Chapter Text
"Josuke? May I ask you a question?" Jonathan's gentle voice rang out, catching the attention of not just Josuke but also those who sat with him.
Josuke had been lounging on one of the cozy couches alongside Okuyasu, Koichi, and Yukako within the Mr. President suite when he was approached by none other than... well, technically his great, great paternal grandfather. Thinking about how closely related he was to Jonathan nearly gave Josuke a headache. Even worse was having to crane his neck to look up at the gentle giant of his ancestor. All four highschoolers were practically swallowed up by the man's shadow as he awaited Josuke's response.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, of course, Gramps- uh, Johnathan," He spoke, catching himself before he could say the embarrassing nickname he'd been using using behind Jonathan's back.
The mild-mannered man merely smiled at the mishap, not offended by the affectionate nickname given to him by his descendants. Albeit, one he was slightly perturbed by. Being only five years older than even the youngest Joestar present. However he did not take any offense. He was quickly growing accustomed to being referred to with seniority among his young allies.
"Forgive my disruption, but I was wondering..." He took a short pause, glancing back at his own friends and receiving an encouraging expression from Speedwagon that ginited his will to continue. "What do Stands look like?"
Josuke paused. Glancing at Yukako and Okuyasu, his mind blanked at the answer to the innocent question. In truth, he had a difficult time trying to put into words the experience of even having a Stand let alone describing it physically to those not capable of seeing them.
"Oh. Well, a lot of our Stands actually look like people," He spoke, flustering at his awkwardness with the question. Glancing to Okuyasu was no help as the other boy had a similarily lost expression on his face.
"Really?" Jonathan responded, unperturbed by Josuke's hesitation for the answer. He leaned in, completely taken with the subject.
Floundering for words, Josuke summoned Crazy Diamond, the Stand of which mimicked Josuke's lost expression as he leaned in to his User. Instinctively, Yukako leaned out of the Stand's way, feeling it get too close to her personal space.
Taking in his Stand, Josuke did his best to transcribe the being's appearance for his relative, "My Stand, Crazy Diamond, is a dude. He's really strong, and he's pink and blue and-"
A voice interrupted his explanation.
"You cannot be struggling this hard to describe Stands, Josuke," Rohan spoke, lifting his gaze from his canvas the instant Jonathan approached the group. He had been eyeing the conversation from his seat in one of the luxurious chairs next to the couches, but could only hold his tongue for so long before the need to indulge in the exchange called for him.
Sighing heavily, Josuke turned to his senior with an unimpressed expression, "Why don't you try it then, Rohan-sensei?"
Much to Josuke's surprise - and Jonathan's delight - Rohan capped his pen, closing his sketchpad.
"Very well," He spoke, crossing his legs.
Jonathan straightened up to give the shorter man as much of his attention as possible, but did not step away from Josuke in fear of offending the young lad's pride. However, he could not conceal his delight as Rohan went into detail very easily, having a way with words.
"A Stand is a physical manifestation of one's spirit. For many of us, they take humanoid forms, can speak with a limited vocabulary, and very few of us have Stands with the full capacity for language. However, many of us have Stands that take no physical form, and instead are only the ability they possess."
Josuke frazzled at how simple the explanation was, but nonetheless rolled his eyes at how pretentious Rohan made it out to sound. Jonathan was none the wiser to his junior's annoyance.
"I see!" The older man spoke vibrantly, enthralled with the explanation.
"Since Stands typically are manifestations of one's spirit, it is only natural that many of our Stands actually look like us. Some Stands can even have their Users faces or voices," Rohan spoke matter-of-factly, not missing in his enunciation once.
"That is most fascinating!" Jonathan spoke, delighted with the now clearer understanding of Stands, he smiled brightly as he spoke. "Hearing you describe them, I almost feel unfortunate that I cannot see them."
The statement caught Rohan's attention, something that did not go unnoticed by the other members of his era. Cautiously, Koichi and Yukako shared a glance with each other. They had both gotten accustomed to Rohan's "scheming" face, and watched as the interaction unfolded very carefully.
"Well... I may have a solution to that problem," Rohan spoke, catching Jonathan's attention immediately.
"Rohan-sensei?" Koichi started, gently trying to lure out more of Rohan's hidden agenda.
Rohan continued happy to indulge the subject on his mind, "You see, my Stand permits me the ability to imbue others with capabilities. Some permanently, others only temporarily. To the extent of even altering a person's mental processes."
"What a fantastic ability! Would you be able to use it to enable me to see Stands?" The smile on Jonathan's face had transformed into complete interest, he was completely enthralled and elated with the possibility.
Setting aside his sketchpad, Rohan pulled out his signature pen, "I can certainly try. However, I cannot guarantee that this will work with complete confidence."
"I am willing to try it, Rohan," Jonathan spoke, confiding in his descendants ally wholeheartedly.
Josuke himself was less than thrilled about having Rohan use Heaven's Door to poke around his relatives mind, however he did not voice these concerns. Instead, keeping a close eye on Rohan as he stood up.
"Very well," The well-dressed man spoke, approaching Jonathan. "All I require you to do is to close your eyes and trust me. You may feel me touch your face, that will be me inscribing this ability into you."
Jonathan nodded enthusiastically, doing just as told. Rohan got closer before he realized that the slight [severe] distance between their height was going to make the transaction more difficult. The indignant look on his face was only made worse as he heard Josuke and Okuyasu snicker at the obvious disparity in height.
"...And, if you can, please bend down just a few inches for me to be able to reach," He spoke, lightly annoyed at having to make the request.
From the couch, Josuke and Okuyasu stifled their giggles. Choking their laughter down when Rohan shot them a glare. The two boys held decent poker faces, allowing Rohan to turn back to business. However, their poker faces were worth nothing when they made the mistake of looking at each other. Immediately looking away, Josuke hid his face in the crook of his arm to muffle the laughter threatening to spill from his mouth. Okuyasu was not much better as he hid his face in one of the pillows, tears of laughter pricking his eyes.
Rohan continued his task, vehemently ignoring the two teenagers laughing at him from the couch. Jonathan did as requested, leaning down sufficiently for Rohan to properly use his pen to inscribe his command into the pages of Jonathan's mind. With the softest utterance for Rohan's Heaven's Door, Jonathan's mind burst into a flurry of physical pages, akin to a novel. Each page decorated by fanciful writing detailing the events of his life up until the present moment. Flipping through the pages breezily, Rohan caught the tiniest tidbits of Jonathan's life, peeking into the recesses of the man's life that had been unmentioned. Mentions of a woman named Erina Pendleton, a father named George Joestar, details of an academy and a promising future in archaeology all begged for Rohan to dissect further. He only remembered what he was snooping through the pages for when Josuke cleared his throat with a loud "AHEM!", earning the boy a nasty eyeroll from the mangaka.
Taking his pen, Rohan inscribed his command into an empty slot of space within Jonathan's mind. His hand writing was neat as he finished the inscription with a flourish.
You will have the ability to see Stands.
With an appreciation for his proper handwriting, Rohan's delight was disrupted as he watched the ink of the pen immediately disappear from the pages like invisible ink. He frowned deeply. He had encountered this limitation to his ability before. He had hoped for this circumstance to be different, alas he was disappointed.
"Hm. As I suspected. It isn't working like I hoped," He spoke, gently caressing the pages of Jonathan's mind.
Although, as far as Jonathan knew, all he was experiencing was the delicate touch of Rohan's fingers gently stroking his cheek. Not that he was complaining, of course. The gentle giant made sure to keep his eyes shut, waiting for Rohan's approval for him to open his eyes.
"How unfortunate," Jonathan spoke, hearing the disappointment in Rohan's voice.
"Even with my Stand, I don't believe I have the capability to change the laws of nature of non-Stand Users," Rohan mused, preparing to cap his pen and tell Jonathan he no longer needed to lean down.
However, their pity party was interrupted by a third-party inclusion. Giorno, who had been minding his business from the neighboring couch, spoke up. Catching the attention of his gang as they tuned into the neighboring conversation.
"You might not be able to break those laws, but why not try bending them?" He suggested, his expression unmoving.
"Go on?" Rohan spoke, intrigued by the proposal.
"If your ability cannot permanently allow Jonathan to see Stands, why not try giving him only the vision of a Stand User instead? Or make it temporary? It may not be forever, but it doesn't have to be to get the necessary results," The blond boy suggested, revealing a keen sense of strategics that Rohan hadn't picked up on earlier.
Those in both Giorno's gang and Josuke's group perked up, their gazes swapping between Giorno and Rohan. The latter of which seemed completely contemplative over the concept presented to him.
"I see..." Rohan spoke, taking his pen to the pages of Jonathan's mind once more. "I will change my inscription to instead only permit you the vision of a Stand User rather than the innate ability itself. And it will be for exactly five minutes as a precaution. With luck, this may work."
With the interest of now two different groups from two different eras, Rohan wrote his new inscription with care, very aware of all eyes on him. The tension of which could make him break a sweat as his expectations soared for this command to work. With Jonathan as his canvas, he stepped away only when he was sure of his writing.
You will have the complete sight of a Stand User for all of five minutes.
With his expectations (and nerves) exceptionally high, Rohan studied his calligraphy, staring at the ink almost daring it to disappear. Unbeknownst to him and the other Stand users, Baron Zeppeli and Speedwagon both stared on at the circumstance before them with complete and utter confusion. With no Stand Vision, the only thing they were seeing was two groups of teenagers staring very intently as a young man glared daggers at their friend Jonathan's face. The man of which had no clue what exactly was happening around him, and waiting very patiently for some sort of signal or result. With a face of utter bafflement, Speedwagon turned to Baron Zeppeli, prepared to ask the man what he thought was happening only to realize that the Baron was doing everything in his power to hold back laughter, hiding his mouth behind his fisted hand.
Turning away from the man lest he break the Baron's concentration, Speedwagon's gaze instead landed on the gentlemen sitting next to him, and his expression was reciprocated by the young Joseph Joestar who, with furrowed brows, mouthed the words "I don't know" to Speedwagon. Glancing at Joseph's compatriot, Speedwagon noted the look of quiet bafflement on both Caesar and Lisa Lisa's faces as they both watched with interest for any sort of result. Seeing the full range of reactions from his fellow non-Stand Users, Speedwagon immediately understood why the Baron was struggling to keep his composure.
"The inscription is not disappearing," Rohan finally announced to the room, causing the others to inadvertently lean closer in anticipation. "Now then, to see if it worked... Jonathan, you may open your eyes."
At the direction, Jonathan did just that, blinking several times to readjust his sight to the light of the room. Standing up straight, he felt no different than he had previously, and with a weighted heart he felt as though the inscription had failed.
That is, until he caught sight of an entity levitating by Rohan's shoulder, looking upon him expectantly. A pair of pure emerald colored eyes staring back at him from a paper-white face. The figure seemed unencumbered by the strength of gravity, floating in the air like an angelic creature, watching Jonathan's every move. The being was unlike anything Jonathan had ever seen, unlike anyone he had ever seen, especially within Coco Jumbo.
"Jonathan-san, are you able to see my Stand?" Rohan asked carefully, trying to read the taller man's expression.
Jonathan remained mute in shock, glancing behind Rohan to the others within the room and suddenly realizing there were far more figures in the room than he had previously thought. Figures of all shapes and sizes, colors beyond anything he could imagine, appearances of alien nature so deeply inhuman and yet completely... domestic, as many of the beings clung to their Users, lounging around the person they resembled most. To his surprise, Johnathan caught sight of a golden entity sitting within the Giorno's lap, comfortably splayed over the boy like a familiar friend. Decorated by the same ladybug insignia that Giorno sported, it turned to Jonathan with a coy look as though able to read Jonathan's innermost thoughts.
"That is direct eye contact," Giorno spoke, tracking the exact direction Jonathan was staring at.
Jonathan spoke, hand reaching out as though wanting to touch the being to see if it were real, "Th...This is what Stands look like?"
There was a pause in the room.
A silence kept that any one person's heartbeat could be heard.
And was broken by the voice of Josuke as he shot up in his seat so fast he almost tripped over his own feet:
"You can see them!" The boy shouted, completely elated!
Jonathan nodded enthusiastically, watching in awe as a figure appeared beside Josuke as well, "This is positively amazing! I simply cannot believe my eyes!"
The other non-Stand Users in the room perked up, ranging emotions of shock, awe, and amazement captivating them. With a delight unlike any he had ever known, Jonathan turned to his friends with a smile brighter than the sun as he tried to take in as many of the Stands as possible. His elation was only interrupted when he turned to Rohan with a speed that almost made the mangaka flinch.
"Oh, and please forgive my rudeness, Heaven's Door!" The British man spoke, reaching out and carefully shaking the Stand's hand with graciousness. "I am entirely grateful for you! You've given me something incredible to treasure! I simply cannot voice how happy I am!"
Rohan regarded the man with a look of shit-eating satisfaction, feeling the handshake that Jonathan was giving his Stand even though his hand itself was not being interacted with, "It was a pleasure, Mr. Joestar."
Josuke was ecstatic approaching Jonathan, his Stand almost matching his relative's height exactly, "You definitely need to meet Crazy Diamond!"
Crazy Diamond levitated just above Josuke's head, leaning in curiously as Jonathan beamed at him. Offering the Stand his hand, Crazy Diamond reciprocated the handshake, feeling the strong grip of his User's grandfather.
"Jonathan Joestar! It is so lovely to meet you!" Jonathan spoke, making Josuke chuckle at the naive kindness of the man.
"Crazy Diamond already knows who you are," He said, feeling the handshake that was being given to his Stand. "But, I'm certain he's happy you're finally able to see him!"
"You're able to see Stands now, Mr. Joestar? Cool! Check out my Stand!" Okuyasu spoke, summoning his own which drew the attention of the others in the room.
Cautiously but with careful intent, Giorno stood up, wandering over to where Okuyasu, Josuke, and Rohan stood next to Jonathan. Carefully stepping in beside Josuke, he eyed the interaction patiently. Biding his time to present his own Stand as well.
"This is... The Hando!" Okuyasu spoke, his Stand instinctively flexing, joined by Crazy Diamond who did not want to be left out of the showboating.
Jonathan marveled at The Hand, holding the handshake for a moment longer, testing how strong his grip was, "My goodness! He is very impressive indeed, Okuyasu!"
Okuyasu beamed, trying to pretend that he wasn't extremely impressed by how strong Jonathan actually was, the man's grip on his Stand positively pulverizing. He pondered for a moment how such a gentle man was capable of such a deathly grip but reminded himself that the granddaddy of the Joestar lineage was no slouch at all, given his impressive stature and capability after all. Jonathan as a kind man was not the same kind of gentle on the battlefield, quite obviously.
"If you'd like to meet Stands," Giorno gently interrupted, summoning his Stand by his side, "Allow me to introduce you to Golden Experience."
Golden Experience's familiar visage made Jonathan marvel, regarding the Stand with respect as it clung to Giorno's chest. Gently, he offered his hand to the Stand, the gesture reciprocated by the lanky Stand in return, who seemed very partial to Jonathan's presence. With the softest tilt of Golden Experience's head, the entity slowly leaned into Jonathan, setting his head onto Jonathan's chest and wrapping his arms softly around the older man's midsection.
Pleasantly surprised by the embrace, Jonathan reciprocated happily, embracing the Stand with a strong hold, careful not to squeeze the being with too much force considering how skinny it seemed to be. Unknowingly to the British man, Giorno himself tensed up. Experiencing the sensation of the hug through his clingy Stand causing a slightly overwhelming reaction in the boy who was relatively unused to the physical contact.
Josuke noticed the way in which Giorno's shoulder tensed in the slightest manner. Carefully, he set his hand on his cousin's shoulder giving it a squeeze, delivering a kind smile to the younger boy to comfort him. Giorno nodded appreciatively, seeing no threat or anger in his relative's face, relaxing his body. However, their silent interaction was quickly interfered with by a slightly more obvious interaction.
"Do you need something, Crazy Diamond?" Jonathan spoke, still holding the smaller Stand in his arm.
Josuke realized with embarrassment that his own Stand was very obviously burying his nose in the other's business, Crazy Diamond standing very close to the other two although he was jealous. It was to Josuke's mortification - and to Rohan and Okuyasu's amusement - that Crazy Diamond mimicked it's cousin-Stand, leaning its head against Jonathan's chest too. Josuke flustered immediately at his Stand's clingy behavior, the embarrassing blush on his face making both Rohan and Okuyasu burst into very, very audible laughter.
"H-Hey! Shut up! I can't control everything he does!" Josuke shouted at them, his voice sounding quiet under their loud laughter.
Luckily for Josuke, Jonathan did not seem bothered by the interference, unwrapping one arm from Golden Experience to embrace Crazy Diamond happily. The latter of which pleasantly closed his eyes as he was embraced. Whether it was because both Stands were able to sense the familiar connection to Jonathan, or simply because Jonathan gave very lovely hugs, the two were inclined to the man's warmth. Josuke basked slightly in the lovely hug he was vicariously feeling through his Stand, ignoring his stupid friends as they laughed at how flustered he was.
He could certainly live with his Stand hugging Jonathan for as long as it wanted.