Author Notes: Much like how the previous few chapters were about how it focused on Joshua's perspective, this one focuses on Joan's life at work, which is about to be disrupted by unforeseen coincidences.

A lot has happened since I started writing another chapter. Jojolion has ended with a Ninth Part tentatively called Jojolands is in the making (I wonder how that will compare to my concept of Part 9), Stone Ocean got its animated adaptation with the first 12 episodes on Netflix, and several spin-offs including ones on Hol Horse paired with Josuke Higashkita (the OG one, not Gappy). The future is looking bright for the franchise heading into 2022.

The title of the chapter relates heavily to the song itself. Strange Fruit has a deep history tied directly to the singer's tragic life story. The song told of how two black men were lynched in Indiana, which caused controversy when it was sung due to it promoting civil rights activists to rally behind its message and it bringing out negative reactions in white people. Billie would attempt to sing the song despite the protests. Billie chose the song because her father was rejected medical aid at a hospital due to being black. Billie would get warnings from Federal Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner Harry Anslinger, from playing Strange Fruit under threat of arrest, framing her with heroin to make her unable to sing, removing her license to sing at bars, even handcuffing her to her hospital bed, and even deny her medical treatment, leading to her recovery regressing into an inevitable death.

The song will play a big deal in Erean's character in the next chapters. This chapter introduces her as an already repugnant woman, but she will get worse in the following chapters.

I initially wanted Joan's team to save Joan but realized Joan's team would be under surveillance and would use the incapacitated members to keep the more rebellious ones in check. So I took influence from my prequel concept to have an ally in standby. And perhaps additional aid.

Apathy Is Golden is named after a song by NY Loose, the name chosen due to how it relates to the current leadership's policies.

Chapter 9: Overture-9: Strange Fruit

The man sensing Giorno, summons his Stand, a plant human with roots for a lower torso, an upper body made of leaves, a collar of leaves around its jack o lantern head wearing a green hat with a tall top/wide brim, and two green sprinklers coming from its upper back. On its front were buttons shaped like red-colored jack o lanterns with three purple eyes, and a set of devilish horns.

"Ritual Of Great Pumpkin.," the large man said aloud, ready to attack, but when he saw that there was a crowd around, he hesitated. With a look of guilt, he disengaged the Stand and continued walking away.

Giorno took note of this thinking-

It's not Polpo. His Stand isn't Black Sabbath and something else is different about him...

As Giorno walked away person wearing a light-bulb-shaped helmet that covered the upper portion of their face appeared around the larger man. They wore red clothing with lighter red loops around their waist, shoulders, knees, ankles, and wrists. They briefly noticed Giorno and asked-

"Should I pursue him Mr. Flyod?"

"No, it would make too much of a scene. I'm not like the other two who would do that in crowds without remorse.," he replied as a mysterious woman with an odango hair bun walked past him.

He took a glance in her direction, but only saw generic-looking people with the woman nowhere in sight.

The large man then gave up and continued walking away.

"Lennon Harrison. The meeting to discuss the change of management for the economy will be happening soon. I wonder how Justiz will handle it? I know at least, that wench, Erean will be one of the first to go, considering what little I gauged from that man.," he muttered.

Several Years Ago...

A dark-skinned girl looked in horror as her mother died in a nightmarish manner.

She then turns to her green-haired adopted sister who smirks devilishly in turn.

She then smashed the last remains of the fruit the mother was making in front of her sibling.

"Here's an end to that dream of yours.," she said snidely.

Apathy Is Golden- Established Several Years Later...

In the following decades leading into the 4000s, the racial divisions lessened over time, but one status quo remained- status. Status caused the divide of others because it originated long before human sapience, with large groups forming hierarchies with inherent leadership and inequality. No matter how much peace has made things progress, this is ingrained into the subconscious psyche of humans. So insurance groups were created in service of allowing those with lower castes to promote to a higher caste to better their lives, and in failing that, giving them proper life insurance to allow the lower caste to live content lives.

Under Justiz's role, this aspect was forgotten as companies under his influence snuffed out the altruistic competition and denied the lower caste a chance to live better lives in favor of increasing the highest caste having benefits. Such corruption is allowed during his reign, the upper class being allowed benefits undeservingly through nepotism than hard work.

Apathy Is Golden Main Complex

A square four-story building made of shining gold loomed over the parking lot. Within it, people were working on thin tablets made of data and touching buttons for calling customers. Normally, it would be allowing the lower caste benefits or the rare chance to be promoted. However, it would be the opposite.

"I'm sorry, but your request cannot be offered. We cannot offer services to give insurance to heal your son's condition due to your status.," said a man with hidden self-loathing, turning his face away as he heard the wails of the despairing client.

Joan Joestar who sat in a cubicle near the man clenched her fist but knew that he would see her as the publicity harlot who made a travesty that led to Justiz winning by default. Even if people were good, they took Justiz's words over hers due to how vital his energy system was. It was her life for the past decade due to not having the power to change her condition.

"It is said that the Messiah would attract all good fortune and blow away bad fortune. He would deflect it towards the non-believers who would deny his faith. After all the mighty inherit the earth. Such is the way of the King of Kings.," said a woman with a towering green beehive haircut seemingly made of green peas with prominent sideburns. She wore a gaudy green bead necklace, a gray dress with a jagged green line pattern in the center, blue gogo boots, light-green arm bracelets, and pink pointed glasses accented with blue diamonds.

In spite of this atrocious attire, her body was even more unappealing, a rotund gut with a gaunt upper torso, thick legs, bony arms, a long nose, an elongated chin, a snide grin, pointy ears, and lifeless green iris eyes. One would normally pity her if she was born this way and did her deeds of spite, but her looks were due to surgery to make her beautiful in her own eyes. How this was anyway beautiful was baffling to anyone in their right mind, but the employees would give her false compliments due to avoid being punished.

She was Erean-Davis Floyd, one of Zap Floyd the C's many spouses to ensure heirs for the expansion of his agricultural empire, but it was rumored even he barely tolerated her outside of giving her three potential heirs.

She went to the man who had denied his client their natural right and hovered over him. She then rapidly patted his head while cheering "Good boy" 60 times. Her voice was hoarse and raspy with a sing-song tone of disgusting cuteness.

"The foolish need to be put their place. Nice job on doing that. Anyway, We need to promote this fellow into our upper ranks.," she requested as she showed him a hologram of a certain person.

The lifeless eyes of the man, having an opal-colored haircut off intersecting rectangles that made a crosshatch, turned to wide revulsion.

"This man's with the illegally, unsanctioned mafia, no he's one of the upper elite. He's giving lethal doses of drugs to children with fatal conditions, and-," he shouted.

"And he's one to pay his taxes to the Star of the World. And he might be an asset to the leadership. Mind if you just approve and turn a blind eye to his dealings.," said Erean as her long green painted nails dug into his shoulder painfully with each word.

"And we could stop turning a blind eye to your failure to meet expectations and toss you and your family to starve in the cold.," she added with her tone becoming harsher and crueler.

"How can you even approve of that? His leadership expired when that Lennon Harrison just became the Star of the World. You'll have to run it by him instead.," said a chubby man with a yellow haircut shaped like a buckle.

Erean's eyes twitched as she summoned her Stand, a red tomato wearing a dark-reddish gray gas mask. It had short green, stubby legs, green arms ending in pistons, and a green gas tank on its back with three eye-shaped knobs.

The other employees froze in fear, knowing what was about to happen.

"That is merely bread crumbs and circuses for the masses. It doesn't count. And your words are treason to Justiz. Prepare to have an early retirement.," said the snarling woman as a green gas poured out of the pistons.

"That isn't right, what you said. The Savior took in all sin so all mankind could find salvation in Heaven with his sacrifice. And he said that the meek would inherit the earth. You should be ashamed.," said a woman that Joan didn't and somehow recognized at the same time.

Erean turned to see who said this with an agitated expression but didn't see anyone that stood out. She then canceled out the Stand and shouted-

"We have a terrorist that's infiltrated this bastion of truth and fairness! Find this tramp and bring her to me!"

The statement on the company's current policy was either delusional or blatantly lying to make Erean look dignified, but no one dared to question it.

The workers proceeded to get out of their seats as did Joan. Erean then grabbed Joan to the latter's shock.

"You were with your son watching that usurper that's trying to oust out Justiz. Our agents have an eye on you and your band of gals. You and a few others are being kept under our watchful eye to keep the ones with teeth to bite at our throats in line so they don't risk your lives. And that of your son.," said Erean with an undertone of murderous intent behind her facade of concern.

"The situation now is different from then. There weren't any antics or unfairness in the final match. It was a fair victory, unlike my fiasco. He should abdicate the seat before he hurts his reputation.," said Joan plainly.

Erean then smirked and whispered heinously,

"You're being awfully fair to me. I thought you'd be madder due to me causing your friend's mommy to die for making that Strange Fruit junk to put the Floyds and Higashitaka families out of business. That would've made Zap and your uncle Norisuke livelihoods disastrous if it were ever made public. Glad I stepped in time to halt production in its beginning stages."

"She was your mother too.," Joan replied back.

"How does Nilly sleep at night knowing-," Erean attempted to continue the conversation.

Joan forced herself out of Erean's grip and continued walking.

"I want her head. The trollop that said that to me!," shouted the beehive-haired woman.

Erean then bit her left thumb.

What was she doing at Stonehenge? Our informants said it caused that recruit, D-Flag's death. And now Ono's dead. And Justiz is doing something behind my back. I hope it's something to keep my position or else he's gonna pay., thought the woman.

While she was busy focusing on something else, an inconspicuous man looked at her hands.

Those hands...Everything else is unfavorable..., but I must have those hands..., thought the man.

Next Chapter- Overture Part 10- The Hero's Return

Stand of the Week

Stand: Soft-Sell Conclusion- Name based on a song by Frank Zappa, singer, songwriter for Mother's of Invention.

Stand User: Erean-Dabis Floyd- the name based on the actress Eleanor David who plays Pink Floyd's wife in the movie, the Wall.

Ability: Summons a Red Pepper Natural/Artificial Humanoid that releases a microscopic heated virus into the target's brain- dissolving their higher brain functions. Aside from this, its release is slow and lacks any durability, speed, or strength to defend itself or its user from attacks from Stands. Using long-winded monologues as a means to gather enough time in order to activate the Stand. Erean can then use those brain-dead victims as voluntary staff at her husband's mansion as maids and butlers to indulge in her children's wishes.

Destructive Power: B- Very deadly viral acid that dissolves higher functions in the brain.

Precision- A- Precise in isolating its use onto one

Speed- E- takes a very long time to work, so she uses long-winded monologues to distract targets long enough for it to affect the enemy.

Power Persistence- E- While it can last as long enough to work into the brain, any attack done during the process will instantly render it useless and she won't be able to use it again after failing for 5 months. Additionally, due to not wanting to study her own Stand's limits, she's never developed an inherent immunity to her own Stand's effects, needing to have her Stand to generate a mask to not be affected.

Range: E- has to be in very close proximity of victim and for the ability to even work.

Development Potential- A- As a show of how inactive she is, she could potentially cause different reactions in the brain like increased rage, hysteria, hallucinations, etc at a potentially remote distance. But, due to her domineering personality and need to look down on others, she only sees it as a means to gain servants of people that fail her and as a deterrent for those who might defy her.

Stand User- D- Very cunning in usage and hiding her true intent through a seemingly inane amount of gloating to act on her one-hit-kill ability However, getting past that, those who are smart enough to circumvent via unique uses of their abilities or attack before the virus completely works- will this one-trick woman defenseless. Additionally, she never learned to be immune to her own Stand's negative effects, needing her Stand to wear protection in order to protect herself. Without the protection, she's just as vulnerable to its dangers as her victims.