Video | UN: Ouroborosed -- Subject: AMA

[inlovewithmycar]

[Crowley flips on the camera before sitting back in an office chair in his usual slouch. Behind him is the backdrop of one of the labyrinthine office buildings, the shades of beige and grey a sharp contrast to his black clothes and red hair. There is a peculiar tension about him, something about the way he's square his shoulders, and the considerable supply of unopened bottles next to him suggests there is some need for the liquid courage.]

Right then. The mall here, yeah? Only marginally worse than the normal kind. And hey, at least we'll never have to deal with the Boxing Day rush, eh?

...That'd be analogous to Black Friday for all you Americans. I don't know if there's a Canadian equivalent. Never stuck around long enough to find out. Saw a moose once and decided that place could just be someone else's problem.

[He shuffles uncomfortably.]

Okay. Yeah. Enough small talk. Time to rip the bandaid off.

[Deep breaths, Crowley.]

So the thing I was worried about happening? ...Happened. For the exact reason and in the exact way I thought it would happen. I'm sure I'll look back and laugh about it one day, but right now I'd like to get ahead of it happening again. No more fun little surprise exorcisms. At least none that I won't see coming.

So, here we go. Let's get this over with.

I'm a literal demon from literal Hell - yes that one - and their former operative of Earth, presently retired.

Ask me anything.

[He's already popping the top off the tequila. He's going to need it.]

Comments

[inlovewithmycar]

Magic.

Don't tell me you don't know what that is, half the blessed people here can use some form of it.

[wreatharrow]

Of course I've heard of it. However it likely means something entirely different to me than what you're implying.

[inlovewithmycar]

Enforcing one's will onto reality to make it do what one wants it to as opposed to what it's supposed to do. This can be done by a variety of spells, incantations, rituals, staring at lumps of soggy tea leaves, and so on and so forth, etcetera, etcetera, ad nauseum.

What does it mean to you?

[wreatharrow]

Sumeru doesn't have much in the way of anything of that nature. Liyue has exorcists, but I wouldn't necessarily call the rituals performed by them to be magic.

Most things in Teyvat are still tied to one's ability to channel types of energy. Is it really magic if there's an explanation for it?

[inlovewithmycar]

Why in the world would it stop being magic just because you know how it works...?

[wreatharrow]

[ Tighnari's ear twitches. It's not wrong, not really. ]

No, you've got a point. I suppose it seems that way to me as that's not usually what we think of.

An example being there is a nilotpala lotus in front of me. Harnessing Dendro energies can enable it to grow and bloom. Perhaps even make it larger. However, it still cannot change a nilotpala lotus into a kalpalata lotus.

There are boundaries and limitations. Magic, to me I suppose, implies that these boundaries and limitations don't exist.

[inlovewithmycar]

There's boundaries and limitations to everything, isn't there? Otherwise any old witch or occultist could completely rearrange the universe to their liking. D'you know the kind of trouble that'd cause? ...Neither do I, but I'd wager it'd be a right pain in the buttock. Both buttocks even. Plural

[wreatharrow]

I'm sure that there would be some that would argue that. Of course those that I know would likely be labeled as fanatics.

Honestly I was more explaining my thought process than anything. Rest assured that I don't possess any such talents when it comes to exorcism or the like.

[inlovewithmycar]

Ah. Fanatics. Those are always... [Grudgingly:] ...interesting.

Nah, I got the thought process. I was just saying, even the most powerful magic has its own set of limitations.

And glad to hear it. I like going un-exorcised.

[wreatharrow]

Is that something you really have to worry about all that often?

[inlovewithmycar]

Not at home. Most "exorcists" couldn't tell their arse from a hole in the ground, let alone a demon from your average drunk idiot stumbling home from a club at the small hours of the morning.

Here though? That's a different story.

[wreatharrow]

Since many individuals here come from places where the supernatural is just a part of every day life, I imagine.

When you put it that way, I can see where there would be a concern.

[inlovewithmycar]

Now you're getting it.

You from one of those worlds where the supernatural is pretty common then?

[wreatharrow]

There are such things as gods and different sorts of spirits. They are called different things from region to region. Liyue has their adepti and demons. Inazuma would call them yokai. In Sumeru there are tales of friendly spirits called Aranara.