Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Dec 2, 2021 14:58:11 GMT -8
Yuan had called Shen for the camping gear. His best friend still had a sleeping back in working condition that he was willing to lend for a few nights. The Beast's had been tossed out long ago, ruined from nights spent sleeping on the pavement, before he had a Hollow. He had also brought a first aid kit and a battery pack on top of the standard supplies. He wore comfortable clothes that cover as much skin as possible. Many an amateur hiker made the mistake of dressing lightly, exposing their flesh to the harsh desert sun. He also wore his running shoes, fished out from deep within the closet. Once again, the Playmate promised himself he would take up running again.
He met up with Gavin at the edge of the city, burdened with his backpack and glorious purpose - Ever since the Ashen Hunt, the Autumn Grimm seemed on edge and a quick peek during Samhain had revealed a slipping grasp on Reality. That was why Yuan had organized this camping trip. His yellow-eyed companion had struck him as someone who enjoyed the outdoors more that any city location.
Thus began the trek.
Unfortunately, Yuan had grown a touch too comfortable during the last five years, forgetting the landmarks that he had once committed to memory. Or maybe it was the constant stress of healing others while Spring's Contracts were out of order. He looked expectantly to Gavin, hoping that he at least had an idea of where they were going.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 2, 2021 17:54:03 GMT -8
The situation was a paradox of familiarity. On the one hand Gavin was in his element, the wild outdoors. As a local trail guide for the relatively tame areas around Vegas--when one balances out the ease of navigation with the difficulties of exposure--he was quite experienced when it came to the trials of nature. He had even been on an extended trek into one of the more dangerous areas of Northern Australia. The fresh air, the heat of it, the way the pressure shifted on the trail bank as it was buffeted by the light winds reminded him of that trip. On the other hand, he had been so disconnected with people despite living with them and around them that he was gradually coming undone. He had put the best of himself into helping and bettering his community. He had their accolades for the accomplishments, but few of them paid the man more than fleeting attention. Singular blips of interaction and then a return to the solitude, with mere nods of recognition on the tail of it. He knew that in the depths of his being, down near the foundation, cracks were about to form. This was not the life he had clawed, and bled, and nearly died to return to. The quiet, hot, sandy spaces, while alone had begun to disquiet him. An insidious question had crept into his soul to drip its poison, had he really escaped?
A run in with a relative new-comer at Samhain, the young man whom he only vaguely recalled through the feverish fugue he had experienced on the night of the Ashen Hunt, saw to Yuan dragging him out for a camping trip. None of the other Freeholders had managed to stick through even an overnight trip away from the city before cutting and running. The circumstances of those instances were somewhat spookier than a casual camping trip, he had to admit, but reason gave way to feeling on the matter. However it came to be, he was left alone again and again with no friends to speak of.
He had checked the equipment before leaving; matters of survival were a no joking matter. Gear for the weather & travel, food, water, tools for survival and overnight, a first aid kit, and comfortable means to carry it all in. Since they were not intending to muck about in the Hedge, where he always knew where he was going, a quality map of the area was brought for good measure.
Yuan had tried to help Gavin with the navigation to the camp site, looking vaguely for the right kinds of things to help get bearings, but didn't seem to know how to put them together to fix a point or give a direction.
"Good effort, it's this way though," the bottomless patience he once had for teaching the subtle minutia of surviving in the wilds was gone. Scarred away with the personal connection he'd made on the journey in the Outback nearly a decade earlier. He looked to the Playmate with his mixed-bird eyes, one yellow and like an owl, the other orange and like a lizard, to make sure the fellow Courser was going to keep up. They had a schedule to keep for getting setup.
Sundown waited for no man and no Beast.
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 2, 2021 18:32:49 GMT -8
A particularly successful murder of crows emerged from the rock face, circling overhead in an excited babble. It took Gavin another beat to remember crows were very uncommon in Vegas. The Beasts stared for a moment with instinctual caution, watching the dark cloud swirl into a single, undulating mass before dispersing again. Several of the corvids tussled, rolling into a pile as a Hedgebeast sang happily from multiple mouths while sitting on Yuan's foot like an oversized baby bird. |
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Dec 3, 2021 14:07:45 GMT -8
The Playmate's skin flushed to the colour of rose gold with embarrassment at silent berating. Gavin did, in fact, know exactly where they were going. Shouldering the backpack for a better grip, Yuan was getting ready to follow when the birds appeared. He watched carefully, preternaturally motionless as he assessed the situation. After a short while, they dispersed and the Courser was ready to breathe easier when something caught on his foot.
Looking down, Yuan beheld the bird... thing?
The Emerald was from being an occultist, especially next to Gavin, but he was determined to make a good impression. He wasn't just a pretty face, dammit.
"Hey there, little hob." He ventured a guess. It was weird, thus highly likely to have come from the Hedge.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 3, 2021 14:52:14 GMT -8
The sudden appearance of a swathe of crows, in an area where few would be found left the guide with the natural conclusion, meant things were about to take a different direction. So too were the two Beasts.
Gavin smiled with recognition at the appearance of the Hob. It was a creature he recognized from the Goblin Market back when the Trod was still overrun and overgrown. The Crow was operating the Goblin Fruit stall with the widest selection and volume to suit Summer's increased needs since Spring's renewal magics had gone fallow. It was also the only Hob in that whole expedition that was a pleasant encounter. It did not ask an egregious price for what was exchanged either. All it had asked for was a playdate.
The Amaranthine acquired from this bird likely saved some Freeholders' lives and assisted Summer in maintaining readiness.
It was time to pay the bill.
"Hello, good Merchant! Fantastic to see you, as always," he offered a hearty greeting to set the tone and any immediate concern at ease. "The man whose foot you are standing on is ...," Gavin trailed off to allow Yuan to speak for himself. It would not do to give away a name to a Hob when he did not truly know its weight.
Using the name supplied by his fellow Beast, "this is the fruit merchant from the upper level of The Market. It has been working the Fruit logistics for Summer at my behest."
The Cassowary stated "I expect you are here for what was asked." His tone said it was not at all unwelcome. Only the very attentive would catch him doing some quick calculus for just how he was going to make good on the deal. Here of all places.
The Crow had specified it wanted a particular kind of playdate. It desired to be where numerous people were milling about wasting their potential and possibly being stupid. Las Vegas was ripe with locations meeting those requirements. Rural spaces on a dusty trail around Vegas were usually somewhat less crowded.
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 4, 2021 12:56:32 GMT -8
"Hallo! Don't mind me!" several mouths cheered in unison, acknowledging the greeting. Even though it had a chaotic appearance, it didn't seem more disruptive than necessary, waiting for the Lost to finish speaking and settling as a warm blob on the toe of the Playmate's boot.
"It's a nice foot, heated from the sun. But that isn't what we are here for." Despite the statement, it didn't seem interested in moving as Yuan gently slid his foot forward, with the chick-blob thumping its larger feet awkwardly to stay balanced.
"Thank you, thank you. You are a very pleasant associate and we are happy to see you... Are we going camping? You should join some humans," it cackled.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Dec 4, 2021 15:31:58 GMT -8
Yuan’s careful politeness was rewarded with pleasantries in return. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he replied with a smile. “I go by Yuan.”
He bent forward and offered his forearm to the mouth-bird-thing as a perch, seeing as he would soon be needing his feet to walk. Listening to the exchange between the two Birds, the Playmate tried to figure out how he could be of any help.
“Humans? There’s a spot nearby where they like to gather. I think I’ve been there a couple of times. I could show you?”
Turning to the actual guide with a map, Yuan waited for confirmation. Confirmation and validation. The earlier comment about getting lost still stung and he had missed his opportunity to show off his mediocre occult knowledge. He was happy to hit two birds with one stone: show that he wasn’t useless, and actually provide assistance. Still, this was Gavin’s debt to settle; he should have the last call on how to settle it.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 8, 2021 0:07:10 GMT -8
Gavin paid close attention to Yuan's choice of name to share with the Hob. Apparently it was the safe one. He had learned to be careful about such things as the right name was a source of power and could lead to a lot of trouble for an errant slip of something, that was on the surface, so simple.
The Playmate observed as Gavin engaged with the whimsical appearing Hob. The Razorhand seemed at ease with the interaction and was outwardly grateful to the creature. With the presence of the little creature it stood out to Yuan that Gavin was calmer and more at home with the Hedge denizen around and it struck him that the Beast was more than a little bit Goblin himself, like the Hedge had made him slightly more feral than the average Lost, even for a Beast. Simmering beneath the surface was a tiredness of the soul due to something not being maintained or was missing altogether. He was taking his obligation to the creature seriously, but it behind it all he was a little worried this task might get in the way and that Yuan might resent him allowing the intrusion.
"Right, yeah, as Yuan said, we've got a spot just over that ridge we'll be able to see a little lake and ways further its near the lake but on the far side. A little further than that even and you get a pocket where the raucous campers tend to squirrel themselves away so as to not be bothered by the rangers when they get wild. Just enough terrain to keep the hooting and blasting music from taking a straight shot across the lake and forcing calls to break it up."
Even drunk partiers learn to adapt their fun around others when forced to. The area had a variety of draw for all the different types of humans being silly in the wilds: water craft & swimming, drinking around fires, ATVs, being stupid near wild animals, falling down in the dark while trying to find a place to pee. Plenty of antics to observe.
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 8, 2021 23:06:32 GMT -8
Yuan could only describe the warm fluff as blobbish, floppy awkward fledgling feet setting on his shoulder. The patted a few times with satisfaction, with one of the mouths beginning to preen the Playmate's peacock feathers.
"That sounds most agreeable," one of the mouths said--the one facing away from Yuan's ear, just to be polite. Caws and clicks joined the chorus from other sources.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Dec 9, 2021 15:06:13 GMT -8
All in all, it was a most enjoyable meeting this far. Yuan couldn't help but smile as the Merchant started cleaning his feathers. He was a decidedly very polite Hob.
Since everyone was in agreement, Yuan took the lead, follow the directions provided by Gavin and checking his map from time to time. Speaking of the Razorhand, the Emerald couldn't help but wonder at how different he was with Hedge denizens. It made him happy. The Bird seemed more relaxed, even if some apprehension simmered under the surface. It dispelled some of the Playmate's own worries, seeing that Freeholders weren't the only possible source of socialization. He felt different, too. He used to trek a lot, when he first moved to Las Vegas, to disengage from the frenzy of courtly life. He wondered when he had stopped, and why.
The sun was moving across the sky while they made their way to the designated location. Far from the city, everything was quieter, slower. Time moved through molasses with only the stretching shadows and their watches to tell the time. The Hob wobbled on his shoulder, forcing Yuan to adjust his stride and posture for stability. He made small talk, pointing out various landmarks and trivia, making sure to include both Gavin and the Merchant. They must have made a strange tableau, the three of them. For once, he didn't care. It was just their little group, the rest of the world be damned. In his brimmed hat and long sleeves, Yuan looked like a character out of a child's cartoon. A plan was forming in his mind, or rather a goal, something beyond grounding the Autumn Courtier back in Reality.
Finally, they arrived at the spot near the lake. It war mirror still, at this hour, as most animals hid from the heat. "I think this is it?" he asked the guide. Wobbling a little, he let his backpack fall to the ground after gingerly moving the straps under the Hob. "If I'm not mistaken, people should get here soon-ish."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 12, 2021 13:32:17 GMT -8
The Beast had already tracked up and down these hills and dales a dozen times over. He let his fellow point the lot of them in vaguely the right direction. The most efficient route wasn't necessary and it bought him extra time to think. It was interesting to have someone who knew a bit about the outdoors with him. There was the mild concern leading up to this foray that it would turn into an extension of his day job, but that had been allayed since. He played along with the trivia and bits of knowledge as prompted by Yuan. Even a month prior it would have set off echoes within of time spent camping with his uncle. Today the voice gave no reply. The footprints in the sand had been dusted smooth by a windstorm and a new path had to be trod.
Gavin knew the type of people that would go for the secluded pockets had to have been out here a few times to know of it. They were also the type to bring additional people who didn't have a fucking clue about anything. This was just a party to those come-along types. It just happened to be outside and away from where the cops would break things up for noise or a brawl. Things could get out of hand from time to time and Americans really liked their guns. There was good reason to be cautious.
"Let's set up our tents one area over from ground zero. We want at least the slim chance of sleep and not causing territorial issues if they feel like it's 'their spot.' Unless you're feeling particularly adventurous." Gavin wasn't sure who he was really trying to protect with that suggestion. Even with the long walk over to the lake he was still mulling over how this was all going to work. What if there were no other people? What if they weren't rowdy? What if they were too rowdy? They hadn't prepared for ingratiating themselves into a party. They'd have to mooch.
"We're going to need a way to not make this weird with the mundies, somehow." Might as well not suffer alone with the problem.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Dec 13, 2021 1:55:14 GMT -8
The Playmate set down the Hob on the ground and made his way over to Gavin to help with the tent. He seemed worried for a while, before he had voiced the option of setting up camp a little bit farther. Yuan trusted the Aussie's instincts and agreed to the proposition.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. With me around, we'll be the Coolest People." He cleared his throat once he realized how cocky he had come off. "I mean, it's kind of what I do. You've seen it, at the Hunt." By it, the Emerald was referring to how he had convinced a Loyalist that they were long-time friends. He'd been self-conscious about it after the fact. Mabon had brought out a side of him that scared him - bloodlust, anger. The capacity for murder. He had tried to convince himself that those were Bad Guys and that they were doing their duty, but it did little to lift the disgust. "I won't do anything that drastic, though," he quickly added.
He helped pull the tent out of it bag and started unfolding the support beams. He regularly checked in on the Merchant, still oblivious to the nature of the debt. "Do you want to talk about what's been bothering you?" he finally prompted Gavin. "You've been pensive since we left the city." Conveniently, Yuan left out the part where he also glimpsed at his sanity. "It's alright if you don't, I'm just letting you know that I'm willing to listen."
Changelings didn't handle stress very well, as a general rule. Access to Contracts was a big enough danger both to the individuals and those around them; there was no telling how a Lost might handle the anxiety. But in the Razorhands' case, the danger of magic was followed. if not preceded, by the very mundane danger of missing limbs. Better safe than sorry, Yuan figured.
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 13, 2021 9:13:03 GMT -8
As Yuan picked up the hob, it burst into a murder of crows once more, expanding around the camp as the collective hive started picking at sticks and returning with various bits and baubles.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 13, 2021 22:15:13 GMT -8
The Beast marveled at the confidence of Yuan to believe he could win over anyone without having the slightest idea who they were to begin with. The Playmate might find himself challenged in that regard with the shroud of Autumn's Mantle roiling about Gavin. How would he relate to people? He couldn't really talk about his Occult interests, they wouldn't understand. Or worse, he imagined, if they were to understand. How would he relate an understanding of life on the streets and the dark alleys were shady business gets done? He didn't even have the context of why he understood those things. To talk about trails and lakes, and the best sight seeing spots would seem the most natural subject for him and in this setting it might work. People are strange creatures when their instincts are triggered. He'd had plenty of occasions where a new encounter led to people clamming up or leaving. Feeling exposed and vulnerable is not how they like to meet. Out here, he figured the wrong mix of Autumn's blessing, a Razorhand, and a campfire chat about the land would lead to the campers getting the creeping feeling he knew just where to hide their bodies. Rowdy college kids at a lakeside, what could go wrong?
"If you can manage that with me right there with you, that'd be impressive." His experiences didn't let him get his hopes up despite the confidence behind the claim and having heard what Yuan did.
He brushed down the area for the tents with a make-shift rake he had fashioned from a gnarly piece of tumbleweed that had settled and partially buried in the sand. There was nothing quite like waking up with a sore back in the morning because you had missed a rock during the setup phase. Partially covered they had the habit of shifting with any turning over the sleeper might do and rising to the surface to yield their bounty of hard or sharp surface to a spine's desire to remain aligned. Simple preparation could save a lot of misery later.
"Heh, sure," a light sigh escaped. How to approach such a burdensome thing he wondered.
There was a long pause. To Gavin's surprise, Yuan didn't press and simply waited for him to continue in his own time. That made things slightly easier.
"We're of the same Seeming so there should be some parallels in our experiences, you'd think." The Beast stated a shared foundation. "When you returned how did your reintegration go? How were you received?" he was curious; he also had an anticipated approximate answer which he planned on contrasting as a framing device.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Dec 16, 2021 10:08:15 GMT -8
There were small marvels in the world, things one could watch for hours and never get tired of them. The murmur of a brook, the crackling of a fire. The sight of someone doing their job well. Yuan caught himself staring in the awkward pause, engrossed by Gavin's proficiency.
"You worry too much," he slightly teased. "We'll deal with people when, and if, we get to it." He wondered if that was a side-effect of being sworn to Autumn, this constant anxiety. Those of the Mirror always seemed to be scared of something, despite their professing mastery of their respective Emotion. It had a way of poisoning perspective.
The Merchant had moved on to do what crows are wont to do: circle around one's head in an ominous way and bring back shiny trinkets. Yuan left him to his own devices for now, focused as he was on his fellow Beast.
"I didn't. Not at first. I was Taken and came back when I had just moved to America. I didn't speak the language, had no real ties." He didn't like to talk about those times, but he was asking Gavin to open up, so it was only fair he do the same. "I'm an illegal immigrant and I was never granted a visa. I just... disappeared and then came back some time later, for all they knew. The triads, those who had arranged the smuggling, found me and demanded that I pay back the money I owed them." He took a short pause as he rummaged through his backpack, more as an excuse to put his thoughts in order than to find anything in particular. "I'm still paying back."
"Took me a while to find my footing. I had to work every day and was paid very little. Most of the money went to my debt and for protection, they said. I could barely afford rent for a small room, let alone food." He remembered dumpster diving and sleeping on the street when his landlord would bring people over and kick him out.
"But I'm doing better now. Learning English helped a lot. That and my knack for healing, I guess. There's always a wounded Summer, somewhere."
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