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pyitara, who asked for something with Gojyo getting in touch with his kappa heritage.
This gave me a problem. I always thought that Gojyo just got called kappa as a nickname, not that he actually was one, and that it was a reference to the original character in Journey to the West being a water demon. It's never really talked about in the manga, although maybe something got lost in translation. Perspectives on it would be much appreciated.
Saiyuki snippet:
He'd known Gojyo for more than three years before he dared ask, late one night when the others were sleeping, 'What was your father like?'
Gojyo blinked at him in the firelight, then dropped his head so that his hair swung down to hide his face.
'He left when I was a baby,' he said, raising his shoulders in a shrug. 'Who knows?'
*
The body lay in the dried-up river bed, frail and helpless looking. It was small, only the size of a child, but it had webbed feet and drab, scaly skin that now stretched like dried leather across its skeleton. Matted hair fell over its curved, beak-like nose. It had curled up in a ball, perhaps knowing death was close.
'What is it?' Gojyo asked, prodding it with his boot.
'Don't you know?' Hakkai said, staring at him.
Gojyo scowled. 'Why should I?'
'It's a kappa,' Hakkai said.
Gojyo took his boot away and didn't reply at once, but his mouth turned down as he stared at it, then he walked away. 'So what? Why should I care?' But he didn't mention their find to Sanzo or Goku.
A few weeks later Hakkai bought him a book: A Spotter's Guide to Youkai and Other Supernatural Beings. It was a small volume, pocket-size, but it was up-to-date and all its facts were correct. Hakkai had checked it himself. It had everything Gojyo needed to know. Gojyo looked at him like Hakkai had grown three heads when he handed it over, but he took it away and later that week Hakkai was pleased to see him flipping through it.
'My nose,' Gojyo said to Hakkai, one day at dinner, 'it's not-- beaky, is it?'
'You have a very attractive nose,' Hakkai said.
Gojyo stared at him for a few seconds. 'Well, thanks.' He flattened his hands on the table and spread his fingers. 'Do these look webbed to you?'
'Not even slightly,' said Hakkai. 'I'm also fairly convinced you don't have a water-filled dent in your skull--'
'I wouldn't be so sure,' Sanzo muttered. 'He's got a water-filled brain.'
'Screw you. I never asked for your opinion.'
'And I'm reasonably certain that you'd never attempt to suck out our entrails through our anuses,' Hakkai said.
The spray of Gojyo's beer reached the next table over.
'Please excuse him,' Hakkai said, as Gojyo choked. He gave its occupants a big smile.
Sanzo lit a cigarette. 'I hate you all,' he said.
'Hakkai!' Goku cried, 'that's really put me off my dinner.'
'Kappas can do a lot of good too,' Hakkai went on, patting Gojyo on the back to help with his coughing fit until Gojyo shoved his hand away. He was very red. 'They can be very kind and trustworthy.'
'I'm not a fucking kappa,' he yelled. 'I don't eat people and I hate cucumbers and I don't smell of fish!'
The restaurant fell silent. Gojyo just sat there, not looking at them, staring at the table instead. He seemed to be trembling slightly.
'You're as stupid as one,' Sanzo said. That seemed to be everybody's cue to start talking again and a buzz of conversation rose around them.
Goku looked from Sanzo to Hakkai to Gojyo. 'Well, we call you that, I know. But-- who cares if you are or not? I don't. As long as you don't try the entrails thing,' he added.
Gojyo frowned. 'That's not the point.'
'Isn't it? There are worse things than smelling of fish. Not that you do. Often.'
Gojyo put his head in his hands.
'Gojyo, it's not like any of us are normal, even for youkai,' Hakkai said, softly.
'Speak for yourself,' said Sanzo. 'I'm human, remember. You lot keep forgetting that.'
'Maybe that's why we all get along so well,' Hakkai went on, ignoring him-- he was only looking at Gojyo.
Gojyo shook his head, then his shoulders slumped and he ran a non-webbed, long-fingered hand through his hair.
'Yeah, well, you're obviously from another planet,' he said, but his mouth was curving up now and the scowl was going.
Hakkai nodded.
'It wouldn't surprise me at all,' he said solemnly. 'It feels that way sometimes, travelling with you.'
'A stranger in a strange land,' said Goku.
They turned to stare at him.
'Shut up,' said Sanzo.
'I knew it was a mistake to give him your library card, Hakkai.'
Gojyo grinned then and drank more beer, and eventually they made him take his boots off to prove his feet weren't webbed either and Hakkai was happy to take each strong, arched foot into his hand to check the toes personally. Nobody could find a water-filled dent anywhere on his person and his skin wasn't the slightest bit scaly. He didn't smell at all fishy.
'Oh god. Get a room,' muttered Sanzo. He appeared to mean it, so Hakkai did.
He just wanted Gojyo to talk and for himself to listen. From the other bed, Gojyo's voice was low and unguarded with impending sleep, pitched only for Hakkai's ears. It was like being wrapped in soft wool on a winter night, or warm flowing water. His voice filled the quiet, dark room. He'd been talking for a while now, and Hakkai felt he could listen all night.
'Mom never said anything about him-- you know, what he was. I guess-- I mean, I thought-- maybe he looked like Jien.'
'I've always thought you and your brother have the same smile. Your father probably had that too.'
'We smile the same?' Gojyo said, after a long pause.
'Sometimes, yes, it's exactly alike. A mischievous kappa smile,' Hakkai murmured, hooking his pillow close to him with one arm and pressing his face into it.
'Hakkai,' Gojyo said, softly, 'I don't really mind being called that. You can call me it-- I won't be insulted.'
'I know.'
'S'not like you ever do, though,' he said.
'Would you like me to?'
'I'm just sayin' if you ever did I wouldn't mind.'
'I wouldn't want to. I like Gojyo best.'
'Oh.' More silence, and Hakkai was sure he was asleep, until Gojyo said, 'D'ya really think I've got an attractive nose?'
Hakkai smiled into his pillow and bit his lip. You've got an attractive everything, he wanted to say, but he didn't. There were lots of things he wanted to call Gojyo, but not yet.
'Go to sleep, Gojyo,' he whispered, instead.
******
Cultural notes: kappas are river imps. One defining characteristic of the kappa is a shallow depression in its head that holds water, and they get their strength from this water when away from home. They can be snake-like, ape-like or turtle like, with a beaky nose and webbed hands. They are also reputed to suck out people's entrails or livers or souls through their anuses-- said to be a way of explaining the swollen anuses of drowning victims. Gojyo would never do anything like that, I'm sure.
pyitara, who asked for something with Gojyo getting in touch with his kappa heritage. This gave me a problem. I always thought that Gojyo just got called kappa as a nickname, not that he actually was one, and that it was a reference to the original character in Journey to the West being a water demon. It's never really talked about in the manga, although maybe something got lost in translation. Perspectives on it would be much appreciated.
Saiyuki snippet:
Something Strange
He'd known Gojyo for more than three years before he dared ask, late one night when the others were sleeping, 'What was your father like?'
Gojyo blinked at him in the firelight, then dropped his head so that his hair swung down to hide his face.
'He left when I was a baby,' he said, raising his shoulders in a shrug. 'Who knows?'
The body lay in the dried-up river bed, frail and helpless looking. It was small, only the size of a child, but it had webbed feet and drab, scaly skin that now stretched like dried leather across its skeleton. Matted hair fell over its curved, beak-like nose. It had curled up in a ball, perhaps knowing death was close.
'What is it?' Gojyo asked, prodding it with his boot.
'Don't you know?' Hakkai said, staring at him.
Gojyo scowled. 'Why should I?'
'It's a kappa,' Hakkai said.
Gojyo took his boot away and didn't reply at once, but his mouth turned down as he stared at it, then he walked away. 'So what? Why should I care?' But he didn't mention their find to Sanzo or Goku.
A few weeks later Hakkai bought him a book: A Spotter's Guide to Youkai and Other Supernatural Beings. It was a small volume, pocket-size, but it was up-to-date and all its facts were correct. Hakkai had checked it himself. It had everything Gojyo needed to know. Gojyo looked at him like Hakkai had grown three heads when he handed it over, but he took it away and later that week Hakkai was pleased to see him flipping through it.
'My nose,' Gojyo said to Hakkai, one day at dinner, 'it's not-- beaky, is it?'
'You have a very attractive nose,' Hakkai said.
Gojyo stared at him for a few seconds. 'Well, thanks.' He flattened his hands on the table and spread his fingers. 'Do these look webbed to you?'
'Not even slightly,' said Hakkai. 'I'm also fairly convinced you don't have a water-filled dent in your skull--'
'I wouldn't be so sure,' Sanzo muttered. 'He's got a water-filled brain.'
'Screw you. I never asked for your opinion.'
'And I'm reasonably certain that you'd never attempt to suck out our entrails through our anuses,' Hakkai said.
The spray of Gojyo's beer reached the next table over.
'Please excuse him,' Hakkai said, as Gojyo choked. He gave its occupants a big smile.
Sanzo lit a cigarette. 'I hate you all,' he said.
'Hakkai!' Goku cried, 'that's really put me off my dinner.'
'Kappas can do a lot of good too,' Hakkai went on, patting Gojyo on the back to help with his coughing fit until Gojyo shoved his hand away. He was very red. 'They can be very kind and trustworthy.'
'I'm not a fucking kappa,' he yelled. 'I don't eat people and I hate cucumbers and I don't smell of fish!'
The restaurant fell silent. Gojyo just sat there, not looking at them, staring at the table instead. He seemed to be trembling slightly.
'You're as stupid as one,' Sanzo said. That seemed to be everybody's cue to start talking again and a buzz of conversation rose around them.
Goku looked from Sanzo to Hakkai to Gojyo. 'Well, we call you that, I know. But-- who cares if you are or not? I don't. As long as you don't try the entrails thing,' he added.
Gojyo frowned. 'That's not the point.'
'Isn't it? There are worse things than smelling of fish. Not that you do. Often.'
Gojyo put his head in his hands.
'Gojyo, it's not like any of us are normal, even for youkai,' Hakkai said, softly.
'Speak for yourself,' said Sanzo. 'I'm human, remember. You lot keep forgetting that.'
'Maybe that's why we all get along so well,' Hakkai went on, ignoring him-- he was only looking at Gojyo.
Gojyo shook his head, then his shoulders slumped and he ran a non-webbed, long-fingered hand through his hair.
'Yeah, well, you're obviously from another planet,' he said, but his mouth was curving up now and the scowl was going.
Hakkai nodded.
'It wouldn't surprise me at all,' he said solemnly. 'It feels that way sometimes, travelling with you.'
'A stranger in a strange land,' said Goku.
They turned to stare at him.
'Shut up,' said Sanzo.
'I knew it was a mistake to give him your library card, Hakkai.'
Gojyo grinned then and drank more beer, and eventually they made him take his boots off to prove his feet weren't webbed either and Hakkai was happy to take each strong, arched foot into his hand to check the toes personally. Nobody could find a water-filled dent anywhere on his person and his skin wasn't the slightest bit scaly. He didn't smell at all fishy.
'Oh god. Get a room,' muttered Sanzo. He appeared to mean it, so Hakkai did.
*
He just wanted Gojyo to talk and for himself to listen. From the other bed, Gojyo's voice was low and unguarded with impending sleep, pitched only for Hakkai's ears. It was like being wrapped in soft wool on a winter night, or warm flowing water. His voice filled the quiet, dark room. He'd been talking for a while now, and Hakkai felt he could listen all night.
'Mom never said anything about him-- you know, what he was. I guess-- I mean, I thought-- maybe he looked like Jien.'
'I've always thought you and your brother have the same smile. Your father probably had that too.'
'We smile the same?' Gojyo said, after a long pause.
'Sometimes, yes, it's exactly alike. A mischievous kappa smile,' Hakkai murmured, hooking his pillow close to him with one arm and pressing his face into it.
'Hakkai,' Gojyo said, softly, 'I don't really mind being called that. You can call me it-- I won't be insulted.'
'I know.'
'S'not like you ever do, though,' he said.
'Would you like me to?'
'I'm just sayin' if you ever did I wouldn't mind.'
'I wouldn't want to. I like Gojyo best.'
'Oh.' More silence, and Hakkai was sure he was asleep, until Gojyo said, 'D'ya really think I've got an attractive nose?'
Hakkai smiled into his pillow and bit his lip. You've got an attractive everything, he wanted to say, but he didn't. There were lots of things he wanted to call Gojyo, but not yet.
'Go to sleep, Gojyo,' he whispered, instead.
******
Cultural notes: kappas are river imps. One defining characteristic of the kappa is a shallow depression in its head that holds water, and they get their strength from this water when away from home. They can be snake-like, ape-like or turtle like, with a beaky nose and webbed hands. They are also reputed to suck out people's entrails or livers or souls through their anuses-- said to be a way of explaining the swollen anuses of drowning victims. Gojyo would never do anything like that, I'm sure.
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no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 11:37 am (UTC)First of all it's amazingly fuzzy and warm and real. Your characterisation is spot on. I ache for Hakkai.
A Spotters Guide to Youkai and Other Supernatural Beings.
*falls off chair laughing*
I love the balance you have between the characters, the glue that holds them all together. So much that's understated and barely said that builds up to give us an incredibly detailed snapshot. And the feelings between Gojyo and Hakkai in particular, not-quite-but-almost-there. Hakkai knowing so much and Gojyo just barely getting a clue... Gah. Wonderful.
Just one detail - surely Gojyo can swim? He does so in both the manga and the anime. But perhaps I shouldn't mention that. Wouldn't want him to get worried all over again. ^_~
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 11:57 am (UTC)And thank you! There has to be a spotter's guide, doesn't there? I feel like I need one myself. I'm rally glad you liked this- I wanted to say things by not saying things, if you see what I mean.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 12:31 pm (UTC)i adore Gojyo's abrupt neurosis because it feels so real [many an hour has been spent with my family comparing the potential for webbed fingers etc] & Sanzo, even in a small role, is sososo Sanzo.
in conclusion: wah. so much wah.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 12:50 pm (UTC)I love that part. :o)
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 01:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 02:03 pm (UTC)Aw, so lovely.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 04:19 pm (UTC)*ducks*
Ahaaa, lovely, again!
My view is that none of the youkai in Saiyuki are meant to closely resemble their classical depictions --take the spider and scorpion youkai, for example-- and it's all sort of like the humanoid "animals" in Petshop of Horrors and suchlike. So in my verse I treat Doku and Gojyo as real kappa, just abnormally attractive ones. But I totally dig what you're going with here as well. So much. XD
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 05:11 pm (UTC)Hee!
Goku's reaction is great -- really fantastic. Yay.
And the bit about Gojyo and Jien having the same smile made me absurdly warm and fuzzy inside.
*squees quietly*
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 06:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 07:07 pm (UTC)Also,
Goku looked from Sanzo to Hakkai to Gojyo. 'Well, we call you that, I know. But-- who cares if you are or not? I don't. As long as you don't try the entrails thing,' he added.
More squee!!
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:08 pm (UTC)Thanks - glad you enjoyed it.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:18 pm (UTC)I'm really glad you liked this - this way is certainly one way of looking at the whole kappa thing. It's not made very clear in the manga. But, yeah, I can go with the abnormally attractive kappa idea too. XD
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:18 pm (UTC)'My nose,' Gojyo said to Hakkai, one day at dinner, 'it's not-- beaky, is it?'
Gojyo is adorable, and Hakkai...just makes me flail with happy. *flails* In conclusion, I really suck at coherent feedback, but I loved this. A lot. =)
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:22 pm (UTC)Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 10:35 pm (UTC)This was terrifyingly adorable, while being completely in-character. That's not easy to do. Very, very nice.
These parts made me giggle:
'Isn't it? There are worse things than smelling of fish. Not that you do. Often.'
BWAHAHAHA. They're all so good at comforting.
'A stranger in a strange land,' said Goku.
They turned to stare at him.
'Shut up,' said Sanzo.
Gasp! Smart Goku!
I loved this. Very sweet, and warm 'n fuzzy without being overdone. Very lovely.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-13 11:34 pm (UTC)