madimpossibledreamer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
madimpossibledreamer) wrote2018-10-15 11:46 pm
madimpossibledreamer) wrote2018-10-15 11:46 pm
Entry tags:
Freaks Like Us
Interestingly enough, this particular fic isn't super friendly to Joyce, choosing to interpret her actions one way. (Also interesting: the same might be true of Xander, weird as that will be.) I'm not going to write them off completely, but they do get called out for some of their bad behaviors. This is partly due to the fact that I thought Joyce was fine and then the thing with my father happened and then I had a much closer view of emotional/verbal abuse, and then I had definite questions about why and how Joyce acted in certain parts.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summary: Buffy returns home, but this time, she's not alone.
Word Count: 845
Rating: Gen
Warnings: slight emotional/verbal abuse
“I’m okay,” she insists, but from the second glance she knows she wasn’t very convincing.
“We’ll talk to Joyce first. While you were asleep I called and you’ve been cleared. Shockingly, the police did their jobs for once.”
He’s probably trying to be reassuring. It’s only marginally successful, but then, emotions, his or others', aren’t his strong suit. She swallows.
“But you’ll be right there with me,” she insists, and he frowns.
“Every step of the way, if you want me there,” he promises, but something about his tone suggests he doesn’t think that would occur. Another similarity with Xander. It’s honestly kind of terrifying.
“Well, Mom kind of abandoned both of us, so.” She’s trying not to let her hands shake. “And Hank abandoned everyone.”
She feels a hand on her shoulder. It’s not until she glances over that she realizes it’s his Stand, not him, ghostly, gloved hand gentle and calming. The Stand itself is looking at her with concerned, caring eyes. Maybe if it’s a physical form of Jotaro-san’s spirit, he’s not quite so distant after all, just doesn’t know how to express himself.
They actually remain like that until he pulls up in front of her house. She reaches up to hold the ghostly hand, and he starts a bit at the sudden touch as he turns the car off. “So?” he asks, gruffly. She guesses it probably means ‘do you want me to go first?’ in Jotaro.
She pulls in her courage. She’s a Slayer, and she’s got her father on her side. She can do something as simple as face her mom. “Follow my lead, okay?”
He nods, tenses, and opens the car door. And he follows her to the door.
She knocks. It’s a few seconds before it opens, and when it does, her mother (who looks like she hasn’t slept properly in a while), opens the door. And drags her into a bone-crushing hug. “You’re safe!”
“Dad had something to do with it.” She’s still not quite comfortable with calling Jotaro-san her father, but it’s a calculated move.
“Hank did wha—” she starts, before Jotaro-san clears his throat behind her and her mother glances over to see him, looming uncomfortably in the doorway. “Oh. Right. Thank you, Jojo.”
She feels, rather than sees, Jotaro-san’s anger. She’s using the same sort of calculated moves. (Anyway, what’s up with the nickname? Jotaro-san doesn’t seem like the type for nicknames.)
“You’re not going to try to get me arrested, right?” he asks bluntly. Not one for tiptoeing around issues, is he? (That’s okay; she prefers not to, either.)
“The paperwork’s on the kitchen counter,” she responds—and yes, there’s something cold about the way she’s talking to him. It’s good for keeping centered.
“Mom. We need to talk,” Buffy interrupts, because they’re going to keep on the offensive.
“We can talk in the kitchen, Buffy,” she responds, and there’s…someone very obvious missing from the equation.
“Dad’s coming too,” she insists, and sees her mother flinch a little.
Jotaro-san casually walks past without asking, but it occurs to the open floor plan is probably a good thing considering he probably would have no idea where it was otherwise. He’s staring at the papers when she comes in, and nods at her when she joins him. “These look in order.”
“Good, because you’ll be here for a while.” Buffy pats him on the shoulder, and for once he doesn’t move away.
“Buffy, I’m not sure that he’s the best influence…” Joyce begins, and…well, that’s funny.
“He’s probably not going to treat me as crazy and get me committed for believing in vampires. Which exist.” She’s still furious about that, now that she’s starting to actually think about it. “The thing is, mom, I’m the Vampire Slayer. I don’t have a choice about it. I’d rather just be a normal girl, but even if I stopped fighting them…even if I turned my back and pretended nothing was happening, even if I never fought again, that wouldn’t stop things from seeking me out to kill me. I’d just be killed.” From her mother’s expression, though, Buffy’s not getting through.
Jotaro doesn’t look at his ex-wife when he speaks. “Joyce, I was just minding my own business in 1988 when a jerk of a vampire decided that slowly killing my mother for power was a price worth paying. Our bloodline doesn’t get to live peaceful lives.”
“I should’ve known our daughter was a freak because of you.” It’s a knee-jerk reaction, and it’s possible she doesn’t really mean it, but still.
It doesn’t matter if she’s just sat down. She stands right back up again. “Well, Joyce, if you wanted a normal life it’s probably better if we’re somewhere not here. Maybe you can go back to that perfect life you’ve always imagined. Come on, Dad.”
Jotaro-san just glances at Joyce and adjusts his hat before they both leave.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summary: Buffy returns home, but this time, she's not alone.
Word Count: 845
Rating: Gen
Warnings: slight emotional/verbal abuse
She stops babbling abruptly when they finally see the ‘Welcome to Sunnydale’ sign. He glances over, one hand coming over to pat her shoulder awkwardly.
“I’m okay,” she insists, but from the second glance she knows she wasn’t very convincing.
“We’ll talk to Joyce first. While you were asleep I called and you’ve been cleared. Shockingly, the police did their jobs for once.”
He’s probably trying to be reassuring. It’s only marginally successful, but then, emotions, his or others', aren’t his strong suit. She swallows.
“But you’ll be right there with me,” she insists, and he frowns.
“Every step of the way, if you want me there,” he promises, but something about his tone suggests he doesn’t think that would occur. Another similarity with Xander. It’s honestly kind of terrifying.
“Well, Mom kind of abandoned both of us, so.” She’s trying not to let her hands shake. “And Hank abandoned everyone.”
She feels a hand on her shoulder. It’s not until she glances over that she realizes it’s his Stand, not him, ghostly, gloved hand gentle and calming. The Stand itself is looking at her with concerned, caring eyes. Maybe if it’s a physical form of Jotaro-san’s spirit, he’s not quite so distant after all, just doesn’t know how to express himself.
They actually remain like that until he pulls up in front of her house. She reaches up to hold the ghostly hand, and he starts a bit at the sudden touch as he turns the car off. “So?” he asks, gruffly. She guesses it probably means ‘do you want me to go first?’ in Jotaro.
She pulls in her courage. She’s a Slayer, and she’s got her father on her side. She can do something as simple as face her mom. “Follow my lead, okay?”
He nods, tenses, and opens the car door. And he follows her to the door.
She knocks. It’s a few seconds before it opens, and when it does, her mother (who looks like she hasn’t slept properly in a while), opens the door. And drags her into a bone-crushing hug. “You’re safe!”
“Dad had something to do with it.” She’s still not quite comfortable with calling Jotaro-san her father, but it’s a calculated move.
“Hank did wha—” she starts, before Jotaro-san clears his throat behind her and her mother glances over to see him, looming uncomfortably in the doorway. “Oh. Right. Thank you, Jojo.”
She feels, rather than sees, Jotaro-san’s anger. She’s using the same sort of calculated moves. (Anyway, what’s up with the nickname? Jotaro-san doesn’t seem like the type for nicknames.)
“You’re not going to try to get me arrested, right?” he asks bluntly. Not one for tiptoeing around issues, is he? (That’s okay; she prefers not to, either.)
“The paperwork’s on the kitchen counter,” she responds—and yes, there’s something cold about the way she’s talking to him. It’s good for keeping centered.
“Mom. We need to talk,” Buffy interrupts, because they’re going to keep on the offensive.
“We can talk in the kitchen, Buffy,” she responds, and there’s…someone very obvious missing from the equation.
“Dad’s coming too,” she insists, and sees her mother flinch a little.
Jotaro-san casually walks past without asking, but it occurs to the open floor plan is probably a good thing considering he probably would have no idea where it was otherwise. He’s staring at the papers when she comes in, and nods at her when she joins him. “These look in order.”
“Good, because you’ll be here for a while.” Buffy pats him on the shoulder, and for once he doesn’t move away.
“Buffy, I’m not sure that he’s the best influence…” Joyce begins, and…well, that’s funny.
“He’s probably not going to treat me as crazy and get me committed for believing in vampires. Which exist.” She’s still furious about that, now that she’s starting to actually think about it. “The thing is, mom, I’m the Vampire Slayer. I don’t have a choice about it. I’d rather just be a normal girl, but even if I stopped fighting them…even if I turned my back and pretended nothing was happening, even if I never fought again, that wouldn’t stop things from seeking me out to kill me. I’d just be killed.” From her mother’s expression, though, Buffy’s not getting through.
Jotaro doesn’t look at his ex-wife when he speaks. “Joyce, I was just minding my own business in 1988 when a jerk of a vampire decided that slowly killing my mother for power was a price worth paying. Our bloodline doesn’t get to live peaceful lives.”
“I should’ve known our daughter was a freak because of you.” It’s a knee-jerk reaction, and it’s possible she doesn’t really mean it, but still.
It doesn’t matter if she’s just sat down. She stands right back up again. “Well, Joyce, if you wanted a normal life it’s probably better if we’re somewhere not here. Maybe you can go back to that perfect life you’ve always imagined. Come on, Dad.”
Jotaro-san just glances at Joyce and adjusts his hat before they both leave.