The Harbinger of Ferocity

Local, Organic, Freerange Superheroes

Douglas Song

Hallow Grounds Coffee

The rudeness of the man to interrupt Song's business was perhaps almost expected at this point; these people were in such a hurry with their lives they hadn't the wherewithal to recognize he would having willingly ordered more then and at that moment. One would not ask such a question, let alone receive such an answer, and attempt to continue the exchange if they did not intend to go down that very route. Song laughed instead, not one to belittle or berate the barista manning the counter. Smiling as he did, he hefted the box on to his shoulder and wrapped an arm around it with familiar ease.

"Next time then I will make my order."

Song looked Orren over once more before turning to depart, allowing the implications to settle, and avoiding the woman who had been called up to the counter from behind him. Without paying her much mind, he then vanished as strangely as he had come, toting now only the small wooden crate with him out the door. While it was still overcast, a chill on the air, the sun starting to bring ever more light and warmth so slowly by the minute, Song was pleased to have worn his long coat this day. Not just that it was one of the few things to keep the unpleasant wet chill in the air from him, but that short of his box, he would blend in among any other young businessman or professional lingering about the gourmet coffee shops - of course so long as he kept it on over his sweatshirt.

It was always a matter to remain of little interest to as many as possible, but some days were just easier than others. After all, how else would he look into the strange events of the masked men? Surely they would rerun and discuss the events, launch an investigation by the police, and be the talk of the town, but Song, perhaps of the entire world, was the only one who had met them just after the act. It left the business up to him as it were then...

@Little Italy@Metronome

Local, Organic, Freerange Superheroes

Douglas Song

Hallow Grounds Coffee

Song's amber eyes searched the man for a moment, running through everything he had said and what a bizarre illustration it all created in mind. Yes, yes this did seem to match all of which Song knew, a compromised television station, two men in masks, some sort of seemingly disturbing message. Dogs, however, did not make things any more clear - the cages did. What did the cages mean? That too must have been some sort of insight that for the moment was meaningless or lost, a murky undertone amidst the clarity of the visionary waters. He lingered not on this for too long, reaching into his pocket to withdraw a wallet.

"That is bad news for sure."

As planned, Song hadn't more than forty dollars, and utterly lacked any electronic means of payment; not a single card lined the old, decrepit leather thing. Thumbing through it, he came to take out a badly wrinkled twenty, one that had gone all too long through the hands of many men, certainly far more than those of the night before. Handing it over, the buyer of the tea carried on in his conversation.

"How often is this tea ordered?" Song inquired, tapping the box with the fingers resting atop it.

@Little Italy@Metronome

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

There is greater reason to believe Kim Jong Un needs to save face than continue to flail against a hardline stance. No less, this is likely in part well born of the consequence that might be the direct tightening the noose around his nuclear proliferation. There is rumor the talks have already actually happened, the agendas already set, objectives finished, but they are going through the motions, see the Olympics, direct talks in the South, and that out of the blue meetings between two heads of state on short notice are unusual, let alone the detonation-in-place that happened at a research site might not have been total accident. Some go so far as a myth about the Forbidden City being a meeting between the states.

Personally I am not buying any of that as truth, but I am certainly going to agree that culturally and on a global political scale, the North Koreans, Kim Jong Un in particular, have no other good options. The difficulty does not arise in some plan that will not effectively do anything or escalate, but keeping the momentum going; if you pull the punch at the end, say after this administration, you lose. In order to legitimize and cement itself North Korea needs to play by newer rules, which it seems to be testing out. As we know it, their regime will not survive if they go down that route without developing cracks and chinks in its armor and perhaps ultimately collapsing. This is the long game, one we have played before with the Soviet Union on a far more grand scale.

The real issue lies in that appeasement has never worked and never will work. This is only a wasted exercise if the defensive posture is ended and the United States backs down, which would be absolutely catastrophic but not out of the realm of possibility for future administrations; the North Koreans will gladly walk right over the United States and without having to fire a single shot.

Local, Organic, Freerange Superheroes

Douglas Song

Hallow Grounds Coffee

There was little Song had to truly say, but one thing he noted was the channel on the television, especially as the man at the counter stared off into it at a loss. There was no coincidence in these things, that much the outsider knew to be truth, but he was not content to confirm this alone and gave a soft nod to the man. "Orren" was his name, if his work dress was anything to be believed, but Song played ignorant of this as well when he heard the man speak up - freed of his trance by a slight start and jump from surprise.

"Oh. Uh, sorry. Can I help you?" He was asked, to which he nodded again, remaining reserved and humble though hosting legitimate concern, albeit more played out and exaggerated over his otherwise persistent tranquility.

"Yes, what happened?" Song inquired, lifting a hand enough to point to the television, "Why is everyone so on edge? Bad news?"

From there he set a small wooden box atop the counter, one of still somewhat raw finish and containing, like a chest, the boxes of tea he intended to purchase. It would serve as his tea chest as well, no matter how crude the unsanded wood was. No bigger than a shoe box, Song kept his other hand upon it while he looked from the television to Orren, then back again. The reflection of the screen, just as it had before, revealed the young woman behind him, the one that entered not long after. She too had been confused as he was, meaning she hadn't an idea either of what took place.

Song did, quite well at that, beginning to piece the details together more and hoping the sleepless man he conversed with would provide ever more on it.

@Little Italy@Metronome

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

I have strong doubts that the current administration will make any sort of deals or compromises that are not, at least in majority and large part, asking of the North Korean regime before anything is done in turn for them. No less, I certainly am not buying into a "chaotic White House" as an argument. They have been very consistent on their policy and stance with North Korea, no mixed messages, no beating around the bush.

If Kim Jong Un did anything to create a credible threat they would reduce the north half of the peninsula to cinder with surgical strikes and probably low-yield weapons. The "Fire and Fury" we kept hearing about.

I am more confident that the regime is attempting to play this for the long term. Snubbing the President of the United States does nothing but hurt them at this point, even on the global stage. Actually speaking to him, in person, would do a lot more to legitimize North Korea and their stance. Granted Donald Trump will get plenty of kudos, but suddenly a number of people, likely the same fawning over them at the Olympics, are going to sympathize more and ease back.

If they are smart, they play nice with the current administration, then do whatever they want after, probably when we end up right back on the track of threatening them with political posturing and doing nothing.

D&D 5e -- The Lost Children

I will attempt to do something as soon as I can, @rush99999. That first requires disabling or killing the bandit in question, then stopping another caught in a sea of writhing, ornery plants.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

I do not think anyone, including the South Koreans who held talks with the North Koreans first, expected for a moment any discussion of denuclearization to come up. Supposedly the North Koreans were the ones to bring it to the table, @catchamber. Regardless if they have even the slightest of intentions to do so, they are not the ones winning the points here and they will not be unless they go down that route. I doubt it is little more than a motion to curry some favor and have the hardline stance provided by the current administration back down, but they had no real winning options at the moment; the more missiles they fire or weapons they test, the more the United States and South Korea ready themselves and the larger penalties from world abroad come to play, the less they proliferate their arsenal the weaker they look. The difference being North Korea really has nothing but threats to back up their activity and appeasement, like with past administrations, is not going to happen.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

Good to know we are all speaking to things that matter here, but for the naysayers that never said it would happen and broadcast doom and gloom about the North Korean situation, there is this. I am sure by now the majority you have heard Kim Jong Un intends to meet the President of the United States personally, but at this point, even if North Korea backs out or bows out to save face among their own people, the credit goes to the White House and the man in charge. But no, sure, lets have a fit of hysteria about video games like that time President Trump spoke about banning bump stocks or taking weapons without due process, just like these lovely talking heads who are chalking it up to nothing but posturing and distraction.

As well, in case you were worried there was no way to spin this negatively no matter what happens, the new talking point seems to be that the President will "ruin" the meeting because he is an "idiot". So we have that to fall back on, but as a whole the point still stands. Even if the North Koreans never show up to the game, the man still played them enough to have them say it, anything beyond that and up to and including possible denuclearization of their regime is a victory.

D&D 5e -- The Lost Children

The "bonking" with an axe was what removed advantage, it felt offended you would demean it so and twisted in your grasp to fail in delivering the blow you sought. How I imagined those events playing out at least, but that might just be my flight of fancy at play. Poor small man cannot catch a break against all of the bandits.

What Are You Listening To?

Ancestral Legacy

For reasons obvious to any and all, should one of course know the slightest of my persona.