5063/Of Luck and Toys

Of Luck and Toys
Date of Scene:	07 February 2021
Location:	Metropolis Botanical Gardens, Metropolis
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Winslow Schott, Saeko

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Winslow Schott has posed:
To say Winslow Percival Schott was sad was a understatement, he was downright distraught. After learning from his old partner that her niece was dying, Schott spend many hours build what can only be described as a masterpiece. Schott had decided to build a robotic double of the little lady's deceased Father in a last attempt to comfort the dying girl before she went to the other side. He finished his beautiful creation, only to find out it had been stolen before it even got to the hospital. This news crushed Schott's very soul. Now that little lady would die alone, and there was nothing Schott could do about it. His first reaction was rage, rage that threatened death upon the thieves. Then, it turned to sadness, sadness that plagued Schott for days. This is what lead Winslow Schott to the Botanical Gardens, one of his favorite spots in Metropolis. There, amongst the flowers, trees, and statues, Schott truly felt in piece.

As Schott walked through the gardens he tugged uncomfortably at his tweed sweater, He was not foolish enough to wear his suit in public, due to how associated it was with his Toyman persona. As Toyman walked through the gardens, he sighed as he continued to trudge through the garden, while thinking to himself,

"How can people be so cruel?"

Toyman's disdain for the "cruelty of the world" was well known. Schott encountered first hand how cruel the world could be after being tricked by into selling his designs, which were promptly used to build war machines, something Schott never intended on happening, and what drove him into becoming the Terrible Toyman. Over the years, he's seen more and more acts of cruelty that made his "disdain", especially towards other grown-ups, grow. Now, this new act of cruelty against him only seemed to cement his feelings.

Schott continued to explore the gardens, going deeper than usual, he was curious to see what new plants and animals they had added since his last visit. Eventually however, he stumbled upon something quite bizarre, a little Shinto shrine inside a small shack. The shrine had been donated a few years ago by a Japanese business man for the garden to use as a set piece for their "Flowers of Japan" exhibit, and has stood ever since, mostly unused, but well cared for.

Schott, in a move he would question for the rest of his days, approached the shrine gently, curiosity overwhelming the former toymaker. He, of course, knew what it was, thanks to a visit to Japan back in his Henderson days, but never actually entered one. As Schott drew closer he saw a statue of a fox nearby, which gave him a great clue as to who it belonged to. Inari, was, at least according to tradition, the kami of Fortune, a thought that made Schott scoff. Obviously they weren't on his side considering what had happened with his life so far. Yet, Schott felt compelled to go closer.

Once Schott reached the shrine's entrance, he took off his shoes and gently entered. As he walked into the shrine, he carefully took out a five dollar bill from his wallet and placed it in the offering bin. Schott didn't know why he did this, perhaps a small part of him hoped that Inari, if they were real, would throw him a bone for once. He then lit the candles on the shrine and just stood there on his knees for a minute, as if expecting something to happen. Suddenly, Schott just started to break down crying, his regrets and misfortunes falling on his mind like a boulder.

Saeko has posed:
Shintoism wasn't exactly common outside of Japan these days. Even now, in the places it had been practiced many little adaptions and changes had been made for the modern era. It wasn't that the Kami had never been there or stopped listening, they had simply decided long ago that they and their servants needed to be less overt.

At least, they had until the age of heroes, mutants and champions had convinced a certain Tenko that perhaps the Amatsu-Kami themselves needed to be open for interpretation.

It wasn't strange for people to ask for help, sometimes they'd even 'ping' on the edges of her senses, but an outright offering to Inari in the middle of the city, from an actual shrine? In a see of background murmering it was like a ringing bell cutting through clear.

It was something out of the corner of the eye, a warmth, a white-blue light that might be noticed, but the voice behind made it quite clear this were no mere trick of the light.

"What is it you seek?"

To turn would reveal her, a human woman apparent, but unnaturally beautiful in her form revealed. Those marks on her cheek reminicient of whiskers, the tails that swayed behind her and fanned out like an announcement of her station and that short yukata that showed enough skin to ensure one could understand where tails of temptresses had come from.

"Very few people have come here genuinely in a long time..."

Winslow Schott has posed:
Schott suddenly stands up, quite obviously surprised by the voice that came from behind him. Schott suddenly turns around and is visibly shocked by what he sees. As his eyes studied the fox-tailed creature, he couldn't help but blush slightly as he noticed how rather,,, attractive the creature was. Schott's brain rushed to figure out what exactly he was staring it. Suddenly, his eyes widened as the solution fell on him like a ton of bricks, it was a Kitsune. He heard all about these creatures while in Japan, and the implications on one appearing before him were both good and bad. Then, it asked him a question,

"What is it you seek?"

To this, Schott started to stammer, he clearly wasn't expecting something to answer his prayer. Suddenly, an odd look flashed before Schott's eyes, before he started to sob again. He then sat down on the floor of the Shrine and said,

"I just want a ruddy break for once!"

Saeko has posed:
A kitsune indeed, not Inari themself, but that really made sense to those that knew the truth of the legend. A little shift, the woman rests a hand against a nearby tree, tilting her head to the side as her lips quirk into a smile.

"A break?"

The vixen moves, shifting from one side of the tree to the other. "Fortune can be all around you," she speaks, eyes fixed on the man. "As small as a finding a coin on the sidewalk, as large as a kingdom. You walk free, you have chance and means to shape your fate, to change whatever it is you might wish to change..."

Winslow Schott has posed:
Winslow stops sobbing for a moment and looks up at the Kitsune. For a second, he looks like he's listening intently, but then he suddenly scoffs as he gets up from the Shrine floor, revealing that the man was a inch shorter than you, at only 5ft 4in. That, combined with his wire-rimmed bifocals and his slightly long brown hair made him look almost cartoony. As he walks out and puts on his shoes, he looks at you and says,

It sure doesn't feel that way to me."

The man then skulks his way to a bench near where Saeko is standing and plops down with a heavy sigh. He then glares slightly and lets out a small cry of frustration as he grabs a stone and tosses it angrily into the distance. He then turns back to you and says with a snarl,

"Every time I've tried to do something good, something always comes along to ruin it! Why!? What have I done to deserve such rotten luck!? It's not fair!

Saeko has posed:
"And yet..." Saeko speaks, rounding the tree and moving toward the bench and then lightly leaning herself against the rear of it. "You are always able to try, always able to make another attempt. Your 'break', your blessing, is that things will always line up..."

Her eyes faintly glowing, perhaps it was a promise of magic certainty, or merely words spoke with theatre.

"You are ever in a game...casting dice till your number comes up. Yet if your are always able to play, is victory not certain?"

The Tenko turns, stepping to stand in front of Windslow and lowering herself lightly. "Do you think your attempts mean nothing? That intending to do good has no weight to it?"

Winslow Schott has posed:
Winslow does not look the Tenko in the eye, but is instead staring at the ground. The divine servant of course, made excellent points, and he was currently calculating her words in his head. Then she brought up Schott's attempts, he looks up at her, noting the glow in her eyes as he did. He then sighs and says with a voice with a hint of grief in it,

"It's, it's not that I think they Mean nothing. It just feels that something out there wants me to fail, I- I was a toymaker at one point, I made the most beautiful toys in the world and I was happily married tooo. Then,'

Schott pauses as fresh sobs fill the air,

I lost her in a automobile crash when She decided to go out in the snow to get groceries. Them, i took a gamble and sold my designs with a big company, they told me they would make toys, but, they used it for war machines,

Schott is now crying even hard it's quite obvious life has been quite hard on the man.

Ever since then I noticed that every single time I try to do something positive, something has to happen to ruin it! Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying anymore. My latest attempt was simple, I built something to comfort a dying girl in her time of need. But, someone stole my creation and she died alone!"

Schott then starts to sob harder, his hands covering his eyes as he did.

Saeko has posed:
A tilt of her head, the woman's hand reaches out, a light touch to his own hand so soft it might make one doubt it had even happened.

"Life is not without chaos," she speaks, "Chance and sadness, random hurt."

Closing her eyes, the Tenko makes to stand and folds her hands lightly infront of her. "Many die, sad and alone, most have none who tried to make things better."

Eyes still faintly glowing, the fox steps back, lifting her arms and folding them under her bust. "You think things hopeless, that you failed and she suffered, yet there are nurses and doctors who have dedicated their lives to compassion that stood at her side. You may not have been able to help, but there are others who could."

"Things that have happened have made you what you are, make you know what you know."

A breath, the Kitsune reaches out a hand to rest on the man's shoulder. "It is burden as much as blessing."

Winslow Schott has posed:
Winslow shudders slightly at the woman's touch, it was surprisingly soft. As he listened to the woman, Winslow looked up at her, a flurry of emotions racing through his head as he did. Suddenly, he stood up from the bench, a more peaceful expression on his face as he suddenly grips the woman's shoulder gently as he suddenly says,

"Thank you, I haven't been able to have a good heart to heart like this in years."

Schott then reaches into his wallet and begins to pull out a 10 dollar bill as he says,

"I don't have much money left on me on the moment but you can have this if you want,"