un: man's greatest treasure (video)

[reparo]

[The talisman starts transmitting almost out of spite, catching a few seconds of Hermione chopping herbs meticulously, in what looks like her room in the teahouse. The few days before departure are very clearly spent preparing supplies for the road, with her cauldrons bubbling happily away.

She brings her herbs over to one cauldron and drops them inside, picking up a spoon to stir, muttering under her breath:] Ten counter clock this time, maybe it will be stronger - no replacement for - [She flinches, her jaw twitching where she grits it.

Somewhere in her head, she is treated to a cacophony of Ke-Waihu's dead, the most recent ones outraged that they were not rescued sooner by all these strangers. You stir your potions and tell us to mind that face paints aren't poisoned, but do you do anything for us? Where were you when the beasts attacked?

A from Hermione in stirring, the sudden flash of anger in her face at having lost track of her counterclock-wise strokes, and to anyone unwise to what's happening, she snaps at thin air:] Will you shut up for ONE MINUTE - all of you --

[She freezes in place, and looks at the talisman, propped onto the worktable next to her.] Shit. [The feed stops.]

[ooc: SOMEONE signed up to absorb some volcano spirits and now SOMEONE can hear the dead and the dead have A LOT to say right now so now SOMEONE might be extremely angry. (Set before sea-travel, after Subaru's post announcing it.)]

Comments

voice

[thesuspense]

The expert nag? I see your point.

[He'll concede it.]

But for spirits, ah. You didn't seem that experienced.

voice

[reparo]

Great, glad to see you're still as charming as before.

[you rude jerk]

Why would you assume there are spirits involved?

voice

[thesuspense]

You were troubled by something when we met in the house, you don't have many defences against them, and then the mountain erupted.

I helped exorcise those spirits. It's easy to tell with you.

voice

[reparo]

You helped exorcise which spirits?

voice

[thesuspense]

However many we could gather from within the mountain as they all rushed out, while the Yiling laozu played his flute.

I'm a demonic cultivator. I've lived around spirits for a long time and I know the voices in my head.

voice

[reparo]

Ah. [A beat. Maybe that's what happened? She absorbed instead of exorcising?]

What happens if you don't exorcise them?

Re: voice

[thesuspense]

It depends on the nature of the spirit and the strength of your core.

But, sooner or later, you'd succumb to them. Follow their impulses instead of your own. Lose your sense of self. Be devoured. Resentful spirits, they are not easy on the mind.

voice 1/2

[reparo]

I can't say I blame them for being resentful.

voice

[reparo]

Hypothetically.

voice

[thesuspense]

[He laughs, and it's really not much of an evil laugh, he simply sounds amused, if perhaps with an edge of something off. Either way, the amusement is still evident when he speaks again.]

I could never blame them either. At any rate, they can be useful.

voice

[reparo]

[Full disclaimer: she suspects there's Something Off about him and has from the first meeting because he is unsettling. Using words like 'demonic cultivator' is making a case for her being right. She might ask about him later - people who are not biased. (Sorry Xiao Xingchen.)]

Hypothetically, though.

voice

[thesuspense]

Whatever.

[It doesn't seem to matter much to him. They are talking of feelings, what a fine line is there between actual and hypothetical? Resentment is strong and grows ever stronger. He knows.]

If you want rid of them, I could help.

voice

[reparo]

At what cost?

voice

[thesuspense]

Candy.

voice

[reparo]

[Crack of laughter, incredulous.] What?

voice

[thesuspense]

[He sounds defensive, in a remarkably child-like way. Or not so remarkable, given the subject matter.]

What? Do I not deserve candy, for helping? Will I not have earned it then?

voice

[reparo]

You genuinely just want candy?

voice

[thesuspense]

Like you've anything else I care about.

If it's not properly sweet, then don't bother.

voice

[reparo]

Child.

voice

[thesuspense]

I can live with spirits haunting me, can you?

voice

[reparo]

My school had ghosts. They spoke to us, interrupted us during meals, played pranks on us in the hallways, so - technically I already have.

voice

[thesuspense]

Uh-huh. Fascinating story.

Do you need help and do you have candy?

voice

[reparo]

No. [GUESS which.]

voice

[thesuspense]

Then what good are you?

voice

[reparo]

Kindly bugger right off.