IC contact post for Adstringendum

[the13tharcana]

"Hello, you have reached the PCD of Ryoji Mochizuki!
It's unfortunate that I am unavailable at the time.
If you wish to contact me, just leave a message.
I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"

Comments

[leggierissimo]

They said that it would take a very long time, if it were possible at all. And that the hearts of the people...

[Joshua shakes his head, leaning in to press his forehead against Ryoji's shoulder.]

... only they could bring it back. I couldn't do a thing.

[the13tharcana]

Well... time is something you shouldn't have to worry about too much, should you?

[Perhaps Joshua wasn't immortal, but being there for over 160 years was saying something compared to a normal human lifespan. Ryoji would like to believe Josh could hold on a lot longer than that.

A hand makes its way to the back of Joshua's head as soon as he leans into him, and Ryoji buries his nose in its tip.]

It seems like you'll simply have to trust your friends on this one, then.

[leggierissimo]

[To Ryoji's first question, Joshua simply shakes his head against his shoulder, not saying a word in reply. He's rebuilt his city in the past, and not just once. He'd be capable of doing it again if need be, and he would. The problem is... he can't fix it. Not as it is now.

But, trusting other people to do something like this is difficult for him. He can trust his Reapers to do what they're supposed to do, but only because he's there above them, watching their every move and able to step in in one way or another if need be. But putting his full trust in someone else to take care of something... only Sanae has had that privilege. It's difficult for him to let go of his hold on something and let someone else take the reins.]

I suppose.

[the13tharcana]

[Ryoji knows that it's a difficult thing for Joshua to accept... Still, trying to cheer him up in any way is the only thing he can do right now. They're unable to really do anything about it for as long as they're here.]

You know, a little while back I talked with Castiel-san about fate and how The Fall was supposed to happen back in my world... He told me that the apocalypse was destined to happen in his own universe. And he also always thought it couldn't be changed, that it was all set in stone from the beginning... but they've stopped it. I didn't believe that it could be the same case with my world, even though Castiel-san tried to convince me.

But then that other me appeared here together with Minako-chan for those two weeks... and it turned out that The Fall didn't happen for that Ryoji, after all.

[That had a big impact on Ryoji's views and beliefs. It took him a while to actually accept and come to terms with all of that.]

So your world can't be off that bad. I'm sure there's also a way to save it.

[leggierissimo]

[... it... didn't? To be perfectly honest, Joshua had been more or less keeping to himself for those two weeks - understandably, considering both the fact that Sanae was there, and the whole mess with Catherine. He hadn't heard about this. ... so it meant that, in Ryoji's world, there was a way to prevent it from happening.

His world, though... Joshua still isn't too certain. He wants to be optimistic about it, because Shibuya is his life. But optimism isn't his strong suit.]

If there's a way, I'm not sure what it is.

[Suddenly he's shifting a little, not moving away from Ryoji but freeing up his hands to retrieve his PCD. He'd saved this conversation, because it had been important... So he's going to queue it up. Just to refresh his memory, to see if there were any options he couldn't remember.]

[the13tharcana]

[Ryoji couldn't believe it at first, either. But now that he knows that his world could be saved, he's pretty convinced it's also possible in just about any other universe out there as well.]

The current 'me' isn't supposed to know how to save my world, either. So I'm sure you'll learn it at some point, too, once you go back home again.

[The moment Joshua takes his PCD out, it makes Ryoji remember something back from a time when they were at the bridge, talking just like this. And just like last time, he acts on his idea, shifting to get behind Josh and snake his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder while pulling him closer. It's easier and more comfortable for them both to watch the recording like this.

And this time, Joshua most likely won't ask him what the hell he's doing.]

[leggierissimo]

Mm. It's possible. ... even my attacks wouldn't keep them at bay for long, though.

[He's not entirely sure what to do. Simply being there is threatening enough - with his attacks not being as effective, he'd have no real way of keeping himself from being consumed. It had been the reason behind fleeing, honestly.

The recording begins to play, but suddenly Ryoji is moving behind him, wrapping his arms around him, and-- ... mm. He'd done this, that one time... But this time, Joshua is simply leaning back into Ryoji. There's no argument at all. It's... comfortable. He's grown a lot more used to this sort of thing.

... unfortunately, as the recording plays, Joshua doesn't find anything he hadn't heard before. And even Riku hadn't been sure how the worlds had come back, here...]

... it's happened. It's possible. We're just not sure how.