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"Cousin, this is an unprecedented request."
"I'm aware of that."
The two 'teenagers' were sitting in the Dead God's Pad, sharing a bottle of wine between them. On the one side sprawled the boy most commonly recognised as Yoshiya Kiryu, his violet-grey eyes assessing his visitor. Opposite to him, his body language both polite and wary was the young man who had taken on the 'self' of Souji Seta.
Souji raised his glass without touching it, before continuing. "But it's a fair deal. Each of us picks eight people. If any of them end up in the Game in our Zones, they're run right through, and returned to life, plus a minor Imprint for them to return home as soon as possible. No Playing, no risk of Erasure."
"How very... human of you, cousin. I wouldn't have pictured you as one to get attached to one person, let alone eight. I assume your Producer consents to this blatant use of your privileges?" Joshua grinned, and Souji shrugged.
"Look me in the eyes, and tell me that you wouldn't rip Shibuya apart by it's roots if that was what it would take to protect your once Proxy." Souji paused, and his features twisted into a smirk at Joshua's expression. "That's what I thought. So cousin, do you agree to the bargain?"
"Hm. Fine. Six people now, and two in reserve, in exchange for the guaranteed immunity to the Game of your eight. Do they have to be RG denizens?"
"As long as they don't damage Okina's Music, no." Souji nodded firmly, his smirk becoming satisfied.
"Hm. Neku Sakuraba, Shiki Misaki, Daisukenojō Bitō, Raimu Bitō, Koki Kariya, Uzuki Yashiro and two others, of my choice, at a later date." With each name, Souji heard a distinctive bar of Music to commit to memory.
"In exchange for Ryotaro and Nanako Dojima, Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa and Naoto Shirogane."
At the last two names in the list, Joshua's eyes widened. "Well well, cousin. Your holiday brought you into contact with Risette and the Detective Prince? I'm almost jealous."
"...Do we have an agreement?" Souji asked tersely, suddenly uncomfortable with the spark of interest in the other Composer's eyes.
"Fine. If I hear any of your eight in my city, I'll keep an eye out. If they end up in my UG, I'll run them straight through and send them on their way back to you, in exchange for the same treatment for my chosen."
Here, Souji relaxed, and held out his hand for Joshua to seal the deal. Once the two had shaken, the atmosphere became relaxed once more.
"So cousin, a little cat told me that your new Producer used to be assigned to Tatsumi Port Island?"
"Yes. Port Island is now a Dead Zone, so his assistant left, and Igor reassigned himself to the Inaba region. Of course, my initial encounters with him were before my transfer." Souji nodded.
"He's trustworthy then?"
The conversation continued like that for a while, before Souji rose to leave. He could only be away from his city for so long now, as recent as his transfer was.
"Stay safe, cousin." Joshua said fondly.
Souji just smiled, before stepping into a doorway that disappeared as soon as he entered.