An Another Experiment [Oki]

Koharu was strolling around 'Old Town'. She was holding Kuma-kun, as always. Although that she can't use his powers in the real world. She just feels safe when Kuma-kun is around. She doesn't know why is she walking around in the scary parts of San Malarus. She is just curious what's in here. Just as they are walking, it seems that Kuma-kun sensed something. "*sniff* *sniff* I can sense shadows" he said while sniffing around his surroundings like a dog. ~"Seriously a shadow! in the real world?!"~ she thought and just kept on walking. Kuma-kun kept on sniffing and sniffing until he removes himself from Koharu's hold then ran. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL!? KUMA-KUN GET BACK HERE!" she shouted then chased after the teddy bear. "Hey Kuma-kun! don't run like that! what if someone sees you" she called for him again but it was no use. It seems that Kuma-kun is following where that shadow could be. The good thing that Old Town is not crowded so i think they are alone, for now. Koharu just sighed and just followed the bear to where it is going. The bear led her to an old antique shop. So without hesitation, she just opened the door to the shop.

As she entered, the bear was nowhere to be seen. Probably, he is with that 'shadow' now and she has to find him. She can't just explore the old antique shop. She might be accused of being a burglar when she just entered the most private parts of this store. "Hello? Is anybody there?" she asked in a very polite voice. Meanwhile, Kuma-kun was running where Oki was. As he saw, Oki, he lunged at her then hugged her face. Well, not in the friendly way.

It was odd. What happened today. See the shop was closed for a brief period of time between noon and 3 this particular day, so that Oki could actually do some cleaning up around the shrine out back. As usual, the old being had simply turned the lights off in the shop and flipped the sign from open to closed. After all, everyone who worked in the shopping district of Old Town understood this simple move as a big do not enter sign from the owner of the shop; however, it appeared that not everyone in Old Town was up to par on the rules here.

See, while Oki was cleaning up shrine, it heard the ring of the bells on its door and turned to the shop’s open back door wondering who the heck was bursting in at a time like this. Unless it was an emergency of some sort, this action was quite offensive to the being. So as it heard the sound of running feet, the being’s eyes narrowed as the fox Sasha lifted her head to look at the door herself.

Something was moving in the gloom….It was low to the ground….but not as tall as a normal child? What the hell? Was Oki seeing things?

Oki’s eyes narrowed and then widened as something quick bursted out of the darkness and with a leap went straight for its face!!

Instinctively, Oki tried to back away, but the quick moving thing was too fast and before Oki knew it, it was being smothered by this aggressive stuffed animal thing on its face.

“Mff!” was the startled sound that came from Oki as it wobbled off balance for a moment as its hat was knocked off and Sasha began to yap and hop around. Still off balance, Oki’s gloved hands went up to grab the thing on its face.

“Off!” it growled ripping the rather strong creature off its face and then shifting unbalance to momentum, slung the thing away. Disoriented a bit, Oki grabbed the broom it dropped as Sasha went towards the thrown creature yapping and trying to keep it cornered. Armed, Oki turned towards the thing that was had been on its face taking note that it was some type of teddy bear that could move on its own. Not exactly sure why or how this was happening, Oki assumed one of two things:

A: It was dealing with a possessed toy and in that case would need to seal it before it could be taken to a cleanser of spirits.

B: It was dealing with a shadow that had somehow escaped to this side.

Leaning towards the latter rather than the former due to what was happening in the islands, Oki’s grip on the broom tightened as it began to make its way towards the bear planning to rip it to shreds before it caused more trouble. It hated being cruel, but the bear did attack it so what was stopping it from hurting another if it wasn’t destroyed.

In any case, as Oki moved, it heard a voice calling from inside the shop. Had someone come in due to the bear? Lovely.

“One moment please,” Oki would say its voice sounding pleasant enough and hopefully enough to keep the person inside. If not, then said person would have to come out the back door to find the speaker….a very angry Oki about to smash the strange bear with a broom coming from one side as a fox snapped and snarled at it from the other side.
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The Hanged Man’s Status:

Koharu was looking around in the antique shop. She doesn't want to enter the back door because that will be too much. The bear shall be around here until Koharu heard a commotion coming from the back door. Someone told her to wait for her, it was a woman's voice. It was a polite voice but Koharu can still detect the sarcasm behind the voice. Kuma-kun might be at the back door! and attacked that woman! Ok, this is bad. Kuma-kun's true identity has been exposed. ~"You stupid bear! im gonna kill you because of this!"~ she thought and ran to the back door without any hesitation. She was going for the back door as fast as she can before the stranger did anything to the stuffed 'shadow' bear.

As she entered the back room to see the commotion. She saw Kuma-kun lying on the floor while the angry stranger was about to take his life out with A broom. Koharu blocked the stranger and shouted "STOP! DON'T KILL THE BEAR!". She then picked the bear up who is still unconscious. Koharu then faced the androgynous looking woman to apologize. "I'm sorry about that" she apologized, petting the bear to try to wake the bear up. "He said that he detected a shadow and suddenly ran. It must be his 'shadow instincts' tingling so that explained what happens right now" she added and just realized something. If Kuma-kun said that he detected a shadow. Could it be that this woman is a shadow or what? "Wait, if he said that detected shadow. I know that this is all of a sudden but are you a shadow? or do you have a shadow beside you?" she asked with serious face.

Well, the call to wait did stop the footsteps, but for only a second as whoever was in the shop decided to run outside and interfere with the situation at hand. While Sasha snapped and growled at the downed bear, Oki raised the broom to take it out; however, as the broom was brought down in heavy swing, it would suddenly stop inches away from a girl’s head as she shouted not to kill the bear and even blocked Oki’s pathway with her own body. Holding the broom still, Oki took a moment to unfreeze as its brain took a moment to process what just happened.

Okay…so the bear attacked and then this kid popped up….and was associated with said bear. At least that is what it assumed as it lowered the broom cautiously and eyed the girl as she picked up the unconscious bear thing. Sasha yapped at the girl before retreating to Oki’s side, the fox still on edge as it growled at the pair. Oki, on the other hand, was unreadable as it looked the girl up and down as she apologized for the bear’s actions as she did her best to wake it back up. Maybe Oki could’ve forgiven this, but the girl said something that made its eyes narrow.

“Is that so?” the being would say quietly in response to her first set of words not really sure if it could trust this one or not. Why did she have a shadow detecting bear…was she with “them”? The people that had made Oki what it was? Was she a huntress?

The old being wasn’t sure. And her questions only ruffled the being’s feathers even more.

“Now why does that concern you so, miss?” Oki asked coolly as it leaned against the broom watching the girl with high caution. She asked things she should not ask, but until she proved herself a danger Oki would listen rather than attack. The bear was already a threat, but as long as the girl held onto it, Oki wouldn’t bother with it for now.
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Note: The Hanged Man is ruffled and cautious of you. Careful.

"Concerns me? Ummm well" she got speechless there for a second until she remembered her past again. Could it be? that this girl is an another experiment like Koharu as well? If that so then it really does concern her! "It concerns me because you might be an another experiment like me unless..." Koharu doesn't know about the huntresses so she doesn't feel uncomfortable but she knew that those staffs will get her. Koharu observed Oki furthermore. Well, she is androgynous and she has some kind of strange fashion. Koharu is confused whether she is one of them(the huntresses) or one of them(the experiments). Just in case, Koharu stepped away from Oki a little bit. Koharu is a little bit cautious now with the woman especially with what is happening right now. It was pretty weird moment. Koharu doesn't want to go there again and be a lab rat again. She doesn't want that to happen.

Oki remained quiet and cautious as it remained leaned against the broom watching this strange girl and her bear with a cool cat like gaze. It didn’t trust her much at the moment and her hesitation in finding an answer to its last question only made the being more leery. The longer the silence stretched, the more the being began to think she was a hunteress of some sort from the those people in white. It didn’t want to go back that hell…would not. It would keep its freedom this time even if it had to kill...

However, the words that followed shocked Oki, the cool expression disappearing and turning into one of perplexity as the being blinked a few times and tilted its head first one way and then the other as it took in the information. She…she was…was…

“Another experiment like you?” Oki repeated softly as its mind did its best to let that sink in. It couldn’t believe it had met another experiment like Sharaku and itself so easily, but at the same time this girl had just blabbed it out. Was she just simply trusting her bear and assumptions? Or had she been trained to say such things? She was backing up as if afraid, but that could’ve been an act too. How confusing….

“Hrmmm…” Oki let out the sound as a preplex frown appeared on its face and one hand went to scratch the mess of black hair upon its head as it thought for a while longer. On one hand, it didn’t want to give this one information, but on the other would it have mattered? If she or that bear did something odd, it could take care of itself. Besides Sasha was here too….

Tch! Alright then…

“I am…Oki, keeper of this shop and shrine and perhaps not your ordinary human,” it began keeping things hidden under double edged words. It would allow her to interpret what it said as she wanted judging from her actions if she was safe or not. After a moment more of observation, it asked its next question.

“Identify yourself,” it asked in calm tones. The words a clear sign that Oki was indeed quite strange…..