Laton, as in the Late One

Manny Minifridge

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/02/26(Tue)00:50 No. 496242 ID: 067a04
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"Laton," said Laton.

"Fantastic!" said the voice. "Now, just a quick check to make sure I have the right Laton - no associates, no friends, no family, not even distant, no one who would even notice let alone care that you had passed on? No jobs, no occupations, no birth certificate, no... well, no anything, really. Is this you?"

Laton nodded. That was him, alright.

"Splendid!" the voice said happily. "Well, with all that all tied up, you've had a heart attack and died, in a ditch by the side of a country road. You were also buried by mud from a rainstorm, very soon after. No one even remembers that you exist, Laton. You've led a very poor life, haven't you?" the voice said, matter-of-factly.

Laton thought about this. His memories were still hazy. What had been his life, with no friends, family, associates, or jobs? What did he do on a day-to-day basis?

You were a small-town bartender, well loved by all your regulars, skilled in both the serving of drinks and the easing of the day's toll with a welcoming atmosphere and a ready ear.

You were, of course, being sarcastic in response to mister so-glad-you're-dead there.

>>496242
A courier, taking packages and goods to various places, almost always alone too.
In general you thought you were reasonably faster than most, mainly because you focused more on getting the job done than any real form of socialising.

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/02/26(Tue)01:22 No. 496253 ID: 067a04
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Laton, uncertain about this voice which is so pleased to see him kick the bucket, hastily made up a story about being a much-beloved bartender. Laton suddenly remembered he was a rather large fan of the television show Cheers.

"Oh, Laton, Laton, no need to lie - I'm not going to hurt you!" the voice laughed quietly. "I need your help. You see, Laton - you have no ties to anything in the mortal world. Nothing to hold you back. But what you do have is anonymity. Self-dependance."

Laton asked what the voice meant.

"You're a closed circle, Laton. A beginning and end, without a single witness to the middle." the voice said. "And, in this way, you are a free agent, though you don't know it yet. In this world, the trappings of life are the ties which bind us. But you have no trappings. Nothing binds you. And I need your help. You are, of course, free to refuse. What do you say?"

Laton remembered his days as a courier. He was used to being a free agent. Ultimately, this decision was his.

You say you cannot offer any commitment without more information, both about what he needs help with, and the state of being you find yourself in. If you say yes, what will be asked of you? If you say no, where does that leave you?

>>496253
What's the pay?

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/02/26(Tue)01:49 No. 496258 ID: 067a04
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Laton asked what this decision would mean.

"Of course, of course, pardon me getting ahead of myself..." the voice said. "Let me try to show you what I am offering, via the medium of 'doors'. Some of my clients prefer this sort of visual metaphor, so I... Well, in any case. This is Door One."

Laton moved away, as a massive door appeared in the space nearby.

"You go through this door, everything that usually happens when someone dies, that all happens. You know the process - well, I suppose you don't, but, ah... Well, anyway! That's Door One. That's if you say no."

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/02/26(Tue)01:52 No. 496259 ID: 067a04
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Laton paused, and asked what the pay would be.

"Ah, well, that brings us on to Door Two, here. This is if you say yes. You're going to be doing tasks for me - sometimes in the mortal world, and sometimes... Not!" the voice said. "I can't say much more than that. But I can tell you the reward - as a closed circle, you have no ties to the world, and as such, I have no problem bringing you back, dusting off your muddy corpse, and shoving you back in, with a healthy rejuvenation, of course. You'll be as good as new. If you say yes, and do a few errands for me. Sound good?"

Laton hesitated. What should he say?

If he gets in trouble for this by his superiors it's his responsibility, and there are always superiors.
Either way, back into the dankness and weight of the waking world!

What happens when someone usually dies? Is he asking you to turn down Heaven, or giving you an escape from the destruction of your identity?
How many is "a few"? At what point will this arrangement be considered fulfilled, and what will happen to you afterwards?
You'd appreciate it if he wasn't so abrupt about all this. You don't like being rushed through major decisions.

>>496259
It does sound tempting. Two questions. One, who is this guy. Two, what's behind door one, exactly?

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/02/26(Tue)02:21 No. 496265 ID: 067a04
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Laton asks what was behind Door One.

"Well... That is a question, isn't it, Laton? I don't suppose anyone knows for sure. I say it's like a party, but with big, fleshy balloons, all filled with aardvarks. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Admittedly, my perspective on what is behind Door One is rather skewed. I have seen a great many doors, Laton. Door One is not the most often used, but it is to you. To your kind of souls. Humans, I suppose. Not all humans. Some. The lines drawn between doors can be strange, pointless at times. But there are many doors. Many. And Door One is perhaps the hardest to explain. Well... I hardly think I should spoil the surprise, in any case. You'll go there eventually. Count on it."

Laton asks who the voice is.

"Oh, oh I was hoping you'd ask that!" the voice sounds excited. "People call me lots of things. Death, Captain of the Ferry, the Gatekeeper, the Grim Reaper, the Great Equalizer, the Great Teacher... I'm all of those, I guess, though actually I'm none of them. Impossible to explain, honestly. Please don't ask me to try. Even if I did explain it right, you wouldn't understand. Not yet, anyway."

Oh, well, if you'll end up there eventually then as far as you can tell you have nothing to lose by hanging around and lending a helping hand. Sounds like you'll have the opportunity to learn some interesting things while we're at it to. In short, you'd be happy to help.

>>496266
Aye, also I would suggest you take a sniff around you too, scent was always good for jogging people's memory.

>>496265
Hrm.

Alright, last question. What do these missions accomplish? Wouldn't be right if we wound up doing great evil deeds or something.

ask if you did pick door 2 what kind of things will you be doing for him

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/03/03(Sun)01:33 No. 497491 ID: 067a04
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Laton, still hesitant, asked what tasks he would have to carry out.

"All sorts. Lost souls who slipped by me, political disputes over the... door, the door each soul goes into, and, I'm not going to lie, you may have to do some farming at one point or another. Just a warning." the voice explained. "Nothing too extravagant, but it's all important, I assure you! Especially the aardvarks. Did I mention the aardvarks? There's going to be a lot of them. If you need help spelling their names, just give me a holler if I'm in the neighborhood. I'm an expert. You might have to kill a few people, too. Well, not kill them kill them, but, well, sometimes someone doesn't die when they're supposed to, and, well, that's kind of a loose end which rather needs tying up. They'd die anyway, of course, sooner or later, but better sooner, yeah? Before they can do much that they wouldn't have been able to in the first place. If it makes you feel any better, you'll be bringing a few folks back to life, too!"

Laton thought about his situation, and what to do next.

Go for it! Sounds like a cushy gig. Thank him for being patient with your questions.

Alright. Sure. Seems balanced enough.

You will be wanting a guidebook. maybe some kind of aardvark to english decoder.

But this looks like the kind of job you learn as you go. shouldnt be to problematic for a hard worker like you.
go for it.

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/03/03(Sun)02:19 No. 497498 ID: 067a04
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Laton decides to go for it. He says as much to the voice.

"Fantastic! Well, then, let's not dawdle. I'll send you off on your first errand right away!" the voice excitedly proclaims. "If you need help, just find a mirror, and we'll talk. Right, now, off you go - and brace yourself. This might hurt."

Laton wonders what might hurt, exa-

(animated)

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/03/03(Sun)02:21 No. 497499 ID: 067a04
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...

Laton doesn't want to do that again.

Laton took a moment to collect his thoughts, and decide what to do next.

(animated)

Go inside, before you catch your death of cold.

look around you, see anything interesting, also you still kinda look like a ghost can anyone even see you

>>497499
You should probably jerk, as if you've been woken up by something, then check out that person to your right.

Alright, try to determine where the heck you are, and examine your own condition. Do you have any inkling of what your current mission is supposed to be?

>>497499
He... didn't say what our first errand was. Let's orient ourselves before finding a mirror to straighten that out.

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/03/08(Fri)09:59 No. 498749 ID: 067a04
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Laton sat up, and looked around. Though he was still see-through and not all there, he noticed his arms and legs were back, and was very pleased by this development.

The buildings around Laton seemed to be closed. He couldn't read the language the various signs were written in.

It occurred to Laton that the voice had never told him what his mission was supposed to be. He decided to find a mirror at first opportunity, though none appeared to be forthcoming.

Laton saw a figure nearby. It was hooded, and stood staring into the road. Being cautious yet curious, Laton called out to the figure, casually asking about the time.

The figure gave no response, and merely continued to stare into the street.

Laton puzzled over what to do next.

You seem pretty incorporeal. Go take a closer look at the figure.

>>498749
That's weird, I thought we were supposed to get our body back. I guess I misunderstood that.

Go over and try to touch him, to see what happens.

If no one can see or hear you see if you can go though certain solid objects or not. If people can see and hear you well see if you can or can not find out where you are right now.

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/04/22(Mon)03:17 No. 507179 ID: 067a04
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Laton tested how ghostly he was. He stamped his foot down on the stone ground, hard. It felt like stamping on a pillow. After a few seconds, he felt himself feel more... well, there. He stamped his foot again. It hurt.

With the issue of his intangibility less of in question, Laton decided to try and solve another mystery. He casually made his way closer to the figure. It did not seem to notice. He hesitantly waved to get the figure's attention, but the being seemed more intent on staring at something in the road.

>>507179
he's looking at his dead body and you're looking at a ghost.

Wrap your arm around his shoulder and ask your buddy here if it's "been another late night on the town, probably a bit later then most this time, eh?"

Ask him who died.

Look at the street. I see a big bloodstain. I don't think something good happened.

"so... rough night? I've been there"

IdiomAlpha!a1..dIzWW2 2013/04/22(Mon)20:05 No. 507311 ID: 067a04
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Laton paused. He followed the flickering creature's gaze.

A corpse lay in the middle of the road. A corpse which bore a remarkable similarity to the figure.

"So... Rough night?" Laton asked, piecing things together.

The figure finally turned to look at him. He couldn't make out its face - he wasn't sure there was a face to make out. He saw two pupilless eyes staring out at him, and then the figure began to - well, it wasn't speaking, exactly, but a voice sort of emanated from about where a mouth usually would be. The voice sounded puzzled and forlorn, pausing after every sentence as if to mull over what it had just stated.

"It... didn't look like it was going that fast... it was going so very fast... I don't know if it even saw me... I didn't see it... You weren't there... What happened? I was... walking..."

The figure went quiet. Laton wasn't sure what to say.

Tell him he's dead. Sorry, bro.

...I'm sorry, but I believe you have died. I think I'm here to help. (Not a bad presumption. You're supposed to assist Death, and if you are sent without instructions to the scene of a death, the logical assumption would be that your task involves the deceased).

well I just got here truth be told but it looks like whatever IT was DID hit you and, well... don't know how really to say this so I'm going to warn you it's going to be blunt. You died.

Sorry but I really don't know how else to put it.