sozettaslow

Title: Conductors
Series: The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen-fic
Rating: PG
Summary: Joshua reflects on Conductors, old and new

x-posted to

subarashiki_ds and

thewewyfanfic

Joshua’s first Conductor was rather unusual.

He was a quiet man, a samurai from the late Bakumatsu who had lived a long life that ended from disease in the Meiji era. He might have been elderly in the RG, but in the UG he was full of optimism and... life. He also had hope for Shibuya, since it was so new and small. Though normally passive and unattached to the growing city, he would look out on it and smiling, making some comment about the potential it had and what it could grow to be.

He was killed after thirty years of being the Conductor, and with no regrets.

The young man who killed him believe that he was becoming too old, too senile, and too out of touch with what the world was going through today. He became the second Conductor, but was killed within the week. No one agreed with him about the old Conductor.

Conductor number 3 was a man born in the middle of World War 1, and he understood that little things could cause a big impact. He had seen Japan enter the war as a small part, and emerge as a major actor in politics by the end. Though not quite as optimistic as some, he knew Shibuya would grow and prosper and that the effects of the Game on the RG would be positive, if the Game was run the right way. Even so, he knew that there were negative thoughts and feeling lurking in everyone and that those thoughts could spell disaster...

A young woman followed after his twenty-five years, and she had the second shortest reign of Conductor. It was mostly because she annoyed her Composer. She was charming, sweet, outgoing, and a real people person. The jump in morale was excellent, but the dip in productivity was displeasing. Number 4 only lasted ten years.

Megumi Kitaniji. That Conductor was still very fresh in his mind. After all, the man had died barely a week ago now. A strong will, a strong spirit. So impassioned with his city that he put his life on the line in order to save it. Their game had gotten the Composer to change his mind, but it wasn’t because of the Conductor. He too had lost sight of what Shibuya really was.

Joshua now surveyed his city, thinking about the past. Five Conductors, the last one sticking around for over thirty years. His Producer stood next to him, watching as four people met up at the statue of Hachiko. “You know... this mess is going to have reprocussions upstairs. But hey, at least everything’s back to normal, right?” he said with a smile, seeing the joy of the friendship below. Joshua didn’t reply, watching his now ex-proxy smile and laugh. Neku would barely look even remotely content before.

Sanae looked up at him. “What?” He gave a chuckle. “You seem down.” Again, the Compose gave no reply. “Hey, it’s their world. They get to decide what to do with it.”

‘Oh do they?’ Joshua thought, ignoring the man as he faded into another plane.

He supposed he could wait a little while to inform his next Conductor of his new job.