#｢ ✰ ｣ : au ➜ un nuovo inizio [ Pizza Tower ]

[sea-of-flxmes]

// @lultimagoccia starter for you!

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        Ah, the land of the dead. The Underground, as they called it in Shibuya.

A plane of existence in which Reapers possessed superhuman strength and stamina. Where eating and sleeping could be performed on a whim, or never at all. Where functional wings could take any Reaper to the furthest reaches of the city (sky's the limit, baby!).

But now, reincarnated as a regular human, Nywe could no longer enjoy those otherworldly privileges. She was stuck again in a body that needed food and rest to function. A conglomeration of muscles, organs and bones that demanded her constant attention, from the growling of her stomach to her racing thoughts, impulses and nightmares.

        Oh God, the nightmares.

The last Reaper's Game Nywe participated in had been a monumental disaster. One in every two nights she would wake up with a start, her mind reeling from the horrifying things she had witnessed during those endless seven Days. If adjusting to a new body wasn't tiring enough, there was also her hectic life as an exchange student in Shibuya. Soon, Nywe started to lag behind on her studies, unable to keep up no matter how hard she tried. Despair eventually took over, and during a particularly intense moment of crisis Nywe had a epiphany:

        She had to get the hell outta there, and pronto.

So she packed her things, filled all required forms to take a sabbatical year, and embarked on a journey to reconnect with herself. Nywe visited one location after another with no clear goal in mind, until her travels brought her to a pizzeria on the edge of a small town.

Besides its logo, something else drew Nywe's attention: on the front door, there was a ❝ HELP WANTED ❞ sign. Curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped inside without a second thought; maybe she could start a new life far away from a city that threatened to devour her whole. ❝ Hello? ❞ Nywe spoke in a somewhat meek tone. ❝ I would like to apply for a job here—if you're still hiring, that is. ❞

[sea-of-flxmes]

        Nywe's muscles relaxed in response to the warm welcome from what she assumed was the restaurant owner.

For some reason, this place filled her with a sense of serenity she hadn't experienced in quite a long time. Maybe it was the scent of fresh dough and chopped ingredients, or maybe it was the profession per se, relatively close to what her parents did for a living back in her home country. Either way, despite never having set foot on the restaurant until this day, it almost felt like home.

(...Okay, maybe the lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her.)

As Nywe walked towards an unoccupied booth, she wondered if the restaurant owner would notice the signs of her physical and emotional tiredness. She was capable of working, though; she just needed a little time to settle down and regain control of her life.

❝ Oh, I'll have a glass of water, please, ❞ Nywe replied as she sat down on the booth with a polite smile. ❝ Thank you for setting aside some time to speak with me about the position. I really appreciate it. ❞

Peppino perked up from his place behind the counter.

" Huh? O - oh! Yes! " he replied, enthusiasm lighting up in his voice and his expression as he realized she was here looking for work. He gestured her towards a booth, stepping from behind the counter as he did so. " Please, find a booth. I come out and sit with you, we talk about the job. Are you thirsty? I get you a drink, if you are thirsty. "

The restaurant looked far better than it used to, even a few months ago — the lobby was cleaned up, the lights replaced, and in all the place actually seemed rather cozy and inviting. A nice place for a weekend dinner. He'd been pleasantly surprised by the number of applicants he'd been getting. Maybe he ought to have tried hiring additional hands ages ago ( but he would not have been able to pay them so well as he could now, so it probably wouldn't have done much good ).