( cmo ) general rp

[hopes]

play with me! ☆

my character list is here, while my (outdated) rp wishlist is here! go crazy with whatever you wanna throw at me; leave the character you want to thread with in the subject, and i'm cool doing or replying to starters!

body heat / fluff / insomnia / rain / realistic college au / reunion / soulmates / stargazing

Comments

[vipmix]

[Joshua gives a bit of an annoyed look at that]

"What kind of job"...?

[but he just shrugs it off because fuck explaining the intricacies of how this works and how he didn't make a dream Neku because "you can't make people, Neku"]

Well, whatever. Should I take that to mean most of your questions are answered?

[soloremix]

[look how would he know? he's not the one with the god powers.

but joshua's response gives him pause. he kind of figures that, should there be anything else he wants to ask, josh would probably answer in a way that doesn't make sense to him anyway. still... there's one thing, he guesses, is kind of the elephant in the room right now.]

...How do we get Shibuya back?

[vipmix]

... If I knew that, do you really think I'd be here?

[there's a trace of real bitterness there, but he's mostly keeping it deadpan. he has a general gist idea, but...]

World order is way out of your jurisdiction, Neku. Just think of it as an extended vacation.

[it's out of joshua's too, is what he doesn't say out loud]

[soloremix]

[ a complaint about being tired of getting thrown from one strange place to another is resting on his tongue, but joshua's tone prompts him to swallow it back down. it's a sore spot for both of them... josh even more so, honestly. ]

(. . . Fair enough.)

[ so. new subject, then. ]

The other two you mentioned—the... world travelers. What were they doing here?

[vipmix]

Sora and Riku. [ because he's got to be pedantic about this ] Though I don't believe you ever actually met Riku personally. Or, well, the dream-you, if you'd prefer.

[ this neku might be whole, but the difference isn't as distinct as neku probably believes it is. still. josh decides to break character on himself and answer neku's question: ]

They were in the middle of a test of some sort. And... I believe something-- or rather, someone-- was interfering with it, but hopefully things worked themselves out for them. I didn't exactly get a status update after they left.

[ it's probably weird to hear josh casually talk about worrying about other people's circumstances, and yet ]

[soloremix]

[ and he's fast to pick up on that. is it because they're out of familiar territory, where he doesn't have as much control as he usually does? or... did he, like neku, find a new appreciation for other people and the world around them?

like hell he's gonna ask directly, though, even with as candid as josh is being with him right now. so, a nonchalant tone is what he decides to go with instead. ]

Huh. You using the word "hopefully" without being sarcastic? Maybe I'm the one that's dreaming.

(I'd ask you to pinch me, but since it's you we're talking about... yeah, no.)

[vipmix]

[ there's something in Neku's nonchalant snark that's... nostalgic, for joshua. it's not like the dream didn't have any, but.

because of that, joshua's smile at that is less mocking smirk and more indulgent than he intends it to be... though it doesn't change his dialogue any. ]

Wow, Neku. I had no idea you dreamed of me. I'm truly flattered. [ his horrible words said, joshua looks up into the distance ] But I assure you, this isn't one of your fantasies. Also, I would duck if I were you.

[soloremix]

[ for his part, too, neku is actually relieved to hear joshua shoot back with one of those quips that's meant to make his skin crawl. even with this weird sentimental streak josh has going on right now... well, he's still him. the creases on neku's forehead as his eyebrows come together are more of a reflex than an active reaction, because josh's words don't necessarily bother him, per se... it's just what he's used to doing? weird.

he doesn't get the chance to ponder on that for too long, though, because warnings take precedence over banter. ]

—?!

[ he knows better than to question a suggestion like that at this point, so duck he does. ]

[vipmix]

[ and it's a good thing he listens, because a dream eater (a bat) barely misses swooping in an attack where neku's head was a second ago. it... completely ignores joshua even as he stands there, instead trying once more to swoop at neku. ]

I suppose that answers my question as to whether the Dream Eaters would target you or not.

[ joshua is, of course, infuriatingly calm about this. is he going to help at any point in time? sure. but-- ]

Neku, this is a dream. You're not limited to the constraints of reality. You may want to take advantage of that.

[ he could also just teach neku how to flowmotion ]

[soloremix]

[ he's not really surprised that the dream eaters ignore josh, but his logic isn't quite on the mark. he thinks it's more unfair composer advantages than joshua being the owner of the dream. as he swats at the bat, he just sounds annoyed. ]

What, like—imagining it going "poof"?

[ stop being an asshole for once please ]

[vipmix]

If it was that easy, I'd have gotten rid of them a long time ago. Try to at least pay attention.

[ joshua has power over this traverse town, still, of course-- it's his dream-- but his grasp on outside forces has been... tenuous, at best. and if he could've erased that dream eater for them instead of having to rely on sora and riku back then-- regardless. he's a bit annoyed at neku's comment, even though he absolutely deserves it for trying to teach him a lesson in the middle of a bat attack. like an asshole. ]

I'm speaking of the limitations on yourself. But if you don't think you can figure it out, we can just go.

[ it's both an asshole taunt and legitimate-- he's not really going to risk neku (real, living, whole) for a lesson, but he's also not too worried about neku being done in by a komory bat. of all things. ]

[soloremix]

(At least give me something to work with, damn it!)

[ but instead of milling on it any longer, neku grits his teeth and decides to just start running. if he's learned anything recently, it's that he should never be a sitting duck when faced with a threat, even if said threat is a pastel bat.

traverse town's architecture is strikingly different than shibuya's, he notices as he passes by dangling streetlamps and low-hanging rooftops. he doesn't have them now, but he'd had the assistance of psychs to help him get around in unorthodox ways back home... hm. ]

Am I supposed to try... flying or something? Like, using my imagination?

[vipmix]

[ Joshua is following more leisurely (possibly a reminder of Neku of the true hell of having him as a partner that one week) because He Doesn't Do Sweating, and also because he's in literally no danger here.

Still, the smile on his face when Neku asks is a lot more fond than it would've been back then, not quite the condescending one he'd had. ]

Or something. Give it a try, Neku.

[ The tone still leaves a lot to be desired, though, but that can't ever be improved. This is a fact. ]