asgardeventide | 001

[Ayumi bows slightly to the recording before she starts speaking, apparently in her room.]

Greetings everyone, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Ayumi shinozaki, from Kisaragi High. I don't know how many people know about Japan, but that's where I'm from. My hobbies are ghost stories and drawing, and... this is turning out to be a pretty ordinary introduction, isn't it? Well, I know a good way to fix that up.

[And with that, she covers the curtains to her room and pulls out a candle.]

Why don't I tell you all a ghost story, right now! A good idea came to me not too long ago, so I kind of want to try it out as soon as possible.

[And with that, she happily lights the candle, and cuts out the lights.]

So, has anyone around here heard of doppelgangers? It's said that somewhere out there, there's someone that looks exactly like you. According to myths, seeing your doppelganger is an omen of death: That meeting a doppelganger means that it will kill you and take your place.

However, the ones around here work a little differently. If you listen really carefully, you can hear your own voice on the wind. If you follow the source of the voice, you'll come across it: The doppelganger. And then, the doppelganger will steal your voice. No, not merely your voice, but the air itself from your body will be sucked out by it, as though it's eating your soul... And perhaps it is.

So if you hear your own voice singing, calling out to you, don't head towards the voice. If you're foolish enough to investigate it... Well, you can't be saved, can you?

[And with that, she blows out the candle, waits a few minutes, and turns the lights back on, beaming.]

So? What do you think? Not bad, huh?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Don't you need more candles than that, Ayumi-neesan?

Less is better, actually. The key is to keep just one, so all features except the story-teller's face is hidden, which should still be partially covered by the darkness. The key is to encourage the imagination by reducing visual stimulii to a single point.

I was thinking of the gathering of 100 ghostly tales. Do you know it?

Miss.Shinozaki, if you investigate the voice can you really not be saved?

[He is not convinced but it does make him feel uncomfortable.]

That seems a little... mean.

If we're going to do one of those, we're going to need more people. If we're going to do it properly, we actually have to do 108, though.

For the time being, I just felt like sharing a ghost story. though.

Why 108? I don't know that part of the story!

And you definitely did that.

Well, it would be possible, but the window of time to be saved is so slim that it's virtually impossible.

In the end it's probably better not to follow the voice...is what you're saying, right?

Well, it primarily stems from Buddhist roots: The number 108 is highly symbolic: It is one, nothing, and infinity simultaneously, which in turn symbolizes spiritual truth. In essence, each time you tell a ghost story and blow out one of the candles, you are coming closer to the true nature of things. Once the final candle is blown out, those involved are shown the true nature of the world and are temporarily able to interact with spirits.

[And she laughs in response.]

Well, to be perfectly honest, I made most of the story up. Actually, I met someone who had the exact same voice as me, and thought it would make an interesting ghost story.

I'm an idiot.

[Sigh.]

You had me completely fooled.

Did something like that really happen to you? It must have been quite the experience.

that means I did a good job! Part of telling a good ghost story is being able to convince the listeners that it really exists, so that they can take a nice sigh of relief when it turns out it doesn't. Being scared is good for a person.

But no, it was mostly awkward, to be honest.

Edited 2011-12-14 08:29 (UTC)

Ha, learn something new! I always thought that was just something Sonoko invented to scare Ran.

[It had worked too.]

You're really good at it. I was completely immersed in the story and I couldn't help but follow along. Maybe...it can be bad too. It depends.

[Oh...]

Did it feel like you were talking to yourself?

Yeah, there are times when being scared can be bad. Part of these ghost stories is also to help a person be prepared for when you're in a situation where you need to control your fear.

It's... Kind of hard to explain, really. It kind of does, yet at the same time it feels like you're talking to a complete stranger?

Well, if you're just trying to scare someone or for a test of courage, you're probably better of just sticking with a hundred, just to be safe. Being able to interact with spirits goes the other way too, so it's not something that should be done lightly. You'd need to prepare your candles pretty carefully to be safe.

[Never going to Japan never going to Japan oh good lord what is that even--]

That's...pretty creepy. [Really, really creepy. He'd have to keep an eye out for these doppelgangers. With his luck, it certainly sounds like something he'd have to worry about.]

Want to hear one too?

M-My voice...? I... I won't investigate it! I promise!! I never knew there was something like that...!

[The screen is completely obstructed here, oops. But if you were able to see him, you'd see the very strange smile on his face -- in many ways, it's not much of a smile at all.]

That's... a story I've heard before.

It was okay. Could have used more details.

[He nods.]

Sometimes fear can be so great that you can lose your ability to think for yourself.

It's alright. I'm not very good at explanations myself. Words can't always explain things for you.

... Shinozaki-san...

[ Is she really going to go around telling people that Chihaya's her evil doppelganger...? ]

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