An Ordinary Oddball
Ying Wu smiled back at Shen.
"I'm Ying Wu. Feel free to come back for a cup of tea any time," she said to him.
"Oh! I forgot! All of you, come back for free food any time, okay? Umm, but order within reasonable amounts!" she added.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Sijo gave the book a quick once-over.
To most other people, the writing in it might appear to be gibberish. But to a trained mystic like him, it was obvious the spells were real- if an apparently absurd collection of them.
"Hmm" he said. "Either this was written by a mad sorcerer - and that happens, mind you- or this is Chaos Magic. Which is even worse. One day, you get spot removing spells... the next, you might get one for atomizing oxygen. You should be very, very careful with this" he warned.
Then Ying Wu announced they all could eat for free, and for the first time since this melee began, he smiled. "Certainly, miss. Btw, I called some- friends. They'll come over to help clean this place. In the spiritual sense I mean. Free of charge, don't worry. Its something we do."
That Friend Nobody Likes
Matt laughed. "Well, um, of course I should be careful with it. I've.... well, I've kinda had more accidents and near misses with that thing than... well, I've kinda had a lot. You, um, you should probably take a look at me once this... um, magical backfire thingy, well, when it wears off."
He continued with his work. Food sounded nice, even if he had no idea what to order.
Umm... so, I was here, I guess. If I wasn't, someone hacked my account. So, yeah.
Matsuki got back up and looked around - Ying Wu was crying, pretty much nonstop, about what happened, and he himself felt pretty bad about not stopping that bastard...and he just let his fear of his father take him down.
I let that bastard get inside my head. I should've told him to shut up, done something to make him stop talking...but I didn't.
He looked around, deciding to try and take some statements. Walking over to Ying Wu, who was now pretty much calmed down, he asked, "Er...excuse me. I'm with the police and...I was wondering if you'd ever had any encounters with those westerners or that gang that ransacked this place?"
An Ordinary Oddball
Ying Wu swept some glass fragments into a bin and turned around to address Matsuki.
"No, this has never happened before. And I've never seen those two, ever."
"But...I think I have an idea why the gang wants this restaurant," Ying Wu said, tone suddenly steely. "You see, just before my great-grandfather died, he wrote me a letter. This restaurant is a Feng Shui site, and it has the power to attract good business. Lots of other places like this, except with more power, are springing up too, or so he says. People who want more power are going to be scrambling for them."
"That's the long and short of it. He also drew me a map with some of the more powerful sites outlined on them. I can show you, if you'd like."
"You go, great-granddaughter!"
Ying Wu breathed out, ignoring the old spirit's shout. She'd just blurted out a whole lot of outlandish things. It would be a miracle if people believed her...or not. They'd seen some pretty weird things today, after all.
Elsewhere...
The leader of the Silver Ghost Gang lay in bed, groaning. Why'd he kick that old woman? She turned out to be a mystic and laid a curse on him. God, it hurt. All his bones ached and he'd periodically spasm in pain. They heard from another mystic that the only cure was to conduct a ritual that involved burning bones.
Well, his gang managed to secure some bones by robbing an ancient gravesite, and they were being held in different places in the Silver Ghost Gang's territory until it was the full moon. Then the ritual would be conducted.
He couldn't wait. The pain was killing him.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
A black mist started to generate on the floor level, and the stark feeling of being watched from multiple angles started to become tangible. There were sounds akin to something scraping around on the underside of the bed, and the closet started to rattle.
At once a ringing noise started to run through the room.
The sound of hands underneath the bed became like that of innumerable fingers, scraping at the underside of the bed frantically, as if trying to purchase escape.
Then it all went quiet.
...
The door slid open.
And someone the leader of the Silver Ghost Gang was not familiar with walked in. Carrying himself with a serene and assured look, the figure seemed obscured by the same black mist to some degree.
A dark light emitted behind the head, as if this was a dark angel, visiting a mortal man.
Wolfang walked to the side of the bed, and knelt down, looking in this crime boss' eyes, "...Tell me what you want. What you wish for. Confess your innermost desires and so called immature, unrealistic yearnings - and I can make them all real."
AKA Nixer
“Hold on a moment – are you suggesting that they know where I live?” Shen suddenly asked, ignoring the proclamation from the warped mass of fuzzy lights that he knew to be a spirit next to Ying Wu. “That explains why they keep popping up, then. Bastards. Maybe I should set up traps next time. Tend not to think of that in the middle of beating the $%&# out of them.”
After picking up a toppled chair and putting it back into place, he trudged over to join the others. “I might look at that map, then. If these guys are going after other sites, I'm not sitting around. Plus I like my apartment. Maybe if we can get to the heart of the whole operation we can stop them from breaking into the windows and knocking over my pot plants. Seriously, they pick a new one every time. I'm getting sick of it.”
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An Ordinary Oddball
Ying Wu nodded morosely.
"If you live at a Feng Shui site, yeah, they'll go after you."
She hands over the map.
"Do you want to take a look at it?"
The gang leader thought he was hallucinating. He had to be.
"Numb the pain. Please, make it stop, at least until the ritual's done..." he managed to say with considerable effort.
If he was in his right mind, he would have attempted to flee. However, he was wracked with pain and delirium. Thinking straight was a thing of the past.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Jul 23rd 2018 at 7:40:12 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Matsuki
Matsuki listened and wrote all this down - and then stated, "I'm gonna need a copy of that map for the benefit of policing efforts. If this mystical issue proves to entice the local gangs to activity like this, we might have to step up efforts."
And that means clamping down on internal corruption. This is not the time for anyone to be stumbling around drunk or accepting bribes from people trying to bring ruin to this city's order.
Wolfang ~ Angel of Darkness
The dark angel lingered over the man on the bed, smiling widely, putting a hand to his chin, "Ahh, but I see in the inflections you have you long for so much more - you remember the days when you fought against the other gangs yourself. The time when your blood ran hot, rather than chilling so easily..."
Wolfang brought his hand from his chin, and then tapped the gang leader's chin, dragging his finger directly over the man's heart.
"I can restore the "life" in your body, as well as eliminating this insipid curse. Would you like that? All you have to do is tell me this, your wish. It won't cost you anything tangible or materially valuable."
Wolfang demurred, speaking in a tone sweet as honey, "With this, you will never again sicken or tire as you do now. Such a tremendous eternal summer of your life..."
After all, what faustian fool attaches a material value to the soul?
En route back to Caine House.
Mark changed from the British DPM uniform and PTU beret to a green bomber jacket, jeans and sneakers with his pistol hidden underneath his jacket via shoulder holster.
He and some other SB officers were in one of two unmarked white four-door Ford Cortina Mark Mark IIs back to Caine House, driving down towards the direction of Kowloon.
On the way back, they received a radio transmission about some kind of paranormal incident at the Red Flower Restaurant.
"What happened?" Mark asked the officer who listened on the dispatch call from the phone.
"Seems like something went down at the Red Flower. Some of the officers have it under control."
"Ah..." Mark nodded. "Heard that it's got good Feng Shui properties."
"I don't think we're needed though..."
"We don't. We need to prepare for tomorrow. I'm sure the top'll tell us if we need to."
Edited by Ominae on Jul 24th 2018 at 7:42:05 AM
"You have an actual Feng Shui site map of the city? That would be most useful to our cause" Sijo explained. "You see, I was sent by my order to help clease the city of evil spirits released by all this turmoil."
"In fact, if you could share copies with all of us mystics present here, we probably could all benefit from it."
At that moment, a man in rather over-the-top regalia [1]
◊ arrived. "Ah, here's that Spiritual Cleansing I told you about" the young mystic said. He approached the shaman and said, "You can start with that" (points at the transformed hood).
Edited by Sijo on Jul 24th 2018 at 1:12:56 PM
An Ordinary Oddball
"Thank you," Ying Wu said to the mystic who came to perform the spiritual cleansing.
"I'm going to make some copies. Hold on," she said, before running upstairs.
There was some clattering and photocopier machine noises, then she came back down with copies of the map.
The gang leader got cross-eyed trying to focus on Wolfang.
"Well, fine then. I wish to be strong and young again."
He paused. What else did he want?
"Uh, could you make me more handsome this time around, and please give me a hard-boiled egg that I can actually eat (my people are such terrible cooks)."
"Or just make them better cooks. But they still have to be able to fight..." he mumbled.
And then he passed out and started snoring.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
AKA Nixer
Shen took his copy of the map from Ying Wu with a slight nod of thanks, looking it over intently and muttering under his breath before neatly folding it up and slipping it into the inside pocket of his coat.
“Yes, this is very useful. Thank you, Ms. Wu – may you have good luck in your endeavours, and remember that I am always available in the case an event like this happens again,” he said formally, slipping the girl a small contact card from his pocket before nodding and turning to leave, pausing slightly at the door.
“And – erm – consider a rustic decorative style at some point. I think you could pull it off well.”
Without a further word, he was gone.”
Pulling into the driveway in his black muscle car was a regular process, but one that felt more weighted and surreal than normal. He must have been tired from the day's events. Or the tea was spiked with something. Yes, Ying Wu was a sweet enough girl, but he knew what era he was in.
Sighing, he momentarily paused, listening to the ambient noise outside for a second as he leaned on the steering wheel, before finally opening the door and climbing out, shutting it behind him with a click. The drowsiness was still there a little. Probably should take something for that.
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An Ordinary Oddball
Ying Wu took the card and put it in her shirt pocket. Then she resumed cleaning up the mess that the fight had left.
Xiao Shen's Apartment
Suddenly, the pitter-patter of tiny feet could be heard. A young boy in white burial robes ran up the street, crying loudly.
He was being chased by two thugs, which bore the white armbands of the Silver Ghost Gang. One of them managed to overtake the boy and wrestle him onto the ground. The other started prying at the ribcage and spine embedded in the boy.
A chicken bone flew out of a nearby trash can and beaned one of thugs on the head. He hardly noticed it.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
AKA Nixer
Quick to spot the victimized boy, Shen let out a sigh, shaking his head solemnly before stalking over to the sight of the assault. For a moment, his old instincts as a security guard and officer kicked in, and he was tempted to shout out a command of authority, but quickly remembered how that position was no longer applicable to him and simply struck the pair of thugs without any prior announcement of his presence. The first one, the one who was pinning the boy down, he quickly lifted up by the collar and socked in the face, and the second he gave a vicious kick in the groin while still holding his compatriot, swiftly grasping them both by the back of the head and clocking their heads together, making their skulls ring in the process.
Of course, whether they'd stay down was another matter entirely. But Shen was too focused on the boy now to check.
“Hey, kid? It's alright, I won't let them hurt you anymore. You okay?” he asked, dusting himself off slightly.
Edited by Enirboreh on Jul 24th 2018 at 2:37:01 PM
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An Ordinary Oddball
The first thug was knocked to the side, holding his face. The second thug crumpled to the ground and curled up.
Boney got up. He realized his ribcage and spine had almost been yanked out of him! He reached behind himself and patted his back, straightening his spine. Then he hugged himself tightly and pushed his ribcage back into place.
"Thank you, sir," the boy said, looking up at Shen with pitch-black eyes. "They want my all my bones for a ritual they want to do. They're going to burn them! Please don't let them burn them!"
"If you help me get my bones back, I'll be your servant for as long as you want!" he said, tearing up.
In the background, the first thug helped the second thug to his feet and both ran off. More chicken bones pelted them as they ran. The boy seemed not to notice this.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
AKA Nixer
Shen's only reaction to Boney's plea was a look of utter incredulity, one that may have been quite humorous to witness in any other situation.
“...Y'know, I would ask you to rephrase that, but I'll let it slide for now...” he muttered, drawing his hand down in his face and peering down at the literally skeletal kid through his fingers. “So you want to hunt down the rest of your bones, right? If these guys are after you, I guess I can help. Can you track them, or anything? I have a metal detector in my garage, but I doubt that'd would be much use,” he sarcastically stated, his gaze wandering over to the escaping thugs, raising a confused finger towards them.
“Um... any reason why that long dead chicken has a vendetta?”
Edited by Enirboreh on Jul 25th 2018 at 9:23:06 AM
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An Ordinary Oddball
Boney gasped and danced around Shen for a while. When he was done, he grabbed Shen's hand like he couldn't believe this person wanted to help him.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Um, I know roughly where my bones are. The Silver Ghost Gang took them to use them in the ritual I mentioned. I was trying to get my hip bones back when the two of them spotted me and tried to catch me. They need all of my bones for it to work, you know. And it has to be done on the full moon. The moon's gone tonight, though," he said, words spilling out in a torrent.
"You can call me Boney, since I forgot my real name."
"I have bone powers," Boney explained, shuffling his feet awkwardly.
In the background, the chicken bones threw themselves back into the trash can again.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
En route back to Caine House.
"Here."
Mark was handed a phone handset attached on the Cortina from a SB officer, who he knew could only speak English despite being born in Hong Kong. And he has the typical East Asian look too.
"Who is this?"
"Caine House."
The SB officer nodded and took the handset.
<"Hello."> Mark answered the call in Cantonese.
<"Just got word from the Superintendent about the operation tonight.">
<"What about it?">
<"He's been informed that the mole appears to be doing some sort of side job while acting as a communist mole thanks to the items you found.">
<"Do we know where the mole was posted at?">
<"No. But we know he's with some part of the government. Some of the guys are going to work overtime for this one.">
<"So what now?">
<"Everyone involved in the op turn in for the night. We resume tomorrow.">
<"Understood.">
Mark handed the phone handset back and leaned back on his seat while he stared outside to see the streets in the evening. It's already halfway through the night and a lot of vehicles are on the road, although not as much.
PS - Dammit. Looks like I forgot to make any indication that Mark would speak Cantonese with Cantonese-speaking guys/gals.
Edited by Ominae on Jul 25th 2018 at 7:26:38 AM
A Street in Hong Kong
Sijo stood on a corner, speaking to his cellphone in Korean. No one paid him any attention.
"The situation was apparently caused by a combination of Tong enforcers and a man with Infernal powers struggling to gain control over the Red Flower Restaurant and its Feng Shui powers. Thankfully both I and several other mystics happened to be there at the time. But I'm sure I will cross paths with either of them again. The thugs I can handle, the sorcerer not so much. I might require backup."
Once he finished his conversation, he put away his phone, and took out the map Ying had given him.
He picked up a close spot and decided to go check it out.
(Coincidentally, he was heading in the same direction as Shen and Boney)
AKA Nixer
Boney? Even better. Add that onto reasons for potential arrest on my part, Shen thought to himself. I swear, if this kid declares himself as 'my servant' while we're in public...
“...Alright... 'Boney'. In that case, if you know where your bones are, then it's probably best we get them ASAP. But that said, you're not looking too good right now. I suggest we rest up a bit before doing anything too risky. I have a spare room in my apartment if you want.”
First the servant thing, then the calling him Boney, now inviting him into my apartment. Jeez. I'm never living this down.
“Wait, hold on a second. Does anything about me... bother you? Spiritually speaking?” he suddenly asked. In his haste, he'd forgotten about his aura. Supernaturally infused creatures and people usually got a case of piercing tinnitus and nausea around him. Including himself. But the kid didn't seem at all disturbed. Odd.
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An Ordinary Oddball
Boney looked up at Shen quizzically.
"You're really letting me stay? OH! Thank you even more!" he said, jumping and clapping his hands.
"Umm...your lights are pretty," Boney offered. "I saw them from a long way away and that's why I ran to your house."
"I like your lights..."
"...Are you bothered by me?" he asked, noting Shen's discomfort.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Jul 26th 2018 at 1:30:26 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
AKA Nixer
He saw my aura from that far? Shen thought. ...That and the fact he's not affected by the screeching phenomenon... why do I get the feeling something's up with him...?
“Nah, I'm not bothered by you, kid,” he chuckled, ruffling his hair before turning towards the apartment complex. “You like my aura? Good for you. Not a lot of people get along with it like they used to. Particularly those spiritually inclined. Especially those spiritually inclined.”
Gesturing for Boney to follow him, he entered the door to the complex, before leading him upstairs to his apartment. Unlocking the door, he showed the boy the interior – Feng Shui decorated, of quite a large size, and meticulously clean.
“Make yourself at home, kid. Careful in the room down there, though. Miniature kwoon. Lot of weapons left unattended. Also a spirit hotspot. May need to clean it out frequently, if you get what I'm saying,” he neutrally stated, pointing towards a particular door down the hall before removing his jacket and hanging i
t up.
Edited by Enirboreh on Jul 26th 2018 at 12:46:02 PM
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An Ordinary Oddball
End Of Day
Boney cautiously walked into Shen's apartment, looking around in wonder. He opened every door he found and peeked inside. He squealed with joy as he found the spare room.
"I get a room of my own! I get a room of my own!" he quietly sang.
And then he noticed that he had dirty feet. It wouldn't do to track mud into his bed. (He had a bed! He hoped it was nice and soft.)
He went to the bathroom, wetted a towel, and wiped off all the dirt on himself as best as he could. Then he grabbed a comb and fixed his hair. There—he looked as respectable as a person about to be buried, and about as clean, too!
Boney entered his room as it it were a sacred place. He leaned the bone shovel he was carrying on the dresser and put his dowsing rods on top of it, too.
Then he got into bed. It was soft, moreso than expected. Leaving the door open a crack, turning off the lights, getting into bed, and pulling the covers up to his chin, Boney was happy for the first time in...was it a long time? He couldn't remember. It probably wasn't important...
"Good night, Master!" He called out to Shen, then buried himself in the covers and fell asleep right away.
Elsewhere...
The next day, whenever the Silver Ghost Gang leader woke up, he would think that meeting Wolfang was a dream. However, whatever "blessings" he got would prove otherwise...
Edited by JumpingFruit on Jul 26th 2018 at 2:47:22 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
As Ying Wu detached herself from Shen, the latter couldn't help but breathe a quiet sigh of relief. One that turned into an amused chuckle as she immediately proceeded to squeeze the daylights out of a Westerner even more awkward than him.
He vaguely realised the hypocrisy of it, but he couldn't resist it. He laughed out loud, his aura spiking and flaring along in time with it, before he strode over to the Westerner and gave him a teasing flick on the forehead with the back of his finger as he went by.
“Smooth, kid. Real smooth. If I ever need help with women, I sure know the guy to call,” he called back in perhaps an even more unused, accented English than Wu's, before proceeding to adjust his tie and right the table he had positioned for cover back into its usual spot, sweeping off some of the ash. Apart from a slight crispiness around the edges, it appeared mostly intact, having an almost rustic feel to it. Which would have been fine if the rest of the restaurant wasn't in Feng Shui.
“I can't remember if I caught your name or not. Got a bit hectic there what with the spirits and the fire-spewing undead nightmare beasts. And erm – I hate to say it, but I... doubt this'll be the last. My apartment's a site, and I've had six over the past month or so,” he admitted to Ying Wu, seeming to make himself a little busier so as to try and shake off the awkwardness a little, before clearing his throat and quickly adding: “Not that it isn't common. Still, if any of you need help, I work a few odd jobs in terms of bodyguarding and exorcism. I'd be happy to be hired out, I'm sure I can fit something in. Can't do full time though. Complications, you understand. Can't get too committed,” he stated, although his tone indicated that this was more in line of reminding himself or pure self-assurance than anything he truly believed. In all honesty, it didn't feel right to sit back and watch this kid having to potentially suffer through another traumatizing experience. And not just because she made a decent green tea either.
Edited by Enirboreh on Jul 23rd 2018 at 9:59:23 AM
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