#analysis: speedwagon foundation

[earthbovndmisfit]

I've been seeing lots of takes lately with people feeling hatred towards part 2 Speedwagon for being a greedy capitalist who probably exploited people and done some shady stuff to become wealthy because there was '''no way he could have become rich just from oil money'''... thoughts?

it's so disappointing to see some bad takes about the Speedwagon Foundation being some "acshually nasty organization" and about Speedwagon supposedly becoming some heartless rich man popping up again. And like, I shouldn't even be surprised at this point considering how the average "Jojo fan" mistreats Part 1 and 2 and alllll the misinformation they love to spread about them and about some characters in particular, often bastardizing them into wildly out of character versions and pretending those fanons are canon for whatever reason (being Speedwagon one of the characters that gets bastardized like that the most), sometimes just to make Blorbo Of Their Choice look better by throwing every other character under the bus, sometimes just because people can't be bothered to pay attention to the og if there are no punching ghosts on sight (and even then, Jojo parts featuring stands get misinterpreted a lot too).

This is gonna be long, so let me start by saying that if y'all really believe that Speedwagon somehow became some nasty ass rich man, then you're completely misinformed and you (and I say "you" in general and not specifically you anon) might benefit from rereading/rewatching the source material and actually paying attention to the plot and details this time.

Like, I've seen people assuming that the Foundation only researched the stone mask and eventually stand stuff, and completely forgetting that one of the literal main goals and also one of the biggest things the Foundation does is seeking for the betterment of the planet as a whole (preserving nature, wildlife, etc) as well as for the betterment of medicine and health care, actually seeking for the best for all humankind, this in addition to all the secret branches it has for the research of supernatural phenomena like stands, stone masks, pillar men, and so on in order to prevent as many incidents with them as possible and prevent the loss of as innocent lives as possible.

Sure, the people working for those latter branches might get into deep trouble sometimes whenever some jerk with a stone mask or a stand starts some shit, but, another thing jojo fans tend to conveniently forget is that those employees are working for the secret/non-public branches of the Foundation. We as audience know about them because we are let into seeing them working as part of the narrative, however, the public in general within the story DO NOT KNOW about the existence of those branches or what they do. Pillar men, stone masks, stands and the research around them are kept in secret in order to prevent any sorts of chaos and ensuing panic, among other safety reasons.

The people working for those branches are specialized or at least have some prior knowledge on those fields they work in (you'd think it is a MUST considering they are being let in on sensitive information that could be super detrimental for the planet and for humankind if it fell in the wrong hands), meaning that those employees already know and are fully aware of the kind of stuff they're going to deal with there from the start. They weren't deceived into it, and the fact that the employees remain loyal to Speedwagon from start to end and respect and follow his will, even long after his death, denotes that there was some deep and mutual respect and appreciation there, something you can't earn through exploitation, and definitely something these people wouldn't have done had Speedwagon been the heartless tyrant rich old man some people with a lack of media literacy want to believe and make others believe he was.

If people paid just a wee bit more attention to earlier Jojo parts, they would have realized it was all spelled out from the beginning too! Speedwagon expressly states from the very start his disgust and hatred towards the rich, being the Joestars the only exception to that due to them being genuinely kind persons, unlike most other wealthy people out there. He was also implied to have been dirt poor for most of his life and was also stated to have lived in the slums at least up to PB's main timeline. There were never any indications or signs that showed that he ever betrayed those roots of his by siding with the rich against the poor over the years. Instead, he's been using his funds to make the whole world a better place for everyone, not only by improving health care and access for all people as well as the environment (which would actually show a sense of duty from him as he is counteracting whatever negative impact his oil company may have had on the planet), but also providing all the aid he can against supernatural threats.

And not just that, but he's also kept some of his connections with the crime world over the years. However, rather than using those connections for selfish goals, he makes use of them to workaround the system in cases like Lisa Lisa's, where he used all those influences he had to help her go successfully into hiding after killing the zombie that murdered George (an undercover zombie that was actually a higher up within the army and who everyone believed to be a regular human, hence their chasing after her to make her pay for that "crime" she had supposedly committed). Additionally, if you know anything about big companies and organizations, you'll know that the law is also not always there to protect regular people, and sometimes, it will cater to the more profitable goals, as well as some businessmen actively being shady af and "hindering" their rivals for their own benefit. The Speedwagon Foundation being an organization that vouches and actively works for the wellbeing of people would have probably ruffled countless feathers among those who seek for a personal gain, to say the least (think of the hijackers that tried to kidnap him, as shown in the flashback in BT, i.e). This is also where those connections he keeps with criminals come into play, as there are never any mentions about Speedwagon doing shady stuff through them nor using them to pursue some personal goal, which hints at the fact that he keeps and uses those nexus as means of protection against actual enemies. Defense rather than offense, if you will.

Also, lets not forget that Speedwagon found his reason to change his ways when he met Jonathan, and that a lot of the things the Foundation does are things Jonathan himself would have gone into had he not passed away (the archaeological research, the deep studying of the stone mask -which eventually led to the discovery of the pillar men just in time before their awakening-, all in order to prevent more incidents like the whole thing with Dio from happening, and so on). It's downright silly to think Speedwagon would even think of betraying Jonathan and his memory by using not only the second chance he received from Jojo himself, but also using the literal monument Speedwagon built to honor the deep bond and mutual affection the two had back when Jonathan was alive for some selfish goal.

And also, lets not forget how disgusted he was with Dio and every single vile thing he did to everyone. Do you really think he would want to follow a path similar to his, in which people are just another step for him to walk all over?? If so, then you sure are completely wrong about who Speedwagon really is like.

Those "he became some nasty capitalist lol", pretending that Spw became some heartless and selfish wealthy man along the way for no reason, all despite the heaps of constant evidence the canon has presented, even long after Speedwagon's passing away in the story, that shows that that was never the case only go to show that people are lazy and that paying attention to the story and the details in it is just something some Jojo fans will actively refuse to do and then will make the worst bullshit takes up about it.

Also?? People do realize that it's possible to become rich and not be some piece of shit?? Like, sure, I do agree that most wealthy people irl ARE shit and scummy af, but there will always be a few exceptions, you just don't always see them because the real kind ones don't go around telling everyone about every single kind act they do, they just put their money to good use to make their own employees lives better, or invest/donate money every chance they get to some organization of their trust and so on. Adding to this, do you all even realize people can't just throw money out of the window and that as a business person you always need to keep some capital to actually make your business thrive and so you can continue helping other people out in this case where BIG SUMS of money are being put to use in favor of actual civilians and people from all walks of life??

((Edit to add yet another Very Obvious display that Speedwagon never sided with the rich, not even in his older years: Smokey Brown! The kid is literally a mirror of Speedwagon’s own younger self in that both were criminals from the streets in a large city (London in Spw’s case, NY in Smokey’s), immersed in crime and poverty and most likely having to resort to crime as a mean to survive in a society that was even more classist (and also racist, and this can actually be seen in BT when one of the mafiosos starts spewing shit towards Smokey due to his skin color) than it is nowadays, both having no known parents or family either and having been most likely orphaned/abandoned. Had Speedwagon been this nasty ass rich man, he could have simply ignored Smokey or treated him poorly, or could have even turned him to authorities, considering Smokey’s criminal record just for the sake of “preventing him from stealing from him” or whatever. There was literally nothing Spw could benefit himself from by keeping Smokey around like he did, which is a core trait in abusive/exploitative people. However, he never did any of that. Instead, and despite the reigning classism and racism at the time, Speedwagon along with Erina always embraced Smokey from the start and basically became his godparents, never letting the kid go back to his life in the streets, providing him with everything he needed and making sure he received a proper education, which was something very few people of color (black people, specially) could receive. And yet, Speedwagon and Erina made it happen, very likely using some of Spw’s influences to allow Smokey go to the school (and eventually college too) of his choice without any stigma or trouble at all and covering all expenses for him. -end of edit-))

If this was, idk, the Metal Gear series or some other media that revolves around the topic of politics, then the whole "cRaPiTaLisM!!! >:O" thing would have some weight and be plausible as it directly impacts the main plot of the story. But here?? In Jojo's?? Where the main focus as stated by it's author himself is the strength of the human spirit overcoming obstacles in the face of actual evil??? Try harder.

And, before I get That One Type of fans yelling at me that "people don't just get rich without exploiting people in real life!!"… do you guys realize we're talking about animanga series where vampires, funky stone masks with spooky powers, pillar men, stands, people who can use some ancient sunpowered martial art, plankton that can turn into a sentient person, and so on can happen, right? And yet I don't see anyone whining that "tHaT DoEsN'T hApPeN iRl!!".

And like, if this whole claim stems from disliking Speedwagon, just say you don't like him and move the fuck on. You don't need to try to justify your disliking for him or for ANY other characters, let alone making up wildly out of character bullshit about them to try to prove to yourself and to everyone else why according to you the character is "bad". I promise you it is not a big deal to simply not vibe with a character.

[softlimefluff]

SPW Tokyo Briefing - May 31st, 2022

Tagging @sunshine-shitposts @dongiovannaswife <3 (SPW Dallas and SPW Naples)

“Mrs. Kishibe? We’re ready for you now.”

Nodding, I handed Ellie off to Rohan, giving her a forehead kiss as she fussed quietly. “It’s okay, shhhh. I’ll be back soon.”

Squeezing my hand, Rohan nodded. “Ganbatte.”

Reaching down, I grabbed my notes and followed the SPW employee down the tiled hallway, boots clacking on the polished tiles. I had opted for a blend of professional and artsy, with a loose dress, boots, and lots of detailed accessories. 

Through a heavy set of double doors, we walked into a large meeting room. Heads from SPW branches across Japan sat at a board table and I was directed to the podium at the front, setting my notes out and taking the slide show clicker.

“Ohayo Gozaimasu. My name is Ariel Kishibe and I am one of the branch heads at the Morioh Speedwagon Foundation. I personally oversaw the construction and design of the branch, along with our architects, expansion crew, and my husband, Rohan Kishibe.

As you know, Kishibe-sensei donated the grounds to the Foundation, as his grandmother used to own the property as a hotel. We built onto the existing structure, with strict co-operation with historical preservation rules, and then added on a museum, research facility, library, and even a bio dome for growing fresh flowers and food.”

Clicking through the photos of the construction and facilities, I landed on our first statistics slide.

“Ever since our opening in September 2020, we’ve had a consistent stream of guests to the museum. You can see our numbers here on the table, tracking from our opening day until now. Not only do we have education about art materials, light, and color, the branch is also the permanent home to the Kishibe Rohan collection of original Pink Dark Boy works. This attracts a large number of guests on its own, along with exclusive merchandise in the gift shop.”

Taking a short pause, I moved to the next page of notes.

“We’ve also been working to open another gallery so we can have more traveling shows and bring in even more guests with exclusive shows from artists like Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, and contemporary manga authors like Tatsuki Fujimoto, Q Hayashida, and Gege Akutami. We think that bringing in new shows from artists similar to Kishibe-sensei would generate even more traffic from visitors who have already experienced the museum.”

Clicking to the next slide, a picture of the cafe and Tonio and Okuyasu popped up. 

“We also have an award winning cafe on site—given accolades by local and international travel websites— and can do official collaborative food and drink items to match with the new gallery shows. Our expert chef, Tonio Trussardi, has been training an apprentice, Okuyasu Nijimura, and together they’re able to brainstorm an impressive range of new culinary delights for the museum.”

Taking a pause, I glanced up at the room momentarily, continuing with the talk.

“The museum and its meeting areas have also become indispensable to the local community, acting as a place for young adults to start clubs, students and adults to try new art techniques through public classes, and even working with the local food banks to make sure any extra food from the cafe is donated back to the community.”

Clicking to the research area, I began the next section of my presentation.

“The museum has worked as the perfect cover for the SPW research going on at the location. Morioh has long been a hotspot for stand activity as a result of the stand arrows. While the arrowheads have now been transported to other locations for analysis and we have less malicious stand activity, we still have a large group of users in the city.”

Flipping to a slide of the many users and their stands, I put both hands on the podium. 

“Many of the abilities that have been unlocked in Morioh have been highly beneficial to the user and to society at large. Healing powers, stands that can use sound as weapons or protection, stands that increase strength, that bring out the truth, or change people’s emotions. We have quite the range in our town and we’re proud of our stand diversity.”

On the next few slides, I had lists of research goals for the future.

“Now that you have some background on Morioh, I would like to address what research we have already completed and what we would like to expand in the future.”

Clicking to the first goal, I stepped to one side of the podium, detailing our Foundation’s mission.

“Our branch’s main focus is stand users and their potential for creation and growth. We’ve been keeping track of stand users who have gotten married and are now having kids, even my husband and myself. We’re curious to know if there’s any difference for users who have been pierced by the arrow versus born stand users—if there’s any impact on the conception and gestation of the child, their development while growing up, and if they also are stand users.”

On the next slide, there was a list called “stages of born stand users.”

“Along with Helena Giovanna from the Naples SPW Branch, we propose a list of stages for born stand users:

-Dormant

-Awakening

-Active

-Growing

-Developed

“We start with the foundational research that stands are the result of the virus found in the rare alien meteorite of Cape York, Greenland. We also know that stand arrows are made from polished meteorite from that same Cape York crater. If a potential user successfully survives the fever from the virus, the mutations unlock the natural ability to manifest and manipulate a stand.”

On the next slide, I had illustrated a diagram for potential combinations for stand user kids. 

“We believe that if both parents have this mutation, then the offspring of the stand users will also have that same mutation, in a way, passing down or allowing the child to ‘inherit’ a stand. We also suppose, then, that every child from two stand users will have a stand ability from birth, even if it isn’t immediately apparent.”

Gesturing to the slide, I made note of other possibilities. 

“We have a few children of two stand users under general observational checkups as they grow. Another stand user child is on the way as well, with a non stand user mother. We’re curious to see how this differs from the two arrow-born parents. In addition, we recently had two stand users get married who are interested in starting a family—one born from the stone mask and the other a stand user from birth.”

Grabbing the next pages of notes, I flicked on the next slide.

“We also have a case of a stand user mutated by Dio’s flesh bud under our care, working on a potential cure for his condition. We’ve been using UV rays along with the users’ own healing abilities to try to kill off the Brando cells, but have only had minimal improvement. Now that Dio has returned and is part of the Foundation, we’d like to have our branch analyze his DNA more and see if we could make progress in healing our patient.”

Bringing up the next to last slide, I steadied myself, thinking about Rohan and Heaven’s Door with a blush and reigning in my happiness to be more professional.

“Finally, we’ve seen the possibility for stand growth in users from Morioh and would like to document that process further—as with the stand users Koichi Hirose and his stand Echoes and Rohan Kishibe and his stand Heaven’s Door.

Furthermore, we have also noticed that if stand users are deeply connected to one another, their stands become more in sync—like souls resonating and bonding with one another. There have been multiple instances of stands from synced users being able to extend range or use each other’s powers to create a more powerful attack.

We would like to explore the implications for training stronger stands AND combination attacks.”

Centering myself at the podium again, I made eye contact with the branch leaders across the room.

“We at the SPW Morioh branch are requesting closer co-operation with other branches, specifically the Dallas branch and Naples branch. We already have personal connections with members there and would like to consult them more frequently for research purposes. 

We hope that the research being done and programs in place are a tribute to the Foundation. We humbly request your continued support as we expand our research to benefit the stand user community. Thank you.”

Picking up my notes as the board members clapped, I bowed politely, then exited the room back through the same doors I had entered. Rohan and Ellie were right outside, waiting for me, and I ran over, pulling Rohan into a hug and burying my face into his shoulder with a grin.

“How did it go, Ari?”

Giggling, I took a second to calm down, holding onto Rohan’s jacket, then pulling away. “Perfect. We said everything we needed to say. Presented the Foundation, our focus, our ideas. I just hope that we have approval on everything and can secure more funding. And… I dunno, I hope Mr. Speedwagon would be proud of what we’re doing. He always wanted to support the Joestar family and. I hope we are too…”

Rohan smiled, kissing my forehead. “I think he would be, Ari.”

Taking my papers, Rohan handed over Ellie and I held her tight, bouncing her and walking down the hall with her on my hip. 

“Mrs. Kishibe?”

Turning around, my heart leapt, seeing the attendant from earlier and worried something had gone wrong.

“Yes?”

“We’d like to present you with this.” Handing over a manilla envelope, the attendant smiled. “The Tokyo board was impressed with your presentation and have completely approved an expanded budget for your branch. We wish you good luck in your research this year and look forward to seeing your branch’s results in updates.”

“T-thank you!” Eyes wide, I took the packet, handing it over to Rohan. “Are we cleared to return home??”

“Yes. All your responsibilities are fulfilled here. The board simply wanted to know about the costs of the project in Morioh and why we had spent so much, but now they see the reasons and possibilities. You’ve won them over~”

Shoulders relaxing, a wave of relief washed over me. “Thank goodness.”

“We hope to see you again, Mrs. Kishibe, perhaps under less stressful circumstances.”

Nodding, I bowed politely, turning to walk with Rohan out of the branch. 

“I didn’t get to hear any of it, but I know you nailed that~” Rohan grinned, waving the envelope. “I’m proud of you, babe.”

“Mama??” Ellie looked up, then snuggled under my chin. “Hungry.”

“Mmmm, yeah me too, sweetie. Let’s get some lunch.”

[fauzhee10069]

JoJolion timeline LOG

I finally made this, the ultimate guide of JoJolion timeline which will be updated and revised frequently. Corrections are welcome.

Unknown Timeline (circa Meiji Era: 1868-1912)

The birth of Tooru, a rock-human.

1891

The Steels stored the Holy Corpse underground so that it will never be taken advantage by anyone, anymore.

Stephen Steel had also told Johnny about the Underground Shelter.

1901

Johnny Joestar took Holy Corpse that was stored underground to save his family, he was being pursued by American Government Agents to Japan.

November 11 evening: death of Johnny Joestar and creation of Les Feuilles.

November 12 morning: Johnny's corpse was found by the authorities.

November 13: Johnny's death and the discovery of a child were announced in Yashirokita News.

December 7: Yashirokita News reported that Johnny's death was considered an accident.

Theory:

Johnny’s infinite spin & his corpse caused the land in Higashikata property to have the equivalent exchange ability.

The Higashikata first born son is dressed as girl to trick the demon that causes the disease. It happens to Tsurugi, Tsurugi’s father (Jobin), Tsurugi’s grandpa (Norisuke IV), and Norisuke IV’s grandpa (Norisuke II). Is it possible that the curse of hereditary rock disease starts from Norisuke I’s children?

1911

Lucy Steel who worked under Speedwagon Foundation was investigating Morioh Hunting Ground in Japan because it was similar to the Devil’s Palm.

1938

Locacaca was discovered by Australians in New Guinea.

1941

Lucy Steel went to Morioh once again to investigate Morioh's hunting grounds near the orchard owned by the Higashikata Fruit Company, she was also researching Locacaca fruit. She met a boy named Fumi and both of them encountered the 「Radio Gaga」’s incident.

During Lucy and Joseph Joestar (Fumi)’s encounter with 「Radio Gaga」’s incident, Tooru was seen planting a Locacaca in a pot near Higashikata’s orchard.

1942

All reports of the Locacaca ceased after the Imperial Japanese Army invaded New Guinea in 1942 during the World War II.

1944

Lucy Steel passed away from a lung disease at the age of 68.

1952

Joseph Joestar (Fumi) met Suzi Q from the Speedwagon Foundation. They eventually married and their daughter, (Kira) Holy Joestar was born in 1959.

1963

In winter, Higashikata Norisuke IV contracted the family disease and his mother, Tomoko sacrificed herself using equivalent exchange on Higashikata’s land.

1991

Higashikata Caato sacrificed the bully boy to cure Jobin, using equivalent exchange and murdering the bully boy in the process. Jobin awakened his Stand, Speed King.

Kira Yoshiteru (Holy’s husband) died.

Kujo Josefumi was born in S. City.

1994

17 years ago, Mamezuku Rai’s father died in a landslide when he rushed out of the house to investigate harmful insects in the family’s orchard.

1996

Caato was sentenced for 15 years as prisoner 28 at the Stone Ocean prison. Norisuke IV divorced her while she was still in prison.

Unknown Timeline

Chapter 75: Mamezuku family’s cultivating techniques were leaked, leading to a competitor, which were connected with some local money-lenders, managing to steal an entire crop of pear and bringing down the fruit trees. Rai’s parents had to part with their orchards. Blaming his parents, Rai began to live alone in a ski slope, cultivating his own fruits despite the difficulties.

Chapter 100: Rai’s mother died long after the death of his father, she underwent great mental anguish brought on by the debts because of the pear orchard before dying of illness.

1997 (circa)

Rai (aged 17) met Norisuke IV when Norisuke IV came to buy his grown strawberries. Impressed by their quality, Norisuke IV appointed Rai in secret to be his personal fruit grower and appraiser. Rai's existence in the company was kept with the utmost secrecy, with not even Norisuke IV's family & his own heir, Jobin ever being informed.

Kira Holy Joestar saved Josefumi’s life in hospital (the timeline was ±1997 because Kira mentioned that they supposed to watch Titanic).

1997/1998

Higashikata Daiya (around 2-3 years old) fell into the faults and her vision deteriorated but she awakened her Stand, California King Bed.

1998

Holy began to work at T.H. Medical University Hospital.

2001

Hirose Yasuho met Tooru at the first time during her summer camp, Tooru was looking for someone to have his identity stolen and started impersonating as Akefu Satoru.

2002

Tsurugi Higashikata was born and Yasuho’s parents divorced.

2005

Yasuho bought a Qing Dynasty Hairclip, she got attacked by it as it turned out to be a rock animal.

Yasuho met Holy and Yoshikage in hospital, Holy also saved Yasuho’s life and Yoshikage destroyed the hairclip.

Theory:

Kira Yoshikage said that his mother (Holy) said something weird and for certain reason she is no longer a doctor, and Yasuho’s attending physician.

Is this an early sign of Holy’s illness and the arrival of The Head Doctor (and his gang)?

Or was the beginning that Holy builds a hidden lab and did research to Locacaca?

If it is the first case, it’s quite impressive that she managed to become a professor.

2008

Holy became a professor at T.G. University.

Summer, Sasame Ojiro encountered Kira Yoshikage.

Norisuke IV hired Yagiyama Yotsuyu as his architect to design Higashikata mansion and The Teahouse in front of the train station that sells fruit.

Higashikata Jobin had an argument with his father in the stadium regarding the business, he mentioned that the flow of people around the main shop in front of the train station has changed because those T-University people (who supposed to be doctors) put a mall at the west exit.

Still in the stadium, Jobin met Yotsuyu (who was still in the process of designing a mansion for Higashikata) and Damokan group.

Theory:

The cooperation between Damokan group and Higashikata (Jobin) in smuggling Locacaca & money-laundering might begin here.

Those T-University Doctors whom Jobin was talking about, could it be that they are the Head Doctor’s gang? Jobin said that the mall they built hindered their family business, perhaps the Head Doctor’s gang intentionally disrupted their business to lure Jobin into working with Damokan group?

2009

Kira Yoshikage worked as cargo ship doctor, he found a Rock Human (Aisho) aboard his ship.

Dainenjiyama Aisho disguised as rock from Port Moresby for use in an artificial garden, the client was the Higashikata.

Yoshikage investigated Aisho and found about their shady business, selling illegal imported fruits and teaming up with the Higashikata family. Kira decided to steal one of those fruits.

Iwakiri Atsunori was a batter for the Seiten Birdies, but he damaged his shoulder.

Higashikata mansion was still in the process of being renovated and was likely completed in the same year.

Unknown Timeline (around 2005?-2009)

Holy began to fall ill as the hospital gained a new number of doctors as well as a new Head Doctor.

Holy created the hidden lab and did scientific analysis on the Locacaca.

2010

Iwakiri, age 24, had a transaction with Aisho, then ate a Locacaca fruit while Yoshikage was spying on them.

Yoshikage and Josefumi stole 2 Locacaca branches to cure Holy.

2011

March, 6 months after Yoshikage and Josefumi stole 2 Locacaca branches, Japan (including Morioh) was heavily damaged by a tsunami. The Locacaca tree wilted and the Rock Humans noticed that 2 branches were stolen.

March 11, the night following the tsunami, Wall Eyes appeared in Morioh.

Sometimes after March 11, Nijimura Kei discovered the equivalent exchange on Higashikata’s land.

Friday, August 19, 10 months, 16 days, 3 hours and 24 minutes after they stole 2 Locacaca branches, Yoshikage and Josefumi were tracked down by Damo Tamaki and Yotsuyu.

3 days before JoJolion begins, deaths and fusion of Yoshikage and Josefumi. The creation of Josuke.

2011 (JoJolion main timeline begins)

Hirose Yasuho discovers Josuke's unconscious body.

Kira Yoshikage’s dead body is discovered and Josuke is adopted by the Higashikata family.

Higashikata Joshu awakens his Stand, Nut King Call in Shakedown Road.

Death of Yotsuyu. Higashikata Josuke and Norisuke IV learn of the rock-humans and Locacaca's existence.

Death of Aisho. Yasuho and Tsurugi learn about Jobin’s cooperation with Damokan group.

Death of A. Phex Brothers. Josuke learns about Josefumi through Sakunami Karera.

6 months after the tsunami that hit Morioh, Damo goes to the Higashikata's house. The same day, Damo is killed by Josuke.

2 weeks before Caato returns to the Higashikata house, Joshu gets attacked by Milagro Man.

Caato, age 52, finishes her 15 year-long incarceration in the Stone Ocean prison, after 3662 working days. She goes to Higashikata house and visits her family.

Defeat of Dolomité. Josuke and Yasuho learn Jobin’s true role within Damokan group and the hint of a greater organization.

Josuke and Yasuho meet Mamezuku Rai. Deaths of Urban Guerrilla and Doremifasolati Do. There is a greater rock humans organization than Damokan group that also hunts down the new Locacaca.

The Countdown of New Locacaca’s Harvest Begins:

12d4h33m: Jobin buries Ozon Baby.

12d2h11m: Josuke and Rai are in Higashikata’s underground.

12d2h2m: still in the Ozon Baby arc, Jobin and Tsurugi are in CCTV room.

The Higashikata family's orchard is burnt down by Tsurugi and Jobin.

Death of Poor Tom.

10d19h6m: Higashikata Mitsuba and Yasuho are in T.G. University Hospital.

Mitsuba learns about the equivalent exchange and Locacaca.

Yasuho meets her ex-boyfriend, Tooru.

Yasuho and Mitsuba discover a hidden lab & stash of Locacaca plants within the hospital, which are destroyed by Rai.

Death of Tomoki Wu.

7d1h2m: Mitsuba arrives in front of Tsurugi's school to take him back to their home after a school trip to the Omoshiroyama-Yamadera trail.

7d0h44m: Mina (the girl who bullied Tsurugi) is having apparently been crushed between the iron gates of the school. As the leader asks if anyone saw what happened, the girl that alerts her claims that she saw Tsurugi pushed the gates closed.

6d4h12m: Josuke, Yasuho, and Rai pursue the head of the Locacaca Organization, Akefu Satoru, but are unable to capture him or see his face. A bystander is accidentally killed during the pursuit, leading to a police manhunt for Josuke and Rai.

6d3h25m: A parent meeting regarding the incident at Tsurugi’s school.

Mitsuba sees The Head Doctor on CCTV record.

Mitsuba and Jobin have a pillow talk.

5d1h5m: Ojiro and his girlfriend, Kitani Maako (Makorin) are talking about Higashikata’s land and fortune.

Unknown timeline (prior to the fight with Ojiro): Caato goes to Higashikata house and meets Jobin, Jobin tells her about the New Locacaca and orchard burning.

3d1h19m: 3 days before the harvest, Ojiro locates the New Locacaca hidden inside the Higashikata estate and sends proof of its existence to Makorin. However, both of them are eliminated by Jobin.

2d0h0m: Josuke & Rai discover that Akefu Satoru will be attending a lecture the next day. They are attacked by Satoru's Stand and are pursued by the police, with Josuke being injured gravely enough to be sent to T.G. University Hospital as Rai is taken into police custody.

Yasuho discovers the true face of Satoru Akefu.

Tsurugi begins to succumb from the effects of the Rock Disease.

1d?h?m/30h: Satoru's lecture takes place at T.G. University Hospital, starts at 11:00 am, introducing Locacaca 6251.

Josuke awakens in the hospital and is attacked yet again by Satoru's Stand. He meets Holy and she helps him recover with Locacaca 6251.

0d3h24m: Yasuho goes to Higashikata mansion and sneaks in Tsurugi’s room. She gets caught by Jobin and Paisley Park gets flushed in the toilet.

Norisuke IV finds out about the murder that Jobin committed to Ojiro. He gets attacked by Speed King and unconscious.

0d2h11m: Yasuho and Jobin are gravely wounded, Satoru gets pursued by a reporter while Josuke just sits back, waiting for Satoru menacingly. Meanwhile, Tooru is just vibing while listening to Elvis Presley.

Josuke & Rai fights Dododo De Dadada.

Rai is dying by Wonder of U’s calamity.

The death of Jobin and Rai.

Yasuho eats the new Locacaca, discovers Tooru as the source of calamity and calls Kei.

Joshu fails his redemption.

The death of Kei.

Caato does an equivalent exchange with Tooru and dying Tsurugi while also destroying the remaining New Locacaca plant.

The death of Caato and Tooru.

0d0h13m: Norisuke IV is gravely wounded and his body is dragged by Tsurugi.

Locacaca was gone forever in Japan.

Holy's fate is left hanging (she's still in a coma in the hospital).

Norisuke IV is discharged from the hospital.

Josuke is officially accepted as Higashikata’s family member and Yasuho walks out the door.

FIN

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: N’Doul

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Perhaps the greatest trick Stardust Crusaders pulls is keeping you thinking that there will be nothing but painfully average Stand users all the way until DIO. The first half of the series is very hit or miss, with some really great Stand users, some really average Stand users, and some really awful and forgettable Stand users. But as soon as the gang sets foot in Egypt, the quality is amped up to 11, and what better character to showcase that than the blind Stand user N’Doul?

Actor: Greg Chun portrays him in the anime, and there’s not much else that can be said other than that he gets the job done. He certainly doesn’t do a bad job, so don’t worry about that.

Motivation/Goals: As with most of DIO’s henchmen, his goal is simply to assassinate Jotaro or, if all else fails, at least keep the gang occupied long enough so that DIO can finally master The World and use it to stomp out his enemies with ease. N’Doul is very good at this job; he basically knocks Kakyoin out of the series until the final few episodes, and succeeds in murdering multiple Speedwagon Foundation men before he’s ultimately stopped.

Unlike a lot of Stand users prior, N’Doul actually does give a solid background that explains why he would follow someone like DIO: having lived a life where he felt shunned and ostracized due to his powers, DIO finally made him feel like he had a sense of purpose and belonging by accepting him for who he really was. It’s not the deepest of backstories, but at the very least it shows that ultimately, N’Doul is a tragic figure who may have been the groups friend in another lifetime.

Interestingly, later revelations show Kakyoin similarly felt he could not relate to others growing up due to his powers; in that regard, N’Doul is sort of a dark mirror to Kakyoin, and it’s a shame this wasn’t played up and Kakyoin instead gets wounded and put out of commission until its time to go to DIO’s mansion.

Personality: N’Doul is a truly loyal and honorable villain; he makes no excuses and openly states he and DIO are evil, and yet he still has some standards, decency, and honor, to the point where Jotaro actually comes to respect him by the end.

Final Fate: Ultimately, he ends up taking his own life after Jotaro gets the best of him, deciding he’d rather go out on his own terms than be executed by DIO for failure.

Best Scene: The moment when he accomplishes few others can ever claim to have done: knock Jotaro’s hat off.

Best Quote: I could put his massive monologue he gives right before his death, in which he outlines his morality, his backstory, and his loyalty to DIO in an epically long-winded dying speech that would make Sniper Wolf proud… or I can say his best quote is “I can't believe it! He actually threw the dog...” if only because it’s the sort of beautifully out-of-context insanity only JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure can provide.

Final Thoughts & Score: Much as Forever long ago eased everyone into the sheer insanity of what a Stand user could be, N’Doul easily establishes just what one should expect coming up from DIO’s henchmen. There are few weak links between him and the final confrontation, and the ones that are are ones played for laughs; N’Doul is a sign of just how intense the battles are going to be going forward.

As cool as I think N’Doul is, I do think there is some really great missed opportunities that ultimately hold him back a little bit. The aforementioned point about Kakyoin is the worst of it; Kakyoin gets so little to do in Egypt because of N’Doul, and on top of that he actually could have made for an interesting foil to Kakyoin. Sure, it’s unlikely someone as powerful as N’Doul could ever be more than a one-shot character and so any sort of rivalry with Kakyoin would have to have been condensed, but if there had been a little something it might have cushioned the blow of my boy Kakyoin being MIA for all the Stand fights going forward.

Still, I think the most major problem with him as a character is that he gets eclipsed by the more extravagant personalities of the other Egypt Stand users. N’Doul has a very subdued personality, and while he is certainly cool, intriguing, and mysterious, he’s not as fun as Oingo, Boingo, Alessi, or Mariah, and he is overshadowed in violence and depravity by Vanilla Ice and Pet Shop. Even with how cool his battle is, it gets overshadowed by the sheer intensity of the elder D’Arby’s battle. N’Doul is a nice way to ease us in for sure, but he feels a bit quaint compared to the others in Egypt.

Ultimately, I think N’Doul still deserves a very high 8/10, held back only by his one-shot nature and for just coming off as a convenient way to remove Kakyoin from the plot until its time for him to get punched through by DIO. He doesn’t even have the excuse Vanilla Ice does of being the penultimate obstacle before DIO to at least somewhat justify him taking out a hero, and while he doesn’t kill Kakyoin, he might as well have for all Kakyoin does upon returning. Still, N’Doul was cool enough for Diesel to rip off, so he’s cool in my book.

I think perhaps the most important thing to note is how he bookends Iggy’s time on the team. Iggy meets his end at a villain with no qualms about kicking a dog to death for the pettiest of reasons, while N’Doul reacts in shock at the mere notion that Jotaro would pitch a dog at him like a baseball. It’s nice to know there’s at least one JoJo antagonist who cares about the well-being of dogs.

[reidblabs]

First Line Tag Game

I was tagged by @tyriantyrant

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line, then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

I usually dont do tag games, and i dislike tagging other people but this is fun enough lol

Unfinished Giorno/Trish/Mista Fic:  A house full of gangsters wasn't one you’d expect to be quiet or relaxed, full of homey goods or framed photographs. Chapter 5 and 6 of a collab AbbaGio fic that hasnt been posted yet;  Giorno felt his eye twitch as he looked across the desk at the mountains of papers Bucciarati had slapped down in front of him.  + Around him rushed with what seemed to be the entire hotel’s population, all shoved into one dimly lit and sweaty room. WRH/JC MDZS Fic for a friend:  The Sunshot Campaign; mighty in name, mighty in effort. Mighty in it’s failure.

Omega Giorno fic for another friend: Giorno wiggles deeper into the mountain of plush clothing, the three blankets thrown over the top shifting only slightly around the bulging sides. The pile was mainly consisting of pillows and soft t-shirts, though a few boxers were thrown in as well just for good measure. Unfinished Bucci and Giorno bonding fic where they go to an art gallery: Bruno Bucciarati is a weird man. There’s no questioning it, as much as Giorno cares about him, that the man is as odd and intricate as the rest of the people surrounding him. He’s a caring soul, empathetic and kind with a fiery drive to help as many as he can. Yet despite that he has the capability to be as deadly terrifying and unhinged as one might expect from a man who had no issue Licking A Teenager’s Face as an interrogation tactic. It’s odd to think that a year on, this guy was practically Giorno’s parent now. Chose-Your-Own-Ending Game thingy: -You decide to take the grassy path to the right. - It wasn’t like the other paths would lead anywhere better, would they? - Too late to think about that now. Lonely Static: Self Insert Reader/Abbacchio (backstory for my OC fic): There are a few irrefutable facts you know about your life. Self Insert OC with with @togepixels oc: People chatter happily as they walk along the sunny Italian street, their relaxed paces evidencing their easy going days. It wasn’t too late into the day, not even gone lunchtime yet, though quite a few people milled around the square in cafe seats or making their way from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. Projections: RWCW Kid Giorno Challenge Fic:  “-And this is the Item Room!” the Speedwagon Foundation employee announces, throwing open the thick white door with as much flourish as a heavy fire door can be opened with.  Very Old Unfinished Voltron fic i will never finish: The two blue stars either side glowed brightly in the empty void of space around them, and the base between them was imposing and mystical, hovering almost magically between the crushing gravity fields. While Lance may not have understood entirely how they worked or why they were dangerous, he’d spent enough time at home in the ocean to learn how to appreciate the beauty of peril.

Shimmering Stars: Johnny Joestar Character Analysis fic:  The fire was simmering down, the first drops of glittering snow fell around it slowly and softly. Each flake glittered in the light like the stars would above if the clouds thinned.   Privately Owned Spiral Galaxy: The nineteen year old Don of Passione didn't do field work, didn't go on missions, didn't put himself in harms way. He shouldn't. He should be sat behind a desk, or in meetings, or in the corner of big networking events with a glass of awful champagne in his hand that he would not drink even a sip of. Spring Cleaning (But In Fall) [Old BTD fic i wrote]: “Where do you want these ones?” You heave, holding up two massive, off-colour pillows. Both are obviously covered in an assortment of old, colourful stains, but overall look relatively clean in comparison to some of the junk you’ve heaved to and from the rooms today. thats all i can be arsed to do tbh I am very sleepy

[jarmes]

JJBA Twisted Destiny Chapter 11 - Guns N’ Roses

Masterpost - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

A woman wearing a red and green outfit walks up to the entrance of the hospital. The door is covered in police tape, which she tears down without a second thought. Her name is Vuitton. A silver bracelet, a gift from the person who gave her a Stand, covers her wrist.

The first floor of the hospital is deserted; the patients were evacuated after the mysterious ice incident. She stalks through the hospital, eventually making her way to the second floor. There she finds a hallway covered in blood and burn marks, remnants of a Stand battle.

Vuitton leans down and touches the blood. It’s still wet. A policeman in a bright vest walks up to Vuitton. “You can’t be here, ma’am,” he says. “The hospital had some sort of gas leak that knocked out most of the patients and killed the rest. We’re evacuating patients and sending them to another hospital-”

Vuitton moves in an instant, bursting from the floor and jabbing her thumb in the policeman’s eye. She rips her hand back, leaving her thumb lodged in the man’s skull, connected to her only by a long wire leading to her knuckle.

Inside the policeman’s skull, the thumb grows, digging deep into the policeman’s brain. He screams for help, but no one comes. Before long, the thumb has burrowed deep into his brain, killing him.

A metal sunflower grows from the policeman’s skull. Vuitton plucks the flower and points it at the burns. The sunflower spins, analyzing the crime scene. After a few minutes, the sunflower projects a hologram of Mr. Burnham impaled on Mylo’s icicle spears.

Vuitton moves on and scans the bloodstain, creating a hologram of Mylo’s corpse. She scans the broken window and creates a hologram of Johana’s Stand grabbing her hair. Vuitton continues through the hospital, analyzing Johana’s fight with Mr. Burnham.

Vuitton’s analysis brings her to the roof. Mr. Burnham still lies there, unconscious. Vuitton reaches down and places her hands on his throat, strangling him. The spikes on Mr. Burnham’s bracelet retract as he dies.

Mr. Burnham - Age 37 - Deceased

Vuitton picks up Mr. Burham’s bracelet and places it on her arm, bringing her collection of bracelets to two. “And then there were twelve,” she says.

Vuitton jams her pinky in Mr. Burnham’s chest and grows a laptop. She connects the sunflower scanner to the laptop, importing the data on Mr. Burnham’s fight. The laptop runs a facial ID program, identifying the woman who defeated Burnham to be Johana Joestar, a 19-year-old student and Lonely Castle University.

Vuitton places her hand on the sunflower and it transforms back into her thumb. She does the same to the laptop, returning her pinky. Vuitton jams her pointer finger in Mr. Burnham’s corpse. A large, turnip shaped helicopter grows from Mr. Burnham’s corpse.

+++

“Are you sure that there isn’t another way to get this thing off my arm?” Johana asks.

“I am not a doctor, but it appears to be pretty deeply embedded. It would take a master surgeon to remove it,” Nero says. “The Speedwagon Foundation is our best hope for removing it.”

“Can’t you just destroy it with your Stand?”

“Deteriorating a piece of metal completely would take hours, during which you’d have pointy pieces of rusty metal stabbing into your arteries. I can take it off, but you’d lose your arm in the process.”

Johana groans. Nero, Kan, and her sit in Johana’s dorm room, trying to figure out what to do about Woodstock’s threats. “I have to get the arrow to the Speedwagon Foundation anyway, why don’t you come with me? Leave the country until this whole thing blows over?” Nero says.

“I’m not going back to the Speedwagon Foundation, Nero,” Johana says.

Kan sits on her bed, struggling to pay attention to Johana and Nero’s conversation. Sweat drips down her face. She takes a shallow breath before coughing. She looks at her hand. The cut on her finger is black and covered in puss.

“Johana, our family isn’t evil,” Nero says.

“I don’t care. I swore I’d never see them again, and I don’t intend to go back on my word,” Johana says.

“That isn’t a solution, JoJo. If Woodstock is to be believed, powerful Stand Users will come for you as long as that bracelet is stuck around your wrist. I know you hate our family because of the fighting, but staying here isn’t a good way to escape violence.”

“I’ll figure something out on my own, like I always do. I don’t need the Speedwagon foundation’s help to get out of this.”

Suddenly, Kan collapses. Johana runs over to her friend. “Kan!” she shouts. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just tired,” Kan mutters.

Johana lifts Kan up and places her on the bed. She places her hand on Kan’s forehead. “You have a fever,” she says.

“Do you think this has anything to do with me fainting yesterday?” Kan says.

Nero shakes his head. “No, that was the result of Rabbit James’s Stand,” he says. “You could just be tired, due to your stressful stay at the hospital.”

“No, she looks pale and is sweating buckets. This is more than simple sleep deprivation,” Johana says.

“The flu, perhaps?” Nero says.

Without warning, Nero jumps through the air and jabs Kan in the diaphragm with his pinky finger. Kan gasps for air. Johana grabs Nero and pulls him away from Kan. “What the hell, Nero?” she yells.

“Don’t act surprised, dear JoJo. Surely you remember Grandpa Joe doing the same thing to us when we were children?” Nero says with a smile.

He turns to face Kan. “Miss Nijimura, this is a special technique passed down through Johana and my family,” he says. “When executed properly, it allows us to unlock someone’s innate healing abilities. It may hurt at first, but your flu should disappear in a moment. Now then, how do you feel?”

“I feel like you broke a rib,” Kan wheezes.

Nero laughs awkwardly. “Admittedly, I’ve never actually managed to pull off that technique properly,” he says. “Forgive me for using you as a guinea pig.”

“And you wonder why I don’t want to spend time with you guys,” Johana says.

Kan coughs again and looks at her finger. “I think I cut my finger at the hospital,” she says while holding up her hand. “Do you think it might have gotten infected, and that’s why I feel sick?”

Johana examines Kan’s finger. “It looks really bad, Kan,” she says. “I don’t think this level of infection could have occurred in only a few hours.”

“Perhaps it’s the work of an enemy Stand,” Nero says.

Johana ignores him. “Kan, what did you cut yourself on?” she asks.

“The arrow, I think,” Kan says.

Johana turns pale. She looks at Nero. He’s stopped smiling. Johana gulps and summons her Stand. “Kan, do you see anything out of the ordinary?” she asks.

“Cool sunglasses,” Kan mutters before passing out.

Johana grabs Kan and tries to wake her up. “What’s wrong with her?” Johana yells.

“If she was cut by the arrow, she’s awakened a Stand,” Nero says. “Stands are made out of psychic energy. If someone pierced by one of the arrows is weak, it is possible that the strain of summoning a Stand will make them ill or even…”

“Even what?” Johana asks.

Nero gulps. “Even kill them,” he says.

“The Speedwagon Foundation, they have good doctors, right? Doctors who are trained for this kind of thing?”

“Yes-”

“Then we’re going to the Speedwagon Foundation.”

“I thought you said you’d never go back.”

“Shut up and call the people you need to call.”

Johana pulls a bag out from under her bed and starts stuffing it full of clothes. Meanwhile, Nero calls the duo’s grandfather, asking him to get them a flight to New York and prepare the Speedwagon Foundation doctors for Kan’s arrival. In the back of her dresser, Johana finds a black hat with a golden star on the front. Sighing, she puts it in her bag.

From outside, Johana and Nero hear the sound of barking dogs. “What do you think has them spooked?” Nero says.

“Focus,” Johana says. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Perhaps. On the other hand, it may be the work of an enemy Stand.”

“Do you think that everything is the work of an enemy Stand?”

Suddenly, the barking stops. “That’s odd,” Nero says.

Johana groans and grabs a purple raincoat. “I’ll go check it out, if it worries you so much,” she says. “Keep an eye on Kan.”

+++

Let’s go back five minutes. Vuitton’s radish helicopter landed at Lonely Castle university. She stepped out of the helicopter and tapped it. The helicopter shrunk down and reattached itself to her knuckle, returning her pointer finger.

Vuitton walked through campus, approaching Johana’s dorm building. As she stares at the building, it begins raining. “Isn’t that just unlucky,” a voice says.

Vuitton turns to see a student holding six leashes. Six dogs, varying in breed and size, tug on the leashes. The man struggles to hold them back. “Sorry about these guys, they can be a little too friendly,” he says. “Don’t worry, they don’t bite.”

“You’re wrong,” Vuitton says.

“No, really, they’re fine.”

“Not about the dogs, about things being unlucky. Things are going very fortunately right now.”

+++

Johana steps out into the rain. A hundred meters away, Vuitton sits, surrounded by the corpses of half a dozen dead dogs. Two of her fingers are planted, one in the largest of the dogs and one in the dogwalker.

The seeds planted by Vuitton grow, transforming into a pair of Gatling guns. As soon as Johana steps out, Vuitton opens fire.

TO BE CONTINUED IN:

Chapter 12: Guns N’ Roses, Part 2

STAND STATS

Name: Guns N’ Roses

Dub Name: Bullet Flower

User: Louis Vuitton

Namesake: “Guns N’ Roses” (American Rock Band)

Appearance:  Guns N’ Roses is bound to Vuitton’s fingers, which are red and made of metal. The machines built by Guns N’ Roses vary in appearance.

Abilities:  Guns N’ Roses is a Bound Stand tied to Vuitton’s fingers. When one of her fingers is jammed into a human or animal, Vuitton’s finger partially separates, turning into a seed connected to Vuitton by a long wire. These seeds grow into machines designed to help Vuitton, often killing their host in the process. Vuitton can grow scanners, weaponry, tracking devices, vehicles, explosives, hacking devices, and anything else she wishes. The amount of time required to grow a machine is dependent on its complexity. Vuitton can reobtain her fingers by placing her knuckles on her machines.

Stats: Power-N/A, Speed-N/A, Range: A, Durability-N/A, Precision-N/A, Potential-A

[ameftowriter]

Chase Chapter 5

Summary:

As if he needed another reminder of what he lost in Egypt 10 years ago.

First | Previous Chapter: Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right | Next Chapter: Fastidious and Precise (NSFW) | Chapter 7: I Shall Be Released | Last

AN: Ah this chapter... Where do I begin?

Sorry that this was late... I finally finished cleaning my damn room so I didn’t have time to fully edit it until now...

This is for Day 5 of GenJoJo Week.

You can skip Chapter 6 and head straight to Chapter 7 if you dont want NSFW content on Chapter 6

The chapter title is named after a Sting song of the same name...

Chapter 5: The Lazarus Heart

The invisible baby, cooed as she felt safe around Joseph Joestar's warm arms. The elder Joestar rocked her back and forth gently to help her fall asleep.

Kujo Jotaro, turned the page of his notebook, as he was writing his notes for the Starfish thesis for his PhD. He did this as he waited for the results from the Speedwagon Foundation of their analysis for the button Josuke gave to him.

The button that the kid brought to Josuke.

The button was the final message.

Final Message...

He stopped moving his pen. He didn't move nor said anything. He stared blankly as his notes. As if he were reading them.

But he wasn't.

Joseph took notice of this and asked his grandson if he was okay.

Jotaro assured his grandfather that he was all right, and resumed writing. He then wondered, how could his senile old man could notice something so faint yet he can't even see his own cane right at his hand.

Was it a Joestar blood thing?

He shook his head again.

He knew this had nothing to do with DIO, nor the Bow and Arrow.

Nothing... he kept telling himself...

Nothing...

DIO was dead. 

He knew that. 

The old man knew that. 

Polnareff knew that. 

The Foundation knew that. 

Mother knew that. 

The kids knew that...

Everyone knew that...

So for now, they should focus on what was important. Finding out this Stand User Serial Killer that had killed a middle school kid. 

Using only a button….

It was definitely a Stand User's work. He reassured himself.

Considering the circumstances, it had to be...

But somehow he wished that it wasn't way..

If it was, would he have just shrugged it off like many of the missing people that this quiet town had?

Would he?

Good grief...

He closed his notebook, unable to focus with his work anymore, stood up, grabbed his notes and materials he would need for his research and placed it in his bag, and he turned to leave the room to only see his grandfather and the baby had fallen asleep soundly. 

He smiled softly as he left as quietly as possible.

As he waited, he pondered about the baby, Shizuka, as his grandfather had affectionately nicknamed. He heard the details mainly from Josuke about how they found her and how eventually Joseph proceeded to be her caretaker until the mother has been found.

But so far, mother or father or any relative of the baby hasn't come forth.

Why is that, Jotaro wondered.

Morioh may have been a rapidly growing town, but word will still spread fast either way.

And yet no one spoke up to claim the baby.

Just then his thoughts wandered to his old classmate...

But before he could delve in further, the taxi arrived.

The driver tuned his radio to the local radio station. He mentioned how much he loved the music they played at this hour.

Jotaro didn't really care as he had heard enough from his grandfather everyday.

Just then he heard a song. From his classmate’s favorite band, Sting…

The Lazarus Heart…

He growled silently, like he needed another reminder of him.

He stepped out of the taxi the moment it reached his destination, already gave the fare and did not care for the change. 

He just needed out of that taxi.

But of course as if the world is out to mock him, the moment he stepped out of the vehicle, he was suddenly given a flyer at his chest.

The woman who shoved the flyer at Jotaro's chest then looked up to him, and realizing what she had done, she quickly took the flyer away and bowed to apologize. She looked frantic as she was speaking so fast. And her face looked so distressed, as if she hasn't had any proper sleep in days.

Jotaro looked at the pile of posters at the woman's hand and he saw a familiar face.

The woman then gave him the poster that she shoved at his chest earlier, nicer this time, asking-no begging him for any answers, hoping if he had seen the child on this flyer.

Child? Jotaro wondered. 

It was only when he looked at the flyer properly to realize which child she was referring to.

After all he was looking for answers about him...

Lost child...

Distraught mother...

As if he needed another reminder of what he lost in Egypt 10 years ago.

He thought of the days after… seeing similar posters like this…

He is reminded of his classmate and best friend, Kakyoin Noriaki.

Just like before, he looked at the woman, whom was the mother.

The mother of Yangu Shigekiyo.

She had the similar look that Kakyoin's mother's face had. When she approached him all those years ago….

She asked the exact same question….

He was lucky that people can't read his expressions very well.

Jotaro only hoped that she doesn't notice what he is thinking right now, as he always thought his face was an open book.

That her beloved son is dead?

Her “missing” son was never missing just eliminated to nothingness by a sick Stand User.

That the only thing he left was a button.

And it wasn't even his button…

Kujo Jotaro remained silent…

But he looked at the mother once again and he softened his expression.

He apologized to her.

Apologize for her loss?

No…

He apologized that he hasn't seen this kid…

Yes...

The mother lowered her head, not realizing that she was lied to.

The marine biologist then continued, that he would keep this, so if by chance he would find him… that he would… contact her.

Just like the old lie he told years ago.

She then looked up to him again…

And thanked him.

Jotaro looked at the poster again. He sighed.

Good grief indeed.

He brought out his backpack and placed the poster in between his notebooks.

He sighed again and fiddled with his hat a little.

And walked away.

Joseph Joestar shook awake again as he heard his grandson leave the hotel room. He was just glad that the quiet little baby is still asleep and not invisible. 

Wanting to stand up, he reached, with his free hand, for his cane.

But wait, where was his cane?

It was right in his hand a second ago.

Was it?

He doesn’t remember anymore.

He knows that his memory has been failing him ever since that big adventure...

Was it there?

He remembers that his cane was right at his hand.

But its not there now...

As if on cue, the baby moved to the side slightly, to the right, away from his old body.

He looked to see, that there it was, his cane!

Yes... his cane...

He then left the room, to head back on to his own room.

Just as he was passing by, he heard of a couple talking to each other.

They then began to talk about a poster that was handed to them.

About that child...

That went “missing”...

They began to worry, hearing that this city has a lot of missing people.

The elder Joestar, stopped in his tracks.

His grandson would call him senile, and even his son, Josuke agreed.

But... even if he tried, even with his dementia.

He is sure that, he would not forget that bizarre adventure 10 years ago...

How could he?

He felt a terrible pain in his old heart.

He’s worried now. 

For Josuke...

He could feel the burden his son was carrying. 

But of course, knowing him... Joestar and all...

He’ll be sad one day, then the next, as if it was the best day ever.

He wished he could talk to his son about that...

Speaking of which...

Why was he going back to his room again?