002 [video | CALL | un: ghostprince]

[shootaro]

[Shoes. Black and white sneakers a good distance away, sticking out of a large... box? The camera pans away to show to no one on the other end, just a comically large saw, and multiple, brightly-coloured blurs keep cutting in on either side of the image, before he turns the camera to show his decidedly unimpressed expression.

He seems to be lying flat on some sort of surface, just his arms and head out sticking out through holes in yet another box. There are strings tied in his hair which are tied to brightly-coloured balloons, dragging up awry locks of hair, swaying. An absurdly tiny, off-center sparkly party hat strapped to his head finishes the look.

City of Laughter, naturally.]

... you know. I was going to ask what makes a fun party, but I guess these two clowns thought I needed a demonstration and made me part of their act.

They've been gone for, like, fifteen minutes already.

I don't think they're coming back and all my pokeballs are inside this stupid box.

How do I get out?

Comments

[malignans]

[Trip's slip doesn't really tell Dio anything that he doesn't already know. It only serves to confirm that this it was without a doubt the mysterious "Arthur," who had approached Charlotte. He keeps far better control over his spike of anger this time, setting it aside to tell his tale. Or at least a modified version of it.]

I was born over 120 years ago. I was a human then, like you. I sought more for myself, and that was somewhat frowned upon in society back then. In the end, I was faced with a choice: either spend a short time rotting in a cell most likely dying from starvation if I was lucky, illness or exposure if I wasn't, or surviving with my freedom.

I chose freedom and became what I am, but you know well what I feed upon. There were plenty who weren't content with my continued survival. In the end, I spent a century trapped in a coffin at the bottom of the ocean. When I emerged, the descendants of the man who tried to destroy me began hunting me, but they didn't do so alone. They enlisted others they felt I wronged and feared my growing power when I acquired my Stand.

And that's really the heart of it. Their hatred of me is rooted in their fear. To humans, nothing is meant to live forever, and nothing is meant to surpass their place at the top of the food chain.

[shootaro]

... sounds unpleasant.

You made a very understandable choice. I think many people would, put in your position. Maybe even some of your enemies. Who would willingly want to die like that?

[He got the distinct impression they had more reasons to hate and fear him than just fear of what he was or how he became it, but hearing both sides might bring him closer to a full understanding.

Of course, he already knew Dio's telling would be more biased in his favour, but people typically seem themselves in the right in their own personal stories, don't they?]

... but, that's a terribly long time to hold a grudge, isn't it? What do they stand to gain from it? What would they lose by leaving you alone?

It doesn't sound very logical.