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[lapidarius]

"This is Kakyoin Noriaki. Please leave a message, I'll contact you as soon as I can."

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Comments

action; he's coming to find a nerd

[lapidarius]

...?

[It didn't take long to figure out the most likely culprit, after making sure the package wasn't rigged to blow up. Ishimaru didn't seem the type at all, DIarmuid was more practical, and Afonso would probably have given some level of warning first.]

[So...]

Hey, Jotaro?

[starmark]

...

[Admittedly, he wasn't entirely surprised at Kakyoin putting in an appearance; he hadn't known exactly when it might be, but he did suspect he knew exactly what had prompted it. Really, it was only a matter of time, all things considered.

Still, when Kakyoin found him, he was lounging on his bed with one of his library books open and propped up against his knees, engrossed in what he was reading until the sound of his name made him look up.]

Hey.

[lapidarius]

What're you reading about?

[Stay casual. Even though he'd exchanged half his gakuran for a jacket over a white collared shirt in an unbelievable change of wardrobe.]

[...it was pretty comfortable.]

[starmark]

Sea otters. They're completely different from river otters; they're true marine animals, while river otters are land mammals that are just really good at swimming.

[He glanced up from his book, unable to hide his eyebrows raising at the fact that Kakyoin was actually wearing the jacket while he came to visit.

Guess he must've...really liked it, huh.]

Some sea otters never touch land in their lives. They're really awkward at moving around when they're not in the water.

[lapidarius]

...I guess I've never seen one walking around, now that you mention it.

[He walked over and took a seat on the edge of the bed, thoughtful.]

Then again, I don't think I've ever seen one in person at all.

[starmark]

Here, look.

[He flipped the book around, motioning to one of the glossy pictures.]

You can really tell the difference by the tail. River otters have a long sleek tail; sea otters have a wide and kind of stubby one.

[lapidarius]

[He leaned over slightly to look, tilting his head.]

They're...really cute.

[starmark]

They wrap themselves in kelp when they sleep, to keep from drifting away.

[OTTERS.]

That's pretty smart, for just animal instinct. They're using their environment like a tool to accomplish a goal.

[lapidarius]

Sounds pretty resourceful. Aren't those the ones that hold hands, too?

[starmark]

Yup.

...You came in here just to talk about otters?

[lapidarius]

No, but I did want to know what you were reading about.

[...]

It sounded like a better start than 'I found a jacket in my room.'

[starmark]

Looks like it fits.

[...]

Anyway, now if Ishimaru sees you, he won't give you shit about dressing for the weather, or whatever.

[lapidarius]

...You got me a jacket just because of the weather?

[starmark]

That's not what I said.

[lapidarius]

...

[?????]

So why...did you? I mean, I'm pretty sure you're the only one that would've given me something like this.

[starmark]

A couple weeks back, he was doing something stupid.

[He paused, setting the book on otters back on the stack and leaning back against his pillows instead, pulling the brim of his hat down over his eyes.]

It just got me to thinking.

[...All of which amounted to an answer that essentially said nothing at all.]

[lapidarius]

Thinking about what?

[give this man a license to practice dentistry because this is like pulling teeth]

[starmark]

...My birthday's in February.

[And Kakyoin had said he'd been here in the city around fifty days before Jotaro himself had shown up, and he'd gotten there in August, and Ishimaru confirmed Kakyoin'd had a birthday in the city but it was before he'd arrived himself...

So that had to be June or July, sometime.]

I know I missed yours. But finding that in your room...you still were surprised, right?

[lapidarius]

... [oh. Oh.]

'Surprised' is one word for it. I almost thought it might explode, since it just came out of nowhere like that. But I really like it, Jojo.

[...]

July twenty-sixth.

[starmark]

Well. Surprise.

[Spoilers: there was no chance whatsoever that he would've managed to deliver that in person, for a number of reasons including but not limited to he probably would've exploded, and not the package.]

...You didn't tell anyone?

[lapidarius]

...I didn't see any reason to.

[Kakyoin shrugged, adjusting the jacket's collar.]

[starmark]

Flip it up. Makes you look tough.

[...]

I figured it'd go with your sunglasses.

[lapidarius]

Are you trying to make me look like a delinquent, Jojo?

[He laughed under his breath, not sounding all that offended.]

[starmark]

The hell was I supposed to get you, candy and flowers?

Maybe you can wear it the next time you decide to steal a truck.

[lapidarius]

Are you ever going to give me a break about that?