(Then Iggy was dead. Avdol was dead. The old man was dead with a knife in his throat.

And –

Kakyoin was dead.

Open your eyes, look up to the skies, and see –

And DIO paused the world. Like Homura, he had a habit of chatting during frozen time, except with more intent to murder. Perhaps he got the idea from her, or vice versa. Unlike her, he counted the time passing, as much as you could measure seconds in a world where infinite motion has stopped. Five, six, seven. Days and minutes not passing because of him, because of them.

He didn't mention the mad girl he had been.

And Jotaro, to his own surprise, stopped time.

He… won.

They were all still dead.)

(I wish…)

He woke up, healthy and whole in body, with tears on his face. That was rare, these days; what had he been dreaming about?

In the other room, he heard someone wheeling towards the phone which had woken him up. Already awake, then; perhaps that meant he'd be getting a cooked breakfast. A click of plastic, as the phone moved from its protective base.

"Hello? Ah, Madoka, how are you? How's your family?"

Madoka… he had been dreaming about her, of course. About the time they met in the Stand. How could he forget that?

"That's good. Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Hmm? Oh, he's still asleep. Stayed up late with his thesis again. Him and his starfish… Yes, I quite agree. All right, I'll tell him that. Yes, Holy's fine, better than ever I think."

He opened his eyes and got up, slowly, trying not to make any noise.

"And how's Homura doing? Good? Yes, I expect adjusting to not having a Stand can be difficult, can't it? Especially after all that time. Yes. Yes, I suppose it is different out in the real world."

What should he wear today? There was that turtleneck that clung tightly to him, applying just the right amount of pressure to be comforting rather than restrictive. Or maybe a button-up with a V-neck sweater. It didn't matter: he was taking them both anyway.

"Yes, they're both doing fine, although they're worried about Iggy. He's getting old these days. Mmm. Oh, well actually, I heard through the grapevine, that… Polnareff's finally going to propose! Or Avdol will finally give in and do it for him. Ha, yes, third life's the charm, right? Of course they'll invite you all. You're like sisters to him, to both of them."

His white hat sat on his desk as it always did, waiting for him to bring it gently down over his eyes. Beside it, a few pins – the dolphin one from Madoka, the weird triangle from Homura that probably meant something deep – gleamed in the light. He took them in his hands.

"And how are Sayaka and Kyouko? What? Again? Well, tell them they're being silly. It's obvious how much they really do love each other, deep down. Yes, of course."

He glanced at himself in the mirror. Yes, that was right. That was good.

"Mr Joestar is doing fine, I think. Of course, the dementia… And he's going deaf now, too, a little, and… Yes, of course, I'll pass on my regards."

He paused, just behind the door to the kitchen.

"Well, it was a shock to everyone, especially Mr Joestar himself. It's awkward, but what can you do? Exactly. Him? Ha, he's having trouble adjusting to the fact that he has an uncle younger than him. Hm. Yes, indeed."

Was his shirt on okay? It felt a little ticklish. No, that was just a bug.

"Jolyne's with Mami. They get on so well, bless them… She's such a good babysitter, better than the mother any day. And with Jolyne's new Stand, they're perfect for each other. I trust them to manage while we're away. Of course you can come see her if you want. When we're back."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a white shape, perched as if waiting for him on the back of the chair. He blinked. It was just his coat, of course.

"We will. I promise I won't let any harm come to him. Hierophant would never let that happen. Ah, don't worry, Madoka, there's only one person there to worry about, it's not like Morioh is some hive of scum and villainy. We'll be fine! And besides, you forget that he can literally stop time now, although it's less than Homura could."

He laid his left hand on the door handle, admiring the understated silver ring on his third finger for a moment. An emerald gem, with spherical ruby stones on either side: the colours of another person's soul. Not too large, of course; he wasn't much for flashy shows of affection. They both knew that.

"Yes, we're leaving today. Our flight is in six hours, and we'll arrive… sometime in the early morning, I think, to have time to get to Morioh. Yes, we're almost all the way packed. Don't be ridiculous, you can't make it all the way there at such short notice. We'll pop by and visit you. Yes, I'm sure, don't worry about us. Yes, I understand. All right. Okay. We'll see you then. Okay. Bye!"

Kujo Jotaro, age 28, opened the door and walked back out into his life.