driftfleet | one ○ video / action

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caesar anthonio zeppeli

one ○ video / action

Who: Caesar Zeppeli and your face
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Friday and Saturday before the shuffle!

[All things told, Caesar does not spend a lot of time on introspection when he arrives on the Marsiva. He takes a few moments to look at the stars - astonishingly bright and close, almost frighteningly so, when you're used to cities, or being too busy to look up and see the space that God made - and then looks away. For fear of being overwhelmed, maybe, or because he has other things to do.]

[Though he can't begin to imagine what they are. What do you do after you've died?]

[When he figures out how to access the network, he doesn't hesitate at all. Hesitating means thinking, and if he thinks too much about this his voice will come out weak, lost, confused. He is a Zeppeli; that would be unforgivable.]

[So it comes out strong, full, his syllables well-rounded and imbued with good humor.]

Buongiorno, all, I - seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere around Mars. I don't suppose anyone has a map?

[He chuckles briefly, then sombers. There's information in his head that he doesn't know the source of, but he can guess.]

There are many people trapped here. I know that much already. I know what is happening. What I don't understand is why.

[Or what is to be done about it. (Although where would he go, if he wasn't here?)]

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[It's times like these when Caesar really regrets the couple of inches Joseph has on him. Twisting in his grip, he strikes out for whatever's closest - stomach, back, sides - and glares daggers up at him.]

Fine. Let go or I'll shave your head while you're sleeping.

[This is up there in Caesar's threat arsenal along with promises of actual murder.]

[Joseph does what he can to avoid the punches, but he's limited if he wants to keep hold of Caesar. Thus, Caesar is managing to pummel Joseph pretty good in retaliation. For the most part, Joseph just laughs it off, but there's a punch or two that cuts the laughter off at least for a few moments before he can start up again.]

You couldn't do that. I'd wake up the second you tried anything.

[And yet, Joseph is letting go now. Hmm...]

[See, he knows Joseph's weaknesses. Pulling away slightly, he huffs and runs his fingers through his hair to fix it, glancing at Joseph with a mutinous look and doing an excellent job at hiding his relief. The guy can't be that hurt if he's performing noogies that serious with his injured hand. Which is good, because otherwise Caesar was eventually going to make him take his damn glove off to make sure he hadn't busted his knuckles.]

You wouldn't. Don't underestimate me. You'll regret it.

[Despite his intense desire not to be noogied again, he doesn't move too far away. Just crosses his arms defensively and stands shoulder to shoulder with Joseph, chin tipped up in mock-defiance.]

[He almost, almost reaches out and ruffles Caesar's hair just to mess it up again. But he decides not to chance it. He'd like to keep both of his hands and not give Caesar a reason to break them off at the wrist, thank you very much. He'd already probably pushed his luck with that noogie.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah... [He's taking Caesar seriously. No, really. Why don't you believe it? Well, not important. What is important,] You know, you should really be nice to me. I might let you fly it for a bit once we find the controls.

Oh, really?

[He looks at Joseph skeptically, eyebrows raised. Somehow he doubts that Joseph would give up the controls of a spaceship even for a minute, but it's cute that he's pretending.]

Where are we flying to, Jojo?

[Look, he would consider it at least. If the opportunity is there, everyone should have a chance to experience it. Even snobbish little pricks like Caesar. And hey, maybe if Joseph had to like take a piss or something then he'd let Caesar fly it. But he'd have to give it back once Joseph got back.]

We've got the whole of space to explore, and you want to try and nail down a specific destination? [He sighs, shaking his head a little, not sure why he's even a little bit surprised. His arm goes around Caesar's neck again, but this time not putting him in a headlock or subjecting him to another noogie.] C'mon, you wouldn't really try to limit us like that, would you?

[He leans his head on Joseph's shoulder again, a little warily. This could turn into a headlock at any time and he needs to be prepared. Constant vigilance.]

Fine. Pick a couple of places. I don't care.

[It doesn't really matter in the long run. As long as Joseph doesn't crash them into anything, Caesar's okay with it.]

[Joseph tightens his hold a little, but only enough to give Caesar a small shake. It never quite meets a full headlock before he lets go.]

Hey, don't be a stick in the mud. I mean, look at it. [He gestures to the window with a wide motion.] Who knows what we could be the first to see and do out there? Who knows what other planets look like or what's living on them?

[Someone really better make sure Joseph doesn't start trying to smuggle alien pets on-board, okay.]

Or who's living on them. We might find a city out there older than Rome, but with technology more advanced than even this ship! Or maybe there are even more primitive societies out there than us. Think about it, we could stumble upon the birth of an entire civilization. [His laughter is loud.] They could start to idolize us in that case.

I just hope the food isn't horrible wherever it is we end up. Or that we can even eat it in the first place. Wouldn't that be shitty to get food poisoning in space? [Pun maybe a little intended.] But I'm sure we could make do with whatever the hell's on this ship, worst comes to worst.

[At this point, Joseph is chattering. But he can't help himself. He doesn't look outside the window and marvel at the terrifying beauty of space. He doesn't worry himself about the hows and whys of how he or Caesar got here. He doesn't even (at least not loud) give much thought about home in general for now. He's not even worried about what happens when the adventure comes to the end or if it ever will. He's just excited by the prospect of what's out there and where they can go from here. While some quiet part of him really does understand why perhaps Caesar might not share in his enthusiasm, he loudly seems to project otherwise.]

[Or maybe not so much that either. Maybe he just doesn't want Caesar to dwell either and to keep his eyes forward without trying to guess what will come next or be afraid of it. Not everything needs to be gloomy or hang over his head.]

[The thought of a primitive society worshiping Joseph as their god is possibly the most terrifying thing Caesar has ever considered. He delicately sets it aside and listens to the rest of Joseph's excited rambling - much better than the sullen silence from before, and more or less worth the almost-headlock.]

[Honestly, Caesar doesn't know what to think about any of this, either. Not really. If they could go home and he could be alive again, he would, but from everything he's seen so far, that doesn't seem possible. So there are worse alternatives than being excited about what's to come. Sometimes Joseph is actually capable of reminding him of the important things as well as just being a loud, obnoxious jerk.]

[He has a sneaking suspicion that Joseph is going to be sorely disappointed in the food, but. Well. No need to burst that particular bubble yet. Instead he glances out at the stars, their light shining on his face to articulate the half-smile he can't quite suppress.]

I didn't realize this was what you wanted all along. The whole time you were training, you were daydreaming about space, weren't you.

[~~There is going to be a great deal of theatrical bellyaching the moment Joseph realizes the food situation around here. You can bet all your lira on it, Caesar.~~]

Not the whole time, [he says with a serious shake of his head.] Loggins didn't really give me much time to think about anything but Hamon and I had a lot to think about. I couldn't dedicate the whole time to thinking about space, that would be stupid.

[Of course, it wasn't always on the fantastical end of things. Sometimes even Joseph gave into the doom and gloom mindset in private, worrying if all this training was going to be enough and worried about what would happen to his grandmother if he failed. She'd already lost far too much in her life and the thought that he could be one more person... Times like that, he feels guilty about keeping the truth from her, but he knows it to be the best. She doesn't need to worry about that.]

[But not every thought of home--as most of his thoughts were exactly that--were even spent worrying about his grandmother. She had Speedwagon and Smokey to look after her in his absence, after all. They'd see to it that she had everything she needed whenever she needed it without question. She'd never really be alone as long as those two stuck around. Instead, there were times when he'd wonder what everyone was up to, what they might be talking about, if they were happy and having a good time. Sometimes he wondered how long it would be until he could see them again. It's cheesy and he'd never admit to it out loud, but he wondered, every once in a while, if those were the times they were thinking of him, too, and wondering the same things. He liked to think so.]

[Caesar had never thought of "home" so much. His own childhood home had been long-dispersed, his family's belongings divided up and sent away. But there was home with his siblings, whom he missed, who, he imagined, missed him.]

[He wonders if they know what happened, if Lisa Lisa will be able to notify them. He wonders if there was really anything left to bury, and sighs, glancing up at Joseph to make sure he's still there.]

Just some of the time, then. [A slight nudge to his side; he's teasing.]

I never thought about it. Traveling. Or space.

[Knowing what Joseph knows now? That... Well, that doesn't really come as that much of a shocker now. Caesar isn't like Joseph who's not only easily distracted but constantly seeking distraction. Caesar stays not just steady to the course, but he stays entirely focused and driven by it. What has he had outside a distaste for Joseph's family or his drive for revenge for his father's sake? There simply is not a whole lot beyond that.]

[Or at least, there doesn't seem like there be. Almost doesn't ask, but decides to anyway. There was...is so much of Caesar and Caesar's life that he never got a chance to know. And it's still possible that Caesar will shut all of that down, but Joseph's never let that discourage him in the past and certainly won't now. There's some merit in looking at what's right in front of you, too, anyway.]

So what did you think about then? [he asks, casually enough as he tips his head slightly and looks at Caesar.]

[Part of Caesar was never certain he'd have the opportunity to do much but get that revenge. Of course he had dreams - everyone has dreams - but thinking about them sometimes made him overthink the dangers he'd have to overcome to get there, so he tried not to. He escaped into more immediate, fleeting joys, things he didn't have to dedicate an incredible amount of energy to, things that didn't require thought to the future.]

[He glances at Joseph, shrugs, smiles.]

Books. Food. Girls. [The latter with a wider grin, because he knows that Joseph disapproves.]

[Joseph rolls his eyes, scoffing. He does absolutely disapprove. Not the books or food part. (Food is especially a decent thing to think about if a little bit more on the boring side.) And not so much the thinking about girls in general part. No, it's the way Caesar goes about girls. It's cheesy and over-the-top. How it works on anyone is absolutely beyond Joseph. He's pretty sure if Caesar were even the smallest fraction less handsome than he is, it wouldn't work on anyone. They'd just find it annoying or even creepy. But he's got an ice cold gaze, so of course, of course the women fall for it every damn time.]

[But let's be honest here, Joseph Joestar is the last person who should be giving out advice on how to hit on women. It won't stop him from judging or believing himself to be actually more skilled than Caesar, of course, but it merits mentioning.]

Why did I even ask? [The arm around Caesar's neck moves so he can clap him on the shoulder.] Don't worry. We'll get you some real hobbies.

[It is cheesy and over-the-top, but it does work, too. Caesar has never really tried to question it. Sometimes women, just like anyone else, enjoy getting tangled up in a bad idea. Caesar is prepared to act like a bad idea when it gets him somewhere.]

[He laughs at Joseph's expression, knew it was coming. Someday he'll challenge Joseph on this again, but not today. He's not interested in getting humbled by another pigeon.]

I like my hobbies as they are. But I'll add space to the list, since it doesn't look like I'll have any choice.

[Softening slightly, he exhales, hesitant, then repositions himself against Joseph's arm.]

I used to think about my sisters, too. [Another white flag.]

[Joseph tries to keep the surprise out of his face and has mild success, but it's still a pretty stupid look that crosses his face once Caesar mentions his sisters. Caesar has thoughts of family like anyone else would, it seems, despite it being now fragmented and seemingly beyond repair. It's not so surprising if you think about it though. Everyone who has ever been alive has had some sort of family. Some are lucky enough to have it in one piece for a long time and others are like Caesar. Regardless, it is still a surprise that he would say anything about it to Joseph when he's been so tight-lipped about everything else.]

[He takes it as permission to ask something, to get a little nosy, so he does.]

How many sisters do you have?

[He has more questions than that, but he manages to tamp down his natural impulse to simply ask a barrage of questions. It may have been a possible invitation to ask questions, but testing the waters a little first has never hurt anyone.]

[Caesaer resists the urge to roll his eyes. It's incredibly obvious that Joseph is practically jumping out of his skin with questions. The fact that he's trying to restrain himself is uncharacteristically polite and almost definitely won't last long. At least he's trying, though.]

Two sisters. Two brothers. We were a big family.

[Were. It hurts a little when he says it, like a phantom pain. But he's used to it, so he doesn't react visibly.]

[Reaching up, he pats Joseph patronizingly on the cheek.] It's permission, idiota. I won't hit you if you ask.

[Joseph frowns, leaning away and swatting at the hand that's patting him on the cheek. He tries to be at least a little considerate and this is what he gets? No wonder why he doesn't usually opt for this stuff and sticks to being a little more self-centered.]

[Once he gets the hand away from his face, fine.]

Do you keep in touch with them or ever go see them?

[Not that Caesar strikes him as the type to straight-up abandon them, but it might be easier for him to keep his distance.]

[Well, Caesar couldn't possibly just take it at face value. It would hurt his pride, and it wouldn't allow him to be distracted enough to keep the pain away. He'd rather take the opportunity to antagonize Joseph than just let the conversation go easily.]

[He lets his hand fall, looks out at the stars again.]

We write letters. I send them money. I went and visited, once.

[But it was difficult, and there really isn't much time to do anything but train these days.]

They don't know what I was doing.

[Good, Joseph thinks, on all accounts. Caesar isolates himself enough as it is. And no doubt that his siblings worry about him even if he doesn't tell them what it is he's up to. A letter here and there without disclosing everything must put their minds at ease. It's only after the thoughts pass through his mind that Joseph remembers all of that is past tense now. He pushes it aside.]

Why not?

[Joseph doesn't ask this question because he finds it inconceivable that Caesar would keep something like this from his siblings. The opposite would have taken him by surprise. But he's curious about Caesar's specific reasons for not telling them.]

[His lips press together, a touch of anxiety sparking through him. Is Joseph going to judge him for this? A moment later, his pride overtakes it. So what if he does? It was his decision to make, not Joseph's, who has never been in anything like his situation before.]

They don't know what our father did. I never told them.

I didn't want them to have to know.

[About the Pillar Men. About Hamon. About any of it. It makes the world a more frightening place, and he wanted to spare them that.]

[The shift from anxious to proud is swift and plain for Joseph to see. It was that same stubborn pride that sent Caesar off on his own. He chooses to ignore it this time instead of trying to fight it. Partly because he doesn't want to fight again right now, but mostly because he agrees with Caesar's decision.]

I wouldn't let Speedwagon tell Granny Erina anything. [Although Joseph's reasons for concealing the truth from his grandmother were different than Caesar's for hiding it from his siblings, one thing remained true in both situations.] It's better that way.

If I had a younger brother or sister, I wouldn't tell them anything either.

[Glancing up at Joseph when he speaks, Caesar watches him carefully for any signs of - not lying, because Joseph doesn't lie, but of gilding the truth. There's nothing in his expression or his words to indicate anything but perfect truth, however, and Caesar relaxes, some of the rigidity going out of his posture. He doesn't look away, either, just watches Joseph in the brief lull of silence before he speaks again.]

[It seems like every other minute, they're fighting, and in the off minutes, Joseph is saying things that make Caesar respect him more and more.]

Maybe someday, if everything had worked out, I could have told them that he didn't leave us, or that he saved my life. But not before.

[For a few moments, Joseph is filled with indecision. He naturally wants to promise Caesar that they'll know. Because the fight between Lisa Lisa and Cars can only go one way and it will fall in their favor rather than his. He knows it with every fiber of his being that this danger will be put to rest and the world can go back exactly as it was. But saying something like that means acknowledging once again that Caesar is gone.]

[More than that, if either one of them manage to find a way back home from here, Caesar isn't likely going to be able to make the journey. That just strikes Joseph as far too much to hope for even as much as he wants to believe now that nothing is impossible. Trying to put Caesar's mind at ease runs the risk of putting the both of them at unease instead.]

[So, he just makes the promise silently. Caesar's brothers and sisters will know the truth when everything's resolved. They'll know how brave and strong their brother had been through everything. And that he succeeded. Even though he was gone, he didn't fail and leave things unfinished. He could be at peace. Even if Joseph can't tell them these things himself, he'll make sure they can hear it from someone.]

[He nudges Caesar a little by shrugging his shoulder.]

Who would have thought you could be so generous and selfless?

[Says the guy who already knew. He never exactly noticed before he got the truth, but once he managed to get past his initial impression of Caesar, he knew.]

[He snorts softly, to cover up his surprise. Compliments aren't exactly Joseph's way. He teases and jokes and bullshits around and trips over his own words, but something this overt is unusual.]

[Caesar nudges him back, shakes his head.]

It's not generosity or selflessness if it's family, Jojo.

[It's love. That's something different entirely.]

[He smiles up at Joseph. There's a certain calmness about him now. Maybe sharing the truth, or part of it, was a good idea after all. Not just a mark of their truce, but an indication of their bond: that he trusts enough to let Joseph know of his weaknesses.]

Putting up with you, on the other hand, is an unparalleled act of generosity.

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