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.

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[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".]

[whatitis]

...Hey, every family has its...that. To some extent.

[He flinches at the sudden noise, hands twisted awkwardly in his lap.]

One way or another.

[digiorno]

. . . Sorry. About.

[He makes a vague gesture that's meant to indicate that weirdo outburst.]

There's not really a good way that I've figured out to explain "my father was a supervillain".

[whatitis]

I'm sure you'll find it. One of these days, y'know? It'll come.

[digiorno]

Is that your scientific opinion?

[whatitis]

...That's my personal opinion, Giorno.

Sorry if--if I intruded. I'm really sorry.

[digiorno]

I was joking, mostly. You didn't intrude. I'd rather . . . tell you than someone else. I think.

. . . You can ask other things, if you want. But you don't have to.

[whatitis]

I'm sorry, honestly. Extra sorry.

And...no, I won't bother you any more about it, I think. I shouldn't have asked in the first place.

[digiorno]

Okay. But - you didn't do anything bad. I like talking to you. I just don't know how to talk about some things.

[whatitis]

It's--fine. I know I was talking out of line. That's my bad, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable.

[It's strange to see him recoil from even someone as mostly-kind as Giorno.]

[digiorno]

Do you want to talk about science again?

[FEEBLY REACHES FOR SAFETY]

[whatitis]

Yes, that'd be fantastic. Great. Neat. I'm running out of positive modifiers so I think I'll shut up now?

[digiorno]

Perfetto.

. . .

[He thinks for a moment, then makes a heart in the air with both hands.]

Since no hugs - just that.

[whatitis]

[He copies the gesture, before hopping down off the bench to circle back around to...whatever Science is happening inside the centrifuge.]

So, um, anyways--I've decided to run a kind of control test on how the organisms of this city work. I have a thing of my own blood running in the centrifuge right now, at, like...some amount of RPS. Just to see what happens.