1519/Chicken Wings and Stranger Things

Chicken Wings and Stranger Things
Date of Scene:	18 July 2017
Location:	Los Pollos Hermanos - Gotham City
Synopsis:	Alice and Angela meet to discuss a few things.
Cast of Characters:	Wu, Ahadiel

---

Wu has posed:
    The call came after a few days. Pleasantries exchanged, warily on Alice's side, the pair have arranged to meet in Los Pollos Hermanos in Upper West Hill, shortly after Alice goes off-shift.
    It's busy. The evening crush is in full force. All the registers are churning through orders as if there's no tomorrow. (For one of the cashiers this is true. His body will be found shortly before midnight cooling in an alley near the home he shares with three other drug addicts and, unbeknownst to him, a rakshasa. But that's another issue.)
    It is busy yet ... Alice is sitting at a table and a member of the staff is taking her order. The place is crowded, but Alice has a table for four all to herself. People spotting it as they leave the register head for it and then ... get distracted. Walk away from it, forgetting its very existence.
    It's good to be a mage.
    By the time Angela arrives, two trays of a wide selection of fragrant Los Pollos Hermanos food are sitting on the table waiting.

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela walks in, her hair tied back in a casual ponytail as she wears an outfit that seems fairly nice, really. A dark blue silk blouse and black slacks, with black shoes as well. Her purse is slung over her shoulder as she looks back and forth, then smiles over towards Alice as she spots the other woman.
    Making her way over to the table, she eyes the food then blinks, "Oh, no... I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?" She sounds genuinely concerned about that.
    Oh, and she's speaking that perfect Cantonese again.

Wu has posed:
    "Oh, no, not to worry," Alice says with a slight smile of greeting, standing as Angela approaches. "As hostess I just wanted to make sure that everything would be ready." She sits after Angela, producing a small ceramic brazier from a leather satchel she has with her. This she puts a cone of incense into and ignites it. Strangely, nobody comments; nobody appears to notice, even. This may have something to do with the rice paper pasted to the wall next to the table, glowing a cheery orange in the mystic realm. The curling, glowing blue smoke from the brazier soon joins it, covering the pair in its cold embrace.
    "That was my cone of quiet," Alice says, face deadpan, seemingly unaware of channeling a television program. "I try not to talk of matters that are important without it being active."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela smiles a little, "Probably for the best, that." She sits down across from Alice, noticing the rice paper, and hmms. "So, should we come clean then? I tell you mine and you tell me yours?" Her lips quirk a bit more at that, "Or should we eat first? Because frankly, it does smell rather delicious, which surprises me to no end." Wait, decent fast food? Humans are FULL of miracles.

Wu has posed:
    "I had to skip lunch today on a homicide call. Didn't feel much like eating afterward. Let's eat first."
    Ever courteous when dealing with creatures that outpower her without preparation, Alice lets Angela select something from the trays first before she zeroes in on her signature "Caliente" twin-patty grilled chicken burger.
    "I was quite surprised," she says between carefully-chewed mouthfuls, "to find a place like this in America. I always thought Americans were incapable of cooking anything fast food that's delicious. It turns out they're just incapable of exporting it for some reason."
    She really was hungry. That burger practically vanished with her breathing.
    "So, you first. I think you've got a far more interesting story to tell than I have."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela laughs very softly, "How long do you have?" She smiles over at Alice, taking what looks like a chicken enchilada, eating rather slowly as she seems to be content with taking her time. "And what do you believe in? It might make it a little simpler." She doesn't seem to mind going first, but just wants to gauge /how/ to explain it.

Wu has posed:
    "I have as long as it takes." Alice gestures at the incense. "When that burns out I can light another, or we can go somewhere more secure with permanent wards. As to what I believe in? ... That is complicated. I was raised Buddhist and Buddhist thought dominates my model of the world; but that model has expanded somewhat since ..." She rubs her hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. "The change."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela chuckles very lightly, "So if I told you I was a retired Angel of Vengeance that's been following humanity's progress for the past twelve thousand years, you'd be pretty open about that?" She tilts her head, waiting to see Alice's reaction to that before continuing any further, though she does add, "Retired. Not Fallen. It's been a few years since I've done that sort of thing."

Wu has posed:
    Alice laughs. It's a mirthless one, more born of pain, perhaps, than of humour.
    "In the past three days I have met an 'archangel', a Greek god of war, and now an angel of vengeance. The only one of these that surprised me, really, was the god of war and that only because of what he was doing.
    A tight smile for a second.
    "For most people this would be a lifetime's revelation. For me this is Tuesday."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela arches a brow at the mention of meeting an Archangel, barely managing to refrain from asking which one, and instead says, "Ares? Not a bad kid. Bit impatient though." She shrugs, "But that was a while ago, anyway. Now, well, I just stay on Earth and act as a matron for artists... and indulge in a bit of creation myself." Her lips curl into a wry grin, "Though I prefer it when my clients don't lie to their girlfriends and make me feel the urge to smite them."

Wu has posed:
    "I don't usually get involved in petty matters like that, but ... that boy rubbed me the wrong way. And my shoulder was sore from some work this week, so I wasn't in the best of moods."
    Sly smile.
    "I've rationalized it as target practice."
    A curly fry disappears, washed down with the battery acid sold as a refreshing beverage: 'Soder Cola'.
    "I really do need to learn to watch out for people who can see me doing it, though. This isn't my home turf; I should know that there will be unknown factors."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela laughs a little, "Well, I thought it was delightful." She smiles, "Truly. That was definitely poetic justice for the boy. I just hope that girl wasn't foolish enough to take him back. He doesn't deserve her, but mortals can be desperate for an illusion of love. " A slight sigh, as she takes a few curly fries.

Wu has posed:
    "It is a mistake I have eschewed," Alice says. "My mother didn't. Now I have the red hair and the job."
    Another sip, suspiciously long, of her battery acid drink.
    "I can't say that it was a weakness that got her killed. But her getting killed also killed my father. I mean technically he died of natural causes. His heart stopped because someone threw a few ounces of lead into it at high speed. But it was a stupid death caused by distraction; distraction caused by grief."
    Long uncomfortable silence.
    "She was also too flamboyant; too obvious in her work. I'm not making the same mistake. But I'll wind up dead at the hands of one of my would-be targets some day. I won't inflict that pain on someone else."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela shakes her head at Alice, "Alright, well, I'm going to give you a little bit of advice, based on having seen humanity literally rise of the Stone Age." She smiles, "Don't be afraid to love. Better to have it cut short with that in your heart, than to not have it at all. I've seen people do it both ways... and it always works better with it there."

Wu has posed:
    "I'm sure that if I find someone that suits me, and that will have me, my opinion will change. I mean my mother lived in an ordinary apartment while all her acquaintances had their dark, brooding, solitary 'sanctums'. She had one of those before she met my father."
    Something seems to catch in Alice's throat, seeing as how her voice goes a bit thick for that last sentence. Ooh! Seems that it's time for that apple pie. Which takes a long time to go through, unlike the double-patty burger which was gone in seemingly seconds.
    "I guess it's my turn," she finally says, her voice steadier now, whatever was in her throat evidently cleaned away.
    "Do you have any specific questions or do you just want the general gist?"

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela steeples her fingers a bit in front of her, "General gist is fine. I mean, you're no infernalist, I could have sensed that last night." She tilts her head, not actually eating... all that much, to be honest, though she eats a little bit, but not much for a person. But then again, she's not really a person either.

Wu has posed:
    "I am the duly designated Mystic Protector of Hong Kong. The inheritor of the August Wu of the Coral Island." She makes a face at the grandiloquent title. "I don't use that title. I've cut it down, for those cases where it has to be used, to just the first and third words: the Wu."
    She grabs a curly fry and takes a bite out of it.
    "I hunt and dispel or destroy supernatural threats. My operating base is usually Hong Kong but ... well, it's complicated. Being a cop in the Hong Kong Police Department means I need to go where I'm told. And I was told to come here on an exchange program. So this is my temporary base of operations until I go back."
    She shrugs.
    "Politics. I don't have a lot of friends on the force who have any power, so when the task force was proposed, I was the one who didn't have enough relationship power to say no."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela ahs and nods a bit, "I see. I'm well aware of politics. You'd be surprised how much they permeate everything." She makes a face at that, then chuckles at Alice as something occurs to her, "And you're afraid I might be a threat? Since I saw what you did?" She smiles knowingly at Alice, suspecting what the witch was thinking.

Wu has posed:
    "I've dealt with lower ranking members of the Heavenly Court. I'm well aware how much politics permeates everything. Politics. From the greek "poly" meaning "many" and "ticks" meaning "blood-sucking insects"."
    She takes a sip of her cola.
    "Anybody who knows of me is a potential threat. Most potential threats are not actual. I have many friends in supernatural circles. I hope to number you among them."
    Another sip.
    "But, make no mistake, I am a PROTECTOR of humanity. A DEFENDER." The stress on those words is strong. "I side with humanity over supernatural friends because that's my assigned role. To defend. That is the pact I made."
    Another bite of the fry.
    "And when life is scorned; when damage is done. To avenge."
    Again the dead poker face. Does she know or not know that she's paraphrasing pop culture?

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela chuckles, "Well, I haven't engaged in any smiting since... hrm." She pauses, and thinks, "It was around 1300 BC, I believe. When humanity actually discovered that a Higher Power exists, and not some collection of vain spirits pretending to be deities." Her eyes dance a bit, "But it sounds like we have a similar bent, which is a reason why vengeance isn't exactly my job anymore."

Wu has posed:
    Alice checks her watch, counts on her ringers. "I've engaged in smiting about ... 69 hours ago," she says. "This one I destroyed; he killed three people, maimed at least a dozen others. Well, he and his partner, but his partner was destroyed near the scene. About 48 hours before that I dispelled a lost and confused creature that killed a cop."
    Tight smile.
    "I'm very much on active duty still. And vengeance is very much a part of my job. I just prefer not to have to reach that stage because it means I failed in the earlier steps."
    She drains her drink.
    "You seem nice for an angel of vengeance," she says with a sly grin. "And you don't seem like a threat. I think it's safe for us to be friends. If I see people who want fancy swords I'll send them your way, OK?"

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela chuckles, "Please, I could use the business. Mortal demands for money can be a touch irritating at times." She nods, "And I can forge real blades, but more money is found in working for re-enactors. Though like I said, I haven't been an angel of Vengeance for about three thousand years." Her eyes dance, "I'm a lot more mellow... yes, mellow, than I was back then, Alice. You'd love to know how I've spent the last 20 or so years." Her lips quirk a bit, as she returns that sly look from Alice.

Wu has posed:
    "In my past 20 years I've gone from being a petulant teen disrespecting her mother to a Mystic Guardian who doesn't want the job trying instead to be a cop like her father. I suspect that I'm like a mayfly to you. Ephemeral and gone in a flash."
    Alice holds up her hands in a negation gesture.
    "Don't bother to deny it. I wouldn't believe you and I don't mind anyway. We're all blessed and cursed with different things. The next swing of Samsara, if I don't find my way off that wheel in my lifetime, which is looking increasingly unlikely, may put me into an immortal's shoes. Or it may put me into a blade of grass. I don't know and I don't much care."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela smiles a bit, "Maybe, but you know, it's a bit of envy in some ways. Humans exist so bright and like a flash, but the marks you can all make in that time..." She chuckles, "Far more than anything I might do, anyway, which is as it should be. I'm a servant of a Higher Power, even though I also have free will."

Wu has posed:
    "I suspect," Alice says dryly, "that your body count is higher than mine could ever reach. Perhaps you mean in aggregate?" Her eyes dance as she suppresses a grin. "Or do you mean that if the Compassionate One himself were to threaten humanity I would find a way to waste Him?"
    The casual blasphemy against The Buddha, Tathagata Himself, would be shocking to any of her countrymen. Even those who don't believe.
    "That would truly be a mark left for all time, wouldn't it?"

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela chuckles a bit, "I suppose it would be, though I was never a heavy-hitter. I focused more on the smaller things. The individual cruelty of people." She makes a bit of a grimace at that, as past decade or so has made life decidedly irksome on her retirement.

    Angela then smiles faintly, "How does Creation become a threat to Itself? Though no one has really gotten it right yet, in any case. But then, if people knew for certain what was out there, would they lose faith? Faith is powered by believing something without knowing for certain it is true, after all."

Wu has posed:
    "I envy you," Alice says slowly, eyes narrowing a bit, "for in your time never having seen something be a danger to itself. Look carefully in front of you and you might get a glimpse of such. I've been told that I'm self-destructive." She chuckles a bit, breaking the mood. "Of course this is because they couldn't see what was actually playing out before their eyes; they saw me 'walking into gunfire' and didn't see the shields that were bouncing the mystic arrows and bolts."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela ahs, and tilts her head at Alice, "Oh, I didn't say that. But Creation is... it's a bit more complicated than that." She smiles over at Alice, "Though, if you ever need to talk, I'm told I'm a pretty good listener. And you don't have to worry about wearing out my patience. It's probably my best virtue." With that, she gives a wink to Alice, her smile growing a bit impish.

Wu has posed:
    "Mostly," Alice says with a chuckle, "what I need is a break. This ... vocation, no calling, of mine is exhausting. It's why I do strange things like meeting angels in restaurants for conversation." She shrugs. "It's a short break." A smile flirts with her lips before being chased away. "In my next life I want a job less nerve-wracking. I've been praying to come back into bomb disposal."

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela hmmms a bit, "Well, maybe you should consider a vacation? Just a little bit of a break? I mean, I'm no expert, but..." She shrugs back to Alice, and then smiles, "How about I cook you dinner? You can see my gallery, if you like. It's... rather unique." She gets a bit of an impish look before adding, "When you've collected for twelve thousand years, you can get quite a bit of interesting pieces."

Wu has posed:
    Alice pulls out her little leather-bound notebook and starts going over it. "When did you have in mind?" she asks, looking up from its calendar pages. "I've got an opening ... looks like in October."
    She sits with her pen poised, looking over at Angela expectently.
    Beat.
    "No, seriously, that sounds both lovely and interesting. When would you be amenable to it?" she asks, snapping the notebook closed with a grin and replacing it in her vest.

Ahadiel has posed:
    Angela hmms a bit, "Well, how about Thursday? You can come by, I'll show off the art, cook for you, and you can just have a nice evening and relax. Because frankly it sounds like you need it." She smiles back at Alice, tilting her head, "Have a favorite dish I could prepare?"

Wu has posed:
    Alice looks a little wary. "You'll laugh," she says, eyeing Angela. "It's so homey it's like I'm going to turn into a peasant before your eyes." She winces as she articulates: "Fenzhengrou. It's not very Hong Kong of me, but I had it in Sichuan when I was studying at convent and... well... I hate to say this as a Buddhist, but ..." She grins. "The taste of it guaranteed at least two more spins around Samsara!"

Ahadiel has posed:
    A warm smile touches Angela's lips then, and she looks... well, it's quite possibly the first moment when she actually does look like a real angel, as she says, "Alright, Fenzhengrou it is. I'll make sure to have that ready for Thursday." She nods a bit towards Alice, her expression warm, "I'll definitely see you then."

Wu has posed:
    "I will see you on Thursday then," Alice says gravely, but graciously. And her mind is already processing what to bring for the hostess since, naturally, you can't visit without a gift.
    She carefully extinguishes the incense cone with a bit of water from the melting ice cubes and packs away the brazier. She then peels away the rice paper on the wall. Almost immediately a harried-looking mother is there, asking, "Are you done with this table?" and sitting down before the answer is even offered, claiming the table for her brood before anybody else can.
    "Thursday then," Alice says with a chuckle.