Marpa Tulku

[golden_master]

Only Khan could orchestrate such a complete disappearance of his forces. Crime in the city returned to normal, the presence of Mongol warriors and naljorpas faded into the shadows of Chinatown, and all seemed quiet. There had been no more probing or plotting from Khan, so it seemed.

Comments

[evillurks]

To the older Shadow, Khan's silence is deeply ominous. In his mind and in his files he's gone over his own encounters with Khan, including the final battle, and it does not leave him feeling optimistic. The physical portion of the fight was not easy, and every day he spends running back and forth between worlds he feels less capable of undertaking such a fight again. His mind is under considerable strain with the constant shielding of Myra and Ming, often across dimensions. In addition he must keep his own mental presence subtle to prevent Khan from finding him. His powers are on a much grander scale than they were at this time in his own world, but that also makes his own psychic signature difficult to keep under wraps.
Events are not unfolding quite as he remembers them, and the little differences are worrying. He was not completely without aid, when this conflict came in his past, however.

The mental voice that reaches out to him is not wholly unexpected. It's been a very long time since anyone called him by that name, however

[sable_cloak]

Marpa Tulku.

The younger man almost cringed at the development. From their own encounters, he knew that his mind would likely read different from that of the Old Tiger, and that caused a moment of hesitation. If Khan didn't learn the game, the tulku would.

What made matters worse, is he knew that Marpa had likely made himself known through a telepathic connection. If they switched places, while Marpa wouldn't invade his mind as Khan would, he couldn't be certain he wouldn't betray the situation to the tulku. His help was sorely needed as well.

There was a hissed breath as he punched a reluctant message back. Too much was happening that felt like he was losing control of the situation. He couldn't deny the tulku, the man would make his own efforts if he wasn't included, but that was a dangerous proposition.

Still...

We'll need him.

[golden_master]

The guarded reply caused Marpa to withdraw slightly. Had the greatest fears of the priests been realized? The Shadow had only been to protective of himself to his teachers when being tested. He had come to them an open book, there should be no reason for him to hide.

Like Khan, Marpa also had the ability to project his mind to a location and see what was there. The presence, however protected, made it difficult, but he felt darkness, close walls.

A simply inquisitive sensation filled the area, it was the equivalent of a polite knock that could be ignored, or welcomed.

[evillurks]

Do I go to him or not?

His impatience just may carry over the text. The subtle, inquisitive presence is loud and clear to his senses. Hunched in the alley over a dimly glowing screen, he feels a surge of restlessness. The priests of his world are gone, dead or hidden away from the world in an effort to preserve what invasion and continued political pressure seeks to obliterate. In his own world he has grown used to the sense of isolation, resigned to the knowledge that he will never have such teachers to turn to again.

The sudden opportunity has opened a sense of yearning long ago locked away. The fruitless search for Khan's activities has left him every day feeling old and tired, worn down by a worry of failure. Marpa Tulku and the aid he can bring is the breath of days he thought long past.

[sable_cloak]

On his end, there is a hissed breath of frustration from The Shadow. The sooner the unpleasantness of the situation was over with, the better.

Go. Notify me of your meeting, I will meet you there.

There are a few details the younger Shadow will have to work out before he can arrive via PINpoint.

((Skipping Marpa this round.))

[evillurks]

Although nothing in the text gives him away, the Old Tiger can imagine this is a supremely uncomfortable situation for his alternate. On the other hand any sympathy he may feel for the younger man is somewhat drowned out by his own mixed feelings over meeting the Marpa Tulku again.

There is something less wary of his telepathy this time, and it also bears an unexpected air of confident skill as it is carefully shielded and concealed from any possibility of Khan's catching on.
I can come to you. We have much to discuss.

[golden_master]

((No Sable post for a couple rounds to give these two some time to chat.))

While it does not change his meditative state, the tulku can't help a very human reaction as he opens his eyes, focusing on the presence he is receiving. Even masters can at times be skeptical of some of their pupils' potential, but this skill was more indicative of more years than The Shadow had been provided so far in life to hone his mind.

Very well. He sends an image of the place he is in, and the address for good measure. Shall I have tea prepared?

[evillurks]

Thank you. I'm not far.That is meant to be an affirmative on the tea, but his response is a mildly distracted one. Although his mental shielding shuts out the Tulku from the emotions behind the words, the Old Tiger is suffering a mix of excitement and trepidation. It has been so long since he has met with a master, but he is also worried over what the man will think, seeing a pupil aged over double the years this world has given him

[golden_master]

Tam Sook and his followers have been given warning of the arrival, and a building that is, to The Shadow's eyes, riddled with traps, can note that they have been disabled. There is one obvious way into the building before him, a small laundry shop, and inside, a faint candle beckons him toward a back room.

Inside sits the Tulku. It is not the room he was previously in, but he has decided to meet The Shadow, and lead him to his private chamber.

The man is likely in his 60s at this point, but he still manages to look about half as the candle in his hand flickers dimly, and he motions for The Shadow to follow him.

"It has been some time..." His low voice hardly carries, even in the silence as he approaches the door to his room. In this part of the hall, the scent of familiar incense from the mountains is on the air.

There has been no probing or mental inspection from the man, as of yet.

[evillurks]

The disabling of the traps actually gives him pause, and his first few steps inside are clearly those of a man waiting for the jaws to close on him. While he has been all over Chinatown in recent days, he has not been in much contact with the denizens. Remembering every face that was once friendly and separating it from those that were not is too much to ask of even his memory over fifty years' difference. It's easier to simply operate alone, and take in reports through his alternate.

He approaches the light warily, but his tension seems to slip away the moment he hears the familiar murmur. There is no verbal reply, but he follows without reservation, almost lightheaded from the flood of memory that scent brings. The intensity of his own reaction surprises him, so that he does not dare to speak but focuses instead on keeping his mind composed.

[golden_master]

He opens the door to a sparsely furnished room, a single stick of incense sending up the last wisps of smoke in a corner. In the center sit two cushions and a small tray with tea-things set upon it. For a holy man, it's luxurious, as he brings the candle in, and sets it within a lamp. The paper diffuses the small flame, casting soft light around the room.

"Join me." He sits upon a cushion and fills the two cups of tea. Politely, he waits for The Shadow to join him, watching the black form with gentle eyes. In the dim lighting there is little for him to see besides blackness.

[evillurks]

A sharp gaze scans the room out of habit from beneath the lowered brim of his hat. His mental powers move slowly and subtly, ensuring they have their privacy here in every respect. It is a matter of seconds, then he drifts forward to where the Tulku is pouring the tea. The way he settles onto the cushion hints at stiff joints, from fatigue or battle, although he falls very naturally into a lotus pose. Gloved hands settle lightly on his knees, while he studies the edge of the cushion to keep his gaze lowered. The difference in their heights makes keeping his face concealed all the more difficult.

"The situation is complicated. Forgive me, please, but I'm not sure how to begin..." His tone is humbly respectful, and more open than his telepathy has been.

[golden_master]

"The building is ours alone. I am making certain of it." The tulku smiles briefly from behind his teacup, noting the careful scan of the area.

"You could start by looking me in the eye." It's gentle, and yet it still carries the weight of a teacher talking to their student. "I came because I was not certain you would be able to match Khan's power..."

His mind reaches out, concerned as he tries to get a sense of the feelings The Shadow is experiencing. He is trying to hide something from the tulku.

[evillurks]

There is a flash of embarrassment that does not cross The Shadow's face, but it will likely be noticeably all the same with the Tulku's light probing. It may also be noted that his abilities are divided up, maintaining several steady sheilds beyond the one that keeps his own presence a subtle one should Khan go hunting for him.

"I am not the man you know. Not quite." The quiet sigh makes a faint rattle in his chest, and he lifts his head to gaze into the Tulku's eyes. There is a disguise, of course, as there always is, but the disguise he wears is perhaps more true than the scarred visage beneath. His gaze is calm and lacks the piercing aspect most who face him are used to, but it still glimmers with the intensity of the restless mind that lies behind those eyes.
His is the face of an old man, grim and scarred and battered by his life. He is far from broken, but he is undeniably worn down, and drained from his recent work. The Shadow waits, for judgment or questioning, with the air of a man who has learned patience well.

[golden_master]

The distractions are noted, and he is curious as to why The Shadow should be spreading himself so thin, concerning the opponent he is up against.

His eyes narrow when he sees the old man before him, however, and he sips at the tea without taking his eyes off of him.

"Where is the man I know?" It's very nearly a demand.

[evillurks]

"On his way. I informed him of your contact. I'm here to aid him."

The reaction is less welcoming than he hoped for, but any disappointment he feels is very carefully stifled away. He removes his gloves, showing slightly gnarled hands and the girasol ring loose on an aged finger. Made very slightly uncertain by what seems a form of disapproval, he does not reach for the other cup of tea. He does not know how long it will take his alternate to arrive, but he's passed along the address. This seat, and the tea, were intended for the younger man, and now he feels very much an intruder. "I apologize for the temporary... deception," That word comes hard, but it's an honest attempt at seeing the Tulku's perspective, something he has always struggled with. "I wanted to explain in person. The Shadow you know has been working to avert a coming world war, and has reluctantly allowed me to work here in dealing with Shiwan Khan."