14103/Dusk in the Park

Dusk in the Park
Date of Scene:	03 February 2022
Location:	Central Park, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Bai Wuyun, Willow Rosenberg

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Bai Wuyun has posed:
Dusk has fallen across the park, a soft and gentle herald of the coming darkness. The moon is in the sky already, casting silvery white light down to shine upon the world. There is a layer of snow that covers over everything, and none that is currently falling to add to what's already present. The park is relatively quiet on account of not only the hour but also the weather. There are footsteps that criss-cross the park from various and assorted visitors that have been to the park over the course of time that's passed since the last snow.

The deciduous trees have all lost their leaves some months ago, and their branches extend barrenly into the sky. One of the low branches of an oak tree is where one of the visitors to the park happens to be. The man sits on the branch with his back resting against the trunk of the tree. One of his legs is half folded across the top of the branch, and his other leg dangles down. The soft silk of his robes falls lightly over his body, and it serves well for keeping most of his skin covered. His right hand holds what appears to be a white porcelain double globe bottle with a cork dangling along one side of it. The raven fall of his hair spills past the branch that he sits on, reaching quite a ways beyond it. He seems comfortable there where he sits, and the branch he sits on is only a handful of feet from the ground, at the most.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Sure it's winter. It's cold. And it's dusk.

All around people have listened to the radio, or weather stations - it's going to snow. And bad. But Willow doesn't mind. In fact she kind of likes it like that. The calm before the storm so to speak.

She's gotten herself a cup of coffee, and has been walking along heading for the park benches by the waterfront. Well, she's trying to! Really she's been walking along slowly, taking her own sweet time.

Giles has gone back to England, and Willow hasn't seen Constantine. Then again the Scoobies seem to drift off to do their own thing. For all she knew, Constantine had been talking to the Slayer, Buffy. She really should make time to visit Buffy..

As she walks, she notices the man - a strange man - that sort of reminds her of Vitali, up in the treetop. (Once again she wonders how he is? If he ever did break out of the possession. And for that matter, how was Xiang Zhao??)

She flutters her waves in a wave, and prepares to move along.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
There is a soft movement of that foot which dangles, a simple back and forth of it, like a pendulum. The man turns his dark gaze to the porcelain bottle that he holds, and he lightly wobbles it back and forth. After a moment, he lifts it to take a sip of the peach wine that is held within it. The wine is from his home, and there is only so much of it that he has -- and so, he never drinks a lot of it at once. He gently but securely corks the bottle, and then? Then he does what appears to be making it vanish from the bottom to the top of it but which is in reality him tucking it away into that invisible pocket of air that he has. He is blissfully ignorant of the snow that threatens the city, yet even the knowledge of it would not change his actions.

Smoothly, he shifts his weight and draws his leg up before rising gracefully to his feet so that he stands upon the branch. He takes a step out from the trunk of the tree, his gaze lifted to the sky for a moment and his hands lightly resting at his sides. The pale colour of the robes is likely enough to make him more visible given the hour. Standing in such a way, it can be seen just how long his hair actually is -- which is to say, very long, and down to his knees. He gaze lowers in order to look out across the park for a moment, and then he lightly steps off the branch and, with a bit of his magic used, he lightly drifts to the snowy ground. Once his feet have lightly touched the ground, he moves his right hand to lightly flick his fingers over the silk of his robes in order to settle them.

As his dark gaze settles upon the redheaded woman who also happens to be in the park, and his head tilts a touch to one side. For a heartbeat or two, he simply watches her, and a smile turns at the corners of his lips. Lifting his left hand, his fingers pluck a light blue lollipop out of what seems to be thin air, and he unwraps it before slipping it into his mouth, the wrapper vanishing into a pocket afterwards.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
That was different.

"Uhm.. I'm going to say you're not from around here. Are you?" Willow thinks someplace where mutants are more frequent. On earth, to be exact. So far she doesn't bother with magic - there are fewer magic users. "People don't understand.. well.. they really don't find mutants understandable."

Still she thinks 'mutant'.

"You really ought to at least pretend to climb if you don't want trouble." Sure, people lived with them, but still many don't *like* them.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The stick of the lollipop, extending from his mouth, moves this way and that way, an indication of his tongue lightly toying with the candy within his mouth. He uses his tongue to shove the candy past his teeth to hold it in his cheek. He tilts his head a touch to one side, and a flicker of amusement chases through his dark eyes at her words. Then he inclines his head towards her.

"You would be correct, in what you say," Bai Wuyun says softly. When he speaks the words, he speaks them in his native Haixingren language which sounds like no language on Earth. And a moment after he's spoken, the words are repeated in a voice that sounds like his but in English. His voice is a lower baritone, perhaps pleasing to the ear. "I am not from around here," he adds, a thoughtful tone to his voice. He has a translation device, which is at work here.

One of his eyebrows quirks up, just a touch. "A mutant?" he asks, the words touched with a bit of curiosity. "No, I am not one. I am what would be considered normal for those who are of my kind," he says, a smile teasing about the corners of his lips. He lifts his left hand and lightly catches the stick of the lollipop before drawing the candy from between his lips. He glances to the tree near to him, then turns his dark gaze back to her. "I will keep that in mind, for the next time when I wish to sit in a tree. Although I am not certain that they would approve of my method of climbing," he comments, a touch of amusement to his voice.

He is quiet for a moment, watching her, and he glances across the park briefly before his attention returns to her. "I am called Bai Wuyun," he offers by way of introducing himself.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
*blink blink*

A translation device? She giggles. "Like Star Trek?" Then becomes more serious. "You aren't here to hurt us, are you?" After all, the Apocalypians were definitely not nice.

Not. At. All.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
Indeed, there is a translation device. Bai Wuyun has yet to learn the English language, and so he relies on it to be able to understand just what it is that people are telling him here. Thankfully, what they say is not repeated out loud since he has a nearly invisible earbud tucked into one of his ears in order to provide a Haixingren translation of what is said by others. He tilts his head slightly to one side, a puzzled look coming to his features. "Star Trek?" he asks, sounding entirely unfamiliar with it.

He blinks at her, a touch surprised at the question she asks next, and then he gives a shake of his head. "No, not at all. I have not come here to cause harm to anyone or anything," Bai Wuyun says, his brow furrowing a touch. He lifts his hands and, even though he still holds the lollipop in the fingers of his left hand, he holds his hands with his palms towards her. See? No weapons. "I hold no weapons, I bear no ill will towards anyone. If I am attacked then I will defend myself, but I have no intention of starting a fight with anyone," he says softly. The words seem sincere in their intent, at least, for they are the honest truth.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
At that Willow guffaws. "Excuse me, I watched you come down from that branch. In our with, if you aren't mutants, the only type of skill is Magic, and I know you can seem to be nice, and you may have no obvious weapons, but frankly, magic users are actually more dangerous."

Ask her how she knows.

As for Star Trek.. "You know.. tv? Movies? They've only been around for 60 odd years." D'oh. "They used translators."

Bai Wuyun has posed:
One of his eyebrows quirks up, and a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "I assure you, I am not a mutant. In comparison with others of my people, I am entirely normal," Bai Wuyun says. He lifts the lollipop, slipping it into his mouth and then tucking it to one of his cheeks to savour the flavour of whilst he sucks on it. He glances towards the branch that he had come down from, and then he turns his dark gaze back to her.

"I cannot deny that I have magic at my disposal," he admits, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "So it would seem that we are at somewhat of an impasse. I can say as many times as I might wish that I am a nice and good person, but until there has been proof of it, it is not necessarily believed. I can only offer you my word in saying that I mean you no harm and that I will not hurt you," he says softly, inclining his head slightly towards her.

He watches her perhaps a touch closely as he listens to what she says about television and movies, and he gives a small shake of his head. "I am sorry, I do not have much familiarity with your culture. I have been trying to learn of this place, but it is all very much. Many countries, many histories," he says softly, lifting a hand to make a slight gesture to indicate... the world?

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow looks him up and down, before frowning at him.

"I'm more worried about regular people than I am afraid of for me." But she nods. "You are correct. It's easy to pretend you are one thing, when you are actually something else. And liars are liars."

In other words he's correct, but then again, so is she.

"It is hard to get a good basic understanding of our earth. I guess the easiest way is we are all the same.. really.. just.." Everyone's interpretation of 'the same' is different.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The Haixingren fellow raises an eyebrow slightly. "Regular people?" he suggests, a flicker of curiosity touching his voice. "That seems to lend a certain indication that you are something other than a regular person," he muses, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He lifts his left hand, claiming the stick of the lollipop and then withdrawing it from his mouth.

"They have nothing to fear from me. I mean none of them harm at all any more than what I mean you harm," Bai Wuyun says, inclining his head slightly towards her. "I do not pretend that I am anything. I am myself, and that is who I am. The words that I have given you have been the truth. I understand your reasons for questioning what intent I might have," he says in a soft tone. He lifts the lollipop slightly, to make a bit of a gesture with it. "This is your home, and I am an intruder here. You seek to protect it yet in order to do so then you must determine what the danger is or if there is danger," he comments, a small smile touching at the corners of his lips.

He tucks the lollipop into his mouth, and then he tilts his head a bit to one side. "Do you believe that I have lied to you in anything that I have said?" he asks softly, a note of curiosity to his voice. "You are welcome to ask me any question that you wish. I will tell you the truth," he adds, inclining his head towards her. One of his eyebrows quirks up slightly. "You are all people. Humans, I believe is the word you refer to yourselves as. You are all one race of people and yet there are differences amongst you, as I understand it. Caused by different things, whether it is a variance in environment or ancestors or other factors. I am what is called a Haixingren," he offers.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow listens intently to what he says, head cock to one side.

"That's nice, but I have met enough people who could lie through their teeth, and smile the whole time doing so. And some of them weren't humans." But she blinks at the presumption she isn't quite normal herself. "Why do people think that we should believe just because they say they are truthful?"

As if she wasn't like that some of the time. She really wanted to believe in the goodness of humanity. Just it wasn't working out.

"Where are you from, by the way?"

Bai Wuyun has posed:
Softly, Bai Wuyun lifts his right hand to make a slight gesture and his head tilts a touch to one side. "Believe or do not believe. It is up to you which you do, which pieces you believe and which pieces you do not believe of what I say. I cannot make you choose one way or the other," he says, a thoughtful tone to his voice.

It was interesting, that what made him think her to be not a 'regular person' was the fact that she'd said she was more worried about regular people than being afraid for herself. That had set her aside from the group of regular people in his mind. He is quiet for a moment, looking her over briefly whilst he uses his tongue to toy a bit with the lollipop in his mouth. "There are liars and cutthroats and thieves and all other manner of evil in every sentient race, or so I would be willing to wager. It is a spectrum, yes?" he suggests. He lifts his right hand to indicate one point. "Sociopathic, psychotic evil on one end of it, the sort who cares nothing for anyone or anything beyond themselves," he says softly. Then he moves his hand to a point distant. "And at the other end, good. Cares about others, sacrifices of themselves for others, does everything that they can for others with little care for themselves," he adds. Then he gives a small shake of his head before gesturing slightly to indicate the spaces between both points. "Few are on either extreme end of the spectrum and most lie in the middle. Sometimes people are swayed to the darker side of nature on a day that could be considered bad, and other times they are swayed to the good side. People are not stuck at any one point," he muses, a thoughtful note to his voice.

"The planet that I am from is called Haixing. It is very far from here," he says softly. "I find it unlikely that it is known to your people," he adds, a small smile touching at the corners of his lips. "We are not a wayfaring people. We mine the nearby asteroids. In general and for the most part, we remain on Haixing."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow frowned as he talked about humans as though that were the worrisome sort. Sure they are a problem, but most of the time she was speaking of extraordinary humans, and worse, monsters. She bet he thought people like bank robbers were about the depths of evil that she encountered. Maybe something a little bit less.

"My friends often treat me like I'm one of those ones. You know one of those who are too good. It's not that I am, just.. you know. To the point that they protect me from.. well, everyone. But I know what real life is about."

She whispers his planet name to cement it in her mind. "Then how come you travelled to our planet? Seeing as you aren't wayfaring?"

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The wintery fingers of a breeze lightly slip past them, and his long hair is softly tugged and teased by it. He takes a moment to turn his gaze away from her, looking out over the park for a long moment before his dark gaze turns back to her. He tilts his head slightly to one side, quiet as he watches her. He has no way of knowing what evil she might have encountered, just as she has no way of knowing the sorts of things that he's seen. He's seen death steal his comrades, and he's delivered death as well.

He gives a small shake of his head at her words. "No. There is no such thing as being too good," he says softly, his brow wrinkling for a brief moment. "Real life... it is about living. It is about taking care of friends, of family. Protecting and being protected. Being happy, finding love, knowing joy. Being touched by sadness, by anger, by the entire array of emotions. Living is complicated," he says in a quieter tone. There's something shadowed in his tone, but he gives a small shake of his head as though to chase it off. "It is a coin with two sides, yes? There is a dark side to life and there is a light side to it as well," he adds, a small smile touching at the corners of his lips.

He tilts his head faintly to one side at her question, and then he inclines his head towards her. "I was expecting you to ask this. It is rather uncommon amongst my people," he says softly. "I felt... drawn, to somewhere or to something or to someone out in the stars. And so I travel," he answers.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Fair enough.

"So this is a waystation?" Willow nods as she says it. "And you haven't found it yet? Where will you go next?"

Of course his theory about good and evil bears some weight.

"I don't know. If you are good, where would the evil go? They seem to be anti-theoretical, wouldn't you think?" Of course she does think about the force-lightning and has to frown. In all the Star Wars movies it was limited to the darkside users.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
"I am uncertain," Bai Wuyun says softly, his brow furrowing a touch. He gives a little shake of his head. "I do not know," he says, in a softer tone. "There is a feeling within me of that there is nothing more upon Haixing for me. That it has nothing more that it can provide me with or give me," he adds. There's the sound of his teeth clicking on the lollipop's orb, and then there's a crunch as he bites it off the stick. He takes a moment to nibble the lingering bites from the stick, and then he withdraws it from his mouth before sliding it away into the pocket of air that is always with him.

"I will go where Shen Wei goes. To wherever he takes the ship," Bai Wuyun says, a small smile touching at the corners of his lips. "I do not know if I will know it when I find it. It makes it... difficult. If it does not sing out to my heart, then how will I know I have found it?" he asks, his brow furrowing a little bit. He doesn't know that he's already found it. His gaze turns away from her, and he looks up to the sky and the mysteries that lie in the heavens. And for a moment, he's quiet.

His gaze turns back to her, and he gives a small shake of his head. "It is not that the evil specifically goes anywhere, as it might be said. All of us have the potential for good and the potential for evil," he says softly, lifting one of his hands to hold it palm up as he mentions either. "When you do good, then that increases and the evil decreases. Do evil and there will be the opposite. We are all possessed of a certain amount of total potential, if you will. That total amount does not change, but the amount that is good and the amount that is evil change," he explains.

"Or at least, this has been the way that I choose to view it. Perhaps it is accurate, perhaps it is not," he muses, lifting one of his shoulders in a faint shrug. "Life is a precious thing," he adds.