Reverse Card
Author's Note: Hey everyone I just finished Stardust Crusaders and have come down from a creative high with the Jojo info I overloaded on so here is my incoherent rambling mess. This is the first chapter of my story idea and the standard of writing I expect the next writer to uphold if they choose to adopt it.
Chapter 1: A Bad Start
"Ugh! Oobleck is insane! He says he expects us to take notes but how the heck can we do that if he never slows the hell down!" Yang Xiao Long the blonde beauty of Beacon moaned shaking out her hand in an exaggerated motion to relieve cramps.
"Come now Yang it's not that hard you just have to get a steady rhythm and remember the last four sentences." Weiss Schnee heir apparent to the Schnee Dust Company and Beacon's untouchable queen (Or as her friends like to say Ice Queen) said giving a patronizing wag of the finger.
"Oh really? Then I guess you wouldn't mind showing the rest of the notes I missed." Yang said effectively trapping the Schnee in her own words.
"Oh er see I would but I don't have it, it's… in class yes it's definitely in class and not in my back pack."
Yang 'hmmed' in response but her smirk let Weiss know she had won. Team RWBY was spending their Friday night walking around town looking for entertainment as one would predict for a group of young women would even if they are elite warrior huntresses. That being said they had already gone to the movies, arcade, shopping and several clubs they were not officially allowed in, and it was still only 9 o'clock. Yet the girls were reluctant to call it a night since that would mean going back to their dorm and facing certain boredom.
"Oh Weiss you got all the notes! That's great! I missed a ton of stuff when Oobleck was talking about the establishment of combining Aura into architecture." Ruby the peppy leader/mascot of team RWBY looked in awe at the Schnee's apparent ability to write at inhuman speeds.
"Well-" Wiess however was saved by Blake whether intentional or not the heiress was still grateful.
"You guys wanna check out a seafood place a couple blocks from here? I've been meaning to show you guys it." Blake said eager for any chance to eat the delicacies of her aquatic natural prey.
"Sounds like a plan!" Yang said clapping Blake on the back.
"As long as it's a sit down I'm not having fast food this late." Weiss stated.
"We can't take too long I still gotta tune up Crescent Rose before we go to bed."
Narrator: These four girls make up the one day legendary team RWBY. Though each intelligent and talented on their own together they formed the most promising first year team of Beacon although they could never know their team's destiny is tied to the fate of all Remnant! However much like two great forces are attracted to each other so are two great destinies. No one could know but this night marks the night that the fate of Team RWBY wove inseparably together with the Bizarre Adventures of the Joestar family legacy, a miracle that was walking toward them. 17 year old Jotaro Kujo was making his way through the streets of Vale a practical Giant he moved with an unintentional menace.
Jotaro "Jojo" Kujo was deep in thought while still incredibly young he held on his shoulders the weight of the Joestar family. While no one is sure what caused Jotaro to become the man he is today one thing is for sure he was not to be messed with.
'The old man sent me here to meet with an acquaintance to ask what he knows about the spirit photograph but it's still bothering me. We tried PURPLE HERMIT Seven Times and each time the exact same image shows. Beacon Academy upside-down. Yare yare daze I thought I'd get a breather after spending all that time in the Vacuo dust lands.'
Jotaro was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't he didn't notice he bumped into a small figure clad in black and red who made an adorable 'eep' before falling down.
"Ow" Ruby said rubbing her head. "Sorry"
Jotaro was too distracted to hear her and simply kept walking.
"Hey" Yang said trying to get the tall stranger's attention.
"Hey!" She tried once again and once again no response.
You could almost see the tick mark appear on Yang's head.
"OI ASSHOLE!" Yang moved to grab Jotaro's coat. "I'M TALKING TO YOU!"
However Yang came on too hostile and Jotaro's natural defense came into play. To those not paying attention it looked as though Jotaro had thrown Yang on her back 7 feet from where he was. But Yang was paying attention and what she felt was what felt like a fist slamming into her gut. What the bizarre aspect of this was that the stranger didn't even turn around much less look like he punched her.
'Shit!' Jotaro thought alarmed. 'Damn it all I wasn't paying attention! Who the hell did I punch?!"
"YANG!" Yelled RWB Weiss and Ruby checking on her while Blake stared down the jacket wearing stranger. However their concern was unneeded as Yang jumped to her feet eyes red and hair blazing. She activated Ember Celica taking her signature Burning Dragon stance. The remaining members of RWBY backed away along with all the people surrounding them not wanting get caught in the crossfire especially since they had left their weapons in their lockers with Yang's being just a part of her outfit. Jotaro stared down his soon to be opponent.
"Yare yare daze."
"Huh?"
Jotaro sighed.
"Look I apologize for attacking you I was careless."
"Like I care! You made your bed now lie in it!"
"This doesn't need to escalate any more than it already has just take my apology and we don't have to see each other again."
"Like hell! I hate it when punks like you think you can do whatever you want."
Jotaro stared down the young bombshell. This didn't look like it was going end well. Yang suddenly leaped forward her fist cocked back to increase its power. Before she could make contact she was stopped mid lunge feeling as though she was being crushed by something large and hard. She looked in front of her and there was Jotaro 2 feet away while she was being held by a seemingly invisible force. She struggles to move her arms and kicked her legs in a vain attempt to break free from something she couldn't see. Her breath became harder and her chest ached as the force tightened.
"Stop struggling you're going to hurt yourself." Jotaro said calmly observing Yang struggle. She tried to use her aura but it only stopped the pain she was still under massive pressure to her chest and still couldn't breathe. Finally thinking fast she fired Ember Celica at the ground causing a small explosion making Jotaro flinch and the invisible force to let go. Yang immediately jumped away breathing hard and regaining her composure. She stared down the muscular stranger noticing his pants were charred.
'Strange' Yang thought. 'He wasn't that close to the blast.'
Yang threw her fist forward firing a shotgun shell at Jotaro but exploded 3 meters mid-air before it hit him. Frustrated she fired a continuous stream each time being blocked or sent in another direction by what Yang assumed was telekinesis.
She stopped to take a breather her body tense waiting for the Joestar bad boy to take the opportunity to strike. Suddenly she was hit by a burning feeling in her cheek. It burned but was only irrating. Yang didn't even have time to wonder what it was before something slammed into her face the exact same spot that was burning. She was sent to the ground her head still spinning from the blow her teammates calling her name. While her aura took most of the damage the impact still left her dizzy as if her brain was rattling around her head. She slowly got up and saw that Jotaro was still in the same spot since the beginning of the fight which only served to piss her off. She forced herself to stand up despite the throbbing head. Almost immediately she felt the same burning as before only this time at the top of her head. Perhaps but luck or maybe instinct she leaned her body back and felt a familiar swish of air in front of her. Yang had been in countless fist fights, enough to know that that swish meant the opponent had just missed a hit. On pure muscle memory she threw a strong right jab in front of her and felt it hit something hard. Yang was shocked but almost immediately the hard object withdrew from her reach. At this point her vision had cleared up and she saw clearly that her opponent was rubbing the right of his stomach looking at her with a curious expression. Yang was confused but didn't have to process as the burning felling returned this time on her stomach with a split second decision Yang was known for she decided to trust this unexplainable warning system and blocked her stomach which was a moment later hit with the force of a freight train. Yang grunted but remained sturdy and returned with a two punch combo. Jotaro grunted.
'This bitch is weird' He thought. 'At first she couldn't fight against me like a normal person but she blocked those last two attacks. Can she really see my attacks or did she just get lucky? If she had the same power as me she would've seen the previous attacks coming but she was caught completely unaware.'Jotaro calmly studied the blonde beauty. 'Wait. … Don't tell me. Her powers only awakened when she was attacked by me.' The Blonde was tensing up ready to go on the offensive. 'I'd better test out my theory this girl might be the reason I'm here in the first place.'
Yang was once again warned of an attack from the invisible force in three spots. She blocked the first two blows and dodged the last. She countered but her fist only met air. Confused she jumped back unsure why her fist didn't connect this time.
Suddenly she felt her whole body burn too many to tell where the attack would come from but whether triggered by the attack or her own panic she saw the force that had been attacking her, though perhaps saw wasn't the right word as she only could view a purple figure in very little detail basically just being a see through mist of purple in the shape of a human. Reacting immediately she sent her fist towards it stomach area halt the attack a throwing the figure back. Yang now being able to see the attack fired the shot gun round into it upper body each time exploding and continued this until he clips ran out and was forced to reload. While she paused the purple figure receded back into the black clad teen disappearing from view. Yang paused, her eyes on high alert waiting for him to send and another attack.
"So you're able to see them?" Jotaro asked.
Yang didn't answer instead say.
"I know your trick now so it doesn't matter where you attack from!"
"Hmph let's compare raw power then."
Yangs eyes turned red rushing forward.
"Let's go!"
Jotaro leaned back while pointing his finger at Yang. (Jotaro's signature pose)
"STAR PLATINUM!"
The purple human shaped attack rushed forward with what looked like a fist cocked back while Yang did the same. Once that met they unleashed a barrage of punches at inhuman speeds all of the either countering a blow from their opponent or hitting their body with the force for a truck neither attacker giving an inch as they continued to assault each other. Yang was more skilled and was countering more hits but was unable to keep up with the speed of the purple figure however she was getting faster. With each blow she received her Semblance increased her physical strength and speed equal to several times the amount of Aura she lost. When she felt her aura reach a quarter of her maximum she started going full blast knowing her power had just exceeded her transparent attacker. She swayed left and right using her own move modified from the boxing technique known as the 'Dempsy Roll' she felt the attacker being pushed back even though his punches didn't decrease in speed or power. Yang started adding Dust rounds by firing Ember Celica along with her attacks feeling confident in her victory of this test of strength.
Almost as if Jotaro had felt her hubris he decided to stop playing around.
Suddenly the purple Spector's power, speed, and accuracy of its barrage increased exponentially far outpacing Yang's own by a wide margin. While the additional damage dealt raised Yang's power it wasn't nearly enough to match the onslaught of strikes. Yang switched to solely defense knowing her own punches would just be countered and while she was able to block most of the hits her aura had already dropped to a tenth. Had Yang been able to focus own anything other than defense then she would have noticed the ghost like being had started a battle cry around the same time he stopped holding back.
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"
Jotaro knowing this was the end decided to finish this quickly without causing permanent damage. He commanded Star Platinum adjust the power for the finish.
Yang was then punched in the stomach with more power than she'd felt in a while knocking the wind out of her mouth and she instinctively hunched over and clutched her stomach with both hands while the Phantom threw a crushing uppercut right to her chin sending her flying a good five feet in the air before hitting the ground on her back with a morbid thud although she was out cold before she'd even hit the ground.
Yang Xiao Long had lost a fist fight for the second time in her life to a person that hadn't taken a single step.
"YANG!" Her three weaponless teammates cried who immediately went to their comrade's side to check on her wellbeing, Blake feeling her pulse and checking for major injuries while Weiss kept her head elevated on her lap. Ruby having no knowledge on first aid kept guard watching the stranger that had beaten her sister into unconsciousness, glaring intensely more so than any one that cute should've been able to.
However the Jotaro ignored her and kept his eyes trained on the girl he'd just knocked out although he was not observing her for worry for her health. This is not to suggest that Jotaro was so cold hearted that he did not care for the safety of a young girl merely that he was sure enough in Star Platinum's precision that it'd be able to knock someone out without causing sever or even sizeable injury. Jotaro was observing the girl her teammates had referred to as Yang because of the implications this one teen possessed.
'I guess what gramps said was true.' Jotaro pondered. 'People like us are tied by the strings of fate, we are destined to meet.'
"Freeze!" Yelled an intruding voice, Jotaro glanced sideways seeing that was two cops pointing their pistols at Jotaro. "You're under arrest for conspiring to assassinate a councilman!"
"…"
"Burns" Said the other cop. "They said a 2045 not a 2044."
"You're under arrest for illegal toenail trafficking!"
"… Detective Burns have you read the new coding format?"
"I don't need stinking codes to see what's going on! These delinquents are in a turf ware for Toenail trafficking routes!"
"Sir we've been over this the Hangnail Mafia was taken out years ago!"
"They're just waiting for the moment to strike Higgans!"
'To whatever force out there that controls our fates.' Jotaro thought. 'Give me an excuse to beat down these morons.'
Vale Police Station
Jotaro was sitting at a desk in a dark room with a single hanging light. Jotaro sat with his arms crossed as well as his legs and his eyes closed looking completely relaxed. Suddenly the door to the room slammed open and walked in a single gruff looking man. He dropped a folder down on the desk and plopped down on the chair opposite of Jotaro.
"Jotaro Kujo, age 17, born to a Mantelian mother Holy Kujo, maiden name Holy Joestar, and a Mistralian father Sadao Kujo, a Musician part of the band 'King' who are currently on tour in the outer regions of Vale."
Jotaro didn't even acknowledge the officer was there. He was as still as a statue.
"Birthed in Atlas but raised since age 4 in Mistral. Straight A student when exceptional grades in Science specifically Biology. Graduated a year early and is currently working with your grandfather Joseph Joestar owner of Joestar Real a State and a Major Shareholder in the Speedwagon Foundation. You are currently the heir apparent to 1/3 of his fortune and all of his Stock and Shareholdings. That makes you the Heir Apparent of the largest company to be created in the last forty years."
Still like statue.
"However you also an extensive police record. Public disturbances, Assault, and Destruction of Property, you've never been convicted for any of these all due to every situation being a case of self-defense."
"…"
The officer growled and slammed his fist down on the desk. "But that's not the case this time is it?! You attacked a girl on the street with no provocation, not only that, she was a student of beacon!"
"…"
The officer sneered. "You think you're gonna get off scot free rich boy?! What? Do you just get off on beating girls?! Bet that make you feel all big and strong you punk!"
"…"
"You can try to hold the tough guy act as long as you want we've got all night you're not going anywhere for a good long-"
*Beep Beep Beep*
The officer's scroll went off signaling a call.
"You gonna get that?" Jotaro said finally breaking his silence.
The officer narrowed his eyes before pulling out his scroll and accepted the call without seeing who it is.
"What?"
The officers eyes widened as the voice on the other ends responded.
"Headmaster! What is it?"
"…"
"Yes he's right here, don't worry we're takin-"
"…"
"B-but sir he assaulted one of yo-"
"…"
"Yes I know the girl wasn't severely harmed but-"
"…"
"Y-yes sir" The officer grit his teeth as he shoved his scroll in his pocket. He turned to Jotaro and raised an accusing finger.
"I need a ride to the school." Jotaro stated before the officer could reprimand him. "Wouldn't want cause any more trouble before I get there."
Beacon Academy: Headmaster's Office
"Honestly of all rash irresponsible idiotic stunts you've pulled Miss Xiao Long this easily makes the top!" Glynda Goodwitch known as the responsible parent in the two heads of authority of Beacon Academy was pacing back a forth not for her own sake but because she knew that it built a sense of tension in the student she was lecturing. Yang had been surprised when she woke up in the Beacon medical wing and even more so when she was ushered into the Headmaster's Office and saw her would be assaulter sitting across from Ozpin and Glynda. "Fighting on a busy sidewalk, using live Dust rounds in a crowded area, activating your semblance against a civilian, and most of all embarrassing the school by getting the police involved! Oh you're going to be working this off for a long time young lady and further more-"
"Actually" Jotaro said speaking for the first time Yang had entered the room. "She's only did what was natural."
Glynda leveled her icy glare and the young Joestar heir.
"Pardon?"
"She had only attempted to get my attention and I had reacted violently out of instinct. She simply retaliated to my attack. The sins of this event lie with me alone."
"…"
"Well" Ozpin said taking a sip of his coffee. "It seems we've reached a consensus. Miss Xiao Long you are free to go."
Yang rather stunned by her defense at the stranger's hands simply walked toward the elevator that led out of the gear filled room staring quite openly at her tall assailant.
"We need to talk before you go to your room. I'll see you once I'm done here." Jotaro stated as soon as Yang entered the elevator which closed before she could respond.
"Young Man I don't know who you think you are but attacking a huntress even one in training is nothing short-"
"There's no point Glynda." Ozpin interrupted.
"Sir?"
"After all only Stand users can judge Stand users. Isn't that right Mr. Kujo?"
"Hn" Jotaro grunted.
"I must confess when Joseph gave me your profile I thought he was exaggerating like he often does but after seeing you take our second best first year huntress-"
"Cut the small talk shit teach I didn't travel half way across the world to receive a pat-on the back." Jotaro said coldly Glynda looked outraged and was about to show it before Ozpin held his hand up in a calming gesture.
"Very well if you would be so kind as to inform us the details of this." Ozpin held up a copy of the same photo Jotaro kept in his pocket of an upside down Beacon Academy.
"… As you know the old man's Stand HERMIT PURPLE allows for limited clairvoyance in the form of Spirit Photography, Spirit Scrying, and Spirit Television. It can be used for finding a person or place however the less information you have on the thing you're seeking the more vague the photo. When used without an objective in mind it simply shows an image representing danger whether it is current or future." Jotaro adjusted his hat.
"So you believe this photo represents a threat to Beacon?" Ozpin questioned.
"Or that Beacon will become a threat."
"HOW DARE YO-" Glynda started having enough of this delinquent who apparently held greater authority than she had initially thought but had in her eyes not earned the right to make such accusations.
"Glynda!" Ozpin stated firmly despite the immediate calming effect it had on her. "Please continue Jotaro."
"Those were my two main theories at least on the trip over here."
"Something changed?"
"How much information have you been given about Stands teach?"
"Only the basics, I know that a stand is a physical manifestation of one's mental and spiritual being, that Stands only manifest in those who have Hamon potential suggesting that they have the same root, that a Stand cannot be developed through any known means, and that they can't be seen by those who have no Stand or Stand potential. I also know that before a hundred years ago the amount of Stand users from the last millennium were a total of 13. However in the current century there are-"
"21 documented users with another 11 rumored. 7 friendly to neutral, 8 incarcerated, 2 reformed, and 4 currently being monitored."
"Quite unusually how so many appeared in the same generation isn't?"
"Not as strange as this next part."
Ozpin leaned back a took a sip of his mug.
"While I was fight your student, she was able to obtain the ability to see my Stand in the in the middle of the fight."
"That's impossible." Glynda dismissed.
"This world's too big to rule out the impossible."
"…"
"Please help me understand." The headmaster said resting his chin on his folded fingers. "You're saying that Miss Xiao Long has become a Stand user?"
"No" Jotaro stated plainly. "But she has gained the ability to perceive Stands and it only grew in strength the longer our fight went on meaning that the potential to manifest a Stand has awakened inside her."
"I see, but I'm afraid I don't see what this has to do with the Spirit Photograph your grandfather sent me." Jotaro stood up and walked to Ozpins desk and pulled out a small disk no bigger than his fingernail and placed it onto the scanning portion the computerized counter. It scanned immediately before activating a two holograms showing two lists. The one on the left with 10 names each with a tarot card on the left of the name and a picture of a person (Except for the sword and animal) on the right with each name being from the ancient dead Vacuo faith of Ra-mat. The list to the right was formatted the same way but with the modern Tarot cards with all lined up by number except that 11 of the spots where faces were shown were blank and the top spot was simply and black rectangle with the words 'Classified' in white.
"40 years ago the natural born stand user Ramses Avdol made a death fortune and predicted the appearance of 10 Stand users representing the Gods of the original Tarot. This fortune has already come to pass."
Ozpin gestured with his hands and took a closer look at the left list while Jotaro continued.
"Twenty years ago his son , another natural Stand user Ammon Avdol, made another prediction, that another 22 Stand users representing the modern tarot would appear after his father's prediction came to pass."
Ozpin moved to the right list and pressed on the name third from the top revealing his information.
"And 5 months ago after the Stand user conflict was settled in the Vacuo Dust Lands, Muhammad Avdol, the grandson of Ramses Avdol, and nephew of Ammon Avdol, predicted that exact same prediction as his uncle however this time every Tarot Card was reversed from his uncles."
"… I'm surprised Mr. Kujo." Ozpin said looking a Jotaro as if he was trying to figure out the chemical makeup of his body, an uncomfortable yet strangely flattering gaze.
"Hn?"
"I didn't pick you for the type to put so much stock in fate."
Jotaro walked back to his chair and sat down while letting out a breath.
"If you're asking if I believe in God or some shit like that you looking at a dead end, but even I'm not stubborn enough to ignore a pattern when it's handed to me on a silver platter."
"I see. So from what I can gather this Avdol family is a family of Stand users with clairvoyant abilities."
"No" Jotaro stated causing the wise headmaster to raise an eyebrow. "Their prediction rate is average at best, except when making predictions about Stands and their users."
"And you have a theory on that?"
"… Have you ever heard of the old Mistral saying 'Connected by the Red String of Destiny'?
"Yes, quite the charming phrase if I may say so."
"While it's not a romantic connection in the least the old man believes that all Stand users are also destined to meet."
"…"
"When in the Vacuo Dust Lands more times than not we found the Stand users out of sheer luck, almost like we were being pushed to meet."
"And you believe these predictions are another method of this… movement?"
"But what does it all mean?" Glynda said growing rather impatient with not getting any straight answers.
Jotaro took out a cigarette and put it to his lips while it seemingly lit itself. He took a long drag before exhaling.
"I believe that this school is home to or will soon be home to the Stand users of the reverse Tarot cards the opposites of the current 21 Stand users of the Tarot.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You can't be serious?" Glynda said in disbelief.
"I'm serious, just not sure."
"21 Stand users are what just going to appear out of thin air? I've been closely monitoring these students since they got here, some of them I've been training for 3 years, I would've noticed if they suddenly started gaining supernatural powers."
"… Not if the first one started to manifest only tonight."
"Yang Xiao Long" Ozpin stated, finally caught up to the young Kujo's train of thought. "You believe her to be one of these Reverse Cards?"
"There has never been any record of one Stand user awakening the same power in another. It's not like Aura it can't be unlocked by exposure or training. You either have it or you don't. Even something that can create a Stand can't do it to a person without the potential."
"But why would Stands suddenly appear randomly?"
Jotaro took another drag before responding.
"Your aware of the law of polarity right?"
"Everything in existence has an opposite-"
"And if that opposite doesn't one will be created to even the universe out."
Ozpin leaned back seemly taking the news rather smoothly. Miss Goodwitch on the other hand clenched her riding crop looking like her brain was running a mile a minute.
"Is there any way to confirm or disprove this theory?" Ozpin said calmly.
"One" Jotaro pulled out a deck of 22 cards. "Avdol gave me these before I left, makes me wondering if he knew all this was going to go down."
"W-what? You're going to leave the fate of these children perhaps this school to playing cards!" Glynda questioned incredulously.
"Stand users are drawn to each other if the world is trying to push us together then it'll influence the cards."
Ozpin pushed up his glasses.
"What results would confirm your theory?"
"The World Arcana has yet to be revealed. Not even a sniff of a rumor if the girl pulls that card then that simply means she was the missing arcana and my theory's main basis is gone. If she pulled out a random card that's meaning reverse or right side doesn't match her like Priestess or Tower then that means none of the arcana are hers since it the choice was at random also another dead end."
"And if she draws the card we're both thinking of?"
"Then this trip will last a lot longer than I thought."
Ozpin sighed rubbing his eyes.
"Well then our next course of action is clear, you shouldn't keep the young lady waiting any longer than necessary."
"Tch She ain't no lady. With a punch like that she's an Ursa."
"Please don't address our students in such a manner Mr. Kujo." Glynda scolded.
"I'm not talking shit about her, it just means she's tougher than the bitches I have to deal with."
Jotaro walked to the elevator and was sent down to meet the person of interest in the lobby. After a few minutes of silence Glynda was the first to speak.
"Sir what's your plan?'
Ozpin sipped his coffee.
"First we will observe the two in the lobby."
"And if it turns out to be true?"
"… Then I believe we should consider hiring a consultant."
Beacon Academy: Entrance Lobby
"Alright start talking bub!" Yang said confronting Jotaro almost as soon as he exited the elevator.
"Yare yare daze your really are always at full throttle aren't you?"
"Don't brush me off! You could've gotten me in major trouble but you took all the blame. Why?"
"It's like I said the fight was my fault. If I let you take the blame I'd be a worse scum bag than I already am."
Jotaro stared down the crimson eye that glared at him. The blonde obviously wasn't done but didn't look she was gonna come out and say it without proding.
"Something else you wanna ask?"
"What the hell was that purple thing you were using to fight? I asked my team about but they didn't see anything, heck I didn't see anything at first."
"… That's kind of a personal question, I don't really know you that well."
Yang continued to glare for a couple more moments before letting out a big sigh all the tension leaving her body as she hunched of over her eyes turning from red back to lilac. She straightened up putting her hand on the back of her neck suddenly looking bashful.
"I'm sorry."
Jotaro raised an eyebrow.
"I know you started the fight and frankly even now I kinda still think you're a dick. But you said you didn't attack me on purpose and even apologized after it happened but I didn't let go and escalated the whole thing cause of my temper. I was just as responsible but you took the full blame. So I'm sorry."
Jotaro took the butt of the cigarette out of his mouth a flicked it in the trash.
"… You got nothing to apologize for. I've done a lot worse to assholes who think they don't have to pay for their sins."
"Ugh just take the apology damn it, if you don't I'll be carrying this guilt around for weeks."
"If you feel so bad about it then you can make it up to me."
Yang raised her eyebrow and leaned back unsure about doing a strange boy a favor when she had previously tried to bash his face it.
"… What is it?"
Jotaro pulled out a deck of cards from his coat before shuffling the cards at high speeds in a display of skill then held them out to Yang on his palm.
"Pick a card."
"… Seriously?"
"Humor me." Jotaro said rolling his eyes.
"Whatever, I guess." Yang went to pick a card.
"Pick the card that feels most natural." Jotaro said before she could pick up the top card. "Make a first guess than a second then choose the one you would regret less."
Yang stopped as her hand hovered over the deck she suddenly felt a weight on her chest. Like somehow this choice was the most important of her life yet at the same time it felt like it wasn't a choice at all. Almost on instinct she took the top three cards off the deck putting them to the side and picking up the fourth from the top as her choice. She looked at the card.
"It's the Sun isn't it?
Yang starred at the card almost entranced by the image.
"H-huh?"
"Was it reversed when you drew it?
"No it's upright."
"That's good."
"…"
"…"
"So … you gonna tell what it means?"
Jotaro took his cigarette out of his mouth and tossed behind his back into a trash can.
"The Upright Sun Arcana represents joy, youth, success, and vitality. It is an Arcana of good fortune."
"Ha! Looks like drew the perfect card! That's me to a T."
"Yeah it is." Jotaro looked seriously at the girl in front of him. Yang grew uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Hey what's with the doom and gloom stare? I thought this was a good draw? What is it bad luck to pick it up on the first go? I'm not going to lose a limb am I?" Yang joked trying to get the ever stoic Jotaro to lighten up while she handed the card back.
"No" Jotaro adjusted his hat to cover his eyes. "Thank you for the help Xiao Long."
"Oi" Yang said irritated. "Only old people call me Xiao Long, you get to call me Yang."
"Hn" Jotaro grunted but put up no argument so Yang took that as agreement.
"And your name is Jotaro right?" Yang said smilling. "Or do you prefer Kujo?
"…Actually…" Jotaro said almost as if he didn't want to speak what he was planning to say. "You can call me Jojo."
There was a beat then another and suddenly Yang started snickering uncontrollably.
"Jojo! You took the Jo from your first name and the Jo from your last name and put them together!" Yangs screeched barely able to get the words out. Jotaro sighed knowing that he brought this on himself. "That's fucking hilarious!" She was finally able to get her laughter under control and wiped a tear from her eye. "Well I got to tell my team about this that's best joke I've heard in a while. I'll see you around *Snicker* Jojo!" She headed to the elevator which led to her dorm.
"… Yare yare daze."
Miles away From Vale in The Badlands
"So this is the real deal?" Said young women completely covered in a cloak looking down at the item in her hands. Although the cloak was clearly meant to simply hide her identity and not for stealth as it was bright neon blue with intricate patterns of white crossing back and forth.
"The Speedwagon foundation hasn't discovered this site yet so it's still standing and the artifacts are mostly intact." Replied another cloaked figure, his cloak was yellow but the thing the stood out about him was his voice it being so smooth and relaxing.
"I still don't think we should have this thing. It's what started all this it's the reason everything is going to shit." The girl looked at the item with contempt almost considering breaking it.
"Your right it did start all this." The man held out his hand and the girl gladly gave it the object to him. "But perhaps because it started everything it can bring it to an end as well." He held up the item to the moon revealing it to be a strange Stone Mask with twin fangs over top its lips.
To Be Continued…