[He thinks better of asking Nero, but Vergil wonders privately if his healing factor has changed or improved at all since the full extent of his power has awakened. Vergil lacks the reference point to determine it certainly for himself beyond the observation that it is slower than either his or Dante's healing. Now is not the time to ask though. Not when Nero's pride is likely more damaged and battered than he is physically at present despite the visible improvement to his mood. So, instead of asking, he waits for Nero to begin the conversation again. Nothing comes though as staff bring them drinks. He raises a slight eyebrow at Nero also ordering tea and watches him with a mild bit of skepticism as he takes that first sip. Surprisingly, he pulls no faces or overt signs of disliking it, but Vergil will be surprised if it's touched any further let alone finish before the water.]
[Vergil sips at his own tea idly in their silence. He's not looking at Nero, instead watching the movement in the kitchen from their position, but he can feel his son's eyes on him. Glancing at him as he's fixing his hair, Vergil wonders if perhaps he's looking for him to make conversation. Surely not. He knows Vergil is terrible at it generally speaking, and is always far more comfortable with following another's lead. But the silence stretches on after Nero's quiet sigh.]
[Alright, let's see...]
[He idly drums a finger against his cup of tea as he mulls over the possibilities. Anything pertaining to their training session is off-limits as far as Vergil is concerned. Too tricky of a minefield with Nero only just coming down from the height of his emotion. He could mention how and why he knows this place, but that's irrelevant and if Nero cared, he would have asked already. He could ask what Nero ordered for himself, but that's not likely going to lead to much by way of conversation either. Perhaps his plans for the rest of the day? No... But maybe...?]
You've been here for a while now in Folkmore. Do you feel you're settling in?
[Vergil knows Nero has been trying to explore different parts of Folkmore every now and again. He imagines by now he has found places he enjoys and possibly made himself some acquaintances at the very least if not friends.]
[It has... but mostly when he's in Devil Trigger. Nero heals faster than an ordinary human, but nowhere near fast enough to compare with Dante and Vergil casually wearing a blade to the heart or getting battered beyond what a human could take. He's not going to start feeling any improvement for a few hours yet, unless he can slyly snap into DT and kickstart it. Which would imply that he's hurt, which he doesn't want to reveal, so he'll just be wincing and faking it for a while yet.
He's expecting to just weather the silence until he comes up with something good to talk about, but is pleasantly surprised when Vergil actually comes up with one first.]
Yeah. I guess so. I don't think it'll ever stop being weird, but...
[Another sigh as he picks up his tea. The heat feels nice even if he doesn't super enjoy the taste.]
I've been thinking about Kyrie lately. I mean, I always think about her, but...
You miss her more than usual right now, [Vergil supplies easily. It's not hard to think of why she would be on Nero's mind more than is typical for him (which was likely already a lot). Christmas has come and gone, and New Year's is on the horizon. It's all time he's supposed to be spending with her, not apart. Plus when considering this is likely the longest he's been away from her perhaps since he's known her... Well. It's really only inevitable for him to be feeling a bit miserable right now.] I'm sorry, Nero. I cannot imagine it's easy being far from her this time of the year knowing how strongly you feel for her.
[It does seem somewhat cruel for the Fox to have not also brought her here with Nero. Much as Vergil thought it cruel for her to have waited so long in bringing Dante here. The again, Kyrie may just simply possess more sense than any of them, and not followed after a fox spirit as they had.]
Yeah. [Vergil hits it on the head once again. Maybe he's more astute than he lets on. Or maybe Nero has just been that obviously pathetic and sadsack about missing his girlfriend.
He offers a weak little crack of a smile.] Not that I would trade getting to be with you and Dante for her, but... I've never been away from her this long in our whole lives. It's hard. I just hope she really isn't worried about me. Or doesn't even notice I'm gone, however that works.
[Kyrie possesses 1000% more sense than all three of them put together.]
[Vergil pauses when Nero says he can't wait for Vergil to meet Kyrie, cup close enough that he's about to take another sip of his tea. It's not that Vergil believed he would never be allowed the chance to meet her. To some extent, that was always going to be inevitable. But Vergil also doesn't doubt that in the ferocity of Nero's feelings for Kyrie, there is an equally fearsome protectiveness for her as well. So, it strikes him as remarkable to hear Nero say that, to not dread the moment Vergil and Kyrie come face to face with one another beyond whatever way in which children always have a bit of anxiety about their parents meeting their choice in partner, but to actually look forward to it. Without having taken a sip, Vergil sets his cup back down.]
I would like to meet her, [he says with a small nod, not bothering with elaborating on the reasons why when Nero knows them well enough all in his own. Instead, he adds with a glance away from Nero,] When she is ready to meet me.
[They haven't spoken about it since that conversation on the balcony of Vergil's old apartment. It's not something that Vergil particularly dwells upon either. Not all that often, anyways. But he remembers what Nero said about that day Vergil attacked him in the garage and made off with his arm. Kyrie had been there, and seen the aftermath.]
[His glance away is not out of self-pity though, or even necessarily out of shame. He would not fault her if it took some time for her to feel comfortable enough to meet him regardless of whatever reassurance Nero offered or how much she trusted his judgment. Vergil would not force the matter any more than he has been or would be interested in forcing a relationship between Nero and himself. But it is an uncomfortable thing no matter what in knowing that the first impression that young woman has of Vergil is what it is even if it is simply the consequences of his choices. So, it is merely a brief glance away. Nothing prolonged or terrible.]
...I suppose I would like the opportunity to apologize to her as well. Even if not a direct apology then at least to provide her with less reason to worry or be fearful of me.
[It's normally not the sort of thing that he would admit aloud to anyone, but he feels it's important enough to swallow his pride and acknowledge it to Nero even if no one else. Then Nero will know that even if Vergil had not responded to Nero's words well that day, in the moment when they were said, he heard the entirety of what he said and not just the part meant to settle Vergil well enough to hear the primary point of wanting to trust him. Even if he does not dwell upon it much, Vergil's had more time to think on the repercussions of his actions beyond the immediate and the obvious. And he knows he wronged Kyrie and Nico as well in what he did that day, just in a far less direct manner.]
[When Vergil says he wants to apologize to Kyrie, Nero's face lights up like it hasn't since well before the spar that day. It's one thing to acknowledge that Kyrie might not be ready to meet him straight out the gate. But it's quite another to say, of his own volition, that he wants to apologize to her.
After all, the direct harm was done to Nero, but he passed out so fast he barely had time to be register what happened, much less be frightened. Kyrie (and Nico, too) had to find him facedown in a pool of his own blood, tourniquet his arm, get him to the hospital, and spend over a week terrified he was going to die. That Vergil considers that, that he's thought about it more than not at all, that he wants her to feel safe around him before all else...
That right there? That's fucking progress, baby. And he couldn't be more proud of Vergil for making that jump on his own volition. He's genuinely smiling as he speaks.]
I won't lie, she's gonna want to give you an earful. But I'll talk to her first. Once she's spoken her mind she'll be as warm as ever. And oh my god, her cooking is so good...
[He's getting that gooey soft look in his eyes again. But it's not all directed at Kyrie this time. He looks genuinely put at ease by this conversational revelation, like the last of the foul mood he was in has been banished.
(It is slightly fucked up, he thinks, that he's going to have to talk his girlfriend down from being pissed at the father who ripped his fucking arm off. But in a "this sure is my family" kind of fucked up way that he's starting to get more used to.)]
She'll be happy our family has grown above everything else.
[It's strange to think that Vergil would ever possess a positive feeling towards being lectured, but oddly enough, he does. If she could feel comfortable enough to speak her mind to him like that, it would hopefully be a good sign of things to come even if Nero's prediction that she would be warmer afterward didn't come to immediate fruition. He smiles a little at the prospect without realizing he is as he sets his cup back down on the table.]
[At Nero's comment about the growth of their family, Vergil's smile does not fade, not exactly, but his gaze is momentarily a little more wistful. For so much of Vergil's life, he's really only ever known loss. First it was father, and then soon after his mother and brother. The only home he'd ever known. Beatrice was there for a time, but he was the one who denied himself that future out of his own fear and insecurities of being able to protect it. And in doing that, he unknowingly both lost her forever as well as his son. It was much the same with Dante in that he could not take his brother's hand, could not reconcile what he knew to be true with what Dante proposed. He lost the Yamato. He lost his memories, his very life. It is a wonder, frankly, that Vergil found any reason to carry on, to claw his way back to the human world and reclaim his blade after that much loss.]
[But somehow by the end of it, he found himself again. More than just the broken things that survived and carried on the day his mother died, but the whole of himself. He found his brother again. He found his son. And for all the aspects of this place that Vergil finds to be tedious and irritating, that sense of loss he might have felt at having to leave behind his son again because he knew he could not have him or that future unless he cleaned up the mess he created... He's managed to ultimately avoid that here. He's had time to get to know Nero, and realize there is a place for him in Nero's life after all. He's grown closer with his brother, too. The pair of them trying so hard to find another way beyond fighting to connect and understand one another, and these days only getting into petty squabbles with one another as siblings are wont to do. And he's found... Well, there's really little denying it anymore, is there? Even if it still feels impossible to say so directly, he's found love.]
[His smile fades then, although it's not the most serious of expressions that takes up residence when it does. It's more a calm neutrality that arises, the look that no doubt Nero has come to learn signals Vergil has something to say that is important, but is not something that should raise alarm or concern.]
On that note, there is something that I have been meaning to tell you for a while now. There just has not been...a good time to tell you until now.
[It certainly would not have been the time to say anything when Nero first arrived and there was so much they needed to sort through first. It also would not have done well for Vergil to make mention of it too soon after their conversation. Much of that needed to settle and simmer, and a routine of sorts needed to be found.]
[But Vergil has also been uncertain whether or not it was appropriate to tell Nero. He hasn't been concerned Nero would somehow be upset that Vergil was not pining after Beatrice. He loved her. Some part of him still loves her and always will. She was his first love, after all, and the mother to his child. There is nothing that could possibly remove her from his heart like that. But even if she were alive and within reach, Vergil would not presume to rekindle something with her. No doubt she would be a different person than she was back then and likely moved on a long time ago. He imagines the most they might be is friends if she could find it within her to forgive him for abandoning her in the first place. He also does not even particularly worry himself necessarily over Nero's opinion of Mizu. While he wouldn't necessarily categorize Mizu as one of Nero's favorite people, there does not appear to be contempt or disdain there. He's not opposed to her, at the very least. And beyond that, Vergil trusts that Mizu is no more interested in parenting Nero than Nero is interested in being parented by her.]
Mizu and I...
[No, the hold up on Vergil's part has been more on the words for what they are. He's avoided any such label for so long now. Even when they were just friends to one another, he always couched it in being sparring partners. As though their interest in one another or the camaraderie they were building was rooted solely in their ability and interest in fighting one another, and had not naturally blossomed into other things. It seemed better to him not to presume anything in calling Mizu a friend lest the feeling was not reciprocated and Vergil truly was a means to an end. Since their relationship evolved and their intimacy deepened...]
[Well, this is not something that will last beyond this world. At some point, Vergil will leave with his family, and Mizu will return to her world to seek her revenge. Words have power and weight, more than most give them credit for. Vergil does not believe he could withstand the weight of calling Mizu or what they have something only for it to be taken from him regardless of who bears responsibility for that loss.]
We are more than just friends to one another. We have been for a few months now.
[He's still thinking of Kyrie, but in a happier way than earlier. Imagining what it'll be like to have dinners with his whole family. How much Vergil is going to adore her when he gets to know her. He wonders if he'll comment on the similarities between Kyrie and Beatrice-- his Christmas gift from Vergil has been thoroughly studied as much as it has been treasured, and their resemblance didn't escape his notice. The "Type" must run in the family.
But speaking of that, Vergil changes the subject, and though Nero at first looks quite concerned by the graveness with which he says he needs to tell him something (force of habit, okay), it turns out to be... well. It's pretty surprising, actually.]
Like, you're dating?
[For a moment, Nero looks deeply, deeply puzzled by this information. Vergil? Is dating someone? He doesn't seem the type. Shit, he doesn't seem the type so much Nero remains kind of surprised he even exists. That's such a weird swerve that the fact Vergil is dating a guy kind of takes a huge second place, though that's surprising as well.
And then, perhaps frustratingly for how much difficulty Vergil had preparing for the topic, Nero shrugs.]
Cool. Good for you, I guess.
[He's restricted from saying more as a staff member arrives with his order-- an absolutely massive bowl of curry pork ramen, and gyoza on the side. He thanks the server and waits until they depart to crack out the chopsticks, or make any further comment.]
Did he swordfight you until you asked him out? Heh.
[Well, that's... It's not a terrible response by any stretch of the imagination, but Vergil didn't think it would be quite that subdued and nonchalant. Especially given the expression on Nero's face there for a moment as he processed the information. He anticipated there might be questions—some of which, Vergil knew he was in no way prepared to answer—or even a little bit of balking once the information truly settled. Instead, that was it. Really?]
[...Well, alright then. If that's it then there's no need for Vergil to try and illicit more. Especially not when it comes to the questions he doesn't even know where it begin in answering.]
[Vergil glances at the staff as they set the food down in front of Nero, and he's vaguely surprised it's only the one bowl of ramen regardless of the portion sizes here.]
Suuuure you didn't. [He doesn't believe that WHATSOEVER given he's pretty sure Mizu's one and only hobby is swordfighting. To the death. Though given the fact he's apparently dating Vergil, that could take on a whole other meaning now.
Oh, god, ugh. Fucking gross. (Ah, so this is what it's like to be disgusted at the thought of your parent being a sexual person...)]
Do I need to give him The Talk for you? I will, you just say the word. [He's mostly teasing, but he's also really not.]
I assure you that you do not need to take up the mantle on his behalf. I hear plenty of it now, alongside him gesturing with his hands like he is firing his guns.
[He rolls his eyes before taking another sip of his tea. Vergil is only mildly relieved that Mizu and Dante do not appear to speak to one another all that much. At least, not that he's heard. Dante would likely grow comfortable enough with her over time to make similar remarks. It's bad enough Vergil must listen to them, but he's Dante's twin. Mizu does not deserve being subjected to that sort of...humor.]
[Nero laughs and shoots Vergil a wink and a fingergun over his bowl. Then he's given at least a brief respite for a moment as Nero takes a few bites, simply too hungry to continue trolling his father right now.
When he's done chewing and swallowing he'll offer just one more comment on the matter.]
Well, congrats, I guess. It's really none of my business, for the most part. As long as you're happy, good for you.
[Vergil fixes Nero with a look that's typically reserved for Dante. The sort of look that silently communicates that if he were not a blood relative... He just sips his tea while Nero eats his ramen, which he was about to direct Nero to do instead of continuing with his commentary had Nero not taken the initiative himself.]
[He nods a little to Nero's words after he's had a few bites, but says nothing in response. Vergil finds the offer of congratulations a bit odd, but there's nothing he finds objectionable about Nero recognizing that Vergil's relationship with Mizu is largely none of his business. And as for the matter of happiness...?]
[When Dante asked Vergil if he was happy with Mizu, he didn't know exactly how to answer. Not to say that he was unhappy in any way, but it had only been a couple of weeks at that point. It was difficult to tell with how fresh and new everything had been if it was the novelty or if he truly had found happiness with Mizu. Never mind that... Well. Happiness is a fleeting thing in the majority of Vergil's experiences, often slipping from his fingertips before he can even realize it's right there in front of him. Assuming that he even allowed for it in the first place.]
[But Vergil finds himself astonishingly happy here in Folkmore. Not just with Mizu. With Dante and Nero. With his life here. There's a part of him that keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to happen where some part of this dream is stripped away from him, but it's grown a little quieter as of late.]
[Vergil doesn't push for further conversation to allow Nero to eat.]
Nero is content to eat for a bit, filling in the void that is his growling stomach with a massive quantity of curry broth, marinated pork, noodles, and all the toppings. He takes a break for gyoza, offering Vergil some if he'd like to nibble. Amazing how a bit of food can turn his mood around so quickly.
Not that he's completely forgotten about the fiasco earlier. He's still pretty embarrassed at his meltdown, and wondering if he ought to apologize for it. Though he'd admittedly also just like to drop it forever and pretend it didn't happen. Shuffling in his seat, one of the severe bruises across his back announces itself with a twinge, and Nero visibly winces at the motion, squirming a little until he can get comfortable again.
Okay. Maybe he can't really pretend it didn't happen just yet...]
I... didn't get a chance to, but. I'm getting better at holding my Devil Trigger.
[With his tea nearly finished, Vergil accepts the offered gyoza, helping himself to one. He was not exaggerating when he said he did not have a particularly strong appetite, and does not find himself needing or wanting more beyond that. He sets aside his emptied cup once the last of his tea is gone, and moves the water in front of him instead. Although Vergil says nothing to the wince of pain, it's obvious that it pulls his attention quickly. He looks up from the table as Vergil catches Nero's movement in his peripheral vision, a furrow in his brow. But Nero is fine relatively speaking. Vergil did nothing to him that a day or two would not likely fix. Vergil sits back a little in his seat again, having not realized he'd leaned forward out of instinct.]
Good. [They'd already spoken of the importance of increasing his endurance, and it was already on Nero's mind when they had. So, of course, Vergil approves of that and is glad to hear Nero is following through on what he's expressed wanting to do. He pauses a moment before asking,] Are you pushing yourself until you cannot hold it any longer, or are you leaving it when you are feeling the beginnings of fatigue?
[It's more a point of curiosity than anything. There is, unfortunately, no real manual given to anyone of their mixed heritage that explains the best methodology in accessing Devil Trigger and maximizing its power.]
[This is him attempting to focus on what went right during the spar. Which in his opinion is very little, but he's also aware he's inclined to think more about all the things that failed instead of what was actually accomplished.
He makes a bit of a face at the question, mostly because he has to answer:] The first one. [Not a big surprise, given how Vergil just watched him nearly burn himself out physically, too.]
At home in my room, mostly. Not sure why it has to make me look butt-ass naked...
[Vergil speculates that Nero's form is likely influenced by the amount of human blood within him relative to Vergil or Dante. Hence the..."butt-ass naked" (as Nero put it) in that form. But given his earlier behavior even with his significantly improved mood, Vergil doesn't think it wise to point that out even if he does not mean it in a negative sense. But it does bring up a question that Vergil tries and fails to think of how to ask in as delicate manner as he possibly can beyond simply just asking it. So, it is with a slight bit of hesitation that he simply asks:]
[Hell of a question. Nero makes a crooked little smirk around his mouthful of noodles and darts his eyes aside, as though he'll find a good answer elsewhere in the room.]
I dunno. [He says, finally.] Demons don't really give a shit what I look like, so it doesn't bother me in action but...
[Another crookedly awkward purse of his lips, inverse of the first.] Not like I can change it if it's meant to be my true self.
[Which is all to say, yes. He's not super confident in that skin yet.]
[Although it's true that there's nothing to be self-conscious about, Vergil cannot very well say that to Nero. Well, he can. But he's not exactly going to be believed.]
You will grow accustomed to it with time. [And if not with time, well. Vergil's certain it will not lack in...appeal for others. At least that's been Vergil's experience. But that's something for Nero to discover on his own, and not to be discussed between father and son.] For what it is worth, however, I believe it suits you. It reflects your demonic heritage. You bear traits similar to me and your grandfather. But it still reflects your humanity.
[Which, yes, is because of his human blood, but Vergil chooses the word humanity to describe it instead for a reason.]
It is both your power and your strength made manifest. I see it as something to take pride in.
[He realizes a moment too late that that might sound like he's dismissing what Vergil said, or jabbing his own devil's appearance. Which he is, but... it's a little funny, isn't it? Demons aren't going to think it's funny when he's crushing their skulls in his palms or snapping them in half like an overextended measuring tape, which is what really matters. Nero's just going to have to get used to looking buff and nude.
It's something else he says that brings him back around though.]
[Vergil wrinkles his nose slightly at the "clappin' cheeks" remark, but he takes no particular offense to it. At this point, Vergil is a little more accustomed to Nero's tendency for flippant remarks and recognizes them not to serve the same purpose as Dante's which are so often meant to be dismissive and minimizing. It is just simply how Nero talks. Vergil doesn't always care for it... But he would also hazard a guess Nero does not always care for Vergil's vocabulary either, so to that end they are even.]
Of course, [he says so matter-of-fact, one should think it the obvious comparison. Not that Vergil thinks it entirely unreasonable for not seeing the similarities with Sparda given that the Order possessed some...unique interpretations for his visage. It's only been recently that Nero has been afforded the opportunity to see Sparda as he actually was in human form the family portrait at the very least.] Do you disagree?
[Kind of worth it for the nose wrinkle, to be honest. Nero is new to being a son and also new to the classic, universal joy that is vexing one's uptight father. And honestly? Big fan.]
Well, yeah. I mean, like this... [He gestures between them, indicating their faces. Yeah, it's not escaped his attention that he's a dead ringer for his father, to the point they might have guessed they were related even if they didn't know it for a fact. So many times, Nero sees his own face looking back at him-- like with that nose wrinkle, for instance.]
Can't say I got much of a look at your devil, [when he was spiking you into the ground like a football] but... other than being blue, I don't know.
[And then, he lets slip a very telling remark, perhaps still thinking of the earlier spar.] I feel so far apart sometimes.
[Vergil cannot simply tell Nero not to feel the way that he does both because if it were that simple, Nero would have done that already, and because Vergil would have as well. Nothing could really be quite so hypocritical as to tell his own son not to feel something that he himself has felt acutely for the majority of his life. Most frustrating than the lack of a straightforward affirmation though is Vergil also lacks the ability to advise Nero forward. There is no real solution that came to him or that he worked toward that soothed those feelings of inadequacy within him that they now bear less control over him and his decisions as they once did. It is something a number of things likely contributed towards, if he's honest.]
I... [he starts, faltering a little. Vergil remains uncertain where to start or how much to share, and deeply uncomfortable with the level of vulnerability that it feels it takes to say anything at all. But Vergil also does not wish to meet Nero's confession with silence. That would be far too cruel of a choice to make so willingly.] I know it may be difficult to believe from what you know or have been told, but I am...familiar. With that feeling.
[Vergil doesn't know what has been discussed between Nero and Dante precisely, but an explicit conversation isn't even likely needed. He's seen enough of both twins at this point to tell the differences in how they fight, relaying even just a little of the differences in how they've each grown into their power. But even setting that aside, Vergil sits confident in his own strength and power, outclassing most that Nero will ever come to face. The idea of anyone who so readily accepted his powers, who sees the devil within him to be just as much himself than a separate entity, bearing that sort of insecurity that Nero acknowledged seems incongruent.]
Father was... He was not some savior of humanity to me. [Not in the sense of how the Order attempted to raise Nero to think of him as being, and not in the manner of it being his greatest accomplishment, nor a legacy that Vergil aspired to uphold someday. It was never about that.] He was our father. Our protector. So long as he was there, we knew we would be safe because he was stronger than anything that might try to threaten us. To tell you the truth, I believed that so strongly, I was likely the last among the three of us left behind to accept that Father was not returning after he left. He was everything that I wanted to grow to be, and it seemed unfathomable to me that he could ever...
[Vergil waves a slight hand. He accepted it a long time ago that his father was likely dead in the best case scenario. In the worst, however... He did not like to entertain that scenario.]
I think because of that, Dante always believed I wanted to be as strong and powerful as Father, but the truth is, after Mother died, I wanted to surpass him.
[It's there that Vergil feels the limits of what he's willing to part with both in this less private setting, and in general. There's much of his life that Nero does not know, does not need to know. But it is perhaps enough for him to understand that Vergil's desire for power began somewhere, and not somewhere out of malice for others.]
That feeling you have can be all-consuming and blinding, but it is important you guard yourself against it.
Each time I knocked you to the ground, you rose to your feet again. But rather than doing so out of the strength you possess, you did it out of anger and spite towards yourself. You focused on your mistakes not for the sake of learning from them, but to punish yourself because that feeling inside you told you that you were being inadequate. A disappointment.
And in doing so, you did not just lose sight of the fact you landed a dozen blows today against an opponent with greater mastery over his power and abilities, and has been fighting demons far longer than you have been alive. You were driven to self-destruct because that would have been more tolerable to you than that feeling continuing its endless refrain.
[Vergil glances away from Nero then, pausing a moment and folding his arms loosely across his chest. He does not want Nero to be like him. He wants Nero to surpass him. Not in strength or fighting prowess, but in the ways that truly matter.]
I told you that you were born with all the strength and power you will ever need to possess. It is only a matter of learning to wield them, which will come with time and practice.
You must find ways to remember that even when you've made mistakes or failed to meet the expectations you set for yourself.
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[Vergil sips at his own tea idly in their silence. He's not looking at Nero, instead watching the movement in the kitchen from their position, but he can feel his son's eyes on him. Glancing at him as he's fixing his hair, Vergil wonders if perhaps he's looking for him to make conversation. Surely not. He knows Vergil is terrible at it generally speaking, and is always far more comfortable with following another's lead. But the silence stretches on after Nero's quiet sigh.]
[Alright, let's see...]
[He idly drums a finger against his cup of tea as he mulls over the possibilities. Anything pertaining to their training session is off-limits as far as Vergil is concerned. Too tricky of a minefield with Nero only just coming down from the height of his emotion. He could mention how and why he knows this place, but that's irrelevant and if Nero cared, he would have asked already. He could ask what Nero ordered for himself, but that's not likely going to lead to much by way of conversation either. Perhaps his plans for the rest of the day? No... But maybe...?]
You've been here for a while now in Folkmore. Do you feel you're settling in?
[Vergil knows Nero has been trying to explore different parts of Folkmore every now and again. He imagines by now he has found places he enjoys and possibly made himself some acquaintances at the very least if not friends.]
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He's expecting to just weather the silence until he comes up with something good to talk about, but is pleasantly surprised when Vergil actually comes up with one first.]
Yeah. I guess so. I don't think it'll ever stop being weird, but...
[Another sigh as he picks up his tea. The heat feels nice even if he doesn't super enjoy the taste.]
I've been thinking about Kyrie lately. I mean, I always think about her, but...
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[It does seem somewhat cruel for the Fox to have not also brought her here with Nero. Much as Vergil thought it cruel for her to have waited so long in bringing Dante here. The again, Kyrie may just simply possess more sense than any of them, and not followed after a fox spirit as they had.]
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He offers a weak little crack of a smile.] Not that I would trade getting to be with you and Dante for her, but... I've never been away from her this long in our whole lives. It's hard. I just hope she really isn't worried about me. Or doesn't even notice I'm gone, however that works.
[Kyrie possesses 1000% more sense than all three of them put together.]
I can't wait for you to meet her.
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I would like to meet her, [he says with a small nod, not bothering with elaborating on the reasons why when Nero knows them well enough all in his own. Instead, he adds with a glance away from Nero,] When she is ready to meet me.
[They haven't spoken about it since that conversation on the balcony of Vergil's old apartment. It's not something that Vergil particularly dwells upon either. Not all that often, anyways. But he remembers what Nero said about that day Vergil attacked him in the garage and made off with his arm. Kyrie had been there, and seen the aftermath.]
[His glance away is not out of self-pity though, or even necessarily out of shame. He would not fault her if it took some time for her to feel comfortable enough to meet him regardless of whatever reassurance Nero offered or how much she trusted his judgment. Vergil would not force the matter any more than he has been or would be interested in forcing a relationship between Nero and himself. But it is an uncomfortable thing no matter what in knowing that the first impression that young woman has of Vergil is what it is even if it is simply the consequences of his choices. So, it is merely a brief glance away. Nothing prolonged or terrible.]
...I suppose I would like the opportunity to apologize to her as well. Even if not a direct apology then at least to provide her with less reason to worry or be fearful of me.
[It's normally not the sort of thing that he would admit aloud to anyone, but he feels it's important enough to swallow his pride and acknowledge it to Nero even if no one else. Then Nero will know that even if Vergil had not responded to Nero's words well that day, in the moment when they were said, he heard the entirety of what he said and not just the part meant to settle Vergil well enough to hear the primary point of wanting to trust him. Even if he does not dwell upon it much, Vergil's had more time to think on the repercussions of his actions beyond the immediate and the obvious. And he knows he wronged Kyrie and Nico as well in what he did that day, just in a far less direct manner.]
[He takes another sip of his tea.]
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After all, the direct harm was done to Nero, but he passed out so fast he barely had time to be register what happened, much less be frightened. Kyrie (and Nico, too) had to find him facedown in a pool of his own blood, tourniquet his arm, get him to the hospital, and spend over a week terrified he was going to die. That Vergil considers that, that he's thought about it more than not at all, that he wants her to feel safe around him before all else...
That right there? That's fucking progress, baby. And he couldn't be more proud of Vergil for making that jump on his own volition. He's genuinely smiling as he speaks.]
I won't lie, she's gonna want to give you an earful. But I'll talk to her first. Once she's spoken her mind she'll be as warm as ever. And oh my god, her cooking is so good...
[He's getting that gooey soft look in his eyes again. But it's not all directed at Kyrie this time. He looks genuinely put at ease by this conversational revelation, like the last of the foul mood he was in has been banished.
(It is slightly fucked up, he thinks, that he's going to have to talk his girlfriend down from being pissed at the father who ripped his fucking arm off. But in a "this sure is my family" kind of fucked up way that he's starting to get more used to.)]
She'll be happy our family has grown above everything else.
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[At Nero's comment about the growth of their family, Vergil's smile does not fade, not exactly, but his gaze is momentarily a little more wistful. For so much of Vergil's life, he's really only ever known loss. First it was father, and then soon after his mother and brother. The only home he'd ever known. Beatrice was there for a time, but he was the one who denied himself that future out of his own fear and insecurities of being able to protect it. And in doing that, he unknowingly both lost her forever as well as his son. It was much the same with Dante in that he could not take his brother's hand, could not reconcile what he knew to be true with what Dante proposed. He lost the Yamato. He lost his memories, his very life. It is a wonder, frankly, that Vergil found any reason to carry on, to claw his way back to the human world and reclaim his blade after that much loss.]
[But somehow by the end of it, he found himself again. More than just the broken things that survived and carried on the day his mother died, but the whole of himself. He found his brother again. He found his son. And for all the aspects of this place that Vergil finds to be tedious and irritating, that sense of loss he might have felt at having to leave behind his son again because he knew he could not have him or that future unless he cleaned up the mess he created... He's managed to ultimately avoid that here. He's had time to get to know Nero, and realize there is a place for him in Nero's life after all. He's grown closer with his brother, too. The pair of them trying so hard to find another way beyond fighting to connect and understand one another, and these days only getting into petty squabbles with one another as siblings are wont to do. And he's found... Well, there's really little denying it anymore, is there? Even if it still feels impossible to say so directly, he's found love.]
[His smile fades then, although it's not the most serious of expressions that takes up residence when it does. It's more a calm neutrality that arises, the look that no doubt Nero has come to learn signals Vergil has something to say that is important, but is not something that should raise alarm or concern.]
On that note, there is something that I have been meaning to tell you for a while now. There just has not been...a good time to tell you until now.
[It certainly would not have been the time to say anything when Nero first arrived and there was so much they needed to sort through first. It also would not have done well for Vergil to make mention of it too soon after their conversation. Much of that needed to settle and simmer, and a routine of sorts needed to be found.]
[But Vergil has also been uncertain whether or not it was appropriate to tell Nero. He hasn't been concerned Nero would somehow be upset that Vergil was not pining after Beatrice. He loved her. Some part of him still loves her and always will. She was his first love, after all, and the mother to his child. There is nothing that could possibly remove her from his heart like that. But even if she were alive and within reach, Vergil would not presume to rekindle something with her. No doubt she would be a different person than she was back then and likely moved on a long time ago. He imagines the most they might be is friends if she could find it within her to forgive him for abandoning her in the first place. He also does not even particularly worry himself necessarily over Nero's opinion of Mizu. While he wouldn't necessarily categorize Mizu as one of Nero's favorite people, there does not appear to be contempt or disdain there. He's not opposed to her, at the very least. And beyond that, Vergil trusts that Mizu is no more interested in parenting Nero than Nero is interested in being parented by her.]
Mizu and I...
[No, the hold up on Vergil's part has been more on the words for what they are. He's avoided any such label for so long now. Even when they were just friends to one another, he always couched it in being sparring partners. As though their interest in one another or the camaraderie they were building was rooted solely in their ability and interest in fighting one another, and had not naturally blossomed into other things. It seemed better to him not to presume anything in calling Mizu a friend lest the feeling was not reciprocated and Vergil truly was a means to an end. Since their relationship evolved and their intimacy deepened...]
[Well, this is not something that will last beyond this world. At some point, Vergil will leave with his family, and Mizu will return to her world to seek her revenge. Words have power and weight, more than most give them credit for. Vergil does not believe he could withstand the weight of calling Mizu or what they have something only for it to be taken from him regardless of who bears responsibility for that loss.]
We are more than just friends to one another. We have been for a few months now.
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But speaking of that, Vergil changes the subject, and though Nero at first looks quite concerned by the graveness with which he says he needs to tell him something (force of habit, okay), it turns out to be... well. It's pretty surprising, actually.]
Like, you're dating?
[For a moment, Nero looks deeply, deeply puzzled by this information. Vergil? Is dating someone? He doesn't seem the type. Shit, he doesn't seem the type so much Nero remains kind of surprised he even exists. That's such a weird swerve that the fact Vergil is dating a guy kind of takes a huge second place, though that's surprising as well.
And then, perhaps frustratingly for how much difficulty Vergil had preparing for the topic, Nero shrugs.]
Cool. Good for you, I guess.
[He's restricted from saying more as a staff member arrives with his order-- an absolutely massive bowl of curry pork ramen, and gyoza on the side. He thanks the server and waits until they depart to crack out the chopsticks, or make any further comment.]
Did he swordfight you until you asked him out? Heh.
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[...Well, alright then. If that's it then there's no need for Vergil to try and illicit more. Especially not when it comes to the questions he doesn't even know where it begin in answering.]
[Vergil glances at the staff as they set the food down in front of Nero, and he's vaguely surprised it's only the one bowl of ramen regardless of the portion sizes here.]
[His nose wrinkles at Nero's question.]
No...
[...Maybe a little.]
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Oh, god, ugh. Fucking gross. (Ah, so this is what it's like to be disgusted at the thought of your parent being a sexual person...)]
Do I need to give him The Talk for you? I will, you just say the word. [He's mostly teasing, but he's also really not.]
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And suddenly I find myself burdened with deep regret over having told you...
[He does not mean that.]
Your uncle gave me less trouble than this when I told him.
[He does mean that though. This sort of commentary came later, not immediately.]
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[At least he's learned to recognize Vergil's extremely dry deadpan sarcasm.
He stirs up his ramen and takes a bit in his chopsticks.]
I'm barely even trying over here.
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[He rolls his eyes before taking another sip of his tea. Vergil is only mildly relieved that Mizu and Dante do not appear to speak to one another all that much. At least, not that he's heard. Dante would likely grow comfortable enough with her over time to make similar remarks. It's bad enough Vergil must listen to them, but he's Dante's twin. Mizu does not deserve being subjected to that sort of...humor.]
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[Nero laughs and shoots Vergil a wink and a fingergun over his bowl. Then he's given at least a brief respite for a moment as Nero takes a few bites, simply too hungry to continue trolling his father right now.
When he's done chewing and swallowing he'll offer just one more comment on the matter.]
Well, congrats, I guess. It's really none of my business, for the most part. As long as you're happy, good for you.
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[He nods a little to Nero's words after he's had a few bites, but says nothing in response. Vergil finds the offer of congratulations a bit odd, but there's nothing he finds objectionable about Nero recognizing that Vergil's relationship with Mizu is largely none of his business. And as for the matter of happiness...?]
[When Dante asked Vergil if he was happy with Mizu, he didn't know exactly how to answer. Not to say that he was unhappy in any way, but it had only been a couple of weeks at that point. It was difficult to tell with how fresh and new everything had been if it was the novelty or if he truly had found happiness with Mizu. Never mind that... Well. Happiness is a fleeting thing in the majority of Vergil's experiences, often slipping from his fingertips before he can even realize it's right there in front of him. Assuming that he even allowed for it in the first place.]
[But Vergil finds himself astonishingly happy here in Folkmore. Not just with Mizu. With Dante and Nero. With his life here. There's a part of him that keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to happen where some part of this dream is stripped away from him, but it's grown a little quieter as of late.]
[Vergil doesn't push for further conversation to allow Nero to eat.]
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Nero is content to eat for a bit, filling in the void that is his growling stomach with a massive quantity of curry broth, marinated pork, noodles, and all the toppings. He takes a break for gyoza, offering Vergil some if he'd like to nibble. Amazing how a bit of food can turn his mood around so quickly.
Not that he's completely forgotten about the fiasco earlier. He's still pretty embarrassed at his meltdown, and wondering if he ought to apologize for it. Though he'd admittedly also just like to drop it forever and pretend it didn't happen. Shuffling in his seat, one of the severe bruises across his back announces itself with a twinge, and Nero visibly winces at the motion, squirming a little until he can get comfortable again.
Okay. Maybe he can't really pretend it didn't happen just yet...]
I... didn't get a chance to, but. I'm getting better at holding my Devil Trigger.
[Or he could just directly bring it up.]
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Good. [They'd already spoken of the importance of increasing his endurance, and it was already on Nero's mind when they had. So, of course, Vergil approves of that and is glad to hear Nero is following through on what he's expressed wanting to do. He pauses a moment before asking,] Are you pushing yourself until you cannot hold it any longer, or are you leaving it when you are feeling the beginnings of fatigue?
[It's more a point of curiosity than anything. There is, unfortunately, no real manual given to anyone of their mixed heritage that explains the best methodology in accessing Devil Trigger and maximizing its power.]
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He makes a bit of a face at the question, mostly because he has to answer:] The first one. [Not a big surprise, given how Vergil just watched him nearly burn himself out physically, too.]
At home in my room, mostly. Not sure why it has to make me look butt-ass naked...
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...You're not embarrassed by it, are you?
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I dunno. [He says, finally.] Demons don't really give a shit what I look like, so it doesn't bother me in action but...
[Another crookedly awkward purse of his lips, inverse of the first.] Not like I can change it if it's meant to be my true self.
[Which is all to say, yes. He's not super confident in that skin yet.]
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You will grow accustomed to it with time. [And if not with time, well. Vergil's certain it will not lack in...appeal for others. At least that's been Vergil's experience. But that's something for Nero to discover on his own, and not to be discussed between father and son.] For what it is worth, however, I believe it suits you. It reflects your demonic heritage. You bear traits similar to me and your grandfather. But it still reflects your humanity.
[Which, yes, is because of his human blood, but Vergil chooses the word humanity to describe it instead for a reason.]
It is both your power and your strength made manifest. I see it as something to take pride in.
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[He realizes a moment too late that that might sound like he's dismissing what Vergil said, or jabbing his own devil's appearance. Which he is, but... it's a little funny, isn't it? Demons aren't going to think it's funny when he's crushing their skulls in his palms or snapping them in half like an overextended measuring tape, which is what really matters. Nero's just going to have to get used to looking buff and nude.
It's something else he says that brings him back around though.]
You think I look like you? And Sparda?
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Of course, [he says so matter-of-fact, one should think it the obvious comparison. Not that Vergil thinks it entirely unreasonable for not seeing the similarities with Sparda given that the Order possessed some...unique interpretations for his visage. It's only been recently that Nero has been afforded the opportunity to see Sparda as he actually was in human form the family portrait at the very least.] Do you disagree?
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Well, yeah. I mean, like this... [He gestures between them, indicating their faces. Yeah, it's not escaped his attention that he's a dead ringer for his father, to the point they might have guessed they were related even if they didn't know it for a fact. So many times, Nero sees his own face looking back at him-- like with that nose wrinkle, for instance.]
Can't say I got much of a look at your devil, [when he was spiking you into the ground like a football] but... other than being blue, I don't know.
[And then, he lets slip a very telling remark, perhaps still thinking of the earlier spar.] I feel so far apart sometimes.
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I... [he starts, faltering a little. Vergil remains uncertain where to start or how much to share, and deeply uncomfortable with the level of vulnerability that it feels it takes to say anything at all. But Vergil also does not wish to meet Nero's confession with silence. That would be far too cruel of a choice to make so willingly.] I know it may be difficult to believe from what you know or have been told, but I am...familiar. With that feeling.
[Vergil doesn't know what has been discussed between Nero and Dante precisely, but an explicit conversation isn't even likely needed. He's seen enough of both twins at this point to tell the differences in how they fight, relaying even just a little of the differences in how they've each grown into their power. But even setting that aside, Vergil sits confident in his own strength and power, outclassing most that Nero will ever come to face. The idea of anyone who so readily accepted his powers, who sees the devil within him to be just as much himself than a separate entity, bearing that sort of insecurity that Nero acknowledged seems incongruent.]
Father was... He was not some savior of humanity to me. [Not in the sense of how the Order attempted to raise Nero to think of him as being, and not in the manner of it being his greatest accomplishment, nor a legacy that Vergil aspired to uphold someday. It was never about that.] He was our father. Our protector. So long as he was there, we knew we would be safe because he was stronger than anything that might try to threaten us. To tell you the truth, I believed that so strongly, I was likely the last among the three of us left behind to accept that Father was not returning after he left. He was everything that I wanted to grow to be, and it seemed unfathomable to me that he could ever...
[Vergil waves a slight hand. He accepted it a long time ago that his father was likely dead in the best case scenario. In the worst, however... He did not like to entertain that scenario.]
I think because of that, Dante always believed I wanted to be as strong and powerful as Father, but the truth is, after Mother died, I wanted to surpass him.
[It's there that Vergil feels the limits of what he's willing to part with both in this less private setting, and in general. There's much of his life that Nero does not know, does not need to know. But it is perhaps enough for him to understand that Vergil's desire for power began somewhere, and not somewhere out of malice for others.]
That feeling you have can be all-consuming and blinding, but it is important you guard yourself against it.
Each time I knocked you to the ground, you rose to your feet again. But rather than doing so out of the strength you possess, you did it out of anger and spite towards yourself. You focused on your mistakes not for the sake of learning from them, but to punish yourself because that feeling inside you told you that you were being inadequate. A disappointment.
And in doing so, you did not just lose sight of the fact you landed a dozen blows today against an opponent with greater mastery over his power and abilities, and has been fighting demons far longer than you have been alive. You were driven to self-destruct because that would have been more tolerable to you than that feeling continuing its endless refrain.
[Vergil glances away from Nero then, pausing a moment and folding his arms loosely across his chest. He does not want Nero to be like him. He wants Nero to surpass him. Not in strength or fighting prowess, but in the ways that truly matter.]
I told you that you were born with all the strength and power you will ever need to possess. It is only a matter of learning to wield them, which will come with time and practice.
You must find ways to remember that even when you've made mistakes or failed to meet the expectations you set for yourself.
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