came with the set as well but she doubted that she would be wearing them any time soon. They kept her warm, and that was the most important factor in her mind.

She finished her reading and set the papers down with a sigh. This whole thing was going to make her insane, or at the very least more insane than she already was. Of course, Pepper had tried to be helpful all day, chiming in with helpful advice, carrying papers, failing more often than not but it was hella endearing. The little pixie had honestly tried to make things less crazy for Maeko even though her efforts had the opposite effect. Maeko smiled down at the little woman who was already asleep on an adjacent pillow and shook her head. This had been quite a day and maybe tomorrow would be better. At least she could hope.

* * * * *

The next day it was time to pile into the car for the drive back home so that this whole new life could really get started. Sousobo had said goodbye to them in the house and hugged Maeko warmly. Seeing her Uncle Satoshi shift his features so that he looked like Takeshi was a trip. He was even wearing some of her old clothes, which helped sell the truth of things. It did not make it any less creepy. Aunt Chiharu hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. “You’ll be fine Maeko. I am sure your parents will take care of you and you have my number in the phone as well. If you need anything, give me a call.”

“Thanks Aunt Chiharu.”

“No problem. You are a great fake kid, just so you know.”

Maeko stuck her tongue out in response, which earned her a big hug.

“Be safe.”

Maeko rolled her eyes and said in a fairly bored tone, “Yes Mom.”

The adults started laughing at that. “Well, be good baby and don’t give your Aunts any grief, you hear me?”

With a deep sigh of filled with the long suffering that all teenagers must endure, Maeko groaned out, “Yes Mom.”

With a final hug and a kiss on the forehead, Maeko entered the car. As they drove off back towards Ravencrest she turned and waved at Aunt Chiharu. Turning back forward she settled into her seat making sure her seat belt was secure. Her Uncle turned to her and asked, “So, your friends are going to be there, right?”

“Some of them are. At least they said that they were going to make it.”

“Okay, so Wallace is your best friend and Maggie is just a friend of yours.” clarified Satoshi yet again.

“Yes.”

“I am going to introduce you to them but you need to remember to try and be different around them. Don’t fall into any old habits. Try to be Maeko, not Takeshi in a different body. The longer you can remember to make that a difference then it won’t be an issue in a few weeks and it will become the way you are and the way everyone acts around you. This is easy.”

“Yes Uncle Satoshi, I remember my training in this kind of activity.”

“Good. It will make a lot of things easier for you if you do. This is going to be a lot more complex than some of those things though, as this is a longer time to hold this identity.”

“I just don’t feel right lying to my friends.” complained Maeko.

“You are doing that so the Coven does not think it has to go around ‘fixing’ people’s memories. You are doing them a favor by lying to them. You are providing them with some safety by taking this route and that is a good thing.” explained Satoshi in her old voice. “I know it is difficult but you can make new friendships with them if you do this carefully. They will be different friendships but that might be an okay thing as well. Just see how things are. The only people who might even be remotely safe to know the truth are any Unseen or Sacred, but be careful about that. Once that secret is out, it is out of your control.”

Pondering this point, Maeko absently nodded and tried to think about what she was going to do and how she was going to live her life now that she was someone new. It was a fairly huge issue and talking with everyone yesterday did set things in motion, giving her a base identity that she could live with to start. She kept running the data over in her mind, working on becoming this new girl she had become, Maeko Saito, half-sister to Takeshi, who was having issues with her mom and coming to live with her Aunt for a while, but it did not really solve the problem. The whole thing felt so surreal but it was what she had to work with.

The rest of the ride was completed mostly in silence, as they were all going over their roles in this little drama they had to play for a small audience. Chiharu was following behind in her car so she could pick up ‘Takeshi’ and drive him back up to the house with a slight delay, to give Maeko time to meet her friends again without the pressure of the evil mom. Then this whole farce would fall into her lap for her to juggle. This whole mess rested on her ability to play her part and convince this whole damn town that she was someone else. There was no telling what was going to occur if she flubbed something and that worried her.

As they drove up to the house, Satoshi tapped her leg and gestured slightly with his chin out the window. Both Maggie and Wallace were there, waiting for their arrival shifting awkwardly in the cold. Maeko took a deep and nervous breath, trying to calm down her now rapidly beating heart. Satoshi grinned so only she could see, “Showtime.”

Thankfully Pepper was aware that she should not say anything in case she exposed herself to the people, so that was one major worry down but that did not really make anything any easier all things considered. Satoshi exited the car and headed for her friends, looking kind of depressed and out of it. Maeko was a bit disgruntled by the act. Had she really acted that way when she had arrived at the compound? She drifted that way and heard Wallace say, “…still talking about your poem.”

Takeshi/Satoshi grumbled and said, “Damn! Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going to California. Then everyone can forget me and forget it without making my life hell.”

Maggie glanced over and noticed Maeko heading over towards them and asked, “Who’s this?”

“Oh, sorry guys. Wallace, Maggie, this is my half-sister Maeko from California. She’s having some issues with her mom so she’s coming to stay here and that’s why I get to go out there. Maeko, these are my friends Wallace and Maggie.”

Wallace looked her up and down, as if appraising her. He grinned in a slightly cheesy manner that Maeko was sure Wallace thought was dashing. It made her feel a little dirty and a touch sick to her stomach. Was he getting ready to hit on her? “Pleased to meet you. Any relative of my best friend is a friend of mine.”

Maggie didn’t quite do the same, rather taking in her whole appearance in a glance and smiling in a very friendly manner, waving. “Nice to meet you.”

“Could you guys show her around? I need to get going and pack as Aunt Chiharu will be here soon to pick me up.” said Takeshi/Satoshi.

Maeko frowned, trying to make sure that it was clear that she was not pleased with her ‘Mom’.

Wallace grinned and chimed in, “No problem man. I would be happy to show Maeko around our fine little town.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and shook her head, catching eyes with Maeko and smirking. Maeko tried to hold in a laugh and it came out in a slight giggle. Wallace frowned slightly turning back towards the girls. “What?”

Maeko looked up, trying for all sweetness and light, “Uhm… nothing. I am sure you and Maggie will do a hella good job showing me around Crowspeak or whatever you call it.”

Maggie snickered and asked, “It’s Ravencrest, which you had to know in order to make that joke. So Maeko, what grade are you in?”

“Sophomore. Had my sixteenth birthday a couple of months ago. What about you? You guys in the same grade as Take here?”

“Yes.” replied Maggie. “We’re in the 10th grade.”

“Cool. I guess you can maybe show me around the school then?” Maeko asked somewhat politely

“I’ll leave you guys to get acquainted. I gotta pack. Play nice Mae.” Takeshi/Satoshi said and headed off to the house.

Wallace looked a bit glum as Satoshi headed towards the house and Maeko wanted to say something but knew that there really wasn’t anything that she could say. “So, what is life like here?”

“Not too bad. It’s a bit strange but what are you going to do? It’s a small town and they have their own rules. When I graduate, I am so out of here. I want to head to a big city and actually have a taste of real civilization.”

Maggie shrugged and said, “I don’t know, I like it here. I am probably going to stay and go to college in town. The school is good, my family is all here and I love being around my family. It’s nice.”

Maeko already knew about Wallace’s plans but these plans of Maggie’s were new. This was an interesting side of her that he kind of liked. “Ugh… I’m glad you are happy with your family but right now I could just about strangle my mom.”

Maggie looked like she commiserated. “I’m sorry. What’s going on?”

“She’s being all controlling, won’t let me be who I am, trying to tell me what to do, who I can see. It’s just so damn infuriating!” growled out Maeko.

Wallace asked, as if trying to smoothly insert himself into her life, “Who was it she wouldn’t let you see?”

Maeko knew she had to shut this down because the very idea of being even a little romantically linked with Wallace made her sick to her stomach. No she had to go with something that was different enough that would stop them from prying and would buy her some time. While she was wasn’t sure how she felt about guys she was still fairly sure that she was still into girls. “The girl I liked. I really don’t want to talk about it. It just, like really hurts, you know. That’s why I got sent here to the other fucking coast, hella far from Cali.”

The silence that followed was awkward. Maeko was content with that. Mission success. Then Maggie hugged her, obviously trying to provide her with some comfort. “I am so sorry that happened to you. Why did your mom separate you? Does she hate lesbians or something?”

Maeko was a bit stunned, unsure how to respond. That was not something she wanted anybody to think about Aunt Chiharu. Thinking fast she said, “Sinika is a bit of a punk, a skater rat. Her family moved up from Santa Cruz to try and get her away from that crowd but she like so totally hot. She has the total bad girl thing going on with the hair kind of like Pink and unh…. But my Mom…” Maeko almost spat the word, “she doesn’t want me to hang out with a girl like that, thinks it will lead me to drink and do drugs and stuff. I mean, it’s only pot so it’s not like it’s really drugs. Thomas Jefferson smoked pot but no… she’s not happy with me so off she sent me to fucking Siberia.”

Wallace clearly looked uncomfortable with this revelation and Maggie looked a bit discomforted as well but she was clearly trying to make Maeko feel welcome despite all of that. The result of that made Maeko feel even closer to Maggie than she ever had before. It looked like the generally shy girl was actively trying to befriend her. Maeko smiled a bit apologetically and said, “Sorry, I’m more mad at my mom.”

“I get it.”

Wallace still looked a bit shell shocked after that barrage of information. Apparently a girl he was into being a cussing lesbian who smoked pot blew his mind or something; she was a bit unsure and really did not want to delve into the inner workings of Wallace’s mind in all honesty. That he had already seemed into her bothered her. This fascination with her really had to end before she had to hurt him in a way that really wouldn’t heal with a good night’s sleep. And she would, him or any one tried to touch her without her permission would find themselves in a world of hurt.

She was about to say something else when she heard a car pulling closer. She turned her head and saw her Aunt Chiharu’s car coming down the block. Remembering her role, she frowned and spat out, “ Fuck, it’s my mom. Look I gotta go. Can I talk to you tomorrow Mags? Wally?”

Maggie smiled, “Sure, I guess you will be going to school here?”

Maeko nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“Then we will see you there. And maybe we can give you a quick tour of the town after school. There are a lot of cool places like Mario’s, which is the local pizza place and then there is the comic book shop. It’ll be fun, honest.” She grinned at Maeko, gave her a quick hug and headed towards her bike. “Bye.”

Wallace shuffled a bit like a penguin on display and said somewhat less enthusiastically, “See you tomorrow Maeko. Tell Takeshi I’m waiting out here to say bye.”

She waved and headed towards the house before her Aunt pulled in to the driveway. It certainly looked like school was going to be interesting. She only hoped it wasn’t too interesting.