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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 15: The Sun
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Jotaro and company stopped the Lovers' cowardly attack. To avoid the politically unstable route from Iran to Iraq, they crossed the Arabian Sea at Karachi, and entered the United Arab Emirates.
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Akemi was lounging on the top of the boat they were taking to Dubai. The wind traveled through her hair, causing it to billow behind her. It was dawn, but the sun wasn't quite visible yet. It turned the sky a beautiful indigo, something Akemi hadn't quite enjoyed yet. She was sure she was alone and everyone else was sleeping in the barracks below, so this was a sight only for her.
She felt an emotion that wasn't hers affecting her- a tell tale sign that someone was awake and near. And a little annoyed, by the feel of it. Ah, well, she'd enjoyed the sunrise enough on her own. Shared joy is double joy, after all. Akemi turned around and looked behind her, seeing the tall figure of Kakyoin walking toward her, scratching the back of his neck. Akemi let an easy smile cross her face.
"Morning." Kakyoin yawned as he took his place next to her, leaning on the rails in the same manner she did. His salmon-colored hair shifted with the wind, and he was blinking the sleep from his eyes.
"Good morning, Kakyoin. Check out the sunrise." Akemi said calmly. "What woke you up so early?"
"Your husband snores too loud." Kakyoin said half-teasingly. "Good luck sleeping with that." Akemi blushed and slapped his arm.
"Stop that." She chuckled, a grin encapsulating his face as he laughed along with her.
"How's that going, anyway? Any closer to confessing?" Kakyoin asked her, almost impatiently, his grin falling to a smile. Akemi turned away from him, her gaze back on the sunrise. The sky had turned lighter since he'd arrived.
"I'm not sure. I haven't been able to think about it much since yesterday." She admitted. Kakyoin's demeanor seemed to fall a bit at that.
"I heard some of it- Joseph freaked out when he realized what was happening, but there are some blank spots for me. If you feel like talking, what did Steely Dan do to you and Jotaro?" He asked, caution in his tone. Akemi bit her lip, but she felt like she owed him an explanation.
"Oh, sure. After you three left, Steely Dan basically started taking advantage of the fact that we couldn't hurt him. He took all our stuff, was in general a huge cunt to us... he also made Jotaro stretch over a drainage ditch, and walked over him, and forced me to as well. Then..." Akemi's voice failed. She knew what came next, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to say it out loud. Kakyoin noticed this.
"Hey, if you're uncomfortable saying it-"
"No. I need to get it off my chest." Akemi interrupted him. "I can't afford to let this affect me right now, so... I guess letting it out will help." Kakyoin remained silent, as if letting her continue. She looked up at Kakyoin, whose eyes were slightly wide. His aura showed genuine concern and sympathy. Knowing she could really trust him, she looked back down. "Steely Dan... he was a pervert. He... touched me. And then he threatened to shame me in front of Jotaro." Kakyoin's aura lit up with emotions she herself had already felt- though it surprised her the intensity of those emotions.
"Akemi, I'm..." Kakyoin started. Akemi looked further away from him.
"It's fine." She assured him. "It's over, and it's not going to happen. He's dead, and he went out painfully, thanks to me and Jotaro. There's no reason to be caught up on it." Kakyoin remained silent, allowing her to go on. But she could feel his concerned aura on her side. "It just… I felt… embarrassed."
"But it wasn't your fault." Kakyoin protested lightly.
"I know that," Akemi said, her gaze fallen, "it's just that… I'm familiar with that type of situation, but I've always been able to defend myself, even when I was young. This time, I couldn't do anything. It was like I got a taste of what life would be like for me if I didn't have a Stand."
"I know how you feel…" Kakyoin said, tracing the wood on the ship. Akemi looked up, surprised. "I was able to use my Stand to defend myself back then, too. But I understand your fear. I'm sorry… people can be truly deplorable."
"I'm just glad I had hope to hold on to." Akemi smiled up at Kakyoin. "If you guys hadn't defeated his Stand, I…" Akemi looked down again.
"Even if his Stand had… won the battle… Polnareff, Jojo and I would never let something like that happen to you." Kakyoin assured her.
"Thanks, Kakyoin." Akemi breathed. "It feels nice to have a friend that you can feel safe around… I always felt as if all my friends' lives were in my hands, whenever we went out. I would be their last line of defense if something happened. But here, I can depend on you, Jojo, Polnareff and Joseph… It's nice."
"Now that," Kakyoin sighed, leaning on his hand, staring out to the sea, "That I can understand one-hundred percent."
"Anyways, we got very sidetracked. After that, he made Jotaro scratch his back-" Akemi began explaining again.
"Oh, that must be why Joestar-san was making a racket in front of the TVs." Kakyoin guessed. "We had to buy the TV and relocate after that." He giggled lightly.
"Oh, jeez, really?" Akemi asked, trying to imagine the scene.
"Yeah, people were throwing coins at us." Kakyoin said, putting a hand on his face. "They thought Joestar-san was senile..." Akemi covered hers and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Coins?! Oh, god." she laughed. "That must've been pretty humiliating."
"Yeah." He replied with a laugh. "Keep going!"
"Right. So after that, he made me massage his shoulders while Jotaro was shining his shoes. Then, all of the sudden, he kicked Jotaro in the face. Strangely, Jotaro started writing in a book. Apparently, he'd been writing down what he'd done to both him and I so he'd be able to pay it back." She continued. "So after that, Steely Dan backhanded him across the face and we went to a jewelry store and he made Jotaro steal a bracelet with his Stand while the salesman looked away." She started tracing patterns on the rail. The sky started to turn orange. "However, of course, once he had the bracelet, Steely Dan told on him and he had to let himself get beat up by three huge bodyguards. And that's when you started to win." Akemi turned to Kakyoin with a smile. "Once we had the advantage, he tried to trick us even though we had control over his Stand. Then, I tied him to the ground and I used... let's see... just about every painful plant I could think of off the top of my head. Then, of course, Jotaro beat the shit out of him." Kakyoin was speechless for a moment, taking it all in.
"Wow. That's quite a lot." Kakyoin said.
"Yeah, right? Without his stupid schemes, he would've been a breeze." Akemi sighed.
"Yeah, The Lovers was a pretty weak Stand. Steely Dan wasn't kidding." Kakyoin said. He looked away thoughtfully. "It was quite the challenge, though. I hate to admit it, but he was pretty smart."
"What happened?" Akemi asked, her interest piqued.
"Well, what we did was we shrunk our Stands and entered Joestar-san's brain. We had Joestar-san use his Stand on a TV through a window as a visual of his head, and that's when he started screaming, 'cause he was being tickled. As you know, people started crowding and throwing coins and feeling sorry for us because they thought Joestar-san was a senile old man. So we bought the TV and ran somewhere else. We ended up having to drag his Stand out through his ear and hope that you two would finish the job. He was pretty injured though, so we didn't really think he'd get that far. Or be able to attack again." Kakyoin admitted, scratching his neck.
"Oh jeez, you two had to shrink your Stands?" Akemi asked, grimacing. Kakyoin nodded.
"Yeah, it was pretty difficult." Kakyoin said.
"Wow, I don't think even I can do that." Akemi told him. Kakyoin's eyes widened.
"Really? Even after your years of training?" Kakyoin asked. Akemi shook her head.
"My Stand wasn't really trained for combat. I was supposed to have more of a support role. But I just can't stay out of it sometimes, you know? I've formed my role into more of a mix of both. A battle medic, if you will." Akemi said with a smirk, raising a hand toward Kakyoin.
"Oh, yeah. I get that. Battle medic... that sounds about right." Remarked Kakyoin with a smile. "How long have you had your Stand, anyway?"
"Since birth, I guess. As long as I can remember." She said, her tone growing wistful. "It's only been four years since people have been able to see my Stand. People being Joseph and Mo. Oh, Mo's really been through it. We can ask him about it later if you want."
"Oh, sure! I think I've had Hierophant since birth, too." Kakyoin said. "Except I found out that other people have Stands... about a month ago." Akemi turned to look at him, her eyes wide.
"You didn't know other people had Stands until about a month ago?!" Akemi echoed, shocked. Kakyoin nodded.
"Yeah." He said simply. She could feel his aura grow from beside her, as if he'd let down a wall around her.
Sadness, loneliness, the feeling of never being able to be on a certain level of understanding with someone because no one could see his Stand, not even his parents. It was a feeling Akemi could relate to, though she had friends, she never really got as close as she saw other people get with each other. Akemi smiled, putting a hand on Kakyoin's forearm.
"Well, I'm glad to know a fellow Stand user now. Especially one like you. You're a great friend." She smiled. Gratitude and warmth rolled off his aura in waves, almost completely consuming the loneliness she'd felt before. It was a moment before he could smile back.
"Same here." He smiled. Akemi's eyes widened.
"Hey, you're really transferring to Jotaro's school, right?" Asked Akemi. Kakyoin nodded.
"Yeah, I don't remember a ton while I was under the influence of the flesh bud, but I do know I'm gonna be living there 'till I move out for college." Kakyoin answered.
"We'll only have three months of senior year left..." Akemi sighed. "It feels like high school went by so fast."
"Right?" Kakyoin agreed with a chuckle. "This whole time, I've low-key been freaking out about how much school I'm missing." He confessed.
"Eh, I'm pretty sure we can come up with some emergency excuse. Maybe the Speedwagon Foundation will handle it, somehow." Akemi said nonchalantly, waving a hand. Kakyoin sent her an incredulous look.
"How can you act so apathetic toward school?" The redhead asked, shocked at her behavior.
"In truth, I've always acted nonchalant about the things I really care about in order to protect myself from the guilt or stress that weighs me down from it." Akemi was surprised at herself and how fluidly her words came. "If there's nothing I can do about it right now, then there's no reason I should be letting it bother me. If it's out of my control, then it's out of my control, and I need to be okay with that."
"That sounded pretty wise." Kakyoin remarked, his aura showing that he meant exactly what he said. He leaned on his hand. He was a little astonished.
"Introspection comes easy when you spend a lot of your time alone. Loneliness isn't a stranger to you, is it?" Kakyoin nodded at her words.
"I suppose so. Sometimes, the best company is yourself, is it not?" Akemi sighed, stretching her arms upward.
"Sometimes. Other times, it can be the worst company." She replied, leaning forward on the rail. "Personally, I prefer the company of someone that you can be just as comfortable around as if you were alone."
"Well, I've never known anyone like that..." Kakyoin said absentmindedly, as if he wasn't entirely there. His eyes shone almost magenta in the light of the rising sun he faced. "So I can't say I know how it feels, but I think it would be nice to experience that. I never wanted to make friends. You know... they could never understand me fully. No one can see my Stand. I would feel insane. I did feel insane." He chuckled. Akemi gave him a sad look.
A gust of wind sent chills up her spine, and she turned around, facing the opposite side of the sky, leaning on the rail and hugging herself, retreating into her mother's leather jacket for the only warmth she could provide her, now.
"I'm sorry, Kakyoin. It must've been rough, growing up without any close friends." Akemi murmured, her voice gravelly. "At least you can say you're out of that hole, now, huh?" She smiled up at him. "I've always wanted a best friend that's a Stand user, too."
Kakyoin seemed to snap out of his trance, and looked at Akemi's bright smiling face. He couldn't help it when one started to grow on his own, and he turned away, hiding the gathering tears in his eyes.
"Y- yeah. Me, too." He replied, feeling truly happy.
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Akemi sat in between Jotaro and Kakyoin as Polnareff drove after a long-winded argument on who would drive between Akemi and Polnareff. Joseph ended up promising her that she'd drive the next vehicle, as the laws in Dubai prevented her from being able to drive, and only then did she back down.
She was pressed against Jotaro's leg, fighting the butterflies in her stomach. What was even worse was his arm around her seat. Again. Like he did every car ride when he was sitting next to her. She knew it was probably because his arm wouldn't fit comfortably between himself and her, but... she couldn't help but let her mind wander off.
Would Jotaro give me a chance?
Suddenly, she felt as if someone were watching her, interrupting her thoughts. She sat up suddenly, looking around. Obviously, Kakyoin felt the same, because his aura turned unnerved, and he peeked behind him.
"Akemi, Kakyoin. Is something wrong?" Jotaro asked. Akemi frowned as she looked out Jotaro's window.
"I- it's nothing." Said Kakyoin. Akemi bit her lip, but kept silent. She must just be paranoid. "The view here is amazing. If anyone were after us, I'm sure we'd spot them, but I feel like someone's watching us." Jotaro gave Akemi a curious glance, but she looked away with a sigh.
"I feel the same way. Must just be paranoia." Akemi said tiredly.
"Yeah, I can't blame you." Said Polnareff. "Maybe you'll feel better if you get some sleep, Kemi." Akemi sighed again.
"Ara ara... Maybe you're right." Akemi said, reclining into her seat as Joseph started talking about the route they'd travel.
"Well, with that in mind, I've been thinking about our route from here. About 100 kilometers northwest is a village called Yarpline. Because of the desert and the mountains, the road is heavily curved. It takes two days to reach by car, so the villagers use a Cessna to travel. I think we should go to the village first, buy a Cessna, and cross the vast Saudi Arabia desert." Joseph explained. He turned to face the teens behind him. "Up to now, I've been worried that attacks by Stand users would cause any airplane we rode in to crash, putting innocent lives at risk. But if we have a Cessna, I can pilot it, and it can shorten our travel time." Joseph said enthusiastically.
"Okay, sure. But if we crash and die, I'm not blaming whatever attacks us, I'm blaming you." Akemi said, hugging herself.
"Yeah, I'm not boarding a plane with someone who's been through three plane crashes." Jotaro said, leaning back. Joseph sent them a pout. Akemi snorted, and Kakyoin smiled, amused.
"Well, anyway, I think we should first cross this desert to get to the village of Yarpline. On camels, it would take one day." Akemi perked up when Joseph said the word 'camels'.
"Pause. Camels?" Akemi asked incredulously, leaning forward.
"A Cessna's one thing, but wait a minute!" Polnareff agreed, giving Joseph a side-eye. "I've never ridden a camel before." Joseph closed the map and chuckled.
"Leave it to me." He said smugly, a confident color shrouding his aura. Akemi had a bad feeling about that. "I know them very well. I'll teach you how to ride. Just sit back and relax." Akemi raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, and since when have you even seen a camel in person?" Akemi asked doubtfully.
"W- well, it was a while back." Joseph said. They'd figure it out anyways. Akemi reclined again and started to drift off.
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When she woke up, the first thing she thought was that she was... oddly comfortable. Like she was laying on a pillow. She felt warmth against her side. Before she could wonder what in the car felt like that, she blinked open her eyes, and realized with a shock that she had been sleeping on Jotaro's chest.
She froze, noticing that Jotaro was asleep as well, leaning against her, his head on hers. He snored softly, but she could hear the giggles of the men around her.
Polnareff, Joseph, and Kakyoin were looking at them and giggling silently. Polnareff was making kissy faces at them, and Akemi narrowed her eyes and gave him the bird. Her face turned bright red, and she looked around, not wanting to move and wake up Jotaro.
"Wake up, sleepyhead! We're here!" Shouted Joseph suddenly. Jotaro yelped and jumped, bumping his head on the ceiling. Akemi winced away from him, looking up at him with a dumbfounded face. He rubbed his head with a grimace, staring angrily at his grandfather. Joseph jerked his thumb behind him. "Let's go get our camels!" He said innocently.
Jotaro growled angrily at him, and the car burst out with laughter. Akemi buried her face in her hands, hoping Jotaro wouldn't realize the position they'd fallen asleep in.
As they got out of the car, Kakyoin coughed into his hand, getting the blanchette's attention. However, when his aura grew smug, Akemi prepared herself. But nothing could brace her for what she saw next. Kakyoin took a photo out of his jacket. With a wide, evil grin, he waved a photo of her and Jotaro sleeping peacefully, and the top of Kakyoin's face in the corner. Akemi gasped into her hand, massively embarrassed.
"You didn't..." She hissed.
"Yeah I did." Kakyoin whispered back, a nasty grin spreading across his face.
"Oi, are you two coming?" Jotaro shouted, grabbing their attention.
"On the way!" Kakyoin shouted jovially. Akemi growled under her breath, following Kakyoin as they trailed after Joseph.
"You want camels?" Asked the small salesman. He scratched his head. "Sure, but they're not easy to care for, and pretty expensive..." The man's eyes landed on Akemi, and he smirked, pointing at her. "I'll trade you that girl for three." He said. Jotaro growled and wrapped his arm protectively around Akemi.
"That's my wife." He snapped, glaring down his nose at the small man. He yelped in fear, backing away.
"I- I'm terribly sorry." The man apologized profusely. Akemi blushed as he took his arm away, but stayed glued to her side. Joseph dropped his friendly persona.
"We're in a serious, life-or-death situation," Joseph explained curtly, "so we need them, whatever it takes. As for payment, how about a trade for that car?"
"What?!" They all cried.
"That's way too much, sir!" The salesman cried. Akemi crossed her arms, a frown covering her face. I know it's a little weird to get upset over, but am I really worth less than a luxury car?
"Yeah, Monsieur Joestar!" Polnareff protested, anguished. "Besides, you just bought that car!"
"Why else do you think I bought such a fancy, expensive car?" Joseph questioned, crossing his arms. "An off-road vehicle is better in the desert. But I wouldn't be able to write a check in a place like this, and they don't trust cash here. In a place like this, trading is far more effective. If you try to buy safety for cheap in a time of emergency, you'll end up even worse off in the end. It just means we've suffered a lot already." Joseph explained. Akemi frowned thoughtfully.
"That's sad, but it's logical." She agreed. Joseph suddenly turned to the salesman and shook his hand.
"This seals the deal, right?" Joseph asked. "Oh, I know. To make things more even, I'd like the water in those tanks there." He said, pointing to the water tanks on the ground beside the salesman's tent. "In a desert, that's the most important thing."
"Water is cheap compared to that car." Said the salesman. "You sure are an odd one."
"But Joseph, can't I just grow some desert plants?" Akemi asked, putting a hand on his forearm.
"Yes, Kemi, that is possible, but it's best to use that in an emergency situation. The desert heat can be very draining, after all." Joseph advised, raising a finger. "Alright, everyone. Let's get ready! Crossing the desert is a tough task! Let's keep our wits about us!"
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They'd set off to shop for supplies and proper desert clothing before mounting the camels. Akemi had gotten an black-and-white-colored keffiyeh- that's what the saleswoman had called it- for her head. She was from across the desert, from a country that was only a month old, called Palestine.
Polnareff stood in front of a camel. It exhaled in his face, and he reeled back, pinching his nose. He turned to them, tears leaking from his eyes.
"I- it stinks!" Polnareff said, disgusted. He turned back around and sprayed the camels with deodorant. "Hey, Monsieur Joestar. How do you get on it?"
"Well, you see, with camels..." Joseph started, taking a camel's reins with one hand. "You make them sit first, and then get on." He tugged the camel's reins, but it didn't immediately sit down, like he expected it to. He looked up, confused, and tugged the reins harder, putting his weight on it. "You make them sit first, and then get on... You make them sit, then get on!" Joseph repeated himself while tugging the reins harder.
Akemi snorted when she saw Joseph hang himself from the camel's neck in an attempt to bring it down, but it seemed to carry his weight fine. From its aura, Akemi could tell it was feeling mildly annoyed and stubborn.
"J- just one moment. It's gonna sit down right now." Joseph assured them. He jumped on the side of the camel, trying to tug it down by its saddle. "Damn it, you stubborn animal!"
"You've ridden one of these before, right?" Polnareff asked, pointing at him. Joseph turned to him with a confident smile.
"I've seen that really long movie, Lawrence of Arabia, three times! I know very well how to ride a camel! Though, two of those times, I slept through half of it..." Joseph told them.
"M- movie?!" Cried Polnareff. "What? You've never actually ridden one?" Akemi scoffed as the camel spit all over him in anger. He pointed at his face with an unrelenting smile.
"It's great sunscreen! Didn't you know that?" Joseph said with a laugh.
"I knew it." She mused. "Here, I have a better idea." She walked over to a nearby camel.
It looked down at her as she approached, a curious atmosphere about him. She knew he would be stubborn as well, but she knew how to get to animals. She had personal experience with that. She summoned her Stand by her side and grew oats beside her, and the camel eyed her with what she guessed was the closest thing to astonishment a camel could feel.
Plucking the oats, she handed them to the camel, and he took it gently from her hand. Seeing a bit of trust shine in his aura, she gently tugged the reins down and to her surprise...
"She did it!" Shouted Polnareff. "Kemi, have you ridden a camel before?" Akemi laughed as the camel laid down before her.
"No. I just know animals better than Joseph, it seems." Akemi said, giving Joseph an amused look. Joseph looked back at her incredulously. She turned to the rest of the boys, a finger pointed up. "When you're dealing with them, it's important to establish trust. It needs to be confident you won't hurt it. When you establish trust, they'll be more inclined to do what you ask of them. You have to remember that they're animals, not objects, or humans. The easiest and best way to gain their trust is to feed them, so..." Akemi spread her arms, ethereally lit up by her Stand's, and grew some more oats around her. "Feed up!" She smiled.
"Woah! I did it!" Shouted Joseph triumphantly, balancing himself on his camel. "It's so high up! Did you know? They can close their nostrils to keep sand out. Just don't make any stupid camel jokes, or they'll kick you. Alright, now I'll tell you what to be careful with when riding camels. Listen up. Camels don't walk like horses. The front and back leg on the same side move forward, so they sway a lot. So just ride with that rhythm! Like this!" Joseph demonstrated, letting the camel walk around in circles. Akemi raised an eyebrow but absorbed the information as she tied her hair into a bun.
The four of them watched, bemused, as Joseph seemed to be having difficulty with the camel.
"Hey, wait! T- too fast! L- listen to me... Not that way, I said!" Their eyes all followed him as he was flung onto the ground.
Moments later, they'd all gotten their camels to trust them with Akemi's help. Kakyoin, Akemi and Polnareff all wore the clothing they'd bought from the shops. Joseph and Jotaro stared ahead, their hats tugged down, covering their eyes.
"Alright, looks like everyone got on smoothly as planned." Joseph said. Akemi was almost unable to hold back a snort. He was covered in random bandages, there was even one on his jacket collar, and Akemi had already healed him. Joseph brightened, raising a fist. "Let's get through the desert, everyone! Onward toward the northwest!" He cheered.
Akemi let out a miserable sigh. She was already hot, and this sweltering heat would only get worse.
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It was so much worse than Akemi thought it would be. Sweat trailed down her neck and down her forehead, but there was no breeze to cool her down. They'd been on their camels for hours, and Akemi was starting to get sore. On top of that, she felt as if she was being watched again.
"Something's wrong." Kakyoin said suddenly, breaking the light conversation. "I still can't shake the feeling that someone's watching us."
"I feel the same way." Akemi agreed uneasily. The five of them turned around and looked back, seeing nothing but the covered trails. "I don't sense any auras around me... it might just be the heat overwhelming me, but I feel an unfamiliar energy..." Polnareff faced back forward.
"Kakyoin, Kemi, I think you're worrying a bit too much." Polnareff told them. Akemi sighed angrily. This heat was making her irritable, plus, her time of the month was yet to end, though it was supposed to end today. "The palm leaves are covering our tracks. Kemi, you said yourself that you couldn't sense any auras around, and we can see clearly for a couple of kilometers. If someone were here, we'd know." Polnareff assured them. Akemi bit her cheek.
"No, I think they might be onto something, Polnareff. I've been feeling the same thing..." Jotaro agreed. Joseph held up a pair of binoculars, facing his grandson.
"Jotaro, look into it." He said. Jotaro obliged, looking through the glasses. He summoned Star Platinum to enhance his sight. After a few moments, Jotaro lowered the binoculars, Star Platinum disappearing behind him.
"Did you see anything suspicious?" Asked Joseph.
"No, I don't. There's nothing." Jotaro said. "But... something's weird. Something is..." he trailed off.
"...Off." Akemi could see the unnerved emotions floating in his aura, though he didn't let it show.
Polnareff drank some water out of the waterskin.
"Hey, let's hurry up and go." The Frenchman said haughtily.
"Indeed. Let's get as far as we can, and once the sun goes down, we'll stop and put up our tents." Joseph said. He narrowed his eyes. "It's too dangerous to travel at night." Polnareff fanned his face, taking out a thermometer.
"But man, it's hot. Look, it's fifty degrees Celsius." Polnareff groaned.
Akemi certainly felt it. She felt as if heat was reverberating through her body, and it only got worse the more walls it bounced against. Akemi was staring toward the sun when she realized something. Why was it in the east? They were traveling northwest, weren't they? They didn't turn at all…
"Hey, wait a second... Joseph, what time is it?" Akemi asked, hoping she was just delusional. Wordlessly, he took out his pocketwatch, and his eyes bulged.
"Eight o'clock…? What?" Joseph breathed. Akemi's intuition strikes again. He closed his watch with a snap and looked at his grandson. "Jotaro! What time does your clock say?" Jotaro took his watch out of his pocket and looked down at it, widening his eyes.
"Ten after eight." He replied, shock slipping into his aura.
"So, it is..." Joseph said. "I- I know we lost track of time, b- but what's going on? It's past eight PM." Akemi stared intensely at the sun.
"Impossible... the sun should be setting." Akemi breathed. Her eyes widened, and Kakyoin cried out with a mix of shock and fear from beside her.
"I- impossible!" Polnareff exclaimed, looking down at his thermometer again. "The thermometer just jumped to sixty degrees!" He looked worriedly back up at the sun. Wait a second... was the sun..?
"N- not only is it not going down..." Kakyoin trailed off, horrified.
"...but it's actually rising higher and higher in the west!" Polnareff finished, pointing at it.
"Could that sun be a Stand?!" Joseph cried. Akemi felt as if she would faint. "I- I can't believe this! We're in the middle of a desert! Try to hide behind some rocks!"
They all hopped off their camels immediately. Akemi felt pain shoot up her ankles as she landed and stumbled forward, the height being more than she expected, but she ignored it, bounding over the rocks behind them, landing in between Kakyoin and Joseph.
"That sun is a Stand?! We were careless. I didn't realize..." Polnareff trailed off.
"We felt like we were being watched, but couldn't see it at all..." said Kakyoin, haunted.
"I couldn't sense it either." Akemi said, her eyes wide.
"At this rate, all day long... no, all night long..." Polnareff said, "That Stand is planning to boil us overnight like eggs and kill us!"
"No. It won't take that long." Joseph said, peeking over the rocks. "It's dangerous to even be in a sauna for thirty minutes."
"How can we fight it?" Asked Polnareff, checking his thermometer again. "Damn it! It's seventy degrees! Not to mention, we can't even tell if that Stand is close or far away! The distance is impossible to judge!"
Akemi ripped off her jacket, now uncaring of her insecurities. She panted, feeling as if she were being boiled alive. Jotaro and Kakyoin followed suit, tossing their jackets in a pile over Akemi's, leaving them both in their tank tops. Jotaro took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair.
"The quickest way to settle this is to take out the user." Jotaro suggested, putting his hat back on so his face wouldn't get sunburnt.
"Right... whoever the user is should be nearby... there's no way this can be remotely controlled from far away, like the Lovers… this energy is far too powerful." Akemi breathed.
"Akemi, can you sense any auras nearby?" asked Kakyoin, facing her. Akemi turned to him as well.
"If I could, I would've said something already." Akemi remarked.
"Shit..." Kakyoin breathed, his head leaning against the rock.
"Wait, what if Kemi's wrong, and it can be remotely controlled, just like the Lovers?" Asked Polnareff.
"That's inconceivable." Said Joseph. "A weak Stand can be controlled from a distance, but I'm sure you can feel the sun's energy... the user must be nearby."
Akemi peeked over the rocks, looking intently for an aura... anything. But instead, she saw the effect of the extreme heat around her. She watched some grass wilt. A scorpion collapsed and shriveled into dust beneath her.
And, with a gasp, she saw as the camels fainted, hitting the sand with a thump. Their auras were diminishing, their colors fading.
"This isn't good..." Jotaro said. "The camels are collapsing from the heat."
"But just staying still won't help us!" Kakyoin stood with a shout, standing a bit above her. Akemi looked up at him, alarmed.
"Kakyoin, what are you doing?" Akemi asked. Kakyoin glanced down at Akemi.
"I'm going to use Hierophant to look around." He said, summoning his Stand.
"Kakyoin!" Joseph protested.
"I'll just find out the enemy Stand's location. If we know how far away it actually is, we might be able to find the user." Kakyoin assured him, glaring ahead. Akemi bent her neck to look up at him again.
"Are you sure? It's just going to get hotter." Akemi discouraged. "You might burn... really badly. I don't know if I have the energy to heal you." But Kakyoin was determined.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not an idiot, I'll come back when it's too much." Kakyoin proclaimed, keeping his gaze ahead as he sent his Stand in the direction of his vision. "Twenty meters... forty meters..." He grunted, the heat clearly getting worse the further he went. "Sixty meters... eighty meters... one hundred..." suddenly, the sun got blindingly bright. Akemi had an awful feeling, and so did the people around her.
"Something's not right!" Exclaimed Jotaro, seeing everyone's reactions. "Kakyoin! Call Hierophant back!" He told the red-head.
"Something's coming at us!" Polnareff exclaimed. Akemi widened her eyes fearfully when she saw Hierophant speed up instead.
"Kakyoin!" Akemi exclaimed incredulously, panicked.
"Before that happens, Emerald-!" Kakyoin cried, releasing his attack toward the sun. But only a few made it out when the sun released its attack, sending dozens of solar flares toward Hierophant. Kakyoin gasped in pain, burns and spurts of blood escaping his body.
"Kakyoin! No!" Akemi shouted, yanking him back. Hierophant Green faded as Kakyoin fell onto Akemi's lap. "You idiot! What did I tell you!?" She snapped at the teen, who was now looking shamefully away from her.
Joseph shielded the teen with his own body. Jotaro side-stepped in front of her, shielding her vision. The solar flares started wrecking the rocks they were hiding behind.
"The camel!" Polnareff shouted. Akemi assumed the sunspots had gotten a camel, and let out a small whimper of grief. "You bastard!" She then heard what she thought was Silver Chariot slicing up the flares.
"J- Jotaro! What do we do?!" Akemi asked, frightened. Jotaro grunted as he looked around. With an 'ora!' He summoned Star Platinum.
"I'm busting a hole in the ground, so get in!" Jotaro shouted over her. Akemi turned to look at Star Platinum as he punched the ground, flinging rocks of varying sizes around him. After a few more, he created a cave for them to shelter in.
It was a tight cave, so their body heat made the heat seemingly worse. They all panted, trying to keep their body temperature stable. After a few moments, Akemi raised her arms, illuminating them with Empress Gaea's metal-clad arms. The men watched her wordlessly as she grew grape vines from her arms. They tangled and attached themselves to the cavern's ceiling.
"I... I don't think I can make much else right now, I'm sorry. But these grapes should help keep you hydrated. Be quick, they might shrivel quickly, and remember that these ones have seeds." Akemi said tiredly, flopping her arms down when she was done growing them.
Quickly, they plucked the grapes. Immediately, the un-picked ones started to shrink. Akemi grabbed one herself and popped it in her mouth, spitting the seed out in her hand and depositing it beside her.
"T- thanks, Kemi." Panted Polnareff. Joseph turned to Kakyoin.
"Are you alright, Kakyoin?" Joseph asked. Kakyoin turned to Joseph.
"...Yeah, for the most part. I was in the middle of using Emerald Splash. That guarded me, so I'm not badly hurt. B- but more importantly, it's still so damn hot... I feel like I'm gonna pass out soon..." He elucidated, putting a hand on his head. Akemi could see that he was in a lot of pain and discomfort from his aura. Akemi wished she could heal him, but even a bruise might make her lose consciousness.
"That attack was perfectly aimed." Said Polnareff. "That means the enemy is definitely watching us. Where are they?! Where's the enemy?" He asked, sounding paranoid. Joseph waved his hand tiredly at the silver-haired man.
"Don't talk so loud." Joseph said. "The enemy will find us!" Akemi crossed her arms and glared.
"Oh, like the literal hole that was punched in the ground isn't easy to find." She shot back. Joseph stared at her, incredulous. "The enemy Stand user knows where we are, Joseph." She thought she heard Jotaro huff with dry amusement from beside her. Joseph sighed.
"The hole could've been a product of one of the meteors-"
"Oh, shut it, Kujo." Akemi snapped. However, from the look in his eyes, she immediately regretted it.
"Calm down. Let's just sit tight and see what happens." Joseph crooned, lowering his hand and turning his vision back ahead. He plucked another grape from above him, even though it was a bit shriveled. "Hey, Akemi. Can you grow some more grapes?" Akemi let out a small sigh, adjusting herself.
"Sure thing." Akemi sighed, watching as the fresh vines grew through and coiled around the old, dying ones, growing new, fresh grapes, taking a little more of her energy with it.
Even with the grapes, sweat dripped down her face, making her feel like a water fountain. Her hair and keffiyeh were plastered to her back. It felt as if her ring would burn off her finger, so she kept a hand over it. The sounds of weak chewing and panting filled the cavern.
"Jotaro!" Joseph suddenly said. They all looked at Joseph as he stuck a hand out toward his grandson. "Can I have the binoculars?"
Jotaro wordlessly took the binoculars from his pocket and handed them ahead.
Joseph looked through them, scanning the environment. She jumped when something struck Joseph, but noticed the remains of the binoculars in front of him.
"Son of a bitch!" Joseph cursed loudly, slamming the ground in front of him. "Where the hell are you?! How are you watching us? Is the enemy invisible or something?!" He slammed the ground again.
Akemi really felt like she was going to faint. She grew new grapes, and the men grabbed at them with more intensity this time. They started to shrivel faster, showing that the temperature was increasing. She started feeling dizzy, and started to see patterns that weren't there. The men around her started moving when they were, in reality, perfectly still.
She jumped when she heard an odd giggling noise come from ahead. She lifted her head and saw Kakyoin's body shivering. He turned his head, revealing a wide grin. Akemi frowned when she realized he was... laughing?
She checked his aura to see if he was going crazy. What she saw was amusement, relief... success? Had he found a solution?
"Hey, Kakyoin... what's wrong?" Joseph asked, uneasy. Akemi crawled ahead and squeezed between Kakyoin and Joseph. Kakyoin gladly made way for her. Akemi squinted, trying to see what he was laughing at. She followed his gaze…
But then she saw it. A wide grin split her face and she let out a breathy chuckle.
"Wha..? Akemi? You, too? What are you laughing about?" Joseph asked. He was still uneasy. Did he not see it, even after sitting up there all that time? She made eye contact with Kakyoin, and it was like she lost it right then and there. She let out a cackle that seemed to take all the air out of her body, and Kakyoin howled with laughter.
As they continued losing their shit, Akemi noticed how ridiculous his laugh sounded. Such an odd giggle, but she loved it. He sounded like a dolphin. She started laughing even harder, tingles going up her neck and behind her ear, collapsing to lay on her side. "A- are you alright, you two? Get a grip, guys!" Confused, Jotaro peeked between Akemi and Kakyoin, using his height to his advantage.
He saw it too.
A low rumble of a laugh started behind her.
"J- Jotaro? You, too?!" Joseph asked, his voice low with fear. Jotaro started laughing harder, and Kakyoin and Akemi turned to look at him, laughing together. And from beside them, Polnareff snorted. He sputtered a small giggle, his wheezes turning into loud laughter.
Joseph watched, horrified, as the rest of the group seemed to be losing their minds.
"Y- you too, Polnareff?!" Joseph cried. "Oh my god! E- everyone's finally lost it because of the heat. I'm the only one left who's sane."
Akemi really wanted to tell him, but she couldn't stop laughing. She guessed that part was because of the heat… but also, Joseph was taking this way too seriously, and it made the situation all the more funnier.
Joseph grabbed the bands of Jotaro's tank top, yanking him closer, his horrified gaze on his guffawing grandson.
"Hey! Jotaro, calm down! Get a hold of yourself!" Joseph shouted. Akemi rolled over onto her back, the situation turning worse than it was before now that Joseph was getting really intense. "The best way to win when the going gets rough is to stay calm!"
It seemed Kakyoin had finally gotten a hold of himself long enough to explain. He put a hand on Joseph's shoulder, wiping a tear at the corner of his eye.
"Please don't take it the wrong way, Joestar-san." Kakyoin said in a bright voice. He pointed at a rock ahead. "Look at that rock over there. Isn't it just big enough for someone to hide behind?" Kakyoin offered. Joseph followed his gaze, his aura staying confused, but thankfully less horrified.
Akemi let out another giggle, but their laughs started to die down, relieved that they wouldn't have to endure this heat any longer. Akemi's mind cleared, and she found herself looking at Jotaro. He had a smug smirk across his face, and she saw the pleasure in his aura. She didn't realize she was smiling at him until he turned his expression on her.
She smiled crookedly at him and let out another giggle, causing Jotaro to burst out in laughter again. Polnareff joined in, and the men's odd-sounding laughs sent Akemi over the edge again.
"What do you mean?" Asked Joseph nervously.
"Now look at the rock on the opposite side." Kakyoin moved his arm to point at the mirrored rock, Joseph's gaze following suit.
"On the opposite side?" Joseph echoed. This situation was so inexplicably funny to Akemi. Just hearing him say that made her laugh harder, and her cheeks and sides were starting to get sore.
"You still don't see it?" Kakyoin asked. Fear started to trickle back into Joseph's aura. He followed Kakyoin's arm as it moved back to the first rock. "There's a rock that's shaped exactly the same on the opposite side. The shadow is also reversed, which means..."
"It's so stupid!" Polnareff cackled.
"So fucking stupid..." Akemi cackled, hiding her mouth behind her hand.
Jotaro moved past the two teens, and they let him aside without him asking. She felt kind of disappointed when his smile disappeared, but she decided to be grateful for what she'd already seen and heard.
"Jotaro! If you go outside right now, you're all but asking to be attacked! It's dangerous!" Joseph cried. Akemi gave him a confused look. How did he not get it yet? Jotaro gave his grandfather a cold side-eye, summoning his Stand.
Star picked up a nearby rock, let out a loud 'ora!' and pitched the rock toward the mirror.
Akemi watched with fascinated eyes as the sky seemingly smashed into pieces. Behind it was the beautiful cosmos that was nighttime. She desperately wished she could take a picture.
They heard a loud cry of shock and pain come from nowhere. Akemi smirked. "Got 'em." She hissed victoriously.
"What? There's a hole in free space?!" Joseph coughed, bewildered. Jotaro looked down at his grandfather, impatient.
"Good grief. You're pathetic, old man." Jotaro said scornfully. "I'll just assume the heat's too much for you. Otherwise, it's hard to believe you're my grandfather."
Akemi's eyes widened as the sky behind him faded to a beautiful sight. She looked up, her mouth gaped slightly. She welcomed the cool air with relief, taking her keffiyeh off. She shivered as the chilled air hit her previously overheated skin, sending goosebumps down her body. She crawled the rest of the way out of the cave, joining Jotaro.
"Ara ara. What a beautiful night." Akemi breathed, glancing at Jotaro.
She had no idea why it didn't come to her before, but she realized, really realized his jacket was off. Akemi would probably never get used to how muscular his arms were. While she was looking at him, he blushed and looked away. Akemi blinked, confused. Did she have the same effect on him..? She looked down at her arms, and realized just how toned they'd gotten. Before her aunt abandoned her family, she would make comments about how unsightly her toned muscles were, but Jotaro's actions made her feel… a little better about them.
She summoned Empress Gaea to her side, and faced Kakyoin.
"Hey, good find, Kakyoin! You really saved our asses there. Let me heal you." He gave her a small smile as the leafy, good-smelling flowery vines wrapped around him, easing his burns, bruises and impact wounds. He smiled, a light blush coating his cheeks, scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh, it was nothing..."
"We've defeated the enemy Stand, so it's night now." Polnareff said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "or should I say it's back to being night?" Polnareff nudged Jotaro's side, which was received with a glare.
"Either way, we're safe." Sighed Akemi, retracting her vines. Jotaro looked down at Joseph.
"How long do you plan to stay in that hole?" He asked in a barely-teasing tone.
"R- right." Joseph muttered, following the rest of the team.
"Good grief. It's finally dark." Jotaro commented, looking around. Akemi looked at the smashed mirror.
"It's crazy that you got him with one blow." She praised, crossing her arms. He tugged his hat down.
"To be honest, I wasn't even aiming for the user. I just wanted to break the mirror so we'd know where to attack." Jotaro admitted. Akemi laughed.
"Wow, what a lucky shot!" Polnareff exclaimed, grinning. Kakyoin jerked his thumb toward the mirror.
"Let's go check it out." He suggested.
"It's a mirror!" Joseph breathed, looking at himself in the reflective object. Akemi turned to him, her arms crossed.
"I thought we established that already." She said, half-joking, an eyebrow raised.
"Take a look." Said Kakyoin. They gathered behind the mirror and saw the Stand user, sprawled behind a desk. He had a huge welt on his head. "Check out the machines behind the mirror. It's pretty comfortable. It even has air conditioning."
"How was he able to see ahead of him..?" Akemi muttered, unable to make sense of the contraption. She crouched in front of the air conditioning, letting the breeze hit her still-warm cheeks.
"Man, I didn't realize that he was reflecting the desert landscape and tailing us from behind." Polnareff said.
"He has a tank of water." Jotaro commented. "We'll gladly take that."
"Hey, a drink." Polnareff noticed, stepping in front of Jotaro and picking up the cup, taking a few sips. "Hm. Cola." He chirped, taking another few sips.
"Wait, this means..." Joseph straightened, looking up at the others. "We beat him already? It's done? We don't even know this guy's name, but we've already beaten his Stand, the Sun?" Akemi raised an eyebrow. It was funny before, but... his body was right in front of him.
"That would be what it means." Kakyoin stated, crossing his arms.
"Well, he has an ID right here. Arabia Fats. Weird name." Akemi picked up a card lying on the little desk, flipping it around.
"The sun card's Stand, eh?" Jotaro commented, standing next to the three living camels. "It was quite the opponent, but once you figure it out, it's pretty stupid."
"The epitome of 'think smarter, not harder'." Akemi said, raising a finger. She tossed Jotaro his jacket, and he caught it with ease. She handed Kakyoin his jacket from beside him, and he took it. Akemi shouldered on her jacket, welcoming the warmth. She turned to the dumbfounded elderly man. "Joseph, we do have to be on our guard, but this guy's aura is barely showing, he's for sure out of commission- his skull is cracked, he's concussed at the very least. You can relax." Joseph seemed to finally relax his shoulders at that, acceptance bleeding into his aura.
"Gee... I guess you're right, Kemi." Joseph admitted.
"Let's hurry to our next destination." Kakyoin suggested. "It's quite chilly in the desert at night, isn't it?" Akemi sighed.
"Can't we make camp here for the night?" Akemi asked tiredly. Joseph held a hand out.
"She has a point!" Joseph exclaimed. "We'll get lost if we travel at night."
"We've defeated our enemy, so we can have sweet dreams tonight." Polnareff laughed. Akemi and Kakyoin laughed along with him.
"Healing circle! Come here, everyone." Akemi called, summoning her Stand.
"Ara!" Empress exclaimed, letting her healing vines grow from her.
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Akemi lounged on the top of a dune, looking at the clear night.
As much as she wanted to stay rooted to the earth, she had been obsessed with space for as long as she could remember- it was just a hunger for the unknown that she'd inherited from her mother. The endless stars and galaxies enraptured her soul. She couldn't help but let Empress Gaea sit next to her and watch, the same expression on her face. She'd seen the night sky, of course, but light pollution always deprived her of the clear view of the Milky Way. It wasn't even this clear when Akemi and her mother went hiking that one year, solely for the purpose of seeing the night sky with little light pollution.
What Akemi didn't know was that Jotaro was standing behind her, watching, mentally debating whether or not he should join her.
Her Stand turned and noticed him, but it seemed Akemi didn't. Her sapphire eyes seemed to pierce through him, and it was as if the Stand was leagues wiser than Akemi was.
Akemi noticed him quickly, and the fact that her immediate reaction to the sight of him was to smile warmed his chest unexpectedly.
Jotaro let out a small huff of amusement, letting a smirk pass his lips. He climbed up the dune and sat next to the white-haired girl. They retained eye contact for a moment, her wide lime eyes meeting his aquamarine ones, then she turned back to the sky, the smile remaining lazily spread across her face.
It was silent for a moment.
"...You know," Jotaro began, avoiding eye contact. "you're vulnerable to an enemy attack like this." Jotaro said. Akemi let out a small laugh at his awkwardness. She turned back to the sky.
"Well, I can't help it. I've never seen the sky this clear. Everywhere else I've been has had too much light pollution, even miles away from Napoli." Akemi told him. Jotaro was silent again, reveling in the stars. She saw something in his aura that she really hadn't seen when he was talking to other girls... genuineness.
"I would never go to space." Akemi continued. "There, I would have no connection to the earth. I could only have my vines or branches to protect me... But I've always been obsessed with the stars. How the universe really works. There's so many mind-blowing facts that just seem so otherworldly. Anything can happen." She turned to Jotaro, an excited smile on her face. "Hey, did you know a donut-shaped planet could technically be possible? I could get into it, but I don't wanna talk your ear off..." Akemi said shyly, timidly scratching her cheek.
"Good grief. Just do it." Jotaro said.
Akemi widened her eyes, confused.
"I mean talk my ear off, idiot. Now what about this donut planet is so interesting?" He tugged his hat down, and the low light hid the rest of his face. But pink entered his aura. Akemi felt a big smile cross her face.
"So for this to be possible, there would have to be some sort of gravitational anomaly in the middle..." Akemi began, every bit of her passion and excitement pouring in her words.
Jotaro felt himself smile at her excited ranting. Hearing her talk about something she was passionate about struck a heartstring. Normally, women that talked too much annoyed him. But Akemi's voice sounded lovely to him. Plus, she was saying things that actually hooked his interest. He couldn't help but get invested with her, contributing to the idea himself from time to time.
What was this girl doing to him..?
"Hey-" She interrupted her own talking, realizing something. Jotaro's questioning aura loomed over her. "I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just... I was irritated. The heat messes with me, is all. And, well... this week in particular doesn't make traveling and fighting any easier."
"You were..." Realization slapped Jotaro in the face, knowing exactly what she was talking about. A sudden rush of embarrassment attacked him, and he looked away. "Don't worry about it. I understand." Jotaro said softly, his tone carrying a certain tenderness that she hadn't really heard. She was about to speak up again, doubtful he'd forgive her so easily, but she stopped herself when she noticed the color in his aura.
It was swirling with just about every warm color as he gazed down at her. Akemi sighed, and smiled.
Understanding Jotaro came easily to her, and she was grateful that behind even the hardest walls, there was an aura as beautiful as his.
"Thank you, I'm glad to hear that, Jotaro. Anyways..."
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heheh
facts
-people kemi talked to in the past never received her science ranting that well, mostly because they couldn't understand what she was talking about. like talk to me about this cute boy on the cover of this magazine or stfu. jotaro is a nice breath of fresh air from that.
-as much as Akemi loves space, would never leave the earth because, again, her stand's power basically comes from the earth. without her connection to the ground, she only has her vines and weak strangler fig to protect her and that's not always sufficient. without this fear though kemi would 100% want to be an astronaut.
-kemi HATES the heat. she likes warmth, yes, but anything over 80 degrees fahrenheit is absolutely hell. during this episode it got up to like 140 degrees fahrenheit. disgusting. i really felt like i was gonna melt even writing this tbh. i could feel it through the screen.
anyways, i'll ttyl guys! see u next chapter :)
- caelesti
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word count: 9,759