paixaorpg | Coffee and Conversation [Complete]

Hours, it had to at least been hours. Ash was known to lose track of time as a phantom, he wasn't affected by it's course anymore, so it seemed pointless to worry about it when Marona wasn't around. After a while, he had stopped counting how many people he had passed, how many streets, corners, and shops he had come across. It was no use, he recognized nothing in this area, staying put wouldn't have helped him either. He was just going to have to keep going, even if he really had no destination at this point.

He wondered why he was here in the first place, it certainly didn't feel like Ivoire or remotely even looked like it. It still couldn't be heaven or hell disguised with a fancy name, no one had taken notice him! He was used to being a spirit by now, but come on!

Whatever, Ash thought, his arms behind his head as he slowly walked towards more foreign establishments. Life had made him accustomed to walking, as much fun as it was to fly, he couldn't help but continue the old habit. He still wanted to feel human, he guessed. Now he'll spend the rest of his afterlife creeping through a foreign city with no sign of Marona, wonderful. Just wonderful.

Marona.

His heart suddenly felt heavy. Of course he was worried for her, but what was he to do? If she were here, wouldn't they have appeared near each other? Was she still in Ivoire, alone and no longer possessed? Ash had always worried they would have to part some day, but he didn't want it to be now. He still wanted to protect her, if only for just a bit longer.

Great, what good was a depressed phantom in a city full of people? A heavy sigh left him, whether this was the spirit world or not, he truly was away from Marona. It was something that would take time for him to understand. As he continued to walk, Ash spotted a building that looked much like a cafe. He stopped short of passing the cafe to look up at it for a moment.

"Marona would love to go to a cafe," he said out loud to himself, of course no one could hear him in the nearby vicinity... so he thought, "What would she order today? A Strawberry sorbet? A chocolate cake? It'd be something that would give her cavities, I bet."

He smiled faintly. It was a nice thought.

Death was not surprised at the population wandering the streets; after all, he'd been here long enough to know the blonde city dwellers were ubiquitous, even if they weren't really people. He looked as somebody unique strolled by and stopped in front of the cafe. For one, this person had blue hair. For another, he was dead.

Strangely enough, Death wasn't surprised. After all, he'd met Auron, making this new person - Ash - the second ghost he'd seen in this city. His puzzlements as to why the dead were being brought here were interrupted by Ash's musings. I HEAR THE CHEESECAKE HERE IS ESPECIALLY TASTY, he offered.

The sudden voice had completely startled the poor phantom. It was almost as if the whole scene was played in slow-motion. In an attempt to turn sharply to look around, he placed one foot back, one foot forward and suddenly his whole body fell back spectacularly. Though he lacked a physical body, the instinct within him to be frightened was still very much alive. He was also somewhat clumsy in these sorts of situations. Balance he could find in a battlefield, not here.

Luckily for him, it wasn't like anyone else saw the blunder.

Slowly, he stood up. He shook the nonexistent dust off of him (another human habit he quite hadn't gotten rid of) and looked around for the owner of the voice that had startled him so much. Hands on his hips, he was quite annoyed by the sudden fright... not that it would have -killed- him or anything. His eyes finally fell on the figure that was responsible. It was hard to not spot a skeleton among the normal group of people.

Much to say, if Ash had any color in his face, it would certainly be gone by now. He grit his teeth, his eyes widened, this was certainly the last person he wanted to see as a phantom. He took a step back, this time making sure not to humiliate himself further, and yelled.

"You're-!" He simply stuttered, "You're--" No, he really wasn't good with words.

With a hand to his face and after a bitter scoff, he finally spoke up.

"This is a joke, right? You're not for real, are you?"

Well, someone else had seen the blunder, but Death wasn't one to comment or judge. Ghosts did all sorts of very human things - they'd been human themselves once upon a time, after all.

He certainly hadn't been expecting to see the shock in Ash's face, however. Normally ghosts were pretty complacent when they came across him. Evidently Ash still had quite a will to live. This was just fine with Death - after all, he had no official business with ghosts until their purposes had been fulfilled.

YES, I AM REAL. He had waited for Ash to attempt to calm down and finish speaking before he'd answered. AND NO, I AM NOT JOKING. THE CHEESECAKE REALLY IS GOOD.

Setzer, for his part, had once again begun to wander through the streets of Paixao - looking, perhaps for any indication of his friends or maybe simply looking for something of interest to him - when Death's comment caught his ear. After all, he couldn't hear the other participant in the conversation, and so to him Death's comment seemed to come out of nowhere. But it was hardly the strangest thing he'd heard considering.

"Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join?" he asked, with a slight smile.

Ash's eyes shot towards the man that just walked by. He wasn't able to sense him, it was a slight relief. Usually he was grateful others couldn't sense him but... in the middle of a conversation like this it felt sort of awkward to him , perhaps even impolite. And what a conversation they were having! Here Ash was, speaking casually to Death over cheesecake. Cheesecake. As he fidgeted with his arm cuffs, Ash felt he probably wasn't in any immediate harm. If Death wanted to take him, he would have to take him fighting. It certainly didn't seem like he was in the mood for it. He seemed like he was in a good mood, actually. A good mood for cheesecake.

Even if it made him uneasy, Ash knew he should be polite towards strangers, and they certainly didn't get any stranger than this. "I don't mean to be rude, but..." He paused, choosing his words carefully, "what exactly is someone as ... important as yourself doing here?"

After a pause, Ash shrugged and smiled mischievously, "Is the Cheesecake really that good, here?"

It seemed Cafe Ersestat was popular today. Everybody seemed to be showing up, Death noted, with the exception of the person he was supposed to meet. He turned his attention to the newcomer - Setzer, said the name. NO, IT IS NOT. YOU ARE FREE TO JOIN IF YOU WISH.

Invitation extended, his attention returned to Ash. I DO NOT KNOW. I WAS PULLED HERE WITH NO EXPLANATION, SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSE. Finding the continued discussion of desserts amusing, he continued, THAT IS WHAT I AM TOLD. I MUCH PREFER A GOOD CURRY, BUT I HAVE YET TO FIND ONE IN THIS CITY.

To be honest, the fact that the conversation seemed to have a second half that he rather lacked the context to was a little off-putting, but it still didn't hold a candle to some of the things he'd seen Kefka do. He'd just have to deal with being a little out of the loop, that's all.

A smile and a nod in response to Death's invitation. "Then I may as well join you. After all, I haven't anything pressing to do at the moment." And besides, how often did one get the chance to talk to Death?

Mohinder still wasn't quite sure whether going to meet this 'Death' was a good idea or not, but considering his options it seemed the best way to obtain direct information. Not to mention Death seemed to known someone who might be Zane. Still, the whole being an anthropomorphic personification of Death sounded rather dodgy. Then again everything in this place was surreal and impossible to explain scientifically so why not have a Death walking around? He had quite an internal conflict going on.

That conflict ended soon however, as he reached the cafe and actually saw Death. Oh god, he was real. In his mind he feebly tried to find some explanation, anything. But he was left with a blank and the reality of the situation that forced him to just accept it.

He stood a few feet away, still unnoticed because of the arrival of a new man, and resisting the urge to laugh. The scientist inside of him denied everything he was seeing but a small part of him could believe it. What would his father have done in this situation? Mohinder really had no idea.

He could still turn and run but there was Zane...He had to do this, for Zane's sake and his own. With that in mind he finally approached the table and having caught a bit of the conversation, decided to make a casual comment. Or at least as casual as he could manage right now.

"Curry's easy to make," he said with a somewhat wry smile.

By now, it was certainly getting crowded around Death. It was rather ironic to Ash that Death was someone so popular, so (how would you say) lively! Surely, the living didn't have to mingle with him just yet, but here they were. It was amusing, but Ash wasn't here to complete the crowd. Death's words were quite a revelation to him, though. They made him think for a moment, they were pulled here? In that case, maybe even Marona was-- that's it! Light bulb! Who better to ask than Death?

"Hey, just one more question!" Ash said as he passed Mohinder and came closer towards Death. "You wouldn't happen to see a small girl around here, would you? She has green hair and wears a white dress. Her name's Marona, she's about this" Ash took the moment to signal with his hands the corresponding height, "tall and tends to call everyone Mister!"

Desperation was not something you'd often see from a phantom, but the worldly attachments that Ash had meant more to him than anything else. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to find Marona. ...Maybe.

YOU ARE WELCOME TO DO SO, Death replied to Setzer, then turned his attention to Mohinder. I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THE HANG OF IT. IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU, MOHINDER.

AND BEFORE YOU ASK, he continued, knowing what questions to expect YES, I AM DEATH. YES, I AM REAL. NO, YOUR LIFE IS NOT IN DANGER. He paused, almost wryly. HAVE I MISSED ANYTHING?

Ash's question threw him a bit off kilter - or at least, as far off kilter as Death ever got. He did remember seeing someone like that - momentarily, with Jintetsu. He'd paid her no attention - Kit had just disappeared, after all, and he had been just the slightest bit distracted. He didn't know much about her, or what had happened with her, but at least he could reassure Ash of her presence. YES, he said, I HAVE SEEN HER. SHE WAS IN THE COMPANY OF ONE NAMED JINTETSU. SHOULD I TRY TO CONTACT HER FOR YOU?

Admittedly, the concept of sitting calmly down at a table with Death - even with the assurance that his life was in no danger - was a little off-putting even to him. Of course, one wouldn't know it to look at his face as the only thing visible there was a polite smile as he quietly pulled a seat at the table.

"Not that I can think of," Setzer answered with a smile, knowing quite that the question had most likely not been directed at him.

By the sound of it Death seemed to get certain questions a lot and if it still hadn't looked so grim sitting down with Death despite reassurances, Mohinder might have chuckled. "It's nice to meet you too, Death. I don't think you have."

Was it really a nice thing meeting Death? Under normal circumstances most certainly not but here things were so very different Mohinder had no clue what to make of them. Death seemed a polite enough...creature.

As Death seemed to be talking to someone, Mohinder couldn't make out who, he took a seat and nodded at the stranger who also had joined Death at the table. "I'm Doctor Mohinder Suresh," he said and to his ears it almost sounded monotone after having to repeat his name so many times on the phone calls he had made not too long ago.

Excitement, even for a phantom, was an emotion that was very hard to control. Ash's enthusiasm did have an unusual and quite visible effect on the surrounding glassware, they lightly trembled at his presence. Whether he was angry or full of joy, a ghost's emotions always caused quite a stir among those that could not physically see them.

"You've seen her?" He cried out loud. there was no need for digression, Marona was here! "Jintetsu? Contact her? Are you for real- yes, please! I-" He paused, finally realizing he was out of line, "Please, you'd be more than helpful if you could."

Perhaps he should have just ran off and looked for her, but Ash knew better. He would have foolishly gotten lost and where was he to find someone else that could see him? If it wasn't for Death or Marona, he would be in quite the amount of trouble here.

CERTAINLY, Death replied to Ash, taking no offense at his enthusiasm and typing a short message into his journal, paying just as much attention to both his other guests and the effect on the glassware. Evidently Ash was a ghost with powers.

The poor waitress, already looking rather disturbed at the idea of serving Death himself, had returned with his cup of tea and was watching it rattle in its saucer, staring as though she thought its next trick would be self-detonation.

THANK YOU, Death said politely, taking the cup and saucer from her and setting them down firmly on the table. TWO MORE, IF YOU PLEASE. Sending the waitress once again on her way, he laid his journal open on the table where Ash could see it, the screen cued to the string of replies. SO YOU SEE, SHE IS HERE AND LOOKING FOR YOU AS WELL.

That said, his attention once again returned to Setzer and Mohinder. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONFUSION. He gestured lightly to the space where Ash was standing. THERE IS A GHOST HERE NAMED ASH WHO IS LOOKING FOR HIS COMPANION. I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU CAN SEE HIM. That taken care of, he folded his hands on the table, switching subjects. NOW, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE COME FOR INFORMATION?

"Setzer," he replied with a nod, choosing not to add 'the Wandering Gambler,' tempting though it was to match the other man - Mohinder's - title.

But before he could say anything else, the trembling glassware caught his attention. Not something one saw everyday for sure. But most likely something that wasn't terribly dangerous. Luckily, Death's explanation confirmed that fairly quickly, as well as the rather disjointed nature of the conversation.

"I didn't come for it," he admitted with a smile, "but I will admit to having some interest in the offer if it still stands."

Mohinder looked quite startled for a moment as the glassware started trembling, a million thoughts running through his head (mainly, could someone with abilities be here?) until Death put an end to them with an explanation. Naturally, a ghost was something Mohinder would laugh at but now that he was sitting at a table with Death...why not ghosts? It certainly explained the one-sided conversation he seemed to be having.

Mohinder nodded in the direction of where the ghost was supposed to be, not quite sure what one should say to a ghost. 'I'm sorry you died?' didn't sound all that polite and he was glad when Death changed the subject.

"Indeed I have," he said with another small nod, hoping the information was something that could explain the situation and actually make sense.

Curiosity bested Ash, any mention of Marona what-so-ever was enough to get his attention. He noticed the journal looked familiar... ah, that's right! They were given to newcomers of this city! Ash skipped on the offer, he wasn't exactly able to talk to anyone until he met Death. Perhaps once he found Marona he would have to acquire one of these strange books, they certainly seemed useful.

Getting to Marona, right. That was his first priority. Ash stared at the journal before turning to Death to ask, "Where is she? I need to find her right away, I don't think I can wait."

He now turned his head towards Mohinder and Setzer, though they could not see him, he nodded to greet them. Normally, his presence would scare others, but perhaps they were not as normal as he thought they were. Maybe they were just as strange as him, who knows?

Knowing Marona was here and safe was enough for Ash. Relief was a wonderful feeling, even when you're dead.

Very rarely did Death encounter something he didn't know. Something he didn't understand, now that happened all the time. But something he simply didn't know...well, normally, it was rare. It had been happening more and more since he'd arrived in this city, however, and he couldn't say he liked it. Ash's question was just another point to add to the list. I DO NOT KNOW, he replied simply. SHE HAS YET TO SAY. I WILL ASK HER, THOUGH.

His attention once again returned to his other guests. IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, he inquired, OR SHALL I START FROM THE BEGINNING?

An offer like that one, Setzer had to admit, came up far to rarely to merely let the opportunity slide by - even though he did have some questions of his own. In particular, questions about the whereabouts of his acquaintances, a question that was of somewhat more importance when one considered some of the more recent arrivals to the city. But with a bit of luck he could keep out of trouble for the time being. True, it was a risk, but one he was willing to take. After all, what fun came without a little risk?

"Either is fine by me," he answered with a shrug. "After all, it wasn't the promise of information that drew me here in the first place." Strictly speaking, it was even the truth - he'd only joined in initially out of a sense of boredom, but now that things were looking a little more interesting, he might as well stay.

If Mohinder was unnerved by the presence of something he couldn't see, which he was, his face didn't show it. Instead, he simply looked contemplative as he considered Death's offer. Something that didn't require much thinking for an answer.

"Well, if there's anything else you know about Zane Taylor, please tell me...otherwise starting from the beginning sounds good to me," he said with a small nod. His face starting to reflect the worry he had for his companion. Taken by some Organization? Why? Did they know about Zane's powers? His head buzzed with these questions and for now it seemed only Death had the answers to them.

It was not one of his best traits, but Ash knew he had to be patient in this situation. Wandering off to find Marona would be disastrous in a town as big as this. He could already imagine missing his chance encounter with Marona because of his foolishness.It took him nearly a year just to find her after after he had died, he very much did not wish to repeat that.

Instead, perhaps it was best to just listen to Death's conversations with these two men. It could prove interesting and informative for a newcomer like him. Truly, how often did was there a chance to here stories and information from Death itself?

"If it's not too much trouble, I would like to stay and listen for a bit," Ash nodded and smiled, "It's not like I know why I'm- or Marona are here either."

ALL RIGHT. Death nodded in general assent, passing around the tea the waitress had brought and once again waving her away. I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING OF ZANE TAYLOR, he said to Mohinder. YOU MIGHT PUT A POST ON THE MESSAGE BOARD LOOKING FOR HIM. Typing as he talked, Death paged over to the message board and turned his journal to show Mohinder. QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HAVE FOUND THEIR COMPANIONS THIS WAY. PERHAPS SOMEBODY HAS SEEN HIM.

NOW. TO BEGIN, THE CITY IS CALLED PAIXAO. Death tended to start at the very beginning of these sorts of things. After all, it was a very good place to start. PEOPLE ENTER, BUT FEW KNOW HOW THEY GOT HERE AND EVEN FEWER MANAGE TO LEAVE AGAIN; HOWEVER, SOME OF THE VISITORS HAVE DISAPPEARED, WITH NO EXPLANATION OR CLUE AS TO WHY. THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE CITY ARE KNOWN AS ORGANIZATION XIII. WE KNOW THE NAMES MOST OF THEM GO BY, BUT NOT VERY MUCH ELSE. I AM CERTAIN, HOWEVER, THAT THEY ARE NOT HUMAN. He paused, taking a sip of his tea and letting that sink in.

Well, that didn't bode particularly well at all. Of course given his recent experiences with things that weren't human - or rather somewhat more then human - his bias would hardly be surprised. Bad enough to have one of those types of people in his life. Any more was simply a nuisance. Probably best to avoid these then. At least until he had a spare set of allies.

A resistance though ... that he wouldn't mind joining if there were one. But that could wait.

"Not human?" Despite his own misgivings about the subject the question held little more then honest curiosity.

Mohinder muttered a 'thanks' as he accepted the tea, the tea definitely being appreciated right now. He tried not to show the disappointment too much when Death announced that he, in fact, knew nothing about Zane. Instead he was offered a way to find his companion, which wasn't bad at all considering the circumstances. He peered at the journal for a moment before nodding. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

As Death started his explanation, Mohinder carefully sipped his tea and simply listened. Everything that they were being told sounded quite worrisome especially the part about people disappearing and an Organization. Of course there was an Organization. There always was. The 'not human' part left him confused however but before he could question it, Setzer already had so he decided to just wait for an answer.

Paixao... Paixao. It didn't sound like it was on Ivoire, that's for sure. Ash knew his geography well, he had been on many islands during his days of being alive. Could it really be that they were sent here to a different world?

Ash pondered while Death spoke. Sure, there were stars that existed in the sky, many news reporters had speculated they could be worlds like Ivoire, but Ash never thought about it. It was strange, Netherworlds and the Spirit World exist, why couldn't other normal human worlds like Ivoire?

None the less, this was serious. "An organization..." He murmured to himself, unable to finish that sentence with words. ... kidnapping people? Whatever business was going on here, it certainly sounded like trouble. Trouble that Marona could get caught up in, something that Ash was not about to let happen.

NO, Death said simply, meeting both Setzer's and Mohinder's eyes in turn. THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION LACK BOTH NAME AND LIFESPAN, AND THEREFORE ARE NOT HUMAN. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY EXIST AS IT IS. He paused, thinking of how to continue. I DO KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THEIR INTENTIONS ARE NOT GOOD. THEY HAVE KIDNAPPED SEVERAL OF THE VISITORS, ONLY TO RETURN THEM A WEEK LATER VERY MUCH WORSE FOR THE WEAR. I DO NOT KNOW FOR WHAT PURPOSE THEY WERE TAKEN, AS I HAVE YET TO SPEAK WITH ANYBODY WHO WAS TAKEN. I DOUBT AS TO WHETHER THE EXPERIENCE WAS PLEASANT, HOWEVER. Deadpan and understatement were two tools Death understood very well and used quite effectively.

For all its otherworldliness this place was starting to seem more and more familiar the more Death spoke. Inhuman people? Dishonest intentions? It sounded like the Empire all over again. All that it needed now was something to match the Returners to match what he knew best.

The comment about how Death didn't how they managed to exist was interesting though. A new gambit in a familiar gamble, perhaps?

"No surprise there." A pause and then he continued. "Fate rarely makes things easy, after all."

The place just kept sounding weirder with every passing minute and Mohinder had that small faint hope this was all just a bad dream and Zane would wake him up so they could switch places in the car. But none of that was happening and it all felt too real, it was time to let that small bit of hope go and face the reality of the situation.

Not human, Death had said. So not having a lifespan meant you weren't a human. The possibility of regeneration crossed the professor's mind. If you could regenerate, even regrow limps and be immune to diseases, could you live on forever? Would you have a lifespan? Mohinder was quite certain that, even though they were different, no special, they were still human all the same. Still, it bothered him.

"These members..do they have any...special abilities?"

It was quite a lot to take in, Ash could feel the change in the air among those were living. This was no paradise at all, it was starting to sound like hell! It wasn't enough for Ash to have to worry about Sulphur's return to Ivoire, he was no longer even there! He would have to find Marona, there was no question to that, but now they would have to find a way out of here. What could this organization want? He was starting to feel it was not any of their business, he wanted to make sure Marona was safe, but that hope was starting to diminish.

Things that weren't human... Sulphur. It wouldn't surprise Ash if this Organization was truly run by monsters. Intelligent, but they were still monstrous in his eyes.

Mohinder's question piqued his interest. It was always a good idea to know what they were fighting against before entering a battle, he would note this in the future if him and Marona were ever unlucky enough to encounter them.

TRUE, Death agreed readily with Setzer's comment. He'd met Fate, after all, and the entirety of the Assassin's Guild combined had nothing on her ability to plot and manipulate. SHE IS ALSO A TERRIBLE PERSON TO PLAY CARDS WITH, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO WILL WIN BEFORE THE FIRST HAND IS DEALT.

He paused in surprise at Mohinder's question. Did the scientist know more than he was letting on, or was it a lucky guess? Either way, it deserved an answer. SO FAR AS COMMON KNOWLEDGE GOES, THEY DO, he replied. I KNOW OF ONE WHO CAN CONTROL PLANT LIFE, A SECOND WHO CONTROLS WATER, AND A THIRD WHO HAS POWER OVER LIGHTENING. IT IS BELIEVED THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION HAVE SIMILAR POWERS, BUT I HAVE YET TO WITNESS THEM.

"That's part of the fun," Setzer answered with a smile. After all, he'd never been it to win - although winning was a pleasantness in itself - but more for the thrill of the thing.

Nonetheless, he was liking what he was hearing less and less as the conversation wore on. He'd thought he'd left all this sort of thing back on his own world after all. A shame that fate seemed to have other ideas.

Mohinder remained silent and simply considered the reply he got. Control plant life, water and lightning? It all sounded possible in the realms of genetics. Although with this being a different world, a concept Mohinder was still slightly struggling with, it could be something else entirely.

If there was only a way to find out....These individuals sounded to dangerous to get near to though.

The ability to control elements was nothing new to Ash, it almost sounded as if this organization had Chroma Abilities, innate powers born to a select few back in their world. Marona and himself were clear benefactors, as well as victims, of this power. People feared them because of their added strengths and skills, but it seemed like there was a reason to fear here. Those with such powers using them against innocent people angered Ash.

Slowly, he was starting to get the feeling that this was not a problem they could just ignore and return to Ivoire with. Their home world needed them, but he wouldn't feel right for the rest of his after-life if he were to abandon another world that needed help.

The after-life is a very, very long time for him to feel guilty.

I SUPPOSE SO, was Death's reply to Setzer's comment. He wasn't sure he understood the sentiment - very few humans seemed to play games if not to win. Was there another reason, perhaps?

But that was something to contemplate another time. He looked from person to person at the table. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

If very few people played to not win, then Setzer was one of those few. He'd always been something of a risktaker after all; never feeling so alive as when the stakes were high and the chips were down.

"Not right now," he answered. He had enough to think about already, and was already half-wishing there were a few more Returners in the city.

Mohinder finished his tea, it had almost been forgotten during the conversation and had gone slightly cold, as he contemplated any potential questions. Eventually he shook his head, none coming to mind.

"None," he replied. There certainly was enough he could think about for now, plus he had a friend to find.

"Excuse me," Ash finally interjected. Now would be the best time to ask, "Marona, you said she was near? If you don't mind, I would be in your debt if you could take me to her." His voice, though as polite as he could muster, still wavered eagerly at Death. Being separated from Marona was something that Ash feared, for her own safety as well as his own sanity. He would be restless until he could see her, and a restless ghost was never a good thing to have around.

Ash would have much time to contemplate Death's tale. It was certainly disconcerting, but he had more pressing issues at hand.

CERTAINLY, Death replied to Ash's eager inquiry. After all, he'd done what he'd come here to do, and it seemed as though there was no further information he could impart. He rose to his feet, nodding to Setzer and Mohinder. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, he said, remembering his social formalities. CONTACT ME IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE YOU WISH TO KNOW.

He turned to leave, then stopped, remembering something. OH, AND MOHINDER, he looked back at the scientist, I AM STILL INTERESTED IN YOUR CURRY. PERHAPS WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER.

That said, he left his empty cup and saucer on the table for the waitress to pick up and departed, off to help a ghost find his partner.

Coffee and Conversation [Complete]

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