Who: Giorno Giovanna & open
When: Throughout Iuneril
Where: Aefenglom and the Underground
What: Quests, the Underground, and Litha
Warnings: Underage drinking in Litha prompts. Should anything else come up, I’ll warn in subject lines and/or lock as necessary.



i. actors wanted

Not again!

[Never let it be said that Giorno is a good actor. Not when he actually knows that he’s acting, anyway. After all, there’s a difference between acting and lying, especially when it comes to lying for a cause. This, though?]

[This is a nightmare.]

[Throwing his arm over his face, he sighs in despair and leans back against the wall outside the shop that has most recently hired him for his dubious skills. The sign over the door reads: Hurts, Donut? This probably reflects their choices overall.]

Once again, I’ve been given cake with no convenient handle. [And indeed. He is holding . . . a handful of cake. Such regret on his face.] When will this city provide the innovation I seek? [When will someone remove him from the public eye. When will someone give him a mute button.]

ii. berry picking

[So far, this has simply been a pleasant errand. It’s an overcast day, so much so that he’s able to get away with going out towards evening and wearing a big hat with long sleeves. It’s more of a relief than he expects, escaping the oppression of nights-only excursions and a purely nocturnal existence to do something as simple as pick berries.]

[Which he’s never done, for the record. When would he have? It’s not something he thinks is a big deal, or would care to mention, but—]

I’ve never done this before.

[. . . Oh?]

There isn’t space for anything like this in the city. [With a faint smile, he pulls himself victoriously out of a bush and gently slides another handful of iunerberries into his basket. The smile, soft yet intense, then rounds on his companion.] It’s not bad, though. Relaxing, maybe?

[Maybe. He doesn’t seem to have noticed his own disclosure, which wouldn’t mean much for anyone else but would have given him pause under normal circumstances. Then again, this expedition has only just started. Who knows what could happen from here? Feel free to find him at any point on this journey, including the tail end of his berry picking trip, at which point he’s devolved entirely into a giggling mess sitting cross-legged beside a bush and smiling at nothing much.]

iii. kraken rights

[The thing is . . .]

[The thing is that Giorno has very specific interests. Animals are, of course, preferred over people, even (especially) the ones that the average person might not appreciate. Fond reveries over unusual snake species are common. And while he’s not as curious about mammals as non-mammals, he has been known to say that one of the few upsides of vampirism is the tiny bat form.]

[It’s not terribly surprising, then, that his reaction to Captain Heuf’s request for assistance killing a kraken is . . . mixed. His first instinct is to mistrust what he’s been told. He even confronts the captain about it — politely — and finds himself unsatisfied by the answer: that the kraken is outside of its normal territory, openly and consistently attacking ships, and that generally hunting krakens is kind of a stupid idea, given the risks. The captain is personable as ever, charming and trustworthy, and Giorno leaves with the impression that the quest is exactly as it seems on the surface.]

[Which won’t do, obviously. That’s why he can be found behind stacks of books for the next several days after this conversation. Understanding of the kraken’s biology and history as a predator to humanity is shaky at best, but he absorbs every bit of it from every old tome he can get his hands on, whether at the Coven library, Mirrorbound-run bookshops, or the Purramid Cafe, before or after his shifts. With his face buried in a book, he’s likely too focused to notice someone approaching before his name is called a couple of times. At some points, he can even be found dozing, head dropping low before he snaps himself upright again. This is Serious Research that warrants such dedicated concentration, obviously.]

iv. underground: the city

[Giorno steps warily in the Underground, at least at first. The place is interesting, but almost entirely a mystery; more than that, there’s something inherently disquieting about seeing a place in reality that you saw in a dream, as though a line has been trespassed somehow. It seems wrong, or at the very least foreboding.]

[Ironically, it’s the sight of a pickpocket that makes him feel more comfortable. This particular individual doesn’t target him, either through luck or observation. However, they do go after another Mirrorbound, and after a few moments of thought Giorno decides it’s better to cut this off at the pass than let it continue. The pickpocket makes a soft noise of surprise as the too-strong grip of Giorno’s fingers circles around his wrist. Clearing his throat, he draws the attention of the thief’s target.]

Excuse me. Would you mind checking your pockets? I don’t think they got you, but just in case.

[This would actually be a great opportunity for him to steal something now that everyone’s sufficiently distracted. Thinking emoji.]

[Naturally, he can also be found in the library, funny looks brushed off as he delves into historical tomes specifically. His eyes narrow quickly when he realizes he’s going to need help reading these things. Irritating. Glancing over at the nearest Mirrorbound, he slides his book a little to the side.] Do you have any idea where to start with this?

[As soon as he finds out there are gardens, he abandons the city entirely for the rest of the day. As it turns out, gardens aren’t entirely the right word, but he doesn’t mind. In fact, this is kind of more interesting. There’s a great deal he can learn from this place, especially when it comes to creating public spaces in Aefenglom and regulating a wide variety of growing things, but more than that . . . he just likes it. It’s peaceful. People keep offering him things to eat plucked straight from the soil. Even before he gets his hands on the good mood mushrooms, he’s smiling faintly as he explores the rows and, every once in a while, is given the opportunity to turn a little soil, or pluck a few mushrooms. He’s at remarkable peace in these moments, and it manages to carry him through to evening.]

[By the end of the day, of course, he has to find a place to stay. He’s less prickly about sharing space with others now, but it still doesn’t thrill him, especially not in a strange place. So of course he makes an effort to get to a room first and claim a bed. He’s already made himself at home enough to begin tracing the algae that pulses along the walls with his fingertips, his expression hyperfocused and fascinated, when the door opens, making him blink and turn to stare at the newcomer.]

[Oh. Right. Sharing.] I forgot there would be more people. [He’s still touching the algae . . .]

v. litha

[This year, Litha is . . .]

[He would not admit to “less frightening”. Less intimidating, maybe; he might admit that much. The customs of Aefenglom are more familiar, even if he still doesn’t care for the city. And seeing that festivals are much the same the second go round is soothing, in a way. He can see how they might be something for Aefenglom’s permanent citizens to rely on, to measure their years by.]

[So he approaches this year’s Litha with a sense of good humor and an eagerness to get into a little trouble. The return of the hedge maze is exciting, especially since he was so wary of it before. With a touch more confidence and the benefit of speed on his side, he signs up for the maze hunt on the night of the full moons, ears perking slightly at the sight of his assigned partner.] Do you want to chase, or do you want me to?

[But the chase is only interesting for so long. On the next go-round, he allows himself to be ushered into one of the quieter corners of the hedge maze, good humor in the faint curve of his lips as he catches sight of the little cubbyholes that have been constructed, similar to last year, with soft cushion on wicker chairs, benches, and couches, all set up under fairy lights. It’s easier to appreciate now that he feels just a little bit more anchored to this place, easier to smile at whoever he’s been partnered with this time.] Even I have to admit, they put a lot of work into this. They must have committees.

[The shopping district is another favored stop, as the full moon wanes. He can be found wandering the stalls with a lightly spiced drink in hand, perusing the wares with an air of someone who has absolutely no intention of purchasing anything. He’s here for the food and the drink and the atmosphere — and the flower crowns. Just as last year, he can be found sitting on a blanket spread on the ground by a particularly vibrant flower stall, braiding together flower crowns with the intent focus of the slightly intoxicated. Anyone is welcome to join him. Anyone he knows well, or who is even in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the path of his more mischievous instincts, is liable to get a flower crown plopped on their heads out of nowhere. Giorno, for his part, doesn’t take his off until Litha is well and truly over. It’s made of cosmos. There’s probably some kind of symbolism there, but he won’t admit to it.]

[And of course he ends up on the love boat, because it’s hilarious. Boats aren’t romantic. He is going to participate and think the whole time about how unromantic boats are. Unfortunately for whoever his partner is, he seems not to be taking this at all seriously. An example: critical examination of the gauze curtain.]

This is terrible quality.

[Throw him in the river.]

vi. wildcard

[Feel free to find Giorno elsewhere! As well as anywhere in the Underground and during Litha, he can be found working at the Purramid Cafe most evenings, at Desmodus Mori occasionally, and working with the Council on Parliament planning. If you’d like a specific starter or have questions about anything, please hit me up via PM or at passiones.]