Twist of fate...

[zhvkai]

avthority​:

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Jinyi said with a huff. She then gently coaxed the butterfly upward to let it hang out on the top of her head. “Wanna come? You can be my plus one. Picture that — you in a designer suit and us arm in arm? Pfft. Now that would really get my parents angry and the investors talking!” She let out a laugh just at the thought of it. At the impossibility of normalcy. But soon the sounds of the crashing waves overtook her laughter. “…You already know what I’m going to ask next, right? But I won’t ask today since it’s a holiday or whatever. You deserve a break,” she then said quietly after a while. 

Gently turning her head to look at Kai so as to not disturb the butterfly on her head, her eyes softened as she gave him a little smile. His aura was one of Jinyi’s favourites, and she secretly hoped that it would never go black in her eyes. It was a soft and wispy powder blue that could blend seamlessly into a clear day’s sky. Jinyi never told him it was one of the reasons she kept inviting him to be a Protector of the Trillions. Something about saying ‘Hey, you emit one of my favourite colours and it’s somehow really comforting, so I want you nearby,’ just didn’t seem to fall into the professional talk they sometimes got into. 

“We’ve known each other for years, but have I ever told you what colour you are?” People didn’t usually ask her about their auras, any other Zhao could tell them that, so she never really brought it into conversation. But on the chance she would lose his colour too, Jinyi at least wanted it to live on in a memory beyond her just her own.

.

“As tempting as it is to upset your parents, those parties really aren’t my thing.” Kai would’ve gone purely to see the look on her parents’ faces when he showed up, but it simply wouldn’t be worth the trouble. As fun as it was, Kai was actually trying not to make a nuisance of himself. He had his own problems to deal with and didn’t need to add more onto it, even if it would be amusing. Kai sighed, “You’d know the answer anyway.”

Kai always seemed to see that smile from Jinyi when she looked at him, but he’d noted that it wasn’t there when she didn’t know he was around. He wondered if it was a special smile for him, or if perhaps she wasn’t as happy as she portrayed herself to be. A question he’d love to ask, but certainly not something he had any right to pry in. It seemed like a genuine smile. That he could make her genuinely happy with his presence was enough.

“You haven’t,” Kai raised an eyebrow, “And if it’s bad, I don’t want to know.” Sometimes ignorance was bliss, Kai knew that much. But, Jinyi was bringing it up, so she probably wanted to tell him. He smirked as he looked back at her, “Go on, then.”

[zhvkai]

avthority​:

There was still time before tonight’s gala. Jinyi was able to get some precious time alone from her family and the Trillions by telling them they all needed to ‘clean the banquet hall spotless like great-grandmother would have wanted it to be’ for the gala to be a success. It was bullshit of course. She hadn’t heard or seen her great-grandmother’s spirit in exactly two years. The last time was Samhain two years ago. She had yelled at Jinyi about… something. After that incident, her visions started going darker and darker until they were the endless abyss they were now. 

Jinyi drew her cardigan closer to her as she sat far away from the bonfire and other people. Her gaze was fixed on the ocean. The cerulean blue mixing with the white foam of the tides dimmed the auras of the sea life enough for her to take off her glasses. From this distance, they looked like sleepily lit lanterns below the waves and didn’t hurt to look at. For a moment, life was like how it was before. That was enough to give her a false sense of hope.

She closed her eyes and tried to look into the past. To see if their great-grandmother really did want the hall to be spotless. At first it was solid black, but then there was movement. Like bubbles struggling to rise from a vat of tar. And there were noises, but static made them indecipherable. It sounded like an old, scratchy vinyl record. Jinyi’s face was scrunched up, her eyebrows furrowed together between her intense concentration and an impending headache. 

Something landed on her nose. 

Jinyi opened her eyes, and her vision was filled with a soft white and two dots. A butterfly had spread its wings while it rested on the bridge on her nose, and the headache that threatened to ruin her free time was now long gone. “Well, hello there,” Jinyi said softly. “Happy Samhain to you, little one! …And to you too, Kai,” she then called out.

.

Kai had been grateful that his coven hadn't decided on anything too elaborate for Samhain. It was better to not have obligations. He spent so much time at the casino with people celebrating their victories or lamenting their failures, he was sure that any Samhain celebrations would just be more of the same. Besides, as much as Kai loved his coven, he liked to be alone. It was nice to have a chance to get away from the casino and any other obligations he had. 

The butterflies were all around him, some hovering in the sky, some nestled in the grass, and others perched happily on him. Oddly enough, they often served as a deterrent. People tended to avoid them. It was exactly why he was worried when a few had decided to wander. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene and get himself banned from the beach. 

He raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. No wonder they’d fluttered away. The butterflies had a soft spot for Jinyi which was a miracle in itself. “Right,” It was odd to feel like Samhain, a time that was meant to be a celebration of the powers they had could also feel like a shackle. He wasn’t sure ‘happy’ was the right word to describe it, “Don’t you have a party to attend? Wouldn’t want your parents finding their golden child with me,” He smirked even as he said it. 

[astoriaroleplay]

MEET ZHŪ KAI

AGE: 37 years old

BIRTHDAY: June 10, 1985

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis man — he/him

OCCUPATION:  Owner of Gambler’s Delight

PLACE OF BIRTH:  Wuyuan, China

NEIGHBORHOOD:  Hearthstone Bay

HAS LIVED IN ASTORIA FOR: 15 years

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

What makes Astoria still appealing to you? Is it related to personal or work relationships?

“Both,” Kai replied simply, though he knew it wasn’t going to be nearly enough information to satisfy the interviewer. He wished it would be enough. Kai certainly wasn’t the kind of person to open up and share details about his life. The very fact that he was stuck in that room, answering the questions was nothing short of an inconvenience and a waste of time. Of course, he wouldn’t say as much. The last thing he wanted was to cause trouble. “My business is here and it’s quite successful. I’d be a fool to leave something that is running so smoothly,” Kai shrugged, “Family is also here, and they need me as much as I need them. I’ll stay in Astoria as long as they do.” Kai had lost what little blood relatives he had when he was young. His coven was his family now and he was fiercely determined to take care of them. As long as they were in Astoria, this was where he belonged. Should they ever decide to move on from this place, Kai would be ready to follow. It didn’t seem like that was going to happen any time soon, though and Kai was grateful for the chance to grow his business and his fortune. Kai sighed and leaned back in his seat. He crossed his legs and offered a practiced smile, “This place started as a sanctuary. That was the initial appeal. It still takes care of me to this day, so there’s no reason to leave.”

What’s something about your personality that you’re proud of? And what would you like to change?

Kai frowned. He didn’t like to talk about himself. This was exactly why he didn’t like the idea of this interview in the first place. Thankfully, there was at least one thing about himself that he could be proud of. “I think… I think you’ll never find a person as loyal as I am. If you’re someone I care about, I will move heaven and earth for you. Whatever you require, I will do everything in my power to make it happen.” Sometimes, it was actually a bad thing. Sometimes Kai tried too hard to make the people he cared about happy. Sometimes he tried so hard that he forgot to actually take care of himself. But, that didn’t mean too much to him. If you were able to make yourself matter to Kai, it meant you were worth it. The hard part was determining what he’d want to change about himself. It was strange. Kai knew there were a lot of things that could be better about himself. He knew that there were a lot of aspects of himself that people didn’t like. However, Kai was happy with the way he was overall. He wasn’t the kind of person to try to change. Unless someone important told him he needed to. Kai smirked, “I’m not perfect. I’m not always the most likable guy. But, I think it’s better to accept who you are, faults and all. Focusing on what you want to change about yourself doesn’t seem healthy.”

Please elaborate on any violent circumstances you may have been involved with in the past.

Kai chuckled, “As a protector, it would be more surprising if I didn’t have any violence in my past.” Truthfully, Kai’s past was rough. He hadn’t experienced the nicest childhood. People would claim he brought them nothing but misfortune, would throw things at him and call him terrible things. It was something he got used to for a long time. As he got older, he would fight back, whether it was verbally or physically. It was just how he had learned to survive before he came to Astoria. Being in this city had been a bit of a learning curve. He had to learn to hold himself back, to not fight every person who frustrated him. His coven had helped him with that, but he remained vigilant, prepared to fight when he was needed. “Other than having to defend my coven, I’ve also had to deal with some unsatisfied customers,” Kai shrugged. There were always going to be times when someone gambled a little too much, lost it all, and took it out on the establishment. As the owner, he had been forced to deal with it on multiple occasions. Kai held his palm up, watching as a small butterfly formed and settled itself in his welcoming hand, “I stopped using my fists when I was a teenager. These days, my friends do the defending,” He nodded to the butterfly gently fluttering its wings in his hand, “And that’s all they do. Defend.”

Your thoughts about supernatural beings.

“Supernatural beings are a part of life,” Kai replied simply. It seemed like a rather silly question given where they were. If you were in that interview room, you were either trying to get into the city, or a long time resident. Both of those things meant you had to have at least some degree of respect for supernatural beings. “I learned that I was a witch when I was young. It’s always been a comfort to me. I’m sure not all of us can be content with the hand life has dealt us, but I can’t complain.” The very thing that made Kai so different from everyone else was the thing that had kept him safe. And, though it had left him feeling isolated from the world, it had also given him a new family to take care of, something that he took very seriously. Kai smiled to himself, “In my line of work, I get to watch people and see what motivates them. It’s fascinating. When you think about it, with all our varied backgrounds, especially in Astoria, there are so many interesting people. Their species simply adds to the appeal.”

FACECLAIM: Harry Shum Jr PLAYED BY: Gabz

[zhvkai]

Location: Myriad Beach Status: Open

It wasn't often that Kai got to spend some time away from the casino. Not that he minded, it was one of his favourite places to be. However, it would be foolish to ignore Samhain and the effect that it had on his magic. Nova Pangaea allowed him the luxury of not having to be there to protect his coven during this time, so Kai instead chose to settle himself comfortably on a patch of grass near the beach. He kept his distance from the bonfires, from the crowds of people celebrating, whether it was a celebration of Samhain or of Halloween.

Kai laid back and closed his eyes, allowing the magic to move through him and humming happily to himself when he felt that familiar feeling that came with his creations. Time slowly passed and he felt it over and over and over again until finally, he opened his eyes again to see the swarm of butterflies fluttering around him, watching as they eventually settled themselves on or around him. "Might be a new record this year," He murmured more to himself than anyone else as he held up a hand for another lone butterfly to settle on. Instead, the butterfly kept moving, along with a few others. Kai frowned, "Where are you going?" He sat up, careful not to crush any of them and watched as they flew towards someone nearby, "You're going to spook people. Again."

[zhvkai]

♣ -- NAME: Zhū Kai ♣ -- BIRTHDAY / AGE / ZODIAC: June 10th / 37 years old / Gemini ♣ -- RESIDENCE: Hearthstone Bay, Astoria ♣ -- BIRTHPLACE: Wuyuan, China ♣ -- GENDER / PRONOUNS: Cis Man, He/Him ♣ -- CAREER: Owner of Gambler’s Delight ♣ -- POSITIVE: Loyal, Intelligent, Confident ♣ -- NEGATIVE: Cynical, Withdrawn, Stubborn

♣ -- Kai focuses on his abstract magic, which comes in the form of creation magic. Specifically, Kai is able to create translucent, white butterflies. He has worked over a long period of time to control and tame his butterflies. It has gotten to the point that he is able to use his butterflies to defend his coven, able to create large swarms of them. While it may seem like a creature unable to do much damage, in the larger quantities, his butterflies can be deadly. However, if Kai likes you, they will simply perch on you. It has been said that the butterflies can either fill you with a feeling of comfort, or dread depending on their master’s opinion of you. Kai loves them and can often be found with a few of them, simply enjoying their company.

♣ -- Kai's mother died when he was very young and his father was rarely around. Because of this, he was often left to fend for himself, living a life of poverty and looking to the streets to find the food he needed to survive. He was treated poorly by the people around him. Kai could only assume it was because of his status and because he had been forced to practically begging to keep himself going. As he got older, it continued and Kai's anger only grew. He was tired of the people around him treating him poorly because he was dealt a bad hand in life. It didn't seem fair. That anger led to many fights, only further ostracising himself.

♣ -- When Kai learned of his magic, it was a comfort. He didn't have anyone who cared for him, but he could make little creatures that did. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Learning of his powers gave him what he needed to keep moving forward, and though it was yet another thing that made people fear and reject him, it was the thing that protected him and gave him purpose. Kai stopped fighting, instead focusing his energy on learning to control his abilities. Eventually however, it became too difficult to stay in his hometown and Kai set his sights for Nova Pangaea.

♣ -- Kai was just as lost when he arrived in Astoria as he had been back home. He had no one and nothing. He was essentially starting from scratch. Angry with the world and unsure of who he could actually trust within it, Kai never thought he would find people who would accept him. But, Nova Pangaea was filled with surprises and eventually, Kai found himself joining the Martyr coven and suddenly his priorities shifted from protecting himself to protecting the family of witches that had taken him in.

♣ -- Kai actually spent a lot of time working once he'd found the coven, determined to be able to support himself in order to support them and after a few years passed, he'd earned enough money to start his business. This was always a dream for Kai. He had lived a life of poverty as a child and he dreamed of never having to fear ending up back in that place. Having his business, he was able to grow his fortune and soon went from barely scraping by to being fairly wealthy, though he rarely spent beyond his needs. His funds were always there in case the people he cared about needed it.

♣ -- Kai is a pretty withdrawn person. He can come across as a little cold and isn't afraid to tell people what he really thinks of them. This is mostly because Kai is a strong believer in honesty. He is however, not the best at airing his feelings. He's always avoided talking about emotions and tends to shut down when people try to make him open up. This is true even with his coven, though they are able to get more out of him than most. Though he avoids his feelings as much as possible, Kai's emotions towards people he cares about tend to be incredibly strong. It is more common for Kai to not care at all, but when he does, he cares and loves fiercely. And he'll never admit it, but he's a hopeless romantic.

♣ -- Kai's favourite thing to do at his casino (when he isn't doing his best to charm patrons into spending their money) is to watch people. He finds it fascinating to see what motivates people, especially after the trials that had motivated him in the past. He strongly believes in running a fair business, genuinely congratulating those who win, and making no moves to remove the customers who are on lucky streaks. It's fun to watch the excitement build in those who are winning. Besides, Kai likes to think that running his business as honestly as he can leads to greater monetary gain in the long run. After all, if his customers enjoy themselves, they'll come back and lady luck is a fickle mistress.