[early morning cat posting]

[sevenhorrorsmods]

Who: everyone
When: July 25
Where: class 3-C
What: a few visitors!
Warnings: none!

[On Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. on the dot, the student body is awoken not by the bell, but by the sound of meowing echoing over the intercom.

[It's not just the PA system, either. Soft, gentle, and very cute mewls fill the classroom hallways; distant on floors one and two, but much louder on floor three. Intrepid explorers who follow the noise will find that one of the third floor classrooms has been overtaken by a pack of ghostly cats!]

[Each creature is the size of a normal housecat, and has the mannerisms of one. That is, they will attempt to hop into your lap for some prime cuddling time, ears and tails flicking adorably all the while. Their bodies are a pale, ghostly white, and their eyes glow a soft, gentle blue. Although they are translucent, they are still solid to the touch, and they feel just like a normal cat does. Soft fur and everything! Aren't they precious? Aren't they just so stinkin' cute??? DON'T YOU JUST WANT TO SMOOSH THEIR ROUND LI'L KITTEN FACES??]

[So long as characters are kind to the cat spirits, the Nekomata are completely harmless. They just want to play and snuggle!! Although. . .]

[Anyone who touches a cat spirit will find themselves hit with a sudden need for physical contact. This can range from something small (desiring a high five) to something bigger (needing to CUDDLE THE SHIT outta someone). Being surrounded by more than one Nekomata means the compulsion becomes stronger, too! One cat means it can probably be safely ignored, but five?? If you don't HOLD SOMEONE'S HAND RIGHT THIS SECOND you JUST MAY DIE!!]

[Oh, so you don't like cats? No problem! The Nekomata are mischievous creatures, and they WILL leap onto people's backs and shoulders without warning. Being cat spirits, they can also teleport from one place to another, so. . . you can be minding your own business one second, blink, and then be staring into the eyes of a cute cat spirit perched on your lap the next.]

[The Nekomata will be drawn towards members of Anzen more than anyone else per their target lock curse, but they are excited to shower literally anyone in a bit of cute kitty affection, regardless of their homeroom]

[Please let me know if your character is being violent and/or aggressive towards the Nekomata. Otherwise, enjoy some compulsive physical bonding with a cute ghostly flair!]

Comments

[isdf]

[She frightens easily, doesn't she . . . or perhaps this is just normal for most people.]

It sounds to me like you're disconcerted by the element of surprise they inherently wield, rather than afraid of them.

[suplexer]

Maybe? It's not like most fears are rational...

[ That might be where he's getting tripped up.

She pauses then, looking him over for a moment. ]

You don't have anything you're scared of?

[isdf]

[As someone who prefers to explain everything with logic, he hadn't thought about it that way before. Her words give him pause before he shakes his head.]

No. It would be illogical if I were, though I realize now that fears can be irrational as well.

[suplexer]

[ She's briefly shocked by that. How could he not know... ]

... Sometimes we just have feelings or reactions that are irrational, right?

[ Why is he making her feel like the weird one here??? ]

[isdf]

[Does he . . . ?]

Yes, I have on numerous occasions observed behavior from others that I considered to be incomprehensible, even after an explanation. Perhaps that's simply the way of things . . . [The human experience, as it were.]

[suplexer]

[ ... He's got an odd sort of vibe, doesn't he? Tifa's quiet for a few seconds, processing that he kind of reminds her of the way Sephiroth was, before he completely lost it. (Sorry, Yuma...)

Completely buttoned up. Untouchable, almost. Bothered by nothing.

She looks away, taking a few seconds to stroke one of the cats between its ears. ]

... You've never felt your emotions get the best of you?

[isdf]

[The movement of her hand on the cat's head draws his attention. Something about it bothers him, but he tamps down on the agitation once more to answer her question.]

Well, there were times when I got ahead of myself and shouted at my superiors . . . but there was nothing confusing about either incident.

[suplexer]

[ Do you want some head pats, Yuma......


She glances over when he mentions "superiors." Definitely the soldier, then, although the fact that he was willing to stand up to those who ranked above him is interesting. ]

You didn't agree with their choices?

[isdf]

[No . . . (Yes?)]

No, I did not; regardless of my reasons, however, it was still unacceptable to yell.

[suplexer]

... Yeah, sometimes our emotions get the better of us. [ And while she's curious about what these disagreements were over, it seems like a pretty prying question to ask someone she's just met. ] So, for at least some of us, that can lead to being scared of things too. Even if it doesn't really make sense.

[ Finally, she stands and dislodges some of the nekomata in the process, but she still has that strange feeling... like something is not quite right. ]

What should I call you, by the way? You can call me Tiger Lily, and I'm in the Kenkou class.

[isdf]

You may call me Mamoru. I've been assigned to Shiawase's homeroom.

[Besides fear, there's something else that doesn't make sense here. He felt it grow stronger the moment she stood up. It's now at a point where he can no longer ignore it as he stares at her.]

Speaking of emotions . . . do you feel that, Tiger Lily?

[suplexer]

[ Ah, he's so formal. Still, she already figured he was Shiawase from the fact that his uniform is the same color as Yuffie's. It's good to know his alias, though. ]

Nice to meet you, Mamoru. So... you feel that too?

[ She glances over at the nekomata, who look as innocent as always. One is grooming another; a third is curled up on a desk. Now that she's not cuddling or petting one, though, she can tell with more certainty that she wants to move toward Mamoru.

She frowns, then takes a measured step toward him, to see if that helps at all. (Results inconclusive.) ]

[isdf]

[Formality dictates that he nod to return her sentiment in kind, except very little feels nice right now. He's antsier than ever, and he works his hands into fists before loosening them at his sides when she steps closer.]

If you're referring to a state of unease, I have been feeling it for some time now.

[suplexer]

[ He doesn't respond to her approaching whatsoever, beyond that moment where he balls his hands into fists. Hmm... ]

Do you have any idea what's causing it?

[isdf]

It started some time after I entered this room. If you're feeling it as well . . .

[He looks at the cats, who are lazing away without a care in the world.]

[suplexer]

...

You think they're to blame?

[ On one hand, that seems unfair. They're so cute and have never done anything wrong in their lives?

On the other hand, he may be on to something. ]

Maybe we should leave and see if that makes a difference?

[isdf]

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Let us exit to the hall.

[If it'll get rid of this mounting dread, he's more than happy to get out of here; however, he'll wait for Tifa to go first in order to bring up the rear, so to speak.]

[suplexer]

[ Ladies first, huh? Not that Tifa really minds; even now, she doesn't think they're in actual danger. She pokes her head out, looking up and down the hall, but all she sees are a few stray nekomata milling around.

It looks like at least one of them wants to follow along, too.

After stepping out into the hall, she takes a moment to stop and assess, but... ]

I can't say I feel any different...

[isdf]

[Begone, cat.

The nekomata in the middle of the classroom watch their backs as Yuma closes the door behind him. While there's no scratching from the other side, the stifling weight of anxiety only grows with each passing second, though he tries not to show it beyond the furrow of his brow.]

How troublesome. It seems the location has little to do with this feeling.

[As he angles his head toward her mid sentence, his shoulders tense subconsciously. He stares at her, wondering, before he takes a single step toward her. Hmmm.]

[suplexer]

[ So it's not just about being in the classroom with the cats, then. There's more to it. Tifa heaves out a breath, as if that might help with the strange tightness in her chest.

Then she realizes that Mamoru's stepped toward her. He's close now, close enough for her to reach out. Before she can think better of it, she turns to him, her arms both reaching up so that she can settle her hands on his shoulders.

He's taller than her by quite a bit, and something about the angle makes it feel way too intimate. Especially when they're staring right at each other. She looks away, but can't quite make herself pull her hands back. ]

[isdf]

[Yuma's confusion filters through his homeroom's curse, followed before long by relief as the tension drains from his frame. The dread has abated, and he sees nothing odd about the way they're connected with his hands at his sides and hers on his shoulders. Intimacy of this nature is lost on him, so he simply breathes out in satisfaction and continues to watch her curious body language.]

It's stopped.

[suplexer]

[ Right, the curse. Tifa hasn't really minded it and has even gotten used to the strange sensation of feeling someone else's feelings because of her closeness with Yuffie. So when the foreign emotion of confusion comes in, then an overlap of her relief and Mamoru's, it doesn't throw her off too much.

Also, she knows for a fact that Mamoru isn't bothered, so she decides to just keep her hands where they are. ]

... So that's what it was. [ She bows her head for a moment and shakes it back and forth. It's always something with this place. ]

[isdf]

Then the solution is . . . physical contact?

[Is that why he kept wanting to hold onto something? It would explain his prior restlessness while raising even more questions. He's not so certain about the shake of her head, though.]

Is something wrong?

[suplexer]

Seems like it, yeah.

[ Though she looks back up at him at the question, then shakes her head. ]

No, it's fine. I guess I was just hoping that the cats came without any strings attached. But it could be worse, right?

[isdf]

Yes; however, we do not know if this the extent of their influence. Hence, I would suggest proceeding with caution still.

[Despite that, his feelings don't reflect much of anything. He has no animosity toward the nekomata, only a healthy amount of suspicion born from prudence. It would be bad if she were to get hurt, because he was careless.]