The Cry Of A Mockingbird •Dio Brando X Reader•

•Fourteen•

“Vex!” You groaned as you entered the booth to Kaliah’s meeting place. Elijah quickly stood up, so fast you thought his heart and organs might leap through his throat. “Vex, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“Save it for someone who actually cares,” You stated harshly, yanking the chair beside him out before plopping yourself in the seat with a huff. “I don’t care about it anymore.”

Elijah eased himself back into the seat beside you, glancing at the bruising on your neck. It looked better than it did the last time he saw you, which was when James had kicked him out of his apartment in order to not disturb your sleep. Heavens know you didn’t get very much of it, and when you did, you could wake up at the sound of a single sheet of paper hitting the floor. When Elijah had arrived, he hadn’t got two steps in the living room before Harry, Samantha, and James were shooting up and shoving him out the front door. 

“Are you alright?” He mumbled.

“I’m fine, now drop it. Before I get pissed off and chop your finger off,” You warned, making him shut his mouth. 

“Is this everyone?” A voice behind you said, making you silently roll your eyes before turning back to look at the old woman who stood in the doorway. Her hair had been pinned up, and she was wearing an ugly green dress with an ugly pair of shoes. Kaliah looked exasperated.

“Just the two of us,” Elijah stated, following her movements with his eyes as she moved around the table, and sat down across from the both of you. 

“Right,” She muttered, shaking her head. “I’m so scatterbrained today.”

“Well unscrambled yourself,” You said. “I have other things I need to do today.”

“Yes, yes, I know. I do as well; can’t you give me time to talk?” She said. 

“You’re talking but I don’t hear anything about money,” You responded, raising an eyebrow at her. 

“A party,” She sighed. 

“A party?” Elijah repeated. 

“The Joestar’s are holding a formal ball, and we are attending it,” Kaliah explained. 

“And I assume we are playing bodyguard again to sneak off?” You questioned.

“No, not this time. For you at least,” She said. You and Elijah shared a glance at each other.

“What do you mean?” Elijah asked.

“Vex,” Kaliah said, turning her attention to you. “I picked you for this because you can pass off as a woman. You’re small, lean, and skinny. I could fit you into a dress,”

Your eyes went as wide as tea saucers. “Oh hell no. I will not be put in a dress!”

“You have to! I’m getting a larger sum of money this time, and most of it will go to you. You do understand that I am in charge here. You will abide by my orders, and I am ordering you to do this,” She said sternly.

“But a dress?! Why not some slack and a dress shirt?!” You said in horror.

“You’re involved with Dio Brando,” Kaliah stated. “He trusts you and he knows you, therefore both of you will be our distraction.”

“Yes, I’ll be a distraction! I’ll be stumbling around like a damn idiot!” You yelled.

“We have exactly six days to get you ready. I’ve already hired a dance instructor and a team of seamstresses to prepare your dress. You are going with me to my manor, and I’ll fill you in on the rest there. Elijah,” She then turned to the confused redhead beside you. “You will be sneaking off and finding George’s office, but this time, you’ll be planting papers there. After they are planted, you are to return to me, and we will stay for the rest of the party to not raise suspicion again. Do both of you understand this?”

There were some hesitation and some reluctance, but you and Elijah nodded. “Good,” Kaliah said, standing up. “Now come with me, Vex.”

…

“Sit still!” The old woman hissed as you reeled away from her. 

“Get your hands off me you hag!” You snarled and she grabbed you and yanked you back down, making water splash onto the floor. “I can wash myself, dammit! I’m not incapable! And this water is freezing!”

Kaliah scoffed as she massaged a dollop of soap into your hair. “Stop complaining! If I let you wash yourself, you’ll never be clean!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” You barked. “You dirty-” Water was dumped over your head, making you glare at her through the strands of wet hair dripping in front of your face. Your eye twitched in annoyance. 

“You look like a wet cat,” The woman sighed. 

“I’m a rat,” You said, spitting some water at her and making her recoil in disgust. “Not a cat.”

“Get out,” She said, gathering a towel. You stood up from the metal basin, making sure you splashed some water on her before snatching the towel away from her and wrapped your body in it. “Sit there.”

“I am not a dog,” You growled.

“Oh shut up,” She huffed, forcing you down in the seat. She took a new towel and began drying your hair with it. You looked in the mirror placed carefully on the vanity and surprise washed over you. Without all the dirt and scum on your face, you were a lighter skin tone than you thought. Your face was mostly clear now and smooth now without the grime, but one thing still remained; the scar on your lip. 

“You aren’t a bad looking person once you get cleaned up,” Kaliah complemented. “You should wear your hood down more. Maybe then you’ll find a husband.”

“I don’t want one, nor will I ever,” You huffed as she tossed the towel away after your hair had been mostly dried. 

“Why not? You’ve got the looks for it,” She said. “Or are you interested in women? If-”

“I am interested in nobody,” You cut her off, glaring at her through the mirror. “I don’t wish to be wed. It’s too much work.”

“You are going to have children though, won’t you?” She asked, brushing your hair out. 

“No,” You replied. Kaliah paused her actions of brushing your hair and gazed at you through the mirror. For a moment, it looked as if she were sad. 

“It’s a shame you aren’t,” She said quietly. “You would be an excellent mother.”

You didn’t reply, instead you watched her carefully. She brushed your hair gently before separating it into three parts. Your hair was a little longer than before so she decided to braid it. As she twisted the strands, you noticed the cloudiness in her eyes and the sadness washing over her face. You looked down at the jeweled hair piece on the vanity. You knew it wasn’t Kaliah’s; she’d never worn it before at least, and made you wonder if maybe she’d had a daughter. She was acting motherly towards you, so maybe she had a child in the past. Either way, it was none of your business, so you didn’t ask. You just let the woman do her thing to your hair, and then once she was done, you left without another word to her. 

Samantha bounced to you in the chair you sat in, holding a string with a bow attached, and the brush for her hair. She sat down in the floor between your legs, and you mimicked how you saw Kaliah doing it. It took about an hour and many times of undoing the knotted twists, but eventually, you figured it out.

“Oh, Y/n!” The little girl exclaimed, standing on the stool in the bathroom as she looked in the faded mirror. Her blonde hair was french braided from the top of her head down to the ends of her hair, stopping just under her shoulderblades. “I love it!”

You smiled softly, a sight that was rare, even to her.