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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 13: The Lovers
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TW/ SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THIS CHAPTER
(i will label where it begins and ends)
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They ended up having to walk for miles in the heat.
It was absolute torture, and Akemi was in hell. Everyone was in a bad mood, and because of her period, her Stand abilities were acting weird, so she could barely grow anything to keep the boys cool. The next town felt much further away than it actually was- three days of travel.
And even then, the best thing they could get for transportation was a horse-drawn carriage, which cost Joseph a ridiculous amount of money.
Joseph and Jotaro sat in the front, and Kakyoin, Akemi and Polnareff sat in the middle. The old lady sat in the row behind them. Akemi was a bit jealous she had a row to herself, but no one was willing to share.
They arrived in a bit of a worn-down town. Akemi was fast asleep, her head against Kakyoin's shoulder and her legs pressed against Polnareff's- neither of whom seemed to mind her position much- so she hadn't noticed until Joseph started speaking, effectively waking her up from her nap.
"Hey, a doner kebab place! Why don't we stop and get something to eat?" Joseph exclaimed enthusiastically. Akemi blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the bright sunlight. Joseph tugged at the horse's reins and stopped the carriage at the side of the sidewalk. As Joseph haggled for the doner kebabs, Akemi stretched, waking herself up.
All of the sudden, a wave of fear, stronger than she'd felt in a long time, hit her in the back, causing her to double over. She whipped around, making eye contact with wide, fearful eyes. She was shaking and sweating, but she wasn't looking at her.
"G- guys! She's awake!" Akemi cried, alert. The men around her spun around to look at her. Behind her, Joseph dropped the doner kebabs.
"I- I... I haven't said anything!" The old lady said, panicked. "W- why are you here before me? Do you think that I, Enya, would actually tell them the secret of Lord Dio's Stand?"
They all turned back to the seller, confused.
Slowly, he started de-clothing himself. Taking off his sunglasses and pulling off his hood, he revealed a smug-looking man with odd eyebrows and red eyes.
From behind them, tentacles erupted from Enya's body. They attacked the carriage, destroying it and releasing the horse. It whinnied as it sped down the road ahead of them. They all hopped off the carriage, Kakyoin yanking Akemi with him.
"W- what the hell are these tentacles?!" Polnareff cried. Enya stood up and faced the seller.
"Why... why have you come to kill me?!" Enya shouted, anguished.
"It means that Lord Dio truly trusts no one." Said the man behind them. As they turned to look at him, he was dropping the robe he was wearing. "I will be making sure you never speak again. And as for you five there... I will be taking your lives."
Before Akemi could be shocked, disgusting noises and screaming from behind her stole their attention. Thicker tentacles pierced through Enya's paper-thin skin and went out her nose, mouth and eyes.
"Enya!" Shouted Polnareff, panicked. Enya fell off the wrecked carriage and hit the ground, spraying blood everywhere. They shielded themselves from the blood, crying out in disgust.
"My name is Dan..." The man took it upon himself to introduce himself then. "Steely Dan. My Stand suggests the Lovers card. I will see to it that you all meet the same fate as Enya the Hag." He said in a suave, smooth voice.
Polnareff threw a hand toward Enya.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" He shouted accusingly. "Enya was one of you, wasn't she? Enya!" He turned without waiting for a response and stood in front of her.
"Polnareff! Be careful!" Akemi shouted.
"L- l- lies... lies..." Enya forced out her throat. "It's a lie... Lord Dio would never do this to me..."
"The thing coming out of Enya's body is not a Stand! They're real! They're real, moving tentacles!" Kakyoin shouted suddenly, pointing at her. Akemi's mind clicked, realizing it too.
"I- it's a flesh bud..." Akemi said. She felt sick.
"He would never do something like this to me..." Enya said, her voice gravelly. "He would never plant a flesh bud... Lord Dio is my reason to live... We trust each other..." she rambled.
"Enya!" Polnareff cried, summoning Silver Chariot. He sliced some of the tentacles up, and they fell out of the shade, dissolving under the sun.
"T- they melted from the rays of the sun. It's really a flesh bud, made from Dio's own cells..." Joseph said, shocked.
"Precisely! I'm impressed you were able to figure that out. That is what the flesh bud, made from Lord Dio's cells, looks like when it's grown. I just grew it inside of Enya." Said Steely Dan. He addressed the quivering old lady. "Enya, I hear that you were the one who told Lord Dio about the Stands. But there is no way that Lord Dio would ever trust a little old woman like yourself. It seems you hadn't realized that." Joseph kneeled down by Enya suddenly.
"Enya! Tell us what the true identity of Dio's Stand is!" He shouted. Akemi's eyes widened and shock clapped from every aura around her. "Tell us! You placed your hope and trust in Dio! And now you know he's not the man you thought he was! I have to defeat Dio! Please, tell me! Tell me! Tell me about Dio's Stand!" An intense silence surrounded them as Enya's mouth moved, preparing for words.
"Lord... Dio... he believes in me. I can't tell you..." Enya said. Her head lolled to the side and her aura faded.
"Oh, God!" Joseph shouted. As they mourned, a strange laugh sounded from behind them. They turned to see Steely Dan sitting at a table and giggling over a warm cup of tea.
"She is a sorry sight..." He crooned, showing no sign of the emotion he spoke of. "How truly sad that old woman was. But the fact that she trusted him so deeply shows how powerful Lord Dio's evil charm truly is." As he giggled again, the group surrounded his table. He peacefully took a sip of his tea as he looked at them.
"Enya was connected with my sister's death, so I'm pretty conflicted about this." Polnareff said. He clenched his fist. "But you have to die."
"It'll be five against one, but we won't hesitate. Prepare yourself." Kakyoin said coldly. Akemi narrowed her eyes. He looked so at ease. He had to have something up his sleeve.
"Stand up." Jotaro commanded, glowering at Steely Dan down his nose. He didn't listen, only placed his teacup down. Anger grew in Jotaro's aura. "Hey, jackass! Don't try to act cool at a time like this. Even if you won't attack us, we're going to fight." She gazed at his aura, and saw his calm appearance reflected his aura.
"Wait, Kujo. He might have something up his sleeve if he's acting like this." Akemi warned.
"Who gives a fuck? I'll beat him anyways." Jotaro shot back, his expression contorting further in anger.
"Do as you please, your little puppy's right." The group growled in anger. "You can't touch me." He teased smugly. Jotaro, unable to take his attitude anymore, summoned Star Platinum.
"Ora!" He shouted, punching him in the gut. To everyone's utter shock, Joseph flew backward, too.
"W- what?" Jotaro breathed just as Steely Dan crashed through a store window. They all looked, concerned, at where Joseph landed.
"W- what happened, Monsieur Joestar? He flew back just like Steely Dan!" Polnareff said, looking back and forth.
"You fool! I was still in the middle of my explanation. You were very close to killing your own grandfather." Steely Dan snarled as he shakily stood back up. Akemi glared down at him, summoning her equally angry Stand by her side.
"Then start talking." Akemi growled. Steely Dan stood up, wiping blood from his chin.
"Do you really think I appeared before you just to kill Enya?" Steely Dan said, spitting out blood.
"You bastard..." Berated Joseph, his hand bloody. "You said you had the Stand of the Lovers' card, didn't you? W- what is that?!"
"The battle has already begun, Mr. Joestar." Steely Dan replied. Akemi's eyes widened, her Stand fading away. They looked around frantically, looking for any sign of a Stand. "Bunch of idiots... you won't be able to find my Stand easily." Steely Dan looked behind him at a kid that was sweeping the sidewalk. Steely Dan dug into his pocket. "Hey, brat. I'll give you a tip, so hit my leg with your broom." He offered, holding a dollar between his fingers. The kid's eyes lit up as he threw the bill, and the kid caught it before it fell.
"I- it can't be..." Joseph said, shocked, his mind clicking.
"Hit me!" Steely Dan commanded. The boy complied and whacked Steely Dan's shin as hard as he could. Joseph cried out in pain from behind them. They whipped around, looking at the old man, who clutched his shin.
"What happened, Joestar-san?!" Kakyoin asked, his eyes wide. Joseph's hands were clutched over his ears.
"I- it hurts! I don't know what's going on, but there's tremendous pain..." Joseph cried. Akemi, her eyebrows pinching with worry, summoned Empress Gaea to her side and dashed to his, releasing her healing vines, watching as they coiled around his leg and his stomach.
"He has several broken ribs, a punctured lung, and his shin is broken..." Akemi said, her expression slack with shock. Her eyebrows furrowed with anger, turning her gaze to Steely Dan. "You bastard... what did you do?!"
"You haven't figured it out, you two?" Steely Dan teased again. Akemi was starting to get real sick of his attitude. "My Stand goes inside the bodies of others. The moment Enya died, it entered your brain through your ear!" Akemi's eyes widened with shock. She hadn't noticed anything. Was it really that small?
"What?!" Cried Joseph, standing back up.
"Meaning, the Stand and myself are one and the same. If my Stand gets hurt, so do I, and vice versa. If you do so much as scratch me, my Stand, which is within your brain, will react to my pain and suffering in the same moment by going berserk. It will inflict pain several times greater to the same part of your body. Just like Enya, it will eat you from the inside and you will die!" Steely Dan raised a finger. "I'll say it once more... you will not be able to lay a single finger on me. Not to mention, the Lovers has taken Lord Dio's flesh bud into your body. It's growing within your brain." Akemi gasped, horror filling her. She felt like crying as she looked back at Joseph.
The boy hit Steely Dan again from behind, folding them both over. Joseph fell backwards with a cry. The boy held his hand out with an enthusiastic smile.
"When did I say you could strike me again?" Steely Dan asked the boy with an angry smile. Both of their smiles faded as Steely Dan turned around and raised his hand. "You little brat!" He bellowed, whacking him in the face with his fist.
The boy cried out, falling on his back. He held his face, crying, and ran away with his broom. Akemi's expression grew pained as she watched the boy scamper away. She moved to heal Joseph again but he held his hand up.
"Don't. Don't waste any more of your energy. It didn't hurt that bad this time." Joseph said, his voice raised. Akemi reluctantly withdrew Empress Gaea, biting her lip but complying.
He was lying, but she knew he could take it- at least, until they defeated this bastard. Steely Dan brushed off his leg.
"Well, to be honest, my Stand, the Lovers, is very weak. It isn't powerful enough to move even a single strand of hair... It is the world's weakest Stand. But you don't need power to kill humans. Do you understand, lady and gentlemen?" Steely Dan said. "If I were to be in a car accident, hit by a baseball, or even to trip and fall, Mr. Joestar... your body would suffer far greater damage than mine." As if giving an example, Steely Dan popped his knuckles. Joseph held up his hand, his fingers crackling and moving weirdly.
"I- I can even feel pain in my artificial left hand..." Joseph breathed, horrified.
"I- Impossible... there's no nerve endings to transfer the pain..." Akemi muttered, wondering how it was possible.
"And in ten minutes, your brain will be eaten through, and you will die like Enya." Steely Dan said. Akemi's eyes widened, and she felt hollow with dread. Jotaro and his Stand rushed forward, taking Steely Dan by his collar. Kakyoin shoved Jotaro out of the way, getting in between them. His aura was rushing with so many different emotions that it felt like a tidal wave of anger and conflict.
"Jotaro, calm down! Don't do anything stupid." He shouted, failing to hide his panic. His Stand's fist disappeared, but he pulled his fist backward.
"No. I'm going to kill him so quickly, he won't have a moment to feel pain." Jotaro said, his voice barely wavering. Akemi gasped, her eyes wide. She lunged forward and held onto Jotaro's fist.
"Jotaro, don't! Please, let's try to find a different solution first!" Her pleading eyes seemed to get to Jotaro, and he released Steely Dan's collar. Joseph clutched the side of his chest. Steely Dan straightened his collar with a smug expression.
Oh how she wanted to punch that shitty face.
"Without a moment to feel pain, huh..." Steely Dan repeated. "That's a great idea. Let's see you try it, Jotaro. It sounds fascinating. Come on! My face? My throat? Come on, what's wrong? Just try it! Let's just see what happens!" Akemi could practically feel the anger rolling off him like a stormy ocean. It affected her with ease, merging with her own anger. Her nose and eyebrows pinched with fury. Steely Dan opened his shirt a little.
"How about busting a hole through my chest?" He walked away, waving a hand. "Or how about you give up on using your Stand, and crack my head open with a rock? Here, I'll even get the rock for you." He bent over and picked up a rather large rock. "Is this one big enough?" He turned to see Jotaro take him by the collar again.
"Don't underestimate me. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it." Jotaro growled.
Akemi could feel the worry loom over Steely Dan, but then she heard Joseph grunt behind her. He was coughing and choking.
Then, suddenly, Jotaro summoned his Stand, swinging his fist. Akemi summoned her Stand in retaliation, holding him back with her vines. Quickly, Kakyoin's Hierophant joined, knowing there was no way Empress would be able to hold him back on her own, just as Hierophant would have no chance on his own- but the two of them could hold him back together.
Star Platinum struggled against her hold, but Empress Gaea's vines and Hierophant's tentacles were stronger. They coiled around his arms, moving slowly, reinforcing themselves with everything Akemi could think of off the top of her head, out of desperation: hemp, ironwood roots, wisteria vines- combined with Hierophant's tentacles, Star Platinum couldn't move an inch. Empress Gaea looked just as angry as her counterpart, her six eyes narrowed with stress.
Akemi put a gentle hand on the small of Jotaro's back.
"Don't be rash, Jotaro. We can beat the shit out of him once we get his Stand away from Joseph." She assured him, deadly calm.
He seemed to melt under her touch. He loosened his grip on Steely Dan.
"You've already seen his powers, Jotaro! Are you trying to kill your own grandfather!?" Kakyoin cried.
"H- he's the type that might actually do it..." Polnareff said, his voice haunted. Akemi could tell that this talk was bothering Jotaro. His aura was a swirling cyclone of conflict, and it grew when he saw Steely Dan smirk at him.
"You aren't taking me seriously." Steely Dan said. Jotaro growled from the back of his throat, his aura a dark, crimson red.
"Be strong, Jotaro. You're better than him." Akemi said lowly. Jotaro stopped struggling, lowering his Stand's fists, staring knives at Steely Dan.
'Oh?" Steely Dan mused, raising an eyebrow. The second Jotaro's hands released his cloth, he hit Akemi in the gut with the heavy rock as hard as he could. Akemi let out a cry, collapsing to her knees. It triggered a menstrual cramp as well, and her whole body racked with pain.
"Akemi!" Cried several voices. She spat blood, breathing hard.
"Y- you bastard..." Polnareff said.
"I'm gonna wipe the floor with you!" Jotaro said raucously, rage rolling off him in waves.
"Don't underestimate me, you bastard." Spat Steely Dan. "After the geezer Joestar dies, it'll be... your brain that I send the Lovers into and kill!" Akemi barely blocked Steely Dan's blow with her vines, but she collapsed to the ground, rolling to her side. The boys crowded her side, checking to see if she was okay.
"W- what the hell are you doing?!" Joseph shouted. Akemi shakily tried to get up, shaking as she drooled blood. Jotaro helped her up, and Akemi clutched her bruised, exposed stomach. It didn't take long to heal, since none of her bones broke.
Kakyoin nodded at Joseph, and they both started running away.
Ah, I see. They're going to try to leave its range, right? Akemi thought. Or they're going to try to find a way to get that Stand out.
"H- hey!" Shouted Polnareff, chasing after them. Kakyoin turned around and pointed at the two.
"Jotaro! Akemi! Keep him away from Joestar-san! We're going to get as far away from him as possible!" Kakyoin shouted. Akemi widened her eyes.
"Oh? I see..." Steely Dan said, resting his head on his hand. "So if you think that if you move far enough away, my Stand's power will disappear? But one's weakness can also be one's strength. My Stand, the Lovers, may be weak, but once it is within a body, I can control it at a distance far greater than any other Stand. Even hundreds of kilometers away." He elucidated smugly.
Damn him! He thinks he's already won. Akemi cursed him mentally. She stood up straighter, looking in the direction Kakyoin, Polnareff and Joseph left them in.
"Hey, Jotaro! I'm talking to you!" Steely Dan said, taking his jacket's collar in his hand. "What are you looking away so calmly for? Look at me!"
Oh, he's not calm. Akemi thought, looking at Steely Dan with disdain. Jotaro shifted his eyes to the side, looking down at the shorter man.
"You sound like you're starting to lose your cool." Jotaro said.
"Do you two plan to follow me until Joseph dies?" Steely Dan asked.
"Hm. You sound a little too sure of yourself there." Akemi said, her voice hoarse.
"Dan, was it?" Jotaro asked calmly. "You'll pay for this." Steely Dan giggled, walking around Jotaro and switching hands.
"If that's why you're following me, maybe I should borrow a little more." Steely Dan said, leaning down to dig through his pockets. After a few moments, he moved to Akemi, unzipping her jacket's pockets. Akemi shuddered as Steely Dan brushed his hands on her hips and waist as he searched her, taking her coin purse. He also took her bracelet and her ring. Akemi bit back a shout of protest as she felt it leave her finger.
"Is this all you two have?" he asked, looking at their collection of money. "Oh, you have a credit card. I can't wait to max this out. And these rings look invaluable. Are you two engaged? How sweet." He teased malevolently. Akemi hated the way his aura looked. "I see that your watch, audaciously enough, is a TAG Heuer... I'll be borrowing these. Let's go on a walk, shall we?" He pocketed all their items. The two sent him withering glares.
They walked, approaching a drainage ditch. Akemi wished she could push him in there and watch him drown.
"A drainage ditch... I could jump across, but if I were to trip and twist my ankle, it could be dangerous. It'd be a pain to go all the way to that bridge over there." Akemi didn't like the look in his eyes when Steely Dan turned. "Hey, Jotaro. Lie down across this ditch and make yourself into a bridge. I'll walk over it on you." He commanded. Akemi gasped.
"That's bullshit! The bridge is not even a thirty-second walk away!" She snapped.
"What, you don't think Jotaro should be my bridge?" Steely Dan asked, an eyebrow raising. Akemi got a rising feeling of panic.
"W- wait, I can grow one." She said, holding out her hands. Steely Dan shook his head, tsking.
"But I want Jotaro to be my bridge. Your plants could fail and I could slip through, and how do you think that would affect Joestar?" He shot back childishly. "I said, make yourself into a bridge! You ridiculous bastard!" He shouted. He angrily kicked a statue nearby. Akemi bit back a gasp, clenching her jaw. Steely Dan's leg swung limply.
"What's the matter, you two, hmm?" Steely Dan teased. Jotaro scoffed and walked forward. Akemi stared ahead, unable to stop him. She felt so powerless. She hated it. Jotaro kneeled by the drainage ditch.
"Come on, hurry up." Steely Dan mused. Jotaro bared his teeth with anger, and suspended himself over the ditch. He was shaking, barely able to keep his balance. Triumph flooded Steely Dan's aura.
"Good." He hissed.
He stomped on his back, putting all his weight on him. Akemi wanted to help him, but she was unsure of what Steely Dan would do. He balanced himself on his back, swinging back and forth.
"You're a rather sturdy bridge, aren't you? Aren't you? Aren't you? Aren't you?" Steely Dan teased, bouncing up and down. Akemi felt dread pour down her chest and grimaced, hoping he wouldn't snap his spine in half. He finally moved forward, stomping on Jotaro's hand as he got off, squishing it under his sole. Akemi could feel the waves of anger coming off Jotaro again, and she hoped he wouldn't take him by the ankle and fling him into the ditch.
"Now, Akemi. Your turn." Steely Dan commanded, finally across. Akemi felt conflicted, but went anyway, too scared of what he would do to Joseph. She stepped, feather-light, onto his back. She knew she was much lighter than Steely Dan, so she knew she wasn't hurting him. "You made a nice bridge, Jotaro."
As soon as she got across, she helped Jotaro get up. Before he could fully rise, however, Steely Dan dug his shoe into her side and kicked her into the ditch, igniting the pain from the rock. She cried out as she plunged into the water, the breath knocking out of her as she hit the ground, hard. She heard her name being called in Jotaro's voice, anger and worry lacing itself in his tone.
She surfaced, looking angrily up at Steely Dan through her wet bangs as he loomed smugly over her.
"You should be more careful, Ms. Akemi. You could get hurt." Steely Dan said, feigning worry. Akemi growled, humiliated. She hoisted herself out of the ditch, shakily standing back up.
Steely Dan stood there, his eyes trailing slowly down Akemi's body. Akemi could see in his aura what he was thinking... perverted thoughts were crossing his mind, judging from the sickly pink-orange of his aura. She felt dread pool down her stomach.
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warning: steely dan being a pervert
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"Hey, Akemi, open your jacket back up." Steely Dan commanded, stepping closer. Akemi squeezed her arms tighter, alarmed. She stepped back.
"W- what are you doing?" She asked, feeling a little panicked. Steely Dan smirked.
"I said, open your jacket." Steely Dan snapped, his expression fading to anger, holding his leg over a statue. Akemi bit her lip, her brows furrowed with worry.
Push through it, push through it, push through it, this will be over soon. Akemi repeated in her head.
She lowered her arms, feeling just a little too revealed. He smirked again and raised his hands. Akemi looked shamefully away as he started to feel her up, tracing his fingers up her stomach.
"You bastard, what are you doing?!" Jotaro shouted angrily. Steely Dan turned his gaze to him.
"Oh, are you mad that I'm feeling up your girl?" Steely Dan feigned innocence, putting a hand on her chin, sticking out his lower lip. Jotaro growled angrily in response, deep, almost uncontrollable rage filling his aura. Steely Dan smirked again, turning back to his prey. He resumed what he was doing, and his hands cupped her breasts. Akemi balled her hands into fists when he squeezed them. She hated this disgusting feeling, she just wanted him far, far away from her. And the fact that Jotaro was watching this made her feel worse.
"J- Jotaro, please look away..." Akemi squeaked, a lump in her throat preventing her from speaking properly. She couldn't look him in the eye. He did so, though, and averted his gaze, a fury-filled storm brewing inside him.
"My, my. You have young, perky breasts. Such a beautiful body. I wonder what you look like underneath those clothes..." Steely Dan commented, playing with the hem of her shirt. She could hear Jotaro growl with rage from beside her.
"Y- you fucker..." She shook with humiliation when Steely Dan trailed his fingers down to her bottom. He leaned into her ear.
"We'll continue this after Joestar's dead." He whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "And I'll make Jotaro watch." He squeezed her ass and pulled away, turning his back to her, continuing as if nothing had happened.
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the worst is over
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Akemi's brows lowered and she zipped her jacket up. She didn't care about the heat, anymore. Normally, no one would get that far without a thorough beating. It wasn't like Italy was clean of creepy guys. Akemi had always been able to defend herself, though. Letting herself fall victim to something like this… it felt embarrassing, like she was powerless, when she was more than equipped to deal with the threat. And there was no feeling she hated more than feeling powerless.
Jotaro stood up, heartbroken at the small, closed-up sight of her. He reached a hand out to comfort her, but she flinched away. Looking up at him, she bit her cheek, nothing but disgust and anger in the lime fire in her gaze.
She's strong. But that doesn't change the massive payment I'll be giving Steely Dan. Thought Jotaro.
Steely Dan stopped again, turning to look at Jotaro.
"Hey, Jotaro. My back itches. Scratch it." Ordered Steely Dan. Jotaro scoffed angrily and walked past Akemi. He did just that, standing close behind him to scratch his back. "A little lower." Jotaro complied, a lightning bolt of anger striking his aura. "Lower... Yeah, that's it. Don't dig your nails in so much." Jotaro growled, itching his back until Steely Dan began to walk again.
They followed him, and wordlessly, he guided the two to the city. He stopped in his tracks again, and Akemi feared that he was going to do something ridiculous again. But he simply let out a triumphant 'hmph!' and kept on walking. Fear sparked in her chest.
God, Joseph. Please be okay. Akemi thought desperately, clutching her jacket, a tear slipping down her cheek, the possibility of what Steely Dan would do to her becoming scarily real.
"Hey, Jotaro. Let's sit down there." Said Steely Dan, pointing at a bench. "Here, shine my shoes. And Akemi, won't you massage my shoulders with those lovely hands of yours?" Akemi narrowed her eyes at him but complied as he sat down.
Jotaro kneeled at his feet and Steely Dan tossed a shining cloth at him, and Jotaro caught it mid-air. As he started shining his shoes, Akemi zipped up her jacket and started massaging his shoulders.
Steely Dan started laughing madly, satisfaction flooding his veins. He had two powerful Stand users at his mercy, powerless before him.
"Come on! What are you doing? Shine those shoes right, Jotaro." Steely Dan accused, kicking him in the face suddenly. Akemi gasped, her hands pausing. Steely Dan turned his head halfway, his red gaze on her. "And keep massaging me, woman." Akemi quickly resumed her massaging, feeling sick to her stomach. Steely Dan sighed, crossing his leg over the other. "I'm in such a good mood right now! Aah, Akemi. Right there, keep going. And Jotaro, I need you to shine my shoes until they're as bright as I feel right now. I want the sunny sky to reflect right off of them. If you want, you can use your uniform to shine them. Actually, why not lick them clean?" Akemi's lip curled with disgust. Suddenly, Jotaro got up and started writing in a mini-notebook. Akemi looked up, frowning. Steely Dan suddenly got up, yanking himself from her hands.
"Hey! You bastard! What are you writing?" Steely Dan shouted, yanking the journal from Jotaro's hands. Akemi could see from where she stood what he'd written down.
Punched Ake in the gut
Hit Ake with a rock
Stole my wallet
Stole my watch
Stole my ring
Stole Ake's bag
Stole Ake's ring
Walked on, like a bridge, over a dirty river
Kicked Ake into the dirty river
Touched Ake inappropriately
Made Ake cry
Made me scratch his back
Made me shine his shoes
Made Ake massage him
Kicked me
"I'm writing down everything you owe me." Jotaro said. "Me and Akemi both. I'm going to make sure you pay it. I can be forgetful, so I'm writing it all down." He crooned with a smirk.
Akemi felt touched that he wrote what Steely Dan had done to her as well- especially when she saw that he'd written his nickname for her, made all those years ago.
Steely Dan scoffed and backhanded Jotaro across the face. Akemi gritted her teeth and clutched the bench with anger, trying her best to restrain herself. Blood dripped down his chin. Her chest burst with anger.
"Jotaro, you bastard..." Said Steely Dan. He suddenly brightened. "Well, whatever. It won't matter in the end." He shrugged. He walked away again, and Akemi caught Jotaro looking at her. She glanced in his direction, but looked back down again, hugging herself.
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They walked into a jewelry store, and Steely Dan checked out the jewelry on display.
"Say, Jotaro. Take a look at this gold bracelet. It would make a girl like Akemi happy if you were to give her something like this." Steely Dan commented. A mischievous look made its way onto his face.
Oh, no... just what is he thinking? Akemi thought worriedly.
"Jotaro, see that space in the glass? Use your Stand to sneak through and steal it!" Steely Dan told him. Akemi's heart skipped a beat. Jotaro looked down at the bracelet. Steely Dan's fingers brushed Akemi's collarbone suddenly, and she let out a small gasp that she couldn't push down in time, widening her eyes with panic. Jotaro's eyes lit aflame with anger. "I told you to steal it, dumbass. Hurry it up!" Steely Dan hissed. Jotaro bared his teeth in anger, shutting his eyes for a moment. "I don't mind also breaking the glass and getting it myself. Are you alright with them catching me and beating the shit out of me? Joseph would definitely die from the pain." The tip of Steely Dan's finger fiddled with Akemi's zipper. She held back a whine of fear, screwing her eyes closed. "Hurry up! The salesman's looking the other way!"
With a growl, Jotaro stepped forward and summoned his Stand. Star Platinum was shaking with anger, his eyes wide open, but he complied. Within seconds, the bracelet was in his hand.
"This guy's shoplifting!" Cried Steely Dan suddenly, pointing at Jotaro. He was caught red-handed, holding the bracelet up for everyone to see. "Hey, salesman!"
"Sir! Please don't let him get away!" The salesman called, running to a room behind him.
"Sure." Laughed Steely Dan.
"Son of a bitch..." Jotaro muttered angrily. Three burly men appeared from the hallway the salesman disappeared from.
"What? A thief? Who is it? That guy? That Asian kid?" They questioned. One cracked his knuckles. "Back where I come from, they chop a thief's fingers off!" Akemi bit her lip. She couldn't grow his fingers back. Sweat dropped down the side of Jotaro's forehead.
"Hey, Jotaro. You better not use your Stand against civilians." Steely Dan warned. He took Akemi's wrist with one hand and pushed Jotaro's shoulder with the other, forcing him to face them. Suddenly, he was whacked from behind with a bat.
"J- Jotaro!" Akemi half-shouted with worry.
Akemi watched, her eyes wide, as the men started beating him up. Unable to fight back, all he could do was block and take the hits. Steely Dan laughed as they called Jotaro names as they kicked and punched relentlessly.
While they were distracted, Steely Dan stole a necklace that looked much more valuable than the bracelet.
Jotaro was flung out of the shop, hitting the ground with a thunk!
"Get out of our country, asshole!" One of the men shouted.
"We'll let you go at that. You can keep your fingers!" Another said. The last one spit at his feet and they left.
Akemi rushed to heal him, summoning her Stand, but she was yanked back by her braid. She let out a yelp of surprise and pain at the sudden force, nearly falling over. They both approached him at the same time. Akemi couldn't kneel down, as his hold on her hair remained like a leash. She bit her lip with anger as he laughed.
"That was great! Well done!" Steely Dan complimented him. With his other hand, he held up the necklace he stole. "Because of the commotion you caused, I was able to get my hands on something even better!" Steely Dan then looked confused as Jotaro began chuckling, shakily picking himself up from the ground. Akemi bit her lip again, the feeling in her chest getting to be almost unbearable.
"Jotaro!" Steely Dan growled, clutching the necklace in his hand and tightening his grip on Akemi's hair. "What the hell are you laughing about? What's so funny?" He asked. Jotaro just gave him a side glance and let out a wheeze of laughter.
"I'm anticipating. I'm going to have so much fun when I kick your ass." Jotaro stated, an unstoppable smile quirking his lips up. Steely Dan stomped Jotaro back down, his head hitting the ground hard.
"Screw you!" Steely Dan snarled. "You seem to misunderstand. Old man Joestar will die within seconds. That's the reality you're facing."
When Jotaro's laughing didn't stop, his aura exploded with anger, and he stormed over to a nearby building and slammed Akemi against the wall with her braid. Akemi gasped lightly when her head hit the concrete.
"Akemi!" Jotaro said, his smile gone.
Just as he did that, however, Steely Dan's head exploded with blood. It sprayed all over Akemi, and she shielded her face, disgusted.
"Ugh." She groaned, wiping the blood off of her face.
"Well, well, well, well..." Said Jotaro, standing up, his smug look reappearing on his face. "That was probably Kakyoin. Is he gonna save any for me? For Akemi?" Steely Dan's aura began to fill with panic, and he screamed.
Akemi pushed him off her, and he backed into Jotaro. He whipped around, staring fearfully up at the two Stand users, now standing side by side and staring him down with hungry eyes.
"What's wrong? Why are you stepping back, shy guy?" Akemi asked, feigning innocence and worry, sticking out her lower lip.
"Did something happen to my grandpa? Can you tell me?" Jotaro asked. Steely Dan turned and tried to run away, but Jotaro grabbed his hair, yanking him back, just as he'd done to Akemi earlier. Steely Dan struggled in his grip, flailing his arms and legs around. "Oi, oi, oi. What are you so panicked about? Where are you trying to go? You aren't trying to run away, are you?" Jotaro asked. "Not after all this..." Steely Dan sniveled, panicked, and fell forward suddenly, his hair ripped out of the back of his head. He laid on his hands and knees before them.
"Please forgive me, Jotaro, Akemi, sir and miss!" Steely Dan begged. "I admit defeat! I'll change! I'll lie on the ground and lick your shoes! I did an awful thing!" Akemi scoffed, more anger burning within her than ever before. It was almost uncomfortable how strongly it burned in her chest.
"Look at this sniveling coward." Akemi spat.
"Tch. What a waste of oxygen." Jotaro agreed, curling his lip.
"You can hit me as much as you'd like! Hit me! Kick me! Call me names! But please, spare my life!" Steely Dan pleaded. He started licking Jotaro's shoes. Akemi gave him a disgusted look.
Her eyes widened when she saw in his aura that he hadn't completely given up. Jotaro saw her change in attitude and realized as well that he had another plan up his sleeve. Behind him and out of sight, he summoned Star Platinum to look out for the Lovers. And just as expected, Star Platinum let out an angry 'ora!' and pinched something next to Jotaro's ear.
Finally, all the triumph left Steely Dan's aura.
Star Platinum squished the Lovers between his fingers, and two large cracks filled the air as Steely Dan's bones broke. He screamed as they broke, sitting up on his knees. Star Platinum looked at the Lovers between his fingers with disdain.
Without realizing it, Akemi's Empress Gaea appeared behind her to look curiously at the Stand between Star Platinum's fingers. He turned slightly toward Empress Gaea, noticing that she was trying to see. He opened his fingers a bit, showing her the yellow speck. In doing so, they heard another crack come from Steely Dan's body and he screamed in pain.
"I figured you were planning something like this." Jotaro said.
"You aren't very good at controlling your emotions, are you?" Akemi teased, crossing her arms. Steely Dan looked up at them with shock and panic.
"Don't you know that my Stand, Star Platinum, possesses excellent eyesight and precise reflexes? ...Wow, you really didn't do your research." Jotaro said, crossing his arms and approaching him. Akemi, Star and Empress followed him, crowding the blubbering man.
"I- I- I'm not planning anything! Your Stand's power..." Steely Dan cried, falling to his side, shivering with fear. Jotaro put a hand by his ear, his hat covering his eyes.
"'Your' Stand? Just 'your'?" Jotaro echoed, contempt.
"N- no! I- I meant your great and honorable Stands are more powerful and more just than any other!" Steely Dan cried. "I didn't have a chance, so it came back! P- please look! That attack broke my arm, my leg, and my tailbone! I can't fight anymore! I can't move!" He screamed when his Stand was squished again.
"Well..." Jotaro said, looking at Akemi. She crossed her arms.
"You know he's going to double-cross us the moment we turn our backs." She hissed, making sure Steely Dan wouldn't hear her. Jotaro looked down at him, then leaned into her.
"I know. But play along. This will make things all the more satisfying." Jotaro murmured, sick pleasure filling his aura. It wasn't the same as Steely Dan's- it was justified. Honestly, Akemi felt the same. They had the same mind when it came to revenge, so she trusted him, and nodded. Jotaro turned back to Steely Dan.
"W- what are you guys saying?!" Steely Dan asked, panicked.
"Well..." Jotaro said. "As for what you owe us two... I guess I'll take your arm and leg as payment. Do you swear that you'll never appear before us again?"
"I- I do! I swear!" A lie. "I'll go to some deserted island! I'll go to the ends of the earth and never come back!" Steely Dan shouted.
"You're not... lying, are you?" Akemi said smoothly, already knowing the answer. Steely Dan recoiled, probably hoping she couldn't tell he was lying.
Behind them, their Stands were inspecting the Lovers again. A barely visible, dark purple blush dusted Star Platinum's cheeks while Empress Gaea cluelessly clung to his shoulder pad, her wide blue eyes watching the bug Stand.
"The next time I see you, Akemi will hold you in place while I beat you to death." Jotaro threatened coolly. Steely Dan put his head on the ground.
"I'm not lying! I'd never lie!" Steely Dan sobbed. Akemi pushed away a laugh of irony. But Star Platinum let go of the Lovers anyways, having the Stand disappear behind him, and Empress Gaea followed suit. Jotaro turned around.
"Get out of here." Jotaro commanded. Akemi followed suit, only turning halfway but joining him as he started to walk away. "Keep your guard up." He whispered to Akemi. Right after he said that, Akemi heard the sound of a knife opening.
"Jotaro! Akemi! You fools!" He shouted. Akemi sighed, and they paused. "Take a good look at that girl over there! My Stand, the Lovers, just went into that girl's ear! He's heading to her brain! Don't you dare move, you two! I'm going to stab you both in the back with this knife! I'll make sure neither of you will ever move again! Just try to attack me with your Star Platinum or your Empress Gaea! That girl will surely die! You would never kill such a young child, would you?" Steely Dan monologued, following it up with an evil laugh. Akemi smirked. He was lying. She exchanged bored glances with Jotaro.
"Good grief. Fine, try it." Jotaro sighed, turning around. Steely Dan looked shocked as Akemi followed, both of them giving him bored looks.
"Hey! Don't you understand?! I told you not to-"
"You're lying. It's so obvious." Akemi interrupted, deadpan. "Your Stand is way too hurt to cause any sort of damage. I'm pretty sure I saw it flop to the ground as soon as Star let it go."
And she was right. It laid, twitching, on the ground, exactly where Star Platinum left it. Steely Dan finally started to realize how fucked he was. He was reduced back to his pitiful state in the blink of an eye.
"Please forgive me!" Cried Steely Dan.
"If you want forgiveness, ask Enya. Go ahead." Akemi stated calmly, looking down at him.
"We never had any intention of forgiving you in the first place." Jotaro added, tracing the rim of his hat.
"D- Dio paid me in advance... I- I'll give you that." Steely Dan growled, trying to get back at them.
"Good grief. You truly are the lowest scum in history." Jotaro said, tugging his hat down.
Akemi summoned her Stand and tangled him in her vines in the blink of an eye, her Stand letting out an 'ara!' as her painfully tight wisteria vines held him on his knees. She got real close to his face, leaning into his ear.
"Well, it's too bad you won't be able to enjoy it, isn't it?" Akemi whispered. Steely Dan's eyes widened with fear. With a wide, sadistic grin, she started growing every poisonous plant she knew off the top of her head- hogweed, stinging nettle, gympie gympie, pain bush, and dendrocnide moroides. All of which caused pain to the touch. He eyed the growing plants with fear, his aura surprisingly easy to fend off due to Akemi's already strong emotions.
They brushed against him, coiling around him underneath his clothes- not one inch of skin was safe. She could see the pain in his eyes. Quickly stuffing his mouth with a vine, he started screaming gutturally. It was muffled by the vine, but really, it didn't help much. She could see his aura fill with a red-hot pain. She nodded to Jotaro, and he stepped forward, Star Platinum at his side.
"You won't be able to pay back what you owe with money." Jotaro said, deadly calm. Steely Dan eyed him with tear-filled eyes. "Akemi, hold him still for me, will you?" He asked. Akemi moved to his side, squeezing his vines tighter.
"As you wish." Akemi said smugly, quoting the Princess Bride.
Then Star Platinum began beating him, fist after fist, hit after hit, releasing a little bit of anger with every landed punch. Akemi tightened her vines as he did so, holding him effectively in place. With one final punch, Star Platinum slammed his fist into Steely Dan's ribs and flung him out of the vine's hold, throwing him through a building wall.
Akemi used her Stand to get their things from his twitching body, careful to avoid where the leaves had touched him. As she did so, Jotaro wrote something down in his notebook.
"Here's your receipt." Jotaro said, ripping the paper away. Akemi caught sight of the paper as he threw it in Steely Dan's direction.
Kujo Jotaro
Zeppeli Akemi
Akemi smiled and blushed when she saw her name on it as well. She turned to Jotaro, handing him his watch and wallet. As he put the wallet in his pocket and his watch on his wrist, he gave her a confused look. Akemi took out his ring, holding it in her fingers as she zipped her coin purse away into her jacket.
"Hold out your hand." Akemi said. Jotaro was unable to hold down a blush as he did so. The ring slipped over Jotaro's finger, fitting perfectly over his ring finger.
The sunset illuminated Akemi's freckled skin and made her lime eyes glow.
Her glossy white hair reflected a violet Jotaro had never quite seen before.
"There." Akemi said. Jotaro was frozen in place, staring down at the girl with a blush on his face.
Akemi saw his aura and froze as well, it was a swirling pink and red, something Akemi had never seen before but in snippets from time to time. She'd seen the bright pink of a crush from young boys back in grade school and the deep red of true love she'd seen in Suzi Q looking at Joseph and from Joseph to Suzi Q.
But this... this was different. A blush started to grow on her face as well. Her heart rate increased. She could barely tell that they were both slowly leaning into each other. Just as they were inches apart, Akemi heard some footsteps behind them.
"Kemi! Jojo! Did you guys beat him?" Called Polnareff's voice. The atmosphere shattered, Jotaro and Akemi jumped away from each other. They weren't able to respond immediately.
"Y-yeah. We beat the shit out of him." Jotaro stated rather calmly despite the turmoil of colors in his aura, looking behind him.
"Are you guys okay?" Akemi said next, stepping past Jotaro. He looked wistfully back at her while she tended to Polnareff, Kakyoin and Joseph's wounds. Joseph put a hand on Akemi's shoulder, stopping her suddenly. In his forest green eyes were concern.
"Akemi, are you okay? ...I know what he did." Joseph stated. Akemi stared up at him with shock until she remembered. She bit her lip and looked away. She felt everyone's eyes on her, and it was like she felt that terrible, vulnerable feeling again.
"L- let me just heal you guys, and we'll be out of this town." Akemi muttered, summoning Empress Gaea. As she healed them, they caught a tear falling from Empress Gaea's bottom right eye.
"And Akemi," Joseph spoke up. Akemi looked up at him, seeing that old, crinkly smile of his. "Your grandfather would be proud."
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ugh. men.
facts
-as stated before, lots of creepy men were in italy, and preyed after her due to her being out and about quite often- and she got a reputation for leaving predators in bits and pieces, and for defending not only herself but any person she came across in a bad situation.
-as a kid, akemi spent a lot of time in the library at times other girls would be off hanging out with their friends- while she did have friends, she was always the weird kid no one really wanted to give a chance to get closer with. so she took advantage of the time to make herself stronger. she's never fallen below an A- in science, after all.
-it is quite unfortunate that 14 is my favorite number, and it had to be on arguably my least favorite chapter to write...
-please send in reviews! they'll help me improve my story :)
see you all next chapter!
- caelesti
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word count: 8,492