A river burbled nearby. There was a chattering like birdsong. Despite the tranquil sounds, Kimihito knew where he was—on the banks of the Sanzu River, where only the dead or dying could go. “Ungh, Lala…!” He sat up abruptly as he fully regained consciousness.
As he did, he realized that his head had been lying on her lap. In the world of the living, she’d been wearing nurse’s whites. Her current outfit was clearly still a nurse’s uniform but changed, customized to her personality. She was still in a healing mood, then.
“You don’t have to kill me every time you want to tell me something important,” he grumbled.
“I can’t get the words right if I don’t say it here!” She averted her eyes as her face turned red.
By “here,” she meant the afterlife—or, to be more precise, the boundary between life and death. Whenever Lala had to discuss something important and couldn’t get past her difficulty speaking, she’d bring him to the riverside.
Of course, despite his best efforts, Kimihito had more than his fair share of near-death experiences. He was becoming familiar—if not comfortable—with this place. Whenever he returned to life and left, he’d forget what happened, only to remember on his next visit.
These were rare opportunities to hear what Lala was really thinking. “What did you want to talk about?” he asked.
“Um.” As a dullahan, a liminal who styled herself as a guardian of the dead, she was in her element. She could be more straightforward here than in the living world, but it didn’t make her outright confident. No matter how relaxed and in her element she felt, she was still Lala. “I—I just wanted tae soothe ye as the other girls have,” she said.
“By trying to kill me?”
“You’ll get better!”
“Hmph. Fine. What’s done is done.” They’d been through this routine a few times now. She was right, it didn’t have any lasting consequences, and he was always revived without any trouble. His ambivalence to being killed was part of what made him so popular with liminals… He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “Has coming here given you any ideas?”
“In this world ye’re just yer soul. Doppel and Suu tended tae yer body, so I thought I’d do something spiritual instead.”
“I see…” It was a soothing place, with a clear sky, the delicate murmur of the river, and a field of flowers stretching in every direction. If he weren’t just a soul, he’d suggest a picnic. “How does that work, though?”
“I am a dullahan: guardian of souls, shepherd of souls, shaper of souls.”
“R-really?” he asked. What did that even mean?
This was Lala’s world, Kimihito was just un-living in it, so he had to trust she could do whatever she was planning. “First,” she said and tugged her head off with an audible pop. As ever, she treated it like an object. “Take me head.”
“Okay?” He took it from her. Though he was sure it’d look ghoulish to others, he was used to it. Was it bad he’d gotten used to it?
Her headless body sat next to him.
“I took your head,” he said.
“Mm-hmm,” she said.
“What do we do now?”
She didn’t reply. He peeked curiously at the head in his arms and discovered…she was sleeping. Lala’s head rested on Kimihito’s lap and breathed deeply, eyes closed tight.
“H-hey, Lala! Wake up!”
“Huh?” She woke with a start. “I wasn’t sleeping. I dinna fall asleep.”
“Then what was that? Wasn’t I supposed to be the one relaxing?”
“Yer arms were so comfortable I dozed a bit. However, this is a land of spirits, where it is impossible to ‘sleep’.”
“Then what were you doi—”
“It was an illusion,” she said. “Just hold me. Please.”
“O-okay.”
“Um…how is it?”
“How’s what?”
“Isn’t it soothing? Like holding a plush toy?” There was a triumphant look on her face.
“A plush toy? Really?”
“Are ye not soothed?” Her triumph was replaced with sadness.
“Um…of course it’s soothing! Your cheeks are so soft and huggable, like a mascot character!” A severed head mascot character sounded unlikely, but he didn’t want to upset her.
“Hold me as long as you like, then.”
“Thanks.”
“As fer me body…” It leapt to its feet in surprise, like a soldier called to attention. “How ’bout a dance?” As she spoke, her body did an awkward, dance-like shuffle. It looked a bit like a marionette being pulled around against its will. It was obvious she wasn’t used to dancing.
“Not if you don’t want to!” he said to her body.
The body paused, its limbs slack, and then dropped back onto the grass beside him. It seemed like, despite being part of the same person, her head and body each had minds of their own. “Ye know, yer a very special person, Kimihito,” she said.
“Hm?”
“Your soul never tires. Perhaps there’s some weariness, but it powers through, too committed tae others tae ever let itself rest. Weren’t ye exhausted after all those nights with Miia and the others?”
“A bit, but it was a lot of fun, so I didn’t notice. I didn’t want to miss any of it.”
“How’m I supposed tae heal ye, though, if there’s nothing tae heal?” she said forlornly.
“Maybe it’s not obvious,” he said, “but this is healing.” Except for… “I wish I didn’t have to have a near-death experience to come here.”
“Oh. I’m sorry about that.”
She might act out, but she always apologizes. Lala’s such a kind girl, thought Kimihito. “It doesn’t seem to cause any damage. In fact, when I wake up, it’s kinda refreshing. Isn’t visiting the countryside supposed to be good for your health?”
“True.”
It had been a busy few days. Miia, Papi, Centorea, Suu, Mero, and Rachnera…everyone did their best for the pilot program. Lala, too. Maybe all their efforts were for a boring, bureaucratic purpose, but they’d made it a special experience. It didn’t matter that he was tired. He was just grateful he’d been there.
“But I’m kinda surprised, Lala, that you’re interested in something as mundane as a work experience.”
“I am nae,” she said immediately. Here, in her own space, she could be honest with him. The real Lala was kinder than she seemed but also colder somehow. “However, I made a promise.”
“A promise?”
“Yes. We all did. A promise to help ye. Ye are very loved,” she said.
“Really?” Kimihito asked. He hadn’t noticed. Suddenly, in that moment, he realized what Miia and the other girls had been planning. “Everyone said they wanted to do the work experience program so they could buy clothes and stuff—but some of them mentioned other plans, too. Do you know anything about that, Lala?”
“Maybe ye’ve figured it out, but I’d prefer not tae ruin the surprise.”
“I’ll pretend not to know, then,” he said with a smile.
Whatever he realized in this world would be forgotten the moment he woke. Any guesses he made here, whether they were right or not, wouldn’t matter soon anyway.
“Ahh,” Lala sighed, “it’s about time.”
“For me to leave?”
“Ye’ll wake naturally.”
Just as she said it, he started to feel sleepy. He was about to revive from his near-death experience. It’d happened before. He didn’t doubt it’d happen again.
“Always cuddling up to someone, eh?” Lala murmured.
His eyes fluttered. Though her head was in his hands, it sounded much farther away. The burble of the river subsided. The field, and his field of vision, filled with mist.
“Ye’re such a warm person. I’d like tae stay close to you,” she said. Her voice was no louder than a whisper. Adrift, lost between two worlds, he’d almost passed on when…
Lala’s body pulled him back onto her lap. He felt himself recline into her. Her lap was so soft. “Don’t forget. After ye die, yer soul belongs tae me.”
He couldn’t understand her words, but he recognized the excitement in her voice.
“It’s up tae ye tae enjoy yer remaining time on earth.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Master! Master!”
“Hey, Buddy, you okay?”
Voices echoed around him. When he opened his eyes, two green and tan blurs stood over him. They resolved into two girls who leapt into his arms. “Wh—?! Suu! Doppel!”
“Finally! You were passed out cold on the floor!” Doppel shouted.
He looked around. Suu prodded at him in concern, fingertips squishing like jelly.
“What happened?” he asked. He remembered drinking coffee milk and…then nothing. He didn’t know why he’d collapsed.
“You okay, Master? Your body’s not weird?” Suu asked.
“No, it’s…it’s fine,” he said. Despite falling on a tiled floor, he didn’t have any cuts or bruises, and he felt refreshed. “No pain, no stress, no injuries. Must’ve been your massage, Suu.”
“Really? Really true?”
“Really.” He stood and flexed his shoulder in a circle. He meant to show how well he was feeling, but Suu’s worried expression didn’t change at all.
“So what, you just got tired and fell asleep?” Doppel asked, skeptical.
“Yeah, that’s probably it,” he said. “I must’ve just been really relaxed after everything you both did.”
“Hey now.” The compliment made the concern on her face change into a grin. “Don’t think flattery’ll get you another round, y’know?”
Suu finally smiled, too.
“You.” It was a soft, severe voice—Lala had crept up on them without a sound. “How fare ye?”
“Lala…? I’m fine. What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I have long since tired of this outfit. Let us depart these blinding halls for darker realms,” Lala said.
Doppel seemed sick of the outfit, too. “Yeah, let’s get changed and roll out. Home time! And you get some real sleep, Buddy, I was worried you’d hit your head.”
“But I feel fine…” he mumbled.
He felt Lala’s gaze on him for a moment, but as he turned to meet it, she avoided him.
Kimihito wasn’t sure what that meant. Although…before Doppel and Suu woke him, he might’ve seen her face in his dreams.
“Master, home,” Suu said, holding his hand. Her grip was soft and cool, and he smiled when he felt it.
He didn’t remember what had happened while he was asleep, but whatever it was, it had taken the last bit of tension from him. Both his body and soul were at peace. That he awoke so refreshed proved it was time well spent.