I own none of the quotes at the top of my chapters. Nor do I own TWEWY.

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Songs and Poetry

Help

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

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Rhyme followed Beat around the newly opened mall, (they had closed for renovations), trailing along behind him while he stared at all the clothes.

"Bwaa?! Who the hell would wear this?" He demanded, holding up a white, long sleeved shirt. "This looks like sumthin' Prissy Boy would wear."

She replied patiently, "Still, Beat, even if it's not something in your style, someone else would find it matches them perfectly."

He tossed it back on the rack, scrounging around some more. They were at a clearance sale, since their family wasn't exactly the richest around, but they had the cash for this, at least.

Rhyme looked around at the rabid teenagers going at each other's throats for the fifty percent off fashions and smiled to herself, shaking her head. Beat held up a T-shirt that was about Rhyme's size, studying the black fabric with the skeletal dragon design that traced the edges of the shirt.

"Yo, you like this?"

Rhyme studied the tag, shaking her head again. "It's too much for one shirt Beat, even on sell."

Beat studied the tag, scowling. "You can git it, if ya want."

Rhyme poked the hole in Beat's jeans, a rather large rip on his knee that almost severed the entire legging. "You need new jeans first, Beat. Then we'll see."

He turned around, grumbling to himself about how much he hated clothes shopping, tapping his foot impatiently, not at his sister, but at the task itself.

Rhyme turned her head, looking at a section on boy's jeans that looked like something her brother would wear. "I'll look over there, Beat."

His only response was a grunted, "Watch yerself, lots of creeps out here."

He had no idea how right he was.

She wandered over, checking the jeans, pushing aside rows and rows of the dark blue denim. She smiled, satisfied, when she found a pair that matched Beat's style and size. Not to mention it was a decent price, no one can do shopping like girls can.

Albeit, yes, Rhyme was a tomboy, but girls have a natural ability to shop, as everyone knows.

She turned around, pants over her arm, when she walked straight into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized, scrambling to her feet. She quickly grabbed the dark grey shirt and white pants off the ground, handing them to their owner, before grabbing her own pants.

"Oh, that's quite all right."

Rhyme looked up, startled, into a pair of mauve eyes. Only one person had eyes that seemed almost glassy, their surface reflecting the light.

Or only one person had purple eyes, for that matter.

She smiled. "Joshua, hello. She straightened up, thinking about the last time she had even heard from him.

"Is Shiki somewhere around here?" As far as Rhyme knew, Shiki had been making an effort to make Joshua feel more welcome in their friend circle. The duo had been spending a lot of time together, but that was only when she last heard of it.

"I should hope not." He replied, his lips twisting into his lazy smile. He flicked his hair from his face. "Can I not do some shopping without having to be out with someone? Even Composers get tired of wearing the same clothes, you know."

Rhyme actually thought he could probably change his clothes at will, being Composer and all with almost limitless power, but maybe he simply wanted to buy some. Wasn't really her business. Instead, she just smiled serenely, holding her hands in front of her and bowing slightly.

"It was nice seeing you again, Josh, but I have to go find Beat now." Rhyme stood on tiptoe, scanning the crowds, her eyes roving every which way, searching for her brother's familiar figure in the mass of people scrounging through the clearance items.

"I believe he is over that way." Joshua said behind her, pointing to the hat section. He was right, there was her brother, trying on a hat, studying the white flames that ran across the black cloth.

She smiled again. "Thank you. Do you need help finding anything?" That was added only as an afterthought, since she was certain the Composer would only say-

"As a matter of fact, I would appreciate some help on an issue." He smirked, perhaps noticing her surprised look, removing his phone from his pocket and studying the clock. "I have to go rather sooner than I would like, and may have some minor trouble finding a certain article of clothing…" He trailed off, his eyes scanning the racks.

"I would be happy to help. What are you looking for?"

"Winter is coming, is it not? I must insist that you find a jacket that fits my rather refined tastes, for whenever I'm in the RG I'd rather not be overly conspicuous by being the only kid in the colder months not wearing some form of arctic gear."

Rhyme studied his clothing carefully, noticing how he seemed to favor light colors and clothes with little to no designs or pictures, and nodded, smiling again.

"I'll get right to that, Beat shouldn't be going anywhere."

Joshua nodded, closing his phone. "I appreciate your help on the matter, I'm going to find something myself."

Rhyme traveled down the aisle, searching the men's winter wear department. She find her mind wandering as she tried to find something with light colors and no pictures, which would match the Composer's "refined" tastes.

She had been working rather hard lately, but to no avail. She couldn't generate what she wanted to do with her life. She felt like a patch of her soul was missing, the bright colors that had once presented themselves had gone.

Her dreams…

However, she was often told those were her old dreams, she could make new ones.

She hoped…

Suddenly, she pulled out a very light tan jacket, so light tan it was almost white, the fabric was thick and sturdy enough to offer warmth, but not too thick as to go against the thin clothing Joshua favored. Perfect, or at least Rhyme thought so.

She headed back to the men's pants section where she had left him, and wasn't surprised to see he was already there, a bag slung over one shoulder full of his personal clothing, and another bag, separate from the others, in his hands.

Rhyme offered him the jacket, and she was surprised to see she felt nervous while his eyes trailed over the clothing. He finally lifted his oddly piercing gaze, and then he smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

"This, dear Rhyme, is exactly what I would have chosen. I simply must compliment you on your abilities." He handed her the smaller bag, his eyes shining with his amusement. Then again, he always looked amused, like he knew a rather nasty secret about everyone that they didn't.

She opened it, perplexed; removing the T-shirt Beat had shown her earlier, with the skeletal dragon. She smiled helplessly, looking up, her eyes shining. She had actually adored that shirt, but she would never buy it, especially with money so tight. Had he seen her looking at it…? Didn't matter, she decided, because he had actually been nice enough to get it for her.

"Thank you…but you didn't have to." Rhyme said, too stunned to say much else.

"Oh, but I did. Besides, like I said, I need to thank you. Let's see here…" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, and then smiled, doing that giggle he seemed fond of that Rhyme knew made Neku want to claw his ears off.

"I really appreciate you, your helpful giving ways, and how your generous heart, your unselfishness displays. I thank you for your kindness, I will not soon forget, you're one of the nicest people I have ever met." He recited the poem smoothly, his tone amused, and Rhyme found herself blushing.

"Did you write that?" She asked. He giggled again.

"Do you not like poetry? For one that nicknames herself Rhyme…"

"I love them." She smiled, clasping her hands. "Songs, poems…Maybe that was my dream, huh?"

"Perhaps, dear. As for the poem, I wish I could take credit for that, but no. I could, of course, write something easily level with that elegy, but I have things to do. See you soon, Rhyme."

"Yeah, come by whenever you want, okay?" She smiled again, and he looked at her curiously.

"Would you still say that even after hearing what Shiki has to say about why I stopped hanging out with her?"

"Of course. We all deserve second chances, whatever you did." She promised.

He looked at her strangely, like she was an interesting subject. "Didn't I use my second chance when I shot Neku?"

"Well…" Rhyme hesitated, and then shook her head. He smirked, but the gesture looked softer than normal.

He knelt down slightly, getting to her eye level, his purple eyes staring into her own.

"See you soon then, Rhyme." His lips very lightly brushed her cheek, and she blushed harder.

"Yo, Rhyme!"

Rhyme whirled around, looking behind her at Beat, who came to a halt, staring at her startled expression.

"What's up with yo face, Rhyme? You all freaked out lookin'."

She turned back around, but Joshua was gone. "Er, nothing. Here." She handed him his pants, accepting the pair he had found for her.

"That's perfect, y'know?" He declared, studying his own pants.

As Beat stood in line to pay for the clothes, Rhyme standing close by her brother, he noticed the bag she had.

"Where did ya get t'at, Rhyme?"

She was about to tell him when she heard, more like felt, Joshua's voice in her ear.

"You'd be better off not telling him, I would not like to have him after me."

"Um…" Rhyme hated lying. "Shiki was here, just a moment ago, and she actually just brought this for me. She had to go, though, and she said to tell you hi."

Beat raised his eyebrows, studying Rhyme's guilty expression, but luckily it was his turn in line. Rhyme quickly checked the receipt for her shirt, showed it to the clerk, then she and Beat left the mall.

While they walked, Rhyme felt something pass her by. It felt like the wind or something, but softer, like feathers almost. She couldn't help but close her eyes as it passed, but when she looked again nothing was there.

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Okay, just in case you were wondering, I can't help but connect all of my stories together when I write. To understand what Joshua was talking about with Shiki, you'd have to read my other stories.

Not important anymore, really.

Okay, now I'm going to bother a line from Tsukikitty.

Reviews=Hellz to the yes please!