Reaper Squad

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

The expression on Joshua's face, of confidence, suggested that he completely had not expected Teresa to do what she did next. His mouth fell open and he stared at her, obviously shocked and unhappy that she had broken his cane in two. It was a genuinely distraught response, but he didn't explain to her the truth behind this reason. Instead, the male came up with another response so that he could mess with his Conductor.

"Teresa, do you have any idea what that was? That was... one of my oldest possessions. It belonged to my father. My actual human father from back when I was still alive a long time ago. It was the only thing I had of his," he stated, a serious expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Sanae would cock an eyebrow upon hearing Joshua's story, honestly baffled. He knew Joshua well enough to tell that the angel's story was a fib, but something was still off. If Joshua wasn't upset, he wouldn't have reacted the way that he did. Sure, he knew the Composer had plenty to be upset about after some information Josh had shared with him last night, but this was something different. Remaining quiet to see how this would play out, Mr. H would simply watch the exchange between Joshua and Teresa before shooting Pyrrha a look.

"Hey, kid, you think you'll be okay with this whole game master thing? You honestly don't seem too excited about it."

@Midnight Maiden

---

On their way to Arya's room, Saya would shrug her shoulders in response to Larkin. "Lead you on? How in the world would I do that?" she questioned innocently. "I thought you were gay, or something, anyhow," she added before pausing to think her words over. After a few seconds she would then snap her fingers, remembering the exact truth on Larkin's sexuality. "Oh, that's right, you're not gay. I forgot. Oh well. Either way, it's not a big deal. We still need to be figuring out what we should do with Arya today. That's the most important thing right now."

The ex-sweeper quieted for a moment, tapping her chin as she would think. "Any ideas? I'm out. We could go grab a drink of milk, maybe? Arya is a growing girl. That would probably be good for-- Oh wait, we're dead, never mind. It's not like anyone here will be doing any growing any time soon," she said with a laugh. "Boss did say she liked to spar with her sword. Maybe... we could take her out into town? The Reapers' Game started a little bit ago and the others were ordered to meddle in the players' business to slow them down. Maybe Arya would like to go into town with us and pick a few fights with players?"

Before Saya could even get a response from Larkin, however, the girl realized they had arrived right in front of the little she-wolf's door, entering just in time to be scolded by her for their loudness. "Ah, ha ha, sorry about that Arya. I hope we didn't wake you up if you were sleeping in here." The girl tucked a lock of her black hair behind one of her ears, casually glancing down at her feet. It was only natural that she made a lot of noise when she walked, considering the fact that she always wore her wooden clogs that matched her usual flowered kimono.

"Anyhow, you are right. The Reapers' Game did start this morning. And the reason we're not there is because... umm..." Saya trailed off, uncertain if she wanted to tell the poor girl that the other reapers still didn't trust her enough to allow her free-roam without chaperones to watch her. While thinking, she looked around the room, giving a low whistle of approval when she would see the unique decor it held. "We're here... because we've come to get you! C'mon, Arya, let's go observe the game! Larkin and I are totally going to show you what reapers do while a game is going on!" she chirped, nudging Larkin with her elbow.

@Krieg @Midnight Maiden

---

"Primrose," Graham repeated when the young girl would tell him her name. "That's a lovely name, the name of a flower no doubt. You're not the only girl I've met who was named after a flower." He paused for a moment, his thoughts briefly flickering to Snow White before he would realize that the girl had asked him whether or not he had a partner. "Ah, no I don't. Would you be interested in partnering up with me?" Although the girl didn't look like much, Graham had no doubts about asking her to be his partner. Truth strength came from the heart, after all, and shouldn't be judged by one's appearance.

Ash released her hold on the shocked girl as soon as she felt her try to wriggle free. "Don't you speak? Or even have a name, for that matter?" she questioned when the girl would only shake her head. "Ah, well, Odin's blessings on you, stranger. As I asked before, would you care to be partners?" she asked, rocking back on her heels.

Meanwhile, Jaune was on the prowl, looking for his partner. "Jeez, does anyone here want to be my partner? I promise I don't bite," he said aloud, starting to get a bit anxious. What exactly would he do if he didn't find one?

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @ScrambleCrossing​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

...

Well shit. The expression on Teresa's face as she noted Joshua's reaction to her breaking the cane, her eyes drifting from his horrified feats to the broken object in her hands. Oops. Well, that was one way to make a girl feel like a bitch. Her own features all but fell, looking truly apologetic and ashamed as her free hand went to rub her neck. "I-... I'm sorry, Josh. I didn't realize," she began, actually looking somewhat guilty. She hadn't meant to upset him, she was just frustrated with his antics, the way he egged her on when he knew very well her typical reactions to him certainly not helping. Still, biting her lip, she tried to think up what she could do. "Uh, could you put it back together with your powers, or something? Or I could try to patch it up..."

If only she knew that he was pulling her leg.

While the pair conversed, going about what seemed typical of them by this point, one certain redhead stood off to the side, one hand nervously and loosely rubbing her other arm. She looked slightly concerned, seeming more than a little distracted and downcast, making sure she avoided interrupting the apparently important conversation at hand. After all, she didn't want to be rude. Besides, she had her own things on her mind, matters that she herself was more stuck on than the one at hand. Like how she was supposed to run this game, with the help of Joshua and Teresa and Sanae or otherwise. How she was supposed to put aside the deep heartache that coursed through her entire being, making it hard to even focus on tiny little things.

Such as the words of Sanae Hanekoma.

"Hm...?" she mumbled at first, slowly turning her emerald-eyed gaze to the man with eyes blinking in momentary rapid succession. "Oh. Ah, of course. I can assure you, it will be my pleasure. I'll... be fine," she offered, mustering a smile to the man before her. Though, something aside from Jaune was bothering her. "However," Fleetingly, her gaze turned in the direction of Joshua and Teresa, smile turning to a small frown. "Are they... alright?" she inquired quietly, not wanting to come off as rude. Should Sanae confirm the higher ups faired well, and give her direction, she seemed set to go, well, wherever it was they were going.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"That's right," Joshua said standing up with help from his throne before folding his arms in a judging manner. "Maybe this will teach you not to act so rashly at times." He paused and looked downward, letting out a sigh. "My magic can't fix everything, you know," he said, glancing one last time at Teresa before he would place a hand over his face to hide his expression. The action made him look like he was really upset, but in truth he had only been trying to hide the smirk on his face. It didn't help much though, considering the fact that he would burst out laughing only seconds later. It was another instance of his real laugh, not the silly giggle that emerged from his throat when he was trying to creep people out.

Joshua laughed long and hard to the point where he had tears in his eyes by the time he had finished. He dropped his hand from his face afterwards, glancing back up at Teresa. "You're more gullible than I thought you'd be. I didn't expect that you would believe that story. The cane is worthless, dear. I was kidding." Still, that didn't exactly explain why he had gotten so upset about it in the first place. But it wasn't as if he would have to explain that now that he had drawn everyone's attention in with his joke.

"..."

"Yeah, they're fine, kid. They do this all the time. Sometimes, I just wish they wouldn't do it as much as they do. It gets kinda hard to talk with them when they get consumed in their usual banter." Still, Joshua had been pretty miserable the previous night and this was the first time he saw that the angel had relaxed a bit. For that he was grateful, at least. His silly chats or arguments with Teresa always found a roundabout way to perk the Composer up.

Sanae cleared his throat and looked back at Pyrrha after Joshua had finished laughing. "You sure you'll be fine? Let me know if you have any problems and I can try to help ya. I know Josh isn't always the easiest fellow to talk with." He paused to rub the back of his neck before adding, "What do you say we get outta here and go observe the game for a short while? The more you learn about the players, the easier it will be to temper the daily missions to fit their skills."

@Midnight Maiden​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

REPLIES

"Nishikiyama...I take it you're Japanese, huh?" Honestly it didn't surprise him. Even wuth the hundreds of people who die on a daily basis, thanks to little miss black-white-and-red-all-over there would be way more people from his home country kicking the bucket. Even as they made their way to their destination, Juzo was curious as to how this guy wound up dead. Did one of those kids from the 77th class get him? Maybe one of those serial killers that just kept popping up nowadays. Hopefully the Sixth Branch was doing all right without him. Oh, who was he kidding? The entire fucking Future Foundation was belly-up now. And because of his entry fee for this thing, he managed to make it that much worse from beyond the grave.

God, he could not wait to beat the shit out of some of these Noise creatures. And with any luck, he and Nishiki could get to it soon; thinking about home managed to piss Juzo off.
​

@Gummi Bunnies @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg

Teresa, much like Sanae, was rather quick in arriving to the scene of their meeting. For all of her teasing and seeming non-seriousness around Joshua, she took her job very seriously, and tardiness was something she didn't take lightly. Especially considering her job was something that helped to distract her from her rather unsavory thoughts and memories that haunted her quite often. However, this meant nothing in the way of her behavior towards her boss, and when she saw him perched on his little throne, garbed in a top hat, suit, and holding a cane? Well, she stopped dead in her tracks, staring for a long few moments with a grin creeping onto her face before the snicker she was fighting to keep back broke free. "Nice outfit," she remarked, sarcastically.

On the other hand, the arrival of another young woman was slightly more delayed, nerves creeping up on her as she strode towards where she had been requested to meet Joshua in the Room of Reckoning. Despite feeling rather exhausted- emotionally and physically -, due primarily to her discovery of Jaune the night prior, she walked with a head held high and a small smile forced upon her face to assure she kept up appearances. She was slightly nervous, oblivious to just what the reason for being called upon was, but she would oblige no less. And when she slowly eased through the door, shutting it quietly behind her, she could only greet the others present with a gentle smile and a softly uttered greeting.

"Hello."

After being informed she would be the game master, Pyrrha could only really accept, replying with a polite 'it would be my honor'... Despite hardly feeling that way. Sure, she was touched, that her boss would choose her to trust with the role of the Game Master, but right now? She wasn't exactly feeling it. She was drowning in her own emotions, and the thought of having to keep up such a role around the man she loved that didn't remember her was overwhelmingly painful. Just their fleeting interaction at the dance had been hard enough, but now, to have to be in charge of him, along with all of the others? Just the thought alone was crushing. But she didn't let on. She couldn't. Face was kept, and she accepted her burden with grace.

While Pyrrha said nothing on the matter, one particular Conductor noticed something was off. There was a pain hidden behind the redhead's smile, something she likely noted solely because, well, it was a smile Teresa had worn many times, herself. Once you learned to conceal your own emotions, you caught on pretty well when others did the same. And Pyrrha? She reeked of faked happiness. Still, the ravenette didn't get to comment, quickly distracted by a jab to her nose by Joshua's cane. Which, naturally, led to her becoming rather irritated, glaring harshly as she swatted at the cane, attempting to grab it. "Yeah, yeah- stay here and wait for instructions. Got it," she huffed, annoyance obvious in her voice. "Now keep your accessories to yourself, unless you got a replacement on hand." Yeah. Replacement hand, that is.

Snickering at Teresa's agitation, and the situation as a whole, Larkin only met Joshua's request with a smirk. "So we're on babysittin' duty again, is what you're saying. Good deal," he quipped, dryly, grinning faintly as he rolled his shoulders to stretch. He sure didn't mind, really. It meant no hard work and getting to laze around, which was fine by him, in all honesty. So, turning his back to their boss with hands shoved in his pockets, he prepared to leave, only fleetingly glancing to Saya with a brow quirked in amusement. "You comin'?"

---

"Bloody hell," one blonde boy cursed under his breath in the midst of the crowd, hissing with pain as the timer formed on his hand. But he was quick to move on, scowling after having read the message and rubbing his marked hand with his good one. He was really not appreciative of this situation as a whole, and looked around with a scowl. Who the hell could expect him to partner up with a bunch of strangers? At least, he was pretty sure they were strangers. He still had a couple of memories that were a little blurry to him, but it mainly seemed to be a couple of faces missing. Not that it mattered here.

Shaking it off with a frustrated air, he glanced to the rest of the lot, noting a pair was already walking off. They had an hour, thereabouts, and time was going fast. "So, which of you lovely folks wants to grace me with your presence?" he inquired sarcastically, putting on a smile. In the meantime, one girl around the same age was beginning to feel somewhat claustrophobic, attempting to weave her way out of the crowd. Hell, maybe she could even run into Nathan again and partner with him. He seemed nice enough... Unfortunately, her attempts didn't go entirely as planned, a glance over her shoulder leading to an unwitting gasp parting her lips after an unintentional collision with someone while she was looking the other way.

"I-I'm sorry," she apologized hurriedly, looking to the taller male with wide eyes and a hard swallow. She wasn't sure she had seen him before, but hopefully he wouldn't be angry. "I should've been watching where I was going..." Yeah, she was so caught up in apologizing to the huntsman before her that she almost forgot about her mission to get some air and a partner. Whoops.

"..."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Atomyk @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies​

The person who Prim happened to collide with would show no signs of frustration when she frantically apologized to him. "Ah, it's nothing to worry your head over. I don't blame you for running into me. We're all a little on edge right now," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder to show her that he wasn't bothered by it. "I'm Graham, who might you be?" he questioned.

Meanwhile, Ash was on the prowl to find herself a partner. She sneaked up on a black-haired female and tackled her from behind. "Hi there! Have a partner yet?" she questioned, offering the girl a smile.

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies

Prim's gratitude and relief that Graham didn't seem upset were obvious, a small smile even managing to make it's way onto her lips. His gentle touch, surprising as it may have been, reassured and comforted her, making tense shoulders relax ever so slightly. There was something about the gentle and kind air that the man gave off that brought about a sense of familiarity to her, but she couldn't quite place why. Still, she nodded in response, speaking quietly at first. "Thank you." She wasn't entirely sure why she said it, but she supposed it was most likely because she felt like she had to, with the comfort he was providing. But she quickly followed up, managing to broaden her smile just a little as she did. "Primrose... But you can call me Prim, if you want," she offered, kindly. "It's nice to meet you. Do you, um... Have a partner already...?"

Not too far away, Asuna wore a stunned expression as she was tackled from behind, nearly launching Ash out of instinct with what would have been a harsh elbow to the lower torso.... had the girl not managed to stop herself just short, realizing in that last moment that the girl meant no harm and was just hugging her. Hell, the kid even had the gall to follow the surprise embrace with asking about her partner situation. Gritting her teeth, Asuna quickly wriggled free of the other female's embrace, giving a mild glare as she whirled to face her, looking her over and letting out a sigh. Ugh. As much as she didn't like this, and wished she didn't have to go through, she slowly shook her head, even going as far as to force a faint smile onto her lips.

She really hoped that this other girl wouldn't invite her to be her partner because of this though. Ugh.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @Atomyk @Gummi Bunnies @Krieg

"Primrose," Graham repeated when the young girl would tell him her name. "That's a lovely name, the name of a flower no doubt. You're not the only girl I've met who was named after a flower." He paused for a moment, his thoughts briefly flickering to Snow White before he would realize that the girl had asked him whether or not he had a partner. "Ah, no I don't. Would you be interested in partnering up with me?" Although the girl didn't look like much, Graham had no doubts about asking her to be his partner. Truth strength came from the heart, after all, and shouldn't be judged by one's appearance.

Ash released her hold on the shocked girl as soon as she felt her try to wriggle free. "Don't you speak? Or even have a name, for that matter?" she questioned when the girl would only shake her head. "Ah, well, Odin's blessings on you, stranger. As I asked before, would you care to be partners?" she asked, rocking back on her heels.

Meanwhile, Jaune was on the prowl, looking for his partner. "Jeez, does anyone here want to be my partner? I promise I don't bite," he said aloud, starting to get a bit anxious. What exactly would he do if he didn't find one?

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @ScrambleCrossing

❝ You got that right. ❞

Nishiki affirmed about himself being of Japanese descent, taking a moment to let out some smoke and to tap off some ash from his cigarette. Depending on how things were going, they were having some small talk before business would go down. Though the yakuza would probably run out of things to have the small talk about, and they did have things to do before they could relax. If he were to say another thing at this time, Nishiki did take notice that they made the smooth choice on moving out now, it sounded like that the rest of the starting people were getting a bit loud in some way.

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg @Yun Lee @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @ScrambleCrossing[/QUOTE]​

 

[Krieg]

"I don't sleep that much anymore, all I 'eel like eh' do is sleep now..." Arya spoke, leaning back in her antique chair. A distant gaze was written on the blind teenager's face. A gaze that, frankly, appeared all consuming yet eerily blank, a void of both eye and face. Sometimes Arya wondered if she looked like the weirwood trees in Winterfell. Trees of white with faces bleeding red sap, a face of eternal agony etched in hard, mystical wood. What did she look now? A highness, a normal girl, a merchant, a High Septon, an assassin? What would Father, Mother, Sansa, Robb or Jon think?

"Go, with you two?" the Stark paused, beginning to slowly arise from her chair. Eternally locked in her age, the teenager gazed up, arching her back slowly to stand up straight. "And why should I do what Reapers do, a'ye? Will it make me feel good inside?" Arya remarked, taking one step forward, hands clenched. "Even if I do what they want me to do, to bend the knee like a lil' pretta' lady...I will never be one of them, no matter what wings are on muh back. I don't want to be them. Joshua and his lover shoulda knew that the moment they saw me with no mercy..." Arya spat, returning to her chair and slowly lowering herself. New Gods, Old Gods- didn't matter much to her now, as far as she was concerned she was a god forever imprisoned.

"I like you two, a'ye, I do. One of ye is daft and the other is flowery but...ye are friends. The others, I know- they see me as a liability, a threat to boom. Why Joshua and Sanae saw me is beyond me, but I know they made da wrong decision." Arya started, turning to face in the general direction of the two. "But both of ye know, they aren't my people. My people died or left me long ago. Me? My story is already told..."

"I am nobody. I will always be nobody now."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden ​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Saya's words earned a less than amused look from Larkin, who looked about ready to facepalm so hard that his face imploded at the mention of him being gay. Gosh, this girl was really one thick-skulled bimbo, wasn't she? No matter. He supposed that if she was going to keep thinking such things about him? Well, he'd just have to take an opportunity to show him his orientation right and proper, somehow. And soon. He wasn't sure how long he'd be able to hold back if she kept acting the way she did on it. After all, she might slip up and ruin his reputation as a ladies' man.

But for now, she corrected herself, and he shook it off after a moment. "Glad you remembered. And like I said, no reason to worry. Kid's pretty vocal on what she wants, isn't she?" he mused, rolling his shoulders casually with a bored yawn. Man, this was a tiresome part of the job. Still, as he let himself and Saya into Arya's room, a cocky grin returned to his features. Yeah, this girl was much more fun. "Thanks for noticing. I was hoping you'd hear us comin'," he remarked playfully, shoving his hands in his pockets as he gazed down at the shorter female with twinkling golden eyes.

Arya's initial greeting was met with a small huff of bemusement, the teen fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Probably because it ain't exciting. On both accounts." Yeah. They all knew that wasn't true, but still. "...Or that," he added after a moment as Saya told a blatant lie in attempt to perk the other female up. Only for said female to go on a long winded and angsty rant... Again. Man, he didn't get paid enough for this babysitting gig. He sure hoped little Ryan never turned out like this. Then again, he could never see the blossoming thaumaturge going on a murder spree, either.

"Warms my heart to hear and all, really," he began, tone unreadable, "but I'd rather we not spend our day listening to rants. Haven't you got a spirit for adventure? Who the hell doesn't love stirring up a little trouble for the rest, huh? And here everyone makes it out like you're some rebellious badass," the former illusionist quipped, feining a dramatic sigh and shaking his head, as though disappointed. "Ah well. If you wanna sit back and worry about how you don't fit in, or keep talkin' about your status as a no one instead of trying to become someone, fine by me. I, on the other hand, think I'll indulge in a little mischief. Not every day we get to interfere without repercussions." Ah, yes, what a glorious thing. How he missed his days as a young lad, scaring the shit out of people with fake snakes and other such things. Hehe. At least this was an opportunity to try to at least somewhat emulate that feeling again.

"So. You ladies in, or you wanna play dressup on the side?"

---

The small smile that had formed on her face blossomed into a wider one, now, as Graham continued to speak to her, every word easing her nerves just a little more. Bit by bit, she began to feel better, even managing to speak slightly easier now. "Yes," she confirmed with naught but a smile. "My mother was fond of them... I think. And I'm not sure, but I feel like I knew someone else with a flower name, too," she admitted, seeming to deeply think about this for a long few moments. But nothing came of it, only serving to frustrate her. So she shook it off, training her focus again on his voice and presence. And thankfully, it sounded like their dilemma was a shared one. "I would love that. If it's not too much to ask, I mean," she replied, beaming at the idea. "As long as I'm not imposing, of course."

Yeah. She didn't want to be a pest. Especially when she had a bad feeling that she wouldn't exactly prove to be the most ideal partner. Even just a single glance around showed plenty of better options, the other players primarily looking more fit than herself. Still, she would do her best. She always did.

That was a sentiment that Asuna did not share.

"Asuna Ayase," she replied, simply, hardly any emotion in her voice despite a small smile slowly being forced onto her face. "You can call me Ayase," she added, typically going by her surname as opposed to her first given name. Slowly taking it upon herself to answer each of Ash's comments, she actually laughed, though she hardly wanted to do any such thing. "Actually, you didn't ask me anything. But I suppose if you want to be partners, I wouldn't mind," she stated, smiling a little wider now. She supposed if she wanted to get through this, she would have to at least pretend to give even half of a damn. Still, as much as she didn't like Ash, at least it didn't look like she'd be getting stuck with the bumbling blonde over there. What a pain all of this was, every inch of the girl longing to just... End this. To save herself from this stupid game she no longer wanted any part in, no matter what that required.

---

Teresa almost flinched at the scolding from Joshua, feeling like she was trying to shrink down into herself as she avoided eye contact, like a threatened turtle attempting to retreat into it's shell. She actually felt bad, not having realized the importance of the object to her boss. Jeez, she really was an idiot. Still, after a life filled with apologizing, she wasn't super eager to continue to do so even now. "I said I was sorry," she complained in a mumble, feeling like a child under his gaze. "I didn't realize, okay? I won't just sit here and keep apologi--"

"..."

Yup, all traces of guilt were gone in an instant. Ugh, had he really just done that? Teresa was going to kill him, making her feel bad like that! "Ugh, what's your problem?" she groaned, clenching her fists as her gaze shot up to meet his again with a frown that seemed more like a pout. "What kicks do you even get out of this? And if that wasn't some sentimental thing, why did you look so upset, anyways?" she pressed, actually stepping to get right up in Joshua's personal space, nearly even grabbing him to yank him around a bit again. But she didn't, instead just glaring poutily at her boss. How dare he deceive her with something that serious and then laugh at her about it!

"I... See," Pyrrha replied after a long moment after silently watching the exchange for a while, awkwardly rubbing her neck. Jeez, the Composer and Conductor both were quite the figures, weren't they? Pulling her mind from the topic upon hearing further word from Sanae, and at least temporarily distracted from her own thoughts, she again nodded. "Once again, I assure you. I will be fine," she offered, hoping to quell his concerns. She didn't want him worrying about her. But then. "I suppose I'm just... Concerned. Is Joshua truly certain I'm the one for this? I've never been a Game Master before," she explained, though this was only half of it.

That aside, she did seem to lighten up a little at the idea of checking on the players, giving an eager nod. "That would be lovely," she stated, perhaps a bit too quickly. She really wanted to make sure Jaune was alright...

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Gummi Bunnies @Yun Lee @Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that," Sanae replied to Pyrrha. "Every Game Master has had a point in their job where they've never done it before. You'll do fine. Plus, you'll have Josh and I to guide you. Usually Game Masters run the show on their own, but after the problems we've had in the past we're going to be keeping a closer eye on you and offer advice for what kind of missions you should assign to the players. For the first game you run, at least." The man would glance to Joshua before adding, "Yeah, we can go ahead and get out of here in second. I just need to have a quick word with Boss first..."

Meanwhile, Joshua's little high feeling as a result of laughing quickly wore off when Teresa would get up in his personal space. He took a step back and sat in his throne, shrugging his shoulders. "I was teasing you. Anyhow, it really isn't your right to ask tha--"

"I hate to interrupt you kids and your usual quarreling, but I just wanted to remind you of what we talked about last night in the stairwell," Mr. H cut in. "I'm not letting you get out of it. After I go, you'd better tell Teresa all about it," he said, purposely saying this in front of Teresa so that there was no way she would let Joshua get out of it. In response to his Producer, the angel only sighed.

"Of course. You're dismissed, Sanae."

If for some reason Lucy was still lingering in the room, he would then dismiss her as well, waiting for the others to exit before glancing back to Teresa.

"What a royal pain," Josh muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. He didn't really want to talk about this situation, but at least it would get them off the topic involving his cane--which he wanted to talk about even less.

"I don't want to talk here. Let's go somewhere else. This will be a good chance for your to practice your powers. There's a library here in Shibuya called Mori no Tosho Shitsu. Teleport both of us there. That's where I want to talk," Josh stated, entirely serious. He wasn't playing around with this.

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk

---

Joshua sneezed when Arya talked about him and his "lover." : |

The angst was strong with this one

Arya's personal cloud of apprehension was so thick that it seemed to fill up the entire room. Although, Saya would continue to smile regardless. She was more than used to dealing with troubled individuals, and had the patient heart of an angel when it came to dealing with them. After all, she had been friends with a very troubled soul for quite a while before she died. She wasn't about to give up on Arya just yet! While Larkin would try to entice the girl with mischief, the ex-sweeper would take a different approach.

"I don't care if you're nobody and you can't become somebody. You're our nobody. We're friends, Arya; the three of us are friends whether the other reapers like you or not, right, Larkin?" the girl questioned, elbowing her partner in crime again, giving him a smile with a glint in her eyes. He sure as hell had better answer that question the right way or he'd be in a lot of trouble later. "Besides, you haven't even heard what other reapers do yet! We fight the players. Maybe you'll like it if you give it a try? It's better than staying in your room all day."

Although she was trying to hype up the idea of messing with the players for Arya, it wasn't Saya's most favorite thing to do. Deep down, she was a more soft-hearted person and didn't like disrupting others. Plus, she wanted to see the players win and have either their second chance at life or chance to become a reaper. Ah well, at least she only had to disrupt players these days. In the past, reapers actually had to hunt players in order to add time to their lifespan. Thank goodness Joshua abolished that rule before Saya even joined the reapers.

@Midnight Maiden @Krieg

---

Ash studied this girl who had agreed to be her partner, continuing to rock back on her heels as she looked at her. She would've preferred a more talkative partner, someone a bit more like Coco, but really it was in her best interest to choose anyone who would agree to join her. "Great, shall we begin heading to the 10-4 building where we're supposed to fight our hoard of noise?" Ash paused before adding, "Tell me a bit about yourself then. What was your entry fee?" she questioned, hoping to learn a bit more about this new partner of hers.

"It's common where I come from for people to be named after flowers," Graham said thoughtfully. "I enjoy nature, so I find those names to be lovely." The man paused, shaking his head when Prim would worry about imposing on him. "Either way, I have to find a partner for myself. It may as well be a pleasant one such as yourself." After a moment of looking at Prim, a frown crossed the man's lips and he would gaze upon her sympathetically. "Also, I'm... very sorry you're here. You're so... young." In Graham's eyes, full of compassion, it was quite tragic to see someone so young in the afterlife.

@Midnight Maiden @Atomyk @Krieg @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @ScrambleCrossing​

 

[Krieg]

A bittersweet knife stabbed at her heart, the lone wolf frozen in her chair in response to this wave of reason.

Throughout her whole life she had been a mischievous adventurer and outcast, a stupid girl thinking she could one day proclaim herself a warrior or lord of a castle. Throughout her life, she tried to cheat death, either by exacting her bloodlust or denying death when given the power. If a servant of the Light Lord can come back from the dead six times, what about once for one man, for one woman, for one girl? Ironically, Fate had decided Arya's struggles against death and the path of vengeance would have her achieve being a servant of the Many-Faced God, a fitting punishment or reward for such rebellious servitude.

Yet, Arya began to realize how unbounded and free she now was. Her family would survive, as the Starks have survived for thousands and thousands of years beforehand. Her enemies had mostly perished, or worse, consumed by forces that made them as hollow as she was. Her prophecy of Paradise had come, and despite her gaze of darkness, the Gods had given her what she wished for. A somber yet relieved smile hit the teenager's lips, the water-dancer closing her eyes briefly and looking down. She got her desires and wishes, not in the way she expected, but the way the Gods, the Multiverse dictated to her.

"But why fight the players if we are eterna'?" Arya abruptly asked, as if ignoring her calm tantrum of personal upheaval for the moment. "Seems hardly fair to fight what ye can't kill, a'ye...unless, o' course, we can die. Strange Joshua didn't tell me these things." the Stark commented curiously, arising off of her seat and gripping the hilt of Needle. Dark thoughts still circulated in the teenager's mind, just like the wing of black protruding from her left shoudlerblade. Such is the danger of dancing with traitors and cutthroats of wars long ago.

"I'll go, and Larkin, speak lowly of me and I'll have ye tongue. If it grows back, I'll have a thousand." the Northerner forewarned, her tone serious. But, a five foot little blind girl's threats were about as a serious as a child's doll. Unsheathing Needle, the She-Wolf of Winterfell stood as tall as she could before the two. Blinded broken and banished, the Stark still held to some stubbornness. To what? She was not sure yet, but the Stark knew that she had purpose here. A purpose she would have to form and find herself- a quest for herself. "I'm tired of talkin', I'm tired o' not bein' able to see...but I ain't gonna spend da rest of muh days forgettin' who I was. Go, it always dark fo' me, but if I could see, we wastin' daylight."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden ​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Well, that was reassuring. Or, at least, the logical half of Pyrrha's mind told her it was. Her other half, the more emotional one, was telling her the opposite; but she could at least appreciate the offer, giving an uncertain and nervous smile in response. "Thank you," she spoke solemnly, at first. Feeling elaboration was likely needed, she continued. "I appreciate that you will be assisting. I'm certain it will make the task much easier." Yeah. Guidance was good. Especially when you were kind of having a life- afterlife? -crisis and couldn't exactly get your mind to focus where it needed to. Of course, she naturally gave a nod when Sanae stated that they could leave, but he first needed to take care of something with Joshua. "Of course."

And so she waited, her silence and patience likely unmatched by most her age. After all, Pyrrha had been quick to advance in the field of etiquette and patience, having developed manners at a rather young age and maintaining them ever since. But she couldn't help but notice that Sanae seemed rather serious as he addressed Joshua, something that she had seldom seen. Besides, something they had spoken of in the stairwell that the Conductor needed informed about...? Ah, well, it was none of her business. So it was with one final smile and curt nod of farewell that she departed with Sanae, as they were dismissed.

The one who remained alongside Joshua, though, was not so quiet about her curiosities. Joshua falling back into his throne and telling her that she had no right to inquire on the matter had done little to quell her initial desire to know about the reason for his reaction, but Sanae's words only added to the matter. So, he and Joshua had had a secret rendezvous in the stairwell last night about something she needed to know. Her gaze shifted from Sanae as he spoke to Joshua, eyes narrowing as she scoured his expression for any trace of reaction. Which, there was, in the form of a heaved sigh.

Great sign. She could only imagine what this matter was, especially if Sanae was getting on Joshua about it and the latter was getting upset about something as simple as a cane. Still, she let the two finish talking, speaking up again only once Sanae and co were gone.

"So. Which are you starting with?" she inquired abruptly, not really paying her boss's complaint any mind. Her head tilted, eyes gleaming with curiosity and even mild concern. She may have been annoyed, sure, but that wouldn't deter her worry over what could possibly have Joshua so annoyed, or that could be so important that even Sanae insisted they discuss it. "The cane, or the stairwell date?" she added for clarification, only to pause when he state he didn't want to talk there. Noting just how serious Joshua became as he addressed the matter, she decided to hold back any quips she might have, instead giving a silent nod and concentrating. Fortunately, teleporting was something she was decent enough at, and soon enough, his orders were heeded. Though she still wasn't entirely used to the feeling of using the power, and was annoyed to find her head spinning slightly from the sensation.

---

Larkin listened to Saya go on with a lack of any obvious emotion, merely quirking one eyebrow as he listened to her go into her own spiel on the matter at hand. And man, was it a boring one. Sheesh, she really had to get mushy there, didn't she? It was far from Larkin's style to do such, himself, but he did at least offer a grin when the girl inquired to him as to whether they were all friends. Feigning uncertainty, he briefly donned a thoughtful expression. "Hm. I don't know about that..." he mumbled, pursing his lips fleetingly before, knowing in full that Saya would have repercussions for his words in mind should he not correct himself, he added. "Kiddin', kiddin'. Anyways, Saya over here's right, sweetheart. It's a riot, if you'll give it a shot. How about it?"

When the girl finally did respond, it was quite obvious she wasn't entirely swayed, regardless of the smile on her face. Which, Larkin duly noted, was fairly rare. Yet here she had smiled at least twice. Perhaps she truly was warming up to them? It wasn't a concern of his either way, but at least she appeared to have moved on from her griping. Thank goodness for that. And to think he had thought that Lena was angsty... Too bad he couldn't introduce the two. Surely they would get along wonderfully. Or, you know, horribly. But he digressed.

"Think of it like this. We aren't really fighting them... More just giving them some obstacles. Trying to slow 'em down. Causing trouble," he explained, trying to put it in simplest terms, seeing as Arya was unfamiliar with the workings of this world. And he had a bad feeling that if Saya tried to explain, it'd just spur more questions from the teen. "'Sides, not like we're gonna kill 'em, so no need to worry about that." At least, not on purpose. Larkin probably wouldn't especially care if he 'accidentally' maimed or even killed someone. If the players couldn't fight, well, that was on them. Anyone who's life was worth something to them, in his opinion, should damn well be willing and able to fight for it. If they couldn't succeed, it was no one's fault but their own. To him, that was simply the way of the world.

But such serious thoughts were soon all but forgotten, Larkin taking pause as Arya calmly threatened him, causing his features to briefly go blank before going into a wide smirk, a hearty chuckle passing his lips despite his attempts to stop it. Oh, man, that was just too rich. Moreso than that, it was too great an opportunity to pass up to make a less than appropriate remark. "You can try, sweetheart; but I don't give it easy," he stated in a husky tone, throwing the teen a wink despite knowing she wouldn't see it. But with that out of the way, he did turn heel, raising one hand in the air in motion for the girls to follow as he opened the door with his other. "C'mon, then. As you said, we're wasting daylight, and I'm gettin' antsy cooped up in here with nothing to do."

---

"Really?" she asked, sincerely curious. "I don't think it was really common, where I'm from. I think it was just something my mom had a thing for," she admitted with a small laugh, though she couldn't say such with certainty, her memories still rather cloudy. "I enjoy it, too." But talking about nature probably wasn't the best thing to do right now. Managing to have calmed down enough to realize that, Prim nodded gratefully, sincerely relieved to have found a partner. "Well, if we're all settled, I guess we should probably get going," she stated, flashing Graham another sweet smile. As they began to walk, should Graham agree, her smile faltered only slightly at his words.

"...It's okay," she spoke after a long pause, unsure of how to broach the subject, or if she really even wanted to. But reassuring someone worrying over her that she was alright was as important to her as her own comfort. "I think the hardest thing is... The others. The people I was helping when it happened. They were even younger than me, and I don't..." I don't know why I'm here and they aren't. That was what she had intended to say, but the words simply wouldn't come out. Perhaps because admitting the fact that, out of a large wave of children slaughtered, the fact that she came out here rather than any of those younger innocents with even more to life left for them just made her head spin.

"...Um, let's just focus on finding the 104 building," she offered, giving a worn smile in favor of continuing what she had to say before.

At first, Asuna didn't reply, deciding she'd much rather let the other female do the talking. If such a thing had to occur, anyways. That said, she didn't really have any desire to give response to anything said to her. But she was aware that it was probably within her best interest to do so, despite such feelings being harbored. "So, what do you think these 'noise' are, anyways? ...Seems like a silly name for something we'll have to fight," she mused with a purposely dramatic sigh, shaking her head. Though, her false exasperation turned to tensity at the mention of her entry fee, her body stiffening more than a little. She wasn't keen on recalling that she had given up whatever it was that was most important to her, especially considering it somehow wasn't Shouta. Still, she quickly resumed walking after her brief pause, forcing a less than enthusiastic smile. "I'm sorry. I can't say I remember."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

When Teresa would succeed in teleporting herself and Joshua to this new location, they would find themselves in a quaint little library. It almost looked ordinary, save for the fact that had a bar area where it looked as if people could purchase foods or drinks. Yet, nothing could be purchased since the place appeared to be abandoned.

The Composer ignored Teresa's questions and instead went to sit down straight away at a table. He moved slowly and glanced down at his feet as he walked, carefully observing his own movements before he seated himself. "Do you know anything about this place?" he questioned. "It's no ordinary library. In the real world, in the real Shibuya, Mori no Tosho Shitsu is a rather new hotspot. It's owner hand-picked the books to go in this library, only books that they liked. They even sell foods and drinks here. It's a unique little spot, so I suppose that's why it became popular. Humans are... saps for trends," he said, turning his nose up at the building.

"But here in my Shibuya, this place is different. It's not a hotspot, but it's still special, perhaps even more special than the real one." The angel glanced around, his amethyst eyes scanning the bookshelves. He would then pick up a book sitting near him, casually leafing through the pages. "Don't judge a book by it's cover, or a library by it's contents," he mused before tossing the book he held at a button on a nearby wall.

Once the button had been hit, the walls of the library rotated revealing different shelves. But instead of holding books, these shelves held something else: rows and rows of pins. There were thousands, no, millions of them lining the shelves. All of them had different symbols on them, so Teresa could instantly see that these pins were not like the ones the other players used in battle.

"Those are entry fees," Joshua told her. "You're standing in our storage room for entry fees. Every player who has lost their Reapers' Game or is currently participating in one has their entry fee stored here." The male sighed. "This place is well hidden, and well protected. Only the Composer, Conductor, and Producer can get in or out." He ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find the words to continue. "So I figured this place would be the best location to store our noise hybrid girl. You remember the girl we captured the other day, right? The one who impersonated Hurley? Well..." Josh trailed off again, thinking for a moment.

"I entrapped her in a pin as I would anyone's entry fee. I placed her here for safe keeping and," Joshua paused to furrow his brows and ball one of his hands into a fist. "She escaped. She escaped her pin and broke out of here." He gritted his teeth together, clearly frustrated. "I don't even know how she did it. It's impossible!" He pounded a fist on the table he was sitting next to before continuing to speak. "But the fact she escaped isn't even the worst part. Before leaving this place, she stole from it. She... took the entry fees of all the current players in the Reapers' Game we started today. I don't know how the hell she knew which ones to take, but somehow she did. This is a big deal. If we don't find those entry fees before this game is over, we'll be in big trouble with the higher ups. We're already on thin ice lately and I--"

Pausing, Joshua placed his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. "...when I talked to Sanae about this last night in the stairwell, he suggested we run the game as if nothing had happened. If we postponed it again, the higher ups might become suspicious that something is wrong and we could get in trouble sooner. If we run the game, at least we have a week to find this girl and the missing entry fees assuming she hasn't erased them from existence." Joshua sighed again. "So, there, now you know what's going on. Happy?"

Suddenly, it might've made more sense to Teresa why Joshua had been in such a foul mood the other night. He had been keeping this information to himself for a whole day, shouldering the burden on his own before Sanae made him spill the beans.

@Midnight Maiden​