Livingstone 2

Livingstone, Chapter 2 (Weekly Morning, No. 36 & 37, 2009)


<1>
Souls—The source of life,
Our minds,
And the controllers of our destiny.

[left of logo ghost]This is a slightly shifted reality.
[below logo]The second installment of the new series that asks, "What is the soul?"

Chapter 2: A Waste of Justice


<2>
WHOOSH


<3>
[x2]=HUFF
[margin below frame]This is a fictitious work. Any semblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

=...It wasn't your fault...

=...But,


<4>
=It wasn't my fault, either...

=*whimper..*


<5>
=Our line of work is pretty special.

=I can't say it pays well,//But we've got just as much worth and responsibility as the Pope.

=We handle "souls."
TRRRR

="Souls" have a lifespan of 5000 years, and are passed on from person to person during that time. We have the important duty of ensuring their safety.


<6>
[bubble]CLICK...

=But gosh... Where the heck did Amano go?
=Is that your new partner?

=What's he like?
=Hmm—

=Hasn't Mr. Tokieda told you, Kae?
=People like Amano who get sent over for the job are different from us.

=They don't have "souls."


<7>
=They have no memories from when they were human,
=And I've heard they get something else put inside of them that isn't a soul.
=Like they exist just to carry out their work.

=I guess it means they can't understand people's feelings.
CRUSH

=They get involved with other people like it's nothing.
WHAP

=Even though there's the risk of upsetting your own "plan" if you interfere with other people's lives.
[x2]*mumble*


<8>
=*pfft*

=Sounds like you don't have very many friends, Mr. Sakurai.
=What!?//Even I have lots of—

Only new years greetings I got this year,
Were advertisements, huh—

=...F-Friends...
*mumble*
=I mean, that whole thing about upsetting your "plan" sounds like an excuse.//You just don't want to get hurt by getting involved with other people.

=How do you expect to grow without getting hurt?

Whoa...
=That's... Really deep...

=Hmph.
=I bet my soul is way more experienced than yours, Mr. Sakurai.


<9>
=I'm not a little baby who refuses to eat pickles.
=Uck.

But they're so sour though...
=...I wonder how old my soul is.
Welcome—
=Probably around adolescence or something.//When kids lock themselves in their rooms.

=...Dang.

[x2]CLICK


<10>
[x4]ZZ

PSHHH—

[x3]=GREE


<11>
WHAP

=Piece o' cake.
ROLL..
=...Hey.

=...Do you have any idea what you're doing?


<12>
=—Yeah, the soul broke because there was an "unplanned" accident, and it became a "stain."//So I cleaned it up.
=Are those flowers what you call an offering?

=It's pointless.
=That person isn't here anymore. They're dead.


<13>
RABBLE

=The growth of the soul, huh...
[x2]RABBLE
=But getting involved with other people doesn't do any...

=...I knew it doesn't do any good...!!

=U-Umm...!
=Can you please let him off the hook!


<14>
=Who the hell are you...? You've got nothing to do with this.
=Oh... Well... Umm...
=That's... My younger brother.

=Wow, you really got beaten up.//Does it hurt?
Uhh—
=Nope, not really.


<15>
=I just have an odd feeling in my right arm.
=Yeah, that's called being hurt!

=I'm sorry.

=I got a bit... Carried away.
BOW
=Oh no, I'm sorry for what my brother did.

[keep typo]=I don't have an older brothe—
WHUP

=...I also have a troublesome younger brother,
=Well, we hardly ever said hi to each other once we became adults...

=Isn't that normal?//Getting too involved doesn't do any good either.
=Right,//I felt the same way.


<16>
=But if you don't get involved,
=You end up regretting it anyways.

=Once they die... There's nothing you can do.
=No matter how many flowers you give,//It's too late... Right?

=...I see...//I'm really, terribly sorry...
=...No,//You were exactly right.


<17>
=He's not there anymore.
=He's dead.

=...Sorry about hitting you.

=Souls that fail to fulfill their "plan" due to an unexpected accident, break apart into pieces...
=Places that are stained by the pieces of the Livingstone carry negative energy, leading to other unplanned accidents.//Cleaning those "stains" is also part of our job.


<18>
="...But Amano, we always have to work together.//It's a rule, okay?"
=So annoying.

=Look!//It's more annoying when you do a job by yourself and end up getting beaten up!
Please take this seriously!
=I gave you my old cellphone, remember!? Answer my calls!

=Piece of crap.
TOSS
DOO—M

=Anyways, forget about that.
=This is weird.

=That guy from before...


<19>
=A blotchbeast...?

=I purged the "stains" on the guardrail,//And I collected the Livingstone. I didn't make any mistakes.
RATTLE
=But there was a blotchbeast clinging to that guy's body.

=You know what that means?

=Wow, you're stupid.//It means that guy walked by another "stain" somewhere around here.
=Gosh, take your job seriously,//Big brother!


<20>
TRRRR
BBT BBT

=Yo.
[black bubble]PIP
=What's up, Sakurai.

=Who are you calling?
=Mr. Arima.//He's the detective that helps us out with our work, remember?

=Just wanted to know if anything's been going on around 2nd Street of XX Town in Shinjuku.
=Have there been any incidents recently? Like an accidental death?

=Hmm...
[x2]CLAT CLAT


<21>
=...//You better keep this under wraps.
*whisper*
=The police aren't supposed to trust occult people like you.//If it's a case, then don't stick your head in. Leave it to the state.

=Yeah, I know.
=And?

=The investigation's been called off on the grounds that he probably just took off,
=But 2 weeks ago, there was a search request put in for an 18-year old runaway kid.

=He was last seen working at the construction site on the corner of the intersection before he went missing.


<22>
=There it is...

=CLICK//CLICK


<23>
[x2]CLICK
[screen]Redial//No. 27//Work: Yamada//0907

=BEE.. BEE—P BEE—P//BEE—P
=...He blocked the number...
=Shit...!

ZUP...

=...Why'd we wait until nighttime?//It's hard to see.
ZUP
=It's better if nobody's around.
=There's a risk of upsetting your own "plan" if you get involved in other people's business.//Always be calm, and...


<24>
=WOOF
GONK
=WHOAA!//AHH!
UCK

SHH—
=No, that was definitely you.

=What's wrong with this dog...?
OWW
GRR—
=It's so gaunt, and...

GRRRR...

=Oh.


<25>
=There's the "stain."

=There...? Is the dog... Protecting it?
=Dunno.
[x2]CLICK

FLASH


<26>
=Who are you?

ZUP..

=Oh... Hello there.
=A steel pipe...? This can't be normal...

=You... What are you doing here?
[x2]WOOF
=You're not from the health center, are you?//...Trying to give a stray dog something to eat...?

=Uhh... Yes, that's about right.
[x2]WOOF
=...//Can't have you doing that...

ZUP...


<27>
WHACK
=RARR...!

=This is bad...!

=I'm sorry, we just got lost and wandered in here.//We'll be going now, so—

BSHHH—
=—A-Amano!

=What the fuck are you doing!!?
[x2]=WOOF
=Uck... Uh... A-Art! It's graffiti art, right? Amano?


<28>
=Well, yeah.

Why so
Proud?

=Sorry we'll pay for the damages...//I mean, we'll erase it.
[x4]WOOF
=You gotta be kidding me!

=You guys are fucking criminals!
GRIP
=I'm gonna call the police on you!

=Huh?

=Aren't you the one who doesn't want the police coming over?


<29>
=Oh... Shoot, I said it.
=How...//How much do you know...!?

=WO...

WHAP
=Nothing.


<30>
=We're just here to clean up the stains of a person's death.

=AHHHH!
=Amano, you idiot—!

=It wasn't...!
GRIT
=My fault...!

=But...!


<31>
=There's no going back now—!
GONK

=Amano!


<32>
=Huh?
=What.

=Wha...? Wh-Why...!?

=Huh? Ohh.
=It doesn't hurt.//Maybe 'cause I don't have a soul?

ZUP...
=Wha...


<33>
=What the hell are you guys...!?

=It's hard to explain, but...//We're not from the police, or anything like that.

=Please give me 1 minute.
SQUEAK
=Amano, hand me the Livingstone... I have to see.

RATTLE

GRIT


<34>
BLIT

=See the memory of this soul...


<35>
=These aren't the memories...
=The memory of his death is—

=Hey, part-timer.


<36>
=Leave it for tomorrow—
=It's getting dark. It's dangerous.

=Alright. I'm just going to bring this thing down.
=Thanks man.

=No problem.

SLIP


<37>
THUD
RATTLE RATTLE

=...A young man,


<38>
PHEW...
=He lost his footing...

=Right around there.
=You were working down below.

=...How did you know...?//Were you watching...?

=Well... Yes, sort of.
=Actually, I saw it just now, but...
=...That was just an accident.

=It wasn't your fault.


<39>
CLANG

=...AH
=AH...AH...

=...I didn't have a choice...

GARUCK
=Good work—

=...I'm sorry, Mr. Yamada.
=There was... An accident.


<40>
=Oh, really?
[x2]SHUFF
=How bad?

=...The kid we hired for the day... He's gone.

=...We actually don't offer insurance to day laborers.
=Huh?
=...That's not good.

=...Who else is left?
=...I'm the only one.


<41>
=Let's keep this a secret between the two of us.

[bubble]*whimper*

=But...

=The insurance is my responsibility.//But you were the one on the scene, Mr. Takabe.
[x2]CLACK
=You have a family too, don't you?//Are you gonna be able to pay for the damages?


<42>
=Don't worry, it happens every now and then.

=I buried the body...//In the mountains.

=...You're gonna call the police?

SCRATCH
=Heck no. That would be annoying.//Our job here is done.

=You just went along with the company's cover-up, right?//I don't think you'll get a hefty sentence if you turn yourself in.
=Well,//Not that anyone would ever find out if you left it like this.

=You're not... Going to do anything...?


<43>
=...No... Nothing...

=...We can't make decisions about right and wrong.

=Human values are constantly shifting, and what we deem righteous may end up destroying a person's life.
=Our only standard is to "Not harm the soul."


<44>
=...But I...

=...No,//It's... Over.
=I've... Got to turn myself in.//I can't keep thinking, "It wasn't my fault."

=Accident or not,//...I got myself involved.
=A person died.//And I chose to do "nothing," so I...


<45>
=But if you don't get involved,
=You end up regretting it anyways.

=What about me...?

WOOF

[x2]WOOF


<46>
WOOF

=Hey,//Can you lend me your phone?
=I wanna call my boss,//But he blocked my number.

[keep typo]=...Yes, no proble—

[x2]CLICK

=...Go ahead.


<47>
BBBT

=Hello, Yamada.//...Oh, Mr. Takabe.
=Huh!?//Turning yourself in?

RATTLE
*sigh...*
=...Alright alright, look.

=You were the one on the scene, right Mr. Takabe?//And you were also the one who got rid of the body, correct?

=B-But, you told me to hide it!
=I did, but there's no evidence to prove that.


<48>
=...A person died...!
=It's just a part-timer. There's plenty of replacements.

=So what if he's dead.
[screen]Connected//03:54
=You're gonna ruin my life just so you can turn yourself in and have a clear conscience?

=Please try to refrain from bringing down the company with your worthless sense of justice.
=Alright, that's all.

PLICK

=...Shit.

[x3]TZZ—


<49>
=...He hung up.//Here you go.

=...What're you gonna do, mister?

=...Evidence or no evidence, this is my problem.
=...I'm gonna turn myself in.

=...Umm,
=Please, take this.

=I recorded that conversation just now.
=Sorry about not telling you...


<50>
=You can do that!? With that piece of crap!?
Wow—
=...Amano.
I'm gonna punch you...

=Dude...

=...I ended up getting involved.
=So I can't just back and watch.

=Getting involved with other people, huh...
=Wonder if I did the right thing...

=WOOF


<52>
=Several days later—

[sign]Criminal Investigation Department

GLOT

=Here, the cellphone we were keeping as evidence.
=The suspect turned himself in, so we don't need it anymore.


<53>
=...What's wrong?

=90% of your life is predetermined.
=That, is the "plan."


<54>
=If the "plan" is disrupted, the soul is harmed.
=The important part is connecting the soul to the next world.//It's not about right and wrong in the world we're living in.

=I already know all that.

=...I see,
=That's kind of... Sad.

=Yeah.//I didn't think he was a bad person...

=But...

=Like he said,//I think I would've regretted it if I hadn't gotten involved.
=...I'm not really sure what the soul is...


<55>
=But it's probably what gives a person their heart, and their feelings.//And I... Want to make the most of that.

=...Huh?//You ate them?

=Ohh.

=This sourness is nothing compared to the bitterness of life!
=Look...

=I said you're still a kid 'cause you're talking life based on pickles!

[right text]Difficulties of the job. Taken with a side of sourness.

Chapter 2 / End
Watch out for another color release in the next issue!