ic inbox || ruby city

[whatitis]

Hey, you've reached the voicemail of Carlos [heavily distorted feedback punctuated by sharp clicking noises], leave a message after the collective screech of eight different kinds of buzzards.

Comments

[whatitis]

[Purple Haze is lovely. It's huge and gross and LOVELY.]

Somewhere else...that sounds very nice. Are only some of the Stands sentient?

[Somewhere in that mess of a notebook, there's probably a couple more doodles of Gold Experience.]

[digiorno]

That is such a good question, Carlos.

[He is so delighted you have asked this question.]

I don't know! The Pistols are sentient, but they break all of the rules anyway. Star is a little bit, but Jotaro isn't sure how much. And Gold Experience . . . feels things that aren't mine sometimes, but I don't really know how far that extends, either.

[whatitis]

That's super interesting. How connected are you to Mr. Experience?

[He's cramming more notes in, somehow--crossing out things now proved obsolete, scribbling and scribbling and scribbling.]

[digiorno]

Oh. Hm.

[He peers over Carlos's shoulder, watching him write.]

I don't know if I have a very scientific answer for that. Very - I'm very connected. If he hurts, I hurt; if I'm weakened, he's weakened. Sometimes - like I said. He feels things and then I feel them too, and I think it goes the opposite way as well. But I haven't really had a chance to experiment with that much.

[whatitis]

[There's Lots! Of! Exclamation! Points! in the way he writes, peppered here and there with tangents and dead-ends. It's pretty impressive that he can even understand the way he writes.

When Giorno's name is written, the "i" is dotted with a heart, which signifies that you're lucky enough to be a pal to Carlos and also have an "i" in your name.]

Can he talk? Besides "muda", I mean.

[digiorno]

[Oh no. He is so blessed. It could only conceivably be better if it had glitter on it.]

Um. He does say one other thing. Only when I'm very . . . frustrated.

[Giorno glances sideways, a little embarrassed, and then Gold Experience manifests besides the table and lets out the tiniest "wry".]

thats the cutest fucking icon first of all

[whatitis]

[Carlos claps!!!]

That was very good! I mean...not if you're frustrated, but it's still interesting to observe.

Does that phrase mean anything, or is it just a noise?

[He's...not addressing Giorno, just Gold Experience. He's gonna wait for a response until one comes.]

winks

[digiorno]

[As much as expression can be determined from Gold Experience, who is really as much insectoid as humanoid, he looks. Well. Uncertain. Turns his head to Giorno, who appears utterly impassive.]

[Then he shrugs. So. No idea, buddy.]

[whatitis]

[To be honest, he looks a little...crushed, but he'll take it in stride! Probably!]

Do you know how much he can comprehend?

[This question is directed straight at Giorno, this time. Might as well get results from the source, and all that.]

[digiorno]

He understands everything I do. Because of that connection, see? The real trouble is differentiating his reaction and my reaction.

Jotaro and I were playing around with it a while ago, though.

[whatitis]

He's a lot like you, but shinier and bigger and quieter. What a guy!

[He stops writing, fixing the boy and his Stand with a curious eye. There's something a bit more...calculating, perhaps, than usual. No, that's not the word. He's appraising.]

Jotaro, huh? Jotaro Kujo, I'm assuming. And the purple one is his, right?

[digiorno]

[It makes him giggle a little bit. What a guy. Carlos is adorable. Even that appraising, that's adorable too.]

That's right. Star Platinum is his. Star is the sweetest.

[Star Platinum literally punched his father to death, and yet.]

[whatitis]

He seems like an interesting man. Pretty interesting, indeed.

[The appraising look intensifies, briefly, before he forces a bright smile.]

I think I've met...his mother, maybe? His mother. They don't hardly look alike, do they?

[Also, his dad deserved that and you know it.]

[digiorno]

Oh? Just his mother?

[Giorno pages through the notebook idly, as if he's mostly thinking about something else.]

She's lovely. His whole family is lovely.

[whatitis]

[There's nothing more Stand-related, though there are a few more crayon drawings of various city creatures, and what looks to be some creative writing about the Mothman.]

His whole family?

[Time to wring additional information Jonathan didn't give about the family out of Giorno.]

[digiorno]

His whole family.

[He hums and starts reading the short story. Ooh, Mothman. Delightful.]

[Never let it be said that Giorno does not love to be bribed, okay.]

[whatitis]

Who would that be? Siblings? Children? Long-deceased blood ancestors?

[You?]

[The Mothman story is pretty blatant self-insert slashfic, as it is. It's pretty well written, though...?]

[digiorno]

Well, you know me. I'm not one to talk out of turn.

[The taste of a liar. He taps the page.]

You have good use of metaphor here.

[whatitis]

Are you talking out of turn, though? As far as I know, we're alone. Just chatting about family.

[He glances down at the notebook, nodding.]

Thanks, I worked hard on that one.

[digiorno]

Well . . .

[He sighs softly and turns to Carlos, resting his chin in his hand.]

I can't imagine what you want to know. What do you want to know?

[whatitis]

Just, y'know. What you know. The basics. How much of his family is in the city?

[His voice is noticably not Absurdly Shrill, for once in his life. Very focused here. Important stuff, like Mothman fanfic and bloodlines.]

[digiorno]

I just don't want to repeat what Jonathan has already told you.

[Such an innocent expression over here.]

[whatitis]

Why? It's good to re-hash things and be told again. I want to know your thoughts, not your thoughts sans Jonathan's.

[digiorno]

I don't have nearly as much of a comprehensive understanding of the situation as the people actually in his family would.

[. . . But then he frowns. Jotaro would be mad at him for saying something like that, wouldn't he? Like he doesn't belong. Jotaro gets so upset when he does that, even if he doesn't act like he's upset.]

How do you define "family"?

[whatitis]

Anyone that's been with the bloodline long enough, I suppose. Even if they're estranged for knowing and speaking forbidden truths and make really bad scones.

[No, he's not getting personal with this. That's absurd.]