You people are forgetting Anti-Thesis and the second fight with the art teacher during Halloween. According to the OP, Stardust Crusaders begins in November, after the event in Halloween that causes the school to close for 6 months. Also, I'm rereading Vento Aureo from the last episode of the anime, and I'm currently in the Notorious B.I.G fight. So here is the question: can stands like White Album freeze and destroy monsters completely? Can Notorious B.I.G kill Alucard?
Yes requium stands are bullshit. In simalar news water is wet and the sky is blue.
Actually Nortorious would not be that much of a theart to Vampires of either variety.
The main thing that made him so dangerous what is that he was straight up immune to stands and can drain energy from them. Mundane damage however like getting impailed, tossed around, etc etc can harm it.
Both Vampire types can easily smack it around mundanely and have options to make sure it can't infect them ( mask vampires simply ejecting the infected flesh while Monster Vampires simply use Monster energy to purge it or other method)
What's more it's speed is nothing impressive and can easily be lost
Okay, finished rereading Vento Aureo, and I've got to say that it's a great part. My top 5 fights in it would be (in no particular order):
Beach Boy and Graceful Dead train fight - Intense, smart and very energetic. Truly keeps at the edge of the seat and all around fantastic fight, one of the best in the whole part.
Giorno vs Green Day - Fantastic fight and probably my favorites in this part of Jojo. Giorno really brings it his A game and doesn't even try, because he already won. Also seeing how that disgusting abomination of a doctor dies is very cathartic and enjoyable.
Narancia vs Little Feet - The introduction fight to Narancia and boy howdy, was it awesome! I love Narancia and this fight is I think the best introductory fight for the gang, even better than the Mista one the ended last week in the anime.
Narancia vs Clash and Talking Head - Funny, intense, thrilling, this is one among the top of the crop.
Chase for the arrow - While I think Requiem Stands are absolutely fucking awful, the whole chase after Silver Chariot Requiem is amazing, with the best part being my favorite in the whole of part 5: Giorno trying to unravel which member of the group was possessed by Diavolo. While not a real fight, I love this part to death. Seeing King Crimson's always pissed off face shouting Giorno's name while hiding is so great to me and I don't know why.
Now I haven't read part 6 in at least 1-2 years, and I haven't read Steel Ball Run, so I'll rate my favorite parts that I remember, from favorite to least favorite: 4>2>5>3>1
Part 4 had the best villain and the most consistent overall.
Part 2 is the most fun (with the funniest Jojo).
Part 5 has the best Stand fights except that god awful fucking ending with Golden Experience Requiem, I hate this "fight" with a fucking passion! It's bullshit beyond bullshit! At least Jotaro vs DIO was still exciting and fun to read/watch! This was just...just... GAH!! It makes me so fucking mad! I hate GER with a passion! At least Star Platinum: The World has a fucking weakness, making the gain of time stop in the fight with DIO acceptable! GER doesn't have any weakness and is just... god, I can't even think straight because of how pissed off I am!
Sorry about this. Okay, part 3 has the best memes like "ZA WARUDO!", "Rero, rero, rero", "Kakyoin the MILF hunter" and so one. It was quite a chore to get through the Egypt Arc, because every fight until the castle, with the exception of Darby and Pet Shop kind of bored me. The Joseph and Abdul one against that magnetic woman was funny, but that's about the only one I remember. I also love Polnareff's quest for revenge and his shenanigans at getting into trouble.
Part 1 I really like, but I admit that the plot feels rushed, yet it also feels really slow at the same time, and I only watched the anime version. Tho the relationship between Jonathan and Dio was the best protagonist-antagonist rivalry in the entirety of Jojo's. Also Jonathan is my favorite Jojo because he was passionate, all loving and a true gentleman to the very end. I don't know why, but that optimism and all of his other traits make him my favorite Jojo.
So... Eva, everyone, what is your favorite part of Jojo and what's you favorite fight in Rosario + Vampire (both seasons)?
Sorry for rambling, but I loved every fight of Vento Aureo until that last one pissed me off to the point of fury. Apologies for the rant, this isn't the place for that.
My priority is going to be keep working on getting fit, together with improving control of our Stand (should be careful not to try time stop until confronting Dio, if we do he could notice it and then the element of surprise is gone).
If Hamon keeps us healthy, even if we can't use it during time stop it should still reasonably let us be far fitter than would normally be possible thanks to the healing aspect of it.
My priority is going to be keep working on getting fit, together with improving control of our Stand (should be careful not to try time stop until confronting Dio, if we do he could notice it and then the element of surprise is gone).
If Hamon keeps us healthy, even if we can't use it during time stop it should still reasonably let us be far fitter than would normally be possible thanks to the healing aspect of it.
My priority is going to be keep working on getting fit, together with improving control of our Stand (should be careful not to try time stop until confronting Dio, if we do he could notice it and then the element of surprise is gone).
If Hamon keeps us healthy, even if we can't use it during time stop it should still reasonably let us be far fitter than would normally be possible thanks to the healing aspect of it.
Stand training is definitely jumping up in priority.
As useful as Hamon is I think Jotaro is at the level where he gets the health benefits so he can ditch Hamon training from now on to focus on his stand.
Hey now, I don't think Jotaro should quite completely on Hamon, even if he does master Star Platinum. Hamon can heal him and keep him in his prime for decades, meaning Star Platinum doesn't get weaker or slower for decades, because as I learned from The Grateful Dead fight, age does weaken a Stand. Remember, Lisa Lisa was a Hamon master and she was physically 24-25 while being actually 50. Jotaro needs to keep up both meditation for Stand mastery and keep practicing Hamon so he won't end up rusty like Old Joseph.
I mean, we will also use Hamon a lot in the Rosario + Vampire Season II part of the quest, because we'll face a fuckton of vampires.
After everything Tsukune and that horrible girl said to me, I've fallen back on crying my eyes out. There isn't anything else I can do, and there's nothing that anyone can do to help me, so --
So you're going to hide behind a bunch of trash cans outside the school and feel sorry for yourself? You don't have time for that.
An ominous feeling coming over me, I unsteadily get back to my feet. "Who said that?!"
There isn't anyone anywhere around me, and there aren't even any open windows around or on a higher floor.... But she sounded like she was remarkably close -- close enough to touch me, even!
Down here, the voice comes from... my chest? I look down, and see that the rosary seal hanging around my neck -- or more specifically, the crimson jewel embedded in the rosary -- is glowing, like an all-seeing and all-powerful eye.
"Are you.... my other self? My true, sealed form?"
That's right, Other Me tells me. However, you need to focus -- that boy is being manipulated as a way of attacking you!
A cold chill shoots down my spine before settling in my stomach, and the words are so alarming, so surreal, that I need to repeat it back to make sure I heard correctly. "Tsukune's being... controlled, just to get at me?"
That's correct, Other Me replies. The girl who was with him is a Succubus -- a monster of seduction that enslaves men with a charm spell!
For a moment, that sentence is all I'm able to process. Where I'm at, what time it is, none of that matters over what Other Me just told me.
"So then, you mean that Tsukune doesn't really hate me? That she's making him say those things against his will?"
For a bizarre split-second, I get the impression from the rosary gem of an exasperated sigh. There's no sound or movement or anything, I just get that kind of feeling from it.
Even humans aren't so fickle as to change their feelings that strongly, that abruptlywithout the interference of some external factor.
Which basically means that no, he doesn't hate me, he just said those things because she brainwashed him.
For about three seconds, all the tension leaves my body, and, honestly... I feel GREAT! Tsukune doesn't hate me, he doesn't think I only like him for his amazingly delicious blood! He's still my friend, and he still wants to be my friend! If I hadn't already been crying so much today, I could start crying now, I'm so happy!
.....
...ohmigod Tsukune's been brainwashed, and I'm the only one who can do anything about it! Actually, I could go ask Kujo-senpai, but I'm pretty sure he dislikes me. And even if he seems like a thug, I don't know if he'd hit girls or not.
The cold feeling from a moment ago twists and turns inside me, and it turns hot.
That girl.... that cruel, malicious, despicable, completely and utterly shameless..... person.
My hands ball up into fists, and with the anger coursing through my veins I'm pretty sure that if I were holding anything, I'd have crushed it. "The sheer nerve, the gall...!"
If she kisses him, Other Me adds, then her spell over Tsukune's mind will be complete, and all but impossible to break.
For several seconds, that sentence keeps playing in my head over and over again like a broken record. If she kisses him, then her spell will be complete and I'll lose him forever...
......no. No, no, no nononono NO! As my earlier sadness transforms into anger, I vow that I am NOT letting that happen!
"If that succubus girl thinks she can go around kissing my friend to brainwash him, just because she thinks she has some grudge with me, then it's time I go give her a reality check!"
I'm so mad, I.... I don't even care how hard I kick these aluminum trash cans! Get out of my way, I'm in a hurry!
*ka-kiiiiiiin~* Good thing those were empty, it would've been humiliating if I got covered in trash while on my way to confront that trashy girl...
My earlier tears forgotten, I start stomping striding around the school building, looking for the quickest way back in.
I mean, seriously! "She already has a pretty face and a body that could get her any boy she wants," I bitterly think out loud, "and judging by what I've seen of the student body so far, it doesn't seem like any of the boys around here have high enough standards to be put off by her trashy personality....!"
I shove open the first door I come to, barely remembering at the last second to pull back my strength and not damage school property.
"And even if she weren't already hot, she has a Charm spell -- seriously, a Charm spell! Actual mind control magic that would let her ensnare any guy she wants, and yet she still...!"
If I were an utterly contemptible, trashy girl acting out a revenge plot against someone I saw as a rival by stealing a boy she seems close to, where might I go...?
.........
.......okay, I don't have a clue on where to even start with that line of reasoning.
But! If I were going to plan out a First Kiss, I think one of the most romantic - or at least secluded - places to do it in school might be the infirmary! I mean, with the legend of how many soldiers fell in love with Florence Nightingale, I could see that, and it isn't like it'll be a crowded area anyway.
"She's hot and she has mind control, and out of all the stupid hormone-driven boys in this school she picks MY friend to take an interest in, except wait! She doesn't actually care about him at all, she's just using her mind control to make him say horrible things to me because she for some reason hates me even though I never did anything to her!"
As I approach the infirmary door, a shrill voice cuts through the scarlet haze over my mind --
"Even after I threw myself at you like a cheap rag and embarrassed myself... you still choose her over me?!"
-- Tsukune's in serious trouble; I don't have time to be angry!
"I'm going to take everything Moka Akashiya likes, and smash it all to pieces!"
Barging through the door, I see huge, leathery wings erupting from her back, even as her nails extend into wicked, vicious-looking talons!
And Tsukune, he's... on a bed, totally freaking out as he starts to realize what kind of danger he's in!
The succubus rears her hand back for a swing, and I do the first thing I can think of!
"DON'T DO IT!"
Tsukune and the girl both stop and look at me, and after an awkward couple of seconds I feel like kicking myself! Ohmigod, that was so lame! Instead of actually doing anything, I just stood there and yelled at her like some kind of loser! As if that girl would actually listen to anything I say!
They both open their mouths to speak at the same time; Tsukune's expression turning to relief as he recognizes me, and the girl's being one of shock and disdain.
But even so, she's distracted from attacking Tsukune, and that's my opportunity!
It's at times like this, I catch myself thinking as I close the distance before she can even blink, that being a super-powerful Vampire can be pretty useful.
I want to make her get away from Tsukune, so I give her a shove with everything I've got, and she goes flying into the wall! ...and then tumbles through the wall as it gives up on trying to stay intact.
...oops? I.... really, really hope I don't get in trouble for that.
"Moka... why did you save me, after I said all those horrible things to you?"
And just like that, I suddenly remember that Tsukune's still in the room, and he probably doesn't really know what's going on! "I found out that girl's a Succubus," I tell him, "and one strong enough to bewitch men just by looking at them -- so because she had you under her spell and was making you say those things for her, I know that none of that was your fault."
His eyes widen in understanding as he starts to process my explanation, but... with that weird face he's making, I don't really know what he's actually going to say next. "But still, even if that explains everything... even if Kurumu had me under her spell, I still shouldn't have said that stuff to you."
It seems like it's hard for him, but as I'm trying to figure out where he's going with this, he eventually makes eye contact with me and says, "I'm sorry for everything I said earlier when I was controlled. Moka.... do you think you can forgive me?"
W-w-w-w-w-w-w-whaaaat?! W-why is my heart beating so fast all of a sudden?! And my face feels hot, it's not supposed to feel that hot is it?! ...ohmigod, he's looking at me! He asked me a question and here I am freaking out like some kind of weirdo, God, Moka, just quit being weird and answer him already!
....AAAHHHHHH I'm too embarrassed, I can't look at him right now! ....hey, that corner of the ceiling up there sure is dusty! I can't believe they let any surface of an infirmary get that dirty, don't the staff know there are monsters who use ceilings like floors?! I must look so stupid to him right now...
"L-look Tsukune, I just said it wasn't your fault, so it's not like I can be mad at you, and--"
Out of my peripheral vision, I see something thin and dark snaking over Tsukune's shoulder.
... wait--
"AAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
For a split-second, my senses go into overdrive. Hearing, smell, vision, everything. I can see the hitch in his breath as she closes her tail in around his throat, and I can hear the effort his lungs are going through to try and suck air in.
And the smell... because I'm a Vampire, I instantly recognize the hormonal release associated with a fear response, and even though my mouth suddenly goes dry with thirst, at the same time I feel like I'm going to puke, because this is Tsukune's fear. It's a scent I never, ever wanted to smell on him, and no matter what, I want to make it stop! I don't want Tsukune to be afraid anymore!
Still laughing like some kind of anime villain, Kurumu yanks Tsukune out of the building, and before I even realize it I'm in the air holding on to him! I have to make it so Tsukune can breathe again, and luckily I'm strong enough to pull her tail's grip loose and open up his airways!
With as close as my body is to his, I can practically feel his chest filling up with air like if it were my own, and I can't help but let out a satisfied sigh of relief. Good job, I saved his life!
.....and then I start to feel the Earth's gravitational pull on my body again, and I suddenly realize something that I really, really should have noticed before I jumped.
That infirmary we were all just in? That was on the third floor above ground, and Kurumu managed to pull us both even higher before I got us loose.
I mean, the good news is that since I'm a vampire, even in this sealed form, I'm pretty sure I can take a fall like this without any trouble. But by the same token, I'm also pretty sure that as a human, Tsukune's going to end up a bloody smear if he hits the ground without something to break his fall, and this new predicament is on top of every other thing that's been stressing me out over the course of the day and....
And....!
AAAAAAAARRRRGGHH!!!!
Okay Moka, breathe! As long as I hold Tsukune close to me, if I can just make sure to hit the ground first, then --
Tsukune's trying to scream something, but I can't hear him over the wind noise. In spite of myself I start to try and tell him as much, when the whole world turns into pain and a scream tears out of my throat! TSUKUNE!
_____________
....ugh.... there's something really hard and rough against my side... last thing I remember was falling, so I guess that's probably the ground....
My eyes open, and all I see is empty forest. Kurumu must've really been able to pull us some distance away from the school.... Wait, where's Tsukune?!
"Moka, are you okay?! Say something!"
"Tsukune?!"
I feel a hand on my shoulder, and turning with it I look up and see Tsukune kneeling over me, a worried look on his face. "Moka, are you hurt anywhere?"
I can feel bits of dirt and pebble in my shirt from where my jacket tore open, and twinges of pain keep shooting up and down my back like long-distance calls on a phone line.... but I don't think I'm injured? Ugh, at least the headache's already starting to fade... "Lots of places hurt," I mutter, "but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine."
Although, taking a close look at Tsukune, I can't help but bite my lip in anxiety. "But more importantly, Tsukune, are you okay? That was a long fall, and --"
"I'm fine," he tells me with a smile. "I felt you push against me at the last second, so I didn't hit the ground nearly as hard as it looked like you did."
Oh, good, I managed to save him after all.
"You two..." that girl calls out. "You two keep ruining EVERYTHING!"
With a sinking feeling, I look up and see Kurumu floating in the air, her wings keeping her aloft. Clutching at her hair, there's a crazy look on her face.
As Tsukune helps me get back to my feet, Kurumu keeps ranting. "We Succubi are a small species, always on the verge of being wiped out with each generation," she says, and I'm not entirely sure if she's talking to us or to herself. "Each of us can only mate with a single Destined One, and with my plan to turn the boys of Youkai Academy into my brainwashed harem slaves, it was just a matter of time until I found mine! I even knew, somehow, that I was getting close...."
Her eyes suddenly lock with mine, and despite myself I flinch at the intensity in her glare. "But the second you entered the picture, Moka, it all started going down the drain! The boys started fantasizing about you instead of me, even though I'm a Succubus -- the most desirable of all monsters! Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?! Both the pride and the survival of my entire species were crushing me as surely as gravity, when I finally noticed how attached you are to your little bento," she says in obvious reference to Tsukune.
And.... I mean, sure I've been drinking his blood, but I'm still offended on Tsukune's behalf by that remark.
"And that's how I figured out the answer," she continues with a slasher movie smile. "If I could avenge that humiliating defeat by taking Tsukune away from you and crushing you utterly, that would be my vindication! My redemption before the entire Succubus species!"
Her gaze then refocuses on Tsukune and me, and she makes a dive for us, talons extended! "But even with everything at my disposal, I STILL LOST TO YOU! SO THE ONLY THING I CAN DO IS TO RID OF YOU BOTH!"
As a Vampire, I'm an S-Class Monster, one of the strongest monster races in the world. But Succubi are A-Class -- and with me stuck in this sealed form when Kurumu can use her full power without restraint, she's the one with the advantage!
I do manage to tackle Tsukune out of harm's way, but still end up crying out when her claws rake across my back, shredding through my jacket and undershirt and probably drawing blood. Which I can heal and recover from by drinking blood, but that's already sort of a sore point with Tsukune as it is, sooo...
"HOLY CRAP!" Tsukune calls out! "Her nails cut through those trees like a hot knife through butter!"
Right, and human flesh and bone won't hold up much better....
Kurumu just keeps cackling like a lunatic. "I guess the rumors about you being some badass Vampire were just that, or you'd be able to fight me off! But as it stands now, I'm finally going to cut the both of you out of my life!"
Human flesh and bone won't hold up against those nails, that's just reality. But a vampire's body, even with its power sealed away, just might....
"If you think I'm some kind of.... existential menace to you or something, then do whatever you want to me." The really weird thing is that as I step between Kurumu and Tsukune, I'm really not afraid. "But leave Tsukune out of it! He doesn't have anything to do with this!"
"Moka --"
"You can't be serious! As if you'd put your life on the line for him when he's just food to you!"
That's at least the second time in the last few minutes she's called Tsukune my food, and I'm sick of it! "SHUT UP! Tsukune's the world to me, and even if he told me to never drink his blood again, that wouldn't change! He's the first friend I've ever had, and I don't see anything weird or bizarre about giving my life to protect him!"
Even as she keeps diving at us, Kurumu makes an odd face, and I'm not sure what she's supposed to be conveying with it.
All of a sudden, I hear a clinking noise, and turn to see Tsukune holding my rosary seal. ...wait, when did he take it off?
"Moka, you're my friend too, so... so the last thing I'd ever want is for you to get hurt on my account!"
Tsukune, the way you're looking at me is making my legs weak...
I must confess, I hadn't expected to open my eyes again so soon. And as I see for myself the enemy before me, I harden my gaze.
The one from last time was little more than an insect; a mild irritant to be brushed aside.
But this girl, this succubus.... she viciously targeted my vulnerable other self's insecurities, and sought to deprive us both of the boy's sublime blood.... She looked so small, so helpless hiding there. So.... defeated. I can't let something like this happen again.
This Kurumu hovering before me has earned my ire.
"Tell me something, little girl. Are you familiar with the story of Icarus?"
As I may have expected from a petulant child, she ignores me. "You might be strong after all, but with my wings and my speed I can still beat you!"
She thinks she's fast?
As I casually step clear of a swipe with her talons, I chuckle.
That's adorable.
The frightened, agonized yelp as I harshly grab hold of her tail and clench to keep her from escaping isn't cute, but it is cathartic.
Really, I think privately as I swing her around my head like a lasso for a few seconds, it's insulting that she thought she was on my level.
"KNOW YOUR PLACE!"
With that, I let loose and give her a bone-rattling kick to the head, sending Kurumu flying through several trees until she finally loses enough momentum that one manages to stop her.
As I stalk towards her, she starts to stir. That's good; I'd like her to be conscious for a while longer. "P-please," she mewls from her newfound home in the dirt. "I promise I won't do it again..."
And what proof do I have of that? None. Further, my greater interest is in making sure that no one tries a similar stunt later, so it's best that I make an example out of her.
"Icarus," I explain, "was an arrogant fool of a child. His father Daedalus gave him wings, made from the feathers of birds and held together by wax, with the only instruction being not to soar beyond his limits."
Kurumu stiffens, and I confess I'm not sure if it's because she knows the story, or she's simply clever enough to realize where I'm going with this anyway. "But heedless of his father's warnings, Icarus grew intoxicated with the power and freedom that his artificial wings gave him, and kept flying higher and higher, ever seeking greater heights. Before long, he drew near the Sun itself... until its radiant heat caused the wax in his wings to melt and fail, sending the boy plummeting to his death on the ground below. For thousands of years, his story has served as a warning for others to know their limitations, lest they meet a tragic fate rooted in their own ambition."
A trembling, fearful Kurumu meets my gaze, and as I see the terror and despair.... not merely despair, but the complete and utter lack of hope in her eyes, for a moment... I am satisfied.
And then I close my eyes and remember her wrongs against my other self again. And as I recognize the violent culture of the monster world as a whole, the moment passes.
I smile, as much because I'm pleased by my own thoughts as because I specifically want Kurumu to see it, and be further terrified by it.
"Not too differently from Icarus, your blind ambition mistakenly led you to challenge me, to attack me in a moment of vulnerability and try to steal from me. In that light, I think it's only appropriate that I strip you of your wings, that your story can serve as a cautionary tale to others in the future."
Before I can take so much as another step toward the now-sobbing Kurumu, Tsukune steps between us, arms thrown out protectively. "...excuse me?"
Tsukune hesitates, as if he'd expected that his mere bravery in challenging me would be enough to stay my hand. "I think she's already been through enough for today," he slowly begins, "and it doesn't sound like she was doing what she did entirely out of malice..."
.....she mind controlled him and then used him as a weapon against my other self. And on realizing that Tsukune may still not entirely grasp that, I see fit to remind him as much verbatim.
"Look, I'm not at all excusing what she did earlier," he says with much defensive hand-waving, "but if she's sorry about it and promises never to do it again, wouldn't it be better for all of us if we could make friends with her?"
With an awkward smile -- more, I think, an attempt to defuse the tension in the air than because he's happy -- he then asks, "Y'know, friends like we are?" That's.... an unusual notion.
Hmph. Looking at Kurumu now... I suppose she really is too pathetic to impose my original plan on, and distressing the boy will only cause problems for my other self. You win this time, Tsukune Aono.
All the same, it's past time I take back my rosary seal. "Don't get confused about our relationship, Tsukune. I'm neither soft nor sentimental like the other Moka; I chose to help you purely because I enjoy your blood, and that's all."
As I reaffix the rosary to my choker, I close my eyes and go back to sleep....
______________________- The Next Day, after Gym Class
Ugh, yesterday was a mess. I really didn't want to even bother getting out of bed today, but I needed to make sure my scary other self didn't do anything to Tsukune, so I got up and went along with the day's schedule.
I guess today didn't start too badly. Sure, I bumped into Kujo-senpai again on the path to school, but after several seconds of awkward silence he nodded at me and went on his way once I caught up with Tsukune, so I have basically... no idea what my standing with him even is.
Then that Kurumu girl showed up and started hanging off of Tsukune like a cheap set of drapes again, only now she says corny stuff like 'You risked your life to stand up to the scary vampire for me, so it's only natural that I should fall totally in love with you!' or 'I know now, more than ever, that you really ARE my Destined One, Tsukune!'
And she bribed her way into our social circle (if Kujo-senpai's very occasional inclusion makes it a circle instead of a line) with baked treats! Seriously, does she have any shame at all?! But what really annoys me is that those cookies she baked were really, truly, seriously good...
At least in Gym Class I had a chance to work out some of my frustrations on the track, so now I just need to get a quick shower in the special super-diluted stall for hydrophobic monsters and --
"Moka, are you there?"
...and there's Kurumu again. If she wanted to seriously hurt me by forcing me into a different stall, this would be a golden opportunity for her to do it.
Even if we're 'officially' supposed to be past yesterday's events, I still can't help but be suspicious. The fact that she still keeps flirting with Tsukune and interrupting my time with him doesn't help. "Did you need something?"
"Look, I..."
She hesitates for a few seconds, like she's trying to make a decision or something, before speaking up again. "The truth is that I know that everything I did to you yesterday was horrible, and I felt like I needed to try and do something nice to start making up for it, and when I remembered how long your hair is, I..."
I can see where this is going, and I'm almost as embarrassed to hear it as she sounds to say it. "I thought you might've liked some help in taking care of it," she mumbles.
.......and the worst thing of all about this situation? Me in the shower, and Kurumu outside, offering to help me with my hair?
I forgot to bring my own brush with me today.
Like a hazy dream, I can somehow still remember Tsukune saying something like, 'wouldn't it be better if we could all be friends?' And, well, it's not like I disagree with that point in general, so.... I guess I could use this as practice at trying to make more friends?
"....I forgot my brush," I admit in shame, "so after I get out of here I could use some help with it, if you don't mind."
"Sure thing!"
I get myself taken care of, and as I step back into the locker room, there she is waiting with a bag.
It's.... a real moment of vulnerability, having to put my trust in Kurumu so soon not to attack me or do anything hurtful, but.... she's surprisingly easy and almost fun to talk to, with Tsukune not part of the equation, and in almost no time at all we're just about done. She asked me at one point what conditioner I used, and despite some of my lingering misgivings there wasn't really a good reason not to tell her, so I did, and conversation kind of wound on that way for a while, until....
"...huh."
'Huh'? 'Huh' usually isn't good. "What, do I have a split or something?"
"No," she mutters, "I just noticed this odd birthmark on the back of your neck, but it's kind of faded."
....huh. That does sound odd. I don't remember any of my sisters having a birthmark there.... but we all only share the same father, so it's possible I got it from my mother. "What's it look like?"
"It's..."
Kurumu pauses for several seconds, like she's trying to gauge for herself what it looks like, before I can feel her whole body nod in self-affirmation.
....huh. That does sound odd. I don't remember any of my sisters having a birthmark there.... but we all only share the same father, so it's possible I got it from my mother. "What's it look like?"
...ohmigod Tsukune's been brainwashed, and I'm the only one who can do anything about it! Actually, I could go ask Kujo-senpai, but I'm pretty sure he dislikes me. And even if he seems like a thug, I don't know if he'd hit girls or not.
The cold feeling from a moment ago twists and turns inside me, and it turns hot.
Huh she thought we disliked her.
I guess that makes sense, we're not the best at expressing ourselves.
*ka-kiiiiiiin~* Good thing those were empty, it would've been humiliating if I got covered in trash while on my way to confront that trashy girl...
My earlier tears forgotten, I start stomping striding around the school building, looking for the quickest way back in.
....AAAHHHHHH I'm too embarrassed, I can't look at him right now! ....hey, that corner of the ceiling up there sure is dusty! I can't believe they let any surface of an infirmary get that dirty, don't the staff know there are monsters who use ceilings like floors?! I must look so stupid to him right now...
"L-look Tsukune, I just said it wasn't your fault, so it's not like I can be mad at you, and--"
That's at least the second time in the last few minutes she's called Tsukune my food, and I'm sick of it! "SHUT UP! Tsukune's the world to me, and even if he told me to never drink his blood again, that wouldn't change! He's the first friend I've ever had, and I don't see anything weird or bizarre about giving my life to protect him!"
Even as she keeps diving at us, Kurumu makes an odd face, and I'm not sure what she's supposed to be conveying with it.
Not invisitext but I think this started cluing Kurumu in that it was about more than blood.
Given how big succubi are about the whole love thing, probably spoke to her.
But this girl, this succubus.... she viciously targeted my vulnerable other self's insecurities, and sought to deprive us both of the boy's sublime blood.... She looked so small, so helpless hiding there. So.... defeated. I can't let something like this happen again.
With an awkward smile -- more, I think, an attempt to defuse the tension in the air than because he's happy -- he then asks, "Y'know, friends like we are?" That's.... an unusual notion.
Hmph. Looking at Kurumu now... I suppose she really is too pathetic to impose my original plan on, and distressing the boy will only cause problems for my other self. You win this time, Tsukune Aono.
All the same, it's past time I take back my rosary seal. "Don't get confused about our relationship, Tsukune. I'm neither soft nor sentimental like the other Moka; I chose to help you purely because I enjoy your blood, and that's all."
Heh, Inner Moka also wants friends, so he got through to her, nice.
The Next Day, after Gym Class
And she bribed her way into our social circle (if Kujo-senpai's very occasional inclusion makes it a circle instead of a line) with baked treats! Seriously, does she have any shame at all?! But what really annoys me is that those cookies she baked were really, truly, seriously good...
At least in Gym Class I had a chance to work out some of my frustrations on the track, so now I just need to get a quick shower in the special super-diluted stall for hydrophobic monsters and --
Wait a minute, crazy thought here: Is Moka Joseph's half-sister (and thus Jotaro's great-aunt)? Or, probably more likely, his niece of sorts? After all, Lisa Lisa was physically in her 20's in Part 2 despite being about twice that age, thus (assuming the "age retarding" effects also postpone menopause) she would have more than enough time to have a daughter of her own, and she canonically remarried after the super-vampires were dealt with.
Let's see if I can properly extrapolate from this info... Lisa Lisa remarries, only discovering after giving birth to a daughter that her new husband was a vampire (albeit not the same species as the ones she's used to fighting, and probably somewhat less antagonistic towards humans- "less antagonistic" likely only extending to "not actively genocidal" in this case, but still). Said daughter is Akasha Bloodriver, who, in turn, becomes Moka's mother.
Wait, no, Akasha's probably too old to fit this. Still, though... does this make the local vampire MoJo?
Times like this I almost wish there was a "slap" rating... (though this is kind of hypocritical of me since I thought of that myself.)
Anyway, further thought on the matter indicates that I could've gotten it backwards there. Maybe Akasha married a human way back when (because she's apparently one of the pro-human monsters) and had a kid. This child of hers, in turn, grew up, married another human, and had children of their own... and repeat until the non-human traits are almost completely gone, leaving only the birthmark to indicate that they're related to her at all.
This guess feels... ironic, honestly; JoJo, the bane of vampires, is descended from a vampire himself.
Times like this I almost wish there was a "slap" rating... (though this is kind of hypocritical of me since I thought of that myself.)
Anyway, further thought on the matter indicates that I could've gotten it backwards there. Maybe Akasha married a human way back when (because she's apparently one of the pro-human monsters) and had a kid. This child of hers, in turn, grew up, married another human, and had children of their own... and repeat until the non-human traits are almost completely gone, leaving only the birthmark to indicate that they're related to her at all.
This guess feels... ironic, honestly; JoJo, the bane of vampires, is descended from a vampire himself.
JoJos are not vampiric; I specifically mentioned that extensive human-focused breeding would have removed almost all vampire heritage from the bloodline, thus rendering them more-or-less a family of humans who have a weird, ridiculously-inheritable birthmark. I mean, most R+V monsters don't seem to have mutagenic DNA (which would be required for traits to be inheritable for more than 200 years without external contributions- or, to be more explicit, without more of the ancestor's species breeding with one of the descendants), so extensive dilution to the point that they are, for all practical purposes, purebred members of the other species is, indeed, possible.
Basically, if about 99% of their DNA is human, then they'd most likely be able to use Ripple without ill effect... and frankly, probability dictates that MORE than 99% of JoJo DNA was human by the time JJBA started.
Look at it this way: Can you actually say for certain that the first Ripple JoJo wasn't Jonathan? That'd make it... like, 350-ish years of diluting the bloodline (depending on when the proto-Joestar marriage occurred), thus rendering him basically safe, since that'd be a minimum of about 15 generations between him and Akasha if this guess is accurate- I mean, that's 1/32,768 (yes, just over one thirty-three THOUSANDTH) at 15 generations, and it'd just get more diluted as time passed; the vampiric heritage would probably be pretty much negligible within 8 generations, and it may actually be completely GONE on a genetic level (except for the apparently-mutagenic birthmark) by the time Jonathan was born.
In short: Your assertion that the first Ripple JoJo would have burst into flames at his first attempt to use Ripple basically assumes that the child of a human and a vampire will always be 100% vampire, without exception. Simple math, on the other hand, indicates that, at least by the time Jonathan (the first of three known Ripple JoJos) was born, there was basically NO vampiric DNA left.
(though this is kind of hypocritical of me since I thought of that myself.)