USELESS

The break was honestly a relief for her swollen lips, cause while Dio might’ve been undead, Celestia desperately needed some airflow to clear her mind. Her bloodied chest rose and fell while she caught her breath, her tongue briefly peeking out to clear the impromptu lipstick of her own lifeblood.

But the moment of reverie didn’t last long, and Celestia tried and failed to swallow the squeal of surprise when she doubled in height, tugging at Dio’s hair like a pair of reigns to steady herself. When she was assured they weren’t about to keel over, she looked down and — oh. Oh. Wow, first thing?

Oh, she really liked him.

Realistically she should’ve been scandalized by the destruction of another article of the precious little clothes she had, but she really could not bring herself to care, and any notion of being miffed got snuffed out by the song of her nerves when he dove in like a man starved.

“ Oh—! ”

Dio’s tongue was cold, which only served to enhance the feeling of him thrusting the muscle into her insides. Celestia arched her back against the cool marble of the pillar and with a clench of her thighs around his head, she ground her weeping pussy into his mouth, a low moan rumbling from her throat.

A man starved was a rather apt description, and he would have wholeheartedly agreed provided he could hear her thoughts.

As things stood, he was proving it in his own way. Words were a powerful tool for Dio, they always had been. His silver tongue had swayed countless others to his side in his quest for ever more power and prestige. But let it not be said that he wasn’t a man of action when push came to shove. There was always a certain amount of satisfaction in getting his hands dirty, and this was no exception. His silver tongue most certainly had more than one use... As Celestia was experiencing firsthand.

The sun goddess sitting on his shoulders proved to be ever more delicious, and much to his delight, ever more insatiable. She had seemed so prim and proper when she had introduced herself, and now... Well look at her. Moaning for him. Pressing her soaked pussy into his mouth, yearning for more and more of the pleasure that only he, Dio, could give her.

He was happy to oblige.

Dio moved his tongue every which way inside of her, trying to find that magic combination that would drive her wild. He would know when he found it when she was pulling on his hair so hard that she might rip it out. But that was the benefit to being a vampire. No matter how badly she could damage him, he would recover almost instantly. Oh, and he wanted her to go wild. Let loose the beast that was hidden underneath the goddess’s skin and tear him asunder.

Celestia continued to mewl as blood ran down her collar, disappearing into the valley of her breasts while the vampire fed — her eyelids became heavy as she fought to stay alert, head starting to swim from the rush of endorphins and blood loss. But just as suddenly, he reluctantly wrenched himself away from her flushed neck, the princesses eyes flying open with a gasp at the sensation. Immediately she went to ghost her fingers over the bloody puncture wounds, the remnants of a dull pain beating in time with her heart left behind. Relief briefly flooded her as he did in fact not drain her like a juice box then and there. Right as she locked eyes with Dio he dove in to kiss her once more, sharing the freshly stolen blood.

Celestia couldn’t help but make a face at the odd taste; she wasn’t prepared for how sweet the iron would be, but that didn’t mean she was going to turn down another ravenous make out session with her new lover. She felt his hands briefly leave her — and then clutch her with renewed vigor and finally starting to grind his leotard covered bulge against her equally clothed mound. The fabric was uncomfortably damp by now, so much so that she had to snake a hand down to ease the way it was starting to wedge into her labia and she sighed into Dio’s mouth.

Celestia was soaked, that much was obvious. He could feel her arousal rubbing up against his leotard, most certainly giving a new shine to the spandex. The fact that Celestia had to sneak a hand down to offer herself some much needed relief... It was time. They had both reached the point of impatience where it was becoming more annoying than fun. And speaking of fun...

Dio relented on his assault on her lips and took a moment to admire his handiwork. She looked lovely with her lips stained with her own blood. There was a haziness to her eyes, and he could not tell if she was dazed from the blood loss or from the pleasure. Likely both. And it was about to get so much worse for her.

Before she could complain about his ceasefire, Dio hoisted her up onto his shoulders. He kept her leaning against the pillar for support while her thighs cradled his face between them. It was there that he got the most direct exposure to the scent of her arousal, and dear god, this woman needed him bad. It stroked his ego something fierce, and that much was obvious between his own legs.

Her eyebrows rose with interest when he reacted to her touch so viscerally, the pad of her thumb circling it in comfort when he growled in warning. If he was willing to share they could get into that story later, but right now, Celestia agreed wholeheartedly with his sentiment.

“ I’d much rather as well — ” She managed to reply after he stole one last crushing kiss, cooing with pleasure when he nipped and licked down her jaw and neck, leaving behind a trail of scratches and welts. Celestia could tell she was going to be all kinds of tender and sore around her throat, and her insides clenched in anticipation — as well as her thighs around him.

With all the attention laved at her skin, she probably should’ve seen the real bite coming, but that didn’t stop her body from tensing up suddenly as she hissed in pain. The feel of his fangs slicing through her skin was extremely alien and a little scary, but the suction of his lips coupled with steady laps from his tongue provided some comfort. Steadily, the pain dulled and allowed her to focus on the racing of her heart, pumping more blood into the maw of Dio.

Delicious. He had gotten but a small sample before, and that had been enough to make him salivate for more. But this... this was a veritable feast! Bloody ichor trailed down his chin and dripped onto her shoulder as he greedily took in her essence. Celestia was, by far, the most delectable morsel he had ever tasted, and he just wanted more, more, more! It was the greatest high!

And yet... he had to pace himself. He could not drain her entirely, or even partly. True, he could completely indulge himself now, but then what would be left for later? Moderation was key...

Besides, if he drained her of her blood now, he couldn’t fuck her.

God, it had been centuries since Celestia had been taken like this. The feel of his hands possessively gripping the generous flesh of her hips as he seemed determined to swallow every sound she made and more. The hands holding onto his arms migrated upwards, over his wide shoulders and around his neck where her fingers tangled in his unruly blond mane. 

Celestia’s nails gently grazed the raised scar tissue, the deepness of the cut making her briefly wonder if he had been beheaded in the past — but Dio carelessly tossed that train of thought out the window by hoisting her up and pressing something even Celestia was familiar with against her crotch. The motion caused her lips to slip off his for a moment, giving her only a split second to suck in a breath of air before he quickly recaptured them and his fang briefly nicked her lip.

If he was so determined to devour her, Celestia’d let him.

Dio’s eyes widened and he let out an involuntary hiss of breath as her nails caressed the jagged scar that adorned his neck. It was a wound that refused to heal, no matter how much blood he consumed. Jojo... his body was the only one worthy of carrying him, Dio, and yet it rejected him at every turn. Was it due to the Hamon arts that Jonathan had practiced? Or was the spirit of his most worthy opponent still inhabiting his headless body? It was through sheer force of will that Dio continued to make the body his own. Day by torturous day, the body became less Jonathan and more Dio.

Of course, that still made the scar that marked the joining point extremely sensitive.

“Careful now, Celestia...” He growled playfully. “That scar has a sordid story. One that I’m not in the mood for.” Dio bit down on her bottom lip. “I’d much rather give you some of your own.”

Dio pushed her against a nearby pillar, holding her up as he continued his relentless assault on her lips. He was devouring her all right... But perhaps it was time to make that all the more literal. His lips trailed down from her lips to her jaw and then all the way to her neck, leaving a trail of teeth marks on his way. His tongue lashed out and tasted her skin, his cold breath dancing over it like a gentle winter wind.

He was preparing her.

Brushing her long hair out of the way, she closed her eyes fully expecting him to delicately unlace her in a moment of intimacy, only to be jolted out of her reverie by the loud noise of expensive fabric bring ripped to shreds like tissue paper. Celestia naturally yelped in surprise and spun around to complain about warning her before doing something so rash, but he effectively distracted her by pulling her in to collide her bare chest to his clothed one.

Celestia inhaled sharply at the sensation, looking down at her squished breast and noting how… nice the pressure felt. But the pleasure didn’t stop there, the sensation of claws raking across her skin causing her back to arch further into him, lips parting in shape of his name.

“Dio—”

That’s all she managed to get out before the vampire smashed his lips onto hers, the first thing she could taste being a hint of iron. With a muffled noise of pleasure, she leaned into the kiss, hands reaching up to grasp at his biceps in an attempt to ground herself. Spikes of pleasure were starting to pierce her core from the way he gripped her so passionately, and the princess was starting to get uncomfortable in the surviving pair of panties hugging her hips and mound.

The way she whispered his name like a prayer was music to his ears. As a boy growing up in the Joestar Manor, the foyer had been graced by a statue of Nike, the Goddess of Victory. Dio had always found that rather fitting. It was a symbol of his inevitable success, or at least he liked to think so. And now... such a goddess was praying to him, Dio. By the time the night was done, she would be doing a lot more than praying.

Celestia would be worshipping him.

It wasn’t of any surprise to him. Gods and goddesses were always a randy lot in the stories. It was said that it was difficult to tell who took more lovers, Zeus or Aphrodite. Such ravenous appetites seemed to run in the family. The same was so obviously true of Celestia. Although she struck Dio as being more akin to Hera. Regal, reserved, everything a queen should be.

It was so painfully obvious how much Celestia had been denying her true nature if she was already so eagerly giving herself to him. He wanted to uncage that beast that was buried within her.

When they touched down, Celestia was thankful for feeling the ground beneath her once more, releasing her death grip on Dio after a moment of stability. She chuckled at his attempt to fish for her appreciation, shamelessly feeling up her hips to keep her close. Now that he knew she wasn’t harmful to him, it seems he couldn’t get enough of touching her in whatever little way possible… it was kinda endearing.

“ Thank you, Dio, ” he couldn’t know that she flew on the regular in Equestria, so she spoke genuinely, even if she found it funny. A flush returned to her cheeks when he reminded her of the purpose of this visit, and so she followed his lead into the building, marvelling at the differences in structure and furniture. Celestia noted how bipedals needed much less space to sit or lay down, but Dio didn’t look impressed. Curiosity peaked at where he could possibly come from that this place didn’t hold a candlelight to, but that would be for another conversation. A coherent one.

Remembering his comment from before, Celestia became curious and investigated her dress for any indication of how it worked and how she was supposed to take it off without damaging the one piece of clothing she’d been gifted. Twisting her arm in an attempt to search her back, she found her dress was laced up in the back which was further supported by a look in a nearby mirror. The tricky part was how intricate it looked, and less than confident in her motor skills of limbs she had received less than half an hour ago, she turned to the help of her host.

“ …Could you help me with this, Dio? ”

“It would be my pleasure.” Dio purred as he took a long moment to examine her dress. He took in every detail, but particularly how it hugged her form. He’d blatantly ogled her before, but now they were in the well-lit abode of his suite instead of a moonlit courtyard. She was... perfect, quite frankly. Worthy of every epithet he had given her so far. A true goddess in human form.

Which was why he was all the more eager to taste her.

His fingers nimbly took hold of one of the laces... And then he decided to hell with it. Dio grabbed onto a chunk of fabric and pulled with just a fraction of his might. The dress tore off of her form easily, tearing off like paper mache. And then, there she was, revealed to him in all of her glory...

Dio took a moment to stare, just a single moment.

But then his impatience got the better of him. He grabbed Celestia and pulled him taught against him, their chests pressing together. His clawed fingers roamed down her back, leaving the gentlest of scratches. A promise of how he would mar and claim that perfect skin soon enough.

Celestia only shot him an unimpressed look at the unoriginal innuendo, but if she was going to say anything about it, she was abruptly cut off by a powerful arm snaking around her and pressing her body against his spandex covered chest. Instinctively she held onto the forearm supporting her, about to ask why he was clinging so tightly to her until he leapt several stories into the air like gravity was optional.

“ WHOA—! ” Her eyes went wide at the ground suddenly plummeting beneath her as they rose into the sky, uselessly kicking her feet for a moment until she just curled them as close to her body they could get. Her dress flapped wildly in the wind and Celestia found she was grateful for the shorts underneath her skirt.

But after a short moment, Celestia managed to get over the shock from the unexpected take-off — the princess still clung to Dio in fear of slipping through his fingers, but she could finally take a moment to appreciate the sight she was given. The architecture of this world look so much more modern and simplistic than the average pony home, the only equivalent she could think of being Manehattan. It looked so densely populated as well…

Glancing at her courier out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an odd new aura around his being, one she could only describe as gold and powerful… something ancient. And stranger yet, it gave her the feeling it wasn’t just the two of them anymore.

Part of the reason he had decided on this method of transportation over merely calling his limo was her reaction. As he soared towards his penthouse suite (that he ever so generously liberated from its former occupants upon his arrival), she clung tightly to him. It gave her the chance to truly appreciate his magnificent body, and the thrill of being so high off the ground... Well, she struck him as a thrill seeker anyway.

To say nothing of the gorgeous sight it afforded them. There was no easier way to between a woman’s legs than to show them the stars up close and personal.

It was not long before the two of them landed onto the roof of the hotel he was staying at. He loosened his grip on her slightly, but still kept hold of her. His hand rested on her hips, not so subtly molding to her curve, grasping her. “I afforded you something that very few people ever get to experience.” Dio preened, always eager to show off. “Now come. As much as I enjoy seeing the wind blow your dress every which way, it will be more productive to take it off inside.”

The princess could help but purse her lips sceptically at his arrogance shining through, but she wasn’t entirely surprised. She was familiar with his type by now, but honestly? She couldn’t fault him. It was embarrassing, but she had to choice but to resign herself to that fact that yes, she did want to get bitten and… possibly what else followed. Admitting it aloud was the hard part though.

She couldn’t helo fluttering her eyes shut, a shaky sigh leaving her lips as his hand traced her waist and hips, finger toying with the thin fabric of her dress — oh god right they were currently fondling each other on school grounds.

In a sudden moment of sobriety, she wrenched her face out of his hand with a blush, the hands on his chest sliding down to rest over his hand on her thigh as she gathered herself.

She looked down, a little bashful at her prior and soon, future actions…

“ Alright, Dio — I’ll come. ”

Dio’s smirk only widened. “Yes, you will. A considerable amount by the time the sun rises, in fact.” His gaze took on a sense of smug satisfaction, like she was only confirming something he already knew. It had been inevitable, really. Her interest had been palpable the moment she had taken the moment to really take in his form. 

Although, the true deciding factor had been the revelation that she was the embodiment of the Sun. Once he had been made aware of this... there was no doubt in his mind. He would have her, and she would like it.

Without even the slightest of warnings, Dio grabbed Celestia by the waist and pulled her taught against his chest. He kicked off of the ground and soared into the sky, the shimmering form of The World overlapping him. Not that she could see it, as far as he was aware.

It was a curious phenomenon, and yet one that had been proven time and again. Once a Stand reached a certain amount of power, it granted the user the ability to fly. As far as he knew, it was not a development that was limited to the type of Stand, but rather, the capability of the user. And who was more capable than he, Dio?

Celestia’s stance suddenly wasn’t as firm as it used to be, and she did little else than stare when Dio caged her to the base of the statue with a predatory look. His eyes looked like they had been tainted by the blood he just tasted, crimson and dark in nature as he drank her in, specifically her neck. The inhumanly cold air breathed across her collar caused her to tense, and the following press of his tongue stole her breath.

Even if his tongue wasn’t as warm as it should’ve been, the feeling of it laving at her jugular was no less hair-raising, if not more so. His claws dug into her jaw as he tilted it further up to bury his face in the junction of her neck and shoulder, and she released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

But when the edge of his canine grazed her skin with a promise, a preservative instinct kicked in and her palms rose to press against his chest warningly. She stared at the three moles along his earlobe as something seemed to brim at her fingertips, a fire dancing just underneath her skin waiting to be unleashed. Celestia’s chest heaved faster than normal, attempting to calm the warning bells telling her she was about to get her throat torn open in a stupid attempt to prove he truly was a vampire. His temperature, lack of pulse and inhuman eyes were proof enough by now, so did she really have to go further and trust this man with her life? The vampire she just met not more than 20 minutes ago?

She was immediately brought out of her haze when he brought attention to her unconscious arousal with an embarrassingly smug lilt in his voice. Ready to open her mouth in protest she realized with a clench of her thighs that she really was enjoying this a lot more than she ought to. The princess knew her taste could be unorthodox at times, but this was to another extent entirely.

“ …And what of it, Dio? ”

“It’s hardly your fault.” Dio cooed with an expression so smug that it became extremely apparent that he actually had been raised by British nobility. “I have a certain animal magnetism about me. I’m endowed, attractive, dangerous... And that was all before I turned myself into a vampire. Now those traits have been magnified tenfold!”

The vampire chuckled to himself as his free hand trailed down her side, feeling the curves that her dress showed off so perfectly. His thumb brushed against those clenched thighs, not going any further than that, but promising that he did not need to check between her legs to tell how enjoyable this was.

“Of course, some men and women simply... have an affinity for my kind. Thrillseekers. Those who want to live, truly live, for a night. Good girls who want nothing more than to fall into temptation and debauchery, to let loose and be who they truly are... Oh, tell me I’m wrong, Celestia.”

Celestia watched him guide her hand across his body with a combination of fascination, embarrassment, and dawning horror when she truly felt no life under his skin. She felt the raised texture of the scar circling his neck curiously, and soon the pads of her fingers rested on his smirking lip. By now, she was sufficiently flustered by the odd groping session he had imposed on her. But just as she was about to pull her hand away, Dio revealed his fangs and sunk the tip into her skin and Celestia flinched as a bead of blood pooled to the surface.

The blush on her face roared back up to life when he tasted her essence, his eyes even widening when he found that she tasted good. Celestia was frozen in place with her lips parted in disbelief of it all, eyes flicking between her wounded finger and his unbreaking eye contact.

Would you like a different demonstration?

When the proposition registered in her mind, she suddenly tore her hand away from his face, subconsciously moving it to protectively grasp at her throat — smearing some blood on her collarbone from her cut finger in the process. She knew what he wanted, and a mix of dread and something else pooled in her gut at the thought of it.

“ I— ”

“So suddenly lost for words?” Dio purred, his gaze firmly glued to her collarbone. Her dark, unblemished skin was stained red with her own blood. An ichor that he now craved. The vampire licked his lips and took another step closer. He was feeling rather peckish, now that he was thinking about it... And that drop of blood sparked his appetite something fierce. He wanted more of that ambrosia. He wanted more of this goddess’s blood.

His clawed hand shot out and pushed Celestia against the base of the statue. Not the same side she had stumbled through, but the adjacent side. No tumbling back through the doorway now. Dio kept her pinned, his body dangerously close to her own. His breath was so cold that it came out like steam, and his eyes had turned to a bloody crimson from the amber they had been moments before.

“Wryyyy...” Dio growled as he leaned in. He took a moment to examine her, forcefully tilting her head back to get a better look at her neck. So much blood trailing across the edge of it... Such a waste. Dio leaned further in and pressed his tongue to her skin, licking up the blood that stained it so. His fangs dragged across her neck, putting pressure on her skin without puncturing it... Although he greatly desired to drink her from the source.

And then... his superior sense of smell picked up a rather peculiar smell in the air.

She did not expect him to touch her out of nowhere like that. Much less did she expect his touch to feel so cold on her face, the lacquered claws trailing her skin prompting her hairs to stand on edge. At first she was wondering over why he looked so invigorated by the strange action, but then it became clear: he fully expected to have been burned on the spot by her solar connection.

“ Vampire — ? ” Her voice was one of disbelief — how could it not be? Even in Equestria, they were a foal’s tale. Did this world truly hold things of legends such as vampires? Her tumultuous thoughts at this revelation showed on her face, her brow drawn in suspicion as she looked at his outstretched arm cradling her face.

“ …Surely you jest. ” Celestia squinted challengingly at the supposed vampire, one of her hands reaching up to hold onto his arm, thumb experimentally pressing against the inside of his wrist as she searched for an elusive pulse.

“Do I?” He sneered, baring his fangs for her to see. Dio grabbed hold of the hand that was fruitlessly searching for a pulse it would not find. He kept it pressed against his skin, letting her fingers trail over the rippling muscles that his outfit just barely concealed, as he dragged it up his arm, past his neck, and to his mouth. Dio he forced her to prick her finger on one of his fangs, and when the blood inevitably began to drip, he gave her finger an experimental lick.

Oh. Her taste was... unusual. Delicious in a way he was not expecting. All blood was not created equal. It was akin to sampling a selection of wines. Usually he found younger souls more appealing, but there was something about her blood... A fine vintage. Ancient, even. Yet it was the most savory thing he’d feasted on in his life. He wanted more.

Celestia paused. It wasn’t the first time she’d been called as such, but what gave him the idea she was holy? Did she have some power he could sense?

“ Goddess is a generous term… but I suppose you wouldn’t be far off, ” she answered cryptically. The way he spoke implied he was no mortal man, so maybe they had something in common. But bearing such sharp fangs and talons…

“ I have a bond that allows me to live longer than most if that’s what you’re asking. It’s what powers my very being… the sun. I hold it’s power. ” As for whether or not she was a true goddess, that was up for debate. Something to be theorized for another time perhaps if this Dio fellow turned out to be harmless.

“ It depends on your definition of a god… but what of you? What makes you a pinnacle above ‘man’? ”

The Sun. The Sun. The Sun.

The word rang in his ears like hymn that could not be exorcised. This heavenly woman... was connected to that which he could not touch. She was a light contrasted with his darkness. His one weakness... his greatest weakness... was embodied in this goddess of a woman. Celestia.

It was at that moment that an irresistible urge came over the vampire. One that could prove to be his doom, and yet... Without bothering to ask for permission, because since when did he ever, Dio reached out and... caressed her cheek with his clawed fingers. He looked almost peaceful while he did so, like he had accepted some horrible fate for the briefest of moments, yet considered it to be worth it... A fate that never came.

She was the embodiment of the sun. By all rights, she should be poison to him. And yet... He did not burst into flames when he touched her. His caress had not resulted in his immediate disintegration...

And at that, Dio couldn’t help himself. He broke out into laughter. It was a loud, cruel thing, and yet it carried another emotion as well, one entirely uncommon to him. Relief. In a manner of speaking, he had done it. He had touched the sun for the first time in more than a century.

“ Do you now? ” Celestia questioned in a low voice, cocking her head at Dio. There seemed to be no point in concealing the mirror’s magical potential from the man, but if he wanted a closer look he’d have to go through her first.

“ Beings like you… would they happen to be just as unnatural as well? ” She was curious now. He spoke of fate before, so maybe he was somehow drawn to the magic leaking from the portal. But it didn’t look like he came from her world — he didn’t seem to recognize her at all.

When he met her approach with one of his own, her eyes shifted down to size him up. The muscles didn’t look like a joke, she’d give him that — they looked to be the same height though, and Celestia wasn’t any weakling either. He’d find he wouldn’t be able to shove past her so easily, but perhaps that wouldn’t be something she’d have to worry about in the first place — Dio looked so much more interested in her, strangely enough.

The statue had been all but forgotten by this point. Its mysteries remained, but it wasn’t all too difficult to figure it out. An illusion, perhaps? To conceal a hidden entrance... To where, he did not know, but that seemed to be the function. A doorway to... something. Alas, he was less interested in where it led to than he was in the person that had stumbled through.

It was a strange feeling, having someone on his level. Quite literally, at that. Ever since he had claimed Jojo’s body, he had towered over all. There was no one that matched him in height... until her. Her stature was as grand as his own. He could not look down on her, no, he was forced to meet her violet gaze head on.

“It depends on how one defines the unnatural.” Dio practically purred. “If such things arise naturally, are they not natural? But the common man has no inclination of their existence, and thus they are regarded as the opposite of normality. But what would an ant know of the hawk that soars far above it?”

Dio’s grin only widened, baring his fangs. “I, Dio, am a pinnacle. The height that man has ever sought to reach, but it remains mine, and mine alone.” And yet, the more he looked at her... Dio’s smirk was wiped from his face, and it was replaced by a rather inquisitive expression.

“Yet... when I gaze upon your splendor, I can’t help but feel that there is a new height to be reached. Like a mere mortal looking upon Hera herself. What are you, Celestia? A goddess? Or something more?”

Uh oh. Seems he’d picked up on the magical properties of the statue.

But before she could really worry about that fact, he began to approach her, his features finally coming into view instead of shielded by the moonlight. The first thing she noticed was his eyes — a striking shade of amber which seemed to subtly shift into something deeper the longer Celestia looked.

“ Fate? ” the way he spoke of her was puzzling, even with the strange compliments thrown in. He clearly regarded her as no ordinary person, and he looked fascinated in his own strange way. But the way he was taking her in was in no way innocent and the closer he got, the urge to step back began growing. But Celestia didn’t feel right standing down — so she met his curiosity with a step forward instead. The princess wasn’t about to be caged by some strange man, especially with how vulnerable she felt without her wings or horn.

“ …My name is Celestia. ” She didn’t miss how commanding he spoke and she wasn’t sure if she liked it. Whoever he may be, Celestia wasn’t about to let herself get talked down to. So she fired back with her own questions, punctuated with another step forward.

“ You were told of this statue? By whom? ”

“Celestia...” Dio whispered, testing the name on his lips. “Heavenly...” His gaze became infinitely sharper with the revelation of her name. How... interesting. That he, Dio, would be searching for his own path to heaven ever since he was freed from his watery grave. Oh how he had toiled, how he had philosophized. What was heaven, truly? He had long since discarded the notion of that Judeo-Christian nonsense. For if there were actually a god, then he, Dio, would have never wound up like this to begin with. Not that he was complaining, but he was far more the devil’s son.

Heaven. What an elusive concept... It haunted him. What would be his heaven? It was a question that he had debated with Pucci rigorously. The boy priest had his own ideas, influenced by his faith as he was. Dio... took a different approach. Heaven, to him, was being untouchable. Unassailable. Inevitable. To lord over all of existence, secure in the idea that he would never have to answer to anyone but himself ever again. Heaven was dominion over all things.

And yet, evidently, it was also this woman. Celestia. It made him want to cackle from the irony.

Celestia jumped at the sudden announcement of another presence, head whipping up to see a man basked in the moonlight a small distance away from her. She must’ve been so taken by her body she somehow missed the blond man who… clearly saw her tumble out of the statue. Right.

“ Oh! ” She swiftly dropped her skirts, a little mortified to have been checking herself out while he was watching. A bead of sweat collected on her temple when she locked eyes with him, his gaze sharp and piercing as he seemed to scrutinize her.

“ I didn’t see you there, excuse me, ” she flashed a kind smile to show goodwill, but he didn’t seem ready to return the gesture. The way he spoke… was oddly strange and somehow detached. Already he was feeling off to her.

“ …Dio? ” Celestia repeated his name curiously — if her memory served right, that was Italian, correct?

“ I… apologize for stumbling in so suddenly, but I promise it’s nothing to worry about, sir. ” Pushing herself off the marble statue, she wobbled a little in her heels but stayed upright as she smoothed out her dress. He must’ve been pretty shaken by her abrupt entrance, so she met his gaze again with honest eyes, hoping to dissuade any suspicion.

He returned her smile in turn, but unlike her genuine and polite smile of assurance... his was a predatory smirk, like a wolf who had come across a trapped rabbit all on its lonesome. “I don’t see why you feel the need to apologize to me. I am clearly not the one inconvenienced here”

Dio had noticed the way that she had been enraptured with her form. He suppose he couldn’t blame her. She was... very well proportioned, and he could not spot a single blemish that marred her. And yet... It was almost as if she was not used to her own limbs. A shapeshifter, perhaps? He had employed one or two before. Useful Stand users that excelled in espionage.

Stepping forward into the moonlight, Dio revealed himself to the woman. “I must admit, when I was told about the strange properties of this statue, this... was the last thing I could have expected. And for such a picturesque stunner to stumble out of marble much like Aphrodite rising out of the seafoam, on the occasion I had decided to examine it myself... It almost feels like... Fate.”

The more the gap between them shortened, the more he felt it. Her power. It was instinctual. There was something about her that made him want to flee. There was a deadliness about her that set off alarm bells, and yet... That only intrigued him all the more.