[Bruno is just about to unzip him once again when the question comes up and his hand hesitates there in the space between them as he asks the question. And then it's straight back to unzipping.]
It doesn't have to be the exact same spot, no. [Sticky Fingers appears again as Bruno pulls the flap back open and begins piling the wood back into its arms.] I couldn't get to this spot if I tried unzipping your back, but I don't need to start the zipper from the same exact point on your front to get to this wood.
Still, if I intend to leave something long-term, I try to make sure it's something a little easier to remember. For example, Polpo asked me to hide away six billion lira-worth of treasure. So I put it in a urinal on Capri.
How is that memorable! What if you forgot which urinal it was? What if you forgot which bathroom it was? Oh, urgh--
[Whether that's to the thought of so much wealth being placed into a urinal (and why oh why does it always come back to bathrooms) or the fact that he's slowly having four trees worth of wood being pulled out of him is anyone's guess. Polnareff finally dares to glance down, because it's either that or stare too closely at Bruno-- and hey, what do you know. Having a gaping black hole in your chest still isn't all that great to look at.
Back to staring up at Bruno. Much safer territory there.]
Polnareff, why would I forget which bathroom I stashed six billion of anything in?
[Bruno shakes his head a little.]
There's not that many public restrooms on Capri anyway. Even if I somehow managed to forget, it wouldn't be that hard to narrow it down and pick the right urinal. The only person who should have been concerned about that much money being at stake was Polpo because he was relying on both my loyalty and my survival.
[It's okay, Polnareff. Sticky Fingers is almost done.]
Polpo had been the one to oversee me since I joined the gang and helped me climb in the ranks. He considered me to be the one officer he could trust absolutely out of all the ones who answered to him. And Sticky Fingers is more secure than any bank. I'm the only one who can access the spaces Sticky Fingers creates. But anyone could waltz into a bank and bullshit their way into a safety deposit box if they were clever enough.
Besides, most of what he was hiding away was stolen anyway.
No, he didn't-- he mostly focused on people I'd know. So you and Narancia, Fugo, Mista, Abbacchio, Trish-- I think that's everybody? But . . . [And he wrinkles his nose.] He doesn't talk a ton about the future, and I think-- I mean, it's for my sake.
[Sticky Fingers removes the last of the wood, pausing a moment from stacking it up with the rest for Bruno to seal Polnareff back up.]
If you asked, I'm sure he would tell you whatever you'd like to know. Giorno isn't in the business of keeping secrets from the people he trusts. [He's so adamant about it, in fact, that it caused a brief rupture in his relationship with Bruno. But that is neither here nor there, so Bruno doesn't bring it up.] But I'm sure he'd rather you not worry about things that will be and stay focused on the present anyway.
[And isn't that just Giorno's style? He focuses a lot of his time and energy onto the future so everyone else doesn't have to. Of course he'd include Polnareff in that.]
In any case, he barely knew Polpo. Polpo committed suicide shortly after Giorno passed his test, and I immediately took Polpo's place. [Was that mild skepticism? No. Never. If Giorno felt a chill just now, that's probably entirely coincidental.] So, Polpo was really inconsequential to Giorno.
[He wonders, vaguely, whether it was suicide or "suicide", complete with deliberate quotation marks, and then wonders if that's actually a thing in the mafia. One of these days he really ought to get to know proper mafia terminology instead of just relying on the Godfather, but not today.
That's him sealed up, then, and once again Polnareff brushes his fingers against his chest. That . . . hadn't really been so bad, though he's not going to make a habit of it. And now they have all the wood where they want it, so well done Sticky Fingers.]
[Sticky Fingers is still busy putting some of the boards back to their original lengths, but once the task is done, the Stand will disappear again.]
You have to make a significant contribution to Passione in order to move up to a rank like capo to prove your loyalty. [Bruno shrugs.] Where it comes from doesn't really matter and Polpo wasn't going to need it any longer, so I took it.
[Who could ever afford to become a capo, he almost asks, but of course: criminals. The whole point is to steal money. Well, not the whole point, especially under Giorno's reign, but this was before Don Giovanna.]
Lucky for you, huh.
[But he doesn't really mean it as an accusation-- just a remark, idly said.]
One of these days, maybe you could show me what all the ranks are. I know about . . . three, I think, and one of them is capo di tutti capi, which doesn't really count, because it's not a rank, it's the rank, so knowing it doesn't do me much good.
Of course. It's a fairly simple system once you get used to it. But you might be better off asking Giorno. I'm not actually sure how much he's restructured since he took over.
[Bruno has never really bothered to ask since, well, you know. He doesn't exactly fit into it beyond acting as consigliere here in Ruby City. But there's still likely a distinct difference between how Diavolo chose to run things and how Giorno chooses to run them now.]
I'll compare the two answers, get back to you, hm? You oughta know as well.
[He really doesn't, but there's no use going down that road, not on such a cheerful day. Polnareff nudges the pile of wood with one boot, nods, and then glances up at Bruno.]
C'mon. We felled four trees and I carried them, that's more than enough work for one day. At the very least, it deserves lunch.
[Bruno knows a diversion and distraction when he sees one, but he doesn't try to pull the conversation back in its previous direction. Although he doesn't see it from the perspective of not ruining the overall mood of their time spent together, Bruno doesn't see there being much to discuss when it comes to that particular topic anyway. So, he's happy to let the conversation pull away for Polnareff's sake and whatever his reasons might be for skirting around it. He smiles a little instead.]
Mm, well, since you carried them, I'll make lunch. But I have to warn you: I only cook Italian.
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It doesn't have to be the exact same spot, no. [Sticky Fingers appears again as Bruno pulls the flap back open and begins piling the wood back into its arms.] I couldn't get to this spot if I tried unzipping your back, but I don't need to start the zipper from the same exact point on your front to get to this wood.
Still, if I intend to leave something long-term, I try to make sure it's something a little easier to remember. For example, Polpo asked me to hide away six billion lira-worth of treasure. So I put it in a urinal on Capri.
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[Whether that's to the thought of so much wealth being placed into a urinal (and why oh why does it always come back to bathrooms) or the fact that he's slowly having four trees worth of wood being pulled out of him is anyone's guess. Polnareff finally dares to glance down, because it's either that or stare too closely at Bruno-- and hey, what do you know. Having a gaping black hole in your chest still isn't all that great to look at.
Back to staring up at Bruno. Much safer territory there.]
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[Bruno shakes his head a little.]
There's not that many public restrooms on Capri anyway. Even if I somehow managed to forget, it wouldn't be that hard to narrow it down and pick the right urinal. The only person who should have been concerned about that much money being at stake was Polpo because he was relying on both my loyalty and my survival.
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[He shifts his weight, pointedly not seeing how much wood is left, thanks.]
So was it a test, or did the guy just really not trust banks?
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Polpo had been the one to oversee me since I joined the gang and helped me climb in the ranks. He considered me to be the one officer he could trust absolutely out of all the ones who answered to him. And Sticky Fingers is more secure than any bank. I'm the only one who can access the spaces Sticky Fingers creates. But anyone could waltz into a bank and bullshit their way into a safety deposit box if they were clever enough.
Besides, most of what he was hiding away was stolen anyway.
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[He accepts that stolen bit with a little shrug-- it comes with the territory of mafia, doesn't it?]
I mean-- okay, yeah, Sticky Fingers is way more secure, but what's the point of money being secure if even you can't access it?
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[That makes more sense. Context!]
No, he didn't-- he mostly focused on people I'd know. So you and Narancia, Fugo, Mista, Abbacchio, Trish-- I think that's everybody? But . . . [And he wrinkles his nose.] He doesn't talk a ton about the future, and I think-- I mean, it's for my sake.
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If you asked, I'm sure he would tell you whatever you'd like to know. Giorno isn't in the business of keeping secrets from the people he trusts. [He's so adamant about it, in fact, that it caused a brief rupture in his relationship with Bruno. But that is neither here nor there, so Bruno doesn't bring it up.] But I'm sure he'd rather you not worry about things that will be and stay focused on the present anyway.
[And isn't that just Giorno's style? He focuses a lot of his time and energy onto the future so everyone else doesn't have to. Of course he'd include Polnareff in that.]
In any case, he barely knew Polpo. Polpo committed suicide shortly after Giorno passed his test, and I immediately took Polpo's place. [Was that mild skepticism? No. Never. If Giorno felt a chill just now, that's probably entirely coincidental.] So, Polpo was really inconsequential to Giorno.
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[He wonders, vaguely, whether it was suicide or "suicide", complete with deliberate quotation marks, and then wonders if that's actually a thing in the mafia. One of these days he really ought to get to know proper mafia terminology instead of just relying on the Godfather, but not today.
That's him sealed up, then, and once again Polnareff brushes his fingers against his chest. That . . . hadn't really been so bad, though he's not going to make a habit of it. And now they have all the wood where they want it, so well done Sticky Fingers.]
And his six million?
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You have to make a significant contribution to Passione in order to move up to a rank like capo to prove your loyalty. [Bruno shrugs.] Where it comes from doesn't really matter and Polpo wasn't going to need it any longer, so I took it.
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Lucky for you, huh.
[But he doesn't really mean it as an accusation-- just a remark, idly said.]
One of these days, maybe you could show me what all the ranks are. I know about . . . three, I think, and one of them is capo di tutti capi, which doesn't really count, because it's not a rank, it's the rank, so knowing it doesn't do me much good.
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[Bruno has never really bothered to ask since, well, you know. He doesn't exactly fit into it beyond acting as consigliere here in Ruby City. But there's still likely a distinct difference between how Diavolo chose to run things and how Giorno chooses to run them now.]
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[He really doesn't, but there's no use going down that road, not on such a cheerful day. Polnareff nudges the pile of wood with one boot, nods, and then glances up at Bruno.]
C'mon. We felled four trees and I carried them, that's more than enough work for one day. At the very least, it deserves lunch.
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Mm, well, since you carried them, I'll make lunch. But I have to warn you: I only cook Italian.