[kyo]

Entering into the human world as a human had come with so many unforeseen difficulties for the slime. Other animals were not nearly so complicated. Yes, some animals could tell that something was amiss with the slime when it masqueraded as one of them, but those animals did not call upon more animals to try and contain the slime against its will. No, that was something unique to humans. And, if the slime had any hope of blending-in with other humans, it would need to learn enough about them to appear human.

So it watched from drainage canals and the underbellies of parked cars, waiting for some hint, some deeper knowledge.

All it got was humans walking quickly from one place to another, though. And that was not very helpful information at all. The slime spied a cat atop the wall of a house, which inspected the amorphous glob with barely-concealed disdain.

A slimy tendril extended towards the cat, eager to grab it, and the cats’ lips peeled away from its teeth in a hiss.

“Tama-chan! Dinnertime!” a voice called from the other side of the wall. With a flick of its tail, the cat rose and leapt down on the other side of the wall. Oh… did these creatures have some sort of agreement with the humans? A reluctant peace? Perhaps the real answer was not to hide in a drainage ditch all day, but to become a cat instead and wander amongst humans incognito.

It was certainly a more interesting way to spend the evening than lying in wait. An amorphous arm extended from the slime towards the sidewalk above, condensing and congealing until a catlike shape stood upon the pavement. It continued to press inward, losing its translucence. And, as it became more dense, it became more defined. The form was a big-boned shorthair cat, with black fur and uneven whiskers. It had murky spring-green eyes set against a very round face. It was missing the tip of one of its ears. In life, the cat had been a rambunctious orange tabby of the streets. But, as the slime had eaten many years ago, its pelt had resolved itself to black– as all of the slime’s forms did with time.

The now-cat moved confidently down the sidewalk, its long tail aloft. See, no one paid forms like this any mind. No one would ask a cat hard questions, or try to cram it into a container against its will. Cats were allowed to just be cats.


Futaba Tamashiro

[Futaba Tamashiro]

Feeding cats was somewhat of a hobby for Futaba. Ever since she had been a little girl, there also had been cats around in her life. She remembered growing up with two cats in the house and many more that lingered in her neighbourhood. Her brother always had the propensity to feed any stray or neighbour cat because 'they deserve a little treat'. Futaba adopted a similar mindset with her cats and the neighbourhood she lived in. She would make a point to feed any cat that would want food, which was most. Then add her condition which made things extra exciting.

Being a sort of observer of the spirit world, she could often see things that weren't cats but were pretending to be cats so they wouldn't spook normal people. These cats were often messengers or couriers for other spirits and had very particular pallets. It was often a hassle to find the right food, like uncooked duck eggs or pine cones. It was all very bizarre but she was fine with doing it. It made her life a little less annoying and there was therapeutic quality to it.


“Tama-chan! Dinnertime!” Futaba would call out. Two cats would wander into the kitchen, tails aloft. The Tortoiseshell made her opinions on the food known while the black and white cat happily started eating away. Laughing a little, Futaba gathered the food for the other cats that were naturally outside.

Pulling her screen door open, she was greeted by the variety of real and not so real cats. Pouring some dry food into the outside bowls she had set up, she watched 10 plus cats run to the bowls and start chowing down. The Spirit cats patiently waited for Futaba to put down the bits and bobs they like to eat. A pine cone there, a duck egg here, a set of buttons and what have you. Once all the cats were occupied, Futaba noticed the new cat. She hadn't seen in before so she figured it probably was a new spirit.

"Kami-sama, who are you delivering mail to?" Futaba would ask the strange cat.

[kyo]

The black cat trailed uncertainly after "Tama-chan", across a grassy yard and towards the porch where a gaggle of cats lingered. Clearly, this person liked cats, which... likely made them an easy target.

A girl emerged toting a bag of cat food, which she poured into a collection of bowls. The black cat did not join the swarms of cats the descended on the kibble. It waited and watched as the girl deposited other items-- an egg, a pine cone, strange plastic items-- at different locations. Strange...

Finally, the girl took notice of the black cat, and there was a moment where the two inspected one another before she spoke.

"Kami-sama, who are you delivering mail to?"

The black cat hesitated-- who was Kami-sama? He glanced over his shoulder, but saw nothing else. She must have been talking to him! Kyo knew better than to talk back, though. Cats didn't usually talk.

So, the black cat gave a bright, scratchy meow when the girl addressed him, trotting eagerly closer. Despite his rough-and-tumble appearance, he wanted the girl to know that he was friendly! Trustworthy! ...then, perhaps, he could swindle her out of some very yummy food...

The black cat meowed again as he drew nearer to the girl, brushing up against her legs. He gazed up at her, blinking slowly. How could she say no to such a charming tomcat?

[Futaba Tamashiro]

Looks like you aren't talkative. Futaba giggled a bit before extending her hand to the kitty so they could smell her before she sat food down for them. Grabbing a extra bowl, she put some food she thought the new spirit would like. A mixture of chicken guts, cat food and a little water to soften it up. Most of the spirits had specific requests but usually the mix she provided was suitable for most of them.

Bending down, she gave the cat a small pat before turning to one of the other cats. It was smaller orange cat that started whispering "Power is held in the dreams of humanity." Futaba grimaced a bit when she heard the message. Usually the spirits never sent directly to her. Its usually unnerving messages that meant something nastier was going to pass through soon.

The voice from the cat sounded normal to her but it would sound rather inhuman and distorted to the little pretender she was feeding. "So, what's your purpose little one? I know most Nekomata are messengers but sometimes they're different."
kyo,