From Where the Silence Echoes

-2- An Opera for the Lost

In hindsight, Jotaro felt bad for snapping at his family.

The siren was welcomed home with warmer smiles than he had expected, and his mother had clung to him as if he had been gone for several centuries; not to mention the fact that his grandfather had even gotten misty-eyed at his return.

"Where have you been, you rascal?" he jokingly scolded. "Your mother had been worried sick about you!"

"I've been around." Jotaro replied dismissively. He wasn't as up for jokes as the others, and was certainly not in the mood for merriment in the vein of what they had probably schemed. "Been doing some thinking on my own."

"I'm just glad you're okay, Jotaro!" his mother said in her typical honey covered tone. "I missed you so much!"

The siren simply grunted and 'accepted' the hugs granted to him. Kakyoin was still overwhelmingly on his mind, and it didn't seem like the painter would cease clouding his judgement anytime soon.

His grandfather waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Jotaro? You seem off, son. What's gotten into you? Did something-"

"No. I'm fine." Jotaro batted his hand away forcefully. "Just... I need some more time alone, alright?"

And alone was where he currently found himself, bobbing amongst the waves absentmindedly. The stars twinkling overhead seemed to taunt him, blinking on and off as if to convey some secret message that only they understood. The siren used the gentle forces of the sea to roll onto a rock that had just so happened to be jutting out of the water that made up his aimless path. He glared up at the starry sky, the glittering pinpricks of light and gently shining moon doing nothing to improve his mood. As much as he wanted to pretend like he wasn't worried at the painter's sudden departure, it was all too clear in his body language. The lack of details that Kakyoin had provided had finally begin to sink in, causing Jotaro's anxiousness to skyrocket. For all he knew, his lover wasn't coming back, and all the reassuring that he had done was just a clever front to prevent the siren from thinking too deeply into his absence.

Jotaro's mind began to wander into dark and desolate places; ones where Kakyoin had been whisked away by the townsfolk to a place beyond his imagination, perhaps even into the open arms of death itself. Soon enough, his thoughts turned into a waking nightmare, with the painter being just within his line of sight and yet still barely out of his reach. Jotaro released a snarl of frustration, making a motion to slick his hair back but stopping himself halfway through.

In the distance he could just barely make out the hazy halo of a ship on the horizon, cutting through the waters with a sort of silent pride. It seemed to be making a direct course to his perch, causing the siren to dive back into the water, fearful that the humans aboard would try something brash if they happened to spot him. His family was there to greet him, seemingly summoned by the sudden appearance of the ship. 

"Jotaro," his grandfather said, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "When was the last time you sunk a boat?"

"It has been a while, right?" his mother affirmed almost just as slyly.

"It has, yeah. Why?" Jotaro replied, raising a suspicious eyebrow. Those two knew better than anyone that he didn't indulge in the sinking of ships unless he absolutely had to; and the cunning shine to their eyes left little to the imagination on what their plans were. He decided to humor them anyway, hoping they wouldn't confirm his suspicions.

"Well... We've noticed you've been down in the dumps since you gotten home—"

"And Papa and I were thinking that sinking a ship as big as this one would put you back into high spirits!"

The siren pressed a hand to his forehead, letting out the heaviest sigh he could muster.

"No. I'm not—"

"Now, Jotaro, hold on a second," Holly paused his thought with a hand. "You said yourself that it's been a while since you've sunk a ship. You know that isn't healthy for us, right?"

"I don't care." he replied with a roll of his eyes. "There's no way in hell that you'll get me to even think about this. I'm not doing it."

"For God's sake, Jotaro, stop being stubborn!" Joseph struggled to keep his voice level, its volume and pitch wavering with his effort. "Your mother and I are worried about you, so—"

"So," Jotaro spat, beginning to lose his patience. "You should keep your worries to yourself, because I'm not getting caught up in your shenanigans. That's final."

"J-Jotaro... We just..." His mother buried her face into her hands, her shoulders shaking with barely concealed sobs. "We just want the best for you! Is... Is that so wrong?"

Jotaro haughtily drew her into a hug, awkwardly patting her back with a heavy sigh.

"Tch... Fine. Just this once. But you've gotta stop crying. It's annoying."

Holly wiped her tears with a smile, then returned the hug her son had given her with an even tighter one. Jotaro practically pried her off of him, uttering a quick "good grief" for good measure. He swam back up to the surface, peeking over the rock he had been laying on earlier for the perfect place to lead the ship to. A little ways away there was a craggy outcrop of stone that was just the right distance from both him and the ship. He hastily dove back under the waves, praying that he wouldn't miss his opportunity. They'd never let him live it down.

Seating himself on the least sharp stone in the outcrop, Jotaro sighed and looked out to the horizon once more. The ship had glided past his initial perch, and it seemed as if it were going to sail right past him if he wasn't careful. There was no turning back. The siren adjusted himself with the utmost of care, sucked in a huge breath of air, and began to sing.

He hoped that he wouldn't regret this.