Months had passed since school had begun and a perpetually insistent chill had settled in the air.George could hear the crunch of frosty grass underfoot as he walked in the dim light of dawn.Long dead leaves peppered the ground.The schoolhouse coming into clear view.He carried one of his father's old journals as always,now about halfway through the 5th one.He'd been busy reading the Iliad too,making good progress.Elizabeth was excelling in her training as she was now able to walk atop the water with ease and was getting a good handle on the overdrive,shouting included.
Entering the schoolhouse he was hit with the warmth of the room,a welcomed change from the chill of a cold November dawn.The well-stocked hearth crackling as other students made idle chatter.It almost felt homey in an odd sense with the familiar noise and everyone's shared intent to escape the chilly weather.Soon enough he found his redheaded friend waving him down from across the room.He made his way over to his desk and spun in his chair to face Ricky.His expression held barley quelled excitement as he shifted in his seat.
"Do you think it's gonna snow,George?"His already loud voice was raised in excitement.
He casually smiled at his excited friend.
"Maybe..."
Within a few minutes class started again and they all,for the most part focused on the teacher in front of them.
Like many times before,George had tapped out of the long-winded and uninterested lecture he was supposed to be listening to.Opting instead to read the newest letter from Elizabeth.
"I envy you down in England,its gotten so cold up here.Most of the streams have frozen solid.At least learning how to conduct hamon into frozen water water is fun,it's like a normal snowball fight but much more dangerous.I almost got impaled by hamon-filled icicle!Straits says I should be more careful and learn safer and more practical uses of the snow before combat.I obliged but I'd be lying if I said snow healing was anywhere near as interesting as fighting in the snow."
He looked up from the page,deciding it was probably a good idea to return his attention to the lecture in front of him.But out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a few white specks fluttering down outside the window.Tearing off one of the corners he began to write,trying best to make sure his handwriting was legible.He quietly slipped it to the desk behind and gave his sleeping friend a gentle shake to wake him.
There was a barely audible,"huh?" before he heard his friend shift behind him.
He could feel his radiating excitement for the rest of the day like the sun itself sat behind him in class.The already torturous lecture only felt longer,each second being drawn out.The letter made him think about all the fun that could be had with all the fun the cold could bring.But it would be even better if he had Elizabeth to enjoy it with.
After what seemed like an eternity they were let into the open air.Truthfully,there was less snow than what was hoped,blades of grass stuck out from beneath the white.It was still more than enough to excite the whole class as they rushed out into the snow.He looked all around across the snow-dusted landscape when something cold hit his back.Whipping around he saw Ricky,vivid hair contrasting against the snowy backdrop.In one hand was white lump of packed so and a beaming grin across his face.With that,George's blue eyes narrowed and he crept down to form his own weapon of warfare.Never taking his eyes off the scenery,making sure not to be hit with another surprise attack.With something to defend himself acquired he backed away slowly.
This fight would have a fair start.After about a minute he rushed forward and with a cry let the snowball fly.It hit Ricky square in the chest and he gave a good-natured huff."Nice through!" He yelled before smirking and brandishing his own ammo.The tricky ginger was light on his feet and rushed towards George,he was now within point-blank range and before the brunette boy could think frigid,packed snow hit face.Standing stunned for a moment,he wiped the rapidly melting slush from his eyes as an idea hit him.With all the speed he could muster he sprinted away and found himself at the familiar tree.He'd climbed it before but now he was scampering up the trunk like a squirrel.His chest heaved as he rested on a thick branch.There was a fair amount of snow collected on the branches and with the little time he had he coerced it into one big chunk.
Foolishly the redhead wandered underneath the branches.All George had to do was let the snow loose.
An,"ahhhh!",echoed from below as he wiped snow and water from his face and began to laugh with an almost manic twist,without missing a beat revealed the snowball in his own hand and tossing upwards right into George's face.
The snow battle went on for a while but they both knew they had to get home.Both boys striding off in different directions overcoats soaked and hair dripping wet.There was a cozy fireplace awaiting him when he arrived.Both adults were out of the house,not exactly a rare occasion but he liked when he had free reign over the home.Dried off and wrapped In a thick quilt he nestled as close to the fire as he could without it being uncomfortable and began to write to the dearly missed friend in Tibet.
"It just began to snow here!I wish you could have been here for the snowball fight Ricky and I had,you would've loved it.how are your healing lessons going?They may be a tad boring but if you were to ever find yourself in a bind I bet they'd come in real handy.I bet the mountains look breathtaking from your home.What's it like?YOU said it was frigid but what is daily life like?Do the monks do anything special around this time of year?Do you have any special foods for the season.
Their correspondences weren't anything special,usually just what was going on in their lives.It was funny how much they contrasted though.A quiet schooling on the countryside and monastery life in Tibet.Families so different from one another.A mother and a family friend taking care of a boy best they could with a piece forever missing from puzzle,kind strangers who had come to take her in and love her like a little sister or daughter.They were both a little unorthodox but they were family.
He folded his finished letter and opened up Homer's Iliad his studies put a bit of a damper on the pace of reading.Despite this,he was nearing the end of the story the funeral for Paris had begun as the incredibly turbulent war comes to slow end.The ever changing strategy always intertwined with the personal conflicts between all the gods,the tale was a classic for a reason.Pages yet to be read slowly dwindled to zero as daylight faded in the windows.
Someone came through the door.He turned his head to see his mother walk into the room.Her blond hair was disheveled and windblown and she smiled softly greeted her with a hug.She set down her bag and headed for the kitchen,son following close behind.She looked tired,she always had that look but it was more prevalent,under her eyes were the beginnings of dark circles and the light in her eyes was dim.
"Can I help cook mother?"
Her blue eyes lightened up and she nodded.Setting a large pot of water to boil,George was handed a cutting board,a knife and some vegetables.He set to work cutting up the produce as his mother cubed a piece of steak and braised it a pan, juices sizzling on the cast iron.
"It's getting colder out."She stated absentmindedly.
He responded with a laugh.
"Yeah,Ricky and I had a snowball fight."
She craned her neck to look at him with a little smile and renewed interest seeping into he tone.
"That must've been fun."
He turned to look at his mother.
"It was!I dropped a big snowball on his head."
She snickered.
"What did you do for fun when it was cold out?"
He finished his chopping.She hummed,thinking to herself.
"I never had many friends when I was young but there was this when time when your father and I were still courting...he took me for a walk in the woods.We had stopped for a rest and I got the idea to throw a snowball at him.I accidentally hit him on the back of the head.He turned around and gave me puppy dog eyes before he tossed one back,we ended up playing in the snow for close to an hour."
She sighed and that familiar melancholy smile returned to her face.She looked down to her hands.
"I wish you could've met him."
She paused and sighed mournfully.
"He would've loved you so much."
It was soft,her voice sounded close to the point of cracking,eyes misting over.He rushed to her and embraced his mother.A wave of regret hit him,he should have never asked.No tears soaked his shirt but the dry pain of a long lost loved one still wracked through her.She didn't shake but did tense up.He could tell her about the diaries,let her know that he's not all gone from this world.But it didn't feel right now.She needed comfort from those who were still with her.So he hugged her tighter until she pulled away.The dignity and strength on her face so quiet yet so evident,expression solid like a wall of stone.No matter how bad things got for her or their small family,she would carry on.He'd rather face ten men before going up against any woman with even half the determination of his mother.And he hoped that some of that fire had been passed on to him.
She spoke,stone-faced and voice like glass"He's not really lost as long as we keep our good memories close...anyways."
She dropped the cubed steak in the soon-to-be stew.
"Robert is going to be in america for a bit,found a job on a ship."
He nodded,leaning against the counter.
"He'll be back home soon enough though."
She seemed to mentally shake herself out of it.It was almost natural,like she'd done it a thousand times.And maybe she had.
"By the way...how is Elizabeth doing?"Her voice was more lively but a bit forced.He knew she didn't want him to see her weak but in his mind she was never weak.She put on a cheeky grin of insinuation.
He felt the heat slightly rise in his cheeks.
"She's...doing well,maybe a little bored with her training but overall seems fine."
His mother looked at him inquisitively though the smirk still remained.
"Why would she get bored of her training?"She queried.
He sighed and leaned against the counter top.
"There's not enough action,they're teaching her to heal and not how to fight at the moment.She wishes she were having more fun."
That sly grin on her face only got worse.
"I don't doubt that's the case but,maybe she also misses somebody..."
He turned away from his mother,His cheeks burned and wished for nothing more than to hole himself in his room.
A groan of annoyance was the only vocal response he could give to his teasing mother.She had a good laugh at that.Thankfully the air around them lightened and a delicious aroma filled the kitchen.They had almost forgotten the stew!
Days passed and though the light snow had melted away the air only grew colder.Wind buffeted his face a bit but George was still excited to check the little basket by the door.The mailing between Tibet and England was never ideal but it worked well enough.Just as hoped an envelope sat sat alone with the very familiar mailing address of his dear friend.Grasping it with care,he took it inside the inviting home.The halls were yet to be decked for the holidays but the frigid outside contrasted well with the crackling warmth of the fireplace.The sound itself was enough to put one in the mood for the holidays.He freed the letter from it's envelope.He could recognize the handwriting without even reading it.
"I don't quite know about traditions,that's more for the townspeople.But we do drink a lot of tea during the cold months and a warm bowl of soup is definitely welcome after training all day in the cold.It has somehow gotten even more frigid.I've lived here for fourteen years and yet I can never seem to acclimate.If the temperature drops any farther I'm afraid I'll freeze solid.Oh!We do have one tradition,when the monastery gets snowed in we'll tell stories of the monstrous things that lurk in the far corners of the world.And the long lines of heroes that grew up here.Most of them seem a little far fetched but they are entertaining.Sometimes I think about what kind of wild stories I would make up to tell when I'm older."
'What kind of monsters would they describe?What were the heroes like ?'
The holidays in England were too a time to share stories from times long passed but Elizabeth wasn't one for fanciful tales of father Christmas or holiday angels.
'Maybe the stories were a bit more exciting or maybe more akin to that of horror?'
That did sound fun though.Maybe they could trade stories?He could send her the tales that he grew up with and she could do the same in return.So like a spark catching on cotton the ideas for what he could send got more and more numerous.It almost made him dizzy,the amount of stories and traditions he could tell her about,the tales from Christmases past.When one was confused and had too many ideas what were they to do?Write.So he searched for a piece of paper and pen.upon finding them he began to scribble excitedly.
"I bet you'd tell some amazing stories.actually,I have an idea.if you want,we could exchange stories.You could tell me some of your favorites and I could tell you some of mine.Other than that,not much has happened down here,the snow melted but I suspect it'll return with a vengeance."
The rest of the letter was more or less just talking about nothing in particular,how the Iliad ended,some the hijinks Ricky and he had planned for their poor teacher.
Just as he expected,the snow came back.It had only been a day since the letter had been sent and the makings of a blizzard whipped around outside.The harsh,whistling wind could be heard from inside.The dark of the night starkly contrasted by the sparkling white flecks falling down quickly.With weather like that,George was glad to be in the warm and cozy home.Nothing like the grand Joestar mansion his father described living,this was a country home,very modest but plenty comfortable.He quite preferred it to the idea of living in a mansion.It must've been so lonely.'What would it be like if is father lived on,he and his bride moving into the house in which the remnants of the family still resided?'It was almost tangible.Coming home to a strong hug from his father.Most boys his age tended to be more distant to their parents but George would've paid anything to have the complete family he'd never known.Embarrassing or not.Of course he loved and appreciated the family he had,rough around the edges as they all were.It was still hard not to get choked up at the idea that he'd never have that kind of dynamic.His father was dead and he was the one hurt the least.He couldn't even imgine what his mother had gone through,she was a widow.The image faded like the early morning mist,leaving him with a painful lump in his throat,vision fuzzy from tears that threatened to escape.Now was not the time to cry over something that would never happen.It was useless to mourn over a reality that would never be.His hands clenched tighter,knuckles turning white.
Focus rounding back to the world outside the window,a thick blanket of white glittered across the land as far as the eye could see.Every rock was covered,every leafless tree stuck out on the pale backdrop.He could even faintly see the frozen river in the distance cutting across the landscape.The glass wasn't quite frosted but when George pulled his hand away there was a misted silhouette in its place.It was like one of those perfect snowy scenes depicted in art,if he were any kind of creative he'd try to capture the moment forever.The melancholy in his heart began to quell.
'It must've been so hard for her.'
Young men usually did not look up to their mothers but she was a pillar of strength.He wished he could be more like her,or Robert for that matter.He didn't know much about Robert's past but just looking at the man gave one the idea that he had suffered from a rough early life,the accent didn't help much in that regard either.They both had suffered the cruel slings and arrows of fate,coming out of it all the more unshakable.
His train of thought was broken by the loud snap of a singed log breaking in two,one end falling to the rest of ashes.It was so quiet in the home,Robert was still in america and nobody knew when he would be back home.The house seemed a lot bigger and emptier without his presence or voice.He was almost like a father,or more accurately a much older brother.Not an intentional or in any way exact replacement for Jonathan,he just happened to fit the role.He softly laughed to himself.When he was just a small boy he wanted the two caretakers to get married,like most small children,he thought that a man and a woman being friends meant that they were in love.The older he got though,he realized it was nowhere like that.But his curiosity got the better of him once again,thoughts drifted again to if his life were different.What would have been different if Robbie were his father?It was an odd question to be sure but he could still form a hazy idea.Not much would have really changed,his caretakers would probably act a lot more cheesy and probably a whole lot happier.But the biggest change would actually be himself.It was definitely a weird thought.he couldn't really picture anything other than a slightly shorter blue-eyed version of Speedwagon complete with scar and cockney accent.And with all too sudden velocity he leaned forward into himself snorting in a less than gentlemanly manner.
It was probably a good idea to stop thinking about what could have happened,though it was a humorous concept.He tapped his chin in contemplation for a few moments before shooting up from his seat and strolling up to his room.Just as he had done time and time again he drug the singed chest from beneath his bed frame.Carefully opening it,he picked out his father's 5th journal.the dyed green leather cover was smooth,worn in but not quite broken in.He cracked it open and flipped to the ribbon he used as a placeholder.His father was in his first year of college and had just signed up for the rugby team.Dio had also signed up for the rugby team.The sketch of him on the adjacent page was more than a bit jarring,Jonathan had taken a step away from drawing people for a while.Many of the previous pages held little drawings of plants and animals.The Dio conveyed on this page was lounging on the grass,it was so odd.The same sharp and intimidating features stuck out but this was not the devilish and prickly young man George had gotten used to reading about,he had presumably gotten a lot taller and had more bulk.He was intimidating,with a fierce and distinct coolness in the way he held himself.The haughty look in his eyes was definitely familiar though.
"We had our first real match today,it was the first game of the season so the announcer introduced the whole team.It was a little odd to have my name called out,I felt like I was in class and had to answer a question.And of course many of the maidens were cheering for Dio.It was a tiring game but our team won,I don't have much experience but I tried to be a gentleman on the field.Other than the game,business is running well as usual. Archaeology and history keep getting more fascinating the longer I'm here.The work is hard but I find the field unending interesting."
There a little lightness in his chest,like a weight unknown to him had been lifted.Jonathan had spent so much time alone and cooped up in that dusty old mansion,this would good for him.And he may even find himself a fair maiden of his own.Thick brunette eyebrows rose and fell,smirk forming as he joked to himself.He continued to read like that,the rugby season was going well those two boys finally being able to cooperate on something.Studies were also going quite well,Jonathan was always so adamant on looking on both sides of history,though history never particularly struck his fancy,the way his father would adamantly write about the subject was inspiring.Recently the professor had taken a turn into the culture of the Aztecs,quite the mysterious people.
(Author's note:I swear it gets better at some point but I hope it's not too boring.As a fun side-note,when I was writing this I had a very loose story planned that would've been a LOT longer most of it was pretty unnecessary so I cut it down and this chapter was kind of the one that helped me figure out what direction This story would take.Anyways I hope you enjoyed the story and have a good day/night wherever you're reading this.)