✧ thug

[bolledivita]

[Caesar--not Zeppeli, God, he would sooner die before using his father's name ever again--is little better than a common thug. He doesn't care.

He hasn't cared about much of anything in years.

His mother is gone, his father took off... one too many fights and he was deemed too much trouble for any of the neighbors to take in, so he hasn't seen his little siblings in a long time.

Hah. They'd probably be ashamed if they saw him now. His mother definitely would be, he's sure. Whatever.

What matters is the here and now and what's going on here and now is that clearly rich young man taking a stroll down the wrong fucking alleyway here. His hand tightens around his wrench briefly before he launches himself towards this young man with the wrench raised above his head, those weird sparks coming off of it--]

Comments

[bolledivita]

[Caesar nods, sheepishly picking out what he wants to eat, and he's mostly silent for the rest of the meal.

Speedwagon goes off to see about those contacts of his, and Caesar... decides to stick close to Joseph, still quiet and very much uncertain.

(He can feel all sorts of stares. He knows someone like him doesn't belong here.)]

[andnextyoullsay]

[Eventually, someone at a nearby table comments:]

Bah, typical British. Going about, thinking they can just bring anyone they want into places they don't belong. And did you hear their Italian? Atrocious, really.

[Joseph's fork sparks in his hand.]

[bolledivita]

[... Insulting him is one thing. That's fine. He knows he doesn't belong here.

Insulting these people? That's another. With the thinnest veneer of calm, Caesar stands up, turning towards that table.]

Excuse me. [He's seething.] But would you care to repeat that...?

[andnextyoullsay]

Caesar--

[The man in question looks up, genuinely surprised to be confronted.]

And why should I? I'm right.

[bolledivita]

Even someone as lowborn as I am knows you don't talk about someone behind their back, especially not within earshot. That's kind of sad, isn't it?

[Deep breath.]

I would suggest you apologize to them.

[andnextyoullsay]

Absolutely not. How dare scum like you--

That is quite enough.

[Joseph stands, turning to glare at the rude asshole.]

For someone who seems to keen to lord himself over others, your manners are atrocious. You've insulted my grandmother, my uncle, my new friend here, and myself. Everyone else here had the decency to keep their mouths shut, but not you. Now, do you want to apologize or am I going to be apologizing to Granny Erina later for causing a scene?

[bolledivita]

I don't care if you insult me, but insulting Jojo, Signora Joestar, and Signore Speedwagon--

[And then Joseph steps in, and Caesar falls quiet. Looming.]

[andnextyoullsay]

[The idiot blusters a little, before standing and getting in Joseph's face.]

Listen here, you British bastard. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but here in Italy we do things a little differently.

Differently as in asking a friend at another table to try and sneak up on us?

How did--

[Joseph just smirks. It was a guess, but a good guess.]

[bolledivita]

[And with Joseph's warning, Caesar whirls around, grabbing the friend's wrist.]

Really, these are the sort of tactics someone like me would use. If you're so much better than us, why are you stooping to my level?

[andnextyoullsay]

You--!

[The first idiot pulls back to punch, only for Joseph to duck under it and get him by the middle. His friend tries to get Caesar with his other hand.]

[bolledivita]

[Caesar nonchalantly dodges the second blow, and in doing so, letting it connect with the first idiot.

He glances to Joseph and smirks.]

[andnextyoullsay]

[Joseph smirks right back and shoves his idiot towards the other idiot so they meet in the middle like some kind of slapstick routine, to the gasps and cries of the onlookers.]

If you don't want to look the fool, keep your mouth shut.

[bolledivita]

[All too cheerfully:] You should've apologized when you had the chance.

[andnextyoullsay]

[Staff rush over to ask what happened and what prompted this behavior. Joseph very loudly explains that they were simply enjoying lunch when this man decided to be rude and refused to apologize when prompted, so obviously Joseph and Caesar took offense. Given who, exactly, Speedwagon is the hotel is very quick to apologize on behalf of their guests and offer monetary compensation (but do ask that Joseph and Caesar refrain from making a habit of this).]

Very well. Caesar, are you done eating? I think I've lost my appetite after dealing with that.

[bolledivita]

[...

Sheepishly:]

I think I'm still kind of hungry, actually.

[andnextyoullsay]

[...okay, that's kind of cute. Joseph laughs and sits back down.]

In that case, I'll stick around until you're done.

[bolledivita]

[Caesar sits back down, too, to finish his food.]

Thanks...

[He smiles, a bit uncertain.]

And then once I'm done... getting out of here? And you explaining hamon.

[andnextyoullsay]

Of course. And possibly dessert, there's a gelato stand not far from the that I absolutely love.

[Lunch after that is a quick affair, and despite his comments Joseph happily finishes his meal with no complaints. After making sure his grandmother and uncle will be fine, Joseph leads Caesar off to gelato and hamon.]

So. Hamon.

[bolledivita]

[Before they leave, Caesar also apologizes to Erina for the scene earlier.

But yes! Gelato! And explanations!]

Hamon. "Magic sunshine life energy," as you called it.

[andnextyoullsay]

Yes. Truth be told, I don't really understand it myself. My grandfather was the hamon user, and he died before my father was born, who died shortly after I was born.

[He doesn't mention his mother. He's not sure whatever happened to her.]

Obviously Granny Erina and Uncle Speedwagon can't use it, but my uncle was there when Grandfather learned, so he told me what he could remember. But as he told it, hamon is what happens when someone is able to breathe a certain way and attune themselves to the sun and vitality. I...barely know how to do that. It's just a natural talent of mine.

[bolledivita]

And... apparently I can use it.

[It's weird to think about.]

I knew something was happening, but I didn't know what, and I definitely didn't know I was doing it.

[andnextyoullsay]

Your ancestors were probably users. I inherited from my grandfather, after all. But, like I said, it's nothing spectacular for me, which is why we're here at all. Master Tonpetty told Speedwagon that if I should seek training, I would be better off coming to Italy instead of training with the monks in Tibet.

[bolledivita]

I'm not exactly impressive either.

[A look down at his hand.]

I don't even know how to intentionally use it like you do...

[andnextyoullsay]

Then why don't you and I train together, once we find whoever it is we're supposed to find here? I thought it was going to be the Zeppelis, but we can't find any of them, if any of them are even still in Italy.

[bolledivita]

[... Whoa, hang on--]

... Zeppeli?