Dedicated to all the poor souls who must suffer the torture of summer conferences in Tokyo.

I. The Opening Ceremony

�gEveryone should have been given a 7,000 page booklet entitled �eShinigami in the New Millennium�f,�h Tatsumi announced to the crowd seated before him. Many of them were shifting uncomfortably in their plastic seats, feeling oppressed by the intense summer heat which, despite air-conditioning set to -72o was still managing to permeate every room in the hotel. They were also feeling oppressed by the 10 tonnes of paperwork each Shinigami had been given upon entering the Conference Hall.

�gThis brief over-view of the work of a Shinigami has been especially prepared for you by the Japanese Shinigami Division who this year have the great honour of hosting this auspicious event. Thank you very much for attending.�h Tatsumi bowed to his audience then announced Chief Kanoe�fs Opening speech. Which lasted for over an hour. And if the host of foreign Shinigami weren�ft asleep by 10 minutes into it, Tsuzuki couldn�ft understand why. He was certainly falling asleep before Chief Kanoe even spoke his first greetings. And now, 50 minutes into the speech, Hisoka was prodding his sleepy partner for what seemed like the hundredth time. He glanced over to see if it had worked. Tsuzuki opened his eyes momentarily, then dozed off again, his head falling ungracefully to his chest. Hisoka rolled his eyes. Here they were, sitting in the stage, and Tsuzuki was fast asleep. If he didn�ft do something soon he was sure Tsuzuki would start snoring or something. And he could see some audience members (who somehow had remained awake) giggling and pointing to the dozing man at his side. Tatsumi, sitting on the other side of the stage, seemed enthralled my Chief Kanoe�fs speech, though Hisoka suspected it was all a glaze and in his head, Tatsumi was imagigning doing naughty things to his partner. It was Tatsumi�fs slight smile that gave it away. He only made that smile for Tsuzuki. Hisoka suddenly (and to his mind inexplicably) felt angry. He suspected it was because he hated the way everyone pawned over Tsuzuki. But now, same said man was beginning to drool, much to the amusement of the few conscious audience members. So Hisoka slyly reached over to his partner and prodded him violently in the side. Tsuzuki jerked awake but luckily didn�ft make a sound. He blearily rubbed his eyes and looked reproachfully at Hisoka, as if to say; �eHow dare you deign to disturb my most blissful and deserved sleep!�f Hisoka gave him a smirk in return. This made Tsuzuki frown. Until he noticed Chief Kanoe looking at him moodily. Tsuzuki gave a weak grin, hoping this meant the speech was over, but the Chief just turned away and rattled on. Seeing no end in sight, Tsuzuki took to eyeing the people in the front row. They were from all over the world- from countries he�fd never even heard of and, of course, they were all dead. He wondered how they�fd all died, why they�fd become Shinigami, what the word for Shinigami was in all those different languages, what their best desserts were�c

Just then, a man in the third row back fell off his seat. The woman sitting next to him, who Tsuzuki presumed was his partner, proceeded to kick him in the back. For some reason, Tsuzuki was reminded of himself and Hisoka. His younger partner was shifting uncomfortably in his suit, sitting arms crossed with a stern look on his face. Tsuzuki thought he looked cute. At this point Hisoka either noticed Tsuzuki staring or sensed his thoughts. Either way, he turned that stern look on Tsuzuki, who looked away quickly and began making paper cranes under the table with tissues. 12 cranes later, Chief Kanoe announced the end of the opening ceremony. Tatsumi and Watari stood, so Hisoka followed suit. Tsuzuki was still busy with his tissues so Hisoka prodded him in the back of the neck. The elder Shinigami bolted to his feet and bowed with the others.

�gAt least I wasn�ft asleep,�h he whispered into Hisoka�fs ear as the crowd sleepily clapped. So it began. The International Conference of Shinigami; an event held only every 50 years. An event that this year, unfortunately, was being hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Judgment.