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It was both thrilling and infuriating for Star Platinum to meet other Stands.
Thrilling because he was finally able to interact with others of his own kind. For the first couple weeks of his existence, he’d believed himself to be the only being tied to the soul of another, but not so! It wasn’t just Magician’s Red that he got to know but the Stands of the other users that joined Jotaro’s quest across the globe. Jotaro’s grandfather, Joseph, possessed a unique Stand, Hermit Purple—not the chattiest spirit Star Platinum had ever encountered, but their users were related, so he supposed that made them related too. Then there was Hierophant Green and Silver Chariot, the two stragglers they had picked up along the way. With the five of them it was intriguing for Star Platinum to see the ways in which they did and didn’t mirror their masters.
Then there was the infuriating part.
Watching the other users interact with their Stands made Star Platinum extremely aware that Jotaro…was a dick, as he’d heard Polnareff say.
Every other master treated their Stand kindly, or at the very least acknowledged their presence and effort. They had a habit of calling out their Stand’s names when they summoned them, which Star Platinum found quite nice. Jotaro did no such thing for him, simply yanking him into the physical world when he pleased, throwing him at his enemies, and dismissing him without so much as a glance his way.
Not that Star Platinum was complaining about the fighting. He loved to fight. He never felt more himself, more in tune with Jotaro, than when he was pummelling an enemy Stand within an inch of their life. His non-existent blood sang, his muscles roared, and he relished the crunch of bone beneath his iron-hard knuckles. Such strength and bravado were doubtless a trickle-down effect of his bond with Jotaro, who was plenty willing to let his own fists fly, even without Star Platinum’s help. He looked forward to fights, if only so it meant he could manifest in Jotaro’s world for a moment or two.
No, the fighting wasn’t the problem. It was what he was made for, after all. The problem was that Jotaro didn’t even acknowledge him in the aftermath! He’d simply turn his back on their crumpled enemy with a swish of his coat, adjust his hat, spit out some pithy one-liner, and walk away as Star Platinum dissolved back into his consciousness. Punching through solid brick wasn’t an easy feat, yet Jotaro treated it as though it were as common and unremarkable as weeds growing on the sidewalk.
“You should take it as a compliment,” Silver Chariot said, jostling Star Platinum’s shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up, the cool metal of his body starkly cold against his skin. “He’s so certain of your victory, he doesn’t even bat an eye when it happens!”
Star Platinum just grumbled at his knees, aware he was being petulant but he couldn’t help it. Silver Chariot didn’t know how good he had it. His master was always winking at him and giving him high-fives. Would it kill Jotaro to simply toss a thumbs-up his way?
They were currently all sitting in a shared inner world as their masters rested after a long day of travel and battle. This was yet another new discovery to Star Platinum, that he could inhabited the same noncorporeal space as other Stands. He was still connected to Jotaro’s consciousness and didn’t feel any farther away from him than if he was alone, he just had the company of the others to pass the time until he was inevitably seized by an invisible hand and foisted into the living world to pummel away Jotaro’s problems. The landscape was different each time, some elements of their own inner worlds bleeding together. Today, there were patches of curling, leafy vines wrapped around towers of metal jutting out from the rocky ground all around them. Sometimes Star Platinum appreciated the change in scenery, but other times he missed the comfort of the endless shadows of his own domain.
“You’re taking this way too personally,” Hierophant Green interjected from his place curled around a rock like some kind of Earth lizard. His voice came out slightly distorted through his metal mask, tinny and clanky. “Compared to all of us, you and your master have just met. I’m sure Jotaro isn’t slighting you on purpose; he just probably doesn’t know how to perceive you.”
Acidic jealousy coursed through Star Platinum’s shared veins with Jotaro. He knew that most of the other Stands had been with their masters most of their lives. Star Platinum was an odd case, having been awakened by the rise of Dio. The knowledge that if Dio had never escaped from his eternal slumber that Star Platinum would have never manifested left a sour taste in his mouth.
“Perhaps,” was all Star Platinum groused in response.
Magician’s Red clacked his beak briskly from his spot across from Star Platinum, arms crossed over his wide chest. “All this talk of appreciation is utter nonsense. How our masters perceive us is irrelevant. It is our sacred duty to protect them, regardless of how they feel about us.” He cracked an eye open to gaze at Star Platinum, his gaze flashing. “You should count yourself lucky that you can do that. You are in a privileged position, Star. Many Stands would kill to have your strength.”
Star Platinum merely stared right back at him. Magician’s Red exuded an aura of relentless calm, even in the face of dire adversity, and while Star Platinum appreciated his wisdom—no one knew quite so much about the bond between Stands and their users as he did—his high and mighty attitude could also be grating. Not that Magician’s Red could understand. Avdol and he were so alike, Star Platinum couldn’t ever imagine a disagreement arising between the pair. He didn’t understand what it was like to have a master that acted so coldly to him.
It was especially upsetting when Star Platinum imagined how things could be if only Jotaro opened his arms to him. The very idea of Jotaro aiming that rare smile of his Star Platinum’s way was enough to make him internally sigh with longing.
“I’m not denying my duty,” Star Platinum responded, his voice rumbling. “I would never hesitate to act for Master. It is just…”
“Irritating?” Hierophant Green suggested.
“A pain in the ass?” Silver Chariot chuckled, tapping his sabre against his knee.
“Yes,” Star Platinum nodded solemnly. “Both of those things.”
Magician’s Red clicked his tongue in disapproval as Silver Chariot tittered in the depths of his helmet.
“What about you, Hermit?” he asked, leaning forward with his chin propped up by his fist. “Anything to add?”
Hermit Purple, laying in a heap on the ground, wiggled silently.
The others gazed at him for a long, silent moment, before turning back to each other.
“Just give it time,” Silver Chariot assured him. “You’re a reflection of his soul, after all. He’ll be able to tell if there’s anything amiss.”
Star Platinum hummed doubtfully but didn’t say anything. While he wanted to believe Silver Chariot’s words, and he knew Jotaro was incredibly smart, he also knew what a stubborn ox his master was. It was certainly not a good combination where his patience was concerned.
“That’s one big rock,” Polnareff noted astutely.
Jotaro shot him a look as Kakyoin snorted into his sleeve.
The five of them stood before the car, gazing at the huge boulder that was currently blocking the road. It wasn’t the first obstacle they’d encountered on the mountainous path leading to India, but it was the first Polnareff had decided he couldn’t roll the car over, lest he risk sending all of them to a crushing death five hundred feet below. With the sun beating down on them and all of them low on sleep, thanks to the near-constant attacks from enemy Stand users, Jotaro was keen to get to the next town and crash at a hotel.
Joseph, clearly sharing his sentiment, turned to Jotaro, swiping at the sweat beading along his brow. “Oi, Jotaro! Think Star Platinum can handle this?”
Jotaro clicked his tongue as he stepped up to the boulder, hands remaining buried in his pockets. “Tch. Sure. Just make sure you stand back.”
They hadn’t even been on the road for more than two weeks, yet calling on Star Platinum had almost become second nature to him now, like flexing a muscle. At first, it had been out of his control, Star Platinum popping into being seemingly at random, the sight of his huge body suddenly bobbing in the air nearly making him pass out the first few times it had happened. Now though, he could summon and dismiss his Stand at will, typically without even trying. It was handy to have an unstoppable behemoth warrior on standby at the drop of a hat, he’d found.
Jotaro reached into the soupy consciousness he shared with Star Platinum and grasped the strands that he could now identify as his Stand’s astral make-up. It had a distinctly slippery feel to it, gliding between his fingers like sand. Oddly enough, that grainy texture, making it slightly more difficult for Jotaro to grab onto him, had been increasing lately. He’d have to ask Avdol or the old man about it sometime, just to make sure Star Platinum wasn’t coming down with a magical cold or something.
Now though, he grasped onto his Stand’s energy and pulled him into the waking world, Star Platinum’s muscles taut and his eyes alert as he spawned at Jotaro’s side. Jotaro had found his presence originally unnerving and disturbing, but now he wondered how he ever could have found Star Platinum scary. He reminded Jotaro of his old neighbour’s rottweiler; huge and intimidating when she barked at strangers passing her yard but turned to a tail-wagging softie when Jotaro brought her scraps of jerky. Star Platinum really was like a dog the more Jotaro thought about it. If a dog was eight feet tall, had purple skin and the ability to pulverise diamonds to dust.
A dull stab of irritation throbbed at the back of his head and it took Jotaro a moment to realise the feeling wasn’t his own. He frowned at Star Platinum, who glared right back at Jotaro, his piercing eyes framed by sharp, angry brows. Jotaro startled at the intensity of that stare directed at him and wondered who had pissed in his stardust flakes that morning.
Jotaro tipped his chin towards the boulder and thought, Hey. Smash that thing already.
Star Platinum held his glare a moment longer before turning his back on Jotaro and facing the boulder. The muscles of his wide back flexed as he pulled an arm back, clenched his fist, and let it fly with a mighty roar. The stone split, a deafening crack echoing off the cavernous cliffs around them. Dust and chunks of rock rained down on Jotaro, bouncing off his cap and shoulders. The others coughed into their fists and sleeves, waving the dust away as Star Platinum turned back around, that same moody expression on his face.
“What’s your problem?” Jotaro muttered, feeling strangely defensive.
Clearly, this wasn’t the response Star Platinum had been hoping for, as he scowled before crossing his arms over his chest and vanishing with a huff.
Jotaro continued to stare at the spot he’d been occupying, his eyebrows knitted together. He was so lost in thought, he almost didn’t notice Kakyoin sidling up next to him until he cleared his throat.
“Is something wrong, Jojo?” he asked, the two of them watching as Polnareff and Avdol went about clearing away the chunks of rock Star Platinum had left behind and Joseph started the car.
“No,” Jotaro answered on instinct before shaking his head. “I mean, I don’t know. Star Platinum’s been acting kinda strange lately.”
Kakyoin pursed his lips. “Well, he’s a reflection of your own soul. It could just be that the stress of everything has left you on edge, which is then affecting him.”
“Nah,” Jotaro clicked his tongue again. “I’m fine. He’s just, like, PMSing or some shit.”
That got a snort out of Kakyoin, forcing a smirk to Jotaro’s face. Tapping his chin, Kakyoin hummed in consideration. “Well, how’s he been feeling lately?”
“How should I know?” Jotaro scoffed, watching as Avdol had to grab the back of Polnareff’s shirt to keep him from tumbling over the edge of the cliff. “I don’t speak Stand.”
“Jotaro,” Kakyoin laughed, somewhat incredulously. “You’re connected to him the same way he’s connected to you. He can only react to the danger you’re in because he can sense your apprehension. You can do the same with him.”
Jotaro’s frown only deepened. The way the whole Stand thing had been explained to him by Avdol and his grandfather was that Star Platinum was an extension of him, like an extra limb or something. But the way Kakyoin was talking, it was almost like he was saying Stands were sentient all on their own.
“Seriously?” Jotaro said.
“Yeah,” Kakyoin replied, a sliver of a green tentacle peeking out from the cuff of his sleeve. It curled around his finger and he smiled warmly down at it, wiggling the digit. “Like, right now I can feel that Hierophant Green is curious about this new place. He’s always been like that though. I transferred schools in middle school and he kept popping up out of nowhere all week, just to get a look at things.”
Jotaro watched, slightly disturbed, as Kakyoin laughed and cooed over Hierophant Green’s creepy, little tendril. Maybe there was something in what he was saying though. After all, Kakyoin had been a Stand user most of his life, unlike Jotaro, who was still practically a noob at the whole thing. So, he closed his eyes and focused on that silky, pulsing energy inside him that was Star Platinum. Instead of trying to grab it and yank him out, however, this time he tried sidling up against the swirling nebula, like he was saying, Hey. How’s it going?
His reply came instantly in the form of Star Platinum’s energy hissing and spitting, their connection going abruptly cold. Jotaro was left with the distinct feeling of having the door slammed in his face by a furious girlfriend.
Well, fine then, Jotaro thought angrily as he climbed into the backseat with Kakyoin and Avdol. Fucking be like that, you moody bitch.
Star Platinum continued to give him the silent treatment, their mutual brooding lasting all the way to Calcutta.
Clearly, Jotaro wasn’t keeping a lid on his feelings as well as he’d thought. When they checked into their hotel, Polnareff of all people crept up to his side, nudging him with an elbow as Joseph received their room cards.
“Trouble in paradise?”
Jotaro aimed a look at him out of the corner of his eye. “Excuse me?”
Polnareff smirked in a knowing, infuriating way as he leaned an arm on Jotaro’s shoulder. He sighed, patting Jotaro’s chest sympathetically. “Ah, it’s easy to see a lover’s quarrel from miles away. Star Platinum didn’t even need his fists; he probably could’ve destroyed that rock with a look alone. And you were even crabbier than usual afterward. You didn’t laugh at my fart joke!”
Jotaro glared down at Polnareff’s arm before dragging his gaze back up to the smiling idiot’s face. “Get off.”
“Just trying to hand out some free advice!” Polnareff said, holding his hands up in defence. “Take it from a man who’s had his other half for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, you’ve gotta meet them halfway. Shower them with compliments. Make them feel like the most precious princess in the world.”
His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, making Jotaro squint at him.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked.
“You’re a smart man,” Polnareff replied with a wink. “You’ll figure it out.”
Star Platinum realised he was, perhaps, being a little silly.
That was his word for it. Jotaro probably would have said something more along the lines of completely fucking annoying. But he couldn’t help himself. It was hard to maintain his stoic demeanour when every time he looked Jotaro’s way, something like resentment bubbled up in his chest.
Like resentment. For it couldn’t be that. It was as Magician’s Red said; it was his sacred duty to protect his master, bending to his will at every turn. Star Platinum was new to the world of Stands but even he thought his desire to be recognised, to be seen as something more than a mere tool was rather…strange. At least, Magician’s Red had told him as much earlier that day after Star Platinum had shattered the boulder with his nose in the air.
“Star,” the other Stand had said warily in the shared space of their minds. “This want you have to be closer to your master comes across very…human. It does you no good, so best to give it up. Whatever path Jotaro chooses for you is the one you must walk.”
The path master chooses for me, Star Platinum thought, brooding as he watched a hotel door close through Jotaro’s eyes. All he had known and experienced thus far in his existence had been by Jotaro’s design. He was physically and spiritually tethered to him, able to move somewhat freely when manifested but always at the mercy of Jotaro’s will. Perhaps that was what it meant to be a Stand. Though their connection was one they shared, it was Star Platinum who was limited in freedom, only able to go where Jotaro went, only able to experience the world through his eyes, and form from his shadow. Jotaro had no such limitations on himself.
Perhaps that was the key difference between them that made their bond unbalanced. He was the Stand, and Jotaro the user, fit to use Star Platinum as he pleased. Possibly it was as Magician’s Red said and Star Platinum was the one being unreasonable, not knowing his place. What right had he dictating how Jotaro ought to be acting towards him? If Jotaro saw him as nothing more than a sword, then Star Platinum had to content himself that that’s what he would be.
And yet.
Star Platinum sighed to himself, all but dissolving into a morose puddle as he watched Jotaro slip out of his shoes and shuck his coat. He couldn’t help but think of helping Jotaro out of his coat himself, hanging it up on the hook for him, inhabiting the same space without the presence of danger around them.
He couldn’t help but want. Want more, want something.
Want Jotaro.
Was that so wrong? To want someone? Apparently so.
At least Star Platinum got to watch over Jotaro in his time of rest even if he couldn’t experience it with him. He tried willing himself to be satisfied as he watched Jotaro wash and get ready for bed, turning off the light and settling under the covers. It was an honour, he told himself, to be able to look out for Jotaro in this way, even if his master didn’t appreciate him.
He kept telling himself this for an hour. Then another. And another after that.
Soon enough it was past midnight and Jotaro looked no closer to sleep than he had when he’d first slipped into bed. His brow was furrowed, his eyes squeezed shut as he tossed and turned on the sheets. Star Platinum watched the display with worry, feeling Jotaro’s anxiety leaking into him.
If he kept that up, then-
Star Platinum was suddenly foisted into the waking world without warning, blinking at his new vantage point through his own eyes, staring down at Jotaro instead of through him. Jotaro, cracking an eye open at the rustle of movement above him, looked just as perplexed.
“What’re you doing here?” he mumbled. A moment later his eyes flashed and he asked in a tight tone, “Is there an enemy nearby?”
Star Platinum hadn’t sensed anything but he scanned the area just in case. However, his keen eyes and ears caught nothing amiss so he shook his head.
Jotaro’s tension barely lessened. He still stared up at the dark ceiling with a pinched expression, his muscles tense beneath the thin blanket. Despite their long day of travel and the lines of exhaustion etched into his face, he didn’t appear ready to sleep in the slightest.
He’s paranoid, Star Platinum realised. About other Stand users attacking.
Jotaro’s body was on a constant high alert after all they’d been through since leaving Japan, and now he saw danger lurking around every corner. Star Platinum, who didn’t need to sleep, and whose reflexes were sharper than any knife, couldn’t experience dread in the same way Jotaro could. Now, Jotaro was subconsciously summoning Star Platinum, just as he had when he’d first manifested.
“What do you want then?” Jotaro asked without looking at him, crossing his arms behind his head on the pillow.
To help you, Star Platinum thought. But just like before, he had no idea how.
Jotaro’s fear wasn’t a tangible enemy he could defeat with a punch. This was something far more insidious and slippery, an effect of Dio’s power he hadn’t anticipated. The other Stands marvelled at his strength, and yet, in this instance he was entirely useless. He was made to protect Jotaro, to stand between him and any danger that threatened him, but even with all of his power, all he could do was flounder helplessly while his master suffered.
Jotaro finally glanced at him, his sea glass eyes sharp in the dim light. He didn’t appear agitated though, as he had in those first couple of weeks. He just gazed at Star Platinum expectantly.
Unsure of what else to do, Star Platinum slowly lowered himself from his spot hovering in the air to sit on the mattress by Jotaro’s side. The bed dipped beneath his weight as Star Platinum crossed his legs, settling his hands on his knees and watching Jotaro cautiously for his reaction.
To his surprise, Jotaro cracked a small smile and laughed under his breath. “How rude. Putting your shoes on the bed.”
The rare sound of Jotaro’s laughter stirred a swell of affection in the caverns of Star Platinum’s chest. He had to squeeze his knees to keep from doing something truly ridiculous, like reach out and bundle Jotaro into his arms. He squeezed so hard, Jotaro winced and Star Platinum realised his nails had bitten into his skin, leaving little crescent marks in their wake.
“The hell?” Jotaro groused, pulling Star Platinum’s hand away to inspect the damage felt between them. He glared from Star Platinum’s knee, up to his face. “That hurts, you know.”
Star Platinum didn’t reply. Of course, he was incapable of such things as human speech, but even if he could, he didn’t think he’d be able to in that moment. He was far too fixated on the sight and sensation of Jotaro’s hand closed around his own. It was the first time Jotaro had touched him outside of battle that didn’t involve attacking him and he was captivated.
His hand is warm, Star Platinum thought and desperately wanted more contact. With a thought, his glove dissolved, leaving their palms pressed together, skin-to-skin.
Jotaro startled slightly. “Hey. What’re you-?”
Again, Star Platinum took no heed of his words. He stretched his fingers out against Jotaro’s until their hands were flat against each other. Star Platinum marvelled at all their differences. How much bigger his hands were, the purple of his skin against the tanned olive of Jotaro’s. Slowly, he spread their fingers out before interlocking his own between Jotaro’s knuckles. They fit snugly together and a load Star Platinum hadn’t realised he’d been carrying melted from his shoulders.
Finally, he couldn’t help but think.
Jotaro seemed just as speechless as he was, propping himself up on an elbow as he gazed at their linked hands.
“I…” he trailed off and Star Platinum felt something flare inside him through the bond. Something that took him a moment to name as he’d never felt it from Jotaro before. Jotaro turned his eyes away, pressing his lips together and muttering under his breath. “What’s with you? Who knew you were so clingy?”
You’re embarrassed, Star Platinum thought, not without a fair share of delight. He hadn’t known Jotaro was capable of such a thing, especially as a result of him. It left him giddy, squeezing Jotaro’s hand a fraction tighter.
“Hmph,” Jotaro grunted, Star Platinum’s impressive eyesight catching the flush dusting his cheeks. He settled back against the sheets but didn’t pull his hand from Star Platinum’s grip. “Whatever. Do what you want.”
He laid back down and it would have been an uncomfortable angle with their hands joined together. Star Platinum could have let go but he didn’t want to do that, so he did the only other thing he could and laid down beside Jotaro on the bed. Though it was a spacious bed, the two of them were exceptionally large, so Star Platinum had to curl up to stay on the mattress. He stared intently at Jotaro, who had closed his eyes, some of the tension finally draining from his face.
They remained that way for some time, Jotaro lying still and Star Platinum watching him as he held his hand. Little by little, Jotaro relaxed, his muscles going slack and his expression smoothing out. Star Platinum dragged his thumb over Jotaro’s knuckles, trying to press what he couldn’t say with words through his touch.
Don’t worry. I have you. You’re safe with me. I would never let anything happen to you.
Eventually, Jotaro’s breathing evened out and his mind went blessedly blank, his tumultuous emotions quieting through their bond. It was as Jotaro slipped into unconsciousness and Star Platinum’s astral form began to dissolve that he realised he didn’t need to fight to protect his master.
Maybe sometimes he just had to be there for him.
When Jotaro awoke the next morning, he blinked his eyes open and looked at his hand. His empty hand, devoid of thick purple fingers fitted between his knuckles. The sheets were slightly rumpled from where Star Platinum had been lying, the only evidence that he’d been there at all.
Well, that and Jotaro’s memory of feeling held and cared for as he’d drifted off to sleep, something he hadn’t experienced since he’d been a young child, soothed to sleep by his mother. A quick scan inside him told him Star Platinum’s presence was curled around his own, more tightly than it had been as of late. Still, the hotel room felt strangely empty with just him in it.
Sitting up, Jotaro acted on impulse and willed Star Platinum into existence. In the blink of an eye, his Stand swept out of him, materialising as he had last night, floating in the air above him. Star Platinum’s fists were clenched, his gaze fierce as he swivelled his head back and forth as though checking for danger.
“It’s fine,” Jotaro assured him. “Nothing’s going on. I just…”
He suddenly felt foolish as Star Platinum looked at him, cocking his head to one side inquisitively.
Polnareff’s words from the previous day rang between his ears and he had to glance away, coughing into his shoulder. What was he even doing? It wasn’t like Star Platinum needed words from him. They were connected, right? That’s what everyone kept telling him about Stands anyway, that they held a piece of their user’s soul inside them. But the way Star Platinum had looked at him last night…
Jotaro forced himself to face Star Platinum and say, “I wanted to tell you, you’re good. Good at all of this. None of us would’ve made it this far without you. Me especially. And I…guess I’ve taken that for granted. I—Oof!”
A grunt was forced from Jotaro’s lungs as Star Platinum crashed into him, tackling Jotaro to the bed. Jotaro sputtered, spitting strands of Star Platinum’s hair out of his mouth as his behemoth of a Stand nuzzled into the crook of his neck, arms locked around Jotaro’s middle and bulk pressing him into the mattress.
“H-Hey,” Jotaro protested, pushing at Star Platinum’s shoulders but he couldn’t be moved. He was like a huge, muscly limpet, clinging tightly onto him. “What’s the big idea? Quit it.”
But Star Platinum didn’t quit it. A deep, rumbling sound echoed in his chest that sounded suspiciously like a purr. The bond between them rippled and pulsed, and Jotaro was hit with a blast of sentimentality so ooey and gooey, he cringed.
“Good grief,” he muttered, realising his plight was hopeless and lying, boneless, against the sheets as Star Platinum continued rubbing his cheek against Jotaro’s. He tentatively brought his hands up, patting Star Platinum’s broad back. “You’re heavy, you know. You big sap.”
Star Platinum warbled happily and Jotaro huffed, contenting himself to the knowledge that he was going to be stuck beneath his Stand for the foreseeable future, hugging and petting him until he was released from his crushing prison. The whole while, Star Platinum’s jubilation spilled into him, filling him from the soles of his feet to the tips of his ears. It was so intense it was nearly suffocating, similar to the affections his mother heaped on him against his wishes. Normally, he would have rebuffed such a thing and spat out some scathing remark. Except, this was kind of…nice.
Jotaro thought of Polnareff again and grumbled internally. Trust that idiot to actually give him some sound advice.
He let out a long breath and ran a slow hand through Star Platinum’s silky hair, the resulting purr making him bite down on the inside of his cheek.
Precious princess indeed.