digiorno | ic inbox ( ruby city ) Ⅲ

[Giorno has, gradually, sat up. He had been lying on the ground, curled on the grass, asleep. Because he is who he is, a few flowers sprouted while he was sleeping; he's been watching them while he talked to Polnareff, occasionally stroking them and watching them grow a little more. They're very pretty. He's happy with them.]

[Less so when a child wanders into the garden without any pants. His eyes widen a little. That's . . . what, this again? Bruno and now this? Because of course he recognizes this child. The hair's the same, even if the face is different, and he recognizes the clothes from earlier, and the expression . . . yeah. That's--]

Pap--

[Wait, no.]

Pol--

[Not quite. He tucks a stray wisp of hair behind his ear and tries one more time.]

. . . Jean?

[Oh. Well. Another person who seems to know him. This is starting to become commonplace. Jean nods and heads over towards the blond adult sitting on the lawn, plopping down in front of him. A moment's thought, and then he offers his zip-lock baggy full of candy.]

Do you have a friend too?

[A Stand, that's what he means. Jeans shoves another chocolate in his mouth and offers a sticky grin.]

[Oh, no. He's so messy. But very cute. Giorno is deeply tempted to ruffle his hair, but refrains, because he knows full-size Polnareff would be annoyed by it. Instead he offers a small smile.]

I do, mmhm. Do you want to meet him?

Yes!

[He's meeting so many of them lately. Sticky Fingers rates slightly higher than Hierophant, but it's anybody's game at this point. Jean summons Chariot in preparation, and both Stand and user stare at Giorno expectantly.]

[Holy shit. Chariot is so small. Somehow Giorno never thought about the possibility that Chariot might once have been smaller than he is in the present day. What the hell? He almost says something about it, but then he realizes that most kids do not take kindly to being told anything about them is cute. So. Scratch that.]

[Instead, he summons Gold Experience, who manifests next to Giorno with his legs crossed, hands on his knees, eyes wide and curious. He stares at Jean, then at Chariot, and then holds out a hand to the little Stand, while Giorno tries to smother his grin.]

["Pami!, Chariot shrieks, and promptly throws himself forward, grabbing Gold Experience's hand with both of his own. Jean's own expression is just as delighted; he glances the Stand up and down twice before turning towards Giorno.]

He's dressed just like you!

[Sticky Fingers holds on to the lead in the Great Stand War, but it's a tenuous thing right now. Chariot zips closer, flitting around Gold Experience excitedly, still holding tight to his hand.]

What does he do! Does he make ladybugs? Sticky Fingers made zippers and he had zippers on and he has ladybugs-- what's his name? Does he have a name? Does he talk? Bruno said Sticky Fingers could talk but then he didn't and I never got to hear it--

[All in one breath.]

[--WHAT THE HELL HE'S SO CUTE]

[Giorno sits bolt upright and waves his hands a little in excitement, while Gold Experience pulls Chariot close by the hand and starts chattering softly in delight, muda muda muda.]

He makes ladybugs! But other things, too, um--anything alive! He can make anything that's alive. His name is Gold Experience. And he--

[Muda?]

Well, you see? Mm, he likes you . . .

[Pa-mi-i-i-i, Chariot returns, cooing out the word in response to those little mudas. He's never gotten to have a conversation like this before. Chariot curls up close, lantern eyes shining with delight.]

Oh . . .

[He likes him. That's a good feeling. Beneath his oversized shirt, Jean's toes curl, and he grins. Which, by the way: good lord, look at those buck teeth.]

What kind of alive things? [A beat, and then:] He has a sword. He's a knight. Do you wanna see? We're really good at it!

[And it's terribly obvious Jean wants to show him. Chariot echoes that desire with an eager little pami, edging closer to Gold Experience. He lifts up his rapier, showing it off to the other Stand. See?]

All kinds. Any kind. Bugs and snakes and birds and butterflies . . . flowers . . . frogs!

[Frogs, Jean. And Gold Experience responds to the rapier with, essentially, the Stand version of AH!: covers his mouth with both hands and then waves them in the air, very similarly to what Giorno just did, and chatters excitedly, muda muda.]

Show us, show us! You should show off, you seem like you're both perfect knights. Chivalrous. Gallant. [Other knight words? He doesn't know.]

[Well, that's it, then: they're going to get a show, Giorno and Gold Experience. Without another thought Jean scrambles forward, sitting himself in Giorno's lap, as Chariot flits away. The little Stand's chest has puffed out, his back arched, his sword held at the ready. He's bold. He's daring. He's . . .

Mostly just waving his sword around, honestly. Hacking and slashing and cutting enthusiastically. Occasionally the weight of the sword overwhelms him and he spins forward, feet kicking wildly, but whatever! That just gives him a chance to cut the grass as well, and he does, beheading it soundly. There are a lot of shouted little pamis interspersed within the entire show, loud and aggressive. Pami, and there goes the head of a poor dandelion.

Soon enough it's over, though, and Chariot looks towards Gold Experience, waiting for his praise. Wasn't he great? Jean certainly thinks so; he's wiggling excitedly, his eyes trained up on Giorno.]

[Honestly, Giorno wants to clap the whole time. He wants to clap the second Jean sits down in his lap. He wants to clap the moment Chariot starts whacking at grass stems. But he also doesn't want to interrupt, so: instead he wraps his arms around Jean's middle in a secure hug, rests his chin on his head, and watches the show, practically glowing with delight.]

[Gold Experience, though, shows pretty much no restraint. He chatters the whole time, clapping his hands together softly every once in a while after a particularly excellent showing of sword-on-grass aggression. When the show's over, without a moment's hesitation, Gold Experience claps his hands together delightedly and pulls them apart with a purple flower that appears to have popped out of nowhere. He holds it out to Chariot, beaming happily.]

[Giorno looks down at Jean looking up at him and--pokes him in the chest.]

That was really amazing. I've never seen anything like it. You must practice a lot, hm, to be so good?

[Oh. Oh, oh, oh, and Chariot takes the flower. He stares down at it for a moment, eyes wide, before darting forward again. His sword is forgotten; far more important is taking Gold Experience's hand again. Pami, he tells the Stand in a quiet undertone, and kicks his feet excitedly.]

Yeah!

[Jean pokes Giorno right back, his grin so proud.]

We practice all the time! Everywhere, cuz nobody's ever been able to see him before! And then suddenly everybody can here, and everybody's got somebody like him! [A beat, and then:] I like Gold Experience best, though. [...] Don't tell Bruno I said that.

[Gold Experience squeezes Chariot's hand immediately, giving a (slightly unsettling) smile. Muda muda, he agrees, and tucks another flower behind Chariot's . . . lack of ear.]

I won't tell Bruno, don't worry. I wouldn't want him to be sad, you know? I like Sticky Fingers a lot, though, so it's okay for you to like both.

Do you know what that flower means, Jean?

Mm, no.

[Flowers aren't so interesting, but Giorno is. Jean sighs and half turns, pressing himself up against his torso. At least Chariot is properly appreciative: he coos another pami towards Gold Experience and darts forward, nosing against him. It's meant lovingly, even if the scrape of a metal helmet isn't particularly soft.]

What's it mean?

[Oh. Well. He laughs a little, ruffling Jean's hair.]

It's a flower called monkshood. It means "chivalry". Do you know the word chivalry?

Oh!

[Pami! Chariot echoes, loud and bright, just as excited as his user.]

Yeah! Yeah, that's like . . . doing the right thing, even when it su-- when you don't want to! It's, um, it's being a good person, it's like being like Lancelot!

That's exactly right, well done.

[He taps Jean's nose. And Gold Experience taps the . . . general nose-region of Chariot's face plate.]

That's why Gold Experience made that flower in particular for you and Chariot. Because the two of you are very chivalrous.

Oh.

[Oh, and he seems a little stunned by that for a long moment. Chariot reaches for the flower, tugging it free so he can wave it toward Jean. Look, and he glances at it. And then:]

How do you know?

I know because I read some books about it. Flowers--what they mean, it's called floriography.

[He tugs Jean a little closer, tipping his head curiously.]

Or do you mean how do I know you're chivalrous?

[Oh, well, that's nice. He'd liked that when Bruno had done it too, and Jean sighs, snuggling in closer.]

Yeah. Not about flowers, about chi-- the being good part.

Chi-val-ry.

[He pronounces it slowly, tapping the tip of Jean's nose with every syllable. And then he drags him in for a tight hug, kissing him on the top of his head.]

Because you remind me very much of my father, who is the bravest and most chivalrous man in the entire world. He'd do anything for someone in need, and I can tell you're exactly like him. A real hero in the making.

[He blinks at each tap, then promptly wrinkles his nose. He has a few things to say about that word, and most of them are indignantly insisting he knows how to pronounce it, thanks. But then that outpouring of affection distract him entirely, and Jean sighs again, perfectly content to be loved.]

Okay.

[Okay, that's a reasonable explanation. Jean worms his way forward, squirming just to feel Giorno's arms tighten. It's nice, feeling secure like that.]

Mama says that's the most important thing to be. To be-- [He screws up his face.] Chi-vil-rous.

[His arms do tighten. He doesn't want to let go of his mini-papa even for a moment, even though he's so wiggly; a part of him is deeply concerned that he'll run off and explore somewhere he shouldn't and get hurt, and he wonders if all parents feel that all the time.]

Your mama is very clever and very right. And you're very lucky to have such a clever mama. You're going to make her so proud, you know.

Yes.

[He says that with relish, drawing out the word. Yes-s-s-s, because there's nothing better than the smile she gives him when she's truly proud of him.]

She's very clever and very right and-- [He leans in, taking both of Giorno's cheeks. Very seriously:] --very pretty.

Oh? Is she?

[Giorno makes as big of a surprised face as he can, given that his cheeks are entrapped at the moment.]

How pretty is she, Jean?

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