A Wall that Must Be Crossed
Jul. 28th, 2025 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/SMT Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha (Will of the Yatagarasu)
Summary: Xander usually isn't the one who has to bring newbies in on the secrets.
Word Count: 1043
Rating: Teen
“Vampires,” he clarifies. Straight to the point, not that Raidou really expected anything less.
“And demons and other supernatural creatures, yeah.” He pauses to let the senior really absorb that, then adds, “You’ve got questions?” It’s kind of redundant, but it feels polite to prompt him anyway.
“What is Snyder?” It is actually kind of hilarious that his mind goes there first, but Raidou also gets that. It seems unfair, somehow, that he’s human. Well, not that demons are necessarily evil. Or, if not unfair, then something that kind of reflects badly on humans as a species. That’s not hard. Humans have done a lot of monstrous stuff over the years, but it always sucks to meet one living down to the worst stereotypes of humanity.
“Human, unfortunately. Like, sadistic and probably likely to turn serial killer at any moment, but still. Human.” He would really, really not be surprised if Snyder just starts trying to kill them all someday. So far he hasn’t because a few of the students still get him accolades and praise, but that’s a pretty slim thread to be hanging the continual survival of a bunch of schoolkids on.
Oz nods. He might be a little disappointed. It’s hard to tell. “What do you do? Are you human?” This is kind of nerve-wracking, but he had gotten the whole secret identity and stuff, so not something he should be surprised about either.
“I protect people, but I’m not the only one, and honestly, I’m kind of...new at all this.” That’s an understatement, but he doesn’t want to admit how new, not when a cool guy is actually listening to him like he’s got something interesting to say for the first time in his life. It’s already weird but cool enough that some of the Agents of the Yatagarasu do sometimes, now. “Buffy and Giles are kind of the experts. If you remember anything weird happening on Halloween, that’s kind of...what woke up the town to all this, I guess. Not everybody knows, but there’s more of us now.”
Another nod. Not that he’s being ignored, or anything, in the hopes he’ll go away. He’s pretty sure Oz is actually listening. “You still haven’t talked about you.” He probably won’t judge, though if he was judging, Xander’s not sure he’d even be able to tell what that would look like.
“Also human, but I can summon friendly demons. That’s what the tubes are for.” Oz actually looks around, but there’s no way he’s spotting Encantado floating behind him. She finds that hilarious, ‘swimming’ up to his face and waving. “Not everyone can see them. I guess you can’t. Most of the not-friendly ones you’d notice, so you’re probably fine there.”
The senior catches on, following Raidou’s gaze, but he doesn’t even move back a little. It’s probably not that he has no fear, but he is really good at not letting that stop him, and he’s obviously still considering what Raidou had to say as he carefully doesn’t react. “So, precautions?”
Encantado pouts, but honestly, if she wasn’t just messing with him for her own amusement and actually meant harm, it’d be perfectly reasonable to try to make sure others couldn’t do the same. “The usual. Don’t invite ‘em in, holy water and symbols, that kinda stuff.” They jog on briefly in silence.
“Don’t they ever get tired of being clichés?” Xander starts laughing before he realizes, and Oz smiles just a little. Content.
It’s nice having these moments. Conversations that aren’t doom and gloom, fate of the world stuff. Lately it feels like they’ve had to force themselves to sit and watch a movie and talk about it to have any chance of having a few of those, but here it feels easy for the first time in a while. “I don’t know, as it’s never really occurred to me to ask, but I don’t think so. The Master—one of the bigger vampires we’ve dealt with around here—even supposedly went on the villain monologue.”
“Huh.” The more you know. “You said other people signed up. How, exactly?”
Xander actually turns to look, incredulous. “You’re not signing up.”
Oz shrugs. “Not right now. I get that I wouldn’t be too much help with the fighting. It just bothers me, I guess. Knowing about this and just doing nothing.”
Oof. Xander definitely gets that. “Well, uh, if you’re looking to help with a side of minimal danger, we could use snacks. Fundraising. Transportation, sometimes. Translations, making up a website, that kinda thing.”
Oz perks up a little. “I’m good with computers. And I have a van, and weird hours. Perks of being in a band.”
“Great.” Good enough time to try to talk through some of this, because Xander’s had trouble following some of the conversations lately. “Willow’s been trying to get me to help her figure out webpages. I think she mentioned GeoCities and some other free services, but I don’t know how professional it’d look, and I have even less of a clue about paid services. Where you and Willow are good with computers, I am very much not. Giles is kinda unsure about getting Miss Calendar involved in all this danger and excitement. Which there definitely is, danger I mean, especially if you’re acting like a gateway driver, or whatever.”
Oz puts his hand on Xander’s shoulder. “I’m not worried. I think you can figure it out, and also maybe you should try breathing.”
Okay, yeah, maybe he has been freaking out about this too much lately. “Somehow, that never occurred to me,” he responds quietly. Maybe he’d been too much. That happens. He’d thought he could open up, but that had probably been too much. Encantado must have caught on to his mood, because she’s gotten closer to him, making faces at Oz every now and then. Raidou probably has to talk to her—not that she can get too far away from him, as her Summoner, but it’s still best to head off any possible mischief off at the pass.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/SMT Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha (Will of the Yatagarasu)
Summary: Xander usually isn't the one who has to bring newbies in on the secrets.
Word Count: 1043
Rating: Teen
This time, Xander’s actually kind of expecting Oz to join him, if only to get some answers. So this time he’s fully ready when he’s silently joined on his jog in the morning.
“Vampires,” he clarifies. Straight to the point, not that Raidou really expected anything less.
“And demons and other supernatural creatures, yeah.” He pauses to let the senior really absorb that, then adds, “You’ve got questions?” It’s kind of redundant, but it feels polite to prompt him anyway.
“What is Snyder?” It is actually kind of hilarious that his mind goes there first, but Raidou also gets that. It seems unfair, somehow, that he’s human. Well, not that demons are necessarily evil. Or, if not unfair, then something that kind of reflects badly on humans as a species. That’s not hard. Humans have done a lot of monstrous stuff over the years, but it always sucks to meet one living down to the worst stereotypes of humanity.
“Human, unfortunately. Like, sadistic and probably likely to turn serial killer at any moment, but still. Human.” He would really, really not be surprised if Snyder just starts trying to kill them all someday. So far he hasn’t because a few of the students still get him accolades and praise, but that’s a pretty slim thread to be hanging the continual survival of a bunch of schoolkids on.
Oz nods. He might be a little disappointed. It’s hard to tell. “What do you do? Are you human?” This is kind of nerve-wracking, but he had gotten the whole secret identity and stuff, so not something he should be surprised about either.
“I protect people, but I’m not the only one, and honestly, I’m kind of...new at all this.” That’s an understatement, but he doesn’t want to admit how new, not when a cool guy is actually listening to him like he’s got something interesting to say for the first time in his life. It’s already weird but cool enough that some of the Agents of the Yatagarasu do sometimes, now. “Buffy and Giles are kind of the experts. If you remember anything weird happening on Halloween, that’s kind of...what woke up the town to all this, I guess. Not everybody knows, but there’s more of us now.”
Another nod. Not that he’s being ignored, or anything, in the hopes he’ll go away. He’s pretty sure Oz is actually listening. “You still haven’t talked about you.” He probably won’t judge, though if he was judging, Xander’s not sure he’d even be able to tell what that would look like.
“Also human, but I can summon friendly demons. That’s what the tubes are for.” Oz actually looks around, but there’s no way he’s spotting Encantado floating behind him. She finds that hilarious, ‘swimming’ up to his face and waving. “Not everyone can see them. I guess you can’t. Most of the not-friendly ones you’d notice, so you’re probably fine there.”
The senior catches on, following Raidou’s gaze, but he doesn’t even move back a little. It’s probably not that he has no fear, but he is really good at not letting that stop him, and he’s obviously still considering what Raidou had to say as he carefully doesn’t react. “So, precautions?”
Encantado pouts, but honestly, if she wasn’t just messing with him for her own amusement and actually meant harm, it’d be perfectly reasonable to try to make sure others couldn’t do the same. “The usual. Don’t invite ‘em in, holy water and symbols, that kinda stuff.” They jog on briefly in silence.
“Don’t they ever get tired of being clichés?” Xander starts laughing before he realizes, and Oz smiles just a little. Content.
It’s nice having these moments. Conversations that aren’t doom and gloom, fate of the world stuff. Lately it feels like they’ve had to force themselves to sit and watch a movie and talk about it to have any chance of having a few of those, but here it feels easy for the first time in a while. “I don’t know, as it’s never really occurred to me to ask, but I don’t think so. The Master—one of the bigger vampires we’ve dealt with around here—even supposedly went on the villain monologue.”
“Huh.” The more you know. “You said other people signed up. How, exactly?”
Xander actually turns to look, incredulous. “You’re not signing up.”
Oz shrugs. “Not right now. I get that I wouldn’t be too much help with the fighting. It just bothers me, I guess. Knowing about this and just doing nothing.”
Oof. Xander definitely gets that. “Well, uh, if you’re looking to help with a side of minimal danger, we could use snacks. Fundraising. Transportation, sometimes. Translations, making up a website, that kinda thing.”
Oz perks up a little. “I’m good with computers. And I have a van, and weird hours. Perks of being in a band.”
“Great.” Good enough time to try to talk through some of this, because Xander’s had trouble following some of the conversations lately. “Willow’s been trying to get me to help her figure out webpages. I think she mentioned GeoCities and some other free services, but I don’t know how professional it’d look, and I have even less of a clue about paid services. Where you and Willow are good with computers, I am very much not. Giles is kinda unsure about getting Miss Calendar involved in all this danger and excitement. Which there definitely is, danger I mean, especially if you’re acting like a gateway driver, or whatever.”
Oz puts his hand on Xander’s shoulder. “I’m not worried. I think you can figure it out, and also maybe you should try breathing.”
Okay, yeah, maybe he has been freaking out about this too much lately. “Somehow, that never occurred to me,” he responds quietly. Maybe he’d been too much. That happens. He’d thought he could open up, but that had probably been too much. Encantado must have caught on to his mood, because she’s gotten closer to him, making faces at Oz every now and then. Raidou probably has to talk to her—not that she can get too far away from him, as her Summoner, but it’s still best to head off any possible mischief off at the pass.
