Hey. Are you a grumpy book nerd with a son that's a precious overbearing worrywart?
[ She's savvy enough not to say his name out loud, which means Vergil gets this as a greeting from a tiny girl with bare, dirty feet and a storm cloud of an expression. Nero had made it seem like he wouldn't take her seriously, which means obviously she has something to prove.
But she has to make sure she has the right target first. The heartbeat is weird, and he's in the Aestus area of the castle accommodations, so it could be him. ]
[Vergil looks his short interloper over, from her dirty feet to that cantankerous expression that belongs more on the face of an old woman than a child this young. He had been on his way out of his lodging, off to make some vague effort of socialization when he was stopped in his path by her standing before him. He cannot say he recognizes anything about her features, but that comes as little surprise to Vergil. He has hardly met anyone in Etraya. (And he knows without question that she is from Etraya. No true Fae would speak to him that way.) Vergil heaves a sigh already regretting the decision to emerge into any public space even if it is just the hallways.]
[She must know Nero. He frowns deeper.]
[Grumpy book nerd?]
[He does not know what he finds more aggravating: that Nero clearly spoke to this child to put her in his vicinity or that Nero opted to describe his father in such an uncharitable manner. What wrong has Vergil committed upon Nero as of late to deserve such treatment in return? Is he feeling neglected and ignored? Is he attempting to instigate something?]
Why are you wasting my time with questions you do not care to hear my answer for? [Because Vergil holds his doubts that even if he were to lie and say that she has him confused for someone else, she would simply allow him to leave without any further delay. Really, he must figure out what it is about him that keeps attracting those of a smaller stature with incredibly persistent, irritating temperaments so this will cease happening.] What do you want, girl? Speak.
[ Toph points at him aggressively, facing something off to the side and not even trying to fake eye contact. ]
I heard you were this big scary badass who can wipe the floor with most people, and I'm getting bored.
[ As in, she's not looking to have a smackdown with any old random person: she wants Nero's dad, both because he's apparently super powerful and because she promised Nero she'd look out for him. If he has a son worrying about him, he can't be that bad of a guy, in Toph's opinion. Which means he's probably a good training adversary and not just an annoying jerk.
[Vergil's instinctive response is a scoff, but he says nothing further immediately. He looks this child up and down silently, scrutinizing her as best he can. Looks are, after all, deceiving, and that is doubly so with what he assumes to be a glamour. It's difficult to ascertain what she exactly she is, but she's managed to mildly pique Vergil's curiosity. Only mildly so though. There is still a great chance that her confidence in approaching him for a match is unearned arrogance.]
You have heard wrong then, [he says smoothly after that moment of assessing her.] The only person who stands a true chance against me is my brother. I find sparring with most others to be deeply unsatisfying.
[A beat.]
I do not imagine you shall be any different, girl. You are perhaps better off seeking out toys to play with to rid you of your boredom. But if you are so eager for a demonstration of my strength, I will oblige you. I shall, however, only say this once: the fact you are a child means nothing to me. I will put you down.
So, if you fear injury or your ego is too precious to accept the reality of your inevitable defeat then I suggest you walk away right now.
[ She can see what Nero was talking about in terms of him getting into trouble because he doesn't take anyone seriously, what with telling her to find toys if she's bored. On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of response she lives for. Assuring her that he doesn't care about her age makes her more eager than ever. She's not discounting the fact that she might be majorly outclassed, but she's not assuming it, either -- she's run into all kinds of other people with abilities beyond her comprehension, but at the same time, they tend to not be familiar with earthbending, either.
Toph grins fiercely out of nowhere and lightly rocks back on the balls of her feet, playful. Is this the shit-talking part of the fight? She makes a guess that standard shit-talk is not going to work on this guy, and adjusts appropriately. ]
If your ego can only handle it when you win, that just means you're too afraid to take on a real challenge, [ she throws back at him.
Mockingly, ] I'll say this only once: the fact that you're a good enough dad to have an adorable cringy kid doesn't mean I'll go easy on you.
[Vergil makes a small noise at the comment about his ego. One could almost even mistake it for almost a laugh as it's notably amused and not exactly derisively so either. His expectations are tempered—Vergil truly doesn't expect much or for the match to last particularly long—but she is proving herself to be quite interesting nonetheless.]
Outside then, girl. [He gestures to the hallway around them.] Close quarters like this would suit me just fine, but I can only imagine how displeased our hosts would become over any amount of property damage were I to put you through several walls.
[ It's a sly remark about his ego, but also an assurance about hers: Toph takes losing as a challenge to do better, and she never shies away from pushing her limits. She feels the most herself, the most honest and joyous, when she's confronting what everyone else only thinks she can do.
Vergil makes something approaching a humorous noise, and that's good enough for her. So far Toph hasn't heard anything to dissuade her. Insisting on taking it outside is responsible in a way she is, too, and appreciates in others. Property damage should be saved for when it's warranted; people live in buildings. So Toph sets off with alacrity, her stride confident and unhesitating. She navigates without a trace of difficulty. ]
Don't call me girl, [ she tells him pointedly, but without real offense. He doesn't know yet that he should respect her, but he'll find out, win or lose. Toph will make certain of it. ] My name's Toph Beifong, and you're about to join the ranks of people who remember it.
[ Fortunately, her 'true name' is something else. Toph couldn't imagine introducing herself with anything else. ]
[Vergil follows behind Toph albeit at less of a hurried pace, his footfalls behind her moving at what would perhaps be more accurately labeled as leisurely. Fortunately, his stride is long, so he isn't in any real danger of falling behind despite the markedly slower pace.]
If you manage to land a strike, I may bother to remember.
[His words are too matter-of-fact to have any bite to them. It is hardly anything personal to her at the very least.]
[Just to be funny, Nero wraps the gifts all together in a manner that's clearly meant to be mildly irritating more than it is practical. They take the form of a gigantic round lump of paper on Vergil's bed that at first glance could be a garbage bag.
It's not though!! Nero just wrapped one of the gifts, a weighted blanket, around the others. In its center is a couple of books-- another Romantic poet treasury (since he didn't take the other with him,) A Christmas Carol, and a brick of Shakespearean sonnets.
Tucked in the middle is a card that he's written on and signed, in unusually careful handwriting (with unusually careful spelling, too.)
These heavy blankets are supposed to be relaxing, so give it a try!
[Vergil's inbox is largely comprised of messages from Nero. Sometimes it is a sincere message that Vergil has taken the time to respond to, or it is a picture of something Nero found that he felt was neat and wanted to show his father. Most often though it is "memes" as Nero refers to them. Images meant to be found amusing to some degree or another. Vergil does not often understand the humor behind them, and even less often responds to those messages.]
[But the jMan93 stands out in stark contrast amid all the XxBlackKnightxX that occupies his inbox. Vergil frowns and almost thinks to delete it without reading it, assuming there to have been some mistake in messaging him. Just in case, however, Vergil chooses to read it.]
[His frown deepens.]
[Vergil has regrets.]
[So many regrets.]
[Vergil considers whether or not he should just ignore the message altogether. That would perhaps be the easiest choice to make. But upon further consideration, Vergil acknowledges there's a likelihood more messages will ensue. Ugh...]
[On Christmas morning, Vergil will find a couple of packages wrapped surprisingly neatly in red paper.
The smaller package contains a katana servicing kit. Not that Yamato needs such a thing, but Vergil's a stickler for tradition.
There is a slightly larger, flatter package, containing a framed ukiyo-ē print with three samurai battling a demon.
Beneath it, there is an envelope, containing this letter:
Vergil, I know I drive you up the wall and I've not always been the best brother to you. I've made a lot of mistakes and I don't expect you to forgive me for the things I've messed up between us in the past. I know I can't forgive myself. I'm not good at explaining myself. Probably worse than you, actually. You keep telling me I'm never serious so I guess my Christmas gift to you is the gift of sincerity. When Mother died and I lost you, I lost a part of me. I've spent my whole life trying to find it again and when I met Nero, it almost felt like having you back but it wasn't the same. I promised myself I'd do better by him than I'd done by you and I take that promise seriously, even if he's more than capable of kicking my ass. Seriously Verge, that kid's the greatest thing you've ever done and seeing you two together makes me so freaking happy and sad because we never got a Dad as good as the one you're turning out to be. So what I'm saying is I'm glad you're back because I missed the shit out of you. I'm proud of you because you're so damn brave and I can't believe how far you've come. Merry Christmas, brother.
The last, largest package, labelled TO VERGIL FROM SANTA, contains this.]
I am not certain. I do not care to see my child so miserable even if he insists that be otherwise. Longing like that, however, cannot be truly alleviated when the girl is so far beyond his reach.
I imagine some form of distraction would be welcomed, but he limits the options with his insistence I make no modifications to my plans. The day means nothing in particular to Mizu and remains unaware of any plans. It would be no matter to arrange this for another day, but Nero remains as stubborn as the day is long and will not hear of it.
Id ask what makes you say my plans are with her but the woman’s sneaky and never ceases to surprise me. So: will do, pretty sure shell send her own right back.
Im not going out til the evening. What if we put our heads together and come up with a plan to take his mind off this dumb holiday and kyrie and have some good ol quality family time instead? Tucker him out before we grown ups do our thing.
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action...
[ She's savvy enough not to say his name out loud, which means Vergil gets this as a greeting from a tiny girl with bare, dirty feet and a storm cloud of an expression. Nero had made it seem like he wouldn't take her seriously, which means obviously she has something to prove.
But she has to make sure she has the right target first. The heartbeat is weird, and he's in the Aestus area of the castle accommodations, so it could be him. ]
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[She must know Nero. He frowns deeper.]
[Grumpy book nerd?]
[He does not know what he finds more aggravating: that Nero clearly spoke to this child to put her in his vicinity or that Nero opted to describe his father in such an uncharitable manner. What wrong has Vergil committed upon Nero as of late to deserve such treatment in return? Is he feeling neglected and ignored? Is he attempting to instigate something?]
Why are you wasting my time with questions you do not care to hear my answer for? [Because Vergil holds his doubts that even if he were to lie and say that she has him confused for someone else, she would simply allow him to leave without any further delay. Really, he must figure out what it is about him that keeps attracting those of a smaller stature with incredibly persistent, irritating temperaments so this will cease happening.] What do you want, girl? Speak.
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[ Toph points at him aggressively, facing something off to the side and not even trying to fake eye contact. ]
I heard you were this big scary badass who can wipe the floor with most people, and I'm getting bored.
[ As in, she's not looking to have a smackdown with any old random person: she wants Nero's dad, both because he's apparently super powerful and because she promised Nero she'd look out for him. If he has a son worrying about him, he can't be that bad of a guy, in Toph's opinion. Which means he's probably a good training adversary and not just an annoying jerk.
Though that really does remain to be seen. ]
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You have heard wrong then, [he says smoothly after that moment of assessing her.] The only person who stands a true chance against me is my brother. I find sparring with most others to be deeply unsatisfying.
[A beat.]
I do not imagine you shall be any different, girl. You are perhaps better off seeking out toys to play with to rid you of your boredom. But if you are so eager for a demonstration of my strength, I will oblige you. I shall, however, only say this once: the fact you are a child means nothing to me. I will put you down.
So, if you fear injury or your ego is too precious to accept the reality of your inevitable defeat then I suggest you walk away right now.
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Toph grins fiercely out of nowhere and lightly rocks back on the balls of her feet, playful. Is this the shit-talking part of the fight? She makes a guess that standard shit-talk is not going to work on this guy, and adjusts appropriately. ]
If your ego can only handle it when you win, that just means you're too afraid to take on a real challenge, [ she throws back at him.
Mockingly, ] I'll say this only once: the fact that you're a good enough dad to have an adorable cringy kid doesn't mean I'll go easy on you.
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Outside then, girl. [He gestures to the hallway around them.] Close quarters like this would suit me just fine, but I can only imagine how displeased our hosts would become over any amount of property damage were I to put you through several walls.
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Vergil makes something approaching a humorous noise, and that's good enough for her. So far Toph hasn't heard anything to dissuade her. Insisting on taking it outside is responsible in a way she is, too, and appreciates in others. Property damage should be saved for when it's warranted; people live in buildings. So Toph sets off with alacrity, her stride confident and unhesitating. She navigates without a trace of difficulty. ]
Don't call me girl, [ she tells him pointedly, but without real offense. He doesn't know yet that he should respect her, but he'll find out, win or lose. Toph will make certain of it. ] My name's Toph Beifong, and you're about to join the ranks of people who remember it.
[ Fortunately, her 'true name' is something else. Toph couldn't imagine introducing herself with anything else. ]
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If you manage to land a strike, I may bother to remember.
[His words are too matter-of-fact to have any bite to them. It is hardly anything personal to her at the very least.]
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Christmas gift
It's not though!! Nero just wrapped one of the gifts, a weighted blanket, around the others. In its center is a couple of books-- another Romantic poet treasury (since he didn't take the other with him,) A Christmas Carol, and a brick of Shakespearean sonnets.
Tucked in the middle is a card that he's written on and signed, in unusually careful handwriting (with unusually careful spelling, too.)
These heavy blankets are supposed to be relaxing, so give it a try!
Thanks for being my dad
Love, Nero]
text; un: jMan93
yoooo, vergil my dude
guess who made back to etraya????
give ya a hint:
🧚♂️🥶🔥🍄🟫💪💪💪
(3 times jacked arms cuz you are a total badass!!!)
text | un: vergil
[But the jMan93 stands out in stark contrast amid all the XxBlackKnightxX that occupies his inbox. Vergil frowns and almost thinks to delete it without reading it, assuming there to have been some mistake in messaging him. Just in case, however, Vergil chooses to read it.]
[His frown deepens.]
[Vergil has regrets.]
[So many regrets.]
[Vergil considers whether or not he should just ignore the message altogether. That would perhaps be the easiest choice to make. But upon further consideration, Vergil acknowledges there's a likelihood more messages will ensue. Ugh...]
Junpei,
Was there something you wanted?
- Vergil
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i actually still got your cloak
thought maybe you might want it back?
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you seemed like a natural in it
like it was your whole vibe to be cloaked and mysterious
i'm surprised
but i guess more importantly
you seem like you know your way around this place
you happen to know where i can get my hands on a sword?
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He may be willing to help you if you are prepared to compensate him appropriately.
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i knew i could count on you, my guy
so what's your swordsmith usually charge?
money/favors/errands/info??
cuz i got a feeling currency isn't the most valuable thing in this place
not for etrayans anyway
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cw: passing mention of abuse/alcoholism
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cw: allusion to parental neglect
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Christmas morning
The smaller package contains a katana servicing kit. Not that Yamato needs such a thing, but Vergil's a stickler for tradition.
There is a slightly larger, flatter package, containing a framed ukiyo-ē print with three samurai battling a demon.
Beneath it, there is an envelope, containing this letter:
Vergil,
I know I drive you up the wall and I've not always been the best brother to you. I've made a lot of mistakes and I don't expect you to forgive me for the things I've messed up between us in the past. I know I can't forgive myself. I'm not good at explaining myself. Probably worse than you, actually.
You keep telling me I'm never serious so I guess my Christmas gift to you is the gift of sincerity.
When Mother died and I lost you, I lost a part of me. I've spent my whole life trying to find it again and when I met Nero, it almost felt like having you back but it wasn't the same. I promised myself I'd do better by him than I'd done by you and I take that promise seriously, even if he's more than capable of kicking my ass. Seriously Verge, that kid's the greatest thing you've ever done and seeing you two together makes me so freaking happy and sad because we never got a Dad as good as the one you're turning out to be.
So what I'm saying is I'm glad you're back because I missed the shit out of you. I'm proud of you because you're so damn brave and I can't believe how far you've come.
Merry Christmas, brother.
The last, largest package, labelled TO VERGIL FROM SANTA, contains this.]
sSs.H0T-D4MNT3.sSs
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So what do we do about nero?
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I am not certain. I do not care to see my child so miserable even if he insists that be otherwise. Longing like that, however, cannot be truly alleviated when the girl is so far beyond his reach.
I imagine some form of distraction would be welcomed, but he limits the options with his insistence I make no modifications to my plans. The day means nothing in particular to Mizu and remains unaware of any plans. It would be no matter to arrange this for another day, but Nero remains as stubborn as the day is long and will not hear of it.
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Im not going out til the evening. What if we put our heads together and come up with a plan to take his mind off this dumb holiday and kyrie and have some good ol quality family time instead? Tucker him out before we grown ups do our thing.
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valentine's day delivery
Instead of an actual card, there's only a small white note signed, Selina. )