Subject 1: Erika Bellefonte, Formerly King

[Humphries]

As per normal, the lights would be off when Erika Bellefonte got home. Elsa was out late, working on once again catching up with various studies. Most of the staff had been dismissed for the night. Mr. and Mrs. Bellefonte had opted to go on yet another "business trip" (likely involving separate beds). Therefore the home should be more or less abandoned.

Except that the moment Erika walked through the door and turned into the first sitting room, she'd find that the light went on. One light, near a chair. And upon this chair sat a feline with an intricate collar. He rose to a proud position, his tail curled around him and his head swiveled to look to him. He seemed to purr as he finally noticed Erika, and he jumped onto a laptop that he'd set upon a nearby table.

The cat undulated.

The laptop spoke:

Greetings, Ms. Erika Bellefonte. We have conversed and met before, and I am most sorry for intruding upon you now. But I believe it is in our best interest to exchange information

And the cat turned to Erika, and he seemed to smile.

Erika Conner (Bellefonte)

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

A hand immediately came up to the brunette's chest and her brown eyes widened. She was fairly certain that she was almost experienced what could be best described as a heart attack; the momentarily shock apparent against her olive features. She stood like that for a moment, trying to calm her heart rate down as she studied the familiar cat, who happened to be the only animal the brunette didn't at all feel awkward around. It probably was the whole "shapeshifting and human brain" ordeal that did the trick for her.

Once calmed down however, the brunette relaxed. This ironically reminded her of those scenes in movies where the hero walked in, only to find the villain sitting inside your house with no light except one next to a table by their chair. Then again, Erika hardly viewed the adorable creature in front of her as a villain. In fact, she was incredibly biased when it came to the cat. "God, you scared the living cr---" she stopped herself as her head shook. "Sorry."

Her eyes narrowed slightly then. "It's quite alright, Mr. Humphries. I'm not sure what you mean by exchange information though." She wondered what this was all about. She hadn't done anything recently that would bring an academy official to her door, had she? "Can I offer you something to drink?" What did cats drink anyways? Water? Milk? Blood?

[Humphries]

Humphries noticed that Erika jumped slightly. He supposed that was an appropriate reaction to finding an intruder in your home, even if said intruder happened to be fluffy and you had the ability to literally pick him up with your mind and fling him at will. Though he made certain to keep himself calm and present as pleasant a demeanor as he possibly could while she worked through her momentary fright.

Humphries therefore bowed his head at her comment. Though he almost wished he could laugh as she mentioned the bit about exchanging information. Instead he waited until she finished, as was polite, and then turned to poke around at the keyboard, knowing he'd stored some audio files:

"I graciously accept your hospitality. I am fine with water, milk, or cream, preferably in a large glass or semi-shallow bowl."

Humphries bobbed his head as the message finished and let out a soft meow, flicking his tail, wanting to show that he could and would wait patiently while she went and fetched what was needed.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Nodding at the words, the brunette turned on her heel as she started towards the kitchen area. It was quite the strange situation she'd found herself in and not one she'd expected to come home to at any rate. At least she supposed there could have been worse people to come home to than an adorable cat that was obviously as sweet as could be, as opposed to every other evil animal alive.

Opening the fridge, Erika reached for a bowl and placed it against the counter. Looking into the fridge she pulled out a carton of milk and poured the white liquid into the bowl. Placing it back into the fridge, Erika's hand came up to comb her fingers through her hair; what a strange situation indeed.

Placing the bowl down in front of the cat, Erika took a few steps back and watched him with a curious expression. "That alright, or do you want it placed somewhere else?" She looked at the bowl again. Not in a million years did she think she'd ever feed milk to a cat. But that was hardly why the cat was here; he'd said something about exchanging information, and although distracted by the cute fluff, she'd hardly forgotten.

[Humphries]

Humphries waited patiently, though he also turned to make sure that his prerecorded messages were inputted and readied for his communication. No need to make this any more stilted than it was already going to be. At some point, Humphries would have to see about upgrading his device to work in a similar manner to Dr. Stephen Hawking's.

All in good time: he had other things that required his attention.

First of all: a bowl of milk. Humphries leaned over the bowl as it was placed, calmly lapping at it, drinking a good deal of the milk and thoroughly enjoying himself for a few moments. he figured that his ready acceptance of it should be acceptable. Plus, it was always nice to get a refreshing drink of milk, though this was perhaps the easiest thing he could wheedle out of people.

Unfortunately, he pulled away and entered the first of his recorded messages: "I am certain that you are wondering why I am here today. It is with regards to someone or something that I believe may be of potential interest to both of us: a certain blog of ill intent."

And Humphries let out a slightly growly meow.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Erika took a seat on the couch opposite of the cat and she interlocked her fingers as she leaned forward, elbows resting against her knees. She was glad to see that the milk had been heartedly welcomed. Now, at least Erika didn't have to worry too much about any of that, and instead, she could focus on the task at hand; the reason the cat was here to begin with.

"Dirty Laundry," she replied in an instant. Of course he'd taken interest in that stupid blog. Sighing, the brunette rubbed the side of her neck. "I don't know if there's a whole lot I can tell you about that," she admitted with a shrug. "She or he has been around for a while, but despite our best efforts, no one has found out who is behind it." Erika didn't mind sharing the little she knew. "We've had a few suspects, but never any proof." She had been DL's main target for a while now, and by now, she had gotten so used to it she hardly cared anymore.

"If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Humphries; why the sudden interest? Dirty Laundry has been around for a while now and few people have bothered or succeeded at doing anything about it. Why now?"

Clearly DL had something against the people at the school and the way things worked around here. She had been a target for almost every entry, and she didn't even know if she had done anything personal to this person, or if it was simply because of her last name.

[Humphries]

Yes, Erika certainly knew what Humphries was referring to. The cat closed his eyes slowly, showing his acknowledgement. He hadn't really expected her to be a font of information about it, though she certainly had been there considerably longer than he. Thus he could further confirm that this blog had, indeed, been around for some time. That meant that whoever was running it had also been around for some time. Which meant they were either looking for someone at least the age of the Bellefonte twins, or possibly some sort of chain, wherein the mantle was passed.

The question that came at the end, Humphries had anticipated. He turned calmly to his laptop, scrolling through responses, looking for the ones he'd prepared. He hesitated for a moment, his paw hovering above the keys, wondering which would be of most benefit. Finally he picked one:

"Dirty Laundry has been of interest to me for some time. Before now, they have been interesting, but they have lately cast aspersions upon my character. Since we have no other threats at the moment, I am working to deal with the one we have."

Yes, dealing with threats. Humphries liked that one. He purred slightly, before figuring that he could add a personal bit. He'd have to use his collar device though, which meant sounding a bit more like a moron, but, well, he'd manage. It also required twisting, turning, and letting out a slight meow:

"I am thinking that as someone who is most targeted and has been victimized of kidnap and others, you would be interested MRS BELLEFONTE." Humphries glared at the computer, wishing that it didn't mangle his intent, before looking back to Erika. Surely she got the message.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Nodding at the words coming from the computer, Erika sighed. "I suppose that makes sense." Lifting a hand, the brunette brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Well, better later than never, she supposed and even though she hardly paid the blog any attention anymore, she wouldn't mind seeing it go away. The cat then meowed and once again, Erika turned her full attention towards him.

"If you're trying to play on my feelings, Mr. Humphries, I'd highly suggest that you don't, and rather ask for my help instead of trying to manipulate it out of me," she replied sharply. As much as he was right, she didn't particularly enjoy it being used as a way to convince her - if that was at all what the cat was trying to do, but from the sound if it... Her eyes narrowed then as she pursed her lips, studying the cat for a moment. After all, why else would he bring up SPECTRE?

Lifting the decanter up from the side table, Erika reached for an empty glass standing on the same tray and poured some of the brown liquid into a glass. Holding the glass in her hand for a moment, she finally lifted it to her lips and took a sip of it.

[Humphries]

Hmm, it did seem as though Humphries' attempt to employ a bit more emotional impact didn't quite work as well as he'd hoped. It did rile Ms. Bellefonte up though, and Humphries could use that. It let him know bits and pieces, not least of all being how he should proceed from here. He started by bowing his head slightly, showing a posture of apology and maybe some slight submission. He then turned and sorted through the various recordings to send one out:

"My sincerest apologies for the misunderstanding. It was not my intent to offend you in any manner," came out of the machine there. Humphries added another bob of his head, figuring that he should keep the posture for now. After all, he did want her help. She seemed to be Dirty Laundry's favorite target, and if he could figure out why, if he could even study her, then he might find the key to success in this endeavor.

Humphries figured that a more personal apology was in order too, so he twisted to add the reading to the device: "needing the assistance in taking down the blogging. will do what taking to get him. Sometimes means coming off poorly. Assistance being given would be most appreciated."

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

The fact that the cat had already recorded the apology from the computer did very little to reassure the brunette: if anything, it just made it seem more like the cat knew very well what he'd been doing. And in turn, that simply made the brunette trust him even less than what she had previously - if that even said anything at all. Brushing the apology off with a slight gesture of her hand, Erika's head tilted to the side.

Swirling the contents of her glass, Erika nodded sagely at his next words. "As I've gathered," she said simply, sighing. "What makes you think that it's a he?" she asked through pursed lips. "The common idea seems to be thinking that Dirty Laundry is a she; which again, could be just as false as the first." Taking a short sip of her alcohol the brunette's gaze returned to the cat, studying him intently.

"I don't know if I have much to offer to the table, Mr. Humphries. I care very little about the blog anymore; be it the fact that I'm used to the slander often surrounding myself and mine, or maybe it's simply that I've realized just how insignificant the blog really is. At the end of the day, it comes down to the people who follow the words like a herd of sheep, as opposed to the self-claimed apostle." Maybe it all had just made her too cynical. She didn't know. Heck, she wasn't even sure she cared.

"Make people stop reading it, and you'll suddenly find yourself one problem shorter." She paused then, leaning back against her chair. "Assuming that is your angle, of course."

[Humphries]

No, that wasn't precisely Humphries angle. He wanted an outlet that he was aware of, that he could control, or at least curb somewhat. Though he certainly couldn't share that with someone like Erika. He was already working on guarding his thoughts, just in case her sister happened to drift within range (doubtful, but always a possibility).

It sounded as though Erika had more or less moved beyond the blog. That actually impressed Humphries: he hadn't figured her to have the maturity to quite do so. Should he press the issue then? It was tempting to just leave the girl. she had suffered quite a lot, after all, and she'd always been favorable to Humphries. He didn't want to really manipulate her as much as other pieces. You don't hurt the ones that are actually for you to begin with, not if you want anyone for you in the end.

So the cat sat silently, contemplating for a few moments. He twisted to send the message via the computer: "maturely handling you are doing. if not seeking revenge not be your desire, then pressing will not be my concern. having any informations that you can possibly be sharing? suspicions as to why it targets you so frequently? Theorizing is acceptable."

Because Humphries was curious, himself, and he didn't see any harm in at least pulling some theories from the young woman.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Furrowing her brows, Erika sighed. Information? Theories? It had been such a long time since Erika had thought about it. "As for why they target me, I assume it's because of my name and social standing. If you want attention, you go for the people who can give it to you." Erika flipped her hair over her shoulder. It was no secret that Erika was well known around the school, and had always been. Once upon a time, she'd even considered herself at the top of the social hierarchy along with Ellen Banks.

Now that she was older, those things didn't matter anymore.

"And what better way is there to get attention than to target the popular girl whose name is on the school?" Erika shrugged. "Besides, it's not like my life is dull." She smiled a little at that. Erika had a knack for getting herself into situations that often came with a lot of gossip. Like her messy love life, for example. There was plenty of things to talk about, and even more to gossip about. "Entertainment, I suppose. There's little point in talking about someone no one knows. If no one knows, no one cares."

Lifting her drink to her lips once again, Erika shrugged. "And once you're big enough, you can pull more infamous people into the mess and make them famous. People don't read Dirty Laundry because they fear him or her. They read it because it's entertaining to know that someone out there has it worse than you. It's not something people do to be a cruel, but it's a wicked form of comfort. Suddenly your own problems doesn't seem as big anymore."

[Humphries]

Erika's mature answer did surprise the feline, if only slightly. At least she could think through a situation and come to some conclusions that certainly made sense. Humphries couldn't really argue the point, though he did detect a strange bit in there. The Bellefonte girls did seem to have, whether intentional or not, this slight inclination that they were socially higher than other people. That, in itself, was intriguing, and something that Humphries certainly made note of.

And Erika did have an exciting life. It did make Humphries wonder, however, if it was quite as mundane as Erika supposed. He sat, listening, silently considering, wondering if it was because of entertainment. "Many things are being entertain," he sent through the laptop after she finished and there was a time, "harmless gatherings be of no interest. But spying upon the persons," his head actually turned as he looked to Erika, "reporting their inner doings: there is a line between gossip and the spying. one believes the blog has crossed it."

Humphries really just wanted to control the information, or at least be aware of it. He looked away, considering Erika's point, if she could help. "Understanding your opinioning of the situation I do," he continued, "however, I still am determined to find. Minding my digging into situation regarding your particulars? The blog having some means of following you, gathering dark secrets. This is something to be noticing, most definitely."

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"I see," Erika said, her brows furrowing slightly at the cat's admission. Spying? She supposed she could see the logic behind that. After all, Dirty Laundry seemed to know a whole lot more than she should have. "But," Erika began, lifting her hand. "From what I've gathered, Dirty Laundry gets help... I mean, people send in tips and such, right?" Erika's head shook at that, as if the simple thought disgusted her. "And... Although I do believe that she or he has some way of knowing everything they know, I don't think it's just one person. That seems almost..." she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. How could one person get access to so much information?

It almost seemed a little far fetched. It wasn't like students had full access to everything at the school, and Erika doubted that a member of the staff would sink so low they started attacking students like that.

Erika's bubble of thought burst as the cat started speaking again, and Erika's attention was drawn back to the presence. "You want to dig into my private life?" Erika almost scoffed at that. It wasn't that she really minded per say; her private life was hardly private anyways. But she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with a cat running around digging through her personal affairs. There was still things hidden even from Dirty Laundry. "I'm not entirely sure, exactly, what you mean by that."

[Humphries]

Hmm, the young Bellefonte again had a point. The blog got tips and bits from someone, so what if it was less a person and more an entity? That make some sense, though Humphries couldn't help but wonder about its consistency then. There seemed to be a hint there though, and it was something to continue.

Ah, well, that hadn't been quite what Humphries had said but what he'd meant certainly had those sort of connotations. "Less doing the digging and more being watchful eye. Will adhere to rules of privacy in most matters, but if you are being spying upon, then best curing would be for one to engage in the counterspying."

That and he'd be able to find dirt on Erika herself, which could be useful. Again: definitely not something that he wanted saying.

"One can simply go about normaling business. Simply wishing to take down the blog and working against the injustice. Much thanking for the hospitality." And the cat moved the enjoy some more milk. After all: no reason to let a good bowl go to waste.