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madimpossibledreamerThe real struggle of not having Xander here: I cannot make Scorpion King references.
Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Getting through this temple is not going to be as easy as they hoped.
Word Count: 1118
Rating: Teen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
It’s a moment to answer, as the words are devoured by the pain. “Black jaguar,” she corrects, shakily, answers transmitting through Whisper’s eyes. “Whisper sees what the Vision Serpent needs to show.” She manages a smile at Mr. Brown, even as he heals her and eases the pain. “You’ve got your guide.”
The Captain moves over her protectively, but doesn’t put the throwing daggers away. It’s fair enough. She understands their skepticism, but is still trying to line it all up in her own mind, so can’t exactly provide all the answers she’d like, and the headache doesn’t help in that regard.
Perhaps if Jojo or Mr. Speedwagon were still here, they’d have known what to look for without the need for any outside help like strange black jaguar gods. She’d hadn’t thought mythology knowledge was too practical, but a brief acquaintance with Jojo has shown it absolutely is useful.
One of the most important revelations is that this isn’t a Mayan structure. She can’t be sure what it is, of course. Balam hadn’t given that much knowledge, apparently. That, or maybe the Mayan god had believed the answers to be obvious? Or perhaps it simply wasn’t relevant for now? They need to meet back up with Jojo or Fitz soon (or, well, hopefully both) so they can explain, because if anyone would know, they would.
But she can see the changes Mr. Wyndam-Price made, or maybe someone working for him. Not like they couldn’t normally, but they probably wouldn’t even have noticed, far more worried about potential traps or enemies than any decoration.
The stones in the corridor directly in front of them have been recently replaced. And she recognizes the style, too. She’s not one of those art people who could just say, ‘yes, that’s a perfect example of the insert art style here variety, note the delightful care taken in the subtle details’, but she can at least recognize it. These were made by that one artist Stand User lady, the one who’s now dead. Of course, they’re not statues, just carved images on stone blocks, but there’s something brash and in your face about the way the woman expressed herself. She’d tried to imitate the Mayan style because she was asked, probably, but even then, her personality shines through.
It’s a bunch of scorpions. Line after line of them. And some part of her—Whisper—knows that this is the symbolic River of Scorpions, perhaps transformed slightly with magic. Not enough that there are real scorpions, but then, once the connection with Xibalba was established, he probably thought he’d be safe enough that he wouldn’t need to let loose a bunch of highly poisonous scorpions that could hurt him.
And then there’s something else—no one else had got this far. Part of the ritual to make the connection to the Place of Fright is walking the path. This Mr. Wyndam-Price person had this all placed after he left, so he’s the only one in the inner temple. If no one walked the path, he’d be able to take any dangers on the way out with his new non-human status. If someone triggered it, he’d be safely out of the way in the innermost part of the temple, and it would serve as a good protection.
But they can’t just stand here and do nothing, so the danger ahead really doesn’t matter. It’s the only path they can walk to get there.
“We’ll need to keep moving, but it’ll probably get weird and dangerous. Mr. Wyndam-Price used a spell that will connect us to the Mayan underworld when we walk it,” she explains, finally, when she’s able to put words together, and Robin grimaces.
“I was hoping we’d be done with underworlds for a while,” he gripes jokingly. He judges she’ll be able to stand (correctly) and helps her to her feet.
“Let us hope this is just a brief visit,” Captain Von Stroheim states tightly, and well.
It’s obvious why she wasn’t promoted to morale officer. At Darling’s blink, she huffs a laugh and willfully loosens her shoulders. That’s a very useful skill. Darling wishes she could do that. Maybe the Captain could teach her?
Darling tries to think of what Jojo would say in this instance. She doesn’t actually know the first option, because it’d probably be some pop culture reference she’s never heard of, so she has to fall back on the second option: something optimistic. It’s not quite natural thinking this way, but it could definitely be an improvement, if she keeps it up. “At least we have recent experience, so we’ll have a better idea of what we’re facing?”
Robin laughs, which makes her feel a little better about all of this. She’s not doing terribly.
They begin walking, and instantly all of Darling’s hairs are standing up. Like her brain knows something it’s not sharing. Are those scorpions moving underfoot? Did that one just move on the wall? Are they being watched? She can’t escape this feeling of awareness, like someone or something knows they’re here.
She can feel the similarities between this and the Moon-Spider’s Underworld, especially in the uncanny way this feels like the real world but it’s also pretty obvious it isn’t at the same time. But there are differences, too, ones she can’t put her finger on just yet. She’ll be patient with herself; she’s trying to process whatever extra information Whisper’s feeding her; of course she’ll be slower thinking.
Beyond that, visible in the flickering light of the torches, are a band of reddish brown stones, followed by a band of white—the river of blood and the river of pus. Eww. At least it wasn’t literal—although maybe it’d become that way when they cross it? Hopefully not; that would be disgusting.
She’ll know soon. It doesn’t look like it’s changing now, but it might. Because she gets the feeling she’s just at the threshold, on the verge of throwing herself into an abyss, but she’s the guide and she’s got the blessing of a god and she has to be brave. Even if she’s not feeling it, even if they’re braver than she is. She’d come along knowing the risk because she didn’t want the world to end. And it’s not like they can get far without a guide. She has to be brave. For Jojo and Mr. Speedwagon, so they’ll be proud of her. So they head deeper on the road to Xibalba.
Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Getting through this temple is not going to be as easy as they hoped.
Word Count: 1118
Rating: Teen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS
Mr. Brown rushes to her side, glow already beginning around his hands. He’s worried, but his breathing hasn’t changed. That must be what makes him a professional. “Darling! Are you all right? What did that demon do?”
It’s a moment to answer, as the words are devoured by the pain. “Black jaguar,” she corrects, shakily, answers transmitting through Whisper’s eyes. “Whisper sees what the Vision Serpent needs to show.” She manages a smile at Mr. Brown, even as he heals her and eases the pain. “You’ve got your guide.”
The Captain moves over her protectively, but doesn’t put the throwing daggers away. It’s fair enough. She understands their skepticism, but is still trying to line it all up in her own mind, so can’t exactly provide all the answers she’d like, and the headache doesn’t help in that regard.
Perhaps if Jojo or Mr. Speedwagon were still here, they’d have known what to look for without the need for any outside help like strange black jaguar gods. She’d hadn’t thought mythology knowledge was too practical, but a brief acquaintance with Jojo has shown it absolutely is useful.
One of the most important revelations is that this isn’t a Mayan structure. She can’t be sure what it is, of course. Balam hadn’t given that much knowledge, apparently. That, or maybe the Mayan god had believed the answers to be obvious? Or perhaps it simply wasn’t relevant for now? They need to meet back up with Jojo or Fitz soon (or, well, hopefully both) so they can explain, because if anyone would know, they would.
But she can see the changes Mr. Wyndam-Price made, or maybe someone working for him. Not like they couldn’t normally, but they probably wouldn’t even have noticed, far more worried about potential traps or enemies than any decoration.
The stones in the corridor directly in front of them have been recently replaced. And she recognizes the style, too. She’s not one of those art people who could just say, ‘yes, that’s a perfect example of the insert art style here variety, note the delightful care taken in the subtle details’, but she can at least recognize it. These were made by that one artist Stand User lady, the one who’s now dead. Of course, they’re not statues, just carved images on stone blocks, but there’s something brash and in your face about the way the woman expressed herself. She’d tried to imitate the Mayan style because she was asked, probably, but even then, her personality shines through.
It’s a bunch of scorpions. Line after line of them. And some part of her—Whisper—knows that this is the symbolic River of Scorpions, perhaps transformed slightly with magic. Not enough that there are real scorpions, but then, once the connection with Xibalba was established, he probably thought he’d be safe enough that he wouldn’t need to let loose a bunch of highly poisonous scorpions that could hurt him.
And then there’s something else—no one else had got this far. Part of the ritual to make the connection to the Place of Fright is walking the path. This Mr. Wyndam-Price person had this all placed after he left, so he’s the only one in the inner temple. If no one walked the path, he’d be able to take any dangers on the way out with his new non-human status. If someone triggered it, he’d be safely out of the way in the innermost part of the temple, and it would serve as a good protection.
But they can’t just stand here and do nothing, so the danger ahead really doesn’t matter. It’s the only path they can walk to get there.
“We’ll need to keep moving, but it’ll probably get weird and dangerous. Mr. Wyndam-Price used a spell that will connect us to the Mayan underworld when we walk it,” she explains, finally, when she’s able to put words together, and Robin grimaces.
“I was hoping we’d be done with underworlds for a while,” he gripes jokingly. He judges she’ll be able to stand (correctly) and helps her to her feet.
“Let us hope this is just a brief visit,” Captain Von Stroheim states tightly, and well.
It’s obvious why she wasn’t promoted to morale officer. At Darling’s blink, she huffs a laugh and willfully loosens her shoulders. That’s a very useful skill. Darling wishes she could do that. Maybe the Captain could teach her?
Darling tries to think of what Jojo would say in this instance. She doesn’t actually know the first option, because it’d probably be some pop culture reference she’s never heard of, so she has to fall back on the second option: something optimistic. It’s not quite natural thinking this way, but it could definitely be an improvement, if she keeps it up. “At least we have recent experience, so we’ll have a better idea of what we’re facing?”
Robin laughs, which makes her feel a little better about all of this. She’s not doing terribly.
They begin walking, and instantly all of Darling’s hairs are standing up. Like her brain knows something it’s not sharing. Are those scorpions moving underfoot? Did that one just move on the wall? Are they being watched? She can’t escape this feeling of awareness, like someone or something knows they’re here.
She can feel the similarities between this and the Moon-Spider’s Underworld, especially in the uncanny way this feels like the real world but it’s also pretty obvious it isn’t at the same time. But there are differences, too, ones she can’t put her finger on just yet. She’ll be patient with herself; she’s trying to process whatever extra information Whisper’s feeding her; of course she’ll be slower thinking.
Beyond that, visible in the flickering light of the torches, are a band of reddish brown stones, followed by a band of white—the river of blood and the river of pus. Eww. At least it wasn’t literal—although maybe it’d become that way when they cross it? Hopefully not; that would be disgusting.
She’ll know soon. It doesn’t look like it’s changing now, but it might. Because she gets the feeling she’s just at the threshold, on the verge of throwing herself into an abyss, but she’s the guide and she’s got the blessing of a god and she has to be brave. Even if she’s not feeling it, even if they’re braver than she is. She’d come along knowing the risk because she didn’t want the world to end. And it’s not like they can get far without a guide. She has to be brave. For Jojo and Mr. Speedwagon, so they’ll be proud of her. So they head deeper on the road to Xibalba.
