hidden scene ; jojosvaniautena au

[reposing]

"And how are your classes going? Are you fitting in, Adrian?"

He smiles warmly at the sound of his uncle over the phone. "I think so. It was a rough start, but... I've made some very wonderful friends here. People I care about. I appreciate you making sure I had second thoughts about transferring. I can't imagine leaving now."

"Ah, good good! You know, I received an invitation to speak the Chairman tonight. A rare thing, really. I wanted to know if you'd like to come with me to meet him."

"The Chairman..." Adrian hesitates, glancing over at his shoulder, the way Star hisses at the mention of him. He wonders-- does the Chairman have anything to do with the End of the World? Maybe he should ask Jotaro, but then again he should be fine with just his uncle, shouldn't he? "Mm. What time tonight?"

About seven in the evening is when they head to the Chairman's Hall. Oddly, he couldn't find Jotaro to even ask about the Chairman, to verify his identity. Maybe he'd been too paranoid, but he also trusts how Star reacts to people. Regardless, he waits in the elevator with his uncle as they go up to the office. For all of Adrian's nerves, his uncle's calm smile doesn't waver. That, at least, is something of a comfort.

When they arrive, the Chairman is waiting; he's a tall man, taller than even Adrian or Jotaro are. Blonde and incredibly charismatic, that much he can interpret right off the bat. Yet, he has the sense that there's something else familiar about him. On his shoulder, he feels little pinpricks of Star's claws before the little creature goes to hide in one of Adrian's pockets.

"Chairman," his uncle greets politely, smiling and offering a bony hand. "It's an honor."

"Please, just Dio will do." Dio takes his hand briefly. "And this must be your nephew?"

Adrian steps forward and bows his head briefly. "Adrian Ţepeş."

"Ah! Yes, I've heard so much about you. Please, you're just as welcome." The way Dio speaks and his body language-- it's almost regal. Like a king dominating his realm. Even his steps are powerful, his presence unquestionable. It's nearly intimidating, but Dio appears to be nothing but polite.

So Adrian smiles at him in kind. "Thank you for having us."

The idea is to have a shared dinner. For Adrian's part, he's already had one of his blood packets, but he can still eat food to enjoy it so it's not a problem to pretend to be a human boy. As they go inside of the office, it continues to be more and more extravagant. If anything, it makes Adrian think more of a mansion or a castle by how much intricate decor there is inside than a mere place for a chairman of an academy to work at. It works too well with Dio's presence.

Once they get to the dinner table, Adrian pauses, hesitating. "Jojo--?"

Jotaro is sitting calmly at the table, in the way that he's more reserved around other people than Adrian himself. That's already a concerning sign.

"Jojo is a distant relative of mine," Dio explains, sitting at the head of the table. "Not much of a family resemblance, is there? But then, we're all the family we really have in each other."

"I had no idea. But... I suppose I didn't really ask." Adrian feels sheepish, opting to sit across from Jotaro.

Something about this feels off, yet horribly familiar. A thought just out of reach of him, a truth that he can't connect to. However, it's all just a feeling, not unlike a whimsical dream so he lets it go in favor of dinner. Dio is nothing but a considerate host, the food well made. Jotaro doesn't interact much, and it's admittedly more of a discussion about the academy between Uncle and the Chairman. The freedom for the students, their classes, how satisfied the students are--

"Adrian, how do you think the students are at the academy?" Dio asks suddenly. His smile is sharp, his eyes holding Adrian's attention.

"Ah, well..." Adrian clears his throat as he considers for a moment. No, he doesn't think he could bring up the duels in a situation like this. Hell, he still hasn't even told his uncle. Honestly, he has no idea how to go about it to begin with. "I think that this can be a very tough time for a lot of students. They have a lot of worries to get through. Not that the classes are unfair. They're just challenging enough, and I enjoy them. Still, I think at the end of it, they're able to rely on each other in some way."

"That's wonderful. I know Jojo's had some difficulties fitting in sometimes, but it sounds like he's made a wonderful friend in you. I'm glad."

Abruptly, Jotaro stands up. It's quiet for a moment, and Jotaro slowly exhales out before he says, "Excuse me." He steps away from the table.

"Hm. It's probably still a sore spot for him," Dio muses.

Frowning, Adrian stands up, ready to go after him. Remembering his manners, he manages out a, "Excuse me as well!" before he heads off after Jotaro.

They're a room away, one that's more like a hallway. There are paintings hanging, utterly detailed, humming at the back of his mind. Arrows, castles, a star, the world, the World, Death, but Adrian tries to not let himself become distracted. He reaches out for Jotaro's hand, grasping it.

"Wait! Jojo, what's wrong?"

Jojo looks over his shoulder. "You shouldn't talk to Dio."

"Why not?" Adrian sighs and they come to a stop in front of one of the paintings. A white wolf, leaping through flames. It unsettles Adrian in a way he can't describe, so he doesn't look at it. "You didn't tell me you had any relatives here."

"You've already changed a lot here at the campus, Adrian. It's..." Jotaro doesn't pull his hand away. Instead, he links their fingers together. "He's the Chairman. There's a lot you could end up influencing with him. For better or for worse."

"Is he dangerous?" Adrian asks.

Jotaro pauses, then adds quietly, "You both are."


-=-=-

"So what was the real reason for this invitation, Chairman?"

With the two students no longer present, Dio's expression becomes genuine. The familiar eyes of a predator, a sneer on his handsome face. "I do not recall ever hiring you to this academy."

"Oh? Would you like the paperwork to confirm?"

Dio slams his fist down against the table and he rises. "You can fool everyone, even Jotaro, but I know who and what you are. So again, how did you come here?"

The student counselor never really stops smiling, all teeth and grinning. His eyes are vacant, but that's just how skulls are. "Oh, Dio. You can't stop me from being here. No one can. No more than anyone can stop Death."