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Giorno Giovanna doesn’t expect this burning sensation as he wakes up in the morning. He jumps out of bed and rushes to the darkest corner of his bedroom where he curls up in an attempt to protect himself. He reaches up blindly and forcefully slides the thick velvet curtain so that it will run along the curtain rod by itself to stop the beams of sunlight from streaming into the room.
In the absence of the sunlight, his skin cools down, with his erratic breathing slowing soon afterward. This sensation is strange to the mafia Don, who used to be amazed by the life around him. He walks to the round mirror above his dresser and checks his physical appearance for any changes.
At first, he thinks nothing has changed, but his ashen skin and slightly sharp fangs poking out from between his lips catch his attention. His sudden racing heartbeat concerns him, and he wonders if he should tell a doctor. Somehow, he isn't quite sure if the doctors would be able to diagnose his sharp fangs. A loud growl from his stomach startles the Italian.
“Morning boss,” Mista opens the door with a smile on his face. He looks around the room and notices his boss shaking in fear, “what’s wrong?”
“Mista, don’t approach me!” Giorno shouted as he backed away from the gunman.
Mista frowned. “Why?”
“Shut all the curtains,” the mafia boss commands.
“What happened, boss?”
“Just. Shut. The. Curtains, and I will tell you.”
Mista nods and rushes out of the room to use a walkie talkie on a wall. He presses a button and tells Giorno’s command to everyone inside the mansion. The curtains are all drawn in every single window in the mansion, lights being flicked on to illuminate the dark rooms. Then, Mista returns with a more hesitant expression to Giorno, who is hiding in the corner of the bedroom.
“Boss, tell me what’s wrong.” Mista approaches Giorno, but he receives a violent reaction. His boss growls and opens his mouth, revealing his new sharp fangs. Mista trips on the rug, eyes wide as he crawls backward.
“Boss, what happened to you?” Mista cries. It's at this point he notices Giorno’s nails, long and sharp, and his narrowed pupils. His irises have a taken on a hue that is a mixture of red and blue.
Mista can’t believe what he is seeing. He felt that if he made one wrong move, his boss would leap at him. This was such a drastic change from Giorno who was friendly with his employees. Usually, at this time of day, he would gather everyone for a meeting over breakfast in regards to their plans for that, but right now he was in no state for that.
What makes Mista feel perplexed right now are tears flowing from his boss’ eyes and sits in the corner.
“Don’t come any closer,” His voice is muffled since he covered his mouth with his hand, “I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”
“What do you mean?” Mista asks, “I don’t get it, Giorno.”
“Blood.” Giorno pulls his hand away from his mouth and licks his lips. “I’m thirsty for blood.”
Mista doesn’t know how to reply. What does he mean, blood? But, Giorno continues.
“The sun burns me, ironic for someone who gives life through my stand.”
Mista has no idea what to say next, as he can’t comprehend. He moves farther from his boss until he reaches the doorway. Behind him, he hears the sound of footsteps coming closer.
“What’s wrong?” An old French voice asked from the hallway.
Mista peers past the door. He sees Trish holding Coco Jumbo. Ghost Polnareff comes out to look around the dark bedroom. Once he sees Giorno, his nose wrinkles.
“Hoi, Mista. What’s the matter with Giorno?” Polnareff asks.
“I have no idea what’s happening, but he told me that he was thirsty for blood and is burnt by the sun,” Mista explains. He keeps crawling backward until he is in Trish’s proximity.
Polnareff rests his chin on hand. “Thirsty? Ah, reminds me of his father—”
“His father?” Trish interrupts, “do you know his father?”
“Yes, mademoiselle. DIO Was an influential vampire. His words would sway you to follow him. He planted a fleshbud here to control me until Jotaro removed it with his stand,” Polnareff points to his forehead. “Mr. Joestar told me he was alive for a hundred years. He was killed twelve years ago.”
Trish gasps and looks up to see Giorno. “That might explain why Giorno is suddenly acting like a vampire.”
“To be honest with you, I don’t get his genes,” Polnareff explains further, “It is possible he inherited this from his father." He looked over a Giorno with a soft look on his face. "but I think deep down, he’s still the same Giorno we all know.”
“Mr. Polnareff, are you sure about this?” Mista questions, “I don’t think he will come back to himself.”
“Don’t worry, kids. This process might take time, but I believe in him.” Polnareff gives them a grin, confusing the two humans.
Giorno stands up, using the wall behind him as leverage. He turns to face the people in front of him, whose mouths open in shock. “So, my father is a vampire?’
Trish and Mista narrow their eyes at Polnareff. The ghost chuckles. “And it appears you might be too." His face turns serious. "But that doesn’t mean I will abandon you, Don Giorno.”
“Thank you.” Giorno gives him a small strained smile, though it doesn't reach his eyes.
Mista, Trish, who was holding Coco Jumbo, and Giorno go to the dining room. Giorno sits down in the tall wooden chair at the end of the table while the others choose their seats close to him while still leaving a space between the vampire and his human friends.. This space is for the safety of others in case something happened.
The food set out for them on the table is different than usual. While Trish and Mista are eating pasta, Coco Jumbo munching on some melon, Giorno is picking at a plate of red meat. As he tries to adjust to a new lifestyle, he feels like human blood is what he needs. Trish lied about his health to sustain the boss without a need for gore action, but this strong urge of hunger remains.
As everyone is leaving the dining room with their empty plates, someone callsGiorno’s name.
“Hey, Giorno.” Fugo steps out of the bathroom and waves at him. “I noticed you've been acting strange today. You didn’t eat with the rest of us.”
Fugo reunited with the gang weeks ago, days after Diavolo’s defeat. After hearing about the deaths of the three members, including Narancia, filled him with regret. He feared his stand’s side effect that withdrew him to continue the mission. But he had managed to relax after the remaining members forgave him.
Giorno lies, “It’s for my health. I’m anemic—”
“What happened to your skin?” Fugo interrupted, “I never seen you this pale before.”
Giorno doesn’t reply. He ignores him and walks away, pretending he doesn’t hear anything.
“Oh Giorno, don’t hide anything from me. We’re friends. I want to help you out if you need anything.” Fugo purses his lips and follows him, “come on, Giorno.”
A few feet away, Mista had been watching the scene unfold. As Fugo gets worriedly close, he steps closer, and calls out to Fugo, “don’t get closer to him, Fugo. He might bite you—”
“I’m sorry for not talking, Fugo.” Giorno stops and looks back. “I am not feeling well.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Giorno.” Fugo nodded at his boss. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“Well, I have to go. See you later.” Giorno continues his walk back to his bedroom.
Fugo raises his eyebrows at his retreating back while Mista leans an elbow on the other’s shoulders. “Do you know what’s wrong with him, Mista?”
“Do you want me to whisper to your ear?” Mista asks permission.
Fugo nods.
Mista moves his face closer to the blonde and lowers his voice. “His father was a vampire. Giorno inherited that particular gene just this morning. He's having a hard time dealing with it.”
Fugo’s eyes widened. “Then, we have to do something. Although it’s hard to imagine our boss sucking blood at night, he is crucial for our operations.”
“I know,” Mista speaks in a low tone, “if he keeps distancing himself, we are doomed!”
“So, you know what to do?”
Mista shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
“How about Trish? And the turtle?”
“Let’s ask them.”
Fugo and Mista find Trish and Polnareff inside a meeting room. The meeting room is doors away from the entrance to private quarters, giving the mafia boss and his leading comrades' quick access. Once Fugo and Mista enter, Trish starts to ask. “What’s the matter?”
"Mista tells me Giorno is a vampire. I just saw him in the hall and he doesn't look too good." Fugo explains.
Ghost Polnareff comes out of Coco Jumbo. He bites his lips, and his eyes narrowed. “I thought he was dealing with this okay. He even thanked me for cheering him up.”
“I think he faked it,” Trish comments. She puts her chin on the knuckles of her right hand and sighs. “I don't know how we can cheer him up. Does he know that no one will judge him, we care for him no matter what he is—”
“How about we help Giorno fight his bloodlust? He told me this morning that he is hungry for blood,” Mista interrupts, “surely Gold Experience can help him?”
“Do you think Golden Experience can do that?” Fugo furrows his eyebrows and crosses his arms.
“It’s better to try instead of letting our boss hurt himself,” Mista argues.
Fugo sighs. “Fine…”
Polnareff places both hands on his hips. “So, what now? If you have plans in mind, go ahead. Our endgame here is making him lively like his human self,” Polnareff tells them.
Fugo and Mista are the first ones to enter the private quarters. Trish, with Coco Jumbo on her hand, walks behind the two men.
Mista knocks the bedroom door and opens it.
“Giorno, please don’t be scared of us. We swear to help you,” Fugo attempts to reassure him through the door.
"Go away!" A voice calls from the other side.
"You're our friend. We're going to help you!" Mista calls. There is silence. They send each other worried glances before the door swings open. Giorno looked tired.
"Really?" He asks in a small voice. They all nod.
"Come on, we came up with an idea." Trish said. Reluctantly, Giorno let them in.