Capitolo Primo: Giovinezza (13)

“T-This is horrible!” Jonathan half-yelled while slamming a certain tome I had the chance of reading just briefly in my past life.

George looked particularly irritated by the loud tone adopted by his son, but his eyes showed some conflicting thoughts over his reaction at that outburst so early in the morning.

It took me a mere glance in the situation to see that my interference would only escalate things beyond an acceptable level. So I focused on sipping at my cup and think about what I was supposed with my new income thanks to the recent donations of some wealthy men interested in my notions of world order.

“Jojo-”

“Father, you always told me to be respectful of everyone around me, may them be rich or not.. but this- this paper suggest so many horrible things,” The young man continued, sounded even more appalled over the matter he was bringing up.

To be fair, I should’ve expected his teacher bringing up some pro-imperialist tomes for him to study. Archaeology was still a subject that well depended on colonies, especially with the swift mood swings between the Empires in Europe.

A moment the Russians were the big threat to the Pacific, the next day they were the UK’s best friends against any issues in continental Europe. Same for other nations.

I wasn’t much surprised to see his outburst after merely glancing to one of the few imperialist books that will be forsaken by science in about less than two centuries from now.

“Return to your seat and… heed my words, Jonathan,” The nobleman ordered calmly, restraining himself from lashing out at that brash voice he was being subjected to. “The argument is sensible, and shouldn’t be discussed in such a simplistic manner.”

Partly correct, but not in the way you would want to, George.

Imperialism was… a necessary evil. Not one that I could wholeheartedly support considering the heinous deeds some colonial governors were going to commit once the Berlin Conference happened.

But I could still see a determined interest in ‘capturing’ these territories all for the sake of sustaining the stupidly-draining upkeep of the current industrial power within the isles. It was all pragmatism in full display, and I don’t have a reason to ‘justify’ the fact it was all done in a cold and cynical perspective.

Sure, if I had the chance of controlling the colonial policies, I would’ve put some interest in helping the natives survive the aggressive expansionism, and perhaps integrate their tribes in modern society as new generations of a growing empire.

But right now there was no mean for me to sway anything about the current state of things. The Berlin Conference was meant to be convened in three years from now, and I was completely unprepared to make an attempt to sway that international reunion in a different direction.

Too many dangerous elements to keep an eye for, and so little time to muster up enough international influence and political weight to get things done my way. It was unpleasant, but I had no choice other than patiently prepare for the best opportunity to strike.

“Father...” Jojo looked incredibly reluctant over the words coming from his remaining parent, but a quick stare in my direction got him to finally comply. I gave him the usual nod to dignify the fact that I was going to talk to him about it and… I really wanted to have a discussion with him about the subject.

The reason? It was the strange explanation that George mustered for the occasion. The very one trying to highlight only the ‘importance’ of civilized nations have in ‘bringing culture and order’ in uncivilized countries.

Uncivilized… what a silly concept to denigrate obsolete civilizations. Obsolete was… better, but not the best term to depict a society which moral degradation has yet to become a variable in everyday’s life.

Just as expected Jonathan gave it some attention, but ultimately failed to genuinely grasp at the main theme that his father was trying to bring out for him to understand. I could see George himself having some trouble believing what he was saying, but the older Joestar decided to take his son’s silence as good motivation to keep quiet for the reminder of the breakfast.

I wasn’t in the mood to quip for other conversations, as I knew that the opportunity that I was being offered in a golden plate just couldn’t be refused. I had been working so much to get Jojo in a good situation where I could’ve finally approached him over my secret workings… but now I was ready to take a dangerous step and see how much trust existed between him and me.

A couple of minutes passed smoothly, but soon the two of us were talking about this matter right in my room. I was sitting by my bed as I looked at the young Joestar walking back and forth while he ranted about his displeasure over these discoveries.

“This is rubbish, Dio. This shouldn’t be condoned. It’s amoral- it’s evil.”

“It is,” I muttered calmly, keeping my presence in that discussion to a minimum. I needed him to drain his current irritation before I could endear him with a proper intervention, or else I risked in incurring in some loud and unneeded detours in my explanation.

“But then why father support this? Why would he defend something so wrong?”

“Because… it’s not convenient to fight it directly, Jojo.”

…

“What? But-”

“And before I let you continue, please understand that I’m not saying that fighting it is impossible. Rather, I think that headbutting into such an issue would only result in a terrible ordeal for either you or your father,” I started to say with a sigh. “We both know that words matter a lot to many high-class citizens in Britain. A ‘wrong’ opinion can easily end in some unpleasant aftermath.”

His shoulder sagged a little at my words. “But then, what are we supposed to do?”

So desperate for a genuine good answer. A pity that I didn’t have a quick one to offer back.

“Considering the circumstances, or better, how limited our shared reach is… nothing,” I replied calmly. “For now, we can only bid our time and get some-”

“I-It can’t be it. I know that people can protest and-”

“Either be shot, arrested or exiled for high treason,” I interjected, forcing him to stay quiet. He really was moving with his romantic heroism… but there was no smartiness in that thought. No finesse. “Albeit a terrible practice, imperialism is entrenched within the monarchy’s mindset. It’s a must to compete with other nations to either have ‘model colonies’ or even get resources to sustain a mighty industry power.”

“Still...” He didn’t continue, his shoulders sagging even more as he took a seat by the bed right beside me. “Why?”

… “Hmm?”

“Why do you look this calm?” The young man inquired with some confusion. “You too consider it bad, but you didn’t say nothing at the table and… even now you’re quiet about it.”

I blinked, understanding what he was implying to. “You think I stopped caring about the plight of people beyond our nation, Jojo?”

He didn’t answer that, but I noticed his head tilting up and almost coming down to complete a nod.

Sighing, I shook my head at his misunderstanding of my silence. It wasn’t outright stupid, but I swiftly deemed it rather silly from his part.

“I’m not unfazed by the common people suffering. May them be white, black, or Asians,” I began talking. “But I’ve long learned that sprouting left and right about my opposition to the known rules is not going to help any of those that are constantly stepped upon. The only thing you get from doing that is bad attention from those that ‘truly matter’.”

“So… you hate it but… don’t talk about it?”

“Not in public. Not so vehemently,” I answered with a nod. “But with those you think you can talk about it without ever so incurring in any unpleasant ramification? That’s up to you to decide.”

“Just like with… you?”

“Erina would probably accept that kind of conversation too if you moderate yourself about it. Just don’t expect the same fascination from her father,” I admitted with a sigh, thinking that someone that works in India as a doctor for nobles couldn’t be much interested about the topic. Especially if it threatened his line of work. “Still, from what I can see on your face, the real issue is that you wish to bring change to it, and not just discuss it. Am I correct?”

He looked surprised, but my words had him coaxed to an awed calm. A nod followed and… I sighed.

“Then I don’t see any reason to keep this secret from you any longer… as I see that you and I can discuss about my own plans about a change since we both share the same desire.”

I stood up from the bed and carefully turned to stare at Jojo once I was right in front of him.

“Dio? What are you talking about? A secret?”

Jonathan looked confused, slightly surprised by the sudden twist to the conversation but… I just knew what to say to him to get the best outcome out of this.

“Not a secret kept away for ill intents. It was all for fear of being misunderstood with my intentions and… labeled a villain,” I started with a nod. “You can say that the circumstances that led me to this situation are… odd. Bizarre even.”

“What?” He blurted out even more confused.

“Do you remember when I requested your father for a trip to the capital alone the first time around?”

There was a pause at this, just enough to get an answer from the quiet Joestar. Jojo offered a slow nod and I sighed.

“While I had told the truth about my main interest being finding my mother’s wedding dress for that circumstance, that wasn’t the only thing that happened that very day, Jonathan,” I muttered calmly. “There’s much more to that day than just that.”

And from that very point, I started to reveal most of the truth.

It sounds stupid from an outsider’s perspective to have a villain reveal his plans to their enemies, the heroes. But there was a reason why I was more than happy to drop as much genuineness than I could.

Jonathan’s main trait in the series was that he sought the truth from Dio from the very beginning, and while it was directed at the malicious intents of the character I was impersonating, the reality was well mirrored in this very situation.

I was an enigma, but one that held a degree of positive rewards for the Joestar to unravel that it made the efforts the more interesting for him.

If Jojo was a bear, then my truthful words were the sweet honey he had been pursuing since that moment. He was a gentleman that thrived for moral goodness, and I had been his model to refine that code of honor. He was a hero, but one that was born in an age that didn’t accept true knights any longer.

Still, the young man looked rather surprised and uneasy at the words coming out of my mouth. He would stop me once in a while to inquire for more details from a specific situation, and I would offer those without any restriction.

Despite Jojo’s persisting nervousness about my revelation, the situation was tending favorably for me. He didn’t seem angry, and his uneasiness was mostly directed at the insanity that were things like the mask, Wang Chan, and Jack the Ripper.

But while I had a strong hunch that things were working well for my plans, there was still something that managed to get me a little panicky at the end of that conversation.

“But still, why would this ‘Wang Chan’ be trying to hunt you down? Why would he go so far to steal the mask?”

...Dammit. Now that was the kind of query I had some trouble to truly reply to. And I couldn’t certainly bail or deflect that question without sounding suspicious.

There was only one way out of that awkward setup. I needed to improvise with ‘my’ emotions.

Thus I let out a heavy sight, this time having my stare diverted from Jojo and to the only window in the room. I was quiet as I calmly walked up to it and stared outside with an unfocused look.

“This… is something that I’m troubled to mention. I didn’t even have the strength to tell to your father despite he knows part of the truth about this topic.”

I turned around and sported a melancholic expression. “My father, the man that George might have depicted as a strange good man… was a liar.”

“A liar? And why is your father-”

“Let me finish, I beg you,” I muttered with a sour tone, closing my eyes for a moment as I channeled my saddest look possible. A mix of serious mourning and complicated acting, I needed to appear legitimate with these memories. “It’s… correlated to something heinous I did. A sin that I will always bear with pride, but that will still keep me in the greatest shame for being the worst man.”

I blinked, almost imagining myself in that scene before the old drunkard.

“Dario Brando… he was a terrible person,” I started with a quiet tone. “Not just because of his unhealthy correlation with alcohol. He was a violent man even without being influenced by the booze. At first… it was my mother that took the brunt of his anger.”

“Dio-”

“When my mother died by… stress and overworking herself to the bone, I was the only one remaining in his proximity,” I muttered, ignoring Jojo’s attempt to stop me from going forward with the story. “I was quiet, never bother. I never saw a reason to bother but… you can say that I’m but just a human being and I too have a limit with my patience.”

I took a step away from the window, then I stopped. It was all staged to appear the most serious possible. I couldn’t certainly bring out authenticity without having been in that setting, but I could remember the lore and the scenes depicting Dio’s last interaction with his father.

“Dario was a lazy man. He barely worked, and what money he would get was quickly spent at the nearby pub,” I prepared for the big truth bomb. I needed to be ready, to stand up and shine before my small audience. “But one day the coin wasn’t enough. And he still needed to drink despite the lack of means to afford a mere beer.”

…

“My mother’s wedding dress was something that I had treasured for years. It was the last thing I had for her and… he didn’t care,” I let my shoulders sag as I said this. “Or if he did, it wasn’t enough to keep him from buying more booze. And it was in that very situation that I knew that I had to something to change everything.”

Jonathan looked uncomfortable, but he still asked. “W-What did you do, Dio?”

Ah, to think that I was meant to appear sad before such a terrified young man. Truly unpleasant, but there was no coming back out of that melancholic drama.

“Wang Chan owns a shop in Ogre Street. His products are mysterious, but rare and… effective,” I went to answer. “I didn’t bother inquiring about the vial I bought with some of the money I had gained doing various miserable jobs. I had a single intent and… it worked.”

“Dio...” At this I finally stopped. He had realized, and I could see it in his widening eyes. “You… You killed your father.”

“I did,” I confessed calmly, still tensing up as I thought about what to say next. “But I will not hide myself behind my ideals of justice. This case doesn’t justify, nor I will try to hide away the fact that it was personal revenge driven by my hatred for the man. I detested my father for being a bastard, Jojo. A bastard that killed my mother, that demeaned her to the point that she couldn’t help but consider herself only a tool, and not a human being.”

“B-But surely- There’s no way that-”

“I will not hide myself in lies, Jojo. If there’s something that I aim for, it’s moral truth. The absolute good that one should always fight for,” I interjected. “And this is why, I will not lament if you reject me as a brother. I did something terrible and I will receive proper judgment for-!!”

I didn’t have time to conclude that very sentence that something I had not expected unfolded. Jonathan… stood up quickly from the bed and, sporting a furious look, pulled me in a tight hug.

Confusion swelled at that point as there was silence after this sudden action. With my eyes wide open, I tried to understand the thought of the one that started the hug. I couldn’t get anything, or at least that was until he finally decided to speak.

“I refuse to consider you a terrible person, Dio,” Jojo mused while squeezing a little more. “You’re my brother. Someone I trust and care as part of my family and… while you did something dreadful, it wasn’t without reason.”

He pulled back for a moment. “I can’t say that I will not condemn what you did to your father, but I will not vilify you for doing what you thought it was the best you could’ve done,” The young man commented. “I will say what you’re now. You, Dio, are perhaps one of the few people I know that I can trust my life to. You… are my brother, and you helped me ever since you joined my family. I will condemn your past, but I will accept your current and future merits as due redemption for that villainous act.”

“Jojo-”

“But I want one thing about this. Something that I wish to know by person now that you mentioned it to me,” He grasped at my shoulders quite tightly, a small smile appeared on his face as he prepared for the proper request. “You’ve… befriended a werewolf.”

I blinked. “Yes?”

“Show him to me!”

...Oh right, Jonathan is still a childish dog-loving dummy when he wants to. I almost facepalmed at that sudden question but… I merely nodded.

I mean, I don’t see why Bhediya would’ve a problem with some headpats. He sure does seem to like it when it’s either Sarah or me approaching him with such offer.

And I know that Jojo will not risk his life for some headpatting.

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“It’s… rather chilly. Isn’t it?”

I blinked at Jojo’s little whine, glancing to the side as we both departed away from the chariot that had left us to this part of London.

Convincing George to just let his son come with me for a ‘safe trip’ in the city ended up being a child’s play. The man was still bothered by how he was supposed to properly address his son’s strong opposition to Imperialism and any mean to delay that unavoidable private talk was taken as a blessing.

“It’s barely winter’s time, Jojo,” I mused back. “I told you to put on something warmer instead of that little jacket.”

He blushed a little, remembering way too well that I’ve brought up the fact he needed a heavier set of clothes now that December was around the corner.

“I’m… I’m fine, then.”

I sighed. “If you catch a cold, I will not cover for your silliness.”

“I don’t mind!” The young man reiterated with more determination. It was now his pride on the line.

“I think Erina will if she is denied the chances of catching up with you,” I muttered teasingly. “Unless… you plan to have her work as your nurse-”

“T-That’s a lie!” Jonathan shouted back, his blush becoming a full-fledged tomato face. “I mean, it would be nice but I would never ask her to do that?”

“I bet she would be quite eager to do that for you,” I pressed on with a smug tone. “In fact, I think she would rush at the chance at the mere mention of such circumstance.”

“...” He fell silent at that last hit, and I smiled all the way as we walked inside Ogre Street.

What once had been a dangerous quarter for someone our age, now the place was a little haven for people close to me.

“If it isn’t Lord Dio,” An old hag mentioned as she stopped in the middle of her stroll. “I bid you a good day, young child.”

“Likewise, Madam Wingtown,” I greeted back with a polite smile. Instead of resuming with her wandering, the old lady reached out for Jojo. The blue-haired youth tensed as a hand cupped his left cheek.

“And what a handsome young man. You look so much like my little Andrew...”

Jonathan spared me a confused look and I sighed. “Are there still some problem with letters from him, Madam?”

The hag hummed sadly and nodded. “I think it’s the war. Crazy one at that, so sudden, so unexpected.”

“I’m sure that the issue will be solved soon,” I commented with a friendly tone.

She finally let go of the young Joestar and happily returned to her strolling around.

“W-What was that?” Jojo inquired in utter shock.

I sighed. “Madam Wingtown’s son, Andrew, was a soldier during the Crimean War about thirty years ago.”

…

“H-He is-”

“I think she received a post-mortem medal and a telegram detailing the events that saw his death in battle,” I interjected quickly. “At this age, she is completely senile. Which is why there are people that had been sent to take care of her during these trying times.”

He glanced at me with surprise. “You… you’re helping her?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” I found myself ask. “I think everyone is deserving of a serene and happy ending if they’ve lived a simple but good life. Especially those that have been torn apart by wars like that one.”

The young man nodded, and soon we were back on track to reach the warehouse.

More people stopped to greet me, and I offered curt replies and nods as we passed near to them.

Jonathan watched, quietly witnessing this strange sense of calm and peace in what looked to be a dreadful-looking slum within the city.

Soon we found ourselves standing in front of the entrance to our destination. The reason why we had yet to enter was the blond man that was obstructing the way while playing around with his ‘flying hat’. Children had rallied to watch the interesting sight, and Speedwagon looked incredibly giddy as he completed several quick tricks without missing a beat.

“W-Who is that?” Jojo inquired with some interest.

“That’s Speedwagon. He’s quite the tough guy with a good heart. A true gentleman through and through,” I answered, almost cracking a smile at the intrigued look on the boy’s face at hearing the word ‘Gentleman’.

It took the blond a couple of seconds to finally get his spectacle concluded, with him speeding up the moment he noticed that I was staring at him quite closely and waiting with a new person beside me.

“Dio, we weren’t expecting you to pass around for today,” The man said while nodding at me. “And you’ve brought a guest with you?”

I nodded back. “This is Jonathan Joestar, my brother,” I muttered, letting Jojo bow a little in front of the fascinating stranger. “While this is-”

“Robert E. O. Speedwagon,” The blond concluded for me with a more theatrical bow. “And I can tell from your scent that you’re a good fellow.”

“My… what?”

“Do you remember when I mentioned that friend that could determine good people from bad one with a single sniff from his nose?”

Jojo nodded and… his eyes widened. “You’re- But I thought that it was an overestimation.”

“Many believe that when I mention my strange skill. But I can assure you it’s real and… I developed it after spending years here in Ogre Street,” Speedwagon commented mirthfully. “By the way, Dio, I think Hannah had mentioned about sending you a letter earlier today about some developments with the donations.”

My eyes widened in surprise, remembering that I had left the reading of the various messages with the money to the young woman. Hopefully nothing bad had happened during my absence.

“Then I better not keep her waiting,” I hummed with a small smile. “Keep up with the good work, and see you around soon.”

“Likewise, Dio,” The blond saluted back. “Same for you, young Joestar.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Speedwagon.”

He sighed. “Robert or Speedwagon work the same. I’m no Mister.”

The young man merely nodded at that, his smile surviving as we entered the warehouse. The place was bustling with activity just like usual, but there were quite some interesting visitors for today.

One in particular stood out because of his unusual height and… I decided to stop by and approach Muddiburi.

The Tibetan man looked distracted as he was discussing with another individual I hadn’t seen for some time now. Bhedyia looked slightly irritated, but he merely stared at the older man as he listened to his words.

Before I had the chance to interrupt that conversation, I noticed a brown-haired missile giggling and rushing towards me. I caught Sarah just in time with a quick hug, and the little girl’s giggles intensified in a hysterical mess as I lifted her up in to my chest.

“Hello there, Sarah,” I greeted with a big smile.

“Dio! You’re back!”

I almost chuckled at her adorable squeal, offering a little kiss on her forehead before bringing her down and out of my hold.

“I see that you’re having fun around. Did something amusing happen while I was away?”

“Hmm,” She hummed excitedly. “Hannah was saying strange things to some paper. She looked angry… but it was funny to look at.”

Ignoring that innocent look at what looked to be a total meltdown, I felt a little more worried now that I was hearing about ‘funny words’ being thrown against letters. I really hoped that the woman had yet to think about burning any strange messages.

“That sounds… quite hilarious. In fact, I should go and check if she has yet to summon some scary flames against the poor paper.”

She giggled at the childish undertone I had used for that last part, but before I could leave I remembered about Jonathan. The young man looked puzzled by my sudden need to talk in private with this woman and… I had a brilliant idea.

“By the way, Sarah, I think I forgot to present you my little brother,” I made way to show Jojo, the Joestar looking fairly surprised at the sudden presentation. “His name is Jonathan Joestar, but friends call him ‘Jojo’.”

She ‘ohh’ed at the interesting discovery and her wide eyes regarded in awe the slightly-nervous boy.

“I’m Sarah!”

“N-Nice to meet you, Sarah,” He muttered back, surprised by how lively the child was.

“Can I call you ‘Jojo’?” She quickly asked. “I like it. It’s super-nice.”

Jojo might be impervious to romantic attempts through his denseness, but cute girl like Sarah? That seemed to be kryptonite as he swiftly offered a nod.

“I don’t see why not- Uh?”

“Can I show Jojo my brother, Dio?”

For a moment, I thought that the girl was addressing the poor Jonathan like a puppy or another animal with how she was asking me about this.

“I don’t see any issues with that. Just do tell both your brother that he is part of my family.”

Sarah smiled and nodded, reaching for Jojo’s unprotected right hand and starting to pull him away from me and right into the ‘menacing’ Tibetan monk and long-haired young man.

“D-Dio- Don’t just leave me to-”

“Sarah’s brother, Bhediya, is the werewolf you were interested into,” I interjected, my sudden interruption getting a fascinated glint out of the Joestar. “I will be in the office for a while and then I will bring you to it. I thought you wanted to meet him first.”

“Bu-But what about-” He said while eyeing the towering man now looking back at him. “Him?”

“That’s Muddiburi. He’s a peaceful monk despite his stature. Don’t be afraid of him.”

That was the last words I offered to Jojo as he was yanked right into the wolf’s den by the happy-looking brunette. Truly a curious and amusing sight, but one that didn’t distract me for long as I had pressing issues to face at once.

Quickly pacing to reach the office, I pushed the door open to find… Hannah slowly trying to throw the first letter in the now-lit fireside. She froze, eyes going wide as she turned to look at me with an embarrassed look.

“Dio,” The woman muttered with an awkward tone. “I didn’t… expect a visit from you.”

“Let’s just say that I brought someone new that I wanted to introduce to everyone here,” I answered calmly. “But first, do pass me that letter.”

She retracted the paper away from the close flames but… she didn’t comply. “I- I can’t do that, Dio.”

“Hannah-”

“I swear it’s not something you wish to read,” Hannah plead with some nervousness in her lips. “It’s… it’s crass.”

“I can assure you that I’ve read far worse than anything within that paper,” I retorted with a huff. “I will not ask again, pass me the paper.”

With her shoulders sagging in defeat, she walked up to me and offered me the letter she had been about to throw in the hot fire. I gave it a read with a disinterest look… but then I felt tensing up the more I continued to read the content of that heinous poetry.

I’ve heard of lewd literature in this strange period, but this was possibly the first time I read one directed specifically to me.

I coughed nervously, reaching for the desk and writing down the name of this ‘esteemed gentleman’ that had sent me this crass thing and then I proceeded to throw the filth into the cleansing flame.

“From now on, you’re to write down the names of the people that have written things like the one I’ve read about,” I commented quietly. “Once you’re done with that, then you can purge this… degrading trash.”

Hannah’s eyes lit in eagerness at such an order. “I-It shall be done. But… why you need their names?”

“I think we can do something about these… harassers. But it will take some coordination with Scotland Yard and… some bribery too.”

“Jail time for them?”

“Hopefully.”

And hopefully enough, it will be Big Bubba the one waiting for them in their newest room. There are limits and what I just read went beyond that and far more.

Hannah giggled, and I proceeded to leave her alone for a while as she went through with her new task. Once I was out of the office, I gave a look where I had left Jonathan and… frowned at the scene I was bestowed with.

Bhediya had his wolf-like ears exposed, learning towards Jojo as he happily let the fellow young man scratch his animal ears. Sarah was giggling, while Muddiburi was staring at the sight with mild amusement.

What made the entire scene the most endearing and amusing? The tanned young man had also his fluffy tail uncovered and… it was wagging left and right, a clear sign of enjoying that treatment.

I snorted, shaking my head at the entertaining sight.

And in that moment, I, Dio, saw how genuinely good my decision had been. For I had responsibly created a steel-like friendship between a dog-lover and someone with a furry problem.