A Shadow in La Mesa

===> COH <===> 12/9/2019, 6:27:53 PM <===
La Mesa Penitencia - El Pueblito(#3578RAM)

	'Hace que su sol salga sobre malos y buenos' of Mateo 5:45 has a very literal interpretation here. When the sun is shining it's on the noisy main yard that four out of the six cell blocks share together; a community all on it's own, divided by internal fences and open gates. Except for narrow no-cross-lines around the main walls which are the sole domain of the prison guards, almost everything else has grown and overgrown. The narrow dividers for inmate carts have become foundations for shops great and small but all homemade - small restaurants, used clothing, new clothing. Electronics. It seems like everything that can be brought in has representation; even electric scooters. Even at the dead of night, right up to the crack of dawn, it's a riotous life in El Pueblito; buying and selling constantly. And that's the periphery of El Pueblito, the smaller side markets.
	Much of the 'yard' is a collection of crammed together residences though. Shacks have been built, reinforced, built on top of, crowding out most of the yard area to narrow streets with miniature plazas. It would almost make the cellblocks seem redundant if not for the majority of these amateur apartments being bed and shower sized.
	And yet there's more. Some of these are full apartments, built wherever or on whatever or anchored off of the cellblocks as well for support. Some grow to the size of small townhouses. Through the winding corridors of rudely built homes and food stalls and shops, there're small little plazas, wider spaces in the 'roads' where prisoners hang out, fight, make their deals, and otherwise make the most of life behind the walls.
	There's still guards of course. As long as there's prisoners - prisoners with knives, clubs, poorly concealed firearms - there are guards, almost as much a part of the community as anyone. There's high, thick concrete walls and guard towers. And while the families and visitors can come and go, the prisoners remain day and night in their walled-in community.
	<+Views are set. Places are available.>
	<Risk 2 Zone>

	(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.)

Contents:
Cheree
Koi
Andreas
Lyrik
Hyousuke

	*** Nightzone ***

Obvious Exits:
  Back Yard <BY>   Changarrito <C>   Cell Block 6 <CB6>   Maintenance Corridor 2B <MC>   Metaphysical Supplies <MS>   Admission Gate <O>   Prison Chapel <PC>   Ramshackle Townhouse <RT>   Shuttered Townhouse <SH>   Security Tower <ST>

The night is nice enough, clouds only partly obscuring the moon as a healthy crowd of people mull about the yard. The Changarrito's live band has music spilling out into the yard where vendors are set up to peddle their wares to curious buyers. There are voices, notes of laughter and blind conversation unaware of the monsters that dwell among them this evening. In the corner of the yard, Lyrik sits perched upon a broken wall. Long black dress draped from shoulder to toe and a red Mexican Marigold resting at her temple amid dark curls. She's talking softly to a man who looks, at first blush, as if he may be a member of the cartel.

	The mountain's shadow. That's what the barrio chino locals call the man who holds court in the center of the Taoist Templo de las Nubes Oscuras, high up on the Tijuana mountainside. But to the parishioners of La Mesa? He is known simply as Danny Dragon, friend of the parish. Not a common sight here, he is, no. But neither an uncommon one. So is it that the Dragon stalks the streets of La Mesa this evening.

Andreas is listening to Lyrik, but his eyes watch the area around him warily. He has the look (and tattoos) of someone who has been to prison before, but if being here makes him at all nostalgic, it doesn't show. Other than his eyes darting about, the rest of his body hardly moves. He doesn't sway, he doesn't fidget. The only motion that comes from him is the occasional lifting of his hand to his mouth to suck on a cigarette that glows red for an instant before fading away.

	What does one do on Mondays after sunset, when freed of the chore of cleaning and preparing the Chapel? It's not clear that Cheree has found the answer yet. The young Brujah seems to have a listless quality in the way she looks around, taking in sights but not really focusing too closely on any of them. And if she's not exemplifying some kind of streetwear look, then she was apparently too busy to finish dressing herself: a black sports bra with a white band around her ribs advertising 'Calvin Klein' like a marquee, and baggy black sweatpants that hang a bit low on her hips and offer a peek of the same white 'Calvin Klein' ad space on her waistband. Upon seeing Lyrik, she moves in that direction, unhurriedly. "Templar Steele," she says, when close enough. Her eyes flick to Andreas for a moment, but then back to Lyrik. "Thanks again for the bike. I haven't crashed it yet. Somehow."

Koi wanders into the yard, a bottle of Gatorade in his hand. He sips from the drink, peering about the area. Spotting some familiar faces, he begins drifting in that direction - no rush.

	Danny pauses as he nears Changarrito, his unnaturally colored silver eyes seeking out any familiar faces. Finding one in Lyrik, he makes his way in her direction, largely ignored and unnoticed (ARCANE 4). Until he announces his arrival, that is, with a soft clearing of his throat.

As Cheree approaches, Lyrik's eyes lift to watch her. The corners of the Toreador's mouth curl up in a little grin, "ah, Cheree," she calls and chuckles a bit, "I'm glad you are having fun getting to know the bike," she says. Her eyes catch on Koi then and she gives a bit of an upnod to the young man, pausing to wave him over. "Cheree, Koi," she begins... But is a bit caught of guard when she hears (rather than sees) Danny... She pauses, then adds, "Mr. Dragon...." She cants her heads towards Andreas, "I would like you all to meet Andreas. A surviving member of my former family."

	Danny shifts his attention towards Andreas as Lyrik makes introductions, and then he'll lift his hand up and tip his hat to the man. Literally - Danny was fond of hats, and they served as an endlessly useful prop for various interactions.
Andreas drops the cigarillo from his mouth and blows out the smoke as he upnods to Cheree and Danny. "Andreas Rey," he says. He seems to be a lick of few words. Or maybe he's just shy. Doubtful.

	Cheree responds to Lyrik's grin with something more muted and cordial. When introductions are made, Cheree gives a nod to Koi, and then looks to one side, hearing Danny make himself known at the same moment that Lyrik does. Her brow furrows slightly, but she lets it go, whatever 'it' is. And then she sets her gray-blue eyes on Andreas. "Hey," she replies, managing to be of even fewer words.

Koi stutters his step at the introduction. "I thought... well, hey." A nod to Andreas. "Nice to meet you. Koi." A hand is offered over to shake, friendly enough.

Lyrik seems satisfied, once the introductions have finished, though a subtle look crosses her face as she regards Cheree. Finally, she asks, "how are things going in your neck of the woods, Mr. Dragon?"

Andreas eyes the hand, considers it, and then lets the cigarillo rest between his lips as he takes it and shakes firmly, once, and no more. He takes the cigarillo back out of his mouth and puts it out on his jacket before tucking the remainder of it away before turning his attention to the conversation around him.

	Cheree doesn't seem to notice Lyrik's look. Instead, she's watching Koi and Andreas shake hands. Or -- is she? No. She's actually staring more at Koi's bottle of gatorade, in one of those 'trying not to make it obvious that you're looking at something' stares like checking someone out in the gym.

	Danny clasps his hands behind his back, turning his entire body to face Lyrik squarely. "I require the friendship of the parish. Islas de Todos Santos. The trail leads there. Just outside All Saint's Bay in Ensenada."

Lemon-lime! Koi nods to Andreas. "Nice to have more in town." A smile is offered over from Koi, oblivious to the look he's getting from Cheree. A glance over to Danny, then to Lyrik, questions in his eyes.

Lyrik listens to Danny, but the expression on her face does not change. Finally, she suggests, "have you spoken with Bishop Carys? She seems to be the person most able to help you with that?" She flits a glance to Cheree, then back to Danny.
Andreas reaches into a pocket and takes out a pack of gum, takes a piece out and offers the pack around to those assembled. Pushing a piece into his mouth, he says with a rather obvious accent, "What trail?"

	Danny shakes his head, "I ... do not have a relationship with Obispa Carys." A pause as he regards Lyrik. Danny's demeanor is cold, but not offensively so. The Yin master was just ... impassive by default. Usually. "I was hoping la arzobispa could help remedy that unfortunate circumstance." Then he looks over to Andreas, "The Quincunx are waging shadow war against the Sabbat. They attempted to use my temple as a chess piece in their most recent advance."

	Cheree does catch THAT glance from Lyrik, and returns it, in one of those glances that makes eye contact for just a moment before Cheree straightens up her spine and looks away. Like making eye contact in an elevator. Or being caught ogling someone's Gatorade. "Yeah, apparently China is doing more than just stealing intellectual property," Cheree comments.

	Danny shifts his subtle gaze towards Cheree, and gives the woman a small smile, then tilts his head as something about her seems ... different! Does he like it, though? A moment's consideration, and the verdict come in - he does! Body language will shift ever so slightly to indicate said like. 'cause, he can't do an emoji, y'know?

Andreas deadpans, "Immigrants. Someone should build a wall." Was that a joke? I dunno. Maybe. Check this guy's pulse. Nope. Nothing. Huh. "What is known about the Quincunx?"

	"I think China's already got one," Cheree deadpans back to Andreas.

Koi cants his head, attention focused on Danny at the moment. He's clearly listening to the other man, as well as trying to suss out some information about his body language.

	"They're like the Camarilla, but Chinese. Mostly." Danny sums up, because. Too much to 'splain. Andreas better produce a holocaust cloak and a wheelbarrow, stat!

Lyrik lofts a brow at Andreas, and just finally shakes her head. She looks over to Danny and considers, "so you were hoping to have some time front and center tonight, si?" She reaches out to rest her hands on Andreas' shoulders as she hops from the wall to the ground.

	Danny amends his earlier statement to ANdrea, "The REAL Camarilla, not the tru-valu offbrand that infects Prospect."

	Danny then looks to Lyrik, and offers a small nod in the affirmative. "Yes. Please." He'll offer a bow of his head in punctuation.

Andrea nods his head, continuing his deadpan tone. "That explains why they are so ahead of us in the maths. Already figured out the wall. Probably had it for a long time too." He chews on his gum and looks over at Lyrik. What?

	Cheree rests her hands on the back of her hips, just above her butt. Her dead muscles don't actually need much in the way of stretching, but it's likely an old habit... or one that she's not old enough of a vampire to have broken yet. "Well, none of us standing here keep Su Excelencia's appointment book," Cheree says to Danny. "But I doubt there's gonna be a problem if you go in and ask for an audience." She gives Andreas a little glance, and then looks over at Lyrik, who's the ranking vampire on hand.

Koi sips from his Gatorade again, hrming a bit. A glance to Lyrik, a shrug given to his packmate. "So... who handles the docket, then? For the big meetings?"

Lyrik examines Danny, letting Andreas' questioning expression fall flat a moment before finally nodding. Her expression is, otherwise, flat as she tugs her arms to cross over her chest. "Are you asking one of us to get you an audience?" she asks, evenly. "As the lady said, we're not her keepers, but if you're feeling lucky, feel free to go on in and see if she'll hear whatever it is you have to say..."

	Cheree actually flashes Koi a little smirk. "This is the Sabbat, dude," she says. "If you want the floor, you ask for it. And if you really want it, you just take it." She shifts her weight from foot to foot, hands still held above her butt. "Though at a guess, unless there's some surprise visitor from Mexicali or whatever? She's gonna look at Andreas here, go 'venga,' stalk around him in a circle, ask his name and clan, and all that stuff, and then it'll be your time to slip in there, Dragon. That's just my hunch, though."

	"Luck is for dhampyrs and the artfully horoscoped - I, am neither," replies Danny. "I am, however, a friend of the parish. And friendship demands polite conversations and acknowledgements." A pause as e considers whether said social niceties have been met. "Which we have now had," he concludes. "Thank you." Dr. Manhattan has nothing on Danny's alienated grasp of social dynamics!

Andreas raises an eyebrow, "You can go first if you want. I'm rather uninteresting."

	"S'not about what you two want, it's about what Su Excelencia wants," Cheree notes, matter-of-factly.

	A nod to Andreas, followed by another to Cheree. And with that? Danny Dragon, the shadow master of the mountain, channels his Yin chi and suddenly goes intangible, and soundless - becoming a literal ghost walker. The translucent shape turns away from the group, to literally walk through the walls of the prison chapel.

Cheree's rendition of being at the center of Su Excelencia's attention gets a lavish smirk from Lyrik as she lets her eyes dance over the little Brujah. She laughs richly, but then just tsks, "the lovely lady is right," she shrugs to Danny, "La Arzobispa will see who she pleases, and when. But feel free to stick around? She watches the hape of the man disappear through a wall... And a few moments later her smile fades and sours into something almost dangerous. She licks her teeth. "That might warrant a closer eye," she murmurs softly to those just around her.

	Cheree's eyes tense at their corners and she rather blatantly stares as Danny pulls off his magic trick. Her lips part and she's not sure what to say. Obviously, being a member of the undead, she's used to some level of weirdness, but... "That guy is so fucking weird," Cheree says, as if to underscore Lyrik's point.

	Danny Lo-Pan's outta sight as he walks through the walls to await an audience with la arzobispa!

===> Log ended by user <===> 12/9/2019, 7:50:18 PM <===