621/Inner Conflict: Hair Stand

Inner Conflict: Hair Stand
Date of Scene:	20 October 2023
Location:	Juuban Ward
Synopsis:	They just don't make lamp oil like they used to.
Cast of Characters:	Pyrite, Hikaru Amanaka, Mamoru Chiba, Chiyo Sakai, Veronica Perenna
Tinyplot:	Inner Conflict

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Pyrite has posed:
    It's evening. There are scattered but dense cloud banks that periodically pass over the waxing crescent Moon in the sky overhead. It's visible even though it isn't fully dark out yet. Except, obviously, with clouds in front of it. Either way, the streets of a residential area in Juuban Ward are a bit more empty than usual at this time of evening on a weekday. A cat is wandering down the sidewalk, padding along with purpose, and stopping periodically when it reaches a street light, standing up on hind legs with paws against the pole, looking upwards. It ducks its head, bobs a bit, and then eventually determines whatever it's looking for isn't up there.
    Back on all fours, the cat continues on its quest.
    There's Dark Eenergy floating around in thin, mist-like strands. The cat disappears when it passes through a thinner section of such negative energy vapors, and then reappears when it's denser. This is not an ordinary cat. Perhaps instinctively, residents realize it is safer to stay inside on this eve.

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    One of the few braving the evening is a student from the nearby Radiant Hearts Academy. Still in uniform, perhaps on his (to all appearances, it's a boy, clad in the appropriate uniform for a third-year middle school student) way back to the dorms from a late-running session at cram school or a trip out to some arcade or restaurant. Of course, it's Hikaru, so while one might assume her to be a boy at first glance, there's a lot going on that changes the calculation. Even if it can't be seen. School bag slung over one shoulder, she turns onto the street and almost instinctually hunches her shoulders in tighter. Something on this street feels... weird. Wrong. A strange sixth sense that's nagged at her since everything had /changed/ for her. She pauses, squinting into the twilight at the cat that's wandering down the street.

    "A cat?" she murmurs, tilting her head. Probably belonging to one of the houses along the street--nothing to worry about, right? Hikaru continues onwards. Maybe she's just being jumpy? Walking through a neighborhood you don't live in can always feel a bit weird, right?

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Hematite knows that there's unfinished business. After all, Pyrite still wouldn't let him go in the shrine, and SOMETHING is building a body-- so instead of doing the job he doesn't want to do, he's doing his self-appointed job as big brother to an ancient ghost and prowling the city looking for threads and concentrations of dark energy, hoping to find more Metalian Carolina Bays-- err, Dark Energy Impact Sites.

This is none of those things. This is catte. However... this is dark energy teleporting catte, and there's been enough heartbreak over Pyrite's cat leaving that he's also perfectly willing to grasp at straws. Maybe, after all, this cat knows a ghost.

He drifts down from rooftop to alleyway, then steps out of the shadows a little ways away from the calico cat and crouches down, cape pooling on the ground. He holds out a white-gloved hand. "Pspspspsps," says the strongest soldier of the Dark Kingdom hopefully.

In, you know, full view of anyone who's NOT staying in their homes.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Something odd was about. It had even enticed Chiyo's Ojiisan into declaring it a 'no good day' and opted to close up early after only a quick cleaning instead of the usual in-depth one they did at the end of the night to make the next morning easier, and quicker. Curious, and feeling the hairs on the back of her own neck rising, Chiyo had gone out to explore the evening.

Dressed a bit warmer with a jacket, long skirted dress, and an umbrella (just in case) she ventures out into the... the fog.

The 'fog' that prickles her skin making her feel a bit queasy as it was a familiar sensation. Dark energy, which she herself had been 'stained' with after a particularily bad injury not too long ago. Her footsteps take her down to the well lit paths that were being explored by this dark cat and an equally dark Obsidian soldier going 'psspsspssp.'

Which is precisely how she steps from a walkway between buildings to find herself face to face with Hemtatite. "... What are you..." she begins only to raise an eyebrow leaning to the side to peer past him at the shadowy figure of a cat beneath a lamp post.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica was minding her own business out on a walk before evening was fully out. She is covered enough not to let the cold almost-evening air bother her, a long red jacket covering her dark blue sweater and green shirt, the whole match accompanied by an azure skirt.

She doesn't take long to notice something is amiss, more specifically the strands of Dark Energy floating in the air. Good thing she had no other business for the day, and Emery was well fed already. She will have to make up for her extra absence later, somehow.

'Dark Energy looks even more unnerving when it's dark out', she observes, this her first meeting at this time of the day, ironic despite the theme of her painting. 'Well, moon, I will actually be able to fight under your presence this time.' It doesn't actually give her any additional powers, but it's thematically appropriate.

"Hello, is something wrong?" she asks the figures present on the scene. "Oh, Sakai-san, it's nice to meet you", she mentions once she recognises the fellow student. "What is going on with that cat, is it hurt?" Veronica inquires. "I have a cat at my dorm room, so I have some items that ought to be useful then."

Pyrite has posed:
    The cat pauses, still 'standing up' with front feet on the street lamp, when people start approaching and making interesting noises. One ear pivot-twitches towards Hematite, as a paw comes off the pole and waits inthe air, as though the cat is still trying to decide whether to stay where it is or return to the ground. Semi-luminous yellow eyes go to the approaching figure of someone coming up behind Hematite, and it seems ground is the safer option, because cat switches to all-fours. Its tail swishes back and forth, as it remains side-long to the nearby humans, likely in the event that it becomes necessary to run.
    There's now three people, and the cat has apparently decided this is a bit too many. Turning to look off down the street, at a fourth person approaching, the cat hurries to scurry down the sidewalk... But to the next street light, where it repeats its behavior, rather than just fleeing. What could possibly be at the top of a street light that is interesting enough for a cat to chase it? Especially when it fades in and out of existence depending on how dense the Dark Energy is in the space it passes through? It's not teleporting just... Phasing, sort of. Like it's partly in this reality and partly not.
    The cat 'mew mew mew's up the street light in distress. No birds up there, and no mice. What's the deal?

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    Hikaru hovers at the edge of the conversation still, not quite sure what to make of this. Normal people, yeah--and a guy wearing a cape? Is that a cosplay? She wrinkles her nose, gaze moving from the three gathered where the cat had been down to the cat itself. The cat still. /feels/ weird and she isn't sure what to do with that feeling. Moving down the sidewalk, she half-listens to the others, trying to make sense of whatever is happening. "...Maybe it's lost?" she offers.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Sighing, Hematite stands, in all his way-too-tall actually-somewhat-imposing glory(?!), and he turns to eye Chiyo-- and he glances at Hikaru and Veronica, but he doesn't know them in his other guise, so it's Chiyo he answers first. "I was trying to call over the not-a-cat cat," he tells her, and then his gaze slides over to the other two.

"It's not a regular cat," he explains, sounding just like a high school know-it-all. "See? It's only sometimes actually here, when it goes through dark energy patches. I don't think it's a ghost, but there's been a youkai problem lately, so if you can think of anything bakeneko-- or any other kaibyou-- might take as a substitute for ancient lamp oil to lick, that might help it."

A beat. "I'm not messing with you."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai stands watching the cat drift out of existence only to appear again at the next lamp post down. It was already an eerie enough sight along with the sensation of dark energy which had her shiver unexpectedly as if cold. Maybe she was.

Hematite's explanation though? She regards him knowing him only has the one that Sailor Moon had been very... very... close with that one time. Plus seeing him at other times she knew he likely didn't work for the good side often. The explanation given is one she takes in with a few slow blinks.

It's a lot to take in after all.

"... Cooking oil? Or maybe lard?" Are the words of wisdom from her as she considers. "My shop isn't far, we have both there." Though maybe telling them where she worked and lived wasn't a great idea.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica looks at the distressed cat meowing for something to lick. "Oh, is that so?" she mentions, Hematite's explanation quite curious and interesting to her. And the cat does in fact blitzes in and out of sight. She is tempted to chase after it, and examine the youkai cat closely, but then again, Veronica is the type of person that would touch a flame to understand what it was like. That's how she got into her mess in the first place.

"Ok, so... Something like ancient oil for it to lick." She shakes her head. "I don't actually have anything like that. But would it help if I distracted it with something shiny for the moment? It seems sufficently distracted by them, and I have a vase with silver reliefs in my hat. We can shine on them and get the cat to chase us."

Then Chiyo mentions having those materials in her shop. "Excellent", Veronica smiles. "Now we know where to lead it to, if my trick works."

Pyrite has posed:
    Cat continues, but sounds less happy with the continued failure to find any old-fashioned lamps with oil. Anyone looking at the cat may notice it seems to... Grow in size. By about half. Or is it just an optical illusion? The cat growls a bit and abandons the street light, and hurries to the next. The enlargened(?) cat circles the street light this time instead of going right to standing against the pole. Sniff-sniffing at the air, flipping its tail in agitation.
    Then it turns its attention back on the gathering of strangers. Tail flick again. Ear twitch. Then it starts padding back towards them. It is definitely larger than it was at the start. It's at least twice as large when it appears out of the next break in the miasma into the denser patch of Dark Energy floating around. Still not unnatural in size. There are large housecats. Even breeds of them that are the size of dogs!
    The issue is, this one wasn't that size at first, and is still growing.
    It sits and curls its tail over its paws, and 'mrrroww's for its needs to be dealt with.

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    "Wait--wait, why is it getting bigger?" Hikaru finally speaks up a bit louder, eyes wide with shock as the much larger cat pads back towards them. Oh. That's... weird. And maybe not good? Bad perhaps? She glances at the other three, who all seem to be having a conversation about finding it lamp oil as if this is a perfectly normal and reasonable thing. Could this actually be a bakeneko? Oh dear. Hikaru reaches into the pocket of her blazer and grips her pen so hard she wonders if it might snap if she's not careful.

    "Are you sure we should be /feeding it/?" Oh, now she's part of this. Great.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"... why don't I stay here with the cat," suggests Hematite slowly, "while you go get some oil? Or lard. Or... does anyone know what kind of lamp oil cats licked? Like, was it solid or liquid at room temperature?"

His eyes are on the growing cat, and he shifts his weight, takes a readier stance, like he's expecting he might get jumped at and clawed. "I mean... it's certainly an option to distract it towards a shop, but possibly a suboptimal one if it's going to keep growing like this. I can handle it if it ends up attacking, but I'd rather not fight a cat. My hands are full enough with Zoisite when he's drunk on Diet Coke."

He glances over at Hikaru and shrugs. "If we feed it, it might go away. Your collective other option is to run away and let me cope, or maybe go tell some magical girls so they can cope and I can go to bed. I'm getting roped into help prepping for my class's cultural festival project in the morning."

He side-eyes Chiyo, blue eyes dark in the street light's yellow-orangey glow. "Don't tell Sailor Moon, though, she'll just say she told me so."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I... I don't know," Chiyo responds to Hikaru quite honestly as it was a very, very valid concern. Would feeding it be helpful? It did seem as if it was waiting for something after growing in size. If it could grow this much it could grow larger yet, and possibly more aggitated. All the more reason that her gaze snaps over toward Veronica with a shake of her head.

"Ah please don't lead it toward the shop, my Ojiisan is there..." A pause as another thing the girl said strikes her. "Hat? What hat?" She wasn't wearing one. Though she'd only met Veronica once before she was fairly certain she wasn't wearing a hat at this moment.

A half-step is taken backwards with head shaking again. "Not sure what type, but probably liquid if it was lighting lamps? Um." What kind of oil DID they use? Her grandfather would likely know given he was a bit of a history buff (and old) but as for her she didn't.

Another wary glance is cast toward Hematite with a quick single nod. "How could I tell her anyway?"

A deep breath is taken before she just turns to race off quickly down the all too familiar paths with a quiet, "Be right back!"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
So the cat is getting bigger, now. "We definitely have a problem here" she mentions generally before looking at Hematite. 'So he wants to block it, I guess I can help contain the cat too by blinding it', she thinks to herself.

Then Chiyo brings up she doesn't have a hat currently. "Oh, right, I have left it on a bench nearby, I was going to take it, you know", she waves her hand to try and dismiss the matter.

She also bring out her cellphone, looking up what Hematite asked. "Apparently, the cat is attracted to lamp oil because it used to be made with sardines, so it essentially tasted like fish."

She puts the phone back. "Anyway, I just remembered I do in fact have things to do, like getting my hat back, sorry. Bye." With that she runs away from them.

Pyrite has posed:
    At the continued lack of food, despite persistent meowing to be fed, the clearly unnatural feline visibly grows by half again, making it now roughly waist height to the average Japanese male adult. So, still not at Hematite's waist, but that's still a really big house cat. Growling its displeasure, it pops out its claws and digs them into the pavement.
    Deep gouges are left behind. Then the concrete cracks suddenly, spiderwebbing outwards, as the bakeneko again. Its tail is sweeping the ground behind it in agitation, and it's looking like it might go try to find food somewhere else. And at its current size, that could be anything from somebody's dog, to other cats, or even a small child.

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    As the cat /grows/ even larger, Hikaru's eyes get bigger. Wider. Especially when two of the people who'd been here seem to decide that it's time to get going. She takes a step or two back along the sidewalk, glances at Hematite--and then takes off at a run before the cat decides that she makes a good evening snack. She pounds down the street and around the corner before anyone else can say anything to stop her or tell her to stand her ground. She keeps going--at least until she finds a house that looks dark and empty. She awkwardly pauses to scramble over the garden wall and drops down into relative privacy. Taking a breath, she finally tugs her transformation pen free of her pocket, stares at it a moment.

    You got this, Hikaru. She raises the pen overhead--speaks.

    "Eris Planet Power, Make Up!" A shimmering of blue-green and golden light cradles Hikaru and in a few moments, the awkward middle-school boy is replaced with an elegant Sailor Senshi with dark, shimmering hair. A skirt and heels in that same dark blue-green, accented in golds and soft pinks.

    Yeah. She's got this. She's only transformed a few times, but the sense of power, of clear-headed purpose and sheer delight is hard to ignore. Transformation complete, she easily leaps back over the garden wall she'd clambered over before and hurries off down the street--leaping up towards a rooftop before she plunges down again to pose dramatically as she alighs onto one of the street lights. Now she just... needs a cool line to say, maybe?

    "It's such a shame when monsters and ghosts take over the street from people enjoying their youth," she quips and internally gistbumps herself. Yeah. Nailed it. Hand on hip, she peers down at Hematite. "This thing isn't anything to do with you, is it?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Hematite, innocent of all non-bird non-ice-cream wrongdoing (almost), and who is facing down an even larger monster cat on the behalf of civilians everywhere, glances up and looks, abruptly, really annoyed. "Do I have a sign on my back that says to pick on me? Between you and Mars, I swear... listen, it's a youkai, and the city's had a problem with them lately, and this one is apparently looking for fish oil. So if you're not going to do anything but justice speech the wrong guy, go get some fish oil instead."

A pause the length of a heartbeat as he glances back at the cat, then up at Eris again. "Or you could stand here while I go get some fish oil." Another pause. "You're supposed to introduce yourself in a justice speech."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Quick footfalls race back down the path they'd left only a few minutes before as the purple haired Chiyo comes barreling back with a bag bearing the logo of a local sweet shop clutched in hand. It's weighed down with some heavy items inside as she practically skids to a halt not far from Hematite and the newly arrived Sailor Eris. Looking a bit confused at the new person, she none the less shakes her head quickly as her eyes fix back on the bakeneko.

"Ah, it grew again..." The soft remark may even be lost in the noise of her rummaging through the bag to pull out a little tub of baking lard, a bottle of cooking oil, a skewer of cooked mochi wrapped in bacon (that had been in the fridge so it was a LITTLE chilled, but still bacony), and last but not least? A tin of tuna.

"I grabbed anything I thought a cat might like?" Chiyo doesn't seem entirely certain as she thrusts one of the objects toward Hematite so he could try, and then another toward Eris. "Here let's see which it likes before we... We risk making it angrier." 'Before we start to fight' she was about to say but she wasn't in the proper form for that.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
In a secluded corner of the street, Veronica has her hand on where a breast pocket would be and when she removes it, a rectangle of moonlight emerges, before becoming a calling with her insignia on it.

Holding it in front of her, the brunette starts chanting "While the world is full of trouble and anxious in its sleep, the princess of moonlight does dance and leap." As soon as she says that, the aforementioned moonlight bathes her, condensing in a blue top hat with an azure ribbon and an ebony cane with a cat handle. The light on her upper body then explodes in a tone of white, turning into a waistcoat, before a blue burst surrounds it, coalescing into a blue suit.

The light swirling around her lower body stops rotating, arranging itself in a white skirt with many layers. A blue-white burst follows, turning into boots with long stripes. Finally the moonlight gathers around her hair, fashioning it into a long braid and granting it its colour.

And with no hesitation, she jumps back to where the group is gathered. "If you have a plan, I am ready to be part of it. The Princess of Sarek, at your service", she says, taking her top hat in her hand before bowing towards the group, one arm resting on her cane, the one with the hat, meanwhile folded across her upper body.

Pyrite has posed:
    The cat sniffs the air. The cat is approaching the size of a bear at this point, but at the scent of food, it picks up its feet and starts giving a much deeper than people are accustomed to version of 'meeee! meeeeee!' the frantic 'feeeeed me! feeeed me!' sound that cats get when excited for imminent dinner, and starts to hurry over to Chiyo, only to slow down instead of charging her, and frantically pace around while waiting to be fed. Hopefully the portions will be enough to satisfy this cat. Otherwise... Well... Who knows how big it can get?
    (Spoiler it can get very big.)
    Even as big as it is, and potentially terrifying, the calico cat is still behaving like a house cat for now. Though when it sits up on its haunches, forelegs tucked against its bushy chest fur, the fact that it is now bigger than most cars is something hard to ignore. The cat also seems to be growing longer hair as it gets bigger, not just proportional to its growth, but in addition, it is growing shaggier and shaggier. The simple calico housecat appearance is being shed more and more as its youkai nature becomes more and more evident. At least it's still friendly for now??
    Honestly, this is a cat large enough someone could ride on. Like Thor or something.
    It seems distinctly unconcerned with changes in appearances, as most cats, unless it should matter for some reason. Like... Like that person perched on top of a light post. The huge cat turns its also-huge, luminous yellow eyes on her, watching as it might something else just out of reach that it is curious about. Err, um, maybe hurry up with that food before this turns into a literal cat fight!

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    Sailor Eris wrinkles her nose a little as Hematite cheekily reminds her that she's supposed to give some sort of justice speech on her arrival. She takes a breath and summons all the dignity necessary for a Sailor Senshi to give the appropriate notification.

    "Protector of the lonely planet of growth and liberation, Sailor Eris! Here to ensure that no one gets gobbled up by a horrible youkai in this modern day and age!" She insists, posing for a moment before she settles back into a hands-on-hips pose.

    "Happy?" Eris asks Hematiate before she spares a glance at Chiyo as the other girl starts sorting out food for the massive bakeneko.

    "Hey, be careful, please! I don't want you getting chomped on!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Much better!" Hematite tells Eris cheerfully. "If you haven't met Sailor Moon yet, see me after class for a phone with her number in it."

Then Chiyo's coming back and this delights Hematite, because this cat's almost the size of a Mini Cooper, and a Princess of Sarek comes over to help too, and the sudden appearance of what Chiyo's carrying makes his shoulders un-tense. "Oh perfect," he says in relief to Chiyo as the cat starts circling her; he slide-steps over to take the can of tuna, and opens it up, immediately holding it out with a big smile.

"Pretty girl," he says softly. "Do you have a home where youkai live? Do you want a home? I know a ghost who misses her kitty very badly..."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai didn't really pay attention to what she was handing out as her attention shifts over to the Princess of Sarek. "Oh--Thank you?" Such a grand introduction and offer to help left her a bit unsure of what to say besides that. Though as the cat grows shaggier and more eager over her offerings she's quick to change her attention back to the youkai at hand.

"Ah... Yes, pretty girl," she agrees with Hematite as she smiles only noticing after a moment how the cat's attention has shifted up toward Eris. Her own gaze follows upward warily.

"You may be looking a bit like a cat toy up there," she warns trying to be calm in spite of the situation.

With a deep breath she simply grabs the cold, oily bacon wrapped mochi to pull off the skewer. It almost instantly warms in her hand a bit, making it more greasy to her touch, but perhaps helping to bring out the scent of salty, bacony goodness as well. Edging forward carefully she crouches down with arm stretched forward to drop the offering as near to the cat as she dares. It's done quickly and she backpedals again, hesitating at the urge to wipe her hand off on her thigh. Usually she had an apron on. Right now she didn't. Also smelling like food may not be good. Great idea, Chiyo.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
As expected with Chiyo's plan, the situation is coming along as was decided, as much as it can be said with the cat getting bigger and more impatient, so Veronica open the can assigned to her and starts approaching the cat together with the others. "Perfect work, Sakai-san", she mentions, giving a smile to the girl with violet hair.

"Never thought I would be preventing danger this way", the Princess of Sarek comments with some giggles, before turning to the enormous cat. "Hey, Kitty, Kitty, look what we have here. You are hungry aren't you?"

Pyrite has posed:
    As the smell of food becomes more prominent, cat-attention becomes refocused on it, wedging its head into the empty space as soon as Chiyo backs up. "Mreeeh!" goes the cat, and the vibrations of its purring makes the ground shake a little bit. It licks up the mochi quickly, in a single pass of its tongue, and then bumps its huge head into Hematite only to belatedly raise its chin up while trying to turn to get the tuna. Whiskers long and thick as vaulting poles (and thankfully just as bendy) are also a hazard as it raises a paw and tentatively bat-bat-bats at it, trying to knock it down for easier access. It is shrinking a little bit at least. Whether it succeeds or not, the tuna is rapidly lapped up. Just the sound of it swallowing is like something falling on the stairs, but with only one impact.
    It also responds to the tone of voice used with more 'Mreeoow!'s. It's so strange how cats only really meow when communicating with humans. Just one of the many quirks that make the mysterious creatures subjects of stories, fears, curiosities, art, and companionship. All of which lead to youkai gaining the strength to exist in this reality.
    Out of all the youkai to physically manifest like this, a bakeneko is probably one of those that makes the most sense to appear first.
    Then more food, more high-pitched voices, and the increasingly decreased cattage is directed towards the Princess of Sarek next. Big furry face shoved at her. Enough to knock a normal girl her size down, but the cat is after the lard not the human holding it. Thankfully.
    The shaggier fur is also receding, becoming less wild. Seems it's working! Which is good, because these portions are kind of abysmal for a van-sized cat. Mmmm~! Lard!
    Cat tolerates pets if anyone wishes to provide them while it's licking its lips. It's down to about the size of a motorcycle now. Still huge for a cat, but nowhere near as huge as it was previously.

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    Sailor Eris watches this go on for a long moment, then drops down off the streetlight to land delicately and gracefully next to the others in a flurry of short skirts and with a balance that belies the fact that she's wearing high heels. She reaches over to pick up the bottle of cooking oil and unscrews the top with a mildly disgruntled expression. Not what she expected out of a giant ghost cat but she'll take it, she guesses. As she awkwardly starts to pour out a dollop of the cooking oil onto the pavement for the cat, she looks at Hematite, lips pursed.

    "...Do you really know Sailor Moon?" she asks, just a touch incredulous. But hey, big cat. Princess of Sarek gets a slightly amused smile and a nod of agreement.

    "Yeah it... wasn't what I was expecting when I heard there was a bakeneko," she admits. "But if no one is getting in serious danger, then uh... that's good?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Hematite grins at the Princess' giggling and at Chiyo wisely -- unlike him or the Princess of Sarek -- stepping back, and he definitely pets the giant cat as it gets smaller; it bats the tuna out of his hand and he laughs, and he reaches to scritch carefully at it. "Good girl, pretty girl," he repeats, practically crooning. Someone's clearly a cat person. "Yeah, she was just hungry!" he says happily to Sailor Eris as she pours the cooking oil onto the pavement, and he pushes the emptied tuna can over so she can also pour it into that if she wants.

"I really do know Sailor Moon," he says, and straightens up to take a glove off before sleight-of-handing a flip phone out of thin air. "Here's a burner. The last number in it is hers. Tell her Hematite sent you and that you're Sailor Eris. I'll text her to let her know it's legit, since I'm the last one to have called her from that number."

After handing it off, he returns the bulk of his attention to the motorcycle-sized kitty and tries to scritch it in a way that will result in purring. "And please, all of you, let me take the cat. She'll be safe and loved, and won't be spooking people or trying to lick lamp oil from electric sodium lights anymore."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai looks immediately relieved as it laps up the food. It was a small amount, sadly, and she rather wishes she'd had time to grab more. The food she was going for wasn't for a giant bakeneko though but more then mostly normal sized one? Okay it was perhaps the size of a dog by the time she left but when she got back it was way more. The reduction in size as it grows more pleased at least allows her to relax a bit, too. "Good kitty," she assures with a look of relief flashed toward Hematite who was the next target of food looting.

When the Princess joins in with the lard she nods her thanks as well. "Sorry about the... ah, small items. I thought I'd need to hurry." Plus there were only so many savory or meaty items in her shop to begin with! Upstairs perhaps she would have had more luck in her own kitchen though it would have taken up more time.

Finally Eris joins in with the cooking oil. Quickly looking around she gestures toward one of the nearby manhole covers which bore a recessed design. "Ah, try pouring it there?" She suggests. "If they licked oil out of lamps, then it shouldn't mind a flat surface like that." She hopes. "Easier than the bottle at least." As for the question? She looks askance a moment, then away again uncertainly. "M-me? Or him? She saved me a couple of times before. Her and Sailor Pluto."

When Hematite asks to take the cat she hesitates a moment, only to spread her hands with a helpless shrug. "I... think if it wants to go with you, that's it's choice. It's a youkai, right? Spirits go where they want."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica smiles at the bakeneko as she approaches the Phantom Thief. "Pretty kitty", she smiles, petting her with her free hand, her cane held under her shoulder. "You like the food, don't you?"

"I have thought alongside a person named Sailor Moon once. I hope I get do so again eventually, it was a great experience", she turns her gaze towards Hematite while she is still petting the cat.

She also decides to play a trick for it. Ceasing petting the cat, she grabs her can again and a fog of pretty lights spreads outwards from its handle, the shimmers floating harmlessly in the air. This is not an offensive spell, it only reveals what is hidden and uncloaks illusions, so she is glad to use it like this wherever she thinks it could be useful.

Pyrite has posed:
    The purring is still plenty loud, though no longer sending tremors through the ground. It slurps the small pool of cooking oil, and then seems to just stand there, licking, expecting the stream of cooking oil to keep coming out of the bottle, like one of those little cat waterfall drinking fountains. Maybe a sewer cover isn't needed. It continues to shrink all the while.
    Eventually... Eventually it's just a calico cat again. Maybe a little bit larger than originally, but sufficiently satsified not to be puffing up in agitation at the lack of food.
    Everyone come get your pets in while the bakeneko is in a good mood! It definitely isn't going to resist being scooped up by these people who have fed it. Big fluffy cat also turns out to be a cuddlebug. Who knew?
    Lots of lip-licking still. Gotta' get all that good stuff out of its fur. There will be much cleaning later.
    Also, someone should pick up these cans and bottles, it's a crime to litter.
    The cat is not helping. The cat is busy chirping and chuffing at the lightshow. The Dark Energy floating around does cease to conceal something, though.
    Silhouettes.
    Human and non-human. Vague, ghostly, misty blurs of entities. All around them. Among them. Through them as they pay no heed to other people or objects occupying the spaces in their paths.
    There's no evil from them. But they are all moving in the same direction, all following the same trail.
    The Dark Energy trail that flows from further away.
    Well. This could have been such a fun, cute, quiet evening.
    Better to know than to not though.

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    "I mean, I'll give her a call but if this is some kind of prank..." It's not that she doesn't believe you, Hematite, she's just skeptical that anyone just so happens to /know/ Sailor Moon, alright? Sailor Eris reaches out to gently pet the cat as she pours out the cooking oil until at last the bottle is empty. The phone is accepted and tucked... somewhere. Don't ask about it. Fluffy creature, and how often do you get to pet a ghost, right? She's pretty content with this... until the lifting of the concealment of all those shapes. There's a slow, surprised blink. Not good? Not good.

    "Ummm..."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai finally gives in to the similar urge that the others have by easing forward carefully, cautiously, to crouch down and let her fingers sink into the fur at the back of the bakeneko's neck to scritch just like so many cats she knew enjoyed.

At least until the lightshow causes her to look up blinking against the light. Her eyes had adjusted a bit to the darkness save for the street lights so this made her far more aware of... well. Everything. When her eyes properly refocus she lets out a little frightened gasp at the sight of spirits.

Stiffening she withdraws her hand again with eyes that dart around taking it all in. "Ah... this is... the... I... W-where are they... going?" Did it matter? She just noticed they were going in one direction. That was something to focus on at least. A small detail.

Right before a spirit walks through HER causing her to jolt back to her feet with a terrified scre--no, squeak. Her voice cracks before it can become a proper scream. Both hands clap over her mouth looking aghast as she tries to calm her sudden hyperventilating.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Not a prank," says Hematite easily, and then he looks rueful at Chiyo. "Yeah, true. I mean cats and spirits go where they want..."

And as he's scooping up the bakeneko and saying they go where they want, the lightshow spell takes effect and he swallows anything else he was going to say.

He literally goes to hang out at a devastatingly haunted shrine and has a ghost for a little sister, and something just stepped through him, and that isn't cool at all. "Ah..." he says, making himself breathe, eyes very very wide.

Shallow breathing. "I'm going... to go home. And then? I-- I'll come back with my sister, she can maybe-- no... this is... this isn't for us. We're not supposed to see this. Go home. Everybody go home."

And just like that, he takes the bakeneko with him, and he's gone in the air like he was never there at all.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica keeps smiling as the kitty lapping the oil Sailor Eris put on the ground, it's so cute and sweet. "Sure, you can take it. I have no qualms with leaving it to someone who is friends with Sailor Moon."

And then she is absolutely overjoyed when the cat reacts positively as her shimmers of light. "Do you enjoy them, kitty? Oh, yes, you do." She smiles.

What is not enjoyable is the unintended result of her magic, revealing shadowy figures standing all around them and -through- them.

The Princess jumps up startled, in a defensive posture, her cane at the ready. But... they just do nothing. She is left to watch the weird procession, in equal measure spooked, perplexed and intrigued.

Hikaru Amanaka has posed:
    "I--I should go!" Sailor Eris says after a moment, then leaps away across the lampposts once again--she has to go get her school bag and hurry back to the dorms. Also hanging around the spooky ghosts(???) is not on her agenda for the rest of the night.