maskinglayer | [IC] INBOX

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[IC] INBOX

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, PriestOfHope. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 087.10.149.52 * PriestOfHope has joined 087.10.149.52 <PriestOfHope> have you ever wondered what happens to your thoughts when you send them? <PriestOfHope> people say if a camera takes your picture it actually steals your soul! <PriestOfHope> maybe computers do the same thing... <PriestOfHope>** oh this is jataro. i guess you can leave a message if you want.

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[That's okay. Take all the time you need, friend. Nagisa is apparently not going anywhere. He just pats the top of his friend's head gently. There, there.]

[At least he doesn't have any clothes to get snot on. And he smells really nice!]

[His grip around the boy tightens just a little, desperately almost, and he tries to choke back some of his crying. Eventually he does manage, and even manages to get some quiet words out.]

Please don't ever hate me, Shingetsu-kun...please don't leave me alone. Even when everyone else starts hating me...please...I know that's not fair...since I'm really terrible, and I will do something, someday, that'll make you hate me...but please don't.

[Hopefully Nagisa is up to this task. He's gone from desperately needing to be hated to desperately needing to be loved. There's just no in between with this boy. He's just not sure what he'd do now if the nymph ever stopped liking him...]

Edited 2017-08-17 21:52 (UTC)

[At least Nagisa was prepared for something like this. All of the warriors had spent their lives starved of love and affection, but Jataro had perhaps had it worst in that regard.]

[It doesn't take a genius to figure out that a child who's only ever known hatred and neglect would hyper-attach like this. He saw it happen with Junko. He's known all along that "please hate me" is Jataro's backwards-twisted way of saying "please love me".]

[The nymph raises a hand and gently rubs the back of Jataro's head. Other than a slight wheeze thanks to Jataro's tightened grip, he makes no attempt to push the boy away or get him to stop.]

I won't, I promise. Pinky promise, even.

Uu..uuuuuu....

[Don't be fooled by those sad sounding noises. He's very happy right now. So happy. Probably the happiest he has ever truly been. But at least he lets go, not squeezing him anymore but trying to untangle himself. Why?

So he can hold up all four of his pinkies.]

Pinky promise...?

[Nagisa smiles and holds up all four of his own hands without a moment's hesitation, interlocking each of his pinkies with Jataro's. Apparently, he'd had the same idea. What's the point in having four hands if you can't make a pinky promise four times as strong as a normal one?]

Pinky promise.

[What's the point!! Four hands make literally everything better, including pinky promises.]

Okay...thank you, Shingetsu-kun.

[He sounds incredibly grateful, as if the boy just saved his life or something. Something that you'd think would be more significant than pinky promising to be his friend.]

You're welcome, Jataro.

[He pulls his hands away once they've sealed the deal and turns his gaze to the set-aside truck.]

So...why did you wish for a fire truck, anyway? What are you going to do with it?

[He sniffles a little, wiping at his face some as he turns and reaches back for his truck. And then he holds it out to him.]

Don't you think fire trucks are cool? They get to drive around really fast, and they make those really loud noises, and they have hoses on them that can spray water and ladders that go up and up and up! They're a lot better than other cars and trucks. Plus, they're red like blood! And if you drive one, you get to wear the fire fighter outfit.

[Nagisa looks a little taken aback and confused when Jataro holds the truck out to him, but after a moment he takes it in hand anyway, turning the little toy over in his hands to look at it from all the angles he's already seen it from.]

When you put it that way, I guess they are pretty cool. But...all fire fighters have to wear the uniform, you know. Not just the ones who drive. It's protective gear.

Yeah, but I wouldn't want to do any of the firefighting part.

[Just the driving or riding part.]

Well, except for you Shingetsu-kun. I'll fight any fires you need me to!

Should I get you a hat? [He has to suppress a small laugh.] A group of merpeople would make an amazing fire squad though, now that you mention it. You wouldn't even need to use hoses.

[Really, the people of Ryslig should be thinking of ways to use them for harmonious, not fear them. Their loss.]

[Jataro gasps at that idea, looking so impressed with Nagisa's intelligence as usual.]

You're right! They'd be really good at it! I can put out any fire I see all on my own, so if we all got together we'd be really, really good! Do you think we should talk to the other mermaids about it? I bet Dandy-san would!

I'm not sure Dandy would be the best choice...he just started up a restaurant, remember? It takes a lot of work to keep something like that going. [A beat.] Then again, he's clearly not the hardworking type so...

[So maybe it's okay to ask him if he wants to play firefighter in his spare time.]

Edited 2017-08-22 21:50 (UTC)

Maybe if we told him he could meet girls that way?

[Yup. Jataro has definitely caught on that 90% of what Dandy does is to meet babes.]

Maybe. But then he wouldn't actually fight any fires, he'd just spend all his time chasing women.

Well...

[Jataro gives this some thought, tilting his head and "hmmmm"ing.]

Oh! It's like...when you nag at us about when we eat dessert! Like...we can only have a cookie after we eat allllll of our dinners, even the veggies. If you tell him that you can only get girls if you fight fires, that'd work, right? And don't girls like fire fighters? I thought I saw lots of magazines with fire fighters on the front that were all..."Hot fire fighter! The man of your dreams!"

[And then he pauses, raising a hand up to his chin.]

Or are those boy magazines...? Do boys like fire fighters? Well I guess I like fire fighters...

Uwah!! [Please hold this conversation for a slightly distressed Jataro.]

Does that mean I like boys? Shingetsu-kun, how do you know if you like boys or girls? I like Big Sis Junko, but I also like fire fighters! I don't want everyone to pick on me for liking boys! What do I do?

..........

[There is...so much to address here. So much. As is normal with Jataro, since he's so inclined to ramble. Luckily, Nagisa is very no-nonsense, so he's just going to sigh and skip to the part that was actually a question. The relevant bit of rambling.]

It's just...something you know? But, Jataro, all "like" means is that you find something agreeable, enjoyable, or pleasant. You like frogs, right? You like your chisels too. You can like something without loving it.

So, do you find fire fighters physically attractive, or do you just think they're cool? And do you feel the same way about them as you did about Big Sis Junko?

But isn't it different with boys and girls? People don't love frogs and chisels. I've never seen anyone with a frog or a chisel mom or dad.

[You can't convince him. This is a serious problem! The boy whines a little, because those questions don't really help.]

I don't know...how do you know if something is physically attractive? I think they're cool yeah! But what if I think both? I don't think I feel the same way about them though. But Big Sis Junko is a girl. It's a lot different! Girls and boys are like...kitties and frogs! They're totally different things!

[How do you know if something is physically attractive, oh boy... Nagisa can't believe he has to be the one to explain this, but better him than an adult.]

[...or any of their other friends, honestly.]

[The nymph inhales deeply. Okay. He can do this.]

Did being around Big Sis or just thinking about her make your heart beat faster?

Edited 2017-08-23 12:01 (UTC)

[It's true. It really is for the best that he's learning this from Nagisa.

As...is...with most things. 90% of things should probably be explained to Jataro by Nagisa and nobody else.

He gives this some thought. Well...yes, he thinks so. So thinking about someone and your heart beating faster makes you attracted to them? Hm.]

Yeah...

And does that happen when you see or think about fire fighters?

No.

[He knows that for sure!]

Well then you aren't attracted to them. You like them, but you don't like them in a romantic or attraction-based sense. Make sense?

Yeah...yes. It makes sense! Thank you!

[Phew, that's a relief. However.]

Um...can I ask another question about this?

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