>>574187
Can we wait until we know Mara just a bit more before attempting any sort of romantic relationship?

Like, I don't know, a few hours maybe.

>>574192
I said a date, maybe something for the future, and the purpose of a date is to get to know one another.

I mean, honestly, what's the difference between asking out the cute coffee counter girl after your first coffee there or after months of buying coffee just to see her, then finally getting the balls to ask her out?

We almost double died today. Shit, we first died today. And we could double die tomorrow. Or be dragged off by snatchers tomorrow even if it's said to take a long ass time to be judged, it certainly isn't a fixed time.
'Sides, we're a college student. Asking a girl out hours after meeting her is par for the course. At least it wasn't minutes.

Alright fine, how about instead we wait until we have an apartment?

>>574181
They have any kinds of glasses or lenses? Look at the shopkeep through them until you either run out of things to look through or you can see his true form. THAT is something you'd want to buy.

A stopwatch that stops time would be nice, though.

>>574190
Erased as far as anybody knows. I think we can pretty much give up on certainty that anything is final death.

>>574187
Ask her our on a casual date so you can get to know her better.

We already are on a casual date, for all intents and purposes.

...seriously, let's not creep on the someone latched onto us out of the sheer desperate need to talk with someone after spending an unknowably long expanse of time hanging out on a barren rock. That feels way too much like taking advantage of someone.

Besides, hell, we're dead. If there's one thing we have, it's time.

>look at watches
If we're going to be watch nerds, find an old style conductor's timepiece.

Pan 2014/05/12(Mon)22:34 No. 574205 ID: 0eaf76
File 139995927818.png - (20.64KB , 600x550 , 25.png )

>"We'd like a stop watch."

"...I think I have something like that in here..." Edgar got himself up from the desk and hobbled past you. He dug around through shelves and piles before pulling out a small, plastic stopwatch. It was red, and was a modern, digital watch. Implying that it was of or around your time era. "This has been lying around here for years! Probably cuz no one took tha time to dig for it." Edgar returned to his desk, placing it down on top of the stack of paper. "Anything else you'd like ta get?"

>"Maybe some Relics that help with healing wounds?
Or Relics that would be useful in a job for making more Pents, if he might have something to suggest. Invest in a Relic that I could potentially make a profit off of?"

The shopkeeper rubbed at his chin for a few moments. "I can't really think of either of those things off tha top of my head. I probably have somethin' that can PREVENT wounds. Shields, armor, stuff like that. Although, tha clothes on your back should help you with that already. They aren't super strong clothes, but it's better than nothing, right? In terms of a job...I might have some work tools. But most jobs here aren't super labor intensive. Spirins just like to take advantage of yer human features. Souls connect better with their own kind, ya know!" Edgar let out a snort and sat back down.

>They have any kinds of glasses or lenses?

You take a step back and dig around in the shop in search of lenses of any kind. You find nothing of the sort...perhaps the glasses on your head could do something...? How and what it does are still a mystery, though. Perhaps you need to activate it somehow...disregarding this, you return back to Edgar.

>"And uhh, can we talk man-to-man for a second?
How are Spirin-Human relations socially considered here? Taboo? Just curious. Met this nice girl, she seems fun and I'd like to ask her out on a date, you know. But asking her out might insult her because Spirin-Human is not a good thing? New here, after all."

"What was that? You talkin' about Soul on Spirin sorta stuff? Ehh...it's murky waters in terms of love. Shouldn't you be concerned about other stuff? I can't really say that the Ether is a great place to hook up with gals." Edgar pushed off a few things on his desk, getting out some paperwork. "But if you're asking about taboos, then I can't say very many Spirins would be surprised. It's happened before, and it doesn't really seem ta hurt anybody. Whaddya gonna do once you get taken away, though? Leave her here ta fend for herself?"

Mara was waiting patiently outside, occupying herself with a few pebbles on the ground.

"Honestly, in my opinion I would leave it alone. But if ya wanna get wrapped up in all that, be my guest." Edgar shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner, giving you a strange look. "This er...stopwatch will cost about 20 Pents. If you're lookin' ta buy it."

>>574205
Well if a soul goes to Heaven, how is that Heaven without their loved ones? The memory loss removes the ties they have to those still on Earth, but not those in Limbo. If there's a second memory wipe then that's... Well... that's probably what happens, isn't it. Everyone in Heaven remembers noone from Earth or Limbo. Ignorance is bliss.

I'm in favor of not pursuing it. We can just be a friend for now. If things go that way naturally then we shouldn't fight it- if she understands that one day we will suddenly get taken away and she still wants to do it then by all means.

Also buy the stopwatch. Is there a day-night cycle here? I'm wondering if a timekeeping device would be useful even if it didn't do anything special.

>>574205
Yeah, we'll buy the stopwatch.
Thanks for the advice. Mind's wanderin' a mile a minute and you're just trying to avoid thinking about the fact you're dead. Which makes one think of the obvious things with hardly any logic to it. Sorry for bein' weird and awkward in his Shop.

Go and try test it out.

let's just go with the flow for now.

Have we double checked that the stopwatch works, yet? Pushed the buttons?

>Mara was waiting patiently outside, occupying herself with a few pebbles on the ground.
What. Why isn't she in here with us, checking out all the cool junk? She wanted to see stuff, I had assumed she'd be joining us in the window shopping.

>Whaddya gonna do once you get taken away, though? Leave her here ta fend for herself?
...why are spirin stuck here, anyways. Is it by choice, or something else?

>I'm in favor of not pursuing it. We can just be a friend for now.
Seconding. Really, she's so desperate for a friend that it feels like creepy taking advantage to push for anything else right now.

Yeah, thank the guy for his advice, buy the stopwatch (even if it doesn't work we can probably obtain a screwdriver relic or something once we've had a chance to get more pents).
Once we finish up with the transaction, let's go check up on Mara. Is she feeling alright? Ask if she'd actually want to join you in working, or even just hang around to cheer you up? Heck, if she wants to go exploring around while you're busy working, you wouldn't be opposed to it. Give her the choices, in such a way that she doesn't feel pressured into things.

get the stopwatch. thank the dude. go back to Mara.

try equipping/unequipping your glasses, see if there's a difference other than the obvious.

Pan 2014/05/13(Tue)20:13 No. 574293 ID: 0eaf76
File 140003720028.png - (15.04KB , 659x550 , 26.png )

>"Yeah, we'll buy the stopwatch."

Edgar clapped his large hands together and smiled. "Good! Since that's 20 Pents, I'll just make a withdrawal." He scribbled down something on a piece of parchment with his quill and ink, mumbling words under his breath. "Ah...there we are." He waved to the pouch on your neck, which magically began to open up. Twenty, small beads of light floated out and settled on the palm of one of Edgar's hands. He counted them up and closed his fist. "It was great doin' business with ya." You blink. Tell him Thank You. Then continue to ask another question.

>"...why are Spirin stuck here, anyways. Is it by choice, or something else?"

"Well, we don't really know how ta leave. We were born here and raised here, as far as we remember. I can't really say we're STUCK here...but in a way, we are. Some people say we were created by the Grand Lord, Asward. He's the big boss in the Ether. Supposedly was the origin of this entire realm. I don't believe it, but hey, he don't bother anybody. I have no reason to revolt against him or nothin'."

Asward, huh? So was he the final straw in this basket of hay? This is the first you've heard of him. Up to this point you thought the Council called all the shots.
You look down at your stopwatch and decide to head on outside, waving good-bye to Edgar as you leave. "Visit again soon, ya hear?" You nod, giving a quick thumbs up before walking up beside Mara.

>Is she feeling alright? Ask if she'd actually want to join you in working, or even just hang around to cheer you up?

You kneel down beside the Spirin, who was suddenly startled by your presence. Mara quickly dropped whatever strange rocks she was holding to look at you. "Ah! George! I didn't see you there. Did you buy anything?" You wrap the stopwatch around your arm, and show it off to her. "Ooh! Cool!"

>"Are you doing okay? You didn't come inside the shop with me."

"Oh...I didn't want to get in your way or anything. It's a small shop, so it might've been crowded with me in it." She lowered her head, ears pointing downwards.

>"Oh...well, did you wanna come with me to find a job, later? Or...?"

Mara's head popped straight up and her eyes went wide. "Would you really let me? I don't wanna impose or anything...I'm sure you're a busy soul with plenty of things to do, don't need me interrupting your progress on life after death, ya know?" She scrambled to her feet, grabbing lightly onto your arm. "But if you insist I guess I'll have to accept...!" A bit sudden, but you got the answer you were looking for, at least.

Pan 2014/05/13(Tue)22:09 No. 574308 ID: 0eaf76
File 140004416811.png - (26.87KB , 659x550 , 27.png )

>Test out the stopwatch.

With Mara officially deciding to stick with you for the time being, you decide to play around with the new Relic that you have so recently purchased. You press a few of the buttons on top and on the actual body. It makes faint beeping noises each time you press a button, but nothing seems to change on the screen. Was it a defect? Mara looked curiously over your shoulder.

"That looks kinda weird. What does it do?"

You continue to try and fiddle with it, and suddenly the numbers on the screen began to go haywire. They scrambled through a bunch of numbers, getting jumbled like some sort of lottery machine. After a few moments, the final numbers appeared on the stopwatch. 10:00 it read. The small numbers in the corner indicating seconds began to count downwards. It reminded you of those time bombs that you saw in the movies. What was it counting down to? You had 10 minutes to figure out what it symbolized.

>>574308
Walk around a bit with the stopwatch, maybe try pushing more buttons while it's counting down.

I doubt it's going to explode. In the best case scenario after the 10 minutes are up it's going to reverse time so that you wind up back here again. That would mean we could use the watch, make some sort of decision, and then see consequences that develop over the next 10 minutes.

>>574293
Poor Mara. She's horribly lonely, and is trying to keep from seeming needy. We'll have to build her confidence in the strength of our shipping.

Tell her the only thing we HAVE to do is wait for the council to decide our case, and if we're going to be waiting then there's nothing we'd like more than to spend it in good company.

Speaking of waiting, how does time work here? Do they keep track of time here? If so, how far back do her memories go?

Later we should ask to see what her true form is like. Not that it matters, just that it would help to be able to recognize her in case something happens.

kinda ignore it but keep an eye on it and head on over to the job posting area and see if we can't find something. Also when that thing gets down to it's least minute put it down somewhere quite walk away while still being able to see it and just wait and see what happens.

Well, Mara wants it to feel like it's your choice, but definitely wants to hang out with you. Go ahead and let her know that, unless something unexpected happens, you don't have a problem with being her friend until the council finishes judging your case, after which you can't really do anything but go along with the Snatchers, anyways... Unless they determine you're fit to stay in Ether.
Something to consider: It may be possible to find Aswad and get permissions to remain in Ether from him, though that's certainly not something to get your hopes up for; no need to go expecting something unlikely. For now, head on over to The District and see if there's anything simple you can do. Even if it's just advertising, like Edward implied is a popular human job, it's something to do... Plus, having Mara there with you will help not only advertise that humans are welcome, but that humans can get along with Spirin just fine.

give hug

try pressing the split button, see if that does anything.

tell Mara you enjoy her company.

>I'm sure you're a busy soul with plenty of things to do
So far as I know, I'm not working under any kind of deadline.

Another potential activity- we could see what there is to eat. You haven't eaten since you can't remember when, and Mara probably hasn't either. Even if you two don't need to, it might be a nice treat.

>stopwatch, counting down
Whups.

Tvtropes here.
Its a magic stopwatch, what do you think it does?
Look around and see if people are paused, judging from the picture it looks like mara was touching you, so shes probably not affected by it.

Pan 2014/05/14(Wed)15:24 No. 574416 ID: 0eaf76
File 140010628644.png - (27.73KB , 600x550 , 28.png )

>Look around and see if people are paused

You look up and watch the city. Nothing had changed. People still passed by, moving as they did normally, both souls and Spirins. Time had not stopped.

>try pressing the split button, see if that does anything.

The only thing that the Split button does is make a beeping noise.

>head on over to the job posting area and see if we can't find something

Deciding to put the stopwatch away for now, you drape it over your neck along with the pouch and walk down the street alongside Mara to find the posting board for job advertisements.

>Be friendly towards Mara.

While the both of you walk, you turn to face Mara and give your bestest smile. "You don't have to worry about being in my way. I enjoy your company, and it's nice to have a friend here." Of course, these words give Mara a mini-heart attack as she squeals with joy, hopping up and down.

"REALLY? You really mean it? Wow...my first friend..." She hugged at your arm, tugging you to the side a bit, causing your legs to tangle. "Thank you! I promise I'll do my best to be a uh...good friend! I know a lot of stuff and erm...I can probably help if you ever need anything!" Her large, red eyes twinkled in this seemingly dull and dreary place. It took only a few minutes to locate the board. It looked a lot like a bulletin board except for the fact that, surprise, surprise, it was made out of rock. Papers and notices were taped all over the board. It was a cluttered mess! You could barely make out what anything was supposed to be! There were a few "MISSING" posters and you could spot bold letters that read "WORK NEEDED" or "NOW HIRING".

You pull off a couple of job posters to read through, before your nose caught a familiar scent. It smelled oddly of BBQ, coming from a nearby restaurant. Normally such a smell would cause your stomach to rumble, but you could feel no physiological difference in your tummy area. Still, you enjoyed the taste of a good meal, so maybe some sort of dinner would be a nice thing to go for next. Anyways, back to the job ad.

HELP WANTED - The Ether Inn and Suites
Positions for room service, concierge or bellhop available. Spirin or Human Soul applicants welcome. Location is 2 blocks South of the Ethereal Bank. Please contact Manager.

A hotel job? Interesting. What did the other poster say?

NOW HIRING - Reforming Department
Need information. Hiring persons willing to investigate cases and scoop out information. Interview is needed, no previous experience required. Department location is 3 block East of Ethereal Bank.

You didn't think the Ether would have detective jobs! That definitely sounded more exciting, but also possibly more dangerous. Which job should you pick?

Is that a wanted poster on the bottom-right? 80,000 Pents is a LOT.

I say go with the detective job. We've already won one fight, and I want to get to the bottom of this whole soul-eating scandal. Considering how long Limbo has been around, soul-eating only happening recently is VERY SUSPICIOUS.

Actually something occurs to me. How long has Mara existed? From what I've heard of the origin of Spirin it sounds like they're supposed to have been around forever, but if this is the first time she's made a friend, what has she been doing until now? Secondly, if Pents are used by Spirin in some manner, shouldn't they have all been consumed? Where do new Pents come from?

Lastly, the mere fact that God has not intervened to prevent souls from being eaten makes me feel as though being eaten is not in fact soul-death. I think they just respawn somehow, like maybe they get another chance at Limbo later on. I don't think it's reincarnation because that would be no different from death if you don't keep any of your memories from the previous life. Oh, and don't forget about the possibility that Limbo is actually a test of character or willpower.

I agree it is a good idea to ask where spirins come from.

>God has not intervened
God who? So far the only authority figures we have heard of are the Council that Grand Lord Asward guy.

>>574419
Heaven and Hell exist (not to mention Limbo), therefore some sort of deity created them.

>>574416
Lets look into the detective job first, but not make any decisions as of yet.

>>574435
My dick exists. Therefore god exists.

>>574489
Is your dick impossible to explain with the laws of physics?

Pan 2014/05/14(Wed)22:24 No. 574497 ID: 0eaf76
File 140013147633.png - (28.73KB , 600x550 , 29.png )

>Go with the detective job.

You pin the hotel advertisement back onto the board. The experience with Charlotte was horrifying enough and you'd hate for it to happen to other innocent souls as well. If you were to become a detective, maybe you'd be able to look farther into why souls were being killed off. As well as gain new knowledge on how and why you're here in the first place.

You follow the directions that were scrawled onto the poster, while your friendly, little Spirin skips along behind you. Now that she seems accompanied and comfortable around you, perhaps you should ask a few questions?

>"So...how long have you been around here anyways? Spirins must have an origin."

Mara stays quiet for a moment or two before responding. "I've been around for a loooong time. I think I lost track of the years...age doesn't really matter here so people don't keep track. Spirins, as far as I know, don't age. We can certainly die but as far as getting older...I don't think that's a factor. Like I said before, we don't remember anything. All we remember is just...suddenly existing." Saying this, Mara seemed to become a bit somber. "I've been stuck here for so long...it all kinda meshes together, ya know?" She gives a defeated shrug of the shoulders, arms behind her back. You can sense her lowered change of mood, and quickly change the subject.

>"Well, then, Pents are consumed by Spirins, right? Where do new Pents come from?"

"Pents are created by the Reformers I think. Reformers are like...a branch of the government but not really...? They make sure everything stays in order and that everything is stable. If the economy runs low on Pents, they just bust out new ones. Some people think that Pents are tiny fragments of mortal energy, harvested from human souls themselves...but that's a big lie." The two of you pass by several groups of people on the way to the department. Most were older folks, but...there was a surprising amount of young children. Young adults, even people carrying infants. In fact, this entire city was comprised of a pretty varied array of demographics. That just proves that anyone, no matter who you are, can die. It makes you feel a bit better about death, at least. If this was even real.

You look down at your stopwatch. It read 5:23. About 5 minutes left...you started to get a bit suspenseful. Thankfully, your attention was distracted by Mara pulling at your arm. "Look! There's the department of reformation!" It was a dull looking building. With a boring sign beside the door that read OFFICE OF REFORMING. You head on in and are greeted with a scarcely decorated, gray room. There was a strange sculpture in the corner and assorted papers posted on the walls. A desk with a large woman was located in the front room. With a door behind her that supposedly led to the back area. The woman was human looking and wore a dirt-stained sundress. She scribbled away at paperwork, occasionally using a stamp to print the words APPROVED or DENIED on the documents. Eventually she looked up at you and frowned. "Can I help you...?" Her voice was nasally and monotonous...she had obnoxious curly, brown hair and secretary glasses that made her look more snobby than necessary.

>squeeee, my first friend
D'AAAAAW

Inquire about the job posting. Also, before you actually accept a job, you might consider asking Mara what she thinks, given that she's a part of this, too.

Suggestion 2014/05/14(Wed)22:44 No. 574500 ID: a1e824

Hm, while it's not surprising that the land of the dead has a pretty diverse populace, the fact that there appear to be people carrying babies and what appears to be families lumped together is pretty interesting. Do people who die together wake up here together? To people recognize people from their time living if they run across them?

>>574498
Ask about the job, first, get the information on it. It might not be as dangerous as you were thinking, and if you're going to ask Mara if she thinks it would be worth it over the hotel job, you'll want to have this job defined.

Oh, and next time she starts getting a little hyperactive over friendship, maybe give a chuckle and, with a happy tone of voice, suggest she tone it down a bit. "While I don't have a problem with it, you'll stand a better chance of making even more friends if you moderate it." Or something to that effect. As long as it's made clear that you won't be bothered either way; no reason to go making a person sad because their first and only friend is upset with them.

>>574500

To clear it up, yes. People who die together (such as families in a car accident or a similar situation) do wake up together. The particular group that George passed were just strangers who were having a conversation, but it's completely possible that people can come into the Ether with another person!

>>574491
The laws of physics are just rules that describe how the world has been tested / proven to work. It's a model, and intrinsically imperfect, as all models are. And it gets revised and updated when we learn new things.

The fact that George has discovered limbo exists, and that Heaven and Hell exist, does not invalidate physics. This merely means we know there is a hell of a lot more physics to understand than we did before. Lots of rules and knowledge and how does this stuff work to be explored.

None of which proves (or disproves) that God, a god, or gods were / are involved. The intelligent scientific position remains that you cannot disprove the existence of god (proving a negative), and there is as of yet no proof.

>spirins eat pents
If she's going to help us with this job then, it would probably behoove us to give her a share when we get paid. Who knows when she last ate.

>Can I help you...?
Yes, I hope so. I'm here about the detective position?

show them the poster and ask about the job

>>574491
Man, you don't even KNOW.

>>574509
We don't know how Spirin consume them. It could be that they turn them into other things instead of eating them.

>>574497
Say you're here to inquire about the detective job.

Just say you're here for the case investigation job. Try to sell yourself as someone curious, neutral and unassuming. Perfect for snooping around. You could also show off your pencil skills and versatility. Draw some simple item like a length of rope and do that magnifying lens trick again (best to stick to tried and tested stuff rather than experimenting during the interview).

Regarding the stopwatch: These things are often associated with running and sports. Do you feel any stronger or faster? Other possibilities might be that the 10 minutes are used to charge up another function or that something or someone will be summoned after the 10 minutes is up. Could be that it will teleport you back to where you were when you triggered it when the 10 minutes are up... A more remote possibility would be that its function is some kind of play on words and it keeps people from scrying or paying very much attention to you, as in it stops people from watching you...

>>574595
Actually, yeah, showing off the pencil skills for making a wall or magnifying lens would be a good idea, but only if they ask what qualifies you. And just showing those off without explanation wouldn't be good, either, probably more something like "Well, I suppose I don't have a lot of experience, but I did learn I can do these tricks."
You could also bring up Mara, saying she'd be a partner you'd refuse to part with just to get the job, and her skills as a Spirin can come in handy. Of course, they said experience isn't required, but that doesn't mean skills won't help.

>>574497
We should make sure that we don't get pulled into an interview immediately, because that could last longer than 5 minutes.

if she's been around for like an eternity, and you're her first friend, there's bound to be a catch.

anyway, apply for the job.

Don't show off unless they ask for it. No sense in letting people know more than they have to.

PanPan 2014/05/19(Mon)15:49 No. 575047 ID: 0eaf76
File 140053974576.png - (28.14KB , 600x550 , 30.png )

>Ask about detective job.

"Hi, yeah, I'm here for the job that you posted on the bulletin board?" The lady at the desk stared at you with a blank expression, before widening her eyes some.

"Oh right. We posted that. Hold on." She tapped her fingers on a small silver bell behind the desk and rang twice before she went back to whatever she was working on. You stand there uncomfortably for a few moments before the door to the backroom opened up. A tall business woman stepped out, shooting you a cold stare. "What is it?"

The desk lady waved a hand. "He's interested in that job you put up." Business lady nodded.

"Ah, alright. Come with me. Leave the Spirin though, we won't need her." You wave to Mara, and she simply waves back before sitting down on the bench in the lobby.

The lady leads you through an office-like area. There were desks aligned in orderly rows with Spirins or humans working behind each individual table. They had scrambled piles of paper stacked high and silver bells, much like the lady at the front desk. It was very similar to a regular office environment that you would see in the human world, except this place was much darker and...primitive. Motivational posters hung on the walls, and doors lined the side walls, most likely leading to personal offices.

You were taken to a particular office in the back. A silver plaque with the words "PRESIDENT TAPP" engraved on it was embedded on the door. "This is my office." The lady explained. Her voice was very stoic, and quite intimidating actually.

Once inside the office you were ordered to sit in a stiff, stone-hard chair that was placed in front of the lady's desk. Business lady sat down. Her desk had papers, much like the others, but she had a little name tag on the corner. It read "VICTORIA M. TAPP". She also possessed little knick knacks and trinkets that were probably just dumb relics she acquired from a store.

"So...you're interested in being an investigative worker. Why?" She leaned forward, not even bothering to ask your name or introduce herself.

"i was attacked shortly after i got here, and i want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else."

>>575048
Basically this. Also, because it sounds more interesting than being a bellhop.

That's a great start, I was attacked so obviously things are not just straightforward safe. You were able to handle yourself but how many aren't? So you wanna do what you can to make sure others don't have that problem.

>>575047
"It was either working as a gopher while feeling like a gopher or possibly being a gopher and feeling like a groundhog. That sounded way better in my head. Look...I just want to make a small, positive difference here, and it was down to this or working as a bellhop. I also like detective films, does that count?"

From the moment you arrived, you were unfortunate enough to immediately see that things aren't as nice as a lot of humans might think they are. From the get-go, you've been looking into things and doing investigating anyways, so once you noticed there was a posted job for it, you figured you'd try to make your investigations more official.

Seriously, let's try not to give out a bunch of specifics if she doesn't ask for them, give the impression you know how to keep your discoveries secret from those who aren't authorities. If she does ask for them, give a nod, and say that as a figure of authority, you can certainly tell her, and then give her the intel.

Dance to prove yourself worthy of the detective job.

>>575048
Plus- there's a lot I'd like to learn about this place. They say you should take jobs that fit with your interests, when you can.

>>575047
"I was attacked by a soul-eating monster as soon as I arrived, and from what I've been able to gather that's part of a recent and disturbing trend. I want to stop that.

Also, the only other job listing was for a bellhop."