Ha, yes and no. The Natori are an old exorcist clan, but the ability to see ayakashi died out generations ago. Until me, that is. So I'm currently a clan of one, but I'm using the traditional Natori family techniques from the tools left in my family storehouse. I just assumed... to leave and come back, it sounded like it could be family dynamics.
Ah, no. It just turned out to be what I'm better suited for. Was there anyone to help you make sense of things, or did you have to figure it all out for yourself?
Oh, I had plenty of mentors once I showed up to my first spellcasters assembly, though they could only help with the general-- even then I knew better than to give away the family techniques. What about you, if you're also an independent practitioner?
Would they be usable by others if you revealed them? There are two schools in Japan that teach sorcerers. Because our numbers are few, they keep an eye out for sorcerers who pop up outside of established family lines and recruit them. I was scouted and sent to attend school in Tokyo.
[That's... intriguing. He can't help but think about what something like that would have meant for someone like Natsume-- a school for someone disconnected from the exorcist community, but still troubled by ayakashi because of his sheer power. Someone who had suffered for being alone. (It's not just Natsume he's thinking of.)]
...Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't work out for the people who taught me. One can no longer see ayakashi, and the other has retired to the mountains. He's annoyed enough at how accessible he is from Kumamoto, I can't imagine someone like him would ever move to Tokyo.
[Natori's put up with enough shit for his family retreating from the exorcist community entirely rather than join another clan and hand over their techniques; it's not like the fact that they exist and could be learned by anyone with access is some big secret, but it's also easy enough to gently not respond. Plus, he gets to poke fun at Yorishima giving the entire community the metaphorical equivalent of double middle fingers as he takes his immense power and knowledge and goes home for good.]
Hahaha, it's not too late to become a mountain hermit yourself! Well, if we weren't in the hotel instead, I suppose.
He's doing alright. Last I heard he'd started working at a secondhand book shop and living a more or less normal life. One of his familiars stuck around to keep an eye on him and his daughter.
[The other two had taken it... less well. But in the end, Natori was able to avoid having to exorcise them in front of Takuma-san, which was by far the better option.]
It happens sometimes as you get older. Sometimes it's gradual, but more often it seems to happen all at once. One day you can see them, and the next, you can't. His was the latter.
Interesting. But does it happen between generations? I know you said that sometimes spellcasters can pop up outside of family lines, but does the reverse happen? Where the ability to see or use magic isn't passed down to the next generation.
[Or is his world somehow one where families don't die out for a lack of magic, but simply the other ways that a family can die-- the old fashioned, mundane ways.]
Yes, that happens. Inheritance isn't guaranteed even among the major clans. It's always possible a child will be born with little cursed energy or without their family's hereditary technique.
[This text throws him for a loop at first, and he has to read it a few times to interpret it as anything other than "sometimes our kids are born with curses, and that brings a bloodline down." There's a delay on his side until he texts back]
In the most basic sense. Most humans naturally have some amount of cursed energy, but beyond a certain threshold it's what enables a person, at a minimum, to see cursed spirits.
[It speaks to an interesting world view, he can't help but think, to tie sight to a curse.]
We usually treat the two as separate-- sight for your ability to see the supernatural, spiritual power for your ability to use spells or other exorcism tools. Most people in the spellcasting community have some degree of both, but you'll get people with only one or the other.
There are some exceptions for us as well, but generally that's the baseline. Perception of cursed energy is the first step toward being able to control and channel it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
paperpusher) wrote2025-06-08 09:26 am
no subject
Ah, don't tell me you left your office job for the exorcist community? That's a new one for me!
no subject
Worse. I left sorcery for an office job and later went back.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
There are two schools in Japan that teach sorcerers. Because our numbers are few, they keep an eye out for sorcerers who pop up outside of established family lines and recruit them. I was scouted and sent to attend school in Tokyo.
no subject
[That's... intriguing. He can't help but think about what something like that would have meant for someone like Natsume-- a school for someone disconnected from the exorcist community, but still troubled by ayakashi because of his sheer power. Someone who had suffered for being alone. (It's not just Natsume he's thinking of.)]
...Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't work out for the people who taught me. One can no longer see ayakashi, and the other has retired to the mountains. He's annoyed enough at how accessible he is from Kumamoto, I can't imagine someone like him would ever move to Tokyo.
no subject
I understand the feeling.
What happened to the one who lost their ability?
no subject
Hahaha, it's not too late to become a mountain hermit yourself! Well, if we weren't in the hotel instead, I suppose.
He's doing alright. Last I heard he'd started working at a secondhand book shop and living a more or less normal life. One of his familiars stuck around to keep an eye on him and his daughter.
[The other two had taken it... less well. But in the end, Natori was able to avoid having to exorcise them in front of Takuma-san, which was by far the better option.]
no subject
That sounds nice. It's a relief to know it didn't end in tragedy. Though I was also wondering what caused him to lose it.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
[Or is his world somehow one where families don't die out for a lack of magic, but simply the other ways that a family can die-- the old fashioned, mundane ways.]
no subject
no subject
Is "cursed energy" how you measure power?
no subject
In the most basic sense. Most humans naturally have some amount of cursed energy, but beyond a certain threshold it's what enables a person, at a minimum, to see cursed spirits.
no subject
[It speaks to an interesting world view, he can't help but think, to tie sight to a curse.]
We usually treat the two as separate-- sight for your ability to see the supernatural, spiritual power for your ability to use spells or other exorcism tools. Most people in the spellcasting community have some degree of both, but you'll get people with only one or the other.
no subject
no subject
[...In any case, he's noticed that Enju-kun has been awfully quiet lately...]
Hmm. Not that I don't enjoy talking shop with another exorcist, but is your little friend as quiet as mine is?
no subject
Yes, it's not doing anything at the moment. It seems like we're no longer obligated to continue.
no subject
[Somehow he has the feeling that Nanami isn't the type to care.]
But do say hi if you spot me around.
(no subject)