14723/Midnight in the Park

Midnight in the Park
Date of Scene:	22 February 2023
Location:	Central Park, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Kit Killovarras, Shen Wei, Bai Wuyun

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Kit Killovarras has posed:
Central park by night is typically a dangerous place, but it can also be seen as beautiful in the right setting. There's a small, old open air amphitheater not far from one of the ponds that get very little attention this time of year, but it's here that a yeen has found himself, sprawled out on the ground and staring at the sky, his glowing eyes the only sign that he's really there at all among the shadows that hide this place from prying eyes.

Shen Wei has posed:
Central Park. Oh how Shen Wei remembers this place. But, it's a good place to land the shuttle, because it can come in stealthily, and there are quite a few places within the park that are off limits to the general public. Places that a visiting alien pays no attention to the taboo of entering. Or exiting. Especially at night.

Shen Wei's contacts are in this part of the world, on this planet. In this city. It's why he was here the last time, and it's why they have come back to this planet. And this place. As the ground is absent of snow, and it's warm enough that nothing is frozen over anymore, Shen Wei's steps are silent. Even the grass no longer crunches underfoot. But his scent is carried upon the air toward the lounging yeen. That scent of something from places most people would consider evil. Sulfur. Darkness. A hint of spice. The scent is familiar enough to, perhaps, tickle Kit's memories.

This time, Shen Wei is as alone as he was the previous time. He carries a bag slung over his shoulder. It looks and has a scent simliar to leather, to those who can see in the darkness, but the color is a deep blue with ripples of an even deeper purple. Unless it's dyed, and there's no scent of such, there isn't any creature on this planet that puts out leather in that color and pattern.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
Central Park. Bai Wuyun remembers the last time he was here. He wishes that he didn't. Yet he hadn't interfered at all in the choice for where to land the shuttle, even though there were other places which would have worked for the shuttle to land in. Instead, he'd stayed quiet. The shuttle has been landed for a day already. And for his part, Bai Wuyun has stayed in the relative area of it -- he doesn't know how long Shen Wei will be with the business he has.

For tonight, the Haixingren is dressed differently. He wears a pair of ankle height black leather boots that lace up, a pair of black jeans, a pale blue long-sleeved shirt with a high collar, and a long black leather coat. His long hair has been gathered at the nape of his neck, braided and looped up, caught in a metal filigreed clasp at his upper back. It disguises the length of his hair well. Much different than the Haixingren robes he's accustomed to wearing. The scent of him is likely tugged upon the air, perhaps... familiar in its own way: of sunlight, a hint of a Divine's touch, of feline and a mixture of sandalwood with cinnamon. There's also a hint of sweet, but that... well, that might well come from the cinnamon lollipop he currently has in his mouth.

He wanders the park, his steps light upon the lingering snow, letting fate choose the path he walks, which brings him nearer to the amphitheatre which has been built here. He seems at ease, his gaze wandering to keep watch upon the park itself. To wait. To watch for Shen Wei.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Two fairly familiar scents and a secluded place? Yeah, the Yeen is going to give a little chuckle as he lets his eyes close, ears perking a little where he is on the ground, trying to get an ear for where the scents might be coming from. He's gotten stronger in the last year, his senses keener and it wouldn't be hard for him to figure out proximity without the use of his sight.

For now though, he'll be a bit quiet and simply let the two of them be. He remembers their last encounter too, after all. So for the time being, he's just a fly on the wall, or more accurately, a yeen on the floor of an amphitheater.

Shen Wei has posed:
Shen Wei has enhanced senses, sometimes, but only if he's using his power to enhance them. And he's not. So, other than being able to see in the dark as clear as if it were day, there's nothing much that Shen notices as he walks through the park. He is going the opposite direction that Bai Wuyun is. The pair seem to be on a collision course, with poor Kit right smack in the middle. Well, with the pond area he's in right in the middle.

Shen Wei hadn't said a word when he'd left the shuttle. Xie Yun hasn't given any clues. Ming Qiu had been left aboard the ship to mind it. Xue Yun is presently leaned back in the cockpit, dozing. If any alarms go off, they'll wake him. And nothing can get into the shuttle, it's tightly locked. Shen tonight is dressed much as he was the previous time. A coat. Jeans. Boots. The hood of the coat is pulled up, and his hands are tucked into the pockets on either side of it. He still doesn't care much for the cold, and that much is entirely clear in his almost huddled posture.

For the moment, Shen Wei remains unaware of Bai Wuyun's watching, waiting eyes. He is equally unaware of Kit's proximity. He shifts the bag on his shoulder, an easy motion, giving hints that it isn't overly heavy. Perhaps he'd concluded his business and the bag is empty? It's either that or the bag contains something that doesn't weigh a lot. Shen Wei walks toward the lake, and then to its shore. He pauses there, instead of walking around it, eyes fixed out over the waters. Taking a moment to steady his nerves before he finishes the walk back to the shuttle. Before he has to face Bai Wuyun again. Things are, as they have been since their reacquaintence, rocky.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
The lollipop is claimed from betwixt his lips, the stick of it lightly twirled between the fingers of his right hand. He looks to the lollipop for a moment, and after briefly licking his lips, he slips it back into his mouth. It's better than the habit it replaces -- smoking isn't very good for him, after all. Perhaps a bit worse for him than for a human, given that he has two sets of lungs to be affected by the smoke. It's not often at all that he gives in to smoking anymore.

Bai Wuyun only has enhanced senses when he's in his alien feline form, and so... he has to rely on his sight, which is nowhere near as good as Shen Wei's. If he'd left the shuttle for a reason other than simply the 'fresh' Earth air and to stretch his legs, then there's no apparent sign of what that reason might be. He's still trying to get around to feeling comfortable in the different clothes -- there are a number of differences, beyond just the fabric they're made from. They fit differently. Softly, he begins to hum a melody, and there's a slight shift in his step as he moves with the beat of that melody, and his breath lightly fogs in the air.

Things haven't been smooth between Bai Wuyun and Shen Wei since they came into each other's lives again. Much of that has been Bai Wuyun's own doing and a lack of patience on his part. Yet he's been trying to make up for that, and most of his time on the ship is spent in his alien feline form. But it feels good to be in his native form, as well. As he comes closer to the theater, and to the yeen lounging on the ground near to it, it's only because of the glowing eyes that he notices the other. His steps pause, and he tilts his head a bit to one side. "Do you seek to hide in the shadows?" he asks softly, his voice loud enough to carry to the lounging yeen. He hasn't, as of yet, noticed Shen Wei -- no doubt because of the night's darkness.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
With the sounds of steps and the notable humming, the yeen finally sits up and looks around a bit, still keeping his body relatively low to the ground with how he's slumped. There's a near-silent yawn before he looks to Bai and gives a quiet little chuckle. "I mean, it is what I tend to do." he muses with a thin smile and a faint shrug. "Honestly though, I was just enjoying the night."

The yeen rolls his shoulders, a few quiet pops issuing from his back as he does and then he turns his attention fully to Bai. "Been a while, by the way. See anything interesting out among the stars lately?"

Shen Wei has posed:
It's unsurprising that Bai Wuyun doesn't smoke often anymore. Shen Wei would have his hide if he so much as dared to show one of the nasty things on his ship, let alone to light it. Even off the ship is off limits if Shen Wei is anywhere nearby. Their rocky relationship isn't /all/ Bai Wuyun's fault. True, he might lack in patience, but Shen Wei has troubles of his own that run much, much deeper than impatience.

The too familiar voice of Bai Wuyun brings a little jerk from Shen Wei, his head whipping around to stare in the direction it had come from. He hadn't been expecting to hear, or see, the Haixingren here. And yet.... it had happened. He should have expected it. Afterall, the Haixingren doesn't sit idle very well. No more than Shen Wei himself does. He realizes that Bai Wuyun had been speaking to someone else.

And then there's that other voice. Familiar, if not /as/ familiar as Bai Wuyun's. That voice sends a shiver through Shen Wei's form. He closes his eyes as his shoulders hunch up. With deliberate motions, Shen Wei starts to walk again. Already on the shore of the pond closer to the amphitheater, he turns and walks along its shore, eyes coming open again as the first step is taken. As he walks, it becomes clear that he has no intention at all to stop where Kit and Bai Wuyun are now talking.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Then there's the sound of footsteps and Kit rocks himself up onto his paws, giving a simple, "Speaking of enjoying the night, excuse me for a moment." Kit says to the feline in human guise as he steps away, stretching a little as he walks. It's been the better part of a year and in that time, the Yeen has gotten far more skilled at what he does, often testing the limits of his skills against others with senses as sharp as his, so when he moves now it's almost utterly silent.

Hunting people is what he does best lately, knowing the terrain means knowing the paths that can be used to gain an advantage in out-distancing someone, or cutting off their path or setting an ambush. So it wouldn't be much of a shock to someone who was aware of his abilities, when he rounds a tree-trunk just a few yards from Shen's path, giving a thin smile and musing, "Not gonna come say 'hi'?" with a quiet little chuckle, leaning against that tree. "Oh and before you decide to go teleporting away? I've got something I need to say to you.."

Oh boy.. Well he isn't being visible aggressive, but he's still that same awkward teenager when it comes to opening a conversation apparently.

Shen Wei has posed:
Shen Wei isn't really trying to conceal himself. Even though his feet remain nearly silent upon the ground of the park, there are still sounds to one with good enough ears. Slight brushes of sound as his feet brush up against grass or rocks. Faint noises of gravel or dirt or rocks shifting under his feet. The sound of fabric on fabric as this bit brushes past that bit of his clothing.

With his head bowed and his eyes on the path, it's obvious that Shen Wei isn't expecting anybody to be sneaking up on him. He startles at the sudden appearance of Kit ahead of him. Instinct kicks in, and that sabre appears in his right hand as the hand is drawn from his pocket. The shadows fall from it as it's brought up into a defensive position.

Then conscious thought kicks in and Shen Wei realizes who it is. He blows out a breath, eyes slightly wide, as the shadows rise up to reclaim the blade, emptying his hand. He stuffs the blade back into his pocket and averts his gaze away from Kit. "No," he says. "I was not." He had had no plans to come and say hi, none at all. He turns and starts to step to the side, to go around Kit, when the question and comment come after. He stops, shoulders tense, but doesn't turn back to face Kit. Well. At least he is not teleporting away?

Kit Killovarras has posed:
"I wanted to say I'm sorry about how I treated you the last time we met," Kit says simply, one ear drooping to the side slightly. He didn't miss the tensing up. As for the startled response that he was greeted with? Not a flinch, not a worry, at least not outwardly. It seems like the yeen may have expected a startled response. "I was in a shitty place mentally and I was being an ass, you didn't deserve to be treated like that.."

Well, at least he's honest, right? He also hasn't made any obvious effort since he leaned on the tree to approach the man, though whether it's simply for the sake of giving him space or not is anyones guess.

Shen Wei has posed:
It probably doesn't hurt that the last time the pair had met, Shen Wei and Kit, even though a weapon had been drawn, it hadn't been used. Even though snowballs had been thrown at him, nothing had been thrown back. It might be that Kit knows that Shen Wei won't actually use a weapon on him when he doesn't really deserve it. Being an ass isn't enough to deserve trying to injure or kill someone.

Slowly, after the words are spoken, some of the tension bleeds from his shoulders. From the general set of his posture. Until he's no more tense than he had been when he stopped beside the pond. Shen Wei doesn't turn to face Kit, still, but at least he isn't walking away. Then, soft words. "I forgive you." He draws a breath and turns his head to glance toward Kit. "I also was not in a good place mentally that night." Not that he's been in any good places mentally since then, either, but there it is.

Bai Wuyun has posed:
At the answer from the yeen, Bai Wuyun tilts his head a touch to one side, his gaze holding to the youngster. The barest hint of a smile touches at the corners of his lips, and he inclines his head faintly towards him. "Mm, it is a lovely night. And life, regardless of the time of day, is best enjoyed," he says quietly, a thoughtful note to his voice. One of his eyebrow lifts faintly at the question asked of him, and he moves one of his shoulders in a slight shrug. "It depends on one's definition of 'interesting'," he adds, still in a quiet tone. He tends to have a knack for finding things that are both interesting and dangerous. Things which often seem to lead to him needing to be saved by Shen Wei then Shen Wei getting rescued by him. Sometimes, he wonders if he's more trouble than he might be worth to the bounty hunter.

Any smoking paraphernalia that Bai Wuyun owns has been kept safely ensconced within that air pocket of his. Out of sight. Not entirely out of mind. He lightly swirls his tongue across the lollipop in his mouth, then withdraws it. He doesn't take well to sitting idle -- he never has, and he likely never will. This might have contributed to the habit of smoking to start with -- a need to do something with his hands, to be active in some way. He doesn't wait well. Patience is also difficult for him, but for Shen Wei -- for Shen Wei, he's trying.

He gives a small nod to Kit when the youngster excuses himself, and his gaze follows him. Until Kit has stopped near to Shen Wei. Then Bai Wuyun's gaze shifts to Shen Wei himself, to watch him closely, and he stands remarkably still. "Shen Wei," he murmurs softly. He makes no motion at all towards interfering, not even when Shen Wei draws his sabre. Instead, Bai Wuyun remains standing where he was left. Watching, and waiting.

It lasts for a moment before he closes his eyes. He turns his concentration inward, and there's a soft wash of white light which rises to surround him, obscuring him for the moment. When his shift from humanoid to feline is completed, the light falls away from him. He gives himself a brief shake, and there is no sign of the lollipop he'd been holding. With his head slightly lowered, he starts to approach the pair of them, his tails lightly flickering from one side to another, leaving large pawprints in the snow behind him.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Kit gives a little chuckle and nods as he muses, "Figured as much. Everyone can get a little messed up in the head at times." before giving a little tilt of his head. He does go to say something else, but something catches his attention, causing one ear to flick as he glances off towards the flash of light that is Bai.

The yeen studies the now feline figure for a moment before a little smile spreads over his maw and he gives a simple, "That's still cute." before he turns his attention back to Shen, that same ear flicking for a moment before he yawns and pulls away from the tree he's leaning on. "Either way, I've said my peace and it doesn't take a psychic to figure out you two need to talk to each other, so if you want I'll take off."

Yup, he's a yeen of few words sometimes. Especially when there's a feline around giving off so many physical queues.

Shen Wei has posed:
Life is best enjoyed. That is something that Shen Wei still has yet to truly learn to do. Though Bai Wuyun knows it not, he had even been this way before his resurrection. Bai Wuyun might be more trouble than he's worth, and yet... Shen Wei hasn't kicked his tail off of his ship yet. So there's that.

As that glow of light appears off to the right, Shen Wei's eyes actually move to glance that way. His brow furrows slightly. His eyes remain on the cat as the young man speaks. "I.." There's a quiet laugh, an almost mocking laugh, lips curving up ever so slightly. He shakes his head. "I am not certain what it might be like, to not be messed up in the head," he finally says. Words which might make clear that the mocking laugh was directed entirely at himself.

Shen Wei can't help a blink at Kit's words. He actually looks to the younger man for a moment, staring at him. "Cute? He's so big he barely fits through the hatches on my ship." The feline is quite large, afterall. Larger than the Earth tiger by a considerable margin. Large enough to ride. He shakes his head. "There is nothing to talk about, and.." He pauses, blinking, brow furrowed. "Take off? What is this?" Whatever cues Bai Wuyun might be giving off, it's clear Shen Wei has no intention of chit chat with the cat. Especially when he's a cat!