Reaper Squad

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

When Arya commented on her dress, Saya eyed it up. "Well, I wouldn't say that," she said, judging the dress differently than the she-wolf. "I would say that I don't exactly think its your style though. Trust me on this; I'm an expert when it comes to dress hunting," she said with a wink. Mr. H should've called Larkin to help with the chore instead of herself. If he had, Saya could've stayed behind with Arya and helped her find a dress in no time. Now, however, things would take just a little bit longer.

"Hm, I wouldn't say you'd look gaudy in a dress," replied Saya, once again glancing at Lucy's outfit. "I think you'd look gorgeous in a dress as long as it was the right one. Every woman has a style and color that looks best on them." The young reaper glanced down at her own dress, smiling in an almost giddy manner as she looked down at it. "Kimonos are my style. I love them!" She glanced at Arya. "I can't really picture you in a kimono though, Arya, so we'll just have to look for your kind of style."

Wanting to include everyone she glanced to Lucy again. "I did say I could use another woman's advice, so if you want to stay and help us out you're more than welcome to--" She cut herself off, watching Larkin step back. "Oh no you're not! You're staying right here and helping us. Part of this task is your job too. You're not going to just make me do all of the work." She puffed her cheeks. "You've been nothing but rude and lazy this entire time. Even if you aren't good at a job like this the least you could do is stay in case we need help with something like... uh..."

As she paused to try and figure out what they might need help with, conveniently the lights in the building went out. "Like the lights randomly going out! Oh crap, how are we going to look for dresses if we can't see?" She paused and sheepishly looked at Arya. "Not that being unable to see is a bad thing. Ha ha ha..."

"Anyhow, do any of you guys happen to have a pin that creates light? If not, we'll need to look for a flashlight."

@Krieg @Hospes @Atomyk​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"...Funny," the Reaper replied simply, unable to keep from rolling her eyes at her boss yet again. He just seemed to have that effect on her, among many others. Like his inexplicable ability to make her want to punch him in the fact without so much as having to say a word to her. These talents were remarkable little things, considering Teresa didn't seem nearly as annoyed with the majority of the others she knew. Or they at least had to push a little harder. Joshua must have just been really special.

The trek further into the depths of the building seemed almost comically long, even as Joshua explained to her what they'd be doing. "I know what a lesson is, Josh. I don't need a 'review' of what they are." Troublesome, he was, but at least he wasn't touching people's arses. Teresa did find herself observing his actions as he spoke, though, taking notice of the way his gangly arms retracted and tensed, veins bulging all over the place. For a split second, Teresa thought she could actually see the blood pumping through them. It was amusing that he was so set off by a mere few flecks of filth, as a man of such high standing and power.

At that point, the Conductor more or less tuned out, wondering just how much longer they were going to be walking the steps. Seriously, it felt like these things were going on forever, like the length was solely existent so that they could make filler conversation on the way down. So, she was a bit surprised when they finally reached their destination and the Composer got right up in her face. It took a few extra moments to stop because of this, causing their noses to briefly bump lightly before she hurriedly pulled back... Only to be poked on the forehead.

"..."

hello darkness my old friend

"You know," the female started, easily making her way down the last steps, "you better be careful. If I can't see you, I might accidentally kick you or something."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Hm, its a good thing you don't need a review about what lessons are, because you'll most certainly be getting a lot of them," replied the Composer, the expression on his face slowly forming into that of a grimace. He wasn't annoyed with her comment. It was the thought of training her that brought the sour expression to his face. Complaining about it earlier hadn't been a joke. Joshua really wasn't looking forward to it. It was nearly impossible to quell that still, small voice in the back of his head that told him training a new individual might yet again become dangerous. Plus, training with someone was just a lot of work! All of that work would be far too boring!

"If you kick me, sweetie, I don't picture it being because you did it on accident," Joshua told her, taking a few steps back from her as she traversed down the remaining steps. He continued to step backwards until he could feel the presence of a stack of boxes behind him. He slipped behind them, making sure he was out of sight. He spoke loud enough, however, so that she could still hear him even though he was out of sight.

"Do you remember the first day we brought Arya to Shibuya? The day I showed you my home: the Shibuya River, and gave you your room? We briefly touched on an ability you possess that all higher-ranked reapers have: to make your wings glow. So..." Joshua clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth thoughtfully. "...you're going to use that ability and find me in the dark. I know I said we wouldn't be doing any review, but..." He chuckled. "...this is something we've only touched on once. I want to make sure you can still do it. I know it isn't something super exciting, but it's a status thing. If you see any powerful reapers or angels at the party tonight and the lighting is dim, they'll be lighting the area with their wings. You need to be able to do that too or, well, you'll really look like you've never been given a lesson in your life. If you can do that, at least, you'll be in fairly decent shape."

"And if you can do it with no problem? Good. We'll move onto something else." He highly doubted she would like their next activity much either, but the beginning of any kind of training never really was that fun, now was it?

@Hospes​

 

[Krieg]

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A certain unsung uneasiness resonated within Arya's soul at the mentioning of Lucy's name, feeling the breath exhale from her lungs as if she had been thrown back by some unknown force. Whispers clawed at her mind, visions even in the shadows harping back to the lore of the Hall of Grief, her personal study and laboratory to not only defy Death but to use Death against one of her greatest adversities. Underneath the rags and the furs, the Northerner wondered why such and unwarranted reaction occurred, her milky eyes shuddering in her skull, seeking for answers in her domain of darkness. Much to her avail, however, there was but nothing, only the feeble attempts by Arya Stark to understand the incomprehensible.

"Lucy...that is good name." Arya eerily remarked, almost near out-of-character for a tortured soul as herself. If it wasn't for the remarks of the pompous Larkin, an aura of awkwardness would fill the room, Arya staring in Lucy's general direction, feeling a presence of pain and a reminder of failure. Lucky, the attention was swiftly turned away at the predicament ahead, hearing the snarky yuppie make his coy comments that was both for his amusement and truthful advice to Arya of Winterfell.

"A'ye, you are right." she admitted, her hands reaching at the hangers upon hangers of dresses, faintly hearing the chattering, whistling, and bustling of an emerging crowd of Reapers above. "Maybe I do need friends." Arya spoke in an almost trance, snagging one dress in particular from the hangers. It was thick, heavy, and sported a concealing hood to hopefully hide her mop of hair and those damning, blank eyes. Yet, in a strange way, it held a beauty to it as well, both enchantingly mysterious and holding a certain ruggedness to it. It was not perfect, and perhaps there would be better dresses- but for the blind Arya Stark, as to the words of Saya, it *fit* the She-Wolf.

"But how can you have friends that won't even trust you? Isn't that the point of friends, Larkin? Strangers never trust each other, people always wear faces, because they wear no face at all." Arya started, slinging the heavy dress over her shoulders, looking up at the man. "Can you say you trust me? Really? On my blood as a Northerner and as a Stark?" the young teenager cynically stabbed at, holding a pessimistic view of the Reapers, not foolish and ignorant of the deadly whispers and hisses of those calling her a traitor or a fiend. "Until that happens, I don't see the point. Why bother holding hands to someone who wants a dagger to your throat? My brother trusted people he thought was his friends...and now my brother has the head of his own direwolf." Arya concluded, a bitterness in her voice, subtly stressing her desire to not see this happen. She did not want to be forced into this lifestyle, let alone be so secluded and regarded as a black sheep among the Reapers. But who could blame her? Paranoia runs deep, and with all the tragedy and horror of the world, the paradise of the Reapers seemed so far-fetched and impossible.

Letting her expression of her own distrust reign, the flickering and ceasing of lights caused, obviously, little harm to the already blind girl. The uncomfortable apology by Saya would promptly be met by Arya attempting to roll her eyes, but considering the entire pupil is all white, the effect of annoyance didn't come off so well. Coughing briefly, trying to break the uneasy tension from her outpour, the Northerner spoke up. "I have this, a'ye, is this my style? Can't see the bloody colors on it. Blues n' blacks should work. Don't put me in no green, gold, or red." Arya commented, sneering at the mentioning of those colors, imaging the Tyrells and Lannisters, enemies of her throne that she would happily wage war against for their efforts against her brother Robb.

"A'ye, it is about damn time ye understand my problem." Arya couldn't help but whisper under her breath with a soft grin, eager to find amusement in her fellow Reapers flailing in the darkness, finding a bit of...dark humor in it.

hahaha~
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Arya's Possible Dress

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@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Atomyk​

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[Midnight Maiden]

Groan.

"Kid, you really are an angsty teenager. You're impossible," Larkin complained, only half-jokingly. "You gain people's trust when you become friends. They might not trust ya at first, but that can change." Or, if you were Larkin, it was the other way around. When it came to his family, at least. "Anyways, yeah, I trust you, sweetheart," he continued, seeming to actually be serious enough. "You don't seem so bad, all of that angst and such aside." With that comment, he playfully and lightly elbowed the girl. Truthfully, he wasn't bothered by her. After all, there was no way that she could possibly be worse than his aunt or Abraham. "So how about you lighten up?" Yeah. Lighten up, Arya, it isn't like your whole world has been falling apart and you're being dragged to an event you don't want to attend. As for all the girl talk from Saya directed at Arya and Lucy, it was blatantly ignored.

Of course the lights had gone out just as Larkin had turned his back, though, and Saya objected to him leaving. "I've been doing the job since you were upstairs doing whatever you were doing," came the male's declaration. "Besides, I'm not leaving. I'm still right here. And I'm quite offended you'd go as far as to say I've been rude and lazy." That was obviously non-serious. But when it came to the lights being out, he just snickered. "Relax. I'm sure that the lights are just being shut off for the ones at the party to kick on. Besides, don't you women have some sort of magical fashion sense? Surely that will allow you to see through the darkness and pick something out." he teased, giving a wry grin. Heh, heh, he was hilarious. "Besides, sounds like sweetheart's made her choice."

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually agree with Larkin," Saya commented, surprised at herself. "You should lighten up a little bit, Arya. I can understand how hard it must be for you to trust people, but..." She paused to smile. "In time, you'll learn you can trust us. We really do want to be your friends, Arya."

Yes, it was true that they wanted to be her friends, but it worried Saya that not every reaper would feel the same way. Later, when they would go to the party, she had a bad feeling that any reapers who held resentment toward her for her alignment with the Archdemon would let that be known. And for a young girl who is already struggling to trust others, Saya worried it would make things harder for her; possibly even making it harder to trust the people who really did want to be her friends.

"Anyhow, if you found a nice dress you like we'll take a look at it in a minute, Arya. As soon as we have a way to, uh, see it."

Saya glanced back toward Larkin, frowning. She may have agreed with his first statement, but she didn't agree with anything else he said. "I was upstairs because Mr. H wanted me to help him with something. It wasn't my choice." She sighed. "It wouldn't make sense for them to all of the lights out in the entire building though. Anyhow, let's look for some kind of light we can use. I trust Arya, but I'd still like to see what this dress looks like before we buy it."

The ex-sweeper paused, waiting for someone to offer up any suggestions. "Well, don't all of you jump up and volunteer at once," she mumbled before turning to walk away from them. "I guess I'll go look for a flashlight myself then."

@Atomyk @Krieg @Hospes​

 

[Krieg]

Arya had never been a linguist in the slightest, her fascination with the studies resided primarily in history, not the flowery remarks of poetry or epics. Yet still, despite not knowing the word of "angst" in context, the general assumption of both Saya and Larkin made it clear to what exactly the Northerner's issue was. Over and over again, the She-Wolf fought against the inevitable, and each time, she would fall, or worse, fade away into nothingness. Her family name was virtually gone, her lands and kingdom gone, any trace of royalty meaning nothing as a Reaper. Indeed, "Mercy" had become something nobles and knights would never dream nor desire to be- smallfolk. Her life was to begin anew, with new purpose, with new reason, and all vendettas and vengeance of the past were to be put if not forgotten.

The desire of companionship and sociability was a path the Northerner tread on warily, even in her many lives beforehand. As a girl in Winterfell, she had little to truly call her family, outside of her older brothers and Father, whom both greatly understood the wolf-blood in her veins. Unlike her Mother and Sansa, who insisted that she act like some Southern refined lady, wearing pretty dresses and flowery attires. When the Games begun, the same trend repeated itself, only this time underneath a different coat, generally keeping to herself outside of a select special few. Now, thrice over, it began again, the majority of the Reapers holding at best wariness around a girl that once wished to undermine the very values and customs of the multiverse.

"I...I will try." she admitted boldly and strongly, raising her chin in the darkness, the blind teenager tightening her hands into fists. What made Arya special, and perhaps one reason the Archdemon may of coveted her, was her sheer amount of determination. Through bloody feudal conflicts to wars spanning galaxies, the She-Wolf of Winterfell endured time and time again, even fighting to her last breath against the tides of the Coalition's forces. While her struggles may be in vain, she never faltered or faded from them, always striving and fighting against what appeared to be the impossible. Yes, she failed, but to not try, to not venture against Fate- no true winner can call themselves a winner without that struggle.

Feeling the bump to her shoulder, the Northerner forced a fake smile, looking down onto the floor. "A'ye, but if it does not work, than sod it. I will walk alone." the former noble declared, having once tread that path before. It was a dangerous road, one that lead her to the Archdemon, and one that ironically enough got her in the situation she is in today. "I am confident in this dress, and no, it isn't no fashion sense...bloody hate dresses." Arya whined, the large piece of attire thrown over her right shoulder, the five foot, lanky individual sneering to herself.

"Light a candle or lantern if ye have to...welcome to my world, every single day. Dark, isn't it?" Arya remarked with bitter sarcasm, her free left hand brushing against the skin around her white, blank eyes, so bright that even in pure darkness they could be seen.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Atomyk ​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Saya stopped walking and glanced back at Arya after the young she-wolf spoke to them again. "Fashion sense or not, if you like it then I'd probably suggest you wear it whether we like it or not. I'm sure not a lot of people tell you this, but we want to see you be yourself. To reach down deep past your darkness and find the girl you used to be. It could take some time, I know, and it won't be easy, but we'll be here to support you--I promise." She smiled. "But I'm still eager to know what it looks like, which is why I'm going to make sure I quickly find a flashlight, candle, or something else to help me see." Saya honestly didn't care if she had to open a pack of glow-sticks and hang them around her neck. She was going to make sure she could help Arya and see that dress!

The ex-sweeper then turned and continued to walk off, resuming her hunt for a flashlight. Her emerald eyes were near useless in the dark, but that didn't mean she was unable to find her way around. No, Saya actually had rather keen senses and a fairly skillful memory. She had seen the layout of the area before the lights went out, so she remembered how to navigate it even without her sense of sight to guide her. It made the trek much more manageable. The only problem was, she didn't exactly remember where any sources of light were placed. But that didn't matter to the young brunette. She wasn't about to give up.

Running her hands along some of the store shelves as she walked along, Saya heard nothing but her own sandals clopping against the ground. "Okay, maybe I'm going about this the wrong way," she said to herself thoughtfully. "I should check one of the staff break rooms. A room like that is bound to have lights lying around for safety purposes. Good going, Saya, you're a genius." After praising herself, the female pressed herself against one of the back walls and moved along, stopping when she finally came across some doors. Two of the doors happened to be restrooms, but the third door...

"Bingo!" cried Saya, snapping her fingers. Even in the dim light, she could make out the words that said break room in Japanese. She pushed the door open and entered, flinching slightly when the door slammed shut behind her. She let out a yelp as well, one the probably echoed through the quiet store. "Ugh, it stinks in here," she mumbled, wrinkling her nose. "It smells like... gas?" She sniffed the air, attempting to affirm her assumption. "Wow, it really is gas. Gee, this place has even more problems going on than just a blackout."

Deciding to ignore the gas issue for a moment, Saya began opening cabinets in the break room to look for a source of light, chattering to herself as she did. "I hope they don't mind me borrowing these. I mean, it's not like I'm stealing them to make shadow puppets with--which I have to admit would actually be pretty fun--but I'm taking them for an actual emergency. I know if I were a staff person who worked in this store, I would be proud of someone taking a flashlight for such a purpose."

Finally, after what seemed like ages of searching, Saya located the object of her desires. She screeched like an excited shipper bird and picked up a dusty flashlight, blowing a layer of dust off it. "Finally! I got one! Yes!" She touched the switch on the flashlight and turned it on, letting out a horrified scream when the light illuminated something shocking in front of her.

Saya dropped the flashlight.


@Atomyk @Hospes @Krieg​

 

[Atomyk]

Lucy had gone silent the moment the lights went out, momentarily shocked from the development. She heard the others talking to each other in the darkness, but it all ran together in Lucy's head like white noise. Situations where she lacked control had never been Lucy's strong suit, and it didn't help that total darkness reminded Lucy of the day she had become a Conduit. Taken by those strange men and moved deep underground, where she was tortured until her Conduit powers activated... It all felt so unreal to think about it so succinctly. Lucy had been so devastated after it happened, turned into something she could only see as freakish at the time against her will.

Only now did it seem to make sense. In the end, she would have been killed by the Ray Sphere whether or not her powers had been activated. Maybe if Cole had went with John's plan, that wouldn't have happened. Maybe if Cole had gone down the dark he eventually went down just a bit earlier... "Oh!" Lucy let out a surprised noise as she bumped right into Arya. Thankfully, no one would be able to see her face turn bright red. Arya was right that she had to experience every day like this, though when she said it, Lucy got the sense she was just making a statement rather than try garner pity from them.

Lucy was about to apologize when Saya then let out a screech and dropped her flash light to the ground. Spurred by the terror in her fellow Reaper's voice, Lucy scrambled to grab at the flash light herself and point it at the unknown threat.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Hospes​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Tap tap tap tap!

On the roof, where Sanae was working, a very mischievous reaper child found herself running at top speeds. Making sure the man's back was turned, she slid under the refreshments table--that would be used for the party later--and paused to catch her breath afterwards. Coco brushed a few blonde locks of hair out of her eyes and took a deep breath. She had arrived at her destination and was now ready. She wouldn't let Mr. H stand in her way again!

Continuously peeking out from under the table, she reached her hand upward and grabbed a cup from atop the table when she was more than certain the Producer was busy with something else. Cup in hand, she dipped it into one of the alcoholic punch bowels and scooped up some liquid before pulling her hand back under the table. Once she had done this, Coco repeated her action a second time, gathering another cup full of liquid when she had the chance. With both cups in hand, she scurried out from under the table and headed for a different table, draped with a decorative table cloth.

She panted when she arrived, sitting down under the dark table cloth. "I-I did it," she cheered, smiling into the darkness. "And it's all because of you. Thanks, Ash!" she chirped, hug tackling a masked individual who just so happened to be under the table with her. Ash giggled, picking up one of the cups Coco brought to them.

"I didn't think you'd have the guts to go through with it. I'm proud of you. Let us toast to your bravery," she suggested, a mischievous grin crossing her own lips.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Coco admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "You're the one who reminded me about how, like, lame those older reapers treat me. I know I look like a kid, but I've actually been around her a pretty long time, you know? I was so mad when Mr. H told me I couldn't try alcohol with the adults, but thanks to you encouraging me I'm going to try it anyhow. This is going going to be sooooo totally rad!" she exclaimed.

Ash pressed a finger to her own lips, shaking her head. "Hush now, we wouldn't want the adults to here us, aye? Now, let's try some of that alcohol." With that, the two cheeky girls clacked their cups together and sipped their drinks. Coco gagged on the liquid, but continued to down it anyhow. If the adults could do it, so could she!

---

When Teresa failed to offer him an instant reply, the Composer reveled in his own amusement. He had probably pissed her off so badly, with either his words or his idea for their lesson, that she was fuming in silence. He liked the idea of that. Irritating people to no end was one of his favorite past times. "Cat got your tongue?" he taunted, kicking one of the boxes with his shoes, hoping the small sound would draw her in. "Don't make me wait all night here for you. Hee hee, I know you're not one for parties, but we can't exactly be late for this event. So we need to get this practice in."

Although he had teased Teresa about being late for the party, stating how important the event was, Joshua honestly wasn't so keen on going himself. At the party, he would probably have to dress in a suit, adorn his older appearance, stand tall, and act like the true leader he was supposed to be. In other words, he couldn't exactly be himself. At least standing in the dark basement, hiding behind a few stacked boxes, he could relax, talk like an asshole if he wanted, and play a little game of cat and mouse to amuse himself. Too bad it couldn't be like that all night...

@Hospes​

 

[Krieg]

A certain uneasiness crawled in Arya's spine, not of the discomfort of the potential dress, but the discomfort of the whole scenario to begin with. The She-Wolf of Winterfell had not a single doubt in her mind that she could, at the least, fabricate a sense of her former identity, of the innocence and youth both her world and the multiverse ripped apart from her. She would never be the same, from digging in the mud and grime of Harrenhall to the sickening experiments committed in the Hall of Grief all in the name to both defy and enact death- she would forever be tainted. However, a mark should not destroy a person, especially a Stark. If anything, it made Arya stronger, resilient, and ready to take upon her duties as a Reaper.

The road would not be easy, nor will it be welcoming, but it will be a road that is needed. As much as the teenager did not want to openly admit it, she needed to take control of her life, putting to rest her grief, her pride, and above all else her meaningless titles. She was not a noble in this game, all were theoretically, outside of Sanae, Joshua, and Teresa, on some semblance of equality. For once, a smile could be feel creeping on the sociopath's lips, looking blankly over at Saya. Nodding, Arya beamed, at least feeling an insurance that not everything was against it. Even in her eternal darkness, embers flickered, the light of the future calling for her to just take that single step.

"T-Thank you, Saya."

It was simple, really, one simple phrase. Yet, in all of what Arya has said ever since she had awaken in the bed of the Coalition Headquarters, it carried the most weight since her resurrection. Letting the girl wander off to find a flashlight, she gazed over at Lucy, the blind teenager pursing her lips. Something about this other individual felt off, someone she didn't know, and quite frankly, that unknown bit of her frighten the Northerner. Taking both Saya and Larkin's advice, Arya coughed, figuring she should spend the time on establishing, well, a friendship.

"So, how i-"

Arya's friendly banter would be interrupted, however, to the sound of gut-wrenching scream and her body being pushed by Lucy. Looking bewildered, the stoic-haired child shook her head rapidly, scrambling to aid Saya. Fear pumped in her heart, adrenaline coursing through her veins as that all so familiar chill crawled in her spine. She could not see the embers anymore, and now, the shadows crawled back, all traces of hope being replaced once more.

Nononono, not again, not again, please be okay...please be okay...

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Atomyk ​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

After the two cheeky children hiding under the table had their fun with the drinks, the masked girl smiled thoughtfully. "Now that was fun, wasn't it?" she asked Coco. The blonde merely shrugged.

"I don't know about that. Maybe now I understand why the adults told us to stay away from that stuff. It doesn't taste very good and it makes me feel funny."

Ash giggled. "Don't be a spoiled sport. At least now you know what it tastes like. Anyhow, that was only a warm-up. The real fun begins now."

Coco tilted her head questioningly. "What kind of fun?"

Ash adjusted her mask and began to crawl out from under the table. "You'll see. Just follow me..."

The girl beckoned Coco to follow her toward the stairs of the roof and rushed down them, leading Coco into the heart of the blackout where Larkin, Lucy, Saya, and Arya were presently at. As the majority of the group rushed into a room near the back of the store, Ash smirked. "Ah, right on schedule."

Coco raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean right on schedule?" She squinted at Ash, struggling to tell what exactly her friend was doing in the dark area.

Ash gestured to the room. "I knew the lights would go out. I heard the Composer on the roof earlier talking to his friend, saying he would shut them out. So, with the lights out, I knew this group of reapers would be down here looking for flashlights. I planted some in the back room, but I put a little surprise in there too."

"So that's what you're doing? Surprising them?"

She chuckled. "Actually, the surprise is to distract them so I can do something else while they're busy," she explained. "What I did will take a short time to come into effect, but once it does--trust me, we'll have a jolly good laugh if I planned all of this right."

Coco was confused, but she nodded. "Uh, okay, if you say so..."


@Hospes @Krieg @Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

When the squad would rush into the room after Saya their foe would be revealed to them after Lucy shined the flashlight ahead of herself. The light would reveal a rather underwhelming threat: a simple bat noise. It appeared to be a stray left over from last week's noise invasion, a little creature which likely had slipped under the cracks and had been left unnoticed by the others. In the minds of the others, it would seem a bit odd that Saya was panicking over a little thing, but it wasn't exactly the creature that had caused her to panic.

As Saya thought upon entering the room, there had been a strange gas-like smell inside and even inhaling for just a minute it had caused her to hallucinate. The bat noise didn't look anything like the little creatures she often faced with the other reapers. No, her hallucination caused her to believe the creature was actually a man of white hair, a devilish look in his eyes. He twirled a bright red rose in his fingers.

"Enchantress, we meet again. I've come back to teach you another lesson..."

Saya stood straight, the hairs on the back of her neck perking up as she witnessed the sight of this man that the others couldn't see or hear. "I-It's you again," she stuttered, her emerald eyes dilating in horror. She stepped back, almost bumping into Lucy. She didn't even notice that the others had appeared, however, as the illusion before her had captivated too much of her attention. "J-Just go away! Leave me alone!" she cried. "Haven't you... hurt me enough? I'm dead! I'm not in your way anymore so I'd appreciate it if you'd just go!"

The man's laugh seemed to echo in her head as the hallucination gripped her. "Hahahahahahahahaha! I'm not done with you just yet, witch. Because of you, Train will never be the same. For that, I will continue to punish you for as long as I possibly can."

Saya dropped to her knees, clutched the sides of her face, and breathed heavy. "Stay back!" she cried. "Just leave me alone!"


@Atomyk @Hospes @Krieg​

 

[Atomyk]

Lucy was so relieved that such a simple creature was what lurked in the darkness. Really, encountering a larger threat in this blackout could have been disastrous for themselves and others. Saya had just been spooked like one could be of a small insect, no big deal. Lucy's relief caused her to move without urgency, following Saya only quickly enough to keep the flashlight trained ahead of her. She stepped into the room after Saya, but didn't notice the state of panic Saya was still in until the girl began to speak to the bat noise, talking as if it was familiar to her. Lucy quizzically looked around, but couldn't fathom what Saya was seeing.

Little did Lucy know, she was also breathing in the hallucinogenic gas.

When Saya dropped to the ground, Lucy was startled and she flinched toward the girl. She was about to grab the girl by the shoulder, but a voice in her ear caused her to freeze.

Kuo...

Lucy gasped in surprise, but felt as if the air had been drained from her lungs. She stumbled on her feet, hand gripping the flashlight in her palm. She flung the beam of light wildly for a moment, until it rested on where the bat noise should have been...

Cole MacGrath in the flesh. Now Lucy could understand Saya's panic. She herself wasn't sure what to say, her body frozen as if she had encased herself in ice with her powers.

"MacGrath..."

Cole only smiled, taking a few small steps toward Lucy. "Cole, wait, we can talk this out! I want to help!"

Cole didn't seem to be listening.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Krieg​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"Contrary to potential belief, I'm not an idiot," Teresa tossed back, simply, hardly paying Joshua or his grimace any mind at all. In fact, that was the absolute last thing she was thinking about. Front and center of her thoughts was simply her excitement to be back in business and working. Training to help not only her fellow Reapers and her handful of friends, but anyone else she happened upon. Runner up to those thoughts, however? Easily how annoyed she was with Joshua. His footsteps registered faintly in the dark and deserted basement, but she more or less blocked them out in favor of a sarcastic return. "I can't believe you'd say such a thing. I'd never kick you on purpose," she remarked with a big, false smile.

Maybe if it were opposite day.

While Joshua claimed a little hiding place, Teresa merely took a moment to let her eyes adjust a bit better to the darkness, chest expanding as she inhaled deeply. His explanation of what she was to do did not fall upon deaf ears, and though he potentially couldn't see her, she nodded. Making her wings glow? Easy! "I think I've learned more without you than with you. I'm sure I can handle it," she assured, half-jokingly. It was true that Joshua hadn't exactly trained her much, but she'd come quite a ways with him around, despite. But just as she was limbering up to light her surroundings, Joshua went and interjected.

Now, a small frown came to Teresa's lips. "More like an annoying 'angel' can't be patient for two seconds." Whatever his deal was, annoying as it was, Teresa wasn't disheartened. She merely focused, eyes closing as she did so, concentrating her energy in order to perform the given task. It took a few moments, and she briefly felt doubt creep into her head like a sheet of mist. But soon, fruit was born to her efforts, and stunning light began to emanated from her otherwise dark wings. Without a second thought, she headed towards where she had thought she'd heard Joshua's voice from, stopping in front of the boxes. Briefly, she stood there, an almost contemplative expression painting her porcelain feats.... Before she casually nudged the bottom box with her foot, aiming to topple them on Josh.

Oopsie-daisy~

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Oh my, you finally said something. I was getting so bored back here I feared I would fall asleep. Tee hee, I mean, this is something even Coco could do so I was hoping my instructions weren't all that confusing. Thank goodness you're not an idiot after all," Joshua replied back, sitting his hands in his pockets and casually leaning his back against one of the boxes. He wasn't letting his guard entirely down, but teasing her like this was natural enough to him that he couldn't help but relax at least a little bit. "Kick me once, shame on you, kick me twice shame on me. I'd like to side with caution and say I've learned that you would indeed kick me on purpose."

Joshua smirked at the fire in Teresa's tone. "Fine then, show me you can handle it," he challenged, tapping his foot lightly on the floor. He didn't really care if she managed to find him. The whole point of this little game wasn't about staying hidden. As long as she lit up the area, she was supposed to find him. "You're right; I am impatient. I meant for you to find me now, not in two seconds. Tick tock, dearie, I'm not getting any younger." He began to tap his foot harder against the ground afterwards, as if trying to taunt her further.

The Composer continued tapping his foot while he listened to Teresa's footsteps in the room, only stopping his tapping when the room went quiet. Just as he had a feeling she was up to something, he heard a thud against the boxes beside him. Even through the darkness he could see them start to fall toward him. His amethyst eyes entirely focused on the boxes, he jumped to the side and rushed around the danger zone. "Hey, that was a dirty-- OOF" His attempt to avoid the boxes had ended with him still colliding with something or, more accurately, someone...

Joshua smacked right into Teresa, their foreheads bumping together pretty hard, definitely hard enough to leave a mark. "Ack! Get away from me!" he yelped, giving her a shove. When he had smashed into her before, their legs had tangled up and he couldn't move from her... so shoving her only caused him to fall toward the ground with her. When they fell, he fell right on top of her. Good thing he wasn't really that heavy. ;D

@Hospes​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Saya was so startled by the presence of the phantom before her that she didn't even notice what her friends were doing at first until Lucy finally spoke. The words she said, however, entirely baffled Saya. "Cole? No, that's not who you think it is... he's Creed... and don't help him! He's only here to hurt us," she gasped, making an attempt to stand back to her feet. Her movements were slow and staggered due to the gas, almost making her appear drunk. She attempted to take out one of her pins to defend herself if she needed, but fumbled with it in her grasp and dropped it to the floor.

"N-No, I dropped it. This is just like that day... the day he killed me. I couldn't move I-- ...couldn't stop him."

Just outside the room, a pair of cheeky girls were watching. One of them was enjoying this much more than the other. Ash giggled, her eyes intently focused on the events in the room as if it were the most entertaining thing she had ever seen. Coco, on the other hand, anxiously rocked back on her heels and chewed on her lower lip.

"I don't think this was a very nice thing to do. Just what exactly was supposed to be so funny about this?" Coco asked, glancing over to Ash.

Ash glanced to Coco with a sigh. "Don't be so dull. This is all for fun. Anyhow, I know this isn't supposed to be nice. It's only a distraction. The really fun thing is what I'm going to do to that Arya Stark girl while the lot of them are distracted. Just you wait and see. I've been planning this ever since we were up on the roof," she explained.

@Atomyk @Hospes @Krieg​

 

[Krieg]

Blind and lost, Arya could obviously not see what the bat-like Noise was doing, hearing only the being's presence, a pang of hostility resonating in her soul. Activating one of her pens, summoning Needle, the Stark winced, not understanding at first why Saya and even Lucy were so startled, Arya jumped into the fray. Taking a few aggressive steps forward, the teenager recoiled back, filling her lungs tighten, heavy, erratic coughs escaping her lips, tears forming at those blank, white orbs. An uneasy tremor made itself known throughout the girl's body, and as the She-Wolf held her head low, amorphous meshes of darkness formed before her eyes.

"I thought...you cared about me...."

In her blindness, Arya could not make out what was being presented before her, only seeing shades of red, white, and green blurring as one. Yet still, the voice was more than familiar, the sociopath instantly tensing up, a choked gasp escaping her lips. Hands curled violently into fists, recalling the mistakes of her past, not understanding when to let go and focus entirely on avenging what had been lost. No matter how hard she tried, deep down, Arya knew that her best friend Ellie would be forever gone from her grasp. Standing before this manifestation, feeling her vision grow clearer and clearer, Arya could only weakly rasp out an apology, a terrible ache deep within her bosom.

"I'm sorry..."

The silence reigned, and in utter shame, the fevered traitor hid her face, wanting to simply curl up in a corner and shield herself from the world. Time and time again, she failed to enact her revenge, and even when she came to a point in her life where nearly everything was perfect, she sullied it by letting herself throw it all away for her best friend. It was a mistake that had been played time and time again in the course of history, and time and time again, Arya Stark of Winterfell repeated the same mistakes of her ancestors. Only this time, however, it was different- she had one more chance to undo her sin. The rest of the multiverse will forever know her as a servant to the Arch Demon, but for the Reapers, she had one final chance to fix what she had wronged.

"You will be..."

A sharpen breath was the first to emulate the shock and surprise of Arya Stark, followed by her heart racing and her blood curling in her skin. Once, that amorphous blob of colors swirling in the abyss grew to have form, and there, the form stood of a familiar foe. A foe that indirectly caused her to walk that damned path of the Arch Demon, a road that unintentionally murdered her. In some ways, Cole Macgrath not only murdered Ellie that faithful day...but he murdered Arya Stark, the She-Wolf of Winterfell falling in her Hall of Grief, only to be buried with it thanks to Coalition.

Surprise shifted into angry, angry into rage, her left-handed grip on Needle tightening further and further. She could feel her hand getting sore from pressing down against the refined Braavosi steel, but the wolf didn't care- she could only see and feel and hear that fucking abomination before her. Taking a few steps forward, still coughing and hacking violently, she lowered Needle towards the ground, the blade shimmering gloriously, the little rapier not one to be trifled with. With a snarl, Arya spat out, her voice growing dark and demonic, remnants of the Arch Demon's presence carrying with her negative emotions, fueling this horrific version of Arya that would never see the light of day. Indeed, "Mercy" would not rise again, but by evidence of the child's voice alone...it would never leave fully, either.

Ć̕͢Ò̶̡́͠L̵̕͏̴É̷̢͠!̵́͢ ̧͢͜I͟͝'̴̧̢̡͞L̶̡L̴̕͟͠ ̧́͜͝K͏̴̧I̶̷͠L͏L̶ ̀҉Y̸̷̕Ơ̴̵͡U͝,̸̵҉̸̛ ̸̢̡͡C̸̴̨̡O̶̕͡L̵̶E͏̶̕͝!̵͢͞͝͠

With a simple threat, Arya dashed erratically forward, stabbing and thrusting and dancing around something that did not exist, only a figment of her imagination playing cruel, cruel tricks on a once cruel, cruel girl.

@Atomyk @Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty ​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

At some point in Saya's rambling, Larkin simply stopped listening. Blah, blah, blah - bitching and moaning. That was all he heard. Sheesh, and all of this was over something as trivial as the fact that, God forbid, the lights had gone out! Oh, what a horror! Surely, all the lovely women accompanying him in this basement need him to be their big, strong hero..... Which, he supposed he could help them.

Granted, he may as well have been imagining the whole thing, because clearly nobody was asking him for any help. In fact, Saya had already come to the rescue with the flashlights. But that wasn't really what Larkin first noticed. Rather, he wrinkled his nose with annoyance, quickly moving to cover up his nose with a look of disbelief. "Gas? You'd think someone would take care a' a problem like this right quick," he sighed. "Anyways, ladies, shall we? If the power is out, I bet we could just head on out and take the ri--"

"Oh, for Christ's sake--!" was the first thing that came from his mouth when Saya screamed, his free hand rising to his now-ringing ear. "What in the seven hells are you three talking about?" he inquired, looking between the three women like they'd gone completely out of their minds.Immediately, the male looked around, squinting in the dark to look for what might have evoked such a reaction. But when he spotted the bat noise where they seemed to be staring, he didn't exactly feel all that reassured. Sheesh, women were more finicky than he thought. They really did need him. "It's just a bat. I don't think it's named Cole, or Creed, for that ma..." Huh?

A pair of new voices caused him to trail off mid-sentence. That wasn't Saya... Nor was it Arya, or even Lucy, at that. No, these voices were definitely different. Female, it seemed, for both of the voices. And considering Larkin was already a bit annoyed and on edge from the way the women were freaking out, he wasn't about to dismiss this the way he usually would. And, lo and behold, him paying attention actually bore fruit. These girls, whoever the hell they were, were talking about something not being nice. Yeah, whatever- Larkin did unkind things all the time. So what?

Well, 'what' was that he was supposed to be helping Saya and Arya. And if he didn't do his task properly, he had a feeling the odds of him convincing Joshua to give him his powers back were much slimmer. Plus, the females were amusing enough, and messing with people was his job! Out of the way, you amateur little bitches. : |

With all of this in mind, Larkin started toward the couple of females and frowned deeply. Problem was, a certain girl that was a year younger than he got in the way, going as far as to swing at him! This earned an annoyed huff as Larkin narrowly shifted to the side with a curse. "Lord Almighty on a stick, would you all calm down? There's nothing there. Whatever you're seein' is about as real as one of my illusions," he scolded. "Now..." he started, brushing himself off and annoyedly starting towards the girls. Thing was, when he'd been swung at, his hand had dropped from his mouth, leaving him to breathe in the gas...

"You."

Though he had been frowning, before, Larkin put on his signature charming grin for Coco and Ash, his golden eyes glinting in the dark. "Ladies," he greeted. "Y'know, it isn't too nice to barge in like this. And especially not nice to..." For a moment, Larkin squinted at them, Coco shifting right before them and seeming... hawter. But quickly he blinked, shaking it off with a chuckle. Did they really think an attractive woman would stop him?

...Okay, so maybe it was a bit distracting, but it wasn't like a professional Illusionist such as himself would fall so easily!... probably.

"...So, what were we talking about?"

: |

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Saya felt a lump develop in her throat and beads of sweat form on the back of her neck as she continued to stare into the eyes of her own demon, the faux illusion which only she could see. She couldn't even move an inch in order to grab the pin she had dropped. It wasn't often that the ex-sweeper experienced so much fear, but it also wasn't often that she saw a visible representation of the man who had killed her. He may not have been real, but he was still real enough to invoke an immobilizing dread inside her.

She found motivation to move again, however, when Arya dashed forward and attempted an attack on "Cole," who still appeared to be Creed in Saya's eyes. She panicked, quickly finding her pin and firing a few bullets to try and stop Arya from getting hurt. Her bullets simply flew through the illusion. "N-No," she muttered, her breath hitching and blue eyes widened. It was just like last time. Her bullets couldn't stop Creed. But if her bullets were useless, what could she do to protect her friends?

Well, shortly after firing her bullets Larkin burst into the room. He sprouted a bunch of nonsense about them seeing illusions, but Saya couldn't believe him. He had to be the one seeing things! Creed was clearing standing there!

Meanwhile, outside the room, Coco jumped slightly when a pair of gold eyes seemed to glow in her direction through the darkness. Ash only laughed. "Well, look at the lad's eyes! He looks like a cat! Here kitty, kitty," she taunted. Coco yipped and pressed a hand over Ash's mouth.

"Ash no! Don't call him over here."

Ash giggled again. "He's already seen us, I don't really think it matters anymore."

Ash's words were confirmed when Larkin greeted them. A second later, however, before anyone could say anything else the still very gas loopy Saya tackled Larkin's legs. "Noooooo! Larkin move! Creed is going to hurt you!"

Ash stepped back as Larkin began to fall after being tackled, landing right on top of Coco. The little reaper squeaked, a blush spreading over her cheeks. "H-Hey!" she exclaimed, embarrassed as she tried to move while being pinned under him.


@Hospes @Krieg @Atomyk​