torsion | 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐗.

Jill Valentine, was it?

[She offers a bit of a smile at successfully looking the potential buyer up by name. It's fairly simple and she didn't have to attempt to try to impersonate anyone to get into any databases, so she takes it as a job well done.]

Raven Darkholme. Resident arms dealer for the time being.

[Her hair is a somewhere between sunset orange and fire red, and her skin is blue. In all other aspects she looks to be a human female.]

[ Jill offers what is given to her, though it's clear that she didn't intend for this or set it up to be flattering. Close-up, selfie-style. Her features are prominent. Dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, tank top or sports bra visible on her shoulders. And she's very pale. ]

Jill Valentine, it is.

[ Curious, but not as if she's waiting for her to carry on. It's a casual conversation so far and without any force behind it. ]

Oh, hey. "Raven," alright with you? [ It sounds like it could be a pseudonym, but she doesn't mind. ] Just a hobbyist arms dealer, ha? Well, hey. If you want to meet up I can get a move on -- just give me a moment to clean up.

[ Sweat beads on her forehead, but it doesn't seem as if she was doing anything too intense. ]

[Raven hadn't thought about catching them at the wrong time, but she seems decent enough that she worries less about the timing of the video communication. And belatedly she recognizes that Jill Valentine is a very gorgeous woman.]

Raven is fine. Can I call you Jill? [As far as anyone is concerned it's the name on her birth certificate, and no one could prove otherwise.] Hobbyist is right, but maybe if I play my cards right I can make this my main gig. [Raven notices the sweat and the sports bra, and figures she caught the other woman in the middle of a work out.]

Sure. If you're busy you can drop by my place when you have some time. Unless you still prefer the woods.

[ Jill has gotten used to appearances being strange compared to what she's used to, but she hasn't run into anyone who is rotting and that's what counts. Raven's strange but her features aren't foreign. And she seems strong beyond the use of a weapon; Jill's kinda gal. ]

Absolutely. [ People think she's a "Jillian" but her name is just Jill. Maybe it's some need to be proper? She doesn't know. ] Glad to help you out on that one, chroma or swap.

[ Jill waves a hand dismissively, smile on her face. Friendly, not predatory. ]

Nah, if you're more comfortable there it doesn't bother me. Just figured we could get some shooting done out in the forest, as well. I've got time now if you can give me... oh, say twenty if you're in the city? I tend to be training in between checking out what people have to say.

The former ruler of Sanguis moon received this picture and called it "junk mail." 8 days later Sanguis moon became uninhabitable. A man received this picture and immediately sent out copies, then received good fortune for an entire year, including winning a jackpot lottery. Copy, paste, and send this to 9 people or you will be cursed. Don't take any chances. Sanguis did, and now no one can live there.

I don't even think I know nine people.

Would it count if you sent it to them multiple times?

Guess there's only one way to find out.

[ Too bad Hal seems to have gone MIA. She'd send it to him nine times. ]

Indeed. Have you sent them?

[NOW that would've been a sight to see.]

what's wrong with a revolver?

[ mista accept your new gun friend, don't question her!!! ]

I hear you have a HAT.
And your name is MISTAAAAAAAAAA? ;)
Anyway, slow load time.
Slow aim. Short aim.
Cumbersome.
Great weapon, just not ideal in all situations.
I'm a fan, don't get me wrong. But sometimes you need it to be faster, greater length, and have more of a reserve. Yeah?

it's mista
the pistols were a little too enthusiastic
sorry if they were a pain or anything
but i mean i've never needed anything else
if you know what you're doing it's not hard to use at all
and i've got some advantages others don't
i guess i see what you're saying about more of a reserve
but i've done just fine with 6 for a while

[ mista are you even making sense? ]

Gonna say you seem a little young to have kids.
In fact, I haven't really seen kids around here at all, but
You got talking pistols?
I mean you use what you know, I get it. Not trying to shit talk you or your skill or anything.
Six what?
Remember, this is the first time we've spoken. You gotta meet me halfway, MISTAAAAAAAAAAAAA ;)

[ Too late, it's like this from now on. Just like Jotaro is horrible bastard man. ]

kids?
who the hell said anything about kids?
i'm talking about the pistols
six bullets in a revolver??
and it's mista
m i s t a
stop holding down the a key

I just did.
I don't know, someone made you a profile on that app. I was just assuming based on how it/they? talked.
And yeah, bullets go in a revolver so you can shoot them. And?
Dunno. The app said it was
MISTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
You telling me that was a lie?

I DON'T HAVE ANY FUCKING KIDS??
i'm saying i can usually get it done in 6 bullets
sometimes i have to reload but it's not hard
and i know what my damn name is
you don't have to type it like they did

[ wait, wait, he'd putting some stuff together here ]

does stand mean anything to you
like the word
anything special at all?

I DIDN'T SAY I THOUGHT YOU DID!
I'm just saying whoever posted that thing for you had a you know
kidlike sense about them I guess?
And I'd hope you know what your name is.
Might surprise you, but people aren't always being literal, you know.

Not sitting.
You gonna sort shit out for me or are you just going to keep talking like I'm in on a personal joke that I'm not?

look i know that not everyone is being literal
but i just wanna make sure that you have my name right

[ there's a pause, though, then some more typing and deleting ]

holy shit
so you don't have any kind of special ability
or anything?

You said what your name was. I'm not skimming what you say to me, promise.

I mean, not like some people here.
Stronger than what most people can be by normal means, apparently, but I can't use magic or any bullshit like that.
I didn't think that made me that weird.

yeah, okay sorry
i just had to make sure, you know?

but nah, it doesn't make you weird
i'm just not used to it
most of the people i know have something
an ability i mean
but not sitting is a pretty funny answer
since you were talking about being too literal

Understandable, don't worry.

Hm. Yeah, I guess that could be weird if not uncomfortable.
Probably not the ideal for you.
Ha ha, yeah, I gotta admit, I appreciate a good joke. :)
So, do you prefer Mista?
Your parents must've been messing with you, naming you that. No offense.

at least i can be kind of sure that you're not gonna try to kill me
that's a plus to all of this
i hope
what the hell do you mean though?
messing with me?
i'm from italy it's a pretty common name
but yeah i usually go by mista
it's easier

Well, all I can say about that is it's up to you to decide that. I don't believe in trust that isn't earned.

I was teasing you, I promise.
One of my partners is Italian, but it's not a country I've spent a lot of time in personally. I know the language, though.
If that's what you prefer.
You can just call me Jill. :)

partners?
what is it you do exactly?
i don't think you said before
pretty sure i didn't ask either
you know since i was focused on being an asshole instead

Edited (wow way to skip a whole line ) 2020-01-12 04:11 (UTC)

Anti-bioterrorism NGO Special Ops Agent (SOA) back home.
Here I just mod weapons and train people in martial arts.
Ha ha, you weren't an asshole. I don't think you were, anyway.
Consider it forgotten.

holy shit, seriously?
that sounds pretty badass
i know i gave you some shit about weapons before
if you want the truth i've never really tried to use anything else
i've got a certain set of skills and i'm pretty sure
wouldn't work with anything else
martial arts sounds pretty cool though
what kind?

It definitely doesn't lack excitement!
You did. Just a little, though. ;)
I mean, I don't mean to give you shit for only using one thing, either.
Lot of reasons not to. Access, comfort, knowing what works for you, so on.
But I understand. A lot of people have skills and
I guess "powers"? I don't really have any of those. Although I'm apparently stronger than any human can be.
I know TKD, Savate, Muay Thai, and Wing Chun among others. I also take a lot from wrestling, which sort of is its own MMA style.

You know any?

nah i think i get it
i was being a little defensive so we're good
but i don't really know any of those things
don't get me wrong, i know how to fight
but it's more...
i dunno shit you learn on the street
i can hold my own at least

[ or you know, beat up people outside of the movie theatre for insulting the actors?? ]

Good to be on your toes in a place like this, so it's even.
I mean, yeah, I get it.
I started out in the US Army, if that means anything to you? Since Italy does, I figure it might?
Learned some there, more as I went on. Hobby as a teen, too.
I mean, if you want to learn I'm always happy to teach.
Especially if we both get some Chroma out of it! :)

[ She used to feel that way about Jean-Claude Van Damme. She gets it. ]

shit really?
you'd really teach me some of that?

I occasionally train rookies back home.
But I do it here, too.
What do you think are your strengths? I mean, do you normally go for a kick or a punch when you don't think about what you'll do?
No specifics, no weaknesses.
Speed or power?
Dodging or powering through?

That's part of a style, even if it doesn't have a name. What I do doesn't have a name, but I use certain moves I know. I use toe kicks or enzuigiris or hurricanranas. You know?

my strengths?
i guess it's mostly just knocking people over
and i dunno
kicking the shit out of them
so yeah kicking and you gotta do it fast
you know? before they get a chance to hit you back

what are those, though
the enzuigiris and hurry canary

hurricanes

hurricanranas

The first part's like my partners, but if we're talking kicks I'm your gal.

Enzuigiri's sort of like a dropkick in that you falling doesn't matter, it's the force behind it. You want to jettison yourself and use your legs to hit head or neck and drag someone down.

Hurricanrana's when you use the force of your calves (sometimes knees) after jumping to throw someone away from you either by way of their head or neck. Sometimes considered a trick move? But I've gotten plenty of use out of it, especially since I use a lot of flips for added momentum and strength to my kicks.

Tend to favor toe and heel kicks on average. They're exactly what they sound like.

damn that sounds pretty badass
all of it
but yeah i guess i'm a toe and heel guy or something

so do you charge for lessons?
or is the chroma you get out of it enough
because that sounds like it could be a fucking blast

Everything has a reason for it, even if it's just your body might move a certain way more easily.

Usually. Sparring is free because it benefits both of us (plus we both get Chroma). I usually charge just because I know what I'm doing and can make sure you don't bust anything.
But I can do free test rounds. ;)

Unfortunately in regard to weapons, there doesn't seem a really good, definitive place to polish skills.
If I was more business savvy I'd open a shooting range.

oh man a shooting range would probably be pretty sweet
i mean i don't really need to work on my aim but
it'd probably be good to blow off some steam that way

but trust me i'm pretty sturdy
i've survived worse than a little beating
so you don't have to worry about busting anything
besides that i have a friend who can help with that
he's good at painless healing
so what i'm saying is sign me up

You don't need to work on your aim because you use a weapon.
But it's good to make sure you stay sharp, especially if you go for another weapon.
And that of course.

I'm still going to hold back. Teaching, especially, means you're not there to overpower, you know?
But I'll take those as fighting words.
I tend to train on the beach vs Solar Flexus. Feels a little more spacious and natural if you find a secluded area, you know?
Sand helps in a way. Like being in a wrestling ring. There's a different feel of the space, though it doesn't have a bounce-back.

hell yeah
training on the beach sounds pretty sweet
it'll be like those scenes in the movies
montages, yeah?

when can we start?

Ha ha, you like action movies?
Finally, someone cultured around here.

I prefer 4, 5 AM or so. So maybe tell me what works for you?

some of them, yeah
i mean they're not my number one pick but they can be pretty good

but i guess 5 works for me
not sure how functional i'll be but it'll be worth it if you can show me some sweet moves

[ NOW HE'S TOO ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT ROMCOMS ARE HIS FAVOURITE GENRE... ]

hey can i ask you something
it's ok to say no
it's about your partner so i get it if you don't want to talk about him

this is jotaro by the way

You can ask me whatever you want. Can't promise I'll answer it, but you can ask.
Hey, Jotaro. :)

hi :)

when you think about your partner
does your face do a thing

like without you meaning to do it

You are
Going to have to be more specific about that.
I don't think my face does a "thing," but it might.

[ She melts a little. But she isn't aware of that. ]

okay so there's this guy
abbacchio
his boyfriend is one of my friends

i'm not sure if that's a secret but he doesn't act like it is so whatever

anyway
every time he talks about him he gets this look on his face
like his whole everything just changes

i want to know if that happens to everyone
can you figure out if someone is important like that by talking about them and seeing if your face does a thing

Leone's a friend of mine. Didn't realize he preferred surname.
I guess it does if you love someone? I can't say for certain.
I imagine some people do it if someone means enough to them.

Are you worried about if you do it? Is that it?
Also, I'm curious about why you asked me.

[ Imagine thinking you're this subtle and the feelings you aren't ready to admit aren't plain as day to everyone around you. Incredible. ]

Like, do you want to get on video call and have me talk about people I know or something?

i don't know what he prefers actually
i guess i don't call him leone because that's what his boyfriend calls him
it'd be weird if i called him the same thing as his boyfriend
also i don't call his boyfriend by his given name either
i don't know
anyway

i'm not worried about whether i do it
if everyone does it then it might just be helpful
that's all

...

actually yeah
if you're ok with it
that would probably work

It's just his name. I don't see how that's so weird.
But I guess if that's what you're used to I'm not going to judge you for it.

I see.
So you're trying to figure out if someone cares deeply about someone else?
You got a crush or something? How cute. ;)

[ She tries not to keep too close up to the screen, but it's sort of the nature of using a phone like this. She makes sure he can catch a little wave of hello on screen, though. ]

Hey. I guess I should just start talking? About Chris or Barry or Parker? Claire? Hm.

[So here's Jotaro, sitting in his room, with just enough of the background visible that it's possible to detect something big and purple wandering around behind him. Star Platinum has apparently been let out to play, and is biding out his time by, apparently, sorting and folding laundry into a couple of different piles on Jotaro's bed while his master idles in his chair.]

Hi. Don't act so smug. It's more like, I'm trying to figure out a tell. That's all.

[He is the world's biggest liar but that's not the point.]

What does Chris look like? Don't just cheat and use a picture. You describe him.

[ Jill has... absolutely no idea what is happening behind him and yet she feels it's stranger to acknowledge it and ask than not. That probably says something about her. ]

Heh, fine, fine. Whatever you say. [ Defeated rather than upbeat or sing-song, Jill folds her arms over her chest. ] Though I'm curious what the tell's use would be. Especially since it's only incidental, but...

[ She is already leaning to get a photo before he finishes but comes back on screen with straight visibility and a sigh. ]

Ah... About six feet tall, two-fifty pounds. [ But she pauses here. There is definitely a tell here; the faintest personal smile. Head tilting minutely to the side. ] That's not what you want, huh. Um, he looks like a meathead. It's not what he is even if he's strong, broad shoulders. His hair's gotten lighter since we first met, back in our early twenties. His eyes seem blue, but they're hazel. [ Her hands move slightly now, like it's something that really needs to be explained. ] His skin's a little darker than yours and, heh, he can't grow a beard or anything. Just five o'clock and that's that.

Oh. He's shorter than me.

[Everyone is shorter than him but that's not the point. The point is, he's watching Jill's face with the intensity of a field biologist studying a species and its behavior in the wild, and no, he's definitely not missing the signs as they flicker past.]

Okay. How did you meet him? What were you doing.

Most people are, Jotaro.

[ She doesn't need to be able to read his mind to know that. He's a solid foot taller than her so it can be a little odd for her, but she doesn't mind it. Still, Jill carries on. ]

Well, we had a mutual friend named Forest. [ Something darker crosses her eyes; a brief hint, dissipating as quickly as it came. ] It was quick, don't really remember much about it. But we all ended up working together in STARS. Forest and I were with the Army; he was Air Force before STARS. Forest sort of became the third wheel really fast.

[ She laughs, almost shyly at that admission with her head ducking. ]

You know when you just know someone's right? He became my best friend before I even knew it.

...Yeah. I know a couple people like that. My best friend was like that, too.

["Was" like that. Not "is" like that. It's a subtle yet significant difference, but it's also not one he dwells on. He's still too busy gauging, wanting to keep Jill talking.]

Air Force, huh. He flew planes? Like in a war?

[ Jill assumes it's just past tense, not that it could mean something else. It doesn't occur to her to ask, especially since he's being so adamant about this conversation. ]

He can, yeah, but it wasn't in a war. He's still certified and can fly a chopper pretty damn well. We're more boots on the ground as special operations agents with the BSAA. He's a heavy-hitter compared to me. Arms are nearly three times the size of mine. Doesn't skip leg day though -- probably because he knows I'd kick his ass if he did.

Oh. My great-grandpa flew planes in the war, that's just why I asked. He was, uh...RAF, I think. Not American.

[He tips his head a little to the side, watching her. After a moment, absently, he extends a hand and, in a flash, the purple blur behind him comes into view for the briefest of instants. In the next blink, he's holding a soda where his hand had been empty before.]

So is he the kind of best friend who knows everything about you?

I see. So you're English, too? I wouldn't have guessed.

[ Jill just goes silent watching him like she's having a fever dream. After a moment she shifts forward in her spot and finally asks: ]

So uh, what was that?

[ But he seems to have his eyes on the prize, which she can appreciate. She doesn't like to be deterred, either. ]

Well, I only have a few friends and he's the one I see most regularly. For three years we were with each other almost every day and night when we were mercenaries. We sort of share our friendship circle, but I'd like to think he'd say I'm also his best friend and that we know everything about each other, yeah.

What was what?

[He's not even thinking about it as he pops the tab on the soda and takes a drink, except that then it hits him and he has to catch himself before he chokes on the swig he'd just taken.]

Hang on. You can see him?

[A second face presses gently into the camera frame, this one considerably more purple than Jotaro's.]

You see something...uh, purple, I guess?

[ Why does Jotaro not think anything of clothing being invisibly folded or sodas floating in the air if not seeing purpleboy? Honestly, it kind of makes her like him a little more.

The weirdo.

Jill raises her hand and flexes her fingers. ]

Jotaro do you... think I'm blind? I mean you think you can casually have someone hanging around in the background doin' stuff and I'm just going to keep ignoring it? C'mon.

No, I think most people can't see him, so you shouldn't be able to either.

[Almost absentmindedly, he reaches up with the hand that isn't holding his soda and buries it in the purple gremlin's hair, ruffling it the way that one might do for a particularly playful dog.]

You keep talking about your unit, STARS. I'm kinda surprised he isn't more confused...because that's his name. Star.

Well, guess I'm not most people.

[ She watches with curiosity, trying to understand what this is since the guy apparently isn't human. Or, maybe it's just a big kid? After all, Jill would do the same thing to Jotaro if he wasn't wearing that dang hat. ]

Oh. It's an acronym -- Special Tactics and Rescue Service -- but ah, hey.

Everything you do is acronyms, huh...

[Another hair-ruffle or two, and he withdraws his hand, leaving the purple figure to slowly settle back into awareness of its surroundings, peering at Jill through big blue eyes with dilated pupils.]

It's after the tarot card, The Star. He's...it's kind of complicated. But he's mine.

I mean if you want me to say Special Tactics and Rescue Service or Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance every time I will, you smart ass.

[ But it's a fond smart ass. It lights up her eyes, not unlike when she talks about Chris. Hm. ]

I see. Mohammed reads tarot, doesn't he? Don't gotta talk about it, either way. Be like me talking about the Mansion Incident. No quick way around it?

So you're saying Americans come up with all these long names and then it just happens that every time they're the right letters to have a catchy acronym? Every time?

[He's getting pretty used to names like that. Smartass, bastard man. They fit him well.]

He's the one who named Star, yeah. Had me pick one of his cards and that's the one that came up. It fits, though, so I guess he was right.

What makes you think we only do it in America? Other than you're messing with me... which is fair, since I keep doing it with you.

[ Horrible bastard man. Still, Jill cracks a smile on screen, lips twitching in a corner, threatening to spill over into a chuckle. ]

I see. Did you just sort of... pull a card to see what represented you, then? I don't know much about it so I can't tell if it's like you or not... I guess I'm just sort of not comfortable with magic and all that, which I've mentioned to Mohammed. He's got a soothing nature about him, though. Might change my mind with how he talks about it.

Who, me? I'm not fucking with you in the slightest.

[HE IS ABSOLUTELY FUCKING WITH HER, 100%.]

...But yeah. He said take one, and that'll be its name. His name. I looked it up later, and the Star means things like...hope. I guess the cards are kind of like a story? If you lay them all out, the meanings tell a story, or...something.

[Avdol is so much better at this, but he's trying, at least.]

Anyway. The big thing about the Star is that it comes right after the Tower, which I guess is like...a big upset. A cataclysm. Everything getting shaken up. And the idea is, after that happens you look up at the sky and see a star, and that's hope. I think that's what he meant. What kind of Star he is. When everything goes to shit, Star's still there for me.

Yet you upped the ante with fuckin' with. Hmm.

[ SHE CAN TELL, but she's going to let him have this victory. He deserves it. ]

Hm. That's... well, that's nice. You sure it's just meant to be the Star is there for you and not that you can be that for someone? Kind of an honor, I'd think.

...I don't want to be that for anyone.

[Except that, as he goes quiet and descends deep into thought as he looks away in typical tsundere fashion, something happens to his expression — after a moment, a slight touch of warmth similar to Jill's own from before colors his features. A faint, personal smile, one that he doesn't even really realize is at the corners of his mouth.

Simply put: he's got a tell.]

There are better people to look at for something like that.

Not the point I was making. I'm not talking about someone's holy grail. Sometimes you... get close to someone, you know? They're like an extension of you. The world on your shoulders is something I understand well -- literally, sometimes -- so I wouldn't want that for you, of course.

[ But there's a but. She can tell there's more to him and his experiences than what she's been made aware of. Jill considers drawing attention to this, maybe even laughing a little, but she'll cut him some slack.

He's cute, after all. ]

"Better" is always subjective. Sometimes there's only one person that can make it right for you. It's never as simple as you want it to be, Jotaro.

...I had this friend once.

[It's an interesting turn of phrase Jill chooses, and one that snatches his attention and won't let it go again: someone's holy grail. That was what the crusades were always about, wasn't it? People chasing after something, an ideal, spurred on by their need to reach it.

Cairo was their holy grail, to all outward appearances. But even before his mom got sick, Jiji's crusade was still there. For him it was always about Dio Brando, and the body of Jonathan Joestar. Polnareff's crusade was about his sister's killer.

What was Kakyoin's holy grail? Did he even have one? Had he really only done everything he did for the sake of following along on someone else's crusade? Or...had there been something, all along, and he just hadn't realized it...?]

He wasn't...an extension of me. But we could fight like it, sometimes. I knew what he would do. He knew what I would do. It made us good. Better together than if we were alone.

[He faced Dio alone. He forced him into a corner the way that only Kakyoin and his Hierophant could have...]

I wasn't there when he died. Sometimes I think if I had been, I could've done something. Sometimes I'm not so sure.

...I know that I was the one he was thinking of, when he died. I think I was his Star, right then. I don't think I deserve it, but I think that's what he thought.

[ She listens with great care -- to the silence between the sounds, even. It's something she knows well. It's achingly familiar, like a ghosting hand over her own palm to guide her. It's too familiar, though for her it was more intense with Chris. ]

...I'm, I'm not trying to put you on the spot or anything, but before I can answer you or make any comments, I need to know. Is there a specific reason that you're talking to me about this?

[ There's a hint to her voice. Not a warning, but clear that it holds her heavily, that it means something to her. Like he's asking her a personal question even if it's just about himself. It's something she knows. ]

[Briefly, he catches himself wishing that this were still being done through text. It wouldn't change the confessions any, but it's somehow easier to get his thoughts out of his head when his voice isn't involved. He wishes, sometimes, that he knew why that is. It shouldn't be any different, in theory, but it is.

But Jill...Jill deserves a real answer, he knows. She's easier than most to open up to. And he hasn't forgotten the way she looked in the grocery store, that flash of something distant and melancholy that he'd understood all too well.]

You're okay to talk to.

[He's not looking at her, but this time it looks more like he's hanging his head than avoiding her gaze. He's mumbling, too, but not to the point of being incoherent.]

And I think you get it. That...kind of thing. People who haven't...had their whole world change, because of something that happened, they don't get it. Not really. But I think you do. Because something bad happened to you, and it changed everything for you, too.

...Right?

[ She looks at him and her expression softens. Sweetens. He gets it. But that wasn't what it was about for her. It's enough to make her crack a smile and lean in a bit to the screen like she is telling him a secret in-person, even though it's quite clear she's alone. ]

...that wasn't what I meant, but you're not wrong. I thought... maybe you knew something else about me. Your friend and I, we have a lot in common.

[ She lets it drag off, looks away but it's nearly imperceptibly to the side. But knowing him, he's noticed. He's not focusing on anything else the same way she isn't. That it's the two of them. She lightly clears her throat into a sound, an ah that drags off like she's lost for words. Is lost for words. ]

...your friend and myself, it sounds like we both made a choice for someone else. Which isn't fair to the people we love, but we did it for a reason. Even if ultimately it meant the worst for us. [ It's clear what she means to say, but she struggles to let it come out. She doesn't want to talk about it, but Jotaro is putting faith in her. And though she's told Leone, she thinks Jotaro deserves it and won't put weight on her. He'll understand in his own way. ] About four years ago, I was on a mission. It didn't go the way we planned. My partner was thrown around like a toy. I saw an out, a way to ensure his safety and make sure he could fight on, so... that's why I thought.

[ That you knew. ]

You said four years is — you said, give or take four years. That you were a prisoner.

[Which means it wasn't four years at some indeterminate point in her history, four years with space in-between to let it fade into the past. That means four years ago something bad happened to Jill and she's been paying for it ever since, except that now she's here instead of there.

Fifty days is a lot different than four years. But the suddenness of it...yeah. Yeah, he gets that.]

I thought what happened to you was like what happened to me, but — maybe you're right, that what you went through is closer to what he did. Maybe I'm the one who knows how Chris feels. And you're the one who knows how Kakyoin felt.

[He rubs a hand over his face, mostly to hide his expression, disliking how raw and how vulnerable he feels, voicing this.]

I wish I could tell him I'm sorry. I don't know if he'd even want to hear that. Would you...?

Yeah. It's how it happened. I jumped out a window over a cliff, into the water below. I don't remember much of what happened afterward beyond waking up in an operating room, but I fully didn't expect...

[ To wake up. To exist and be alive. But it's something there so he knows the connection now. Who, how, and why. He deserved to know when he's offering her this and he understands it intimately. Time didn't matter. You couldn't compare suffering. ]

It could be, maybe. But I think you understand and what... what you've felt is valid, of course. But I think you can also understand that the sort of things we did for the people we care about, we wouldn't do it if we didn't want you to carry on. Because you matter. I can't say I understand him fully because we're different, we're not the same people... but if he did it. He did it because he wanted to, not just needed to.

[ Jill understands it. She tries to hide with a cant of her head, with a bit of her fringe disguising her eyes. It's always in her eyes, regardless of how her mouth is set or voice may waver. ]

I think he... like me, we'd understand. Why. That it's reciprocated, that if you had the opportunity you'd have done what we did, right? It's not so easy as just letting it go for either side. I was saved when it came down to it. My partner found me, he set down his weapons and let me break his bones. He never gave up on me. [ It's sweeter despite the hurt. ] Not the same. But I think you already know the answer it's just... it's different hearing it. You deserve that.

An operating room? ...You don't mean in a hospital.

[Somehow he doubts POWs get hospitals. It's not like he knows anything about it, either way, but. Whoof. Probably better to leave that one alone, for Jill to decide about. It's none of his business until and unless she makes it his business.]

...He was so smart. Kakyoin. When he died, he was...trying to solve a puzzle. Figure out a secret. I don't think, of all of us — I don't think any of us could've figured it out except him. So if because of that, it had to be him...I guess that makes it harder to know whether he would've wanted it to be him.

[He rubs his eyes on his sleeve, then drops his hand and makes himself look up.]

I'm glad he found you. Is — is it okay now? For you. Back there. Are you safe now?

Laboratory. I only remember flashes of it before I was put into a stasis chamber for further healing, I think.

[ She remembers fluorescent lights. Humming, swinging. Derisive laughter. Fingers ghosting her shoulder. She thinks it doesn't bother her, but it does. ]

Whether it was just him or not, he still made the choice. You're putting too much emphasis on what you feel and think about him, not about the choices he made. I know when zero hour hits there's... it's not always blatant. We don't always get this action movie third choice that solves it. But he made that choice -- because that's what it was. That's the only thing you can be confident in, is that of course no one wants to die or make a sacrifice, but it isn't a movie. It's something done knowing you might not walk out. Yeah?

[ Her expression slips, but it's not negative or sharp. Like a sigh. Like she's explaining this to Chris and not someone else with a different situation. ]

I think I am. We had to part ways. I made him leave me behind because I would've slowed them down, but from what I hear from someone else from my world, I make it out. Been worried about it for a while, actually. [ Her chuckle is weak and nervous. ] It takes a load off me. Dying once is enough for me.

It's not like I can just figure out what he was thinking.

[Grump grump grump. Her point is well taken, he has to concede; it just makes him crabby to have to own up to the fact that she's right.]

Guess I'll...try to think about it like that more often, though.

[GRUMP.]

M'glad you make it out. I — [But he fumbles, words seeming to fail him, and he shakes his head a little.] Good. You're okay then. That's good.

I think... Chris was probably the same for me. But I imagine time was running out on your end, too? It's not easy to talk about and no matter how dire it is, even knowing I might've -- most likely would -- die... I wanted to believe maybe it wouldn't be, you know? There's only so much nerve you have no matter how strong you are. Regrets, what you could've had... it's easier to realize them when you're on that wire.

[ Being right isn't her goal, of course. She just wants him to understand where she came from and in-turn, where his friend (or something more, maybe) could've been coming from. If he was anything like Chris, maybe there was some kind of love there. But she won't pry. Feelings are hard enough to talk about and figure out without all of this attached.

She knows this too well. She still struggles with her own and won't let herself delve too deeply, yet she waits. So what does that really mean? ]

I hope you can find some closure. On your terms. I understand the choice wasn't given to you and it feels... difficult. Impossible because there's no line that ends it. I guess that's what I feel now? But if you can't have it, you can't have it. If he was like me at all, he wouldn't want you to sulk so much. What's the point of sacrifice if all it ends up in is misery, yeah?

[ She's going to make it more awkward, though. ]

It's good. You wanna get a drink or something? Wait. Milkshake. Or soda. I don't know.

[For a second, he just stares at her, as though he was about to engage her insightful and thought-provoking remarks with some commentary of his own —

EXCEPT THAT THEN SHE CORRECTS "DRINK" TO "MILKSHAKE" AND OH, OKAY, NOW IT'S TIME TO SHOW WHERE HE GOT THAT "BASTARD MAN" MONIKER FROM

At a thought, Star Platinum goes zipping off at the speed of Really Fast™, and when Star returns a second later, a can of beer just seems to miraculously appear cradled in Jotaro's left hand.

And this is a trick he's clearly practiced, stabbing the base with a pen, lifting it to his mouth, and popping the tab like the champion he is, making direct eye contact with the video feed the whole time.

To his credit, he doesn't choke or sputter. When the can is done, he tosses it back to his Stand, who crushes it in one fist with a satisfying crunch, and then heads off to go responsibly deposit it in the recycling can.]

[ Jill just watches like what is happening right now because this is a fever dream between giant purple buff man and child who is taller and older than her somehow?? somewhere??? is chugging. It would be a pretty cool trick if she wasn't definitely aware that he's underage. ]

...so that a "no"? I mean, I could go for one. Strawberry, maybe.

[ Her face borders a laugh, at least? ]

Don't act like I'm some kid who doesn't know how to drink a beer.

[SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD TRYING TO BE HIP]

...I want chocolate.

Jotaro, I'm pretty sure you're underage and it's not hard to know how. You drink it like anything else. If you can get me proof you're of legal drinking age, I'll buy all the beer you can drink and drag your ass home but until then? Deal with it.

[ She's never smashed a can and she's pretty much the biggest dudebro. That's gotta say something. ]

Chocolate, it is. Do you like malted? I like chocolate malt.

[For Christmas/Firialia/whatnot, Gumshoe will sent Jill a present! It contains DVDs compiling the best local wrestling matches. It just comes with a warning that they sometimes get a little porny! He also includes several gingerbread cookies, that are shaped to look muscular!]

[

]

You got me something.
You didn't have to, you know.

[ She's really touched by the gesture, especially since she basically is last minute still-planning gifts and they amount to: IOUs of dinners or other experiential things. She's never been the best at gift-giving; she just buys things someone says they want.

Which isn't always that easy. ]

I know I didn't. Ain't that the spirit of gift-giving, after all?

Just enjoy it, pal! Happy Ferellio!

Well, I'm taking you out now.
They're really cute. Did you make them yourself?
But I'm serious, I'm buying you drinks.

[ Cute... ]

Yep, I whipped them up myself! Just had a little help from my friend Kay!

Aw, you're really gonna do that? You don't have to, pal! But I could go for some drinks...

Hm, I wonder if we know the same Kay?
I guess that's a pretty common name. Like mine.
Hey, I'm the worst at gifts.
I mean if you want me to pick out a knife I think suits you I'm all in! Just figured you might appreciate say, drinks and dinner more.

It sure is possible! I only know one person with that name, and it's Kay Faraday!
Hey now, these aren't bad ideas at all! A knife would be cool to have too, but y'know, I think I'd pick drinks and dinner out of the two!

I've met her a few times, yes.
Small world.
Ha ha, well, I'll find one for you. I've got a knack for it.
But I guess drinks and dinner it is. When you've the time. Can grab me after work one day!

There we have it! She's a good kid.
Aright pal, you've got yourself a deal. One day after working, we'll make it happen!

hey jill
fuck i dont know the right way to go about this
im engaged now
so yeah
whats up

Holy shit

I mean, congratulations!
I'm happy for you so long as you're happy with it, of course.
Still, though, holy shit. Never would've seen that coming.
Tell me more. :)

i am im both excited and nervous
mostly im just scared of fucking it up

mohammed mentioned it to someone on the network and i just. kinda asked if that's what he wanted
so he ran over to my apartment and proposed
romantic as hell am i right
what a fucking goof i love him

You won't. That you're worried about it says a lot.
It means you'll be mindful.

That's cute as hell.
Can't say I'm not a touch jealous of that sort of connection.
Or, at least having that connection present here?
I'm really happy for you. Doing anything to celebrate?

hey are you busy

this is jotaro

Hey, Jotaro.
I'm not.

What's up?

hi

i dunno
i just wanted to make sure you were ok i guess
after all the bullshit that's been happening lately

i mean
i know you can take care of yourself
i'm not saying i thought i had to be worried or anything
i was just y'know
wondering

Hey.

Thanks.
If I'm being honest with you, I don't usually get people checking up on me. It means a lot. :)

I know. Shit doesn't just get worrisome in a fight, there's always something more to it.

I'm alright. Leon's gone, but he had the decency to leave me his guns.
Someone I know showed up. She's from eleven years ago, though. We used to work together, so she's definitely a plus. Haven't heard anything from Wesker, but I don't think he's left.

How are you doing?

well
avdol's married now
so that's good because he deserves to be happy

a guy punched me into some turnips a while back
i mean i hit him too
it's not like he just suckerpunched me into a pile of vegetables

also i'm courting a guy officially i guess
so that's
anyway

didn't end up getting mind-controlled by that fucking lion guy
that's good too

[ It was a good wedding I have to get my ass on soon, whoops. That being said, he may have noticed her attending with some dude as her plus one. ]

I'm glad for the both of them. They deserve some happiness.

You're gonna have to elaborate on this because I feel like I'm hallucinating those sentences.

Yeah? Good for you. I hope it pans out the way you want, whatever it might be.
I still only am doing the whole Chroma through fighting thing.

Me, either. Had enough of that the past few years. It's not something you can just pull back from.

And you can talk to me about whatever you want, you know.
No pretense required. Although there's always a lot to catch up on with how things never stop happening here.
I guess what I'm trying to say is you don't have to be embarrassed about saying anything.
Though from my perspective, I also understand just wanting to move on from things. I don't like addressing the shit longer than I have to. I want to keep going. I'd rather try to be happy. If that makes sense?

what is there to elaborate on
i was in the grocery store and i got in a fight with a guy
in the produce section

anyway
i dunno

i guess i'm just thinking about like
this is really it huh
i have a job and a house and someone i like a lot
it barely even feels weird to be in outer space anymore
or to turn into a wolf twice a month

How was I supposed to know you meant that?

Is that a bad thing?
I have a lot to get back to, but I don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying what you have in the meantime.
Are you happy with how things are?

...
what else does "got suckerpunched into a pile of vegetables" mean to you??

i don't know
i mean, i do know
of course i'm happy i'm happy all the time
and i feel good
hell sometimes i even feel great

and it's just weird

If you really want to know I thought someone punched you and you turned into vegetables.
Happy?

I don't mean to step out of line, but does that worry you or make you feel guilty? Is that the problem?

does

does that usually happen when people get punched where you're from

anyway i guess so yeah
it wasn't so long ago that i was really fucked up

it doesn't seem right that i could be this happy when i used to be that fucked up

I hate that you just asked me that and I refuse to answer.

I mean, people change. Sometimes the transition might take longer, but it doesn't mean you don't deserve it.

I spent a long time as a prisoner. I forgot what simple comforts were like. I might just go home and not make it out alive and it's been difficult to adjust, but I don't want to be miserable.
Sometimes it feels overpowering.
But I'm trying to accept that it's alright. That I'm not a bad person. And I deserve the break I've been given here.

I'm sure it doesn't help, not knowing if you might leave. But you're a good person, Jotaro. Try to let yourself enjoy it. Give yourself room to breathe and think, take a long walk if you need to. Keep training with me, get rid of that pent-up tension.
Might take a while but I think you'll be alright.

Anyway, sorry for saying so much -- and assuming. I've got your back, so you don't have to figure it out alone.

i don't know if it's really a break is the thing

i mean i don't think any of it really went away
because it's still there
something bad happens and it comes back
so it's not really gone

i think maybe i'm just
pretending not to notice it
or something

Edited 2020-03-28 15:37 (UTC)

You still feel it, then?
That's fair.
I still sometimes feel the things I don't want to or remember them.
Sometimes the shadows make shapes.

It can still be a break from constant reminders, though. Things are still where you left them at home and it's stressful.
I have a world to save, if I'm lucky. Could go the other way.

Trying can help, but I think it's just as unhealthy to forget it. A lot of people try to convince me to just "move on," but it's not as easy as just saying that.
Is there anything specific I can do? I want to say talking can help but it never seems to do much for me.
Maybe you just have to wait it out to see how it has or hasn't worked.

earlier this month
you know, when all that weird time stuff was happening
i got hurt
i was out for a drive and the world slowed down
i wish i could say i thought something but the truth is i don't remember thinking at all
i didn't think i just

i don't know
the next thing i knew i'd skidded out
messed up my leg with road rash

i went to the clinic to get patched up and they asked me how it happened
and all of a sudden i just felt
it's like everything got really tight
tight and stuck inside me and it hurt
so i lied and just told them i took a turn too fast
and they just accepted that i guess

i haven't felt like that in a long time
alucard had to carry me home
well ok i guess i kind of let him and it felt good but
if that happened once it could happen again

I mean, it's up to you how you want to tell anyone and who.
You can't force yourself into adapting or recovery.
You have to be ready for it.

I'm really glad you're alright, though.
If you're still feeling a little messed up and don't want to go back, I've been growing some Green Herbs. I can give you some and teach you how to use them for speedy healing.

But I understand.
You don't want to be in a position where others have to help you, even if they want to.
The only advice I have is to face what's happening and whatever you want to forget.
Not easy, but I know you can do it.
Maybe try writing it down? You can throw it away or set it on fire when you're done.

green herbs

you mean like drugs??

No!
What about me says I'd do drugs?
And what drugs heal like that?
They're from the Arklay Mountains, originally. They've been used for healing properties for years. They're an ingredient in First Aid Sprays, but we've adapted them to be used almost any way you can take them.

And don't change the subject.

you said GREEN HERB
that's the first green herb i thought of
also i guess the only green herb i thought of

what other herbs are there that are green
parsley i guess ??
maybe

anyway it's pretty healed by now
but i could try the herb i guess

and i'm not sure how to face this problem when the problem isn't here
or even alive for that matter

That's just what it's called. The official name is Arklay Green Herb, I believe, but I didn't think that mattered.
Red and Blue are the same way. To my knowledge it was named that simply because of location by the local tribes that once occupied the area.

I can let you have some.

But you know what I mean.
You're like me. Face it head on. And chokehold it if you can?
But you have to sit down and think about your feelings. Like I said, face the worst of it. Write it down if you have to.

Do you want to come over to the house and talk about it with me?
More privacy than in public. And I can pour you a drink -- just don't let people think I've got a habit of serving minors.

i don't know if talking about it is going to work
and i'm probably not supposed to be having beers anymore

but i want one

so ok
i'll come over

I don't know either. Could take a lot of talking, but you only have to get out as much as you want.
And if you say it like that I'm gonna have to ask.
I hope you haven't developed a drinking problem?

We can always order out and get some decent food instead.

I'll be waiting and I'll send you the new address. I'm probably not sticking around here, though. Too big for one, but kinda nice for now. :)

no it's more like
someone else will have a problem with me drinking
if they figure out i've been doing it
which they will

i want the beer though
i already gave up smoking mostly
i'm trying

Did you make a promise to them, though?

um

i mean
technically yes

No beer.

what the fuck

I'm not gonna be an accomplice to a broken promise.
Promises are important to me.
Trust is important to me.

i didn't promise to not drink beer specifically
i promised to take better care of myself

one beer isn't not taking care of myself

You sound like you're trying to convince yourself.

But fine. One is acceptable. But don't push it.

i sound like i'm trying to make sure you don't go call alucard and ask him if i can have a beer like he's my mom

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh

So if I did just that, what would he say?

fuck i don't know
probably he'd tell you to make me do a stupid dance for it

or something

Okay.
Can I film it and should I send it to him, then?

I'M NOT DOING A DANCE

I'm just going by what you said!

JUST LET ME HAVE THE BEER

YOU STARTED THIS, I'M ENDING IT.

YARE YARE

Shut up, come over here, and get some beer.
You baby.

hey
it's me again
i didn't know if was supposed to contact you
or if it was supposed to be the other way

for the auction

the silent one
not the date one

Hey MISTAAAAA. ;)
I'm afraid I didn't know, either.

I'll work around your schedule, by the way.

well it's not like i have a lot of shit going on
just kind of hanging out so my schedule is pretty open
it's really cool that you put something up for the auction
i didn't do anything for it other than bid

i guess unless you count being put up for a date
i hope you at least signed yourself up
because i sure as hell didn't

I thought I might as well offer it for a good cause. Plus, if people like what they do, they'll be willing to pay for more.
Otherwise, it's hopefully a useful thing to pass on.

Ha, yeah, I did. Kinda backfired on me, though.
Take it yours didn't go well from the get-go?

well i was gonna pay you when we talked about it before
since it really sounds like you know your shit

mine definitely didn't go well though
it just sort of happened and then half the bidders
thought they were being funny
and then the others i think bid because they felt bad for me
i guess it could have been worse
how'd yours backfire? the same way?
did you end up with someone shitty?

I hope you saved some money? I don't know what the final bids were. Naturally, I still offer the first session free, as well.

That sounds like a mess. I'm sorry to hear that. It has to be rough and shitty.
For me?
A man who has been trying to kill me for more than a decade kept upping the bid and won.
Not sure what'll happen now. Don't expect he actually want to go out.
Think he was just trying to fuck with me.

holy shit
that's way worse than mine
one of the idiots asked me to kill him once
but the other one is just an asshole

considering what you do
i'm not sure if it means much
but if you need any help with this guy
all you have to do is let me know
because there's not a chance in hell
i'm just gonna stand back and let someone fuck around like that

I'm fine and can handle him now.
He's not really human anymore. If you meet a man named Albert Wesker, don't fall into his manipulations. He's good at letting you see the parts of him that would benefit him.

You're very sweet, but really, I'll be fine.

Just so you know my hours are going to be a little less available. I don't know if you know Leone Abbacchio, but I'll be working with him at a PI firm.
But I like you, so I don't mind cutting into time I'd personally be training or anything like that.

I didn't offer it or mention it, but I can also teach lockpicking. I'm an expert locksport, if that's something you're interested in.

holy shit you're the one abbacchio's gonna work with?
i knew he was working on something but i've been pretty shitty at keeping in touch the last few weeks
so i felt kind of stupid trying to ask
but that's pretty cool
he's family to me so that makes it even cooler

what do you mean he's not human though?
the wesker guy, i mean
not abbacchio obviously

Ha ha, well, you got it right. :)
I didn't know you were so close.
Don't worry, I'll handle him gently. He's probably my best friend here.

He's mutated. Not visibly, but the virus inside him has changed him.
I'm not sure why the virus hasn't overpowered him. It was unstable so without the serum he uses where we come from, he should have mutated again somehow.
Lucky us, I guess.

you know i think i could say the same thing
he's not just family
he's my best friend here
sometimes i can't believe that he puts up with my shit

okay but what the fuck
virus?
it's not contagious right?

Well, shit. I'm surprised I didn't know this before!
Don't worry, I won't fight you for him. ;)
But maybe take it easy on him. He's always taking on other people's shit, even if it's just advice.
What a guy.

No, it's not. It passes through blood or injection. And what he has is his own...
It's unique.
I'm infected, too.
For me, it's just antibodies. I can't become ill or become infected with anything else.

Sure do wish it was superhuman speed and strength, I'll admit...

yeah i try not to
i keep telling him that i owe him big time
so hopefully he's keeping tabs or something
i just don't ever want to see the list

wow but wait okay
so you just don't get sick ever?
like someone could try to give you the flu or something
and you'd just not get it???

[ focusing on the really important things here ]

I imagine he is.

Yeah.
I can't. Just you know, don't go around advertising it.
I'm not sure if there's any danger here, but science
Well, it's bullshit. Let's just leave it at that, yeah?

But I guess it's sort of my "superpower"? Not a stand (Stand?).
And you've got uh... bullets that talk?

hey
got a proposition for ya

Leone.
I swear if you're going to fuck with me, I'm going to come and find you.

But I'm listening.

not today

listen
i don't know if you're still working security or something
but i was approved for a business license
im opening up a private investigations firm
wanted to know if you wanted in or not

there aren't a ton of people i'd ask but i like and trust you and know you can handle yourself

Too bad. ;)

Mostly just train others and mod and create weapons. Doesn't always pay the bills the best.

I'm in. Don't even need to think about it.

Do you have a specific name for it?

riposte investigations
but if you're in, that's great

there's one other thing i should probably address though
anyone tell you what a "stand" is for us? people from my world like mohammed mista and jotaro

I like the name.

I've heard talk of it, but I don't know exactly what it is, no.
You got a big purple guy too or

thanks

well mine is a small purple guy
as tall as me but more slender
his name is moody blues
i can introduce you and try to explain a little more
but when i got him he's helped me on my investigations
he's not powerful like jotaro's stand but he's helpful in other areas

Like the band.
Guess he'll come in handy, in that case.

I should tell you something about myself, as well. Not likely relevant to the business, but it would be better if you're aware.
I was infected in 1998 and given an experimental antivirus. It seemed to work, but all it did was make the virus go dormant.
Over the years I've built up an immunity to...
Everything because of it. That and other antiviruses.

My blood won't allow me to be infected or sick or drunk. It viciously attacks anything that's foreign.

bruno named him

oh
i mean
is there like
a downside?
that sounds crazy useful

Guess he's into them, then.

I mean, back home, it means that I could be used to strengthen viruses if someone were to capture me and use my blood but nothing really here.
Other than not having sick days. ;)

And you already know about what happened to me the past few years. It's more complicated than I let on, but it won't affect work. Shit just happens a lot, I guess.

more into miles davis
but he listened to a lot of classics like that
i mostly listen to opera personally

got it

no worries.
you can tell me whatever you gotta though
and shit being complicated is something im used to

Weird how that goes. Do you think it fits your stand?
Personally, I'm into hard rock. But I feel like that might be predictable.

Thanks. Just don't want you to think I'm hiding anything from you.
I don't like when people pull that shit intentionally.
I really value your trust and our friendship.

[ WHAT A SAP. ]

probably fits me me more personally than it does him
moody blues is a big clingy soft guy if i let him be
i'm the moody bitch

no of course not.
sometimes you can't share everything
and sometimes there's shit you can share with nobody else but the people you trust most.
i don't normally share my stand with people because it's a pretty vulnerable part of me
as opposed to almost everyone else's stand anyway

That's gotta be nice to have a back-up body on a bad day, ha ha.
I think you're giving yourself too much credit. Or not enough.

I wasn't aware of that.
It means all the more that you shared it with me.
For me, I guess, my feelings in general are something I struggle to be honest about.
I don't like accolades or attention and I'm used to being the strong one and protecting people.

I'm kinda like sticking a fork into a toaster while it's still plugged in.
You might not even pry the toast out.

two things
1: i hired lio fotia to join the office. he's an insufferable brat but he's got spirit

2: mohammed is

well he's gone there's no other way to put it so im a fucking mess

We'll talk about the first thing some other time.
Is there anything I can do for you?
Anything at all.

fuck i dont know
i
maybe we can go to a bar or something
make sure i dont fuck myself up too bad
i just dont wanna sit around and think about it

Want to go shooting?

i haven't held a gun for awhile
fuck it sure

What are you feeling?
Or should I just bring the arsenal?

yeah just bring what you got
ill use what i feel like clicks with me

thanks jill

Find me a place we can use a rocket launcher and we'll go for it.
Great stress and anxiety relief, if you ask me.

Anytime.
I'll be heading your way unless you want to meet somewhere immediately.

Already out the door.

maybe the beach
most of the natives don't go there

head toward mista's, that's where i'm staying right now

Edited 2020-05-31 22:28 (UTC)

Leone.
Let's both be ready to run, ha ha! ;)

I'll be there and text you before I head off.
If I didn't have all the guys with me, I'd tell you to get over here.

If I get stopped for carrying an arsenal, I hope you're ready to bail me out.

hey it'll be thrilling

and of course i'll bail you out what are friends for

See you soon.

[ AND SOON IT WILL BE. She is 100% knocking on that door looking like someone's drawn first blood on her. ]

[Abbacchio opens the door and... well, predictably, he looks drained and tired, eyes still red from the crying he's done. He does appreciate Mista accommodating, but he's trying to also not burden him too much.]

Hey. Thanks for coming.

[ It's a familiar sight and one she can recognize in herself. Not recently, but well enough. She doesn't address it, however, since she knows that he knows and if he wants to talk about the situation she'll address it. Sometimes you just need someone around to play it normal and give you space to breathe. ]

Couldn't keep me away. [ She adjusts her arsenal, even though it's hardly that impressive beyond the very obvious rocket launcher. ] Lead the way, pal.

Hey, this is Jill Valentine, correct? I'm not sure if your partner, Abbacchio, mentioned me or not. He said he would but I know he was going through some things at the time, so it could have slipped his mind.

I'm Lio Fotia, I work at Riposte Investigations now. I figured I'd formally introduce myself before we end up with a case that required us to work more closely.

He mentioned he hired someone new. Meant to get a hold of you but haven't had a moment of downtime to do it.

It's good to meet you, Lio. You can just call me Jill. :)
You settling in alright?

Oh it's not a problem at all, I've been keeping fairly busy as well, but it's nice to meet you too Jill. ✌️

It's been an adjustment, coming to this place, but I'd also experienced some drastic changes that required a lot of changes in my lifestyle even before coming here, so overall it could be better. My partner suggested I get more involved with work to try and take my mind off of it.

Not that that's related to messaging you, I promise.

I'm sure we'll bump into each other in the office soon enough. ;)

I see. So you were already in the midst of change? At least that had you prepared for that. I hope it made the transition a bit easier.
Your partner made a good suggestion. It definitely makes it easier to get around and know the city, especially with a job like this. Familiarizing yourself with the city helps you settle, I think.

Ha ha, well, don't worry. It was about time we talked.

If anything it made the transition harder, though to be honest I'm glad to be adjusting here rather than back home.
I miss my friends and allies, but I wasn't a very popular figure, and had to watch my back pretty frequently.

He's smarter than people give him credit for, and also a bit of a workaholic, so his suggestion didn't surprise me.

Oh and don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like to know. Why join a private investigation firm instead of the Moon Knights?

Well, shit. Sorry to hear that.
Ha, we sound alike already. ;)

Not sure if I know the guy. I'm not the biggest social butterfly, but I try to pay attention to the network and speak up if something interests me.

I do other things here already. I train people in firearms and combat and I like to modify and create weapons and ammo in my free time. Otherwise, I'm not sure how I feel about the Moon Knights. I know some of the moonblessed have joined them, but I'm not sure I trust the government completely and it's only natural I don't trust anyone beneath them completely, either.

Plus, I like a little more freedom. I'm used to doing things my own way back home as a spec ops agent.

What about you?

He's not online as much as I am. I think I'm kind of addicted to looking at all the strange things people have to say while he's more hands-on.

I'm glad to hear that, actually. You can ask Abbacchio, he's gotten to hear first-hand my problems with authority on multiple occasions.

The government in my world - and by extension, the police - hunted people like me, so I have an inherent distrust in organizations like that. The Moon Knights here also haven't given me much reason to believe they're any different based on how they treat their criminal population.

I primarily asked for a job as a means to gain access to the Lightless - don't worry, Abbacchio is aware of this. I want to see for myself just how bad things are, because the rumors don't paint a nice picture. If I can help people without needing to work within the scope of the law, though, I'm not opposed.

Are you available some time next week? I would like to return the favour from our last meeting.

It helped
a lot.

I can make time, sure.

That so?
Glad to hear it all panned out in your favor. :)

Things are complicated but the future is what we make of it, right?

Unfortunately a familiar sentiment.
But it's nice to feel in control. Glad you're of that mind.

How have you been? :)

I find that each month offers a surprising turn. It is both enjoyable and not.
You mentioned having been here a while, correct?

VIBE CHECK

How are your vibes feeling this hour?

What

Your vibes.

Your energy and mood, I guess.

Oh. High energy as usual.
And I'm alright. Not terrible.

How about you?
I don't think you told me what moon you're under, so I guess it can really depend on that alone, huh?

You do seem it!
Could it be that you're also a night owl?

[ Though, for him, he sleeps from 11pm-3am every night. There's no helping it, even on another planet. ]

I'm under Iris, actually!
I don't know if I drew a bad lot or a good lot with it, though. I guess it's what you make of it?

What about you?

Oh, I don't get much sleep. But I'd consider myself someone that prefers late nights and very early mornings.

[ That's her ideal, really. ]

Ah. Sanguis, so it's usually early month for me.
No strong feelings about any of them. I guess they all have shitty parts.
What matters is if you can adapt or not.

Not that it's easy when people seem to change moons randomly. Or your body can change in very different ways.

More things can get done in the day, then.

That's true.
How do you think that you're adapting to it?

I think that it's going all right for me.
My body's has already had an unfortunate change, so... I guess I don't mind any other changes that may happen, ha ha.

That's for sure. Still never quite seems to be enough time.

To the physical changes and the rest of it?
As well as I can, I guess. I haven't had anything too strange or different each time. It seems to be pretty similar every moon.

Mine, too.
Though it's not visible externally, I'm very different from most people biologically now. Still not the same as getting claws or fangs.
Or worse.

You're that busy, Jill?

Once it happens once, it becomes less and less starting each time it happens.
What's that phrase? Familiarity breeds contempt? Haha.

Different from people biologically? Are you an alien, or secretively a fish-hybrid? :o!

Training at least a few hours (ideally four or more) a day, train others, head off to Riposte Investigations, and my hobbies are all at the job without hours where I mod weapons and make ammo and grenades.
Keep busy, time moves more smoothly.

That's a way to put it. More expected, more prepared.
Never heard that one.
But in this case it's definitely true, ha ha.

You'll have to figure that out yourself. ;)
(But I am not a fish. In any sense.)

Wow. I don't do anything all day. [ He really needs to figure out a hobby for himself, or something to do. ] How is that going along? The modding weapons and the like? Have you made a gun that's also a sword??

It is, it is very true here! :)

I see. It'll be my new mystery that I'll attempt to uncover.
(Okay! An angel? Is that line too much?)

All this time Re-L Mayer often considered herself immovable. Perhaps a bit too soaked and squandered in the way that she had been raised in Romdeau Dome, which was so different from how she had been born. The care free little girl she’d been when she was small was thousands of miles away now as she sits in her apartment, quiet and growing darker as the minutes pass and twilight sneaks up on all of them.

In a way, it feels foolish to want to call someone else and talk about it. It’s something she’s only learned to do recently, after all, but the person she called most when she was feeling some kind of way or another….

Well. She’d just kicked him out after a bickering match stirred by her own inability to not rely on other people to bring up and solve her moods. Re-L sighs, very much bare faced and feeling foolish, wondering if any call she makes may end up the same way. Unless it’s to Renji or Edgeworth and for a very express purpose with no other dalliances in to why she’s calling so suddenly or with such a particular neediness. However… both would necessitate her to put her ‘face’ back on, so to speak, and that particular requirement instead drives her to her female contacts.

Settling on Jill’s information, Re-L lingers for a moment, debating. The other woman had been a good listener when she’d needed her to be before, though for issues much less complicated as having a fight with a person she’s trusted more than others for the longest time after being reminded of her own former traumas in stunning high detail. It’s partially her own fault – she’d opted to go in not just once, but twice. Perhaps lulled by a rather uneventful first appearance in to the old Romdeau she’d known, a chance to introduce Miles Edgeworth to her own version of what she suspects is their shared privilege in life. But then she’d opted to go back again with Renji… and hadn’t quite expected to see Real again.

The reminder is as much a slap in the face as any as Re-L finally clicks the other woman’s name, sighing as it rings before it connects.

“Jill. Do you have a bit to talk?”

Jill considered Re-L a force to be reckoned with. Her stature was certainly less muscular than Jill was and she was quite slim, but something seethed beneath the skin. Perhaps it was her upbringing? If not, it could have been the world she grew up in. Jill saw it once, the miles of empty wasteland, dirt scattered on the wind, skies dark and ominous. There was certainly more than whatever one might assume to her -- in a way, it's a mask she wears, Jill thinks.

It's something she appreciates in her own way.

Though she suspects that Re-L is just as closed off with the things that dig deeper as she is, sometimes you need to let it out. To make them solid and realized so you can finally release them.

Jill doesn't expect to get a call proper, especially since so many people found more comfort in texting. Jill, too, even on the network preferred it. It allowed her some anonymity even if her name could be attached to it. No feelings, no appearance, just the text. Direct. She liked that. There's some hesitation, but seeing the name attached to the call, she decides it's worth answered.

"I've time, yeah. What's up?" It must be something worth calling over, whatever it is.

Re-L has worn many masks since childhood. One of the obedient granddaughter, the other the career woman who wasn't very bothered by the expectations put on her thanks to her name. Here in Lunatia there was no need to wear any of them, and yet here she was, wearing them all as usual. Even where she didn't need to, she sank back in to old habits, including issuing scathing orders the moment someone did something that she didn't like, instead of literally any other alternative she could have.

"Too much, if I'm honest." There's a huff that could've been a laugh, and the sound of Re-L putting down the phone, probably on speakerphone. There's still anonymity in speaking like this without the video on, so Jill couldn't see her looking a mess in her pajamas with her hair piled atop her head, the lot. A real twenty-year old mess.

"I did the Dimension X thing earlier and now I'm.. I don't know. I just sent Hunk home because he asked too many questions and I don't know how that's going to pan out either."

𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐗.

video

first!!! video.

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text; a few days after the dating app fiasco;

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christ jill i'm sorry

she literally has no idea what's going on she loves it

this is a disaster already almost everyone he's met has a stand so he's just assuming???

TOTALLY NORMAL NOTHING WEIRD AT ALL???

YEAH JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL

P MUCH THEIR LIVES I GUESS

RIP

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sorry this is so late, december kicked my ass;

it's np! i know how december goes!

you understanding angel

I'M TRYING TO BE i was on when no one else was then everyone else got on when i was sick love it lma

life!!

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sorry, been planning/packing for cross-country move!

no worries! i will always backtag, moving is a big deal!

i like that threat c:

GOOD !!!!!

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THANK YOU FOR THE GAG TAG ON REIMI'S POST

THAT WAS SERIOUS GET IT BOY

MAYBE SOMEDAY, HE'S STILL A BABY (kind of)

CAN'T WAIT TILL HE HOLDS HANDS IN THREE YEARS

EXCUSE HE'S HELD HANDS WITH HIS BRO BEFORE

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1/2

video!!

video!!

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