He's... perplexing.

[He drinks weird things and does mysterious things with bread— although, actually, Kakyoin knows all about the Polpo test now, so that's less strange in retrospect.

Also, they've met.]

Fighting some enemy with him— assuming that that's true, it's a good sign. [Although they are both guilty of tripping face-first into DIO charisma, but he'd like to think they've learned. He's picking and choosing details to think about here, and it's obvious; give him a moment.] If you believe him, then I'll do the same.

[Perplexing is a good word for it. But not evil, not the way DIO had been. Radiating it, a terrible aura even as he'd drawn people in with that charisma.]

Okay.

[There's a lot of trust packed into that one sentence, he realizes. He wouldn't blame Kakyoin for ignoring Polnareff's advice; he wouldn't blame him in the least for hating Giorno. But if Polnareff believes him, Kakyoin does as well, and that almost trips him up, because it means so much.

But he won't say anything. That would ruin it.

Instead, carefully:]

You okay?

[What do his parents have to do with anything? Kakyoin wants to say it, if only to convince himself he believes it, but the only reason he knows Polnareff and Jotaro and the others is because of a family legacy; those parents matter - Giorno Giovanna being DIO's son isn't an insignificant thing he can overlook.

He would like to, don't get him wrong; he's met the boy, and Giorno seems... decent, if nothing else. Odd but not threatening, not like meeting DIO for the first time in Cairo.]

I... don't know.

[He looks over at Polnareff, shrugging. Physically, actually, he feels goddamn terrible, heavy and sick, but logically? Having met Giorno out in the world and heard Polnareff just now say he's not anything like his father? That's just— Giorno is just another Stand user, and against the usual pattern, one who hasn't tried to hurt him. But.]

He didn't seem like a bad person. Giorno.

I mean, yeah. But that's not what makes it bad.

[He finally leans back, resting against the back of the couch, his eyes locked on Kakyoin.]

I think he's all right. I think he's like his father in some ways, though-- I mean, shit, looks if nothing else, you see him with that blond hair? But, uh . . . it's not about who he is. It's about who he reminds you of.

Reminds us of.

I know what makes it bad.

[Trust him, he understands. One of these days he'll eat something bad and his stomach will hurt and even that will remind him of DIO, so at some point he'll have to draw a line, right? Surely.]

I talked to him. It went well enough. That's not something you could say about DIO, is it? So... I'll be fine.

[He gestures vaguely. Is that enough? He really doesn't know.]

[Not nearly, not at all, not if the slight frown on Polnareff's face is anything to go by. It's not that he wants Kakyoin to start bawling or anything, but still. There's gotta be more to than just this, right? Seeing someone related to DIO, someone who looks like him--]

I nearly killed him.

[He says it quickly, like maybe it'll make it easier that way.]

I saw him and I was in Cairo again, and I nearly killed him, cuz I swear, Noriaki, I thought it was-- I thought I was gonna--

I thought that was it, you know?

[Okay, maybe don't start killing teenagers. Kakyoin frowns sympathetically; it hadn't happened to him, but he can imagine it would have if Giorno had the same menacing presence as his father— he too would have gone for the kill, probably.]

Yeah.

[Maybe if it had been someone else unceremoniously killed up there on the roof— he's spent so much time since waking up thinking about not being dead anymore, maybe he's too distracted to fight anyone? It doesn't matter; he gets it, that's the point. In that case, since that can't be all--]

Your turn. Talk to me.

[Oh, fun, now it's his turn not to know what to say. He rubs the back of his neck, grimacing slightly.]

Can you sleep the entire night through?

[He's not dodging the issue, just. Give him this.]

[Oh. Hmm. Well. If it's honesty hour.]

Most of the time. Sometimes. I haven't kept track.

Yeah, well. I haven't. Not one night since.

Sometimes you're in them.

[Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes it's Avdol, or Jotaro, or Joseph. Sometimes it's even Sherry, and those nights are the worst, because they're an awful amalgam of past and present and future.]

I can't stop thinking about it. About that night, and what I coulda done different, and--

You know, he told me I keep fighting. Thirteen years later. How many times do I fail in that time?

Don't worry about that.

[The next thirteen years, he means, but stewing in regrets isn't a great idea either. Now that Kakyoin's alive again, of course he's going to look out for Polnareff... in his way, so at least this gives him a point of reference.]

That night... I don't want to think about it anymore, but I guess that isn't up to me.

[...]

What do you do when you can't sleep?

Get a drink. Or play solitaire, or . . . I dunno. Fuck around until I'm not thinking of it.

[Of blood, of gore, of screams and dead bodies and voices begging him for help.]

If you've got any suggestions . . .

Solitaire? [boy. at least play freecell or something.]

Come and wake me up next time. I promise I won't get mad.

[He shrugs, trying to look more casual than he feels. This is earnest - as long as he's not woken up for something stupid like a dog video, he'll get up to listen. Being earnest is hard.]

[It's a surprise to him, honestly, but not so much so he comments. His eyes flick over Kakyoin's face again, just once, before he offers a little smile.]

Yeah? Cuz you can't say that now and then get all bitchy when I do it.

If you wear out your welcome I'll be bitchy for days.

[But they've had enough hotel room late nights, so what's the difference? Trauma, but. Still.]

Anyway, I'm serious.

Yeah, I know.

You know that goes for me too, right? I mean . . . even if you can't sleep or whatever, I mean, I don't care. You can always come over.

Sure. I will.

[Maybe. Probably. Remind him in a week and he'll give up being weird about talking about his feelings. Speaking of, is it still feelings time, or is it time for a break...]

Do you still want me to hold Chariot's hand?

[He huffs out a laugh and extends his left hand. The metallic prosthetics glint in the lamp light, and then they glint in a different way, because it's Chariot's hand there, not Polnareff's.]

Try it. And then look me dead in the eye and tell me we feel the same as some stupid bug.

So you are going to be insecure, good to know.

[He reaches out to take Chariot's hand, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his free one. Judging... There's the flow of Chroma, and that's the same, but okay - not bug-like.

However.]

I'm getting a hint of bugs, actually.

[Ooh, but that extra layer is odd. Not overwhelming, but noticeable, and he squeezes Kakyion's hand reflexively. It's nice.

It also doesn't last. Within an instant the texture beneath Kakyoin's hand changes, becoming flesh-and-metal, and that's because in the next second Chariot's hand is behind Kakyoin's head, smacking him lightly.]

Asshole.

[But he hasn't let go of his hand.]

[He deserves that, but chuckles anyway and squeezes Polnareff's hand back as a little plea to not hit him again. Insecure.]

You're worrying too much about giant bug people.

What the hell else am I supposed to think? And what the fuck is this world, anyway, where that's a thing, I should be worrying a lot more about giant bug people, that's disgusting.

[Valid points. And maybe he'd elaborate on that, but right now he's honestly more distracted by the way they're holding hands. Or rather: what's happening as a result because of that.]

Hey.

[It feels . . . strange, but not bad. Bizarre, but addicting.]

Do you feel-- I mean-- I guess this is the, uh, Chroma thing?

They were pretty polite.

[And quiet! He'll defend this polite bug's right to hold hands if it wants, since it didn't seem violent or anything... and, you know, for the sake of petty argument.

That said. Oh, Polnareff.]

Why do you think I held hands with a bug? [for lunch money.] I feel it. It's not bad.

You're weird.

[So, like, he'd probably hold hands with a bug just to say he had. And that's a lot easier than focusing on what he's really thinking right now.]

You think it'd be the same if it was Hierophant and Chariot?

[He is weird, that's fair enough.]

Logically, why wouldn't it...? [Hmm!! Well he's always up for a Stand adventure, so let's do this right now— and Hierophant appears to hover behind the couch. Hey.] Let's find out.