[She follows along maybe surprisingly easily - Percy is her best friend, so "gods suck" is a sentiment that's not too hard for her to imagine and accept. Anyways, once she's done listening carefully:]
So... Not a calamity in the sense that he's going around messing with normal people, but a calamity in the sense that someone with enough power to name him decided that they didn't like him. Am I on point there?
You are correct. And... as well as that he "messed with" [ is he using that right? he thinks he is. ] those powerful people, instead of simply accepting their word as law and kowtowing to them, and continues to do so. [ stan! hua cheng hours! ] Most of the Heavenly Officials are terrified of him, but they speak ill of him nevertheless, and also attend his city in disguise quite often to partake in the things it has to offer as well.
[Still... Part of it rubs her the wrong way, and she glances towards Yin Yu again with an expression that's - not quite concerned, but definitely bordering on it.]
You know that someone saving your life doesn't automatically mean you owe them everything from there on out, though, right?
[He's passive enough that she's kind of worried this may not have actually occurred to him yet.]
It is a bit difficult to explain, but there is more to it than that. [ but that's yin yu lore, and that is lore that will not be unlocked very easily! ] Chengzhu is a fair master, and if I did not think so, perhaps I would not be sitting here today. Our relationship is mutually beneficial--I like the work, and I always have.
[She sounds a little bit self conscious as she says that, because she came dangerously close to admitting she was worried for a second there, and that's Embarrassing. Searching for a change of subject, she lands on:]
It's a little bit of everything. Roughly half of the time, I run errands for Chengzhu across the country, ranging from eliminating resentful spirits that are encroaching on humans to delivering messages for him or collecting information. The other half, I maintain watch over Ghost City and keep the residents and guests relatively in line, as well as attend to official matters of business [ read: anything that chengzhu finds boring, and also, needs hand written, because he can't write for shit ] and so on.
[ a pause, and then he laughs, a bit quietly. ] ...I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before.
I don't talk to many people. [ remember how he said he was boring: this is why. he tends to disappear in a room full of people. ] Ah... well, perhaps I should say, before the island, anyway...
[ flayn asked him about his job and i'm an idiot who forgot.png
anyway! ] ...as for the city itself, it is mostly ghosts, demons, and other spirits who reside there.
[ he nods to the first, a little "mn" to confirm. a month... he saw chengzhu right as he left, but otherwise... the amount of work he's going to have to do is going to be astounding.
as for the second bit.....there is a long pause. ] I....confess I am not entirely sure where that is. What is "halloween", exactly...?
Chengzhu's wraith butterflies can capture action as it happens, and play it back for himself and I to see later; he often uses it for surveillance. Is that similar?
I see. So, people dress up in costume as these characters on this 'halloween'? Or as ghosts... [ ... ] I'm not sure how much I understand it, but I think it would be quite popular in the Ghost City.
[ ....yeah. then again, the people there will basically take any excuse to party. so. ]
Yeah, both. Or, like... Other things or people that are easily recognizable. Sometimes animals. It can kind of be anything as long as it can translate into clothing.
[That's probably the best she's going to be able to do at explaining it, though.]
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So... Not a calamity in the sense that he's going around messing with normal people, but a calamity in the sense that someone with enough power to name him decided that they didn't like him. Am I on point there?
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You are correct. And... as well as that he "messed with" [ is he using that right? he thinks he is. ] those powerful people, instead of simply accepting their word as law and kowtowing to them, and continues to do so. [ stan! hua cheng hours! ] Most of the Heavenly Officials are terrified of him, but they speak ill of him nevertheless, and also attend his city in disguise quite often to partake in the things it has to offer as well.
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[Still... Part of it rubs her the wrong way, and she glances towards Yin Yu again with an expression that's - not quite concerned, but definitely bordering on it.]
You know that someone saving your life doesn't automatically mean you owe them everything from there on out, though, right?
[He's passive enough that she's kind of worried this may not have actually occurred to him yet.]
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It is a bit difficult to explain, but there is more to it than that. [ but that's yin yu lore, and that is lore that will not be unlocked very easily! ] Chengzhu is a fair master, and if I did not think so, perhaps I would not be sitting here today. Our relationship is mutually beneficial--I like the work, and I always have.
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[She sounds a little bit self conscious as she says that, because she came dangerously close to admitting she was worried for a second there, and that's Embarrassing. Searching for a change of subject, she lands on:]
What was it, exactly? The work, I mean.
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It's a little bit of everything. Roughly half of the time, I run errands for Chengzhu across the country, ranging from eliminating resentful spirits that are encroaching on humans to delivering messages for him or collecting information. The other half, I maintain watch over Ghost City and keep the residents and guests relatively in line, as well as attend to official matters of business [ read: anything that chengzhu finds boring, and also, needs hand written, because he can't write for shit ] and so on.
[ a pause, and then he laughs, a bit quietly. ] ...I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before.
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[She's about to tell him that it wasn't a big deal that she asked, but instead—]
...That's actually incredibly sad, wow. Seriously, nobody? What do you do for work is, like, one of the most basic questions out there.
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[ flayn asked him about his job and i'm an idiot who forgot.png
anyway! ] ...as for the city itself, it is mostly ghosts, demons, and other spirits who reside there.
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[She moves on quickly, too, though.]
Huh. So, like... Halloween Town, basically?
[He will absolutely not understand this reference.]
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as for the second bit.....there is a long pause. ] I....confess I am not entirely sure where that is. What is "halloween", exactly...?
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[After a second:]
It's a holiday where everyone dresses up, basically.
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anyway. he tilts his head! ] ...As ghosts, spirits and such?
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I would be glad to learn. [ teach him your ways, modern natalie! ]
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—Okay, like. You know the images they have of all of us on our boarding passes?
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Chengzhu's wraith butterflies can capture action as it happens, and play it back for himself and I to see later; he often uses it for surveillance. Is that similar?
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[After a few seconds:]
Sorry, I'm just kind of in shock that I don't have to spend an hour explaining this to you.
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I would be remiss in making things too complicated for anyone, so I'm glad. So... those are both 'movies' and 'TV shows'? What's the difference?
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[She's here to wave off any casual digs at himself.]
The length, mostly. Well - and the frequency. Usually TV shows are shorter, but there are more of them that make up a complete story.
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[That was so much easier than she thought it would be, wow.]
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I see. So, people dress up in costume as these characters on this 'halloween'? Or as ghosts... [ ... ] I'm not sure how much I understand it, but I think it would be quite popular in the Ghost City.
[ ....yeah. then again, the people there will basically take any excuse to party. so. ]
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[That's probably the best she's going to be able to do at explaining it, though.]
It's mostly so kids can get candy.
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