1390/The Japanese Appreciation Society

The Japanese Appreciation Society
Date of Scene:	26 April 2020
Location:	The Japanese Appreciation Society of New York City
Synopsis:	The blood of the faithful has been spilled, kami retribution will surely follow
Cast of Characters:	Bobbi Morse, Kaminari

---

Bobbi Morse has posed:
What happened last night is a blur after the drugs came out. The thumping music of the night club. The VIP section. The people dancing. They played one of your songs too. What's true though is today you feel it, you feel the abuse you gave your body with the drugs. The cool morning air helps, the sky is bright though and won't leave you alone. Sunglasses and hat aren't just a disguise from fans but a disguise from the cheerful nature all around you. It's ironic, being part of nature and shunning it grumpily.

The wander takes you places you haven't been before and you find yourself standing in front of a set of doors that somehow make you feel better. You haven't felt this sort of peace in a while. The big doors are unlocked and open up in to a foyer. At the end of the room is a shrine to the kami. This is a shrine for you and there is some fresh delicious fried tofu and rice set on it. Through shouji to the side is a rock garden and a small waterfall and river. The other direction is a meeting room and in it a man in jeans and t-shirt is smoking and drinking coffee. He is bald and certainly Japanese in ancestry. A sign on the wall says "The Japanese Appreciation Society of New York City"

Kaminari has posed:
    Even Divine Metabolism has its limits, as Kaminari seems to remind herself all too frequently. She squints through her sunglasses at this unfamiliar yet familiar place. The last thing she wants is to get recognized and chased by fans in this condition. And yet there is something welcoming about this place. For a moment she is about to reach for the tofu and rice, it is for the kami afterall and she is a kami, but that would probably wind up causing more questions than she's really in the mood to answer at the moment and she thinks better of it. Her attention drifts to the rock garden and its waterfall, before she makes a decision and walks in the direction of the conference room, "Hello? What is this place?" she asks even as her eyes process the sign through her sunglasses.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
The man looks up in surprise and dabs out his cigarette, "Ooh?" He looks at his watch and back to you as if making a remark, but clears his throat, "Welcome to the Japanese Appreciation Society, New York branch." He sounds American at least. You hear behind you some rustling as a young woman enters through a back door carrying a box of rolled up posters. She is wearing a red hakama and white samue like a shrine maiden. She is certainly of Japanese ancestry too, "Ken I got the poste.. oh hi." Also she sounds American. She places the box down on the table top.

Ken stands up and says, "I haven't seen you around here before. I'm Ken and this is Hayami." He offers his hand to you and Hayami gives you a small bow.

Kaminari has posed:
    Kaminari resists the urge to pull the hat down tighter but so far so good, the little voice in the back of her head still asking why is she even here, "Oh, how nice. I just moved here from Japan recently. Are Japanese things popular here?" she manages her best effort at small talk, "My name is Kami." Real slick Kaminari. "Why are you dressed like a miko?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
It dawns on you that the last time you felt this kind of calming presence was in Japan at a shinto shrine. There's a difference between those going through the motions - and the true believers. You can feel it. This place is tended to, cared for, but true believers. These aren't fans of "rock start Kaminari" but they are certainly fans of Kaminari and the other kami. Just being here is making you feel more refreshed by the moment. The trickling sound of the waterfall against stones is regenerative. Here, in the middle of New York City, you have found a real shinto shrine. You notice the distinct lack of Buddhism.

Ken and Hayami look at each other as she calls herself Kami, thinking it quite the funny joke but not wanting to laugh in case it's not a joke. Ken sits back down and Hayami puts up a poster on the wall which speaks of a weekend of dance and story telling. Ken speaks up, "Well this may be New York, but that doesn't mean we can't create a real house for the kami." Hayami looks back over her shoulder to you and says, "Hai, I dress like miko, because I am miko. I do kagura for public viewing in the evenings if you'd like to see, the morning ones are private for the kami sorry. Ken is our kannushi." Ken nods to you, "Oh you should join our club. We ask members to contribute $5 a month to help pay for the rent, but all our activities are free."

Kaminari has posed:
    Certainly not what Kaminari expected to find in the middle of New York of all places. Most of her experience with America has largely consisted of tour venues and hotel rooms until she actually decided to move here and even her fickle heart is warmed a bit. "Five dollars a month? I think I can swing that." Her eyes follow Ken's cigarette for awhile before she finally asks, "Can I trouble you for a smoke?" she asks before favoring Hayami with a smile, "Kagura? I can definitely say I never expected to find Kagura on this side of the pacific. I should definitely like to see that sometime. The kami are lucky to get their own private show."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Ken gives you a cigarette and holds up the lighter for you. "My brother Shiro also runs the club, but he tends to like the weekends more than the weekdays." Hayami says, "And I come in whenever I have free time. I'm a student at NYU. You are welcome to come watch. I like to think some kami stowed away to America and come and peek in to watch from time to time." Ken gets up and leaves the meeting room to get a membership form for you.

There's noise at the door as a young man wearing skinny jeans and a baseball cap enters. "Henry says time is up," is all he says before he pulls a gun and shoots Ken through the heart, then turns and flees the building. Ken has mere moments to look down in horror before he drops to the floor, blood splattered across the membership form he's holding for you. Hayami screams in shock and runs to Ken's side and presses her hands over his chest and blood starts to pump out on to the ground and over her hands. "Call 911!"

Kaminari has posed:
    Delicious smoke, Kaminari inhales deeply from the cigarette taking a moment to savor it before exhaling a long stream of smoke, "Thanks, I owe you one." she tells Ken. She favors Hayami with an amused expression, "The Kunitsu-Kami are everywhere, in all things and who knows maybe the Amatsu-Kami have learned to use airplanes just like us..." she doesn't really get to finish before the scuffle and the loud bang.
    Kaminari blinks for a few moments registering what happened, maybe if she hadn't been hung over she might have been able to react, might have been fast enough. The cigarette drops from her mouth on to the floor. There will be plenty of time for self recrimination later. "You son of a bitch!" she shouts with a voice full of sudden rage and part of her, part of her wants bloody revenge, but somehow she chokes back the anger and rushes to where Ken is, she owes him one after all.
    "Give me space." she tells Hayami in a voice that is used to being obeyed, and Kaminari attempts to use just a fraction of her power to summon a small controlled burst of lightning, a shock really, to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Hayami stumbles back as you push in to do your work. She grabs her phone, it slips from the blood, but she manages to call 911. "Please hurry he's been shot!," you hear her exclaiming as you work a miracle right in front of her. She gasps as Ken gags for air, coughing up blood. His eyes open up wide and he grabs your top tightly, "Tell.. Shiro.. I.." his heart gives out and he dies before you.

Hayami watches the surreal scene. In her eyes, you must be one of the mutants that are always on the news. But you tried to help. "Is he.. okay?" She knows the answer, he's not moving and his eyes have a cloudy look. The sound of a motorbike outside tells you his murderer has fled.

Kaminari has posed:
    Kaminari clenches her fists and the sound that escapes her is gutteral frustrated anger as she watches the life slip out of him despite her best efforts. Nobody ever said she was a goddess of healing. Deep breaths, now is not the time. Kaminari stands up and shakes her head, "I'm sorry Hayami, I did what I could. He's gone. Do you have any idea who that was, what just happened?" the embers of the anger are still burning in the back of her eyes but she is doing what she can to control herself for this young miko.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Hayami begins to cry and drops back to her knees. You hear the person on the phone say "Responders are en route and will be there shortly. Hello? Miss are you safe?"

Hayami shakes her head, "I don't know.. I don't know. Shiro would know. He would know.. I don't understand. Ken is so nice, why ... why??"

Kaminari has posed:
    "I don't understand either, but I want to understand. I owe Ken one for that cigarette and I am not one to hold on to debts." Kaminari walks over and rests a hand on Hayami's shoulder, an oddly gentle gesture for a deity like her. "Have faith Hayami, I don't believe the kami will let things for Ken end like this. There will be justice."