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[Hmmm.]
I'm not wakin' up smelling like a petting zoo.
[FIIINE. Himeka's obviously got something, Wanda's not backing down, and Nero's not really in the business in refusing them, anyway. With a click of his tongue he opens the door wider, standing behind it as they come in.]
I'm surprised you didn't just blow the door off. Which I totally appreciate. [It's only a little jab at Wanda.] So what's up?
I'm not wakin' up smelling like a petting zoo.
[FIIINE. Himeka's obviously got something, Wanda's not backing down, and Nero's not really in the business in refusing them, anyway. With a click of his tongue he opens the door wider, standing behind it as they come in.]
I'm surprised you didn't just blow the door off. Which I totally appreciate. [It's only a little jab at Wanda.] So what's up?
[ Himeka only smiles more when he finally relents, waltzing in with little restraint. She makes a point to keep her front facing Nero to keep further raise the sense of suspense, which is important in any surprise.
Might as well start laying the groundwork, right? A tagteam with Wanda will do. ]
It's been a little while, but we know you had a rough time back on that cruise.
Might as well start laying the groundwork, right? A tagteam with Wanda will do. ]
It's been a little while, but we know you had a rough time back on that cruise.
[did they rehearse this? maybe a little.
wanda shuffles to nero's other side, so they're standing suspiciously with him in the middle. no room for escape like this. does wanda also pull out a small piece of paper to read from? it's — so cheesy, it hurts her to memorize the lines.]
And we know that even though you are pretty strong, you can still bruise.
[it's a rhyming scheme, hell yeah.]
wanda shuffles to nero's other side, so they're standing suspiciously with him in the middle. no room for escape like this. does wanda also pull out a small piece of paper to read from? it's — so cheesy, it hurts her to memorize the lines.]
And we know that even though you are pretty strong, you can still bruise.
[it's a rhyming scheme, hell yeah.]
[Nero tenses up, crossing his arms over his chest like he's prepping for a physical blow.
That might as well have been one. He looks between them, white brows drawing together, eyes narrowed with a growing suspicion. This. This is what they interrupted his super busy day for.
The ugh he makes is audible.]
So you guys just came here to torture me? That's it?
That might as well have been one. He looks between them, white brows drawing together, eyes narrowed with a growing suspicion. This. This is what they interrupted his super busy day for.
The ugh he makes is audible.]
So you guys just came here to torture me? That's it?
[ Nero should absolutely feel the love and affection pouring out of this entire display. They aren't some cheap knockoff demon hunter with a penchant for bad one-liners and misquoting movies. They worked on this themselves.
And she is not going to interrupt their poem just because he's going to be cranky about it! It's what they anticipated, anyway. ]
And though most wounds can heal with a little booze...
[ She's bouncing on the balls of her feet. What she's holding behind her probably isn't a bottle of alcohol though, right? They would readily share that with Nero without an occasion. ]
And she is not going to interrupt their poem just because he's going to be cranky about it! It's what they anticipated, anyway. ]
And though most wounds can heal with a little booze...
[ She's bouncing on the balls of her feet. What she's holding behind her probably isn't a bottle of alcohol though, right? They would readily share that with Nero without an occasion. ]
[nero = ignored.
wanda pays attention to himeka, keeps track of the cadence she uses to say her part of their little 'rhyming' scheme, and draws some air to say her next and final part.]
...there's nothing better than some TLC to cure your blues.
[that said, wanda motions over at himeka to show nero the card that she's so earnestly holding behind her. once it's presented for all to see, nero will find that it's a 'get better soon!' card, made from scratch by wanda and himeka; their art isn't as good as nero's, but it's decent enough. it sure has a lot of blues—the ship, the ocean, the sky, nero falling over. inside the card, is the poem they've just recited, and then both wanda and himeka's signature.]
wanda pays attention to himeka, keeps track of the cadence she uses to say her part of their little 'rhyming' scheme, and draws some air to say her next and final part.]
...there's nothing better than some TLC to cure your blues.
[that said, wanda motions over at himeka to show nero the card that she's so earnestly holding behind her. once it's presented for all to see, nero will find that it's a 'get better soon!' card, made from scratch by wanda and himeka; their art isn't as good as nero's, but it's decent enough. it sure has a lot of blues—the ship, the ocean, the sky, nero falling over. inside the card, is the poem they've just recited, and then both wanda and himeka's signature.]
[They did not answer his question, but considering they are continuing to rhyme, the answer is definitely yes. Yeah, yeah, Himeka's hiding something, and though he could easily peer around her to take a peek, some part of him is feeling a little. Trepidation.
Maybe.
What he gets is not anything like what he expected.
It's a picture of him (terribly drawn) falling from the deck of a ship. And it should make him annoyed, to see it brought up again. (He didn't know the whole damn ship was gonna stop!) But something softens the furrowed brows. For a moment (and may they enjoy it forever), Nero is stunned into silence.
He takes the card and takes in all of that blue. Opens it. The same terrible poem, but at least it's written nicely.
Unfortunately, he was not raised to have defenses against this sort of thing.] You guys wrote me a card?
[With the tone of a teenager with a still-living sense of wonder asking, you bought me a car?
It may have become shockingly clear that Nero has never received a card in his entire life.]
Maybe.
What he gets is not anything like what he expected.
It's a picture of him (terribly drawn) falling from the deck of a ship. And it should make him annoyed, to see it brought up again. (He didn't know the whole damn ship was gonna stop!) But something softens the furrowed brows. For a moment (and may they enjoy it forever), Nero is stunned into silence.
He takes the card and takes in all of that blue. Opens it. The same terrible poem, but at least it's written nicely.
Unfortunately, he was not raised to have defenses against this sort of thing.] You guys wrote me a card?
[With the tone of a teenager with a still-living sense of wonder asking, you bought me a car?
It may have become shockingly clear that Nero has never received a card in his entire life.]
[Buddy? Who the fuck calls him buddy?
Wait. He doesn't recognize the writing (what he can read of it), but it sure as shit isn't Dante, and he only knows one guy who's high enough to call him "buddy" when they definitely aren't (maybe if the tuna had made it to the boat --)]
JERRY
FIND JOSSELYN
[Fuck, how much is even going through? What if he just turns into a shitty, repetitive fax machine?]
JOSSELYN
JOSSELYN HOUSE
HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE
HYDNELLIA
HYDNELLIA
HYDNELLIA
ASK IF SHE'S JOSSELYN
IFYOU'VE HEARD THE NAME
FIND HIMEKA
Wait. He doesn't recognize the writing (what he can read of it), but it sure as shit isn't Dante, and he only knows one guy who's high enough to call him "buddy" when they definitely aren't (maybe if the tuna had made it to the boat --)]
JE
FIND JOSSELYN
[Fuck, how much is even going through? What if he just turns into a shitty, repetitive fax machine?]
JOS
JOSSE
HO
HYDNEL
H
AS
IF
Edited 2023-02-25 07:54 (UTC)
jerry I swear to god if I ever see you again I'm going to kill you
Edited 2023-02-28 08:10 (UTC)
Edited 2023-02-28 08:13 (UTC)
[Why did Abraxas curse him with nature's perfect idiot to catch a message? Of all the fucking messages he's sent out??
Fuck's sake. It's not like he has anything but time right now.]
fineI'll look for him
Fuck's sake. It's not like he has anything but time right now.]
fine
I feel so much better.
Edited 2023-03-02 07:05 (UTC)
[ There is definitely some childlike excitement and anticipation when it's finally time in their little presentation to show Nero the card. Himeka's tail is waving behind her expectantly as Nero takes his time reviewing his gift. Her gaze flicks eagerly back and forth between Wanda and Nero.
He's not calling it stupid. That is a good sign, isn't it? ]
We did! Though we painted it first.
[ Obviously. ]
It worked out well because the ocean looks blue and you also seem to enjoy the color.
[ She clasps her hands behind her back. ]
What do you think? Does it help, even a little belatedly?
He's not calling it stupid. That is a good sign, isn't it? ]
We did! Though we painted it first.
[ Obviously. ]
It worked out well because the ocean looks blue and you also seem to enjoy the color.
[ She clasps her hands behind her back. ]
What do you think? Does it help, even a little belatedly?
We worked really hard on it, so you better not just throw it out.
[as most people do with get well cards: there for a moment, a week later finding a home in the trash. it's not so much for wanda's sake as it is for himeka's—clearly this is all too new to their favorite lizard person, and she's taken it all in stride.]
Hang it on your wall.
[as most people do with get well cards: there for a moment, a week later finding a home in the trash. it's not so much for wanda's sake as it is for himeka's—clearly this is all too new to their favorite lizard person, and she's taken it all in stride.]
Hang it on your wall.
[He's genuinely not sure what to say. He keeps looking at the little drawing, and terrible as it is, the very clear symbol of what is Nero, tail and all, falling off a ship into the ocean. As if he'd simply tripped and not done it for a laugh.
He jerks his gaze up to Wanda.] Why would I throw it out? [He doesn't have a clue that's what people do 'cause he's never had one before. Certainly never one someone, like, drew. And painted. Kyrie's not a card girl, she's a 3-boxes-of-fresh-cookies girl.
Nero's tail lashes back and forth at the tip.]
Yeah. It helps. [Somewhere out there, Nico's asking, you gonna cry?] Thanks. [He looks between them.] Really. And though it's none of your business what I do with it... maybe I will hang it up. Place could use a little fine art.
He jerks his gaze up to Wanda.] Why would I throw it out? [He doesn't have a clue that's what people do 'cause he's never had one before. Certainly never one someone, like, drew. And painted. Kyrie's not a card girl, she's a 3-boxes-of-fresh-cookies girl.
Nero's tail lashes back and forth at the tip.]
Yeah. It helps. [Somewhere out there, Nico's asking, you gonna cry?] Thanks. [He looks between them.] Really. And though it's none of your business what I do with it... maybe I will hang it up. Place could use a little fine art.
[Unfortunately, a few days later means Nero's even deeper in the shitter. He blinks his eyes blearily, the words spilling darkly against the bone in his hand. With nothing to do, he's been sharpening a few to use as makeshift weapons if -- when -- it's needed.
Shit. Jerry. He sits up.]
Spill.
Shit. Jerry. He sits up.]
Spill.
ok so we went to Josselyn's place and asked around
get this: her neighbors vanished. folks thought it was super weird. it was an old dude, a young woman and her brother Ed, maybe in their twenties ish
the girl was real tight with Josselyn
no one knew the name Hydnellia though
get this: her neighbors vanished. folks thought it was super weird. it was an old dude, a young woman and her brother Ed, maybe in their twenties ish
the girl was real tight with Josselyn
no one knew the name Hydnellia though
[If he had the energy, he'd congratulate on Jerry doing absolutely anything of note at this point. But he's got wounds, he's exhausted to a brink he hasn't been brought to since the fight with Urizen, and the only leg up he's got is at least he still has two arms.
So all he can manage from what he understands of Jerry's message is short:]
doesn't help much.
So all he can manage from what he understands of Jerry's message is short:]
doesn't hel
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