Reaper Squad

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Tap tap tap.

After hitting a few buttons on his phone, Joshua eventually gave up on what game he was playing and closed his orange phone, putting it back in his pocket. He then lightly blew over his cup to make sure it was cool before taking a sip. While his game was rather amusing, he could likely get a lot more amusement out of harassing Teresa now that she had exited the room.

"Mm, Sanae sure knows how to make a good cup of coffee."

After taking a long sip, he lowered his cup to reply. "Oh, I see. Well, hopefully it doesn't take long. I have other things I'd like to do before the day's end. Sanae can ramble sometimes, but hopefully he doesn't today."

When Teresa made the suggestion that Joshua should thank his friend he glanced past Teresa for a moment, looking over at the door to the Producer's office. "I've thanked him more than enough for many lifetimes. He's always had my back and he knows I respect him. So, I think if I miss out on thanking him for one meager cup of coffee it won't hurt anything."

After he replied, it appeared as if Teresa failed to refrain herself from teasing again. The Composer chuckled softly before smirking at her.

"Ah, if that's truly the case, I'll keep that in mind when we start your Conductor training. I'll keep all the lights in the training room turned off, and forbid you from using any other sort of lights so you can't see me or anything else for that matter. That could be difficult if I give you a pop quiz on paper, but I'm sure you'll you'll figure something out. Perhaps your shrewd intellect will magically light up the room?"

As always, their war of teasing waged on. And, bored as he was, Joshua wasn't pulling any punches.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Seeing Joshua happily drinking his cup of coffee encouraged Teresa slightly... But the ravenette was very clearly still unsure of what to think of the cup in her hand. Passively(while taking a deep breath), she caught the scent of it's contents. ..Well.. It at least doesn't smell bad, she thought, still examining the cup with a scrutinizing pair of burning blue eyes. While doing this, she simply nodded quietly in response to Joshua's statement. "I've got a feeling the kid won't want ta do too much talking, so I don't think ya have much to worry about," she dismissed with a shrug.

The female gave a look of understanding when Joshua said this.. Though she was still trying to refrain from letting on more than the slightest bit of emotion. "That makes sense.. But I think ya misunderstood. I just meant that if ya were going to thank someone, it shouldn't be me," she elaborated, nonchalantly. There was a small pause, before Teresa tilted her head, briefly glancing up from her cup. "You two are pretty close, aren't ya?" she asked, almost.. Thoughtfully. Even when they had first walked in and Sanae had ruffled Joshua's hair, Teresa had figured it was the case.. But she'd obviously had no idea. At least, not like she did now that Sanae had explained their relationship.

Butttttt.. Joshua's next statement certainly got Teresa. She looked like a sweatdropping anime girl.


"Ehh.. Heh.. Right.." she replied, sheepishly. "Sure. Ya look wonderful in low light," the Glader remarked. ..Stillbetterthanfulllight,anyways In truth, Teresa wasn't scared of working in the dark. Or of.. Well, anything Joshua could do to her. The stubborn, tough and headstrong girl was nearly impossible to scare or intimidate, especially with such simple 'threats'. Rather, she was playing it off for this: she was actually trying to save the fact she'd gone back at teased Joshua even after saying she wouldn't. ..You win this round, Joshua. I'm totally getting you for this.

Regardless, her gaze shifted down again. Very slowly(and extremely hesitantly), the ravenette moved the warm cup in her pale hands up to her perfect pink lips, mimicking Joshua's tactic of blowing on the cup slightly.. Before taking a sip. The problem was... Teresa hadn't blown hard enough, the coffee was burning hot, and she'd taken a litttllleee too big a sip for her own good.. And almost immediately, this became a massive problem.

..OhmygawdsohotsohoTSOHOTAHHHHEKJRNGKERNJS J

And that was how Teresa immediately dropped her very first cup of coffee, burning her tongue and singeing her pride in the process. The female managed to at least swallow the mouthful she had, narrowly saving herself the embarrassment that would've come with spitting it out. After this, the female staggered back slightly before plopping down on the floor, jaw clenched to avoid showing that she'd just burned herself.

..I never want to touch a cup of this.. cof.. fee... klunk again.

@Klutzy Ninja Kittyr​

 

[Krieg]

The world was constantly in motion from Arya's perspective, yet only darkness greeted her crippled eyes of pearly white. Shibuya was truly a fascinating city, something akin to the heavens that the Southerners believe in, not like her Father's gods. Yet still, a certain familiarity echoed in her soul, one of which related to death. From the days in Harrenhall, the Hall of Grief, and now reborn and rekindled as a Reaper, death seemed to follow Arya quite consistently. At times she wondered what her real curse was- her blindness or her death.

Walking alongside Teresa and Joshua, Arya had suspiciously kept eerily quiet throughout their conversations and dealings. What was heard as playful banter was but whispers in the She-Wolf's ears, finding herself grow separated from the world around her. Pangs of guilt racked her icy heart, the most unbearably horrid feeling in the world. She could recall the crimes against humanity that she had committed, the sins and burdens that rested themselves upon her shoulders. Even as Reaper, she would forever been marked as a traitor, a fiend, and an outcast to those around her. Perhaps it would last for her eternities to come, akin to the ancient myth of the Grey King, ruling a monarch of death and disease for as long as time spun.

Taking a seat upon the comfy chair, Arya held her head low, resisting the urge to growl at her hair being ruffled. Although she had reclutantly grown to accept Teresa and Joshua, this Sanae individual carrying a suave, collective voice not too unlike Joshua's. Tightening her grip on the leather armrests of the office chair. Wincing her lower lip, Arya kept her head hung low, eavesdropping on conversations concerning the backstory of Joshua, the Northerner finding it hard to believe the bastard had an ounce of humanity in him. Hearing them speak of tragedy and their losses, Arya bit her tongue once more, keeping ominously quiet, as if she did not want to sound so pretentious.

I committed crimes no man should do. I am but a girl, yet I am alive...the universe is a mad, mad place.

Holding back a bated breath as a familiar voice whispered in her head, Arya shuddered, hearing the suave, high-ranking Reaper casually stroll around her, peering about the She-Wolf. Lifting her head, irises of white piercing the suited immortal, the reborn "babe" spoke softly yet sharply.

"I am Arya Stark. If Stark carries power anymore. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

Arya concluded, her voice showing a rarity of sarcasm, giving a slight tilt of her head, Needle's hilt glistening in it's scabbard.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes ​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Gently drumming his fingers on the cup containing his coffee, Josh nodded lightly. "Yes, she's not very talkative, is she? Well, talking isn't commonly a problem for Sanae. Hopefully he doesn't ramble and take too long in there even if she doesn't talk much." But if there was one thing Josh did like about Mr. H, even if he did ramble, was the fact that he talked a lot. The fact that the man talked a lot, and actually cared about the people in Shibuya was one thing that had saved Joshua's butt more times than he could remember.

"Oh, I know what you meant," Joshua replied, softening his expression. "And yeah, the two of us go way back. I've known him for about as long as I can remember, and he's saved my butt more times than I can count..."

"But, in the end, nobody could truly save my human life. Not when I was so determined to leave it behind, to shed it like an old shell that had grown too small for me."

Flashback (Possible Trigger Warning)

It was raining that night. Standing in a dark alleyway, Joshua ran his fingers over the cold, hard metal weapon in his hands. He twirled this gun as both his breath and body quivered from the icy rain that wet down both his hair and clothes. He kept his head lowered, partly grateful for this rain that seemed to mingle with the salty tears streaming down his cheeks, hiding them from sight.

Seeming to come out of nowhere, a voice echoed through the rain, "Do we have to do this again?"

Sanae Hanekoma walked toward Joshua, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't do this to yourself. We've had this talk so many times now. You've got a long life ahead of you, so you don't need to take that away from yourself. Put the gun down and come inside, dry off, and have a cup of coffee. You'll feel better if you--"

"Feel... better?"

Joshua laughed, a low, yet bitter and cold laugh before smacking Sanae's hand off his shoulder. "I've told you what my life is like. I live in a world of dogs, yet I am not a dog. I'm different. None of these idiots understand me. Not my parents, not any of the doctors they send me to, and most certainly not all of the other dreadful people who look at me like I'm... insane for seeing things they can't. Do you have any idea what it's like? To have parents who look at you like you're a mistake? Doctors wanting to throw medicine at me to make me normal? To be laughed at and mocked? To feel..."

..so alone.

"To feel like you're not meant to be here? Sanae, maybe I'm not meant to be here. It'd just take the pull of a trigger and I'd be--"

"Dead, kid, you'd be dead," Sanae sternly warned. "I ain't gonna let you do that. Don't you dare take your life."

"But, Sanae, listen! Maybe I could... play the game? The Reapers' Game you told me about! Then I could become a reaper. I think a place like that would be better for me. Don't you?"

Mr H. sighed heavily. "I think you need to put down that gun and come inside. Look, even if you did die there's no guarantee they'd put you into the gam--"

"Then tell them to put me in the game yourself!"

"I-- Sanae, p-please... I can't keep living like this..."

Life isn't a gift when it only hurts me. How am I supposed to enjoy the moment when every moment feels like taking a stroll through hell?

"Josh--"

"Ngh, kid, I can't make any promises. I could try, but I really don't know if they'd put you in the game or not. So in my opinion it ain't worth the ris--"

"A try? Good enough for me."

Joshua raised his gun.

"JOSHUA STOP!"

Bang!

Ambiguously quiet for a moment, Joshua said no more on the subject of just how far back he went with Mr. Hanekoma. Instead, he decided to continue teasing Teresa, because that was always way more fun. >:D

"Ah, ah, no take backs. You already told me how you feel, so I'll be sure to keep the room nice and dark next time we train together, m'kay dear?" he questioned with a giggle and wink. "Speaking of your training, that will have to start up in a few days. I figure you can have the next few days off before we start our training because I want to be lazy and take a break because I feel you've earned some time to rest after helping me in my quest to locate Arya for so long."

Afterwards, Joshua nearly began to take another sip of his own coffee before he noticed the comical display of Teresa dropping her own cup and fumbling onto the floor. It was a struggle for the Composter not to immediately burst out laughing at her predicament. Instead, he let out a concerned gasp.

"Oh, are you all right?" he questioned, moving over toward Teresa. He knelt down next to her before...

...picking up the cup she had dropped.

"I do hope you're not hurt. It's bad enough that Teresa spilled a perfectly good cup of coffee. It'd be a crying shame if she ruined a perfectly good cup too," the angel said, a smirk finally forming on his lips as he looked down at the cup. "So, what hurt worse, Teresa? Falling to the ground or burning your tongue? Please enlighten me so that I am careful not to make such embarrassing events occur for myself in the future."

*all of the wink wonking and teasing* ;D

@Hospes

---

The old Producer causally walked about his office, humming to himself while he waited for Arya to come up with a response. Coffee cup in hand, he occasionally took a sip. He tried not to look directly at the girl, not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable than she likely already was. He couldn't blame here either. She'd been through a hell of a lot in her short life. It was strange, but even if the girl didn't realize it, Arya fit in well with both Joshua and Teresa. The trio had all suffered rough lives. He hoped none of them would try to argue over who had the worst life, but would try to understand one another instead.

After a moment, when the girl finally did speak to him, Sanae walked over to her and reached down to tip her chin up. "Here in Shibuya, it ain't a last name that holds any power for ya. It's your actions and what you eventually do here to prove your worth. Everyone who comes here starts with a blank slate, no matter who you are or where you come from. I just want ya to keep that in mind, okay?"

"But is there anything else I wanna know? Nah, I wanna know if there's anything else you wanna know. I'm here to help you, kid. In a way, I'm sorta the guardian angel to all of the reapers and players who come here. I'm the one who helps them, lets them talk to get things off their chest, and the one who makes sure they're treated fairly. But, if ya don't got nothing to ask me for now, that's all right. I'm just making sure that, for the moment, you're okay."

The man shrugged. "If you are okay, I'll let you go for now. I'll set you up with a room right here in this building you can stay in for the time being, a buddy to watch out for ya. If you want, I can even get you one that's around your age. Might make it easier on ya." He gave Arya a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiled at her afterwards. Mr. Hanekoma had a gentle, almost fatherly disposition about him and was more than happy to make sure she was okay.

@Krieg​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Clicking her tongue bemusedly, Teresa just chuckled softly at Joshua's comment. "Didn't he say he wanted ta shut down soon? I assume he won't take too long, if that's the case," she reasoned. Though, to be totally honest, she wouldn't be too surprised if this wasn't the case.. Even with how horrible she was, socially, she didn't struggle to pick up on the fact that Sanae liked to talk... A lot. That much was quite obvious. Joshua's comment about his relationship with the man earned another slight nod, though. "Aye, that's a goo-.." Wait, what was she saying? It wasn't like her to just.. Say things like that. Shuckin' idiot. I ain't supposed to say things like that, she cursed herself, feeling her face heat up ever-so-slightly with something between embarrassment and frustration. Great. I'm gonna give him a big head.

Rather than trying to explain that little misstep of hers.. Teresa hurriedly tried to switch topics, hoping to simply leave it in the past.

Joshua's next little quip was just as embarrassing, and the Glader couldn't help but huff. "When ya say 'take backs', it sounds awful childish, ya know. Almost like something a twelve-year-old would say...." ...Don't do it, Teresa. You can hold yourself back.. You can do it....- "..And don't call me 'dear', dear," she demanded, pouting. She was clearly demonstrating a hell of a lot of willpower, trying to keep from teasing him.

The sound of taking a break.. Just made Teresa's heart drop. Most people loved getting time off; saw it as a way to relax and have a good time while not having to worry about working their butts off. But for Teresa.. These periods of time where most people would feel 'free' served only as a torturous cage for the young woman. The only thing that kept her going so strong was that she didn't have the time to reminisce all of the ways she'd been broken. Emotionally, physically, mentally... All of the memories of horrors that anchored her down, despite her denial of the fact that they were truly hurting her.

She tried to shake these thoughts off, reassuring herself that she would find something to do with the time to make sure she wouldn't have to relive all of those horrid memories. Rather, she tried to play them off, pretending to be fine and dandy... As per usual. "Yeah.. Thanks. I appreciate it," she muttered, looking away. Somehow, that claim didn't quite meet her eyes.

If Teresa hadn't been blushing before her little incident... She certainly was, now. Her face burned brightly with embarrassment and aggravation, accentuating her stunning eyes. "Sh-shut up, Joshua," she snapped with annoyance. "You're just jealous that the floor's closer to my butt than you are," she retaliated. And... There it was. All of her efforts to hold back from teasing, right out the window. However, the sincere answer to Joshua's question? Well, neither the burning herself nor the falling had hurt worse. What was the most hurt by the young Reaper's incident... Was her pride.

..I'm never gonna live this down.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

The Composer shot his Conductor an amused look when she chuckled at him, reminding him that Sanae wanted to leave the meeting in order to shut down his shop for the day. Joshua shook his head. "Surely even in the short time you spoke with him you realized that he likes to talk a lot, yes? So, despite his claim of hoping to shut down his shop early today, he'll likely continue rambling on regardless. Tee hee, besides that... not as many people visit his shop as he claims. One person visiting is equivalent to a lot of people in his eyes." When Teresa made her next comment and cut herself off, Joshua simply smirked at her and said nothing else. He had received so many opportunities to tease her that he decided to let some of her little slip-ups go... for now.

"Anyhow, did you just tell me I sounded like a twelve-year-old? Well, you know what they say, it takes one to know one," Joshua replied with a giggle, reaching down to teasingly pat her head as if she really were a child. "Also, don't feel that I'm singling you out when I call you dear. I call everyone dear. All people in Shibuya are my dears." The way Joshua saw it, with himself in charge, all people who resided under his care were like his children. It was part of the reason why he spoke to them the way he did. The only one he excluded from this sort of speak was Sanae, the only person he really saw as an equal, or even admired.

"But yes, I am serious," Joshua told her, unaware Teresa was unhappy with the idea of taking a break. "I think we'll start your training in a few days. It'll still be a while before the next Reapers' Game starts, so you'll still have plenty of time to get used to your new powers and your new position." Although Teresa didn't like taking breaks, Joshua rather enjoyed them himself. He really didn't like too much work, or even breaking a sweat for that matter. So, after having been busy with his search of Arya, he was more than happy to take a break for a little while.

With Teresa still remaining on the ground, embarrassed as could be, Joshua only chuckled at her butt comment. "Quite a clever verbal gouge you've thrown my way. You know, I could try to come up with another witty statement in reply to that, but I feel there is no need to burn you any further. I feel the coffee has already done a good enough job with burning you," he teased, a leer in his eyes. Despite the teasing, however, he actually offered Teresa a hand to help her up.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

As much as Teresa adored arguing with her boss... She had to concede, this time around. He had a very valid point. "..Touche. I guess ya win, this time around," she replied, levelly. She was a bit surprised that only a few people visited the shop, with the odd aura of comfort and understanding he seemed to radiate. Personally, Teresa found it unsettling; compelling her to say things that she never wanted to even think about, let alone talk about with some man she didn't know. It's dangerous turf. One I want to avoid.

On the other hand... Teresa caught the way that Joshua was smirking at her. With a flustered huff of something like annoyance, the girl turned her head away stubbornly. Ugh. Look at that smug little smirk of his.. A-Actin' like I actually care about him... W-what a jerk.

Yeah... Right.

Joshua's next little jab just earned a long pause from the Glader. Her eyes locked on him again, and for a good minute, she simply stared at him.. But, finally, the ravenette shook her head with a look of what seemed like disappointment. "..C'mon, Joshua.. Really? Is that really all ya got?" she asked, lacking any real emotion in her voice. "I'm disappointed. I expect so much better from ya," she sighed, waving her finger in disapproval. "Come on, now; prove me right. It's much more fun when ya actually give me some competition," she teased, playfully. "Put some effort into it..-" Andddd then Joshua tried to pat Teresa's head.. And then it happened.

[spoili]

"Omg Joshy bby ily~ <3"[/spoili]

..Haha, not really. It went more like this..

After overcoming her initial shock, Teresa immediately tried to swat Joshua's hand away. "I didn't give you permission to touch me.. >:(" Her pout now deepened, and she seemed even more annoyed than before. Though, it faded quickly, and her demeanor returned to a more playful one. "Well.. That wasn't in the job description. I might just have ta resign," she quipped, crossing her arms over her chest. She grew a little more serious when Joshua returned to the topic of taking a few days off.. But probably for the worse.

In truth, the Reaper had no idea how important her work was. Not just for others... But for herself. Now, especially, though, it was even more important. She didn't realize it, but despite her lack of desire for the power that she'd had bestowed upon her, becoming Joshua's Conductor would do her so much more than she could imagine. Helping around with the Reapers' Game distracted her from the cage of her memories that she was shoved forcefully into when alone, yes, but what managed to pull her out of those memories and thoughts the most efficiently was probably the male she would now be working closely with. Their 'bickering' did her a lot of good, pulling her free from the vice grip of her past. Saved her from herself, so to speak.

"..Ah, right. Starting in a few days sounds good to me," Teresa finally replied, almost boredly. "..I assume that's when I'll find out what those powers are? Since you and the Producer said it was 'top secret' stuff that I'd have ta have erased from my head if I quit," she spoke, tilting her head at Joshua from her position on the ground. Well.. At least when I'm down here, I don't have to acknowledge that he's taller than me.

The response Teresa got to her little butt jab just made her bite her cheek. "Oh, of course. I'm certain that you'd use a comeback that incredible rather than a real jab... Although, it seems more like something you'd only do when ya know you've been beat," she remarked with a half-grin. But, the girl was clearly caught off guard by Joshua offering her his hand to help her up. She eyed it in a scrutinizing manner for a good few minutes... Before she seemed a bit more certain, and took his outstretched hand with a small smile...

...Before she moved to tug him down to the floor, as well.

"Heh. Oops. I guess I'm stronger than I thought..." she commented. Though, judging by the sly grin that had spread across those pink lips of hers.. She totally did that on purpose.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Hm?" A grin suddenly spread over the cheeky Composer's lips. He perked up, his senses brimming with the pleasure got out of Teresa agreeing to let him win this time around. "Well, well, well, its not often I hear you agree with me or decide to let me win. If only I could capture this moment..."

"Oh, that's right, I can!"

"Smile~"

Flash!

Joshua whipped out his phone quicker than a strike of lightning and snapped a photo of her.

"There, now I'll always remember it."

Ha ha ha. He thought he was so funny. Or, maybe he didn't Perhaps he just enjoyed irritating people whenever he could...

It was then that Teresa expressed her blatant disappointment in him for failing to come up with a better verbal jab. "Tsk, tsk, Teresa dear you clearly don't understand the point of how this works, do you? I'm not trying to make better comments than you. I'm just trying to have a bit of fun, hm? You need to learn how to relax. Why should I feel you're worth trying to overcome?" Was his comment really a denial to her competition? Or had it just been another jab meant to get at her? Regardless, he still seemed to be enjoying himself.

After his comment, he felt Teresa swat his hand away. "Oh, I'm hurt you could say that to me! For, you see, you belong to me now so I feel I do have the right to touch you, especially since you've most certainly touched me a time or two. I feel if you wish not to be touched, it would only be fair if you refrained from touching me, m'kay darling?"

"Yes," Joshua replied when mentioned her Conductor training. "You'll learn more about your powers and I'll take you to visit a few secret locations that only the Composer, Conductor, and Producer know about. And you'll also... have to take an oath that you won't tell anyone these secret locations. Silly, I know, but this is important stuff. We'll talk more about it when the time comes."

While waiting for for Teresa to take his hand, Joshua chuckled. "Oh, c'mon, maybe I'm just giving you a break from my comebacks, for once. Oh, and by the way, you don't have to stare at my hand like it's an alien. You take it and I help you stand up. That's how this works."

What Joshua didn't expect next was that, when she finally took his hand, she would use his help to instead pull him down onto the floor with her.

...especially not while he was still holding his own cup of still rather hot coffee.

"Teresa--"

Knowing the cup was immediately going to spill when he fell, and right onto Teresa, he yanked his hand from hers and pulled the cup close to himself so it would spill onto his own body instead. When he fell down to the ground next to her, he cursed loudly from the hot liquid dumbing against him. Sitting up quickly after the fall, he gripped his wet coffee stained shirt.

"O-Ow. That was unnecessary," he grumbled through gritted teeth.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

...Oh, no. Teresa definitely should've seen that coming.

An embarrassed pout formed on poor Teresa's features as Joshua rubbed in the fact that she'd let him win for once. Hmph. This is what I get for letting him have it his way, for once, she thought, sighing heavily. "Yeah, yeah... Just keep it in mind, ya shank; I let you win," she jabbed. She was about to make another teasing remark, but the thought was immediately derailed the moment Joshua spoke of capturing the moment. Immediately, Teresa lost her playful expression, leaving her with her typical steeled up features... But as opposed to her typical expression, she was still blushing faintly from the embarrassment of their little exchange.

Judging by the way she looked away when Joshua took the picture? Teresa wasn't exactly happy with him taking a surprise picture of her.

The next comment thrown her way didn't do much in returning her more playful air. Instead, she just shrugged it off, seeming to have returned to a more emotionally distanced state. "Hmph. If ya think I don't know how ta relax.. You aren't exactly wrong," she muttered, looking downwards. Her jaw clenched slightly, and she seemed a bit more tense.

Flashback

It was like a sea of emptiness... What the mysterious comatose girl had found herself entrapped in, that day. But.. Not quite. On the edges of her mind, voices could be heard, but they sounded and felt as though lightyears away from the seventeen-year-old's ears. More prominent than these faint voices, though, were the odd little visions. Snippets of faces, sounds, and places that the ravenette couldn't place a finger on.

"Mom..? Mom, who're those people?" a little girl of no more than four asked a young woman that seemed to be the child's mother, tugging on her sleeve. Her mother had a look of concern on her features as she peered cautiously out of their hut at the armed men invading their village.. Something that was quickly coming to the younger girl's realization. Despite her excessively young age, the girl was smart; and it hardly took smarts to know that the oddly garbed soldiers intended harm. There was a long moment of silence between the two, before the mother finally spoke, her voice nearly cracking. "Deedee... You need to hide. Now," the woman ordered, trying to maintain a comforting calm to her tone.

Deedee saw straight through it.

Despite, the little girl didn't dare question her mother's orders. Obediently, she left the spot from which she'd been stationed at by the opening of the hut; but there was hardly anywhere to hide, and hardly any time. Not even a minute later, she heard it; a gunshot. But it didn't sound quite right... Darts, maybe. It had that more distinctive 'pop' to it. While Deedee tried in vain to hide in the barren little hut, someone burst into the little place. Her keen blue eyes spotted her father dashing in and gripping her mother by her shoulders. "We don't have much time... They've started-"

Before the man had the chance to finish.. There was a slam, and then a pop, right outside of the hut. Deedee's deductive skills quickly determined that the slam must've been the sound of a body hitting the foundation. "..They're here," her father murmured softly. Seconds later, before he even had the chance to command his daughter or his wife to run, another shot rang out; this time, coming from right at the entrance of the hut... And Deedee watched her mother fall to the floor. Immediately, her stunning blue eyes widened, and she couldn't help but rush out from her place just as another shot rang out. "Mom!" she exclaimed, crouching at her mother's side and shaking her slightly. Next, her father fell with another shot, sending him into an unconscious state. Tears clouded the child's vision, and she attempted again to waken her dazed and fallen family members. Before she even had the chance.. The sound of another shot burst her eardrums, and she felt it. The stabbing pain of the injection of God only knew what piercing her.

That same piercing pain jarred the memory away, causing it to cease before the comatose girl could truly and fully grasp at it. Instead, another drifted at the edge of her head, toying with her.

That was it. It was the day. Teresa glanced at her best friend lying on the operating table in front of her, his eyes closed in an unpeaceful rest. It made her sick to her stomach, watching this happen to him... She had seen this procedure been done a thousand times. The Swipe, that was: the very same procedure that she herself would have to undergo the next day... Whether she liked it or not. The thought terrified her- that she wouldn't be able to remember the male lying in front of her, now, come the time she went under the procedure. That she never would again. That she could look at him without immediately feeling the need to speak to him via their telepathic link.

Soon enough, it was done, and the unconscious male that seemed almost as though he were trying to fight the Swipe in his sleep was transferred onto a gurney. Teresa probably should've let the operators handle this, with the way her walls she kept her emotions hidden behind were threatening to break down.. But she couldn't. Despite having already said their goodbyes, Teresa wanted to be there to see him off to the Box.. But when she did, it was impossible not to scream..-

"Thomas... Thomas!" the girl exclaimed, her heartrate bursting through the roof as she suddenly shot up to a sitting position, gasping for breath and looking around wildly. Where.. Where was she? And, more importantly.. Who was she? The little memories and thoughts that had come and gone while she was comatose had vanished completely, leaving the wild-eyed girl clueless, confused, and stressed as hell in her.. Wait, what was it she was laying on, anyways? Who were the odd-looking males that seemed to be examining her? And why did they suddenly look.. Horrified?

It was true.. Teresa Agnes had never had a chance. Let alone a chance to relax. I was too busy being scrutinized for my gender, she thought, bitterly. Or being accused of being a.. a demon, for surviving what should've killed me. What should've bestowed the same fate upon me as the rest of my family and village. "..I wouldn't say I am. So I guess ya shouldn't waste your breath," she muttered, quietly.

Joshua's little comment about owning her just made the female roll her eyes. Well.. At least being owned by you is better than being owned by WICKED. When that thought came to her head, Teresa couldn't help brushing her fingers over the tattoo on her neck again.. Though she quickly moved her hand away. It was best, not to dwell on it. It only ever hurt her. "..I won't touch you if you don't touch me," she remarked, though her teasing was a bit less lighthearted than before. Despite not wanting to.. She was definitely dwelling. "And don't call me 'darling', either."

"Don't worry. An oath wouldn't be the silliest thing I've had to do," she replied simply. "And.. Fair enough." It seemed that she was content leaving that matter at that.

When Joshua suggested that he was just giving Teresa a break from his comebacks, she could only force a grin up at her boss. "Sure, keep tellin' yourself that, Joshua," she joshed. His little explanation on what she was supposed to do with his hand managed to at least get a small laugh from her. "I may not be the most savvy, socially, but I think I know what I'm supposed to do when someone offers me their hand," she mused. "..I just prefer goin' about it my way--"

Teresa's amused and sly expression that had come with pulling her Conductor down with her quickly faded when she saw Joshua suddenly huddle the cup to his chest, immediately becoming replaced with a look of clear concern. "What the hell did ya do that for, Joshua??" she demanded, moving over him with concern. "Agh.. You shoud've just let it fall on me," she scolded, glancing him over with worry. Thing was.. She couldn't really check for burns with his wet shirt in the way. "...You should.. Go check to see if you're burned," she advised. She would've done it... But ogawd even the thought of that was embarrassing. She wasn't about to give Joshua the teasing material of her asking him to take his shirt off.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

The Composer sighed frustratedly. He could feel his chest lightly throbbing where the liquid had poured against his shirt, but Joshua wasn't about to make a big scene because of it. He simply sat there and held his shirt for a moment before he even responded to his Conductor. Grumbling under his breath, he finally replied, "Oh, think nothing of it. I've had much worse happen to me. I can handle a little burn." He avoided responding to her question regarding why he shielded her from the hot coffee.

"I don't intend to check it now, but I will later," he finally added. There was no way in hell Josh intended to take his shirt off in front of her, or even lift it up for that matter, to check for a little burn. Even back when he used to be a human, the angel never had been fond of taking his shirt off in front of others. In fact, the mere act of it was sort of embarrassing. He never had been too confident about his body. For a male, Joshua knew he was rather petite, even unattractive. So he avoided it whenever he could.

Patting his chest, he set his cup to the side and let his gaze scan the floor. He took a deep breath and attempted to keep his level of irritation under control. In truth, part of his irritation stemmed from the fact he was actually quite tired. As an angel, he didn't require sleep very often but did grow tired if he exerted himself for long periods. And sadly, ever since the John White fiasco, Joshua felt he had been going nonstop. Yeah, he was really looking forward to that upcoming break.

After a moment of silence, Joshua suddenly spoke in a soft tone. "Before, you said I may not be wrong if I were to assume you didn't know how to relax. Why is that?" he questioned.

What's this? Was Joshua actually attempting a normal conversation? Maybe he was actually too tired to continue teasing her. Or, maybe he was just waiting for another opertune moment to arise.
​

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Judging by the way Teresa was looking down at Joshua with a concerned frown... She wasn't quite as willing to just dismiss it and move on. "Whether you've had worse or not, you shouldn't just sit there when you might've been burned," she chided. It didn't take much to notice that Joshua was aggravated with her, but right now, she didn't care. She'd rather make sure he was okay and have him still annoyed with her than have him happy with her and hurt.. The same case she'd made when she had been forced to betray that character she still couldn't recall to save his life. Something did seem to occur to the ravenette, though, and she moved pat herself down, seeming to be looking for something. "Hm.. I think I have my Thanx pin on me.." she muttered.

Soon enough, triumphantly, the female produced the aforementioned pin. "Here it is," she stated, offering a small, forced smile. "Will you at least let me try to help?" she requested, crossing her arms. Her concern was quite clear, and beneath the surface, she was aggravated with herself for making such a stupid move. "..It's the least I can do. I did kinda spill burning hot coffee on you, after all," she muttered, sheepishly. What was her problem, anyways? What had she expected to happen? In hindsight, even if Joshua hadn't been holding the coffee, the move Teresa had made was stupid.

However, her own little bout of thoughts in which she scolded herself didn't hit Teresa quite as hard as what Joshua said next. The Glader gave her boss an almost.. startled, look, taken aback by the question she'd just been asked.. Or, maybe, the fact he was asking it. Hell, it could've even been that she was surprised to hear something directed at her from him that wasn't a jab. Regardless of what it was, it had done something that was hard to accomplish...: Caught Teresa Agnes off guard.

For a good moment or two, the ravenette could only stare, seeming as though she were either uncertain if he was serious... Or just stunned by the question. Eventually, she broke her stare, her eyes drifting down to stare at her pale hands, instead. She tried to speak, but it was as though her tongue was tied in knots, and nothing came out. An odd flash of something crossed her features for just the briefest moment... Something almost like....

Pain.

But, as quickly as it had come, it was gone, and Teresa had quickly done her best to discard of any emotion slipping through her facade. "..It's.. No reason," she finally replied, quietly. "I was.. Joking," she lied, twiddling her thumbs.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

----

0094f0​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Running a hand through his ashy colored hair, Joshua scowled. He didn't really care that Teresa chided him or was suddenly trying to be helpful to him in his predicament; Joshua really wasn't in the mood to continue talking about the situation. The coffee stain on his shirt, along with the fact he had been dragged down to the ground, was irritating enough. The prissy angel actually hated anything dirty, grimy, or sweaty coming in contact with his body. In fact, the stain on his shirt and the fact he was seated on the ground bothered him much more than the little burn on his chest. He was so annoyed, and maybe even a little grossed out, that his cheeks turned a bit red.

Finally, after a minute had passed he turned to Teresa, his cheeks tightening, intending to tell her to quiet down. What did he need her help for anyhow? He was an angel. Joshua knew that even if his wound was really bad it would likely heal in minutes anyhow. Thanks to his power, it was rather impossible for him to be injured long. "Look you--" He cut himself off for a moment, his eyes moving down to the Thanx pin in her hand. He sighed, his expression softening. But... then again... she was trying. He could at least be nice.

"Oh, all right. If you'd really like to you can heal it. I'll be fine though. Honestly, the stain on my shirt and the coffee spilled on my body bothers me more. I detest filth." Glancing down at his shirt again, he wiped it with the back of his hand--feeling a shiver run up his spine when he couldn't get it off. "Ugh, if I wasn't so tired I'd just use my powers to clean it off. How bothersome." I suppose I'll be taking a long shower after we wrap up here today.

When Teresa replied with a skimpy answer to Joshua's question, the Composer quieted again before replying, "Odd thing to lie about. If you really don't know how to relax that's not something to be embarrassed over. You relax by either partaking in an enjoyable hobby of yours, sleeping, or spending time with friends. I intend to do two of those three things while relaxing on my days off." Sleeping especially. A lot of sleeping.

Truthfully, Joshua knew she was lying because he had actually seen some of her memories before. After all, he was partly in charge of guarding the entry fees. This meant he often looked them over to make sure they were still safe. He had seen a decent chunk of Teresa's memories when they had been sifted through to collect her entry fee. He never spoke of them, however, as entry fees were private and he respected keeping them confidential.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

To Joshua's luck, Teresa hardly took notice of the fact that his face was heating up with annoyance. Although, even if she had; Teresa lacked any desire to tease him, after all she'd done already. Besides, even with this event she'd caused aside, it was quite clear that Joshua had had a long enough day already.. And though she'd probably deny it, the girl had no desire to provoke her superior. While she didn't often worry about whether she got on people's nerves or not, she certainly seemed to, now.

When Joshua started to speak, the ravenette prepared to be snapped at or scolded.. But was surprised to find that he cut himself off, and nothing came. Odd as it was, this fact actually amused Teresa: or, more specifically, the fact that Joshua could demonstrate that self-restraint whilst she probably wouldn't have been able to amused her. Looks like this is payback for him 'being shown up by a Reaper' after the death of the Archdemon, the girl thought to herself, sighing through her nose. It was quiet, for the next few moments, and the Glader simply watched her boss and waited, expectantly.

And, she seemed much more satisfied when Joshua- albeit, reluctantly -gave her permission to heal him. "Heh. Thanks, Joshua," she chimed with a triumphant grin. Seeming to catch the little error she'd made of thanking him for the simple act of allowing her to heal him, she quickly added: "..For saving me the breath of havin' to pester you into it, anyways." Any embarrassment and or disappointment with what she'd done in the past few minutes quickly faded when the Composer said that he detested filth, immediately overwhelmed by something like.. Amusement. However, the girl did her best to refrain from teasing Joshua about this: the fact that the all-powerful angel was intimidated by a little bit of grime. Instead, she attempted to give a sincere apology, while moving to start using her Thanx pin to heal any burns the coffee might've inflicted. "Well, I'm sorry. I'll try to remember that next time that I do something like that again."

Hah. Teresa probably wouldn't ever do anything like that again... But Joshua didn't need to know that~ >:D

As she calmly began healing her boss, Teresa raised a brow at Joshua at his next comment. "If it's such a bother.. Go shower. I can take care of the kid while ya do that," she suggested, almost boredly. "It isn't like Shibuya would burn down if you took a short break to clean up." ..Er, I don't think it would. Let's hope not.

Clearing her throat and discarding the thought from her mind, the young Reaper only looked away when Joshua called her lie. She didn't exactly seem keen on discussing whatever this was. She shifted uncomfortably, her body stiff and tense with discomfort. "..That isn't what I meant," she responded in a grumble. Teresa was a little offended, that Joshua really thought she didn't understand what relaxing was. She knew the essence of it; that it was a time to unwind and have some fun and calm times... What she'd meant was that she'd never had the chance to experience it, herself, to fully grasp it.

Attempting to move on from the painful subject, the female only nodded when her boss told her what he did for relaxation. She wasn't really terribly interested.. But it was better than lingering on hers. "Well, have fun with that."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

----

0094f0​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Humph, well I'd be surprised if you had the nerve to pester me after making me spill my hot coffee all over myself," Joshua replied when Teresa began healing him. He kept his eyes on the floor a few feet in front of him, a sour expression on his face as if he were pouting. His frown deepened when Teresa made her comment regarding next time she ever did something like this again. "Next time you do something like that again, I'll probably just let my coffee spill all over you. So I'd try not to do it again if I were you."

But would Joshua really let that happen? Even if Teresa caused an exact repeate of this situation, it was likely Joshua would still react in the same manner. When it came to aiding his own reapers, Joshua was surprisingly diligent. The Composer took his job seriously most of the time, even when it came down to the little things.

"Oh, and, no I'm not going to go clean up yet. I have to speak with Arya one last time and set her up with a room to rest in for the night, not to mention a... babysitter of sorts. It's not that I think she's a baby and needs a sitter, it's just that after all of the trouble she's cause I feel she needs to be watched... just in case."

Grumbling a bit more to himself, Joshua pulled out his orange phone when Teresa hardly offered a response to his last attempt to speak with her about relaxation. "It's easier to get Neku to speak about his hobbies then it is you," he quietly thought. Giving up on her, he opened his phone and began to flip through the contacts on his list. He selected one in particular before glancing back to Teresa.

"Since I'm not going anywhere, why don't you go?" He reached into his pocket and suddenly took out a keychain, tossing it at her. The chain bounced off her head and landed on the ground next to her. When Teresa would take a closer look at it, she would see a key attacked to the keychain. The keychain itself was actually made of a pin.

"Lil' Terror Bazooka. I think the name of that pin suits her rather nicely," he thought with a smirk.

"The key on the end of that keychain will open the door to your new room in this building. It is recommended that the Conductor lives in this building. It's one of the safest places in Shibuya. If you need help finding your room, I can call someone who will walk you to it."

"Then maybe I can have you out of my hair for a little while."

"Oh, and I've taken the liberty of sending your things over to that room already, your pet included," he added, meaning Little Guy. It had likely been a while since Teresa had last visited with her pet noise, so he was certain she wouldn't mind seeing him again.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

The young Reaper could only offer Joshua a sheepish half-smile at his comment. While the girl was trying to avoid making it obvious, she was trying to lighten the mood, if only slightly. "I dunno.. You and I both know I've got a lot of nerve," she remarked, jokingly. It was a lame effort, but hey; it was still an effort. A gold star to Teresa for at least trying. She noticed his sour expression- similar to that of a pouting child -as she healed him, leading to her biting the inside of her cheek. So much for tryin' to brighten this shank up. His response to her remark about the next time she did this only made her roll her eyes. "It was a joke," she replied, simply. "Besides.. You don't have anything to worry about. I ain't exactly eager to be burned anymore..." ..after what happened with John White.

Luckily, the recollection of those series of events receded when the ravenette completed healing Joshua. "There.. Better?" she asked, pulling back slightly, shifting so that there was a more comfortable amount of space between them. It seemed that she still wasn't a big fan of physical contact. The Angel at her side explained that he still needed to speak more with Arya and get her a room, earning a small nod of understanding from Teresa. His explanation of why Arya needed a babysitter, however, just made the female laugh lightly. This time around, it didn't seem... Forced. Not like the false smiles and fake laughs that she sometimes forced herself to put out if she felt it was necessary. "Surprising that you never assigned me one of those," she mused, folding her hands behind her head.

Joshua suggesting she leave was.. A bit surprising. Not because Teresa didn't think he wanted some space from her- that wouldn't surprise her in the slightest -, but because it was a bit like being relieved from duty. And after all the time the pair had spent working on finding Arya, and before that, Aki? It just felt... Strange, that she'd get to go this early. "Err.. Right. I'll..-" Andddd then Joshua tossed the key at her head. It didn't hurt, and the girl didn't flinch in the slightest; it just threw off her sentence a bit. Sighing and picking up the pin, Teresa continued. "..Go, now," she finished, before tilting her head at her boss. "Anything else ya need before I go?"

The thought of having someone guide her felt... Well, ridiculous and silly, to Teresa. She'd always done everything on her own; at least.. As far as she could remember. "I'm sure I can find my way alone," she declared, confident as ever. "..And don't worry. I can handle myself just fine; safest building in Shibuya or otherwise." ...Says the girl that had died three times, been in two comas, and had her memories wiped three times.

At the mention of Little Guy, Teresa seemed to brighten very slightly. She'd never admit it, but with him and Joshua being the only friends she'd had left from her first Reapers' Game.. Well, she cherished the two more than she'd let on. "Appreciated," she responded after a pause, offering a faint smile.. Before finally, she climbed to her feet, almost effortlessly, and stretched slightly. "Well.. I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, then."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

When Teresa made her little attempt to cheer up the Composer, or at least to improve the mood between them, Joshua's expression didn't change much. In fact, he acted as if he hadn't even really heard her statement. He glanced to his phone, playing with it for a moment before he mumbled a small, "Mhm," after Teresa finished healing him up and asked if he was better. He wasn't trying to brush her off or be rude, Joshua just wasn't sure if he was in the mood to talk anymore. Suddenly, all he really wanted to do was wait for Sanae to finish up his conversation with Arya so he could talk to the girl for a moment again himself and send her to a room. Afterwards, he could finally retire for the afternoon himself.

Despite his grouchy mood, he did respond to Teresa a couple more times, starting with her comment in reply to his suggestion that Arya needed a babysitter. "I probably should have given you a babysitter. Then maybe you wouldn't have died as many times as you did and gone into a coma. It's a shame giving you a babysitter would be a moot point now. Since you're my Conductor, technically I'm your babysitter. Or maybe I'm more like your guardian. Guardian... angel, perhaps?" He offered Teresa a side-glance and a smirk before his eyes darted back to his phone.

When Teresa seemed surprised that Joshua dismissed her, the angel chuckled softly. "What's the matter? Does the thought of leaving me after all of our precious time together over these last few weeks give you separation anxiety?" he mumbled, finding a momentary spark of interest in teasing her again. Even when he was tired, the Composer still seemed to find it in him to make a prodding comment directed at the dark-haired female.

"But anyhow, no, there isn't anything else I need from you. The next time I need you, I'll call upon you. So, until then, feel free to do whatever you wish. Oh, outside of dying or going into a coma again. Please refrain from those two things in particular. I'd look bad if my brand new Conductor died already. I really don't need anymore dud Conductors. Two in a row is enough for now," he told her. He knew Teresa was well aware of John White being a cruddy Conductor, but he hadn't told her about the Conductor he had before John.

His previous second-in-command, albeit better than John, still wasn't an amazing Conductor either. Joshua never had experienced the pleasure of enjoying a trustable partner. All the ones he had worked with in the past started off okay, or even good, but in the end they either became unreliable or betrayed him in some way. He was honestly expecting the same thing from Teresa. Because of not only his bad record of Conductors, but due to his mistrust of people in general thanks to poor life experiences. He almost couldn't wait to see her fail, proving himself right as usual.

Nobody could be trusted.

Not a single person.

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Ahh.. So much for that. WICKED had done a lot to Teresa, over the course of her short seventeen years of life. Probed her brain, tampered with the very fiber of her being, used her, and so much more.. And while she learned a lot over her life, one thing that WICKED left out altogether in their teachings was social behavior. When it came to interactions with other people.. It was an understatement to say that she was clueless. The only friend she'd ever had- save for Mark, Trina, Alec and company, as well as her parents and her brother, Ricky.. Who had all passed away before she was even six -? She didn't even remember. The girl was totally in the dark.

Anything... Anything is better than being the Betrayer. She's gone. That isn't who I am.

[spoili]

[/spoili]

The little response Joshua gave her to her comment about babysitters managed to make a slight grin tug at the corner of her lips. Even though it was obviously a jab at her, Teresa hardly minded. In any case, it was better than Joshua being upset with her. "Funny, Josh. But I doubt anyone you coulda sent could've handled keeping an eye on me," she mused, jokingly. It was a half-truth.. Teresa was honest to a fault, extremely vocal, and even more stubborn. She hardly gave a damn what others thought about her, and it showed. Aside from Joshua, Hurley, Ash, Will, and a handful of others- not counting Yuki, Mal, or Jen, since they hardly knew who she really was -, nobody had ever tolerated Teresa before, or even had the decency to treat her well.. Let alone actually liked her. She had a feeling that if Joshua had sent anyone, they would've quit near immediately.

"Besides.. With how many times you've brought me back instead of just letting me die for good, I don't think it matters," she commented, only half-jokingly. To be honest, it didn't make sense, to her. That Joshua would continuously put resource into someone who constantly threw herself into situations that could potentially get her killed. Those thoughts were less prevalent when the angel made his remark about him being her babysitter/guardian/angel, to which, she couldn't help but roll her eyes with a sigh. "..I can't believe you just said that," she responded after a pause, shaking her head as though disappointed. "It's hard to imagine you as my babysitter when ya look younger than me."

The next jab wasn't expected, which probably explained why she looked a bit surprised and sheepish. However, she quickly recovered, brushing it off. "Yeah, ya shank, the thought of us separating is devastating," she remarked right back, jokingly. "In fact, I never want to leave your side, my precious Composer," she teased with a grin. Sure, the thought of being relieved from work wasn't terribly pleasant for the girl... But she wouldn't admit that, and it wasn't for the reason Joshua was implying.

Once her boss confirmed that there was nothing else he needed, the female only nodded. "Right. I'll..-" Whatever that sentence was going to be, it was immediately forgotten when Joshua told her not to get killed or go into another coma. She didn't mind the former, with all of her deaths having been protecting those around her, but the mention of comas still chilled her to the bone. Not because of her most recent experience, but due to the fact that WICKED had purposely sent her into a coma as part of their plans for her as their pawn. It still disgusted her, and was another thought she didn't enjoy dwelling on. Maybe that was why she wasn't eager to say any more about it than necessary. "..Right. I'll keep your reputation in mind for whatever activities I go about," she mused. It was a weak joke, but.. It was a try.

The part that really got to Teresa.. Was the mention of the Conductors before her. It hurt a little, that Joshua would make that remark, joking or otherwise. But, she tried to shrug it off; it was just a reminder to her that she couldn't let people get close to her enough for her to take their words too close to heart. Instead, the female kept her head held high and took on a more serious tone. "Joshua.. I've told you once, and I'll tell you again: I won't let you down. I swear it on my life.. Afterlife. Whatever. Point is, it's a promise; and you already know my view on those," she responded, looking him in the eyes intensely. "..And if I ever do start going off the deep end.. Or start turning back into what WICKED made me.. You better stick to your promise, too, and off me on the damn spot."

After a slight pause, Teresa slowly offered Joshua had hand, the same serious and determined look lingering in her stunning eyes. "Here.. I'll help you up, since you said you didn't like the ground. Or, if you want, feel free to pull me down. I can handle a fall."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

The Composer pulled his knees up to his chest and sat his chin on them in order to prop his head on something. "I beg to differ," Joshua replied to his Conductor. "I've kept an eye on you for a few weeks now while we've been working together to locate Arya. So, with that truth in mind, it appears there is someone who can handle you. But I'm not going to be your babysitter all of the time. Being a Conductor is a big girl job. So you'll have to put on your big girl panties and be strong. If you need a babysitter then that'd be rather silly, don't you think? Tee hee."

When Teresa made the remark, protesting Joshua did not look the part when it came to being a babysitter, the angel chuckled. "Please. You think I look younger than you? Just because I prefer to sport a younger form, the fifteen-year-old body I died in, does not mean that it represents my actual age. I'm an angel who is likely older than your great grandmother. Would you prefer me to look like an old man? I do have the power to shift my form, after all. But I would much rather appear... young and dashing," he told her with a wink.

"Dear me, I feel dreadful for forcing this horrid separation upon you then, m'lady Teresa. But I'm afraid you can't follow me everywhere. You'll just have to get used to being away from me at times. But if you need me around you that badly, I could just give you a portrait of me to put in your room. If that would help you sleep better at night, I'd be happy to oblige," he teased, taking a single finger and running it down the back of her leg in a creepy, almost flirting manner. "Note to self, sneak a picture of myself into her room later to tease her," Joshua thought as a smirk curled on his lips.

The smirk quickly left his lips, however, when Teresa once again felt the need to remind Joshua that she wouldn't let him down. He glanced straight ahead when he felt her blue eyes staring into his own eyes, a flat expression on his face. "Trust me, when it happens I will," he told the girl. By the way Joshua spoke, despite her declaration of loyalty, he still seemed doubtful. He used the words when it happens instead of if it happens. Many had declared loyalty to him before who had failed him. It would take more than a few words for him to believe her.

Joshua then went for a little while. He said nothing, even when Teresa offered to help him stand. When he finally did speak, it wasn't a reply to her question. "Even the Composer before me had the same problem with her Conductors. She had a Conductor who... wasn't a very good person. So... I hope you don't take offense to any mistrust I may present to you. It's only natural." After another quiet moment, Joshua finally took Teresa's offer to help him stand up. "No, by the way, I won't be pulling you down. Just help me get off this dirty floor, please and thank you."

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

This matter-of-fact response only seemed to amuse the Glader. She crossed her arms with a small shrug, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Yeah, well.. You're different," she responded, simply. It was true; Joshua really got along with her well... Albeit, the pair had a rather unorthodox relationship. Their friendship seemed to consist of playful bickering and teasing, more than anything else, so it was probably easy to mistake them for a married couple 'enemies'. However, the two seemed to genuinely enjoy this little friendship of theirs... Or, at least, Teresa did. "Besides.. I said anyone you could send. Meaning, not you, since you're always oh so busy," she explained, blandly.

Her boss's next remark earned a raised eyebrow from the Glader, and she huffed slightly. "I don't need a babysitter. I can handle myself just fine," she responded. It was true; she really could handle herself. In fact, she handled herself much better than most people ever could; to the point where, out of all the subjects at WICKED, she was one of the strongest. Physically and mentally. It was doubtful anyone could've gone through with everything she had so well. No, the problem wasn't with defending herself... It was that Teresa always tried to defend the others around her. She tried to protect more people than she could handle, and that was what had always gotten her into trouble.

"..If you thought I needed a babysitter, though, I doubt you would've made me Conductor. On death's bed or otherwise."

The angel's response about looking younger than her earned a brief pause. It wasn't because of Joshua's remark about looking like an old man or being older than her ancestors.. But for the fact that he had said he'd died at fifteen. She felt a pang of sympathy for the Composer in front of her, yet again.. And briefly, Teresa felt her mind drift back to another memory: the death of a young boy, no older than thirteen. Chuck. It was painful for the female to even think about.. Especially knowing that Chuck's death had just been another little trial from WICKED. He hadn't chosen to die; WICKED had forced him to. Controlled him to. Funny, that Teresa's little sacrifice to save the person she cared for the most was the only death that hadn't been some set-up from the start. Maybe she wasn't just the Betrayer.. Maybe she was the savior, too. The girl who broke the code.

Eventually, she managed to snap herself out of thinking about it, and finally managed to formulate a response. She seemed to have lost her joking tone, taking on a more distanced one. "If you want to seem like a pedophile by touching people's butts while looking like an old man.. I don't see why not." The reply was still obviously a joke, it just wasn't as energetic and playful as usual.

Once again, the girl seemed to brighten- albeit, a very miniscule amount -at Joshua's next jab. It at least earned a small, amused laugh, and the slightest upward twitch of those perfect lips. "Oh, what a shame. You mean to tell me that the job of the Conductor isn't to be some mindless lap dog? I'm so terribly disappointed," the Reaper stated, sarcasm seeping through her voice. She was about to make a more serious response and small jab in reference to her boss's query of if she wanted a picture of him to keep... When Joshua had to go and start running his hand down her leg.

For a minute, the Glader just stood there, frozen in shock. Or, more accurately, 'frozen' because she was desperately trying to keep the first instinct to kick at bay. It always was her first instinct to want to get physical when people touched her.. Meaning, to punch, kick, etc away in attempt to ward it off. However, she'd been trying to get that instinct under control; so whether she was just shocked or trying to keep from harming her boss was up to the imagination. Regardless of what it was, Joshua's course of action earned a long, stunned pause, before Teresa snapped out of it and swatted the male's hand away as gently as she could with a deep frown, her cheeks dusted red. "...I recommend not doing that, if ya want to keep your hand. I'm not exactly predictable when people touch me without warning or approval."

Well.. At least she hadn't threatened to punch him where the sun don't shine. In fact, on the contrary; the warning was just the truth. Even if she tried to fight that lingering instinct, there was no saying that she'd always be able to.

Teresa, even with being socially inadequate, had no struggle picking up on Joshua's distrust of her. It was quite obvious, by even just his tone and expression, let alone mixed with his phrasing. The girl was a bit annoyed that he didn't believe her, but it made sense, after John White.. And the Conductor before him, apparently. As such, she wasn't mad or upset, and she brushed it off well. Normally, she probably would've argued her point... But she was beyond wanting to argue over this. Whether Joshua chose to trust her or not was up to him; not her. That was that, and Teresa understood it.

When the male tried to explain to her why he didn't trust her, Teresa dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it, Josh. It ain't like I'm not used to people not trusting me, so it ain't a big deal," she replied calmly with a typical nonchalance. "Besides, from the sounds of it, you've had some damn bad Conductors. It makes sense that you don't trust me. Just.. Know that I'll try to be better than them." Even if I fail, at least I'm trying.

It was nice that the angel at least accepted her outstretched hand to help him up. "You don't have to say please, after me pulling you down, you know," she pointed out with slight amusement. "..But I'm so flattered that you have," she teased slightly. A small grin formed on her lips at his comment about the 'dirty floor'. Her hand tightened around his slightly, though she was careful and gentle about it, and the ravenette proceeded to pull him up with surprising ease and grace. For someone of her petite height and small frame, she definitely had a surprising amount of strength. "There. No more having to be stuck on the dirty floor."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Joshua scoffed. "I'm sure I could find someone able enough to handle babysitting you. In fact, I know someone who could do it if I needed to assign you a sitter. Sanae could do it." The angel smirked. "Wanna know why? Because if he can keep me in line, I'm more than certain he could watch over you as well." He paused before adding, "But anyhow you're right; I don't think you need a babysitter, at least I hope not. Trust me though, I would've made just about any half-way decent reaper my next Conductor while dying in front of them. It would've been better than leaving Shibuya and the afterlife in empty hands."

Truthfully, Joshua still didn't have his first pick as Conductor. After the loss of Megumi Kitanji, his older Conductor, his desire to have John White, Teresa, or anyone else didn't even scratch the surface when it came to who he really wanted to have. Neku Sakuraba was the one he wanted most of all, a young man who had participated in one of his games not long ago. But, sadly, the boy wanted nothing to do with Joshua or the game anymore. Josh couldn't really blame him either. After all, it was because of Joshua that Neku died in the first place and had to play the Reapers' Game three times in a row. It was a long story that ended in Neku despising the Composer.

It was then that Teresa seemed to space out for a moment. Joshua recognized the look in her eyes all to well; she was showing him sympathy. It was most assuredly sympathy directed at his death too. Immediately, he hoped to quell any such feelings she may have held. "No need to look like that. My death was a decision, one that was as simple as the pull of a trigger." Then, hoping to lighten the mood he quickly changed the subject back to his appearance. The Composer wiggled a finger. "Ah, no thanks. As I said, I prefer to look young and dashing. I'd rather not look like a perverted old man. I appear less suspicious as a teenager," he teased, completing his comment with a creepy, ambiguous smile.

"Anyhow, appearing as a teenager isn't something I've always done. In the past, I only stayed in my Composer form. I believe you'd recall it as my glowing, angelic-looking form. I've only put on a more human looking form recently. I used to detest looking this way."

"Because it's how I looked as a human, how I looked when I lived my wretched, boring life."

"But I've actually grown fond of it recently. I've made some good memories in this form," he said, a smirk spreading over his lips as he recalled said memories.

Memories

Bothering Neku was the most fun I had enjoyed in quite some time. >:D

Keeping up his more light-hearted, teasing jabs Joshua replied, "Yes, at this time being a Conductor doesn't entail you being a mindless lapdog. However, I can change that if you desperately desire so. I do have mind control abilities if you're into that sort of thing. I've always been a ruler who felt it was fairest to give my subjects free will, but I could consider dictatorship." Teresa then seemed to freeze up after he ran his finger up her leg. He giggled at her reaction. "My, such defiance to the idea of being touched! Whatever happened to your idealism from a moment ago? Wishing to be a mindless lapdog? Do you know what the first rule of being a mindless lapdog is? I get to touch you whenever I want."

This time, despite Teresa's warning, Joshua touched her again. However, It wasn't a creepy touch such as before. He tickled the back of her leg. He really hadn't the slightest clue whether she was ticklish or not, but he didn't really care. He wanted her to understand that he wasn't afraid to touch her no matter what she said to him. He was actually fairly comfortable with and used to her being around. He even enjoyed her presence, although he wouldn't care to admit it, and found their bickering to be quite amusing.

When Teresa stated she would try to be a better Conductor, Joshua sighed. "I look forward to seeing what you'll do that will make you any different than the others. They all say the same thing in the beginning. They promise to be trustworthy, never to let me down, to do everything in their power to support me, and make sure Shibuya remains a functional unit of the afterlife. But something always... happens. Anyhow, we need not concern ourselves over what may happen eventually. Time will tell."

Standing up with Teresa's help, the Composer replied, "Yes, a please may not have been nesisary but I felt the need to be polite nevertheless." Once standing, he brushed himself off and frowned. "I may not be on the dirty floor anymore, but I'm still dirty. After this is over, I'll require a shower." He rubbed his arms and frowned. When even was the last time he had taken a shower? Of course, being an angel he could magically clean himself if need be, but showering was a lot nicer in his own opinion. He couldn't wait until this day was over with.

@Hospes​