Wishes
Stage 7 – The Watchers
Joshua didn't often think back on his past (mostly because he was trying to forget it), but sometimes he found himself—unintentionally—remembering his life from before he became the almighty Composer.
This was one such time.
His mother had been a colonist from England, his father had been a simple ferryman of one of the ships traveling back and forth between various cities. It wasn't a job that paid overly well, but it was enough. Joshua never could recall his parents ever really arguing, but he didn't see them overly much to begin with. He had always been rather withdrawn when he was young, as he preferred plucking the strings of his grandmother's koto than he did when playing games with other kids his age.
When Joshua had said to Neku during the Reapers' Game that he didn't do the "whole sweating thing", he had actually been referring to that. He had always had very low stamina because of this, but back then, it had never bothered him before. He was more than content to just laze away in his room, lightly flicking the koto's strings and just listening to its gentle music wafting through the air.
His grandparents from his father's side were kind, and he loved seeing them whenever he could. Not just because of his grandmother's old koto (as she had given it to him as a gift when he was 5), but also because they were always so kind to him, even if he had been born with eyes that were a curious amethyst in color. Back then, being born with such eyes was, by some, feared, only because he was not a full-blooded Japanese.
And then his parents were murdered…
Perhaps he should've died then, too, but before he could become the target of the people who had killed them, he had been pulled away. Confused and frightened, he didn't remember the person's face; he only vaguely remembered his voice shouting to him.
"Don't just stand there! Run! Do you want to die?"
And he had. As little stamina as he had, his body—panic-stricken as it was—created such a burst of adrenaline that he ran without thinking twice about his dislike for any strenuous activity. His legs were wailing at him that they wanted to rest, but his mind was screaming as loudly as it could to the rest of his body; "run".
For however long they ran, Joshua no longer remembered, but he did recall how he had started bawling when it finally dawned to him that his parents were dead and the other person had to carry him the rest of the way. He cried and cried for what felt like hours, and yet the person did not leave. In fact, he staid by his side and offered him quiet words of comfort, before taking him to his grandparents house.
The stranger had left him then, leaving him with only a single sentence that Joshua wouldn't understand until much later;
"Give up on yourself and you give up on the world."
It was from that point onward that Joshua was able to see into the UG, though, of course, he didn't know it was called that, back then…
He wanted to tell someone about what he saw, about the Noise, about the dead people running around to complete missions with that ray of hope burning in their chest that they would soon be among the living again. He wanted to ask someone those questions that burned in his heart and begged for answers. Why were the dead running around between the living without anyone seeing them? What were those strange creatures and those people with the wings? Who was responsible for all of that?
But he didn't dare. His grandparents had grown weary of him after his parents were murdered, and he felt like they weren't even the same people anymore. He didn't want to play the koto anymore either. That wouldn't bring in any money, he realized. Even if that was what he wanted, he couldn't do it, because it would not keep him alive. Let alone, the people he wanted to hear his playing were no longer there.
There were times when he stood alone, in his room, among the people walking around outside, and he remembered searching for the person who had rescued him that day… because he wanted to know why he had been saved and not his parents, too…
But he never met him again.
As the years continued, Joshua began losing sight of himself. He lost himself in the drinks his grandparents had always warned him to stay away from as a child. Now, they simply ceased to care and Joshua would often drink until he passed out. He'd wake up with a migraine and ended up feeling worse than he did before he started his last drinking session.
It ended up becoming an addiction; he drank to forget at first, but steadily, he drank just because he wanted to, not caring if the liquid burned its way down his throat every time. He hated himself, wanted to stop what he was doing, but his self-loathing only became another thing he wanted to forget, and thus a matter that he resolved with drinking.
Before long, it was difficult for him to remember anything at all. Even who he himself was. And in a way… that was fine…
He just wanted to disappear…
The day he turned 18 was the day he didn't wake up again from his own drinking. As he later found out, his grandparents had slipped poison into the sake, knowing he would eventually drink it and they had hoped for his death.
Joshua remembered his Game very vaguely. He had made it to the end somehow, but he had refused to be alive again. This left him with the option of either passing on, or becoming a Reaper.
He chose the latter.
And 30 years later, he toppled the Composer and claimed his title. Sanae had also been the Producer then, but instead of a coffee shop, he'd owned a small bar, and, while Joshua himself scarcely remembered, the silverhead had often spoken to him about everything and nothing. Sanae became like his guardian then, and also helped him with his drinking problem.
Joshua had sworn to never touch a bottle of alcohol again after that…
And then the Kyuubi had shown up…
Joshua leaped away from the daiyoukai as its nine powerful tails created such strong gusts of wind that they almost caused the smaller buildings of Shibuya to topple over.
"Why are you doing this?" the Composer demanded. "What has this city ever done to you?"
"Your city is corrupt, Composer!" the beast growled out, its fangs bared in a furious snarl. "A city this corrupt has no right to exist!"
"Shibuya is NOT corrupt!" Joshua shouted out, releasing a blast of energy at the Kitsune, but it was easily avoided. "I won't let you do as you please in my city! I'll stop you here and now!"
"You? Stop me? HAHAHAHAHAH! How amusing… well then… Let's play then, Composer!"
Back then, Joshua had failed to grasp why the Kyuubi was there, but he had been determined to prove him wrong. After the fight, Joshua had struggled feverishly until his head felt like it would burst from him pouring his Imagination into the city.
'I don't want to remember this…' Joshua thought through the haze of his mind. 'I just want to wake up… please…'
But as he made the plea, he watched as the years ticked by like seconds… until seven years had passed since the Kyuubi had appeared.
Normally, Joshua hated watching kids. Not because they were annoying (though that also played a part), but because it would always remind him of how badly he had messed up with his own life. Strangely enough, there seemed to be a lot of people out with their kids that particular day. Most of them were barely 10 years old, but there were a few in their early teen years, too, but they were always together with their parents.
Those were the ones Joshua hated to see the most. Kids with their parents. It reminded him too much of his own…
Anyway, that particular day, Joshua had actually turned down to the RG, needing a break from the last Game he'd hosted. When he tuned down, he usually made himself appear as a young adult, but now, he had decided that 15 was old enough. At least for the moment.
It was on that day that Joshua met the small boy called Sakuraba Neku.
He sat by the foot of Hachiko, behind the statue, out of sight, a scrawny little kid of barely two. His short orange hair was mussed and only a little spiky, and his bright blue eyes were brimming over with tears as he sat there, shivering and curled up into a ball. He was clearly lost, and his parents were nowhere to be seen, but still he didn't make a sound and he didn't sob or wail as his tears rolled across those round, flushed cheeks. The only sound coming from the boy was the occasional hiccup.
As said before, Joshua—normally—hated watching kids. But the boy looked so sad… so pathetic… that some part in Joshua's heart pulled at him to backtrack to crouch before the boy.
"Hey… are you lost, little one?" he asked kindly. "Where's your mommy and daddy?"
The boy looked up, but he didn't speak. His blue eyes weren't exactly hostile, but they weren't friendly either. It wasn't until then that Joshua realized the boy's Music was so still, that he had to strain his senses to hear it, and even then, he couldn't distinguish the notes being played.
He remained deathly quiet. That in itself was unusual for a child of two. Children his age were supposed to be bouncing all over the place and crying and laughing with all their energy, but this kid was just sitting there, unmoving and silent. He wouldn't speak to Joshua at all, and just watched wordlessly.
Joshua sighed, running a hand through his hair. Really, he wasn't good with kids, so he shouldn't be surprised the kid wouldn't talk to him. Still, it felt wrong to just leave him like that, so he moved over and sat down beside him.
"Well, it's fine if you won't talk. I'll just stay here until someone picks you up."
But no one did…
Joshua sat there and waited with the small boy. First an hour, then two, and as the fourth hour past and no one had come for him, Joshua had had enough. Where were the boy's parents? Had they just left him there and gone off on their own, claiming to be right back only to disappear without a word?
He looked to the boy, and spotted a small star sewn on his jacket. On it were the Kanji and hiragana that spelled out "Sakuraba Neku". But more importantly, there was a phone number.
"…Hey, should I call your mom and dad?" he asked of the boy, even though he was already pulling out his phone and pressing down on all the keys.
The boy looked up at that, and a small, hopeful shine came to his eyes as Joshua put the phone to his ear. He waited for a while, preparing himself to—possibly—hear either the sound of someone really wasted, or the sound of an answering machine.
But no. The voice answering the phone was a clipped, slightly curt feminine voice. "Yes, hello?"
"Pardon my interruption," Joshua began, weighing his words carefully for a moment, "are you Mrs. Sakuraba, by any chance?"
Silence for a moment. The woman seemed to already dread where this call was going. "…Yes, I am. How did you get this number?"
"Well, I have this little boy sitting here next to me, and he was wearing a star with this number on it on his jacket," Joshua said, trying to sound casual.
"…what? Ne-Neku is…? Where are you?" the woman cried out, and he could hear a chair hitting the ground on the other side of the phone.
"Ah, we're sitting by Hachiko, Ma'am," Joshua offered, not having expected such a frantic response.
"Hachiko? Oh my god how did he—Is he okay? I-is he hurt anywhere?"
"No, no, he's fine. Just a little startled, that's all."
Definitely not what he was expecting…
"…ma…ma…"
Joshua blinked and looked over to Neku. The small boy had, at some point, crawled over to him and was now trying to climb up the Composer's legs while reaching with one hand for the phone.
"One moment, ma'am," Joshua said quickly, moving his phone and putting it on speaker before bringing it close to the small boy. "Go ahead… say something."
"…ma… mama…!" the boy cried out, his tiny hands trying to get a grip on the small contraption held out to him.
"Neku! Oh sweetie it's okay! Sssh, ssh, Mama's coming right now! Just stay there with the nice oniichan and I'll be there as soon as I can!"
"Ma… mama… miss yous!"
"Mama misses you, too, honey. It's okay, I'm coming right now. Just stay there and be good. Mama loves you lots."
Neku looked like he was about to start bawling right then and there, but Joshua lightly hugged him. That seemed to help a bit, as the boy managed to get out: "Love you lots toos!" before the line went dead.
"Don't worry," Joshua murmured, pulling the small boy into a hug before he could start to cry again. "Your mama's coming. Okay? So c'mon. Mama wouldn't want to see you crying, would she?"
Neku sniffled, but he did reach up to wipe his tears away. As he did, Joshua carefully picked the boy up and moved to a bench, and there he sat them both down, the small boy right beside him. The boy's Music had gotten a little louder now, meaning that it could've been quiet because of his earlier distress. And Joshua had to admit, it wasn't half bad, even if a little off key because of his youth, and it might also have to do with his panic.
Like that, they sat and waited, quietly. Joshua hoped the boy's mother would hurry, because he wasn't fully sure how long he'd stay this calm. There was no way this kid could stay quiet for much longer after hearing his mother's voice again.
Thankfully, his prayers were answered as—within 45 minutes—a woman dressed in a business suit practically dashed—while wearing heels, no less—onto the plaza, orange brown hair disheveled and completely out of breath. Her deep blue eyes scanned the crowd as she kept a hand to her chest, panting and sweat rolling down her paler than normal forehead.
When she spotted Joshua and Neku, a relieved smile broke over her face. "Neku!"
Immediately, the boy snapped his head up. When he saw the woman, tears began to gather in his eyes again, but he was doing his best not to cry. "Ma-mama!"
Joshua smiled and helped the boy off the bench, watching quietly as the tiny boy ran to the woman, who immediately dropped to her knees and pulled the boy into a hug as he came in range. She didn't even seem to care if this either ripped her skirt or the skin off her knees.
"It's okay, sweetie! I'm here how, it's okay it's okay…" the woman spluttered out amidst her own tears, though Joshua could tell they were genuinely relieved tears. She must've rushed here from wherever she worked (maybe even called a taxi) to make her way to Hachiko as fast as she could for her son.
But that left one question unanswered, still…
Shaking the matter off, Joshua slowly moved closer, wanting to say something… but thought better of it in the last second.
He was still Composer. His job as Composer came above anything else, he knew, and he had already wasted enough time just sitting there with the small boy. He couldn't stay, even if he wanted so very much to.
He watched the scene for a little longer, before he tuned up his frequency and left for the Shibuya River once again.
Heh… Neku was so cute back then…
I didn't find the reason for him being alone until much later though. His 'nanny' had taken him out for lunch, she'd met some of her friends, and completely forgot about having to watch Neku. Poor kid ended up running around in circles… terrified…
I hope they filed a report on her… she deserved that one…
Neku… he was so… cute… no… adorable…
Was he already the Kyuubi then? Did that boy I saw back then… did he really exist? If so… what became of him? Where did that precious child… go? When did he stop being Neku and when did he… turn into a… into a… monster?
…mmm… so hot… ugh… I guess I better get up…
When Joshua blinked his eyes open, he was laying on—strangely enough—Neku's bed in his apartment. The curtains were drawn, shrouding the room into darkness, but the alarm clock on the nightstand signaled it was a little after sunrise. Still rather sleepy, Joshua tried to reach up to rub at his eyes, only to realize his hand was, more or less, occupied.
As his awareness returned in full, he was surprised to see the owner of the small apartment beside the bed, on his knees and his arms supporting his head as it lay on the mattress, with one of his hands holding onto Joshua's. The redhead was out of his 'Kyuubi-mode', wearing some light blue sleep clothes, though they seemed darker than they should be.
Frowning, Joshua sat up slowly, taking note of how Neku's breath was coming out slightly heavier than was normal for when the Proxy was asleep, and also how beads of sweat were rolling down from his forehead in an almost continuous stream. Now Joshua didn't know much of the Kyuubi race, but he knew that this could not be good.
"Neku… Neku, dear, wake up," he cooed, reaching over and lightly shaking the other by his arm.
The redhead groaned, as though in pain, and tried to move away. "Nurgh… don't… call me… tha… …Josh?"
Seeming to realize just who had said that, Neku wearily blinked his eyes open. Joshua almost frowned as he saw that the Proxy's eyes were bloodshot, as though he'd been crying. However, he shook it off and offered a small, cheeky smirk. "Who else, dear? Or were you expecting someone else to be here?"
"…You're awake…"
"Well, yes, thank you for stating the obvious. Really now, I've only been asleep for about-"
"Two fucking weeks, you idiot!"
That effectively silenced Joshua, and he just stared at the redhead—who did not look pleased at all—for a moment. "…excuse me?"
"You heard me! You've been conked out for two weeks!" Neku snarled as he pushed up to his feet, releasing Joshua's hand. His expression was cold and hard, but he was, for some reason, breathing harder than he should. "I warned you, didn't I? I told you to stop and what the hell do you do? You do the exact opposite of what you should've done! Were you trying to get yourself killed again?"
"Whoa, whoa, Neku, easy…" Joshua got out, holding up his hands in defense. What was happening here? Why was Neku acting this… frazzled? "Did I miss something? I'm sorry, but you're not making any sense, dear."
"Don't call me—"
However, before Neku could finish the scream, his words were cut off by a choke and the redhead covered his mouth with both hands, his face suddenly losing all its color as his body lurched dangerously. It only took Joshua's mind a split-second to realize what was happening and—without even knowing why—he jumped out of bed, placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders and pulled/guided Neku toward the bathroom as quick as he could/dared. They made it just in time and Neku collapsed to his knees, emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet with a sickening noise that almost made Joshua want to puke. He resisted the urge though, breathing through his mouth as he sat down beside Neku, running his hand over his Proxy's back.
The skin was slick with sweat, that much he could tell even through the material of his nightshirt, and his skin felt like it was on fire. He gasped and wheezed for breath, occasionally dry-heaving, his eyes shut tight and his entire body trembled. Even if Joshua didn't understand the reason, there was no denying one fact;
Neku was very ill.
Joshua briefly left Neku's side and moved to the shower, twisting the knobs so that it was set to lukewarm. Neku's apartment didn't have the space for a bathtub, so he'd have to make due with a shower. Once he was certain the water wouldn't burn them, he moved back to Neku's side.
"Hey, c'mon dear. Let's get you cleaned up, ne?" he chuckled out as he gently pulled Neku away, mindful of that he might still be a little sick to the stomach.
"Don't… call me… urgh…"
Neku coughed a little at the vile aftertaste in his mouth, but he didn't struggle as Joshua began to remove both his own and the redhead's clothes. He wasn't looking at Joshua in the least as the Composer of Shibuya pulled him up to his feet, removed the last articles of clothing he wore and then proceeded to pull him into the shower. As the first drops hit, Neku flinched and darted away, almost tripping over his own feet as Josh tried to keep him upright.
"C-cold…" he choked out. "Wa… water's t-too…"
Joshua frowned in slight worry. He'd checked earlier and the water was lukewarm. And even now, when he touched it, the water hadn't grown any colder. If this was 'cold' to Neku, the situation was worse than he'd originally thought.
"It'll warm up. C'mon. Let's go."
Neku still wasn't eager to get under the spray of water, but he allowed Joshua to pull him under, anyway. It was a little awkward for Joshua; normally it was Neku washing him, not the other way around, but the Kyuubi was clearly in no condition to get anything done. He wisely decided against washing the redhead's hair, focusing instead on his body and getting rid of all the sweat and its nasty smell.
Joshua didn't even understand why he seemed so determined to help the fox. Wasn't it Neku who had made him miserable since over two months ago? He should be happy that Neku seemed to have gotten what he deserved for what he'd done.
But he couldn't help but remember that tiny figure from 18 years ago. That tiny little boy, sitting alone behind Hachiko, his eyes brimming with tears that flowed soundlessly, trying so very hard to be strong, those tiny hands reaching for Joshua's phone to talk to his mother, that small, sad voice crying out "love you lots", that small body, shaking softly in his grasp as they waited for the boy's mother to appear…
He just couldn't erase that sight from his memory, and so he silently washed his Proxy as he had so many times before.
Neku's body was trembling as he seemed to be struggling to stay on his feet. Somehow he managed, though, at least until Joshua had finished with washing him off. After that, he seemed to be gradually losing the strength to stay standing, so Joshua quickly dried him off and got him back to bed before he could completely tip over. Which he did anyway when they reached the bed.
Joshua watched the redhead for a moment, before he moved the blankets over the other man's body when he shivered. Neku's eyes had already fallen shut, and he seemed to be focusing entirely on his shivering in a lousy attempt to get warm, even though he was burning up when Joshua touched him.
'This is bad… I don't know what caused him to get this sick… but this is bad news, even for daiyoukai…'
Sadly, Joshua had very little to no experience when it came to treating sick people. Dead people, sure. Sick people, not so much. Which left him with a slight predicament.
'…Well, he just threw up whatever he ate last night, so he's probably gonna be hungry for something… but what to make that won't upset his stomach?'
Joshua sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, deep in thought. Ramen was out, definitely. Mexican was also a definite no. What else was near? He tried to remember a place to get something half decent to eat, when he recalled the pharmacy located at Shibu-Q. Sure, it was quite some distance away from the apartment, but he recalled that that little store had just about anything for every type of illness imaginable (let alone items that would increase the strength of Players).
Crouching down, Joshua said softly: "Neku, I'll be right back. I'm just going to get something for your fever, okay?"
The redhead blinked wearily, seeming to take a long time with deciphering the question, before slowly nodding, after which he proceeded to go back to sleep. Joshua returned the nod even if Neku didn't see it and stood up, heading for the door quickly after getting dressed. After finding the spare key and pulling on his shoes, he moved to the door — and paused.
He was suddenly remembering the words of Lin and Ren. They claimed that Kamui was still out there, waiting for his chance to grab Joshua and end Shibuya, and that he was not to go anywhere without supervision. And while he still didn't fully trust them, he had no doubt that Kamui was still out there. He seemed like the type who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Perhaps it was better to stay inside…
"…" Slowly, Joshua frowned and he grabbed the doorknob and twisted, almost shouting the words Neku had always cried at him whenever they used the first level of their 'fusion attack': "Screw that!"
After locking the door, Joshua did a quick check on his powers, and was glad to note that the seal that would stop his powers wasn't active at this time. So he switched frequencies and rushed for Shibu-Q.
He was completely unaware of a pair of blue eyes watching his every move…
'Cold medicine… probably won't work. This works for fevers, but it clearly says don't use if you have stomach problems. Urgh… why do people make things so complicated?'
Joshua was annoyed. The pharmacy really had a thousand-and-one items, but none of them seemed to be what he needed. And naturally, he was much too stubborn to go asking for help, from the clerk. He didn't come here as often as Neku had back during the Game, so he doubted the shopkeep even remembered him, meaning she would not be too thrilled to help him…
Just as he picked up another case and was about to check what it was for, a voice from behind him said: "…That works as a laxative."
Blinking, Joshua turned around, and was surprised when he saw a young man standing there, looking over the shelves behind the silverette. It took him only two seconds to realize that he remembered this man's Music, and another split second before he made the connection; he was Akataiyo Jin.
"Oh? You seem to have quite the knowledge of medicine," Joshua chuckled, hiding the fact that seeing him here was rather… unsettling for the Composer.
Since his parents had been killed, Jin had been a bundle of negative energy, but his Music had never ceased playing loudly, driving any Noise trying to cling to him away. Unlike Neku, he had not stopped living, but he simply ceased caring about anything… even himself.
"…whatever," Jin said simply, dropping down in a crouch and snagging up a pack of something.
Joshua considered his options for a moment, before he shrugged with a small smirk. 'Oh well. Why not?'
"Well, Mr. Specialist… what would you recommend for someone who's burning with fever and unable to keep anything in s stomach?"
Jin briefly glanced up, before he snorted and stood up. "You don't need medicine for that," he said simply. "Just keep him cooled and fix some porridge."
"…Porridge?" Joshua repeated with a small frown.
"Did I stutter?"
"Oh no. Thank you. You've been quite helpful," Joshua chuckled out, though inwardly, he was frowning.
Where was he supposed to find a place that made porridge? Were there even shops that sold that? If not, he'd have to look up how to make it…
What a pain…
"…you're one of Sakuraba's friends?" Jin asked suddenly.
Joshua blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"
The brunette nodded to Joshua—or his jacket, to be precise. "You're wearing the jacket Misaki gave him a few weeks back."
Blinking once more, Joshua looked closer at the jacket he was wearing. And sure enough, it wasn't the jacket he recalled having worn last time. The dark blue jean jacket he had on right now was a few sizes too big (how he had not noticed that earlier he wasn't sure), and while it looked like something easily bought from a store, the vibe he was getting from the material said otherwise. How had he made the error of grabbing one of Neku's jackets when he'd been heading out?
"Ah, yes. Woops," Joshua chuckled out. "Guess I wasn't looking when I grabbed a jacket before leaving. Hihi."
"…so he's ill?" questioned Jin solemnly.
"Hmm… yes, rather, I'd say." Sighing in exasperation, Joshua raised his hands in a shrug. "Oh well. Guess I have to start looking for a shop that sells porridge, hm? Been nice talking to you, Jin."
With that, Joshua made to walk away, only to get grabbed by his arm before he could and was then forcefully spun around.
"…how do you know my name?"
'…oh shit.' Joshua hadn't even realized that Jin had never actually told the Composer his name when he had addressed the boy by his given name. And Jin didn't seem the type to just let him go like that, meaning he had to think fast. And a quick once over of the boy in question gave him just what he needed. "Isn't that obvious?" he quipped cheekily. "It's sewn on your bag, is it not?"
Jin looked a little skeptical at Joshua's response, but he silently let him go anyway. Given by Jin's expression, it was clear he had lost interest in whatever else Joshua had to say, so the silverette utilized the chance to make a quick getaway.
As he stepped outside, though, he sighed as he realized he had another problem on his hands;
"Where am I gonna find a place that sells porridge? Sigh… couldn't they just make things easy for me just once?" Joshua mumbled to himself. Running a hand through his hair, Shibuya's Composer began to walk, scanning the stores nearby for any signs of where he could get what he was looking for.
'Hmm… perhaps Ken would know a place…'
"Irashai! Oh! Well now! This's a surprise! What brings you here alone, kid?" asked the ever-friendly Doi Ken of Ramen Don.
Joshua allowed a smile at the kind words. After the Game had ended, Joshua had often wanted to stop by, but with rebuilding Shibuya, he just hadn't had the time or the leisure at all. It wasn't until Neku had revealed himself as a daiyoukai that Joshua had walked into the small shop again. But even then, it had always been with Neku there (as the redhead often—literally—dragged him over there), hence the comment about him being alone, for once.
"Good day, sir. I'm afraid I've run into a minor… shall we say, predicament, and I was hoping you would be able to help me," Joshua said, almost casually.
"Hm? Well, sure. I'll certainly try, at least."
"Thank you. You see, my friend's, unfortunately, fallen ill. He's got this truly horrible fever and he's unable to keep anything with substance in his stomach." Joshua's words were well-calculated despite the slight bubble of worry building in his stomach, as he wasn't too willing to share too much about the whole situation. He'd share what he had to, and then be off after getting the response he needed. "I heard from someone on the street, by chance, that in such cases one should make the sickly a bowl of porridge."
"Hrrmm, I see," the man said with a deep, worried frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. "So you want to know where to get some for your friend, hm?"
"Yep. If you know anywhere I could get some, both myself and my friend would be much obliged."
Doi hummed softly in thought, eyes shut and his eyebrows furrowed. It was a look similar to the one he often had when he was trying to cook up a new recipe. After a few moments, though, the man sighed. "Sadly, I don't think there's really any shops that sell it. You'd have to make it yourself from scrap."
'…so much for that idea…'
"I see… well, thanks anyway."
However, before Joshua could leave, Doi called out again. "Now hold on one moment! Just because there's no shops that sell it, doesn't mean I can't help ya."
"…Wait… you can?"
"Heh. I still owe you kids one for way back. C'mon. Let's get to cooking."
"…Yes, thank you."
'Just a little longer, Neku… just hold on a little longer…'
When Joshua left Ramen Don, it was with a plastic bag holding a carefully sealed, extra large, ramen cup. It was heavy, but Josh had expected that. Doi had also given him the recipe for porridge so he could make it on his own next time. While he was at it, he also explained why porridge was recommended for the sick; while it was bland and tasteless, it was mostly a liquid and even of you added a little extra water, the little flavor it had didn't change much, and it also became easier for the stomach to hold it because it had no real substance.
'Right… with that done, I should—'
"The heck's yer problem, brat?" exclaimed a loud voice, making Joshua blink before he shrugged it off as some rowdy drunkards picking a fight. And he was about to keep going, when a different voice spoke up. One that he recognized.
"…shut up… you're so noisy…"
As much as Joshua didn't want to, he stopped anyway and whirled around. 'Is that… Jin?'
Said brunette was, indeed, facing off with a gang of thugs, each one of them corroded by negativity, several dozen or so Noises clinging to them like a pack of parasites. However, the much younger man was unaffected, his hands in his pocket, his Music playing steadily and keeping the Noise away from him. The expression on his face was solemn, empty, as though he wasn't even really alive.
"Whuuuh? You tryin' to mess wit us?" the big leader of the group, possessed by a rather nasty mink-type Noise, demanded, before pulling out his hand from his pocket, producing a switchblade. "You say tha 'gain and I'll fuckin' rip ya voice out."
Now… any normal person, even police officers, would think twice before saying anything upon seeing the blade. Jin, however…
"…so… annoying… you're too noisy…"
Joshua had to give Jin points for his guts. He earned them for saying those words right to the guy's face and not flinching in the least.
Not that that would help him… those thugs were at least twice his size when it came to muscles, so Joshua wasn't expecting him to have much of a chance.
"You fuckin' brat!" the man shouted, stabbing forward.
Joshua could only stare as Jin's foot moved quickly to the side, and then pulled the boy to the side. The brunette's hand shot out, snagged the sleeve of the arm that had been thrown forward with the knife, then pulled the man further forward — right before Jin's remaining hand, curled into a tight fist, smashed into the man's jaw with so much force that he was sent flying for a short distance. But that hadn't been what had startled Joshua…
The moment that Jin had begun to move, his Music had spiked in intensity and Imagination had begun to circle around him. The punch to the man's jaw had also sent a rush of Imagination slamming headlong into the mink-Noise, making it screech before Erasure swallowed it up.
Now, Joshua knew that Imagination was needed in order to erase Noise when in the Reapers' Game, but he had never seen a single human alive who had been able to channel their Imagination enough for them to be able to erase Noise from within the RG. Technically, something like that was impossible. Not even Joshua had had such a control over his Imagination that he could erase Noise when in the RG; he really had to be in the UG if he had to erase Noise.
This kid was definitely something else…
Of course, the other punks didn't like when their boss was taken out so easily, so they all started to gang up on Jin. Sadly, their efforts were wasted as Jin darted aside from any swings thrown at him, in perfect sync with his own, by now vibrant, Music and managing to floor them with little to no difficulty by using their own momentum to his advantage.
The boy's Music reached its crescendo within three minutes, which was exactly how long it took him to floor each of the thugs, as well as erase all the Noise haunting them. Without a sign of fatigue or even regret, Jin merely adjusted his shoulder bag, making sure its strap didn't bite into his neck.
When Joshua finally snapped out of his little staring fest, he allowed a smirk and applauded, making Jin look over wordlessly.
"Very impressive," Joshua chuckled out. "Though I have to ask, what possessed you to beat these boys up, hm?"
Jin remained silent for a moment, before he said simply: "They were too noisy…"
Too noisy… was Jin talking about the normal kind of noise that everyone in the RG meant, or was he referring to the Noise of the UG?
'Oh well, whatever.'
"Oookay. If you say so. Now, if you'll excuse me," Joshua said with a small giggle, before he started on his way back.
"…"
Jin watched him go for a moment longer, before he turned his gaze to the side, his frown deepening into a glare as he spotted the dark figure that had been chasing after Joshua slinking back into the darkness of the alleyway. The brunette seemed to consider things for a while, after which he merely shook his head and began to walk after Joshua, making sure he was well out of range to prevent the silverette from noticing him.
Joshua finally made it back to Neku's apartment, and he wordlessly opened the door, taking off his shoes as he stepped inside. As he made to head further inside, though, he also removed his—or Neku's, to be precise—jacket. However, he couldn't help but frown slightly as he glanced to the door. He wasn't sure why, but Jin had been following him ever since his fight with those thugs. He'd gone out of his way to keep Josh from finding out, but the boy obviously didn't know that Joshua was the Composer of Shibuya, and he knew all that happened behind his back.
Or so he liked to believe… he hadn't felt Kamui's presence, at all. So either he had left, which seemed rather odd to the Composer, or Neku had spoken the truth when he said he could appear out of nowhere and hide his very presence from everyone.
Shaking the thought away, Joshua moved further into the apartment. 'First things first, I suppose. Let's just—'
However, as Joshua arrived in the kitchen, he almost dropped the bag he was carrying in surprise.
"Neku?" the silverette exclaimed in alarm, setting the bag down on the table and rushing to the redhead's side.
The Proxy was sprawled out on the ground, a trail of blood trailing out from his mouth and the remains of what Joshua suspected was a sandwich scattered over the kitchen floor. Given the situation, Neku had possibly attempted to eat something, but his stomach hadn't allowed him and forcefully rejected it again. And while Neku had obviously been unable to reach the bathroom, he had settled on the sink from the looks (and smell) of it. And after that, he'd simply collapsed.
"Damn… couldn't you wait just a few more minutes?" Joshua grumbled, reaching out and pulling Neku back to his feet. "C'mon, dear. Back to bed with you."
'Urgh… dammit that… was a bad idea…' Neku struggled against awareness for as long as he could, very reluctant to return to the waking world. He was well aware that all that would await him was pain, anyway. 'Damn… I'm such an idiot… why did I have to go and do that?'
When something cold pressed against his forehead, he moaned and turned his head to the side to avoid the cold. However, his face was turned back and the cold touch returned to his forehead, pressing down insistently. The cold seemed to slice through his skull, and it hurt like hell, making him want to move away, but something wouldn't let him.
"Now, now, would you calm down already, dear?" questioned a familiar, cheeky voice. "You're burning up, so we gotta make sure you don't fry that brain of yours now, do we?"
'Oh great…'
"Nrgh… Josh…" Neku managed to slur out, blinking open his eyes. "Don't… call me…"
"Yes yes, I know, dear," Joshua quipped cheekily. "Now just quiet down, kay?"
"…screw you…" Neku grumbled out softly.
Joshua giggled at the quip. "Yes, yes, love you too, dear."
If Joshua hadn't been keeping Neku's head in place, he might have missed Neku suddenly freezing up in something akin to alarm. Blinking, Joshua looked down to Neku's eyes, but the moment their eyes locked, Neku immediately averted his gaze to the side. That wasn't as surprising as the small tinge of red appearing on the man's cheeks. And Joshua was sure that wasn't from the fever.
Smirking a little bit, Joshua asked: "Oh? Something wrong, Nekky?"
"…no…"
"…What, that's it?" Joshua asked, frowning a little in surprise. He had been expecting a little more of a response from the redhead, given that he had just used not one, but two nicknames of his Proxy that he really detested. But nothing. "No threats to my sanity for once? My, you must be more ill than I had originally thought."
"…"
Neku didn't give a peep this time. He only shut his eyes, as though to block out the Composer hovering over him, somehow. And Joshua, realizing he wasn't going the reaction he wanted from Neku, merely sighed.
"…You just stay put, alright? I'll be right back," the silverette said finally, getting to his feet. "Don't go anywhere… I mean it."
After a moment of waiting, Neku just gave a small hum. That was enough for the Composer, though, and he walked out of the room and back to the kitchen. He never noticed Neku watching him go with his eyes opened halfway.
When Neku was certain he wasn't nearby any longer, he groaned and pushed up slowly, wincing at the splitting pain his head as the towel that had been resting on his forehead fell into his lap. He was no longer sweating, but his body was still feeling much too hot to be good for him. Struggling against a whimper that was itching to find its way out his throat, Neku clutched his head and shut his eyes.
'Shit… why'd he have to go and say that? Now this is going to get that much more difficult…' The Kyuubi gave a heavy sigh. 'What am I supposed to do now? I never intended for it to go that far…'
"You know, if your head's really that heavy, I could always get you some supports," Joshua chuckled as he came back into the room.
Neku looked up with one eye dryly. "Shut up… and what the hell is that?" he added the question when he noticed the bowl of… something… that Joshua was carrying on a tray.
"Oh, just something to make you feel better, dear," Joshua chuckled out.
"Stop calling me that…" Neku mumbled as Joshua put the tray on his lap with a small smirk. The daiyoukai looked down to the liquid… solid… stuff, before he asked again: "What is this stuff?"
Joshua gave a small, exasperated sigh, before he said simply: "It's porridge, alright?" as he put a spoon in the bowl. "Now just quit whining and eat."
"…I'll pass…" Neku grumbled, lightly pushing the tray away, but Joshua merely pushed it back. "Joshua…"
"Don't be such a pickle puss. You have to eat just like everybody else, Neku," Joshua pointed out.
"…In case you haven't noticed… if I try to eat, it comes right back out."
"Yes, I noticed… smelled it, too… but that doesn't mean you can just starve yourself. So eat before I decide to feed you."
Neku glared at Joshua, one hand still gripping his head, before he snarled softly. He really wasn't in the mood to argue. Nor was his head…
"Guh… fine… just… shut up…" the redhead growled out, silently taking the spoon and scooping up some of the whitish liquid, blowing some of the steam away. Slowly, as though dreading what happened if he dared (which he probably did), Neku put it in his mouth, but he waited a full five seconds before he shut his eyes tight and swallowed.
Joshua, although looking calm, was anything but as the Kitsune swallowed the first spoonful. Despite Doi's words that it should be fine, he couldn't help but worry that it might have the opposite effect on someone like Neku.
However, after almost a minute, Neku blinked his eyes open again, and stared down at the bowl. And finally, he brought down the spoon again and scooped up some more.
"…it's edible…" the Kyuubi mumbled softly before he took another sip, but Joshua merely chuckled in response.
It was a familiar phrase from back in the Game to Josh, but he had a feeling he meant something else entirely this time. So what if he didn't say it? He hadn't really expected him to.
"You're welcome, dear."
"…shut up."
"A-ha! I knew you weren't a bad kid," Ruka laughed as he approached Jin from behind.
Said brunette looked up from where he was sitting on one of the benches from where he was staring at the apartment building, looking at the silvery haired man dryly.
"Hey, now, don't give me that look." Ruka grinned and plopped down on the bench beside Jin. "Admit it; you actually do care, don't ya?"
"…"
"Hellooooo? Earth to Jin. Contact," Ruka teased, waving a hand in front of his face, but Jin merely swatted the hand away. In response, Ruka pouted. "Now that was uncalled for!"
"…whatever."
Ruka pouted a moment longer, before he shrugged and sat back casually. The two didn't speak after that and merely sat there, both of them lost in their own thoughts for the moment. For the longest time, they remained where they were, and neither of the two seemed ready to move.
"…Don't you have school, by the way?"
"…I'm not going…"
"But you should… right? Otherwise you're never going to get a good enough job to support yourself, right?"
"…whatever."
Ruka, once again, sighed and leaned back. "Darn… you're one tough nut to crack…"
"…see if I care…"
Ruka only looked Jin's way, before he rolled his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something but he refrained from doing so. Though he did hum quietly to himself, as though he was thinking very deeply about something.
"…why are you even here?" Jin asked suddenly without looking up.
"Hm? Oh, nothing big. I'm just looking for an old friend of mine, that's all."
"…hm…"
And that was that. Ruka sighed a little, shaking his head, but decided better of commenting on the boy's behavior.
It was just so contradicting all the time that it was putting the silverette through a loop.
"…you met Jin."
Joshua blinked and looked over from the door. He'd been about to walk out and bring the now empty bowl of porridge to the kitchen, but Neku had called out to him before he could step through. Though why he decided to bring the brunette up, he wasn't sure.
"Hm? Yes, I did. Why, is that a problem?" Joshua asked cheekily.
"…nah." Neku lightly shook his head where it rested on the pillow again. "…how was he?"
"Hmm… well rather quiet, but he strikes me as a good kid. Unlike someone I know," the Composer quipped casually, but they both knew who the silverette meant.
"…figures… he's one big mess of contradictions with too much Imagination than should be possible…"
Joshua arched an eyebrow and walked back over, setting the bowl on the nightstand before he sat down at the foot of the bed. "Oh? You can tell he has a lot of Imagination, then?"
"Yeah…" Neku said softly, not opening his eyes. "If you ask me, he's got potential…"
"You don't say…" Joshua murmured, one hand to his chin. "Potential for what, if I may ask."
"To be a Conductor. What else?" the Kyuubi grumbled.
Whatever Joshua had been expecting as an answer, that wasn't it. So was it any wonder he dropped his jaw and stared at the fox in surprise (though the redhead in question obviously didn't see it).
"…Why would you say that?"
"You still haven't appointed anyone, right?"
That he hadn't. But finding a proper Conductor was not something so easily decided upon. Megumi had been special at the time that Joshua took over from the previous Composer. Making him the Conductor had seemed to him like the best choice he could have made; Kitaniji Megumi really did love Shibuya until (and after) his death, and nothing had been able to waver that adoration for the city that Joshua oversaw. Joshua had, at a time, even considered Megumi to be a possible friend… if the Conductor had not always feared a rebuke just because Joshua was the Composer.
Finding someone like him… was not easy.
"…Heh. why so worried, Neku? Afraid I might mess up without a Conductor?"
"Yes, actually."
At those words, Joshua felt a hint of anger flare in his chest, but he kept it in, somehow. "And why is that?"
"Your 'job', Composer, is to merely oversee the Game," Neku pointed out. "It's a Conductor's job to actually run the Game. You keep doing both, and you'll end up overworked and exhausted."
Well, when put that way…
Joshua knew the Kyuubi was right, of course; Joshua's primary concern with the Game was ensuring that the Players were halfway decent as well keeping tabs on the effects their actions had on the RG, rather than only the UG. It was the job of the Conductor to appoint Game Masters, calculate scores, and to ensure the Game ran smoothly. So at this point, Joshua was working for two people and, like Neku said, he'd been beginning to get overworked.
At least, he had been before the Kyuubi had revealed his true colors.
"Well, either way, he's still alive, so I can't just make him my Conductor like that."
"…One month, two weeks, four days."
"…? Excuse me?"
Neku wearily opened one eye and said simply: "That's when he's going to die. On the second day of November."
"…" For the longest time, Joshua couldn't find the words to say. Neku's words were both sudden and alarming, and they left the Composer fumbling for both his voice and the ability to speak. "…h… how did you… why… I…"
Just then, Neku's phone started ringing, the familiar tune of 'Twister' startling both males into whipping toward the offending item. Neku gave a groan and shut his eyes, rubbing his temples.
"That's probably mom… could you get that?"
"…yeah, sure…" Joshua murmured, getting to his feet and walking over to where the redhead had left his purple phone on the table. Anything to get out of that awkward situation.
As he picked it up, however, the digital screen on the top read "Dad". Shaking it off, he flipped it open and brought it to his ear. "Neku-kun's phone, good day."
"Ah sorry if I'm interrupting but… is Neku in?" asked the voice of a man on the other side, and even without scanning, Joshua could tell something urgent was up. However…
"Well, he's in… but I'm afraid he's not feeling 100% well," Joshua said with a small shrug, even if the other side couldn't see it.
"Please, I need to speak with him, immediately! It's urgent!"
"Okay, okay… one moment." Sighing, Joshua walked back to the bedroom and stood in the doorway. "Neku, it's your dad. He said it's urgent."
Neku groaned a little, his face twisted into the pillow. "Can't it wait until morning?"
"Nope, dear. He needs to speak with you now."
"…goddammit…" Neku grumbled, and while he didn't get up, he held out his hand for Joshua. The silverette leisurely dropped the phone in the outstretched hand, after which Neku pushed up on one arm and brought the purple object to his ear. "Yo dad… Wha… no, no, it's nothing serious… No really, I just caught a slight cold. I'll be fine… Dad, I'm not a child anymore… Anyway, what's so urgent that it just couldn't wait?"
Joshua merely chuckled as he leaned back against the wall, watching Neku converse on the phone, though he was clearly struggling to stay awake. However, just as suddenly, the redhead shot up straight on the bed, wide awake in an instant.
"What? When? … I'll be there in 20 minutes." With that, Neku flipped the phone shut and climbed out of bed, briefly hissing at the pain in his head. "Gawd… dammit!"
"Hey, now, where do you think you're going?" Joshua demanded as Neku began to move to try and get dressed properly, the silverette forcing him back towards the bed. "You're in condition to go anywhere."
"Sh-shuddap! I know that, but I gotta!"
"And pray tell, why's that?"
"Because my mother's in the hospital suffering from a stroke! That's why!"
A/N: First off; I'd like to thank Etoile Luna for the story "Proof of Life", which was the inspiration for the scene with Josh taking care of Neku (though in the story it was the exact opposite). It's more of a friendship fic between Josh and Neku, but it's interesting, and a little sad, too, if you think about it.
Anyway, yeah, Jin has quite the bit of fight in him for someone who says he doesn't care. That'll be explained later on.
Oh, and about the lack of updates... I had no access to my laptop due to a broken harddrive. But I'm back now, so I'll try to work on the next stage. I say "try", though, since I have a different idea in my head that ain't coming out, so I'm working that out (which will be a long NxJxN oneshot later) and try to work on the next stage in the meantime.