(Untitled)

[notating]

Characters: Joshua and well, anyone
Location: one of the big apartment roofs
Time: Evening
Style: Either!
Status: Open like a 7/11

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[mrhanekoma]

It took Sanae a while to find Joshua. Well, not too long, he was busy painting in his studio, just ... trying to put the feeling of being human into something tangible, physical, just... just there so he could stare at it and process it and recollect whenever he needed to. When he couldn't take it anymore, he decided to take a walk, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and just ... walking throughout Vatheon. He heard chatter about the new casino and oh did you see that foreigner the other day? I wonder where she got her clothes! amongst other things. He had a feeling he knew where Joshua was. An idea really, so he decided to find the building that seemed most like Joshua and head to the rooftop. The Composer had a habit of disappearing to places like that.

So when he pushes open the door and steps out onto the rooftop, seeing Joshua lying on the cement, he smiled. Flicking his cigarette butt away from him, he slipped his hands into his pockets and walked over, looming over Joshua when he got closer. He just stared down at the kid, before a cloud of smoke left his nostrils as he let out what was left of the cigarette. He inhaled a breath of fresh air and looked ahead of him again, admiring the city, and still said nothing.

[notating]

"That's a disgusting habit." Joshua said without opening his eyes, lips curled into a humorless smirk. He may not be able to sense anything but Sanae had been a part of his daily routine for longer than most people stayed alive. Some recognitions were learned.

When he did open his eyes he lifted his phone, catching a picture of Mr. H and humming lightly to himself as he saved it. "You know, in Ancient Rome they would have someone stand behind a triumphant general parading through the streets. They were treated like gods, those victors, but that one person behind the general's job was only to whisper a phrase into his ear. 'Memento mori.'" He clicked his phone shut. "Remember death. Remember you are mortal and will die just as simply and inevitably as every worshiping face you see around you."

[mrhanekoma]

Sanae just smiled at the comment, eyes watching as a school of fish swam overhead. He glanced down when he saw the flash of orange that was Joshua's phone and his smile stayed for the picture, before his eyes went back to watching the city. He still kept quiet, knowing exactly why Joshua would bring that up yet... wondering which one of them was the general and which one of them was the whisperer. Really though, it was most likely that the roles were picked when the situation arose.

"Feelin' particularly morbid today, Josh?" He asked, looking down at him and raising an eyebrow. "Or just cryptic?" He let out a hum in thought, expression turning back towards the sky. "You're feeling it I presume, the humanity?" He idly rocked back and forth on his feet, considering this feeling. It had been very long since he felt it -- Joshua might remember it more. Still, this... this city just brought him question after question with no answers whatsoever. He paused his rocking to frown. "Curious, isn't it?"

[notating]

"I was going for insightful." Joshua answered, bemused as he pocketed his phone. "But if you prefer cryptic I can throw in some quotations of Pindar's odes and a few distant looks."

He settled back again, watching the same school of fish swim by before answering. "You're calm." He glanced over. "How long has it been for you? A century? Two?"

[mrhanekoma]

Sanae laughed at that, a soft one before he moved to sit next to Joshua. He rested his arm on his knees and continued staring outwards. "I painted," and that's his reply to the question before he flops back onto his back and rests an arm under his head to pillow it, just watching and listening.

He was quiet today, in a reflective mood if anything. He hadn't done much this week, just staying in his studio and painting or drawing or sculpting or destroying. Even if Joshua was staying quiet too, Sanae wouldn't have noticed.

[notating]

Joshua noticed the quiet, not as thick as the deafening silence of the city this week but close. It reminded him of a conversation he had with Neku when he first arrived, about silence and loneliness and how they were so often the same.

Amiable silence, perhaps. In the end it really all sounded the same.

"I don't like it." He said after what could have been a few minutes or much longer, he couldn't bring himself to keep track of the time.

[mrhanekoma]

"'Course you don't," He laughs, a short bark of a laugh, before continuing. "You're one of the most bratty kids I know, take away your toys and you're just going to throw a tantrum." He wouldn't say anything about his own "tantrum" he threw earlier that week. To himself really, in his make-shift home. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but he still needed to fix that easel he broke. He pauses, before turning his head to Joshua and raising an eyebrow.

"Unless you're talking about the silence."

[notating]

Sanae really deserved a scathing look for that, or at least a snide comment. "A tantrum isn't half as effective if you can't send a car flying across the street." Joshua answered with a slight huff, waving a hand. Out of the childish things to do when the curse hit he had settled for running, hiding if he was being honest which he really didn't feel like at the moment.

His vaguely mocking tone silenced at the next remark, a frown crossing his features lightly. "You know very well I never liked silence." He didn't bother sparing a glance over. "It's beginning to get grating." He brushed at his bangs out of habit. "Really, something should be done about it."

[mrhanekoma]

"But you've never been one to do something that extravagant," He says, turning his head back up to the sky. "Destroy a few of my paintings, that's more like you." He chuckles and drums his fingers over his stomach, idly thinking of a tune he might want to get down or a painting he might want to do.

"We could always make some noise, I suppose," He replied, wondering how exactly they might accomplish that.

[notating]

"Having my fun with you and Neku only goes so far." Joshua answered in a bored tone. His expression shifted slightly at Sanae's suggestion, like it was one he had been waiting for, and it's arrival brought a small smile to his lips.

"My, what a bad influence you are Mr. H." He said in bemusement. "But you can't deny it is a good idea." And that was that. A plot was in the making.

[mrhanekoma]

Sanae chuckled, seeing the change of expression out of the corner of his eye. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at Joshua. "Well, you know I aim to please." He grinned and sat up a bit, pulling the sunglasses off and running a hand through his hair. "I know you're already planning something."