He knows how difficult this must be for him. Just because V is the human parts of Vergil doesn't mean that he's particularly adept at being honest, or forthcoming, or feeling feelings... cuz Vergil fucking sucks at those too. Nero does try to make the same approach work, listening quietly, giving him the time to get out what he wants to say.
He at once does and does not need the acknowledgement that whatever V is to him, it doesn't take away from Vergil. In fact, he finds himself deeply, deeply relieved to hear it. These are anxieties he didn't even realize he was feeling, but giving them a name has made them suddenly far more intense and looming in their dread. The last thing he wants is for some kind of spat to form between the two. Wouldn't that affect something, logically? Would V becoming angry or upset with Nero translate over to Vergil's feelings, too? He's barely found his father (and his shadow), the last thing he needs is to alienate him (or his shadow.)
Nero waits until V seems to be done speaking. Mercifully, he doesn't leave him hanging to sit there and wonder if what he said was being accepted or rejected.
"Yeah." Okay, it isn't the most in-depth response, but he does at least elaborate a bit. "You're right. I don't... know what we are, but I know we're not nothing."
He glances over at V. "You're not nothing. We'll... see what happens, I guess."
V feels as pathetic as he looks in the short time between ending his words, his long stream of words that he barely controlled, and Nero's response. He may as well have eviscerated himself and offered his organs to Nero, how raw it feels. How quickly that could turn to rejection and crumble to dust.
One word, and his feeling feel foolish. Childish even. Nero has never treated him cruelly and helped him where Dante focused on the mission, on Urizen, on (in his mind) Vergil. Nero is not the person to reject V out of hand. If he were, they would not be on this walk or having this conversation. A simple exchange about being busy caring for Vergil and Dante would have been enough. V would have respected that answer and left. Instead, it's this uncertain unsteady footing.
"That may be the most apt description of me I've heard," V remarks dryly. Not nothing, no matter what Vergil thought in the moment he discarded V. He's the human weakness left behind and more. That weakness is more than weakness. Without his need for others, his experience asking for help, he could not have reached out to Nero as he had. As he is.
"We have the time," V says. They're walking nowhere so far as he knows. It's farther from the parts of Epiphany he's become familiar with. They walk, and V has no further idea what they might do together—eat? fight? Nero rejected the idea of the arcade (just as well, V cares little for the location on a personal level, more at ease in a bookstore or library). "I'm in a guest cabin near Elder Mother Station. Until I find more permanent housing."
Nero is new to this "family" thing, but not to that raw, awful feeling of vulnerability. Of offering oneself to someone, wholly and sincerely. Too many times he's felt it, only to have the gesture thrown back in his face, or otherwise violently rejected somewhere down the line. He would be conscious of such a gesture coming from anyone, much less the shadow of his own father.
He shrugs and offers an awkward little smirk at V's observation. Nero doesn't consider himself particularly profound but sometimes he does hit the nail on the head.
So V is nearby... but Vergil notably didn't ask him to live with them. Yeah, Nero ain't touching that with a 20 foot pole, nor even bringing the idea up.
"I hope it's a nice cabin at least," he says. "That's not that far, right? That's good. If you end up needing anything you should let me know, now that you know where the house is."
Appropriate that Nero would identify what V is better than Vergil in some regards. Vergil knows V inside and out, having been him, yet that also leaves him too close. He's too close to V to understand everything—to understand the idea of a future where V persists. They're awkward around each other and mean something, but neither of them ventures to put it into words. Nero goes there and hits it in one. He seemed less powerful, less trained, less familiar with his power than Vergil or Dante, but he's more... something.
V only observes for now. Everything is too tenuous to say anything about anything. V doesn't know Nero the way Vergil or Dante does. Say the wrong thing, and what little they have could evaporate. Get cut. Cast off.
"It's nicer than anything I've known," V says. He may push the limits of how long one is expected to stay. The Lapine neighborhood is also close. He may wind up there, living in a burrow like a hobbit. The housing in Folkmore is all adequate, what V has seen of it, but he chose the guest cabin because it's close to the neighborhood Vergil said they lived in. He's stayed for that reason. "You too should call on me if you need something."
Something Vergil and Dante cannot provide. So pretty much, nothing.
"Low bar. I mean, what... I guess you just kind of... showed up... kicked around Red Grave for a month..." Nero drifts off, realizing he is only mostly sure of the timeline of V's existence. He was comatose for part of it, after all. Thanks, Dad. He's also not sure how lighthearted remarks about it will be taken.
"Anyway." Change subject, quick. "I will. You know where I could get some goddamn sedatives? The two of them are the biggest, whiniest babies in the world right now and one afternoon of peace and quiet could do us all a favor. Talk about manflu."
It's not a sore topic for V. He'd gladly share that the local riffraff made themselves known attacking him so that he could steal enough of their money to hire Dante. Dante still took money, even if Nero hadn't. After they parted ways, Red Grave City was worse off than before. However, the fewer people made it easier when the demons weren't attacking him. If the food worse. Don't eat demons, kids, not if you can help it.
He says none of it because Nero veers away into another topic entirely unrelated. Nero doesn't have to know more than he wants to or be reminded of anything unpleasant, like the reason he was in the hospital in the first place. The question makes him consider the individuals he's interacted with and the various people offering services.
"Could check out the hospital wing at Amrita Academy," V says, "People keep recommending I go there." Except his health isn't an issue so readily solved at a hospital. They can't fix a soul being ripped in two, and V doesn't want them to fix it if they can. Vergil and V in Folkmore may be awkward, but two Vergils would be undoubtedly worse.
He smiles and shakes his head a little at the pun. It sounds like something Griffon would say. "Have you considered hitting them over the head really hard? That could do the trick."
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no subject
He at once does and does not need the acknowledgement that whatever V is to him, it doesn't take away from Vergil. In fact, he finds himself deeply, deeply relieved to hear it. These are anxieties he didn't even realize he was feeling, but giving them a name has made them suddenly far more intense and looming in their dread. The last thing he wants is for some kind of spat to form between the two. Wouldn't that affect something, logically? Would V becoming angry or upset with Nero translate over to Vergil's feelings, too? He's barely found his father (and his shadow), the last thing he needs is to alienate him (or his shadow.)
Nero waits until V seems to be done speaking. Mercifully, he doesn't leave him hanging to sit there and wonder if what he said was being accepted or rejected.
"Yeah." Okay, it isn't the most in-depth response, but he does at least elaborate a bit. "You're right. I don't... know what we are, but I know we're not nothing."
He glances over at V. "You're not nothing. We'll... see what happens, I guess."
no subject
One word, and his feeling feel foolish. Childish even. Nero has never treated him cruelly and helped him where Dante focused on the mission, on Urizen, on (in his mind) Vergil. Nero is not the person to reject V out of hand. If he were, they would not be on this walk or having this conversation. A simple exchange about being busy caring for Vergil and Dante would have been enough. V would have respected that answer and left. Instead, it's this uncertain unsteady footing.
"That may be the most apt description of me I've heard," V remarks dryly. Not nothing, no matter what Vergil thought in the moment he discarded V. He's the human weakness left behind and more. That weakness is more than weakness. Without his need for others, his experience asking for help, he could not have reached out to Nero as he had. As he is.
"We have the time," V says. They're walking nowhere so far as he knows. It's farther from the parts of Epiphany he's become familiar with. They walk, and V has no further idea what they might do together—eat? fight? Nero rejected the idea of the arcade (just as well, V cares little for the location on a personal level, more at ease in a bookstore or library). "I'm in a guest cabin near Elder Mother Station. Until I find more permanent housing."
no subject
He shrugs and offers an awkward little smirk at V's observation. Nero doesn't consider himself particularly profound but sometimes he does hit the nail on the head.
So V is nearby... but Vergil notably didn't ask him to live with them. Yeah, Nero ain't touching that with a 20 foot pole, nor even bringing the idea up.
"I hope it's a nice cabin at least," he says. "That's not that far, right? That's good. If you end up needing anything you should let me know, now that you know where the house is."
no subject
V only observes for now. Everything is too tenuous to say anything about anything. V doesn't know Nero the way Vergil or Dante does. Say the wrong thing, and what little they have could evaporate. Get cut. Cast off.
"It's nicer than anything I've known," V says. He may push the limits of how long one is expected to stay. The Lapine neighborhood is also close. He may wind up there, living in a burrow like a hobbit. The housing in Folkmore is all adequate, what V has seen of it, but he chose the guest cabin because it's close to the neighborhood Vergil said they lived in. He's stayed for that reason. "You too should call on me if you need something."
Something Vergil and Dante cannot provide. So pretty much, nothing.
no subject
"Anyway." Change subject, quick. "I will. You know where I could get some goddamn sedatives? The two of them are the biggest, whiniest babies in the world right now and one afternoon of peace and quiet could do us all a favor. Talk about manflu."
Nero pauses. "De-manflu. Heh."
no subject
He says none of it because Nero veers away into another topic entirely unrelated. Nero doesn't have to know more than he wants to or be reminded of anything unpleasant, like the reason he was in the hospital in the first place. The question makes him consider the individuals he's interacted with and the various people offering services.
"Could check out the hospital wing at Amrita Academy," V says, "People keep recommending I go there." Except his health isn't an issue so readily solved at a hospital. They can't fix a soul being ripped in two, and V doesn't want them to fix it if they can. Vergil and V in Folkmore may be awkward, but two Vergils would be undoubtedly worse.
He smiles and shakes his head a little at the pun. It sounds like something Griffon would say. "Have you considered hitting them over the head really hard? That could do the trick."