IC Contact (Folkmore)

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Comments

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god dammit Dante are you OK?? what happened?

[devilblooded]

i'm appalled
when have i never not been ok?

( lol. )

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Cut the shit already.

HOW HURT ARE YOU

[devilblooded]

i'm fine
i just need a shower

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Man you know what fuck it. You wanna keep me in the dark so badly then Ill mind my own business whatever the hell you want Dante

I'm working in the garage, try not to bleed all over the carpet or whatever on your way in

fucking hell dude!!!

[This is a bluff. He is not working in the garage, currently.]

[devilblooded]

( wow. it's like he's vergil's son or something. so dramatic. )

if you're asking if i got some slimy eel thing lodged in me
no i don't
i'm fine
i just need a shower because i look like a damn mess

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I don't care I'm minding my own business like you want me to

[He is not. He's relieved it's not another gross worm parasite thing, which he is completely sure Dante would treat with the same gravitas as last time. Which was zero.]

[devilblooded]

alrighty then

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[Which is to say, he's waiting in the living room, sitting on the couch, reading a comic book so he can see exactly how bad Dante looks.]

[devilblooded]

( Wow. What a geek.

But lo and behold! The youngest son of Sparda returns some fifteen minutes later... soaking wet and dripping all over the floor there in the entryway. The reason he's soaked is because he'd thrown himself into the nearest body of water for a couple seconds in an attempt to get rid of the blood he'd been fully covered in. Wow! It's just like back home when Urizen the douchebag was around. He's still covered in blood here and there since he's been unable to really wash it off, but! At least he's not looking like Carrie with the pig's blood anymore. Just. You know. Streaky with it.

Boots squishing there as he goes, he's making his way for the bathroom then. Squish. Squish. Squish. )

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So whose blood is it?

[Speaks up Nero, sitting up so he's visible over the couch back, eyes narrowed. Even if he couldn't clearly see the blood still clinging all over his uncle, he can smell its metallic tang along with the scent of wet clothes. Not because he's part demon really, but because he has a sense of smell.

He looks incredibly unamused as he glowers at Dante.]

[devilblooded]

( Stopping there, he turns on his heel and looks up in thought, smile faint on his lips. )

More like was.

( Heh. He shrugs though. )

Some creature from the black lagoon lookin' thing. You ever been to the swamps here? They got some tough cookies out there.

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[Nero looks him over. Up and down. His eyes narrow a little further and he scoffs.]

Any of it yours? Did you get hurt?

[devilblooded]

( Again, he shrugs, though does so with a grin. )

Maybe I like a bit of pain.

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[And Nero scoffs again, and glares harder.]

Will you just answer a fucking question? That's not what I asked.

[devilblooded]

( Sheesh. What a buzzkill. A pat to his chest, he smiles. )

You know we always heal up. I told you I'm fine. Been doin' this a lot longer than you, kid.

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Then why can't you just say that? What's with the secret agent routine all the time? God damn!

[He tosses down his comic book with a thump and stands up.]

You know if this was the other way around you'd be freaking out, if I got hurt and tried to lie about it. Why don't you just talk to me like I'm an adult who can handle shit?

[devilblooded]

( For a long moment, he just stands there in silence — arms at his sides — and stares at the kid. After a handful of seconds, he smiles then, though it's extremely faint. )

You really are your father's son.

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Don't change the subject!

[But boy, he sure is, isn't he?

He paces out from behind the couch and steps out to give Dante the what-for. (Sorry, Dante, he clearly worked himself up in the time it took you to get here.)]

ALL you had to say was, "Hey Nero, I got a little banged up fighting swamp creatures, is the shower open?" Or like- "wowee I got a lot of monster blood on me, I need a bath!" Of course I'm gonna think it's way worse when you try to hide it!

Except you try to hide it when it's worse, too! Like- come the fuck on, Dante!

[devilblooded]

( Yeah. Definitely takes after Vergil, even if Vergil might not always be able to see it when it comes to the being dramatic part. But he stands there — lets Nero say what he needs to say and lifts a hand then... only to put it back down because... gross. Don't want to get blood all over the kid's shoulder. )

It's just not that big a deal to me. So I don't think to really go into it.

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That's because you don't take goddamn care of yourself!

[Nero storms over and grabs Dante's nasty, blood-streaked coat, tugging on it to indicate he should take it off. You're not trailing through the rest of the house in that nasty thing, buddy.]

I'm not freaking out on you because I'm a nag or a scold or whatever. I know you're a big boy and you can handle yourself. But shit, Dante, you shouldn't be so careless! We worry about you, and the last thing we want is you to seriously fuck yourself up because it's "not that big a deal!"

[devilblooded]

( The tug gets him to take a step back before he realizes what it is Nero's trying to insinuate there. Tilt of his head, he gives a huff with a shake of his head and goes about shrugging the coat off. One of his few red ones he's managed to get around here. )

Who says I'm careless? You know how many things have tried to kill me over the years? It's like you forget who you're talkin' to.

( The Legendary Devil Hunter Dante. )

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It's careless to get hurt and try to pretend you didn't and not say anything to anyone! Do I need to remind you of the freakin' eel thing?

[Guess who reminded him of THAT, Unky?]

Like. Look. I know you can heal and it's usually fine, but what if it wasn't? Dad and Trish and I would just be in the total dark. And what if something happened to you?

[He folds up the nasty coat, doing his best to get the blood and moisture inside and not dripping all over the floor.]

You know, I'd chill out about this and worry less if you would just be honest and quit trying to hide shit from me all the time?

[devilblooded]

( While Nero worries about the coat, he slowly slides his holsters off, beloved Ebony and Ivory safely tucked where they're supposed to be. Dangling on a finger, he looks around with where to put them and just... decides to drape them over the back of a chair. That'll do. Looking back to Nero then, he stares at the kid and then just sighs.

He knows he does it — always has since everything went to shit. Nero's a kid— his nephew that he's tried to keep safe the best he could while maintaining the distance that he has. Not because he doesn't care. But because he does and he's family and he'd rather not fail the kid like he did his old man without being able to save him. Heh. Unresolved issues he still struggles with in private. But sometimes the kid is just too. damn. stubborn. and ends up even pushing Legendary Devil Hunter Dante to his limit. That's not it, Nero. He can still feel the anger there on his tongue when he'd snapped at the kid. Felt bad about it, but. Damn. If anything had happened to him... if Vergil had done anything to him without realizing who Nero was at the time and Dante was the one who had to live with that...

Even now. He tries to keep them safe. In his unhealthy but effective[??] way. )

Nothing's gonna happen to me, kid. I'm right here.

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Says the guy who spent a month in a fucking ditch, unconscious!

[And came home with a worm in his shoulder that one time, that too.

His irritation with Dante's constant masking is boiling over into his own insecurities and fears, worries about his inability to protect those who are important to him. He can't protect Dante if the moron is out getting his ass beat and then lying about it.

He takes the jacket over to the kitchen, thinking he'll rinse it in the sink. Then he thinks better of it, and ends up hovering there with it in his hands.]

Just stay on topic, will you? Why can't you ever just tell me the truth? I'm not a little kid who needs to be shielded from everything. I'm basically your partner, aren't I?

I wouldn't get so pissed or worried if I trusted you to just-- tell me things!