*** HARMONIA has joined 710.35.155.17 <HARMONIA> Buongiorno, sorry I missed you. <HARMONIA> I'll happily get back to you as soon as I'm done with whatever business I'm on. <HARMONIA> Please leave a message.
[Damn. He was hoping, despite everything, that it would be less obvious. That he could brush off any suggestion of upset.]
[It seems pretty ridiculous to try, though.]
It's not...
[He wrinkles his nose, pulling a face.]
None of it's personal. I don't want this to be personal. And I'm sorry it's come up now, of all times. It's just... it's bad timing.
[Clearing his throat, he reaches over with the hand that's not over his eye, pulling a shorthand pad towards him and scribbling without looking. A prescription for himself, after a fashion.]
I'm going to talk to Doppio again. Dig into this a little bit more. Not that I don't trust you, you understand, I just need to know both sides. [I need to know whether either of you are safe working here.] I'm not going to ask you to quit. Not unless I'm sure.
...Are you sure you don't need some time off, though? With everything that's been happening. I'd totally understand if you wanted to take a break and clear your head.
[Historically, when he's tried to keep things from becoming personal, it hasn't worked. It's backfired magnificently, actually. Last time he ended up having feelings about people, which was really inconvenient. This time he doesn't bring it up, because he sort of suspects Dr. Pierce already knows.]
If you think it's best, I'll take time off, but otherwise I'd rather not. Without something to focus on— [He stops short, rephrases:] It helps. [Not without it I'll lose my mind, that's not going to help either, even if it's true. He doesn't look in the direction of the back room, so pointedly that he makes it obvious he's trying not to.]
[There's the other thing, too. Trish is still here. She's got the deadman's switch, but the emphasis in the name isn't exactly comforting. He hesitates, uncertain how much he should say. Accusing Doppio outright of homicidal intention towards a teenager who lives with him isn't going to make this any easier to navigate, but—]
[What a mess.]
Could you— [Hm.] The girl I mentioned. Not that I expect you would, but please don't share that information. She's here, and she doesn't like to be talked about. Especially not when it comes to that.
[He can't really argue with that. There is, after all, a reason that the only times he's left the clinic in the last week have been for his shifts at the school. Something to focus on goes a long way.]
[So he just nods, making a low sound of agreement, and rolls his chair back to dig a roll of bandages out of a cabinet nearby. After all, he can't just keep holding his eye in with his hand forever.]
I wouldn't dream of it.
Honestly, I feel bad I even let you know who came to me, but... [But there wasn't really any way to avoid it, not that he can see.] But I don't need to tell him anything he hasn't already told me. Just... push for a bit more detail, is all.
Can you give me a hand with this? Just... hold the bandage, there?
[He gets up and makes his way over to the desk, seeming immediately more at ease doing something he knows how to do well. This is what he came here for in the first place, after all. This is easy.]
[Following Hawkeye's instructions, he holds the bandage still, careful not to move when he sighs.]
It would have been impossible not to. He's the only other one who knows. [Except the man in question, and now Dr. Pierce . . . which is the other thing that's rubbing him the wrong way. It feels dangerous, somehow, that someone else has become involved — not to him but to the doctor. If Diavolo is still here, and he has reason to believe he is, then . . .]
[He hesitates. He could try to apply logic to this, but it seems futile. The man was insane before what Giorno did to him. Predicting what he'd do if he found out Doppio shared such a personal weakness feels like trying to hold back the ocean. It feels . . . inevitable, in a way, that he won't be here much longer himself, but does that mean he should say more?]
I'm not . . . going to confront him. Regardless of what happens. If you were worried about that. He's good at his job. I don't mind working with him. And I don't think he would wish to cause you harm himself. But — there's only one person he's loyal to.
[If Diavolo hadn't been here, would Doppio have gone after Trish? No. He really doesn't think so. That's what makes all of this so sickening.]
He's not his own person . . . in a way. When he's got his orders. It's more than a job. . . . Please be careful.
[That's a relief, anyway. Not a complete relief, but...]
[But Giorno's not going to start anything. And Doppio can stay on separate shifts for the time being. It's going to be tough when the fog rolls in, when he wants all hands on deck, but it's a start.]
[He wraps the bandage quickly around his own head. Once he's got one loop around, and he can take his hand away from his eye without it falling out, it's pretty easy. As he works, he looks up at Giorno with the other eye.]
Yeah. His boss. I know. Met him a while ago.
[Or a version of him, anyway. Not that he would recognise Diavolo if he fell over him - as far as he's concerned, Doppio's "Boss" is a tall man in a fedora whose face was unclear and made Hawkeye's brain hurt to look at.]
[Oh, yeah. That. That . . . was a very strange situation, wasn't it. It was probably the closest he's ever come to feeling bad for Doppio. I don't understand why you're so devoted to someone who doesn't trust you enough to let you see his face, is what he said, back when he thought there might be something there to salvage. What he learned was how alone Doppio is, really — or how alone he believes himself to be.]
[The cognitive dissonance of feeling pity and bitter disgust for the same person ends up festering into disappointment, apparently.]
[Giorno makes a face, then quickly unmakes it, expression going fully neutral again.]
It's not that. [Although yeah, Hawkeye did answer his own question there.] You've been here longer than I have. I don't doubt you can handle yourself. It's just that I'd rather that particular person not kill anyone else I like, even if it's only temporary.
I'd rather not get killed, either, so we're, you know. [He holds up one hand, crossing his fingers and then uncrossing them to reach for the scissors.] Simpatico.
[I'm not very good at that, he almost says, before thinking better of it. This has already been . . . too much. Too much for work, certainly, but also too much in general. It's only occurring to him now that his anger is fading how much he's actually shared, the way that Doppio's forced his hand here. He doesn't want to make it worse.]
[So he just nods. Straightforward, easy: yes.]
Neither of us will take unnecessary risks.
[As far as he's concerned, it's a promise. So don't do anything stupid, old man.]
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[It seems pretty ridiculous to try, though.]
It's not...
[He wrinkles his nose, pulling a face.]
None of it's personal. I don't want this to be personal. And I'm sorry it's come up now, of all times. It's just... it's bad timing.
[Clearing his throat, he reaches over with the hand that's not over his eye, pulling a shorthand pad towards him and scribbling without looking. A prescription for himself, after a fashion.]
I'm going to talk to Doppio again. Dig into this a little bit more. Not that I don't trust you, you understand, I just need to know both sides. [I need to know whether either of you are safe working here.] I'm not going to ask you to quit. Not unless I'm sure.
...Are you sure you don't need some time off, though? With everything that's been happening. I'd totally understand if you wanted to take a break and clear your head.
no subject
If you think it's best, I'll take time off, but otherwise I'd rather not. Without something to focus on— [He stops short, rephrases:] It helps. [Not without it I'll lose my mind, that's not going to help either, even if it's true. He doesn't look in the direction of the back room, so pointedly that he makes it obvious he's trying not to.]
[There's the other thing, too. Trish is still here. She's got the deadman's switch, but the emphasis in the name isn't exactly comforting. He hesitates, uncertain how much he should say. Accusing Doppio outright of homicidal intention towards a teenager who lives with him isn't going to make this any easier to navigate, but—]
[What a mess.]
Could you— [Hm.] The girl I mentioned. Not that I expect you would, but please don't share that information. She's here, and she doesn't like to be talked about. Especially not when it comes to that.
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[So he just nods, making a low sound of agreement, and rolls his chair back to dig a roll of bandages out of a cabinet nearby. After all, he can't just keep holding his eye in with his hand forever.]
I wouldn't dream of it.
Honestly, I feel bad I even let you know who came to me, but... [But there wasn't really any way to avoid it, not that he can see.] But I don't need to tell him anything he hasn't already told me. Just... push for a bit more detail, is all.
Can you give me a hand with this? Just... hold the bandage, there?
no subject
[He gets up and makes his way over to the desk, seeming immediately more at ease doing something he knows how to do well. This is what he came here for in the first place, after all. This is easy.]
[Following Hawkeye's instructions, he holds the bandage still, careful not to move when he sighs.]
It would have been impossible not to. He's the only other one who knows. [Except the man in question, and now Dr. Pierce . . . which is the other thing that's rubbing him the wrong way. It feels dangerous, somehow, that someone else has become involved — not to him but to the doctor. If Diavolo is still here, and he has reason to believe he is, then . . .]
[He hesitates. He could try to apply logic to this, but it seems futile. The man was insane before what Giorno did to him. Predicting what he'd do if he found out Doppio shared such a personal weakness feels like trying to hold back the ocean. It feels . . . inevitable, in a way, that he won't be here much longer himself, but does that mean he should say more?]
I'm not . . . going to confront him. Regardless of what happens. If you were worried about that. He's good at his job. I don't mind working with him. And I don't think he would wish to cause you harm himself. But — there's only one person he's loyal to.
[If Diavolo hadn't been here, would Doppio have gone after Trish? No. He really doesn't think so. That's what makes all of this so sickening.]
He's not his own person . . . in a way. When he's got his orders. It's more than a job. . . . Please be careful.
no subject
[But Giorno's not going to start anything. And Doppio can stay on separate shifts for the time being. It's going to be tough when the fog rolls in, when he wants all hands on deck, but it's a start.]
[He wraps the bandage quickly around his own head. Once he's got one loop around, and he can take his hand away from his eye without it falling out, it's pretty easy. As he works, he looks up at Giorno with the other eye.]
Yeah. His boss. I know. Met him a while ago.
[Or a version of him, anyway. Not that he would recognise Diavolo if he fell over him - as far as he's concerned, Doppio's "Boss" is a tall man in a fedora whose face was unclear and made Hawkeye's brain hurt to look at.]
When have you ever known me not to be careful?
...Don't answer that.
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[The cognitive dissonance of feeling pity and bitter disgust for the same person ends up festering into disappointment, apparently.]
[Giorno makes a face, then quickly unmakes it, expression going fully neutral again.]
It's not that. [Although yeah, Hawkeye did answer his own question there.] You've been here longer than I have. I don't doubt you can handle yourself. It's just that I'd rather that particular person not kill anyone else I like, even if it's only temporary.
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Worry about yourself, okay, Gio? I'll be careful.
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[So he just nods. Straightforward, easy: yes.]
Neither of us will take unnecessary risks.
[As far as he's concerned, it's a promise. So don't do anything stupid, old man.]