maskormenacelogs | [ closed ] the clouds go black and the thunder rolls

[Jonathan's gaze is roving over the landscape as they walk and chat, drinking it all in with visible excitement. he hasn't been out here yet, and even before coming here had never really been in an environment like this, so this is a really nice opportunity.

after a while, they come into a respectably sized clearing. he slows a little, tilting his head towards Killua questioningly.]

Will this work?

Ah, yeah, this'll do.

[Certainly bright himself (but not for the landscape), Killua takes his steps further away, creating a good distance between he turns in place. Finally, his hands move from his pockets so he can roll his shoulders.]

Okay! I'll start with just my hands, so let's see if you can work me up past that. [He's a hypocrite, really, announcing this after commenting in the earlier conversation about how Jojo should start strong right off the bat. But he wants to test it, and as good as he is at judging power, he can be off sometimes.

It'll be more fun if he's pressured into trying harder.] Go ahead when you're ready.

Alright. Let's have a good time.

[he smiles, bobbing his head a little to lend some sort of handshake equivalent to the bout. he stands still for a moment, a bit uncertain. should he use the ripple at all? Killua had told him not to hold back, so he must have powers of his own to match them, right?

...well, he said that he'd try his best to overcome his natural restraint. Jonathan takes a deep breath, seemingly mentally preparing himself - until he exhales and the ripple crackles across his body.

almost simultaneously he charges forward, aiming a punch at one of Killua's shoulders. he'd said he would be starting with his hands, so it made sense to try and disable them first; even if he blocked the hit, it would leave his hands occupied and make it easier to land a kick.]

[Fast...!

On top of that, it seemed he was using a power that didn't require nen-- something he'd heard about but hadn't really had the chance to see, in this case. Maybe it was something similar to the techniques he'd been trained with since he was younger? Whatever it was, now was a great chance to get a closer look at it. He felt a little bad, as the glow that encompassed his body (his life energy, his aura) couldn't be seen by the naked eye; it was almost like he was cheating, being able to keep it hidden like this.

Hm, but that punch-- it was quick, but was it just a punch? He doesn't care to study it close enough to allow himself to be hit by it if he can help it.

In startling quick speed, he kicks back and turns sideways, dodging the punch and coming up alongside Jojo to aim a powered up kick at his side. With aura focused into it like that, even if he wasn't an enhancer, he could send him flying a good distance if it hit.]

[compared to the people he's fought in the past, speed has never been one of Jonathan's great strengths. he sees Killua tense to move and knows that he won't have time to dodge it, and so he lets it hit. before it knocks him back, however, he uses to momentum from his failed punch to grab onto his leg.

ripple dances down his arm almost instinctively, but he's less interested in having it hit and more in turning his opponent into an anchor against the more strategically dangerous part of this attack.]

[When his kick hits, it's easy to let his guard fall for just a moment. This isn't a dangerous fight, and he's so used to his enemies wielding nen, a visible show of their powers. It's the jolt of the grip on his leg and the pull from the attack he'd just landed that shoves him back into things.

Leaning back completely, his hands dig hard into the ground and his legs twist despite Jojo's grip (and weight). Moving by using his hold on the ground, his hips turn in full circle and his legs follow in a windmill. What he hopes to do is flick Jojo in a sharp enough movement that he goes flying off and releases his grip. Even if his grip is tight enough, it looks like Killua doesn't mind losing some skin in the process.

He's seeing now this isn't going to be a simple fight. Good. That meant it was more of a real test.]

[he doesn't expect to be moved, and so when Killua begins to spin Jonathan loses his hold, although he certainly does take some skin with him. it's an equivalent exchange, though, as he loses a great deal of the flat of his hand as he uses it for balance and to slow his backward motion.

the move elicits a grunt of frustration from Jojo, aimed at himself rather than Killua. hadn't he fought monsters with strength far beyond what their body should be able to hold before? he needed to dedicate himself fully to this, or he would be disrespecting his friend.

he charges forward again, tossing the clods of dirt he'd stirred up ahead of him. they've been ripple-infused and will cause a great deal more pain than usual, but Jonathan really doesn't expect them to hit. it's meant as a distraction, something that he'll have to address and hopefully focus on long enough for his jab to the throat to hit.

Killua is very fast, and apparently quite flexible. he's going to have to limit that somehow if he wants any sort of chance at this.]

[Flipping over to touch his feet to the ground, Killua doesn't react to the loss of skin at all. He's focused, awaiting Jojo's next move, and so when he charges forward, he's certain he's ready.

But the next moves work in Jojo's favor, even if not to his expectations. Killua expects the dirt clods to be a distraction. It's a tactic he's certainly used before, and so raising his arms with nen as a protective shield, he aims to block them rather than dodge this way and that.

He expects an impact, but the ripple isn't something he understands, and so the pain that shoots through him is more of a distraction than dodging would have been in the first place. His arms tense as he blocks himself more, too late to switch to dodging, and that fist hits right where it's intended.

Honestly, it should have done quite a bit of damage. Killua certainly goes flying, hitting the ground and rolling for a few paces as he coughs in recovery. But thanks to a shift of nen at the last minute, his throat is only bruised. He stays there on the ground for a minute, on all fours, coughing; it's to the point where it might seem like a victory on Jojo's part before Killua pushes himself up and wipes his face with a smirk.]

Not bad! [He says it rather cheerfully, and it seems his voice is just fine, too.] I'll let you see a bit more, then.

[This time, he's the one who darts forward, taking advantage of his speed to feign an attack from the front and then flicker behind Jojo, extending his palm as a wave of actual electricity lashes from his palm. He reaches from behind to shove his palm at Jojo's back-- a lightning palm. If Jojo is touched, he'll be shocked.]

[truth be told, Jonathan's glad that he doesn't seem too effected by the blow. he may be doing his best not to hold back, but he still doesn't want to see any serious injuries come from this.]

Thank you for the kindness.

[that could easily be seen as sarcasm in this situation, but he's completely sincere. it means that he's doing well so far, and it also denotes a degree of trust. it's nice.

the warm feeling flutters away almost immediately as Killua charges forward. he instinctively falls into his usual defensive stand, arms up to shield his face, and although he suspects this might be a ruse he still just isn't fast enough to prevent the real attack.

he grunts at the pain coursing through him, but digs his heels in and keeps himself from doing more than leaning forward a few degrees. this is a chance to see if he can use however Killua's transmitting the electricity to pump ripple back through it, and he takes it. with a deep breath the ripple's running alongside the electricity in his body, trying to trace it back to the source.

it helps soothe the ache as well, which means even if this doesn't work it won't have been totally useless. as for his offensive plan b? he's got a backhand ready and waiting should this prove ineffective.]

[Jojo's politeness continues to be weird (and funny), and Killua would probably comment on it if it weren't for how into the fight he is right now. Somehow, the guy had managed to move despite his electricity, and not only that but he'd sent that weird attack back through his own nen. Reacting quickly, he pulls his hand back and severs the tie from himself to that trail of electricity.

His foot barely touches to the ground when Jojo meets him with a backhand. He takes it much like the other one, but this time he's more prepared for the power behind it. Making do with the direction he stumbles, he spins and drops to the ground with it, kicking at Jojo's legs.

Whether or not that hits, he follows up on it with an array of close combat moves. This time, though, his electric palm sneaks its way in just like Jojo seems to be doing with his ripple-- it accents his punches and kicks.

He'll up the voltage since despite being prepared for that last punch, he sure did feel it. Gotta match him!]

[Jonathan manages to sidestep the sweep, but it still leaves him to deal with the follow-up barrage. he blocks what he can, but the charge behind the hits mean that even those that don't find their way through his defenses sting. it's obvious that if he allows this to continue he'll be worn down soon enough.

so he takes his usual course of action - that is, making a decision that runs completely opposite to common sense and self-preservation. he charges forward, into the blows, in an attempt to deliver a wicked headbutt. incurring further injuries is apparently perfectly fine with him...that, or he's fucking crazy.]

[What--?!

That's seriously reckless. Jonathan comes so close that Killua is able to summon a whole lightning bolt, straight from the sky on top of him. Unfortunately, that's not enough to stop the headbutt right to his forehead thanks to their close proximity. He made his own sacrifice by not dodging that to send him that huge blow of electricity, and now he tumbles backwards, grabbing at his head.

It does hurt, but he's used to the pain. But knowing that this is a spar between friends, he can hold back from keeping it in so long and cry out in his frustration, rolling from his spot on the ground. Left, right, left again, and then he stays on his back for a moment before sitting upright and pointing accusingly at Jojo.]

Aghhh, you're insane! Who goes at someone with their head like that?! That hurt! [As if he hadn't just told him to go all out. But more importantly-- that was a serious blow just now! But Jojo seemed better off than him. He wasn't kidding when he said he could take a beating, huh...]

How the hell are you still standing? That's enough, let's call a truce. I can't hurt you unless I seriously try to kill you.

[And he doesn't really want to go for that.]

Ah, well, there wasn't much of an opportunity to land an overdrive...

[so he went with another tried and true 'I don't understand personal safety in combat' method. this is the guy who decided the best way to win a fight while drowning was to drown harder, after all.

Jonathan seems a little sheepish about the whole thing - the people he fights usually do comment in one way or another about that sort of thing, but this is the first time in a long while (possibly ever, after learning the ripple) that he's fought a friend.

he may appear to have come off better outwardly, but the inside was another matter entirely. this was a great demonstration that his body really had become more durable, as his file had said, but Jonathan is realizing quite quickly after that last gigantic fucking lightning bolt that none of the pain had been mitigated. he hasn't even finished allowing the ripple to recede and he can already tell that he is going to hurt for days after this.

it's why there's a definite air of contentment and gratitude as Jonathan takes that truce and drops into a sitting position on the ground. christ.]

You aren't seriously hurt, are you?

[he leans forward a little, eyes flicking intently over Killua to make sure that he hadn't caused something really awful. it's a testament to his compassion that he's doing this, because as soon as Jonathan gets his answer he's going to be flopping onto his back like a kid. that spar was intense, ok.]

[There's a moment in all of that where Killua is honestly just squinting at Jojo and wondering how his body could be so tough. It fades when the question is asked, and he smiles a little, rubbing at his forehead. Scuffed up and bruised, but his main injury is actually what he did to himself on his legs by spinning to try and throw Jojo off. It's the only one that's drawn blood, at least.]

No, I'm fine. [Being able to focus his nen to the places he expected to be hit was handy. That last one had been tricky-- directing his nen first and then trying to get it back to block his forehead. He'd managed just barely, otherwise he'd definitely need some bandages. Luckily all he was dealing with now was some ringing in his head and a major headache.]

What about you? That was a lot of electricity to just take...

It's nothing to worry about! I've had much worse from less enjoyable fights.

[which is perhaps a non-answer, upon further reflection, but Jonathan doesn't want to cause any worry. he can curb the worst of the bruises and aches later with the ripple's healing properties, and then it's just a familiar task of ignoring the remaining pain. he considers joking that there isn't anything in his skull to fry anyway, but that's probably a bit much so he refrains.

to the imaginary passerby it probably looks like he's talking to the sky rather than Killua right now, a thought which elicits a quiet chuckle from him. he's still a little hopped up from the adrenaline of a bout that was not only not life threatening but a lot of fun.]

You're very talented, but I suppose you're already aware of that.

[The fact that he dodged that question in a way makes Killua think he is hurting. And while he won't rub that in or try to damage his pride, he's sure going to take that as a personal victory.

Talented, though. He considers that as he leans to rest on his back again, arms resting behind his head for now.]

My family would tell me that a lot.

[But they only wanted him to stay in the family business for it. Faced with the real world and what he really wants to do, he doesn't feel very talented at all. He can't ever seem to help Gon, for one...

He blinks that train of thought away, smiling over to Jonathan.]

But thanks. You're pretty strong, Jojo! What was that ability you kept using?

It's called ripple. It's a fighting technique that channels the power of the sun through your breathing.

[or something. ripple users fucking understand it even though I sure as hell don't. Jonathan props himself up a little so that he can hold his arm out to give Killua a better look as he allows the ripple to crackle along it.]

A close friend of mine showed me how to use it; it's quite useful in a great deal of situations.

[Power of the sun through your breathing what the fuck is that shit. Killua, though, is amazed, leaning on his side so he can get a better view and 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing in reaction.]

That's so cool! Can anyone learn how to use that? And how long did it take you?

Mr. Zeppeli had to unlock the potential in me; I believe that he said possessing the ability to use it naturally was incredibly rare.

[and unlocking other people's potential is also apparently super difficult, if Speedwagon ending up with nothing but a gutpunch for his troubles was anything to go off of. that or Zeppeli wasn't paying attention at all.]

It took me a month to complete my training, but those were...unique circumstances. Mastery typically takes many years.

[this is not a brag in the least, although when taken outside of Jonathan's inhuman humility it is kind of fucking impressive. dude learned a notoriously difficult fighting technique in a month through essentially sheer force of will.]

That's amazing!

[What a cool technique... It sounds sort of similar in learning to nen, actually, and Killua picks that up instantly. If Jojo learned something that quickly, then he must be similar to himself and Gon. Smiling to himself, Killua can't help but think that Jojo would definitely be an enhancer like Gon, too.]

Then you'd really get along with Gon. He's always doing things like that, even if it's dangerous. [Learning things if he's stubborn enough to, that is. Not that Killua's any different, either.] It sounds like you do a lot of fighting back home, if you're doing heavy training like this.

I hadn't done very much at all for most of my life, actually.

[his gaze drifts back up to the sky, a soft frown tugging at his lips. well, he hadn't had to do the sort of fighting that they were currently discussing. there was a time when simply existing had felt like a constant struggle with Dio living under the same roof.]

But things change when we're least expecting it. The best we can do is rise to meet the occasion.

[even if it means doing hilariously stupid things to protect people. Jonathan feels you guys, even if he doesn't consciously know it.]

[So he wasn't raised into something like this. It was something that happened down the line? He remembers Dio from the dream, but while there's plenty he could guess about it's impossible to come up with the specific event without knowing more.]

It sounds like you've had a rough time. [Just quietly bringing that up, he rolls back onto his back and smiles at the sky.]

Do you have any friends from home, here?

[he lets the first comment fade away naturally without a response. there's been immeasurable tragedy in Jonathan's life, but he still doesn't see it as something that could be possibly characterized as 'rough' or merit sympathy. he'd had a loving father, had wonderful friends, and had grown up in luxury. he was so very fortunate.]

I'm...not entirely certain what the correct answer to that is. My family is here, but aside from my brother none of them have been born yet at home.

[he laughs]

We're pretty talented at complicating simple questions like that.

[it almost makes him glad that none of his non-family friends are here. almost.]

[Whoa. From the future, then? He makes a briefly surprised face at that before it softens. While Jojo may be thinking he dropped that part of the conversation, Killua is narrowing it down. Trying to find a way to help.

That's gotta be rough, though. No one from home aside from family. The only family he knows being the guy that clearly screwed him over in some way, right? Killua tries to imagine what it'd be like if he didn't have Gon here and just ends up frowning.]

Then there's no one here who knows what you're going through. [Again, he rolls onto his side to view Jonathan.] So you must feel like there's no one you can talk to. You're waaay too polite, so there's no way you found someone to vent with, right?

Vent?

[he raises his eyebrows, like he's never really considered something like that before. and, honestly, he hasn't for years. Danny had been the last living being he'd unburdened himself completely to, and after his death things had transpired that he would never want to place on others' shoulders. Speedwagon and Zeppeli had known bits and pieces through personal experience, but not everything.

in a different way, he'd wanted to shield them from the tragedy as much as Erina. the only person who knew the full extent of things was Dio...and his mother in heaven, but Jonathan doesn't feel comfortable mentioning that he simply talks to her when he feels things becoming too heavy.]

I never did much of that at home, so I suppose I haven't really thought about it at all here. It isn't as if I have much to complain about.

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