"You live here?" you ask as you examine the Bakeneko's "Secret Lair". The place...actually looks better than you expected. It's a rectangular space that has had every bit of it used for something, with the right and left sides both seeming to have a different purpose.
The right side seems set up for the Bakeneko, who revealed her name was Kazama Yuki. There's a bed that's big enough for a single person with its plain gray sheets made up nicely. The pillows have cat-paw covers over them and have been set up side by side for maximum area coverage.
In front of the bed was a counter with three shelves. Each one was set up to hold something different. The top shelf held a couple of closed scrolls you couldn't read. The one below that had a few books that you couldn't read the covers of. And the last one had what was clearly manga organized by volumes.
After that was a medium sized fridge that seemed to barely be made to fit in between the counter and what you think is a washer/dryer combo machine. Not much to say there...except the single picture taped to the front of the fridge. From where you're standing, it seems to be one of Kazama with her three pets held in her arms. The smile in this picture is a stark contrast to the indifferent look on her face now.
The left side is clearly set up for her pets. There's a single bed that's big enough for all four cats to sleep in if they want. Next to that is a scratching post that's tall enough to act as a place for the cats to jump and rest on. Around the tower are some of those self-cleaning litter-box things. Then after the tower are four large clear containers, each with a different cat's name written on the top and cans of cat food inside. The cats in question all start heading towards different places in the room.
Pon-Pon, the Bobtail, leaps up onto the post, moving from platform to platform until he finds one at the very top. Then he lays down with his eyes gazing at the rest of the room.
Momo, the Dragon Li, slowly makes his way over to the now empty bed. It purrs while pulling at the white fabric, before sitting down with its tail wagging behind it. When he catches you looking, he meows while tilting his head to the side.
Lastly, Sacho, the Thai cat, stays as close to Kazama as she can. She moves between the Bakeneko's legs, meowing the entire time while the girl keeps walking.
Kazama doesn't bother looking at you. She instead opens the fridge up and starts reaching for something while speaking, "No, not at all. I'm just holding down the fort for a different Youkai that came here before me. She'll be back any day now."
[Empathy: Feelings: 35 VS DC: ???: Success! +3 RP]
You frown, finding a spot on the rather clean floor to sit down at. You cross your arms as you reply, "There's no need to be sarcastic. We're not here for a fight."
The indifferent look on her face doesn't leave her. She closes the door behind her, four bottles of water carried in her arms. She moves over to the other side of the room and sits down in the only chair in the room. This chair is in front of the only part of her "Lair" that you didn't examine fully.
But, now that you've gotten a good look at it, you can see that's it's essentially a Shut-In's dream laptop set up. A single, high end laptop on top of a black desk with three drawers on either side. A mouse-pad with a sleek, black wireless mouse sitting on top. The charger is on the laptop's left, and sitting behind the device are two curved computer screens. You're guessing the laptop connects to them for when she needs multiple screens.
How the heck did she afford all this stuff?
She takes one of the water bottles out of her arms and holds it lazily in one hand. It sways back and forth in her hand as she stares at the three of you, "Oh. Of course. I mean, it's not like you guys chased me through this worn down old school, made me run far more than I have in forever, and interrupted me in the middle of some very important things I was doing."
She tosses the water bottle at you, then one at Yamato and Hiroko each. You all catch them, Hiroko using her tails as she's in her true form now. Kazama turns around while opening her own bottle. She opens up her laptop while downing the water bottle in one hand. Sacho jumps into her lap then sits there, looking up at Kazama from its position. She rubs its head with her right hand as she continues to speak, "So, to what do I owe this wonderful little visit? You guys finally figure out I'm here and came by to throw a welcoming party?"
"You do realize," Hiroko begins while sitting down on the side of Kazama's bed, "that if you had revealed yourself earlier, we wouldn't have had to have chased you down."
"Right," Kazama starts to type away on her laptop. You can't tell exactly what she's doing from here, but she seems able to it while talking to you all, "Cause when strangers come knocking on the door to your secret hideout that no one is supposed to know about, the obvious reaction is to let them in for tea. Hey, when the Organization guys come a knocking, try that out. Let know how that works for you."
"So, you are aware of the Organization?" Yamato asks, one hand scratching the back of Pon-Pon's head. The cat mews while rubbing its head against his hand. You think you spot one of Kazama's ears flicking at the sound, but it happens too quick for you to be sure.
"Yep. Probably longer than you all. They've been pretty good about keeping their actions covert and subtle. But anyone who pays attention or has been chased by them knows they're out and about."
"Such as I," Yato reveals himself, appearing on your arms in a flash, "These scum were chasing me prior to my meeting with Lord Hayato."
Kazama tilts her head to the side, "Ah, so you were the voice I heard after I got caught."
"Indeed. Salutations, cat."
"Hello, Goryō. And, yeah. They're pretty insidious. Even have their claws in Raijin as the sudden benefactor. Probably wouldn't have managed that, if the dumbasses at this school weren't riled up to go hog-wild on that school full of rich brats. Thanks for that, by the way."
She idly waves one of her hands at Hiroko. The kumiho finishes her bottle of water, her expression one of force politeness. She folds her hands together while using her tails to hold her chin, "My dear, Kazama. Do you perhaps have something against me?"
"No, of course not. Not like the moment you showed up, you hooked up with a lonely girl with a knife, and helped her start a raid on another school or anything," is Kazama's deadpan answer.
"I did not tell her to start the raid."
"But you didn't stop her from going through with it now did you? Nor did you say anything about how maybe leading a raid on another school could be a bad idea? Or that maybe the two of you should just stay on the roof and talk out your issues instead of pushing them on other people?"
Hiroko doesn't respond to that. But the pained expression on her face tells you everything you need to know. You look at Yamato out the corner of your eye, seeing him checking out one of the books on the shelf. Then you lean forward and start speaking, "We're getting off topic. Look, we're here cause we wanted to see if you would be willing to help us."
"And by that you mean?"
"Help us fight off the Organization," you explain while leaning forward, "You probably figured that my brother and I go to Raijin. We're both well aware that the Organization has its claws in our school. But we don't know exactly how, why, or what they're trying to do. So, we're trying to find as many supernaturals and their Partners as we can."
[Speech: Diplomacy: 36 VS DC: ???: Failure!]
"And I was next on the list," she states while tossing the empty water bottle behind her. It flies and lands perfectly in a trashcan that you didn't see before. She then lifts up her free left hand over a space on the table. Within moments, Pon-Pon leaps down from the post and makes it way up to her desk. It rubs up underneath her hand, purring loudly as she starts scratching its back. She keeps talking in spite of her actions, "But, truth be told, don't really know what you expect me to do. I'm just a single Shut-In Yokai with a laptop, three cats, and a tongue sharper than a knife. Unless you're expecting me to insult the Organization stooges to the point where they run away in shame."
[Empathy: Feelings: 35 VS DC: ???: Failure!]
You're...unable to tell if she's serious or not.
You frown, feeling some the wind fall out of your sails. You purse your lips before continuing, "That's not what we're asking though. All we ask is that you at give what help you can."
"And I get that. But that help is limited," she explains, never once turning her eyes from the laptop, "To the point where it honestly wouldn't help you guys."
"Are you certain? Or are you merely making excuses to not help your fellow Yokai and monsters?" Hiroko posits, a cheeky grin on her face.
That seems to strike some kind of chord with Kazama. It's faint, but you swear you see her ears and tails shoot up for a moment. But she's quick to return to her indifferent nature, "Not sure if you should talk. Considering they wouldn't be there, nor be looking for us, if it weren't for you. Taking that into account, who is it that's not interested in helping her fellow Yokai and monsters?"
Hiroko huffs, tails raising and pointing their tips towards Kazama's back. You curse under your breath. This is getting you nowhere. You need to find someway to get through to her. But you're not sure how...
[Yamato: Tactics: Alexander: 36 + 9 (Munagi SL) = 45 VS DC ???: Success! +3 Yamato RP]
"Query," Yamato suddenly appears at the Bakeneko's side. He holds up one of the books from her shelf, pointing at the cover, "This is a book detailing the different strategies Alexander The Great supposedly employed during his conquest of the world. Would I be correct in assuming you study it to help you better make use of your illusions?"
This actually makes Kazama take her eyes away from the laptop for a moment. She turns towards Yamato, eyebrows raising and one ear tilting in his direction, "Yeah. How could you tell?"
"Mere conjecture. However, from what little Yameko, my own Kitsune Partner, has told me of illusions, they are not something that can be thrown at a target without a plan involved," he says while tapping at the cover of the book, "By that same measure, one would need the ability to think on their feet to use illusions effectively. Something that, based on what my brother has told me, you showed when he was chasing you. You managed to create illusions that, under normal circumstances, would have frightened or confused anyone else in those situations. And you managed it in the heat of the moment, with little prior planning, while being chased through multiple hallways covered in debris."
[Yamato: Tactics: Sun Tzu: 6 VS DC ???: Failure!]
He glances back at the shelves, "Unfortunately, I can't exactly imagine how you went about planning your illusions out. I am not as well first in the creation of a plan prior to a situation becoming an issue."
Kazama blinks at Yamato.
You notice that both her ears are pointing towards him now. Likewise, her tails are starting to move closer to his body. Whether the Bakeneko realizes this or not, you're unsure. She places a hand on her hip while shrugging, "Huh. Had you figured for the quiet type. Didn't expect you to be interested in strategies and stuff like that."
"I am apart of the Chess Club at Raijin," your brother places the book down on the desk, "If I am to succeed at the upcoming Tournament, I must ensure I am well versed in such tactics."
[Yamato: Invention: Practicality: 26 = 26 VS DC ???: Success! +3 Yamato RP]
[Yamato: Barter: Business: 29 + 7 (Munagi SL) = 36 VS DC ???: Success! +3 Yamato RP]
"That aside," Yamato waves at her laptop, "I noticed that your device has a wireless internet connection despite the school being abandoned. Would I be correct in suggesting you installed a signal booster to hitchhike on a nearby network? And, if I am remembering correctly, you are currently watching Global Stock Prices. Would this be how you managed to afford all these devices and the cat food?"
[Empathy: Feelings: 35 VS DC: 30: Success! +3 RP]
OK.
Now you can tell how Kazama is feeling.
Mainly cause her mask has cracked.
She's staring at Yamato with a mixture of awe, surprise, and...admiration?
"Uh, uh, uh," she's speechless for a moment.
Yamato bows his head in apology, "Please forgive my bluntness. I simply observed these things and thought it prudent to mention them."
"No, no, no. No need to do that," she holds up a hand while shaking her head, "It's just...I'm so used to everyone around me being an idiot. It's...surprising to meet someone who knows what he's talking about. But, uh, yeah, you're right. Want to...check out what I'm working on?"
"I'd be delighted to."
"OK. Then, um, I'm currently trying to create a new program that should-"
From there the two devolve into techno-babble that goes right over your head.
But, despite no longer being in the conversation, you can't hide the huge grin on your face.
"Good going, bro," you whisper, sending Hiroko a knowing glance. She returns it with a grin of her own.
Eventually, the sun started to set in the horizon. You all said your goodbyes to Kazama, and started leaving.
Least...that was the plan.
But, after you said goodbye to Hiroko, both you and Yamato noticed Kazama trying to hide behind one of the walls of the school. Only when the Kumiho was gone did she come walking over to you. She gave Yamato a piece of paper with her phone number scrawled on it. She said it was to keep in contact with her. While she wasn't sure what she could do against the Organization, she was willing to at least touch bases with the two of you in case she found something out.
Yamato thanked her.
She replied by saying it wasn't a bit deal. Then she fast walked back to her "Secret Lair".
With another new ally gained, you and Yamato headed off to your last destination: The Beach.
[Established Contact with Kazama Yuki, the Bakeneko!]
[SL for Hayato starts at 1/10 with 6/3 RP! Can Rank Up!]
[SL for Yamato starts at 3/10 with 9/6 RP! Can Rank Up!]
[Kazama Yuki now able to be visited!]
Beach Luck Roll: 19
Which...didn't really have anything on it.
You literally didn't find anything new.
No new supernaturals.
No hints to the Organizations plans.
Heck, you didn't even find any cool stuff washed up along the shore.
But you know what you did find?
Some quality time with your brother.
It was dark out by the time you got there. So, no one else was there to mess with you guys. The two of you just walked around, enjoying the feeling of sand between your naked toes.
You threw some water at Yamato, he did the same to you.
You both built sandcastles, yours ending up getting washed away by the tide.
Yamato found some crabs and put them in a cup before helping them get back to the water.
You found a glittering shell that you gave to Yamato, so he could give it to Yameko.
All in all, it was just a good time with your brother.
[+5 Yamato RP! Now 15/15. Can Rank Up!]
Again, hope I got the part with Kazama Yuki right.
Also, I decided to just add the Beach to this Update, cause I honestly couldn't think of anything really interesting for it.
So, have some free Yamato RP!
Also, remind me to count up all the XP you guys got since you last leveled up. I've been forgetting that.