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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 13: Justice
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It was about midday, and Akemi was sitting on a bench outside a tailor's shop, waiting for her teenage companion to emerge with his brand new jacket. Akemi held her own product of the shop, her thoughts wandering.
This is no longer one-hundred percent my mother's jacket…
Akemi looked down at the bundle of leather with a blank expression.
The leather used to replace it... it's good quality, I can't even notice the difference. It's like the fight never happened, and the jacket was never damaged. But I'll always know... She brushed the spot where the bullet holes had been formerly. I'll always have the memory of how I'll now be carrying a little bit of this journey to the middle east on my back for the rest of my life…
Akemi looked up at the sound of a door opening. Jotaro walked out of the shop with his brand new jacket. It, too, looked completely authentic. Akemi was impressed- that tailor truly did deserve every rupee she was given. But that wasn't on Akemi's mind.
He will always know, too, for as long as we're alive. It'll be... kinda like our little secret. Something only we know. Us, and Kakyoin. As much as I hated that place… I'm kind of excited to experience a normal life with the two of them again.
"Let's go." The tall man surprised her with his speech. Akemi stared. For some reason, a deep flush rose to her cheeks.
Jotaro raised an eyebrow at her strange behavior, his aura glowing with concern.
"Yo, Akemi. You alright in there, bite-size?" He asked bluntly, bending down at the waist to her level.
Alarmed, Akemi's eyes widened and she yelped, flinching backwards.
"U- uh, y- y- yeah, I'm fine." Akemi stuttered quietly, looking around her. Jotaro's confusion only grew. "H- hey! Anne's taking off soon, right? We should move fast!" Akemi burst out suddenly.
Beating the master of reaction time, she shot up from her seat before Jotaro could even open his mouth and sprinted toward the airport, leaving the teen in a confused daze.
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"Let go! Let go of me! Don't touch me in weird places!" Anne shouted. Akemi sighed.
"Shut up! Don't say it like that!" Polnareff fumed as she squirmed in his hold.
"Anne, please. Listen to me just for a moment." Akemi reasoned, lowering herself to her knees before the struggling kid, dodging her kicks all with a concerned look about her.
"No! I already know what you're going to say!" She snapped, stopping her squirming.
"Anne, listen." Akemi repeated. The girl gave up and looked at her, her eyes hooded. "Hey, this isn't goodbye forever. We're sending you away because this mission we're on is extremely dangerous. I already explained this to you: you're not prepared for the battles we go through. We're going on this mission to save Jojo's mother- Mr. Joseph's daughter- her life. And maybe even the world while we're at it. The people that we fight are devoted to a crazy, powerful man and are crazy and powerful enough to hurt someone like you pretty easily and without remorse. You don't have the powers that we have-" Akemi winked and sent her a small smirk. "-yet." Anne visibly pushed a smile down. Akemi took her hand.
"I'll find you after we're done, and I'll tell you all about it. Maybe I'll even get Jojo and Kakyoin to come along." Akemi mused. Anne brightened at that.
"O- okay, fine. I'll go. But you better not be just saying things." Anne half-threatened, giving Akemi an evil eye. Akemi gave her a soft smile and ruffled her hair.
"I'll see you later, kid." Akemi replied fondly. Anne allowed herself a small smile, but it melted away when she started looking around.
"What's the matter?" Asked Joseph. Anne shook her head, slightly dejected.
"Nothing." She threw her arms around Akemi, and Akemi hugged back.
I'm gonna miss her.
"See ya! Life is just a bunch of goodbyes!" She waved from the entrance to the plane. Akemi, Joseph, Kakyoin and Polnareff waved back.
When Jotaro finally joined, the plane had already taken to the sky, and Anne's face was pressed against the window.
She took a picture in her mind.
I'll actually see her again. I'll make sure of it. Akemi vowed to herself. Anne was like a little sister. She'd always wanted one, and she remembered her mother talked about having another girl when she was still alive. She had her little cousin, but… Anne was a little older.
Akemi and Jotaro made eye contact.
Not only did electricity shock her, but a pang of fear and guilt struck her as well.
She looked away, wanting the feelings to go away. Jotaro kept his stare, though it turned confused.
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There was a pit in Akemi's stomach as the car passed a dip in the land covered in fog.
"But Jotaro, I'm surprised you were able to get someone to make you a Japanese uniform here in Pakistan. The fit is perfect, too." Joseph said, pointing across Akemi to Jotaro.
"It's one-hundred percent wool." Jotaro said. Akemi hated the feeling in her chest at the contact with Jotaro. It seemed they were always sitting together.
"Dude, it's so hot outside." Akemi gave him a sort of bewildered look. "How do you wear that? Are you even human?" Jotaro looked a bit surprised at the last question.
"Well... I have to." Jotaro murmured, unsure of his response, scratching the back of his neck.
"No you don't!" Akemi whirled on him, agitated, causing the others around her to flinch.
"Polnareff, is it safe to drive right now?" Asked Kakyoin, turning the two out. "It seems that the fog in this area is getting quite thick."
"Yeah, it might be a bit dangerous, since there's a sheer drop to one side and no guard rail." Polnareff said nonchalantly. Akemi fumed.
"Didn't we agree I was going to drive next time?" Akemi complained. Polnareff raised a finger.
"I won rock-paper-scissors fair and square!" Polnareff refuted. Akemi crossed her arms, pouting.
"You always win rock-paper-scissors... no matter what tactic I use, you always beat me. I don't know how!" The teen girl ranted. Polnareff smirked, and a flash of sadness appeared in his aura.
"Avdol had a flawless technique. He taught me." He flaunted, causing the girl's annoyed look to falter, but only slightly. "Hey, what's got your panties in a twist?" He asked. Akemi's face darkened.
"Are you using that term with me because I'm a girl!?" She snapped, leaning forward a bit. "I don't appreciate it." Polnareff leaned away, hands up, eyes wide.
"I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it..." Polnareff felt his apology only bounced off her iron walls as she dismissed him with only a look.
Damn, the boys collectively thought as she leaned back and looked away.
"Look. The fog gets thicker up ahead." Joseph said, breaking the tense silence. The old man pulled out his pocket watch. "It's not even three o'clock yet, but I guess we have no choice. Let's find a place to stay in that town for the night."
Akemi got a weird feeling from that town, looking down at the fog-crowded buildings from their Jeep.
"I wonder if there's a nice hotel." Polnareff wondered aloud.
"A nice hotel?" Echoed Kakyoin, sending Polnareff a playful expression.
"One that has a nice toilet, of course!" Polnareff barked. He turned his head, as if grieving. "I still can't get used to the toilets in India and West Asia where you wash yourself with your hands."
Jotaro turned, and his shock hit her like a wave. She followed his gaze to a... a dog that was impaled through the midsection with a pike. Akemi's expression contorted to that of disgust and fear. Jotaro's hand moved to cover her eyes too late, and she raised a hand to stop him. She turned to look at him. His eyes read: 'you saw that too, right?'. Her expression all but confirmed it for him.
"Jotaro? Kemi? Is everything alright?" Asked Joseph, noticing their discomfort.
He'd recently picked up Polnareff's nickname for her, and he'd been addressing her like that since they'd gotten the car.
The two teens turned to him, then back at each other.
"There's something... off." Akemi muttered uneasily, her gaze sliding back to the old man, before drifting back outside, deciding to focus on calming her turbulent guts. Joseph furrowed his brows, suspicious.
As they pulled into the town, it took a moment for Akemi to notice anyone. She was accustomed to looking for the colors of auras before movement, so she didn't even realize there were people at first. But it came to her quickly. The shadows had faces, hair, clothes, all the things a human should have, but…
Horrified, she looked around, desperately searching.
Not one of these people had an aura.
"Akemi, what's the matter?" Asked Jotaro, taking notice of her mini freakout. Akemi looked up at him, his furrowed brows and aura that glowed with concern.
She noticed that his aura always seemed to saturate further when he looked at her. Hm, weird.
"N- nothing." She murmured, leaning on her fist and looking out toward the town.
"This town looks pretty clean." Mused Joseph with a light smile. Polnareff parked the car on the side of the road. "I'd say it has a population of a few thousand. There should be a hotel."
The car stopped and Kakyoin stepped out of the passenger side, pointing to a building slightly behind them.
"Let's ask about a hotel at the restaurant there." Advised Kakyoin. They silently agreed and disembarked, observing their surroundings as the group crossed the road to the restaurant.
"It sure is a weirdly quiet town... Every other place has been super crowded and noisy." Polnareff assessed.
"It's probably because of the fog." Joseph figured.
Akemi kept looking around, trying to find an aura, any aura. But... there was nothing. Not even a glimmer. Some small animals, bugs, but that was it.
Joseph got her attention before her thoughts could develop any further.
"Listen up, everyone. In Pakistan, and the further west in the Islamic world, this is how you greet people. First, you smile and say..." Joseph turned around and faced the burly man that stood at the entrance of the restaurant- also aura-less, by the way. "As-salaam alaikum!" He said with great enthusiasm.
They stared at each other for a while after that.
A few awkward beats passed.
Actually, the man he was talking to didn't even seem to be looking at him. It was like he was sleepwalking, or just not entirely there. Akemi would've believed it if someone told her it was a statue.
She flinched when he moved. One quick motion, almost robotic, slamming the 'open' sign to the other side which read 'closed'. Then he went back to his original stance of standing and staring.
Joseph raised his hands nervously, his aura showing that he was just as perturbed as her.
"E- er, you didn't have to close up so suddenly..." Stuttered Joseph. "We just wanted to ask a question. Is there a hotel nearby?" The man deprived him of a response, his empty expression giving absolutely no information. Joseph's aura sparked with such strong uneasiness that it caused a pit to open in her own stomach.
He imitated receiving a call on a phone, spinning an invisible dial.
"Hello?" He said satirically, as if the man would answer the invisible phone. "Anyone there..? Heheh..." His nervous laughter all but echoed in the silence, the thick atmosphere seemingly reflecting the soundwaves more.
"I don't know." The man spoke, his voice gravelly and flat, shattering the tension. Without allowing Joseph a chance to respond, he did a 180 and started walking down the hall he once guarded. The old man's jaw dropped, this had probably never happened to him before.
"Huh?! Hey, wait a minute. What do you mean, you don't know?!" Joseph started to run after him, but stopped in his tracks suddenly.
"Joseph..?" Akemi asked fearfully. She followed his gaze to see... cockroaches crawling up and down the man's neck. Akemi shuddered, backing away.
"W- what's with that guy..?" Joseph breathed, properly freaked out.
"Tell me you saw those cockroaches..." Akemi quaked, gritting her teeth.
"I'm sure he couldn't understand you because your pronunciation's so bad." Waved Polnareff. "Let's ask the guy sitting there." The Frenchman jerked his thumb to a man sitting against a pillar. This man caught Akemi's attention- there were remnants of an aura around the sitting man. It was more than anything the other townspeople had. Without another word, the two blanchettes turned and Polnareff waved to the man, holding out his hand and setting up a friendly atmosphere.
"Sir! Sorry, but we're looking for a hotel. Preferably a hotel with nice, clean toilets. Do you know any-" Polnareff's sentence was interrupted by his own cry of fear. "Hey! You! What's wrong?" Polnareff asked, shaking the man's shoulder.
The man fell over, revealing his face. It was frozen in terror. Two lizards crawled out from inside his mouth. Akemi shuddered.
"What!?" Cried Polnareff, Kakyoin and Joseph. Akemi made a noise of disgust.
"He's dead! He died with that look on his face! W- what the hell is this? Why is he lying dead in the road? What was the cause of death!? A heart attack? A stroke?" Polnareff cried.
Jotaro pushed past Polnareff and got closer to the body.
"Could be... but this doesn't seem to be normal heart failure." He said, looking thoughtfully down at the body, no, next to it... Akemi raised an eyebrow.
"A g- gun! This guy is holding a gun..." Polnareff cried.
"You just noticed?" Jotaro said in an almost mocking tone. "There's smoke coming from it. He's fired it."
"And it was recently. Maybe two to five minutes ago." Joseph commented. "Either way, it was right before we got into this town."
"You're right... his aura, there's only fragments. Like it just recently left… I feel like we should've heard that…" Akemi noted.
"Was it suicide? Did he shoot himself?" Polnareff asked.
"No. There doesn't seem to be any wounds on the body, and there's no blood anywhere." Kakyoin answered. Joseph kneeled by the body, inspecting it closer.
"Then how'd this guy die? Look at him!" Polnareff shouted incredulously. "His face is distorted like he was screaming in utter terror!"
"But that still doesn't explain why that man was holding a recently-fired gun." Returned Kakyoin.
"Or why he actually looks... dead." Polnareff added, perturbed.
"Maybe he was attacked." Jotaro suggested. Akemi thought carefully.
"That's true... maybe there is a Stand user in this town, and it attacked this man." Akemi said, looking around. "...It feels like the fog just keeps getting thicker." She commented, unnerved.
"This town seems to be engulfed by this fog." Kakyoin agreed, looking nervously around him. "I'm going to see if someone can call the police. Someone has to be able to do something." With that, he turned and attempted to speak with the nearby townspeople.
"It's really creepy." Polnareff agreed. He pointed upward. "Doesn't that part there look like a skull?" Akemi jolted when she noticed he was right... the fog was moving oddly around, looking a lot like a skull... could the fog have something to do with these people?
"Ugh, it's like being on psychedelics..." Akemi shuddered.
"Wait, wh-"
"Hey, Akemi." Jotaro called for the teen's attention, interrupting Kakyoin, Joseph and Polnareff's collective shock, and she answered with a wide-eyed expression. "Something's been bothering me. Didn't you say that any living thing has an aura?" Akemi nodded. "Then why didn't you warn Polnareff beforehand that this man was dead when we approached him?" He accused, giving Akemi a studious look. The girl was pierced by his gaze, and she broke eye contact, looking away meekly.
"I... I didn't know if he was dead. In fact, he seemed more alive than everyone else in this town, save for ourselves." Akemi said, her gaze darkening with her next statement. "Because other than the remnants of a recently-departed aura and our own alive and well ones, I haven't seen a single aura. None of the townspeople we passed in the street, not that man at the restaurant..."
"Akemi, what are you trying to insinuate?" Asked Kakyoin, who had returned with a dejected and uneasy expression.
Akemi shrugged hopelessly, raising her arms halfway. "I don't know, Kakyoin! Either something's blocking my aura-vision, or these people are walking corpses!" She said exasperatedly.
"What!?" Polnareff shrieked.
"This is too much to be a coincidence..." Joseph grumbled grimly, scratching his beard. "The quiet, the cleanliness, the fog, even the strange man at the restaurant, those could be passed off as normal. But this... Akemi's aura-vision never fails her. Something's up."
"This must, indeed, be the work of a Stand user." Kakyoin concluded with certainty. "The people here are strange, too. It's like they couldn't even comprehend the concept of it happening- which only proves our theory of them being dead truer... Something strange is definitely going on..."
"Maybe investigating this body will give us answers..." Akemi suggested, looking back down at the recently-deceased man.
"You're right, Akemi..." Joseph sighed. "But it's so weird... There's no motive for this. Would someone who's after us kill a man who has nothing to do with us before we even got here?" He asked, giving Jotaro a side-eye. "If they did, why did they kill him?"
"I wouldn't put it past them." Akemi said, scowling down at the body.
"This death seems pretty extraordinary." Jotaro agreed. "Let's investigate the body as much as we can without touching it."
"I don't see why we can't touch it, there's clearly no police coming." Kakyoin sighed.
"You have a point." Joseph said. He hummed, before he continued. "...It appears he was traveling, just like us."
"He has bus and train tickets." He stated. "And he appears to be Indian. He's carrying Indian money. He's not from this town." Kakyoin and Polnareff kneeled down beside Joseph. Joseph moved his shirt down further…
"Oh? A wound! Right under his throat, there's a wound about the size of a quarter. Is this the cause of death?" Joseph said. Akemi hummed.
"It doesn't even look clotted... it just looks... there." Akemi speculated, majorly spooked.
"But why isn't there any blood coming from it? With a hole this big, there should be tons of blood gushing from it." Jotaro added. "Normally, at least. Looks like this is no ordinary murder." Polnareff and Kakyoin both stood, just as Jotaro leaned down and ripped off his shirt. Akemi widened her eyes, and everyone gasped.
"W- what's with his corpse!?" Polnareff cried. "There are holes all over it! He looks like the cartoon cheese you'd see in Tom & Jerry!"
"And there's no blood coming from any of these holes." Kakyoin added.
"How on earth was this man killed? What does this all mean!?" Joseph near-shouted, frustrated and perturbed. He ran and bounded onto a fence with sharp spokes.
"Get in the car! We're leaving this town!" Joseph shouted. Akemi widened her eyes, confused and afraid. "What!?" He shouted, clearly aware of his situation now. "That's impossible! This isn't the car! Hermit Purple!" His Stand coiled around the power line, just barely saving him.
"Hey. Old man. What the hell are you doing? Are you stupid?" Jotaro called, annoyed. Joseph sighed, sliding down the fence he almost impaled himself on. He gave Jotaro an alarmed look.
"What do you mean, what am I doing?! The car was right here a minute ago!" Joseph cried. Akemi raised an eyebrow.
"What? Car? We parked the car over there." Akemi said, pointing to the parked car. She looked back at Joseph, but did a double-take when she saw a shadow in the mist. Not just any shadow. A shadow with an aura.
"What!? B- but just now..." Joseph cried.
"Akemi. What's wrong?" Jotaro asked flatly, noticing how Akemi hadn't moved from her position.
"A- a woman. She has an aura." Akemi whispered. Jotaro's eyes widened. They all seemed to notice.
She stopped right by their car, looking down at the ground. The five of them curiously crowded around her, looking down at the small, gray old lady. She raised her head and smiled.
"You seem to be travelers." She noticed cheerfully. "With this fog, it's dangerous to leave the town now. There are many cliffs, you know. I run a little bed and breakfast. If you'd like, why not stay there for the night? I'll make it cheap." She beseeched, her atmosphere friendly.
All four men turned to look at Akemi, as if waiting for her okay.
Seeing as this woman and her aura seemed normal, Akemi smiled, giving the boys their answer.
"Sure! That sounds like a great idea." Akemi agreed, relieved.
The emotions she was projecting were a bit worrying- anguish, loss, vengeance... she even felt murderous. Akemi really didn't believe that this sweet old lady was the Stand user, though. She assumed that she'd lost someone to an unjust cause and wanted to get her revenge. It was none of their business.
"There's a Stand user hiding in this town. This thick fog also gives them the upper hand. We cannot let our guard down at all tonight." Kakyoin said, unnerved.
"But... even without anyone attacking us, this town is really creepy." Polnareff commented with a shudder. She jumped when the old woman's cane hit the ground.
"Come now, Mr. Joestar. That is my hotel. I shall lead the way. Please, come with me." Beseeched the woman. Behind her, a large building became visible through the fog. Akemi could've sworn that wasn't there before.
But there was something worse…
How did she know Joseph's last name?
"This hotel is small... but about twenty years ago, one of the 007 films was filmed here, and John Lennon from the Beatles even stayed here once." The old lady blathered. Akemi raised her eyebrows.
All of that happened in this small little town?
She squinted her eyes at the woman... she wasn't lying.
"Wow..." Akemi breathed.
"What? Really?!" Polnareff cried, an awe-struck smile on his face.
"No, not at all." The old lady said, the same smile on her face. Shock slapped Akemi.
She couldn't tell she was lying... there wasn't a single sign…
Polnareff's face fell. "What-?"
"But it is still quite a nice hotel. There are currently no other guests. Would meat for dinner be alright?" She carried on casually. "Or would you prefer fish?"
"Hold it, old lady." Jotaro said suddenly. Akemi gave him her attention, already guessing what he was going to point out. "You just said 'Joestar', didn't you? How'd you know that name?"
The old lady froze. Akemi could see the nervousness leaking into her aura, interrupting the dark colors.
She faltered... could it be..? But suddenly the colors disappeared and she maintained her sunny orange base aura.
"Come now, sir." She said, her cheerful façade back on as she turned around, gone with her sudden movement. "That person there just said 'Mr. Joestar' a moment ago." she motioned toward Polnareff.
He pointed at himself, a quizzical expression on his face.
"Eh? Me?" He questioned. He turned away thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I might have..." Akemi frowned. She couldn't recall that.
"You did, sir." The old lady assured him, now having more faith in her story. "When you've been in customer service for many years, you learn to memorize people's names quickly. So I'm sure of it."
The group seemed satisfied, and carried on.
Looking around at her companions, all she saw were content, relieved shades of blue that almost soaked into her own. Even Kakyoin... he was a fool to do this as well. To be fair, it was her fault for their contented states, as they were so keen on believing her. They couldn't see auras like Akemi could, so they couldn't detect the changes, and… Well, she couldn't consistently update them in front of the old lady herself.
Just outside of her peripherals, she could sense Jotaro's similar emotions. The two of them exchanged narrowed glances. Sometimes, it seemed as if he could sense her in the same way she could sense him, and she was relieved she wasn't alone in her suspicions.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you decide to trust her, even though she makes you suspicious?" He spoke in Japanese, his voice low enough to remain undetected by the voices ahead.
Akemi shrugged, then let her arms sag.
"I went off her first impression. Honestly, I was glad to find someone in this godforsaken town with an aura. But it's changed. I couldn't tell when she was lying, so she has really good control over her emotions, but she got nervous when you called her out." Akemi informed him.
"Well, you had the right idea keeping it quiet." Jotaro murmured with a sigh.
"I planned on informing everyone when we got inside so we could formulate a plan. We probably have the advantage, because I don't think she knows we know she's being a little off. And with her being the only aura here… It's just weird to me. Something's going on." Akemi said. "But I need a nap, first."
He narrowed his eyes, seemingly annoyed.
"The hell are you tired from? We were riding in a car all day."
Akemi huffed, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. "Well, consider this, Kujo Jotaro. Maybe I'm tired of sitting next to you all day." That seemed to strike a nerve in the boy.
"By the way, ma'am, what happened to your left hand?" Polnareff asked. The two of them broke their conversation to listen in.
The lady raised her bandaged hand nonchalantly.
"Oh, this? I just burned it a little... It might be because of my old age, but I accidentally spilled boiling water on it." She giggled carelessly. Polnareff leaned over.
"Age? What are you talking about?" He responded, "You don't look a day over forty! Maybe I'll ask you on a date."
"Gag me with a spoon." Akemi groaned quietly, causing Jotaro to snort behind his collar.
As Akemi's eyes drifted to Polnareff's aura, she saw no lust, no love, nothing but that chivalrous iron blue that seemed to be his default. Her unpleasant thoughts about him evaporated. It was clear that he was coming from a good place for a woman who he thought was a nice lady.
Unfortunately, Akemi was starting to regret deciding to trust the only woman in the town with an aura just because she seemed friendly at first glance. The old lady wasn't feeling her outward reaction. She could see hatred grow in her aura, a deep, boiling crimson that caused Akemi to feel on-edge. She frowned, studying her reaction.
Unexpectedly, the old lady burst out in a cackle.
"Please don't tease me so, sir." She said coyly. Then they both burst out laughing, as if they were old friends reciting an inside joke.
Akemi would've smiled if the woman wasn't feeling so violently angry. It was crazy how well she could hide her emotions. Akemi leaned into Jotaro slightly, and seeing her, Jotaro did the same.
"That lady's suspicious. She's feeling the exact opposite of what she's showing." Akemi hissed. Jotaro frowned.
"What do you mean?" He hissed back, watching the two banter as they started to walk inside.
"Her aura is showing hatred and anger. She's put up a strong façade. I said it before, but this woman has extremely good control over her emotions." Akemi explained. Jotaro sucked his teeth.
"This is weird..." The realization seemed to hit Jotaro. His aura swirled unreadably, and he tugged his hat over his head. "Hey," He hissed as they neared the door.
"Hm?" Akemi hummed, looking up at him.
"Don't write your real name in the guest book." He whispered. "If she calls you by your real name, it'll confirm it." Akemi raised her eyebrows a bit.
"Oh, good idea." She murmured. Her eyes widening with enlightenment, she looked up at Jotaro and held her hand out. "On that note, hold my hand. We're married, remember?" Jotaro felt heat rise to his cheeks.
"F-fine." Jotaro said, tugging his hat down and taking her hand in his own as they walked inside the hotel. Akemi felt butterflies flutter up her chest. His hand was big and warm and it fit perfectly in her own.
The thought caused her to want to blush and look away, but she had to uphold the atmosphere of a recently-married couple.
"Oh, this doesn't look too bad." Joseph looked around ahead, wowed.
"You're not wrong. This place looks so fancy." Akemi said, a small smile on her face.
"Here, Kemi. Ladies first." Polnareff said chivalrously, handing Akemi the guest book. Akemi put a hand on her cheek and released Jotaro's hand to take it.
"Ara, ara. Thank you, my good sir." She giggled in a half-teasing tone.
Heh. Two can play at this game, old lady.
In the guest book, Akemi wrote 'Arianna Kujo', making sure to leave her smile on.
"Here!" Akemi chirped when she finished, handing the guest book to Jotaro.
"Thank you, my love." He said smoothly. Akemi felt heat rise to her cheeks, but kept her smile on.
"Oh, stop it, you." She nestled her cheek in her hand, waving a hand at him bashfully. She thought she heard some laughing behind her.
As Jotaro handed the guest book to Polnareff, he motioned to their fake names, and he seemed to get the idea.
"Here." Polnareff said as he handed Kakyoin the guest book. He turned back to the old lady. "My autograph's worth as much as Lennon's. I'm Paul-nareff, after all! Make sure you take care of it." He proclaimed.
"My, my. I will do just that." The old lady giggled. Jotaro closed the guest book before she could look at it. "Well, then... I will show you to your rooms." She said with a smile.
She led them upstairs, and everyone got their own room. Akemi tossed her bag on the bed and laid down with a sigh. Just as she was starting to relax, a rather painful cramp shot her out of her trance.
God dammit! It's a week early! Akemi mentally complained. Well, she'd better prepare herself- and quickly, she didn't want to bleed herself. She quickly got her pouch of feminine products out of her bag and dashed to the door, only to see both Jotaro and Kakyoin.
"Oi, Akemi-"
"I- I'm sorry, I have to go to the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back!" Akemi said quickly, pushing past them before they could say anything else.
"Hm... Let's wait for her inside." Said Kakyoin. Jotaro hummed in agreement, and they both walked into her room. Kakyoin sat on a seat by the desk and Jotaro landed with a huff on her bed.
"You know, it's not good manners to lay in a girl's bed." Kakyoin teased, leaning on the desk. Jotaro huffed.
"So what?" He said. Kakyoin tsked.
"Scandalous, especially when you have feelings for her." Kakyoin added in a teasing tone. Jotaro's eyes snapped open. He whipped around, looking Kakyoin in the eyes.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jotaro snapped, narrowing his eyes. Kakyoin smirked at his reaction, and raised his eyebrows innocently.
"I'm just saying, you two play the husband and wife role a little too well." Jotaro huffed angrily.
"I don't have feelings for her. I don't know what you're talking about." Jotaro said, laying back down and crossing his arms. Kakyoin cocked his head to the side.
"Then why did you get her a ring that matched her eyes?" Kakyoin interrogated, leaning forward a little with a wide smile. Jotaro curled his lip.
"What in the- Shut the hell up, Kakyoin." Jotaro deflected, looking away. Kakyoin knew exactly what he was doing. No matter how he acted, he knew he was right.
"You'll have to tell her soon. Who knows what could happen? This could be either of your last days. Or someone could steal Akemi from right under you." Kakyoin said. Jotaro's intense gaze snapped right back to Kakyoin.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Jotaro said, his voice dangerously low. Kakyoin leaned back casually, easily hiding how unnerved Jotaro's death glare made him.
"You know how Polnareff flirts with her. And who knows, she could find love on the way. You're not her only candidate." Kakyoin mused. Jotaro growled. He was unable to respond for a moment.
Maybe... maybe he was right.
"No, shut the hell up! There's no way I like her like that." Jotaro murmured, almost inaudibly. "'M just helping protect her from the law in these weird countries, 'cuz the old man forced me to. Hadda make sure the ring looked legit." Giddiness rose in Kakyoin's chest.
Finally! Akemi. You're welcome. Kakyoin thought, knowing he'd at least made Jotaro realize his feelings.
"You have to stop lying to yourself, Jojo, that only makes it worse. Basic engagement rings are normally made from white gems, anyways." Kakyoin pushed, an eyebrow raised. Jotaro put a hand on his face, feeling hundreds of different emotions cloud his head and chest.
"The hell..." Jotaro groaned. "How the hell am I supposed to know what engagement rings look like!?" Kakyoin was about to shoot back when Akemi entered the room.
She opened the door to her room to see Jotaro lounging on her bed with quite the angry expression, and Kakyoin giving him a half-teasing, half-suspicious stare from the seat next to the bed. His aura was pink... what was with that? Pink was such a weird color to see on the brooding teen. But there was frustration in his aura as well. She wondered what exactly the two had been talking about before she arrived. The two teens noticed her arrival.
"Hey, Akemi. Are you alright?" Kakyoin asked smoothly. Akemi nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?" She asked, sitting on her bed against the wall and next to his feet, raising a leg against her chest and leaving the other extended.
"So, this lady. It's obvious that she's a Stand user, isn't it?" Jotaro said bluntly, lighting a cigarette.
"Jojo, not in her room-" Kakyoin said, disdainful.
"No, it's fine. I don't mind the smell of cigarette smoke." Akemi interjected. Jotaro gave her a surprised look, pink appearing in his aura again. However, Kakyoin was left feeling a little embarrassed. "But thanks for looking out for me, Kakyoin." Akemi smiled. Kakyoin smiled back.
"Sure." He replied, eyes closed.
"Anyways," Jotaro said, exhaling cigarette smoke, "this old lady."
"Right." Akemi continued. "I know Polnareff definitely didn't say Joseph's name earlier. I could tell she was lying about a few things earlier as well. Particularly when she was talking about how she knew Joseph's last name."
"Can you tell how she knows his name?" Kakyoin asked. Akemi shook her head.
"No. I can really only tell if she's lying, but that's not even reliable, now. I could tell when she got nervous about how she knew Joseph's name, but I couldn't tell when she was lying about the John Lennon thing." Akemi answered, uncertainty in her tone. Just then, they heard a knock on the door.
"Kemi? Are you there? I knocked on Jotaro and Kakyoin's doors, but they weren't there." Joseph's muffled voice said. Akemi snorted.
"Oi, old man. We're in here, stupid." Jotaro called. She let out a small giggle.
"Oh." Joseph said. "Well, can I come in?" He asked.
"Yes, of course, old man." Akemi called with a grin, mocking Jotaro's use of his nickname. Joseph sighed from the other side of the door and muttered something under his breath as he opened the door and walked in.
"We were just talking about the enemy Stand user. We think it's the old lady." Akemi informed him as he came to a stop in front of the teens. He gave them a bewildered look.
"What? Impossible. She's so sweet and innocent." Joseph said disbelievingly.
"Of course you wouldn't think so, old man." Jotaro said degradingly. Joseph gave him a perturbed look.
"I could see her aura. She lied multiple times. And Polnareff never said your name." Akemi told him, her expression serious and her arms crossed.
"Yes, and she never asked if Jojo and Akemi wanted a room to themselves. She just assumed they weren't married. That means she never looked at the guest book." Kakyoin added. Joseph thoughtfully scratched his chin.
"Hmm... Let me use this TV to see if we can spy on the enemy Stand user. Then we'll know if she's really the one we're after." Joseph compromised.
Jotaro stood and leaned against the wall by the window, keeping an eye out.
Akemi, seeing the space on her bed, adjusted herself so she was laying on her stomach, hugging her pillow to her chest, burying her face so only her eyes and some of her nose was visible. She raised her lower legs, swinging them absentmindedly.
"Alright. Go for it." Akemi said, motioning to her TV. Joseph turned to Akemi's TV and turned it on.
It showed static. He turned the channels and got nothing.
He adjusted the antennae. Still nothing.
Kakyoin sat up, striking the TV with a knife hand.
As they messed with the TV, Jotaro's eyes slowly shifted from the window to Akemi, whose eyes were on the two men trying to figure the TV out. He could see how well-shaped she was. He wondered what it would be like for her to be looking up at him from that angle, or even to touch it…
Jotaro almost slapped himself in the face, feeling heat rise rapidly to his cheeks. What the hell am I thinking?
"It appears to be broken." Kakyoin stated, snapping Jotaro out of his thoughts.
"Shit..." Joseph cursed worriedly. Suddenly, Akemi's door opened. The attention in the room shifted to the source of the sound, and Polnareff leaned in.
"Oi, Kemi. Is there a bathroom in here? There doesn't seem to be one in mine." He asked, a smile on his face. Akemi exhaled.
"No, there isn't. They're communal." Akemi said, crossing her arms. Polnareff's eyes widened.
"Oh, right!" He realized, widening his eyes.
"Hey, come back in here when you're done." Joseph told him, putting a hand by his mouth so Polnareff would hear him before he closed the door.
"You got it!" Polnareff called back, giving them a thumbs-up before he shut the door and left.
"Good grief. He's so carefree. This woman could attack at any moment..." Joseph said, his voice gravelly.
"Maybe we should inform him that his fling might be a Stand user." Akemi joked bluntly.
"Or is..." Kakyoin added, a hand on his chin, his eyes narrowed. Akemi sighed.
"Maybe someone should go after him. I doubt he'd find the upstairs bathroom, and I'm sure he'd use that as an excuse to see the old woman." She said. Jotaro kicked himself off the wall.
"Fine, I guess I will. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, Akemi, come after me." Jotaro told her. Akemi nodded, and watched him leave the room and shut the door behind him.
Kakyoin's eyes landed on the white-haired girl. He was about to grill her like he grilled Jotaro. Even better, since Joseph was here, he'd be able to help with the situation.
"So, Akemi." Kakyoin started, leaning against the table. Akemi looked up to meet his teasing look. Akemi narrowed her eyes.
"I don't like that look..." She said, raising her head slightly so she could speak clearly. Kakyoin chuckled. It seems she was already on to him. Too bad, she wouldn't be prepared for what he would say next.
"You and Jojo, huh?" Kakyoin said casually. Akemi recoiled.
"What?!" She coughed, shocked. Joseph let out a fruity laugh. Kakyoin turned to him, a light smile on his face.
"Joestar-san. Don't act like you don't see them looking at each other when the other isn't looking." Kakyoin said to Joseph. Joseph smirked mischievously.
"Oh, no. I know, you told me in Varanasi, remember? I know my grandson quite well- and I know Akemi better." Joseph said confidently. All the while this was happening, Akemi's face was buried in her pillow, trying desperately to hide her blush. "I approve! It'll certainly make the fact that they're feigning husband and wife more believable... Now that I think about it, it's been really obvious."
"What the hell?!" Akemi exclaimed suddenly. Kakyoin and Joseph looked at her with their eyebrows raised. Akemi's chin was suspended slightly above the pillow she hugged tighter. Her face was so red, her birthmarks almost weren't visible. "Okay, sure I have feelings, but it's temporary. It's just a crush, it'll go away in, like, a week!" Akemi near-shouted. Kakyoin and Joseph exchanged smug glances.
"Hmm... I don't think people that have 'just a crush' on someone else looks at them like my parents look at each other. Plus, he's always paying the most attention to you. He could tell when you thought the woman was being suspicious, and none of us picked up on it. It's like a simple frown will send his alarm bells ringing!" Kakyoin teased. Joseph snorted.
"Yeah, Kemi. I know love when I see it. I, Joseph Joestar, am a master of love. You two would be such a great couple! Just accept it." Joseph told her, nudging her with his elbow. Akemi buried her face in her pillow and screamed, her voice muffled by the pillow. Her eyes emerged, her eyebrows angled upwards.
"Okay... so what? We're on a journey to save his mother's life, I really don't think he'd take kindly to an annoying woman confessing her feelings for him. Do you know how many people do that every day at his school? It's so annoying. I'm convinced he'd literally knock me out and leave me to rot if I even insinuated that." Akemi rambled, her voice muffled by her pillow.
"You'd be surprised." Kakyoin muttered into his fist. Joseph gave him a shocked look that turned into mischievousness. Akemi felt shock slap her in the face, and she widened her eyes. A peek at his aura, and confidence only made her chest feel tighter.
"Kakyoin Noriaki, what the hell are you talking about?!" Akemi exclaimed. Kakyoin laughed at the use of his full name.
"You'll see!" He teased, a wild grin crossing his face. Akemi let out a frustrated growl.
"No, tell me now!" She shouted, leaping up off of her bed and raising her pillow, ready to attack. Kakyoin raised his hands, ready to defend himself. He had a huge grin on his face and his eyes were wide.
"N- no wait! Spare me!" He laughed. Akemi moved forward, raising the pillow, and Kakyoin flinched, letting out a short cry.
"Tell me what you mean!" Akemi repeated, flustered anger causing her face to stay the red it was before.
Right as she was about to actually hit him, her door opened, revealing Jotaro. He opened his mouth to talk, but stopped when he saw the situation. He narrowed his eyes.
"...What's happening in here?" Jotaro asked, his suspiciousness aimed at Kakyoin. Akemi sighed, and right when Kakyoin's guard was down, she smacked him with the pillow, causing him to fall off his seat from the strength of the blow and let out a yelp of surprise, crashing on the floor.
Akemi sweatdropped, her hand covering half of her face. She dropped the pillow on top of Kakyoin's crumpled and giggling body.
"Never mind that. Is Polnareff alright?" Akemi asked, looking up at him through her bangs and fingers.
Jotaro clenched his jaw and looked away with a cough.
"Y- yes. He's fine. The old lady was the Stand user. I found her forcing Polnareff to clean the toilet with his tongue." Jotaro said curtly, tugging his hat down. Akemi frowned, confused.
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"Why does it even matter what I've been licking? You ask such stupid things." Polnareff coughed, embarrassment shining like a beacon in his aura- and on his cheeks. Akemi thought she heard the word 'toilet' between coughs. Joseph put a hand by his hear.
"Eh? You were licking what, again?" Joseph asked teasingly. "I couldn't hear that very well."
"Who cares what it was?" Polnareff asked incredulously. "I want to disinfect my tongue. Just heal me already." Akemi smirked.
"I'll only heal your tongue if you tell us." Akemi stated, a smirk curling her lip slightly. Polnareff gave her a look akin to a kicked puppy. "You'll have to live with a hole in your tongue your entire life." Polnareff whined.
"Hm? I thought I heard 'toilet'." Kakyoin said, looking concerned. Joseph laughed behind his hand. He leaned into Kakyoin and Akemi.
"Actually, I already know. But I can't resist picking on him about this!" Joseph hissed, his eyes wide with mischief. Akemi snorted.
"Hey! Did Jotaro already tell you?!" Polnareff shouted accusingly. "You shitty old man! You were just messing with me!"
"Oh, you know what? The poor toilet-licker's been through enough torture. C'mere, Polnareff." Akemi teased with a grin. Polnareff whined again, dragging himself forward with his tongue sticking pitifully out of his mouth. Joseph collapsed to the floor laughing, banging his fist on the ground. Akemi's arm glowed with Empress Gaea's as her healing vines wrapped around Polnareff's tongue. His eyes narrowed in discomfort as his tongue's hole closed up, leaving a barely visible star-shaped scar. "There you go. Hey, you have a scar that looks like Joseph and Jotaros' birthmarks!" Akemi said, retracting Empress Gaea's hand with a smile.
"That's cool, I guess... let's hurry back on our journey." Polnareff muttered, ashamed. Akemi let out a small giggle.
Good distraction, Polnareff... Akemi thought, grateful for the unintentional help.
"Jotaro! Let me heal your wounds!" She shouted, facing the doorway that the bloody teen stood in front of.
"Everyone, come outside." Called Jotaro's voice from outside the door. Everyone stopped their antics and followed Jotaro's voice.
"What on earth..?" Joseph said in a gravelly voice. "We step outside of the hotel, and this place is..."
"It's a graveyard." Jotaro stated. "In the middle of nowhere..."
"So they weren't illusions... they were really dead." Akemi said, letting her disturbed emotions reach her face. This whole time, they were looking at and interacting with dead people.
"She was using her Stand's fog to make this graveyard look like a town and a hotel?" Kakyoin asked.
"So we were talking to the corpses that were buried in these graves." Polnareff said thoughtfully. A thought struck Akemi, one that made her face fall.
"There was a baby in there..." She whispered, the fact making sadness clutch her chest.
Jotaro looked at her, his chest clenching. He was worried... Why was he worried?
Why did he want to comfort her until her sad face went away? He shook the thought away. He had no time for shit like that.
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"T- take her with us? The old lady?" Polnareff exclaimed, looking down at the tied-up old lady on the ground below them.
"Yeah." Jotaro confirmed. "We need to know how many more Stand users there are, what their powers are, where in Egypt Dio is hiding... and what Dio's Stand's power is." Akemi's expression intensified. She scowled down at the old lady.
"What makes you think she'll tell us?" Akemi asked, doubtful.
"If we're able to get the old lady to tell us what it is," Said Joseph, "it'll give us a definite advantage. I think I'll be able to convince her."
"Like Akemi said, however, I doubt she'd be willing to tell us..." Kakyoin said, unsure.
"Let's just torture her!" Polnareff suggested. "She may be old, but she's still a bitch!"
"Jeez, Polnareff." Akemi gave him a wide-eyed look, to which Polnareff responded with his hands up questionably.
"We just need to use my Hermit Purple to project what she's thinking onto a TV." Joseph reminded them, the purple thorn vines appearing from his hand. Polnareff smiled, pumping a fist.
"Oh, right! Since there isn't a TV in this graveyard, we'll do it in the next town." Polnareff said. His smile faded when they heard a car start behind them. Akemi looked around Polnareff and widened her eyes. Their car had taken off.
"Hol Horse! That bastard!" Shouted Polnareff angrily. Both Polnareff and Kakyoin started running after the car.
"Our car!" Cried Kakyoin.
"Can't you bind it, Akemi?!" Cried Joseph. Akemi growled and summoned Empress Gaea.
"Ivy bind!" She shouted angrily.
"Ara!" Empress shouted, holding her arms out. Vines came out from beneath the car, but she missed by a hair's breadth. Akemi growled angrily.
"He's just out of my range." She whined, feeling disappointed. Empress Gaea disappeared.
"I'm sticking with Dio after all! See ya later! Provided you guys don't die first, that is." Hol Horse shouted, his voice projecting to them from across the field. "But I'll give you a warning! You should kill that old lady as quick as you can. Otherwise, that old lady'll show you just how terrifying Dio really is. See ya!"
The three of them exchanged glances. Joseph raised his arms halfway and dropped them at his sides.
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everyone has a hol horse in their lives...
facts
-kakyoin, while he is not an expert in emotions, is very observant and very intelligent. he could clearly tell when jotaro and akemi showed signs of attraction toward each other, and he was quite excited to set his only two friends up!
-akemi's menstrual cycles normally last just over a week. she is prepared, however, that is completely dependent on whether or not they lose their luggage throughout the course of the trip.
alright bye!
- caelesti
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word count: 8,698