Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Jan 19, 2022 11:50:47 GMT -8
Cleo's. Yuan couldn't remember who told him about this place, but it couldn't have been anyone reputable.
First of all, it was in Whitney. Sure, on the Paradise side of Whitney, but Whitney nonetheless. Second of all, you wouldn't know that there was a dive bar behind the black door with a single, dull light bulb burning overtop. Its alleyway was shared with the usual suspects: rats, sewage and overflowing garbage. The clientele of Cleo's was also exactly what one would expect.
All in all, it was a great place for what the Playmate had in mind. He had called Aster Blau earlier that evening and asked that they pooled their respective connections to Summer to make a meeting with Loki and Eurydice happen. Yuan trusted that Alexandrite would keep their promise of help, but he also needed to survive in the mean time.
He dressed as simply as he could, jeans, running shoes and a brown hoodie, but he still like someone modelling on a homelessness inspired runway. That, and the act that he was the only Chinese person around. Not bothering to smile at anyone who glared, he simply sat at one of the empty tables and ordered whatever was on tap.
He was ready to wait.
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Post by Aster Blau on Jan 20, 2022 21:37:09 GMT -8
Aster arrived in usual fare, sporting worn jeans, boots, an old t-shirt, and her trusty leather jacket. Her face itself was rested in the expression of one used to hard company, her neutral expression easily coming off as mildly contemptuous. Sometimes people called it resting bitch face, but Aster can't help that now can she?
Spotting Yuan, the Viper moved in a confident stride, offering a nod of acknowledgement, but offering little in the way of words. They were still waiting on two others. Talk could wait. Thus, Aster settled in, her scent smelling slightly of tobacco and motor oil, and seated herself at an empty chair.
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Post by Eurydice on Jan 23, 2022 0:10:21 GMT -8
Eurydice wore a red trench coat with stilettos and leather pants, popping into focus as her Crown took control of people's attention. Heads and gazes trailed after her, skittish and intrigued from the Mantle. Loki had the opposite effect, with the criminally connected making a point not to be caught in a mistaken stare down, not looking to gaze at the solar flare that instinctually hurt to engage. A few even left the bar all together with feigned casualness. The jacket over a casual crew neck openly bore the sigil of his Entitlement, with the eyepatch doing more than enough to be distinct among the rest of the other gangsters.
The Summers great their courtmate first, with Eurydice having a predatory aura to her Draconic grin as she eyed Yuan after the blue serpent's still manner of taking her in. Loki offered a calloused hand to each in turn, the imagined radiation of his Mantle burning for a brief flash before anything got too uncomfortable. His wyrd connections were more obvious up close with a hairline that literally smoldered, and a light source coming from the inside like he had swallowed coals.
The Elemental ordered a pitcher without much thought or fuss while the Draconic made basic small talk about what the other two had been up to, letting Mantles and the hesitation of rank settle and pass to something casual.
"You've been getting loud at the tail end of the year," Eurydice laughed, with the comment on boldness to be taken as a compliment.
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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 Jan 24, 2022 16:48:59 GMT -8
Yuan took another swig of his bock. He wasn't used to so much Summer's presence and was doing his best to not wiggle in his chair.
"Well, you know. Trying to take control of my life and all that." The Playmate winced as the ringing in his ear signalled the lack of perfection. Was Mitch rubbing off on him? He replaced his hair in a reflexory gesture that betrayed his mood to those who knew him. He bent his upper body over the table, bowing slightly to express his gratitude. "I thank you for answering our summons. It means a lot to me."
He noted the people leave, emptying the place of eavesdroppers. It must be nice to have a reputation.
"I'll go straight to the point. I'm looking to take charge of my situation, which happen to be working for the Chinese Triads. I'm hoping you will share your experience with me."
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Post by Aster Blau on Jan 24, 2022 19:06:52 GMT -8
As Eurydice and Loki arrive, the Viper rises from her chair as they strode to the table. Aster was a simpler creature than most, but she understood respect and the Summers before her were more aligned with the Season than herself. The serpentine Beast offers Loki her hand in turn, her vibrant gaze falling squarely on the Torrent's face as they exchanged their simple, silent greeting. Eurydice's aura draws her look next, the grin drawing a fanged smirk across the Viper's lips as she offered her compliments.
"A hunter has to hunt," the Serpent offered plainly, coupling the words with a slight shrug, before switching to Spanish for a brief moment, the smile slipping slightly, "I've already been hiding way too long."
Then sweet Yuan drops the bomb, going straight to business after Aster orders a Modelo. Aster stays silent as the bottle reaches the table, clearly musing over what to say as claws clinked on the glass in thought. Finally, the bottle was raised with the Beast imbibing in the golden nectar within before bringing it down.
"Well, I can't speak to too much, bud," Aster said, "My gig is more freelance... I ain't ever been part of the real deal, but I got history. I owe a shotcaller my life. He's gone now, but I haven't forgotten. His people took a chance, I did some work for 'em, and I learned what it meant to be loyal. Simple as that."
Given the plainness of her tone and her evident scarring, Aster didn't feel she really needed to elaborate on what she had done for the Cartel. Those gathered knew what she was capable of.
Then Aster leaned in, curiously eyeing the Peacock as she mulled over some new question.
"You tryna change teams or something?" she asked, keeping her voice low, "Dunno if I'd recommend it, but, hey, what do I know?"
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Post by Eurydice on Jan 24, 2022 22:04:54 GMT -8
Loki remained quiet, waiting for more information before he offered much and indulged his drink. The world was always a little too slow for him, so he had learned to be patient in conversation. Eurydice offered Aster a wink as the Viper indulged, though showed sympathy as the Playmate cut to the chase and Aster revealed the realities of gang ties,
"There's lots of ways to go about that," she said, brow furrowing as she tested whatever Loki had just ordered. "Do you want them to be your asset, or your enemy?"
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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 Jan 27, 2022 15:16:30 GMT -8
"Oh no, nothing so sinister," he assured Aster. "I just want my conditions to be livable. I can't leave, so I'm looking to make the most out of it."
He focused on Eurydice, looking at her chin while he tried to tune in on what she was saying. The headache was back. "Asset. The problem is getting them to take me seriously. I'm not exactly intimidating." He swept the table and those gathered with his topaz eyes. They were all hardened and imposing in their own right. He wondered if they say him as prey. His feathers rustled when the anxiety settled in.
"I'll understand if you don't want to help me. Competition and all that."
He looked at Loki, who had remained quiet. Was he finishing his drink before leaving?
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Post by Aster Blau on Jan 27, 2022 17:53:57 GMT -8
Aster granted Eurydice a smile as she winked The Bronze Dragon seemed friendly enough. Aster was a friend of the Cartel, albeit a reclusive one. However, with Lost active in the local branches maybe it was time to become more involved. Maybe the time was coming to inquire about membership.
At the assurance and Yuan's explanation of what he wished to accomplish, Aster offered a nod, mulling over his situation as he presented is.
"Thing is..." she began, "You don't need to make folks shit their pants for them to treat you with respect. Sure, there's lots of folks that works for, myself included, but there's more than one way to skin a cat, you feel?"
The Viper would lean back, lazily lifting her beer for another pull before continuing.
"Cartel didn't get interested in me for my good looks or my bedside manner, if you catch my meaning," she said, "My scars showed I had been in a few scraps in my time and overtime I showed them I could hold my own. I was muscle and they knew I was good at it. I think what ya need to do is sorta figure out why the hell they got interested in you in the first place and play the role. Do it well and people will notice."
Then came a frown.
"Then again, if what they saw was an easy, indebted mark, you got a bigger problem," she mused, "And the time is coming for ya to pull a few new tricks out of the bag."
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Post by Eurydice on Jan 29, 2022 15:53:07 GMT -8
Loki locked eyes with Yuan as the Playmate analyzed him, more on reflex than any sort of aggressive gesture. He seemed to be taking his own measure of the pair, but his eye seemed to twitch rapidly instead of blinking; he was distracted and mulling something in his head. Eurydice might have dragged him out to get him away from work, and he was struggling to reset and place himself in the Now.
"You would be working against the reputation you already have," Eurydice explained. "You're right that you're working at a disadvantage, which I'm sure Aster's just as familiar with as I am." The Draconic's attention flicked to the serpent, acknowledging that Yuan's description didn't call direct attention to the issues of femininity among gang structures. She might lend some insight on the experience—close allies would acknowledge your capabilities, but you were never going to be 'one of the guys' until your proved yourself all over again. "Aster was approached, not indentured. You're a servant until you break that expectation, and you will never escape that perception playing nice and being mistaken for someone's glorified rent boy. You can raise your value, but it will be on the rails and almost always guided by how much someone favours you."
Her words were blunt, but she didn't capture a tone of judgement. Yuan worked at a message parlor and was valued for specific qualities; his actual role didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The slits of her eyes narrowed as she ran a tongue over pointed teeth.
"What kind of 'respect' do you want? There's a difference between having assets and being an asset."
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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 Jan 30, 2022 18:38:07 GMT -8
"I didn't have a choice to work with them. The Wah Ching paid for my immigration, so now I'm paying back." He frown slightly, but quickly dismissed the wrinkles on his forehead with another sip. He must have sounded pathetic to them.
There's a difference between having assets and being an asset.
That was really what it boiled down to, wasn't it. Both within the Triads and the Freehold, he was an asset, something to be used without much care. He had hoped that by doing what was expected of him, he would receive gratitude and appreciation. Instead, he was met with ever increasing demands.
Yuan set down his buck with more force than was really necessary. When he spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically detached and quiet; the Playmate was worried his inner turmoil would spill out and went the extra mile to reign it in.
"No," he answered the Dragon. "I am done being treated like an object. Done letting other decide how I live my life. I know I'll never be as intimidating as you, but I can't- I won't spend another second under someone's heel." His knuckles turned pale from clenching the bock.
"I want better for myself."
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Post by Aster Blau on Jan 30, 2022 23:07:31 GMT -8
There was a visible sense of pride in Aster as Eurydice acknowledged the Cartel saw her as a figure of worth. Aster had been asked to help the Cartel, she hadn't been told and both had benefited. However, the Dragon was right, Aster could not overly sympathize or understand Yuan's situation. He was a servant forced into performing Wah Ching's bidding and he didn't feel he had the grit to make them see the folly in it.
Far as the Viper was concerned, there was no gentle way for his association in the Wah Ching to shift to the pasture he intended, but she'd keep that to herself. His skills with a gun aside, Yuan seemed more interested in other aspects of his life than with fighting. It'd be better to leave Eurydice to coax Yuan into a revelation of what he needed to do. She would likely be more successful than Aster would be.
Thus, Aster remained silent, her gaze eventually drifting to the silent Loki to see if he had any input to share.
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Post by Loki on Jan 30, 2022 23:47:25 GMT -8
The Fireheart did the same courtesy as he did with the Emerald Beast when it came to meeting Aster's unblinking focus. The second pint was gone as the Mantle swept across the table in the wave of a solar flare.
"What you look like shouldn't factor in. You're never going to shake looking like a little bitch."
Loki's frown was serious as he reflected on how the Game had changed over the years. "It's about applying pressure at the proper points to break the structure. If you want to step to someone, you control the escalation, and make sure they're never going to retaliate." His remaining eye blinked as he considered how to elaborate. "No one just beats on one another anymore to prove a point. Knives come out just as quick as guns, and fights become an uncontrolled spread unless you suffocate the source. Revenge and hesitation will kill you before anything else. Everyone's scared, now, and don't have a lot to lose other than their dignity, so they'll take your life for the value that it's come to. Which is absolutely nothing."
There was an intense, jaded nature to his words, for a man steeped in the radiated corpses of the War Machine, his murderous Entitlement, and the trail of blood of Cartel violence. "They already like you. But you want control. To play, you leave yourself at the threshold—in a world with morality. Your Mask has to adapt to that persona, where you can declare your power without question, and make that declaration in a controlled gamble, so the next bullet doesn't catch you. Do you get it? Fawkes isn't scary because he's placid and soft spoken. He's scary because when people started asking him to be their bitch, he crushed their nose flat against a table until they got the message. I'm not alive because everyone knows it just takes a well timed drive-by, it's because everyone's more scared of the consequences if they miss. You gotta be. Fucking. Crazy. No one fucks with crazy. And that's what we are, at the end of the day. You just need to deploy it, and learn when and where."
His head leaned to the side as he scanned the ceiling and mulled something, finger twitching against the surface of the table as he traced something tactile to ground the speed of his thoughts and leaving a scorch mark with the slight movements. "Ser Alex—never thought that would come out of my mouth—he's mentioned that he's profiling so we wouldn't clash in the field. My bet'd be that he's going to offer to make a power vacuum for you to fill. You just have to be willing to carry the rep. Send a message and coast for a bit until the next one steps to you."
The coals behind his eyes glow like a predator catching the light.
"You bleed them enough and keep them nervous, they won't want to try again."
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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 Feb 2, 2022 14:36:20 GMT -8
The radiation washed over his skin, causing anger to rise closer to the surface. "So those are my options? Suffer or make others suffer." Was this the control of one's situation Alexandrite had told him about? More than anything else, Yuan prided himself on his people skills, his ability to build and maintain rapport. Getting random blood on his person somehow sat wrong with the Laws of Arcadia that bound him.
"For fuck's sake, i just want to have some say in my own fucking life, not become a hardened criminal." Beat. He arched an eyebrow at Loki. "Surely there has to be a way to make 'looking like a little bitch' work for me." Insults of this type had long since stopped bothering him - they had moved into the category of facts of life. After all, Yuan been engineered to look that way. Every little detail modelled to make him as perfect and non-threatening as possible. How could these flawed sacks of viscera even presume to judge him on-
The Playmate cut off that train of thought. Summer's influence was bringing out the ugly in him. Instead, Yuan chose to redirect his attention to Eurydice. "Has this been your experience as well?"
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Post by Aster Blau on Feb 3, 2022 18:44:50 GMT -8
Aster sat and listened, bathing in the flare of Loki's mantle as he shared his thoughts. She and the Chevalier seemed to have an accord. Then came sweet Yuan's little rebuttal. He spoke of desiring agency and living a normal life, but the reality was that was probably beyond him unless he tried making moves against the Wah Ching. Which was a poor move, considering his debt.
"So those are my options? Suffer or make others suffer."
"I mean... yeah. Kinda," Aster quipped, clawed fingers tinking against the glass of her beer as her gaze rested on the Peacock, "People in our line of work don't rise by being soft, Yuan. You want people to take you serious? You need to show them that's in their best interest. If you can do that by being meek, you'd be the first. At least in my experience. You wanna be kind, that's fine, but if you don't show that you shouldn't be fucked with, you're gonna keep being a doormat."
The Viper paused, hoping her words sank in.
"No hate, just facts," she said, ending the statement with another deep drink.
As the conversation turned back to Eurydice, the Viper said nothing. Eurydice's story was her own to tell.
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Post by Eurydice on Feb 6, 2022 22:54:53 GMT -8
Eurydice snorted into her drink at Aster's blunt response to the Emerald's distress. She didn't find Yuan's suffering entertaining, but the indignation at finding out where the walls were was ultimately endearing. She still had a soft spot for the Court she had spent half her time as a changeling within, understanding the Playmate's distress and looking to cut the strings lest he feel trapped. Loki nodded along Aster's offer that the Emerald didn't have to step outside what he wasn't willing to do, rolling his eyes as he started on a second pint. Torrents didn't get it sometimes.
"Yuan, he was answering to the preferences you had requested," Eurydice reassured, waving off his anxiety. "You don't want to be someone's purse or trophy. This is how you would cut the strings, and risk what happens next. There's a freedom to that in itself, I think... but you're asking about my experience?"
She considered, trying to distill something very complicated into digestible advice to give the other a sense of ease and choices. "Depends on whether you're asking about the Spring Court, or the Cartel. With the mundane, I've never felt the need to cause trouble for myself, because I knew the consequences it would have on my family and those close to me. I played the game because I have responsibilities, Yuan." One sibling was dead, and her parents looked to her to mentor the youngest. "I wasn't interested in trying to play The American Dream when I came out of the Thorns—why would I ascribe to a set of rules that were never written for me? My parents are immigrants and unwelcome, and I'm one of the Lost, so I cheat... Shamelessly," she explained with a rich laugh.
"I threw around enchantments and took the slots that opened up for me. I danced, but I made myself exclusive and something to be desired, and made sure when one wanted me too much, I would direct their Desire. My friends were the violent ones—until an opportunity presented itself to make a statement and prove loyalties. Now I have a business that's crucial to their community and would be very, very disruptive to a lot of happy families if something were to happen to it. This took about six years, though, and I played a part because my true life among the Lost kept me focused. But I didn't like it. Now, jealous rivals are my friends and the men who felt they could touch me whenever now try to buy me. When they do see me as a threat to their pride, I direct their attention elsewhere. I find this more fun than draining, however."
Eurydice was a Fairest first. She was playing, now, as opposed to surviving.
She also was aware that weaponizing desirability and familial safe havens was a limited choice with the Playmate, given the culture of the Triad, while Loki was anchoring reality from a masculine perspective.
"If you want to step away clean, I have to say that nothing short of moving and changing your face would make that a reality. That will always be an option for you. As you are, you're never out of the game, Yuan; they will always want something from you long after you've cleared the field, and they will always remember you as you pass them on the street."
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