What Now? [Vanyel/Open]

Japan. such an interesting place, and one that brought a smile to Ajita's features as she walked through the streets with idle purpose, those soft brown eyes scanning the area as she went. Under normal circumstances she might have found herself looking for a clinic or perhaps seeking out the homeless in such a situation, or even perhaps exploring out in the wastes in search of wanderers. But for the time being, she simply wandered aimlessly through the city itself, wondering to herself how such a place had maintained itself over the centuries. Such vitality was surely a subject of fascination to her, that dogged refusal to be extinguished. It was, perhaps, ironic then that what caught her eye was something so very lacking.

A young man staring out over the bridge, with a look on his face that seemed down and defeated. This creature, she thought to herself as she took a moment to observe the morbid expression sprawled across the young man's face, was the very sort of creature she was looking for. IN that very moment she could see the metaphorical jagged edges of the man's life, semblances of uncertainty, and a lacking vigor that surely spoke volumes to some inner turmoil. Truly a human in the process of being shorn away.

She slowed to a stop not far from the young man, her head canting tot he side, looking for all the world to be a normal woman as she fixed her attention to him and spoke, her voice gentle as she addressed him. "Hello there. Is everything alright?"

Ajita couldn't help but pause and tilt her head, mildly intrigued to say the lease when she didn't hear a ...normal response. Where some might have simply been dismissibve or vague, the man strangely enough opened up to her in that moment, giving a brief glimpse into ...whatever it was. He was at least vague in that aspect, but certainly she was surprised when he let it out that his whole life seemed to be taking a turn. She couldn't help but chuckle softly and gently cover her mouth in an attempt to be polite.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to say something quite like that!" She hummed, noticing that fidgeting. "Hm, you certainly seem like a Main Character." She mused aloud, walking over to the young man and then glancing over to the rest of the city, briefly getting a small look at what the young man had been staring out to not moments before, as though to place herself briefly into his shoes. And indeed she WAS curious. The man had all but blurted out that he was suffering. And truly there was no subject that intrigued her more. A child lost and seeking their final shape, struggling through the pain of such a transformation.

That gentle smile of hers widened and she raised her right hand, extending her fingers gently ina soft open palm facing Van. It was often recognized as a christian gesture, a priest or other holy person extending their open hands. But it's origin was in fact: from buddhism. The Abhaya Mudra, a gesture of fearlessness, reassurance, and safety. Her other hand gently rested at navel level, her palm open and turned upwards with her fingers fully extended, her thumb slightly raised at a roughly 45 degree angle, a gesture of charity and compassion. Combined together, it was a brief, compassionate gesture offered to the young man.

"If you don't mind, I myself am something of a Priestess, so I'm rather used to hearing the troubles of others. You don't need to be specific or anything, but I'd be happy to lend you my ear." She offered lightly, lowering her hands and gently resting them on the railing beside them. "Of course, if you prefer, we could simply take a walk. A bit of physical activity also does wonders to clear one's head." She offered, well aware that not everyone was so willing to seek guidance from someone. And in such an event, she was happy to simply provide company as her mind tingled with a hungry curiosity. It was in her nature to be charitable, to help, after all.

She paused, raising her brows just a little as she watched him take a step back, and then proceed to get up, making his assertion about giving things a try. Hm, not very decisive, or perhaps, not the kind of decisive she might have hoped he would be. But alas, he was a poor soul burdened by imperfection. Such was to be expected. She walked by his side, thinking to herself as she imagined how she might help him. In the old days she would have simply lured him to her coven and placed him in the Trials. To break him, so that he could find himself anew. To shave away all of these broken and torn up parts of him away.

But well. That hadn't worked as well as she would have hoped. It WORKED. But it was ....missing something. And truly, it might be in the salvation of this young man that she could find her answers. A light smile crossing her face as his question emerged, asking about what she had meant. A question that made her chuckle softly before gently holding her hands in front of her.

"Ah, did I not use it correctly? I've always thought those terms cute. Stories and their tapestries of wonder. The struggle and pain of life all condensed into something...beautiful and lovely. How a soul comes to finally reach happiness." She noted softly, closing her eyes for a moment before glancing at Van and smiling. "The difference between a Main Character and every other character is the matter of their importance and their development. Normal characters may suffer, they may even die without much consequence. But a main character is someone who rises above such things. Its true....they may suffer and toil more than anyone else. They may truly find themselves in despicable places.... but in the end, that will only make them and their story all the more beautiful and meaningful." She noted lightly, closing her eyes and smiling as she imagined some of her own favorite stories.

She paused, glancing toward Van and smiling. "When I referred to you as a main character, I simply meant that you seemed like someone whose story will be beautiful. Everyone runs out of time, and we all seek to find some meaning in that limited ammount of it we get. I think that yours is simply memorable. I suppose? I guess I'm not very good at explaining these things." She conceded, her expression serene, hardly nervous or sheepish about her own shortcomings.

Hm.
She smiled, gently quirking her head slightly as she made note of his own little outreach of verbose response. That gentle expression maintained even as Van seemed to clearly ....crumple slightly in pain. She paused in her walk, and turned to face him as she watched his harrowing look inward. To see him rake at his own shortcomings, even if she wasn't quite sure....WHAT specifically it was that was eating away at him. But that mattered not. She was here for him, and when he almost caved on himself, she gently reached out, the faintest of touches to his shoulder as she leaned to the side, peeking into his field of view with concern written across her face. Humans were such frail things....

"There's no need to dwell on it if it causes you such pain. We all suffer, but there is such a thing as not being ready." Not .....quite a lie. It was a hypothesis of hers. A result of ....her failures. Wondering if her own suffering had simply happened too early. If those at her side had .......been rushed. Would they be alive? Would she have lost them? Ah....she so detested feeling uncertain. But something about it was ....pleasing. Whenever she strayed and halted from the path of Blissful Truth, The Empty Vessel was there for her. Letting her bask in such temporary reprieve. To remind her that there was no path before her. That her path consisted only of what she made with her own hands.

"Naturally." That gentle smile returned. "As some would say: An Instant of true living. Of love, life, and sadness, is worth eternity staring into the smothering dark nothing." She noted with a far-off glance. Brief wistfulness in her eyes. Before glancing back at him, and chuckling softly, a gentle smile showing across her face. "If you're not feeling well we don't have to continue our walk. Why don't we get something to drink? There's a tea shop nearby. Something to calm your nerves can help considerably." She offered in suggestion. They hadn't really made much progress before he'd had a little incident, so it stood to reason to offer up an alternative.

Ajita sighed lightly as she felt her hand being brushed away. Ah, humans were so troublesome. So very prickly and conflicting. She vaguely wondered to herself what sort of man Van was. Was he worth saving? Not in her own metric of course. As Tathagata the notion was beyond any notion of uncertainty. But were she a human: would she consider him worth saving? Ahhh she could not help but smile, imagining such a thing. The Empty vessel continued to think about such a notion while Purpose listened calmly enough, her two selves split. Nothingness naturally uninterested in the conversation, as Purpose held onto every word. Entertained.

"Hm. But have they?" She ventured with a light tilting of her head at the very notion. That Humans 'adapt and overcome everything'. That certainly didn't seem to be the case. While efforts had been made to push out demons. It had seemed that the Demons had mostly fallen to their own politics and ....whims if nothing else. Infighting. Honor. Had humanity truly 'overcome' them?

"Is it truly so useful to hold ourselves to such a standard? We have seen a lot of war as of late. And so much of humanity has been lost. Have we really overcome these obstacles? I can't help but wonder if perhaps, such sayings are a bit biased." She mused, glancing toward Van and smiling lightly. "I think, perhaps, that diluting individual strength as simply an aspect of one's race is a bit demeaning. Humanity does not overcome. Individual persons do. You are not where you are because you are, or were, a human-" She could sense that strange spiritual energy, not only that but he SPOKE like a human. And well.....demons were so virulent that it wouldn't be surprising if he were a convert. "You are here because you are you." She observed.

And then she smiled, promptly beginning to steer them toward the nearest cafe. Pleased, no doubt, about his accepting of a drink, but also .....intrigued when he returned to that topic. Him being a Main Character.

She blinked, staring at him for a moment before she smiled from ear to ear. "Only now and then! I actually much prefer Animation! Such a far more engaging medium for expression. Reading though.... you must be older than I thought." She chuckled lightly. Naturally, she DID read. However, in these modern times she was born into, there were other venues of information. Did she go through old archived databases? Certainly. But the majority of her information intake was audio/visual, not simply visual.