[b]Chen![/b]

The wagon groans under the weight of masks. Many are bright and colourful, cartoon characters from ancient days, painted fox-faces, snarling bears and eerie horses. For all their eye-catching friendliness there is absolutely no doubt that they are here for one reason only: to soften the blow of the mask at the centre of it all. It looms like a vision from a dream, long and cylindrical with bulging eyes and enormous teeth, all in cool blue steel. That's an Old World mask and this lady is a Technomancer who is making an attempt not to frighten small children while still advertising her profession.

Sitting next to her you can feel a faint electronic buzz on your skin, and your phone starts to chime again and again where you cannot reach it - not a big deal because those are no doubt spam messages from one of the Techomancer's tame advertising geists. The woman wears a similarly subterranean dress - long slick curtains of dark blue leather, lines of clattering loyalty cards hanging from her wrists and neck. 

"You look like you're in the market for someone in my line of work," said the Technomancer, watching as Rose runs and jumps. "But I'm afraid you'll need someone a lot more powerful than me. Do you know Princess Kikil? I'll send her a message. If you're lucky she'll come out here to rescue you herself, Princess..." her eyes flick down to her phone where her digital demon has just sent a text, and she gives a smile that leaves you in no doubt that she's fucking with you. "... Chen."

[b]Rose![/b]

A god from the heavens themselves steps forth from his cramped car to assist you in your work.

This is a guardian spirit, one with mad painted eyes and swirling and frenzied cheeks and teeth bared with fangs all in red and jade. He covers these features beneath a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and a slouch for the ages, and perhaps he conceals more than just his divinity. That suit hangs loose and those eyes are hungry and, just as a monk must look for happy demons one must look too for hungry gods. Less separates them than you might think. 

The driver of the car stays behind the wheel, reading a newspaper spread out over the wheel and dashboard and smoking a cigarette while inching his car immediately through any small gap opened amidst the fluffy sheep by you. He is probably a man, and the contrast between his expensive watch and beat-up old car gives you the impression that he is up to no good whatsoever. He strikes you as a thief, frankly.

The guardian is much less animated than you, a creature of calculated movements. Now and then he will cast his spear to land just ahead of a straying sheep causing it to think better of adventuring in the wide world and head back to its paddock. Throughout, though, the god's eyes are on you alone. "You will need payment, ancient one," said the god in stiff words. "I give you my life, though spare my master."

Always so dramatic with these guys.

[b]Yue![/b]

"My tricks!?" said the vixen, feigning hurt in a way that was both obvious that she was faking and nevertheless extremely effective at making you feel guilty. "This is my very first shrine! Look!" She waved her [s]butt[/s] tails. "Two! [i]Two[/i] tails! If I was the kind of trickster you were accusing me of I'd have at least three or four. If I had eight or nine then you'd be a fool to trust me! But I am a brand new kitsune with a heart as pure as mountain snow. I haven't tricked anyone! I've never even had the chance! And already I'm being accused of having tricks! If every kitsune who starts a shrine gets this kind of response, why, it is no [i]wonder[/i] so many of them go into crime! They never even get a [i]chance[/i] to make an honest living!"

She sighed extremely dramatically, flopping face-down on the stone. In the process she successfully tricked the lizard king into reflexively a few centimeters before he realized what was happening and immediately she had moved into that patch of sunlight. The lizard king stopped and gave the lizard equivalent of the someone-stole-my-wallet look.

"But you've got a wish, huh?" she mused, opening one eye to give Hyra a piercing look. "And not an easy one. That's a serious curse. I can't break it... but I can weaken it. Let her turn into a human some of the time. And if somehow I was to earn another tail or two I'd be able to do even more."