Standstill Bonds

Chapter 1 ~ Not a warm welcome

The dimly lit street was Josephine's only solace as she dragged her feet along the pavement, the weight of her school bag bearing down on her shoulder. Her long black hair hung loose over her shoulders, falling slightly over her face, partially obscuring her jet lagged expression. The pale skin of her face was lined with baggy, puffy eyes, evidence of her weariness from the journey. She could taste the bitter tang of exhaustion on her tongue, a stark contrast to the neon vibrancy of Tokyo that surrounded her.

Her parents had whisked her away from England with barely a moment's notice, fleeing the country to escape the clutches of justice. For Josephine, it wasn't an escape; it was an exile from all she had ever known. She glanced up at the towering buildings, feeling as out of place as a puzzle piece in the wrong box.

The shift to Japan had been sudden and jarring, leaving her in a whirlwind of unfamiliarity. The language sounded like melodic gibberish to her ears, and the sprawling cityscape felt like an intricate maze designed to trap her within its confines.

As she finally approached the gates of her new school, she swallowed a gulp of apprehension that then seemed to settle deep in her chest. She pulled out an information leaflet from her pocket, her eyes glancing from it, and back up to the sign, making sure she had definitely found the right place:

~ K. International School Tokyo ~

"Yep... this is the one." she muttered to herself, letting out a long, deep breath of exasperation.

As she passed though the gates, the whispers followed her like a haunting echo—the "new kid" label already stamped on her forehead before she had even made it to the main building. Students glanced at her with a mix of curiosity and disdain, their gazes like probing knives in her back.

She became an easy target for the group that thrived on preying on the vulnerable, their mocking laughter ringing in her ears as she quietly made her way through the halls, attempting to find her first class of the day. The small group of students, their smirks wicked and eyes glinting with mischief, followed and cornered her in the hallway. "You don't belong here, newbie," sneered one of the boys, his voice laced with malice. "Go back to where you came from."

Josephine clenched her fists, the sting of humiliation burning deep within her. She wanted to lash out, to scream and push back against the unjust treatment, but a familiar sensation tugged at her consciousness. It was her Stand, her unique power that emerged in moments of intense emotion, a spectral manifestation of her inner turmoil. She didn't know what it was, fearing it herself at times like it was some kind of evil spirit that had possessed her since she was young.

Without warning, her Stand materialized, its form a shadow of swirling dark energy crackling around her. The air around Josephine grew charged with an otherworldly power, a power fuelled by her pent-up anger and fear.

Panic surged through her veins as she struggled to control her Stand. Unintentionally, a flicker of energy surged from her, knocking a nearby locker off its hinges and sending it crashing to the ground with a deafening clang. The students staggered backward in shock, their taunts silenced momentarily by what just occurred.

Amidst the chaos, a voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "That's enough!"

The students turned and saw a man standing at the end of the hallway, his presence commanding attention. His frame was imposing, clad in a large coat adorned in colourful marks and writing. It was Jotaro Kujo, a man few dared to cross.

With a swift motion, Jotaro stepped forward, his aura radiating an unmistakable authority. "Back off, now." he ordered.

The students hesitated, eyeing them both warily before begrudgingly dispersing into the crowd. Josephine's heart raced as the adrenalin slowly thinned out of her system. Jotaro approached her cautiously, his gaze assessing her. "You're a Stand user," he remarked, his tone matter-of-fact.

"A stand...what? I..." Josephine's throat was dry as she struggled to find her voice. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"You need to learn control," he stated bluntly, his words carrying a weight of experience. "Unleashing your Stand without restraint will only bring you more trouble."

Desperation bubbled within Josephine. Was he someone who understood her power? Someone who might be able to help her navigate its unpredicability? "Please," she implored, her voice tinged with desperation. "You know what this thing is? How do I control it?"

But Jotaro's eyes darkened, a shadow crossing his features, an expression she struggled to read. "I can't help you." he stated, just as bluntly as before. "Move on kid, get to class."

Josephine's heart sank. The possibility of finally finding answers to her troubles seemed to slip away like sand through her fingers.

As Jotaro turned to leave, she stopped him. "Wait!" she called out, her voice quivering. "Please, sir, I need help, I don't know how to control this thing!"

Jotaro paused, turning his head over his shoulder as his gaze fixed on her, eyes narrowed as though contemplating something. But before Josephine could decipher his expression, he turned away once more, disappearing into the throng of students.

Alone in the corridor, Josephine felt a swell of emotions threatening to engulf her. She was adrift in a sea of uncertainty, grappling with powers she couldn't manage and a daunting sense of isolation in a land far from home.