[Not for the first time, he wishes Kyrie was here. For a different reason than usual. Not to unload Wanda on her -- neither of them needed that -- but she'd know just what to say. How to give someone hope when things were desolate. She'd always done that for Nero, he couldn't imagine her not having that effect on anyone who met her. He hadn't met a damn soul who didn't like Kyrie.
He was just. Not built for this. Kyrie and Nero both shared the same sorrow -- the loss of a brother -- but maybe Kyrie could make memories into strength rather than weakness. And Nero always took his pain and carried it, sometimes for years, let it tug him in a thousand directions, let it tear him apart, until he could refine it into violence towards something that deserved it.
Nero shakes his head. How fucking close it comes to him, too. Pietro. Credo. Were they just too weak? Maybe in his case. He knew way better to think Wanda was weak, even beyond her magic.
Somehow it digs at him, deep in his chest, to hear it. You remind me of him. Because whether she's read his head or not, he's had the same damn thought.]
Yeah. Me too. [His hold is still gently firm on her, and though the touch she gives him is surprising, he just sort of. Blinks.
S'been a while. Maybe not even since their mom died. She might've been the last person to do that.
Forget the bed, already.] I mean... I had a brother. Credo. [Adoptive, yeah, but Nero had never cared about blood. Not until recently, huh?] He was killed. [Because I wasn't strong enough.] And it's funny you say that, 'cause you remind me of him. [Nero sniffs, nudging his nose with a fist. An old tick from a younger version of himself, when all he'd known was Credo, Kyrie, and the Order, never quite grown out of.] He never missed a chance to give me shit, either.
[Maybe his tone says enough that he doesn't mind it. That he's glad she's here, too. That he can have those memories and not be torn apart by them.]
[wanda wishes she could laugh at that, at the fact that she reminds nero of his brother, in turn. she takes a deep breath instead, and tries to breathe out calmly. when she has—unintentionally—poked into his thoughts, she would see remnants of this credo; a stoic man, of the military sort, but with kind eyes. he plainly cared for nero.]
I don't always give you shit.
[it's easy, now, at least, with him here. it's not awkward, it's not... weird.
her magic starts working away at stitching the fabric and threads of the mattress of nero's bed, and soon enough it is remade, sitting flat on the floor. wanda, too, sits on it. you'll have to carry it up the loft, nero! she tugs at the sleeves at her wrists.]
Do you ever... think, that if you had had the powers that you do now, that maybe you could have... saved him? [because nero is stronger, if the memory is anything to go by. her gaze moves upwards to him.] What is it, anyway? Your power?
[Credo hadn't, either. Just felt like it. Somehow it's what he remembered the most. It was... it was something no one could replicate. The way he could make Nero feel like a fuckin' hero, or like the biggest fuckup, with a few choice words.
At least the bed's fixed. He flops back on it, finally letting her go now that she's at least back to semi-normal-moody-Wanda.
Seriously. Whoever she got in a fight with, he's gonna kick their ass. For making her upset, sure, but for getting his room to take the brunt of the response.
He sighs.] I try not to think about it. Doesn't change anything, even if I think I could have. [His fingers curl into fists, body tight. Yeah. He knows he could have. If he'd known... this shit. Everything he did now.] I just made a promise it wouldn't happen again. That I'd never be too weak to stop it.
[Credo hadn't had time to ask him, but he would've. He would've asked Nero to keep Kyrie safe. Of course, he'd die for her. Die to keep her safe. But here he fuckin' is, on a completely different plane? Planet? Galaxy? And she... she and Nico have, what?
Well. Each other. The kids. It's just --]
Oh. Uh. [He sits up, leaning back on his arms. He didn't really go around super trying to keep it a secret, but with the thought reading, the memory walking... you know, not much point. He rubs the back of his neck, voice unsure.
Kyrie hadn't really always known -- neither had he -- but she'd, like. You know. Been a part of the Order.
And he still doesn't really know, you know? What it makes him. A monster? A real demon? Something never meant to be?] I'm a demon. Part demon. I guess. [Nero throws his head back.] Look, I know it sounds stupid.
[much like peter parker, nero's thoughts are sometimes a little too loud. in this proximity, wanda can completely make out the thoughts and emotions in his head—and heart. it feels like he also maneuvers through some intense emotions of repulsion that she, too, butts heads with time and time again.
she looks back at him as he sits up against his elbows.]
I always felt there was something... different about you. Like you're fighting something, inside, and it is—complicated. [it feels a lot like struggling with acceptance; of a wound too new, and perhaps nero hasn't allowed himself the time (hasn't had the time) to sit with those feelings.] It's not stupid.
[her breath hitches into a sigh as she also flops down onto the bed. arms at her side—one totally atop him, move—wanda stares up at the ceiling.]
Back home, there is a prophecy about me. How I am to destroy the world. I've lost control of my magic before, and it created a world where I didn't have to think about what was hurting anymore. I've often wondered if I really own this magic, or if it controls me, instead.
[having lost control with goro the way she did, it's difficult—it's scary—it's terrifying to think where she stands amidst it all. she turns to nero, and thinks about what she would like to hear in these situations of uncertainty about her own sense of self.]
You're Nero, and even when you are a demon... Well, you're the nicest demon I've met. [but, quietly:] It doesn't make you the bad guy, does it?
[He thinks "it's complicated" is about the most charitable anyone has ever been with it, or could ever be with it. He peeks an eye over to her face and doesn't find surprise -- which in itself isn't surprising after the weird memory shit -- but thankfully does he neither find disgust.
That one he's much more used to.
He doesn't move. She's half on his chest and she's just gonna have to live with it. It's his bed, after all.
Her turns to her.] The scarlet thing? [Something as wild as "prophesized to destroy the world" doesn't really faze him now. Not after learning about -- ugh. Redgrave shit.
Nice, huh?]
I don't wanna be the bad guy. And I've met some pretty shitty guys. They sucked. [Thanks, dad.] And, you know, I've got pretty awesome people who like me, and I don't think any of them are bad. [Kyrie, of course. Nico. Hell. Maybe even Dante. And the woman laying next to him, asking a question he can guess isn't completely about him.] So maybe that's all that matters sometimes, huh?
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He was just. Not built for this. Kyrie and Nero both shared the same sorrow -- the loss of a brother -- but maybe Kyrie could make memories into strength rather than weakness. And Nero always took his pain and carried it, sometimes for years, let it tug him in a thousand directions, let it tear him apart, until he could refine it into violence towards something that deserved it.
Nero shakes his head. How fucking close it comes to him, too. Pietro. Credo. Were they just too weak? Maybe in his case. He knew way better to think Wanda was weak, even beyond her magic.
Somehow it digs at him, deep in his chest, to hear it. You remind me of him. Because whether she's read his head or not, he's had the same damn thought.]
Yeah. Me too. [His hold is still gently firm on her, and though the touch she gives him is surprising, he just sort of. Blinks.
S'been a while. Maybe not even since their mom died. She might've been the last person to do that.
Forget the bed, already.] I mean... I had a brother. Credo. [Adoptive, yeah, but Nero had never cared about blood. Not until recently, huh?] He was killed. [Because I wasn't strong enough.] And it's funny you say that, 'cause you remind me of him. [Nero sniffs, nudging his nose with a fist. An old tick from a younger version of himself, when all he'd known was Credo, Kyrie, and the Order, never quite grown out of.] He never missed a chance to give me shit, either.
[Maybe his tone says enough that he doesn't mind it. That he's glad she's here, too. That he can have those memories and not be torn apart by them.]
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I don't always give you shit.
[it's easy, now, at least, with him here. it's not awkward, it's not... weird.
her magic starts working away at stitching the fabric and threads of the mattress of nero's bed, and soon enough it is remade, sitting flat on the floor. wanda, too, sits on it. you'll have to carry it up the loft, nero! she tugs at the sleeves at her wrists.]
Do you ever... think, that if you had had the powers that you do now, that maybe you could have... saved him? [because nero is stronger, if the memory is anything to go by. her gaze moves upwards to him.] What is it, anyway? Your power?
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All right. Most of the time.
[Credo hadn't, either. Just felt like it. Somehow it's what he remembered the most. It was... it was something no one could replicate. The way he could make Nero feel like a fuckin' hero, or like the biggest fuckup, with a few choice words.
At least the bed's fixed. He flops back on it, finally letting her go now that she's at least back to semi-normal-moody-Wanda.
Seriously. Whoever she got in a fight with, he's gonna kick their ass. For making her upset, sure, but for getting his room to take the brunt of the response.
He sighs.] I try not to think about it. Doesn't change anything, even if I think I could have. [His fingers curl into fists, body tight. Yeah. He knows he could have. If he'd known... this shit. Everything he did now.] I just made a promise it wouldn't happen again. That I'd never be too weak to stop it.
[Credo hadn't had time to ask him, but he would've. He would've asked Nero to keep Kyrie safe. Of course, he'd die for her. Die to keep her safe. But here he fuckin' is, on a completely different plane? Planet? Galaxy? And she... she and Nico have, what?
Well. Each other. The kids. It's just --]
Oh. Uh. [He sits up, leaning back on his arms. He didn't really go around super trying to keep it a secret, but with the thought reading, the memory walking... you know, not much point. He rubs the back of his neck, voice unsure.
Kyrie hadn't really always known -- neither had he -- but she'd, like. You know. Been a part of the Order.
And he still doesn't really know, you know? What it makes him. A monster? A real demon? Something never meant to be?] I'm a demon. Part demon. I guess. [Nero throws his head back.] Look, I know it sounds stupid.
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she looks back at him as he sits up against his elbows.]
I always felt there was something... different about you. Like you're fighting something, inside, and it is—complicated. [it feels a lot like struggling with acceptance; of a wound too new, and perhaps nero hasn't allowed himself the time (hasn't had the time) to sit with those feelings.] It's not stupid.
[her breath hitches into a sigh as she also flops down onto the bed. arms at her side—one totally atop him, move—wanda stares up at the ceiling.]
Back home, there is a prophecy about me. How I am to destroy the world. I've lost control of my magic before, and it created a world where I didn't have to think about what was hurting anymore. I've often wondered if I really own this magic, or if it controls me, instead.
[having lost control with goro the way she did, it's difficult—it's scary—it's terrifying to think where she stands amidst it all. she turns to nero, and thinks about what she would like to hear in these situations of uncertainty about her own sense of self.]
You're Nero, and even when you are a demon... Well, you're the nicest demon I've met. [but, quietly:] It doesn't make you the bad guy, does it?
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That one he's much more used to.
He doesn't move. She's half on his chest and she's just gonna have to live with it. It's his bed, after all.
Her turns to her.] The scarlet thing? [Something as wild as "prophesized to destroy the world" doesn't really faze him now. Not after learning about -- ugh. Redgrave shit.
Nice, huh?]
I don't wanna be the bad guy. And I've met some pretty shitty guys. They sucked. [Thanks, dad.] And, you know, I've got pretty awesome people who like me, and I don't think any of them are bad. [Kyrie, of course. Nico. Hell. Maybe even Dante. And the woman laying next to him, asking a question he can guess isn't completely about him.] So maybe that's all that matters sometimes, huh?