15[19:17] <@VoxPVoxD> How early does Stranger arrive for his lunch date? [19:17] 14Twenty-five minutes. [19:17] 14Ten minutes spent checking the place out; fifteen making sure they get the proper table. 15[19:21] <@VoxPVoxD> Then he's got twenty minutes to set up before Tsuka arrives, wearing laborer's clothes and a scowl. A few people stare at his scar, but everyone averts their eyes when they see the expression on his face. Everyone but Stranger, anyway. [19:21] 14Stranger smiles, and raises his second cup in greeting. [19:22] 14He's taken the most advantageous seating vis-a-vis the door and the entrance to the kitchen. [19:23] 14Stranger will also watch everyone else. Does anyone seem too interested? 15[19:32] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka looks relieved that Stranger's already here. The server also looks relieved; probably one too many bad experiences getting vented at by people whose dates didn't show up. [19:33] 14Cute. [19:33] 14Stranger's got a pot of the establishment's best tea in front of them. What was on offer? 15[19:38] <@VoxPVoxD> Scarlet Raiment is a dark oolong tea. Ordinarily native to Mount Meru and extraordinarily difficult to find off the Blessed Isle, it's unusually affordable this season, a boon to all teashop patrons in the city. [19:38] 14Mmm. 15[19:38] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka: "Is it true about the amphitheatre?" [19:39] 14Stranger: "In what sense?" 15[19:40] <@VoxPVoxD> "I heard that a raksha army attacked, and Ana- and people like you beat them." [19:41] 14Stranger: "You heard wrong." [19:41] "They were merely skirmishers." [19:41] "Have some tea!" [19:41] 14He's still watching the patrons. [19:42] 14Stranger has ordered some appetizers as well. Finger food. Mainly out of curiosity, not hunger. [19:43] 14The main question is: are their dumplings good? 15[19:48] <@VoxPVoxD> Their dumplings are adequate. The tea's the real draw of this place. Tsuka serves himself either after Stranger does or after Stranger indicates that he's waiting for Tsuka. The exiled Dynast pours his tea with mechanical grace. "Where did they come from? How did they get in?" [19:49] 14Stranger: "You tell me." [19:50] 14After a moment: "I'm serious. You analyze it." 15[20:00] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka thinks. "It's impossible. Sentinel Hill is in the middle of the city, it's naturally fortified, and there's an entire army occupying it. So they must have just appeared out of nowhere. So... were they illusions?" [20:00] 14Stranger smiles. "Yes." [20:01] "But they weren't alone. Well, more specifically: they weren't part of a singular closed system." 15[20:01] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka: "??" [20:02] 14Stranger: "That system, however...that nightmare. Have you ever seen light refracted through a prism?" [20:02] "Separated out into colors." [20:02] 14He sips his tea. 15[20:03] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka: "Sure." [20:05] 14Stranger: "So pretend you can only see orange and red. That phantasmic uprising -- that was seeing an expression of psychic violence streamed out into the real of Creation, but there was only a specific spectrum of it reserved for us. We only saw a piece of the puzzle." [20:05] "And that piece of the puzzle was deadly, tried to kill dozens, and needed to be put down through violence." [20:06] "The dangers outside of Creation multiply themselves." 15[20:09] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka scowls, but doesn't say anything. [20:18] 14Stranger: "So we always have to think of the bigger picture. The larger thing." [20:19] "The tea here is good, you should try it." 15[20:21] <@VoxPVoxD> "It's okay." His cup's half-full and cooling. [20:22] 14Mmmm. [20:22] 14Stranger: "How have you been?" 15[20:24] <@VoxPVoxD> "Fine." He likes the food a lot more than the tea. [20:28] 14Really. "Where have you been living?" 15[20:30] <@VoxPVoxD> "Above a butcher's shop in the Nexus." [20:30] 14Stranger: "How have you been paying your rent?" 15[20:31] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka: "I work in the shop sometimes." [20:32] 14He nods. "That's honest work. Have you made any progress with...?" 14He doesn't say 'your family.' 15[20:37] <@VoxPVoxD> "No." [20:38] "Do you want to?" 15[20:38] <@VoxPVoxD> "..." [20:38] 14Stranger finishes his tea while he waits. [20:38] 14And pours another cup, of course. 15[20:39] <@VoxPVoxD> Finally: "...I don't know." [20:39] 14Stranger nods. [20:40] "That's fine. And it's mature to say." [20:40] "But eventually, you should know." [20:40] "Because eventually, you won't have a choice but to know." [20:41] "The Hunt, the Realm, the Guild and the rest of the power structures -- they will make sure of this." [20:42] 14Stranger: "...Do you want my advice? It is perfectly legitimate and meet to say no." 15[20:42] <@VoxPVoxD> "What's your advice?" [20:43] 14Stranger: "Examine your family and find what you still love about it. Because you still love something, or else this conversation would have ended in putting out fires." [20:43] "Find who represents that thing you love." [20:43] "That person -- consider them." [20:44] 13There's a commotion near the door of the shop as an extremely flustered Xia Lan makes her way inside. The crowd outside starts to disperse while she catches her breath near the server's stand - some very excited fans noticed her on the street and made sure to let everyone know, ruining her plan of sliding in the back door of CIO's. Might as well get some tea until they get bored out there. [20:45] 14Stranger: "Ah." 15[20:46] <@VoxPVoxD> More people turn and stare at Xia Lan than they did at Tsuka. Tsuka included. [20:47] 14Well this is... [20:47] 14Stranger isn't sure if it's awkward yet. We'll see. [20:49] 14He stands, however, as she approaches the table. "Xia Lan." [20:50] 13She's about to get a table for one when Stranger calls, and she makes her way over. "Hello! Hello. Crowds are a nightmare -- I'm not interrupting you, am I?" 13she says, noticing Stranger's companion. [20:51] 14Stranger: "Absolutely not. Please, sit." [20:51] "This is my friend..." [20:51] 14How would Tsuka prefer to be introduced? House name, or just 'Tsuka?' Stranger glances at him. 15[20:52] <@VoxPVoxD> Given how Tsuka reacts to his own house name, Stranger's pretty confident he'd be more comfortable if Stranger didn't mention it. [20:52] 14Stranger: "...Tsuka." [20:54] 13She bows politely and pulls up a chair before pouring herself some tea. "Hello, Tsuka." 13She glances at his scar, but says nothing about it. "A friend of Stranger's is a friend of mine." [20:54] 14Don't go doing him too many favors. 15[20:54] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka, who stood when Stranger did, bows slightly. His face is a stoic mask. "It's nice to meet you." [20:56] 14To Xia Lan: "What brings you to The Baratea, Xia Lan?" [20:58] 13Xia Lan: "Oh, I was going to check -- that venue, quietly, but some fans saw me around. Signed some autographs and ducked in here. Lucky running into you!" 13She seems much more relaxed now that she's out from the entryway. [21:00] 14Stranger: "Mmm. You mentioned this, I think. The site of your...duel?" [21:03] 13Xia Lan: "That's the one. It's important to see a place before you perform - get a feel for its essence, that kinda thing." 13She says that for Tsuka as much as for Stranger. "Aaaaaand, well. To let them know how to promote it." [21:09] 13Sheepishly: "I wanted to get there early. Was going to meet you there." [21:10] 14Stranger: "And yet, this place has better tea." [21:12] 13Xia Lan: "It does. What blend is this?" [21:13] 14Stranger: "A dark oolong, native to Mount Meru. Very rare to be had at this price point, but we have the fortune of the season." [21:14] "Scarlet Raiment is its name." [21:17] 13Xia Lan: "We never had anything like this in the south. Different priorities, I guess." 13She sips quietly. "You certainly know your way around teas." [21:18] 14Stranger: "I do try." [21:20] 14He puts down his cup. "I assume you wish for us to collect the children." 15[21:21] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka: "Children?" [21:22] 14Stranger: "Oh yes." [21:22] "Well." [21:22] "You can always go back to the..." [21:22] "...butcher's." [21:22] "As you please." 15[21:24] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka: "...okay. It was nice meeting you." He turns to go. [21:24] 13Xia Lan: "We've got some time yet. I got here early." 13To Tsuka: "It's a long... well, it's a short story, but it involves some decisions I'd rather not repeat." [21:25] 13Xia Lan: "You could come along, if you want. It'll be fun!" [21:25] 14Then Stranger will order another round of food, since Tsuka ate most of the last. He'll explore some non-dumpling options this time. Fried fish. [21:31] 14Over the course of twenty minutes, he tells Tsuka a few things. The first is that it might be good to explore the ways that the culture of the world works outside of what he knows. [21:32] 14He has not, living above the butcher's shop, been privy to this entry. [21:32] *14entirely [21:34] 14The second thing he tells Tsuka is about the factual means by which knowledge, in Nexus, explores itself. To wit: attending Xia Lan's show might expose him to people or things which find it beneficial to attend Xia Lan's show. So he gets head without making waves, or falling behind: he gets to observe. [21:35] 14The third thing he tells him, he doesn't actually tell. He merely intimates, when Xia Lan gets up to use the facilities, that perhaps she'd be indebted to the young man who could make a difference during her sound test. [21:35] 14He's not proud of it, but he's not proud of many things. And this works. 15[21:40] <@VoxPVoxD> It's not clear which of those worked, but Stranger convinces Tsuka to come along. [21:40] 13Xia Lan, for her part, smiles and agrees with Stranger, while working on her setlist and grabbing bits of fish. Working for kids in this venue's a bit weird... but, it'll work. [21:40] 14Stranger's all about the results. [21:43] 14Once they're done he'll tidy up and call for the check. 15[21:48] <@VoxPVoxD> Then they're off, a few blocks to the CIO (pronounced "the See-O"). The service entrance is unlocked. [21:50] 14Well that's not the real concern. [21:58] 14Where are we picking up these kids? [21:58] 14And is Tsuka behaving himself? 15[21:59] <@VoxPVoxD> The plan was to meet them there, actually. Tsuka is the perfect gentleman. [21:59] 14Stranger knew he liked that kid. 15[22:00] <@VoxPVoxD> As the three of them walk in (the door swings open easily, a little flap cut into the lower half suggesting a cat comes in and out) the sound of children's laughter fills a space clearly not meant for it. [22:02] 14That's fine. Stranger's gonna survey the room. 15[22:02] <@VoxPVoxD> Stranger sees several short, round children, wearing brightly colored clothes. They seem to be lead by a single short, round child with half-glasses and a mustache. All of them throw their arms back in shock at the sight of Xia Lan. 15[22:02] <@VoxPVoxD> "AAaaaaaaahhhHHHHH!!!" [22:03] 14To Tsuka: "There's our appointment." [22:03] 14Do any of the adults seem threatening? 15[22:04] <@VoxPVoxD> The only visible adult is the baby with a mustache, who bows and shuffles before Xia Lan. "Ohh, it's so nice to actually meet you! Let me go get my daughter." [22:04] 13She immediately goes into "performer mode" - a dazzling, carefree smile where there was a cautious grimace moments ago, bowing to the assembled - wait, that one has a moustache. Are any of these visibly more childlike than the others? [22:05] 14Well. That's fine. 15[22:05] <@VoxPVoxD> They all look basically the same, except for the one that looks like he's wearing a fake mustache. She recognizes him - this is Vavariko Tatariko. [22:05] 14Stranger will find a seat. [22:06] 14He'll help Tsuka find a seat too, though he'll doubtfully need help.\ 15[22:10] <@VoxPVoxD> As the two of them sit, and the children all flock around Xia Lan, Vavariko walks into a back room. A small gray cat is curled up on the stage, watching the ruckus through narrowed yellow eyes. 15[22:11] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuka sits quietly, not relaxing. [22:13] 14Oh come on. [22:21] 13Xia Lan dazzles the assembled young ones and short adults, speaking to them and signing a few autographs before making her way towards the stage, promising to sign for the rest after the sound test. She sidles up near the cat. "Yo," 13she says. 15[22:22] <@VoxPVoxD> The cat starts gagging with Xia Lan gets close. Hk-hk-hkk-- and then a wet sound as the hairball hits the stage. "Old habits," comes an older woman's voice from the cat's mouth. "We'll get that cleaned up for you." [22:26] 13Xia Lan: "It happens." 13Tohu isn't the weirdest promoter she's worked with, but she's probably top 5. "Thanks for accommodating my guests, I realize it was short notice." 15[22:29] <@VoxPVoxD> Tohu: "We get weirder requests." [22:34] "What would you do," 14Stranger said conversationally, "if people broke down the doors right now?" [22:34] "You'd have no response." 15[22:34] <@VoxPVoxD> Tohu: "How long's your set? Do you need a warmup act?" [22:34] 13Xia Lan: "Like-- don't answer that." 13She makes a slight face. "I'm still working on my mask, I'll get the design to you here soon. For posters and such. Has Vladok been by?" [22:34] "Neither would I." [22:35] "But that's not the point. The point is that the weapon should always be at hand." [22:35] "You just need to relax." 15[22:35] <@VoxPVoxD> Tohu: "Vladok sent a message." [22:35] "Creation will tell you when to use it." [22:36] 14Stranger: "If they broke down the doors, here is what you would do: you would stand up." [22:37] 13Xia Lan: "Hour long with maybe a short encore. We'll be out by the time your night crowd starts rolling in. I don't need a warmup tonight, but we will for the main event. What'd he say?" 15[22:38] <@VoxPVoxD> Tsuko doesn't respond audibly, but Stranger can see him try to relax; mostly he ends up looking uncomfortable rather than professionally aggressive. [22:38] 14Good enough. 15[22:39] <@VoxPVoxD> Tohu: "He said to make sure the liquor cabinet was restocked." [22:42] 13A quick frown. "That's a lot of alcohol." 15[22:42] <@VoxPVoxD> Tohu: "It's the switching every round that does you in more than the volume." [22:43] 14Stranger turns his attention to the children, then, and tiny moustached man. 15[22:43] <@VoxPVoxD> The door creaks open. Vavariko appears with his daughter in tow. She's the height of an ordinary 13 year old girl, and two heads taller than her father. [22:45] 14Stranger will stand. There's not much going on around the rest of this space, but he'll make it clear what Xia's making safe. 15[22:48] <@VoxPVoxD> Papali Pali sees Xia Lan and immediately starts crying. [22:48] 14Okay. [22:57] 13Xia Lan springs up and strikes a pose with a smile in Papali Pali's direction, making sure to gesture to the other attendees as well. It's a small enough show that the personal touch is possible, and that's always been her favorite. As far as the crying, well. Papali Pali isn't the first and she won't be the last. To the gathered crowd: "Hellooooooo~ everyone!" 13Still gotta check the instruments before getting started in [22:57] earnest, but that'll be quick. To Tohu: "See you afterwards, okay?" 15[22:57] <@VoxPVoxD> Tohu yawns. [23:09] 13She checks the instruments quickly, telling the crowd stories about other places she's performed. This is a pretty scary venue for kids - best to put 'em at ease by talking about the time she danced over lava, or when she was first starting out and played frontier towns. It's a fun little distraction, and then she launches into her first song of the afternoon. [23:10] 14Stranger makes sure to corral the kids. [23:10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu7Ixskp0dY 13There's a distinct twang to the keyboard she's using - her usual concerts are pretty heavy on this kind of modification, and that's what she's aiming for here. A venue-specific setlist will need to wait on her attending a show at CIO's, but an audience-specific playlist is well within her grasp. [23:11] 14Oh my. [23:11] 14In all fairness: it bangs. [23:22] 13There's a short lull in between tunes as Xia Lan works the crowd some more with stories while re-tuning things, getting a feel for the acoustics. "This next one I wrote on my way to Nexus. For a friend." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxqZYe90--c [23:25] 14Whoa. [23:25] 14Stranger doesn't look over at Tsuka. [23:25] 14He watches the kids. 15[23:27] <@VoxPVoxD> The kids are freaking losing it. So are the cats. [23:27] 13She fiddles with the keyboard again. This is some of the best work she's ever done, and it's for this tiny crowd. She can feel it, and she loves it. "These next two are in an older language. I liked the way they sounded, and I love singing in other languages. You know, Rivertongue's pretty versatile, but there's just something to be said about Old Realm, you know?" 13First, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMDxKRx10mU and then [23:27] shortly afterwards, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lNZ_Rnr7Jc with no pause in between. She's in the zone now. [23:29] 14This is some good noise. [23:33] 13Xia Lan's sweating a bit with exertion now. Time to switch to some other instruments. "I translated this next one myself! You won't hear it anywhere else -- keep it a secret!" 13She exaggerates a hushed finger to her lips. The first one's pretty fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UigzN-4JR14 [23:33] 13That should read It's pretty fun! [23:34] 14Stranger to Tsuka: "Talk about it all you want. She won't mind." [23:34] "It's up to you." [23:35] 14He stands up. "I'm going to get a water." [23:35] "And a beer." [23:39] 13They're in the final stretch now. She's back to telling more stories about life on the road, work as a singer, encouraging notes to being whatever you want - she's pretty sure she gave the same speech word for word a few months back, but that was way south. Kids won't know. Then she launches into a back-to-back double whammy, ending with her second most famous song... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOubzHCUt48 and then: [23:39] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOZuxwVk7TU [23:41] 13Still sweating, she bows deeply to the gathered crowd. It's almost certainly the best show any of them have ever heard. It might be the best show she's ever done. It's something to be proud of, she's gotten a feel for the venue's acoustics, and she can feel - the best is yet to come here. [23:43] 14Stranger: "She knows what she's doing, I think." 14He's not specifically talking to Tsuka. He could be talking to anyone. 15[23:51] <@VoxPVoxD> The kids are going nuts. Even Tsuka's clapping. Seven small gray cats stand and swoon in unison. [23:51] 14...Weird about the cats. [23:57] 13Well... she didn't test every instrument she might use. And she saved one song for last. She stands up from her bow, gets the guitar from stage left, and drops into a cross-legged position, fiddling with the guitar. "Heard this one around town a lot lately - figured I'd try my own spin on it. Before, you know what's coming."13She ends most of her concerts the same way. Then she begins to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixr [23:57] je2rXLMA [23:57] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egn_VNVKzI4 [23:57] 13Whoops, wrong link there. [23:57] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixrje2rXLMA [23:59] 13It's no surprise what comes after that. "I wrote this song on the way to Nexus, too. We've all got our struggles, all got trials, tribulations, problems. And yet. This is the Weight of the World." 13It's her best known song - the crowd might sing along, if they want, but she puts every ounce of her heart into it every time, regardless of whether the audience is involved or not. [23:59] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egn_VNVKzI4 [00:00] 13Finally, she takes a bow, and drops off the stage. She promised to sign some more autographs, after all. [00:00] 14She's got the moves. [00:00] 14And, as they would say in the places where you have to have them, the grooves. [00:00] 14Stranger finishes the water and the beer.