JJBA One Shots - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Connect, What? - Guido Mista

The scorching summer sun beat down on Naples, its rays reflecting off the cobblestone streets and casting long shadows as afternoon faded into evening. You and Mista had just finished a grueling mission for Passione, tracking down a rogue Stand user who'd been causing trouble in the city. With the job done and reports filed, you both found yourselves with a rare moment of downtime.

The Passione hideout (pretend the Bucciarati gang has somewhere else to meet besides the restaurant) was quieter than usual. Bucciarati was meeting with the other capos and the rest of the team was scattered on various assignments. It was just you and Mista, lounging in the common area, the hum of the air conditioning providing meager relief from the heat.

"Man, I'm bored," Mista groaned, sprawled dramatically across a worn leather couch. "We should do something."

You glanced around the room, your eyes landing on a dusty shelf filled with board games. "How about a game?" you suggested, standing to inspect the options.

Mista perked up, his eyes lighting with interest. "Yeah, that sounds good! What've we got?"

You rummaged through the collection, calling out names. "Chess, checkers, Monopoly-" you paused, eyeing the Connect 4 game. Mista had always had a phobia of the number four. Maybe this game could help him get over it.

At that moment you came up with an idea.

"Guido have you played this before?" you asked, taking out two different colored game tokens and the game board from the box, ensuring Mista was oblivious of the game's "unlucky" name.

"No, I don't think I have, could you explain it to me?" he asked.

As you explained the rules, Mista's enthusiasm grew. "You just have to get some pieces in a row, they could be horizontal, vertical, diagonal..." you said. He jumped up, not realizing that you hadn't explained the exact number of pieces in a row needed, and began helping you clear space on the coffee table and set up the game. 

You couldn't help but smile at his childlike excitement - it was moments like these, away from the danger and stress of Passione work, that you cherished most in your friendship with Mista.

The game began, and you found yourself genuinely enjoying it. Mista was a surprisingly strategic player, his experience with trajectories and angles from his Stand ability. He celebrated after every consecutive piece he placed.

"Ha! Gotcha again!" Mista crowed as he dropped in another piece, getting to 4 in a row diagonally. He was enjoying the game so much that he hadn't even noticed that he had just connected his least favorite number. "Man, I'm getting good at this. It's all about the angles, you know? Just like my pistols."

You laughed, shaking your head. 𝘚𝘦𝘦, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘯, you thought.

"Hey, I just realized... how many pieces do we need to win this game?" Mista asked.

Well, Mista," you began cautiously, "the game is actually called Connect 4. You need four pieces in a row to win. So, you just won."

Mista's expression shifted rapidly from confusion to dawning realization, and finally to horror. His eyes widened, and he jerked back from the game board as if it had suddenly transformed into a venomous snake.

"Connect, what? F-four?!" he stammered, his voice rising in pitch. "You mean we've been playing with that cursed number this whole time?!"

You raised your hands in a calming gesture. "Now, Mista, let's not overreact. It's just a game, remember? We've been having fun, right?"

But Mista was already on his feet, pacing back and forth, his hands running through his hair in agitation. "This is bad, really bad," he muttered. "We've probably jinxed ourselves. What if something terrible happens on our next mission because of this?"

You stood up slowly, trying to maintain a soothing tone. "Mista, think about it for a second. You just won using the number four. Doesn't that mean it brought you good luck this time?"

Mista paused in his pacing, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I... what?"

You pressed on, seeing a chance to help your friend. "That's right. You connected four pieces and won the game. You were having fun, weren't you? And nothing bad happened."

Mista's agitation seemed to lessen slightly as he considered your words. "Well... yeah, I guess I was having fun," he admitted reluctantly.

"Exactly," you said, encouraged by his response. "Maybe the number four isn't always unlucky. Look how it helped you win."

Mista sat back down on the couch, his expression thoughtful. "But... all the times before..."

You sat next to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know you've had bad experiences, Mista. But maybe it's not the number itself that's unlucky. Maybe it's just a coincidence, or maybe focusing on it so much makes you notice bad things more when that number is involved."

Mista was quiet for a moment, processing your words. Then he looked at you, a mixture of uncertainty and hope in his eyes. "You really think so?"

You smiled encouragingly. "Maybe it's time to give the number four a chance. We could even practice using it more, if you want. Like a kind of exposure therapy."

Mista took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. "Yeah... yeah, maybe you're right. It's just... it's not easy to change something you've believed for so long, you know?"

You squeezed his shoulder gently. "I know, buddy. But you're one of the bravest people I know. If anyone can face this fear, it's you. And I'll be here to help every step of the way."

A small smile appeared on Mista's face. "Thanks, I think I'd like to try that. Maybe we could play another round?"

As you set up the board again, you couldn't help but feel proud of Mista. Facing his fears wouldn't be easy, but you knew he had the strength to do it. And who knew? Maybe this was the first step towards Mista finding a whole new kind of luck.