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"Where was the last place I had it?" Higa replied to Lucy, repeating her question. "It was right in my back left pocket. I was helping put up some decorations earlier when I felt someone touch me. I looked over my shoulder and saw her running off. I hadn't a chance to catch her because I was busy at the time, but I know for sure it was her! I wouldn't just make things up!"

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Saya crossed her arms, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Sounds to be a likely story in my opinion. You could be making it up to pick on Arya just because you don't like her!"

"I-I wouldn't just make something up! I'm an honorable chef who lives by the truth! Blind children can be tricky," Higa said with a scowl before turning to address Arya yet again. "Besides, young one, you've worked with the archdemon before. How do I know that you aren't hiding a power that could've helped you take my wallet, or if you're not just pretending to be blind, huh?"

Saya rolled her eyes. "Oh pleaaaase, she's not pretending to be blind. She really is-- HEY!"

Before anyone else would have a chance to reason with the man, they would see him pick Arya up by the collar of her dress, suspending her in the air with his hand.

@Krieg @Atomyk @Hospes


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"Interesting," Graham replied to Asher with a grin. "What is a man without his legacy, eh? Sounds like a cause worthy enough to fight for. My fee was nothing as noble," he admitted, averting his gaze for a moment, the smile fading from his lips. "However, it is still very important to me. Let's say it's... my family."

His entry fee was indeed his family, not by blood or even by species. They were the pack of wolves who had saved him when he was a child. They took care of him, raised him, and taught him how to hunt so he could survive. To Graham, they meant absolutely everything. There is only one other who means something to him, but even Emma Swan, the woman who had freed his heart, isn't as important to him as the wolves are.

"I'm not certain, but even in life it took a lot to get me drunk. I went to the bar almost every night after work," he said, the smirk returning to his lips. At least, he tried to go on the nights the evil queen didn't force him to stay with her.

Graham made his way over to the table with Asher. "Make that two for me," the huntsman told the waiter, asking for double the drinks Asher ordered as if to challenge him. He then glanced to their new arrival, watching as the man ordered a shot of whiskey. "And so another game player joins the fray. You look like a sheriff," he stated.

@Atomyk @Krieg
 
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Before Beth could even think of another proper rejection for Jaune, she was relieved that Pyrrha would interject and suddenly hug the blond boy. She found herself surprised, taking a step back from them while Jaune's jaw dropped. He quickly closed it, staring down at the emotional female. He flailed his arms awkwardly at his sides, unsure if he should wrap them around her or what exactly.

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"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" he asked, entirely confused. Although he didn't know who she was, the swordsman felt bad seeing her cry. "I'm confused, but please don't cry. What can I do to help?" he asked, earning an eye roll from Beth.

"Just so you know, I think she knows you," Beth told him before slipping past, deciding she would try to sneak away while the two of them were distracted.

"Oh!" Jaune exclaimed in reply to Beth. "I-I'm really sorry, miss, but if I know you I... don't remember you. My memories were my entry fee for the game. So... uh... what's your name then?"

@Hospes


While strolling the premises of the party, Sanae Hanekoma nearly dropped his coffee cup in surprise when he saw two guests in particular who had arrived.

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"Oh shit, that's the Lord of Spirits," the man said to himself, rapidly beginning to glance around the area in search of the Composer. They would most definitely want to speak with Joshua, and if for some reason he wasn't around it wouldn't look very good. Yet, sure enough, the Producer spotted no sight of the angel. Biting his lower lip, he rushed over to the only other person of high enough status.

"Teresa, we have a little problem," the man said, rushing over to where the Conductor was at. He gestured to the new guests, trying to be discreet. "See that woman over there? She's called the Lord of Spirits. She's kind of a big deal. She works with Origin, who is an even bigger deal. We report to them on the number of souls we've collected, and they make sure things don't become imbalanced. They've come here, so they'll want to speak with Josh, but I can't find the damn idiot anywhere. Would you go over and greet them while I quickly go find him?" he questioned her.

@Hospes @Atomyk
 
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What the-... Oh. Of course. Right as Teresa had been walking away, she found herself cut off abruptly, a man blocking her path. Normally, she would've been fine with this, giving a simple 'excuse me' and passing by. But right now, she really didn't have the patience or mood for such kind formalities, and really rather would've merely brushed past without any regard for the person. But unluckily for her, this person in her way happened to be Sanae Hanekoma. And, just what she needed right now, his first words were 'we have a problem'. "Great," she muttered under her breath, letting out a small sigh. Warily, her eyes followed his gesture, landing on the new arrival briefly before returning to Sanae.

Sniffing and brushing a stray hair out of her pale face with annoyance, Teresa forced herself to reply with as little evident frustration as she could. "...Right. So, stall while you find Josh. Got it," she replied with a small nod. Without another word, she turned away from Sanae, taking a small pause to wrangle a faint, polite smile onto her face before beginning to walk towards the woman and young boy. With an awkward wave, she offered polite, well thought-out conversation, sounding sophisticated and smart with her choice of words.

"...Hello."

Yup. Nailed it.

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

-----


There was a quiet as Pyrrha held onto Jaune, filled only by her quiet sobs, muffled against the fabric of Jaune's clothes. On one level, she was elated. Ecstatic. Feeling blessed, even, to be able to lay eyes- and hands -on her not-quite-lover once more. To be able to hold the man she'd long since fallen for in her arms again. But at the same time, it was wrong.. He wasn't supposed to be here. How could he be here? He couldn't really be dead. She shouldn't be happy he was here, for it meant he had been stricken down by death. But he was here, and she was happy. So happy.

Up until a mere few words of his caused the last of her remaining happiness to shatter.

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"You... You don't remember me...?"

A horrified, heartbroken look crossed her face, barely able to choke out the words through her pain and tears as those brilliant green eyes finally managed to glance up to meet his blue eyes. This couldn't be. It wasn't happening. She had to be dreaming. Jaune being dead was bad enough, he couldn't not remember her. She was just... Having a nightmare. Yes, surely that was it. Jaune was alive and safe, and he remembered her as she was. She was just asleep. Hell, maybe none of it had been real. Maybe she'd never died. The fall of Beacon, a figment of her dreams. Maybe everything was still okay--

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And then it hit her, inflicting more pain than even the arrow she'd taken to the chest that had killed her. A memory. Faint, but there, from just after her passing. A dark room, with a figure unknown. An explanation of the rules of the game, of what was required to participate, and what would happen if one failed. The loss of the entry ticket... For good. She froze rigid in place as she recalled the unfortunate turn of events that took place during her Reapers' Game, the betrayal of Joshua and her own death... She'd failed. And for it, Jaune had been taken from her.

This was her fault.

He had died because of her.

For the briefest moment, her grip on the fabric of his clothes tightened, a strangled sob in place of the scream she felt like releasing coming out before the whisper that followed. "...I'm so sorry, Jaune...." And then, she shoved away from him, taking off with tears falling behind her as she ran, desperate to escape what suddenly felt like the tight, suffocating space that the party was held in. He had died because of her. She had no right... No right to be around him. "I'm sorry!"

And should no one stop her, the redhead would be gone.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

-------

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Primrose listened carefully to what Nathan had to say, a saddened and simultaneously horrified look forming on her face. But that wasn't all. There was sympathy to be found, too- not just in her face, but in her body. "I...- That's horrible," she murmured, awe-stricken. "I'm so sorry." And, of course, her words. But more than any of those things, her sympathy could be seen in her actions. For a moment, she hesitated, but in the end her nurturing instincts won out and she tenderly reached to place a gentle, reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey... Don't be sorry, okay? You've got nothing to be sorry for," she assured. If he didn't react negatively to her touch, the girl actually considered hugging him. "What happened to you is horrible. It's okay to feel bad about it. Nothing to apologize, especially to me, for."

@Atomyk
 
Sanae nodded. "Yeah, stall them until I find Josh. Don't worry, I'll try to make it quick," he said, waiting for a moment to watch Teresa as she would walk up to the guests.

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When she greeted them with only a simple hello, the Producer slapped his forehead. "Oy, note to self: her social skills could use some work."

The man then reluctantly moved to head off, opening the door to the stairwell of the building. He began to head down the stairs, stopping when his search would already come to an end. He quickly found the Composer sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Joshua had taken his tie off and had untucked his shirt, looking a bit sloppy. Sighing, Sanae approached him and slapped his friend lightly on the back.

"J, what are you doing? You look like you're about ready to leave the party..."

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Joshua nudged the floor with his foot, glancing up at Sanae over his shoulder. "That's because I was going to leave the party. I'm not feeling very good tonight, probably due to stress. It's been a rough day."

The Producer raised an eyebrow. "Okay, what's eating ya, kid? If it's important, you should tell me about it."

Josh scowled, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, it's just... Teresa. She was getting on my nerves earlier. That's about it."

The older angel folded his arms, a skeptical look on his face. "Nice try. Teresa gets on your nerves every day and it doesn't ruin your day. Something else is up. You may as well spill it now. I won't leave you alone until you do."

Joshua narrowed his eyes, a serious expression on his face. "If I tell you, well, don't tell anyone else, not even Teresa." A frustrated laugh erupted from his lips before he ran a hand through his hair. "We just got Shibuya cleaned up. Things were finally getting peaceful around here. My reapers... they're happy. I don't want them to panic over what's happened today. Very few individuals know about it."

Sanae adjusted his sunglasses. "Don't shoulder a burden on your own, Josh. You can trust me, and you can trust Teresa."

"I know, I know. Just... listen to me closely."


Jaune was more lost than a blind person without their cane. He felt bad, but still, he had no clue as to what was going on. He tried to think why the sight of him might make this young woman emotional, but he honestly couldn't think of a reason. Had he hurt her feelings in the past? Had he done something to someone she cared about? In his mind, the reason she was crying probably had to do with something he did.

Or wait, maybe she was upset seeing that he had died? Why would something like that upset her? It wasn't as if he was entirely dead, after all. He still had a chance to play the Reapers' Game and return to life. He wished he could get some answers out of her, but at the same time he didn't want to upset her more than she already was.

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Before he could utter a word to try and ease her, she turned and tried to run off. He whirled around after Pyrrha, trying to grab her by the wrist. "Wait! Please don't go! Just tell me what I did to hurt you! Maybe I can help!"


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Sanae staggered back after hearing what Joshua had to tell him. "Okay, yeah, that kinda is a big deal..."

"It's a huge deal," Joshua said, clenching a fist. "That's why, I don't think I can focus on a party tonight. I'm going to head back to my room. If you could take over from here, I'd appreciate it," he said, starting to stand up.

"Whoa, hold on, you still can't go anywhere. Normally, I'd be cool with that, but someone very important showed up: the Lord of Spirits," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Seriously?" Joshua questioned, staggering as he rose to his feet.

Mr. H grabbed Josh by the shoulders, helping to stabilize him. "Jeez, are you drunk?"

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"Drunk on stress, maybe," he grumbled, reaching down to pick his tie up off the floor. "I guess I don't have a choice. I'll head out there to talk to them. Oh, and not a word to them about this. The Lord of Spirits is only to know what everyone else knows right now... that Shibuya is entirely back to normal and we're starting another Reapers' Game tomorrow."

Joshua began fixing his tie, still speaking. "Oh, and I have one more important concern," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Did Pyrrha see Jaune yet? Please tell me she didn't. I have to see the look on her face when she realizes he's dead and doesn't remember her..."

"Jeez, are you sure you're stressed out? You're still acting like an ass."

Joshua shrugged. "Hey, even I need entertainment or some kind of stress relief," he said, tucking in his shirt before beginning to head back up the stairs with Sanae. "Let's go."

@Atomyk @Hospes @Krieg
 
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As difficult as it was with the female trying desperately to escape the scene, Jaune managed to snag Pyrrha's wrist before she could flee, causing another intense surge of pain to shoot through the female's chest. He truly didn't remember her. The thought hurt more and more, each time it went through her head, and it was all she could do to hold back another choked sob as she desperately struggled to free herself.

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"Jaune, please, just... Don't. I shouldn't be near you...!"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
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"But why! At least tell me why and I won't bother you anymore!" As the female reaper before him struggled to get away, Jaune would feel his grasp on her starting to weaken. He quickly tightened his hand to keep hold of Pyrrha resulting in his feet stumbling during the girl's attempted flee. Losing his balance entirely, the blond fell forward bumping into her and potentially knocking her over. If this were to occur, he would probably, in fact, land directly on top of her as well.

@Hospes
 
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"I... I can't--" the female choked out, only briefly able to maintain any sort of eye contact with the male before it became too much to bear. Turning her head, she tried once more to yank away, only this time... It resulted in the male holding her wrist to lose his balance, and before she knew it, his body collided with hers, knocking her over and sending them both tumbling to the ground, with him atop her.. Which did little to soothe her- in fact, doing the complete opposite as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "Jaune, please.. You don't understand..."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
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Jaune scrambled as fast as he humanly could, trying to pull away from Pyrrha after falling atop her. He only had been trying to help! Yet, somehow, his actions were only making things worse. Her tears made his heart sink. The blond never had intended to make her cry. Feeling terrible for her, he finally gave up on trying to keep her from escaping him. While she still laid on the ground, however, he glanced to her and replied, "Yeah I think we've established that I don't understand. There's no way I'm going to know what's wrong unless you tell me."

The male nudged the ground with a foot, letting out a sigh. "But I guess... I can't make you talk. If you ever change your mind, feel free to come find me. I just want you to know... whatever I did to hurt you, I'm sorry." Hesitantly, Jaune offered a hand to Pyrrha, intending to help her up if she grabbed it. Based on her behavior, however, he had a feeling she wouldn't touch him. What had happened between them in the past? He really wished that he knew.

@Hospes
 

Well, embarrassment had been added to horror and shame as Jaune fell atop her and immediately began scrambling to get off, making it difficult to discern whether the rosy shade of her face was due to her crying or something else. Regardless, she felt like the world was spinning as they both struggled to separate their forms, her movements more frantic than his own. His words as he finally managed to climb off of her were hardly processed in her frantic state, but what he said next rang loud and clear, causing her to halt and freeze where she'd just barely began to push herself off of the ground, head lifted only slightly with palms flat on the floor.

...He thought... but....

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"Jaune..." she murmured, staring at him with even more pain in those bright green eyes glinting with tears than before. "You have it all wrong!" she suddenly exclaimed in the softest sense of the word, turning her head and closing her eyes with intense pain. "You aren't the one that hurt me... I'm the one that hurt you." It was a bare whisper, the second sentence hardly audible, especially in the ruckus of the party. Thinking it was one thing, but saying it aloud was enough to bring on a whole new burst of tears. Shaking her head, she sprung back to life, scrambling to get back to her feet and hurriedly taking a couple of steps backwards. "I'm sorry... I can't...--"

I can't be around you, knowing what I did.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
Nathan, like so often, felt like he was boiling over. That familiar tightening of his chest, accompanied by the feeling of someone squeezing the shit out of his throat. This was all too much. How could he think for a second it wouldn't be all too much? He was supposed to have died... It would have been so much easier if he had just died!

Prim's hand on his shoulder jolted Nathan out of his thoughts. He visibly flinched, shying away from her slightly and likely swaying her from that idea of hugging him. He nodded at what she was saying, but the anguished look on his face made it unclear whether or not he was listening. "You don't know," he managed, sounding pained. "You just don't know. You don't know the half of it!" His voice was steadily gaining an edge to it, even though he didn't want to be an asshole. This girl seemed nice and understanding, not judgemental like the others. It was nice, even though Nathan couldn't help but feel it was likely some kind of ploy.

"You just-- I... Fuck, I need to sit down..."

@Hospes


The Lord of Spirits, Milla Maxwell, crossed her arms upon sighting the young woman. Milla herself didn't look much older, but her wisdom transcended her age, both literally and visibly. She smiled in return at Teresa, though wasn't too sure what to make of her. Origin did not speak a word, though Milla doubted he would say anything for their duration here.

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"Hello. Are you here to officially greet us, or are you a member of the party? I'm afraid we've not been able to keep up with the Reapers since the Arch Demon disturbances."

@Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
As Jaune gazed down at the female, he rapidly searched her features, trying with all of his might to figure her out. She was like a puzzle to him, a rubik's cube of uncertainty. But, then again, she was a woman. He had never understood women, at least, even without his memories he had a feeling he wasn't exactly a ladies man. So, as far as Jaune was concerned, he was entirely out of his element. If things weren't confusing enough already, the blond found himself thrown even further off guard with the next thing she told him.

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"Huh?" Jaune replied, dropping the hand he had offered to Pyrrha. "You hurt me? I don't remember. How?" he questioned, a steady frown on his lips. Somehow, he had a feeling Pyrrha wouldn't tell him what she had done or why, but based on her reaction she genuinely seemed sorry.

"I guess you don't have to tell me what you did if you don't want, and this might sound strange but..." He paused, touching her shoulders from behind to help stable her when the female would stand up. "I forgive you," he said softly, Jaune's voice laced with his usual kindness. "You just now apologized and you seem sorry for what you did. So I'm totally okay with forgiving you. Please don't keep crying, miss. We can start over."

@Hospes


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As Joshua and Sanae approached the top of the stairs and headed back into the party area, the Composer would stop, one of his eyebrows twitching when he would spot the guests he needed to speak with. "Sanae, are you kidding me?" the angel questioned, frowning deeply. "You left them to speak with Teresa? Teresa barely even knows who these people are!"

The Producer laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, I gave her a quick rundown as to who they are. I'm not irresponsible."

Joshua scowled. "You should know by now that Teresa's social skills aren't the best. In that case, you did make a irresponsible move." Josh ran a hand through his hair before quickly adjusting his tie again. "I'm going to go over there. I'll call you over if for some reason I need you."

Walking with his back straight, Joshua approached Millia and Teresa, unaware of what they may have said to each other before he arrived. "Lord of Spirits," he began, offering her a proper bow. "I see you've met my Conductor, Teresa Agnes," he began, not bothering to look in Teresa's direction.

@Hospes @Atomyk
 
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Jaune’s kindness towards her only made the redhead’s heart hurt worse. “Of course you don’t remember!” she stated, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. “Even if you remembered everything- if you still had your memories -you wouldn’t remember… Because I’m the reason you died!” she exclaimed with intense pain, tears never ceasing falling from her emerald eyes. “I… I failed this game, my first time through. Things happened that were unexpected. An intruder in the game. Devastation ensued. I… I didn’t think much of it. Of the fact that I’d lose my entry fee-- you --for it…” she explained with a heavy heart, shaking her head.

His statement that he forgave her just seemed to appall Pyrrha, who gawked at him. He… forgave her? “How can you forgive me, Jaune? You’re dead because of me…” she whispered, hoarsely, every word she spoke like another stake to the heart. His touch felt the same-- only twofold.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

-----

Prim could only watch quietly with sympathy in her eyes as Nathan jolted away from her, her hand carefully withdrawing and remaining suspended in the air just in front of her chest for a long few moments before she finally let it fall back to her sides. She was quiet, for a few moments, simply gazing at the boy before she finally spoke again, tentatively. “...You’re right. I don’t know,” she agreed, softly. “Nobody ever knows unless they experience the same thing.”

That was true. She never knew what it was like for her patients. For the sick and wounded that came to her and her mother for assistance when they were on the verge of death and the Peacekeepers would do nothing about it. She only knew what she felt about the situation. And the same thing applied here.

So it was with a gentle voice, as always, that she addressed him again. “Of course. C’mon, I’m sure there’s somewhere to sit around here…”

@Atomyk

------

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...Well. Too bad Sanae hadn’t told her specifically how to address this woman, aside from that she was of high authority. So Teresa could only really smile awkwardly, fighting the urge to rub her neck only for knowing it probably would come off as impolite. “Oh, uh, that’s totally understandable,” she replied, aware that the situation with the Arch-Demon had been… Hectic, for the Reapers, to say the least. Herself included. “Ahem, anyways.. I’m here to officially greet you, miss. Name’s Teresa Agnes. I’m actually--”

Oh thank goodness for Joshua for once.

It had felt awkward, having been about to introduce herself as the Conductor for the first time. But she still felt mildly agitated and it certainly wasn’t helping. Also, it was weird seeing Joshua acting formal.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk
 
The male's eyes widened, and he began to stare at the reaper before him with a dumbfounded look. He tried to process her words, finding them rather surprising. "I was your entry fee?" Jaune paused, rubbing the back of his head as a big grin spread over his lips. He remembered that one's entry fee was the thing most important to them. That meant this girl in front of him really treasured him. "Wow, I was somebody's entry fee," he added, appearing somewhat flattered by her words.

Dragging himself back to reality, Jaune cleared his throat. "If I'm remembering right, we can't exactly choose what our entry fee is going to be. So it wasn't exactly your fault that they picked me as your price to enter the game. You're being too hard on yourself. Of course I can forgive you!"

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Juane's eyes practically sparkled as he leaned in toward Pyrrha eagerly. "But you gotta tell me: why am I so special to you? No, no, wait! Let me guess." He looked up and down Pyrrha innocently before snapping his fingers as a thought came to mind. "You're my sister, aren't you!"

RIP Pyrrha.

@Hospes
 
Despite the formalities, Milla stood with a hand casually placed on her hip as she took in the arrival of Joshua. She knew of him and his quick rise in the Reaper ranks, though her knowledge was muddy past the Arch Demon's tampering with the games. Milla didn't quite understand the necessity of the games, but Origin allowed them and this is how things had simply been for a long time. She had to admit, it was probably fairer than any other method.

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"Is that so...?" she said, looking away from Joshua to eye Teresa. "Then it's good to meet you. If you so choose, you may call me Milla Maxwell and not the Lord of Spirits. I know some humans prefer to forego formalities. Besides, I am relatively new to the position." She looked back to Origin, who still chose not to speak. He gave no indication how fast he wanted them to proceed, so Milla decided she was to take the lead here.

Any level of annoyance coming off Teresa was lost on Milla, and she gave the girl another smile. "Are there others you wish to introduce me to, or do you wish to show me around? I do not mind waiting until the festivities are over to talk of business."

@Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty


Nathan wanted to argue. He wasn't even sure why-- it was just sort of his natural inclination. But this girl really was being nice and even someone as neurotic as Nathan was having a hard time seeing her attitude in a cynical light. With his chest feeling tight and his head starting to buzz, the boy relented and allowed Prim to lead him to a seat, which he collapsed into with a harsh sigh.

"Can you, uh..." Swallowing something in his throat, Nathan looked down, unable to meet Prim's gaze. "Can you talk about something? Anything? Just not dying... or any of this. Please?"

@Hospes
 
Joshua felt a slight weight lifted off his chest when the Lord of Spirits stated her wish for them to speak informally. It was nice to know someone with a high rank wasn't strict about such a thing. Still, the Composer wasn't going to entirely relax just yet. He always came prepared, and for all he knew the Lord of Spirits would still take note of the things he said and did. Keeping up his appearance, he still spoke somewhat formal.

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"Very well, Miss Milla. Anyhow, welcome to our party. I do hope you're enjoying yourself." When she would ask about being shown around or introduced to anyone else, Joshua side-glanced to where Sanae was standing in the distance. "Have you met our Producer? If not, he would be a good member of our team for you to meet. Other than Teresa and myself, he is one of the few individuals in Shibuya you may find yourself dealing with."

Pausing, Joshua would add, "Also, if you have any questions for me, you're more than welcome to ask. But yes, if you would rather wait for business discussion, I don't mind. I'd rather you enjoyed yourself at the party and relaxed. I'm sure you're quite busy." While speaking to Milla, the Composer respectfully kept his eyes off Origin. He couldn't help but wonder what the male was thinking, but needed to keep his focus on Milla while she took the lead.

@Atomyk @Midnight Maiden
 
At this, Pyrrha could only gawk, a stunned expression on her face. Even in death, with no memories, Jaune was so... forgiving. So, well, himself. It was painful, but after so long, so heartwarming and refreshing at the same time. A small smile actually came to her lips as she shook her head slightly, moving to wipe away her tears. "...Your logic is sound. But I can't fathom how easily you can forgive me after what I've done, Jaune..." she murmured with a sniffle. As heartwarming as it may have been to be treated this way, it was just as painful and twice as hard to forgive herself.

Yet he had forgiven her so easily.

In any case, her heart sank once more as the blonde continued, reminding her once again that he had all but forgotten her. That she was nothing but an unfamiliar face to him, now. It was ironic, how so long ago, the circumstances had been the same. When she was a fame, a living legend that everyone knew, he had not known of her. And now, here she was in the same situation. And yet, everything was different now.

Everything.

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Swallowing hard and wincing at Jaune's question, Pyrrha stared for a long few moments before looking away. "...No, Jaune. I'm... I'm not...." Did you hear that? That was the sound of Pyrrha's heart. Shattering into a million fucking pieces. Good job, my boy. Good damn job.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

 
Okay, so Pyrrha still looked sad. She wasn't running away from him though! That was something, right? Jaune looked to her with hopeful blue eyes, wanting to see her cheer up if even a little bit. He had forgiven her, but the blond was more than aware she still may not have forgiven herself. If he had been in the same situation, Jaune might have even felt the same way. Still, that didn't mean he wanted to see her looking so sad. If there was anything he could do, the male would surely do it!

Of course, as dense as he was, Jaune didn't hear the sound of Pyrrha's heart shattering into a million pieces. No, he wanted to believe her sad look was only to do with the fact he didn't have memories of her. Fumbling over his words, Jaune quickly tried to recover with more suggestions.

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"Uh, well, are you my cousin then? Teacher? No, you look to young to be a teacher. Ummm, were we classmates then? ....friends?"

Another idea came to mind, but it was something Jaune couldn't even process. For all he knew, she could've been his girlfriend. But as awkward as he felt around women, he just couldn't picture himself as the type to have had a girlfriend while he was alive.

"A-Anyhow, it's cool that I knew you when I was alive. You seem nice. Uh, it's a shame we won't get a lot of time to hang out after tonight. I'll be dropped into the game tomorrow, but maybe when I win we could... hang out or something," he suggested, rubbing the back of his head.

@Midnight Maiden
 
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"Good to meet you as well, Milla," Teresa replied with the slightest downward tilt of her head. It was probably intended to be a bow, but it was hard to tell. Again, formalities had never exactly been her... 'thing'. But that was besides the point. For the moment, due to that, she just let Joshua do the talking and remained quiet. Even though under normal circumstances, she'd never let him speak without getting her own word in. Whether she'd admit it or not, she didn't have any desire to get Joshua in any trouble with some high ranking person. Which, this woman and her silent friend seemed to be.

Unluckily for her, Milla seemed to be looking at her when she inquired if there was anyone else she ought to meet. She simply paused, only following up on Joshua's own words. "...Yeah. Us aside, Sanae would be a good person to meet." She was great at this. "Otherwise, we could show you around... Or, if Josh prefers, I could leave you three to your devices." Honestly, she didn't know if he wanted her around for this or not. She didn't have the best track record of staying in line with figures of authority. At least, back when she was with WICKED.

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

----

After finding Nathan a seat, Prim gestured to it quietly. "Here... Just take it easy, alright?" she offered as kindly as she could. She didn't want to agitate him at all, especially considering she knew the situation was... Unpleasant, as it were.

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In any case, his question earned a brief pause as she gazed at him for a few moments, before offering a gentle smile and a small nod. "..Of course," she affirmed. After a moment, she took a seat as well to his side, thinking for a moment and gazing down at her hands as she spoke. "...Well, like I said, I don't really remember too much. But I do remember one thing, that I guess is kind of silly. Or it was to others," she spoke softly. "But I remember having a goat before, named Lady. And a cat named Buttercup, too, but I think everyone saw that as a bit more normal. Did you ever have any pets?"

@Atomyk
 

It was hard for Pyrrha, even looking at Jaune, leading to her averting her own green eyes to the floor with a visibly pained expression. She couldn't bear it. Couldn't handle seeing that look in his beautiful, stunning blue eyes. The excitement and joy and... Expectation. Expectation of her to just forget what she had so clearly done to him and be happy. How could she do that? How could she smile and laugh, knowing she had caused his demise? She couldn't. And thus, she couldn't look in those eyes with that hope and not feel guilt or pain. And him forgetting who she was just drove the stake in her heart even deeper, especially as he made countless guesses as to what she was to him. After a long pause, she slowly glanced at him for a fleeting moment, voicing her answer.

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"...Yes, Jaune," Pyrrha murmured after a pause. "We were... friends." She wanted to say more. Oh, so much more begged to flow off of her tongue, to explain who she was to him and who he was to her and how she was so sorry for what she'd done to him, both before and after her death, and how she carried the guilt with her every day since, but how it had been worth hurting him to save him but how it didn't matter and she'd wound up getting him killed despite. She wanted to tell him what she'd been too shy- too scared -to tell him when she was alive. How she loved him. How she always had and always would and, now that she had him back, she'd never let him get hurt again.

But all she could do was look down, biting her lip to hold off the tears and distract herself from the pain. How were you supposed to tell someone who didn't even know you all of those things? That was just it; she couldn't.

So instead, she fought a silent war. A war against herself, to force a small, weak smile on her face. "..Indeed," she replied, quietly, to his statement that it was sad they didn't get much time tonight. His statement that he'd be thrown into the game tomorrow and that they could hang out after it was over. There was another pause from Pyrrha, her finally dried face being for naught as her lip faintly began to tremble, eyes beginning to water as she tried to get out her response steadily... And failed. Unwittingly, she choked on a sob, leading to her slapping a hand over her mouth as the tears began to stream down. Before long, her face was covered by her hands as she fought to say the words.

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"I-I.... I would love that... Jaune...."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
Nathan! Come on! Don't make me a murderer by leaving you behind!

She had to have known saying such a thing to a guy like Nathan Prescott had practically been a challenge. The costumed bitch hadn't known a damn thing about Nathan or what he'd gone through. Why did it matter to him if he died, when he knew he would have been killed as soon as he got back to Arcadia Bay? He had been a dead man walking, so all of their judgemental looks and words had done nothing but embolden his final decision to let his life end.

Except, fuck, he was somehow still alive.

It was all bullshit.

The last thing Nathan wanted to do was think-- He'd done enough thinking to last him the rest of his miserable life and here was somehow alive. Not just alive, but alone as well, with only with his thoughts jumbling around inside his head to keep him company. Those thoughts were poison... voices in his head that wouldn't shut up. He wanted the voices to just go away and he thought he'd killed them too by dying.

But again, it was all bullshit.

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"Why am I here?" he said quietly, speaking to himself. "The fuck do you want from me...?" Nathan couldn't bear to look anyone in the eye, especially the other players he was being forced to parade around with.


Asher! Come on! Don't you dare leave me, Asher!

Iron from Ice!

Well, that was one hell of a way to go.

Fucking Whitehills.

Asher Forrester tended to take whatever life threw at him in stride. Sure, he had a bit of a habit for not being able to keep his mouth shut, but really, that just made things more interesting for everybody, didn't it? Asher had enough quips to say about just about any situation, even situations that should have gotten him killed (or actually killed, in one case), but to live and breathe after feeling every bit of that iron steel through his gut would do just about anyone's head in. Even Asher, who had just about nothing to say to anyone ever since he had been brought into this.

The Old Gods be damned, what a joke this all was. Asher couldn't say how or why he was here, or even what here was. Whether he was still dying, stuck in a dream, or drunk off his ass, none of it offered an explanation that Asher could understand. The only real way to take it in stride was simply to not think about it much at all.

He was alive. At a party. If there was anything Asher enjoyed, it was surviving. He should have been happy.

... Why wasn't he happy?

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"..." The Forrester took a deep breath, crossing his arms as he looked out upon the mingling guests. Their carefree attitudes made him feel a bit unsettled. "Nothing's happening here until I get something to drink," he muttered under his breath.


If Lucy had been nervous before the party started, it paled in comparison to the anxiousness pooling in her gut now. There were just so many eyes, too many who knew too much about her. She could blame Joshua for that, but she couldn't afford wasting time on ill will toward anyone.

She had been largely silent for a while now, standing somewhat proud in her suit. She didn't make much of a move to mingle, sticking with Larkin and Saya for the most part. When the question of where Arya went off to started up, Lucy was just about to offer to look for her.

But then an imposing reaper showed up and accused Arya of stealing, and Lucy was at a loss for words again. She didn't know what would be the appropriate action here, for defending Arya came with some heavy implications. She decided to try at being neutral.

"Where did you last have it?" she asked, her voice even.

@Savannah Clause @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg

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"I believe a man is born, then he is formed."

The desperado's last draw came too late, the hail of bullets all too familiar to the outlaw. Years ago he may of been an impressive individual to be reckoned with, one of the finest gunslingers of a Wild West on its deathbed. But, nothing can ever stay the same, and likewise, people change over time. Frontiersmen were replaced with bureaucrats from the East, six-shooters were traded out for Broomhandles, and old bandits such as John Marston were something of a dying kind.

As evidence by the lead in his chest and the crimson on his hands, that last statement held a special amount of truth to it.

"Goddamn tremors..."

The grizzled outlaw tighten his black gloves, scratching at the shade of his face. All of these other ladies and lassies wore their fancy dresses and suits, the cow rustler finding the whole damn party to be a bunch of nonsense. Suits and that awful noise called music didn't do well for the aging former outlaw, the Marston sighing as he slipped through the crowd. Tipping his hat in apologies to a woman he bumped into, the cowboy shook his head, keeping to a lone seat.

"Hey, waiter sir, whiskey please."

Tapping the table briefly, the man kicked back, pulling out one of his old six-shooters, a Colt Cattleman to be exact. Rotating the cylinder of the revolver, the desperado began to whistle a tune to himself, the enigma intent to keeping to himself, a man of few words but many actions.

@Atomyk

---

"Enough, all of you. Let me defend myself."

As one kept to himself, another, much younger, made her stand. The fabrics of her cloaked dressed hovered over her, the blind Reaper gazing over to the accusations. While many came to her defense, Arya knew that what words other may say will not sway the opinion of the Reapers around her. Her black wing was blasphemous and traitorous, a reminder of the dark forces she served. The Northerner knew her loyalty was once in a power that sought to undermine them all, but now, she had to accept her wrongdoings and hold what little honor she could.

"I did not steal anything of you." Arya started calmly, clasping her hands politely over her, resting them in front of her stomach. "In case you did not know, I am blind. It makes it hard to find a pouch of coin, doesn't it?" the former noblewoman started, taking a few steps away from her seat, brushing past Saya and looking around. Talking to nobody in particular, but making her voice present, the Northerner spoke once again.

"So, a'ye, if you have anything missing, I would advise you search around before accussing a newling to yer flock that can't even see."

A brazen, possibly foolish move, but fitting for the hardheaded and stubborn Arya of Winterfell.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Savannah Clause
When Arya would not try to stop Higa from suspending her by the collar, Saya would quickly step in and grab the man's hand, shaking her head rapidly. "You'd better stop that right now or else I'll... or else I'll..." The dark haired reaper would reach into a pocket on her dress and pull out one of her pins, as if intending to threaten Higa to let Arya go. She hesitated, however, letting out a sigh.

Wait, this is a party and I really shouldn't be causing a scene here, should I? The boss probably has some really important guests here tonight.

Before Saya could say another word, however, she would widen her green eyes in shock to see something fall from Arya's person. Toppling onto the ground, the others would see a wallet. After spotting the wallet himself, Higa would drop the little reaper onto the ground, snorting before he would reach down to pick it up.

"What did I tell you? She took my wallet."

Saya's jaw dropped before turning to look at Arya. "You... really did it? Why, Arya?"

Of course, Arya hadn't taken the wallet, but it wasn't as if the others knew that.

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg
 
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