[@VitaVitaAR] Idk why it took me 5 days lol

[hider=Push me to the edge / All my senpai dead][color=#cccccc][hr]
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[sub]AKA "[b]Yashaba[/b]," "[b]Yasha-sama[/b]"[/sub] 
[color=black][sup]___________________________________________________________[/sup][/color] 
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ORCVBbF5M]♬[/url]   [color=black][b]|[/b][/color]   Phys. 49   [color=black][b]|[/b][/color]   ♀   [color=black][b]|[/b][/color]   Benevolent Youkai (Nekomata)
[color=black][sup]____________________________________________________________[/sup][/color] [/right][/indent]
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[justify]⸨ [b]𝖣𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖫𝖾𝗀𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗈𝗇-𝗄𝗒𝗈 𝖣𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗍?[/b]
⸨ [i]𝖶𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖺 ‘𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗈𝗇-𝗄𝗒𝗈 𝖣𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗍?’[/i]

Before the reverent aesthetic crumbled to contemporaneity, the Western standard — before the present state of Minazawa City — the Shion-kyo District was a sanctuary reminiscent of Kyoto, and the geisha ruled it and maintained its gardens and shrines methodically on the outskirts of a secular cityscape. 

Often hallowed grounds stayed so, but when strays got their paws on an open sprawl of lavender flowers wedged behind a tiny temple site, there was little to be done. They came in droves; there was something about the “Garden of Cats,” as it came to be known. There were positives to having them around, at least: a touristic niche; and the maiko absolutely adored them. The Garden of Cats became a tradition in themselves. At night, they would gather on high points and search the sky for the moon. At dawn, the maiko would come to feed them, and at noon, visitors would come try to spot them and name the newest arrivals with vaguely-Japanese monikers: “Miro,” “Musuko,” “[color=#e06666]Keru[/color].” 

She and the others were allowed to stay. All the same, she could not let herself be content with easiness, to take advantage of on-and-off hospitality, or perhaps to be personally unattended to — she might not have been a stray after all, but a neglected house cat. She often leave the garden on meanderings, finding herself at incomprehensible and fascinating places. And trouble, attempting to enter shrines on more than one occasion. She would take especial interest to the geisha as one would turn over a mystery even without reaching a conclusion. She would trail them, and amongst the memories she could hold onto, she would never forget one’s reaction to an “offering” so shocking, the woman broke character to kick the mouse’s broken body across the street. 

All the same, the garden, among buildings standing upwards of two-hundred years, among the geisha themselves, was never enough to overwhelm Shion-kyo in its little bubble of history. When it rained, mist would rise off the cobblestone, and the district would run like a painting. It became a ghost town. 

One person at a time. It wasn’t a slow process, but it was particular — she was made to believe [i]motivated.[/i] Because the preservation of a past life was something comprehended by forces far greater than tourists, and this pocket in a world that had progressed beyond believing in them was too tantalizing, she supposed. She supposed, too, the geisha knew to an extent. The signs of possession appeared in temples, and a few must have been capable of casting it out, because, again, the process wasn’t immediate. 

There was a familiar face one day, and then by the next, she vanished from the streets, never returned to the garden with food in tow. If they struggled, ; the geisha were composed even in death. The siege was successful, and in a moon, Shion-kyo stood decayed and abandoned, a coincidental twist of fate for its old buildings. To the omaiyo and the mages who were too late, looking in, the district lived as an example of what inaction bred. And to anyone else, there was no evidence that youkai had done it. 

Only the cats were spared. Only they remembered, as best they could. [/justify]

⸨ 𝖨 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿, '𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗍𝗌?' 
⸨ [i]𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾[/i] 𝖼𝖺𝗍𝗌 [i]𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇. 𝖲𝗈𝗇𝗂𝖺, 𝖨 𝗍𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝖺 𝖼𝖺𝗍, 𝖨 𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖾. 𝖩𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝖾!
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[sub][b][color=#e06666]" Silly human, you're only imagining things. 
Fans don't move on their own, and cats cannot talk. [i]Meow.[/i] "[/color][/b][/sub]
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[indent][hider=Abilities][justify]
[center]. . .[/center][list][*] [color=#e06666][b]Nine Lives[/b][/color] [ Passive ]
Or: an abundance of spiritual energy due to the material nature of her existence, as long as she retains the standards of her previous masters. The result is more pliability and physical durability than the average house cat — the average human being  — and broader power application compared to other youkai. Use of her powers will draw from the reservoir of passive spiritual energy, so she is disposed to use them responsibly.[/list]
[list][*] [color=#e06666][b]Nekomancy[/b][/color] [ Affinity | Level A ]
What does it say that her affinity is possession and puppeting of the deceased? Though it diversifies itself in two ways: 
[indent][color=#e06666][ INANIMATE REANIMATE ][/color] Or: bestowing spiritual energy to inanimate objects in order to influence without physical interaction. Honing on one object allows her to project herself (her senses, her conscience) through it. 
[color=#e06666][ DANCE WITH THE DEAD ][/color] Or: classic reanimation. Itself comes in two forms: puppeting of the deceased with the potential for self-projection, or communion with departed souls using the remaining vessel as a “tie-back.” Souls are, of course, self-actualized and can refuse to speak with her; Yasha-sama cannot return a soul permanently to a body.[/indent][/list]
[list][*] [color=#e06666][b]Shapeshifting[/b][/color] [ Level E ]
In concept, the ability to assume another form. At present, Yasha-sama cannot become anything complex, though can contort her existing figure in a manner of vague, abominable ways. There’s just an inherent lack of diligence to shapeshifting that turns her off from it.[/list]
[list][*] [color=#e06666][b]Nekomata’s Blessing[/b][/color] [ Level B ]
The infamous ability of her kind to curse is instead transformed by Yashaba’s benevolence towards humanity into the ability to compel a human into possessing any of her feline-inherent skills (or flaws) through eye contact. She cannot bestow any of her youkai powers unless the human in-question has some spiritual connection of their own.[/list]
[list][*] [color=#e06666][b]Onibi[/b][/color] [ Level C ]
The eidolon flame, lit by the spirit, cast from the forked tips of her tail: a scarlet ball of cold fire. It bobs idly wherever it is summoned, pursuing vapid whims of its own as it drifts out of earshot of Yashaba’s barking orders. 
        It is said every nekomata’s demon fire works differently, and Yashaba’s are attracted to the spiritual energy of youkai unlike their commander. They will summon in droves to charge, attempt to overwhelm, a youkai target, and if successful, can drain them dry in under a minute, though they can be warded off as easily as a strong wind. The onibi is Yashaba’s primary method of countering malevolence in Minazawa, at least for the few times she has attempted. As for the displaced spiritual energy, it is funneled back to her, filling gaps to account for ability overuse, and healing any wounds in the blink of an eye.[/list]

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[hider=Skills][center][i]Pros[/i][/center]
[list][*] [b]Silver Tongue[/b] — The ability to lead on, feint sympathy, and appeal to others’ investments. 
[*] [b]Smart Cookie[/b] — A fast learner, and a quick thinker. 
[*] [b]Pussy Cat Power[/b] —  All the benefits of being a feline, spanning exceptional balance and agility; heightened sensory awareness; padded footsteps; and night vision.[/list]
[center][i]Cons[/i][/center]
[list][*] [b]Cat Got It Bad[/b] — All the kickbacks to being a cat, mainly a fleeting attention span and memory leaving much to be desired.  
[*] [b]Lightweight[/b] — Although she compensate, the lack of assets for physical aggression means she often than not has to get creative with her abilities, and lean hard on her energy reservoir. 
[*] [b]The Rogue[/b] — Her vision of “teamwork” is getting others to do the heavy lifting for her. She will always prioritize her interests. 
[*] [b]Unmusical[/b] — Perhaps not a top priority when people are getting attacked by youkai, but it still bothers her, for an aesthetic all about the arts, that her cacophonous singing voice itself could be enough to rise the dead, that she can play the shamisen about as well as an armless amputee.[/list]
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[hider=Miscellaneous][center][i]Inventory[/i][/center]
[list][*] Carries a [b]paper fan[/b].[/list]

[indent][color=#e06666][b][i]Likes[/i][/b][/color]
Freedom of will and expression. 
Pestering people. 
Competition - works better under pressure. 
Nature, open space. 
Dishing out criticism; the catharsis of tirades. 
Calligraphy. 
Wisteria flowers. 
Antique lamps. And the oil, too? 

[color=#e06666][b][i]Dislikes[/i][/b][/color]
Pacifism and passiveness; bleeding-hearts. 
Anything or anyone she can’t cull, categorize, or comprehend. In that sense, messes. 
Forced socialization. 
Rain. 
Worms. 
Doing laundry. 
Ironically, being criticized. 
The philosophy to judge people by the sum of their parts — she’s immediately suspicious of other cats and other [i]youkai.[/i][/indent]
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[/indent]

[/cell][cell][indent][center][b]. . .[/b][/center]Adopting the [color=#e06666]“Yashaba”[/color] surname from one of many teachers, the youkai hoists the flower-and-willow tradition on her hind legs, from the traditionalism of her attire, to the [i]shinayakasa[/i] of her gait. In quadruped form, she is nine and a half inches, nose to tail — thereby she is only the height of a toddler in the manner she prefers to carry herself. It’s the self-respect that manages to sell it; a sense of composure and constant awareness at when and where to reveal the extent of what she knows; and a velveteen, placid way of speaking that requisites for slurred “r’s” and spat “s’s” — not so much an insensitive impression than a speech impediment. 

[color=#e06666]A personified parody, and a cranky cat lady in the most literal sense[/color] — someone surely benevolent, but not inherently kind, nor honest, else she might have revealed herself in her self-imposed [color=#e06666]guardian[/color] role. Yashaba has a subtle personality, and much of her integrity is either hidden behind layers of decorum or compromised, much like a born predator animal’s would. The times she is truthfully, she is bluntly, acerbically so. To those who have met her, or will meet her, she can come across equally a reasoned sensei or a prickly pain in the tail — Yasha-sama enjoys playing both sides. In the end, she is determined to make the world a better, safer place for humanity; every method she takes is a step in this direction. She is qualmless with being a [color=#e06666]turncoat[/color] considering the bounds made in her previous life, and the grounding of her spirit today: the light of the moon, a love for the arts, and the dignity of being more-or-less human. 

Yashaba exists for the unavenged lives of her masters. [color=#e06666]As long as malevolent youkai exist, so will she to snuff them out.[/color]
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[indent][indent][indent]⸨ 𝖮𝗁𝗁, 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖬𝗈𝗇𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽! 𝖲𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗎𝗉 𝗂𝗇 [i]𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖺-𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗒𝗈[/i] 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌!
⸨ [i]𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗉𝗈𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾.[/i][/indent][/indent][/indent][hr][indent][right][sup][color=gray][b]credit due to the original artist[/b][/color][/sup][/right][/indent][/hider]