AMONG MIST • GI (REWRITE)

01

CHAPTER ONE ; Am I Dead?

══════════════════

"Hellloooooo? Are you dead?" A cheery voice chimed. The voice sounded as though it came from above.

"GET AWAY FROM MASTER [Y/N], YOU WRETCHED GIRL! CAW!"

An 'ouch' was heard coming from the feminine voice, followed by a weight on your chest.

"NO ONE TOUCHES MASTER [Y/N] WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION! CAW! I'LL BITE YOU AGAIN IF YOU TRY IT!"

"But I can help if they're dead! That's my entire job, y'know?" The girl giggled to herself as the cawing creature made a huffing sound.

"YOU NEED TO FIND ANOTHER CAREER PATH! MY MASTER IS CLEARLY BREATHING YOU IDIOT!"

"Is that right?" The mystery voice, "Well, that gash isn't going to heal itself, Miss Feral Crow. Mind if I take a look at your 'master'?"

The 'Miss Feral Crow' gasped in offence, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING FERAL WHEN YOU'RE CREEPING AROUND IN A DARK FOREST!? GO AWAY! CAW! CAW! MASTER [Y/N] CUT HER DOWN! CUT HER DOWN! CAW!"

You opened your eyes to the scene and saw the crow attacking a girl by pulling on her long hair.

"MY NAME IS GINKO! CAW! BETTER REMEMBER IT BEFORE YOU BECOME ACTUALLY BLIND, GIRL!" The crow screeched as the girl flailed, though she had a smile on her face.

The girl turned towards you, noticing the sudden movement of you sitting up.

"Ah! You're alive! What a shame!"

"CAAAAAW!? HOW DARE Y—"

She grabbed the crow and swiped it away from her, skipping towards you with a smile.

"The dictionary should be here any minute. He's gone to get a doctor for you. We thought we found a corpse, and the crow was eating you!"

Said crow stomped on the ground towards the girl.

"CAW! I. AM. GINKO! CAW!"

"Right! I am Hu Tao, the 77th director of the Wusheng Funeral Parlour, and I am always looking for clients. Are you interested?"

"No."

Hu Tao gave a pained look as she clutched where her heart would be.

"So blunt! Words can hurt, you know."

"GOOD! CA—"

"I assume you are 'Master [Y/N]' since Ginko over there wouldn't shut up about you. She kept nipping at my fingers whenever I tried to check your pulse!"

"Hmm? Master? Who's that?"

"CAW! YOU ARE [Y/N] [L/N], MASTER! THOUGH REGULAR PEOPLE LIKE HER SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ALLOWED TO BREATHE THE SAME AIR AS YOU! CAW!"

"Nice to meet you, [Y/N]!" She plopped onto the grass next to you. Her eyes were unlike anything you had seen before (or at least from what you could recall).

"How'd you end up in this situation? Did a boar hit you in the head or something?"

You tilted your head in thought, trying to remember how exactly you got here.

"Can't remember."

She pouted as she studied you.

"Man, it must've gotten you good for you to not even remember your name!" She jested as she patted your back.

"CAW! IT WAS NOT A BOAR! IT WAS A SCARY WOMAN! WE WERE ATTACKED BY A SCARY WOMAN WHO SHOT CUBES AT US! CAW!"

She hummed, and surprisingly, she seemed to believe it to be plausible.

"You do look foreign judging from your clothes; where are you from?"

"I'm from... Japan. I think."

She tilted her head in confusion.

"Japan? Where's that? Is that like some hidden island or something? ARE THERE LOTS OF CLIENTS?"

"Hu Tao, please stop bombarding an injured person with questions." A deep voice interrupted the onslaught of questioning.

Following where the voice came from, you were met with a striking-looking man with another by his side.

They both had long hair, though one of them had a snake around his neck.

that feels... familiar.

As they approached, the girl hopped up onto her feet with a disappointed look.

"It was just out of curiosity, Mr. Zhongli! Nothing coming out of their mouth makes any sense at all! And their crow is MEAN!"

"MEAN? WHY YOU LITTLE!" Ginko hopped onto your shoulder as the man with green hair and a snake on his neck approached with a bowl and herbs.

"Hello there, what might your name be?"

"I am Master [Y/N]."

"CAW! THAT'S NOT YOUR NAME, MASTER! CAW!"

══════════════════

✓