starmark | IC Inbox | rubycity_rp

Caesar's got better things to be doing than teaching me. Like teaching you.

...Besides, it doesn't...I don't know. I don't like taking orders like that, anyway.

...Yeah, I know that you don't. Which is fine--it's just the kind of person you are, that's all. I think it's likely that you're better suited to learning on your own terms and by being left to your own devices rather than given clear and rigid directions--I prefer being taught directly instead of tripping over mistakes until I find the desired result. Trial and error worked with Hierophant, obviously, but that's the exception.

Mistakes don't bother me as much. Right?

Right. [No point in being evasive when that was exactly correct.] And I think I work more efficiently with a clear direction to take.

Most likely. You're not just goal-oriented, you're...direction-oriented too.

So are you gonna show me something?

Don't rush me, I'm thinking. [He said that in a tone of mock annoyance, notebook and pen set aside. What to do...maybe if he scaled it down as much as possible, it wouldn't take as much energy. Or the apparent prerequisite of being incredibly angry.]

[Which he wasn't, obviously.]

[Hierophant laced through the fingers of Kakyoin's right hand, a single small coil as thin as the pen he'd just been drawing with. That would almost certainly necessitate less effort, but it would require more control in exchange. That was perfectly fine; in fact, that approach suited him much more. Finesse over power was second nature.]

[About as much 'second nature' as the carefully measured and even breaths Kakyoin was taking, eyes focused on his Stand and concentrating. There was still a short delay he needed to work on, about fifteen seconds' time to actually channel Hamon properly before it started to manifest. That was a persistent annoyance, but he would figure it out sooner or later. Eventually the crackling sunlight worked its way down his arm into his hand before concentrating itself entirely around Hierophant still tangled around its user's hand.]

It's...a little difficult to maintain for very long. I'll need to start trying to fix that, too.

[Pausing in his push-ups, he half-turned to watch this unfold, then offered one hand toward Hierophant, outstretched in implication.]

Here. Come on. Don't make it stop at my arm, like you would if you were trying to hit someone. Just send it through, down my arm too.

...Sure, I can try that. Just say something if I end up hurting you by mistake. [Still sparking and glowing, Hierophant uncoiled from Kakyoin's hand to reach out and wrap one end around Jotaro's.]

[This seem possible, at least--it required precision and control, and part of him was uncertain about whether or not he could do it, but...what was the worst case scenario here, right? Maybe he tried and maybe he failed--would the whole house explode? Would anything happen worse than a minor burn and a sense of wanting to kick himself for screwing up? And ultimately, hadn't the latter always come down to no one blaming him except for Kakyoin himself?]

[Your worst is about a hundred times better than most people's best.]

[It was fine--or it would be fine. Even if he screwed up, Kakyoin tried to remind himself, it wouldn't be anything irreparable. For now, he focused on keeping his breathing steady, focusing and letting that spark of sunlight move from Hierophant to Jotaro's hand and down his arm.]

[He was expecting it to sting, which is why he's pleasantly surprised when it doesn't.

What he's not drawing attention to, of course, is the subtle fact that Kakyoin isn't doing this alone; certainly he's producing the Hamon, and channeling it, but Jotaro's unspoken role in this affair is to support Kakyoin by readying himself to receive it, which he does. With his lack of practice, he can't do very much, and certainly not well. But he remembers how to breathe, and does so with a little bit of concentration, and when the sunlight comes winding down Hierophant to reach his skin, he's already breathing in circles to draw it down into him even further.

This is what Kakyoin is always talking about, isn't it? He always says it, when we work as a team we're perfect.

Too often the team puts himself in the front, with Kakyoin as support. It's different and refreshing and kind of weirdly nice, being the one easily filling in that supporting role this time.

How different it is, he thinks, from throwing himself in front of Kakyoin in desperation, like he did months and months ago.]

...Got it. I've got it, Kakyoin.

[...Of course it worked. What had he been worried for? The two of them working in tandem were perfect, unstoppable. They could do anything, as long as they were together.]

I told you. You'd be fantastic if you practiced.

[He gathers the little spark of sunlight in carefully, tugging it out of Hierophant and into his blood like electricity from a wire, and feels it tingle beneath his skin; he'll have to get rid of it somehow, sooner or later, but that'll be something he can worry about later.]

Don't...need to be...fantastic. S'fine.

[He is breathing. And concentrating. Talking through Hamon is hard.]

[Hierophant coiled rather comfortably around Jotaro's hand as he worked, Kakyoin leaning his head on his free hand to watch things unfold. Was it still some kind of intrusion to be this set on improving a skill that (probably) didn't belong to his bloodline?]

[...At this point, it was a slight relief to find that he didn't really care right now. Maybe, on rare occasions like this, it could be something that was specifically theirs instead of being the right of one or the other.]

Can you show me that thing you mentioned? About making a ball of sunlight in your hand, try that.

[For just a moment it could be a warm and welcoming kind of power they could both have together, instead of worrying about the particularly unpleasant abilities they carried alone.]

...Sure. Maybe...can do. With this.

[Gradually, he eased himself down onto his back, bringing his hands up and over his chest with the palms facing each other so he could work.

Take the sunlight, ball it up, push it out. Take the way it's rising and setting and reverse it.

He really needed to practice more. This was a lot of work for such a stupid, insignificant little thing. But he kept his eyes closed and he focused, and as before, his control slipped just a little when he tried to reverse the sun; the energy stored in his arm crackled and wobbled, stinging along his nerves.

Gradually, though, with slow and painstaking movements, he managed to form a little lopsided blob of energy between his hands, holding it there while it quivered and threatened to burst, trapped like a canary in the cage of his fingers.]

...

[He watched in silent fascination, wondering if this really was as difficult as it looked. But, Kakyoin reminded himself, he was meticulous in his training and did so as often as he could find time for it. Again, that was just the difference between them.]

[When his work did eventually provide results, Kakyoin flashed an encouraging smile bright enough to rival the sunlight in question.]

That really is impressive, Jojo. Even I can't do that yet.

[Eventually, he just kind of tosses the ball into the air, making it crackle and dissipate almost as soon as it's left his fingers like a harmless little firework in the air.]

I dunno. It's the first thing I did, really, besides the breathing. I don't know how. He just said "do this", and waited.

That doesn't make it any less cool. Most of what I can do is just channeling it through water, not really on its own like that.

[Kakyoin wasn't one to give out baseless praise for its own sake. As much as the technique could be refined and improved upon, he did genuinely find it fascinating and impressive in its own right.]

I'm just saying. I don't think it's the same for everyone, like having to learn an alphabet before you can spell words or something. Maybe it's different for different people.

[He shrugs.]

I think that you're right. I have to wonder what does give someone an aptitude for it, though--if there's any kind of set of rules, or if it's just-

['-hereditary', he almost said, but cut himself off with a small, awkward laugh.]

-...something else, I guess.

IC Inbox | rubycity_rp | I

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject