starmark | IC Inbox

You're turning purple. What the hell did you do?

[It's a demand with absolutely no edge to it, born more of worry than of anything in the realm of irritation. He motions to the scales, wings inadvertently beating once in his mild agitation.]

Is it because of me? Because I was touching you?

[In his defense for this incorrect conclusion: he is also purple and scaled. An attempt was made.]

[ excellent observation, doctor. ]

I'm-- [ He's not going to say fine again because when he looks at his hands he sure can make out that color. NO... NOT HIS BEAUTIFUL GRAYSCALE AESTHETIC... ] What the Hell did I do?

If She did it, it wasn't you. [ Though if they were set up together as swatches, it's a pretty close match. ] You've got to be kidding me. Don't tell me I'm a slithering color-picker now too.

[ It isn't as humiliating as he is making it out to be but he does end up drooping again and putting his face into his hands. Dramatics. A second of whining later, Rohan is holding out his arm. ] Let me see how it looks next to yours. If I--... Absorbed your color, it can't look that bad. [ The color itself isn't too fixed, fluctuating in little waves like it is mixing and separating from ink in water. ]

Would you look at that... I don't remember asking for this.

Why would she make you turn colors?

[He shifts obligingly, a little more willing to approach now that things seem to be calming down, though Star Platinum is still holding Rohan tight even before Jotaro resumes his proximity.]

Is this supposed to be a perk or something? Maybe you are a color-picker. To help you with the store or your art...or whatever. What else could it possibly do?

[ Being held by Star Platinum is like leaning on a huge wall when he is distracted by this. ]

Don't ask me if I can tell you that. She just does Her thing. [ He picks the key up in his hand. ] I guess that girl I told to go speak with Her did it. [ Maybe the OTHER thing he can do has changed. He's not going to figure that out right now. ]

... This didn't put a damper on things, did it? [ It should sound unsure, coming out as flat for better or worse. His fingers absently scratch at the small, sore swell his teeth left behind in his lip. That hurts. He shifts around on his coils and pushes off of Star to meet Jotaro in the middle. Pulling at the last shreds of his shirt and getting them away from his neck and his wrists cross his mind but he isn't going to right away.

We're making this work, goddammit. ]

What were we doing before my mom got in the way...? [ HE SOUNDS LIKE HE'S JOKING BUT HE ISN'T. Rude, mom. ]

You were figuring out whether or not you're going to be able to move around on this beach in the first place.

[...Which, come to think of it — if he just moves Star into position to act as Rohan's support, that frees him up to do other things, like eventually awkwardly try to hold his hand maybe at some point.

Yes. Good. Okay, Star can stay on Rohan duty for the moment, yes. Meanwhile, the way that Jotaro catches Rohan in his arms has very little to do with support and much more to do with, well, just wanting to have him in his arms, frankly.]

It doesn't have to put a damper on anything. Just so long as you're okay, so at least tell me that much first.

[A beat.]

...Without giving me shit about it, Rohan. Tell me the truth, or that is going to be the damper from here on out.

[ Rohan sure doesn't give him shit about being caught, that's for damn sure. He stays rigid, giving by the slightest margin to not shoo Jotaro off. He can't decipher what he just said though... ]

That I'm fine? [ He asks. ] I'm not in pain anymore. I'll be okay. It was just a temporary thing. I'm okay. I promise. [ Because the Fog God has a thing for making Her followers suffer a little.

He hasn't had to be THIS insistent before. ]

Or do you mean something else?

I mean...

[He hesitates a second, sliding a hand up to hold Rohan's face, thumb against his cheek.]

I meant that I was worried. That worried me, and I would've kept worrying if you'd tried to brush it off. If you'd told me not to worry, or...acted like it was nothing. Then I would've spent the rest of this worrying about you anyway.

But I believe you. That you'll be okay. So worrying isn't going to get in the way.

[ SEND HELP. ]

Then stop worrying about it because I'd tell you when to start worrying. [ The Mom Voice isn't something he wants to use but it's the only thing that gets through. Add Rohan manipulating Snakebutt around to wrap about one of Jotaro's legs just in case he decides he wants to fall over and they are presented with one of the most awkward embraces that could belong on a Ryslig Dime Store novel.

It's fine. It's getting the job done. Jotaro is holding Rohan's face while he clings to the gargoyle by the arm and... The... Leg... It would look LESS crazy if there were another set of legs involved but Rohan doesn't have the luxury of one to put around Jotaro's waist.

LIBERTIES... ]

Are we done with the 'worry' word now? Can we be? Please?

Yare yare. I just said if you'd told me not to, I'd probably do it more, and your answer is to tell me not to anyway?

[He shakes his head a little, but doesn't let go or try to shift their positions, letting Rohan do as he will while he focuses on just holding steady.

And inadvertently prolonging the bodice ripper cover configuration. So it goes.]

I'll leave it alone if you say you'll keep that in mind. I'll try to be done with worrying, if you'll agree not to tell me to stop, and just let me do it on my own terms.

[ Jotaro, PLEASE.

He's so ass-backward. ]

Okay. [ He can't make it any clearer and this date has officially gone to Hell in a hand-basket so hard. Two giant purple lizards on the beach fussing over each other is the most dynamic thing this beach has seen in weeks.

Frustration welling up in all of Rohan's muscles has his tail tightening its grip on Jotaro's leg. This didn't go the way he planned it. It should have stayed at wistfully looking at the sea going over how things have changed.

Shit. ]

Should we just go? [ He pauses and rolls his eyes up to the sky. ] I don't know what to do now... [ He winged his eyeliner for this. Wanna hear something REALLY WILD? ]

I'm sorry.

...No. I'm glad you're okay. So...let's act like it.

[He skims his thumb lightly over the curve of Rohan's cheek, seeming to debate with himself a minute before arriving at a decision and dropping an oddly affectionate kiss against Rohan's hair.]

You still need to figure out how to get around on this sand. And I still want to look for sea glass. And we both still...

[...]

I don't get many chances to be out in the daylight with you. Let's use this one to its fullest.

Edited 2016-09-14 17:35 (UTC)

[ It is hard not to smile when he is so willing to accept affection of any kind from Jotaro now. Frustrated and flustered melts away to warmth he can only really express in an upward nuzzle under Jotaro's chin. There is no making a show about it. It's just there. ]

Ah--... If we stay close to the water, I shouldn't have a problem moving. [ Back to business. ] Show me where you need to be to find sea glass. What is it made out of?

It washes up on the shore, usually. So down near the surf where the waves break in the shallows, that's where it's most likely to be.

[With Star falling into place on one side of Rohan as a waiting support just in case, Jotaro simply reaches for his hand instead, intent on guiding him down so they can walk (or slither) while he continues nerding out.

Because he is. Nerding out. Look at him go. It's like he's forgotten he doesn't usually like to talk much.]

It's glass that's been polished from a lot of time in the seawater. If bottles get thrown into the ocean and break, or other glass garbage ends up in the water. The pieces settle to the bottom and the movement of the water buffs down the sharp edges, and frosts over the transparency of the glass.

That's why the most common colors of sea glass are green, brown, and white — because beer bottles and things like that are the most common types of glass that might end up in the water. It's much rarer to find something like red or orange, maybe from a stained glass window or something. Turquoise — turquoise glass is just hard to find in general, because there's too much possibility for variation in the hue. It's blue-green but you can't standardize it very easily, so a lot of manufacturers won't make things out of turquoise glass. I have a few pieces back home...I've only ever found one or two, ever. They're that rare. But they're my favorite.

[ Huh. He didn't know that.

Jotaro nerding out doesn't fall into background noise like some people might assume. He's holding his hand loosely as they head down the shoreline, having to squeeze it now and then when and if his balance wavers. It's not so bad when Rohan pieces together how the sand moves apart and how Snakebutt uses the trail to keep him upright. ]

It's how the ocean recycles. We wouldn't have it if people didn't litter and throw their garbage in the water. [ That sure got dark. ] I have seen people use it for mosaics in art. I never knew what it was when they referred to it as 'sea' glass as opposed to just glass. I should have been able to guess considering that you can use nearly anything to put a mosaic together from glass, to rocks, to buttons... [ Rohan likes hearing Jotaro geek out over things. It isn't all that often that he hears him go on a tangent about something he enjoys like this. He's so intelligent; that is something he admired in him back home too. ]

Do you think that there will be any here? If it's made of things that have fallen into the water... I don't know how many people go sailing or have parties out here. That sounds............

Dangerous. [ Well. ] If we factor in the people who have been dragged into the water and killed, then there's the possibility. [ He curiously peeks down at the ground in front of them. ]

...That's really morbid, you know.

[Eyeglasses from people who'd been dragged into the water, is his first thought, and one that he has to quickly brush off again. That's a little too dark to dwell on, especially for right now; he really doesn't want to think about people kicking and struggling while their lungs fill with water...]

I don't know, though. I guess there'd be more if people have a tendency to throw garbage into the ocean, or if ships carrying cargo go past. But that's also what happens in a normal place with normal rules. Who says there couldn't be, because of something else?

[He stops a beat, like something suddenly occurred to him.]

Like if people are brought in here, to wash up on Vandare's beach — if there's glass, then maybe it's because we're not the only things being brought in.

I never thought about that... [ Honest. ] All of the things in the cities have gotten here somehow...

[ Rohan blinks his eyes back up to the water. He points his free hand out in that direction. ]

Do you think there is anything else out there, Jotaro? Past all that water?

I don't know...I mean — there must be, somewhere. No matter how it looks, it can't just go on forever.

[He chews his lip a bit, which looks sort of hilarious because of how he does it, trying to engage the idle habit while avoiding piercing it with his too-sharp teeth.]

Do you think your...I mean. Do you think "She" would know?

I--...

[ The more Rohan thinks about it, the more he realizes that he never took a look in any of the map books at the bookstore when he had the chance. Whoops. ]

She might. I don't know if that is something I can just ASK about. There are docks and the like... Or there were. Which means something is out there. [ There is a little squeeze of Jotaro's hand brought on by nothing in particular than idleness. ] I don't think She would reveal any of that information to anyone.

I last thought about this when you and I had talked about sailing. I didn't think it would come up again.

Maybe there's another way. The one who helped me unseal Star Platinum — maybe that one might know something. Maybe the next time she comes around, I'll see if I can get her to tell me something.

[But that's idleness talking, too; while it's certainly a weird topic of discussion to beholding while partaking of a Long Walk on The Beach™, it's theirs, and this sure is a Long Walk on The Beach™, all right.]

I don't know if we could even do anything with it. But it'd be interesting to know.

Can you buy lore from her? [ That's a weird thing to sell. ]

Why would you want to waste your coins on that? There are so many other things you could ask for than a chincy piece of information you're never going to use.

Oh, yeah?

[He gives their hands the very slightest twitch of an almost-swing, hiding the beginnings of a smile.]

Give me an alternative. What do you think would be a better use of my coins?

Anything that isn't seeing how far away the next Monster Island is?

[ SO... ] Well. I'm saving for something. [ Gonna be nonchalant about it too ready-- ] She can give you the opportunity to become a human again for a short time.

I want that.

...Yeah?

[He doesn't mean to sound as eager as the word comes out, but he does. It's unusually upbeat, bright with surprise. He's well aware of how Life With Snakebutt™ has been an ongoing series of trials for Rohan, of course; the prospect of a solution, or at least a temporary respite, is definitely something worth being intrigued about.]

And when you're human again? What's the first thing you're going to do?

[ Life With Snakebutt™ needs to go on a hiatus. ]

See if I still remember how to walk or if I am back at square one with climbing stairs. [ His brow furrows and he frowns with his eyes turned back to the water. ] My memory of what I looked like before is starting to go.

I will do whatever I can when it happens. I want to feel that way again if for just a little while... [ He is aware of how The Little Mermaid that sounds but give him a break. ]

What do you think the first thing I should do is?

[It will forever be a point of great lament that Jotaro is like one or two years too early for The Little Mermaid. But he's going to love it when it comes out.]

...Honestly? I think you ought to give me a swift kick in the ass, probably.

[He pauses, and then breaks a hint of a grin in Rohan's direction.]

If you can reach your leg up that high.

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, THIS IS JOTARO. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 019.20.118.16 * THIS IS JOTARO has joined 019.20.118.16 <THIS IS JOTARO> okay i'm typing now what <THIS IS JOTARO> delete what i just said <THIS IS JOTARO> delete what i just said <THIS IS JOTARO> delete everything i just said <THIS IS JOTARO> make this an automated messa <AUTOMATED REPLY, DO NOT RETURN>** This is Jotaro. Whatever you want, hurry up and tell me already.

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