Luhan wasn't the kind of person to keep track of days, the time, or even months, years or centuries. When you've lived over a thousand years, little things like that just don't bother you. And when you sleep for hundreds of years at a time, they bother you even less. Which is why Luhan finds it annoying one morning when he feels himself being pulled out of a perfectly splendid nap that had at least another fifty years to go on it. 

He'd slept in fox form, so his ears are the first things to twitch at the sound of barking far off into the distance. His nose sniffs secondly, and the scent is rather alarming: not only dogs, but humans! Those foul creatures put on this earth to plague Luhan's very existence. He lifts his head, pushes up on his front paws and wobbles terribly from lack of usage. Unfortunately he has little to no time to regain his senses, and by the time he hears an animal and its master approach the front of his what-should-have-been cleverly hidden cave opening, Luhan stands proudly on four legs, still taller than any man, and his nine tails are unfurling one by one in a defensive maneuver, his head down low.

Humans think they're so intelligent, sending hounds after legendary, immortal nine-tailed-foxes, Luhan scoffs to himself. Little did they remember century after century that a such foxes are clever, tricky, and would snap off a dog's head as easily as they could seduce a man and steal his heart - literally.

On that note, actually, Luhan has a better idea. It's been too long since he last played the game. The one he played with guiles and charm, luring men into their doom until they're trusting, loveable, and cuddly, oh so squishy, before Luhan is prancing away with blood on his snout and a beating heart clenched within his jaw. That beautiful love, that beautiful life energy coursing once more through his magical veins. 

He hopes this human is pretty; ugly men are such a trial to pretend to woo. Although there was that one time where he happened upon a beautiful maiden and that was terribly fun. Then that other time when he actually pretended to be a maiden! He got all the way through the wedding ceremony and most of the aftermath unveiling before being discovered. Another fun event that would almost be worth reliving. It's fifty years too soon, but Luhan can get over that little hitch. 

He hears the approaching party and transforms. The plan is to look suddenly look fully human and pretend he was abducted and left to rot in a cave. Instant pity and medical aid. It usually works like a charm. His body starts to shrink, the fur begins to recede, magical human clothes, albeit dirty and tattered, cover his now bare skin. His ears and tails are usually the last things to disappear, but instead of dissipating Luhan's body suddenly convulses. He chokes, doubles-over on his newly transformed hands, and curses his current state of weakness. Two hundred something years since he's done this, and he may have gotten a little too hasty with the transformation. 

The human approaches, lopsided floppy hat and a torch in his hand, a dog reigned in his other. “Down, beast!” he cries.

Luhan wails to himself before he realizes the person isn't ordering him to surrender, he's ordering the dog. The pitiful animal whimpers anyways before Luhan's scent, and drops to his feet totally cowed. 

“Help,” comes Luhan's cry. He may as well try to go along with part of his original plan. Maybe the human won't notice his ears if he stays in shadow. He tries to tuck most of his tails behind himself and appear pathetic. “I need help!”

“Hmmm, I bet you do,” says the human with a stifled laugh. 

Luhan rages inside his head. Was that sarcasm he detected? Was the weakling human actually making fun of him? He tries to keep his teeth from scowling, resists the urge to hiss and growl, and so he keeps still as the human approaches. The dog stays cowardly by the front of the cave, but as the torchlight plays over the rocks around and overhead, Luhan sees a long metal tube hanging from the human's back. He curses, because damnit when did the people in this accursed country acquire firearms?! He hasn't seen one of those since the time of the Song dynasty. Not that the black-dusted fire throwers were any real threat to an immortal fox even back then - in fact he'd thought the humans were rather cute, playing with weapons because they had no magic - but then one of the devices had caught two of his tails on fire, and Luhan is not partial to the metal things anymore!

At least the human looks pretty, Luhan decides as the stranger approached. He isn't very tall, and his black hair looks a little long and strewn out, pieces of leaves and debris all through his locks. His clothes are colorful but a little travel-stained, and what skin Luhan can see around the man's arms and hands are dirty from the outdoors. His face though is beautiful. Luhan could imagine long hours staring into his eyes, drawing the man into his trap through pure wiles alone. He turns over on his side and affects to look injured.

“I'm hurt. I've been kidnapped,” he acts out, one hand dramatically laying across his face. Chances are the human won't notice his ears so soon.

“Are you? Let me see you.” He bends down on one knee, left hand still holding the torch and the other reaching towards the fox. “What's your name?” His voice is nice, pleasant. Luhan can definitely get used to this. 

“L-Luhan. And noo, please don't touch me. It hurts!” he whines.

“Tell me what hurts and I can have a look at it. It's alright,” the man tries to soothe him, but Luhan hits a snag. He doesn't know what on his body to claim that hurts. Maybe his five left tails because he is sitting on them rather uncomfortably under his left hip bone. 

“My... my chest. It hurts!” He conjured up some tears.

“Okay,” says the man. His eyes flicker over the body curiously in the dim lighting. When he tries to wave his torch arm closer Luhan cries and pretends to cringe away so that it won't light up his face or head. “What is it about your chest that hurts? Were you hit? Beaten? Kicked? Tied up?”

“Yes yes yes,” say Luhan for lack of anything else to say. 

“All of that and more huh?” 

“Yes, please! I've been laying here for ages!”

“Alright, alright. I got you now.” 

Luhan looks up and blinks coyly when he sees the man staring into his eyes. Hopefully the irises don't look too fox-like. He can't tell if they made the human-ish transition or not, but the man doesn't seem to notice anything amiss. In fact he looks rather love struck.

Success. I've got you now, Luhan thinks instead. 

Then the dog by the entrance barks madly, and startles the both of them. The man turns around quickly to hush the animal in a fearful warning, but by the time he turns around Luhan is caught. When he jumped, his hip came off the ground and several of his tails now look bushier than ever. The man's eyes go wide, almost as wide as Luhan probably imagines his are, because oops! He didn't mean for that to happen. He probably looks like that deer he once stalked and cornered against a rock wall by the river, eyes wide and all a feared, because death was nearing. 

Something in the back of the man's throat gurgles expectantly, but he looks fascinated! He should have been terrified! Nine-tailed foxes were legendary, fearful beasts and they ate men's hearts from right out of their chests! Why isn't the man running away terrified? But then, oh - that's right, he's already caught the poor, innocent creature under his spell and the man will probably do anything for him now: Look at him with moon-bright eyes, bring him wine and snacks, dance before him , lay down and bare his chest, that sort of thing. 

He flickers his tails, all nine of them revealed now and the torchlight captures his furry pointed ears as the man stares at him all over. The hand that had been inspecting his chest for injuries now moves towards his head and Luhan leans in, narrows his eyes, sending out seductive instincts. The side his lip arches upwards and he wonders what the man will taste like. His lips first though! What will a kiss in this century actually taste like? He's anxious to find out.

One delicate hand touches his cheek, palms the side of his face, down to his chin and back up. Luhan's ear twitches expectantly when fingers finally graze against it, and the man continues to smile and beam.

“You're absolutely gorgeous. A gorgeous... beautiful... kitty...”












What...?









Kitty??? 









“I'm not a kitty!” Luhan cries hotly, standing up speedily and completely forgetting about his plan to act sweet and seductive until death does this man part. 

“Shhhhhh, not so loud!” says the guy instead, far from being alarmed. He jumps to his feet as well, arms before him in a supplicating manner, as if he's trying to protect Luhan from himself, and he cranes his head around frantically towards the cave entrance. The dog whines in warning. Other humans approaching. “I don't want them to know you're here! You'll just be my secret kitty.”

“I'm not a kitty!” Luhan denies it again. He's mortified, outraged. He could snap this measly little human in two in a moment's notice, but then the guy will die thinking Luhan is a whiny little feline, and he's definitely not going to allow that! He is a fox! “And who are you anyway?!”

“My name is Suho. But can you please be quiet? Otherwise I can't protect you.”

“You. protect. me?” Luhan scoffs. 

“Yes! Don't you hear them? Hunters are out!”

Luhan does hear them, now that his ears aren't ticking out of pure mortification. “Wait, aren't you a hunter too?” he presses the man.

“Yes, but I'm not like those. I lead the pack and hide creatures like you from them. They've got a bounty on on kidnapped cat people and the dogs were leading straight to you!”

Again Luhan blinks. Is this human insane?!

“What!?”

Suho mistakes his question for a need for clarification.

“Yeah, the dogs tracked you instantly. I'm going to send this one out and lead them all astray.” Before Luhan can protest, Suho tears at the bottom hem of Luhan's shirt and pulls off a strip. Then he rushes over to the dog and gives it to him. “Here, Chanyeol. Now run!” The dog takes off and disappears from view and Suho breathes a sigh of relief. From off in the distance a few more humans shout and dogs bark, and it's clear they're following Suho's dog's misleading trail. 

And still Luhan just glares at him incredulously, mouth hanging open. He's probably disguised every beautiful feature about his face, just from pure disgusting confusion. 

“Alright, I think that's settled for the moment...” Suho peeks out of the cave entryway and then retreats back inside, picking up the torch when he does, and then he smiles back on Luhan. Perhaps his seduction hasn't worn off yet. Not that Luhan particularly cares about that right now.

“Look, I think I need to explain something to you,” he says sharply, arms folded across his now torn shirt - and he's not happy about that either actually - and all nine tails flailing about behind him. “I. am not a cat.”

“Okay?” says Suho looking confused.

“I am a 狐狸精.”

“A what?” asks Suho.

“A 狐狸精. A huli jing. Don't you know any mythology?”

“Uhm, I still don't know what that is. What's a hooly ching?”

Luhan sighs angrily. “You don't know what that is? Alright, how about this. Do you know what a 狐仙 is? A huxian?”

“No.”

“A 九尾狐? A juiweihu?” 

“Is that like a nine-tailed cat?”

“Nooooo!” Luhan cries, now more furious than ever. “I'm not a nine-tailed cat!”

Suho eyeballs his tails, appearing to be counting them. “But, you do have nine tails? Unless I'm counting them wrong.”

“You're not counting them wrong-” Luhan starts to explain.

“So then how are you not a cat of nine tails?”

“I'm a fox!” Luhan finally cries out in desperation. This man was surely brought here to drive him nuts. How on earth did he even think he was attractive before. Now Luhan just sees an idiot person who can't even see plainly what's in front of his eyes, and he thinks he's here to protect Luhan? A nine-tailed fox? “I'm a thousand-year-old immortal, magical fox! What's the word in your language? Gumiho? Yes, that's probably right. I'm a gumiho.”

Suho looks him over again, seeming to take in this new information considerably well. “Ohh...” Until he speaks and infuriates Luhan all over again. “I thought gumihos were usually women though?”

Luhan narrows his eyes menacingly, and he knows there's nothing human about how his pupils look now. He can feel the heat and the rage penetrating past his heavily glaring lids. “Do I look like a woman to you...? Think carefully now...”

But Suho just smiles at him. “No,” he says quickly, casually. “You look like a man to me.”

“Oh,” says Luhan stunned. Well at least they agree on that, fortunately for the man's life, because Luhan was so ready to eat him if he tried to say otherwise.

“Anyways...” Suho continues. “So you're a fox. It's nice to meet you. I'm Suho.”

“You said that already,” says Luhan, even as he half-reciprocates Suho's respectful bow. That's the first weird thing he feels like he's done, bowing to a human. It must be because he's so incredibly confused. What even happened to the fascinated love struck expression in Suho's face? It's been replaced now by a lighter, though still curious fascination. Is Luhan losing some of his skills? He worries his lower lip with his teeth while he considers this new turn of events. 

“You do know that creatures like me usually kill people like you?” Luhan offers this tidbit of knowledge, like he's genuinely worried that Suho isn't aware of how powerful he supposedly is.

“Oh definitely. Now that I know what you are, that is.”

“Okay... So how come you're still standing here.”

“Because I think you'll show me mercy, just as I have for you.”

This human's worldview is so simple, Luhan thinks, amazed.

“Mercy is a human luxury though. You don't have to eat every fox you come across, but I... require human heart.” He deepens his tone, playfully threatening. 

“Surely not every heart though?” says Suho conversationally. “And in any case, aren't you supposed to seduce me first?”

“Oh I can still do that.”

“Can you?” says the human, as if begging to be challenged.

“Are you curious if I can, or are you asking me to seduce you?” Luhan responds with as much innuendo as he can muster.

“Perhaps both, if you are willing to let me walk away from this?”

What an infuriating man! 

Luhan refuses to believe he doesn't understand the concept now. He could not have spoken any more plainly. And this is the second thing now that Luhan doesn't understand about himself: why does he even care? It's not like by telling Suho he's going to eat him, Suho will know enough to decide to run away. Luhan hasn't eaten in several hundred years and he's certainly not going to let that happen! Or... is he?

Perhaps the man is trying to appeal more to the faint vestiges of Luhan's human side. Luhan has heard of this before, gumihos with far more knowledge and power than even he, turning human and leaving behind the monster part of their souls. How laughable, that such a creature as himself would even want that. Humans are so proud of themselves for thinking their kind of life is more worthwhile. Would Luhan age and die rather than live as an immortal? No one could be so stupid as to walk right into a fox's den and make such an appeal.

“Is there something you actually want from me?” Luhan tries to ask next. 

“Is there?” This confuses Suho. Luhan doesn't know why he bothered. This man did after all walk right into a fox's den and call him 'kitty'. How would he even know to ask something if he didn't know what Luhan was. At best he must be a misguided adventurer with an affinity for letting beautiful things live - of course Luhan is under no illusion that he is not beautiful. There's just something slightly wrong with his charming powers right this minute, so he's going to have to tweak things a bit. 

Suho is still standing in the center of the cave observing him, although he has put down the torch he carried. It rests against a rock near the side of the cave wall and there's really nothing blocking the way in case Suho decided to bolt. And yet he doesn't. He does take one tiny step backwards though. Luhan can't miss it. 

“Y-You... you, you're about to run away now aren't you,” says Luhan. 

“With your permission of course.”

Luhan really can't understand it. Nobody should be running away from him right now, and definitely not as politely as Suho is asking. Every seductive vibe in Luhan's body should be channelling out of him right now. How come it isn't affecting the man?

“But I haven't even tried to seduce you yet!” Luhan bluffs. He has actually. He has been trying. 

“Oh?” says Suho cutely, smiling. “Okay then. I'm ready.”

Luhan grows suspicious, wondering now if something else isn't happening here. Namely, that he's confused, and confusion is a human trait. Gumihos definitely shouldn't be the more confused creature.

“You're trying to confuse me,” he insists.

“Am I?”

“Don't try anything with me. I'm a thousand year old, immortal magical fox!”

“Ohh, so you say.” Suho nods solemnly. 

“I do say that!”

“Then what is there to be confused about?”

“I don't know!” 

“You sound confused though.”

Luhan clenches his jaw, but all of his tails drop. Even his ears drop. Some magic this is. The human is confusing him with human magic, or rather... confusing Luhan into acting human. 

“You... I think you're just trying to make me spare you,” says Luhan. 

“Of course I am,” says the man. 

A light turns on in his little thousand-year-old brain. “You've been trying to confuse me since you first came in this cave.”

“Perhaps I have been.”

Luhan frowns some more. “Then you knew what I was when you first entered?”

“I did.”

Aha... Luhan figures it out. Or actually, not quite. “But... why?” Moreover, why did Suho try to call him a cat?

Suho smiles. “Well I meant what I said. The hunters were after actually after you. And when I found you I wanted to warn you. But I also wanted to live. So you have several choices now.”

“You mean I can decide to eat your heart or not?”

The man inclines his head, lips pressed together and outward as he thinks about it. “Well yes, you can choose either of those options. But there's another decision you can choose to make.” He waits until he's sure Luhan is really paying attention before continuing. “You can move your resting place, and therefore keep yourself safe. Or... You can come with me. And I'll help you become human.”

“Why would I want that though?”

“Because it interests you... becoming human. Doesn't it?”

All of Luhan's tails flair up again, nostrils fuming. “Of course it doesn't!” he says a little too forcefully.

“The very fact we are holding this conversation says at least a little part of you is curious.”

Luhan goes back to his old standby. “You're just trying to talk me out eating your heart!”

“I am. Is it working though? Even a little bit?”

Luhan hesitates, and by that he knows he's actually doomed. “Why are you trying to spare my life?” he asks the man.

“I'm not trying to spare it. I'm trying to save it.”

“But why?” he demands again.

“You said it yourself. Mercy is a human luxury... but it's also a responsibility. If there's anything human in you, then you should be intrigued by that concept.”

Luhan hates that the man is right, that he's actually trying to be clever with him. But the truth is he is so intrigued by this man now that he doesn't know how else he can act. Agreeing to the statement is like giving in, and yet he wants to. And the very fact that he thinks he may want to signifies the end.

The other humans who were outside the cave have faded into the distance. Luhan doesn't hear anyone other than themselves, no animals, no dogs, no men. It's just him and this brave human alone in a cave and Luhan has a decision to make.

“If I went with you,” he starts off slowly, “and learned to be human...” Luhan swallows heavily. Suho nods for him to continue. “Can I still try to seduce you?” 

The man grins, all teeth bared but in one of the largest smiles he's seen yet. “I already told you I'm willing.”

And there, again, is that look in his eyes that tells Luhan Suho thinks he's kind of impressive looking. Maybe Luhan's still got the charm. It just works differently on Suho. 

“Can I think about it for a bit?” he asks.

“Of course. Mind if I wait outside?”

“Yes, actually. I want you to wait inside.” He’s not going to let this human get away for anything. No one has been so intriguing to Luhan for centuries! It’s worth a little investigating, surely.

Suho's eyebrows raise up at the forceful delivery, but he still looks amused. 

“Alright then. I'll wait here, kitty. Just tell me when you've decided.” He crosses his arms and sinks to the ground in one fluid motion, looking mighty pleased with himself. 

Meanwhile Luhan huffs uncontrollably. “Okay, now look here. If we're going to do anything together, then there's just one thing I need to make clear. You will not call me a cat! I am a fox!” 

“For now you are. But you're still as adorable as a kitten, and I like kittens so... what can I say?”

What can Luhan even say, that is the question. He glares at the man, but perhaps that isn't punishment enough. He kind of wants to make Suho's life miserable now for as long as they both live. Which he hopes will be a while, because shortening Suho's life is certainly too merciful for a man like him. And in any case, Luhan kind of likes the way he looks. He also hasn’t gotten to taste his lips yet.



 

My knowledge of gumihos comes entirely from wikipedia, Korean drama, League of Legends, and my own imagination. I really like this prompt though, so hah. Hope you liked this :)

Rosie

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