A/N. This chapter is dedicated FULLY to the following: Jolteonforever, whose Joshua/Rhyme one-shot snapped me out of my writers block and reminded me of the other facets of Joshua's character, to James Firebrand for PMing me reliably and keeping my attention on Fanfiction, and to Jestry for beta-reading every last chapter of this and helping me sift through the gravel of text to find the flecks of raw gold (or at least hopefully silver) hidden deep inside.

(Is this possible? A shopping trip where no actual shopping takes place?)

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Chapter Four

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Second Nature

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Yoshiya Kirya was a Composer, by job title and by nature. Malicious but never fully merciless, not truly human but a ruler of humans. A shepherd and a predator.

Being a Composer, 'Joshua' was granted certain ablilities, one of which was possession of detached, uninvolved, emotionless knowledge, necessary for impartial judgment of those who died in the RG. Lately, however, certain circumstances had made this job more difficult than it was supposed to be.

Lately his detached, uninvolved, emotionless knowledge had morphed into attachment, compassion, and worst of all... hope. Utterly unreliable and human hoping.

Yet, as he carelessly drove the old black convertible down the beachside road, attention focused mainly on the young woman seated beside him, wind in her hair... he felt like it was worth it.

"So, " Rhyme started, a little hesitant and still feeling guilty about Tim. "How have you been? "

"Fine, " he stated, delicately sliding sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose.

Silence.

"You don't seem fine, " she stated at last. "You seem... upset. "

'No comments from the peanut gallery'. 'How about you ask me that when you've got all YOUR problems sorted out'. 'Apparently Raimu Bito can't take a hint'. 'I can sort out my problems alone, save your psych consult.' 'No shit, Sherlock'. 'You have no idea'. Several response options that he would have gladly used on any other person flew to the tip of his tongue- with a slight effort, he held his silence for a moment as he prepared his reply.

"I don't mean to, " he said carefully. I can't afford to let my weakness show so clearly.

Rhyme did not seem to find this answer satisfying. She slumped slightly in the seat, blue gaze dropping to stare at the floor.

"You're not going to go emo on me, are you? " He joked, truthfully hoping he hadn't insulted her.

For her credit, she did try her best to smile. Perhaps a less acutely aware person might have though she was happy, but not Joshua.

"Don't blame yourself for other people's unhappiness, Rhyme. " His mood became sober, his voice turning uncharacteristically soft. "A life with constant guilt is... unbearable. Often, there's nothing you can do, nothing anyone can do. Some people are happy being unhappy. "

"But not all of them are, " she replied quietly, looking out the window now. "I have to at least try to help them. "

Joshua gave a tight smile, painfully aware of the difference between them once more. As he turned his eyes back to the road, a lone thought flickered through his mind. Opposites attract.

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Sunset found Joshua and Rhyme sitting on a bench in the mall and resting after a good two hours fruitlessly shopping, the former sipping on tea and making a disgusted face at the taste, the latter people-watching as her fingers toyed with a AA brochure.

"That was NOT English Peppermint tea. That was green tea with artificial peppermint flavoring, " he stated, draining the last of the small cup and tossing it into a nearby trash can. "Something catch your interest? "

He followed Rhyme's fixed gaze to a couple quietly arguing about 20 feet away. The blonde's eyebrows were at worried and sympathetic angles, the Frogs of misery starting to collect around her and them. "Joshua... "

"Yeeees? " He replied, a note of dramatic and exaggerated exasperation creeping into the drawn-out word. Rhyme seemed not to notice, pleading quietly, "Can you make them stop? "

"What? "

"Can... can you make them stop fighting? "

Joshua scowled. "The easy answer's Yes, Rhyme... "

"Will you? "

"What's the point? They're just going to start fighting again later. " His eyes darkened as his scowl deepened, his words unusually fierce and passionate. "I know people like him. Fighting's second nature to them. I can't fix their marital problems, and I'm not going to waste time and energy on a 'quick fix'. "

He felt a spark of curiosity ping from Rhyme, but she was smart and polite enough not to act on it. She would not, however, drop the topic. "Please, Joshua. You can do something. Will you? Please? Even if it's a quick fix? You don't know if it's their last night alive or not. Shouldn't you try to make a difference, no matter how small? "

He gritted his teeth as her words hit the mark, drawing on his only weakness- her happiness. With one last sound of irritation and despair, he held out his hand so his right palm was facing the arguing couple. He took in a breath, closed his eyes to block out all distractions, and sent a concentrated blast of Noise-killing energy towards them, coupled with a vein of positive emotions to them. This was no guarantee their attitudes would improve, it could very well worsen them, but it was a bit of a 'boost' to improve their changes.

The sudden drain on his energy was immediate and exhausting, like he had just pushed a car over the edge of a hill and was at last stopping for a rest. Staying in the RG so much is taking its toll, he noted, opening his eyes to survey his handiwork. Indeed, it had worked, and that was a small satisfaction as he watched the man and woman leave quietly, both thoughtful.

A surge of delight and happiness washed over him, Noise fleeing before the tidal wave of glee. "You did it! " Rhyme's voice was sweet and high, like birdsong. Joshua shrugged airily, saying, "I told you I could. "

"And you did! Thank you. " She smiled, blue eyes overflowing with gratitude. He forced a smile back, secretly wishing he could use his own advice and act like this night was his last. But, alas, he knew it was not, and could only lead her to his car and drive her home.

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La lala la lalalala.....