[He scoffs and teases back.] It's ginger tea, you can't over-steep it. [...Also he set a timer. Those early attempts were totally embarrassing. No wonder he thinks tea is fucking gross when he's been making it wrong, turns out.
Vergil will also find that he did not add the lemon and honey, knowing Vergil would probably prefer it straight.]
Kyrie was gonna go shopping today. When she's back later she's gonna want to make you soup. Fair warning... it'll be the best soup you've ever had.
[Vergil pours both cups, setting the pot down and taking his as Nero makes mention of Kyrie and the threat of soup. He sighs a little because he knows already the matter of Kyrie is going to be a far more difficult situation to navigate than his son. Especially when aforementioned son is so fiercely protective of her.]
Let's see how I do with tea before introducing soup...
[Right now, he cannot say the thought of eating something particularly appeals to him regardless of what it is or how good it tastes. The cramping in his stomach has subsided enough that he doesn't feel nearly so in danger of vomiting again, but he is not keen on agitating his stomach again further.]
[He takes a sip of his tea.]
Could you perhaps convince her to wait until tomorrow if I do not feel hungry today? I imagine it would be upsetting to her if after I ate, I were to "blow chunks" as you so delicately put it. [And Vergil will not be in the mood to offer reassurances to her. At least, that is the implicit argument he is trying to make with this.] I promise I will try to eat it then if I am not feeling able to eat today.
[Vergil carefully frames it around the matter of his stomach and hunger because they are factors. But the real issue is that Kyrie can be... Well, to put it delicately, a lot. She feels a lot of emotions and quite intensely, and Vergil doesn't know what to do with half of them on a good day. Vergil does not know how much he is up for after already having to navigate Nero's concern to have Kyrie pile hers on as well. Especially when he knows how delicate her feelings are and how utterly indelicate he is in turn. It's not a good combination, and it would be wise for Nero to play a bit of interference if Vergil is not up for it today.]
[Yes, he knows he's inviting in all of Nero's preaching about the virtues of his girlfriend by saying as much. Even a compliment as small as that can inspire several minutes effortlessly. But it is a statement of fact that Kyrie is kind, too. How else should someone whose immediate thought was to repay him even before she'd even begun to properly warm up because described?]
Although I believe you underestimate her persistence.
[It's true that Kyrie would not likely do well with Vergil's more foul moods. Any sort of irritability from him, a forceful or unkind word, and she's likely to not just fold, she will outright crumble. But there was no amount of telling her that it was unnecessary to repay him meant she was going to let what he did for her in Wintermute and bringing her home to Nero go unanswered. Were she not so determined in her own right, Kyrie likely would not have lasted as Nero's girlfriend for long. How could she with as stubborn as he is?]
That said, if either of you attempt a bedside vigil at any point, child, you will find yourself to be the one in need of it.
[It is largely a hollow threat in that Vergil would not actually follow through on it. But the point of avoiding a big production about this mystery illness remains a true one nonetheless. Making Vergil tea and soup, and being willing to exchange his books at the library are enough and already more than he's accustomed to or finding comfortable to tolerate. He takes another sip of his tea before setting it aside to resume sorting his library books. He's a little over halfway at this point, so he may as well concentrate efforts on finishing.]
[Vergil is spared from further gushing by that simple statement, for once. Nero could go on and on about how Kyrie once saw he was working in the training yard with a cold, and insistently shuffled him off to his dorm to rest, where she brought him fresh fruit and tea and a stack of comic books he had no idea she owned or where she acquired them. Once he was out of the orphanage she was the only one who ever showed her concern for his personal well being-- apart from Credo, who that same day had given him a side-eye and said "you should stop for the day and go rest," then continued on down the line. That was the way he did concern.
Uh. Anyway.
He laughs at the threat, picturing the mental image of a vexed, frustrated Vergil trying to strangle Nero through his vertigo and coughing fits.]
Okay. But if you start zoning out and quoting Keats, I'm gonna do what I gotta do. Deal?
[Vergil pauses a moment in his sorting and raises a slight eyebrow albeit not out of confusion or skepticism. If anything, he's...impressed by Nero's reference. The boy has been quite open about how often the poems Vergil favors tend to fly over his head, and he doesn't always understand the appeal of them. But it would appear something has sunk in enough for him to make a reference like that.]
If I am dissociating and quoting Keats, the matter has truly turned dire and I doubt I will be capable of any sort of protest at that point even if I do still possess enough awareness to object, [he says with a slight shake of his head as he places the next book in his lap on the keep pile. He's already read it once, but if he's to be cooped up for any length of time, he may not mind reading it again. He then offers his more explicit, playful agreement in Nero's preferred vernacular.] Deal. Whatever you feel is necessary, you may do.
[Check it out! A Poetry Thing stuck in Nero's brain! (He recalls the bookstore clerk gushing about the tragedy of John Keats while Nero uncomfortably shuffled with his hands in his pockets, trying to subtly encourage him to just ring up the book.)
Also: "dissociating" = "zoning out." Noted.
Chuckling at his father's slangy agreement, he puts out a hand for a fistbump. This... may or may not end with him sheepishly recovering the hand a few seconds later.]
[Vergil does not notice the offered hand at first, focused more on his books when Nero first extends it. But he happens to glance up, and oh. What is he supposed to do with that again? His brow furrows a little as he tries to recall the fuss Dante made about it. He recalls more of Dante's whining about leaving him "hanging" at first, but then he thinks he vaguely recalls what he is supposed to do.]
[Vergil very lightly bumps his knuckles against Nero's before resuming his task. Hopefully, he got it right and did not just make a fool of himself. Vergil is quick to return to his books, his complexion perhaps a touch pinker for it.]
It depends on their length and how long I can go without some form of interruption, [he says to Nero's question, giving him a brief look that indicates yes, Nero is one such interruption.] But I would say three would be the lower end, five on the upper end.
[He blinks a little at Nero's reaction, the color in his complexion not abating immediately.]
Yes, well. [Vergil clears his throat a little and looks back at the books he's sorting.] I enjoy reading...
[He does not have much by way of hobbies otherwise. There is only ever so much to do with gardening and without necessarily a direction given towards cooking, he's a bit more...listless with that. So, reading it is. As it always has been. As he told Nero, he had a bookshelf like the one in his room now as a child, but the difference that it was actually full of his own books. He'd read so many of them cover to cover several times.]
I know. It's just impressive. You're really smart.
[It's good there's a library close by that can feed that voracious habit of his. Just makes Nero wish he was a little better at it himself. Though he fully intends to sit down and push through that book Vergil picked out for him, come hell or high water. Maybe even when he gets back from dropping the books off.
It, uh... is not going to be a one-sitting thing for him, most likely.]
[He hums lightly as he reaches for the top of fourth and final stack to sort.]
I suppose I am better off not asking if you're only just now figuring that out, [he says, the joke being at his expense given just how much reason he's provided Nero to think him otherwise. Not that he believes any of this to truly be a reflection of his intelligence, anyways. The most that can actually be said is that he is well-read and is making up for a tremendous amount of lost time with the library at his disposal.] Your uncle doesn't understand why I frequent the library so much instead of owning the books myself. The question isn't entirely unreasonable considering how modest my collection is now compared to what I owned during my childhood, but I believe you can see why it's best I continue making use of the library.
[Even if he owned only a fraction of the books he's read since coming to Folkmore, he wouldn't have had the ability to walk or move around in his studio apartment by the time Nero and Dante joined him. And at this point, in the house, they most certainly would have escaped containment from his bedroom and overtaken much of the living room.]
[There is also the small matter that he will not be able to take any of these books with him when they leave this realm eventually. Vergil has spent most of his life unattached to objects, and he would like to remain as such until he can actually enjoy a true degree of permanency.]
[He could make a comment about there being different types of intelligence... but Nero is good enough to only laugh at Vergil's self-effacing joke. After all, it's not like he's a mega genius of any sort. And he still remembers the offense Vergil took the time he teased him for being a book nerd. He prefers to approach that particular angle of humor very carefully, if he approaches it at all.]
Yeah, it's better this way. No interventions. No coming home to find you crushed under a stack of books the size of a building...
[He looks at a few more of the books from the stacks as Vergil works through them. Opens to the first page and skims the text... sometimes nodding, sometimes making a face and shaking his head before quickly putting them back in the stack.]
[Vergil huffs a quiet laugh at the notion of being crushed beneath the weight of his own literary habits. Beyond his own typical restraint when it comes to generally emoting, he keeps the laughter contained to avoid potentially bringing on another coughing fit. He smiles a little at Nero's consternation with some of the books he looks at while Vergil finishes organizing the last of them into their two separate piles.]
There, [he says, placing the last book in the pile to be sent back to the library.] That's all of them that need to be returned.
[From his "keep" pile, Vergil selects one of the books before reaching for his tea again. He tucks his legs back underneath him on the couch, settling back to where he was before when Nero first brought out the small mountain of books. He doesn't have any interest in lying about in bed, but imagines Nero is going to insist he stay put. So, he might as well have something to keep him occupied while Nero is out.]
[Ha, ha. Made Dad laugh-- even if it was quiet and contained.
Vergil finishes sorting the stacks and Nero sighs a bit at just how many there are. No, it's nothing he can't handle... particularly with four arms. But it's also not gonna be the quick, easy errand he expected.
He's not about to make a big deal out of it. Nothing that would discourage Vergil from sitting the fuck down and getting some fucking rest while he's sick.]
Okay. I'll drop these off for you. You want anything from the market while I'm out?
I haven't a need for anything personally, and the kitchen should be well-stocked. I went to the farmer's market only a few days ago.
[But if that isn't the case, Kyrie will surely let Nero know sooner rather than later. With Vergil out of the rotation of people to make meals for the foreseeable future, he imagines she will volunteer to pick up the slack while Nero is worrying about Vergil. Which Vergil knows that boy is going to do even if Vergil happens to be the most compliant possible patient.]
[That's a joke. He hopes it's taken as a joke. Not entirely certain it will be but, hey...
With the help of his shopping bags, Nero manages to pack up more of the books without having to resort to superpowers of any sort. It is, however, more books than any normal person could comfortably carry, made featherlight by his strength.
He departs then, leaving Vergil to his own devices for round about an hour.]
[Vergil heaves a sigh once Nero is gone, allowing himself to slump a little more where he sits on the couch. He remains convinced that this is Thirteen's doing, which means it's not likely something he can just wait out like one would a normal illness of this magnitude. There has to be something that needs to be done before his symptoms will truly abate. But what is he meant to do like this? If he can barely walk without feeling the world sway beneath his feet, there's not much hope for being able to really engage with others as so often tends to be the solution.]
[It's only a few minutes ultimately that he spends pondering this condition in Nero's absence. With little ability to investigate himself right now, he sets it aside to read instead. By the time Nero returns, Vergil is more or less exactly where Nero left him. He occupies the same corner of the couch, but has left a leg extended on the couch itself. At some point, he poured himself a second cup of tea, but it's since been forgotten and left to go cold while the glass of water Nero brought him remains untouched. It's not some form of childish protest, however, that he's neglecting any further liquid intake. He's nearly a hundred pages deep already into his novel, and it's likely clear from how he does not look up from the book in his hands or say anything by way of greeting that he is merely engrossed rather than being particularly stubborn.]
[At the very least, no aerobics happened and he stayed put.]
[Once Nero is a couple steps into the house, he finally speaks albeit somewhat absentmindedly.]
Did you manage alright without the truck?
[He finishes the page before finally looking over to Nero.]
Yeah, only mildly threw my back out, once or twice...
[Nero is carrying fewer books than he left with, by a good margin. But he's not empty-handed as expected. He walks up to the couch and sets a book bag with expertly-stacked titles alongside it.]
Whole bunch of your holds were ready, so I checked them out for you. This oughta last you... [He pretends to be doing math in his head.] Three days?
[The surprise Vergil experiences at seeing Nero not return empty-handed doesn't exactly cross Vergil's face sans the way he shyly averts his gaze briefly while Nero sets the books down. The pleasantness of the surprise is a little more evident though with Vergil's slight smile.]
I'll try to stretch it out to four, and give your back more time to recover. [Vergil shifts and moves on the couch to provide Nero with room to sit, tucking his knees close so he can rest his current book against them with a single hand. He's tempted to say that Nero didn't have to do that, but it's a foolish thing to point out something so obvious. Nero didn't have to go to the library in the first place, never mind picking up some of Vergil's holds. He did it anyway. Because that's the sort of person that he is.] Thank you, Nero.
Sure. Anytime. [Nero's practically beaming at the thanks, and even moreso at the smile. Honestly, his motives were to encourage Vergil to actually get some rest while he's sick. Best way to do that? Positive reinforcement via his favorite hobby and books that he wanted to read anyway.
That smile, though. Man, it's worth all the headaches and hoops sometimes just to see his dad smile at him like that.
It's a moment before Nero actually sits. He goes to the kitchen first to get a glass of water for himself. Makes a detour to kick off his shoes. Then he circles back around the couch with one more book in hand-- the one Vergil mentioned that he might like, which he checked out himself this time.
He flops on the couch next to Vergil and makes himself comfortable, showing every intention of settling in to read.]
[As Nero steps away into the kitchen for his glass of water, Vergil turns his attention back to his book. Normally, he would anticipate Nero's return to the couch would be his only warning before one of his three living, breathing weighted blankets made himself at home. But this time, Vergil is uncertain. He doesn't think Nero is about to treat him like a precious thing, easily broken if mishandled even slightly. It would only agitate Vergil given enough time if he did that, and that's not Nero's intention. However, considering the earlier upending of Vergil's stomach, he wouldn't necessarily fault Nero for wanting to take it a little easier on Vergil right now as far as jostling him around is concerned.]
[Vergil glances up, and ultimately does a slight double-take when Nero settles onto the couch. Nero's gotten past most of his self-consciousness about how he reads. So, the sight of him with a book or willingness to read in Vergil's presence isn't unheard of these days. Nero's selections, however, tend to be among the books Beatrice loved or one of Vergil's books of poetry. They're books he can only tolerate in small bursts as such, and Nero's enjoyment of them is at times limited. (Which is all well and good when Nero is most likely reading them for the sake of a connection between himself and his parents, not necessarily for his entertainment.) Thus, it's more happenstance than anything that Vergil comes across Nero reading. Nero sitting down with Vergil with the intention of reading himself (and reading a recommendation Vergil made, no less) is a far more novel experience.]
[And a pleasing one at that. Not that Vergil's minded the hours upon hours of wrestling and movies he's chosen to watch with Nero—he's actually gotten more invested in both than he thought he would in the beginning—but Vergil possesses far more limited hobbies for Nero to choose from, and he's not ignorant enough to believe that reading wouldn't occupy a fairly low position on Nero's list of preferred activities in general.]
Hm? [As it turns out, Vergil was a little distracted by his silent marveling at Nero choosing to read with him.] Oh. Yes, I feel fine right now.
The dizziness was only occurring when I moved too quickly. Reading doesn't exactly require particularly quick movements that would trigger it again.
[Which is a good thing because if he was too dizzy to read...]
Bite your tongue if your next words have any resemblance to "I told you so."
Hey now. [Nero laughs at the pre-emptive warning, and leans his head back in a playful backwards head bonk, nudging Vergil's leg as he lies down with his feet hanging over the arm of the couch.] I didn't say shit, old man.
[... and he wasn't going to say "I told you so." Probably. Most likely. At least, not in a way where he meant it as more than a way to annoy his father...
Nero does settle in, pulling out the book and thumbing through it before he starts attempting to read in earnest. This is honestly more about making Vergil feel better about bailing on their spar, about cutting short their afternoon than it is that he really desires to sit and read right now, but... hey. His dad's sick for possibly the first time in his life. He could use a little company, so he might as well get started on this book while he's at it.
Reading alongside Nero does offer a few minor challenges though. It's not silent for long before he speaks up.]
[At this point, Vergil is well accustomed to the disruptions to his reading when he isn't alone with it. With Dante, it's incessant chatter about whatever comes to mind which Vergil has gotten quite good at tuning out. Well. He tunes most of it out. Dante still has the tendency to occasionally say something that sparks his temper or otherwise hooks him into a conversation whether he likes it or not. And if it's not that, then it's Dante's need to constantly keep moving that eventually pulls Vergil from his book to deal with his little brother elbowing him in the side or nearly clocking Vergil in the jaw with a knee or foot every couple of minutes. Mizu has a tendency to read with Vergil albeit she favors nonfiction, typically reading something that contributes to her research on London. So, occasionally, she shares something she's read or asks him a question to clarify the veracity of whatever claim has been made by the author. Most of the time, a brief response is all she needs. It's rare that she goes looking for conversation, and she tends to be just as still as Vergil. Nero, oddly enough, tends to occupy a middle ground between Dante and Mizu on both fronts when he hangs about while Vergil reads. If he chooses to make conversation with Vergil, he tends to either keep it brief or something that will be of interest to him. He can't keep nearly as still as Mizu, but it's blatantly obvious to Vergil that Nero tries his very best to tamp down his urge to fidget lest Vergil nudges him back into his own space.]
[Thus, Vergil never held any expectation that Nero would stay perfectly still nor perfectly quiet with his own book. At some point, he was bound to speak or move, or both. Vergil hardly minds, glancing up briefly from his own reading.]
Tantalized means to have tempted someone with something they really want, but without giving it to them. It's typically an impossible desire they're being tempted with, but not always. It's derived from Tantalus in Greek mythology, if you're familiar.
[Which he says as a way for Nero to remember the meaning of the word easier, not to condescend or make him feel stupid for not being able to guess at the word's meaning. Honestly, if Nero doesn't know the myth, that's a mark of failure on the part of schooling in Fortuna either for only teaching the myths surrounding Sparda or being unable to actively engage Nero in learning. Regardless, it's not a reflection of his son as far as Vergil is concerned.]
[Nero never cared all that much about school, or the ways in which he struggled with it. It was mostly boring as hell, and a waste of time that could have been better spent doing other things: playing outside, learning to fight, exploring the forest, listening to music, watching his forbidden TV... climbing on rooftops... going places he wasn't supposed to... Reading in particular never came easily for him, words getting all jumbled up in his head and making long passages increasingly difficult to understand. It was also unengaging, mostly dry-ass churchy shit about Sparda (sorry Gramps, but it was probably all fake anyway, right?) He liked comic books (the visuals and smaller amount of text help,) and he's read more than a few technical manuals trying to decipher them. But apart from that, reading for pleasure was not his thing.
Since meeting Vergil and learning about his mother, there's been times he's become self-conscious about his thoroughly average-to-below average reading interest and ability. Initially, he feared that his father might think he was stupid or slow. It felt like one more irreconcilable difference between them, one more way Nero could fail at being a good enough son to acknowledge.
Most of that, thankfully, has gone away. Vergil even reads to him now and then, and he finds it easier to understand by listening. He's even comfortable enough to ask for word definitions when needed (more often than he'd like.)
But still... it is a little embarrassing to admit when he's not getting a reference.]
Greek mythology? I don't know anything about that...
[But then a memory slowly dawns on him. Kyrie loves to read, and back in the day she would notice how Nero grumbled or slowly drifted his attention away from any attempts. So sometimes she'd offer to read to him, action-packed or scary books or things she knew he'd be more interested in. More often than not, Nero was too busy being enamored with Kyrie to pay attention to the book.
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Vergil will also find that he did not add the lemon and honey, knowing Vergil would probably prefer it straight.]
Kyrie was gonna go shopping today. When she's back later she's gonna want to make you soup. Fair warning... it'll be the best soup you've ever had.
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Let's see how I do with tea before introducing soup...
[Right now, he cannot say the thought of eating something particularly appeals to him regardless of what it is or how good it tastes. The cramping in his stomach has subsided enough that he doesn't feel nearly so in danger of vomiting again, but he is not keen on agitating his stomach again further.]
[He takes a sip of his tea.]
Could you perhaps convince her to wait until tomorrow if I do not feel hungry today? I imagine it would be upsetting to her if after I ate, I were to "blow chunks" as you so delicately put it. [And Vergil will not be in the mood to offer reassurances to her. At least, that is the implicit argument he is trying to make with this.] I promise I will try to eat it then if I am not feeling able to eat today.
[Vergil carefully frames it around the matter of his stomach and hunger because they are factors. But the real issue is that Kyrie can be... Well, to put it delicately, a lot. She feels a lot of emotions and quite intensely, and Vergil doesn't know what to do with half of them on a good day. Vergil does not know how much he is up for after already having to navigate Nero's concern to have Kyrie pile hers on as well. Especially when he knows how delicate her feelings are and how utterly indelicate he is in turn. It's not a good combination, and it would be wise for Nero to play a bit of interference if Vergil is not up for it today.]
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[Nero has a seat on the couch beside him, careful not to upset the books.]
She's not gonna forcefeed you or do a bedside vigil or anything. She'll just want to help if she can. Though nowhere near as determined as me.
[A wry, knowing smile. Kyrie will be wary and cautious about being naggy or pushy with Vergil. Nero, on the other hand....]
You can just say "no thank you." She'll understand. If you're content, she can breathe easy.
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[Yes, he knows he's inviting in all of Nero's preaching about the virtues of his girlfriend by saying as much. Even a compliment as small as that can inspire several minutes effortlessly. But it is a statement of fact that Kyrie is kind, too. How else should someone whose immediate thought was to repay him even before she'd even begun to properly warm up because described?]
Although I believe you underestimate her persistence.
[It's true that Kyrie would not likely do well with Vergil's more foul moods. Any sort of irritability from him, a forceful or unkind word, and she's likely to not just fold, she will outright crumble. But there was no amount of telling her that it was unnecessary to repay him meant she was going to let what he did for her in Wintermute and bringing her home to Nero go unanswered. Were she not so determined in her own right, Kyrie likely would not have lasted as Nero's girlfriend for long. How could she with as stubborn as he is?]
That said, if either of you attempt a bedside vigil at any point, child, you will find yourself to be the one in need of it.
[It is largely a hollow threat in that Vergil would not actually follow through on it. But the point of avoiding a big production about this mystery illness remains a true one nonetheless. Making Vergil tea and soup, and being willing to exchange his books at the library are enough and already more than he's accustomed to or finding comfortable to tolerate. He takes another sip of his tea before setting it aside to resume sorting his library books. He's a little over halfway at this point, so he may as well concentrate efforts on finishing.]
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[Vergil is spared from further gushing by that simple statement, for once. Nero could go on and on about how Kyrie once saw he was working in the training yard with a cold, and insistently shuffled him off to his dorm to rest, where she brought him fresh fruit and tea and a stack of comic books he had no idea she owned or where she acquired them. Once he was out of the orphanage she was the only one who ever showed her concern for his personal well being-- apart from Credo, who that same day had given him a side-eye and said "you should stop for the day and go rest," then continued on down the line. That was the way he did concern.
Uh. Anyway.
He laughs at the threat, picturing the mental image of a vexed, frustrated Vergil trying to strangle Nero through his vertigo and coughing fits.]
Okay. But if you start zoning out and quoting Keats, I'm gonna do what I gotta do. Deal?
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If I am dissociating and quoting Keats, the matter has truly turned dire and I doubt I will be capable of any sort of protest at that point even if I do still possess enough awareness to object, [he says with a slight shake of his head as he places the next book in his lap on the keep pile. He's already read it once, but if he's to be cooped up for any length of time, he may not mind reading it again. He then offers his more explicit, playful agreement in Nero's preferred vernacular.] Deal. Whatever you feel is necessary, you may do.
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Also: "dissociating" = "zoning out." Noted.
Chuckling at his father's slangy agreement, he puts out a hand for a fistbump. This... may or may not end with him sheepishly recovering the hand a few seconds later.]
How many books can you read in a day, anyway?
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[Vergil very lightly bumps his knuckles against Nero's before resuming his task. Hopefully, he got it right and did not just make a fool of himself. Vergil is quick to return to his books, his complexion perhaps a touch pinker for it.]
It depends on their length and how long I can go without some form of interruption, [he says to Nero's question, giving him a brief look that indicates yes, Nero is one such interruption.] But I would say three would be the lower end, five on the upper end.
[So, he averages three to four.]
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Nero's eyes widen substantially at the answer. Which does explain these absolutely ridiculous piles of library books.]
Three in a day? Fucking hell, you read fast. I haven't read three books since I got here.
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Yes, well. [Vergil clears his throat a little and looks back at the books he's sorting.] I enjoy reading...
[He does not have much by way of hobbies otherwise. There is only ever so much to do with gardening and without necessarily a direction given towards cooking, he's a bit more...listless with that. So, reading it is. As it always has been. As he told Nero, he had a bookshelf like the one in his room now as a child, but the difference that it was actually full of his own books. He'd read so many of them cover to cover several times.]
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[It's good there's a library close by that can feed that voracious habit of his. Just makes Nero wish he was a little better at it himself. Though he fully intends to sit down and push through that book Vergil picked out for him, come hell or high water. Maybe even when he gets back from dropping the books off.
It, uh... is not going to be a one-sitting thing for him, most likely.]
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I suppose I am better off not asking if you're only just now figuring that out, [he says, the joke being at his expense given just how much reason he's provided Nero to think him otherwise. Not that he believes any of this to truly be a reflection of his intelligence, anyways. The most that can actually be said is that he is well-read and is making up for a tremendous amount of lost time with the library at his disposal.] Your uncle doesn't understand why I frequent the library so much instead of owning the books myself. The question isn't entirely unreasonable considering how modest my collection is now compared to what I owned during my childhood, but I believe you can see why it's best I continue making use of the library.
[Even if he owned only a fraction of the books he's read since coming to Folkmore, he wouldn't have had the ability to walk or move around in his studio apartment by the time Nero and Dante joined him. And at this point, in the house, they most certainly would have escaped containment from his bedroom and overtaken much of the living room.]
[There is also the small matter that he will not be able to take any of these books with him when they leave this realm eventually. Vergil has spent most of his life unattached to objects, and he would like to remain as such until he can actually enjoy a true degree of permanency.]
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Yeah, it's better this way. No interventions. No coming home to find you crushed under a stack of books the size of a building...
[He looks at a few more of the books from the stacks as Vergil works through them. Opens to the first page and skims the text... sometimes nodding, sometimes making a face and shaking his head before quickly putting them back in the stack.]
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There, [he says, placing the last book in the pile to be sent back to the library.] That's all of them that need to be returned.
[From his "keep" pile, Vergil selects one of the books before reaching for his tea again. He tucks his legs back underneath him on the couch, settling back to where he was before when Nero first brought out the small mountain of books. He doesn't have any interest in lying about in bed, but imagines Nero is going to insist he stay put. So, he might as well have something to keep him occupied while Nero is out.]
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Vergil finishes sorting the stacks and Nero sighs a bit at just how many there are. No, it's nothing he can't handle... particularly with four arms. But it's also not gonna be the quick, easy errand he expected.
He's not about to make a big deal out of it. Nothing that would discourage Vergil from sitting the fuck down and getting some fucking rest while he's sick.]
Okay. I'll drop these off for you. You want anything from the market while I'm out?
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I haven't a need for anything personally, and the kitchen should be well-stocked. I went to the farmer's market only a few days ago.
[But if that isn't the case, Kyrie will surely let Nero know sooner rather than later. With Vergil out of the rotation of people to make meals for the foreseeable future, he imagines she will volunteer to pick up the slack while Nero is worrying about Vergil. Which Vergil knows that boy is going to do even if Vergil happens to be the most compliant possible patient.]
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[That's a joke. He hopes it's taken as a joke. Not entirely certain it will be but, hey...
With the help of his shopping bags, Nero manages to pack up more of the books without having to resort to superpowers of any sort. It is, however, more books than any normal person could comfortably carry, made featherlight by his strength.
He departs then, leaving Vergil to his own devices for round about an hour.]
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[It's only a few minutes ultimately that he spends pondering this condition in Nero's absence. With little ability to investigate himself right now, he sets it aside to read instead. By the time Nero returns, Vergil is more or less exactly where Nero left him. He occupies the same corner of the couch, but has left a leg extended on the couch itself. At some point, he poured himself a second cup of tea, but it's since been forgotten and left to go cold while the glass of water Nero brought him remains untouched. It's not some form of childish protest, however, that he's neglecting any further liquid intake. He's nearly a hundred pages deep already into his novel, and it's likely clear from how he does not look up from the book in his hands or say anything by way of greeting that he is merely engrossed rather than being particularly stubborn.]
[At the very least, no aerobics happened and he stayed put.]
[Once Nero is a couple steps into the house, he finally speaks albeit somewhat absentmindedly.]
Did you manage alright without the truck?
[He finishes the page before finally looking over to Nero.]
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[Nero is carrying fewer books than he left with, by a good margin. But he's not empty-handed as expected. He walks up to the couch and sets a book bag with expertly-stacked titles alongside it.]
Whole bunch of your holds were ready, so I checked them out for you. This oughta last you... [He pretends to be doing math in his head.] Three days?
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I'll try to stretch it out to four, and give your back more time to recover. [Vergil shifts and moves on the couch to provide Nero with room to sit, tucking his knees close so he can rest his current book against them with a single hand. He's tempted to say that Nero didn't have to do that, but it's a foolish thing to point out something so obvious. Nero didn't have to go to the library in the first place, never mind picking up some of Vergil's holds. He did it anyway. Because that's the sort of person that he is.] Thank you, Nero.
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That smile, though. Man, it's worth all the headaches and hoops sometimes just to see his dad smile at him like that.
It's a moment before Nero actually sits. He goes to the kitchen first to get a glass of water for himself. Makes a detour to kick off his shoes. Then he circles back around the couch with one more book in hand-- the one Vergil mentioned that he might like, which he checked out himself this time.
He flops on the couch next to Vergil and makes himself comfortable, showing every intention of settling in to read.]
Still dizzy? Are you feeling any better?
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[Vergil glances up, and ultimately does a slight double-take when Nero settles onto the couch. Nero's gotten past most of his self-consciousness about how he reads. So, the sight of him with a book or willingness to read in Vergil's presence isn't unheard of these days. Nero's selections, however, tend to be among the books Beatrice loved or one of Vergil's books of poetry. They're books he can only tolerate in small bursts as such, and Nero's enjoyment of them is at times limited. (Which is all well and good when Nero is most likely reading them for the sake of a connection between himself and his parents, not necessarily for his entertainment.) Thus, it's more happenstance than anything that Vergil comes across Nero reading. Nero sitting down with Vergil with the intention of reading himself (and reading a recommendation Vergil made, no less) is a far more novel experience.]
[And a pleasing one at that. Not that Vergil's minded the hours upon hours of wrestling and movies he's chosen to watch with Nero—he's actually gotten more invested in both than he thought he would in the beginning—but Vergil possesses far more limited hobbies for Nero to choose from, and he's not ignorant enough to believe that reading wouldn't occupy a fairly low position on Nero's list of preferred activities in general.]
Hm? [As it turns out, Vergil was a little distracted by his silent marveling at Nero choosing to read with him.] Oh. Yes, I feel fine right now.
The dizziness was only occurring when I moved too quickly. Reading doesn't exactly require particularly quick movements that would trigger it again.
[Which is a good thing because if he was too dizzy to read...]
Bite your tongue if your next words have any resemblance to "I told you so."
[Despite Vergil's tone, it's a playful warning.]
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[... and he wasn't going to say "I told you so." Probably. Most likely. At least, not in a way where he meant it as more than a way to annoy his father...
Nero does settle in, pulling out the book and thumbing through it before he starts attempting to read in earnest. This is honestly more about making Vergil feel better about bailing on their spar, about cutting short their afternoon than it is that he really desires to sit and read right now, but... hey. His dad's sick for possibly the first time in his life. He could use a little company, so he might as well get started on this book while he's at it.
Reading alongside Nero does offer a few minor challenges though. It's not silent for long before he speaks up.]
What's "tantalized?"
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[Thus, Vergil never held any expectation that Nero would stay perfectly still nor perfectly quiet with his own book. At some point, he was bound to speak or move, or both. Vergil hardly minds, glancing up briefly from his own reading.]
Tantalized means to have tempted someone with something they really want, but without giving it to them. It's typically an impossible desire they're being tempted with, but not always. It's derived from Tantalus in Greek mythology, if you're familiar.
[Which he says as a way for Nero to remember the meaning of the word easier, not to condescend or make him feel stupid for not being able to guess at the word's meaning. Honestly, if Nero doesn't know the myth, that's a mark of failure on the part of schooling in Fortuna either for only teaching the myths surrounding Sparda or being unable to actively engage Nero in learning. Regardless, it's not a reflection of his son as far as Vergil is concerned.]
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Since meeting Vergil and learning about his mother, there's been times he's become self-conscious about his thoroughly average-to-below average reading interest and ability. Initially, he feared that his father might think he was stupid or slow. It felt like one more irreconcilable difference between them, one more way Nero could fail at being a good enough son to acknowledge.
Most of that, thankfully, has gone away. Vergil even reads to him now and then, and he finds it easier to understand by listening. He's even comfortable enough to ask for word definitions when needed (more often than he'd like.)
But still... it is a little embarrassing to admit when he's not getting a reference.]
Greek mythology? I don't know anything about that...
[But then a memory slowly dawns on him. Kyrie loves to read, and back in the day she would notice how Nero grumbled or slowly drifted his attention away from any attempts. So sometimes she'd offer to read to him, action-packed or scary books or things she knew he'd be more interested in. More often than not, Nero was too busy being enamored with Kyrie to pay attention to the book.
But he remembers ONE thing.]
Oh, wait. Greek... Like Clash of the Titans?
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