[gantzxjoel]

TAEWOO:​

His eyes shifted frantically trying to focus on something. Everything was shaking vibrating trembling it was hard for him to focus. All the noise didn’t help either; the announcement and the rustling of the dust, it was overloading his senses. Taewoo tensed up feeling something grab him clenching his fist tightly and for a moment his wrist pod lit up making a buzzing sound before dimming once he saw it was Joel. Despite all the chaos Joel was calm and that made  him calm.

“Yeah I told them to follow these stairs. How can you be fine and have your shitted rock?” He asked knowing 1 of those had to be a lie. “Won’t the bully be in our class anyways?”

Looking at the back of Joel’s head he could tell a hair wash was in order but also why could he see that he was 8 inches more or less from his head. That was weird.. .  but this wasn’t the 1st time he was seeing numbers. Taewoo wasn’t even sure what they meant. maybe honey could explain it.

He moved in front of Joel turning to look at them. Taewoo raised his hand palm facing Joel, “How many fingers do you see?” he asked then lowered 2 of them, “ What about now?”

He had to be sure the other was ok before they sit for hours. Well maybe not, the man in front of him he could barely keep his focus. However the second Joel started saying he was sleepy, he was taking him to the nurse. Taewoo hated that they were about to enter class looking a mess. They were already late but also looking disheveled was a double whammy.  Seeing a nearby water fountain he used the water to wash his face and freshen up. He even looked in his bag for a comb or something but no luck.

"i mean, i wouldn't go and like, catch some z's or anything, but i should be alright. part of the suit broke though. i can't see it, but i heard it." he gestures kind of vaguely towards the broken pod at the base of his skull. "if that bully's in our class we've got bigger fish to fry though, he's gonna be pissed at us."

smiling fondly as taewoo frets over him - they're gonna be late to class if he keeps this up, not that it bothers joel any, but he knows it'll bother taewoo - joel humours him, answering him honestly. as the other moves away, joel realises that he doesn't have his bag: he'd tossed it on the ground before engaging with the bully, and hadn't picked it back up in the chaos. well, hope nobody jacks it before he can go pick it up, then. "you look fine, you know." he's got dust in his hair. it's charming, joel's not going to let him know about it. "honey's probably freaking since we're missing, especially after whatever it was that exploded."

heading into the classroom, he's not terribly surprised to see that the two seats next to siheon are left empty for him and taewoo, guiding the man over and grinning at siheon as he takes his seat.

"what the hell did you do?" siheon hisses, shooting joel a dirty look. "i thought you guys died! it felt like a fucking earthquake, and taewoo looks like he's seen a ghost."

"it wasn't me!" joel insists, scoffing. "i fucked some shit up, but not that bad." he sticks his tongue out at siheon, which the other rolls his eyes at, but promptly reciprocates. "how you holding up, baby?" the last sentence is directed at taewoo, acutely aware of how frazzled the man had been in the hall. "we can switch spots if you need to be away from everyone else." his seat's in the very back corner, after all, which might do taewoo some good.

"don't patronize him, ew." siheon wrinkles his nose. "blink twice if he's threatened you, taewoo."

joel laughs, leaning back in his chair and kicking his legs up onto the desk. he tips his head back, humming slightly at the pain in the stretch. seems like the broken part of the suit means the area nearby won't heal, at least not right away. "hey, if i like, fall asleep or whatever, just wake me up every so often, yeah? no special reason."

[gantzxjoel]

T​AEWOO:

Joel’s bravery was attractive, to be it placed in courage or stupidity was another story. It did remind him of Kwangmin and why Taewoo had such admiration for him. He was almost sure Joel wouldn’t like such a comparison. One of the other players tried to defend their friend, but it was going to take more than bookbag to get the job done. Taewoo froze for a second, seeing Joel get right to work pulling the bully down, who was then thrashing about. Physical touch wasn’t their thing. The flash of Joel’s suit was giving him a sensory overload, Taewoo was aware the situation was getting intense, yet it was like he was observing it from a top-down view. His eyes scanned to the players huddled in the corner, then back at Joel.

it felt like he was moving in slow motion as he pulled out his gun with one hand and aimed. Was this really the right choice? What if he hit Joel? This wasn’t good student behavior. Taewoo’s hand became to tremble, and he used his other hand to steady the weapon. He removed his feelings, justifying him shooting as protection, however just as he applied pressure to the trigger. The whole building shook causing Taewoo to lose his footing, he quickly pointed the gun up with the blast hitting the ceiling. A tile fell on the ground, shattering into pieces as a cloud of dust engulfed the hallway. Any other player that was in the area scrambled away. THE FINAL BELL HAS RUNG. GET TO CLASS NOW! That announcement snapped him out his daze. Taewoo couldn’t see that well but sense where everyone was. Finding the 2 still huddled in the corner, he bent down to them. “Get to class, we’ll deal with this.” he spoke to them pointing to a set of stairs that he could somehow briefly see through the dust. Taewoo then put his gun back on the hilt, moving his hands on the ground to feel for Joel. “Where are you? We got to go… Joel? Are you there?” Taewoo tried to not sound panic was it was settling in. 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE FINAL BELL “JOEL!?” he shouted

joel can tell even from here that taewoo is starting to freak about it, getting too into his own head. “don’t make me beg, baby, please.” he can’t hold the bully forever - even with the suit’s advantages he’s starting to feel the heat. sure, he could check out, go into the same headspace he disappeared to sometimes, where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter, but from the looks of it, taewoo’s gonna need someone to hold his hand about this, so he can’t.

damn him for being a halfway decent person sometimes.

the distraction of the building shaking combined with the tile collapsing down on them makes joel lose his grip on the bully, trying to wrestle them back to the ground as they start to get away. for his troubles, they grab his head, smacking it against the ground a few times and momentarily dazing him. he can’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears, only dimly able to hear the first announcement, shutting his eyes tightly as his vision swims and letting the bully disappear in the chaos.

the two teens, obviously terrified, merely nod as taewoo directs them towards the stairs. one of them, slightly older, or at least, slightly older looking, asks, “is he gonna be okay?” looking pointedly towards where joel had disappeared in the dust. he doesn’t stick around to find out, however, as his friend begins pulling him away, the two disappearing up the staircase and towards the first year classrooms.

fuck, that hurts. god damn. pushing himself to his feet, joel pulls a wince, rubbing the back of his head. hopefully it’s sticky from whatever goo was in those pods, not blood or anything like that. that’d be a bitch to try to wash out of his hair without a proper shower. at least he didn’t pass out, at least... he’s pretty sure he didn’t pass out, seeing as it doesn’t seem like all that much time has passed since he’d gotten his brain scrambled like a damn egg. he reaches out - with the not-sticky hand, just in case - and, after fumbling around in the dust for a moment, grabs the back of taewoo’s shirt, and then his arm, tugging him to his feet as well.

“hey- don’t freak. it’s just me.” he’s not sure when the dust is gonna settle, but they don’t exactly have time to wait around, heading back towards where he remembers there being a staircase, pulling taewoo by the arm behind him. they’ll have time for taewoo’s panic attack once they get to class. “i’m fine. the bully got away, but not before rocking my shit. did the kids get out okay?”

[riversonfire]

230501 831x10 IG update

[gantzxjoel]

T​AEWOO:

It appeared to be a common thought that everyone would have more of them alive than dead. There was strength is numbers and in a setting like this all the help was needed. Joel had a point; they seemed to be left on their own. Everyone just followed the schedule. Well, he and Siheon did break into the admin building and get the tablets. That item seemed to be a find and not something provided. Didn’t Siheon seem kind of tense when Kwangmin asked about it? If he went back and got him one, then they could talk. Taewoo liked that idea.

Whatever fantasy was starting ended when Joel called his attention to what was going on down the hall. He seemed rather amused by all of it. “Sometimes you have to learn to have courage,” he said from a place of understanding. though the other was teasing his values. Was it not good student behavior to stop bullying? Looking at them from behind it was unsettling how they were all black yet someone their uniform could still be seen. It was black as well unlike the green and khaki they were wearing (over their suits). 

Yes, it was none of their business, and the bully could turn them on, but Joel seemed more like a fighter, and Taewoo could hold his own. Plus, there was no adult around besides them, so in a way, as hyungs or oppas, they had to protect the younger players. Before either of them could act, another player hit the bully with their bag. not the best idea, but at least they were proactive.

“that’s the spirit.” joel pats taewoo’s shoulder, grinning at him. "and hey, if you get scared, just get behind me. i told honey i wouldn't let anything happen to you." he'd told siheon he wouldn't happen to taewoo, but hey, semantics. winking at the other as he catches his eye, joel hums to himself, heading down the hall towards the bully casually, trusting taewoo will follow.

“get... off... him!” the player hitting the bully with the backpack can be heard saying between hits, now that they’re close enough to hear. “we didn’t do anything to you!”

watching the scene for a moment, joel merely stands behind the bully, hands tucked into his pockets, as though figuring out what his next move should be. now that they’re closer, he can see more clearly that the player cornered by the bully is of a similar age, both of them much younger than joel himself. just kids, and they’re in a place like gantz. kinda fucked up, if you asked him, but isn't the world a fucked up place?

"you shouldn't hit him on the back, if you want to be effective." this makes the player pause, looking towards joel and taewoo.

"he's hurting him! i need to do something!"

"that weak little bag isn't going to do anything, especially not with your noodle arms." if the bully can hear them, he doesn't acknowledge them, distracted by the player in the corner, who is making pained whimpering noises, joel realises. joel glances to taewoo briefly, as if seeking permission, before shouldering off his backpack, letting it drop to the ground. "try this."

jumping up easily onto the back of the bully, joel pulls backwards, separating the bully from the trapped player, who quickly scurries away, grabbing onto his friend and moving out of arms reach. momentum drags them both backwards, joel making a pained noise as he hits the ground, pinned between the bully and the hallway floor, lighting up like some fucked up christmas tree for a moment as the suit absorbs the worst of the impact.

the two young players both gasp, clinging to each other. "bag, gimme-" joel reaches out towards the group, indicating they should toss him his bag, or at least, one of the weapons inside of it. he's not going to fuck around: he's going to shoot this delightful-children-from-down-the-lane motherfucker right in his hot - literally, joel can feel heat radiating from the bully, his suit absorbing it, thankfully, though there’s liquid from one of the capsules pooling behind his head and getting in his hair where it had shattered upon impact, having hit the ground just right, or something - ass face. 

he can’t let go of the bully for long, however, as they’re obviously not thrilled about having been knocked over, fighting against joel to get up and forcing him to grab onto them with both arms around their neck again, trying to keep the bully down. “do not shoot me with that thing, if you can’t get it without possibly getting me, do not fucking shoot, i swear to god.” it’s not a normal gun, he knows from having shot it in one of the hallways earlier in the day, and he doesn’t want to think about how it might feel to take one of those blasts to the face.

[gantzxjoel]

TAEWOO:​

“It’s just how things are, teachers are our seniors/elders so asking questions is questioning their intelligence, which is disrespectful.” They are the experts sharing their knowledge, we should be grateful for that,“ he explained.   Joel’s reaction was cute, as it showed a less bravado side of him. However, it quickly went away, hinting that it was part of him he didn’t like or at least didn’t want others to see. Taewoo could understand, as he wasn’t the most masculine, so already he was looked down upon. Anything that was a "weakness” didn’t help his cause; however, his upbringing with traditional values and gentlemanly manners kept harsh criticism about his manhood away. He knew how he felt most of the time, but when he had conflicting emotions, that’s when he froze, unsure of which 1 was right.     “Well, isn’t this a game? So maybe he’s playing to get something.” he reasoned. Hearing what Joel said caused him to furrow his brow. He didn’t recall anything. Well, he was walking back from the library, and it was dark out. Like eerie darkness, but besides that, it was a blur. How the other could remember and he couldn’t was concerning. “I can’t be dead,” he murmured, then pressed his lips together, hoping Joel didn’t hear his denial. This whole experience felt real, but it also didn't—more like a fever dream.     “From what I know, a few people died on that mission. I don’t think the rules were clear, and Gantz seemed annoyed about that.” He paused for a moment and continued, “They did say something about common sense, but a lot of information is vague or missing.” Taewoo glanced at some of the other participants. This really felt like high school with how everyone was acting. He was starting to doubt whether there was any real danger at all.

they didn’t have time to unpack all of that, so joel simply shakes his head. “guess it’ll be easier than i thought to get sent to detention.” how he was going to accomplish that with no teachers or anything around... that’s a problem for future joel. he could probably just skip his other classes and go there directly if causing problems in the first class didn't work out for him, at least, since it wasn’t really all that deep.

"yeah, you're probably right. hope he doesn't get himself killed, we kinda need all the help we can get." his desire to fuck siheon aside, the usefulness of players outside himself, taewoo, and siheon had remained to be seen. even kwangmin, that he'd heard so much about, had done fuck all so far this mission, at least nothing where joel could see him.

tipping his head curiously, joel decides against prodding taewoo further about his death. must've been an accident, if he didn't know he'd died. he knows from talking to siheon that he’s not the only one who is aware of their demise. even if neither of them had elaborated, siheon had indicated he was not only aware of but traumatised by the circumstances of his death. maybe taewoo would figure it out after the mission ended. would there be bodies? would he arrive back at his apartment to find himself in the bathtub, blood everywhere, the very beginning of decay setting in?

pushing his hands into his pockets casually as they head towards the classrooms, joel shrugs. "none of this makes any sense, yeah. i guess maybe we have to act on our own? rather than waiting for the mission to happen to us." he makes a thoughtful noise, glancing down a hallway as they pass, before stopping in his tracks. "that's one of the bullies, yeah?" he nods down the hallway, where an imposing form stands with its back to them, evidently having cornered some poor soul. "y'know, they're not really all that great at bullying. but i guess it's korean standards, huh."

it's funny to watch, at least, as a player - a kid, really, since there's no way the player can be more than 17 or 18, tops - comes up, evidently trying to save the cornered player, hitting the bully with their bag in some futile attempt to attract the bully's attention away. "hm... do you feel like a hero, taewoo? or are you afraid of being late to class?"

[gantzxjoel]

NATA:

It’s possible that Gantz may have listed what was standard in everyone’s bag and not the special item.“ He paused for a moment and said, "I do study math, but not like this.” Joel’s gesture didn’t go unnoticed, but Taewoo wasn’t sure how to respond to it. There was no malice behind it, but being touched was a sensitive point for him. Maybe it was a bring from the States thing. Taewoo has never been His family was more on the well-off side, but they didn’t have money to send him overseas to America for school. How would he do anyway? He was smart, but there were others who were smarter than him, and they had the social and cultural advantages of the western world that he lacked. “ A general guideline is anything that ruins harmony. So like asking the teacher questions, loud noises, dyed hair… improper…” He looks at Joel as he throws everything away, noticing how his uniform is thrown together. Detention might be his goal, but he can go with some respect. Taewoo moves carefully, fixing the other’s uniform. “There, now you’re class ready, maybe even president.” He was trying to make a joke. “I think the first block is math, social studies, and art?”   “Isn’t the other guy a 4th year? Maybe he left early to get to class on” Taewoo reasoned, “I think the guy Siheon is currently talking is a 4th year as well. You weren’t here for the 1st mission were you? I was told about it and it seems it was stressful from the start. So bad that ‘Captain Korea’ shut down in the downtime before this one.” He was trying to gauge what Joel did and didn’t know about Gantz. It was the also the 1st time he mentioned Kwangmin, not by name but just recalling what he saw. It was startling to see him in such a state despite their last passnig encounter being almost 10 years ago. Taewoo remembered the strong aura Kwangmin gave off, it wasn’t out of cockiness but of noble bravery. He heard that he could be matter of fact, but that was the nature of the military. 

"asking the teacher questions? what kinda dystopian society you guys been living in over here? i mean..." he trails off as taewoo approaches, watching the other’s hands as he fusses with joel’s nametag, his collar. shit joel himself hadn’t even noticed or cared about. “ah...” laughing awkwardly, he turns away, avoiding taewoo’s eyes for a moment. “thanks, yeah.”

the feeling only lasts for a minute before mellowing back into nothingness, which... sounds about right, yeah. he gets like this, sometimes, an impenetrable wall of sorts, so it’s not really bothersome. in fact, it’s honestly kind of handy, sometimes? 

“i’ve got no clue, honestly.” he only knows as much about kwangmin as siheon had told him, after all. “i just know siheon told me that guy,” he nods his head towards the table, “tried to kill him and captain korea both. so like, kinda weird that siheon’s all buddy-buddy with him now.” how funny that everyone knows the name siheon had given kwangmin. he has to wonder if kwangmin himself knows about it yet. “i wasn’t here, nah. if you show up exactly when you die, then i died like an hour before this mission started.”

as they enter the hallway, a bunch of other players are milling about, some chatting about this or that. weird how everyone just... fell into this whole school roleplay they’re being forced to do so easily. do they not recognise a false sense of security when they see one? “i think most of us missed the first mission, though? so hopefully if there’s anything crucial that happened there siheon already told us.”

[gantzxjoel]

NATA:​

Joel could’ve been joking but his reaction said otherwise. Even though it was a regular juice, the thought behind it weighed heavy. Taewoo felt… sad knowing how real the other’s words were. Society at times treated men as if they never wanted gifts, compliments, or received an act of kindness. While some did operate in alpha, I don’t need anyone or any help, it wasn’t a good mindset. Taewoo himself used to be like that and his grades suffered. When his studies got more complex, he couldn’t on his own knowledge and had to ask for help. Though it felt like an admission of failure, it was an opportunity for him to learn. Seeing the fidget spinner, he shook his head no, “Well maybe.. .. I never really looked in my bag. We just had free time and school spirit.” Taewoo had seen the origami since returning and quietly slipped it in his bag as he looked to see exactly what was inside. He was getting a sensory overload. Every time he looked at something for longer than a few seconds he could see some numbers above it. The tight space jumbled everything, making it hard for him to focus. Taewoo closed his eyes tightly to clear it all away, then looked again with fresh eyes. Besides the tablet from the admin building there was nothing special except…“a coding book?” he muttered as he showed Joel, “guess you only got something fun. We should probably head to class, breakfast is almost over.” spoke out loud the book back inside. “You may not be serious about school but at least complete of the assignments. a 10 is still better than a 0.”

“i wonder if everyone got something, or if we’re just special.” he ducks his head, trying to read the title of the book as taewoo waves it around. “are you like, into coding, or is this just like some random shit gantz thought would keep you entertained?”

taewoo seems to be... joel’s not sure. panicking, maybe? but he seems too calm, breathing too normal for a panic attack. maybe just having a moment, then. he watches him for a minute, assessing, before deciding against commenting, instead patting the other’s back as reassuringly as he’s capable of, before squeezing the back of taewoo’s neck, cajoling him to chin up, buttercup.

“hey! i completed one of them during school spirit, don’t be mean.” joel pouts, overdramatic and obviously not actually hurt. “besides, it’s in my plans for the day to go and check out detention, so maybe not doing my assignments will do me some good.” he stands from the table either way, slinging his bag back over one shoulder. “i went to school in america, i’ve got no idea what sort of shit gets you sent to detention in korea. i imagine you don’t, either, seeing as you’ve probably never been.”

without waiting for taewoo to stand, joel leans over, moving all the trash from taewoo’s tray onto his own, stacking the two so he can easily throw it away. as he passes by the other tables, he spots a familiar little pink thing sitting at one of them, raising an eyebrow at siheon talking to the man he’d directly told joel to avoid before the mission had started.

“what’s that about, do you think?” he asks taewoo, nodding in siheon’s direction. “didn’t he leave with that other guy?” shaking his head, joel throws away the trash, setting the trays on the rack with the others. “whatever. anyway, what even is the first class? i didn’t read the schedule.”

[gantzxjoel]

NATA:​

He was CLEARLY joking, Taewoo could tell he was the class clown or at least the unserious type. Just by his behavior so far, it was immature and high level. However in a twisted way kind of charming in that he was his own person for better or worse. His eyes glanced down at the napkin Joel busied himself with. Did he ever sit still!? “Maybe that’s part the game, school isn’t a good experience for everyone,” he replied after eating a bit, “This isn’t fun, but normal for me. Yes top of my class, I’m a PhD student. School is something I know, but it can be boring at times.”  Taewoo was sure Joel wouldn’t try any of his antics on him like Siheon because well, he didn’t allow such silliness. Based on the information at the start of the mission, the 3 of them were in the same class so there was a slight worry how the other would function in the classroom. Maybe his wild behavior was part of an act and he was smart but downplayed it. He let silence fill the void of words as he ate. This was his first meal since coming here … . “I’ll be back.” Taewoo got up from the table then went back to the line. He didn’t know why he expected someone to be there, guess he was using memory imagine other people were there. Most of the food was gone and he was not one have pick overs. Taewoo looked in the cooler and saw some juice boxes at the bottom. People were too lazy to reach in and get them but not him. Fixing his gaze on the box, his hand seemed to move in slow motion towards it and right before he grabbed it “1 centimeter” Taewoo suddenly shot up his eyes darting left and right. Did anyone hear that? More so WHY did he say that. Rather than think more about it he grabbed 2 more boxes then went back to the table, “Here,” he spoke holding one out for Joel, “it’s for later.” Even if he was a bit animated, he wasn’t mean just different (and maybe a bit too loud). 

joel hums in understanding, focused on the origami. after a minute or so, a little swan emerges from the napkin, slid absently towards taewoo for his perusal. “figures you’d be the smarty-pants type.” he doesn’t elaborate, instead resting his elbow on the table, leaning on it. “does that mean you’re gonna take this whole school thing serious? because i don’t intend to. not that you needed me telling you so, you’ve got eyes.”

he needs something to fuck around with while taewoo leaves him to his own devices, rummaging through his school bag for the first time to see what is even in there, only to burst into laughter as he pulls out a fidget toy. so the boba ball has a sense of humour. joel can vibe with that.

“oh, sick!” accepting the juice box as taewoo offers it to him, joel grins up at the other, eyes sparkling. “dude! this is the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in ages.” it’s hard to tell whether or not he’s being sarcastic, putting the juice box into his bag and showing taewoo the fidget toy he’d acquired. “did you get one of these too? it was in my bag.”

[gantzxjoel]

TAEWOO:

2 Peas No Pod

“yeah, yeah.” joel waves siheon off as the other rises from the table, gathering the tablet and putting it back in his bag. he hadn’t been eating, or anything, so it was relatively easy to abandon the other two at the table, not missing joel sliding into his abandoned seat to sit beside taewoo instead as soon as he does. poor guy. “have fun with your boyfr-ow!” joel pouts, rubbing the back of his head, where siheon had smacked him. “you should talk to someone about your anger issues, you know that, honey?”

There was an uneasy feeling when Siheon left, out of everyone they were the one who Taewoo had talked to the most. While they weren’t exactly friends he did see the potential. Kwangmin was also an option but so far he hadn’t voiced any recollection of seeing him before… and to be honest it might never happen. Joe? Joel was someone he had seen but hadn’t had any direct contact with. His comment about Siheoon going off with his “boyfriend” was alarming but somehow made sense. Though if Taewoo had to guess who was dating it was Siheon and Joel. The man now sitting next to him had WAY too much energy for it to be so early in the morning. Taewoo assumed he worked a busy job or moved from 1 job to another. He seemed to lack cordial behavior leaning heavily into crass antics almost like a…wait was he? That would make sense…was it rude to ask…was he wrong for him to have that thought. Taewoo fiddled with his food, though it was the most normal to him. Rice, kimchi, some fruit. Was this really a mission because outside of the 24 hour school day this was just like school. He fell right into his role as student, after all that’s how he lived most of his life. He looked directly at Joel’s eyes then shifted his eyes to his name tag then his face. Realizing he was staring Taewoo glanced at his food then began to eat. “Do you like school?” he asked without looking at the other.

watching siheon and kwangmin leave the cafeteria, joel scoffs, turning back to the table. “man, he ditched us for some dick as soon as he could. good for him.” 

as taewoo speaks, joel raises his eyebrows in slight surprise. this is, after all, the first peep he’s heard out of the man all breakfast, aside from a brief introduction, which had been mostly siheon talking anyway. looking over at the other, joel tips his head to the side curiously.

“do i like school?” joel parrots, though not mockingly. it would be easy to make fun of the man, but siheon’s warning to be nice to taewoo is still fresh in his brain. he’s an asshole, sure, but not that much.

“ah, no. can’t say i do. i know it’s hard to tell by looking at me, but i never was really the studious type.” he’d already finished eating - death worked up an appetite, who knew? - so he decides to unfold his napkin, smoothing it out to begin folding it into some as-yet-undiscernible origami. “i was glad to be done, so this is lowkey kinda a nightmare for me.” wait, did he remember to speak korean? he doesn’t even know. fuck, has he been speaking english literally this whole time? why didn’t siheon say anything? damn. “you seem like you’re having fun with it, though. lemme guess... an honours student?”

[kaylafindsmusic]

(WasteUrTime by Kevin Walkman)

‘Cause I’ll take care of you

Let me give you feelings no one else can do

Send you my location lets try something new

[gantzxjoel]

REUNION.

finding the gym had been relatively easy, though leaving it had been much harder, having too much fun goofing off: seeing how many times in a row he could kick the soccer ball in the air before it fell ( 184 ), seeing if he could still climb the rope despite having fallen off his workout schedule when work had gotten busy ( he can ).

in the end, joel opts to take the soccer ball with him, dribbling it down the hall, past several other players, unbothered by their presence. “pardon me, ‘scuse me, beep beep, comin’ through.”

rounding the corner, there’s only one person in this part of the hallway, a lone woman, leaned against the wall and crying into her hands. hallway’s kinda a weird place to have a cry about it, but he supposes not everyone can grieve before they’ve even died the way he had. tilting his head to one side, there’s an ‘hey, you okay?’ on the tip of his tongue, before he sees it, the gleam of silver around the woman’s neck.

he’d know that necklace anywhere.

a smirk blossoms where concern once resided, kicking the soccer ball behind him casually, getting it out of his way. she hasn’t noticed him yet, but even if she had, it’s well documented he’s both faster and stronger.

they should know, they’ve tested it.

“chiquitita,” her body stiffens, as if on instinct. a healthy dose of fear is important for survival. not that it worked for her, but his big ol’ ego appreciates it either way. “tell me what’s wrong~”

the song falls easily from him, having sung it at her hundreds of times over the years. 

he can’t help but smile as she slowly - so fucking slowly, as if afraid of what she’ll find - lifts her head from her hands, gaze sliding over to him with what can only be called horror. 

“hey, pretty lady. fancy meeting you here, hm?”

not five hours before this, he’d pushed his way into her apartment, shoved her to the ground, and drove a knife into her fucking chest until he didn’t feel angry anymore.

then he’d gone home and slit his wrists. no note. fuck ‘em if they can’t figure out why.

“nothing to say, hm?” sucking his teeth, joel tucks his hands into his pockets, rocking on his heels. “well, shit, since neither of us died long enough to go cold, should we fuck it out? ‘s what we did last time we had a fight, yeah?”

a fight is a bit of an understatement, but sure.

brandishing one of the game-provided guns at him doesn’t do much in the way of actually intimidating him, but the effort’s nice. “don’t- don’t come any closer.” her voice is shaking. cute.

he plays dumb, tipping his head to one side, channeling his inner himbo. “or what? you’re gonna kill me?”

“seongjun, i mean it!” and yet, as he moves closer, walking until the barrel of the gun rests against his chest, she doesn’t.

“go ahead then. i deserve it, yeah? big, scary ex-husband that you’re oh, so afraid of.” joel laughs, running his hand through his hair, entirely too casual for someone with a weapon pointed at him. “shoot me. c’mon.”

the gun clicks. she was really gonna try it. damn. he’d be proud, if she wasn’t so goddamn dumb.

“give me that,” he snatches the gun from her, far more rough than he has to be. “fuck, jiho, i gave you the opportunity of a lifetime, and you manage to fuck even that up? christ almighty.”

shaking his head in only slightly exaggerated disappointment, joel moves away from jiho, looking the weapon over. identical to the one he’s got. he huffs out a laugh, looking up at her. “first rule of wielding a gun,” pointing the weapon away from them, down the hall, joel pulls both triggers, instead of just the one, as she had. the resounding boom makes her jump, trembling in fear. “make sure you turn the fucking safety off.” it’s not really a safety, but she’s not smart enough to know the difference anyway.

she’s crying again. he hates it when she does that. that’s his cue to get the fuck outta here.

“little miss’ll be back from her grandparents on monday, yeah?”

she doesn’t reply. 

“answer me.” the sob that escapes her when he smacks the wall beside her head is pretty satisfying, he won’t lie. “speak, woman!”

“yes! seongjun, don’t- she’s just a kid- please-”

“shut the hell up, my god. you think i’m some sort of psychopath? she’s four.” he rolls his eyes so hard he’s pretty sure he sees his skull for a second, “i’m on an ah…” he can’t help but chuckle a little bit, “unexpected vacation from work. i’ll be by to pick her up at 9, yeah?” 

she nods. he coos, tweaking her cheek. she’s not always so terrible to deal with. though lord help them both if she wants to try some dumb shit again.

with a grin, the man she’s so scared of vanishes all but entirely, replaced once more by the joel everyone knows, the one that made everyone side-eye jiho when she’d tried to tell them how he could be on a bad day. 

“good talk. i’ll hang onto this,” he scratches the side of his head with the barrel of the gun, unphased, “since i’m not sure you’re smart enough to know what you’re doing with it. good luck with the mission though!”

as he walks away, he hums under his breath - chiquitita once more - and tries not to smile when he hears jiho sob. a good game just keeps getting better.

[gantzxjoel]

MUSIC ASSIGNMENT JOEL JUNG 3RD YEAR PAGE 2

1. mary on a cross - ghost 2. no children - the mountain goats 3. i’m not a good person - pat the bunny 4. bigmouth strikes again - the smiths 5. kill all your friends - my chemical romance 6. immigrant song - led zeppelin 7. nobody puts baby in a corner - fall out boy 8. add it up - violent femmes 9. the ballad of chasey lain - bloodhound gang 10. choke - i don’t know how but they found me 11. bang the doldrums - fall out boy 12. crybaby - destroy boys 13. hatef--k - the bravery 14. e-girls are ruining my life! - corpse 15. vanished - crystal castles 16. spy? - whokilledxix 17. hey tomorrow fuck you and your friend yesterday - mindless self indulgence 18. wilson ( expensive mistakes ) - fall out boy 19. no surprises - radiohead 20. losing my religion - r.e.m. 21. mr. rager - kid cudi 22. chiquitita - abba 23. kill v. maim - grimes 24. baby’s on fire - die antwoord 25. the chain - fleetwood mac 26. tokyo drifting - glass animals, denzel curry 27. joyriding - frank iero 28. love from the other side - fall out boy 29. after dark - mr.kitty 30. can you feel my heart - bring me the horizon

[gantzxjoel]

MUSIC ASSIGNMENT JOEL JUNG 3RD YEAR PAGE 1

1. Make a playlist of your player’s favourite songs.

          ( see second page )

2. Do they play an instrument?

          guitar hero guitar :)

3. What is their ability level?

          328,037 points on sex type thing in guitar hero aerosmith ( perfect score )

4. What is the appeal of the instrument?

          entertaining while drunk, mostly

5. Have they performed for an audience?

          people at parties yeah, maybe my college girlfriend ?

[gantzxjoel]

arrival. ft. moon siheon

well, this certainly is not the pearly white gates his christian upbringing had told him would be awaiting him. 

it’s not the other place, either. 

in fact, it seems kinda like a shittier version of his own apartment, with bare white walls and scuffed wood floors. except, unlike his apartment, there’s some people milling about, in anxious little bubbles here and there, chatting mildly while apparently waiting for… something, joel’s not entirely sure what.

the only person present who isn’t in a group is a small figure, seated against a nearby wall with knees pulled up, in a position far too casual for how short a dress they’re wearing. like they know where his gaze will be drawn, and sure enough, they’re right.

 well hey, i’m already dead. what’s the worst that could happen? approaching the other - god, that’s a lot of pink. pink hair, pink dress, pink blush… wonder where else they’re pink too. - joel whistles lowly, putting on one of his more charming smiles as they look up. “i think i’m a little lost? i know there’s no way they let me into heaven, but if an angel like you’s around, then that must be where i’ve ended up.”

it’s cheesy, sure, but a pleased little smile crosses their face, so joel marks it down as worth the cringe. 

“i’m joel.” he continues, tucking his hands into his pockets, aiming for something near cool despite the fact that he kinda looks like a hot fucking mess. his t-shirt is probably older than the person in front of him, a huge hole in one armpit, bearing the name of a band that broke up before he could even walk. he couldn’t bear to throw it out, same with his worn-out jeans and ratty ass sneakers. he feels comfortable, how he supposes someone should, right before they kick it, even if he kinda looks like an arctic monkeys reject. “can i sit?”

“siheon.” they smile, drawing his attention to their mouth, shiny with lip gloss. strawberry, if he had to guess. maybe cherry. “i was actually about to get up.” extending a small hand towards him, siheon entreats joel’s help to stand. dusting themselves off, siheon straightens their dress, watching joel as he watches them. “i know i’m short, but my eyes aren’t that far down. i take it you like it?” 

“like is kind of an understatement.” he’d forgotten to pencil flirt with someone in purgatory into his plans for the day after kill yourself, damn. “what is this place, anyway?”

“not hell, but something close enough.” siheon sighs, idly checking their nails. “not everyone’s here yet, that’s why it hasn’t started. you’ll see once it does though. the boba,” they gesture behind joel, where there’s a large black orb that he hadn’t even noticed, too distracted by thirst, “will start talking, and we’ll be off doing god knows what. hopefully not more rats.” their nose wrinkles, evidently not a fan.

“rats?”

“yeah… there was like a maze, and rats… i don’t know. i’m probably the worst person you could’ve asked about what’s going on, honestly. when they explained it all the last time i was kinda having a breakdown. recently deceased and whatnot, y’know?”

oh, right. if he’s dead, that means siheon’s dead too. fuck. he wonders what happened. they look young, not like the kind of person who’d do something like he did. maybe drugs? either that or robbery. the charm bracelet around their tiny little wrist is worth more than joel makes in a year, at a quick glance.

“a maze sounds cool. not so sure on the rats bit, though. more of a snakes guy myself.” siheon shudders dramatically at this, making him crack a smile. “when’s the boba start talking?”

“once everyone’s here, i guess. we’re all supposed to be here by the hour. i don’t know what happens if you’re late, and i’m not exactly keen to find out.” shaking their head, siheon looks around, evidently observing the crowd. “watch out for that guy over by the door.” they nod off to one side, where a guy who looks like he could bench-press joel easily is stood, surveying the group. “he nearly killed me and one of the other players last time. you’ll know which one when you see him. the guy who looks like he’d be on the cover of men’s health.”

now that piques joel’s interest, more than rats or dudebros with anger issues. “you mean to tell me there’s not one, but two hot ass people here other than me? fuck, this really is heaven.”

siheon laughs, folding their arms over their chest. “this isn’t exactly a place to meet your next partner, unless you’re into trauma bonding. plus, captain korea’s a dick.”

“i love dicks.” double entendre, nice. 

“i gleaned that much, yeah.” alright, call his ass out then, damn. “i’ll let you make your own decisions, but you can’t blame me if you waste your time with it.”

“sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” does siheon have tea? fuck, joel hopes they have tea. being dead kicks ass, so far.

laughing, siheon shakes their head. “i barely know the guy. like, literally, i don’t even know his name. i think we exchanged like, maybe 20 words to each other? not my fault most of his were rude. made a stellar first impression.” not the tea he was hoping for, but still spicy. hot people arguing? dinner and a motherfuckin’ show, if joel plays his cards right.

sucking his teeth, joel tries not to look too disappointed. “damn, and here i was hoping we were about to play house with some ripped daddy.”

this makes siheon pause in their fidgeting, glancing up from where they’d been absently picking at a loose thread in the bow on their dress. “are you always this insufferably horny?” insufferable, him? never. and here joel’d thought they’d been into it. hmph!

“mm…” joel pretends to consider, “nah, i think being dead is really doing it for me though. purgatory, giant talking boba… really gets the engine going.”

siheon hums. guess it’s not the craziest thing they’ve heard, all things considered. joel’ll have to try harder. “maybe get laid before the next time. last thing we need is some horny dog trying to hump our legs while we are in the middle of a battle. somebody’ll probably shoot you.”

skrrt, wait, back up. they get to have guns? forget getting laid. “we get to have guns?” the excitement must be visible on his face, as the look siheon gives him turns mildly concerned.

they seem to consider him for a moment, playing with their tongue piercing. not that he’s looking.

he’s kind of looking.

sighing, siheon rolls their eyes so hard he’s pretty sure they can see their brain, before shaking their head once more, as though disappointed. “i changed my mind. i think you’ll fit in just fine around here.”

[boochans]

kino - 221116 vlive not pictured: op in absolute shambles