maskormenace | 02 | video (backdated to the 27th)

Entry tags:

02 | video (backdated to the 27th)

[the video opens to the sound of the Thanksgiving dog show in the background and Jonathan settled contentedly on the couch, clad inexplicably in a turtleneck featuring the four Pac-Man ghosts. he smiles cheerfully.]

This isn't my holiday, but I hope that everyone who celebrates has been having a good time. I'm not entirely certain what purebred dogs have to do with being thankful, but I'm certainly grateful for the opportunity to watch them.

I never realized that dogs would be among the things that had changed in the future, but I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise. People are always looking to improve their breed however they can.

Perhaps it's a bit childish, but owning a dog again is one of the things I'm looking forward to most when I finally feel able to leave the government housing. It's been a while since I've had a pet.

[he scratches his cheek, the smile becoming a tad nostalgic for a moment of two. the television announces the start of judging for the hound group and he shakes himself out of it easily with a roll of the shoulders.]

Ah, but I hadn't meant to simply chatter away about inanities! I've been thinking about this for a bit, and I wanted to ask someone who was more experienced in the matter - how does finishing one's education work here?

There's no way I could prove my qualifications, after all, but I'd like to finally graduate if at all possible. It's the principle of the thing.

[finally completing his degree feels kind of like a symbolic closing of the worst chapter of his life, even if in Heropa that wasn't technically true. and it would give him a little more confidence in perhaps looking for a job actually related to his field of interest.]

Thank you for your time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[nope our casts have melded you're doomed.

This situation had Killua wondering if he should really say anything. Jojo could stand up for himself if anything happened, and he felt a little bad ruining his vision of someone immediately... So his answer comes a little hesitantly.]

Yeah... It was for murder.

[someone get the inflatable life raft out I'm bailing on this I don't need this in my life.

Jonathan falls silent for a time, gaze drifting away from the camera to focus on nothing in particular as he digests that. his face is so serious, and that expression doesn't change when he finally speaks. his tone is a little softer, but just as even as it was before.]

...I see. Thank you for letting me know.

[that does change things, although perhaps not as much as it would to a sane rational person. even murder has its caveats - how many 'people' had he killed after they'd become zombies, after all? they weren't human anymore, but they still had rational thought and awareness. it was easy to imagine suffering some sort of punishment for those actions.

but Jonathan isn't stupid, and he knows that more often than not murder is simply a vile, disgusting act. he won't stop chatting with Hisoka, or be any less polite to him, but this will always be at the back of his mind as he does so. the benefit of the doubt doesn't mean he has to be unprepared for the worst.]

[That reaction stills him a bit. It's for good reason to warn him about Hisoka, but just from 'murder'? He glances off to the side ever so slightly, his fingers flexing around the phone a little.

Really, using that when he's just as bad. How many people has he killed? He wonders if Jojo would treat him differently if he knew. Somehow he expects not, but that look on it was enough.]

Sure. Sorry I brought it up out of nowhere. [Sorry he was snooping.]

There's nothing to apologize for. It's something I should know...and anyway, I've always been easy to read.

[both emotionally and now here with his activity on the network. Jonathan smiles widely, hoping to dispel any lingering guilt that Killua might have. acquiring interfering friends seems to be his specialty, after all.]

A lot of people are if you know where to look.

[But he appreciates the simplicity, honestly.]

That's very true. It's not always a bad thing, I think.

[but then, he's never seen a problem with the way he carries himself and that's...well.]

[He thinks the same. But even to Jojo, he doesn't know if he can be that bluntly cheesy (right now).]

Well, only as long as you're not getting into fights where you can't back yourself up. But I guess.

A gentleman must always be prepared to enter a fight he knows he'll lose if it means defending something important.

[he looks quite serious for a moment, but it breaks into a smile almost immediately]

...but I don't go looking for trouble, so there really isn't anything to worry about.

Haha...

[How does one say 'but you're a total trouble magnet tho' without coming off as assuming? Oh well.]

I don't know if being a gentleman has to do anything with it... [And that topic of fighting even if he'll lose brings up some bad thoughts, so he's just going to try to mentally bat them away.]

It does! You can't be a gentleman if you're constantly going around being quarrelsome at every opportunity.

[like Jonathan would do that even if he didn't want to be a Real Gentleman]

Huh? That's how you define it?!

[YOU would be a harasser if you did that, what kind of vague guidelines!! Oh whatever.]

Among other things. There's a guide detailing the particulars, if you'd like to look into it more.

[he highly doubts that Killua has any interest in this whatsoever, but it's still good to mention it]

No thanks.

[He'd make an X with his arms if he weren't holding the phone right now. Somehow he's not surprised there's a guide and that Jojo knows and understands it, but he doubts he'd even be close to making it. Doesn't matter anyway.]

You worry about it at weird times.

At strange times? I'm sorry, I'm not really certain what you mean by that.

[he's wracking his brain and can't seem to come up with any weird moment where he was concerned about his conduct.]

Nevermind.

[HE DOESN'T THINK THIS WILL GET THROUGH AT ALL... Jojo your politeness is constant and therefore confusing.]

Anyway, good luck with your school stuff! They seem more lenient with imPorts.

[at least he's consistent??]

Ah, thank you. I hope that doesn't carry over into the actual classroom - I'd like to be graded fairly.

When it comes to that, they're plenty fair.

[So many detentions...]

[Killua...]

That's good to hear. I wouldn't really feel I'd earned the degree otherwise.

[look, things happen. but god this guy just reminds him more and more of an older, even more extremely polite Gon.]

I figured you wouldn't. Even if they didn't seem unfair you'd probably find some way to make it harder on yourself so it would be, right?

[he waves his hands in protestation, the denial hurt more than a bit by his accompanying laughter]

It's nothing like that at all! You're exaggerating now.

I got it spot on!

[He says that in a low, mocking tone before immediately switching over to a horrible imitation of Jojo's accent.] 'I'm Jonathan and I'm nice to everybody! Perhaps I'll just do double the homework given to me in order to truly test my knowledge fairly!'

[THAT IS POSSIBLY THE WORST BRITISH ACCENT HE HAS EVER HEARD IN HIS LIFE

and it is for this reason that Jonathan finds it so goddamn hilarious. he was already chuckling a bit before, which means that it's practically impossible for him to stop the riotous laughter pouring out now. he leans forward, shoulders shaking in amusement.

he doesn't quite have the wherewithal to get anything truly coherent out just yet, but there is definitely some kind of protestation mixed in there somewhere if you listen closely enough.]

[Killua's going to lift his nose proudly like this is some sort of victory. He thinks his accent was spot on too, thank you very much. (No it wasn't.)]

You can't say I'm not right, so face the facts!

[he shakes his head, calming down enough that he can actually speak audibly again. there's still a great deal of mirth etched into his body language, though.]

I'm afraid I can't face something that's untrue!

Then you're totally in denial.

[Hate to break it to you, Jojo, but that's that.]