Breaking in was… Actually rather easy when one took the form of a cute little black kitten; none of the guards were about to climb a wall to stop a kitten from waltzing about. As such the black cat had no issues using the walls of the compound to get around any security that was in place.

  She even got a few drinks for her troubles.

  “Alcohol isn’t good for cats let alone a tiny kitten like that.”

  “She seemed to love it.”

  “Doesn’t mean you should let her drink any.”

  “Well it was only a little sip of some sake; she’ll be fine.”

  “Either way you shouldn’t give anything to wild animals like that; it’ll mean they keep coming back expecting more food whenever they visit!”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Well… It means that the kitten will keep showing up.”

  “I see that as a bonus.”

  “Urgh just shut up and let's continue patrol before the captain chews us out…”

  So she thought while licking her curled up lips to savour what little she managed to get - letting out a satisfied mewl as she just about finished scoping the area out. Somehow she felt something was missing but she couldn’t figure out what. So she decided to hurry up a little bit now that she was ready.

  Finding out where the treasures were stored was easy enough for her. Just look at where the security was the highest and yet the fewest people passed by. It was a simple but effective little strategy that she had found through experience.

  Sometimes the extra security had nothing to do with perfecting their coffers, not that this ended up being a terrible thing, more often than not… That just meant she found something more important. Worst case scenario she just needed to ransom whatever they were protecting for money.

  

  Snorting with a cute button nose that she raised to the air. Confidently strutting as those tense guards often appeared to soften at just looking at her - despite her age she never got to see the benefits of being cute in her past life. Now? Now she knew how unfair life was to the ugly.

  Although she didn’t look a gifted horse in the mouth (even her previous mangy cat body was often chased off) as she found her way into the building. Of course she didn’t push her luck by barging in through the front door. Instead she took advantage of her small but powerful body.

  That structure didn’t seem like a typical warehouse as it had clear embellishments and furnishments that one would instead expect of a home. Specifically one for the host. It also wasn’t strange for a lord to literally sleep over his wealth in some silly belief that it made them safer.

  Or maybe just to save money.

  Yet it was clear that nobody had been living there for a while - there didn’t seem to be any maintenance done for at least a few months. Not quite to the point of disrepair however it also allowed the wise kitten to know there had been some heavy storms fairly recently. Exactly the place where you wouldn’t see a lord.

  

  Clicking her tongue as she focused on the building while also making note of the spiritual energy being decently high inside the building. There was also some crashing about inside. As if something was taking their anger out on anything they could get their hands on.

  “Do you think it’s true…?”

  “... Is what true?”

  “Y’know… That he is still about as an evil spirit attacking anyone who enters?”

  “All I know is that the feudal lord ran out with one of his concubines with the internal defence force captain being on break ever since he went in to get money. Plus… Nobody else has gone in. Maybe that’s why the lord is shaking down those scum in the outer city?”

  “You act as if the prior lord was any better!”

  “Don’t bring him up; I don’t know if he really is an evil spirit but I also don’t want to find out!”

  An interesting conversation, thought the cat as she decided to circle the building, her little body easily vanishing under the dark green veil tall grass.

  Quickly noticing that there were the makings of a hidden tunnel under the earth. Her sensitive ears picking up on there being a certain hollowness under a certain patch of grass as she plodded about. Cat paws weren’t the best in the animal kingdom at digging but she knew how to make things work out for her.

  

  Her burrow was hard to notice at the best of times with the tall grass making it all but impossible to find the hole down into the secret tunnel.

  Falling down into the tunnel itself revealed that it was being supported by bamboo scaffolding with there being a decent amount of legroom. Certainly more than enough for the kitten. Making it obviously some kind of hidden escape should the feudal lord come under danger that requires retreat.

  For her it was a wide open entrance.

  Obviously she walked toward the building and thankfully it didn’t take too long to reach the no doubt camouflaged entryway into the underpass. Gazing around at the panel to see if there was a mechanism to open it which there thankfully was. It may have been a little difficult finding leverage with her current form.

  A little hop was all it took for her to be able to bop the button with her little paw - the mechanics behind the doorway whirling as it clicked out of place. Sliding open to allow her into the house. Something she took with her head held high & two tails swaying behind her.

  |Didn’t think a backward place like this would even have such basic techniques.|

  

  |There are technically three of us…|

  <... You are not wrong.>

  Soon that kitten shook her head with a tiredness behind her crimson eyes. There was no point in thinking or making jokes that revolved around her past life; that was a life that was already long gone by now. It was best to just focus on the new world.

  With that in mind she headed into the web filled room that was lined with tons of simply bound pages to form dozens rudimentary books. This room has less maintenance than even the outside. Seemingly no one has ever really done more than wipe the dust from the covers.

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  It was also then that she heard something even more interesting.

  “I won’t let that bastard son take everything from me - I am the lord and I won’t let some unfit fool take it all away from me!”

  One didn’t need to be a genius level intellect to figure out who that voice belonged to; the kitten’s ears cutely flickered as her curiosity overcame her. She could feel that the sin in the air was thick as if some undead had infused the entire building with their presence. Not rare as you would think but interesting.

  Any similarities to what she knew were naturally interesting as it revealed that there was more to this world than she first thought. What seemed like your bog standard universe unravelled in these unexpected places which made her more infused to explore. Or maybe that was just the Cheshire in her.

  Eitherway, she couldn’t hide her interest in seeing what this meant, perhaps this rogue soul of the prior lord was around the corner for becoming a veritable undead. It had to be mentioned that just dying and becoming a soul did not make one an undead. Though sticking around in the land of the living…

  Was a good way to become an undead.

  With that her attention became focused on that howling figure; sneaking out the door with ease due to some rats having already nibbled on it. Walking past a dusty window as that pesky sun still arrogantly shined down on her. Making her audibly hiss as she headed inside.

  Unaware… That she lacked a shadow.

  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

  |

  *tap* *tap* *tap*

  *scriiiiii*

  The sound of heeled souls tapping against the floor echoed through the streets as people subconsciously chose to avoid the strange figure who caused it. Wearing an outfit none of them had seen. Although those in the future would likely all recognise it by the name of “tuxedo”.

  Though she wore an unusually fuzzy belt that wrapped completely around her waist without sight of an actual buckle in said belt. Not even a knot was present. She also didn’t come across as too serious as the arms of her shirt were tied while the jacket merely sat on her shoulders.

  A bowler hat sat on top of the five foot figure's head that was tilted down to cover her eyes while her black hair was cut into a chopped bob-cut. Her fingers adorned in long metallic black “claws” that sat on each finger which she casually had flitter across the wooden walls. Scraping off long wood shavings.

  Nobody asked her to stop this, though.

  What was more fear inducing was the red strings that aligned her face into a permanent and oh so eerily inhuman grin. Her white fangs revealed to the world as those red strings/ribbons created a wide cross stitch that slowly inclined up her cheeks… Through her very flesh.

  It didn’t seem to have her in pain nor did it outwardly look gruesome in any traditional sense - more frightening was the toothy smile she presented to the world. Those same crosscuts actually travelled up the entirety of her arms. Making them visibly grow taught as she bent her elbows.

  She walked with a clear goal in mind so, with nobody to stop her, she soon arrived at her destination.

  Even from outside it was possible to understand the type of establishment she was at; the roaring cheers from within yet sorrowful looks from those walking out was signature. Especially those who were begging the “bouncers” that dragged them in or out. Some fools even picked a fight with the thugs.

  That was a sight that the newcomer seemed to find quite amusing as she let out a chaotic laugh(?) which constantly shifted. Both tone, speed and volume changed faster than anyone could keep up. Merely trying to imitate her or predict what would come next was likely enough to drive someone insane.

  Hearing that unusual laughter was enough to clear the way for her as few wanted to approach her as if instinctively knowing she was bad news.

  Plus everyone was welcome to bet away their lives here.

  “Yo~u would almost think the~y’ve never seen a black woman before~.”

  A figure mused to herself while being well aware of the time period she found herself in being one where those with her skin tone likely were not a commonality.

  The rowdiness inside didn’t stop with her presence as the chaos inside even managed to even drown the mad woman out. A fact that seemed to make her all the more inclined to enter the den of debauchery. So that is exactly what she ended up doing.

  Many people found themselves turning to look toward her but every single one of them failed to catch the attention of that entity. Slowly yet surely… The room got more & more silent with every single step she made on the rotten wooden floor.

  Some of the foolishly brave even made comments about her unusual dress and she did nothing to stop them as she eventually headed into the back where a group of men sat around a simple circular table with all the charisma of an ape. One of the four seemed obviously more nervous than the rest.

  “How are you gents on this most fine of days; earning a lot of dosh I would hope~?”

  Her voice wasn’t inherently horrifying, just like her looks, it was almost cute if not for the things that underlay it. Just like with her laughter - that voice constantly shifted. Making her speech inherently chaotic in a manner that both kept attention on her and gave her irrefutable power in the conversation.

  As can be expected; they all turned towards her with confusion evidently on their faces but she didn’t give them a chance to talk.

  “How about we all play together~?”

  Despite all of them staring right at her… She suddenly appeared right next to one of them - sitting beside them with her hands happily drumming on the wood. An aura of fun radiated from her but no one could even begin parsing her words as they initially didn’t even know where she vanished to.

  Only after a second of looking around did they manage to find her; only then were they able to even begin thinking about what she actually said. Even then their words were stuck in their throats. Mouths dry from the nerves she automatically put inside them with just her presence.

  Just when one of them opened their trap she cut in once again.

  “You drive a hard bargain, fe~llas~, how about I throw down a one of these so we can discuss our game of choice for the night!”

  Flipping one of her hands as a decently large dice made of pure gold ended up being caught between two of her clawed fingers. Throwing it down onto the table so it landed between them all. Now their hesitation began to melt away as one of them reached out to give it a bite. Sure enough… It was real.

  “So~ you in?”

  Her fingers interlocking as they lay on the table - leaning forward as her unique crimson eyes became visible to the four men. Like two pools of blood with a thick black wall stopping it from oozing out into the whites of her eyes. Both curled up in amusement at the quad with crimson diamond suits encasing them.

  As if that amusement becoming fully unlocked was only prevented by what those diamonds represented.