[ As Nero already knows, due to them being in the same team, Peter's been participating in the scavenger hunt. The problem is, he has just touched a picture frame that disappeared in his hand and got cursed by accident.
While most of the curses aren't malicious per se, Peter finds that they cause really awkward and inconvenient urges. This time he feels compelled to leave a voicemail on Nero's account with a song from one of his favorite groups: Fleetwood Mac. He's even tapping on a table to the song's rhythm to offer something in terms of instrumentals.
Nope, no more explanation than the song. Enjoy, man. ]
[For starters, he wasn't expecting the serenading- but that doesn't stop him from listening, either. A hand goes to reach for what looks like a seashell in one of the halls of Odin, only it disappears, and he stares at it for a long goddamn second before he tunes back to Peter.]
Wait a minute-
[Nero's tastes in music in the last five years have grown exponentially, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten his rock roots at heart. Peter actually gets a clap or two, along with some laughter, when he finishes.]
Fleetwood Mac. I haven't heard that in ages, not since my foster parents died.
[HAHA, WELP, SOMEONE ELSE IS CURSED. Nero immediately lets out a noise that very clearly admits he did not want to blurt that out. THANKS ASGARD, YOU SUCK.]
[ It's silly but he really likes music so Peter can't be too mad about the curse. He even mutters a 'Thank, I'll be here all night' at the brief applause. ]
Ey, you recognized it! That's a first, I always had to explain my team who were the singers of each song I played. And uhm...I'm not all sure why I did this.
[ The confession comes so unexpectedly at the end that it almost gives Peter whiplash. He goes silent for some long seconds and then turns his replies to video. ]
I'm sorry, Nero. It must have been really hard. [ Peter can relate, to this day it still hurts to think about Yondu. ] Were you very young?
Look, I may not know all the classics, but I know a lot. Helps to pass the time when you're in boring sermons that lasted half a day or more. All that preaching and barely any breaks for anything.
[Nero doesn't even mind it when it swaps to video, and it shows him in a corner of Frigg's district, slowly working away at the engine of his van. He exhales, not wanting to talk about it, but the curse still having other plans.]
Sort of? I was adopted pretty early, when I was four. [Lips go thin at that, Nero frustrated that he's simply spewing all this out with no restraint.] Got raised by Kyrie and Credo's family till I was about twelve. [A pause, and he twirls the wrench in his hand, thinking how to word himself.] Then one day, I came home to find Credo comforting Kyrie, and he told me the news. Their parents were just... gone. Killed by demons in an attack that day.
[Nero was a believer and had good faith as a child- only for that faith to be broken by Fortuna's treatment of him, his never knowing of his true parents, and the death of his foster ones. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, and turned him into a non-believer on an island full of worshippers to a legend he didn't think ever existed.
The news of his foster parent's death was hard, but he'd believed it as a boy. He hadn't known the secrets of the Order, back then. But even now, he's certain it wasn't a demon attack at all. To this day it still weighs heavy on his heart.]
[ He's not taking Dante's advice. He's not. And he hasn't spent a great deal of time thinking about his words. That's absurd. His brother is a buffoon. What could he possibly know about parenthood?
Granted, it's not like Vergil has any idea, either, but the point stands.
Still. For the first time in a long time, he considers their family — and despite himself, he's begun thinking about what he would have done if he'd had another chance to speak with Sparda before his death.
The whole concept sits poorly with him. But... He supposes Nero's situation isn't dissimilar.
That means he has to talk to the boy, doesn't it? How does that even work? So he goes about it the only way he knows how. ]
[The thing about family is that Nero has had a relatively normal experience of it since his upbringing. Sure, being called the "bastard child of a prostitute" by all the children his age wasn't really a great memory to have (nor was being shunned by most of the adults), but he made his own family with the ones that adopted him, and took to them like a fish in water. Kyrie and Credo were his lifeblood during the hard times- and they stuck together through thick and thin. Even when their parents died suddenly, they still remained a family. It taught Nero that family wasn't simply by blood, it was by who you found and who you knew you could trust, regardless of what lay ahead or what happened before.
It's... really honestly hard to apply that same logic to Vergil, on the other hand. The man may be his father, but Nero knows next to nothing about him, save that he's Dante's twin. He knows they feel they have to fight each other all the time, and that one of them has to win and the other lose- it's not one he agrees with in the slightest, but V said that was how things were. More than anything else, he wants to know Vergil; but at the same time, he feels hesitant to even ask. There's no middle ground here and Nero hates it, hates how he feels like he's being tugged at times towards something that may be more familial, even if he knows it probably won't be. It's complicated.
So to receive this out of the blue, well. He has to stare at it for a long time, almost unsure if he should even reply. On the one hand, it rouses the memories of their fight here, and how Vergil was convinced Nero wasn't real. Does his father want to finish what he started, or test him further? If that's the case, then no thanks, he'll pass. He rather not have to deal with nearly killing his own family just to survive. But then again, Vergil contacted him. Vergil contacted him. Not only that, but the man who is very bad at socializing and actually talking to people without judging them contacted him first. Usually Nero has to instigate something in order to get his father to talk to him.
Huh. This is fucking weird.
Nero is typing...]
sure name the time and the place
[At the end of the day, even with a different outlook on life, Nero is still a Sparda. Fighting is in his blood, and he won't ever deny that.]
[ Regret is a feeling a man like Vergil has no time for. The same can be said of doubt, and second-guessing oneself.
That being said, there had been a moment after he'd sent the message where he'd looked for a way to remove it, erase all trace that it had ever been sent and prevent Nero from getting a notification about it. Because it can probably be traced, obviously, and if Dante were to see this and know that Vergil had done something similar to what he'd suggested, he would never live it down. That's obviously the reason why. Not because he'd ever been unsure that Nero would turn down the invitation. That would be preposterous.
It is, therefore, gratifying when Nero accepts, some strange modicum of relief running through him. Good to know that, despite his being raised human, despite the almost literal chasm between the two of them, Nero still shares the instinct that makes it impossible to turn out a good fight. At least, it seems that way; if the truth is something different, he's yet to see proof of it.
That being said, even if they're human here, he's not so foolish as to forget that they are still forces to be reckoned with. ]
Near the forest outside of the city. That should prove sufficient.
Two hours.
[ Even if he has his own petty grievances against the forest here, there won't be any aimless humans wandering around and getting in their way that far from the city. And then, just because he's an ass: ]
That should be enough time for you. If you've nothing else, I'll expect you sooner.
[ Does that mean he's headed that way right now? Yes. But also, he'll allow Nero some time to collect himself and finish his matters. It's only polite, after all. ]
[ So. Dante is back. If anyone asks, he will not admit that he feels somewhat comforted by the fact. It does mean that he's slowly coming out of his self-imposed exile, though. ]
[ He's heard Dante talk about Nero's van from time to time, still cannot quite believe that it's here — still, it makes for a pretty clear landmark to seek out, and he appreciates that there can be no mistaking whose it is.
Vergil is pretty sure his calculations are off, but... well. It's the thought that matters, or so he's been told. Easy enough to approach in the dead of night, when there's no one around to see. So when Nero opens the door, he'll find a package leaning against the side of the van. A tall, thin box with no note or return address, but if he opens it, there's really no mistaking where it's from. Maybe a bit of conceit on Vergil's part, but.
Inside the package is a katana somewhat like the Yamato, though with some major differences — the blade is a little wider, the tip curved and hooked like Nero's Red Queen and the tsuba pronged and curved in four pieces, like Dante's Devil Sword. The braiding on it shares the same colors and style as the Yamato.
Who knows when the day actually is anymore, but. He remembers enjoying this particular holiday as a child, and it seems like the appropriate season. Why not. ]
[On Valentine's Day, Nero will receive a bright red card with a little rabbit painted on the front. Inside is a little note in perfectly neat cursive and a small bag of chocolate chip cookies.]
Dear Mr. Nero ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄₎◞
Happy Valentines Day! I know it isn't pizza but I hope you like the cookies!
Your friend, Alice Liddell
P.S. Cat emo-gees are much easier to draw than to write!
[listen here, you little shit— how many times have i written this to you, kyah?]
ok ok you make a point but what if it's my intention to get you all together at once? help me really kick something off my bucket list darling :) in all seriousness: i need your help with my ice cream truck
[That's his middle name, thanks. It's not the first and it SURE AS HELL WON'T BE THE LAST]
you seriously wanna tempt fate like idk how a building hasnt collapsed yet with all of us under the same roof together i dont think death is something you want pal
ice cream truck when the hell did you get an ice cream truck and why
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Voice
While most of the curses aren't malicious per se, Peter finds that they cause really awkward and inconvenient urges. This time he feels compelled to leave a voicemail on Nero's account with a song from one of his favorite groups: Fleetwood Mac. He's even tapping on a table to the song's rhythm to offer something in terms of instrumentals.
Nope, no more explanation than the song. Enjoy, man. ]
no subject
Wait a minute-
[Nero's tastes in music in the last five years have grown exponentially, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten his rock roots at heart. Peter actually gets a clap or two, along with some laughter, when he finishes.]
Fleetwood Mac. I haven't heard that in ages, not since my foster parents died.
[HAHA, WELP, SOMEONE ELSE IS CURSED. Nero immediately lets out a noise that very clearly admits he did not want to blurt that out. THANKS ASGARD, YOU SUCK.]
no subject
Ey, you recognized it! That's a first, I always had to explain my team who were the singers of each song I played. And uhm...I'm not all sure why I did this.
[ The confession comes so unexpectedly at the end that it almost gives Peter whiplash. He goes silent for some long seconds and then turns his replies to video. ]
I'm sorry, Nero. It must have been really hard. [ Peter can relate, to this day it still hurts to think about Yondu. ] Were you very young?
no subject
Look, I may not know all the classics, but I know a lot. Helps to pass the time when you're in boring sermons that lasted half a day or more. All that preaching and barely any breaks for anything.
[Nero doesn't even mind it when it swaps to video, and it shows him in a corner of Frigg's district, slowly working away at the engine of his van. He exhales, not wanting to talk about it, but the curse still having other plans.]
Sort of? I was adopted pretty early, when I was four. [Lips go thin at that, Nero frustrated that he's simply spewing all this out with no restraint.] Got raised by Kyrie and Credo's family till I was about twelve. [A pause, and he twirls the wrench in his hand, thinking how to word himself.] Then one day, I came home to find Credo comforting Kyrie, and he told me the news. Their parents were just... gone. Killed by demons in an attack that day.
[Nero was a believer and had good faith as a child- only for that faith to be broken by Fortuna's treatment of him, his never knowing of his true parents, and the death of his foster ones. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, and turned him into a non-believer on an island full of worshippers to a legend he didn't think ever existed.
The news of his foster parent's death was hard, but he'd believed it as a boy. He hadn't known the secrets of the Order, back then. But even now, he's certain it wasn't a demon attack at all. To this day it still weighs heavy on his heart.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
text.
Granted, it's not like Vergil has any idea, either, but the point stands.
Still. For the first time in a long time, he considers their family — and despite himself, he's begun thinking about what he would have done if he'd had another chance to speak with Sparda before his death.
The whole concept sits poorly with him. But... He supposes Nero's situation isn't dissimilar.
That means he has to talk to the boy, doesn't it? How does that even work? So he goes about it the only way he knows how. ]
Nero.
Let's spar.
text.
It's... really honestly hard to apply that same logic to Vergil, on the other hand. The man may be his father, but Nero knows next to nothing about him, save that he's Dante's twin. He knows they feel they have to fight each other all the time, and that one of them has to win and the other lose- it's not one he agrees with in the slightest, but V said that was how things were. More than anything else, he wants to know Vergil; but at the same time, he feels hesitant to even ask. There's no middle ground here and Nero hates it, hates how he feels like he's being tugged at times towards something that may be more familial, even if he knows it probably won't be. It's complicated.
So to receive this out of the blue, well. He has to stare at it for a long time, almost unsure if he should even reply. On the one hand, it rouses the memories of their fight here, and how Vergil was convinced Nero wasn't real. Does his father want to finish what he started, or test him further? If that's the case, then no thanks, he'll pass. He rather not have to deal with nearly killing his own family just to survive. But then again, Vergil contacted him. Vergil contacted him. Not only that, but the man who is very bad at socializing and actually talking to people without judging them contacted him first. Usually Nero has to instigate something in order to get his father to talk to him.
Huh. This is fucking weird.
Nero is typing...]
sure
name the time and the place
[At the end of the day, even with a different outlook on life, Nero is still a Sparda. Fighting is in his blood, and he won't ever deny that.]
no subject
That being said, there had been a moment after he'd sent the message where he'd looked for a way to remove it, erase all trace that it had ever been sent and prevent Nero from getting a notification about it. Because it can probably be traced, obviously, and if Dante were to see this and know that Vergil had done something similar to what he'd suggested, he would never live it down. That's obviously the reason why. Not because he'd ever been unsure that Nero would turn down the invitation. That would be preposterous.
It is, therefore, gratifying when Nero accepts, some strange modicum of relief running through him. Good to know that, despite his being raised human, despite the almost literal chasm between the two of them, Nero still shares the instinct that makes it impossible to turn out a good fight. At least, it seems that way; if the truth is something different, he's yet to see proof of it.
That being said, even if they're human here, he's not so foolish as to forget that they are still forces to be reckoned with. ]
Near the forest outside of the city. That should prove sufficient.
Two hours.
[ Even if he has his own petty grievances against the forest here, there won't be any aimless humans wandering around and getting in their way that far from the city. And then, just because he's an ass: ]
That should be enough time for you. If you've nothing else, I'll expect you sooner.
[ Does that mean he's headed that way right now? Yes. But also, he'll allow Nero some time to collect himself and finish his matters. It's only polite, after all. ]
text.
Nero. You've heard from him?
[ Not a question. Just a confirmation. ]
text.
you finally came out of hiding huh
but yeah
found him in my van in the middle of the night yeah
nearly punched him
[Yep, there's your confirmation, Vergil.]
no subject
"Nearly?" The restraint.
[ And then about a minute later: ] How is your cheek?
no subject
ikr it was close
[But the question actually makes him pause, and he absentmindedly touches the wound, scarred over as it continues to heal.]
better
still healing but that comes with being human ig
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Text: backdated to happy grieving fun times
[hi Nero how are you today lovely weather we’re having]
no subject
theres no demons to kick ass around
and tbh id probably get too pissed anyway
no subject
How do you stop feeling like this
I hate it
no subject
and i dont know
only thing that makes it less is time
and that still hurts
part of being human trish
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
text;
i may have ratted you out to vergil
just in case he is angry next time you speak to him
text;
look if he busts my ass and gets pissed
you owe me big time
text;
only did it because he demanding i never do that again
only fit to make the same demand of him myself
text;
okay then ig youre excused
but you still owe me old man
ykw
help me around the van and ill call it even
deal?
text;
text;
no subject
Vergil is pretty sure his calculations are off, but... well. It's the thought that matters, or so he's been told. Easy enough to approach in the dead of night, when there's no one around to see. So when Nero opens the door, he'll find a package leaning against the side of the van. A tall, thin box with no note or return address, but if he opens it, there's really no mistaking where it's from. Maybe a bit of conceit on Vergil's part, but.
Inside the package is a katana somewhat like the Yamato, though with some major differences — the blade is a little wider, the tip curved and hooked like Nero's Red Queen and the tsuba pronged and curved in four pieces, like Dante's Devil Sword. The braiding on it shares the same colors and style as the Yamato.
Who knows when the day actually is anymore, but. He remembers enjoying this particular holiday as a child, and it seems like the appropriate season. Why not. ]
[Action]
Dear Mr. Nero ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄₎◞
Happy Valentines Day! I know it isn't pizza but I hope you like the cookies!
Your friend,
Alice Liddell
P.S. Cat emo-gees are much easier to draw than to write!
text;
hey nero
are you busy?
if so get your hand off your dick
or your thumb outta your ass
and come help me with something
text;
look klaus
last i remember a bunch of us arent like you
so probably not a good idea to lump us all together
what do you need?
text;
how many times have i written this to you, kyah?]ok ok you make a point but
what if it's my intention to get you all together at once?
help me really kick something off my bucket list darling :)
in all seriousness: i need your help with my ice cream truck
text;
It's not the first and it SURE AS HELL WON'T BE THE LAST]you seriously wanna tempt fate
like idk how a building hasnt collapsed yet with all of us under the same roof together
i dont think death is something you want pal
ice cream truck
when the hell did you get an ice cream truck
and why
text;