Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 5, 2022 14:57:05 GMT -8
"Are you sure this is okay, Mrs. Chen? I don't want to be a bother."
The elderly woman smiled warmly at him, holding a clay pot in her hands. "-Nonsense. You helped my son find a job and make sure his papers were in order. This is the least I can do. -Let me help you set up the table, then." It would have been bad form to turn down her offer.
A few days go, Outback had reached out to Yuan, asking for a meeting. Ever since their mad dash through the Hedge, the Beast had kept a careful distance. Spring politics were shifting, he could smell it, but he wasn't at liberty to engage with them. Mitch had been making waves and the last traces of rationality the Playmate had urged him to keep some distance while things settled down. Memories of the Dancer were getting mixed up with visions from the Thorns, when Mitch had revealed a terrible temper that reminded Yuan a little too much of his time in Arcadia. He had typed and deleted several texts, before opting for temporary radio silence. Besides, if the rumours were to be believed, Mitch was busy.
Yuan had looked for a place where he could host the meeting. Sure, Henley would have had no trouble booking a venue, but the Beast wanted the home field advantage. Getting invited to a fancy restaurant could have potentially been used against him, or to buy his favour. He wondered what the meeting could possibly be about. Another daredevil venture, doubtless. Or his support in a political agenda. Either way, the Playmate had decided to hear them out and politely decline. Mrs. Chen had come to his rescue, offering her small family run restaurant for an evening. Nothing fancy, five or six tables at most, but it was cozy and warm. Yuan had met the old lady a few months back through Shen, his best friend. He had asked Yuan to help a guy get his papers in order and find legitimate work before some less savoury characters did. Now, Mrs. Chen was insistent on repaying his help. Not only had she allowed Yuan to meet Gavin and Nate at the restaurant, she had also cooked them a meal. It felt good to have his effort recognized.
When the motley arrived, he stood up to meet them at the door. He offered Gavin a fist bump, greeting his friend first, before extending his hand to Nate. "It's nice to see you again, both of you." He gestured to the table, where several dishes were already waiting for them. "Please, sit down. Mrs. Chen poured her soul into making these."
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Post by Henley on Feb 5, 2022 18:42:12 GMT -8
Nate shook the offered hand, looking up into the restaurant with a broad smile. "Please offer our wishes of a long life and good health to the chef," the Ogre extended his thanks in Mandarin, curious to know if their elderly host was about. Switching back to English, he said, "Brilliant. Authentic Chinese food is so hard to come by in Las Vegas." Not that he minded Asian fusion or chunks of pork dipped in sweet and sour sauce with a ton of MSG and the like, but the genuine article was a nice change of pace. He took a long sniff of the air and settled contentedly into his chair.
"How have you been holding up? Bit of a shake-up since Samhain, hey?"
An understatement, to be sure. A look of concern flashed across Henley's face.
"Have you been keeping safe?"
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 5, 2022 19:36:40 GMT -8
Gavin gratefully returned the fist bump with a smile toward his friend. It was an obvious accommodation to his nature that did not go unnoticed. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with us, and setting this up. It's all quite good." He settled in where directed at the table and his stomach immediately surveyed the offerings for something delicious. Apparently he was hungry. It all looked favourable, but it'd have to wait. He couldn't fathom nibbling ahead of his friends.
When someone knows the lay of the land, they'd know Henley's expressed difficulty in finding authentic cuisine was a bit an overstatement. Gavin had need to explore that particular arena previously when looking into some Black Dragon business in the past. Following their interests had expanded his list of restaurants that easily fit the bill. It was only half of them that he couldn't show his face at again without picking up unwanted eyes following him home. He'd offer the list later, not wanting to insult the current hosts.
The shake up he mentioned was on the other hand an understatement. The Beast had merely wanted to help with Spring's magic and find a good therapist. The mad adventure they'd gone on during Samhain, though it had gone about as well as could be hoped, had made massive splashes for a great many others after the group had returned. It seemed like the chaos they had been literally swimming in had clung to them long enough to drip dry back in the mundane world, getting on everything in the meantime.
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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 6, 2022 16:22:12 GMT -8
He bowed slightly to Nate in lieu of the mistress. "Of course," he simply replied to Gavin before joining the motley at the table. One by one, he took off the lids of the various pots to reveal the dishes beneath: cow stomach linings, pork rib stew, steamed white rice and an assortment of seasoned and pickled vegetables. The presence of numerous seafood dishes was telling of the Fujian roots of the cuisine. "Dig in."
yuan filled his plate before answering Henley's question. "As safe as possible without being completely idle. I'm trying to get my life back from the Wah Ching. Not exactly something I can do from the comfort of safety." The clashing Mantles were causing his feathers to stand on edge as his body tried to process feelings of vulnerability and relaxation. For a split second, Yuan considered calling the whole thing off just to make it stop. "And yeah, politics have been active from what I can tell. Mitch has been keeping busy."
"What about you guys? Oh, and congrats on your Mantle, Nate."
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Post by Henley on Feb 9, 2022 17:52:57 GMT -8
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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 9, 2022 21:15:28 GMT -8
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Post by Henley on Feb 10, 2022 11:18:00 GMT -8
"Thanks. You too. Spring's blessings upon us for a fucking whimsy train crashing through the Thorns, maybe."
Seemed fine. Good enough. The food was, too, and the Ogre tucked in like he was starving.
"Carr's doing the Lord's work. But I recognize for you that it's got to be fucking awkward, what with that part of the underworld being tied to Chugunkin's right hand man."
Blink. Fuck. Unless the Fairest got out quick, he was going to have to go in - one way or another.
"Any way I can help? I've about had it with gangsters leveraging my Courtmates."
Money might help. So might drownings. Agency would help most, though, so he waited to hear what Yuan actually wanted to do.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 10, 2022 17:57:51 GMT -8
Casting a furtive glance toward the presented food as the steam escaped, Gavin nervously clicked his chopsticks in hesitation.
The shakeups within Spring were the hot news of the Freehold. Not many got the inside view of what was going on there, but Gavin had an inkling due to his ear to the street. The discussion points were confirmation of its shape, if lacking in details.
"We've kept busy." He paused to make sure the room was clear before continuing, "the details of which are a bit out there. Very strange, but enlightening. We looked into a bit of an urban legend that turned out to have some legs running under it. We put a stop to it with some unique flair suited to our skillsets. For my part, I Got to spook some folks by making a scary sound in the distance and figured out how to make an effective ritual. All very Autumn." He looked over to Henley, not wanting to speak to too many details about his friend. He could manage his own exposure.
Best foot forward.
"Obviously we've called for this meeting with something in mind, so I won't leave you wondering. We've all worked together well in the past and to great effect. We gel well enough in general. So we've been knocking around the idea of expanding Outback, with you in mind." He didn't prepack the idea with a lot of fluff. It really wasn't his way when it came to this sort of thing. His fellow Beast would already have his instincts firing on the matter and maybe a barrage of questions.
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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 11, 2022 11:55:10 GMT -8
Yuan considered for a moment, running a mental checklist of the things he needed. "I need better ID, if I'm to strike on my own, but I don't have the money for that. Could barely afford a driver's license last time. I would also need a new Contract, something that would help me strengthen my position."
A few months ago, the Playmate wouldn't have been able to be so direct, dancing and beating around the subject. Now, things were different. If Nate was asking, it was because he was willing to help and thought Yuan was worth it. Yuan thought so too. He had filled his bowl with stew and was about to take a mouthful when Gavin's offer causes him to swallow too fast and burn his pallet. Breathing with his mouth open to cool it off, the Beast took several seconds to process what had been put on the table. His eyes darted to the Ogre to confirm that this was also what he wanted.
"I'm sorry." It was clear from his tone if Yuan was apologizing for his behaviour or if he was asking for clarification. "I mean- are you sure? I thought you guys were all about the Hedge, which isn't really my thing. I don't know how useful I would be." Realizing that it sounded like he was going to turn them down, the Playmate quickly shifted gears. "That doesn't mean I'm not open to it, just. I'm good at other things."
Was he coming across as desperate? Maybe, but in five years of busting his sanity for the freehold, not one Changeling had made this offer to him. "That is, if you guys can help me with my problems." He blinked back happy tears as laughed his crystalline chuckle. Yuan wasn't really trying to drive a hard bargain, mostly attempting to save some face.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 11, 2022 14:12:46 GMT -8
"First off, yeah man. Sure we have an apparent focus, but there's more to it and us than that. There's the Hedge and there's the value that can be had from it. With Aftermath open, there's all kinds of interest in what's over there, and we all know it spreads a bit beyond just our people. So you being more grounded in the world is a good thing." He paused for effect. "Seeing the people coming and going and being tied into the local culture where the doors are would be a solid contribution." The Razorhand wasn't blind or deaf to it himself with his street experience, but he could only do so much to connect with it due to his unnerving presence, even after his Icon had returned a lot of his perspective.
He was mostly interested in esoterica and stealing the magic of Faerie to twist it against the Others anyway.
"Then there's the dangers from there that can bleed back, yeah? Black Dragons for example, they find a way to cross the road and they are bringing all kinds of trouble for us and the people in the area. Having a shot at knowing what they're up to is good. Hearing about troubles from the community and being able to interact with them productively is good. People we don't see are going to have problems--Hobs calling in debts or some token activating--they won't understand. Upticks in people going missing that aren't explained by mundane means. You know community interests. You get it." It wasn't all adventure all the time with no responsibilities. The gravy train also needed to be protected or it might get derailed or coopted by other interests.
"Sure you might end up in the Hedge a bit more frequently than you expected. For those times, I'd want you to remember that you held it together in there, even in the depths of it. Far better than many, in my experience. Though caution is warranted. It will always be a risk to plan for and mitigate." Many others were not well suited to travelling those roads and it was a wonder how they'd even managed to escape in the first place, or were too traumatized to function in there after their return.
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Post by Henley on Feb 11, 2022 21:29:43 GMT -8
Henley nodded along with Gavin's assessment of the situation. "Yep. There is enough shit going on in the Real that connects back to the Hedge that having someone with their ear to the ground never hurt... plus, you should give yourself more credit. You did very well in the Thorns on no notice. Many would have died, and we came out on top. That wasn't an accident. Your management of people's stability was a great asset." He flashed a grin.
"I can help you. With your ID problem, and potentially elsewise. With the Joyeux moving on to a new role, it falls to all of Spring to help people find better lives, and a strong identity is key to all of that. But I suppose the question for you is, what plan have you got so far? For your Wah Ching complications, I mean?"
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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 13, 2022 22:12:56 GMT -8
Yuan blushed slightly at the compliments that were being paid to him. " Thanks guys. I appreciate that."
The Playmate took a sip of rice wine to cool his burned mouth. "Sir Alexandrite has offered to create a power vacuum that I could occupy to improve my situation." It wasn't the best, but it's what he had. "The rest is up to me. I think I'll take them up on it. I can't keep hiding behind others all my life."
"I also think I'll try my had at politics. I mean- I get around, I know people. It's a shit show out there and I'm clearly picking sides with my vassalage. Whether I like it or not, I'll get dragged into it eventually so I might as well take the initiative."
"What about you guys? I'd like to know your plans for the future before I make a decision."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Feb 13, 2022 23:11:29 GMT -8
The Beast noticed he'd been talking a while and hadn't started in on the food. He quickly corrected that.
"My personal focus is on advancing my understanding of the esoteric and picking up some nuanced stuff. I want to help shore up our walls and keep the wolves at bay. Maybe change the locks somehow. You know how your stuff is broken and there's an invasion--It's all related. Given how things have been going, I'm thinking your side isn't the only one that doesn't like the price of entry."
"The other side of the tracks offers a bounty of possible resources. Demand for what's in there really helps with getting useful returns and making allies."
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Post by Henley on Feb 17, 2022 16:25:24 GMT -8
A power vacuum, huh? That sounded specific, and Henley was streetwise enough to know that probably meant someone was about to have a bad day. It made sense from a tactical standpoint, especially given the conflict within their Court. It was a decent way to get information. Still, it was concerning that Yuan's answer to being stuck in the underworld was to go deeper into the underworld. He glanced at Gavin at that piece, resisting the urge to shrug.
"You're right. There are politics coming, and we're either playing them or being played by them. I swore to Nimbus after we got Squire Carr up and running. He's connected and dangerous, and with him actually throwing his weight around, it makes Nimbus's political base strong enough that I don't need to worry too much about being muscled by the mafia. You'll notice where all the rich people are in this conflict, and who they're not sworn to."
Chugunkin. He didn't have the money that Nimbus, Buck and Henley did, but he sure as hell had reach, muscle and raw tenure.
"I do intend to support our Queen and move the chessboard in her favor, but quietly. Right now, I've also got Gavin and Cartwright to think about. Gavin's objectives benefit us all, and are longer term than our Court's current challenges, and Tony's human. If I pick a side too hard and too openly before the time is right, Outback becomes Capital 'I' Involved and that complicates our currently neutral reputation. Subtlety is going to mean a lot in the near term."
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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 17, 2022 16:42:48 GMT -8
Yuan couldn't tell if Nate was trying to dissuade him or simply offer advice. The Courser could probably figure it out with little effort, but he felt this was the type of things they should be able to discuss if they were to form a motley.
"Is it, and please be honest with me, going to be trouble for you guys? Any of what I'm planning to do. Because I'm not going to back down. It might not be the best answer, but it's mine. I've spent the last five years doing what others wanted and it has made me miserable." The Playmate wiped his mouth with a napkin and put down his utensils, flat on the table. "At the same time, I care about you guys - we've been in a motley together, even if it was temporary. I don't want you to suffer the consequences of my decisions."
"I can't tell if you're trying to warn me or scare me."
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