epitaffio | IC Inbox

Hm. Best to keep an eye on him, then. If word of this has spread to the rest of your coworkers...

[He allows himself to trail off there, letting the obvious go unsaid, more a warning than a threat. The more they talk about this topic the more uncomfortable Diavolo becomes with it. Chasing this train of thought is a form of hope to cling to, a chance that this situation isn't as complex as he fears it is underneath. Oh, he'd be willing to pin all of his problems on Giorno Giovanna - an underhanded tactic like this suits the person who joined Passione under false pretense only to dismantle it from the inside out. And it's clear whatever drove him to do that is still present. The permanence of the Stand attack on Diavolo proves that victory alone wasn't enough to satisfy him.

...but the fact remains that Doppio is still blacking out, and, from the sounds of it, the symptoms and the feelings must be similar, even identical, to the ones he's used to, with no explanation for why in sight.

And Diavolo is here, head full of muddled and disorganized thoughts, unable to follow any of them to an answer.]

... Yeah, I guess so.

[Doppio isn't sure why this is such a concern, given that, as established, he hasn't been experiencing anything out of the ordinary... but the Boss did just mention the possibility that people might take advantage of it, and he must know what he's saying. It's true enough that, as far as he knows, Giorno still works at the clinic - Doppio doesn't want to imagine what might happen if he learned about such a glaring weakness.

That said, for now?]

But... Boss, we need to get back on track! What are we going to do about the bastard who did this to you? Do you need me to start asking questions?

Eager to get back to work, Doppio?

[Even with how muddled things are in his head, there's a shred of comfort to be found in the familiarity of Doppio's enthusiasm. If he closes his eyes and just listens to the sound of Doppio's voice, perhaps he can manage to convince himself that there's still something right left in the world.

The time they'd spent in each other's presence is mostly a blur in Diavolo's mind. Aside from Doppio's reports (which he'd only half-listened to in his confidence that this would all end at any moment) and the impulsive... embarrassment at the seashore, they'd engaged in nothing remotely resembling their usual sort of business. If the circumstances of everything weren't so bizarre, he might have considered a mission like this a return to normalcy.

As it is... he's not sure how much he wants to encourage Doppio.]

It's what I'm here for!

[This time, if Doppio's answer comes too quickly, it's not from denial but from the opposite. "Eager" feels like an understatement, when this is a role he slips into as easily as if he'd never left it behind.

(Because he hasn't, really; he's been in Ryslig for over a year, but even so, again and again, his thoughts drift back to Naples, to train trips and hotel stays and late night calls. He's missed this. He's missed--)

But things have changed, and he can't forget that. His life was cut short, but the Boss experienced the worst fate imaginable. It's only understandable if he's not ready to dive back into... their usual business quite yet. Not even for something as crucial as dealing with the bastard who did this to him.]

So... Whenever you want me to make a move... Whenever you think the right time is... I'll do it, Boss. You just have to say the word.

[He's missed this so much. He's missed him so, so much.]

You enjoyed it that much...

[He sounds briefly... amused? But at some point the growing feeling of comfort within Diavolo breaks down. Doppio's eagerness in the face of these disconcerting circumstances is reassuring, but as Diavolo's thoughts turn to what their lives used to be, he feels... empty.]

You understand I have... nothing left to offer you. Everything I had, everything we'd tirelessly worked for... is all gone. If you are out there, taking action on my behalf, I can't... watch over you like before. I can't lend you my powers, I have no... I'm not...

[Speaking gets harder as he progresses. He presses on, desperate to get to some sort of point though he's not entirely sure which point he's even trying to make.]

It won't... it can't ever be like it was. I'm already... known, I can't keep myself secret, they already know my face - he'd...

[By the time he trails off he's nearly mumbling his words together, gripping the cup in his hand so hard it threatens to break.]

[It... hurts. ~~Almost as much as much as the end did? Even more than the end did? Maybe it's pointless, trying to quantify it.~~ It hurts, it truly does, to see the Boss like this. It tests Doppio's respectful boundaries more than anything else, makes him wish so strongly that he could-- do something that he can hardly deny it and so he has to try even harder not to think about it.]

That's okay, Boss.

[It's ridiculous. He can't hug the Boss.]

You'll get other powers. I'll... I still can't do a lot, even like this, but I'll be by your side anyway. And...

[He gulps. It's not easy at all to really explain how he feels; of the two people in this room, he's not the one with a gift for words.]

Maybe... Maybe it can't be just like it was before, and that's okay. But even if it's something else, I know you can make it just as good! Or even better!

[The problem with the Boss's identity being far more public than ever is... not something Doppio knows how to work around. Not just yet. Hopefully he won't mind him glossing over it. But...]

I've kept an eye on the underworld this whole time, Boss. ... I've been waiting for you.

[Diavolo sighs deeply at Doppio's mention of power. Words are cheap - reassurance can do little to soothe him when he is stripped so thoroughly of everything he once had. Everything he once was is gone, all burned away piece by piece, death by miserable death, leaving him lost and unable to fight back. How can he possibly rebuild himself from the ashes when he was never meant to fall in the first place?]

If only I should be so lucky... I... I've...

[He murmurs again, a mournful protest against Doppio's confidence, and just as before, the words catch in his throat.

"That's okay," Doppio says for the second time, and as hollow as words are, they keep coming. Incessant. Unprovoked. Meant to soothe, and for a moment Diavolo wonders if he can lean into his words and let them wash over him, fooling his weary mind into believing for a moment that they have any weight or meaning behind them.

He can't.]

You waited for me. [He echoes the words softly, trying to still his breathing. This conversation has twisted so far from what he'd come here for.] Even though... surely you had no way of knowing that I'd ever arrive here. One would assume your employment was terminated with... with your death. But you waited for me...

[He trails off there, musing aloud.]

[He feels, not for the first time, the weight of his heart in his chest. Its beat is gone, but he can't forget it's there when it aches like this.

Is this the first time they've called it what it is, his death? Is this the first time the Boss acknowledged it?

Doppio can't blame him for it; he's been through so much. He's experienced so much death that surely, what happened to Doppio barely qualifies at this point. He more or less just slipped away, peacefully but so, so heartbreakingly lonely--

But that's why he had to wait.]

I... I knew...

[No. That's a lie, isn't it? How could he know? But the truth is...

Doppio stares down at his fidgeting fingers and speaks quietly, as if fearing the consequences for admitting such a thing:]

... I really wanted to hear you again.

[Diavolo lets out a small sigh at the words.]

...and you got your wish, and more than that. I am here, in the flesh.

And I... I wish this reunion hadn't taken so long to occur. The first time - after I left - I... couldn't even begin to guess how long I'd - ...

...The second time... I'd kept you waiting for far longer than I ever should have. [Holed up, curled up, insides swirling with anger and regret and disgust and fear. And even now he is uneasy and confused and so very afraid that his longing for a return to the normalcy of their lives will send him barreling straight into another round of poor choices. Even after over a month here he can scarcely imagine picking up his pieces and rebuilding the empire they'd created. It's a distant dream now.

If he had an ounce of sense or self-preservation he would leave again, staying far away until he determined what exactly is wrong with Doppio... but he's spent far too much time alone with his own thoughts to consider that. He just wants peace, and to rest, and to deal with his problems as they arise instead of being forced to be proactive about every single one.]

[The first time. Doppio would really rather not hear about that. If the Boss is here now, can't they just... forget about it? The Boss never meant to leave him behind for good. It's not his fault that the traitors did the impossible, or that Doppio was powerless to help.

The second time...

Doppio was afraid, but it doesn't matter anymore. He's here now.]

I get it. You were... just trying to stay safe, right? I can't blame you, if you really thought I might hurt you. I'm-- [Doppio smiles, and his eyes dart dangerously close to the Boss's face; he manages to keep them down at the last moment.] ... glad we cleared that up, though!

[Cleared that up... It's almost bitterly funny how wrong Doppio is. Diavolo was so confident in his assumptions the night of the attack. Any slight wavering in his conviction could be chalked up entirely to baseless wishful thinking. But the more he learns, the more his confidence crumbles, and all that's left in its wake is confusion and concern.

If only he could trust Doppio fully. But, he supposes, it's not trust that he lacks. Doppio the only one he can trust, and he's always understood the importance of their work. Even now he catches Doppio's eyes darting away from his face, even here when it doesn't matter, even though he'd never once sat and drilled the necessity of even Doppio averting his gaze from his face for the sake of his continued secrecy. Why waste time entertaining thoughts of the impossible when there's so much left to accomplish? It's a testament to his undying loyalty.

But... this split. Any lies Doppio ever told him before, insignificant as they were, were things he could refute with the knowledge that came with their unbroken connection. Here he cannot trail behind Doppio, shadowing him everywhere he goes, observing every action unseen. Going out was enough of an ordeal before...]

We still have plenty of work to do before this is cleared up, my Doppio. I trust you're as eager to solve this mystery as I am.

Right! You're absolutely right, Boss!

[Of course the matter isn't resolved yet - they still have to find the real culprit, and then they have to determine the consequences for what the culprit did. Under that lens, of course they're still getting started. But...

Doppio is just glad the Boss knows it wasn't him now. The thought that Doppio might ever hurt him... He refuses to even entertain it.

As long as that is laid to rest, he can breathe a sigh of relief.]

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doppio is being cute (in a gangster kinda way) and im here like (flips switch) breakdown breakdown

cries

i genuinely dont know why this took 10 days

IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES don't worry

LATE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! too distracted by babby mode

patpat!!!

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