[Much better. That was enough to get Hierophant to back off, Stand and user both moving in unison to throw themselves straight backwards. Distance, it was all a matter of distance. The snakelike Stand wound itself around Kakyoin's arm to pull him out of range, a smirk still clear on the latter's face.]
That's what I thought! [He came to an abrupt stop, shoes skidding against the ground as he established a solid stance and sent Hierophant on the attack again. Kakyoin's arm was thrown forward again, his Stand uncoiling from his arm to shoot forward in several separate coils aimed to stop Chariot from moving again. Now that his armor was off, that was the preferable strategy to meeting him in a losing contest of speed alone.]
[Chariot clad in armor would have been snared by those coils-- but without it, he's a force of pure speed, moving so quickly even Polnareff has trouble keeping track. Closer, that's his order, coupled with suggestions on how to weave and dodge-- because he's not going to simply cut his way through, not today.
He ought to. It's what he'd usually do, letting his blade work for him, weaving and ducking and dodging. But now-- now Chariot moves twice as much as he normally would, his sword held tightly at his side. It's stupid, yeah, he knows it's stupid, because Kakyoin is fine. Has been fine for months, months and months-- and yet for Polnareff, he's only been back a few days. He's only just returned to life, and how can he possibly hurt him?
So rather than sweep Chariot's sword and slash away the coils, Chariot lets himself be snagged; lets Kakyoin have the advantage.]
[Kakyoin frowned, adjusting his glasses and narrowing his eyes. That wasn't right. He'd expected Chariot to meet him head-on, had every plan to divert Hierophant into sharp turns and misdirections...but Chariot was just caught like that, the other end of his coils tangling in its user's hand.]
[He was still holding back--too much. And Kakyoin had a strong suspicion he knew why.]
I know what you're thinking. Don't.
[Deep breath. Exhale. Channel frustration and anger into something else that burned and sparked, ran through his blood and down his arm--shining sunlight that traveled from Kakyoin to his Stand, blasting Chariot with a burst of Hamon that was just enough to give his statement a note of definite finality.]
[As if it's so easy. As if this has anything to do with any weakness of Kakyoin's. The Hamon hits, just as searingly as any blast from Magician's Red-- Caesar had been right, Kakyoin is good at it. Burns appear along his arms, echoes of the ones scorched into Chariot-- and he'll give him that, he'll let him have that final statement. But enough is enough, and Polnareff calls Chariot back.
This was a bad idea, he thinks again, but when are his ideas anything but stupid?
...Yes. There's a hell of a lot of them, and if I take a hard enough hit to the back or midsection I'm pretty much out of commission for a while.
[He answered with complete honesty, matching Polnareff's stare with something calm and collected of his own.]
But that was months ago for me, Polnareff. I was in bad shape for a couple months after I first got here, sure--I got tired easily, I was in a hell of a lot of pain, but I'm still alive. I recovered and I can function perfectly well now, scars or not.
[It's impossible. It's like a dream-- just enough logic applied to make it real, to make it seem like it might actually be true. But there's an awful dread in the pit of his stomach, something that whispers that this isn't real, that it won't last-- that Kakyoin is dead, and if he pushes too hard, if he messes up, god, even if he tears his gaze away, that all this will shatter. That he'll wake up and realize that his friends are dead, that he and Jotaro are the only ones left.]
I still can't believe it, you know.
[He holds up a hand, because that's not quite what he's trying to say--]
Not-- I know you're being honest. I know you're alive, and fine, I trust you. But . . .
[It's so hard sometimes, putting his thoughts into words. Thinking, so he doesn't just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind and offends everyone.]
It seems like a dream. Or-- a wish. Something that's going to run out.
...I know. [He pushed his glasses up far enough to pinch the bridge of his nose against the oncoming headache--god, he was so tired. Tired of letting himself forget he was on the definition of borrowed time, and tired of remembering the truth.]
It takes some getting used to. But I'm not going anywhere. Even if I have to stay in this city through nothing but my own stubbornness, I'm not going back until I'm sure I can.
I wouldn't expect anything less from you of all people, Polnareff.
One of the people technically running this place--her name's Chari, she's nice--gave me these when I admitted I needed them and asked for help. [One finger was tapped against the frame of his glasses.] That's probably who he was talking about. I don't think she'd be able to do much in the way of 'hey, can you give us a way to resurrect the dead', but we're working on trying to find a solution.
[Well, you never know. True, glasses are one thing and resurrection another, but-- well, there had to be a reason Kakyoin was brought here, right? There had to be some way to figure it all out.
He sighs and comes forward, gripping Kakyoin's arm firmly.]
I'll still listen to you, you know. If you'd like to hold on to that part of the bet.
...It was a draw. You can hold me to my half of it, too.
[He hesitated, looking away. It wasn't that he doubted his friends, or that there was a lack of trust there--Jotaro had believed him easily enough the second time around.]
[But he'd spent a little too long as a kid being told something he knew was real--his Hierophant--was obviously just a delusion. Kakyoin was not exactly looking forward to putting himself in that position again.]
[...it was actually almost refreshing to see Polnareff artfully sail over the point as he so often did.]
Tell me something. You remember that one night after our plane crashed in the desert? It was after we fought the Sun, the night all of you thought I was getting heatstroke and turning delusional.
[It's a little hard to remember, if only because there were so many nights in the desert. But the night with heatstroke-- that had been when they'd had the baby.]
Yeah.
[He shrugs. Honestly, the memory makes him a bit uncomfortable, if only because it had unnerved him to see Kakyoin so irrational.]
...I wasn't imagining it. And I wasn't delusional. That kid really was a Stand user, and his Stand was called Death 13. Obviously I could never prove it, and I still can't. So there's really no way I can make you believe me and no point in even telling you now.
[He glanced away again, Hierophant's arms wrapping loosely around his user's neck from behind.]
I just don't want there to keep being that annoying little doubt in my mind; we're friends, so I want us to be able to trust each other. If something like that ever happens again, I don't want to feel like I'm alone in handling it because my own friends might not believe me.
[He inhales-- and then exhales-- and then regards Kakyoin.
An infant with a Stand? The idea seems as ludicrous as it did then-- but Kakyoin is staring hard at him, Hierophant wrapped protectively around him, and why would he lie? Well, he wouldn't, is the thing-- and so Polnareff nods.]
All right. I believe you.
[It's weird, no doubt, weird weird weird, and his nose wrinkles as he considers it-- but Kakyoin is more important than his doubt. God, now more than ever.]
...look, I'm not going to recount the whole thing in detail. Sorry, but I don't like thinking about it.
[Long story short, he sure as hell wouldn't be going near the boardwalk anytime soon.]
It attacked when we were sleeping; Death 13 controlled this surreal dream world where it was in control of everything--I couldn't even summon Hierophant. [He put a hand over his Stand's silver-green arm, either for comfort, emphasis, or both.]
And every time we woke up, neither of us remembered anything that had happened. You remember what I had to do to my arm to even give myself a hint; we're lucky I carried a switchblade. But when you knocked me out, I'd already called Hierophant--that was the whole trick to it, how to bring another Stand into that world. So I-
[He stopped abruptly, not sure if he'd ever told Polnareff about Hierophant's real power. Not sure if he wanted to get into it now, or let that be a secret between himself, Jotaro, and Giorno.]
...I took him out, and I'm the only one that remembers any of it.
[There's things missing here, Polnareff knows that much. And he wonders how much of that is because Kakyoin is still hurt over all that, and how much of it is because of how horrific the dream world must have been. For surely it was; they'd all seen some awful things during their journey, so for Kakyoin to not even want to think about this Stand must mean it was truly awful.]
Are you all right?
[Silly, maybe, to ask that now. But Kakyoin looks so driven to distraction that he has to ask.]
I'm okay. [He shook his head, mostly to brushoff a million unpleasant thoughts and apprehensions.] I'm...over it, mostly. I had trouble sleeping for a while, but it's gotten easier.
[Wait, seriously? This was a concern? Polnareff's frown deepens.]
I've never thought that either-- for god's sake, Kakyoin, you're the one who always has a logical way out of things. I just thought you had heatstroke that night, but I never thought you were crazy. I still don't. If you're telling me now that that baby was a Stand user, I believe you.
[A beat, and then he adds:]
I mean, we fought and killed a vampire.
[So the bar for weird shit that happens to us is pretty low. And actually, now that he's thinking about it:]
We fought a monkey who had a Stand. A baby makes more sense. I mean, at least a baby is human.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2016-03-20 01:04 am (UTC)That's what I thought! [He came to an abrupt stop, shoes skidding against the ground as he established a solid stance and sent Hierophant on the attack again. Kakyoin's arm was thrown forward again, his Stand uncoiling from his arm to shoot forward in several separate coils aimed to stop Chariot from moving again. Now that his armor was off, that was the preferable strategy to meeting him in a losing contest of speed alone.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 05:34 am (UTC)He ought to. It's what he'd usually do, letting his blade work for him, weaving and ducking and dodging. But now-- now Chariot moves twice as much as he normally would, his sword held tightly at his side. It's stupid, yeah, he knows it's stupid, because Kakyoin is fine. Has been fine for months, months and months-- and yet for Polnareff, he's only been back a few days. He's only just returned to life, and how can he possibly hurt him?
So rather than sweep Chariot's sword and slash away the coils, Chariot lets himself be snagged; lets Kakyoin have the advantage.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 05:44 am (UTC)[Kakyoin frowned, adjusting his glasses and narrowing his eyes. That wasn't right. He'd expected Chariot to meet him head-on, had every plan to divert Hierophant into sharp turns and misdirections...but Chariot was just caught like that, the other end of his coils tangling in its user's hand.]
[He was still holding back--too much. And Kakyoin had a strong suspicion he knew why.]
I know what you're thinking. Don't.
[Deep breath. Exhale. Channel frustration and anger into something else that burned and sparked, ran through his blood and down his arm--shining sunlight that traveled from Kakyoin to his Stand, blasting Chariot with a burst of Hamon that was just enough to give his statement a note of definite finality.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:01 am (UTC)This was a bad idea, he thinks again, but when are his ideas anything but stupid?
He knows enough, at least, not to make a joke.]
You win.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:03 am (UTC)[...]
I'm fine, Polnareff. I know it's hard to believe and I won't claim to be in perfect condition. But I'm fine.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:07 am (UTC)[He asks directly, his gaze hard. This isn't one of his normal invasive questions, stupid and blurted out; this is something different.]
Is there anything left? You say you're fine, but I saw you nearly cut in half not a week ago, Kakyoin, I can't just--
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:13 am (UTC)[He answered with complete honesty, matching Polnareff's stare with something calm and collected of his own.]
But that was months ago for me, Polnareff. I was in bad shape for a couple months after I first got here, sure--I got tired easily, I was in a hell of a lot of pain, but I'm still alive. I recovered and I can function perfectly well now, scars or not.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:21 am (UTC)I still can't believe it, you know.
[He holds up a hand, because that's not quite what he's trying to say--]
Not-- I know you're being honest. I know you're alive, and fine, I trust you. But . . .
[It's so hard sometimes, putting his thoughts into words. Thinking, so he doesn't just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind and offends everyone.]
It seems like a dream. Or-- a wish. Something that's going to run out.
[Like Judgement, all over again.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:28 am (UTC)It takes some getting used to. But I'm not going anywhere. Even if I have to stay in this city through nothing but my own stubbornness, I'm not going back until I'm sure I can.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:33 am (UTC)[He knows he's not much good for research, but by god, he'd pitch in if he was needed. Anything, if it meant Kakyoin coming home.]
Have you . . . Jotaro told me there was someone who gave you things, if you asked, if you didn't mind the price.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:38 am (UTC)One of the people technically running this place--her name's Chari, she's nice--gave me these when I admitted I needed them and asked for help. [One finger was tapped against the frame of his glasses.] That's probably who he was talking about. I don't think she'd be able to do much in the way of 'hey, can you give us a way to resurrect the dead', but we're working on trying to find a solution.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:51 am (UTC)He sighs and comes forward, gripping Kakyoin's arm firmly.]
I'll still listen to you, you know. If you'd like to hold on to that part of the bet.
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:55 am (UTC)[He hesitated, looking away. It wasn't that he doubted his friends, or that there was a lack of trust there--Jotaro had believed him easily enough the second time around.]
[But he'd spent a little too long as a kid being told something he knew was real--his Hierophant--was obviously just a delusion. Kakyoin was not exactly looking forward to putting himself in that position again.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 06:58 am (UTC)You don't have to look like that, I'm not going to ask you anything bad.
[And though that pit of dread still weighs heavily in the pit of his stomach, this, at least, is normal. He offers a grin.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 07:01 am (UTC)[...it was actually almost refreshing to see Polnareff artfully sail over the point as he so often did.]
Tell me something. You remember that one night after our plane crashed in the desert? It was after we fought the Sun, the night all of you thought I was getting heatstroke and turning delusional.
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Date: 2016-03-20 07:09 am (UTC)Yeah.
[He shrugs. Honestly, the memory makes him a bit uncomfortable, if only because it had unnerved him to see Kakyoin so irrational.]
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Date: 2016-03-20 07:19 am (UTC)[He glanced away again, Hierophant's arms wrapping loosely around his user's neck from behind.]
I just don't want there to keep being that annoying little doubt in my mind; we're friends, so I want us to be able to trust each other. If something like that ever happens again, I don't want to feel like I'm alone in handling it because my own friends might not believe me.
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Date: 2016-03-20 07:27 am (UTC)An infant with a Stand? The idea seems as ludicrous as it did then-- but Kakyoin is staring hard at him, Hierophant wrapped protectively around him, and why would he lie? Well, he wouldn't, is the thing-- and so Polnareff nods.]
All right. I believe you.
[It's weird, no doubt, weird weird weird, and his nose wrinkles as he considers it-- but Kakyoin is more important than his doubt. God, now more than ever.]
How-- what happened?
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Date: 2016-03-20 07:34 am (UTC)[Long story short, he sure as hell wouldn't be going near the boardwalk anytime soon.]
It attacked when we were sleeping; Death 13 controlled this surreal dream world where it was in control of everything--I couldn't even summon Hierophant. [He put a hand over his Stand's silver-green arm, either for comfort, emphasis, or both.]
And every time we woke up, neither of us remembered anything that had happened. You remember what I had to do to my arm to even give myself a hint; we're lucky I carried a switchblade. But when you knocked me out, I'd already called Hierophant--that was the whole trick to it, how to bring another Stand into that world. So I-
[He stopped abruptly, not sure if he'd ever told Polnareff about Hierophant's real power. Not sure if he wanted to get into it now, or let that be a secret between himself, Jotaro, and Giorno.]
...I took him out, and I'm the only one that remembers any of it.
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Date: 2016-03-21 02:31 am (UTC)Are you all right?
[Silly, maybe, to ask that now. But Kakyoin looks so driven to distraction that he has to ask.]
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Date: 2016-03-21 02:42 am (UTC)[He shrugged and crossed his arms.]
So, now what? Do you still think I'm delusional?
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Date: 2016-03-21 02:50 am (UTC)[He tips his head, regarding him with a slight frown.]
I didn't ever think you were delusional, you know. Just . . . too much sun. But I believe you.
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Date: 2016-03-21 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-21 02:59 am (UTC)I've never thought that either-- for god's sake, Kakyoin, you're the one who always has a logical way out of things. I just thought you had heatstroke that night, but I never thought you were crazy. I still don't. If you're telling me now that that baby was a Stand user, I believe you.
[A beat, and then he adds:]
I mean, we fought and killed a vampire.
[So the bar for weird shit that happens to us is pretty low. And actually, now that he's thinking about it:]
We fought a monkey who had a Stand. A baby makes more sense. I mean, at least a baby is human.
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Date: 2016-03-21 03:13 am (UTC)[So it was just baseless paranoia after all. That was...actually, he felt better about the whole thing knowing that.]
Thanks.
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