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madimpossibledreamerJojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Johan and Kakyoin finally get a good talk.
Word Count: 1387
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
Johan wakes abruptly. The nap only kind of helped; it seems like more recent memories are harder to access, but he gets general impressions. They’ll still have to talk through everything out loud for everyone else’s sake, but at least he can kind of serve as...a moderator, maybe. Keep everyone else on track. He might have to, depending on if anyone else runs afoul of the suspicion thing. At least Jotaro had done good investigation on that front.
Robin’s just outside the room but still within eyeshot, showing off hamon to some of the interested locals (and Willow, who’s probably trying to figure out how to duplicate the power of the Ripple using magic, considering how effective it is against vampires and demons). Xander recognizes it as not just him trying to impress; he actually is preparing for a fight, making sure that he still knows his hand-to-hand well. He even recognizes some of the exercises from Lisa-Lisa’s training, but it’s weird to dwell on those memories, so he doesn’t.
It feels...a little muggy, maybe. And he has the slightest headache, like the pressure’s dropped. He could be imagining things, thinking of the ‘it was a dark and stormy night’ cliches because they’re on the verge of fighting for their lives, but it doesn’t feel that way. And—damn—yeah, this would be the time Rush would choose, wouldn’t he? Assuming this isn’t all a ‘planets align’ kinda deal. He doesn’t tend to use small amounts of water too much, more like running water and barrels and such, but that doesn’t mean he can’t, just that it’s less of an advantage than it’d be for that bastard Angelo.
He has the feeling someone’s watching him. And glances over to see Kakyoin. Sitting—no, more like posing, calm, elegant, and poised—on one of the other cots. Just. Staring. Like the utter weirdo he is.
“If you Emerald Splash me, I’m pretty sure it’d ruin my day,” he announces, reaching up for a hat that isn’t even anywhere near his head.
Kakyoin at least smiles at that. Which was part of the point. Jotaro’s seen that particular almost blank look before and it never bodes well. “You could explain, couldn’t you?”
“I could, but would you actually accept the answer, that’s the question,” he responds. It’s clear that’s not what Kakyoin had been expecting, though he politely sits down rather than continuing to loom ominously. “Seriously, man. Jotaro’s told you what he can. He doesn’t have the words for it partly because it’s Jotaro and partly because he’s trying to remember something lost in the transition, and he’s trying not to be an ass about it because yes he lost someone he won’t tell me about in it, I think, and he doesn’t want to be the guy wishing I don’t exist, despite the circumstances. It helps that he has experience with wrestling with that particular puzzle before now.”
Kakyoin looks like something suddenly clicked for him. “A daughter.”
“How the hell should I know?” He doesn’t mean to be this annoyed about it, but then, some of it has to be channeled from Jotaro. He does have a serious desire to mutter something like ‘give me a break’.
“How he’s treating Summers-chan,” Kakyoin explains. A first, an olive branch, maybe, after his previous treatment. Still, Johan can’t help but wince at that. Sure, his dream of the girl in the water kind of is good evidence to further that hypothesis, but that goes places he really doesn’t want to go. Even if it’s not his fault because it’s not like he would’ve had any clue. Sure, under said hypothesis they wouldn’t have even been related at the time, but it still kinda sucks.
He might as well explain that, too. Give Kakyoin something in return for his own honesty. “Please don’t go there. I had a crush on Buffy when I was a kid.”
Kakyoin holds out another of the local pastries. It’s fairly unlikely he would’ve poisoned it in a fit of paranoia, at this point, so Johan accepts. “At least you’re better than Joestar-san,” he states reassuringly.
“Hey!” comes out of him before he’s even finished his bite. At Kakyoin’s look, he finishes chewing and swallows before apologizing. “Sorry, residual Joseph. Anyone else back yet?”
“Just us, I’m afraid, but the rest are probably on their way.” At least it reads more like Kakyoin’s sense of humor than an actual threat. “Jotaro’s probably affected, isn’t he?” The assumption might have to do with knowing the man, or simply with whatever remains of the lingering suspicion.
“As are you, because you both broke the ‘rules of the town’,” Johan agrees. It’s a risk acknowledging it, but he’s counting on Kakyoin’s intelligence to win out over his paranoia, and after one tense moment of resistance, Kakyoin nods.
“I think it’s wearing off. But then, how can I be certain that that is actually the case when it’s my own perception that has been changed?” He’s actually looking for reassurance from Johan. Under these circumstances, how can Xander do anything else? Unless it’d be lying, of course, but in this case, he’s fairly sure it wouldn’t be.
“If it helps, Jotaro and I have the same impression that it is.” It is utterly weird (and nice!) to have Kakyoin actually listening to him. “When the paranoia thing gets triggered, it’s not immediately obvious. I knew everyone was acting weird all the way back when this started for me, but if they hadn’t been acting like themselves my mind would have immediately jumped to possession.”
Kakyoin winces. He really did never use that capability of his Stand again, huh? Probably because of his fear of being like DIO.
“Remind me to tell you the story of the horny ghost house sometime. Or, you know, shapeshifters, doppelgangers from another world. Like that asshole using Yellow Temperance or the world where we’re vampires. Apparently very goth.” He somehow manages to make it worse, but that’s not really a surprise, given his track record.
At least the distraction doesn’t seem to be all bad. Maybe he’s trying to picture them all as goths and finding that amusing. Xander does, and the whole idea of getting turned freaks him out as much as it does Kakyoin.
“Nightmares aside, Jotaro being paranoid makes him quieter and pull away more. With you, you already distrusted me based on the fact that my Stand is a dream-based Stand and the whole cuckoo analogy for how I fit in, so the fact that you’re willingly talking to me now means that yeah, you are absolutely doing better. It’s not an on-off switch, it’s a matter of reversible degrees, which makes sense. If the whole purpose is to try to get you to integrate into society more and be more worried about breaking rules, then having it be permanent would be counterproductive, right? So if you go a while without breaking rules, it goes away. It could have backfired, but you specifically latched on to the proving the insect thing, which didn’t need you to scout or otherwise break any rules.” It’s a guess, of course, but it’s a logical one. And it seems that Kakyoin likes the characterization of ‘scouting’ rather than ‘snooping’, which had been something he’d considered saying before managing to correct himself last minute.
“So I might have been fine if the owner hadn’t explained the custom about the cloth?” Kakyoin’s back at least to his analytical self, which is nice.
“I don’t think so. Otherwise, residents would make a point of explaining all the rules, especially when they’ve got tourists from all over the world with different ideas of etiquette. I think some of it is your own awareness—even if it’s only natural to scout a location when you’re likely to get jumped at any time, you’re at least aware that society considers it rude and that’s enough to set it off—that’s Jotaro’s guess, anyway.” He pauses and then adds, “...And if that’s the case, then rules are maybe...different? More lax? Depending on how much you know. If you’re a year-round neighbor, you’re probably treated differently than if you’re only here for a few weeks on vacation.”
Kakyoin nods thoughtfully, playing cat’s cradle with his Stand as he considers that quietly.
Chapter Summary: Johan and Kakyoin finally get a good talk.
Word Count: 1387
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
Johan wakes abruptly. The nap only kind of helped; it seems like more recent memories are harder to access, but he gets general impressions. They’ll still have to talk through everything out loud for everyone else’s sake, but at least he can kind of serve as...a moderator, maybe. Keep everyone else on track. He might have to, depending on if anyone else runs afoul of the suspicion thing. At least Jotaro had done good investigation on that front.
Robin’s just outside the room but still within eyeshot, showing off hamon to some of the interested locals (and Willow, who’s probably trying to figure out how to duplicate the power of the Ripple using magic, considering how effective it is against vampires and demons). Xander recognizes it as not just him trying to impress; he actually is preparing for a fight, making sure that he still knows his hand-to-hand well. He even recognizes some of the exercises from Lisa-Lisa’s training, but it’s weird to dwell on those memories, so he doesn’t.
It feels...a little muggy, maybe. And he has the slightest headache, like the pressure’s dropped. He could be imagining things, thinking of the ‘it was a dark and stormy night’ cliches because they’re on the verge of fighting for their lives, but it doesn’t feel that way. And—damn—yeah, this would be the time Rush would choose, wouldn’t he? Assuming this isn’t all a ‘planets align’ kinda deal. He doesn’t tend to use small amounts of water too much, more like running water and barrels and such, but that doesn’t mean he can’t, just that it’s less of an advantage than it’d be for that bastard Angelo.
He has the feeling someone’s watching him. And glances over to see Kakyoin. Sitting—no, more like posing, calm, elegant, and poised—on one of the other cots. Just. Staring. Like the utter weirdo he is.
“If you Emerald Splash me, I’m pretty sure it’d ruin my day,” he announces, reaching up for a hat that isn’t even anywhere near his head.
Kakyoin at least smiles at that. Which was part of the point. Jotaro’s seen that particular almost blank look before and it never bodes well. “You could explain, couldn’t you?”
“I could, but would you actually accept the answer, that’s the question,” he responds. It’s clear that’s not what Kakyoin had been expecting, though he politely sits down rather than continuing to loom ominously. “Seriously, man. Jotaro’s told you what he can. He doesn’t have the words for it partly because it’s Jotaro and partly because he’s trying to remember something lost in the transition, and he’s trying not to be an ass about it because yes he lost someone he won’t tell me about in it, I think, and he doesn’t want to be the guy wishing I don’t exist, despite the circumstances. It helps that he has experience with wrestling with that particular puzzle before now.”
Kakyoin looks like something suddenly clicked for him. “A daughter.”
“How the hell should I know?” He doesn’t mean to be this annoyed about it, but then, some of it has to be channeled from Jotaro. He does have a serious desire to mutter something like ‘give me a break’.
“How he’s treating Summers-chan,” Kakyoin explains. A first, an olive branch, maybe, after his previous treatment. Still, Johan can’t help but wince at that. Sure, his dream of the girl in the water kind of is good evidence to further that hypothesis, but that goes places he really doesn’t want to go. Even if it’s not his fault because it’s not like he would’ve had any clue. Sure, under said hypothesis they wouldn’t have even been related at the time, but it still kinda sucks.
He might as well explain that, too. Give Kakyoin something in return for his own honesty. “Please don’t go there. I had a crush on Buffy when I was a kid.”
Kakyoin holds out another of the local pastries. It’s fairly unlikely he would’ve poisoned it in a fit of paranoia, at this point, so Johan accepts. “At least you’re better than Joestar-san,” he states reassuringly.
“Hey!” comes out of him before he’s even finished his bite. At Kakyoin’s look, he finishes chewing and swallows before apologizing. “Sorry, residual Joseph. Anyone else back yet?”
“Just us, I’m afraid, but the rest are probably on their way.” At least it reads more like Kakyoin’s sense of humor than an actual threat. “Jotaro’s probably affected, isn’t he?” The assumption might have to do with knowing the man, or simply with whatever remains of the lingering suspicion.
“As are you, because you both broke the ‘rules of the town’,” Johan agrees. It’s a risk acknowledging it, but he’s counting on Kakyoin’s intelligence to win out over his paranoia, and after one tense moment of resistance, Kakyoin nods.
“I think it’s wearing off. But then, how can I be certain that that is actually the case when it’s my own perception that has been changed?” He’s actually looking for reassurance from Johan. Under these circumstances, how can Xander do anything else? Unless it’d be lying, of course, but in this case, he’s fairly sure it wouldn’t be.
“If it helps, Jotaro and I have the same impression that it is.” It is utterly weird (and nice!) to have Kakyoin actually listening to him. “When the paranoia thing gets triggered, it’s not immediately obvious. I knew everyone was acting weird all the way back when this started for me, but if they hadn’t been acting like themselves my mind would have immediately jumped to possession.”
Kakyoin winces. He really did never use that capability of his Stand again, huh? Probably because of his fear of being like DIO.
“Remind me to tell you the story of the horny ghost house sometime. Or, you know, shapeshifters, doppelgangers from another world. Like that asshole using Yellow Temperance or the world where we’re vampires. Apparently very goth.” He somehow manages to make it worse, but that’s not really a surprise, given his track record.
At least the distraction doesn’t seem to be all bad. Maybe he’s trying to picture them all as goths and finding that amusing. Xander does, and the whole idea of getting turned freaks him out as much as it does Kakyoin.
“Nightmares aside, Jotaro being paranoid makes him quieter and pull away more. With you, you already distrusted me based on the fact that my Stand is a dream-based Stand and the whole cuckoo analogy for how I fit in, so the fact that you’re willingly talking to me now means that yeah, you are absolutely doing better. It’s not an on-off switch, it’s a matter of reversible degrees, which makes sense. If the whole purpose is to try to get you to integrate into society more and be more worried about breaking rules, then having it be permanent would be counterproductive, right? So if you go a while without breaking rules, it goes away. It could have backfired, but you specifically latched on to the proving the insect thing, which didn’t need you to scout or otherwise break any rules.” It’s a guess, of course, but it’s a logical one. And it seems that Kakyoin likes the characterization of ‘scouting’ rather than ‘snooping’, which had been something he’d considered saying before managing to correct himself last minute.
“So I might have been fine if the owner hadn’t explained the custom about the cloth?” Kakyoin’s back at least to his analytical self, which is nice.
“I don’t think so. Otherwise, residents would make a point of explaining all the rules, especially when they’ve got tourists from all over the world with different ideas of etiquette. I think some of it is your own awareness—even if it’s only natural to scout a location when you’re likely to get jumped at any time, you’re at least aware that society considers it rude and that’s enough to set it off—that’s Jotaro’s guess, anyway.” He pauses and then adds, “...And if that’s the case, then rules are maybe...different? More lax? Depending on how much you know. If you’re a year-round neighbor, you’re probably treated differently than if you’re only here for a few weeks on vacation.”
Kakyoin nods thoughtfully, playing cat’s cradle with his Stand as he considers that quietly.
