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dongiovannaswife · 2 years

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the requiem, let it play (quietly).

Sequel of Dawn of Chronos, a direct reaction from the SPW branches around the word to the first soul extraction report.

Collab with @softlimefluff <3

Giovanna residence, Naples: 7:58 AM.

Quietly chatting in the kitchen, Giorno and Lena share a cup of coffee, planning the day ahead and looking up details for future plans.

“I think we should.” he says, nodding while lifting his cup up his lips, stopping midway just so he can add, “Or maybe we could ask Pannacotta first. He probably knows about that.”

Shaking her head, Lena reaches out for a napkin, using it to cover her mouth when she speaks up. “Westwood's an engineer, isn't he? Why don't we ask him first?” and then, she wipes the corner of her lips, watching while Giorno thinks about it, gaze dropping to the table.

Nodding, he takes a sip. Setting his cup down, his lips part but no sound comes out when her ringtone cuts through.

Looking down at the device, Lena frowns, reading over the contact: eyes the size of dinner plates, her finger swipes over the screen towards the drawing of a green phone, answering the call.

Giorno frowns. Confused, he watches over her— calculating eyes following her as she stands and walks around the kitchen: and then she settles down: fingers turning white from the sheer strength applied into the poor cup in her hand.

“Good morning, Director Giovanna. This is Satoru Hyakuya, SPW Tokyo Branch Director.”

Her eyebrows arch up, anxiety bubbling up in her stomach —she tenses and yet, she jumps into her confident self right away. “Hyakuya-san, good morning. May I know the reason for your call?”

Giorno squints then, already guessing what's up. From what he recalls, that's Tokyo's director.

“Of course,” the man speaks up, seeming to focus on the main topic: his voice turning emotionless with each passing second. “We would like to host a meeting as soon as possible about your recent report. We and other invested branches have some concerns we would like to address and question about this new power of yours.”

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Lena turns to her husband, shaking her head. Giorno frowns, placing his own cup down as he walks around the aisle just to stand behind her, leaning over in an attempt to listen as the man on the other side keeps talking.

“Director Giovanna, are you still there?”

Lena hums, playing it off smoothly. “Yes, I’m here Hyakuya-san. I’m listening.”

The man hums approvingly, “Your announcement permanently alters the way stands and stand users can function, so this meeting is considered an emergency. We will host a video call and will email you all the information soon.”

“Alright." She nods, even if he can't see her. “I'll be waiting. And Hyakuya-san?”

“Yes, Mrs. Giovanna?”

“I can assure you this power will not cause trouble.”

“...There are many factors to consider. I do not think you intend harm, but guidelines may be necessary. We offer you no ill will, but need to determine the breadth of Wire Requiem’s powers. I do hope you’ll come to the meeting open minded.”

Taking a deep breath in, Lena nods again. “I will.”

The call ends and her hand drops aside, phone held tightly through shaking hands. Sensing her husband still standing behind her, she extends her arm out —the one holding her cup— and Giorno takes it, placing it down with a small, barely audible 'clink.'

And he doesn't miss the trembling of her hands or the way her whole aura shifts sporadically: walking around, Giorno stands before her, leaning his hands on the aisle at each side of her and there he waits, away but close at once. Green eyes darting around her until he spots her phone still in her hand —slowly, his own hand comes up. Tracing her forearm with a fingertip, trailing down to her fingers where he keeps going until she relaxes her hold around the device, slowly but surely taking it away from her.

Setting the phone aside, he looks back and she nods, a small layer of sweat coating her forehead. “Uhm, remember the report?”

He hums, patiently replying: voice sweet and calm. “Which one?"

“Chronos, Wire Requiem… Matteo."

Nodding, he quickly figures it out. “They want to host a meeting and talk about Wire?”

She looks up, suddenly calmer: like her anxiety has subsided suddenly, probably held back forcefully, under the usual facade. “They're… I don't know, concerned? Worried?”

Giorno nods and she huffs, laughing under her breath. “I guess they're scared? I mean… Humans are, you know, like that.”

He nods, getting closer, if only a few inches. Reaching out, his knuckles trace over her cheekbone, “Hey, 's okay. When will it be held? I'm not letting you sit through it on your own.”

“Uhm,” reaching up, her hand wraps around his forearm: and then the rest of her body leans against him, seeking his warmth. “I don't know. He said it's an emergency reunion, so probably today or tomorrow. They will email the details.”

“Whatever happens, we’ll handle it together. Let's call Mista, see if he can take care of the twins while we're at the meeting.”

Lena stares at the camera on her laptop, the emergency conference already in session. Expectant faces fill the screen, quiet and waiting for answers. She begins, legs shaking under the table, but putting on an air of confidence, not wanting to betray her real feelings during this intense situation.

Director Hyakuya from SPW Tokyo has already greeted everyone and laid out the reason for the meeting, now the proverbial “floor” is open, waiting for branches to ask questions.

A woman speaks up, hurriedly —her stiff shoulders and tense posture leaning into the camera with each second she keeps talking. “I know we’re all here for the same reason–your stand and its power, so let me get right to the point. Do you think this emergency meeting makes up for the fact that you, Director Giovanna, did not acknowledge the rest of us during the case?”

Others murmur in agreement, looking at the notes prepared for everyone, including the memo that had been sent about Chronos.

Sensing others' approval, the woman’s hand motions around, as if trying to make her point come across through her rage. “Must I remind you how the Speedwagon Foundation works as a whole when it comes to these cases? Why did you and Dr. Bocelli proceeded with the soul extraction if none of us, the branches around the world, knew about it?”

Adding a pause, the woman stares at Lena, brow deeply furrowed as her frame leans towards the camera; all her body language screams dominance, rage and a single trace of something else, perhaps envy.

Director Natalie Wolford, SPW Finland. A woman in her late forties with short white hair that reached her ears and furious sleepy eyes hidden behind her glasses.

Lena leans back, confidently throwing an arm over the back of her chair in a silent signal of calmness and confidence: making herself look bigger in the eyes of the other woman, and, consecutively, letting her know she wasn't intimidated by her sudden outburst.

“Well, Director Wolford, first off, the patient could have died: it was an emergency. According to your logic, if I stepped back and asked for a meeting and while we were at it he passed away from aging or sickness, it would have been my fault too.“ A pause, and she gestures around just like Wolford, though she does it slower, calmer.

“Now, I understand perfectly the Foundation's goals, and while I know this could mean you'd think of making me step back from my position, I should remind you Dr. Bocelli was under my command every second of it. The decision to extract Morte's soul was mine, both legally and morally."

Her eyes take after a darker shade, paired up with a small, chilling smirk. “I've worked on emergencies for a while, and truth be told, Director Wolford, if I stepped back and didn't do anything, knowing I had the power to, you still wouldn't be glad. If this is personal, then I suggest we leave it behind and focus on the main topic.”

Wolford gasps quietly, nostrils flaring and eyes lighting up with a wild light: growing bigger once Lena smirks, leaning back against her chair and crossing a leg over the other slowly, letting her hands rest atop her lap.

And someone else cuts Wolford off. “We're getting sidetracked, everyone.”

The attention drifts back from the tense exchange to the person leading the meeting —Janet Joplin, SPW headquarters representative. The representative nodded once all eyes were on her, humming to herself once Wolford's mic and even her camera were turned off.

“Director Giovanna met our expectations —in fact, both Giovanna’s. Her husband has been of great help financing the investigation and, in this particular case, stepping forward and actively helping: he's in charge of one of the arrow heads. Without his help, they could have lost the patient. Both of their actions have aligned with the Foundation's goals precisely.”

Taking a momentary pause, the meeting goes silent, quieted by the representative’s positive testimony. She continues, calm and confident. “The reason why we are here goes beyond the soul extraction but the product of said procedure —the stand— sealed and under the command of Director Giovanna's stand, Wire Requiem. This meeting’s focus is on Chronos.”

Her eyes land on Lena’s screen, a mix of curiosity and expectation. “Director, we'd like to know more about Chronos, since your report was not specific enough. Do you have more information you can share with us?”

Humming, Lena nods, seeming to think about it for a second, her eyes scanning over the sea of faces on the screen, then around the walls of her office, and then on someone behind the laptop, maybe sitting across from her —her eyes soften for a second before looking back, picking her words carefully.

“Is everyone a stand user? Because… There's no one with a better understanding of souls than my stand. I think… I think Wire should explain Chronos' abilities.”

Joplin hums, considering Lena's words for a second. “I think so, Director Giovanna.”

“Alright,” Lena sighs and her eyes drift around, focusing somewhere else, as if following something —someone.

An empty chair rolls by her side, and a man comes into the camera: sitting down and bowing politely, Giorno Giovanna introduces himself: “Mind if I join you?”

By his side, Lena shifts, cheeks heating up slightly. Before anyone can speak up, protest or agree, static interrupts both the image and sound–clicking sounds and black screens as the connection flickers for a fraction of a second.

When the screen clears, a figure stands behind Lena, intensely staring into the camera. Wire Requiem's chains drop slowly until she's revealing herself. The question she makes brings a sudden uneasiness to those listening.

“Why do you humans look up to others? Why are some of you famous? Did you know some of those famous people could be stand users?”

Satoru Hyakuya frowns, dazed, confused and offended, “Excuse me?”

Wire's eyes land on him and it feels like she's before him and not at the other side of a camera on the other side of the world. “Tell me, Satoru —does the name Plato ring any bells?”

Satoru nods, slow, almost insecure. “It does.”

Janet speaks up, raising a hand slightly: politely cutting the conversation off to move forward. “Wire, please explain?”

Wire nods, chains scraping against the floors loudly. “Chronos was Plato's stand.” Toying around with one of her chains that hangs beside her face like a strand of hair, she twirls it around, creating a melody. “You classify, codify, and categorize everything, don't you? Chronos is what you could describe as a parasite stand. A sickness. Chronos was born after its user's twisted will and has been doing this through all its existence.”

Director Richard Kruspe, SPW Germany, speaks up after staying silent through most of the meeting. “Did Plato ever try to control it?"

Wire hums, shaking her head. “Chronos has a mind on its own. A sentient, parasite type of stand: it is not used to bowing to anyone or anything: in fact, Chronos killed Plato. Literally. It bombarded him —Plato— with knowledge and questions until he couldn't take it anymore. Chronos drove him crazy. Plato passed away, yes, but not from what you think. After its user's death, Chronos kept traveling forward in time, since it can't go back, and chose multiple users through each age: the final one was Matteo.”

Silence. For a second, the faces of those there change: worry, fear, amazement, terror. And Wire remains, watching all of them as her user shares a look with her husband.

Janet nods, gulping down forcefully, like she's forcing herself to ask. ”Is there any way to keep Chronos from possessing and killing someone else?”

Tilting her head to the side, Wire's pupils change its shape: from a triquetra to the eternal knot. “You're looking at her, Joplin. My mistress is doing that at this precise moment.” One of her chains vibrates as it moves up and around Lena's shoulders and her pupils fluctuate until they're back at their normal shape and color.

A man speaks up, stumbling over his words multiple times: “Uh, so… What do you mean Chronos was Plato's stand? Did it, like, give him any information he shouldn't have known?”

Wire's gaze falls on him instantly, first studying him and then, when Lena recognizes him as Rubén Castañeda, SPW Spain Branch, the stand replies: “Have you ever heard of Plato's theory of soul?”

Rubén shakes his head.

Wire nods, deciding to keep going. “That is actually pretty close to the actual definition and purpose of a soul, but that is not something you humans will ever be able to understand nor should know about.”

Rubén nods, looking around until he finds a pen and a piece of paper, where he writes something.

Concluding that's all from him, Lena looks around the multiple faces on screen, “Anyone else?”

After a moment of silence and dismissive gestures, Lena looks back at Wire, smiling up at her. “Thank you, Wire."

Leaving a red haze behind, Wire disappears and Lena shifts in her chair, leaning into the desk while Giorno leans back, sneaking a hand under the table to try and soothe her with some light touches to her thigh.

By now, everyone's staring at her with big eyes and a plethora of questions, but none of them know where or how to start.

And so she shifts, feeling the need to justify herself even if she shouldn't have to: but knowing that this part could change others' perception of her as well as bring insight.

“I admit I'm not in control yet, at least not fully. There have been incidents where she slips out and interacts with the environment freely. But I'm working on suppressing her until she's back under my control." Lena nods as if trying to make her point come across, intertwining her fingers over her clasped hands before her face.

The rest of Branch Directors stay silent, some glaring at her and some others frowning in concern through thin lips until a voice cuts through, slow and methodical.

“Don't do that.”

Eyes flicking to the small image in the corner of the screen where all Directors could be seen, Lena finds the man in question. Pushing his glasses up his nose with two fingers, the man nods again, as if confirming he had spoken.

“I suggest you train, Director Giovanna. Your stand, I believe, can be helpful if something like the incident in Cairo happens again. Any incidents we can't get under our control could be easily solved if the enemy is a stand user and you, hypothetically speaking, sealed their stands away.”

It was then that she hummed, leaning back against her chair as her eyes scanned over the name displayed on his screen.

Director Víctor Arroyo, SPW Guadalajara Branch. A young man with glasses, dark hair and brown eyes (and according to the member list, a promising career in biological sciences). He had apparently been appointed branch director shortly after Lena’s absence – she did admit he looked familiar (She was from that city, after all, but couldn’t remember meeting him at the branch).

The man nodded to himself, adding before Lena or anyone else could talk. “I'd suggest, for the sake of humankind, that we use these powers only when you consider it needed: during massive stand attacks or enemies way too strong, and investigation, of course. The story of Plato was shocking, but your stand understands our nature better than ourselves, so… I think we should trust you both.”

Nodding, Lena's eyes darted around his face while he carried on, seeming to notice the familiarity of his features and his voice. “There is no world-wide law regulating stand activity, but the Speedwagon Foundation should set some limits and guides for our community. That is my personal resolution for this case.”

Finally, she could piece it together —this had been someone she met during her clinical rotations in fourth quarter, at a private clinic: he was an EMT student doing his clinical rotations there, but had dropped out to go and seek a Biology degree at the Universidad de Guadalajara. Lena didn't get to see him again. Until now.

With a hum and a nod, she curled up her lips into a small, genuine smile. “I will consider your proposal, Víctor.”

Víctor smiled, too, picking up on her realization. With a nod and a small chuckle, he silenced his mic, letting the reunion carry on.

“I… I am worried.”

The man admitting such a fact seems pale, like he's scared to ask —maybe shocked after finding out one of the biggest philosophers of all ages was a victim to his own stand.

SPW Norway, Magnus Ullman: a man in his late forties with brown hair, soft green eyes and a prominent scar on the left side of his face: his eyes screamed experience, but he seemed affected by the recent discoveries.

Wire Requiem and Chronos represented a turn for the stand world: the society of stand users would never be the same if this knowledge became public, that a historical figure was one; that there was a stand capable of possessing people, and that, like a big irony, a stand capable of sealing other stands.

Not only society —the one formed only by non-stand users— but the whole world would collapse. If that ever happened, Magnus knew it meant apocalypse and disaster: and he knew humans wouldn't be able to handle it all. It meant war and pain. It meant more than he could ever imagine and that alone scared him.

Gathering his courage, Magnus finally looked into the camera at the top of his laptop, “Director Giovanna, my intention is not to disrespect you, but… You said Wire's not under your control fully, how…” he clears his throat, “How can you be so sure you'll be able to keep Chronos from escaping and causing more damage?”

Lena nodded, taking a moment to think about his words: eyes lingering around the multiple faces in the screen.

Slowly, realization starts to come in waves: looking back into Magnus' eyes, she smiles softly, letting her thoughts come out: “Is there any other reason but wanting to protect those I love, and consequently, those who can't fight against Chronos?”

Magnus freezes, gulping down, but deciding to keep listening when she hums.

“I understand your worries, Director Ullman, but Wire follows after my will: and that is my wish to protect my family and those around us. So… Even if she sneaks out and roams around my home trying to see more of this world, she still keeps Chronos from doing anything I don't want him to. As long as my will persists, she will act. Stands, after all, are born of our soul’s energy. Only those with strength can handle a stand, let alone one as powerful as Wire. I realize you all do not know my history, but those close to me can attest–I have the determination to succeed at this task.”

By her side, her husband smirks: a smirk full of pride. Don Giovanna's eyes roam through the multiple faces, waiting for their reactions as his hand gives a firm and soft squeeze to her thigh, wishing to let her know she succeeded. After all he knew her intentions from the very start: he knew her like the palm of his hand.

While some people nod in approval, others stay silent —choosing to keep a neutral expression. Some others nod in acknowledgement and respect. It's clear there are many feelings around: confusion, understanding, doubt, curiosity, fear…

“If I may…?”

The interjection comes from the Morioh SPW branch, and Lena lets the hint of a smile tug at her lips as she sees Ari and Rohan sitting in the meeting room at the Foundation. With permission, Ari continues.

“Rohan and I have personally known both of the Giovannas for years, and I believe we can vouch for their characters–their determination and dedication. Everything they’ve done for the foundation is to further the exploration of stands.”

Rohan nods, adding, “Signore Giovanna was one of the first recipients of a requiem stand, other than Jean Pierre Polnareff. There is no one more qualified to deal with the eccentricities and unknown variables of dealing with a requiem stand.”

Ari nods as well, holding her husband’s hand under the table. “If you need any more convincing, no matter how dangerous it’s been, Helena and Giorno would always protect each other. Even if it was a dangerous situation, which are sometimes necessary, they wouldn’t rush in without being backup for each other. Their love and devotion drives them to be an inseparable team.”

Janet Joplin nods, smiling softly, relieved: like a whole weight has been taken off her shoulders. “Well, then, if no one has any other objections…” She pauses, waiting for any more interruptions, then continues when the conference is silent.

“Director Giovanna, you will keep Chronos under your control, and use Wire Requiem during events out of control only —you will be assigned someone to help with investigation and development: a consultant, if you will.” She takes a quick glance at Don Giovanna, then back at her, adding. “Is there something you'd like to add?”

She hums, deep in thought for a second: and looking back, she nods. Leaning back against her chair, her hand rests at her belly unconsciously. “You're welcome to come over and investigate or just see Chronos. It's… Quite disturbing, but still interesting.”

Janet gestures to her screen, holding up a pen. “We’ll be in contact to set up a visit. Everyone else, we’ll start a sign-up sheet for anyone who wishes to join. In the meantime, I declare this topic closed and conference over. If anyone has questions, you can contact me one-on-one. Please end your feeds now.”

The screens go dark one by one until only the SPW Morioh branch is live. Ari and Rohan give a little smile and wave before logging off too, ending the call. Gio exhales a deeply-held breath, glancing at Lena. “Mista’s taking care of the twins. I think we deserve a nice dinner out after all this, yeah?”

Slowly smiling, Lena nods, laying her head on his chest. “Please.”

#tysm for your patience and help ari <3 #spw naples #spw foundation #matteo della morte #AriHan #GioLena #jjba self ship #self ship #wire requiem

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