a/n: hey everyone, please enjoy this new chapter :) also i love the line this chapter ends on, a brilliant jojo-esque villain line hahaha

[eleven]

yellow temperance - part one

As soon as my backpack hit the bed, three ominous taps sounded against the door of the hotel room. I tipped back my head and let out a long groan.

Since we had left Japan, we had had no opportunity to rest and recuperate. It had been one Stand after another. What if that was another one, sent by Dio himself?

I looked over at Anne, who had flopped onto the other bed in the room. Now she sat up. Her teeth were gnawing at her lower lip. She fiddled with the key-card in her hands.

"It's okay," I told her. "I'm right here with you."

She scoffed. "Whatever. I don't care."

I crossed the room, reaching for the handle.

Anne cried out, "Wait! Look out the peephole first!"

Turning around, I shot her a cool glance.

"Don't care, huh?" I teased.

A blush burned on her cheeks.

For her sake, I stared through the peephole even if I was doubtful it would do us much good against a follower of Dio. I spotted a familiar face, and smiled.

I said, "It's Avdol."

No matter how hard she tried, Anne could not hide the relief that washed over her. Her shoulders loosened. She released her lip from between her teeth. I paused, looking at her a moment longer.

"I told you, I'm with you," I said gently.

This time around, she nodded shortly. Her cheeks were still flushed a rosy shade of pink. I opened the door.

"Hey, Avdol."

Avdol smiled at me. "Juno. Are you ready?"

"Ready?"

"There is no better time to train."

Truth be told, I wanted nothing more than to close that door and sink into the soft pillows on the bed behind me. But I had made a promise, and Mrs. Kujo was counting on me as much as the others.

So I nodded, glancing behind at Anne.

"I'm gonna put the 'do no disturb' sign on the door. You don't answer this door to anybody but us," I told her.

"Okay, Mom."

I rolled my eyes, stepping out into the hall with Avdol.

As I closed the door behind me, I muttered, "Kids."

x

Avdol brought me to the sole place we could train and not be seen by other tourists: the rooftop. There was no shade to hide us from the unrelenting beat of sunshine, causing a burning sweat to blister on my nape.

I waited for Avdol to guide me. He stepped into place across from me. His eyes studied me shrewdly.

"You are not what I was expecting, Juno," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"I anticipated a difficult and disobedient girl."

I stared at him. "Really?"

"That is what your father told Mr. Joestar to expect. And it is what Mr. Joestar told me in turn."

"Oh."

It came out so flat and stupid that I felt myself fizzle up in a prickling heat worse than what the sun poured over us. I knew that Mr. Joestar had spoken with my father, so he could convince him that I had been chosen for a scholarship with the Speedwagon Foundation.

But I hadn't known precisely what my father told him.

I should have guessed, though.

Calmly, Avdol asked, "Why would he say such things?"

"I skipped school a lot," I mumbled. "But I wasn't trying to upset my father. I just -... It gets a little hard, switching schools all the time. That's all."

What embarrassment filled me was made worse by an awful pain; a deep throbbing pain at the thought of Avdol believing that I was difficult and disobedient. It stung.

So I scrunched up all that pain and tossed it.

It was gone in an instant.

"There!" Avdol called out.

Startled, I looked around us, wondering if I missed an approaching Stand. But the rooftop was quiet. I heard the distant sound of laughter and chatter from balconies, and the crash of the sea nearby.

But the rooftop was calm, untouched by the cold hand of Dio.

I blinked at Avdol. "What?"

"It was at the Kujo residence that I first noticed it. When Jotaro explained that you were due to leave Japan, and that I would not be able to teach you how to control your Stand as a result. I witnessed the sadness on your face, though it was brief."

"You did?"

"Then again," he continued, "when Jotaro told you that you should not join us on this trip, and taunted you for crying. You showed a great deal of pain. Within seconds, it vanished. Have long have you been doing that, Juno?"

"Doing what?"

"Removing pain," he said softly. "So you cannot be hurt."

"I don't -... I didn't realise that's what I was doing. Is that what you meant on the lifeboat?"

"Yes. I was waiting, ensuring that what I had noticed was not a mistake on my part."

"And you think removing pain is different to healing it?"

"Healing pain is precisely that: an injury is inflicted, and healed so that the pain is slowly taken away. This is a physical meaning. But removing pain has nothing to do with physical pain. It is more connected to the emotional aspect of it, caused by harsh words or events. The pain is erased, suddenly and immediately, to a place where it can no longer be noticed. Do you know how you remove it?"

"It feels like taking the pain and rolling it into a ball. And just - tossing it."

"It can be a wonderful thing," Avdol said, "to rid oneself of emotional pain as well as physical. After all, some words cut more than any knife. Indeed, many would envy you for being able to remove that sort of pain."

On the lifeboat, Avdol had looked at me like he could see through me. He did it again, in that moment, like I was transparent to him. Part of me figured that I was transparent to him, standing with my hands laced behind my back to hide the nerves, and my eyes darting around.

I was no better than Anne, trying to mask what was so plain and obvious.

"But many others would believe that pain is necessary," Avdol said. "That pain is a wonderful thing, too."

I forced myself to meet his gaze.

"No, it's not," I said flatly.

"Of course it is. How can you know happiness and safety without the sting of pain to compare?"

"But if I can remove it, doesn't that make me more powerful? I mean, if you can't feel pain, physical or emotional, you're practically invincible. No one can hurt you."

There was no wind. All around us, it seemed humid and airless, oppressively warm.

"Whether one feels it or not, a wound still bleeds," Avdol said. "And if one cannot feel it, if one feigns ignorance of it, one risks bleeding out or suffering infection, for even a wound that does not cut flesh can fester."

I hesitated.

"It makes it a lot easier," I said quietly. "Even if Jotaro makes fun of me for crying, even if my father calls me difficult and disobedient - I can handle it all because none of it hits me where it counts. I can keep going."

"But there will come a day when you find you are fragile, and tired, and you will have fought so much and so hard that you cannot draw the strength to rid yourself of pain or protect yourself against it," Avdol told me.

The weight of his gaze pinned me to the sun-bleached rooftop.

"And what Jotaro said, and what your father said, and all other words or events you have numbed yourself against -... all of those smaller pieces of pain will come together like shards of steel, imbued with much greater power than they would have had individually. They will form a poison-tipped sword, which will pierce you in your weakest moment."

Avdol lowered his eyes to the ground.

"And you will not keep going after that," he finished.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

A faint smile crossed his lips. "There are those who learn to ignore pain without the help of a Stand," he said, "and who come to sorely regret it. But that is a tale for another day. Let us begin our lesson."

Yet I could not bring myself to think of anything but the two words which rolled around and around like a penny in my head: difficult and disobedient.

I remembered, too, how Mr. Joestar had looked at me that day he and the others picked me up in front of my house. I had told him that I wanted to bring the camera Mrs. Kujo had given to me.

He had been so kind about it, so ready to help me.

I called out, "Avdol?"

"Yes?"

"If my father called me difficult and disobedient," I said, "why did Mr. Joestar risk bringing me on this trip?"

"Because Mr. Joestar did not, and does not, believe you possess those traits either. I mentioned it to you because I wished only to see if my theory about your ability to remove pain was true. Please forgive me."

"I - I understand."

Birds flit by. Somewhere below, a tinny pop-song began to play. The rooftop seemed much further from the rest of the world, as if the hotel itself had broken from the earth, and drifted higher toward the clouds.

The song was so far away. The birds were like faint black smudges against the blueness of the sky.

"But there is another thing you should know, Juno," Avdol spoke up.

"What's that?"

"There are those whose sole instinct is to heal others of their pain," he said carefully. "And there are others whose sole instinct is to inflict it."

Indignation rose in me, swift and sudden.

"Are you implying my father is the latter?"

Avdol left me unanswered.

"My father isn't -..." I floundered. "I mean, he's not a bad guy or anything. I am disobedient. I've lied to him so I can skip school."

Avdol merely nodded.

"He's strict. He expects a lot," I said. "And he has certain - well, you have to know how to act around him."

"And if you do not know how to act? What happens?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"He gets a little testy," I said. "And he can say stuff. Harsh stuff, sometimes. That's it."

"I see."

"You haven't even met him," I said defensively.

"But I have met his daughter," he said, "and I know that she is neither difficult nor disobedient. She is clever, and kind, and very sensitive."

Again, my skin flushed. I shifted from foot to foot.

"Determined, too," Avdol added. "Willing to risk her life. Yes. I think I know Janvier Juniper quite well."

I eyed him. "Do you really believe all that?"

"Do you not?"

"I'm -..."

I trailed off.

Mrs. Kujo's tired, pale face surfaced in my mind. I heard her voice, whispering into my ear: before you say things like that, you should believe it for yourself.

Defeated, I asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because once, a long time ago, the person who became my mentor showed a similar kindness when I needed it most," Avdol answered calmly. "And I believe you need it."

x

After grabbing myself a chocolate bar from a vending machine, I walked to the hotel room, craving a shower and a nap.

Before I even fully opened the door, though, Anne launched herself at me and spoke so fast I could barely catch it all.

"Jojo says you need to go to Mr. Joestar's room right away!"

I looked at the bed, so inviting behind her, and let out another groan as I turned right around.

x

Through a mouthful of chocolate, I repeated what Mr. Joestar had said: "Soul Sacrifice?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Juniper," Jotaro said.

I shot him a glare. "Don't test me. I'm tired and hungry."

He rolled his eyes, turning to face the balcony.

Mr. Joestar's laugh rang out loudly. He clapped Jotaro on the shoulder.

"That's a lesson for you, kiddo! You don't wanna mess with a lady in a bad mood or you'll regret it!"

Jotaro brushed off his grandfather, checking that his uniform was not ruffled or damaged.

"Whenever a lady gets here," he said, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

I huffed. "Good one."

Mr. Joestar said, "Let's focus. This Stand could attack at any minute. We need to be prepared. If only Polnareff could get his act together and -..."

Almost if his name summoned him, Polnareff staggered into the room and slumped against the wall. Mr. Joestar swivelled back around to us, jumping into a long-winded plan on how to handle Soul Sacrifice.

"Old man," Jotaro cut in. "Given how he looks right now, I'd wager Soul Sacrifice already found Polnareff."

"Yeah," the Frenchman wheezed. "He did. Juno? Feeling charitable right now?"

"No. She's feeling tired and hungry," Jotaro replied.

I finished off the last square of chocolate before I stood, crossing the room to heal Polnareff.

"He really did a number on you," I noted, following the series of cuts along his skin.

Polnareff huffed, "You should have seen what he did to the hotel employee."

There was silence in the room.

Avdol said, "Hotel employee?"

x

Polnareff was arrested within the hour. I wandered back to my room, knowing that Mr. Joestar was securing a good lawyer for him through the Speedwagon Foundation.

But I had not expected Jotaro to follow, hulking silently at my side.

"Isn't your room the other way?" I asked.

"I told the old man I'd check the bus and train stations to see which is better for us to reach India. Figured I could take Anne to the beach on the way."

"That's sweet of you. She'll be happy."

"Yeah, well," he said, heaving a sigh, "you probably can't sleep with a little kid running around anyway."

"Thanks, Jotaro."

Punching the button for the elevator, I tried to hide the smile on my face.

"Whatever. You're no good to us if you're pouting."

"I don't pout," I snorted. "I'll join you guys when I wake up."

"Fine."

The elevator doors opened. We stepped inside.

"Jotaro?"

He turned his head to look at me.

"You pout way more than me," I said.

The doors closed.

x

Fresh from a nap, I changed and hurried to the beach. It was much better to be outside, where the salty air could soothe those gnawing thoughts about my father; my mind drifted to that night he called about the scholarship and told me that he had never expected me to succeed.

It had struck me hard. I had brushed past it immediately and stomped down all that pain. Now it was all I could think about.

Avdol was right. It came back twice as hard.

"Juno!"

Looking up, I spotted Anne. She sprinted over, leaping forward to lock her arms around my waist. I let out a loud, pained grunt from the force. I expected her to be excited, breathless from running around on the beach with Jotaro.

But she leaned back and I saw her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"Anne, what happened?"

"It's Mr. Kakyoin," she said. "He's beating up that man!"

Anne was not kidding. Only a few yards away, Kakyoin was violently kicking a man on the ground. The man held his arms over his head, coiled inward in an effort to protect himself.

Fat globs of blood splattered the stone path.

Kakyoin hoisted the man onto his back, bending him so that the man let out a high-pitched shriek as his spine was forced to crack.

Worst of all, Kakyoin was grinning.

What had happened to him?

He had never shown such a delight in hurting anyone like that. He was usually so gentle and soft-spoken.

From the opposite side of the path, Jotaro was quickly approaching; his eyes were darkened by a glare, one that reminded me of the night in the alleyway when he fought those other men and he was so full of rage that he had struggled to control Star Platinum.

I crouched in front of Anne.

"Stay behind me," I told her. "Let me and Jotaro handle Kakyoin."

She nodded, still trembling.

Jotaro reached Kakyoin before us and shoved him hard so that he released the man, who fell against the ground.

A low moan left his bleeding lips. Kakyoin straightened.

Anne gripped my arm. Her nails sank into my skin, like she was afraid Kakyoin would turn on her next.

"I told you to cut it out," Jotaro bit out, facing Kakyoin. "Are you deaf or what?"

I reached out to the man, intending to heal him.

Kakyoin's hand encircled my wrist, striking fast like an angered viper. Meeting his gaze, I saw that he was angry, spittle flecking his lips and wrath burning hot in his eyes.

Soft as silk, he asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I want to heal him."

His grip tightened.

I was sure he intended to snap my wrist.

"Let go, Kakyoin," I said.

His breath fanned my face as he leaned closer. My heart thumped madly in my chest. I was trying not to freeze up.

"That man is a thief. He tried to steal my wallet," he said. "He deserves no mercy."

Underneath his hand, I was already healing the pain of his tight hold, and purposefully checking that he was not infected. It was risky. If there was a flesh bud attached to him, it could latch onto me.

But Jotaro was here.

He had promised to remove it for me, if it happened.

I trusted him.

Only there was no flesh bud controlling Kakyoin; a part of me wished there had been, though, to explain how our friend had grown so spiteful. He was completely healthy, and his grip only grew more forceful by the second.

Jotaro forced himself between us, once again pushing Kakyoin.

But his hold was strong. I was tugged with him.

Even Jotaro seemed surprised by Kakyoin's intensity.

"Get your hands off her, Kakyoin," he said. "I'm warning you. Let her go, or - …"

"Or what?"

The cold, sneering tone that Kakyoin used startled both of us.

Jotaro's shoulders locked.

His fists clenched.

"Or I'll do to you what you did to that guy," Jotaro said, tipping his head toward the injured man on the ground. "And Juniper won't heal your sorry ass after it, either."

Kakyoin slowly released me, his clammy hand slithering from my wrist to fall limply to his side. He showed a cool, distorted smile. It made me shiver and move away.

In stepping away from Kakyoin, I bumped into Jotaro. He put a firm hand on my shoulder, steadying me, but he still stared down Kakyoin.

"Jotaro, old pal," Kakyoin drawled. "No need for threats. We're all friends here. Let's cool down."

Jotaro said to me, "You can heal that man now."

Hesitantly, I looked at Kakyoin. Jotaro noticed.

Coldly, he added, "It's okay. Go ahead. If Kakyoin knows what's good for him, he won't try to stop you again."

Kakyoin's smile twitched at the edges.

"Come on, what are you staring at me for, pal?" he asked. "That look on your face! Just because I beat up some lousy thief. Now you want to start something with me?"

Crouching beside the man, I focused on each injury. His spine was the worst of it. While helping him, I also tried to watch Anne. I was worried about her around Kakyoin; my own hands still shook long after he had released me.

"You're making too much of this," Kakyoin said to Jotaro. "I'm so exhausted from the trip. It's put me in such a bad mood."

"Just a bad mood, huh?" Jotaro murmured. "Seems to me you felt pretty good."

In the restaurant when we had met Polnareff, Jotaro had shot me a pointed glance, as if linking our minds through sight alone. Now, he did it again, and I saw that we felt the same about Kakyoin.

There was something wrong.

We were right about Polnareff. I was willing to bet that we were right about Kakyoin, too.

But there was no proof, nothing solid to explain what had changed in his behaviour. We had only been travelling together for a short time, too, so we were unsure if Kakyoin really did become this agitated when he was tired.

I guessed that was what made Jotaro back down, though a wariness lingered in his stance.

"Once Juniper finishes up here, we'll head to Singapore Station and buy train tickets to India," he said.

"Good idea," Kakyoin chimed. "Old pal."

Jotaro had been turning around to walk away.

But he slowed down. I tensed. Kakyoin smiled.

After a moment, Jotaro continued.

Kakyoin approached me. I remained on my guard.

"You understand it was all the heat of the moment," he said. "I was so upset that someone had attempted to steal from me. Don't be sour with me, sugarplum."

My head whipped toward him. "Sugarplum?"

His expression was cool. Then he burst out laughing.

He wheezed, "Your face! I got you!"

Unease settled over me. There was a malicious pleasure in his face, which he had shown when he was beating that man, too. I suffered no punches or kicks but I still thought he wanted me to feel small and bullied.

He drifted off toward Anne. I kept an eye on them both.

At least until she sprinted past, hurrying after Jotaro.

I followed the direction from which she had run, only to find Kakyoin standing by a tree, alone, grinning. He wiped a few yellowish spots from his chin.

Suddenly he noticed me. His grin widened.

I felt another chill ripple through me.

As soon as he was healed, the man bolted.

I could hardly blame him.

x

While we walked, I noticed that Jotaro continued to stay between us and Kakyoin whenever he came too close, almost like Jotaro acted as a barrier.

But soon Kakyoin fell behind, strolling lazily, his hands in his pockets.

At one point, we passed through a park. Anne splashed her hand in a fountain. While she was distracted, Jotaro nudged me with his shoulder.

"What do you think is up with him?"

Both of us glanced at Kakyoin. He was staring at a nest in a tree.

"I don't know exactly. But something's wrong with him, that's for sure. When he was holding my wrist, I checked. No flesh bud or sickness. He seems fine. It can't be a Stand, either. We touched him. Anne can see him."

"He could be possessed."

"Maybe."

"Don't get close to him. If this is a Stand, or a possession, he'll reveal himself soon enough on his own."

"Jojo!" Anne called. "Look at the butterflies!"

Anne's giggles reached us, chasing off the heavy blanket of tension that had been around us.

Jotaro looked over at the little girl, who bounced around in front of a fountain.

And he smiled.

"Soft heart," I said.

His head turned. "What?"

"Nothing," I said. "Nothing."

x

Outside Singapore Station, we found an ice-cream van. I ordered an ice-cream for each of us, even Kakyoin. I held out a cone for Anne and Jotaro. He led the girl toward the station, keeping her close to him in case she became lost in the hustle and bustle of tourists around us.

I also knew he wanted to ensure she wasn't left alone with Kakyoin. I could handle myself. But Anne couldn't even see Stands. And whatever was wrong with Kakyoin, she was still the most vulnerable.

She chattered to Jotaro while they walked, reaching up to hold his hand while balancing her ice-cream.

I smiled to myself. Jotaro liked kids, and it seemed that kids liked him. At least, once they warmed up to him.

Finally, I was served two more cones for me and Kakyoin. He stood nearby, waiting. He nodded toward Anne and Jotaro.

"Should we hold hands like that?"

I swallowed. "Here, Kakyoin. This is for you."

As I passed him his cone, dribbles of ice-cream spilled over the side, already melting in this flat heat. His tongue darted out like a serpent, slurping loudly. I stared at him.

"I love strawberry," he said. "Don't you, Juniper?"

Hastily, I walked away from him, catching up to Jotaro and Anne. Once again my hands were twitchy.

"We need maps and ticket prices," Jotaro said. "We -..."

"I'll get them," I said quickly. "I'll be right back."

Jotaro's stare followed me the whole way.

x

With an armful of maps and ticket prices, I climbed the steps to the platform. Cable cars hummed above. A thin, muffled voice spoke through the speakers, announcing a delay to the next departure.

I made it to the platform and looked around for Jotaro and the others. I spotted a familiar pair of dungarees near the railings.

Then I realised Anne was leaning over them, grabbing onto Jotaro. He was dangling over the edge.

I dropped the maps and papers, running to him in an instant. But a hard knock to my shoulder sent me reeling, tumbling back onto the ground.

The fall brought a spiking pain through my spine. Through a sudden sting of tears, I looked up.

Kakyoin loomed over me. From this angle, he seemed monstrously tall. He had a cherry on the tip of this tongue and he rolled it around and around in his mouth.

He crooned, "What's the matter? Did you fall?"

"You pushed me," I snapped.

One traitorous tear slipped out before I could stem the pain. It was more embarrassing in front of him. I wiped it.

Kakyoin snickered. "So what if I did? Are you gonna cry some more, Juniper?"

"Oi."

Kakyoin turned at the sudden call. Jotaro stood behind him. He swung fast and hard, clipping Kakyoin's jaw with such intensity that Kakyoin tumbled through the doors of an open cable car.

"I'm the only one who calls her that, asshole," Jotaro grunted.

Jotaro helped me to stand. I brushed dirt from my skirt, casting him a bewildered glance.

"Thank you," I said.

But Jotaro was staring into the cable car, an unusual flash of surprise crossing his features.

Kakyoin had made it to his feet, swaying heavily back and forth. His jaw was drooping from his face, like the bone had come loose and swung beneath the skin.

His eyes rolled. The left eye roamed toward the ticket machines while the other cast itself toward the other cable cars.

"You were right," I breathed out. "He is possessed."

"Not exactly, sugarplum," Kakyoin wheezed. His laugh was wild and gleeful. "'Possessed' isn't quite the word."

Jotaro stepped into the cable car. I followed him, fixated on Kakyoin as he opened his yawning jaw even further to show a saliva-coated cherry still on his tongue, whipping around.

He had been growing taller after all, because he stood from the floor to show his body had almost doubled in size.

Jotaro asked, "Who are you?"

"I can merge with any organic matter I consume," the impostor said. "I'm a Stand anyone can see and touch. I'm Yellow Temperance, of the Temperance Card."

Behind us, the doors of the cable car closed. The car shuddered forward on the line. Kakyoin was swallowed in an amorphous yellow-coloured blob, which split apart to reveal a buff man with long, flowing black hair.

"Gaze upon my handsome face with envy!"

x