Inside SIXTY FOOOOOOUR! OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOODS!

[deleteman900]

[Inside Visitor Centre, next to Foxhound bus depot]

The vendor shakes his fist at the bird again and curses as it starts circling the sky above the booth, making a screeching sound which almost sounds like laughter.
No one is going to interrupt him from going to the roost, people seems rather amazed and entertained by the spectacle taking place before them. Most other spectacles in Inside had a rather deadly outcome, so this was a great change of pace.

The door to the church is already open and the priest is holding a tour of some kind, failing to notice the kitsune moving towards the stairs leading up to the bell-tower. There is a sign that tells visitors are forbidden to climb the staircase however, only employees where allowed up there.

Genji says a brief, generalized prayer to the deity this church is dedicated to, hoping that they don't look too unfavorably on him for essentially breaking in, hoping they understand he's doing it for a good cause. Genji climbs the stairs steadily, taking them one at a time all the way up to the top, spry enough that it barely even winded him. As he reached the top, he was confused as to which side of the bell-tower he'd seen the bird perching on, and likely wouldn't have time to look around too much before the eagle noticed him standing up there.

[Shadowcaller]

[Inside Visitor Centre, next to Foxhound bus depot]

As he reaches the top of the bell tower he can see the bird flying nearby, it seems to have been waiting for him to reach the top. Taunting him with its mere presence. It might be a bit smarter than he first had thought.

[deleteman900]

[Inside Visitor Centre, next to Foxhound bus depot]

As he reaches the top of the bell tower he can see the bird flying nearby, it seems to have been waiting for him to reach the top. Taunting him with its mere presence. It might be a bit smarter than he first had thought.

Genji sashays his tail back and forth in front of the eagle, trying to grab it's attention with the bright orange, fluffy appendage. Each motion seemed deliberately chosen to lead the eye all the way up to where the tiny ball of pale orange foxfire sat atop the tail, ensnaring the bird's attention if it looks at it, and very subtly influencing its mind to make it seem like coming closer and perching on the ledge was a good idea.

[Shadowcaller]

[Inside Visitor Centre, next to Foxhound bus depot]

The tail does seem to notice the tail and starts to circle closer to Genji, in fact, it flies right for him now.
But then in a blink of an eye, the eagle appear to explode, shedding feathers into fur, talons for claws, wings for pawns, a beak for a maw, until what is left is a huge purple panther that dives for Genji's, attempting to land on him in a single leap and knock him down.

[deleteman900]

[Inside Visitor Centre, next to Foxhound bus depot]

The tail does seem to notice the tail and starts to circle closer to Genji, in fact, it flies right for him now.
But then in a blink of an eye, the eagle appear to explode, shedding feathers into fur, talons for claws, wings for pawns, a beak for a maw, until what is left is a huge purple panther that dives for Genji's, attempting to land on him in a single leap and knock him down.

Genji is quite nimble, thanks to his lithe build, and proves to be a respectably hard target to hit for this shape-changer. He still wants to resolve this peacefully, so he does his best to flee to the other side of the belltower, keeping the staircase in the middle of the floor between them, hoping the railings around the outer walkway will deter the panther from leaping straight at him, "I would have gone for pink, personally..." Genji can't stop himself from making the obvious joke, "What do you want? I can tell you're not stealing from the vendor for food, not with how many times a day you do it, and I can tell you're smart enough to understand, if you can tell not to look directly at my fox-fire, and singled me out of the crowd...

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

The panther suddenly eyes him up, letting their gazes meet. He will note that that is not a cat's eyes staring back at him, they're orbs of glowing amber without whites or pupils. Then the fur turn into clothes, the claws into fingers, the pawns into hands, until he is looking at a hooded woman clad in leather sitting on all four before him. Her eyes have remained the same though, clearly visible even underneath the darkness to the tower and the hood. An oddly long blue eyebrow is raised at his response. "What do you want, are you a greedy merchants pawn or do you have another objective with this?" She asks, still not getting up on two legs.

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

The panther suddenly eyes him up, letting their gazes meet. He will note that that is not a cat's eyes staring back at him, they're orbs of glowing amber without whites or pupils. Then the fur turn into clothes, the claws into fingers, the pawns into hands, until he is looking at a hooded woman clad in leather sitting on all four before him. Her eyes have remained the same though, clearly visible even underneath the darkness to the tower and the hood. An oddly long blue eyebrow is raised at his response. "What do you want, are you a greedy merchants pawn or do you have another objective with this?" She asks, still not getting up on two legs.

"I am a humble man of the cloth, I wear no armor and wield no weapon, besides my faith and my convictions in the benevolence of my deity. That merchant wishes that you stop stealing his wares. He would also like to capture you and make you perform to draw a crowd, but I don't think I'll have any part of such plans. Why must you harass and torment the merchants so?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

"Harassing? I'm just having a bit of fun." She replies dismissively. "If what I take is so important to them, they can come up here to get it." She gestures at a small pile of items stacked at the corner of the belltower. "Besides the screaming and the insults, people seem to think what I do is pretty cool. It's starting to get a bit predictable though, but you're fun though. A cleric you said?" He can see a flash of white teeth underneath that hood of hers.

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

"Harassing? I'm just having a bit of fun." She replies dismissively. "If what I take is so important to them, they can come up here to get it." She gestures at a small pile of items stacked at the corner of the belltower. "Besides the screaming and the insults, people seem to think what I do is pretty cool. It's starting to get a bit predictable though, but you're fun though. A cleric you said?" He can see a flash of white teeth underneath that hood of hers.

"More of an altar-boy, in all honesty, but that's besides the point. You mustn't steal from the people of this city. You seem perfectly capable of speech, and intelligent thought, so there's no excuse for what you're doing that I would believe for a moment. Using that hotdog as an example, the merchant pays good coin that he works hard for for the materials to make it, then puts the time into actually making it to the customer's specifications. That's his livelihood, his ability to feed himself that you're putting at jeopardy, as well as his ability to feed his family. I have no wish to harm you, I simply want you to understand the gravity of what you're doing. If you understand that you're assaulting his livelihood and reputation, and wish to continue doing so, then that is your choice, but I warn you that it is not a good one. What may seem like a mere trinket to you, could have significance to someone else." Genji watches the woman of indeterminate species intensely, clutching the wooden symbol of Inari that hung from his amulet, the scent of freshly steamed rice and warm sake wafting up into his nostrils and filling him with peace and tranquility to face this unknown creature, which seemed increasingly likely to be an evil one, or at the least, maliciously tricky.

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

She stares, at what appears to be disbelief, at Genji. "Wow! You're... like a paladin, aren't you?" She laughs. "I mean, calm down a bit. It's not like I was targeting him specifically. Just stole some sausages while I were hungry, that's all. You're making this sound like the end of the world or something. I was gonna move along eventually after all."

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

She stares, at what appears to be disbelief, at Genji. "Wow! You're... like a paladin, aren't you?" She laughs. "I mean, calm down a bit. It's not like I was targeting him specifically. Just stole some sausages while I were hungry, that's all. You're making this sound like the end of the world or something. I was gonna move along eventually after all."

"I don't much like thieves. I grew up in a farming village where everyone was poor, but everyone worked together to have a good enough harvest to survive winter. If you stole a potato even just once a week from your neighbor's stores, they're liable to starve when the frost hits. It doesn't matter if you steal a cow, or steal an apple, stealing is stealing, and it's wrong. Why should that merchant work to provide for himself and his loved ones, when you get to eat off of his sweat? Genji growls softly at the end, her casual attitude about stealing pissing him right off.

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

The woman gets up and shakes her head. "Look, I get it. But this isn't some starving farmer I'm stealing from. Though since that apparently isn't going to convince you, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to throw me in jail? Hand me over to the merchant as a pet?" Her tone and expression, that hint of a nose and lips underneath the darkness, suggests that she's challenging him.

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

The woman gets up and shakes her head. "Look, I get it. But this isn't some starving farmer I'm stealing from. Though since that apparently isn't going to convince you, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to throw me in jail? Hand me over to the merchant as a pet?" Her tone and expression, that hint of a nose and lips underneath the darkness, suggests that she's challenging him.

Genji sighs, taking a long, deep breath, "Nothing. I am still... young and inexperienced. I was too hot-blooded whilst decrying your acts of villainy, and for that I apologize. I wish only to foster peace and good-will among my fellows, which includes you. Is there something I can help you with, so that you won't need to steal food from the vendors? I cannot guarantee your safety if you continue to antagonize them. I do not mean that as a threat, simply that I'm looking out for your best interests as much as I am theirs."

[Rebonack]

[Plothook Elementary School]

Head wounds are nasty. Wenomir could bandage the girl up, but that wouldn't fix the underlying problem. What she needs is some actual medical or clerical care. There's a good chance that they have some kind of healing equipment in the first aid kits around the school, it would just be a matter of finding one. Maybe a nurse's office?

"Thank you for not letting him kill me..." Melissa mutters.

The wrestler, meanwhile, smacks the crap out of the door jam!

The steel chair does a great job of utterly ruining the threshold, causing the surreal looking fortress on the other side of the portal to waver like mirage before giving way to a totally normal school bathroom. There! That's one objective taken care of. Now they just have to find the rest and close those as well. That, and find some way to lift the hex that Asriel placed on the school ground. There's a good chance that smiting the hell out of the cat sith would accomplish that.

[Philip Memorial Library]

The secretary shows no signs of cognition.

She probably read some bad books.

Regardless, deeper in!

The twisting halls of the library are only dimly illuminated by ancient incandescent bulbs that give off a meager amber glow, casting shadows long and sharp off gnarled shelves that seem to loom unwholesomely. There's no card catalog to speak off, just labyrinthine rows of book cases and the occasional reading table etched with blasphemous epitaphs. It would seem if the woman wishes to find anything, she'll simply have to begin searching and hope for the best.

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

She shrugs. "I don't need help with anything right now besides something to ease my boredom. Why do you think I'm here wasting my time stealing poor quality food from some hot dog vendor?" She stretches, her long arms nearly touching the ceiling of the little bell tower. "I'm looking for a challenge."

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

She shrugs. "I don't need help with anything right now besides something to ease my boredom. Why do you think I'm here wasting my time stealing poor quality food from some hot dog vendor?" She stretches, her long arms nearly touching the ceiling of the little bell tower. "I'm looking for a challenge."

"What kind of challenge do you wish for?" Genji asked curiously, "I may be able to help."

[Ionbound]

[Philip Memorial Library]

The woman groans and puts a hand to her forehead as she realizes the lack of a card catalog, then sighs and starts looking through the shelves, determined to not let the stupid barghest win. After all, what kind of woman would she be without determination?

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

"A quest. Someone who'd pay me for an adventure. Save a village from sure destruction, beat down some bad guys. Something like that." The shapeshifter explains. "Oh, I'm Anika by the way. Nice seeing you."

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

"A quest. Someone who'd pay me for an adventure. Save a village from sure destruction, beat down some bad guys. Something like that." The shapeshifter explains. "Oh, I'm Anika by the way. Nice seeing you."

Genji thinks for a moment, "Well, I'm not quite sure what to help with on that front... how do you feel about investigating?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

"Investigating what in particular? Believe it or not, but I'm actually a detective. I do know that it's polite to introduce oneself though." She waggles her long eyebrows.

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

"Investigating what in particular? Believe it or not, but I'm actually a detective. I do know that it's polite to introduce oneself though." She waggles her long eyebrows.

Genji considers it for a moment, not sure if he can trust her, before finally sighing, "Genji. This mask used to belong to another kitsune, I want your help finding him." he taps the mask with a finger, drawing her attention to it.

Spoiler: mask image

Show

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9f/b6/70/9fb6702c00a23d71f982e920d82cd1ba.jpg

[Morty]

[Plothook Elementary School]

Wenomir decides not to comment on the girl's thanks. He has accepted the possibility that he might have to kill her himself. Which he'll do quickly and cleanly, so she doesn't know what's happening.

"Can you point me towards the nurse's office? Or another place where medicine might be?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

The woman peers at the mask. "Okay, but what do I get out of it? I know that I said I wanted something to do, but that doesn't mean I do things for free." She gestures at her patched up clothing. "Boredom is just one of many reasons that I turn to theft these days."

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

The woman peers at the mask. "Okay, but what do I get out of it? I know that I said I wanted something to do, but that doesn't mean I do things for free." She gestures at her patched up clothing. "Boredom is just one of many reasons that I turn to theft these days."

"I'm a man of the cloth. I have naught to give, besides the blessing of my deity, which I already give freely to the good people of this land. If you'd like, I can offer food and drink, specifically sushi, rice, and sake. I can make quite a few types of sushi, so I'm sure that I can find something that fits your taste...." Genji offers, honestly not having much else to give besides his mask, and like hell he would be giving that up while he drew breath.

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

Anika looks skeptical to say at least. "Wait, you're part of that church, Inari, aren't you? Wouldn't they pay for having a member of their clergy returned? Or is this just your personal mission?" She inquires.

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

Anika looks skeptical to say at least. "Wait, you're part of that church, Inari, aren't you? Wouldn't they pay for having a member of their clergy returned? Or is this just your personal mission?" She inquires.

"I'm not entirely sure who my father is. If he turns out to be a member of the clergy and he's in trouble, then I imagine there's a possibility they might pay, but I'm mostly in the dark here. He should recognize the mask, and know that I'm his son, is the only way that I'll even know he's the right fox. Would you like something a bit ahh... higher quality, and probably healthier to boot?" He creates a piece of sushi in his paw, offering it to Anika, the scents of fatty tuna wafting into the woman's nostrils enticingly...~ "If you can help, I'd appreciate it immensely, even if it... doesn't turn out well." He looks a little sad, entertaining the thought for the first time that his father may no longer be among the living...

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

"Your father? Oh geez." Anike rubs her forehead tiredly, before slowly looking up as he offers the sushi to her. "Maybe." She finally decides. "But its not like it is hard for me to find food when I can shapeshift, so you gotta cook for me every day of the investigation." She raises a finger. "Plus, you will owe me one."

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

"Your father? Oh geez." Anike rubs her forehead tiredly, before slowly looking up as he offers the sushi to her. "Maybe." She finally decides. "But its not like it is hard for me to find food when I can shapeshift, so you gotta cook for me every day of the investigation." She raises a finger. "Plus, you will owe me one."

"The full accord must be struck now. I'll not agree to undetermined favors, when such might go against Inari's wishes for me." He growls quietly, not liking that idea.

[Shadowcaller]

[Church of Thrun]

Anika giggles. "Once again you take things way too seriously, mister priest. You're not making a pact with a demon here. You decide what kind of favor you'll grant in return. You got a common sense don't you?" She smiles widely, a predatory look in her amber eyes. "I do, so I'm not likely to ask you anything that you can't or won't grant. Don't tell me that you don't trust me?"

[deleteman900]

[Church of Thrun]

Anika giggles. "Once again you take things way too seriously, mister priest. You're not making a pact with a demon here. You decide what kind of favor you'll grant in return. You got a common sense don't you?" She smiles widely, a predatory look in her amber eyes. "I do, so I'm not likely to ask you anything that you can't or won't grant. Don't tell me that you don't trust me?"

"Trust a mysterious grifter with a penchant for theft as a way of killing time, and the ability to assume any form they choose, gee. It's not at all like you'd ever abuse that trust, is it?" Genji deadpans. "Besides, I don't know what kind of favor you'd want from a priest like me. So why don't you save us both some headache and just tell me?"