The Cat in the Hat cometh knocking

SOME HOURS AFTER HATHIYA'S DEBUT, AFTER THE AMPITHEATER CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT

There's a storehouse at the end of Prophet's Road. Prophet's Road is strange. Despite its name, its a rather grimy city block, on the less fortunate side of town. It's not a dump, but it certainly will anger health inspectors. You will find trash on this side of the street, and the occasional rotting pamphlets on the other. Garbage bags here, rusting dumpsters there. A random good citizen passing by, a unfortunate soul who's hit rock bottom sleeping on the bench. But even in these dark and dirty places, you will always find some light, some hope. A small food vendor, selling his personal cooking. A cat and her kittens passing on the walls. Flowers growing out of the cracks in the pavement. Creepers growing on the walls.

Prophet's Road has a storehouse. It's owned by a shipping and goods company called Racketers and Sons Co. . The chain link fences had their logo (a single circle with geometric triangle patterns filling it) plastered all over, and a sign of "NO TRESSPASSING" hooked on it here and there. You could see shipping containers, machinery, and crates strewn about everywhere. A few foremen were going around, but its clear business hours were closed for now.

On one particular storehouse shed, down at the back of the facility, was a single sign taped "PRIVATE PROPERTY". It was a rather crudely done job, like the person making and taping the sign was in a haste. But the storehouse shed was plenty enough for Hathiya, who had made it her home she was renting. It was big and wide enough for her to comfortably walk about in, and she had arranged a mat with some mattresses on the floor for herself. The "furniture" was ok (even if they were just more empty crates). If anyone who had watched her debut saw her, right now they'd be weirded out seeing the Earthshaker, the big new girl, the defeater of Croo-El the Gator of the Swamps, now wearing a rather old and foreign looking dress (it was a brilliant shade of green that was covered in red and blue floral patterns and very baggy sleeves), baggy pants made of some silk-looking material that had seen better days, and her hair was no longer tied in a ponytail. It was up and open, and her hair went along her back. But she still had the headband with the flower on it. On a crate near the mat was a hood, clearly made to hide her face and head.

She had sat on the ground, looking at the plastic bag in her hand. Opening it, she pulled out a lot of vegetables in between her fingers. Sniffing them with her impressive trunk (now lacking the piercings), she then pulled out another bunch of veggies from another plastic bag. Yesterday's shopping, this be. She then mushed 'em together and started chewing. Though it was a lot for her mouth, she could eat it. As she was munching down on her odd dinner, Hathiya was thinking of her schedule of exercise before going to bed. A healthy body and mind goes far in life! She had to stay in tip top shape, especially now of all times. Things had changed. Fortunes had changed. And she was going to make sure she take full use of that change.

The guard at the booth of the entrance to the area was half asleep, listening to the news on the mini TV while half wondering if he's wasting his life like this, and fighting off sleep. He took a big yawn, then fiddled with his radio, before noticing someone approaching. His half asleep eyes fully snapped awake as he realized they were heading straight for the gate. He couldn't quite make out the figure, but he swore she was wearing some kind of top hat.

The Bakeneko wandered down Prophets Road with little interest in taking in the sights. She had heard of this place, how it was exceptionally grimy and dirtier than most parts of the city of Tsubar. Part of the reason for that was all of the storage facilities in the area. Prophets Road housed many storing facilities of some of the more successful shops and stores around the Gaia, ranging from equipment, arts, to even basic foods. That last one was important, because Prophets Road had a pest problem. All of that food in one spot brought about mice, insects, and birds which nested in the building's infrastructures. Thieves came naturally, which led to gates, fences, and guards all throughout the area. Trash workers hesitated to come around, leading the streets to become cluttered with garbage and waste from the pests and the people who lived there and stain the walkways. Even after the street had been washed by the rain falling from the sky, the after smell of rot still tingled the air around Prophets Road. Nobody went there unless they lived or worked there, or simply had nowhere else to go. Weeds grew on the sidewalks, and a vendor sold his food to homeless customers. Eros probably would never have visited this part of the city on her own. But doing so now, it gave the Head Warden a nice break from all of the fancy architecture that plagued the center of Tsubar. Everything here was industrial feeling, which gave the yokai a slight feeling of nostalgia.

But just like everyone on Prophets Road, Eros wasn’t here for fun. She had business to attend to. Strolling down the sidewalk, the Head Warden quickly found the address she had been looking for being watched by a drowsy looking guard. Seeing as this was one of the larger storage facilities, Eros couldn’t say she was surprised that someone Hathiya’s size would live here. To see that the facility was guarded was no surprise, but it was disheartening to think that a major company's storage facility's first line of defense was a drowsy guard. One that she could easily avoid if she wanted to. But Eros had better things to do than sneak around.

She approached the guard. Waving her hand and with a smile on her face, she introduced herself.


“Hello there~ My name is Eros Zuul. Head Warden beneath the Overseer and currently in charge of the SRW program. I’m here to see a member of my roster and was told she lived here. Her name is Hathiya? A large woman with a trunk and big ears? Know where I can find her?”

The guard on hearing everything she said, suddenly snapped fully awake as he jumped out of the Booth. His skin had gone pale and his eyes widened as he realized who was he dealing with.

"Oh! U-um, greetings, ma'am." He stammered. There was very notable nervousness in his voice, clearly recognizing the person in front of him from the many TV broadcasts and radio chatter he'd seen. Never before had he thought he'd actually see her in the flesh of all things!

"Wait, are you alone? At night?" the guard raised an eyebrow and his eyes looked around the horizon of the dark.

Maybe she'd brought guards and they were hiding around? Perhaps a rooftop sniper somewhere?

The guard suddenly reacted very strangely, possibly going for a salute but stopping before he was even halfway there. Eros was a Warden, but she was much better known for her work as an announcer at the SRW. Eros figured a guard in the city of Tsubar would recognize a Warden’s outfit, but being recognized for her SRW work only showed how far she had gotten in popularizing the sport. Besides, civilian guards weren’t required to salute a Warden. It was only a matter of manners in doing so.

The guard stepped out of his booth, asking her if she came here alone at night. The Bakeneko tilted her head as the guard becan to scan the horizon, acting as though there was some trained sniper on him right then and there. Eros served directly under the Overseer, the lord of Gaia. It would make sense to have a few guards around, but Eros didn’t consider herself in any danger. Though, seeing the guard get so nervous made her chuckle a little.

“I’m here on official business. May I be let inside? I’m by myself, if that is what you are looking for~”

The guard looked at her incredulously. He then again looked around, genuinely stumped someone of this level of importance is travelling alone at night in a less than reputable part of town. He shrugged and pulled out a radio walkie talkie.
"Jeano, take my spot. We got a special guest.." -crackling noises- "No no, it's...it's a....Head Warden." -more crackling noises- "I'll talk later! Just hurry!" The guard put his walkie talkie down, and said, "Right. If you're looking for....her, follow me."

The guard turned around and led the path, while another guard (seemingly Jeano who turned out to be a goblin) scurried around from behind some crates, saw Eros and seemed to stop in shock, before walking towards the booth calmly, not taking his eyes off her.

Even from this far, Hathiya could feel strange presences. Her senses and ears could pick many things, and from a staggering distance. And right now, she felt it. She stopped just as she was about to finish dinner, and turned her head.

That presence. That strange presence. She could never explain what it was, but it was something similar she felt to demons back home.

"Eros?"

Eros had gotten the guards' cooperation easily enough. Her golden, feline eyes peered around the facility as this guard called for a quick replacement to take his shift to ensure security. Thanks to her cat eyes, she could see in the dark better than most species ever could. She noted the occasional camera she spotted, curious to know how many of them actually worked when the replacement guard finally arrived. A goblin? Eros didn’t get much of a chance to see such a species in her line of work, and she quickly became aware of it gawking at her. The Bakeneko could feel its gaze on her back as she followed the first guard to their destination, staying in sight the whole time to make sure he did not get nervous.

Soon, the pair came to a shed near the very back of the facility that was different from the others. The shed had a private property sign made from duct tape and scrap sheet metal, but there was also a clear attempt at a garden at the side of the shed. The lights were also on inside, making it seemed lived in compared to all of the other dark and empty shed the two had passed on their way here. Without a doubt, this was Hathiya’s home through and through. Such a humble home matched her personality perfectly!

The Yokai couldn’t help but smirk.

“I’ll take things from here. Thank you for your help in finding this place.” She muttered before handing a gold chip to the guard, “Something for the trouble. Make sure you and Jeano get something warm to drink. It’s going to get cold tonight.”

Stepping closer to the shed, Eros’s ear picked up the elephant woman inside. She was watching the door. Waiting. The Head Warden brushed some lint off her suit, taking another step forward as a black, purplish smog began to rise from her feet. By the time she took another step, the smog had consumed the Bakeneko’s form before dissipating entirely, the Head Warden disappearing right before the guards eyes!

–

That presence. That strange presence. She could never explain what it was, but it was something similar she felt to demons back home.

“Eros?”

“Hathiya dear~”

The voice would come from behind the elephant woman! The Warden sneaking right past the Earthshaker’s sensitive ears and getting behind her in her own home! If Hathiya turned around, the Head Warden would simply be sitting on one of the crates the elephant woman used as furniture. Eros’s yellow eyes shined in the shed’s dim light like knives, but she didn’t appear hostile.

“Apologies for the late intrusion, but I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done with your debut today. You blew everyone's expectations out of the water, including my own. That doesn’t happen very often~”

The guard took the gold chip Eros offered, and he looked at it in surprise. "Oh. T...thank you." He stammered as he brought it closer to his face and squinted his eyes. That is, until he looked up and saw the smog that was where Eros was, just dissipating and showing an empty spot where the catgirl once stood. His mouth hung open in silent shock.  

---------

Hathiya could hear them talking, then the silence. She got curious as to why the sudden silence, before Eros's voice sang from behind her. The intrusion behind her caused her to rapidly turn around and almost walk into the door while shaking the whole building and everything in it, causing some stacked crates to fall over, but she managed to get her footing straight. Hathiya's bright orange eyes widened in surprise.

There was no mistakening it. It was Eros.

"H...how... did you..." Was all she could stammer, before Eros talked. Eros praise raised a red flag in her mind. It wouldn't have before, but with how she had come in the dead of night and trespassed in here somehow, now she felt cautious. Hathiya stepped forward away from the door, and sat down gently to not shake the building to rubble.

"Oh. Why, thank you, I'm flattered!" Hathiya replied as her trunk, acting like a hand, seemed to point at her face and did a "aw shucks" arm movement emulation. "I was just putting on a good show for the crowd, that's all. It's...been a while since I've exerted myself like that." She locked eyes with Eros, now asking in a curious tone, "....but what brings you to my...." She looked about her surroundings. Not exactly anything fascinating to look at. She finished her sentence with "...my rental house?" She then scratched her hair, saying sheepishly, "If I'd known you were coming, I'd have cleaned up...I was in the middle of dinner so..." she then realized and looked at the remains of her dinner. The salad(?) had already kissed the floor, and it's remains rolled all over the floor. Hathiya sighed.

Hathiya seemed to be easily startled, the way she suddenly jumped up and nearly knocked her makeshift home iver when she turned to face Eros. The Bakeneko could easily read Hathiya’s surprised expression, the yokai seemingly charmed by the spook she gave the tall fighter to the point that the Head Warden had to stifle a chuckle. Doing so gave Eros the chance to look around the interior of Hathiya’s shack as the Earthshaker seemed to calm down and sit across from the Head Warden. For the love of the Overseer this place was empty. A few crates made up the furniture, a bed, and a fridge to store those vegetables Eros spied on the floor. Hathiya did her best to be hospitable given the circumstances, but Eros didn’t try to trouble her. Eros seemed content where she was while Hathiya mourned her lost dinner and finally asked what Eros was doing at her home.

“Like I said, you blew my expectations out of the water! You knocked out one of the worst heels I could give you in your debut fight, and charmed the crowd to high heaven while you did it. It made the Titan fight title worth something to people, and you’ve built yourself up quite a bit with that fight. Have you checked the numbers?”

Eros paused, remembering that Hathiya seemed to have very little in her room and doubted she would have seen the online polls regarding her. Eros clicked her tongue, retrieving a tablet from the black smog she conjured up and handing it to Hathiya herself to see the results.

“Your first fight, and you already have three fan sites! One of which is trying to dig into your history, to learn about you. Usually it takes months, even years to get something like this going. But on your debut? Well let's say, the fans are waiting to see what you do next. I’m here to see where you see yourself, Earthshaker~”

Eros’s tail stood tall behind her, the Bakeneko watching Hathiya with curiosity and a bit of wonder. This elephant woman could be a golden goose if all went well…but Eros wanted to know her a bit better. To get an idea on how she thought.

Hathiya listened carefully to everything Eros said, and sat there, wondering.

So it worked out well after all! She thought joyously to herself, but then a serious question appeared in her mind.

Why is she here?

Before this could be answered, Eros mentioned "fan sites" which confused Hathiya somewhat, right before Eros pulled a tablet out of thin air and handed it to Hathiya. Hathiya had to put her palms out to take it, then put it as close to her face as possible, eyes squinted to actually see what was written. Though she had learnt to read and write the dialects of Tsubar, she admitted the small scripts on the tablet's tiny screen was hard to read.

However, then her face fell on hearing "history."

"My history?" she looked up from the tablet and back at Eros, handing the small device back gently on her palm. "They want to dig into that? I am glad I could entertain them this well, I really am, it's part of the sport, but..." she looked away, her voice taking a firm, serious tone, "they should know personal space." She looked back at Eros, wrapping both arms on her waist, "What I'm gonna do next is another match. Simple. I just started, I'm not going anywhere special this soon."

“Well fans are fans, Hathiya. They come in all shapes in sizes with different reasons for enjoying what they do. Personal Space is something every species requires, but some people don’t look at it like they are invading your space. They see it as getting to know you, finding out things about you that could connect you to them or others. Like they are collecting you in a general sense.”

The bakeneko seemed relaxed about the situation despite what she was saying. Eros’s words might be overwhelming to someone like Hathiya who only just got into the business and wasn’t used to having fans, but the Head Warden had seen this situation a few times already and only smiled at the elephant woman sitting across from her.

“It’s a part of why I’m here personally. To make sure you don’t have to worry about your trash being dug through or sent strange letters. After all, I like to try and give my roster at least some security~” Eros said with a smile. “Thankfully, you live in a spot where guards and security are plentiful. I can’t speak for their quality, but their presence alone will detract the majority of morons trying to do something like dumpster dive around your shed.”

The Bakeneko heard the sternness in Hathiya’s voice now, the elephant a bit annoyed with what might become of her fan’s behavior. Hathiya was being a bit loud, causing the Bakeneko’s ears to pull back to try and mitigate a bit of Hathiya’s booming voice. It seemed Hathiya had a healthy amount of ego, with her goal just being to take things one match at a time. At least she would be easier to work with than most of the roster.

“Of course. I want to set you up with another match as soon as I can. You’ve got some momentum behind you, and I don’t want to lose it if possible. If anything I want to push it along. But there is the issue of finding you an opponent. You are rather unique, and finding another titan like you may prove to be a bit difficult…” Eros sighed, but perked up pretty quickly!

“So, to buy time, I wanted you to join in on a fan meet and greet!”