Waiting a few more minute for the pain to subside and to calm down, Kat was slowly coming to terms with a startling realisation: she could feel the tail. Not only that but somehow, she knew how to move it. Flicking her new tail around was somewhat awkward as she had ended up sitting on part of it when she sat up for the first time, but it was certainly moving, and not in any explainable way.

Sneaking a look at the clock, she noticed that it was 5:15, plenty early enough to avoid getting spotted, so she grabbed some clothes and headed towards the shower, quickly undressing she turned around and tried to examine herself in the mirror. What she saw was, much to her dismay, extending from the small of her back was a thin black tail. Concentrating on it allowed her to flex and move it extremely easily as if it were another arm. The worrying part was that it felt completely natural to her as if adding a massive two metre or so tail didn’t throw her balance completely off.

Quickly showering and throwing on a shirt Kat paused. How on Earth was she supposed to hide the tail, or first, how was she supposed to wear pants with tail? Trying to wrap the tail around her leg proved fruitless, the thing was too long, and the spade end wasn’t quite as flexible as the rest of it. *Shit ok, I need to hide this tail somehow, it moves a bit too well for people not to ask questions and I can’t just wear my pants below it because I’d reveal to much of my back and people could tell it’s a real tail. Ok, would dresses work? No of course not, they have the same problem as pants. Calm Kat calm.* A moment passed and Kat lifted her shirt and begun to wrap her tail around her midsection over and over again, tucking the end underneath the coils to try and hold it in place a bit. *Ok this works, I think. I don’t look weird in the mirror but it’s hard to tell. Really uncomfortable though. Feels like having your arms bound. Hopefully my tail can’t cramp up.*

Dressing and returning her pyjamas to the bedroom, she checked the clock: 5:45. *Dealing with my tail took longer than I thought though I don’t have to wake the kids till six technically. Do I need anything*?

Looking around the room, Kat didn’t find anything she deemed immediately useful until her eyes fell on her cell phone. *Do I call Lily? She knows something about demons… hopefully. Should I tell anyone? No, I need someone to work this through with.*

Kat reached out towards her phone, about to start calling her best friend, when she suddenly remembered the time. *Shit, Lily won’t be awake for another while. When did she say she wakes up again? Damn I’ll just send her a text.* Sending a quick message off to Lily to call as soon as she woke up, Kat begun the routine of banging on the doors, however, while racing down the stairs she clipped her tail on the bannister and nearly lost her footing.

*Sssss, that hurts. Note to self: Not as thin as I used to be now I’m hiding a tail under my shirt.* Now hobbling down the stairs, she continued her knocking before heading for the dining room and noticing a concerned Sylvie.

“Are you ok Kat?” The little girl looked up at Kat with big round eyes, daring her to say she was fine.

Kat sighed “I’m fine Sylvie I just knocked my hip on the railing coming down the stairs. It’s nothing to worry about”

Sylvie kept staring at Kat, searching for other answers and seemingly finding none, she dropped her gaze but still huddled by Kat’s side, sensing that there was something else. The pair went to the mess hall as normal to have a quick breakfast.

As Kat was about to ascend the stairs and pick up a few things, she felt a tugging on her pants and looked back to see a still concerned Sylvie looking at her with big eyes. “Are you sure you’re fine Kat? The pain from before should have gone away”

*Gah don’t look at me with those eyes, I’m sorting out potentially worldview destroying phenomenon I can’t put that on Sylvie’s shoulders. Aw fine*

“Look Sylvie, things have gotten a little bit more complicated since yesterday and I’m trying to figure some things out. I have to head out for a bit, but I promise after we eat breakfast tomorrow, I’ll tell you. Deal?” Kat said, expecting some resistance or pouting but to her surprise Sylvie just nodded, let go and headed back to her room. *That kid is too smart for her own good, I hope she stays just as sweet though.* Hurrying upstairs, careful to mind the tail around her waist, Kat gathered a few things than headed for the front door. Right as she stepped outside, her phone buzzed.

“So, what’s going on Kat? Are you in trouble or something? You’ve never tried to get my attention this urgently before.” Said Lily

“Yeah, ah, some stuff happened yesterday after I left your place and I really need to go over it with you. Are your parents’ home? I’d really rather we did this someplace they weren’t around said Kat

“Ah, um, yeah they should be out doing the weekly shopping for the rest of the day, let me just go check.” Lily said.

Kat waited a few minutes, hearing the rustling of clothes and a few clicks presumably from doors opening as Lily made her way through the house.

“Ok yeah the cars gone so you should be fine I think, is it really that big of a deal it’s not like you to dance around an issue like this?” said Lily

“Yes, yes it is.” Kat said.

“Ok just come straight over I’ll be ready for you whenever you arrive.”

Beginning a light jog towards Lily’s house, Kat quickly realised that her tail did affect her balance and she had to compensate for that, slight shifts to the left and right made her tail twitch slightly and attempt to react to her movements trying to keep her on balance. Needless to say, with it tightly bound around herself .the assistance it brought was minimal at best and distracting at worse. *Shit don’t tell me I have to relearn how to walk. Stupid tail. Then again maybe I’m the idiot thinking that I could walk normally without the tail being involved.*

Forty-five minutes later Kat arrived at Lily’s front door and knocked… No response. *Dammit is Lily still in her room? I doubt she can hear the front door from there, or maybe she’s still getting ready. Do I just wait here or?* Kat’s internal debate was halted by a solid thunk from inside the door before it swung open to reveal a tired and messy Lily.

“I don’t get how you wake up so early or easily… anyway come on, you sounded serious on the phone.” Lily said as she guided Kat back to her room.

“Well, I guess we should get the easy stuff out of the way: I have to leave the orphanage before I turn eighteen.” Kat said

Lily froze in the hallway

“That is the easy stuff? You’re getting kicked out of your home in twelve months and you tell me that’s easy? Kat why would you put up with that of all things, you’ve helped the old man run the place for years, I can’t believe he’d force you out like that, I mean-“

Cutting Lily off Kat jumped in with

“Woah, woah, hold up there Lily, this has nothing to do with Gramps other than the fact that he had to tell me, apparently it’s just the rul-“

“What and you took him at his word Kat? This is serious what are we going to do? I mean-” Kat grabbed Lily pulling her into a hug to stop things going to far.

“Calm Lily, calm, I trust the old man, he even gave me an amazing gift and cried on the way out of his office, Lily. It’s fine.” Kat said trying to soothe her agitated friend. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her freak out so much, I can only hope the tail doesn’t go even worse. Hopefully it’s fine.

“What could possibly make it worth getting kicked out. You mentioned that the orphanage does alright but I doubt Gramps has the spare cash to get you something really special. I mean, last year he only got you a few notebooks” Lily said, calmer but still uneasy

“He gave me his wife’s handwoven kimono that has been kept in pristine condition for at least my entire life, apparently he was supposed to give it to his next wife but he decided to give it to me, his daughter, instead.” Kat said tearing up a little remembering the moment

“Oh. Oh. I am so sorry Kat, I didn’t know you guys were so close, I mean you don’t talk about him that much and I, I just assumed, I’m sorry.” Lily said

“It’s fine, I never really mentioned it because he really has taken care of me my whole life, I don’t remember my parents and I know they both died before I turned two. I’ve been with Gramps for as long as I can remember, and I always knew he cared for all of us at the orphanage but yesterday really hit home for me how long we’ve been together and what that truly means.” Kat said

Breaking apart the girls continued on to Lily’s room before shutting the door.

“So if this isn’t what you were concerned about what the hell is? I can’t imagine anything short of losing an arm actually causing you any real grief” Lily joked half-heartedly.

“Hmm close actually, I might not have lost an arm…”

“But I did gain a tail” said Kat lifting her shirt and uncoiling her tail from around herself. Kat’s eyes quickly flicked up to Lily after not hearing a response only to see the girl slam herself into the headboard with a loud thunk. *Is this considered an improvement on her first reaction? Kat smiled wryly to herself. Now I need to wait for her to wake up.. Again.*