Reaper Squad

[Midnight Maiden]

Looked like Saya wasn't paying him a speck of attention with his comment. Sigh. How troublesome- but no matter. He doubted that she or the Stark girl could exactly do too much damage while he dealt with this. And if they did, it certainly wasn't he that was going to have to take the blame, so what would be the big deal? It certainly didn't bother him as he looked to the two females that were obviously responsible. In fact, if he were brutally honest, the whole spectacle was actually somewhat humorous. And speaking of humorous things...

"Kitty, huh?" he repeated, a grin tugging up at his lips, his head tilting down slightly as he let out a low chuckle. "That's a new one. Sorry, but you're the only one that's gonna be purring. So go on, then- just what do you two think you're up to?" Going and pulling a stunt without me- tsh. Clueless little kiddos. I wonder if they even know how t--

Gah!

A form went flying into Larkin's legs before he could get much more a word in, it's arms wrapping around his lower limbs and the impact? Sent him tumbling forward.... Where he faceplanted right into Coco's torso. Because where else would he land, of course? And being the heavier of the pair, he naturally didn't budge when Coco squirmed beneath him, her actions even provoking a laugh. Man, this was hilarious. He needed to hang around this ragtag bunch more often! "No need to worry, sweetheart- just stay still."

Of course, he wasn't exactly moving, himself. :|

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Atomyk

​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Bitch. Where. :|

With an inward groan, the ravenette forced herself to throw Joshua another reply in their seemingly never-ending game of words. "The vote of confidence is appreciated. It's heartwarming to know that you gave this position to someone you thought wasn't competent. Very reassuring." Of course, it was an unspoken but known fact that she knew that he knew she was competent. This was just their little duel. No let-ups and no surrenders. Thus far, anyways. But she would make him submit to her wits. But for now, hands idly stuck to her sides, and she decided to refrain from rolling her eyes at his next comment.

"I'm wounded. You must think so lowly of me, saying such a thing," she declared melodramatically, feigning deep offense as she 'wandered' 'aimlessly'. She could play this game for a little longer, though she hardly realized she was even doing such a thing. She was just trying to enjoy her training was all! Not elongate it. That was what anyone would do, right? So, on, she continued. "Careful what you wish for." Considering how she wound up 'finding' him? It was a fair piece of advice. Not that it'd do him any good. "An' next time you call me 'dearie', I'll make up for sparing your hand a few weeks ago," she warned in addition. Empty bluffs. "Besides, I already know you're old, you don't have to remind me."

And just as soon as she had tipped the boxes, out came the little butt-lover. As Teresa knew he would, of course. The thing was, she hadn't exactly been expecting him to run right into her, their heads slamming against each other and leaving her momentarily disoriented. The male was saying something, but it fell on less than attentive ears.

Surprisingly, Teresa seemed mildly amused by the spectacle Joshua had made, despite the mild soreness from the collision of their foreheads. As she opened her mouth to speak and tease her boss once again, she was quickly cut off by Joshua shoving her while their limbs were still intertwined and causing them to fall to the floor, Teresa lying with Josh atop her. In the process, the light coming from Teresa's wings? Flickered out. There was a long pause and amusement twinkled in the blue eyes that now stared into Joshua's, a faint smile lacking any ill intent lighting her face. "Sheesh, relax. I was just messing with you," she stated lightly. "Now am I supposed to pick you up and carry you, widdle Josh, or are you going to get off of me on your own?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

After tackling said pair of legs, Saya quickly sat up on her knees and turned around to look for her imaginary enemy--whose laughter echoed in her head. "Train will be mine, you witch! I'll make him forget all of your seductive traps once I end your puny life!" the voice exclaimed, waving around the sword Saya remembered had killed her.

"He'll never let that happen. He knows that you're wrong, that your ways are immoral. J-Just stop!" she shouted at her faux vision of Creed, gripping one of her pins in the palm of her head before chucking it in Lucy's direction. She didn't even think to use a regular attack anymore while her mind was scrambled from the gas.

Clonk!

The pin from Saya's hand flew out of the ex-sweeper's grasp and bounced right off Lucy's head. "How do you like that, huh? Want some more?!" Saya exclaimed, gripping yet another one of her pins and chucking it right past Lucy's head. But this time, however, the pin didn't hit any of the reapers in the room, but instead hit a case of jars sitting on one of the shelves. The case wobbled from being bumped, instantly falling to the ground and shattering all of the jars. The smell of sweet, sticky honey filled the air as it splashed onto the floor and onto whoever happened to be standing closest. Yuck!

Meanwhile, Coco continued to squirm under Larkin's hold, the blush on her cheeks only darkening with every second longer he remained atop her. "P-Please get up!" she squeaked. I-I... he's so handsome I can't even move away from him! B-But I have to because the longer that I stay here, the more of a chance that I'll do something embarrassing like... like...

"ACHOO!"

Coco sneezed all over Larkin. Her reaction was so slow that she didn't even have a chance to react to it when she felt it coming.

If I wasn't already dead, I'd tell someone to kill me right now.

Standing to the side of Coco and Larkin, Ash covered her mouth to prevent herself from laughing with one hand while her other hand was behind her back, holding a pepper shaker. It had been too dark to see what Ash was up to, but she had poured just a little bit of pepper on Coco's face after Larkin had fallen on top of her. The cheeky girl's eyes twinkled in amusement.

I knew some pepper would come in handy~


@Krieg @Atomyk @Hospes​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Replies

"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​

Bitch. Where. :|

With an inward groan, the ravenette forced herself to throw Joshua another reply in their seemingly never-ending game of words. "The vote of confidence is appreciated. It's heartwarming to know that you gave this position to someone you thought wasn't competent. Very reassuring." Of course, it was an unspoken but known fact that she knew that he knew she was competent. This was just their little duel. No let-ups and no surrenders. Thus far, anyways. But she would make him submit to her wits. But for now, hands idly stuck to her sides, and she decided to refrain from rolling her eyes at his next comment.

"I'm wounded. You must think so lowly of me, saying such a thing," she declared melodramatically, feigning deep offense as she 'wandered' 'aimlessly'. She could play this game for a little longer, though she hardly realized she was even doing such a thing. She was just trying to enjoy her training was all! Not elongate it. That was what anyone would do, right? So, on, she continued. "Careful what you wish for." Considering how she wound up 'finding' him? It was a fair piece of advice. Not that it'd do him any good. "An' next time you call me 'dearie', I'll make up for sparing your hand a few weeks ago," she warned in addition. Empty bluffs. "Besides, I already know you're old, you don't have to remind me."

And just as soon as she had tipped the boxes, out came the little butt-lover. As Teresa knew he would, of course. The thing was, she hadn't exactly been expecting him to run right into her, their heads slamming against each other and leaving her momentarily disoriented. The male was saying something, but it fell on less than attentive ears.

Surprisingly, Teresa seemed mildly amused by the spectacle Joshua had made, despite the mild soreness from the collision of their foreheads. As she opened her mouth to speak and tease her boss once again, she was quickly cut off by Joshua shoving her while their limbs were still intertwined and causing them to fall to the floor, Teresa lying with Josh atop her. In the process, the light coming from Teresa's wings? Flickered out. There was a long pause and amusement twinkled in the blue eyes that now stared into Joshua's, a faint smile lacking any ill intent lighting her face. "Sheesh, relax. I was just messing with you," she stated lightly. "Now am I supposed to pick you up and carry you, widdle Josh, or are you going to get off of me on your own?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

What the-- It's heartwarming to know that you gave this position to someone you thought wasn't competent? Oh jeez, was Teresa really going there? Was this the best she could do with her words? Joshua couldn't help but grumble in the back of his throat at her meager attempt to combat his responses. What an ungrateful, taunting female she was! The Composer couldn't believe how she got on his nerves sometimes.

For Joshua's next weapon of choice in their verbal joust, he decided not to outright pick apart her words, but instead use sickeningly sweet remarks to try and get on her last nerve. "How nice of you to give me such honest advice. The next time I'm on my deathbed, I will be sure choose the perfect person as my next Conductor out of the many options I had, like last time," he said, picking at how Teresa was the only option he had to choose from at the time. "Clearly, work should be the only thing on my mind when I'm dying. I'll keep that in mind for next time," he added, a snooty smile gracing his lips.

So how odd was it that they somehow had continued their banter even after having fallen, tangled up with one another? Not very odd at all knowing the two. After speaking, Joshua stared down at the ravenette with a dumbfounded look on his face. His ash colored eyes almost seemed to glow in the dark, like a reflector on a bicycle. This effect was due to his powers as Composer; he had adjusted his eyes to see better in the dark basement. In truth, the look on his face was due to feeling a bit anxious based on reasons he didn't understand. His best guess was that he felt a bit awkward, embarrassed even, that he had taken a fall to the floor with her.

Anyhow, after a moment of staring, he averted his gaze. "I can get up on my own just fine thanks," he mumbled, doing his best to untangle their legs so he could work on standing up.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

While Saya quite pathetically shouted and threw her pins childishly at an unfortunate Lucy, Larkin had his hands full with something much better. A pretty young lady... Right beneath him, too. What more could a guy ask for, anyways? She was blushing for him, too, her voice even getting higher with what was obviously embarrassment. She was totally into him, one hundred percent, showing all of the signs. Just the way he liked it. Not that it really mattered either way. He always got what he wanted, regardless.

Before much could be said or done, something rather unexpected happened. One of the projectiles Saya had thrown had strayed from it's target, knocking over a jar of honey right near the pair! The reaction gained from Larkin was naught but the brief narrowing of his two golden eyes at the realization that his suit had been ruined before he noticed something that caused a predatory grin to spread across the young man's face. A bit of honey that had splattered across Coco's face. Along her jaw, right by where it met her neck.

Jackpot.

There was no hesitation in what 'needed' to be done. No second thoughts or split seconds of consideration. There was only Larkin slowly leaning forward ever-so-slightly, his warm breath undoubtedly caressing Coco's skin. "You got a little... something," he spoke. The moment the last word left his lips, he was on her, tongue flicking out and sweeping over her skin in a less than PG manner, purposefully elongating the process of cleaning the honey away. When he had finished, he pulled away, licking his lips as though there might still be leftovers. Nothing. As such, his tongue retreated back into his mouth and he gave Coco a daring, devilish grin. "All better."

With that out of the way, the male finally addressed Coco's own request, his pride and cunning never fading as he did so. "Of course." And with that? He took his time in starting to climb up off of Coco and back onto his feet.... only to be sneezed all over. Because why the fuck not, right? In any case, he brushed it off.... for now. He could enact his revenge later. At least he hadn't noticed Ash.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Atomyk​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

...

Really? Had he really just said that? It was quite clear that Teresa wasn't at all pleased with Joshua's words, judging by the look on her face alone. But perhaps not for the reasons one would expect- which was precisely why she had to word her retort carefully. A joking tone, perhaps, to start, would do best. "What, ya think I'm gonna back out of this or die quick enough for ya to have to worry about getting a new Conductor? That hurts, Josh." That was a good start. A sarcastic reply was out in the open, now she just needed to broach the true source of her annoyance with his particular words. "Besides, you aren't gonna be dying again. Least, you better not. It's not like I'll always be around to save you, you know," she teased further. But it was a farce. A cover-up. For as long as she lived, there was no way she'd not be around to help him should he ever need it.

She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let another person she cared about die.

Captivated by the glow of Joshua's eyes in the dark, Teresa found herself staring as well, growing increasingly awkward as the time passed. So it was only natural that when Joshua made his little comment about being able to get up on his own that Teresa retorted without considering what to say. "Really? Because you're spending an awful lot of time on top of me for someone that can get up on their own." Unless you just didn't want to get up, huh? It wasn't a relevant matter anymore, though, because Joshua had finally managed to untangle himself from her in a rather uncomfortable process. Problem solved, right? Except, apparently not, because Teresa's eyes visibly widened, all of her senses on high alert. "Josh! Get down!" Within seconds, she sprung up, roughly slamming into Joshua and tackling him back to the ground. Uh oh - looked like the gas had managed to creep through here as well.

But just what did she see, anyways?

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Kersplat!

The unfortunate mess of honey, caused due to Saya's hallucinations, was more than enough to rain down upon a very flustered Coco. It landed on her face, neck, jaw, and even collided with her blonde hair, the golden honey wetting down her hair. Had this been any ordinary situation, the little reaper would've noticed they sticky goop straight away, but in that moment she was still anxious and distracted by Larkin atop her. It was only that she finally noticed the honey when the male pointed out that she had some on her.

"O-Oh?" she stuttered. She was unsure how she would get rid of the honey, but it was the least of her problems at the momen--

"Bleeeeh," Coco slowly said, a shiver running up her spine as Larkin "took care" of the honey on her jawline. His tongue felt warm, wet, and oh goodness it was long. Coco looked horrified, as if a snake had actually been the one to lick her. Even after Larkin got up, Coco was frozen in shock and unable to move.

In the background, Ash's laughter only grew louder. "Okay, I knew this prank would be good, but it turned out even better than I expected it would!" She held her stomach, laughing just about as hard as she could.

When sense finally snapped back into Coco's mind, she scurried to her feet and shot Larkin a glare. "Like, what was that for, huh? Were you trying to be like a dog or something?" she questioned, frowning. "That was gross!"

@Hospes @Atomyk @Krieg​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Joshua blew a lock of ash-colored hair out of his eyes before shaking his head at Teresa's words. "Of course not. I was only trying to make a point. Which, apparently, you didn't understand. I don't intend to die, nor do I intend for you to die or be replaced. I'll cross that bridge when, or if, I get to it." Josh grumbled, just as annoyed by Teresa's words as she was by his. "And I hope you'll always be around unless you choose to resign from your position." He paused for a moment before adding, "Because it'd be a huge pain to train another Conductor." He had to give her a reason why he wanted her to stay that wasn't personal. Otherwise he'd never hear the end of her teasing.

Whipping his head away after hearing Teresa's other comment, Joshua scowled. He was grateful that the darkness hid a small blush he could feel forming on his face. "Well, sorry I'm not moving fast enough for you!" he said with a snort. By the time he had just about stood up, however, the Composer heard Teresa's cry. Before he even had a chance to react, he felt himself slammed back into the ground.

"Ack, Teresa!" He grumbled, squirming under her hold. "What was that for?! Let me up!" He sensed no presence other than the two of them in the basement, and didn't sense any danger either. So what exactly was she going on about now? "If you wanted to shove me on the floor and have your way with me, you could've just asked," he said in a low, teasing tone.

@Hospes​

 

[Krieg]

"Failure failure failure failure...look at you go!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Oh but why should I, we've been doing this dance for so long now! I am starting to think you and I are just destined to be. What do you think, She-Wolf?"

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

"Nonono, if I leave, who else will you have? You always been a sad little girl, Arya, think of me as your friend. Without me, who do you really have, honestly? These Reapers? Most of them hate you and the others barely know your name. I bet your friends back in reality even forgot who you were. Makoto, Cosmo, Bayonetta, even your brother, Jon. Who are you, really? A nobody, a nobody that hardly speaks and hardly is paid attention to anymore. You had the world on your shoulders, little wolf, now you are the Atlas."

"A...A...Ah..."

The fury and fire subsided, weakness revealing itself, the blind youngling falling to her knees, the fabrics of the dress dawned over her like some improvised hood. The voices stayed but she could not feel their sharpness underneath the numb nature of her soul, the truth bitter and unrelentingly true. Time and time again, the Stark became nobody- a mere image of something that was once vibrant and powerful. In time, people change, people decay, and sadly, people die. Arya of Winterfell tried to deny this process, her arrogance and pride believing foolishly that perhaps, just maybe, life was for much more than periods of heighten existence.

Her dream failed, not because she did not have the strength, but because the universe itself would not allow it. All that must begin must end, and for Arya's case, she had faded from the world. Faces and titles were but darkness to her like the rest of reality, truly the first and frightening step back at step one. Still hearing Cole pound into her ears, the shaky teenager slowly arose, sweaty and exhausted from her flurries and flails.

"It...It isn't f-funny...a'ye..."

A rasp escaped her lips, picking up a small stick, as if it were a walking cane. Shifting her head in the exact direction of the offenders, Arya stood, a reminder of how seemingly innocent pranks can have unintended consequences. Biting her rows of teeth together, tightening her grip on the stick, the She-Wolf snarled, defensively and without impunity. Raising her left hand, pointing slowly but surely, Arya denounced openly, her mind now of ease again, free from sin and troubles.

"I don't need to see to know the ugliness of you two."

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes
​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Any conversation they'd had was lost, now, a scowl forming on Teresa's lips in agitation at Joshua's remark. Couldn't he see that now wasn't the time for jokes?! "Shut up and stay down," she snapped in return, obviously losing any trace of embarrassment and playfulness. Within moments, she'd secured one of her pins, immediately leaping to her feet. There was fire in her eyes, the stray lock of hair now dangling in her face going completely ignored as she stared down something- or, rather, someone -that the rest of the world would be blind to. An apparition, not that she was aware.

"You."

The man to which she spoke merely stared, appearing to be hardly fazed or even impressed.

"And just who else would it be, girl?"

What a ridiculous query. The Glader knew it was made merely to taunt her, and it worked, leading to her further narrowing her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe someone that isn't dead?" was the snarky response from the ravenette. Considering the situation, she was surprisingly calm. A result of her recent exposure to all kinds of crazy and unexpected events and things, perhaps. Regardless, on, she continued. "But I guess that doesn't matter. I'm not afraid of you. I've defeated you twice - and this time won't be any different," she declared, her voice steady and even. But now, the man only laughed.

"Foolish child. Without others assistance, you are nothing. If you truly believe you can stop me, you are duller than I imagined," the fake John replied. "Besides, you are nothing. It is not you that I've come here, for. If you wish for a less painful death, I suggest you stand aside." ...Wait, he wasn't here for her? It took a moment for it to sink in, to which Teresa merely tensed. Oh hell to the fucking no. Was this guy for real? Did he really think she would just stand down like that?

"...Sorry to disappoint, but not even your dreams. If you want him, you'll have to go through me."

With that, the glader began to ready for an assault, squeezing the pin in her hand. It was Onikiri, so soon enough, she had sword in hand. But just as she was about to take a leap at John, she found herself pausing mid-movement, cut off by the sound of roaring laughter. It suddenly felt like she physically couldn't move, as though she'd been frozen in place. That was definitely alarming. But not quite as much as what came next.

"You truly are a fool. Taking me on will only seal your inevitable death. And I'll be killing that pain of a Composer, too- then who will bring you back?" There was a small pause before Teresa opened her mouth, only to be cut off. "No one. You cannot hope to defeat me, let alone defend your precious Composer, and you know it." For some odd reason, those words hurt deeply. But it made no sense. After all, Teresa knew she could defeat this jerk again, and defend and save Joshua, too. So it made no sense. After all, why would she even begin to consider listening to what John said, anyways?

Shaking her head, Teresa glowered. "No. You're wrong," she snapped in a low tone, her grip on the hilt of sword tightening, causing her knuckles to become white.

The immediate response from John was a chilling grin, and he leaned down, locking eyes with Teresa head-on. "Am I?" he asked in a low whisper. "You're nothing but a pathetic little girl. You act as though you are tough and unbeatable, but need I remind you of how many times you've been defeated? How many times you've fallen? Pathetic! And to think, if you had joined me, you could have tapped into your hidden potential..." That was it. Every word was hurting Teresa more and more, cutting her deeply and somehow filling her with what she didn't realize to be fear and concern. No, she mistook it for annoyance and frustration for his 'clear lies'.

"....Shut up!"

And so she lunged, beginning to lash out at what appeared to be nothing. But her movements were with conviction and determination. Yet, somehow, her attacks seemed more sloppy and careless than usual, as though she weren't quite in her right mind, or was too angered or upset to think straight.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Something really must've been wrong for Teresa to brush off his words like they were nothing. Especially right after he had just said something creepy. Joshua's amethyst eyes searchingly gazed up at Teresa as she jumped to her feet, sitting up despite the fact she told him to stay down. The Conductor yelled, argued with, and attacked thin air in front of her causing several boxes that had been stacked to topple over, the contents inside of them likely demolished. The angel winced as he watched them, shaking his head. I'll have to apologize to the store owner later. Jeez...

Joshua stood up after a moment, letting out a heavy sigh as he began to brush himself off. He then casually walked beside Teresa, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Look, dear, there isn't anyone in front of you. I'm not sure what you think is there, but I can assure you--"

The Composer paused in his words when he heard something crackling in the distance. He squinted at one of the boxes Teresa had knocked over realizing it was a box of very sensitive fireworks. "Shit!" Josh cursed, stepping toward Teresa in order to wrap his arms around her. A second later, he teleported them out of the basement and onto the second floor where Arya and the others had been shopping.

Although he could faintly hear fireworks going off under their feet on the higher floor, they were safe from them. They were even safer, in fact, because seconds later sprinklers went off in the entire building. Joshua groaned in response, wiping wet hair out of his eyes. "Look what you did, Teresa? Now I'm all wet. Why were you acting so strange anyhow?" Moments after asking his question, Joshua was able to answer the question himself. "Goodness, it smells strongly of gas down here. Hee hee, Teresa you were high on gas. How funny."

Joshua snapped his fingers and instantly cleared the air of the gas smell with his power, which would cause the heads of everyone on the floor to soon clear of the gas. "There, now that this problem is out of the way..." Joshua pulled his phone out and dialed a number.

"Hey, Sanae, can you head down to the shopping center please? I need a quick favor. Thanks."

---

Meanwhile, as the smell of the gas cleared from the air, Saya came to her senses and realized the sprinklers inside the building were giving her a good soak. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking around in confusion as if she had just awoken from a long sleep. "Okay, what exactly is going on here?" she questioned the others.

"You tell me."

Sanae walked up to the baffled group, poking his head in the doorway past Larkin to answer Saya's question. "I just came down here because J called me, but it looks like the power is out and the sprinklers are on. Jeez, can't I leave you kids alone for half an hour?"

Upon seeing Sanae, Ash gasped and hid behind Larkin. Her attempt to hide failed, however, as the Producer immediately noticed her. "Okay, and why is she here with all of you? She's a player for the upcoming game and she shouldn't be out until the party!"


@Krieg @Atomyk @Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Heavy breathing came from the mistress as she repeatedly lashed out over and over, pnating for breath and working up a slight cold sweat in her assault on what was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, the result of the gas affecting her brain, causing her to be assaulted by hallucination and doubt. She hardly even noticed Joshua sitting up, the sound of John White's laughter filling her mind in a way she couldn't possibly escape. It was a sickening sound, especially when it was accompanied by seeing her attacks have no power on him. "Give it up. You're nothing but a bug, your sole purpose? To be crushed."

"No!" Teresa exclaimed lowly, rearing up to launch a more powerful attack... Only to find a hand grabbing her shoulder mid-action. With all of her senses on overdrive, she attempted to whirl around and shove Joshua away without realizing who it was. But realization hit her once it was too late, her eyes locking with his as she began to fall, only for Joshua to wrap his arms around her and their surroundings to fade. While they might have, the words from her 'encounter' were burned into her head. And once they were out of there, Teresa didn't exactly respond very well.

"What were you doing? I told you to stay down! You could've gotten hurt," she snapped, hardly even realizing the lingering closeness of her and her boss. But then he began making some sort of claim about how she was acting strange and high on gas, to which her eyebrows furrowed with confusion, giving him a look like he was crazy and, quite frankly, not caring that she was getting rather wet from the sprinklers. That was the last thing on her mind. "What are you on about? I'm not high on anything." How could he take the threat of John having shown his face so calmly?! It baffled Teresa, and her wet hair now hung in her face as she attempted to regain her breath. Ugh, he was being such an ungrateful little bastard, and the damn threat was still out there, too! And from the sounds of things, he had just blown something up!

...

Ugh.

It had taken a good few minutes, but slowly her head was clearing, and gosh it was a pain. She had finally taken a seat, and she held her head in her hands. Looked like Joshua had been right, after all - none of it had been real. It was all but a blurry recollection, now, but not as blurry as she would have liked. She recalled just enough... Just enough for a seed of doubt to be planted. This was all just a huge mess. She didn't even know what to say.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Atomyk]

Lucy Kuo let out an audible groan. At some point, the strain of encountering Cole and the effects of the gas had knocked her out, putting her under until the gas had finally been dissipated. She felt a shudder run through her body as she stood, her eyes blinking groggily.

She wasn't quite grasping what had happened.

Letting a long slow breath escape her, Lucy brought a hand to her face and rubbed at her aching head. "A player...?" she said dumbly, eyes closed. She paused for a moment, long enough for to get to the next part of her jumbling thoughts. "The party...?"

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Pffft this was great. Despite Coco's obvious disgust, Larkin only snickered, smoothing his hair back with a grin. Maybe on some level, he was still aware of what he was doing- not that anyone would be able to tell. But knowing him, it wouldn't precisely be a major surprise to discover. Regardless, Coco's question was only shrugged off passively, his cocky grin never fading even as he did this.

[spoili]

Trollolololol, bitches :|[/spoili]

With Saya finally having come down from her own little hallucination, and Sanae finally arriving, it looked like Larkin was still one step ahead. Or, at least, he was playing it that way. Seemingly recovering fairly quickly, the male clicked his tongue and crossed his arms casually, hardly minding that he was soaked. Perhaps he was even amused by the fact- especially since the others all suffered the same fate, and they were primarily dressed for the event. Larkin was as well, but he'd get over it. Anyyyyway.... "Sanae, Sanae, Sanae- is that even a question?" he inquired, not caring for the title 'Mr'. They meant nothing to him. Especially when it came to authority, used as though a badge to prove that they were of higher standing. It made him want to gag. Regardless, the young man smoothed his hair back before continuing.

"Everything was going fine 'til these lovely ladies," he trailed off, promptly stepping aside as Ash tried to hide behind him before gesturing to both her and Coco. "..decided to drop by. How this one snuck her way out, I couldn't tell ya. But I can tell you she stirred up quite the ruckus." Oh, yeah, he played it off real smooth. Realllll smooth.

That's sarcasm. He was still as much of an ass as ever.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

After giving Sanae the call, a frown formed on the Composer's lips that would only continue to deepen as his clothes--and all the clothes in the clothing store--were soaked from the sprinklers. Joshua scowled, almost instantly seeming to shift into a bad mood. While he knew that the sprinklers going off had been Teresa's fault, his Conductor hadn't been in her right mind when she caused it to happen. And that wasn't her fault at all. But someone was to blame, and when he got his hands on them they were going to wish they had never done something like this!

"Come, Teresa, we have a troublemaker to catch," the Composer grumbled with narrowed eyes, not bothering to help Teresa stand back up or even spare her another glance before he began to move toward the back of the clothing department where Larkin, Lucy, and the others were currently at.

When he saw the group, an angry fire burned in his eyes--especially after seeing Lucy. Seeing the look on Joshua's face, and probably knowing what he was thinking, Sanae moved over to Joshua and placed a hand on his shoulder before whispering to him, "Don't worry, this has nothing to do with her. In fact, it wasn't a reaper at all who caused this. It looks like it was one of the players..." He then gestured to Ash, the cheeky little girl who was now squirming in place after Larkin had moved away from her.

Joshua sighed and stepped toward the girl, a frown still etched into his lips. "So, this was your doing then? You rascal; I ought to punish you and not allow you to play my game. You were told to behave and stay in the waiting area until the party starts. What is your name, you defiant mongrel?"

Ash frowned. "It's Ashildr, sir. I only wanted to have a bit of fun, please don't be mad."

Suddenly Coco spoke up, stepping in front of Ash. "It wasn't just her fault. Like, it was actually more of my own fault. I let her out of the room. I-It's just... there aren't many kid reapers around my age to play with, and when I saw a younger looking player I just wanted to have some fun with her."

"You're on thin ice already, Atarashi. First the illegal merchandise, and now this..." The Composer glared at Coco, tightening a fist. It took everything he had not to raise his hand and slap the girl. Admittedly, Joshua had a bad temper when it came to people either defying him or if he knew someone who even had connections to an individual who had defied him in the past.

"I swear--" Joshua cut himself off, taking in a deep breath before snapping his fingers. After he did, the sprinklers turned off and a rather large gust of air blew through the area to dry everything off. "You know what? Just get these two girls out of my sight. Better yet, make them both stay in this back room and clean it up. When they're done, take Ashildr back to where the other players are staying and proceed to the party. I'll leave that task to Larkin and Saya," he said. Gesturing to Lucy and Arya he added, "And I don't care what you two do, just stay out of trouble. Sanae and Teresa, meet me by the dressing room in a couple of minutes. We have one last thing to do before we head to the party ourselves."

And with that, Joshua stomped off, his body tense and frustrated. After he had moved away, Saya frowned. "Don't you think that was just a little bit... harsh?" she asked.

Sanae sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Eh, the boss has a pet peeve when it comes to people defying him. Don't worry, he'll be fine when the party rolls around..."

Saya scratched her chin thoughtfully. "And what did the Composer mean by "illegal merchandise," Coco?" she questioned, glancing to the short, blonde reaper.

Coco quieted and glanced down at her feet, saying nothing.

"..."

Sanae gave Saya a pat on the shoulder. "I'm gonna go. You kids holler if you need anything. The dressing rooms are only right around the corner."


@Hospes @Atomyk @Krieg​

 

[Atomyk]

"I'd say most people have a pet peeve of being defied..." Lucy said idly, looking embarrassed now that she had come to her senses. She was looking down at her hands, adjusting at her suit's cuffs in need of something to do with her hands. That strange hallucination had put her on edge more than she would have cared to admit, and she was not feeling ready for this party any longer. She didn't want to go at all now, but she knew ditching would just earn ire from Joshua and the others.

She looked up, eyes fixing on Larkin and Saya. "I suppose... I have nothing better to do than go with you two." She then looked to the blind reaper with a frown. "Will you be joining us, Arya?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Hospes​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

After Mr. H had left them, Saya frowned and shook her head. "Ugh, after all of this trouble I can't say I'm looking forward to going to that party. I hope they at least have some milk there," she mumbled to herself before glancing to Lucy. "Yeah, you and Arya should definitely join us. We can watch over the two girls so they clean up the mess and then we can all head up to the party."

Saya rubbed the back of her neck and glanced to the mess again, feeling bad she had helped to make it. She was sorely tempted to help clean it up, but then again would Joshua be mad if they did try to help? "My life was no walk in the park, but who knew life would be so full of trouble even after dying, am I right?" she asked with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, thank the gods you even remember your life," Ash spoke up scornfully. "Only thing I've got is my name and recollection of a few things I learned."

"Oh, well if you play the game and win, I'm sure the boss will give you your memories back. Everyone has to pay an entry fe--"

"I lost my memories before coming here. They weren't my entry fee," she explained, glancing away from them. "Can we just get on with cleaning up this mess? I'd like to get this over with so we can get out of here..."

@Atomyk @Krieg @Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

So. Joshua was pissed. Great. This would be an absolute blast to deal with. More fun than even the party, the main event! But Joshua's bad mood wasn't really what was feeding into Teresa's own. Or maybe it was, to some extent- it just wasn't her main issue. No, what had her in a bad mood was that she'd been so easily put out of her right mind. What if that had happened, when there was a real threat? Rendered her useless and, just as she had been in the little hallucination, unable to protect Joshua? It was a thought that really served to grate her gears, leaving her to only give a small nod and sour expression when Joshua stated they ought to find the troublemaker. With whom, Teresa was certainly not pleased.

But no matter how annoyed she was, she wasn't about to voice her concerns.

After a few moments, she was on her feet again, feeling slightly better than before(though a headache still lingered) and ready to find whoever was responsible. After all, for all they knew, they could be a threat. Or perhaps they were harmless, and just stupid. It'd certainly warrant a talking to if the latter, and more than just words if the former. But obviously, they wouldn't exactly know until they found who was responsible. Which, at least they did. Fairly quickly, even.

Upon reaching the group, it wasn't hard to pick up on just who Joshua believed to be responsible for the whole incident. While he laid his glare upon that very female, Teresa's own eyes wandered the crowd, narrow and keen. She almost seemed to completely block out Joshua altogether, in favor of trying to determine just who the unfamiliar face among them was. Well, up until hearing Sanae's statement that the child was a player. That explained that much. In any case, Teresa didn't get much room to get a word in, with Joshua's scolding of both of the young girls present and ordering them to clean up around. But despite her initial frustration and anger, she wasn't on the same level as Joshua. The frown never left her lips, and the look she briefly gave Joshua spoke her thoughts quite clearly. They were kids, and this was just them acting like it.

After all, childhood wasn't something everyone was lucky enough to experience.

Regardless, her boss was already gone before long, leaving Teresa to exhale through her nose. A small shake of her head was given, even as Saya spoke of Joshua being fairly harsh. "...Just try not to worry too much," was all she really had to offer. With that she turned, somewhat messy wet hair swishing as she did so. "Including you, Coco. Ashildr."

And with a last, awkward nod, she was off.

....

"Right. Well. Aren't we all just bundles of sunshine today?" Larkin finally commented after a pause, arms folding casually behind his head. Dat wet shirt mixed with that action totally showed off his muscles, too. :| After letting out a small sigh, he let his arms instead fall to his sides before winding up crossing them over his chest. "Anyways, sure thing, sweetheart. Let's hop to cleanin', then, shall we?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Krieg​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Chapter 3

After what seemed to be an almost endless hour, it was finally nearing time for the party to start. The sun had set, leaving the marvelous array of lights that Mr. H and various other reapers had worked to put together glowing brightly to illuminate the darkness of Shibuya's night. Many guests had arrived already, either seating themselves at tables or wandering around for idle chit-chat. As minutes passed, more and more guests arrived, until nearly all of Shibuya's reapers, and even reapers from other districts, had arrived. But one very important reaper in particular hadn't arrived right away...

"How many times are you gonna straighten that tie, kiddo?" Mr. H questioned, standing outside the men's dressing room within the department store's lower floor. The Composer frowned, turning to look over his shoulder at the Producer for a moment before shaking his head and returning his gaze onto the mirror he was standing in front of.

"As many times as I damn well please. I know I'm late, but don't try to press me. I'd much rather take my time," Joshua replied, yet again straightening the tie he was wearing. He had put on a suit and adorned his angel form in order to seem more like a presentable leader, yet regardless he wasn't exactly feeling very comfortable.

Mr. H touched a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Don't tell me you're... nervous? We've done a lot of events like these in the past. I would've figured you'd be used to them by now."

Joshua sighed. "I'm not nervous. I am used to them, Sanae. That doesn't mean I enjoy them. It's on these nights we have so many guests, even Composers from other districts, that I can't just-- Oh, never mind."

A smirk crossed Sanae's lips. "You can't really relax and be yourself, huh? I get you. But we all gotta put on our business hats every now and again." The man pushed up his sunglasses, a rather odd item to be wearing next to the dim lighting of the dressing room, and widened his smirk. "You should stick around your Conductor. Seem's like you can't help but be yourself when she's around you, no matter what's going on. Might help you relax a little," he suggested, stepping in the door in order to give Joshua a pat on the shoulder. In response, the angel only frowned.

"If spending time with Teresa is your only idea, I think you're loosing your creative touch. I've seen her enough today and I'd rather not deal with her sass tonight, thank you very much," he said, yet again straightening his tie. "The only thing that's going to make me feel better is... a nice hard drink." While he wasn't interesting much in such drinks, and they didn't really effect him, it didn't hurt to have one every once in a while.

"Anyhow, let's go," Joshua finally said, whirling around to walk past Sanae at a brisk pace.

"About time," the Producer said with a laugh, following after the angel.

The two headed upstairs, garnering quite a bit of attention from the crowd when they arrived on top of the roof. Despite the fact eyes were on him, Joshua ignored everyone and headed straight for a spiked punch bowel. He dipped himself out a cup of the punch, earning a roll of the eyes from Sanae.

"Good grief, J, can't you wait until after you greet the guests and make your announcement before dipping into the drinks? The reapers, and the players, are waiting for you. They're still sitting in the back room, and I'm sure they're eager to get out and stretch their legs..."

"Hmph, in this situation I'm God and they're the peasants. They can wait for me," Josh grumbled, taking a good, long swig of his drink. Immediately after, he spat the drink out, choking as if he had just ingested something foul. "What the hell-- Who made this? It's terrible! I've never tasted a drink that burned so much going down my throat," he groaned, coughing for a few more times before he calmed down.

Confused at Joshua's reaction, Mr. H made himself a cup of the punch and took a sip of it, shrugging his shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with it. I think you're just in a bad mood tonight. You'd better go up front and make the announcement pronto."

"Fine," Joshua replied, inwardly sulking as he made his way over to a small stage they had set up for the event. He spoke with a few reapers who stood along the sides, letting them know to release the players from the back room when he gave them the cue. Afterwards, he walked onto the stage with a mic and began speaking to the group.

"Many of you know me, but for those who don't, I am Yoshiya Kiryu, Composer of Shibuya. First, I'd like to say thank you all for coming today. This is an event that we of Shibuya pride ourselves on, and it is very much appreciated when those of other districts can come to be a part of it. This party tonight is not only a traditional affair, but also an event dedicated to celebrating Shibuya's accomplishments as of late."

Joshua sounded smooth and well-practiced as he spoke, as if he had given similar speeches time and time again. He didn't look nervous or uncomfortable, even when the crowd clapped between his words, but he did look bored and even slightly annoyed. Nevertheless, he continued to speak.

"In our time of struggling to repair the damage done by my previous Conductor, we found new allies, new alliances, and new hope. Because of these important connections we've made, we were able to aide the Coalition in ending the Archdemon's reign, thus restoring a great amount of balance to the entire multiverse. Since then, my confidence in the strength of my reaper team has returned, and I've even been able to appoint a new Conductor into power..."

Joshua trailed off for a moment, peering through the crowd to make sure he could see Teresa before he continued speaking. "Please give a warm round of applause to Teresa Agnes, Shibuya's newest Conductor."

While the crowd clapped, a spotlight fell on Teresa. This may have been a surprise to her, as Joshua never exactly explained that he planned on announcing her presence before everyone, but the Composer honestly gave no shits. He liked teasing her, and he honestly hoped she was slightly shocked or even embarrassed. The smirk on his lips was proof enough.

"Moving on," Joshua said after a moment, "I have one more accomplishment I'd like to present. Shibuya has finally been repaired to the point of being able to resume its activities. So I'm happy to announce that the Reapers' Games will be continuing again, starting tomorrow."

More applause followed, but when it died down, Joshua was prepared to add on to what he had been saying. "However, things will be different this time. The players whom are to be participating in the game tomorrow are going to be introduced here tonight. They will join in this party, free to roam among all of you as equals. Their entry fees have been collected already and they don't yet have any pins they can use to fight, so treat them kindly." Joshua paused before adding, "So without further ado, please enjoy yourselves at this party tonight."

Joshua gave a small bow that was accompanied by applause before he began to walk off stage. As the applause died down, music began to play.

Joshua pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a groan after hearing the music blaring in his ears. "Do they have to open with such a chaotic song first thing? Not everyone wants to dance as soon as the party starts," he grumbled, making his way over the edge of the roof. He seated himself down, dangling his feet off the edge.

I think I'm just going to sit here and try to ignore everyone for as long as possible. I'm really not in the mood for all this. I have a headache now.

---

After the Composer's announcement ended, Saya stood near Larkin and Lucy while trying to keep Arya in her sights. While the young reaper was rather excited to be at a party such as this one--and to be dressed super, duper cute, by the way--she couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable.

It wasn't the party itself or the guests that made her nervous, but truthfully it was Arya she worried for. The poor girl was blind on top of a roof with loud music blaring in her ears for goodness sake! Saya turned to her friends, letting out a sigh before speaking. She had to keep her voice loud in order for them to hear her.

"ARE YOU OKAY UP HERE, ARYA? IT'S REALLY LOUD! AND THE ROOF, WE WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE BEING SO HIGH UP."

What if something bad happened and the girl actually fell off? Reapers weren't exactly immortal. They could die just like humans, and they were pretty high up!

Before Saya could say much of anything else, a larger reaper came up to them and gave Arya a small shove. Most reapers would know him as Higa, short for Higashizawa. "There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Hand it over. I know you took it!" he exclaimed.

Saya stepped forward. "Hey, what is this about?! Arya has been with us the last few hours. She couldn't have taken anything!"

"Oh, don't protect her. I know she's that bad egg everyone's been talking about. The strange reaper with two different colored wings who even worked with the archdemon once! Besides, I saw her take it. So make her give back my wallet right now!"

---

The doors opened.

Almost like a heard of sheep, the group of Reapers' Game players were ushered out into the party area with little warning. Of course, they knew the party would be starting soon, but they hadn't a clue as to when. So, in reality, they hadn't been able to prepare themselves at all. One young man, a sweaty, anxious wreck wasn't sure how to react to place at all.

"Okay, okay, deep breathes. Calm, cool, collected. Calm, cool, collected. You can do this, Jaune. You're the man of the hour. Ladies love a hero, and that's exactly who they're going to see. Ah ha ha ha. I'm doomed."

Walking up behind the blonde male, a more rugged individual would place a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, lad, it'll be fine. This party should be the least of your worries. At least we're only dealing with reapers here and not... evil queens," he said, his voice growing bitter towards the end of his words. "Anyhow, call me Graham. You are?"

"Uhhhh, Jaune, Jaune Arc. I wouldn't bother asking me anything else because, uh, I don't exactly remember anything else," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ah, so memories were your entry fee then? Can't say I'm surprised. A lot of us seem to have lost our memories. Anyhow, I suppose we have no choice but to mingle with everyone. We should be off," he said to Jaune, glancing back to invite the others.

Ash, the very cheeky child from before, wasted no time in rushing out into the crowd. "Oh boy, this is going to be good. If my plan earlier worked, that look-a-like girl should be in big trouble right about now~"

Lingering on behind Ash, another blonde made her way out of the room. But unlike Graham, Jaune, or Ash, she didn't wear any sort of decent expression on her face. She looked ahead, emotionlessly staring right through the other players.

"..."

This is stupid. It's just a waste of time. I don't even want a party. They need to just hurry up and start the game already. I need to get home...


@Savannah Clause @Atomyk @Krieg​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

It had been a time since Teresa had wrangled herself into a dress after meeting up with Joshua and Sanae while the others cleaned up, though her mind had far from cleared it's earlier worries. But at least she hadn't had any time to sit around and do nothing to completely fall into the darkness of her thoughts. No, this whole 'party' nonsense had kept her far from that. Which she was thankful for, sure, on some level- but she was far from being a big fan of the concept. She didn't mind the dress, or the thought of meeting the new players, or even the idea of the party. In fact, these things were all pleasant to her. Perhaps even likable. After all, this was a chance to be normal for the first time in her lives... No, the issue for her was the idea of having to socialize. To censor herself, avoid acting 'too casual' or joking around too much, disrespecting or being too sarcastic.

That was what was going to be a pain in the ass.

That, and something she hadn't expected, as she stood there among the crowd whilst Joshua gave his speech.... The male announcing her appointment to Conductor, and a spotlight landing on her. The bright light made her flinch briefly, and she had to fight valiantly against a scowl and angered redness that threatened to peek through her face. But for that moment, she managed, offering a sickly sweet smile, a few uttered 'yeah, thanks' to those near by, and a hidden glare at her boss. Much to her luck, she was coming to repay the favor now.

Joshua, perched on the rooftop, would feel something press against his back very lightly. If he were to glance over his shoulder, he'd find himself looking up at Teresa, who wore that sweet sarcastic smile as she gazed down at him with her foot placed lightly against his back. She'd been sure to not press it against him hard enough to knock him off of balance or kick him off the edge(tempting as it was), but it was there.

"Jee, Josh, I never took you for the type to step out of a party. Or to congratulate me on anything. What's gotten into ya?"

Just you wait, Composer. Hurricane Teresa was about to roll in. :|

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

~~~~~
"..."

Giving a less than impressed expression to Higa, Larkin eventually wound up crossing his arms as he regarded the larger Reaper. But after a short bout of silence, the former Illusionist let out a small laugh, raising his hands up in front of him as he casually stepped between Higa and the two female Reapers. "Trust me, she ain't protectin' anyone. The kid doesn't need it. Anyways, even if she did, sweetheart isn't lying. The kid's been with us the whole time, so whoever you think took your wallet ain't her." It was peculiar that Larkin had cared enough to step in to defend, but hey....

...Maybe it'd get him some points with the ladies. :|

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg @Atomyk

~~~~~~~

Off in a corner by herself was a young teenager of no more than eighteen, seeming to pointedly be avoiding the other attendees of the party... Not that she was exactly here by choice, after all. In fact, the girl was starting to have doubts about this whole 'Reaper's Game' thing already. She had done horrible things, and she didn't deserve a second chance. Besides, what did she have to live for, anyways? Her father was dead. Her... not boyfriend? Dead. An idiot, but dead, nonetheless.

As she mulled these things over, she failed to notice a slightly younger female stumbling by, that of which accidentally wound up bumping into someone in front of her.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," she murmured, sheepishly. The sixteen-year-old sure was starting off well, huh?

There was also a grumpy Newt who was not happy he couldn't seem to recall just about anything.
​