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[starmark]

. . . Yare yare. What is it? Hurry up and say something already.



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[starmark]

...You didn't see it and you don't know what it does, but having a different name makes it not a problem?

[Oh, boy.]

That's what you're getting at. That this guy you met is Dio Brando from a different universe, with a different name, but just because he calls his Stand something different you're willing to just assume it's fine?

[lapidarius]

Did I say that?

[boys, calm down.]

I'm not going to just trust him or assume that his Stand isn't something horrendous. Don't insult my intelligence like that. But it's sure as hell a start, at least. I won't doubt for a second that he's dangerous, but he just...doesn't seem the same. I can't really place it yet, but something's different.

[starmark]

What else is "all I needed was to know" supposed to mean?

[He turns onto his side, moving to face Kakyoin more fully.]

"Star Platinum" and "The World" are different names, but that doesn't mean they aren't the same in other ways that matter a lot more.

[lapidarius]

All I needed to know at the time, Jojo. I wasn't going to interrogate him about what his Stand could do the instant we met.

[Patience is a virtue, Jotaro.]

...I know that. But there's no ironclad guarantee that they'll be similar, either.

[starmark]

[...Kakyoin that's literally the first thing you ask everybody, you ginormous Stand nerd.]

...So. Where does that leave us? You're not worried, you don't think it's going to be a problem, so what does that mean?

[lapidarius]

[look even he's not dumb enough to interrogate not-Dio.]

It leaves us at 'we should keep an eye on things in case I'm wrong'. Don't panic, but wait and see how things unfold, right?

[...]

Jotaro, I wouldn't take any course of action if I had even the slightest reasonable suspicion that it would get one of you hurt. You know that. I don't trust Diego and I have no idea what to make of him, but I'm confident he isn't an immediate threat.

I only thought it was better for you to hear about him from me instead of finding out for yourself.

[starmark]

...One of us. If it'd get one of us hurt.

[He goes quiet a minute, just kind of looking at Kakyoin.]

You...meant one of us. Yourself included. Right?

[lapidarius]

I-- [From the startled look on his face, Kakyoin hadn't even realized he'd said anything wrong until it was pointed out.]

Y...yes. Of course that's what I meant.

[starmark]

...Yeah.

[He sighs, shucking off his hat in favor of running his hand through his hair.]

That's the thing that scares me most. Second-most is the thought that if someone's got The World here, I'm the last line of defense against it. But first-most...it's that.

[lapidarius]

...

[Looking away, he curled red hair around his finger restlessly. What could he really say? 'I won't let that happen'? Kakyoin couldn't promise that--not because it was inevitable, but because he knew it wasn't possible. If things ever got that bad, he knew he'd drop everything and risk his life to protect this family. No matter how much he very much did not want to die, part of him still demanded the lives of his friends and family take precedence over his own. He'd still be letting it happen to himself, if no one else.]

[He couldn't lie and say they would all be fine, knowing he'd do something very stupid that he very much didn't want to do if it became necessary. There was no reassurance he could think of that wasn't a lie along those same lines.]

...I just don't want anyone else to get hurt.

[It had to be me, echoed that troublesome and unfortunately correct thought.]

[starmark]

...Come here.

[He motions slightly, sliding to make room for Kakyoin to come and lean on him if he wants.]

There's no version of "right" that involves you getting hurt. You know that...right?

[lapidarius]

I know.

[But it didn't change anything, did it? Even if it was wrong, wouldn't it still be less of a catastrophe if it was him instead of someone like Jotaro or god forbid, Holly? If someone was going to die or otherwise end up seriously injured, Kakyoin would still have preferred it to be him regardless of the fact that it wasn't right.]

...I'm sorry.

[He leaned against Jotaro's shoulder, not clear about which part the apology was even meant for.]

[starmark]

...We'll figure it out.

[He slips an arm around Kakyoin's waist, adding that security of holding him.]

I mean it, we'll...I don't know. But there's a lot more than just us. It's not just us against everything. Not anymore.

[lapidarius]

We can manage it somehow. [Automatically, he mirrored the gesture and put his arm around Jotaro's waist as well. That was how they functioned best; a pair working in tandem.]

...I'll be careful. That's all that I can promise, Jojo.