The beach: Saturday morning

[biotic_psychotic]

If the timeline was the same for both of the swaps, this would be Jack's last day in this body before reverting to his regular and much smaller body. There'd been a lot of talk about swimming, diving, sea monsters and cold water in the last few days. The one thing he hadn't done since being on the island? Swimming. The day was gorgeous, perfect weather for it. Jack grabbed some swim gear, a blanket, a towel and a canvas bag with some snacks and bottled water.

Whistling tunelessly to himself, he headed to the beach. Staked out the blanket with some rocks, shooed some curious little porgs away from the snack bag and made sure that was secured so the little buggers couldn't get into it.

Stripping off his shirt, he decided go big or go home and got a running start. Barging into the surf, he dived as soon as he was able. Came up spluttering and laughing, "Oh holy fuck that's cold!"

... Which wasn't stopping him in the least from cheerfully swimming around in the water.



[Open beach, no OCD. Gratuitous shirtless post is gratuitous and shirtless and you're welcome and I'm not sorry.]

Comments

[myownface]

Sparkle was just kind of kicking aimlessly around the beach this morning after making sure Simon was fed and watered and hadn't been eaten by quokka. They had sent off the last of the paperwork and were just waiting for the 'and go!' from the lawyer, and they were... mostly no longer completely out of sorts over the change back, honest, but didn't necessarily want to head to the apartment by cutting through town for as long as they could get away with it.

Which was the only reason they were along the beach today to notice the brawny dude splashing around in the waves.

...

"Wait what."

They noticed the tattoos a few moments later.

"HOLY SHIT JACK."

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack laughed at Sparkle's reaction. "I know, right? This does not suck." He began wading back toward shore. "How you doin'? You okay?"

[myownface]

"Never better?"

This was false.

The question mark probably said about as much, granted.

"I mean... this is me, you know, so that's cool? It was just kinda jarring anyway, coming back into my own skin." Sparkle shook their head. "Whatever, there's no magic wand or anything, I get to be patient until next time and then live it up in... like... two years." A beat. "Can I just say 'holy shit' again, though, because you look like you could pick me up and juggle me right now and I would be okay with that?"

[biotic_psychotic]

"Not being able to switch back and forth when I want is the worst part," Jack agreed readily. "This chassis don't suck. I'd like to keep it until I'm bored with it and maybe have it available for other times."

He grinned, "You're lucky I don't know how to juggle or I might just try."

[myownface]

"Chassis," Sparkle said, blinking and grinning a little. "There's a good word for it. The shape you're piloting around until further notice?"

They scuffed a toe at the sand, and then after considering it for a moment, made their way over to Jack's blanket and helped themself to a corner of it to sit on.

"See, if I could just take any shape the island shoves at me at will, I'd be cool with that. Hot shape with cute boobs, weasel shape, puppy shape, pink flying pony shape..."

Sparkle had collected a lot of shapes over the years.

"Someone should get on making that be a thing. You know, I used to use 'I'm a shapeshifter' to explain how I got into places I wasn't supposed to be? Came in through the mail slot, duh. Duh."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Better than admitting to a B&E," Jack shrugged, "Shit man, if you said that here most people would just accept it."

Lifted a shoulder, "The only shape I haven't liked was the fucking clickbrick one. I stuck to the damn floor." While Kanan had been in front of a firing squad. "This one.." she patted a bicep, "It could stay awhile."

[myownface]

"See, I missed that week." A beat. "I'm super not sorry I did."

They would've been a velveteen rabbit. There wasn't even any question about that.

"I, like, kinda wanna gnaw on your arm, holy shit."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Gnaw .. on my.. arm," Jack blinked and repeated it, looking down at one of his arms, "Why?"

[myownface]

"Because you?" Sparkle said, "Are!" They grinned. "SUPER BEEFY."

... They couldn't resist, so sue them.

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack just laughed because hey, they weren't wrong. Rolling a shoulder in a shrug, she flexed to show just how big those biceps were and nodded her chin at it. "Go ahead."

[myownface]

Sparkle even actually leaned forward and opened their mouth threateningly! For like two seconds.

...

"Oh my god," they decided, "I can't unhinge my jaw that far. Jack! You're chew-proof!"

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack laughed and let his arms relax. "Speaking of chewing," said Jack because he was so very smooth at segues, "Did you actually give Duke a fuckin' shovel speech about me?"

[myownface]

Sparkle blinked and tilted their head a little.

"How is that speaking of chewing?"

Sparkle.

"... I mean, we did talk?"

[biotic_psychotic]

"Cuz a shovel speech or things in that direction count as you chewing on someone, you little rabid fuckin' weasel," Jack said - completely fondly. "Did you chew on him?"

[myownface]

Sparkle maybe hummed. Tilted their head back and forth. And then held up two fingers in a little 'pinch' gesture.

"It was a mild chewing. He probably tastes like seaweed."

[biotic_psychotic]

"I mean, I get it and you were probably shitloads nicer than Kaidan would've been but.. how the hell you figure Duke'd be able to hurt me?" he asked, really honestly baffled by this, "It ain't like I have any of the nicer feelings to begin with, much less anything fragile enough to be fuckin' hurt."

[myownface]

That got a blink and a headtilt.

"... I mean, guy would have to go way out of his way to manage that," he noted. "That's not really the point."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Then.. what was the point?" Jack asked, still baffled.

[myownface]

Sparkle hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what to make of that bafflement.

"... I mean, you're one of my people."

It was kind of that simple.

[biotic_psychotic]

"Yeah but you're one of mine and I haven't even given that speech to your boytoy yet so.. how'd Duke rate it?" Jack asked, still.. really confused.

[myownface]

"He thanked me for not reporting an orgy or anything," Sparkle said, shrugging. "I just... like... told him you meant a lot to me. It wasn't even meant as a shovel talk until he called it one, I just needed him to... to get it."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Wait.. what? Orgy? The fuck, orgy?" Jack was now.. really baffled. "The dinner thing? There was only him and me there, how's that a goddamn orgy? I mean, shit, couple weeks ago, sure but he wasn't even on the island then, so.. what the fuck?"

Yes, Jack, that's absolutely what you should focus on and not at all too much information that Sparkle probably didn't want.

[myownface]

"Wait, I missed an orgy?"

... Not the takeaway Sparkle should be getting from this, no. But a convenient out while they tried to figure out where they were talking past one another.

[biotic_psychotic]

"Not here," Jack eyerolled, "Back home. Me, five or six Asari. It was a real bad day."

Understatement. "One of the goddamn rift portal bullshit motherfuckers dumped us back in the goddamn war. Post-fight.. whatever the fucking term for it is. I went to a bar and made some.. You know, I won't even say they're bad life choices because for me that was healthy as hell."

Really was.

[myownface]

"There are worse life choices to make than rolling around with an armful or two of really, really pretty people," Sparkle noted, smiling crookedly. "I mean, I've had good days like that, I can't judge."

Sparkle came by that fondness of Chiss honestly?

Ahem.

"Okay, backing up. What part of me being like 'Hey Duke Jack's kinda my family be good' is messing with you, here?"