[And this time, Bruno does leave it at that. The events that put his life on the path that he walked were one thing, but his regrets and failures were another entirely. Those were things he was intent on keeping to himself and leave at rest with the hope that Giorno's ascension was enough to atone for what he'd complacently allowed to fester further within Passione.]
My story is not so unique though. Most of the kids who found their way to Passione faced similar problems before joining our ranks.
[Bruno opens the front door to the mansion, holding it open for Polnareff to go outside first.]
[Which isn't a judgement, just an observation. It'd be stupid to judge; he himself ends up there, in the end. He slips past Bruno-- and here comes Chariot, floating above his user, peering at Bruno.]
So. Pine or spruce.
[He knows pine, at least, and fortunately, there's a fair few of them towards the edges of the forest. He nods Chariot towards a likely looking one, and-- well, his Chariot wasn't built for cutting trees, but the blade is sharp and it's not going to dull anytime soon, so soon he's at work, slashing at the base of the tree in short, precise cuts. And as he works, he glances over at Bruno.]
Thanks, by the way. For doing this with me.
[It's a bit of an indulgence, for all neither of them actually has anything but time.]
[Bruno wouldn't have faulted Polnareff if he did pass judgment. There were a lot of kids out there with problems, but not every single one was directed by Bruno to Polpo. He was careful and selective because there was always a chance that some of those kids, it was just a momentary blip in their lives where things were hard and seemingly insurmountable. But they'd drift away from the fringes with a gentle nudge and be back to life as usual.]
[Regardless of where Polnareff does or doesn't end up in his future doesn't really factor into it. Right now, Polnareff's not the sort of person who exists primarily in the fringes and Bruno doesn't anticipate immediate understanding.]
[So, Bruno is merely quietly grateful for it as he watches Chariot for a moment. This is actually his first time seeing Polnareff's Stand as it was before it became Silver Chariot Requiem. His gaze slips over to Polnareff as Sticky Fingers appears beside him.]
Certamente, Polnareff. I've spent plenty of time by the sea, but it will be nice to actually be on the water again.
[Sticky Fingers moves to a tree, striking it with a fist and immediately creating a zipper at its base.]
[A little murmur, because he hadn't actually thought Sticky Fingers could be used like that. But it's less creepy and more fascinating this time around, and Polnareff leans in, staring with interest. But Bruno is, ultimately, more interesting than his Stand-- and so he glances over after a moment, a grin flashing.]
Ah, well, if you insist--
[There comes that memory again-- of how things had been when they'd been under that weird 50's illusion, how he'd taken just about every opportunity to flirt. It's not quite as cringeworthy a memory as it was a few weeks ago-- now it's just a reminder, a little comparison of then and now.Then, he would have let those words go on to something a little smirky and sexual, something like --I can think of a few ways you could thank me.
Now, he lets it be. Bruno can finish that sentence as he sees fit.]
[Bruno's eyebrows start to raise minutely as Polnareff cuts off whatever it was he was about to say because Bruno is fairly certain there was more to that sentence than where Polnareff made it end. But there's nothing filled in and Polnareff moves on, so Bruno decides that he might not want to know. Bruno shakes his head a little as Sticky Fingers carefully controls the tree's descent to the ground. Once it's down, Sticky Fingers splits it in half with another zipper.]
[That is the sound (and, in all likelihood, taste) of a liar.]
But I'm just warning you-- there are some out there. Or-- one, really, a leviathan, but one's more than enough, right?
[Chariot is both more and less precise than Sticky Fingers. His way makes more of a mess-- there's bits of bark and wood gathering in the area he's in-- but on the other hand, he's got cleaner cuts. He's a bit slower, though-- Chariot's only just managed to down the tree.]
[Yeah, Bruno doesn't actually believe that for a second. But because he's a generous and merciful soul, he'll let it slide.]
Mm, I've heard of the leviathan before. But as far as I know, no one has seen or heard anything from it since. [Bruno steps over a little closer to the tree that Sticky Fingers felled, glancing back at Polnareff.] I'm sure it will return eventually, but there's no sense worrying about it endlessly in the meantime when it might not even make another appearance so long as we're here.
I didn't say I was worried. I'm just saying, it's out there, along with all the sharks and squids and other creepy junk in the ocean.
[He wrinkles his nose at Bruno, even as Chariot hovers over his own tree. It's not a competition, but now Chariot's blade goes a little faster. Like, he's not going to do a shoddy job, but he'd like to keep up, thanks.]
Which, by the way, if you don't know? There's a ton of it. I don't know why goblin sharks even exist.
[While Polnareff is talking, Bruno's taking a moment to inspect the wood before letting Sticky Fingers further divide it. But at the comment about goblin sharks, Bruno turns his head a little, bringing the back of a hand up and covering his mouth as he laughs softly.]
And what's wrong with goblin sharks? I'd think a viperfish would be more difficult to look at.
[He likes that laugh, actually. He likes it so much that he plays up what he's saying-- not a lot, he really doesn't care for deep sea fish, but just a little.]
I don't know what a viperfish is-- and don't tell me, all right-- but goblin sharks, they're like--
[He gestures in front of his face, like that's going to help.]
That nose, first off, what's the point of that friggin' nose, but then they've got that mouth! It's not a normal mouth, it looks like something on a person-- why does a shark need a mouth like that! But then, if that wasn't enough, they've got a second mouth! A second mouth that just pops out like it's the alien from Alien, what the fuck is wrong with the ocean.
[Bruno watches the gestures, which does very little to actually illustrate what he's talking about, but does keep his attention entirely centered on Polnareff for the moment. It's not really until he gets to the second mouth part of his small rant in opposition to goblin sharks that Bruno has to turn his head away again with another laugh.]
Not everything in the ocean is horrifying to look at, Polnareff. Even some of the bioluminescent fish in the deeper parts of the ocean are beautiful in their own way.
Comb jellies are a good example. They're similar to most jellyfish, except the way they move creates the illusion of a shimmering rainbow underwater and they don't sting. They're sticky instead.
How is it I have two friends who know a lot about the ocean?
[It's not actually a complaint, just an observation. Polnareff reaches forward, prodding his downed tree with a foot. It's coming out fairly neatly, actually-- Chariot's started on cutting the log into strips, things that could eventually be filed down into boards.]
That's pretty okay, though. I could deal with seeing them on our trip.
[As always, there's not much of an outward reaction to the phrase our trip beyond the barest of hesitations before Bruno speaks again. He never particularly means to be, but he's almost always aware of the sort of talk that's inclusive and implies any sort of future even with as much as Giorno often talks like that. Bruno just doesn't invest much into it often because there was a time where even being in the present moment had been difficult once. He hasn't quite gotten around to being able to think beyond that just yet and worries about the consequences if he ever should for the people around him.]
I'm sure the species as a whole is grateful to have made the cut. Is there anything else you wouldn't mind seeing?
[He really does set himself up for it, Polnareff thinks; no wonder he'd been so ready to flirt a few weeks ago. Like, how is he supposed to respond to that? Is there anything else you wouldn't mind seeing, he says, and he actually bites back a grin. He's not entirely successful, but at least he tries.]
Whales. Any kind, not just killer whales-- they seem pretty interesting. You ever hear one sing?
I saw whales, of course, but most of the whales would keep their distance. Dolphins, on the other hand, were usually braver. Which isn't surprising. There are a lot of programs along the coast and islands for tourists and marine biologists to swim with them, so the dolphins aren't really afraid of humans or boats.
Besides, fishing boats go where the food is. They were smart to follow a boat for a few hours.
And be the one who has to explain to Giorno how I let his other consigliere be eaten by a leviathan? [Bruno hums softly in amusement and shakes his head as he moves on to identify the next tree.] I'd rather take on the leviathan given the choice.
Don't worry, Polnareff. You have my word that Sticky Fingers and I will do our best to keep you safe. [He looks over his shoulder at Polnareff.] And if any goblin sharks get any funny ideas, I'll be sure to zip their mouth closed for you.
[Drawled out, and he presses a hand to his chest. And-- all right, two trees apparently does not a boat make, though they've accumulated an awful lot of wood so far. Still, Bruno will (presumably) say when they've gathered enough, and so Chariot darts to the next tree, flitting past Bruno and Sticky Fingers.]
Is that a permanent offer, or just for the boat? Just to be sure.
[But I'm not your family, and the words are on the tip of his tongue. Certainly the confusion registers on his face. It isn't a rejection, not on his end-- but how can Bruno say something like that when they barely know each other? This isn't Giorno, who knows him so well in the future-- from what Bruno's told him, they only exchanged a handful of words.]
[Bruno turns to face Polnareff better as he explains.]
Giorno considers you a part of Passione and that's enough for me. Giorno thinks highly of you and cares for you, and my loyalty to him will always guarantee you my loyalty as well. That's all it should take from anyone in Passione provided you meet and protect his interests. But your place with Passione, from your perspective, is still the future. Giorno wouldn't have held it against you if you had chosen to keep your distance and I think you've always known that, but that's not what you chose. You've chosen to stay and keep a close eye on him as best you can.
[Bruno folds his arms loosely in front of himself.]
Maybe you're not exactly the same man Giorno remembers in Napoli, [he says, shaking his head a little,] I'm not the right person to make that call, anyway. But I can at least see the beginnings of the man who will look after Giorno, Mista, Trish, and perhaps even Fugo when he's ready, when I will no longer be able to. You protect the future I died for in choosing to look after Giorno now, even when you have no obligation.
That means something to me, Polnareff.
[Bruno places a hand on the center of his chest, over his heart, but doesn't let himself become distracted by its steady beat as he so often does. He doesn't need that right now.]
La mia famiglia è tutto e tutto è per la mia famiglia.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[And this time, Bruno does leave it at that. The events that put his life on the path that he walked were one thing, but his regrets and failures were another entirely. Those were things he was intent on keeping to himself and leave at rest with the hope that Giorno's ascension was enough to atone for what he'd complacently allowed to fester further within Passione.]
My story is not so unique though. Most of the kids who found their way to Passione faced similar problems before joining our ranks.
[Bruno opens the front door to the mansion, holding it open for Polnareff to go outside first.]
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[Which isn't a judgement, just an observation. It'd be stupid to judge; he himself ends up there, in the end. He slips past Bruno-- and here comes Chariot, floating above his user, peering at Bruno.]
So. Pine or spruce.
[He knows pine, at least, and fortunately, there's a fair few of them towards the edges of the forest. He nods Chariot towards a likely looking one, and-- well, his Chariot wasn't built for cutting trees, but the blade is sharp and it's not going to dull anytime soon, so soon he's at work, slashing at the base of the tree in short, precise cuts. And as he works, he glances over at Bruno.]
Thanks, by the way. For doing this with me.
[It's a bit of an indulgence, for all neither of them actually has anything but time.]
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[Regardless of where Polnareff does or doesn't end up in his future doesn't really factor into it. Right now, Polnareff's not the sort of person who exists primarily in the fringes and Bruno doesn't anticipate immediate understanding.]
[So, Bruno is merely quietly grateful for it as he watches Chariot for a moment. This is actually his first time seeing Polnareff's Stand as it was before it became Silver Chariot Requiem. His gaze slips over to Polnareff as Sticky Fingers appears beside him.]
Certamente, Polnareff. I've spent plenty of time by the sea, but it will be nice to actually be on the water again.
[Sticky Fingers moves to a tree, striking it with a fist and immediately creating a zipper at its base.]
So really, it should be me that's thanking you.
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[A little murmur, because he hadn't actually thought Sticky Fingers could be used like that. But it's less creepy and more fascinating this time around, and Polnareff leans in, staring with interest. But Bruno is, ultimately, more interesting than his Stand-- and so he glances over after a moment, a grin flashing.]
Ah, well, if you insist--
[There comes that memory again-- of how things had been when they'd been under that weird 50's illusion, how he'd taken just about every opportunity to flirt. It's not quite as cringeworthy a memory as it was a few weeks ago-- now it's just a reminder, a little comparison of then and now. Then, he would have let those words go on to something a little smirky and sexual, something like --I can think of a few ways you could thank me.
Now, he lets it be. Bruno can finish that sentence as he sees fit.]
Hey. You're not scared of sea monsters, are you?
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Not particularly, no. Are you?
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[That is the sound (and, in all likelihood, taste) of a liar.]
But I'm just warning you-- there are some out there. Or-- one, really, a leviathan, but one's more than enough, right?
[Chariot is both more and less precise than Sticky Fingers. His way makes more of a mess-- there's bits of bark and wood gathering in the area he's in-- but on the other hand, he's got cleaner cuts. He's a bit slower, though-- Chariot's only just managed to down the tree.]
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Mm, I've heard of the leviathan before. But as far as I know, no one has seen or heard anything from it since. [Bruno steps over a little closer to the tree that Sticky Fingers felled, glancing back at Polnareff.] I'm sure it will return eventually, but there's no sense worrying about it endlessly in the meantime when it might not even make another appearance so long as we're here.
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[He wrinkles his nose at Bruno, even as Chariot hovers over his own tree. It's not a competition, but now Chariot's blade goes a little faster. Like, he's not going to do a shoddy job, but he'd like to keep up, thanks.]
Which, by the way, if you don't know? There's a ton of it. I don't know why goblin sharks even exist.
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And what's wrong with goblin sharks? I'd think a viperfish would be more difficult to look at.
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I don't know what a viperfish is-- and don't tell me, all right-- but goblin sharks, they're like--
[He gestures in front of his face, like that's going to help.]
That nose, first off, what's the point of that friggin' nose, but then they've got that mouth! It's not a normal mouth, it looks like something on a person-- why does a shark need a mouth like that! But then, if that wasn't enough, they've got a second mouth! A second mouth that just pops out like it's the alien from Alien, what the fuck is wrong with the ocean.
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Not everything in the ocean is horrifying to look at, Polnareff. Even some of the bioluminescent fish in the deeper parts of the ocean are beautiful in their own way.
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[So, you know. Fuck that goblin shark nonsense. But his curiosity wins out over his loathing, and so after a few seconds:]
So like . . . what kind of bioluminescent fish we talking about here? That's the kind that glow, yeah?
[Sometimes he pays attention to Jotaro!]
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Comb jellies are a good example. They're similar to most jellyfish, except the way they move creates the illusion of a shimmering rainbow underwater and they don't sting. They're sticky instead.
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[It's not actually a complaint, just an observation. Polnareff reaches forward, prodding his downed tree with a foot. It's coming out fairly neatly, actually-- Chariot's started on cutting the log into strips, things that could eventually be filed down into boards.]
That's pretty okay, though. I could deal with seeing them on our trip.
[Our trip, like it's some big adventure.]
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I'm sure the species as a whole is grateful to have made the cut. Is there anything else you wouldn't mind seeing?
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Whales. Any kind, not just killer whales-- they seem pretty interesting. You ever hear one sing?
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I saw whales, of course, but most of the whales would keep their distance. Dolphins, on the other hand, were usually braver. Which isn't surprising. There are a lot of programs along the coast and islands for tourists and marine biologists to swim with them, so the dolphins aren't really afraid of humans or boats.
Besides, fishing boats go where the food is. They were smart to follow a boat for a few hours.
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[Do they have dolphins out there? Maybe. It's possible; they have a leviathan, so anything goes, really.]
Dolphins, whales and those light-up fish. Anything else comes near the boat, you have to deal with it. Deal?
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Don't worry, Polnareff. You have my word that Sticky Fingers and I will do our best to keep you safe. [He looks over his shoulder at Polnareff.] And if any goblin sharks get any funny ideas, I'll be sure to zip their mouth closed for you.
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[Drawled out, and he presses a hand to his chest. And-- all right, two trees apparently does not a boat make, though they've accumulated an awful lot of wood so far. Still, Bruno will (presumably) say when they've gathered enough, and so Chariot darts to the next tree, flitting past Bruno and Sticky Fingers.]
Is that a permanent offer, or just for the boat? Just to be sure.
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[His grin fades a little, now, as he studies Bruno's posture, trying to read his meaning.]
But not the rest.
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"Family is everything."
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Is that what we are?
[Quietly, and he rubs the back of his neck.]
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Giorno considers you a part of Passione and that's enough for me. Giorno thinks highly of you and cares for you, and my loyalty to him will always guarantee you my loyalty as well. That's all it should take from anyone in Passione provided you meet and protect his interests. But your place with Passione, from your perspective, is still the future. Giorno wouldn't have held it against you if you had chosen to keep your distance and I think you've always known that, but that's not what you chose. You've chosen to stay and keep a close eye on him as best you can.
[Bruno folds his arms loosely in front of himself.]
Maybe you're not exactly the same man Giorno remembers in Napoli, [he says, shaking his head a little,] I'm not the right person to make that call, anyway. But I can at least see the beginnings of the man who will look after Giorno, Mista, Trish, and perhaps even Fugo when he's ready, when I will no longer be able to. You protect the future I died for in choosing to look after Giorno now, even when you have no obligation.
That means something to me, Polnareff.
[Bruno places a hand on the center of his chest, over his heart, but doesn't let himself become distracted by its steady beat as he so often does. He doesn't need that right now.]
La mia famiglia è tutto e tutto è per la mia famiglia.
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