video @bodaiju

[gurge]

[ there's a monk. a buddhist monk, dressed nape to ankle in ceremonial robes, bare feet on hard tile floors. the penthouse behind him is classy and tasteful, but a jarring modern contrast to his clothing. it doesn't take much movement to realize his right sleeve, however, is completely empty. cheerful and chipper, he smiles and waves at the camera. ]

Hi hi~! Oh. I've been here since the first of us and not properly introduced myself on the network. My apologies, I'm a bit shy. [ yeah right. ] I'm Getou Suguru — [ the bow of his head is just deep enough to not be impolite. ] — a shaman from Japan. Back home, I specialized in hauntings and strange phenomena, as well as karmic work and even some chakra alignment. If you're suffering from strange aches and recurring nightmares, compulsive thoughts or stranger whispers, unprecedented cravings...

[ he's extremely animated through each of these symptoms even though he rattles them off like a medication commercial: acting out an ache in his nonexistent arm, a hand over his eyes for the nightmares, holding his head for thoughts and whispers, and... something a little more devious for cravings as he winks. ]

Please don't hesitate to visit.

[ a map link identifies his location. he's not very worried about stranger danger, is he? there's a long beat where he just smiles, and it seems like the feed might end, but then he acts on another thought that's been rolling around in that silly head of his: ]

Ah, and... Satoru.

[ to throw himself at the mercy of the public image is... a lot. he must know it, this man who values his pristine image. is it apology enough then, to make himself look like such a fool? he slides onto his knees mid-screen, clapping his hands together in prayer. are there tears? there might be tears. ]

Can't you please finally forgive meeeee?

[ what an embarrassing note to end on. ]



[ note: this character is a villain who hates humans so please check the journal for content warnings! i caught covid in the middle of sept so sorry for the abrupt hiatus; i'm working my way through backtags soon. no worries if anything's too old! cheers ]

Comments

[gurge]

[ ...interesting! if he had to say, it's probably closer to Seimei's onmyoudou than jujutsu, or perhaps even a cousin to them both, but he's never heard of someone being born with an only yang spirit. significant amounts of either, maybe, but what a perplexing existence. ]

It's only that we're unable to eliminate it as a possibility. If the spirits here use energy that's neither yin nor yang nor that of curse energy as I know it, neither of us would have an effect over them while maintaining the merits [ or demerits, ] of our own abilities.

[ a thumb presses to his brows, a fleeting sign of frustration. tension building. he sighs out and his hand disappears from view again. ]

It's all just guess work, anyway. There seem to be no actionable solutions. [ for now. ]

[pureyang]

You're right. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there's much we can do, without knowing more.

[He lets out a sigh as well, before perking back up to attention and offering a polite bow to Suguru.]

Ah, but I can see you're also an adept exorcist, so if I find anything, I'll be sure to let you know!

[gurge]

You're very well-mannered for your age. [ a genuine compliment, along with a tip of his head. ] I'd appreciate that. I'm interested in people with spiritual abilities, [ the understatement of the fucking century, ] so feel free to contact me if you're in need of anything else.

If you don't mind me prying, might I ask you a few questions about you and your world~?

[pureyang]

Ah, thank you, Master. I will be sure to do so should I need anything!

[Chongyun can't help but smile softly at the praise. What a nice shaman! Clearly, he is very wise and kind. Chongyun is obviously very fortunate to have met such a skilled exorcist!]

Oh, about my world? Certainly, it's no trouble at all. What would you like to know?

[gurge]

Are exorcists common in your world? Is there a support system? How are evil spirits formed there?

[pureyang]

Oh? Well, I can't say for certain if exorcists are found throughout all of Teyvat, but they are rather well-known in Liyue, the nation I am from. I believe there are also exorcists in Inazuma as well, but I don't think they have the same techniques that we do in Liyue. As for support systems, well... some exorcists work alone, while others are a part of a clan and inherit their techniques from their clan. I happen to come from a long line of exorcists who have been purging evil spirits from Liyue for generations, and have learned many skills from both my family as well as the clan elders.

In Liyue, those versed in the arts of exorcism refer to all forms of demons and monsters as "evil spirits." They are considered somewhat different from common ghosts, as I've come to learn that not all ghosts are malevolent in nature. However, it is still an exorcist's duty to purge any evil spirit that poses a risk to humans.

[gurge]

[ attentive listening, gauged ears perked. much of it is familiar, varies little; the rest, well... ]

And the ghosts that are malevolent in nature? Where do they come from?

[pureyang]

Well, it's up to exorcists like me to purge the ones that are malevolent in nature. Ghosts come from people, of course, but they can become tainted with malevolent energies; there's quite a lot of lingering malice and pockets of demonic energy all throughout Liyue, and they can not only spawn monsters of their own but taint the ghosts of those who have passed on.

[He pauses after a moment.]

Ah, does your world also have these kinds of evil spirits as well, Master?

[gurge]

Of course. They're formed from the negative emotions of humans leaking off of them, because they can't control their curse energy as a sorcerer can.

[ humans and not people is a distinction he makes like a knife of semantics. ]

[pureyang]

Negative human emotions..? Hmm, yes, that would makes sense. Humans are usually more susceptible to such exposures to demonic activity than stronger beings like adepti, after all.

[Chongyun doesn't really react much to the distinction, since there are actually several non-human entities already present in Liyue and Teyvat in general.]

So then, if you have such evil spirits in your world, you must also have many exorcists who work to purge them, don't you?