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The Reaper Squad by @Krieg , @Midnight Maiden, @Klutzy Ninja Kitty, @Yun Lee, @Gummi Bunnies and @Atomyk

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2


Chapter 3

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~THE REAPER SQUAD~

Joshua, the Composer of the Reapers, one whom struggles with his immortality and isolation, keeping his throne as the Reaper's Composer with a firm yet just hand. He now seeks harmony within his realm, fearing greedy, bloodthirsty eyes lay upon him.

Teresa, one of the few survivors of the Reaper's Game, having now ascended to be one of the closest companions to Joshua in the Reapers. She now seeks power yet peace, one of the few loyal hands to a man besieged in his own home.

Arya, a fallen princess, dethroned and the last known servant of the Archdemon to be among the living. She now seeks redemption, or more accurately, purpose, lest she blinded for the rest of her accursed days.

Follow these three and more in a spinoff, post Ultimate Murder Game project through the combined efforts of Atomyk, Gummi Bunnies, Klutzy Ninja Kitty, Krieg, Midnight Maiden, and Yun Lee. With more characters to come from us, the tale of Shibuya begins- the tale of the Reaper Squad.

---

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Even this late at night, the corridors of the Coalition still bustled with life.

It had been at least a few weeks since the demise of the Arch-Demon, although time was rather skewered what with the according laws of space and time. In some worlds, what equals to years is but mere seconds, and even the dead may never die, strange aeons leading lies. Truly, the Multiverse is frightening, what sort of dark and sinister realms that still exist, even after the Arch-Demon's demise. Some say they can peer into the very face of insanity itself, others see only a void, an endless span of utter nothingness. Whatever the case may be, such theories of quantum laws was the least of concern for hasty medical staff, guards, and other personal of the Coalition.

Physically, the medical bay looked absolutely atrocious. Papers were thrown about, wheelchairs laying on their sides, fragments of the walls still crumbled, exposing some of the wiring that ran within those once pearly, steel walls. What little resources the Coalition had now went into reconstruction, with the sight of a few workers going about, repairing any major, bothersome structural damage to the medical bay. With patients from the war beginning to recover and finally leave, the entire department could best be described in one word- discord.

Trudging past these feverish souls, the task still was but clear. Room after room, she wasn't to be found, this new rookie that Joshua harped about. Instead, what they would find is the mere survivors and refugees of war, innocent people caught in the crossfire, turning to the Coalition vainly for aid. The situation was dire, a'ye, but within time it would eventually resolve itself. The long road of recovery had just begun, the foundations being rebuilt, the purposes of this once powerful organization being rewritten. Alas, for some, the organization has failed them, and for others, it had succeeded in every other way. A song sung in different melodies, a coin with two faces, not one.

"Hmm, these readings make no sense..."

A soft yet annoyed voice echoed outwards, above all else, as if faith had rung a bell of awakening for the two Reapers seeking their newly-born kin. The voice, despite being masculine and elderly, was soft, tender, and with it came an almost northern Italian accent. In one of the rooms stationed in the farthest edges of the medical bay, nearly bordering the research department, a black-clad man could be seen hovering over a petite, teen-aged patient. From his position, he blocked her face from those that peered within, hastily scribbling notes, whispering unintelligibly to himself, some of his words almost sounding like that of another language at times. However, bits and pieces of the black-clad doctor's conversation could be heard, his writing and elegant voice being broken up occasionally by him leaning over, gently resting his hand on the patient's forehead, as to check for any damage or noteworthy abrasions.

"150 over 90...strange interference...hearing is fine...unknown blindness, possibly reaction to medicines....detection of strange lumps underneath the shoulders, resting at the top of the back, near the spine...""

With a deep and heavy sigh, the doctor turned around, not noticing those peering within, briefly revealing a horrific, almost unsettling bird-like mask as he took a nearby seat facing away from the patient, continuing to scribble down notes. The room itself was oddly clean, as if he himself had taken great liberty to ensure comfort for one of his most fascinating patients to date. One lone light hovered over the patient, the only other source being a small lamp by the doctor's workstation, which oddly seemed out of place being construed of a fine oak table lined with strange potions and concoctions.

More interestingly, however, the identity of the patient was finally revealed, confirming any suspicions the duo may of had as it being the rookie. A'ye, underneath piles of white blankets, the bandaged face of Arya Stark could be see within, quietly enjoying a brief respite of sleep. Stitches and scars were common upon the last living servant of the Arch-Demon's face, her physical form barely being able to survive the onslaught of gunfire, arrows, and magic that had been violently hurled at her by those damning agents of the Coalition. Her body seemed frail, although not entirely crippled as it had been weeks ago, where her life dangled on mere threads. Yet, perhaps against even her own will, she breathed life, softly and with a wheeze, her chest heaving up and down in accordance to the breaths of life. Beside her, strangely, resting a small, steel-crafted rapier, with a blade as thin as a needle.

Not dead yet, partially thanks to her will, and partially thanks to the very two looking upon her.

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~~~

Sometimes, being an angel wasn't easy. For Joshua, the leader of Shibuya, now happened to be one of those times. Shortly after the great war against Akibahara, he had conversed with Teresa about leaving to retrieve a new, young reaper recruit known as Arya Stark. Simple enough, right? The only thing he would need to do was use his powers to take them to The Coalition. This simple task, however, turned out to be much more difficult than the Composer had expected.

In the past, he had heard rumors of how difficult it was to travel to the Coalition. The only way you could go was if they allowed you to come. In Joshua's opinion, that didn't really matter much. He was affiliated with the Coalition in the sense that he had assisted in reviving some of their dead members, but he had never revealed himself to them. In truth, they didn't know who he was in person at all. So he found his repeated attempts to find and reach the location to be failures. Weeks had passed, in fact, before he was even able to location it. He knew Teresa was likely pissed as hell at him for neglecting to start her conductor training while he looked for a simple recruit, but he couldn't simply abandon a likely very confused Arya. No, he had to find the girl and help take her to where she now belonged.

Anyhow, once he was certain he had located the Coalition, Joshua took Teresa with him and arrived at the location via your typical looking magic portal. When he appeared with her, the corridors looked rather plane and empty. Most of the people who had been working in them had gone their separate ways now that the war was over and there was no need for them anymore. This would make things easier when it came to dealing with running into any guards, but Joshua knew that the two of them would still need to be careful. After all, they had sneaked in instead of having been invited.

Flicking a few locks of silver hair out of his eyes, Joshua glanced over to Teresa. "Okay, I got us here finally. It's your move next. You know this place a little better than I do considering your trip here with that siren. Tell me, where do you think Arya might be? She's a younger girl, who came back from the dead--I bet that was a shocker to them--so where would they keep their dead or possibly injured? My powers are limited here so your help would be appreciated." But where Joshua's powers so limited that he couldn't track Arya with ease? Or was the Composer simply being lazy? One could never really tell with Joshua, the never sneaky one.


~~~

Well, a certain Reaper girl with piercing blue eyes and a pearly complexion framed by waves of silky tar-black hair was... Well, rather unhappy, to say the very least. Though she'd never admit it, she felt very anxious. Sure, yeah, Archdemon Akibahara was finally dead and gone. Joshua was alive and well again. But Teresa Agnes.. Didn't share the 'well' feat. Ever since the day of the demon's demise, when Joshua had nearly died and promoted her due to this, Teresa had begun to doubt herself. She felt like there were others more fitting for the position, and that though Joshua had assured her that it was her he wanted, it just didn't feel right to her.

What was it that made the usually confident, head-strong young woman feel this way? Probably because she didn't like having power. Because she didn't want to end up like John White before her; or to let Joshua down. Hell, maybe she even just felt like an outcast in the world of the.. not-so-dead.

Luckily for her, she had been a bit busy trying to help Joshua- or, in better words, since Joshua had repeatedly screwed up.. Messing with and bothering him about -find Arya, their new recruit. It was her first task he'd given her, as the new Conductor, and simple as it sounded? The Coalition's complex location- or if you were to ask Teresa, Joshua's lack of 'sense of direction' -made it quite difficult. The time it took them to get there was painstakingly long, and Teresa impatiently waited through every second of it.

But, now that they'd gotten there... "Jeez, Joshua, I'm impressed. You finally did something right, huh?" the nineteen-year-old remarked, clapping him on the back playfully, her deep blue eyes lighting up just slightly upon their arrival. Joshua's words earned a look of deep thought, and Teresa seemed to mull this over in her mind.. Though, quickly, it was replaced by a look of confusion. "'Siren'? What're you talkin' about?" she asked, obviously clueless as to what he was referring to. "I only ever came here once..: To train. Alone," she declared.

Then again, it was a little difficult to remember what happened while you were under the control of someone else. Not that Joshua would know she'd been mind controlled in the first place.

But, she did quickly dismiss the comment, going back to the matter at hand. "..Anyway, I have high doubt they woulda kept the kid here. Not after the hell I heard she put the place through," Teresa mused rather nonchalantly, crossing her arms that were littered with scars. "..If she were here, my bets are placed that she'd be in the medbay. I don't exactly think this place has a morgue," she explained, pursing her pink lips. "..So follow me. I think I know the way there."

And, without another word, the young Reaper set off for the medical bay.​
 
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Folding his arms closely to his chest defensively, Joshua shot Teresa a small glare stating how he wasn't amused by her teasing him. He wiped the look away quickly, however, shrugging his shoulders before he gave her a snarky smile. "Oh yes, for once I've done something right. Aiding the others during the demon war, helping defeat John White twice, and reviving countless others--including you--with my Reapers' Game was just all bologna. I clearly should evaluate my life. Perhaps I should have died a couple times and went into a coma, such as yourself, to find enlightenment on the subject of true productivity."

When Teresa acted as if she didn't know Ridley, Josh smirked. He wasn't sure if she was playing dumb or just truly didn't remember, but he could easily find out later if he wanted to. For now, he could easily let the subject go or use it to tease Teresa. "You don't remember Ridley? It must've been brain damaged from that coma. You poor, poor thing." He waved a few fingers in front of her face. "Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up? I do hope your brain will hold up."

Teasing was always the best option, but he couldn't keep it up for long. He needed to focus on their task: finding Arya. These doctors were fools if they thought they could learn anything by studying her and holding her as their hostage. What Arya needed was some guidance with her reaper abilities, not to be kept locked away in a room. Humans could be such morons, at times...

"Oh, I know Arya is here, Teresa. I can assure you of that. It's a shame, really, but these idiots wouldn't think to treat the child kindly. We'll get her out of here and change that today. I won't stand for my reapers being treated as dogs, no matter how badly they behaved when they were alive in the past." Nodding when Teresa suggested she might know the way, Josh began to follow her. When they arrived close to the bay, Joshua stepped closer to Teresa and raised a hand to make her stop walking.

"Stop, this is it. Good work." Ahead of them, Josh could see the med bay. Arya was in one of the rooms, and he could sense the girl's presence. Unfortunately, however, he could also sense the presence of a couple human doctors lingering about. "Arya's room is over there," Josh explained, gesturing toward it. "Do you know how to use your reaper powers to turn invisible to humans yet? I know we haven't gotten started on a lot of your training... But I suppose if you don't know, now would be the time to practice." Josh waved a hand and turned himself invisible, beginning to walk past the humans. "They won't be able to see or hear us. Oh, and when you get to Arya's room you'll have to phase through the door since it is in fact locked. Have fun." He waved at Teresa over his shoulder, shooting her an irritatingly smug wink to go with it before he walked on.

In truth, Josh hoped Teresa didn't know how to use that power. Oh what fun it would be to hear the humans notice her or to hear Teresa smack into the door when she failed to phase through it. This was the exact reason why Josh didn't remind her how to use her powers. He loved messing with her.

When he arrived at Arya's room, Josh passed through the door and arrived inside--saying nothing to the girl at first. He observed her before saying, "Arya, speak if you can hear me." If she was unconscious he would carry her out with him. If she wasn't, he would have to quickly convince her that she needed to come with him and leave this place. Joshua couldn't imagine her resisting though; this place was terrible.

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@Hospes @Krieg

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Well.. Joshua's response obviously wasn't well received. Teresa gave an offended huff, annoyedly trying to elbow Joshua in the rib.. Something that was fairly easy to do, considering she was so petite. Just another thing that annoyed her. "Oh, shut your trap. You're forgetting that I helped you take down White- both times -, and that I helped save your ass," she remarked, poutily. "It ain't like ya did it all by yourself," she concluded matter-of-factly. Yeah.. She obviously hated being picked on by Josh, and refused to ever let him get the last word. At times, it almost seemed like they were having some sort of competition.. Not that Teresa minded.

And, of course, Joshua had to go and further annoy Teresa. Just the fact that he was smirking annoyed her.. Let alone what he said with it. "Who the hell is Ridley?" she asked, clearly confused. It wasn't hard to pick up that she really didn't know what he was talking about. So, as such, she only got aggravated when Joshua made a remark about brain damage. Very quickly- and with more force than necessary -the girl slapped away Joshua's hand like it was a fly buzzing around her. "Very funny, Josh," she muttered, glaring pointedly at him.

Joshua's comment about Arya just earned a soft sigh. Despite her lack of care for Arya and the things she had done.. The young woman felt for her. "Ya don't have to educate me on that fact, Josh. I know it better than anyone else," she responded, a little more seriously. It was true; Teresa had done quite a few bad things in her past.. Albeit, it was under practical brainwashing, alongside blackmail that threatened people she cared about, but the point remained the same..: Everyone deserved a chance at redemption. And she, herself, was on her way to it.

Upon Joshua's command to stop, Teresa came to an immediate stop. As ornery as she was, she was obedient when it was called for. And, right now? It was. ...Even so, who said she couldn't have a little fun with it? So, a cocky grin tugged and her pink lips. "Wait, wait; did you just say 'Good work'?" she asked, as though astonished. "That may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me," she joked, glancing around at the different doors while still listening closely to her boss. Soon, her eyes followed his finger, and she spotted the room he was referring to. "Got it."

The girl did blink her big blue eyes when Joshua told her to turn invisible without instruction, and she was briefly astonished. "Wait, what?" she responded after a moment. Before she had the chance to object, or demand that he tell her how to complete the task, the angel had already sauntered away. And when she tried to grab him to stop him... She found he was intangible. "..I hate you," she mumbled under her breath, aggravation bubbling up. With a heavy sigh, she looked down at her hands, trying to determine just how she was supposed to go about this task. So, instead of wasting time trying to figure it out, the girl just tried what Joshua had done; waving her hand over her body. And yet, stilllll nothing. Just her luck.

Balling her hands into fist with annoyance, the ravenette cautiously stepped over to the door. "Shuckin' Joshua.. Not telling me how to do crap.." she muttered, shaking her head.. Before she tried again at turning invisible and intangible; to no result. Despite, she tried walking through the door.. But, no surprise, this got nothing but a small thud and slight pain for the girl. So she tried to turn intangible and walk through the door, she ended up with the same result. Now, her temper was rising much higher and much faster. So, she did what anyone would do: she used an ice pin. Slowly, she began to freeze the door from the inside out.. Til the cold caused the door to simply burst to bits. Satisfied, Teresa sashayed on in to Arya's bedside, paying the doctors no mind.. For the moment. Unless they became a direct threat, she didn't worry too much about them.​
 
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ARYA'S PROLOGUE 2.0
"NOBODY"



"Who are you?" asked the Kindly Man.

"Nobody"

---

Through fields of black she ran, two feet struggling against this nightmarish world. All around Arya she could see but the abyss, an endless swamp of pure darkness, not an ounce of light in this corrupted world. Voices crept around her like beating war-drums, pounding against her skull, reminding her of her convictions. No words escaped her lips, yet a constant, heavy breath rasped from her, fighting against the inevitable. For fourteen nights, this was the only dream she had, the only remnant of her sanity remaining. Crying out, Arya fell, panting and wheezing, grasping the sides of her skull as the horde of voices began to congregate around the fallen princess. All of them were familiar, haunting her, names swarming around her, barely able to remember their origins. Bayonetta, Robin, Cole, Erika, Jon, Ellie...Ellie.

"Failure, you've always been a failure."

"You were never my little sister, just another damn Stark to insult me."

"I thought you loved me...how could you leave me like that?!"

"If only you went shopping with me, psh, this would of all been avoided, you brat."

"What a fool you were to trust me....hahahaha!"

"STOP, STOP, STOOOP!!"

Everything rushed in at once.

Lo, she stood, the world around her morphing to something familiar. Statues of lost gods surrounded her, a tranquil, graceful pool of water in the center of this beautifully crafted temple. Men woman and children surrounded him, praying in Old Valyrian, cloaked in peasantry robes and carrying coffins upon their backs. Candles were alit ritualistically upon the marble, honoring death and respecting the natural progression of life. Once, this had been her home for six months. Once, this had been her last ditch-effort to save her loved ones and kill a monster that left her to rot. Once, this had been known as the Hall of Grief.

Now, as she stood upon her feet, it all faded into ashes.

Feeling her wolfish eyes widen, Arya ran out, trying to grasp at her former followers, as if she vainly attempt to rescue them. Upon grasping the first one, she held only the remnants of clothes and cinder, finding herself bewildered in horror as everything began to collapse. Frantically dodging falling marble as the roof began to cave in, Arya sprinted towards the central shrine of the room- where she had kept the bodies of her family and Ellie upon. Climbing the flight of the stairs, the She-Wolf was soon interrupted as a pillar of marble collapsed onto her. Feeling the gut-wrenching crack of bone, Arya screeched in pain, her lower half trapped underneath the fallen tower. Clawing at the ground, six arachnid-like legs navigated the ground, it's ebony exoskeleton oozing strange chemicals, mounds of human flesh and tissue organically attached to it like some abomination.

Trembling, her breath escaping her, Arya lifted her head to look into the face of this abomination. Soon, she could feel her eyes beginning to cave in, turning into some foul, crimson liquid. A horrid scream escaped her lips once again, clawing at her face, feeling as if her eyes were beginning to escape her skull. Before the lucid dream ended, before she was flung back into a reality, an ominous voice of power sonorously boomed....

T҉͝͏h̴̶i̡̛͟s̛͜͢ ̀́̕͟i͘͠s̸̛̀́͢ ̴̨̛́̕y̷̛͜͠ò͠ừ̡r͏̢͟ ̵̸̨̛̀n̶̢̧̕͢i̵̶̛̕͝g̴͟͡͞͡h҉ţ͝m̷̶͜͞á̴͝ŕȩ̧͜͜҉

---

She awoke, her eyes shut, the mangled face of the Northerner wincing at unfamiliar voices. A grunt of Corvus could be heard from the corner, the elderly doctor falling downwards, the freed door crashing against the bird-peaked man. Intruders? Perhaps members of the Coalition to settle a score with the last known fragment of the Archdemon remaining. Stirring, quite visibly awake, Arya slowly began to sit up, reaching up to tear off her inhaler gas mask. Panting for oxygen, her ragged throat getting adjusted without aid, the former enemy strangely began to make clicking sounds against the roof of her mouth. Pausing, her head tilted slightly in the directions of both Joshua and Teresa.

"Ack, i-intruders, get th-!"

Corvus voice went short, the Doctor strangely going unconscious from some unseen force. The room itself began to shake and shudder, lights flickering, vials of glass crashing onto the rustic floors. In these brief minute of anarchy, the Northerner was fully sitting up, her bed sheets falling off her, tubes and IV's sticking virtually in every blood-vessel of the teenager, keeping the princess artifically alive (at least to the Coalition's knowledge). Letting a breath escaped her lips, her eyes shut, still facing the two intruders, Arya abruptly opened them.

Instead of ash or black or red, only the eternal whiteness greeted the two.

A revelation had dawned, in both darkness and light.

Blinded

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@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes
 
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Even after Joshua spoke, Arya didn't move instantly. The angel watched over the sleeping girl, a frown etching itself on his lips. The girl had so many tubes on her that she may as well have been a machine herself. The sight of this was infuriating to Joshua. He was irritated at the Coalition for having done this to her--especially after how he had helped them--and also was a bit frustrated with himself. If he only could've found this place sooner, maybe she could have given Arya her freedom faster. Nevertheless, there wasn't much he could do about the past. He could rescue her now, and that's exactly what he intended to do.

Taking another step toward Arya with the intent of calmly waking the girl from her slumber, Josh instead flinched--halting his actions when the room shook, objects crashed to the ground, and the door behind him exploded in icy shards before toppling over on the bird man. Josh looked back behind the man, raising an eyebrow. He had been so fixed on finding Arya that he hadn't even noticed the unlucky fellow. Joshua knew he hadn't caused the door to come crashing down himself, so it must have been...

"Teresa, perfect timing--as usual. Remember when I said good work to you before for helping me find this location? I only said it to you because I knew I could retract it at this very moment. It looks like I was right, as usual. Teresa, that was not good work. I said to phase through the door, not explode it. Oh, woe is me, my Conductor needs so much training." He shook his head, a cocky smile on his lips as usual.

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After speaking with Teresa, Josh turned back toward Arya and tilted his head--looking at her as she sat up. He gazed at her empty, white eyes and the smile left his lips. "Ah, she's blind. Hm, my sources didn't tell me that," he mumbled, touching his chin as he mulled over the situation. He continued to ignore the doctor who had fallen under the door, deciding not to worry about him unless he became a threat--or a threat arose.

Stepping toward Arya, Josh knelt in front of her. "I'd like for you to come with me. If you do, I'll take you away from this place and explain to you what has happened." He wasn't sure if Arya would agree or not, but whether or not she did he would have no choice but to take her back. Reapers had to stay in Shibuya until they were fully trained. It was just the way it had to be.

@Hospes @Krieg
 
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Teresa's intense gaze softened slightly when she spotted Arya, freezing up where she stood. It didn't take much for her to tell that Arya was having nightmares.. Considering all of the ones that she, herself, had had. For a good few minutes, she could only stare, the gentle- and almost.. sad? -look in her burning blue eyes betraying her tense body. Slowly, she found herself moving to Arya's side, frowning at the variety of treatments she was getting that, as a Reaper, she didn't need and were likely useless. The young Reaper had either not noticed the doctor in the room, or just didn't care; her whole focus was on the young girl who was finally stirring...

..And blind.

For whatever reason, Teresa found herself shocked. Maybe even a little taken aback. After all the things she'd seen and heard of this girl.. Was it really possible she could've fallen blind? Despite the past the last servant to Akibahara had, Teresa didn't think this was right. That not only had the girl been being practically held captive here- probably poked and prodded with similar things to what Teresa had undergone in WICKED.. Okay, well, no. It was probably more medical things than ones of torture -, but she had also been rendered blind, fallen from her prior greatness? To Teresa, it was an absurd and astonishing idea.

But, right in front of her on the crisp white hospital-like bed, sat the proof. Arya Stark, the brave, strong, and warrior-like fallen princess had truly hit rock bottom.

Before Teresa had a chance to offer any reassurance to the girl, or anything else, though, her thoughts were cut off by an all-too-familiar voice..

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..And the gentleness she'd been showing quickly disintegrated, replaced by her tensing right back up and her features losing the soft gleam. "Oh, so I'm supposed to know how to walk through walls and turn invisible like some pro when ya haven't taught me jack?" she replied irritably, frowning deeply at the angel across from her. "If you thought that was the case.. You're an idiot," she declared with clear annoyance. "Now shut up. You're gonna scare the kid," she chided, leaving it at that. But, the truth was that if Josh retaliated? There was still no way she was going to let him have the last say. She was too stubborn.​
 

A heavy breath escaped Arya's lips, repeating over and over, like the beating of a slow, fading heart. The taste of chemicals filled her mouth, making a hasty gag, spiting upon the bed sheets. As an untold servant of death, most of them served little purpose, outside of a few select painkillers to ease her aching and force sleep. With her pure white eyes opened, the Northerner stared aimlessly in the two's direction, reaching down to yank some of the tubes that had plunged themselves into her skin and flesh. A constant droning of alarmed machinery erupted outwards, the enraged teenager knocking them over with her saggy, nearly destroyed pillow from weeks of thrashing and resting against it.

For two weeks, she felt immobilized, even as a Reaper having to go through countless surgeries to repair her decaying body. Scars littered her face, some of them running down her neck, originating from either a doctor's scalpel to a mercenary's firearm. Internally, some of her joints were now mechanized or outfitted with mechanized parts, the bones having completely shattered or torn out of their sockets. How the She-Wolf got out alive was probably entirely owed to Joshua, as even the Coalition's resources nor any organization's resources could aid a body so broken and left for dead.

Hearing the offer, with the swift, harsh jab of an older female, Arya seemingly ignored it. Arising from bed fully, standing onto her feet, she stumbled about, reaching for that familiar rapier that rested on her nightstand. Holding it dearly in her left hand, she used Needle as a somewhat walking stick, the blind Northerner throughout all of this still gasping and huskily breathing for air. Eventually reorganizing herself, she stood before the two, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Using some primitive form of echolocation, she approached the two with one unsteady step, her petite, physical stature of only pity.

Within the light, she paused, feeling the warmth of their false rays. Shockingly, she did not wear the typical robes of medical patients, but some sort of dress outfitted with a blouse. With a fish-net shirt resting on her shoulders, two gloved hands grasping at her makeshift walking stick, Arya raised her head. Her body trembling, two noticeable lumps stemming from her upper back, she managed to rasp out two words. Her voice, having not spoken in two weeks without her breathing mask, sounded crackly, horrid, and high-pitched.

"Who...a..re...y-you..."
 
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Josh kept his blue eyes fixed on Arya, worried at the sight of her heavy breathing. Although she was now a reaper, it was still possible for humans--or anyone for that matter--to do some damage to her. Reapers weren't gods; they could get hurt, feel hunger, die a second death, or suffer. For the most part, any damage done to the young girl could be fixed, but there were some things that made Joshua feel a bit uncertain. Arya's blindness, for instance, seemed a bit unorthodox. He had been of the assumption that she could see. He was certain his associates would've mentioned to him if she was blind. This was all quite peculiar.

When Arya stood up, Josh reached out with the intent to help her--only to be distracted when Teresa told him to shut up. As if it were an addiction, the composer simply craved to continuing getting in the last word when the two bickered with each other. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at the other young woman, flicking a bit of silver hair off his cheek as he started to speak. "Even some higher level reapers know how to turn invisible. It's a very important power. I figured you would've practiced on your own to have learned about it." He glanced back to Arya. "And if anything would have scared the child, you might think it would've been a door that exploded across the room, but that's just me."

Upon hearing Arya speak, Josh frowned. She would definitely need to get some strength back when they returned to Shibuya. "My name is Joshua," he began. "I don't have much time to explain who I am, but I'm someone who can help you. I need you to come with me." Josh reached out in an attempt to take one of her small hands in his own, only to halt himself and flinch after hearing a loud alarm begin to sound.

Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! All security personnel please make your way for the Med Bay!

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"Damn it!" Josh exclaimed, clenching a fist. He stood back up, straightening the color of his shirt in a proud manner. "Hmph, I'd rather like to see them attempt attacking an angel. It won't get them far. We should hurry up and get out of here." He looked at Teresa. "Can you at least make us a portal out of here that will take us back to Shibuya?

@Hospes @Krieg
 
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This response wasn't well received. Teresa's frown deepened, and she shot Joshua a pointed glare. "I can't teach myself somethin' without even the slightest instruction. Children won't learn to talk or walk without people around them doing it consistently and leading them in it. People can't know the answer to a question just by looking at it. It's your fault for neglecting to teach me," she retorted, clearly just as intent to win the unspoken competition that they were always going at together. Even at their most serious moments, the two hardly ever seemed able to resist going at it together. It seemed neither of them would ever be the bigger man. "Hmph. It's your fault I had to bust down the damn thing in the first place," she mumbled, poutily.

Soon enough, though, her attention had been turned away from her superior.. And back to the child that was now standing; though, she seemed like she could topple over at any given second, in Teresa's opinion. The Glader decided to avoid answering the question the girl asked, instead, remaining silent while Joshua did the talking. After all, Teresa wasn't exactly the best person when it came to social endeavors. Especially social endeavours that required cautiousness. After all, the ravenette was rather stubborn, and had a bit of a temper.

Not to mention, they were dealing with a mere child. Something Teresa probably wasn't going to be good at. But, then again.. In her mind, Joshua wasn't exactly the best for the job, either.

And, of course, to make matters worse.. A rather loud and disruptive alarm roared to life, making Teresa flinch and look to the door(that she'd busted down) alarmedly. "..Well shuck," she muttered, her brows furrowing with concentration. Her bright blue eyes were wide as they flickered over to Joshua and Arya. "..I hate to interrupt your little moment, but we should probably get goin'," she urged, gaze returning to the door. Joshua's remark did earn a small snicker.

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"Ah, right, 'cause nobody's ever managed to hurt you- the perfect, indestructible angel -before," she quipped, sarcasm practically oozing from her voice; accentuated by the look of clear amusement on her face. His question did earn a much more confident nod. "Of course I can make a portal to Shibuya," she answered, as though the mere thought that she wouldn't be able to was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard. Rolling her shoulders, the girl's stunning blue eyes concentrated on.. Well, nothing in particular, at first glance. But, soon enough, the spot opened up into a sizeable portal and she stepped aside contentedly. "After you. Better for you to make sure you and the kid get through first," she mused. "I have a feeling she might need a hand. I'm not sure the.." she paused, searching for the right words, "..clicking technique, works with portals."
 
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The two voices had continued their bickering before the broken She-Wolf, blinded and crippled, the remnants of a war long lost and forgotten. With her crown broken and her followers scattered, the Stark had no name nor tittles to fall back upon. Once, she held a kingdom, an ancestral crown of iron-and-bronze resting upon her head. Yet with all glory, her crown faded to mere snow and ice, her heart blackening and hollowing away. Such an existence was horrid to even imagine, for what stood before the darkness of Arya's gaze was literal nothingness. No passion, no hope, no desires, no identity, no sense of duty or honor...

Nothing.

And that very notion of nothing is a fate worse than both death and life.

Balancing herself with Needle, no words escaped the newly-born Reaper's mouth, simply walking forwards. Each step was a mission on it's own, tearing at her muscles, her aching body pleading for surrender. What remnants of adrenaline pushed her forward, Arya still making her clicking noises, her rapier tabbing against the cold steel. Faintly, ever so faintly, the blind water-dancer could hear the rapping and tapping of steel boots upon the metallic flooring. Squadrons of heavily-armored Coalition members began to rush, some looking more professional and dangerous than others. A low groan escaped another familiar man's lips, the plague doctor of Corvus D. Clemmons beginning to awaken from his assault.

Taking a deep breath, Arya began to speak, knowing that she had little options in this matter.

"Y-You said there was help for me..." Arya peered, her young voice echoing hauntingly, corruption of the Archdemon still underlying in that devilish voice. Despite the foul man being utterly eradicated during the Ultimate Incident, his effect upon Arya continued in spirit. She held no hope for herself, knowing that she had lost too much time after time again. It almost felt as if the She-Wolf's destiny was embedded with failure and weakness, watching as the world before her spurned her into the abyss. Pausing, the blind Northerner began to eerily chuckle, almost laugh.

"Help?" she repeated partially, "There is little help for me, only a name that means nothing now." the noblewoman explained, tapping Needle against the ground, her body adapting without her eyes already. Even wounded, the human form was shockingly adaptive, undergoing multiple efforts to uphold itself at all cost. Able to detect the rift through assumptions about her environment and noting abnormalities in sound, Arya paused before the tear's gates, her stature petite and frail.

"If this i-is n-not a dr-ream...the-then I-I h-have n-no other choice...i-if it is...g-go to da s-seven 'ells a-and rot. I-I'll meet ye there soon, a'ye." Arya forewarned, awaiting for the other two at the front of the rift, squadrons of Coalition members beginning to grow closer and closer, their shouts and cocking of their firearms definitively beginning to echo.

 
The composer folded his arms and rolled his blue-gray eyes, shooting Teresa another glare shortly after standing up. Did she really have to do this now, even after an alarm had gone off and they needed to leave before they got into trouble? Apparently, she did. However, the proud angel couldn’t contain himself from shooting a response back to her, so perhaps he was just as bad as she was.

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“Children won’t learn if not taught? I suppose you’re right about that. However, I never pegged you to be child-like. Perhaps I should reevaluate the way I look at you then. Don’t worry, little one, I’ll teach you soon enough,” he teased. “As for the door, well, instead of destroying it perhaps you could have knocked like a civilized reaper? Sometimes I wonder what goes through that head of yours. You may want to get it checked. I worry for your state of mind.”

While waiting for Teresa to make them a portal, Josh scowled at her comment—yet again teasing him. “Why thank you for pointing out the obvious and informing me that I’m not invincible. If we were to reminisce about the day I was injured I could yet again remind you of your heartfelt pleas for me to live. I would recite that story right now if we weren’t in a hurry.”

Gazing back at the visionless reaper child for a moment, Josh clicked his tongue as if to mimic her. If she truly was using some form of echolocation, he was sorely impressed. Her behavior, however, appeared quite dark and broken. Even if she was shattered to pieces, however, the composer didn't mind. Seeing broken souls within the Reapers' Game or even some reapers who resided in Shibuya was a common sight.

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"Oh, ye of little faith," the angel replied, placing a hand atop the child's head, ruffing her brown hair gently. "Maybe rotting in hell would've been your fate if not for me. I've decided to revive you and give you another chance, child. From this moment on, think of your existence as a new life entirely. I'll be taking you to a place called Shibuya. From there, I'll explain to you what's going on."

"Ah, here we are, our ride has been created. It sure took you long enough, Teresa." Joshua boldly stepped forward, keeping a hand on Arya's shoulder as if planning to help her in case she fell. For all of the suffering she had gone through, he was rather surprised she could stand let alone walk.

Taking no heed to the rule of ladies first, Joshua stepped into the portal before either Teresa or Arya did--arriving in the central area of Shibuya just a few blocks away from 10-4.

Ah, good 'ol home sweet home.

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As they arrived, they would notice that the city was eerily quiet. Shibuya wasn't very loud when a Reapers' Game wasn't going on. Most of the reapers were off doing their own thing, there were no players scampering about, and no noise to cause any havoc.

"Welcome to Shibuya, Arya, an afterlife world. Congrats, by the way, not many people see this place let alone become a reaper before having ever participated in a Reapers' Game."

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Josh then turned to Teresa. "The two of you are going to need to come with me before I can explain too much more to Arya." The angel wrinkled his nose. "As the Composer, there's someone I have to report to sometimes--not sure if I ever mentioned that before. Yeah, he's a little worried that it took me so long to find Arya. So... we kinda need to prove to him that we did find her..."

@Hospes @Krieg
 
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Now, it was Teresa’s turn to glare, her piercing blue eyes locked squarely on Joshua’s with a slight pout on her pink lips. She practically mirrored him; with her arms neatly crossed and an annoyed look painting her pale features. The fact that Joshua was calling her ‘little’- one of her biggest pet peeves, considering how she hated being so petite -just made her much more annoyed. “Oh, shut it, shuck-face. If either of us acts like a child here, it’s you,” she retorted with obvious aggravation. It looked like Josh had yet again succeeded in his attempt to get on her nerves.

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The ravenette did manage to shrug off his comment about knocking, her arms uncrossing themselves with her soft hands settling on her hips. “Hmph. I ain’t the one with brain damage,” she dismissed, casually making another jab. Though, her cool and tough facade was shattered in a matter of seconds at Joshua’s next words, and a light blush and a flustered look crossed her face. “Sh-shut up, ya shank,” she demanded with embarrassment, averting her gaze with her cheeks burning red. Why did the angel always have to embarrass her so? Sure, he was right, to some extent; she did like him a good bit. She’d just never admit it: she was much more content with him thinking the opposite of that. “..Just go through the damn portal," she snapped in an annoyed mutter.

The young Reaper sighed through her nose as Joshua made his little speech to Arya, fighting the urge to shake her head. Of course he had to make a big deal out of that little introduction. As usual, Teresa thought, idly. ..But at least he isn't mocking me. Occasionally glancing over her shoulder, the ravenette was seemingly growing impatient; the 'guards'- as she naturally presumed them to be, considering she didn't know much about this modern world. She hadn't exactly spent much time in it with her real memories before she'd died for Thomas -would be there any minute, and she certainly didn't want to be around when they did.. Whether she sympathized with the young Arya or not.

Admittedly, she wasn't too happy when Joshua dissed her portal. The way she went to sharply- albeit somewhat playfully, or at least to a lighter strength than she usually used when annoyed with people -elbow him in the ribs once again was probably a giveaway of this. "Yeah? Well, if you think I'm so damn bad at it, you can do it yourself next time," she remarked, momentarily oblivious to the footsteps that were now practically right outside the door. She was more than glad to see he and Arya finally starting through the portal, but right as they went through.. Realization hit Teresa, like a..- Well, like a man shouting at her, because that was exactly what happened.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" one man exclaimed ferociously, making Teresa turn a pair of blinking blue eyes to him. She tilted her head as the man drew slightly closer, and she took a long pause before giving a rather simple response.

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"Well, ..Teresa, you'll put your hands on your head and return the patient, if you know what's good for you!" the man barked, jabbing the barrel of his gun at her in accentuation , causing a flare of aggravation within the Reaper. Briefly, the thought of simply taking the men down crossed the Glader's mind. After all, it tended to be her first impulse; but, somehow? She didn't think that Joshua would really appreciate the unnecessary use of violence. One would think that, with the way the two constantly bickered(and Teresa's claims to hate her boss), that she didn't give a damn whether her superior approved of her actions.. But the fact of the matter was, she did. Quite a bit, actually.

...

Of course, that didn't stop her from doing what she did next: launching a right hook at the man, square in the jaw. The blow had been made before the man had time to react, and the force of it knocked him clean off of his feet. Smugly, Teresa gave a small grin and wave to the folk sent to apprehend her and Joshua for intruding- that, to her luck, were mostly armed with close ranged weapons as opposed to her assailant -, taking a couple small steps backwards toward the portal. "Ahh.. Sorry for that, shank. See you aro-" before she managed to finish the sentence, Teresa found that she her next step back... Was right to the portal, causing her to trip and stumble through backwards, landing flat on her ass.

"..I hate portals," she grumbled unhappily, half to herself., before slowly climbing to her feet. Unhappily, she brushed herself off, blowing a lock of particularly curly black hair out of her face. Just in time for Joshua to turn his attention to her, and make a comment about needing to report to someone; a mention that made Teresa sigh slightly. "Of course. Lead the way, messenger boy," she remarked, unable to resist the urge to taunt. "Funny that even your superiors don't trust your word," she teased, though her gaze turned back to Arya. "..I'm impressed, kid. For some shank who's been held up in some medical facility for so long, you can walk pretty well."

"..Don't expect me to ever say anythin' like that to you again."
 
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To say Arya was annoyed at the two figures constant bickering was an understatement. Virtually two sides of the same coin, Arya couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse, recalling the days of Winterfell. Day in and day out, she fought against Sansa, a clash of ideals and presentation of themselves in a medieval society. One was the fair noblewoman, destined to married some highly lord and produce strong, capable children. The other boyish and rough in appearance, rejecting the destiny of marriage, seeking her path in blood and iron. Yet, these thoughts of yore were but short-lived, the pain of her previous identity haunting the Northerner.

Feeling her hair ruffled, Arya notably hissed through her heavy, wheezing breaths, rejecting the notion of such a friendly touch. Yet, his words pierced Arya's icy heart, her interest perked at the mentioning of being revived. Obviously, she knew the state of her body during the war, and to be frank, she deserved death in all aspects. Her spirit was corrupted, mended by the desire of vengeance and retribution. Her body was broken, bones fractured and muscles severed, her skin tainted and forever scarred. Her mind was gone, the dream of spring and the desire to fix what was wrong gnawing in her skull for six straight months.

Yet she stood, Needle in her left hand, her right holding her sides- a survivor of war.

No words escaped the She-Wolf's mouth at Joshua's teasing and nonchalant behavior, spurning him swiftly away. With great haste, Arya passed through the portal, her body shifting through entire dimensions. Despite being blind, the overwhelming power of this transformation could be detected by her other senses. A droning whirl filled her ears, her heart pumped faster and faster, a great numbness coursing through her body. Even her vision, cloaked in darkness, danced before her, silhouettes of shadowy figures being conjured before her. Soon, a soft whisper went into the child's ears, her pure white eyes widening in horror to the familiarity of a phrase.

That is not dead which can eternal lie
And with strange aeons even death may die


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---

A gasp of air, a collapsing of knees, the eerie quietness of an entire city

Shibuya

From the cramp corridors of the Coalition, the screams and rattling of men reaching a climax, Arya had now arrived to her new and unexpected home. The venture between realms was shocking, almost breathless, swearing that outerworldly forces were haunting her to this day. Not of the Archdemon, not of her fleeing sanity, but of something far beyond even her own imagination. Hearing the screams of a thousand and one, Arya arose, pushing these nightmarish memories aside, simply casting them off as a dying sanity. Using Needle as her crutch, the Northerner threw her head back, the petite teenager of sixteen years taking in the new world around her.

"I do not see this Shibuya, that is your first mistake." Arya remarked bitterly to Joshua, recalling his choice of words., shrugging off his hand. "You two fight like a married couple, i-it disgusts me." her voice observed, hollowed and resentful, ungrateful for the news of this Composer of sorts bringing her back alive. Walking ahead aimlessly, the blind child turned away, her tongue disturbingly clicking, trying to adapt as swiftly as she could.

"Why...I ask, w-why? Do you not know of what I've done? Have you lead a nation? An army? Have you seen your love die at the hands of a man that saved your own? If you think life was some gift to me...you are sadly mistaken." Arya remorse with a somber chuckle, hacking onto the concrete, saliva mixed with blood dripping onto the concrete. Abruptly, a sharp pain coursed through her back, no scream emitting from Arya as she fell. Hearing the dinging of a Braavosi rapier, the walking Oedipus of the North, burdened with sin and treachery, growled in agony as her hands reached out to underneath her shoulders.

Before Joshua and Teresa, two wings of emerged. Fittingly, her left wing was black, sharpen with an iconic, jagged look of typical Reapers. Yet, her right wing was white, holding a more traditional look to it, even coated with feathers and emitting an almost heavenly aura. Both of them were relatively small, which for a Reaper, seemed promising.

"W-Whhy....WHHY!" Arya growled, her knees, pounding the ground, her body trembling as her rebirth was beginning to finalize.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes
 
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A scowl escaped Joshua's lips, followed by a frown. His reaction wasn't due to that of the younger she-wolf's spurning of his touch, but instead it had to do with Teresa's funny comment about his superiors. When Teresa said something he just had to reply back to, he hardly noticed anything else around him. "Of course my superiors trust me. At least, they always have up until recently. Their concerns have to do with three events that have happened not long ago. The first was an event you don't know of; let's keep it that way. The second was the incident with John White, and the third was my involvement in the Arch-Demon war. They're a tad concerned about my decisions, not that I blame them. They're just doing their job."

"Oh, and by the way, the man we'll be meeting with isn't a superior of mine--more like an equal. It's his job to write reports on my actions, advise me, and watch over me in some cases. His role is called the Producer. He's an angel, like I am. We're going to meet him down at The Shibuya River--my base," Josh explained, glancing toward the disoriented child they had just rescued once again. "Let's walk there. I know we could fly or make another portal, but I'm curious to see how well Arya can get around. Besides, it's a lovely day to give our feet a little use."

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Before even hearing the opinions on this idea from his two companions, the composer began to stroll along--his eyes trailing away from them as they scanned the nearby, tall buildings for a moment. "Another thing to keep in mind, Teresa, the Producer will also be evaluating you as well. I'd be on guard if I were you. He's a very cruel, intimidating individual. He doesn't take kindly to new faces, so I'd watch what you say around him."

A smirk crossed the composer's lips a moment later, as if a thought had suddenly come to his mind. "Don't make fun of his flat ass though. I learned that the hard way," Joshua added tapping his chin. "But between us three, it's not even a one star buttocks. Quite disappointing for someone of such high authority."

After his odd butt related comments, it was then Josh noticed Arya's opinion on Teresa and his bickering. One of his eyebrows twitched in irritation at first, but then he calmed his expression--deciding he would go with the idea to tease Teresa.

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"You caught us. We're totally married. Isn't that right, my dear?" he questioned, shooting his conductor a disgustingly mocking wink.

The composer would've continued to tease if not for Arya's sudden exclamations and collapse afterwards. He stepped in front of her, looking down at the girl as she lied on the ground. "Child, heed my words, there are many here who have done wrong--you are not alone in wretched deeds. Perhaps I have not given you life as a reward, but instead to make you better and put your existence to good use here in my afterlife world." Joshua's eyes then widened slightly upon seeing the two different looking wings emerge from Arya's back. "You're different, as you can see by your wings, and I need people like that here. Serve me, and I'll make your wretched existence something that it hasn't been in a long time: bearable."

@Hospes @Krieg
 
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Teresa couldn't help the triumphant, confident and outright cocky grin that now graced her lips at Joshua's reaction to her jab. "Ah, touchy, are we?" she taunted. "Sounds more like they did trust ya, but ya screwed that up an' now they don't," she stated, purposely trying to tick him off. Despite the fact that she was probably part of the reason that he was doubted, considering how hard she'd pressed him to break rules to bring Yuki back. She didn't know why she found it so enjoyable to do... But it was. And now that she was Conductor, she was around to do it much more often.. Though, that could also be a bad thing, considering it was always a two-way street.

The female decided to cut Joshua some slack on his next statement of the man being an equal, and kept her mouth shut. "Good that. It'll be nice ta meet another angel... Maybe he'll fix my tainted view on them," she remarked. Well, so much for letting up with the teasing and cutting Joshua some slack, huh? Then again... Joshua wasn't exactly the only angel Teresa knew, anyways. There was also Will Herondale; and truth be told, she liked the both of them plenty. She nodded her agreement with walking, though she did glance at Arya, almost as though concerned. "..Ya sure that's a good idea? We could always test that another day.. As for your little Producer pal, I doubt he could be any worse than you," she dismissed with the slightest remaining trace of a grin. "I ain't scared of some..-"

Before she could finish, Joshua made his statement about the Producer having a flat ass, and Teresa may as well have sweat dropped. "..I refuse to acknowledge what you just said."

Even with the way Teresa knew Arya must've been feeling- how she, herself, had felt, after she first had time to really sit down and think about the monstrosities she'd committed during her lifetime -, she wasn't the biggest fan of the girl's behavior. She didn't pay it too much mind because of what the girl spoke of going through, but it definitely put the Reaper off. Kid's more angsty than I am."Maybe you can't see it, but ya aren't exactly missin' much right now. This place seems ta clear out when the Reapers' Game ain't running," Teresa mused, absently, with a shrug. Thing was.. Teresa suddenly froze up at what Arya said next, her expression turning to a mix of agitation, frustration, annoyance, and... Well, she looked flustered and embarrassed as hell. Just as she was about to protest, Joshua added to the matter, and a crimson blush quickly crept across the majority of the ravenette's face.

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For a good minute or two, she just stood there, trying to form words.. But too embarrassed to do so. Sure, she liked Joshua, but not that way.. At least, she didn't think she did. Hell, fact of the matter was that even if she did, there was no way in hell she'd gratify Josh with that knowledge. So when words failed her.. The girl let her hands speak for her. With clear aggravation, she went to grab Joshua by the collar and pull him down closer to her small, petite height, finally managing a rather simple statement after a few moments. What was originally intended to be a threat.. Didn't actually come out as the threat she intended. Instead, it was just a simple, agitated statement, carried out in a small whisper. "In your dreams."

And, with that, she let go, simply averting her gaze once more and resuming walking. "..And don't call me 'your dear'."

Despite her aggravation, the girl halted again upon Arya's cry of pain, spinning on her heels to face the now fallen girl. Though, what she saw definitely surprised her. "..What's with the wings?" she asked no one in particular, hesitantly moving to the girl's side. While most people would likely offer a hand as a means of help, the route Teresa took was much simpler; carefully, and with surprising gentleness, she practically picked Arya up and placed her on her feet.. Which, considering that Teresa was barely taller than the younger girl and very skinny, was probably a surprising feat to someone who didn't know her.

What Teresa said next.. Was probably just as surprising to someone that did know her. "Look, kid, maybe you lost someone you cared about.. I get that, whether you can understand that or not. Maybe understanding ain't what you want, but this is the damn deal; maybe it hurt watching your loved one die.. But I can tell you that dying for a loved one is worth it. Whoever your loved one was? I'm sure they were happy to die for you if it meant you coming out of it." One might not know this.. But Teresa spoke from experience. She had made her choice to die for Thomas years ago. And after that, she died avenging those that died in her first Reapers' Game.​
 
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Frowning at his Conductor, Joshua simply turned his back to her for a moment. Teresa's teasing on the subject of his possible conflict with the higher-ups he worked for just wasn't fair. After all, Teresa had pushed him into doing something else that he really wasn't supposed to do. Sticking his hands in his pockets, the angel replied, "If I were you I'd be more supportive of my so called "screw-ups." It not for my decisions, all of the souls who died during the arch-demon war would still be dead and your little friend, whom you begged me to revive, would still be dead right about now." The Composer shrugged his shoulders. "In fact, I think you could even afford to spare me a thank you. I never reported that it was you who wanted me to revive Yuki. That's right, I covered for you. At least be grateful for that."

"As if I've really done that poor of a job as an angel," Joshua grumbled in reply to Teresa's tainted view on angels idealism. "You really haven't been around long enough to judge me fairly. Anyhow, yes, we do need to meet with the Producer today. I know it is poor timing," he began to say, glancing down at Arya's broken appearance, "but I really do need to prove to him that we've found the girl. I've taken long enough already when it came to finding her, so this needs to happen now. I'll try to make it a short meeting if I can though."

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After Arya's comment about marriage, along with Joshua's response, finally hit Teresa the angel flattened his expression. Her response greatly amused him, but he hadn't expected her to react in such a flustered manner. "My, what a horrible way to treat your husband! Clearly, we have a few kinks to work on in this marriage of ours," he replied, continuing to tease her for a moment, at least, until Teresa began to give Arya some advice.

"Ah, for someone who is so young, you do seem to hold a lot of wisdom on that subject," Joshua replied, nodding in agreement with Teresa. "She's right, Arya, it often pleases those who love someone to die for that someone. In a way, it is the ultimate act of love. Anyhow, I suggest you don't give up on yourself yet, girl. Like I've said to many others, if you give up on yourself, and you give up on the world. Although the world may have been cruel to you, I don't view you as the type of person who likes to lie down and let the world walk on you. Stand up and take it by storm while you still have the chance."

Upon seeing the reaper child now on her feet, the Composer continued walking toward his base. "Fun fact for the two of you, my base--The Shibuya River--is actually located near a sewer. And, Teresa, dear, if you find a prodding comment to make on this fact, I'll snap a lovely photograph of you doing something ridiculous during your personal time and send a mass text of the photograph to all of the reapers," he threatened, leering at her with a smirk on his lips.

@Hospes @Krieg
 
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Ah, yes, another reaction that Teresa had been aiming for. It was her turn to be the smug one, it seemed.. Though her features did soften slightly upon Joshua's response. There was a long pause.. Before the wavy-haired Reaper made a rather small response. "Right.. Sorry, Joshua." Wait... Did she really just say that? If there was one thing Teresa seldom did, it was apologize; especially to Joshua. "Pretty sure that the fact I hugged ya was thanks enough. I don't think I need ta say it," she muttered under her breath, shifting slightly. It was an uncomfortable and embarrassing topic.. And if she was totally honest, Teresa didn't really want to think about Yuki right now. She wanted to see her friend again.. Really get to know her.

But the thing was.. Teresa was worried. If she did get close to Yuki.. She might hurt her. Maybe even vice versa. And if there was anything Teresa didn't want.. That was it.

"..You shouldn't have covered for me. And you shouldn't do it again. I can damn well face consequence of my own action," she chided, trying to keep any trace of emotion out of her voice. It was annoying that Joshua did that for her.. It was her that had pressured him into it, and she didn't need him taking the heat for her.

The ravenette glanced at Joshua at his response to her remark about him tainting her view on angels, and it.. Actually seemed to make her feel bad. She hadn't exactly intended for the male to take her seriously; she had only been teasing, after all. "Well.. Ya don't know me, either, so that's a two-way street," she tried to joke, in hopes of lightening the mood. But, awkwardly, the Reaper rubbed her neck and looked away. "But jeez, lighten up. I wasn't bein' serious," she dismissed, trying to avoid another direct apology. She didn't want Joshua getting his hopes up that they'd come often. "Yeah, alright.. Fair enough," she sighed in response to his answer about the Producer. She didn't feel right making Arya walk, but if Joshua insisted.. It wasn't her right to object.

Joshua's continuation of the marriage remark just seemed to embarrass Teresa more, and she gave an annoyed look before glancing away.

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"..Sorry. I don't do ass-kissin', so I don't think it'd work out between us,"
she remarked. It was a weak jab; but she was a little too embarrassed to really think of anything better. Of course, when Joshua continued on to comment on her advice to Arya, Teresa seemed to tense up. It wasn't difficult to tell that her joking mood and embarrassment were gone... This was the Teresa that hid behind walls as grand as those that she had been barred in by in the maze.. And just as strong, tall, and thick. "Yeah.. Whatever," she muttered, not seeming to want to say anything more on the matter. She didn't remember Thomas... But she did remember that she had died for someone. Someone she loved deeply. She just had no clue who it was, and no real recollection of them.

Because of this withdrawal she'd just undergone, Teresa didn't comment on Joshua's little speech. Hell, she didn't even make a snide remark on his 'fun fact' just to get on his nerves. Instead, she gave a simple, emotionless answer. "There ain't anythin' I do in my free time that's embarrassing," she declared with lack of interest.​
 
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As she felt herself lifted by Teresa's grasp, the Northerner almost collapsed from the the sheer agony, which for a body that had grown numb to pain must of been excoriating. In ways it reminded her of an ritualistic rite that she had done in joint cooperation with the Archdemon, her back marked with the Halo of the Sun, a constant reminder of her former allegiance. It seemed as if the princess knew naught of solace in her icy, ebony heart, her lords falling around her within due time. Even the North, deserving of her by birthright, was now gone, lost to presumably the Boltons, Karstarks, or whomever Northern house arose to seize the ancient throne of Winterfell.

The words that pounded her from Joshua and Teresa were far from comforting, ye, they were the exact opposite from her perception. There was no bringing back Ellie, or Father, or Robb, or Winterfell. Her dreams would forever be nightmares and her very identity was virtually gone and hollowed. Arya Stark had died many times throughout these twisted games, either against or by her will. Yet never before had Arya experienced a feeling of death that went far past the mortal form. A'ye, she felt dead mentally and emotionally, her name meaning but little.

Faceless...

"There is nothing a-admirable about death, n-nothing noble about watching yer friend killed before your eyes, givin' ye the look of mercy." Arya explained, extending her wings, pointing Needle onto the ground, using it once again as a walking stick. "Don't try to falsely comfort me, I know my convictions, the question is if you do." the stoic-haired teenager explained, her tone shifting dramatically, arising fully onto her feet. Her voice carried strength, but one still upon a dark path, the road of redemption corrupted and forsaken. It was evident in both Joshua's eyes and even Teresa's that while Arya may recover, her mind would forever be haunted and troubled. Unbeknownst to everyone, the Mother's presence may of afflicted that, alongside her curse of blindness, seeing the thousand screaming faces of six-legged, dead god.

"I have my questions, but I must make one thing clear. I've bent my knee to my home, to a friend, and to a lord o' darkness. I will not bend it again to some daft Southerner and his squeeze." Arya responded harshly, her voice full of spite and resentment. "I will do what you wish, but the moment you call me a servant, a mere pawn...I will do whatever can, even if it is nothing, to fight against you." the princess concluded, offering her terms, knowing she could no longer swallow in her pity. Not now, the suffering would have to wait for her curiousity and her purpose.

"I ddin't even catch yer twos names...funny, I'm not sure what to even call myself anymore." Arya peered, raising an eyebrow, limping against Needle as her newly-formed wings horridly twitched.

@Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
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While Joshua normally would've teased Teresa for her apology--it wasn't often she apologized to him, after all--the composer couldn't find it in him to do so after hearing her statement that followed. He scowled softly, feeling as if her comment suggesting he shouldn't have covered for her was equivalent to taking back her apology. "Hmph, how ungrateful. Yes, perhaps next time I shall refrain from covering for you then. Oh, and if you're so keen on facing the consequences of your own actions, you're very much welcome to tell the Producer that reviving Yuki was your idea. Although, doing so would be a risky move and I wouldn't recommend it--which is exactly why I covered for you in the first place."

Despite his words, however, Joshua was still willing to cover for Teresa. Saying he would refrain from doing so again was a lie. Oddly enough, he felt she was someone worth protecting. She had often stood up for him, despite her joking distaste for the Composer, so Joshua felt he should do the same for her. Besides that, she was his conductor. It was only natural that he should try to keep her from getting into too much trouble or he wouldn't have her around for a long time.

"I know," Josh mumbled softly in reply to Teresa letting him know she wasn't serious about her teases regarding her views on him as an angel. Deep down, it bothered him a bit that she even had joked about him in that manner; although, admittedly it wasn't something Josh really should've carried about. Many looked down on him and his views as choices as Composer of Shibuya. It was something he regularly faced as a leader of such a well-established organization. Most of the time he was rather skilled at blocking out the opinions of others on that matter, but sometimes they did get to him a little...

"Yes, well, I have a phone that can take pictures of the past. So if you've done something embarrassing in the past, I could find a photo of it. Trust me, everyone has done something embarrassing," Joshua said to Teresa, surprisingly half-hearted in his words. For the moment, he really wasn't in the mood to tease her anymore--not after the previous words they had exchanged. "Although, I'm surprised you haven't at least asked me why I chose to establish my base near a sewer. I get asked about that quite a lot."

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After having had enough of Teresa for a time, the Composer focused his gaze on that of Arya's again, twirling a lock of silvery hair around one of his fingers. "Damn, you're as stubborn as Teresa. I suppose you'd rather me tell you that you're correct and that you should continue wallowing in your suffering then? Grow up. You shouldn't be complaining about people attempting to comfort you. You've had so little comfort in your life that I'd suggest you cling to all of the comfort you can find."

Arya's next comment made the angel chuckle. His laugh was a bit harder than normal, more real, unlike the fake giggle he used when he was teasing people or gawking at someone's butt. "Stubborn, but I think I like you. I'm not asking you to bow down and worship me, or anything of the sort, but I do hope that you will listen to what I tell you to do. If you don't, we might have problems. I'd never try to tell you something in order to control you or make you feel like you're my servant though. No, in fact, Reapers are rather free for the most part so long as they assist with certain jobs. But, for a while, you won't have any jobs--unless you want to consider adjusting to your new life as a job. Think of me as your creepy butt-touching uncle or something, I don't know. Whatever suits you."

"Oh, and the name is Yoshiya Kiryu, lead angel of this place, also known as the Composer, however, I go by Joshua--as for why that is, well, I suppose that is something we could chat about another day if you fancy..."

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Smirking, Josh then jabbed a thumb in Teresa's direction. "And this is my very audacious 2nd-in-command, Teresa. As "loving" as we appear to be toward one another, I'm afraid she is not my... "squeeze"...I believe you mentioned. Quite the odd term; is that what you kids are using these days for your lovers? Interesting..." Joshua's words came off sounding like that of a much older person for a moment. Even if he didn't act it often, he was a rather old angel. "Even if I were interested, anyhow, I believe I'd have to step in line behind the All-Mighty Teresa Harem, yes? Will and Yuki will surely protect your honor!" he teased, directing the comment at Teresa.​
 
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The young adult just gave Joshua a long look at his remark about her being ungrateful, seeming rather exasperated. It was embarrassing enough that she'd apologized to him.. But now she was being called ungrateful. Of course. His statement that went with it earned a sagely nod, however. "Good. I.." For a moment, Teresa seemed to struggle with getting the word out.. Before she reluctantly continued. "..appreciate.. you trying to protect me, but I can handle myself fine. And if ya want me to prove it.. I'm fine with tellin' this producer shank the truth. Whether you believe it to be a good idea or not," she declared, matter-of-factly.

She did manage to pick up on the way Joshua muttered his next reply, almost as though.. Actually upset by her words. This somehow astonished Teresa, considering she hardly thought Joshua took her seriously. Then again.. She didn't exactly retain the device placed in her head by WICKED that let her read thoughts. Besides, even if she had, it only had ever worked with Thomas... Who she didn't even really remember. Regardless of this, she seemed much more awkward than normal, after noticing this. She clearly had something on her mind that she wanted to say... But the Glader wasn't exactly good with sensitive subjects like this, so she didn't know what to say or how to approach the matter.

As such.. She was silent.

Another heavy sigh weighing from Teresa's lips, she reluctantly offered the younger girl a hand when she fell back down. But, in a way mirroring how Teresa would've acted- had she been in Arya's position -, the younger girl simply slowly and determinedly climbed to her feet on her own. This was something Teresa respected deeply, though she wouldn't encourage others doing it. Yes, as the minutes went by, Teresa found she was seeing more and more of a reflection of herself in Arya- from the numerous death, to the watching people you care about die, to the cruel nature of life, the being controlled and manipulated, and...

Well, the last thing was her opposite; Teresa had died for those she loved. Arya had only watched others die for her, in the same acts Teresa had pulled.

And now... Teresa simply felt less of the respect she'd felt for the younger girl, if not completely lost it altogether. The Reaper frowned deeply, her emotionless walls fading to a rather aggravated expression. Not like that she showed when annoyed with Joshua... But something much deeper. Aggravation with the fact that this girl lacked even the slightest clue of what she was talking about. Teresa had given more reassurance already than she should've.. And was annoyed that the girl didn't seem to understand.

Now was for the less gentle phase of the assurance. Now? It was the tough love go around. She may as well have been in an anime and had a popped vein.

"You haven't got a clue, huh, kid?" she started, shaking her head with disapproval. Even the slightest traces of amusement, sass, or smugness were gone. All that was left was heavy annoyance and the bare walls that concealed her inner self. "People die. A lot of them? Unhappy. You should be glad your loved one died happily protecting you. Because he, or she, or.. Whoever did that for you wouldn't want ya to be so torn up about it, okay?" she explained, less than enthusiastically. It didn't seem to be a happy subject for the ravenette with the skin pale as pearls. Her wings didn't so much as twitch, remaining just as tense and rigid as her body as she turned away from the new recruit, resuming walking again... Though it seemed that, despite her annoyance, she was staying close enough to the girl to help her, should she require it.

"And I didn't give ya any comfort, kid. That isn't my thing. What I told you? That's the truth of the matter; whether ya see it or not. I know you've been through major crap... But we all have. You're gonna have to accept that."

The frown on her well-crafted lips deepened slightly, and she shook her head once more. To be perfectly honest? She had no idea what a Squeeze was. The Gladers used a lot of slang, but that wasn't part of it. "Look, I ain't Joshua's anythin'. Don't forget it," she replied, blankly. "An' don't worry... Kneeling to people isn't in the job description," she remarked, additionally, as though it were an afterthought. It was probably for the best that she didn't know that a squeeze was someone's sexual relation.. Or she would've been much more embarrassed than she had been by the marriage comment.

Her boss's commentary on the ability to take photos of the past just made Teresa roll her eyes. She wasn't really in the mood right now. "Yeah, well, if ya find me doing something embarrassing, I'd love to see," she remarked, bemused. She didn't exactly seem as invested in the banter as usual, though. His statement that he was surprised she hadn't asked about his base just earned an exasperated look. "Sure, I'll entertain you; why did ya chose the sewer?" she inquired, half-heartedly. She wasn't terribly curious about it, but she'd ask if only to go along with it.

The Angel's little speech.. Didn't have much effect on Teresa. Her mind had migrated to other, deeper thoughts than those concerning Arya's whining. Thoughts and memories that constantly tugged at her mind, reminding her of all she'd lost.. All she'd been through. And after countless lifetimes and revivals... There was a lot. Most of which, now, were around her time in the Maze. In the Trials. Her death at the WICKED facility. Memories that made her head ache. But, one little thing managed to pull her out of those thoughts...

It was probably a bad move, mentioning the meaning of a squeeze. Teresa blinked a few times in surprise, and almost immediately turned a deep shade of red worse than before. She wanted to protest very badly.. But hardly knew where to start. The big question was... Was she more embarrassed, frustrated, or mad? Her eyebrow twitched slightly in frustration and deeper aggravation, and she clenched her fists. And... There was that hot temper again. Yet, she didn't snap, or yell, or.. anything, aside from her obvious blushing. She just kept quiet, mentally trying to formulate a calm and Composed response.

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"..I'm nobody's lover," she finally managed to declare, albeit in a frustrated and almost childish pouty mutter. Joshua's comment just seemed to frustrate her more. "I don't know what a harem is.. But I doubt they're it," she snapped in retaliation. "Ya said it yourself; I don't know you. You definitely don't know me. I don't know Yuki. Will is.. just..." There was a pause, and Teresa just sighed, shaking her head with a frown. It looked like this was to her as her joke about disliking him was to Joshua. For whatever reason, it stung. "Look, can ya just hush up about it?" she muttered, seeming almost as though.. Confused. She knew Joshua was teasing her, but it was clearly a conflicting topic for her. She wasn't lying; she didn't get the chance to know Yuki. Nobody knew her, completely, aside from herself.. Because the fact of the matter was, Teresa had as many walls as the Maze. Ones that were just as difficult to get around. She didn't like opening up, and seldom did, if at all.

Will.. Will was just.. Complicated. She didn't know what it was she thought of him, or the others, at that. Emotions weren't her strong suit, and Teresa didn't enjoy dealing with them, anyways. Meaning.. She tried to avoid them all together.

For now, though, Teresa didn't have any desire to talk about these things; seriously or jokingly.

Arya's remark about not getting their names just made Teresa return to her nonchalant facade, and she gave a quite simple. "..My name isn't really Teresa," she muttered, almost inaudibly. "But.. Yeah. Most call me Teresa Agnes," she stated, eager to escape the previous subject. If she were in a good mood.. She probably would've thrown in a jab about being the 'one who keeps Joshua in check', but her mood was just the opposite. "Call me whatever ya want, kid. As for what to call yourself.." There was a pause, and Teresa managed to glance at Arya and barely force the faintest ghost of a smile.

"You'll learn soon enough."

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty
 
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