Beyond the Gates

Spirit

Character

Lyra

Tanuki

Common

I blow kisses to the crowd and stretch my arms out wide as if embracing them all, while responding to the cheers and applause with a subtly seductive wink. The spotlights dance around the stage and sweep across the audience before suddenly stopping their ballet when I raise my hand. I place a finger on my lips to call for silence, because it's time for my next act. My high heels clack across the stage and my hips swing just a little too suggestively. Perfect. Drum roll, please... I spread my hands, drawing from my inner fire, my Ignescence. The image becomes clearer in my mind: a mischievous furball that has the distinct honor of being my assistant for the next trick. I summon the Tanuki, and he appears in a whirlwind of colorful confetti.

He surveys the crowd, flicking his tail mockingly. He stares at me and pretends to sulk. I shrug and look at the crowd as if taken aback. I hear a few laughs from the audience. He seems ready. I pull a dorayaki – two pancakes stuck together around a sweet red-bean paste center – from my low-cut top. The Tanuki sniffs it and turns to me with a greedy look. I throw it at a young man in the third row. The Tanuki quickly places a beech leaf on his forehead and disappears in a plume of smoke, reappearing in place of the young man just in time to open his mouth and catch the sweet treat flying through the air. The young man finds himself on the podium and looks all around, bewildered. The Tanuki stands on his seat and bows as applause breaks out from all sides. But the show isn't over. I pull another treat out of my low-cut dress.

The Tanuki, whose appearance fluctuates between a badger and a raccoon, is a creature from Japanese folklore who features in a wide range of often amusing and extraordinary stories. As a symbol of prosperity and success, it is said to bring good fortune, which is often represented by testicles of disproportionate size. The Tanuki is a mischievous and shape-shifting prankster that resembles a raccoon dog. A master of disguise, it can transform into whatever it wants by sticking a tree leaf on its forehead. It is said that the Tanuki and Kitsune are eternal rivals, always playing tricks on each other.