(Open) Lilac last in the doorway bloom'd

[xiaoxiuya]

O the black murk that hides the star! O cruel hands that hold me powerless

Who: Shen Yuan and his CR group, plus anyone who wants a thread <3
What: Discussions of the March Forecast, Monthly Event-related events, or even entirely new ideas are all welcome! Feel free to PM me if you have anything you'd like to discuss beforehand!
When: Any time in the months of March or April, possibly beyond.
Where: Anywhere in Trench; Shen Yuan can most frequently be found near the Archives or his own home in Gaze, meditating under the guardian tree in Sanctuary, or wherever Outreach is providing assistance to the people of Trench.

Content Warnings: Currently N/A on 3/19, will update if this changes.

Comments

[possessum]

Peter's listening with open curiosity — and oh yes, Paimon most certainly is too, and every once in awhile the boy's pupils will suddenly widen and blow out like ink spilling and spreading through water as the demon's focus and energy rears up within its host's body. Perhaps it could be overlooked, not altogether alarming, but something else is watching Shen Yuan, tuning itself into every word.

(Every once in awhile, Peter's tongue brushes the roof of his mouth, slowly, without his awareness that it's happening.)

But when he needs to speak again, his tongue becomes his own, and he's working it into soft words. His pupils settle, returning his eyes to their natural warm browns.

"Were you born able to do it? Collecting and manipulating qi...? Or was it something you had to learn how to do? Can anyone in your world do it?"

The questions come naturally, little bursts of curiosity voiced. It's all extremely interesting, and energy, the different forms of it, is something he's certainly become more and more curious by over time, considering the entity that occupies him and its own connection to such concepts.

[xiaoxiuya]

The changes in Peter's eyes goes unremarked upon, but not unnoticed. Sudden changes to the iris or sclera is a sign of possession in many cultivator stories as well, and Shen Yuan isn't sure how to interpret the fact of Paimon's silent listening. It's a simple and unfortunate fact, however, that he can't say anything to Peter right now without also saying it to Paimon, and so he can only hope that the lack of overt interference is a positive sign that won't come back to bite him later.

"It was something I learned how to do as an adult." He fans himself slowly, considering his next words. "In the world where I was born, cultivation -- all forms of magic, actually -- only existed in works of fiction. I was a big fan of fantasy books of all kinds -- like Miss Lovegood's story, which I enjoyed very much -- but my favorites were all cultivation novels." He smiles sadly. "When I was around your age, a book I'd been following passionately ended suddenly and, I thought, very badly. Around the same time I fell terribly ill, and eventually fell into a deep sleep -- I may even have died, it's impossible to be sure. But when I woke up, it was in a world full of people and places that shared names and precise descriptions with those in the book, and a voice in my head told me it was my responsibility to learn cultivation and 'fix' the plot. I lived in that world for about...four years?" Yes, that sounds about right. "And then woke up in the sea outside Trench. I no longer hear that voice, for which I will always be grateful to the powers that rule this world, and I continue to practice cultivation for both survival and my peace of mind."

"As for whether anyone can learn how to do it, the answer is yes, but with some caveats. Different people have different levels of aptitude for cultivation, just as different people have different levels of natural ability for mathematics or sports. While nearly anyone can master the basics through hard work alone, some degree of natural talent and a bit of good luck is necessary to reach the highest levels of skill. People who began their training as children also tend to see more success than those who started later; it's generally accepted that by the time a student turns twenty-five or so, if they haven't already formed a golden core than they probably never will. But there are exceptions to every rule, of course."