Patron Saints/Cho Namhwa Log02

From Greenthings

The Man who thinks of himself as Cho Namhwa stands in an alcove overlooking a huge plaza. Cho is eating a tasty sugar-cake, and appears awed by the view of flying cars and armored citizens. Cho finishes his tasty cake, then steps into the plaza among the people of this futuristic... or ancient... city.

The people crossing the plaza give Cho wide berth, walking around him by at least two arms' lengths. Their conversations become either whispers or polite silence as they pass. Some avoid eye contact, while others make it and then lower their eyes deferentially. Cho pays no mind, though. Not at first. His eyes seem to be locked on the horizon, then he slowly absorbs the awe-inspiring wonder of the city's architecture.

As his vision settles on the bell tower, he decides that's as good a destination as any and begins to walk toward it. He pauses a moment when he meets two people in jade, one in red and one in blue. Though they navigate themselves to walk around them, he stops to engage them in conversation. A pleased expression settles on his face and he says, "Good day."

"Good day, sir," says the one in red curiously. The younger one in blue says nothing. "Need something?"

Namhwa looks the two up and down, then covers his social blunder by saying, "I need naught but to know that my fellow citizens are in good health under a bright, shining day." Namhwa composes himself, and walks on.

They smile blandly, though after he leaves one says, "The hell?" incredulously.

Namhwa delves into his mind as he walks on, wondering if he's hallucinating, or perhaps gone mad.

"They do that," says the other one.

Namhwa walks intently to the bell tower with the intention of getting a better view of the city. When he reaches the doors, however, he finds that they're locked. He tries shoving them, then knocking. He checks himself for a keyring, unsuccessfully. ...After a moment, someone comes up behind him. Namhwa turns around to see who's approaching.

It's a middle-aged woman who peers awkwardly at Namhwa. Namhwa steps aside from the doorway to allow the woman to pass, but she just keeps on looking at him. "Er. Hello," she says. "I, ah... Mister Exalted, Sir, just wondering if you needed any help."

Namhwa looks awkwardly at the woman, then squinches up his face and says, "What?" Three heartbeats pass. "Actually, just a spot of trouble with the door," he says quickly. "Have you the key?"

"Ahhh, Honored Chosen of the Gods, sir? Sorry." She seems to be wondering if she said something wrong. "Yes, certainly." She moves to open the door for him. Namhwa refrains from peering quizzically, then shivers at her words. He briefly hugs her in thanks, then enters the bell tower.

She has no idea how to respond to that, and decides to leave him be, with the keys. Namhwa closes the bell tower behind him, then checks out the structure.

...Whoa. Clockwork. Circuits. Crazy shit. Tiny little running bits of blue jade. Namhwa stands stock-still and takes in the entire scene for what seems like an eternity, until he finally notices that the whooshing in his ears is from his pounding heart. After that, he begins walking forward reflexively, but there's only a few feet to walk before he's about to smack into something.

"Where are the stairs?" he mumbles to himself, then stops to look at the obstacle. Unfortunately, a bit too late, he discovers that it's a wall. Made of... head hurts. The scenery blurs a little, then fades to bright white sunlight.

07:42 *** Cho_Namhwa joined #namhwa
07:43 Greenling You're standing in an alcove overlooking a huge plaza, eating sugar-cakes.
07:43 Greenling (though this time, you remember who you ought to be.)
07:43 Cho_Namhwa (Is the itch gone?)
07:44 Greenling (it feels further away.)
07:45 *** Wildfire joined #namhwa
07:45 Cho_Namhwa takes another bite of the funnel cake, wondering where his meditation has taken him with a little worry, a little anxiety, and a little excitement.
07:46 Cho_Namhwa (err, sugar cake)
07:48 Greenling People mill around. Looks like a normal day in a large city. The, uh, scenery looks weird, though...
07:49 Greenling Hey, look, a flying car!
07:49 Cho_Namhwa backs into the corner a bit farther.
07:50 Cho_Namhwa composes himself quickly, though, then strides out to observe the city.
07:50 Cho_Namhwa (I keep on forgetting this guy's valor)
07:51 Greenling People seem to give you a wide berth.
07:51 Greenling Sort of like you've seen people do the more martial Dragon-Blooded.
07:51 Cho_Namhwa checks the differences between himself and others, and listens to what people are saying as they walk by (as well as in what language).
07:52 Greenling You don't see any difference.
07:52 Greenling They're all speaking Old Realm.
07:52 Greenling Though you look like the guy in the dream you had before.
07:53 Cho_Namhwa looks for the most prominent buildings in the city, not having taken the time to completely encompass its architecture.
07:54 Greenling You see 'em- the big bell tower over there's one.
07:55 Cho_Namhwa stands in brief awe of what probably appears to be a first age city intact.
07:55 Cho_Namhwa looks for anything familiar, almost overloaded by the sensory input.
07:56 Greenling That is exactly what it appears to be. Though the people seem to be much the same.
07:56 Cho_Namhwa begins walking toward the bell tower, just so that he doesn't appear to be a slack-jawed idiot.
07:57 Greenling It's clearly a city with a culture of its own, but they act like any other bunch of commoners. Maybe slightly cleaner and with a few less obvious desperately-poor.
07:57 Greenling You walk that way.
07:57 Greenling You see a couple of people wearing Jade.
07:57 Greenling ...They also get out of your way.
07:58 Cho_Namhwa "Interesting," he remarks to himself. Namhwa takes in the city's layout as he walks, then stops the folks wearing jade for a chat.
07:58 Cho_Namhwa "Good day," he offers a traditional Old Realm greeting.
07:58 Greenling "Good day, sir," says the one in red curiously. The younger one in blue says nothing.
07:59 Greenling "Need something?"
08:01 Cho_Namhwa looks the two up and down, then covers his social blunder by saying, "I need naught but to know that my fellow citizens are in good health under a bright, shining day." Namhwa composes himself, and walks on.
08:01 Greenling They smile blandly.
08:02 Greenling Though after you leave you can hear one saying "The hell?" behind you.
08:02 Cho_Namhwa delves into his mind as he walks on, wondering if he's hallucinating, or perhaps gone mad.
08:02 Greenling "They do that," says the other one.
08:02 Greenling It feels kinda like a dream.
08:03 Cho_Namhwa retains the suspension of disbelief, then, and walks to the bell tower with the intention of getting a better view of the city.
08:04 Greenling You may do that. Its doors are open. Or you could probably just head up there.
08:05 Cho_Namhwa Yep, Cho goes to scale the bell tower, if stairs are present.
08:06 Greenling Stairs? Oh, sure, you could do that too.
08:06 Greenling There are stairs inside.
08:06 Cho_Namhwa climbs the stairs to the top.
08:08 Greenling You get to the locked door before the bell tower.
08:09 Cho_Namhwa frowns, then wonders why the bell tower should be locked. He checks himself for a keyring.
08:11 Greenling Nope.
08:12 Cho_Namhwa shoves on the door a bit, then knocks.
08:12 Greenling Nothin'.
08:12 Cho_Namhwa (Thank you for running these, by the way. I find them intensely interesting)
08:12 Greenling ...After a moment, someone comes up behind you.
08:12 Greenling (no problem. :D)
08:13 Cho_Namhwa turns around to see who's approaching.
08:13 Greenling A middle-aged woman. She peers awkwardly at you.
08:14 Cho_Namhwa steps aside for the woman in an attempt at courtesy. "Hello, ma'am," he says.
08:15 Greenling She doesn't seem to be going anywhere. "Er. Hello."
08:16 Greenling "I, ah... Mister Exalted, Sir, just wondering if you needed any help."
08:17 Cho_Namhwa looks awkwardly at the woman, then squinches up his face and says, "What?"
08:17 Cho_Namhwa "Actually, just a spot of trouble with the door," he adds quickly. "Have you the key?"
08:18 Greenling "Ahhh, Honored Chosen of the Gods, sir? Sorry." She seems to be wondering if she said something wrong. "Yes, certainly." She moves to open the door for you.
08:19 Cho_Namhwa refrains from peering quizzically, then shivers at her words. He briefly hugs her in thanks, then enters the bell tower.
08:19 Greenling She has no idea how to respond to that, and decides to leave you be, with the keys.
08:20 Cho_Namhwa closes the bell tower behind him, then checks out the structure.
08:21 Greenling ...Whoa.
08:22 Greenling Clockwork. Circuits. Crazy shit. Tiny little running bits of blue jade.
08:23 Cho_Namhwa stands stock-still and takes in the entire scene for four heartbeats. After that, he begins walking forward reflexively.
08:23 Greenling There's only a few feet to walk before you're about to smack into something.
08:23 Cho_Namhwa "Where are the stairs?" he mumbles to himself, then stops to look at the obstacle.
08:24 Greenling It's a wall. Made of... your head hurts.
08:24 Greenling The scenery blurs a little.
08:24 Cho_Namhwa sways to keep in sync with his vision.
08:25 Greenling You feel the sun on you...
08:25 Greenling (^^;)
08:25 Cho_Namhwa "Strange..."
08:25 Cho_Namhwa (:O)