[When Fugo hears his voice, he immediately turns to him and shakes his head.]
Not really. You?
[Of course, even though he asks, Giorno definitely looks fine, so between that and apparently (finally) making it out of that stupid game, Fugo feels somewhat relieved. Of course, the question now is what do they do next, but... He really should try not to get ahead of himself—especially when he'd somehow come to trust Giorno's judgement a whole lot more than his own. One thing at a time.]
[ So they both had all of their fingers and toes as well as their own perceptions of normal restored to them. Giorno kind of wants to learn more about the ViViDs right not given how he was right here but later. There would be time later to look into them. ]
There's a lot we need to figure out. [ Because that was obviously the next part to tackle: what was going to happen next. Where did they go from here? Hold a proper conversation without being in some stupid game having to worry about themselves being hurt by some stupid monster. However given how "long" it's been— ]
[He has to think about it for a second. Compared to other things he's been through lately, that really wasn't that bad—it was tedious more than anything else. This was still a lot to take in, though, in more ways than one, and they had been stuck there for a while, so...]
Let's go somewhere quieter.
[That was all he needed, really. Just something away from all this noise so he could try to wrap his mind around this mess. (And considering they didn't really know anything about this place, keeping it simple was probably best.)]
[ Giorno gives a small nod in agreement. A quiet place for them to digest everything might be good.
However, it's moments like these where it would be nice to know where things were already but given that he doesn't...Giorno can only look around for a moment before noticing how some of the other NPCs in the area are pulling out there CEREvice out to check things out. Maybe there could be a clue in there?
Cue him fiddling with it to see what he could dig up. ]
Perhaps there is a cafe or something like that nearby. [ (and for the sake of this thread, there will be.) ] Ah, found one. It's over in this direction, if I'm reading this correctly.
[ And off he goes towards the direction of the cafe. ]
[Well, that works for him. Now that he thinks about it, he's kind of hungry, too, so some real food might be nice. But that thought makes him realize that he has no idea what to look forward to here, and that's kind of a strange thought. This whole thing was sort of unreal... He'd never been outside of Italy before.
He makes a face as he follows him.]
We could be stuck here for a while. [It's not even a question, he's pretty sure it's a fact. With all the other people who'd been playing that game with them... There was probably a lot of work to be done, so they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.] What the hell are we supposed to do until then?
[Until they could finally leave. While there was nothing about home that he was particularly attached to, it was at least familiar... But what was he without Passione, really?]
[ As they're walking towards the cafe, or still hopefully. That arrow on the map was supposed to represent them right? It was definitely pointing still towards the cafe. And as they walk, Giorno can't help but poke at the rest of what this CEREvice might provide for him information wise.
Which is...surprisingly a lot. There's a whole network and everything filled with random posts from various people in Cerealia. ]
According to what I'm learning, there are apartments which we can rent. [ This is truly the digital age. The technology here is almost mind boggling, and such he wasn't even really looking where he was going eyes fixated on the vast information at his fingertips. ] It appears that given our ages we can still be considered students and will be given a stipend if we choose to go to their school. If not, we will be forced to work.
[ There's a bit of a pause as Giorno considers his options. Corndog Vendor or student... Clearly the choice is obvious. ]
I believe I'll choose to enroll. [ Giorno will stop in mid-step and pull his eyes away from his CEREvice to look at Fugo. ] What will you do?
[Fugo pauses, too, but the question still kind of catches him off-guard. He blinks as the question registers, and he tries to figure out— what to do. What was he supposed to do? What did he want to do?
He gives something like a shrug.]
...no idea. [He hadn't given the idea of "school" another thought since the day he left, so it's kind of a strange question to even be asked at all. But the idea of going to school or getting a job, here, kind of really irritates him. Were they supposed to just... act like everything was normal? That sounds so stupid.] I...
[He kind of wants to ask, "What do you think I should do?" but Giorno didn't remember things he probably should, and besides that... he's not quite sure how to embrace this part of himself yet, this part that struggles with standing on his own two feet.]
[ It's not a satisfactory answer for Giorno but he's in no position to egg Fugo into doing anything else, not to mention, he knows that forcing Fugo to do anything isn't something he can do. Not outright. Instead he just nods and continues to press forward as they finally come upon the cafe.
Compared to the loud noise and bustling streets not that far away, it was sort of an oasis of calm. There's a sign instruction people to seat themselves and that a wait bot will come to serve them soon enough. Convenient.
He tucks away the CEREvice into his pocket and decides on a table slightly tucked away and before he takes a seat, asks a simple question: ]
Has a lot happened?
[ Giorno really means, "how much time has passed" but the concept of Fugo being from a different point in time than him is still strange. It's not that strange, or at least, it wouldn't feel as strange if Stands were involved admittedly. However, given that Stands weren't involved and instead some sort of outside alien force (quiet literally) it's a bit uncomfortable.
Still, it's been the biggest question that Giorno wants to know more about. And it isn't simply just because of what happened to Buccellati... Maybe if he knows, he can do something about it. So he sits and waits. ]
[The quiet is something Fugo greatly appreciates. Even though this place is still so foreign, and there's nothing about their surroundings that'll let him forget it, there was something just a little comforting about it. He could relax, somewhat—not completely, and hardly enough, but somewhat.
He moves to take a seat across from Giorno, but that question... He swallows and sits down. It was only natural that Giorno would want to know more, but— how was he supposed to tell him? What could he even tell him? He could brush it off, or try to lie, but he got the feeling that Giorno would figure it out (figure him out) even if he did. He deserved to know what he knew, anyway, Fugo thought, but he barely knew enough for it to count.
He nods, curtly.]
Yeah. Seems that way. As far as I know, it's been a few months since... [Should he really tell him this?] ...since you beat the boss.
[It feels weird to say it like that, and weird to be saying it at all. Giorno should know these things.]
[ Beat the boss... Those words weigh heavily on his mind for a while. Towards the boss was where they were headed to next. Did it all happen there? Though there was something also bothering him in how Fugo was wording things. "As far as I know"—why would Fugo use that sort of wording?
He should know, shouldn't he? There was more to that story that needed to be asked but that might be too much too soon and Giorno didn't want to make the day even worst for the two of them than it already was. Another time, right now they just needed to get this simple fact straight. What was the gap between them. ]
No, what I remember last was that Mista and I retrieved the disk in Venezia. [ And how many months was it between the disk retrieval and the fight with the boss was it? Was it sooner? Was it later? Giorno wants to ask but instead he figures it might be best if he didn't know anything after that.
Though, if they did beat the boss and Buccellati was dead that— Did it mean what he thinks it means? The new boss? Was it...him? If that was the case then... ]
I would not have forgotten anything of what you've mentioned and yet it appears that somehow I have. I'm sorry.
[Venezia... It's almost jarring to hear, just because it's been so long. He doesn't even know what to say, but it's just as well, because he's almost taken aback by his apology.]
Wh-what are you apologizing for? [If anything, he was the one that should be apologizing, except that if he did, he'd have to explain why and that would involve having to bring up a whole bunch of things he really wasn't too proud of. ...especially if the last thing Giorno remembered was their time in Venice.] It's not your fault. They're the ones that brought us here, so they're the ones to blame.
[That wasn't to say that he didn't want Giorno to remember, of course, because he did, but there was no point in feeling guilty over something he didn't actually do. And really, even if Giorno didn't know what he was talking about, it... wasn't really that bad. It didn't matter, because he was still there, and somehow, even in a place as far away from home as this, Fugo felt less alone than he'd felt in a long time.
He bites his lip.]
...even if you don't remember, you're the boss now, and I swore an oath. Your dream is my dream. I'll do whatever you need.
[The words are sincere, maybe more than one would expect for this kind of situation. It wasn't just because he was the person he worked for, after all. He didn't have to be the boss here, and he didn't even need to remember that he was—he just had to be himself, and Fugo would be loyal to him.]
[ Giorno had one reason why he was apologizing but then when Fugo drops the small bomb of him indeed being the new boss, the perspective suddenly changes. He had been apologizing for the fact that Fugo was sheltering the weight of knowing things that Giorno didn't when they should both be carrying the weight...sharing the burden of whatever they could.
But if he was the new boss and if Fugo had sworn himself to him and his dream—he truly was apologetic. Apologetic but not in despair. Instead he'll look to Fugo and sort of understand what must have happened. The deaths of Buccellati and the others... He lost true friends and allies on the first major stepping stone in achieving his dream. ]
So I've become the boss. [ Don of Passione. Don Giovanna? Boss Giovanna? None of those sounded right to him. But what had Fugo called him that one time? Giogio? ]
Fugo... I'm glad that you're here with me. [ Because in the end, Giorno could have stayed in the dark and not known anything. ] For you, who sees things to clearly and is careful, to side with me and my dream—I'm honored. I will make sure that I am that boss you swore an oath to.
[ After all, just because he was told he was the boss it didn't mean he had earned it yet. ]
["I'm glad that you're here with me." Even now, these are words that he doesn't quite feel like he deserves. But he didn't want them to be wasted on him, either. He wouldn't let them be.]
You don't have to be that person here. I've... already made up my mind. [Giorno had nothing to prove to him—even if he didn't remember, he had done something for Fugo that no one else could have (or even would have) done. Really, the biggest reason he even mentioned it is because it's important for Giorno to know. Because he wants him to know that he can rely on him, for anything and everything. He needed to know that he'd do anything for him.
...there was still a bit of a problem, though.] ...but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to call you anymore.
[It's a silly thing, honestly. He's kind of embarrassed by having to bring it up, but... Giorno had caught him off-guard with it before, so maybe it was better to just— ask.]
Or, well, it was interesting seeing the differences between the Fugos he knew. The one he was more familiar with might have not let him off the hook as easily. Yet it seemed as though this Fugo was almost very insistent about making sure that Giorno could trust him. As if there was any doubt in his mind aside from that one brief moment where he wasn't sure.
Just the minor things that Giorno caught though didn't feel the need to comment on. Fugo might have told him that he didn't have to be that person, but that person was what Giorno wanted to be. No pressure other than the one he put upon himself, and as for the matter of names... ]
You can call me whatever makes you feel comfortable with Fugo. I'm not your boss just yet so I'll accept whatever name it is.
[ A small robot will roll up next to Giorno with a digital display. Obviously it was the "wait bot" and it was going to wait some more seeing that Giorno wasn't really ready to order just yet. ]
[DON'T LEAVE THIS DECISION UP TO HIM... He glances at the weird machine as he awkwardly tries to figure this out. He wasn't sure what the best way to go about this was... Just "Giorno" almost felt strange, but he didn't want to push him, either.]
GioGio... That's what you told me to call you, before. Is that alright?
[It had felt weird when he told him that before—it was just so familiar. It was strange to use a name like that for someone he'd only really known for a few days. It still definitely felt that way, but at the same time, it also felt sort of right. Maybe it was more for himself, than anything—because Giorno, or GioGio, rather, was the person he owed his life to. In a way, it was strange to call Giorno his friend because they hadn't known each other that long, but at the same time, he was just— so much more than that, too. So it felt right.]
[ It's just a matter of a name, Fugo. Giorno has already decided that whatever Fugo goes with will be the name that he'll accept. Though, it is kind of surprising to him that he wanted to go with the name that was decided by his future self. It feels honestly a little too familiar but has a nice ring to it. ]
Of course. [ And that was going to be it. He was going to GioGio and as one of the first acts as GioGio, he was going to look over at the robot that had rolled up next to him and Fugo was fiddling with. Everything was so advance here. ] I'll still call you Fugo; I hope that hadn't change.
[ Because if it has, he was going to have a bit of trouble trying to get into a new habit now. Fugo hadn't said anything that might have suggested him being called otherwise, but given that he was the new boss, he could never be too certain. ]
Oh, I think I've discovered how to order drinks.
[ Hopefully it's just one drink he's ordering and not accidentally more than that. ]
[Somehow, he feels like he's being teased... Fugo glances away, vaguely embarrassed, but shakes his head.]
N-no. Fugo's fine.
[But when Giorno mentions having figured out how to work things, Fugo looks back at the robot. He's not really sure how he feels about it, honestly... If they're confident enough to send these things out to deal with customers, then they must be at least somewhat efficient, but... Maybe it's just too different, and that's why he's not sure. It wasn't like he'd had any real reason to doubt it yet, after all, but he couldn't quite accept that this was normal and okay, either.]
I'll take anything. [Leaving the responsibility to Giorno, smh... But really, it's because he's not sure just how different this place is going to be. What kind of drinks would there even be? What kind of food? ...he frowns a little.] I wonder if everything's like this.
[Weird robots in other stores and businesses... Thinking of it like that, it's actually a little creepy.]
[ Giorno nods his head when he confirms that Fugo is still an acceptable name to call him. That's good, that much hasn't changed.
And seeing that Fugo somewhat threw in the towel and left things up for Giorno to order, he carefully picks out two bottles of what he thinks would be some sort of fruity beverage. The words on the display aren't familiar to him in the slightest but he knows how to read them and hopefully that'll be good enough. However when it came down to ordering some snacks... Giorno realized something— ]
We've never had a chance to sit down like this so I've never gotten to know what kinds of foods you like. [ It's simple but also important.
Well, perhaps not that important but enough given their current situation where it might be noteworthy to point out. Sure he was the new boss but a good boss should know a thing or two, if not more, about the people they worked with. Though, maybe this was too casual given everything that they've been forced to deal with. Not that things weren't similar back "home"; life was really just about being able to adapt and react quick enough to the changes. ]
I don't want to be forced to fall into their pace, but I feel as if we should learn how to behave normally in this place.
[ Or at least, that's what he feels is right for this situation. ]
[Given their situation, it probably isn't an unreasonable thing. It's probably the most reasonable way to go about it, Fugo thinks, but that doesn't mean he has to feel good about it. Being forced to fall into the pace of this world that they never even wanted to come to in the first place... Maybe a few months ago, it wouldn't have mattered so much—he didn't have anything outside of Passione, so being forced into this might not have bothered him then, when he didn't have anything at all. But it definitely bothered him now. Maybe not so much for him to get angry and break something, but he definitely wasn't happy about it.
And then, there was the idea of "behaving normally"... That was a different problem entirely.
Fugo looks toward the wait bot and attempts to mimic what Giorno had done to order drinks. What to eat...]
I'm not too picky. [Or maybe it's more appropriate to say that if he had been, that had probably changed, too, in the last few months.] Maybe something sweet, for now.
[And so he'll pick something that sounds sweet, but hopefully won't be painfully so. And then, Fugo thinks back to what he said about behaving normally...]
I guess we'll have to figure out what's "normal" here.
[But he didn't know if he knew how to be normal (or even fake normal, whatever was normal for this world) at all. For all his life, he was sure of it—he had been anything but normal.]
[ While Fugo's anger isn't outright obvious to him, Giorno will get a certain feel that the suggestion doesn't sit well with him. And of course it wouldn't, or well, he could see why it wouldn't. It's part of the reason why he put voice to it. Despite the a vague level of understanding, Giorno will only make note of it as he presses on. ]
I'm rather fond of sweet things myself; I don't care for anything that's heavy or too greasy. [ Between the cake, he thinks he's ordering cake at least, that Giorno's ordering and the giant parfait that he's going to be eating later, one has to wonder about his sugar levels.
But food conversation aside, Giorno goes back to the conversation that he sort of brought back. It had been Giorno's attempt to get Fugo thinking again about what to do here; he knew that Fugo was cautious but he also had a feeling that the suggestion of trying to be "normal" might be a tall order. He hasn't forgotten how he sensed some agitation from the suggestion in general, but these were necessary things. ]
With the vast diversity of the people here, I'm sure it won't be hard to figure out what will qualify as "normal". Perhaps if we're lucky it won't be too different than what we're used to. [ Though... ]
Just one. [Which is both strange but also kind of... not. It was strange in the sense that being around Stand users was such a normal thing as a member of Passione, but if what they were told about this place was true, then it made sense that there wouldn't be quite so many around. Then again, even if it was unusual, it probably wasn't a bad thing. Stand users could be a pain if they weren't on their side.] He didn't seem like a bad guy. He helped me out a few times.
[Fugo had been extra cautious back then, not knowing what to expect from this place once they got out of ViViD. It seemed, for now, like his concern had been unwarranted, but even now, his Stand wasn't one he could afford to be careless with. He didn't think Kakyoin realized just how big of a favor he'd done for him by looking out for him the way he did.]
What about you?
tbh i'm horrified they're all roughly the same height
It is the same for me. [ Though while Giorno doesn't think there could be many Stand users here, he wants to at least account for all the ones that were here and that they knew off. Which meant starting off by naming the one he knew— ]
By any chance was it Kakyoin Noriaki? He stood around our height with red hair.
[ If it had been the same person, then at least this was going to be another account in his favor. Giorno had trusted Kakyoin pretty easily; nothing about Kakyoin really seemed to be dishonest or give Giorno doubts. He was certainly knowledgeable about Stands if nothing else.
Eventually Giorno will want to cross the bridge discussing the fact that he has met people who did not have Stands themselves but were able to see Gold Experience. It wasn't many but he wonders if Fugo has also ran into any of those types... ]
Yeah, that was him. [He nods.] I don't know much about him, but I don't think we have to worry about him. He doesn't seem like he'll be a problem.
[...which is a pretty terrible way to evaluate someone, but hey, thug life and all. Kakyoin didn't come off as a particularly friendly person, he thought, but he seemed pretty genuine in his attempts to help. He used his Stand pretty freely, too, even when he didn't know that Fugo could see it. If he'd wanted to use his Stand for something terrible, it would've been easy to do so, but he never did, so Fugo wasn't worried.]
I didn't meet anyone else worth noting.
[How rude... But he mostly means there was no one worth noting in an extraordinary sense, rather than an interesting or uninteresting one. He hadn't met anyone else so far who had abilities like them.]
I desperately need a drawing of all three of them standing next to each other...
[ Thug life is thug life for a reason. Though Fugo's assessment of the Kakyoin is a bit telling in how brief he was. Nothing notable, their interaction was probably nothing terrible but it wasn't amazing either. It's not as if Giorno would sing praises either but...just something to note.
Kakyoin Noriaki was someone Fugo did not see as a threat and potentially someone they could work with (if not use on some level). If they knew mean girls, this would be very close to encroaching on that territory. ]
He seemed to be knowledgeable about Stands and him and his... [ What did Kakyoin refer to them again? He distinctly remembered that he didn't refer to them as "friends". ]—companions were hunting down a particular Stand user themselves.
[ Giorno will turn to look at Fugo before easing up and relaxing into his chair. He'll trust that the robots will come with their food whenever it's ready. But, that was a great way to transition into what he had wanted to talk to. ]
I've encountered a few people here who have claimed being able to see Gold Experience despite not being Stand users themselves.
[The fact that Kakyoin would also be quite knowledgeable about Stands doesn't come as a surprise to Fugo. Kakyoin had been pretty smart—he had been logical, reasonable, and handled their bizarre situation like it wasn't all that strange at all. Not to mention that Stand users seemed to be drawn to each other, so the fact that he knew of others isn't too strange, either.
But the last thing Giorno says, that comes as a surprise. Fugo blinks, trying to make sure he heard that right.]
Th-they can see it? How?
[If they could see it, could they interact with it, too? Was it possible for a normal person to be able to attack their Stands?]
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Not really. You?
[Of course, even though he asks, Giorno definitely looks fine, so between that and apparently (finally) making it out of that stupid game, Fugo feels somewhat relieved. Of course, the question now is what do they do next, but... He really should try not to get ahead of himself—especially when he'd somehow come to trust Giorno's judgement a whole lot more than his own. One thing at a time.]
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[ So they both had all of their fingers and toes as well as their own perceptions of normal restored to them. Giorno kind of wants to learn more about the ViViDs right not given how he was right here but later. There would be time later to look into them. ]
There's a lot we need to figure out. [ Because that was obviously the next part to tackle: what was going to happen next. Where did they go from here? Hold a proper conversation without being in some stupid game having to worry about themselves being hurt by some stupid monster. However given how "long" it's been— ]
Do you want to rest?
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Let's go somewhere quieter.
[That was all he needed, really. Just something away from all this noise so he could try to wrap his mind around this mess. (And considering they didn't really know anything about this place, keeping it simple was probably best.)]
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However, it's moments like these where it would be nice to know where things were already but given that he doesn't...Giorno can only look around for a moment before noticing how some of the other NPCs in the area are pulling out there CEREvice out to check things out. Maybe there could be a clue in there?
Cue him fiddling with it to see what he could dig up. ]
Perhaps there is a cafe or something like that nearby. [ (and for the sake of this thread, there will be.) ] Ah, found one. It's over in this direction, if I'm reading this correctly.
[ And off he goes towards the direction of the cafe. ]
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He makes a face as he follows him.]
We could be stuck here for a while. [It's not even a question, he's pretty sure it's a fact. With all the other people who'd been playing that game with them... There was probably a lot of work to be done, so they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.] What the hell are we supposed to do until then?
[Until they could finally leave. While there was nothing about home that he was particularly attached to, it was at least familiar... But what was he without Passione, really?]
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Which is...surprisingly a lot. There's a whole network and everything filled with random posts from various people in Cerealia. ]
According to what I'm learning, there are apartments which we can rent. [ This is truly the digital age. The technology here is almost mind boggling, and such he wasn't even really looking where he was going eyes fixated on the vast information at his fingertips. ] It appears that given our ages we can still be considered students and will be given a stipend if we choose to go to their school. If not, we will be forced to work.
[ There's a bit of a pause as Giorno considers his options. Corndog Vendor or student... Clearly the choice is obvious. ]
I believe I'll choose to enroll. [ Giorno will stop in mid-step and pull his eyes away from his CEREvice to look at Fugo. ] What will you do?
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He gives something like a shrug.]
...no idea. [He hadn't given the idea of "school" another thought since the day he left, so it's kind of a strange question to even be asked at all. But the idea of going to school or getting a job, here, kind of really irritates him. Were they supposed to just... act like everything was normal? That sounds so stupid.] I...
[He kind of wants to ask, "What do you think I should do?" but Giorno didn't remember things he probably should, and besides that... he's not quite sure how to embrace this part of himself yet, this part that struggles with standing on his own two feet.]
I guess I'll have to think about it.
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Compared to the loud noise and bustling streets not that far away, it was sort of an oasis of calm. There's a sign instruction people to seat themselves and that a wait bot will come to serve them soon enough. Convenient.
He tucks away the CEREvice into his pocket and decides on a table slightly tucked away and before he takes a seat, asks a simple question: ]
Has a lot happened?
[ Giorno really means, "how much time has passed" but the concept of Fugo being from a different point in time than him is still strange. It's not that strange, or at least, it wouldn't feel as strange if Stands were involved admittedly. However, given that Stands weren't involved and instead some sort of outside alien force (quiet literally) it's a bit uncomfortable.
Still, it's been the biggest question that Giorno wants to know more about. And it isn't simply just because of what happened to Buccellati... Maybe if he knows, he can do something about it. So he sits and waits. ]
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He moves to take a seat across from Giorno, but that question... He swallows and sits down. It was only natural that Giorno would want to know more, but— how was he supposed to tell him? What could he even tell him? He could brush it off, or try to lie, but he got the feeling that Giorno would figure it out (figure him out) even if he did. He deserved to know what he knew, anyway, Fugo thought, but he barely knew enough for it to count.
He nods, curtly.]
Yeah. Seems that way. As far as I know, it's been a few months since... [Should he really tell him this?] ...since you beat the boss.
[It feels weird to say it like that, and weird to be saying it at all. Giorno should know these things.]
Do you really not remember?
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He should know, shouldn't he? There was more to that story that needed to be asked but that might be too much too soon and Giorno didn't want to make the day even worst for the two of them than it already was. Another time, right now they just needed to get this simple fact straight. What was the gap between them. ]
No, what I remember last was that Mista and I retrieved the disk in Venezia. [ And how many months was it between the disk retrieval and the fight with the boss was it? Was it sooner? Was it later? Giorno wants to ask but instead he figures it might be best if he didn't know anything after that.
Though, if they did beat the boss and Buccellati was dead that— Did it mean what he thinks it means? The new boss? Was it...him? If that was the case then... ]
I would not have forgotten anything of what you've mentioned and yet it appears that somehow I have. I'm sorry.
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Wh-what are you apologizing for? [If anything, he was the one that should be apologizing, except that if he did, he'd have to explain why and that would involve having to bring up a whole bunch of things he really wasn't too proud of. ...especially if the last thing Giorno remembered was their time in Venice.] It's not your fault. They're the ones that brought us here, so they're the ones to blame.
[That wasn't to say that he didn't want Giorno to remember, of course, because he did, but there was no point in feeling guilty over something he didn't actually do. And really, even if Giorno didn't know what he was talking about, it... wasn't really that bad. It didn't matter, because he was still there, and somehow, even in a place as far away from home as this, Fugo felt less alone than he'd felt in a long time.
He bites his lip.]
...even if you don't remember, you're the boss now, and I swore an oath. Your dream is my dream. I'll do whatever you need.
[The words are sincere, maybe more than one would expect for this kind of situation. It wasn't just because he was the person he worked for, after all. He didn't have to be the boss here, and he didn't even need to remember that he was—he just had to be himself, and Fugo would be loyal to him.]
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But if he was the new boss and if Fugo had sworn himself to him and his dream—he truly was apologetic. Apologetic but not in despair. Instead he'll look to Fugo and sort of understand what must have happened. The deaths of Buccellati and the others... He lost true friends and allies on the first major stepping stone in achieving his dream. ]
So I've become the boss. [ Don of Passione. Don Giovanna? Boss Giovanna? None of those sounded right to him. But what had Fugo called him that one time? Giogio? ]
Fugo... I'm glad that you're here with me. [ Because in the end, Giorno could have stayed in the dark and not known anything. ] For you, who sees things to clearly and is careful, to side with me and my dream—I'm honored. I will make sure that I am that boss you swore an oath to.
[ After all, just because he was told he was the boss it didn't mean he had earned it yet. ]
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You don't have to be that person here. I've... already made up my mind. [Giorno had nothing to prove to him—even if he didn't remember, he had done something for Fugo that no one else could have (or even would have) done. Really, the biggest reason he even mentioned it is because it's important for Giorno to know. Because he wants him to know that he can rely on him, for anything and everything. He needed to know that he'd do anything for him.
...there was still a bit of a problem, though.] ...but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to call you anymore.
[It's a silly thing, honestly. He's kind of embarrassed by having to bring it up, but... Giorno had caught him off-guard with it before, so maybe it was better to just— ask.]
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Or, well, it was interesting seeing the differences between the Fugos he knew. The one he was more familiar with might have not let him off the hook as easily. Yet it seemed as though this Fugo was almost very insistent about making sure that Giorno could trust him. As if there was any doubt in his mind aside from that one brief moment where he wasn't sure.
Just the minor things that Giorno caught though didn't feel the need to comment on. Fugo might have told him that he didn't have to be that person, but that person was what Giorno wanted to be. No pressure other than the one he put upon himself, and as for the matter of names... ]
You can call me whatever makes you feel comfortable with Fugo. I'm not your boss just yet so I'll accept whatever name it is.
[ A small robot will roll up next to Giorno with a digital display. Obviously it was the "wait bot" and it was going to wait some more seeing that Giorno wasn't really ready to order just yet. ]
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GioGio... That's what you told me to call you, before. Is that alright?
[It had felt weird when he told him that before—it was just so familiar. It was strange to use a name like that for someone he'd only really known for a few days. It still definitely felt that way, but at the same time, it also felt sort of right. Maybe it was more for himself, than anything—because Giorno, or GioGio, rather, was the person he owed his life to. In a way, it was strange to call Giorno his friend because they hadn't known each other that long, but at the same time, he was just— so much more than that, too. So it felt right.]
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Of course. [ And that was going to be it. He was going to GioGio and as one of the first acts as GioGio, he was going to look over at the robot that had rolled up next to him and Fugo was fiddling with. Everything was so advance here. ] I'll still call you Fugo; I hope that hadn't change.
[ Because if it has, he was going to have a bit of trouble trying to get into a new habit now. Fugo hadn't said anything that might have suggested him being called otherwise, but given that he was the new boss, he could never be too certain. ]
Oh, I think I've discovered how to order drinks.
[ Hopefully it's just one drink he's ordering and not accidentally more than that. ]
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N-no. Fugo's fine.
[But when Giorno mentions having figured out how to work things, Fugo looks back at the robot. He's not really sure how he feels about it, honestly... If they're confident enough to send these things out to deal with customers, then they must be at least somewhat efficient, but... Maybe it's just too different, and that's why he's not sure. It wasn't like he'd had any real reason to doubt it yet, after all, but he couldn't quite accept that this was normal and okay, either.]
I'll take anything. [Leaving the responsibility to Giorno, smh... But really, it's because he's not sure just how different this place is going to be. What kind of drinks would there even be? What kind of food? ...he frowns a little.] I wonder if everything's like this.
[Weird robots in other stores and businesses... Thinking of it like that, it's actually a little creepy.]
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And seeing that Fugo somewhat threw in the towel and left things up for Giorno to order, he carefully picks out two bottles of what he thinks would be some sort of fruity beverage. The words on the display aren't familiar to him in the slightest but he knows how to read them and hopefully that'll be good enough. However when it came down to ordering some snacks... Giorno realized something— ]
We've never had a chance to sit down like this so I've never gotten to know what kinds of foods you like. [ It's simple but also important.
Well, perhaps not that important but enough given their current situation where it might be noteworthy to point out. Sure he was the new boss but a good boss should know a thing or two, if not more, about the people they worked with. Though, maybe this was too casual given everything that they've been forced to deal with. Not that things weren't similar back "home"; life was really just about being able to adapt and react quick enough to the changes. ]
I don't want to be forced to fall into their pace, but I feel as if we should learn how to behave normally in this place.
[ Or at least, that's what he feels is right for this situation. ]
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And then, there was the idea of "behaving normally"... That was a different problem entirely.
Fugo looks toward the wait bot and attempts to mimic what Giorno had done to order drinks. What to eat...]
I'm not too picky. [Or maybe it's more appropriate to say that if he had been, that had probably changed, too, in the last few months.] Maybe something sweet, for now.
[And so he'll pick something that sounds sweet, but hopefully won't be painfully so. And then, Fugo thinks back to what he said about behaving normally...]
I guess we'll have to figure out what's "normal" here.
[But he didn't know if he knew how to be normal (or even fake normal, whatever was normal for this world) at all. For all his life, he was sure of it—he had been anything but normal.]
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I'm rather fond of sweet things myself; I don't care for anything that's heavy or too greasy. [ Between the cake, he thinks he's ordering cake at least, that Giorno's ordering and the giant parfait that he's going to be eating later, one has to wonder about his sugar levels.
But food conversation aside, Giorno goes back to the conversation that he sort of brought back. It had been Giorno's attempt to get Fugo thinking again about what to do here; he knew that Fugo was cautious but he also had a feeling that the suggestion of trying to be "normal" might be a tall order. He hasn't forgotten how he sensed some agitation from the suggestion in general, but these were necessary things. ]
With the vast diversity of the people here, I'm sure it won't be hard to figure out what will qualify as "normal". Perhaps if we're lucky it won't be too different than what we're used to. [ Though... ]
Have you met any other Stand users?
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[Fugo had been extra cautious back then, not knowing what to expect from this place once they got out of ViViD. It seemed, for now, like his concern had been unwarranted, but even now, his Stand wasn't one he could afford to be careless with. He didn't think Kakyoin realized just how big of a favor he'd done for him by looking out for him the way he did.]
What about you?
tbh i'm horrified they're all roughly the same height
By any chance was it Kakyoin Noriaki? He stood around our height with red hair.
[ If it had been the same person, then at least this was going to be another account in his favor. Giorno had trusted Kakyoin pretty easily; nothing about Kakyoin really seemed to be dishonest or give Giorno doubts. He was certainly knowledgeable about Stands if nothing else.
Eventually Giorno will want to cross the bridge discussing the fact that he has met people who did not have Stands themselves but were able to see Gold Experience. It wasn't many but he wonders if Fugo has also ran into any of those types... ]
ASDFKJH SAME, I CANNOT BELIEVE...
[...which is a pretty terrible way to evaluate someone, but hey, thug life and all. Kakyoin didn't come off as a particularly friendly person, he thought, but he seemed pretty genuine in his attempts to help. He used his Stand pretty freely, too, even when he didn't know that Fugo could see it. If he'd wanted to use his Stand for something terrible, it would've been easy to do so, but he never did, so Fugo wasn't worried.]
I didn't meet anyone else worth noting.
[How rude... But he mostly means there was no one worth noting in an extraordinary sense, rather than an interesting or uninteresting one. He hadn't met anyone else so far who had abilities like them.]
I desperately need a drawing of all three of them standing next to each other...
Kakyoin Noriaki was someone Fugo did not see as a threat and potentially someone they could work with (if not use on some level). If they knew mean girls, this would be very close to encroaching on that territory. ]
He seemed to be knowledgeable about Stands and him and his... [ What did Kakyoin refer to them again? He distinctly remembered that he didn't refer to them as "friends". ]—companions were hunting down a particular Stand user themselves.
[ Giorno will turn to look at Fugo before easing up and relaxing into his chair. He'll trust that the robots will come with their food whenever it's ready. But, that was a great way to transition into what he had wanted to talk to. ]
I've encountered a few people here who have claimed being able to see Gold Experience despite not being Stand users themselves.
ME, TOO. IMMEDIATELY.
But the last thing Giorno says, that comes as a surprise. Fugo blinks, trying to make sure he heard that right.]
Th-they can see it? How?
[If they could see it, could they interact with it, too? Was it possible for a normal person to be able to attack their Stands?]
if only i could draw
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that timestamp trap...
asdkfjh LMAO SHH... mistakes were made that night.
smh at you
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