13846/A Siberian in Chinatown

A Siberian in Chinatown
Date of Scene:	01 October 2021
Location:	A seating area a short distance from street vendors in Chinatown
Synopsis:	Shannon comes across Vitali in Chinatown. A few oddities are noticed and Shannon gets a message to Xiang Zhao for some insight. Zhao finds Shannon and the two have a chat.
Cast of Characters:	Vitali Svyatoslav, Nightingale, Xiang Zhao

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Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Fall has arrived, and it has brought a rainbow of colourful hues to the deciduous trees. There are still the vibrant greens from spring and summer, but now they are touched with golden yellows, burnt oranges and rich reds. The leaves are lightly tussled when a breeze flutters by, bringing a soft rustle of sound along with it, but they are otherwise still. It is morning, and there is a wan sunlight that filters through the trees, a light which glistens on the water lingering everywhere from the rain of the night before. The street vendors are some distance away, delicious aromas arising from their carts. The couple of wooden benches in the area are oddly dry. Upon one of them, seated at one end of the bench and by himself, is where Vitali happens to be. A small paper bag sits on his lap and there are a pair of steamed buns cooling there, steam rising from them.

He looks a bit different, for today. His hair is one of those differences, tamed into a braid that's been woven amongst itself at the back of his head where it's been speared through with a pair of polished wooden sticks. The facial hair he'd typically worn is gone, his face clean shaven. What he wears also finds its way to being one of those differences. The black steel-toed boots are the same. Beyond that, he wears a pair of matte black loose-fit pants, and a dark green Chinese-style tunic with slits at the sides and black wide cuffs at the sleeves as well as black frog closures at the front of it.

Nightingale has posed:
     Chinatown had proven to be something of a lucky place for Shannon. At least, her memories of it were perhaps a little fonder than some. Earlier that summer, things had begun to finally turn around for her with her gifts, so it had become somewhere treasured. And oh, her explorations had yielded many a little treasure, as she nosed around the various shops and vendors! For example, who could turn down a packet of very good tea? Or perhaps some steamed buns for breakfast? She's dressed in some lined dark blue jeans for warmth, a wine-colored tunic sweater, and a wine-colored turtleneck beneath to prevent itching. Her favorite calf-length caramel suede boots make little to no sound on the pavement as she meanders among the stalls, her wings in full view, minding her own business for the moment.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Not all of the street vendors who have a stall have opened as of yet. There are some other folks on the street, but in general it's not crowded at all. Jin Xian, the woman who owns a tea cart and who creates blends of teas for her customers is there to watch the flow of the small amount of foot traffic on the street. The steamed bun vendor is there as well, just unloading a steamer full of fresh steamed buns and tucking them into little paper wrappers on platters on his cart. There's a vendor who makes candied fruit on a stick, busily minding a copper pot that's likely filled with sugar to melt in order to coat the fruit.

The Siberian takes a brief moment, his dark gaze looking over the assorted vendors and passing across the others in the street. It is perhaps a bit odd, but Vitali remains quiet there where he sits. He picks up one of the steamed buns from where it rests upon the paper bag in his lap, and then he takes a small bite of it. There is nary a sign of Soraya perched anywhere nearby, and so perhaps she is in flight or tending to a missive for her human companion.

Nightingale has posed:
     Candied fruit? Yes, please! Shannon's wings flare, a sign of pure delight as she purchases some of the fruit on a stick. It was an indulgence long due, and not one she allowed herself very often. Turning away from the vendors with her purchases, she's balancing the bags with tea and the steamed buns in one arm, while holding onto the candied fruit on a stick with the other. It's just at the moment she takes a little nibble that she spies what seems to be a familiar face--or is it? Pale gold brows flick upwards briefly as she peers right at the Siberian. "Vitali?" she finally calls out. "Is that you?"

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's hard to tell whether or not the Siberian notices the winged woman as she's in the process of purchasing the candied fruit on a stick. Or even after that, strangely. He seems to look sort of in her direction, but he might be looking past her, and there's nary a light of recognition that shows within his dark eyes. An oddity, to be sure, and there's another small bite of the steamed bun that is taken and eaten.

When she calls out to him there is a moment of a pause. His dark gaze turns more directly to her, and there's an odd flicker of silvery-blue that's briefly visible in his eyes. Though it takes a moment before it happens, there is a small nod to the question that she had asked. And in the next moment, there's a slight shift of his posture, sitting up straighter, more strictly almost. "This one does not go by this name," says the Siberian. The voice is his, and yet the words lack his usual Russian accent as well as the broken nature of his English. And yet... he had nodded, hadn't he? That hadn't been a trick of the imagination.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon frowns slightly. That was most definitely Vitali--at least in physical form. The lights were on, true--but nobody was home. Or rather, somebody was home.

     Just the wrong tenant.

     Her wingfeathers fluff out, decidedly ruffled by this turn of events. Still, she elected to play along for now. People could change, after all. "Forgive me," she said, bowing slightly. "What name do you go by now?"

     And just where was Soraya?

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It is assuredly him, at least physically, right down to the tattoos inked on his skin even though they aren't visible in this particular moment. The steamed bun is set down next to the one that is still whole, and he watches her for a long and unblinking moment. He lightly dusts his hands, not that there are any crumbs upon them, and then he shifts the steamed buns slightly on his lap before settling one of his hands to rest upon his lap. Had it meant something, when there had been that small nod when she'd first addressed him?

Changes happen to everyone over time, but the differences in him are many and the time between when they'd last shared company doesn't seem enough to accomodate it all happening. "It is forgiven, this time," Vitali says softly, a small nod following the words. There is a moment of a pause whilst the question that was asked is considered before being answered. "This one is called Heng Zhihao," he answers, watching her. There remains nary a sign of Soraya.

Nightingale has posed:
     Nodding briefly, Shannon allows herself a smile. "I had thought you were someone I knew. The likeness is remarkably similar." As tempting as it was to sit down nearby, something told her that in this case, to keep her distance might be the better part of wisdom. Vitali in of himself had been fairly powerful, at least as a healer, and definitely as a shapeshifter. Who knew what this new being might be capable of?

     No, something was very, very wrong here. And alone, she was out of her depth, particularly when it came to Chinese spirituality.

     But there was one person who might have an idea of what was going on--if she could get a message out.

     Damn it all, where was Soraya?

     Bowing once more, she stepped backwards and turned to leave. But, as she did, she let out a soft whistle, remarkably like a bos'un's whistle.

     The call she used for Soraya.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a slight tilt of the head to one side as he watches her, listening as she speaks. Then he nods, once. "It is a thing that happens sometimes. This one understands," Vitali says softly. He does notice that she keeps her distance from him, but he doesn't remark on it. There are certain abilities that the Siberian has, which might well lead a person to wondering if those gifts can still be used as things currently are. If Heng Zhihao has the ability to use any of Vitali's magics, there are no signs of it in the moment.

There are things that aren't entirely right, and there are things that perhaps don't quite add up. There are behaviours and other things that don't make sense given the Vitali that Shannon knows. And there is no doubt a strangeness in hearing fully fluent English from him. He inclines his head towards Shannon as the woman steps back from her. "Zai Jian," he says, the barest ghost of a smile touching at the corners of his lips.

There is the slightest quirk of an eyebrow that happens at the sound of the bos'un's whistle, but there is nothing that is said by him about it.

It will take time. And it will take a while of walking, at least until she is out of sight from Vitali, and probably even more than that. But then there will be a familiar sound of Soraya shrieking.

Nightingale has posed:
     The familiar shrieking is met with a sigh of relief, and an outstretched arm from Shannon. She lets out the whistle once more, a little louder this time, to reinforce the call. Already, her mind was working a million miles an hour--and all of the thoughts were adding up to one thing.

     Vitali was, it seemed, in trouble once again.

     "I swear, the man's a worse trouble magnet than I am," she mutters softly to herself. "Is this a taste of what I put my teachers through over the past couple years?" While she awaited Soraya's arrival, she took a quick look at the brown leather pouch that was perpetually at her side, checking to make certain that pen and paper were in evidence. Another sigh of relief comes from the young woman, and she allows herself a light smile.

     Perhaps there might be hope after all.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It was a stroke of luck that Soraya had been hunting at least near enough to have heard that familiar and soft whistle from Shannon. There was a reason that she had waited until the winged woman was away from her human, though she has no way of being able to convey it. She circles around before gliding lower, slowing off and then lightly landing upon Shannon's extended forearm. She tries to be gentle with her talons, and she takes a moment to get her balance after landing, wobbling a little bit. Her wings shift a bit and then lightly fold against her back, and she clicks her beak softly.

She tilts her head a little to one side and makes a soft and inquisitive sort of sound. Her feathers slick briefly, and then fluff a bit, for she's familiar with and comfortable around the winged woman. She ruffles her feathers a little, watching Shannon.

Nightingale has posed:
     Moving her arm slowly, so as not to dislodge or spook Soraya, Shannon brings the great eagle nearer to her shoulder, for a more stable perch--ensuring that her hair is out of the way first! "Shhh, it's okay. We'll figure out what's wrong with your human. But I'll need your help." One gentle fingertip is extended, and if permitted, stroked lightly along the feathers gracing the eagle's head in a hopefully familiar, reassuring gesture.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Soraya tilts her head a little bit one way and then the other, keeping an eye on Shannon and watchin gher. She clicks her beak a couple of times, listening, and then she lightly ruffles her feathers before bobbing her head in a small nod. She eyes the shoulder that's offered for a moment, and then she lightly walks up Shannon's upper arm to reach the spot. She takes a moment to settle, and then she ducks her head to rub her beak against Shannon's cheek. She trusts the winged woman, or she'd not have come or landed on the offered arm. She seems to relax a bit more, her feathers fluffing up a bit more.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon lets out a small sigh, and smiles, leaning into that avian head-bonk for just a moment. "I've missed you too, Soraya. But let's see what we can do to help your person, hmm?" Pen and paper are taken from her little brown leather pouch, and a quick note written, noting her location, the last place she'd seen Vitali--and the name he claimed to go by now. As she's writing, she murmurs softly to the eagle upon her shoulder, glancing over briefly for any sign of confirmation or understanding. "You remember Zhao, right? The one your person likes a lot?"

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Soraya rubs her beak a little bit more against Shannon's cheek, and she leans a little bit against her human perch. She clicks her beak once and bobs her head in a bit of a nod after the suggestion is made. Due to the bond that she has with Vitali, she is able to understand what Shannon is saying. She watches as paper and pen are brought out, and she remains calm and settles on Shannon's shoulder as the note is written. When Shannon mentions Zhao, she perks up and bobs a nod as she gives a click of her beak. She remembers Zhao!

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles a little more brightly now, folding the note and offering it to Soraya. "Could you bring this to Zhao? This sounds like something he may know more about." If or when the note is accepted, she offers thanks to her feathered friend with a gentle stroke of her fingertip along those back feathers, and a gentle cooing soound, almost like a dove. "Everything will be okay. I'm sure of it."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The eagle tilts her head a bit to one side, and then she bobs a nod after the question is asked. There's a click of her beak, and then she shifts her weight to be standing on one leg, the other lifted with her talons open in order for the note to be rolled up and placed there. After it is, she'll close her talons all snug around it before leaning in to rub her head against Shannon's cheek, her eyes half closing. She has no way of telling them what she knows, but now that Shannon has seen Vitali for herself, she can believe a little bit more that her human will be rescued from his current fate. She makes a soft sound that seems almost reassuring, and with the note in claw, she hops off of Shannon's shoulder and spreads her wings in order to climb up into the sky.

Nightingale has posed:
     Well, what was done, was done. Now, all Shannon had to do was wait--and stay out of not-Tali's way. Whoever or whatever had control of him now, certainly had to be fairly powerful. Vitali was strong in his own right, well-trained in the arts of his homeland. For now, whatever entity was in control did not seem to deem her a threat.

     And she preferred to keep it that way.

     So, for the time being, she skulked about the local shops, browsing and nosing about as any tourist might do, all the while keeping an eye out for a familiar face, her ears open for a familiar voice--or prepare to be thwapped in the forehead with an all-too-familiar fan for not paying enough attention to her surroundings!

Xiang Zhao has posed:
In this case, there comes no thwapping of a fan. Nope. Nor does Zhao's voice come either. There really isn't any warning when he walks up behind Shannon and lifts his right hand, with the fan held in it, folded closed, and taps her shoulder with it. Only then does Xiang Zhao's voice come. "I am here, Shannon."

The sneaky devil hadn't even sent a talisman to say he was on his way! Not even five minutes have passed, so he must not have been very far away. "What is amiss with ah'Tali? I have not seen him for a number of days."

Zhao's voice is, as it always is, calm. His expression is also calm, betraying little in the way of emotion. The fan withdraws, and he flips it open. Once open, his motions as he waves the fan are as calm as they ever are. Nothing betrays how he may or may not feel about Vitali not acting himself.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The note was delivered, and the little mission that Soraya had been entrusted with had been successful. She had found Xiang Zhao, who hadn't been very far away at all, and he had read the note. And there was a certain amount of reassurance when he did, too. She likes and she trusts Zhao. She had taken wing again when he had set off for finding Shannon, and she had kept silent so as to not betray his stealthy ways.

Only after he has greeted Shannon does she wing to a nearby tree to perch on a branch that's at relatively eye level for them, settling there and folding her wings to her back. She looks from one to the other of them, and she clicks her beak once, softly. She doesn't have a way of telling anyone what she knows, which is frustrating for her, but she waits for what will be said between them.

Nightingale has posed:
     It was a good thing that Shannon had tended to nature's call well before traveling to Chinatown, or Zhao's appearance out of nowhere might have done the job for her quite nicely! Her hand flies to her heart as she jumps, whirling to face Zhao. "I think I need to learn a thing or two about stealth from you," she says, both by way of compliment, and chiding him for scaring her.

     As soon as she can compose herself and catch her breath, she begins to relay what she can to Zhao. "Well, for one, he's shaved his beard off," Shannon begins, frowning slightly. "That in itself means little. His hair was back in a braid, and held in place with a pair of sticks." Too, she takes care to describe the outfit that not-Tali was wearing, so very unlike his usual choice of garb.

     "But his voice, it was... different. It sounded as if yours and his had blended, somehow. But that wasn't even the worst of it." Biting her lower lip, she considers matters for a moment. "His English has never been perfect, though understandable when he speaks. This time, he sounded like a native speaker of the language. Flawless. No sign of an accent at all." She wraps her arms around herself, shivering a little. "He called himself Heng Zhihao. I wasn't about to stay around, even to ask questions. If something's taken control of Vitali, I'm concerned that it may learn to use his magic, if it doesn't already know how. And when we parted ways, he said 'Zai Jian', but I've no idea what that means."

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao really hadn't meant to startle Shannon, and a brief flicker of chagrin shows in his expression. "My apologies, Shannon. I did not mean to startle you," he says. There is nary a hint of amusement to him. Not at all. His dark eyes might even show a hint of worry to them, but it's difficult to be certain.

There comes a blink at the information about Vitali's beard. "That is not normal." And another blink at the description of the hair sticks. "I have never seen him wear hair sticks." There's something about that statement that might give a hint that he'd tried to get the Siberian to try hair sticks, and failed.

The choice of garb is less worrysome, it woul ddappear. "Heng Zhihao," he murmurs. And he says it as flawlessly has 'Vitali' had done so when uttering it. He looks lost in thought, but proves that he's still listening when Shannon utters that parting phrase. "It is a way to say 'good bye'." He still seems to be musing, whether over the name provided, or the rest of it, or all of it, is unknown as of yet.

Nightingale has posed:
     "None of it was normal," Shannon replies, nodding in agreement. "Unfortunately, it's all I have to go on. I had no wish to make myself a target by asking too many questions. It seemed the better part of wisdom to put some distance between us."

     Her look of sympathy towards Zhao is tinged with sorrow. This could not be easy for him. She knew that he and Vitali were very close. "Please, tell me how I can help. I know if this were someone I cared for as much as you do Vitali, I would be torn apart inside."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Soraya watches them both, and seems to do so fairly equally. At least she understands what they're saying! Though she hasn't really a means of taking part in the conversation herself. Her feathers slick back as Shannon speaks of the assorted differences that she had noticed in Vitali and she makes a soft sound. She's worried for him, even with knowing what it is that's happened to him.

She turns her attention to Xiang Zhao, and she ruffles her wings a bit. Waiting and listening. And she tilts her head a touch to one side before half spreading her wings a little. She eyes his shoulder that's nearest to her, giving a soft click of her beak and a gently inquisitive sound. Almost as though she's asking permission.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao shakes his head ever so slightly. "I do not know," he says, his voice softer even than it normally is. It probably is tearing him up inside, no matter how well he hides it. Then again, he hasn't seen anything overly concrete either, so maybe he's still at the mildly worried stage!

"I would have to see him, to be able to say for certain. I am going to send a message to my shifu. He may know the name." And he proceeds to do just that. From within one of those voluminous sleeves, he pulls a more modern day pen (someone has upgraded a bit!) and a piece of paper cut into the sort of strip he uses for talismans. He takes a moment to write upon it in hanzi, Chinese characters. The writing is elegant, but unless one knows hanzi, impossible to read. On the other side, the characters for sending a message are already scrawled.

Once written, he takes a moment to concentrate upon it. And it seems to turn to ash in his hand and blow away on the breeze. Soon, no sign of it remains. Only now does Zhao turn to look at Soraya. He nods once to her, and then glances around at what there is to see here. Permission has been granted, it would seem.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Shifu," Shannon murmurs softly. Ever hungry for learning, she can't resist the chance to show off a little bit, and perhaps to learn more. "That's something like... 'teacher', isn't it?" However, sometimes a little too much knowledge could be a double-edged sword. If Zhao was having to send a message to his teacher, then this was definitely -not- good.

     Wrapping her arms around herself, she sighs deeply, glancing back over her shoulder. "I don't know if he's still there," she finally says. "But by the candied fruit and tea vendors are where I saw him last. Beyond that, I... just don't know."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Patiently does the eagle wait, for Xiang Zhao to craft his message and send it forth to the one that will receive it. She keeps her wings half spread and keeps her footing there upon the limb of the branch that she is perched upon. Until the moment in which the permission is granted. Then she gives a soft sound before bobbing her head to Zhao, and she lightly steps from the branch to wing her way over to that very shoulder.

There, she lands lightly, as gentle as what she can, her wings folding easily to her back. She shifts a bit to make herself more comfortable there, and she leans a little against him before ducking her head and nuzzling her beak against his cheek. She shifts a little bit and then snags a lock of Zhao's hair in her beak, if she's able to. It's something she does to Vitali quite often when he leaves it free.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Xiang Zhao inclines his head to Shannon at her deduction of the word he'd used. "Yes. Teacher, master. A figure of authority. Unlike a laoshi, which is just a teacher, a shifu is almost a parental figure." He nods and looks in the direction she'd indicated. There's something almost unfocused and equally focused about him in that moment.

Without another word, Zhao steps gracefully in that direction, walking around people and objects without ever looking at them. His steps are unhurried and graceful, his bearing the same elegance that is normal for him.

As he walks, Zhao retreives his left hand from its customary place, where it had returned after he'd sent the note. He holds it up to the eagle, expecting her to step down to his wrist. Once she has done so, he lowers his arm so she's down and braced between it and his body, with her back to his front.

He pauses the moment he's got a line of sight on where Shannon had said she'd last seen Vitali. He opens his mind a bit, and scans the area with his eyes, looking for a particular aura that is as familiar to him as his own is.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Ballocks!" Shannon swore softly as Zhao seemed hell-bent for leather and on a mission. While she did let him get a bit ahead of her, she stayed just far back enough in the crowd to hopefully blend in, yet be near enough to offer assistance or to go for help if needed. What else could be done? She was in the dark on so much of this.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's a gesture and expectation that she's quite familiar with. She settles easily on his wrist, her head turning from one side to another as she keeps watch on the surroundings herself. Yet she knows where Vitali is. She can feel him on the other end of the bond that she has with him. She is mindful and gentle with her talons as she maintains her balance easily there upon his arm.

Once they reach the area near to the street vendors and the benches where Vitali had been seated, there are a few more people within the street. A few more vendors, as well. Everything is peaceful and quiet. Jin Xian is at her tea cart, currently helping a customer. At the bench where Vitali had been sitting, there is no one. But there is the paper bag that he'd earlier had on his lap, and a half eaten steamed bun. There is no sign of the Siberian anywhere within the immediate area.

Xiang Zhao has posed:
Not quite hell-bent for leather. Afterall, Zhao's pace is rather measured and unhurried. And he doesn't really go all that far before he stopped to look around. He only needs to be able to sense Vitali's aura, and he can do that from a block or more away.

Xiang Zhao stays where he is, not interested just yet in confronting whoever is possessing his friend. After a time, he shakes his head and turns to return to Shannon. "I neither see nor sense him at present. Perhaps Soraya can lead us to him," he says, looking down at the bird. The fan has not stopped waving in his hand, but he's been careful not to hit Soraya with it.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Hopefully so," Shannon concurs. "But I had to get a fair distance away from Vitali just to get Soraya to answer my call. I'm not certain she wants to get anywhere near him in his current state--and that is one of the most worrisome things of all." Sighing softly, she shakes her head, running her fingers through her hair. "Got any alternate ideas on how to find him without letting on too much that we're actually looking? At least until we hear from your shifu?"

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
When Xiang Zhao suggests that she might perhaps be able to lead them to Vitali, Soraya turns her head to look directly to him. She tilts her head slightly to one side and then she gives a nod and a click of her beak. She ruffles her wings a bit, shifting her weight from one foot to another almost as though she's impatient. She makes a soft sound, gives a smaller click of her beak, and then makes a couple of soft cheaping sort of sounds.

Vitali had given her his own mission of sorts, though part of that has been done. Find Xiang Zhao. That was the easy part. The rest of it might be harder and might have risks. If she gets hurt then that could cause greater issues than what Vitali already faces. She looks to Shannon, tilting her head to one side and then the other, and then she brings her attention back to Zhao, peering up at him. She trusts him, and though she doesn't have the bond with him that she has with Vitali, she'll obey him.