4745/Street Meet

Street Meet
Date of Scene:	26 June 2018
Location:	Manhattan, New York City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Zhao Lin, Gothic Lolita

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Zhao Lin has posed:
    It's roughly mid-day in Manhattan, the sun is shining and Zhao Lin is laying on his face in an alley, around the corner from the cafe. The man looks like he's been there since the night before, judging from his discheveled clothes and the way he's just kind of... sleeping on the ground. He's even snoring a bit, one hand holding his canteen clutched against his shoulder, and his mouth is open with a little bit of drool spilling out. His other hand holds his hat, perhaps on purpose, the open end up with a coin or two sitting in it from people passing by and taking pity on the poor mutant - and mutant he is. Zhao Lin has a tail and a felinoid head and fur all over, complete with spots like a snow leopard! He doesn't seem aware of the people walking back and forth on the street, though occasionally the ear twitches atop his head so... perhaps he's not entirely asleep, after all?

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli's been making her way through New York. But while there's been plenty of sights to see, a drunk...cat...person in an alley is not one of them. She frowns a little, and leans in, looking down. "Hey...are you okay?" she asks.

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin's brow lifts when he hears a voice speaking to him, and one eye opens partway to look up at her. "Mmnhh?" he groans, before rolling over onto his back. He brings his hat over to place on his head, which, in his current position, puts it over his face. He removes it a moment later with a visible scowl, and he turns his head to spit out the coin that fell in his mouth. Finally, Zhao Lin pushes himself up into a sitting position, and then unsteadily climbs to his feet, where he sways a little bit, steadies himself, and then, carefully, places his hat upon his head. "Fine," he finally replies to Lolita, in his thickly Chinese-accented English, "I am fine. Thank you." His eyes focus on her for a moment, and he takes a couple unbalanced steps closer to her, seeming perplexed. He sniffs at her, nostrils flaring briefly. "...You smell weird," he states, in a moment of irony.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    The Japanese girl in the black dress leans in, and blinks in surprise when she sees the coin get spat out. She looks over, twintails dangling down, and smiles. "Are you sick? Or drunk? Because so far as I know, that's the only reason to be laying stretched-out in the alley."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    "Mmm," Zhao Lin intones, as a grin spreads across his muzzle and then he chuckles. He lifts the gourd canteen he carries with him, pouring some of the liquid into his mouth. "I am Zhao Lin," he tells her, "Master of the secret style of drunken fist!" He strikes a sudden fighting pose, and despite his drunken demeanor, in a flash his balance is steady, his posture strong. His weight is balanced on his rear-positioned foot, and both hands are brought up in front of him, held in fists save for the thumb and index finger, which are curled as though holding cups. Well, in one hand. The other still holds his canteen. All the same, it is a brief moment that demonstrates that he is, perhaps, not entirely what he seems, even if a moment later he sways off-balance again and descends into another giggle. "And who might you be?" he asks, leaning towards her perhaps a little further than he should be able to in his state of intoxication.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    She blinks. And then grins. "Oh my god. You're a catboy Jackie Chan. THAT is fabulously awesome." She reaches down and takes a phone from out of a pocket in her floofy skirt, and takes a picture. "Mmm...you can call me Loli." she offers. "So, are you a mutant?"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin furrows his brows again, peering at her curiously. "...Who is Jackie Chan?" he asks, before watching her take out the phone for a picture. He doesn't pull a face or anything, but she does get a still of him taking another drink out of his canteen. "Loli," he repeats, and then giggles, "Like lollypop." He grins broadly, his tail swaying behind him as it attempts to keep his balance while he's swaying on his feet. He seems to consider her next question, his eyes, for a moment, taking on a more serious expression as he considers the strange woman in front of him. "I am," he finally answers her, though he seems to be waiting for her reaction with a bit of apprehension now. It's clear that mutants are not always welcome in New York, especially in such nicer neighborhoods as Greenwich Village.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    She stares. "You're kidding me." She pulls up a YouTube video of Jackie Chan's Drunken Master video. "There, see??" She doesn't seem phased at all by him being a mutant. "It's SO cool."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin moves to stand beside her when she pulls up the video, lifting an arm to rest on her shoulder as he leans against her a little to watch it. "Huh," he muses, "He is almost as good as I am." He grins a little bit, straightening up once more to take another drink from his canteen. "He does not seem to know He Xiangu, though," Zhao Lin states, and demonstrates a couple of movements and stances that are distinctly feminine in nature - the ones that Jackie Chan did not want to do towards the end of the video.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    "Sorry, all I can say is gesundheit." Loli answers. "Chinese isn't exactly on the language list." She's distinctly very Japanese. "But it is really cool. So, were you doing beggaring? Or was the coin just someone trolling you?"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    "He Xiangu is one of the Eight Drunken Immortals," Zhao Lin tells her, once he twists around to face her again after his little demonstration, "The style of drunken fist I use is based on their behaviors. Oh, right, the coin!" He stumbles forward again, bending down and almost falling over, having to lift a leg behind him to keep his balance as he picks up the few coins that spilled from his hat. They're tucked away in a pocket as he rises up unsteadily once again. "No, I am a beggar," he tells her, "It is easier to to hide in plain sight when you are someone no one will look at." He flashes her a sly grin.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli smiles. "Well, I was really broke lately. And now I'm not. So if you need some money, I'm totally willing to help you out." The girl offers, smiling. "You need a dojo."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin rumbles warmly, his tail swishing behind him. "Money comes and money goes," he says, "I find the universe provides me with what I need, when I need it most. I have a dojo!" He grins to her again. "Or I did, when I had students. I have not seen either of them in some time now, I am hopeful nothing unfortunate happened to either of them." The feline man turns to lean back against a nearby dumpster, his attention still focused on the Japanese woman.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli grins at that. "I'd ask you to teach me, but I don't think I'd have as easy a time with the whole getting-drunk bit. Still, I don't want you to go hungry or anything." She rummages in another pocket and comes up with a roll of cash, peeling off a twenty and offering it over.

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin chuckles and shakes his head, grinning. "The drinking does not come until later," he says, giving her a wink, "After you have learned everything else." Then she is offering him cash, and he looks down at it for a moment. He considers it, reaching out and holding it between his fingers, but he doesn't take it yet. "Alright," he says, and grins to her again, "But only if you let me take you to dinner. There is a good ramen noodle shop in Chinatown, they have very good baijiu."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Her eyes seem to light up, and she grins. "I /love/ ramen. Lead the way!" She skips excitedly, and then looks into the alley. "Do you have anything we need to take with us?"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    At the question, Zhao Lin twists about, as though looking for his own tail. He stops and sways a bit unsteadily. "No, I think I have all of me," he says, and giggles again. He drapes an arm around Loli's shoulders and starts out of the alley with her. "Come on, ramen is this way," he says, leading her to the right. Then he stops suddenly, pulling her off-balance as he makes an unannounced u-turn. "No, wait, this way," he says, before heading towards Chinatown with her.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli yelps as she gets tugged about, but she giggles, and then moves to follow. "To ramen!!" She announces.

Zhao Lin has posed:
    It's a bit of a walk from Greenwich Village to Chinatown, but they make it all the same. Zhao Lin doesn't mind the walk, and well, Loli's a robot, she can handle it, right? There's plenty of idle chat on the way, with Zhao Lin talking about his martial arts and the village in China that he grew up in, where he first learned kung fu. The snow leopard also takes the occasional drink from his canteen, and though he offers it to Loli as well, he wouldn't be offended if she didn't want any. Eventually they arrive at the ramen shop, a small hole in the wall kind of place. The owner is Chinese, and he and Zhao Lin greet one another in Cantonese when the feline arrives with Loli. "Mr. Shu is a friend of mine," he explains to her as he leads her to a table, "He gives me space in his basement to brew baijiu, and we share what I make." He grins at her again.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    She can. She could walk all day and not get tired. And she's listening intently. Because it's all awesome. She is just drinking it up. But she does decline the canteen. Finally, they get there, and she gives a bow to the owner. She skips in to the table, and takes her seat there carefully. "Is that like beer? Or sake?"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    "Sake," Zhao Lin agrees, "It is made from rice, much in the same manner." He gets a cup and pours some of the contents of his canteen into it, setting the canteen aside. "Baijiu is a little sweeter though," Lin tells her, "And much stronger." There's a small grin, the leopard's tail twitching behind him. "So where are you from?" he asks, "You do not seem like you have lived in New York your whole life." His brow arches slightly, his eyes glancing up to her from the menu he had been looking at.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    She grins a little, as she leans in. "What, the look doesn't give it away?" And she intentionally bobs her head side to side to set her twintails swinging. "Land of the Rising Anime."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin laughs and shakes his head. "I had figured -that- out," he tells her, "Your mannerisms say enough for that. What part of Japan?" The snow leopard rumbles deeply, his tail giving another twitch behind him. He picks up the cup and takes a sip. A moment later the owner stops by their table to get their order, and Zhao Lin waits for Loli to order before he does. Nothing exceptional, just some good classic ramen with crispy pork.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    She smiles. "Kyoto. Have you been?" She asks. She'll match Zhao's order. A good order of pork ramen is classic, though she'll go with tea for her drink rather than baijiu. "So...have you always been a nekokun?" she offers, curiously. "Or was it a "when you got teenaged" thing?"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    There's a shake of the leopard's head. "No, I have not traveled much. Coming here was the first time I left China." Zhao Lin pauses for a moment, as he has to figure out what "nekokun" means, but he puts two and two together after a moment. "Ah, as long as I can remember," he says, "My parents abandoned me because they thought I was a demon. When I was still a child, I met my Master, who was also a homeless beggar. He was the one who taught me gongfu."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    The girl nods. "Well, being a demon could be cool. You could throw fire out of your hands or something. Yah!" She makes a video-game throwing-fireball pose. And nearly spills her ramen. "Oops!"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin laughs and nods his head, grinning at the young woman's antics. "I can breathe fire," he claims, "But I do not do it inside, Mr. Shu would be very mad at me." The leopard chuckles again, and picks up his bowl to shovel some of the ramen into his mouth. He barely chews it before swallowing. "I am much happier being a snow leopard than a demon," he tells Loli, "There is nobody hunting me because I am evil." There's another broad grin. "And girls all think I am cute."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli grins. "Well, see, you could be both. In Japan, being a demon isn't necessarily automatically evil." She looks back to Zhao Lin. "But, you are really cute. But I don't think you'd want me tying ribbons in your fur."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    There's another laugh from the feline man and he nods. "Maybe if I have enough baijiu," he tells her, "Though it would be a lot of baijiu!" Speaking of, Zhao Lin takes another drink from his cup, then refills it with some more from the canteen. "That is one of my mutant powers, in fact," he tells her, "I tolerate alcohol very well. You want to know a secret?" His brow raises, and he lifts up out of his seat a bit, leaning over the table a bit to whisper, "I am not even drunk right now." He grins again, and sits back down.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli grins. "I tolerate alcohol really well too." she whispers. "But that's a secret. Both of us. And I don't know, you being drunk sounds like it's in your wheelhouse. And it makes a good show too." She smiles. "You've been a very good host today."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin rolls his shoudlers, rumbling warmly in his throat. "You have been very good company," he replies to her, his tone almost a warm purr. He takes another sip of his drink, and then smiles at the young Japanese woman seated across from him. "Not often that I get such pleasant company after waking up in an alley. I appreciate it."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli says "Everyone deserves good company. Friendship is seriously underrated." She sips her tea again. "I'd say that I'll come back and visit more. But I don't really know where I'm going to end up staying yet. Still, now that I know about this place, I'll try to catch you here, just in case you change alleys."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin's brow arches slightly. "You are not staying anywhere?" he asks her, his tail twitching a little. He pauses a moment, giving serious consideration to something it would seem. "I... have the key to one of the dorm rooms at the University," he says, "I am borrowing it from a friend, and... It is small, but you are welcome to stay for a night or two, until you can find your own place. I would not mind sleeping on the floor, as I have clearly demonstrated." He gives Loli another small grin.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    "I just got to the city. Don't have a permanent place yet. I have enough money for a hotel, though. I'll be okay." She winks, looking back. "Come on, guy! You're the one in the alley. I should be offering to let you sleep on MY floor, not the other way around!"

Zhao Lin has posed:
    Zhao Lin chuckles and his tail twitches, the feline grinning at her. "Yes," he says, "And I have been here longer. I have connections." He leans forward on his elbow, resting his chin in his hand. He picks a piece of pork from the bowl with his fingers and tossing it into his maw. "But if you -are- offering, I would not mind seeing what the hotels are like around here. I have not stayed in any of them yet!"

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli laughs. "Sure! You pick a hotel, and we'll stay at it tonight!" She offers. "I'm tempted to say you can have the bed, if you curl up at the end. Cuz if you purr, that would be awesome."

Zhao Lin has posed:
    The leopard chuckles and flicks his tail again. "Hmn. There is a good one not far from here, if you don't mind another walk," he tells her, "I do not know how much money you have though, I would hate to bankrupt you on my expense. I -can- always sneak into the dorm again, after all." The leopard takes another drink from his cup, finishing off what's left of it.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli shrugs. "I didn't count it." She nods towards the pocket with the roll of cash. "But I'm sure it's enough. Come on. Let's go find someplace to crash." With that, she stands to head out.