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]

[ HhnnGHghh ]

It was a suggestion. We don't have to. I had an idea but we don't have to if that's weird for you.

[ This is stUPID. Time to awkwardly try to cross his arms. ]

[starmark]

You're asking me out.

[OH BOY, LET THE HHNNNGHGHH FLOW, THIS IS GOING TO GET STUPIDER BEFORE IT GETS BETTER]

No, what's the idea? I want to hear it, hurry up and tell me. Where are you asking me out to?

[manuscripture]

[ When does it not get stupider before it gets better??? ]

Remember... Remember the beach we washed up on? I was thinking there without all the locals trying to kill us.

[starmark]

Back in Vandare?

[On one hand, Vandare is Vandare. On the other hand: BEACH.]

So it'd be an overnight trip, or something. Not just a date, but a vacation.

[manuscripture]

Yeah. I know Vandare isn't our favorite place to go but it beats Bug Town or Rota. [ Where they will be killed on-sight. ]

If you count a day as a vacation, sure. I can afford a nicer hotel now.

[starmark]

That's charming. You're going to take me to the least shitty of the shitty places on a date. With a hotel and everything.

[He pauses a minute, mulling it over.]

...It'd have to be at night, wouldn't it? For me. Because of the sun.

[manuscripture]

[ The goddamn sun ruining Day Trips and shit. ]

Yes. You can fly there in no time, we can sleep all day or whatever and come back home. It's simple, isn't it?

[starmark]

I was just thinking, it's a shame a beach umbrella and really powerful sunscreen wouldn't make any difference.

[Is that a joke? It might be halfway to one. Possibly. Probably.]

...Yeah. Okay. Let's do it. I accept.

[manuscripture]

If you find a sunscreen strong enough to keep you from turning into a handsome paperweight, run it by me.

[ Rohan rolls his eyes and shakes his head. ]

I have things to do with Lorna this week but... Sunday might work...?

I'm sure the beach is full of gross things for you to roll in.

[starmark]

...Sea glass. I want to look for sea glass.

[He says almost absently, like it's the natural correction to make when it comes to Things To Do At A Beach.]

Oh. I talked to her, did I tell you? Lorna. She's okay. Kind of fussy, but all right, I guess. And I guess I should probably...figure out what to do with the dog, so. Sunday would be good. Yeah.

[manuscripture]

I'd rather you hoard sea glass than roll in anything. I'll take it.

[ The mention of Lorna has him perk up. ]

She's fussy because she's been a shut-in for her entire life. Whoever she lived with never let her leave her house. All she knows how to do is sew and garden. A place like this is very dangerous for her. She lives all the way in Sanctuary so I have been taking her there before you pick me up.

[ Ffffff he's gotten all soft again. Awful. ]

She is good material for what I was looking for.

[starmark]

...What the hell. They wouldn't let her?

[It's one thing to enjoy being a housewife; his mom is proof enough of that. But being a veritable prisoner in your own home with nothing to do but sew and garden? Now that's bullshit, and definitely no way to treat a girl.

Make that two lizards getting soft about Lorna, then.]

That's bullshit. Tell her to go do whatever she wants.

[manuscripture]

She doesn't WANT to do anything she wants. [ Rohan frowns a bit. ] She's afraid of damn near everything. She has told me she had never seen a painting before either.

It was sort of... Surreal. All she does is sit at Sanctuary and come to work as far as I know.

I want to fix that. Somehow.

[starmark]

What are you thinking? Just dragging her around everywhere to expose her to...culture, or something?

[The sad thing is, he sounds like he's serious...]

[manuscripture]

Slowly. Plunging her into anything too fast will give her a heart attack.

[ He's VERY certain of this. ]

I had an idea. It's a crazy idea that I wouldn't normally do. [ Hm. ] She works with me every day at the shop. Sanctuary isn't a fantastic place to live. I was thinking of finding her a nicer place to stay though I am fairly sure that she is going to refuse everything out of modesty.

The long and short of my crazy idea is having her stay here.

[starmark]

...You want to have her come live in the castle? With us? And then what, you'd take her to work every day and I'd come get you both at sundown?

[To his credit, he doesn't seem to be protesting so much as just trying to work out the ramifications.]

And put her where, in a wing to herself or something?

[manuscripture]

It's a thought. Likely temporary.

We have a million rooms. She can have one for a while until she gets settled. [ This is the Nicest Thing he's ever done for someone. ] If she is going to be working with me so much, it would be quicker to teach her if she is within reach instead of hauling her back and forth to Sanctuary because she is afraid of walking home at night.

Not that I blame her. The gargoyles and harpies in town aren't very discerning when it comes to picking out what they want to gnaw on. Meek demon girls are a quick meal. [ He sighs and shrugs up his shoulders. ]

Would that bother you? She keeps to herself for the most part. She is very polite too. [ And might want to clean and do the things neither of them want to. ]

[starmark]

If the gargoyles and harpies in town are hassling her, that's something I can take care of. I told her to tell me if somebody was making trouble for her.

[Although given Lorna, he can start to see why maybe she wouldn't say anything either way.]

I don't have a problem with it. This place is too big for two people, anyway.

[manuscripture]

I will see what she thinks. She will turn me down, I'm sure. She didn't even want me to pay her. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen.

[ Not the strangest. Close though. ]

I don't think I would do this sort of thing for anyone else. This feeling is... [ What's the word? ] ... Odd to me.

[starmark]

She didn't want you to pay her? What, she just wanted to work for you for free?

[So evidently his assessment was not incorrect, this is definitely a girl who pretty much anyone could take advantage of and she'd barely put up any resistance whatsoever to it.

Girls like that are such a hassle. Making people want to protect them and all.]

...You like her. And now you're getting attached.

[manuscripture]

[ Girls like that ARE a hassle.

Not sure how he feels about the word like in this situation. ]

Don't say it like that. You make it sound like I have a crush on her. That's weird. [ He's also pretty sure Lorna is like twelve so let's Not. ]

I tolerate her more than others. That phrasing is better. I want to keep and eye on her. Is that weird?

[starmark]

I'd say that's weirder than having a crush on her, but that's me.

[As though the Crusaders were innocent of entertaining and babysitting a little girl who decided to tag along with them for a while.]

Just tell her it's safer here. And that I don't sleep at night, so it's not a hassle for me to take her places in the dark if that's what she needs. Those are my "daytime" hours, anyway.

[manuscripture]

Don't be gross, Jotaro.

[ EWWW. ]

I'll work on it. I have a strategy. I don't want her running into unsavory characters. [ He glances to the window... ]

Anyway, I just wanted to drop off those candlesticks. I should go find my sketchbook and... Do something in it.

[starmark]

Well, let me know how it goes.

[He pauses, then tosses Rohan a sly look.]

And have fun drawing Star Platinum.

[manuscripture]

[ He sees that sly look. Don't think he doesn't. Unwinding from his spot beside the bed, Rohan starts to pass Jotaro sloooowly, deliberately to make it across the room on his own time. ]

Star Platinum? Who said I was going to draw him?

[ All the sarcasm in the world can't properly convey being called out, man. ]