"Sanae, have I ever told you about the time Sho and I actually went for ramen together?" The Composer was in quite the foul mood that day, his form crackling more than usual and his Vibe nearly shaking the room.
"No, I don't believe you ever told that one." he was amused, and brewing beans happily behind the counter.
"That's because it never happened!" fist nearly obliterated the bar, had Megumi not sheilded the table with his iron grip, forcing the Composer to lower the offending ball of fingers and rage down to rest lightly on the surface.
Sanae sighed as he recalled that happier time. Joshua was newly christened as Composer and was a rash, impudent, headstrong person with authority but no idea how much yet. How he missed that fire in his boy's eyes! How he lamented his cruel fate as he gently set down the shell of a being down on the cot he'd set up in the most shielded room in WildKat.
"I miss you, Joshua Kiryu. Now kiddo, I doubt you can hear me, but on the off-chance that you can...well...let an old man rant a while ok? J, come back to me, alright? We need your sass back, Shibuya's Composer. We need you...I need you...back to that place you used to be, snarky and rash yet powerful and patient." The man sat down near the cot "I remember when you used to urk the heck out of the other Composers. Especially Paris. They couldn't fathom how you could be so powerful, yet so ignorant at the same time! Yet no one doubted your influence. We need that influence now, J."
The body on the cot gave no sign. Hanekoma sighed and shook his head "Didn't think my voice would reach you. I just hoped….the closer you were to a person, the deeper the bond, you know?"
Shiki came in, silent and shy. She clutched Mister Mew and nervously cleared her throat. Hanekoma glanced her way slightly before turning his attention to Joshua again "What is it, Glasses?"
"Um...I just came to tell you...they survived the first day." The girl reported, not even bothering to look at the prone figure.
Sanae sighed in half relief "I guess it's time for the second challenge. Hand me the hat, wouldja?"
Shiki did, still refusing to make eye contact. She shook it for good measure, and the Producer fished out the next day's challenge.
"Huh...Phones'll like this one." Mister H chuckled as he began texting both combatants "Apollo...not so much."
Shiki glanced at the figure on the cot, bile rising in her throat as she once again saw exactly what she'd done. She dared to step close enough to touch a skinny arm, but a throat noise from Hanekoma made her second guess deciding to touch it. The barista nodded silently, throwing her a warning look and aproving of her hesitation. The girl sighed, turning aw3ay.
"Look, I understand your anger towards me, Mister H. I do...but…"
The Angel spread his wings, eyes glowing "You think I'm going to let you make contact with him now, Glasses? I know you were only acting to free Phones, but that was a move you shouldn't have made in any circumstance. Shattering one person's world to free anothers...is never ok."
The girl hung her head "Neku said the same thing."
"Phones has good instincts." Sanae gestured subtly. "I hoped you would support him, not...this." He once again turned his attention to the body on the cot and sighed. "We can only hope that Phones beats this and J gets restored. That is all the redemption you'll get, I'm afraid."
Shiki clutched Mister Mew and practically whimpered, sitting near the window that looked out over Cat Street.
TWEWYTWEWYTWEWYTWEWYTWEWY
777 sighed and shook his head, a grin on his lips "Maaaaaaaaan spikey~! You got good! Congrats on the win, and thanks for not erasing me, appreciate it."
Neku lay on his back, arms behind his head. For some reason, completing the mission didn't knock him out, so he actually had time to truly gather himself before the next trial.
"Same. You know, you aren't bad for a Reaper. Other than almost erasing me, we never had any issues. I still haven't paid you back for helping us with Ironface. That was big of you, man."
The Reaper chuckled softly and rubbed the back of his neck, "No biggy, Spikes. You helped us out too, you know. How could I not return the favor?" He sighed "This Game sure is strange though. Barely any Players and meanwhile, the Higher Ups tell us that you and some other 'return Player' are duking it out in your own private versus level. I don't get it, and I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to, but come on! How's a guy supposed to meet his quota when stuff lkike this keeps happening?"
The Proxy sighed and sat up, gazing into nothingness for a second, deep in thought. "I don't envy you or the other Players. As much as I hate the overall concept of Reapers' survival depending on erasure, I can't help but feel some sympothy for you guys. You didn't ask to be this way, taking lives to prolong your own. It's just what passes for your existance."
He stood up, glancing at his phone as it vibrated suddenly. His mouth formed a determined line as he read the mission mail, eyes sparking as he bid farewell to the rock star and sprinted to HMX Records, head high as he felt the odds finally turning in his favor.
Hang in there a little longer, Josh…