It’s rare Nelo ventures out of his mess of a corner. At times, he will grow curious and study his surroundings, before retreating back into his ‘nest’. He stands in front of a mirror now, watching his own reflection with deep sadness. He can feel Dante’s presence, but he doesn’t move. “Mother died.” He whispers. “I died, too.” He adds, his fingers reaching for his chest, hoping to feel his lens heartbeat. “I should be with mother.” His hand clenches into a fist. “The boy should be with you.”
He stands in the doorway, light flooding in from behind him, shadowing his face. The boy is somewhere downstairs, asleep for now, it was very late, the night was windy and it felt like the silent office was howling. He didn’t hear Nelo moving. So it’s a bit of a surprise to see him in the mirror, examining himself. Surely, if he is aware, he has seen how much he has... deflated. He is still large, but his body slowly loses whatever made it large, his skin sags as the weight goes, and then it cracks and falls off. It’s not a pretty sight, but... he doesn’t know what to do. Seeing him now, it gave him a bit of confidence, that he might be on the right path, if he had strength now.
“Good to see you can stand up.” He said in a low voice.
He returns to being silent when Nelo talks, however. The voice is hoarse and distorted, coming out in whispers. It’s not the first time he spoke, but it’s the first time in a long while, and his words... they are filled with familiarity.
Ah... good... so you know who you are, and you know who I am.
Dante thinks that, but he doesn’t see any point in saying that. He knew he should just seize the moment.
“If it makes you feel better... we all died that day.” He replied. He came forward, carefully reaching for that massive grey mitt that was Nelo’s hand, and he squeezed tight enough for Nelo to hopefully feel it.
“You don’t belong with her. You belong with me.” Dante assured him of this, and squeezed his hand tightly once more. “I got you. Okay? You’re right here.” He blinked. “The boy is asleep. Do you want me to bring him up here?” He hesitates, thinking over Nelo’s words, the very idea that he thinks the boy should be with him of all people. “... Do you want me and him to stay here with you tonight?” He asked, wondering if that would work.