For KingMickeyMeowwow, without you encouraging me to attempt this, it would have never come to be XD HUGE shoutout to them! Read their stories or face erasure. XD

Raimu Bito had little tolerance for people who abused and used others to get what they wanted.

So whenever the four friends met at Hachiko, and a certain ash-blond showed his smug face, she made it a point to ignore him. It worked for a while, and she never felt bad about snubbing his homicidle ass...

Until one day, when she just happened to catch a glimpse of him after one of the meetings.

He looked...deflated. Shoulders sagged, hands buried in his pockets, eyes gazing at the retreating figures of Neku and Shiki in...utter bewilderment...as if he couldn't quite figure out what their deal was...like he didn't understand. He then turned slowly and fled to the Shibuya River.

She wanted to just let him go. Let him stew in his isolation. He was a monster. A beast without remorse. He was the reason her dreams had died. He'd taken them from her. He'd shot Neku dead. Twice...

Her hand stopped at Hachiko's base, where the Ash-blond had lingered. It came away wet.

Had Joshua, the Almighty Composer of Shibuya...been crying?!

The utter Rhyme-ness of Rhyme felt a pang in her chest. Against her better judgement, she made her way to the Shibuya River...and the Dead God's Pad.

She found him in the Room of Reckoning, on his ivory throne that was way too large for his scrawny frame that was curled up on it. He knew she was here. He had to know when anyone entered his place of power, otherwise his reign would be a very short one.

She wondered why he was still in his teenage form. Neku had told them that the ash-haired body wasn't what he really looked like, he had a special 'Composer Form' he used whenever he wasn't interacting with the people of Shibuya.

But for some reason he wasn't using it now, in his stronghold hidden from the world.

She realized he wasn't sleeping, simply lounging with his eyes closed, the most peaceful look on his face she'd ever seen.

"Your Music blends well with Shibuya, Raimu Bito."

She jumped, but the voice was soft, almost reverant. The sarcastic note she'd come to know was nowhere to be heard in the gentle tenure.

"Thank you for sharing your melody with me. It's...comforting. But surely you didn't follow me into my home simply to delight my ears with your song."

She took a deep breath, not quite knowing how to phrase her question. He was so different from what she had seen of him, and what she heard. Her kind heart and his cordial speech just changed how she saw him somehow.

"Why were you crying, Joshua?" she asked tentatively, then immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment "I'm sorry...that just slipped out! I don't mean to imply—"

The Composer looked at her as he slowly sat up, one arm resting on the throne's armrest,

"Imply what, Raimu?" his tone was light, his eyes danced with amusement and wry humor "That I'm not capable of feeling sorrow? Do not trouble yourself. Neku also forgets that I too, can feel emotion. Well..." his eyes grew confused and...sad "Most emotions anyway. Do perk up. I'm not offended."

"No...no of course you can feel emotion!" her voice shook "I just...I didn't want to have you..lower yourself to our level to make me understand. I mean you're..."

Joshua smiled at her "Raimu, I'm in this form for a reason. Please, relax. Have some bean buns...Sanae brought them over as a joke, he knows I don't like them. They're still warm."

He gestured to a table she hadn't noticed earlier. It was a gorgeous mahogany, with a glossy finish. On it were the bean buns, still steaming and looking very apatizing Next to the plate was a pitcher of orange juice.

"Oh!" the little Bito said, letting herself relax "OJ! My favorite!"

A soft laugh reached her ears. Joshua had gotten off his throne and was leaning on the wall near the table, arms crossed. He gestured with one like a gentleman would direct a Lady to ordurves. "By all means, have as much as you want."

Rhyme looked at him with a curious stare "Do you like OJ?"

"No." he said, throwing her a small grin "I'm more of a Viper guy myself."

"Then why would Mister H give you something you don't like?"

"Sanae...likes to joke around a bit. Every once in a while he does something to spice up my day, see if he can get me to be irritated. It's a game we play."

She frowned slightly at his choice of words, and he looked genuinely repentive.

"I do apologize, dear Raimu. I seem to have touched a nerve."

She threw him another kind smile, biting into a bun happily "No, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"No, I'm serious. Your visit today was quite unexpected, but it was welcome. I'd hate to chase you off with my usual callousness."

Rhyme felt herself freeze slightly. This...this being...this monster who ruled Shibuya...wasn't angry when she'd entered his sanctuary of solace. He hadn't yelled or vaporized her or shot her with his favorite gun for daring to approach him. He hadn't even threatened to erase her or chase her away. He'd offered her warm food, a cool drink, and had been rather gentlemanly about it to boot.

He was intrigued by her. His eyes weren't mocking or cruel. His voice, the voice that Neku swore was condescending on purpose and never truly genuine in tone, was kind, soft, and patient, even curious.

Rhyme suddenly gasped and leaped back from the table. Joshua's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he walked slowly with a predator's grace to where sh'd been standing. She looked at him, her eyes wide as she finally saw the monster emerge from wherever he kept it hidden.

"You are scaring my guest. How rude of you, Megumi. Now go, before I actually erase you this time."

The Noise raven that had frightened Rhyme cawed and flew to the next room, preening its feathers and glaring at the Composer, who glared just as venomously before turning back to his young houseguest with an apologetic look.

"Forgive him, he is still rather protective of me. I took over two weeks gathering the pieces of his soul and reforming him, since he had been my most loyal Conductor." He turned bright, curious eyes on her and smiled

"So, you can see the Noise still. Interesting."

Rhyme was nervous again. She gave a tentative nod, licking her lips and swallowing, the fear creeping back into her gaze.

"I..is that a problerm? I mean...we aren't supposed to see the UG. Are you going to...to remove my ability to see them?"

Joshua waved off her worries with a nonchalant hand gesture, palm upward and head cocked slightly to one side.

"It is normal, Raimu. You were one of them. It's natural you be in tune with their plane. I will do nothing...unless..."

"Unless?" her voice was soft in her fear.

He leaned in close, as if to tell her a secret. "Unless you want me to, of course."

"But you're the Composer. Why would you care what I want?"

Joshua laughed softly as he moved away, his eyes a bit sad again as he noticed something she couldn't sense. His shoulders sagged a bit, as if he were dejected, and when he spoke, there was a note of regret and disappointment in his voice.

"Another time, I'm afraid. Your brother's song is blaring in my sewers, dear Raimu. I regret to say you had better depart before he gets into trouble with my Gate Reapers."

Rhyme giggled

"Beat is probably worried about me. I better get him calmed down." She looked again at the ash-blond teen that stood opposite her, and sighed.

"Can I...well...may I...come back tomorrow?"

Joshua stiffened, as if she caught him completely off guard. She wanted to come back? To visit...him? No one ever visited him. Not even his own Proxy! This Bito was intregueing. He leaned in close, like he was telling her a secret.

"If that is truly what you wish to do, Raimu, then I would very much like to hear your Music in my throneroom again."

Rhyme smiled,

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Joshua."

After she left, the Composer pondered. He was feeling something...something he just couldn't understand. The same thing he saw Neku express to Shiki, and her to him. But Joshua could never seem to grasp it.

Maybe the young Bito was his ticket to finding what it is he was missing...