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Central Park is a pretty nice place most of the time, although, most people give the unlit portions of the park a wide berth during non-daylight hours. Some people, however, don't seem to take such precautions. One such person is Zed- who stands quietly under a sputtering lamp- the light flashing and winking on and off. Only the orange-red ember at the end of Zed's cigarette is constant where he stands. Smoking away in the deepening dark of the evening.
*
Takumi has his own reasons for being in the less-patrolled areas of the park. His arrival is announced by the sound of motorcycle, ablbiet a well-tuned one, which makes the roar a it more tolerable. He pulls the bike off to the side of one of the cross-roads that run through the park, takes a moment to get a bundle out of the saddle bag, then hops over the barrier and into the park proper. The young Asian man looks around him, but with the flickering light, fails to initially notice Zed.
*
Zed's eyebrows furrow together as he first hears Takumi's motorcycle, before seeing the young man as he appears in the area of the park he's standing in. He slowly takes another pull on his cigarette- just watching for now. Not making any sudden movements. Takumi wasn't the sort he was waiting for- he didn't fit the profile. The method of approach was all wrong- and he was carrying something in. Still, Zed watches, quiet and curious of what exactly the Asian man was up to.
*
Moving through the almost-empty aprk, Takumi is unaware he has garnered attention. He doesn't look around, he has a vry particular spot as a destination. Wonderland. A whimsical bit of statuary has the Mad Hatter's Tea Party on a mushroom table at larger-than-life size. Coming to the statue, Takumi finally looks around… but fails to notice Zed in the statues. He places his bundle on the lower mushroom of the statue, and opens it. Most of it seems to be a mass of strips of cloth, but he finds a small incense burnerand the incense stick to go with it, which he promptly lights. He then takes a moment to fold his hands and murmur something in Japanese. Then he looks up at the statue… and speaks, this tim ein English. "Good evening, Alice! I was hoping you might help me with something. I had some questions about something you mgiht have seen?"
Much more surprising is when the statue smiles, curtsies, and answers him, "I would be happy to help you, kind sir."
*
Zed follows not so far behind Takumi, just far enough to be in the dark when its appropriate. He takes a step to the side once Takumi's destination becomes more clear- quietly ducking out of sight to get a better sense of just what this young Japanese-American is up to. East-Asian prayer gear is something Zed recognizes, his eyes narrowing a touch. It was a little unusual to bring such before a statue of an English story-book character. As the statue begins to speak, Zed's eyes open a touch wider. He's seen a lot of weird things- but bringing a statue to apparent life was still pretty weird. He leans forward quietly, watching and listening.
*
Hopping lightly up onto the lower mushroom, so that he can look over the "table" instead of up at it, Taumi gives a nod and says "Thank you". Despite her epic proportions, "Alice" still has the voice of a young English girl. Takumi speaks out for the benefit of the statues, "A young boy went missing here today. Japanese, so he would look something like me…" Takumi shakes his head, "His mother looked for him, and called, but could not find him. Did you see anything."
Alice coffers his mouth in shock, "Oh how terrible!" Then a somewhat squeakier voice pipes in, as the doormouse sits up, "Your mssing child I did see, I recall when he climbed up on me. He played here on this very day, until a man took him away…" Alice speaks again, "Oh! Yes, I remember him. Such a tiny boy…" Then again, compared to her, all children are tiny.
*
Things continued to get interesting and Zed continues to watch from his hiding place, in quiet. Kid gone missing, someone searching for him using talking statues. Seems legit enough. Dark eyed, he cocks his head to the side- looking to the ritual materials for a moment, before his gaze goes back to Takumi. He's let his cigarette fall way and be snuffed out- better he stay low for now. "What you make of this, Tea?" he asks his constant companion- his voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah.." he says after a moment, "Most def ritual magic of some kind."
*
Takumi winces when the Doormouse speaks. He was hoping to deal only with Alice, rather than the insanity of her companions. Still, it is good fortunate that, of the hundreds of children that have come through here recently, the statues seem to recall the subject of his inquiry. To his silent oserver, meanwhile, some surprising information may come. Notably the the ritual itself has very little magic to it, and seems to be more of a focus. The power seems to be in the man's voice.
Takumi speaks, "Tell me about the man who took the boy away, if you can?" Alice speaks up, "I remember he looked a proper Englsihamn… he wore a fine suit, and he had hair the color of sand." A brash voice kicks into the conversat6ion, as things spiral fiurther from Takumi's control. The March Haer speaks up, "I remember your boy! He knew the story! He wished me a very merry Unbirthday! Wonderful Child. Called out to his uncle when he came up, then jumped down to run to him"
Takumi frowns. A white man? But one the child knew, and called uncle? That narrows his search considerably.
*
Zed's frown deepens. The lines on his face deeper still as the veteran turned soulless hunter kneels nearby. This was an upsetting bit of information. Children in trouble- some white uncle? Probably a family friend. "I see." he whispers, "Interesting, Tea. Interesting." he offers his constant companion in those quiet tones as he watches Takumi's interrogation of formerly inanimate objects. Very curious what more the young man might ask of statues. Very interested in the statues themselves- how aware they seemed.
*
A final voice pipes in, sounding much like the comical character voiced by Ed Wynn in the Disney movie. "Come come lad, this is is much too serious. You syould celebrate with us! Come have some tea!." This is exactly what Takumi feared, in dealing with this particular bit of statuary. All too easy for the characters to get lost in themselves. He bows, "Thank you, but I must decline."
The March Hare speaks then, "The Hatter's Right! You simply -must- join us for tea. He reaches towards Takumi, who hops backwards, down off the mushroom he was standing on before he answers, "Truly, I could not impose… TI see there is no place for another guest at your table. I think it best if leave… but I offer my thanks for your help."
*
That seems to be the cue. Zed takes a step back, and returns to deeper shadows as he looks back towards the path he'd been guarding before. A few young people had gathered not far from the spot Zed had stood in the sputtering life. They're laughing to one another- talking in hushed tones. He'd have to look into a missing child another time- for now, he had business to attend to. Some punk kids needed to learn that one lesson about bad men in the park- and how it wasn't them.
*
Takumi starts bundling up his things, though he leaves the incense stick on the small burner… an offering to the spirits who were helpful, if not entirely sane. He starts heading back towards his bike, when one of the kids who have already gotten Zed's attention approaches Takumi's bike. Nothing seems too odd about this… until the boy starts to try and get astride the bike. Then, suddenly, its engine revs, the headlight flashes on, and it bucks upward, front wheel spinning in the air, for all the world like a horse pawing at the air as it rears.
The sound of his bike makes Takumi's head snap up, and he breaks into a run towards it, even as the very spooked thugs start to scatter.
*