Non-Canon The Nutcracker: Arcade Edition (Christmas Special)

[Neko Shogun]

"My brother? That's Mason. He isn't here right now. I think you'd like to meet him. He's probably off having some adventure right now, just like we are. Sayori, we're the heroes of our own adventure now. Don't worry. It'll be tons of fun! Just stick by me."

"Elizabeth, please calm down." Oliver called from where he stood beside Luka. Humans were so amusing. Intending to pull Luka along by the hand as he decided to start moving.

@Minerva @thatguyinthestore





Bee would give a small laugh at the sight of all the toy weapons, grabbing a sword.

"Ahaha! These are sooo cute!" she giggled like a kid, smacking a sack with the toy sword she found. She didn't know how to use a sword, but that wouldn't stop her.

@Yun Lee @Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @York @thatguyinthestore @ThatAverageGuy @belVita @dark @Minerva @Crow @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Widowmaker @Sen @Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu

"Oh my gosh!!!! The toys came alive!!!!! Just like a magic act!!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Then, without any warning, Elizabeth broke out into a full sprint, running over to both Ryu and Alex and hugging them both.

"I WANT TO HUG YOU AND FEED YOU AND LOVE YOU FOREVER!!! AND THEN I'LL PUT YOU BOTH IN PRETTY DRESSES AND WE'LL HAVE A TEA PARTY!!! I'LL EVEN INVITE CIEL AND SEBASTIAN AND BARDROY AND MEY-RIN AND FINNY!!!!! DOESN'T THAT JUST SOUND LOVELY?????!!!"

Meanwhile, Ciel contemplated drinking this whole party away despite only being twelve.

@Yun Lee​

Macy carefully got down from Alex's shoulder and looked around the room. "If Mason was here, he would be the happiest guy alive. With his fighting style, he'd probably grab one of everything. I'm going to be a bit more conservative though."

And by conservative, Macy meant grabbing a NERF N-STRIKE ELITE RHINO-FIRE MOTORIZED DOUBLE BARREL BLASTER. Unfortunately, this was a but too heavy for her to carry. Perhaps somebody else would be better suited for it. Instead, she grabbed a NERF Bow, a foam sword, and a toy magic wand. Perhaps the toy magic wand would give her some amount of magic? She mounted a rocking horse, which she hoped would work like a real horse to save her aching feet. To test the magic wand, she pointed it at a sack and said, "Shazam!"

@Yun Lee​

"He sounds like a great guy," Sayori said in reply to Macy, a dreamy expression on her face. She spaced out for a moment, seeming not to care that Macy had been sitting on Alex's shoulder. She simply skipped along like a energetic little girl, following along with everyone. "I'd love to meet him! You should bring Mason when you come to visit me in my world, ah ha ha. The more the merrier!"

The pink-haired girl turned to look at Elizabeth, watching her excitement along with Oliver trying to calm her down. "Don't worry, Oliver, I'm sure Elizabeth is just excited! The toys just came alive so I have to admit it is pretty exciting!" she squealed, happily clasping her hands against her chest. Also, for some reason, Sayori seemed not to be bothered by the cold at all. Perhaps it was her excitement and warm personality that kept her from feeling touched by it.

@Alex Azure @Takumi @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Minerva @Yun Lee @whoever​

 

[Lucky]

Orion and Will

Orion really wanted to take the glue from him and looked at all the weapons and his eyes went wide, looking at his selections and pausing debating what to choose. There were so many options. He would look over at Will who literally had picked everything out.

He had taken a red shield that looked like it came out of a power ranger's cartoon, a golden plastic toy sword, some blue and green armor and had taken a toy horse. " Hey come on, pick something out, Orion."

Orion eyed the stuff and frowned. There was too much to process, too many different weapons. He couldn't find just one. It was so damn difficult. Maybe someone could recommend something for Orion.

@Yun Lee @Alex Azure

 

[Not a Writer]

"My suspicion is that we should simply keep moving forward. I know that it's not the most intelligent of ideas, but sometimes keeping things simple reaps better seeds than one would think." Ciel suggested, not seeming one bit phased by the cold.

As he kept moving, Ciel glanced up to both Teresa and Joshua, casually taking each step with his cane in tow. "So... what is it that you two exactly do for a living? You mentioned earlier that Joshua is your boss, after all."

@Pretentious Pineapple @Neko Shogun​

"Tell you something that you don't know, huh?"

This request was far easier for Joshua than the Conductor even realized. If Joshua was a betting man, he would've easily bet that Teresa didn't know...

...that he thought she was beautiful.

However, he didn't really have the nerve to admit this at the moment, so he decided not to relay this bit of information to her. Instead, he would watch her for a moment, his azure eyes twinkling with unspoken emotion.​

"I'm sure there are plenty of things I know that you don't, but I'm not really in the mood to prove myself better than you," the Composer remarked, sticking his hands in his pockets. "And, heh, I don't always have good intent when considering my actions, however, it is Christmas so perhaps I have simply decided to behave myself."

"I'm just fine, thanks," Joshua finally replied when she would question him on this, not bothering to look back at Teresa or even relay his true feelings to her. "I'll just be glad when we get out of this mess."

@Pretentious Pineapple @thatguyinthestore @whoever​

"Yeah, that's right. Something I don't know," she affirmed with a smug smirk and an encouraging nod. She was really teasing him more than anything; she was aware he was a smart guy, and there had been things before(though trivial) he had brought up that she did not understand or recognize. Still, she couldn't resist messing with him a bit. It kept her mind occupied, and his retorts did always amuse her.

If only she knew his first idea of a response.

As she didn't, she only licked her lips with amusement as he denied her request, biting the inside of her cheek thereafter. "Right, right. I'm sure you aren't," the female spoke teasingly with playful sarcasm. "You may not always have good intent, but you don't always have bad ones, either. It doesn't matter whether it's Christmas time or not," Teresa pointed out. But with the matter of her being chilled by her attempt at helping young Orion, she kind of lost her playful air for the moment.

Instead, she could only give a shaky nod in response to his statement he'd be happy when they were out of here. "The sentiment is shared," she mused, rolling her shoulders with a deep exhale, still hugging herself in aims of warming up. Were it not for the contact with the literally freezing Orion, she likely would have been quite a bit less bothered by it(though it still would have been a nuisance), but she was dealing regardless. Not that her voice or body were perfectly steady yet, even as she glanced to Ciel and uttered a response.

"...A l-living isn't really the right word," she spoke with light amusement, a rather dark bit of humor. But it was humor nonetheless. A small nod was made towards her back, which, with the upper portion of it exposed by her dress, gave a clear view of her now non-functional skeletal black wings. They had been folded before, but she allowed them to spread a little more, now, apparently to accentuate the point. "It's kind of a lack thereof. We're something called reapers. Or, well.... I am. Josh's an angel, even though he d-doesn't always act the p-part," she explained, simply. But she did not linger, the matter of the figures being glued together and somehow coming to life and the like kind of attention grabbing. Plus they had kinda set out already.

That didn't keep her from deadpanning as they entered the 'weaponry room', her face completely devoid of all amusement as she picked up a plastic sword with obvious disbelief.

"...Really???"

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Yun Lee​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

❝ Hey Akiyama-san, should I grab you something? I know you and ojisan have spars every now and then... but I don't think just kicks are going to do a lot. ❞ Haruka called over to him, picking up for herself a foam sword.

❝ Ugh... Kiryu's definitely going to kill me after this. ❞ All that Akiyama could think about is how his friend would be shocked to hear what he and Haruka got themselves into. Not even Haruka's question got his attention, since all Akiyama wanted to do was lay down and think about his life choices.

@Yun Lee @ppl​

 

[Crow]

"You do realize I'm as much a victim of this as you are, right, Ibuki? Believe me, once I find this Mouse King, I'll be teaching him a lesson he won't soon forget."

Sakura, a bit more concerned with Orion and Madoka, had a different focus. "Say, Mr. Mouse King? Do you think some people can, I don't know, get exceptions to the rules, or something?"

"Oh, all right, since you asked so nicely...see Sans? See what being polite gets you?"

Anyone who had issues with maintaining a physical form would find themselves able to maintain that physical form with no complications. You simply can't use powers at the moment, and also have no weapons.

"There you go."

"Thank you!"

Ghost Writer rolled his eyes. "Charming. Now, can we get a move on, please? I want my keyboard back."

"You're not getting it back! It's mine! All mine! At least I'll actually put it to good use, which is more than YOU ever did!"

"Can't you at least give us a chance? Villains who don't give heroes a chance are the most hated, you know."

"Hmm..." The Mouse King took a moment to mull it over. "Fine! Go fix the action figures."

"How do we-"

"No more hints! Just do it!"

@Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun@Pretentious Pineapple@York@thatguyinthestore@ThatAverageGuy@belVita @dark @Minerva@Crow@Takumi@Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies@Widowmaker @Sen @Alex Azure@Khan of the Mardu​

Ibuki would now find herself becoming a fan of Naruto. She would now appreciate a series that deserves more than being labelled as cringey by some smarmy little ninja who doesn't have proper taste!

"You can't just shape people's tastes like that!" Ghost Writer sputtered.

"Hey! You did it! Remember when you went after Danny Phantom and turned all his friends and family against him? I saw that episode!"

"I was teaching him a lesson! All you're doing is making some stupid fanfiction come to life!"

"How DARE you?! It's not stupid! Here, you want some lore?! I'll give you some gorram lore, that'll shut you up!" The Mouse King cracked his knuckles, and began.

"Once upon a time, in a land known as the Sugarplum Kingdom, everyone lived in happiness and harmony under the rule of the Sugarplum Fairy. She was kind, beautiful, wise...and yes, Issun, her boobs were HUGE. Everyone loved her, and the land was peaceful.

But everything changed when the Mouse King attacked.

The Mouse King captured the Sugarplum Fairy, locking her away in his palace of pure evil. Only two warriors were strong enough to save her, but the evil (and devilishly handsome) Mouse King put them under a curse, trapping them in the form of children's toys until two of pure hearts could free them.

To further prevent anyone from saving the Sugarplum Fairy, the incredibly clever Mouse King broke the key to her prison into three pieces, and entrusted them to his three loyal henchmen. The first could be found in Toyland, the second in the Freezeflame Galaxy, and the third in the Candy Forest. But there was no way he could ever be stopped...until now."

Elena and Macy would feel an odd tingling sensation on the back of their hand. When they looked down, each would find a peculiar marking.

"A group of ragtag misfits voted amongst themselves for the two most worthy of Drosselmeyer's gifts. Little did they realize...this made the pair the masters of the two great warriors.

And who are they, you ask? Well...look behind you."

Once the group did, Sakura gasped. "No way..."

Where two action figures once lat, now were two living, breathing men.

Alex looked around at the group before him. "...Huh. So you're the guys who freed us, yeah?"

"It would appear so," Ryu replied, eyes finally settling on Elena. "You must be my Master, then."

"And you're mine," Alex said to Macy. "Well, what are we standin' around for?" He cracked his knuckles. "Let's kick some ass!"



@Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun@Pretentious Pineapple@York@thatguyinthestore@ThatAverageGuy@belVita @dark@Minerva@Crow@Takumi@Lucky @Jeremi@Gummi Bunnies@Widowmaker @Sen @Alex Azure@Khan of the Mardu​

"Huh. I'm no longer a placeholder for a self-insert character. I'm a more specific self-insert character."

"It's almost like magic, Producer-chama~!"

"I think it is, Momoka, I think it actually is," Producer says, then turns to Macy & Elena. "Macy, other girl, try to see if you can check their stats."

Meanwhile, Producer grabs a pair of nerf guns and a cannon for her back, while Momoka grabs a bow and arrows.

"It's almost like my depiction in that April Fool's-only board game, Producer-chama~."

"It's no longer April Fool's only, Momoka, it's 24/7 now."

Producer then looks at Macy once more.

"Try your magic wand on a rocking horse. I could use a steed."

@Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Takumi @Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Widowmaker @etcetcetc​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"Thank God someone sane is here, at least," Alex nodded appreciatively towards Ibuki, while Ryu let Lizzy get her squealing out of her system. To his Master, Alex would bend down. "Climb aboard," he said. Once she did, they would lead the way through Toyland.

As their little group would move along behind the two warriors, they would find the kingdom completely devoid of any toys, save for the wooden blocks. "You would think a place called Toyland would be a bit more...colorful."

"You can thank the general of the Mouse Army for that," Ryu replied with a frown. "This used to be a happy town, before he came along. He forcefully drafted the Sugarplum toy soldiers into his army, and commandeered all others for himself."

"Luckily, he left the armory untouched...mostly since we disguised it as a poorhouse." Alex would push open the door to a little wooden block house, where the group would find delightful toy weapons to use: Nerf guns, cannons that shot out bouncy balls, rocking horses, plastic swords...anything your childhood imagination could desire was here. There were also some targets and sacks to practice fighting with.

"It's best to stock up now," Ryu told the group. "I get the feeling we're in for some trouble."


@Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun@PretentiousPineapple@York@thatguyinthestore@ThatAverageGuy@belVita@dark@Minerva@Crow@Takumi@Lucky@Jeremi@GummiBunnies@Widowmaker@Sen @Alex Azure@Yun Lee ​

Chibiterasu picked up a Frisbee, a Jump Rope, and a Toy Sword to use as weapons. He alsp picked up a paintbrush to replace his unavailable Celestial Brush. However, he knew that it wouldn't have the same divine powers.

@Yun Lee @Pretentious Pineapple @Sen​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"He sounds like a great guy," Sayori said in reply to Macy, a dreamy expression on her face. She spaced out for a moment, seeming not to care that Macy had been sitting on Alex's shoulder. She simply skipped along like a energetic little girl, following along with everyone. "I'd love to meet him! You should bring Mason when you come to visit me in my world, ah ha ha. The more the merrier!"

The pink-haired girl turned to look at Elizabeth, watching her excitement along with Oliver trying to calm her down. "Don't worry, Oliver, I'm sure Elizabeth is just excited! The toys just came alive so I have to admit it is pretty exciting!" she squealed, happily clasping her hands against her chest. Also, for some reason, Sayori seemed not to be bothered by the cold at all. Perhaps it was her excitement and warm personality that kept her from feeling touched by it.

@Alex Azure @Takumi @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Minerva @Yun Lee @whoever​

"I'll be sure to bring Mason over some time. Producer, think you could help me find Mason once this whole dilemma is over with?"
​

"Huh. I'm no longer a placeholder for a self-insert character. I'm a more specific self-insert character."

"It's almost like magic, Producer-chama~!"

"I think it is, Momoka, I think it actually is," Producer says, then turns to Macy & Elena. "Macy, other girl, try to see if you can check their stats."

Meanwhile, Producer grabs a pair of nerf guns and a cannon for her back, while Momoka grabs a bow and arrows.

"It's almost like my depiction in that April Fool's-only board game, Producer-chama~."

"It's no longer April Fool's only, Momoka, it's 24/7 now."

Producer then looks at Macy once more.

"Try your magic wand on a rocking horse. I could use a steed."

@Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Takumi @Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Widowmaker @etcetcetc​

"Check their... huh? Producer, I have no clue what you mean. That's a more Mason question to answer. Sorry. The horses though, I can do."

Macy attempted to bring two of the rocking horses to life via the toy wand.

@Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Takumi @Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Widowmaker​

 

[Raptor Jesus]

"Thank God someone sane is here, at least," Alex nodded appreciatively towards Ibuki, while Ryu let Lizzy get her squealing out of her system. To his Master, Alex would bend down. "Climb aboard," he said. Once she did, they would lead the way through Toyland.

As their little group would move along behind the two warriors, they would find the kingdom completely devoid of any toys, save for the wooden blocks. "You would think a place called Toyland would be a bit more...colorful."

"You can thank the general of the Mouse Army for that," Ryu replied with a frown. "This used to be a happy town, before he came along. He forcefully drafted the Sugarplum toy soldiers into his army, and commandeered all others for himself."

"Luckily, he left the armory untouched...mostly since we disguised it as a poorhouse." Alex would push open the door to a little wooden block house, where the group would find delightful toy weapons to use: Nerf guns, cannons that shot out bouncy balls, rocking horses, plastic swords...anything your childhood imagination could desire was here. There were also some targets and sacks to practice fighting with.

"It's best to stock up now," Ryu told the group. "I get the feeling we're in for some trouble."


@Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun@PretentiousPineapple@York@thatguyinthestore@ThatAverageGuy@belVita@dark@Minerva@Crow@Takumi@Lucky@Jeremi@GummiBunnies@Widowmaker@Sen @Alex Azure@Yun Lee ​

"OOOOOOO!!!! All the toys here!! It's all so beautiful!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she picked up a foam sword and began swinging it around. "I think I'll choose this one! What about you, Ciel?"

Ciel scoffed. "If you honestly believe that I'll choose some lowly children's toy as a weapon, you--"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!"

"....ugh, fine." He said as he picked up a NERF gun, not wanting to listen to Elizabeth beg for several hours.

"Yaaaaaaay! Oliver, Sayori, why don't we all paint our weapons pink?" Elizabeth suggested, having picked up a children's painting kit along their walk as she began painting we sword in bright pink.

Ciel only groaned in mild annoyance before turning back to face Teresa and Joshua. "I apologize for her behavior. She's a bit.... expressive when it comes to the holidays. Anywho, I've actually encountered quite a few of you reapers myself. However, they were.... less than fond experiences, to say the least. Specifically one Grell Sutcliff, who took it upon herself to murder a close family friend and attempt to murder my butler, Sebastian.

However, she was repreminded for her actions accordingly. I hope her punishment was severe."

@Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @Takumi​

 

[Not a Writer]

He returned the gesture, hands on hips.

"Sorry these tiny Poncle eyes aren't as great as your wolf ones, Ammy. If only you knew how I suffer on a daily basis."

"Then maybe when we turn back, you'll let me take a nap in your clothes on the way back to the Celestial Plain."​

Recovering from everyone's sudden downsizing, Silora casually dusted herself off and easily found her way back to the goddess' side. Although the demon hunter's spectral sight had been weakened significantly by this "Mouse King", her keen elven ears could still pick a boisterous dwarf out of a crowd. As she approached, however, Silora appeared surprised, looking between Issun and Amaterasu with her head cocked back and a brow raised.

"You certainly have a unique take on how to treat a goddess," she noted on Issun's part, "Though, the more you talk about my two friends, the more inclined I am to believe it's due to your unique take on flirting," Silora quipped with a bare-fanged grin and a low giggle.

@Sen @Pretentious Pineapple​

Amaterasu's expression said it all. Her gesture to her missing divine instrument had not been mockery, it had been a mere helpful expression that he was not the only one with a missing weapon. Man, and he called her sensitive. Not that this was what she took issue with, of course. No, the look of amusement, or lack thereof, was borne from the artist's request to nap in her clothing. She knew he had slept in Sakuya's kimono, but man. The thought of having a tiny bug boy sleeping between her breasts was not pleasant.

Silora's observation, on the other hand, earned a mildly amused grin and an accompanying huff from the female. It was about time someone called Issun out on his ridiculous flirting. He could at least try to be subtle or decent about it. Though that was hardly the biggest concern at the moment. The toy weaponry was fixed with a confused gaze by the sun goddess, she picking up a bracelet that vaguely resembled her Life Beads. Tilting her head as she lifted it, she sniffed it tryingly, ears twitching with confused curiosity.

What even was this. Why.

@Sen @Archmage Jeremiah​

 

[Takumi]

"OOOOOOO!!!! All the toys here!! It's all so beautiful!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she picked up a foam sword and began swinging it around. "I think I'll choose this one! What about you, Ciel?"

Ciel scoffed. "If you honestly believe that I'll choose some lowly children's toy as a weapon, you--"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!"

"....ugh, fine." He said as he picked up a NERF gun, not wanting to listen to Elizabeth beg for several hours.

"Yaaaaaaay! Oliver, Sayori, why don't we all paint our weapons pink?" Elizabeth suggested, having picked up a children's painting kit along their walk as she began painting we sword in bright pink.

Ciel only groaned in mild annoyance before turning back to face Teresa and Joshua. "I apologize for her behavior. She's a bit.... expressive when it comes to the holidays. Anywho, I've actually encountered quite a few of you reapers myself. However, they were.... less than fond experiences, to say the least. Specifically one Grell Sutcliff, who took it upon herself to murder a close family friend and attempt to murder my butler, Sebastian.

However, she was repreminded for her actions accordingly. I hope her punishment was severe."

@Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @Takumi​

"I guess you're right, Sayori." Oliver responded to the high schooler.

He laughed at Elizabeth's enthusiasm, picking up a toy sword himself.

"Luka, it would of been funny if Gakupo or one of the others that handle a sword were here with us." he spoke, giving a small swing. He may not have knew how to use a sword, but it couldn't be all that hard, right?

@Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Neko Shogun

Bee continued to wave her sword around and whack the sack. She was honestly having a bit of fun doing it if her giggling was anything to go by.

@Yun Lee @Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @York @thatguyinthestore @ThatAverageGuy @belVita @dark @Minerva @Crow @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Widowmaker @Sen @Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu

 

[Not a Writer]

"OOOOOOO!!!! All the toys here!! It's all so beautiful!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she picked up a foam sword and began swinging it around. "I think I'll choose this one! What about you, Ciel?"

Ciel scoffed. "If you honestly believe that I'll choose some lowly children's toy as a weapon, you--"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!"

"....ugh, fine." He said as he picked up a NERF gun, not wanting to listen to Elizabeth beg for several hours.

"Yaaaaaaay! Oliver, Sayori, why don't we all paint our weapons pink?" Elizabeth suggested, having picked up a children's painting kit along their walk as she began painting we sword in bright pink.

Ciel only groaned in mild annoyance before turning back to face Teresa and Joshua. "I apologize for her behavior. She's a bit.... expressive when it comes to the holidays. Anywho, I've actually encountered quite a few of you reapers myself. However, they were.... less than fond experiences, to say the least. Specifically one Grell Sutcliff, who took it upon herself to murder a close family friend and attempt to murder my butler, Sebastian.

However, she was repreminded for her actions accordingly. I hope her punishment was severe."

@Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @Takumi​

Momentarily, Teresa found herself nearly forgetting the cold racking her body entirely, her eyes wide as she noted the young Elizabeth bounding over to the lot of them. Her mouth fell open slightly, and it almost seemed as though she had fallen into a trance. She did not blink, as though she would risk missing something; as though she were only just now seeing for the first time. Slowly, her gaze drifted away from Ciel and Elizabeth, roaming their little gathering.

One, two, three, four, five.... The numbers kept climbing. She saw at least seven of them. Children, all under the age of thirteen from the looks of it. While those were the youngest, it was clear a number of the others were unbelievably young as well, in the range of thirteens to seventeen. It was something that induced a feeling of nausea in the Glader, though only around eighteen herself, to know that some sick and twisted figure had been cruel enough to drag children so young into their schemes. It reminded her of WICKED, the organization that only took children, and how disgusting it had all been. How low it was. And just like that, the cold was gone from her body, her hands clenching at her sides and a steely expression overtaking her feats.

"...This mouse king is going to pay."

The mutter was low, even quieter with how the female's head had tilted downward out of disbelieving fury. There was nothing lower than endangering the lives of children, and not only had this 'mouse king' done just that, but he had made a game out of it. True, perhaps she was wrong and the lives of the group were not in true danger, but even if such were the case? If these false weapons were for naught and no fight awaited? Toying with the lives of others was a despicable act. One that could not go unpunished.

In all honesty, she had become so enveloped in her sudden disgust with the one behind this all that she almost missed Ciel's continuation of their conversation. Fortunately, it seemed to snap her out of her colder air, her perturbed frown fading into a more neutral expression. If only for the boy's sake. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop it from returning upon his explanation of his own experiences with Reapers, her eyebrows furrowing and a sympathetic look coming to her eyes.

"...I'm sorry." It was the first phrase to part her lips, but she couldn't stop it before it came out. Hurriedly, she shook her head, trying to organize herself better. "No need to apologize for your friend. I'm sure she just wants to look out for you," she assured after taking a deep breath in order to clear her mind. "But I'll tell you right now. Whatever reapers your world has, that ain't even close to what we are. Our job isn't to hurt people," she explained, feeling slight concern now that she may have unintentionally intimidated or upset the boy. "It's to save them."

Realizing this might have sounded odd, she was quick to evaluate. "People talk about what comes after death all the time. Heaven, hell, the void- whatever. But whichever of those might be true, we reapers can... pause that, in a way. If that makes sense," she elaborated, making sure she spoke slowly and calmly in a manner as thorough as she could. "We intercept them after they die and give them a second chance at life. It has a price, but that's just natural. Everything does. Fortunately, if you take the chance and make it through, I guess you could say we refund that price at the end. Or return it, anyway."

"...Point is, we're not killers. But we are damn strong, and we can pack a punch when it's needed. So don't worry, alright?" Oops. She had slipped on her attempt to not curse.

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore​

 

[Raptor Jesus]

Momentarily, Teresa found herself nearly forgetting the cold racking her body entirely, her eyes wide as she noted the young Elizabeth bounding over to the lot of them. Her mouth fell open slightly, and it almost seemed as though she had fallen into a trance. She did not blink, as though she would risk missing something; as though she were only just now seeing for the first time. Slowly, her gaze drifted away from Ciel and Elizabeth, roaming their little gathering.

One, two, three, four, five.... The numbers kept climbing. She saw at least seven of them. Children, all under the age of thirteen from the looks of it. While those were the youngest, it was clear a number of the others were unbelievably young as well, in the range of thirteens to seventeen. It was something that induced a feeling of nausea in the Glader, though only around eighteen herself, to know that some sick and twisted figure had been cruel enough to drag children so young into their schemes. It reminded her of WICKED, the organization that only took children, and how disgusting it had all been. How low it was. And just like that, the cold was gone from her body, her hands clenching at her sides and a steely expression overtaking her feats.

"...This mouse king is going to pay."

The mutter was low, even quieter with how the female's head had tilted downward out of disbelieving fury. There was nothing lower than endangering the lives of children, and not only had this 'mouse king' done just that, but he had made a game out of it. True, perhaps she was wrong and the lives of the group were not in true danger, but even if such were the case? If these false weapons were for naught and no fight awaited? Toying with the lives of others was a despicable act. One that could not go unpunished.

In all honesty, she had become so enveloped in her sudden disgust with the one behind this all that she almost missed Ciel's continuation of their conversation. Fortunately, it seemed to snap her out of her colder air, her perturbed frown fading into a more neutral expression. If only for the boy's sake. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop it from returning upon his explanation of his own experiences with Reapers, her eyebrows furrowing and a sympathetic look coming to her eyes.

"...I'm sorry." It was the first phrase to part her lips, but she couldn't stop it before it came out. Hurriedly, she shook her head, trying to organize herself better. "No need to apologize for your friend. I'm sure she just wants to look out for you," she assured after taking a deep breath in order to clear her mind. "But I'll tell you right now. Whatever reapers your world has, that ain't even close to what we are. Our job isn't to hurt people," she explained, feeling slight concern now that she may have unintentionally intimidated or upset the boy. "It's to save them."

Realizing this might have sounded odd, she was quick to evaluate. "People talk about what comes after death all the time. Heaven, hell, the void- whatever. But whichever of those might be true, we reapers can... pause that, in a way. If that makes sense," she elaborated, making sure she spoke slowly and calmly in a manner as thorough as she could. "We intercept them after they die and give them a second chance at life. It has a price, but that's just natural. Everything does. Fortunately, if you take the chance and make it through, I guess you could say we refund that price at the end. Or return it, anyway."

"...Point is, we're not killers. But we are damn strong, and we can pack a punch when it's needed. So don't worry, alright?" Oops. She had slipped on her attempt to not curse.

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore​

"I don't worry." Ciel stated coldly with a blank stare. "Grell was nearly killed by Sebastian when she made the mistake of vexing the queen. As the Queen's Guard Dog, it is my duty to dispel the worries of Her Majesty in a timely manner, and I saw to it.

Grell was a mere nuisance who got in my way. I would have seen to her death myself if her own boss hadn't gotten in the way. Perhaps it was for the best, however, as she has proven to be a useful pawn in my own schemes from time to time.

I don't need to worry about anyone causing harm to me or my family name. It would be downright embarrassing if I allowed a wretch such as Grell to cut my or one of my staff's lives short, after all. Not to mention that the Phantomhive name would forever be sullied if I allowed anything such as that to happen."

Ciel spoke all this with an almost unnerving level of confidence and stature. It was almost as if Teresa was speaking with a full fledged adult, rather than a twelve year old boy.

@Pretentious Pineapple @Neko Shogun​

 

[Neko Shogun]

Momentarily, Teresa found herself nearly forgetting the cold racking her body entirely, her eyes wide as she noted the young Elizabeth bounding over to the lot of them. Her mouth fell open slightly, and it almost seemed as though she had fallen into a trance. She did not blink, as though she would risk missing something; as though she were only just now seeing for the first time. Slowly, her gaze drifted away from Ciel and Elizabeth, roaming their little gathering.

One, two, three, four, five.... The numbers kept climbing. She saw at least seven of them. Children, all under the age of thirteen from the looks of it. While those were the youngest, it was clear a number of the others were unbelievably young as well, in the range of thirteens to seventeen. It was something that induced a feeling of nausea in the Glader, though only around eighteen herself, to know that some sick and twisted figure had been cruel enough to drag children so young into their schemes. It reminded her of WICKED, the organization that only took children, and how disgusting it had all been. How low it was. And just like that, the cold was gone from her body, her hands clenching at her sides and a steely expression overtaking her feats.

"...This mouse king is going to pay."

The mutter was low, even quieter with how the female's head had tilted downward out of disbelieving fury. There was nothing lower than endangering the lives of children, and not only had this 'mouse king' done just that, but he had made a game out of it. True, perhaps she was wrong and the lives of the group were not in true danger, but even if such were the case? If these false weapons were for naught and no fight awaited? Toying with the lives of others was a despicable act. One that could not go unpunished.

In all honesty, she had become so enveloped in her sudden disgust with the one behind this all that she almost missed Ciel's continuation of their conversation. Fortunately, it seemed to snap her out of her colder air, her perturbed frown fading into a more neutral expression. If only for the boy's sake. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop it from returning upon his explanation of his own experiences with Reapers, her eyebrows furrowing and a sympathetic look coming to her eyes.

"...I'm sorry." It was the first phrase to part her lips, but she couldn't stop it before it came out. Hurriedly, she shook her head, trying to organize herself better. "No need to apologize for your friend. I'm sure she just wants to look out for you," she assured after taking a deep breath in order to clear her mind. "But I'll tell you right now. Whatever reapers your world has, that ain't even close to what we are. Our job isn't to hurt people," she explained, feeling slight concern now that she may have unintentionally intimidated or upset the boy. "It's to save them."

Realizing this might have sounded odd, she was quick to evaluate. "People talk about what comes after death all the time. Heaven, hell, the void- whatever. But whichever of those might be true, we reapers can... pause that, in a way. If that makes sense," she elaborated, making sure she spoke slowly and calmly in a manner as thorough as she could. "We intercept them after they die and give them a second chance at life. It has a price, but that's just natural. Everything does. Fortunately, if you take the chance and make it through, I guess you could say we refund that price at the end. Or return it, anyway."

"...Point is, we're not killers. But we are damn strong, and we can pack a punch when it's needed. So don't worry, alright?" Oops. She had slipped on her attempt to not curse.

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore​

"I don't worry." Ciel stated coldly with a blank stare. "Grell was nearly killed by Sebastian when she made the mistake of vexing the queen. As the Queen's Guard Dog, it is my duty to dispel the worries of Her Majesty in a timely manner, and I saw to it.

Grell was a mere nuisance who got in my way. I would have seen to her death myself if her own boss hadn't gotten in the way. Perhaps it was for the best, however, as she has proven to be a useful pawn in my own schemes from time to time.

I don't need to worry about anyone causing harm to me or my family name. It would be downright embarrassing if I allowed a wretch such as Grell to cut my or one of my staff's lives short, after all. Not to mention that the Phantomhive name would forever be sullied if I allowed anything such as that to happen."

Ciel spoke all this with an almost unnerving level of confidence and stature. It was almost as if Teresa was speaking with a full fledged adult, rather than a twelve year old boy.

@Pretentious Pineapple @Neko Shogun​

Joshua drifted off from whatever conversations he had been a part of upon entering the armory. He twitched an eyebrow and nudged a toy with his foot, peeved at the sight of these toys. "This is ridiculous; I'm not going to use a toy as a weapon," he said to himself, reaching down to pick up a yo-yo. Absentmindedly, he began to play with the yo-yo, causing the round object to roll up and down its string as he would use it. "Tch, I've never seen so many toys."

Sure, back home Joshua could've spawned a room filled to the brim with toys with the wave of a hand, but it wasn't something that he had ever thought to do--even if he had been rather deprived of toys as a human child. His parents managed to spend so much money on therapists and hospital bills that they had never bought him much of anything. Additionally, the would always blame Joshua for their lack of funds, even though Joshua had never insisted on any psychiatric help. They just didn't want to accept that the fact he could see spirits as a human. It didn't mean he was crazy; it was normal for him.

"I know the damage has already been done, but I wouldn't recommend telling every Joe about what we do for a living, Teresa. What we do is supposed to be a bit confidential," Joshua chided her upon hearing what she would explain to Ciel. "You're lucky that this boy is no ordinary person," he added, glancing to Ciel. "It's a shame your soul belongs to a demon. Had that not been the case, I would not have minded getting my hands on it to see you in my afterlife," he remarked cryptically to the boy.

@Pretentious Pineapple @thatguyinthestore​

 

[Neko Shogun]

"I'll be sure to bring Mason over some time. Producer, think you could help me find Mason once this whole dilemma is over with?"
​

"Check their... huh? Producer, I have no clue what you mean. That's a more Mason question to answer. Sorry. The horses though, I can do."

Macy attempted to bring two of the rocking horses to life via the toy wand.

@Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Takumi @Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Widowmaker​

"OOOOOOO!!!! All the toys here!! It's all so beautiful!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she picked up a foam sword and began swinging it around. "I think I'll choose this one! What about you, Ciel?"

Ciel scoffed. "If you honestly believe that I'll choose some lowly children's toy as a weapon, you--"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!"

"....ugh, fine." He said as he picked up a NERF gun, not wanting to listen to Elizabeth beg for several hours.

"Yaaaaaaay! Oliver, Sayori, why don't we all paint our weapons pink?" Elizabeth suggested, having picked up a children's painting kit along their walk as she began painting we sword in bright pink.

Ciel only groaned in mild annoyance before turning back to face Teresa and Joshua. "I apologize for her behavior. She's a bit.... expressive when it comes to the holidays. Anywho, I've actually encountered quite a few of you reapers myself. However, they were.... less than fond experiences, to say the least. Specifically one Grell Sutcliff, who took it upon herself to murder a close family friend and attempt to murder my butler, Sebastian.

However, she was repreminded for her actions accordingly. I hope her punishment was severe."

@Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @Takumi​

"I guess you're right, Sayori." Oliver responded to the high schooler.

He laughed at Elizabeth's enthusiasm, picking up a toy sword himself.

"Luka, it would of been funny id Gakupo or one of the others that handle a.sword were here with us." he spoke, giving a small swing. He may not have knew how to use a sword, but it couldn't be all that hard, right?

@Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Neko Shogun

Bee continued to wave her sword around and whack the sack. She was honestly having a bit of fun doing it if her giggling was anything to go by.

@Yun Lee @Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @York @thatguyinthestore @ThatAverageGuy @belVita @dark @Minerva @Crow @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Widowmaker @Sen @Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu

"That would be great Mac-- Uwaaah! Look at all the toys!" Sayori exclaimed, her beautiful blue eyes growing two sizes bigger. "Do you think these weapons actually work, Oliver?" she asked before bounding toward the toys, unable to resist from playing with some of them. She picked up a ball and jacks set, a fidget spinner, and a fluffy stuffed cow. She hugged the cow tightly in her arms and began to play with her fidget spinner at the same time. "Wheeee! Look at it spin!"

She then looked to Elizabeth, even more enthusiastic than before if at all possible. "THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! I'D LOVE TO PAINT MY WEAPONS PINK! You're a genius, Elizabeth!"

Although she had no idea what was going on, Sayori was sure having a grand 'ol time.

@thatguyinthestore @Alex Azure @Takumi @Crow @Minerva​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"OOOOOOO!!!! All the toys here!! It's all so beautiful!!!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she picked up a foam sword and began swinging it around. "I think I'll choose this one! What about you, Ciel?"

Ciel scoffed. "If you honestly believe that I'll choose some lowly children's toy as a weapon, you--"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!"

"....ugh, fine." He said as he picked up a NERF gun, not wanting to listen to Elizabeth beg for several hours.

"Yaaaaaaay! Oliver, Sayori, why don't we all paint our weapons pink?" Elizabeth suggested, having picked up a children's painting kit along their walk as she began painting we sword in bright pink.

Ciel only groaned in mild annoyance before turning back to face Teresa and Joshua. "I apologize for her behavior. She's a bit.... expressive when it comes to the holidays. Anywho, I've actually encountered quite a few of you reapers myself. However, they were.... less than fond experiences, to say the least. Specifically one Grell Sutcliff, who took it upon herself to murder a close family friend and attempt to murder my butler, Sebastian.

However, she was repreminded for her actions accordingly. I hope her punishment was severe."

@Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @Takumi​

"That would be great Mac-- Uwaaah! Look at all the toys!" Sayori exclaimed, her beautiful blue eyes growing two sizes bigger. "Do you think these weapons actually work, Oliver?" she asked before bounding toward the toys, unable to resist from playing with some of them. She picked up a ball and jacks set, a fidget spinner, and a fluffy stuffed cow. She hugged the cow tightly in her arms and began to play with her fidget spinner at the same time. "Wheeee! Look at it spin!"

She then looked to Elizabeth, even more enthusiastic than before if at all possible. "THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! I'D LOVE TO PAINT MY WEAPONS PINK! You're a genius, Elizabeth!"

Although she had no idea what was going on, Sayori was sure having a grand 'ol time.

@thatguyinthestore @Alex Azure @Takumi @Crow @Minerva​

"Ooh! I'd like to paint my weapons too! I'd rather take a different color. What about blue? Maybe purple?"

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Alex Azure @Takumi @Crow @Minerva​

 

[Takumi]

"That would be great Mac-- Uwaaah! Look at all the toys!" Sayori exclaimed, her beautiful blue eyes growing two sizes bigger. "Do you think these weapons actually work, Oliver?" she asked before bounding toward the toys, unable to resist from playing with some of them. She picked up a ball and jacks set, a fidget spinner, and a fluffy stuffed cow. She hugged the cow tightly in her arms and began to play with her fidget spinner at the same time. "Wheeee! Look at it spin!"

She then looked to Elizabeth, even more enthusiastic than before if at all possible. "THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! I'D LOVE TO PAINT MY WEAPONS PINK! You're a genius, Elizabeth!"

Although she had no idea what was going on, Sayori was sure having a grand 'ol time.

@thatguyinthestore @Alex Azure @Takumi @Crow @Minerva​

"I have no clue, but we'll just have to find out!" Oliver replied, smiling the whole time.

"Are you asking because this is a weaponry and we'll likely fight the Mouse King's army or simply out of curiosity?" he asked with a tilt of his head. The Engloid knew the situation was a bit dire, but he wasn't at all scared. Besides, the situations in the songs he used to sing (of the rather creepy variety) were way scarier and worse than being shrunken down to toy size.

@Minerva @Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Everyone

 

[Raptor Jesus]

"That would be great Mac-- Uwaaah! Look at all the toys!" Sayori exclaimed, her beautiful blue eyes growing two sizes bigger. "Do you think these weapons actually work, Oliver?" she asked before bounding toward the toys, unable to resist from playing with some of them. She picked up a ball and jacks set, a fidget spinner, and a fluffy stuffed cow. She hugged the cow tightly in her arms and began to play with her fidget spinner at the same time. "Wheeee! Look at it spin!"

She then looked to Elizabeth, even more enthusiastic than before if at all possible. "THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! I'D LOVE TO PAINT MY WEAPONS PINK! You're a genius, Elizabeth!"

Although she had no idea what was going on, Sayori was sure having a grand 'ol time.

@thatguyinthestore @Alex Azure @Takumi @Crow @Minerva​

"Ooh! I'd like to paint my weapons too! I'd rather take a different color. What about blue? Maybe purple?"

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore @Alex Azure @Takumi @Crow @Minerva​

"Why thank you!" Elizabeth replied to Sayori with a giggle. Turning to Macy, Elizabeth only smiled brightly. "You can't paint it whatever color you want! Though personally I'd prefer purple since its cuter."

@Neko Shogun @Alex Azure @Takumi​

 

[dark]

Chapter One
"Babes in Toyland"

"My, oh my, a tie..." Drosselmeyer shook his head. "Whatever shall I do?"

"Ooh! Cut the present in half! That way both people get it!"

"I say have them battle for it! Whoever can prove themselves worthy of the prize wins it!"

"Howzabout we jus' give it to someone else since no one can decide? I was thinkin' a tall, big-boned bloke...British...has amazing hair..."

Drosselmeyer chuckled. "Well, those are all lovely suggestions...however, I have a better idea. Miss Sakura, if you please, go behind the tree and fetch what I left there?"

"Uh, yeah, okay!" Sakura would run behind the tree, emerging a few moments later with a present in her hands, this time in blue.

View attachment 1979

"You mean to tell us you had two gifts this entire time? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having people vote in the first place?"

"On the contrary! I had two ready in case of a tie. Now, to see who gets what..." Ultimately with a bit of help with RNG it is decided that Macy received the blue gift, and Elena the pink. Upon opening them, the girls would find their gifts:

(Macy's on the left, Elena's on the right)

"Um...Alex and Ryu action figures?" Sakura looked at the gifts with a quizzical expression on her face. "I mean, it's interesting, but..."

"Yeah." Birdie scratched his neck. "I was expectin', I don't know...nutcrackers or somethin'."

"Well, these two do crack nuts, in a way," Drosselmeyer replied. "See their stands? Bring that down on a nut, and you'll break it open in no time!"

"...huh. Well, cool! Congrats, you guys! Especially you, Elena. Ryu is soooo cool! I mean, so is Alex, but-"

"Ohhoho! Sakura, your crush is showing..."

"W-What?! N-No, I just-"

"Girls, girls! It's Christmas Eve! Let us all get along, hm? Now, those presents for everyone else! I hope you're all ready for-urk!" Drosselmeyer suddenly lurched forward, clutching at his heart. The crowd stirred uncomfortably, unsure of what was going on.

...what is going on, anyway? It couldn't be...

"It is!" Drosselmeyer suddenly recovered, glaring up at...uh...well, I'm not there, so where the math are you looking?!

"I'm looking at you, you thief!" The same tone heard in Karin (that no one remembered) could now be heard in Drosselmeyer. But that's impossible! He's a party guest!

"Aha! I caught a loophole in your writing!" Drosselmeyer pointed at, once again, nothing-at least, to the partygoers, it looked like nothing.

Birdie leaned over to his boss and whispered, "Oi, Karin, why's yer uncle actin' all looney? He got dementia?"

"How should I know? I've only known the man for an hour!"

Unaware of the confusion around him, Drosselmeyer continued. "You said so yourself, Drosselmeyer happened to be visiting Karin and stopped by! He was never invited, ergo, he was never a party guest, ergo...I can possess him! And you can try and write me out of him, but I'll find a way back!"

"Karin, who is he talking to? What is going on?"

"That's what I'm about to find out!" Karin stood and began walking toward Drosselmeyer. "Uncle, what are you-"

She would stop, however, as the room would go dark. Dramatically, of course, with the candles being whooshed off like in samurai movies. An evil, yet oddly sexy laugh would echo through the halls, bouncing all around the room.

"Ahahahaha...hahahaha!! My, my, you are persistent, aren't you? So determined to stop me from having my way. Well, Ghost Writer, all I can say is...congratulations. You want to be part of this story so badly? You'll get a part, all right!"

The Ghost Writer would be forcefully ejected from Drosselmeyer's body. This time, everyone would see him and be able to touch him, because his ghostly abilities were gone! As a matter of fact, everyone's abilities were gone! You're all street level now!

Ghost Writer glared at the nothing yet again. "You fiend! What have you done?!"

"That which you can't undo!" The fiendishly attractive and badass voice replied with a cackle. "And believe me, it's only getting worse from here!"

Everyone would find their surroundings spinning, everything turning into a dizzying haze. Elena and Macy would drop their action figures, unable to pick them up as everything moved too fast. All throughout the spinning, evil laughter rang in their ears, finally fading away when they finally slowed to a halt.

---

"Ugh..." Karin put a hand to her head, shaking it to try and force off the dizziness. "Where are we?"

Looking around, everyone would find themselves by a kingdom made entirely of wooden blocks.

It was a grand place, although pretty much uninhabitable unless you were a toy. But, as Sakura got her bearings, she would realize something with a gasp. "The action figures! They...they're huge!!" Sure enough, the action figures were now life-sized. They were also broken-Alex and Ryu were both missing an arm.

"Oh, they aren't big..." The one known as Ghost Writer stepped foward, arms crossed. "They're the same size they've always been. We just happened to shrink." He looked around at the group, which was now much smaller. "If any of you have any questions, now is the time to ask. I get the feeling things won't be peaceful for very long."

Cast List

@dark as Al Simmons (Spawn)
@Takumi as Bee (Bee and Puppycat) and Oliver (Vocaloid)
@Alex Azure as Chibiterasu (Okami) and Macy Moretti (Original Character)
@thatguyinthestore as Ciel Phantomhive(Black Butler) and Elizabeth Midford (Black Butler)
@belVita as Davey Stone (Eight Crazy Nights)
@Jeremi as Elena (Street Fighter) and Hecate(Marvel Comics, Earth-616)
@ThatAverageGuy as Escargoon (Kirby: Right Back At Ya!)
@York as Eva Rosaline (To the Moon/Finding Paradise) and Neil Watts (To the Moon/Finding Paradise)
@Khan of the Mardu as Ibuki (Street Fighter)
@Sen as Issun (Okami)
@Minerva as Luka Megurine (Vocaloid)
@Crow as MadokaP (Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls) and Momoka Sakurai (Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls)
@Pretentious Pineapple as Okami Amaterasu(Okami) and Teresa Agnes (The Maze Runner)
@Widowmaker as Plutia/Iris Heart(Hyperdimension Neptunia) and Sans(Underfell)
@Neko Shogun as Sayori (Doki Doki Literature Club) and Joshua Kiryu (The World Ends With You)
@Gummi Bunnies as Shun Akiyama (Yakuza) and Haruka Suwamura (Yakuza)
@Archmage Jeremiah as Silora Moongrove(World of Warcraft OC)
@Lucky as Will Knight (Original Character) and Orion (Original Character)​

The shadow man felt everything spin and soon he was as small as everyone else, yet he stared at the others and frowned, grunting

"You gotta be fucking kidding me."

Soon everyone was without their powers and everyone seemed dumbfounded as Spawn just walked past the others and grabbed melee fake weapons. He eyed the jump rope in particular, a nerf gun, and some foam "ammo" and a plastic sword.

@Yun Lee @Archmage Jeremiah @Neko Shogun @Pretentious Pineapple @York @thatguyinthestore @ThatAverageGuy @belVita @dark@Minerva @Crow @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Widowmaker @Sen @Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu

 

[Not a Writer]

"I don't worry." Ciel stated coldly with a blank stare. "Grell was nearly killed by Sebastian when she made the mistake of vexing the queen. As the Queen's Guard Dog, it is my duty to dispel the worries of Her Majesty in a timely manner, and I saw to it.

Grell was a mere nuisance who got in my way. I would have seen to her death myself if her own boss hadn't gotten in the way. Perhaps it was for the best, however, as she has proven to be a useful pawn in my own schemes from time to time.

I don't need to worry about anyone causing harm to me or my family name. It would be downright embarrassing if I allowed a wretch such as Grell to cut my or one of my staff's lives short, after all. Not to mention that the Phantomhive name would forever be sullied if I allowed anything such as that to happen."

Ciel spoke all this with an almost unnerving level of confidence and stature. It was almost as if Teresa was speaking with a full fledged adult, rather than a twelve year old boy.

@Pretentious Pineapple @Neko Shogun​

Joshua drifted off from whatever conversations he had been a part of upon entering the armory. He twitched an eyebrow and nudged a toy with his foot, peeved at the sight of these toys. "This is ridiculous; I'm not going to use a toy as a weapon," he said to himself, reaching down to pick up a yo-yo. Absentmindedly, he began to play with the yo-yo, causing the round object to roll up and down its string as he would use it. "Tch, I've never seen so many toys."

Sure, back home Joshua could've spawned a room filled to the brim with toys with the wave of a hand, but it wasn't something that he had ever thought to do--even if he had been rather deprived of toys as a human child. His parents managed to spend so much money on therapists and hospital bills that they had never bought him much of anything. Additionally, the would always blame Joshua for their lack of funds, even though Joshua had never insisted on any psychiatric help. They just didn't want to accept that the fact he could see spirits as a human. It didn't mean he was crazy; it was normal for him.

"I know the damage has already been done, but I wouldn't recommend telling every Joe about what we do for a living, Teresa. What we do is supposed to be a bit confidential," Joshua chided her upon hearing what she would explain to Ciel. "You're lucky that this boy is no ordinary person," he added, glancing to Ciel. "It's a shame your soul belongs to a demon. Had that not been the case, I would not have minded getting my hands on it to see you in my afterlife," he remarked cryptically to the boy.

@Pretentious Pineapple @thatguyinthestore​

"...Right," Teresa murmured in reply, her expression stoic. While her response was short and sweet, and her expression seemingly serious, there was a gentle sympathy in her eyes. This boy... The way he acted, spoke, held himself. All of it was painfully familiar. Even the look in his singular eye generated a spark of recollection in her, and there was no mistaking it. What was it that he reminded her of, exactly?

Herself.

The cold, distant demeanor. The refusal to give so much as an inch. The smile that had been faked, the look in his blue eye, the overconfidence and lack of social prowess. It was all things she had experienced on her own, at the same age as him. Younger, even. After all, she had been only four or so when WICKED had taken her in after she had nearly become a sacrifice, and turned her into something worse. A pawn.

That look was one of someone who had faced hardship, or otherwise had no desire to face it. But it didn't really matter the circumstances behind it; she understood it, for it was something she knew inside out. That look was unmistakable. And she couldn't help the pang of guilt, sympathy and sadness that came with seeing another- not to mention one so young -with the same look she so often wore on his face. It was wrong for anyone to have to experience something that could lead such an aura to develop.

"Sorry, Josh. Won't happen again," she apologized, looking slightly sheepish as she gandered at her boss upon being called out. She hadn't meant to cause trouble or anything, but she had felt fairly bad with the situation mentioned by the boy. Joshua, however, was one whom she intended to listen to overall, even with her position aside. If he wished her to not speak of their job, she would oblige. He was her priority, after all.

Priority or not, she did appear confused upon the mention of Ciel's soul being owned by a demon. A frown tugged her lips down, and she looked between the two with evident leeriness. "...What do you mean, 'his soul belongs to a demon'?"

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore​

 

[Neko Shogun]

"...Right," Teresa murmured in reply, her expression stoic. While her response was short and sweet, and her expression seemingly serious, there was a gentle sympathy in her eyes. This boy... The way he acted, spoke, held himself. All of it was painfully familiar. Even the look in his singular eye generated a spark of recollection in her, and there was no mistaking it. What was it that he reminded her of, exactly?

Herself.

The cold, distant demeanor. The refusal to give so much as an inch. The smile that had been faked, the look in his blue eye, the overconfidence and lack of social prowess. It was all things she had experienced on her own, at the same age as him. Younger, even. After all, she had been only four or so when WICKED had taken her in after she had nearly become a sacrifice, and turned her into something worse. A pawn.

That look was one of someone who had faced hardship, or otherwise had no desire to face it. But it didn't really matter the circumstances behind it; she understood it, for it was something she knew inside out. That look was unmistakable. And she couldn't help the pang of guilt, sympathy and sadness that came with seeing another- not to mention one so young -with the same look she so often wore on his face. It was wrong for anyone to have to experience something that could lead such an aura to develop.

"Sorry, Josh. Won't happen again," she apologized, looking slightly sheepish as she gandered at her boss upon being called out. She hadn't meant to cause trouble or anything, but she had felt fairly bad with the situation mentioned by the boy. Joshua, however, was one whom she intended to listen to overall, even with her position aside. If he wished her to not speak of their job, she would oblige. He was her priority, after all.

Priority or not, she did appear confused upon the mention of Ciel's soul being owned by a demon. A frown tugged her lips down, and she looked between the two with evident leeriness. "...What do you mean, 'his soul belongs to a demon'?"

@Neko Shogun @thatguyinthestore​

Joshua wandered about the area once more, eventually picking up another toy to hold in his hand that wasn't playing with the yo-yo. It was a laser pointer. He shined it on the ground, absentmindedly wishing that Tarlotte a cat was there to chase it. He then looked back up at Teresa in time to hear her apologize. "It's fine, just don't make it a habit."

When Teresa would question about the boy's soul belonging to a demon Josh smiled knowingly. "Have you ever heard people joke about selling their soul to the devil? Let's just say, this boy actually did something like that. If he'd care to elaborate, I suppose you can ask him for more information on the subject." Joshua glanced toward Ciel, honestly feeling pity for him. The Composer couldn't dream of promising his soul to someone else except Teresa, especially not someone who intended to devour it.

@Pretentious Pineapple @thatguyinthestore​