Don’t Settle for Less- 6taro/Star Platinum and Jolyne/Stone Free
Wrote quick fic that takes place way later in my fanfic- Void Walker. This deals with 6taro and Jolyne re-bonding after surviving the events of Made in Heaven. Their Stands are fully sentient and Star Platinum goes by She/her due to my personal head-canon that Jotaro values the women in his life greatly (mom, ex-wife and daughter) therefore his Stand goes by feminine pronouns.
This deals with time shenanigans and everyone is alive sort of deal.
Small CW of bad boss who treats his employees bad, other than that, mostly just soft caring bonding time.
about 2.1k words.
It was two-thirty pm on a Thursday night. Jolyne had a few weeks off while Gloria's restaurant was being cleaned and refurbished from the fire Anasui started and that Weather put out. It was a rainy day, so Jolyne decided to hang around her father's house as he worked in his office, texting her mom that she'd see her tomorrow afternoon. Jotaro was neck-deep in his paperwork, having missed several months of research due to having Star and his memories removed. Apparently, his boss was on his ass due to how much time was lost from his absence. Not even the Speedwagon Foundation could smooth it over due to how big of a prick he was.
Jolyne and Stone Free were mildly impressed. Someone that wasn't afraid of her terrifying behemoth of a father and his unwavering stubbornness? Impressive, but less fun and kooky than Synth. Much Less. Stone Free mentioned that Star Platinum could have easily broken the man's bones like a toothpick. Star didn't like that suggestion but agreed that this man had been awful since Jotaro met him. They laughed at the time, remarking about how the world was full of dense morons who couldn't tell they were close to getting their knees kicked in by an invisible spirit.
Still, Jolyne felt irked watching her dad get hounded, especially after everything that happened. Stone Free felt the same, complaining to her till she finally confronted Jotaro the previous night. They argued, though argue was a strong word. Neither had raised their voice, and Jolyne didn't get into his face like she used to. They had both talked calmly and reasonably for once, though Jolyne did vent some of her frustrations to her dad. "It's not fair to you, dad." she had stated, folding her arms as Stone Free nodded beside her.
"Life isn't fair, Jolyne," Jotaro hummed sadly.
Star, Stone, and Jolyne wrinkled their noses at that, all agreeing that it was a poor excuse. They then threw what Synth had said at him like a live grenade, "And that is not a reason it should ever be accepted. We can choose to change our world, and this should be one of the things changed."
"Give me a break," Jotaro had murmured before saying, "Let me think on it for a bit."
Jolyne was playing 'Go Fish' with Stone Free and Star Platinum as her dad worked in the office room down the hallway. Star could finally move past her two-meter limit and maintain form for about an hour or two. She was vicious at this game, somehow able to guess what cards were what with just a glance-
"You're cheating, aren't you?" Jolyne suddenly muttered, tossing another five at Star Platinum, who was smiling a bit too wide.
"No!" she defended, "I would never cheat!"
Stone Free rolled her eyes and looked at Jolyne, "She's watching the textures to the cards. Probably memorized them since these are Polnareff's from when Jotaro went to Egypt." Star blushed several shades of fuchsia at that and suddenly started averting her eyes. "See, told you," Stone Free clicked her tongue twice before reaching over and snagging an ace from Star's hands. "Don't worry. Two can play at that game."
Harrumphing, Star stuck her tongue out and snatched a card from Stone Free's hands. Jolyne chuckled as they both began carefully fighting over the cards, tossing her hand down once they started to wrestle gently. She would have quickly joined in if she knew she wouldn't phase through Star and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, given the nature of Stands and all. But the feeling of something large grabbing her while not physically being touched left her feeling awkward.
Still, Jolyne watched the entertainment as mother and daughter played together. A wide smile framed her face before she was pushed to the ground as Star Platinum pinned Stone Free effortlessly. Jolyne's Stand struggled for a minute, trying to get the upper hand, but Star was quicker and stronger than her, deflecting the attacks like they were nothing. 'Stone, you're not going to outpower her!' Jolyne shot across their mental link, 'You need to use your strengths against hers!'
'And what do you think I should do? Turn into string and net her-?' Stone Free fell silent before a soft 'Oh' rang out. Stone Free's body dispelled instantly, causing Star Platinum to crash into the ground. Stone Free maneuvered her string body within seconds into a tightly knitted trap, ensnaring Star Platinum. Looking around wildly, it took her a moment before realizing she couldn't move. Grunting, Star squirmed about on the floor like a caught fish.
Jolyne laughed and went to make a snarky remark when there came a loud crash from down the hallway. Everyone froze and slowly looked over to see Jotaro face fist on the ground, halfway out of the office doorway. "Jolyne...." came a muffled groan from the man, "Please let Star go. I'm on the phone in here...."
Gulping loudly, Jolyne reached over and tugged on the stunned Stone Free, who quickly unraveled and released the larger, more purple Stand before reforming into her more solid state. Jotaro grunted at the release of pressure and slowly clambered upward like a rising mountain. Ready for him to scold her as he usually did, Jolyne was shocked when all he did was turn around and go back into his office with sagging shoulders and tired lifeless-looking eyes.
"Jesus, that man really is taking the piss out of him," Jolyne murmured. Stone Free nodded in agreement before bending down to help Star up, who seemed suddenly melancholic. "Is it that bad?" she inquired to the great Stand.
Star refused to say anything, watching the door Jotaro closed with a haunting look, clearly in tune with her user. Jolyne harrumphed and folded her arms but said nothing. Though inside, she wanted to throttle the leech of a man and yank her dad free of his hold.
But this wasn't her fight. If her dad were so determined to keep this job, it would take an act of God himself to pry him from his chosen course. Still, she debated calling her ace up her sleeve to sway her father into being... less stressed. Especially after everything that happened
--------------- Quietly pulling the door shut, Jotaro returned to his desk and took a deep breath before picking up the white phone again. "I'm back. My apologies for that." Sitting in the chair, he tried to relax into the leather but found himself sitting straight up and picking at a small nick in the wood of his desk. A bad nervous habit he was picking up after the Pucci incident.
"What was that all about?" his boss growled, seeming even more irritated than before.
"Just my daughter roughhousing in the next room-" Jotaro explained.
"Your daughter? What is she doing over there? Isn't your bond in the trash can?" Matthew grumbled, the sound of something tossed in a metal bin reverberating through the phone. Jotaro wrinkled his nose. Clearly his boss was day drinking again. Star's irritation matched his own, but he could feel her thoughts suggesting to explain further, hoping to make his boss understand the situation or somehow read the room better.
Jotaro obliged to his Stand's suggestion, "Yes, we've just been working on our....relationship a bit." Looking over at his fish tank, he watched the tropical angel fish dart to and fro in the aquarium. Perhaps reading his agitation, Jotaro suppressed a 'good grief.'
"Ain't you a bit late for that?" his boss laughed dryly, making Jotaro grit his teeth in anger. Star prickled like a rising mother bear on the other end of his subconscious, fury coursing through her mind and comingling with his own.
Jotaro had wanted this job ever since he was a teenager. It was the highest-paying job for his specialty, with many world-renowned marine biologists hailing from them. It was his dream to be here. Funny how dreams can become nightmares. Even though he had made a name for himself in his research on whales and sharks, his boss Matthew fought him every bit of the way. Mocking, bickering, belittling, sabotaging. The piece of shit had done it all. They butted heads so often that most people fled when either of them were in close proximity. It was only in recent years that Jotaro mellowed enough not to rise to the bait every time Matthew tried to crawl under his skin.
Or maybe it was just the depression kicking him into the dirt, as Synth explained.
But right now, his anger was flaring to life like he was seventeen again. It wasn't so much the jab at his poor parenting skills that was gutting him, but more so that indication of him trying to mend the rift he caused was a worthy enough reason to laugh. Jotaro tried to calm himself, repeatedly counting the fish in the tank till his blood began to cool off. That's when he heard Jolyne ask Star, "Is dad going to be okay?"
His anger boiled over, causing him to snap like a rope pulled too taut.
Suddenly standing up, causing his chair to tip over as he rose, Jotaro tutted loudly and glared at his wall full of awards and achievements. Once, they were a source of pride and accomplishment. Now, they mocked him for time wasted.
"Don't settle for less," Synth had said once.
Matthew was still talking on the other side, blabbering on about how his kids were ungrateful little shits, utterly ignorant to Jotaro's wroth.
"I quit."
"What?" Matthew sputtered in shock. The sound of him dropping something, probably another can of booze, was loud and clear as day.
Jotaro stood there for a second, stunned at his own words, before they settled on him like a metal coat of armor. "I quit." he reaffirmed with more confidence.
"You can't-"
"I can, and I am." Jotaro eyed the Speedwagon Foundation's number with a hungry look. "Good grief, I've had enough of you. Finish the job yourself. I've got better things to do." Slamming the phone onto the receiver with a flourish before Matthew could say anything more. Jotaro put both his hands on his desk and breathed deeply. Star was buzzing on the other end of his mind, practically cheering at him.
He shook slightly for a second, letting the thrill of being free fill him up to the brim. Snatching the phone again, Jotaro dialed the number he knew by heart. It rang once before it was answered. "Dr.Kujo! What can we do for you?" Serenity answered. Her voice had never sounded so good before.
"I just quit my job and need a new one. Is that offer from before still available?" he calmly asked. The Speedwagon Foundation had wanted him for years, practically rolling over and begging him to join them. He knew they'd jumped at the opportunity to have the strongest Stand user fully employed under them. Hell, he was sure he could ask for a raise if he really wanted one.
Serenity gasped and fumbled with the phone, clearly astonished. "Y-yes! of course, Dr.Kujo! Shall I compile the applications- er- the jobs we have available for you?" She was floundering, clearly scrambling, but he didn't care.
"Yes, that would be great. Send them to my email, and I will respond by tonight." Jotaro reached down and grabbed his chair, hauling it back upward.
"Ye-yes, of course! I will send them immediately!" Serenity was practically abuzz.
"Thank you." and with that, he hung up. Sitting down in his chair, Jotaro pulled his hat off, ran a hand through his hair, and stared up at the ceiling as he reclined backward. "Shit, that felt good," he murmured before looking over at the door and the hushed whispers leaking down the hallway. "Mmmm."
Standing up, Jotaro readjusted his hat and exited his office. Jolyne and Stone Free were trying to pry information out of Star Platinum, who was practically dancing in place. His daughter looked up at him with worry and a bit of trepidation. "Do you remember the number for that Chinese takeout joint you like?" Jotaro asked. Jolyne nodded dumbly, clearly confused. "Good, I just quit my job, and I believe that requires a good meal in celebration."
The way her and Stone Free's eyes lit up in delight, both of them bolting upright and racing off to grab the phone in the kitchen, was something he'd never forget, a memory ingrained in the back of his eyelids to combat even the worst of days.
