Peanut and Grape's Bizarre Adventure [PG-13]
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 6:28 am
Hello everyone! Welcome to my crossover of Houespets! and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. A strange combination, I know, but one I am definitely interested in exploring. A fair warning that the content of this story is PG-13 in nature. Specifically, the story will be dealing with some heavy themes and there will be times when the action scenes will become rather violent. However, nothing explicit will be described, like blood or the like, and there will be absolutely no swearing.
Housepets! is owned by Rick Griffin. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is owned by Hirohiko Araki. Music references are credited in the Stand Bios following each chapter in which they are introduced.
~
The last thing Peanut remembered before passing out was Grape calling out his name.
No, calling it out is an understatement. She yelled his name, screamed it at the top of her lungs.
The last thing he remembered before that was a blinding pain in his chest.
Peanut’s entire body was heavy with entropy as he slowly started to regain consciousness. His eyelids were heavy as well, preventing him from getting confirmation as to where he was right now.
His ears, however, were still just as functional as they’ve always been. He knew right away that wherever he was, it wasn’t the comfort of his own home.
The most telling detail was the consistent, steady BEEP BEEP BEEP he heard coming from his left.
‘Let’s see.’ Peanut thought as he struggled to open his eyes. ‘I passed out after… something hit me. And now I’m in a cold bed next to a beeping machine.’
Peanut adjusted himself as he tried to rouse himself awake.
‘I guess I should count myself lucky that it is beeping.’
Finally, Peanut’s eyelids gave no more protest as they finally opened, allowing Peanut to confirm what he already figured out.
A hospital room.
Peanut looked down at the cause of his being here. His chest was bandaged up and how. Peanut tried to call out for a Nurse, or a Doctor, or anyone really, but his voice was hoarse and it was painful to speak.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before a Nurse did come in; most likely to check and make sure he hadn’t died while no one was looking. She only gave Peanut a quick glance before rushing out, calling for a doctor.
Mere moments later, the Doctor helped Peanut to a level of comfort where he could actually speak again. To Peanut’s surprise, his family and a good deal of his friends from the neighborhood were waiting just down the hall in the Guest’s Room, immediately piling into the room as soon as the Doctor gave them permission.
Grape and his parents were obviously there, as well as Max, giving his girlfriend emotional support. Tarot sat next to Peanut on his bed, cuddling up to him as gently as she could. Sabrina stood nearby, her shoulder stained with Tarot’s tears.
Surprisingly, Bino was there as well. He stayed mostly to himself, leaning against the doorframe while doing his best to avert eye contact with anyone else. If anyone had any issue with Bino being there, they certainly didn’t say so.
Fido was also there, but not as a friend.
He came as the law.
“Peanut? If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your attacker.” Fido said, trying to stay professional.
“Attacker?” Peanut asked before coughing, his throat was still a little sore. “I was attacked?”
Grape suddenly found the floor to be very interesting. The Doctor cleared his throat.
“Yes.” The Doctor said. “Your chest cavity was pierced by a… an arrow.”
Peanut cocked his head. “An arrow?”
The Doctor nodded. “Yes, and a rather ornate one too. You are a very lucky individual. The arrow managed to miss anything vital.” The Doctor gave Peanut a reassuring smile. “Not only that, but one of your friends just happened to have the same blood type as you, and they were more than willing to share.”
A smile crept across Peanut’s face. “Really? Who?”
Peanut knew it wasn’t Grape, he knew her blood type. He scanned across the room, looking at Max, Sabrina, and Tarot, but they all shook their heads.
“Ahem” came a noise from the doorway.
Peanut looked back at Bino, still trying to make himself as invisible as possible. “Bino?” Peanut said, honestly shocked. “You saved me?”
Bino looked away from everybody else, all eyes now focused entirely on him. “Don’t mention it.” He said under his breath.
Peanut looked down at Bino’s arm, only now noticing the bandages around his forearm. Not only that, but Bino’s eyes looked incredibly tired. No, they looked drained.
Everybody present, at least those familiar with Bino and his… personality, all showed their surprise in different ways. Tarot and Sabrina exchanged a confused glance with each other. Grape raised her eyebrow accusingly, as if wondering whether the dog in the doorway was the same Bino they all knew. Only Max allowed himself a slight smile as he stared at his adoptive brother.
“Thanks” Peanut said. He wasn’t sure what else there was to say.
Bino gave a noncommittal shrug as Fido cleared his throat. “Peanut, the attacker?”
“Right, right…” Peanut said, searching his memories. “I… I’m sorry Fido. I didn’t see anybody.”
“Are you sure?” Fido said. “Any information, no matter how minor, might be important.”
Peanut closed his eyes, trying hard to recreate yesterday afternoon. “I was walking with Grape passed the shopping district. We were on our way home after playing in the park. Grape said something about a movie she saw and then I… I felt a huge pain across my chest. I blacked out almost immediately.”
Grape nodded, as if to confirm. “I can continue from here Fido. Peanut did get shot with an arrow. When he fell, I looked around to see who might have shot it, but the street was crowded with shoppers. Not only that, but the attack caused a panic, meaning if I did see the shooter, I probably couldn’t have picked him out of the crowd running around.”
Fido huffed. “Crap. Well, we have the arrow in evidence lock-up. It’s definitely… distinctive, to say the least. We’ll have forensics take a look at it and see if we can’t look up some kind of buyer of unique, antique arrows.”
Peanut raised an eyebrow. “What the mean the arrow is ‘distinctive’?”
Fido shrugged. “Well for one thing: The arrowhead is solid gold, and engraved up the wazoo. It’s definitely old, possibly an antique. You could fetch a pretty penny for something like that.”
Fido turned on his heel to leave. “Thank you for the testimony. I should return to the precinct.”
Mrs. Sandwich grasped Fido’s shoulder gently before he could leave. “Wait! Why would anyone want to attack Peanut? Is he still in danger?” She begged.
Fido gave Mrs. Sandwich a sad look. “I’m sorry. I wish I could say for certain. For now, all I can do is suggest you all keep a close eye on Peanut and maybe file a Wit-Pro with the BGPD. Until then, a contingent of cops will be keeping watch over the premises.”
With that, Fido left with Bino following after his brother. Max gave Grape a kiss on the cheek then turned to Peanut. “I need to go have a chat with Bino. You take care Peanut.” Max turned to leave before Peanut called out. “Max! Tell Bino I want to talk to him too when we have a chance!”
Max waved back without missing stride. “Will do, buddy!” He said as he walked out. Sabrina and Tarot left after a bit more time visiting, the Pomeranian needing to be convinced by the black cat to do so.
Tarot was adamant about staying the night with Peanut… until Sabrina whispered something in her ear. Whatever she said, it was enough to convince Tarot to go with her.
“Peanut, I’m sorry but…” Tarot said, still entangled with Peanut on the bed.
“It’s okay Tarot. Do what you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.” Peanut said, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
Finally, Peanut was alone with his family, who made it very clear that they would be staying the night. Although they felt little comfort knowing that the hospital was under guard, they felt that every extra eye on Peanut could only help.
Night eventually crept up. The Sandwiches were passed out on a couch in the waiting room. The only reason they weren’t camping out on the floor in Peanut’s room was because a Nurse reassured them that Peanut could call for them immediately using a patient intercom.
Grape was harder to convince, and eventually the hospital staff agreed to let her sleep on a small cot in Peanut’s room.
The two kept each other distracted with board games Mr. Sandwich brought from their home.
“It’s kinda cool.” Peanut said, moving his rook.
“What is?” Grape said. “Nice move by the way.”
“Thanks.” Peanut said, though he had to wince as Grape countered perfectly with her bishop. “This whole thing. I feel like I’m in a spy movie! Like I’m the target of some… international assassin or something.”
Grape’s eyes narrowed. Peanut decided to be careful as he moved his pawn one space. “You shouldn’t joke about this.” She said.
“What? All I’m saying is that it’s kinda coo…”
“There’s nothing cool about this!” Grape snapped, her hand slapping the table the chessboard was on, knocking her queen off the board.
Grape immediately reeled back when she saw the hurt look on his face. “I’m sorry. I… I know what you're trying to do.” She said, placing her hand on his. “You don’t want us to freak out over you so you’re playing it like it’s no big deal.”
Grape brought her hand to her mouth, catching a gasp. “But… God, Peanut, this is a big deal! You almost died! Someone almost murdered you!” She picked up her queen and placed it back on the board.
Peanut looked down at the board, not wanting to meet Grape’s eyes. “... Your queen was two spaces back.”
“I’m moving it there. That’s my turn.”
“Ah.”
Peanut grasped his knight, holding it up for a while. “Grape… I get it. You’re scared. Mom and Dad are scared. And I assure you I’m scared witless right now.” He grasped Grape’s hand.
“But just because we’re afraid doesn’t mean we should be paralyzed. It doesn’t mean we can’t smile.”
Peanut looked out the window. “When I’m discharged from here… I’m not going into Wit-Pro.” He said simply.
Grape looked at Peanut pleadingly, her eyes close to tears. “Peanut please, listen to reason. Whoever shot you is still out there. We don’t know if he’ll try again.”
“Exactly.” Peanut said. “We don’t know. We don’t know if he’ll try again, we don’t know if I was his target, heck, we don’t know if he even had a target. For all we know, he could just be some crazy guy firing arrows into crowds for kicks.”
“But I’m not gonna just go hide in a hole because of what might happen. I’m not saying we should throw all caution to the wind. Of course we’ll be more vigilant and of course we’ll be more careful, but we can do all of that without pushing the pause button on our lives.” Peanut said.
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Grape said, sadness turning to indignation.
“Easy, instead of hiding, we go hunting.” Peanut said. “There’s already a neighborhood watch in the G.O.D. club. We join it and be on the lookout for any weirdo with a bow.”
Grape scoffed. “You do remember that Bino is still the head of G.O.D., right? He doesn’t exactly like us and he’s made it perfectly clear we are not allowed in the G.O.D.”
Peanut shrugged. “Something tells me that, after tonight, he might be more open to the idea.”
“C’mon Grape. Are you telling me you don’t want to get some payback at the fella that shot me?”
Grape gave Peanut a hard stare. “That’s not fair.”
“Fair or not, it’s the right thing to do Grape.” He returned.
Grape was silent for a long time before giving a defeated sigh. “You're gonna have a harder time convincing Mom and Dad.”
Peanut shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Peanut finally placed his knight back on the board. “Checkmate.”
Grape scoffed. “Jerk.”
~
In the dead of the night, Peanut and Grape have finally let themselves fall victim to sleep. Were they awake to witness what happened next, their lives may have taken a much different turn.
Alas, such is fate. The moment Peanut was struck with that arrow, it was a foregone conclusion that their lives were about to become much more bizarre.
And that begins with a black spot appearing suddenly on the walls of Peanut’s hospital room. The spot enlarged silently until it was two heads taller than an average sized animal.
And indeed, three animals stepped through the spot on the wall, covered head to toe in heavy, hooded cloaks.
One of the hooded turned to her compatriot and nodded. The compatriot turned to the still sleeping Grape and Peanut.
“Sandman…” She whispered.
Were you to be in this room, you would see nothing.
Were you to be in this room, and be part of a very select group of individuals, you would see a bizarre humanoid creature suddenly appear out of thin air, standing beside its cloaked master.
The apparition’s body looked to be made of glass, and indeed one could see shimmering golden sand sifting gently inside it. Golden bands adorned the joints of its glass body with golden beads taking the place of its eyes.
The apparition, Sandman as its master called it, raised its arms before a cloud of its golden sand wafted into the room, gently sprinkling on Peanut’s and Grape’s sleeping forms.
“It’s done.” The cloaked figure said, no longer whispering, as she dismissed Sandman from existence with a wave. “They won’t be waking up.”
The other two nodded. With their identities now protected, they removed their hoods.
“Alright Fido, do your thing.” Sabrina said, as Tarot snapped her fingers, closing the portal behind them.
Fido nodded, carefully stepping over Grape’s cot to reach Peanut’s bed.
Once Fido stood above the unconscious patient, Fido hovered his hands above Peanut’s head.
“My Wayward Son!” Fido announced. Just as before, a creature emanated from Fido’s very being. This time, the apparition was not at all humanoid, instead taking the appearance of a blue lizard with wild, red eyes. “Yiiiii!” The lizard screamed, apparently happy at the prospect of existing
The lizard possessed two tentacle-like appendages on its back which, after the lizard landed softly on Peanut’s back, snaked their way to the sides of Peanut’s cranium.
so would you recommend it i don’t know it’s corny but if you’re in the right mood AGH PEANUT
Satisfied, Fido called off My Wayward Son, the lizard disappearing into the same ether as Sandman.
“Well?” Tarot said. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
Fido sighed. “My Wayward Son confirmed it. Peanut’s testimony was accurate.”
Sabrina cocked her head. “You really think Peanut was lying?” She accused.
Fido shook his head. “Not lying, but maybe… confused? It was a traumatic moment.”
He turned towards his companions. “Either way, we now have to deal with the elephant in the room: Peanut is a Stand User.”
Tarot sighed. “Wonderful. Has he activated his Stand yet?”
Again, Fido shook his head. “Thankfully, no. My Wayward Son didn’t see anything about him summoning it. As far he knows he’s still the same dog he was before getting shot.”
“That won’t last long.” Sabrina said. “Sooner or later, his Stand will come out.”
“Until then, we’ll just have to keep a close eye on him and help him when the time comes.” Tarot said. “Best case scenario, we’ll have another member to our merry band.”
“What’s the worst case scenario?” Sabrina asked.
“Peanut loses all control of his Stand and he becomes a walking weapon of mass destruction, in which case he will need to be put down in order to save the lives of thousands of innocents.” Tarot said. “But let’s plan for optimism, shall we?”
Fido nodded. “Besides, this might just be a blessing in disguise. Our enemy has played their hand a little too eagerly. In their attempt to add more pieces to the board, they’ve given up their queen.”
Fido reached into his cloak and pulled out the root of this convoluted situation. “Now we have the Arrow in our possession.” He said, brandishing the gold-tipped weapon in his hand.
There is something that must be understood before the story may continue. The nature of these Golden Arrows are enigmatic at best. Even Tarot and Sabrina, who have feverishly studied the Arrow since it has made its way to their small town, still know so little of its secrets.
But there is one thing they have learned: The Arrow has mind of its own. And when it senses someone nearby who is… worthy of its gift, then by God and by thunder, it will do everything in its power to bestow said gift.
It didn’t take much: Fido relaxing his grip on the Arrow ever so slightly just as he was stepping over Grape to return to Tarot and Sabrina, but that was all it took for the Arrow to slide out of Fido’s hand and fall straight down.
Sabrina would later count themselves lucky that Sandman rendered Grape into such a state of unconsciousness that she didn’t even feel the Arrow plunge itself into her chest, just as it did to Peanut the previous day.
Indeed, Grape still lay there, blissfully asleep as Fido looked horrified at his blunder.
“OH CRAP!” Tarot said calmly.
~
STAND BIOS (In Order of Appearance)
Stand Name: Immigrant
Stand User: Tarot
Power: E
Speed: A
Range: A
Durability: C
Precision: C
Development Potential: E
Immigrant takes the form of a black portal that connects two surfaces across any distance in space. The only limitation to Immigrant is that the User must have physically touched both surfaces to make the connection. Meaning Immigrant can only connect to areas the User has already been to.
Music Reference: Immigrant by Led Zeppelin
Stand Name: Sandman
Stand User: Sabrina
Power: B
Speed: C
Range: C
Durability: B
Precision: A
Development Potential: B
Sandman, true to its name, can release clouds of sand that, when it comes into contact with its target(s), induces a coma like sleep. The User can willingly control who is affected by the cloud and who is not. While under the influence of Sandman’s sand, the User can then induce a coma on their own body to enter a shared ‘dream-state’ between themselves and their target. The User can only do this for one target at a time.
Music Reference: Enter Sandman by Metallica
Stand Name: (Carry On) My Wayward Son
Stand User: Fido
Power: E
Speed: C
Range: A
Durability: D
Precision: B
Development Potential: A
(Carry On) My Wayward Son is a mind-reading Stand. By attaching its cables to a target’s head, it can relay the target’s memories to the User, though the memories are shown abrupt and disjointed, almost as if watching a clip show. The User can focus the memories by pinpointing on the target’s current situation and the specific events leading up to said situation. While it has incredible range and can remain autonomous from the User for up to several dozen yards, it still needs to make physical contact with its cables to read the target’s mind.
Music Reference: Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas
Housepets! is owned by Rick Griffin. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is owned by Hirohiko Araki. Music references are credited in the Stand Bios following each chapter in which they are introduced.
~
The last thing Peanut remembered before passing out was Grape calling out his name.
No, calling it out is an understatement. She yelled his name, screamed it at the top of her lungs.
The last thing he remembered before that was a blinding pain in his chest.
Peanut’s entire body was heavy with entropy as he slowly started to regain consciousness. His eyelids were heavy as well, preventing him from getting confirmation as to where he was right now.
His ears, however, were still just as functional as they’ve always been. He knew right away that wherever he was, it wasn’t the comfort of his own home.
The most telling detail was the consistent, steady BEEP BEEP BEEP he heard coming from his left.
‘Let’s see.’ Peanut thought as he struggled to open his eyes. ‘I passed out after… something hit me. And now I’m in a cold bed next to a beeping machine.’
Peanut adjusted himself as he tried to rouse himself awake.
‘I guess I should count myself lucky that it is beeping.’
Finally, Peanut’s eyelids gave no more protest as they finally opened, allowing Peanut to confirm what he already figured out.
A hospital room.
Peanut looked down at the cause of his being here. His chest was bandaged up and how. Peanut tried to call out for a Nurse, or a Doctor, or anyone really, but his voice was hoarse and it was painful to speak.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before a Nurse did come in; most likely to check and make sure he hadn’t died while no one was looking. She only gave Peanut a quick glance before rushing out, calling for a doctor.
Mere moments later, the Doctor helped Peanut to a level of comfort where he could actually speak again. To Peanut’s surprise, his family and a good deal of his friends from the neighborhood were waiting just down the hall in the Guest’s Room, immediately piling into the room as soon as the Doctor gave them permission.
Grape and his parents were obviously there, as well as Max, giving his girlfriend emotional support. Tarot sat next to Peanut on his bed, cuddling up to him as gently as she could. Sabrina stood nearby, her shoulder stained with Tarot’s tears.
Surprisingly, Bino was there as well. He stayed mostly to himself, leaning against the doorframe while doing his best to avert eye contact with anyone else. If anyone had any issue with Bino being there, they certainly didn’t say so.
Fido was also there, but not as a friend.
He came as the law.
“Peanut? If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your attacker.” Fido said, trying to stay professional.
“Attacker?” Peanut asked before coughing, his throat was still a little sore. “I was attacked?”
Grape suddenly found the floor to be very interesting. The Doctor cleared his throat.
“Yes.” The Doctor said. “Your chest cavity was pierced by a… an arrow.”
Peanut cocked his head. “An arrow?”
The Doctor nodded. “Yes, and a rather ornate one too. You are a very lucky individual. The arrow managed to miss anything vital.” The Doctor gave Peanut a reassuring smile. “Not only that, but one of your friends just happened to have the same blood type as you, and they were more than willing to share.”
A smile crept across Peanut’s face. “Really? Who?”
Peanut knew it wasn’t Grape, he knew her blood type. He scanned across the room, looking at Max, Sabrina, and Tarot, but they all shook their heads.
“Ahem” came a noise from the doorway.
Peanut looked back at Bino, still trying to make himself as invisible as possible. “Bino?” Peanut said, honestly shocked. “You saved me?”
Bino looked away from everybody else, all eyes now focused entirely on him. “Don’t mention it.” He said under his breath.
Peanut looked down at Bino’s arm, only now noticing the bandages around his forearm. Not only that, but Bino’s eyes looked incredibly tired. No, they looked drained.
Everybody present, at least those familiar with Bino and his… personality, all showed their surprise in different ways. Tarot and Sabrina exchanged a confused glance with each other. Grape raised her eyebrow accusingly, as if wondering whether the dog in the doorway was the same Bino they all knew. Only Max allowed himself a slight smile as he stared at his adoptive brother.
“Thanks” Peanut said. He wasn’t sure what else there was to say.
Bino gave a noncommittal shrug as Fido cleared his throat. “Peanut, the attacker?”
“Right, right…” Peanut said, searching his memories. “I… I’m sorry Fido. I didn’t see anybody.”
“Are you sure?” Fido said. “Any information, no matter how minor, might be important.”
Peanut closed his eyes, trying hard to recreate yesterday afternoon. “I was walking with Grape passed the shopping district. We were on our way home after playing in the park. Grape said something about a movie she saw and then I… I felt a huge pain across my chest. I blacked out almost immediately.”
Grape nodded, as if to confirm. “I can continue from here Fido. Peanut did get shot with an arrow. When he fell, I looked around to see who might have shot it, but the street was crowded with shoppers. Not only that, but the attack caused a panic, meaning if I did see the shooter, I probably couldn’t have picked him out of the crowd running around.”
Fido huffed. “Crap. Well, we have the arrow in evidence lock-up. It’s definitely… distinctive, to say the least. We’ll have forensics take a look at it and see if we can’t look up some kind of buyer of unique, antique arrows.”
Peanut raised an eyebrow. “What the mean the arrow is ‘distinctive’?”
Fido shrugged. “Well for one thing: The arrowhead is solid gold, and engraved up the wazoo. It’s definitely old, possibly an antique. You could fetch a pretty penny for something like that.”
Fido turned on his heel to leave. “Thank you for the testimony. I should return to the precinct.”
Mrs. Sandwich grasped Fido’s shoulder gently before he could leave. “Wait! Why would anyone want to attack Peanut? Is he still in danger?” She begged.
Fido gave Mrs. Sandwich a sad look. “I’m sorry. I wish I could say for certain. For now, all I can do is suggest you all keep a close eye on Peanut and maybe file a Wit-Pro with the BGPD. Until then, a contingent of cops will be keeping watch over the premises.”
With that, Fido left with Bino following after his brother. Max gave Grape a kiss on the cheek then turned to Peanut. “I need to go have a chat with Bino. You take care Peanut.” Max turned to leave before Peanut called out. “Max! Tell Bino I want to talk to him too when we have a chance!”
Max waved back without missing stride. “Will do, buddy!” He said as he walked out. Sabrina and Tarot left after a bit more time visiting, the Pomeranian needing to be convinced by the black cat to do so.
Tarot was adamant about staying the night with Peanut… until Sabrina whispered something in her ear. Whatever she said, it was enough to convince Tarot to go with her.
“Peanut, I’m sorry but…” Tarot said, still entangled with Peanut on the bed.
“It’s okay Tarot. Do what you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.” Peanut said, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
Finally, Peanut was alone with his family, who made it very clear that they would be staying the night. Although they felt little comfort knowing that the hospital was under guard, they felt that every extra eye on Peanut could only help.
Night eventually crept up. The Sandwiches were passed out on a couch in the waiting room. The only reason they weren’t camping out on the floor in Peanut’s room was because a Nurse reassured them that Peanut could call for them immediately using a patient intercom.
Grape was harder to convince, and eventually the hospital staff agreed to let her sleep on a small cot in Peanut’s room.
The two kept each other distracted with board games Mr. Sandwich brought from their home.
“It’s kinda cool.” Peanut said, moving his rook.
“What is?” Grape said. “Nice move by the way.”
“Thanks.” Peanut said, though he had to wince as Grape countered perfectly with her bishop. “This whole thing. I feel like I’m in a spy movie! Like I’m the target of some… international assassin or something.”
Grape’s eyes narrowed. Peanut decided to be careful as he moved his pawn one space. “You shouldn’t joke about this.” She said.
“What? All I’m saying is that it’s kinda coo…”
“There’s nothing cool about this!” Grape snapped, her hand slapping the table the chessboard was on, knocking her queen off the board.
Grape immediately reeled back when she saw the hurt look on his face. “I’m sorry. I… I know what you're trying to do.” She said, placing her hand on his. “You don’t want us to freak out over you so you’re playing it like it’s no big deal.”
Grape brought her hand to her mouth, catching a gasp. “But… God, Peanut, this is a big deal! You almost died! Someone almost murdered you!” She picked up her queen and placed it back on the board.
Peanut looked down at the board, not wanting to meet Grape’s eyes. “... Your queen was two spaces back.”
“I’m moving it there. That’s my turn.”
“Ah.”
Peanut grasped his knight, holding it up for a while. “Grape… I get it. You’re scared. Mom and Dad are scared. And I assure you I’m scared witless right now.” He grasped Grape’s hand.
“But just because we’re afraid doesn’t mean we should be paralyzed. It doesn’t mean we can’t smile.”
Peanut looked out the window. “When I’m discharged from here… I’m not going into Wit-Pro.” He said simply.
Grape looked at Peanut pleadingly, her eyes close to tears. “Peanut please, listen to reason. Whoever shot you is still out there. We don’t know if he’ll try again.”
“Exactly.” Peanut said. “We don’t know. We don’t know if he’ll try again, we don’t know if I was his target, heck, we don’t know if he even had a target. For all we know, he could just be some crazy guy firing arrows into crowds for kicks.”
“But I’m not gonna just go hide in a hole because of what might happen. I’m not saying we should throw all caution to the wind. Of course we’ll be more vigilant and of course we’ll be more careful, but we can do all of that without pushing the pause button on our lives.” Peanut said.
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Grape said, sadness turning to indignation.
“Easy, instead of hiding, we go hunting.” Peanut said. “There’s already a neighborhood watch in the G.O.D. club. We join it and be on the lookout for any weirdo with a bow.”
Grape scoffed. “You do remember that Bino is still the head of G.O.D., right? He doesn’t exactly like us and he’s made it perfectly clear we are not allowed in the G.O.D.”
Peanut shrugged. “Something tells me that, after tonight, he might be more open to the idea.”
“C’mon Grape. Are you telling me you don’t want to get some payback at the fella that shot me?”
Grape gave Peanut a hard stare. “That’s not fair.”
“Fair or not, it’s the right thing to do Grape.” He returned.
Grape was silent for a long time before giving a defeated sigh. “You're gonna have a harder time convincing Mom and Dad.”
Peanut shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Peanut finally placed his knight back on the board. “Checkmate.”
Grape scoffed. “Jerk.”
~
In the dead of the night, Peanut and Grape have finally let themselves fall victim to sleep. Were they awake to witness what happened next, their lives may have taken a much different turn.
Alas, such is fate. The moment Peanut was struck with that arrow, it was a foregone conclusion that their lives were about to become much more bizarre.
And that begins with a black spot appearing suddenly on the walls of Peanut’s hospital room. The spot enlarged silently until it was two heads taller than an average sized animal.
And indeed, three animals stepped through the spot on the wall, covered head to toe in heavy, hooded cloaks.
One of the hooded turned to her compatriot and nodded. The compatriot turned to the still sleeping Grape and Peanut.
“Sandman…” She whispered.
Were you to be in this room, you would see nothing.
Were you to be in this room, and be part of a very select group of individuals, you would see a bizarre humanoid creature suddenly appear out of thin air, standing beside its cloaked master.
The apparition’s body looked to be made of glass, and indeed one could see shimmering golden sand sifting gently inside it. Golden bands adorned the joints of its glass body with golden beads taking the place of its eyes.
The apparition, Sandman as its master called it, raised its arms before a cloud of its golden sand wafted into the room, gently sprinkling on Peanut’s and Grape’s sleeping forms.
“It’s done.” The cloaked figure said, no longer whispering, as she dismissed Sandman from existence with a wave. “They won’t be waking up.”
The other two nodded. With their identities now protected, they removed their hoods.
“Alright Fido, do your thing.” Sabrina said, as Tarot snapped her fingers, closing the portal behind them.
Fido nodded, carefully stepping over Grape’s cot to reach Peanut’s bed.
Once Fido stood above the unconscious patient, Fido hovered his hands above Peanut’s head.
“My Wayward Son!” Fido announced. Just as before, a creature emanated from Fido’s very being. This time, the apparition was not at all humanoid, instead taking the appearance of a blue lizard with wild, red eyes. “Yiiiii!” The lizard screamed, apparently happy at the prospect of existing
The lizard possessed two tentacle-like appendages on its back which, after the lizard landed softly on Peanut’s back, snaked their way to the sides of Peanut’s cranium.
so would you recommend it i don’t know it’s corny but if you’re in the right mood AGH PEANUT
Satisfied, Fido called off My Wayward Son, the lizard disappearing into the same ether as Sandman.
“Well?” Tarot said. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
Fido sighed. “My Wayward Son confirmed it. Peanut’s testimony was accurate.”
Sabrina cocked her head. “You really think Peanut was lying?” She accused.
Fido shook his head. “Not lying, but maybe… confused? It was a traumatic moment.”
He turned towards his companions. “Either way, we now have to deal with the elephant in the room: Peanut is a Stand User.”
Tarot sighed. “Wonderful. Has he activated his Stand yet?”
Again, Fido shook his head. “Thankfully, no. My Wayward Son didn’t see anything about him summoning it. As far he knows he’s still the same dog he was before getting shot.”
“That won’t last long.” Sabrina said. “Sooner or later, his Stand will come out.”
“Until then, we’ll just have to keep a close eye on him and help him when the time comes.” Tarot said. “Best case scenario, we’ll have another member to our merry band.”
“What’s the worst case scenario?” Sabrina asked.
“Peanut loses all control of his Stand and he becomes a walking weapon of mass destruction, in which case he will need to be put down in order to save the lives of thousands of innocents.” Tarot said. “But let’s plan for optimism, shall we?”
Fido nodded. “Besides, this might just be a blessing in disguise. Our enemy has played their hand a little too eagerly. In their attempt to add more pieces to the board, they’ve given up their queen.”
Fido reached into his cloak and pulled out the root of this convoluted situation. “Now we have the Arrow in our possession.” He said, brandishing the gold-tipped weapon in his hand.
There is something that must be understood before the story may continue. The nature of these Golden Arrows are enigmatic at best. Even Tarot and Sabrina, who have feverishly studied the Arrow since it has made its way to their small town, still know so little of its secrets.
But there is one thing they have learned: The Arrow has mind of its own. And when it senses someone nearby who is… worthy of its gift, then by God and by thunder, it will do everything in its power to bestow said gift.
It didn’t take much: Fido relaxing his grip on the Arrow ever so slightly just as he was stepping over Grape to return to Tarot and Sabrina, but that was all it took for the Arrow to slide out of Fido’s hand and fall straight down.
Sabrina would later count themselves lucky that Sandman rendered Grape into such a state of unconsciousness that she didn’t even feel the Arrow plunge itself into her chest, just as it did to Peanut the previous day.
Indeed, Grape still lay there, blissfully asleep as Fido looked horrified at his blunder.
“OH CRAP!” Tarot said calmly.
~
STAND BIOS (In Order of Appearance)
Stand Name: Immigrant
Stand User: Tarot
Power: E
Speed: A
Range: A
Durability: C
Precision: C
Development Potential: E
Immigrant takes the form of a black portal that connects two surfaces across any distance in space. The only limitation to Immigrant is that the User must have physically touched both surfaces to make the connection. Meaning Immigrant can only connect to areas the User has already been to.
Music Reference: Immigrant by Led Zeppelin
Stand Name: Sandman
Stand User: Sabrina
Power: B
Speed: C
Range: C
Durability: B
Precision: A
Development Potential: B
Sandman, true to its name, can release clouds of sand that, when it comes into contact with its target(s), induces a coma like sleep. The User can willingly control who is affected by the cloud and who is not. While under the influence of Sandman’s sand, the User can then induce a coma on their own body to enter a shared ‘dream-state’ between themselves and their target. The User can only do this for one target at a time.
Music Reference: Enter Sandman by Metallica
Stand Name: (Carry On) My Wayward Son
Stand User: Fido
Power: E
Speed: C
Range: A
Durability: D
Precision: B
Development Potential: A
(Carry On) My Wayward Son is a mind-reading Stand. By attaching its cables to a target’s head, it can relay the target’s memories to the User, though the memories are shown abrupt and disjointed, almost as if watching a clip show. The User can focus the memories by pinpointing on the target’s current situation and the specific events leading up to said situation. While it has incredible range and can remain autonomous from the User for up to several dozen yards, it still needs to make physical contact with its cables to read the target’s mind.
Music Reference: Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas