188/Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch
Date of Scene:	01 May 2017
Location:	East Side, New York City (in a mural)
Synopsis:	Rory Sakura has a visitor to his imaginary garden
Cast of Characters:	Yokai (Sakara), Greenjack

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Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
There are a few places where the graffiti on a wall of a back alley is a bit more pictorial than the usual gang signs. This is not an indicator that Banksy has been here, not in Manhattan's East Side. There are other artists. In particular, one whose signature is a stylized cherry blossom in black and purple -- not normal cherry blossom colors even in Manhattan. The wall here depicts, vaguely when viewed from the right angles, an alcove with a door on a wall, barely visible. The alcove doesn't exist. Trompe l'oel (french for Step On The Eyeball) means it looks realistic... a bit.. but the thing it depicts isn't really there.

And leaning against that door in that nonexistent alcove, a young giant in edgy-fashionable attire is letting vapor trail out of a long ivory pipe. He might be a drawing, but the smell is definitely ... burning incense?

Near the alley, across a somehow not-busy street, one of the many small parks, singular insertions of peace in the noise and haste, is experiencing a mildly sunny spring day.

Greenjack has posed:
Green people are not an unusual sight in the big city. There's enough variety that every now and again people will run into a meta, a mutant, or similar individuals. Most of them lead quiet, unassuming lives... or as unassuming as it can get when you can bench press a car or talk to birds. The young man (in/of) green walking down the street is attired more like your regular college student than a run-of-the-mill superhero. Jeans, layered shirts, and a messenger satchel complete the Urban Hipster 101 Kit.

He looks up from his phone after hastily firing a text off to someone, and his steps slow down the moment he aligns himself with the drawing at the right angle.

"...whoa."

He stands there for several seconds, admiring the trompe l'oeil. He has an eye for detail, it seems. After taking the image in, he reaches for his phone, apparently intent on snapping a picture.

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
The too-tall young man smiles ever so slightly, otherwise not moving, though the vapor streaming from the pipe may shift a bit... or maybe it's a trick of the light. Still. The smell of incense is stronger than the smell of garbage in the alley. A window, open in the wall two stories above, might be the source of the scent. Someone is singing inside, a wordless pleasant croon that could come from a teenaged boy or a young woman, not entirely on-pitch but not grating.

Greenjack has posed:
*click*

Danny pockets his phone and stares at the mural. Did the smoke...? Nah.

He wonders if the voice he hears might belong to the artist. Stranger coincidences happened all the time. Now, if he could just get their attention and satisfy his curiosity.

A few seconds later, small pinecones fly through the window, one followed by a second one a few seconds later. It was better and less destructive than throwing rocks, after all.

"Hellooo?"

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
Well. The first pinecone goes through the window... and drops into the alcove, startling the man leaning against the not-quite-visible door. He almost instantly returns to the same pose he had earlier, but the long pipe is now facing bowl-down rather than bowl-up. It might be a trick of the changing light but his skin, apparently shadowed, is actually a pale purple.

A cat yowls from the other side of the open window: a startled scream that isn't actually the noise the cat would really make but more the sound they make when trying to frighten another cat.

Greenjack has posed:
There was some trickery here, and Danny is intrigued. He looks at one of the nearby trees that adorn the sidewalk and he extends his hand. "Up up and away."

The tree bends down for Greenjack and he cimbs onto its extended branches. Soon is straightens itself and begins to stretch, to -grow- its branches towards that window. He tiptoes along the branches, trying to get a better look into that...

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
The window? It's a drawing. Yes, it doesn't look //quite// right at this angle, because it looks perfect from below. From up there, it's a bit squashed-looking.

Meanwhile down at street level, the man in the alcove is looking up at the moving tree. Now that's something you don't see every day. Unless you're a Kodama-kami. Tree spirits see that all the time.

Oh, "through" the window? There's a cat, curled up in a bowl on a table with a pine-cone nearby, and an old gramophone with a record on it. From the angle of someone looking in, even though the window-frame is wrong? It's very lifelike. From below, it would probably appear to be just some stuff barely visible.

Greenjack has posed:
"This is different." It reminded Daniel of that time they met that mad painter who dabbled in sorcery and who had painted his dying wife into an oil painting, to preserve her until a cure could be found. But then the painter's apprentice got a hold of the brush and... well, the town of Bremen had some VERY colorful problems for a while.

He hops off the brach and walks up to the mural, narrowing his eyes and reaching out to poke the 'drawing' of the impossibly-tall man leaning against the door.

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
Despite the visual texture of "wall" being present around the edges of this drawing, the shading and color make it look sufficiently realistic that it's no surprise at all when the poking finger actually touches warm flesh, a few inches into the space where the wall would be.

There's a shift in focus.

The alcove conceals a narrow passageway leading out into an open area, which is impossible given that the building would be in the way. The open area is a bit like a reflection of the park, with a cherry tree instead of the mulberry trees and the English Elm in that particular park. There are Japanese cherry trees elsewhere in various parks, bu t not this particular area. Nevertheless. The street scene of a Manhattan alleyway is a drawing on the wall of a building, and the alcove formed by the adjacent building leads the eye up to the window over the doorway here.

"Welcome to the other side," the tall man says, smiling. He has slightly pointed teeth, and definitely purple skin, and horns. How could anyone miss the horns?

"You're the first one who didn't stub their finger on the entrance. Are you a Kodama?"

Greenjack has posed:
This has happened before. Well, not -this- exactly, but there have been moments where Dr. Carnacki led the team into one Strange Adventure or another. Sometimes there was that one moment where something 'clicked' and the world felt different, like reality was some sort of Magic Eye picture and all it took was standing back far enough for everything to make sense.

That was one of the markers of True Magic, he had learned.

"Wrong part of the world. I'm a demi-satyr," he says conversationally, taking his surroundings in. "And you are...?"

He has a wild guess, but he doesn't want to offend, if his unwitting host happens to be from where Danny thinks he is.

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"In the chijo ningen, uh I mean human world, I go by Rory when I look human or Yokai when I don't. I'm an Oni. There aren't half-Oni, you're either one or you're not." Rory hands the pinecone that fell into the alcove to Greenjack.

"Thank you for taking the picture. It's nice when people appreciate my work. May I show you the garden? Would you like tea?"

Clearly the tall fellow doesn't get many visitors.

Greenjack has posed:
Danny takes the pinecone and raises an eyebrow. "I thought Oni were supposed to be hideous. And not terribly friendly. Are you the black sheep of the family, so to speak?"

He puts the pinecone in his messenger bag, "I'd love to see the garden, actually. Any particular reason an Oni has chosen to live in a mural on the East Side? I'd have thought the Village would have been the artsy choice."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"Now that's just racial prejudice. Most yokai are only slightly terrifying and sanity-destroying," Rory says, smiling. "Some of us are quite pleasant to look at. Besides, I take a bit after my Mother."

He pushes open the door, stepping into the room with the window, which ... is clearly not a purely Euclidean geometric since the window is well above the street level. The cat curled in the bowl wakes and makes a "mrowp?" sound then notices the pinecone resting on the table and pokes at it with an exploratory paw. The gramophone reaches the end of the record and Rory picks up the hinged stylus so it won't keep popping.

"This is the guest house. I put this particular garden here because it was the best wall that didn't have gang sign and ugly stuff all over it."

Greenjack has posed:
"Interesting. I didn't know this was one of the powers of the Oni. You're definitely a stereotype shatterer... it's quite a nice garden, too." Danny resists the temptation to commune with the vegetable life there. He may look at ease, but he's no fool- a lifetime in the Hunter Clan has taught him to be alert, even while presenting an outwardly pleasant demeanor. Just because the Oni seemed friendly, it didn't mean that he was actually so. He was ready to sprout some soybeans, just in case the Oni reverted to type.

"So what brings you to this particular corner ofthe world?"

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
Visiting Mom's half of the family," Rory says cheerfully, "and I wanted to get a Masters of Fine Art at CUNY or maybe Metro College."

The cat flows to the floor, a bit of chalk dust poofing up where he lands, and he goes over to sniff at the mint-smelling person. Meanwhile Rory recovers a medium-sized laquerware box, and says, "Want to head to the garden? I've just added a tea house."

By "just added" it's probably a case of ongoing invention, since the laquer box wasn't there before he opened a sliding cabinet door.

Greenjack has posed:
".... why?" Danny looks around, "I mean, why the masters? I don't think anyone at CUNY could do... well, this. And sure, I'd love to see the teahouse..."

This was definitely interesting, and intriguing. "Is your mother human, then? Or is she an American demon? Wait, that's a politician, isn't it?"

Uhoh, topical humor. Careful, Danny.

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"I need to be better, and studying under other teachers will help," Rory says. Such is the mindset of the dedicated art nerd.

"It's just around here," the tall purple oni says, brushing past the green fellow and stepping toward the small central garden with its cherry tree. Past the tree. there is a stream from somewhere, flowing into a small basin. Of course, a wooden water-clock device is collecting the water, then clicking it out.

The "tea house" is a small booth, just large enough for two people (and if one of them is smaller than an Oni, then it's large enough for three.) There is a raised wood floor, a small iron heater in the shape of a dragon, and a pot of water over the flames suspended from a hanging chain. Central, there is a table with a ceramic surface, deep green with brown and gold color fluxes glazed across it. Rory sets the box down and opens it to reveal the expected tea supplies.

"I would do a more formal tea ceremony but I'm far too clumsy and my grandparents would feel me doing it wrong and come across the world to scold me. So I hope you don't mind informal."

He fusses a bit, dumping tea that is NOT from a block of salted nastiness into a pair of small ceramic pots from the box, then places them on a bamboo mat and uses a dipper to put boiling water into each from the pot. A silk square goes down, then two wooden rectangles, and a pair of coconut macaroon cookies goes on each rectangle, then a tangerine on each, then a pair of small teacups.

The Oni pours for the green guest first, then from the other pot, pours a bit into his own cup. He sniffs it.

"Excellent! It's not poisonous this time!"

After sipping, he says, "My mother is Mary O'Connell of the Flatbush O'Connells, and she went to Japan to teach English, and fell in love with my father. It was terribly romantic, I'm told. Like something out of a girls' manga."

Greenjack has posed:
It really has been a long time since he has been to a tea ceremony. Not since that time his father took them to Japan to investigate 'mysterious disappearances.' Danny indicates he doesn't mind the informality, but a certain amusement crawls across his face at Rory's remark. "You have a penchant for making poisonous tea? Are you sure your mother wasn't a Borgia instead?"

Obscure historical reference for the win, "It must have been a bit of a scandal- I got the impression that the supernatural families in the land of the rising sun weren't too keen with marriage with foreigners. The people on my mother's side of the family aren't as picky." He takes a sip from his cup, "I mean, Zeus would do it with anyone."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
The Oni simply blushes slightly at the use of the word "penchant" and tilts his head forward, taking a delicate bite of a macaroon. He considers showing the "manga" he drew of his parents' courtship, but ... no. It didn't play well in pre-testing. His grandmother O'Connell was horrified when she found it.

"Not really a scandal. My Mom insisted that they get married, instead of the traditional 'take the baby to raise and send the mother back to the Mortal Realm with amnesia' thing. The O'Connells appear to have a bit of the Underhill in the family tree, because the old spell didn't take properly. Dad was very happy about that, too. They're very cute together. It's disgusting."

More hot water into the tea pots!

Greenjack has posed:
"And you're saving money by living in a mural instead of a dorm room. I wish I had known that was an option before I asked for a single," Danny grins and lets the scent of the tea waft over him. It is rather relaxed. "My mother had just come out of a curse when she met my father. Dyonisos cursed her to be a tree for, I don't know, a couple of thousand years. I haven't actually met anyone from mom's side of the family."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"I have no fixed abode above-ground," Rory says, "but I do keep a few side doors open here and there into the Yokai realm. It's definitely cheaper than a dorm room. I make money by doing murals and the occasional body ink."

He thinks for a moment. Oh, the wine-god. Wine-gods are nasty. Their curse hangover is the worst thing ever.

"I don't imagine you're looking too hard either," the Oni says. "More tea?"

Greenjack has posed:
"Not really. Gods are jerks, from what I gather. I've met a couple of mom's sisters, though, and they're fine. It was a little embarrassing at first because most Nymphs don't believe in clothing." He shakes his head. "And they make poor drunks, too," Aunt Euphrosia had ended up streaking through the streets of Valencia after a couple of strong wines.

"So I have to ask... what happens to your home if someone paints over your mural while you're in class?"

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"I lose a gate between the mundane and the superlative, so I have to make another one. Usually, I can get back to something approximately the same. Especially if there's an anchor in it," Remy says, finishing his first cookie. He pours more tea, then refreshes the hot water again. The water clock goes 'ker-tick-ploop."

Greenjack has posed:
"Interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing you in action when you have to open a new gateway. I find this sort of stuff fascinating."

He relaxes a little, but he still decides not to sense the nearby plants. He doesn't know if created plants through Oni magic could be harmful to him. "When did you discover your...er... talent?"

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"I've always had a gift for art. Drove Mom and Aunt Snake nuts. The Oni part didn't really show up until I turned 13 years old, except of course I was still co-raised by my father Akuma, and that included going to Yokai places and meeting the family," Rory says. He fetches a small dish from the laquered box, uncovering it to reveal salted plums.

"I learned how to appear human when I had to. How about yourself? Did you start out photosynthesizing or has that been a recent development?"

Greenjack has posed:
"Nah, I came out like this, minus the horns. Those grew in later. Technically speaking I'm a demi-Satyr with some dryad thrown into the mixture thanks to the curse, so I can photosynthesize and eat. I'm an absolute mythical mongrel."

"I'm going to Empire State University myself. Undeclared. Not sure what I want to study yet, so I'm taking my time with my first year."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"I think most mammals are born without horns. I mean, imagine the hazards to the mother."

The oni reaches into the apparently deeper-than-expected lacquerware box and pulls out a plate with a simple sushi roll, sliced in eight parts. Perhaps he has a sushi chef in the bottom of that thing?

"So what's it like living in student housing? I stayed with one of Father's relatives when I was going to art college. Meant I couldn't have guests, but it saved a lot of money."

Greenjack has posed:
r
"It's an interesting mixture of utter poverty and fancy living. It's hard to really put it into words in a way that translates well, but that's more or less what it is. You have furniture, you've got space, but your room is usually less space than you'd like... but the commons are nicer than your room. The laundry room, though, somehow always looks like there's a serial killer waiting to jump out at you."

Danny shrugs, "So... because of your nature, I must ask- do you plan on doing anything... vigilante-ish? A lot of people with powers, supernatural or not, seem inclined to do so."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
Rory blinks in apparent surprise at the thought.

"Do you think I should? I mean, I've helped a few people being victimized, but that was mostly an accident. I was there, and I couldn't very well let some random jerks attack people. And it's part of my giri, uhm, that's the ningen word. I've got an obligation to protect the weaker yokai from persecution. That's complicated."

He realizes that Danny's tea cup is nearly empty and refills it. The second brew of the leaves is lighter and sweeter, with a vaguely ginger perfume.

Greenjack has posed:
Danny takes a moment to appreciate the fragrance of the tea before he takes a sip of the new servig. "To the weaker Yokai, but how about others? I think it's something you shouldn't do unless you do it willingly, not as a mandate. That's why I've decided to take a break. For now. Maybe."

He looks up at Rory. "It's a big responsibility. Sometimes it can take over your life if you're not careful."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"I haven't lived long enough for it to have taken over," Rory says, and sips his own tea. "I've only been here a few months, after all. It's part of Yokai society to have to introduce yourself, and then you have to deal with the social expectations. I imagine it's similar for your side of the world? I mean, keeping the two worlds from preying on one another overmuch. The traditions here don't know what to do with Yokai. Nobody bows, so a kappa could go unchecked. For example."

A bite of the nigirizushi follows the tea -- Rory uses his fingers, not chopsticks. The water clock tick-plunks. Somewhere, a medium-pitched bug begins making a wavering droning noise.

Greenjack has posed:
"To be truthful, there area already several people who try to keep the supernatural in check. My own family, for example, though it's not a fair comparison. We took on the supernatural and the super-villainous in equal measures. You might not have to worry too much about Kappas here as, like, Mister Freeze."

Danny leans back on his hands, enjoying the brief breeze. He wonders if the breeze is coming from outside the mural. "And you'd probably have to wear one of those silly costumes, too."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"Do you know the traditional Oni garb?" Rory says, grinning. He will gladly demonstrate if Danny doesn't know it.

Meanwhile, there's a fight outside in the alley. A vague purple splash of light flickers at the alcove entrance, so far not visible, but the Oni does glance in that direction for a moment then downs another piece of nigirizushi.

Greenjack has posed:
"The tiger-striped loincloth? Trust me. You don't want to wear that as your crime-fighting outfit, especially if you plan to jump across rooftops. Unless you want to see pictures of your noble regions spread all across the internet, that is." Danny chuckles, and finishes his tea.

"I really should start heading back. I've got a pile of reading to do before Tuesday. Maybe you should visit me at the dorms so you can see the place for yourself? I'll invite you to the typical american equivalent of the tea ceremony- pizza dinner."

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"Sounds good. Let me get the door," Rory says, without protesting that he makes the tiger-striped loincloth look GOOD. He leaves the preparations where they are -- they can be cleaned up later. The good host leads his guests to the exit properly.

At the alcove, there is a chalk drawing of a three men attempting to attack a fourth, who is easily fighting them off. Rory frowns and picks up a baseball bat from the steps leading to the door. A shift of perspective and a faint smell of paint, and Rory and Danny are standing in front of the mural, with one of the three assailants looking very surprised.

Greenjack has posed:
Danny sighs. "Of course. It's Manhattan."

The tree, which had helped him climb up to the window, now stretches down towards one of the men- the nearest one- with branches stretched out like menacing claws. "You people just don't get it, do you? You've got people with superpowers all around you!"

He looks to Rory, curious to see what he will do.

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
The distraction is the most important part. The person being assailed breaks out his thirty bucks a month martial arts and one of the attackers falls with a terrible shriek and a damaged knee. The other one who was still assailing is relieved of a knife. The nearby one tries to dodge the tree and wets himself.

"I suggest you surrender. Now, why were they chasing you?" the still-an-Oni but with an ordinary baseball bat asks the defender.

"Mugging," he says. "They wanted my lunch money or something."

Rory looks at him, shrugs, and says, "Do you want the police?"

"Sure," the man says. "Otherwise they'll keep at it."

Greenjack has posed:
"You've got to be kidding me."

Danny stomps to one of the fallen assailants and extends his arm. Greenery starts sprouting off of it. "You tell your buddies and similarly-inclined folk that if you keep this up, I will find you and I will turn you into shrubbery. Don't think I *can't*," he says, as a tendril of vegetable material, sprouting tiny leaves, extends itself until it is almost touching the man's nose.

"We clear?"

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
The mug-ee mutters, and finds his phone. The police happen to be nearby, and a squad car shows up, with only brief pause for curses and other conversational gambits.
"You want to stick around?" Rory asks Danny. "I can give a statement if necessary."

The guy on the phone looks up.

"No need, I'll just tell 'em some random supers helped me."

Greenjack has posed:
"I'm good with Random Super. Incognito is the state of mind I'm in, after all," Danny grins and turns to Rory, "Come by the college Tuesday eve. I'll meet you outside the cafeteria. Sounds like a deal?" he asks, getting to the chase in order to avoid having to give a statement. He knows how long it takes, and it really isn't necessary with a witness present.

Yokai (Sakara) has posed:
"Sure. I'll see you then," Rory says. He grins and steps back into the mural, going "2D" and then disappearing from the image. The muggers are quickly arrested. The mug-ee leaves shortly after, and Rory goes and finishes the remaining food. It would cause problems if it stayed around, and the illusion of a cat gets to finish one of the sushi rolls.