Aaron, You're a Cheating Ass Ho

I didn't think Google saved these pictures, but here's proof you're a POS.
 

The Devil

 

Lonely Day - Chapter 11: Two

It was still raining when Giorno and Fugo arrived at the Inn of Ill Omen. They got off the horse.

“I think we might end up in the same room from that day,” Giorno said. “Go to the basement.”

“No, what if someone is there?” Fugo panicked. “Maybe we should go to a different inn. This one is too close to Bravil.”

“I can see the other inn from here. You have nothing to fear. Maybe we should go in together. I’ll rent a room both of us can share.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Let’s go.”

The regulars were inside the inn, and the two blonds approached Manheim Maulhand, renting a room. They got the room Fugo and Trish had when they were here last.

Giorno changed into something comfortable and noticed Fugo still wore that skin-tight armor. “You aren’t going to change?”

“This is comfortable to sleep in,” Fugo lied. The light armor was tight around his rear. “I might need this in case anything happens.”

“You sound like we’re going to die.”

“You never know.”

The blond was worried for him. However, there was nothing he could do, so he sat on the double bed. “Come rest with me,” he said, lying down. Perhaps cuddling in bed will ease him, he thought.

Fugo placed his bag near the bed. “Sure.” He got on the bed, and when he was sure Giorno wasn’t looking, he took his ebony dagger and hid it under the pillows.

Giorno fell asleep first. After an hour of watching the shadows, the Imperial finally grew weary and closed his eyes.

-

When they both woke up in the morning, the air chilled, and a wraith appeared, dagger in hand.

Giorno shook the slumbering Fugo. “What is that? Wake up!” He shook him. “Come on!”

“Wha—shit!”

He took out his ebony dagger and stabbed it, but it did nothing. Giorno cast a fire spell, hitting it, but then the wraith silenced him. They both moved out of the bed before it could hit them with its dagger. Fugo finished it off with a fireball.

“What was that?” Giorno asked.

“It’s—don’t worry about it. It’s dead,” Fugo answered. “We should get out of here.”

The Breton examined the fire still burning the dresser, rug, and blanket. “That’s probably a good idea.”

They rode on Star and made their way to the Imperial City. Gray clouds rolled above their heads. Fugo tried to get a good view of the city to cheer himself up, but the winds blew Giorno’s hair in the way.

“Giorno—ah! Yuck!” Hair had gotten in his mouth. “You forgot to tie your hair.”

“Braid it for me.”

“Do I look like I know how to braid hair?”

“I’ll get Trish to do it for me.”

Once they reached the stables and went into the city, they headed straight for the Arcane University. Even inside the city, the winds still blew everything in the way. Aside from the weather, hardly anyone was outside, probably thinking it would rain again.

The two blonds were in the Imperial Arboretum, holding each other's hands and heading to the Arcane University until someone they recognized stopped them.

“Stop!” Narancia said. The cheerful Wood Elf looked gloomy. He then looked at the Breton. “Oh, hey, Giorno! What’re you doing with Fugo? Wait, Fugo, when did you change your armor?”

“Good morning,” Giorno said. “He and I are—”

Fugo didn’t realize he had on his shrouded armor. “We’re going to the Arcane University. As for the armor—” He couldn’t think of an excuse. “It was nice seeing you again, but we should tell Trish we’re back.”

Narancia frowned. “Trish is dead.”

Fugo’s mouth almost made a frown. “What?”

The Wood Elf avoided making eye contact. “Somebody killed her last night. The whole city has been talking about her murder.”

“Who?” Giorno asked. His arms shook, and he tried to hold on tightly to Fugo’s hand.

“Nobody knows,” the Wood Elf answered.

Fugo let go of the Breton’s hand and dashed towards the Arcane University. Giorno chased after him. As for Narancia, he went back home.trailed

When they reached the university, twice as many guards patrolled the grounds, and mages of all ranks gossiped. Raminus Polus stood outside the lobby doors, his face with a frown.

Fugo’s heart beat rapidly. “How’s Trish?”

Raminus looked at the two blonds. “It’s best if you come inside.”

Inside, Tar-Meena and a guard sat on a bench.

“Tar-Meena, would you tell these two what happened?” Raminus asked.

“Certainly, once I returned to the archives to check on any missing books before bed. But once I got there, I smelled something burning and rushed to find Trish’s body. I—her face—” The Argonian hugged herself. “I can’t. I’m sorry. You don’t want to know the details. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Cannolo Murolo, your turn,” Raminus said.

“I wasn’t in the archives. I was guarding the area. I saw a blond guy with Trish inside, but when he got out of the archives, she wasn’t with him. I didn’t think much of it. Tar-Meena went into the archives and left, screaming, telling me what happened. I know the blond guy murdered her! I tried to search for him, but I didn’t know where he went.”

“Did this guy have four knots behind his head and have blue eyes?” Fugo asked.

“Yes.”

Giorno looked at his lover, knowing who he was describing.

Fugo clenched his fists. Prosciutto. He left the lobby, slamming and almost damaging the door on his way out.

“Wait!” Giorno shouted.

He didn’t stop until they were at the bridge to the Arboretum. He didn’t face him.

“This is all your fault!” Fugo shouted.

“How, exactly?” Giorno asked. Trish’s death hit him hard too. He crossed his arms, angered and upset.

Fugo turned around and faced him. “You had Trish join the Mages Guild. She would’ve been safe at home if she didn't join.”

“I didn’t force her to join. It was her choice.”

Fugo stood silent for a few seconds. “You and I, we’re done.” The Imperial’s eyes were teary. “Don’t bother looking for me. There’s something I have to finish.”

He ran off. Giorno would’ve chased him, but the wind blew a Grey Fox poster into his face. He looked at it, realizing he should’ve focused on his original task: finding the Grey Fox. Then he remembered how Trish couldn’t find her dad. Giorno had the same struggles when he cast the clairvoyance to search for the Grey Fox. He knew there had to be some sort of enchantment to keep him from finding the wearer.

Wait!

Before Giorno could connect the dots, somebody hit him in the head, knocking him out cold.

-

Fugo was at the Imperial City’s stables when he spotted somebody familiar.

“It’s been a while,” Sorbet spoke. A smile was on his face. Knowing him, he probably did something sick and sadistic. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you upset before.” He giggled.

“Go away.” The Imperial wiped his tears.

“Will’s planning to head to Skyrim soon,” he informed him. “I’d hurry if I were you.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll hurry!” Fugo said as he walked towards Raven, Trish’s horse.

“I don’t think you’re encouraged enough to kill him.”

“Relax, I know what happens when you break the tenets.” He got on the horse.

“About that, we know you killed Vicente. Illuso’s not happy about that.”

“So what? People die.” He was about to ride out. After this, he was going to kill Prosciutto and then alert the guards about the hideout in Cheydinhal.

“Wait!” Sorbet stopped him. “We have Giorno.”

“What?” Fugo got off the horse and rammed the Wood Elf’s body against the city wall, squeezing and grabbing his neck. “Do you want to die?”

“Kill me…” he struggled to speak, “and you kill him!”

The Imperial let go of him. “Piece of shit! Go!”

“Finish the job!” Sorbet yelled before leaving.

Fugo got on the horse again, casting the clairvoyance spell while heading to Bruma. Gripping on the reins tightly, he shifted his weight forward, making the horse speed up. Eventually, he caught up to Will, traveling with two others on the Silver Road.

Blinded by rage and tears, Fugo jumped off his horse and stabbed Will repeatedly, painting his white coat red. Will would’ve cast a spell to get him off, but the poison on his daggers kept him from casting a spell.

“Fugo?” Straizo called out. “What are you doing? Dire, do something!”

The chiseled, blond man with a widow’s peak grabbed Fugo, casting a shock spell when he grabbed both his arms, causing him to drop his dagger onto the ground.

“Don’t touch me!”

Fugo had a flashback where he was alone in the archives with a mage who helped him with illusion spells. The mage was middle-aged to elderly, and he grabbed his shoulders, casting a charm spell.

The Imperial got off Will’s body and stood up, Dire still grabbing him.

“Don’t...”

Fugo harshly stomped his foot repeatedly onto Dire’s foot until he let go.

“Charm me...”

He grabbed his dagger from the ground.

“Ever again!”

Fugo slit Dire’s throat, got back on his horse, and left, heading to Cheydinhal.

Straizo rushed to Will’s body, but he was already dead. He then tried to heal Dire’s wounds, but the poison did more damage, eventually killing the blond man. The long-haired brunet rushed to find a guard.

-

Giorno awoke, vision blurred. He wiggled his arms, but somebody chained him. Casting a spell didn’t work, and where ever he was, the lighting was dim. He tried focusing on any sounds.

“I thought Fugo loved Trish,” said a voice.

“I thought so too, but I saw him kissing the guy below,” spoke another. “The three have kissed each other.”

“And that’s okay?”

“Apparently. Anyways, we should go check on him.”

Something near him opened. It was something above. He tried to focus on the source of the noise. His vision cleared, revealing a trap door. He examined the room, looking at the green rug, the large iron door in front, and the chairs stacked on the table to the left. There was also a stone bed.

A blond Wood Elf dropped down to the floor along with a black-haired one. They wore the same outfit Fugo had on. Giorno began shaking.

“Nervous, aren’t we?” the blond said.

“Hmm, he doesn’t seem special. What do you do?” asked the black-haired one.

“I can heal others,” Giorno answered.

“That’s it?”

“I can steal and stuff my entire ear into my ear canal.”

“Sorbet, darling, I have to see that! Can we release him?” the blond asked.

“Sweetheart, hush!”

A Khajiit in dark green robes opened the door. “Fugo is back.” He then looked a Giorno, flattening his ears and exposing his sharp teeth. “Release him and return him to him.”

Already? Giorno wasn’t sure when he got here, but he feels he’s barely been here. He was sure they would torture him, but they left him unscathed except for the bonk in his head when they dragged him here.

“He works fast under pressure. We should do this to lazy recruits.” Sorbet unlocked the chains, freeing the Breton.

“We get to see him do it!” the blond cheered. “Please, can you do it before leaving? I promise not to kill you if I see you.”

Giorno folded his ears into his ear canal, causing the blond Wood Elf to squeal in delight.

The Khajiit’s pupils narrowed with his ears up and forward. “Intriguing, but highly disturbing. Can he go now?”

“If you tell the guards about this place, we’ll know,” Sorbet warned him. “You’ll see him on the way out.”

Giorno went out of the room, ending up in the hallway. He walked forward, ignoring the other door to the right, knowing it wasn’t the exit. To the left was a big room where he could see Fugo and the way out.

“Giorno!” the golden blond shouted. He ran to hug him, giving him a tight squeeze. “Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?”

“I thought you and I were no more,” the Breton reminded him.

“I didn’t mean that!”

“Could you two leave now?” Sorbet asked.

“No contracts for me?” Fugo said. “Why spare Giorno? I know who killed Trish. Why?”

“Because nobody wanted him dead, but somebody wanted her dead.”

“Why?”

“How should I know?”

“Fugo, we should leave,” Giorno said.

They left the sanctuary, ending up in the Cheydinhal basement. Fugo held onto Giorno’s hand tightly. They found some crates to sit on, but he never let go of the Breton’s hand.

“I love you,” the Imperial said.

“And I love you too,” Giorno replied, “but shouldn’t we leave? Let’s head back to the Arcane University.”

“About that. I’m not welcomed anymore. I killed Will along with somebody else. There was another person, but I didn’t kill him. I should’ve. Damn it! I’m wanted for murder. The guards are probably looking for me.”

“Then we need to keep moving. The battlemages might try to find us.”

“Where will we go?” the Imperial asked. “There’s nowhere we can hide. They’ll just use clairvoyance.”

Clairvoyance, Giorno thought. “Do you remember that cave near Skingrad?”

“Where we met your father, the vampire, yeah. Why?”

“He will protect us.”

Fugo let go of his hand and stood up. “A vampire? Are you insane?”

The Breton furrowed his brows. “Are you judging me? I’ve known you were an assassin for a while, even before this. This is the best way for us to survive.”

“We’ll have to avoid the sun and drink blood. Is that the life you want?”

“I want a life with you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” Giorno looked at his lover’s locks, noticing small strands of white hair. “Your hair’s turning white.”

“It is? Hmm, maybe I should get a mirror. I’ve been under a lot of stress, I guess. Anyways, do you know where to find him?”

“Yeah, but we should get out of here.”

“Let me change into less suspicious clothes. I have a red velvet outfit I could wear. I’m not sure if the guards here are aware of my crimes, though.”

“Alright. We’ll head out to the closest gate.”

Fugo changed his clothes. “The one leading to the Nibenay Basin? That’s where my horse is.”

“My horse! He’s still at the stables.”

“Star? Oddly, your horse was at that gate. Maybe he knew you were there.”

“Let’s just head outside.”

The two stood outside the city of Cheydinhal with their horses. Giorno cast the clairvoyance spell, leading north. “We have to go north.”

“Will was heading to Skyrim. Do you think—”

“That he was hunting him? Yes. Maybe it was a good idea that you killed him. I’ll have to cast the spell to find exactly where he is. Let’s ride!”

Gotham Knights Screenshots from 10/27/22

 

Cozy

 

City of Gotham

 

Nightwing

 

Posing with a Friend

 

Gotham Knights Stream 10/24/22

 

GNC and Harley Quinn Signal

 

Overwatch 2 | All Roles

 

Lonely Day - Chapter 10: The Betrayal

When morning dawned, Giorno and Fugo woke up, ate breakfast, and headed to the stables afterward. They got on the horse and rode to Leyawiin, arriving in two hours. Once there, the two made their way to the castle and questioned the count and countess.

“Greetings, Your Excellencies.” The blond bowed. “I am Giorno Giovanna, a conjurer of the Mages Guild. The man next to me is Pannacotta Fugo, the Grand Champion and a magician of the Mages Guild. We are searching for a vampire that was once here and hoping you may know more about her.”

The count looked at his wife. “I believe you know her well.”

Alessia gave a soured expression. “Yes, I do know Ashley. She was once the jailer and a dear friend until an Argonian prisoner accused her of being a vampire.”

“What happened after?” Fugo asked.

Count Marius furrowed his brows. “If I remember correctly, my dear,” he said to his wife, “you said there will be a trial held tomorrow of that day. Then the jailer vanished when morning came.”

“And what of it?” she argued.

“She’s a vampire! You let her escape!”

“But the count of Skingrad—”

He quickly placed a finger on her lip. “Shush, that’s different!”

“Where can we find this Argonian prisoner?” Giorno asked.

“He’s dead and buried,” the count answered. “He was a murderer. Once he escaped and returned, I had the guards execute him.”

“I think we should leave,” the Breton whispered to Fugo.

The countess looked angry. “Did you say something?”

“We shall take our leave, farewell. Thank you for your assistance.”

They got out of the castle.

“That was a waste of time,” Giorno commented. “Come. I guess we’ll find out ourselves.”

-

It began raining heavily as the two blonds approached Fort Namore. They left the horse on the road. Two skeletons were guarding the front until Fugo handled them with his bow.

“Didn’t it rain yesterday?” the golden blond complained.

“Yeah, and it’s raining again. Let’s get inside before we get wet.”

Even though they wanted to approach Ashley stealthy, they quickly and quietly killed the skeletons and rats roaming the hallway.

“Giorno, when did you learn how to kill enemies like that? You know, you remind me of an assassin,” the Imperial commented, hoping it didn’t sound like an insult.

“Well,” the Breton said, unsure whether he should reveal his secret, “I’m—”

“Hold up.” Fugo spotted a skeleton wielding a battleax and shot at it with his bow. While one of the bones flew off, the rest fell to the floor. “There, what were you about to say?”

The two were getting close to the second floor of the fort.

Giorno took a deep breath. “I’m from the Thieves Guild.”

“Oh, like my friend Narancia and Mista? Do you know those two?”

“Kind of, but not much. Wait, are you secretly in the Thieves Guild?” Being in the Mages Guild, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and fighting in the arenas seemed too much.

“No, but I should’ve joined. Ugh, why am I an idiot?”

“You’re not.”

“I had a choice.” Fugo would’ve said more, but he bit his lips. I will reveal my secret to you one day.

They entered the next area with two zombies guarding the chamber. Giorno took care of them with a bound bow. “Once we defeat Ashley, maybe you should head back to the Imperial City and see how Trish is holding up. I’m sure she misses you.”

“What? Are you crazy?” Fugo raised his voice a little as they snuck across the hallway. “Vicente is an assassin. Let me deal with this.” I need to quit changing my mind so much.

Giorno remembered what Polpo and Bucciarati said when he joined the Thieves Guild. Never steal from members of the guild, never kill anyone on the job, and do not steal from the poor. Since he knew Fugo’s secret, he was sure their rules were similar. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, Giorno, I’m sure. Let me deal the final blow to Vicente.”

They approached another chamber with more zombies, and Giorno took care of them, but Fugo was in deep thought. He wondered if the Night Mother knew about everything. Maybe Fugo could let Giorno deal the final blow, but would she send an assassin out to kill him in revenge? No, he needed to make up his mind. He’ll deal the final blow to Vicente and live with its consequences.

They were at the end of the hallway now. A plump Imperial with blonde hair looked away from them, picking something from her chest. She drank from them and threw the empty pink bottles behind her, almost hitting Fugo.

Since Giorno still had his bow, he aimed for her head and shot at her. Now, only a large pile of ash stood where she once was.

“That was easy,” the Breton commented. “To the left of us is an exit. I think this will lead us to the entrance.”

-

Once they got out, it began raining heavily, with lightning almost shocking them.

“Run for it!” Fugo shouted.

“I hope Star didn’t get spooked,” Giorno said.

Luckily for them, Star ran toward them, and the two hopped on.

“Where to?” Fugo asked.

“My spell tells me we need to head north, a bit to the west.”

They made their way north, almost approaching Bruma, but Giorno stopped the horse near the water as if he wanted to go across the Niben bay. The Breton got off Star and petted him.

“Why did we stop?” Fugo asked. He heard the thunder. “Now’s not the time to stop.”

“I’m calming Star down so we can get across. You see that fort over there?”

He looked at the fort on the island. “Fort Grief? What about it? Don’t tell me we’re swimming there!” What are you doing in there, Vicente?

“Of course not. I’ll cast a spell on my horse to walk on water.”

“You can do that?”

“Yeah, I could make you walk on water too, but it’ll be quicker if I cast it on Star.”

Giorno cast the spell, got on Star, and rode on the water, heading to Fort Grief. Upon arriving on the island, a man stood there, shouting and waving at them behind a gate. The handle to the entrance was on the side, and Fugo turned it, opening the gate. The man was an elderly Breton with balding hair.

“What are you doing here?” Fugo asked.

“I could say the same to you,” the old man said. “I am Aleron Loche, but my name is not important. You need to get out of here! This place is a hunting ground!”

“We can’t. There’s a vampire inside.”

“A vampire? I’m here because I have debts to pay. I thought he was killing us just for money, but this?”

“I’m not sure if the vampire has always been here, but he’ll die, and you’ll get out of here,” Giorno assured him.

“Wait, Giorno,” Fugo spoke, “let me deal with Vicente.”

“Alright, while you deal with him, I’ll—”

Somebody closed the gate behind them. “What was that?” Giorno asked.

“Oh no, now you’re stuck here with me. Great,” complained Aleron.

Fugo looked at the iron door beneath the stairs. “He’ll be in there, but I’m going to make sure I get the drop on him first.”

“Fugo, are you sure you don’t need any help?” Giorno asked.

“Yes, I have potions. Don’t worry about me.”

Before entering the fort, he removed his heavy armor—causing Giorno to look away and blush—and equipped his shrouded armor. The outfit felt uncomfortable since he hadn’t worn it in a while.

“Where did you get that?” Giorno asked.

“Somewhere,” Fugo replied, trying to avoid answering truthfully. “I’m going in.”

Fugo went inside the fort. Once inside, he looked left to see a switch behind a locked gate. It seemed he needed a key, so he ran ahead, bumping into a dead Imperial’s body. He knelt and inspected the body, checking his neck and his pockets. Two puncture wounds were on his neck, and no key was there.

Bodies littered the hallways, but in the next chamber, traps were all around, and since it was dark, more probably hid. Fugo sighed, realizing this might take a while.

-

Fugo reached the end with a few scratches. He wasn’t as nimble as when he was a teen.

Before sneaking to the large chamber, he drank a potion of detect life since he wasn’t good at casting mysticism spells like Giorno. He could see a purple aura ahead behind the pillar surrounded by water.

“Fugo?” Vicente called out. Of course, he spotted him with his vampiric sight. “Did the others send you? I tried to make a deal with Kurdan gro-Dragol to supply us with blood, but he tricked me into playing this game of his. These two keys don’t open the door to the handle, and I think he might’ve carried the real one with him. By Sithis, I’ll drain his blood!”

The golden blond looked at the bodies around the vampire. They had no chance.

“I see you’ve killed many people here,” he commented, approaching him closer.

“Indeed, I did. It’s annoying when they’re all trying to kill me. We’ll have to wait for the orc to return to this island. Say, what have you been up to lately?”

“Murdering.”

“In the arenas or completing contracts?”

“Vampires!” Fugo answered, slashing the vampire’s face with his ebony dagger, hitting near his left eye.

“Fugo, what’s gotten into you?” he said, covering the wound with his hand.

“I decided to do a little vampire hunting.”

“Sithis won’t forgive you for this.”

The two turned invisible, the vampire using a spell while Fugo took a potion. Regardless, they both could see each other because of life detection.

“Aren’t you a mage? Cast a spell. Why rely on potions?” Vicente questioned.

“I was taught by the best,” he replied.

Vicente used a bow and arrow and struck Fugo’s shoulders. It hurt, but he felt sick and slow; it was poison. Fugo winced as he took it out and tried to use the same arrow to strike the vampire. However, since his arms were shaking, he missed.

“Missed. I expected better from a prodigy like you.”

He hated when others called him that. It reminded him of the wizard he killed in the Mages Guild. It was why he barely cast a spell and used potions and poisons instead. And since the poison on Fugo damaged his health, he took a bottle to cure himself and felt much better.

Less shakey, he tried to aim for the vampire again and missed. Vicente jumped all over the walls and pillars, also shooting at Fugo, barely missing.

Fugo took a potion of healing to recover health. Nothing was working. Every time he made his shot, he missed while Vicente collected arrows on the ground. Desperate, he began casting fire spells.

“I was wondering when you were going to use that brain of yours,” Vicente commented.

On his right hand, Fugo cast fireballs at him while the other conjured a flame atronach. It took up most of his magicka trying to summon it, but hopefully, it drew Vicente closer to him.

The flame atronach had a better shot than he did and caused Vicente to rush into the water once he caught fire. Fugo charged with his glass sword out, but the vampire cast an ice spike, aiming for his sword, causing it to fly off. Wherever it was, it was likely chipped and beyond repair.

“You’re like Carne!” Vicente commented, exhausted and kneeling in the water.

Fugo had his dagger and approached the vampire.

“You’re done,” the golden blond commented.

“Wrong.”

Vicente feigned fatigue and lunged toward the former assassin, wrestling him in the waters. They fought, but the vampire was stronger and sunk his teeth into Fugo’s neck.

Fortunately, Vicente forgot about the atronach, and it cast a fire spell while he had his back turned towards it, saving Fugo.

Fed up, the Imperial tired of fighting and slit the vampire’s throat with his dagger. His ashes ended up in the water mixed with blood. He got up and returned to Giorno. Time to tell him the bad news about this place.

-

Giorno panted, looking at Kurdan’s body.

“Are you alright?” he asked Aleron.

“Yeah, thanks. I don’t know what would happen if you weren’t here.”

He looted the corpse and retrieved the key. “Come with me. Who knows who else might show up? Besides, I believe Fugo has it all under control.”

The two went inside the fort, and to the left was the lever. Giorno unlocked the gate and pulled it.

“There. Kurdan’s boat should still be there.”

Before Aleron could thank him, the elderly Breton’s eyes widened and focused on somebody else. Giorno turned around and faced Fugo, who was bleeding and had wet clothes.

Giorno ran towards him. “Is everything alright?” he asked while healing him. He spotted the puncture wounds on his neck and cured him of the vampiric disease.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said tiredly. “I had a long fight.”

“Aleron, you may go now,” Giorno said.

“You could rest at my house. Maybe I could reward you or—”

“I can’t rest at your house,” Fugo interrupted. His eyes started to water. “I can’t.”

“What’s wrong? Tell me,” Giorno said.

“Let’s rest at the Inn of Ill Omen, please,” he whispered.

-

Trish looked outside the window, watching the rainstorm. She was supposed to study the spell elemental burst, but she worried about what Giorno and Fugo were doing, causing her to lose focus. She could feel it in her heart that something was wrong.

“Miss Una,” a man’s voice spoke to her, startling her.

The man was a blond Imperial with his hair tied into four tiny knots behind his head. His eyes were blue. Trish could smell him, and he smelled like tobacco.

“Don’t you think it’s rude to startle strangers,” she said.

“Forgive me, Una, but Raminus Polus instructed me to tutor you in the art of alteration.”

“I told Raminus I was interested in alteration, but I didn’t think he’d send for a tutor. Who are you?”

He paused for a second as if he were thinking. “I am Caroco Plebena. Follow me into the archives.”

“But it’s almost dark out, and it’s still storming!”

“Now. And why are you reading that book in the mage quarters? The books are to be in the archives. Put that back.”

Oh, you’re one of those strict instructors, she thought.

Once they stepped outside, they put on their hoods and quickly headed to the archives. Nobody was there except for them. Not even Tar-Meena nor Boderi were there, possibly eating dinner.

“Is there a specific book I’m supposed to read here?” Trish asked.

He didn’t answer.

She looked at the book she still had in her hand. “Oh, right. I should put this book away.”

Before she could put the book away, Caroco grabbed her from behind, trying to strangle her.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“My special spell against you is useless, and since Fugo would’ve refused to kill you, I have to do it since I can access the Mages Guild.”

She summoned a dagger to slash him with, but he was stronger and overpowered her, pushing her against the bookcase. She tried to let out a scream, but he covered her mouth.

“Such a pretty face,” he commented. “A shame I have to burn it.”

Overwatch 2, Avoid this Toxic Player, SpacePlates#1254.

 

Avoid SpacePlates#1254. They called our damage dealers useless.

Overwatch 2 Players, Avoid these Players: Battlepants#1272508 and OverEatinAss#1473

A friend and I were playing unranked open queue, and these OverEatinAss told our team to get raped. They typed in gap3d to get past the censorship. BattlePants cheered this guy on. So far, this has been our first toxic match. Blizzard, you need to ban people like this. You are going through a sexual harassment lawsuit. You're letting these players go unchecked? There needs to be moderation for this game.

Note: I have the wrong user. It's OVEREatinAss#1473

 

Lonely Day - Chapter 9: The Annoyance

Now that they defeated Dustin, Giorno and Fugo quickly made their way to Bruma, where the rain turned into snow. They were outside the gates of the city.

“Alright, show us where Abby is,” Fugo said.

Giorno cast the clairvoyance spell that led inside the city. “She’s in the city somewhere. However, after we’re finished, let’s rest here. If we head straight to Leyawiin, the vampire might run out of town if we rest there.”

Fugo was relieved to hear him say that. The more time they wasted, the more he didn’t have to worry about killing Vicente. “I think we should wait until night to see her come out.”

“I’ve explored the area around Bruma before. There’s a tunnel that connects to a house. With that, she could escape. Hmm, I think I know where Abby could be. Come, follow me.”

“But what if she’s not there?”

“She is. I’m confident.”

Fugo sighed. Since he never got the chance to stall him the first time, he thought he could do it now, but even that failed.

They went inside and went to the small shack near the chapel.

“Isn’t this the home of those two Mythic Dawn agents?” Fugo said.

“Yes, and I’m surprised the guards haven’t done anything about this house.” Giorno knelt and picked the lock.

“Are you crazy? What if you get caught?” the Imperial said.

The Breton ignored him, but then his lockpick broke. “Do you have any spare lockpicks?”

“No,” he lied.

Giorno raised his eyebrow, doubtful. “Truly?”

“Yes, I have none. Sorry.”

The Breton got up and started walking somewhere else.

“Wait, where are you going?” Fugo asked.

“Getting lockpicks,” he answered.

“Where?”

“Someone I know.”

They didn’t go far. The person’s house Giorno knocked on was right across the shack they were trying to break in.

“Who’s house is this?” Fugo questioned.

“A friend’s.”

The door opened, and a Nord man revealed himself. His clothes were ragged and dirty, and he seemed old, judging from his hair color.

“Giorno, what do you want?” the old Nord asked.

“Got any lockpicks?” he whispered.

“Yeah, 100 as always. How many do you need?”

“Ten for me and another ten for my friend.”

“That’ll 20 Septims.”

“Thanks.”

Giorno handed Fugo ten lockpicks and returned to the other shack, picking the lock.

“Fugo, before we go in, can you please take off your heavy armor? I don’t want it to make noises while we’re sneaking.”

The Imperial sighed and took off the armor but kept the gambeson on. “I can’t believe we’re breaking inside.”

“Hey, you broke into my room once.”

“Whatever.”

They were inside the shack. The house still had the furniture the previous owners left. Giorno bent to the ground, touching it to find the trap door. He found it underneath the rug. However, even though someone locked it, he managed to open it.

Giorno went down first, going at a slow pace. Fugo followed behind. A sleeping vampire slept in a bedroll in the caverns, possibly Abby. Her skin was extremely white, and her long hair was black as night. It seems that Miss Pastry was pasty. Her clothes were dirty, and her makeup consisted of only mascara.

Giorno looked at Fugo, making him slightly confused.

He mouthed the words, “Kill her.”

“Why me?”

“Just do it.”

Fugo rolled his eyes, brought out an ebony dagger, and slowly approached her, and then his foot snapped a small piece of wood, making a loud crack sound. The vampire quickly sat up.

“By the Divines!” Abby shouted. “Intruder! Intruder! Someone save me! Help! Help!” She sprinted for the other exit, which was further down the tunnel.

Fugo chased after her. “Oh no, you don’t, vampire!”

He tackled her, pinning her to the ground. She didn’t run far.

“Vampire? I’m not a vampire!” she denied. “I’m a beautiful Breton woman, and you’re trying to get something from me! Help! Help!”

“Shut up already!” Fugo shouted.

“I know a vampire! Do you know this girl named Ashley in Leyawiin?”

“I’ve had just enough of you!” He tried to bring his dagger to her neck.

“Wait, stop!” ordered Giorno. “What do you know about Ashley?”

“She’s an Imperial, fat, manipulative, evil.”

“We don’t care about your quarrel with her,” Fugo interrogated her. “We want to know her weaknesses.”

“It’s fire, you genius.”

The Imperial sighed. “We’re getting nothing from her. We could just find Ashley ourselves.”

“What do you know which Ashley you’re looking for?” Abby asked. “Ashley is a common name.”

“Then what’s her last name?”

“She doesn’t have one,” Abby explained. “How about I deal with her? In exchange, maybe you could find a cure for my vampirism. Please, I can’t deal with this thirst anymore.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you got bitten,” Giorno commented.

“It’s not my fault Dustin tricked me!”

“Dustin?” he said. “Wait, you know Dustin and Ashley? Do you know Vicente?”

“I know Dustin, but I don’t know who Vicente is. Anyways, could you get off me now?”

“No,” Fugo answered. “Tell us about Ashley.”

“By Dibella, Ashley and I were friends once. She’s a vicious killer with a taste for Argonian blood. She used to be close friends with Countess Alessia Caro until someone revealed to her that she was a vampire.”

“Could you give us a physical description?” Giorno asked.

“I told you she’s fat. What more do you want?”

“Anyone could be fat. What’s her hair color, her skin tone? Does she dress like a noblewoman, a commoner, or a beggar?”

“Um, I don’t remember. Maybe if I tag along, I’ll remember?”

“And give you the chance to escape? No, we got this ourselves,” Giorno answered.

Fugo had an idea. “I think we could use all the help we can get. Maybe she could help us with Vicente. Besides, she wants to cure her vampirism.”

“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this,” Giorno said.

“Please,” Abby spoke, “I am begging you. Spare me! I’ll learn how to heal and cure people! I’ll donate food to the local beggars! Please!”

“Enough, enough!” Giorno facepalmed. “Alright, we’ll spare you, but you’re going to help us take down Ashley and Vicente.”

“Yay! Can you get off me now?”

Fugo got off her.

“Thank you. Now, we wait until night.”

Giorno sighed and sat at a small table. Abby tried to get close to him, sitting on the other chair, and Fugo kept an eye on her.

Abby eyed the blond Breton. “So, are you single?”

Fugo raised an eyebrow at her and curled his fists into a ball.

Giorno noticed his reaction. It was like when he first met him. “I’m taken.”

“I’m not surprised. You’re good-looking, you know. So, who’s the lucky girl?”

“I’m with two people. You’re in the same room with him now. As for the other, I’m not going to tell.”

“I am?” She looked at Fugo.

“That’s me. He’s mine.”

“Is that so?” She smiled at him. “How about you two kiss?”

Fugo blushed. “Why do you want to see us kiss?”

“How am I supposed to know if you’re a couple?”

“We are a couple! We don’t need to show proof!”

“Fine.” Abby crossed her arms. “I’m going to assume that this girl you’re talking about is imaginary. How sad that you have to pretend you have a girlfriend.”

“His girlfriend is real,” Fugo defended him. “I love her too.”

“Then why is she not here with you?”

“She’s studying at the Arcane University!”

“Fugo!” Giorno said, causing the Imperial to cover his mouth.

“She can handle herself,” he replied.

“Ah, so she’s a mage,” Abby said. “I know a bit of magic myself. I excel at destruction magic. Using frost spells is my favorite, but I prefer using my illusion spells. That reminds me, I can use my invisibility spell.”

“And I can use my life detection spell,” Giorno said. “Don’t get cocky.”

The Breton sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

-

It was astonishing how Fugo and Giorno could handle Abby’s constant chatting for almost three hours. The vampire constantly complained about how her life had gone to shit.

“I’m getting hungry,” Giorno said. “I’ll be on the surface. I’ll bring you some food, Fugo.”

“What about me?” Abby asked.

“Quiet!” they both yelled.

Fugo sighed and watched her. She had a big grin, but he thought it looked creepy.

“I have the feeling you don’t like me,” she said.

Fugo put on a fake smile. “Hmm, I wonder why.”

“What can we do to get along?”

“I don’t know.” Then he had an idea. “How about you try and stall Giorno when we’re about to leave?”

“And how will I do that?”

“Didn’t you say you can turn invisible?”

“Yeah, but he’ll find me anyways. What’s the point?”

“Only he can find you. I don’t know the spell.”

“Then he’ll kill me on sight.”

“I can give you time to escape.” Except Fugo wasn’t sure if he could.

“I don’t know if that’s possible,” Abby doubted.

“Okay, what can I do to prove I can give you time? I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?” She smiled evilly. “Will you kiss him in front of me?”

“Yeah, I’ll kiss him in front of you.”

“Touch him?”

“Um.”

“Maybe grab each other’s swords?”

Fugo’s face turned entirely red. “That’s too far!”

Abby chuckled. “Understandable. I won’t tell him we had this discussion, and I’ll cure myself once I can.”

The two heard Giorno open the trap door, and he climbed down. There was a small bag he carried, placed it on the table, and then opened it, revealing a loaf of bread. Fugo tried not to look visibly disappointed.

“Bread for dinner?” Abby looked at them.

“I can’t carry a plate of juicy meats here,” Giorno replied.

“You could’ve gone the other way. You didn’t have to climb.”

“What about the giant rats?”

“Hmm, fair point.”

Fugo got close to Giorno, putting a hand on his face. “Thank you. This is what I wanted for dinner.”

The blond was confused. “This is just bread.”

Fugo brought him closer to his face and looked into his eyes. “I love bread, but I love you most of all.”

Their lips were close together, making Abby blush if she could. Before they could connect, the Imperial closed his eyes, but Giorno’s were wide open, glancing at Abby’s reaction. She could hear her slightly squeal, and then Fugo kissed him, making her squeal louder. This was different when Trish watched. She participated in the kissing and loved both of them.

Giorno thought the vampire was getting off to this and wanted the kissing to stop immediately. He tried to push Fugo away, but it was like trying to move a wall. That, and the Imperial started to hold him tightly.

“Stop!” the Breton demanded when their lips parted for a short second.

But Fugo kept kissing him.

“Use your tongue!” Abby encouraged him.

Fugo listened to her and slid his tongue into his mouth. Fed up, Giorno summoned a clannfear runt, which rammed into the Imperial’s legs, causing Fugo to withdraw his tongue.

“Huh?” he said, causing him to stop and look at the creature.

“I told you to stop!” Giorno yelled at him.

“When?”

“A few moments ago? Did you forget Abby was here?”

She gave an evil laugh.

“I got into a heat of passion. I couldn’t stop,” Fugo explained.

“I’m just going to eat. Here, have a slice but keep an eye on her too.”

Abby crossed her arms and gave a satisfied smile.

-

After Fugo and Giorno ate and a few minutes had passed, the two believed it was time to head out. Giorno was the one who walked in front, Abby in the middle, and Fugo covered the rear in case the vampire decided to run away.

When Abby stepped outside the cavern, she cast her invisibility spell and ran west. Since Giorno was up front, he didn’t notice.

“Um.” Fugo tried to grab his attention.

Giorno turned around and noticed she was gone, but he also saw the footprints on the snow.

“Quick, after her!” he shouted.

“Where did she go?”

“I got this.” The Breton began charging a powerful fire spell.

“Careful where you aim!” Fugo shouted, hoping that Abby might have a chance to dodge.

Instead, she turned around, cast her silencing spell, and reapplied the invisibility spell.

“Damn it! Go after her! Look at the footprints.”

Fugo chased her, approaching an abandoned farm with a family buried nearby. He saw Abby lying on the ground, close to the door.

“Why did you stop?” Fugo questioned. “You could’ve kept going.”

“I’m tired. I can’t do it,” Abby explained. “You have to kill me.”

“Is this what you truly want?”

“No, but there’s no other way. Do it! He’s coming!”

Giorno finally caught up with them. “Fugo, finish her now!”

He turned around to face him. “I think she truly wants to be cured of vampirism. Couldn’t we put her in jail or something?”

Abby got up from the ground, got closer to Fugo, and placed her rusted dagger to his throat. “You fool. Do you think I’ll just die without a fight? Do you have anything to say before I slit his throat?”

“It’s over,” Giorno said.

“You’re damn right it’s over!”

“No, it’s over for you,” Fugo said. “Do you not know I am the Grand Champion?”

The Imperial stepped on her foot, making her drop her dagger. He turned around, grabbed her by the neck, slammed her to the ground, unsheathed his sword, and pierced her heart. Her corpse turned into a pile of dust, and the cold winds blew her away. Fugo sighed, not because he couldn’t stall Giorno but because he thought Abby was truthful.

-

They returned to Bruma, resting at the Jerall View Inn. Nothing much has changed since Fugo last entered. It was nice and cozy.

Giorno and Fugo walked up to the innkeeper, Hafid Hollowleg.

“Two rooms for the night, please,” Giorno said.

“That will be 50,” the innkeeper replied.

Fugo looked at him in confusion. “Why not save a bit of Septims and get one room?”

“Two rooms, please.” The Breton handed the 50 coins to the innkeeper, causing the Imperial to frown.

“Very well. Your rooms are right next to each other,” Hafid said. “The door to the basement is under the stairs.”

The two blonds went downstairs, and while they were there, they decided to have a chat.

“If you’re wondering why I wanted a spare room, it’s because of what you did in the caverns,” the Breton explained. “I wasn’t expecting that from you, and it made me feel uncomfortable. I hope you understand.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Fugo replied. “I’ll give you your space and head to my room.” He was about to open the door.

“Wait. Before you head to bed.” Giorno walked towards him and gently kissed his lips. “Goodnight, I love you.”

A shade of pink appeared on Fugo’s cheeks. “I love you too.”

Mercy's Sound Glitch

 

Cyberpunk 2077 and Overwatch Past Stream 10/10/22

 

A Statue

 

Lights and V

 

Dinner Last Night

 

Lonely Day - Chapter 8: The Hunt

Finished exterminating the necromancers—and collecting the treasure from the locked room from before—Trish, Fugo, and Giorno returned to Cheydinhal, tired and weary. Well, at least Trish was tired. She looked at the two blonds, and they seemed fine.

“Aren’t you guys tired?” she asked.

“Slightly,” Giorno answered. “We were sneaking for quite a while. My leg muscles are aching.”

Fugo had his arms crossed. “We’re already in town. Let’s report back to that Argonian woman.”

“Can we wait tomorrow?” Trish asked.

“Why not now?” he asked.

“Because I’m tired. Come on. We should rest.”

Fugo wanted to see what changed in the sanctuary while he was away, but he couldn’t have these two following him. “I was hoping to do something while you guys were at the guildhall. Why don’t you guys eat something at the inn?”

“I still have a bit of energy left,” Giorno said. “Why don’t I help you?”

Fugo tried his best to hide any signs of annoyance. “Please, just head inside. It’s personal business. I don’t want anyone to get mixed up in it.”

“Very well, but don’t forget you can count on me,” he said before entering the inn.

The Imperial drew a sigh of relief and walked to the sanctuary.

As for Giorno, he quietly walked out of the inn, shadowing Fugo. He was curious about where he was going. Eventually, the golden blond stopped at a well near the abandoned house. Giorno remembered Bruno, a shadowfoot in the Thieves Guild, told him not to go near this house. He wondered why.

Still looking at Fugo, he watched as he looked around the area. Giorno cast chameleon on himself and blended in with the background slightly. Fugo’s eyes looked closely at him, making him a bit nervous, and then he climbed down the well. Giorno walked towards the well but noticed he must’ve locked it.

Maybe I should check inside. It seems like this well is a shortcut, Giorno thought.

The blond picked the lock to the abandoned house and went inside. The house was empty and bare, save for a few barrels and crates here and there. He went into the basement and headed inside the carved tunnel, stopping at the glowing red door with blood on the floor.

He avoided the puddle of blood and tried opening the door, but as he approached it, it spoke to him, “What is the color of night?”

Was there someone behind the door who asked him? Was it a trick question? What would happen if he got it wrong? He cast life detection, detecting many people past the door. Giorno sighed. Whether he knew the answer or not wasn’t worth it. The Breton knew what Fugo was now, an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood. He headed back to the inn, keeping what he knew a secret.

“Hey, where did you go?” Trish asked him as he entered the inn. She sat at a table, eating steamed mudcrab legs.

He sat down with her. “Pretend I was always here.”

“Did something happen?”

Fugo entered the inn and went to the table they were sitting. He noticed Trish stopped eating, and Giorno had nothing.

“Giorno, did you already eat?” he asked.

“I ate some corn,” he lied. “It’s gone. I threw it away.”

“Oh, well, I’m going to head to bed. I’m not hungry, by the way. That altar with the dead body in Hame made me lose my appetite.”

-

Trish was the first to wake up. Fugo still slept, so she quickly changed. Once she got dressed and put her makeup on, the High Elf checked to see if Giorno had awoken. She knocked at his door.

“Give me a few minutes,” he said.

“I’ll be downstairs, eating.”

She bought food from the innkeeper and sat at a table, eating a sweetroll. Eventually, the two blonds came down to eat with her. She also noticed Giorno’s robes were now blue.

“Wow, did you two sleep alright? You looked tired,” she commented.

“Not really,” Giorno answered.

“Ugh, no,” Fugo replied. “It’s not you, by the way. It’s just the ruins. I haven’t seen a body mutilated in so long.” The new freak in the sanctuary had disgusted him. He had an eyeball from his recent kill in his mouth. Fugo would tell them, but he shouldn’t.

Once they were all done, they got up and went to the guild hall.

“Ah, the associate from before and her companions, or should I say apprentice now?” Deetsan said. “Since you’ve returned, I assume you have completed your task of eliminating the necromancers, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Trish said.

“Excellent work, you three. The roads will be safer thanks to you. Raminus will have my recommendation. Should you ever need help in alteration, you know where to find me.”

“Thank you so much!”

They left the guildhall and went to the shops to sell the junk they collected from the ruins. Afterward, they headed to the stables.

“Hey, Fugo, I think we should buy a horse,” Giorno suggested.

Fugo sighed and looked at him. “Why? What if it gets killed?”

“It would make traveling quicker, and these horses are the fastest. I remember you telling me.”

“I did?”

“Yeah. Come on. You have to buy one for Trish. Who knows what the guild will make her do.”

“I know. You should know too. Trish’s next task is to get a staff. After that, who knows.”

“You know I’m not used to walking around as much as you do, right?” Trish added.

The Imperial sighed. “You’re right. Fine. I’ll buy a horse, but only for Trish!”

The High Elf cheered. Fugo bought the horse, and Giorno bought one for himself too.

“I’m calling my horse Ebony,” Giorno said.

Fugo got on Trish’s horse. “What are you going to call this one? Darkness?”

“I was thinking about Raven,”

“Ebony, Darkness, Raven,” Giorno muttered. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“Hmm, did you say something?” Trish asked.

“I remember now! Fugo, do you remember a guild member named Ebony? I think her last name was Way.”

“Yeah, she’s the High Elf with long, ebony black hair and icy blue eyes. She was kind of weird. Why do you ask?”

“She turned into a vampire, and Avdol had to hunt her down.”

“Oh? Sorry if she was your friend.”

“She’s not. She was aggressive towards me. You know, I think I’ll change my horse’s name to Star, based on the shape of my birthmark.”

Trish got on Raven, riding with Fugo. “So, what type of enchantment will I get on my staff? Will it be stronger than the one you gave me?”

The three started moving along the road, heading to the Imperial City.

“There’s a lot of enchantments for a staff,” Giorno said. “I’d recommend getting paralysis.”

“Wait, what kind of staff do you use?” she asked.

“Fire, but after being paralyzed multiple times, I realize how useful that spell is.”

-

It was still morning when they arrived at the Imperial City, and they dismounted their horses once they got to the stables.

“Wow, that was fast,” she commented. “We should’ve gone to Cheydinhal first.”

“Then we wouldn’t have bumped into Will,” Giorno replied.

“True. Before we go to the Arcane University, let me see my mother first. I miss her. You guys can go on ahead.”

Trish left Giorno and Fugo alone.

“Well, what are you going to do?” the golden blond asked.

“My task in Bruma was to make sure the guildhall looked presentable. I had finished before we left that city. By the way, you wouldn’t happen to know any expert-level illusion spells, do you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert,” Fugo answered, “but I know a few spells. They drain a lot of my magicka, but I pop a potion or two to gain back more. Why?”

Since he knew about his secret, he might as well tell his. He got close to his ear and whispered, “I’m a thief.”

“Kind of knew there was something shady about you,” he spoke quietly. “Don’t worry. I have some friends who are thieves. I could introduce you to them, but we shouldn’t waste time.”

-

Fugo and Giorno were there before Trish. While at the Arcane University, Fugo went inside and spoke to Raminus on the bench and reading. He cleared his throat to get his attention.

“Oh!” Raminus said with a delay in his reaction. “Is that you, Fugo? It’s been a while since you’ve stepped foot here.”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here to rejoin. So, do I have to bring 20 Daedra hearts and vampire dust?”

“No, no! No need for that.” He placed his book down on the bench. “There’s no need for that.”

Somebody appeared on the teleportation pad. The man was a tall Redguard dressed in a reddish-brown robe and had a golden amulet around his neck.

“Arch-Mage Avdol!” Raminus said. “Where are you going?”

“I’m heading to Chorrol to speak to Polnareff. Oh, Fugo, Giorno, I’m glad you’re here.”

The two blonds looked at him, confused.

“One day, Will came here with news that you helped him track down a vampire. Before he left the university, he told me to speak to you, Giorno. He wants you to track and kill four dangerous vampires. From least dangerous to most dangerous, you are to hunt Dustin McQuake, Abbie Pastry, Ashley, and Vicente Valtieri.”

Fugo’s face went pale when he heard the last name. Hopefully, he didn’t have to join Giorno.

“Where's Will?” the Imperial asked.

“He’s somewhere south of Skingrad, checking on his family after recently getting out of jail.”

“What? He was in jail?”

“Yeah, he was trying to investigate a vampire in the guards. It turns out that Adamus Phillida was a vampire. Oh, and Giorno, you’re now a magician. Also, welcome back, Fugo! Feel free to help Giorno in his quest.”

Avdol was about to head to the exit.

“Wait!” Giorno said, causing Avdol to stop. “Where will we find them?”

“You’ll find Dustin in Chorrol, Abbie in Bruma, and Ashley in Leyawiin. They probably won’t exactly be there, but you should use your clairvoyance spell. Where Vicente is, I don’t know. And one last thing, Vicente is an assassin. Be wary.”

Once the conversation was over, Avdol left, and Giorno looked at Fugo.

“Do you want to go on an adventure with me?” the Breton asked.

He should. He wants to, but he’ll have to abandon him once they find Vicente. “Sure, let’s try finding Dustin in Chorrol.” For now, he’ll follow Giorno, but he’ll need to think of an excuse.

The two went outside just when Trish finally showed up.

“Wait, why did you two leave the building?” she asked.

“Avdol wants us to kill four vampires,” Giorno answered. “Technically, Will asked us, but he’s currently away and told Avdol to tell us.”

“Can I come?”

“No!” Fugo blurted, causing Trish to look hurt. “It’s dangerous. One of them is an assassin. We don’t even know where he is. Besides, you should work on getting stronger. Try doing some tasks around the guild. You don’t mind if I take Raven, do you?”

“Actually, I do mind,” she answered. “If I’m to do tasks around here, I’ll need a horse to get me to places. Ride with Giorno.”

“Trish, before we part, I have a gift for you,” Giorno said. He searched for the pink robes in his bag. “These are for you. You may need to wash them.”

She took the robes. “Giorno, are you sure I can have this?”

“I prefer my blue robes. Speaking of which, I should probably pack more blue robes. Wait right here.”

-

It was lunch when Giorno and Fugo arrived at the Chorrol stables.

“I’ll leave the horses here,” the Breton said.

“Maybe we should ask people about him first? See what he’s like,” Fugo suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea, but let’s hurry before the sun goes down. He might be in a cave right now.”

They went inside the city, checking the shops. Their first stop was at Northern Goods and Trade. Seed-Neeus and Dar-Ma were inside.

“Hello, Giorno!” Dar-Ma greeted with a smile. “Ah, is that the Grand Champion with you? Hello there!”

Fugo whispered to the Breton, “Do you get along with everyone you meet?”

“No, not all the time,” he whispered. He then looked at the Argonian. “Have you seen Dustin?”

Her smile disappeared. “I haven’t seen him. There have been rumors about him. He’s a bit of a flirt with humans and elves, but I heard he bites people on the neck to show ownership of them.”

“Show ownership?” Giorno questioned.

“Yeah, it’s strange. His lovers would show off their bite marks. If he keeps this up, people might start thinking he’s a vampire.”

“Have you seen him recently?”

“Last time I saw him, he said he was going to explore Fort Carmala.”

“Who was he with last time?”

“Forgive me if this sounds like an insult, but you’re starting to sound like a guard. Did something happen?”

Giorno stayed silent for a while, unsure of what to tell her.

“By the Divines.” Dar-Ma’s mouth was wide open. “Don’t tell me he’s a vampire!”

“Yes, he is. Could you please tell us who he was with?”

“Girmana Caesata, an Imperial. She was with him three days ago. She wasn’t feeling too well today, so she headed to the chapel to see if anyone could heal her. Hurry! Before she turns!”

Giorno and Fugo rushed to the chapel. Before they entered, a priest Giorno recognized walked out. It was Pucci, but he didn’t stop to ask questions. Once inside, they heard somebody call for Pucci’s name. A balding Imperial in a fancy wardrobe cried out and stopped once he noticed the two blonds.

“You two, have you seen Pucci? Wait, never mind that. Can you heal?” the man asked.

“Yeah,” Giorno answered.

“We have no time. Quickly, downstairs!”

The three went into the chapel’s bedroom, passing the dining room. An Imperial woman lay on the bed, stiff as a board, and her skin was pale. When Giorno got closer and kneeled, he inspected her neck, finding a bite mark. He placed a hand on the bite and healed it. However, Giorno feared it might be too late. He got up and looked at the bald man.

The woman’s hand slightly twitched.

“If she doesn’t feel good within a few minutes—”

The woman quickly sat straight in the bed. Looking at the Breton’s neck made her drool. She reached for him.

“Giorno, behind you!” Fugo yelled.

“Wha—”

Her sharp teeth plunged into Giorno’s neck, and she was messily feeding on him. Blood seeped into Giorno’s blue robes, turning them purple.

“By the Divines!” the man yelled.

Fugo pulled the vampire away before ending her life with his sword, piercing her heart. The golden blond looked at her face and saw a teardrop fall from her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” she spoke weakly before turning into dust.

He then glanced at Giorno, who held a hand to the gashing wound.

“Are you going to be alright?” Fugo asked.

“Yeah, nothing a little restoration can’t solve,” he replied. “We should find Dustin before he makes more vampires.” He looked at the bald man. “Any idea what he looks like?”

“He has short blond hair,” he answered. “It’s in a bowl cut. As for his eyes—I knew something was off—they were reddish orange.”

“I think that’s all the information we can get,” Fugo said. “Let’s hurry!”

They left the chapter and walked to the fort near Hackdirt. As soon as they got there, it began raining. The two rushed inside. In the small room they were in, there was a bedroll and a dead Imperial on top of it. He had a two-handed ax and wore leather. Fugo knelt and inspected the body, spotting the two bite marks on the neck.

“He’s drained,” he commented.

Giorno cast life detection. “There are two vampires in the next room.”

Fugo brought out his sword and started charging into the room. He killed the first person he saw, a black-haired Breton woman. Giorno followed and attacked a High Elf man with a fire spell. Both of the vampires died quickly.

They continued forward, stopping at an intersection and avoiding the dart trap.

“Which is the quickest way?” Fugo asked Giorno.

The Breton cast his clairvoyance spell. “To the right. There are also a lot of vampires in the room, however.”

“I’ll just burn them all.”

The Imperial went into the room first, burning three vampires. The blond was behind him.

“Any more?” Fugo asked.

“Yeah, there’s more in the hallway. They’re probably invisible. Just burn through everything.”

Fugo went ahead again and cast his flame spell, burning everything, the vampires, the rugs, and the bookcase. He stopped at an intersection.

“Straight ahead, behind the iron door. I believe Dustin is in that room,” Giorno instructed. “Be alert.”

Fugo kicked the iron door wide open. The room was luxurious. Detailed paints of people, a large bed and wardrobe, a velvet couch, and an exported rug from Hammerfell decorated the room. As for the vampire they were hunting, Fugo couldn’t see him.

“I don’t see him!”

Giorno’s life detection wore off, and he was about to recast it until he felt somebody breathing down his neck.

Dustin revealed himself when he gripped tightly on the Breton’s shoulders. “You must be the healer.”

Fugo quickly turned around to face Giorno and the vampire. Both of the blond’s eyes widened.

“I honestly don’t know if you are, mage, but I’ll make sure you die first!”

Dustin let go of Giorno’s shoulders and kicked him towards Fugo, knocking them back into a wall and making a portrait fall on the blond’s head. Giorno was on top of Fugo. While the two were on the ground, he cast an ice spike, aiming for the Breton’s legs. The spell pinned him to the ground.

As for Fugo, he fought back with an explosive fire spell. Dustin dodged it, but it caused his room to catch fire.

“You’ll pay for that!” the vampire yelled.

The golden blond was no longer under Giorno but guarding him. “You want to kill him? You’ll have to get past me.”

Dustin cast an ice storm, sending a small blizzard toward him. Fugo knew one ward spell, but it wasn’t enough to protect him.

“Giorno, wake up!” he yelled.

The Breton opened his eyes and felt something cold in his legs. He tried getting up but couldn’t. Giorno twisted his body to see what was going on. Once he saw the ice storm, he cast his ward spell.

“I’m fine now! Finish him off while I melt these ice spikes!”

Dustin sucked his teeth and summoned a skeleton and two daggers in his hands.

“Kill the Breton! I’ll deal with this one myself.”

Giorno melted the ice spikes and got on his feet. He looked at the skeleton coming his way and cast fire spells at it.

Fugo charged toward Dustin, but the vampire parried his sword with his dagger. With the other dagger, he stabbed his sides, but Fugo brought a hand to his face, grabbed him, and set him on fire. Dustin hissed and released the dagger in his left hand, dispelling it.

Both of them were tired. However, once Giorno defeated the skeleton, he ran to Fugo and restored his stamina with a spell.

“Damn it,” the vampire said before Fugo beheaded him.

The two got out of the burning room and panted.

Garden Story | A Little Tired Today

 

The Cooking Competition

It had been a couple of days since Giorno had joined Bruno’s group, but half of the gang didn’t want to hang out with him, only Bruno and Fugo. Wanting to improve team bonding, Bruno had an idea.

“I have an idea!” Bruno said, interrupting everyone’s lunch.

Everybody looked at him, confused.

“What’s going on?” Abbacchio asked.

“We’re going to cook together!” he explained.

“What are we cooking?” Narancia asked.

“Do we have to?” Mista added. “We’re at a restaurant.”

“Why are we cooking?” Fugo asked.

“And for what purpose?” Giorno said.

“I noticed that some of you aren’t spending time with Giorno,” Bruno explained. “Hopefully, we could all bond together while cooking.”

“So, we’re having a cooking competition then?” Abbacchio questioned.

“Actually, no, I—”

“Fugo, help!” Narancia panicked and grabbed the golden blond’s arm. “I can’t cook.”

“Neither can I!” Mista said. “You got to tell us what to do!”

“What about Giorno?” Fugo asked.

The blond looked at the two mature adults sitting at the table.

“The hell are you looking at, newbie?” Abbacchio glared at him.

Make that one mature adult.

“Enough!” Bruno shouted. “This isn’t a cooking competition!”

“Did I hear cooking competition?” said a voice none of them recognized.

They turned around to see who was talking to them. The person was a blond guy with blue eyes. Next to him was a 5’2 kid with spiky white hair.

The kid waved at Giorno. “Hey, again! I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Koichi?” Giorno called out. “Why? And who is this guy you brought?”

“Um, I forgot why I’m here. Forgive me, but I got excited when I heard about a cooking competition. And as for the person next to me, his name is Antonio Trussardi, but you can call him Tonio. He’s a professional chef who owns a restaurant where I live. Once he heard I was heading to Italy, he wanted to come.”

“How come I didn’t see him with you?”

“Well, I had never been outside of Japan, and I wanted to see what it was like in Italy. I couldn’t wait for him to find his luggage, so I went without him.”

“Enough talking!” Tonio said. “Let’s have this cooking competition.”

“Tonio, where will they have this competition?” Koichi asked.

“Hmm, we can’t just ask customers to leave the restaurant,” he said. “I know! We’ll rent a kitchen.”

“Rent a kitchen? You can do that?”

“Some people rent kitchens to make videos. Let me handle this. It will only take a few minutes.”

-

Tonio, Koichi, and Bruno’s gang were in the large, homey kitchen. There was a counter on the left side, the right side, and in the center. Outside the window, they had a beautiful view of the ocean.

“This is nice and all,” Bruno said. “But this is—”

“Wow! This kitchen reminds me of home!” Narancia interrupted. “I miss eating macaroni and cheese. I used to eat it a lot as a child. Fugo, we should make that!”

“Hey, Tonio, how much did this cost?” Koichi asked.

“I didn’t pay for it. I called the Speedwagon Foundation and asked if they could pay for it.”

“What? N-no way.”

“Enough!” Tonio said. “So, how are we doing this competition? Is everybody going to be cooking by themselves or in groups?”

“Groups of two,” Abbacchio answered. “I’m taking Bucciarati. One of you unlucky kids can fight over who wants to be with Giorno.”

“Well, Fugo,” Narancia said, unaware he was picking his nose, “it seems like we’ll be teaming up.”

“I—” Fugo looked at him, disgusted at what he was doing. “I think I’ll team up with Mista. He’ll need my help.”

He faced the gunslinger only to see him scratch his ass and sniff his hand.

“Did that guy say Speedwagon Foundation?” Mista mumbled. Then he turned around, facing Fugo. “Oh, hey! Are you teaming up with me?”

“Ah, I was going to team up with Giorno.”

He tapped the blond on the shoulder.

“Hello, Fugo,” Giorno said. “I thought Bucciarati would force Abbacchio to team up with me, but I guess that’s not going to happen. Also, I expected Mista to team up with me. He doesn’t seem too bright. Anyway, I was thinking about making a foreign dish. But first, I should wash my hands before I do anything.”

Giorno and Fugo were at the sink, washing their hands.

“Excellent! Good job, you two!” Tonio commented, confusing everyone.

“What are you talking about?” Bruno questioned.

“Those two are washing their hands.” He pointed. “The first thing you should do before cooking is to wash your hands.”

Abbacchio, Bruno, Narancia, and Mista washed their hands. After that, Bruno and Abbacchio took up the space on the left with the refrigerator and microwave, Narancia and Mista used the kitchen island with the sink behind them, and Fugo and Giorno had the counter on the right with the stove.

“Alright, everyone,” Tonio said, “now that you have all washed your hands, you may now cook. I have bought lots of ingredients for everyone to use. And as for the stove, there should be a portable electrical stove in the cabinets, so nobody has to fight for it.”

“Did you, now?” Abbacchio asked. “I’m thinking about cooking something different that isn’t Italian. I want to make curry. We’re going to use lots of spices.”

“We are?” Bruno said. “Wait, hold on—”

“Neither of us has cooked before,” Mista interrupted him. “And I think Narancia wanted macaroni and cheese. Yeah, we’ll make that! There’s no way we could mess that up!”

Narancia got on his tippy-toes and looked into the cabinets. “Found a box of Kraft mac and cheese!”

“Wait, what was that doing there?” Tonio asked him.

“Uh, I bought that,” Koichi said. “Hey, Giorno, what are you going to make?”

“Let me think,” he said. “Everyone’s dishes are from a different origin. How about ratatouille? Fugo, what do you think?”

“Whatever you want,” he responded.

“One more thing,” Tonio interrupted, grabbing everyone’s attention, “I have a cookbook. If you don’t know how to make something or decide to change your mind, you can look at this. I bought two books in case I lose the other one.”

He placed the thick cooking books on the counter.

“This is great!” Abbacchio commented. “I said I wanted to make curry, but I don’t know what type.”

“Agreed,” Fugo said. “I only know how to make spaghetti and other types of dishes with pasta in it.

The golden blond took one of the books and read the page with ratatouille with Giorno.

“So that’s how you make it,” the blond said. “Alright, I don’t need the book anymore. Do you need it?”

“No. I’ll put it away.”

“Alright, I’ll preheat the oven.”

“I’ll get the vegetables!”

Fugo placed the book back on the counter and grabbed the vegetables from the fridge, taking the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and other ingredients. Next, he returned to the counter and brought out a chopping board, cutting the vegetables into thin slices.

“Wow, you cut them like an expert,” Giorno commented.

“Oh, thanks,” Fugo said. “Bucciarati taught me how to cook. Speaking of which, I feel bad for him. Abbacchio can’t cook—same for Mista and Narancia—but we usually eat at the restaurant. How about you?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert.”

Once Fugo finished slicing the vegetables, he put them aside. “Let’s see if you can make the sauce. By the way, I got the vegetables and other things for the sauce. I’ll focus on the herb seasoning.”

Giorno searched the cabinets for an oven-safe pot. Once he found it, he poured the olive oil into the pan and placed it on the stove, heating it on medium-high. Next, Giorno diced the onions and peppers into tiny pieces. Afterward, he put the onion, garlic, and peppers into the pot, letting them saute.

The aroma of the vegetables filled Fugo’s nostrils, reminding him of home. His parents were rich enough to afford a chef.

“This is great!” Fugo complimented.

Giorno blushed. “Thanks, but we’ll have to wait ten minutes.” He examined the others. “What would happen if our dish is better than theirs? I don’t think Abbacchio will like me.”

“Forgot Abbacchio,” Fugo responded. “He’ll get over it. Besides, he’s got Bucciarati. He loves his cooking.”

“What about Narancia and Mista?”

“I think Mista likes you. Narancia doesn’t talk about you much. Maybe that might change. After this, do you want to help me tutor him? I’m sure he doesn’t want another fork jabbed into him.”

The blond giggled. “We’ll see. But what about you? What do you think of me?”

“You weren’t what I expected you to be. Since you’re 15, I expected you to be immature, but you’re not like Narancia or Mista. And you’re clever too. You got us guessing where the tea went. By the way, where did it go?”

“I turned my tooth into a jellyfish,” he whispered.

“Does your stand turn everything into animals?”

“Not just animals, plants. I could turn the marble floor into grass if I wanted to.” The timer on the stove went off. “If you’re confused, I’ll explain later.”

Continuing, Giorno sprinkled salt and pepper and mixed it up with a wooden spoon. Next, he poured the crushed tomatoes in and stirred. Giorno no longer needed the pot warm. He turned the stove top off, moved the incomplete dish from the heat, and added basil, mixing it in. Then, he used a spatula to smooth the sauce’s surface.

“Would you like to try and taste it?” Giorno asked, handing the spatula to Fugo.

“Sure.” He took the spatula, licking the sauce from it. Now he was hungry. “Wow, that’s good. I wish we could find a way to finish this faster. Oh, and I finished making the seasoning. Would you like a taste?”

“I would love to,” the blond answered.

The golden blond fed Giorno a spoon of the seasoning.

“I want more of it, but it needs to go on the vegetables.”

Fugo took the sliced vegetables and placed them on the sauce, starting from the top. He added a dash of salt and pepper and then the herb seasoning. Now the ratatouille needed to bake. Fugo covered it with foil and placed it in the oven.

“Great, now we need to wait,” Fugo said. “Let’s watch the others.”

“Alright. Say, don’t you think Narancia and Mista are taking a while to make their macaroni and cheese?” Giorno questioned.

“That is a good question.” Fugo paid attention to the two. They were chatting away. “I wonder what they’re—”

Narancia and Mista’s pot went up in flames, causing the sprinklers to go off.”

Everybody stared at them.

Bruno furrowed his brows and looked at Abbacchio. “This is why I didn’t want a competition!”

“Sorry,” the former cop replied.

“Narancia, Mista, are you okay?” the capo asked.

The two nodded.

Then Narancia looked at Fugo. “Could you please help us?”

He sighed. “Alright, but only if Giorno helps.”

“Yeah! I don’t mind,” the black-haired boy said. “But earlier before, we saw you spoon-feed Giorno. That looked gay.”

Mista snickered. “Yeah, I think I saw him blushing too.”

Fugo saw Giorno’s face turn red. “Hey, leave him alone, you two. So what?”

“Nothing,” Narancia answered. “If you like him, you like him. Are you into him?”

The golden blond blushed. “Y-yeah.”

Giorno got closer to Fugo. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “I like you too.”

“Knew it,” Mista commented. “Now help us make this mac and cheese.”

-

It took them 15 minutes to make the macaroni and cheese. Since theirs was simple and quick to make, Koichi and Tonio tasted it first.

“This is good,” Koichi commented.

“This is average,” Tonio said. “But since you two are beginners, this is alright. Or it would be since you burnt it the first time. How did you mess up macaroni and cheese?”

“It was Mista’s fault!” Narancia blamed.

“What, my fault? You were the one listening to music while I did the hard work!” Mista complained.

The two bickered until Abbacchio told them to shut up.

Then after a few minutes, Abbacchio and Bruno fished their dish and served it to the food testers.

“Too spicy!” Koichi complained.

“This is excellent! Well done!”

Now Fugo and Giorno had to present theirs. Once they waited for the ratatouille to bake, they served it to them.

“Wow! I never had this before. What is it?” Koichi asked.

“Ratatouille,” Tonio answered. “And this is magnificent! It’s impossible to believe two kids made this.”

“So, who won?” Abbacchio asked.

“Well…” Tonio looked at Narancia and Mista. They had a pitiful look on them. “I liked the curry and the ratatouille, but Koichi, what did you like?”

“I liked the macaroni and cheese and the ratatouille also. The curry was too spicy for my taste,” answered Koichi. “Does this mean everyone wins?”

“Yes, I guess that means everybody wins.”

Narancia and Mista cheered and hugged each other. Abbacchio had a small smile, and Bruno had a sigh of relief. Fugo and Giorno held each other’s hands while nobody was looking.

Then there was a knocking at the door, making everyone focus their attention. Tonio walked to the door and saw a long black-haired woman.

“It’s Yukako,” the chef whispered.

“Oh, that’s right!” Koichi looked at Giorno. “Um, don’t get mad at me, but I may have told my girlfriend you stole my luggage. She flew into a rage on the phone and was going to make you pay.”

“We can’t let her beat him up,” Fugo said. “What will we do?”

“I don’t know!”

“I say we let him get beat,” Abbacchio suggested.

“What is your problem?” Fugo questioned.

Before anyone could say anything, strands of hair got under the door and grabbed the doorknob, turning it. At the door stood an angry girl.

“Giorno! You’ll pay Koichi back everything you stole!” Yukako grabbed Giorno with her hair.

“Well, there goes Giorno,” Koichi commented. “I’m going to get out of here.”