11564/I Thought a Saw a Puddycat in There

I Thought a Saw a Puddycat in There
Date of Scene:	28 May 2020
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Willow and Katsumi catch up
Cast of Characters:	Willow Rosenberg, Bakeneko

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Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had taken the closing shift, and had just begun putting things away. Mostly books. Besides, she was looking for a particular book for her studies. "Where would I be?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Probably not breezing into the front door! But the door does, in fact, open. A pair of chunky knee-high boots carries in a wisp of an Asian girl. Once the door shuts, she continues her way through the shop with her hands linked together neatly behind her back, her carefree gait carrying a girlish sway of her shoulders. Whoever she is, she's in a pleasant mood!

Her gait hitches upon realizing someone else seems to be working here tonight! Someone she doesn't recognize! She halts promptly in eyeline of Willow, her almond-shaped eyes ablink with a single shutter. "You're not Buffy," she observes. Despite her clear Asian heritage, her accent is near non-existent save for just the faintest lilt. But perhaps most notable are the inhumanly magenta-hued eyes that are now studying Willow from head to toe.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Uhm, we're closed?" The young woman is just a little bit too comfy, and then she mentions Buffy. "Oh! I took over her shift, and she is taking mine, on the weekend." She didn't explain that this weekend, she had a Watchtower shift to cover. "She might be over at the Blue Lady? Sorry."

Bakeneko has posed:
The Asian girl cants her head a little further towards Willow, not even trying to hide the fact that she's being critical. Her hands remain behind her back, however; the overall presentation is completely innocent. Perhaps a little too innocent. She strolls closer, one foot in front of the other in a graceful, narrow line. "So which one are you? Or- wait, are you one?" Finally her hands de-link from behind her back, the right lifting to slip the tip of her index finger between her lips to nibble the nail thoughtfully.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Now there's the thing: she did not say she was a friend. Quick as a wink, and some residual magic, Katsumi was placed in a ward. At least, that was the intent. "Who are you?" Willow gets a tiny bit more strict, and she begins mumbling.

Bakeneko has posed:
It really happens too fast. The Asian girl's legs stop ambulating mid-stride, and there's a markedly girlish squeak of surprise that comes with the realization. Forward momentum in a confident stride meets a sudden stop, and gravity shall not be denied. "Aahn!" No doubt completely upending any intimidation she had working for her, the raven-haired girl thumps helplessly to the floor. "Umf!"

There's a pause in silence.

"You're /definitely/ one of'em," grumbles the girl, her voice somewhat muffled against the carpeting. "I-.. I'm Katsumi! What'd you do to me?" Her muscles visibly twitch along the areas of her exposed skin, a clear sign of struggling. Panic seems to be setting in. "Let go!"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Now Willow got to decide: help her (meaning she WAS a friend), or not.

"Oh, dangnabbit." Willow drops the warding, and quickly helps her up. "You better be a friend. No wonder Buffy doesn't let me decide. Why am I telling you this. Are you okay?"

Bakeneko has posed:
The ward releases, leaving Katsumi to thrash about on the floor for just a second before realization hits her again. Then she finds another pair of hands helping her back up to her feet. The stranger quickly pats her skirt down, immediately self-conscious of any wardrobe malfunctions in her little adventure in taking a facedive against the floor. But all seems well. That is, except for the pinched moue she's making at Willow once she's on her feet again. And once stable, there's a prompt effort to lightly - /lightly/ - shove Willow on the shoulder.

"Is that how you people say hi around here!? Yeah, I'm Buffy's friend!," she fusses. "And I'm fine! I think! Unless that... that /thing/ you did to me causes like atrophy or something! God, it better not."

Her arms cross tightly against her chest. The sulk intensifies, making her look younger than she is.

"I fought Buffy when we first met, but at least /she/ fought fair."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"You approached me with those fingers! Buffy friends were in danger. How is it I supposed to know!" She does a reasonable job of Katsumi stalking her. Then the 'push' hits her. "Hey!" Laughing, "Why did you do that! Ouch, I give, I give!"

When Katsumi has put herself back together again, she introduces, "Hi, I'm Willow. Sorry?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro turns her face aside, eyes lidding shut, in a remarkably animated scoff when Willow gives her introduction and apology. "Fine." But soon, those oddly-colored irises are shifting back to the redhead. "Willow? She's talked about you a couple'a times."

Her arms uncurl in favor of propping her gloved hands to her narrow hips. "She thought you or Papabear would know something about my whole... 'ordeal'. But he's been in like research mode, I think. I'unno." Her left hand raises to pull a few wisps of silky black hair from her face to tuck behind an ear. "So you have like superpowers or something?," she asks bluntly.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow shakes her head, "I don't think so? Some friends do." Like Supergirl. "But I could see if I know? Uhm, what /is/ your problem?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro blinks slowly, then quickly lifts her hands, palms outturned. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't ask a girl to spill the beans if you're not gonna! You did something to me! If it isn't superpowers, what was it?," she counters. "You tell me what you did to me, and.. like.. /how/, I guess.. and I'll tell you what my problem is. Deal?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"That? Just, you know, warding." Willow is slow on the uptake. And then it clicks for me, "Oh.. OH! I never thought about it." She thinks for a bit, "Maybe? I always could? I kinda think that people really have it, but most of them don't know how to access it?"

Bakeneko has posed:
She's doing a fine job of perplexing the Japanese girl, and it's clearly written on her face. A hand lifts to scratch gently at her cheek as she tries to process. "Warding," she repeats. "Like.. wait, magic?" Now that she thinks about it, Buffy mentioned something along those lines with Willow. In fact, that's why she thought Willow might be able to help. "You mean like everyone has magic or something? Pfh, I dunno.." Her hand drops again. She's determined to not be wigged out by the obvious display of the supernatural. After all, she exists. She's supernatural. Right? Maybe?

On /that/ note...

"Deal's a deal." A soft sigh escapes the svelte fighter, and her shoulders hunch inwards sheepishly. "My problem is I turned all weird when I came to America this time. Like, this isn't even my eyecolor. I used to have really pretty green eyes." Her right foot toes at the floor.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"It's true! Everyone has a core of magic, everyone, but not all can reach it. It's sorta like, everybody is a core light inside them. Some a huge, bonfire lights them up. Most people have tiny, weeny light. But we have them." Willow gets off track, for a few.+

"And you're not listening. Let's see." And Katsumi shows her. "Weird. Do other countries also do differently? Or just the USA? Wait! How did you come over here, it could be important."

Bakeneko has posed:
"By plane." Beat. "I mean by a plane. Not a biplane. Or a plane that swings both ways."

Katsumi crinkles her small nose.

"I've done a couple shows in Australia, one in England. And I've made some appearances in America before. Can't ya tell? My accent's," she lifts a hand, as if a chef fawning over a dish, "perfecto."

Her hands plant right back on her hips.

"I dunno what's going on. But I'm not... I'm not /me/ now." The usual sass and devil-may-care tone in her voice has dropped into a more sullen, sombre note.