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

[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.]

[digiorno]

. . . Scones.

[All right, buddy.]

How do you define a bloodline? What is its limit?

[whatitis]

The scones are actually pretty good, though.

[A beat.]

Anyone that's blood related...? That's a pretty solid definition, right? I'm sure I could find a dictionary definition for any word you want.

[digiorno]

Mmm.

[Very noncommittal. He counts on his fingers.]

There's . . . great-great-grandfather, great-great-grandmother. Great-grandmother. Mother. And a . . . great-great uncle. I think that math is right.

[whatitis]

...Goodness. That's quite the lineage.

Who is this in relation to, though? You?

[digiorno]

Oh, no. To Jotaro.

[This seems obvious to him; Jotaro is the first Joestar he met and the one with the most direct, comprehensible parallels to Dio. In some ways, everything will always be in relation to Jotaro, from Giorno's perspective.]

[whatitis]

Ah, that does make sense, I suppose. He seems fairly...central.

And what about you? I don't mean to pry, but do you have any family in the city?

[digiorno]

I have . . .

I have my famiglia, and then I have my family. And then I have . . .

[Something else.]

Jonathan trusts you. Doesn't he?

[whatitis]

...Well, I'd hope so? Like. I'd really hope so.

[He finally breaks his stare, shrugging.]

I'm really hoping he trusts me, I mean.

[digiorno]

I think he does.

[He gnaws his lip, a little nervously.]

The . . . great-great-uncle. That's me.

[whatitis]

[??????]

[?????????????]

I...

[Help him? Maybe?]

Explain.

[digiorno]

[Sorry, Carlos, you're in the shit now.]

I'm . . . essentially the son of Jonathan's adoptive brother.

[Essentially.]

[whatitis]

...Oh. That's...oh.

[Regret.png.]

Sorry I asked? Yikes. That's...interesting?

[digiorno]

[He just. Stares for a second and then laughs, a sharp cut-off sound.]

It's something, definitely.

It's - fine, the rest of my family is less . . . that. You know. ["That".]