And here we are! Chapter 21! Lucky 21 people! And hell, since uploading chapter 20, I reached a 777 follower milestone! Good luck all around! Also, in wake of some very valid criticisms regarding it, I made sure that this chapter wasn't a behemoth like the previous ones.

Joseph Joestar: Hamon Hunter

"Aaaaand, there!" Joseph thought aloud as he easily set a 7ft tall music amp down in Beacon's ballroom.

'That takes care of that. Now that leaves the tables…' Joseph thought as he took a brief moment to admire his and Team RWBY's (Minus the B's) handiwork. For the most part, the ballroom that he and the rest of the Beacon first-years used for lodging their first night at the academy looked the same, but the inclusion of actual lighting, various balloons, curtains, fancy chairs set up against the wall, and of course, large music amps scattered through the spacious room made the location resemble the site for an upcoming celebration rather than a place of temporary lodging.

To put things into context for those unaware, Team RWBY had been assigned with the task of organizing the upcoming dance meant to mark the beginning of Vale's Vytal festival. It was normally a job for 2nd year students, like Team CVFY specifically, but since they still hadn't come back from that one assignment all those weeks ago, the job fell upon the all-girl first year team. Since they were short on hands because Blake was off brooding about god knows what and Ruby was forced into a slump because of said brooding, both Yang and Weiss approached Joseph hoping he could help with the preparations. Since he was such a nice and lovable guy, Joseph accepted, which was why he was spending his afternoon carting large equipment around and humoring Yang with her various ideas to make the dance more exciting.

As it turned out, Joseph was the perfect heavy-lifter for the job! Despite various bits of equipment, such as those speakers, being just as heavy as they looked, the broad member of the Joestar family was easily able to lift the device and cart them around with no problems. He might not be able to bench-press a fully-loaded box truck like Yang could when sufficiently agitated, but his muscles weren't just for show and all that hamon training only added to his strength. It might not hold a candle to Remnant's warriors, but Joseph took pride in the fact that his body was at it's physical peak and emboldened further by the supernatural benefits of his hamon. If nothing else, it made heavy lifting a cinch!

"Yo, JoJo!" However, just as Joseph picked up one of the large tables that were meant to be placed through the ballroom, easily balancing all four of the chairs on it as he did so, his focus was interrupted when he heard a familiar friendly voice addressing him. Looking towards the source of the voice, the brunette saw Sun and Neptune walking towards him, the former giving him a wave and friendly smile in greeting while the latter had his usual 'cool-guy' smile on his face, and like Sun, his posture warm and approachable.

"Hey hey! If it isn't my favorite dynamic duo in this whole joint! How're you guys doing?" Joseph greeted happily, giving Sun a high-five with his free hand as they got within arms length.

"Favorite duo, huh? Wow, that's high phrase when you take the whole 'buddy system' partner setup all four schools got going on." Neptune pointed out with amusement. "So, judging by the table and chairs you got precariously balanced with one hand, I'm guessing you're helping the girls set things up?"

"Bullseye! They needed an extra set of hands and I figured it was high-time to put these muscles of mine to good use! Anyway," As he said this, Joseph casually threw the table and it's chairs out of his hands without even looking at it. Both members of Team SSSN's eyes widened in alarm, but were surprised when somehow, all of the furniture Joseph threw managed to land their legs and arranged themselves in a proper manner. "How 'bout a seat?" He offered, gesturing towards the now set-up table.

"Sick moves man! How do you manage to do crap like that without a second thought?" Sun asked in an excitable tone, not hesitating to take up Joseph's offer and sitting down, Neptune following a moment after.

"Ehhhh, it just comes with being me is all~." Joseph gushed, a dopey, pleased expression on his face due to hearing praise come his way before he took a seat as well, throwing manners to the wind as he leaned back into his chair and threw his feet up onto the table.

"Heh, lucky bastard. Some of us here actually have to put some work into looking cool." Neptune chuckled as he leaned back into his chair, the joking tone in his voice making it clear he put no weight behind his words.

"Oi oi! You shouldn't go off making assumptions like that, Neptune! I'll have you know I put a lot of thought and work into making my own style and flair work! I'm very particular about the air and style I exude!" Joseph protested indignantly, crossing his arms as he did so. One of the few things that truly riled Joseph up was his style not getting the respect it deserved, although to not nearly as destructive degree when compared to Yang and her own hair trigger (har har.)

"No arguments there." Neptune conceded, both he and Sun having seen the many extravagant outfits Joseph had donned since the two of them met him. "So, since you're helping the girls out with preparations, I'm guessing you're looking forward to the dance, huh? IIIIIII still gotta make sure this flea-brain doesn't completely humiliate himself and wear something stupid when the big night rolls around."

"Hey, is it really that bad that I don't wanna saunter in here wearing a stupid-looking dicky, tacky-as-hell suit and freaking bowtie? I'd be wearing a literal freaking monkey-suit! Plus, it's an insult to my roots! I was born and raised in Vacuo and I'm proud of it dammit!" Sun protested indignantly.

"All I'm hearing are a bunch of excuses… although yeah, I will not deny you'd look stupid as hell dressed up like that." Neptune conceded, admittedly unable to picture his partner dressed up in a spic and span suit with bowtie. He'd definitely have to make some compromises while making sure his partner looked presentable for tomorrow night.

"Seems like you fellas have been putting a lot of thought into all this 'ballroom dance' crap, haven't ya?" Joseph couldn't help but note as he watched the two's banter, leaning on his hand.

"I guess, I mean… the whole 'ballroom dancing' theme is kinda lame, but uh… there are some things I'm kinda looking forward to." It didn't take an expert in reading people like Joseph was to catch the bashfulness in Sun's voice or where it stemmed from. "But what about you? Woulda figured you'd be a bit more into it with how you're helping the girls and all."

"Not really. I was never much of an attentive schoolboy back home, and get-togethers like these never appealed either. They were mind-crushingly proper there and they're mind-crushingly proper here. Only real reason I'm going is cause I get the feeling the girls wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I didn't, y'know, since they're kinda the ones setting everything up." Joseph explained casually before a cheeky began to creep onto his face. "Welllll, that and it'd be nice to see so many cute girls all dressed up~. I can see a few in particular really standing out in some fancy evening wear."

"It's the saving grace of any big prom like this, isn't it?" Neptune chuckled in agreement, he and Joseph bonding without another word being said over this particular matter. Sun had to admit, the sudden kinship the two displayed on this subject kinda left him feeling a bit left out, especially since he didn't really share their enthusiasm in that particular regard.

" I uh… I guess I'm kinda looking forward to seeing Blake all dressed up, I mean… if she turns up tomorrow. Which reminds me. Do you think she's gonna turn up tomorrow?" Sun asked after a moment's hesitation. "...I mean, when we checked in with the girls, she was apparently still acting all… 'Blakey' the last time they checked in with her, but Yang seemed pretty certain that she's gonna show. You've known the girls longer than either of us, so what do you think?"

"Considering the type of girl Yang is, I'm gonna be more shocked if she ain't gonna be there now. Hell, I'm half-way expecting her to drag her in here tomorrow night all chained up." Joseph answered with confidence before eying Sun with a knowing expression. "But why would you be so interested in this kinda stuff, huuuh? Is it maybe cause you wanna be a gentleman that would make my grandad proud and ask her to accompany you to this little occasion? Well, is that it~?"

"I-! Well I uh-!... I guess if she wasn't against it or anything, then I guess it'd make this whole dance seem a lot less lame. So I guess." Sun stammered out, trying and failing to put up an air of cool nonchalance in wake of a series of questions that hit far too close to home. In response to this, Joseph's gaze took on the same knowing, half-lidded look he had whenever he tried to see if Speedwagon and Granny Erina's relationship was purely platonic.

"Well, if that is the case, and if she isn't in one of her prissy little moods, then I'd say your chances look pretty good, Sunny D." Joseph assured his friend, deciding to be merciful and spare him any further teasing.

"Wait, really? You really think so?" Sun couldn't help but ask, perking up in wake of the Joestar's words.

"Sure! Out of all the guys I've seen her talk to, she seems to really enjoy having you around as her buddy. Seems to me that if she was gonna go to this dance with any guy she knows, then you'd be candidate #1. I'd say you're a shoo-in for getting the girl, buddy!" Joseph assured the earnest monkey faunus. However, just as those words began to sink in for sun, the former's friendly grin turned to a teasing smirk. "...That is if she even plays for that team of course. Or any of those RWBY girls, for that matter."

That choice statement certainly took Team SSSN's dynamic duo by surprise.

"Wh-wh-WHAT!?" Sun couldn't help but exclaim, mortification and a dark red blush becoming clear to see on his face before he remembered that three people who really shouldn't hear this were nearby and that he should control his voice. "I-I *Ahem* Did I… really hear you say that just now Joseph…?"

"Come on now, Sunny D, don't act so surprised by this!" Joseph answered smoothly, that teasing, half-lidded expression never leaving his face. "Now I'm certainly not saying this is a fact, but it's certainly one hell of a possibility, I mean just look at em!"

As he said this, Joseph took Sun by the shoulder and directed his gaze towards the three present members of Team RWBY. Weiss and Yang appeared to be arguing about something while Ruby was just slumped on one of the tables and looked rather sullent. Either way, the three girls were completely oblivious to the scandalous conversation they were now at the center of. He didn't need to do this for Neptune since he'd been stunned into silence by what he was hearing, being the man that he is and all, every confident word the Joestar spoke ringing clear in his head. "What we're looking at right now are three members of a team composed entirely of young, beautiful exotic girls, each one a real knockout beauty in their own right. What's more, the four of them have all been living in the same room and getting really close with each other for nearly a year now."

"Who knows what kinda crazy stuff late teens like them have been getting up to behind closed doors~! What could've started out as some harmless curiosity and experimentation could've turned into something way more personal than any of them could've seen coming! If that really is the case, then… well, I'd have to say that poor guys like us would be shit outta luck, Sunny. At that point, the only people those girls would accept as lovers would be one another, maybe even all at the same time." And with that melodramatic sigh of angst, Joseph sat back down, leaving Sun standing there gormlessly.

"I… I uh-!" Was all Sun could hopelessly stammer out, his flush on his face only growing deeper and deeper with each passing second.

"Yeah, okay. Tell me more." Neptune, on the other hand, had been hanging on every word Joseph said. This, combined with the boggle-eyed look on Sun's face was too much for Joseph to handle. Any veneer of knowing confidence he put up shattered when he burst out laughing at the two's very different reactions to all the shit he was spewing.

"You fellas do realize I'm just messing with the both of you, right? I mean, I know I have a way with words and all, but come on!" Joseph laughed, finding the looks on the two's faces to be utterly priceless. "Whatever the hell those girls do behind closed doors is beyond me. I was just saying all that junk to get a rise out of you two!"

"...You got a very demented sense of humor, you know that, right?" Sun couldn't help but sigh, suddenly feeling very mentally numb.

"Sheesh, and you made all that stuff up on the fly? If nothing else, I definitely gotta salute your quick thinking and quick tongue man." Neptune admitted before standing up and stretching slightly. "Anyway, I gotta go and make sure this walking fashion disaster doesn't look like an ass tomorrow night. Seeya then, man."

"You're still on about that!?" Sun groaned in annoyance, only to get no response from the withdrawing Neptune. "Am I freaking crazy here!? I know I'm not a goddamn fashion model, but I like to think my current setup isn't some punishment for human and faunus eyes!" He exclaimed in frustration, looking to Joseph for some kind of assurance that he wasn't completely wrong on this.

"Personally, I'm a guy that prefers some flair in his wardrobe, but I like how you rock and own your current look. As long as you wear it with pride and confidence, your whole 'ab-flaunting stud' vibe will look good on you." The Joestar pointed out, giving his own 2 cents on the whole matter.

"Thank you! Fuck!" Sun was halfway tempted to point out the Joseph also flaunted his midriff in a similar manner to the way he showed off his guns, but held his tongue. He was frankly just glad to hear one person agree with him on this. "Anyway, you need any help moving this stuff around and all?"

"Nah, these beefy muscles of mine are more than enough to handle it. If anything, you should probably go and do some damage control regarding Sea Man's dance outfit for you." Joseph assured Sun, patting his right bicep as he said this.

"PFFFT-! Uh, yeah, good idea, I'll make sure he doesn't screw anything up." Sun was barely able to contain his laughter in wake of such a poor nickname for Neptune. He'd definitely have to write that down somewhere. It'd be the perfect way to rib his partner. "Good talk JoJo!"

With his two conversation buddies now gone, Joseph took a moment to get up and stretch briefly before approaching Team RWBY.

"Alright ladies. You probably already noticed, but I put those speakers and tables where you wanted em'." Joseph explained casually, getting the girls' attention as he did so. "Anything else you need me to do?"

"Well, that's all the really heavy lifting out of the way. If you wanna stick around to help us set a couple of other things up, then you're welcome to it." Yang offered with a smile.

"Wellll, since I don't exactly got anything better to do, I suppose I can be a gentleman and still help you ladies out." Joseph offered in his usual backhanded tone.

"Fantastic." Was Weiss's response, rolling her eyes at the Joestar's usual abrasive behavior while Yang gave him an affirmative pat on one of his broad shoulders. "Good to have you aboard!"

"Yaaaaay… thanks for the help JoJo…" However, while Weiss and Yang's reactions to Joseph's usual brand of abrasive behavior was to be expected, Ruby's response was far more noticeable in that her words sounded utterly devoid of passion while she sat with her head resting lethargically against the table they were situated near.

"Sheesh, what's up with this sad sack?" Joseph couldn't help but ask, eyeing the sullen girl with a raised eyebrow. "Weissy's miserable reaction I kinda expected, but what's your excuse for suddenly sounding so broody Rubes?"

"She's acting miserable 'like me' because of Blake's stubbornly aloof behavior." Weiss explained, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Yeah, we were kinda hoping we could use this dance to make Blake take a break from all that business with Torchwick and the White Fang, but she's being pretty stubborn about it." Yang sighed before giving her sister an admonishing look. "And he has a point, stop being so miserable about this. I told you I'm gonna go talk some sense into her after we finish things up over here."

"I know… but is she even gonna listen? You saw how she acted the other night. Blake's on a crash-course and she doesn't even care…" Ruby groaned, not even bothering to try and be optimistic.

*Zap!*

While Yang and Weiss both felt some measure of exasperation and frustration with their leader's stubborn refusal to cheer up, all three of them were taken by surprise when Joseph suddenly leaped forward and booped Ruby on the nose, sending a mild surge of hamon through her face.

"You're it!" Joseph laughed, backing away with a cheeky grin and his hamon radiating from his fingers.

"H-Hey! That tickled!" Ruby stammered out, covering her nose and mouth as she sat up, although that was mostly to hide the growing grin on her face that she was struggling to repress. Unfortunately, judging by how the cheeky expression on Joseph didn't fade in the slightest, he knew that he'd gotten a rise out of her.

"Ohhh? Seems like you're not as gloomy as you'd like to be~!"

"N-Nope! Still totally upset right now!" The silver-eyed girl denied feebly, causing Joseph to let out an annoyed huff at the girl's stubbornness.

'Guess stubborness is a reoccuring theme with these girls. Fine then, I guess I'll just have to up my game!' Scoff turning to a cocky smirk, Joseph opted to implement his next tactic, one that was sure to turn Ruby's frown upside down! And if that didn't work, then the trickster could always rely on his other secret technique: Making funny faces!

With methods like these, he'd definitely make a great parent somewhere down the line.

And so, with the utmost confidence, Joseph suddenly placed both his index fingers on the corners of Ruby's mouth. Before anyone present could question what the hell he was doing, the muscular brunette pushed both of his fingers upward, giving the baffled girl a biiiiiiiiiig and wide smile!

"Really now? Cause that big, wide grin on that little mug of yours says otherwise!" Joseph continued to prod, a goofy, confident grin on his own face. Despite his strange methods, or rather because of them, Ruby began to feel it. That unstoppable feeling of elation and desire to laugh one feels when someone successfully manages to rouse you out of a poor mood you stubbornly wished to remain in. Yang, on the other hand, was way ahead of Ruby and couldn't help but laugh at the antics in front of her. Even Weiss couldn't stop the amusement on her face from showing.

"He has you there, sis. You seem a lot cheerier now." That simple observation was the straw that broke the camel's back, causing Ruby to collapse into the table and start laughing uncontrollably. "Yup. Definitely a lot cheerier~."

"Hahahahaha! Ohhh… alright, I'll admit that I kinda needed that." Ruby finally admitted when her laughter petered out into breathless demeanor took a considerable improvement compared to how she was a few moments ago, looking far more relaxed and content. "Maybe I am stressing out about this too much."

"You got that right! Trust me sis, Blake will be at that dance, I'm gonna make sure of it." Yang assured her little sister, her tone conveying utmost confidence. "Alright, so what else do we need doing…?"

"Well, since the two of you wouldn't know fine detail if it slapped you in the face, I'm personally going to have to consult one of the teachers on which of these is better…" Weiss answered, taking a moment to examine the two serviettes she was unable to decide on. "Perhaps Ms. Goodwitch could provide an insightful answer…"

"You're still on about that?" Yang groaned, giving her teammate a deadpan stare that just screamed 'really?' while the heiress merely gave her a defiant glare.

"What? You need help deciding on something Weissy? Why don't you just ask me?" Joseph offered, not seeing what the big deal was.

"Yes, well Joseph, I'm afraid I already asked Ruby the same question, her answer was less than stellar, so I don't really have high hopes for you in this regard." She declined as politely as she could, only to get a look of utter indignance from the Joestar.

"You kidding me Weissy!? You even know what you're saying and who you're saying it to!? Hell, with all the digging you and Blakey did on me and my family in these parts, I would've thought I'd be the first person you'd come to on this!" Joseph exclaimed comically, causing the three girls to look at him with raised brows, silently imploring him to continue. "I'll have you know that just like in this world, I come from a family of fancy and hoighty-toighty nobles that knew everything there is to know about proper etiquette!"

"Are… Uh… are you being for real here, JoJo?" Yang couldn't help but ask, everything about the young man in front of her contrasting drastically with the picture he was setting up.

"I couldn't be more honest here if I tried! Why, my granny Erina never would stop gushing about how much of a gentle, kind, and chivalrous man my grandpa Jonathan was whenever I asked about him. She always described him as the perfect gentleman and how getting married to him was the happiest day of her entire life!" The trickster explained passionately. "With that in mind, it stands to reason that I'm the perfect guy for this question of yours! Not only do I come from a family of prim and proper nobles, but my gramps was the text-book definition of the perfect gentleman! Gentlemanly genes are running through my veins here! Whatever your question is, I'll be able to answer it without even trying! It'll come to me just like breathing!"

That last statement was ironic for a variety of reasons, especially considering the exact context of what Joseph was saying here. In response to all this, Weiss gave Joseph a scrutinize look over for any signs of dishonesty, and when it seemed clear that he was (somehow) being earnest in his statement, held the two serviettes in front of him.

"Alright… then tell me. Between these two serviettes, which one would you prefer?" In response to this question, Joseph leaned forward and gave the two napkins the same scrutinizing look the heiress gave him barely a moment ago, scanning the both of them intensely to see which was the superior face-clean/nose-blower.

.

.

.

.

.

.

And after a moment that felt like an hour to his female friends, Joseph finally had an answer.

"...-! You insidious bastard! I see through this trick question of yours! A gentleman like myself could tell from a mile away those those freakin' napkins look exactly the same!" This confident, heated exclamation just caused Weiss to look at him with a deadpan expression whereas Ruby and Yang looked as though they were about to burst into laughter once again.

"...Why do I even bother?" Weiss groaned after a moment, slapping her palm into her face.

"Well Weiss, looks like I was right about them looking the same, and this is backed up by the biggest gentleman I've ever met!" Ruby boasted victoriously, only furthering the white-haired girl's annoyance.

"Alright, how about instead of trying to spot the difference in napkins, you help me set up the fog machines?" It was at this point that Yang decided to intervene. And before Joseph could even fathom a response, the blond brawler dragged him off to the ballroom's supply closet.

"Don't forget! If I can't have doilies, you can't have your fog machines!" Weiss called after them indignantly.

"Sorry, can't hear you~!" Yang said in a sing-song voice.

"...Still not really sure whether watching you girls set this whole shindig up is like watching water mixing with oil or lava…" Joseph couldn't help but note dryly as he and the boisterous blonde reached the door to the closet.

"Hey, if we managed to set everything up so far, then we gotta be doing something right!" Yang retorted easily as she and Joseph began to search about the dusty closet for the fog machines. "Anyway, you got any plans for the dance? Me and the girls have been stressing out about Blake and the preparations so much that I haven't really heard what's what with anyone else."

"Aside from just being there and looking amazing? Nothing in particular." Joseph admitted with a nonchalant shrug. "My game plan was just dressing up, looking good, and having all the beauties present glue their eyes on me."

"You and me both! I'm gonna be turning heads once every lays eyes on me tomorrow night!" Yang boasted in a similarly prideful tone. However, knowing that she had an opportunity on her hands, she continued, glancing towards the distracted Joestar with a small smile and equally small blush. "That being said, if some sort of bold and handsome guy came up to me and requested my attention for the rest of the night, then I might be inclined to do just that. Kinda got a thing for confident men."

"Huh?" Joseph began, ceasing his search and looking back towards his company. "Did I hear you right just now Yangy? Cause it sounded an awful lot like you were flirting with me just now! Hell, should I be inclined to believe that little statement of yours was your way of asking me out? Huuuuh? Did I hit the nail on the head here~?"

"Maybe, maybe not~. Just thought you'd be interested in knowing is all." Yang answered flippantly before noticing one of the fog machines she was looking for. Smiling in satisfaction, Yang grabbed onto the machine and began to hoist it up. However, before she could properly finish, she was taken by surprise when Joseph, preceding this action with an 'allow me~!', hoisted the machine out of her hands with a single muscular arm before plopping it onto one of her shoulders. When she got a clear look at him, the blonde brawler saw that the Joestar had already found the other fog machine and had it hoisted over his other shoulder.

Maybe he had gentleman genes afterall… (1)

"Hm! Well when you put it like that, I guess I'll have to keep this info in mind! As appealing as having ladies fawn and fight over me all night is, getting to spend the night with a knockout beauty like you sounds a lot better~!" Joseph said cheekily, hoisting the machine over his shoulder and walking out of the closet. In response to all this, Yang couldn't help but smile in contentment, her small blush beginning to grow before following after Joseph.

"Alright, don't go placing those things anywhere! We need them placed somewhere that's out of sight but still has a clear shot of the ballroom!"

***O***

(Several hours later.)

"...So uh… not that I'm doubting your skill or anything, but are you sure you'll be able to make me some nice and snazzy outfit for this shindig I'm going to tomorrow? Now I'm not the clothing expert here and all, but I'm pretty sure designing and creating a brand new set of clothes takes a little while." After another hour or so of helping Team RWBY put the final touches on the ballroom and just enjoying the all-girl team's company, Joseph eventually found himself back within his temporary home, and was currently stepping out of his dorm room's bathroom, having just finished taking a shower, his tan, muscular body only considered barely decent thanks to the set of boxers he was wearing and was talking on his scroll to Rohan.

In wake of all the dance preparations, Joseph realized that for all his fawning over his own style and the pride he took in his fashion, he realized that none of the clothes that were currently in his possession really suited a mandatorily classy occasion like this. With that in mind, the Joestar was currently in the process of working out a transaction between the best (and only) clothes designer he knew, Rohan.

"Joseph… I can create entire comic panels by throwing ink onto paper with a pen. So long as you allow me to 「read through your memories,」 as per our agreement, then I assure you one of my best custom-made outfits will be ready for you within the hour." When it was all worded like that, Joseph had to admit he felt a bit dumb asking a question like that.

"Alright smartass you made your point. You're the very best at what you do." Joseph grumbled, flopping down onto his handmade, emperor-sized bed's comfortable and cool sheets. "That being said, there kinda is something that you should know about. You remember Yang, right?"

"Oh yes, I remember her quite well. She only punched me so hard that the subsequent launch impact broke my desk in twine like a dry twig." Rohan answered in a completely casual and nonchalant tone. "Not that I'm holding a grudge or anything."

'Yeah, she did all that after you tried to forcefully steal my memories after turning me into a fucking book. You familiar with 'selective memory' buddy?' Joseph was half-way tempted to say this out loud, but decided against it. "Yeaaah, the very same. Anyway, she gave me reason to believe that I could run into some serious trouble if I go into town as of late, so if you wanna read through my life experiences and all then, then you're gonna have to come here. Uh… sorry if that's kinda inconvenient for you and all."

"Not a problem. There have been many occasions during my past travels where I've seen something that's given me an amazing burst of inspiration, whether it be for my business or passion, and forced me to use the resources at my disposal to take notes. Why once, I even resorted to cutting out notes into my arms when I saw something truly breathtaking that I was unfortunately guaranteed to forget a moment after." The calm, mundane tone in Rohan's voice contrasted greatly with the horrific act of self-mutilation he just described.

"JESUS CHRIST! How go on about doing something so grisly to yourself like you're telling me how you like your coffee!?" Joseph exclaimed, having always had a bit of a weak spot when it came to nasty and gorey things. He really hated the fact that even after all this time, there were still occasions where he woke up in a cold sweat due to night terrors about cutting off Stroheim's leg.

"You say that like I was ripping out fingernails. I was merely using a knife to make some shallow notes when I had no other option." Once again, the casuality in Rohan's tone contrasted greatly with his words.

"Stop talking about nasty shit like that, alright!? I can't handle gorey shit like that! Look, just stop by here tomorrow so you can get your first-hand account of my ordeals. I'll meet you at the airway, alright?" Joseph groaned, rubbing his forehead as he tried to mentally prep in advance for tomorrow. Here he was prepping himself for hanging out with this eccentric among eccentrics tomorrow while half the other chucklefucks in this dump were getting grey hairs over who goes with who. Dumbasses probably didn't have to deal with a quarter of the shit he dealt with!

"Of course. While seeing just how far your peeve of gore goes, I suppose I can just get more honesty in that regard when I see you tomorrow. Until then, have a nice night."

"Yeah, sure… you too pal." It was a bit weird, hearing such a simple sentiment from Rohan of all people, especially after coming after that previous statement, but it was appreciated nonetheless. The comic enthusiast was an eccentric among eccentrics, that much was obvious, but Joseph could tell he wasn't a bad guy.

"Urgh… anyway, now that I got some me-time on my hands, I think I'll take this time to kick back and enjoy myself~!" Now that he was clean, clad in nothing but a loose set of boxers, and gotten all preparations for the dance out of the way, Joseph was looking forward to just lazing in bed for the rest of the day reading comics and listening to the music on his scroll. The natural curiosity that all members of the Joestar family possessed still shined bright within Joseph, but that didn't mean the young trickster didn't value his calm and relaxing freetime! Honestly, out of all Joestars there have been and all that would've come had he not been forced to Remnant, Joseph was easily the most lazy of his bloodline.

*Knock knock knock!*

Of course, it was just when he found that sweet spot on his bed(s) that someone knocked on the door.

"Rrrrgh! Right when I call it quits for today, I get some asshat bugging me!" Joseph groaned in annoyance. It figured that he'd get someone interrupting him right when he found that perfect state of bedside zen when you're utterly content in all your facilities. The kind that never lasts when you experience it trying to get some sleep.

"Alright, alright, I hear you! This better be freaking good…" Not even bothering to put some pants on, Joseph hopped out of bed with an annoyed groan and opened the door.

"Uh… hey man." "Hello Joseph."

Only to be greeted with the sight of Jaune arc standing in front of his door with a pleading expression on his face, holding Ren by his forearm while he was in a similar state of undress to Joseph, clad only in a towel wrapped around his waist.

"...You uh… you need something from me, man?"

"Right! So uh… I need to borrow you for a few minutes." Jaune began awkwardly, which was to be expected when you were standing in front of a muscular, half-naked young man while dragging around another half-naked boy. "Hm? How do ya-OH SHIT!" Joseph was taken by utter surprise when he grabbed his forearm with his free hand and, using strength that he didn't think the scraggly blonde possessed, easily dashed off with the half-naked Joestar and duel gunman in tow.

***O***

The situation Joseph found himself in now, especially when compared to the relaxed solitude of his dorm room, could best be described as oppressively awkward.

That was the only way to properly describe three young men, two of which only having a loose article on their person to cover their unmentionables, sitting on the edge of a bed while the single appropriately clothed boy among them looked ready to do some soul searching.

...It also didn't help that Nora and Pyrrha were both present within the room and occasionally snuck glances at the two near-naked young men in what they assumed was a discreet manner ('I see you two pervy girls sneaking peeks at me and Renny!' Joseph thought.)

So yes, altogether quite awkward indeed...

"Ren… Joseph… I'm just gonna say it. You guys are two of my best friends." Jaune sighed, his statement causing Joseph to look at him with wide eyes while Ren didn't make any movements, his expression one of uncomfortable neutrality. "I feel like I've really bonded with each of you these past months! I mean, Joseph, even after getting so angry about it, you were still willing to tell us about how you ended up here and I'm always gonna be grateful for how you went out of the way to help me with Cardin! And Ren!... okay, well granted, by comparison, I don't really know much about you personally. I mean, you're really quiet, a-and don't really talk much when we hang out but darnit, I consider the both of you to be the brothers I never had!"

"...And I you." Ren assured Jaune with a smile, but still looked incredibly comfortable about his state of undress, and began to slowly inch towards his usual outfit hanging by the door.

"...So that's what you went out of the way to tell the two of us. Ah Jesus, as an only child, all this family talk is getting me all emotional! C'mere, bros!" And just before poor Ren got within groping distance of his outfit, Joseph pulled both him and Jaune into a headlock-like hug, eyes closed and a big, pleased smile on his face.

"W-Well, uh! Glad to hear you… Hurhg… feel the same!" Jaune gasped out as Joseph's vice-like grip made it rather difficult to breath properly. When the scraggly swordsman managed to pry and loosen up the Joestar's grip, he continued. "I mean granted, I wasn't an only child, I grew up with seven older sisters, which was... equal parts enlightening and traumatic, BUT I NEVER HAD A BROTHER BEFORE! So hearing that kind of affirmation from the both of you means a lot to me."

Despite Jaune previous passionate statement, the certainty in his demeanor dribbled away in no time with what he had to say next. "Anyway, with all this in mind… I was… kinda hoping either of you could…. I mean…. I don't know… how to… girls…" Just as the two realized what this was all about, Jaune found what he had to say next… although Ren would sincerely wish he didn't. "I-I guess what I'm asking is... Well, how did you and Nora... y'know...?"

"I… I uh… uh… uh…" It was at this point in during Ren's uncharacteristic mumbling that Nora decided to speak up, laughing nervously as she did so.

"We're actually not… together-together."

"NORA I SAID HEADPHONES ON!"

"Oop!" Without a word, Nora quickly placed her headphones back on her ears, allowing the three to continue their conversation.

"Jaune… what is this all about?" Ren asked, getting to the heart of this matter. The swordsman looked hesitant for a moment, but realized that he at least owed the two an explanation for dragging them off like this, so with a sigh, he began to speak.

"It's… it's Weiss. I'm completely head-over-heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing?" Jaune looked as though he had more to say, but was cut off by Joseph, who looked rather incredulous.

"Wait, she sings? When the hell did was this a properly established thing!? First I ever heard about it!"

"That's… kinda besides the point here, Joseph. Anyway, do either of you have any kind of advice for me? I'm… really starved for good advice here."

"So… you essentially got girl woes. And you dragged me and Renny here while we were both half-naked so you could get some proper guidance on this whole issue, right?" Joseph reiterated, a surprisingly calm and analytical expression on his face. It as the same expression he had when he was about to set one of his traps into motion during a fight. However, it was soon replaced with an infuriatingly cocky and knowing smirk that seemed to be his default expression at times. "Sit this one out Renny. I got every angle of this situation covered."

"I planned on doing that from the very beginning, Joseph." Was Ren's dutiful response, not about to start complaining that he didn't have to contribute verbally to this impending train wreck. Either ignoring or not noticing the purple-eyed boy's deadpan sarcasm, Joseph put a beefy arm around Jaune's rather scrawny frame, his posture confident and knowing.

"Now Jauney, I just wanna start off by saying that you made the best possible choice by coming to your big bro Joseph for girl advice. Mark my words, you listen to everything I tell you and act upon it when that shindig comes around, and Weissy, along with a crap-ton of other girls are gonna be clambering and getting into cat-fights over you." Jaune honestly shouldn't have put that much faith into his words at that moment, considering who he was talking to and his all-too clear to see… eccentricities, but goddammit, the confidence, reassurance and certainty in Joseph's tone made budding swordsman wanna truly believe every word he was saying to him. "Just make sure you don't hog all the girls to yourself, alright? Save some of em' for me~."

"O-Of course! I wouldn't dream of doing that!" It wasn't like Jaune was looking for something like a bunch of girls crushing on him or something stupid like all of his female friends agreeing to get into some gigantic polyamorous relationship with him, he had very realistic, if a tad idealistic, view on his love life, it was just that the hope Joseph's words gave him made him want to agree and abide to whatever he told him.

"Good! You got a good heart, Jauney boy, one that's as good as gold. Now then, tell me if you've heard this one before: The key to getting a girl to go all starry-eyed for you is to be confident, riiiiight~?"

"Y-Yeah, that's kind of what my dad told me, but uh… it didn't go so well when I put it into practice." Jaune explained, scratching the back of his head.

"That's cuz your old man didn't know the real meaning behind those words! The way he worded it is like the equivalent to drinking from a bottle of coke by smashing the bottom of the bottle open and chugging it all down, or sleeping between a mattress frame and the freaking mattress. It kinda works, but not really!" Joseph explained with a passionate tone in his voice.

"A-Alright… so what do I need to do then? What's the correct meaning behind those words?"

What you need to do is find a way to stand out! Become unique from the rest of the crowd!" Despite the certainty in Joseph's voice, Jaune still couldn't help but feel confused when he heard this.

"I uh… I don't really follow. How is this related to being confident again?"

"It's like this Jauney. Do you know why I'm so confident? Why everything I do, nearly every choice I've ever made has been made without a single regret?"

"...Okay, why?"

"It's because my I rock my own personal style and wear it with pride. I own it and master it! I'm completely comfortable with myself and everything I do." Joseph explained haughtily, eyes closing before he placed a hand on his puffed out bare chest. "In essence, I'm comfortable in my own skin, something that uh… let's not mince words here, something you seriously need to work on."

"So… you're saying that I should start looking for some kind of personal style… one that I'm completely comfortable and confident in?" Jaune summed up, taking a moment to think over Joseph's advice as he said it.

"You're goddamn right I am! But uh… let's be real here, I don't exactly see you swaggering up to Weissy with some slick, new style that you're completely comfortable in and instantly charming within a few hours." Joseph exclaimed, hoping up from the bed as he did so before he pettered off briefly. "Anyway, since we're on a tight schedule and all, I'm going to provide you with another nugget of wisdom about why I'm so freaking amazing."

'I… I'm beginning to think this wasn't a good idea.' That being said, he was already in balls deep, and Joseph was going out of the way to give him this advice, so he should at least hear it to the until before jumping to conclusions. "Right, and what-what do I do then?"

"You CAN'T half-ass things from here on out! Another reason why I'm so confident is that I don't second-guess my decisions and I never, under any goddamn circumstances half-ass my actions. Everything I do, whenever my life's on the line or I got a goal that I need to accomplish, I give it 100 percent and an extra 100 while I'm at it!" As he made this admittedly inspiring declaration, Joseph, caught up in the head of the moment, hopped up from the bed and struck his iconic 'arms behind head' pose.

"Why walk when you can RUN!? Why sit when you can STAND!? Hell, why even stand when you can go and STRIKE A POSE!?"

As you could likely imagine, the sight of Joseph Joestar's muscular, half-naked form performing one of his extravagant and revealing poses garnered a variety of reactions from Team JNPR.

Jaune was caught between severe inadequacy at the sight of Joseph flaunting his body around and utter bafflement.

Ren currently had both his hands on his face, rubbing his temples as overwhelming exasperation began to set in.

"J...JoJo… is a demonstration like this… really necessary…!?" Was all Pyrrha could manage to say as she covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide, her face gaining a very dark red complexion, and blood slowly starting to leak out between her fingers. (2)

"Weren't you listening to a word I said, Pyrrha!? When I got a goal in mind, I don't half-ass things!"

"WOOOOOO! TAKE-IT-OFF! TAKE-IT-OFF! YOU TOO REN, JUST RIP THAT TOWEL OFF~!" By comparison, Nora seemed far more composed as she whooped gleefully and threw lien at the Joestar like he was a male stripper.

"Nora, I'm not taking my towel off." Was all Ren had to say, although his response was a tad muffled since he was slumped over and both his hands were pressed into his face.

"...Anyway, you see what I'm trying to tell you here, right man?"

"Y-Yeah, I think I get the basic idea of what you're trying to say… In fact, when it comes to standing out, I mig-! Actually never mind!" In response to the way he suddenly cut himself off like that, Joseph, gave Jaune a questioning gaze.

"And what the hell was that just now?" The way Jaune squirmed in response to this question only increased Joseph's curiosity.

"I uh… Something came to mind, but the moment it sunk in, I realized just how horrible it really was." The swordsman explained half-hearted, unable to look Joseph in the face just now. Which was a good thing since his questioning gaze quickly turned to an indignant one in response to Jaune's indecisiveness and timidness.

"What the hell did I just rant about regarding 2nd guessing yourself and your choices?" The Joestar demanded accusingly.

"N-No, Joseph, listen. What I just thought of was awful in every sense of the word and just came to me without really thinking. I can't-"

"Hey now, I don't wanna be hearing these shitty excuses of yours, you got me!? You're never go know if something will work out for you unless you man up, screw your balls on, say 'now or never' and give it, whatever 'it' is, a go in amid that ballroom crowd, you got me!?"

"Okay, Okay! God!" Jaune exclaimed, putting up his hands in surrender before sighing. "Look, I see your points Joseph, and y'know what? You're right. You're completely right. I'm gonna go man up, find Weiss, be sincere with her with no gimmicks, and just ask her out. And if that doesn't work, I will… do that thing I got in mind for the dance." This affirmation caused a far more relaxed and pleased smile to grace Joseph's face.

"Now that's more like it! Exactly what I wanna hear from one of my bros." Joseph said, a pleased smile on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And take it from someone who knows. You might, juuuuuust might, have more admirers than you'd think."

This seemingly innocent statement caused Pyrrha's eyes to widen once more. Only whereas the previous case was in an instance of utter shock and arousal, this was more due to utter horror about where the trickster was going with this.

"R… Really? You really think so? I… I mean… if you're not just messing around with me… who?" Jaune couldn't help but ask, his dark blue eyes lighting up at this idealistic prospect.

"Welllll…. If you really wanna know, every now and again during classes, I keep seeing this one girl sending you these faraway glances like you're her knight in shining armor. You'd probably recognize her cause she has this really nice head of re-"

"Y'KNOW JOJO, WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT JAUNE SO MUCH THAT I DON'T THINK I RECALL HEARING ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR THE DANCE. CARE TO ELABORATE?" Pyrrha interjected as loudly as possible before Joseph could finish the final syllable of that damning sentence, hastily wiping the dried blood off her face as she did so. In response to this loud inquiry, Joseph gave the flustered red-head an infuriatingly casual and friendly smile before answering.

"Me? I was initially just gonna saunter into that ballroom and let all the girls present fight over me, but after today, I might just be spending tomorrow night with a certain cute little blonde I know~."

Whereas the other members of Team JNPR, even Nora, caught onto who Joseph was referring to rather quickly, Jaune… well… Jaune kinda...

"W...Wait? Blonde hair? Uh… Joseph? When you said I had admirers, you weren't talking about…?"

...he misinterpreted his words.

"W-WHAT!? NO YOU NARCISSISTIC DUMBASS! I am 100 percent straight!" The muscular trickster yelled indignantly. "Okay, y'know what? I think I've dealt with more than enough 'brotherly bonding today' to last me a lifetime now, so I'm gonna go back to my room and relax."

And with an annoyed grunt, Joseph made his way to the door, completely unfazed at the prospect of any passers by on the way back to his room seeing him in his unmentionables. However, as he put his hand on the nob, he looked back towards Jaune with a piercing gaze.

"Remember what I told you and make sure you put it to good use, got it? I don't give out nuggets of wisdom like these like they're free napkins."

"G-Got it! I won't! And thanks Joseph, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me this… and I'm… sorry for assuming certain things…" The last part of the statement was a strained, uncomfortable affair, and despite his previous irritation, Joseph couldn't help but give an amused smile.

"Anytime and you should be." And with that said, Joseph made his exit, leaving Team JNPR to wallow in the air of that incredibly strange conversation.

"Alright! Whatever I do! I gotta be completely sure of myself! No second guessing and no half-assing!" The blonde young man began to think aloud, prepping himself to man up and ask Weiss out proper.

...Of course, what Jaune wasn't aware of was that he wasn't the only one that was taking the time to contemplate Joseph's advice.

"Don't second guess and don't do things by half…?" As she listened in on the entire conversation between the three boys, Pyrrha had initially planned to just grit her teeth and tell her crush to be honest with Weiss and say what he thought of her like he just did with his two male friends. However, Joseph leading that entire conversation and hardly giving Pyrrha a chance to get a word in instead caused her to consider the Joestar's entire tirade about displaying utter confidence and certainty in one's decisions.

Just as she was about to start ruminating on the possibility of using Joseph's advice for herself, she was brought out of her thoughts when she felt someone tapping her shoulder. Snapping back to awareness, the centurion saw Nora standing by her with a shockingly grounded and serious look on her face. It was quite the… disconcerting sight, considering this was the same overly energetic and admittedly spacey girl that gleefully gushed about sloths, pancakes, instant coffee, and the beauty of her 'thunder thighs.'

"All things considered Pyrrha, you should probably keep what JoJo said in mind." This staggering display of seriousness on Nora's part left Pyrrha speechless, but before she could even formulate some kind of response, the strange orange-haired girl merely placed her headphones back on and focused her attention back on a book she had been reading.

'I can already tell my thoughts are going to be heavily occupied for the rest of today and tomorrow.' Pyrrha sighed, lying down on her bed as she tried to get her thoughts in order.

-TO BE CONTINUED…

***O***

1. Hey, if Emir Parkreiner can have 'the DNA of crime,' then I'd say it stands to reason that somewhere deep down, Joseph has the genes of a gentleman.

2. So we're at… lessee here… Yang, Velvet, Blake, and now Pyrrha... four girls that Joseph has given nosebleeds of perversion! And if Joseph's highschool life is anything like Jotaro's, then that's not even counting all the fangirls he probably has.

And at a solid 20 or so pages, I'd say this chapter was quite the digestible morsel! And one that didn't take half a year to make! I'm definitely gonna try to make my chapters less daunting from here on out.