The Tragedy of Family
Dec. 5th, 2020 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summary: Jotaro and his daughter have a little conversation about how neither of their childhoods were what they wanted.
Word Count: 740
Rating: Gen
“That went well.” At first, she thinks it’s another Jotaro-san joke (you know, the ones she thought he never made), but when she glances at his expression she’s actually pretty sure he’s serious.
“What about that was of the good?” she nearly snarls, because anger’s easier than pain, and he just keeps walking to the car like nothing’s happened, except now that she looks his fists are definitely clenched.
“She told you what she really thinks. Makes it easier to be sure she doesn’t love you like you need. The papers were fine, too.” It feels like being stabbed in the heart (she assumes), but Jotaro-san’s putting his career at least on the line just…awkwardly being there for her and telling her it’s fine for her to have sex as long as she beats up the ones that break her heart.
“That sounds weirdly personal,” she comments as they get in, and he’s silent for several long moments.
“Kujo Sadao was a jazz musician, always on tour. Never there. Pretty easy to assume it’s because of you, especially when you’re a kid.” Oh, ouch, not something she wanted to have in common with him or bond over. She knows now he was hoping she wouldn’t be dragged into the world of kill or be killed but that’s kind of out of the picture, honestly. “Thinking back, it’s just he was that clueless. I’m not sure any of us even told him Mom might die. I mean, Suzi Q knew and she was, what’s the English phrase, a complete airhead? But we didn’t even tell her.”
There’s a melancholy there as he starts up the car. “Who’s Suzi Q?”
He blinks a little. Startled, possibly? “…She’s your great-grandma. She’s really old now, but I figured Mom probably mentioned her, since she just won’t shut up.”
“Yep. It’s what made me like her more when I was a kid,” she says cheerily, and he actually takes a hand off the wheel to pull his hat down and utter ‘yare yare daze’. “Of course, I wasn’t always the brightest when I was a kid. Current name as example.”
His expression twitches slightly, so yes, that probably worked to cover any possible hurt feelings, because that might have almost been a smile. Maybe.
“I like you better now, as you’re more accepting of my freakish ways,” she adds, just to see the reaction he’d failed to give her mom, and his grip tightens on the wheel even as he reaches up to pull the hat down further.
“Why the hell are you all so embarrassing?” he mutters, and while it’d be easy, like with the other, to take it badly, he’d just brought up his mom and his grandma, so it’s pretty easy to see where his mind was going there.
“Family’s allowed to be embarrassing as long as we’re also supportive.” Her voice breaks just a little on the last word, and he pulls over.
“Just let me know what you need,” he insists, and it’s hard to stop herself from breaking into tears. She’ll do that at some point, probably, but not now.
“I, um. I probably should have dealt with the whole apartment thing, but not today. And quitting my job. For now, I just need a minute.”
He doesn’t try to force her to talk (why would he, Jotaro-san hates talking just to talk, just nods and sits there in silence), and it’s weird but relaxing. Eventually she feels like actually talking and glances back up. Jotaro’s silent, expectant expression is probably the equivalent of asking “where next?” in Jotaro-speak.
“School?” she guesses. She doesn’t particularly want to go, but she also doesn’t particularly want to miss any more, and she does need to see Willow and Xander again, even if she doesn’t feel like it. It’ll be worse if she puts it off.
“I’ll drive you back down to LA and I’ll be there, but you’re going to talk to them. When it’s a good time. We’ll figure out the living situation later.” She expects him to start up the car and start driving them, but he doesn’t. “…Jolyne—Buffy. I don’t know where your school is.”
“O-oh. Sorry.” She’d half wonder how he knew where her house was, but then, apparently Joyce had called him and he hadn’t actually explained anything more than ‘vampires’ so who even knows at this point. And then she starts to give directions.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summary: Jotaro and his daughter have a little conversation about how neither of their childhoods were what they wanted.
Word Count: 740
Rating: Gen
“That went well.” At first, she thinks it’s another Jotaro-san joke (you know, the ones she thought he never made), but when she glances at his expression she’s actually pretty sure he’s serious.
“What about that was of the good?” she nearly snarls, because anger’s easier than pain, and he just keeps walking to the car like nothing’s happened, except now that she looks his fists are definitely clenched.
“She told you what she really thinks. Makes it easier to be sure she doesn’t love you like you need. The papers were fine, too.” It feels like being stabbed in the heart (she assumes), but Jotaro-san’s putting his career at least on the line just…awkwardly being there for her and telling her it’s fine for her to have sex as long as she beats up the ones that break her heart.
“That sounds weirdly personal,” she comments as they get in, and he’s silent for several long moments.
“Kujo Sadao was a jazz musician, always on tour. Never there. Pretty easy to assume it’s because of you, especially when you’re a kid.” Oh, ouch, not something she wanted to have in common with him or bond over. She knows now he was hoping she wouldn’t be dragged into the world of kill or be killed but that’s kind of out of the picture, honestly. “Thinking back, it’s just he was that clueless. I’m not sure any of us even told him Mom might die. I mean, Suzi Q knew and she was, what’s the English phrase, a complete airhead? But we didn’t even tell her.”
There’s a melancholy there as he starts up the car. “Who’s Suzi Q?”
He blinks a little. Startled, possibly? “…She’s your great-grandma. She’s really old now, but I figured Mom probably mentioned her, since she just won’t shut up.”
“Yep. It’s what made me like her more when I was a kid,” she says cheerily, and he actually takes a hand off the wheel to pull his hat down and utter ‘yare yare daze’. “Of course, I wasn’t always the brightest when I was a kid. Current name as example.”
His expression twitches slightly, so yes, that probably worked to cover any possible hurt feelings, because that might have almost been a smile. Maybe.
“I like you better now, as you’re more accepting of my freakish ways,” she adds, just to see the reaction he’d failed to give her mom, and his grip tightens on the wheel even as he reaches up to pull the hat down further.
“Why the hell are you all so embarrassing?” he mutters, and while it’d be easy, like with the other, to take it badly, he’d just brought up his mom and his grandma, so it’s pretty easy to see where his mind was going there.
“Family’s allowed to be embarrassing as long as we’re also supportive.” Her voice breaks just a little on the last word, and he pulls over.
“Just let me know what you need,” he insists, and it’s hard to stop herself from breaking into tears. She’ll do that at some point, probably, but not now.
“I, um. I probably should have dealt with the whole apartment thing, but not today. And quitting my job. For now, I just need a minute.”
He doesn’t try to force her to talk (why would he, Jotaro-san hates talking just to talk, just nods and sits there in silence), and it’s weird but relaxing. Eventually she feels like actually talking and glances back up. Jotaro’s silent, expectant expression is probably the equivalent of asking “where next?” in Jotaro-speak.
“School?” she guesses. She doesn’t particularly want to go, but she also doesn’t particularly want to miss any more, and she does need to see Willow and Xander again, even if she doesn’t feel like it. It’ll be worse if she puts it off.
“I’ll drive you back down to LA and I’ll be there, but you’re going to talk to them. When it’s a good time. We’ll figure out the living situation later.” She expects him to start up the car and start driving them, but he doesn’t. “…Jolyne—Buffy. I don’t know where your school is.”
“O-oh. Sorry.” She’d half wonder how he knew where her house was, but then, apparently Joyce had called him and he hadn’t actually explained anything more than ‘vampires’ so who even knows at this point. And then she starts to give directions.
