Meeting with the Cathayans (SPOILER)

Yang Feng arrived to the Forrest Hills 70th rd walking down Narita's Japanese Cousine. People in the street seemed oblivious of his presence, unaware of the vampire's presence. He came inside the restaurant and went to sit in a corner to wait for service.


A woman came to him perfectly attired moving slowly and with a merry attitude. She bows and welcomes the guest with a smile. The Frog looked at her with his ugly face and smiled narrowing his big round eyes.


He said in japanese.
"I'm looking for The Mandarin"

The woman's eyes went wide and bowed as she left the man alone.

The restaurant wasn't alone, many humans enjoyed their dinners in one of the finest japanese restaurants in New York City, still not as famous as those in Little Tokio, down in Manhattan. The noises and smells of the humans around The Frog were entertaining for him, amused like humans would going to a zoo.

A few minutes later a man wearing a traditional black kimono over a white one, with a wide belt over his hips. His hair was done in the samurai style with the traditional chonmage at the top. Asian, specifically japanese from chonmage to tabi.

He went straight to The Frog, unarmed with a polite smile in his face and bowed to 15º to salute the kindred. Yang Feng stood up and leaved his dagger and pistol over the table, then cover them with the cloth handkerchief and follow the jap to a more private room, four walls made of rice paper with two small couches in the floor and a low black wooden table in the center. Minimalistic but indeed beautiful in its way.

Nakato example (room):

Before entering the room Yang Feng emulated his host by removing his shoes at the door and left them at the door. Then the two vampires sat at opposite sides of the table.

The host was the first to talk, welcoming his guest saying.
"Welcome Yang Feng, kindred of clan assamite. I'm Jina Yamato Akihiro from House Bishamon and its my honour to be host in tonights meeting."

The Frog bowed placing both hands together in front of him and lowering his head and said.
"The honour is mine Jina Yamato. I'm an emissary from the Prince of New York City, Michael Bright. I come with a message for the Mandarin."

The Jina clapped twice and the same female waitress came with a slate carrying two sake cups and a ceramic jar wrapped in a red piece of cloth. With absolute elegance the woman poured vitae and bowed before going out of the room.

The Kuei Jin was sitting straight, relaxed and had a kind, polite smile in his face. He said taking the cup in his right hand holding his wrist with his left hand.
"Kanpai!" and drank in one sip, The frog emulated every movement and drank with him.

Then the Jina said.
"Dear guest we are in your homeland and I understand that our customs may be strange but this is our house. The Mandarin will only accept messages that his Jina, only if that Jina accepts the visitor's request."

Yang Feng had face before the Kuei Jin, enough to have predicted that answer, even before he entered the place but he meant to commit the Jina to deliver the message after the meeting was over, in NYC style. The Assamite noded in acceptance of the rules and said in perfect japanese.
"I respectfully accept the house of the Mandarin's house dear Jina Yamato. I beg your attention for the following message.

The Clan Nosferatu is trapped under the City and Prince Bright is planning to bore a hole in Corona Park to get save them from the spider shape shifters and their fleshcrafter enemies. The Camarilla will proceed and Prince Bright would like with the Cathayan's acknowledge of his authority on the subject and to coordinate any involvement of the Mandarin's kindreds in this conflict."

The Jina bowed shortly and said.
"I'll take this message to the Mandarin. Thank you very much."

Yang bowed as well and said.
"My Prince Michael Bright offers his Hospitality to the Mandarin at his home at Trump Tower, I'll be your link whenever he chooses to accept it. The operation will be done tonight at Midnight."

The Frog stood up and so did the Jina. Before they parted ways The Frog bowed delivering a business card with both thumbs on top of it.

Then the meeting was over.

Yamato Akihiro went outside with the Gaijin and then back in after the Assamite had left the building. He went straight to the restaurant's basement and from there he touched a wooden bawa connected to the Lay Lines crossing under New York City, the safest way to travel from one location to another without being seen.

The Jina arrived in the split of a second to his destination, a small house at Bellerose surrounded with beautiful gardens with a japanese style. The exact point was in the shrine at the back yard from which he walked inside the house following the standard protocols, such as removing his tabi at the door.

Each servant and lower member of the Court bowed before the Jina as Yamato was walking down the corridors to the Mandarin's office. He knocked and waited kneeled at the other side of the rice paper door until he was invited in. There he found the Mandarin, a very old looking woman with the skin so pale and worn by the years that it seemed like white papire. She was wearing a black kimono with many white flowers prints over it in groups of four flowers. She was not alone, with her was an mature man wearing also a hood sweater with the zipper open and the cowl off, his hair was dirty as well and the ragged jeans and stained I love NYC T-shirt.

The Jina went in and bowed just after he closed the door, placing his forehead gently over the tip of his fingers. Then back up he said.
"Mandarin Katsumoto I've news from the kindreds of New York."

The woman listened to the Jina's briefing very patiently. When he finished she took her long and slime pipe and prepared some tobacco on it to smoke the rest of the meeting. She said.
"Akihiro, we must assist the vampires in their intent to stop the kumo in the pretentions. If they awake the monstruosity underneath the city, it will spread despair and corruption around the world, we must do everything in our power to stop them."

For Yamato this was a surprise to see a Bone Flower like the Mandarin speaking of taking action in such a bold way was not common at all. He could only imagine what was in stake for such expressions. Per haps this had to do with the strange man that was quiet, absent minded from the conversation.

Yamato replied with the softest tone of voice.
"Mandarin Katsumoto, the Gaijin are planning a full scale attack on that monstruosity. What difference could we make in such battle?"

Sakure Katsumoto smiled and said.
"Even the lightest feather can turn the scale in your favor..."

she made a pause and continued.
"Forgive my rudeness Akihiro, this is an old friend of mine Setsu. He came to me troubled by questions that you already answred to its full extent.

Now it is clear that we must act and with Setsu in our side we will turn the scale against the monstrous attrocity underneath. Get prepared, call the rest of the Wu, the time is short."