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[jojoceanman]

I've been trying to find ways to relax. I'm not really any good at it. Just came back from being at sea for two weeks, isolated from society. It was extremely pleasant.

[ and around this point there some links to show photographs he had taken. all very pleasant... if you ignore the starfish eating a fish at the end. ]

Now I'm back and I find myself lost in society and its stresses. I work 12 hour days and sleep about 6 to 7. Research is my only outlet, my field being in Marine Biology. That and watching too much true crime dramas, but watching serials about betrayal and murder might not be a healthy way of de-stressing. Allegedly.

So I'm fielding suggestions. I'm sure you're all a very calm and collected bunch who can be of help.

[ ... ]

On an unrelated note: fish don't smoke. And never will. Evolution doesn't work that way.

[ callout because that's just one of his recent stresses. ]

Comments

[jojoceanman]

He did.

[ stand users being drawn to one another, a meeting between them could only be avoided for so long. dio is a driven man and his grudge is almost as old as he is. and once the vampire realizes josuke is back, he'll become a target again. ]

Don't confront him. He has certain ambitions here that stop him from going to his worst inclinations on his own, but if you give him a reason... [ he grumbles, and points to the scar going down his eye. ] No enemy you've faced can compare to his power. You must be careful.

[unbreaker]

[Good grief, Jotaro.

Didn't you learn your lesson with Ryohei?]

He did that, huh?

[Josuke had noticed the mark when Jotaro had opened the door to his home earlier, but battle scars weren't foreign concepts to Stand users. Knowing that mark came from someone who bore his family an eternal ill will, however...

The mere thought of it made his blood boil.

With a frightening steadiness, Josuke reclined in his seat and reached inside his jacket pocket to procure his comb. He still didn't have that water, and at least this way he had an object with which to preoccupy his hands. There were a few stray strands of hair in his pompadour that could use combing back...and it kept him from slamming his fists down upon the table top. Everyone won.]

Yeah, I'll be careful.

[jojoceanman]

Good.

[ even if he couldn't see the way josuke moved, the tension in the air is present. that's not surprising. he can handle himself, and he knows josuke can too, but he would feel the same if he found out his uncle was injured by someone. and a cold anger would come to him if he found out dio was the one to cause that pain. dio had that effect on him - he took so much from him, and he still fears for what else can be taken.

josuke is another person he can lose. even if imPorts don't die permanent deaths, it doesn't change that it can happen. ]

There's more to say, but... I think for now I'll leave things to you. You don't need someone to hold you by the hand. You can always ask me questions if you want.

[unbreaker]

[He nodded, still handling the comb and idly running it back through his hair as he thought. Yeah...asking questions was probably a good distraction right about now. But based on what Jotaro had said so far and what he'd seen himself, what did he want to know? Or even need to know most of all?

He'd mentioned Dio was here. And the two of them were as well. That seemed a good place to start.]

There anyone else?

[That he needs to know about. Good or bad or whichever, just anyone from home. It'd be good not to be caught off his guard. Better if there were more people he could put his trust in.]

Or is it just the three of us?

[Those weren't bad odds. But they could be better.]

[jojoceanman]

...There is one more. His name is Giorno Giovanna. I don't really know much about him yet, but he is a Stand user around your age. He's quite... lively.

[ and there's a lot more to it than that, but omitting parts of the truth isn't the same as outright lying. he doesn't want to color any potential relationship that could come by disclosing giorno's... not legacy, but his bloodline. it isn't that he thinks josuke would judge giorno, but... well, this is the son of the man he killed. he wants to show some respect to that, and let giorno be the one to make any disclosures.

part of him hopes they get along, should they meet. josuke is good at making friends, and it would give jotaro an excuse to create some distance. ]

If there are any others, I'm not aware of them.

[unbreaker]

[The name didn't sound familiar, but the thought of another Stand user his age hanging around, especially one with a lively personality, already sounded promising. Josuke couldn't help grinning faintly at the prospect. The fact that there didn't appear to be any unchecked Stand users running around might also have helped his disposition a little, too.]

Sounds like he's been giving you a hard time.

[Josuke would have to thank Giorno for that when their paths crossed.

For now, though...there was something else he wanted to discuss with Jotaro. Something that caused his grin to sober.]

Hey, uh...you get one of those files when you arrived, too?

[jojoceanman]

[ "hard time" is such an understatement... but moving on. ]

I did. All imPorts do. [ and now it's hidden somewhere in his bedroom, among some other things he rather not keep out in the open. even in a quiet area like heropa, he's ever paranoid of someone possibly stealing his information. ] Why, is something wrong?

[ nobody has to be an expert at reading people when it comes to josuke, who's fairly close to have his heart on the sleeve. ]

[unbreaker]

No, I mean...I wouldn't say 'wrong,' not exactly.

[As if that statement was any more comforting.]

I figured I should read my file, see what it said and what these people know about me, right? But it's weird. Not only do they know about Crazy Diamond, but there's this whole other power...

[He made a face, leaning back in his chair, front legs lifting off the ground a little.]

You don't think they coulda gotten anything mixed up, do you?

[jojoceanman]

...No. I also have access to a power I never had when I arrived here. An extra ability isn't something to frown upon.

[ well, he is biased on that front. his porter granted ability is useful to his needs, and he wishes it was the kind of power he could have even back in his world. ]

[unbreaker]

It's not like that, I just...

[Just what?

He thought about that for a moment. Would it be better if there had been some kind of mistake and the new power reported in his file wasn't really his? Or was it better that he has this sort of thing at his disposal?

There was a part of him that was inclined to believe the latter, but there was also a hitch.]

...I don't think this is something I can control. Or if I can, it'll be a rough ride figuring that out. I mean, luck's not an easy thing to manipulate!

[jojoceanman]

[ Luck? ]

Good grief. [ a power that can be equally useful and backfire if the dice roll is bad. ] Luck isn't a factor anyone can control in life. In that sense, being able to manipulate that... if you pull it off, you would be able to slide most anything in your favor. You just need to remember that.