standless | IC INBOX

That... ...sounds rather similar to what I've heard then, [He says softly.] ...Truthfully today is the first I've heard the term 'Radience' so often. From the context I had gathered it connected to 'candles' and similar but...

[The words 'radience bomb' ring in his mind, and Jonathan swallows.]

...I had expected to be fighting things to stave off the end, because I knew how, and had done so in the past. ...have they really enlisted...

[He doesn't finish the statement. The very way Jolyne was taken here after all implies foul play involved- a ticket from an otherwise horrid cell for a far more gilded one, no doubt. Jolyne at least was an adult, not too much younger than himself in mind though.

There were children here.

There were many children here.

There...] ...

I... think the idea is that the creatures from the Outlands don't like the "light" of the candles and to get them to leave and quit is to use the light in a... group setting? I don't know, I'm just guessing since I'm not under that banner, evidently. [Hunters, familiars, those aren't candles, from what she's been told.

But she's huffing out a soft breath and shifting around to curl in on herself, somehow managing to find a position to still watch him even while doing so.]

I don't know how they'd fix anything, the only thing they could do is delete my entire criminal record. But then I wouldn't really exist anymore meaning... [She's trailing off with a frown, this wasn't something she'd actually considered before.]

That I'd be stuck to their whims, as I wouldn't legally exist. [That's not exactly how it works and is an extreme, but Jolyne always did tend to go to the extreme ends of a situation.]

And theoretically then, the light of the candles is the same light as Hamon... [He wonders, quietly, if that means Jolyne's potential needs to be triggered the way his own was. He didn't have hamon until Zeppeli struck him after all- and who knows how it would have gone for Speedwagon, given that apparently Zeppeli had missed the proper spot that time...

....] ...That... ...That isn't a proper way to help anyone, [He mutters quietly, an edge of anger actually making its way into those words. He hadn't given it enough thought, he thinks to himself. He hadn't given enough thought at all, and it all feels very unsettling and corrupt, frankly.

He hopes it isn't that way. He wants to hope it isn't that way- no, he needs it not to be.

The more they dwell on this, the more pessimistic it's going to feel, he fears.] ...I won't let that happen, if they even try, [He ultimately declares without really thinking.] I simply can't.

I... guess? You'd know about that better than me. [She knows jackall about Hamon, jackall about candles, and really jackall about anything that isn't familiars or Stands in particular. Which is a problem at the end of the day, but it's something she'll probably learn is dangerous in due time.]

If they just let me go or some shit with some money to be comfortable, I guess it'd kinda be helping. [It really wouldn't, Jolyne, oh my god.

She really has no idea what's really planned for her, but she's fairly certain the idea is to keep her under their thumb to use as an agent of sorts to deal with Stand users in particular. Her father won't be around forever and she's, unfortunately, the youngest of the Joestar line as far as she's aware.]

Dunno how much you could actually do, dude. Some of the Stands and shit in the family are more dangerous than you might think.

[That in itself seems to be the issue, ultimately. He knows so little about what he's offered to teach someone in- he knows so little compared to...anyone, truthfully.

And yet apparently, at least if what he's been told has any truth to it, there's scarcely anyone left practicing the art at all.

...

It's strange.

He would have thought he'd be more worried about the end of the world, rather than his other relatives.] ...I suppose they are not ones for talking, are they...

[It's strange, certainly. But he can thoroughly thank his grandson for completely fucking that up.

Either way, she'd probably be down for learning about it at the very least.]

I mean, other than granduncle Josuke? Probably not. Don't think grandma is really involved in any of the shit anyone does and great grandpa is... [She's shrugging slowly.] Don't know much about him, either.

And dad's, well... dad. [Jotaro is the least talkative of the whole bunch, so the answer is just a no, Jonathan.]

[This is....hmm.]

...It is...certainly quite the bind, if we are to look at it from the worst case scenario, isn't it? [He ultimately manages, trying to think of the best way to Not look at the matter pessimistically.]

[Too bad, she's looking at it pessimistically. But that's hardly unusual for her.]

I... guess the best case scenario is that great grandpa is old and senile and can't do shit, so that'd be one less person to worry about?

... [He thinks about it for a bit, and eventually nods.]

Perhaps, we should instead think of the possibility that we can talk to some of these people. While we may not know them, I am certain that at least one connection would mean that we can break through to the rest without drastic measures.

[That earns him a blank stare, hooboy.]

If they're all like dad, then that's a long shit. But... I guess Josuke is related to him, too, and he's pretty chill. So... dunno, maybe? [She has no idea, like she said, she's literally met two other people in her family other than her dad.]

[Who?] Josuke?

Who is 'Josuke'?

[Oh, right.]

Josuke's my granduncle. So he'd beeee great grandpa's other kid. That he had. With not his wife, from what I gathered.

[He does...a bit of math and...] Oh...then he would be my great-grandson? And-

[Oh.

Oh dear.] .........my grandson did what?

[joseph joestar, he knows not your name, but they need to talk,]

Yeah, great-grandson. My grandma would be your great-granddaughter.

[Oh my god, this is turning into a beautiful shit show and she's kind of enjoying just spilling the tea on what she knows about everyone now.]

Y e p. As you can tell, being parents in this family is kind of a shitty ordeal.

[This is getting extremely distressing.

...wait he's realized something even more distressing.] ...you haven't met any of these people...have you, [he realizes, eyes slowly widening.] ...We have all of this family...yet neither of us have even seen them, have we?

... [He doesn't find it in him to note that only he had a proper 'excuse' given to him by reality.]

[O o f.

She's sighing and finding a loose blanket to curl herself in, her focus not remotely on him at this point.]

Just you, my dad, and Josuke. No one else.

[Jonathan doesn't have words for that. Not especially. He tries to think, tries to think on how it could make any sense at all- why a father would keep someone from their family (did they disagree? is the rest of the family, his family, apparently so much worse somehow? Or is it something else?). Why there would be this...mystery, this distance.

He can't even think of a start to what the reason could be. So instead, he tries to channel a bit of hamon through the fabric of his blanket enough to let him wriggle out, coming over to Jolyne's arm.

It's. Not really the best hug, he supposes, but he does at least take a moment to consider how to go about it before quietly wrapping his wings around her forearm. There.]

...I'm...sorry. ...I know this isn't anything I myself can control... ...but it feels important that you hear those words from someone, rather than no one at all.

I wish I could change this, for the better in particular. The existence of family...it shouldn't be something that hurts. And I am sorry for that, Jolyne.

[What is he doing? She's quiet for a moment until she feels that little bit of attachment on her forearm. It's what pulls her from her thoughts to finally look at him, a soft huff of breath escaping through mostly grit teeth. She hates being pitied, she really does and this is exactly what it feels like.

But she can't hate him for... trying? Trying is the word.

She's using her free arm to gently pat his head with a slightly forced smile.]

It's not your fault that shit has played out the way it has. If I hadn't had my damn familiar pop up then I wouldn't even have this much and be stuck in a jail cell in shithole Florida. So I guess I can't... complain too much, y'know?

Truthfully that feels a little...worse? [Sorry, he's got to say it.] You explained that your father had arranged to bring you here after your 'Stand' appeared, didn't he?

...It implies rather heavily that he could have helped you out in the first place. Given why you were there to begin with... ...it isn't right, [he sighs quietly, resting his head against Jolyne's arm for the moment.]

...He should have helped you before it came to that.

I... did, yeah. [She's a little hesitant to answer that question, entirely. There were some days in that first month or so that she'd have rather been back in prison than being here. Not that she's about to let Jonathan know any of that, she's already told other people too much and even if he's related to her, she'd rather play this closer to her chest.]

Evidently he didn't want me getting involved in this if he didn't have to. Even if, fucking surprise, I still ended up getting involved whether he meant me to or not! [There's a real hint of resentment to her tone, huffing as she's curling further into the blankets.]

He's a fuckin' bastard, that's all there is to it.

[He doesn't especially like the idea of encouraging anger. Actually he doesn't like that idea at all- and it certainly wasn't the goal, not with his words.

Jonathan sighs- a very quiet sound, from a very quiet bat, and closes his eyes for but a moment. He wants to comment, but...] I...

...I wonder now... ...would I have been like that myself, if things had not proceeded in this way..?

[He never told Erina about Windknight's lot. He didn't even tell her he was leaving to fight Dio. He hadn't wanted her involved. He hadn't wanted her hurt.

He'd hurt her anyway, with how things ended- but had he lived...

Would it have instead been like this?]

[There's a difference between not telling a human this kind of thing and telling someone who is going to get involved one way or the other, Jonathan. She's a Joestar, born and bred as such, which meant she was going to get into some sort of trouble with or without anyone's help.

She's quiet for a long moment on that question, her focus remaining on him and... lord, this is deeper than she had meant for this to be.]

You didn't get a choice in the matter. And I'm sure if you had gotten a chance that you wouldn't have done some shit like this, you're a lot different than him in a number of different ways. [Her voice is soft as she says all of that, not too sure if she's really getting her point across to where she wants to.]

You aren't immediately intimidating, for one. And don't say it's because you're a damn bat, it's your spirit is what I mean.

[Jonathan looks up for a quiet moment, and he finds words caught in his throat with each attempt to speak. Eventually, his wings move back to come more about himself, eyes turned downward.]

...I didn't tell Erina, when I went to fight Dio, [he says quietly. And they never did get to explaining Dio the other day, did they? Perhaps another time. Perhaps even now if it seems right, but...] ...I shall admit, we were not married at the time- that was afterward, and I could never have asked her such a thing when the threat of his atrocities hung over head but...

I did not tell her. ...It is perhaps strange to think of it now, so long after it is over...at the time, I had simply though, 'I cannot let her worry for this'. 'I cannot make her a target'. We travelled to Windknights lot...and there faced Dio in combat, for what I had thought to be the last time.

And when I returned, I did not tell her of what transpired. Perhaps Speedwagon explained after...after she was recovered, [he manages with a choke.] Or one of those from Tibet, perhaps.

But my death was nevertheless the first time she saw such things... ...and I cannot help but think that this is my fault...

[...] ...Do you truly think so..? That my spirit could be so strong, despite such a transgression..? I left her to mourn so soon...and she did not even know why for.

[She's going to let him talk until he's done, a small frown crossing her lips instead. It's a whole complicated thing from what she can tell and from what she's read, as well. There's differences to that story, she knows damn well what they are and she's taking a deep breath to calm her nerves once he's done.]

I really think so.

The difference is that the reason you did what you did was to keep her from being a target, you thought everything was over. You did it to ensure that she was safe when she didn't have a way to defend herself.

[God, how does she...]

While I had the means to defend myself, I have the means to fight back, I had a right to know about all of this and was instead left to figure it out on my own. Alone.

My mom didn't know about any of this fucking shit, either.

[It's clear, ultimately, that there is still doubt in Jonathan's mind. He's like that- more self-deprecating than one would initially presume, more inwardly despairing that any could presume. It's easy to hide it when there's a goal to charge for, when there's something greater at stake that needs to be dealt with but when there's nothing but classwork and a sad blanket party it's a bit harder to miss.

Conversation is a good distraction however, and ultimately it'll be easier to convince him fully with time.] ....does...she know that you're here, at least..?

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