Death is near

My names are Thanatos, Mors, Grim Reaper And many more, but please don’t hold your breath I’m just creations humble keeper So choose a name or simply call me Death

[detectivephiliac]

Kyouko tilted her head curiously. She theorized that the man before her was never exactly normal since the moment the detective noticed him. To what degree, she wasn’t sure, but it seemed each hint got her closer to the strange truth.

"Children, hm?" She raised her eyebrow and snorted, as if it was a completely ridiculous concept. Her? Children? Occasionally she thought about it - especially now that she was the youngest in the Kirigiri line, but… Kyouko refused to think about relationships and the future while certain cases remained open.

"Well, I would certainly hope my children wouldn’t hate me enough to hang me beside him. Although, if he can stay put together until then… Who knows?" She never expected to live as long as her grandfather, but if she managed to bear children… then who knows? Kyouko never thought she would live that long, but.

[endthennothing]

"Don’t take life so seriously, my dear", the old man said, "it’s just one big game in which you play a minor role. Struggle as much as you care, it won’t change the outcome."

"This will at least always remind you that one day, you too will be nothing more than a pile of bones. Either rotting in a hole or displayed in a living room."

He turned around and looked at her again.

"Believe me, you’re the only person who decides whether you spent your few remaining years brooding or happy. It’s up to you whether you let yourself be ruled by the past or whether you seek a future that will never come true.

"Live now or stop doing so at all."

[endthennothing]

No Regrets

"Thank you dear", the elder lady said as the nurse put the pillow under her head. She lost her only son to a car accident many years ago and her husband’s heart had stopped beating even before that. Now she was living in retirement home that was rather close to a forest. It was a nice place to die because that was what she would eventually do here.

"The window again?", the nurse asked as she poured the lady a glass of water. It was a rhetorical question, for every evening she asked her to open it.

"Please", the elder woman said and smiled. She liked her nurse. After her son died she suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for two weeks but the staff there was always in a hurry and only did what was absolutely necessary. Here people cared and listened if the elder were still able to tell something.

"It’s getting cold, you know. If you keep insisting that we open it, you only invite death."

"Oh what then?", she asked, "I have lived my life, so why should I fret for more years while I could enjoy the sound of the forest?" She had long found her peace. She hated the world long enough after her son died, but eventually she accepted it. It was past and she couldn’t change it anymore. What sense was there in grieving without end? Everything had a time and the time for grievance was limited.

"You’re not that old", the nurse said, "you’ll have many more years to enjoy."

"Maybe", she said not wanting to discuss that topic again. She knew that there wasn’t that much time left and she was ready to go. To meet her family again.

They wished each other a good night and the nurse left the room. The elder lady exhaled audibly and turned her head towards the window.

Well past midnight as everything was quiet and the lights on the hallway were dimmed. The door to her room was opened silently and he entered, not using his cane for once.

"So, it’s time, isn’t it", the elder lady said and looked towards the door. She only saw a silhouette but she had been expecting it. Call it intuition or guessing but she wasn’t surprised at all. She wasn’t even afraid.

"Yes", he said and walked towards her bed and lighted a candle that stood on a table besides the bed. He didn’t need the light to see her face, but she had the right to see who was coming for her, "you know who I am?" It wasn’t really a question, he knew what she knew.

"We’ve met often enough even if you didn’t look like this", she said and smiled at the old man taking in his features, "I’ve been waiting for you."

"I know and now the waiting is over." Normally he didn’t visit the mortals himself, but in cases like this where the people were content with their end he made an exception. "So, are you ready or do you need some time to maybe write a letter?" She didn’t, but he offered the courtesy.

"No, everything is prepared", she answered. She sat up and moved her legs out of the bed so she faced him directly, "we can go."

Death offered her a hand and she took it without hesitation.

"There’s something you want to see a last time", he said.

"Yes."

"Then let’s go."

The lady’s legs had stopped working properly over a year ago, she could still move them a bit but it wasn’t enough for walking by far. However, now she didn’t feel any of that and could walk with the man at her side towards the door.

For a moment everything was black as they walked through the door. Then she smelled the salty air and heard the sound of the ocean as it kindly brushed over the sand beneath her feet. She enjoyed how the water touched her legs. It was fresh but not cold, simply perfect. They we’re looking right at the setting sun which made her wonder for a second. A moment ago, it was dark night and now… It didn’t matter. Only the current moment was important to her.

"Thank you", she said and smiled at the man who still held her hand. His palm was neither cold nor hot, just totally normal.

Death nodded and squeezed her hand then started walking towards the ocean. Before they eventually disappeared in the sea, she looked at the remaining tip of the sun again.

"Goodbye."

[detectivephiliac]

"Perhaps scent was the wrong word… It’s more of an instinct. I suppose you’re right about it being merely a hint, however… It’s still useful, if you understand how to use it.” She sighed and watched him walk back over to that man, eyes narrowing in the slightest.

"Of course there are impossible things. But… it’s the Devil’s Proof, isn’t it? If you see it happen, then it’s possible. But, I can’t say anything is impossible - because perhaps I just haven’t seen it achieved yet. You never know how what’s out there, or how the universe will evolve…"

[endthennothing]

"You will never know", he corrected. While she didn't mean him specifically, he still wanted to lead her to finding out who he really was. To him the future wasn't so hidden at all. Of course some things happened by chance and even he couldn't predict every tiny detail. Such a thing was only possible to the Creator. However, he knew exactly what would end when and that told quite something about how things would evolve.

"When you die, would you like to stand besides him?", he asked and chuckled, "maybe you'll eventually have children and this becomes some sort of family tradition. Wouldn't that be nice?"

[detectivephiliac]

"Scents are evidence, are they not? I cannot simply disregard the smell of death. It’s synonymous with hearing the footsteps of angels, or the sight of blood. And detectives are sensitive to this sort of evidence - we can recognize it before a crime even occurs…"

"It’s rather surprising, what people can do…" Kyouko leans against her couch, crossing her arms. "How likely would it be for two young girls to shut down an entire evil organization? How likely would it be for a single teenager to murder dozens of people in their school - with the outside world having no knowledge of this - without being caught until there were only six left? How likely would it be for those incompetent six teenagers to catch this rogue adolescent, whom they have no memory of? Plenty of seemingly impossible things happen in this world, but once you delve deeper, one realizes how possible they really are.”

[endthennothing]

"Sometimes they are, but mostly the scent is just an indicator that should make you search for evidence. For example, if you smell a dead body that doesn't automatically lead to the conclusion that there is one around. It's simply a hint", he said, "and if you really knew when a crime would happen, I wonder why there are so many unsolved cases."

"Not so surprising at all", he said as he walked back to the Skeleton. Should he make it walk?

"There are really very few things that are impossible", he said eventually, "death is inevtable for example. Well, then again, it depends on who you are. Even to such a rule you'll find exceptions if you look long enough."

Would there ever be an end for himself? Could he ever retire and stop being what he was? Did he even want to? After all, he was made for one purpose and it would take quite some time until that purpose should be fulfilled.

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai waved her hand dissmissively at his words.

"No, no, that appearance is just fine. It was frightening enough to meet a strange old man for me. Also, I think I’m starting to understand your omniscient presence in this world. However, I was asking if you, simultaneously or not, exist in the realm where your ‘siblings’ are."

She had a good image of how Death could be everywhere at once.

"Furthermore, I don’t think ‘fun’ is the right word…" she said with mock irritation. Her work on the antidote, as he very likely knew, was stagnant at the moment. She had to at least try asking about extraterrestrial life. It was likely that humans wouldn’t find out until after her lifetime.

[endthennothing]

"As I said, I'm connected to everything that is. That also includes what you might call heaven and hell. I simply try to avoid family meetings since those two idiots are to be blamed as much as humans are when it comes to the Creator's decision to leave", Death said. He actually was the youngest of the three, but that didn't change anything about the hierarchy.

"Well, maybe not to you", Death said. From his point of view, every human's struggles were just little stories that mostly failed to entertain him.

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai said nothing of power struggle or the Peking order. She shrugged. This conversation had worn her down some, and she felt a little less frightened of Death.

"I have more questions. Do you dwell in another plane of existence, then, when you’re not stalking/reaping the mortals? Or do you always stay on Earth, visible or not? Also, if you’re the only Death, does that mean that only Earth supports life? Do you visit other planets to claim those who’s time is up?"

[endthennothing]

Death nodded as she asked her questions. Finally she relaxed, took long enough.

"I'm sorry if my physical appearance has caused you trouble. I'm not bound to this body. I'm not even bound to physical laws. While this body sits here and talks with you, I'm also everywhere else. My mind is interwoven with everything that is. Also, time isn't as linear as you might think, but I suppose that might be a bit too far fetched for you to understand", Death said.

"And I really don't take lifes often. As I said, I only care for those who understood what life is about and who await me. Those individuals deserve a special treatment. My employees are rather good at their job most of the time. Now concerning that question whether there are other planets that support life. It would be a bit boring if I told you, right? Where is the sense in science if an old man comes and tells you everything? C'mon if I told you a cure for your poison that would kill all the fun, wouldn't it?"

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai didn’t know how to respond to that. If she was a pawn in the large chess game of existence, then surely this was beyond her comprehension. Still, it somehow made sense with this over-simplified metaphor.

It was even more interesting, still, to hear Death ruled alone over the symbolic ‘game’ that was existence. Odd. No God nor Devil interfered, then. That explained a lot.

[endthennothing]

"My siblings are to busy to interfere with this game since they are both trying to best each other and the only one who could beat me anyways is the Creator", Death said. Now if a normal person said that he or she couldn't be beaten, that was nothing but hubris. In Death's case however it was a totally neutral statement, just like saying that an anvil will fall down if you drop it from a skyscraper.

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai looked over. What was all this about a Creator? She figured that that may be the equivalent of a deity or god, but she wasn’t certain.

"Creator? I failed to entertain the Creator how? Also, I didn’t know that I was participating in a side-show act. Glad to see that someone can laugh at my life, seeing as I do not, Mr. Death."

[endthennothing]

"Well, the Creator is the Creator. The one who made everything", Death explained, there wasn’t much more to be said.

"And it wasn’t you especially who failed. It’s mankind in general. And on our board you’re nothing but mere pieces used for a game that’s bigger than you can imagine", Death said and then sighed, "being the only one who plays is a bit boring though."

It might be weird that Death had feelings, but he missed the Creator.

[detectivephiliac]

She watched him quietly, knowing that it would be fruitless if she panicked or tried to take charge. So instead she did what she was recognized for doing best: she thought, and she studied.

"Depends on when we met. If it was a year or two ago, I’m afraid my memory is perhaps permanently hazy of that time. If it was before… I often find myself trying to block those times out, honestly. So I won’t remember unless it was within the last year. My apologies."

'Kyouko-chan', huh? Not many people called her that. And none of those people were exactly like this person. So.

"You reek of death, if that’s any indication of your identity. If I didn’t know any better, I would expect opening my bathroom door would reveal a mountain of cadavers.” She was admittedly unsure it wouldn’t, just because how powerful death’s call was. “It’s a much stronger stench than a regular crime scene…”

[endthennothing]

He simply shrugged at her apologies. It didn't mean anything to him.

"So, all your expertise in investigating the weirdest cases led you to the point where you rely on a scent to draw conclusions? I mean you might be able to tell whether someone works in a restaurant or the sewers, but is it really that important when trying to identify someone? I don't think so."

If she only knew how close she was to the truth. But also how far away at the same moment. The old man didn't need to hide his amusement. There was nothing his face could give away, for he had nothing to hide. He was no suspect of hers in some case after all. Simply an interested visitor.

"That's a quite fascinating image, though. Piles of corpses, maybe even stacked neatly following some rule you might deduce? Starting with the blonde people and putting all the children on top of it?", he said, "however, how likely would it be for an old man like me, to pile up bodies in your bathroom?"

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai sighed. She’d sighed a lot that day. She hated thinking that Death was right. Still, there were a lot of important points in the argument.

"…has anyone ever told you that you’re annoying when you’re being all-knowing like this?" she said sarcastically. However, she took the words Death had told her and committed them to memory. How to go about stopping the flee from your shadow and learning to accept it was another challenge she would have to face.

She looked out to where her friends played. She made a decision in her heart, but thought nothing more of it. She turned her head and smiled at Death. “You know, you’re not as grim as they make you out to be, Mr. Grim Reaper.”

[endthennothing]

Even though he understood the sarcasm, he had to chuckle.

"How many people do you think dare to accuse Death of being annoying?", he asked. It simply didn't happen.

"I'm glad you realized that for there is no reason why I should be grim. All this", he waved his hand over the schoolyard, but meaning the whole existence, "only exists as long as I let it. You failed to entertain the Creator, but I'm still enjoying to watch you. As long as there a humans I like to watch, this game will go on."

There was no indication how much time that meant, but it probably wouldn't happen in her lifetime anymore. Death might seem omniscient to any other existence, but compare to the Creator he was as dumb as one could be.

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai’s eyes snapped open as Death answered the question she had not dared to voice. Somehow, at this point, she was not all that surprised. She let her eyelids fall a little as she considered his words.

"You really are omniscient, aren’t you? The real deal…however, that really does make that task any easier. To let go of the past, to let go of Shiho…" she trailed off, thoughts clouded. "I’m sorry. I know I don’t get to choose my time to go, so if my time is up and I still haven’t reached the point of releasing her, then that is my problem. I just hope that if I live to see the end of this Organization business, I will be able to finally release some of the guilt and hate inside me. I really do try, though…" her voice got quiet, she meant what she said. "…I really do love my friends and I’m really trying to make the most of my days with them. If you really are all-knowing, you should know that there is truth is in my words."

[endthennothing]

"What if you see how the Organization gets dissolved? If you see how Gin gets arrested? Do you really think it will change anything? Maybe for a short time you’ll feel relief. But what follows next? Emptiness. You’ll feel hollow", Death said still smiling. It didn’t matter to him whether she was happy or not when her time was up. He simply thought it right to tell her about this problem.

"I know very well that you like them, that you try. But not hard enough. It’s your choice whether you let your life be shadowed by your past or not. No one has ever managed to run faster than his or her own shadow. Neither will you."

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai nodded. “It’s not cruel. It’s humane. I am very certain that lives would become very wasteful and full of despair if knowledge like that was leaked. Oh well. It’s funny to hear that some can accept it…”

She trailed off, thinking. Only in death, she figured, would she be truly free from all of the guilt she harbored. All of the anger. Although if the Organization was taken down in her lifetime, that might help ease it some. Same with finding an antidote for that certain foolhardy detective. She let out a sigh, leaning back on the bench again.

[endthennothing]

"As I said those are rare cases that are rewarded with my fullest attention", Death said.

"However, I have to disappoint you a bit", he explained, ignoring the fact that what he was answering now was an unspoken question, "you’ll have to find your peace as long as you’re alive. It’s true that there will be no pain after your end, but that’s because there will be absolutely nothing left of you. That doesn’t make your live as it is now any more enjoyable, though."

It was probably a very abstract idea and Death giving philosophical advices probably seemed wrong to her, but he simply knew what he was talking about.

"Enjoy the present day, don’t worry about the past for you can’t change it anymore. And don’t bother about the future for it will unfold differently than you might think."

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai closed her eyes as he definitively told her today was not her last. She felt almost relieved; she harbored much guilt over everything that had happened and really just wanted to be of some use before her time was up. She was also grateful that she would have more time with Hakase.

Ai gave a small smile as she looked at Death. “Thank you for putting me at ease. Although, I do have a request. Please don’t tell me when I am supposed to go with you. Knowing that is like opening Pandora’s box and letting despair fall upon the world. I guess I’ll just be content for now, though I am still wary of you appearing as a tree…”

[endthennothing]

Death waved the idea away.

"You may think me cruel, but that’s something I don’t tell people often. Many actually ask for a date, but I refuse most of them since they wouldn’t take it well", Death said.

That knowledge only agitated them and they couldn’t do anything anymore without keeping in mind how much time they’d left. And then when their last day came, they realized that they wasted so many time. Then they started begging for more time.

"However, there also are some rare occasions where some will be able to handle that knowledge. Then they live their life and when it’s over they’re already waiting for us. Those people I visit myself."

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai jumped a little at the sudden outburst of laughter. She turned to the old man with a concerned face. Death, laughing? Is that a good thing? She felt a little less worried when he calmed down. His words soothed her a little, and she took a moment to think of the poor man that met his end like that. Well, at least Death had a small amount of consideration.

"Ah, is that so? You could be a woman? Or a child? And you just roam the Earth whilst your bored? What if someone bumps you? Do they really die?" she asked, thinking of all of Death’s depictions in literature. Ai then caught herself. "Ah, I’m sorry for all of the questions, it’s rude."

[endthennothing]

"I could be anything, woman, child, tree, cat, you name it I can do it", Death said it’s just appearances. Like people put on cloths, Death puts on whole bodies.

"However, it’s a bit of an cliche that touching me was deadly. I mean I can take a life by touching someone, but the touch isn’t the important part. The only thing that matters is my decision."

There were so many myths about Death, starting with being called Grim Reaper. Why should he be grim? There was no possibility to change his judgement. There was nothing that’d upset him. He was definitely not grim.

In the end Death always won. You might be able to make a deal with one of his reapers which Death rarely cared about. But if he decided to break it, who would stop Death?

"No need to excuse yourself, today isn’t your last day. I won’t take you with me", Death said.

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

"That’s fine to hear, I suppose," she mumbled. "There’s already much I failed to understand, so I suppose I really should be used to this feeling."

If she were honest, she was not thrilled to hear that something was out of her reach. Yet, with the way Death spoke, she knew he was right and that it was almost futile to protest. She was also kind of irritated to be called ‘predictable’. Predictability would get her to meet her end at the hands of the Organization, as well as allow her to meet this man and his ‘employees’ for the last time. She let out another sigh.

"Well, then, do you always look like that?" she gestured to the old man’s appearance.

[endthennothing]

Death burst out laughing at the question. This girl was sitting next to Death, the one being in the whole Creation, that could probably answer any question. Death was used to people asking when they’ll die. He was used to people haggling for more years, but THAT?

"I like your attitude", he eventually said as he stopped laughing and wiped his eyes, "well, I don’t always look like this, but I like this appearance. Makes me less scary. Once I appeared to someone as that person imagined me and … well his time was up anyways, so it didn’t matter whether he died due to the heart attack or whether a Reaper had taken him."

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

Ai resisted the urge to groan. She was tired of this and just wanted to gome home. She looked out and saw her friends were still playing. Still, seeing as Death himself was here, she should play along. Who knew if she would meet him again before it was actually her time to be done with life? Did he take a different form each time? She still wasn’t certain she wanted know these answers though.

Ai leaned back on the bench. “Well, then. Is it you who will take me out of this existence? Or are the little mortals not supposed to know this?”

[endthennothing]

"No, I won't take you. I'm simply the one who writes the lists, who does the judging and calculating. The reaping is done by my employees", Death explained. Sometimes he had to take one's life himself, but that was only necessary when his children failed which luckily didn't happen that often. And when it happened, Death made sure it was the last time they messed up.

"There isn't anything that you're not supposed to know", he said and shrugged, "just things that you wouldn't understand anyways. I mean I could tell you anything and it wouldn't do the Creation any harm. You're lives are so short, that you can't really make a difference to the bigger game. Human's are nothing but pawns", Death explained, knowing very well, that a pawn could easily become the most versatile piece on the board.

At least if you played by normal rules.

[endthennothing]

Death knows

[ai-in-the-white-coat-blog-deact]

At first, Ai didn’t know what to make of this. To be honest, she had never been scared of the afterlife or anything like that. She didn’t even mind hearing that there was none to fear. She was really just sad that she wasn’t there to say goodbye.

Regardless, Ai looked back up at the elderly man that claimed to the embodiment of death. She then walked back to the bench and sat down with a sigh.

"Is this what you wanted? Are you pleased with yourself?"

[endthennothing]

"The day when I am content with myself, is the day when this whole creation stops existing", Death said.

He was the bane of existence, yet he was supposed to take care of it. Oh the irony. If it wasn’t the Creator himself who gave him that task, he would have neglected it already. Who would try to stop Death anyways? No one was that insane.

"I’m not here to make you angry or sad or whatever. I’m just enjoying to watch humans’ reactions, no matter how exactly they react. I’m just an old man who suffers dementia after all", he said and winked.