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[nibs]

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[nibs]

Not to the extent of Star Platinum.

[starmark]

That's what I mean. If I don't "encourage" him to act independently, he'll get confused about what it is I want him to do. Acting independently in combat is different from acting independently in an average situation. Battle is more like independent response.

[nibs]

Was it meeting the other Stand user that inspired this decision to encourage more independence?

[starmark]

...No. It was something else.

I'd rather not talk about what led to it. It was personal.

[nibs]

Fine.

[Ugh, whatever.]

[starmark]

Does that make you mad?

[nibs]

What makes you think I'd care that much?

[starmark]

We're on a first-name basis. It's not an unreasonable assumption that you've got some level of investment in me.

My friends don't usually like it when I'm dodgy.

[nibs]

I've never bothered with prying into your business. Does that somehow offend you?

[starmark]

No. On the contrary, I appreciate it.

I don't know what you used to talk about with the version of me you knew. I don't know if you have expectations I'm not aware of. I won't know unless I ask, so I ask. That's why.

[nibs]

Don't mistake me for someone who is overly sentimental like that. I don't hold over expectations from the man I know to who you are now. And even if I were so inclined, you warned me in advance that you're different.

[starmark]

Well, that's another thing learned. You're not overly sentimental.

I don't know the circumstances that led to you finding out about Star Platinum, obviously, but if you're willing, I'd like to ask: did it unnerve you, when you found out what he could do?

[nibs]

No. It's a useful ability. There's no reason to be afraid of it.

[And Jotaro was on his side anyway.]

[starmark]

Because you trust me in my capacity to use it, right?

[nibs]

I do. You have years of experience and know your limitations.

[starmark]

What if, hypothetically, I didn't know my limitations?

[nibs]

Then you'd be a fucking moron worse than your uncle, so you tell me.

[starmark]

I meant it'd make me untrustworthy. By your logic.

...Asshole.

[nibs]

I assumed I didn't need to state this so explicitly, but that's my mistake. Since you apparently need everything spelled out for you: no, the trust I place in you isn't the same as the trust I place in the Jotaro I know because you don't have the same experiences he does that shaped him into who he is.

But that's not the same thing as not trusting you at all. Something like this isn't all-or-nothing where I trust you completely or not at all. It simply means I'm more conservative as to how much I'm willing to rely on you, but I'm open to giving you more than that when I'm given reason to place more trust with you.

I think that's reasonable given the circumstances.