Bone Flowers and Ebon Dragons

===> COH <===> 3/3/2020, 9:45:14 AM <===
Underneath Chinatown - Ebon Dragon's Nest(#3634RM)

	This cavernous subterranean space is old. Older than the warehouse above. More akin to a natural cave than a man made tunnel, it's then perhaps not that unusual that there's an aura of primordial power here. The temperature of this room drops several degrees from the one above, leaving the space perpetually cool and slightly damp. The Yin energies in here - cold, dark, overpowering - they run /strong/. Like a heavy pall draped over a tomb, the Yin touches /everything/ inside the space.

	In the center of the cavern? A circular pool, about ten feet in diameter, filled with a still and placid black liquid. The pool betrays no clues as to its depth.

	The space is sparsely furnished - A small altar. A pair of cots with pillows and blankets. A large wooden steamer trunk. A stainless steel medical table. And off to the side, a table and two benches carved of the same stone that makes up this cavern.

	**** PLACES ENABLED, WALL RATING: 4 ****

	The light of the Deadlands reveals that the whole space is entirely and thoroughly suffused with roiling Yin energies. Black blood of the earth bubbles up with the chaotic energies of the primordial Ebon Dragon Egg. No Ancestor Spirits dwell here, despite the obvious attraction that such a space might hold. One is inevitably likely left to wonder ... why?

Contents:
Mr. Lao(#17421)
Suzume
Obvious Exits:
  Office <Of>

	The secret master of Chinatown - that's how people in the community referred to the unknown and nameless figure who had his fingers in all three facets of the local middle kingdom - the Yang, the Yin, and the Hells. More commonly encountered was his Yin cult, through their mortal scarlet screen of Triad business. The Wing Kong. It was the WIng Kong that would have summoned Suzume for a meeting. Deep in Chinatown's oldest streets, was a warehouse. Below that warehouse? The gate to the Yellow Springs and beyond that the maoshan master - Danny Dragon - was oathed to defend. Suzume would be shown down the stone steps, descending for who knows how long, until she reached the bottom. There? She would be left alone. Over by an inky pool of mystery, would await a solitary figure.

	She is still a stranger here and she knows it, despite the fact that she's becoming a regular feature in the cemetery and in certain plots brewed up by a certain Dhampyr. Her presence is an unobtrusive one by supernatural standards; a girl that hears ghosts and cleans graves. So, to be summoned for any kind of meeting beyond that of a local Court - that is an unusual, though questionably auspicious, turn of events. She is dressed in white: white silk around her throat and a plain, white dress that's cinched at the waist with a black ribbon. Her hair is up, braided and bunned and pinned with white, enameled sticks. She moves quietly, but without stealth; shoes scuff on stone with every step until, at long last, she reaches the bottom. Dark eyes skim the area and land on that figure, only for her gaze to drop to the approximate vicinity of the unknown's feet.

	Danny stands statue still at the lip of the inky pool that serves as a yin attuned dragon nest. The surface is impossibly still and placid - it looks as if it might as well be made of matte glass - no reflected light bounces off the surface. At the sounds of approaching footfalls, Danny comes to life, turning to look over a shoulder. Silver eyes take in the sight of the young bone flower, and then he makes his way over to a stone table and benches, and motions for her to join him there. Then he'll call out, but not to Suzume. "LAO! We have company!" The maoshan's voice is like a clap of thunder, penetrating through the paper thin wall down here and into the yin and yang. Who. Was. Lao?

	Something gleams under Suzume's bangs; a small, dark jewel catches some scrap of ambient light and new layers of the world are revealed to her. Her gaze remains fixed on the ground near the man's feet, appropriately averted until, at long last, he moves - both to take her measure and then to approach the table and benches. She turns slightly, following his progress in an oblique sense, only to bow when he motions for her to join him. "Thank you," is barely breathed, gratitude underscored by the depth of her respectful gesture. She does not sit until he does, however. And at his call, her eyes widen, then narrow speculatively, casting about furtively for some sign of this new entity that's been summoned - or has it always been here, just out of sight? She does not know and cannot say.

	Suddenly, over by the table and benches? The yin dragon that is Mr. Lao will come into view. His eyes are the first thing to be seen - a dark baleful set of dimly glowing red eyes. Then the fangs and claws of jade. The rest of him? Is like a shadow in the dark, like something barely seen out of the corners of the eye. Mr. Lao speaks: "And who is this one?" The dragon gives the air a sniff, then lowers his face down near Suzume's. The air around her grows cold as a result!

	Danny gives a ghost of a smile, even as he lights a brazier on the stone table to heat water for tea. "I'll make us tea. Purple yin, from yunnan province. It helps with the yin down here." And then deft hands set to motion. "You should introduce yourself - Lao doesn't particularly care for surprises."

	"Ah!" The cry is more a breathy exhalation than an actual cry, a sharp intake of breath. Suzume sketches out a deep bow to the dragon, as is only appropriate, with a murmured, "It is an honor and a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lao-sama. I am Hayashi Suzume, summoned by spirits and carried on a westward wind. Please accept my deepest apologies for not having a proper offering to make."
	She smells clean - with hints of ink and paper, of dried flowers and something earthy; grave soil, surely.
	She does not immediately straighten, though her head inclines toward Danny. "And to you, too, Danny Dragon-sama. Your hospitality is appreciated. Thank you."

	Lao gives another sniff to Suzume, and a pleased little rumble of a sound wells up in the large dragon's body. He opens his mouth a sto speak, jade fangs gleaming. But then no sound is made, except for perhaps a hint of a chuckle as the dragon fades away from view like smoke in a breeze.

	Danny pulls the iron kettle off the fire, the water having heated up. He then pours it out into two small white ceramic cups, creating a muddy looking purple brew. "Let it cool - its best tepid," he offers as the purple tea leaves soak up the water and steep. "And don't mind Lao. Its one of those nights. He much prefers the temple to the warehouse these nights. But the soldiers get nervous when we're away for too long, so. We try and maintain a presence here."

	The sniff stirs her bangs and forces her to stifle a startled huff of a laugh. Suzume's bow deepens just a little more, but not before she catches sight of those jade fangs and the glimmer of red eyes before the ebon dragon fades from sight. She releases a breath, little more than a sigh, and straightens. While Danny pours the tea, she moves to sit, hands folded in her lap. "Thank you," she intones again, head ducking just a bit. "The whims and desires of dragons are not mine to judge," she adds, lips pulled taut into a near smile. Mentions of soldiers elicits a slight furrowing of her brow, but she does not touch it.
	Both hands go to the cup; pale fingers curve around it, absorbing the warmth.

	Danny watches Suzume for a while, sitting in statuelike stillness. He might as well be some bone flower jina himself, for the pallor of his aura, and the economy of his motion and movements. After a moment, he chuckles, and reaches up to remove his mask - one of the ceremonial vestments of his station as a maoshan. "There" he says, voice tinged with greater warmth than before. Its clear he's making an effort. "No need for such formalities now that Lao and you have made nice." He sets the mask aside, then reaches for his now cooled tea and imbibes a noisy slurp. "Welcome to the dragon's yin nest. Are you one of the Autumn Lotus, or the Burning Sands?"

	It is comforting, on some level; though Suzume is not precisely relaxed, she is much at ease in this space and Danny's presence. A dip of her chin follows when he removes his mask; acknowledgement and appreciation wrapped up in that small gesture. "Thank you," is a phrase that she's quite good at saying, smooth and cool and genuine every time. She follows his lead with the sipping of tea, though she's not quite so noisy in her imbibing of it. Small sips; savoring tastes. The inquiry is met with a slight shake of her head. "No, Danny Dragon-sama. My roots found poor purchase in the soil of House Bishamon; the winds carried me here with their blessing, to find proper earth to flourish in." Dark eyes level on him; the glint of a dark gem winks from behind her bangs. "Court air is too hot and fierce to properly cultivate some flowers."

	Danny nods. "Any student of yin has a place of refuge and succor here with Lao and myself, should you ever find yourself in need of one. We also maintain a temple in Tijuana, up in the mountains, with another dragon gate. Lao much prefers it to here. But Chinatown is much more at risk than Barrio Chino from waigoren, so I make sure we keep a presence here." He knocks back the last of the tea in his cup, then flips it over and slams it gently on the table. After a moment, he lifts the cup away and peers at the wet muddy tea leaves.

	A soft sound escapes her, like a flattened 'mm'. Suzume's head dips, bobbing birdlike for a moment. "If there is anything I can do to repay your hospitality, please do not hesitate to ask." She's slower in finishing her tea, taking her time with it and enjoying the shift in flavor along the way. A fine knitting of her brow follows; concern is writ large on a face that's not especially good at emoting. But, whatever it was, it passes, and she leans forward slightly when Danny finishes his tea and upends the cup, exposing the mess of leaves. Lips purse in consideration, though she remains silent - not quite analyzing the leaves, but studying them all the same.

	Danny's face is impassive, betraying no judgment one way or the other as he reads the insights hidden in the arrangement of the wet muddy leaves. Then he uses a pale hand to wipe them off the stone and onto the floor before rising in one smooth motion, extending a hand cool to the touch to Suzume. "Come."

	She finishes her tea, but does not attempt to make a reading of it. Perhaps she knows what it will say; perhaps what it says will not matter here and now. Suzume sets the cup down with a soft clink of sound and, when bid, she rises, with only a glance given to the leaves flung to the ground. "Of course." Danny's hand is regarded with a slow, singular blink, but ultimately taken in one of her smooth, and equally cool, own. Her hands are smooth; never having known hard work in life.

	Danny's hands are cool, hard as marble, but roughened like a coarser class of stone. There's very little give to his flesh, like he were some marble statue come to life. He leads Suzume over to the inky pool. "The journey may be a little disorienting, but less so for you, I think, as you are a creature of yin, like me." And with that, he steps forward and slips beneath the dark placid waters, taking Suzume with him!

	Her skin yields, still flesh; but it's cool and pale and speaks nakedly of what she is. The pool is regarded with eyes nearly as dark as the water within - but there is no time to study it at length. "We shall see, Danny Dragon-sama." Matter-of-fact, but twisted with sardonic humor somehow. He steps forward and she follows, either trusting or fearless or having faith in some other force to protect her. Into the water she goes, hand holding fast to Danny's own for as long as he allows it.

Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Dragon Gate(#8117RA)

	Underneath Sanqing Hall is the Dragon Gate. This cavernous subterranean space is old. Older than the temple above. More akin to a natural cave than a man made tunnel, it's then perhaps not that unusual that there's an aura of primordial power here. The temperature of this room drops several degrees from the one above, leaving the space perpetually cool and slightly damp. The Yin energies in here - cold, dark, overpowering - they run /strong/. Like a heavy pall draped over a tomb, the Yin touches /everything/ inside the space.

	In the center of the cavern? The Dragon Gate itself. The gate takes the form of a perfectly circular pool, about ten feet in diameter, filled with a still and placid black liquid. The pool betrays no clues as to its depth.

	**** WALL RATING: 3 ****

	(This room needs an Umbra desc. @mail building staff if you want to provide one.)


	(This room needs a Wraith desc. @mail building staff if you want to provide one.)

Obvious Exits:
  Qiuzu Hall <QH>

Suzume has arrived.

	The waters of the pool are perfectly dark - no sights, no sounds, only the feel of Danny's hand holding onto Suzume's gives ANY hint of orientation in whatever yin filled space they find themselves in. The spell takes a few moments, and then Danny is puling Suzume up above the inky waters /here. He clambers onto the ground, and helps Suzume up and out of the dragon gate. Lao is already here waiting for them, having preceded them through the gate.

	The dark is comforting and Suzume passes through without fear, though it helps to have a hand to guide and tug her along. She's readily pulled up from the yin-filled depths, emerging without the need for a desperate gasp of air. She opens her eyes and steps out with Danny's assistance, fingers soon fluttering up to check the pins in her hair. It's a brief thing; the moment she sees Lao-sama, she bows in greeting (once more) to the great dragon. "Ah. This is- yes." The words are soft, barely audible; awe-filled, even if the thought is left incomplete on her tongue.

	Danny smiles. "Lao prefers it here. The nest is a little stronger, and up here high in the mountains, we're further removed from undesirable influences." A pause as Danny regards Suzume, "The kinjin here are also friendlier. I've a formal treaty in place with them, recognizing the temple as sovereign as well as barrio chino. Same goes for chinatown, but their interaction with prospect is limited so it doesn't account for much. The Prospect kinjin have proven unreceptive to any entreaties I made or make."

	Suzume's fingers wiggle just a little, as if to feel out the energies that permeate the space. "I can see why Lao-sama prefers it," she intones, the corners of her mouth teased into a spare smile. Her dark gaze slides back to Danny as he explains matters. "I have met some of the Kin-jin of Prospect," she offers. "They seemed hospitable enough - but, perhaps, it is because I am not properly of the Courts." She can only speculate, though; their motives are their own. "I would be happy to relay any messages if I meet with them again."
	There's a slight pause, then: "I would like to meet the Kin-jin in this region as well, if it is possible. It seems only appropriate."

	Danny nods. "You should meet Ren, first. Jina of the Burning Sands court here in Tijuana. She's of the Searing Wind, I believe. I will make the introduction. Then I can introduce you to the Sabbat - they are the kinjin that hold domain here in Tijuana."

	"Ah, of course. Thank you." The names are surely committed to memory and shaped, soundlessly, on her tongue to ensure the memory holds. "If there are offerings that should be brought, I will be sure to prepare for them." As it is, offerings are owed to Lao-sama and Danny-sama; she's accruing quite the list of IOUs already. Suzume bows her head in gratitude, then smooths her hands over her dress to straighten it out; after, her arms cross loosely around her middle. "It is strange," she admits, gaze fixed up at him, "that there are not more who heed the call of the Ebon Dragon. The garden is empty and the winds are lively."

	Danny offers a shrug. "The path is challenging for most, perhaps." A sad smile as he offers an arm to Suzume, "Come, Lao will be fine down here. I will show you the rest of the temple."

	The offered arm is accepted after a fashion, though she regards it as an alien thing for a second or two too long. She's as fine-boned as any bird, more evident now with proximity. Suzume will keep pace easily despite that, her expression carefully schooled into neutrality. "It is, yes. But there is much to be done here." In a broader sense, at least. But that's an avenue of thought that she's willing to let wither and die for now; she falls silent after, with an inclination of her head to Danny to lead the way.

You move to Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Sanqing Hall
Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Sanqing Hall(#8024R)

	Sanqing Hall is a two-story, five bay structure with a gabled roof that contains statues of the Three Pure Ones on the top floor and the Four Celestial Aides on the bottom floor.

	The statues of the Three Pure Ones (https://tinyurl.com/ThreePureOnes) on the top floor are as follows:

	1) The Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, a representation of the principle of all being. From him all things arose. He is eternal, limitless, and without form.

	2) The Universally Honoured One of Divinities and Treasures, associated with yin and yang and responsible as the custodian of the sacred book. He also calculates time and divides it into different epochs.

	3) The Universally Honoured Virtuous One, the treasurer of spirits, known also as the Lord of Man.

	The bottom floor, anchored by the statues of the Four Celestial Aides, is where the monastic community holds a twice-daily office, and it is where ordination certificates are issued.

	**** WALL RATING: 4 ****

	(This room needs an Umbra desc. @mail building staff if you want to provide one.)


	(This room needs a Wraith desc. @mail building staff if you want to provide one.)

Obvious Exits:
  Yuhuang Hall <YH>
Suzume comes in from Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Dragon Gate
Suzume has arrived.

	Danny nods as he leads Suzume up the long winding stone steps that lead into the temple proper. "There is no dearth of work to be done, no. I am glad you found your way here, little bird. I haven't had anyone other than Lao to talk of things yin for ..." A pause as he considers. "Well, for a very long time. Should no other bone flower be available to serve as your mentor, I would be happy to help you along your path."

	Once they emerge onto the temple grounds, they will see various monks going about their business. Each greets the maoshan and his guest with resp[ect before continuing along their way.

	A small smile, a ghostly sliver of a thing, manifests for a moment. "Ah. So. Then it is even more auspicious that the stars have illuminated the way here." Suzume straightens just a little, if it's possible; in settings like this, she's as straight-backed as they come. Proper. Dutiful. Even while certain voices insist otherwise. "It would be an honor to have you as a guide, Danny Dragon-sama." Once on the temple grounds, the measure of those they meet is made; her gaze is appropriately downcast, a slight nod offered in response to those respectful greetings.

	Danny makes his way through the path that winds through the temple grounds, leading Suzume out into the more exterior building.

You move to Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Yuhuang Hall
Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Yuhuang Hall(#8020R)

	El Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - the Temple of the Dark Clouds. This Taoist temple of the Dragon Gate sect is the oldest such temple in Mexico, and provides spiritual services to the assorted and various denizens of Tijuana's Barrio Chino that subscribe to the faith.

	Yuhuang Hall is the first structure on the temple grounds. It is dedicated to the Jade Emperor, who oversees the Celestial Bureaucracy in Chinese religion. It is three bays long with a gabled roof, and is flanked by drum and bell towers.

	**** WALL RATING: 4 ****

	(This room needs an Umbra desc. @mail building staff if you want to provide one.)


	(This room needs a Wraith desc. @mail building staff if you want to provide one.)

Obvious Exits:
  Out <O>   Sanqing Hall <SH>
Suzume comes in from Templo de las Nubes Oscuras - Sanqing Hall
Suzume has arrived.

	And onward they go, with Suzume observing the design of the space with nothing less than awe and intrigue. She cleaves close to Danny; this is more his world than hers, for all the commonalities between them. She is just a guest, for now, and is mindful not to make a misstep.

	"This is the public facing front of the organization that most mundies see and interact with. I'll make sure you're on the list to have access to the temple proper and the dragon gate," offers Danny as he finishes showing Suzume around. "And that is the end of the tour. Outside is the path down the mountain that leads into Tijuana. Once we introduce you to the ranking jina out here, I will take you with me to the local kinjin."

	And, just like that, the tour ends nearly as quickly as it's begun - or so it seems, anyway. "Ah, so." A final survey of the space is taken before Suzume gently extricates her arm from Danny's own - if only to come around to face him properly. "It is a remarkable place," she remarks, tone still awe-tinged. "And I look forward to visiting as often as duty allows. And, next time, I will be sure to have proper offerings," because that's important, no matter how much the horrid voice at the back of her head protests.

	Danny gives Suzume a faint but authentic smile, and a nod. "My doors are always open for you - both here at the temple and back across the border at the warehouse. I'll see what sorts of mystic blessings I may be able to place upon you - its been a while since I last had wan kuei to help shpherd along the path."

	"I would be happy to cast your horoscope one of these nights," Suzume replies, her tone appreciative. "It is not much, but it is a small token of what I can offer." He certainly doesn't seem to //need// any blessings of luck, but she seems to subscribe to the idea that it can't hurt. "I am in your debt; any blessings you see fit to grace me with will be treasured, sensei."

	Danny gives Suzume a respectful bow. "I will have one of the monks show you back to Chinatown. I look forward to our next engagement." And with that, the maoshan master turns to a monk, mutters instructions, and then leaves Suzume to her thoughts and feelings.

===> Log ended by user <===> 3/3/2020, 1:36:21 PM <===