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[Thank god for Jotaro.
That's what Polnareff is thinking tonight, around one in the morning, as he sets all this up. Thank god for Jotaro, who visited Giorno a few days ago, who had put him in such a good mood. That makes all this just a touch less nervewracking. If Giorno is in a good mood, he'll take all this far better, and god, but Polnareff wants him to take this well.
Because this whole thing is terribly worrying. Giorno had been so odd about his birthday, and if he hates all this, if he finds it insulting or awful or whatever-- well, at least he can be tactful about it. Giorno can wrinkle his nose in disgust and throw everything out and no one will say anything more about it. And if he doesn't--
Well. Hopefully he doesn't. But just in case he does, Polnareff has a plan:
At around ten tonight, he'd made far too big a deal of going to bed early tonight. Done the whole shebang, showering and putting on pajamas and yawning hugely and saying good night really, really loudly. And once Giorno's suspicions were totally put off, once he'd been lured into a sense of false security, Polnareff had waited and waited, and now--
Now, at one AM, Silver Chariot and Polnareff dash up and down the hall, carrying packages. They pile outside of Giorno's room, just a little off the center of the door. He won't trip over them, but it's impossible to mistake them for anything but Giorno's. And pile is the right verb, because it is a pile.
Everything is wrapped, both in newspaper and wrapping paper, done sloppily but with much love. And once Giorno opens them-- well. There's a plethora of toys. A fat teddy bear; a little robot that toddles when you wind it up; a few different toy cars, the ones that will race on their own if you drag them back and let them go. Two board games (Risk, because Polnareff has a sense of humor, and what young Don doesn't want to play at ruling the world; and Stratego, because you have to learn tactics somehow) (you being Polnareff); a slinkie, rainbow colored; a set of legos that can build up to several different kind of buildings, up to and including a clock tower. Some of these are from Jotaro, of course.
Amid the toys-- because Jotaro had said toys, but he'd been terribly unsure-- there's a few other gifts, idly picked out. A bottle of wine, Italian and red and actually fairly decent, as far as wines go. A picture of a fridge-- or, well, not a fridge. Their fridge, and the door is open, and it's actually a picture of the cake inside there, chocolate and waiting for Giorno downstairs. And a card, of course, set on top of the pile:
happy march 31st!!
-P]
That's what Polnareff is thinking tonight, around one in the morning, as he sets all this up. Thank god for Jotaro, who visited Giorno a few days ago, who had put him in such a good mood. That makes all this just a touch less nervewracking. If Giorno is in a good mood, he'll take all this far better, and god, but Polnareff wants him to take this well.
Because this whole thing is terribly worrying. Giorno had been so odd about his birthday, and if he hates all this, if he finds it insulting or awful or whatever-- well, at least he can be tactful about it. Giorno can wrinkle his nose in disgust and throw everything out and no one will say anything more about it. And if he doesn't--
Well. Hopefully he doesn't. But just in case he does, Polnareff has a plan:
At around ten tonight, he'd made far too big a deal of going to bed early tonight. Done the whole shebang, showering and putting on pajamas and yawning hugely and saying good night really, really loudly. And once Giorno's suspicions were totally put off, once he'd been lured into a sense of false security, Polnareff had waited and waited, and now--
Now, at one AM, Silver Chariot and Polnareff dash up and down the hall, carrying packages. They pile outside of Giorno's room, just a little off the center of the door. He won't trip over them, but it's impossible to mistake them for anything but Giorno's. And pile is the right verb, because it is a pile.
Everything is wrapped, both in newspaper and wrapping paper, done sloppily but with much love. And once Giorno opens them-- well. There's a plethora of toys. A fat teddy bear; a little robot that toddles when you wind it up; a few different toy cars, the ones that will race on their own if you drag them back and let them go. Two board games (Risk, because Polnareff has a sense of humor, and what young Don doesn't want to play at ruling the world; and Stratego, because you have to learn tactics somehow) (you being Polnareff); a slinkie, rainbow colored; a set of legos that can build up to several different kind of buildings, up to and including a clock tower. Some of these are from Jotaro, of course.
Amid the toys-- because Jotaro had said toys, but he'd been terribly unsure-- there's a few other gifts, idly picked out. A bottle of wine, Italian and red and actually fairly decent, as far as wines go. A picture of a fridge-- or, well, not a fridge. Their fridge, and the door is open, and it's actually a picture of the cake inside there, chocolate and waiting for Giorno downstairs. And a card, of course, set on top of the pile:
happy march 31st!!
-P]
[Something was obviously up. He's not stupid. But Polnareff would tell him if it was bad; he trusts Polnareff more than he trusts almost everyone. So he starts heading to bed with the assurance that if it's relevant to him, he'll find out soon enough.]
[He finds out the next morning. He gets up earlier than usual, because he's trying to be excited about spending time with Polnareff today - because even though it's still his birthday, sort of, it's less unlucky because it's not fours, and because it's before all the dying started. It's going to be a good day.]
[Except he doesn't understand how good, and he doesn't visually process what he sees when he opens the door until several long seconds have gone by, and then--]
[And then he thinks Jotaro?, and then he sees the bear and thinks Polnareff?, and then he decides Jotaro and Polnareff. And then he sees the bottle of wine and starts to cry.]
[Which, in fairness, is no one's fault, and is the only bad sort of crying he'll probably be doing today. In a way it's cathartic; he carries everything into his room, one at a time, very carefully, and he arranges them all carefully on his shelves just how he wants them, and while he's doing it he thinks about Abbacchio and how he would like the wine but pretend he didn't, and how he'd laugh at all of these things and how much Giorno loves them, because that just proves what a child he is.]
[He cries for Abbacchio, and that's good because he hasn't yet, and once he's done he's glad to have cried. He goes and washes his face and redoes his makeup and then, because he likes to and it's comforting, he undoes his braid and fixes it again, and then he goes and sits on his bed with his face buried in the bear's fur for a little while, feeling shaky and overwhelmed with love.]
[He knows he doesn't have to be in control for Polnareff. But he wants to be. And when he feels safe in himself again, he goes and knocks on Polnareff's door - and as soon as it opens he launches himself into a tight hug without asking, because this is one thing he'll gladly take for himself.]
[He finds out the next morning. He gets up earlier than usual, because he's trying to be excited about spending time with Polnareff today - because even though it's still his birthday, sort of, it's less unlucky because it's not fours, and because it's before all the dying started. It's going to be a good day.]
[Except he doesn't understand how good, and he doesn't visually process what he sees when he opens the door until several long seconds have gone by, and then--]
[And then he thinks Jotaro?, and then he sees the bear and thinks Polnareff?, and then he decides Jotaro and Polnareff. And then he sees the bottle of wine and starts to cry.]
[Which, in fairness, is no one's fault, and is the only bad sort of crying he'll probably be doing today. In a way it's cathartic; he carries everything into his room, one at a time, very carefully, and he arranges them all carefully on his shelves just how he wants them, and while he's doing it he thinks about Abbacchio and how he would like the wine but pretend he didn't, and how he'd laugh at all of these things and how much Giorno loves them, because that just proves what a child he is.]
[He cries for Abbacchio, and that's good because he hasn't yet, and once he's done he's glad to have cried. He goes and washes his face and redoes his makeup and then, because he likes to and it's comforting, he undoes his braid and fixes it again, and then he goes and sits on his bed with his face buried in the bear's fur for a little while, feeling shaky and overwhelmed with love.]
[He knows he doesn't have to be in control for Polnareff. But he wants to be. And when he feels safe in himself again, he goes and knocks on Polnareff's door - and as soon as it opens he launches himself into a tight hug without asking, because this is one thing he'll gladly take for himself.]
[Oh, hello. What a way to wake up: you open your door and suddenly you have an armful of teenager. Just as he did on the first day, Polnareff returns the hug automatically-- and then tighter, as he realizes what's going on.]
So you liked it?
[He's teasing, yeah, but there's a note of genuine question in his voice. He just woke up, okay, he doesn't have his hair gel in or anything, he's a little slow on the uptake.]
So you liked it?
[He's teasing, yeah, but there's a note of genuine question in his voice. He just woke up, okay, he doesn't have his hair gel in or anything, he's a little slow on the uptake.]
Uh-huh.
[Okay, and maybe he's still a little sniffly, but not in a bad way or anything, he just - he's overwhelmed, and really it's good, because he's learning, slowly but surely, that it's okay to be that, to show that, to the people who care most about him. Polnareff cares about him so much it's a little frightening - that someone could care in this way, and trust so much, just like that.]
[He huffs and nods, another yes for confirmation, and appears to have no intention of ever moving from this spot again.]
Ti voglio bene, Polnareff.
[Okay, and maybe he's still a little sniffly, but not in a bad way or anything, he just - he's overwhelmed, and really it's good, because he's learning, slowly but surely, that it's okay to be that, to show that, to the people who care most about him. Polnareff cares about him so much it's a little frightening - that someone could care in this way, and trust so much, just like that.]
[He huffs and nods, another yes for confirmation, and appears to have no intention of ever moving from this spot again.]
Ti voglio bene, Polnareff.
[Ahh, and he knows those words. Polnareff pushes his fingers lightly through Giorno's hair, smiling down at him. Good. Good good good, this all worked out, Giorno is happy and overwhelmed and that's all he wanted out of this day. Good.]
Ti voglio bene, Giorno.
[And he means it, too. Not as fervently as Giorno, but-- he's so terribly fond of him. Giogio, who regards him so fondly, who looks at him as though he's his brother, who has never had a birthday of his own, who deserves nothing but adoration for all the kindness he's shown Polnareff-- god, how could he not love him?
A few more moments of hugging, and then he pulls back just far enough to smile down at him.]
There's cake, too. Chocolate.
[Important things to know, obviously.]
Ti voglio bene, Giorno.
[And he means it, too. Not as fervently as Giorno, but-- he's so terribly fond of him. Giogio, who regards him so fondly, who looks at him as though he's his brother, who has never had a birthday of his own, who deserves nothing but adoration for all the kindness he's shown Polnareff-- god, how could he not love him?
A few more moments of hugging, and then he pulls back just far enough to smile down at him.]
There's cake, too. Chocolate.
[Important things to know, obviously.]
Edited 2016-04-01 06:44 (UTC)
[Oh . . . good. Good. That's — it feels nice, even if he did know it. Of course Polnareff loves him or he wouldn't have done any of this, but confirmation, hearing the words, he knows better than anyone what sweet words can mean. He missed them for so long, he uses them so often for his own gain, or to make people smile.]
[Polnareff is like him in that way. He loves, freely and openly and honestly, because he loves to love people. He loves what love is, how it makes people feel.]
[He blinks up when Polnareff speaks again, loosening his hold obediently just because Polnareff does, not because he particularly wants to. Then he nods, smiles a little.]
I saw. You took a picture.
You're good to me. So you should have cake for breakfast.
[Polnareff is like him in that way. He loves, freely and openly and honestly, because he loves to love people. He loves what love is, how it makes people feel.]
[He blinks up when Polnareff speaks again, loosening his hold obediently just because Polnareff does, not because he particularly wants to. Then he nods, smiles a little.]
I saw. You took a picture.
You're good to me. So you should have cake for breakfast.
What the hell did you feed Star!
[That's an option?]
[That's an option?]
Mm . . .
[He laughs a little.]
When Jotaro and Kakyoin talked the first time, about everything, I brought them pudding as a reward. And I brought one for Star, too, in case it would make him feel left out if I didn't. I wasn't really thinking about it, I'm just used to the Pistols, you know? But he liked it after all.
[He laughs a little.]
When Jotaro and Kakyoin talked the first time, about everything, I brought them pudding as a reward. And I brought one for Star, too, in case it would make him feel left out if I didn't. I wasn't really thinking about it, I'm just used to the Pistols, you know? But he liked it after all.
It's your cake, mon ami. We'll have it together.
[Because he's not about to pass up chocolate cake, thanks, not entirely.]
I've got matches, too, if you want to blow them out.
[Because he's not about to pass up chocolate cake, thanks, not entirely.]
I've got matches, too, if you want to blow them out.
Shit! I've got to try that.
[He glances over at Gold Experience again. He's got a mouth, yeah, but--]
Does his mouth open? I've never seen Chariot's helmet raise.
[He glances over at Gold Experience again. He's got a mouth, yeah, but--]
Does his mouth open? I've never seen Chariot's helmet raise.
. . . Mm?
[It takes him a minute, and then he remembers — right, of course, the candles. That much had actually happened last year, he remembers that, too, how surprised he'd been, how apologetic Mista had been that that was all, how strange and uncomfortable it was for a moment that he had to be reminded.]
[He can remind himself now. He's been to a ridiculous number of birthday parties since he got here.]
If you don't mind.
[It takes him a minute, and then he remembers — right, of course, the candles. That much had actually happened last year, he remembers that, too, how surprised he'd been, how apologetic Mista had been that that was all, how strange and uncomfortable it was for a moment that he had to be reminded.]
[He can remind himself now. He's been to a ridiculous number of birthday parties since he got here.]
If you don't mind.
Of course not!
[Seventeen matches is a lot, but he'll just bum off Jotaro if he runs out.]
Come on. Are you going to name the bear?
[Seventeen matches is a lot, but he'll just bum off Jotaro if he runs out.]
Come on. Are you going to name the bear?
[He laughs in surprise and delight, terribly pleased by that.]
That's amazing! Ahh-- did you know Kakyoin's stand has a mouth? He gets really touchy if you don't know that.
That's amazing! Ahh-- did you know Kakyoin's stand has a mouth? He gets really touchy if you don't know that.
Not all stands have mouths! Not all stands have eyes, or-- I don't know, anything. I mean, Joseph's stand is just purple vines.
[Huh. That's . . . an odd reaction. Polnareff wrinkles his nose at him.]
You don't like Hermit Purple?
You don't like Hermit Purple?
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