Ari stood there, blinking, trying to properly absorb exactly what this strange new voice was telling him. Then he swatted the hand off his shoulder.<br/><br/>"Wha - I'm<span style="font-style: italic">dead</span>?! Did you just kill me?!" he said, his voice growing in volume and pitch every word. Alarm and doubt was filling his body at neck-breaking speed - wait, he didn't<span style="font-style: italic">have</span>a body anymore, did he? Or does he? Or does he<span style="font-style: italic">think</span>he still has a body because that's what he's used to and is just manifesting the feeling of hand on his freshly nonexistent shoulder? Is he even dead? Why should he trust this voice, save that it's supposedly God's and he's no longer feeling the rain above his head and the sidewalk beneath his feet?<br/><br/>"First off, how dare you accidentally strike me dead," he said, "And second of all, if this other magical world exists, why wasn't I born there first, and third of all -" he paused. He had been clutching his cane for dear life, but it was only just then he thought to try and touch it to the ground.<br/><br/>The ground didn't exist.<br/><br/>Well, that's just fine.<br/><br/>"What I want? I want -" he paused, swallowing. "Geez, I almost - what the heck, you just took my life! Without permission! I mean I know that's what usually happens when people die, but like! Still! I can't believe you think you can just, just get away with that with ooh a new magical world, cool new item, well guess what! I'm perfectly fine with my cane! In fact, why don't<span style="font-style: italic">you</span>get stuck in my cane, and tell me what's happening in this oh so cool world? I've always wanted a talking cane!"