01; Video... sort of.

[trickstar]

[The video feed starts with the face of a young man looking... very confused at the phone in front of him. Squinting, almost. Soon followed by a...]

HELLO?

[...He is literally yelling into the communicator, and pressing it to his cheek. Entirely unnecessary, since this is a video post... But whatever. Say hello to Joseph's cheek, fellow users of the Network. This is all you get for the rest of the video.]

There's no receiver end on this thing, how am I supposed to know where to talk into! Or who I'm talking to?

[Yeah. You're getting one of these guys again. Sorry. He's from 1938. This has been a rough journey for the technologically inept.]

Whatever! I have to go back- it's really important. I'm going to be done for in six days if I don't get to Switzerland! It's a really long story but I don't have time for another adventure, I'm already in the middle of one right now. I don't want to hear any of those excuses I've already been told! I'm being really serious here! I should have memorized Lisa Lisa's phone number...

Comments

voice;

[trickstar]

...Oh right, I don't have any money on me...

[THIS IS AN ENTIRELY NEW EXPERIENCE, HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN RICH........]

I'm not still in that military base. In some kind of suburban area now.

Yeah, I was training in Italy for a month.

voice; oops is this uh at night or afternoon

[waiting]

Your bank account's supposed to be linked to your tattoo, but I'm not sure that it'll work yet if you just got here...

[ He pauses to check the time. ]

Tell you what, if you're still up for that burger in half an hour, I can meet up with you. I was going to get something to eat anyway.

voice; whichever works for you! time doesnt matter for me.

[trickstar]

Sure. Not like I have anything better to do.

[ yeS YOU DO JOSEPH YOURE SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL]

voice; afternoon, then o/

[waiting]

All right. Think you can find your way back to the Porter building? I'll meet you in front of that.

[ And isn't he forgetting something... oh yeah, right. ]

I'm Bradbury.

voice;

[trickstar]

I'm Joestar. Joseph Joestar. I'll get back there soon.

action; sorry for the delay! +_+;;

[waiting]

[ It would probably have helped if Bradbury actually let Joseph see what he looked like, but since he knows what he looks like, it shouldn't be that hard, right? In any case, he's waiting by the Porter building as agreed upon, still in his plain brown suit from work, glancing around for any sign of the kid from the network. Although maybe 'kid' isn't the best term, either. ]

action; np!!

[trickstar]

['Kid' is both the best term, and the worst term. Mentally, Joseph's barely even sixteen. He's entirely childish. But physically... He's over 6'4", and every part of him is heavily muscular. How exactly is this kid eighteen? Miracles.

But there he is, waiting back at the Porter building, leaning on a nearby fence. After the fit he threw the first time being in there, the guards don't exactly want him back so soon.]

[waiting]

[ He struck Bradbury as a kid, speaking to him -- who the hell decides a burger's their first priority after ending up in another universe? Then again, Bradbury's conveniently forgetting that the first thing he did after arriving in the City was to ask about decent places to eat.

Once he sees Joseph in person, though, he has to pause and blink, jaw dropping slightly as he actually catches sight of how tall he is. Hard to mistake him for anyone else, though, so Bradbury beelines towards him, tucking his sunglasses into the pocket of his suit and strolling over. ]

Joseph, right? I'm Bradbury. [ He nods towards the side, indicating moving down the road. ] You ready for that burger?

[trickstar]

Bradbury. Right! Yeah, I am.

[And damn is he excited for it. People buying him food. It's the greatest. Joseph follows Bradbury's direction, walking down the street in the direction he was pointed towards. He's quiet for a few moments, and then suddenly speaks up.]

You've been here a while, haven't you?

[waiting]

[ With how tall they both are, the two-block wall shouldn't take too long. Bradbury seems a little surprise that Joseph gets right to it, but he nods. ]

Depends on what you mean by "a while" and from when you count it from, but ... yeah. [ He shrugs. ] I've been away from home for almost two years by now.

np!

[trickstar]

Two years?!

[Because okay, yeah, a few weeks, okay. A month or two, sure. But YEARS??]

I'M GOING TO BE HERE FOR YEARS?!

I...

[Holding his head now.]

I can't be here that long!

[waiting]

[ Bradbury winces, bringing a hand up to an ear. ]

Easy there, buddy, I think they heard you in China. [ He pauses, then shakes his head. ]

Most people don't stick around that long. You've got pretty good chances.

[trickstar]

[Sorry, volume control is still a thing he never learns. is working on!!]

What do you mean "don't stick around"? Like ... die??

[waiting]

[ Bradbury looks confused for a second, then just horrified. ]

What? No-- nothing like that. [ It's a bit of a white lie. Some people have left that way, or at least dying's seemed to return people home temporarily. He clears his throat, shaking his head. ]

They just disappear. Get sent home by the Porter. [ He holds up a finger. ] And before you ask, no, I've got no idea how it works.

[trickstar]

[A whole body sigh, somewhat of relief that they don't die, but also because, of course no one knows how the Porter works.]

Isn't that great. Well, maybe I'll get lucky and just be sent back at random.

[waiting]

Maybe. [ He could always die, Bradbury almost helpfully suggests, since that seemed to work for Bradbury last time, but no sense in giving him ideas. ]

Until then, you just gotta do what you can to get by. Like getting something to eat. [ He nods at the burger place, which is in line of sight but a little bit down the road still. ] And while we're at it, why don't you tell me about Switzerland and why it's so important?

[trickstar]

[Probably best if Bradbury keeps those kind of suggestions to himself...]

I guess explaining a little isn't going to hurt, but ... It's all really weird, so I need you to not dismiss it right off the bat, okay?