digiorno | ic inbox ( ruby city ) Ⅲ

[It sounds a little like Klaus. Actually, it sounds a lot like Klaus. The fact that everyone knows him fits, but it's also how little Giorno is giving her right now that fits as well. People are either too afraid of the consequences or really don't know much of anything beyond that he exists when it comes to Klaus. Sometimes, Elena wishes she could go back to that. Or even better, not knowing he existed at all.]

[She draws a breath.]

Guessing that's probably not for good reasons. It's usually not a good reason when people have heard of certain vampires where I'm from.

[It makes him laugh a little, somehow. Absurdly. It's sort of a tired-sounding laugh, but it's a laugh all the same.]

No. It's not for a good reason.

I'm sure this doesn't come as any surprise to you, but-- [And this is where he hesitates, because he doesn't necessarily want to name names here. It would be unfair to the other parties involved. Giorno doesn't entirely trust Elena, despite her good intentions; he doesn't want to paint a target on anyone's back.]

[Eventually, he resolves the hanging sentence with:] You'll want to be careful who you share this with. Because the man I just mentioned has left a lot of people here very jumpy about the idea of vampires even in the abstract.

Don't worry. [Elena smiles wryly.] I wasn't exactly planning on shouting it from the rooftops anytime soon.

[She glances down.]

It's okay if you want to tell Fugo. I know you were probably planning on it anyway, but if you don't want to wait on me to tell him, I don't mind. He should know.

[He . . . just sort of gives her a Look.]

Elena, with all due respect, and as much as I appreciate the understanding and permission: I tell Fugo everything. I take his well-being very seriously, and this is something he needs to know to keep him safe. Honestly, if there's anything you don't want Fugo to know you probably shouldn't tell me, either.

I guess that will just save me time in having to explain how to use vervain the right way then, [she says with a slightly wider smile.] Though it's pretty easy. You could probably get a lot of it to most of the people if you put it in the coffee you sell here. A vampire would be able to taste it, but not a human. And most people probably drink it everyday, so it'd be easy to make sure there isn't a gap where it isn't in their systems.

It might be a good idea for you and Fugo to have some jewelry with vervain in it, too. [Out of habit Elena reaches up to where her necklace should be, right where the locket should be resting over her heart. But with nothing to grab at, her fingers curl into a loose fist before dropping back down into her lap.] I'd like to keep some vervain for myself, but you should grow most of it. And never tell me where you're keeping it.

If something happens, destroying the vervain supply will probably be the first thing I try to do.

You realize you're suggesting I taint the only reliable supply of coffee there is in this city. Do I seem like that terrible of a person to you?

[It's a joke, Elena. He's joking. About Italians. That's the joke.]

I'll test it on myself first before anyone else ingests it. It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I only trust you about seventy-five percent. It's probably fine, though. Besides, I heal up quick in the event of any unforeseen difficulties. [He purses his lips, pauses a moment, then nods sharply.] I'll get you whatever you need for yourself. Just tell me how much and when.

Destroying it, at least, won't be easy for you, even if you should find it. My creations don't like to be hurt.

[It takes a second for her to realize that it's a joke, but only a second because she wouldn't have come to Giorno asking about this if she thought he wasn't going to take it seriously or prioritize something over the safety of others. But in that one second, she does give him a Look as she shakes her head a little.]

[Elena is about to ask, but she thinks it's probably better she doesn't know what he means about his creations not liking being hurt. Or rather, it might be better if her imagination fills in the gaps. Maybe then if she's that far gone, she might have that one iota of common sense to not try and mess with Giorno.]

Are you going to want to test it against compulsion, too?

[His lip curls, briefly. He thinks of Kakyoin, and--]

[Well, if nothing else. Yes. He'll do it for Kakyoin, so there's no repeat of that situation, ever. Curtly, he nods.]

Yes. How long does it take for vervain to take effect in the system?

Instantly if you ingest it or have it on you. Ingesting it is just safer because then a vampire can't smell it, and they'd have to bleed it out of you or wait for it to leave your system.

[Unlike wearing it where the second someone tears off your necklace or refuses to give it back, you're 110% able to be compelled. Her gaze dips down to her lap for just a brief second at the memories.]

I won't try to compel anything weird or dangerous. I don't think I could even if I wanted to.

[You know, seeing as how this would be the baby vampire's first time.]

Be that as it may, you're going to need to do your worst. Even if it's not much right now, I need to know that it can withstand all you've got. There's no point fucking around.

[He doesn't bother threatening her again. Why reinforce the fact that he will absolutely destroy her if she lies to him? She's got the point by now.]

[Well, if one were looking for a difference between Giorno Giovanna and Elijah Mikaelson, there it is. She doesn't think she's ever heard Elijah use a more intense word than damn. Elena shifts a little in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the prospect, but nods a little.]

I'll do what I can.

All right. You're ready, then? No time like the present.

[He sure doesn't seem to be waiting for her permission, pulling a button out of his pocket and turning it back and forth in his fingers before pinching it between finger and thumb. A gold glow, nearly imperceptible, spreads around his fingers.]

[Elena purses her lips a little, anxiety creeping into her stomach over doing this. It's not exactly performance anxiety, it's--...]

[Okay, it's a little performance anxiety. She's not even sure she knows how to do this, and with no one to walk her through it, she could just end up telling Giorno to do something with no added effect. While in some ways that would be the for the best, it'd be humiliating, too. The other part though is the irrational fear she'll get it right and something will go wrong somehow, and it'll work.]

[What little left there is of the edge of her seat, Elena scoots to it. She thinks about what she could do with this, and the tamer ideas come to mind first. But that's not what Giorno's interested in even if it would still be a proof of concept. He wants to know what's the worst she could do. That's not a question she has the answer for, and not one she ever wants to have the answer for, but she tries to think of what could benefit her right now that she could still fix if worst came to worst.]

[Something floats to mind, and her feelings remain complicated. Elena starts to open her mouth to say something, but stops. She can't just say it. She has to . . . Honestly, she doesn't know. She's never asked. It's about taking control though, right? Getting inside someone's head and making them do something you want them to do. She latches onto that thought until she thinks maybe she feels something differently, like she's pushing against something.]

You won't remember this conversation. [Keep it simple, she reminds herself. The more complicated, the more difficult it'll be to make a real effort.] You stayed late to organize a few things for tomorrow morning after the last customers left. You were alone the whole time.

[The words begin to form on her lips at the same time as the flowers finish forming between his fingers. He's got exactly enough time to feel pleased that he's done it, and hopefully correctly, because being hit in the face with the fact that yes, they're doing this now.]

[It isn't that he's unafraid. Of course he's afraid. The idea of putting his well-being and his mind in anyone else's hands is horrifying. But it's what needs to be done, so he doesn't hesitate. He leans forward in his seat, looks into Elena's eyes, and listens solemnly.]

[What's funny is that he can feel the words pressing against his mind. He twirls the flowers between his fingers, and he lets the orders wash over him, and he waits. He waits for them to take effect . . .]

[And they don't.]

Mm, [he says, blinking lazily.] Yes.

[And then:] No. It doesn't appear to have taken.

[Without really meaning to, Elena lets out a sigh of relief. The anxiety hadn't been necessary, but that didn't make it any less real.]

Good. [She smiles faintly.] I really didn't want to have to undo it or have this conversation all over again later.

I could feel it thinking about it. But it couldn't break through. That was very interesting, actually.

[It says a lot about Giorno's personality that he's scientifically fascinated by this, now that the danger has passed. Behind his eyes are the movements of variables: what part of the plant blocks the magic of Elena's eyes and will, how such a plant operates within the rules of nature, whether pollinators flock to it the same as any other plant . . . and so on.]

[Still: he doesn't miss Elena's relief. He offers her a soft smile, which, despite all of his previous behavior, is entirely genuine.]

You did incredibly well for your first time. Even a total novice at this can tell. And you did well explaining it, too. It's all in hand.

[It does say quite a bit about Giorno that he describes the experience as being interesting rather than any word Elena might use to describe it. Not all of it is bad, but not all of it is good either. Elena understands that Giorno is someone immensely dangerous if he wants to be. If she gained nothing else, it's that understanding.]

Thanks, [she says, both a little sheepish and uncertain if that's praise she should be thankful. Compulsion isn't something she wants to do well at. Even if she can recognize its usefulness, she's seen enough of the fall-out to think it's probably never actually worth it.] If you have other questions though, you can always ask me.

Don't worry, I will. If I'm to do this thing you've asked me to do, and keep you and everyone else safe, I'll ask whatever questions are necessary.

[It's meant to be reassuring, although it also probably comes across as bossy and nosy. Listen: he is all of these things, okay.]

[It is all of those things, but what matters is what he says rather than how it comes across. IN the end, their goals are the same here: keep people safe. With his help, Elena can do that a lot better than on her own.]

I trust you.

[That he'll ask those questions, keep people safe, and keep his word. But that much is likely already obvious seeing as how she came to him before anyone else with this request. Still, she feels it probably doesn't hurt to say it in the off-chance that he doesn't believe it as much. Elena gets the book back in her bag.]

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