Vivian Huang & Jian Er'Ziu
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I have a theory that movies operate on the level of dreams, where you dream yourself." -- Meryl Streep
A soft-spoken woman that already prefers to say as little as possible, Vivian has always been on the fringes, watching other people play out their roles as protagonist of their life. She was content for a long time to simply sit back and watch, but a certain encounter has lead her from Hong Kong to the Ghost Realm and now the Crossroads to find where she truly belongs.
Table of Contents
BackstoryParentage unknown, but it's generally assumed that her mother was a prostitute, seeing as Vivian grew up in a brothel from a young age. She was cared for by employees of various rank and went to nearby schools, but never fit in due to her environment being vastly different from her classmates. After graduating high school, it was only natural that she worked in the place that she grew up. Whether this is out of a sense of filial duty or a lack of inspiration to do anything else with her life, no one ever asked.
In the early days she mostly assisted with housekeeping and bookkeeping, but her presence in the brothel eventually shifted her into the role of merchandise. Most of her work was as an escort, providing clients with conversation or joining them as a beautiful and intelligent side piece, with bedroom activities being part of the package deal.
Work kept her busy, but no matter how intimate she acted or how close she was to the clients, she never fully felt in the moment, simply that a scene was playing out in front of her. This sense of detachment had existed since childhood and as she grew older, she fully distanced herself from others, assigning herself as a humble witness to their plays. This lack of belonging led to her pursuing various stories to see whether they were true or not, and one such story was of a shop that could grant wishes.
Upon finding it, she wished to know where it was that she belonged, only to hear that her parents were possibly still alive, conducting business in the Ghost Realm, a separate plane of existence overlaying the Mortal Realm, where ghosts, monsters, and other terrible things reside. Consequently, she asked to be sent there.
Arriving in the Ghost Realm she quickly discovered that all manner of beings around her saw her as one of them, despite still being alive and very much human. Despite this, she struggled to get by, never encountering a hint of her parents again, and with no knowledge or desire to return home.
She went from surviving to thriving upon meeting with a swordbreaker ghost, who recognized her as part of her parents' lineage and has thus taken her under its wing, where she proved to be an apt study.
After transitioning from a brothel to the Ghost Realm, the Crossroads will be quite the relief. PersonalityDistant and detached, Vivian is nevertheless polite and considerate of those around her. Her lack of presence tends to leave her ignored, but she doesn't mind, content to be a voyeur. Ever since she was little, she feels like there is a thick screen of glass separating her from the world around her, and no matter what happens, even if she is personally or physically involved, she watches.
While she is curious, she usually sates any questions she has about other people by eavesdropping or snooping. While she does not consciously avoid human interaction, she is so used to being disregarded that she usually does not take initiative to talk to others. Despite this distance, she is a good conversationalist due to her work, and is good at figuring out a client's wants so that she may provide better service.
This distance also means that no matter what she witnesses, she is able to take it calmly and proceed carefully. Even pain is not enough to shatter the glass. Violence is not a first or last resort for her, but after her time in the Ghost Realm, it is definitely an option. She prefers to take care of things quietly and avoid open conflict, though. |
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Abilities
Jian: Er'Ziu
Accompanying Vivian is a jian, a weapon made to break enemy blades. The "blade" part is a four-cornered steel rod with a pointed end that acts as an effective blunt weapon; if necessary, it can be flipped around to use the handle as a heavier club. Affectionately referred to as Er'Ziu, it/he has taken Vivian as a protege, and when situations arise that violence is necessary, will take control of her body, relishing in the feeling of a fight. His own personality is a fair bit more vicious than hers, and believes that there is no such thing as overkill, but will honor an enemy's surrender. Er'Ziu is a seasoned warrior who can use even Vivian's body to wield any of eighteen traditional Chinese weapons, ranging from the dao to spear.
Vivian, being a normal person, only carries him and and a hand axe on her person. She also camouflages Er'Ziu by walking with him as a cane, allowing him an element of surprise.
A cord is wrapped around the handle and Vivian's wrist to secure their connection, but control of the body is relinquished if they were to lose contact. He can also only use her body for brief periods of time, since her stamina is average at best.
Occasionally he is allowed possession to sample good alcohol and tea.
Self-Defense & Taoist Arts
Vivian has been trained in basic self-defense techniques, and has a hand axe on her person to act as a backup weapon or if the situation calls for it. She has also learned various in Taoist practices for repelling ghosts and monsters, and is capable of warding areas to be unnoticed by those she does not want to see and protecting herself from a few instances of mortal harm. She is also capable of using talismans to attract ghosts, create small explosions, put mortals to sleep, and may ask for advice on new talismans from Er'Ziu.
Ghost Communication
For some reason or another, ghosts and the undead perceive Vivian as one of their own. She is able to clearly communicate with them with ease, and can even enlist their help if they are willing. However, this does mean that hungry ghosts that prey on weaker ones may try to consume her, which is when the Taoist arts come in handy. It is entirely possible for her to ask them to target a person, with effects ranging from horrible nightmares to an overwhelming sense of dread to feeling like their every movement is weighed by lead or trauma.
Spectral State
Her time in the Ghost Realm has not been kind to her. Roughly 40% of Vivian's body is intangible at any given time, but is concealed by clothing. While this would have more negative impact if she was still a sex worker, Vivian is mostly unbothered by this. If she concentrates, she can focus her condition to a single part of her body, and by controlling the location and intervals, this allows her to pass through physical obstacles. However, the concentration and focus required means that she cannot do this in combat unless she is anticipating an attack (i.e. a bullet to the head after a monologue).
This does mean that attempting to attack Vivi anywhere that doesn't have skin showing has a roughly 40% chance of hitting nothing but her clothes. She avoids controlling this attribute of hers as much as possible since her and Er'Ziu have noted that the condition spreads the more she does.
Strengths
True to her being an escort, Vivian is quick to figure out a person's wants and desires and how to capitalize on them. She's very patient, and her lack of presence makes stalking to gather information easy, even without her spectral form. Even if she is taken by surprise, Er'Ziu is quick to respond, and Vivian can quickly keep her composure after that. She is also not above seeking the help of others, with no regard for pride. Once she has set her mind to something, she will see it through as far as she can.
Weaknesses
As much as she has trained, most of what Vivian is used to is social situations, ghosts, and demons. Her Spectral State means that she has limited control of her ability to pass through things, and over time her body is degrading and she is becoming a ghost. Ultimately, she is not a combatant, relying on Er'Ziu to take care of such matters. Even so, her body is only so strong, meaning that she either must end things quickly or stay on the back foot, playing passive to lure her opponents into their end credits.
Gallery
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Author's Notes
- Er'Ziu roughly translates to "Little Pepper". Vivian calls him this since he has a "spicy personality".
- Taoist arts are also used for smaller things such as hygiene and mending her clothes.
- She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean. None of these helped when trying to understand Er'Ziu's archaic manner of speaking.