JoJo's Bizarre AU

[ripetuto]

Cascada: A hamon wielder who resides on Air Supplena Island. She largely isn't involved with Joseph and Caesar's training, since her focus is on the healing side of the practice. Looks up to Lisa Lisa a great deal, and treats the boys like they're her rowdy little brothers.

Zappa, Turner, Joplin, & Garcia: A quartet of Stand-users who work for the Speedwagon Foundation.

Lucrezia Stelline, Sara Canestrelli, & Natale Amaretto: A trio of back-alley doctors who work at a clinic in Naples affiliated with Passione. All three have Stands.

Lia Brooks: An American sixteen year old stuck in Italy after a vacation gone horribly wrong. Shot by some assholes, saved by Bucciarati, subsequently joined Passione and his team. Stand name is Astral Romance, which grants her some batshit durability and also shoot-em-up mechanics via flower petals.

Prompto Argentum: Another child of Dio's, he and Bucciarati meet when Bucciarati stumbles into his hideaway after a fight. Stand name is Paparazzi, a Stand that looks like a camera that allows Prompto to affect anyone shown in the picture.

"Nines": A teenager of unknown origin who seems to be anywhere and everywhere at once. Formerly a member of a group of twisted Stand users, recently left this group to wander around and learn what he can on his own. Stand name is Puppet Loosely Strung, which allows him to take over another person's actions for a time; however, the longer he stays in the more psychic backlash he feels when he leaves, and if he is in for too long, he risks losing himself.

Yuu: A transfer student who attended Giorno's school up until being stabbed by Black Sabbath's Stand arrow, and is then left with little choice but to join Passione. Stand name is Jar of Hearts, which allows for the collection and storage of others' injuries, thus healing them. These injuries cannot be stored indefinitely and have to be inflicted on something or someone within a certain amount of time or else Yuu will take the brunt of the damage themself. Has a sub-Stand ability called Heartbreaker, allowing for Yuu to weaponize their own physical and emotional pain.

Comments

[ripetuto]

[He sighs.]

Just...work shit. Everything started out perfect before nose-diving into bullshit.

[nellacerniera]

Ah.

[A pause.]

... Hey, I know this isn't really the sort of relationship we have, and you can totally tell me to back off if I'm overstepping or anything, but... If you need someone to talk to or even just a shoulder to lean on, or... anything at all, really, just ask, okay?

[ripetuto]

[He glances at Bruno, not necessarily uncomfortable with the offer just...unsure.]

It's nothing, really. What kid hasn't grown up to have his dreams dashed, after all.

[nellacerniera]

I mean, that doesn't sound like nothing to me. It still sucks.

[... he thinks. He's not even sure he remembers having a dream to be dashed.]

[ripetuto]

Maybe. Or maybe I'm just an idiot for thinking I could make any kind of change.

[nellacerniera]

[He just frowns worriedly as he keeps rubbing Leone's back.]

[ripetuto]

[And Leone lets him, because he's weak and this feels nice and why bother pretending he's anything but weak? He gives in the moment it gets to be too much. That's just what he does.

At least Bruno is better than his other vices of choice. He guesses.]

Fuck, this isn't why you come here...

[nellacerniera]

Maybe not, but you're still my friend and I care about you. I want to help however I can. Even if it's just something small like this.

[ripetuto]

[Leone looks over at Bruno before setting his beer down and leaning in to kiss him.

If he keeps this up, Leone's going to fall for him. He doesn't want to taint the one good thing he has right now with something like that. The second he falls, this all goes away.]

[nellacerniera]

[And a kiss Leone will get.

... yeah. He's going to just... try to be here for Leone however he can, unless he's told to back off. He cares too much and he knows it. He always does.]

[ripetuto]

[Leone lets Bruno stay, lets him come over and keep this relationship of theirs going. It's nice. Uncomplicated. Safe.

Until his partner is shot by that fucking pimp. The day before the internal review finishes, Leone calls Bruno one last time. He knows what the verdict will be. He knows the story will be in the newspaper, even if it won't be on the front page.

He's glad it goes to the answering machine.]

Bruno, it's Leone. [A shaky breath.] Leone Abbacchio. Do yourself a favor and check the papers tomorrow, or maybe the next day. You deserve to know just what kind of fucking dumbass I am. You're not going to hear from me again, don't worry. Just...you meant a lot. Mean a lot. That's why I'm ending this.

[And that's that. Hopefully Bruno will listen and write him off as a fun time that ended poorly. Just like everything else in Abbacchio's life.]

[nellacerniera]

[Bruno hears the message the next day.

He checks the papers.

His heart sinks.

It takes all of a day or two to pass before Bruno decides hm, no, fuck that, actually. He's tracking Leone down. Fugo convinces him to give it another day or two so Leone can have a little time.

He listens, so a couple more days pass, but after that... he will find Leone.]

[ripetuto]

[He's a hard man to find now. His apartment isn't empty, just empty of Abbacchio whenever Bruno checks, and his neighbors haven't seen him (and frankly, don't want to after reading the papers). Someone at the club says they think they saw him slinking from bar to bar the other night, but that's the only lead Bruno gets.

Until it's late and it's raining and Abbacchio is stumbling through an alleyway to...somewhere.]

[nellacerniera]

[It's... better than nothing, he guesses.

It's actually a coincidence that Bruno's in that alleyway himself, taking a breather after taking care of some Passione business.

And that's when he spots Leone.]

Leone!

[He's rushing over and holding his umbrella over both of them and God, he might just be about to cry--]

[ripetuto]

[He looks up, surprised to hear anyone calling his name--]

Bruno?

[He stumbles closer and reaches out to grab the other's jacket.]

Where...where'd you come from? This isn't the club, or my apartment.

[nellacerniera]

I was taking care of... [... Hm.] ... work stuff.

[But when Leone stumbles closer and grabs his jacket, Bruno wraps an arm around him to pull him closer.]

[ripetuto]

Sorry to show up like this, then. Bet you were glad to get rid of me.

[Weak, he is so weak. Bruno wraps an arm around him and he goes.]

[nellacerniera]

No, I wasn't-- I've been looking for you!

[God. He laughs, but it's clear it's just to keep from crying.]

... Sorry. I'm... terribly selfish, I'm afraid. I didn't... I didn't want to lose you.

[ripetuto]

You--what? Even after...?

[He kind of disappeared after having his life ruined, Bruno. He's kind of the worst.

(As if that's not a perfectly reasonable response to all of that, when it comes down to it.)]

[nellacerniera]

Yeah, even after all of that.

[It's perfectly reasonable!]

I... have a lot I need to tell you, but let's get out of the rain first, okay? My place isn't far.

[ripetuto]

A-alright. Your roommate?

[nellacerniera]

Out for the night.

[Polpo apparently had some work he needed Fugo specifically to take care of, and while Bruno doubts that, he's not about to question it.

He starts leading Leone out of the alleyway.]

[ripetuto]

[And Leone goes, clinging somewhat desperately to Bruno. His make-up's a mess and he has to be getting it on Bruno's nice white suit but fuck it. Bruno knows he's a fuck up. This is to be expected.]

[nellacerniera]

[And Bruno leads Leone inside, only letting go of him to grab a couple of towels and then pulling Leone to the sofa once they're both dry enough.

Once they're sitting down, he pulls Leone into his arms.]

[ripetuto]

[He just sits there and lets Bruno dry him off; it's not until Bruno pulls him into his arms that Leone reacts at all again, this time to almost crawl into Bruno's lap.]

Did you read the papers?