neverplaysfair | Game 049 [Written/Voice]

Game 049 [Written/Voice]

[ Sometime in the early afternoon, the following question goes out over the journals. The camera is covered, and the handwriting is disguised. ]

Let's have a thought experiment. Say you were dying, and the only possible way to save yourself is to get help from someone very close to you. However, you don't know for sure that this help will indeed save you, and whether or not it does, there's a chance that it will damage the one helping you. Trying to help you might even kill them.

Do you ask for their help anyway? Would you accept their help if they offered it?

[ Later on in the evening, Joshua makes a separate post from the previous, this one voiced and not anonymous. ]

[ Filtered to Neku, 100% ]

Hey Neku, are you busy tomorrow?

[ /Filter ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The shout of pain gets Neku's attention and he looks up at Joshua in alarm. The anger from a moment ago is quickly gone, now there's just confusion and concern. He hates Joshua for some things, but Neku still considers him a friend, so if something is wrong then anything else can be put on hold.]

Josh?

[ Now that he knew what to listen for, this time he could hear it. His Music was souring, a few notes at a time, and if he left it like this there was no telling how bad it would get before he'd lose himself. ]

Neku... come here.

[ His voice is strained and more than a bit desperate. ]

[Neku is a little unsure here, but he still steps closer to Joshua.]

What's wrong? What can I do?

Come here.

[ His voice breaks with the pain, and it startles him just how fast his Music is falling apart. And the more it does, the harder it is for him to hear it.

Without even thinking he reaches out a hand towards Neku. ]

[Okay that startles him and makes him move. Just like that Neku is there, standing right in front of Josh and grabbing onto his hand.]

Here. I'm here.

[ Joshua grips Neku's hand and suddenly pulls him close. The moment he makes contact he's pulling Neku's Music, for the moment not even caring what damage he's doing. He doesn't have the luxury of caring. He needs Shibuya, honestly needs her, and this is the best he will be getting like this.

He might completely tear out Neku's Music and he knows it, but his own is fading fast. ]

[That earns a little disgruntled huff from Neku but otherwise he's keeping still after being pulled. Jeeze. He figures Joshua is after his Music, though he's still not exactly sure what is happening.]

...

[ Joshua cringes again, trying to press himself against Neku as best he can. The horrible, sickening feeling that he or Shibuya or both are dying is slowly creeping up from the pit of his stomach, a distinctly cold sensation to go with the pain shooting through him, and he starts shivering a little. He's scared, scared for Shibuya, and at this point both he and Neku are only afterthoughts. As long as he's tied to Shibuya he doesn't know which of them is dying and he can't risk it being the city.

He's pulling more desperately now, clinging to the similarities to Shibuya that Neku refreshed by going back. Let this work. Just please let this work. Sanae isn't around any more. This is his only option. ]

[He would probably give another irritated huff but he's starting to feel... weird. That's never happened before and it's a little worrying. Mostly because it's coupled with the way Joshua is acting right now.

Neku tries to push him back, but it's a weak attempt. Okay this is probably not good.]

...J-Josh. [WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING.]

Edited 2012-02-21 04:25 (UTC)

Neku.

[ He clutches tighter, or tries to at least. His grip is weakening and he feels it not so much as hears it. He needs what he can get of his city and so he's pulling. Joshua closes his eyes and fights to stay lucid as the world spins around him, and he clings to what little of Shibuya he has, pressed against him in the form of a fifteen-year-old boy.

He can't slip now. If he lets go, he's lost. ]

[Neku is very slowly starting to go slack against him. The more Joshua pulls at his Music the more out if it Neku starts to feel.

His head droops down and comes to rest on Joshua's shoulder. Still conscious for now, but he won't be protesting anymore.]

[ There's a moment where Joshua registers what he's doing to Neku, but it doesn't make him hesitate for even a second. This was his decision, and for better or worse Neku is along for this ride with him now.

It's not as bad, he thinks, if he's remembering correctly, as it was last time. At least, he can still hear his own Music. Barely. He leans against Neku a bit more, trying to slip into the pieces of Shibuya that Neku still has his connection to.

It still hurts, and he's still not sure he won't die from this. ]

[Despite what Joshua is doing to him, Neku still trusts him. And Neku keeps repeating in his head 'I trust you I trust you I trust you..." because he wants to think that Joshua wouldn't seriously hurt him.

And this doesn't hurt, just makes him feel weird, so Neku is okay with leaning against Joshua more in return.]

[ If Neku had any idea what Joshua was doing, he probably would have psychologically registered it as hurt, anyway.

That's why Joshua didn't tell Neku what he was doing.

Well, that and having no other hope of saving Shibuya if Neku said no.

Suddenly his vibe reels, and he's abruptly older, no longer such a good match for Neku by height. He grips Neku closer with a new found strength, urged on by panic because he remembers what comes after this, and the fact that he doesn't have his Noise form this time doesn't do anything to ease his mind because it just means he doesn't know what's going to go wrong next.

With the lifting of some of the restrictions on his power, he pulls Neku's Music even harder, trying to wrap himself in it and pull it into his own.

Please don't let this be for nothing. ]

Nngh...

[The lightheadedness comes on full force with that stronger pull. He can feel himself starting to lose consciousness and at this point, Neku's not even sure he wants to fight it. Just, ugh.

He sure hopes you know what you're doing.]

[ Joshua totally does. Kind of. He just doesn't know what will happen. That's the same thing, right?

Shibuya's Music is like a wave of warmth over him, it's a momentary comfort that he knows will pass again but while it's here, he needs it.

At least his vibe is holding steady. ]

[...not quite! Either way, hopefully this actually helps. Because Neku is so not going to be happy later.

But after a few more moments Neku is out, going completely slack against Joshua as he falls unconscious.]

[ Joshua, meanwhile, is still fighting a war against his own body. The unconsciousness doesn't stop Neku's Music, but it does dampen it. Still, he's already taken a very large portion for himself.

It's not as drastic, or as clear, as it was the last time. But slowly, slowly he can feel the panic and the pain leaking away. He doesn't let go of Neku, doesn't stop holding him close until he's completely sure he's not going to relapse. The feeling of his shirt sticking to his back creeps back into his awareness, as does the feeling of the cold around him. He pulls himself back a bit and listens to his own Music. It's weak, it's unsteady, it's still broken in a few places but it's still fixable, it's still something he can recover from as long as he rests.

He's not dead. He's shivering and shaking and lightheaded but he's not dead. Hopefully, Shibuya isn't either.

Joshua tries to move away, and startles a little when Neku moves with him. ]

--Neku?

[ For a moment, he goes cold. Now that he's paying attention, he can tell just how weak Neku's Music has gotten. Just how faint it is. Neku's skin seems even colder than his, and just because he's still breathing doesn't mean he will be for long.

But Joshua isn't in any state to help him. He can barely help himself.

Still with raised vibe, he settles Neku on his bed and gets in with him, then tucks them both in. At the very least, for the moment they can share some body heat.

Joshua at least sleeps for the rest of the day. When he wakes, he's more than a bit relieved to find the body next to him hasn't become a corpse. When he's not dozing off, he spends the rest of the time playing what he can of Shibuya's melody on a violin with unsteady hands, as if that would somehow help both of them.

Now to see if Neku would wake up, or just slowly die. ]

[Neku can faintly make out the sound from the violin as he starts to regain consciousness. He tries to focus on it, but it sounds far away and he can't make sense of anything yet.

He's not dead at least.

He drifts in and out of consciousness for a bit longer, until eventually he can hear the music getting louder and he's starting to register the fact he's lying down. He really, really does not want to wake up though. His body feels stiff from not moving and he feels exhausted.

He begins to stir on Joshua's bed. He goes still again after a moment, his eyes remaining shut, but he's definitely awake.]

[ The sound of Neku shifting catches Joshua's attention instantly. He stops playing and looks up, not entirely sure whether he'd just imagined that or not.

He's still in his adult form, even after this long. He's not risking going back just yet. ]

Neku?

[Neku briefly cracks open an eye at his name being called but then quickly closes it again, his brow furrowing.]

...urgh. What...?

[ "You're alive." ]

Oh, nothing.

[ And Joshua resumes playing. Best to leave Neku alone until he feels like getting up. Either of them pushing themselves too hard could be bad here. ]

[He just needs some time to get his bearings.]

...what happened?

You passed out. [ Said simply, without even pausing his playing.

It's the truth. Just only a fraction of it. ]

[He doesn't say anything for a few minutes, fine with just laying there for the moment. Once he feels like he can, Neku slowly sits up. He brings his hand up to his forehead and opens his eyes finally, looking over to Joshua.]

...that's never happened before.

[From listening to his Music before he means. And why are you older now.]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]