#things to do in luxor

[simvanie]

7 Sins Legacy - generation 2

Wedding day for Valentina and Neelesh! They decided to get married in the same chapel that Ira and Seth got married when Valentina was still a toddler. Everyone was having a good time, except for Soraya.

But don't be fooled by the pictures above, in true sims 4 fashion this wedding was absolute chaos:

[all-tours-egypt]

Viajes Mar Rojo en Egipto:Os 5 melhores pacotes de férias no Egito 2025/2026

All Tours Egypt ofrece Viajes Mar Rojo en Egipto y disfrutar de Tours de buceo en el Mar Rojo, el tour Safari en el Mar Rojo, mejores actividades en Mar Rojo, excursiones marinas en el Mar Rojo. Es el momento de vivir la aventura de viajes Mar Rojo con All Tours Egypt 📌Tours recomendados: Mejor Viajes a Hurghada Mar RojoViajes a Hurghada y Luxor ToursViajes de Buceo a Hurghada Mar RojoViajes de…

[succubi-tch]

Jfc I cannot fucking do this

[tangotravel]

Safaga shore Excursions - Discover The best tours and Activities in Safaga

There are many great tours and activities to enjoy from Safaga Port, depending on your interests. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Snorkeling or diving in the Red Sea: The Red Sea is famous for its colorful coral reefs and marine life, making it a popular destination for snorkeling and diving. Tango Travel Egypt offers guided snorkeling and diving trips.

2. Luxor day trip: Luxor is one of Egypt's most famous historic cities, known for its ancient temples and tombs. There are many day tours from Safaga to Luxor, where you can visit the Valley of the Kings, the Karnak Temple, and other famous sites.

3. Quad biking and desert safari: If you're looking for an adventure, you can take a quad biking tour through the desert surrounding Safaga. Tango Travel Egypt also offers desert safaris, where you can ride camels, watch the sunset, and enjoy a Bedouin-style dinner.

4. Snorkeling with dolphins: If you're lucky, you may be able to spot dolphins in the Red Sea. There are tour operators in Safaga that offer snorkeling trips specifically focused on dolphin watching.

5. Fishing trips: If you enjoy fishing, many fishing trips are available from Safaga. You can try your luck at catching tuna, barracuda, and other local fish.

These are just a few of the many tours and activities available from Safaga Port. Be sure to research your options and choose the best fit for your interests and schedule.

What is The best time to enjoy Snorkeling from Safaga Shore Excursions?

The best time of year to go snorkeling in the Red Sea is generally from March to May and from September to November. During these months, the water temperatures are warm and comfortable, and the visibility is typically good. The Red Sea is also relatively calm during these months, with fewer waves and currents, making it easier to snorkel and dive. 

However, the Red Sea can be enjoyed year-round, as the water temperatures rarely fall below 20°C (68°F) even in the winter months. The summer months (June to August) tend to be hotter and more humid, with occasional storms and stronger winds, but the water temperatures remain warm. 

It's important to note that weather and water conditions can vary from day to day, so it's a good idea to check the local weather forecast and sea conditions before heading out on a snorkeling trip. Additionally, it's always a good idea to follow the instructions of your tour operator and wear appropriate snorkeling or diving gear to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

How to Plan a Trip from Safaga Port?

Planning a trip from Safaga Port can be relatively simple if you follow these steps:

1. Research your destination: Start by researching the destination you want to visit or the activity you want to do. Look for reputable tour operators or travel agencies that offer tours or packages that fit your interests and budget.

2. Book your tour: Once you have chosen your tour or activity, book it in advance to ensure availability. You can book directly with the tour operator or through a travel agency.

3. Check visa requirements: Depending on your nationality and the destination you're visiting, you may need a visa. Check the visa requirements for your destination and make sure you have the necessary documentation.

4. Check the weather: Check the weather forecast for your destination and plan accordingly. Make sure to bring appropriate clothing and gear for the conditions.

5. Arrange transportation: If your tour or activity does not include transportation, arrange for transportation to and from the port. You can hire a taxi or arrange for a private transfer.

6. Pack appropriately: Make sure to pack appropriate clothing and gear for your tour or activity. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses for outdoor activities, and comfortable shoes for walking tours.

7. Check port rules: Finally, check the rules and regulations of the port before disembarking. Make sure you have all the necessary documentation, such as your passport and cruise ID, and follow any security procedures.

By following these steps, you can plan a successful trip from Safaga Port and make the most of your time in Egypt.

For more info. kindly visit www.tango-travel.com

or send your request to info@tango-travel.com

Tel or WhatsApp:201111109106

[tritoch]

i've seen a lot of people complain about the dawntrail final dungeon for being a thing that we have basically already done and i understand and in many ways agree with that complaint but i do think it varies from the usual in ways that are actually pretty compelling.

spoilers for dawntrail follow, natch.

like okay in amaurot and the dead ends and the lunar subterrane (okay this is definitely a well CBU3 has gone to too many times), the premise is the fights you're engaging in are all kind of historical. behold, the dooms of amaurot. tremble before ra-la, a real sphinx that actually existed once somewhere. face durante, just as golbez faced him in real life.

and accordingly, because all the fighting is supposed to match the energy of the dungeons, these are moments of panic and peril. the world is ending. the worlds are ending. the kingdom is on fire. there's a solemn villain voiceover to really drive the point home (we just wanted to play...on da amaurotine playground...). amaurot is falling and look how sad it is. every world died and look how painful it was. my best buddy golbez died and it was really sad. everything is Fucked Up.

what's really fun about alexandria by contrast, particularly in the first part, is that things are fine, actually! sphene's here (well, "heah"), and we love her, and she smiles because we smile and we smile for her :). oh no alexandria is falling and it's so sad and noble because of everyone's chivalric sacrifices :( oh yay we're rebuilding from the ashes :)

it's a beautiful, tragic, noble story. and the whole time no one's talking to you, not like normal. sphene's kind of reciting the lyrics to memory from cats listlessly but everyone in her memories is talking to each other, not to you. none of them are interacting with you. you're not fighting alongside her against her enemies or taking down conjured horrors from the past.

no, the whole time you're being reminded of one very specific fact.

You're foreign. You're not from here. This is not for you. This is not yours. This peace was not yours and never will be. This grief, this hope. You chose otherwise. You were offered the chance to be Alexandrian. You rejected it. Stay over there. Stay out. You are not wanted here.

in what i personally choose to interpret as a bit of dark comedy, when things start breaking down, it's literally one of the only words you still understand.

ultimately what distinguishes alexandria from amaurot or the dead ends (intentional "this is why i'm sad" slideshows made specifically for the warrior of light to experience) or the lunar subterrane (accidental memory recreation) is that you are choosing to invade sphene's memories. you are doing a cool little backdoor heist at the luxor casino by causing chaos all over the strip before you crawl through the vents to get to the mainframe or whatever.

but in the context of dawntrail, alexandria is the invading power, the rapacious techno-dystopia that intends to carry out forever wars so it can use the literal souls of its enemies to power its treat machines and which not so coincidentally spawned in north america. and alexandria has literally invaded both tuliyollal and yyasulani at this point. so the conceit of the memory guardians helps make clear the hegemonic logic at play. you are a foreign entity. you are not a subject of the state. your life has no value. you must be removed.

or, if removal proves impossible, exterminated.

[cheriladycl01]

I cant do this anymore - George Russell x Wolff! Reader Part 6

Plot: You are the daughter of Toto Wolff team principle of Mercedes-AMG Petronas, you've worked your whole life to become an engineer. However, your dad has other ideas for you and doesn't want you to become a race engineer. You start to confide more in the Red Bull Racing Team Principle to help you get an engineering job, and see him as your present father figure.

You'd texted your dad, just asking if he wanted to meet in The Luxor, it was a hotel that you knew none of the drivers would be in to interrupt and hopefully fans would be to a minimum as it was quiet an expensive hotel.

You thought it would be better, breaking the ice with your dad first before fully speaking to George. Your dad hadn't said anything as bad as George did, so you felt like now was the time to have an adult conversation with him.

So that's where you were right now, you were stood watching over the Casino's ground floor from the balcony. You felt a sort of shadow next to you, and it made your head turn left. Your dad walked up standing next to you, his arms leaning on the balcony banister pushing the cuffs of his sleeves up to his elbows.

"Hey Dad!" you smile looking over at him a soft expression on your face.

"Hello Barchen" he says softly, looking over at you with the softest expression you'd ever seen on his face. Tears welled in your eyes at the sweet little nickname he'd always used for you.

"Dad I-" you start but he places a large hard over yours, keeping eye contact with you.

"No, I'm sorry for everything I said to you. You deserved a place on the team, you've done wonderful things for Red Bull. And as much as i want you back in the garage I wont ask that off you!" he admits, your head swinging to look back over him as your gaze had travelled down back to the busy casino life.

"I, but what if I want to come back?" you ask, in shock. Did your dad not want your help?

"I know you don't want too, you've found a place in Red Bull that i wish i could have given you and I'm so so proud of you. I think I was just so scared about seeing my Little Bear grow up. I always want to protect you and I don't know, making such a big step and becoming an engineer in the team..." he admits.

"I thought, you didn't think I was good enough!" you say tears brimming in your eyes.

"Never, I'm always so proud of you, my beautiful beautiful daughter. I just fear that I'm loosing you. You've been such a big part of my life for the last 23 years that...I can't let go! You come everywhere with me"

"I know, which was why branching out was the hardest thing I've ever done. But it needed to be done. I love being the daughter of Toto Wolff, not because your Toto Wolff the Team Principle of Mercedes, but because your the man who drove me 3 hours when i slipped over in the garage and cut myself on some metal. Your the man who was there for me when i first ever had my heart broken, your the man who cheered so loudly when I collected my GCSE's because I didn't have anyone else to celebrate with, and most importantly your my dad. I love you, but I wanted to prove that I don't feed off your income, and that I can pave my own way. Honestly I don't think I even would have had the chance at Red Bull if it wasn't for your last name, but I still did it" you ramble, and all your dad can do is stare at you in awe at all the memories you recounted together.

He remembered when how scared he was when he heard a little scream followed by yells from all of his mechanics. He trusted them to look after you, and he knew it wasn't their fault but he was furious that you'd slipped and gotten yourself hurt. He made sure he stayed with you in the garage at all times after that.

He remembered holding you why you cried to him, picking yourself apart and asking him why you weren't good enough. Two hearts broke that day, as his did when yours did. Seeing his little girl, crying over such a stupid and insolent boy... Toto would make sure his changes getting into F1 were zero to none.

He remembered the day you went to collect your GCSE's from the nearest school to the Mercedes F1 headquarters in Brackley. You walked in, seeing loads of people that you didn't know all excited to see each other and showing each other what they got. Some were laughing some were crying for all different reasons. It kind of reminded Toto of the last race at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi. He cheered so loud the hall looked over at the pair of you when you presented him your amazing grades.

But recently since 2021, he'd realized how absent he'd been as your dad. In the process of wanting to keep you with him as his little girl all he'd been doing was just pushing you away. And he hated himself for that.

"I know - I know I've done a lot wrong, but I'd really like it if you could find it in yourself to forgive me!" he says, pulling you into a searing hug, so tight and so warm and you'd missed it dearly.

"You know, you guys cooked really do with my help at Merc" he smile, looking away from him and back down at the casino. You hear him chuckle from your side and he observes down on the gaming floor with you.

"Mmmmm? What would you suggest?" he asks. You laugh in turn.

"Ah, see you might be my dad, but right now you're my competitor. I can't be dealing in secrets" you admit and he looks over to you in shock.

"But I'm your dad!" he fakes his offence taken making you laugh a little more.

"I know, so technically this" you say gesturing between the two of you. "Is a conflict of interest! I can't be seen meeting you in secretive locations!"

"Well, maybe you'll consider coming back to Mercedes but I want to let you know just how proud I am of what you've helped them achieve at Red Bull!" he smiles, pulling you into a tight hug, one that you didn't want to get out of.

"So, I guess I'll see you in Abu Dhabi?" you ask.

"I was actually hoping you'd come home for a bit. The house has felt so empty despite George coming over most days in the off season" he admits, knowing he'd do anything to have you come home even if it's just for a day or two.

"Well, I think I'm needed in the Red Bull Centre on the 20th, but I'll stay with you for the rest of the week, and travel to Abu Dhabi with you!" you grin, knowing you would like to spend some time with your dad Suzie and Jack.

"You're coming home?" he beams.

"I'm coming home dad" you smile nodding.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416 @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @seomako @urdad-hot @formula1mount @tinydeskwriter @butterfly-lover @ironmaiden1313

@fordlita @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @samantha-chicago

[theosconfessions]

Love is Embarrassing

The Final Choice- For Real

i know ive been saying this since the dawn of time but you guys. i appreciate every single one of you who have participated in scars bachelorette challenge. we've been on this since december and its so crazy to me that its over... or should i say the bc is over. the story is not. she bonded so much with all of them and she had such high romance bars with all of them by the end.but eugene won ..not only because he got her pregnant [which lmao i knew it was coming .she was def gonna get pregnant by someone.. its not a kline bc without that happening] but because he never stopping showing up for our girl. shed get home from dates and eugene was hanging out waiting to play some games with her. including the lame llama one she loves. they just have a really special connection. elia- they bonded from the jump i mean not only sexually but he was the only contestant to call her out on her bullshit. which i loved.and its what the klines need more of @fl0ptrait thank you for creating such a doll for scar to meet and fuck haha! he was always right there fighting for her xena- was a fucking CHARMER. like that girl knew how to speak to scar to make her swoon and swoon easy. i think she had the quickest romance jump from the beginning of this challenge. i think while her interest may have wained in the end of the challenge bc lets face it scar threw some curveballs she really really did want to romance the shit out of scar .. and i was here for it @bubblepopsims luxor- what can i say this guy surprised me on the first solo one on one date. partly bc scar freaked him out to begin with haha! but also because of how suave he can be. like he was calm through the whole thing but making his intentions known once he got to know her. HOWEVER this isnt the last time we're seeing luxor and he will be in the stephens continued thank you to the lovely @simvanie eugene- THIS BOY... mannnn he never gave up on her and lets face it if the baby were elias hed be like i mean thats okay. still pick me though to be your husband haha! theyre not married YET they will be but these two just mesh.and i think they always have . scar was just too blind to see if way back then.and it too this challenge to make it known to her what a catch eugene was @duusheen many cute babes to come bonus shots under the cut of their reactions.. i dont know when my next bc will be or if i will do one but man you guys made this such a great experience. the stephens continued will be picking back up as well as finnies globetrotter and his part of the stephens soon <3

[talonabraxas]

🔸 Serapis Bey 🔸 Talon Abraxas

Serapis Bey is the chohan of the fourth ray, hierarch of the Ascension Temple at Luxor, and the thirteenth member of the Council of Adepts of the Ascension Temple. He is also known as Serapis Soleil, Serapis of the Sun.

The fourth ray is the ascension flame, the white light of the Mother in the base-of-the-spine chakra. Out of this white light comes architecture, the principles of mathematics, the foundations of the building of the Matter temple and the pyramid of Self. In the presence of Serapis, one knows an entirely different conception of what we call the Christ, the real person of us all.

Embodiments

Known as the Great Disciplinarian, Serapis came from Venus with the Ancient of Days to rekindle the sacred fire in the hearts of a wayward mankind. His great enthusiasm to reclaim the sons of man as kings and priests unto God swelled and mounted into a flame of iron will, determination and discipline.

High priest in the Ascension Temple

He was a priest in the Ascension Temple on Atlantis. As guardian of the ascension flame, he carried the flame safely up the Nile River to Luxor just before Atlantis sank. Serapis gives us a glimpse of this experience in his own words:

I remember well when the first rumblings of the sinking of Atlantis were present. For, as you know, the sinking of that continent came in stages. By the grace of God, the warning given allowed many to escape. And we made our way to Luxor....

You may wonder why a spiritual flame requires transporting by mere mortals. It is always so that children of the light tend to think that such things ought to happen magically and miraculously. Perhaps a touch of the fairy tale has spilled over into religion, and people have forgot that all that has been wrought by God and man has been the joint work and effort, above and below.

I will tell you, then, why it is so—because the only place that the flame can truly abide, apart from the altar so dedicated, is the living heart of the living adept.

There in Egypt, Serapis and the brothers who accompanied him built the Ascension Temple, and there they have guarded the flame ever since, alternating duties as they continued to reembody specifically for that purpose.

Serapis Bey continued to reincarnate in the land of the Nile, foregoing his own ascension until about 400 B.C. In these lifetimes he became the sponsor of some of the greatest architectural feats that have ever been brought forth upon the earth.

Serapis Bey, the chohan of the ascension flame and hierarch of the Ascension Temple at Luxor, Egypt, speaks to each one of us:

"The future is what you make it, even as the present is what you made it. If you do not like it, God has provided a way for you to change it, and the way is through the acceptance of the currents of the ascension flame."

[froidefille]

Day 24: Holiday (vacation)

📚 Grounds for Divorce by @tepre

Draco/Harry, 122 k, E

Summary:

Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter. A story about histories, a story about families. A story about a lemon tree somewhere in Upper Egypt.

Guys, this fic. THIS FIC.

Is not a vacation fic per se, but they do find themselves in Luxor and do some vacation-adjacent activites, so I hope it counts. The way Tepre describes the city made me want to go to Egypt ASAP. The people, the scents, the views, the climat. Hypnotising.

Guys, it’s a bonding fic. And such a refined one too. The backstories of both Draco and Harry's families are so well developed they could be the subject of another two books at least. The angst. The hurt. The jealousy. The pining. The mis-fucking-understatements. The unresolved sexual tension. And then the resolved sexual tension. It’s just all here and it’s absolutely off the charts. Oh, and it was also my candidate for day 27. Just FYI 🥵😇

This is one of the fics that you cannot believe it is not a novel sold in bookstores and analysed in English Lit classes. The way it explores Harry's background has just become canon in my head, it was so special to read!

There’s also this unbelievable art by @zigster-ao3. There’s even the most touching MUSIC THEME by @bettydice. There’s the most perfect bind by @sits-bound. There’s a superb book cover by @zeziliazink (I am actually pretty sure all of the above made me move this fic a bit higher on my TBR list. I can’t thank you enough 😭). Somehow, there’s no podfic? Why? Can someone please fix this state of things?

I’ve inhaled read it once on my phone and then reread it once again on my kindle just so I could highlight some of the literary genious lines. Have a look under the cut and then go sing high praises to Godesses of Fanfiction via kudos and comments <3

Thank you @hprecfest for this prompt, it was lovely to include this theme in the recs!

And thank you @tepre for sharing your stories with us!

🌴🧭🍋🌅📜

Harry wanted to disappear into the feeling of Draco’s teeth on his lip. The feeling of his thigh between Harry’s legs, of his rolling thrusts, of Draco’s hip against his cock, of Draco’s own hardness pressing into him through a thin layer of fabric. Can you want something more in the process of having it, he wondered, vaguely, and Draco panted against his wet mouth — chin damp, red from Harry’s stubble — and said in a voice that was more sand than words, “If— You can’t leave. You can’t die on me, you can’t—” “I’m not. I won’t. I—”

*melting into the gound*

“Jesus,” Draco said. Harry’s habit in his mouth.

So simple, yet so telling. Did you know that when someone copies your way of saying things or mimics you in conversation, it often happens unconsciously and you can take it as a completent. Because it means this person likes it and most probably likes you.

Just a fun fact, not me getting emotional about it, nope

Draco had stopped breathing. His mouth was open, his jaw cocked, his face aflame. Harry wanted him. Wanted him desperately, in that moment. Wanted to take him from the world, from its small distractions and pointless conversations. Wanted to give him something better.

Is that not the most romantic sentence ever???

The freckle from last summer was back, a faint little dot high on Draco’s cheekbone. Draco stirred when Harry leaned close to kiss it. He turned to his other side, grabbing one of Harry’s hands to take with him — wrapping Harry’s arm around himself, tucking it to his chest. Harry hid his face to the jut of Draco’s spine, to the messy tangle of his hair, and tried to breathe through the tight squeeze of his heart. Breathe through the terrifying space that had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and settled behind his chest as though it had always been there. A room of requirement, waiting for someone to call it by its name.

A room of requirement, waiting for someone to call it by its name.

😭😭😭

Harry looked at him, at a loss for what to say. How could love be proven in the span of a sentence? How could he use words, slippery things that they were, when what he needed was to tread carefully, lightly? He only knew how to walk through a wall. He only knew how to fall, how to crash.

Ladies and Gentelmen, Harry J. Potter, my favourite human disaster </3

He had spent the last three years watching this man come into his own, and who would not find love in that? In seeing someone learn the steps to a dance, then move across the floor with confidence? In seeing someone try on a garment perfectly made for them, in seeing them discover a good flavour, a soft touch?

This sentence right here. Oh man, it is just so raw and true, watching someone you care about grow and become who they are meant to be is just the most exceptional experience :')

[silent-sanctum]

✧ Polaris ✧ - Jotaro x Reader

Chapter 12: Starlight & Sunshine

— The previous parts of the fic can be found in the pinned post of my profile. Hope you enjoy! —

Hey everyone 🥹

It's been a while since the last update. Why? Well, because I was actually spending my hiatus reviewing for my license, and now that I'm about to get it, I figured that maybe I should finally use my free time to write the new chapter (also admittedly it got delayed a lot mostly due to my executive dysfunction but hey! It's here now).

Anyways, happy reading and advanced happy holidays!

word count: 13.3k

With how superficial Jotaro’s injuries were, one long night of undisturbed sleep was enough for his wounds to recover. Though, looking back at that moment from your point of view, the subtle cheekiness of the delinquent wanting you to sleep with him wasn’t lost on you.

Admittedly, you were sure that either person wasn’t complaining.

His quick recovery allowed the two to use their time productively and be with the others in exploring Luxor, though before they joined them, it was only fair for their other party member to be checked on.

“Hey Nori, how’s our favorite hierophant doing?”

At your voice, Kakyoin sat upright and turned his attention to the direction of the door with a wide smile despite his bandaged eyes. “Y/N, it’s nice to hear you again. Here I thought you guys left for another city already.”

“And leaving a fellow student behind? Under my watch?” You chuckled as you stepped inside his room followed shortly by Jotaro behind you. Once you were within closer earshot of the red-haired teen, you made sure your faux gasp was heard. “The audacity. Were my numerous ice pop offerings not enough to gain your trust?”

He laughs softly at your playful jab. “You still owe me a multiplayer round of Spy Hunter. Other than that, I’m good.”

You rolled your eyes at that, a smirk plastered on your face. “Yeah, yeah. Wait ‘til we get back to Japan and we can have that round Nori.” You turned to your raven-haired companion with a nudge to his arm. “You want a shot at the game?”

“… Not interested,” Jotaro said, albeit with a hint of having second thoughts. “I… don’t play video games that much…”

“It’s not a calculus question. You’ll get the hang of it by the second to third try.”

“I’d rather do the question.”

“Nerd.”

“Jotaro’s here too?” Kakyoin asked with a slight tilt to his head. “I’ve heard from Mr. Joestar that you just got stabbed deep in the stomach. How are you up and walking already?”

“Don’t ask me.” The delinquent crossed his arms and sighed. “Doctor said I was good to go. It turned out my deeper wounds were healed miraculously and any surface cuts got patched up overnight.”

You caught him glancing at you with that almost wistful, contemplative look as if you had the answer to the out-of-nowhere miracle. In turn, you returned the gaze with a shrug. “Lucky you. You seemingly get what’s supposed to be a worse injury but here you are good as new. Meanwhile, I get my eyes scratched a bit and I’m not allowed to leave yet.”

There was an almost frustrated tone in Kakyoin’s voice as he said that and you could understand where he was coming from. “Hey, chin up.” You started, “On the brighter side of things, there’s no bleeding. No complications. It’s only a matter of time until your doctor discharges you.” Two pairs of footsteps approach from the hallway outside. “Speaking of…”

With a couple of soft knocks, the door opened to reveal a nurse and the physician in charge of overseeing Kakyoin’s health. “Pardon us,” the nurse said as she entered the room with the doctor behind her. “How are you feeling, Mr. Kakyoin?”

Kakyoin swallowed as he reached up to touch his bandages. “To be honest, I've never been without my vision before, so it's a bit unsettling.”

“Does it still hurt?”

“Not much. I think the painkillers are working.”

You and Jotaro stepped aside to allow the pair of medical professionals to assess their patient. “Hello, Mr. Kakyoin-”

At hearing his voice, the blinded teenager turned his head to the sound of the adult. “Doctor, when do you think I can take off these bandages?” He said with that faint trace of impatience in his tone. “I don't have any time to waste.”

“Mr. Kakyoin, while your eye injuries are not life-threatening, they are not minor either. I'm afraid we won't be able to discharge you anytime soon. But just a moment ago, we were contacted by doctors from the Speedwagon Foundation. They asked that we put you in their care. With their advanced medical techniques, I'm sure you'll recover much more quickly.”

The doctor continued, inquisitive. “Who are you exactly? The Speedwagon Foundation is world-famous. I don't think they'd get involved with an ordinary high school student.”

For a moment, Kakyoin didn’t answer for a minute until he let a small smile grace his face. “I have… acquaintances who are very reliable, that's all.”

You spared a glance at Jotaro who stood there with a neutral expression, his gaze cast on the floor with a thoughtful look. The memory of first spotting him carry the once-controlled Kakyoin to his house to get treated resurfaced in your mind and you couldn’t help but wonder if he remembered that moment as well.

The delinquent’s eyes slowly trailed from the tiles up to your face the second he knew you were staring, making eye contact the second he looked at you. You held onto that gaze long enough for him to break it with a faint pinkish tint to his cheeks.

Once the doctor had finished with his advice and excused himself together with the accompanying nurse, Kakyoin sighed as he slumped back onto the pillows. “Now that I know faster treatment is arriving, I’m growing more restless than before.”

You huffed, rolling your eyes light-heartedly at his impatience. “Just give it a little bit more time and then you can get out of here and do whatever the hell you want.”

At that, the red-haired boy chuckled.

---

The afternoon following the visit, the duo regrouped with the others as they headed out to explore the city of Luxor. Avdol was generous enough to provide the team with historical background about the locations they’ve visited. One particular spot the dark-skinned man introduced them was the Valley of Kings- an archaeological site where popular Egyptian kings were buried.

While you and Jotaro showed interest in his voluntary history lessons, he doubted the others were as equally so. The old man wouldn’t stop pacing around even if they were idle. Polnareff would rather chat with any nearby locals and be distracted by almost anything that wasn’t Avdol’s information dump. Iggy… well… he was a mutt with an attitude. Did he expect that little menace to absorb anything the Egyptian was saying?

No. The fact that Jotaro considered the dog was dumb to begin with.

“Hey, Avdol!” The entire group turned to Joseph. “I really need to tinkle! Know any toilets around this place?”

Of course, the senior citizen has to pee. “Didn’t you already piss back at the hotel, old man?” Jotaro said, rolling his eyes, while Avdol supplied him with an actual answer.

“There’s one that we just passed by. It’s the singular outhouse by the valley’s walls. You’ll see it when you see it Mr. Joestar.” Joseph turned back to see if he could spot the structure from his current spot. “Oh, and take someone with you as backup just in case of an ambush.”

“Uh… Polnareff?”

“Woah now, hold on,” the Frenchman said. “I know I like to relieve myself as much as our old friend here, but I do have to ask if the toilets here are somewhat… good? Functioning even-”

“Pol.” Whatever the white-haired man had to say got cut off by your abrupt interruption. “Do you have to go to the big boy’s bathroom or not?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Then stop whining drama queen and piss,” Jotaro continued on your behalf.

“Alright, alright,” Polnareff pouted and started to walk to Joseph’s side like a scolded child. “You two really can be direct with your words, huh? I’m still older than both of you by the way.” He and you shrugged in response and the Frenchman nodded wordlessly as he joined the old man on the trip to the outhouse.

While they were on their way, the others remained put and waited until the duo were done answering the call of nature. Avdol settled himself on one of the smaller rocks to meditate, Iggy sat by the same rock and lazed about, and the remaining two teenagers decided to roam around the area, never straying too far from the group.

“Hey Jotaro-ssi,” he looked at you. “We’re so close now. Can’t you believe it?”

Jotaro paused and stared at you, comprehending what you just said. Close? Well… of course. It’s only natural for us to be closer than when we first met. Isn’t that the whole point of spending time with each other and shit?

At that thought, he shied away from your gaze and couldn’t stop the tinge of warmth growing in his cheeks, but he had to respond or it’d be obvious. And god forbid if it came off as obvious. “I… yeah. Yeah, guess I can…”

“We’re so close to Cairo. All those days of travel and it’ll take one more day until we get to the capital! And we can finally put all this Stand fuckery behind us,” you chuckled. “At least, with the whole fighting others with Stands thing. We can’t exactly get rid of our ghost pals.”

Oh. That type of close. He fumed harder at himself for misinterpreting your words. Still battling with his embarrassment, the delinquent tipped his hat over his face in a vain attempt to hide his most likely reddened cheeks. “Sure…”

And of course, you’d pick up on his sudden bashfulness with a teasing coo. “Hm? What’s wrong? Do I see pink in your face?”

“Shut up.”

Like that ever worked on you. You smirked and fully turned in his direction, arms behind your back as you stepped closer to him with a playful type of predatory gait. Much like how you had approached him outside his house when you wanted to come on this journey to Egypt. “Why? I’m just asking. You never know- you might’ve caught an infection from your wound.”

With every step you took, his heart thudded harder in his chest. Not that you’d know any of that when his stone-faced expression is still plastered on his face, but damnit all… you made it hard for him to keep it up with that smug smile you had. He was already near the rocky wall and he’s not going to step back any further.

Jotaro stood his ground and forced himself to return your gaze with his stoicism, feigning a scowl to make it somewhat convincing. “I’m fine and I already told you my stab wound’s already healing.”

“Okay, but there’s nothing wrong in making a reassessment to make sure,” you said and took two more steps toward him. This time, his foot made that step back as his chest started to beat quicker and his cheeks to heat up further. You smiled up at him with a feline-like tilt of your head.

Again, the delinquent let out another one of his annoyed grumbling to get you to stop and spare his heart from bursting out of his chest. Fortunately, you did and stopped a few feet away from him. “You really do like being a menace, huh?”

“Can you blame me? You’re fun to tease.”

He scoffed despite finding your interactions amusing. “Just because I’m choosing to walk around with you doesn’t make you any less of a pain in my ass.”

You nodded with a pout, looking downcast. “Oh, of course, I’m well aware. My bad…” But just as he thought your teasing was over, that smirk returned. “But you aren’t exactly doing anything about it now, are you?”

Fuck. “You… ” He said with a grumble, scowling past his fuming cheeks. You remained unbothered by his punk facade and smiled.

“Yes? Got something to say? I’m all ears.”

Jotaro did have something to say but all it took for his words to fail him was you leaning close to him out of the blue in the middle of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat and in another subconscious act, he took another step back until he made contact with the rocks behind-

“Agh!” He exclaimed as a zap of electricity shot through his shoulder, shocking him momentarily before he pulled away in an instant. “The hell?”

You stopped with your playful antics and switched for genuine concern as you drew away from him. “Oh my god, did I push it too far?”

Jotaro shook his head, rubbing the affected area of his shoulder. “It wasn’t you. It’s…” He looked back to see what caused that tiny spark. There behind him was an oddly placed electric outlet with one socket. “This?”

He stepped aside for you to see as well. “Who would install an outlet in the middle of this place?” You said. “This place isn’t a resting spot; from a practical standpoint, it’s installed way too high up for anything to be plugged in.”

Was it always there when we got here? Jotaro furrowed his brows, trying to remember if it was the case.

Just then, the faint voices of a complaining elderly American and a whining Frenchman came within their earshot. “Mr. Joestar and Pol’s back. We should return to the guys and step away from that faulty installation.”

The delinquent glared at the outlet accusingly once more, before giving up and sighing. “Fine.” He shoved his hands into his pant pockets and joined you on the way back.

However, as minute as it was, he could still feel the lingering aftershocks from his shoulder.

---

One history lesson and a failed attempt at a satisfying pee session later, the group collectively decided to make a quick stop at a nearby open cafe to discuss what to do next as the sun started to set.

You weren’t one to pass up on a group discussion so while your delinquent friend chose to stand nearby, you pulled a chair from another table and took up a space beside Polnareff.

“We could make it to Cairo in two days, but we're all compromised. Why don't we spend tonight and tomorrow in Luxor to take a break?” Avdol said.

“We should! Since we got to Egypt, our enemies have been getting stronger,” Polnareff said in return, groaning more from being tired than frustrated. “We've just barely been winning. Hell, we’d all be probably dead if it weren’t for Y/N's Stand getting us out of big trouble.“

“I agree. While I don’t mind protecting ourselves, I’d appreciate it if everyone could at least take a breather so our minds can rest. Maybe in that way, we can fight this new batch of enemies with better strategies than just simply facing them head-on,” you said, earning the group’s collective nod of agreement.

“Speaking of dealing with our foes head-on,” Pol craned over his shoulder to look at the delinquent still standing in the same spot, picking something off his sleeves. “Hey, Jotaro! We all agreed to take a mini rest day. I already know you’ll agree to it too but I’m just letting you know, pal!”

You turned to look at him also noticing the repetitive action from your fellow teenager, but you kept your attention on what he was picking that made him scowl with irritation- Coins, discarded bottle caps, safety pins, etc. In the background, the radio had switched from tunes to static.

“Mr. Joestar, are you feeling alright?” At Avdol’s question, you and Polnareff returned their attention to the older adult currently grasping the wrist of his prosthetic hand, which seemed to twitch involuntarily in the case that he wasn’t pranking them.

“I-I’m okay. I probably didn’t calibrate the joints in this bad boy enough.” The elderly man clenched his artificial fist and stood. “Enough of that, let’s find ourselves a hotel for now.” You and the others nodded, standing after him.

Heading out, you waited for the others to go first before you approached Jotaro. On his back, a couple of stray caps stuck to his gakuran. “You seem preoccupied,” you said as you plucked the items off his clothes.

“You think?” He said, dripping with monotone sarcasm. “Let’s just head to that hotel. I want to take a nap.” You gestured for him to go ahead so you could follow close behind.

However, as they passed by a nearby man working on carpentry, you heard the person cry out in pain the further they got away from him. You paused and turned around only to see a hammer flying straight at the clueless delinquent.

Jotaro could only notice what had happened once Silent Sanctuary swiftly caught the hammer by its handle a couple of inches away from colliding with his head. He stared at the object with surprise and drifted his gaze to you with gratitude.

“What? Did you hit your fingers?” Polnareff said. You returned your focus to the source and found the same carpenter hunched on the ground, crying with pain as he clutched the area near his cheek, whose skin was badly punctured by the three nails in his mouth. “Be more careful!”

While the Frenchman berated the poor guy, the hammer held in your Stand’s cloth continued to push against its hold, strongly drawn to the delinquent as it wobbled. You watched it do so with curiosity and he did too with you. Either way, the group left the man to his injuries and headed back to the city.

You stepped past the many locals, keeping close to the delinquent’s side. One of them lightly bumped against your shoulder and with an apology ready, you turned to look at the said person- a white-haired woman in a red hood, black skirt and leggings, and red shoes.

She didn’t look back at you or say anything, but you did your part and went about your day.

As the afternoon came to a close and evening took its place in the sky, the team managed to find a standard hotel and much like their time in Singapore, Mr. Joestar booked enough rooms for 3 pairs with the same room assignments.

The second you and Jotaro unlocked the door to your room, you spoke up first. “Alright, both of us can agree that there’s something wrong with you or at least something’s happening around you, right?”

“Bottle cap and spare change sticking to my pants and uniform isn’t exactly normal. Then there was that hammer wanting to hit me.” He groaned, crossing his arms. “I just recovered from a stab wound and life decides that a concussion should be next to my list of grievances.”

You huffed, smirking. “Who could’ve guessed inanimate objects would take a liking to you too?” You said even as stared at you pointedly. “Giving your posse of fan girls a run for their money.”

Jotaro scoffed, rolling his eyes. “The flying tools weren’t noisy or obnoxious. There’s that at least.”

Both of you stepped inside and almost immediately, the lights flickered and several small items began to shake from their spot. “It’s happening again…” You walked further in and eyed the metal jar decor that slowly inched off the bedside table. “It’s only affecting specific objects.”

With one glance at each other, you reached for the jar and held it firmly in your hands. Between your palms, the decor pushed against your grasp towards the direction of your fellow teenager. He cocked his head and stepped into a different location only for the jar’s pull to follow him. Behind him, the smaller items had dragged themselves to him and stuck to any spot of his body.

All of which were made of metal.

“Magnets,” Jotaro said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damnit, I became a human magnet. That explains the annoying things being glued to me. But how did this happen?”

“Do you think it had anything to do with the minor shock you got back at the Valley? You know, with the out-of-place outlet?” You replied.

He frowned as he reached over to rub his shoulder where he got briefly electrocuted. “Maybe. Nothing else was strange but that random socket.” He narrowed his eyes. “Was that a Stand?”

“Can Stands come in the form of mundane, inanimate objects?”

“… Did you forget the ship? The car? The damn sun?”

“I said mundane, genius,” you retorted. “If that’s the case, then should we be concerned for everything now? We’re not safe around people, animals, and now random things in this place.”

Jotaro sighed, sitting down on his side of the bed with his hat over his eyes and his back against the headboard. “I can’t be bothered to think about whatever I have going on tonight. I just want to get some sleep.”

You sat next to him, tucking your legs underneath the sheets. “You do know I’ll start talking your ears off tomorrow the second I wake up in the morning.”

“It’s nothing new.” He looked at you. “You always talk my ears off when you get the chance.”

“But you’ve gotten used to it, haven’t you?” You scooted closer to him until your shoulders touched. “I’m surprised you haven’t snapped back at me for my never-ending speeches or dismissed me at any point of this trip.”

The delinquent kept his focus on you, searching your face as his mind looked for the words to say in return. He averted his gaze away shortly after and said, “Like I said, your constant talking isn’t anything new…”

“Not even a single ‘bitch’ for me?”

He pressed his lips into a firm line, his body tensing for a split second before he answered with a quiet, “… No.”

You quirked an eyebrow at his sentiment, a small playful smile growing on your face. “Oh? What’s this? Has the menacing delinquent done a quick introspection? Never expected that in my bingo card.”

“Shut up, woman.”

You let out a huff, still smiling. “Close enough.” You puffed out both your pillows and made yourself comfortable against the mattress. “I suggest you lie down completely unless you wanna wake up with an aching back.” Jotaro nodded and let Star Platinum switch the ceiling lights off as he rested his back on the sheets, his head on the pillows, and an arm laid open.

“The first thing we’re doing tomorrow is finding a solution to your magnet problem…,” you muttered, words slurring as you grew sleepy. Subconsciously, you inched yourself closer to him, resting your head on his shoulder. “Before we… move on to… Cairo…”

“Mm.” He hummed as his arm wrapped itself around your back. “Sounds good…”

---

The first thing you and Jotaro did the morning after Polnareff woke and nagged the whole group to breakfast outside their windows was what you had said to him: Find the source of his magnetism and figure out the person behind it.

But where do we start? Do we return to the Valley of the Kings to find that outlet or skip that and track the user? How though? It could literally be anyone. Your mind paced a million times over trying to figure out what to do. What’s our game plan here?

“You know you don’t need to stress this much, right?” The delinquent said, perched on the edge of his bed watching you walk back and forth. “I’m the one affected. Not you. We also have to eat…”

“I know that but who knows what could happen if we just let this slide any longer?” You replied. “There’s always a catch with this type of stuff. What could be harmless at first could become a threat down the line; so we should come up with a solution to this at least and then we can do the other not-so-threatening things next.”

He crossed his arms. “How harmful could it possibly get?”

“You’re gonna risk finding out?” He shrugged and you sighed. “Of course, you would. You know what? Fine. Let’s join Pol and the others for breakfast then I can return to stressing the fuck out.”

“Again… You don’t have to-”

“Alright then!” You clapped your hands once and headed for the door. You turned to look over your shoulder and smiled. “Food first, plan later!”

Jotaro rolled his eyes and stood to follow you out, only to get hit in the back by the nearby metal chair. He grunted and looked back with an irritated scowl. Once he faced forward again, you were there staring at him with a cocked brow and a face that screamed “I told you so.”

“Don’t.” You gave him one cocky glance over before proceeding out onto the hallway.

Your point only got proven even more as both of you walked down the area. The magnetism of his body had managed to cause a scene with three elderly women and the metal embellishments of their skirts, all of which had both of you intervene quickly with you providing appropriate apologies and him turning away to avoid peeking any senior undergarments.

Things only got worse as the nearby idle room service trolleys started reacting to his presence. He caught onto the noise of cutlery growing louder and not a minute later, he spotted a collection of steel forks and table knives flying straight in their direction. “Y/N. Run.” He grabbed your wrist and bolted with you tugged behind him.

You caught onto the problem and as soon as the kitchenware reached close enough, Sanctuary acted accordingly and shot out a wide strip of rose gold fabric to shield both of you from getting impaled. However, as you were about to round the corner, more cutlery flew through the air at alarming speeds in front of you.

Star Platinum’s precise barrage was the next to deflect the incoming forks and knives. With the way cleared, he increased his speed and ran out of the hotel hallway before any other kitchenware could find his location.

Eventually, you reached the hotel’s escalator leading down to the lobby and Jotaro ushered you to go first. You did and he trailed behind you. “Damnit. I hate that you’re right. Whatever magnet crap I’ve found myself in got worse.”

“I’d love to show off my smug laugh but we should deal with this first. Come on.” You couldn’t wait for the machinery to bring you to the ground floor so you continued to walk down the moving stairs, but another grunt caused you to turn back to see the delinquent stuck on the escalator’s steel steps, both feet and hands glued to its surface.

“Shit,” he cursed, struggling to get up. Star’s hands manifested to at least help push him up. “I lost my damn balance, now this?!”

You were about to help him but as soon as your back was turned, several strings with metal beads flew past you and further ensnared his body against the steps, wrapping around him with its thin strands and making Star’s efforts useless.

Someone rushed down the escalator steps and you quickly turned around to see a familiar red-hooded woman reach the bottom floor with a few of the same strings hung loosely around her waist.

The Stand user. “Hey!”

“Y/N!” You snapped your attention back to your companion, still struggling to free himself to no avail. At the same time, the woman weaved her way into the forming crowd. Damnit. “It’s getting too tight. I… I have to-” His words got cut off as Star’s fist readied to smash the machine he was stuck on.

“No, don’t!” You exclaimed. “You’ll just make more debris and be buried in them. I’ll look for the emergency stop.”

“Then you better hurry. I’m getting too close to the ground floor.”

You quickly reached the bottom steps and stepped to the side. There near the steps was the red button with the words “In case of an emergency” written around it. You pressed it without a moment’s hesitation and the escalator began slowing down, and just as the delinquent reached the bottom floor, the steps stopped.

Star Platinum went to work immediately and pulled off the strings that entangled his user’s body, tossing the freed strands far off into the distance and away from his magnetic field. His hands detached from the steel and ignoring the onlooking locals, you reached out to grab them and helped pull him up.

And as if a switch had been flipped, the magnetic force in his feet disappeared completely. He staggered forward and in turn, you lost balance and stumbled back onto the nearby statue, hands flailing to find something to grab onto.

As your palm found a solid surface, you yelped and recoiled immediately as a tiny zap of electricity shot through your hand. To your misfortune, the same bizarre outlet made itself known again. In that same second, you could feel the air grow tense around you with an invisible “pull”.

“Y/N,” he called out. “You okay?”

You raised a hand to stop him from approaching. “I’m fine but I got zapped too.” You stepped aside to reveal the Stand. “Guess you don’t have the right to say I have to relax, hm?” He cursed under his breath. “But what’s done is done. I saw the lady responsible for this whole mess and if I were to guess, she might still be nearby if her Stand’s here.”

Jotaro nodded and with you taking the lead, both of you pushed past the surrounding people and out the hotel’s entrance. “What did she look like?”

“White hair. Red hood. Black skirt. Red shoes,” you said as you surveyed the streets for the target. “She sort of stands out among the rest. You’ll see her when you see her.”

“Already did,” the delinquent said with Star’s crystal clear gaze fixed eastward. “She’s standing by that building’s entrance watching us from the distance.”

You acknowledged his report and made a move toward her only to find out your wrist had attached itself to Jotaro’s arm. “Now this?” He looked at their joint limbs and back at you. You groaned and continued running. “Whatever. Let’s just get to her. Is she still at the same spot?”

There was no resistance from him as he followed your footsteps, wrists still glued to each other. “She’s making a run for it.” He scoffed next. “But it’s more like she’s going for a casual jog by the looks of it. Like she’s taunting us.”

You breached past several more locals and made it to a small empty street where the woman currently was, her pace unhurried and brisk. Oh, she has the audacity to treat us like toys? Not even taking this seriously? For some reason, that fueled an inner level of petty you never knew you had and led you to sprint even faster.

Sanctuary acted on your command and manifested several of her silk fabrics, intending to bind the enemy user. However, you could spot the grin on her lips as she threw back a large pouch of bolts in your direction. You came to an abrupt halt and diverted the fabrics back to serve as a shield.

Just as you thought you were in the clear, several windows shattered all around the pair, and out flew batches of metal crafts, furniture, and electrical components. Instinctively, you and Jotaro huddled close to each other as both your Stands deflected and blocked the incoming projectiles, with Silent Sanctuary forming an arc on your side while Star Platinum released one of his barrages.

Then there was the car that pushed the teenagers down the empty street and against the wooden fences at the edge. You had his Stand to thank for taking the brunt of the vehicle’s hit while you had your Stand to thank for cushioning the impact against the wood.

When the dust settled, the woman was gone.

And to your late realization, your back pressed against the delinquent’s unable to detach without placing greater effort. “Great. Just great.”

“If you’re right, then she’s still close by. We can search around and deal with her properly then,” he said.

“Uh excuse me, are you forgetting something?” You looked back at him with a deadpan. “Do you want to go looking for her like this? What maneuver shall we use: Crab style or carrying-me-around-like-your-backpack style?” You retorted.

“Shut up and let me try something.” You threw your hands as he turned both of you so he held the fence, while Star hovered out of him and grasped both your arms. “Run a few feet away immediately at the count of three. One. Two…” And with one loud “Ora”, the Stand yanked your body off his and set you down as far as it could reach.

Following his instructions, you immediately ran a couple of feet away as soon as your feet touched the ground. For a second, his plan worked and he turned to see the outcome, but the strong magnetic pull returned not too long after and you yelped the second time as you were flung back to Jotaro’s magnetic field.

Jotaro caught you with a grunt, staggering back a few steps as his arms encircled you. You opened your eyes and found yourself back against his body, this time in a more intimate position with your front glued to his. “So, your plan worked… until it didn’t.”

He said nothing in return, looking away from you with hints of red dusting his cheeks underneath the shade of his hat. You puffed your cheeks as you pulled away enough so you could plant your chin on his chest with traces of warmth present on your face. “Oh come on. This isn’t the first time you held me this close.”

“That… That was different…”

“Was it though?” You hummed. Despite their current situation, you couldn’t help but tease him for a bit by raising your hand to tip his hat. “And we both know we’re used to close proximity like this by this point.”

“But let’s put our game face on because like you said, we can still track her down if my theory’s right.” Jotaro glanced down at you this time and with one look at your determined smile, he nodded with stoic, tinted cheeks. “We need some sort of plan though. Clearly, chasing her won’t do us any good if she anticipates it.”

By that time, a group of curious children had gathered to see the two 17-year-old teenagers seemingly get all close and cuddly in front of their eyes. “We should discuss whatever you have in mind somewhere more private then,” the delinquent said under his breath.

“Ah…” You looked over at your new audience. “Right. Can we at least change positions to something more manageable? Walk-wise? Unless you want to carry me.”

Jotaro made a low sound of agreement and through several, awkward attempts to move against the magnetic pull that may or may not have involved “suggestive” movements, you found yourself in a more… appropriate hold with your back against his chest.

“You lead the way this time.”

He nodded and took a step forward. You moved with him. “Ah, good grief. We better have a way to beat her by the time we get there…”

“Don’t worry. I think I have something in mind.”

---

An hour had passed since then and with a plan now up their sleeves, they ventured out once more and encountered the Stand user lounging by the walls, arrogant as usual with a cigarette in one hand and the other hidden behind her back.

“Look who’s back,” she said, casually turning to the pair. “Had fun being glued to each other, hm?”

“Cut the bullshit bit-”

She groaned and dropped her used stick to the ground. “It’s Mariah. You could’ve asked for my name before calling me other terms, boy.”

“I don’t know if you know this Mariah,” you started, making sure you enunciated her name out loud. “But we don’t give a damn what we call you. I could call you a derogatory slur for siding and believing a human leech with a petty grudge, but I’m more classy than that.”

Jotaro huffed at your blunt words, though from their talks during spare time, you did suggest using a variety of other unsavory terms for their enemies out of the fun of it, ranging from “ass licking cuck” to “cock sucking pussy”- both of which were two words more than his go-to token “bitch” and a string of words he did not expect coming from you.

There was a slight twitch to Mariah’s eye and a subtle frown to her otherwise smug expression but she sneered at you to make up for her break in character. “You’re talking big for a high school teenager. Why don’t you start chasing me down and attack me again using that Stand of yours instead of wasting time with your annoying little chatter?”

“How about you strike first this time so you could have a turn?” You said. “It’s only fair game and justifies this trial of yours once we beat you to a pulp when we’re done.”

Mariah let out a snort before bursting into laughter. “Fair game? Trial? What are you, a judge?” She continued, mocking. “You two going to give me a death sentence, hm?”

“I’m just saying; you want a turn or not? Because I know you know my Stand can easily catch you, lady.”

She narrowed her eyes at both of you and in the next minute, she smirked and stayed put with her free hand on her hip. “I don’t think I want to. Keep those turns for yourself. Not like it matters.”

“Okay,” you shrugged. “Your loss.”

A strip of Silent Sanctuary’s cloth shot out of you and darted straight to Mariah. Expecting it, she grinned and tossed a switchblade she held behind her up into the air, cutting through the electrical cables above her. Due to both of your magnetic fields, the loose wires immediately curved and flew straight to the two teenagers.

But you were prepared.

The second Mariah threw the blade, Star Platinum launched off a sizable rock hidden behind Jotaro toward and over the woman. Wrapped around it was another one of Sanctuary’s fabric strips. As a result, your body detached itself from the delinquent and went flying together with the rock.

He rushed forward to strengthen his magnetic field, drawing the cables away from you and towards him instead. At close range, Star snatched every stray wire and held it firm in one gloved fist.

Still caught off guard by the sudden toss, Mariah stood in the middle of whatever the two had plotted with a frustrated frown, trying to come up with anything to flee. But, as you said, your Stand could easily catch her. Once mid-air, Sanctuary launched several strips of silk toward the red-hooded woman rapidly, binding her arms and torso.

The second you hit the ground, cushioned by your Stand’s spare fabrics, Sanctuary lifted Mariah off the dirt. It spun her round and round until it built up enough centrifugal force to launch her toward the delinquent.

Jotaro held his hat over his eyes as his Stand hovered before him, and with his signature battle cry, Star Platinum landed one heavy jab at the enemy Stand user, followed by his trademark fist barrage. With one last uppercut, Star sent her battered body back in the air.

He intended it to end there considering how crippled and incapacitated she was, but you apparently had other plans as a strip of rose gold quickly caught Mariah while airborne, and with no time wasted, her body flung into a large upward arc. With enough momentum, Silent Sanctuary finished the fight by slamming her to the ground as hard as she did with Steely Dan.

With the enemy Stand user dealt with, the tense magnetic air surrounding him dissipated as her Stand ability became null as its user.

You walked over to Jotaro and went over to the shallow crater where Mariah lay defeated and unconscious. “Defendant,” From the inner crevices of his soul, he pocketed one hand and tipped his hat saying, ”With the jury’s verdict, you are hereby declared guilty…”

He subtly glanced at you, wanting you to come up with something to close his quip. However, knowing how silly his one-liners were for you, he might as well come up with something to finish it himself.

To his surprise, you beckoned him to lean over, only for you to snatch the hat off his head and wear it on yours.

Then, copying his stance, you placed a hand on your hip and tipped his hat over your eyes, holding one side of his hat’s visor. With one smooth sweep of your fingers across its edge, you turned your body together with the movement and stared down at the fallen enemy with your closing remark:

“Court adjourned.”

That was… Jotaro stared at you with wide eyes, his cheeks heating up at an alarming pace. I… He honestly did not expect you to join him in this otherwise dorky gesture, more so within a minute. But as you did so with his motif, his chest raced a million miles a minute and his stomach fluttered with butterflies he never knew he had.

You knew what you did and you didn’t hide it with the way you smiled slyly up at him. You removed the hat and placed it back on his head. He didn’t even realize he hadn’t moved since you made your ending statement. “Let’s check up on Mr. Joestar and the others and get some brunch while we’re at it.” With a playful pat on his shoulder, you went on your way.

Still reeling, he straightened up and held his face as he willed the blush from his cheeks to go away before the others saw him. Especially Polnareff.

“Come on!” You called out from a distance. Jotaro took a deep breath and with his cheeks cooled down significantly, he turned to follow you. “Hurry! I heard a window get smashed nearby!”

"Can... Can you say that again?"

"Absolutely not."

You and Jotaro ran to the sound of commotion from the street nearby and upon arrival, they were greeted by a young man with dark hair and bright blue eyes sprinting in their direction, holding two young boys dressed in oversized clothing in his arms. Behind them was an adult with a weird hairstyle and colored shades, wielding an axe and an oddly-shaped shadow with eyes.

Upon seeing the teenagers, the man made a panicked gesture to shoo them away. While they didn’t run away, they stopped in their tracks and watched. Wait a second. The delinquent narrowed his eyes at the people in front of them: The man himself wearing his grandfather’s clothes and the two children with him dressed in Polnareff’s get-up and Avdol’s robes.

We’re they- “Mr. Joestar?!” “Old man?!” You and he exclaimed simultaneously.

“Stay back, kiddos!” The man grinned and turned back to them, a youthful glint sparking in his eyes. He placed the much younger Frenchman and Egyptian down, both of which waddled behind him. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt this energized.” He cracked his knuckles dramatically and fizzled from his arms was an abundance of pure, channeled energy. Hamon.

“Joseph Joestar’s got this!”

---

Though the group planned to have yesterday be their break period, considering what had happened to both parties, their rest day was far from relaxing. From dealing with magnetic Stands to age-reverting ones, nothing had surprised them by this point.

But time waited for no one. By the time they aged back to normal and the following morning dawned upon them, the group progressed on their trip from Luxor to Cairo. According to the Foundation’s doctor, Kakyoin would stay behind for a few hours but would join them sometime late afternoon once his final check-up was done.

With a train ride and a drive down a couple of streets, they reached the capital at last. They began asking the locals yet again for the location of DIO’s headquarters using Mr. Joestar’s spirit pictures, starting from the outskirts of the city and working their way to the center.

Most of the day was spent with no progress and no news about the whereabouts of the vampire’s base and by the time afternoon came, the group was exhausted from both the constant questioning from people and the heat. Their search brought them to an open cafe where a handful of locals lounged and drank away from the desert heat.

You and the guys asked around and yet again, they provided no valuable information needed to progress their mission. That was until one of them spoke up claiming he knew where DIO was.

But with the way he presented himself with confidence as he played with his cards, you couldn’t help but be suspicious of his motives. Beside you, both Jotaro and Avdol shared the same stance.

Unfortunately, after losing to a 50/50 guessing game, your hunch was right once the group witnessed Polnareff’s soul get taken out of his body by the man before you named Daniel J. Darby, a professional gambler and the user of the Stand Osiris; and according to him, the only way to return the Frenchman’s soul was to beat him in any game.

Mr. Joestar was the first to challenge him with a game involving alcohol, coins, and breaking surface tension. If any of Jotaro’s and Avdol’s stories of the old man were right, then he should be able to use his tricks to beat Darby. You watched as they took turns dropping the coins into the full glass, your heart skipping a beat at every drop of the elder Joestar’s coins, and stayed nonchalant when he used a wet cotton to cheat.

Anything to beat the enemy after all.

However, by the end of the game, the notorious gambler lived up to his name and outsmarted the trickster Joestar at his game. The coin hadn’t dropped yet Osiris had managed to snatch his soul away and convert it into chips just like Polnareff.

By then, you looked among yourselves and pondered who should go next. As wise as he was, Avdol wouldn’t be able to face Darby with a steady mind considering how frequently his panic and neurosis were evident throughout their encounter with this enemy user.

While you were a confident person with no issues taking risks, you didn’t take pride in yourself when it came to any form of gambling. Never in your life would you imagine yourself playing a guessing game that would most likely be rigged against you which would end up losing more than you earned.

Which left the Jotaro to take the player’s seat.

In some way, it made sense despite the delinquent most likely never getting involved in any gambling. Among the three of you, he was the most calm and aloof when it came to high-risk situations like this, and with the game being Poker which involved a ton of bluffing and mental manipulation, you trusted him to beat Darby at his game with his wits.

With the keen eyes of Star Platinum, no card tricks and cheats would be utilized unless the adult wanted more broken fingers. Eventually, a kid was brought in to help deal the deck.

At first, the game was in favor of Darby with him having the better set than his opponent and thus is able to take half his soul chips, but in an unexpected turn of events once the next set of cards were distributed to both players, Jotaro never touched nor glanced at his cards.

You furrowed your brows with uncertainty, Avdol was on the brink of another panic session, and Darby became confused and frustrated on why the delinquent refused to look at his hand.

Instead of playing his hand, he opted to play in a competition on who got to raise the highest pot. On his turn, he wagered both Avdol and Kakyoin’s souls into the game, placing two stacks of six white chips alongside his remaining three. The gambler smirked and evened the bet with both Polnareff’s and Mr. Joestar’s souls.

But he wasn’t done because, on his next raise, Jotaro glanced at you briefly with an indescribable gaze before pulling out a new stack of white chips, wagering your soul next which unnerved the master gambler. Naturally, you were anxious knowing your life was on the line, but then again, when was it not?

At this rate, you could tell the cogs began to run full time in Darby’s mind, constantly doubting and growing paranoid about the situation at hand, more so after the delinquent showcased Star Platinum’s speed via a quick lighting of his cigarette and the sudden appearance of a cold drink.

The final nail in the coffin was yet another raise from the stoic teenager, placing a new stack on the table as he wagered his mother’s soul. Everyone was appalled, you included. Is he this confident that his cards are great? Did Star do something? On Holly’s behalf, your chest tightened with anxiety, and beads of sweat rolled down your temple.

This meant Darby needed to even the pot with something of equal value to two stacks of soul chips such as, as cleverly suggested by Jotaro, the secrets to DIO’s Stand. At that, Darby noticeably panicked having found himself trapped in a corner. With added pressure from the delinquent’s rising voice, the adult trembled from where he stood.

The audience waited with bated breath for his next move. You kept your hands clenched on your lap still trusting in his plan, Avdol began hyperventilating together with the kid dealer, and the man stayed frozen in his spot as his hair turned gray, unable to make that final decision.

In the end, Daniel J. Darby ended up losing in spirit before he could say “call”.

And now with the adult out of commission, all the souls he had stolen were set free, including Polnareff’s and Joseph’s as they were spirited back into their bodies.

Avdol went over to check what the teenager’s cards were and with you joining him, your heart momentarily stopped while the Egyptian beside you keeled over on the verge of passing out.

Jotaro’s hand was trash- no pairs and all cards being among the lowest values of the deck. I could’ve died for real. We all could’ve died. You knew the game was rigged in one way or another since Poker was the gambler’s favored activity, but knowing he was defeated regardless gave off another level of relief upon yourself and admiration toward the delinquent.

“Well, now we can’t ask him that question now, can we?” Mr. Joestar said, looking down at the currently giggling man twitching on the floor. “Let’s head out. The Speedwagon Foundation must have brought Kakyoin in by now.”

“Oh, goody!” Pol said excitedly. “Perfect timing too! I saw this cool place with a bunch of gals and games and I really want to drag him there-”

“Are you seriously going to spend your time doing that instead of asking around where DIO could be, Polnareff?” Avdol said in return, composing himself after nearly passing out a minute ago. “Miss Holly’s life is still on the line. A crucial line at that.”

“I mean I was planning to do that by night because I’m sure most people would be at home, right? And if that wasn’t enough, Kakyoin and I could ask more people while we hang out,” Polnareff grinned. “We get to have some time and we might have more chances for any information about DIO’s HQ. Sounds like a plan, eh?”

Mr. Joestar whacked the Frenchman by the back of his head. “Whatever Polnareff.” Other than their minor squabble, the three older members of the group went on ahead. You smiled and shook your head, wanting to join them.

But you paused in your tracks as something light tugged at you from behind. You turned to look over your shoulder to see a hand holding onto the fabric of your uniform top and you trailed further up until you met Jotaro’s averted, almost-shy gaze. “Something wrong?”

He said nothing as he dropped his hand only to step forward until his chest pressed up against your back. “Jot- oh!” You squeaked a bit when the delinquent suddenly tucked his chin on your head, wrapping his arms around you from behind as he slouched over you. “You alright?”

“Quiet,” he answered gruffly but you didn’t need his response for an answer. You felt his heart pound rapidly in his chest, his breathing coming out in deep stutters, and his hands shaking from where it overlapped over you. Your eyes softened and you leaned back against him, reaching up to hold his trembling hands with yours.

Like Avdol and yourself, he was just as terrified as you were; scared of the idea of his plan not working and sacrificing everyone’s lives in vain.

“Do you want to keep holding me as we walk? Or should I give you a minute to calm down?”

His arms tightened around you and his cheek pressed itself on your head. “Keep walking… we don’t want to lose track of the old man…”

You huffed and patted his hand, smiling. “Okay.”

---

Evening came by earlier than they had anticipated.

By the time they arrived at their hotel, Kakyoin was there waiting patiently in the lobby. Once the doors opened to the group, he turned around and approached them with a welcoming smile. Last Jotaro saw him, his eyes were bandaged but without them, he saw the vertical scars over and under both his eyes.

“Nice battle scars Nori,” you said with a warm smile of your own as you walked over to give him a friendly pat on the arm. “Good to know your eyesight’s still functioning.”

“You’re right,” Kakyoin chuckled. “Still being able to see is great, but it’s not so great to be sensitive to light from now on.”

You shrugged. “It’s a small price to pay. I believe you’ll adjust to it in no time.”

“You’re sensitive to light now?” Polnareff said with a pout beginning to form on his face. “But… But I had plans…”

All three teenagers turned to the Frenchman quizzically. “Plans? Like what?” Kakyoin said in return.

“Hey everyone,” Joseph called out. “Avdol and I will be booking the rooms again with the usual assignments, but a little while after, we’re going to talk over drinks about our plan moving forward.”

“Time’s running short so we’re going to prepare ahead of time just in case we find DIO’s headquarters as early as tomorrow,” Avdol said in continuation. “Anyone care to join us?”

Jotaro couldn’t care less about any of that and would rather act on the spot, but you heard the invitation and immediately chimed in with a quick “I will”.

At this point, he’s not going to deny being disappointed when you decided to be in the grown-up discussion group. He wanted to offer to take another of their casual stroll down the evening streets but apparently, you attended to other plans.

You looked up at him, questioning if he wanted to go with you and he slowly shook his head. You nodded and headed over to the two adults and walked away in the direction of the front desk, leaving him with the boy who had cherries for earrings and a guy with a penchant to do some fuck shit.

“With them on their way, what was it again about your plans? Kakyoin said. “You seemed very eager to talk about it.”

At the mention of nightly plans, Polnareff grinned with that excited gleam in his eyes. “About that! I had a little chat with Mr. Joestar and Avdol about us hanging out tonight! I figured if we’re going to go all out starting tomorrow, might as well have this night for ourselves!”

And some fuck shit it was.

“Oh a night out,” the red-haired teenager said. “That… seems nice. I’d like to do something fun once in a while. What do you have in mind?”

The Frenchman chuckled and slung his arm over Kakyoin’s shoulder. “Oh buddy let me tell you. On the way here, I’ve already spotted a ton of areas we could go to. There’s a nearby arcade with a bunch of games you told me about coupled with similar stuff of that genre. There’s also a bookstore down the street that I could’ve sworn had some of your favorite manga being shown for display.”

“Did you manage to find any VHS stores too? I’ve been wanting to add something to my soon-to-buy list for when I get back.”

“I was about to mention that yes,” Pol said. “There was indeed a VHS store near the arcade. I’m sure we can browse their catalog with something that will interest you.”

“Including the latest releases like The Lost Boys and Full Metal Jacket?”

“You bet your ass, my cherry-licking friend.”

Kakyoin beamed at Polnareff’s eager statement. “You’re quite the persuasive one, aren’t you? Because I’m becoming more interested in joining you.”

Jotaro watched the both of them chat like old-time pals, waiting for his time to insert his opinions on all this. This talk of hanging out for tonight and not once had the Frenchman turned to Jotaro for his input. It seemed like his plans were intended solely for him and Kakyoin only with the way he kept being buddy-buddy with the other teenager in the room. He bit back a scoff and resisted rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Aren’t you forgetting someone, asshole? As if sensing the negative vibe radiating from the delinquent, Polnareff finally turned to him with a cocked brow. “Aha! Looks like someone’s being grumpy today.”

“You think?” Jotaro said, his irritation unfiltered.

The Frenchman walked over to him and placed both hands on his shoulders with a sigh. “Jotaro, my cigarette-smoking little brother, I really do want to include you in our nightly exploration but I’m gonna have to seat you out on this one buddy.”

“And why the hell would you do that?”

“You see, in addition to all the aforementioned locations I shared, I actually intend to divulge our cherry friend here with some juicy Polnareff secret techniques on the way.”

“Secret… techniques?” Kakyoin asked in the background.

At that, Pol grinned and said, “I intend to teach him the ways of talking to the lady folk, and not just the getting to know them phase of it, but including the whole consistency of keeping it close with them for the long run.”

The red-haired teenager choked on his spit. “What?”

Oh, hell no. Almost immediately, Jotaro shrugged off the Frenchman’s hands off his shoulders with a deadpan expression. The action only made him smile wider as he raised his hands in surrender. “I told you. You wouldn’t like it.” He looked over at Kakyoin. “I mean, why would I give the basics to a lady killer like our delinquent friend over here?”

“Hey,” Jotaro grumbled.

“Ah my bad, monsieur. What I meant to say was why would I teach the basics of finding love when Mr. Bad Boy already had set his eyes on one?”

Polnareff glanced over at Kakyoin, who got the memo and smirked after him. “You’re making all the convincing points tonight, Pol.”

Between the two of them snickering to themselves, Jotaro’s cheeks fumed at the blatant observation made. How did they- why would he- “You… you…”

“Now, now.” The Frenchman slung his arm over the delinquent’s shoulders, this time making sure the latter didn’t shrug him off. “Don’t try to deny it. As a citizen of the City of Love, I can tell who’s after who just by a couple of tells and some signs here and there.”

What he wanted now was to bury himself in the dirt, never to reappear while they were here. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“It’s really obvious,” Kakyoin said. “Even I can see something is going on between you two.”

“Now, even if I can’t offer you the beginner’s guide to love,” Polnareff said next. “What I can offer are some words of advice on how to officially get the girl~”

“What do you-”

“Confess. He means a confession,” Kakyoin supplied succinctly.

His face grew a couple of degrees warmer as he glared at the grinning adult. “Fuck off.”

Much like you, the Frenchman continued with his speech regardless. “Alright listen up. The way to ensure guarantee in sealing the deal to her heart is to find somewhere secluded that’s also scenic.” Jotaro kept silent, admittedly listening to whatever he had in mind. “And then-”

Pol pulled away only to splay his arms wide open and break out in the most dramatic way of giving advice. “You proudly speak your heart out and say ‘Je n’arrete pas de penser a toi ma cherie!’ Then the fireworks explode, the crowds burst into applause, and the musicians start playing in the back-”

The delinquent whacked him firmly behind the head before he could spill more nonsense into the air. “Shut up. Your ramblings are going nowhere.”

“Since he’s been projecting too much of his ideal date, let me pitch an idea that could work for the likes of us more… reserved folks,” the other teenager piped in as the the Frenchman rubbed his head. “Pol’s right in one thing and that’s the seclusion. When you get there, you could start by easing your way into confession by opening a casual conversation. Only when you both are settled in good spirits you start telling her honestly about what you’re feeling towards her.”

“After all, nothing’s more genuine than simply saying the truth.”

Polnareff stared at Kakyoin with surprise and awe. “You know your stuff.”

“I don’t actually. I was just saying some stuff out of my head based on common courteous practices.”

“Both of you, look at me.” The delinquent’s voice brought both their attention back to him, who was least pleased about being the subject of their conversation. “Do I look like I’m able to do whatever the hell you just mentioned?” Neither replied. “Also, why are we even talking about this? Aren’t you two supposed to go out on your nightly escapades or whatever the fuck you said it was?”

“Because I mentioned about picking up ladies and said you couldn’t come because you’re already crushing on-”

“I’m not- Shut up!”

“Jotaro-ssi!” On cue, his heart skipped a bit at the sound of your voice. Everyone turned their attention to you by the stairs. “Mr. Joestar managed to convince maintenance to open the rooftop. You should come check it out!”

He quickly composed himself with a cough and nodded, standing more upright and pocketing his hands to at least keep his cool image intact amidst the flustered nature of his state. “O-Okay…”

Both Kakyoin and Polnareff smirked to themselves and gave him a supporting thumbs-up only for the delinquent to glare holes into their souls before following you up the stairs.

---

“Seems like I caught you in the middle of a conversation with the boys. Mind telling me what it’s about?”

You looked over your shoulder and found him shying away from your gaze. “It’s nothing important. Pol just wanted to hang out with Kakyoin and do some exploration around the city. That’s all.”

“Why didn’t you join them?”

Jotaro didn’t reply for a minute, and then he did. “I wasn’t interested…” He turned to look at you. “How about you? I thought you were busy talking with the old man. Got bored?”

“I was.” You tossed him their room key which he caught. “But after a while, Mr. Joestar got a bit too tipsy with the whiskey and proceeded to ramble about some lady he met somewhere in Japan, but he was all over the place with the details.” You chuckled. “And so I excused myself and a thought came into mind… that maybe you’d like to stargaze with me if you weren’t busy.”

He hummed. “That… sounds nice.” You smiled and continued up the last batch of stairs before reaching the door that waited for them at the top. With a gentle twist, it swung open and the two of you stepped out onto the rooftop.

Above them, the night sky was dotted with hundreds of blinking stars, glowing faintly alongside the moon in the darkness that blanketed the warm glow of the city below. You walked over to the middle of the space and settled down onto the cool concrete, bunching your knees to your chest as you took one deep breath.

The door softly clicked behind you, followed by a pair of footsteps approaching you. For a moment, there was a shuffle of fabric and just as you were about to check what it was, Jotaro had already draped his gakuran over your shoulders, as if on reflex, and sat on the spot beside you.

You held onto the edges of his uniform and tugged them over your body, smiling wider as a familiar warmth engulfed you. For a moment, none of you talked to the other and let the calm evening air fill the silence. You simply gazed up at the sky with awe and watched the tiny orbs of light twinkle.

“Back when we were in the desert, I haven’t noticed how pretty the night sky was here,” you said. “I know you’ve seen them before, but tonight, they’re just as pretty as last time, weren’t they?”

“Mm.” Your eyes still faced the stars but from your peripheral, it wasn’t the case for the delinquent. Not when his head was slightly tilted in your direction when he hummed his answer. Your hands gripped his uniform a bit tighter as you could feel your heart beat faster.

“What are your plans after all this?” You asked.

“After what?”

“After killing DIO… saving your mom… what then?”

A brief pause. “I guess… go back to studying, resume our days as high school students, and do some other stuff…” And then another pause. “Like… visiting a beach in Tokyo. Preferably during sunset or sunrise…”

You glanced at him and felt your lips curl into a smile before you let out a faint giggle. “You still remembered that?” He nodded once. “It was such a random thought though.”

“Not to me. It wasn’t.”

This time, you nodded back with nothing to say. You let go of his uniform and instead fiddled with your fingers as an indiscernible feeling bubbled in you, one that had your stomach filling with butterflies and your chest fluttering with every word he spoke during this moment.

There was that comfortable silence yet again, nothing but the gentle breeze, the faint noise of urban life below, and the occasional chirp of a bird or two to create the ambiance the both of you basked in.

But then, the delinquent shifted from where he sat, and when you looked over to see what he did, you saw him pat his pant pockets with furrowed brows and pink-tinted ears. You had a question about what he was doing, but it was left unsaid when something thin and solid pressed against your chest.

You reached inside his uniform’s pocket and pulled out a small paper bag. “What’s this?” You asked him but all he did was stare at the bag with wide eyes and reddened cheeks. “Did you buy something embarrassing?” You teased as you undid the flap and opened it. “Well, I promise not to tell everyone that you bought…” You pulled out the item in it and your words trailed off.

In your hand was an intricately made cherry blossom hair comb with small golden leaves and tiny rhinestones at the center of each rose-gold flower.

“You… bought this?” Jotaro shied away, nodding once as he held his hat over his eyes. “I mean… it’s gorgeous. It must have been expensive too. But why… would you spend money on a pretty thing like this?”

“I… saw it for sale and…” He curled in on himself as he mumbled the next words. “I wanted to give it… to you…”

What? You held the comb gingerly in your hands and began fidgeting it around, feeling every smooth and rough texture of the accessory. “You bought this… for me?”

Jotaro took a deep breath and faced you with every inch of his cheeks and ears now red. He gestured for you to give the comb to him and with you short-circuiting at the moment, you did what was asked. His eyes narrowed into shy squints as he mumbled, “But let me at least do this…”

Your cheeks grew warm significantly as you inched closer to him. With deft fingers, he tucked any stray hair you had behind your ear and slid the comb’s metal teeth carefully through your locks until it rested neatly on the side of your hair. Once finished, the delinquent gave it one more look over at you and nodded again, before turning away flustered.

No matter how much you sat in silence, your heart couldn’t stop beating hard ever since he gave you that gift, your fingers constantly toying with each other as you processed whatever you had going on in you. You thought back to the times he was there and in doing that, you realized how often he stayed by your side ever since meeting him at school all throughout the whole journey.

At first, you hadn’t thought too much of it. Jotaro was your first true friend you made since your transfer to Japan and you read all the gestures he did for you as platonic, but now, you considered the other option that lie past mere friendship.

All those times where he seemingly just stared at you as if honey dripped from his eyes, that moment where he had found and shielded you with his entire self during your breakdown, his bashful blushes, his willingness to cuddle when he wasn’t the type to do such things.

When he chose to reciprocate and open parts of himself that were hidden beneath his stoicism in the submarine and to be vulnerable in your arms after he distracted your possessed friend away from you, as if to compensate for his inability to communicate his feelings. And now, he had a thoughtful gift he bought for you.

Could it be because…

You glanced at him again and found the delinquent to be focused on the floor, still flustered from minutes ago. Could you actually be feeling this way? You didn’t want to jump to conclusions and possibly make things awkward between you two, but you just had to ask and seek an immediate answer.

To know and confirm whether or not the feelings you recently recognized you had, were mutual.

“Hey…” You started, timid and hesitant, but Jotaro looked over at you as he always did when you called for him. “I… have something I need to get off my chest and you have no other choice but to listen or else I’ll go crazy.”

He huffed and motioned you to continue.

Here it goes. “Take this with a grain of salt or whatever, but I’ll just say it outright. Right now. You can react to it however you want to react, except bursting into a scoff or laughter because I will beat you to the ground for making this embarrassing for me-”

“Good grief. Just say it Y/N-”

“I like you!”

And then the silence returns, more palpable than ever before. You were a blushing mess as you finally blurted out those three words, your chest thundering and your hands clenched into fists on your lap. On the other hand, Jotaro was speechless… a different type of speechless. He stared at you with widened eyes with a blush as deep as yours.

You pressed your lips together and averted your gaze away from him, clutching his uniform tight as you tried to make yourself small. “There… I said it. I think I felt that way ever since Singapore… or maybe even before that. I’m honestly not sure but I had these feelings for you for some time now.”

No response.

And with every second that passed, your embarrassment grew further until it was your turn to raise your voice at him out, flustered. “Could you say something? Your thoughts perhaps? I’m dying over here!”

“You said I could react however I want, right?” You turned to face him with furrowed brows and nodded. “Then feel free to slap me if I ‘reacted’ too much.”

“What do you-”

Your words were left unsaid as Jotaro leaned forward to softly press his lips on yours. You gasped against his kiss, your body stiffening and your heart clawing its way out of your chest.

It was over before you could process or do something in return. He slowly pulled away and hovered near your face, his breath fanning with yours. His hooded gaze found yours and this time, you couldn’t respond. You stared into his aquamarine eyes and waited if he’d continue.

“Jotaro-ssi, I…” He abruptly stood with pressed lips, a choked sound fleeing his throat as he immediately tipped his hat over his heated cheeks and rushed to exit through the door with tense shoulders, closing it behind him.

You sat there for a moment, your mind reeling from the additional surprise the delinquent had for you.

It was mutual. He did like you the same way you liked him.

The floral comb adorning the side of your head seemed to bloom with your emotions. At that thought, a smile blossomed on your face as you lightly touched your lips, still feeling the ghostly touch of his kiss. Now, you want to return it properly.

You got up with his gakuran still draped over you and exited the rooftop.

He couldn’t have gotten that far. If anything… You walked down a couple more flights of stairs to the second floor where your room was. You did give him the room key so if your hunch was correct then, he should be in there. You stopped before your designated hotel room only to see the door was left ajar.

You stepped inside and softly closed the door behind you. Walking further inside, you scanned the sleeping space for any sign of the delinquent. The bed was untouched and the chair was still tucked under the desk, but the glass door to the balcony was open. With the moonlight shining through the curtains, his silhouette was made obvious.

With the same adoration you held, you crossed over the room and stepped back out into the cool evening air. You turned to the side and there he was- sitting on the bench with his hand covering his face.

You silently approached and sat on the empty spot beside him. “Hey…”

Jotaro lowered his hand to his side and still without looking at you, he muttered a quiet “hey.”

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to make the next move, you inched closer to him until your shoulders touched his. “You know… you kinda left before I could say how nice that felt…”

“… Y-You… liked it?”

“Mhm. Just as much as I like you,” you said with a soft smile. You reached up and tenderly cupped his cheek. “And it wouldn’t be fair to you if I don’t return the favor, right?” The delinquent stared at you with shining eyes and subtly leaned on your palm, nodding once.

With your hand guiding his face close, you closed your eyes, leaned forward, and pressed your lips to his. You felt him reciprocate immediately, melting under your touch as he tilted his head to deepen your kiss. You drew back to catch your breath before he sought your lips again. His hands slowly held your waist just as yours held his nape.

This was nice.

It felt… right.

Every time one of you pulled away, the other would return for another and another, already growing addicted to the blossoming affection you mutually shared. In the middle of your kiss, you couldn’t help but smile against his lips and let out a soft giggle as he kept peppering kisses with his smile mirroring yours.

Eventually, you managed to hold back from seeking another by placing two digits between both of your lips. Without masking it, Jotaro pouted a bit as you drew away from him.

Shortly after, both of you remained sitting outside under the stars with your head resting on his shoulder and your hand in his, fingers interlocked with each other. “Guess we’re more than friends now, hm?”

“Yeah… it seems so.”

You chuckled and nuzzled his neck before tucking your chin on his shoulder. “Does this mean we get to call each other with cute petnames now?”

“Don’t get that started,” The delinquent scoffed. “I’m not calling you ‘baby’ or ‘sweetie’ or some other cutesy stuff like that.”

You scrunched your face with him at the mention of those two words. “Oh, hell no. I wouldn’t call you either of those too. I was actually thinking of making our own unique petnames.”

Jotaro cocked a brow and glanced at you. “You have something in mind for me?”

You gazed at him for a solid minute as you thought of what to call him. As you studied his features, you couldn’t help but notice the stars twinkling in the sky behind him and the star-shaped birthmark he had on his skin, and suddenly a thought came to mind.

The lone star glimmering in the darkness of your nightmares, its single light serving as your warm beacon of hope amidst the cold reminder of a forgotten past.

“Starlight.”

You uttered on a whim, the petname coming out naturally. You kept a close look at him and gauged his reaction, hoping it elicited some sort of positive response.

And you got one wherein he covered his mouth and turned away from you, body shaking slightly trying to stifle in a laugh. “Yah!” You swatted his arm and whined, your cheeks growing multiple degrees warmer. “Why are you laughing?!”

He cleared his throat and composed himself. “Sorry. It just came out…”

You narrowed your eyes at him and would’ve called all this off if it hadn’t been for Jotaro squeezing your hand as his way of apologizing and acknowledging your effort. “Well, if you’re gonna laugh about it, how about you try making one for me and see how I react?”

“Yeah, yeah. Give me a second.” He looked over at you and his playful gaze turned fond as he reached into the crevices of his mind to make something up for you. During the whole time, you couldn’t help but feel shy when he looked at you with mild intensity.

With the same soft tone you had when you said his petname, Jotaro said:

“… Sunshine.”

For a split second, your heart skipped a beat at his deep voice saying something as sentimental as ‘sunshine’, but instantly recognizing that fact had resulted in you hiding your mouth behind your hand as you bit back a laugh.

“Oi.”

“See? Not so funny when I laugh at your attempt at a cute name, huh?” You sighed and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek to say she didn’t mean to mock him trying. “Alright, maybe the petnames weren’t meant to be.”

“I think it’s for the best.”

“Should I just stick to calling you ‘Jotaro-ssi’ then?” You said with a teasing little tilt of your head.

“If that’s what you’re used to, then call me that all you want, Y/N-san,” Jotaro said, looking at you with a tiny smirk.

You let out a petulant “hmph” and laid your head on his shoulder, making yourself comfortable with him by your side. In return, he leaned his head on yours.

Even though you treated the petnames as a joke, you tucked your creations in a safe, cozy vault in your memories, holding them close to your heart with affection and care.

Starlight and Sunshine.

… I love it.

[simvanie]

7 Sins Legacy - generation 2

Some random adorable screenshots.

I love her little asymmetrical pigtails. I like to imagine that she keeps pulling the right one resulting in that it always sits lower.

[antiquitiesandlabyrinths]

Hapshepsut?

Oh, you guys are funny. I make a note in my post about the oddity of people coming into my inbox with a single word prompt and that I have no idea how to respond except with a handful of information about the prompt, and now it's a real thing? That's just what I'm supposed to do?

Well, I might as well do so.

The modern legacy of Hatshepsut is dominated entirely by her womanhood. It completely disregards all of her accomplishments as a great and wealthy Pharaoh presiding over a time of great prosperity for Egypt, and it also overlooks the political and cultural climate of the time, which is as confusing as it is complicated.

This is much longer than my previous go about Ramses I, so I'm putting it under a read more.

Hatshepsut's Beginnings

When the layman thinks of Hatshepsut, they will think that she is the first female ruler of Egypt. This is their first mistake. There were many regents of Egypt; mothers who ruled on behalf of their young sons, who were not yet old enough to fully claim the throne. Beyond that there was also the female King Sobekneferu (12th Dynasty), as well as two Queens very early on in Egyptian history who might've been Pharaohs in their own right; Neithhotep (Early 1st Dynasty) and Merneith (1st Dynasty), both named for the warrior Goddess Neith, who held considerable importance in early Egyptian history. Both of these Queens have inscriptions and monuments attesting to their rule, but due to a lack of complete concrete evidence, it is difficult to now say whether they were regents or Pharaohs. Sobekneferu, from the 12th dynasty, was the first woman to take on the full royal titulary, assuming the position and title of Pharaoh completely. While her existence and rule is fully affirmed, there is little evidence left in the way of her accomplishments, as she ruled as the last Pharaoh of the 12th dynasty.

Khnumetamun Hatshepsut herself was born in 1507 BC to the Pharaoh Thutmose I and his Great Royal Wife, Ahmose. Her name, meaning 'Foremost of the Noble Women' was suiting to her––later in life she would be married to another one of her father's sons, Thutmose II, who was birthed of a secondary wife named Mutnofret. She was married before the age of 20 and assumed the highest standing title a woman could gain at the time; the God's Wife of Amun, giving her more power than even a Queen could achieve. To understand the importance of Hatshepsut even at this time, we must understand what it was to be the God's Wife of Amun. And remember, all this power and prestige is before she ever even became regent to her husband's son.

The God's Wife of Amun was a position held in Thebes, modern-day Luxor, and called Waset in ancient times. The title originates from the Middle Kingdom, and at that time, it was merely an honorific title for a noble woman who assisted the High Priest of Amun at Karnak Temple in his duties. By the New Kingdom, which was Hatshepsut's time, the God's Wife of Amun was powerful enough to influence policy and held considerable power and prestige, the peak of which was reached in the 3rd Intermediate Period, when a God's Wife of Amun ruled over Upper Egypt. The typical duties of a God's Wife of Amun were that of a high priest, and she would essentially be the female counterpart of the high priest of Amun, and took on many of his responsibilities alongside him. But the rewards for it were also plenty: "tax-exempt land, housing, food, clothing, gold, silver, and copper, male and female servants, wigs, ointment, cosmetics, livestock, and oil." (God's Wife of Amun, World History Encyclopedia, Joshua J. Mark) She would preside over the festivals of Amun and would be considered His consort, making her a divine being.

So this was Hatshepsut's position which was gifted upon her around the same time she was married to her half-brother, Thutmose II. Together they had a daughter whose name is Neferu-Ra, but this was their only child. The only viable heir to the throne after Thutmose II would have to be a son, which only came about through Thutmose II's lesser wife, Isis, who birthed Thutmose III. But Thutmose II, Hatshepsut's husband, died relatively soon after Thutmose III came to be, and so Thutmose III, the young son, could not fully be given the throne. Instead, Hatshepsut was made regent, and assumed all duties of state and Pharaoh while Thutmose III was growing up.

Proclaiming Herself Pharaoh

It was in the 7th year of her regency that the well-known history occurred. Hatshepsut crowned herself sole Pharaoh of Egypt. She assumed all royal titularies, titles, and names befitting a Pharaoh, but inscribed all of these using feminine forms. She passed down her title of God's Wife of Amun to her daughter, Neferu-Ra, and had her married to Thutmose III, likely in an attempt to consolidate power, and began to carve images of herself as a male Pharaoh.

I have commented on Hatshepsut before because some people like to claim that Hatshepsut is the world's first transgender person. This is incorrect. If she had wanted to represent as male, she would've gone about it differently, and to begin with, she would've changed her name. As I stated earlier, her name means "Foremost of the Noble Women"; this is a female name, and it would've been obvious to any Egyptian of the time that this was a woman. Instead, her representation as a male was to ensure the people knew she was not a Queen, but a full-fledged Pharaoh. And as I mentioned just previously, all her names and titles used feminine grammatical forms.

She is a complicated character, and one that will likely never be fully understood. But one certain thing about Hatshepsut was that she was smart. By marrying her daughter to the 'King' Thutmose III, she created a safety net for herself; if she was removed from the throne and Thutmose III was crowned, then she would still hold considerable power as the mother-in-law of the Pharaoh. She further legitimized her rule as Pharaoh by proclaiming that she was not just Amun's ritual wife, but His daughter, as well.

In the carvings and paintings in Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, Hatshepsut tells the story of how Amun appeared to her mother, Ahmose, in the form of Thutmose I, her father.

"He [Amun] in the incarnation of the Majesty of her husband, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, [Thutmose I] found her sleeping in the beauty of her palace. She awoke at the divine fragrance and turned towards his Majesty. He went to her immediately, he was aroused by her he imposed his desire upon her. He allowed her to see him in his form of a god and she rejoiced at the sight of his beauty after he had come before her. His love passed into her body. The palace was flooded with divine fragrance." (van de Mieroop, 173)

This interaction made Hatshepsut a demi-God. But this was also not enough; she made claims that Thutmose I, her father, made her a co-ruler with him.

"Then his majesty said to them: "This daughter of mine, Khnumetamun Hatshepsut—may she live!—I have appointed as my successor upon my throne... she shall direct the people in every sphere of the palace; it is she indeed who shall lead you. Obey her words, unite yourselves at her command."" (Seawright, Caroline (6 November 2000). "Hatshepsut: Female Pharaoh of Egypt")

She claimed that Amun had sent an oracle foretelling of her rise to power.

"Welcome my sweet daughter, my favorite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the Pharaoh, taking possession of the Two Lands." (Breasted, James Henry (1906). Ockerbloom, John Mark (ed.). Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents from the Earliest Times to the Persian Conquest)

She also represented herself as the direct successor of the Pharaoh Ahmose I, who started the 18th Dynasty.

That last bit may seem unimportant if you do not know the history behind Ahmose I. Ahmose I came about during the 2nd Intermediate Period, a time in which Egypt was split into three sections. Lower Egypt, the delta, which is to the north, was ruled by foreigners––the Hyksos, who were much despised by the native Egyptians, who ruled only a section of Egypt from Thebes. Then far the south, the Nubians ruled their own section of Egypt. What's important here, however, is the Hyksos rule. The Hyksos were commonly referred to as the Asiatics, and likely originated from the Levant, referring to themselves with Western Semitic names. They were seen as cruel and oppressive rulers, and while this was likely far from the truth, when we concern ourselves with the cultural standpoint of 18th Dynasty Egyptians, we only need to understand their viewpoint and opinion of the Hyksos. Ahmose I, ruler of Thebes, successfully drove out the hated Hyksos from Egypt, and reinstated Theban rule over the delta in Lower Egypt. These actions made him a much-beloved figure in the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, and this is why Hatshepsut proclaiming herself as a direct successor of Ahmose I was a smart move––she correlated herself with freedom from oppression and a somewhat legendary figure, who had ruled over Egypt some 80 years previous to her.

Actions As Pharaoh

Consolidating her rule, gaining power, and ensuring that power would stay were not the only things she accomplished, even if that is what most people recognize her for. She also completed a staggering amount of construction projects for temples, protected the borders of Egypt, led military expeditions into Syria and Nubia, and a rich trading expedition to the mythical land of Punt, which is presumed to be somewhere in modern-day Somalia. She was in control of a massive amount of wealth, without which it would not have been possible to assume so many building projects.

"Hatshepsut was able to exploit the wealth of Egypt's natural resources, as well as those of Nubia. Gold flowed in from the eastern deserts and the south: the precious stone quarries were in operation, Bebel el-Silsila began to be worked in earnest for sandstone, cedar was imported from the Levant, and ebony came from Africa." (Betsy M. Bryan, Shaw, 229-231)

Inscriptions at her mortuary temple in Deir el-Bahari go into detail about her expedition to Punt, as well, describing an immense amount of wealth.

"The loading of the ships very heavily with marvels of the country of Punt; all goodly fragant woods of God's Land, heaps of myrrh-resin, with fresh myrrh trees, with ebony and pure ivory, with green gold of Emu, with cinnamon wood, Khesyt wood, with Ihmut-incense, sonter-incense, eye cosmetic, with apes, monkeys, dogs, and with skins of the southern panther. Never was brought the like of this for any king who has been since the beginning." (Lewis, 116)

Her temple was such an immense work of art that it is considered by many to be one of the finest temples in Egypt, whose craftsmanship exceeded any Pharaoh before her and was only ever matched by Ramses the Great (Ramses II). She built throughout the country to such an extent that there are very few museums who concern themself with Egyptian history who do not have a piece of Hatshepsut's work. She added tremendously to the complex of Karnak at Thebes for the glory of Amun, and erected two giant obelisks there, alongside many other obelisks raised in other parts of the country. The Karnak complex is made up of three different precincts; the precinct of Amun, the precinct of Montu, and the precinct of Mut. The precinct of Mut had been ravaged during the Hyksos rule, and so Hatshepsut rebuilt and restored Mut's great temple in Thebes, once again honoring the Gods with her wealth.

Overall, she was an immensely successful Pharaoh. She added to the great temples of Egypt and built new temples, simultaneously giving honor to the Gods and employing the people. In these temples she performed rituals and rites traditionally reserved for the Pharaoh, which further confirmed her power and status reigning as a male Pharaoh. She led conquesting military campaigns into Syria and Nubia, protected the borders of Egypt from foreigners, conducted highly successful and bountiful trades with the people of Punt, who were highly rich in gold, and built one of the most beautiful and iconic mortuary temples known today, influencing the location of the future Valley of the Kings.

Death of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut's death is unfortunately not well understood. Her body was moved several times due to complications with lineage, burial, and the right to the throne. There is a mummy that is proposed to be Hatshepsut. This mummy has a missing tooth in her jaw, and Egyptologists are in possession of one of Hatshepsut's teeth, found in one of her canopic jars. The empty space and the tooth fit perfectly together, so it is proposed that this mummy is Hatshepsut. However, later on, the tooth was identified to be a molar from the lower jaw, whereas the missing tooth from the mummy is in the upper jaw. There is a lot more to this than I am writing about; this is the simplified version because there's a lot of scientific know-how one needs to fully understand the complications of trying to identify a nameless and displaced mummy.

If this mummy is Hatshepsut, then Hatshepsut died from bone cancer. Queens in the family of Hatshepsut are known to have had genetic skin irritation, and the lotions used by the Pharaoh were a carcinogenic, benzopyrene skin lotion, meaning that over time, as Hatshepsut attempted to soothe her irritated skin, she would've been giving herself cancer. Alongside that, she also had bad teeth, which is why one tooth is gone from her jaw––it was removed, and later caused an abscess, which may have also contributed to her death.

Removal from History

Eventually, as we all know, Hatshepsut was stricken from the record. Her names were carved out, smoothed over, or replaced with the names of her step-son, Thutmose III, who took over as Pharaoh when Hatshepsut passed into the west. Many images and statues of her were dismantled, destroyed and buried, and there was an attempt to wall up her monument at Karnak. The majority of this historical re-writing took place at the end of Thutmose III's reign, when he was co-reigning with his son, Amenhotep II.

It is not entirely clear why this was done, but there are several theories, and I find it likely that they were all true in some way, and all contributed to the defacing of Hatshepsut's legacy. For one, rule of Egypt is a traditionally male role, as is shown in the first king Osiris and His wife, Isis, who were mythologically the first to rule over Egypt. Egypt was very dependent on the idea of Ma'at, which represents truth, justice, and most importantly, balance. Having a female Pharaoh was an upset of the balance and an upset of tradition, so it might've been seen as prudent to erase Hatshepsut's memory of female rule. Another factor is that the reusing of monuments was a common and popular practice of Pharaohs; they would take the already-built monuments of previous Pharaohs and inscribe their own names in them, claiming they were built by them. This saved money and resources. The last factor that I would consider a prime reason would be Thutmose III's son, Amenhotep II.

Amenhotep II had a very shaky claim to the throne. He was not the son of the Great Royal Wife; instead, he was the son of a lesser wife, Merytre-Hatshepsut. Amenhotep II was also not the eldest son. The eldest son of Thutmose III was born of the Great Royal Wife Satiah, and his name was Amenemhat. But both Satiah and Amenemhat died, and so Amenhotep II was who Thutmose III resorted to when it came to passing on the throne. Amenhotep II, who was insecure in his claims to the throne, usurped many of the accomplishments, deeds, and monuments of Hatshepsut. He neglected to record the names of his Queens, and he eliminated the giving of power to women, erasing the titles of the Gods Wife of Amun, and other such positions which had the chance to give any power to women. In my opinion, truly an unpleasant man. But fortunately these titles were restored by his son Thutmose IV, and we are not here to talk about Amenhotep II.

Overview

Hatshepsut was a great Pharaoh who accomplished great things and presided over an incredibly prosperous time in Egyptian history. This is likely why her name was stricken from the record and the name of Sobekneferu, the previous Queen-Pharaoh, was not. Sobekneferu presided over a time of chaos, so it was not important to remove her, as her rule could stand as an example as to why it was against Ma'at for a female to rule as Pharaoh. But Hatshepsut was extremely successful, and for that, she was removed. She built great monuments, added to the prosperity and health of the people, honored the Gods, and was one of the most powerful Pharaohs in Egyptian history. We will likely never know why she did all of this; why she was dissatisfied with her position as the God's Wife of Amun, why she proclaimed herself Pharaoh over her husband's son. But nothing bad seemed to ever come from her reign, and she is now remembered as one of the most iconic figures in ancient Egyptian history.

[hurt-care]

It's allergy season and I was looking back through my old writings and found this short allergy-centric fic I wrote several years ago in response to a request. I don't know that I ever posted it here on Tumblr, but even if I did, there's a lot more people here than back in 2019 when I wrote it.

It's OCs, modern day setting, takes place in Egypt. Thom is a grad student in Archeology doing a practicum placement in Egypt. Turns out, there's still pollen and allergens in the desert... enjoy :)

---

The jingle of a cell phone ring broke through the cloud of white noise coming from the air purifier and the AC unit. Thom rolled over and reached for the phone, almost knocking it off the bedside table as he fumbled sleepily.

He squinted at the display and toggled the slider to answer.

“Mhm? Hello?”

“I'm out front. It's ten past.”

Thom sat up with a start and blinked at the clock across the room.

“Oh fuck. I'm sorry Asha, I overslept. Give me a few and I'll be right down.”

He kicked off the sheets and tore through his closet in the small flat for a fresh pair of khakis and a thin linen shirt. He splashed some water on his face and ate a banana quickly while he refilled his water bottle and searched for his baseball cap. Thankfully, his backpack was still stocked from the previous day of work, so he slung it over his shoulder, grabbed his keys, and raced down the two flights of stairs out into the busy Luxor street.

Though it was barely seven, the sun was already blazingly hot. Asha sat, idling her motorcycle and chatting with a street vendor.

“Sorry, sorry,” Thom said as he approached. 

“Doctor Rutledge is gonna kill us,” she said, pushing her helmet back down and handing the spare one to Thom. “Let's go.”

Thom sided onto the bike, put on the heavy face-shielded helmet, and took hold of Asha's waist. The bike roared to life and they sped off towards the dig site.

He'd first met Asha two months ago when he'd come to Egypt for his practical experience under the tutelage of renowned Egyptologist, Doctor Emila Rutledge. Asha was a daughter of Luxor, born and raised in the city and her knowledge of its winding streets and the surrounding archeological sights had proved very useful. She was a local assistant on the dig, helping with some of the more tedious sorting and packing of artifacts. And her motorbike was a much faster way to reach the desert than taking a bus and then walking.

They turned down a street leading out of the city and towards the Theban Necropolis dig site. The bike slowed as they turned down the side road and came to a halt where the road turned to sand.

They tugged off their helmets, the sweat dripping down their faces drying instantly in the arid climate. With Asha pushing the bike, they walked the last bit down the sandy path to the tents that marked the research areas. 

Thom blinked in the dry air and rubbed at his left eye, turning it a little pink. As they ducked under the canopy of the first tent, he cleared his throat and took a deep swig of his water bottle. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, capping the bottle and putting it back in his pack. “It's my fault. I didn't set a proper alarm.”

Doctor Rutledge looked up from her table of equipment and glared at him.

“There's limited time out here during the storm season,” she warned him. “Don't waste it being late.”

March and April in the desert meant sandstorms and sometimes they struck unexpectedly, plunging the camp into a fog of dust and undoing weeks of excavation work. Thankfully, none had hit the site thus far in the season.

Thom set down his things and turned to his work, Asha at his side, cataloguing a tray of rocks that had eroded off a nearby statue. 

“You alright?” she asked, looking at him critically. “Your eyes are kinda pink.”

He blinked and rubbed at his left one again. They did feel a bit gritty.

“Still half asleep,” he said. “Didn't have time for coffee.”

She laughed.

“You'll have to suffer until break then.”

Thom nodded and made a mark in his notebook about one of the artifacts. He rubbed the back of his hand to his nose distractedly, pawing away an itch.

In the distance, the air was growing murky and dim as a far-off storm kicked up sand into the air, turning the sky an unworldly red. 

His throat felt drier than usual out in the heat of the open desert. Putting his notebook down, he reached again for his water bottle.

“You sure you're fine?” Asha asked suspiciously. “Your eyes look awful.”

Thom pushed his water bottle cap shut and opened his mouth to answer her, but he was distracted by a sudden, very urgent itch. He wrinkled his nose and turned away, cupping his hands to his face.

Hurh-TSGHT!

“Blessings to you,” she offered. 

Thom sniffled and wiped at his nose. He could feel the familiar burning of an allergic reaction growing in his respiratory system and suddenly his stomach sank. In the haste of his departure that morning, he'd neglected to take his allergy medication.

He'd always been someone who struggled with allergies, to everything from cats to pollen to mold and dust. His youth had been full of inhalers on the sidelines of the soccer pitch, extra allergy pills packed for sleepovers, and his own air purifier for his college dorm room. Adulthood had not improved things as much as he'd hoped. He'd expected that the dry air of Egypt would be a relief to his hayfever, but he'd been warned about dust-storm season and the large amounts of pollen and mold and dust kicked up by the strong winds. The local pharmacy had put out a display of face masks only a week prior.

“Oh shit,” he groaned, digging through his backpack. Maybe he had some spare pills stowed away.

“What?” Asha asked.

“Ugh, my allergies,” he said, sniffling again. “I forgot my medicine this morning.”

“Wow, you really did fuck up the start of your day,” she teased. “You have allergies? Bad ones?”

“Yes, bad ones,” he said, reaching to the bottom of an outside pocket and feeling his rescue inhaler. At least that was some relief. “Bad enough to need a prescription daily.”

“And it's storm season,” she said. “The worst for that.”

“I've been told,” he said miserably. He could feel his eyes beginning to water and he ran his tongue along the top of his mouth and back towards his throat, trying to settle an itch.

Hhrr-TSGHHT!

He sneezed roughly into his shoulder.

“Well,” he said, pulling a bandanna out of his pack. “This might help a little.”

He tied the triangle of cloth over his nose and mouth, tucking the excess into the top of his shirt.

“Very mysterious,” Asha teased. “My work partner, Zorro.”

Thom went back to his notes, but concentrating was extremely difficult. He wrinkled his nose under the bandanna and tried to focus on his work, but the itching was too strong. 

Hehh-ehh-GSHTT!

A damp spot blossomed on the bandanna under his nose.

He clamped a hand over the fabric and pinched his nose, turning away from Asha.

NghT! Hehh...eh-TSGHT! Tsh'GXHT!

Three rapid stifles tumbled forward, held in by his fingers. 

Tsgh! Ehh-TSGH!

“Wow,” Asha said, watching. “You were not kidding.”

“No,” he said miserably, letting go of his nose. “This is pretty mild, actually. Usually I...I..hehhh...heh-TSGHT!”

He sneezed once again into the bandanna and tugged it free from his face, using it as a proper handkerchief. 

“I'll ask around to see if anyone else has some medicine,” Asha offered. “Sit down a minute.”

He sunk into a camp chair with the bandanna over his nose.

Hehh-ehhhh-GSHTT!

By the time she returned, his breath was growing wheezy and his eyes were swollen. He coughed hoarsely into his fist and swallowed hard.

“No luck,” she said.

“What going on over here?”

Doctor Rutledge was standing behind them, looking expectantly at them both.

“Thom is having an allergic reaction, Doctor,” Asha explained. “I was looking around to see if anyone had any medication.”

“And?”

“No one does,” she said. “I'm sorry, Thom.”

“That's okay,” he croaked. “I just need a minute. I—heh-SGHHT!”

He sneezed thickly into the bandana and pinched his nose before giving it a sharp blow.

“It's storm season, Thom,” Doctor Rutledge said. “The longer you're out here, the worse it'll get.”

Ehhh-GSXHTT!

He was starting to feel the strain in his lungs and he fished in his bag, curling his fingers around his rescue inhaler just in case.

“I think you should go back home, Thom,” Doctor Rutledge said. “It looks like the winds are headed this way.”

He could barely see her through his watering eyes.

“Are you sure, doctor? I could go work in one of those more covered tents across the way.”

“No, that isn't necessary. Asha, will you get him home?”

“Yes, I'll do that.”

Doctor Rutledge turned to head back to her work as Thom launched into another fit.

Ehh-tsxSHTT! Ngh'GSHT!

Thom curled in on himself, sneezing rapidly.

Tsgh-GSHT Tsh'GHT! TXGHT!

He blew his nose hard into bandana and surfaced from the fit with a wheezy gasp.

“Hold on,” he croaked, raising the inhaler. “I need this first.”

He took a puff and breathed in the medication, holding it in as long as he could before he started to cough and exhaled nosily.

Asha sighed sympathetically and held out her water bottle. He took a deep swig from it and thanked her.

“Let's go before you get worse,” she said.

They returned to the motorcycle, going slowly along the path because of Thom's swollen eyes. He shoved the helmet over his leaky face and climbed on the bike behind Asha.

The ride back into Luxor was a blur of exhausted sniffling and two very unpleasant sneezes inside the helmet before they pulled up in front of Thom's apartment.

“C'mon,” Asha said gently, taking his arm and leading him inside. He started to climb the two flights of stairs but on the first landing he was forced to pause as another fit took over, wrenching him forward with several forceful sneezes that tore out of him rapid-fire.

Hurhhh-TSGHHH! Ngh-TSGHHT! Hehh....ehh-TSCHHH!

They staggered up the next flight and into Thom's flat. He swallowed two of his prescription pills from the medicine cabinet before slouching down into his sofa and taking another puff of his inhaler.

“I thought leaving England would be the end of all this mess,” he said miserably.

“Oh no, we've got all our own special allergens here too. Storm season is infamous. I'm sure you've been told.”

“I have,” he said. “I probably would still be a bit of mess with my prescription, but I can't believe I managed to forgot taking it at all!”

“I guess we'll see,” Asha said. “There's two months of this dust. Maybe invest in a mask. Lots of people wear them this time of year.”

Eh-TSCHH!

Asha shoved a box of tissues across the coffee table towards Thom.

“And maybe invest in a few more of those too. Sounds like you might need them.”

[dragonageconfessions]

To SMC, I am the one who sent you a post about the Vegas trip I won. I just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations. We had an amazing time and everything in the Wynn was comped. We got VIP check in and they gave us this card to swipe whenever we went to to a restaurant. We even had free spa treatments. The buffets were incredible.

We rented a car for one day but the rest of the time we used Uber and we did go to Area 15 and the Omega Mart. We really had fun there. The Sphere was fantastic and we did talk to Aura and the first thing that came to my mind was Avina! We did the Neon Museum night tour. Everyone should do that tour once! So much history! We went to the mob museum. And we did go that ice bar. We went to Fremont street. We were to scared to do the zipline but it was was fun to explore and we went in one of the older casinos. My sister won 400 dollars on a slot. We went to the Mirage and got pics and souvenirs.

Oh and you were right about Circus Circus. Its really rundown and sort of smells.

Oh and for the giggles we went to the Cosmopolitan and ate at Eggslut and took pics by it.

It was a great trip and both of us want to go again in the future but we know we will never have the same experience like we had at the Wynn

Sounds like you had a fantastic time. And thankfully you beat the heatwave! Vegas broke several heat records a few weeks ago as it hit 120 there for a couple of days.

I had completely forgotten about Eggslut!!

The Mirage is officially closed. Its a shame because it was still a really nice resort. I don't think Vegas needs a Guitar shaped hotel but...its what it is.

We enjoyed the Sphere too. Talking to Aura was just so surreal and the lobby looked very futuristic.

My brother say Circus Circus smells like bad BO, stale beer, and despair. This was the place our parents took us when we were kids. We went one time to see how much of it has changed and we were just grossed out to see that it hasn't changed. And honestly I would never let kids run off on their own there nowadays. Circus Circus needs to be demolished. Its just gross. Families are better off at the Excalibur.

Whenever I go to the minus 5 icebar I always get a cold but everyone needs to go there at least once for the experience.

I love the spas in Vegas. I've never been to the one in the Wynn. I've been to the Awana at Resorts World and Canyon Ranch at the Venetian.

Staying at the Wynn is definitely an experience but there are some moderately priced resorts out there where the rooms are clean and they do have their attractions and such. I will always avoid Circus Circus and the Luxor though.

I never did the zipline at Fremont but my brother and my guy did while my brother in law and I just watched. I'm not that brave and it has had break downs before with people being trapped up there.

Glad you had a great time. :)

For anyone curious, this is Eggslut. The egg salad sandwich I had there was like 10 bucks.