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11:30pm
Jotaro was a man of simple pleasures. His dream day, if asked to describe it, would start with a black coffee, full fry up, and long read of the morning’s newspaper followed by several hours of uninterrupted silence as he got on with his work, and then more silence as he watched tv (either sports or Blue Planet).
None of his ideal life included being bunched up in a back of a taxi with his Grandfather who was far too old to be going clubbing, and Josuke who was far too young. Jotaro wondered for the thousandth time how he could have possibly let Joseph talk him into this birthday night out.
‘’Heyyy,’’ Drawled Joseph, already a little drunk, leaning past Jotaro to talk to the taxi driver. ‘’I love that song! Turn it up! It’s my young lad here’s birthday tonight and we’re celebrating!’’
Jotaro wondered if it would ever literally, physically kill Joseph to talk even just two decibels lower.
The taxi driver, apparently not knowing what was good for him, fiddled with the knob on the stereo and the next thing Jotaro knew he couldn’t hear himself think above the din of ‘’THE VENGABUS IS COMING, AND EVERYBODY’S JUMPING.’’
Anything would be better than this, Jotaro reasoned, gritting his teeth so hard we was sure to give himself a migraine. If Dio himself jumped out in front of the taxi it would be forgivable even, just to get him out of this hell he was currently in.
‘’Don’t look so glum!’’ Joseph slapped him on the back. ‘’We’re almost there! Josuke, look alive.’’
Josuke did look alive, or at least more alive than Jotaro currently was. He was awkwardly braced against the seat, neck slighted twisted, trying to get a good view of himself in the rearview mirror, a comb already in his hand.
‘’Tch.’’ Josuke pouted, running his free hand through his hair. ‘’I am old man, don’t worry about it. You said we were gonna meet Okuyasu and Koichi there right? Cause no offence, but I’m not sure either of you are the greatest for pickin’ up babes with.’’
Jotaro bit back a reply asking Josuke when he had ever picked up a babe with Okuyasu and Koichi either.
‘’Give it a rest,’’ He thought to himself, hand instinctively going to the brim of his hat. ‘’It’s the kid’s 20 birthday after all, he deserves a break.’’
Even if what was probably a fun time to Josuke would be like hell on earth for Jotaro.
11:50pm
Twenty minutes into hell on earth and all of Jotaro’s good will had dried up. This was largely to the fact it had been a pain in the ass sneaking Koichi, who looked like he was still 12, into a nightclub, and Joseph and Josuke had abandoned him to do it by himself. By the time he caught up with them, pushing through the crowds of sweaty party goers, they had been joined by Okuyasu and Caesar at the bar.
Josuke at least had the decency to nod when he noticed him, before throwing back another shot of whatever Joseph had ordered for him. Joseph in contrast was completely ignoring him, completely engulfed in whatever he was enthusiastically trying to say to Caesar, his gestures becoming more clumsy as the alcohol dulled his senses. Joseph’s thick arm wrapped around Caesar’s neck, pulling him closer so Joseph could yell into his ear over the music, Caesar nodding thoughtfully. Jotaro let his gaze slide away, feeling like he was intruding on something he shouldn’t.
It was then Jotaro spotted a familiar shade of green hair on the crowded dance floor. Oh no. Oh no it was not.
Jotaro didn’t need to stop time to make his why across the dance floor in a matter of seconds, shoving a number of people aside on his way. ‘’Jolyne. What are you doing here? You’re 17.’’
Jolyne’s jaw dropped, eyes wide ‘’Dad?’’ but a second later she had already recovered, pulling her sequinned jacket tighter around her, glaring. ‘’What does it matter to you?’’
Jotaro shook his head. ‘’Seriously, go home.’’ He reached for her arm, but she was faster at yanking it away. ‘’No way! You don’t get to spend years of not raising me and then think you can tell me what to do!’’ Jolyne snapped, stumbling backwards a little.
‘’Come on, Hermes. Let’s go.’’ Jolyne tried and failed to grab for the hand of the dark skinned girl next to her several times before the girl sighed and threaded her hand through Jolyne’s. Jolyne continued to glare at Jotaro as she left, until he couldn’t make her out at all in the crowd.
Jotaro rubbed his face. ‘’Yare, Yare.’’
12:10pm
By the time he had returned to the bar it seemed the rest of the group had stop drinking and were content to simply revel in their own drunken chaos. Josuke was slumped over the bar, head down on it, slurring to himself as Okuyasu attempted and failed several times to clamber onto the bar stool next to him. Beside them, Koichi was attempting to rearrange the glasses into a tidier order on the bar, standing on his tip toes. Jotaro tugged his hat down, trying to hide his small smile. He couldn’t help it, Koichi was always such a good kid.
‘’Uncleee’’ Slurred Josuke, lazily throwing an arm round him and resting his head on Jotaro’s shoulder. ‘’Wait, I uh. I mean. Nephew. I’m the uncle. Right.’’ Jotaro didn’t feel like bothering to respond to this, and instead shot Okuyasu a look. ‘’How much has he had to drink?’’
‘’Only, umm. Only three, maybe four, maybe ten shots. Mr Sir. Doctor Sir.’’ mumbled Okuyasu, before hiccuping loudly. Jotaro could feel that headache from earlier coming on. ‘’Where’s your father?’’ He asked Josuke, maneuvering him back to his bar stool.
‘’I dunno….’’ Yawned Josuke. ‘’Headed off with Caesar a bit ago.’’ Josuke fished his phone out of his pocket and squinted at the screen. ‘’I’m gonna text him.’’
Jotaro sighed. ‘’You do that.’’ Likely whatever Josuke managed to text in this drunk state would be incomprehensible, but it was better than nothing. Besides, the old man and Caesar could probably take care of themselves.
Koichi reappeared beside them, holding two glasses. ‘’I got you guys some water.’’ He said, handing them over to Okuyasu and Josuke. ‘’And the bartender says you guys aren’t allowed to order any more. Hi, Doctor Kujo.’’
‘’Nobody calls me Doctor, It’s just Jotaro.’’
‘’Ok,’’ said Koichi, but it looked like he wasn’t convinced of this. ‘’Can you help me get these two outside?’’
12:30pm
It wasn’t easy to navigate the nightclub with two drunk, semi conscious teens lagging behind them, Jotaro discovered. At one point he had even had to cheat and break out Star Platinum just to move things along. Now they were standing on the pavement outside, off to the side so as not to get caught in the throngs of drunk 20 somethings walking past.
Jotaro stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore the cold night air.
‘’Old man text you back yet?’’ He asked Josuke.
‘’Oh, right.’’ Josuke seemed to snap awake, and started loudly rummaging through his pockets, swearing under his breath.
‘’Josuke.’’
‘’Yeah?’’
‘’Are you looking for your phone?’’
‘’Uh huh. Can’t seem to fucking find it. Shit do you think I left i-””
Jotaro slipped a hand out his pocket and leant forward to tap at the phone Josuke was already holding, clutched in his palm.
‘’Oh.’’ Josuke chuckled. ‘’Shit, yeah.’’
Jotaro definitely had a headache by now.
‘’K, he said uh-’’ Josuke was drunkenly squinting at his phone again. ‘’He says...he says….He...Uh. He.’’ Josuke turned white, and then very quickly a dark shade of red, eyes wide at his phone screen.
‘’What’s wrong?’’ Asked Jotaro. ‘’If you need to throw up, go do it on the corner.’’
‘’N-no…’’ Josuke’s voice came out oddly high and strangled. ‘’It’s just that. Umm.’’ Jotaro watched Josuke hurriedly stuff his phone back in his pocket. ‘’You know what. It’s fine. It’s fine. Let’s just go, dudes.’’
Jotaro opened his mouth to ask just what the hell was going on, and then remembered Joseph and Caesar earlier at the bar. He closed his mouth, thinking better of it.
Just then there was a commotion behind them, and a very familiar voice yelled ‘’Hey, stop manhandling me! Seriously, I know where the door is!’’
Two security guards shoved Jolyne out the door, who stumbled slightly and had to walk a few steps, but thankfully kept her balance.
‘’Thanks a lot, assholes!’’ Jolyne yelled at the already closed doors.
‘’Jolyne.’’ Said Jotaro.
‘’Shit.’’ Said Jolyne.
Josuke, still in a drunken state of calm was for once the one to diffuse the situation.
‘’Hey little Jolyne! What’d you get chucked out for?’’
Jolyne rubbed her arm nervously. ‘’Some punk in the smoking area tried to fucking fight me, so I decked him. And then they got mad at me! I didn’t even get to talk to Hermes, they just hauled me out here. She shook her fist at no one in particular. ‘’The pigs!’’
Jotaro stared at her, evenly. ‘’Did you knock him out?’’
Jolyne’s anger seemed to vanish, and she looked at him, unsure, biting her bottom lip. ‘’Yeah, obviously.’’
‘’In one swing?’’
She nodded.
‘’Good.’’ Said Jotaro, and spun around to the rest of the drunk teenages he was having to deal with. ‘’Now let’s get a taxi.’’
Even it it occurred to anyone there was something humorous about the image of Jotaro being followed by 4 teenagers, marching down the street with his jacket flapping behind him like a punk mother hen, they were all too smart to say it out loud.