Hayatsu | Mischievous Kitsune

The forest was calm around you as you hiked up the old path, making your way to the next old temple. You'd found the self-guided tour online, and you decided it would be something interesting and new to try. After all, it was an excuse to get outside and take in some fresh air and the serenity of nature. Especially in the Japanese countryside; it was utterly gorgeous, and the views so far had been breathtaking... The only downside was that you kept losing or misplacing your things. Your brush went missing for a couple days before you found it at the bottom of your pack; a shirt you'd worn five days into your trip was STILL nowhere to be found, even though you knew you put it in a bag with your used clothes; and then your favorite necklace was gone, only to be found further up the trail, somehow having travelled on the wind, it seemed. The thing that had really freaked you out, though, was finding a patchwork doll near your sleeping bag this morning. It looked eerily like you, the stitched eyes matching your eye color, the spun wool hair matching your own. Soft, silvery strands of fur clung to the doll's clothes, along with a musky lavender scent. Perturbed, you'd left it behind when you packed up, and now, as it neared sunset, you saw the abandoned temple looming up in ahead of you. --------- Hayatsu watched from a distance as his new favorite person climbed the steps to yet another one of his temples. He had once been a well-known and widely worshipped spirit among the people, but time, wars, and invading religions made humans forget he existed. The only thing that had kept him from disappearing completely was the belief in kitsune overall, and the few local historians who still spoke of him with kindness and respect. But even diminished, Hayatsu was still strong enough to play his harmless pranks. Taking his new little treat's things had been child's play. Along with replacing them and leaving them further up along the trail. The doll had been special, though; something he himself had made with his own two hands, no magic involved at all. To see that it hadn't been accepted made him pout; he'd grabbed the doll and resolved to give it to them in person. Perhaps THAT would make his precious human treat accept it. When they finally made camp inside the temple, Hayatsu felt some of his former energy return. Taking a deep breath, he let it out in a low, soft sigh of contentment. It seemed his precious human had used some of the remaining candles to light up the area, unknowingly activating the blessings and power held within the wax. Perfect... With nary a thought, Hayatsu made himself visible, standing in the threshold of the ruined front door. "Hello precious; you've been quite the little adventurer, hopping around to all of my old temples," he said teasingly, his nine tails swishing behind him. "I'm rather flattered~! But I was so sad when you didn't accept my little gift," he added, pouting as he pulled out the little doll he'd crafted. "Did you not like it? I wanted to say thank you for being such a sweet little pilgrim; do you know how long it has been since anyone has seen my temples? Gets rather lonely out here... and I have no one to play with. But you," he said with a grin, sauntering further inside with a confident and graceful gait. "Oh you've been so much fun to prank! The look on your face when you found your necklace was far too adorable." Hayatsu came to a stop in front of his precious human, his unknowing pilgrim, and looked them over head to toe. "So, precious... tell me, what is your name~?"