Night of the living voice-tests (literally)

[jumpsinline]

Hwah? You're "thrilled" about wanting to put me in that city?

...no, I don't know about any "time warp".

And I don't get why you keep playing that song over and over again while laughing. Is it supposed to be funny?

Comments

[higan_retour]

That might be true, but it still wouldn't tell you what they're thinking.

[jumpsinline]

Not unless you understood squishy sounds.

Which I don't.

[ Blinking. ] Hey. Who're you?

[higan_retour]

...

[No, she won't correct that. It probably wasn't worth it.]

I'm Komachi, a shinigami. Actually I'm the Sanzu River's ferryman.

[jumpsinline]

[ Yoshika looks around quickly. ] I don't see a boat.

[higan_retour]

My boat isn't here, the river isn't here either....

[jumpsinline]

Whoa, how did you know what my next question was going to be?

[higan_retour]

It was a lucky guess.

[jumpsinline]

Is that what a "shinigami" is? A good luck charm?

[ Yoshika reaches up and palms her bare forehead. ] ...I feel like I'm missing something.

[higan_retour]

No... a shinigami is someone who works under the Yama and tends to the souls of the dead.

You seem to be missing your charm, so I guess right now you're a living human.

[jumpsinline]

That's pretty rude! Saying that I'm not charming. We just met!

[higan_retour]

No no, the thing that should be on your forehead.

[jumpsinline]

[ Yoshika stares blankly for a long moment. ]

Oh! I get it, now. [ And she is so proud of herself! ]

...did you see where it went?

[higan_retour]

No, but I think it's gone for now.

[jumpsinline]

I hope it wasn't important.

But it's easier to see without it, so that's good.

[higan_retour]

For now I don't think it is, considering you're alive.

[jumpsinline]

That's a silly thing to say. I can't die, so I can't be alive, either!

[higan_retour]

Where your statement is almost true, it's not quite right. You can't die because you're not really alive, your body was once alive, but not anymore. For some reason your body is now alive again.

[jumpsinline]

...
...
...
I don't get it.

How do you know so much about my body? Did we meet before?

[higan_retour]

Nope, but I know what Jiang Shi are, and I know who you are. I might not pay the best attention to stuff but it's still my job to be somewhat aware of what's going on when it concerns life and death.

[jumpsinline]

That's good that you know! Then you know what my job is, right?

...... could you tell me? I forgot.

[higan_retour]

I guess the charm binds them to their master...?

To work for your master, I can't be more specific than that.

[jumpsinline]

Oh! Of course! I remember now! There was—

There ... was...




Dirt.

[higan_retour]

I'm sure there was at some point.

[jumpsinline]

I mean a LOT of dirt. [ Yoshika raises her hands above her head. ] Alllll around me.

And then— [ She stares at her arms. ] And then... [ She bends them at the elbow and it is then that she looks like she's seen a ghost. ] AAAAH!

[higan_retour]

Well... I did just say you used to be dead. That's pretty normal for dead people. And living people are flexible.