[Zhongli launching himself with a pillar is such a good mental image tho.]

[He nods, petting one of the arukibake in the head, as the one atop his own flops onto it's back and aimlessly kicks its little leggies.]

They're called arukibake -- a type of creature called Ayakashi. Usually ayakashi are a little dangerous, but the ones in Nara tend to be pretty peaceful. Elsewhere, even looking at some of them can curse you.

[He hesitates for a moment, wondering whether to leave it at that. But as he notices the way the closest arukibake seem to nuzzling against him, he figures there's no sense in not mentioning it -- no doubt he'd hear about it sooner or later anyway.]

But these guys... they tend to follow people who've recently been depressed or lonely. So I think they're some of the nicer ones.