dibs on the rainbow.

Easy, hard— if this were a game, if he were to consider his life to be stuck in some sort of game once again; this would be something close to some cruel hard mode ( what kind of cruel joke is this, anyways; jerking people’s lives around for entertainment? He should ask— ) It must be easy to be so laid back when it’s not your life that hangs in perilous balance once again, hm? Maybe not, though; it’s usually a dangerous idea to underestimate him…Neku thinks he’s kind of like Kariya in that way, except he’d probably find Reaper to be a more pleasant company than Composer. He’ll count his blessings that he doesn’t seem too keen on antagonizing him. Yet, at least. He expects that he’ll get bored eventually, honestly.

“I don’t want to hear it from the person who hardly contributed to fighting noises for half a week.” He doesn’t think he’s pissed him off yet, today— which is odd, he might think certain implications might have gotten more of a remark than that, but it’s helpful in gauging. Just a bit. All things considered, he’d rather not piss him off, because he’d like to count on his help if it really comes down to it. Neku thinks it’s probably a good indicator that he doesn’t intend on being too helpful for now, however. Lazy asshole.

( No, it’s not quite lazy; indifference, maybe— he knows feelings of apathy well, and…he doesn’t want to expand on that thought too much. Joshua’s still an asshole, regardless )

“Only one point? Sorry to have let you down.” Dry sarcasm comes in response ( gold star, what a joke— ); though it’s hard to pinpoint which part he’s in agreement with. The fact that he’s going to end up being the one fighting, perhaps? All jokes aside, he doesn’t really like the thought of being ‘responsible’ for him, like Composer’s keeper or something— leaves an odd taste on his tongue. And he’s still smiling like that. Unnerving. Not that that’s anything new.

Lips purse a little. It’s not like proxy ever really tries to hide concern— and one day, that will be your undoing. Maybe today, if he’s unlucky enough. It’s another thing to have that brushed off like it is of no consequence; not that it is entirely surprising given who he is speaking to.

( Do you think he does not worry, or do you think he should not be worried about you, Joshua? Perhaps you think he is foolish for doing so? He’d be inclined to agree with that sentiment )

“Like is a generous word for describing that.” And just like that, in an instant, he’s become sharp and harsh once again; rises to a threat that hasn’t even been posed. What does he expect him to understand? It wasn’t his life on the line, after all; Joshua hadn’t even been ‘dead’ to begin with, or perhaps all too dead in the eyes of a game for those in between ( and it wasn’t even entirely himself Neku had been fighting for, but for Shiki— again, harsh, but he doesn’t expect Composer to understand something even as simple as that ). Still, he doesn’t disagree with that, they should probably try and get something out of being here; hardly a thing said as he sets off to inspect further down the hallway. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any history lessons you’d like to impart on me here?” Laughter is almost mocking, sarcastically biting ( are you homesick, Shibuya? There are other ways to cope with that, you know. Maybe don’t think about it too much )

“Oh, did you want my help? You could have said. You were doing so well that I didn’t think to join.”

joshua could perhaps help more, if he had all his powers back -- but at the moment, they were gone. all he could do was drop a couple of trucks and vending machines on noise, as little a treat.

he’s not quite keen on neku discovering the limit of his powers -- but being honest would probably the best way here. they were partners again, like it or not. it’s not something that joshua minds letting neku know at the moment. but as long as neku doesn’t ask, he wouldn’t say otherwise.

... powers.. lack of it... he feels powerless. he feels ridiculously human again, at the mercy of the world -- wasn’t that why... he’d left his life? it’s all coming back to him again. 

haha! at least he could still levitate. flying was always a good thing.

“You’re right. I gave you too much credit. Bronze star it is.”

joshua is simply not used to worry being directed at his being. the idea of someone being worried about him is one that is alien to him-- he simply is not someone people cared about, both in the life before and the life of now. even here... he’s simply a weight on neku, he believes -- at the same time he wants to believe he wasn’t. what a rather odd thought. 

joshua’s more childish than he thinks. 

lives were not entertainment. but in the big picture, neku had been a sacrifice -- one that he’d taken lightly, in gleeful thought that shibuya would be gone. now-- 

well. he’s still a immature god. the sacrosanctness of human life is lost on him. the trauma is hard for him to grasp when he’d so easily thrown his own away. 

“Not even a little bit of enjoyment? That’s a little sad.”

joshua follows neku easily, falling into step as he did during those 7 days.

once upon a time-- joshua could hear music. 

music of shibuya’s people, the orchestra of shibuya’s streets-- all of that had been his to control, each person an instrument that he had power to lead -- joshua’d been the almighty demigod of shibuya, aptly named composer. the after life had been his domain, the unseen music sheets his tools of the trade-- every person had had a music of their own, and shibuya had been his to control. 

but now--

notes on a white expanse -- rings dead. five black lines stretch out empty, a lonely infinite pause-- his people, his home, is not in this foreign city, and he finds that his omnipotence has been rendered mute. 

it’s frustrating. a part of him seems to be missing. a frown is the only sense of irritation you can sense from him, as he crosses his arms. it seems like not many of the people in here are from shibuya, at all. to be expected! after all, apparently they were on a star on a distant galaxy. his musical aura sensing seems to be gone, and it’s rather maddening. 

what would joshua’s own musical aura be like? perhaps it would be overwhelming-- he was a god, after all. his vibes were said to be oppressing. mortals sometimes had trouble being around him -- the pressure he emanated was a deterrent. it’s odd to think about -- he was the one usually sensing music in others, that he’d never stopped to think about his own. would a god have an aura? 

scared to be vulnerable. a bit prissy. sarcastic. currently more than a bit wary and annoyed, even if his tone doesn’t show it. 

perhap’s it’d be a memey song. mm whatcha say. he was a dead man walking. 

“You do know it’s generally seen as rude to wear sunglasses indoors. Is that a fashion statement?”

the city, after all its shenanigans — was surprisingly quieter than it’s boisterous introduction and rowdy events. the underwater city was quite interesting, to be sure. suffering people not being the norm? why, joshua didn’t realize that was how things were usually supposed to be in life!

it’s a still city compared to the loud and rowdy shibuya— if he had to compare it to neku’s acquaintances, he’d call this place more of a rhyme than a beat. maybe even a sanae, with how many secrets it seemed to hold. which was unfortunate—because joshua did not appreciate too many secrets in how a world was run, but he was not a hypocrite — he would not demand them, when he held many himself.

instead— he’d find them one by one, and hold them close to his chest as playing cards to play at times of distress.

though he supposes he’d been slacking off.

oh, footwork is a dirty, dirty word. but there are simply times the king must move in a chess game of massive proportions, though that wasn’t quite a good metaphor. maybe he should liken himself more as the queen. much more range.

joshua didn’t even like chess. monopoly was better for chaos.

“Oh, you’re not from around here, aren’t you?”

a song of home, and yet not. not quite birds of a feather, but he hears a familiar tune in the deafening silence that was koi.

sweetpea is a rather dangerous maid cafe, and perhaps that’s why he finds himself visiting it today. the belladonna district held scrumptious information, and even tastier cakes. hmm… he wouldn’t want to bad mouth the owner here. but it’s not quite to his liking. sanae’s bitter coffee had grown on him more.

“A highschooler, too. How daring. What brings you to Belladonna districts?”

@timeunraveled ♡’d for a starter

You remember standing on a glass panel, once, fish beneath your feet. He doesn’t really like to think about what took place in that room, the events of that day, but— sometimes he cannot help but wonder about what that room might mean to Composer. What that room’s name might mean: it is hard to guess if it is a misnomer or completely on the nose, if he had anything to do with it then there is no telling what it means ( or rather, if it means a thing at all ). Oh, he could ask, he can always ask, even if he does not expect an answer; and you wish you could scan composer to get an idea of what’s on his mind but, well: that’d be proving his point, wouldn’t it?

Hand lifts momentarily, waveringly so, before dropping back down at his side. In the end, there are still some gaps he cannot close…no, he cannot bring himself to close? Is it cowardly to be afraid of that change? Perhaps that is proxy’s fate, to remain in Composer’s proximity, but nothing more than that. How unfortunate, but it is a step up from being victim.

On the bright side, if he died here, drowning would at least be a change of pace.

He cannot help but wonder if Joshua has ever had to worry about that, if he did once, ever know that kind of fear, and, he thinks so— but it is hard to tell sometimes what has been truth and what has been lies. There’s no time to really think about that right now, however: Neku prods at him with annoyance, it is like they are back on the streets of Shibuya. Composer seems set on something, while he doesn’t know what he’s looking for; then the difference here, is that there is no fee hanging over his head like a reminder of what’s gone wrong, he can afford a little more generosity here. Perhaps it is perplexing enough in itself that he’s actually exercising some effort, but given the oddity of the city, perhaps it’s only to be expected. “C’mon, I’m not going to be responsible for you for overestimating how much you can manage. I don’t care to get in a fight today.” Lies. He’s lying, and he is probably not fooling either one of them. You would not be standing here if that wasn’t the case; hadn’t done so the first time you’d reunited in October, ran at first opportunity. Maybe you haven’t learned a thing, in the end, but— sharp words have always belied a soft heart, isn’t that right?

what did that room mean, indeed. even if joshua’d been asked, it was likely neku’d be blown off with a smarmy smile and an non answer— the cryptic room after all, had been inhabited by a cryptid itself.  ( oh, but that wasn’t joshua’s room necessarily, was it…? his room was the vast throne room under shibuya— a lonely god in a lonely room, on a lonely throne. )

( no wonder he didn’t make much use of it . )

lucky neku — today, joshua seems far more intent on analyzing their surroundings than antagonizing a certain proxy. hand to his mouth, teasing pausing in thought—  the astra research lab is a rather safe first bet, but held less information than he’d liked. the hand wavering is not one joshua notices. the human hesitation is ignored.

life ( or death ) was never easy, hm?

the tap on his shoulder is met with a smile and a hand dropping away from his mouth— easy, easy. joshua’s laid back stance must be familiar, with how he puts his hand in his back pocket, shifts his weight backwards.

“Running away, are we?”

teehee. that smile? joshua, dearest. please wipe it off your face.

“… You do have a point. Gold star.”

a pause, as he looks down the empty hallway, then back. his smile is ever maddening.

I'M BITCHES [ ic. ],

JOSHUA KIRYU LOVE TWEET [ ooc. ],

MEMEDAY? NO PROBLEM... [ memes. ],

OK BOOMER [ sanae. ],

*SLAMS ENEMIES WITH SKATEBOARD* PARKOUR! [ beat. ],

QUIT TELLING EVERYONE I'M DEAD [ rhyme. ],

YOUNG MAN DOOR HAND HOOK CAR GUN [ neku sakuraba. ],

WHY YOU ALWAYS LYIN' [ joshua kiryu. ],

ALL WOMEN ARE QUEENS!!! [ shiki misaki. ],

TODAY I BRING YOU... TOMORROW? WHO KNOWS [ reblogs. ],

VIBE CHECK! [ asks. ],

WHOMST? [ anon. ],

LORE EPISODE [ drabbles. ],