Sowing Seeds

[buon_giorno]

"Come here...isn't your paw hurt?"

Giorno had full intentions of stealing a mid-day nap, but Croccante was high on one of the broken pillars beside the door to his room. The white cat eyed him but didn't come down. Giorno sighed and rubbed his head. Just looking up for too long was hard when he had been on his feet for longer than an hour or two.

It had been just two days since he cured Joseph. He had slept almost the rest of the day through and that was all he was allowing himself after making himself so scarce for a whole week. At some point doubt would creep into the community gossip and that was the last thing he needed to manage.

Giorno leaned against the pillar and put some of his energy into the ivy vines that crept up it. The flowers burst open, surprising the small cat, and urging her to leap down--right onto his head. He quickly pried her out of his now-mussed curls and inspected her paw. A little splinter poked out of the pink pad, and he squinted to pluck it out--and missed. And tried again--and missed. His hands were shaking. Croccante's tail was swishing in irritation. He summoned all his focus and managed to fix his fingers around it to pull it out, and the fluffy cat bolted out of his arms not a moment later.

"Yes, yes...you're welcome." Giorno watched her take off down the hall.

Comments

[takeba]

"Hey, sorry if I'm interrupting." Yukari set the bottle down on the table where Giorno was reading. "I heard you were feeling better so I thought I'd bring a gift and introduce myself. I'm Yukari Takeba."

[buon_giorno]

It was almost impossible to miss anyone about in the library with the floors being carefully constructed out a mixture of marble and mosaic tile, but it took Giorno longer to pick up on the sound of Yukari's approach than usual.

He looked from his book at the offering and then up at her, lips turning upwards in an appreciative smile.

"Giorno Giovanna." Even if she already knew that, it was still polite to say. He nodded towards the chair opposite him. "I've heard of you. It's good to meet you."

[takeba]

"Really?" That was a surprise. "Good things, I hope!"

[buon_giorno]

"Nothing bad." Giorno closed his book and rose. There was a small bar tucked into the corner and embedded within the walls. Naturally, it was the reason Giorno chose that part of the library to lounge around. He chose two matching glasses from the shelves. "You arrived last week. I hope others have been kind as you've been getting your bearings."

[takeba]

"Yeah, everyone's been really great. I'm planning on teaching archery to some of the older students."

[buon_giorno]

“I heard you had a talent for that.” Giorno opened the bottle and poured them both a few ounces. “You practice with a school club, correct?”

[takeba]

"Yeah." Yukari finally took a seat next to him. "It's pretty typical for most people to join a school club in Japan. That's where you're from too, right?"

[buon_giorno]

"Katsushika, to be exact. My mother's family still lives there...I believe." Giorno switched to Japanese with a tone that was formal but not particularly warm as he spoke of it. He lifted his glass and took a slow sip. "Italian schools don't really have extracurriculars like other countries. It's a pity."

[takeba]

"I was living in Tatsumi Port Island before I moved here. I'm guessing if you moved to Italy some time ago, you probably haven't heard of it."

[buon_giorno]

"I haven't...I hope it's at least more exciting than Katsushika."

[takeba]

"It's exciting, but not always in a good way." Like when the Dark Hour happens kind of way. Or the more people are getting Apathy Syndrome way. "How long did you live in Katsushika?"

[buon_giorno]

"Just four years. It was...quite boring." His lips quirked. "I may not look it, but I'm a hāfu."

[takeba]

"Oh, really?" He definitely didn't look it. "I thought maybe you were an army brat."

[buon_giorno]

Giorno laughed, refreshed by the boldness of her remark. "If I had gone with that story that might have spared me some grief." Giorno nodded to her glass. "What do you think?"

[takeba]

"Oh," Yukari said, realizing she hadn't even so much as taken a sip yet. She raised the glass to her mouth and drank from it. "Don't take this as an insult, but it's surprisingly good."

[buon_giorno]

"I'm glad." It was a bit awkward drinking on one's own, and he felt free to take another long sip. "Did you know it was my favorite, or was it a lucky guess?"

[takeba]

"Oh, a friend of mine suggested it." Thank god for Iris.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno made a knowing humming noise. "If I may be bold...you have a knack for making good impressions."

[takeba]

Yukari felt the heat rise in her face, but it evaporated quickly.

"Really? Thanks. I was a little worried how things would go. You're kind of worshipped around here."

[buon_giorno]

"I don't mean to give an unapproachable impression. I prefer a drink and friendly conversation over being watched from a distance." Giorno said it genuinely. "Though...mulsum is actually an aperitif. If you'd like to enjoy it properly, we should have it with dinner next time."

[takeba]

"Is that an invitation?"

[buon_giorno]

“A nice beef sukiyaki should be simple enough for our chef. The caramelized sauce would go well with the wine’s sweetness…” Giorno trailed off with a look of intense thought, clearly taking the potential pairing seriously.

“For dessert…I’m pretty partial to strawberry daifuku but we haven’t tried pounding mochi before…what do you think?”

[takeba]

"You're really trying to appeal to my Japanese palate," Yukari said with a laugh. "No objections from me, though. I haven't had a good Japanese meal since I got here."

[buon_giorno]

Giorno didn’t deny it. “Food from home is the most comforting. Naturally, if you have something you’re missing in particular…”

[takeba]

"If I can get access to the kitchen and pantry, I think there's a few things I can whip up."