text; un: ᴊᴜᴇʏᴜɴ ᴄʜɪʟɪ (open to all clans)

[cutcloud]

My family say that birthdays are big days for Tianheng Thaumaturges and that we should never take them lightly.

I had planned to go up the mountain to perform prayer rituals with the elders of my clan this year ... that no longer is possible. Still, I'm left thinking about how it would have been, as well as what I would have listed for my wishes. I know that I would have prayed for my cherished friends, and those that I've met. Since I can't climb Mt. Tianheng for the ritual now, I'll say it this way.

I wish you all pleasant journeys, safety, and peace.

Aside from that ... one great wish I have this birthday is to learn more about the spirits and supernatural of other worlds.

Since we have all come from different places, I was hoping — will you tell me of your experiences with the otherworldly, when you were back home? I'd like to hear true stories, but I do also really enjoy a good hair-raising story or legend if you know of any.

( spooky stories for september! ♥ feel free to threadjack as you please. )

Comments

text; un: jsarchivist

[eyediot]

[Boy he has an entire archive he could share. He hasn't seen or heard anything of the July nightmares since he arrived, so he's a little hesitant... but one that was already finished should be all right. Which one...]

Is there any particular genre of supernatural you would prefer to hear about?

[cutcloud]

[ pls he would go in and never come out … sounds like heaven ]

As an exorcist, it’s important to keep my mind open to all possibilities. I’m very familiar with the spirits that wander Liyue, but otherwise I’m sure there’s much to learn.

… And if it’s frightening, that’s a bit exciting. I just like stories like that.

tw for anyone reading for Spooky/clowns/dolls

[eyediot]

[Hm. He mentally goes through the brain-archive of statements he remembers. There are more than a few that fit the bill, but narrowing it down to one he feels comfortable sharing is proving to take several long minutes before a response finally comes.]

Well. There is one I'm familiar enough with, I don't need the copy for. [Ha.]

A woman, Leanne Denikin, inherited her grandfather's home after his passing. After some time cleaning it all up, she found the attic had been bolted and locked tight. She realized then that her entire time visiting there and taking care of her grandfather during his illness that she had never been up there, nor had she heard anyone else open it before. And amongst the keys she had been provided, not a single one fit the lock. So she retrieved a set of bolt cutters and cut it open.

Inside the loft, all she found was a closed trunk and a red calliope organ. The calliope was covered in a layer of dust, undisturbed for years. Inside the steamer trunk, she found a set of dolls. Intricate with hair and clothes and all. But all except for one of the twenty-three of the dolls she found had their bottom jaw blocks torn off. That one doll in tact was made to look like a circus clown.

She placed all the dolls back in the trunk and closed the lid. Then went to play a single note on the calliope that rang out for miles. It wasn't until much later she realized it shouldn't have made a sound, there was no air going to the brass pipes.

Her partner at the time visited shortly after, and she showed him the dolls - to which he was very anxious about, told her to put them away. Then played a bit on the calliope, an old tune her grandfather played. It wasn't long before her partner asked her to stop so they could leave.

From what I understand, she broke up with him shortly thereafter due to other circumstances. But even after that, he mentioned he kept hearing calliope organ music in the distance, despite her having not touched it since. A third time she went to the loft, and found the trunk open with the clown doll sitting atop it with another, new doll that looked remarkably like her partner. She bought a padlock for the door the following day.

A few weeks later, she returned home to find the door broken open and the padlock to the loft cut off, the calliope and trunk missing. Her neighbor mentioned seeing delivery men carrying out large pieces of red metal. And a week after that, he was found dead. His throat crushed with his bottom jaw ripped out.

SPOOPY

[cutcloud]

This is an excellent story. So many questions ... were the dolls haunted by evil spirits? Perhaps it was the calliope? My family tomes have details about spirits that haunt objects, and their resentment can take physical manifestation in the mortal realm.

How unfortunate for the neighbor.

[eyediot]

[He knows the reality of what happened, of course. The Stranger was always nasty in uncanny ways, dolls no less so. But that feels irrelevant here.]

The neighbor at least got out all right in the end. But I do feel bad for the woman and her ex-partner.

[cutcloud]

Yes, of course. It’s very unfortunate … I’ve seen much of that, back home. People who are just living their lives and caught up in supernatural affairs.

Thank you very much for the story. I’ve written it in my journal to keep. Perhaps I can add it to the tomes when I return home.

[eyediot]

Happy to share. I've got quite a number of them if you should ever want to hear another.

{But how many are safe to share here? How much trouble is he asking for by talking about them? It's hard to guess.]

[cutcloud]

I certainly won't say no. One of my favorite pastimes back in Liyue was listening to the Tea Master tell such tales. I could sit and listen for hours.

Do you have any where you have first-hand experience?

[eyediot]

None that I feel comfortable telling.

[He's shutting it down hard, instantly. He'll share statements from years ago by other people all day if he deems them safe, but his own? No.]

[cutcloud]

I understand. That's personal, isn't it? My apologies.

[eyediot]

It's all right. I just have more stories about others that I'd be willing to tell.

[cutcloud]

Whatever you're comfortable with! I love stories like this. It helps with my job, so it's also beneficial.

[eyediot]

Whenever you like, then.

What is your job, if you don't mind my asking?

[HOPING AND PRAYING, DON'T SAY ARCHIVIST DON'T SAY ARCHIVIST-]

[cutcloud]

Of course, I’m happy to explain.

I’m an exorcist. My family has been in the profession for generations, and one of our duties is to collect information and record it down to put on the family tomes for future generations.

That aside … I also learning as much as I can to be an even better exorcist!

[eyediot]

[Ah.

Don't say fake don't say fake don't say fake-]

I see. I hope you are able to perform to the level you wish to be.

[That's a nice thing to say right? He doesn't believe in any of that, but this kid apparently does so???]

[cutcloud]

Thank you. I’ve performed hundreds of exorcisms already, but there’s always room for improvement. If you ever need assistance with evil spirits, please let me know. I’ll assist right away.