VOICE TEST

[dismemberthename]

[Whatever circumstances put you into this situation must have really sucked, because right now? You're basically in the middle of nowhere, with heavy snowfall verging on a blizzard, with no reliable way out of this mess. There's no sign of shelter anywhere, and you're in the mountains for fuck's sake. Maybe you can find some trees to hang out under...?

...Are those wolves howling? Seriously, why are even wolves out in this weather?]

((or you know whatever you wanna play follow your dreams))

Comments

[dismemberthename]

Do what you want. But if you hurt him, I'll kill you.

[was_no_mononoke]

You don't hurt the kodama, I won't hurt either of you. ...Th' forest'll do what it wants, but y'don't seem stupid enough t' be careless.

[dismemberthename]

Kodama? [Sudoh would know what he meant, but Shut Hell doesn't have access to his knowledge the way he does hers.]

[was_no_mononoke]

Tree spirits. Tree gets old enough, it gets a heart.

[dismemberthename]

. . .

[was_no_mononoke]

[ sighs and sort of. grabs the front of his shirt to shake it and then tug the collar out. something in there makes a sort of squeaking chattering chirp and—

what pokes its head out to give Shut Hell a dubious once-over looks like someone took a cardinal's face and wings and stuck them on a squirrel; it's got little paws on the wing wrists and ruffled feathers where the cloth rubbed them the wrong way. it's also not all there, pale and washed out compared to everything around it. ]

Like this. The ones here'd look different.

[dismemberthename]

[This is so weird. You know this is weird, right?] ...I see no reason to harm such a thing.

[was_no_mononoke]

[ LOOK AT YOURSELF. NOW LOOK BACK TO ME. ]

Then we're fine. They're th' neighbors I was askin' 'bout.

[ the thing starts making more of those weird mashed-up noises—bird-wind-squirrel-cracking branches—at Daisuke in what is clearly some sort of diatribe; he huffs at it and tugs his collar back up over it, at which point it vanishes to all appearances. ]

[dismemberthename]

[she nods.] You can call him back, right? They'll miss him, if you leave it like this. [Sudoh doesn't crush her when he's in control, but her presence certainly does it to him.]

[was_no_mononoke]

Uh huh. What's his name?

[dismemberthename]

His name is Sudoh.

[was_no_mononoke]

Thanks.

[ bowing to her— properly, if shallow. ]

Hey, Sudoh, wake up.

[ rather than the huge press of power he'd used to make sure he'd gotten Shut Hell's attention, this time it's more like a friendly nudge. Sudoh's a bro, he doesn't need to be impressed. ]

[dismemberthename]

[it takes a moment, but her (checked) ferocity fades, and his eyes widen.] ...Huh??

[was_no_mononoke]

Welcome back.

[dismemberthename]

[looks out the cave mouth- it's a blizzard out? again? how long has he been out?] Uh. How long have we been here?

[was_no_mononoke]

Coupl'a minutes? Not long.

[dismemberthename]

[suddenly Sudoh's voice is very strained, his mouth dry. he's definitely looking at Daisuke like he's grown a second head.] What?

[was_no_mononoke]

[ leans back on his hands again, looking faintly smug ]

Not long. She wanted me t' wake y' up after so your pack wouldn't miss you.

[dismemberthename]

...You really can just call us out whenever...

[was_no_mononoke]

Dealin' with spirits's part of my job.

[dismemberthename]

[sure! why the fuck not!!] Your job.

[was_no_mononoke]

[ gestures at his antlers, which are now studded with tiny leaf buds ]

Or duty. Whatever y' wanna call it.

[dismemberthename]

What... exactly is your job? Or duty.

[was_no_mononoke]

Forest kami.

[dismemberthename]

[.....i guess this is my life now.] Cool.