*** 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.
[After having gotten a meet up with Giorno coordinated— look at them, making plans like real friends— at a time Souda can actually walk around freely, Souda's bright and excited to see his flowery pal. The visit, they both know, is more of a drop-off; Giorno accompanying Souda on his leisurely walk from the arcade and garage to wherever Makoto happens to be working that day as it coincides with the walk for Giorno back to his own place. It's a walk they've made before, and it's one Souda always looks forward to when he's anticipating it.
This time Souda isn't even aiming to talk about the last month's craziness; as much as he anticipates weird things will happen in Ryslig, bizzare time-regression stuff wasn't really on his list of expectations. But when he catches sight of Giorno, Souda is struck with a thought.
He'd known little Haruno seemed familiar, but he'd previously connected the budding boy with the Haruno he'd met in that other Ryslig (a Ryslig that Souda knows full well others reject, but the friendships he'd made there— they were too real to him to forget) and no one else. Giorno's flowers are recognisable though, the way they bloom from his skin and crown his head like a halo.
Souda's look of surprise upon seeing Giorno very quickly turns into a smile, however, scaley mouth pulling back past those crocodilian teeth.]
Well look at that, we meet again.
[He wastes no time striding up to his friend and gently shoving his shoulder with scaled knuckles.]
stupid ass gmail still never sent me this notif well you know what gmail? fuck u
[Souda's observant enough that it's not that surprising he connects the dots. Truthfully, Giorno assumes he already has. It's just . . . Souda's so reluctant to talk about himself, he also assumes he's not interested in bringing up other people's business. Maybe that's too much assumption.]
[But they've never talked about it. Perhaps they never will. He doesn't even consider that the reason Souda looks at him like that is because of what's just happened. In fact, he looks down at himself like maybe he's dropped food on himself or something.]
Um?
[Oh, he's being shoved. He wobbles briefly, then peers at Souda and gives a puzzled smile.]
We did plan to, you know. Do I have something on my face?
[Which, like his flowers, is very recognizable. It's Haruno's face — both of theirs, although the younger boy most recently seen didn't look nearly as healthy as Giorno does now, or as Haruno did in that other world.]
[There are moments sometimes, in Souda's presence, where his feet almost go out from under him with sheer force of gratitude.]
[With Souda, things are never complicated. They're always just . . . how they are. He doesn't have to explain or overthink or be more than his first instinct. He's enough just as he is. Even if he isn't the first version of himself and he never will be again, Souda doesn't ask for anything but him, the core of him. Whoever that is.]
[Souda says it all so simply. A couple of days ago, that was still him. Souda knows that. It isn't strange. It isn't something he needs spelled out. It's just part of who Giorno is, plain and simple. There's nothing to question. And Souda likes him just as he is, even the parts that are . . . like that. Like Haruno.]
[There's a moment when he just stares at Souda wide-eyed, wrist caught in the gargoyle's grip like he's a lifesize doll all over again. As ever, he marvels at simplicity. He wants it to be okay to just exist, to be accepted as only himself, but it's surreal, it's so strange that every time he second-guesses it.]
[But Souda never lets him down. Not once.]
[In the blink of an eye, he's thrown his arms around Souda's neck and pulled close in a tight, grateful hug. There's too much emotion in him to be spoken, but it doesn't matter. They — don't entirely need to, do they? Not always.]
[Not this time. There's a fierceness, a joy in the love he has for Souda that's radiating off of his skin. No translation necessary.]
[It's not like Souda is particularly unused to unanticipated hugs (especially with Komaeda and Ibuki in his life), but there's something different about the unexpected affection from Giorno. It lifts his spines just that much higher, makes the nerves in his fingertips glimmer and forces a moment of stillness from him like a startled cat. It doesn't take long for him to relax, though, toothy smile drawn up despite the confused tweak of Souda's brow.]
Hey, man, you good?
[He can't help but ask, raising a clawed, scaly hand to Giorno's back. One of the last times they'd talked Giorno hadn't been fine, so despite the lack of sad energy, Souda does have to check and make sure.]
[What a silly question. He grins against Souda's shoulder, grip going tighter.]
Mmhmm. Of course I am.
[It's an easy twist of the wrist to cup the name of Souda's neck in his palm. So he does, all the little lifelines that never quite disappeared in the shift from human to nymph pressed against the back of Souda's skull, all fondness, all trust.]
. . . I'm grateful for you. That's all. And I was reminded of why just now.
[That comment makes Souda's spines raise sharply, unable to prevent the little clicks that roll out of his kiln-like lungs. Yes, the being held is certainly nice and enough to make the mechanic sweat, but it's the feeling of being appreciated — someone that someone else would be grateful for that gets Souda's ears wiggling and the tip of his tail flicking left to right.]
Y-yeah?
[wait, does he almost sound teary?]
Dude, what the fuck? That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.
[That's unfortunate. He's going to have to say a lot more nicer things to Souda, apparently. Watching the swish of Souda's tail back and forth over his shoulder, he wonders. That has to be a good thing, doesn't it?]
It's true. I worry about everything all the time, and you make all of those worries so much easier.
[It means a lot to him. He'd think it would mean a lot to anyone. For things to just . . . not be a big deal. For everything he does not to be scrutinized or hyperanalyzed.]
It feels like all of the explaining I have to do, all of the standards I have to keep up for other people, I don't have to with you. I can just be.
Wow. Guess I never realized you were that much of a worrier.
But, ah, that's— probably cause you're relaxed, right?
[He sounds a little unsure of himself, perhaps, a bit wobbly, but he babbles on anyway. And why not? Why would Giorno ever make him feel bad for his own weird feelings?]
Actually... That's kind of the same for me, y'know. I'm never stressed out when you're around. From day one, it's like— we can always be chill together, yanno?
[Instinct tells him to pull back, to look Souda in the eye and reassure him that everything is all right. Experience tells him otherwise. If he makes eye contact now, Souda will get nervous. It’s all right to stay here, like this. Souda will believe him just as well even if they aren’t looking at each other.]
[So instead, he stays put and rubs his face lightly against Souda’s shoulder.]
Mm-hm. We don’t have to be anything in particular but ourselves. It feels easy.
. . . That makes me happy. That you feel the same, I mean. I want you to feel, mm. Safe. I wanted that when I met you and it’s still the most important thing to me. So thank you for letting me take care of you.
[Souda's spines still wave and twitch as Giorno talks— but then with his last few words, those spines settle down and Souda kind of stares ahead a bit dazedly.]
Takin' care of me... that's what it is, huh.
[He seems to sweep right back into reality and with that grounding, hugs Giorno tighter and lifts him up off the ground, crying crocodile tears for once.]
Giorno! You're the realest dude I've met in ages!
[What does that even mean? Regardless, Souda sets Giorno back down quickly and laughs.]
I'm the one who should be thanking you.
[And for now, Souda really doesn't think about the possibility of that changing, even if their pasts were revealed.]
[Well he's being lifted now he guesses!! When his feet leave the ground, he makes a tiny noise something like an eep out of surprise and grips tighter to Souda's shoulders. Not that he thinks Souda would actually drop him, but holy suddenly not in contact with the ground, Batman.]
[At least it doesn't last long. He tries to process what's been said as he's put back down. Realest dude? That's good or something? Probably? Souda seems very happy. He's crying again but not in a sad way.]
[Giorno laughs, quietly and a little baffled, but . . . he's happy too. It's impossible not to be, considering.]
We can both thank each other. An endless loop of gratitude. And being lifted in the air, apparently.
I don't mind it. You can princess carry me around if you like.
[Or fly him around. Gargoyles are neat, he thinks, pinching Souda's cheek.]
I'm glad to fill a niche. You know, you said I'm very real, but I think I'm more that with you. So maybe I'm just reflecting what you give me. In that case, thank you for making me a better friend.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A Reasonable Few Days after the kid event, after sunset
This time Souda isn't even aiming to talk about the last month's craziness; as much as he anticipates weird things will happen in Ryslig, bizzare time-regression stuff wasn't really on his list of expectations. But when he catches sight of Giorno, Souda is struck with a thought.
He'd known little Haruno seemed familiar, but he'd previously connected the budding boy with the Haruno he'd met in that other Ryslig (a Ryslig that Souda knows full well others reject, but the friendships he'd made there— they were too real to him to forget) and no one else. Giorno's flowers are recognisable though, the way they bloom from his skin and crown his head like a halo.
Souda's look of surprise upon seeing Giorno very quickly turns into a smile, however, scaley mouth pulling back past those crocodilian teeth.]
Well look at that, we meet again.
[He wastes no time striding up to his friend and gently shoving his shoulder with scaled knuckles.]
stupid ass gmail still never sent me this notif well you know what gmail? fuck u
[But they've never talked about it. Perhaps they never will. He doesn't even consider that the reason Souda looks at him like that is because of what's just happened. In fact, he looks down at himself like maybe he's dropped food on himself or something.]
Um?
[Oh, he's being shoved. He wobbles briefly, then peers at Souda and gives a puzzled smile.]
We did plan to, you know. Do I have something on my face?
[Which, like his flowers, is very recognizable. It's Haruno's face — both of theirs, although the younger boy most recently seen didn't look nearly as healthy as Giorno does now, or as Haruno did in that other world.]
Hopefully it sends this one......
[Says Souda to a man who clearly does not know what he means.]
Back a couple days ago, with all that weird shit goin' on.
[And, with as little hesitance as he'd had on that day, Souda reaches out and grabs Giorno's arm again to inspect.]
You're not still torn up, are ya?
it did thank god
[With Souda, things are never complicated. They're always just . . . how they are. He doesn't have to explain or overthink or be more than his first instinct. He's enough just as he is. Even if he isn't the first version of himself and he never will be again, Souda doesn't ask for anything but him, the core of him. Whoever that is.]
[Souda says it all so simply. A couple of days ago, that was still him. Souda knows that. It isn't strange. It isn't something he needs spelled out. It's just part of who Giorno is, plain and simple. There's nothing to question. And Souda likes him just as he is, even the parts that are . . . like that. Like Haruno.]
[There's a moment when he just stares at Souda wide-eyed, wrist caught in the gargoyle's grip like he's a lifesize doll all over again. As ever, he marvels at simplicity. He wants it to be okay to just exist, to be accepted as only himself, but it's surreal, it's so strange that every time he second-guesses it.]
[But Souda never lets him down. Not once.]
[In the blink of an eye, he's thrown his arms around Souda's neck and pulled close in a tight, grateful hug. There's too much emotion in him to be spoken, but it doesn't matter. They — don't entirely need to, do they? Not always.]
[Not this time. There's a fierceness, a joy in the love he has for Souda that's radiating off of his skin. No translation necessary.]
no subject
Hey, man, you good?
[He can't help but ask, raising a clawed, scaly hand to Giorno's back. One of the last times they'd talked Giorno hadn't been fine, so despite the lack of sad energy, Souda does have to check and make sure.]
no subject
Mmhmm. Of course I am.
[It's an easy twist of the wrist to cup the name of Souda's neck in his palm. So he does, all the little lifelines that never quite disappeared in the shift from human to nymph pressed against the back of Souda's skull, all fondness, all trust.]
. . . I'm grateful for you. That's all. And I was reminded of why just now.
no subject
Y-yeah?
[wait, does he almost sound teary?]
Dude, what the fuck? That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.
no subject
[That's unfortunate. He's going to have to say a lot more nicer things to Souda, apparently. Watching the swish of Souda's tail back and forth over his shoulder, he wonders. That has to be a good thing, doesn't it?]
It's true. I worry about everything all the time, and you make all of those worries so much easier.
[It means a lot to him. He'd think it would mean a lot to anyone. For things to just . . . not be a big deal. For everything he does not to be scrutinized or hyperanalyzed.]
It feels like all of the explaining I have to do, all of the standards I have to keep up for other people, I don't have to with you. I can just be.
no subject
But, ah, that's— probably cause you're relaxed, right?
[He sounds a little unsure of himself, perhaps, a bit wobbly, but he babbles on anyway. And why not? Why would Giorno ever make him feel bad for his own weird feelings?]
Actually... That's kind of the same for me, y'know. I'm never stressed out when you're around. From day one, it's like— we can always be chill together, yanno?
no subject
[So instead, he stays put and rubs his face lightly against Souda’s shoulder.]
Mm-hm. We don’t have to be anything in particular but ourselves. It feels easy.
. . . That makes me happy. That you feel the same, I mean. I want you to feel, mm. Safe. I wanted that when I met you and it’s still the most important thing to me. So thank you for letting me take care of you.
no subject
Takin' care of me... that's what it is, huh.
[He seems to sweep right back into reality and with that grounding, hugs Giorno tighter and lifts him up off the ground, crying crocodile tears for once.]
Giorno! You're the realest dude I've met in ages!
[What does that even mean? Regardless, Souda sets Giorno back down quickly and laughs.]
I'm the one who should be thanking you.
[And for now, Souda really doesn't think about the possibility of that changing, even if their pasts were revealed.]
no subject
[At least it doesn't last long. He tries to process what's been said as he's put back down. Realest dude? That's good or something? Probably? Souda seems very happy. He's crying again but not in a sad way.]
[Giorno laughs, quietly and a little baffled, but . . . he's happy too. It's impossible not to be, considering.]
We can both thank each other. An endless loop of gratitude. And being lifted in the air, apparently.
[He didn't, like, hate it.]
no subject
Can't help it, you're light as a— you know, a flower, or somethin'.
[Also, he's a stone lizard, so that helps.]
Man! Who'da thought after all I've been through, I'd meet a guy like you.
no subject
[Or fly him around. Gargoyles are neat, he thinks, pinching Souda's cheek.]
I'm glad to fill a niche. You know, you said I'm very real, but I think I'm more that with you. So maybe I'm just reflecting what you give me. In that case, thank you for making me a better friend.