Youkai? [ It's a term that calls to mind Manderville-adjacent absurdity, but Viktor rather doubts this is the same thing - for one, he's a great deal taller than the youkai Viktor's been acquainted with. His head lists to one side, ears turning forward with interest, though his smile remains the same. This young man looks like an ordinary hyur. Perhaps the title is the mark of a powerful mage or of station. What a strange place this is. ]
Nurarihyon [ Repeated with care, to ensure he's pronounced it right. ] 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Th-thank you for the hand, there.
[ He pauses, unsure, taps his fingers over his mouth a moment as he tries to get his thoughts in order and master his stutter before it gets the better of him. ]
Sorry if this is odd, but- while I am no stranger to both being somewhere I was not a moment prior and to cryptic things speaking to me in eerie v-voids, this particular k-kind of those two things is not... what I am used to. [ His brow furrows, wondering whether this is some other part of the 9th, a new shard entirely, or... a wholly different star? ] Wh-where are we, broadly?
You heard the term before? [That's a relief. Many people here haven't, and "Japanese demons" really doesn't do it very much justice for understanding.]
Same here. And please think nothing of it.
[There might be plenty of stories about how 'evil' he is out there even now, but Douman is still not the kind of guy who'd let others just get hit by a stray coffin, or struggle under big weights. Unless they deserve it, of course. Then it's all food for his sadism, but he tries to be good with that. No punishment before an offense.]
You aren't? How peculiar. [He looks the viera up and down and then lightly shrugs his shoulders like an old man dismissing something as newfangled and modern might do.] This city is called Aldrip. There are a couple of other locations around and a name for this whole world, but I don't think that knowing those will make much of a difference for you. The one tidbit of use would be that 'outerworldlers' like us are generally called "Chosen" here.
This world is what I'd call a trap dimension, although others are convinced that it is a pure Simulation with nothing but computers and technology behind it. Can you keep up with that so far?
Ah, aye. 'Tis... [ He flaps a hand, like his fingers might catch the words he needs. ] Difficult to ex-p-plain. They are- not like you? Wee things.
[ And then the explanation comes. Outworlders. Chosen. It doesn't rule out this being some strange, forgotten corner of the Living Memory, or on another shard entirely. But...
Viktor's ears ease back as his shoulders rise and fall with a heavily heaved sigh. ]
I follow. I'm unfortunately familiar with... simulated worlds. Wh- why do you call it a trap dimension, though?
Ah. Smaller or lesser spirits, then. There are folks of all kinds among ayakashi. [He knows that the size alone says little about the spirit behind it. They could be something seasonal, something whose origins lay within little or subtle things, or simply not very developed. Douman would need to meet or at least see them to properly tell. But that can all wait for later.
Right now it's more important to get this new fellow up to snuff.]
Because that is what it reminds me of the most. All technical things aside, there is something about the workings of this world that are just [he makes a small gesture with his hands to imply that it's hard to put into words] it's too personal, you know? That's why I think that pure machine logic alone can't be all that is at work here.
[ Viktor mouths the word 'ayakashi' in an attempt to commit it to memory, but just as soon as he does, Nurarihyon is moving on, educating. He blinks, following the other man's hands. Considering the subject matter, it is, surprisingly, easy enough for Viktor to follow along.
One long ear bends with the weight of a question. ]
Have we found ourselves in some m-malicious thing, then? [ Malicious things are, at least, somewhat easy to deal with. Moral grays are as dreadful as they are drab. ] Do you... fight it?
[Seeing that ear emote makes Douman wonder once more if he is dealing with an animal type. There are several things speaking against it, like how refined and well-cultured Viktor's general overall attitude seems to be, but just that makes him all the more curious.]
That's the question, isn't it. The answers vary widely here, depending on who you ask. Many seem to project too much of their own humanity - or whatever counts for it, respectively - into dealing with this unknown 'jailer', but maybe that's just my own lack of humanness showing. [He crosses his arms in front of his chest, only to drop them and spread his hands in an indirect shrug seconds later. There really isn't any good or proper right answer for that one, as far as he can tell.] Ask others about the "AI Reboot" incident, if you'd like to hear more on that.
What I can tell you is that new 'Chosen' keep being sucked in, and that we keep 'losing' a number of those present each month. Whether that means that they are being killer, deleted or returned to where they came from, or worse.....
[Again, another shrug.]
Pardon for asking something so off-topic, but can you write your own name? Without any spelling errors?
[ Tap, tap, tap. Viktor dusts slender fingers over his mouth, wisteria eyes locked on Douman, focused but otherwise inscrutible, as he explains. Plunged into a world that, were he to guess, seems to be doing its best to stop itself from unraveling. It calls to mind familiar artificial horrors of memory and simulation forced upon his own home.
He finds himself aching for the wisdom of one of his more brilliant companions. As they aren't here, all he can manage is a bent frown, like he's tasted something foul, and an emphatic, nonsense sound to back it up: ]
Blech.
[ This last question gives him pause, though not necessarily out of caution. ]
I... know my l-letters enough for my name, aye. Why?
[Douman doesn't quite manage to keep his mouth from twitching into a grin behind his mask. That reaction was just too much like what one of his students might have done.]
Not a choice of words I would have used, but very much so, yes.
[That answer earns him a little sigh.]
I was just curious whether you're an animal youkai or not. Your looks had me wondering.
[ Laughter pops out of him. Viktor grasps one of his ears, pulls it down, and lets it spring back up. Most of the youkai he's seen are chubby little cat things, and so the connection feels especially silly. At least Douman didn't go straight for calling him a bunny. Small blessings. ]
No, no. I do not think I am like a youkai? I'm a- a viera. Viera are- they are long-lived compared to the other peoples of my star, and reclusive, and sensitive to... magic? [ He's probably not making a great case for himself... ] But we are... just p-people.
[Douman hums in agreement, letting Viktor get it all out before he moved to explain. There's much worse ways his question could have been taken than getting amused by it.]
A Viera, huh. I can't say that I have heard of those before, but that only makes this meeting all the more auspicious, doesn't it? [Never mind that most youkai and ayakashi Douman knows are also 'just people' by the end of the day. Supernatural ones, but just people nonetheless. Which is quite a nice development away from the 'monster' thing they had going on centuries ago, in his biased opinion.] To think that there would be a whole race with the makings of somebody spiritually gifted.... Does that mean that there are a lot of you who take the paths of a priest or a shaman? Or do you see it more as a bother than a boon?
[Ah, but he should explain himself first before demanding any more answers.]
I asked because there are many different types of youkai where I come from. One of the easiest ways of telling them apart is to look at their 'base' form: Humanoid, spirits, objects or animals. Your appearance reminded me of the casual look some of our animal students sometimes take, so I was kinda hopeful.
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expiationlogs2024-12-09 08:17 am
no subject
Nurarihyon [ Repeated with care, to ensure he's pronounced it right. ] 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Th-thank you for the hand, there.
[ He pauses, unsure, taps his fingers over his mouth a moment as he tries to get his thoughts in order and master his stutter before it gets the better of him. ]
Sorry if this is odd, but- while I am no stranger to both being somewhere I was not a moment prior and to cryptic things speaking to me in eerie v-voids, this particular k-kind of those two things is not... what I am used to. [ His brow furrows, wondering whether this is some other part of the 9th, a new shard entirely, or... a wholly different star? ] Wh-where are we, broadly?
no subject
Same here. And please think nothing of it.
[There might be plenty of stories about how 'evil' he is out there even now, but Douman is still not the kind of guy who'd let others just get hit by a stray coffin, or struggle under big weights. Unless they deserve it, of course. Then it's all food for his sadism, but he tries to be good with that. No punishment before an offense.]
You aren't? How peculiar. [He looks the viera up and down and then lightly shrugs his shoulders like an old man dismissing something as newfangled and modern might do.] This city is called Aldrip. There are a couple of other locations around and a name for this whole world, but I don't think that knowing those will make much of a difference for you. The one tidbit of use would be that 'outerworldlers' like us are generally called "Chosen" here.
This world is what I'd call a trap dimension, although others are convinced that it is a pure Simulation with nothing but computers and technology behind it. Can you keep up with that so far?
no subject
[ And then the explanation comes. Outworlders. Chosen. It doesn't rule out this being some strange, forgotten corner of the Living Memory, or on another shard entirely. But...
Viktor's ears ease back as his shoulders rise and fall with a heavily heaved sigh. ]
I follow. I'm unfortunately familiar with... simulated worlds. Wh- why do you call it a trap dimension, though?
no subject
Right now it's more important to get this new fellow up to snuff.]
Because that is what it reminds me of the most. All technical things aside, there is something about the workings of this world that are just [he makes a small gesture with his hands to imply that it's hard to put into words] it's too personal, you know? That's why I think that pure machine logic alone can't be all that is at work here.
no subject
One long ear bends with the weight of a question. ]
Have we found ourselves in some m-malicious thing, then? [ Malicious things are, at least, somewhat easy to deal with. Moral grays are as dreadful as they are drab. ] Do you... fight it?
no subject
That's the question, isn't it. The answers vary widely here, depending on who you ask. Many seem to project too much of their own humanity - or whatever counts for it, respectively - into dealing with this unknown 'jailer', but maybe that's just my own lack of humanness showing. [He crosses his arms in front of his chest, only to drop them and spread his hands in an indirect shrug seconds later. There really isn't any good or proper right answer for that one, as far as he can tell.] Ask others about the "AI Reboot" incident, if you'd like to hear more on that.
What I can tell you is that new 'Chosen' keep being sucked in, and that we keep 'losing' a number of those present each month. Whether that means that they are being killer, deleted or returned to where they came from, or worse.....
[Again, another shrug.]
Pardon for asking something so off-topic, but can you write your own name? Without any spelling errors?
no subject
He finds himself aching for the wisdom of one of his more brilliant companions. As they aren't here, all he can manage is a bent frown, like he's tasted something foul, and an emphatic, nonsense sound to back it up: ]
Blech.
[ This last question gives him pause, though not necessarily out of caution. ]
I... know my l-letters enough for my name, aye. Why?
no subject
Not a choice of words I would have used, but very much so, yes.
[That answer earns him a little sigh.]
I was just curious whether you're an animal youkai or not. Your looks had me wondering.
no subject
[ Laughter pops out of him. Viktor grasps one of his ears, pulls it down, and lets it spring back up. Most of the youkai he's seen are chubby little cat things, and so the connection feels especially silly. At least Douman didn't go straight for calling him a bunny. Small blessings. ]
No, no. I do not think I am like a youkai? I'm a- a viera. Viera are- they are long-lived compared to the other peoples of my star, and reclusive, and sensitive to... magic? [ He's probably not making a great case for himself... ] But we are... just p-people.
no subject
A Viera, huh. I can't say that I have heard of those before, but that only makes this meeting all the more auspicious, doesn't it? [Never mind that most youkai and ayakashi Douman knows are also 'just people' by the end of the day. Supernatural ones, but just people nonetheless. Which is quite a nice development away from the 'monster' thing they had going on centuries ago, in his biased opinion.] To think that there would be a whole race with the makings of somebody spiritually gifted.... Does that mean that there are a lot of you who take the paths of a priest or a shaman? Or do you see it more as a bother than a boon?
[Ah, but he should explain himself first before demanding any more answers.]
I asked because there are many different types of youkai where I come from. One of the easiest ways of telling them apart is to look at their 'base' form: Humanoid, spirits, objects or animals. Your appearance reminded me of the casual look some of our animal students sometimes take, so I was kinda hopeful.