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

[worldbent]

[Matoba smiles. It is a shame, isn't it.] Yes... My family home is also in the mountains. They're quite forested. I think I would have enjoyed it, as well.

[When he leaves this realm, he will have to leave Chongyun behind. He will be able to handle himself just fine, Matoba thinks, but it will still be a shame to lose that connection.]

[Stickin his fork into another big chunk of ice cream, Matoba listens as Chongyun describes the nature of his condition. An inability to suppress one's aura had nasty drawbacks, such as being unable to conceal one's presence, but he supposes that overwhelming might meant that you didn't need to choose stealth. Perhaps it wasn't such a loss. But the burden of such an aura on the physical body must be immense. His own aura was strong, but it wasn't that strong- and it was evenly distributed.]

[He wonders if Chongyun wasn't always in pain, and hiding it with an excellently trained suppression. It makes him pause, and look at the boy anew for a moment.] ...I see. [He thoughtfully works at another small bite of cake.] ...Haha, my constitution at your age would have been put to shame.

Perhaps even now. [Such gloomy birthday talk. Such was a party with exorcists, huh? He almost has to laugh.] I still have to remind myself even now, sometimes, that I am slipping.

[Let's just. Hide that admission in more cake, shall we.]

[cutcloud]

[ Slipping?

It's something that Chongyun wants to question, but he can sense the vulnerability there. Maybe it's a thread better not picked at ... which is why the young exorcist just nods and reaches across the table to pat the top of Matoba's hand. A touch of reassurance. Even if he may not fully understand what the older man is dealing with, he can offer his support as a friend.

Happier thoughts. Which is why Chongyun steers the conversation in a different direction now that Matoba understands the purpose of his efforts to surpress his condition's side effects. ]

May I ask when your birthday is?

[worldbent]

[The admission was probably too much as it is, even if it's couched in sarcastic self-deprecation. His life doesn't have time for regrets, so he doesn't bother to rethink saying such a thing in front of the young exorcist. But when Chongyun reaches across the table and puts his hand over Matoba's, he can only stare at it in bafflement.]

[The confusion isn't the boy's meaning- he's not that stunted, despite everything about him which was burnt out from him. That still didn't make it easier to process the application of that empathy towards him.]

[He's still somewhat distracted by the motion when Chongyun decides to move things away from the gloom, glancing up at his question.]

Hm? Ah... The first of November. [He cracks a grin.] Not too far away. Perhaps this will be the first one where I am not besieged by clan attendants and can enjoy it on my own.

[He can imagine that perhaps Chongyun, too, was used to a fuss being made about his birthdays.]