[ MOSTLY OPEN ] shoppingshoppingshopping

[componere]

Who: Joshua [OU] (componere), Kairi [AU3] (princessofheart), and YOU
Where: The Pisces and Libra Apartments, then a LOT of shops in Virgo, then to the library in Aquarius, then back home. P MUCH ALL DAY SATURDAY (04/13)
Summary: Joshua continues his mission of doing nothing productive with regards to anything he's supposed to do in the city (or is he)
Warnings: Joshua Kiryuu is a fiend and a curse and plague etc etc etc


[ OPTION 1 ]

[ Joshua is rooting around the plants on all floors of the Pisces apartment, especially the ones on the top floor, noting the varieties and species and writing them down in a small notepad. He'll also hit up the Libra apartments a little later in the morning.

If a very busy fifteen year old doesn't catch your character's interest, there's always the option of yours catching his - negatively. If you happen to be in his way, smelling the roses, he'll aim a bit of an annoyed look at you. ]

You mind? I'm on a tight schedule today.

[ OPTION 2 ]

[ - whoa hey where did all the urgency from earlier in the day go? Now that he's made it to the Virgo district, his mood seems to have improved enormously. If you want Joshua in a darn right happy-go-lucky mood, he'll be waltzing through the shops in 104, people-watching and people-judging. Does anyone here know how to dress themselves?

Alternatively, you can also find him in a local flower shop and laugh as he looks around, looking decidedly closed off and out of place, i.e. oh god what am I even doing here ]

[ OPTION KAIRI THIS IS KAIRI'S OPTION ]

[ dong ding where da ladies at

No, actually, this is shop three on his list and he's looking remarkably put out by now. Ugh... this errand is the farthest thing from worth his time ever. He knows that he's ~*supposed*~ to be doing this because Upstairs says so but oh my god this is so mundane and stupid and definitely irrelevant to his Shibuya, can he go now? Sorry, Kairi, he'll be passing right by the register, lost in his own thought.

btw, he has an bag over his shoulder with something heavy and not clothing shaped inside. What in Lapin Angelique's winter collection 2008 are you doing, Yoshiya Kiryuu??? ]

[ OPTION 4]

[ Late that evening, he's so done with today. Joshua is in the library with a book in one hand and a guitar case under his other elbow. He seems to be looking up guitar tabs, migrating slowly to the nearest lines of study rooms to play. If he ends up giving you a love-tap with the case, he'll grandly and elegantly refuse to give a shit. However, the right kind of person doing something interesting could give him pause. Right now, he definitely needs a distraction. ]

Comments

4

[otakuro]

[If the right kind of person doing something interesting constitutes the epitome of geekdom sitting at a table surrounded by piles of books, then Joshua has found the right person. Atsuro's laptop is set before him, of course, though at the present he's flipping through a text with an expression of boredom on his face. If Joshua glances closer, the words on both the page and the screen are dotted with such choice gems as 'Cyclopean', 'tenebrous', and 'ghastly', all evocative of rather pleasant imagery.

Strange, though. Atsuro's brand of geekery usually ran in a slightly different direction. Not that Joshua would be aware of that.]

Hey!

[The guitar case gently caresses Atsuro in the face.]

Watch where you're going.

[componere]

[ Well, doesn't Joshua feel like an asshat! Nah, he doesn't, he just looks back at this huge nerd, his eyebrows raising in a somewhat confrontational "does it look like I give half a fuck" expression. It's a hilariously fussy expression on Joshua, seeing as he's as intimidating as riled chihuahua in this form. He's had a pretty long day and he doesn't have patience for fielding petty mortal concerns like common courtesy.

Joshua backs up and studies the first book he sees among the many piled up on the table, about to come up with a backhanded comment about this person's new unhealthy love affair, but his wrung out brain IDs the subject matter. Looks like someone's either doing a lot of wonderfully productive extracurriculars or has a thing for the eldritch. he doesn't really care about the latter, but the former... ]

Tentacles, huh? Not that I'm judging, but... [ ... a smirk. ] There's a market for everything, I suppose.

[otakuro]

...

Does anyone in this place not have an unnatural fixation on tentacles...?

[Joshua's suspicions are probably confirmed when Atsuro closes the book - 'The H.P. Lovecraft Collection'. The specific and highly characteristic tone of the writing didn't translate terribly well to Japanese, but it was as faithful an effort as could be expected.]

Look, tentacle monsters are like, in one story. Maybe two. Nyarly didn't even have any tentacles when we met him.

[componere]

What can I say? The reputation precedes reality, as always.

[ joshua turns back, studying this guy from head to toe... tut tut. this person's fashion sense is almost as atrocious as neku's. joshua pivots a little, studying this stranger's face. does he have enough time and patience for this right now...? ]

Pet names already? My, you're moving quickly. When did you meet, exactly?

[otakuro]

I figured it couldn't hurt to try and take things a little less seriously. If he doesn't have tentacles, he does seem to cause mass outbreaks of gibbering insanity wherever he goes.

[Atsuro gives a small shrug.]

I'd rather not be shut up in a padded room yet - think of all the games I haven't played!

[Atsuro's fashion sense, if it exists, has certainly retreated to a padded room long ago, anyway.]

[componere]

[ laughing in the face of danger? humor might not be the safest way to deal with cosmic horror, but it's certainly a human reaction. ]

I'm sure he'd appreciate it! An eldritch abomination like that must have some isolation-related issues... Perhaps all he needed was a little affection. I'm surprised that the presence of an elder one didn't reduce you to a mumbling vegetable, though. What happened?

[otakuro]

...I'll tell you what. If you ever run into him, you can see if you can't hug him to death. I'll stick with the Almighty attacks.

[Atsuro closes his laptop as well and leans back, as it didn't look like this guy was going away anytime soon. ...Or apologizing.]

A bunch of us ran into him a few months ago. No one gave you the details?

1

[jumyouboshi]

[Excuse you, Joshua. Alcor here was just observing the poppies around the Libra apartments, minding his own business...when suddenly, fifteen-year old. Or not? It takes him a second to realize that someone was talking to him (and another second to sense...something. Definitely something. He's not Saiduq but he kinda is, not as powerful or as high Upstairs because he's not from the admin-tier route but the dead star one, but he can tell when something's up.)]

Hm...? Oh, my apologies.

[He shifts and moves out of the way by hovering an inch or two above the ground. If one wasn't paying attention to his feet, it'd almost seem like he just took a rather strange sidestep.]

BREATHES HEAVILY

[componere]

[







WELL SHIT. joshua didn't mean to sass someone from Upstairs!! but... Wait, was this the same person? There wasn't as much power going on here... Or was it a different kind? It was like an ant trying to gauge the difference between an apple and an orange to be honest.

also, joshua will look at him up and down and be really jealous that he has his levitation skills outside the 13th hour. U N F A I R ]

... Don't mention it. By the way... Have we met?

wheezes

[jumyouboshi]

[Problem, Josh? There certainly wasn't as much power or authority going on with him as it would be with Saiduq, but being a step lower than someone like Saiduq didn't mean he could be considered small fry either. Nevertheless, Alcor only shakes his head. There's no way he would have forgotten someone like Joshua, or forgotten people he's interacted with in general.]

Not to my knowledge.

[...Ah. Saiduq. No wonder the teenager did a doubletake. Surely he would have noticed such a presence in the city, and judging from Joshua's reaction, he already met him. He tilts his head slightly.]

...But that is because you encountered Saiduq, not me. Is that not right?

ouo

[componere]

[ joshua nods, his posture slipping from his usual slouch to controlled elegance, his shoulders rolling back a bit. even if this alternate saiduq wasn't as high up as the one he met, some realms of authority transcended dimensions. ]

I take that you're from an alternate dimension. [ a bit like him and his own alternate, really. ] How dramatic is the difference?

eue

[jumyouboshi]

[He noticed that shift in posture. Honestly, he deemed that unnecessary, but it seemed that Joshua respected his double, in a sense. Or at least, he recognized his authority. That worked out just fine; he too recognized Saiduq's position of power. His own position of power and yet not.]

That depends on your definition of "dramatic".

[Doubles all up in here.]

But I would say the differences are notable enough that others can tell quite easily. You noticed, did you not?

[Alcor stares at him for a bit. If he can sense Joshua like this, then surely Joshua can sense the difference in power as well...and his first reaction already implied that the teenager could tell that something was off.]

UuU

[componere]

[ joshua just doesn't go around pissing off the higher-ups if he can help it. he knows how to hold his cards. ouo

Joshua just laughs a little, relaxing a touch. ]

That's flattering, really. Yes, I did notice, but it did take me a moment. [ joshua shrugs a shoulder. ] Don't misunderstand me! I do think you're talking to the right kind of person, but I'm only in charge of a small slice of one reality. I may have the right skillset, but your kind exists on another level entirely. [ no disrespect in his tone, just stating the facts... which is really weird for joshua, let me tell you. it's not often he has to deal with someone who has more power and authority than he, and joshua can warp entire city sectors out of reality. sobbing ]

[jumyouboshi]

[It's one thing to administrate a city, and it's another to administrate universes, certainly. But what did that make Alcor? He certainly didn't consider himself as high up as Saiduq or even Joshua, despite the fact he did claim he considered himself as "nearly God". "Nearly" isn't good enough, after all. He can't exactly warp things out of reality...unless attacking with overkill counted.

And even then, he was a tool of the administrator. A tool of Saiduq. A tool of...himself? Don't ask how this works. It's weird. Did he even warrant this level of respect from Joshua? (Not that he's complaining...)]

Yet such a "skillset" comes with great power and responsibility here as well.

[Which certainly meant that he would be keeping an eye on him. All the light-haired creepers creeping on each other to make sure they don't creep too much on their respective "kids"...a trainwreck in the making.]

kawaii badass option nummer drei

[princessofheart]

[hey yo u rang

Oh hello there Joshua, have one Kairi you certainly haven't noticed yet leaning on her elbows on the counter you just sauntered past. One eyebrow quirks up slightly as she watches him pass by, noting the plethora of bags he was toting around with curious interest. Just what are you up to today, Joshua "I don't like heavy lifting" Kiryuu? You do also realize you're in a flower shop, right...

Kairi'll slip from behind the register and move behind Josh, hands on her hips and a small smile crossing her expression.]

Need any help finding what you're looking for, sir~?

ay si mamasita si!!!!!!!

[componere]

[ wonk wink

he turns, intending to give her a scathing look! a gaze filled with blood and acid and ten thousand other caustic substances, guaranteed to send any shelf-monkey packing when

oh

damn it. this one knows him. he knows this one. he was tryyyying to avoid her shop, but it wasn't as though she had actually told him the name of her shop, was it? sigh.

joshua stares at her for a second, blinking, clearly frustrated and annoyed. he doesn't have a good handle on her personality yet, so he doesn't know if he's ready to deal with whatever she threw at her, and on top of that, his shoulder is killing him. ugh. ]

... Kairi, wasn't it?

[princessofheart]

[Sorry Joshua, she was already well versed in handling your type... and you specifically, on that note. She merely gives him a kind and inviting smile in return, nodding to his response. Friendship will happen here mister, and there's nooothhinnngg you can do about it.]

Precisely! And you're Joshua. Those look kind of heavy, would you like to put they down on the counter while you browse? May I help you look?

[componere]

[ joshua pauses for another stare......... she just HAD to be that helpful, didn't she? he has half a mind to turn right around and walk out the door, but then... well, it wasn't as though he couldn't handle this situation. he was perfectly capable of doing this without taking the easy way out. far be it for anyone to claim that yoshiya kiryuu was the type to run from a simple conversation. And it was a fact that he had to look everywhere for some particular items...

he sighs through his nose and slips the bag off his shoulder, plopping it on the counter. ]

Do you sell seedlings? Vegetable seedlings, particularly tomatoes and eggplant.

4

[dreamprotector]

[Usually, Riku studies in the Castle of Departure rather than in the public library - more privacy - but with the things he needs to look up for his 'student' and the history quiz that's looming over his head, some things just can't be avoided. (Why they are teaching world history when half the people in the class are from different worlds is beyond him, but well.)

Needless to say that he isn't all that thrilled being snapped out of his concentration by that guitar-case-tap, though what exactly he would have to say about that remains a mystery to all, because...

Whelp, that's definitely a familiar mob of blond hair.]

...Joshua?

[componere]

[ Joshua's got half a mind to just keep going. It is tough, being popular; the only redeeming factor about it is the constant affirmation that he is just that wonderful. Meaning if his other selves don't stop sticking their fingers into different pies, as soon as he gets out of here he is going to have to conduct a interdimensional tour just to tell his other selves to quit with the friendmaking, ok?

He huffs a long sigh and looks back at this stranger with a critical eye. Nope, no one he's ever seen or cared about. A Joshua out there liked him enough to give him the time of day, though... It couldn't hurt to at least be decent. ]

You rang?

[dreamprotector]

[...Well, Riku definitely notices that he isn't recognized... same as with Neku, same as with Shiki. He really should be used to it by now; but at least he has practice in masking the small pang of disappointment over it by now.]

I suppose, I did. You don't remember ever meeting me though, right?

[componere]

[ Joshua tilts his head, studying the stranger carefully. Interesting reaction. For some reason, this person didn't expect immediate judgment and hostility. So... Where was he from? ]

Obviously not. Meaning that you hold all the cards here, don't you? [ Joshua wheels around, putting a curled hand to his chin. That should be a familiar look, Riku... ] What can you tell me? Are you from the facility, or...?

[dreamprotector]

[Well, despite his distrust upon their initial meeting, Riku has made pretty good experiences with the Joshua he met. And well... he would have liked to thank him for the warning he had given Riku at the end of their second encounter.]

Talk about role reversal.

[Back in Traverse Town, it had been the other who had held the information advantage after all.]

I'm Riku. We met in a world trapped in sleep called Traverse Town.

[componere]

[ Instant bells going off. They met in a place other than Shibuya or the Facility? Sounds like a cut and dry case of parallel selves going on adventures without giving the rest of them a head's up. Not that that was a terrible thing (or even a usual thing - Joshuas tended to do their own thing, regardless), but it's not exactly pleasant, dealing with another Joshua's mess. (As long as this was another Joshua's mess. He's not thinking about timeline possibilities at the moment.) At least this Joshua seemed to be on top of things, as usual. ]

Hello, Riku from Traverse Town. I'm afraid I've never heard of the place, or you. A case of mistaken identity, perhaps?

[dreamprotector]

[Riku just raises eyebrow, because mistaken identity? Really?]

In my experience alternate universes, time travel, memory loss or a combination of all the above is more likely.

[A thoughtful frown crosses his face, turning into an almost rueful smile a second later.]

But then again... it can be hard to say what's real and what's lie in a dream.

[...Okay maybe he's kind of fishing here. So what.]