[ A dumbass? Maybe in some ways he had started to think that way, though it's not a title he could ever truly apply insultingly. Not anymore. There's a quiet fondness to it he could never put into words despite his many attempts to try, and the realization that the comparison has even crossed his mind jars him from his thoughts.
The rest of Jonas's words run together and there's a painful pause when he finishes that's devoted to their reconstruction in his mind, hurriedly attempting to catch up. ]
I'll wait for that day. It's fine if it never comes. [ Words he almost allows to pass unsaid, but now's the time to practice a little openness before it's a regular requirement. ]
You don't need to list everyone, Jonas. For now understanding those in authority within your "state" and your country is enough. My village's leader is a man named Hatake Kakashi... He would be your Kate Brown. [ End me. ] The country is headed by a daimyou, though that means little to us as shinobi.
Glad you're open to me being flaky, because I, uh, don't actually have any on reserve? Annnd I'm too lazy to draw up a list. (jonas, not too versed in the subtle shifts in sasuke's expressions, misses all but the pause.
that's what he considers one of his friend's thoughtful silences, dedicated to carefully considering the words that follow.)
A scarecrow... is your leader. (that shit translated so badly. we tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter.) I don't even know where to begin there, but Obama's a cool dude. A lot of people hate him because he'sβΒ well, he's not what they expected in a Presidentβespecially the rich assholes profiting off the way things are. His whole goal was to tax them, balance inequality in everyone's lifestyles (since there's a ton of people who don't even need the amount of wealth they have), and get everyone affordable healthcare.
(he has to admire a man like that. with all that's happened in his family's lives, medicare would've been important to have. they wouldn't have had to live so poorly. they could've been able to provide more comfort to his mom. they could've.)
I don't know. I don't know much about politics and... whatever the government's doing. I really hate it all.
"Balance inequality"... [ Those words sound nice. Utopian. And Sasuke swallows them with a tablespoon of salt and a hell of a lot of wariness. The background of his village is unique and he's intimately aware of that fact, but even still... power is a universally corrupting force if left unchecked, and pleasant promises are too often just that. ]
Hating it is exactly why you should keep yourself aware. I also hate that approach to things and the deceit often required by those in a position of authority. That doesn't mean it does me any service to turn a blind eye. [ Or that it does one for others in the village. Changes in leadership might have him more optimistic, but Kakashi is a creature of a bygone age just as much as he himself is. More so, even. ]
... Ka. Ka. Shi. That's his name. [ It took him this long to realize what happened. ]
I'm aware. (a bit coolly, frustrated with it just as he was back in westedge.) I'm aware of how much is sucks for me and my family, and how I can't do anything to change our circumstances. So even if I do look at it all, man, America's government's supposedly a democracy and I'm not even allowed to vote for our leaders.
I'm stuck here anyway, now. All that's just... gone.
(can't meet his eyes for a moment, choosing to pick at his bedspread with a little sigh.)
Sorry. I think the translate function's messing up, or something. Kakashi, I hear it now. (pauses, emboldening himself with their earlier promise.) Is that whose... brother you kidnapped? Or like, was that another world leader's brother?
Wait. [ Especially wait after that last question, one he hadn't mentally prepared himself for but won't shy away from. Refusal to answer at this point feels almost like a punishment for Jonas, like he's done something wrong by bringing it up. That's not a feeling he wants to encourage. ]
What do you mean, you aren't allowed to vote? [ Konoha isn't a democracy but that doesn't mean he's unfamiliar with the concept; plenty of teams operate that way, along with the council. And yet... for him to be denied the ability to participate? ]
(rises, bringing the watch with him. his eyes are elsewhere, likely aimed out the window at the street below. observing, the way bishop told him was so necessary for learning about this world, feeling inadequate. he hasn't figured out a goddamn thing.)
I'm a felon. (he's unimpressed, which makes him sound tired.) Voting age is eighteen, which I am, but I was charged with assault. It's a felony in some states, and treated case by case for minors. If it'd just been a misdemeanour, it'd have been fine. But felonies show in the records they keep... and felons can't vote. We can't do much of anything.
[ So people under eighteen can't vote, which is strike one. But people who have committed crimes are also on that list? Sasuke realizes quickly just how few rights he would have in Jonas's society, and it causes him to feel anger on behalf of his friend. He stays quiet for a moment or two longer, unable to hold it back forever. ]
Ridiculous... Any society that robs itself of the perspectives of those who have adhered to their punishments is handicapping itself. [ Take a deep breath, Sasuke.
He studies Jonas's features for a moment, the distracted way he doesn't meet his eyes. Not a topic he should linger on, perhaps. ]
Kakashi was my old squadron leader and he has no brother. It was the Raikage whose brother I attacked.
Yeah, well, you described the US pretty well just now.
(sasuke's reaction draws him in, finally looking back. he sounds more upset about it than he himself is, which new, strange, and welcome. they share another opinion, both having real reasons to hate those particular laws. it's bracing.
which makes him far more intent on listening to this friend speak on things he might never understand.)
There's... a lot in there to unpack. First, you actually worked for your village's leader? Like, directly? (to him it's the same as working for the highest ranking politician, a difficult feat and one that stands out as something truly amazing.) Second, uh, did he do something specific? Or was it some randsom kinda' thing?
[ Well, he's decided the United States of America is a truly terrible place, or at least its government is. The way Jonas has described everything else? Peaceful, full of good memories. Couldn't he do the same for Konoha? ]
I didn't work for him; he was my captain. He was a shinobi with far more experience than I or my teammates had, so we were assigned missions to complete under his supervision. He gave me solo instruction often. [ And somehow... well, of the people on his team that he expected to become hokage first, Kakashi was never at the top of the list. There was only one. ]
A man I was working with was the one who requested the kidnapping. The man I targeted had a great deal of power that he needed, and he intended to draw it out of him. I had no personal grudge or stake in it.
... well, jeez, no wonder... ("you're so strong," goes unsaid, sufficiently wowed and sure sasuke'll pick up on that.
he doesn't miss that past-tense either, thinking back to the conversation between stiles, sasuke, and him. his power level now must be well over the shinobi standard, wishing he had some sort of chart or comparison for context. the topic at hand, however, deserves more attention for now.
it's eerie to hearβnot more than finding out about the murders, but it instills in jonas the same feeling the other inmates' motley crimes at the detention centre had.)
Shinobi are like... mercs, right? Were you getting paid, or something? Why work for a guy like that?
[ Unspoken words are guessed at but they unfortunately have little pride attached to them, well aware of the opportunity that he had been given as a child. Well aware, too, of how thoroughly he'd squandered it the first chance he was given to instead latch onto a faster path. It had been necessary in order to achieve the growth he'd wanted... but at what cost?
Eyes lower, gaze pointed away from the watch as he recalls a few particularly unpleasant memories. Certainly some that paint him in an unfavorable light. ]
Because I was lost. He and I had similar goals... I wanted to attack the village I was born in, and he told me he could aid me in that. At the time I was so full of anger that I trusted him.
We don't have to talk about this now, Jonas. This is meant to be something positive between us.
jonas' fingers curl against the palm of his hand, empty. how much, exactly, did sasuke have to lose to completely give in to anger? when his mother was sick, he could barely contain it. his willpower was shot, devastated. but for sasuke to willfully allow others to manipulate him in exchange for power to attack a village he was raised in... what caused it? why did it happen?)
I trust you. That's positive. (they worked hard for this bond, the un-bonded kind jonas cherishes more than any deeper connection. he and sasuke created theirs themselves without help from an empathetic connection or outside influence, a firm foundation to build the rest on.) And so is... your trust in me. That I won't go off, have another conniption.
... you're right, both of those are. Though calling your reaction a "conniption" is perhaps a less fair characterization of events.
[ His attempt to inject any levity into his tone falls flat; his voice remains even, seemingly unaffected. And... for the first time he truly acknowledges a desire for that Bond that isn't purely practical: won't it be easier to communicate his feelings and points to Jonas in a believable way if he can feel them? ]
It's not that I trust you won't act in a way I can't control. It's that I trust that you deserve to know the truth. If you ever needed time again to deal with something I said, I wouldn't hold that against you.
That's the way it felt. You should've seen me all holed up in here. (disappointed, guilt-ridden, intimidated by the sheer scope of it all. it doesn't do to dwell on it, thinking about it too much a surefire way to get caught up in a foul mood, but no one can define another person's circumstancesβnot without hearing them outβwhen their worlds differ so greatly.
if they could speak for them, he and sasuke'd both be carrying identification around their necks. criminals, no ifs, ands, or buts.)
I'm trying to beβΒ to have more of a backbone, honestly. I'm not gonna' leave you like that again. (it was understandable, but sudden.) If either of us have to "deal" with the other, which is probably bound to happen, we can both be frustrating dudes sometimes, we'll do it face to face.
I saw how quickly you were able to improve your mood. Perhaps just resilient in the face of animals you think are injured...
[ It was unavoidable that he bring up that tiny bat incident eventually, and while it sounds like it might be a light-hearted deflection it's anything but. The fact that Jonas had shown that side to him when he was experiencing turmoil over a friend? Speaks to his strength in its own telling way. ]
But very well, Jonas. I'll stay to fight things out with you until you decide that you need a chance to think about them first, if that ever happens. As for me... there might be times when I need space as well. I don't want to make a promise yet.
(resilient? it'd be naive to assume everyone would stop to treat an animal like that, but is it tied to mood?)
I think that's a separate thing altogether, isn't it? Like, on one hand you're... disappointed, or whatever. On the other, there's something super preventable happening. They don'tβΒ what's the word... (exhaling with a purse of his lips. nope, it's gone.) I can't even think today. TheyβΒ they don't cancel each other out.
Anyway, I-I appreciate that. Honestly. And you can take whatever time you need with literally anything I can come up with that bothers you. Trust me, it'll happen. I know I may seem perfectβ (can't even finish that, cutting himself off with a lopsided smirk.) We good?
They aren't mutually exclusive is what you mean. I can understand that, but you take your positive mood for granted.
[ If he were going through something difficult, would he be able to show that kind of compassionate energy? Would he be able to show it even if he weren't? ]
Or your bad jokes. Which means that things are good between us. We'll take each day as it comes.
Should I let you get back to your lizard and homework?
(jonas wonders if that's true, if he does. but no one ever realizes that they're taking something for granted until they're told, that's why the saying exists in the first damn place. so that'd make sasuke right (there's a first for everything, a private joke as sasuke disses his aloud).)
Thanks for saying so... even if it's immediately followed up by your saltiness. Sasuke, quality wordplay requires extra thought, know what I mean? (a tap to his temple, giving him a wink.)
[ Some of us are just gifted without having to think hard. Ah yes, the gift of wit. ]
Later, then. [ He thinks to say something about Stiles for one wild moment, maybe a last recommendation to give him space, but he doesn't know that he's even on Jonas's mind. Bringing it up could just be making things worse... so instead he hangs up. ]
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no subject
The rest of Jonas's words run together and there's a painful pause when he finishes that's devoted to their reconstruction in his mind, hurriedly attempting to catch up. ]
I'll wait for that day. It's fine if it never comes. [ Words he almost allows to pass unsaid, but now's the time to practice a little openness before it's a regular requirement. ]
You don't need to list everyone, Jonas. For now understanding those in authority within your "state" and your country is enough. My village's leader is a man named Hatake Kakashi... He would be your Kate Brown. [ End me. ] The country is headed by a daimyou, though that means little to us as shinobi.
Do you agree with their leadership?
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that's what he considers one of his friend's thoughtful silences, dedicated to carefully considering the words that follow.)
A scarecrow... is your leader. (that shit translated so badly. we tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter.) I don't even know where to begin there, but Obama's a cool dude. A lot of people hate him because he'sβΒ well, he's not what they expected in a Presidentβespecially the rich assholes profiting off the way things are. His whole goal was to tax them, balance inequality in everyone's lifestyles (since there's a ton of people who don't even need the amount of wealth they have), and get everyone affordable healthcare.
(he has to admire a man like that. with all that's happened in his family's lives, medicare would've been important to have. they wouldn't have had to live so poorly. they could've been able to provide more comfort to his mom. they could've.)
I don't know. I don't know much about politics and... whatever the government's doing. I really hate it all.
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Hating it is exactly why you should keep yourself aware. I also hate that approach to things and the deceit often required by those in a position of authority. That doesn't mean it does me any service to turn a blind eye. [ Or that it does one for others in the village. Changes in leadership might have him more optimistic, but Kakashi is a creature of a bygone age just as much as he himself is. More so, even. ]
... Ka. Ka. Shi. That's his name. [ It took him this long to realize what happened. ]
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I'm stuck here anyway, now. All that's just... gone.
(can't meet his eyes for a moment, choosing to pick at his bedspread with a little sigh.)
Sorry. I think the translate function's messing up, or something. Kakashi, I hear it now. (pauses, emboldening himself with their earlier promise.) Is that whose... brother you kidnapped? Or like, was that another world leader's brother?
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What do you mean, you aren't allowed to vote? [ Konoha isn't a democracy but that doesn't mean he's unfamiliar with the concept; plenty of teams operate that way, along with the council. And yet... for him to be denied the ability to participate? ]
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I'm a felon. (he's unimpressed, which makes him sound tired.) Voting age is eighteen, which I am, but I was charged with assault. It's a felony in some states, and treated case by case for minors. If it'd just been a misdemeanour, it'd have been fine. But felonies show in the records they keep... and felons can't vote. We can't do much of anything.
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Ridiculous... Any society that robs itself of the perspectives of those who have adhered to their punishments is handicapping itself. [ Take a deep breath, Sasuke.
He studies Jonas's features for a moment, the distracted way he doesn't meet his eyes. Not a topic he should linger on, perhaps. ]
Kakashi was my old squadron leader and he has no brother. It was the Raikage whose brother I attacked.
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(sasuke's reaction draws him in, finally looking back. he sounds more upset about it than he himself is, which new, strange, and welcome. they share another opinion, both having real reasons to hate those particular laws. it's bracing.
which makes him far more intent on listening to this friend speak on things he might never understand.)
There's... a lot in there to unpack. First, you actually worked for your village's leader? Like, directly? (to him it's the same as working for the highest ranking politician, a difficult feat and one that stands out as something truly amazing.) Second, uh, did he do something specific? Or was it some randsom kinda' thing?
(double woah..................)
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I didn't work for him; he was my captain. He was a shinobi with far more experience than I or my teammates had, so we were assigned missions to complete under his supervision. He gave me solo instruction often. [ And somehow... well, of the people on his team that he expected to become hokage first, Kakashi was never at the top of the list. There was only one. ]
A man I was working with was the one who requested the kidnapping. The man I targeted had a great deal of power that he needed, and he intended to draw it out of him. I had no personal grudge or stake in it.
no subject
he doesn't miss that past-tense either, thinking back to the conversation between stiles, sasuke, and him. his power level now must be well over the shinobi standard, wishing he had some sort of chart or comparison for context. the topic at hand, however, deserves more attention for now.
it's eerie to hearβnot more than finding out about the murders, but it instills in jonas the same feeling the other inmates' motley crimes at the detention centre had.)
Shinobi are like... mercs, right? Were you getting paid, or something? Why work for a guy like that?
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Eyes lower, gaze pointed away from the watch as he recalls a few particularly unpleasant memories. Certainly some that paint him in an unfavorable light. ]
Because I was lost. He and I had similar goals... I wanted to attack the village I was born in, and he told me he could aid me in that. At the time I was so full of anger that I trusted him.
We don't have to talk about this now, Jonas. This is meant to be something positive between us.
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jonas' fingers curl against the palm of his hand, empty. how much, exactly, did sasuke have to lose to completely give in to anger? when his mother was sick, he could barely contain it. his willpower was shot, devastated. but for sasuke to willfully allow others to manipulate him in exchange for power to attack a village he was raised in... what caused it? why did it happen?)
I trust you. That's positive. (they worked hard for this bond, the un-bonded kind jonas cherishes more than any deeper connection. he and sasuke created theirs themselves without help from an empathetic connection or outside influence, a firm foundation to build the rest on.) And so is... your trust in me. That I won't go off, have another conniption.
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[ His attempt to inject any levity into his tone falls flat; his voice remains even, seemingly unaffected. And... for the first time he truly acknowledges a desire for that Bond that isn't purely practical: won't it be easier to communicate his feelings and points to Jonas in a believable way if he can feel them? ]
It's not that I trust you won't act in a way I can't control. It's that I trust that you deserve to know the truth. If you ever needed time again to deal with something I said, I wouldn't hold that against you.
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if they could speak for them, he and sasuke'd both be carrying identification around their necks. criminals, no ifs, ands, or buts.)
I'm trying to beβΒ to have more of a backbone, honestly. I'm not gonna' leave you like that again. (it was understandable, but sudden.) If either of us have to "deal" with the other, which is probably bound to happen, we can both be frustrating dudes sometimes, we'll do it face to face.
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[ It was unavoidable that he bring up that tiny bat incident eventually, and while it sounds like it might be a light-hearted deflection it's anything but. The fact that Jonas had shown that side to him when he was experiencing turmoil over a friend? Speaks to his strength in its own telling way. ]
But very well, Jonas. I'll stay to fight things out with you until you decide that you need a chance to think about them first, if that ever happens. As for me... there might be times when I need space as well. I don't want to make a promise yet.
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I think that's a separate thing altogether, isn't it? Like, on one hand you're... disappointed, or whatever. On the other, there's something super preventable happening. They don'tβΒ what's the word... (exhaling with a purse of his lips. nope, it's gone.) I can't even think today. TheyβΒ they don't cancel each other out.
Anyway, I-I appreciate that. Honestly. And you can take whatever time you need with literally anything I can come up with that bothers you. Trust me, it'll happen. I know I may seem perfectβ (can't even finish that, cutting himself off with a lopsided smirk.) We good?
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[ If he were going through something difficult, would he be able to show that kind of compassionate energy? Would he be able to show it even if he weren't? ]
Or your bad jokes. Which means that things are good between us. We'll take each day as it comes.
Should I let you get back to your lizard and homework?
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Thanks for saying so... even if it's immediately followed up by your saltiness. Sasuke, quality wordplay requires extra thought, know what I mean? (a tap to his temple, giving him a wink.)
Talk to you later, man.
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[ Some of us are just gifted without having to think hard. Ah yes, the gift of wit. ]
Later, then. [ He thinks to say something about Stiles for one wild moment, maybe a last recommendation to give him space, but he doesn't know that he's even on Jonas's mind. Bringing it up could just be making things worse... so instead he hangs up. ]