If there was a word to describe how Dio felt about the local bar or bars in general, it would be 'neutral.' Sure it was a good place to find a quick meal, but he wouldn't call it an ideal place to be. It reminded him too much of his drunken bastard of a birth father, who wasn't even worth wasting energy even thinking about. Dario Brando was a piece of shit and Dio despised that his cursed blood ran through his veins. Let's say there was a reason the man was dead and gone, much like King George Joestar.
He often wondered what would have happened had he succeeded in his plan to take over the Joestar throne. If only JoJo hadn't gotten in his way. Well, whatever. It didn't do him any good to dwell in the past, after all, he had a new JoJo to play with now. Speaking of, he hadn't heard much from him for a while. Perhaps he should visit him soon. Their little meetings were always fun. For him anyway. Maybe pestering JoJo would distract him from everything going awry tonight.
He had Kakyoin. He had him there in his mansion and had that dumbass not barged in, he would've had that boy practically worshipping him. At least with the assistance of the fleshbud. Then again, he wasn't quite sure why he was so, for lack of a better term, obsessed with the redhead. It wasn't like Kakyoin was worth anything to him. He couldn't pin what attracted him towards Kakyoin. Maybe it's because the boy was the only one in this town who has never grovelled before him. Dio couldn't tell if he loved or despised that. Based on past experience, he knew it had to be the latter. Right now, all he could do was down more glasses of blood-red wine before he could have real blood.
"Is something troubling you, my Lord?" Dio silently groaned and rolled his eyes as he turned to face N'Doul in the seat next to him. He was an excellent servant, probably the most loyal to him along with Vanilla Ice. How he was able to tell something was not right though escaped Dio's knowledge. Then again N'Doul had very acute senses to compensate for the fact he couldn't see.
"Things did not go as planned in the mansion tonight." Dio figured he might as well indulge him. After all, sometimes it is good to rant about one's problems instead of keeping them to yourself. Afterward, people would most likely reassure you and tell you how wonderful you are. And right now, Dio wanted to be praised.
"Would this have anything to do with Noriaki Kakyoin?" Dio did not tell everyone what would be happening in the mansion earlier that night. The only one who was supposed to know was Vanilla Ice since he was the one who had to bring Kakyoin.
"Yes, and everything was going swimmingly until that utter buffoon Nukesaku got in the way," Dio gritted the last part out and could hear the wine glass cracking from his hand. He took a breath to regain his composure. "But I'm sure there will be other times to bring him into the mansion again. I just have to bide my time and eventually, the boy will give in."
"Not that I question your judgment Lord Dio, but what exactly do you intend to do with him?" Much like the rest of the town, N'Doul did not want to warrant his anger. Smart move. Though Dio wasn't exactly sure what he had in mind for Kakyoin. The most likely possibility was to fleshbud the boy and make him a servant. Maybe even a lover, after all, he was quite pretty. Another option was a personal blood bag. There were many things he could do with the boy.
"I will keep him in the mansion as a servant." N'Doul did not need to know everything, but his answer seemed to satisfy him.
"I'm not sure why you bother with him," a familiar voice interjected. Oh, joy.
"And why is that, Steely Dan?" Dio drawled, irritation ever-present in his voice. Luckily Steely Dan seemed to hear it.
"Oh, nothing, Lord Dio," Steely Dan stuttered while trying to redeem himself. "I am just curious as to why you care so much. He is nothing compared to you. I'm not sure why you waste your time with people who are clearly beneath your excellence." Dio had to give Steely Dan this. He was a damn good groveler. Perhaps that is why he kept the insufferable man around. After all, he finally received the praise he wanted.
"While you are correct about him being beneath me," Dio started, enjoying the relieved look in Steely Dan's eyes. That would be short-lived. "I have my reasons for being interested in him that do not concern you, and it would serve you well to not butt in where you are not needed." And the sparkle of relief was gone as he turned pale.
"Right, Lord Dio." That was exactly what Dio needed. Having people fear him was exhilarating and always made him feel a tad bit better. At least now he won't feel like throttling Nukesaku when he returns to the mansion.
Dio smirked as he brought his glass to his lips once again devouring the delicious wine. However, his drink was interrupted by the slam of the door to the bar. Dio spun around in the chair to see who had dared to barge in while he was enjoying his wine. It was Hol Horse, drenched from the rain that had begun to pour outside, looking like he had seen a ghost. This would be interesting. Kakyoin had said he would not be home for a few days, so what was he doing here?
"Please. Someone. I need help and I'm willin' to pay." What was this man blathering on about? Dio was about to turn around to go back to his wine. "It's my kid. He's in trouble." Oh. Now it was truly interesting.
"Noriaki is in trouble, you say?" Dio turned on the charm and did not miss the glare the cowboy directed his way. "Whatever could have happened to the poor boy?"
"Are ya actually tryin' to help, or are y'doin' this for yer own gain?" Hol Horse never did have a fondness for him. Then again, the feeling was mutual.
"Of course, I'm trying to help, Hol Horse." The mock sincerity was practically dripping from his words. "I care about Noriaki almost as much as you do. I would hate for something awful to have happened to him." Hol Horse just angrily stared at the smirking Dio. He didn't say a word back in response. "Let's go to the back to discuss what happened. Is that all right, Hol Horse?"
Dio stood up and leaned against the counter with his elbows propped on the marble top. His legs were also crossed. Everything about him screamed smug. Which is exactly how he felt when Hol Horse approached.
"Fine. But know I'm only desperate to get him back. I will do anything for that kid, even team up with the likes of you to find him. If the situation wasn't as bad as it is, I wouldn't even be talkin' to ya right now." Hol Horse did not hold back the contempt towards him in his voice. It should make him angry, but it didn't. It only amused him.
"Understood. To the backroom then?" Dio nodded to the bartender who threw him a small key. The back room was a small private room that was supposed to be used for storage. No one was normally allowed to be there, but when Dio moved into town he casually charmed the owner into letting him use it for what he liked to call "business meetings." That was the thing Dio loved about this town so much. The people were so easy to cajole. All Dio had to do was sweetly ask for a favor, and it would be granted to him. This town treated him like the god he thought he was.
Dio led the skeptical Hol Horse through the bar to the back room. He ushered Hol Horse into the room with a slight push to his back. The room wasn't all that impressive. It looked like the old servant's quarters back in the castle. Dio often spent a lot of time in those small areas. Not because he wanted to associate with the common folk, but because he needed people to be loyal and love him.
From the very moment King Joestar welcomed him into their family, he swore he would rule one day. At least one sleazy act his father committed in the past actually benefited him. The king always said he owed Dario, something about saving his life, Dio couldn't recall all the details nor did he care. Either way, when his father 'tragically' passed, King Joestar took him in as his own, and thus he became known as the adopted prince. It always amused Dio though, to think the adopted prince of no true royal blood, was more beloved by the people instead of the real prince.
Then again he made it a point to make sure everyone loved him instead of Prince Jonathon. JoJo was unfit to rule, and everybody knew it. He could never pinpoint why, but JoJo irked him to no end. Maybe there were multiple reasons. He had never understood the boy. Even though he was royalty, he still didn't act like he was above anyone. He considered himself equal with the lowly peasants in the village. While Dio fooled everyone into believing he cared, JoJo was always genuine. What probably made Dio sickest about him, was that he didn't act like the snot-nosed royal brat he expected JoJo to be. It definitely made Dio's job of taking his throne harder. But, it wouldn't be that difficult. All Dio had to do was ruin JoJo's life, to make him into the bitter prince no one liked.
And so he did. He spread lies about Jonathon, stole his betrothed's first kiss, and even disposed of his mangy mutt that hung around the castle. In the end, Dio's plan mostly worked, though JoJo didn't become hateful like he thought he would. At the very least, Dio absolutely destroyed Jonathon's reputation, gained everyone's trust, and was the last person to be suspected of the mysterious illness plaguing the king. Poisoning King Joestar had been too easy, and he would have succeeded in his plan had JoJo not stuck his nose where it didn't belong.
But looking back in hindsight he did technically accomplish his goal and then some. Finding the ancient mask that turned him into a vampire was fate. He realized he wasn't just supposed to rule the kingdom, no, he was destined to rule the world. So when Jonathon banished him with tears shimmering in his eyes, Dio just smiled back and vowed to return. And return he did. Now he does rule the kingdom after he cursed the new Joestar brat.
"So are ya gonna help me or not?" Oh, he must have gotten lost in thought. Hol Horse was sitting in the chair with his arms crossed, the scowl on his face scrunching up his features. Dio put on his signature grin and went to sit across from him on the other side of the small table.
"Of course, Hol Horse. But first, may I interest you in a drink?" Dio reached under the table for two shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Hol Horse nodded. After pouring, Dio slid the glass to him, and he downed it. Hopefully, the alcohol will make the cowboy loosen up and help Dio in the long run. "Now, tell me what happened."
"I was goin' on my last trip to the big city before winter, to meet with an old friend and to get some supplies I can't get anywhere else," Hol Horse began. Dio was already dying of boredom, he knew all this. Why didn't the idiot just skip to the part about Kakyoin? "So I went into the woods around midnight cause it's quicker to go through them by horse to get to the city. I also like traveling by Emperor rather than by car." Dio was going to murder this man if he didn't get to the point soon.
"So how does Noriaki come into play here?" Dio inquired trying to speed up the process. He slid another glass to Hol Horse.
"When I was out in the woods, it started rainin' cats and dogs and I was tryin' to find a place to take shelter." He took another drink. "I was 'bout to give up, but then I saw some kinda magical light." Oh? Dio stopped and leaned closer to Hol Horse.
"A magical light?" Dio almost laughed. This story was starting to get better and better.
"I know it sounds insane, but I saw it!" Hol Horse looked desperate his eyes were wide.
"Could you describe it, Hol Horse?" It couldn't be, could it?
"It was like a giant ball of light that lit up the forest. That's all, now will ya let me finish?" Hol Horse's voice flared with agitation. Dio nodded. "Anyway, the light guided me to a huge crumbling castle, and I went inside to escape from the rain." It indeed could. Hol Horse had followed his light. His lure to Jotaro. Years ago, he finally decided to leave that little magic orb there to lead people to the castle. Dio knew Jotaro wouldn't actively seek out people to devour, so he decided he would bring people to Jotaro instead. And Hol Horse fell for Dio's trap. Could this mean that Kakyoin was…
"I was greeted by these strange people. They looked like they were from the Victorian era." Ah yes, the rest of those fools that he'd cursed. One of them even used to be an old minion, though he couldn't remember any of their names except for Joseph, Jonathon's miserable grandson. "They let me sleep for a while and when I woke up I saw a ring that I wanted t'give Kakyoin. So I tried to grab it and was knocked unconscious." Was Hol Horse really stupid enough to try to steal Jonathon's ring? Though he was surprised Jotaro went that far.
"When I woke up, I was in a dungeon, like ya see in the movies. Then I saw the creature that attacked me for the first time. He looked about Kakyoin's age, but this was no ordinary boy. He had a dangerous air and was terrifyin' to behold. He wasn't human." So Hol Horse met Jotaro? Interesting. "Then, Kakyoin came and he-" Hol Horse seemed to get choked up. What did Jotaro do? He didn't kill the boy, did he?
"He what Hol Horse?" Dio was waiting in anticipation to know.
"Kakyoin made a deal with the monster." He what? "He agreed to take my place as a prisoner until the day he dies. Now he is stuck there with a beast that could do who knows what to him." Hol Horse was almost sobbing at this point. "Dio, I can't believe I'm askin' this, but please help me."
Well, wasn't this interesting. The Jotaro he knew would never willingly be around a human, let alone keep one as a prisoner. Unless his vampire side was finally winning. If that was the case Dio was proud of the boy, especially if he was going to use Kakyoin as a blood bag. Though perhaps he was foolish enough to be bewitched by the boy's beauty. Maybe he thinks that Kakyoin could help break the spell. As if. Dio knew Kakyoin and how stubborn that boy was. Kakyoin probably hated Jotaro more than Kakyoin hated him, which was impressive. Though he imagined Kakyoin did not take kindly to people ripping his freedom and father away from him. As much as Dio would like to keep Kakyoin for himself, he wanted to see how this played out. Which meant he had to find a way to keep Hol Horse away. Then a devious plot came to him. He was glad his past self was clever enough to give the man some whiskey. Using Hol Horse's past against him would be a sinch to make the rest of the village ignore him.
"Oh, poor Hol Horse. How could I not help a dear friend?" He stood up and walked towards Hol Horse. He placed his hands on the cowboy's face and wiped away the tears. Hol Horse was taken aback by the gesture but did not try to fight it. He was just confused.
"Yer gonna help me?" He tentatively asked.
"Of course, friend." Dio's words turned dark on the last word. "After all, I think it would benefit you and Noriaki if you would go somewhere to curb that awful habit of yours."
"What?" Hol Horse tried to pull away, but Dio's grip tightened, his sharp black nails digging into his cheeks.
"I have a summer house a few miles from here. It would be a remote location, so you could deal with your addiction without disturbance."
"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Hol Horse kept trying to pull away but to no avail.
"You're alcohol addiction Hol Horse." Dio had a wild smile, and his eyes sparkled with malice.
"Yer fuckin' kiddin' me," Hol Horse cursed.
"Am I?" This was almost too easy. "Hol Horse you concocted this outrageous story to conceal the fact that Noriaki left, is that right?"
"Are you callin' me a liar? My kid was fuckin' kidnapped!" Hol Horse was yelling now.
"Hol Horse, Noriaki wasn't kidnapped. He came to my house earlier and told me he was concerned about you. He said you were drinking and smoking again, and he wanted me to help you. So, I agreed that I would wait in this bar tonight in case you showed up. Noriaki is still at my place because I offered to let him stay there until you were well again." Dio grinned wickedly. "I merely want to help you, Hol Horse."
"You bastard. We both know yer lyin'." Hol Horse finally freed himself from Dio. "The Demon of the woods has my kid."
"Hol Horse, the Demon isn't real." Dio had a fake sadness in his eyes. He spoke as if he was talking to a small child. "That's only a story to prevent children from going into the woods late at night. Now, let's get you home. You reak of alcohol."
"You gave it to me!" Hol Horse screamed as Dio tightly grabbed his wrist.
"Did I?" Hol Horse tried to wrench his arm away as Dio tugged him out of the room.
"You bastard let me go!" Hol Horse kept shouting until they got to the entrance and met the bartender again.
"Sir, this man is extremely drunk and needs to go home. Can you arrange for someone to escort him out?" Dio lied with a smile and Hol Horse kept thrashing in his grip. A bouncer came and manhandled Hol Horse out as he cursed up a storm. The insults mostly included Dio's name. Once Hol Horse was gone, Dio slumped back onto his barstool. Who knew manipulating people was so hard?
"My Lord, is everything all right?" N'Doul cautiously asked.
"Yes," he fake sighed. "The old fool was just drunk out of his mind. Then again what else is new." He knew he could use that excuse because he used to be the town drunkard before he left for someplace else. Dio remembered when he moved into this town, people would warn him not to even go near Hol Horse. 'He's just a lowlife. Don't waste your time on him.' Then Hol Horse disappeared not long after he arrived. Needless to say, he was shocked to see Hol Horse return, and with a son no less.
"I don't know, Dio. He seemed pretty sober to me when he came in. He acted like Kakyoin was actually in danger. Shouldn't we go check that out? Especially if you care about him so much." Dio wanted to kill Steely Dan for questioning him and for not using his honorific, but decided not to. Steely Dan noticed that Dio went silent for a moment and became nervous again. "I'm sorry, my Lord! It was a stupid suggestion."
"No, Steely Dan." Dio held a hand up to silence him. "I think you have a point, so I want you to do me a favor. Go into the woods to search for Noriaki and if you bring him back to me, I'll pay you handsomely."
"The woods, Lord Dio?" Steely Dan quivered. "But-"
"Did I stutter, Steely Dan?" Dio's voice was laced with annoyance again.
"No," Steely Dan paused. "My Lord."
"Now if you want more instructions, meet me at the mansion tomorrow afternoon." Dio smirked. "After that, I have a little errand to run." Maybe it was time to pay little JoJo a visit.
Ah yes. The bastard returns. Also two chapters in 24 hours? Who am I?
Anyway, happy holidays everyone! I hope you enjoy yourself and stay safe!