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madimpossibledreamerJojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Jotaro comes up with another risky plan.
Word Count: 1228
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
Jotaro isn’t particularly surprised at the presence of a wasp nest in the tower. He’d noted the presence of avocado trees, and vaguely remembered that one particular species of wasp both produced honey and pollinated some plants such as avocados, so it would make sense that there would be a domesticated presence. (Giorno was happy enough to confirm this memory, as well as share the Latin name, Brachygastra mellifica.) However, they had both noticed the presence of an unusual number of other wasps and robber flies and locusts. One insect would not be so strange. And under any other circumstances, it would be entirely possible that a change in bird population or the temperature or rainfall could cause such a population boom. But he’d flipped through one of the local books, listened to the worker that morning and idle chat in the marketplace, and there’s no indication of that. And in any case—
It’s obviously not exactly the same, but Jotaro can’t help but think of the old hag. Justice had just been a trap trying to catch them, but what if it was at least a little more neutral? If that’s the case, then the protector of Paxil—the Well, Karmaslave, whatever anyone wanted to call it—would control all aspects of the town. That would include temperature, crop yield, and the like. Making it inviting not just to look at (sure, she’d failed in that regard, but she hadn’t exactly been the smartest Stand User he’d ever fought) but also to live in, because the point was to have some people actually living here and calling it home. The fact that this protection has failed, even marginally, is troublesome. Jotaro’s best guess is that this is a side effect of whatever experiment Rush has started in motion, and because it’s a natural (if unwanted) occurrence, Karmaslave can’t actually put a stop to it, like it could if this was entirely external. He can’t imagine Rush is completely out of the protector’s reach, or Rush would have already tried to kill them all.
And then a thought occurs to him as they climb the tower and Jotaro has to pull his hat lower in a much-needed gesture. Yare yare daze, it had better not be something along the lines of actual Egyptian plagues. The last thing they need is the deaths of the firstborn or whatever. (Admittedly he hadn’t paid too much attention to too much of his Western heritage, much to the old man’s dismay.)
It doesn’t look like there’s a cloud of locusts on the horizon, which is good, in a way. It means that they’re swarming, sure, but they’re not in a record-breaking size, yet. It is possible it can be stopped before they can really take root and damage the local ecosystem, unlike the lionfish. Not that that’s really Jotaro’s purpose here. It would depend more on the locals. He’s curious about the local Center of Learning, whether they’re at all prepared for this. If they’re not, he can ask around. He’s bound to know at least one person who works at, say, a general conservation organization who might know a little more about invasive species control. If they’d actually return his calls is another matter; sadly jackasses who like to run their mouths aren’t exactly unknown when you get into higher academia, and they always react badly to someone challenging their inflated sense of their own worth. That’d be for later, though. He has to keep focused. It’s not like it’s irrelevant. Like a cold compromising someone’s immune system, it’s probably weakening Paxil’s ability to protect itself, and the actual source is probably important, but they don’t have the clues to piece together who might be causing this. And Paxil’s decreased ability to react might be equally as helpful for them as it will be for Rush. They just have to know how to take advantage of it. So that’s a dead end for now.
Instead...hmm. Star Platinum notices something off in the distance, focusing in on it. They hadn’t noticed any activity at the pyramid-temple thing when they’d been there, though any ideas Paxil was completely devoid of religion were quickly abandoned after a quick look there. They hadn’t trespassed in that instance, either, following well-trodden tourist paths including plaques and glimpsing clues from a distance. For instance, a sacrificial slab stained with blood, just like where the Stand pretending to be Johan had been killed. There’s activity now, though. A tow truck dragging a car that looks in fine condition, followed by what looks like a hideously painted police vehicle, proceeding from the temple down the road to the east.
Interesting. So the inhabitants don’t merely rely on the town itself to make all the judgments for them. He’d known they had a building labeled ‘Enforcement’, but given that only the front leading to the desk had an open door as per tradition, he hadn’t managed to get much of a glimpse of what it’d looked like inside. What he did see wasn’t nearly as busy as the jail he’d been put in, and he’d gotten the distinct feeling that Star Platinum agreed, even if he couldn’t voice more than an ‘ora’ of agreement. With no paperwork, the sort of computer Jotaro distinctly remembers from his university days, a sharp-eyed clerk manning the desk, and no actual activity to be seen, it’d been a dead end. Now, though...they might be able to get a lead on the rules. It might not be as easy as getting in to see Akira, as he doubts the Speedwagon Foundation has any sway here and the fact that they’re outsiders means that if anything it’s likely that the law enforcers here would be likely to decline such request if not put them under further surveillance, but for all his distaste for stopping time, there are certainly circumstances where the ability is useful, and it wouldn’t be the first time he’s needed to trespass in pursuit of a Stand User.
Of course, he’s usually doing so with Kakyoin’s help. Hierophant, for example, is so very good at picking locks. But he’s reluctant to involve his friend further, particularly when what they’re about to do is likely going to give them the effect, and Kakyoin doesn’t need to get any more paranoid. Instead, he turns to the Captain. “Doing illegal things is probably what causes the suspicion effect.”
She nods. “That makes sense. It would be an easy way to assure compliance from the populace.”
“Talking about it seems like it’s against the rules, too. We could get lucky with finding a list at the ‘records’ location. But maybe there’s chumps with nothing left to lose.” He nods in the direction of the vehicle. It’s gone behind sight of the tree, now, but she’d noticed it too.
“And you think I, Captain Beefheart von Stroheim, would back down from a challenge?” She’s trying and failing not to smile. “It’s worth the risk. We need a solid lead.”
Just in case he’s not inclined to do so later, Jotaro sends another email, this time to Josuke, warning him of Jotaro’s suspicions regarding the effect and the fact that they might very well come under its influence shortly, and then pockets the phone, ignoring all of the panicked follow-up emails. Right now, they have a job to do.
Chapter Summary: Jotaro comes up with another risky plan.
Word Count: 1228
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
Jotaro isn’t particularly surprised at the presence of a wasp nest in the tower. He’d noted the presence of avocado trees, and vaguely remembered that one particular species of wasp both produced honey and pollinated some plants such as avocados, so it would make sense that there would be a domesticated presence. (Giorno was happy enough to confirm this memory, as well as share the Latin name, Brachygastra mellifica.) However, they had both noticed the presence of an unusual number of other wasps and robber flies and locusts. One insect would not be so strange. And under any other circumstances, it would be entirely possible that a change in bird population or the temperature or rainfall could cause such a population boom. But he’d flipped through one of the local books, listened to the worker that morning and idle chat in the marketplace, and there’s no indication of that. And in any case—
It’s obviously not exactly the same, but Jotaro can’t help but think of the old hag. Justice had just been a trap trying to catch them, but what if it was at least a little more neutral? If that’s the case, then the protector of Paxil—the Well, Karmaslave, whatever anyone wanted to call it—would control all aspects of the town. That would include temperature, crop yield, and the like. Making it inviting not just to look at (sure, she’d failed in that regard, but she hadn’t exactly been the smartest Stand User he’d ever fought) but also to live in, because the point was to have some people actually living here and calling it home. The fact that this protection has failed, even marginally, is troublesome. Jotaro’s best guess is that this is a side effect of whatever experiment Rush has started in motion, and because it’s a natural (if unwanted) occurrence, Karmaslave can’t actually put a stop to it, like it could if this was entirely external. He can’t imagine Rush is completely out of the protector’s reach, or Rush would have already tried to kill them all.
And then a thought occurs to him as they climb the tower and Jotaro has to pull his hat lower in a much-needed gesture. Yare yare daze, it had better not be something along the lines of actual Egyptian plagues. The last thing they need is the deaths of the firstborn or whatever. (Admittedly he hadn’t paid too much attention to too much of his Western heritage, much to the old man’s dismay.)
It doesn’t look like there’s a cloud of locusts on the horizon, which is good, in a way. It means that they’re swarming, sure, but they’re not in a record-breaking size, yet. It is possible it can be stopped before they can really take root and damage the local ecosystem, unlike the lionfish. Not that that’s really Jotaro’s purpose here. It would depend more on the locals. He’s curious about the local Center of Learning, whether they’re at all prepared for this. If they’re not, he can ask around. He’s bound to know at least one person who works at, say, a general conservation organization who might know a little more about invasive species control. If they’d actually return his calls is another matter; sadly jackasses who like to run their mouths aren’t exactly unknown when you get into higher academia, and they always react badly to someone challenging their inflated sense of their own worth. That’d be for later, though. He has to keep focused. It’s not like it’s irrelevant. Like a cold compromising someone’s immune system, it’s probably weakening Paxil’s ability to protect itself, and the actual source is probably important, but they don’t have the clues to piece together who might be causing this. And Paxil’s decreased ability to react might be equally as helpful for them as it will be for Rush. They just have to know how to take advantage of it. So that’s a dead end for now.
Instead...hmm. Star Platinum notices something off in the distance, focusing in on it. They hadn’t noticed any activity at the pyramid-temple thing when they’d been there, though any ideas Paxil was completely devoid of religion were quickly abandoned after a quick look there. They hadn’t trespassed in that instance, either, following well-trodden tourist paths including plaques and glimpsing clues from a distance. For instance, a sacrificial slab stained with blood, just like where the Stand pretending to be Johan had been killed. There’s activity now, though. A tow truck dragging a car that looks in fine condition, followed by what looks like a hideously painted police vehicle, proceeding from the temple down the road to the east.
Interesting. So the inhabitants don’t merely rely on the town itself to make all the judgments for them. He’d known they had a building labeled ‘Enforcement’, but given that only the front leading to the desk had an open door as per tradition, he hadn’t managed to get much of a glimpse of what it’d looked like inside. What he did see wasn’t nearly as busy as the jail he’d been put in, and he’d gotten the distinct feeling that Star Platinum agreed, even if he couldn’t voice more than an ‘ora’ of agreement. With no paperwork, the sort of computer Jotaro distinctly remembers from his university days, a sharp-eyed clerk manning the desk, and no actual activity to be seen, it’d been a dead end. Now, though...they might be able to get a lead on the rules. It might not be as easy as getting in to see Akira, as he doubts the Speedwagon Foundation has any sway here and the fact that they’re outsiders means that if anything it’s likely that the law enforcers here would be likely to decline such request if not put them under further surveillance, but for all his distaste for stopping time, there are certainly circumstances where the ability is useful, and it wouldn’t be the first time he’s needed to trespass in pursuit of a Stand User.
Of course, he’s usually doing so with Kakyoin’s help. Hierophant, for example, is so very good at picking locks. But he’s reluctant to involve his friend further, particularly when what they’re about to do is likely going to give them the effect, and Kakyoin doesn’t need to get any more paranoid. Instead, he turns to the Captain. “Doing illegal things is probably what causes the suspicion effect.”
She nods. “That makes sense. It would be an easy way to assure compliance from the populace.”
“Talking about it seems like it’s against the rules, too. We could get lucky with finding a list at the ‘records’ location. But maybe there’s chumps with nothing left to lose.” He nods in the direction of the vehicle. It’s gone behind sight of the tree, now, but she’d noticed it too.
“And you think I, Captain Beefheart von Stroheim, would back down from a challenge?” She’s trying and failing not to smile. “It’s worth the risk. We need a solid lead.”
Just in case he’s not inclined to do so later, Jotaro sends another email, this time to Josuke, warning him of Jotaro’s suspicions regarding the effect and the fact that they might very well come under its influence shortly, and then pockets the phone, ignoring all of the panicked follow-up emails. Right now, they have a job to do.
