Chapter Text
Prologue: About a Girl
“You are no longer our daughter!”
“I was never your daughter.”
And with that, the front door of a grand villa slammed shut, the sound of the impact and the click of the lock resonating in the crisp evening air. A young girl, no older than sixteen, stood glaring at the rich mahogany that made up the door and its frame. She adjusted the small bag that was slung over her shoulder before quickly turning on her heel and beginning the long walk off the property. She began kicking at expensive bricks on the pathway or spitting at the ornately trimmed hedges as she passed. The entire area exuded an atmosphere of complete and absolute luxury, and the girl was nearly suffocating as she was forced to see it all. She couldn’t stand to be here any longer.
Upon finally reaching the intricate gold-plated gate that served as the only proper entrance and exit to the villa, the girl paused. She allowed herself a breath before looking over her shoulder to stare down the intimidatingly lush household. Two silhouettes stared back at her from one of the large stained-glass windows that decorated the face of the villa. The girl, almost hesitantly, lifted her left hand to her mouth and curled it into a loose fist. She pressed a delicate kiss to her second knuckle before lifting her hand to the sky, blatantly displaying her middle finger towards the building. The larger silhouette immediately turned away with a small bounce of the shoulders - a scoff, most likely - and left the view of the window. The other stayed and watched her for a few moments longer before following after the first. The girl dropped her hand, flexing it at her side a few times.
“Fuck you.” She muttered before facing ahead and marching through the gate, not stopping or looking back again.
She knew what she was doing was reckless and a little crazy. She was leaving behind what many would consider a perfect life; a luxurious home life, a guaranteed position in a multimillion lire company, comfort for all of her days. But there was something missing amongst all the lire and fashion and luxury.
A choice.
Her voice had never once mattered to her parents. Her life had been completely scheduled and planned for her, down to what she ate and wore on a daily basis. Her parents had total control of her and her future, like she was nothing more than a puppet, a means to the end they demanded.
She will wear only the finest dresses in public, she will eat only the highest grade foods money could buy, she will get a private education, she will become a great business woman, she will inherit their clothing empire, and she will marry the son of their equally rich business partner.
It never mattered that she wanted to wear shorts and colorful canvas shoes. It never mattered that she wanted to try the breads and sweets she saw other children running around with. It never mattered that she felt extremely pressured and overworked by her education. It never mattered that she didn’t want to work in business, or in the company. And it never mattered that she didn’t want to get married.
To her parents, she never mattered; only the image they held of her did.
That was why she was so happy to finally be leaving. Even if she would no longer have the money, or the food, she would have a choice. She would be free. And that was all that really mattered to her.
As she continued to walk further from the plush prison that was once her home, she felt a smile come to her face. She allowed the smile to grow into a grin, which was quickly accompanied by a soft laugh. She was free. She set her pale eyes on the city in the distance, lights starting to flicker on as darkness quickly descended with the oncoming night. She had no real plan, no contacts, and a limited amount of lire that she had managed to sneak away. However, the girl couldn’t find it in herself to be worried, the thought of finally building her own future trumping any potential stress or fears.
As the city drew closer, the girl felt a familiar presence hovering just over her right shoulder. She gave a smile and held her hand up, feeling the phantom touch of another hand being placed in hers.
“Don’t worry, Teen Spirit. We’ll be just fine. I’ve got you.” The girl murmured, confident and content as the spirit faded away.
They were ready to take on the world. A girl and her ghost.
Chapter One: Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Bruno Buccellati was not a man who was easily surprised. His occupation and living situation made it rather difficult for him to come across something that genuinely confounded him. But when he first discovered a young girl sitting on the side of the road, casually using a humanoid Stand to pickpocket people as they walked by, Bruno was...perplexed, to say the least. He slowed to a stop and watched her from a distance, concerned and maybe a little curious about her and her Stand.
The Stand itself was incredibly androgynous, with a solid visor where its eyes should be and lines like tear tracks down its cheeks. It was obviously not a fighter, lacking muscle definition and instead having protective guards around most of its joints. It wore a tube top around its chest and what seemed like a form fitting miniskirt, with an x-shaped top hanging loosely around its torso. There were small chains looped around each hip, connected to a single large ring just below where the navel would be. The Stand was rather quick and agile, darting around between passerby’s and carefully taking wallets, money clips, or expensive jewelry when it spotted some.
What truly interested Bruno, however, was what happened once the Stand’s hands were full. It returned to the girl’s side and held out the small collection of wealth it had stolen. The girl looked everything over with a smile and nodded once. The Stand then flattened its hands out, and Bruno stared in shock as the small pile of items was suddenly encased in a translucent red heart-shaped box. The box vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, taking the stolen wealth with it, and the Stand itself faded away a few moments later. The girl reclined back against the building she was sitting in front of, still smiling to herself. Bruno watched her carefully, all sorts of thoughts and ideas running through his head.
The girl was young, no older than eighteen, and quite skinny. Her clothes were nice enough but tattered, rips and stains visible even from Bruno’s vantage point. She was a thief, obviously poor, and possibly even homeless. She was a Stand user, likely born with her power rather than having it forcibly awakened. Her Stand, while not good for battle, could be incredibly versatile with its speed and abilities. Bruno pursed his lips in thought, weighing numerous pros and cons in his mind. After a few minutes of internal debate, he decided that inviting her for a good meal and talking to her couldn’t hurt. She looked like she could use both the food and the company quite badly. Bruno nodded to himself before finally walking up to the girl, looking down at her with a small but hopefully comforting smile.
“Hello there. I noticed you’ve been sitting here for a while, and was wondering if you would like to join me for lunch. I was on my way, but it’s always nice to have company, and you seem like you could use a good meal.”
The girl stared at him, clearly skeptical of the offer. She blinked up at him before offering a sheepish smile.
“...listen, I appreciate the offer, but I’m alright-“
“I apologize. That was incredibly forward of me, wasn’t it? I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Bruno Buccellati, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
That caught the girl’s attention. She immediately perked up, looking him over in surprise before carefully standing up. She stood only five or six centimeters shorter than Bruno, and he could finally see her face in full detail. Her hair, upon closer inspection, was a pale cream-like color, pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck. Her skin was a deep olive tone, exposure to the sun darkening it. Her eyes were pale blue, like the sky on a clear sunny day, and they connected with Bruno’s as soon as she stood up.
“Felice Cannoli.” The girl said, offering a small but polite smile. “So, what was that about lunch?”
Bruno smiled back and nodded at her.
“Right this way.” He gestured down the road with a hand before turning and continuing to walk. After a moment of hesitation, he heard Felice’s footsteps as she followed after him. It didn’t take long for them to reach the restaurant, Bruno being escorted immediately to his usual table. He took his seat and placed his elbows on the tabletop, resting his chin atop the laced fingers of his hands as he watched Felice take her seat across from him. She was looking around the restaurant curiously, but showed no signs of feeling lost or out of place. Bruno found this to be odd, and opened his mouth to ask the first of what would likely be many questions. However, before the words could even escape his throat, Felice had leaned forward and smiled at him.
“I wanna join the mafia.” She announced happily, sounding almost giddy at the idea. Bruno blinked at her in shock, lowering his hands to the table as he stared at her. He was about to reprehend her for having such an idea, but she again beat him to the punch.
“I don’t have anything else, Bruno Buccellati. I know who you are and what you work for, and I want in. My parents disowned me for refusing to be their puppet a little over a year ago, and I’ve been on the streets here ever since. Isn’t it funny that the first person to truly extend me any kindness has been a gangster? But I digress. I wanna be a part of something bigger than myself, Bruno, part of something that won’t belittle me for being myself. That’s all I’ve ever wanted...” Felice finally trailed off, almost as if she had exhausted herself.
She slumped back in her chair, looking Bruno in the face and blinking tiredly. Bruno stared at the young girl, stunned at the sudden outburst before composing himself and finally getting a word in.
“Felice, surely there are other choices available to you-“
“No. There isn’t. My parents groomed me all my life to be the perfect little heiress to their company, and when I finally snapped and told them that’s not what I wanted, I was thrown away. I have no family of any kind to return to, no money, and no way of starting a “normal life” at this point. I’ve thought about this for almost half a year now, and the mafia is the one thing I can see working out for me.” Felice explained, much more calm and collected now. Bruno could tell she had put some genuine thought into this, but moreso than that, he could feel her passion. She really wanted to do this...
“It won’t be easy.” Bruno said quietly, accepting that he couldn’t argue with this girl.
“I’m sure I’ve dealt with worse.” Felice replied, smiling a bit. “I can take it.”
Bruno tilted his head slightly before letting out a soft sigh and smiling back at her.
“So. What can I get for you?” He asked. Felice’s smile immediately became a grin, and she let out a quiet laugh.
“Any recommendations?”
Here it is, Felice thought to herself. Finally. The first step towards the rest of her life.