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Of course, Josuke didn’t mean to pry. Jotaro-san just… looked like he was having a midlife crisis in the middle of the burial grounds. It's a given, Josuke doesn’t talk to Jotaro-san about his feelings– talking isn’t really his nephew’s thing, you know? Like academics isn’t Josuke’s thing– that’s Koichi’s and he isn’t Koichi.
Although, maybe he should be a good uncle right now and try . Even if Jotaro-san is scary as fuck. So he pokes Jotaro-san in the side. He doesn’t react at all.
“Do you know who this is, Josuke?” Jotaro asks, between heavily controlled breaths. Josuke’s heartbeat accelerates to a thousand– no, a million miles per hour. Is Jotaro-san somehow mad – is this improper or something?
Okay, technically he does , you know– but that’s a long ass story. And even then he only actually, properly knew this pretty girl who’s three years older than him and there was a cowboy and a bird and a–
“ Josuke.” He clears his throat.
“Y-yes, Jotaro-san?”
“I’m not mad. I just want to know if you do know him.”
Technically yes? Maybe he does? Said pretty girl named Ryoko-senpai did, though, enough to wear his earring (singular, Josuke doesn’t know what happened to the other one) and dye her hair red and style it with care and almost beat the shit out of him when he questioned her hair noodle.
“I know someone who did. Her name’s Kakyoin. Kakyoin Ryoko. She was his cousin. I just thought… I should leave something for him too. I’m sure Gramps wouldn’t mind if I took a chrysanthemum or two.”
“Oh.” Jotaro looks down to the grave, the name Kakyoin Noriaki etched into the stone with much care. The grave’s a little messy, bits and pieces of overgrown grass and wilting flowers in the vase strewn about, maybe Ryoko-senpai’s busy with university…? Would it be overstepping if Josuke cleaned it for her when he visits his grandfather?
Josuke crouches down to get closer. He empties the vase in front of the grave, placing a single chrysanthemum in it. When he looks back to his nephew, he’s still staring at the name.
“Did you know him, Jotaro-san?” Josuke asks.
Jotaro-san looks away, pulling his hat lower, “I did.”
Oh. Josuke didn’t expect that. Josuke actually doesn’t know what to do next. He expected a different reaction, something more… Jotaro-y.
And Josuke decides that he’s going to comfort his nephew in the best way he knows how, by standing up and giving him a nice hug.
Spoiler alert: it actually isn’t the nicest of hugs. It’s odd and janky where their limbs bump and it feels like clinging to a large tree trunk rather than a human being. Jotaro-san pats his back, the closest thing to reciprocation Josuke thinks Jotaro-san could muster.
“Thank you, Josuke,” Jotaro-san says. There’s a twinge of sadness in his voice, faltering in a way Josuke has never heard it do, even against a serial killer. Whoever this Kakyoin Noriaki is to his nephew’s life… he must’ve been pretty important to him.
When Josuke lets go, Jotaro-san looks a little better, at least? He’s not staring into nothingness anymore, and while he’s a little shaken up… he’s still… very Jotaro-san. All cool and large and intimidating.
“You better now?” Josuke asks.
Jotaro-san nods.
“How… how did you know him, Jotaro-san?”
And Jotaro-san laughs, at least, it sounded like it was supposed to be one. It sounds more like a pained chuckle, really. “He tried to kill me once.”
“What the fuck?” It feels like Josuke’s jaw hit the floor.
“It’s a long story, and he wasn’t himself when he tried to,” Jotaro-san clarifies, “In hindsight, I shouldn’t have started with that. He’s… a friend. First one I had that was my age.”
So Jotaro-san’s not the reason why this guy’s six feet under? That’s a small relief, but Josuke is at a loss for words. “I remember seeing him in the news, I was still in the hospital,” he mumbles, “and Ryoko-senpai… she was looking for answers because she never knew how –”
“How he ended up in Egypt? Why he died ?” Jotaro finishes for him, there’s a crease in both of his eyebrows. “It’s complicated, but we wouldn’t be standing here right now if it weren’t for him.”
“Jotaro-san–”
He takes out his wallet and pulls out an old polaroid. “This was taken in Egypt ten years ago, your old man’s the one with the Indiana Jones complex. You could probably tell where Kakyoin and I are, but the one in the robes is Avdol and the Frenchman is Polnareff. The dog’s name is Iggy.”
Josuke takes it from Jotaro and stares at it. Why is Jotaro-san so jacked here– wouldn't he be what, seventeen(?!), when this picture was taken? Okay– that’s probably the last thing Josuke should pay attention to–
“I’ve seen your hospital records, Josuke, it’s one of the main reasons why the SPW found you. Ten years ago you suddenly developed a high fever and nothing could bring it down, my mother had the same symptoms. There was only one way to end it, to kill the damn bastard who gave us stands in the first place.” Jotaro takes back the picture and slots it into its proper place in his wallet. He sighs, “Your old man and I developed stands, but you two weren’t strong enough to have one. Sure, you have Crazy Diamond now, but six year old you wasn’t prepared to have one. So you had that fever instead.”
“How does Kakyoin-san fit into… that?” Josuke asks, vague hand gestures and all.
“The reason Kakyoin– Noriaki – tried to kill me is because the man who cursed the Joestar bloodline was controlling him. Had a flesh bud right here.” Jotaro-san points to the middle of his forehead, “Influenced his every thought. Star Platinum pulled it out, he was fine afterwards,” Jotaro answers, “He never did tell me why exactly he went with us to Egypt, but in the end he was the one who figured out the secret of that bastard’s stand, but… that asshole stopped time and punched him clean through the stomach. If I’d been a little faster… I might’ve– never mind that.”
“Jotaro-san…”
“It’s all in the past now, no use in thinking about it now. We should go back, it’s getting dark,” Jotaro-san says. He turns away from the grave, back to the gravel path that led them there. There’s an awkward air, a silence that envelops the atmosphere.
“No it’s just… I just want to pay my respects properly, especially knowing that now,” Josuke admits, he scratches the back of his neck. Hm… maybe he should write to Ryoko-senpai about this development…
Jotaro looks back to him, “We could always return. And I want to bring him cherries. Cherries are in season, right?”
He starts walking, Josuke hobbles up and runs after him. “Ryoko-senpai said he–”
Jotaro actually smiles, a small one– but a smile nonetheless, “He looked like a demented asshole eating them, yes. I don’t think he actually liked the flavor, only enjoyed freaking people out when he ate them.” Jotaro-san actually shivers up after he says that though, and Josuke’s taking his (and Ryoko-senpai’s) word on it.
“I can probably write to Ryoko-senpai about you if you want. Closure and all that stuff,” Josuke offers.
“That… that would actually be nice,” Jotaro replies, “I do have a question for you though.”
Josuke gulps down his nervousness, “And that would be…?”
“How did you meet her? Ryoko, right?” Jotaro-san asks.
“She punched me,” Josuke replies. It feels a little lame, honestly– admitting that a girl punched him, but it is the truth. “Then she proceeded to kick my ass.”
A chuckle, “Hm. Seems to check out. Was there anything else?”
Josuke lights up like a matchstick, how could he not , that break was cool as shit and it was the best break ever, “There’s a long story in between but we also faced a bird with a stand, Jotaro-san! And this cool cowboy guy helped us, his stand was a gun and he–”
Jotaro-san stills. “A cowboy? With a stand that’s a gun?”
“Yeah! His name was… what was it? Hol Horse?”
Jotaro-san pulls his hat closer to his eyes, his signature scowl slowly forming on his face, “That bastard was in Morioh? You know what, go home by yourself. I’ll have to arrange a few things.”
There’s a whizz of wind, and his nephew’s suddenly thirty paces away from him. Josuke gulps and starts to fucking run for his life. This is going to be a little more bizarre than he thought it’ll be. Just another day in Morioh. “Hey! Jotaro-san! What about Hol Horse!?”
Unfortunately, Josuke’s question does not get answered any time soon.