IC Contact (Folkmore)

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[devilblooded]

( Well would you look at that...

Bracing for the worst, he blinks in mild surprise when his hand isn't filled with shards of glass and blood. Sure, he's had much worse before and yeah, he'll heal, but. Doesn't mean he enjoys it. So, with hand free, he wiggles his fingers, giving a curious little hum then before he smiles over to the kid. )

Wow. Thanks, kid.

( To which he claps his pickle soaked hand down on Nero's shoulder there... then ruffles his hair with that same pickle juice hand. )

[pullit]

[Nero does not look completely surprised that his plan worked. But there is a decisively confident, pleased grin on his face when it does. His wing deposits the broken jar on the counter, and he folds his arms cockily.]

Easy. Should've started with that, huh?

[And he's so enamored by the praise and Dante patting him on the shoulder, he doesn't notice until he smells the vinegar and dill that he's getting pickle juice rubbed in his hair.]

Hey!! I don't want to smell like pickles too!

[devilblooded]

No? Oopsies!

( Said as he ruffles the kid's hair even harder — pats his cheek with some pickle juice fingers, too! )

[pullit]

[Swat, swat. Fuss, fuss.]

God, you're such a child!

[Once he wrestles away from Dante's pickle-grip he retracts his wing, then returns to the sack on the counter.]

Here's your other pickles. Maybe I ought to pour them out in a bowl for you this time?

[devilblooded]

You still love me though.

( Said in a sing-song voice as he makes his way over to there to take his new jar of pickles, pops the jar open with eyes bright, and sticks his hand on in for one. )

[pullit]

Unky Pickle-Fingers.

[And then Dante goes to stick his hand right back in.]

Ah ah ah ah ah! [He swats Dante's hand to discourage him.] Get a fork, dumbass!

[devilblooded]

( Rude. But sure, he takes his hand out — shakes the pickle juice off at the kid on purpose, then goes and finds himself a fork. )

So, hey. Can I ask ya something?

( You know. All casual as he leans there on the counter and helps himself to a pickle via fork. )

[pullit]

[A gear turns in Nero's head. He briefly wears the most withering, creased-brow, lips-parted, Vergilest expression of bafflement you ever did see.

But it's brief, as he grabs a wet paper towel to wipe some of the pickle brine out of his hair.]

Yeah, always? What's up?

[devilblooded]

( Wow, the kid really is his father. So much so that he can’t help but smile a bit as he crunches away on his pickle stabbed with a fork. Taking a second, he twists some — leans back against the counter a bit instead, and studies his bitten pickle that he holds in front of him, slowly twisting it back and forth. )

You think your old man would like Kyrie?

[pullit]

[Uhhh... okay. Not what he was expecting.]

Who wouldn't like Kyrie?

[The answer is instant and reflexive. Thankfully Nero does not wander down the usual garden path of righteous white knight rage to defend his beautiful, amazing girlfriend to any who would dare besmirch her name.

Because that's probably not really what Dante is getting at.]

I think she's gonna have a few choice words for him, but I can't see why he wouldn't like her. Why?

[devilblooded]

( He knows how much of a sweetheart Kyrie is and boy, does she cook up a storm. She does seem the type next to anyone would get along with. Still, he shrugs as he takes another bite of his pickle, crunching down on it. )

I’d be a little surprised if he didn’t like her. Probably would be awkward around her at first because that’s just how he is, but. ( Finishing off his pickle, he goes in for another one — stabs it with his fork. ) What if he didn’t like her? What would you do?

[pullit]

Tell him to suck it the fuck up.

[This thought exercise is difficult for him because honestly, who wouldn't like Kyrie? But the scenario has crossed his mind before, and there was only ever one thing he knew he would do, with confidence.]

It'd be disappointing. But I love Kyrie and she's important to me. He should be able to respect that, and even if he doesn't like her, play nice because she's my family, too. [And he's had Kyrie a hell of a lot longer than he's had Vergil, or Dante for that matter.]

I don't think he'd really cause trouble about it, though. Not unless... I don't know, she got swapped out for an evil doppelganger and was going to stab me or something.

[devilblooded]

( He takes a moment mull over that — pickle in mouth and juice trickling down his chin as he stares off across the kitchen. Really, it’s hard to fathom even someone like his brother having a problem with Kyrie. She might make him feel a bit awkward around her here and there, but. He figures he’d try for Nero’s sake and seeing or knowing how important she is to him.

Lazily, he smiles to himself around the pickle before he bites into it, waving the other half of it around as he thinks. )

No compromise, huh? Loyal to those you care about and especially love.

[pullit]

What would compromise look like, besides someone who cares about me trusting my judgment on who I care about?

[Sometimes Nero kind of just says things that sound wiser than he means them to.]

I mean, honestly, I'd try to find out what the problem was and smooth it over if I could. It'd be a bummer if I couldn't bring him around her. But I can care about two people even if they don't get along comfortably.

[devilblooded]

( Pickle finished, he drops his fork into the jar and lets go of a sigh as he lounges there, head tilting to the side some while blue eyes stare across the kitchen. After a moment, he hums in quiet amusement before he shakes his head and gently pushes himself off the counter there, rolling his shoulders to wake up the old bones a bit. )

Well. You’re in luck. Can’t see any real reason why he’d not like her.

( A glance over to the kid, he claps his hand down on his shoulder a couple times before he starts to make his way around him. )

Thanks for the help, kid.

[pullit]

You're welcome.

[Yeah, right. He lets Dante just think he's about to walk off when he asks the obvious question.]

Why do you ask, anyway?

[devilblooded]

( Turning on his heel, he smiles to the kid. )

Just making conversation with my favorite nephew.

[pullit]

Because he's smart, and handsome, and charming, and gives all the best advice.

[Yeah he's doubt.jpg it was really that random a question, but he won't pry... just gives Dante a smirk.]

[devilblooded]

Who said I needed advice?

( He lazy shrugs. )

My hand got stuck in a jar and we made some conversation. Bada bing, bada boom.

[pullit]

Right. Really weirdly specific conversation.

[This does not mean Nero is guessing that Dante is projecting some issue of his own here, much less that there's someone to be concerned about. Just that he thinks there's more to this than old easy breezy Dante is trying to pretend.]

Whatever you say, Dante.

[devilblooded]

Have you ever talked to me before? I talk about a lot of things.

( Again, he shrugs, lazy little grin there on his lips. )

[pullit]

Yeah, like hypotheticals about your brother. Totally, we have that conversation all the time.

[Look, he's not bringing up the "you didn't tell me about my father or that we were related" thing again, he's just gently teasing about it this time.]

Is this all you're eating? Pickles? I could make something for lunch if you're hungry.

[devilblooded]

( He gives a wave of his hand. )

I'm good. Might go out and find something to eat somewhere. But I appreciate the pickles being brought back.

[pullit]

You want me to stick these ones from the sink back in the new jar?

[No judgment... just wondering...]

[devilblooded]

( Hmmmm. )

Probably best to toss 'em out given my hand was all over them.