#i would have wept if Fourteen had like..a pocket watch or something with her picture in it

[time-like-tears-in-rain]

A very insane character detail that haunts me is that when Rose first goes into the Tardis with Nine, the jump seat in the console room seats two...but after Ten dies, the Tardis interior burns, and Eleven goes into the new console room...there are still jump seats for multiple passengers, but each only seats one.

[jjbagoldenhearts]

Golden Hearts - Chapter 2

Chapter 2, been putting this off but I’m doing it now, first chapter in the EIR and introducing some original characters! I will accept constructive criticism if you have any.

*

The flight out of JFK airport was seven hours with nothing but the ocean to watch over. It would’ve been the perfect time to sleep but Shizuka was unable to. 

Running from home and burning the bridge behind her was an act who’s consequences she was only just beginning to understand. It wasn’t that she had somewhere she felt at home. It was that, on what could be called a spur of the moment decision, she had cast it all out, gambling on a country she had never been to. 

She told herself she would pick up college there and things would work out, but she needed someone to tell her that it was gonna be okay, ‘have I always been this dependent on other people?’ She wondered, she could feel tears coming on. She tapped the shoulder of the person next to her, a small boy who’s mother was sitting in the middle row.The boy looked into her eyes and seemed to feel her pain. “please move” she ordered and the boy did so. His mother awoke sensing the commotion. Shizuka scooted hurriedly down to the toile,t and those who saw her coming, quickly ducked out of her determined way. A woman stood poised to enter the toilet as another woman was stepping out of it, yet when they saw her both of them stood out of her way. She felt only contempt for herself in that moment, she didn’t have a silent way, her way was flash and burn, but now she was making a scene, the last thing she wanted.

She locked herself in the toilet and wept, resisting only the urge to howl as she cried. The tears were draining, her eyes were sore but after all was said and done she was not as agitated as before, there was always that upside. 

‘The future’, she called out her stand, Achtung Baby. ‘your good for sneaking and for hiding so i never got huge mileage out of your powers. Maybe the future will be different. maybe I could learn to appreciate a more reserved approach.’

There was a knock on the door, “Apologies, i’m part of the cabin crew, are you alright in there?” “Yeah-” she called out, her voice noticeably raspy “I’ll be out soon”

*

The airport, the taxi ride to her apartment, the hour of inner city traffic; it all blended together like a slushy. The apartment building was an ugly looking thing, coated in a grey pebble-dash, six stories high, built about a kilometre and a half away from the river side and the city centre. It wasn’t quiet but compared to the busiest parts of D-City it was very peaceful.

The front door opened after a stiff push, the first thing that greeted her was a series of letterbox lockers and two doors, one leading to an office and bearing the name Christina Lally; and another leading to a staircase, visible through the door’s windows.

She checked her note, it instructed her to talk to the landlady and get the room keys. She tucked the note back into her pocket and went to the office door, knocking twice. No voice called back, instead the door opened after a silent pause.  “Hello, Ms Lally? I’m a new tenant, Shizuka Joestar.” The woman at the door appeared middle aged, she had a glassy right eye and a nose that crooked to the right. Christina shrugged “Ina will do young woman” she replied before opening the door further and gesturing her to come into the office.

Shizuka’s eyes danced around the office, its near half had a work desk and a big reclining chair, as well as cabinets and shelves pressed against the walls. The far half had a pair of sofas with a coffee table to separate them, all next to a large floor to ceiling window. “This will only take a moment” Ina assured her. On the walls were pictures ofwhat Shizuka presumed to be Ina’s family; also featured were sun-bleached postcards tacked onto the walls; Florida, Porto, Malta, Ibiza. there were no certificates or awards displayed, just family and memories.

She observed the room in this manner as Jotaro had once instructed. She remembered asking why his office was so bare and he explained that the easiest way for someone to charm you was for them to make you had common ground. Hobbies, family, places of interest: stuff a personalized office would suggest. Jotaro posited that having a bare office kept dealings objective. He did have one picture though, of a little girl with butterflies in her hair. She had pinky promised Jotaro that she would keep it a secret. She could remember him smiling.

“Are you still awake Joestar?” called out a now disgruntled Ina Lally. Shizuka quickly brought her eyes onto the elder woman, “I’m so sorry, I’m just a bit tired” she apologized profusely. Ina held out a folder, and a key-chain bearing a room key and a key-card. The key to open her room’s door and the key-card to get past the electronic lock.

“Any family missy?” Asked Ina, somberly. Shizuka was taken aback by such a personal question, “A nephew and a brother but they live far away”. Ina turned and popped into her reclining chair, “i gather your an American from your accent, and an Asian-American at that. Tell me, do you have a good reason for leaving America to live in the EIR?” Shizuka was taken aback once again by such a personal and downright intrusive question. Ina was dead on the money with her origin, Shizuka suddenly realized she was gonna stick out like a sore thumb. “Is it necessary to ask me such a thing” she did her best not to sound annoyed though she could tell it wasn’t working.

Ina sighed, “It mightn't look like it but i’m worried for you, You won’t stay long in this town if the authorities, or rather, ABHAILE, don’t like you. If your not determined to stay and not willing to bow your head then you’ll have no home in this city. I know we just met so don’t take this the wrong way. Be wary, and pick your battles well” She finished by pointing to her crooked nose. 

Shizuka nodded and thanked Ina before leaving her office. feeling unwelcome is something she could overcome, especially if all she had to do to get by was suck up to one gang or two. She opened the electronic door and took to the stairs. On the folder was a note: FLOOR 5 ROOM 1

INSPECTORS COME 12 AM ON THURSDAY, BE RESPECTFUL

She looked to her phone, today was Tuesday,September 5th, 2017.

*

Wednesday afternoon, Shizuka rose from an exhausting fourteen hours of sleep, the apartment was empty besides the furnishings already granted. She felt like walking and had no food, Thus she resolved to kill two birds with one stone by walking around, looking for shops.

 After a half hour, she had three or four shops and an off-license scoped out,  as well as some food bought. It was during her search for an ATM that she would make her first friend from the EIR.

The ATM was next to a car park, beside the main road. With 10 or 12 rows of cars blocking shield the ATM from the road, what happened next shouldn’t have been a surpirse. As Shizuka turned the corner she spotted what appeared to be a hooded boy using the ATM she noticed straight away though that he was keeping his hands free while using it. As she walked closer, she saw it,  A stand. It looked a large Iphone propped up by a pair of wiry legs, Its screen displayed what looked like a logo but was actually its face.

She had never run into a stand user outside of either her family or SPW. She thought about walking up and saying hello but changed her course. choosing to turn invisible and approach quietly.

Her careful sneaking was for naught, as the stand user in question was completely absorbed in the task and she soon saw why. Every 15 seconds the ATM was doling out about €200 in  €50 notes. How long had this been going on? She didn’t know. She looked around, there was no-one in sight but there was someone watching. This person had a powerful stand, but clearly no head for a life of crime. She uncloaked and caught the thief off-guard. The thief jumped and clutched the ATM to support themselves.

“Good lord, where did you come from?” asked the thief. “I came from behind, I was watching you work away, incredibly stuff might I add” The thief looked carefully at Shizuka then gave a smug smile. “Well, I am good, but you know, I can't do my magic if the whole world knows about it. As much as i like attention I’m gonna have to ask you not to say anything about what you’ve seen. I could give you a cut to smooth it over, sweetheart”.

The words, the demeanor,  it must have been some learned behaviour because every boy she had run into, who thought he was hot shit mind, acted in this exact way. He was talking to her like she was straddling his lap in a red, low-cut dress. the only thing that could be called an exception, was this thief’s lack of a deep masculine voice, it wasn’t deep but it wasn’t effeminate.

She found the affair awfully cute, because clearly this person was not seeing the light of day with their head so far up their ass. She replied: “As much as I like money I've gotta tell you, your not going anywhere the way you are right now.” The thief gave her all their attention. She then pointed to a small security camera which had been hidden behind a vent and would be impossible to see without behind pressed right up against the  ATM’s wall. Its how they could get away with putting it on the inside of a busy car park.

The thief opened their mouth to respond but stopped upon hearing a car pulling up on the sidewalk. They looked all around, but back towards the road was their only way out. Now Shizuka knew, that she was in fact,  hot shit.

“Well friend, if you’d like to talk splits, how about I get you out of here, that camera looks cheap and your in a hoody so if i get you out you’ll be fine.”

“You can get me out of here?” They responded, shuddering at the sound of car doors being slammed shut. She took them by the hand.

“Hold on tight, don’t make any sound and don’t struggle, you hear me?” she barked. the thief nodded vigourously. She pulled him to the blind-spot directly beneath the camera and call upon her stand, turning them both invisible.

*

One second the street was empty, the next; two people materialized out of thin air. The thief gasped and made deep breaths, having held it in during their many moments or tension.  “You ok?” asked Shizuka. “I am, you saved my life.. holy shit. My name is Daniel by the way”. they replied. “Its a pleasure Daniel, now come on upstairs, my apartment’s on the fifth floor.”

*

Having spent all morning walking about on an empty stomach, she was pained by hunger. She dug some instant cup noodles out of her bag and put them into a microwave. Daniel followed her into her kitchen, not sure of what to say or do. Shizuka chose then to break the ice.

“So Daniel, how much money did you get?” “I don’t know” replied Daniel, they began pulling money out of their pockets and bag. In seconds a tidy pile of fifty euro notes had been built up. They quickly paired them up, then grouped them into sets of €500.  “There might be  €4000 or more euros here” “Huho, someone is gonna be really, REALLY pissed off tonight”. “You can fucking say that again” Daniel began to laugh and Shizuka found herself laughing too, even laughing as she took the instant noodles out of the microwave.

“What the hell did you need this much money for?” The question soured the air and the laughing died down. “It might sound selfish but, I wanted the money for HRT” Shizuka was taken aback, “I’ve never met someone so up front about being trans” she replied. “Well you did save my life back there, I don’t know how i fooled myself into thinking this was gonna be easy. you showing up was my miracle.” Shizuka couldn’t help but smile, having felt very flattered by the comment.

She tore open the cup noodles and began mixing it with a plastic fork, she sniffed the stewing broth; no matter what they called the flavour it was not curry sauce, it did smell good though.

“How much do you want by the way? I’ll split it 50/50″ “Don’t bother, I don’t want or need any of that money” “Oh, okay then” Replied Daniel with a defeat exasperation.

“I never introduced myself, my name is Shizuka Joestar. I’ve just moved here from America.” “Shizuka? Can I call you Shizzy?” “You can call me Jojo” She replied coldly, silently reviling the nickname. “Well Jojo, I guess we’re friends now. To think I’d be saved by some newcomer stand user from America. Your stand is fantastic.”

“Tell me this Daniel, you know other stand users in D-city?” Daniel’s expression became worrisome “How’d you guess that?” “Stand users attract each-other, its a trick of fate really,” Daniel wasn’t a big fan of that answer but didn’t push the point further. “I better get home Jojo, I told my Ma I was going walking but its been over an hour, I’ll catch up to you later” “Do you have messenger? I can add you later if you do”. “Sure, I’m Daniel Hand, 17 years old, my friend Johanna Quinn is in my profile picture”

She searched her name and soon found the profile. “You’ll have to tell your stand user friends about me” She exhorted jovially. “Oh I will, I’m sure they’ll be happy to meet you, but keep it on the down low okay? The authorities can’t catch onto us or there will be trouble.” “Are the authorities stand users?” She asked mockingly. “Yes” Shizuka had asked the question as a joke but Daniel’s serious tone had cut her down.

“Alright i’ll be going” “I hope to see you again Daniel” “You too Jojo”

And with that, she left, and Shizuka was now alone with her cup-noodle breakfast/lunch, It was lucky of her to find a stand user on just her second day, and yet she couldn’t escape the feeling it was all fated to be. 

*

In a dim sitting room, a woman held a phone to her ear whilst a muted television broadcasted a British game-show she had on playback.

“They disappeared?” “Yes, the accomplice’s stand allowed them to escape, we suspect it to be some sort of teleportation based stand power” “The mythical teleporter stand, no matter, if the trail is cold then we’ll have to wait for them to rear their heads” “I understand, that’ll be all Chief Lynch” “Goodnight then.”

They pressed down on the end call button, it was good etiquette for a subordinate not to end the call first. She sighed and tossed their phone onto the second half of her couch before picking up the remote. “Best gather intel before telling the boss”

*

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