Reaper Squad

[Midnight Maiden]

Oh, dear mother, I love you
I'm sorry, I wasn't good enough
Dear father, forgive me
'Cause in your eyes, I just never added up
In my heart I know I failed you, but you left me here alone

Well.. To say that Teresa's little 'break' had been 'pleasant' or 'refreshing' would be the lie of the century. The lack of things to do/responsibilities left her mind unoccupied, which naturally led to thinking. Or, to be more accurate.. Remembering. It was like a constant, endless cycle - the remembering, that was. Those memories weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she felt like she could hardly bear it anymore.. Watching her parents go insane in front of her and die, over and over again. Recalling her brother, Ricky, calling her a demon alongside the rest of the village before leaving her behind to die.

If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?
'Cause I remember everything.
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?
'Cause I remember everything.

There were a few things that the Reaper had done to distract herself, over the time.. Played with Little Guy, started a journal, written countless poems, and even resorted to putting together puzzles. But, none of the distractions kept her mind from wandering for very long.. And it'd resulted in her not having slept more than a few hours over the course of the past few nights - and the sleep she did get was shrouded by night terrors. Damn it all... Why couldn't Joshua have just had her work on something? Or, better yet, banter with her?

...Wait, what? Why would she want to be bickering with her boss? What was she thinking, anyways?

Oh, dear brother, just don't hate me
For never standing by you or being by your side
Dear sister, please don't blame me
I only did what I thought was truly right
It's a long and lonely road, when you know you walk alone

Annoying or not, one thing that Teresa couldn't deny was that the Composer somehow managed to distract her from her haunting past with ease. For a brief period, the female considered why this was.. What was so special about him that could make her forget, no matter how brief a time this was for. It was a peculiar thing, indeed, especially with how she constantly tried to tell both herself and Joshua that she hated him. Which, was a pretty moot point - especially after the reaction she'd had to Joshua nearly dying.

Thank the Lord that he hadn't actually died on her. Teresa Agnes was sick and tired about all of the people she loved- or even mildly cared for -dying. She didn't intend to lose another friend so soon.

If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?
'Cause I remember everything.
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?
'Cause I remember everything.

As soon as the thought had came, it was gone. Teresa only sighed heavily as her thoughts returned to her past, and she disappointedly sat on the ground, running her hand through her thick, wavy hair. Most of the time, the memories were focused around her parents dying, or going through WICKED's trials - hell, even of her village trying to sacrifice her. But, now, it was something else entirely. A memory she desperately wished she'd lost a long time ago...

I feel like running away
I'm still so far from home
You say that I'll never change
But what the fuck do you know?
I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you in
Please forgive me, I can't forgive you now.
I remember everything.

The girl had still been sitting quietly on the ground, writing something on her palms using a black sharpie in small, neat print when she got pulled out of the memories she'd fallen into by the sound of Little Guy whining. She immediately snapped out of the vivid recollections by the small sound, and she quickly dropped the marker, tenderly and caringly moving over to her noise companion with worry. "Hey, what is it, boy..?" she asked, softly, forehead creasing slightly in worry. The whining evolved into barking and scratching at the door, and Teresa immediately knew something was wrong. A very serious expression settled on her features, and she immediately opened the door before the scream even erupted.

"...Let's go, buddy."

Just as she'd stepped out of the door, the earthquake had started... And then she'd heard the scream. It was girlish and ear-piercing and... Loud. Nearby. It hadn't so much as made Teresa flinch(though she was worried it might have hurt Little Guy's ears), and instead of wasting time complaining about it, the female hurried towards the source of the sound. Take care of the civilians, first.. Then I'll see what's behind this damn earthquake that has Little Guy so on end, she thought to herself. Typical Teresa - her own safety was the last thing on her mind.

It didn't take the ravenette long to reach the room that the scream had come from, and even less time for her to knock loudly on the door. She normally would've just busted in.. But she didn't know whether the door was open or not. Regardless, she had her pins in hand and was more than ready to fight if it was necessary. "Hey! You alright in there?" she asked, though she had a pretty damn good feeling she knew what the answer was: and it wasn't the one she wanted. Even so, if she was right and there was something in there, Resa said bring it on!

​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

After the earthquake hit, Little Guy yelped--staggering around until he fell over. He quickly returned to his feet, however, recovering rather fast. His ears perked and he seemed most interested in what was going on outside of Teresa's bedroom, so when she opened the door he took off--rapidly heading for the direction of the scream. Once he had arrived at the door with Teresa, he began to claw and bark at the door, very eager to get inside. He paused, however, as if he sensed something coming, and grabbed a hold of Teresa's pant leg, tugging on it wildly.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Coco would dive to dodge the attack from the bat noise. In reaction, the bat noise would instead hit the door, causing it to come out of the wall and fly in Teresa's direction. Apparently, the bat--along with the collapse of the door--was what Little Guy had been trying to warn Teresa about!

Coco scrambled to her feet after the door collapsed, holding up her fists shakily. "O-Oh, Teresa it's, like, you! Thank goodness! There's a noise in here!" she exclaimed, her voice squeaking. "Noise aren't supposed to be able to get into The Shibuya River! This is bad!" she cried, genuinely unsure what was going on. After escaping the room, the bat noise spotted Little Guy, attempting to attack him first. It scooped the pup up into its claws and began to fly upward toward the ceiling with him. The pup barked and attempted to bite the other noise in response.

@Hospes @Krieg

---

As the hoard of enemies began to surround Joshua and Hurley, the Composer took a step back and narrowed his eyes. He waited for Hurley to use his pins, hoping the man really did remember how to use them. "Excuse me, but now would be a good time to start using your pins," he told Hugo, starting to sound impatient. "If not, I'll have to do something quick and get the two of us out of this area. I didn't transform you back to normal just so you could die again," Joshua complained.

@Thuro The Assassin Potato​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Teresa was quite obviously extremely relieved to see that her companion recovered from the earthquake alright, but when he started clawing and scratching the door, and then furiously yanking on her pant leg? Teresa knew something was extremely wrong. Her grasp on her pins tightened, and she gritted her teeth. She had been warned by her canine companion similarly before.. So she knew she needed to move. And she did. She flattened herself against the wall by the door frame, gesturing Little Guy to follow. She was growing impatient in her waiting. Waiting wasn't her style - she wanted to just bust the door down to get in and take care of the problem.

...But, she didn't have to, because someone- or, rather, something -else did it for her.

The young woman's eyes widened as the bat bursted through the door, taking it down in the process. Luckily, Little Guy's warning had saved her from the impact, and she made a mental note to get him a steak when whatever was going on was over. Recovering from this quickly, Teresa turned her focus to the bat, something akin to a growl of annoyance passing her lips. But, that annoyance turned to franticism when the bat snatched up her companion.

"Little Guy!!"



Without so much as a thought, Teresa instinctively lunged after the bat and wolf noise, not wasting any time in doing so. There was no way she was about to lose one of the only good things she had. So, as she leapt into the air, she attempted to use her Sexy D to pull the two noises into her grasp! As she did so, she responded to Coco with as cool of a tone as she could muster, in the moment. "Yeah, it's me.. But I ain't the one you need right now. I'll handle this bat, but I can't take all of these things if there's more!" she explained. "Do you two know where Josh is??"

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Coco cupped her chin in her hands and backed up against a wall, watching upset after the bat noise had swooped down to grab Little Guy. "Oooooh, like, why did I have to pick processing and shop keeping as my main reaper jobs! It would've helped me more at times like this to at least have picked on category of combat to specialize in!" she squeaked, worried.

Glancing to Teresa, Coco shouted back, "I don't know where the Composer is! Maybe he's, like, in his room or something? I really don't know! I'm sorry!" The small reaper wrapped her wings around herself and pushed her back harder against the wall behind her, hoping the noise would leave her alone. "We should try to find him once we know this place is safe enough!"

Meanwhile, the bat noise began to struggle when Teresa used her Sexy D pin. It was pulled back successfully by her, ending up in her grasp. Even in her hold, it made an attempt to bite at her. Little Guy, however, moved quickly not wanting to see his mommy bitten by the creature and took the bite instead. He yelped and began to whack the bat with his tail, hoping to stop it from struggling so Teresa could take care of it.

@Hospes @Krieg​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Saya
​

Early, during the very same morning in which the noise attacked Shibuya, a soft singing could be heard filling the streets. Atop a roof stood the songstress, her eyes closed, hands folded, and her sweet melody likely enchanting all who heard it. As she sung, the sleeves of her kimono fluttered in the cool morning breeze.

Sing a song unto the world

Rising high the clouds unfurl

Fan the flames into the past

Here now, our lives will last

You'll never know the times of pain

Fall down, fall down falls the rain

My life won't be plain​

​

Once her song ended, the streets grew quiet for a moment until they were filled with laughter--echoing from the same young woman.

"Now, that was a good song if I do say so myself!" she exclaimed after laughing. "I'd say I deserve to treat myself to a glass of ice cold mil--"

Boom!

After hearing a loud booming sound, the building Saya stood on violently shook. "Whoa!" she cried, stumbling in her sandals. "Now what's that all about? I know a Reapers' Game isn't going on right about now so what could that have bee--"

Another boom, followed by a swarm of wild, winged-pig noise came crashing into the building. Saya blinked and took a step back, shocked at the sight.

"No way!? A hoard!? This definitely isn't supposed to be happening!"

Reaching into one of the folds of her kimono, Saya pulled out her One Love Magnum pin and began firing rounds of bullets at the creatures. She did a couple backwards flips afterwards--to avoid some aerial attacks from the creatures--before jumping off of the tall building.

As she began to fall through the air, Saya sprouted her black reaper wings and used them to help her land carefully on the ground.

"I need to go find some of the others," She thought to herself, running as quickly as she could toward the Shibuya Department Store, hoping to see some of the other reapers there. If none happened to be around, she would then check Hachiko where many often met up.
​

@Any of you guys, really. XD​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

-Larkin Kent-​

Ah, what a beautifully boring day. Things were so much more fun when I had my powers... But, hey - at least I've still got my charm, the ex-Caster thought, casually stretching his arms behind his head with a few satisfying 'pop's. Slowly, his body relaxed, and he hummed with absent content. Or maybe it was just out of sheer boredom. Regardless, it was safe to say that Larkin Kent wasn't exactly having the best time right now. Life's been so dull ever since this whole Reaper thing.

Quietly, the seventeen-year-old rubbed his face, reluctantly moving to the door of his room before swinging it open and walking out. He was bored, and sitting around in his room like a couch potato wasn't going to get him anywhere. So, naturally, he left to do something that would help cure his boredom - pull some badass pranks!

The slightest trace of a grin tugged at his thin lips, and the young man couldn't wipe it off. Pranking was practically in his nature, as an Illusionist. It was in his blood, and he wasn't about to deny that. Plus, it was the only thing he could do in this place that tied back to his old life. So it was likely one of his favorite activities - especially when there was no Reapers' Game going on.

So, still smiling pleasantly, Larkin made his way towards the Shibuya Department Store, intending to set up some elaborate prank for some poor unfortunate soul to stumble into.. At least, up until the ground started shaking beneath his feet. "Woah--!!" he muttered, nearly falling flat on his face... Only to catch himself in an awkward position before scrambling to right himself and regain his balance. Without wasting any time, the male went inside the store, cursing under his breath. "What the hel- Woah!" Before he could finish, Larkin found that someone had run into him!​

Immediately, the boy frowned, feeling rather annoyed.. But, even then, his asshole mode had yet to be engaged. "Hey, be careful, alright?" he chided, forehead creased slightly with something between confusion, annoyance, and... maybe even worry. "Are you alright? Do you know what the hell's going on?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"It sure is a good thing I'm so physically fit! Those runs I used to have with Train really did me some good! Heh heh!" Saya cried as she rushed along through the streets of Shibuya. When she finally made it to the department store, the young woman glanced behind herself for a split second to see if she had lost the noise chasing her--only to mistakenly bump right into Larken. "Eh, I'm sorry!" she called out, quickly shutting the door to the store behind her.

Once she was safely inside, she shrugged her shoulders. "I really don't have the slightest clue as to what's going on. All I know is that something real dangerous is going down and the Composer told us we're supposed to look for other reapers in situations like this. So I planned to come here and look for someone, then to have them come to Hachiko with me. After all, that is the main meet-up area in town."

"Anyhow, I'm Saya by the way. You look familiar, but I don't really know your name. Who might you be?" Before Larken could answer, Saya let out a cry and was suddenly pulled back towards the door she had shut. Apparently, the sleeve of her kimono had been caught in the door. One of the noise, from outside the building, had bit onto her kimono and was attempting to pull Saya out the door.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Sighing through his nose, the male shook his head when Saya apologized, seeming to lose any annoyance he might've felt. "Don't worry about it. Good to see you're okay, anyways.." he trailed off, realizing he didn't know this girl's name. "..miss."

Oh, man, this was great. Not only had his chance to set up a prank been ruined, but he was also stuck with some random Mort- ..well, not Mortal, actually. Come to think of it, without his original Illusionist and Caster powers(and having become a Reaper), he was the same as this girl. Whatever, it probably didn't matter. THe point was, it looked like the two of them were left in the dark on whatever was going on. In any case, the girl had a point. Sticking together right now when they had no idea on what was happening was probably a good idea... Even though it wasn't exactly what Larkin had had in mind when he was coming here. But, hey - he could improvise.

Crossing his arms across his chest, the dark-haired male nodded slowly. "..Smart of you. Do you have any idea what sort of bad thing is happening?" he inquired, only to quickly add, "Of course, I mean the severity of the situation.. But certainly you already knew that." Clearing his throat, Larkin briefly glanced away, hoping he hadn't come off as awkward. After all, he was anything but - Larkin Kent was smooth and suave!

..Oh, shoot. Mister Smooth-And-Suave big shot forgot to give her his name! "Of course, where are my manners? I'm--" Oh, come on! He couldn't even get a proper introduction in without some ridiculous interruption anymore?! In any case, maybe saving this Saya girl would make up for him repeatedly being cut off... So, naturally, that was what he did: In one, swift movement, Larkin snatched his Cornered Rat pin from his pocket, following after Saya.. And dumbly opening the door, trying to make sure that Saya got herself unstuck in the process, before confronting the offending Noise. "Hey, buddy, you might want to back off the lady.. Unless you want to have some Dog Days," he remarked, readying a ray of holy light directed at the creature.. Only for him to find another Noise slam into him, digging it's teeth into Larkin's jacket!

Real hero.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Thuro 116 Pendragon]

After the earthquake hit, Little Guy yelped--staggering around until he fell over. He quickly returned to his feet, however, recovering rather fast. His ears perked and he seemed most interested in what was going on outside of Teresa's bedroom, so when she opened the door he took off--rapidly heading for the direction of the scream. Once he had arrived at the door with Teresa, he began to claw and bark at the door, very eager to get inside. He paused, however, as if he sensed something coming, and grabbed a hold of Teresa's pant leg, tugging on it wildly.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Coco would dive to dodge the attack from the bat noise. In reaction, the bat noise would instead hit the door, causing it to come out of the wall and fly in Teresa's direction. Apparently, the bat--along with the collapse of the door--was what Little Guy had been trying to warn Teresa about!

Coco scrambled to her feet after the door collapsed, holding up her fists shakily. "O-Oh, Teresa it's, like, you! Thank goodness! There's a noise in here!" she exclaimed, her voice squeaking. "Noise aren't supposed to be able to get into The Shibuya River! This is bad!" she cried, genuinely unsure what was going on. After escaping the room, the bat noise spotted Little Guy, attempting to attack him first. It scooped the pup up into its claws and began to fly upward toward the ceiling with him. The pup barked and attempted to bite the other noise in response.

@Hospes @Krieg

---

As the hoard of enemies began to surround Joshua and Hurley, the Composer took a step back and narrowed his eyes. He waited for Hurley to use his pins, hoping the man really did remember how to use them. "Excuse me, but now would be a good time to start using your pins," he told Hugo, starting to sound impatient. "If not, I'll have to do something quick and get the two of us out of this area. I didn't transform you back to normal just so you could die again," Joshua complained.

@Thuro The Assassin Potato​

Hurley wasn't really a fighter, more apt to offer friendly advice and a hug than being the type to up and punch the bad guy. But the Reaper's Game had changed him some. He was still a good hearted gentle giant, but he had learned how to defend himself. Maybe Ash and Teresa had rubbed off on him some. Maybe it was his unfair death at the hands of that woman. Maybe it was being an animal for months. But Hurley didn't feel afraid anymore.
Slipping his healing and telekinesis into his pocket, he focused on his signature fire pin and watched with a childlike awe that never faded no matter how many times he did as his arm lit up Johnny Blaze style.

"Flame on."

He was going to make it back to his loved ones. He was tired of being dead.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Sighing through his nose, the male shook his head when Saya apologized, seeming to lose any annoyance he might've felt. "Don't worry about it. Good to see you're okay, anyways.." he trailed off, realizing he didn't know this girl's name. "..miss."

Oh, man, this was great. Not only had his chance to set up a prank been ruined, but he was also stuck with some random Mort- ..well, not Mortal, actually. Come to think of it, without his original Illusionist and Caster powers(and having become a Reaper), he was the same as this girl. Whatever, it probably didn't matter. THe point was, it looked like the two of them were left in the dark on whatever was going on. In any case, the girl had a point. Sticking together right now when they had no idea on what was happening was probably a good idea... Even though it wasn't exactly what Larkin had had in mind when he was coming here. But, hey - he could improvise.

Crossing his arms across his chest, the dark-haired male nodded slowly. "..Smart of you. Do you have any idea what sort of bad thing is happening?" he inquired, only to quickly add, "Of course, I mean the severity of the situation.. But certainly you already knew that." Clearing his throat, Larkin briefly glanced away, hoping he hadn't come off as awkward. After all, he was anything but - Larkin Kent was smooth and suave!

..Oh, shoot. Mister Smooth-And-Suave big shot forgot to give her his name! "Of course, where are my manners? I'm--" Oh, come on! He couldn't even get a proper introduction in without some ridiculous interruption anymore?! In any case, maybe saving this Saya girl would make up for him repeatedly being cut off... So, naturally, that was what he did: In one, swift movement, Larkin snatched his Cornered Rat pin from his pocket, following after Saya.. And dumbly opening the door, trying to make sure that Saya got herself unstuck in the process, before confronting the offending Noise. "Hey, buddy, you might want to back off the lady.. Unless you want to have some Dog Days," he remarked, readying a ray of holy light directed at the creature.. Only for him to find another Noise slam into him, digging it's teeth into Larkin's jacket!

Real hero.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Judging by Larkin's behavior, Saya could immediately tell he hadn't the slightest clue about what was going on either. In fact, he seemed to be about as in the dark about the situation as she was considering he had asked her what exactly was going on. Although she knew little, the short-haired female informed the other reaper about what she did know. "Noise are attacking us, if that isn't blatantly obvious by now," she told him, grunting as she struggled to pull the sleeve of her kimono free from the door.

Unable to free herself right away, Saya glanced over her shoulder back toward Larkin hoping he would help her out. "Hey, do you think you could lend me a--" The young woman looked toward Larkin in shock, surprised to see he was being attacked.

"Uhhh, okay, never mind me! It looks like you're the one who needs help! Don't worry mister, I'm..."

With a powerful yank, Saya pulled her kimono free from the door, entirely ripping her sleeve off. She then kicked the door hard to close it, sending the noise on the other side of the door flying off into the distance. She then turned toward Larkin and dashed to him.

"...COMMING!!! Don't move! I've got it!"

As she ran, Saya took out her One Love Magnum pin and fired a single bullet directly at the noise that was biting into the young man's jacket. She was a perfect shot, so as long as Larkin didn't spontaneously move the bullet would hit its intended target and not him instead.

@Hospes​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Hurley wasn't really a fighter, more apt to offer friendly advice and a hug than being the type to up and punch the bad guy. But the Reaper's Game had changed him some. He was still a good hearted gentle giant, but he had learned how to defend himself. Maybe Ash and Teresa had rubbed off on him some. Maybe it was his unfair death at the hands of that woman. Maybe it was being an animal for months. But Hurley didn't feel afraid anymore.
Slipping his healing and telekinesis into his pocket, he focused on his signature fire pin and watched with a childlike awe that never faded no matter how many times he did as his arm lit up Johnny Blaze style.

"Flame on."

He was going to make it back to his loved ones. He was tired of being dead.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Upon seeing Hurley take hold of his pins and begin to use his fire pin, the Composer smirked. "Do take care and don't burn yourself, m'kay? Oh, and don't get in my way..." Joshua then took a couple steps and began to fire white lasers at the group of noise. Any laser he fired instantaneously dissolved most of the noise, but Joshua purposely left a few for Hurley to fight. He was curious to see how the man would do. However, he still had one other concern on his mind and knew that he couldn't play around for long.

I need to get to Hachiko. Teresa and the others need me.

After a moment, Joshua began to step into the crowd of noise. "Hugo, when you're ready follow me. We need to make our way to the statue of Hachiko."

@Thuro The Assassin Potato​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Coco cupped her chin in her hands and backed up against a wall, watching upset after the bat noise had swooped down to grab Little Guy. "Oooooh, like, why did I have to pick processing and shop keeping as my main reaper jobs! It would've helped me more at times like this to at least have picked on category of combat to specialize in!" she squeaked, worried.

Glancing to Teresa, Coco shouted back, "I don't know where the Composer is! Maybe he's, like, in his room or something? I really don't know! I'm sorry!" The small reaper wrapped her wings around herself and pushed her back harder against the wall behind her, hoping the noise would leave her alone. "We should try to find him once we know this place is safe enough!"

Meanwhile, the bat noise began to struggle when Teresa used her Sexy D pin. It was pulled back successfully by her, ending up in her grasp. Even in her hold, it made an attempt to bite at her. Little Guy, however, moved quickly not wanting to see his mommy bitten by the creature and took the bite instead. He yelped and began to whack the bat with his tail, hoping to stop it from struggling so Teresa could take care of it.

@Hospes @Krieg​

Man, wasn't this a great situation? Luckily, Teresa was extremely accustomed to the art of both fighting and defending. After all, she'd spent every year of her life since age three having to do so - especially for the last year of her life, and from there on out. So, naturally, she was fluid, fearless, and willful through this little encounter. Even while trying to take care of the Noise, it took next to no effort for the young woman to call back to Coco. "Don't worry, kid.. I've got it!" she assured. If she wants to learn to fight, I could always give her lessons, she thought, finding herself slightly amused by the thought. Ha. Bet she wouldn't want to learn to fight if she'd survived through war...

When Coco revealed that she didn't know where Joshua was, Teresa mentally cursed. What if Joshua was getting himself into trouble, or needed her help? Or, worse - was oblivious to whatever was happening, and vulnerable because of it? Coco and Arya seemed to be alright with her here with them, and Teresa had a feeling that the Producer was aware and alright. Joshua, however, seemed to often get himself into trouble.. So it was only natural that she approved of the idea of going to find him. "Don't be sorry, kid, just stay back! We'll find him after I handle this little rascal.."

Grunting with effort now that the bat was within her reach, Teresa struggled to wrangle the creature(hopefully only into submission - she wasn't big on killing if it wasn't necessary), but was caught off guard by Little Guy getting in the way when it tried to bite her. Immediately, her franticism returned, and she desperately tried to pry the bat Noise's jaws off of poor Little Guy. No way she was letting her little companion get hurt by this thing!

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Man, wasn't this a great situation? Luckily, Teresa was extremely accustomed to the art of both fighting and defending. After all, she'd spent every year of her life since age three having to do so - especially for the last year of her life, and from there on out. So, naturally, she was fluid, fearless, and willful through this little encounter. Even while trying to take care of the Noise, it took next to no effort for the young woman to call back to Coco. "Don't worry, kid.. I've got it!" she assured. If she wants to learn to fight, I could always give her lessons, she thought, finding herself slightly amused by the thought. Ha. Bet she wouldn't want to learn to fight if she'd survived through war...

When Coco revealed that she didn't know where Joshua was, Teresa mentally cursed. What if Joshua was getting himself into trouble, or needed her help? Or, worse - was oblivious to whatever was happening, and vulnerable because of it? Coco and Arya seemed to be alright with her here with them, and Teresa had a feeling that the Producer was aware and alright. Joshua, however, seemed to often get himself into trouble.. So it was only natural that she approved of the idea of going to find him. "Don't be sorry, kid, just stay back! We'll find him after I handle this little rascal.."

Grunting with effort now that the bat was within her reach, Teresa struggled to wrangle the creature(hopefully only into submission - she wasn't big on killing if it wasn't necessary), but was caught off guard by Little Guy getting in the way when it tried to bite her. Immediately, her franticism returned, and she desperately tried to pry the bat Noise's jaws off of poor Little Guy. No way she was letting her little companion get hurt by this thing!

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Krieg​

While Teresa was trying to pry the bat noise off Little Guy, Coco nervously curled her reaper wings. "Okay but, like, be really careful!" the younger looking reaper girl replied. After a moment, she scurried up behind Teresa and crouched, hoping the Conductor would protect her if the halls were invaded by more noise.

As the Conductor attempted to help Little Guy out, he continued to struggle against the bat noise. It tried with all its might to keep its jaws around the pup, but eventually Teresa's strength began to pull it off. Once she finally pried it off, the bat was sent flying by the force of her tug. It flew right into a light on the ceiling, shattering it. A buzzing noise could be heard before the entire room went black. The bat could still be heard struggling in the distance, injured, but this time it didn't attack.

"Oh no! We should totally get out of here while it's down and find the Composer or someone, at least!" Coco suggested, standing up straight. She frowned upon hearing a whine coming from Little Guy. "Is he all right?"

Before anyone could answer, bits of debris from the ceiling began to fall, dropping down on Arya. Sadly, because it was dark, nobody would be able to get to her in time. The bits of debris would be more than enough to render her unconscious, but not enough to do any permanent damage, thankfully.

@Hospes @Krieg

//ooc: Had the bit of debris fall on Arya just to have her knocked unconscious. That way it'll seem a bit more realistic that she isn't talking. Ty, just have her wake up whenever you're ready to post again. ^_^​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Judging by Larkin's behavior, Saya could immediately tell he hadn't the slightest clue about what was going on either. In fact, he seemed to be about as in the dark about the situation as she was considering he had asked her what exactly was going on. Although she knew little, the short-haired female informed the other reaper about what she did know. "Noise are attacking us, if that isn't blatantly obvious by now," she told him, grunting as she struggled to pull the sleeve of her kimono free from the door.

Unable to free herself right away, Saya glanced over her shoulder back toward Larkin hoping he would help her out. "Hey, do you think you could lend me a--" The young woman looked toward Larkin in shock, surprised to see he was being attacked.

"Uhhh, okay, never mind me! It looks like you're the one who needs help! Don't worry mister, I'm..."

With a powerful yank, Saya pulled her kimono free from the door, entirely ripping her sleeve off. She then kicked the door hard to close it, sending the noise on the other side of the door flying off into the distance. She then turned toward Larkin and dashed to him.

"...COMMING!!! Don't move! I've got it!"

As she ran, Saya took out her One Love Magnum pin and fired a single bullet directly at the noise that was biting into the young man's jacket. She was a perfect shot, so as long as Larkin didn't spontaneously move the bullet would hit its intended target and not him instead.

@Hospes​

Oh, no. Larkin wasn't liking this encounter at all. He couldn't be seen as anything less than the perfect gentleman - at least, not for the first encounter. But he'd kind of fallen short this time, it seemed. Aw, well. I'll just have to get this stupid thing off of me, and make sure this chick doesn't get roughed up on the way to Hachiko, he mused, feeling his confidence being blown right back up again. Yeah! This wasn't so bad, after all! ...Well, except for maybe the weird creature that was tearing at his jacket...-

..Aw, man! This was my favorite jacket!!

Poor Larkin. It really just was not his day today.

Of course, he had been about to rid himself of the creature on his own, only for Saya to yell for him to stay still, making him cease trying to pull the creature off. "Huh-? Woah!" Of course, now there was a bullet slamming into the creature, knocking it off of him. He felt a bit stunned and was a tad surprised by this, but it hardly showed. Instead, he just gave Saya a lopsided grin. "Nice shot, Saya," he whistled, as though he hadn't been struggling with the Noise at all. Doofus. But, there were more important matters at hand--

"..Oh, and where are my manners? I'm Larkin Kent," he stated, giving Saya a charming smile.. But only after going to gently lift one of her hands and place a kiss on it. "Pleasure to meet you, Saya." Huh. Maybe he was something of a gentleman, after all. After that, he rubbed his neck, looking to the door. "...So, shall we?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

While Teresa was trying to pry the bat noise off Little Guy, Coco nervously curled her reaper wings. "Okay but, like, be really careful!" the younger looking reaper girl replied. After a moment, she scurried up behind Teresa and crouched, hoping the Conductor would protect her if the halls were invaded by more noise.

As the Conductor attempted to help Little Guy out, he continued to struggle against the bat noise. It tried with all its might to keep its jaws around the pup, but eventually Teresa's strength began to pull it off. Once she finally pried it off, the bat was sent flying by the force of her tug. It flew right into a light on the ceiling, shattering it. A buzzing noise could be heard before the entire room went black. The bat could still be heard struggling in the distance, injured, but this time it didn't attack.

"Oh no! We should totally get out of here while it's down and find the Composer or someone, at least!" Coco suggested, standing up straight. She frowned upon hearing a whine coming from Little Guy. "Is he all right?"

Before anyone could answer, bits of debris from the ceiling began to fall, dropping down on Arya. Sadly, because it was dark, nobody would be able to get to her in time. The bits of debris would be more than enough to render her unconscious, but not enough to do any permanent damage, thankfully.

@Hospes @Krieg
​

'Be really careful'... Good thing Teresa had Coco there to give her that excellent advice, huh? Normally when people made comments like that, it was incredibly hard to refrain from giving an annoyed or sarcastic remark. But Teresa made exceptions - especially for children. "..You got it, kid," she replied, voice strained slightly with effort. "Just stay right behind me, got it?" Okay, it wasn't the safest place ever, but it was the best they had at the moment. Once she could get rid of this darn Noise, she could get both Arya and Coco to safer terrain.

Now that that was settled, Teresa continued her tugging, trying her best to get the creature off of her companion. "C'mon.." she muttered, struggling with opening the thing's jaws to get it away. But, it seemed that she tried a little too hard, unintentionally sending the Noise flying! Not having expected this, Teresa lost her balance, nearly falling on her behind.. Again. But, much to her luck, she managed to catch herself this time around, quickly regaining her balance. Realizing that there would likely be a small shower of sparks from the light being knocked out, Teresa instinctively wrapped her arms around Little Guy to give him cover, while also trying to position herself fully in front of Coco.

Phew. At least they were safe.

Gritting her teeth, Teresa's body slowly relaxed, and she slowly knelt down before gently setting Little Guy down in front of her.. Before promptly looking him over worriedly. "You're hurt, huh, Little Guy?" she sighed, already sure that the answer was yes. But, luckily, she still had her healing pin.. Which she hurriedly pulled out, attempting to heal Little Guy. She wasn't entirely sure just what to do - leaving Little Guy here seemed just as dangerous as taking him with her, but taking him with her was also dangerous. ..But if I take him with us, I can protect him. Glancing back at Coco, Teresa gave a small nod, a serious expression on her face. "Assuming my healing pin also works on Noise, he should be alright.. But what about you, kid? You alright?"

Even if she had more healing to do if Coco wasn't okay, she knew that the kid was right. They needed to get out of there and find Joshua. Giving another small nod, Teresa climbed back to her feet, expression solemn. "You're right. Let's get out of here. Cool with you, too, Ary--?"

And then the ceiling started falling.

Teresa panicked immediately, fear rising up in her stomach. "Arya? Arya!" She wasted no time in stumbling through the darkness, blindly trying to find the new Reaper. It took maybe a minute, but she finally found what she thought to be the girl... And, much to her relief, she wasn't fatally wounded. It appeared to be nothing more than an impact that had rendered her unconscious.

Concentrating deeply, Teresa used her Sexy D to clear the rubble over Arya to her best ability, before carefully lifting her up into her arms. Now that she had Arya, the Conductor waded through the collapsed pieces of the ceiling to join Coco and Little Guy again, Arya still held carefully yet firmly in her arms. "Just.. Hurry, alright? The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes. Let's go!"

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Oh, no. Larkin wasn't liking this encounter at all. He couldn't be seen as anything less than the perfect gentleman - at least, not for the first encounter. But he'd kind of fallen short this time, it seemed. Aw, well. I'll just have to get this stupid thing off of me, and make sure this chick doesn't get roughed up on the way to Hachiko, he mused, feeling his confidence being blown right back up again. Yeah! This wasn't so bad, after all! ...Well, except for maybe the weird creature that was tearing at his jacket...-

..Aw, man! This was my favorite jacket!!

Poor Larkin. It really just was not his day today.

Of course, he had been about to rid himself of the creature on his own, only for Saya to yell for him to stay still, making him cease trying to pull the creature off. "Huh-? Woah!" Of course, now there was a bullet slamming into the creature, knocking it off of him. He felt a bit stunned and was a tad surprised by this, but it hardly showed. Instead, he just gave Saya a lopsided grin. "Nice shot, Saya," he whistled, as though he hadn't been struggling with the Noise at all. Doofus. But, there were more important matters at hand--

"..Oh, and where are my manners? I'm Larkin Kent," he stated, giving Saya a charming smile.. But only after going to gently lift one of her hands and place a kiss on it. "Pleasure to meet you, Saya." Huh. Maybe he was something of a gentleman, after all. After that, he rubbed his neck, looking to the door. "...So, shall we?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Once her bullet hit its intended target, Saya halted her running; the sound of her wooden sandals clopping against the floor ceased when she stopped. A crooked grin spread across her face as well, beaming with confidence. She tossed her One Love Magnum pin up in the air and caught it, placing a hand on one of her hips afterwards. "You're lucky I just so happen to be a crack shot, one of the best Sweepers around back when I used to be alive. Any weapon that fires a bullet just so happens to be my specialty." Saya approached Larkin, paying no mind to his small blunder.

When the young man too her hand and kissed it, the young woman hardly reacted. "Ah, so you're the gentleman type, huh? Good! Then I hope you'll do me the honor being a good sport and letting this lady go change her clothes."

Saya lifted an arm up, frowning as she looked at the torn sleeve of her kimono. "This was my favorite kimono! And now it's ruined! I can't go out in public like this, not when I'm standing in a department store right now and could very easily change clothes before leaving! So, I'm gonna go find something new to put on, kay?" she told him, winking afterwards. She then brushed past him and began to walk further into the store rather than back towards the exit.

@Hospes​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Once her bullet hit its intended target, Saya halted her running; the sound of her wooden sandals clopping against the floor ceased when she stopped. A crooked grin spread across her face as well, beaming with confidence. She tossed her One Love Magnum pin up in the air and caught it, placing a hand on one of her hips afterwards. "You're lucky I just so happen to be a crack shot, one of the best Sweepers around back when I used to be alive. Any weapon that fires a bullet just so happens to be my specialty." Saya approached Larkin, paying no mind to his small blunder.

When the young man too her hand and kissed it, the young woman hardly reacted. "Ah, so you're the gentleman type, huh? Good! Then I hope you'll do me the honor being a good sport and letting this lady go change her clothes."

Saya lifted an arm up, frowning as she looked at the torn sleeve of her kimono. "This was my favorite kimono! And now it's ruined! I can't go out in public like this, not when I'm standing in a department store right now and could very easily change clothes before leaving! So, I'm gonna go find something new to put on, kay?" she told him, winking afterwards. She then brushed past him and began to walk further into the store rather than back towards the exit.

@Hospes​

Oh, a show-off, huh? Larkin could roll with that. Insecure people typically just seemed like bores, to him. Why be insecure when you could flaunt? ...Damn. I should make that a slogan! Oh, brother. Returning the grin, the male clasped his hands together behind his back, still seeming as calm and composed as he had before the Noise had butted in. "Oh, yeah? I'll keep that in mind, then," he responded, smoothly. "Though, might I ask what a 'Sweeper' is? I don't believe I've ever heard of such a thing," he queried, tilting his head at Saya.

After he'd kissed her hand, he carefully released it, his hands returning to their position behind his back. His grin silently faded into more of a smile than anything else, and he gave a curt nod. "Of course, Saya. Take your time," he hummed, pleasantly. Though, he felt a tad amused by how distraught she was about her Kimono... Failing to realize that he had done exactly the same. Just, not aloud. So it didn't count, not one bit! Ironically, now that Saya had pointed it out... She had a good point. Why whine and moan about his favorite jacket being ruined when he could just get a new one?

"..In fact, I think I'll do the same. No use wearing a ruined jacket, huh?" he mused. How clever of him - totally his idea, and not Saya's at all. Totallyyyy. "I'll meet you back here in just a moment." And, with that, Larkin set off to look for a jacket, himself - a clear confidence to his stride. But, as he browsed, he got to thinking again... Huh. Maybe I should just keep it? I'm sure someone around here can fix it.. Aw, Larkin wasn't ready to let go of his poor baby. How sweet. ...Besides, tears add character.

...At the same time, I ought to look like a gentleman...

Oh, boy.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

'Be really careful'... Good thing Teresa had Coco there to give her that excellent advice, huh? Normally when people made comments like that, it was incredibly hard to refrain from giving an annoyed or sarcastic remark. But Teresa made exceptions - especially for children. "..You got it, kid," she replied, voice strained slightly with effort. "Just stay right behind me, got it?" Okay, it wasn't the safest place ever, but it was the best they had at the moment. Once she could get rid of this darn Noise, she could get both Arya and Coco to safer terrain.

Now that that was settled, Teresa continued her tugging, trying her best to get the creature off of her companion. "C'mon.." she muttered, struggling with opening the thing's jaws to get it away. But, it seemed that she tried a little too hard, unintentionally sending the Noise flying! Not having expected this, Teresa lost her balance, nearly falling on her behind.. Again. But, much to her luck, she managed to catch herself this time around, quickly regaining her balance. Realizing that there would likely be a small shower of sparks from the light being knocked out, Teresa instinctively wrapped her arms around Little Guy to give him cover, while also trying to position herself fully in front of Coco.

Phew. At least they were safe.

Gritting her teeth, Teresa's body slowly relaxed, and she slowly knelt down before gently setting Little Guy down in front of her.. Before promptly looking him over worriedly. "You're hurt, huh, Little Guy?" she sighed, already sure that the answer was yes. But, luckily, she still had her healing pin.. Which she hurriedly pulled out, attempting to heal Little Guy. She wasn't entirely sure just what to do - leaving Little Guy here seemed just as dangerous as taking him with her, but taking him with her was also dangerous. ..But if I take him with us, I can protect him. Glancing back at Coco, Teresa gave a small nod, a serious expression on her face. "Assuming my healing pin also works on Noise, he should be alright.. But what about you, kid? You alright?"

Even if she had more healing to do if Coco wasn't okay, she knew that the kid was right. They needed to get out of there and find Joshua. Giving another small nod, Teresa climbed back to her feet, expression solemn. "You're right. Let's get out of here. Cool with you, too, Ary--?"

And then the ceiling started falling.

Teresa panicked immediately, fear rising up in her stomach. "Arya? Arya!" She wasted no time in stumbling through the darkness, blindly trying to find the new Reaper. It took maybe a minute, but she finally found what she thought to be the girl... And, much to her relief, she wasn't fatally wounded. It appeared to be nothing more than an impact that had rendered her unconscious.

Concentrating deeply, Teresa used her Sexy D to clear the rubble over Arya to her best ability, before carefully lifting her up into her arms. Now that she had Arya, the Conductor waded through the collapsed pieces of the ceiling to join Coco and Little Guy again, Arya still held carefully yet firmly in her arms. "Just.. Hurry, alright? The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes. Let's go!"

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

​

"Y-Yeah, I know," Coco replied when Teresa instructed the younger reaper to stay behind her. The Conductor wouldn't have to tell Coco twice. She knew that she wasn't the best at fighting, so leaving Teresa's side would've been a foolish move. The girl gasped, however, when the lights went out and sparks rained down on them. She dropped to her knees and covered her head with her hands, hoping the shards of glass and sparks wouldn't harm her.

Although Teresa made her best attempt at using her healing pin to aid Little Guy's wounds, the pin would not work on him. Apparently, the pin couldn't heal the wounds of a noise. Little Guy simply whined and licked Teresa's hand when she failed to heal him; a few small bite wounds dotted the wolf noise's body. Coco slowly stood back up, a frown on her face as she saw Teresa's failed attempt to heal the noise. "I guess your healing pin doesn't work on him after all. Poor thing. Maybe the Composer can help him?" she suggested. "But I'm all right, thanks for ask--"

Coco let out a yelp when bits of the ceiling began to fall on them. In a quick reaction, she used her wings to protect her head and keep the debris from falling on her. When the debris stopped falling, the girl lowered her wings. She stepped to the side, allowing Teresa to rescue Arya in the rubble. "This place is, like, really dangerous. We should try to get out of here fast..."

Before Coco or Teresa could say much else, loud rumbling could be heard. When their group would look down the hall they would see a stampede of rhinoceros noise stampeding in their direction. The small reaper gasped. "Uh oh, run! The Composer's room is at the end of the hallway!" With that, Coco flapped her small wings and began to fly, heading for the room as quickly as she could.

@Hospes @Krieg​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"Y-Yeah, I know," Coco replied when Teresa instructed the younger reaper to stay behind her. The Conductor wouldn't have to tell Coco twice. She knew that she wasn't the best at fighting, so leaving Teresa's side would've been a foolish move. The girl gasped, however, when the lights went out and sparks rained down on them. She dropped to her knees and covered her head with her hands, hoping the shards of glass and sparks wouldn't harm her.

Although Teresa made her best attempt at using her healing pin to aid Little Guy's wounds, the pin would not work on him. Apparently, the pin couldn't heal the wounds of a noise. Little Guy simply whined and licked Teresa's hand when she failed to heal him; a few small bite wounds dotted the wolf noise's body. Coco slowly stood back up, a frown on her face as she saw Teresa's failed attempt to heal the noise. "I guess your healing pin doesn't work on him after all. Poor thing. Maybe the Composer can help him?" she suggested. "But I'm all right, thanks for ask--"

Coco let out a yelp when bits of the ceiling began to fall on them. In a quick reaction, she used her wings to protect her head and keep the debris from falling on her. When the debris stopped falling, the girl lowered her wings. She stepped to the side, allowing Teresa to rescue Arya in the rubble. "This place is, like, really dangerous. We should try to get out of here fast..."

Before Coco or Teresa could say much else, loud rumbling could be heard. When their group would look down the hall they would see a stampede of rhinoceros noise stampeding in their direction. The small reaper gasped. "Uh oh, run! The Composer's room is at the end of the hallway!" With that, Coco flapped her small wings and began to fly, heading for the room as quickly as she could.

@Hospes @Krieg​

"Good," Teresa replied as Coco crouched behind her in attempt to cover herself. She was less than keen on the idea of the child- or anyone else -being hurt through this, so it was definitely in her best interest to make sure Coco stayed back and well out of the way. Even doing that, though, wouldn't keep her completely safe... Which was likely why Teresa kept glancing back at the girl on occasion, as though trying to make sure she was out of harm's way. However, the fact that her pins wouldn't work on Little Guy did cause a little more of the Reaper's attention to be drawn elsewhere. "Dammit..." she muttered under her breath.

The day just kept on getting better and shuckin' better, didn't it?

Shaking her head, the ravenette tried desperately to keep her calm, releasing a deep breath through her nostrils. "Alright, alright... Yeah, I bet Joshua will know how to help," she commented to herself, and then in response to Coco. After this, she gave Little Guy a tender look, and a sad smile. "We'll get you help soon, buddy. I promise," she stated, softly, before clambering back to her feet... And immediately going back down in an attempt to cover Coco and Little Guy from the falling rubble. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit.... Gah. "...Yeah, you're right. We need to get out of here..." the female muttered, wasting no time in going to scoop up Arya

After having retrieved Arya from the rubble and gathered her up in her arms, Teresa nodded to Coco, gritting her teeth as the Noise started stampeding. Shaking her head and letting out a few more curses, the Reaper hurried right after, wasting no time with trying to make idle talk.

@Krieg @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Krieg]

I have walked among angels and demons for what feels like three-thousand years.

I have acted horrid atrocities against God and man.

I have seen darkness over the light, strife over peace.

Yet the light is unending as it burns my wings.

I am lost in time.

~**~**~**~

The weight of the rubble crashed against her, jotting any memories she had and any sort of interactions she thought she had. Even in her blind state, she could feel herself slip away, her wings and fingers curling up, a soft gasp of air escaping her lips. A sense of numbness coursed through her body, the young Reaper feeling pain shortly follow. Yet, pain that was not just physical, but pain that resonated in her soul. With eyes white as snow, she gazed up underneath the pile of twisted rubble, seeing a formless, black shape in her vision.

"Child," the voice mentally cooed, sounding like the echoes of the Archdemon and some eldritch, cosmic horror. The voices clung and crawled at her, whispering fiendish chants revering ancient, dead gods. As she laid in the arms of Teresa, the She-Wolf began to move ever so slightly, a lowly growl escaping the Northerner's lips. "Wake up...wake up, y'ai 'ng'ngah, H'EE--L'GEB F'AI THRODOG UAAAH!! UAAAH!!!"

By the time Teresa or Coco would look down upon Arya, not a trace of here seemed to exist. As the impending horde of noise approached, savages bounded to no set of morals or codes, fabrics of shadows crawled alongside the narrow corridors of this ruined establishment. Something wicked cackled, only a trace of Arya underneath the veil of shadows, beginning to course through the Noise, sending them promptly back from the incessant charge with powers unspeakable yet mentally hinging.

When the dust settled, Arya arose, her wings expanding and her head lowered. There, the wings of black and white stood, yet one her right, white wing, shades of black could been seen spluttered along the roots. More frightening, the same tattoos and skin engravings that Arya held during her days of servanthood to the Archdemon appeared once more, expanding to cover the back of the She-Wolf's neck. Turning around to face the two girls, Arya grinned, activating her Stark pin, summoning Needle in her left hand.

"Mmm...there is one solution to this, a'ye." Arya spoke, her voice sinister, eyes of white narrowing at the two. Clenching the hilt of her Braavosi rapier, the girl tilted her head ever so lightly, an absence of light seeming to be literal in her form. "A solution I plan on acting on, a'ye, blood n' iron." she sultry hissed, turning swiftly around, feeling herself enjoy the damning powers of corruption and descending back into her own abyss.

Walking away from the two, the Northerner raised Needle above her head, looking more like a fallen angel than a respected guardian of death- a Reaper.

@Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty ​