Standstill Bonds

Chapter 9 ~ Unveiling the Shadow

After the school day, Jotaro took Josephine with him to the huge park on the city's outskirts. The secluded paths were like a hidden maze and as Josephine followed Jotaro deeper into the quiet sanctuary, the hum of the city slowly faded away.

"Where are we going?" Josephine finally asked, curiosity mixed with nervous anticipation.

Jotaro didn't answer, his gaze fixed ahead, his long stride purposeful and unyielding. As she walked silently beside him, Josephine bit her lip, trying to quell the rising uncertainty. She trusted him, but the unknown gnawed at her.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached a small clearing, surrounded by trees that stood like ancient sentinels, their branches casting long shadows that crisscrossed the sunlit ground.

"This is where we'll train," Jotaro said, his voice low but firm. "Remember, not a word to anyone about this place. Got it?"

Josephine nodded in aknowledgement. As Jotaro summoned Star Platinum, the air around them seemed to ripple with energy. The sheer presence of his it amazed her, its raw power like a silent storm waiting to break.

"Your own Stand isn't fully manifested yet," Jotaro noted, his expression calm but focused. "You need to summon it of your own will. Call it from your subconscious."

Taking a steadying breath, Josephine closed her eyes and focused inward. She felt the familiar stir of energy, the vague pulse of something waiting just beneath the surface of her being. With effort, she reached for it, willing it into existence. Slowly, a shadowy figure materialized before her, its form indistinct and shifting, it's body was almost entirely pitch black, save for a white crest and red eyes. It felt mysterious but not threatening, its presence more fluid than solid.

Jotaro observed it intently. "Looks like a shadow," he remarked. "But it has a moon-like quality... almost like it's shifting between light and dark... like an eclipse. So... what are you going to call it?"

Josephine blinked and looked at her stand before her, her eyes narrowed, Jotaro's description of it replaying in her head. Then, a name came to her as if it had always been there. "I think I'll call it... Shadow of the Eclipse," she said quietly, marveling at how fitting the name felt and how easily it sprung to mind.

Jotaro nodded in approval, his gaze lingering on her Stand. "From what you've told me and what I've witnessed, it seems to be semi-automatic. It reacts to your emotions, in particular your fight or flight response like a defense mechanism. The more control you have over yourself, the better control you'll have over it."

She took in his words, her mind racing as she tried to process this new layer of understanding. This wasn't just about brute strength, speed or even precision; it was about balance, about staying calm and composed in any stressful and scary situations that might trigger her.

The clearing soon became their training ground. Josephine and Jotaro faced each other, their Stands poised for the coming test. Star Platinum, with its unparalleled speed and precision, loomed like an unmovable object. Shadow of the Eclipse floated beside Josephine with an air of mystery.

Jotaro stepped back, his stance shifting as he prepared for their training. "Let's see how your Stand handles against Star Platinum," he said, his voice firm with purpose. "Remember, this is a test, not a fight."

Star Platinum moved first, a blur of motion as it surged toward Josephine's Stand. Her eyes flashed wide in astonishment at its incredible speed but barely had time to react. Shadow of the Eclipse however slid into the shade of a nearby tree, blending seamlessly with the surrounding darkness. Josephine's heart leapt in her chest as her Stand evaded Star Platinum's assault with surprising fluidity. Jotaro's eyes widened slightly as he witnessed what occured.

"Your stand,"  Jotaro started as his eyes narrowed in intrigue, "has vanished from my sight."

"Woah, for real?" 

In that moment they discovered her Stand could conceal itself in the shadows, vanishing from everyone's sight but hers. Not only that, but she could sense its energy had grown stronger in the darkness, as though the shadows fed it, amplifying its abilities.

Star Platinum, though an absolute unit of power, found itself challenged by this. Josephine's stand, though it lacked Star Platinum's raw strength, was nimble and hard to pin down. Jotaro noted down every shift in tactics, his pen scribbling down evey detail in his notepad as they went on. Josephine's Stand showed promise; its agility and ability to blend with shadows were powerful tools, but its reliance on darkness? Surely this was a vulnerability as well as a strength.

In that moment, he chose to use Star Platinum's time-stop ability. Time came to an abrupt halt, a fraction of a moment suspended in the void. In the frozen tableau, Star Platinum maneuvered behind Josephine and when time began again, the shock of its disappearance registered visibly on Josephine's face.

"What the-" 

Josephine's Stand, reacting instinctively, emerged from the shadows to protect her. But the moment its hand reached out, Star Platinum's large fist closed around its arm, pulling it fully into the light of the clearing. She gasped from the shock, the connection between her and her Stand causing a sharp jolt to run through her arm. She rubbed her wrist, feeling the lingering phantom pressure of Star Platinum's grip.

"Your Stand is vulnerable in the light," he said, releasing her Stand and stepping back. "Use it wisely and don't expose it unless you have to."

He offered no further explanation of Star Platinum's time-stop ability, instead focusing on the lesson at hand: Josephine needed to understand her Stand's limitations and how to maneuver around them. 

-

As the sun began to set, Josephine leaned against a tree with a thud, her breath coming in slow, exhausted gasps. Sweat clung to her skin, and her muscles ached from the effort. She had learned more in the past few hours than she had ever thought possible, but her body certainly didn't thank her for it.

"Are you alright, kid?" Jotaro asked, his voice slightly softer than usual as he noticed just how worn out she was.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Josephine replied with a tired smile, wiping her brow. "Just... this is harder than it looks."

He offered a rare smirk, "You'll get used to it."

As the evening shadows deepened, Jotaro offered to walk her home. They walked side by side in comfortable silence but as they neared her house, the peaceful quiet was disturbed by the muffled sound of raised voices from inside making Josephine groan in discontent.

Jotaro's brow furrowed slightly. "What's going on in there?"

Josephine hesitated, glancing toward the door. The familiar strife within her home was an every day occurance, but she didn't want Jotaro to worry about it. "It's nothing new," she replied softly..quietly. "Just... family stuff."

Jotaro, ever perceptive, could sense the rigidity in her shoulders. He gave her a long, contemplative look.

"Really, Mr. Jotaro, I can handle it, I promise."

For a moment, Jotaro still didn't respond. His gaze turned between her face, her door, then back to her again. Finally, he gave a slow nod, "Alright, I trust you."

Josephine smiled and she gave him a nod in return, turned and walked up the path to the front door, the sounds of conflict louder as she opened it. Quickly, she turned and offered him a goodbye wave before stepping inside, dreading whatever it was she had to face once she closed that door.