chugalug

[hotboss]

[There is a completely not suspicious man with a coat and fedora sitting at a cafe table out on the patio of the main building, tapping his finger as though he's waiting for either someone he knows to walk by or a waiter to at least take his order. He was dragged here out of nowhere against his say; the least this place can do is offer him a cup of coffee on his arrival. The days of living in luxury for him are long gone, but it doesn't mean he can't expect some standards.

Well. He pretty much has all the time in the world now. Waiting a bit longer won't be a problem, and the weather is rather pleasant.]

Comments

[soultrader]

[Weather. Pleasant. Sure.

Silver's a bit preoccupied with gawking at his father- He never really thought he'd... actually see him here...

...That is his father, right? Not Petrel or some other dad or-

What should he say?]

[hotboss]

[Who else could it be? No one else can really match Giovanni's presence. There might be a bit more grey in his hair and wrinkles on the corner of his eyes, but it's undoubtedly him.]

[soultrader]

...Father?

[Maybe? He swallows a lump in his throat and gauges his reaction.]

[hotboss]

[His finger tapping stops immediately. It's been years since he's heard that voice, but there's no way it isn't him-]

Yes, Silver.

[soultrader]

[It's... him? Maybe? It's a version of his father, at least-]

When did- [No, uh-] Are you alright?

[Y...yes that's what he wanted to ask yes

is dad okay

yes]

[hotboss]

[That's...not quite the question he was expecting. Hmm.] As fine as I've always been.

[soultrader]

...I wouldn't know how fine you've always been.

["As fine as I've always been" implies that hasn't been missing and slowly dying for the past few years, too.

This... isn't his dad, is it?...]

[hotboss]

[Ouch. It's true, though.]

Come over here, Silver.

[soultrader]

[Come over... oh. Okay.

...Right, dad. Dad probably wants him to sit down. He can sit down too. Yes.]

[hotboss]

[There, that's better. Giovanni reaches for his fedora, pauses for a moment, then finally takes it off. Something tells him there won't be any cops around to sniff him out right now.

He definitely looks like Giovanni, if a couple years older with a few more wrinkles and grey hairs. He finally looks at Silver fully with a blank expression. They really do grow up so fast, don't they?]

[soultrader]

[...His face is too wrinkled. He looks older. Even if he seems healthier, there's... There's less life to him.]

You're different.

[hotboss]

[Giovanni's not yet up to speed on that, so it seems like a strange thing to say. It's been a couple years and gave up everything he had; of course things are different.] You wanted me to be different from the start.

[soultrader]

[Yeah, he probably would have. You know, if he was around.]

How long have you been here?

[hotboss]

An hour, probably. And yourself?

[soultrader]

I lost count. This place is...

[Blah blah weird experimental building blah blah rooms blah something about god llama ai blah blah doubles of everyone blah blah dozens of him and his. His people he knows. Yes. There's also no way out. And time space nonsense.

This has been An Explanation(TM) with Silver.]

[hotboss]

[They - er -

Son are you feeling okay or] You're sure about this?

[soultrader]

Serious as a heart attack. [He's seen weirder, okay.

Come on dad, we met God. How unbelievable can this possibly be?]

[hotboss]

[Was that a joke? As far as he remembers, Silver would never-

Oh. Now it's clicking. He's not sure if he should be relieved or a little disappointed.] So I'm probably not the one you're looking for.

[soultrader]

Bingo. [He's... Yes. Yes, he's sure of that.]

[hotboss]

[Well then. At least he knows there's a Silver out there wondering where he is and if he's well. Giovanni can't say that for sure about his own son.] I'm afraid I don't have any leads for you.

[soultrader]

It's alright. [It's not like he hasn't seen his father lately, it's just-

they might have been able to have... bonding time. Maybe.

...That's stupid. This is stupid.] Sorry to have bothered you.

[hotboss]

Did he leave you, too?

[soultrader]

[Leave... him?...]

No. ...Our situation's much different than yours. Long story.

[Come to think of it, his father has taken off several times in the past, hasn't he? For years, even.

But that doesn't matter now.]

[hotboss]

Ah, of course. Don't let me pry too much.

[soultrader]

I didn't grow up under your roof. -My d[ad's-] my father's roof. [Can he leave it at that? Maybe? He... He wants to ask him so many things. Does it even matter? Would he answer? Should he ask about how he left?...]

[hotboss]

I figured that. [Giovanni might be willing to talk; he's come to terms with a lot of things about his life, after all.]