[ river almost laughs as they head back to the room like misbehaving children fleeing the scene of a crime. eddie's antics are as entertaining as the first time they met. she imagines the assistant won't be very happy with them, nor any of the other morgue staff that watched her enter a room unauthorized and take something.

but this is important to her. and as much as her overall demeanor has improved, the voices are still there in her head. the pressure is just less intense now that this one knot has been unraveled. ]

Sometimes lost things want to be found.

[ it's the best explanation she can offer. river bypasses the humanoid plant entirely to go back to the other body. ]

She wanted it back. The sister. Felt it slipping.l and wanted to give it back, hoping maybe she would escape and take a piece of her back home.

[ but they died together instead. river places the pendant on the body so the bone charm rests next to its other half. together again and irrevocably separated.

not a moment later, the morgue assistant storms right up to them, red in the face ( from laughter or anger or both ) as he demands to know what they were doing. river tucks herself halfway behind eddie, head ducked sheepishly as she says: ]

Duìbùqǐ, bié shēngqì. She won't touch anymore, I promise.

[ it's probably better that way, honestly. things only boiled over after touching the pendant. maybe they can take a break and try again? if they'll let them, that is... ]