CURING A HANGOVER

You wake up in an unfamiliar bed with a splitting headache. Fuck, you really shouldn't have drank so much last night. Where are you, anyways? Thinking, the last things you remember were… going out to party, meeting the hottest chick you've ever seen, and then… not really anything after that. There's no way you could have… You finally manage to open your eyes fully, and turn to see who's next to yo-

That's not a person. Is that some kind of fucking ghost? Ghosts aren't real, right? What the hell is that? You jump right out of the bed in shock — guess it isn't sleep paralysis — and stare. Whatever that thing was next to you, it looks like a blob of dark haze, vaguely the size of a person. After thinking for a moment, you decide to poke it.

Your finger just goes right inside, like you're trying to touch a cloud. It feels somewhat cool and warm. When you pull you finger out, it feels normal. Nothing has changed. Wait, why would you even expect something to change in the first place? What the hell is going on here? Did someone slip you some weird hallucinogenic drugs last night? Is this just what hangovers are like sometimes?

The blob moves a bit. Then, it starts to change shape. Soon, it's formed a perfect human silhouette, and then, suddenly, it becomes opaque. Somehow, the blob has transformed into the girl you saw last night, conveniently wearing some rather adorable pajamas and with her long black hair disheveled to such a specific degree that it looks like it was put that way on purpose. Is this… did that just really happen?

"I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do, aren't I."

Yeah, of-fucking-COURSE she is. Where the hell are you? What the hell did she just do? Also, where are your clothes?

"Oh, uhh… they're in the dresser over there. I can make you breakfast, if you want. Would give me a good chance to explain all of this."

She leaves the room, probably going to the kitchen. The dresser is empty aside from your clothes. Guess she doesn't need clothes? You get yourself dressed and leave the room.

She has a rather small one-bedroom apartment here it seems, although the kitchen has everything you'd expect of such a place. She invites you to sit down at the table.

"I guess the best place to start is with what I am. I guess the best term would be 'fox spirit', in your language?"

So, like, a ghost?

"Basically, yeah. But I was never a human, so not one of those. It's… hard to put into mortal terms, really."

She sure looked like a human earlier.

"Yes, shapeshifting is rather trivial. One of the easiest types of magic for spirits to do."

What? How? Like, how does that work at all? With physics and stuff?

"It's not coming from nothing, you see. Shapeshifting is not about truly changing your form; it is simply about convincing those around you that you have attained it."

As if to illustrate their point, her form seamlessly changes back into that of a shadowy ghost. Her shape doesn't change, even her clothes fade into the shadow.

"Of course, for those already tied down to their corporeal bodies, it can be hard to understand such an idea. You mortals have a certain… attachment, to your social constructs. And, I may add, it certainly helps that you tend to believe in the things that you already know, especially in times of uncertainty."

She returns back to a solid humanoid form just in time to gently caress your face while looking into your eyes, smiling. Were her eyes always that deep blue? And… wait a second, did she always have those fox ears? And that tail? You totally would have noticed something that weird before, but you can't say for sure if she didn't have them when you first met. You probably just weren't paying attention or something… She pulls away from you, looking down at you in your seat.

"Do you see it now?"

Suddenly, she stops the illusion. In an instant, she returns to that ghostly shadow form. Wait a second, she definitely didn't have those fox ears and tail last night. She just seemed like a normal person. A sexy one for sure, but a normal one. Did she just do that to you?

"What you think is real, it is quite arbitrary, really. And if everyone believes a certain thing to be real; then it may as well become real. That is where the true power of magic is held, in making people believe."

You realize that you haven't even gotten a chance to actually eat any breakfast yet.

"However, that does mean that much of my power comes from the fact that nobody knows I have it. And, of course, you now know. So that leaves me with a choice to make. I could simply take you back home, put you in your bed, and make you forget all this. You'd just think you blacked out, and you could keep living your life like normal."

Well that's boring, isn't it?

"Something tells me you don't want to do that, do you? There is another way around this problem, but it will have some… consequences for you. If I was to simply… free your spirit from its mortal bindings, so to speak, you'd be free to stay with me.""

Hold on, do what now? That sounds a lot like a covert way to talk about killing someone. Is she serious?

"Oh, your body isn't harmed in the process. Only your spirit is consumed. It doesn't even hurt, really!"

So, what's the catch?

"Well, since your spirit will become a part of me, you'll need to be sure to visit regularly."

…or else what happens?

"You'll feel absolutely terrible. Depression, unable to be treated by any medications or therapy. Like, well… an empty husk. But as soon as you return, it all fades away."

Well that sounds kinda terrible.

"I mean, you'd be getting a cute girlfriend too. Wouldn't that help sweeten the deal a little?"

She smiles mischievously at you. Damn, she's good!

"So, what will your choice be? Want to return back to your little wonderland, or do you want to see how deep this foxhole goes?"