Did you miss me? [OPEN!]

[fallingjunkyard]

Characters: Joshua and people of the Winding Way!
Content: After travelling from Bellcius to Garretstown, Joshua finally arrives in Berum, just in time to spend Lunasa with his favouritest theater ship crew.
Setting: EVERYWHERE EVER on the Winding Way
Time: Morning of Lunasa
Warnings: Joshua, people beating the crap out of Joshua, moebombs, angst and

Comments

[eighthmelody]

It was a regular, busy day for Ness. Thank goodness. He had spent the previous day doing some furious Lunasa shopping, fighting with other late shoppers to get gifts. He walked away with arms full of gifts. And an empty wallet.

Rushing to get items before other customers did was easy when you could grab it before them via telekinesis.

He was spending his day alternating between shifts at the infirmary and delivering presents without a moment's rest in between.

So busy, in fact, that he breezed right by Joshua, not noticing the other boy.

Later, he would blame this oversight on the fact that he worked the previous day's night shift and that skipped his usual nap.

[fallingjunkyard]

Joshua nearly sighed in exasperation when Ness simply shot past him without a word of greeting. What was he going to do with this boy?

"Ness!" he called, but didn't shout.

[eighthmelody]

The call was enough to make Ness slow down. Someone wanted his attention? Well, that was common too. He was one of the doctors on this ship. Plus people were seeking him out for Lunasa gifts.

So when he turned to look at who needed him, he nearly dropped the gift he was holding, (a box of chocolate dipped strawberries for Ryuzaki) and just stared for a second before responding.

"...h-hi, Joshua," he replied.

[fallingjunkyard]

Joshua grins and tilts his head to the side when Ness turns, pleased by the obvious shock in Ness' face. At least some things didn't change. He'd hate to become predictable.

Leaning his luggage against the hallway and placing his bag on top of it, he strolls up to Ness and leans in close. "Happy Lunasa," he whispers with a wide smile.

And he draws back and turns away.

[eighthmelody]

He almost didn't believe that Joshua had come back and that he was just seeing things. But when Joshua leaned in, Ness knew it was true.

Joshua had come back, just like Ness knew he would.

And he's tempted to just let Joshua do whatever it was he was planning to do when suddenly, he remembers something.

"I...I have something for you," he says, shyly hugging the box close to his chest. "...I'll be right back."

And just like that, he zips down the hall again, in the opposite direction of Ryuzaki's room.

[fallingjunkyard]

Joshua sighed again when he watched Ness dash off through the hall, before leaning against the wall. Ness was always keeping him waiting. Though now he was curious to see what he was waiting for now.

He's tempted to disappear into his cabin so he doesn't need to drag all this luggage around, but he waits.

Yes, Levi does indeed own this thing in real life

[eighthmelody]

Ness went as fast as he could. Fortunately, his own room wasn't that far away. Once he made it back to his room, he put his gift for Ryuzaki down and looked for what he had gotten Joshua. It kind of stood out among the other things he bought, so it was easy to find. Fobbie mewed when he entered, purring and rubbing herself against his legs, and although he was in a hurry, Ness stops and leans down to pet her for a second before returning to Joshua.

"You're hard to shop for," he said with a small frown. "So I don't know if you'll like it or not, but, Happy Lunasa," he smiled, holding out his present.

[fallingjunkyard]

"Am I really?" Joshua says with a smile. He raises an eyebrow when he sees what his present is, tilting his head slightly to the side. Cute. A child's plush. Less entertaining than, say, a yoyo, but still cute.

He takes the toy regardless, holding it with both hands under the plushie's arms. "An otter?" Why an otter?

[eighthmelody]

Why an otter? There was no real specific reason why he chose an otter. Well, actually, there was one, but Ness didn't think it qualified as a "real" reason why he chose it.

"...I just thought it was cute," he admitted.

[fallingjunkyard]

Joshua laughs at this, a genuine laugh, though he's not quite sure why, and hooks the otter plushie under one arm. Grinning as he turns away to unzip his sling bag, he says over his shoulder, "I hope you weren't pining while I was gone."

[eighthmelody]

"I was not," Ness insists. And indeed, it was true. He didn't even have the time to do any pining, even if he wanted to. He had been so busy lately - the usual infirmary work, preparations for the play, looting duty, teaching Rhyme, shopping...

Most of his spare time was spent sleeping or playing with Fobbie.

"I did miss you though," he added.

[fallingjunkyard]

"Of course," Joshua agrees blandly, placing the plush in his bag so its head and front paws stuck out between the zip. Rummaging around his bag, he pulled out something and turned around, hiding it between his hands.

"I was planning to spend Lunasa in Melior, actually."

[eighthmelody]

"Do you have family there?" Ness asked. Melior was where he was from, and this was actually his first Lunasa away from them. It felt kind of strange and different to be away from them. But at the same time, Lunasa on the Winding Way was turning out to be pretty fun. "Melior's where I'm from."

[fallingjunkyard]

"A coincidence? I also have a friend there. He's the reason why I'm here instead."

Moving towards Ness, he leans forward to take one of Ness' hands and places a smooth, round object in it. Ness' yoyo. "It was tempting to say I'd lost it, you know," he murmurs, grinning.

[eighthmelody]

Ness somehow seems pleased with this new information. It felt like he had something else in common with Joshua now. But the happiness is quickly pushed aside for the return of his childhood treasure. It instantly feels familiar, and the memories associated with flood his mind. Ness almost lets out a content sigh upon getting it back. Almost.

"Thank you for taking care of it," he says before looking at Joshua's luggage. "...do you need help?"

[fallingjunkyard]

Joshua waves a hand in the direction of his luggage. "Feel free to."

He makes no move to carry any of it himself, though. He'd been lugging it around airships for the past few days, and while it was fairly light all things considered (no camera this time, unfortunately), it did get tiring after a while.

"There might be a few more scratches on it, though."