13651/The Evolution of Exploration

The Evolution of Exploration
Date of Scene:	21 July 2021
Location:	Bushwick (Mutant Town), Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Yaozu goes exploring in Mutant Town. He meets a winged young woman (Shannon) and the pair chat over dinner at the diner.
Cast of Characters:	Yaozu Lin, Nightingale

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Yaozu Lin has posed:
The weather today has been relatively normal for this time of year. Which is to say that it's been a day of blue skies and bright sunshine. It's been hot, and it's also been humid. There had been a sprinkle of rain that had fallen the night before, and that had made the humidity somewhat worse for today. The hottest part of the day has gratefully passed and early evening has come.

With not a lot to occupy his day, Yaozu has ventured on a bit of an exploration. There are vast parts of the city that he hasn't seen as of yet, and it doesn't hurt to be more aware of the geography of the area. He had heard of a place or two that existed here, and he walked along the street with little more than an intent to browse about somewhat. He wears a traditional set of Chinese robes. They are black in colour, and the trim at the edge of the sleeves and along the neckline is a rich crimson shade. His right hand rests at the small of his back, and his left hand is at his side as he walks along, his talons click-ticking on the ground with each step that he takes. He keeps his black wings folded close at his back, and his feathery ear tufts are lifted.

Nightingale has posed:
     Indeed, it was a perfect time for shopping and browsing about. Or simply getting outside to enjoy the fresh air. From the general area of Evolution, a young woman in knee-length cutoff denim shorts, white sneakers, and a t-shirt bearing the slogan, 'Mutie Cutie' emerges into the cooling evening. And there was no doubt she was a mutant herself, not with those large, feathery white wings tucked in neatly at her back. By the looks of things, probably a very hungry mutant, as she trots across the road, heading towards the general vicinity of the diner....

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Owlish hazel eyes blink as Yaozu's gaze wanders along the opposite side of the street. He catches sight of the young woman who crosses the road, his attention assuredly caught by her white wings. His feathery ear tufts perk a bit in her direction, and his beak makes a soft snicking sound. The fingers of his right hand, hidden away at the small of his back, stir faintly, turning a silver ring that he wears on that same hand. His head tilts to one side as he watches her.

He glances towards the diner, where it seems that she's headed, and then he starts to make his way in that direction. When he passes the club, the noise that bleeds out of it is enough to make his feathery ear tufts lay back and his feathers to slick down. The assault of the noise to his keen hearing is more than enough to make him decide to not venture inside that particular place. He keeps going, heading for the diner himself and perhaps deciding along the way that it might not be a bad place for dinner.

Nightingale has posed:
     Toothsome smells waft through the cooling evening air in the vicnity of the diner. Anything ranging from the slightly charred, but highly savory smell of grilling burgers, to the homey goodness of meatloaf, or the heavenly treat of deep-fried goodies galore, all mix in a melange of aromas sure to tempt the appetite. As Shannon approaches the door of the diner, roughly around the same moment as Yaozu does, she smiles at him, not even batting an eye at his appearance. As she has reached the door first, she pushes it open, stepping off to the side and holding it for him. "After you," she says.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The aromas coming from the diner are not overly familiar for Yaozu. American food is something that he's still growing accustomed to. He's much more familiar with Chinese food, and with Japanese food. It's what he cooks, as well. He tilts his head to one side, lookign over the diner as he comes closer to it. He happens to reach the door at the same time as what the white-winged woman does, and he keeps his hands to himself rather than try to reach for the door ahead of her.

Yaozu ducks his head slightly, and there's a smile that barely shows by a parting of his beak. His right hand slips away from the small of his back, moving to come so that the back of that hand is against the palm of his left hand, and as he extends his arms, he bows to her. In the process of the gesture, his long black hair falls forward over his shoulders. "Thank you," he says softly, his tone respectful. He straightens, and then he moves to step inside before his gaze turns back to her. Watching her for a moment before his gaze lowers.

Nightingale has posed:
     A warm smile curls the corners of Shannon's mouth upwards, and she dips her head in kind. "You're welcome." A heartbeat later, she, too, steps inside the diner, letting the door close behind her. "New here?" she asks, her tone light and conversational, as she heads for a booth, sliding into the seat. "I haven't seen you around before. Name's Shannon." One hand is offered by way of introduction.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There's a moment that he takes to look around the interior of the diner, to get an idea of the layout of it. Yet his attention easily returns to her at the question that she asks, and he tilts his head to one side before giving a small nod. The feathery ear tufts remain perked up. "This is my first time in coming here. I have been in New York City for a few months, but not to here before," Yaozu says, lifting his left hand to make a slight gesture to indicate the diner.

He follows her towards the booth, remaining standing after she's taken a seat. As she offers her hand, he shifts slightly before reaching his right hand out to accept hers, carefully, to shake it. There are retractable talons to each of his fingers, she might notice. He doesn't keep hold of her hand for very long before slipping his hand from hers, and she may catch a glimpse of a strand of beads around his right wrist. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Shannon. My name is Lin Yaozu," he offers, giving a small nod to her. He glances towards the opposite bench of the booth, and then turns his gaze to her. "Would you mind if I join you?" he asks softly, his left hand resting atop of his right there in front of him.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles by way of answer and nods, motioning to the seat in front of her. "Please, and welcome," she replies, her eyes lighting up. This one reminded her so much of Zhao. How was he doing, she wondered briefly to herself. She hadn't seen him in a very long time, neither him nor Vitali. A light sigh escapes her, thinking of her friends, and hoping they are well.

     The retractable talons don't seem to faze her any at all. If anything, the mutation seems to fascinate her a little bit. Too, just before he draws his hand away, something catches her eye. "That is really beautiful," she says, smiling, and motioning to the back of his hand. "I imagine it has quite a story behind it."

Yaozu Lin has posed:
A smile returns to his avian features, expressed in a slight parting of his beak. Then he half bows to her before he moves to take a seat at the bench opposite her. "Thank you, very much," he says softly, his tone once more respectful and also grateful. He has no way of knowing her thoughts, but he hears well the sigh that escapes her, and that causes him to tilt his head to one side. The gesture is one that almost leaves the range of human in favour of owlish. His feathery ear tufts give a slight wobble as he watches her. "Is all well?" he asks softly, a touch of curiosity to his voice.

Yaozu's hazel gaze falls to the back of his left hand, where the tattoo marks his skin. There's a soft snicking sound that his beak makes, and he gives a small nod. His hands settled on the table in front of him, his left hand atop of his right. "It has a story, yes. It is... a reminder, it could be said," he comments.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Hmmm? Yes... all is well. I was just reminded of a couple friends I haven't seen in a while... one of them wears robes similar to yours, and the other has his share of markings, similar to your own." There's a light sigh, and a flick of her brows, her wings ruffling lightly behind her. "I just miss them, is all."

     She picks up one of the menus at the table, sliding the other over to Yaozu and smiling somewhat. "If you ever feel like telling the story, I've got two good ears to listen," she says. At -just- that moment, one of her songs comes up over the radio, perhaps as background noise, but if one were to listen, it would be difficult to mistake the voice of the singer for any other. Her cheeks darken slightly, but she doesn't comment. Not yet.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There's a flicker of surprise that touches his hazel eyes when she mentions her friends, and he tilts his head to one side. "I know of one other who wears robes such as mine. Who are your friends, if I may ask?" he asks with a touch of curiosity showing in his voice. He ducks his head slightly, a moment later, and then he gives a faint shake of his head, his feathery ear tufts flattening. "I am sorry, I did not mean to stir in you such things," he says softly, a bit apologetic.

When the menu is slid towards him, he moves his left hand away from his right in order to accept it and draw it closer, giving a small nod to her. "Thank you," he says softly, taking a moment before lifting his gaze to her. "I have had it for a few weeks," he adds. It looks as though it's been there for years. His wings ruffle slightly as he attempts to settle them a bit more comfortably behind him, and his feathery ear tufts lift anew at the song that comes onto the radio. He doesn't tend to listen to American music, but with his hearing as keen as it is, he can pick out the similarities between the singer and the young woman who sits in front of him. He lifts the fingers of his left hand, to slightly gesture in order to indicate the music. "You are a very good singer," he says softly, inclining his head towards her.

Nightingale has posed:
     Over the radio, it's a simple, innocent-sounding guitar part, and a lone singer. It's a gentle, sweet tune, that seems to come straight from the soul. Shannon's cheeks grow more rosy still as she hears her own voice, laughing a little bit. "Thank you. Err... xiexie. I'm still getting used to hearing my songs played like that," she replies, grinning a bit sheepishly. "There's another that should be released here in the next few days, that's been a couple years in the making." She pauses, smiling somewhat. "Someone was there that I never would have expected, on one of the worst days of my life when it was needed. It just took me that long to find the right words for the song after."

     The apology has her own brows furrowing, and she shakes her head. "No need to apologize," she says, smiling lightly. "It's good to be reminded of friends, and to keep in touch with them. Their names are Xiang Zhao, and Vitali.

     As she studies both the menu, and the new friend across from her, she tilts her head. There was something... almost awkward, about the way he moved, and tried to settle in. Could it be....? "If it's not prying," she begins, cautiously. "...have you always been as you are now?"

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"Bu keqi," Yaozu says softly, inclining his head towards her, his hazel eyes a touch brighter for a moment. "I can only imagine that it must take some getting used to," he adds, a thoughtful tone to his voice. A singer, he isn't. He tilts his head to one side, watching her unblinkingly, and then he gives a small nod. "Perhaps I will have to take the opportunity to listen to the radio more often," he comments. He listens to what she shares about the song, and then he gives another small nod. "Sometimes, it can take time to find the right words to say what must be said. I am grateful to hear that you had someone there whe you needed them to be," he says softly.

His gaze falls to the menu for a moment, but it doesn't remain lowered to it. It lifts, quite readily, when she mentions the names of her friends, though it would seem to be the first name that caught his attention more than what the latter did. And there's a small smile that comes to his avian features, his beak parting a little bit. "Xiang Zhao is my shixiong. We were taught by the same master. I met him after I came here, to New York City," he says softly.

His gaze lowers to the menu, considering the items that are available to be ordered. He really doesn't know what a lot of them are. His head ducks slightly at her question, and then he gives a small shake of his head. "It is not prying, particularly," he says softly, lifting his gaze to her. "I have not always been this way. I was human, before."

Nightingale has posed:
     "So was I. Maybe someday I'll get to tell them the hand they had in the making of that song." Shannon smiles to herself, her gaze dropping back to the menu--but it doesn't stay there. Not when she hears that, indeed, Yaozu knows Xiang. "That's wonderful! Have you seen him recently? Is he well? And... I'm sorry, but I don't know that word. What is... shixiong?"

     A look of shared understanding comes to her youthful features, the young healer in training nodding slowly. "I didn't always have wings either. So... your change was recent, then?" It couldn't be -that- recent, though, could it? As she glances over his more avian features, there is no sign of pinfeathers that she can see.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"The time should always come for a person to be able to tell someone the difference that they made," Yaozu says softly, giving a small nod. He ducks his chin a bit at her reaction, his hazel eyes blinking with a moment's worth of surprise, and he gives another small nod. "I have seen him recently, yes. He is well. He has been helping me to... amend my martial arts to what I have become, so they fit properly," he says, a smile coming to his avian features. "He is my shixiong, and I am his shidi. They are terms to refer to students of the same master, which is called a shifu, and they do not refer to the age of the person. A shixiong is a senior student who is male, meaning someone who is of greater skill. A shidi is a junior student who is male, meaning one who is of lesser skill," he explains, speaking at a bit of length.

Yaozu tilts his head to one side, and then he gives a small nod. "Yes. It was recent. It began shortly after I arrived from China but it had not progressed very far. A few weeks ago, I was... taken to Mount Fuji," he says softly. The way he says 'taken' has a particular tone to it, as though it wasn't by his own choice. "I was kept there for about a week," he adds, a thoughtful tone to his voice. He gives a small shake of his head, then. "Magic was used on me, to push the change and then to undo it, sometimes," he comments, his voice quieter.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods, quiet for the moment as she listens to Yaozu, and of how his change was made and then un-made by magic. "It sounds... similar, to what I went through earlier this year," she begins. "My change happened when I was fourteen. Healing gifts manifested first, and the wings came in a few weeks later. Earlier this year, there was a 'Cure' made for mutants, to take away their gifts. It was... mis-used, as a weapon, and I was caught in the crossfire helping a friend to safety." She grimaces, flexing her wings just ever so slightly. "So I know well how it feels to have a change like that made, and then un-made. It's nothing I'd want to go through again, or anything I'd ever wish on another."

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There's a tilt of his head that happens at her words, his gaze holding steadfastly upon her. There is a flicker of curiosity that finds his features when she mentions being a healer, and then he gives a small nod. "To be a healer is a noble skill," Yaozu says softly, inclining his head a touch towards her. His beak snicks a little bit as he considers what she's shared, and his arms lightly fold before him, his hands vanishing up thesleeve of the opposite arm.

"For me, it began in April, of this year," he says softly. It's a possibility that the tone he uses has to do with his more sensitive hearing. "It started on my back, with what I thought was a rash. It itched," he comments, lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. "My roommate is a doctor, and he noticed that there was something... bothering me. I showed him, and he told me that it was not a rash. That it was feathers beginning to grow in. He helped with the pinfeathers," he shares, giving a small nod to her. He shifts slightly, to be a bit more comfortable, adjusting his wings a bit. "I heard something of the 'Cure' that you mentioned. It was not very much information beyond that it occurred."

He gives a small shake of his head, looking down to the table for a long moment before lifting his gaze back to her. "I am sorry that such a thing happened to you. It is not a pleasant experience. For myself, it was utimately helpful. It completed in a week what had begun and what would have taken many more months to be completed otherwise," he says softly. The pain would have been stretched out across those months but instead it was condensed into just one week.

Nightingale has posed:
     Nodding, Shannon smiles lightly. "I had friends beside me. I'm glad you were as fortunate in your experience, with your roommate to help you." She wrinkles her nose, and laughs softly, shaking her head. "Twice a year, I still molt. Pinfeathers are a nuisance, and they -itch-. No amount of bathing keeps the itching away for long."

     At the talk of pursuing the healer's path, she turns a bit rosy and smiles. "I'll be 18 soon, and then I'll be able to take the NREMT exam. It'll be a good start, till I can go for medical school. Not going to give up my music in the meantime, either."

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The large black wings behind him ruffle slightly and resettle a little bit after a moment. He still isn't used to them, yet. He falls quiet for a lingering moment, looking down to the table's surface once again. His ear tufts lay back. "I told no one, when it started. I had not been here in the United States for very long. I still have not been. I came here in April," he says softly. Then he gives a faint nod. "Mm," he affirms. "He helped with the pinfeathers. He will teach me to take care of the feathers, as well," he adds, his gaze lifting to her. "Yes. The pinfeathers itched very much. I will find out when more time has passed if I will molt or not. It seems likely," he comments, his tone thoughtful.

"I suspect that you will do well with the exam. I wish to you the best of luck with it," Yaozu says in a warm tone as he gives a small nod to her. "What type of doctor do you wish to be?" he asks, a curious note to his voice. Then he gives a small shake of his head before he look down again. "No. Do not give up your music. I have not played since I have changed," he says quietly. Within the sleeves of his robes, his hands curl up and he draws his arms closer against himself. He has talons which are sharp, and they would scratch and mark and damage the wood of the instruments that he knows how to play.

Nightingale has posed:
     "I'm not quite sure yet. What I usually wind up doing is wound care type things, so that's a possibility. I don't think I'd have the stomach to be a surgeon. Pediatrics is something I'd consider, too." Shannon steepled her fingers in front of her face, tapping them together briefly, her brows knitting together as she gives the matter some thought. "I've got to start considering what university to apply to as well. Wonder what the medical program over at Columbia is like?"

     Her thoughtful expression melts into a smile, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, I'm not giving up music. Not when the pen can often be so much mightier than the sword. Music can change hearts, and that is so very, very needed right now."

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"A wound care specialist would always have a place," Yaozu says softly, giving a small nod to her. "To be a surgeon would involve much more blood. Dealing with internal organs and the like," he muses, then gives a little shake of his head. He's not overly keen on that, it seems. "Pediatrics is a good field, if you like children. There is oncology to consider as well, although it might be rife with having to deliver bad news to people. I suspect that there are pros and cons for many different fields of medicine," he says softly. "I fear I could not say anything about the medical programs here. I went to Shanghai University for my studies," he says, a small smile parting his beak.

"Good. You are very good at it," he says softly, watching her. "Music can do many things. It can make people feel in different ways. It can inspire people, give them hope. Music has existed for a great may centuries," Yaozu says in a quieter tone. He sounds like someone who appreciates and enjoys music.

Nightingale has posed:
     "As long as there's been humanity, there's been music. It's the one truly universal language." Shannon smiles and dips her head, though her nose does wrinkle at the all-too-apt description of surgery. "I've already seen my fair share of that, thank you very much. Might also wind up a field medic, the way things keep going for me. Seems every time I poke my nose outside, I wind up finding trouble." At that she just rolls her eyes and chuckles softly, saying nothing more on the subject.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"It is, yes," Yaozu agrees, giving a small nod to her. "It conveys much, and sometimes with such simple notes that are played and given life," he says softly, a thoughtful note to his voice. He studies her for a long moment, and then he looks down, towards where his hands are vanished within his sleeves. And he keeps them there, for the time being.

He tilts his head a touch to one side at her words, and there is a small smile that parts his beak. "A field medic is a good occupation as well," he says, giving a nod. "Many times, there is a medic included in the teams that I work with," he comments. Then he tilts his head to the other side, studying her for a lingering moment. "Trouble is easy to find. It is much harder to stay out of it," he adds, sounding faintly amused at that. "We should perhaps order what we wish to eat. The waitress seems to be giving us looks."

Nightingale has posed:
     A wry smile spreads slowly across the winged young woman's face, and she nods. "I'd recommend the meatloaf here," she offers. "It's perfection on a plate." The last is spoken so that the waitress can hear, with Shannon giving her a warm smile and a nod, indicating her order. "And some root beer with that, if you would?"

     Good company, good food, good conversation, and a new friend made. Could the day get any better than this?