it's just the rain that wasn't brave enough to fall (closed + open)

[antimetabole]

WHO: Vergil + others
WHEN: Between missions 12 & 13
WHERE: Various locations
WHAT: Some emotional talks. Some yeeting of children. It's a little bit of everything.
NOTES\WARNINGS: No open prompts this go around I LIED one open prompt as of yet, but if you are wanting something particular, feel free to slap down a starter or request one. I will match prose vs. brackets because it doesn't matter to me. There will be discussions pertaining to complex family dynamics (particularly between siblings) that may also further include topics such as loss/death of parents and/or siblings, assumed fratricide (of the accidental variety), and grief pertaining to aforementioned losses. Warnings will be in headers, but will update this as able to/needed!

↪ kyoko
↪ mizu
↪ dante
↪ open

Comments

[joke_o]

Kyoko makes a noise somewhere between a scoff and a laugh as she starts inspecting the guitars on display.

"What, I'm not allowed to help? Electric or acoustic?"

While she may not have a lot of know how about music, she's definitely got an eye for aesthetics at least.

[antimetabole]

"No, you're not," he says with an edge of warning to his tone. Vergil does not exactly care to explain it to Kyoko, but it feels important to Vergil that he more or less does this on his own. With how long Vergil and Dante have been estranged or at diametrically opposed odds with one another, it feels important to Vergil that he make the effort to do this on his own rather than enlisting anyone else's help. It's why he has not asked Nero's perspective whatsoever on what to get Dante for Christmas. Not that he would anticipate Nero having any great insights given how much Dante has kept him at arm's length since discovering the boy, but he could likely do at least a little better than Vergil with less thought and effort put into it with identifying something Dante wants.

But it really is not about whether or not Dante immediately falls in love with the present or if Vergil manages to stumble directly into what Dante was secretly hoping for. He wants Dante to know that whatever Vergil arrives upon for a Christmas present, it was something he put the thought and effort into. To Vergil, it seems far too simple and easy and ultimately lazy to ask for the input of someone else rather than trusting his own instincts and what he knows of his little brother to guide him in the right direction. This is their relationship, their bond. There should be no one else involved in what they make of it. Thus, this is not something he is willing to accept any guidance from anyone.

[joke_o]

Kyoko's eyebrow shoots up at that unexpected response. It's definitely something she wants to understand, but also not something she's going to press right now. After a second she just shrugs, sticking her hands back in the pockets of her jacket. She also takes a step back from the displays in an attempt to signal that she's not gonna press the matter or offer any unsolicited help - something she actually knows how to say now - no matter how much she wants to.

She may not have known Vergil for very long, but just given her experience with Riki and the guys in his gang, she has a leg up on how to read the emotionally closed off. If anything this only serves to make her fascination with what Vergil's deal really is deeper. It's definitely something she'll ask about at some point down the line, but for now she simply lets Vergil do his thing in peace, even if she doesn't make any move to wander off.

[antimetabole]

Frankly, Vergil is surprised by the step back. He briefly turns his gaze towards when she does, looking at her with obvious skepticism and almost as if he was waiting for her to say something. Kyoko, however, does not appear to be asking any sort of questions or making further comments. So, Vergil's gaze slowly returns to the guitars.

He ignores the acoustic guitars entirely. It's not that he thinks Dante wouldn't appreciate it and still be able to play whatever it is he'd like to play on it, but he knows his little brother than that. He's been a tornado of noise as far back as Vergil can remember, and likely even further back than that. So, in that regard, an electric guitar is really the only choice. He's quiet as he considers the options, occasionally reaching a hand out to touch the body of one or two as he considers them. He lightly strums one of them, although not one hooked to an amp that it would create a racket upon touch. Eventually, he finds one that gives him pause and he knows without a doubt is the right now. Vergil carefully lifts it from where its display.

[joke_o]

Kyoko stays quiet as Vergil inspects the guitars. She wants to offer input but with how Vergil responded to her offers before, she keeps it to herself. Once Vergil lifts the guitar off the display though she pokes her head out from behind Vergil.

"Oooh, that's a nice color!" She doesn't say anything else though for a moment. She considers her words very carefully for a change, actually. "If you need an amp, I can at least carry it for ya. That way you don't risk scuffing anything before you get it in a case or something."

[antimetabole]

Vergil considers her offer for a moment. Much as he would like to say he doesn't require any assistance, the extra pair of hands would prove to be helpful. Between Yamato and his tea—the latter of which he has momentarily set aside on a clear spot of shelving—he does not exactly have the means to easily carry the guitar. He holds it out to Kyoko.

"Drop it, and I promise there shall be retribution," he says, although there is a notable dissonance between the words Vergil uses and the way in which he delivers them. Not to say that it is half-hearted or the opportunity to misunderstand that it isn't an authentic warning presents itself, but rather there is a degree to which Vergil vaguely recognizes that it isn't necessary. Kyoko will not let him down with this responsibility. Because even if she is a bit...Well. She appears to at least be attuned to relationships and the importance of them. She would know better than to do anything that would risk Vergil's gift to Dante.

[joke_o]

Kyoko just beams with delight as she bounces on her heels for a moment. It's clear that the gesture means a lot to her, reinforcing in her mind that they were, in fact, friends forever regardless of what Vergil said outwardly. She nods and takes the guitar and holds it in such a way that shows that she's very familiar with at least carrying guitars, even if she doesn't play.

"You got it, boss!" The hand that goes to support the body of the guitar she even pulls back into the sleeve of her jacket. That way she's sure not to leave any hand prints on it. Likewise, she pulls her fingers back into the sleeve so that she's not directly touching the cords and muffled any noise that it might make as she walked.

"So this is for your brother, right? He play in a band?"

[antimetabole]

"No," he says, taking his tea back up as he moved them along further down the aisle. Vergil notices the care and lengths to which she goes to be careful with the guitar, but makes no remark upon it. He continues speaking briefly, "Dante is...an exuberant sort of person."

Where Vergil errs on the side of quiet, Dante absolutely does not.

"He simply likes to play."

A case almost seems unnecessary in that regard. Vergil doesn't anticipate Dante will take especially good care of the instrument given how hard he is on most things in general, but he also won't have much reason to be traveling about with it either. But given that Vergil is far from done with his efforts in finding gifts and it will be exposed to whatever elements may transpire outside in the interim, a case is still in order for protecting the chosen guitar.

[joke_o]

Kyoko hums and nods as she follows behind Vergil, listening to him speak. It's clear she definitely doesn't find it an odd proposition to just play, band was just the first place her mind took her. In fact she's quiet for a moment as she reflected on what little time she and Nozomi got to have together in fifth grade, wondering if that's how she made the transition to Noize. After all, it was her on the album cover, not her band.

"Well, if he ever decides to put on a show, let me know! I'll be in the front row."

She just grins as she kind of hugs the guitar to her body a bit more. "I may not know much about music, but seeing how happy it makes Nozomi is more than enough to get my interest." After all, it must be important to her if she was willing to let a Yakuza boss fund her first album.

[antimetabole]

"I will be sure not to relay the message," Vergil says flatly, more to himself than to Kyoko, as he dreads the thought of any unearned ego and confidence something like that would inspire in Dante. More pointedly at Kyoko, he asks, "Is that the basis of most of your interests? What your peers are interested in?"

[joke_o]

Kyoko stops dead in her tracks for a minute, head tilted in thought. If one listened closely, you could hear the hamster running on the wheel inside her skull as fast as it could until it got its foot caught in the bars and starts getting spun along the wheel with how fast it's going. "...Kinda, yeah. Like, even the boy bands I like I listen to mainly because Misako introduced me to 'em. Huh."

She shrugs, the revelation not seeming to bother her. "I guess people are more my hobby than anything else. Well that and fighting. I dunno, never really had interest in anything unless I could do it with someone else."

[antimetabole]

He pauses when she comes to a stop, turning slightly to look back at her with a raised eyebrow. Vergil did not think the question to be overly complicated, but perhaps he has overestimated the girl's ability to reflect upon herself.

"I see..."

Vergil cannot relate to that, and so does very little to mask his skepticism as to how exactly that could be even remotely enjoyable. He continues making his way further down the aisle towards the amps.

[joke_o]

Kyoko shrugs as the hamster finds its footing once again. She quickly catches up to Vergil again, stopping just a step or two behind Vergil as he inspects the amps.

"What about you? What're your hobbies?"

[antimetabole]

"I enjoy reading," he says absentmindedly. "And I gardened occasionally in the world I was in prior to this place."

Occasionally, he says. That is somewhat of an understatement as he went from a modest collection of plants that he kept on the balcony of his studio apartment to several plants in his bedroom, in the common areas of the house, and a few outside by the time they moved into a larger space. He had even been entertaining the notion of starting a vegetable garden for the next growing season with Kyrie.

But he frames it like little more than a vague, passing interest and leaves it at that while he frowns at amps that seem far too large and bothersome for an apartment.

"Other than that, I train my son, and spar with Mizu and Dante. Nero is also insistent I watch movies with him, but that is more his interest than mine. I tend to enjoy the wrestling we watch over the majority of movies he assures me are cinematic masterpieces."

[joke_o]

Kyoko grins to herself as she makes a mental note of everything Vergil says. After all, he got her snacks for Christmas, it's only fair that she start getting him gifts for subsequent holidays now that she was more settled in. But when he brings up wrestling, that's when she seems to come alive.

"Ooh, I love wrestling! What promotions do you guys watch?" For the first time, there's the slightest hint of a noise - not from the guitar - but from Kyoko bouncing on her heels, a giant grin plastered across her face.

[antimetabole]

"Kyoko."

He says her name with an edge of warning as he looks from the wall of amps to her. His gaze from her face to the guitar in her arms.

No bouncing.

[joke_o]

Kyoko freezes for a moment, looking down at the guitar. It's still in perfect condition, so she arches an eyebrow and glances back up, unsure as to what caused that reaction.

"...What?"

[antimetabole]

Vergil raises his eyes back to hers. He does not think it should be particularly confusing why he said her name or provided her with such a stern look. He draws a short, harsh breath in and out through his nose.

"I understand you are excited, but remain still while you are carrying that," he says, trying to both sound and be as diplomatic as possible.

[joke_o]

Kyoko just rolls her eyes and sighs. Of course the exasperation seems more performative than anything, judging by the smirk on her face.

"Spoil sport." She shrugs, but she isn't letting Vergil dodge the question. "Never did answer me. You guys watch New Japan? WWF? I'm more of a Stardom girl really. The Joshi wrestling is intense."

[antimetabole]

"WWF," he answers, turning his attention back to the amps.

[joke_o]

Kyoko just nods a bit. "Yeah, makes sense. Didn't suppose you guys were from Japan, and NJPW and Stardom aren't really easy to get outside Japan."

She hums a bit, thinking about what she's seen of WWF stuff that she'd seen when another thought comes to mind. "Oh I should see if there's a video rental place with classic NJPW stuff." While she wouldn't say no to it, she knew better than to try and invite Vergil into such a thing. Sounded like that was something he and Nero did as bonding and she wasn't about to insert herself there.

"I think the last I heard of WWF stuff was Shinsuke Nakamura being signed, but that was a bit ago..." She shrugs a bit before actually asking Vergil a follow up. "You got a favorite guy?"

[antimetabole]

"No," he says. "Nero favors The Undertaker."

[joke_o]

"Oooh yeah, can't go wrong with the Deadman." She nods thoughtfully, adjusting her grip on the guitar. "If Nero ever wants to look up New Japan stuff, I think he'd like Kazuchika Okada's work. He's a lot like you, really. He's very tactical and precise."

She doesn't mention that he's also something of a bastard on the mic, but that's not what reminded her of him in the first place.

[antimetabole]

Vergil takes his eyes away from the amps as Kyoko claims this wrestler to be a lot like him. He's visibly skeptical, but the skepticism comes more from the notion that Nero would gravitate towards a wrestler with a penchant for tactics and methods similar to Vergil. That isn't Nero's style, and not something he's particularly interested in adopting into it either. Hence the skepticism and suspicion that it is a recommendation disguised as one for Nero, but truly is for Vergil. He does not give voice to his suspicions, however.

"I will be sure to provide him with the recommendation," he says, turning his attention back to the amps and selecting one of the smaller ones. It should produce enough noise that Dante will be satisfied with it, but not enough that any neighbors will provide complaints. It will work for now, in any case. "Let us select a case and be on our way."

[joke_o]

In Kyoko's defense, the recommendation was genuinely meant for Nero - she doesn't really think Vergil would really be watching at all without Nero prompting him. Of course, not having met Nero, she's just working on flawed information that she inferred from Vergil.

"Hey, uh..." She falters, for a moment a sheepish smile on her face. "Thanks for letting me tag along for this. Still kinda getting used to the place and... not having Riki or Misako to lean on has been... kinda lonely."