Mingmei university

"It simply wrapped her up in it's arms and a second or two later, she dropped to the ground. It was a horrible thing to see."

"By then I was running towards them as fast as I could, my uncle's command to avenge the family echoed in my ears as I fired at it, but it didn't even seem to notice."

Sato balled up his fists in his lap, knuckles white.

"I summoned all my willpower and chased after it as it hopped away.  I was able to tackle it - I think I took it off guard - but as I vainly punched at it, it flicked me aside like I was an annoying insect.  It is clearly extremely strong"  

"Shaa-nai"
((Sato speaks a dialect of Desu from Makoto - this expression is an IRL Osaka-ben expression most closely approximated by "well, can't be helped" or a frustrated "fuuuuck"))  

"I was able to get a glimpse of it as it disappeared down a sewer drain, sliding the grate over it's head as it disappeared from view."

Chougou nods his head to Sato that he can smoke and rolls down the window a bit for him from his control panel.

"I'm sure that you did your best Sato-san, tackling it is an impressive feat. We have heard that not even bullets can stop the creature, or even lighting it on fire. That is why our compatriots are seeking a peachwood branch, to fashion a weapon to exterminate it, we were going to the professor to learn of ways that we could trap it because we have heard that they moved in the way you described. We intended to try to kill it after we had it in our clutches.

The professor told us that to find it at its lair and draw it out in the day would give us the best chance. He gave us ideas and some tools that we could use, but if we can't find it then we will likely be in the same situation as you were the night that you mentioned.

If the thing possibly lives in the sewer than this could get complicated...we are on our way to the temple to see about a peach branch now, but perhaps afterwards you could show us the spot where the thing disappeared and we could try to track it through the tunnels with some of my drones."

"Who are you, Sato? Like, what's your whole deal. What do you do when you're not ineffectually jiangshi hunting?"

Sato nods in gratitude to Chougou, and slowly draws and lights a cigarette...seeming to ignore Sam's question.  

He takes a long drag and blows the smoke out of the side of his mouth so it flows out the crack in the window.  Not a whiff remains in the car.  

He seems to consider something for a few moments.  Silence fills the car as he puffs a few more times before expertly flicking the half-smoked cigarette out of the narrow window crack.  

Slowly, he twists around in the front seat to look Sam directly in the eye.  For a moment, his face is flat and expressionless with no life or feeling behind the eyes as he considers Sam...

A wolf-like grin creases his face, but his eyes remain flat.  

"Gaijin, welcome to Desu.  If you have traveled so far, it would be a shame if you didn't take the opportunity to learn about our culture.  If I may make a suggestion, you could start researching on that..." he wiggles his fingers at his cyberdeck "...computer thing and share with me what you find."

He considers Sam for a moment longer, before turning back to look out the front window.

"How long until we reach the temple Chougou-san?  I'd like to get started as soon as possible to prevent further deaths."

"I don't, um. I don't know how to respond to that seeming non sequitur gibberish. Thanks for the that we should check the sewers, I guess. But... But... But. We um. We don't know you. So. Um. If you can't, um... If you can't tell me why I should trust you, um. I think. I think, um. You're gonna be back on your own."

Sam instinctively moves to throw a mark on Sato, trying to hack him on the fly. But, obviously, it does nothing because this is not VR.

Sato leans back in his chair "Nou aru taka wa tsume-o kakusu" ((a talented hawk hides his claws))

"I have already told you a great deal about myself and my adventures over the last few days.  Perhaps you could help me trust you if you reciprocated a bit first."

Comm to Chougou: "We're on the way to check out a temple so we can go back later and rob it. We're in the midst of committing a crime. We can't just take him along with us. We have no idea who this guy is."

"No," Sam says to Sato, not making eye contact. "No. No. No."
He shakes his head a little bit to snap himself out of his little fit of Nos.
"I think I'm all good on that front. Um. Thanks for the info, though. Chougou, can you pull over and let him out, please?"

Sato shrugs.  "Chougou-san, your friend seems very nervous.  Do you know anyone who can help him get laid?"

He grins another wolfish grin, stretches his legs out in front of him in the front footwell and lights another cigarette in one smooth motion.

"If your story is right, the priests at this temple will be loathe to part with their precious wood.  Perhaps we could learn more about each other while investigating unconventional options to said object's acquisition."  

"If it matters, my uncle has offered a size able reward for the resolution of this Jiangshi issue...a reward I am more than willing to split evenly with anyone who chooses to assist me in this matter.  For me, it is more a matter of honor than money...though your gaijin friend may not understand, no doubt you do."

He gestures to his clothing.

"...As you can see, I have been very fortunate in life already, so I'm unlikely to quibble over loose change."

He expertly directs another puff of smoke towards the window.

"Also, I'm good at things that I imagine you're not...I have made somewhat of a hobby of getting into and out of challenging puzzles."

Sam is calmed a little bit by Sato's seeming understanding of the current mission, and willingness to participate in the less than legal aspects of it.
Still, he's visibly agitated from the altercation.
"Fine," he says.
He stares down at his feet, trying to calm himself and regain composure.

Comm to Sam:

"I wasn't planning to rob it as the primary motive, we could just ask if there are any dead branches.

He seems to be on board for other activities if they are necessary, but neither you nor I will be *participating* in those activities. We would just be gathering information, we will be safe from prosecution.

Also, the likelihood of him being a plant from someone that is trying to entrap us is so minute that we should take him at his words for now. We haven't done anything except share information, if it gets hot though we can definitely part company. Let me know what you think."

Sent from Topic'it App

Sato-san, please appreciate that we have had some dangerous run ins recently which have shook us a bit. I believe that we can share information and see what we can do together, thank you for coming along.

Sent from Topic'it App

Sam is still huddled, staring at his feet, rocking a little bit, and wheezing slightly.

comm to Chougou: "Please, don't just walk up to the priests and ask for a peach branch. They're not likely to be willing to part with it so easily, and then if we have to steal it the following day they'll have easy first suspects. If we see something there that specifically makes us think they would be willing to easily part with some wood, then we can change tact. But, for now, we're going there to get a lay of the land so we can plan a break in if the guys don't come back from the farm successful."

Sato shrugs and says "let me know when you have a plan to share."

He rests his head against the headrest and his eyelids flutter.  

((To the car's occupants, he seems to doze off, but he's actually just astrally perceiving as they approach the temple...looking for signs of magical security and spirit patrols.))
 
((Still can't post my rolls until I've been a member for 7 days - I've emailed you my roll))

Comm to Sam:

Roger that Sam, nothing to make us stand out. Although asking would be of great benefit if it works.

Comm to Kingfisher:

Are you nearby? We're almost at the temple.

Out loud to Sato:

Yes once there is a plan that we might all be involved in then we should discuss it. For now our only goal is reconnescince.

Sent from Topic'it App

Hanamizuki temple is actually fairly close to the university, only taking you about 20 minutes or so to get there by car. However, it is further down the mountain, and you can tell that the surrounding area is quite impoverished. You aren't quite fearing for your lives, but things are looking sketchy. Cowboy patrols are non-existent, panic buttons are obviously busted, there's copious graffiti on the walls and bars on the windows.

This makes the presence of the pristine park containing the temple all the more impressive. It is a beautiful oasis of nature nestled in the middle of an urban nightmare. You park in a parking lot at the edge of the temple grounds, half expecting your van to be stolen by the time you get back. A crushed gravel path leads through a small forest of dogwood trees and to a bright red torii gate, adorned with zig-zagging paper wards. Beyond the torii gate, you can see the doors to the temple made of bare, unpainted dogwood. Selfie-snapping tourists and robed priests alike can be seen walking the grounds outside. Kingfisher is there waiting for you.



Sato zones out as he examines the area on the astral plane. The area surrounding the temple is awash with poverty, despair, violence and all the negative feelings that come with a typical ghetto. The temple grounds are a bubble of natural positivity amidst all the bad. It looks like a magical force field protecting the area from a storm of darkness.

Flying into the temple proper, Sato can see that the only security is that of the priests themselves. Most of them are awakened and there are spirits of nature who roam the area and occasionally speak with the priests. Judging by the way they carry themselves and their conversations, the spirits appear to be free and have a vested interest in keeping it safe. They notice his astral form, but have no real reason to pester him. In fact there are several other astral forms who are in the area, apparently enjoying the atmosphere that nature brings.

Though the temple is basically open air throughout, there is a section in the center of the temple that appears to be off limits to the general public. It has a sealed wall around it and rather powerful astral barrier keeping out any astral intruders.

Sam seems to have mostly calmed himself. He looks up from his feet as he prepares to get out of the van, and you can see that his face is still beet red. He wipes some snot away from his nose, and gets out wordlessly.

As they approach the temple grounds, Sato whispers to Sam "are you up for me joining your comms or are you still afraid of your own shadow?  I am seeing some interesting things that I'd like to share more...privately."

((also point of order, Sato can only astrally perceive - he cannot project and leave his body))

A secure group chat window appears on your commlink called NoodleGangChat. The members in this secure chat are listed as NoodleSam, NoodleChougou, NoodleKingFisher, and Sato.

> DNI: "ōkini Sam-san, Chougou-san.  I can see...why this place looks different than the surrounding area.  There are spirits here...some here willingly"

You hear a low growl over the comms as he speaks about the spirits...almost like a dog's growl...but it quickly disappears.

> DNI: "there's also a barrier ahead in the center...I can't make out what it's protecting, but we might want to stroll nearby and see if one of your drones can take a peek.  I doubt these priests are very advanced technologically, but Sam can check to be sure."

((can I get a sense for the number and strength (force) of the spirits guarding this place with my perception roll? ))

Chougou types into noodlegangchat:

Ok, we should maybe split up and walk around nonchalantly? We can communicate through here.

((Chougou would like to roll to perceive but isn't sure which attributes to use...))

Sent from Topic'it App

Sam pops into AR and does a matrix perception
Sam Dekker carried out 12 launched of one d6 :

, , , , , , , , , , ,

((perception is a skill, perception+intuition[mental]))

From the vantage point of the parking lot, Sato is unsure how many spirits there are, but it is a number definitely bigger than one. He will have to do some walking around to get an accurate count. Immediately visible are two spirits who have manifested on the physical plane and are currently helping a priest lift a fallen dogwood tree. The tree looks as though it was shot at for target practice, likely by some of the shiftier folk from the surrounding area. There are some blood stains nearby suggesting that things did not go well for the offenders. The pair of spirits currently aiding the priest are both plant spirits of average strength.

Sam does a matrix sweep of the perimeter and sees very little in the way of digital defenses. There are some maglocks built into the doors, but that is about it. No cameras, drones, turrets or other obvious security measures. Either the priests can't particularly afford them, or they simply don't expect there to be much trouble. Everyone in the area obviously has a commlink, but then it would be weird if they didn't. He does notice that the temple grounds at least do have a steady matrix presence while the surrounding area is much more glitchy and laggy. There might be more sophisticated defenses inside, but that will require him either to hack through the system to see what is there remotely, or to physically enter the temple and have a look around.

Up the path and past the torii gate, you all see a small booth where a miko is apparently selling tickets.

((anyone with a medium or higher lifestyle doesn't need to worry about the cost of the ticket, it will be absorbed into their lifestyle.))