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IC INBOX - kaisou
I'm busy. Make it quick.
(or just don't leave a message at all.)
(or just don't leave a message at all.)
username: dark slayer | ✉ ☏ 📷 |
username: dark slayer | ✉ ☏ 📷 |
text; un: noxxed, later in june
Hopping onto his couch back at his condo has him glancing at Red Queen and Blue Rose, a sliver of something seeming to go up his spine. He doesn’t recognize it. But… seeing his sword here does at least remind him of an agreement he made a while ago. Jeez, was it actually in April he said he’d show up and never did? Weird.
So, out of nowhere, Vergil is going to be getting this text.]
hey
remind me whats a good time to bring red queen around again
got caught up in school schedule and everything tbh
should be free now to bring her around tbh
we hates this
it's someone he gives a damn enough about to leave the notification on for them.
He sighs. And hopes it isn't dante buying something stupid in town with his allowance.
...It's Nero, he realises, however, and that changes his body language a little.
Reading the message.
...And then reading the message again.
.......And then reading it a third time before he hefts the phone to properly text him back. ]
Are you hung over? Did you spend the night drinking with Dante, or perhaps one of your friends in the city?
Aught I be worried and have some metaphorical hair of the dog over to see you recover quickly?
[ because boy we have already been through that ]
:3< just as keikakku
hungover on a weekday?
are you serious rn
i cant GET hungover
none of us can
so no
just got back from work
saw her in my condo and remembered id said id bring her to you to check out
sooooooo yeah?
you evil little shit
I have seen Dante get drunk on a Monday. I hardly believe the day of the week matters when you can wake up the next morning as if you did not drink two bottles of whiskey the night before like it was water.
But if that is the case and you, much like Dante and myself, cannot become ill from mind-addling intoxicants, I have to instead ask, did you hit your head recently.
While I am more than certain you could heal from it.
Did it knock something loose.
Nero, you showed me the Red Queen weeks ago.
It was the same day you revealed to me that you were my son.
How did you let something like that slip from your mind? You fool.
THAT'S MY NAME DON'T WEAR IT OUT
whoa whoa whoa
ok first off
yeah no we cant get hungover
second
injuries like that dont mean shit
third
no????
im fine
what
you sure youre not hallucinating?
i mean i thought i was off today but wow
i dont fucking remember ANY of that
[It's all worrisome, of course, how this conversation is going, but the next part?]
seriously vergil?
it's nox
who the fuck is nero?
[KILL BILL SIRENS ACTIVATED.]
YOU SUCK SO MUCH
[ his message is gonna get cut off as he starts in on a response to the first couple of texts
his fingers slowing as nero
continues
to talk
nonsense
his fingers settling on the send button as he grips his phone--almost tight enough to crack it. ]
where are you right now
ILU PRINCE
that guy gil mentioned you got white girl wasted
fuck that was funny
[That's uh... a sudden change in tone? Nox feels himself tense suddenly, even as his demon begins to grow suddenly irritated and angry at... at what? He... he doesn't know? He can't tell.]
uhhhhhhh i just got home????
just said that
im fine?
like yeah todays an off day but i get those a bunch
especially around this time of year bc school is hell
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do not go anywhere.
[ he doesnt even bother responding to the playful things nox says
which, again, is weird, because regardless of how irritating nox's statements are, vergil
always responds
to everything the boy says
in that perfect, punctual writing, as if he's writing a letter
and yet
he doesn't
not this time.
he's grabbing his coat and closing the shop. he's gonna figure out what's wrong--and then contact dante about it once he's got a look at the situation himself. ]
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????
[THAT IS NOT NORMAL, AND INCREDIBLY WORRYING? Vergil is... not using punctuation. Or formal talk, or...
Nox gets up, suddenly, finding himself full of energy over this exchange, even though he doesn't understand why. His demon growls angrily, sound vibrating down into Nox's chest and into the floor. He doesn't know what's going on with his father, but there's this odd sort of feeling that's gotten worse since they stopped texting. Like something is incorrect, or out of place, but can can't put his finger on what it is.
He scrubs his face, sighs, aggravation of his demon bleeding into his own emotions. Nox doesn't even notice how close Vergil is, too wound up in his own head and his pacing.]
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so he will arrive in record time, without bothering to text the boy back.
He ... has some instinct in his chest. A demon inside him that growls for blood--someone did something to the boy, and whoever did it was going to whet his blade. (what blade?)
he's going to try to open the door without knocking.
If that doesn't let him just burst inside, well.
Knocking is an option, so long as he doesn't tear the doorknob clean off first. ]
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Thankfully, Nox does it in its stead, closing the distance and opening the door. He blinks, not quite surprise flicking on his face, and exhales.]
Hey.
[He doesn't look ill, at least. But there is concern in his tone as he tilts his head at Vergil.]
You sure you're all right?
[He's been acting weird since Nox asked him a question.]
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He's going to reach for the boy.
Maybe it's ill-concieved of him, but he's going to grasp the boy's face in his hands, and take a moment to look him over.
For some sort of... arcane sigil, for some sign of injury, for some sort of... something.
Something!
But it's... Just nox.
A very confused looking Nox. ]
I am fine.
It is YOU who should be concerned.
You... what else are you forgetting?
No, that does not make sense to ask, you would not know.
Forgetting that your past life's name was Nero is bad enough, as is our practice session with the Red Queen...
[ Time to drop the boy's head from his hands, and start to pace. ]
--Dante. Do you remember Dante?
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The name of my past life-
[Vergil is talking at what seems a mile a minute, and Nox has a million thoughts going through his head at everything else.
It's not until Vergil pulls away and begins to pace that he actually hears the question being asked.]
.......yeah? Why wouldn't I? He came in- [Nox stops at that, words dying in his throat as he suddenly feels, for the first time, a sudden emptiness that feels wrong and hollow. A hand goes to his chest almost like he's been struck, panic suddenly settling into his face.]
I... I don't... fuck.
[He doesn't remember when Dante arrived. Even worse, Nox knows he knew when he did, and now it's just suddenly gone.]
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He came in. When. [ he re-affirms the point. Out of all things he and nero had talked about thus far, a lot of it was the importance of family, and how he'd never expected dante nor vergil to ever show up.
the boy was a bit of a brat and a troll; but he was stunningly sentimental.
He would not forget a date like that.
Nor would he forget showing him Red Queen. ]
I do not trust the magic of this place ever since that... incident with the bear, last month.
Something strange is happening to you, and I am not sure if it is a curse of this place, or something actively happening. If you will continue to... lose memories, and forget things, bit by bit.
Do you remember anything strange?
Touching something different, someone giving you something that may have passed on some sort of curse?
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The words echo in his head, where Nox knows he knew, once. The hand on his chest goes to his head, and he does his best to make sure it doesn’t shake.
He’s usually calm in the most inane situations. But this? This, this he’s scared of.]
I… it’s gone. Like someone… someone took a knife and ripped it out.
[The memory of when Dante came. The exact details of what happened, what was going on- all of it, taken from him in an instant. He’s terrified. Terrified of what this means, terrified of it happening, terrified of him forgetting more in the future. Will he keep losing more memories over time? Will he forget who he was? What family means to him? His whole meaning behind why he fights? Even his demon? The sheer thought of losing so much suddenly makes him feel like a child again, alone and unsure of where to go in a crowded city full of people and sounds. How- how can he stop this? How-
Luckily, Vergil’s words pull him out of his spiral, if only briefly, to try and focus on what’s being said. Nox swallows, tries to focus on the here and now, moving to cross his arms in an effort to keep himself from showing how frightened he actually is.]
Not today, I’d felt like this all day, before I even left for work. [A breath, and he thinks.] Had work yesterday, pretty normal, then had a practice with the basketball team.
[Was there anything out of the ordinary that day? Parents had come and gone, some brought treats, he knew the faces of most of them– wait.
Nox straightens, looking to Vergil again.] Yeah, actually. Some guy was there that I didn’t recognize. Said he was one of the boy’s uncle? And- shit. [He uncrosses his arms and bangs a fist against the wall, frustration apparent all the same.] He handed something out? Said it was from the parents, since they couldn't make it.
[What was it that they guy gave out? Fuck. It’s hazy at best, not even recognizable at worst. He doesn’t remember.]
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Kid!? [ his voice rumbles with that eerie sort of noise, as though passed through a filter, gaze falling on nero and vergil - the fight draining from his shoulders all at once. vergil's here, good, good. he breathes out as some of the veins spreading across his face fade back into his skin. ] See Vergil beat me here.
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He hasn't noticed his own eyes beginning to glow a sharp, angry blue, either. ]
Do you remember what he looked like--
[ he starts to demand of Nero--just as Dante bursts inside.
He makes a growling sound, at the back of his throat--only long enough to realise who it was rudely interrupting.
He lowers a hand that had become jagged and clawed, tense as part of him hoped it'd be this fucker who was involved.
Breathe, Vergil, Breathe. ]
You might beat me in terms of strength sometimes, Dante, but I've always been the faster one.
[ ...now isn't the time for banter, he bites back the want to goad the other, turning his attention on the youngest devil between them. ]
How much do you know?
Someone's messed with him.
Stolen away memories.
I am determined to find out who.
And I am sure you are, too.
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All I wanted was to be protected and loved.]
Dante! [There's a sort of gratefulness in his tone, and he looks at both of the twins with the look of a child, lost and scared at what's happening, just for a second. Then, he shakes his head and listens, trying to think on Vergil's question... and finding the same fucking emptiness he felt before.
Unknowingly, his hands shake. He tries to keep his voice steady.]
No. You could show me half of Kaisou High's staff right now and I don't think I'd remember them. It's... it's the same feeling, like before. I can't even describe him. Or what he handed out.
[He's scared, he's nervous, he's a bundle of emotions and his demon is agitated and consistently pacing back and forth, back and forth, uncertain what to even do with this problem. It should kill this man, but they don't know who he is, nor would the boy even recognize him. So his demon just keeps pacing, growl sitting angrily in Nox's chest as he stands there, trying to find something to do and failing miserably all the damn same.
It's a whole fucking mess.]
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Hey, hey, [ he can hear the shake in his voice, the nervous trickle that slips out between his words. it makes dante cross the space between them and rest a hand on nero's shoulder, head tilting slightly as he tries to catch his nephew's gaze. ] We're here, we've got you. Okay? Just take a breath, try to clear your head.
[ he spares a glance to vergil, a look that all but screams how ready he is to hunt down whoever is responsible and beat the ever loving shit out of them. nero can take care of himself, so the fact someone has somehow managed to mess with him like this? oh, it infuriates him to no end. ]
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protected and loved is exactly what the kid is.
and as much as his wish to banter and butt heads with dante has grown in the last few coming weeks, especially after their own little brawl, there were more important things right now.
Like where to go from here, what to do. ]
I will call the school for you. I feel it is pertinent you take some time off while you figure out what has stolen away your memories. Going into your job like this will cause more difficulties than anything else.
[ he appreciates dante being the one to move forward, to grab nero, to ground him.
He's... unbelievably angry right now. shaking his wrist out in an attempt to get the scales to recede. it doesn't take much this time. ]
I think the first thing that we should do is take Nero back to Auguries.
We do not know if he will continue to bleed memories.
It is important we keep him close, in case he starts to forget us, as well.
[ he hopes that, if he's at least WITH them, those memories might... stay. ]
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We're here, we've got you.
Nox breathes, closes his eyes as Dante and Vergil share glances and listens, exhaling as he hears his father make a plan of what to do next.]
Yeah, considering- [He gestures at all of them, vaguely.] how we are with getting sick and all that, I have the time to take off. So, shouldn't be that much of a problem.
[He won't argue with this. Not right now. If it were something smaller, sure, but not when he feels like parts of him have been torn out by forces against his will.]
Whatever works. I don't think staying here by myself's a good idea, so yeah.
[In case he starts to forget us, as well. Nox visibly pales at the thought, shaking his head and exhaling. But even more then that, even louder then his fear, he's suddenly finding anger instead of terror at even having that possibility be suggested. No. No. He won't go back to a clueless life. Nox refuses to forget the things that make him him. The entire fucking world and the Spirit Realm is going to have to pry it from his cold dead hands before he lets go.]
I won't. [Clearly, firmly. His voice snaps suddenly like a fire's been relit inside.] I didn't fight like hell for you two just to forget about you. I'm not gonna let whatever this is take away what matters the most to me. [His demon practically roars in defiance at this, echoing the sentiment, and while a part of him is still scared of what may happen, at least now he knows these two are going to fight like hell for him.
He's... he'll be okay, now. They're going to protect him, so he'll be fine. He's sure of it.]
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[ he gives nero's shoulder another squeeze before his hand slips from the kid's shoulder, arms crossing across his chest. at the very least the kid isn't trying to fight them on this. a fact in itself, that worried dante more than anything else. nero has always been stubborn, determined to prove he doesn't need help from anyone and especially not from dante. it makes this... odd. it sets loose something under his skin, a particular violent itch.
but then nero pales, his expression shifting between terror and anger. it's almost reassuring to see, easing some of the tension from dante's shoulders, seeing that he hasn't lost any of that fight. that desperate need to hold onto the things that matter to him. ]
It's okay, Nero. [ the smile he wears doesn't reach his eyes, meant to placate the anger bubbling up in nero's voice. ] We're not going to let you lose anything else, you hear me? We'll figure it out and get you fixed up in no time. Now grab whatever you need for the next few days, you're coming home with us.
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Put whatever you need in the car. I will call the principal of your school and let him know that Nox Miller is experiencing an illness that has him bedridden for the time being.
...I expect you will have to find a way to explain that yourself later. [ that's future nox problems because current nox is currently forgetting way too much to start making up stories for his future self.
And Vergil is way too high strung to start putting a story together for him on the fly. There's an ITCH in the back of his skull and the scratch yet goes unnamed, faceless, and without proper punishment for doing this to his son. His. ]
...In the meantime, myself and Dante will try to figure out who caused this in the first place.
Did you not run some sort of Detective Agency in your own world in the past?
I am sure you have methods of finding things out based on rumor.
If it happened to Nero...
[ other people may be effected as well. ]
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Yeah, okay. [If it were Nero, he would dig his heels in. If it were Nero, he'd argue and say he'd be fine and manage. But while he is Nero, he's also Nox Miller. He's had an upbringing with a family who showed him love, friends who cared for him dearly. He's had stability and an understanding for how he feels internally. Nox has had a life that was normal, one without massive parts of trauma or being part-demon since he was born.
Where do you go when you're lost, uncomfortable? To something you know, something you love and want. To something safe. And for Nox? That's with Dante and Vergil right now.
Nox doesn't waste time, leaving the room to go back and get his things. It takes longer than usual if only because he's making sure he didn't forget where everything was. But he manages, everything going into a duffel bag and over his shoulder, coming back into the living room to see the twins.]
I'm sure I can come up with something when this shit is over and fixed.
[His demon snaps, growling in discontent, but it at least settles down enough that it's a quiet rumble in his head rather then something loud and uncomfortable in his chest.]
Let's get going. [He nods to Vergil, noting he's ready to drop things in his father's car.]
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Yeah I did, I'll put some feelers out and see what I can find. [ his nephew can't be the only person to have fallen victim to whatever this is, after all. he'll find out what he can from whoever he is able to. ] I'll let you know what I find.
[ that honestly goes without saying, but dante says it regardless as nero's footsteps signal his return to the room. dante spares him a glance from the corner of his eyes, shaggy hair obscuring the majority of his face. it doesn't take a genius to see the conflict flickering in the back of the kid's head, his more demonic instincts fighting against his need for comfort. ]
Drive safely, yeah? [ dante's gaze flicks back to vergil, lips curved up into something fond and real. ] I'll see you both at home.
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