IC Inbox | ryslig

[starmark]

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.

Comments

[manuscripture]

[ He knows what his tail is working on-- A little doodle of what he thinks a gargoyle leaping out of the water should look like. A lizard bursting out from a self-made air bubble under the surface defying the laws of water resistance. It's pretty good too... ]

If you go under the water and try to flap them, you'll feel more resistance but it shouldn't be as hard on your joints. [ Getting all scientific like that night back at the shop. ] It's why physical therapists use water as a means for treating sports injuries. You get the resistance you need to make the muscles and bones work without the harsh impact.

If anything, swimming should make you fly better... [ Keep flappin', Lizard Boy. ]

[starmark]

Huh. I wasn't really sure if that was something I wanted to risk, but maybe if I'm already under the water when I try to get them open...

[He thinks about it, then waves at Rohan before moving out into still-deeper water, where his feet aren't touching bottom and he's treading water in the surf.

From there it's easy to duck underwater and paddle around a little, working up his conviction to open his wings and start learning how to use them to swim in addition to his arms and legs. It's a gawky, slow process; it was hard enough getting used to his wings in dry air, and now he's doing it all over again in the water.

But eventually he starts thinking of manta rays, and how they move through the water with great sweeps of their winglike fins, and starts trying to adapt his own wingbeats to that mental image until his air runs out and he needs to resurface again.]

[manuscripture]

[ Rohan would be lying if he said he was completely disinterested in taking a look at the water for himself. He's had enough happen this evening that it's COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY to take any other risks. Watching Jotaro has him so amused on his own already. Shouting advice across the water and seeing what he does with it when he disappears and comes up again. ]

How long can you play in the water before I have to put you down for a nap? [ An elbow falls to the topmost coil and his chin settles in his hand. ] Don't forget about me either.

[starmark]

Shut up.

[He calls back, good-naturedly, with regard to the commentary about napping. But he does start making his way back closer to shore, ambling around with wide and idle strokes that reflect an unusually clear and unbridled love of being in the water.]

You were right. It's different underwater, but not exactly bad. I don't really like the feeling of the resistance but I think that's the gargoyle knowing it's out of its element, and not anything actually putting my wings at risk.

[manuscripture]

It's because your new body is doing something it isn't used to. That's right. Body parts have a natural desire to protect themselves.

[ He fondly regards Jotaro taking his time heading back inland again. Sort of bobbing around and floating slowly, slowly... ]

Now you know what you can do on those nights you find yourself all bored and don't want to sit on your broding parapet for hours on end.

[starmark]

What, find a lake and go swimming? You should've asked for a moat to go along with the castle.

[With water dripping visibly off of him, he makes it back into the shallows and shifts to walking, coming tromping back up onto the shore and moving a short distance away from Rohan without making any moves to shake himself dry.]

Hang on, stay over there a minute. Let's see about that steam thing, now.

[And don't mind him just cranking up his body temperature at a rapid pace, trying to get the droplets clinging to him to evaporate into steam.]

[manuscripture]

Listen, I didn't know what kind of real estate I was getting. Why Mana put a castle without a mote out there is beyond me but here we are. A mote can come AFTER my legs.

[ Not gonna mind him AT ALL. He remembers actually burning himself on Jotaro that night when he, uh, stole that dog. All of the blood he washed off of him stuck to his scales and evaporated with the water he used. ]

I thought it would have evaporated quicker but your baseline temperature must be low enough that it doesn't change states unless you raise it...

What IS your baseline temperature? [ Slowly, Rohan uncoils and slips across the sand into the shallows to go meet Jotaro and squint VERY CLOSE at his scales. ] These are questions I should have asked months ago.

[starmark]

I dunno. I guess maybe you'll have to take my temperature sometime and find out.

[He says, as the water gradually begins hissing and his scales begin drying as the heat starts making evaporation take effect.]

...Huh. Not bad.

[AND THUS THE DATE CONTINUED FROM THERE, RENDERING THE REST OF THE DAY APPROXIMATELY AS RIDICULOUS AS ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN.

ALSO THEY EVENTUALLY DID FIND ROHAN ANOTHER SHELL AND JOTARO GOT SOME SEA GLASS AND IT WAS GREAT.]