#₊˚ ⤥. ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴄʜᴀɪɴ. ( reply.) normal!

[catncore]

❝ 𝙜𝙤 𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙞'𝙢 𝙩𝙝' 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩. ❞ he'd arrived holding a rather large box under his arm. it was however, something that should not be relied on when it came to the weight of. the angel could make the most difficult items appear weightless, as he'd proved when helping her with handling the shed area where she kept her collected trickets and artifacts from granted wishes.

he'd spent the last several days with looking into how to collect a certain thing from a yokai, in their territory since he was one of the few who could get there and not be hunted for sport. something his foresight told him that she was going to request soon and he wanted to give her the chance to relax for once. he also made sure events would coincide where it wouldn't knock situations off trajectory. he was, after all, the best.

he sets down the box on the wooden deck to the shop and reveals to the witch the contents. a fishbowl- sealed at the top with a reinforced cork top- with a red cord securing it. at first glance, it would appear empty but it was in fact, filled to the brim with something crystal clear.

❝ water from the flowing shibuya-gawa, on the other side of the boundary. blessed by shinryū, of course. should be what you need t' protect an item that should be coming into yer hands soon. ❞ the shibuya river, on the other side of the boundary was a flourishing river where as in the real ground it was dried up and a trickle. things weren't ideal there, to hanekoma's liking; to him there should have been an even give or take; but he had access to the river and it's god.

@givenfate

[catncore]

the shibuyaian producer listened as he went about cleaning up the area within abe's range; nodding as he listened to the breakdown of the reports he was being given. there was a a small part of him that wondered by he was being given them, but it wasn't difficult for him to piece together that he was one of the few in means connections to the higher plane; plus the fact of his former standing with the heavenly body, that this was a way for the other producer without angelic means of contact to really feel fufilled in his work on earth (even if there wasnt a chance that these reports were going upstairs). he doesn't fault this and merely listens attentively giving abe his undevided attention.

when he'd finished putting the chairs in their spots and cleaning up the counter top of any nonexistent dirt, he picked up the clipped stack of papers and began to browse over them; nodding once. ❝ unique proof of concept, producer. i'll enjoy reading these reports and comparing them to the ones from last month.  ❞ his tone has taken on a little more formality while he flips from the middle of the reports towards the end. ❝  you're little passion project is inspired. good work. might i ask next time, that you start tracking the little spikes of burst of soul between them. i'd like you to start documenting the moments their levels are elevated and there is more mental clarity from todays date until the 15th of next month. just pay attention to the instances of when they happen and what it is that triggers the event. ❞

he enjoyed giving abe more robust work. reports were great but now he was rounding out his assignments to give him more depth for what to look for. this was on scale for any native angels who were producers, but wasn't a mandation for human ascended. they had a harder time tracking things on a large scale. native angels were accustomed to doing this sort of work with every player within the UG who was participating with the game. the fact he was asking the other to do this was showing that he was trusting him with more sensitive work.

❝  at my earliest convenience, i will file these and write up'a progress report t' give t' you. shibuya's due for a game soon so i will be busy with sorting the roster out an' assigning reaper scheduled routes so.... you'll understand if it takes me a couple days t' get yer review finished. ❞ conductor work, which was fine. shibuya's lack of a conductor for the time being wasn't great but it was his week to manage that and he was the fill in conductor last time, and it went smoothly. it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

Haruto stepped into the building with considerable wear on his features, but there was no hint of disdain or injury upon his features. Tired as he was, Haruto was in good spirits. He crossed the span of the room, holding up a thin stack of papers all clipped together, and with a look of pride he placed them down on the table Api was standing at.

"Reports for you," he replied, tucking his cane under his arm. "About the boys... I did tell you that I ended up taking in the angel as well, didn't I? Perhaps not, but in any case, I've been reporting on their progress. I thought I would bring the copies to you as you requested. I have been told that there won't be much of a chance in restoring either of them to what they once were, but both boys have been growing remarkably into something new. Neku has been interacting regularly with the staff at Gold Cross, and Joshua... You might know him as Joshael. Joshua has begun to apprentice under me at the church. There are certain ideals I am having a difficult time working out of their systems. Joshua will occasionally spout Higher Plane propaganda and Neku continues to jump to violence rather... quickly. But overall they both respect me enough to back down should I ask it."

He turned away, adjusting his sleeves a bit as he considered how in-depth he should go with all this, considering that Api was sure to read through the more official version on paper. But there was no harm in bringing attention to the finer points. Api could always just asking him to leave.

"It should be noticed that they are both starting to slowly develop personal passions. Neku rather enjoys being a service worker, particularly to young children, and Joshua has taken a shine to cooking. They are both making impressive strides to life and independence, to have been as deeply damaged at their souls as they were."

[catncore]

with how the other was speaking about him, he couldn't help but chuff a bit. it was an odd feeling, being spoken to like he was something big. it wasn't wrong. he was. he would have denied that at one point, but there wasn't a need to do that anymore. he didn't need to really fight much of anything. ❝  a real charmer, ain' you. keep talkin' like that an' i might jus' let you treat me t' lunch since yer already tryin' t' win over my discord. ❞ he laughs, a bit louder.

❝  'decaf' ain' so bad. lets not be too hard on th' poor guy. he's doin' his best given' everythin' he's been through. ❞ the producer in black said, tone silken with ease as the other hanekoma had been mentioned. a good majority of the tension with 'decaf' had come down to circumstance. points in his own life where he'd needed to keep unaffiliated variants at arms length. now, that wasn't so much of an issue. he was far more content with resolutions made and conversations needed to have been had.

'decaf' had the bad luck of meeting him at a bad time. he was a different man than he was today. he'd almost felt bad, but there was always time to change and improve things should they meet eventually.

with 'expresso' moving closer to him, he withdraws on hand from his pocket, letting the other come to him (since he was already eager ).

❝  now... first things first. be'a good boy an' let me get a real proper look at you. ❞

in order to get a better look over this particular variant in the CAT line, he adjusted his sunglasses and let them rest above his hairline; reaching forward to take the others face in his hand to meet the others eyes, with the full intention to meet them. his touch, as few knew, was a firm guided hand but was commanding. his fingertips were calloused from playing instruments but he made a conscious effort to not to grab or pinch him. it was all in his fingers grasping the others jaw and letting his knuckle rest under his chin. he wanted to really get a glimpse of the others soul through the others eyes.

something, something, eyes being the window to the soul.

⚅— Continued from here. —⚅ ⚅— @catncore —⚅

— ★ ⚄ ★ —

The Composer Hanekoma flashed a brilliant smile to the other as he observed his mannerisms. It was so easy for him to get completely absorbed in the people he took interest in them, falling in love with every little detail and then some. He loved people. He loved odd people and stiff people and people tethered to life by an ambition and a cup of coffee. And he loved people that weren't people just as much. Brilliant as Api was, he encased it all in this brittle mask just unraveling at the seams trying to let the light out. And yet even so, the way he smiled was so human. He was so completely genuine in his expression and the lines on his face were so beautiful. A good laugh. A good smile. He didn't hate Decaf anymore, but he still felt such satisfaction in the fact that he'd been the one to see this and not the man who always moaned griped about never being able to bring this out of Api or Ean. Espresso felt he was a real talent.

"Modesty only looks good for so long," Espresso purred, and he stalked closer like a cat winding around the ankles of a stranger. "Ya can't pretend like ya don't do good work here, too. Like your angel's so isn't just as beautiful. He's not really around anymore, but my former Producer taught me to have a lotta love for your kind. And I'd say that my interaction with the others has taught me to especially love the ones that rebel against the system. You're one of a kind, boss, and you should be proud'a that~"

Decaf's manners often left him keeping his distance despite familiarity, and it could be a little easier to tell when he was trying to hold back for the sake of politeness. Espresso, in contrast, had sidled up to tuck himself into Api's bubble before he even reached the end of his statement, and now he was nudging the other's arm with his own elbow. He was drinking in the other's air like it was fresh water, basking in brushing with the soul of a pureblood again.

"Reputation it is, too. I've seen Decaf regaling your tales day in and out. Hehe, he makes ya out to be a proper folk hero, or his hero, at least. Oh, but maybe I wasn't meant to say that? You should join us~ Some chat server that Hope made? Then we can give ya a coffee name, too. Alla Hanekomas in that space have one. But if I get to call ya whatever I want, maybe I oughta come up with something special. There's somethin' about making Decaf jealous that's just fun."

[catncore]

there was always going to be a level of tension between the reaper and the producer. it took him some time into figuring out her motive during the game. he had wondered for a long while, just what it was that drove coco to act the way she did, but upon learning it was for her friend- a shinjuku reaper, matsune tsugumi, who had been at the source of sakuraba neku's visions back during their little scuffle. it made sense in a way.

she was more in the know than most reapers in shibuya. unsure if it was just her peeking into things behind the scenes or maybe finding things on her own that werent public access to reapers; she had surprised him more than he was willing to admit to himself during her little attempt.

things would have been different if she had come to them prior to acting in such an irresponsible and erratic way. his own actions were a defense to neku and beat's disappearance and the sudden visibility of noise in the real ground- an offense that shouldn't have happened. it put real ground denizens at risk. it put shibuya in more danger and it put the higher planes spotlight back on the city he damned himself for.

it was all.... it was a lot. miscommunication primarily. then again, based on everything that happened with shinjuku; it made sense why she wouldn't trust angels. hell, he himself didn't trust his own kin either. it's why he primarily stayed in the underground and realground rather than above. he had his own reasons for not abiding by their rules entirely, but that was a conversation for another time. in another place with shibuya at rest.

he is surprised when she moves in close to put him in a position to force him to use her as a crutch. he nearly loses balance at first; wincing between the injury opening a little bit more from moving. hanekoma makes a small sound as he grinds his teeth at the discomfort. plague noise were intentionally built different. they were soul corrosive which meant the longer this injury stood, he himself was at risk. he needed to get back to the shop sooner rather than later. humans could bounce back easier. angels were built different. thankfully it wasnt close to his soul code so, the likelihood of infection was practically 0.

❝  yer so generous... ❞ he tries to laugh, steeling his arm as he starts to move forward towards the shop. they weren't far from tower records so it meant the cafe wasn't far. he hates the fact hes so distracted. combat was never an issue for him, but he was so worried about people (her) being caught in the crossfire, that he allowed himself to get targeted knowing he could take the hit. it was calculated but it didn't mean it didn't hurt.

❝  i'm usually.... built for combat, but i don't really... enjoy... fightin'. ❞ he admits while they walk. ❝  honestly, i really didn' wanna... see you get hurt an' you get yer dress... messed up. ❞

@catncore continued from here

Coco's trust in Hanekoma was a fragile thing teetering between the belief that he meant well and the belief that he could never mean well. He was part of a cruel system that had stood by while her entirely world was threatened with erasure. Not just stood by but actively opposed her when she tried to set things in motion to save her world, to save Tsugumi. Though it had all worked out now any work she did with someone from the Higher Plane would always be kept at an arm's length away, a watchful eye kept upon them at all times. Constantly wondering when they would try to take her world from her once more.

Yet he was one of the few who seemed to genuinely care as well. That was why she went to him when she needed help previously. Though her pride had nearly killed her for it, she knew he could offer more assistance then anyone else. Even now when everything was settled and he technically didn't have to do anymore, he continued to help. To the point that he was injured from it. A surprising turn of events, Coco couldn't recall a time before when she'd seen him wounded. It almost shook her idea that angels were not the perfect indestructible beings she thought of them as. Maybe that was why she found herself unable to just laugh and walk away.

"Gotta be careful with bears, they've got more tricks then you think." She grins so wide her sharpened teeth practically gleam. But there's no malice to this grin only mischief and as quickly as it spread, it falls again. Replaced by an indecipherable almost bored expression.

She huffs and sighs as though she is so incredibly put upon before forcibly putting herself under his arm on the side opposite the wound acting as a human crutch. "You angels are SOOO fragile. So out of the kindness of my heart, I'll escort you back to the shop. I'll make sure those big mean birdies and froggies don't get you."

[catncore]

he understood the gravity in being here in this space, before her.

unlike most who existed within the recreated world with it's fabricated paper walls; he could see it exactly for what it was. after all, he was someone who ( like homura, at one time ) existed beyond this world. a world rewritten, cut off from the outside while also introducing new laws and ways to keep running with this young lady at it's center granting 'wishes'. he'd counted two other times it was remade. twice, he'd been on earth when it did happen but he'd have felt if regardless of where it was. the first when the law of cycles was introduced and witches were distorted into wraiths, and the second was most recently with this new.... adjustment.

jarring as it was, it didn't stop his own business. he still governed over the reapers game as it's producer and he watched players fight for their lives in another form of energy that would ultimately help the universe. the walls of the former fabricated world that existed a space away from the wraiths was now something call encompassing and it reached far beyond the shelter of mitakihara. it touched shibuya now. bypassed shibuya and engulfed all around it.

her will sounded them, overwriting laws of the universe previous in place that incubators might not have been able to sense the adjustment of and it was suffocating.

❝  bit of v'a loaded question t' ask an angel, don't you think? ❞ because he had wishes. he had ideals for humanity that he was willing to fight for. he spend every day on earth with his composer trying to help humans grow and expand their ideals; even if it had to be done through the game. what he wanted was something was.... well, anything was possible now- but he wasn't willing to take that risk for humanity.

❝  fortunately.... my wish s' a bit beyond yer scope, sister. i came here t' talk, if you'll allow it. ❞

                        @catncore has made a contract.          —         ★

❝  Is this...  ❞         Homura's soft words trail off into silence as she struggles to believe what she has heard leave his lips. Anyone with a keen eye for detail would notice how the temperature in the warm room dropped severely once her heart plummets all the way down to the depths of her stomach. She forgets that there is so much power at her fingertips. The blood running through her veins froze over in... What is this emotion she feels? Dread?

❝  Is this a joke?  ❞         She thinks she wants to hurl the question at him, perhaps snarl at him, but the question only comes out as a weak whisper. Homura subconsciously clenched her chest, almost as if the act alone can cure her heart of the confusing emotions. He's always felt like some kind of walking mystery. Each time she meets him in a brand new restart only makes him become more and more complex. She has so many questions on the tip of her tongue right now, but her exhaustion has caught to her. All the thankless work she has done to the rewritten world does not come with any form of praise.

The barista had always been someone who knew how to surprise her. He kept his secrets close to his chest, but she never criticized him for it. After all, she knew what it was like to carry secret after secret all too well. No matter his secrets, he always painted himself to be friendly to her whenever she would cross his path. She expected he would turn away when she lost that innocent-looking gleam in her eyes. But he's always there, quietly offering words of wisdom.

❝  Or is this some sort of test?  ❞         She tries to tell herself that his request is some form of a test to help herself breathe easier. Alas, she still struggles to take the deep breath that is meant to steady her racing heart. She almost expected to feel the agonizing jab of pain in her heart from her heart disease, but no physical pain comes to greet her anymore. Her heart, much like her eyesight, has been cured with her magic. Nothing can cure what truly stains her heart, however. She can pretend all she wants, but Hanekoma sees past her... for the most part. Thankfully, her dolls were not here to ridicule her for straying from the script. She doubted the barista would appreciate smashed tomatoes littered across his property like graffiti.

❝  You... Do you truly have a wish in your heart?  ❞