Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pullofatrigger) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
kat_in_a_box2014-07-09 05:39 am
pullofatrigger) wrote in kat_in_a_box2014-07-09 05:39 am
Finding a place to feel at home...
Who: Joshua and Neku
Where: Hachiko
Summary: Joshua finally decides to reunite with Neku after the events of the game.
Warnings: Possible swearing.
Joshua had lost track of time after things had finally calmed down in Shibuya, once his little game with his Conductor had finally been won. After watching Neku's little reunion with his friends- the one Joshua had decided to stay out of despite Neku's unexpected and absolutely bewildering invitation- he'd attempted to put any thoughts of meddling with the RG out of his mind. After all, he wasn't supposed to mess with their lives anymore... the dead weren't allowed to interfere with the living. And he'd gotten along just fine on his own in the past.
Days melt into weeks, into months. Games come and go, and everything seems... normal again, just as it had been before Shibuya had come so close to oblivion. And yet the Composer finds his thoughts wandering back to that group of Players. He wonders, sometimes, if Neku's forgotten about him, put him and the Reapers' Game and the entirety of the UG behind him.
Sometimes, when he forgets himself, Joshua wanders close to the threshold between the UG and the RG, watching Neku and his friends, temptation stirring in him to step across that boundary and join them... And then he remembers his place, and he withdraws, and he doesn't consider the idea again for several weeks straight...
Joshua isn't sure what it was that finally pushed him over the edge this time, both literally and figuratively... Perhaps it'd been a mistake, perhaps he'd lost control of himself... but either way, he was there now. And there was no turning back.
It's at Hachiko. Neku had just said goodbye to his friends, the group dispersing, leaving the orange-haired teen behind to stand in front of the statue all by himself. And there, standing behind him, is Joshua... just standing, and watching, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. He waits to see if Neku would even notice him, if he would even recognize him after all this time.
Where: Hachiko
Summary: Joshua finally decides to reunite with Neku after the events of the game.
Warnings: Possible swearing.
Joshua had lost track of time after things had finally calmed down in Shibuya, once his little game with his Conductor had finally been won. After watching Neku's little reunion with his friends- the one Joshua had decided to stay out of despite Neku's unexpected and absolutely bewildering invitation- he'd attempted to put any thoughts of meddling with the RG out of his mind. After all, he wasn't supposed to mess with their lives anymore... the dead weren't allowed to interfere with the living. And he'd gotten along just fine on his own in the past.
Days melt into weeks, into months. Games come and go, and everything seems... normal again, just as it had been before Shibuya had come so close to oblivion. And yet the Composer finds his thoughts wandering back to that group of Players. He wonders, sometimes, if Neku's forgotten about him, put him and the Reapers' Game and the entirety of the UG behind him.
Sometimes, when he forgets himself, Joshua wanders close to the threshold between the UG and the RG, watching Neku and his friends, temptation stirring in him to step across that boundary and join them... And then he remembers his place, and he withdraws, and he doesn't consider the idea again for several weeks straight...
Joshua isn't sure what it was that finally pushed him over the edge this time, both literally and figuratively... Perhaps it'd been a mistake, perhaps he'd lost control of himself... but either way, he was there now. And there was no turning back.
It's at Hachiko. Neku had just said goodbye to his friends, the group dispersing, leaving the orange-haired teen behind to stand in front of the statue all by himself. And there, standing behind him, is Joshua... just standing, and watching, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. He waits to see if Neku would even notice him, if he would even recognize him after all this time.
POSSIBLE swearing? more like definite swearing
Walking the streets of his town, Neku revisited all the important places he had discovered during his three weeks, mind slowly connecting all the pieces together as the bitterness lessened, unclouding his judgement. His conclusion: he and Joshua were a lot more alike than he really cared to admit. Their game was a game for the fate of Shibuya, that much had been a given, and Neku's role had been to prove that the city really was worth saving, not just to save it with a pull of the trigger. He was supposed to falter his hand, to prove incapable of shooting someone he had came to consider his friend, someone he had put his trust in... and it earned him a nice bullet to the chest for all his hard work.
Thanks.
But in the end, while he certainly didn't forgive Joshua for the shit he had put him and his friends through during their time in the Underground, he had to admit that he still trusted him as a Partner and a friend, and understood his intentions with what he had done. Neku wanted to see him again, to talk to him, to thank him for what he had done in his own snarky way... and that's why he left the message on his phone.
When the day had passed and there had been no sign of Joshua, Neku figured he could understand why he would be reluctant to show up for their first initial group meeting, considering the inevitable hard feelings from the rest of his friends. But to never contact him once afterwards? Yeah, he was pretty pissed. He had tried to visit the Shibuya River once again only to find it sealed up tight, tried to flag down any suspiciously hoodied figures around the usual haunts for any sort of contact... nothing. He couldn't even catch Hanekoma's cafe open at any time, to his further disappointment. Eventually... he gave up. What was the point, if Joshua wanted nothing to do with him? He probably had a lot to do, running the city and all.
So, Neku focused his efforts on himself and his friends. He turned around his grades at school, joined the Art Club, started volunteering around town for various projects, the whole nine yards. He wanted to become a person who could better Shibuya and prove just how much this place was worth it to exist, to utilize the second chance he had been given and expand his horizons. He took every lesson he had learned to heart and ran with it, rising to new heights.
He was finally enjoying the moment.
Once his friends dispersed, Shiki lingering with him a moment longer to chat privately, Neku slipped his headphones back over his ears, dialing the volume up and settling against Hachiko in a relaxed slump. He had a lot of time to kill yet before he had to head back home, and this was always a good place to people watch-- he almost wished his player pin was still functional, so he could idly scan through the thoughts of those passing by him. Invasion of privacy or not, it was like tuning into the heart of Shibuya itself. He absentmindedly reached down to run his finger across his player pin, pinned to his satchel along with the rest of his pins he had used in the game, eyes glancing back upwards... only to land on Joshua. Neku's expression goes through a variety of stages, from surprise to excitement to anger to everything inbetween, only to remain rather firmly on the anger bit. Lips set in a firm line and eyebrows scrunched, he stares over at the other boy, unwilling to make a move or say anything first, least of all acknowledge him beyond his seething glare.
Yeah, show your face again almost a year later, and you ain't gonna get a real warm welcome. Not from Neku, at least.
no subject
Still, he suppose he's glad that the teen didn't completely forget about him. Joshua keeps his smile on his face, the mask he's got to put up to keep himself from just turning and running. Part of him thinks this is a horrible mistake, but a much bigger, much louder part of him is sick and tired of hiding.
He doesn't want to seclude himself anymore, even if his only company happens to be someone who likely thinks of him as an enemy.
"Hello there, Neku," Joshua says as he approaches, hands in his pockets. "How long the days without you have felt."
no subject
Neku crosses his arms over his chest, eyes still narrowed despite the squeezing of his heart in his chest. Despite everything, he did honestly consider Joshua a friend, really he did. He was just really, really good at proving himself to be a gigantic asshole over and over again, especially every time Neku had decided to give him another chance. It was like Josh had a PhD in fucking up relationships or something-- not that Neku used to be much better, though he'd definitely like to think that he was better than that now. But when everything was said and done, he wasn't lying when he said that he trusted Joshua way back when. Trust your Partner after all, right? He could kind of understand where Josh was coming from anyways, could see a lot of his old habits within him, even if his actions pissed him off. It was self sabotage, plain and simple.
After a pause, Neku opens his mouth to speak once again, shoulders relaxing and expression loosening up just a tad, though definitely still annoyed. "You owe me a birthday present, prick. And an explanation. And free ramen to make up for your shittiness."
That's the warmest welcome you're gonna get from him, asshat.