Rosario and Joestar

[EvaUnit01]

Before heading back to the hotel, the two of you decide to get a picture together.

...and what a coincidence, there's one right over there.

You stoop down a little bit, to avoid hitting your head on the top of the door. Oh, good. This one has a bench instead of a single stool, like some others you've seen.

Mizore snuggles up against you, and you awkwardly put your arm around her. ...this feels wierd. Really, really wierd. ...Not like it's a bad kind of wierd, but it's definitely outside your standard mode of behavior.

Coins go in.

You attempt to mask your anxiousness and hesitation with a relaxed, cool expression.

Pictures, of about the right size to put in your wallet, come out.

....nailed it. You're lookin' cool as a cucumber. It's the same default 'stonefaced bastard' expression you always have. Jesus, you can't even read your own emotions properly?!
Time to head back to the hotel. Mizore seems a bit saddened that she has to loosen her hold on you when you hail a cab...
Come to think of it, you're only just now beginning to notice how much Mizore seems to enjoy physical and/or skin contact...
__________
You're back at the hotel room that Joseph reserved earlier.

"Now then, Jotaro. I trust you're prepared to begin your training?"

You nod. Mizore, mostly hidden behind you, observes quietly.

"Excellent. The two of us - make that the three of us," he adds on seeing... whatever Mizore's expression was... "will go to Witch Hill and make a cursory examination of the place to see if we can't get any information the mass disappearances. If those Newspaper Club friends of yours want to cooperate, they're welcome to."

You pull the brim of your hat down over your eyes. "And how, exactly, does this constitute Hamon training?"

"The disappearances come first. Once we get that settled, I'll see if I can't put you through some of the same hell I suffered at the hands of my trainer..."

...well, that definitely doesn't sound ominous. Nope, not at ominous at all.

______

Perspective change?

[]Tsukune.
[]Yukari.
[]Ruby.

 

[rikalous]

As promised alluded to as a possibility, I found time for a holiday omake this week. Behold the fruits of entire minutes researching Christmas traditions in Japan and elsewhere.
___________

Ah, Christmas Eve. A time for the lucky to be lovey-dovey with their significant others, the unlucky to resent their lack of a significant other to be lovey-dovey with, and one young man of rather debatable luck to cast desperately about for something, anything, to distract his growing collection of would-be significant others before anyone got upset or stabbed.

"Hey Yukari, are you looking forward to presents from Santa?" Tsukune was perhaps not the best in the world at thinking under pressure.

"Eh, my parents stopped giving me Christmas presents when I was six. I worked out the math to prove that even using time magic he couldn't possibly get to every house in one night, and they took me out for ice cream as a reward." Yukari smirked at Kurumu. "Yes, I'm afraid Santa isn't real. I know that must come as an awful shock."

Kurumu sniffed. "Please. I'm a succubus, you silly little girl. We know how to celebrate Christmas right, and it has nothing to do with some fat old man." She glommed onto Tsukune's arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Let me show you...<3"

Yeah, that distraction was a miserable failure.

Just when it seemed Tsukune was doomed to be subjected to a three-way tug-of-war, help came from an unexpected quarter. Jotaro and Mizore were usually content to stoically watch the antics of the rest of the group be Not Their Problem, but this time Mizore spoke up. "Christmas isn't just about Santa, you know. There's also the Krampus. He's a hairy giant with horns and a long tongue who whacks bad children in the legs with a stick."

"What the hell," inquired Tsukune.

"And if they've been really bad, he puts them in his sack and whisks them off to the underworld forever. My grandma used to tell me stories about him all the time."

"What the hell," repeated Tsukune, in case he wasn't clear the first time.

"I've read about something like that," mused Moka. "Except he took them to Spain, which never sounded like much of a punishment to me. Spain seems like a nice place."

"Seriously, what the hell. How did a day about a child-kidnapping maniac turn into something romantic?" asked Tsukune, who had by this point been distracted from the fact that he was trying to distract people from thoughts of romance.

"It makes perfect sense to me," said Mizore, glancing at Jotaro and smiling slightly. "A huge scary man beating up bad people? Very romantic." Can we hold hands?

Jotaro glowered fondly at her. Why not. It's Christmas.

It shouldn't have been cute. He was a violent delinquent. She was a creepy stalker. Put together they were about as emotive as half a person.

It shouldn't have been cute.

It shouldn't have made the others jealous.

It certainly shouldn't have lasted the way it did, long after most high school couples break up. But that, dear readers, is a story for another time.

 

[EvaUnit01]

You are Ruby Tojo, a Witch. You live at Witch Hill, with your beloved mistress Oyukata, who took you in and raised you after your also-beloved parents were ruthlessly murdered by those filthy, disgusting, evil, humans. Except you know that's not true. There was a hell of a rainstorm that night, and the roads were slick. Even the driver died.
The last thing you expected to run into today was another Witch, and yet, here she is! After you spent much of the afternoon covertly keeping tabs on her and those other, non-Witches around her, you reported your findings to Her Ladyship. A small part of your mind attempts to remind you that she died of old age a few years ago, but that's just silly talk.
After but a moment's deliberation, she instructed you to bring the young Witch into the ranch. You were, of course, more than happy to oblige. The stench of rotting biomass is just from all the plants used in your magic. That's all it is. After all...
"Hello," you introduce yourself to the young Witchling. She looks about as surprised to see you as you were to find her.

"My name is Ruby Tojo," you say with a proper curtsy, as you were taught to do. "I'm a witch who lives on this hill." Mistress is back at home, in the drawing room, sitting before her mirror, just like always.
The little girl backs up a bit. Perhaps you came on a little too strong? "I-I'm Yukari Sendou," she eventually replies.

You offer a friendly smile, and Yukari lowers her guard a bit. Wonderful. Your race is already under persecution from both humans and monsters - the very last thing Witches ought to be doing is fight with each other.

"I have to admit, Yukari -- I was pretty impressed when I saw you defeat those Garigarius plants of mine earlier. You're quite resourceful for your age."

Yukari panics. "Wait, those were yours?! Oh crap, I'm so sor-"

Aaand you gave her a bad impression. Damn. You quickly attempt to reassure her. "No, no, I'm not angry or upset. You see, it's just been so long since I met a fellow Witch, I'm so happy that my thoughts have become a bit of a mess at the moment. I dearly hope you'll forgive me if I seem a bit... erratic." Maybe you can finally curb some of the loneliness in your life.
Yukari relaxes again, and nods. From her understanding expression, you're fairly sure that she has a lot of similar feelings right now.

You extend your hand. "I was hoping if we could... maybe be friends?" Please, please don't turn me away...

For all that you believe she likes you, the little Witchling still seems uncertain. "...well," she eventually hedges, "I have to come back to rejoin my friends... and Kurumu, I guess..."

Kurumu, Kurumu.... oh, you remember from your earlier surveillance. You ruthlessly bury a small twitch of annoyance.

The buxom bluenette, who kept flirting with the boy. That girl's at least a few years younger than you, but it looked like her chest was already comparable to yours...
"...but," Yukari eventually concludes, "I don't suppose it would hurt to visit for a little while."

Your heart sings, and you run up to tackle the little girl in a glomp, showering her with all the affection you can muster.

Eventually, though, you release Yukari so you can show her the vast expanse of sunflowers on Her Ladyship's hill. Of course it's still hers, she can't have died for it to be yours, now...
After an appropriate sound of awe, Yukari says, "It's... beautiful."

You smile, both on the inside and out. Even if Yukari's uneducated enough that she was in that human city earlier, you just knew she'd have a proper appreciation for the glory of nature. It's inherent to all Witches, after all - it's where we belong.

"And that's why... we can't ever forgive the humans that intend to destroy it."

Yukari starts. "Wait, what? ...hold on, is this that 'abandoned construction site' everyone keeps talking about?"

You nod gravely, keeping a tight rein on your virtuous rage born from the mere thought of it. "That's right. For the past few years or so, the humans have been trying to destroy this will and make it into a hospital."

"...Hospitals aren't a bad thing to have," Yukari mutters.

You are stunned. Completely and utterly stunned. How could one of your fellow Witches speak in the defense of those damnable hu-

Then she immediately adds, "But I totally agree that this would be a terrible place to put one. Honestly," she laughs, "those dumb humans..."
You desperately pretend to yourself that Yukari's laughter doesn't sound fake.
Ah. So that's what she was getting at. Well, if Witches take care of their own, you suppose you can't fault humans for taking care of their own... but never, ever on this Hill!

"Yukari! Hey~~~! Yukari, where are you!"

Tch. One of Yukari's so-called 'friends' decided to show up. That boy, whom the blue- and pink-haired girls kept fighting over, is emerging from the brush. "Oh, Yukari, there you are! Everyone was getting worried about you."

He turns to face you, now, his expression one of uncertainty as he asks, "Who's your friend?"

Your vision turns red. How DARE this human scum defile Witch Hill with his presence?!

[]Kill the human with your vine magic! You'll tear him to pieces!

[]Kill the human with the plant monsters! Let him be useful in death, by providing them with whatever meager nutrients are in his body!

[]Kill the human with the bladed feathers on your wings! You're going to enjoy cutting him apart!

[]Kill the human by suffocating him with your mouth! You want to watch closely as the lights in his eyes dim and go out! Joke option. Votes for it will be disregarded.
[]Kill the human by suffocating him with your... other talents! You'll hold the memory of his death close to your heart forever! Joke option. Votes for it will be disregarded.
[]Roll 1d5 for "cunning". If the result is 2 or higher, blindly attack with your your wings. If the result is 1, then you'll brainwash the human and enslave him!

[]Roll 1d100 for "sanity". If the result is a 6 or higher, blindly attack with vine magic. If the result is 5 or lower, notice that Yukari is distressed, and ask her what's wrong. If the result is 1, realize that it's your own sudden aggression/hostility that's freaking her out, and desperately attempt to reason with her. You'll talk things out with your fellow Witch, even if it ends up involving/being about a human.

 

[EvaUnit01]

On seeing the human boy before you, you are consumed by hatred. Utterly convinced of the righteousness of your action, you grasp at the area's ambient magical energy and twist it, directing some of the hidden plant monsters to unleash their vines at your hated foe and eliminate him.

The magic takes hold, and you begin your attack by unleashing several vines at the human scum!

...aaaaand none of your initial attacks manage to even so much as graze the little bastard. Damn it! You'll try for a second wave! ...you got a little bit closer that time, but SON OF A BITCH WHY WON'T THIS SHITTY HUMAN JUST DIE ALREADY?!

You feel someone very distressedly tugging on your skirt. With the briefest of glances, you see that it's an intensely worried Yukari. "Don't worry," you absently reassure her. "We can talk just as soon as I eliminate this filthy huma-"

SCHLICK
Your face is hot, suddenly. You think there might be something on it.
...that was the sound of monster vines piercing through flesh.
Dread consumes you. You know that you've made a terrible mistake.
So, why is the human boy still moving and unhurt?
But you insist on staying in denial for as long as you can...
You turn to ask Yukari her opinion on this conundrum, and freeze.
Her ladyship isn't upset. Merely... disappointed.
Yukari's just... standing there. Wobbly. She's completely soaked in red, from the gaping holes in her torso that you created with your vine magic.
"Even if she was a complete and utter fool, Ruby, that girl was still our own kith and kin."
Yukari doesn't look as if she's in pain. Just... shock. Stunned. Her mouth is open. She tries to say something. You can just barely hear it.
"Please... don't hurt my friend, Ruby."
You are to blame. You did this. It's your fault. All your fault.
"He's one of the only ones I've got."
The fellow Witchling that you waited so long to meet, and now you've gone and killed her.
Her Ladyship laments, "You've failed me, Ruby. You don't deserve to live anymore."
What now?

[]There's no possible way that you could ever live with yourself for this.
-[]Kill yourself now, and get it over with.
-[]You should go to hell, and you will... but first, you'll drag down as many of those filthy humans as you can, with you! Ruby flips the fuck out even harder
[]Your mind shuts down in an attempt to protect you from what you've done, and you pass out from shock.
[]Oh, the girl with the pink hair just showed up.

 

[EvaUnit01]

"What's happen- OH MY GOD, YUKARI!"

...Oh, the girl with the pink hair just showed up. Another one of Yukari's pathetic human so-called friends.

....and yet, she's running up to Yukari, clearly scared out of her wits. You, on the other hand, are just.... standing there. Stunned. Too shocked to even do anything.

...so, then, which one of you was Yukari's real friend, again?

Noise. More noise. You blink, and suddenly the blue-haired girl has a hold of you by the shoulders, angrily shaking you. For someone a good couple of years or so younger than you, she's surprisingly strong. Probably actually a monster instead of a human, now that you think about it. The pink-haired one, too. Humans don't normally have those hair colors.

"HEY! LADY! TELL ME WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE, OR ELSE!"

The girl.... Kurumu, you struggle to remember... is furious. Moreso than you've ever seen anyone, perhaps barring Her Ladyship's reactions to particularly perverse human transgressions.

You attempt to explain to her that this isn't how you planned it, that this is all a big accident. "I... I-I didn't mean to-"

The girl's eyes widen for a second, before she snarls and slams a fist into your fa-
For a time, the world goes buh-bye.
....

....
You have the impression of sound. It's all distorted, like you're trying to hear a conversation from underwater.
....
Sensation begins creeping back into your body. You're on something soft. ...a mattress, maybe? You think you're under a blanket.
....
You awake with a groan. Your face hurts. You try to remember why.

...that's right. The girl with blue hair. She hit you. ...really, really hard. It feels like the force of that punch is still echoing around inside your head.

Your muscles appear to be stiff, so you must've been out cold for quite a while. You try and open your eyes, and immediately screw them back shut in a pained response to the bright lighting.

You begin to try and get up by reflex, but suddenly find yourself unable to move your limbs. Your ankles and wrists are being restrained somehow. ...the bindings feel... thorny, for lack of a better word.
The one time you're not ready to step into one of your trashy romance novels...
"Don't try to get up, miss Ruby -- you're probably still hurting from earlier." A boy, speaking. His tone is as kind as his words are. Something familiar about that voice.... oh. Yukari's male human friend. You struggle to try and remember what his name was. Tsumo? Tosuke? ...no, no, no.... Tsukune. That was it.

"I apologize for the precautions, young lady, but there are some questions that we'd like you to answer. If you promise not to get too rambunctious, I'll be more than happy to release your restraints."

The speaker is an older man, with a noticeable accent to his Japanese. ...British, you think. He's got a deep voice, that's pleasant to listen to.

Your eyes are still adapting to the lighting, but for the time being you haven't got a clue where your rod is. Without it, you can't use the vast bulk of your magic. You're all but helpless in your present state.

What's your top priority right now?
All dialogue-related options will be taken into account for the next update, but will be addressed according to how many votes each option has.
[]Find out what happened to Yukari.
[]For the time being, agree to answering their questions.
[]Ask how long you've been unconscious/what happened.
[]Attempt to escape.
[](write-in)

 

[EvaUnit01]

You suddenly remember what happened before Kurumu knocked you out. And then you freak out. "What about Yukari?!" you ask. "What happened to Yukari?!"

In your blind panic, you struggle futilely against your bindings, up until Tsukune - you assume it's Tsukune, based on his size and build - throws himself on top of you in an effort to keep you from hurting yourself. Since you don't feel searing pain from your skin tearing open on those restraints, it seems he was rather successful at it. "Yukari's fine! She's fine! Moka and some of my other friends got there fast enough that they were able to heal up Yukari's injuries, and now she's sleeping it off in another room!"

You abruptly stop struggling at the news. "She's... not dead?" you dumbly ask.

You try to open your eyes again, and your vision is beginning to adjust to the lighting now. The sensation of weight pressing down on your body fades as Tsukune gets up, but you see that he's still hovering over you protectively. "No," he says. "It was a really close call, but we managed to save her. And then after Kurumu hit you... I'm sorry about that, by the way... we brought you back to our hotel so that we could look after you. That was a few hours or so ago, I think? If you want, we can even take you to Yukari after you've both recovered for a bit."

No. No, everything isn't okay. Mistress Oyukata hates you now, and here you are being emotionally supported by a human boy some couple of years your junior.
Although, you don't mind that quite as much as you thought you would...
But if Yukari's okay, then at least that makes the situation a lot better than it was before.

You swallow, suddenly aware of how close Tsukune is to you while you're tied up and immobile like this. And now that you get a good look at him, he's really not as plain-looking as you'd thought earlier...
You've read this chapter more than a few times, and an absent part of your mind is both nervous and excited for the bit that comes next...
Tsukune abruptly flushes, before getting up and moving away, coughing into his fist. Apparently he noticed the same thing.
...alas, so much for excitement.
You hear a coughing noise from off to the side. Turning your head in that direction, you see an older, Caucasian gentleman, in attire you've heard described as 'business casual'. Across the corner from him, leaning against the wall with arms crossed over his chest, is a complete and utter delinquent, probably your age or slightly younger. Both men are incredibly strongly built, and very handsome.

The delinquent offers you a stoic and manly scowl, while the gentleman offers a kind smile before beginning to speak. "Now then... your name was Ruby, wasn't it?"

You nod. "Y-yes, sir."

Now the delinquent takes a moment to speak, completely and totally ruining the positive mental image created by his good looks. "Hey, bitch. Are you the one responsible for the rash of disappearances in the area?"

Tsukune and the older gentleman both wince at the delinquent's choice of words, though the question remains open.

"...yes," you decide to admit. "That hill is a special place for Witches. Mistress Oyukata and I couldn't - can't - allow the humans to defile it with their development."

The old man rests his chin in his hand for a moment, before reasonably asking, "Who has legal ownership of the land?"

That brings you up short. "...I don't know," you admit. "But Witches have used that place as a sanctuary for generations! And that's the most important thing! Being a Witch yourself, you should understand that!"

Now all three boys in the room are giving you a funny look. Eventually, the delinquent asks, "And how can you tell the old man's a Witch?"

...and now you're pretty sure that jerk's insulting your intelligence. "...glowing purple vines are extending from his forearm to bind my arms and legs, and there's no breed of monster I know of that can do similar via a normal function of biology, without first fully revealing their true form. Therefore, it's pretty clearly magic. ...although I'm curious about the luminescent effect, sir. That isn't something I've seen even Mistress Oyukata do before..."

Speaking of, that malevolently thrashing haze you can barely make out around the delinquent leads you to suspect that the two men are related somehow. Probably grandfather and grandson, given the age difference.

The gentleman begins to speak again, and the next words out of his mouth are:

[]"...Ruby, are you familiar with a kind of psychic phenomenon called a「Stand」?"
[]"...You've mentioned this 「Mistress Oyukata」 a couple of times now. Would you care to tell us a little more about her?"

 

[EvaUnit01]

"...Ruby, are you familiar with a kind of psychic phenomenon called a 「Stand」?"

"...erm, no," you admit. "I'm not. What is it?"

"A Stand," the older gentleman explains, "is a psychic expression of a person's fighting spirit, often taking the form of a ghostly presence that 「stands」 at the side of its user, hence the name. The abilities and limitations of a Stand usually reflect the personality of its user in some way. Finally, you should be made aware that 「a Stand cannot be harmed or otherwise acted upon except by another Stand」. And now your next line will be, 'why are you telling me this? Right about... now."

"...why are you telling m- EEK!"

That was... that was terrifying. The way he knew exactly what you would say, right down to your inflection of each syllable... even his sense of timing was absolutely flawless! If he... if he can do something like that, then... is there anything in your head that can you can trust him not to know or predict?!

"My name," the man says with a friendly smile, "is Joseph Joestar. And those thorny vines that you're bound up in are a result of my Stand, 「Hermit Purple」. Now, contrary to what monster society might remember from my adventure fifty years ago, I'd much prefer to resolve this through peaceful negotiation, if I am able. Having to tie up a charming young lady like yourself already leaves quite the unpleasant taste in my mouth as it is..."

....he's inside your head, so he'll immediately catch any plan you try to concoct against him. And on top of that, he's got you ensnared in this...「Stand」, which you cannot hope to damage without a 「Stand」 of your own. You're reasonably sure that you don't have any such thing.

On every conceivable level, you are completely and utterly at his mercy. And going by that expression of his, Mr. Joestar knows it too.

The only reason you're alive and unharmed is because he doesn't see a point in making it otherwi-

Abruptly, your limbs are free again, as Hermit Purple retracts into Joseph's forearm. "Now then," Joseph says with an easygoing grin, "I imagine that you're probably hungry by now, so I'll see if I can't grab you something from the vending machines down the hall."

Your stomach abruptly lets out a small rumbling noise, and you flush with embarrassment. ...truly, on every imaginable level.... you're like a pawn on a chessboard. And somehow, you've wound up in conversation not with the King, but with the player.

Joseph turns and leaves through the door, after you tell him that you don't have any particular preferences.

...so, what now? You're in a comfortably-lit hotel room, probably in the city. You're presently seated on one of the two beds in the room.

On the other bed, is the boy, Tsukune. You wonder now if he might also have a Stand, but your instincts - the same instincts that tell you you have no chance in hell against Joseph - tell you that he's harmless.

The delinquent, whom you presume to be Joseph's grandson, is still leaned up against the corner of the wall. His attention isn't on you at the moment, but rather the purple-haired girl seated next to him on the floor. She's watching you with a vaguely bored-looking expression.
When the heck did she get there?
[]Talk to someone.
-[]Who?
--[]About what?

[]Remain silent and unobtrusive, unless someone speaks to you first.
[](write-in)

 

[EvaUnit01]

"...so," you eventually manage to ask, "was that really Joseph Joestar?"

The delinquent grunts, before deigning to answer. "Yeah."

"...and the stories about fifty years ago, are they true?"

He shrugs. "Hell if I know. Probably."

The girl suddenly speaks up, her expression bland. "The old guy's scary as shit, and I don't know him very well... but I'm pretty sure that he'll more than happy to play nice. ...for as long as you are, at any rate."

"I-I see," you mutter. So, as long as you don't make any trouble, you're probably going to get out of this unharmed. ...but then, Her Ladyship disowned you, so why even bother? What's even the point of continuing to live? Even without your magical rod, you can still sprout wings out of your back and use them as weapons, so the best thing for you to do right now is to -

"Hey," Tsukune asks, "what's wrong? ...no, wait, that's probably a stupid question. Um... is there any way I can help?"

His question surprises you. "...what?"

Tsukune looks a little away from you, scratching the back of his head in mild embarassment. "Well, it's just... you look really depressed, so I just thought... if you wanted to talk about it, I could try and listen. I mean, I know it isn't much, but..."

You look Tsukune in the eyes. And no matter how desperately you search those big, brown eyes of his, you can't find any hints or indications of deception. There isn't anything in there except for an honest desire to try and make things better, if he can.

[]Your entire world is turning upside-down. Talking about it could help to put things into a more readily-understood perspective. ...it can't possibly make the situation worse, can it?
[]No... no, he's a human! Your mortal enemy! You have to hold on to your hatred, it's the only thing you have left!

 

[EvaUnit01]

"Why do you care, human? I tried to kill you the last time I saw you. And for all you know, I could try to do it again at any moment."
The other two people in the room tense up, raising their guard.
Tsukune seems to back off at your sudden harshness, before trying to come up with an answer. After several moments, he eventually says, "...you looked like... like you thought that were all alone in the world. I wanted to try and do something about it. That was... pretty much the only thing I could think about, honestly."
Your heartbeat begins to quicken.
Laughing nervously, he continues, "I mean, I know that it really hurts, being alone. Come to think of it, I still don't actually have any friends of my own species except for Jotaro-senpai. Not counting blood-relatives, I guess."

...that's ludicrou-

"It's actually not," says the girl. "Tsukune comes across as a complete and total wuss most of the time, so it's not a surprise that nobody would ever want to hang out with him."

You scowl at her for interrupting your thought process. "What, are you a mind-reader too?"
Poor thing... to have been ignored and neglected by his own kith and kin...
The girl shrugs. "No... but you had a look on your face that told me that you were thinking the same thing that I was thinking when I heard about that little detail before."

The delinquent sighs, and lightly tugs on the brim of his hat. "What a pain in the ass..."

"...Ruby," Tsukune begins, "can I ask about why you hate humans so much?"

...so. No more stalling, then.

You take a deep breath. "...when I was a little girl, my parents were killed by humans. Right in front of me. They were run over by a car."

Tsukune winces in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It was raining very harshly that night," you absently recall.

"So it was an accident, then?" Jotaro asks.

You swallow, and nod. Try as you might, you remember the truth far too vividly to try and obfuscate it.

"In that case," he remarks, "holding a grudge against the entire species is nothing short of pathetic."

Everyone else in the room is stunned. "Jotaro-senpai!"

"It's not the only reason!" you snap at him, your rage coming back to the fore. "That hill we met on has been a sanctuary for Witches for generations! One of the few places we had an assurance of safet against the persecution both from humans and from monsters! ...the place where Her Ladyship raised and protected me...! And now you filthy humans are trying to destroy it! That's why... that's why...!"

I have to kill them all, are the words that you're trying to force out. ...but for some reason, you can't quite bring yourself to say them anymore.

After several seconds, Tsukune suddenly says, "Actually, now that I think about it, isn't the governer in charge of this prefecture that one radical? You know, the guy who keeps pulling really ambitious construction projects out of nowhere?"

Jotaro pauses for a moment, before slightly inclining his head forward. "Never manages to have any idea what the hell he's talking about, either."

Turning a little in order to face your direction, he mutters, "Join the queue - even the humans don't like that guy."

Now you're starting to get a little confused. "...and your point is?"

Tsukune takes hold of your hand. Your cheeks redden, but only slightly. You're not sure that anyone's noticed.

"We understand... more or less... why you're angry, Ruby. But shouldn't there be a better way to solve the problem than by just going around and hurting people? Wouldn't it be better to just talk things out peacefully? I'm sure there's got to be some kind of... I don't know, some kind of legal thing that can be exploited in order to save your hill from development."

"500 yen," Jotaro grumbles, "that gramps is paying that schmuck off right no-"

The conversation screeches to an immediate halt, as shrieks of terror can be heard from the streets outside, along with monstrous roars and snarls.
The garigarius plants from the hill, how could they have been unleashed without your command?!
[]Investigate the disturbance.
[]Make use of this distraction to escape your confinement.
-[]Flee to Witch Hill.
-[]It doesn't matter where you're going, so long as it's very, very far away from here.
[](write-in)
_________

Perspective change to -

[]Joseph.
[]Jotaro.
[]Moka.

 

[EvaUnit01]

The sounds of widespread panic are drifting in from the street below.

...tch. The hell's wrong now?

You, Jotaro Kujo, reluctantly go over to the window and peek through the blinds.

When you do, you see a bunch of plant monsters are openly rampaging through the streets, killing and eating any given innocent bystander they can manage to grab hold of.

...fucking wonderful.

You give the Witch woman an irritated glance. She seems to be acting nice and civil now, but it might just be an act to lower your guard... Just one little thing before you go take action. "...Hey. Those man-eating plants down there -- are they yours?"

"No," she says while shaking her head. "I-I mean, yes, I cultivated them and can control them, but no, I didn't call for them. I'm baffled."

...she looks baffled, too. And you're not convinced that she's worth anything as an actress. "Son of a bitch," you mutter.

There are monsters that need smashed, civilians in need of being saved, and with gramps nowhere around, your available resources amount to Tsukune, Mizore, Kurumu, and Moka. ...and Ruby, if you feel you can trust her. ....although, someone should probably hang back and stay with Yukari...

No time for hesitation or indecision - there are lives at stake!

Your plan of action is to...!

[](write-in)