One Bizarre Family

[madimpossibledreamer]

I felt this was more appropriate for a posting for New Year's Day than just some random rec list.  May this year be better than the previous.
~Dreamer~

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Summary: Giorno and Josuke have a talk.
Word Count: 1278
Spoilers for the end of Vento Aureo/Golden Wind. 

         Honestly, Josuke’s not fully certain how he got here. 
         “Josuke, it’s not going to be a vacation.”  Jotaro-san was frowning. 
         “But Koichi got to go last time, and I want to see Italy!” he argues.  Honestly, he’s kind of curious after all those stories from Tonio.
         There was a convoluted story about the son of DIO, who Josuke only knew a little about considering Jotaro-san wasn’t the type to talk about these things much.  DIO had been a vampire, somehow involved with the Arrows, and pretty evil.  There was also something about a relative, which would be pretty great.
         Yukako’s going to be pissed she got left behind at the hotel, given that her precious Koichi was put in danger.  Then again, she hadn’t wanted to leave their luggage alone, because she was worried the same thing that happened on the last trip would happen again.  Jotaro-san and Koichi had gone to scout something and the next thing he knows he’s getting a call saying they’re in trouble and he needs to get there.  And then there’s more Stand Users, some of which are on their side and some of which are on the enemy’s side, although the one pointing a gun at him was a little scary though as far as he could tell it was only a reaction to what could’ve been an attack from anyone else, and next thing he knows they’re all at some Italian villa, not the hotel.  It’d all happened so fast he’s not even sure of the powers of some of their enemies.  They’d died—yeah, they’d been killed—pretty much immediately upon the arrival of himself, Scary Pistol Guy, and some lady with a saxophone case and a pretty deadly Stand.  The kitchen has a bunch of food, though not much of it looks very familiar, and it’s hard to decide what to eat or if he even should be eating it…
         “Ah, I’m sorry.  I didn’t realize anyone was here,” a polite voice interrupts his thinking, and he turns to see the blond Stand User he’d healed earlier.  He speaks perfect Japanese, which is a relief because his friend Mista definitely didn’t.  “You can feel free to eat anything here.  You’re a guest.”
         “Oh, I wouldn’t want to take advantage, but thank you!”  If nothing else, his mother had instilled some manners in him.
         At that, there’s a bit of a smirk, the first show of actual emotion on the pleasant face.  “Please, anything for family.”
         “Oh, you’re the other Joestar!”  He gets excited briefly, before something occurs to him.  He pauses, because he doesn’t want to think that of the old man, but then, it’s the most likely explanation… “…Are you Joseph’s son, too?”
         An expression of surprise.  “…No.”  The Italian blond gracefully hoists himself into a sitting position on the counter, crossing his legs.  He might be attempting to appear casual, but he looks more regal, a king on his throne.  “It’s a long and confusing story, but I’m Jonathan’s son.”
         Josuke bites his lip as he attempts to think that one through.  Jonathan, that name’s vaguely familiar, but—
         Joseph’s jiji.  And yet this gold-haired Stand User looks like he’s at the very least a few years younger, or maybe the same age—
         “How?” is the only question that can make it past his lips, and that earns a small, soft smile.
         “First, another introduction, since you don’t appear to have caught my name—my apologies.  Giovanna Giorno.”  Yeah, that could be read as Jojo.  “Do you remember the part in Jotaro-san’s story where Dio Brando stole Jonathan’s body?”
         Wait.  DIO’s son and the other Joestar are—the same person?  And yet, he doesn’t feel evil like Kira’s, only a serene, peaceful personality.
         The blond’s twirling a flower in his fingers.  He’s not as assured as he seems; he’s nervous.
         Well, he hadn’t been entirely sure he’d fit into the family, either.  That he’d be welcomed.  The least he can do is set Giorno-kun at ease.  “Well, you’re not trying to take over the world or become a vampire or anything, are you?”
         Giorno-kun shakes his head, eyes happy and a little moist.  “I like life too much.”  He holds out the flower, which turns into a gold pen, and Josuke stares for a moment, not comprehending, before he realizes—that has to be that Stand he briefly saw.  Something about bringing inanimate things to life.
         “Gureito-daze!” he exclaims, holding out his hand to try to touch it.  Giorno-kun lets him touch the pen, a bit bemused, and—“Can you do that again?”
         He does.  “Living things are precious, not to be taken lightly,” his…cousin, he’s gonna go with cousin…states, quiet but intense.  “Thank you, Josuke-kun.”
         “So, this villa, it’s yours?”  He’s still going to be polite, the perfect guest, but he feels a bit better about it knowing it’s family.  “Wait, do you play games?”
         “I haven’t had much time for video games, I’m afraid,” Giorno-kun responds with a chuckle.  “As for the villa…yes, well.  I became the Don, er, Boss of Passione—the Mafia is probably the word you know, though they have no Stand Users—in order to ensure they stopped killing civilians needlessly and selling drugs to women and children.”
         It’s said so casually, he’s probably worried about the reaction to that, as well.  Josuke can’t help but blink and stare at Giorno-kun for a full minute, but he doesn’t seem to be joking.  “I feel a little weird about that, since I’m going to be heading to the police academy in about a month, but…your reasoning sounds good.”
         “Are the polizia effective in Japan?” Giogio asks, tone curious.
         “They’re…not in Italy?”  This is one of the strangest conversations he’s had, and he’s talked to Rohan.
         “Most wouldn’t think twice about taking a bribe, and more than a few pay prostitutes or worse,” Giorno-kun responds dismissively, and, well.  That gets his blood boiling.
         “That’s just wrong!”  His hair stands up a bit.
         “Well, bribery is useful enough in my new position,” the crime boss responds with humor, and shrugs.  “Perhaps if they had been the paragons of virtue they are in Japan, I would instead be joining you, Josuke-kun.”
         Josuke nods vigorously.  “Well, I can’t say I don’t like all the stuff you get with that, and I guess it’s more honestly earned than if you were a policeman, probably, so I’m glad you’re my itoko, and thank you for the food and the place to stay.”
         “You are more than welcome.”  Giorno-kun states quietly, and pauses.  “Thank you; family, I’m afraid, is not always a cause for celebration, in my previous experience, but I’m more than happy to count you among my family.”  There’s another hesitation, then a smile like the sun, bathing the world in its glow.  It’s an honest smile, Josuke feels, with honest relief behind it.  “Perhaps if it makes you feel better, in exchange you can teach me how to play video games.  It’s a simple matter to afford such things in my position, even if I don’t have as much time as I’d like for activities like that.”
         Josuke blinks, suddenly caught off guard.  “Wait, really?  Is it too late to join your gang, then?” 
         Giorno-kun throws his head back and laughs, and it’s suddenly obvious that despite how he holds himself, he is in fact a few years younger.  “You’re famiglia, and while I may not be able to visit you every year on your birthday, I can at the very least buy you presents!”  It might not exactly be the usual Japanese tradition, but he’ll take a GameCube over a meal at Tonio’s any day.