A pawsome guardian

[oichi]

In Hachiko square, many people come there for their shopping. It is usually a very busy time no matter what hours depending on the wares and the popularity of the store. Many of the streets are filled with many types of humans: magical, yokai, regular, important delegations, the lower income, workers. Ayane had seen it like any capital that she has been in. Admittedly, she was looking for a place to stay in for as the night comes, as any drifter needed at least for the night.



She had her motor bike parked on the edge of the parking lot, not exactly wanting to be in the way for her vehicle to get hit. She was in her cat form, a fluffyball of an orange Maine coon. Her fur at least kept her warm enough as was the seat of the bike. Some stray cats did investigate her being there, but they went off to do their own thing. She wished to have some of the little kittens stuck around so she can help them being comfortable. "Meow!" "Have an amazing night guys!" she meowed saying goodbye to some of the customers leaving the store. She didn't really pay attention, as she was a little bit tired, but she also would like some company.

[mermalaide]

A young woman in what looked like a university blazer and a frilly, plum colored dress came out of one of the shops. She looked like she was carrying a few bags. One of which being a few evening groceries. Her long black hair was tied up in a matching ribbon and she seemed to make a little bit of noise as she walked. The sound of bells moved with her messenger bag. Upon hearing the meow she stopped. "Hey there little friend!" She crouched down and put her shopping bags beside her. Tatsu had noticed a bunch of stay kittens and cats earlier so she had brought them a few cat food cans. "I guess I ran a little late huh?"

She sighed a little sadly. "Maybe if I leave it out for them, in a place they can safely get to, they can have a bit of dinner." She said this, holding out her hand to greet the fluffly ball of orange. The chimes on Hachiko's square clock rang out softly. It was almost 6pm. "This square is pretty safe, but what about you?" She looked concerned. "Old Hachiko wanders here at night to protect people, but we still have weather." She offered scritches to to cat if it wanted them.

[datmass]

She wasn't the only one in the neighborhood. You catch him in...a rather good mood, actually. Not that he didn't have them, but things could be serious, at times, and that can weigh on a man. However, today did not appear to be one of those days. Shiro Kunekawa was humming to himself as he headed towards the parking lot from down the street, holding a cardboard box with the name 'Samurai Pizza' in hand. It was a large meatlovers, and the smell alone was putting a joyous step in his movement. Because...it wasn't just a pizza. It was a celebratory pizza, a reward for himself, for a job well done. He was going to kick back at home, put his feet up, put on a movie, and relax.

The sounds of a cat calling nearby drew his attention.

There was an orange Maine Coon sitting on a motorbike, catching people's attention with its general floofiness. The cat seemed well-taken-care-of, judging by the state of the fur, so it was probably not a stray, but the woman nearby giving it attention did not seem like the owner. It wasn't anything personal in the observation, it's just that Shiro's mind went 'Cat on bike, largely in good condition. Woman in long frilly dress, not likely to be a bike owner. The dress could get caught or damaged in the process.', and that was that. He didn't always know when to turn the Detective off, in these circumstances. But hey, it was on his way to the case, so why not indulge a bit? He liked cats, anyway. He would be holding the pizza out of reach, though...

"There's a nice cat. Someone around here own it?"

[oichi]

Ayane first noticed the girl walking out of the store as she came closer to the bike. It had looked like she was planning to feed some of the cats that had come around here. The cat food cans looked like it had paté in them. She could smell different flavors of chicken, salmon, turkey, just to name a few. The girl seemed nice, offering her hand out to Ayane. She sniffed her hand for a few seconds before rubbing her head on the hand, purring, to get started.


No longer than that, she found herself with another person walking up to them. She thought of him as curious but the more important thing was, he also had food, really good food. The pizza box that he had in his other hand had a great smell towards her: A meatlovers pizza. All the toppings really came through, leaving her to lick her lips. Bacon, ham, sausage, pepperoni, she was blessed that she can eat both cat food and human food fine, though maybe not at the same time. "Mrreow!" "That food smells so good! Please share!" she meowed excitedly. she really debated on remaining in her cat form or to change back into a human. She just needed to know how it goes.

[mermalaide]

"There's a nice cat. Someone aroudn here own it?"

"Not that I can tell. I saw some kitties out here before I went into the combini over there, so I thought I would get something for them when I did my own shopping. She can't be a stray right? She looks cared for." A look of concern crossed Tatsu's face. She dug in the shopping bag and pulled out the cans she picked up, opening them up and putting them out of the way so they could eat without being bothered, if they were still about. "Ah, that smells good." She remarked of the pizza. Her own bag was filled with bento sushi, bottled drinks, and a few odds and ends. 

"Maybe the owner was the same person the owns this bike?" Only more questions. She tilted her head and tried to think if she had seen anyone. "Well..If I can't find the person, there is space at our shrine. I don't think Gramps would be upset if we had a small guest." They often had people over in the  Zuishin-in temple. It was old, small and a bit out of the way (being east Kyoto near where the school was), but they had room. "Ah, where are my manners. My name is Soma Tatsu and my grandfather and I live and work in the  Zuishin-in temple." She said this to the new fellow. Maybe she should have picked out pizza. Though, she wondered if Gramps would eat or eye it suspiciously. He was a bit like that. 

"Gosh, you are pretty cute!" She said, going back to giving the fluffy orange kitty attention. "I really don't want to leave her here if I can help it. I know there are plenty of strays about, but I don't think she is one."

[datmass]

A fluffy cat sitting on a bike will grab people's attention, no question, so said cat should really not be surprised by the frequency of people. It really looked like the cat belonged to someone, but there wasn't anyone here, not unless they went shopping and left the cat alone. Didn't seem likely, as what cat wouldn't go wandering at the time? No, it was probably a local cat who wandered over here, but then that begged the question? Where from, and was it okay? This certainly got the concern of the young lady, who introduced herself as Soma Tatsu of Zuishin-in Temple. You wouldn't expect someone of modern fashion to be working thus, but Shiro knew someone who would combine kimono and red jacket, so it was all good. He nodded back to her.

"Kunekawa Shiro. I'm an investigator."

While they were talking...the nose had been working. He suspected this would happen if he got close, but what can you do? The cat picked up the scent of his meal and angled its head this way, letting out a cute meow that clearly stated the desire for some of that pizza. He chuckled a bit as he - while the pizza was still out of paw range, opened the box, glancing at Tatsu.

"My reward meal. Just finished a case, a little dispute between four kappa and the local pizzaria."

He gingerly pulled out a piece of sausage and held it up.

"Now, I know this isn't entirely healthy for them, but occasionally is fine."

He would bring the sausage in range to let the cat do its thing.

[oichi]

She took a look at the cat food now laid on the ground for the strays. She hopes that they could all come back for it at least a little bit of something to eat, before the raccoons or other animals got to it. Hopefully they can though. It would be a waste of perfectly good food if it didn't. Tatsu and Shiro were nice people though as she still got scratches and even a piece of sausage, which she happily gobbled up and licked his fingers clean.

She giggled a bit after complements of being well groomed and not looking like a stray. She wanted them to know her name too. On the mach bike, she had a little compartment with all of her stuff on it, including her precious sock monkey that is her favorite. It had her name on the back of the toy. She opened the compartment with her paw, she leaned down to take the sock monkey by the neck and placed it as carefully as she can. It said "Ayane".

[mermalaide]

"Ayane? Well that is cute!" She looked a little worried though. "Do you think the person will come back? Maybe something happened?" It was a cute stuffed toy. The smells of the pizza were making her stomach growl. "I should text my grandpa, and maybe look on the community board. Do you think the person dropped anything?" She was looking a bit around the bike to see if someone had just dropped something, but it looked parked. Who leaves a cat and their personal items without coming back? She brought out her phone, which, looked like a melty piece of chocolate, another thing counting against her stomach and texted her grandfather.

'Hey, I found a lost cat. I did pick things up, but might be a little late to the shrine. We may or may not have a guest with me.'

The response was almost immediate. A thumbs up. Gramps was truly a man of few words. She also pulled up the community board online. You could still see some pages with a flip phone. It just didn't have the extra oompth that say a smart phone had. "Excuse me! ExCUSE me!" Tatsu's head snapped up to see a very, unfortunate woman loudly trying to get her attention. She seemed to come out of nowhere at the three of them, her blonde hair in almost a helm of hairspray. "Move this bike! NOW!"

Tatsu put away her phone and looked at the woman. "Ma'am, we are trying to find the owner, they seem to have left a few important things." She didn't want to say what, this lady looked like she was trouble on legs. "Oh? Is that right?" She was almost in Tatsu's face, certainly a bully. Though, Tatsu wasn't taking the hint. "Yes ma'am. Have you seen anyone around?"

[datmass]

The antics of the cat were very adorable, and the swiftness of its ability to nom the sausage and lick up any trace of it on his fingers made Shiro chuckle. He liked cats, but his father never let him have one. Neither did the Fuyunaitos, but then there is always a question about animal yokai and their response to the normal animals of the day. Results may vary. In the case of this feline, well, it made Shiro wonder if he should get a cat himself. Not this one, obviously, since it was clearly somebody else's. Or...hmmm. Shiro paused in his musings as he closed up the box and saw the cat now going into a little compartment to pull out a stuffed animal with a name clearly written on the back of it. Tatsu immediately found this reveal adorable - and it was - but Detective-kun here found it enlightening.

This is not a normal cat behavior.

A cat sitting prim and proper on a motorbike was reasonable enough. Nothing was unusual about that, the well-groomed look, or the desire for pizza. All of that was fine. But for all of that to then be hit with the cat pulling out the equivalent of a teddy bear bearing the name given to it by humans out of this very bike and showing it off very clearly, and not having a collar on instead, was pushing it a little. Maybe alot. Shiro's instincts were telling him that maybe they weren't dealing with the average feline here. He decided not to act on this just yet, and especially not when a very busybody-type woman started shouting at them about moving the bike. She was getting almost in Tatsu's face, as is. Time to interject. He started with "Ma'am." in a more authorative tone as he shifted to pry apart these two with his tone, his glare, and his presence.

"This bike is legally parked at the edge of the parking lot to be out of people's way. If you are seeking the authorities to do something further about it, the authorities are here."

He pulled out his badge and showed it to her briefly before putting it away, never breaking eye contact.

"Your concern on this matter is noted, however, if you do not have any further information, please move away. The owner will answer for any actual transgressions that have taken place, but until I speak with them, nothing here is to be touched. Please go about your business, and have a nice day."

[oichi]

Going to a shrine to stay in can be a bit intimidating to her. Are yokai like her even allowed on the grounds for a long time? Even for just a few nights, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she made her own designated room to play around in? There was also the investigator Shiro's opinion. What did he think about her intelligence? And what could he Anymore thoughts about the situation were thrown out the window when somebody had to show up to say her own bike was breaking a law. It wasn't. Ayane made sure of it.

The way she would describe the person in front of them is very rude, impatient, and has an ugly haircut that stuck together like a wooden scratching board. It didn't look like it would even bounce or be fun to play with. She didn't like that she got in Tatsu's face like that. She had hoped that Shiro showing the authority would get her to back off, however nothing would be simple for those who defy Karen. Ayane fluffed up in warning, and gave a loud meow. "Meow!" "Can you not touch my motorcycle? And please don't get close with other people."

[mermalaide]

Tatsu got in-between the Karen and her path to the cat and bike. No way was she going to let this mean and unhelpful stranger bully this cat. Then Kunekawa-sensei got in between them further. Karen was not going to get what she wanted and the color of her face started to go a bit from orange to something almost reddish with rage. It was a manicured, yet ugly visage. Tatsu got a little frightened, wondering if maybe they were encountering a hostile yokai. She thought about grabbing the Kagura Suzu from her bag to shake at the woman and found herself digging in her bag.

Karen pulled out her phone and started filming and yelling. Her jphone was held high and she started in. "You don't look like police! I want to speak with an officer!" and greatest hits like "These PEOPLE are harassing ME!? Can you believe it?!" Tatsu looked pretty surprised. if anything, she wondered if the woman was mentally ill. Or maybe possessed. She took her bells out as well as an anti evil charm. "Don't worry," she softly spoke to Ayane. "This stuff only deters evil. Good things around us will be okay." She could tell the cat was afraid, and maybe a charm to dispel negativity and tension was the trick.

Part of her didn't even relize it, but the Karen seemed to be livestreaming to ImperialBook. Someone in chat saw the Kagura Suzu and typed in Karen's chat (which she did not notice) LMAO goth girl is going to exorcise Karen. The emojis rolled through. Tatsu watched Kunekawa and kept quiet. 

[datmass]

He'd hoped that this was the form of Karen that would would either attempt to save face and then leave, or the kind that would start shouting her opinion belligerently and THEN leave, but alas...it was not the case. This was Double-Down Karen, the kind who grinds her heels into the ground, so to speak, and refuses to budge, trying to make the world somehow fit that square peg fit in the round hole and get others to accept her version of reality instead of just going away. Shiro would be preventing this sort of person from doing their thing regardless of the situation. It just so happened that this one actually was in his jurisdiction, if he was right. The fluffy Maine Coone meowed at the woman in response to her presence, and it even more reinforced that there was somebody behind this feline visage.

No problem. She was clearly the innocent in this situation.

The Karen started filming now, a trait shared by both her kind and certain individuals who believe that they don't have to follow the laws if they don't have citizenship, like some sort of foreign dignitary. All these actions ever do is show how they fail in the face of law or even common sense. For instance, other people would easily leave this to Shiro or anyone else of authority because it's not their actual prroblem, and they would only remain concerneed because of an adorable cat being involved. Not Karen. Karen seeks to control her environment to the exclusion of all other things, including potential consequences to herself. It's not a pretty sight. More or less like a trainwreck in human form. Shiro didn't even flinch at her accusation. In fact, he smiled at her.

"That's because I'm a detective, and this suit IS my uniform."

He held his badge right up to the camera so the internet wouldn't miss a beat. Members of the NAPI like him specialized in yokai-related cases, but there was no problem in them taking mundane cases, certainly not if they fell in his lap. This wasn't one, but he had no reason to confirm that yet. He'd rather not out the probable yokai, because the Karen would probably shout even louder. Once he pulled back the badge, he then pulled out his cellphone, holding up in plain view.

"Now, if you like, I can get some beat cops down here, but if I do, I'm charging you with obstruction. I'm trying to nip this problem in the bud quickly, and you are doing nothing but hampering the process."

Karens like to threaten AND bluff alot, usually both at once. The best way to ruin their handle on things - apart from simply preventing them from getting what they want - is to turn these things against them. Shiro didn't like to inconvenience people, certainly not the nearest patrolman keeping an eye on shops and such, but if you've got The Wicked Witch of the West breathing down your neck, it's time to douse the situation in water. Hot water, in her case.

Make your move, lady. I've faced demons and I've faced madness, and you are nothing by comparison.

[oichi]

The situation only seemed to escalate as she saw Karen film off her phone the situation and she wasn't listening to the detective. Ayane felt like she had to do something to protect the two of them. It shouldn't be big but it wouldn't want to be gone unnoticed either. Ayane covered her license plate of her motorcycle with the sock monkey in case Karen was going to try to steal the vehicle's identity for the police.

Any sign of outright aggression would be very bad on her part. So she had a plan to get Karen to go away, by being the innocent kitty. She licked her pawpads, cleaning a bit of herself off and as she put them down, her pawpads turned from light pink to red. She jumped off the motorcycle, careful to not get Shiro or Tatsu as she trotted towards Karen. She began purring and meowing, pretending to have some affection for the beligerent woman. She stretched vertically on the leg, her paws fully touching her for a few seconds before she trotted behind the motorcycle, thinking of a random curse in her mind enabled. Her paw pads also turned back to being light pink again. "Purr-" "Hehe good luck Karen."

[mermalaide]

Tatsu watched as Ayane covered the license plate with a sock monkey. This and maybe the pizza reaction was enough to make her think that maybe, just maybe, they were dealing with something that was not just a cute cat. The cat seemed to jump off the back of the bike. "Oh!" Tatsu's bells shook as she jerked a little from surprise. She almost felt like she was watching an rpg party handle Yokai Karen!

Karen let out a screech at the cleaning cat, which frankly was adorable. Did the toe beans change? Tatsu blinked and almost missed that. From seemingly nowhere, a bit of bird poop landed on Karen, then another. There was squawking in response to Karen's screech and it was a flock of crows. One felt threatened and when she waved her arms at them, one divebombed her. More started following suit.

"Oh! Oh no!" Tatsu looked horrified. She winced as the arm flailing woman tripped, seeming to slip on a dropped bit of slimy food. She hit the sidewalk hard. Tatsu had thought about helping her, even if she was a terrible person. But something rooted Tatsu to where she was at the bike. She looked at the detective, wide eyed, wondering if he was seeing the same thing. When she looked back to Karen, she was getting pecked and managed to stumble her way up, turn around, and try to run. "I just--"

Tatsu looked down at the kitty cleaning her beans.

"I don't suppose you did that Neko-chan?"

[datmass]

Shiro very much noticed the actions of the cat. This was an 'I saw what you did thar' moment, without a doubt. And soon, well...Karen had another problem. The crows flurrying around her were making an effort to live up to the name for a larger gathering of the avian creatures. They wouldn't kill her, probably. Well, that was really a question for the one who'd inflicted her, thus. Once the woman was gone, Tatsu turned to look at the orange Maine Coon and questioned her as to whether or not she did that. Shiro smirked.

"Naturally. She was only protecting her belongings, after all."

He put his badge away, but not before showing the cat that he was part of NAPI as well.

"It was altogether convincing, having a cat perched - prim and promper - on the seat of a motorcycle, no questions asked. It's really another thing when the cat carefully pulls out a stuffed animal with a name collar on it by way of identification, almost as though directly answering a question that...most cats wouldn't really bother with. Covering the license plate so a nasty customer can't see it was also a little off."

He was just showing how observant he was by showing his work a bit. None of this was confrontational, just informative.

"I hope the hex was only temporary, though. Heaven knows she deserved it, but there are rules, and karmic justice is equal to proportion. In any case, would you come out now, true owner of the vehicle?"

He really didn't want to put out any lost cat ads or find an owner when the answer to BOTH of those problems was standing right here.