ReBirth
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 6 – …What a Feeling
"Hey, Soibhan, what's up?"
The brunette had stopped dead in their tracks, eyes trained on a rather nondescript café. The front of the building was a faded red, with a beige color breaking through the cracks in the paint. A sign across the front of the building read, "Café Sinatra," a charming name, Hanako supposed. It might've been a locally run coffee shop, although it didn't have many customers. And, not to mention, that didn't explain why Soibhan was practically glaring at the building as though it had done them a personal disservice.
Hanako hesitated a moment before placing a hand on the other's shoulder. "Hello?" She asked, shaking the other slightly.
At that, Soibhan seemed to snap back to reality, blinking slowly before turning their attention back to the girl. "Oh, sorry, Hana!" The brunette giggled sheepishly, a broad grin spreading across her face. "Guess I spaced out huh?"
Hanako rolled her shoulders, bringing a hand up to rub at the back of her neck. Gesturing to the café, the girl asked, "What is that place?"
"Oh, um…." Soibhan looked back to the building and shrugged. "I dunno, really. Gives a bit of a weird vibe though, huh?" The brunette giggled, crossing their arms behind their head.
Before the teen could reply, the voice of Fleetwood caught her attention. The woman stood at the end of the street, a hand on her hip.
"You two hurry," the woman called, waving her hand as though to usher them foward. "Noriaki is probably with his parents, so we'll have to be nice if you want to see him today."
"Ah!" Soibhan cried, wiping at their face in an overexaggerated manner. "I'd forgotten, Ms. Mac! I don't want Kakyoin to leave!" The brunette sniffled quietly, pouting as she spoke. "I guess she's right, though. We really need to hurry; it's early now but the day will be over before we know it!"
Hanako nodded slowly, looking over her shoulder at the café one last time. "Alright, let's go find him." She said at length, nodding determinedly.
Thankfully they didn't have to walk too far to find the redhead. He was actually quite close to the café that had captured Soibhan's attention.
Kakyoin was dressed differently than he had been last Hanako saw him. Rather than the button-down shirt and shorts of a few days previous, he now wore something that did not seem fit for the Egyptian weather at all. Hanako could only describe it as school uniform of sorts. The green fabric was nearly too bright in the mid-morning sun; and the long length of the jacket – a jacket! – and pants were not suited for the heat that would set in soon.
The young man was conversing with two older adults, who Hanako could tell were his parents. His mother had the same strange curl in her hair as the boy did, while his father shared more similar facial features. There seemed to be an argument of some sorts going on, as Kakyoin seemed relieved once he made eye contact with the three approaching.
"I've got to go," he mumbled, skirting by his parents. "I'll be back to the hotel before we leave for the airport…."
The woman reached out as though to stop her son, a look of worry crossing her face. The man placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Hanako jolted as she made eye contact with the two, awkwardly turning her attention back to Kakyoin.
"Kakyoin!" Soibhan cried, throwing their arms around the boy's shoulders. "I can't believe you're leaving! The mansion is going to be so boring without you!"
The redhead stood still for a moment, looking terribly uncomfortable, until the brunette finally released him. "I have to return to school," he quickly explained. "My third year of high school begins soon."
"Wait, you're in high school?" Hanako asked, crossing her arms. "Third year…. So you're sixteen?"
"I'm seventeen, I will have you know," the boy shot back, a good-natured smirk on his face. As though remembering himself, the expression was quickly removed from his face and replaced by a slight flush. "Ah, that is, yes, I'm still in high school."
Soibhan giggled, placing a hand over their mouth. "Kakyoin and Hanako sitting in a tree, K- "
Fleetwood slapped a hand over the brunette's mouth, sighing heavily. "Don't tease Noriaki on his last day with us, Soibhan. You've made him uncomfortable enough!" The woman removed her hand and glared as Soibhan stuck their tongue out.
Hanako laughed quietly, looking back to Kakyoin. He was laughing quietly as well, the flush on his face intensifying. Apparent age difference aside, Hanako could easily admit that he was a bit cute.
Maybe he'd find a sweet girl someday.
"They make me sick."
"Mmmmm, are you still so upset over Blondie? I thought you hated her, Soft Cell!"
The boy grumbled under his breath, glaring holes into his mug. "Why are they all so happy though, working for that monster? He'd kill them all without a second thought, and," he took a deep breath, shoulders shaking slightly. "And they just…. They just keep living."
The woman sitting across from him smiled softly, a look of understanding crossing her face. "I know, Soft Cell, but we must be patient. To run out and attack them now, when there are four of them gathered together, would be horribly dangerous. We have a plan."
"Blondie had a plan."
"Blondie was a careless fool who was too eager for her revenge," the woman returned, turning her attention back to her drink. It was obvious with that gesture that the conversation was over.
Soft Cell huffed in consternation. Sometimes, he thought, it was difficult being a child in a world of adults.
"You two alright?" A gruff voice called from the café's counter.
The woman turned her attention towards the man, the same soft smile on her face. "Yes, Boss, we're doing excellent, thank you. The coffee is great as always."
"Yeah, yeah," the man grumbled, returning to cleaning the glass in his hands.
Soft Cell turned his attention back to the four still lingering outside the café. His eyes landed on the taller brunette, the one he had fought with Tainted Love. His cheek still stung from that strange punch she'd delivered. A glare twisted his face and he forced himself to look away.
Cara was right. It would be pointless to try charging out right now.
Cyndi had been her closest friend and confidant since they were both children. They had grown up together, playing and laughing, often blurring the lines between mistress and maid. The Scot had been closer to Jennet than perhaps even her own family. Which, naturally, made this all the more difficult.
Jennet did not know when she had gotten sick, only that it had happened, and she was suffering for it. When the cold began to first set in, the brunette thought nothing of it. She had been sickly since birth and always managed to pull through with minimal medical aid. However, that simple cold had quickly escalated to what she could only guess was pneumonia; she was bedridden within the week.
"I think this will be what finally kills me, don't you think so," she commented one day, as the maid helped her take the medicine several doctors had recommended.
"No, mistress," the other woman had quickly replied, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "You always make a full recovery, regardless of what the illness is. And you have a visitor scheduled for today, remember? That prick from the Joestar manor seemed keen on seeing you."
Jennet had to giggle at that, coughing as the action irritated her throat.
"I see," she managed out, eyes crinkling in mirth despite her maid's worried expression. "Well, that makes me very happy. I've missed him greatly."
Cyndi hummed in response, face darkening. Jennet didn't miss the glance the Scot threw at the necklace around her mistresses' throat. The ring strung upon it caught the light in the dim room.
Jennet closed a weak fist around the metal, sending a tight smile the others way.
Cyndi stiffened, returning to her work.
"So there are different types of Stands?"
"Yes, there are. Stands such as ours are more physical, while Stands like Ms. Mac's are more incorporeal. That is, they aren't suited for combat, which could cause problems for the user at times."
Hanako had found herself wandering the market with Kakyoin and Soibhan, the latter of which was darting from stall to stall and talking excitedly with nearly every vendor (she wasn't quite sure where Fleetwood had disappeared off to). The brunette noticed that the more she talked about things Kakyoin was knowledgeable about, the more he seemed to open up to her. They'd been speaking about different types of Stands, as far as the young man knew, for the better half of an hour at this point.
And, honestly, Hanako was enjoying herself. Yes, the market was crowded and loud, but she had gotten comfortable around those she was with. Kakyoin was excellent at explaining things, and Soibhan was fun to be around despite their strange mood shifts.
"Kakyoin, Hana, come look at this!"
Soibhan's shout shocked both out of their conversation. The brunette was waving excitedly from a vendor stall, seemingly taken with something that was being displayed. The vendor himself seemed a tad embarrassed by the sudden outburst, as Soibhan's shout had nearly been louder than the entire bustle of the market.
"Aren't these pretty?" Soibhan asked once they approached, gesturing towards the wares. A few seemingly handmade pottery pieces, a couple pieces of handmade jewelry, and perhaps two light weight scarves. "I think the scarf would look good on Kakyoin!"
As the boy sputtered and the merchant laughed, Soibhan pulled Hanako aside.
"Someone's been tailing us for the past thirty minutes," the brunette whispered, their eyes blank. A small smirk twisted their face as they looked out to the crowd. "I'd suggest watching your back, Hana-chan. These guys seem much more interested in you than any of us."
"What do you - "
Soibhan giggled softly, almost without any true emotion, and shook their head. "Ask Fleetwood about our fight with that one Stand user…. That girl had a lot to ask about you!"
Giggling again, the brunette pushed past the teen and made their way through the crowd. Within a few moments, they were gone. Hanako shuddered, a chill finally passing over her from the other's strange behavior. What did they mean that these 'enemy' Stand users were after her?
She'd come to Egypt for answers, not more questions, damn it!
"Where did sh… Ah, Soibhan… Where did Soibhan go?"
Hanako spun around to face Kakyoin, trying to school her expression in to something that wasn't a glare. "They… They went off somewhere. Again." Looking over the young man, the girl raised a brow. "Got that scarf, hmm?"
The redhead chuckled and shrugged. "What can I say? That man was very convincing."
Soibhan liked to live in their own head at least nine times out of ten. It was better to be with themself rather than others, especially in the environment they lived in. It was how they managed to be so happy all of the time, how they managed to keep a smile on their face regardless of what was happening.
And why things changed when they brought themselves back to reality.
Currently they were in reality, completely entrenched. They couldn't claim to feel much of anything at the moment, besides seething rage. Their eyes were trained on that café they and the others had passed earlier, the faded sign catching the mid-day sun. Soibhan could actually feel the lack of expression on their own face, the blankness that belied the anger they felt.
"You must learn to control yourself with these… Changes," he'd told her. Lord Dio, who had dragged them from the gutter and given them a purpose. "Learn to express yourself as you wish. Then you will find yourself truly happy."
So Soibhan didn't bother expressing themself, outside of putting on airs. To appear normal before people like Noriaki Kakyoin and Hanako Garner, they would pretend to have expression. To appear as they actually were before people such as Fleetwood Mac, they didn't do anything. Fleetwood, out of those they normally associated with now, was the only one who knew their true nature.
"Cruel Summer," Soibhan muttered, a small smirk twinging their mouth. Their hand was outstretched, palm upward as though waiting for another to meet it. After a moment, a shadowy hand clasped their own. It shimmered slightly in the Egyptian sunlight, as though specks of glitter were speckled throughout. Soibhan brought their gaze up, a dull smile crinkling their eyes as they looked over their Stand.
The Stand was dark in color, not quite black but more of a blue, with specks that shimmered in the light. Its appearance was female, with a doll like body that was covered in a sheer white fabric. Glassy white eyes were the only thing visible on the face, the corners slanted out to form a sinister expression. White hair billowed around its face, trailing nearly to the Stand's hips.
"It's so nice to see you again," Soibhan muttered, eyes softening in the slightest expression of emotion. "I believe Lord Dio will be pleased with us for examining this café, if anything to at least check in…. Kakyoin will be fine with Garner for now."
The Stand nodded, completely silent, before slithering into a strange stance. It seemed as though it were ready to strike at any moment, crouched nearly in front if its master. It looked over its shoulder before fading into the shadows. However, if Soibhan looked hard enough, they could see the faint glimmer of their Stand's skin in the dark shadows.
"Right then," Soibhan muttered, smacking their own face lightly. Diving into their own mind, the brunette plastered their best grin, rushing across the street and throwing open the café door before fully concocting their plan. However, that same sparkling shadow followed them the entire way.
"Give me your best stuff, sir!"
The young man behind the bar looked up in shock, dark eyes wide and face expressionless as he struggled to register what had happened.
Soibhan knew the look on their own face was nearly manic. Their eyes were too wide and their grin unnatural. 'Good,' they thought, cocking their head to the side as the man began to sputter. 'It'll be easier this way.'
Fleetwood held her hands apart, watching the water between her palms shift and sparkle in the sunlight. She heaved a sigh and muttered under her breath, an image slowly taking form. Two men were visible in the image, one a man of advanced years and the other a few decades younger. They were seemingly in an urban alley way of some sort, possibly in a larger city, chasing after a…. Was that a dog?
The blonde cocked her head to the side, a small smile tugging at her mouth. A tiny giggle escaped her lips, and she watched the two squeeze themselves through alley after alley, being confounded time and time again by the small dog.
Her eyes lingered on the younger of the two men, whose red robes billowed around him and whose face wore a mask of complete determination. The smile on her face became almost sad as she watched them, eyes shining slightly with unshed tears. She watched for a moment longer, as the younger man summoned a Stand, one she was all too familiar with. Afterwards, unable to hear the scenes audio and uncaring to the exact reason the two were chasing a canine, the woman clapped her hands together and dispelled the image.
Fleetwood wiped her face, a few of the tears having slipped from the corners of her eyes. Taking a deep breath and placing a hand to her forehead, the woman cursed rather loudly. The fleshbud throbbed under her fingertips, reminding her of her purpose. Her job wasn't to have emotions. No, her job was just surveillance.
She was Lord Dio's eyes for the outside world. She didn't have her own life really – not any more.
Hanako felt the chill run down her spine not five minutes after Soibhan left. It started at the base of her neck and shuddered down her back, ending at her tailbone. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Goosebumps broke out on her arms and she rubbed at them as though she were cold.
"Someone's nearby," Kakyoin muttered, surreptitiously casting his gaze around the marketplace. "Another Stand user, not one we know."
Hanako nodded silently, looking around as well. Her eyes alighted on a woman who was making direct eye contact, a soft smile on her face. The woman's dark skin and hair made her look like an Egyptian native, and her clothes certainly helped that with their traditional look. However, a belt was slung across her hips, holding several items in place that didn't quite mesh with the garb itself.
The woman nodded to Hanako, resting her hand on her belt. That soft smile suddenly looked more sinister than not.
'Found them,' she thought, turning to tell Kakyoin. However, before she could, a voice broke through the din of the market, sounding as though it were right next to her ear. The chill she had felt earlier intensified, becoming a full body shudder.
"Flashdance," the voice exclaimed.
Hanako didn't need to turn around to know that it was the woman who'd spoken, the one she'd made eye contact with.
A/N: So, more stuff is happening now! Plus we got a bit of POV from Soibhan, who has become my favorite side character in this fic lol
I have many things planned for them….
On another note, I will most likely be planning five more chapters, then separating this fic into a first half and a second half. The second half will be in the second season of Stardust Crusaders, the 'Egyptian God Arc'.
Hope you all are enjoying the story still!
