View source for 2325/Acclimation and Relaxation

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2025/02/01
|Location=Cafe BAKE Neko
|Synopsis=It's time for relaxation after the siege has been broken, and everyone has important contributions to make to create a good environment for Veronica's current situation!
|Cast of Characters=145,107,127,52,131,159,94,38
|Tinyplot=Flameborn Façade
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>The air is still now that the clones have disappeared in a burst of fire, and Chibiusa may be finally allowed sleep if she can find it again. Some of the heroes may have chosen to walk away, some may have chosen to stay, but after Yukihime's intervention, they all have something to snack on.<br><br>Veronica jumps down from the windowsill she has been apprehensively watching the whole fight through, and breathing out in relief now that the two have gone away. The burst of flame at the end is really not a good omen (as is the fight defeating them hasn't turned her back, was it too much to hope it would be over that easily?)<br><br>For anyone that hadn't been here in the last hour, it wouldn't be difficult to perceive the magical energy dissipating in the air, and the spectacle of light coming from all those attacks would have been similarly eye-catching.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seeing Veronicat, Amy dismisses any weapon she's holding and strides over to her and kneels to pet her, she hopes comfortingly. She's still in the cosplay from earlier. "Veronica, are you okay? I didn't think they'd actually attack here... Did they just guess, or... do they have some way to follow you...?" She looks around helplessly for a cat translator.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mou Fubuki actually was kinda hoping that this was the end of poor Veronica's curse, but apparently she has a bit more hunting to do. Taking the cookie (which she does not yet know was stolen) that she had stashed away, she munches on it for a bit and says, "Mm. Tasty."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As she looks at the others still assembled nearby, she notes. "So... we gonna talk about what happened? I got a bad feeling those two will show up again."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She watches Amy try to talk to the person-turned-cat, eating the cookie in one hand while placing the other in the pocket of her henshin's parka.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>Ikiko had been a couple blocks away when the final burst of light erupted -- her route to the cafe required a few turns, and buildings had blocked the view of most of the visuals until then. She grimaces at the implications, but at least it feels like things are calming down.<br><br>She runs the rest of the way to the cafe, opening the door and catching her breath before stepping in. "Sorry I'm late," she gasps. "Was busy doing the supply run for Animal Care Club."<br><br>Taking note of the gathered snacks, Ikiko flops into a seat and snags a sweet treat for a bit of energy. "Saw the end of the 'light show' several blocks away," she adds. "What happened?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:131|Hinoiri Kirara (131)}} has posed:'''<br>Hinoiri Kirara had, admittedly, intended to leave buuuuut... she was here. So why not stick around a bit more? Apparently something had gone down with some girl turned into a cat or... something. And well... If anyone here understood magic, it was her. So she should at least come and have a looksie, right?<br><br>She walked towards the encompassing mess, her hands behind her back as she lightly... well, she was intending to knock. But Ikiko walked in, so why couldn't she? And better to not knock heavily and risk disturbing the baby, right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:159|Erika Shimizu (159)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once again Erika was hanging out with Ikiko, so she was just a few blocks away as well! The sudden eruption of light though put the blonde pirate-themed girl put on speed and...<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Arrives fashionably late and follows right in after Ikiko.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Carp, yeah we totally saw it from way off, what'd I miss?"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>Norie Okana is here. She's back in FULL HAZMAT mode, which means she looks dorky, with a long sleeved shirt, tucked into gloves, pants, tucked into socks! and everything tucked and overall so she can't accidently touch any small animals with bare skin. This means NO NUZZLING THE CATS. ;_; but she can at least safely deal with them now.<br><br>She's here to get the downlow on Veronica from a cat translator.<br><br>Which means one of Mamoru's friends probably knows a talking cat.<br><br>"Hi, are you the talking cat?"<br><br>"Meow?" goes the perfectly normal cat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br>As if on cue, a very large extremely fluffy calico cat -- 'large' as in 'around the size of a middling-sized doggo' -- saunters in from around a corner she wasn't ''in'' before. "Catte...?" she asks, almost yawning as she does. "Mrowrow brrrip mrow Veronica?" she asks Veronica.<br><br>("Are these your people? Are you Veronica?")<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>Veronica shakes her head at Amy's question. As far as she is aware, there is no such thing, and if she had to guess they would have probably been here a bit earlier if they had a way to track here. She doubts they guessed though. It seems more likely they saw her in here.<br><br>She is about to lament the lack of a translator when Ikiko barges in, just the right girl at the right moment. "Ikiko-san, thank you you are here!", she meows to the other girl. "There was a fight. The two clones have somehow found out I was here, and they tried to- end what they started", she breathes in.<br><br>"I don't think they were expecting the response they got", she mewls chipperly. They did get utterly trounced by the response they got. Veronica immediately turns to Hinoiri when she comes in. Last time, as overwhelmed as she was, she probably overreacted a lot, and she wasn't sure how it would go now.<br><br>"Sorry. I didn't really know what was going on, and I ended up overreacting to being called a pet", she says to Hinoiri, hoping Ikiko would translate that too. There is Norie comes in, and she is trying to guess at which cat can speak. Right, Anko is here too. She kinda forgot while she was watching what was transpiring outside. "Norie-chan, that's not Anko", she meows completely uselessly.<br><br>Anko's figure is quite familiar to Veronica, even if it has been a while, and things are very different now. "Hey, Anko. Have you been well recently?", she greets with a bit of an awkward tone. This wasn't how she expected to see the cat again.<br><br>"It's indeed me, the one and only Veronica. I got another curse, I seem to be starting a collection", she meows to the cat with a joking tone. "These are my friends, you got it. I am being introduced here, so I have a safe spot besides the academy." Though, probably Mamoru had warned her already.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mou Fubuki munches her cookie for a bit before turning back to Ikiko and raising the baked snack in greeting. By the time she's done chewing, Erika and Hinoiri have both arrived, "Two fire users attacked us. I think they were not-real people, tied to her curse." She gestures towards Veronicat. "They were after her, but they backed off once we fought them off. Didn't lift her curse, though."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple more bites and she finishes off the cookie she still doesn't know was stolen.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anko arrives, and Mou blinks. She's surprised for a moment before she remembers where she is. "Right... it's a cat cafe. Hey little fella."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wait, talking cat? Oh, this she has got to see.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Veronica is getting chatty now, and even though Mou can't understand a word she's saying, she thinks its really adorable.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>Ikiko gets to work translating for Veronica, including pointing Anko out to Norie. Anko's arrival is greeted with wide eyes, then a polite bow, saying <span style="color:#b8860b">"Anko, pleased to meet you I am. Ikiko Hisakata my name is,"</span> in Feline.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Anko has been well. Verrrronica has been catte. Mamorrrru said to show you the cat ways in. You fed Anko when Anko was hungrrrry, Verrronica," the big calico fluffmonster says matter-of-factly, in an Internet French Revolution accent, "So Anko will show you." And then she thumps a big paw on Veronica and casually starts licking her head.<br><br>Then Anko pauses and looks up, still with her big paw on Veronica, and says, "She is telling Anko she is collecting curses."<br><br>Back to grooming.<br><br>Then Ikiko speaks up and Anko ''blinks'', jerking her head back in startlement, tail poofing suddenly, a sight to behold. Like seriously maine coon halloween-cat poof? So big. But then she settles down almost immediately, and starts grooming HERSELF, thank you very much. Just for a moment. Finally, "Browrl, mrrip briew. Mewww."<br><br>("Nice to meet you, too. I didn't expect a human to know how to speak properly. Your catte is very good for a puppy!")<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks back to Laisa. "They turned her into a cat and have an artifact -- somewhere -- that will turn her back. I think they're trying to kill her... I'm not sure why they wouldn't attack here again though... unless they think we're always guarding it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sees a familiar cat! A familiar big cat! "Anko!" She holds out her arms offering to hug the very large cat. She's about to introduce Veronica, but... seeing as Anko looked right at her and seems to be communicating, guesses she already knows.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:131|Hinoiri Kirara (131)}} has posed:'''<br>Hinoiri Kirara would be just a little nervous when Norie was here, but tried not to show it too much. In fact, she'd sit a bit away and not draw too much attention. Especially because she didn't want Norie knowing she was a cure now... cause that invited WAY too many problems.<br><br>However, the apology she got made her smile none the less. "I understand. And, ummm, sorry for crowding you then. I should have known better, heh. My bad. Thanks for not taking it personally."<br><br>Oh my gosh the kitty forgave her. That was SO MUCH MORE OF A RELIEF THAN IT HAD ANY RIGHT TO BE!<br><br>A part of her wondered what the heck was wrong with her, but you know what? Kitty not bad at her. That's a win, darn it.<br><br>"Collecting... curses though... huh. Sadly, my world didn't do much with curses... a lot of people didn't believe in them."<br><br>Oh, of course, THAT was where Kirakirafantastica drew the line....<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>Norie Okana looks to the cat when it meows and she 'ahs'. "Yes, yes. I see." pause. "You are not the talking cat." she says. "Anyways. Scoop." she goes before picking up the normal orange cat and walking over to the others with a dour straight face.<br><br>Hinoiri gets a ''look'' but she is holding a cat. And she isn't about to cause a problem in a public business that has lots of innocent animals and Veronica here so she manages to keep her mouth shut.Hers<br><br>... for the moment.<br><br>She pets the orange cat lightly as she looks down to Veronica and Anko.<br><br>"I'm Veronica's dormmate." she says. "Thanks for translating. I don't know cat." she says.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Huh..." says Mou, hearing Ikiko's translation, and Anko's less detailed translation. Then she softly walks to Anko and asks, "So... do you like pets? And scritches? I've never asked a cat before but I just assume from the way they pur..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Granted, Amy just went for it, but boundaries aren't universal.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances towards Hinoiri and says, "No curses? Huh. Well, I think we have a few of them floating around. Some of them worse than others, and some a blessing in disguise."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Norie introduces herself, and Mou Fubuki scoots aside to give her some room.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So... how are we going to fix this? Do we need to track down the artifact?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>Is Anko the exception, or do all cats have that long r when they speak? Veronica considers while the maine coon is explaining the situation to her. "Well, of course I did, you are a nice cat, Anko", Veronica winks at her with her best approximation of a smile. "When I am back to normal, you can expect some more of my mist of twinkling moonlight", she adds.<br><br>And then the russian blue gets a big paw on her head and licks across her face, causing her to shudder a bit. "Thank you. I can't wait to be shown the ways, will be lots of help", she replies back after a second, reminding herself that's just one of the way for cats to show affection.<br><br>Oh, dear, Anko isn't expecting her Veronica to return the favour, is she? She has started licking herself, so maybe not. That's actually a bullet dodged. Her tail actually stands straight in relief.<br><br>"Didn't they say something about meaning to get more power?" Veronica asks Amy. She didn't really hear that part well from inside the cafè and with the noises of the attacks all going off. "Probably that's what might hold then back now", she sits and crosses her front paws(?). Somewhat.<br><br>No curses, for real? Veronica blinks at Hinoiri. "What world are you from? Don't magic and curses go hand in hand?" Unless they define it differently. But that sounds weird to her. What is going on? Can she know?<br><br>"Anko just told me she will show me a few things around here, so I guess I will mostly move around my and Norie's dorm room and the cafè. I hope this curse gets solved fast. Not only for the obvious, but I am going to be behind quite a lot on schoolwork when I make it back to normal", Veronica's ears flicker nervously.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Anko does, in fact, meander towards Amy, sniff her hand, and then JUMP into Amy's lap. She probably weighs a whole-ass fifth of what Amy does, honestly. That's a cat-shaped homing missile. Amy's cheek also gets licked, and Anko is good with a hug for exactly eight seconds and then wiggles.<br><br>It's not until she's back down near Veronica that she starts paying attention to other people again--<br><br>--and she zeroes in on Norie, who is paying attention to ''her'', that's how it works~ and she mrrrrs, then comes over to butt her (relatively) giant head against Norie's knee. "Welcome. Purrhaps you can learrrrn catte," she says, amused. She does linger long enough for pettings there before coming over to also greet Laisa.<br><br>"Anko likes pets and scrrrritches," mrowls the giant calico, butting into Mou now.<br><br>Then Anko looks back at Veronica and says, "If you want scrrrritches, butt your head on them."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:131|Hinoiri Kirara (131)}} has posed:'''<br>Hinoiri Kirara gave a shrug. "Eh. It depends? Like... 'curses' are vague enough, it's usually just some magic doing... something. And up to debate if it quantifies as a curse or not. So much don't qualify it. Since... well... vagualities. I uhhhh... if there is anyone with a device I could take a look at the scans, see if I can find the points of weakness in the magic itself and.... direct things..."<br><br>Yes, she was trying to not draw much attention to herself, lest Norie get... annoyed. She would, however, pet any cat that did come close enough and wanted affection... She, at least, knew how to give the best scritchies. It came from being a four legged animal herself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br><span style="color:#b8860b">"Syntax lessons, many I've had,"</span> Ikiko replies with a slightly rueful smile. <span style="color:#b8860b">"About the best I can do, this appears to be."</span><br><br>Veronica's communications to the non-felines get translated, while the cat-to-cat conversations are left as mysterious, as cats are often wont to do. "Depends on hostility and untrained blessing-makers, honestly," Ikiko adds to Veronica with a nod to Hinoiri. "Just because this world has them doesn't mean they're common elsewhere."<br><br>And if either cat wanders within range, Ikiko will extend a hand to offer scritchies!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy has picked up Anko before and so isn't caught ''completely'' by surprise, smiling at the affection, and hugs her warmly, starting to pet her for a few seconds before she wiggles and Amy lets her go.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks curiously to Hinoiri. "Magic is real there but they don't believe in curses?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And back to Veronicat, once there's translation. "They needed more power to keep fighting us, I think. So they need to gather more power -- however they do that -- before they can try again... I don't suppose you know how they might do that...?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She, too, starts petting any nearby cats, and then looks at Anko, wide-eyed. "Cat language is something we can learn???"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mou Fubuki's icy heart melts just a little bit as she watches Anko and Veronica interact. Then Anko walks towards ''her'' and she's almost giddy! She squats down a little to better pet and scritch the big maine coon for a bit before remembering that actually her touch is a bit chilly while in henshin.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh! Ah, I'm sorry. I forgot how cold I am. Hope I didn't give you a chill just then."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then if Anko indicates that further contact is okay, she keeps petting for a bit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Such a good kitty! You're a nice kitty!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a moment she remembers that she's actually here for an important discussion so she quiets down. "I don't really have anything like that. I mean... if it was a piece of ice I could tell you all sorts of things about it, especially regarding how it will break, but general curses I don't know that well."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>A gloved hand reaches down to pet the familiar cat, Anko while she holds the other ginger cat carefully and decides she has too much cat and places the orange cat down somewhere safe, a 'be good' pet and then looks back to the others.<br><br>She considers Amy. "Do you already speak an animal language?" she wonders. "I speak bat. Kind of. It comes with the whole vampire thing." she says.<br><br>Norie has to be careful petting cats with even gloves on but she knows her limits well enough by now.<br><br>This does mean she can't feel soft fur and this makes her sad momentarily, before she shoves a cookie into her mouth.<br><br>Problem solved.<br><br>She considers this. "If they're like any other... losers.... I know." she might mean 'herself'.<br><br>"Gain power means drain energy." she asides.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>"Thank you, Ikiko-san", Veronica communicates to the other Accursed. "That might be a nice world if nobody is hostile like that", she considers. Veronica is not moving anywhere unless prompted to, thought.<br><br>With Anko's teachings, that was not the kind of cat ways Veronica meant. "You know, I have a feeling I am going to get them even if I don't seek them", she replies to Anko. Unsolicited attention and 'animals', they do go hand in hand. It might be necessary to an extent to behave like a cat, but she knows for sure she is avoiding it when she can.<br><br>"I am a bit unnerved by the fact they actually feel nice like this. It makes sense, but also doesn't." She isn't really sure she wants it to make sense, more like. Amy had said it's like a massage, and that also makes sense, but she needs some time to wrap her head around the idea.<br><br>"Anko is telling me how to pass as a cat. In case I am around unaware people", she meows in general to the group. Mostly because she doesn't want them to misunderstand if they stumble on a moment she is purposely acting dumb. No speed would be enough to bury herself deep otherwise.<br><br>"Most likely, Amy-chan, and given where they come from, they are probably strengthened by greed. The demons my ward detains are like that. They spread greed and get stronger with it. Let them get strong enough and..." she pauses, starting to consider a few things.<br><br>Is that actually possible? The vision that came when she got the painting hadn't been very clear. "It's possible they may also want to use it to break through the ward. They don't need to get rid of me if there is just enough greed to break through", she meows, tail starting to swish nervously.<br><br>"We might need to find them that way. Dark energy might be anything, but greedy behaviour is most likely from them. When people act not like they used to, that is a likely lead", Veronica meows to Laisa.<br><br>"They may resort to draining energy if there really is nothing else, but letting their influence corrupt people works better for them. I think they enjoy it too", she meows to Norie.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scritches feeling nice is unnerving? "I said before, I'd guess it's like." She scratches her own head to indicate, "How when you scratch under your hair... like 'cuz it's always covered? Now you're like that all over, so..." She lowers her hand back down and shugs, after sharing from her reserve of thought-experiments-gleaned-from-stories. "Yeah, you'd expect it to feel nice, right? Plus you can't really scratch yourself well now...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Learning to pass as a cat makes sense, Amy nods.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Greed, huh? I'm not particularly an expert on that... But I guess we see it every day. We watch for get-rich-quick schemes?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She raises her hand. "Break through what ward?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Mmmmrrrrnnno," says Anko, eyes briefly half-lidded at Amy, tail dusting the floor, as her head is wonderfully scritched and scritched by Laisa, "only Ikiko. I am verrrry, verrrry, verrrry old, and I have never met anotherrrr human who can speak catte."<br><br>Anko traaaails away from Laisa, makes another circuit around the knees of the room, and then sits next to Veronica and waits until she's stopped talking. And then she says, "Brrrow, moww meow mrowl," and she gets back up and saunters into the shadows at the back of the cafe.<br><br>("Call me when you need me and you can stay upstairs with me tonight, then Mamoru can set you up with whatever human stuff you need. But I'm not sharing my salmon. You get the canned tuna.")<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mou Fubuki crosses her arms and listens to Veronicat, or rather the ''translation'' of Veronicat, and her explanation of the nature of these two curses. "Greed, you say?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For a moment, Mou Fubuki's mind goes back to her own curse-related problems, and she gets a little sad, but then she brings herself back to reality because ''this'' issue is the most immediate one.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I wonder if we can use that to lure them out. Offer a prize that any greedy person would seek. It doesn't have to be real..." she considers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she waves her hand dismissively and says, "Don't worry too much about being caught acting like a cat. I'm sure it's weird and new to you but to Anko and the rest of the cats here it's a whole lifestyle."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She keeps thinking. "I wonder if I can make an ice cube look like a big diamond... Would people fall for that?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>"I'm primarily fluent in Canine, for obvious reasons," Ikiko explains to Amy during a pause in translation duty. "I think my general affinity for animals helped with having partial fluency in other forms of animalspeak, but the further away from canine the animal is, the worse my proficiency is." Case in point: her utterly ''scrambled'' grasp of Feline before her lessons with Luna!<br><br>She gives Anko some pettings in passing, then waves as the grande catte saunters off. "If you can manage the clarity, it ''might'' work," Ikiko muses to Mou, nodding approvingly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(and doing her best to stifle a quip about how it's a "''cool'' idea".)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>&gt; What ward?<br><br>"I became a magical girl by coming into contact with a painting. Which we could call the physical form of a ward that is trapping four powerful demons and preventing then from sowing mayhem everywhere", Veronica meows Amy an explanation. How long has it been since she has last talked about it? Very long. She is even not exactly sure herself.<br><br>"I guess that makes sense. I remember your suggestion of a collar too. I don't really want to be mistaken as a stray, but if you could keep to the least embarassing you can find, that would be great", she tells Amy.<br><br>"Since the painting is by Hallward, that's what I like to call the ward. HallWard", Veronica explains. She can't really grin well, but by the cadence of her meows, it doesn't take much to understand that's what she is doing anyway.<br><br>"They aren't really greedy themselves, they only cause it in people. A merchant might be raising prices, someone might become a scammer, a collector might start hoarding all the copies of a rare product when previously they may have been satisfied with one or two of them, an online content creator might get a lot more aggressive in stealing other people's fanbase. A diamond would only attract their victims rather than them", she clarifies.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy will have to ask about what sort of things one must know to pass as a cat later. She collects information about scenarios like this, obviously, and it could come up again!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sits down since she's talking to cats anyway. She nods at the explanation of a ward, and reaches for her phone--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And only then realizes still in cosplay, and embarassedly drops her henshin before grabbing her phone from her bag.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy taps at her phone and then shows Veronica a couple of collars from a nearby store website. "What I found looked like these. I figured blue like your clothes, with either the hi-vis stripe or the hi-vis pawprints -- or maybe skip the hi-vis, with demons looking for you -- but, Mamoru might know where to find more options. Maybe also a tag with the name and and the addresses of the cafe and your dorm room..." She's not enthusiastic, just... listing practical measures.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She finds that she can't bring herself to say out loud, 'If you get hurt and someone finds you, they'd know where to bring you...'<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Laisa considers the diamond idea. Clarity she might be able to do. The refraction index might be an issue, but maybe she could pass it off by not allowing people to look too closely? But then...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the middle of all this she hears Veronica, or rather her translator, mention that it wouldn't work on luring ''them'' out anyways. Just their victims. With a thoughtful frown, she says, "Oh, well... that's too bad."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still though... it something to consider. A sign, or a tell perhaps, that something related to this curse is happening.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Amy drops henshin right in front of her, Mou gets suddenly a bit self aware and says, "O-oh, right. Well. I guess people have already seen me..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She drops henshin, going from a white haired magical snow girl to a purple haired schoolgirl in a punk goth outfit. Raising a V sign she says, "Laisa Samuiko, by the way. I'm also known as Snow Angel Mou Fubuki, and I too am afflicted by a curse... though the curse I have now is preferable to the one I had before."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A part of her is curious about what the collar selection is, but she doesn't want to get in the way by crowding Amy. Instead she asks, "Do they make those with tracking chips? You know... just in case we need to find her."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>Ikiko nods in confirmation acknowledgement at Laisa. "At least now we know what flavor of dark shenanigans we need to be on the lookout for for leads on this," she notes. "Definitely better than otherwise trying to stumble upon the clones across Tokyo!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>There is not much enthusiasm coming from Veronica either, but she certainly appreciates that Amy is quick at finding options that might be suitable to her. The idea of matching the colour of her clothes is a nice touch, and Amy will see her nodding at that.<br><br>The matter of the hi-vis gets her much more conflicted though. On one hand, people would have a easier time paying attention to her, so it might help in avoiding accidents, on the other hand, ''people are paying attention to her'', and she already knows what could come with that. And of course, the clones notice, as well.<br><br>"They don't really know my normal name, and the only way they would know it's me is if they see me getting me out of here, but that's not likely since they would avoid this place now, and Anko's exit doesn't seem to be quite visible. The hi-vis might be safer. I like the choice of the blue one, maybe striped", she meows repeatedly to Amy.<br><br>A curse that replaces a worse one. She has never heard of anything like that before. "So your new arrangement is better now. Was your previous curse one based on heat?" Veronica tries to guess. Laisa did say she has a cold touch earlier, and it would explain why the new curse would cancel it.<br><br>"Please, try not to get into too much danger while you look for them. And thanks for your help, it's invaluable. By all of you", Veronica meows gratefully.<br><br>Veronica scrunches her nose when she gets offered tuna, her utter distaste for the fish completely in conflict with the fact Anko is trying to offer her hospitality. Even if the place is Mamoru's. She imagines herself trying to eat it, and she gets an unpleasant look. "You can keep your salmon, but tuna is the only fish I dislike. Do you have anything else?", she meows to the retreating cat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Anko says from above in the cat maze, "Mreh."<br><br>("Ugh fiiiiiine.")<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ikiko gets a nod as Laisa says, "Yeah... no kidding. Tracking was never my strong suit so I'm glad we have something to look out for."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Laisa snap points at Veronica and says, "Good guess! Yeah... there's a curse on my family, and while they're all afflicted by it, none of them have the magical awareness to really understand it. The Flames of Samuiko, it's called."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The purple haired girl taps on her pendant, which is also her henshin item. "The Rime Rosary is considered an ill omen. It has a lot of superstitious rumors around it, but even those who don't believe in curses consider this pendant a symbol of rebellion. Just by wearing it, I make myself an outcast in my family, but... it protects me from the flames."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shakes her head at the mention of danger, and says, "I can't just abandon someone in your situation. Just because I abandoned my law studies that doesn't mean I gave up my sense of justice. Anyways, don't worry about me. We'll get to the bottom of this."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy nods as choices are made and information is exchanged. She looks a bit distasteful at the idea of tracking Veronicat. "They do make GPS tracking collars, but..." She glances at Veronica, "That seems like an invasion of privacy... and it's a bit more weight so I dunno if it's comfortable, and someone would have to take it off and charge it every few days... If you'd prefer it, we could probably set something like that up."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>"I'll be sure to call for backup if need be," Ikiko reassures Veronica. "This is definitely more dangerous than a pair of darkness-infused raccoons in a trenchcoat, and that's just counting ''one'' of the clones!"<br><br>She listens to Laisa give a basic explanation of the competing curses she contends with, making a mental note to possibly ask more about it when there's not a more pressing issue facing the mahoujin.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>A silent minute passes as Veronica considers the matter of the GPS. She really doesn't want that invasion of privacy, but it is true that if something were to happen to her, she might be completely lost somewhere. On the other hand, a person would see the tag and hopefully deliver her to the school or the cafè.<br><br>Does she want to risk it, is the matter? She is plenty capable even like this, but some incident might happen anyway, and who knows how long will it be until she is found? "I think a tracker works, but how would you know if I am in danger? My position by itself doesn't tell you that."<br><br>Veronica's tail starts swinging irritably when Laisa mentions she is an outcast for sparing herself that curse. "Well, that would not do at all. Your family does not sound very good. At least you don't have their problems now."<br><br>She meows gratefully again at the support they are giving her. They really are doing a whole lot. They are making her situation so much better that the wait seems a lot less daunting.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the mention of a tracker being an invasion of privacy, Laisa shrugs. "It might be! It's not as if she wouldn't know it was there, and it doesn't have to be on all the time. Maybe she can turn it on if she feels like she's in trouble? Though..." Laisa crosses her arms and sideleans against a wall. "... actually I'm not sure how she'd be able to manage that with paws."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she turns to Veronica and says, "... you bring up a good point. We'd need a different way for you to send out a message. One we can actually understand."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As for her family, she smiles wryly and shrugs. "I forgive them, but I can't be around them right now." She decides not to elaborate further unless pressed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Turning to Ikiko, she says, "Thanks for doing the translation by the way. This talk would be impossible without you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy considers that. "That's a good point. We can set up a computer for you to use, but... it's not like you can easily carry a phone..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy furrows her brow in thought. "How does Luna stay in touch? Maybe a magic communicat-- oh wait you can't talk. Uh. Hm. Maybe... certain phrases in cat could trigger preset messages...?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She frowns at Laisa's story. "Being a rebel and resisting a curse your were born with makes you an outcast?" She reaches to hold Laisa's hand for a moment. "''F***'' them. She's right, they're jerks!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She cocks her head to the side a bit. "You were studying ''law''? Wait, were you older too...?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>"A telepathy-based communicator ''might'' work, depending on what layer of meaning it works off of," Ikiko muses, nibbling on a snack while she ponders Amy's idea. "But I don't know enough about Device interfaces to know how feasible one would be in this situation."<br><br>She smiles brightly in response to Laisa's compliment! "I'm glad I could help! I don't often get a chance to practice my Feline outside of lessons, given that most stray cats tend to be initially skittish around me for... ''obvious'' reasons."<br><br>Veronica's grateful meows are translated, and also met with an encouraging hug! "We're magicals," Ikiko points out. "Helping people is what we ''do'', '''especially''' when they're being threatened by forces of darkness."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Veronicat (145)}} has posed:'''<br>Ikiko's hug is met with a cat-hug from Veronica, one she admittedly fumbles with a few times as she works out how to do one in this form. It's a bit awkward, but she actually manages in the end.<br><br>"I think we can go with a GPS collar for now, and look how we can modify it later", Veronica suggests. Would it be so much simpler if her curse operated like Luna's form, but no, she is stuck as a normal cat under all points of view. "And I promise to be really careful while that part is figured out."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:127|Laisa Samuiko (127)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Laisa looks down at the hand that Amy is holding, and squeezes a little in return. There's still a little bit of clamminess to it, even out of henshin. Then she shrugs. "I mean... they're brainwashed. It's the curse."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She waves her hand in the air and says, "Anyways, that problem isn't going anywhere, and this issue is more pressing and important." Turning her eyes to Veronica with a rackish smile, she says, "Well, if you need anything we're willing to help, and I'll be sure to look for any signs of sudden greed. Take care of yourself, okay?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tracking collar... Amy nods, "We'll figure it out."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's not mollified by the excuse that people are acting so awful because of a curse. "That really sucks."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't say things like 'I'm sure we'll break the curse one day!.' It would be wrong to make promises she can't keep.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She holds out her hand to offer pets and scritches to all nearby cats: former-human, talking, and otherwise. Pets and scritches are a promise she ''can'' keep!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:52|Ikiko Hisakata (52)}} has posed:'''<br>"I'd offer my phone number for emergency translations, but I'm not sure how many cat-compatible cellphones there are," Ikiko adds ruefully. Still, they now have information, something resembling a plan, ''and'' a place where Veronica can blend in! A good day, all in all--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;--and with tasty treats, too! ''*nom*''<br> <br>
}}