WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.
After dropping Suki's friend at the hospital, the group returned to the plaza, encountering Joseph and Anne waiting at the entrance to the hotel. Hearing five sets of footsteps approaching, the man looked up and sighed.
"Oh my god…" He muttered, drawing a hand over his face. Turning to the approaching party, he remarked, "You didn't think to tell the old man where you were going? I look away from the commotion going on outside for two seconds, and all of a sudden, you all just up and disappear!"
"Ah, heheh, sorry about that…" Suki responded sheepishly, scratching her cheek.
The worried man sighed, "It's fine. Let's just go inside and get some rest."
"Finally…" Polnareff huffed.
Before they could make it through the door, however, the sound of a whistle echoed through the air. Turning to the source of the noise, Suki saw a gangly police officer rushing towards them.
"Hey, you!" He shouted, pointing at Polnareff.
"Huh?" The Frenchman asked, as everyone else shifted their attention to the official behind them.
"You! You threw this trash, didn't you?" Pulling his hand back and bringing it forward, opening his palm, he exclaimed, "That's a fine of five hundred Singapore dollars!"
"What? Five hundred?"
"In Singapore, the law says you will be fined for littering!" The cop proclaimed, drawing the group's attention to a nearby sign that reinforced his point.
"Five hundred Singapore dollars…" Kakyoin mused.
"That's about forty-thousand yen." Joseph calculated.
"Hmm…isn't that like…?" Suki moved her index finger across her open palm, figuring out the math in her head. Finally dropping her head in her hand, she looked up with a frustrated expression, "A little less than two-hundred Egyptian pounds…?"
"Trash?" Abdul asked, confused.
The officer pointed at Polnareff with a strict face, assertively asking, "Got it?"
"Trash?" Polnareff repeated Abdul's question.
The sound of a car passing by on the expressway above the group was heard as the official pointed at a bag that sat on the ground, the one that Joseph had set at Polnareff's feet.
"What are you talking about?" The silver-haired man asked, following the direction the cop was pointing in. Polnareff had left his burlap, one-strap bag with Joseph before they had engaged in combat with Minaj, and Suki had followed his example. Upon returning, the man had left the bags on the ground in front of them both.
Abdul snickered, realizing the official's mistake.
"I don't see anything here besides my own luggage," Polnareff's previously confused expression grew condescending as he continued, poking the officer's chest, "Would you be so kind as to tell me what trash you're referring to?" Placing his hand on the cop's shoulder, he asked with an eerie grin, "Where is this trash, sir?" His smile grew menacing, as the official nervously averted his eyes.
"That's your luggage, sir?"
"That's right," Polnareff affirmed.
"I-I'm terribly sorry," The officer apologized, as Abdul, Polnareff, and Joseph burst into laughter. Even Jotaro's mouth turned up, ever so slightly entertained. Suki picked up her satchel by its over-the-shoulder strap, examining it skeptically.
"Do they really think anything you put on the ground is trash…?" She asked, thumbing the rough material. Polnareff put his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention.
"Nah, I doubt the force here is that bad. This guy is just making assumptions," Smirking, he continued, "And you know what they say about assuming things?"
The girl tilted her head, asking him with her eyes to go on.
"It makes an 'ass' out of 'you' and 'me.'"
Her mouth opening slightly in thought, she looked in another direction before her eyes lit up a moment later.
"I get it!" Closing her eyes with a smile, she said, "So, you're saying he's an ass!"
Grinning, the Frenchman agreed, "Exactly!"
The men laughed again, Polnareff and Suki joining in. Even Anne joined in, before Polnareff looked back to her with a confused expression. The chuckling of the group quieted as the tiny person noted their attention having shifted to her, and turned her head away in a pout.
"Well, I'll be going, then…" The cop spoke up nervously.
"Shoo, shoo," Polnareff made a dismissive gesture as the officer walked off. During this short exchange, Anne had chosen to sit in front of the hedges decorating the front of the hotel. "What's with the kid? She's still following us," He muttered.
Equally as confused, Joseph asked, "Hey, weren't you going to go see your father?"
"Why don't you stop following us and get going?" Polnareff suggested.
Preaching the choir on that one…Suki thought, I don't want to have to worry about her anymore.
Giving a small sigh, Anne rested her head in her hand and responded, "I'm meeting up with him in five days," Taking her head out of her hand, she looked up at Polnareff with an irritated expression as she stated, "I can go wherever I want!" Finishing her rebellious statement, she turned her head away and asserted, "I'm not taking orders from you guys," After a moment, she looked up at Jotaro with puppy-dog eyes. The man returned her stare for a moment before turning his attention to the rest of the group.
"She'll be in danger if she stays with us," Abdul expressed, his arms folded.
"Maybe she doesn't have any money," Kakyoin thought aloud.
"All right…" Joseph gave in, shifting his focus to the child, "I guess we can pay for her hotel room. Polnareff, bring her, but don't hurt her pride."
"Uh, I think she's got you beat, Mr. Joestar," Polnareff replied, pointing in the child's direction. Joseph turned to look to see Suki squatting in front of Anne, having a quiet chat with her. Straining his ears, he could barely make out their conversation.
"Hey, you can tag along with us for the time being, if you really want to," Suki swallowed her pride as she forced a friendly smile, against her instincts, "But the world's a scary place, even for people like us. So, you've gotta be extra careful, okay?"
Anne looked at her for a moment before turning her head and pouting, muttering, "I don't have to take orders from a brat like you."
Desperately trying to keep cool, Suki spoke tersely, "Now, I don't think that's a very nice thing to say. Can't we just let bygones be bygones and make up?"
"Well, I think you owe me an apology first."
Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Suki replied, "But, I already apologized for what I said before."
"You haven't apologized for kicking me out of the cabin on the boat!"
"Okay, that wasn't even my fault!" Suki shot back, throwing her hands down.
"If you hadn't been there, I could have stayed in the room, and not been bored out of my mind in the next cabin!"
"So, now you're blaming my existence for your misfortune?"
"If you hadn't come out and attacked us, we could've been rescued right away!"
"Listen, kid, you have no-" The girl then realized that the rest of the group had grown silent, and turned around to see them all staring at them, as they argued with each other. All watched with wide eyes, except for Jotaro, who gripped the brim of his hat tightly and pulled it over his eyes. Suki's mind flicked back to his unmistakable anger at the trivial arguments she had been having with her double. With a sigh, the girl looked to the group with eyes begging for assistance.
"What?" Anne asked contemptibly, "What don't I have?"
Walking up to the kid, Polnareff said, "Hey!" The girl looked up, startled, "You're poor, right?" Pointing at himself, he continued, "We'll pay for you, so come with us."
Anne sighed with a disdainful expression. Polnareff lowered his hand confusedly, as Abdul and Joseph shook their heads, the old man bringing a hand up and holding his own head. Kakyoin chuckled lightly, bringing a hand over his mouth. Suki rolled her eyes irritably.
"Well, then. Let us check in…" Abdul spoke, a tinge of stress in his voice.
"R-right…" Joseph agreed.
Walking into the hotel, Suki's eyes glimmered as she was privy to a lobby that just screamed, "If you don't have money, find somewhere else to stay." She rushed forward, drinking in the expensive decorations.
"Hey, don't run off too far!" Joseph called to her, but she didn't appear to hear anything, too lost in the opulence of the room. The reflective ceramic floor and the grid-patterned ceiling with no want for light painted the room a shimmery gold color, and the sunlight filtering in from all of the large windows gleamed on the floor. Looking about like a kid in a candy store, Suki's attention shifted from the tropical potted plants laid out across the hall, to the red lavish sofas that looked like they could function as beds themselves, to the upstanding people scattered about the room.
"Clas-sy…" The girl mused, her wide eyes desperately trying to note down every detail. She was snapped out of her dazed state by a soft yank on her cape. Looking up and behind her, she saw Jotaro standing behind her. Shifting her attention back to the front desk, she saw the other four men standing there, engrossed in figuring out the details of their stay.
"Ah, uh, sorry about that," Suki nervously laughed, blushing at how excited she had gotten.
"You act like you've never been in a hotel before," The thug piped up, finally letting go of the cloth attached to the back of Suki's shirt.
"I've been in plenty of hotels! Just, none this…chic."
"Wait till you see everything before deciding anything. Hotels tend to have nicer lobbies than actual living quarters."
"You sound like you speak from experience," Suki suggested with a small chuckle. Jotaro nodded, as they made their way over to the rest of the group.
"I'm terribly sorry, but we are rather full at this time of year," The woman behind the large wooden desk confessed to Joseph, as he leaned on the table, desperately trying to work things out, "The rooms won't be next to each other. Is that all right?" Curious to see what Joseph was doing hunched over the table, Suki glanced over to see that he was in the process of writing a check. The girl's eyes widened as she swallowed thickly.
Th-that's a lot of zeroes… She thought, amazed.
"Well, I guess we don't have a choice," Joseph admitted. He turned slightly to the others behind him as he thought aloud, "Then for the rooms…Hmm…Abdul and I will share a room," He noted, pointing between himself and his friend, as Abdul nodded in agreement.
"Jotaro and I will share a room, since we're both students," Kakyoin spoke, gesturing to himself, as the other student nodded.
"That would mean, the last two rooms would go to…" Joseph looked between the three remaining occupants. Coming to a decision, he stated, "Polnareff, you can have a room to yourself, while, Suki, you and Anne can share a room."
Exhaling, Suki tried to remain as quiet as she could about her feelings about the state of affairs. Anne did not have such restraint.
"You can't expect me to stay in the same room as her! She could try to kill me!"
Suki sighed, looking disdainfully at the child out of the corner of her eye. About to voice her own retort to Anne's pickiness, Joseph spoke up first with a raised eyebrow.
"What makes you think that?"
"She attacked us before! Why wouldn't she try again?"
"Listen, you-!" Suki started.
"I believe if she wanted us dead, she would've acted long before, Anne," Abdul defended the girl stoically.
"I agree, I can think of several opportunities where she could've acted on that premise, but did not," Kakyoin chimed in, raising a fist to his chin in thought, "She could have teamed up with her friend in the plaza, or picked us off one by one on the freighter she called out to. She could've even left us in the middle of the ocean to die, if she really wanted to."
Jotaro and Polnareff nodded in agreement. Scanning the faces of each of her allies, Suki's eyes wavered as she couldn't deny the trust she saw in their eyes.
They…They trust me already? She thought, Why do they trust me so much?
Finally, Suki sighed and admitted, "It's fine. If she's so against sleeping in the same room as me, we can figure out a different arrangement."
"Agreed," The little kid spat.
"Why don't you stay with Polnareff, then?" Joseph asked Anne.
"You're joking! Like I'd room with him!" The child gestured to the Frenchman with a frustrated voice.
"What?" Polnareff asked confusedly, to which the kid responded with a disgusted noise.
"Well, she is a child, but also a lady…" Turning back to the employee, who looked like she had seen way too many unprepared guests before, Joseph asked, "Could we make that five rooms?"
"I'm sorry, sir, we only have four rooms that are unoccupied," The lady responded politely.
"Hmm…" The old Joestar scratched his beard, trying to think of a way to appease everyone.
Sighing through her nose, Suki interjected, "Look, here's what we'll do. With an odd number of people and two-person rooms, if no one wants to sleep on the floor, one of us has to have a room to him or herself," The girl looked down to see Anne glaring up at her.
Yeah, yeah, revelation of the century, Suki muttered inwardly, You're still hung up on that?
Pointing to the small child, Suki proclaimed, "Anne can have a room to herself," Shifting her point to Polnareff, she continued, "And I'll room with Polnareff. Problem solved!"
The other men exchanged glances, before Abdul spoke up, "You have no problem with this arrangement?"
Crossing her arms and tilting her head with a confused expression, Suki asked, "No, I don't have a problem. Should I?"
"Well, it's just-"
"Good grief," Jotaro piped up, "She wouldn't have brought it up if she wasn't okay with it."
"Then it's settled," Joseph concluded, turning to the woman as she laid four keys on the table. Polnareff picked up the key labeled '912.'
"Hmph! I can relax more with someone closer to my age anyway!" Polnareff expressed, flaunting the key with the blue label, "Nothing would suit me better!"
"Just don't go getting any funny ideas," Kakyoin warned, a smirk turning up his lips.
"Pfff. Everybody knows you take a girl to dinner before you stay overnight with her. Jeez," Polnareff shot back. Suki tilted her head confusedly as the man walked past her, beginning to follow close behind. Stopping short, he raised a hand, waving back at the group, as he reminisced, "We've been through hell since we left Hong Kong. Let's hurry up and take a shower where it's safe."
The other men nodded as they walked up the stairs leading to the upper floors. As Kakyoin, Jotaro, Joseph, and Abdul stopped to examine a map at one of the landings, Polnareff walked ahead, shouting a quick, "See ya!" before continuing up the stairs.
"I didn't know."
The Frenchman looked to his side to see the girl wearing a confused expression. "Know what?" He asked.
"That you have to take a person out to dinner before staying with them."
"Aw, come on, that's one of the first rules of dating!"
"Ah, uh…heheh," The girl tried to find words, as she scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
"Don't tell me. You've never dated anyone before?"
"Well, I don't really know any guys besides my big bro. And you all, of course," Casting her eyes away, she admitted, "He always got sad whenever he saw me talking with other guys, so I never did it."
"Uh…huh…" The man said thoughtfully. After a few moments, he voiced his opinion, "Well, I'm gonna be honest, nothing's right about that."
"Huh?" They stopped on the stairway, as Polnareff looked back to Suki, who looked to be deep in thought, "I mean, I don't wanna make him sad… And he can't help it if he gets sad seeing me with other guys…"
Sighing, the Frenchman spoke, "Look, I understand. At least, I can understand where your brother's coming from," Looking over the railing of the stairs, he reflected, "Your brother wants to protect you," Returning his gaze to her, he stated sternly, "But he can't just isolate you from other people like that!" The girl looked off to the side, contemplative. Thinking he had upset her, he apologized, "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away."
"No, no, it's fine!" Suki waved her hands in front of her, "I've just…never heard that side before…"
Polnareff's eyebrows shot up. Before he could ask what kind of world Suki had been living in, she began to ascend the stairs past him. Following behind her, he thought for a moment about what he had learned, as they reached the ninth-floor landing.
"Hey, so, can I ask a question?" Suki asked, looking back at the man. After he nodded, she questioned, "Why are you guys after Dio? I mean, I'm not complaining," She shrugged, "but, fighting a seemingly all-powerful hellspawn and his lackeys wouldn't be my first choice on how to spend my vacation."
Casting his gaze upwards as they walked through the expensive hall, he spoke after a second's contemplation, "Well, you'll have to ask the others about their reason for fighting him. I have a different target. One of his minions."
The girl waited raptly as they passed a mother and son in the hall.
"A man with two right hands. About three years ago, he shamed my little sister, and killed her," He locked eyes with Suki, as she had turned to listen, "I'm going to avenge her death."
There was a small pause. In that lull, a pair of kids ran down the hall, giggling and shouting at each other.
"I'm sorry…"
Polnareff raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you apologizing? You had nothing to do with it!"
"No, just…" Looking up with a shaky smile, she admitted, "You've probably heard the whole spiel of 'I'm sorry for your loss' a million times before, but that isn't everything. I wish I could've done something. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help."
Gazing at the girl confusedly, he sighed before responding, "You do realize we're talking about something that happened three years ago, in the countryside of France, right? There's…nothing you could've done."
"But I made it my goal to help as many people as I could! That's…That's what a knight does!"
"A…knight?"
Suki shook her head, dismissing the question, "I guess what I'm trying to say is… I've never had to experience the premature death of someone I care about. If death taking someone away from you really does feel worse than life taking them away, then I want to stop that from happening! No one deserves that kind of pain!" Taking a breath, she concluded, "My point is…I'm sorry I can't do anything to make you feel better."
The Frenchman only looked at the girl with wide eyes, before she turned her attention back to the plaques hanging by the doors.
"914, 913…912!"
"Here we are," Polnareff announced, taking out the key he had placed in his pocket, unlocking the door next to the plaque labeled "912."
Opening the door to the room, the two were greeted to a dark hall. The only source of light was the sun shining through the window up ahead, illuminating the figures of a chair, and, further into the room, a bed. As Polnareff opened one of the doors in the hall, examining the shadowed bathroom, Suki decided to look about the area with the bed. The room was clearly meant for one person, or two tiny people, which made sense, given that the room options had been limited in the first place. The white sheets of the large double bed, only home to a single pillow, were wrinkle-free, and beside the slumber nest was a small, ornate nightstand, with a three-bulbed lamp, a white telephone, and a small doll. Walking over to the table with a curious expression, she lifted an arm of the doll, letting it fall back into its lap limply. Intending to take a closer look, Suki reached over and pulled on the lamp's string, only for it to snap off and fall into her hand. Sighing, the girl remembered Jotaro's words about saving judgments for the end, and now she saw why he had been so skeptical. Her attention still drawn to the little doll, she tied the string to the same place she had removed it from, and picked the toy up gently, examining it closely.
The marionette wore a simply designed yellow sweater with an orange scarf-piece, and brown slacks that had to have their ends rolled up so as not to drape over the feet. An orange hat with yellow and blue accents and a light green feather to complement the sweater sat on the figure's head, and several piercings adorned the face, ranging from simple, yellow hoop earrings to red gemstone studs in the forehead, cheeks, and along the jawline. The eyes of the dolly were shut, as though it were sleeping, enshrouded by its short, dark brown hair.
Suki's examination was interrupted, as a key flying past her and landing on the nightstand snapped her out of her thoughts. Polnareff leaned over her shoulder to look at the toy in her hands.
"You much of a doll person?" He asked, out of simple curiosity.
Shaking her head, the girl responded, "No, not really. I'm just wondering why there's a doll here…"
"Maybe it's a room-warming gift," The man suggested.
What stuck out the most in examining the doll's ensemble was the tribal, incredibly real-looking spear draped across the back. Poking the tip with her finger, Suki immediately retracted her finger upon feeling a sharp sting of pain.
"Maybe, but I don't think room-warming gifts typically come with weapons…"
"Well, we are in a different country. Maybe their idea of what makes a good gift are different too," Polnareff thought aloud, looking back to the side of the bed to see a closet he had not yet examined.
"Maybe…" Suki mumbled thoughtfully, setting the puppet back in its original place. The girl then sat on the bed, dragging her hand through her short brown locks as she sighed.
Taking a second look at the bed, she realized how small it was. Of course, it would be overindulgent for one person, comfortable for two, but her roommate was much bigger than the average man, even bigger than her big brother. The girl felt her heart in her throat as it began to beat faster.
C-Calm down, Suki, she berated herself, you've slept in your brother's bed with him dozens of times before: sharing a bed with another man, who doesn't plan to hurt you, is no different. So, why…?
At that moment, Suki became dimly aware of a voice calling her name.
"Hey, Suki!" The girl jumped at the Frenchman's call. Putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head, he asked, "You okay?"
"Huh? Y-yeah, I'm fine!"
A small pause followed as Polnareff's eyes darted away for a second in thought, before he spoke up, "You're sure you don't mind sleeping in the same bed as me?"
A moment's hesitation, then a nod; however, the girl was obviously nervous, desperately trying to conceal that fact. Scanning the room and finding a simple armchair near the balcony door, then looking back to the bed, he sighed.
"It'll be murder on my back, but, I'll take the chair, and you can take the bed."
"Huh?" Glancing at the chair, Suki shook her head, and explained, "But you're way too big! That chair can't hold you! It would make more sense for me to take the chair."
"Look," The Frenchman pointed at himself and asserted, "I'm a sophisticated gentleman. Is it so wrong for someone like me to put a lady's needs first?"
"I thought the first and foremost rule was to never refuse the request of a beautiful lady?" The girl asked, putting a finger to her chin.
"Okay, give me a request, then." The man stated, walking over to the balcony door and opening it, looking out at the view.
Folding her arms and tilting her head, Suki requested, "Uhm…Could you sleep where you're most comfortable?"
"Absolutely."
"Really?" Suki asked excitedly, scooting to the edge of the bed.
"Yeah," He pointed back to the chair, "I'll be most comfortable sleeping there."
"Geez, I don't get you guys…" Suki dropped her head into her hand, as she heard Polnareff sigh.
"I guess you guys aren't going to give us a chance to rest…" He directed his voice behind him. Before Suki could wonder whom he was talking to, Polnareff turned to the white minifridge sitting in front of the bed. "Come out," He ordered. The girl tilted her head, clearly boggled, as the door to the fridge began to open on its own, and a man with black hair and sharp green eyes crawled out. The youth's eyes widened as she scrambled back onto the bed, creating as much distance between herself and the man previously hidden to her.
I didn't even think we weren't alone in the room…Suki looked at Polnareff with awed eyes, This guy's sharper than he makes himself out to be!
The intruder stretched up as he slowly rose from his previously cramped position. His hair was dark and wispy, twisted into a long braid, and his face was covered in long-set-in scars. Wearing an open green vest and gray grenade-patterned gloves, he looked more like a soldier than any kind of minion Dio would care to recruit.
"That's some sharp killing intent you've got there. Why don't you let me know your name before I, Polnareff, kill you," the Frenchman claimed, his eyes narrowing in determination.
"My name is Soul Sacrifice," The other man introduced himself, standing up fully. He smiled as he continued, "My Stand suggests the card called The Devil. It evokes a curse's dark manipulations, deteriorating mental health, and an inauspicious path of ruin and downfall." The mist from the cold fridge flowed into the room in thick clouds, causing Suki to shiver in her flimsy outfit. Asking the question that had been on the tip of her own tongue, Soul Sacrifice queried, "How did you know I was in the fridge?"
Grabbing the man by the collar of his vest, Polnareff spat in the man's face, "Seriously, are you that stupid?" Whirling the man around to his opposite side, turning and pointing at the top of the fridge, he explained, "You took everything out of the fridge and didn't bother putting any of it away!"
Suki sat dumbfounded. It was such a simple thing to notice, how did I miss that? Shaking her head and dismissing the thought as another reminder that she needed to be more observant, she turned her attention back to the two men, as Polnareff lifted their enemy up. Soul smirked, causing the silver-haired man to drop him and step back, adopting a defensive stance. Sliding off the side of the bed, Suki stood and steadied herself, preparing to fight. The intruder raised his arms above his head, a black aura cloaking his limbs.
"Ebony Devil!" The man called, bringing his arms out in a wide berth. Behind the man emerged a dark, shadowy mist, forming a domain which his Stand, what looked to be demonic hellspawn from the realm of nightmares, inhabited.
"Silver Chariot!" Polnareff summoned his own Stand, as it slashed the air before rushing forward.
"Knight of Cups!" Suki cried, Knight flying from the fridge and back, as she used her canteen and extra water from the still dripping fridge and drinks to create a shotgun. Firing one round after another, the girl intended to distract the enemy with her fake pain, aiming at the user's body, while Silver Chariot dealt the real damage. The shots forced Soul's attention to his arm, then his leg, then his torso, before Polnareff's Stand came in and stabbed furiously at the man, poking holes in his eye, tongue, and face, like a pencil being thrust through paper. The man flew back, as blood spattered onto the lamp and doll.
"Talk about pathetic," The Frenchman commented with a satisfied smile, calling his Stand back to himself. He crossed his arms, as he said, "The ape we met the other day was a much more powerful and terrifying Stand user than you," Turning his head to Suki, who had come around to his side during his boast, the man raised his hand. The girl tilted her head quizzically. Raising an eyebrow, Polnareff assured, "Come on, I don't care where you're from: you have to know what a high five is!"
"Ah, high five!" Suki responded enthusiastically, bringing her hand into contact with his with a satisfying smacking noise.
"Still a bit shaken, huh?" The man asked, scratching the back of his neck.
"Well, I know about monsters under the bed, but monsters in the fridge is a new one for me," She chuckled nervously.
Suddenly, the two heard groaning coming from the other side of the room. They turned their attention to where Polnareff had sent Soul flying to see a red-stained body with blood spurting out of his eye socket, which he covered with his hand. The intruder bellowed maniacally, his speech laden with sadistic laughs of glee.
"N-Now you've done it, Polnareff! How dare you do this to me?!" The crazed, injured man cackled, as he frolicked about the room, knocking a chair over, exclaiming, "It hurts! It really hurts!" Suki gazed at the man beside her questioningly, wondering if he had any inkling as to what was going on.
"What's with him?" Polnareff asked, his eyes glued to the dancing, shaking figure, as he stepped back, holding his arm out to direct Suki in the same retreating direction.
"It hurts!" The maniac laughed, as he stepped back onto the balcony, "Curse you… How dare you?! How dare you do that?!" Pointing at the silver-haired man with an insane grin, he cried out, "Now I can really hold a grudge against you! Such…Such painful agony must be avenged!" Soul shouted, finally reaching the railing at the edge of the balcony.
"I let you find me and attack me on purpose!" The man claimed, bending his body over the railing and falling backwards, his laughter echoing as he fell. Hearing his cackling cut off by a large crashing noise, Polnareff and Suki were awakened from their bizarre fascination with the enemy's words and quickly rushed out to the edge. Looking over the railing, they were surprised to see…
"H-He's gone…" Polnareff spoke, shocked at such a swift getaway. The two scanned their eyes over the area surrounding the ground directly below their room, but their search was fruitless. Surprised, the man asked no one in particular, "He disappeared? Wh-What's going on?"
Suddenly, Polnareff yelped in pain. Looking down, Suki saw his foot had been slashed.
"Wh-what the-?!" The girl cried.
"I-I can't believe it! When did he cut me?" He asked himself.
"H-Hang on!" Suki assured, rushing back into the room to grab her pack. As she fished through the satchel, she asked, "Was it some kind of attack?"
"I-I don't think I felt an attack…No, I'm sure I didn't feel it," Polnareff squatted to examine the wound. Limping inside to the bed, he sat on the edge and began to dial the phone quickly, punching in the number for the front desk for a redirect to Joseph's room. The girl finally found her bandages and antiseptic after the front desk told him to hold for a moment. Polnareff reached out to take them from her, but Suki completely ignored his hand, as she knelt on the floor and began to dress his wound herself.
"You talk. I'll nurse," Suki commanded, dabbing the cut with antiseptic. Polnareff looked at the girl surprised, snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of someone picking up.
"Mr. Joestar! A Stand user was hiding in my room!" The Frenchman explained, not waiting for an answer, "Wait, are you Abdul?! Anyway, listen! He's completely baffling."
As Polnareff summarized the situation to the man on the other line, he nervously bounced his leg up and down. Suki's eyes kept darting to the other leg, thoroughly distracted by outside movement. Frustrated, Suki stood. Seeing the girl stand, he pulled the phone from his face to speak to her.
"Oh, are you already do-!"
With no word of consent from the man in front of her, she sat on his other leg, pulling the injured one into her lap as she continued her work. The silver-haired man's face lit up with a fierce blush, as he watched her work the bandages around and around his leg. Noticing he had stopped talking, Suki looked up. She darted her eyes from Polnareff's face to the phone in his hand and jerked her head towards the communication device.
"Polnareff? Polnareff, are you still there?!"
Whatever daydream he'd been having, he was rudely awakened from it upon hearing the voice in his hand. Bringing the phone back to his face, he continued to speak quickly.
"Soul Sacrifice, who suggests The Devil?" Abdul's surprised response was heard loud and clear from where Suki sat. Finally finishing her work, she placed Polnareff's leg gently on the floor before smacking her hands on her knees with finality and getting up.
"Yeah. But no matter how much I think, it still doesn't make sense," The man continued, bringing his injured leg up onto the bed with him. Casting his gaze over, he saw that Suki had exited to the balcony, looking over the railing, as she scanned for any signs of Soul Sacrifice that they may have missed. Thinking aloud, Polnareff expressed, "I know for a fact that I saw a glimpse of his Stand. But even though I don't remember an attack, my leg's been gouged. Anyway! I'll be there in five minutes. Room 1212, on the twelfth floor, right? Contact Kakyoin and Jotaro for me, too! Later!" With that, the man hung up. Upon hearing the phone meet the receiver, Suki looked back to the man on the bed. Her expression was concerned.
"Hey, relax. I don't think that guy will be back. But even if he does show his ugly mug here again," The Frenchman pointed at himself, grinning, "Good ol' Polnareff will keep you safe."
The girl's eyes widened as the words he spoke rang familiar.
I'll keep you safe, Sis. I promise.
Suki's face heated slightly, as her eyes grew soft. She smiled warmly, bringing her hands up to her chest.
"Thank you, Polnareff."
Looking down at his leg to see if her dressing held up, she chanced a gaze at the floor to see the little doll lying on the floor.
That doll...Suki thought. She looked to the nightstand, the puppet's original perch, and saw the blood that had splattered onto the table had been smeared, as if the doll had been swiped off through the pool of blood.
"Polnareff, where did you find that doll?" Suki asked, hoping she was just imagining things.
"Oh, it must've gotten knocked around during that fight," The man said, picking up the marionette with one hand, examining it before tossing it next to the balcony door. Casting his gaze about, Polnareff asked, "Hey, Suki. You didn't take the key off the table, did you?"
"Uh-uh." The youth shook her head. As the man searched the room, she put her hand to her chin, deep in thought.
The doll landed under the bed… Suki analyzed, But I can see from this distance that the blood is smeared away from the bed… She slowly scoured every inch from the nightstand to the balcony door that rested in the direction the blood had been smeared. It's almost…Almost as if… Finally looking at the toy that Polnareff had cast aside, her eyes locked with those of the doll.
As if it had gotten up and walked by itself…
Suki remembered seeing the doll's face, giving it the semblance of being asleep. The doll now looked up at the ceiling with uncomfortably wide eyes. Slowly making her way to the balcony door, tiptoeing so she wouldn't alert the toy to her presence, she was vaguely aware of Polnareff speaking, seemingly having found the key.
"There you are!"
The eyes of the doll turned to Suki. With a small motion, it shut the door in her face, the lock falling conveniently in place. Slamming her hands on the window, she desperately tried to catch the attention of the man who had crawled under the bed.
"Polnareff!" She cried out. The doll seemed to snicker, as it got up, and scampered over to the bed. On instinct, she reached down to open her canteen, her hand grasping at air.
Shit, I left my bag in there! Looking around, she tried to find any source of water she could use. Her eyes landed on the pools of blood Soul had left behind.
"Nnngh…" She groaned, before calling Knight to make a watery, red hammer. Smashing the balcony door open with a frantic swing, she made a hole just big enough to reach her arm through, the weapon disappearing in a red puff. She reached in, her hand searching for the lock, as she shouted in a panicked voice, "Polnareff, the doll is going to kill you!"
"What?!" The man asked, but too late.
Seeing the man squirm slightly, as he tried to crawl out from under the bed, the toy shot wires underneath, tying the man to the bottom support of the bed.
"Shit! What's-!" Before he could get another word out, the doll maneuvered to where Polnareff's face was and threw a bowl of shampoo in his eyes, preventing him from seeing, as the demon went to work sawing off the bed supports.
"Hang on, Polnareff, I'll be in there soon!" Still fiddling with the lock, she murmured, "If I could just see this lock, I'd be able to open it…" Seeing the hole she'd made was just big enough to stick her head in. She slowly moved her head through the break-
"Don't even try it!"
As the doll shrieked, a hand razor landed in the wall right beside her, centimeters from her nose, catching a stray few strands of her hair that had come loose in the chaos. Ripping her head back, she looked back at the doll sitting satisfied on the bed, cackling maniacally.
"Try that again, and I'll fuck more up than just your face!" It snickered and laughed sadistically, sending shivers down Suki's spine, "You certainly didn't hurt me as much as your friend here, but you still earn a curse. Hmm…" Taking its spear and tapping its chin, a realization dawned on it, as its smile widened into a ghastly ear-to-ear grin, as his voice quieted to a haunting murmur, "I can tell you what's worse than any physical pain. Emotional pain. You know how I can do that? Heh heh heh…" Rising to a standing position, bringing its hands out in a showy gesture, it proclaimed, "I'll tie you up, Polnareff, nice and tight. Then, I'll make you watch as I turn her dainty flower into a thorny bramble bush!"
A loud bang was heard from under the bed, as Polnareff spat in a voice so enraged, it sounded nearly demonic, "Bastard! You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, you have no idea what I've done, to more than just you. This is nothing!" The doll cackled.
Less focused on deciphering the words the possessed toy had spoken, Suki looked about frantically for anything she could use to help her ally. In her panicked state, her mind was drawing a blank.
"Wh-what do I…?"
"Suki! I need you to listen to me for a second!" Polnareff shouted from under the bed, "Can you get to the twelfth floor from the balcony of this room?"
Looking up from the edge of the railing, she saw that the distance between the bottom of the railing on the tenth floor and the top of the railing on the ninth floor was a little daunting, but she knew she had jumped that high on several occasions back home.
"Yes, I think so!"
"Go up there and tell the rest of the group that I'll be there soon!"
Returning her gaze to the inside, she responded, "Are you nuts?! I can't just leave you here alone!"
"I'll be fine! This vulgar little shit is nothing!"
"Who's nothing, Polnareff?!" The doll began stabbing through the bed again, threatening the restrained man.
"B-but…I-!"
"I said I would protect you if he came back, and I don't go back on my word! Just get somewhere safe, dammit!"
Casting one final gaze back at the floored bed, Suki shut her eyes in frustration, before climbing on top of the railing at the edge of the balcony and crouching low, before launching herself up and grasping the tenth-floor rails.
"Aw, how noble of you. What a noble sacrifice you make, Polnareff!" The demon chortled, slashing at Silver Chariot.
"I'm not anyone's sacrifice, least of all yours!" The man asserted from his captivity under the bed, "Now, let's go!"
Okay, third floor up should be…! Grasping the twelfth-floor rails, Suki yanked herself up to see Jotaro, Abdul, Kakyoin, and Joseph all sitting in the hotel room in front of her. With a somewhat relieved smile, the girl pulled her way up and over the railing, rushing to the door.
It's locked?!
Banging on the door, she startled all people in the room, save for Jotaro, who merely tilted his head up languidly, as they all gave her quizzical expressions.
No…Did Ebony Devil's influence even reach up here?!
Not willing to take any more chances, fully willing to defy any rules her mother had taught her about broken glass, the girl stepped back, readying into the stance of a football tackle. After a moment, Suki launched forward with all of the force of a wild elephant, as Hierophant Green opened the door in front of her.
Shit.
Tripping over her own feet, Suki fell head over heels unceremoniously onto the floor of the hotel room.
"Good grief, you always know how to make an entrance," Jotaro deadpanned, as Kakyoin went to help the girl up.
"Are you all right?" The red-haired man asked, holding his hand out to her.
"We thought you were with-" Joseph started.
"P-P-Polnareff!" Suki stammered, fully panicked, "He's-he's in trouble! We have to help!"
The other men nodded as they all stood quickly and made their way back down to the ninth floor.
After Joesph had locked the door behind them, they all hurried to the stairs to descend to Polnareff's room.
"What happened after Polnareff hung up?" Abdul asked as they ran.
"Well, Soul had fallen off the balcony before we called you, and we didn't see any sign of his body then. It couldn't have just disappeared, so I went to take another look," Suki's face hardened as she replayed the scene in her mind, reconnecting the dots leading to the doll's possession "The room key had disappeared, so Polnareff began looking for it. He found it under the bed, but the doll that we found in the room when we entered came to life, locked me out, and tied Polnareff up under the bed!"
Abdul locked eyes with Joseph before explaining, "That man is a hired assassin. He controls his Stand through the power of its grudge against that attacker. To ordinary people, his victims look as if they died to a curse."
"So that's why he let Polnareff and I attack him…" Suki mused, as they finally reached the ninth floor, beginning to run down the hall.
"You attacked him too, Suki?" Kakyoin asked from behind.
"Yeah. He said he would curse me by… hmmm…" She thought back, trying once again to decipher his words, to no avail, "Well, he said he would turn my flower into brambles… But that could be some sort of hitman code for another message…" Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Kakyoin's mouth fall open in shock, and the corners of Jotaro's mouth pulled down into a slight grimace, "What, did you guys crack the code?"
"U-uhm…well…" Kakyoin fumbled over his words before looking up and directing the girl's attention to another point, relieved upon seeing Polnareff's door, "Oh, look, we're here!"
Trying the handle, Suki, much to her disappointment, found the door was locked.
"Uh, does anyone have a lockpick?" Suki turned her attention to the rest of the group. Jotaro stepped towards the door and responded.
"No, but we have a battering ram."
"Oh, we do? Where is-!"
Before Suki could even blink, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum and punched the door down.
"Oh. There it is."
Without another word, the girl rushed into the dim room, despite the warnings of her comrades behind her. Reaching the bed, she looked underneath to see no sign of Polnareff. Standing up and taking the rest of the room into account, she noticed the broken wine bottles and the juice, beer, and alcohol mix coating the floor around the bed. The full-length mirror that had once stood prettily in the room was now in shambles, and glass shards were strewn about the room. Several holes had been poked in the bed, and bits of blood had been flung about the room, only adding to the red liquid that had spattered when fighting Soul Sacrifice beforehand. In the room, there were only the remnants of chaos, and the lonely sound of a single faucet running.
"Polnareff…?" Suki called out weakly, her voice hoarse from overuse. Suddenly, the faucet turned off, as the door to the bathroom opened. Out stepped Polnareff, using a towel to dry his face. His neck had a few nicks in it, but, apart from that, the man appeared to be fine.
"Jeez, first I have that bastard Stand user to deal with, now I've got people busting down my door?" Removing the cloth, he looked to his left to see the other four men in the group standing in the doorway. Surprised, he draped the towel over his shoulders as he remarked, "Oh, you guys! I thought we were meeting on the twelfth floor?"
"That was the plan, but I believe your little friend had a difference of opinion." Abdul explained, pointing behind the Frenchman. Following the direction of his finger, Polnareff turned his attention behind him to see his roommate staring at him wide-eyed. The girl slowly stepped forward, the glass crinkling and liquid splashing under each step. Finally reaching the man, only a few inches in front of him, she gazed up at him, as his expression remained confused, until he looked closely at her. The only sign of her emotions was a small quivering of her eyes, but it spoke volumes about how she truly felt.
Without speaking another word, the corners of Polnareff's lips turned up in an uncharacteristic gentle smile, as he pulled Suki close, embracing her, but careful to keep a small distance between the two of them. The girl rested her head on his chest as she couldn't restrain her sobs. Motioning to the rest of the group to give the two a moment alone, Joseph led the others out of the room.
"I…I'm sorry…" The girl whimpered, bringing her hands up to rub her eyes, "I couldn't…I couldn't think of anything else to do to help…" The man holding her rubbed her back comfortingly, as her voice shook, barely above a whisper, "I thought I was strong enough to leave the nest, but I can't go a day without needing to be picked back up…I'm supposed to help you guys, but I can't even do that right…"
The silver-haired man pored over what he could do or say to cheer up the crying girl in his arms.
It's…It's been a long time, since then, the man thought.
Finally coming up with something, Polnareff spoke.
"Actually, there's something you can give me right now, if you want to help me."
Looking up curiously, the girl sniffled, "What can I give you?"
"You can give me…your body."
The girl's mouth fell slightly agape, as she cast her gaze downward. A tense silence followed, as Polnareff was ready to accept the divine wrath of any angry god, if he was wrong about how naïve he thought the youth in front of him was.
Bubbling up from deep within, the girl tilted her head back and laughed, her eyes closed as her jovial chuckling tinkled like silver bells on Christmas night.
"That's ridiculous, Polnareff!" She giggled, rubbing the remnants of tears from her eyes, "I still need this body, silly! I can't just give it to you!" Parting from the embrace, still smiling from his joke, the girl asked, "What were you even planning on doing with it if I gave it to you?"
"Well, I actually wasn't expecting you to say 'yes'…" Polnareff chuckled nervously. Whether he voiced the request figuratively or in completely literal terms, like with the little lady in front of him, he did not expect this girl to agree either way. Suki joined his laughter with a weak chuckle.
Suddenly, the man wobbled slightly, threatening to fall onto the girl. She caught him without a moment's hesitation, holding him by the shoulders.
"Are you all right?!" She asked concernedly.
"Yeah, I just…" Polnareff sighed, exhausted, "I-I'm so tired…"
Looking about the room, Suki spotted her satchel by the bed, surprisingly untouched in all of the chaos.
"Knight, could you please…?" Summoning her Stand, the spirit nodded to her user before dashing into the liquid coating the floor, moving to take the bag by the strap and bring it back to her. Nodding her thanks to the Stand, Knight gave two thumbs up before phasing out of view. Supporting the much larger man on her shoulder, Suki slowly made her way back to the door.
"Don't worry. We'll get back to room 1212, and you can rest there while I fix you up," Looking to her ally, she smiled that childish grin of hers, "Okay?"
The man nodded. As the girl kept her attention focused on getting to the end of the hallway, Polnareff mulled over their conversation. He had lied about what he wanted Suki to give him, but only because, if he had been honest, she would've only asked questions, and what he got wouldn't have been real.
He didn't want her body.
He wanted her smile.
After dressing the wounds of the tired Polnareff, as the group of six chatted about the fight with Ebony Devil, the Frenchman mentioned he would go back to his room to grab his bag. Unfortunately, he was apprehended on the way back. The police had found his fingerprints on the collar of Soul Sacrifice, whose corpse was discovered by maintenance in the men's public restrooms. The only reason Polnareff's arrest was discovered by the group of heroes was because he was given one phone call.
"Mr. Joestar, I may be a little late coming back…" The Frenchman stated dismally. After explaining his situation, Joseph reassured the man that he would get lawyers from the Speedwagon Foundation on the job as soon as humanly possible. Before hanging up, Polnareff had one more request.
"Name it. I'm listening."
"If the police are doing their job, then they know I wasn't the only one staying in that room," Taking a breath, he continued, "I don't want to get her involved in this mess. Could you keep her hidden for a little while? Until all of this blows over?"
"Yeah, I can take care of that."
"Thanks, Mr. Joestar. See you later."
With that, Polnareff hung up, Joseph following suit. Nodding to Abdul, the robed man stood up.
"Where are you going?" Suki asked.
"Polnareff said he's been arrested for killing Soul Sacrifice. He suggested that we hide you, since you could be suspected. So, Abdul and I will go out and find a disguise for you," Walking to the door, he waved back and said, "We'll be back soon!"
The door shut, leaving Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Suki to have the whole room to themselves.
"Ooh, I wonder what kind of costume I'll get to wear…!" Suki let her daydreams run wild as her mind conjured up various outfits of different cuts and colors that would make her look stylish.
"Don't get your hopes up too high. You're supposed to avoid attention, not draw it," Jotaro piped up, looking the girl's outfit from top to bottom, "I mean, just ditch the Mini Caped Crusader ensemble, and no one will know it's you."
"Huh? I can't just take this off! These clothes were made special for me…"
"You never take those off?" Kakyoin asked, tilting his head at her outburst.
"I mean, I wear pajamas, and I wash these whenever I get the opportunity," Suki shrugged, "If something is cool-looking and comfortable, why wouldn't you wear it all the time?"
The girl darted her eyes over at Jotaro, noticing him staring at her. He nonchalantly turned his gaze to another point in the room. Before Suki could re-engage in conversation with Kakyoin, the thug spoke up.
"You're really attached to that outfit, huh?"
Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she mumbled, "Yeah."
"Is it a puppy?"
"No, keep guessing."
"Is it a stallion?"
"Nope."
This back-and-forth had continued for quite some time on the sibling pair's journey to the local tailor's. Suki's birthday had come and gone, but Kyuu had still sent a request for a special surprise to be made when he came home for a visit. The afternoon sun shined down harshly on the gritty sands of the suburb, but the two felt like they were walking through the cool blue sky, hand-in-hand.
"Is it a puppy?"
"You already guessed that, Sis."
"Well, I don't know what else to guess!" Gazing upward, the girl saw the familiar sign she always saw when she went out to visit her friend, "Does Michel have something to do with it?"
"Maybe…" Kyuu said liltingly.
The door to the tailor's emitted a ringing sound as the brother and sister walked in, greeted by a cold-looking girl with black curls and night-blue eyes. Her face brightened as she saw the incoming visitors, albeit almost imperceptibly.
"Sukiyaki, Kyuu. Great timing, I just put the finishing touches on your order," The girl behind the counter disappeared down a hall leading to the counter. Suki's eyes widened as she looked at her big brother.
"You got me a costume?!"
The man nodded with a big smile on his face, "Sure did! You'll love it, I promise."
"Thank you, Big Bro!" Suki embraced Kyuu tightly.
"Here it is," Michel came out with a large white box in her hands and a book tucked under her arm. Laying the white box on the countertop, she noticed Suki's expectant gaze following the movement of the package.
"Well, go on and open it, Sis! I want to see it on you."
Looking between Kyuu and the girl behind the counter, Suki excitedly opened the package and took out the costume, holding it in front of her. Seeing this outfit, Kyuu's face almost imperceptibly fell.
"Heheh, looks cool, huh? Can I try it on, Michel?"
"Of course. It is your birthday present, after all," the girl responded with a small smile. As the brunette disappeared into one of the changing rooms, Michel pulled the book out from under her arm and opened it to the page Kyuu had bookmarked. The tome contained several pictures of historical monuments, the one on the bookmarked page being a Sir Galahad statue in Canada.
"Where are the pauldrons?" Kyuu asked lowly.
"Come again?"
"The pauldrons, the skirt, the tights, the belt! None of that is in the box?" The man opened it, and, upon seeing nothing left in the package, slammed the lid shut.
"I wanted to make the costume more comfortable for Suki, and I wanted to at least try and help your image of this pristine little angel," The girl spat, turning her head away from the customer.
"I told you, this needed to be one to one! This is not what I asked for!" Kyuu slammed his hands on the counter, boring into the cold eyes of Michel with his own blues, as he continued to whisper aggressively, afraid of showing his anger to his innocent little sister, "I wanted to give her the perfect birthday present, and you just up and ruined it!"
"Big Bro…?" Suki asked, peering from around the curtain out to the counter. A worried expression made its home on her face.
Sighing, Kyuu gave in, "Everything's alright. Let's have a look at you."
Her eyes lighting up, she disappeared behind the curtain. Not a moment later, she leapt out and flexed her arms in showmanship. The cape was about half as long as the one on the statue, and, instead of a short shirt and skirt combo, the shirt draped down over the top part of the thighs, with shorts that poked out slightly from underneath. The costume was a rich blue color, with white trim along the edges of each piece of the ensemble.
"What do you think, Big Bro?" The girl asked expectantly.
Kyuu was mesmerized by the utter innocence of the sister in front of him. Her smile blended so well with the outfit, giving the image of a plucky young knight, come to save the day. He swallowed thickly.
"You look just like a real knight."
Beaming and blushing, Suki dashed about in the small space, feeling her cape flying behind her, squealing in glee.
"Thank you so much, Big Bro! I love it!"
As the girl danced about the room, her brother still stared at her, his eyes quivering. Michel leaned over with a bland expression.
"So, who exactly was this 'perfect birthday present' for?"
Kyuu didn't even look the girl in the eye as he sighed, ignoring her to watch his little sister bounce about the room, perfectly satisfied with her imperfect gift.
"…ki. Suki!"
Returning from her daydream, Suki noticed the two students staring at her from the bed across from the one she sat on.
"Are you all right, Suki? You looked worried," the red-haired man looked concerned himself, from his place seated on the bed near the window.
"Oh, uh, I did? Well, I was just lost in thought. That's all," the girl couldn't help reminiscing about the conversation she had had with Polnareff.
Was he trying to isolate me? She wondered. Shaking her head, choosing to dismiss the thought until a later point, she clapped her hands together in realization.
"Ah, I just remembered something!" Pointing to both men, she asked, "You both said you were students, right?"
"What about it?" Jotaro asked after a pause, as he laid on his back next to Kakyoin, his feet still on the ground as he stared up at the ceiling.
Swallowing nervously, the girl asked her request with a small blush, "Could…could one of you teach me English?"
The two students exchanged a skeptical glance. Then, Kakyoin spoke up.
"I'm confused. Your speaking and listening skills are on par with Jotaro's, and with mine."
"Well," the youth rubbed her elbow, resting her head on her shoulder in a slightly dejected manner, "I've been homeschooled all my life, so the only English lessons I got were around the house. It works fine for talking with friends and family, sure," Raising her hands to her chin and curling them into fists in a gesture of enthusiasm, she claimed determinedly, "But I want to be able to live in an English-speaking country for an extended period of time. I want to see my dad and sister!"
"Couldn't you just wait for them to come home?" Kakyoin pressed, genuinely curious.
Somewhat startled, Suki lowered her hands and began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. She mumbled, "It's…not that simple."
"What do you-oof!" Kakyoin started before being elbowed in the side by Jotaro, who had sat up without his knowledge. Looking at him confusedly, meeting his gaze, the thug shook his head. Catching on to his mistake, the redhead turned his attention back to the girl and clasped his hands together in apology.
"Please, forgive me, I didn't-"
"It's okay," she looked up with an acceptant smile, "I don't mind talking about it."
"You sure?" Blue Eyes asked.
Suki nodded. Normally, talking about this made her incredibly uncomfortable, but the stress of the day had loosened her up. At least, that's how she saw it.
"My dad left my mom when I was ten. He went back home to Liverpool, and took my sister, Aoi, with him. We… haven't heard from them since," She looked up with a determined smile, "I want to make it up to my mom for putting up with me for so long. Ever since Dio came back, no matter what my brother or I did, we would just keep worrying her. But, she would always smile and tell us that everything is okay, that 'you should just worry about you. Mama can take care of herself.' After this journey…" the girl looked up at both students, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, "I want to keep my mom from ever feeling alone again."
Realizing how quiet the other two had been, she finally noticed their reactions to her determination. Kakyoin's eyes were closed as he had raised a hand to his chin in thought, while Jotaro, surprising the girl beyond belief, actually looked surprised, his eyes wide and his typical frown slightly shrunken. Tilting her head as she locked eyes with him, the thug blinked and his expression returned to its usual stoic condition.
"I want to go to England, find my dad and sister, and bring them home. Or…try to, at least," she concluded.
"That settles that, then," Kakyoin spoke, a grin spreading his lips in, from what Suki knew, an uncharacteristic expression.
"Wait, you mean…?" Suki asked expectantly.
Standing up with a flourish, Kakyoin threw his arm out in a theatrical gesture, his stray strand of hair swaying from the sudden movement, "Yes, I will teach you!"
With a gleeful squeal, Suki jumped up and hugged him tightly, knocking the wind out of him. Pulling back, she asked, "How soon can we start?"
Placing his hands on her shoulders, an excited glint in his eyes, he claimed, "As soon as I can get my materials together. Shouldn't take more than a day!"
"That's amazing!"
"Good grief, you two dorks," Jotaro mumbled.
"Why, you-!" Suki started, gritting her teeth.
"Now, now, Suki, not everyone is as gung-ho about studying outside of school," sighing, he spoke disdainfully, "It's but one of many problems in this world."
"Mm," Suki nodded after thinking for a moment, choosing to trust his words.
"Hey, kid," Jotaro asked, staring at the ceiling from his position on his back. Suki turned, guessing he was referring to her by the nickname, "Speaking of dorky things, that dance you did-"
"Aagh…" Suki blushed furiously as she ruffled her hair with both hands, "I knew I'd look like a dork doing that! I know I had the moves down, but I don't have the charisma."
"I feel like I've heard that song before…" Kakyoin absentmindedly twirled his hair in his fingers, closing his eyes in thought, "Some idol group…"
"'Some' idol group? You mean the best idol group?" Suki leant forward, and both men were sure they could see steam coming out of her nose in puffs, as her eyes glittered in admiration, "Dancing All Night! Ever since I saw them perform on a trip my mom and I took, I've been one of their biggest fans! I have videos of all of their big performances back home!"
"Ah, right, I remember hearing a couple of their songs when I was younger. I haven't heard as much from them nowadays, but they were very popular," Kakyoin shrugged and suggested, "Maybe they've lost their appeal because they've gotten older."
"What do you mean?" Suki tilted her head, unsure how trends fluctuated in Japan.
"Well, idols are viewed differently from other types of music artists and bands," the honor student folded his arms and closed his eyes in thought, "Instead of becoming beloved figures because of their vocal or dancing prowess, they focus on creating an image of purity, innocence, and charm," opening his eyes and gifting the girl with a gentle smile, he admitted, "I don't keep up much with idol trends myself, but I do see why they're popular."
"Well, these guys are different! They put love and care into every motion and every lyric of their performances! They make a showcase of prowess their goal!" Putting a hand to her chin and tilting her head, she wondered aloud, "Maybe… that could be why they lost popularity? They're not a very idol-y idol group…"
At random, the girl's eyes landed on the clock on the bedside table.
"Aw, jeez, they'll probably be back soon," Picking up her bag, she stepped to the bathroom, before looking back to ask a question, "You two don't mind if I shower, do you? I don't want to get the new clothes dirty."
"Why're you asking us, it's not our room," Jotaro deadpanned.
Kakyoin rolled his eyes playfully before turning to Suki, and assuring, "We won't mind."
With a smile, the girl disappeared into the bright bathroom, the door shutting gently behind her. Almost immediately, the sound of water rushing out of the nozzle emanated from the closed door, followed by the soft sound of a feminine voice humming a catchy tune. His lips quirking up ever so slightly, Kakyoin got up and walked towards the mirror, pulling out his comb and running it through his locks, as Jotaro made himself more comfortable on the bed. After a few minutes, filled only by the sound of running water, the redhead sighed, and looked back to the silent man behind him, who had his eyes closed.
"Why do you talk so much around her?" The man asked his companion behind him.
"Hm?" Jotaro opened his eyes, uncertain if he had heard his comrade's question correctly.
"You talk a lot, when she's around," Kakyoin turned to look at the thug with a serene smile, "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I just wondered why."
The question seemed to propel Jotaro into deep thought, as he took the brim of his hat in his fingers and fiddled with it. A minute later, he finally spoke.
"Just messing with her."
Suddenly, the two heard the sound of the door unlocking, followed shortly by the sound of the water in the bathroom being turned off.
"We're back," Joseph announced, carrying a large shopping bag.
"We would've been back earlier, if Joseph hadn't gotten distracted," Abdul smirked.
Mr. Joestar scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I thought Holly would like it if I brought something back for her, to celebrate her recovery,"
"I understand that, Mr. Joestar, but you don't have to bring her a mountain," Shaking his head, he muttered, "I had to keep putting clothes back while you weren't looking so we wouldn't have to buy the cart, too."
Looking back at his friend with a betrayed expression, Joseph exclaimed, "That was you? I filed a complaint with the staff because I thought they were pulling a prank on me!"
"Where is Suki?" Abdul asked, completely ignoring the man beside him.
Jotaro merely pointed towards the bathroom. Right on cue, the door pulled open, and the girl in question stepped out with dripping hair in nothing but a bath towel. She appeared to be lost in thought, for she didn't notice the two men flushed red in front of her until she stepped into the hallway.
"Ah!" She squeaked in surprise, as she rushed back into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Her muffled voice barely came through the thick wood, "S-s-sorry!"
Joseph chuckled as Abdul cleared his throat, regaining his composure.
"It's alright, Suki. Here, I'm going to put the clothes we bought right by the door," The old man notified, placing the bag on the floor. A moment later, the door opened and a single hand emerged, grabbing the bag and yanking it into the room. Abdul and Joseph walked the rest of the way into the room and made themselves comfortable as they waited for the girl to change.
Five minutes passed, and the four men heard the door open. Out walked Suki, scratching her head embarrassedly.
"Sorry about that. I'm used to having the room to myself," She confessed.
"It's alright, Suki, no one's mad at you," Joseph assured. Beckoning to her, he coaxed, "Come on, let's have a look at you."
She nodded and stepped in front of the mirror, as the old man stood next to her, awaiting her response.
The outfit Abdul and Joseph picked out was certainly unique. A pair of neat blue jeans and a plain white tank-top were only visible from the front: all else was covered by a light, chalky gray trenchcoat, with a matching gray newsboy cap.
The girl examined herself closely, pushing her hat back and pulling it forward experimentally. As she began to try different poses, Kakyoin covered his mouth with his hand to hide a smile, as he snickered quietly. Curious to his reaction, Jotaro watched Suki gesture, until she leaned down and pointed at her reflection. Only then did Jotaro realize the same idea Kakyoin had.
Suki looked somewhat like a miniature Jotaro.
Sighing, the delinquent fiddled with the brim of his cap, pulling it down over his eyes.
"Well, what do you think?" Mr. Joestar asked expectantly.
Putting her hands on her hips and closing her eyes for a moment of thought, she opened them and explained, "It's a really cool outfit, and I do like it…I just don't think it's my style," Leaning forward, she murmured with a hand on her chin, "Maybe if I…"
In seconds, the girl shrugged off the jacket and tied it around her waist, and tilted the hat on her head so it sat somewhat askew. Returning her hands to her hips and turning to one side, then the other, she grinned.
"That's much better!"
"Glad to hear you approve!" Joseph patted the girl on the shoulder. Turning his attention back to the rest of the group, he expressed, "Well, I think now is as good a time as any to figure out our way to Egypt."
As the older man sat on the bed next to Abdul, Suki remembered how Polnareff said his goals differed from those of his comrades.
"Uhm, before we do, though…" Suki spoke up tepidly, all attention shifting to her. Clearing her throat, she made her request known, "I never really got to ask, but why are you guys going to fight Dio?"
The men exchanged looks before, surprising all, Jotaro answered her question first.
"My mom has a Stand, but it's killing her. She only got the Stand because of Dio's existence, so the only way to save her is to kill Dio."
"Wait, he's killing someone just by being alive?"
Sensing the youth's next question, Joseph explained, "Dio stole the body of my grandfather, Jonathan. I'm sure you knew that much, though."
"Yeah," She thought back to her meetings with the monster in that black void. Sighing, she grimaced, "He certainly likes to boast that accomplishment."
"He's connected to us through the Joestar bloodline. He's the reason Jotaro and I have Stands as well."
"Okay, but you guys seem able to handle yourselves well enough. Why can't she?"
"Unfortunately, she lacks the strength of will to control it properly," Abdul piped up. Casting his gaze over to the enraptured girl, he concluded, "If we do not defeat Dio in time, Holly Kujo will die."
One could hear a pin while it's falling in the silence that followed, as Suki's anxiety grasped her with hooked claws.
How monstrously powerful can a creature be, to kill people without even trying, just by breathing? She worried.
"Hey," Jotaro spoke up, causing Suki to jump. Locking eyes with the man, she gave a small, bashful smile, "We'll kick his ass, alright? We'll save my mom and find your brother. There's no questioning that. You can ask all the 'what if's you want when you're dead."
Suki was struck by the teen's determination.
Yeah…She thought, if I wanna defeat Dio…I have to believe that I can.
Taking a deep breath, the girl fist-pumped and spoke, "All right. No more worries."
The other men nodded, as Suki sat on the bed next to Kakyoin. They then began to plan the long, perilous journey ahead.
Chapter Three – The Devil Went Down to Singapore
-END-
|To Be Continued|\|/
I think I may be one of the hokiest writers I know... I really hope this wasn't too corny for all of you! "-_- I also just realized how dumb the chapter title looks, but I am adamant, dammit! Imma keep my chapter order, with the prologue being chapter one, and it going from there! With that said, I will see you all next week with the next chapter! -BlueBow