[center][h1][b]It’s Not Over?[/b][/h1]
[i]The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia
[color=yellow]Ken Shimazu[/color], [color=orange]Sarah Marie King[/color], [color=6ecff6]Zhang Taiwu[/color][/i]
Interacting with Madelyne Crane, Kenzo Yamamoto, Julia Kray, and The Weeping.
[/center]

[indent]Despite his best efforts, Shimazu could see the situation drawing closer to a spiral beyond his or anyone else’s control. Taiwu wasn’t one to back down once he had been risen; Maddie’s instinct to stand up and fight the aggressors moved her to fight another person’s battles; the new kid seemed to have something to prove; there was little to be said to call either of them down.

Sarah, an echo of Taiwu, wouldn’t turn away from a challenge. Ken stood by, feeling the tension in the room grow tighter as his young apprentice stared down his former student, her eyes never wavering away from Taiwu, even as distractions continued to pile onto the pyre. He hadn’t spoken of his and Taiwu’s history, least of all to Sarah, but he could sense that her instincts were as sharp as his senses; she stared the pyromancer down with an intensity that seemed to even make him take pause. Shimazu knew both on sight and from experience that mixing the pair would ignite a fire that he’d never be able to extinguish. He lowered his hands, hoping that could at least begin to deescalate things. He opened his mouth to intervene, but the new kid spoke up first. 

Taiwu, breaking away from his resumed staredown of Sarah, turned a one-eighty and looked at Kenzo in with a sour expression. [color=6ecff6]“Word of advice, Kid,”[/color] he said condescendingly. [color=6ecff6]“Jumping someone tends to work best when you don’t announce that you’re doing it.”[/color] He readied his stance to take the fight to Kenzo. As he did, the door to the shop flew open. 

Rushing in came a woman, kind of scrawny, with shoulder length blonde hair. As the woman entered and rushed to Madelyne, Shimazu was at first annoyed; clearly someone hadn’t gotten the word that the shop was closed for the time being. Then followed his thought that he should have had Hoshi and the others stay at the door to keep people out. Third along his run of thoughts was the feeling that he had seen the woman somewhere before, sometime in his “old” life; he would cross that bridge later if he came to it. As it was, he couldn’t hold onto his own annoyance for long, however, as the woman’s arrival seemed to be the force that eased the mounting confrontations, as even Taiwu and Xiao Feng had their attention drawn towards that corner of the room. 

Feng would be the one to call an end to fighting, calling off Taiwu with a degree of scolding in his tone. 

The pyromancer lowered his own hands, acknowledging his boss’s order. He gave the scene a good look, and recognized that he wouldn’t be settling any scores; not when no one in the room could stay out of other peoples’ business. He took in and released a deep breath, a small bit of smoke issuing out as he exhaled. The heat that pulsed from his arms cooled, and he rolled down his shirt sleeves, returning to his more formal look. He turned to Shimazu, his gaze still hot as fire. [color=6ecff6]“This isn’t over, Old Man,”[/color] he growled. He cocked his head towards Sarah, who still had her eyes sharply focused on him. [color=6ecff6]“That goes for your Mapleview Mutt.”[/color] He wheeled towards Kenzo, [color=6ecff6]“And you, and the witch over there, if you keep sticking your noses in business that doesn’t concern you.”[/color]

[color=orange]“Oi! you heard your boss. Cut the Italian exit and fuck off!”[/color] Sarah had spoken forcefully. A subtle wave of Chi emanated from her, pressing uncomfortably against the Blue Dragon enforcer. Taiwu merely looked over his shoulder, giving Sarah a cold look before he brushed past Kenzo, and exited the shop. 

The Blue Dragon disciples that weren’t too badly bruised from Kenzo’s spree struggled themselves upright, shook off their pain as best they could, and followed Taiwu.

Shimazu would pay them no further attention as they departed, save for a an exchange of looks with Xiao Feng, whom he knew he had displeased, if not dishonored with his refusal to accept protection. But he wouldn’t allow the fallout of that to weigh on him just yet; as far as he was concerned, he had demonstrated that he was far from needing much in the way of protection. All of those that had remained in the restaurant had proven that the community was on his side, should things get hard. He turned towards Maddie, and the woman who had come in so desperate to see her; she [Maddie] was confused by the woman’s presence and tone of familiarity, and backed away. 

[color=yellow]“There would seem to be some confusion,”[/color] he said, speaking to the woman, but also looking to Miss Crane to confirm his take. But as he did so, something registered with his higher senses. A strange, belligerent energy coming from the side of the room where Maddie had been during the fighting. The aura was faint, yet visible; the entity blurred in form and nature, but noticeably aggressive. It was something the likes of which he never experienced. Trying to be coy, he kept himself invested in Maddie and the familiar stranger[color=yellow]“Perhaps you should have a word with each other.”[/color] He pointed to one of the tables left standing closer to the exit. [color=yellow]“I need to fetch a broom to start cleaning up this mess,”[/color] he added, making his way towards the kitchen. As he did, he locked gazes with Sarah, and shifted his eyes towards where he had sensed the presence. 

Sarah, taking her Sensei’s hint, inconspicuously eyed the spot where Maddie had been standing, and after meeting Shimazu’s eyes again, nodded. When Shimazu left the room, Sarah held back against the counter. [color=orange]“Don’t mind me,[/color] she spoke, directing it mostly toward the woman. [color=orange]“Maddie is a good friend; wouldn’t want anyone pulling any moves on her while she’s alone.”[/color] She relaxed just a little as her back propped against the counter. But she still seemed to radiate an almost imperceptible pulse of energy that flowed ambiently out from herself, as she took quick, nonchalant side-eyed checks of the space Shimazu had indicated.[/indent]

[center][h2][b]Ready to Roll[/b][/h2]
[i]Katherine Tran & Horace Wolfe, Veridian Tech Atrium[/i]
Interacting with Diana Smith[/center]

[indent]“The power just kinda started one day back in high school. During an exam. It actually started with me being able to hear everyone else’s thoughts; I think you were there? I excused myself, said I had a migraine.” She gave a weak smile. “I had to do a [b]lot[/b] of training to keep myself from hearing things I didn’t want to… and to keep from sharing my thoughts when I didn’t want to. Needless to say it made dating a bit difficult for a while.” She laughed lightly and turned to face the elevator door as they reached the atrium level. “I’ll put in a formal application, of course. I don’t want you to look like you’re playing any favorites, even if you are just a little bit.” 

The elevator bell tolled, and the doors opened. KT and Diana were immediately met by Horace Wolfe as they exited. “Miss Smith,” Wolfe greeted. He shifted his head towards KT, raising an eyebrow. “You’re a new face,” he said, scanning the young woman. “You are?”

“Katherine Tran,” KT extended her hand to shake the man’s. “But most people call me KT. I’m Diana’s friend.” 

Horace returned KT’s gesture. “Horace Wolfe, head of security. I have some important business to tend to with Miss Smith.” He looked to Diana, whose expression read that she knew what he would say next, and that she'd prefer that he not. “And I’ll be so bold as to presume you have her blessing to join us. Unorthodox as it may be, I won’t argue. Our car is waiting for us down in the executive garage, whenever you’re both ready.”[/indent]