Intermission
He couldn't help that he felt guilty.
It prodded relentlessly at him, conscious nagging, saying mockingly that the boy's death was his fault, and that he could have done more to save him. Of course it couldn't have been helped; humans lived, humans died and how that death was achieved was in no way his fault. Emotions inspired reactions wether it be for good or bad, and in his charge's case, it had been to his extreme disadvantage.
Eiri tapped his foot testily, and stared at the stark white surrounding that was the 'Staff Lounge' for angels off-duty to rest in.
Clouds. There was nothing but clouds for walls; how annoying.
"EIRI! Where've you been?" As though he had never not been there, Thaddeus was standing before him with customary amiable-ness radiating from him; how annoying.
Eiri scowled and glared up at the boy from his sitting place, "Not now." he growled, and demonstrated his foul mood by making his face as unpleasant as possible.
The black-haired angel only cocked his head to the side and studied him; this was even more annoying. "What happened?" Thaddeus asked, and pulled a cloud-chair from the cloud-wall to sit beside the other. (Clouds could literally make any form of furniture, so the two could have made a couch and television should they have chosen)
The blond crossed a leg over his knee, and stared off into the distance as he considered telling the irritating one what had happened. "I said, 'not now." He repeated.
"Aw, c'mon! You tell me everything, I'm practically the only one you can confide in." Thaddeus grinned and jabbed Eiri with his elbow in the side. "What's got you so moody?"
When he realized the other wasn't going to leave anytime soon, Eiri looked away and relaxed his stiff posture, "That kid died."
Thaddeus' eyes widened with this new knowledge, and he chewed his lip before responding, "So? You've had people die on you before." He had to remain ignorant - completely, utterly, absolutely ignorant.
"I know," Eiri frowned. That was part of what was bothering him. He knew it shouldn't have been bothering him, so it was bothering him that it was bothering him, and it was bothering him that he don't know why it was bothering him. "This was different somehow ..."
"Don't dwell on it." Thaddeus stated sagely, "You'll only bother yourself, and won't be able to focus on the next assignment." His dark eyes smiled at the distracted other, and Thaddeus reached over and patted Eiri's shoulder, "Move on; what was he to you anyway? An object to watch after that's what."
Eiri found himself desperately wanting a nice case of beer; his frowned deepened and he leaned forward to thoughtfully set his chin in his hand, "Whatever ..."
Thaddeus leaned also and tried to get a better look at Eiri's face. "There's something you should probably--"
"Excuse me."
Both guardian angels jumped and looked up to see a messenger angel floating before them. He was small with a bag full of scrolls slung over his shoulder, and looked more like the god Hermes with his winged shoes instead of typical wings on his back. "Guardian Eiri?" The flitty messenger quickly asked both of them.
The blond leaned back with his arms crossed, and nonchalantly raised his hand.
"You," The messenger said, pointing at Eiri, "Have a summon by one of the Judges." He threw a scroll at the semi-surprised angel, who caught if effortlessly; the messenger almost looked dissapointed that it didn't hit Eiri in the face. "She looked especially happy to call you, so I suggest you watch yourself. You know what they say about those guys ..." The messenger snickered to himself, before disappearing with a quiet 'Poof!'.
Eiri glanced at the scroll in his hand, shrugged, then stretched as he stood. "I'll see you later I guess." He told Thaddeus over his shoulder.
The black-haired boy watched as the other vanished. A summoning by a Judge? That was odd, and Tatsuha knew that Judges were notorious for being thrilled to tell someone bad news about their fate. Generally they stayed to themselves, and were in charge of deciding if a person was going to Heaven or Hell, and if Hell, which level.
The messenger had said 'she' ... Tatsuha's eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully. There were only two females out of seven on the Judge's Panel, and they were ...
He started nervously chewing his lip again; this was becoming much too suspicious. Tohma had to know about it. Thaddeus stood from his cloud/chair, and set on his immediate mission to find the illusive little man.
--
"And so, we failed to save him and he is currently going through the placement process." K finished with a wearied sigh. "We did manage to get the demon, but since that was not on the priority list --"
"You ultimately consider this a complete failure, as do I." Tohma interjected thickly, his cheek resting almost lazily against a fist. His green eyes were narrowed dangerously, and it was obvious he was less than pleased with the current events.
K winced at the sharp glare; normally it wouldn't have bothered him, but this failure was his fault, and only his fault. He deserved any wrath he received from Tohma, whose anger could probably motivate wars to last centuries. "Yes sir, I'm sorry." The blond muttered with a low bow, "By the time we figured out what was happening it was too late."
Tohma's gaze only grew harder with this excuse, though he merely shifted positions and began disregarding the massive amounts of papers off his desk. "Because you know the situation behind this," He started calmly, "Are you aware of a certain someone's recent movements in the underworld?"
K, who hadn't stood up straight yet, glanced through his bangs. "Her?" He asked incredulously, "She's been idle for over a hundred years."
"Which isn't a long time to the dead and immortal." Tohma added offhandedly, "Really, was it so long ago?" The blond finished putting away his things, folded his hands neatly on the desk and cooly stared at the still bowing man. "Not long enough that anyone should have forgotten," He continued, "Certainly not me, and how much are you willing to bet that there's a grudge involved?"
K frowned thoughtfully, "Can you prove it? That she's been involved?"
"No. But I will." Tohma stood smoothly, and motioned for K to stand straight. "Stay here long enough for Tatsuha to come - he's sure to show up any moment, poking his nose into business."
"Where are you going?" K asked, as he turned enough to see Tohma opening his doors to the huge expanse of office.
"To get proof." The archangel said grimly, and disappeared without another word.
--
"Name." A strict male voice asked him.
He could only stare blankly, and respond as hollowly as expected from these strangers. "I don't know."
Shane! My name is Shane Shoeman!
'No its not.'
Above him sat seven people in a triangle shaped judge's booth. They were all dressed in black robes, and the one who sat the highest in the center held a thick volume book before him. The aged center judge frowned and peered over his spectacles at the pages, "Odd: two different nationalities for a reincarnation ... not unheard of though."
The center judge studied the soul beneath him, before glancing at the six other judges sitting on either side of him. "For the first body, Heaven's Judges, what do you say?"
"Third Hell."
"Third Hell."
"Third Hell."
"For the first body, Hell's Judges, what do you say?"
"Third Hell."
"Third Hell."
"Fourth ... Third Hell."
The middle judge looked closer at the last judge on his left side, a woman. "You stuttered. Are there qualms about this one?" He asked her.
The soul being judged couldn't see her face, but he could feel at least one pair of eyes staring at him longer than was probably necessary.
"There are no qualms. Third Hell." The woman's voice confirmed.
The middle judge nodded and checked something off in his book. "Very well. For the second body, Heaven's Judges, what do you say?"
"First Hell."
"First Hell."
"First Hell."
"For the second body, Hell's Judges, what do you say?"
"First Hell."
"First Hell."
" ... First Hell."
The middle judge turned his attention back to the soul being judged, "Because of the circumstance of reincarnation, your memories will not be returned. Your punishments will be of equality to your sins, and in the near future, you will understand each punishment and sin, and will be allowed the chance of salvation or otherwise. We Seven have spoken. Do you have any questions?" The oldest judge asked tersely.
The blankness that disallowed the soul to speak suddenly lifted, and while there were hundreds of possible questions, only one stood prominent.
"One name was Shane ..." The soul stated numbly, "What was the other?"
After a brief hesitation, the center judge spoke. "A name is an identity, and while you have none beyond a name now, I will tell you your first.
"Shuuichi Shindou."