Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - [Interlude] Yellow Mountains [FIN]

[Sailor OOC]

"Roger that I see no added threats so... calling them up now."

"Base this is Osprey 1, no sign of tangos on the ground, all friendlies or neutral. You're clear to land."

She places her hands on her backpack. "Meet you on the ground." Then it seems her airplane disintegrates under her. She keeps the cloud of paper around her as she falls. At about 100 meters from the ground a paper parachute opens made from the paper around her and her paper backpack and she guides herself to the front steps of the former monastery. She collects up her paper again and adjusts her neck. "Time to be more... presentable."

She reforms her eufiber suit, which she had in the form of a black flightsuit and it changes into a loose-fitting navy-blue jumpsuit. She takes off the backpack and re-collapses her naginata and puts it in there. Keeping her vest on just to carry her odds-and-ends. She changes the form of her backpack into a courier's bag to hold her weapon.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Waiting for Kami to land Star brought the shuttle in. Leaving it cloaked she opened the rear iris and extended the ramp. She walked down the ramp with little Sonjia beside her.

"Hello? Who are you?" she said, obviously perplexed that someone else should be hear. No less a strange monk-like figure.

[Sailor OOC]

She looks about the ruins and sees the monk standing amidst the ruins. "Well... I can understand wanting to repair or rebuild... there was obviously a reason why there used to be a monastery here."

[Adrian Moss]

Shaman looked over to Starseed and chuckled,

"I guess he's our resident ... resident. It seems we may have chosen the wrong area."

Looking to Kamiko,

"Repairing the buildings would be nice, but wouldn't that draw unneeded attention?"

'What do I know about that?'

'It would look nice to see this old place fixed back up.'

'Yep.'

"Maybe we could camouflage it. Maybe even some kind of cloaking field. Is that possible?"

'How smart do you have to be to figure that one out?'

[Dan Hawkins]

"Why draw attention with nova tech? If it is to be rebuilt, it should be done the old way, to respect the sanctity of this place. Aside from that, There is something almost right in how this place is. To change it is to change this place. This place isn't ours to do that to."

he nodded. Sometimes things were better left as they were, rather than modernizing them.

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko nods in agreement to Dan. "Rebuilding this place with modern techniques would be sanctimonious."

She brushes off her flight suit. "Perhaps some day..."

She patiently waits for the monk who decided to come here to speak before she says anything further.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Responding to Shaman, and also 'Wong' ... "He must be a recent resident. I came here all the time as a kid ... even a few times the year before last. As I understood from my Father, he practically lived in this spot, and few others, when he escaped from the Chinese authorities. If he - sorry, Who are you again Sir? ... if you lived here then it is very strange we never met."

"Nice to meet you though ... it is a great spot to relax." Star said.

...

"I think I may have accidentally chosen this moment when shaping the flows of destiny. I asked for good fortune and used the I-Ching as a mental focus. The method is powerful, but lacks specificity ... in other words, perhaps out meeting is good luck Sir."

...

"And why repair the buildings? ... its a wonderful site just how it is ... took centuries to reach this state of beauty."

[Adrian Moss]

"I'm all for that. Why take something that has grown into a certain way, only to turn back the clock. I kinda like the place, but then I don't mind rain on the back of my neck either."

'Maybe we should get the elephant out in the open.'

'I'm afraid it should be me, the Freight Train of Subtle.'

"Please, don't be offended, but are you with the Chinese government in any capacity?"

Shaman's tone was cautious, but his stance was non-threatening. He studied the Chinese nova for a reaction. The Prince might not a bad lie detector, but he was hoping someone on the team was better.

'This guy doesn't look threatening.'

'He's a nova. We are all threatening.'

'Currents battle currents for dominion of the river. Some are subsumed, others break-up upon the rocks, and some join forces for a greater whole. Be the greater whole.'

'Nice sentiment, but if he says yes, we get back on our starship and go home.'

'And if this is his home?'

'We play nice. No reason not to. If we can share, we share. If not, we go somewhere else. It's a big planet.'

'Yeah, I'm not so attached to this monastery that I'm willing to destroy it to drive him off.'

'Killing anyone for this place is kind of stupid.'

'Kinda ... it's really stupid.'

'I think this is a current thing and not a move-the-boulder thing.'

'Great, we're even staring to think that way ourselves.'

[Sailor OOC]

She hears the conversation and takes the time to quietly observe. Particularly in how everyone else interacts with the Monk. "...but this person can't be a monk... there has been no monastery here in centuries..." She puzzles in her internal monologue. "This doesn't seem to put itself together, yet I see no threat either... curious."

She readies some paper in case a quick exit is needed. Holding a few dice-sized cubes of paper in her hand.

[Ling]

They were quick, and rude in some facets, few understanding how it would be to destroy the past, others ignorant, but they seemed to mean no harm.

'Wong' walked about them, tilting his head at a few points, they continued to talk as if his fate was being decided, rude ones indeed, he stopped at Star, the one who so rudely asked who he was as if he was not allowed to be. He peered at her face closely and grinned, "rude, I like you, I am Wong; it's a pleasure to meet you." He gave a polite bow to her, he was capable of humor.

He laughed heartily at Shaman's question, "I am not someone of government, just a humble tender of the old ways, this is not the only place I watch over, but this is the one I am at the most, so if I must call something home, this would be the place." His voice was full of mirth, "perhaps it was luck, after all it was considered great luck to be in the favor of a dragon."

"I have to say though, it's not often I get to meet others here, as for not meeting your father, it was fate that deemed it, why question further, unless you mean to try and bully a protector of the ancient from his home," he chuckled, "or we could be friends and share a meal and tell stories by fire light, come come." He quickly moved to a ceremonial fire pit that was well used, some wood piled up next to it a few make shift tools to remove the excess ashes and he began to work on a fire, kindling, very old fashioned.

[Dan Hawkins]

"that sounds like a good idea." Dan's voice spoke with a tone of authority. He looked to the others. "A nice dinner would be quite nice."

[Sailor OOC]

"Yes, thank you, Sir." Kamiko says in pefect Chinese. Stowing the paper she had at the ready. She knows they may have been direct, at least in probably his point of view. But in china you can never be too careful.

"I am sorry for anything I may have done that seemed rude or improper, Sir. It is just these lands are known... not to be too friendly to people of our persuation. To be honest I can both understand, but feel frustrated by the level of paranoia a Nova has in China."

"But that is besides the point. The politics here are not your fault nor should we fault you for them. I thank you for your hospitality."

It is obvious Kamiko's grasp of chinese is brilliant. She speaks as if she was a native. "Is there any assistance you require for the meal?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star eyed this 'Dragon' up, meeting his gaze with a smile. "I think I like you too, Mr.Wong ... A dragon? ..." she lifts and eyebrow "Pleasure to meet you too. My Name is Starseed."

She paused "It would be a definite pleasure to share a meal with a Dragon ... It's also a good thing someone is enjoying the place, keeping it well. As my friend Kamiko mentioned, the state of the world in other places is on the decline. These are troubled times. Here, however, it seems peace still holds fast - and we do not seek to break that peace, only enjoy it."

[Adrian Moss]

"I'll take a meal over a fight any day. Fighting is a failure of reason, or so the man who raised me said. Besides, this place is beautiful. It would be shame to move single stone."

Shaman looks around then continues,

"So, exactly how does one become guardian of a place?"

'It's not like there is a job posting.'

'Probably self-appointed.'

'Eh, it's something to do.'

'Besides, shouldn't we be concentrating on the local cuisine?'

[Ling]

"Yes, yes, why fight when you can have fun, life is too short they say, please grab me the wok over there," he hummed happily as he got the fire going and went off and grabbed a few things.

"Ever have bat? They're delicious," he mused and began gathering some things, he had a decent stockpile of dry goods here, the environment was right, he may be serious about the dish being bat.

"Hrm, one just is a guardian, if you are one, then you are. There isn't much else to it really."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

"I don't believe I ever have, but its meat. So long as they aren't of an endangered variety." Said Star, slipping into the hot spring as she come to do.

"So Wong, besides hang out in isolated spots and eat bats, what Is it you do? What is your goal, your purpose?" asked Star,

and given it was only fair to offer the same information asked ... she added "Myself, I mostly live and work in space. Though much of my time lately has been spent training. Preparing for the conflicts that are about to come, and forging ties with other Novas - looking for those who will be on side in the coming days. You could say we all fight on the side of the second generation."

"Today, of course, I came for the hot spring. Also to read the inscriptions on the stones, and remember years ago. Its nice sharing this place with friends, who knows if it will be here tomorrow. What with the direction taken by the Chinese government these days."

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko takes a look at the stones, kneeling down to get a better look. "Perhaps I should look... I remember what I read like a photograph..." She runs her gloved hand over the rock, feeling as much she can, taking in the tactile and visual experience as best she can. "You can say... I'm a walking archive."

Her Quantum Anima flares momentarily, showing the very text she read. "I should place this entire place into my memory... for a moment... here... I'm feeling a strong need to."

[Adrian Moss]

"I see your point. One can be a guardian ... many can wander. It's all a matter of mindset, I guess."

"I haven't had bat though. Is it more like mouse, or hen? I'm kind of eager to find out."

'Food equals hospitality, right?'

'I think that's islam.'

'Chinese?'

'They eat with chopsticks.'

'Grrrreeaattt.'

'I wonder what a faux paux it is to eat with my fingers.'

'Stab things with the chopstick. They are look sharp.'

'Why don't we watch Wong eat first?'

'Doh!'

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star was content to just soak in the marvelous hot water. This self would carry these memories back to her other selves, and so she lived in the moment.

Experience the moment, savor it. Plus she'd get to try some bat - even though she really didn't need to eat any longer.

[Sailor OOC]

After "reading" the stones, she looks about and sees the hot springs.

"Wonderful... this is what the doctor ordered!"

She then wrings her hands a little... "Umm... I'm going to have to undress, aren't I?"

She blushes looking at the assembled manhood near her.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan chuckled. "You can take sonja with you to change then, don't wander too far off though."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star hadn't realized - she just wore her uniform for just about everything. She hadn't changed clothes at all before slipping into the pool. "Oh well ..." she murmured to herself, not really caring. Its not like the uniform will be damaged - its attuned, and as tough and adaptable as she is.

"Hows that bat coming? I am interested in a little taste - but not too much for me please. I don't eat except for pleasure or to satisfy social custom."

[Adrian Moss]

Shaman shifted off his clothes with barely a thought. He'd been naked plenty of times. He slipped into the warm waters and willed himself to feel the heat rising up from below and savored the aroma of the mist that surrounded them.

"Nice stuff. I can see why people like this kind of thing."

'Funny how seeing girls naked doesn't mean as much as it did a month ago.'

'They aren't her.'

'Still, Star and Kamiko are attractive.'

'Wait, will Major Hawkins be angry about me being naked in front of his daughter?'

'Let's hope not. If she's going to be a social nova, she should get used to it.'

'The ground swell of shame is fear. When one knows one's course, fear is not an obstacle .'

'Really? Reality can suck.'

'It is what is it is. It's not like we can run away.'

'(snort) Unless we want to die tired.'

[Ling]

Ling listened in as he cooked putting on a show, singing and dancing, he was quite the graceful thing, "you may disrobe if you wish, but if you are modest eufiber can work wonders, I can share a few pieces if you would like." He flipped his pony tail with a shake of his head, flipping the contents of the giant wok single handed, "you cannot rush perfection!"

[Adrian Moss]

Shaman looks over to 'Wong' with a curious look on his face.

"Wong, I like to think I'm a student of nature. In my experience, each thing is perfect for its own time, place and purpose. It is only when we string it all together with our own desires does imperfection exist. A lone ant struggles vainly with a caterpillar much to big for its size. It seems imperfect for the task at hand, unless you consider that its purpose is not to bring the caterpillar home, but to delay it long enough for more ants to arrive."

"Bat 'stir-fry' seems to be the same way. Every step you take is perfection for what is intended in that moment. How it all ends up ... meh. That depends on each interpretations of what perfect is. I, for one, can wait for the wok to do what you command, but I can't wait to taste it."

With that, he gives a grin much larger than his normal, constant smile.

'Okay, that was either incredibly Zen, or incredibly idiotic.'

'Let's see how they respond.'

'I can't look.'

'Tough. Our eyes are open and I'm not going to hunker down and squeeze them shut now.'

'Great. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut.'

'That would hardly be us, now would it?'

'Point, but we should learn prudence.'

'I'll conceded that is a good idea.'

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

[Sailor OOC]

"Oh right... eufiber can be made more porous as needed... good thinking." Kaimko takes off her gear and sets it near the pool. It takes a little concentration but she gets her eufiber to a proper meshy form. "Come along, Sonja..." She makes a changing room out of paper. She pulls a towel out of her bag and presents it. "You can cover up with this until you enter the springs."

She smiles. "I guess it is true... always bring a towel."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star was only vaguely listening to the others here. She was going to try to enter her deep memory again, like she had on the river. Her meditative skills would come in handy here, as she visualized being here in her childhood ...

... to everyone else, she appeared to just be enjoying the water, serene and at peace. This was a rare sight to those that had spent time with her - she was usually busy doing something.

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko eases back in the warm water of the spring, letting it easily permeate through her suit. She leans back and closes her eyes, thinking of the last Onsen she was at.

"About time... a right, proper Onsen..."

She smiles as she sinks down a bit, letting herself get fully acquainted with the temperature, almost letting herself get immersed to the shoulders. She smiles as she leans back. "This, Sonja... is the only way to bathe. Everything else is a cheap imitation."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star had the feeling that something was just off. It wasn't wong per se...he was nice enough. Welcoming and playful even...but his presence here was a mystery. He wasn't hard on the site but there were differences. Her family would have noticed the signs of his presence...signs of habitation.

Plus there was just something else she was missing...but she had to meditate on it.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan's own Eufiber became a set of long swim trunks, revealing a body toned by two and a half decades of war, revealing a handful of actual scars. His side looked lie a checkerboard of puckered scars, as though several sets of claws had caught him a couple times. A Diamond shaped scar near the top of his chest marked a wound from a large spear head. A handful of small hole-like scars marked a set of bullet wound scars from life as a Marine.

He sat down in the hot spring next to Sonja, who smiled.

Dan Chuckled. "I don't know Kamiko, the bathouses in Tokyo are pretty nice. That said this is far superior."

[Sailor OOC]

"The air seems cleaner, the water fresher... perhaps it what this place was that creates a... ambience... that is unequal in the world."

She studies Dan's scars like a librarian looking over an index. "Looks like you got a few over on the reaper, Dan-Sensei. A couple of those wounds had your name on it. That's the curse I have, I could tell the severity of an injury and the location just by observation."

She adjusts her glasses, just starting to steam up even with the special coating on them. "Dan... did you ever... work alone?"

[Dan Hawkins]

"I did. So did Your Dad. Times changed."

He nodded. "That's not a good path to travel, we're here to relax."

[Sailor OOC]

"Indeed... we won't get moments like this later on..."

She looks up at the sky. "I honestly can't wait."

She smiles, twice content and twice a dreamer. "Sir..." She says to the monk. "Have you ever been to space?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star opened her eyes after several minutes of soaking - and meditation. She saw the images from her childhood. She remembered Father and Mother, how Mother was a bit too short to reach some flowers that had been growing on the cliff-face that rose slightly above one side of the hot spring pool. She was never very graceful or agile, and she had fallen in trying to balance on a carved stone ledge while reaching the flowers.

It had been a truly hilarious moment, one that Star recalled vividly. The whole family laughing together. She was sitting in the spring, and facing that low cliff face on the other side of the pool. Then it hit her ... the rocks are wrong. They were not carved ... they were just, natural here. She thought about it again, and was sure ... she distinctly remembered the carved features that should be in that cliff face.

Stones don't un-carve themselves ... Star sensed no danger. Yet it felt at that moment like she was Alice through the looking glass. She'd have to look over some of the family pics in her files. She would have to confirm this ... but no need to panic anyone.

[Adrian Moss]

'Hmm .. maybe going naked wasn't my finest choice.'

'Well, we can always reach for the eufiber and sneak on some trunks.'

'Yeah, but would that be us?'

'Were does politeness end and submission begin?'

'You make it sound so dramatic.'

'It's the nakedness taboo. Is this making Dan uncomfortable?'

'He doesn't seem to be. Maybe he knows my nature more now. I don't mean any harm.'

Shaman sunk deeper into the water until it come up to his lips.

"Water - Good."

[Ling]

Ling snorted as he prepared the meal, it smelled like it was ready, or at least it smelled good, "perfection is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the tongue, so I hope it at least is pleasant."

He laughed, "me, space?" Ling's wings flexed, "twice." Ling flipped the wok and worked up plates of this bat creation, "the wings are the best part, crunchy." she takes some chopsticks and tosses a wing into his mouth and munches nodding to himself, "still hot if anyone here is sensitive to such things."

[Adrian Moss]

Shaman nearly popped out of the water. He remembered his eufiber at that last moment and managed to wind it around his hips, kilt style, before exiting the water. He nodded to Sonja, which was the round about way of telling the Major he wasn't going to flash his little girl. The young nova plopped down next to Wong and picked up his plate.

"I know its your country and all, but I think I'll starve before I learn to use chopsticks in this sitting. I'm using my fingers."

Beyond that, Shaman mimiced Wong's pace and ate with gusto. He made a point of not talking with his mouth full, a small triumph in itself.

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko gets up and steps to the side. In a thought she goes through a process that wrings out the eufiber she was wearing without taking it off. She walks over and takes her share. "Bat huh?" She says, starting to munch down. "Not bad in preparation. I make a pretty good cricket tempura. A good starter for getting used to eating insects. Once the gross factor is gone you could survive forever in the wild."

She sits on a stone and with a pair of her own chopsticks she takes out of a pocket, starts eating. "Good work, my friend."

"I am Kamiko, by the way... Kamiko Hideyoshi. We came here actually at the request of our friend." She says in Chinese, gesturing to Star. "Not knowing what to expect we sort of took a devensive approach. You must think us paranoid indeed."

She reverts back to english. "Umm... anyone here not understand Chinese?"

[Adrian Moss]

Shaman raises his hand, his mouth full with batwing.

"Mmmph ... Nnnt."

'Backwoods - Canada - Hello!'

[Doctor Varroxxian]

"I think we'll have to stick to English Kami-chan." smiled Star, her eyes still closed - visualizing the scene and enjoying the water.

"Yes, we came for a few reasons. Myself, nostalgia ... and the feeling that I needed to visit this place again. There is something bugging me about this place. Its fine and all, and it's nice meeting you Mr. Wong. It's just that its not how I remember it. My memory is good too."

"A minor mystery at this point, but I'll have to check my family photos when I get back."

"Of course, its still a good time out. The water is as good as I recall. A nice break from what's been going on, and what is going to be a busy few months coming up." she says, as she gets out and gets just a taste of Bat.