Back to the Normality Shop, of course.

Janice’s shop had all those magic defenses, right? It made it so nobody could use Mindslaver powers on her, among other things. It essentially made her safe from Mind Control or other Manipulations, and that’s what I needed if I was gonna survive this Mindslaver War I got myself into. Or, at least, avoid getting myself and my Harem taken advantage of by some other person.

I made sure to get dressed before popping back into the Normality Store World of course, I’m so perverted that I’d just constantly be naked. Or, at least, I’m not that variety of perverted. I brought my items too, just in case anything happened. I know she’s got defenses, but I felt more secure with my stuff. As I opened the door to Norm & Al’s Normal Goods, I called out “Hey, Janice? I have a favor I wanted from you. It’s not about the stuff you hooked me up with or us hooking up, before you ask, I just wanted to get your opinion on some things.” while scanning the shop for its main caretaker.

Though I called for her pretty loudly, I didn’t hear any response, which made sense once I saw the sign on the counter marked “Sorry I’m not here right now, take what you think you can.” I guess the shop doesn’t need traditional security if they have all the defensive enchantments to keep people from interfering with the business. It was kinda like an AOE version of that one thing Rohan Kishibe did with his first shown use of his Stand “Heaven’s Door”, making his opponent unable to attack him in any way, even by drawing suspicion.

True to form, I didn’t want to take any other Normality Items that were on display. It wasn’t necessarily because I already had Items either, I just had no desire to take anything pop up. It was certainly freaky, knowing what kind of effect the defenses had on me while being unable and uninterested in stopping it. If only I could do that, like how I already mentioned Rohan Kishibe could...

Oh, wait, duh, of course I can, I’m a Planeswalker. With a wave of my hand, I opened a portal to a universe that matched JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable. I picked a time after the protagonists defeated Yoshikage Kira, since to my knowledge not much else happens in the town of Morioh after that, aside from some stuff in a novel spin-off.

I appeared from a portal, one right next to the manga artist’s house as I had intended, and went to knock on his door. If I did my timeline syncing right, he should have just finished his latest manuscript, probably one for a chapter several weeks in advance. I knocked on the door, secure in the thought that I didn’t have anything serious to worry about. After all, I had access to infinite universes, yet was bound by time’s constant passage, which is why I had some necessary details to consider.

Since Laura has me for all of “Saturday”, or the last day of my week, traveling to a world with an alternate calendar can cause irregularities. For example, if I go to a world that had its Big Bang one day early and stay there, then Laura would then come for me on “Fridays”, since that would be the new place for my seventh day after being taken. So to keep things simple, I should stick to worlds that have both seven-day weeks and at times that match up exactly with what’s happening in my world.

The reason being that if I go to a universe that differs by just hours or even minutes, then the official Date change for my agreement with Laura would be altered too, which is its own kind of headache. If I go to a place that’s a minute off, then any planning I’d need to do that takes that into account would need to shift its timetable that small of an amount!

And if I go to a world and interact in it, I can’t go forward or backward in time by going to differently times universes, since I only ever interacted in the one universe. If I make a choice in interactions, I’m stuck with them. So basically, every time I go to a world I plan on coming back to, I need to make sure no details clash with either my calendar or my clock. It’s why I was lucky I came on Sunday, since that’s the one guaranteed weekend day in Japan, where I’d be meeting Rohan.

Oh. Wait. Japan. Aw jeez, I’ll have to speak Japanese!? This isn’t going to be good, I can only speak the bits and pieces I picked up from watching too much anime! As I freaked out internally, I noticed the door handle twist, remembering I already knocked on his door! Oh jeez, what do I do, what do I do!?

The door opened, revealing Rohan Kishibe in his usual attire. As the series he’s from is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, it was of course incredibly stylish and/or flamboyant. I had been too flustered to notice enough of it to describe it in a way that did it justice, of course. The main thing I noticed was his trademark dark green hair and trademark headband and pen nib earrings.

A scowl was clouding his face. I was annoying him already, oh dear! I stuttered out “U-Uh... I’m a fan of yours... from America. I wanted to talk with you... about important business...?” as I wasn’t confident in my ability to not make a fool out of myself by attempting to say it in Japanese. They have English classes in Japanese high schools, right?

With a sigh, he grabbed a pen, made several movements with it, and I fell **** in an instant.

When I woke up next, I was seated in a nice chair, with Rohan sitting across from me. He stated “You were a somewhat interesting read. Someone with the power to mentally enslave anyone he wishes, yet even before I started preparing safeguards your contents included the words ‘I won’t attack Rohan Kishibe,’ among other names. Immortal and unyielding, yet uninterested in using those gifts to overpower others, preferring to share them with any who would accept you. Not only that, but you’ve fathered multiple children with countless mothers, and plan on supporting each and every one into and beyond adulthood. As you fostered a passable amount of inspiration within me, I’ll humor you. Before you ask, I only wrote in a perfect understanding of Japanese, no other additions. It would spoil any other experience you could give me otherwise.” while sipping a cup of tea. I noticed one next to me as well.

I grabbed the saucer, having a drink when I could as I asked “Thank you for that, then. Since you read me as a book already, you probably already know what my situation is. I think you might be able to help me, if you’re okay with writing some more additions. It would help especially if you could write ‘I won’t be controlled by another Mindslaver secretly’ or something like that. I already have something set up that should keep most conflicts bloodless, but I don’t want to be taken over by surprise before the thing I prepared comes into effect. I’ll do something for you in return, I promise, just as long as I don’t have to do something I wouldn’t already do.” while blowing on the still very hot tea in between words and tiny baby sips. It would have been kinda preposterous to expect him to just do me a favor out of the goodness of his heart. Even when I was gonna ask Janice, I still expected there to be an exchange.

Rohan sighed “As you’re clearly aware of my Stand’s abilities to some extent, I’ll cut to the point. Any writing I apply to your book can only apply to you yourself, solely within the realm of your actions and abilities. I can’t write in any special luck when playing blackjack, though I can bestow a skill in counting and memorizing cards. Luck, after all, is a product of the world’s machinations towards you more than it is a skill you can develop.” as he set down his cup and pulled out a pen, making another series of lightning fast motions as he drew an image of Heaven’s Door for me to see. It really was lucky he could draw as quick as he could, since it was how he actually opened up people into books in the first place.

Which was why an instant after I saw the drawing of the boy with the large brimmed hat, the upper part of my torso flipped down to show my book pages, with some of them further unfolding to make a three-page spread. It made me think of one of those centerfolds that they had for old porn/swimsuit magazines. With another flourish, ink flew at a blank space on a page, spelling out a statement in Japanese that I could read as “I will not have tea thrown in my face.”

As I marveled at his feat of long-distance writing, I saw him toss the tea in his cup at my face, soon getting splashed with the still-hot liquid. While I yelped in pain, I saw the writing fade from my page as Rohan continued “See? I can’t write about others in your book and expect it to stick. I’d need to see their books. Keep the domain to you, though, and I can truly do anything.” and wrote another passage reading “I will levitate once tea is thrown at me and cease floating once it dries.”

Once again, Rohan threw tea in my face, this time my own cup. But once I got splashed again, I started slowly floating in the air, levitating like he had written I would. In the moment I wondered why he had to make me get drenched in burning tea to prove his point, but I guess it communicated what was possible better than just going at length with me about it until I got it. Still hurt, though.

Once I stopped floating, and Rohan washed away his addition from my pages, I asked “Okay... so my options’re more limited then. Well, I suppose I’ll be okay if I can at least defend myself. Can you boost my perceptive abilities so I can tell when I’m gonna get attacked or enslaved, then? Or maybe something like that spider-sense thing? That’s help for sure.”

He put a hand on his chin in thought, before replying “I find you somewhat interesting, though I’m not sure we’re on the same wavelength, so I’ll fulfill your requests. However, I’ll only do it on the condition that you return periodically during the course of your Mindslaver War that you have to wage and allow me to read from you about your exploits. The concept of a Mind Controlling master who wishes to alter minds as little as possible is somewhat intriguing, I must admit.” and writing in the passages “I can tell when someone or something is going to attack me and how about five minutes before it happens.” and “I will return to help inspire Rohan Kishibe for his manga.”

“I was gonna do it even if you didn’t write it in my book pages, but I guess it’ll help me remember for later.” I said, my pages folding back up as Rohan’s ability returned me from my book-state. He nodded, saying “I did read you already. I’m well aware of how absent-minded you can be, despite your skill in planning and logistics.”

Almost immediately, I got a flash of information. They would be a Contract Mindslaver. I hurriedly whispered “Rohan, the next person who comes to your door is going to try and make you and me sign something that will make us their slaves. I’m going to try and enslave them before they can, but try not to act too out of the ordinary. If they think something’s up they may run or try and do some physical attack. I’ll hide near the front, you try and stall them once they get here and give me time to work my magic. And whatever you do, don’t sign any paper they give you.” He skeptically raised an eyebrow, but eventually sighed “All right, if you’re sure.”

Sure enough, a knock could be heard at his front door a couple minutes later. I had already found a place to hide behind a coat rack that was fully occupied by coats and hats. It didn’t actually cover me that much, but based on its angle relative to the door it should keep me hidden long enough.

I heard Rohan ask “Can I help you?” as he opened the door to the enemy Mindslaver. In response, a woman’s voice said in passable Japanese “Good morning, Rohan-sensei. I’m a big fan of Pink Dark Boy, would you do me the honor of signing an autograph for me?” though there was an American accent to her words. I could only really tell cause of Rohan’s Japanese enhancement, though she didn’t mess up any word choices. As I reached out telepathically to enslave her, I realized she would be a much tougher nut to crack. It usually took a few moments to make my connection, but with another Mindslaver that started to stretch into more like a good five minutes!

Thankfully Rohan replied “Oh, well this is a surprise. I was under the impression readers from America had no appreciation for my works. In fact, I don’t think that an english language release of my work is even available for purchase. How ever did you come to read it? You certainly speak Japanese impressively, but it can’t be that you read it in its native language too?” Wow, he certainly knew how to stall. He’s not lying about anything, if I remember correctly, so I think that shouldn’t be suspicious.

“... huh. From what I heard, it doesn’t take you this long to sign an autograph, Rohan-sensei. Is something wrong? Did you injure your hand or something?” Oh jeez, yeah, there was that time he signed two autographs automatically with coffee. I need a little more time, so I’ll have to trust Rohan to recover...

He chuckled “Are you joking? If anything’s wrong, it’s that paper you have. I may not be able to read that much English, but I know a contract’s dotted line when I see one. You know that anything signed under duress or through deception isn’t legally binding, right? I’d be happy to give you an autograph, just show me a blank paper first. I’d rather avoid any kind of legal headache you aim to cause by tricking me into signing some unknown document.” Good god, that was close. But luckily, that rebuttal combined with the woman’s flustered attempts at a response bought me just enough time for me to solidify my control.

I moved from my hiding spot, saying “Thanks Rohan. Okay, we’re gonna have a talk. Come inside, please.” as I saw the Mindslaver in the doorway’s newly hearted pupils.