Joaquín Ruiz-Jorruda

Joaquín Ruiz-Jorruda is a mestizo with a short and frail body along with fair skin. His amber eyes and expressions help him convey what he wants to say since he cannot speak aside from making sounds. He has an indecipherable gaze at times, but there is a subtle wisdom behind it. After joining the Speedwagon Foundation in his late teens, he wears a black suit with the wheel logo and sunglasses.↗↗↗↗↗

In late 1974, Joaquín's hair grows to his shoulders and takes on a dull, greasy sheen as he wanders to various remote locations while trapped in El Aleph 's eternal night. When Joaquín is an adult in 1986, he changes quite a bit in appearance as Lisa Lisa and the others in the Foundation don't immediately recognize him. He lost weight which makes him look more fierce. He has braided hair, dark bags under his eyes, and a black mark in the shape of a dragon tattoo coiled around his wrist. The mark slides around his body or engulfs him completely when he is using his abilities as El Aleph.↗↗↗↗

Joaquín is a calm and vigilant teenager who desires to be as free as the wind, living a life free of strife. He was born with a speech impediment and cannot speak his thoughts with his voice. Instead, he grunts, makes noises, and uses his expressions and gestures to convey his messages. Depending on the situation, he can write down his thoughts instead, such as when he answers Lisa Lisa 's question before she hires him and Octavio. He wishes that he could have telepathy to communicate with his allies, but usually manages to make people understand what he wants to say through pantomimes. However, he actually does have a telepathic bond with Octavio, due to Octavio being his user.↗↗↗↗↗↗

Joaquín's primary trait is that he considers himself as Octavio's protector and is happy to play that role. Not only is he Octavio's closest friend, but also his sworn brother. He acts both like a younger brother who follows Octavio around and like an elder brother who advises Octavio and leads the way. Joaquín usually grunts in agreement in response to what Octavio says. He goes wherever Octavio wants to, acts as Octavio's voice of reason, and acts cautiously when Octavio makes impulsive decisions. He compares Octavio to being Pinocchio, thinking of himself as Jiminy Cricket or a bard singing of Octavio's exploits.↗↗↗↗↗

Imaginary Entity Creation

Lisa Lisa theorizes that the original ability of Octavio 's Stand allowed him to create a friend with a completely independent self, accompanied by both flesh and spirit. She assumes that it's probably an ability that could only be activated once in a lifetime. As a lonely orphan, Octavio subconsciously created Joaquín, a true friend who is not only just the body of his Stand. Joaquín is fully visible to everyone and stands by Octavio's side. Although he can act independently, his desires do not significantly deviate from Octavio's. Joaquín's traits are all mostly what Octavio wished for, aside from not being able to speak out loud, though the two can still communicate telepathically.↗↗

El Aleph

After Alhorn shoots him with the Arrow, Joaquín evolves into the Requiem Stand El Aleph. Not knowing that he is a Stand, he believes El Aleph to be his own Stand rather than being himself. It causes him to envelop his surroundings with an infinitely lasting night. Nearby organisms will feel lethargic and are put to sleep. He can also summon nightmarish creatures from the darkness.↗

Personal

Joaquín is nimble like an animal with high endurance despite his frail body, making him skilled in stealth operations. He is capable of moving quickly such as during the game of Hopscotch, where he evades all the weapons thrown at him and hops back to the cars faster than all the other investigators. Joaquín's memory is sharp enough to write out priests' sermons down to the very word. He also has the ability to carefully monitor every inch of his surroundings, and is extremely adept at climbing, being able to scale a building about 20 stories tall without a tether while the whole structure is constantly tilting. Lisa Lisa is interested in his hidden potential.↗↗↗↗↗

Extraordinary Senses

When Joaquín faces adversity, such as when one of his senses are taken away or he's covered in wounds, his senses are capable of evolving as if his nerves extend out into the world like capillaries. By letting his mind go utterly silent, he claims that he can see light even in the dark, feel everything such as the tiniest dust and particles, and hear or smell the faintest sounds or scents. He does not blink or breathe while in this state of concentration. With his enhanced senses, Joaquín could ignore the pain he feels, relying on his adrenaline and muscles to complete what he set out to do.↗↗

Morality Viewing

According to Octavio, both he and Joaquín are capable of perceiving the light and darkness within people, allowing them to know whether one is righteous like an angel or evil like a demon. He claims that they're usually correct and that it must be gifts they received for being orphans who are very close to the gods. This ability helps them succeed with gathering information and completing their first mission for Lisa Lisa.↗↗↗