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madimpossibledreamerbonus points for getting the reference. am very proud of it
Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Meanwhile, Captain Beefheart, Darling, and Robin have an encounter of their own.
Word Count: 1179
Rating: Teen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
It was easy to look at Jojo and say he was like her and Mr. Speedwagon wasn’t, but that’s not true, is it? In some ways he’s more like her than Jojo, because it takes him a while to warm up to most everybody, just like her. Jojo was just an exception for him, which she can understand, because he was an exception for her too. And she’s pretty sure it’s from the same place. They haven’t talked about it, because you don’t, but there’s signs he’d been hurt and wasn’t quite ready to open up again just to be hurt again.
But they’d both started to trust again, just a little, thanks to Jojo, and he was a good guy who cared about her (and, well, probably a lot more than her) than he meant to care. And he wasn’t the only one—they’d both started out as marks, for goodness sake, and she ended up friends with them both, somehow.
So it’d be easy to think the Captain didn’t care that Jojo was missing. Even Mr. Brown had been mad at his friend for seeming so callous.
But she hasn’t been a thief for so long without learning how to read people. She hadn’t been fully seeing clearly, mostly because she was too quick to assume people wanted to hurt her—and to be fair, that wasn’t completely wrong, with the number of Stand Users either wanting to hurt her or lashing out because they, too, were hurt, and then there was the demon, too—but she had allies and friends, too, and she hadn’t dared to think that was possible.
So if anyone can accomplish the impossible, it’s Jojo. He’s already done so many things outside the realm of possibility that this would be just one more thing. But if there’s one other thing he’d demonstrated it’s that sometimes a miracle needs a helping hand. Father Styx would probably agree with that, too.
So if they’re all going to get out of this all right, unscathed, then she has to be willing to fight for it, even if they aren’t. She hadn’t spoken up, but then, facing an enemy isn’t the only occasion when you need to be brave.
And now that she’s looking closer, the Captain didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to let Mr. Speedwagon go by himself. Didn’t want to leave Jojo to his own devices. She’s shutting down her emotions, holding her knife to reassure herself. She’s a soldier. She wants to complete the mission and she’s pretty sure they all might die.
But then there are ways they can test this without actually putting themselves at risk. Figure out if their friends are okay without potentially falling into the same trap.
“Mr. Brown, can you sense them with hamon?” she asks calmly, and feels only a little bit smug when that apparently catches them by surprise.
“Faintly. The number of life signs hasn’t changed, at least, not in the immediate vicinity. But I can’t get anything more definite without being closer.” That’s…something, at least.
“Before you ask, I am incapable of using radar to narrow things down further. Though I’m glad you’ve reached a more analytical mindset.”
“Oh? Why not?” Darling questions, deflating slightly.
Despite the situation, the Captain might be smiling. “There’s not enough room to deploy it.”
That’s a pretty good reason. Tech used to be huge, didn’t it? She vaguely remembers hearing that computers in the 50’s were whole rooms, so that makes complete sense. She should’ve thought of it, really.
She’s about to suggest that she send out Whisper to scout, because as dangerous as it is putting herself in harm’s way, defenseless without her Stand, it’s even more dangerous to be walking into a situation with two of their friends already gone and no idea what lies ahead, when she spots movement.
She opens her mouth to warn the others, but before she can even get one word out, there’s already one of the Captain’s throwing daggers piercing a tongue and an arrow buried in the side of—that’s a panther. It’s huge. She’d known from looking at picture books, of course, as well as pictures on the internet, but this is something else.
It glances at them, swishes its tail, possibly annoyed at the pain, and then the dagger and the arrow turn into smoky outlines of themselves and disappear, leaving only a trail of blood down the fur. “You have good instincts, but you will need to be clever to survive,” the panther says.
It doesn’t particularly look like a Stand. Could it be a demon? But if it is, why would it be helping them?
“You say that as if you’re not our enemy,” Mr. Brown responds cautiously, second arrow not wavering a centimeter. This time he’s aiming it right at the talking panther’s eye.
“I am not. I am Balam, a god of the Underworld and a protector of humans. Still, one can learn much from enemy as much as friend, good men as well as evil, wise men as well as fools.”
“I suppose this means we can learn from you.” The Captain, likewise, does not let down her guard, waiting at any instant for an attack.
“You may indeed, especially the one with the soul bearing the mark of Kukulkan.” It nods to her, mouth open in what might be a smile with far too much fang. “You may earn further blessings, but you must prove yourself worthy.”
“Do we…not get a hint?” Darling speaks up, voice quieter than intended.
“You’re already aware of the human named Wesley and what he seeks. His power has already grown strong. Xibalba had nothing to do with this place marked by rival gods, at first, not until he made an entrance where none should be. He believed the Lords of Death, on the wane since the Hero Twins bested them, too weak to retaliate against the presumption of such an invasion, the waters of the cenote too unpredictable. To make it to his location, you must pass the trials, and know that the concept of ‘fair’ is a human invention. Beware the Lords of Death, the rival gods, and their servants.” Balam pads to her silently, headbutting her like a small cat would, and then walks past, uncaring of the threat of more arrows or daggers. “Beyond that, your mark is more ‘hint’ than I can give.”
With another flick of the tail, the panther disappears in a puff of smoke just as easily as the arrow and dagger had, trail of blood only sign of its passage.
“What does that—” Mr. Brown begins, then breaks off as she falls to her knees, headache burning behind her eyes.
Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Meanwhile, Captain Beefheart, Darling, and Robin have an encounter of their own.
Word Count: 1179
Rating: Teen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
It’s easy to look at the Captain and see her adoptive parents. See people who don’t care. Captain Von Stroheim has this flat tone that’s hard to read, and she hadn’t gotten too close to Mr. Speedwagon. Neither had Darling, to be fair, but it wasn’t a failing on either of their parts.
It was easy to look at Jojo and say he was like her and Mr. Speedwagon wasn’t, but that’s not true, is it? In some ways he’s more like her than Jojo, because it takes him a while to warm up to most everybody, just like her. Jojo was just an exception for him, which she can understand, because he was an exception for her too. And she’s pretty sure it’s from the same place. They haven’t talked about it, because you don’t, but there’s signs he’d been hurt and wasn’t quite ready to open up again just to be hurt again.
But they’d both started to trust again, just a little, thanks to Jojo, and he was a good guy who cared about her (and, well, probably a lot more than her) than he meant to care. And he wasn’t the only one—they’d both started out as marks, for goodness sake, and she ended up friends with them both, somehow.
So it’d be easy to think the Captain didn’t care that Jojo was missing. Even Mr. Brown had been mad at his friend for seeming so callous.
But she hasn’t been a thief for so long without learning how to read people. She hadn’t been fully seeing clearly, mostly because she was too quick to assume people wanted to hurt her—and to be fair, that wasn’t completely wrong, with the number of Stand Users either wanting to hurt her or lashing out because they, too, were hurt, and then there was the demon, too—but she had allies and friends, too, and she hadn’t dared to think that was possible.
So if anyone can accomplish the impossible, it’s Jojo. He’s already done so many things outside the realm of possibility that this would be just one more thing. But if there’s one other thing he’d demonstrated it’s that sometimes a miracle needs a helping hand. Father Styx would probably agree with that, too.
So if they’re all going to get out of this all right, unscathed, then she has to be willing to fight for it, even if they aren’t. She hadn’t spoken up, but then, facing an enemy isn’t the only occasion when you need to be brave.
And now that she’s looking closer, the Captain didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to let Mr. Speedwagon go by himself. Didn’t want to leave Jojo to his own devices. She’s shutting down her emotions, holding her knife to reassure herself. She’s a soldier. She wants to complete the mission and she’s pretty sure they all might die.
But then there are ways they can test this without actually putting themselves at risk. Figure out if their friends are okay without potentially falling into the same trap.
“Mr. Brown, can you sense them with hamon?” she asks calmly, and feels only a little bit smug when that apparently catches them by surprise.
“Faintly. The number of life signs hasn’t changed, at least, not in the immediate vicinity. But I can’t get anything more definite without being closer.” That’s…something, at least.
“Before you ask, I am incapable of using radar to narrow things down further. Though I’m glad you’ve reached a more analytical mindset.”
“Oh? Why not?” Darling questions, deflating slightly.
Despite the situation, the Captain might be smiling. “There’s not enough room to deploy it.”
That’s a pretty good reason. Tech used to be huge, didn’t it? She vaguely remembers hearing that computers in the 50’s were whole rooms, so that makes complete sense. She should’ve thought of it, really.
She’s about to suggest that she send out Whisper to scout, because as dangerous as it is putting herself in harm’s way, defenseless without her Stand, it’s even more dangerous to be walking into a situation with two of their friends already gone and no idea what lies ahead, when she spots movement.
She opens her mouth to warn the others, but before she can even get one word out, there’s already one of the Captain’s throwing daggers piercing a tongue and an arrow buried in the side of—that’s a panther. It’s huge. She’d known from looking at picture books, of course, as well as pictures on the internet, but this is something else.
It glances at them, swishes its tail, possibly annoyed at the pain, and then the dagger and the arrow turn into smoky outlines of themselves and disappear, leaving only a trail of blood down the fur. “You have good instincts, but you will need to be clever to survive,” the panther says.
It doesn’t particularly look like a Stand. Could it be a demon? But if it is, why would it be helping them?
“You say that as if you’re not our enemy,” Mr. Brown responds cautiously, second arrow not wavering a centimeter. This time he’s aiming it right at the talking panther’s eye.
“I am not. I am Balam, a god of the Underworld and a protector of humans. Still, one can learn much from enemy as much as friend, good men as well as evil, wise men as well as fools.”
“I suppose this means we can learn from you.” The Captain, likewise, does not let down her guard, waiting at any instant for an attack.
“You may indeed, especially the one with the soul bearing the mark of Kukulkan.” It nods to her, mouth open in what might be a smile with far too much fang. “You may earn further blessings, but you must prove yourself worthy.”
“Do we…not get a hint?” Darling speaks up, voice quieter than intended.
“You’re already aware of the human named Wesley and what he seeks. His power has already grown strong. Xibalba had nothing to do with this place marked by rival gods, at first, not until he made an entrance where none should be. He believed the Lords of Death, on the wane since the Hero Twins bested them, too weak to retaliate against the presumption of such an invasion, the waters of the cenote too unpredictable. To make it to his location, you must pass the trials, and know that the concept of ‘fair’ is a human invention. Beware the Lords of Death, the rival gods, and their servants.” Balam pads to her silently, headbutting her like a small cat would, and then walks past, uncaring of the threat of more arrows or daggers. “Beyond that, your mark is more ‘hint’ than I can give.”
With another flick of the tail, the panther disappears in a puff of smoke just as easily as the arrow and dagger had, trail of blood only sign of its passage.
“What does that—” Mr. Brown begins, then breaks off as she falls to her knees, headache burning behind her eyes.
