Story: Mind the Gap (French version available : "Intervalles")
Date: 28 March 2022
Beta: None
Fandom: The World End With You
Disclaimer: No, I do not own TWEWY and do not make money with this story
Summary: Just after the Long Game, Joshua saved the rest of the Hashiko Gang but have now to deal with the consequences of his choices.
Trigger du chapitre: None I can think of
I began conceptualising and writing this story before the Parents AU of Gramoturtle (on tumblr) but there is no doubt their Father and Mother greatly influenced my Tuners mood, I couldn't stop to picturing them with thier drawing while writing ^^'
Go see their AU on Tumblr! It's a fun ride and they have quite a nice drawing style :D
Enjoy your Reading !
"Composer." An ethereal voice echoed around him and Joshua immediately increased his tone, skipping a few planes to regain his angelic form. In front of him, a luminous form similar to himself had appeared. Smaller than him, it was nonetheless far more imposing, its tone sliding into the throne room and taking up all available space, wrapping itself around Joshua like an embrace.
"Tuner." Joshua greeted respectfully, and for once he was honest. "I didn't expect to see you so soon." And it was true, it hadn't even been two weeks since the Long Game had ended, and the Superheavenly Planes weren't known for their speed of action. For beings evolving in eternity or so, two weeks was very, very short. And certainly too short for Joshua's plans to go well.
"I felt it necessary to intervene." The Angel replied and Joshua held back a grimace. For people who put observation first, deciding to intervene was rather serious. It didn't bode well for Joshua. "What were you thinking? We had authorized a Purification of the city, not a Game with your Conductor and certainly not a change of Composer."
"My apologies. I felt that Shibuya may still have a chance to recover and it seemed necessary to try a gentler reformation before any Purification," replied the Composer delicately.
"An unnecessary workload. I never understood your strange attachment to this place. We offered you a thousand times to move on, but you always wanted to stay in charge of this little town. We respected your choice, immature as it was. But now you are planning your own erasure by a Player? If you needed more stimulation, all you had to do was choose a successor and join us."
Joshua had to restrain himself from laughing out loud at their words. For such a powerful being it always amazed him that they could be so out of touch. "It was only a matter of saying it to see how the Reapers and Players would evolve." Joshua reassured, the lie running off his tongue like water. "And while I am grateful for your support, I would be sorry if I tainted your reputation by introducing myself to the High Plane too soon. I am, as you so aptly put it, still too immature."
"If you really cared about our reputation, you wouldn't have tried to save this lost city." The Angel replied dryly before letting out a surprisingly human sigh. "Your exploits have already made the rounds on the higher planes, Joshua. Your Producer's too."
The composer from Shibuya froze, hardly daring to breathe. Forcing himself to calm down, he took on an uninterested tone yet well aware that, had he been alive, his heart would be beating wildly in his chest. "I take it your counterpart went to visit Sanae?"
"There is a reason we are two." Agreed the being. "His crime is serious, you know that. But with his record so far being impeccable, and his powerful imagination being a valuable asset to the Higher Planes, we hope to negotiate a more pleasant sentence."
At their words, Joshua let out a sigh but did not relax. A more pleasant sentence was not difficult when the alternative was outright erasure, but it was a start. Joshua's Tuners were high up in the Angelic hierarchy and if that had given him some troubles before it was incredibly useful now. With their influence, he might even be able to regain this Quo status that Sanae liked.
But to do this, it was necessary to play on the heartstrings.
"Thank you, Mother." He murmured and even though the other Angel immediately reminded him to treat them professionally when they were in business, there was no doubt that their Vibe had softened. His tuners had always had a passion for family structure and if Joshua wasn't a fan of being treated like a teenager in the middle of a crisis most of the time it sometimes had its advantages. It used to be a knowledge to consult if something was overtaking him and Sanae and in this case: A much needed protection.
"Don't thank me so quickly. He'll stay at home until his trial and while I have no doubt he'll comply without a hitch, I have little hope that you'll keep quiet." The Angel replied in a bored tone before stepping closer and placing a hand on Joshua's cheek, dipping their eyes into his. "I'm warning you, Joshua, you can't afford your usual deviations anymore. The excellent reputation you earned with your new soul refinement system has been severely damaged by your illogical refusal to Purge Shibuya. It will no longer be enough to avoid the consequences of your actions. At least until this all blows over."
"With all due respect, Mother, I will do what needs to be done no matter the consequences." Joshua replied calmly as he took the other's hand in his own and gently removed it from his face. But he didn't let go, keeping their fingers intertwined. Even after all these years, he was still fascinated by the dance of their auras that blended at the slightest touch.
"That's just it Joshua, those consequences won't be yours to bear."
"What?" The Composer murmured confusedly as he raised his head. The Tuners had some affection for him, but certainly not enough to put their position at risk for him.
"Even though you are an Angel in all but name, you have never formally ascended. Your Producer is therefore the only Angel officially attached to Shibuya and is so de facto responsible for any problems caused by Shibuya to the Higher Plan. Whether he created them... or you," reminded the Tuner in a tone Joshua had heard far too much before. He felt like he was stepping back in time when he heard this lesson. And that was just it, Joshua was a good student, he remembered the regulations and especially the ways to avoid them.
"But... this rule is mostly there for a brand new Reaper turned Composer who doesn't know the ins and outs of the role yet. Certainly, I'm familiar enough with the Higher Planes that it's obsolete in our case?"
"It could indeed be, if we agreed. However, we have discussed this together and agreed that we would prefer to keep it that way. You are less likely to take unnecessary risks if Sanae is the recipient of your faults. And if you really can't control yourself, then he will. Because choosing between the two of you, Joshua... we choose you."
The Composer remained silent. Through their still linked hands, he could feel the aura of the Tuner and... well, the subtle emotions dancing within. Not wanting to confront it just yet, Joshua loosened his fingers but the Angel was quick to tighten their, not letting him go. Swallowing hard, Joshua tried to cut himself off from the other, thinking logically about what that meant. The situation was... complicated. On the one hand, having his Tuners support him was unexpected and the best way to help Sanae. On the other hand, Joshua wasn't sure he could play strictly by the rules for the foreseeable future. While Hazuki was generally friendly, not all of his colleagues were, and in the state Shibuya was in... well, complicated, was the word.
"Do you hear me, Joshua? The slightest mistake and he'll be the one to suffer." The Angel repeated and Joshua snapped out of his thoughts and nodded grudgingly. "Well, with your Producer's punishment and the consequences of your future misdeeds dealt with, let's get to your own penalty."
"I submit to your judgment, Tuner." Joshua murmured, the words flowing with a strange taste on his tongue. He knew the rites, but he had always managed to never say them before. It had to catch up with him sometime... Bringing his aura back, he squeezed it around him like a warm cloak trying to reassure himself a little. Sanae had said that whatever the punishment was, it would not be a pleasant one.
"It became clear to us that this situation was partly our fault. We have been too lax in our controls on Shibuya as of late. Other composers needed more attention in their training, but we should not have neglected you both, especially when we are aware of your overactive imagination. As these circumstances are due to a lack of supervision, it seems logical to us to remedy them as such: From this moment on, the Shibuya Composer is confined to his city and his Angelic level powers are sealed."
As soon as the words were spoken, the hand still holding Joshua's tightened and so did the aura of the other Angel, still surrounding the Composer. Pressed from all sides, Joshua fell violently to his knees, trembling from the forced move. It was he, now, who clung desperately to the Tuner's hand, even though his form was no longer visible to him, little more than a diffuse cluster of light. Seeming to sense his distress, the Tuner lowered her tone to reappear in the same plane as Joshua. In her hand floated a white feather surrounded by thin gold chains and the Tuner was quick to slip it into her breast pocket even as Joshua stared at it with envy.
"We are aware of the difficulties that the sealing of some of your powers will create in your duties as Composer. One of us will therefore come every month to resurrect the winners of the Game and check that all is well with the city." Said the Tuner gently as she tugged on Joshua's hand to raise him up. But when he didn't move, still prostrate on the ground, his other hand clenched on his chest and his eyes fixed on the hidden feather, the Angel in turn knelt before him. "I know it's uncomfortable but it's a punishment after all. It's only temporary, only a few years at most, but this way we can be sure that even if you are tempted to act, you won't be able to do too much damage. And who knows? Maybe this will finally teach you to behave like a real Angel. It's about time you stopped interfering. You know how sorry I am to see you waste your potential, Joshua."
Joshua did not answer, he did not even look up and the tuner disappeared with a last sigh.
Hope you liked it ! Go see the other Big Bang fics, you won't regret it ;)
Think about letting a review on your way out and see you on the next chapter !
