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It's school holidays. And Coral is out in the sunshine, in the playground behind the Scout Hut, playing on the swings. Her wavy hair flows back in the breeze.

The advantage of being three eighths Indian is not being prone to sunburn, and Coral is making the most of it.

As she swings just a little higher, she tips back her head, and her glasses topple off onto the ground. She squeals slightly, tucks her feet up, and waits for the swing to stop, not daring to put her feet down. Then she leans upside down and feels carefully on the ground before she climbs down from the swing, feeling around for her glasses and hoping beyond hope that they aren't broken and nobody treads on them.

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There's a dog (maybe it's a dog? It's kind of blurry) nearby, sitting patiently. It trots over, noses in the grass, and picks up Coral's glasses delicately in its mouth, holding them by one of the arms.

Puppy?!

Coral thinks they might be about to get chewed, and is greatly relieved when the blurry dog returns them. She puts them on, and looks at the pretty fox creature.

Well, she only knows of two foxes around here, Fry's friend and Egil, and this isn't Egil. So she straightens up, and bows to the fox.

"Thank you, Seimei-sama."

The fox twitches his nose and performs a little bow. His reputation precedes him, obviously!

"You're quite welcome! You are Fry-kun's sister, if I am not mistaken?"

Although they haven't met before, the fox has seen her around.

"Yes sir, one of them." Coral says. "I'm Coral, I have a little sister Brooke, but she's taller than me now."

"Well! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Coral-kun!"

It's a bit unusual to use '-kun' for a girl, but '-chan' might be over-familiar, and she's much too young for '-san.'

"I have heard that it is a trial being a middle child, although I am hardly in a position to know personally." Seimei was an only child himself.

"Well, I was only little when Brookie was born, so I don't really know anything else." Coral says. "But Gil is the baby now."

"So, you have three siblings then? How do you get on with them?"

Seimei's three daughters did not always get on well with each other, although things settled down once they got past the teenage years.

"I get on okay with all of them." Coral says. And it's pretty much true. "Brooke is hard sometimes."

"How so?" Seimei asks (although he can guess, at least a bit).

"I'm six. She's not even four yet, and she's bigger than me. It's not fair."

"Goodness! But that situation may reverse itself in the years to come. Although I understand if that gives you but little comfort."

"But she'll keep growing too."

"It is not like children grow at the same rate all the time," Seimei says. "They have growth spurts every now and again. And some are more extreme than others! You may grow twice as much as your sister the next time you hit one."

There's hope for Coral yet. And even if not, the difference probably won't bother her as much when she's older. Of course, it obviously bothers her quite a lot now.

"But by the time she's six she'll be a giant!"

"She will be six in two years, by which time you will be eight, and taller than you are now," Seimei points out. "Possibly much taller."

"But except for being bigger than me and a bit bossy I guess she's okay."

"That is good to know! How do you get on with your elder sibling, then?"

Fry might present some interesting challenges, although it can be easier for a child to learn to deal with such things than an adult.

"Fine." Coral says. "I've known Fry forever."

Seimei's tail twitches. "Well, for your whole life at least - but I suppose it works out to about the same thing."

"So I understand him ok." Coral says. "We look out for each other."

"Oh, good! That is just how it ought to be," Seimei says. "I envy your good fortune, having such a collection of siblings - I had none myself, although my mother assured me I was quite a handful all on my own."

Magical talents aside, he was a rather difficult child.

"I think I am the only one who gets on with everyone." Coral says.

"Everyone in your family or, well, just everyone?"

"In my family." Coral says. "Some of the kids at school are harder."

"Anyone you have particular trouble with?"

There's usually someone.