12949/The Morning After...

The Morning After...
Date of Scene:	03 April 2021
Location:	Apartment 214, Hugo Building
Synopsis:	A surprise is delivered to Vitali, from Willow, with interesting timing.
Cast of Characters:	Vitali Svyatoslav, Willow Rosenberg, Xiang Zhao, Phobos

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Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's relatively early in the morning. The previous day is the one that Vitali had spent away from the apartment. He'd left a note, at least, so he hadn't simply been just vanishing on either Willow or Zhao. He hadn't said anything to either of them before leaving, he'd simply been gone very early in the morning and then back later than they normally go to bed.

The room itself is quiet. The bedroom door to what has become Zhao and Vitali's room is partway open. From within the opening, there is a tail that extends out into the main room. A very bushy tail. It's mostly whitish-grey but has black spots along it. Those familiar with the sight of such a thing would recognize it as belonging to a snow leopard.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had gone out early, and had to be quiet.. just in case. But she was excited! Today was the arrival of the parcel. A quick little *squee* had escaped to find it was not a joke, but a reality. Of course she would have to repay the favour, even if she didn't know what it would be. It was worth it!

The door was quietly opened and shut. Time to make tea.. *squee*

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao, on the other hand, had not left a note. Then again, he left at the usual time of day he leaves to go off and do ... whatever it is a Xiang Zhao do. He likely hadn't planned on being gone for as long as he had. There hadn't been a note letting either of them know anything, not even after it had gotten late. As consciencous as Xiang usually is, that had been unusual in and of itself.

Now, it's early in the morning, and Xiang returns. He actually comes in through the front door, rather than the balcony of the bedroom like he usually does. He turns to close and lock the door behind him, then steps on into the apartment. As it happens, just after Willow had done the same!

He pauses as he turns and sees her heading for the kitchen. "Zaoshang hao," he says. A thing he has a tendency to say in the mornings. Good morning. For a change, his long, dark hair is pulled forward over his shoulders. Usually, it's flipped back over his back.

Phobos has posed:
    Free time has become more and more of a rarity for the young man known as Alexander Aaron. A world of difference from college and training, where everything was nicely set into bite sized chunks that he could excel at and blast through then do whatever he wanted to do. Actually having a /job/ made him have to put in time. And do things. And be /judged/ for it, which isn't too exceptional except that part of the judging comes from _punctuality_ and presence and... not falling asleep. And that's just. Blargh.
    Yet he has been doing well. Though it does make him value when he has some time free. And makes him spend it on things that are usually more important than his former preference of watching tv in his underwear. Now he was out on the streets! Not just in his underwear, but in civvy clothes as well. Jeans, a t-shirt, a backpack tossed over one shoulder. He gave a glance to his phone as he followed the directions to the particular apartment building. A few strides carry him up the steps and eventually... he'll be at the door as well. Even knocking perchance.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There are scents which come to tickle the nose of the snow leopard. There's a slight wiggle of his nose, and then the flick of an ear at a sound that comes from the main room. The black and white tail of the creature gives a light swish across the floor, the end of it flicking just so. There's a brief flicker of his eyelids, and then a slow pair of blinks that come from the creature. Vitali yawns, a gesture that's full of sharp fangs and a curling pink tongue, and then he stretches one of his front legs, his sharp claws extending. One of his ears turntowards the direction of the door at hearing the knock upon it.

Softly, he brings himself to his paws, wearily, and the tail that was resting upon the floor rising with him. He chuffs his breath through his mouth, through his nose, and after licking his nose, he turns to nudge the door further open in order to take a step beyond the door, into the main room. He is... a number of inches larger than the average snow leopard, and heavier as well.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil. While she waited she grabbed up some other things: Toast, peanut butter, the rest of the day old donuts, some fruit. Things like that. Putting them on a tray, and all the tea things, she was ready!

"Tali! Xiang! Breakfast!" She walked from the kitchen and looked for a space on the coffee table.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
With the knock on the door, still at his back for Xiang hasn't yet moved away from it, he turns. His brow furrows as he first unlocks it and then opens it to peer outside. He looks up and down the hall. "The hall is empty," he says thoughtfully. Then looks down to see a card on the floor. He crouches down to pick it up, his hair sliding forward in the process. When he stands back up, there's a soft sound from him, and a pause, before he stands fully upright. He holds in his hands a printed up sheet of paper. It's bright, oranges mostly. On it in English is printed an advert to join The Open Door Christian Church for festivities for Ressurection Sunday on April 21st. Either the soliciters snuck past the guard to get up here, or they bribed him.

As Xiang closes the door and locks it, he turns to face the room again. His left hand reaches up to gently sweep his hair on that side back over his shoulder. An unconscious movement that perhaps reveals what he'd been trying to hide with his hair hanging forward instead of against his back. A bruise with scorch marks centered on it, in the distinct shape of fingers. He also seems to be moving pretty... carefully. Rather than the normal fluid grace he generally displays. He's being careful, rather than graceful.

"I do not know what this is. What is Ressurection Sunday?" He glances at the big snow leopard as he emerges from the room. "Zaoshang hao, Tali-gege," he says, looking at the cat as he says that. He flips the flyer over in his hand and looks at the back, but the back is blank. All the information is on the front of the paper.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The ears of the snow leopard flicker a little bit, listening to the sounds that Willow makes in getting breakfast prepared and brought into the room. He chuffs a breath through his nose, the sound soft. Vitali pads quietly to move further into the main room, lifting his head to snuffle the smells in the air. His mouth is partially open, and he chuffs another breath.

There's a flicker of curiosity within his dark eyes, and he tilts his head faintly to one side, his ears perking up as he watches Zhao step to the door. His nose wiggles a little bit, taking in the scents that are clinging to Zhao. There's a flicker of concern that reflects in his dark eyes, and he pads over towards the man, the end of his tail flicking. Once he reaches Zhao, he nudges his nose against the hand which is holding the card, if he's allowed.

There's a chuff of breath, and he looks towards the bruises that he can see before he licks his nose. Then he gives a soft mrowl of sound, the sound inquisitive.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It's the Christian holiday.." And there she pauses, not quite with a scream, but with a 'eeeeek..?'

"What is that over there?!" Willow points with her chin. "Tell me that not a snow leopard? Tell me, please." She was trying to think how would she explain not an eagle, but an eagle /and/ a great big snow leopard to the management. So far she hasn't moved with the teatray.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao doesn't move his hand away. Instead, he flips the flyer over so that Vitali can see it more clearly, the print side toward the snow leopard. "It seems to be.. asking people to come to an event? I am uncertain," he says. With the question not asked via actual words, Xiang Zhao.. is bad. And pretends the inquisitive sound wasn't made at all in the first place. Thus, no answers are given. At least, not to Vitali's curious mind. With what he hopes is a casual motion, Xiang flips his hair back over his shoulder to hide the bruise again. Oops. He hadn't meant to let it be seen!

He blinks at Willow's reaction, and then chuckles quietly. "That is a snow leopard who's name is Vitali," he replies. He reaches over to set the flyer on whatever is closest, and then with a motion that is probably somewhat unconscious, he reaches out to the snow leopard. His hand is placed gently atop the great head. "See? It is Vitali. He will not harm you." He seems to be utterly sure of that.

"Christian holiday? Christian. That is a religion, yes?" Xiang Zhao doesn't seem to be entirely certain of that. "It worships a single deity?"

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The pause of Willow's steps earns Vitali's attention, and he turns his head towards her, tilting his head faintly to one side. He chuffs a breath out of his nose, and one of his ears flickers a little bit. Listening to Willow, to what she says. He glances to the tray she holds, then back to her face, and then he looks up to Zhao. He extends his nose towards the flyer, sniffing it a little bit before he sneezes. There's a brief glance in the direction of the now hidden bruise, and he gives a quiet sound.

His head tilts to one side as Zhao explains to Willow, and he bobs his head once in a bit of a nod. Agreeing with the words. And when Zhao's hand settles upon his head, he rumbles a warm purr of sound, his eyes falling closed at the touch. Shifting his weight, he leans a little bit against Zhao, settling his rump to the ground to be sitting rather than standing.

He keeps his eyes closed for a long few moments, resting against Zhao. It takes him a moment after that to focus his concentration. There is a soft green light that envelopes him, shimmering in swirling shades of green much like the aurora borealis does. After a few seconds, the green light fades and, where the snow leopard was is instead Vitali, kneeling on the ground. He's dressed, wearing a pair of blue jeans but with his torso bare. His skin has traces of colour to it here and there, like residual colour left behind from homemade paint.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Vitali.. was that leopard?

It wasn't that she had never knew a shape-shifter (for example, Mercy, or Oz), she just didn't expect one in her apartment! As he shifts back to normal, she carefully goes around to put the tea tray on the coffee table. "Do you always turn into a snow leopard?"

Willow gestures to the men. "I brought some breakfast. Would you like tea? Could you pour it, Vitali? Please." She was smiling quite a bit.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Once again, any quiet sounds that might pertain to the once again hidden bruise are quite ignored. Xiang Zhao glances down to the leopard as he is leaned against, and he pats the top of the head. "Take it easy, yes? I am a bit.. sore." Ooh, Xiang actually admitted something! Nobody faint!

He glances down as the snow leopard becomes the man. And... what he was comfortable with when Vitali wore the shape of a giant hairy house cat, he seems no longer comfortable with now that the shape is a human's. He lifts his hand from the top of the Siberian's head and brings it to rest at his front, resting atop the flute tucked there. His left gets tucked at the small of his back.

Xiang grows quiet... quieter... as Willow talks, but nods about breakfast. "Breakfast is good. Tomorrow, I shall prepare something. If.. you show me the use of the oven. And tea. Yes, tea, please."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a small smile that finds the corners of his lips as Vitali opens his eyes to turn his gaze towards Willow. "Nyet, ne vsegda," he says softly, then gives a faint shake of his head at the words, "Not always. Sometimes... others." Others? Does he mean other shapes or something else? It could be hard to tell, given that he doesn't lend any sort of clarification about it beyond that. Yet, at least.

At the mention of breakfast and tea, his attention perks up a little bit. And then he gives a little bit of a nod. "Da, can pour," he says softly. He looks towards Zhao, studying him for a long moment, and he gives a small nod. There's a part of him that wants to offer healing, for the bruise that's now hidden. But he doesn't. "Have salve. Is good for bruise," he says quietly.

It takes him a moment before he shifts his weight, getting himself to his feet before crossing over to the coffee table. His bare feet make little in the way of sounds on the floor, though his steps are steady enough. Once he's to the coffee table, he lowers to his knees again before reaching out to the teapot, picking it up and starting to pour. He doesn't pour much, though, before setting the teapot back to the tray and looking to Willow. "Is... not tea?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Well that's odd!

"There's no tea?" Willow snaps her fingers of one hand. "Oh yeah! I'd forgotten. I needed some tea, so I got some. Would you get it out of my satchel. It's in the parcel."

Now Willow is quite capable of getting her own tea out of her satchel. Still, she asks Vitali. Quite strange!

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao hadn't ever actually asked about any other shapes Vitali might wear. At the time, it had been a day, and hadn't ever come up again afterward. Now, he's not really thinking about it. The offer of salve, however... "Mm." There's a short pause, then a nod. "I would trouble you to put it on. I cannot see this one," he says, gesturing with his right hand to his throat, "Unless I use a mirror. And I cannot reach most of the rest." Wait. What? The rest?

He looks curiously as it is announced that the tea is not tea, but water. Xiang doesn't comment. He isn't certain what is going on. Instead, he flips his sleeve out a bit, and tucks his right hand back to his waist, resting once again atop the flute there.

Xiang Zhao does not interfere in whatever it is Willow has planned. Instead, he walks over to the couch and sits down on it. A very soft sound can be heard as he sits all the way down, and his movements are definitely what one would consider.. cautious. Curiously, his clothing has wrinkles that it hadn't had the day before. Like it had gotten soaked and then dried afterward. He draws his legs up beneath him until he's sitting cross-legged, and flips the front edge of his robes out so they hang smoothly.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a flicker of curiosity that shoes in his dark eyes as he watches Willow, listening to her words, and he gives a small nod at the question she asks. Yet her explanation of the situation seems reasonable, and he has no cause to question it. He gives a small nod to her, and then he gets to his feet in order to head over to her satchel and open it in order to get out the parcel. He takes a moment to study the parcel, giving a brief glance towards Willow.

Then Vitali turns his attention over to Zhao, nad he tilts his head slightly to one side. "Is no trouble, Zhao. Will put salve on bruises. Not mind. Will help," he says softly. He doesn't ask after the 'rest' that Zhao had mentioned, but there is a flicker of concern that touches his dark eyes.

It's only then that he looks down to the package in order to open it.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
The parcel takes up almost the entire satchel, and it is wrapped firmly. When Vitali opens it up, there are several things in it. First the tea, special from back home. But there is more: A whole bunch of seeds (to be in their garden!) And a whole lot of letters to Vitali.

Willow keep her eyes on Vitali, holding her breath. Waiting..

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Once he's settled, Xiang Zhao turns his full attention to that parcel and Vitali as well. Curious as to what might be in it. A single nod to Vitali at the willingness to help. "Mm." The corners of his eyes wrinkle just a bit with the smile that touches nothing but his eyes and the barest corners of his mouth.

Xiang glances once to Willow as he notices she's holding her breath. His lips twitch. This is proving to be an interesting event to watch! His dark eyes then go back to Vitali to watch the opening of the parcel.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The first thing that his gaze falls onto, within the package, is the tea. Just as it would have been dried and kept at home, in a clay wide-mouth jar with a circle of hide for a lid that was held on with braided long grasses. He blinks a couple of times, in quick succession, then casts a brief glance towards Willow before his attention goes back to the package. Carefully, he picks up the jar in his left hand, and he lightly brushes the pad of his thumb over the front of it.

That's when he notices the seeds, and the letters. Holding the package, he slowly sinks to his knees there. It's... overwhelming to him. To be given such a thing. He closes his eyes, and there's a tear that slips down his cheek. "Kak...? Kak eto vozmozhno?" he whispers softly. And then he's quiet for a moment. "Bol'shoye spasibo, Willow...," he whispers. And it takes him amoment before he seems to realize he spoke Russian instead of English. "Thank you... very much."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I understood." Really thank-you comes in all forms.

Then Willow takes a time and asks him, "It's the right tea? And I couldn't be there so I trusted the courier to bring back as many of the seeds that you would be planting..Oh! And and and!!" Here she clasps her hands. "They sent letters! For you! Everybody!"

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao is quite content to sit, right where he is for the moment. He seems happy to just not be moving. And to watch Vitali get something interesting. The reaction, while appearing to upset the Siberian, Xiang knows him well enough to know it's the opposite. That curls his lips up a bit. He's happy for his friend.

'Thank you's do come in all forms, and sometimes, like now, it's easy to understand. He doesn't comment. It doesn't seem to be needed in this moment.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There is a little nod that comes from him at her question about the tea, and there's a warm smile that finds his features as he looks to her and gives another little nod. "Da, is right tea," Vitali affirms. It had been his choice, after a fashion, to come here to New York, but that didn't make it an easy choice or journey. And it hadn't stopped him from missing home.

"Not knowing how is possible for bring small piece of home, here. Is best gift of name day," he says softly, giving a small nod, and there's a bit of colour to his cheeks. Perhaps embarassed at getting emotional. "Did not expect gift," he adds, a bit sheepishly. It was a surprise! He carefully sets the jar of tea back into the package, then lifts his hand to brush his fingers over his cheeks. "Did see letters. Will read, later. Make answers," he adds, giving a small nod. Especially for the ones from his family. He looks to Willow for a moment, then over to Xiang, and he tilts his head faintly to one side, in that curious manner of his. "Can make tea. Would like?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow giggles. "The teapot is ready. I wanted you to be confused as to why I did not remember to put it in." Meanwhile.. she had a surprise all along. "It's probably too early to put them out in the earth yet, besides, we have to sign up for a garden plot. It's easy, I'll take care of that. We'll have to have the seedlings indoors to start with. We can go to the store and get all that you need!"

She includes Xiang. "I don't have native p,ants, but I'm willing that the chinese grocery has some."

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao closes his eyes and rests his arms on his knees. He is listening though. He doesn't appear to have fallen asleep or anything. Nor even gone into meditation. "What is name day? Is that like your birthing day?"

As he's addressed by Willow, specifically at the word 'Chinese', Xiang opens his eyes again. "Chinatown," he says. "They can probably be found in Chinatown. But... I do not know how to grow plants."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Da, was confused. Not know why was only water. Know, now," Vitali says, a bit of a grin finding the corners of his lips. Shifting his weight, he picks up the package from where it rests in his lap and then rises to his feet to cross to the coffee table and kneel near to where the tray is. "Moon need age more before plant seeds," he says, giving a small nod. Then he looks over to Zhao, and he tilts his head a touch to one side before giving a nod. "Da. Name day is day of birthing. Name always given on same day. Name day, yesterday," he explains. April 1st. "Can teach how, for plants, Zhao."

"Am not knowing English name. Is saagan dali. Mix with wild grass. Dry wild strawberries. Sometimes, add other things. Mat' make," Vitali says softly, a measure of fondness in those last two words. He's quiet a moment, then, perhaps thinking on something. "Sometimes, add honey or mare's milk, after tea brew," he adds. He picks up the jar of tea, then lifts the lid from the teapot before adding some of the tea to the hot water.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow pipes up. "Well, in other cultures the naming day occurs sometime before, and up to one year. The naming day is a big deal! And we can help you, Xiang!" As though she had to clue what she was doing herself! (Which she was!!)