[closed] [incomplete]

[nebensonne]

Characters: dyingames and nebensonne.
Location: Joshua's apartment.
Rating: PG, may rise. /POPS COLLAR.
Time: Backdated to the 27th, after this.
Description: Giovanni breaks into Joshua's house to go through his collection of frilly panties terrorise him. It's super effective.

Comments

[dyingames]

Joshua hadn't really even had a reason for leaving the Communal. He rarely did, really, preferring to keep mostly to himself when it came to interaction off of the communicators. He valued the amount of distance they provided, especially given his powerlessness in this world

[nebensonne]

The sound of his humming preceded him, echoed softly all the way down the corridor and grew in clarity as he approached. Giovanni's back straightened, his eyes sharp on the door, waiting, and he thought, wasn't that perfect. Wasn't his timing perfect, because they had a lot to discuss, and the sooner they could start, the better

It is difficult to tl;dr on a cellphone :|a

[dyingames]

Joshua tilted his chin upwards, raising an eyebrow, the perfect image of somebody in control, sardonic and amused. As though he weren't anything but, ever since arrival in this place. As though his instincts weren't screaming at him to get the hell out.

"Will there be anything to clean now that you've undoubtably gone through my possessions, or were you kind enough to put them back properly?"

The ex-Composer kept his eyes locked on Giovanni, refusing to drop the facade of comfort even as petulance flared somewhere in his chest. He could practically feel the taller man sizing him up, deeming him weak, easy prey. Comparing this fragile body to that of his true self.

Joshua had never taken well to being judged, being compared with anyone or anything, let alone being decided upon as the inferior. Joshua didn't like to lose, even to himself. Especially to himself

[nebensonne]

"Because life doesn't work like riddles do? ... Because the answer is never that transparent."

He watched as Joshua moved compliantly closer, followed his long trail across the room to the couch, and waited until he'd sat tentatively down. It was easy to reacquaint himself with how he looked, and remember why it was that he took an interest in him in the first place: silver hair which reminded of something else, someone else, his white skin. Not the same, though, but he looked a lot like he used to. What he remembered in his flashes of distant memory

[dyingames]

"An answer so easy to come by is hardly worth the energy it takes to do so, in most cases."

Joshua was given the distinct impression that this was how it felt to be prey - a feeling he may have had before, once, but one that had long since faded with time and power. A Composer (though forever hunted, position coveted by his own subordinates and with Reapers being so backstabbing by nature) never felt fear.

At least, not that sort of fear.

The ex-Composer stood his ground, though every inch of him was locked with the effort it took not to lean back. He wouldn't, wouldn't give Giovanni the satisfaction, not any more than he already was.

It was jarring, to be on this end of the proceedings.

"Yes."

[nebensonne]

As he thought, then. No surprises from someone who didn't easily get close to others, and that was what he'd been banking on, that was what he'd been anticipating. Giovanni didn't try to hide his satisfaction with the answer, but he didn't move away either, not just yet. At this distance, it wasn't hard to feel the tension in Joshua's body, not too far from him, and he could look defiant, and he was pretty defiant, to his credit, but.

"You were."

Giovanni knew he wouldn't defy this. Even if every inch of bone and muscle and gristle and flesh told him that he needed to. What would he do?

He rememberED what Kurapika told him easily. That a Meister is powerless without a Weapon, and that was what made a Weapon valuable to them, and that's what made Joshua feel so non-threatening, so convenient, even having tasted some small extent of his unleashed power. He was a Meister, wasn't he? So without his power, he was at a severe disadvantage

[dyingames]

It was all Joshua could do not to bristle, and the look of displeasure that flitted across his features was all but unavoidable.

"Compromised." He repeated, tonelessly, not even bothering to ask for an explanation. He knew that Giovanni would withhold the answers even if they weren't important at all, just to exert that little bit more power over him.

As if this wasn't bad enough.

Briefly Joshua wondered which project this was really about -- the cards, or Joshua himself?

But he shook the thought off, instead finally breaking eye contact with his assailant. Future roommate.

"Why here?" He regretted the question immediately, biting his lip.