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[maskinglayer]

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.

Comments

[maskinglayer]

[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!

[expectional]

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.]

[maskinglayer]

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.]

[expectional]

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

1/2

[maskinglayer]

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...

[maskinglayer]

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?

[expectional]

..........

[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?

[maskinglayer]

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!

[expectional]

[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?

[maskinglayer]

[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...

[expectional]

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

[maskinglayer]

No.

[He knows that for sure!]

[expectional]

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?

[maskinglayer]

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

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

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

[expectional]

You never need permission to ask me a question, Jataro. What is it?

[maskinglayer]

Well...does your heart beating faster always mean you're attracted to someone...? Like...beat faster in a not scared of them way. In the way that it does when I think about Big Sis Junko?

[expectional]

Well...yeah, usually. But I mean...it's not just that your heart beats faster. You feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and you... [His cheeks turn faintly burgundy. No. No, stop thinking about her. That ship has sailed.] You want to spend as much time around them as possible. You want to hold their hand or...or k-kiss them. Things like that...

[maskinglayer]

[Oh. Oh...kiss them?? Well...that's three and a half out of five...]

What if you don't want to kiss them but that's because you think kissing is super gross? Does it have to be all of those things?

[Kissing is super gross that's what adults do. Did you want to kiss someone Nagisa? Maybe you are becoming an adult!!!! Thinking about kissing anyone just makes him feel weird...and he's not sure if it's a good or a bad weird!!]

[expectional]

[WOW SO WHAT IF HE WANTED TO KISS SOMEONE? He sure doesn't anymore because in reality it was not as enjoyable as he'd hoped. It was pretty dang awful, actually.]

Um...I guess it doesn't have to be? Everyone's different, so...everyone wants different things. [How the hell did they get on this topic it needs to stop.] But I think you might be overthinking all of this. When you really, really like someone in...that way. The romantic way, you'll know. It'll feel different than liking someone as a friend or liking firefighters because you think they're cool and you want to ride in one of their trucks.

[No. Seriously. How did they go from a toy fire truck to this? How did this happen.]

[maskinglayer]

[...that answer doesn't help at all, Nagisa. He barely even knows what it's like to like someone as a friend. He can definitely tell the difference now between liking firefighters because he thinks they're cool and that, but the romance and friend line is a lot more blurred for him now, after that explanation. Jataro frowns a little, clearly nothing having been cleared up at all with this conversation basically.]

...okay.

[But that's the kind of answer you give to someone if you don't want to keep talking about something, so he'll just...think it over he guesses. Or ask someone else maybe...maybe Nagisa doesn't really know? He likes boobies but he guesses that doesn't mean he like likes girls or anything...]

[expectional]

[Nagisa sighs.]

Sorry... [He can tell that he's not helping at all, and it makes him feel bad. He rubs at the back of his head a little.] This is just one of those areas that can't just be explained with facts. It's kind of like turning into a monster: nearly everyone experiences it, but no two people have exactly the same experience.

I'll help you however I can, but this is something you'll have to come to understand on your own, for the most part.

[maskinglayer]

It's okay. I mean I am pretty stupid, so it's probably my fault that I don't get it.

[He smiles, picking his truck back up. Don't worry about it Nagisa.]

Wanna play with the fire truck with me?

[expectional]

It's not your fault, and it has nothing to do with intelligence. [It's said firmly, not to chastise but as encouragement. Maybe if he says it enough times, Jataro will eventually start to believe things like this. He did eventually come around to the idea of mutual friendship after all.] But sure, alright. What did you have in mind?

[maskinglayer]

If I was smarter though, I'd understand it better wouldn't I? [He's pretty sure that's how it works. If you're smart, you understand things. And he doesn't understand a lot, so he's not very smart.]

I though maybe I could be a firefighter, and you could be trapped in the playground when it is on pretend fire, and I could come rescue you! Or we could both be firefighters and we'll both put out the pretend fire and save the playground together!

[expectional]

Not necessarily. This is a matter of the heart, not the brain. So being brain smart only helps so much.

[You'll understand eventually, Jataro. Once you start to understand being liked in general more. He's sure of it.]

Anyway...I'm okay with either of those scenarios. Which would be more fun for you?