[It's about what he expects. He doesn't really expect to hear anything in particular from Dante. Not his style to talk, as he said. So Nero swallows down any frustration he may feel about it and gives his uncle a brief, emotional look.
Before he drops his hand away and swaps over to a more comfortable sass.]
Yeah, you do. You reek like pond scum.
[He smirks and backs off, gesturing back to the dirty coat he left on the countertop.] You want me to throw anything else in the wash?
( 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. )
( 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 β 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 β 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 β 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. )
[Nero is in the laundry area. The washing machine is already churning with Dante's clothes in it, plus whatever he found lying around to make a full load. (Whites and colors separated, he's a good boy.) Meanwhile, he's in the middle of using the utility sink and a rag to wipe off Dante's coat, since leather can't go in the machine.
He glances back over his shoulder when he hears Dante approaching.]
Well, you sure smell better.
[Nero shuts off the sink and plops the coat on top of the dryer to dab it fully dry.]
Your coat smells better too. Whatever you were killing, its blood stinks like ass.
( 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. )
Iβve got a lot of mixed feelings about my old man.
( He says, finally, gaze distant before he goes and ducks his head some. )
Iβm 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 donβt hate him. Iβm angry he wasnβt there to protect us. Some part of me always will be. But I still miss him sometimes, too. He wasβ¦ my old man. Sure he could be intimidating when heβd raise his voice, but itβs not like all my memories are bad ones. I just wish your old man would let me say as much, instead of just assume Iβm going to shit talk him like Iβm eighteen again.
[Yeah, look! See?! Dante does listen, it just takes him a sec sometimes!
Nero turns around to face him, remaining quiet, listening intently. It wasn't exactly news to him that Dante and Vergil have differing opinions on the man who was Sparda. All it took was one time of asking them each about him to learn that difference. Vergil has nothing but praise for their father. Dante... his feelings have obviously been more mixed. And he gathers this has been a source of much contention between them in the past. Vergil has even remarked on what he believes Dante would want to say about Sparda.
He makes a crooked little tilt of a smirk, and nods.] Hey. I can understand having difficult feelings about your father, now. [He couldn't have said that even just a few months ago.
But anyway, they're not talking about Nero here. He just figured he'd offer a little empathy there.]
I don't want to tell you how you should talk to your own brother. But I've had better luck with him when I have to tell him difficult things, if I ask him to listen. To wait until I'm finished before he jumps to a conclusion, you know?
I think it's easy for us all to hear what we think we're hearing, and take it really personally. Especially him. [Yeah also Nero. He can admit that.]
Yeah, well. When youβve tried getting him to listen countless times in the past only for it to all fall on deaf ears, you sort of stop trying after awhile.
( But even then, he still tried to reach out to Vergil. Numerous times. Make him see the error of his ways β to see how important his humanity was and how wrong heβd been about certain assumptions made. He'll always try to reach out for his brother and pull him back if he starts to float adrift. Doesnβt mean he doesnβt get tired of it though. Or just wishes heβd make it a little easier sometimes.
A glance down, he sighs. )
We have a certain history between us. You and him donβt. Itβs easier for him to start something new with you.
( Which heβs glad Vergil is making attempts to do, especially for Nero. )
[He would point out that he and Vergil got off on possibly the worst foot ever, but there's no real need to point that out. It's not the same thing and he knows it. It takes a long and bitter history between two brothers to make them fight like Dante and Vergil did.]
I... [He hesitates, and thinks again before he goes on.] I know I'm missing a lot of what happened between you guys. And that's fine, if it's not my business or you'd rather not share. It means I'm gonna be talking out of my ass a bit here on some of this, but...
[A shrug.] He's changed, just in how I'm able to talk to him. Even just as long as I've been here. It might be hard, not to fall back into the same shit again with each other but... I think he could listen now, better than he could before.
[Which isn't going to soothe Dante's concerns, probably. So he'll put his money where his mouth is.] If you wanted to, I could talk to him for you sometime. Just like... warm him up. Put him at ease a little. If you're not both so nervous maybe it'll go better when you do talk.
( Thereβs definitely a lot the kid doesnβt know about the history between the twins and definitely not anything heβs looking to indulge him in either. Whether or not Vergil wants to, thatβs up to him. But with going down that particular memory lane, thereβs more heartache and guilt there for him to have to tango with than the more lighthearted feelings that often come when thinking about the good times of them as kids. Despite the things Vergil has done, heβs trying to do better now and Dante sees and appreciates that and, as heβd told Nero earlier, he doesnβt want others to look or think of his brother badly. They argue, they fight, they even try to kill each other sometimes, but Vergil is his other half, and he loves him despite how annoying he can be at times.
Twisting some to lean there on his shoulder, he crosses those arms in front his bare chest and smiles faintly to the kid. Vergil should be proud of his kid. Even if Vergil didn't raise him and heβd only unknowingly had his uncle there around him the past five years, he turned out pretty good, heβd seen it the end of that first time theyβd met. When he left the Yamato in the hands of his nephew. Heh. One day heβs gonna properly inherit that thing. Which leaves him to wonder what to do about all his own devil arms and the shop when he finally kicks the bucket. Nero just inheriting so much from his old man and uncle. Itβs exactly why heβd done his best to keep him in the dark long as he had. Not all of it is a bunch of cool weapons. )
Heβs doing better. I know. Trust me. ( Theyβre brothers after all. ) Heβs βthe older oneβ ( to which he actually uses air quotes, yes. ) but I guess I always feel the need to keep an eye on him.
( Somebodyβs gotta keep an eye on your old man. )
Iβve lost him three times in my life. All of which I felt were my fault. I donβt wanna say or do anything to lose him again. I canβt. Only so much heartache this old heart can take at my age.
And he sure won't let you forget it, either. [That Vergil is the older one. Nero's like... you're twins, it doesn't fucking matter. But he figures it must be a sibling thing. That, he wouldn't know about.
It is actually nice to hear Dante opening up to him. Can't help but notice he dodges the question, but that's okay for now. It means a lot to hear him actually trust Nero with his honest feelings.
(Lost him three times. Nero knows the story of one of those. He wonders if he'll ever find out the other two.)]
I know he doesn't want to lose you, either. Even if he can be prickly and awkward about it... I bet it's just hard for you guys to communicate sometimes. [Having A History will do that.
Okay. He'll say it again, then.] I know you may not want me to get involved. But if I can ever help, I want to. Even if you guys just need a mediator or a third person to listen. [A beat.] I won't bitchslap anybody this time either. Or I'll try really hard not to, at least.
[He folds his arms and leans back against the dryer.]
Isn't it normal to want your family members to get along? I care about you both. If I can do anything to make communicating easier between you, I'm happy to.
Not a day in my life. And I ain't starting now, Unc.
[Nero gets the sense that pushing harder isn't going to work out. Either he pushes too much and Dante gets mad, or he just straight up shuts down. So he'll let up for now, turning his attention instead to taking Dante's jacket off the dryer and letting it hang from his hands.]
Anyway. Just think about it, okay? [Shake-a shake-a shake the jacket.] Here you go. I think I got most of it off.
( Arms still crossed there in front of his bare chest, he smiles faintly at the state of his jacket. )
Thanks, kid. Bang up job.
( A nod, he turns some β intends to maybe either get something to eat or put a shirt on, but. Instead, he stands there, letting his back press against the entryway as he mulls something over for a moment. )
[Nero's turned around to tidy up the laundry area, though he pauses once it's apparent Dante isn't actually leaving yet. He gazes at his uncle's back and cracks the tiniest of smiles.]
To Dad? [He thinks about it a moment.] I'd tell him that you want to talk, but you're worried about being misunderstood. So I'd ask if he could listen to you and let you finish before he takes any conclusions from it. Just like with me and him.
( It's still a little weird to hear Nero so openly refer to Vergil as dad even if that is who he is to him. He wonders then, for a moment, how life would have been if his brother hadn't made the choices he had after he β unknowingly β conceived Nero. What if he had stayed? What if he had learned he was to be a father? Would he have made different decisions? Would he have let him know he was [going to be] an uncle? So many different possibilities he'll never really know the answers to. Not that it really matters all that much since they're here now.
So, smile still faint there on his lips, he hums. As if in consideration. )
[At least he's planted a seed. Made him think about it a little bit. The funny think is, after spending time with both of them, Nero's finding he's actually worse at reading Dante than he is at reading Vergil. But he doesn't think he's bad at it, necessarily... it's just something he'll have to wait out and see.
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Before he drops his hand away and swaps over to a more comfortable sass.]
Yeah, you do. You reek like pond scum.
[He smirks and backs off, gesturing back to the dirty coat he left on the countertop.] You want me to throw anything else in the wash?
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I'll leave it outside the bathroom.
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Nero smiles back, nodding.]
Just put on a towel before you come out parading your clean ass around the house, okay?
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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 β 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 β 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 β 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. )
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He glances back over his shoulder when he hears Dante approaching.]
Well, you sure smell better.
[Nero shuts off the sink and plops the coat on top of the dryer to dab it fully dry.]
Your coat smells better too. Whatever you were killing, its blood stinks like ass.
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Iβve got a lot of mixed feelings about my old man.
( He says, finally, gaze distant before he goes and ducks his head some. )
Iβm 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 donβt hate him. Iβm angry he wasnβt there to protect us. Some part of me always will be. But I still miss him sometimes, too. He wasβ¦ my old man. Sure he could be intimidating when heβd raise his voice, but itβs not like all my memories are bad ones. I just wish your old man would let me say as much, instead of just assume Iβm going to shit talk him like Iβm eighteen again.
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Nero turns around to face him, remaining quiet, listening intently. It wasn't exactly news to him that Dante and Vergil have differing opinions on the man who was Sparda. All it took was one time of asking them each about him to learn that difference. Vergil has nothing but praise for their father. Dante... his feelings have obviously been more mixed. And he gathers this has been a source of much contention between them in the past. Vergil has even remarked on what he believes Dante would want to say about Sparda.
He makes a crooked little tilt of a smirk, and nods.] Hey. I can understand having difficult feelings about your father, now. [He couldn't have said that even just a few months ago.
But anyway, they're not talking about Nero here. He just figured he'd offer a little empathy there.]
I don't want to tell you how you should talk to your own brother. But I've had better luck with him when I have to tell him difficult things, if I ask him to listen. To wait until I'm finished before he jumps to a conclusion, you know?
I think it's easy for us all to hear what we think we're hearing, and take it really personally. Especially him. [Yeah also Nero. He can admit that.]
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( But even then, he still tried to reach out to Vergil. Numerous times. Make him see the error of his ways β to see how important his humanity was and how wrong heβd been about certain assumptions made. He'll always try to reach out for his brother and pull him back if he starts to float adrift. Doesnβt mean he doesnβt get tired of it though. Or just wishes heβd make it a little easier sometimes.
A glance down, he sighs. )
We have a certain history between us. You and him donβt. Itβs easier for him to start something new with you.
( Which heβs glad Vergil is making attempts to do, especially for Nero. )
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[He would point out that he and Vergil got off on possibly the worst foot ever, but there's no real need to point that out. It's not the same thing and he knows it. It takes a long and bitter history between two brothers to make them fight like Dante and Vergil did.]
I... [He hesitates, and thinks again before he goes on.] I know I'm missing a lot of what happened between you guys. And that's fine, if it's not my business or you'd rather not share. It means I'm gonna be talking out of my ass a bit here on some of this, but...
[A shrug.] He's changed, just in how I'm able to talk to him. Even just as long as I've been here. It might be hard, not to fall back into the same shit again with each other but... I think he could listen now, better than he could before.
[Which isn't going to soothe Dante's concerns, probably. So he'll put his money where his mouth is.] If you wanted to, I could talk to him for you sometime. Just like... warm him up. Put him at ease a little. If you're not both so nervous maybe it'll go better when you do talk.
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Twisting some to lean there on his shoulder, he crosses those arms in front his bare chest and smiles faintly to the kid. Vergil should be proud of his kid. Even if Vergil didn't raise him and heβd only unknowingly had his uncle there around him the past five years, he turned out pretty good, heβd seen it the end of that first time theyβd met. When he left the Yamato in the hands of his nephew. Heh. One day heβs gonna properly inherit that thing. Which leaves him to wonder what to do about all his own devil arms and the shop when he finally kicks the bucket. Nero just inheriting so much from his old man and uncle. Itβs exactly why heβd done his best to keep him in the dark long as he had. Not all of it is a bunch of cool weapons. )
Heβs doing better. I know. Trust me. ( Theyβre brothers after all. ) Heβs βthe older oneβ ( to which he actually uses air quotes, yes. ) but I guess I always feel the need to keep an eye on him.
( Somebodyβs gotta keep an eye on your old man. )
Iβve lost him three times in my life. All of which I felt were my fault. I donβt wanna say or do anything to lose him again. I canβt. Only so much heartache this old heart can take at my age.
( So he just keeps it to himself. Heh. )
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It is actually nice to hear Dante opening up to him. Can't help but notice he dodges the question, but that's okay for now. It means a lot to hear him actually trust Nero with his honest feelings.
(Lost him three times. Nero knows the story of one of those. He wonders if he'll ever find out the other two.)]
I know he doesn't want to lose you, either. Even if he can be prickly and awkward about it... I bet it's just hard for you guys to communicate sometimes. [Having A History will do that.
Okay. He'll say it again, then.] I know you may not want me to get involved. But if I can ever help, I want to. Even if you guys just need a mediator or a third person to listen. [A beat.] I won't bitchslap anybody this time either. Or I'll try really hard not to, at least.
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( Vergil being the grumpiest of grumpy, yes. Still, he smiles a bit to Nero, still leaning there against the entryway as he is. )
But yeah. Communicating with words has never really been our strong point. Always ends up in a physical fight. Even when we were kids.
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[He folds his arms and leans back against the dryer.]
Isn't it normal to want your family members to get along? I care about you both. If I can do anything to make communicating easier between you, I'm happy to.
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( To which he throws Nero a look of disbelief. )
Every family just has their moments.
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[He gestures upwards, vaguely indicating Vergil... wherever he is.]
But you're nervous to talk about your dad with him, and it seems like that would make you feel better. So...? Why don't you let me help?
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( Heh. Humor to lighten the mood. )
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Because my uncle's a stubborn dumbass who'll take the whole world on his shoulders and never asks for help, no matter how much it kicks his ass?
[An eyebrow quirks, slyly challenging.]
I'm just sayin'... You don't have to do everything by yourself.
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Now how could I ever take everything on my own when I've got you being so damn obnoxious about me not doing that?
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[Nero smirks at him and shakes his head.]
You might as well give up and let me in. I'll outstubborn you any day, old man.
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Kids these days. No respect for their elders. Well I never.
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[Nero gets the sense that pushing harder isn't going to work out. Either he pushes too much and Dante gets mad, or he just straight up shuts down. So he'll let up for now, turning his attention instead to taking Dante's jacket off the dryer and letting it hang from his hands.]
Anyway. Just think about it, okay? [Shake-a shake-a shake the jacket.] Here you go. I think I got most of it off.
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Thanks, kid. Bang up job.
( A nod, he turns some β intends to maybe either get something to eat or put a shirt on, but. Instead, he stands there, letting his back press against the entryway as he mulls something over for a moment. )
What would you even say to him?
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To Dad? [He thinks about it a moment.] I'd tell him that you want to talk, but you're worried about being misunderstood. So I'd ask if he could listen to you and let you finish before he takes any conclusions from it. Just like with me and him.
Something like that.
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So, smile still faint there on his lips, he hums. As if in consideration. )
Well. Good to know.
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He tilts his head suddenly.]
Hey, Dante.
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