JoJo's Bizzare Ships

Luxury in Hell (Part 1.5)

This is "1.5" bc it is more like a teaser/drabble that preludes to the stuff I have planned for this AU.

So, Kittyccino take this while I search for some sweet, sweet motivation to make a longer one-shot.

!apcolypse au!
!grief | general angst!

NOTE: All the Joestars are siblings in this AU, except for Jonathan he's their dad :)
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If he paced anymore, it was likely his feet would leave a permeant trial in the hardwood floor beneath him that creaked and groaned with every step he took. A cold wind blew through the watch tower chilling the young man who stood inside of it. His blue gaze wandered across the open expanse of city searching once more - praying, for the sight of another human being. All he could see were Fallens shuffling about, searching through trashcans as they knocked them over catching a few unlucky rats. Most of the creatures had been chased away from around their base, it had cost a few lives but, in the end, breaking up the hordes of the monsters had been worth it. It kept them all safer. Now, only a few stragglers lingered outside of their makeshift fence: made out of scraps of barbed wire, metal sheets, and anything else they could find. Against a real attack from a Fallen hoard it was unlikely the fence would hold up, but it gave peace of mind.

The man slammed his hands down upon the watch towers ledge, a few of the creatures beneath him looked up: but quickly became disinterested - he was too far out of reach to be viable prey. "C'mon Jotaro,please...come home. You know the rules..."

Josuke buried his face into his hands. He had lost people before: some merely strangers who took refuge in Morioh the place he called home - others close friends. Never though, had he lost a family member. A distant clock chimed singling that it was midnight. The hollow chimes echoed through his ears, Jotaro had now been missing for a complete 48 hours.

He was now good as dead. This was one of the more major rules that kept them alive. If a member left to go outside for any reason, and didn't return within the allotted 48 hours - there would be no searching for them.

It was too risky, and they didn't need for someone else to die helplessly searching the infested city. They would be proclaimed dead: until they showed up - usually the only time you'd see them again: was as a Fallen. His body trembled lightly. He couldn't believe that he was enacting this harsh rule upon his own brother. If he so much as brought up a word about a search party to Jonathan, he'd see a very different side of the usually gentle giant of a man. He could hear his voice now, trying to comfort him.

'Our family has seen enough grief already...We don't need to lose you too Josuke."

He allowed himself to search one more time with a teary gaze, but found nothing had changed. With a deep sigh, he clambered down the ladder. At the bottom he was shocked to find his only sister, small and sassy little Jolyne - waiting for him, tears pouring down her face. Out of all of their family members, she had been able to break through Jotaro's walls the best. Kids her age tended to have 'favorite' people, and nobody could make the young girl happier than the stoic Jotaro. She was hugging a doll that had been crudely made by the man himself, it was an ugly thing: but Jolyne refused to go anywhere without it.

"Joot?" was all she said, her wide eyes staring at the purple-haired man. He wiped at his own tears hoping the young girl didn't notice them. She had: for she began to cry even more heavily. "Joot!?"

Even someone as young as Jolyne knew about the forty-eight-hour rule. Josuke knelt down, he couldn't even fake a smile as he took her hands into his own. He swallowed but he how could he even manage words in a situation like this. It didn't matter what he said: she would be devasted either way, if she already wasn't. Jolyne knew what the silence meant, and she shook her head. She slipped from Josuke's grasp, and began running.

"You lie!" she spat, despite the man having not said a word. "I'll go find him! I'll find Joot!"

Before he could stop her, she went running back down towards the base: likely to attempt to pack up her little bit of supplies like she had seen her old brother do so many times. Another figure appeared at the edge of the watch-towers flickering light. He watched as Jolyne ran off, and sucked in a breath. Okuyasu turned to his friend, hating to see his face morphed with grief. Yet: he knew what it was like to lose a brother, and dared not to say a word. He shifted his weight as he stood there, waiting for Josuke to break the silence first: when he didn't, Okuyasu spoke hating how heavy the air fell between them.

"I hope you're not thinking of doing anything rash now," he said slowly, watching a change happen within his friend's features. Shifting from grief to cold determination.

Josuke shook his head, "Too late. I've already made up my mind - I'm going out there to find him." He began to walk away, striding towards the entrance to their underground bunker. Okuyasu quickly caught up with him, his light eyes shimmering with concern. He spoke in a hushed whisper as they entered the cool steel walls of Morioh.

"You can't! It would be no good for anybody if you up and got yourself killed too!" he often didn't think before he spoke, and as Josuke spun upon his heels and got up into his face - he knew that he had defiantly said the wrong thing.

"Jotaro didn't get himself killed! He is the most skilled fighter we have: he's alive - I just know it. So: are you going to try and stop me, or, are you going with me?"

Okuyasu didn't hesitate, "I'm coming with you obviously!" his voice wavered, "I just thought maybe I could convince you not to go...It's really bad out there."

Josuke rolled his eyes, but a smile flickered across his features as he slung an arm over Okuyasu. "And since when have you been a coward?" he poked at the man's chest, who huffed.

"Never!"

He got a grin in return, "Then let's go find my brother!"

The next day: Josuke & Okuyasu's bedrooms were found empty.

And so was little Jolyne's.