nodo | ( graveyard: we're cursed..........3 )

[ HELLO???

but he's taking his hand and its his hostage now. ]

It's not against the rules if I do that.

Because nobody set up any rules. [ But then again, Steven had a mock argument with Fukuda over "rules" last time too when he """broke""" them, so.

He just lets Law have his hand. Enjoy these feelings of light amusement, not a sense of annoyance in his hand being taken hostage. ]

If you don't know how to swim, I'm sure someone here can teach you.

[ law is going to try to hide how pleased he is to have steven's hand :/ but emotionshare week so he's enjoy that, i guess. ]

I know how to swim; I just can't.

[ Oh, that's fine. Steven seems pleased just as much so it's just going to be a feedback loop of that now, I guess. He runs a thumb over the back of Law's hand. ]

Really, you'd just sink like a rock?

I have to admit, I've never really gone swimming.

[ yeah, they're totally in a feedback loop about being pleased and increasingly so as law finds a level of comfort in it. terrible actually. ]

Yes, exactly. It doesn't matter how much struggle.

[ if he could struggle, but that's not important. ]

...but I'm surprised that you wouldn't have done much swimming. Seems something that most people would do if they're not afraid of the water.

Oh, right on the nail then. [ Damn. Well, he's glad that he dropped Vlad in the blood pool and it wasn't the other way around. Or him doing it to Law, for that matter. ]

Well, while New York isn't far from the sea, there just isn't much time to really go out and be able to do something as leisurely as swimming. I've been to the beach before, upon strong insistence from the squad for a bit of a vacation, but I mostly spent it on the shore.

[ there's a moment where law just thinks the same thing that steven does and a feeling of relief as well as some degree of anxiety is there. you know, since they were talking about all of that while law has his water related problems. ]

Hard at work instead of hardly working. [ some amusement. ] You have your chance now to get your swimming in unless you have some grand excuse this time.

[ no need to wait on law for that. ]

[ ...

He quietly squeezes his hand soothingly, feeling that twinge of anxiety. There there. There's a small bubble of a protectiveness welling in return. ]

I don't want to get my clothes wet, is my "grand excuse". Warm beach or not, soggy clothes clinging onto your body is hardly comfortable. [ There is palpable reluctance subtly radiating off of him, but for reasons that aren't related to what he just said. It quickly turns into a very mild amusement as he speaks his next line. ]

Though, if you want to splash around in the shallows with me, then I'll bear it.

[ ah.

he didn't have to...oh whatever. law is doing his damnest to not read too much into the protectiveness of steven or how he wanted to calm him from his apprehension with water. which is to say that he dives right into what steven is feeling. ...ish. honestly, he made it too easy? ]

You could always take some of your clothes off.

[ though the humor in his voice drops for something more serious as law squints at the ocean before them. he doesn't have anxiety about it all since there's steven here but there's a heavy reluctance from him. ]

How shallow are you thinking?

[ hate that he's asking this as a question because to him it seems like something reasonable but it probably sounds absolutely stupid to anyone else. shallows are shallows after all! (no, they're not. if it's above his ankle he's fucked.) ]

Pass on taking off my clothes. [ His tattoos aren't a thing that he regularly just shows off to the world at large. He'll keep the shirt and pants on. ]

It'd make sense to just start right where the waves die out and go farther based on how comfortable you're feeling, wouldn't it?

[ A simple solution. They can start with the waves just lapping over their feet, and see how more or less comfortable Law feels then. ]

[ hm. law's going to keep his mouth shut about making any comments about steven removing any of clothing. that just... it's fine. he'll leave it. what he instead focuses on is steven's suggestion and it seems fine.

he doesn't seem as reluctant and is actually going to start to lead them towards the water. ]

Be ready to catch me.

[ is he joking? ]

What are you planning on doing, cannonballing your way into there? There's a difference between being daring and being stupid.

[ It's a jest, but Steven will keep up with him, walking at an even pace towards the water. He looks down as they step in, the water cool, not unreasonably cold. He feels the water lap over his feet, wetting the ends of his pant leg seams. ]

Feels pretty nice so far, you?

I know that, and I wouldn't unless I want to die...again.

[ haha?? but when the water laps over his toes law is all but prepared to feel horrible but. nothing? nothing at all. ]

It does. [ cue a prolonged silence and law staring at the water as though it is holding some sort of secret he has no idea about. the confusion he has is palatable and without thinking much further, he'll keep a hold onto steven's hand as he boldly ventures further into the water—past ankle deep. ]

I don't feel sick.

[ confusion. delight? awe...? law isn't sure what to feel at this revelation. ]

[ He's so tempted to shove his hand back in Law's face for the "again" quip. Don't you even, dude.

The feelings he feels off of Law, though, leave him softly curious, inquisitive. ]

Going into water makes you feel sick? That's some serious aquaphobia there. [ He's being lighthearted about it just in case Law doesn't want to make it all that serious. Steven kicks some water around himself. ]

You want to try a little farther, see where's your limit? I'm right here if you do.

[ third time would make it a charm, wouldn't it? haha. ]

No, not aquaphobia. [ he's calm about it, nothing despairing here. ] The trade off for my abilities is that ocean water makes me sick, or, more specifically it drains me of all of my strength.

[ he is serious about the subject matter but at the same time this is so novel to him. did he miss the ocean before? no...but you don't know what you miss unless you've become aware of it. there's a small but growing delight inside of him. ]

I haven't been this deep in the ocean since I was twelve.

[ WHICH IS LIKE NOT EVEN THAT FAR PAST HIS ANKLES?? ]

[ It won't be a third time, it'll be a fourth time since Steven would find a way to bring you back to life and then kill you himself. Except he wouldn't really the last part, but still. ]

I think that still counts as a form of aquaphobia, on the less emotional, more objective end. But I guess that means the sea is your kryptonite of sorts, then.

[ How ironic, a pirate that can't swim in the seas. ]

Does that apply to any and all bodies of water, or is it really just ocean water?

[ He's going to dawdle while Law experiments more on his own. He finds it cute that he's acting very akin to a blind person having their eyesight returned to them, or a lame man recoveirng his ability to walk. The novel joy and delight... it was nice. ]

[ haha ]

I don't get that reference but if it's a personal weakness out of someone's control then yes.

[ but hmmm. ]

And it's mainly salt water. I'm fine in the bath—for the most part. [ though he doesn't test his luck ever, so what are long luxurious baths? don't know what those are. ] Back home the marines had these nasty things known as seatones which would give off a wavelength that's akin to the sea. They'd make them into chains, bullets, you know.

[ he leaves it there because he knows that steven can fill in the rest that he leaves out. though despite of him casually explaining items that are weaponized against others like him, he's also enjoying the simple pleasure of getting hit by the waves and not immediately crumbling to the ground. ]

Nasty stuff.

Wavelengths...

[Steven, a man hilariously ground to a degree in reality and sciences, finds that an odd concept. But at the same time, with how integrated Hellsalem's Lot is with the Beyond, he can imagine something as odd as that.

Like silver to a werewolf. That was such a crucial and critical weakness for Law to have. Steven didn't have anything that was on the same scale. ]

Best make the time you have here in this beach then, how does that sound?

[ he just shrugs at the "wavelengths" yeah? he said what he said. he doesn't understand exactly what it means but he has been on the other side of it and that was enough understanding he needed. ]

Does that mean you're coming in with me?

[ law still has his hand hostage after all. ]

If that's what'll make you feel better.

[ A soft smile for him. Yeah. There's a slight vibe of protectiveness there again, at the notion of it all. It's empathy for Law on the accounts of him being bound and chained or shot with these seatone-made materials, but in true Steven-relationship fashion, it's ever-so-slightly off. ]

If you go down, I'll pull you back up.

[ none of that protectiveness needs to be there as law is fairly certain nothing is going to happen to him anymore. though, if anything he's going to be amused with how steven is agreeing to come with him while just complaining about his clothes being wet earlier. ]

If you're going to keep up being dressed like that, we'll be fine to stick to the shallows and so you won't have to worry about that.

[ but regardless he'll wade out into the waters until the waves regularly crash against his shin or knees. that's fair enough into the water and he'll stand there in a sincere silence. there's a feeling of something bittersweet and sorrowful but ultimately full of resolve before he turns to steven. ]

Your turn—two truth and one lie.

[ because i'm not breaking time to have him comment down there. ]

Huh?

[ Wow, he didn't expect to be attacked with a 2T1L like this out of the blue. He frowns, clearly a little taken aback as he's given this prompt, since he needs to actually think about what kind of weird nonsense he's done in his life that he hasn't told Law about already. Hm? Hm??? ]

Uh... hm.

Earl grey is my favourite tea, I've almost died in a subway, and I've owned pets before.

[ look, law was aware he was having some emotions so what better way than to deflect, right? right. either way law will be amused when steven scrambles to come up with something and while law doesn't know what a "subway" is the fact that it's something that nearly killed him is enough. ]

Pets, right? The fact that we have a snail right now is pretty strange.

[ on multiple levels. ]

[ Stop, he said "almost died", not "almost killed". Though Law is right in his assumption anyway. ]

Damn, you didn't even hesitate, did you? You're right, I don't have any pets.

...And that's your weird-ass snail, not mine. [ He just likes to mess with it. ]

[ semantics!!! but...he'll be amused by steven's reaction to how right law was. ]

Given what I've heard of your lifestyle I'd be surprised if you had a pet plant.

[ pets also imply a few other things that law isn't going to touch. the only feeling that steven will read from law is a subdued amusement. well, and a little playfulness. ]

So the "what's your's is mine" is a selective thing? My notebook is free range but you want nothing with the snail?

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