devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17400334)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-07 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
( Again, he shrugs, though does so with a grin. )

Maybe I like a bit of pain.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17428461)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-07 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
( 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.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17400328)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-07 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
( 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.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17463136)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-07 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
( 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.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17463138)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-07 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
( 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. )
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17522850)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
( 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.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17412668)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
( For a second he opens his mouth to say something regarding Trish maybe having a thing or two to say about the partner comment there, but. He refrains. Doesn't seem like the time. So, instead, he scoffs lightly under his breath — shake of his head to come and he drags his teeth over his bottom lip while he stares off across the floor. Yeah. Nero's really like his old man in the sense that he can always tell when he's starting to push a little too hard or be a little too flippant.

Looking down at the soaking mess he is, he huffs and starts to unbuckle his belt. )


I don't know if you know this about me and your old man, but we don't really do the whole talking thing much. I mean, Hell. I try to sometimes. But then one of us goes and shuts the other down before we can really get to saying what we want to say to the other and on and on and on it goes.

( Belt off, he drapes it there with the ladies, looking back to Nero. )

I was upset and angry so I went and took it out on a bunch of swamp creatures to get it out of my system. Gee, uncle Dante, why were you so upset and angry? Well, Nero, maybe because I don't like people thinking badly of my brother despite the stupid shit he does. Maybe I don't like having to wrangle with both being pissed at and missing my own old man. Maybe I don't like the fact that despite the many years I've been at this and a lot of the time, not by choice, I still can't always control the demonic part of me and I get scared I'm going to hurt someone like you or some rando in this place.

( Arms stretched open, he smiles, though he's strained. )

That good enough for you?
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17505775)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
( Nero doesn't even know the half of it.

He waits for him to pack it up and move on — to be all whatever about it and go handle his bloody wet coat there he'd decided to take for himself. Instead, the kid comes over and he stands there. Right in front of him. Arms out at his sides like they are. He eyes them — eyes Nero there for a second before he lifts his gaze more up to his face and listens to what he has to say.

While he doesn't necessarily mean to, he can't help the scoff that leaves him. It's more tired than anything else and he just shakes his head — stares off across the room with teeth dragging over his bottom lip again. He recalls someone here telling him about how much of a disservice it is both to himself and to his family here to keep them at arms length like he does, especially with the things that bother him. Someone's gotta protect them, he'd said, and he wondered, in that moment, if that's how his old man felt when walking away from his family. The whole having to do things you don't really want to because it's a way to keep them safe. Except things still went to shit and that's always a worry of his, too. Guess he picked that up from Sparda without even realizing it.

After a moment, he sighs — looks down to the ground. )


Yeah. We're family. A dysfunctional one still to this day.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17400377)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
( In the years he's known Nero, family's always been important to him. That much he knows for certain. So, in a way, it's unfair to deny the kid the very thing he's wanted for years. Granted, it's not as if he denies who he is to the kid... after revealing they're family, anyways. The years before that, well. He had his reasons, ones he's already told to the kid. Now, though. Hm.

Gaze drifting over to the hand there on his arm, blue eyes lift then to meet Nero's face there and he's just... quiet... in a way where it's more he's not entirely sure what to say rather than keeping this and that to himself. After a moment, he ducks his head. )


I really need to shower.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17437926)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
( He's not really wanting to throw his laundry at his nephew, but. Well. One look down at himself and... everything sort of needs to be washed. So, looking back up, he gives the kid a bit of a sheepish smile. )

I'll leave it outside the bathroom.
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17412604)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
( Wave of his hand, he makes his way for the bathroom to strip and clean himself up because... yeah. That's definitely a thing that needs to be done.

The moment the door's closed behind him, he takes a second or two to lean against it and just... sighs. Fingers pinch the bridge of his nose — eyes squeezing shut and he allows himself a couple deep breaths before he's pushing himself off the door and slowly starting to undress himself. Like he'd said, he leaves the pile of clothes there outside the bathroom door for the kid, still a little unsure about him taking care of his laundry, but. It is what it is and he needs to clean himself off, so. It's into the shower he goes once the water's on and the right temperature for him.

He takes a bit of time in there — makes sure to wash off all the blood and everything else he'd missed in his random dive into the nearest body of water before he'd made his way back home. When he feels like he's good enough, he steps out, grabs himself a towel, and starts to pat himself dry. In doing so, he catches a glimpse of himself there in the foggy mirror, but. The blurred reflection isn't exactly him. It's his other form. The devil within him. He stares at it — what he can anyways through the condensation there across the mirror, but. He sees it and, rather than completely ignore it as he tends to do, he huffs, wrapping the towel around his waist. )


Always gonna be a little dysfunctional, right?

( Said to the demonic reflection there in the mirror, he stares for a beat or two longer before he's making his way out of the shower, wrapped up in a towel and heading for his room to grab a pair of sweats to slip into. Once those are on, he wanders throughout the house in search of the kid, towel in hand and shirtless. Just like when he was a kid himself. )
devilblooded: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. (pic#17428474)

[personal profile] devilblooded 2025-02-08 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
( Smile faint on his lips, he leans himself there against the entryway of the laundry room, arms crossing some in front of his chest, quiet as he mulls over something. )

I’ve got a lot of mixed feelings about my old man.

( He says, finally, gaze distant before he goes and ducks his head some. )

I’m sure your old man would assume I just hate our father and want nothing to do with him because, well. When we were younger after mom died and everything, yeah. I kinda did hold a grudge against him.

( Dante in his youth was sure A Time. Even more frustrating than he is now. )

But I don’t hate him. I’m angry he wasn’t there to protect us. Some part of me always will be. But I still miss him sometimes, too. He was… my old man. Sure he could be intimidating when he’d raise his voice, but it’s not like all my memories are bad ones. I just wish your old man would let me say as much, instead of just assume I’m going to shit talk him like I’m eighteen again.

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