IC Contact (Folkmore)

[pullit]

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[pullit]

Well, then you might as well eat 'em.

[Now that the crisis is over, Nero rolls his shoulders and heads over to keep unpacking his grocery bag, settling in the for the afternoon.]

No wonder Dad wants you out of the kitchen. Lack of supervision...

[devilblooded]

( Heh. )

Yeah. Always was a burden.

[pullit]

You're not a burden. You're a menace. Big difference.

[Out of the sacks come some cans of tuna. Looks like those pickles were for his plans, too.]

Hey, are you gonna do anything for New Year's?

[devilblooded]

( He was, but. Not anymore. Poker face it is. )

I dunno. Maybe. Why?

[pullit]

[A shrug.]

Just curious. I was gonna grab a six-pack and take it easy. You're welcome to join me, though if you find something more exciting, don't let me stop you.

[devilblooded]

( You know what... )

I had a date but it fell through.

[pullit]

A date? [Whoooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Dante got a date???????]

Bummer. Gonna reschedule it?

[devilblooded]

And take myself off the market so quick? Can't have that.

( Humor fixes everything. )

[pullit]

It's just a date. Not like you're looking to slap a ring on it. [Maybe. Presumably. He has no idea who it is, what the relationship status is, or if Dante even wants to talk about it. Seems rude to pry. But...]

If you ever want to talk about stuff like that, you can just talk to me, you know. I'm a good listener.

[devilblooded]

Thanks, but I already got someone to talk to. Goes by the name Jack Daniels.

( lol. he's hilarious. )

[pullit]

[That earns Dante another of those withering looks, and a slightly raised eyebrow.]

You know what I mean. And unlike booze, I can talk back.

[devilblooded]

Not if you're doing it right.

( To which he points a finger at the kid and chuckles some, though it's tired. )

[pullit]

[Which gets an even deeper furrow of his brows.

Dante's not as slick as he thinks he is. But he's a feral cat in his own right.]

Right. You can blow it off if you need to. But I'm serious, okay?

[Back to unpacking his bags...]

I'm always here if you need me. I worry about you guys, too.

[devilblooded]

( Another soft chuckle, he gives a shake of his head. )

Shouldn't do that. You're just gonna get wrinkles. Lots of 'em, too.

[pullit]

Well, that's what families do for each other, right? Give wrinkles.

[He glances at Dante with a put-upon, very wrinkled expression of disapproval. Then lets it melt into a smirk as he heads over to the pantry to put things away.]

Anyway. I'll be around tomorrow night if you're looking for company.

[devilblooded]

( If there's one thing he's come to learn about this kid over the past five years, it's that he's incredibly stubborn to the point where he's made him lose his patience with him a couple times. He means well — he knows he does. Maybe it's just that he's not used to it. Doesn't know how to respond to it. Isn't sure how to take it.

Sigh on his lips, he makes his way over to the kid, dropping a hand down on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Voice soft, genuine. )

Hey. It's ok. We can't all be as lucky as you.

( ...catches himself there from almost saying or your old man. Someone really needs to tell the kid here about that and that someone sure as Hell isn't him. )

[pullit]

[He's not surprised he's made Dante uncomfortable. The mere act of perceiving him makes him shrink away sometimes. But that's all the nudging he intends to do, to leave the door open for Dante to step through if he wants to. He's taken him up on it before. And Nero's had practice in uh... let's not call it training Vergil, but at least coaching him that he can expect patience and understanding if he needs it.

So he's going to let it go, but he does look a little puzzled when Dante squeezes his shoulder. That's an odd thing to say.]

Lucky for what?

[devilblooded]

( ...deadpanned. )

Kyrie? Are you really that dense? Now you're makin' me feel sorry for her.

[pullit]

[HEY NOW]

Wh- you changed the subject! That was like, five minutes ago! Of course I'm lucky to have her!!

[And of course you should feel sorry for her because her boyfriend is so, so dumb!!! Nero would be the first to sign off on that one.]

[devilblooded]

( If he were a religious man, he'd pray for her. As he is not, he'll just sigh with a shake of his head. )

Do me a favor. You get out of here, take her somewhere real nice.

( She deserves it. Hell, anyone does hitching their wagons to a blood relative of Sparda. )

[pullit]

[She's religious, and dating the grandson of her god, so. That's gotta be a mindfuck for her, huh...]

Of course I will. I'll take her anywhere she wants to go.

[There's something just a liiiiiittle bit wistful in the way he says it, in his eyes, speaking of her. But he's not gonna get into that now, so he changes the subject.]

You just let me know if you need any dating advice, I guess.

[devilblooded]

( Rude. Another couple pats to the kid's shoulder. )

I've been around a lot longer than you, kid. Think I know how to handle that.

( His luck is just shit. Always has been. Always will be. )

[pullit]

Nothing wrong with getting some different perspective.

[And he claps Dante back in between his shoulders with a few solid pats of his own.]

A youthful, modern one.

[devilblooded]

You tryna call me old?

( Alright. That does it. Here he goes wrapping an arm around Nero's neck and pulling him down into a headlock, giving him a noogie. )

[pullit]

You are old.

[He throws an arm around Dante's trunk in anticipation, trying to wiggle out of the headlock but alas, trapped. So then he starts trying to wrestle away, simultaneously kicking Dante in the sides of his shins to throw him off.

Hasn't shut him up, though.]

So old you can't operate a pickle jar on your own anymore. How tragic!