[Hong Kong Sanctum] Mooncakes and Fireworks (Open)

- ”I understand, truly. I promise you that I’m in control, and I’m deeply aware of the balance I maintain in my body. If I hadn’t established control over the others, I wouldn’t be here at the Sanctum.” - Serious in demeanor, earnest in tone, her warning appeared to be taken with the gravity the subject demanded, giving Jun some much needed comfort. Only then did she realize just how tense her body had gotten, shoulders, chest, and face visibly relaxing as she nodded in acceptance to Bai’s response. She knew he’d almost certainly be dead if he wasn’t in control now, she just needed to hear that he understood just how important it was to keep that control and was taking the needed measures to protect those around him.

- ”I can imagine it must be difficult. Spirits are never easy; it can be challenging to know their true nature. But, those that become their hosts, it’s not your fault when things go wrong; there is danger in these things, and at the end of the day, it’s their choice to risk losing themselves. I would never risk losing myself like that, my body is my own, and I refuse to share it, whatever the reward. I’ve been fighting spirits before, and I might not have tried to lift a ship, but that doesn’t mean I could not if I wanted. I don't habitually go around lifting random things to find out if I can. But the only way to grow stronger is to push my limit. If I do something stupid, I can only blame myself for it.” -

Jun turned to listen as Sun Nao spoke, a trace of a somber smile forming upon her lips. She appreciated his efforts to try and take some of the weight she held from her shoulders, and he was not wrong, but it was only half of the issue. It was not her fault when something goes wrong, when others put themselves in danger, and they held the blame for the consequences of their own actions. But, those around them suffer the aftermath just the same, sometimes worse, and they deserve to be protected from it as much as possible. - ”Doctor Strange keeps scolding me for slamming the doors too hard at the Sanctum. Oh, I know what you need!” -

- ”I know I’ve done something pretty crazy, and like Sun Nao said, I only have myself to blame. Now all I can do is live with the consequences, and use these powers as best I can.” Jun was quite curious as to what Sun Nao had in mind, but it would have been rude not to look back to Bai as he spoke. - ”My parents always wanted me to be a great sorcerer, so when I realized what I was capable of with the rituals and spells I discovered, I leapt at the opportunity.” - A slight nod of acknowledgement, it was a common theme. How many times has youthful impetuousness held consequences far grander than one could imagine? He already made the leap, she just hoped he had the skill and took the time to minimize the harm done to others should he crash.

She noticed Bai’s attention had returned to Nao, and something drew a genuine smile from him. - ”This is a pygmy marmoset; she’s one of the monkeys I care for.” - Jun’s attention would turn back to Sun Nao just in time to be met face to face with a precious little creature, eliciting a soft gasp of delightful surprise. - ”Poachers captured her, and I kicked their asses and freed the monkeys; go on, she’s very friendly.” - ”ああ, あなたは美しい!”~ (Ā, anata wa utsukushī - Ohh, you are beautiful) Jun cooed affectionately, carefully setting her glass aside so that she could offer both hands cupped together to the miniature primate. - ”Aww, that’s really cute.” -

Jun was absolutely radiant as the small creature crawled into her hands, both figuratively with a cheerful smile and literally as her hands began to glow as if they were in midday sunlight. A comforting warmth she knew most creatures loved to bask in. ”Does she have a name?” She’d inquire of Sun Nao with a soft tone, so as to not disturb her new friend, while gently attempting to pet the monkey with her right thumb, holding her up for Bai to get close as well. She was not exactly sure why but most animals seemed to be oddly calm around her, even those that were anti-social or scared easily due to their small size. She could only guess it had something to do with her connection to a Goddess that presides over light and creation, as they were calm even when she wasn’t using her light.

The mention of the Jade Emperor made Bai wonder, like he had done some times before, what the Emperor thought or felt about these spirits bound to one place, let alone one person. Bai hadn't received any messages from the divine so far, but the lack of response from the heavenly realms had not gone unnoticed. Not only was he reminded that he was like a potential time bomb, now he was musing the potential of divine punishment. Bai couldn't help wonder how many other sorcerers grappled with these kinds of consequences daily, or rather, how few.

Bai craned his head in a bit to get a closer look at the monkey now in Jun's hands. "You spend your free time saving monkeys from poachers, so you choose to live as a guardian of nature," he said to Sun Nao respectfully. "And you're a student of the Sorcerer Supreme. It's not only monkeys, many humans would look upon you in awe. You're the first demigod I've met, but you've been wonderfully humble. It does foster a sense of trust."

Sun Nao listened to Bai and Jun. He was leaning slightly against the table with food. He'd never reflected on it being worthy of praise before; he just did it because he felt a kinship with the world's monkeys. They did not judge him or anyone else, at least most of the time. Was he humble? Was that the best word for it? Perhaps? He did not feel like boasting about his powers or achievements.

"I guess the right thing to say would be... thanks." He said with a sheepish smile. "Monkeys are amazing, and it annoys me when humans treat them as pets or something to gawk at when visiting the zoo. I know some places work to spread knowledge and prevent them from dying out, but still... should not have been a problem in the first place." He paused before accidentally getting into a heavy topic of his general dislike for humanity ever since his powers awakened. "I shall have to live up to that trust. I apologize in advance for my potential ability to act on impulses or whatever practical joke I might pull; it's difficult not to act on my father's blood when given a chance."

"So I did," Sun Nao nodded at Jun's words. "Well, I found this place in the New York Sanctum, a room going into a small demi-plane, not too dissimilar to my father's mountain. I tend to monkeys there before reintroducing them to their natural homes, jungles, forests, etc. I've not counted them, but a fair few different kinds of monkeys are living there at the moment. Some go to live on my father's mountain, and he is not so picky; he accepts all monkeys seeking a home there. Yet, in the end, most want to return to where they once lived."

- ”I guess the right thing to say would be... thanks. Monkeys are amazing, and it annoys me when humans treat them as pets or something to gawk at when visiting the zoo. I know some places work to spread knowledge and prevent them from dying out, but still... should not have been a problem in the first place.” - While her attention was mostly on the small marmoset peeling at the weak spots of the banana in her hand, Jun listened to Sun Nao with a sympathetic ear. She didn’t have the awareness of the modern world to really know what he was talking about, but it did seem... detached? Some places far more than others.

- ”I shall have to live up to that trust. I apologize in advance for my potential ability to act on impulses or whatever practical joke I might pull; it’s difficult not to act on my father’s blood when given a chance.” - ”You’re good. I don’t mind a practical joke once in a while either.” - Jun smiled lightly, he was part divine, that difficulty going against his nature applied to him as well. Though, she was curious what kind of pranks a demi-god pulled. What kind of pranks did his father pull for that matter? She enjoyed some of the lighthearted stuff, it was common amongst friends, but she’d heard some people get quite aggressive and degrading with it.

- ”So I did. Well, I found this place in the New York Sanctum, a room going into a small demi-plane, not too dissimilar to my father’s mountain. I tend to monkeys there before reintroducing them to their natural homes, jungles, forests, etc. I’ve not counted them, but a fair few different kinds of monkeys are living there at the moment. Some go to live on my father’s mountain, and he is not so picky; he accepts all monkeys seeking a home there. Yet, in the end, most want to return to where they once lived.” -

Jun listened attentively as Sun Nao answered her, smiling warmly as he mentioned helping reintroduce them to their natural habitats and nodding in thanks with a happy “mm” as he finished. She wondered what species he had there, she’d only seen a few in her journeys and texts can’t do them the same justice as seeing them in person. Were there territorial issues? How big was this extra-dimensional room? What was the environment like? Were there a variety of habitats? She’d love to see it some time, though she doubted she’d get the opportunity.

- ”So your room in the Sanctum Sanctorum is a monkey rehabilitation realm. Is there a hot spring? Does Doctor Strange charge you extra on rent? How much can an apartment in Manhattan go for? Can’t be worse than Hong Kong, can it?” - Manhattan? A different name for the same city? Perhaps a district? Some of these cities were so large they felt like their own nation. It was so easy to get lost, she could only imagine how stressful it’d be for something like the marmoset in her hand. - ”Oh, actually, it can be. Ha.” - She cocked an eyebrow in Bai’s direction, was it that bad? The costs of the modern world were simply baffling to her.

- ”You seem to live a heavenly existence even outside your father’s mountain, Sun Nao. You can be surrounded by monkeys who look at you with awe any time you wish. You live in a storied building almost overflowing with ancient magic and artifacts. That Sanctum alone is enough for me to want to visit New York more often.” - A thought came to her. Bai mentioned the New York Sanctum a lot, but surely this Sanctum had its fair share of relics and a storied past? Perhaps she’d have time to ask about it later, she didn’t wish to interrupt.

- ”So what’s your training like these days? The training you had on your father’s mountain sounded harsh, but free instead of regimented. Do you train a lot in martial arts? A lot of daily spellwork? What kind of lessons does Doctor Strange teach?” - That was something Jun was eager to hear as well. What kind of lessons did the Sorcerer Supreme give a Demigod? To sit in on those sessions... It was a shame Sun Nao couldn’t show them safely. Their magic must be spectacularly powerful. Or was that just his divine powers he was speaking of? Perhaps honing his non-martial powers were the lessons?

Did Sun Nao say that he trained with Wonder Woman? Not just met her, but trains with her? Sun Nao's life sounded blessed indeed to Bai. Hearing him talk about his disagreements with his mother, however, made Sun Nao sound very down to earth. Parental disagreements were certainly relatable.

"No need to apologize. Sorry to hear that you're having disagreements with your mom. It sucks when differing views of your future cause strife."

Bai picked a fried dumpling from the table and popped it into his mouth, thinking about his own family and independence. "However, it sounds like you're already asserting your independence, making your own choices. You're almost an adult anyway. Eventually, your mother is going to have to get used to you making your own way through the world."

"You're still very young, so I'm guessing your mom is probably just feeling overprotective of you, but I bet she'll become more understanding of your decisions about your future as you grow older. I'm sure she just wants you to be safe and secure, even if she can't see right now that you're capable of keeping yourself secure on your own."

He popped another fried dumpling into his mouth, before mixing another drink and gesturing around to the Sanctum and the festivitues with his glass. "How much of this life does your mother see?" he asked curiously. "The divine realms, the superheroes, the magic; all of it? I'm sure she'd be more understanding if she saw the scale you already work at, and the teachers you have."

Sun Nao listened to Bai, and of course, he was right—he was not the first person to tell him that. "I guess," he said, voice slightly hesitant. "I'm not made of glass, and it just feels like I can't do anything right, and we get into these massive fights, and I'm so afraid I might accidentally hurt her..." He sighed deeply.

"Nothing, she knows nothing about... this," he gestured to the tail, "my powers, the divine realm, superhero stuff." There was a pause, and Sun Nao refilled his glass. "Yeah, that's what Wonder Woman said too, that I need to find time to tell her the truth, and she doesn't even know my Nai Nai is a witch, so that's an even bigger secret that is not mine to share. My mother is also a friend of Wonder Woman, which I did not know. My mother is a linguist, and it seems she has been working together with Diana a few times." Sun Nao looked between Jun and Bai, sipping at his drink. "Strange's also said he's going to come with me to talk with my mother, explain everything to her, so I got that to look forward to."

He looked to Jun again, smiling slightly.

"I don't mind," he replied, "I had a blowup right my mother over. I stormed off and ended up flying across the ocean and ending up in New York. I just happened upon his place and was sort of invited by the building. It let me inside, and that's where I met Doc, and one thing led to another, and here I am." He thought over what he had just said and nodded. "So I have my room there now, and I will help Wong with the place; he's the best. He's been teaching me a lot about cooking, and we made dumplings the other day." Sun Nao had grown close to Wong and looked up to him significantly, which was not hard to notice in how he spoke about him.