Hiraeth Chapter 3: Contrite
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Chapter Three: Contrite
Note: Well, the last chapter was pretty heavy, wasn’t it? I’m still laughing to hide my sadness. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It was very interesting to write, and this is another topic that you’ve wanted me to touch on for some time now in this AU. Enjoy!
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Just outside the house, the faint sound of conversation could still be heard from the other side of the wall as he exited the cozy dwelling and stepped out onto the front porch. Not the sort who had been raised without manners, the redhead made an effort to carefully close the front door before stepping off of the front porch and into the yard, the small stone walkway that led to the front gate clicking underfoot as he strode forward and towards the exit. He knew not what had caused such a reaction in her, but he intended to find out.
Sirrus was walking a thin line and he knew it. Nothing about the matter at hand was something that he should involve himself with. But considering the subject matter, and the sheer level of tension present in that room, there were two things that he was sure of: that this was a conversation that had needed to happen for some time now, and that Nico was not a blood relative to one of the white-haired descendants of Sparda. He’d been on the fence about that one for quite a while now, but now he was certain of it. And that was part of his reason for what he intended to do at that moment. He wanted to understand what had moved the young woman in such a way when she was not a part of what was being discussed, at least, not from what he could tell.
He located his quarry not far from Matier’s cozy little dwelling. Nico sat on a fence across the road from the front gate, her back towards him. Sirrus slowed his gate, not wanting to startle her as he watched her run her arm across her face and sniff, shuttering slightly. There was no need to upset her further. She was clearly already beside herself as a result of powerful emotions that he couldn’t quite comprehend with so little information. But if she was willing to allow him, then he was willing to help.
“You vacated the premises in such a tizzy. Is something troubling you, A chara?” He said softly as he neared her, his desire to make himself know but, at the same time, not to startle her when she was clearly distracted conflicting with one another.
Nico inhaled sharply, startled. She turned to face Sirrus, seemingly surprised that he had come so near to her without her noticing. Facing him or not, the man had startlingly quiet footsteps for one so very tall. She wiped her eyes again, shivering as she regained her composure. Nothing like crying in front of someone you barely knew to make you feel even worse than you had before. “A cha-what?”
He smiled sympathetically. Yes, he’d let that slip, hadn’t he? How unlike him. “Ah yes, that. My sincerest apologies if I’ve confused you. It’s Gaelic. It means “friend.” I meant to say something else that equated to much the same, but honestly, I just got my languages mixed up. I simply meant to enquire as to your condition. You seemed upset.”
The mechanic nodded, letting out a sigh. This entire situation was so uncomfortable. “Yea, sorry about that… it’s kinda complicated. And really fucked up.” She shook her head shrugging as she searched her pockets for her lighter and her cigarettes. Once she found them, she lit one and inhaled deeply, clearing her throat before she spoke again.” You speak more than two languages? That’s fancy. But yea, it would take forever to explain. Long story, ya know? You don’t wanna hear about all that.”
With a disagreeing shake of his head, the redhead glanced both ways to make sure they were along before continuing. Privacy was a luxury on a residential street, and if he expected her to open up to him about this, then he was going to have assure that much on her behalf.
“I’m a polyglot. I speak six languages, not counting Queen’s English. Sadly no one really speaks my native language anymore.” He shook his head, fixing his hair as he sat down on the fence next to her, and attempted to make himself comfortable despite his legs being too long for his sitting position. “But that’s enough about me. I have plenty of time, and I suspect they will be busy for at least a few more minutes. Care to indulge my curiosity? Not a word of what you say will escape my lips. Everyone needs a confidante.”
She seemed hesitant for a moment before succeeding defeat and taking another puff of her cigarette. “Well, I warned ya. It’s about what Vergil said about being that Nelo Angelo fella. The Black Angel.” Her face scrunched in discomfort as she said those words, clearly displeased. “That’s already really fucked up and all, but ya know what makes it even worse? My dear old deadbeat daddy did a lot of research into him. And then he replicated it! Those wackjobs in Fortuna looked at that mess and said “yea, let’s do that!”
He waited a moment, listening to see if she would say anything else. Getting things off of her chest might help, and he was willing to listen. She took another heavy draw from the cigarette, exhaling heavily. When he realized she wasn’t going to continue, he leaned forward slightly, giving her a sincere look. She was holding something back, and he could tell. “But that’s not all. There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”
Nico paused for a moment before attempting to continue smoking. A harsh breeze kicked up, knocking the cigarette out of her hand and onto the ground. She cursed under her breath and jumped up to stomped it out, unwilling to let it roll into the nearby bushes and possibly start a fire. After doing so, she reached for another, only to place it into her mouth and fumble with the lighter to discover that was too windy outside to use. And even if it wasn’t, it seemed to be jammed or otherwise unfunctional.
“Shit. Why now?” She looked up and huffed, irritated. “I was gonna use that, you know. Damn wind… and yea, there is more to it than that. That’s the worst part, at least for me.”
With a creaking groan from the worn wood, she clambered back onto the fence, settling back in next to Sirrus as she looked out across the street towards the house. Things were quieter now, or maybe that was just her imagination. She couldn’t really be sure, but she didn’t care all that much either way. When she turned back towards the red-haired man in the black and purple coat, he had his hand extended towards her. Her eyes traveled between his palm and her hands, leaving her confused until she realized he was quietly requesting the pack of cigarettes she held. “Oh, did you want one? Didn’t know you were into that.”
He nodded and then shook his head, taking the pack from her hands. Sirrus then withdrew a cigarette and studied it for a moment, a difficult to read look on his face. “I don’t smoke them. Perhaps that wind was a little hint from the powers that be that it might be time to quit while your ahead. Best not to squander your talents young.” He paused when she gave him a funny look. She didn’t look upset, but the raised eyebrow told him that he might be overstepping a bit. Best to leave it be. “I’ve heard from your compatriots that your quite skilled when it comes to making weapons. Your habits might end that for you prematurely. But that’s not my business. It’s your life. I can light this for you… if you’d like.”
Nico mumbled something under her breath in agreement before grabbing the end of the cigarette out of his extended hand with her mouth as he handed her the pack back, an amused look on his face. She was more than a little surprised when he extended his hand to pinch the end of the thin cylinder, the logical part of her mind wondering where he was keeping his matches of his lighter or whatever else he might use to accomplish his task.
“Hold still for me,” he said quietly, leaning in slightly as if he were trying to get a better view of what he was trying to do. Before she could say anything, the end of the cigarette ignited. A small puff of smoke and light-colored flame could be seen before it died down and he released it, sitting back again and looking forward. She inhaled and then sighed, removing it from her mouth as she allowed the smoke to escape her mouth.
“Yea, your probably right. I shouldn’t have started in the first place. But ya know, peer pressure and all that. It’s whatever. I’ll stop one day. I hope.” She took another quick draw before putting it out on what was left of the old, abandoned fence, suddenly not in the mood to actually smoke it. Two was more than enough. No need to get carried away. “So… how’d ya do that? Or am I not supposed to ask? You some kinda demon or somethin’ like that? Cause I don’t really care. Most everybody I know is at this point.”
Sirrus seemed to consider her question for a moment as he looked out across the house, a glittering hint of something she couldn’t quite grasp in his cool grey eyes. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he raised his fingers and snapped them, an unnatural ringing sound echoing across the space between them as he did so. Nico stared at him as she realized that his thumb and index finger had caught fire, and that the fire was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It flickered between a deep black and a gleaming white somewhat randomly, his relaxed demeanor indicating to her that this somehow didn’t harm him in any way. A moment later, he dragged his fingers back across one another in the opposite direction, extinguishing the once vibrant flames. “... it’s something like that. Your not too far off. But I can’t really say. Or, at least, I’m not supposed to. Safety measures and all that. You probably shouldn’t have seen me do that much, if I’m being honest. But what’s done is done. Tell me what’s eating you up inside?”
The plucky mechanist repressed the urge to press him further. She was sure they could pick this up again under happier circumstances at a later date. But at the very least, her curiosity had been piqued. She’d never seen anyone do anything quite like that, and she wondered if any of Nero’s relatives could do anything similar. Maybe she could ask him once things calmed down again.
“Well… what’s bothern’ me so much is that I took my daddy’s messed up work and I used a little bit of it to help me better understand how to help Nero out with somethin’. It’s those Devil breakers you saw me workin’ on before we left. And then I find out where that research really came from…” She shook her head again, deeply bothered. “I just feel like… I dono how to really say it. Ya think Vergil’d be pissed off if he found out? Cause I feel like I’d be, ya know? It just feels wrong to me now that I really know. But I did it to help his son out, so maybe that makes it better? Who knows. I just kinda feel like a hypocrite for giving my daddy so much shit and then almost doing the same thing myself.”
Sirrus shook his head, signaling to her that they didn’t quite share the same sentiments. “I don’t think that constitutes a hypocritical standpoint in the slightest. I’ve mingled with my fair share of hypocrites and narcissists during my lifetime, and your nothing like them. At most, it was an honest misstep. At worst, it’s still better than anything your worthless father probably did on his best days.” The fiery redhead gave her a more playful look, attempting to keep the subject matter as lighthearted as he possibly could. He understood her more than she realized.” He willfully inflicted horrors upon others. You took that legacy of defilement and evil and converted it into the very antithesis of his work. And you did it better than he ever could. I think that’s the best punishment anyone like him could ever hope to receive. And for it to be his own daughter? His own flesh and blood? Absolutely delicious. I revel in it. I can’t say that I know Vergil, so I can’t say how he’d feel about it. But personally, I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”
Nico seemed to consider his words for a moment. He made a good point. Agnus would probably roll over in his grave if he knew what she’d used his life’s work to create. It was a total and utter insult to his entire body of work, and that was something she could take pride in. But there was still always going to be a part of her that felt as though she’d done something perverse to her best friend’s father, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to reconcile that. Nico wished she could go back to a time when she hadn’t known that. It seemed so long ago, and yet it had only been a few minutes. But then again, that was all it took to deliver the kind of knowledge that had to potential to change someone’s life forever. Despite everything he’d done, she kinda felt bad for Vergil. And Dante, for that matter. He’d been through a lot. His entire personality kinda made more sense to her now.
What a tragedy.
“That’s a good point, I guess. I guess I could- wait, what the hell is that?” Nico paused in the middle of her sentence and pointed further up the street. Strange creatures that she’d never seen before had just crossed the intersection about a block away, and they seemed to be after someone. Her mind immediately answered her question for her, but Sirrus decided to chime in as he hopped down off of the fence and looked where she’d pointed, a serious and nonplussed look on his face. He was clearly unhappy with the current events as his light jog turned into a sprint, the reality of what was happening only occurring to him at that moment.
“Those are demons, Nico. And that means that I have work to do.”
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V stood up and transitioned to the couch, his balance still slightly shaky from his ordeal. If he was going to relay this particular story, then the very least that he could do was attempt to make himself comfortable. After all, this was going to take a while, and he didn’t intend to spend any more time than he needed to in a state of discomfort.
“So if you don’t like talking about this, then why do it?” Dante asked bluntly. He was somewhat confused as to V’s motivations, although still curious to hear what his oldest nephew had to say. It was the first time that he’d offered to regale them with tales of a time before they’d met, and he didn’t intend to talk him out of his decision if he didn’t need to.
The young summoner leaned forward and perched his elbows on his thighs, propping his neck up with his palms as he looked down at the floor for a moment. He breathed slowly, gathering himself. “Because this is something I should have done a long time ago. After all, the fool who persists in his folly will become wise. And I need to get this over and done with. It’s better this way, regardless of my desire to do so. That’s now irrelevant.”
Nero leaned back against the couch next to V, seemingly understanding what he meant as he nodded in agreement. “I get that. And if that knife was messing with your head and this demon prince guy had his stupid cult come after you, then it makes you wonder why your thinking about whatever this is now, right? You said it’s been a while. That can’t be a coincidence, can it?”
V nodded in agreement, sharing an almost bewildered look with his younger sibling. “Yes, precisely. It might sound unusual, or even impossible, but it felt almost as though someone was searching through my mind in an attempt to find a weapon to use against me, and I only discovered it partway through. I feel almost compelled to get this out of my system. I’ve been poisoned by it for far too long.”
The Eldest Son of Sparda seemed to consider his son’s statement, now more uncomfortable than he had been previously. And considering the conversation that they’d just had and the blunt force trauma that Matier had delivered to his cranium, that was truly saying something. “That is entirely possible. That is how Belial gained the upper hand in our first battle. Anything that he has influence over shares his power. The only difference is that for him to use that power against you, a physical connection is required. His reach isn’t that concrete, thankfully.” He stopped for a moment, sparing a glance at the box that contained the knife.” I imagine that the blade would have a similar effect on me if he willed it to do so. But I am not eager to find out. And you’ve come in direct contact with his corrupted conduit, so his path to you might be more fleshed out. It’s not an ideal situation.”
Dante shrugged. “I gotta say, it sure looks like we’re a few dozen steps behind, doesn’t it? And with an opponent this powerful… this isn’t good. I don’t like our chances right now. He’s definitely got the upper hand.”
Nero nodded in agreement, his arm flopping down onto his lap. “Yea, that’s probably true, Dante. But if V thinks we should know something, then it might be a good idea to sit down and shut up and listen to him, right? So let’s do that.”
Vergil folded his arms in a huff, not pleased by Nero’s blunt and to the point statement. He was however willing to succeed defeat to his son in this situation, however. Nero’s point was valid, regardless of his choice of vocabulary. “Very well. Proceed.”
The young summoner stretched slightly, adjusting his posture before clasping his hands together and leaning back. “Very well, then. Settle in. This may take a while.”
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It’s nice to start out the book by tackling some of the bigger questions, especially when that means that I know for sure what I’ll be writing about for the next few chapters. Really helps my writer’s block. And I’m ahead of schedule, too? Well, that’s a welcome change of pace! Anyway, thanks for your help! I’ll see you all next week on Wednesday! And bring tissues! You might need them. It’s backstory time!
Rest in peace Brad Venable. You voiced my favorite crazy birb. This chapter is for you.