Scene #5890: Ora Ora Oralouge

Owner	Pose
Josuke Higashikata	Quiet. That's a hard thing to find in the city park on a Saturday evening. Though maybe that could be part of his training, too -- learning to ignore distractions in his environment! School's gotten out for the day, and Josuke, still limping from his encounter with the Red Pants Army several days ago, immediately went looking for someplace quiet to meditate. He's managed to find a reasonably secluded corner of the park, and is sitting tailor-style on a towel placed on the ground -- he's still not gonna mess his clothes up for this! -- with his eyes closed. His coat and shoes have been removed for comfort, the former folded on the towel beside him. He's not just meditating, though. He's concentrating on his breathing. 'Box breathing', Jonathan called it. Breathe out every single atom of air from his lungs. Hold. Breathe in like it's his first breath. Hold again. Repeat. And it seems to be having some effect too, because the pain from his lingering injuries seems to be diminishing. And he can feel the healing warmth being created inside his body. Josuke concentrates on his breathing, and on drawing that healing warmth out into his extremities, where the pain is.
Asellus	Someone is here. He just appeared out of nowhere, fading into existence as a shadow that then turned into a man. Red hair up in a spikey 'ponytail', tan skin, a dark, sleeveless gi... Looks kind of like a fighting game character, but more magical vampire-ish. He says, "Yo." to the meditating Josuke. "Have a minute to talk about Asellus."
Josuke Higashikata	Maybe it's that he was meditating and his awareness of himself had been turned both outward AND inward, in that weird way. Maybe it's just that bizarre kind of coincidence that happens. But either way, Josuke becomes aware of a disturbance in his environment. Initially believing it to be a park-goer, he begins to ignore it. Right up until he hears 'Asellus'. His breath hitches, interrupting his rhythm, and the healing warmth begins to fade. But it's fine, the pain is mostly gone now. He opens his eyes, looking in the direction of the strange man. Blinks. And immediately stands up. "You know her?" he asks. No pleasantries; if this guy's coming to him to talk about Asellus, it's probably bad news -- either something's happened, or this guy has MADE something happen -- or will unless Josuke fulfills certain conditions.
Asellus	The man shrugs. "Only in the loosest sense. We've spoken a couple times. Your magician friend, Marisa, is still in Facinaturu. I've already spoken with her about a rescue operation. But I need more help to guarantee she gets out safely. The name's Zozma. I watched you and the others interact with her, and I think you genuinely want what's best for her." Zozma folds his arms. "But are you willing to risk your life for her freedom?"
Josuke Higashikata	"Yes," Josuke answers, without hesitation. Angrily clenching a fist at his side, he states, "I'm not gonna just abandon her to be that loser's latest pretty little doll, to put into her little box until he wants to play with her again." He shakes his head. "But I'm not just gonna charge in. I've already taken some steps to be better-prepared for fighting those guys." He looks Zozma over. And then seems to remember... hey, manners. "Oh! That's right. I'm Josuke." A pause. "But... if you've only met Asellus a few times, why do you suddenly want to save her? What would you be getting out of the deal?"
Asellus	Zozma arches an eyebrow. "Orlouge is a monster and he needs to be taken down. Denying him what he wants is our strongest means of resistance right now. I've been banished from Facinaturu, but I keep coming back because I'm looking for someone, anyone, with the power to defeat the Charm Lord." He smirks. "I didn't expect Orlouge to be the one to create her. She might not be very strong right now, but she has potential. But it's up to her to choose whether to fight him or not. She won't have the choice if she stays his prisoner, to mold in his image." His smile fades. "I can provide a distraction to cover the escape. But I need strong people to escort her to the extraction point. Most of the defenders will be occupied with me, but that doesn't mean some can't get in the way. I have one more person to contact, but if there's anyone you trust to fight alongside you, you can invite them too. Make the stakes clear, and the potential cost."
Josuke Higashikata	"'Charm Lord'... yeah, that's about right," Josuke comments. "Just like I keep hearing about DIO..." The name doesn't hold the same amount of fear and anger for Josuke that it would for Jotaro or Joseph. But then again, Josuke wasn't there. "It took a monumental effort to stand against him when I thought it was going to be necessary..." Josuke nods, at the mention of getting Asellus out. "That was the plan, yeah. That's why I spent that extra time there, to find out what the Mystics were like -- what they could do, common traits, things like that. Turns out, your 'Mystics' are a lot like the 'vampires' in '''this''' world. And it also turns out there's special techniques to fight vampires. I'm hoping they'll work against your Mystics, too." Josuke seems in agreement. "Asellus ought to be given the right to choose... and you're right, she's not going to get it if she stays there." No, if she doesn't get out of there to develop the potential Zozma spoke of, her will to fight back will be quashed before it even gets a chance to take hold. Oh, and there's something else... "Oh, that's right," Josuke recalls. "That other lady... White Rose? She seems to like Asellus. Do you think she'll help us if she's convinced we mean the best for Asellus?" he asks.
Asellus	Zozma seems to be in agreement with Josuke's sentiments, nodding along as he speaks. When White Rose comes up, a shadow passes over his face, just for a moment. Then it turns into an inscrutable look. "She is the kindest Arch-Princess in the entire Region. I'm sure she'll do what's right. Her compassion will lead the way. If she accompanies the Half-Mystic, then they'll have that much better of a chance." He then turns away and says, "We're not undead, if that's what you think we are. More like... Immortals. But power is power. If yours is strong enough, I'm sure you'll be effective." "I've got another of you to track down. Coordinate with Marisa if you get the chance. She's still in Facinaturu, but you have technology for talking with each other, right? Human work-arounds for not having magic... They're so interesting." he says with a grin. Then he fades out of existence, first turning into a shadow, and then turning into nothing.
Josuke Higashikata	"Good enough for me," Josuke notes, to the mention of White Rose. As long as she'll do the right thing, she'll see that helping Asellus is definitely the right thing to do. He really hasn't thought about others he'd bring into it. Koichi's Stand is just an egg. And he really doesn't want to get Jonathan involved in it... there's Erina to consider, and Josuke's not eager to put her fiance in more danger. Not after everything they've already gone through. So... looks like it's just him. Josuke nods at the mention of being able to talk to Marisa still. "I think so. Should be -- eh?" And then just like that, the guy is gone. "...Yeah, <'Earl Douche'> definitely seems the kind to banish somebody for bad manners..." Speaking of something bad, though? Josuke's English. Dude. It's really bad.