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[risorto]

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[risorto]

[Sorry, Chariot. The pull on the slider can be moved up and down, but the slider itself isn't going to budge on the teeth at all. Sticky Fingers looks down at where Chariot's tugging relatively impassively. Bruno, on the other hand (no pun intended), rubs at the back of his right hand because that's weird sensation.]

Mm... He doesn't exactly talk on command or respond like yours does.

[silvercrusader]

[He keeps tugging: not roughly or too firmly, but with the quiet determination of a child who's going to see this to the end. He flips the slider once or twice too, because that's mildly interesting.]

Can you try?

[Jean tips his head up, trying to meet Bruno's gaze. Please, Bruno.]

[risorto]

[At this point, Bruno would shake his hand out, but he knows it won't do anything to get rid of the sensation. So, he just lets his hand rest back in his lap next to Polnareff. Sticky Fingers looks (or would be if he had eyes) between Chariot and his hand for a moment. He looks in Bruno's direction who gives him a small nod before he lets go of Chariot's other wrist to let the zipper be semi-functional with a touch from his left hand. At the same time, Bruno moves his right hand behind his back by casually leaning onto it, slipping it underneath the pillow. Now when Chariot gives it a small tug, it will unzip a small amount.]

[The matching one on Bruno's hand is kept out of sight as he shrugs a shoulder.]

You might have better luck than me.

[silvercrusader]

[The minute exchange is entirely lost on Jean, but the result absolutely isn't. Chariot finally manages to unzip Sticky Fingers' zipper, and both Stand and user gasp in delight. "Pami!" Chariot chirps, and Jean turns, beaming up at Bruno.]

Look!

[He scrambles forward, poking at the little space created by the zipper. A beat, and then, over his shoulder:]

What do you like? Chariot talks when I'm happy, so maybe if I can make you happy, I can make him talk. [A moment for thought, and then:] Do you like . . . [What the fuck do adults like.] . . . chocolate?

[risorto]

[The response is surprising given the way Polnareff as an adult first reacted to Sticky Fingers' ability. Then again, that first time had been using Sticky Fingers more or less on Polnareff directly and had been on a human body rather than on his Stand's body. Those are all fairly important variables, but then again, he might just be too excited at the existence of other Stands to be all that fussed about what might otherwise be unnerving.]

[Sticky Fingers remains still while Polnareff and Chariot fuss over the hole in his hand though.]

I don't really care for sweets, [Bruno says with a small shake of his head.]

[silvercrusader]

Well, what do you care for?

[Chariot pokes at the hole, his finger venturing further in. There's a noticeable uncertainty in his next pami, but Jean's expression hasn't changed from its initial delight.]

Is it . . . [What does his mother like?] Books? Or . . . . fishing?

[risorto]

[Bruno smiles a little at Chariot. There's not a single reaction from Sticky Fingers or Bruno in response to his little finger going further.]

Mm, yeah, I like both of those things. I grew up next to the ocean, you know.

[silvercrusader]

So did Papa.

[He says it idly as he kicks up one foot, trying to find it beneath the enormous t-shirt.]

But we can't do those things here . . . well, we could read, but I don't want to.

[Jean twists, glancing back up at Bruno, as Silver Chariot peers at Sticky Fingers.]

When does he usually say it?

[risorto]

[Sticky Fingers takes back his hand, removing any fingers from the hole and zips it back up. The zipper itself returns back to normal and won't budge any longer.]

Sometimes when we're fighting. But I'm not about to pick a fight.

[silvercrusader]

[Aha. Jean tips back, grinning up at Bruno.]

We could fight you.

[It's a joke, sort of, and then again it's sort of not. Chariot is the most superior Stand by far; Sticky Fingers doesn't even have a sword. So they could totally beat him. Chariot echoes that semi-joking with a playful little shove to Sticky Fingers' shoulder.]

[risorto]

[Bruno has to put in solid effort to avoid laughing at his and Chariot's following enthusiasm.]

Oh no, I don't think that'd be a good idea, [Bruno says with a small shake of his head.] A fight like that would be over before it started. Sticky Fingers and I wouldn't last.

[Sticky Fingers put a hand on Chariot's big head, shaking it a little in lieu of the Stand not having hair to ruffle.]

[silvercrusader]

Yeah you wouldn't!

[Good, this guy definitely knows just how fierce Jean and Chariot are. Pami, Chariot tells Sticky Fingers, and flies back, flourishing his sword. Look how fierce he is! How brave! How utterly uncoordinated he is compared to his older self! There's none of the usual grace and precision Chariot wields his rapier with; this is a child with a toy, trying to look as cool as possible.

With a smug little smile Jean settles back, leaning heavily against Bruno. The sun is just peeking over the horizon, but he's been up for hours, all right, he's tired. Not so tired as to sleep yet, but . . . he'll just lean against Bruno for a bit. There's a blessed moment of silence, and then:]

Have you fought before, you and him?

[risorto]

[Sticky Fingers watches Chariot swing his rapier around so fiercely. It's barely a twitch of the Stand's lips, but there's a close approximation of a smile there as he raises a single, solitary thumb up in silent praise. Good job, little Chariot. You definitely would kick a lot of bad guy butt like that.]

Many times, [Bruno says, wrapping an arm loosely around Polnareff.] We've had to stop a lot of really bad men.

[silvercrusader]

[Chariot's little chest puffs out considerably. Well! No eyes or not, Sticky Fingers has just become his new favorite. He flits closer, cooing an affectionate pami, before leaping back again. Look at this!]

Like who?

[Jean wiggles. It's not to break free from Bruno's grip-- no, he quite likes that, actually. It's just to make sure he's entirely comfortable, because surely a question like that will lead to a story.]

[risorto]

[Oh, there's a story. Plenty of them.]

[The problem is that most (if not all) are not exactly child friendly. At least not for a child as young as Jean.]

[When Chariot leaps back, that would be the point when Sticky Fingers would raise his eyebrows if he had any. As it is, his expression remains more or less indecipherable. He reaches over and gently tugs the smaller Stand back over.]

Mm, there were a few bad men after a princess I was told to protect.

[Time to sanitize.]

[silvercrusader]

[Chariot goes, more or less amiably enough, as Jean wiggles his toes. That's a very odd feeling, having someone grab his Stand's foot. Not bad, but odd, and he might be very distracted by that if not for what Bruno says.]

A princess!

["Pami!" Jean outright scrambles back, turning in Bruno's lap so he can face him properly.]

What kind? Was she pretty? Did you love her? What kind of bad men? Did they have friends like ours? What did you do, how did you fight them? [And then, breathless and terribly excited:] Are you a knight!

[risorto]

[Here we go again with the cascade of questions. Bruno doesn't bother with trying to correct him for asking so many all at once in his enthusiasm. He just addresses a few of them instead of trying to remember and answer each in turn.]

She didn't know she was a princess because the king didn't even know he had a daughter. So when the princess' mother became very ill, she found a way to tell the king that he had a daughter before she passed away. He wanted to see her for himself when he heard the news. He asked my friends and me to bring her to him safely.

But the king hadn't been a very good ruler, and many people wanted to see him lose the throne. That's why there were bad men who would do anything to the princess in an attempt to shake the king's resolve. So, we promised to keep her safe, even from the king if it came down to it.

[silvercrusader]

Ohh . . .

[That's a twist on the usual storylines he hears. Jean contemplates that for a few moments, sorting it all out in his head. Chariot lets out a soft pami, slightly worried, his fingers curling around Sticky Fingers' wrist.]

So what happened? You protected her, right?

[risorto]

[Bruno nods a little as Sticky Fingers pats Chariot on the back gently with his free hand.]

The king wanted to hurt her, too, in the end, but my friends and I kept her safe. The king is gone now, and there's a new king who's kind and wants the people to be happy. The princess didn't want to rule herself since she was never raised a princess, but she chose to stay and help this new king fix everything that her father did to hurt the people.

[silvercrusader]

Oh, good.

[Both Jean and Chariot visibly relax. The Stand settles on the bed, scooting to the very edge to press close to Sticky Fingers.]

That's a good . . . mm. It's not a story, but it was good. [He pats Bruno's chest. Well done, Bruno.] Good job. You're a good knight. Like Lancelot, almost. Except Lancelot's uglier.

[risorto]

[Two points to the zippermom to get such high praise. Dang.]

[Bruno huffs a small laugh. Can't he's ever been called a knight before, let alone had his looks compared to Lancelot. Sticky Fingers moves over and sits down on the bed side Chariot. Although he doesn't pull Chariot into his lap, he does somewhat mirror Bruno by putting a loose arm around the Stand's shoulders.]

That's very kind of you to say, Jean. Thank you.

[silvercrusader]

Yeah.

[Yeah, it was kind. Jean squirms a little, feeling the ghost of Sticky Fingers' arm around his shoulders. That's a very odd feeling. Jean leans back, resting against Bruno again.

Experimentally, Chariot pulls on Sticky Fingers' hand, pulling his arm tighter around him. Jean feels it, of course, and he giggles.]

That's weird. Nobody's ever been able to touch him before. I tried to get Sherry to do it, but. [He pulls a little face.] She can't. [A beat, and then:] She still can't do anything fun.

[risorto]

[Bruno feels the little tug on his own hand and smiles a little. Sticky Fingers maintains the tightness that Chariot sets by pulling on his hand.]

You're a good big brother though, aren't you? You try to include her anyway.

[silvercrusader]

I have to or else Mama gets mad.

[A little labored sigh, and then:]

At least she can walk an' talk now. Even if I'm not allowed to fight her.

[Fight meaning roughhouse, which apparently you can't do with a five year old. Lame. Jean sighs again, so put upon, and pushes back against Bruno. Pity him, Zipper Man. Or snuggle him. Whichever.]

She likes being the princess now, though. So that's okay. An' she-- [A beat, and he grins.] She thinks I'm magic because of him.

[Pami, Chariot says happily, and wiggles beneath Sticky Fingers' arm. Jean might be remembering Sherry with some irritation right now, but Chariot has nothing but affection for their sibling.]

[risorto]

[Bruno huffs a small laugh at Polnareff's explanation of his relationship to his sister while Sticky Fingers gives Chariot a light squeeze. Don't fight your sister, Polnareff. C'mon.]

It sounds like she looks up to you a lot then.