risorto | {ic inbox}

[By day 90. Unless you are a shonen protag, in which case you have that by about day 5 at the absolute latest.]

[That's why Bruno didn't provide context. Even if she asked, the only story he'd tell is his own. It's not his place to speak of where the others come from. That's for them to eventually decided on their own if they want to tell her or not. But she did need to know that the loneliness, the difficulties in finding her place, all of it is normal. It's why they came to Passione in the first place.]

Different is good, [Bruno agrees.] I think all of us could use different every now and again.

[She's at 74/90. Watch out, Ruby City.]

Good thing I've got different in spades, then. I'm so good at different. Shit's going to be so different, you won't even believe it but you'll have to because nobody could possibly make up a difference like that.

[She's back.]

[That's much better. Bruno chuckles softly.]

Then I'm glad to have something to look forward to. I was beginning to worry that things were going to start getting quiet around here even with Narancia and Fugo around.

Ha!

[Okay, Bruno. Once Narancia got fully settled in, there would be little time for peace, she was sure. Though since he'd brought him up...]

Hey, so... Do we still like Fugo?

[Like, it's too late, the haunting was a thing that happened, but. Come on, she gotta know these things.]

Where Fugo is concerned, it's a...complicated matter. He was the first I chose to join my team, but he was the only one to stay behind that night in Venezia when I betrayed the former boss.

I don't begrudge him for making his choice, if that's what you mean to ask. The others...

[Bruno sighs a little.]

They're not wrong to be angry with him or even to reject him. His decision was a betrayal to me. I didn't order him to follow and he disobeyed, but the others expected that his loyalty and trust in me should have been greater than his fears or whatever reservations he had about the task ahead of us like it was for them. And for that, the others see him as a traitor. Worse than that, they see him as a coward. Neither of those things are acceptable in our gang and I leave it to you to figure out what happens to cowards and traitors.

[Spoilers: death.]

But those aren't my feelings towards him or even Giorno's. I won't tell you whether or not you should accept him, or even whether or not you should like him, but he is still part of this family as far as Giorno and I are concerned until he says he wants out. I still have trust in him.

[But Bruno's not saying he trusts Fugo as much as he used to. He's not taking things to the extreme like the others out of respect for Fugo's ability to decide his own fate, but that doesn't mean damage wasn't still done. It doesn't mean it didn't still hurt to leave him behind because he chose to stay. There simply wasn't time for dwelling on it or worrying about it. It was meant to be something to dealt with later by Giorno, not Bruno because by then it was too late and Bruno knew that well enough. So he tucked that away in his heart, beneath what needed to be done and adding in later his grief for Abbacchio and Narancia.]

But if he says he wants out, he will walk away freely.

[It's not something Bruno knows for certain that Giorno would allow, but he'd like to believe that would be the case. At the very least, Bruno would never stop advocating for Fugo even after everything.]

[Give her a minute to parse through the diplomacy...]

Yeah, I dunno. He better impress the fuck outta me.

[This isn't even your grudge to hold, why... Just why...]

I'll leave that between the two of you then.

[Sometimes moms gotta let their children tussle and sort themselves out.]

[You don't just ditch Bruno that is wrong. He believes so much, it's not hard to believe in him right back, and Fugo just didn't do that for some reason, the jerkwad. Though, honestly speaking, she's gotten most of her feelings out already, with Fugo's walk to the house.]

...Sooo.

[Pause.]

When were you planning on the whole Stand warning thing? Not necessary, obviously, but just curious.

You know I leave that to each of them.

[It also literally wasn't an issue until very recently, so.]

Okay, but I totally would have asked and had to be disappointed?

[She has very little self-control, man.]

Something tells me you would have recovered.

You kidding? I got Abbacchio to let me see Moody Blues, if some other guy from your group didn't let me see their Stand, I would have been devastated.

[A little exaggerated, sure, but the sentiment is the same. Also she gets to brag, this way.]

You saw Moody Blues? [Visible surprise is visible. Wow, she's got her hooks in Abbacchio bad.] I take it you know what it can do now.

[Izabel is a monster you unleashed on Passione's world, Bruno. Take pride in that.]

I did. And are we talking about Moody Blues or Fugo's rage-Stand? Because rage-Stand, sorta. Moody Blues, yes.

I was referring more to Moody Blues.

[He assumed she'd be filled in plenty with what she needed to know about Purple Haze by someone else if she'd brought it up at all in the first place.]

Did he show you or tell you?

[purple haze sux booooo worst stand]

Tell. I'm not that lucky.

You could have fooled me with how quickly you got on his good side.

Well I had to, he's great.

[And her voice loses that smug tinge, all joking atmosphere gone. She really, really likes Abbacchio.]

[Well, that's alright because there's a softness now to Bruno's expression.]

He is. He doesn't always make it easy for others to see that, but he's a good man.

You just have to know how to listen. He doesn't make it that hard.

[Bruno Likes Abbacchio, this is Important. She has Noticed. Still debating the how much, but... Noticed, all the same.]

He reminds me of someone from home, but it's more than that, now. I like talking to him.

I'm sure he feels the same way.

[Even if you'd likely never hear Abbacchio say it out loud in a way that wasn't completely backhanded and/or sarcastic.]

[It's fine, Izabel's just about learned his language.]

Most of the time. There are a few key things we disagree about that I think he'd rather I never bring up, but... Yeah, most things he doesn't seem to have too bad a time.

I think you'll find Abbacchio disagrees with most things. [This is said with more fondness than irritation, however. You need a 'no' man as much as you need a 'yes' man. Sometimes more.] That hasn't discouraged you any though, has it?

[Not that Bruno is condoning making Abbacchio talk about things he doesn't want to sometimes. Ahem.]

Mmmn, well, he's hopped on the "Izabel is pushy" train, so you be the judge.

[Gettin' REAL TIRED of that train. Not enough to stop, but jeez.]

[Bruno laughs softly.]

I'd think you'd wear that title with pride.

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