Owner	Pose
Mercy Thompson	Central Park's but a stone's throw from Mercy's garage....if Mercy is ever inclined to throw stones. She is however, here for a run, on two legs as opposed to four paws. There's the smell of fresh baked things from the little container she's got in han, the smell of baking and especially of cookies. Not bad for Mercy baking to destress herself after wanting to kick an old Opel. Still though she's got running shoes on, and running clothes over her coveralls. And by 'running shoes' try her steel toed work boots, too.Hair's down, eyes are keenly looking around, and the cookie container's in her hands, too. She's sorely tempted to sit down and enjoy cookies. Before or aftr lifting weights, she's not picky.
Katsumi Oshiro	Indeed, it seems a merry occasion is being had! The scent of baked goods, physical exercise in distinctly inappropriate clothes, and furry objects scampering across the path much, much too close to Mercy's feet as she runs. It's a cat! A large calico, to be exact, and excessively - absurdly, in fact - woolly. If she doesn't react in time, she might trample it or trip!
Mercy Thompson	Mercy catches the furry kitty out the corner of her eye and manages to, well, slow her pace enough to stop by the cat. "Hey cat" Mercy says with a look. "Cats in Central Park, you got a collar on?" Because, sure, that's Mercy's first priority. It's not /her/ cat per se. More, hey, I just found this random kitty when I was out jogging type stuff
Katsumi Oshiro	If this cat wore a collar, it would be lost amidst the sea of woolly goodness. With the collision avoided, the cat turns about to face her, and regards her with a flat stare. It looks judgmental. But then again, cats usually do. Despite any cross looks the feline is giving her, it pads closer and stretches in, nose bobbing as it sniffs around her shins. Something causes it to recoil slightly - followed by additional sniffs.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy kneeels down to get a look at the cat. Sure, she might be a coyote shapeshifter, but.....really. Mercy's not that bad. Instead she offers a hand to the cat to snifff. Or more sniffs. Mercy's well aware of just how judgemental cats are. Coyotes can be too, though she's more inclined to get off the path if she's going to sit and be examined by r pawed fluffball cat.
Katsumi Oshiro	The feline accepts the offered hand for additional inspection, gathering all the sniffs into its nose. The head then lifts to look back up at her face. "<You do not smell normal.>" The cat's mouth opened and it spoke clear, deep Japanese at her. Its voice was downright resonant, too - that of an orator, a traditional storyteller.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy doesn't speak Japanese, but since the cat's not trying English....Mercy's trying German. This jusr got real awkward, real fast. She switches to English again. "Who are you. Cats don't talk!" she says. You'd think, being Coyote's daughter, Mercy would be used to strange things but no, no. She's caught off guard by this Japanese talking cat. Well, a little anyway.
Katsumi Oshiro	"<You speak a language of the Roman Empire,>" observes the feline in an equally severe, but equally clear German. "<But you are mistaken. I am clearly a cat. Do you not recognize my feline appearance? Are they rare here?>" As if disinterested in what's unfolding, the cat takes a seat there on the path. He lifts a forepaw to begin licking at the pads, patient as can be for her answer.
Mercy Thompson	"I recognize your feline appearence" Mercy offers. "I've seen enough cats in this city, but talking cats are rare" Mercy says, "My father never told me about talking cats. So" Mercy adds and takes a step off the path, sitting near the cat to carry on this conversation and give the cat somewhere to settle if it feels like not being on the path. Then again given how stubborn cats are...and Mercy's as stubborn as a cat herself.... "I speak many languages" Mercy points out. Three, or four. epending on how she's counting them, too. She's certainly curious now where this is going. And what was that saying about curiosity?
Katsumi Oshiro	The feline lets out a little 'rrr' sound, a churrl of malcontent. "You prefer the barbarian tongue. Very well," says the cat, in extremely proper, and notably British, English. In fact, it sounds a bit like James Earl Jones reprising his role as Darth Vader. "I speak every language." That he knows of, anyway. And it's delivered with such aloofness, that he's using his wetted paw to groom his considerable wool around his face as he mentions it. "You smell strange for a human, and you are not panicking. What are you?" The paw sets down again, and the feline pads closer to her. That expression remains soured and severe.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy debates going four pawed, but....she's keeping that trick to herself. For now. Instead she shakes her head "I'm not panicking yet. Because I'm used to cats. Plus I have cookies which can" she says, with a hint of a smirk, "Disarm any situation for humans. So. Tell me, cat, why're you talking with me, did I catch your interest? And I'm not human, just as you're not cat." Mercy'd make a hell of a poker player
Katsumi Oshiro	"As I said," replies the feline patiently, "I am a cat. That is why you are not panicking, as you say." His expression shows no hint of mirth, joke, nor sarcasm. It's almost an annoyed deadpan. "But you are not human. That is why I chose to reveal my divine nature." The right forepaw raises to place against his fluffy chest. "I am Herukage, Emissary of Makai-no-Yomorinushi, Lord Protector of the Night, God of Monsters, Father of Yokai, Shepherd of Beasts. And I am here to find a great warrior."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy shakes her head. "Let's see. You're a cat. You're talking. You're a cat. That...is an emissary of a Japanese god." Great. History shows up in the weirdest places. "I am Mercedes, daughter of Coyote, Trickster God of my people" she starts, watching the Japanese cat....thing. "You're after a great warrior? I know how to fight and use a gun but I'm not Conan the Barbarian material, come on now." Mercy adds, finally reaching into the box for a cookie, eating it carefully.
Katsumi Oshiro	"You are not what I am looking for," replies Herukage bluntly as he re-seats his woolly rear. "I am tasked with finding a human - a warrior who is to become much more. A man who is ferocious as flames, unyielding as tsunami, wild as the wind. I can sense his presence." His head turns faintly aside. "He is not far. But it is difficult to track." His head turns again to Mercy and her cookie. "He will bear the Lord Protector's divine bloodcolor."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy hufs a little. "But. I have chocolate chip cookies. See. I've uses, and I'm not help,ess at all!" Mercy adds to the cat, "So why do you want this warrior?" she asks curiously, sitting there eating a cookie chatting with a kitty. "As honorable as a samurai, as loyal as the highest castes of Japanese society" Mercy murmers to herself, loud enough for the cat to hear. Her history degree's sliding into her head.
Katsumi Oshiro	It doesn't look odd at all to anyone glancing over, nope! Just a woman chatting with a stray cat, who is doing an awful lot of meowing. Thankfully, no one is within range to hear what's being said. "My wishes are irrelevant. It is the will of Makai-no-Yomorinushi that this warrior be taught. That he understands his new gift, and that it be used as it was intended." After a beat, the feline's ears flatten a little. "Present honors and loyalties would hinder him. He will soon redefine his place in the world, and realize he is no longer human. He will have new loyalties. New honor."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy's going to have a story to tell when she catches up with her father. Still, she nods to the cat. "Then, maybe I could help?" Mercy asks with a honest look. "I could help out finding this warrior of yours that you're seeking?" Mercy asks with a look from the cat then around then back to the cat. "So you're on a quest from the Lord Protector, find a warrior and train him, corrrect?" Mercy adds between cookie bites.
Katsumi Oshiro	"That was the plan," nods Herukage. A cat nodding. It would have to look so alien. "And you see things clearly, yes. Perhaps I will not be needed much. But I must find the warrior who completed the ritual, either way." He pads closer to Mercy. His forepaws step up onto her legs, and he lifts up closer to her face. "Now. Have you seen a man with eyes the color of magic blood?"
Mercy Thompson	Mercy shakes her head, "I haven't. I've been busy working and nobody with magic colored eyes has passed my door" Mercy says with a hint of sadness, though the cat nodding gets a little giggle from her. It's alien, and oh yes, amusing at the same time. Good job nobody's looking around then
Katsumi Oshiro	Herukage is giggled at, and doesn't even seem to notice. He looks entirely too severe. But the good news is, he doesn't look disappointed with the news. Well, he doesn't look /more/ disappointed than his default expression. "Where would I find this land's warriors?," is his next question.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy pauses with a cookie halfway to her mouth. "No clue" she shrugs with a look back to the cat. "I still need to figure that out myself" she adds with a chomp on the cookie and shaking crumbs off of her hands. "So what's so important about this warrior?" she asks looking serious for a moment. "If it's very serious,I could lend a hand" Mercy offers, wondering if cats like cookies.
Katsumi Oshiro	Herukage regards the cookie when it's offered, and indulges in a few sniffs. But alas, no, cats do not enjoy cookies. He identifies it as non-edible to felines and leans back from her before dropping his forepaws back down to the ground. "This warrior is Makai-no-Yomorinushi's divine wrath. His judgment upon mankind," explains the feline as he takes a seat again. Even his posture is somehow imperious.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy has no issues eating cookies. Rather, she's getting through her cookie stash easily and listening. "So" Mercy offers, "Makai-no-Yomorinushi using a vessel to exact his wrath?" Mercy asks. She's known that in her history classes. Mostly since Mercy's one to pay attention and notice things and learn.She nods to the cat. "That's like my father, really" Mercy offers. "Though given he's a trickster..." In other words. Watch for Mercy's tricks and pranks. She's known for it.
Katsumi Oshiro	"That is a way of looking at it," concedes Herukage with a dip of his head. "However, this warrior is not a puppet. He is receiving a blessing that is turning him into something he, too, will benefit from. And so long as he understands who he is and his role in the Lord Protector's will, he may use that gift at his discretion. He completed the ritual, after all."
Mercy Thompson	"Discretion is a tricksy thing" Mercy points out. Forget cookies. She's now full on debating with a cat. Like, full on point by point debating like she's in debate class. Go figure. Mercy though listens and nods. "So long as he agrees to it, you mean. What's to stop him agreeing to it, then using the methods for his own ends?" Mercy asks gently. Worrying thought really...
Katsumi Oshiro	"Perhaps I was unclear," submits Herukage. He lifts a paw to his kitty mouth, as if clearing his throat. "I am the Emissary of Makai-no-Yomorinushi, Lord Protector of the Night, God of Monsters, Father of Yokai, and Shepherd of Beasts." There's a pause. "The warrior keeps the blessing at the Lord Protector's pleasure. He can remove it any time he chooses."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods, she's run across those titles in her history studies. Ah, the joys of having a degree. Still she's not moving.g much, but she does speak. "So, let's see....it sounds to me like this warrior is subject to the Lord Protector's whims and follies, right?" Mercy asks. Oh she knows about that, Coyote's daughter and all that.
Katsumi Oshiro	The Lord Protector would be a quite obscure deity, rarely mentioned and extremely few details to go on; not unlike a mystery cult. But then, what are his domains? Why would humans know anything about him? "Follies?," asks Herukage. It's only a slight upwards inflection in his tone, but the message may be clear behind it. She's talking to the deity's emissary, and she just suggested the deity is flawed.
Mercy Thompson	"Yes. Follies" Mercy shrugs. "Whims. Follies" she adds. She's unsure how to explain this to a talking cat/emissary of a Japanese deity. Still, she's trying. "So, this warrior's essentially done something to be bound, in a way?" Mercy queries, she's not sure if she's thinking along the right lines, but she's going by what it sounds like.
Katsumi Oshiro	"The Lord Protector has no follies. He is a god. The father of yokai," asserts the feline, tone plain yet resolute. "His will is absolute." "A bargain was made centuries ago that has been fulfilled. The warrior has received the divine gift, the Yokai Soul. And with it, he must fulfill the bargain. It is that simple."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy shakes her head. "My father is Coyote, the trickster god" she says, though she understands. "So if a bargain is made, it's one that can't be wriggled out of right?" she muses. Sudenly she's glad she's not the warrior this catmissary is after. It must suck to be bound into a bargain that was made centuries ago.
Katsumi Oshiro	"Unless the blessing is reclaimed," Herukage nods, once again executing a very human gesture with a very cat head.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy again giggles at the idea of a cat doing human gestures, but she does get up from her seat. "So, you're a cat, you're explaining things. And it's interesting, but I do need to head home" she points out. Thankfully she's not tied into such a bargain though...