Little Bird

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

Click Clack! Click Clack! Click Clack!

Li Suyin bounced and josteled as the rough rumbling of the old subterranean train carried her through the tunnels beneath the outskirts of Agawa City. Lights in the train car swung in random, haphazard motions, buzzing, and flickering each time the train bumped even slightly along the unkempt and seldom used rails. Deaf to the metallic groans of the beater of a locomotive, Suyin fixated herself on the abandoned stations as they scrolled by in her window. "Almost there," she sung, nervously, as she read the weathered station signs, awaiting her stop. As a sign reading "Odawara Court" came and went in the passing of the train, she clenched her left hand, crunching a fresh newspaper clipping from a week earlier.

Finally, the conductors voice crackled over a staticy PA: "Last Stop, Old Takeda Station. End of the line." Suyin, not missing a beat, pulled at the run of wire over her head, signaling for a stop and deboard. Ten tense minutes later, the train screeched and ground to a halt. Suyin exited, a rather large, leather case slung over her shoulders like a backpack. Moments later, the train was turned around and gone, and Suyin was alone, save for one companion.

"That train was completely empty. And so is this station." A voice spoke softly, but grumpily, from inside if the case.

"I'm aware, Kyo. Barely anyone uses the old subway lines; not since the new magnet trains were built." Suyin surveiled the Desolate platform of Old Takeda Station. It was one of the oldest in Agawa, and thus, one of the least used in the wake of the subway becoming so obsolete. The trains there only ran by appointments, and the further to the city limits a person got, the more likely they were to get involved in shady ordeals. Suyin clenched more tightly to the newspaper clipping. "Show yourself," she called out, her voice reverberating through the tunnels.

Almost on command, the air grew thin, and the temperature dropped. Suyin shivered out a foggy breath. She was starting to sweat, her heart was pounding like a bass drum in her chest. Still, she broke into a grin. She turned at the sound of something slapping against the concrete platform. She saw it immediately: a grotesque figure, wreathed in shadow in the vague likeness of a person, climbing up to the platform from the track below. It writhed and shrieked as it came to its feet, spotting the young hunter and charging with no hesitation or forethought.

"Perfect." A light, purple glow consumed Suyin. In a flash of radiance, she changed form in a serene, violet and white clad figure. With the Onryo mere feet away from her, she extended her right arm, moving her hand in a forceful halt signal. As though hitting a wall, the Onryo stopped suddenly, and painfully. In another move of her hand, Suyin psychically grasped the Onyro. With a mighty effort, she threw her arm out toward the wall on the opposite side of the tracks; the entity followed suit, sailing across the tracks, slamming head first into the wall and falling to the ground.

Drawing heavy breaths, Suyin faced the injured spirit, staring scathingly into its lifeless face. Once more, she grabbed hold of the Onryo, this time, her psychokinetic power focused on the head. A second push, and its head crashed against the wall, splitting open on impact. Broken and defeated, the Onryo collapsed and withered into non-being. Sensing the work was done, Suyin reverted to her normal form, and made a hasty walk to the stairs to the street, dropping the clipping, which read: "Woman Pushed Into Train at Old Takeda Station."

"Are we feeling better now that that's done?" Kyorinrin, it's dragon-shaped head of scrolls poking out from around the case, spoke, scolding the hunter.

A vibration and a ping in Suyin's pocket cut off a response before it could be made. She pulled out her phone to a notification on the hunter group chat. "Something sus going down over in the woods. That's not too far from here." She pointed to the treeline about one hundred yards away. "Sounds like there'll be plenty to go around." She was already running towards the woods as she sent her reply to Ukiko: "I'm nearby. On my way; this'll be cathartic."

"While I'm pleased to know that you're taking your role here seriously, must express my concern for your-" Kyorinrin started as Suyin trudged deeper into the brush towards an ethereal light a short way ahead.

"Quiet, Kyo." She hushed her Tsukumogami, and transformed as she approached Ukiko. "I'm here. Let's do this." She stood next to Ukiko, but a few feet away, glaring at the huddle of shadowed forms standing out in the small clearing before them.

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

Alright. Here she is. Couldn't pick between regular appearance images so I figured I'll say at some point she gets a makeover. Lol. Did a bit if research into the subject of Tsukumogami. Found an interesting source of lore and a database (which was where I got the name for the Scrolls from; decided to roll with that name since it had the lore attached to it). Anything I need to adjust, or if I completely missed the point, let me know. Just hoping no one beat me to the punch on this concept.

Li Suyin

Hunter

Name: Li (Family) Suyin (Given); Suzanna Lee (American pseudonym)
Age: 17
Gender: Female | ENBY

Regular Appearance:

Hider

Styled Su

Transformed Appearance:

Hider

Abilities: As is universal among Hunters, Suyin's transformed state endows her with amplified physical prowess, increasing feats of strength, durability, and agility.

Personal Power Overview

Unique to Suyin's transformed state is the heightened potency and utility of psychic powers. She wields a usable reserve of psionic energy. Control over and mastery of this energy relies on the harmonizing of the individual's mind and spirit, and is (especially at its highest level) exercised through pure force of will.

Realized Skills

Psychokinesis. The ability for Suyin to utilize her powers to broadly influence and manipulate the physical environment around her through her mind; colloquially known as telekinesis. Suyin may move, and generally manipulate corporeal objects within her vicinity and generate pockets of kinetic force that can push and possibly damage materials that they come into contact with. As a novice practitioner Suyin is presently limited to generating forces that scale to her physical strength, and needs to utilize physical movements to focus and direct her psychokinetic influence. She is unable to use this ability to leverage direct control over items derived from the Tsukumogami of others, though she may use it to deflect and redirect such items if needed.

Personality:

Formed by an upbringing marked by absent parents, frequent moving, and trauma induced by paranormal entities, Li Suyin has thus far grown into a scarred, jaded, distant, and somewhat gun shy young woman. Still, she maintains a curious independence, and a self-driven inquisitiveness into topics of interest to her.

She's avoidant and, at times averse to the idea of intimacy on any level, and attests to her own ability to look out for herself with minimal assistance; often she shirks efforts of others to aid her. Behavior implying a low level of trust in others is frequent, and she tends towards awkwardness when forced to engage in relationships that require close interpersonal ties. In moments that she does work in a codependent arrangement, she does so begrudgingly, and prefers to move along more quickly in these instances.

Suyin's prior experiences with spiritual entities, especially the Onryo which she is now tasked with hunting, has mildly damaged her psyche, leaving her in a state of paranoia, trauma, and obsession. The entities that caused her such pain in her youth are triggers, eliciting repressed anger and aggression; encounters with them prompt a single-minded brutality fixated on eliminating the threat. In this, she labors to contain the power of her transformed state to mitigate collateral damage, focusing solely on the "target" before her.

Her pursuits as a Hunter are almost entirely, and unapologetically self-motivated. To her, it's a twofold endeavor. The first ambition is to study; Suyin desperately seeks to understand the beings at the root of her trauma. To this end, she delves into lore as much as possible, and thoroughly prepares for any preordained encounter. On an almost equivalent order is retaliation. Suyin's hunt is less of a mindful effort to protect innocent lives, and more so an exercise of vengeance. She seeks to damage the malevolent spirits just as they once did unto her. Even as she restrains herself from harming others in the crossfire, she is likely to demonstrate an unorthodox level of violence against the beings she is due to dispatch; The sole tempering factor is her fear that she may become just like them.

History:

The Early Days

Born in Shanghai, Suyin spent her formative years in Hong Kong, where her family relocated when she was two years old. Her parents were heavily involved in both business and foreign politics. As a result, the family was frequently moving to accommodate ever shifting career assignments. By the time Suyin was twelve, she had lived in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan, had visited India and Indonesia, and met people from as far away as London and New York. At thirteen, she spent time living in the United States.

In her Californian neighborhood, her 'gift' in communing with spirit entities began rearing its head in extreme ways. Though she had always been perceptive to "the other side," the situation in California escalated matters. What had once been encounters with residual phenomena and generally benevolent entities became a routine of taunting with bouts of intimidation and aggression. In a former railroading district Suyin witnessed the manifestations of malcontent beings born from mistreated and tormented migrant workers. And each one seemed intent on doing her harm.

For the first time in her life, Suyin was dealing with Onryo. She plead and begged for help, but with her parents were often busy and, with few close friends to confide in, no one took her claims of being assailed by "ghosts" seriously. Distraught but determined she took the matter into her own hands.

For the better part of two years, she fought to keep these spirits at bay. Studying and employing multiple forms of ritualistic protection and cleansing, and honing her innate gift as best a teenager could proved effective… for a time. Before long, however, the Onryo grew resilient to her methods. After a month-long lull in activity they resurged with a vengeance. Attacked in the dead of night, Suyin was raised from her bed head first towards the spinning blades of a ceiling fan. Only by her screams for help did her parents rush to her, only to enter the room after she had fallen back to her bed.

Believing her to be stressed and anxious due to the frequent moves, Suyin's parents pursued psychological treatment for her.

Soon after, her family moved once more, this time to the city of Agawa, Japan. On the surface it was just another routine move for business. In reality it was a decision informed by the needs of Suyin's help; there, she was connected with a renowned psychotherapist. Furthermore, her parents believed, assuredly, that it was a place that would promote their daughter's coping. In this they were correct, in a way…

Awakening

It was a lonely night; Suyin's parents had gone out for work functions. She was readying herself for bed when lights flickered and burned out. As she entered the hallway out of the washroom she stared down a familiar figure from the door into her bedroom: the same Onryo that had tried to kill her back in California. Suyin's blood ran cold… it had been months without an encounter, and somehow, an Onryo had followed her all the way to Agawa. Unsure of what to do, she froze in her place.

The entity charged her; it was intent on finishing what it had started.

The cellar, Suyin!

A voice cried out in her head. She ran for the steps down to the cellar, following an ethereal glow. Sitting in the far corner of the basement was an old trunk, from which a light was emitting through a cracked opening. With the rushing steps of the Onryo thumping down the stairs after her, Suyin bolted to the trunk, throwing it open and prying open an old, worn, leather case inside. Rolls of scrolls flew out from the bag, twisting and winding into the form of a dragon that stood between her and the Onryo, while filling Suyin with its light.

She felt different… transformed and empowered. "Wha--"

"No time. We fight now." The scroll dragon rumbled as giving a command.

The moment ended as suddenly as it had begun. Suyin, somehow, knew what to do. With a fierce movement of her fist thrusting through the air, the Onyro staggered to a halt. A second punch, and the wave of force shattered the physical form into dust. A light shot from the dragon, and the dust of the Onryo dissolved into nothing…

In the hours that followed, Suyin learned of the scrolls: the spirit Kyorinrin inhabited them, and had chosen her as its companion. It told her that she was destined to join others in the work of cleansing such spirits as the Onryo from the mortal plane. Kyorinrin's word came to be a week following Suyin's comfrontation in the cellar, when a pair representing a group of "Hunters" arrived to recruit her to their cause.

Likes: Reading; Writing (particularly journaling); studying the supernatural; music; solitude; people watching.
Dislikes: Her parents; small talk; Onryo.
Fears: Losing control; getting too close to others; Onyro.
Other: Post-Rock and LoFi enthusiast.

Tsukumogami

Name: Kyorinrin
Item: A collection of ancient scrolls. The inscriptions upon them are said to unveil great truths and wisdom to those that can read them.
Appearance: The scrolls alone appear to the average eye or glance to be old and weathered, though, remarkably, with still legible symbols and imagery upon them. Coming to life by the power of their enshrined spirit, the scrolls unroll, weave, fold, and coalesce into.the form of a serpentine dragon. Six feet in length, it's legless body tappers off into a narrow strand adorned with a spear-shaped appendage, and bears a wedge-shappen head with a similarly pointed snout. The wooden rollers that hold the scrolls proper find their place in the dragonic anatomy as horns sprawling out from the top of its head.
Personality: A spirit known for their great wisdom and pursuit of knowledge, Kyorinrin is as much a mentor as a companion to those that find union with the scrolls. The spirit is both willing to and ecstatic about providing guidance to those that need and deserve it. However, this knowledge does not come freely. Kyorinrin is a teacher through and through, and a hard one at that. The spirit within the scrolls disseminates knowledge and wisdom only to the extent that it believes the person receiving it is prepared to not merely use, but do so justly, and with reason and purpose. The same is true of the power it bestows; those that ally themselves with the Spirit of the Scrolls must prove their worth and preparedness, or otherwise be barred access to the expanse of information and deaths of power they provide; some scrolls even remain blank until such time as the user is ready to see what they read.

Just as surely as Kyorinrin will grant power and knowledge, so too can it reclaim what it gives. Those that neglect its teachings, or worse, misuse and abuse it, are at the mercy of the Spirit. Kyorinrin is strict in how its gifts are to be used. Those that acquire such knowledge simply to hoard it in their mind… Kyorinrin strips them of that knowledge entirely. Those that use the power and wisdom for ill gains or to merely do harm unto others of their kin are subject to being stripped of all they've been given, and tormented, killed, and subject even to fates that some would consider death a sweet release from.
Other: Though clearly made from wood and a papery material, the scrolls are protected by the spirit from environmental damage such as fire, water, and deterioration; Kyorinrin has a penchant for seeking museums, libraries, and any other places wherein it can learn new things.

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

Accidentally posted on the character thread.

Will have my sheet up tonight; last couple of days got hectic.

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

I apologize for the delay on my end. Last few days got hectic.

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

Scheduling myself to have my character ready by this weekend's end.

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

@Wayward Hmm I heard of a scroll tsukumogami associated with wisdom, the Kyobun-sensei. That'd be a good fit for psychic stuff.

@Scribe of Thoth Nice! Ungaikyo, one of the classic tsukumogami. Looking forward to seeing what everyone picks!

@LuckyBlackCat

Awesome. Working on my character.

Onryo Hunters - A ghost-battling magical girl/boy RP

Color me interested. I've been binge watching docudramas about haunting and I'm 100% in the mood for something like this. What kind of Tsukumogami would you reckon be associated with general telekinetic abilities?

Pokemon: Earth 2.0

Oh. I forgot I mentioned her starting college at a specific age. I'll get on that ASAP.

Pokemon: Earth 2.0

I thought age 30 was typical college age in the RP canon?

Pokemon: Earth 2.0

Alexandra Herrera

Morrison, CO
December 29th, 2099

That morning...

Bzzt... Bzzt... Bzzt...

The phone's buzzing resonated against the surface of Alex's nightstand, rattling ever so slightly as the case bounced against the hard laminate. Eyes already half open, the young woman rolled wistfully onto her side, where she met the telling gaze of the bedside clock. She rubbed her eyes gently, and confirmed that the '6:00' was for real.

Bzzt... Bzzt... Bzzt...

Her gaze fell then to her vibrating phone, which seemed to grow increasingly insistent with each consecutive ring. Curiosity overcoming her half awake mind, Alex reached for the device. "Of course," she yawned. "Professor de la Rosa" read clearly across the top of the screen. She couldn't have been surprised even if she tried; the Professor was the only person (other than, perhaps, her parents) who would be trying to reach her so early in the morning. It was rare, of course, that this did happen; Alex knew it had to be something urgent.

Her finger swept quickly across the screen in a single motion with it pressing against her ear. "Good morning Professor," she said, sleepily.

"Wait, what?" as usual for an early morning call,, the Professor was beside herself with excitement. "Yeah. I can get in early today. Is it an emergency?

"Important, but not an emergency. Got it. I'll be in at around ten... OK. Yes. I'll see you then. Bye."

She ended the call, dropping the phone back onto her nightstand, and rolled spread eagle onto her back. She heaved a deep sigh, which intertwined with a pump of laughter. How de la Rosa had so much energy so early was beyond her. It was comical, in its own way.

With a shrug, and no further thought on it, Alex pulled herself out of bed; the sooner she could meet with the Professor, the better, and she wasn't the quickest when it came to getting ready.

----------------

Dressed and packed for a day's work, Alex descended to the foyer of her apartment. Taking a quick hit out of a pen-sized vaporizer from her chest pocket, she set out the door, curious of de la Rosa's plan for the day.