Cultivation

“So, this is one of those wacky occult stores, eh,” muttered the miniscule creature of black. His bestial hands found themselves pressed against the store’s window, face looming just before its translucent surface. The motherly shed of their heaven-bound star spilled throughout the city with a luminescence warm and waning. Evening descended upon the occupants of East City. Dimitri reclaimed a hand before pressing it against his solar plexus. Eyes of a ceaseless dark narrowed ever-so slightly, briefly, as the same inexplicable heat that plagued him in days past remerged.

“Urgh…whatever you are…” he began as he turned his attention towards his fur-paved belly, ever-still clutched by his hand, “I can only force you this far.” Long since had he speculated he was maturing as a demon. Perhaps the occasional appearance of this heat was some kind of sign or key to progressing further. A shame he held absolutely no idea if this were the truth nor what to do if it were. Once again, this tepid flavour evanesce back within the murky depths of his interior.

…You…Merchant…

A woman fashioned in a manner of dress earthly in no sense of the word rose with widened eyes slowly. No longer did she fumble with a boxed assortment of stones. Instead, her eyes scanned the scarce interior of the store. “Who’s there?” Cliché, but such would be her response. There was no doubt she was not aware of her presence, such a fact humorous in itself. By appearances alone, one would think such an individual would have a speckling of spiritual awareness. Dimitri stood directly in front of her, stationed casually upon the counter top. He would continue his mental projections.

A spirit. I’m speaking into your mind. Perhaps the most humorous part was the truth behind his words. His imperceptible face beamed with amusement. I need your help.

“A spirit..? Could it be? Finally…I’ve waited so long for this!” The chubby woman was clearly ecstatic, ostensibly both heedless and uncaring for the eyes she was attracting. The yokai’s leg now dangled nonchalantly over an elevated knee. He would now be found positioned on his back, gazing moonily at the ceiling overhead.

I’ll reveal my presence, but first I’ll need your assistance. Do you have anything that may aid me in cultivating latent energies?

“Y-yes! OF course, but…to think a spirit would need help with such a thing! It can’t be true!”

Silence. When it proved to persist for too long, the woman started up once more. “I didn’t mean to offend, of course!” Immediately, she moved from the counter and towards another portion of the store. Dimitri’s eye followed afterwards until It became too troublesome to continue. She returned shortly, brandishing some kind of crystal necklace to where she figured the spirit might be – she was off by a significant margin.

“This here…is Citrine. It balances energies and aligns your chakras with the ethereal plane, activates and opens the navel and solar plexus chakras, even energizes the root chakra and stimulates crown chakra! This should surely help accompanied by some meditation.”

…Ah. Dimitri hesitated. Miraculously, the crystal left her grasp and floated down towards the stores entrance. She watched with a flux of amazement and surprise as did many others.

“See?! See?! They’re real! Spirits ARE real after all!” she pleaded as the stores occupants continued to watch the seemingly possessed stone drift out of the store.