Sing For Me, Darling

Chapter 3 - Cadence

Kakyoin stood and waited at the pier that following night, an easel and canvas tucked awkwardly under one arm. Slung across his shoulder was a bag full of various art supplies, including a well used and well loved pallette that was covered in countless layers of paint. The ocean was unusually rough at the moment, its waves slapping against the rocks, tossing up seafoam all the while. It, combined with the wild dreams and the townspeople's threats, put him on edge. Something about the water's wrathful behavior was very off putting, as the sea was never this agitated this late at night. The tide was much higher than it should have been, and yet, the air was still and had not a hint of a breeze. Kakyoin cupped his hands around his mouth, and attempted to shout above the crashing of waves.

"Jotaro!" he called.

No answer.

"Jotarooo!" he called again.

No answer.

"Jo–"

"I'm here, I'm here. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

The siren was floating on his back, bobbing up and down in the churning water. The waves weren't bothering him at all, despite the way they were tossing and turning him all about. He was using his tail to both balance himself out and to stay in one place.

"You had me worried!" Kakyoin reprimanded. "I thought..."

"You thought something happened to me, huh?" Jotaro snickered. "I'm fine, honest."

"Good. Ready to get painted?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Do you want me to pose, or...?"

"If you could sit on one of these rocks, like a mermaid would, that would be fantastic."

Jotaro hoisted himself up onto one of the taller rocks, letting his tail dangle freely in the water. His skin had a light tint of green to it, and the dripping seawater made it glisten in the moonlight. The iridescent scales scattered on his body flashed and twinkled like precious stones as he tried to get comfortable.

"Like this?"

"Perfect. Don't feel pressured to do anything too fancy. It's nothing but a simple portrait, after all." Kakyoin began to rummage in his bag for what he needed. "Though, if you want it to be extra special, I definitely won't stop you."

Jotaro nodded, looked out towards the horizon, and Kakyoin diligently set to work, laying down broad, sweeping strokes in pencil, dabbling paint here and there, creating a rainbow of blues, greens, and other cool hues on the canvas and on his pallette. After two long and grueling hours, Kakyoin had finished. He wiped the back of his paint covered hand on his forehead, leaving a smear of blue behind. It was worth it though, as he had painted a masterpiece. Each painstakingly painted scale seemed to glimmer like its real life counterpart, his green tinged skin looked smooth to the touch, every swooping curl of his coal black hair gave the illusion of texture, and what little of his facial features one could see were sharp and breathtakingly alive. Kakyoin stepped back to admire his hard work, comparing it to the real deal.

"Based on your reaction, I'll assume you did good?" Jotaro said with a sly grin.

"Better than good. You make an amazing muse, to say the least." Kakyoin replied.

"I'm flattered. Mind showing me the finished product?"

Kakyoin carefully picked up the easel and turned it towards Jotaro. His expression stayed mostly stoic and blank, save for his eyes, which widened in awe. He could tell he was stunned.

"I didn't know you were this good." he said breathily. "Nori– I mean, Kakyoin, I've... Never seen anything this beautiful in my lifetime."

"You're just saying that." Kakyoin said with a half smile. "I'm no better than any other painter. If anything, I should be thanking you for being such a wonderful subject."

"Don't discredit yourself. I'm just a merman with a pretty face. You, on the other hand, are a wonderful artist who can bring a painting to life with a few brush strokes. That's something to be proud of."

Kakyoin covered the blush slinking across his face with a hand, and glanced to the side. He felt an oddly warm sensation in his chest, and his heart began to beat at a million miles per hour. Jotaro could be surprisingly heartfelt, when he wasn't trying to keep up that distant attitude of his. He hadn't really paid much mind to what the siren looked like, instead choosing to invest himself in his personality and silly quirks. That is, until now.

'You are so much more than a merman with a pretty face.' he thought.

"It takes a lively subject to make a lively painting. Perhaps there's more to yourself than you think there is."

It was Jotaro's turn to blush now, but he chose not to cover it up, instead turning completely away from Kakyoin. He noticed, for the first time, a star emblazoned on his left shoulder, near the nape of his neck.

"Hey, Jotaro... Is that a birthmark, or a tattoo?" Kakyoin asked.

"You mean the star thing?" he replied, still not turning around. "'S a birthmark. Everyone in my family has one, for some reason. They say that it's a manifestation of my 'Joestar blood', whatever the hell that means. They're always trying to get me to take pride in it, but I never see the point of it, as most of my family is either estranged or dead. There's not much to be proud of."

"Woah, you've got family? Are they sirens too?"

"Yeah. Well, not all of us. My great grandfather's adopted brother was supposedly the child of a sea witch, but I find that hard to believe. I think he was just an asshole "

"Does that mean that there are other sirens around here?"

"Nah, it's just me around these parts. My family, or, well, my mother, lives way farther out. She isn't the fondest of humans."

"Do you mind if I ask why?"

"...She was attacked. A long time ago."