The Immaculate Doctor

castle-prodigy-ienzo: doctor-weiss replied to your post:Brotherly Weiss chuckled and held the boy...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:51:43 -0500

doctor-weiss replied to your post:Brotherly

Weiss chuckled and held the boy close. “I have been…a bit busy with personal projects…with Megami. I am happy to see you doing well, though, Ienzo.”

Ienzo nodded as he listened to what his eldest sibling had been up to, leaning against him happily. “I haven’t seen Megami in a long time… and Crissy since she gave me my Christmas present. Are they doing okay?” he asked, tilting his head. “And I’ve been fine… though I’ve apparently become a magnet for trouble and it’s worrying Nero…”

His hand was on top of the boy’s head, stroking it gently as possible. The last time he had been seen in public was when…he had last lost his mind and attacked Megami. For the good of everyone involved, he thought it best to be out of sight…

“She is well enough…” On strict bed rest. “…and last I saw Crissy she had gone to visit you with her present,” there was a chuckle there. He had helped the child with it. His brow furrowed at the mention of trouble, however…”Trouble Ienzo? What kind of trouble? Tell your big brother.” If someone had been giving the boy trouble, by Gaia, he was going to give them a piece of his mind.

miyomo: aqua-twin: goodknight2sday: lamebear: fireladyswag: ...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:17:10 -0500

miyomo:

aqua-twin:

goodknight2sday:

lamebear:

fireladyswag:

windyasylum:

caterfree10:

thepreciousthing:

thechocowhore:

avalouie:

So this IS a common position!?

…what if i’m doing both…

I am doing both

asfjhdsflkshdfks both .-.

I have poor circulation because of the leg thing. u_u

ahahahah the arm.

DAMN. BOTH.

when i saw this i slid my hand down to cover my eyes and i laughed. cuz i do both

er…..well then

How

HOW

@twinturkterrors: Battling Psychosis

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:32:17 -0500

Sometimes it was just little triggers here and there that would set him off. Megami had been able to handle him, though. She always managed to come save him in time, kept him at bay - he could count on her to keep the boiling madness from overflowing and affecting the world around him. It had been just a little thing. He didn’t remember what it was, really, or why it had truly upset him, but it had and pretty soon he had his gunblades drawn on his Turk.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:34:54 -0500

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:27:36 -0500

Quick crack RP right now.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:23:21 -0500

nero-the-sable:

twinturkterrors:

doctor-weiss:

nero-the-sable:

twinturkterrors:

Megami was pretty sure her butt was pressed up against someone. She wasn’t sure who. “Seriously guys. Are you all on some kind of experimental drug? Or are you experiening mako madness?” Or maybe she had fallen down a rabbit hole. She was looking around for a bottle that could shrink her or a cake that could make her grow.

Nero eagerly returned the embrace, ignoring the woman for now. “And I you dear brother. And ah, it is not I, but you, who will be the center of attention. Just do remember to stay faithful during the reception.”

“Ah, do not worry my brother. My love for you only pales in comparison to my love for the su—Oh, you meant staying faithful to Megami. Right. Right. I will love the incubator of my future babies with great gusto. You will become a most wonderful uncle!” Weiss embraced his brother once more. Then he remembered that his future wife was on his shoulder. “We must prepare for the wedding! We must invite all of our relatives…who are we related to again?”

Yeah, Megami was pretty sure that her butt was pressed up to someone’s face. At this point, she had stopped struggling so she wouldn’t accidentally kick Nero - just when did he get rid of all that stuff he normally had on? - although he might have deserved it for doing nothing to help her out of this predicament. Traitor. She was going to set fire to his home later for this. “Um, if the brofest isn’t done,l can you put me down now Weiss? My stomach’s starting to hurt.” She bet ten dollars they were both going to ignore her in favor of more bromance. She sighed and wondered what the wedding reception will be like.

“Me? An uncle, brother? I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue,” he responded with a hearty laugh as he stepped back. “Genesis is one. We could also invite the Remnants as well considering they are technically family.”

“A dozen children should be sufficient.” Weiss decided. “Yes, Genesis and the Remnants would be a good idea. We could invite them. Do you know how to contact them?”

Quick crack RP right now.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:01:20 -0500

nero-the-sable:

twinturkterrors:

doctor-weiss:

nero-the-sable:

twinturkterrors:

doctor-weiss:

Weiss came into the room and picked up Megami, throwing her onto his shoulder. He pointed to his brother. “Nero, you’re my best man.” He threw Ienzo a ring. “Ienzo, you’re going to be the ring bearer.” He squeezed the woman on his shoulder possessive. “Megami, you’re going to be my wife.”

Megami blinked. Then it registered what was happening. “What?! I’m not marrying you!” She struggled and kicked at him. “Weiss, this totally isn’t funny!”

Nero grinned, somehow already in a tuxedo (sans muzzle) and with his hair combed back. ”Of course brother. I’ll make the preparations.”

Weiss clasped his brother’s hand, ignoring what his future wife was saying.”Brother, you look so handsome. No doubt you will be the life of the party, even though this is spontaneous and I doubt many people will be attending. I love you brother!” He embraced him.

Megami was pretty sure her butt was pressed up against someone. She wasn’t sure who. “Seriously guys. Are you all on some kind of experimental drug? Or are you experiening mako madness?” Or maybe she had fallen down a rabbit hole. She was looking around for a bottle that could shrink her or a cake that could make her grow.

Nero eagerly returned the embrace, ignoring the woman for now. “And I you dear brother. And ah, it is not I, but you, who will be the center of attention. Just do remember to stay faithful during the reception.”

“Ah, do not worry my brother. My love for you only pales in comparison to my love for the su—Oh, you meant staying faithful to Megami. Right. Right. I will love the incubator of my future babies with great gusto. You will become a most wonderful uncle!” Weiss embraced his brother once more. Then he remembered that his future wife was on his shoulder. “We must prepare for the wedding! We must invite all of our relatives…who are we related to again?”

Quick crack RP right now.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:51:28 -0500

nero-the-sable:

twinturkterrors:

doctor-weiss:

Weiss came into the room and picked up Megami, throwing her onto his shoulder. He pointed to his brother. “Nero, you’re my best man.” He threw Ienzo a ring. “Ienzo, you’re going to be the ring bearer.” He squeezed the woman on his shoulder possessive. “Megami, you’re going to be my wife.”

Megami blinked. Then it registered what was happening. “What?! I’m not marrying you!” She struggled and kicked at him. “Weiss, this totally isn’t funny!”

Nero grinned, somehow already in a tuxedo (sans muzzle) and with his hair combed back. ”Of course brother. I’ll make the preparations.”

Weiss clasped his brother’s hand, ignoring what his future wife was saying.”Brother, you look so handsome. No doubt you will be the life of the party, even though this is spontaneous and I doubt many people will be attending. I love you brother!” He embraced him.

Quick crack RP right now.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:43:16 -0500

Weiss came into the room and picked up Megami, throwing her onto his shoulder. He pointed to his brother. “Nero, you’re my best man.” He threw Ienzo a ring. “Ienzo, you’re going to be the ring bearer.” He squeezed the woman on his shoulder possessive. “Megami, you’re going to be my wife.”

twinturkterrors: castle-prodigy-ienzo: twinturkterrors: castle...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:17:57 -0500

twinturkterrors:

castle-prodigy-ienzo:

twinturkterrors:

castle-prodigy-ienzo:

twinturkterrors:

HEIL WEISS!!

(Ijustneedthisonmyblog)

((Weiss-mun will either kill me or marry me for this. Possibly both. XD))

(I just love. The delicate little tiara she’s holding)

((It’s because the world is hers. She’s the number one princess in the woooorld~))

((>_>;))

castle-prodigy-ienzo: twinturkterrors: MORE...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:06:08 -0500

castle-prodigy-ienzo:

twinturkterrors:

MORE PRINCESSES!!

(OH.

MY.

GOD.

-discreetly saves the Ienzo one-)

(Megami-mun…I am at work, I open up my phone to check me messages and WTF do I find?! XD At least you haven’t done one for Weiss.)

OOC: Logging off for tonight.

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:26:07 -0500

Because work tired me out more than I thought it would. See you all tomorrow.

nero-the-sable: doctor-weiss: nero-the-sable: doctor-weiss: The barrier began to open, but it...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:25:07 -0500

nero-the-sable:

doctor-weiss:

nero-the-sable:

doctor-weiss:

The barrier began to open, but it did not give out entirely. That shadows that had been on his hand were shaken off and he gently began to pry apart the pronged wings that served as his brother’s arms and hands. Bit by bit, the shield was moved and he could see his brother inside the darkness, looking so vulnerable it physically pained Weiss to look at him.

“Brother, at long last.”

Her pushed his way in, gently, carefully. Weiss did not rush and wrapped his arms around his brother’s shoulders, slowly moving in. He held him quietly. There was no need for more words, for now. All Nero needed to know was that he was here for him.

The younger of the two leaned into the embrace, trembling and weary. The false appendages withdrew to fold at his back once more.

_{“…It hurts, brother…”}

His voice had become hoarse, muffled slightly by the metal that covered his mouth. It was a fact that he cared little for. Nero had his brother here and for now that was enough. If only the pain would go away…

There was blood on his brother’s scalp from where he had been tearing into it before, when he started going mad from being confined. There had to be a way to undo this. There was a solution to everything.

“I know, Nero. I’m sorry I can’t do more than this.” Holding Nero. He had only got to hold his brother a few times in his new life, his second chance. But what of his brother’s second chance? Had he not been freed for a reason? What a despicable and cruel trick this was. “Nero…just breathe…breathe and try to relax. I’m here. Your brother’s here for you.”

Nero tried, he really did, but each intake of air gave way to a shuddering expulsion. It was hard, so hard to relax after everything. He’d been free after having been restrained for so long…

“_{I can’t…}”

His brother’s presence and the arms wrapped around him were probably the only things keeping the Sable grounded at the moment and clinging tightly to his last coherent train of thought and the shred of sanity that came with it.

Weiss touched his forehead to Nero’s. He kept contact any way he could in order to help his brother’s mind stay together.

“You can,” he insisted, “you are my brother. Blood of my blood. You can overcome this.” Weiss believed in his brother. If they got through his arm biding and wing grafting the first time round, they can do it again. And then, when the storm past and the dust settled, they would make people pay and Weiss would figure out a way to free his brother once more. Nero did not deserve to be tied up.

Am I the only one, when roleplaying, that has this slight paranoia thinking that the person might not like roleplaying with me or might be annoyed with me

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:04:01 -0500

literaryillusions:

angel-experiment:

madimpossibleamelia:

THIS

doctor-weiss started following you

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:48:52 -0500

castle-prodigy-ienzo:

doctor-weiss:

castle-prodigy-ienzo:

doctor-weiss:

Weiss chuckled. Gently he reached out and ruffled up the boy’s hair, amazed at the hue. It was an interesting shade of silver- cool gray? It had hints of blue in it.

“Hot cocoa it is.”

How surprisingly easy it was to come into contact with the boy. The ex-Tsviet did not feel any ill will towards the boy - far from it, he was grateful to him for being a balm for Nero’s soul while he had been gone. If Nero looked upon Ienzo as a brother, then, by extension they were brothers, too. He would simply have to get used to little Ienzo being in his life as well as Nero. Things were moving so fast…

“I’m not nice,” answered the white-haired man, “so much as I am into self-preservation.” There was a Turk with a bad temper in the house who might give him hell if he hadn’t acted the good host.

Leading the boy into the mansion kitchen, he gestured to a chair and got started on making the hot cocoa. Boiling some milk in a special saucepan and adding in the mix. “So, Ienzo, tell me a bit about yourself…what you like…how you met Nero….anything. I am curious.”

Ienzo laughed as the familiar feeling of someone ruffling up his hair as usual, a gesture that the apprentice had come full well to accept and even enjoy as something fun. A sign of affection.

“Thank you very much, Weiss.”

Ienzo had begun relaxing in the older man’s presence though there was still so much he was curious about Deepground and everything that had happened to them. It had made him sad to know what they’d done but even sadder to know what had been the cause that day he’d confronted Hojo. He just hoped that he’d make a good impression on the older man. And he couldn’t help but wonder just what had happened to him.

“Self preservation’s a good thing, but I think you’re nicer than you’re letting on. I mean, you’re being kind to me after all. And I know that it’s likely because of Nero but that still didn’t mean you had to be.”

The child followed the man into the kitch and hopped up into the chair, watching the man work. “Well…I’m not too sure how it was I ran into Nero…I just sort of found him and we started talking. He let me examine his wings and I tried to free him from the restraints he was in. Before I knew it, we were talking regularly and started calling each other…brothers,” the boy replied, saying that last word in a smaller tone out of a slight apprehension at how Weiss would react to the knowledge.

The boy was sharp - sharper than a boy his age should be, but that was why he was called a prodigy, right? It was true that Weiss didn’t have to be nice, but it felt right enough. Nero had a hand in it - as well as other factors - but Weiss also needed to know the world outside of Deepground and the walls that now made up his home for the time being.

The man listened attentively as Ienzo spoke about how he met his brother, some of the words surprising him quite a bit. Some things did not match what he could recall with his scattered memories, while others did in fact, make a lot of sense. His head began to throb painfully and he rubbed at his temples. The milk was boiling and he poured it into a mug. It was one of those joke things one got for someone; a random gift from the Turk staying with him. It read ‘WARNING! THE MAD SCIENTIST IS STALKING ABROAD!’ Although he did not get the reference, the slogan had made him laugh a little the first time he saw it.

He handed the mug over to Ienzo, warning him that it might be a bit hot; he didn’t let go of the cup until he was sure it wouldn’t burn the boy. He silently thanked the last few times he babysat for his ability to deal with children now. Weiss wasn’t sure he’d be as good with them as Nero was.

The boy was apprehensive. He had no reason to be and Weiss was quick to rectify this.

He smiled, gently as possible, and ruffled the boy’s hair again. He seemed to like this gesture, from what he observed. “Well, I suppose that means you and I are brothers as well, of sorts. Do you mind sharing Nero with me?”

Ienzo was so curious. So very curious as to how Weiss and Nero were like as children. He wondered so much about them, their past, and their side of the story from what that woman in Kalm had told him that day she’d fed him. He could tell that Weiss was highly intelligent as well, seeing a similar intelligence to that of the apprentices.

When Ienzo noticed that Weiss was rubbing at his head, the boy asked in a soft tone, “Are you okay?” worried for the elder and his wellbeing. Even if Ienzo wasn’t too certain yet around the man, he was still Nero’s brother and it made Ienzo worried as well because he just knew that Nero would be upset if anything had happened to either of his two brothers. And Ienzo hated to see his big brother sad about anything. It made him oddly protective over the other even though the small scientist was hardly strong enough for much of a fight.

Upon seeing the mug and what was written on it, the boy let out a small giggle as he made a mental note to find and purchase one of these kinds of mugs for Even for Christmas. Although the boy was certain that his foster father would simply roll his eyes and groan at the present, Ienzo thought it would make a nice precursor to the real gift he was getting for the man who was raising him. Taking the mug, Ienzo took a tentative sip of the beverage to get adjusted to the temperature before taking a deeper sip. “This is really good!” he complimented.

The boy smiled again as his hair was mussed a little more before he looked up at the other in somewhat awe. “Really? Y-you’re willing to be my brother, too?” he asked. “Though I feel as though I should be the one asking you if you’re willing to share. Nero’s always been your brother, after all.”

The boy was worried about his well-being. He shouldn’t. Weiss was not a kind man. He could remember the kind of person he was back in Deepground, before he…died the first time. Unlike everyone else who seemed to have died off and come back, this particular Tsviet had been unlucky enough to have it happen to him twice. And when he came back this time he had someone accompany him…so long as his tenant didn’t decide to cause problems right now, things would be fine.

He gave Ienzo a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine.” He ruffled the boy’s head again and smiled widely when his cocoa was praised. He felt quite proud then, even though it was just for a simple drink. “Thank you. Make sure not to leave a drop. Don’t want to waste after all.” It was something an adult would say to a child, right? He would need to inquire the right people about this sort of thing…

He should really stop messing up the boy’s hair, but he couldn ‘t quite help it.

He nodded in affirmation; he wouldn’t mind having another little brother to look after. It might even do Weiss some good in the long run. He crouched at the foot of the chair and looked the boy straight in the eye. “I have had Nero for far longer than you. I think it would be selfish if I kept him to myself. And Nero cares for you greatly and separating you would only cause strife. Besides…I think I can grow to be as fond of you as Nero is.” He chuckled. “You’ve found a way into this heart of mine.”

nero-the-sable: doctor-weiss: nero-the-sable: Yes, Nero remembered that day. He remembered the...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:33:14 -0500

nero-the-sable:

doctor-weiss:

nero-the-sable:

Yes, Nero remembered that day. He remembered the terror, the pain…he remembered the warm embrace that preceded it.

That…had been the last time you held me…

The barrier weakened, enough so that it would be easy to separate the wings. Fear kept him from removing it completely, lest he see that it truly wasn’t his brother trying to get through to him.

…Were it not for these…’things‘…would you hold me again, brother?

The barrier began to open, but it did not give out entirely. That shadows that had been on his hand were shaken off and he gently began to pry apart the pronged wings that served as his brother’s arms and hands. Bit by bit, the shield was moved and he could see his brother inside the darkness, looking so vulnerable it physically pained Weiss to look at him.

“Brother, at long last.”

Her pushed his way in, gently, carefully. Weiss did not rush and wrapped his arms around his brother’s shoulders, slowly moving in. He held him quietly. There was no need for more words, for now. All Nero needed to know was that he was here for him.

The younger of the two leaned into the embrace, trembling and weary. The false appendages withdrew to fold at his back once more.

_{“…It hurts, brother…”}

His voice had become hoarse, muffled slightly by the metal that covered his mouth. It was a fact that he cared little for. Nero had his brother here and for now that was enough. If only the pain would go away…

There was blood on his brother’s scalpel from where he had been tearing into it before, when he started going mad from being confined. There had to be a way to undo this. There was a solution to everything.

“I know, Nero. I’m sorry I can’t do more than this.” Holding Nero. He had only got to hold his brother a few times in his new life, his second chance. But what of his brother’s second chance? Had he not been freed for a reason? What a despicable and cruel trick this was. “Nero…just breathe…breathe and try to relax. I’m here. Your brother’s here for you.”

doctor-weiss started following you

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:30:35 -0500

crimson-chaos:

doctor-weiss:

crimson-chaos:

“Weiss, the immaculate.” A quiet acknowledgement to the man I barely know, but have heard of. Him and Deepground, they were deeply rooted.

“Vincent Valentine.” There was a slight hitch in the way he spoke the name. A spark of a memory that had been buried in the recesses of the Immaculate’s none-too-Immaculate mind. An animosity that was not his bubbled up, but he kept it at bay. He could not help the slight sneer as he greeted the other man; he didn’t mean yet he meant it all the same. “A pleasure, I’m sure.”

Chaos and Omega, one weapon that exists to serve the others, one would have thought the shell holding those would get along. One couldn’t have been more wrong. The sneer carved upon his lips is as detectable as the dryness of my response. “I’m certain.”

As he has shown, the courtesy is returned. Cerberus is not drawn yet.

There was a mental tug-of-war going on in Weiss’ mind between what and who the man truly was, the other being inhabiting his mind and who he was right now. While one might not say that Weiss had become docile - far from it - he meant no harm to anyone at the moment. Not unless he became provoked.

He reigned himself in. Cerberus was not drawn; he could see that.

“Survived, did you?” It was the best question he could come up with. “Many seemed to have survived those particular days when Deepground ran rampant upon the world…”

nero-the-sable: Yes, Nero remembered that day. He remembered the terror, the pain…he remembered...

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:04:57 -0500

nero-the-sable:

Yes, Nero remembered that day. He remembered the terror, the pain…he remembered the warm embrace that preceded it.

That…had been the last time you held me…

The barrier weakened, enough so that it would be easy to separate the wings. Fear kept him from removing it completely, lest he see that it truly wasn’t his brother trying to get through to him.

…Were it not for these…’things‘…would you hold me again, brother?

The barrier began to open, but it did not give out entirely. That shadows that had been on his hand were shaken off and he gently began to pry apart the pronged wings that served as his brother’s arms and hands. Bit by bit, the shield was moved and he could see his brother inside the darkness, looking so vulnerable it physically pained Weiss to look at him.

“Brother, at long last.”

Her pushed his way in, gently, carefully. Weiss did not rush and wrapped his arms around his brother’s shoulders, slowly moving in. He held him quietly. There was no need for more words, for now. All Nero needed to know was that he was here for him.

nero-the-sable: doctor-weiss: nero-the-sable: doctor-weiss: All it had taken was one word from...

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:24:09 -0500

nero-the-sable:

doctor-weiss:

nero-the-sable:

doctor-weiss:

All it had taken was one word from someone about Nero’s current state of distress that forced the ex-leader of the Tsviets into action. It could have been Megami, it could have been something mentioned in passing by the boy his brother was so fond of - for all that it matter, the voice in his mind could have been the source of the awful news. No matter where he had heard it, Weiss knew that his younger brother was in an awful state and he could not leave him be.

Like the wind, he rushed to his brother’s aid. A mentally unstable Nero was just as bad as a mentally unstable Weiss (perhaps much worse, because one could argue that Weiss was odd in the head all the time).

He found his younger brother, bloodied and half mad from having his arms bound once again. Weiss had heard tell of his brother being able to free his limbs and had wished to give his congratulations of being able to leave something of Deepground behind; he was obviously too late.

“Nero…Nero!” His voice was soft, but firm. Commanding, even. One of them needed to be control, he thought, of the situation. One of them had to keep their heads clear. Nero needed him to be the older brother - he was his older brother - to take care of him in his hour of need. “Nero…I’m here. Are you all right brother?”

He approached, unafraid. During their time in Deepground they had all experienced the most awful of things - Weiss had already died once. He no longer feared death and he had stopped fearing pain a long time ago. He grasped his brothers face and tried to lift it up so their eyes could meet. He looks so miserable. “Nero…”

A metal wing knocked the Immaculate away, the younger sibling only vaguely registering the voice and not its owner in his current state.

Intruder.

Don’t touch me.

Intruder.

The artificial appendages then shifted to form a barrier around the Sable to ward off the unknown presence. Another attempt to get near him would bring out the darkness, limited though his abilities were.

Knocked back though he was, Weiss the Immaculate was far from deterred. Weiss did not care if he got hurt, he would get through to Nero somehow.

“Nero, let me in!” he called, his voice higher, louder. His voice would be heard. He was Nero’s commander once - the leader of a whole underground army. Every had heard his voice once upon a time - the whole world had heard him at some point, even though it had not been really him speaking. Most importantly of all, Weiss and Nero were brothers and he would get through that shield one way or another. Nero’s darkness did not frighten him.

Just…what did he do in the past when Nero was like this?

I can’t remember.

He had to.

I can’t.

“Nero…”

He touched the barrier.

“Nero, let me in. It’s Weiss. Don’t you remember my voice?”

Slivers of shadow leaked from the male in warning at the slight weight that was added to the metal.

That voice…Impossible.

Brother died.

Nero refused to respond, refused to withdraw his wings and allow the other through.

Leave me be.

The shadows leaked out, threatening to overtake Weiss, but he ignored them. If he left now what kind of brother would he be?

“Nero, I mean it. Let me in or so help me I will find my way in.” He really meant it. He didn’t want to hurt Nero, but he had no other way of finding a way into his brother’s shield - the barrier that kept them apart. His hand remained where it was. But what was he to say?

That time when he had those arms…

“Brother…do you remember…the day you had these wings grafted on? You were…so scared. And I held you. Don’t you remember that time? This voice? Nero, let me in.”

doctor-weiss started following you

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:20:45 -0500

castle-prodigy-ienzo:

doctor-weiss:

Weiss chuckled. Gently he reached out and ruffled up the boy’s hair, amazed at the hue. It was an interesting shade of silver- cool gray? It had hints of blue in it.

“Hot cocoa it is.”

How surprisingly easy it was to come into contact with the boy. The ex-Tsviet did not feel any ill will towards the boy - far from it, he was grateful to him for being a balm for Nero’s soul while he had been gone. If Nero looked upon Ienzo as a brother, then, by extension they were brothers, too. He would simply have to get used to little Ienzo being in his life as well as Nero. Things were moving so fast…

“I’m not nice,” answered the white-haired man, “so much as I am into self-preservation.” There was a Turk with a bad temper in the house who might give him hell if he hadn’t acted the good host.

Leading the boy into the mansion kitchen, he gestured to a chair and got started on making the hot cocoa. Boiling some milk in a special saucepan and adding in the mix. “So, Ienzo, tell me a bit about yourself…what you like…how you met Nero….anything. I am curious.”

Ienzo laughed as the familiar feeling of someone ruffling up his hair as usual, a gesture that the apprentice had come full well to accept and even enjoy as something fun. A sign of affection.

“Thank you very much, Weiss.”

Ienzo had begun relaxing in the older man’s presence though there was still so much he was curious about Deepground and everything that had happened to them. It had made him sad to know what they’d done but even sadder to know what had been the cause that day he’d confronted Hojo. He just hoped that he’d make a good impression on the older man. And he couldn’t help but wonder just what had happened to him.

“Self preservation’s a good thing, but I think you’re nicer than you’re letting on. I mean, you’re being kind to me after all. And I know that it’s likely because of Nero but that still didn’t mean you had to be.”

The child followed the man into the kitch and hopped up into the chair, watching the man work. “Well…I’m not too sure how it was I ran into Nero…I just sort of found him and we started talking. He let me examine his wings and I tried to free him from the restraints he was in. Before I knew it, we were talking regularly and started calling each other…brothers,” the boy replied, saying that last word in a smaller tone out of a slight apprehension at how Weiss would react to the knowledge.

The boy was sharp - sharper than a boy his age should be, but that was why he was called a prodigy, right? It was true that Weiss didn’t have to be nice, but it felt right enough. Nero had a hand in it - as well as other factors - but Weiss also needed to know the world outside of Deepground and the walls that now made up his home for the time being.

The man listened attentively as Ienzo spoke about how he met his brother, some of the words surprising him quite a bit. Some things did not match what he could recall with his scattered memories, while others did in fact, make a lot of sense. His head began to throb painfully and he rubbed at his temples. The milk was boiling and he poured it into a mug. It was one of those joke things one got for someone; a random gift from the Turk staying with him. It read ‘WARNING! THE MAD SCIENTIST IS STALKING ABROAD!’ Although he did not get the reference, the slogan had made him laugh a little the first time he saw it.

He handed the mug over to Ienzo, warning him that it might be a bit hot; he didn’t let go of the cup until he was sure it wouldn’t burn the boy. He silently thanked the last few times he babysat for his ability to deal with children now. Weiss wasn’t sure he’d be as good with them as Nero was.

The boy was apprehensive. He had no reason to be and Weiss was quick to rectify this.

He smiled, gently as possible, and ruffled the boy’s hair again. He seemed to like this gesture, from what he observed. “Well, I suppose that means you and I are brothers as well, of sorts. Do you mind sharing Nero with me?”