[Eight months. It has been eight months since the tangle of thorny vines and the threat of looming death forced Diavolo into giving his name away for the first time. Eight months, and yet it hasn't gotten any easier. Steven's question is enough to make Diavolo tense up. His eyes stay fixed on the other, his expression cold and unreadable as he lowers his cup to the table with a clunk.
There's so much he wants to spit back in response. Diavolo's name is not his to know, how dare he, honestly — but he swallows all the words that threaten to spill out. After all, there's probably no harm meant. Plenty of people know him by name already — one more is no great risk to him. Really, after the debacle on the network days before — it's likely even those who don't know him know his name. Those who know may not be able to put a face to it, or any other details, but ... it's out there, forever. Years of secrecy, all eroded away.
This one piece of knowledge can't be used to hurt him — not anymore. So, eventually, he answers.]
Diavolo.
[He sees the hand offered to him and tries not to let his gut reaction show on his face. No, in fact, just to prove how truly earnest he is in his attempts to socialize today — slowly, hesitantly, he reaches out.]
normal behavior
There's so much he wants to spit back in response. Diavolo's name is not his to know, how dare he, honestly — but he swallows all the words that threaten to spill out. After all, there's probably no harm meant. Plenty of people know him by name already — one more is no great risk to him. Really, after the debacle on the network days before — it's likely even those who don't know him know his name. Those who know may not be able to put a face to it, or any other details, but ... it's out there, forever. Years of secrecy, all eroded away.
This one piece of knowledge can't be used to hurt him — not anymore. So, eventually, he answers.]
Diavolo.
[He sees the hand offered to him and tries not to let his gut reaction show on his face. No, in fact, just to prove how truly earnest he is in his attempts to socialize today — slowly, hesitantly, he reaches out.]