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“What are you doing, Sandy?”
“Making a side-quest for Christmaster and Puppeteer,” Sandboy said as he colours in a picture of Christmaster falling into a pit of some kind while Sandboy and Puppeteer watched from the sidelines.
Reverser has a basket of laundry on his hip that he has to set down to understand what the kid is thinking. Sure, he sometimes thinks of ways to get back at Evillustrator – he’s totally over what had happened between their counterparts but it’s still part of his nature – but even he never thought about digging a pit for Evillustrator to fall down in.
“Why the pit?” Reverser asks, though he kinda doesn’t want to.
Sandboy stops colouring to look up at Reverser like he’s stupid. “It’s a ball pit, Eve has been helping me put together this surprise gift for Christmaster and Puppeteer.” He went back to colouring, grabbing a purple crayon and drawing in the balls for the pit.
Reverser nods as he stands back up and goes about finishing his chores before dealing with this strange turn of events.
…
The Gardens are pretty impressive and Reverser has been working with Evillustrator to figure out how to get it off the ground. It’ll take a lot of time and less arguing between them, but it’ll be so awesome once they have the kinks figured out. It’s also where the ball pit – not a trap – is located, apparently, they need Reverser to help them with something.
However, the area is silent with no one in sight; not even Stoneheart is lurking around which is a shock. Stoneheart is always here when there’s nothing important going on and there are no meetings today.
“Hello?” Reverser walks further into the Gardens, leaving his guilder at the entrance, until reaches the edge of the ball pit. “Anyone?”
He is about to turn around to head back when he suddenly gets tackled and falls into the pit. Reverser barely got his head above the balls before spotting the children already at all-out war between one another; Evillustrator strands at the edge of the pit looking quite amused at the outcome.
Evillustrator sat down just as Reverser moved close to him; both of them watching the kids play around and make fools of themselves. It’s not a rare sight to see them being kids but it’s hard to remember that the trio are just as much Akumas as they are children.
“How did the side-quest go?” Reverser asks, pulling himself out so he’s sitting next to Evillustrator. “Unless that was a lie.”
“Christmaster and Puppeteer weren’t expecting it so I guess it was a hit.”
It’s still quite hard to judge if they are friends, especially because Reverser’s nature doesn’t make it easy for the both of them. Reverser is only tense for a moment when Evillustrator leans against him and appears quite relaxed being next to him. Maybe there’s still hope for them.
“Reverser!” Puppeteer waves towards them. “We need some help!”
“Coming!” Reverser hops back into the pit but stops to hold a hand out to Evillustrator. “Come on, I’m not the only one making a fool of themselves.”
Evillustrator takes the offering hand while playfully rolling his eyes; “All alright but I’m on Sandboy’s team.”
“I got Christmaster and Puppeteer.” Reverser easily scooped Christmaster up onto his shoulders as the First Ten finally arrived from wherever they were. He gives a wave at them. “I suggest you all pick your teams before the game begins.”
Sometimes, Reverser forgets that he’s just a kid too along with others.
It’s quite hard to remember sometimes until someone like to remind the Akumas that they are being led by a teenage girl with a WIFI connection; if that doesn’t remind you how young some of them are than Reverser isn’t quite sure what would.
Everyone splits up into teams and goes about playing some random made-up game that Puppeteer, Christmaster, and Sandboy had thrown together in a matter of seconds.
Falling into just playing around – shouting, play fighting – gives everyone a moment to be kids though once the game is over and they return to their lives then they’ll forget again.
It’s just how the life of an Akuma is sometimes.