#( dante's like... ''... one more time won't hurt anyone would it?'' )

[guilty-ff]

𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞

After walking out mid-argument, Dante ends up with Enzo, bad advice, and demon-grade alcohol. The goal? Forget everything. But what good is drinking your feelings away when your body won't even let the alcohol stick?

Pairing: Dante x Fem!Reader

Genre: Oneshot, romance, hurt comfort, mild Angst, Fluff!

Warnings: language, Emotional miscommunication, Mild alcohol use, Mentions of past trauma/abandonment issues

Authors comment: This idea hit me while rewatching the 2007 anime. Dante was drinking and I thought, if he can even get drunk with his regeneration?? Wouldn’t it be fun (and a kinda tragic) seeing Dante all frustrated, trying to get wasted but his demon healing just won’t let him?

It didn't start with a fight.

It started with quiet tension. A half-answer here. A missed call there. The kind of things that build in the background, until one day, something stupid stirring up the tension.

Tonight, it was the dishes.

Not the end of the world, right? Not even a big deal. Just a small, silent irritation. The sink was full. Again. You'd come home late to that same damn pile, untouched, like a monument of Dante's laziness.

"Seriously?" you asked, not even raising your voice at first. "You said you'd clean the kitchen."

Dante, lounging on the couch with his boots up and one arm slung behind his head, barely turned his head. "I will."

"When?"

He yawned. "Eventually."

You stood in the doorway to the kitchen, fists clenched at your sides. "You live here too."

"Yeah," he said, stretching, "and I kill demons for a living. One of us is clearly more exhausted."

That did it.

"Oh, you're exhausted? Try coming home after twelve hours of dealing with people who actually communicate, only to realize I'm dating a guy who thinks emotional labor is a side quest."

He sat up a little at that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you don't show up, Dante. Not for the little stuff. Not when it matters."

He stood now, slowly, arms crossed, like you'd just challenged him to a duel instead of a conversation. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Physically? Sure. Emotionally? No. I have to dig to get anything out of you. You dodge every serious talk with a joke. You ghost me for hours after missions. You don't answer texts. You act like I should be grateful you're even around."

He narrowed his eyes, jaw tightening. "You think I don't care?"

"I think you're scared to."

Silence.

For a second, the world shrank. There was no sound, only tension in the air. His mouth opened. Then closed.

You took a breath. "You treat this like it's temporary. Like you're just waiting for me to leave. You act like I'm disposable, like everyone else who's hurt you. That's not love, that's defense"

His voice was too quiet when it came. "Everyone leaves."

"And that gives you permission to push me away first?" you snapped. "To be cold and dismissive and act like you don't need anyone?"

His eyes flashed. "I never said I didn't need you."

"Then act like it, Dante!"

He flinched. Not visibly. Not in a way most people would notice. But you knew him. You saw it, in the small drop of his shoulders, in the tight line of his mouth.

He looked at you like you'd touched a bruise he didn't know was still sore.

Then, without a word, he turned and grabbed his coat.

“Don’t,” you said quickly, your anger slipping away. “Don’t walk away. Not again.”

But he was already at the door, and then gone.

He didn’t take his phone, didn’t say a word, didn’t shout, just the soft click of the door as it closed behind him.

And then, silence.

You paced the apartment, every minute ticking louder than the last. You called once. Twice. Ten times. Nothing.

And when he finally walked back through the door two hours later?

He was dragging a crate of alcohol like it was his soul in a box.

Earlier...

Dante sat in Enzo's crusty kitchen, arms crossed, sulking like a kid who'd lost his lunch money.

"I dunno, man," he muttered. "She said I treat her like she's disposable."

Enzo was already halfway through a beer and nodding slowly. "Well, do ya?"

Dante squinted. "No."

"Then it's simple: she's wrong."

"She's not wrong," Dante admitted.

"Oh."

There was a pause.

"Okay," Enzo tried again, rubbing his stubbled chin. "Maybe she's just being... emotional. Women, y'know. Feelings and all."

Dante stared blankly. "You've been divorced three times."

"Exactly. I know things."

Dante dragged a hand down his face. "I shut down. That's the problem. I don't know how to talk about any of it: The nightmares, the constant fear that everything's gonna go to hell again, so I don't."

Enzo blinked.

"Jesus Christ."

Dante laughed bitterly. "I never learned how to let people stay. Mother died. Vergil left. Everyone I ever cared about either died or disappeared. She gets close and it's like... my brain starts screaming. Like she'll vanish if I breathe wrong."

"Alright, alright," Enzo said, waving his beer. "Enough of that. You're spiralin'. That's girl therapy talk."

"It's called trauma, Enzo."

"Whatever. You don't need therapy. You need alcohol."

Dante looked up slowly. "What?"

"Alcohol! Fixes everything. You drink, you talk, or maybe you don't, and then she feels bad for you and bam, makeup sex."

"That's... not how people work."

"Worked for my second wife. For a week."

"You're an emotional hypocrite," Dante muttered.

“Exactly. Look,” Enzo said, searching through his stash like it was some kind of treasure chest. “I’ve got the good stuff. Demon-proof, Hellfire brand. This stuff would probably knock Cerberus out cold.”

Dante barely registered the words. His mind kept going back to the mission, the one he screwed up. He took down Cerberus, got paid, and then… nothing. No text, no call, no follow-up. He promised he wouldn’t do this again, but here he was, pulling the same bullshit.

Enzo, oblivious to the storm rising in Dante’s head, kept on his monologue. “You know what’s crazy? You take down Cerberus like it’s a walk in the park, get a fat paycheck, and still can’t pick up the damn phone? What happened, Dante? You don’t even have the decency to say ‘Hey, I didn’t die fighting a three-headed mutt. I’m fine.’” Enzo scoffed.

Dante’s frustration bubbled over. “I—”

“I know, I know,” Enzo interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “It’s tough, man. That damn Cerberus battle really took it out of you. Big, bad demon, yada yada… but here’s the thing, you still can’t handle texting her? You get all emotional, come back looking like a damn mess, and then ghost her? That’s cold, bro.”

Dante felt a knot tighten in his chest. He wasn’t just mad at Enzo for talking about it like it was some kind of joke. He was mad at himself. He promised his lover, he really did, but once again, he failed. He couldn’t get out of his own way.

Enzo kept going, still not realizing how much he was digging in deeper. “Look, you’re so good at demon slaying, but when it comes to basic human interaction? You’re trash. And I don’t even mean like ‘rookie-level’ trash, I mean pro-level trash. You can take down an ancient demon, but you can’t pick up the phone? Dude, even I managed not to screw things up like this in my old relationships, and I’m a disaster. Like, seriously, I’m the disaster.”

Dante slammed his head against the counter. The guilt was suffocating.

Enzo, not noticing a thing, just kept yapping. “It’s not that hard. You show up at her place, look tragic, say nothing, drink dramatically. That’s the secret. Women love that tortured crap. Hell, I love it, and I’ve been through some shit.” He smirked, clearly thinking he was dropping wisdom. “Why do you think I’m always pulling in these tragic, mysterious vibes? I sell it, man. If I can do it, you can do it.”

Dante groaned, rubbing his face. “This is not helping. That sounds manipulative."”

Enzo didn’t even notice. “You’re telling me it’s manipulative? No, no, no. It’s drama. It’s called drama, son. We’re in the business of devil hunting and trauma bonding. You think any of the girls I’ve been with cared about me picking up the phone? Nah. It’s all about the act.”

Dante looked at the Hellfire bottle in Enzo’s hand, then back at Enzo’s grinning face, and sighed heavily. “I can’t get drunk anymore.”

Enzo raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed by Dante’s crisis. “Not with that attitude."

Dante raised a brow.

"Look," Enzo said, now dragging a wooden crate out like it was treasure. "You show up at her place, looking tragic, say nothing, drink dramatically."

Dante looked at the crate, then at Enzo, then sighed like the broken man he was.

"You're a disaster."

"And you're takin' the box as the next paycheck, so shut up."

Back in the apartment, Dante wordlessly slammed the box on the counter and uncorked a bottle like it owed him money.

You stood at the edge of the living room, arms crossed, watching this demon-slaying idiot fumble with the strongest liquor in the realm.

"Are you... drinking?"

He didn't look up. "Enzo said it would help."

"Oh no."

You stepped closer. "Dante. Tell me you didn't just trauma-dump on Enzo."

He swallowed a third of the bottle and winced. "Kinda."

"You told the greasiest man alive that you're emotionally shut down?"

"Yep."

"And he said drink through it?"

Dante slammed the bottle down. "He said it would either make me cry or pass out. So far it's just making me thirsty."

You deadpan blinked. "You're half-demon. Your liver literally regenerates."

"I KNOW."

You sat down at the table, chin in your hand. "You thought you could drink away emotional repression?"

He gestured at the second bottle like a broken man. "This one has a skull on it. Maybe it'll work."

"You're pathetic."

"I'm trying," he muttered.

"By what? Hiding from the consequences of emotional negligence?"

"I don't know how to do this," he said, shoulders slumped. "I know how to kill and destroy things. But I don't know how to stay."

Silence. Just the ticking clock. His hand tightened on the glass.

"I figured... maybe if I just felt something strong enough, I could finally say it."

You blinked at him.

"...So your genius plan was to outdrink your own trauma?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "It made sense at the time."

"You're a disaster," you said flatly, but your voice cracked at the edges, not from anger now, but from relief.

He finally looked at you, eyes tired, haunted, and young in a way that made your chest hurt.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said, quieter. "I wasn't trying to disappear, I just... I don't know how to do this. When you got mad, it felt like- like it was already over. So I figured if I could just feel something... anything loud enough, maybe the words would follow."

You stared at him, then exhaled a breath you didn't realize you'd been holding.

"That's the dumbest emotional strategy I've ever heard."

He opened his mouth to argue, but you cut him off by stepping in and kissing him. Fast, warm, and full of everything you were still too exhausted to say.

He froze, then breathed out through his nose, leaning into it like something in him had just... let go.

When you pulled back, you raised an eyebrow.

"You still owe me a full conversation, idiot."

He gave a half-smile. "Can I be drunk for it?"

"You are very sober."

"Unfortunately."

He gave the ghost of a grin.

"Honestly? When you started yelling, I flashed back to the one time my old man raised his voice at me."

You narrowed your eyes. "Sparda yelled at you?"

"Once. Real quiet. Real disappointed. Genuinely horrifying." He held up a finger. "But you? You're way scarier. Banshee-level scary."

You tried not to smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Wasn't meant to be," he muttered.

"Also," you added, grabbing the bottle and inspecting the label, "this says 'Do Not Consume If Mortal.'"

He groaned. "Enzo's gonna kill me."

"No," you said, placing the bottle on the counter. "I'm gonna kill the both of you."

Later, as he lay half-curled on the couch, shirt half-off, a bottle abandoned at his side, he mumbled just loud enough to betray himself:

"Damn it... Enzo's advice almost worked. Makeup sex counts for emotional healing, right?"

You, brushing your teeth in the next room, spit into the sink and yelled,

"You really are allergic to accountability."

Next morning:

It took exactly one full day before you marched Dante back into Enzo's trashfire excuse for an office.

You didn't knock.

The door flew open hard enough to rattle the coat rack and knock over a stack of demon-hunting magazines from 1998.

Enzo, chewing a meatball like it was his final meal, froze with sauce halfway to his chin.

"Well, well, if it ain't my two favorite lovebirds-"

"You gave him poison in a bottle!" you snapped.

"Technically it's concentrated hellbrew-"

"HE TRIED TO DRINK THROUGH HIS FEELINGS."

Enzo raised his hands in mock innocence. "Whoa, whoa. I didn't tell him to turn into a drunk cowboy in your kitchen. I offered an alternative path to emotional growth. Through liquor."

Dante stood awkwardly behind you, very much regretting his life.

"You," you pointed, turning to him. "You listened to him."

"In my defense," Dante muttered, "he said it was demon-proof and emotionally numbing. I panicked."

You folded your arms. "So your brain went: 'Hmm. I have unresolved abandonment issues... Better drown them in demonic Everclear and hope for the best.'"

He gave a sheepish shrug.

"And it almost worked," he added.

You slapped his arm. "It didn't."

"Okay, but technically we-"

"It didn't."

Enzo was now watching with the same face he made when demon entrails exploded in his car: morbid curiosity and suppressed laughter.

"Look, sweetheart," Enzo said, "not everyone's good at feelings. The kid's got a sword twice his body weight and the emotional range of a wet sponge."

"Hey-!" Dante frowned. "I tried to talk about my issues."

"You tried to mainline whiskey and stare into a mirror."

"Same thing!"

You glared at both of them. "You're not off the hook either," you snapped at Enzo. "He doesn't need alcohol, he needs a therapist."

Enzo scoffed. "I've been a therapist for years."

"You once told Dante to 'punch grief in the face.'"

"And he did! It was very liberating."

You sighed, hard enough to summon storms.

Dante reached up behind his head and mumbled, "Okay, okay. Maybe I'm bad at this."

"No," you said. "You're terrible at this."

"...But I still wanna try."

Your anger melted just a little.

He stepped closer, rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know how to fix everything in here," he said, tapping his chest. "But I don't wanna lose you just because I never learned how to talk."

You held his gaze.

"You're lucky you're hot," you muttered.

He smirked. "Jackpot."

You groaned.

Enzo stood up, wiping his hands on a suspiciously oil-stained towel. "Alright, lovebirds. Get outta my office before you start trauma-bonding on my furniture."

Dante turned to leave, and Enzo pulled him aside at the last second.

"Hey," Enzo whispered, voice oddly serious. "Next time she yells, listen. And don't try to drown it out. You'll screw it up worse."

Dante nodded.

"Also..." Enzo handed him a sealed bottle with a wink. "Save this one for after you make up. You'll thank me."

You grabbed it and dropped it in the nearest trash bin.

"No, he won't."

As the bottle clattered into the trash, Dante groaned into his hands.

“She’s gonna kill me."

[midnightcinderella]

People who would suffer at NRC

Each dorm has at least one of these students and god help them. This is very self-indulgent and each trait applies to me. If you relate, then rip to the both of us.

No proof-reading, we rawdog this shit. Word count: ~1300 Notes: no gendered pronouns for reader. mentions of ADHD, depression, and anxiety. mentions of illness. no romantic relationships

Heartslabyul

People with ADHD. Rip to us fr.

You'd forget at least a handful of rules a day, but it's really not your fault. Riddle better get off your case istg.

The ones who are more devoted to remaining productive make big colorful signs all over the damn place.

In their own rooms would be stuff like a box that says "keys and wallet go here" or a sign by the door with a checklist of what they need before they go, like homework or textbooks.

There are signs in common areas, too. They'll say stuff like curfew times or reminders of jobs that need to be done around the dorm.

There's always backlash if Riddle tries to take them down for being an eyesore because not only do they help ADHD students remember what needs to be done but students without ADHD, too. No sane person is gonna be thinking about feeding flamingos 24/7.

Savanaclaw

People with asthma. Place is dusty as shit. And hot. And humid at times.

I'm surprised the beastman students haven't taken any measure to seal off the inside of the dorm to prevent and from getting in. Guess everyone doesn't mind inhaling dust straight into their lungs.

Not to mention regular exercise is a dorm-wide tradition. Shoutout to my fellow mile walkers <3

If you have asthma and a dander/dust allergy, I'd just drop out tbh.

People who easily overheat/sweat. Double rip to us.

Get ready to go back and forth with your dormmates about smelling bad after sweating. It's a common occurrence. Someone sasses you, you sass back, and you're friends again 3 minutes later.

Everyone will think you're dying when you're dripping sweat after some stretches outside. No, you're not tired, you're just hot.

Octavinelle

People who are bad at math/bad with money. Listen.

The dorm isn't full of people who are as business minded as Azul, but there are students that offer accounting help for a fee. Negotiate that fee for the love of god.

Thankfully, you won't be scammed out of house and home because:

(1) it's generally frowned upon to scam people within Octavinelle; you don't hurt one of your own. It's about loyalty.

(2) someone is likely to take pity on you and will throw you a bone, telling you about a huge sale or where to find good job opportunities.

People who are gullible. Once again, double rip.

And once again, thank the lucky stars that loyalty is such a big thing here so you might be tricked into doing someone's job for them like mopping the Lounge, but nothing that would hurt you too badly.

If a study partner tries to feed you false information for shiggles, that'll get shut down real quick by another student. If your grades go down, then the whole dorm goes with you.

Good thing that doesn't happen often, and Azul offers his study guides for a highly discounted price to his own.

Scarabia

People who don't do well with sudden changes in temperature. Man, listen.

Hellishly hot during the day and even more hellishly cold at night. Dante would be thrilled.

God forbid you have any athletic activities close to sunset because you'll have to shower off that sweat quick before you freeze to death.

If anyone has a problem with the sound of the hairdryer after sundown, they're just gonna have to deal with it or risk catching your inevitable cold.

Speaking of, if sudden changes in temperature make you sick, double rip. I know your pain.

Kalim may not be able to come see you in person, but if he finds out you're sick, he'll send meds and some warm food. If that food was made by Jamil, then you owe him one.

You don't wanna owe him one.

If you need to leave your room after sundown, you're going to do it wrapped up with a blanket over your head. If someone mistakes you for a ghoul, that's their own problem.

Pomefiore

People with depression. Listen. Someone without depression could find it hard to keep such a strict regimen day in and day out; do not expect too much out of us.

If you think that means you're getting out of it, though, you'd be wrong.

Group accountability is a thing here. If you need help sticking to your routine, you're getting it. You can't refuse.

You're all going to be beautiful together, goddammit.

If that chronic fatigue be hittin ya, you might get a pass for a few steps of your routine. But if a particularly caring dormmate decides you have to do the full routine and straight up does it for you, lol.

Depending on how you view that sort of help, it might be really nice. Or maybe a little humiliating.

The dorm kitchen is only going to have healthy ready-made snacks. So if it's a day where you can't cook or go all the way to the cafeteria, that is what you're working with. Either that or you crawl your way over the the Shop for a candy bar.

Ignihyde

People who struggle with technology. Yes there are young people who aren't great with technology. We exist. Mind your business.

No matter how many classes you take teaching you how to use MagExcel, it never sticks for long. Even if you pass the exams, all your knowledge leaves to go buy milk by the time the week is over.

You're gonna need to interrupt people's gaming sessions to ask for help. It may annoy them, but you're doing it anyway because you refuse the reinvent the wheel 12 times.

People who prefer paper over screens. Call me old fashioned but staring at screens all day Hurts My Eyes.

You'd get physical copies of your textbooks if you could, but those free pdfs your classmates pass around are too tempting to pass up. They're free, for god's sake.

You also might be limited to board games on game nights. They're not bad, but there's not a whole lot you can do with them. You're a wiz at Cards Against Reality tho.

Every so often Ignihyde has a dorm-wide game night where everyone sits around in the common room with their headphones in, playing their own games. Together.

Though the board game players are in the next room. Oddly enough, they're the rowdiest of the bunch, and it sounds like they have the most fun by the way they're yelling and cheering.

You have seen some nerd fights start over a game of Ichi.

Diasomnia

People who have anxiety. One, Lilia is a menace. Two, your housewarden is the Malleus Draconia. Meep.

Whether it's Lilia or Malleus you run into, it feels like your heart will explode at any time.

Not to mention it's so dark in and outside of the building for no good reason. What's a fella gotta do to get some fucking sunlight in here? You're sick of worrying about what could be behind every corner.

You once wondered if Malleus needed a UV/heat lamp, but knew better than to ask. That doesn't mean you're not curious, though.

People who dislike loud sounds. I don't think I have to explain this one.

At first you thought that staying near Silver meant that you'd be staying away from Sebek, but that wasn't the case and you were at a loss as to what to do.

Then you tried going in the other direction whenever you saw Malleus, but all that did was send Sebek after you personally, asking very loudly why you did not want to be around Lord Malleus.

At one point, you got sick of his shit and muzzled him via magic. Then Malleus showed up and you were all oh shit. But then all he did was chuckle about how you were getting along so well. You took that to mean he wouldn't ever stop you from muzzling Sebek.

You were right.

[rosvaline]

WHAT IF EVERYONE SURVIVED, BUT WOULD DANTE BE BLAMED?

I just want to say one thing (ok, maybe more)(and I want to make it clear right away that I don't blame anyone except Mundus. These are just my loose thoughts on the comments I've read)

From my observations, many people blame Dante for what happened that day so

if Eva alive, everything is okey, Sparda come back etc. but house is burned, Eva has wounds and so on.

So what if Dante was blamed? Not even in the most obvious way?

"stop arguing with Vergil again! What happened can't happen again because you want to play with swords again!"

It's not so obvious blaming. Maybe a little concern? But sometimes it goes to an extreme, too much for an 8 year old boy. I mean, Dante never wanted Vergil to get hurt, right? If he feels guilty for hurting him, he will distance himself from Vergil, and probably Eva, so as not to hurt his mother too, again. And Vergil can somehow be happy at first? Because hey, Dante left him alone. Especially since he would definitely like to rest alone after such an event, or maybe sleep with his parents in the bedroom to feel safe.

But after some time? That would be strange. He liked to fight with him with swords, and Dante clearly doesn't want to anymore, so what happened? When Dante stopped being an energetic boy and started being sad and chronically lonely? He wasn't alone, after all. Eva cared for him, and Sparda did too. Vergil might have been angry at first, because he was just a kid, too. But later?

Dante would just start pushing everyone away? Sleeping longer and longer? Even if it's family breakfast day? But maybe he's just tired, right? Everything that happened was a bit much, right?

And of course Vergil received a lot more attention because he was more injured than Dante. And simply... Dante would shut up? He would talk less, run less, maybe even eat less after a while?

I just think that if he felt blamed for all of this, he would become very withdrawn, chronically lonely, and it would be even worse for him in his teenage years. Looking at Vergil's or Mom's scars, he would feel guilty. Maybe he wouldn't even be as close to Vergil anymore? They would grow apart, despite being twins? Dante would be tripping over his own feet, he wouldn't be as charismatic, he would move from class to class really just because of luck and because

"Dante, try! You can do better, but you're a bit too lazy, don't you think? You can't let your dear mother down like that! What did God punish her with such a difficult son?"

I mean... there are always many people who miss the signs. Dante's sign would be just that - being quiet and lazy.

But what else? I haven't found any information about Eva's family. So what if the twins' grandmother favors Vergil because he's the calm and smart one? He has such good grades, he dresses well, hes not late. And every time Dante shows a little too much energy, he looks at him as if he had committed the sin of a lifetime. (I really like this idea and will use it in my fiction)

But in the end... would Dante be able to withstand something like that? Maybe he would have cracked in his teenage years? Especially since he will be in completely different extracurricular classes than Vergil, which means even less time with him. He will have no friends at school Maybe in the second grade apart from Lady, but he won't feel enough to become closer friends with her.

Maybe it's a bit of an exaggerated dark vision, but I just feel sad (and a little angry) when I see people blaming Dante or Vergil when they were just kids. And I had to get that idea out of my head, maybe someday I'll write a short fiction based on it. But I don't know if there's room for a happy ending here.

If you want to share your thoughts/ideas, I'd love to read them! I really enjoy discussing things like this with people, but I don't have any friends in the fandom💙❤️

[bitemevanitas]

Hii, may I request some Vanitas headcannons? Him giving reader some encouraging (tsundere) words when he notices them struggling?

Watching the anime I noticed that he's not too fond of directly showing his feelings, he likes to care for others indirectly so they don't easily realize or notice he's caring for them in the first place. It's so cute, and tsundere of him. He gives advice and comfort in his own way under a facade of annoyance, nonchalance or straight up wrapped in cutting remarks (Like when he asked Noe, ‘why the hell are you losing to Astolfo of all people if you could stand up to Roland?’ in a way he was telling Noe he was stronger and better than this, but by implying it while nagging him lol)

I see the vision, and you're absolutely right. I tend to write him too soft ngl...

But alas! Here we are <3

𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐋𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫

• Vanitas doesn’t miss much, especially when it comes to people he lets close, which is rare

• He may not show it, but if you're quieter than usual, less responsive, or your eyes linger a bit too long on the floor, he notices

• He doesn't say anything at first and just watches, or glares

• If you trip up or fumble during a task, he scoffs

• "Tch. You’re hopeless."

• But five minutes later, you’ll find the task subtly made easier

• Tools would be left in place, books reorganized so the right one just happens to be within reach

• He'll never admit he helped

• "You look pathetic. Honestly, how did you survive this long without me?"

• Translation: I’m worried. You’re strong. I know you can get through this, but I hate seeing you like this

• "Get up already. If you had time to sit around moping, you could’ve finished your work twice by now."

• And yet, he remains close longer than necessary, close enough to offer silent company

• If you’re physically hurt, say, a light injury on a mission or you faint from exhaustion, Vanitas will go on a whole tirade

• "Are you seriously this careless? You idiot, how can you expect to help anyone if you can’t even take care of yourself?"

• He’ll won't bandage your wound until you ask him to, and even then he would mutter insults the whole time

• He absolutely hates how much you affect him

• So when he catches you crying, truly crying, maybe for the first time in which he's known you, he freezes

• Then comes the scowl

• "Stop that. You’re making me uncomfortable."

• He won't stay close and watch you break apart, that's weird

• So, instead of pretending everything's fine, he might drop his coat around your shoulders

• He won't say anything more and simply walk past, but he might just be in the next room, remaining nearby

• Much like with Noé or Dante, Vanitas motivates by provoking

• "What’s the point of tagging along if you’re going to fall behind like that? Even Dante’s doing better than you today, and he has the brains of a stunned chicken."

• It sounds mean, but if you listen closely, it’s always paired with an affirmation of your capability, which he doesn't speak aloud

• He once shoved a hot cup of tea into your hands after a long day, and muttered, "It’s not for you. I just made too much."

• If you’re particularly down, he’ll make a big show of dragging you out for an 'incredibly urgent' recon mission

• He claims he received intel from Dante, while clearly just trying to get you moving again

• If you surprise him, perhaps by standing up for yourself or someone else in a moment of struggle, he’ll raise an eyebrow

• "Huh. Didn’t think you had it in you. Not bad."

• The faint upward curl of his lips betrays how proud he really is

• For Vanitas, this might actually be the equivalent to a standing ovation

• If you’re endangered, he immediately throws himself into the fray with zero hesitation

• Then later, he yells at you for "being in the way."

• "What were you thinking?! Stay behind me next time. I can’t— I don’t have time to clean up after your mistakes."

• It’s not that he doesn’t care

• Actually, it’s that he cares too much, and only the gods know why, he often hates himself for it

• "If you give up now, I’ll never forgive you."

• "Alright, disaster-in-waiting, try not to trip over your own feet this time."

• He might check your gear, straighten your collar, but doesn’t meet your eyes

• "..You’ll be fine."

𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄:

The room was too quiet.

Not in the peaceful way. No, it was the kind of quiet that settled between the ribs and ached like fresh bruises.

Outside, the muffled hum of the wind passed through the shutters of the roof. Vanitas hated nights like this.

Nights where stillness wasn’t safety, but weight.

And worse: you were sitting in it, drowning in it, and pretending not to be.

He didn’t say anything at first.

You sat hunched over a worn book, its spine cracking under your fingers. The page hadn’t turned in ten minutes. Your hand had stopped taking notes, ink drying at the edge of the quill.

The odd slump in your shoulders had nothing to do with posture.

Vanitas leaned against the backrest of his seat, arms crossed, half-shadowed by the flickering, golden lamplight.

He clicked his tongue.

“You look pathetic, by the way.”

No reaction.

“Tch,” he snapped again, pushing off the arm-chair in the corner. “You planning to sit there all night wallowing?”

Your gaze lifted, tired. “I’m fine.”

A lie.

And poorly told one at that.

He scoffed and stalked across the room, grabbing the book and snapping it shut with a sharp thwack. You flinched. Good. That meant you were still awake inside there.

“Oh! ‘Fine,’ are you?” he muttered, tossing the book aside. “That’s rich.”

You opened your mouth, maybe to argue, maybe to apologize.

He didn’t let you.

“I don’t care what’s eating at you. The world isn’t going to wait while you sit here like the picture of misery.”

Still no reply. Your fists clenched. Maybe a little spark of defiance—that was something. He sighed. Dragged a hand through his hair. Why did this feel as nerve-wrecking as surgery?

“…Look.” His voice dropped, sharper but quieter now. “I get it. The weight. The noise in your head. The part where everything feels like it’s slipping sideways and you can’t hold it all together.”

Your eyes widened immediately—and that pissed him off even more.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped, cheeks heating. “I’m not baring my soul. I’m stating a fact.”

He crouched in front of you then, catching your gaze with his own. Unflinching. Deep cerrulean meeting yours. It didn’t matter. It was the look that mattered. The kind that didn’t blink.

“You’re stronger than this. I’ve seen it. You’ve dragged yourself through worse.”

His tone softened, just barely. “So don’t stop now.”

A pause. His hand hovered for a second, before he clicked his tongue and stood up, shoving it into his coat instead. When he turned and vanished behind you, the weight of his coat came tossed over your shoulders.

Still warm.

But before he could storm off entirely, you finally, finally, looked up at him with a crooked little smile tugging at the edge of your lips.

“You know,” you said, voice lighter than it had been in hours, “you’re… kind of terrible at hiding how much you care.”

Vanitas froze mid-step.

Your smile grew, slow and mischievous. “All that ranting and yelling and ‘you’re so pathetic’ nonsense? You totally do care!”

He spun around, a horrible sense of dread blooming behind his ribs.

“I—I don’t—What the hell are you talking about?!” he barked, pointing a gloved finger like you had just said something insane. “That wasn’t— That’s not what this is! I was giving you practical advice, obviously. Someone has to knock sense into you!”

You tilted your head, clearly enjoying every second. “Mhm. Of course.”

“It—! You looked cold! I—I tripped, and it landed there, alright?!” he snapped, ears going a dangerous shade of red.

You raised a brow. “You tripped?”

“I—shut up!” he snarled, spinning away from you in a flustered whirl. “This is what I get for wasting my breath on emotional simpletons. Clearly, you’re fine now if you’ve got energy to mock me.”

But he didn’t leave.

He stood there, back to you, the ends of his coat sleeves twitching like an angry cat’s tail. His fists clenched at his sides, jaw tight. And yet he didn’t move. Not one step.

You laughed. The first real one in days, and despite everything, Vanitas felt something sharp in his chest ease. Just a little.

He didn’t turn back around.

But as he stormed back towards the arm-chair in a flurry of indignant curses, you heard one last barked insult echo behind him:

“Get some sleep, you annoying birdbrain!”

.

.

.

[icycoldninja]

Heyo! Thought I'd send In a silly one for the dmc men

Basically just having a reader who loves doing vocaloid dances (maybe k pop dances too but I feel like vocaloid is a different type of intensity)

And snice this is dmc it'd be fun if they're a hunter who mixes the dance moves into their fighting style

Gn reader is cool but it'd be neat if it was a masc reader snice you tend to get a lot of fem requests, you know, variety (and maybe plays on the dances being seen as primarily girly)

Love your stuff! Have fun!

Thanks! Hope you enioy!

Sparda boys + V x Vocaloid-loving!Reader headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-So, you like changing your voice with software and/or listening to bouncy, upbeat songs made with said software? Great, so does he.

-It's a little known secret that Dante likes upbeat music with unnatural singing in addition to metal.

-He'll give you recommendations and will gladly accept any suggestions should you have some.

-He managed to get his hands on some vocaloid software with his boomer brain and spent a whole day making auto tuned noise with you.

-Thinks the dances you do are pretty cool, even if they're more "girl coded" than anything else.

-Guess what? He's started doing them too, and believe it or not, he might actually be doing them better than you.

■ Vergil ■

-Being the extremely motivated person that he is, Vergil scoffed at vocaloid and its somewhat annoying, perky beats.

-He first thought of the music as screechy, fake, and irritating, undeserving of his attention.

-Or so he said, for you see, after about a week of you forcing the bubbly, upbeat stuff into his ears, he started to enjoy it.

-Though he'd sooner die than let anyone else know this, he's added a great deal of vocaloid songs to his playlist, alongside Bury The Light, of course.

-He doesn't like watching you do your goofy dances because they're cringe, and they activate his innate desire to destroy all cringiness, which he must now suppress because he doesn't want to hurt you.

-Tried doing one of your dances in private and didn't like how it felt, or how it looked, so he stopped and vowed never to do it again.

□ Nero □

-Nero thought vocaloid was alright. It wasn't his favorite style of music, but it wasn't his least favorite either.

-Nero prefers edgier, borderline emo songs as opposed to this high-pitched squealing, so you'll have to understand.

-Another reason why he might not be so fond of the stuff is because he can't understand most of what the singers are saying, thanks to the language barrier, which, for some reason, bothers him.

-Won't stop you from enjoying it, though; to each their own.

-Thinks the dances you do are so ridiculous and exaggerated, so he teases you (lightheartedly, of course) about them nearly every chance he gets.

-Won't let anyone else do that, though. Nero and Nero alone is allowed to make fun of your dancing, not a single other soul.

● V ●

-V has little to no musical knowledge aside from Classical, so he was very interested in this all-new concept that he was discovering.

-Like a teenager falling into their first nightcore phase, (believe me, I've been there) V became obsessed with vocaloid.

-He listens to every song and playlist of songs he can find, getting really excited whenever you recommend something to him.

-You two gush about your favorite songs, singers, etc. nearly all the time.

-Thinks the dances you do are pretty cute (V is the definition of a simp) and wants to learn how to do them too.

-If you decide to teach him, you'll discover V would make a far better kpop idol than an old-timey poetry nerd.

[betweenmanyworlds]

🤝 Dante, Nero, Eric... and the Doom Slayer. Truly, a party of all time.

Also known as a party that would make the vast majority of demons in the area break down sobbing.

Dante focuses on a mixture of firearms and melee combat, blending melee and range into a stylish blender that can fulfill basically any damage need the party requires. Constant sustained DPS is the name of the game here, as there are very few enemies that his extremely varied arsenal doesn't have an answer for. In an actual game, this would come at the price of needing a lot technical knowhow in order to get the most out of him. How would that work in an RPG? I'll get back to you on that.

Nero? Burst damage, plain and simple. Between Red Queen and his Devil Breakers, an opening created by him or the rest of the party is something he can exploit to utterly devastating effect. Against fire immune foes in particular however, his damage output will suffer as Red Queen's supercharging method is, well. Exclusively fire. Extended fights are also his bane should he chew through too many Devil Breakers, as he can only carry a limited amount of them and can't restock mid-fight.

Out of the whole group, Dante and Nero work best together as a duo, easily jugging enemies between the other and seamlessly covering each other's backs... even if it does tend to become more of a competition to style on the target over taking it down in a timely matter.

Doom Slayer would fulfill a crowd control role in this group, keeping a distance and aiming to mow down hordes of weaker enemies to rip and tear through while the devil hunting duo handle the larger targets, ensuring their styling won't get interrupted at the worst possible time while he darts across the battlefield like a mosquito with an oversized shotgun.

Ranged, ranged, and more ranged up until he breaks out the chainsaw.

And finally, our spellcaster of the group. She's last place in terms of sheer power, but Eric takes to a support role rather well. She'll also stay on the backlines, nailing elemental weaknesses the rest of the group can't hit, locking down enemies, dispelling magical defenses, and the most horrifying thing of all... status ailments.

Perhaps most damningly, if there was something that actually hurt the other three? She can heal it off. You always need a status cleanser. Far more experience with casting compared to the trio also means she delights in doing shit like breaking a magical seal on something over needing to do an overly complicated puzzle for it.

Thankfully being closer to a Red Mage than a full on White/Black Mage means that anyone who does target her specifically gets a nasty surprise of her being more than capable of holding her own in close quarters.

All in all, dungeon sequences don't exist with this group. If there's an obstacle, at least one of them has a means to bypass it.

[llycaons]

ch. 80-81 midpoint

hmm...would it have changed anything? onesta may well have reacted the same way to any disabled child. I don't think his failure was in witholding the truth, but rather failing to create a safe place for him. priest thinking all would be solves by truth...the series itself explicitly states that the truth is not enough sometimes, love is not enough. material conditions and the environment matter too

yeah...yeah....flashing back to his own abuse....damn

but he's right about this. burying your head in the sand won't solve any problems, or prevent anyone from suffering like luca did

god...

keep talking, priest 👀

'we' buddy YOU did that. priest was a little boy who really didn't know anything besides suffering. and instead of offering hope for the future you told him everyone is miserable and the world should end

bleak. but still we find reasons to go on

why did they have one of the closest relationships in the story...incredible

LUCA....

so others have pointed this out, but this chapter title references it's a wonderful life. I haven't seen it, but the upshot is essentially 'no, the world isn't better if you die now. people will notice, and the world will be poorer for your loss, and you have value here' it's such an old movie that it seems like a bit of a longshot but I'm sure it's intentional

I don't think I noticed how important honesty was to priest before...but he's really very straightforward and honest isn't he

imuri is seeing this as a personal mission rather than one from satan - I wonder if that's something inevitable in her being as a lilin. like, she was always going to be very romantic like this and that's why they sent her. either way, she's not thinking about satan now but about what's good for the priest

REALLY fucked up. priest no....

I wonder if his harsh punishments are for others, or just for himself

ahh, so proud of him wanting things for himself. and there's dante again...he looks so well and full of life unlike his scarred haggard present timeline self. but it's not like things got much worse...

screams yeah he really did. dante you idiot. I appreciate how the writing recognizes this was at best clumsy and insensitive advice, and at worse actively hurtful. but it did save him

I wonder what dante's faith is like...he seems to want other people to still be able to have god and what the church provides, but how faithful is he really? how ironic would ie be if verge believed more than he did

SPOOKY. I wonder if this is true...yeah, probably? mammon's destruction caused a lot of economic turmoil and hardship. destroying even a bad system still causes problems that dante is keen to avoid

BEING IN LOVE JUST MADE HIM MORE SUICIDAL AND HE KNOWS IT. he only has one card to play left

really enthralling dante's knowledge on some level that verge still cares abt him like that. verge probably could have killed him many times before, I'm sure of it. but this seems deliberately provoking

damn verge maybe showed his hand too much earlier when saying he didn't want dante to die

GIGGLES. what a fucking move. verge is like hmm what's happening. a little nervous but he doesn't see it coming. but verge has been involved in the chase too - changing his name, luring him in, talking about him to cerberus. aw man.

we've never seen him panic before either...oh he had no clue. completely took him by surprise

WHAT A PANEL....he really said I'm about to die meainglessly so come chase after me in hell. and it WORKED. verge isn't interested in pulling off his plan anymore! it fucking worked! I can't think of it as anything besides the yaoicide btw what a beautiful word for it

that hug 🥺 the hugs in this manga are so visually satisfying. and I like that dante is a mess who gave him bad advice. his warmth and their connection still saved priest from death. it doesn't have to be perfect to be meaingful or impactful

also I really love that he's gay...more gay mentors

damn verge he got you good. hard to imagine what he's experiencing rn tho...someone he's loved for many years and could always rely on at least being there to rileup even if he felt like dante betrayed him and sided with the church that hurt him out of naivite and cowardice. and now he's just gone

THAT'S PRETTY RESOUNDING....I wonder where his soul is after this

[casspurrjoybell-22]

Dream Eater - Chapter 16 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

"Take me there," I demand, shaking Damien by the front of his shirt.

"Take me there, right fucking now."

"Alex, stop," Damien grabs my shoulders and holds me still.

"We can't just rush in. We need a plan."

"Fuck plans. We need to save Dante before that sick fuck does anything worse to them."

"I know, and we will," he says, his grip on my arms tightening just enough to hurt.

"We will, Alex. But we can't just walk in there and give Azael what he wants. Too much is at stake. Please... just give us a chance to come up with a strategy, at the very least. It won't take long."

"For Dante's sake, it better not," I say, glaring.

He flinches and releases me and suddenly I don't think I can stand up any more.

I move away and sit on the edge of the large fountain in the center of the open courtyard.

I don't hear much of what's said after that.

Allannan pulls the cloth back over its grisly contents but I can't take my eyes from it or stop thinking about how Azael might be making more like it even now.

It feels like hours pass but it actually doesn't take long to come up with a plan, though no one claims its a very good one.

Damien and I will go first, meeting Azael at the spot he specified.

Then, Oran and the Vanguard, along with a host of Carnâki soldiers, will follow, entering the area a short distance away.

They'll flank Azael's troops and then launch a surprise attack.

In the chaos, Damien is supposed to get me and Dante the fuck out of there.

As eager as I am to get to Dante, I'd be lying if I said I'm not afraid.

My stomach feels like it's home to a nest of squirming snakes by the time everyone is in agreement and ready to act.

Damien sees it in my eyes when he joins me by the fountain.

He takes my hand and squeezes it lightly.

"Where are we going, anyway?" I ask.

Allannan hadn't read that part aloud.

"Some remote forested area in Russia," he says.

"The sort of place where meteors can crash and hardly anyone notices."

After a moment, I say what's been on my mind.

"Damien, if the plan doesn't work... if Azael forces me to open the Door... will you stop me?"

He looks down at me with eyes like pools of night.

"It'll work," is all he says.

Enough of the Vanguard are sufficiently powerful to travel between realms with three or four other people that a sizeable force of Carnâki soldiers is able to accompany us.

Both groups stand at the ready, Oran at their head.

He grasps Damien by the arm and wishes us luck.

"I'll see you on the other side, old friend," Oran says and I wonder if he knows how ominous that sounds.

From the grim look he gives us, I think he might.

"Alex," he says to me.

"I'm sorry. You're a brave lad and a true friend. Key or not... demon, human, Celestial or all three... you're a good man and I hope if we all come out of this alive you can forgive me my misplaced prejudice. May Manāt smile on your fate."

I'm not sure what the proper response is, so I go with the ever smooth reply of...

"Er, you too."

Then it's time.

Damien pulls me against him and presses his lips to my hair.

"I love you, Alex. I wish everything would just leave us alone and let me love you. I wish..."

"I know," I say.

"I love you, too."

I close my eyes and kiss him and the blue fire takes us away.

The shift isn't so bad this time and I'm able to keep my feet for once, though only by leaning heavily on Damien.

When I open my eyes, I see we're in a wide clearing among tall pines.

Patchy snow covers the ground and the sky overhead is the flat grey-white that promises more is on the way.

The air carries a stinging cold and I realize I'm badly underdressed in my thin Carnâki tunic and soft, suede leggings.

Turning, I see Azael at the other end of the clearing.

He's standing before a high stone arch and he's flanked by half a dozen other people, among whom I recognize Yakketh and Maliel, long fiery blades in hand.

Dante is there too and except for a bandage on their right arm, they look pretty much okay.

"Dante."

I take a stumbling step towards them but Damien keeps a tight grip on my arm.

"Not so fast," he whispers.

"We have to give Oran time."

I manage to get myself under control and walk as steadily as I can at his side.

Azael and his party walk towards us as we approach, until we both stop with about ten feet between us.

"Dantalian," he says, smirking.

"Here we are again. I'd have thought that watching me destroy your lover once would have been enough but I suppose a masochist enjoys a Hell of their own making."

Now it's my turn to hold Damien back or try.

"Don't," I hiss.

"He doesn't deserve the satisfaction."

Damien smoothed his features into a cold mask.

"Azael. We've come for Dante. Let them go."

Azael shakes his head.

"First, the Key."

I look at Damien and hope he can see in my eyes that I trust him, if only to do what he must.

"It's okay," I say and pull my hand from his grip.

Turning, I walk towards Azael.

I go as slow as I can, partly because I'm terrified, partly because I'm still unsteady from crossing realms and it would be really uncool to fall over right now.

When I'm within arm's reach, he grabs me and pulls me against him, turning me so I'm facing away.

He wraps a massive arm over my chest and slides his hand down to my hip.

I know he's doing it to goad Damien and it looks like it's working.

Blue fire races over Damien's body and I can see the faint shadows of great wings at his back.

I try to convey something along the lines of 'don't go berserk yet' with my eyes but I'm probably too far away for it to really get across.

"You have what you want. Now let Dante go," I say.

He bends to speak in my ear and I shiver with revulsion as his hot breath gusts against my skin.

"As you wish."

He gives a sign and Dante is pushed forward.

They look at me with an expression of love and fear that breaks my heart.

There are tears on their face.

"You shouldn't have come, Alex," they say.

"Why did you have to come?"

I shake my head.

"Because I had no choice, Dante," I say.

"You're my best friend."

They give me a watery smile as Damien pulls them to his side.

"How touching," Azael drawls.

"And now what, Damien? What are you waiting for? Reinforcements, perhaps? You'll be waiting a while. This whole area is sealed. Yakketh and Maliel completed it just as you arrived."

He nods to them.

"Show him."

The two female Fallen step forward and raise their long, thin blades above their heads.

They let the tips cross and suddenly the sky turns crimson as a great dome of interwoven magic spreads downward from its zenith to join the ground.

It must be miles across.

"Nothing in, nothing out," Azael says.

"I can't risk the powers of the Abyss getting loose before I'm ready, after all."

Damien's wings grow more solid and the blue sword of flame takes shape in his hand.

"Damien. No." I shout.

I know he's strong and powerful but the odds are seven to one and I don't know if he could even beat Azael alone.

"Shh," Azael hushes me as I struggle.

"Never fear. He's safe, even from himself. Look."

At Damien's feet, another, smaller seal appears and I see that he and Dante are standing in the center of a circle of intricate symbols.

He takes a step forward but he can't cross beyond its edge.

"Damien..."

"Don't worry. I have no reason to harm him or your friend. I'll let them go once I have what I want."

"I don't believe you," I say.

"I know. But you'll believe this. If you don't give me what I want, you can watch them both die."

Yakketh and Maliel have moved to either side of the seal and their blades are raised and ready.

Damien and Dante are both shouting at me.

I can't seem to hear them past the roaring sound in my ears but I know what they're saying.

They're telling me not to do it.

Not to save them.

Not to sacrifice a world for the sake of their lives.

I'm too selfish to listen.

"All right," I whisper.

"You win. I'll do it."

I feel Azael's deep laugh.

He turns us to face the great stone arch and speaks low and soft at my back.

"And now, Alex, my lovely broken Key... open me a Door."

[storytimewithnova]

YOU THINK I AM SPECIAL (I'M NOT)

Heads up this is going to be angsty shoyo is Oikawa's little brother he is Dating Goshiki they are in the same school same year and shoyo is dating Oikawa is dating Semi kunimi and suna are dating two sleepy joes together Song used and always its a pain in the backside findiing female versions

In Volley hoes group chat

Shoyo:🎶I'm not special Who the hell am I to think I'm special?🎶

Kenma:Shoyo are you okay?

Shoyo:🎶I'm not so well Thanks for asking But you probably figured what else is new🎶

Goshiki:Sunshine what are you talking about where is this coming from?

Oikawa:Little bro

Shoyo:🎶I try my best still But if I die, wind up in some mess You'll keep my head filled With the notion that I don't deserve this life that I've built🎶

Kunimi:Who hurt our baby sunshine speak now or die🔪

Suna: his is not joke she is standing her with a knife

Shoyo:🎶I'm not special, special Don't know why I thought I could be someone I'm no one To anyone who knows me I'm a burden, I'm certain The only thing I'm good for is hurtin' the ones I love🎶

Kageyama:….

Kageyama's thoughts(💭 I didn’t mean to tell him that what have i done to him has he held on to this for nearly 2 years)

Shoyo:🎶I wanna be special But I don't know if it's worth all of this stress You don't know my struggle 'Cause I don't tell it If I did, I really don't think you'd be bothered to hear it anyway If I sang a song Would you listen? Or would you tell me that I'm terrible?🎶

Kageyama:….

Kei:Kags do you know something about this

Kenma:Yeah i know you and shoyo have history

Shoyo:🎶If I played along To ease the friction Would you still tell me that I'm terrible?🎶

Tendou:What have you done to my cousin you asshole

Kageyama:….

Shoyo:🎶Oh, I'm not special, special Don't know why I thought I could be someone I'm no one To anyone who knows me🎶

Goshiki:Shoyo that is not true you are loved and you are special to me Oikawa San and to everyone you have met you have touched their life you make a big impact on peoples lives more than you realize

Shoyo:🎶I'm a burden, I'm certain The only thing I'm good for is hurtin' the ones I love But the ones I love They really love me The ones I love They truly know me You drag my name @kags It's kinda funny 'Cause my name Makes you lots of money🎶

Kuroo:What?!

Oikawa:You are using my brother for money

Kageyama:I was at the time its been nearly 2 years i though he had let it go and we started befriends

Semi:2 years you mean you did all this while you started second year is that why he transferred to Shiratorizawa in the end

Kageyama:Yeah basically but honestly i thought he was over it

Shoyo:🎶I guess I'm special, special Who the hell are you to say I'm not special? Oh well Got everybody talking in this hell hole I'm the devil Dante wrote me into his inferno Here we go🎶

Yachi:You knew he was senstive you knew you say one thing to hurt him he will burden it like this you fucked up

Shoyo:🎶Again is this what you came for? You paid for? To watch somebody burn and crumble and stumble Then fumble all my words and let you twist them and listen To all the ugly things you tell me I am I'm tryin' So hard to understand how I'm the master manipulator Who couldn't fool anyone The monster reciprocator Shot no bullets from my gun The drama queen who never seems to get applause from anyone I won't be who you say I am🎶

Kiyoko:Wait when he said he was sick he could of meant it mentally as well as literally

Atsumu:Do you want me to check on him i am close by

Osamu: why are you there

Atsumu: to visit Kawa why else you Div now shut Ya trap this is about Sho kun 😤

Semi:Please Atsumu I would check on him myself for Tooru but i can’t get out of study hall yet wven after the bell jist rang btw my ass of a teacher just said the bell doesn't dismiss you I do like do my bfs brother is in trouble cut me some slack

Atsumu: I got you cover Semi San

Shoyo:🎶If I sang a song Would you listen? Or would you tell me I'm terrible? I won't play along This game is twisted But I think that would make me terrible That would make me-🎶

Shoyo went offline

Atsumu enter shoyo and Tooru's House he looked everywhere the last place was his bedroom when he enter and he saw shoyo Surrounded by pills on the floor looking like he wasn’t breathing he called an anblance then got back on the group chat to Goshiki Oikawa Semi and everyone else

Atsumu:Kawa semi Goshiki you might want to come here its not good

Oikawa:What do you mean Tsumu

Kageyama:?!

Semi:Zip it you

Goshiki:Atsumu san!!

Atsumu:H-h-he’s not breathing

Kenma:Funny joke now say sike

Atsumu: ......

Kenma:Atsumu say sike

Atsumu:Sorry kenma

Kageyama:!!!

Noya:If anything happens to him this is your fault

Kageyama:I know

Semii:Me and Tendou are on our way i am currently driving Goshiki is crying in the back of my car

Bokuto:I'm on my way love can you drive me and Keiji and Kenma

Kuroo: of course i can drive you guys

Kei:Kags what have you done

Kageyama:Something stupid clearly and the gulit has been eating me but i didn’t thing what it was doing to him

Osamu:Kawa how is he please

Oikawa:Holding The exact words were he is in a stable but critical condition The amount he took was lethal But not lethal enough to instantly kill

Iwaizumi:That’s good isn’t it

Oikawa:Oh from what I can understand yes but also no like I said the amount he took was lethal not lethal enough to kill but lethal enough to comatose him To the point where they don’t know if you could wake up

Yachi:Oh god

Oikawa:Goshiki has pacing back and forth he is so on edge understandablely Eita ans Satori is some how clam or they are plotting a murder and don't get me started on Kenma kunimi and shirabu they keep Repeating they are going to make a bitch pay

Bokuakakuro:they are not alone

Suga:Okay Shall we go offline Clam down and wait for an update

Everyone:Yeah honestly We need to calm down

Everyone has gone offline

[yanderelovlies]

Maybe one where y/n is dating dante before she ever met jack, bo, or Joseph

(Bonus: do you think dante would be able to somehow harm or even kill adj? I've been wondering about this for a while but can dante kill ghosts or spirits?)

Hehe, yay, an excuse to combine them

Ahem! So before I get into these headcanons, here are my thoughts on Dante vs. Sunny Day Jack. I think unless Jack has a physical weakness like destroying his VHS tape, then Dante would have a hard time getting rid of him. Impossible? No. It's just a bit challenging. He will probably figure it out in the end. As for Jack his would be closer to Impossible. He can't physically hurt Dante due to his healing abilities, and he would have a hard time possessing him due to half demon nature.

So, really, I think it would be stand-off till 1. Dante finds a way to get rid of him or 2. Jack gets his sunshine to completely cut off Dante. He is a bad influence, after all, and think about all that danger he brings!

Also, I wanna say that for this, I wanted to use various Dante's while yes, they are all him just different stages of his life they all have different personalities and ways of handling things so here we are.

Joseph

If you are dating Dante before meeting Joseph, we must be talking young Dante (Dmc 3 dante). In the case, let me tell you that young Dante is more protective and hostile than his older counterpart.

Now, don't get me wrong, he won't outwardly attack anyone. That would leave a bad reputation on the shop he plans on opening. So, instead, he glares puffs out his chest and stands to his full 6'3 "height.

He makes sure Joseph knows you're taken. Dropping and picking you up every day brings you lunch sometime, and if he is always gone on long missions, he calls you at work.

If Joseph wants to stand a chance against Dante, he would have to lure away when Dante is off on his missions. He is less around for Joseph to fill your head with the reasons why Dante is bad for you.

Sunny Day Jack

If you're dating Dante, when you meet Sunny Day Jack, we must be talking late 20's Dante (the first DMC). This Dante is more collected than his younger counterpart, but still a bit hostile and protective. He doesn't want to lose anyone else.

He still won't outwardly attack anyone. In fact, he is more likely to degrade or verbally attack someone before resorting weapons. However, Jack is a special case.

Since only you and Dante can see him, and only you can touch him. Dante's hands are tied...for now. He is the son of sparda after all and has plenty of weapons ar his disposable. Something must work on this sunny day jackass!

If he notices you distancing yourself from him, he will automatically assume it's Jack's doing and shut that shit.down quickly. What would a clown from the 80s know anyway? Dante has only treated you with utmost love and care, so why would he let anything hurt you now?

Bo

If you're dating Dante before you meet Bo, we must be talking about early 30's Dante (DMC 2 Dante). This Dante is a little more serious the other two. He would rather let his intimidation do the talking. He is protective but not as hot headed.

That begin said Bo is WAY different case. I will say it now for everything good in the world. Keep Bo IN his Tamagotchi! No matter, he begs and cries.

Dante may be more level-headed, but Bo isn't. He sees Dante as an obstacle to goal. You. So as soon as gets free he will get ride of Dante the quickest way he can.

Bo may be strong, but Dante has taken down demons bigger than buildings, and not to mention Dante's DT. I'm not sure Bo stands a chamce.

[bloodykora]

POV: I Already Know Part 3

Happy Birthday V! I finally decided to post this and I am so sorry, I might be able to squeeze in a poem about V before I go to bed.

Part 2

Umm angst but not heart breaking just sad. :) I'm sorry.

Summary: You finally break the news to V that you know

He started cracking, becoming more and more physically weak yet his determination stayed strong. He noticed how Griffon treated you since he got hurt, the glances when a decision was to be made. There was even more attention to how you started acting around V, the team even picked up on it. Although they had no clue whether you wanted to kill or fuck him and they wanted to find out, so that's why you're here. Now locked in the van with V, Griffon out to make sure the area stays clear of demons. We love bonding time. 

"Maybe we could climb through a window?" You say peering around the parked vehicle for some way of escaping.

"I doubt there is one and even if we made it out, who says they won't put us back in?" The gorgeously tattooed man states taking a seat on the couch. You let out a sigh and sit down in the passenger seat of the car. The atmosphere settled to an awkward and quiet tone.

"Did I do something to perhaps upset or disturb you?" Your head raises and you lean to the side glancing back into the van. "No, why?" You say as you turn back to look out the front window. "It seems like you have been distant and uncomfortable in my presence. I was just wondering if I did anything to cause it." He says softly, the essence of sadness in his words.

"What no, you didn't-" You start to say while getting up before freezing. 'That's a lie, he is the problem but not in that way.' You sigh before your shoulders slump down, you turn around and make your way to him.  "V, it's a lot more complicated than you think." You simply state. "Yet, you tell Griffon of your concerns and worries." V says, clearly disappointed that you told the bird a secret of yours and not him.

"It's not some cute little secret, it's not a love confession or that I plan on moving somewhere. I have to live and deal with it, not you or Griffon. The only reason I told him was because he wouldn't shut up." You reply back.

"Does anyone else know? Nico or Nero? Maybe even Dante?" He snarls, jealousy coursing through his veins. "No, V!" "Then what is it!"  "I know you're dying!" You scream out, anger and frustration blossoming in your chest. V's face drops into astonishment.

"Happy? I know you're dying and I know the only way to help you is bring you to Urizen where you can reunite with him." You say, eyes filled with a deep pain. V's astonishment is now replaced with fear. "How the hell do you know that?"

"I know everything V, and not cause Griffon told me. You wanna know why I'm so distant? It's the 7th, that means I have 8ish days left to figure out if I either want to kill you or help you. I still have no clue what to do, I thought maybe this time I wouldn't fall for you the way I did. Surprise, I ended up falling even harder because of what I know. I feel no hate or malice coming from you, just a soul who needs to be brought back to his other part. I want to just scoop you up right now and tell you everything will be okay but I know that's not gonna help either one of us." V sat there in silence listening to you, anxiety filling his mind. 

"I want to save you so bad, I hate how Vergil looks at me. Like I'm a puppy he accidentally stepped on, his eyes are so cold yet that lingering pity. I want you to stay so bad but I don't know what would happen if I did. Would you keep slowly dying? What would happen to Dante and Nero? Everything hurts V, and I don't know how to fix it."

"You know everything?" He asks softly, sympathy filling his voice. 

"Yes, I know who you are and I know that Nightmare, Shadow and Griffon are all manifestations of Vergil's old nightmares. I don't just know that though. I know you prefer vanilla over chocolate, I know that you have a mole under your left shoulder blade, that your tattoos trickle a bit down your hips. William Blake is your favourite because of the older gentleman that gave Vergil that book, I am very fully aware that you have all his trauma and have nightmares about it." His eyes widen at your words, not fully expecting the weight of what you knew.

"You knew this yet never told anyone?"

"No, it's not mine to tell. I wanted to, I wanted to talk to you about how I could help or ask Nero if he had advice. I knew though that I couldn't and shouldn't." V sat there, not knowing what to say. You slump in your seat, bringing your knees to your chest. Mumbling to yourself about how you had just screwed up.

[flopity-flips]

I would love to hear your hot takes!

im so fucking pissed tumblr deleted this as i was writing it. anyways awful bold to ask on anon. ill bite. just no witch hunts my way.

so anyways to preface a few things:

THESE ARE MY OWN DANG OPINIONS ON OBSERVATIONS I'VE MADE DURING MY TIME IN THE FANBASE. if you or someone you like does these things, then that's totally freakin fine! that just means that content isn't gonna be smth I'm gonna enjoy nor consume. anyone is allowed to have their own interpretations of the characters different from the text of the game, the only issue is when people take these interpretations to be canon/word of god and tout them around as such, thus spreading misinformation.

on that note, the things i write about in the section about flanderization are all things based on the text from the games, novels, mangas, and artbooks and if you disagree then just note that in ur head and move or tell me how my interpretation of the text given may differ from yours! i love discussing dmc lore and characterization with other fans!

this post will contain a lot of me doggin on fandom memes or interpretations and if a negative tone like that upsets you, then maybe just scroll past.

and lastly: a warning for a mention of self harm, but only a small mention. nothing in too much detail. read at your own discretion.

first off: yall gotta cool it with the dante haha pizza strawberry shit 😭😭 some ppl rly only reduce him to those things. even if they are his staple foods, he most certainly is not just that. its so annoying. see my tweets below:

next up: there is a HUGE problem with flanderization (reducing the characters to one or a few base traits that, although may be true, are not all a character is). its bad with dante but WAY worse with vergil. nero also suffers from it but its hard to observe cuz no his fanbase is far smaller than vergils and dantes, so I'm not gonna get into him here tbh.

in the case of vergil: ppl write him as a, to quote the johnlock fandom and toplock antis, "dark fuck prince" when he just isn't that. but then they write him as being completely out of touch when he just. isnt that. there's also the issue of the funny power chair haha memes being all he's reduced to.

his quest for power, although a funny haha, isn't all there is to him. he's on that quest because of his trauma and inferiority complex. he fears being weak because it's what he felt when he lost everything and everyone he cared abt.

more than likely, he feels some level of regret for what he put nero through as a father. and although he didnt speak much with him, he still felt he got to connect with him though his time as V, and was able to communicate with him through their battling at the end of 5 (hence his lack of concern for how he felt to have met nero as his son when dante asked).

in the case of dante: there is an issue with interpreting Dante as a hypermasculine, super cool action hero who's a total ladies man and a womanizer. but there's the opposite end with the interpretation of dante almost as if he's a child clinging to a toy with no fight in him. while both of these interpretations of Dante hold weight to some extent, they are taken to either extreme which weakens his character. dante is very multifaceted.

he is very introspective but appears to just be very simpleminded and cocky, a man who loves to goof around and likes to act like the heroes in the movies he watches or the comics he reads (as seen in the dmc1 novel and dmc5). but then u peel back that layer of cockiness, and u see he's just a down to earth guy who just wants to make it to the next day. but then you peel back that down to earth layer, and he's a man so desperate to deny his heritage and insistent on his humanity. but then u peel back that layer, and he's a deeply traumatized man with a strong sense of right and wrong who cares deeply for everyone around him, even those who have hurt him. he's come to acknowledge the fact that he won't be able to save everyone, but he has yet to accept that fact. at the end of the day, none of those layers of Dante are fake, they're all apart of him. he can still be a fun loving goof who is still very caring to those around him and depressed. but so many fans just do surface level things or think he can only be one or the other at a certain time rather than a mix of all.

dante is a man with a lot of love to give and he's very down to earth. he might not be forthcoming about what he wants but when he wants smth he yearns for it rather than acting and trying to get it. more than anything, though, he doesn't want to be alone. he really can't be left alone because of his introspective nature; otherwise, he'd get so lost in his own head and heart, to the point where he can't get out of his head, so it'd lead to him harming his body to try and find a way out.

letter number 3: i dont like how some ppl write dialogue for Dante and vergil im so sorry 😭😭

I've seen ppl write dante like he's a cowboy. he talks very casual but he's not like that.

getting into that why do ppl feel the need to try and write out every quirk of a characters' speech in text? like with nico or morrison or cowboy dante? like just write it out normally i can still hear it in the characters' voices when its normal.

but anyways, for vergil, a lot of ppl write him like hes a thesaurus. i feel like this just stems from the way he uniquely enunciates his words. his speech is not far off from Nero or Dante's casual speak, he just sprinkles in a few more formal words or enunciates normal words in a way that makes them sound fancy or bigger.

number d: i dont think nero can carry his own game. i just dont. call me a filthy Dante stan, but dmc is about the story of dante and his family? hence why hes the main character? so to have a game with just nero would make it feel weaker and detract from those themes. as well, there's so many more stories thar can be told with dante and/or vergil with nero there too either after 5 or before 5. like what happened in the ten years between dmc3 and dmc1? why did Dante's demeanor change so much from 2 to 4? what other stories could be told between the previous games?

???: dante might as well be a female character with how little itsuno likes to use him and do stuff with him.

finally: vergil stans have had it too good I'm coming for u guys. we get it itsuno loves vergil and nero and will give them everything. meanwhile dante stans have to deal with the scraps matt walker fights for us to have. yall are too loud and act like the minority when you guys are the majority 😭😭😭

i am going to punt 8 yo vergil across a football field.

[demidevildiva]

"Jesus." he let out of surprise, eyed widening for a moment before he was able to collect himself and continue to listen. He offered an apologetic smile for the outburst, "You were just a baby." his words nothing but a whisper as he absorbed this new Frankie he's never known before. It saddened him to know that much like him, Frankie had grown up without his parents. Dante knew better than to ask too many questions, though. Talking about his own brought on nothing but pain and a sense of loneliness unlike anything anyone's ever known. He couldn't do that to Frankie in this moment. "Don't you go apologizing to me now. I'd love nothing more than to know all there is to know about you, but I won't push just yet." he said scrunching up his nose, "You can always tell me anything, though." Had it not been for his birthday, Dante would have dug deeper into the conversation. Turned off all the lights and laid on the ground while they talked and shared everything about one another's troubling beginnings. Something about anniversaries made the hurt ten times worst, and for that reason he chose to let it rest. Being vulnerable in his music wasn't easy but it helped; being vulnerable in conversations always ended in him feeling as pathetic as the tears that scrolled down his face. He also didn't want to freak out Frankie, although it seemed that ship had long sailed. "God!" he whined, not meeting Frankie's eyes as he willed his emotions away. He wanted to laugh at the expression on his friend's face, or make a joke to distract from the scene all together. To lighten the situation in whichever way he could think of, but the worry in their words kept him emotionally sober. "Sorry. I just got lost in thoughts. I'm okay, I promise... it's um... Marcy's song." Dante said as if it would explain it all away, and let out a silent chuckle. "I'm very conflicted on it. Push it out and let everyone hear it, or keep it to myself and be selfish. I think she would have wanted the first option, but I keep distracting myself and making up excuses for why it isn't complete." He hadn't really meant to bring up his choice to not record again. That was a decision he'd made when his grandmother passed while he'd been away on tour. No new music meant he wouldn't go too far from home. He could stay and care for his pawpaw like he should have done for his mawmaw. "Why don't we eat up some more of this tasty lasagna - did I tell you how amazing it was already? You should totally give my compliments to the chef - and we can pop open a soda or some wine from the mini fridge before I take you home? I don't like the thought of you just running about in the middle of the night, Frankie. Even for lil' old me. No specially for me. I don't know what I'd ever do if something bad happened to you."

“The world, son. I owned the world.” And then he’d come to America and he’d become a dad - for a handful of months, before being sent away. He ignored Dante’s suggestion that Frankie show him his own dad’s music - Frankie had never been able to properly listen to it himself. Paired with Dante’s question and they were all but snapping their neck to stare at him in shock. Stunned that there was anyone that would even dream of holding their dad in high regard - but it wasn’t Dante’s fault. Frankie probably sounded like he had some sort of respect for him. “Uh - no.” He scoffed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “He, um… he went to prison. When I was… six months old. So drunk he - didn’t see my mum in the rearview mirror of, uh, his car. Ran her over.” It’d been worthy news when Frankie was a kid. Got them picked on until - it wasn’t worthy news anymore, but everyone still knew. Most did, at least. That Francis - his dad murdered his mom! He’d heard a mum practically shout it in his school’s parking lot. Third grade and already left out of party invites, summer sleepovers, class Valentine’s exchanges. “Convicted on my birthday. Been there, uh, ever - ever since.” This wasn’t something Frankie was used to sharing casually. This wasn’t something Frankie was used to sharing at all - they felt entirely exposed. But it wasn’t a bad thing, for once. Frankie’s feelings were delicate, and he treated them like an over exuberant kid tapping at a fishbowl, begging them to do something. Dante seemed to wrap them cautiously - packing peanuts and FRAGILE tape for extra measure. “Sorry.” They mumbled automatically for the sudden trauma dumping. With concern, Frankie watched Dante’s face change from muted content to anguish. Covering his face, obviously crumbling in on himself into a place Frankie wasn’t welcome in anymore. Or maybe not yet, Dante taking a moment to himself to just breathe, collect his thoughts. It was a touchy subject, Frankie easily pieced together, Dante and his music - new music, he’d clarified. He didn’t record anymore - and it felt like a damn shame. But it wasn’t Frankie’s place to push on it, instead moving into Dante’s space, and then backing out of it again. For as deep as Frankie could love, they could panic in equal measure when it came to tears. But they’d been the one to draw the tears out of Dante, even if inadvertently, so they pushed forward. Brushed Dante’s hands away from his face so that they could swipe at the tears that’d remained under his eyes and streaked across his cheeks with a pinched look on Frankie’s part. Jesus - they were probably about to make Dante cry more just from being so fucking awkward. “I didn’t - sorry. I didn’t know it was, um. A sore spot. You okay?” Distraction, they were meant to be distracting. From the song, and now because Dante was upset, and crying - Frankie felt himself grow keyed up with worry, cupping Dante’s face and using their thumbs to mould his face into a smile. “There we go - much better. I hated that. That was awful - those… that sucked. Don’t cry again, I’ll, um… That was kind of heart breaking. I’m sorry. Can I - what can I do?”

[positively--speculative]

Eh...guess my New Year's resolution is going to be to watch 100 horror movies. Some I've seen and am rewatching, others will be new to me. I'm adding a link on my blog if you all want to keep up with my progress.

Horror Movies Watched in 2022:

As Above So Below (2014)--Would recommend. Very creepy. Takes heavy inspiration from Dante's Inferno. Dread inducing.

The Pyramid (2014)--Disappointing. Starts out strong and creepy only to take some weird creative choices with Egyptian mythology--goes the whole "gods associated with death are evil" route. Eye roll inducing.

Read my full rant here.

Annabelle: Creation (2017)--Would recommend. Much better than its predecessor which I found disappointing.

Troll Hunter (2010)--A decent found footage flick. However, it has more of a storm chaser feel than horror. Would still recommend.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)--My feelings are mixed. I wanted to like this more than I did because it's a classic, but it just felt so drawn out to me a lot of the time. However, the ending is really unsettling and well-done.

Midsommar (2019)--Good, but VERY triggering. I probably won't watch it a second time.

Here's my full rant on why I have a problem with people celebrating the ending of this movie.

Bird Box (2018)--Decent. Not too scary. Tread carefully if suicide triggers you.

Digging Up the Marrow (2014)--One common criticism I'm reading is that the movie doesn't let the audience see enough of the monster, but honestly, that's what made me put my guard down lol. This is very much worth a watch.

1408 (2007)--A solid horror story. Not terrifying, but satisfyingly suspenseful and creepy. I recommend checking out the alternate ending too.

Signs (2002)--I absolutely hate Mel Gibson, but I really like this movie. It mostly holds up well and I feel like I have a better appreciation of the takeaway than I did when I first saw this as a young teen. I watched it for free on Tubi, but I think they've removed the title for a bit. It will probably come back in a few months, so it might be a good idea to hold off if you don't want to risk giving Mel Gibson your money.

La Llarona (2019)--I wanted to like this one more than I did, as the story of La Llarona is one that really fascinates me. However, this movie takes off really slow. In fact, I had tried watching this around Halloween and gave up. I stuck with it this time, and overall, I'm glad I did. It's not the best horror movie I've seen, but I really enjoyed Rafael's character. Really, though...this wasn't my favorite.

The Village (2004)--I know both this movie and M. Night Shyamalan get a lot of hate, but I honestly loved this movie the first time I watched it as a teenager and I still do now. In fact, I have a deeper appreciation for it now than before. I do understand why it was so hated, though, because it was marketed as a monster movie. If you go in knowing that this movie is first and foremost about a cult, you'll probably get more out of it.

Think of this movie as a much softer Midsommar without the human sacrifices, r*pe ceremonies, etc. In fact, it is not the intention of the people in The Village to hurt anyone *or* bring anyone in, but you are very much still meant to question their intentions and morals.

[soracities]

hello darling✨ do you have any quotes on love/loving being difficult? i love your blog so

“There is no clean way to enter the heavy machinery of the heart. Just jagged cutthroat questions. Just the glitter and blood production.”

— Mindy Nettifee, ‘This is the Nonsense of Love’

“Everyone wishes to be loved, but in the event, nearly no one can bear it. Everyone desires love but also finds it impossible to believe that he deserves it.”

— James Baldwin, Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone

— Clarice Lispector, Agua Viva

“My robin song, my springtime siren. I’ll love you until I forget how to. And then I’ll fall like my knees aren’t already bruised from doing it, and I’ll remember why you’re worth the ache.”

— Yasmin Z. ( @heartcountry), “The honey hums to me”

“Years ago a friend of mine had a dream about a strange invention; a staircase you could descend deep underground, in which you heard recordings of all the things anyone had ever said about you, both good and bad. The catch was, you had to pass through all the worst things people had said before you could get to the highest compliments at the very bottom. There is no way I would ever make it more than two and a half steps down such a staircase, but I understand its terrible logic: if we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.”

— Tim Kreider, “I Know What You Think of Me”

— Benjamin Alire Saenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

“What were we before we were we? We must’ve been standing by the shoulder of a dirt road while the city burned. We must’ve been disappearing, like we are now. Maybe in the next life we’ll meet each other for the first time—believing in everything but the harm we’re capable of."

— Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel

“We were inside the train car when I started to cry. You were crying too, /      smiling and crying in a way that made me / even more hysterical. You said I could have anything I wanted, but I  / just couldn’t say it out loud.Actually, you said Love, for you, / is larger than the usual romantic love. It’s like a religion. It’s / terrifying. No one  / will ever want to sleep with you.”

— Richard Siken, “Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out”

— Martyna Majok, The Cost of Living: A Play

“And no one can ever figure out what you want, / and you won't tell them, and you realize the one person in this world who loves you  / isn't the one you thought it would be, / and you don't trust him to love you in a way / you would enjoy.”

— Richard Siken, “A Primer for the Small Weird Loves”

“We were arguing. You want love to be like this every day don’t you? 92 degrees even in the shade.”

— Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body

— Jeff Buckley, “Hallelujah”

(”What about you? Are you the happiest and saddest right now that you’ve ever been?” “Of course I am.” “Why?” “Because nothing makes me sadder and nothing makes me happier than you.”)

— Nicole Krauss, The History of Love

“A heart’s a heavy burden”

— Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Of course I’ll hurt you. Of course you’ll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence.”

— Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Manon, Ballerina

— William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

“…I love you and I do not want to love you, it is too much and too difficult...”

— Ingeborg Bachmann, letter to Paul Celan

“There are many in your life / And many still to be / Since you are a shining light / There's many that you'll see / But I have to deal with envy / When you choose  / the precious few / Who've left their pride on the other side of / Coming back to you.”

— Leonard Cohen, “Coming Back to You”

“To love life, to love it even when you have no stomach for it and everything you’ve held dear crumbles like burnt paper in your hands, your throat filled with the silt of it. When grief sits with you, its tropical heat thickening the air, heavy as water more fit for gills than lungs; when grief weights you like your own flesh only more of it, an obesity of grief,you think, How can a body withstand this? Then you hold life like a face between your palms, a plain face, no charming smile, no violet eyes, and you say, yes, I will take you I will love you, again.”

— Ellen Bass, ‘The Thing Is’

— Nick Cave, open letter to a grieving fan

[karlajoyner]

Stamps (Luke Patterson x Reader)

A/n: Hey guys so this one was rather long. I don’t know if I liked it very much but that’s just me being critical of myself. Anyways I hope you enjoy it!

Requested by: kennice1 (Wattpad)

Warnings: None

————

My eyes opened slightly to see my boyfriend laying beside me in his suit from the night prior.

We had done it.

We played the Orpheum.

And got rid of Caleb stamps.

Now we were here the very next day in Julie's garage like we'd been the past couple weeks feeling better than ever.

"Good morning beautiful" His raspy voice spoke as he to was barely opening his eyes.

"Good morning Luke" I replied staring up at the ceiling.

The bright sun rays hitting many different points of the studio since it was probably near mid day now.

"Morning? It's afternoon" Another voice in the room spoke making my head whip in their direction.

"Well then good afternoon my dear brother" I grinned sitting up only to see Reggie still passed out on the barkin lounger.

"Has Julie come in today yet?" Luke asked sitting up as well, pulling my body into his.

"Yeah. Said she was gonna go have breakfast and get dressed before coming back for practice. She also said she'll bring us something back"

"Oh to have breakfast. What a privilege we now have" I said stretching out my body.

"I sure did miss pancakes. I hope we have that" Reggie spoke in his morning voice.

"Look who's awake"

"Morning"

"Afternoon" I corrected him standing up.

"Where are you going?" Luke pouted.

"To get dressed for practice too. In case you haven't noticed I need to get out of this thing" I spoke pointing down at the long royal blue dress that sat tightly on my body.

"Or you could just stay in it. Maybe rip it up a bit make it more fitting" Luke suggested pushing the dress up my leg.

"Can you not try to sexualize my little sister in front of me?" Alex spoke.

"Sorry" Luke apologized.

"My boyfriend can sexualize me all he wants" I argued making my way towards the exit.

"Gross"

"I think it's endearing" Reggie said making me giggle.

"I'm gonna go see if Julie has anything I can barrow. And maybe a sewing machine. I think you were onto something there Lukey" I teased the boy watching a smirk take over his face before I walked out.

I giggled deciding to surprise Julie at her front door for the first time as an actual human being again.

Since I couldn't just poof into rooms anymore.

A grin formed on my face as I reached the front porch being careful to avoid any windows up the driveway.

"Look at you y/n. Looking as lovely as you did last night"

An all too familiar voice spoke from behind me before I could press the doorbell.

My heart immediately dropped as I spun around coming face to face with the devil himself.

"Caleb" I whispered.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh I just came to pay a little visit.... Tell me how does it feel to be alive again. Oh it must feel great"

"Just leave us alone. We've already defeated you and we're not joining your stupid house band" I bravely spoke watching as he inched closer.

I gulped nervously backing up until my back hit the door behind me and he was only a few feet away.

"That's not very nice of you to say. I've offered you and your boys everything and this is how you repay me. With insults. Nice try trying to be brave sweetheart but we both know your scared out of your mind. Scared that I'll hurt you. Or your little bandmates. Am I wrong?"

"Leave us alone" I repeated attempting to stand my ground

"I can see why Luke's so infatuated with you. Your strong headed like him. Too bad you won't make it home for breakfast"

My eyes widened as he grabbed ahold of my shoulders. My eyes rolling the back of my head.

"I have a fight too" I smirked hearing footsteps coming up the pathway.

My eyes fell upon a face I recognized to be none other than Nick. Julie's crush she'd been telling me about for weeks.

"Oh there's someone here" He said noting my presence.

"Hey, you look familiar. Wait. Aren't you that other girl in Julie's hologram band?" He asked hopefully.

"That's me" I smiled at the boy.

"I'm y/n" I said sticking my hand out for him to shake. He took it smiling back at me.

“I’m Nick”

"So your here to see Julie?" I asked ringing the doorbell for the two of us.

"Uh yeah. I didn't get to see her last night after the show so I thought I'd bring her these" He said showing me the flowers in his hand.

"How sweet. The broken hearted teenager fighting for his girl" I spoke mischievously raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry what?" He asked.

"Julie's told me about you Nick. It seems she's canceled on you a few times now hasn't she?"

"Well yeah but that's just because she was busy"

"Are you sure about that? In all honesty she just doesn't seem that interested if you ask me"

"R-really?" He asked looking down with a frown.

I cheekily bit my lip as the front door opened.

Taking my chance and caught the boy off guard, pulling him in for a passionately rough kiss.

Making sure that he fell into the trance. The flowers in his hand fell to the ground as he held my waist pulling me closer.

"N-Nick? Y/n?!" Julie's voice rang through my ears.

"Oh Julie. I-uh didn't see you there" I panted pulling away.

Slipping a note into Nicks hand before his eyes went from purple swirls back to his normal eyes color.

"J-Julie" he stuttered going to pick up the flowers.

"I-I don't know what happened"

"I think I can explain what's going on here. Nicks just not that into you Jules. Sorry. Anyways don't tell Luke about this. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt now would we? See you later" I smirked walking down the front path of the house. Leaving the two dumbfounded.

I made sure I was out of sight before poofing away to the one place I called home. Awaiting for my revenge.

Julie's POV

I stood there in shock as y/n walked away. Leaving Nick and I standing on my front porch.

"Julie I- I can explain. She just- She was here and we started talking. I didn't even know her. I though she was your friend"

"I did too" I mumbled in confusion. What was wrong with her?

"She left me this. It probably her number but I don't want it. Your the only girl I want Julie" He said throwing the paper on the ground.

"I-I don't know what to say Nick. I um- can we talk about this later?"

"Of course. Take all the time you need"

"I will"

"These are for you by the way" He said sticking his hand out holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Thanks" I muttered watching as he too walked down the same path out the front gate. I picked up the paper Nick dropped. Confusion coursing through me. Until I opened the paper.

She's home at last. But alone. Don't make this any harder and come join my house band or else....

~Your friend at the HGC

I read to myself. Everything making sense now. I had to show the boys.

Y/n's POV

I glared at Caleb who sat across from me. Specifically at the same table we were seated at the very first night we entered this dump.

"They're not gonna come" I stated crossing my arms.

"Really? You think so?"

"They're not that stupid"

"Y/n you underestimate your bandmates. Your Luke's girlfriend, Alex's sister, and Reggies bestfriend. Of course they're coming for you. And when they do they'll be gifted with a new stamp. Just like you" He grinned at me making me scoff.

As if on cue someone flashed into the middle of the room making me audibly groan in frustration.

"Seriously?!" I shouted.

"Told you" Caleb spoke making me roll my eyes.

"Boys welcome home"

"This isn't our home. We came for my sister and we're leaving" Alex spoke up.

"That doesn't seem to be on my schedule for the day. Why don't I have Dante help get you boys settled into your new rooms?"

"Y/n let's go"

"She's not going anywhere. She can't yet"

"Why not?"

"Show them" Caleb said as I glared dagger through him.

"Oh now you don't want to speak. Don't be rude y/n show them what I've gifted you" Caleb encouraged me again.

I simply kept quiet with my arms still crossed.

"Fine then I'll show them" I let out a scream as my arms separated from each other turning until my wrist was finally viable to the three boys in front of me.

"What did you do?" Reggie asked as they inspected the golden stamp on my wrist.

"This my dear pal Reginald is a new stamp and once activated will send shocks through y/n here once again. Only this time it'll hurt just about three times as bad. That is until you agree to become apart of my house-band. Or you could just leave her here on her own it's your choice really" Caleb spoke tapping my wrist.

My eyes widened as the stamp began to float in the air before placing itself back on my wrist.

Suddenly an excruciating pain coursed through my body immediately making me drop to my knees.

"You have until tonight's show to make up your mind" He spoke before flashing out leaving us alone in the empty ballroom. Immediately I was engulfed by a pair of strong arms as the pain tingled on my wrist.

"Y/n! Baby are you okay?" Luke asked wiping away the stray tears that had escaped my eyes

"What happened? How'd Caleb get to you?"

"It was in front of Julie's house this morning. I went to ring the doorbell. I didn't even get to do it before Caleb showed up, possessed my body, made me kiss Nick in front of Julie, and then brought me here"

"He made you do what?!" Luke shouted.

"Uh- did she not mention that?" I asked sheepishly.

"She did not"

"All she said was that you were acting really weird and that you left this note" Alex said pulling out a folded up letter from his back pocket.

"Then forget, I said it" I quickly spoke attempting to move the conversation along.

"We'll talk about his later. We need to figure out how to get this stamp off your wrist" Luke said inspecting it closely.

We sat in Julie's garage trying to come up with an idea on how to get the stamp off which wasn't going so well since it still was sending electric shocks directly through my body.

I groaned in pain as another jolt course me evidently leaving me weaker as the time passed. It was getting dark out and we were running out of time.

"Guys it's almost 8:30. The show starts at 9:00" Julie said showing us her phone screen.

"We've got to figure out how to get this thing off" Luke shouted in frustration at the rest of the band.

The three of them expressing concern on their faces.

"Okay we have to think. What happened last night? What did we do to make your stamps disappear" Julie asked as Luke helped me sit up.

"Easy. Julie said she loved us. We said it back then we hugged"

"That's it! Julie said she loved us. She connected with us and we did with her"

"So your saying Julie has to say it again and hug y/n?" Reggie asked.

"We could try it" Julie suggested walking over to me.

I nodded standing up immediately falling back down as I was zapped once more. The stamp on my wrist tingling afterwards.

"Baby are you okay?" Luke whispered holding me in his arms.

"I-I'm fine. Let's just get this over with" I spoke standing up once more.

I looked at the girl in front of me seeing her eyes filled with hope.

"I love you" She spoke softly pulling me in for a hug.

"I love you you too Jules" I whispered in her ear. We pulled back seeing the stamp flatly sitting upon my skin.

"It- it didn't work"

"Do it again" Luke demanded.

"It's not gonna work Luke"

"It has to. Do it again" He ordered. I shook my head no looking at the girl in front of me. Her eyes beginning to tear up.

"It's okay Julie. I'll be okay" I whispered wiping away the single tear that left her eyes.

"Don't worry about me"

"How could I not? I can't lose you a second time y/n. Your like my big sister and I really do love you"

"I love you too. But I guess it only worked the one time" I said before another shock hit me.

"We could always figure out your unfinished business" Reggie suggested as I regained my posture.

"We don't have time"

"I have to get the Hollywood ghost club before that show or I'll become thin air"

"I'm coming with you" Luke said standing up.

"No your not. You are staying here. With Julie. Where your safe"

"Julie's not my girlfriend you are. So I'm going with you whether you like it or not. I'm sure Caleb wouldn't mind anyways"

"Luke Patterson you are not going anywhere"

"He's not but I am" Alex spoke.

"I am too"

"Not you guys too" I groaned looking at Julie for help.

"Do you understand what'll happen if you guys come back with me? Calebs going to brand you for life"

"So what?”

"So everything we've accomplished up to now would've been for nothing"

"It's going to be nothing if your not here with us" Reggie spoke.

"Julie a little help here"

"You guys need to go with her" The girl said letting out a breath.

"No Jules. You need them here with you. It's not Julie and the Phantoms without the Phantoms"

"Forget about the band right now y/n. You need them with you. You can't live whatever life you have left without your friends, your family, and your true love" I sighed looking at the girl who smiled softly at me.

"You guys brought music back into my life and for that I'll be forever grateful. And with Flynn I'll get through this. But I will never forgive myself if I separate you from your boys" She said making my eyes water.

"Our boys" I corrected her pulling her in for a tight hug.

I sighed in content as the rest of the boys joined our hug one last time.

"I love you guys"

"We love you too"

And that's when I felt it.

The feeling from last night. I was no longer week. The tingling had stopped.

"Your shining!" Julie gasped pulling away first.

Smiles formed on everyone's faces as the stamp arose form my wrist dispersing into thin air.

"W-we did it!" We did it!" Alex shouted jumping up and down excitedly.

"It makes sense now. I didn't just hug one of you. I hugged all of you!"

"I guess love really does conquer all" Luke stated pulling me into his arms, making sure to leave space so I could still look up at him.

"We did it baby"

"We did it" I confirmed pulling him in for a loving passionate kiss with everyone cheering in the background.

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Up Next: Charlie Gillespie x Reader

Jeremy Shada x Reader

Charlie Gillespie x Owen Patrick Joyner x Reader

Reggie Peters x Reader

Charlie Gillespie x Reader

Reggie Peters x Reader

Carrie Wilson x Reader

Sunset Curve x Reader

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