#About The Darkslayer

[phonkscribes]

Heyo- the power went out at my place after a storm. it got me thinking- what would the dmc boys do during a power outage with their s/o? Thank you (:

This is such a sweet and funny idea, thank you for sending the request and I'm sorry that I'm only just NOW getting to it. I'm going to include Credo because I love him.

Black Clouds Provoke Isolation.

The DMC boys during a power outage with their S/O.

Dante

He is accustomed to not having the power work at the Devil May Cry, but he understands that it's probably not something his S/O would be all that acquainted with. First he'll look up and curse quietly to himself, clicking his tongue and turning his head away as he sits in the darkness. As soon as his S/O comes in and starts to worry about it, he's there to calm them down and tell them that it's not a big deal and that this sort of thing happens all the time. Much to their dismay, Dante... power is important, without power the fridge can't keep the pizza and beers cold. His motivation arises at the risk of these important assets being lost.

If his S/O is afraid of the dark or has an issue with it, he'll drape himself over them like a blanket.

"Alright lets get you to the couch", and then he guides(drags) them to the couch to hunker down until the power comes back on.

Dante would poke fun of them for that, if it weren't for his own apprehension to wandering around in the dark. He gets it, since a lot of bad things tend to happen to him in the dark. That's probably what's going on in the mind of his S/O so the least he can do is be there and comforting for them where he didn't have anyone to comfort himself during those times.

"Hey... it'll be okay, we've been through worse before haven't we?", he'll say in a melancholic sort of way.

When the lights do eventually come back on, he has this big smile on his face and looks down to his S/O. He'd chuckle and give them a quick nudge.

"It came back on! See? What'd I tell you?", and after making sure that his partner's alright, he's going off to check if the pizza and beers are still good. A little celebratory snack wouldn't hurt, and he's thinking that a bit of pizza and a cold drink might cheer them up.

Vergil

Like his brother, he doesn't quite care for the dark when the power goes out, but that's because he's grown used to a lack of light in his life. The darkness is something he's come to embrace, something he can move freely through and about without concern. Of course, this changes somewhat with his S/O by his side. He moves to find them first throughout the power outage, making sure that they're alright. However, he's a bit lost as to what to do in this situation since it's never happened to him enough times before where he's become familiar with what course of action to take. He's spent more time in Hell than in the human world, and will rely on his S/O to take charge, which is something he dislikes.

Vergil would ask them if there's anything that he can do to help, like light some candles or check on the appliances or anything like that. He'd also grow a bit frustrated with them when they don't turn on when he tries to use them or if there isn't anything else he can do to try and help. The Darkslayer tries not to pout and fold his arms in the corner as everything else essentially gets handled for him or by someone else. However, he isn't totally useless here. If there is something he can do, it is also to provide comfort for his S/O in the case that they're not as fond of the dark as he is.

If this gets in the way of them trying to take action, he'll guide them through the house and ask them what they need. Once everything is squared away, his focus is directed onto his partner. What do they need right now? What can he provide for them? Comforting others may not be his strong suit, but he will everything he can for their sake. If this is just holding onto them and pressing their head into his shoulder, he will do it. He won't admit it, but he's glad that their able to vulnerable with him, allowing him to be the rock that they can lean on in their time of need. Besides, he quite enjoys these small moments of reprieve and being close to his S/O.

V

The first one to start is Griffon, commenting about how the lights have gone off and how it's suddenly gotten a bit colder. V acknowledges this from his familiar and starts to get up from his spot on the couch to go and locate his S/O to inform them of the problem if they weren't previously aware already. If they're already getting to it, he's sitting back and watching them, admiring the way that they're handling the situation. He'll leave them after a moment to go and find if he can do something to assist them, such as bringing them a flashlight or even a few candles to light around the house so that things are easier to see. He's not all too bothered by a lack of power, tolerant at best, but he does get cold after idling for a while.

When all that can be done is done, he's curled up on the couch with a spot made available for his partner. V waits for them to come and join him, as he'd like for them to share their warmth with him. Sitting together, he'll start to read from his book of poems as Shadow drapes herself across the two of them. It is a perfect way to relax during an event that they don't have much control over, especially if he notices that his S/O is a bit uncomfortable with the lack of power. V would be too, if it weren't for having his partner at his side.

The comfort of not being alone through this gives him the strength he needs to get through it, and he hopes that he can shed that same strength to his S/O. Griffon complains about the mushy romantic spiel that V sings, flocking off to go and check if the power's back on. While the mouthy bird is out of the picture, he returns his attention to being assuring that all will be okay, as it is not the end... yet. Of course, it's within his nature to be a little teasing to them, and he enjoys watching the way they react to his words. When the power does return, he won't be releasing them from his grasp any time soon. V quite likes snuggling with his S/O and he'd like to be with them for a little longer before they eventually do get up to leave.

Nero

He's a little irritated when the power goes out, and ends up cursing the storm for the lack of lights in the house. Nero looks to his S/O and asks if they're okay before he even starts to do anything else, making sure they're all good first and then going to start the backup generator. At the least, he's got a backup plan, thanks to Nico for providing him with a spare(at a 'good' price.)

"Come on you bastard", he's mouthing off to the generator as he yanks the cord to bring it to life.

Nero returns to his partner as soon as that's been squared away, and takes their hand in his to go and grab the flashlights and other lights and what not. He looks around to see if there's anything that he might've forgotten about or if there's anything that his S/O hasn't done. He likes to be on top of things, even having a little plan that Kyrie made to go over until the power comes back on. It isn't the end of the world, but he hates sitting still for too long, even if all that's left to do is to wait. He'd have called Kyrie too by then, asking if the boys are doing okay while he's here with his S/O.

If his S/O happens to be anxious without the power, Nero probably won't be of much help. He's a better listener than he is the guy to go to for advice, awkwardly standing around while Kyrie would cry about something that happened to her or that she was going through. He's gotten better over the years though. He'll take his partner to the couch and make sure they're nice and cozy, offering them an earbud to take and listen to some music while he sits with them, waiting for the storm to pass and eventually for the power to return. He's attentive, and tries, and that's all that anyone can ever really ask for.

When the power does come back, he's cracking a smile, and even hits them with something witty and sarcastic.

"Was that so bad? You did just fine"

And they did! And he presses a little kiss to their forehead.

Credo

He had expected such to happen when he caught the forecast on the news just a few days prior. He suspected that something like the power going out would happen, and so he's pleasantly pleased with himself when he managed to be correct in his assessment.

"Not to worry, I've got this", Credo assures his S/O as he moves with a calmness to gather the things that he has prepared in case such an emergency were to arise. There are bottled waters, flashlights, and the like.

One could even say that Credo's a little too prepared. He makes his calls to Kyrie and Nero, making sure that they're alright and have everything just as he had instructed Kyrie. While with his S/O, he's going over what the plan is and etc. The one-winged devil is a little impatient with things, pacing around the house as he waits for the power to return, and checks in with his partner to make sure that they're okay too. It might take their own assurance that things are okay to calm him down from his restlessness.

Credo isn't usually one to have his feathers ruffled, but there are times where even he loses his cool, like when the Order used his sister to further their own goals. It was absolutely unacceptable, and he'd hope that her, Nero, and the boys were doing just as fine as him and his S/O were. If his S/O were to become anxious during the predicament at any point, he'd stop his own fretting for a moment to address theirs. He'd apologize if he had any part to take in causing it, and promptly pull them into a hug, after asking if it were okay to hug them. His formalities could be found endearing, even after all this time, and they do end up calming his partner down. The distraction is more than appreciated as he tries to figure out what to talk about.

Although one may find that he's not so good with small talk, and curses himself for not being better at it for their sake.

Sparda

The dark knight doesn't see a power outage as a problem, even finding it a bit trivial that the lights went out all because of a silly little storm? He alerts you rather loudly that there isn't any power.

"Dear!! The lights have gone out! Is everything alright?"

Funny how he could create the contraptions necessary to power the Temen-Ni-Gru, but simple electricity puzzles him. Ah, oh well. He could easily provide a bit of light with a bit of magic. He was quite good at that, and he does well to emulate a bit of light for him and his S/O to walk around the house if he wasn't too busy with reading or doing anything else the moment the power went out. His main priority is his partner and after seeking them out, he's making sure that they're alright and taken care of. Upon finding them, he'll snake his arms around their trunk before pulling them close to himself.

"That didn't scare you did it?", he'd ask as he smirks into the back of their head, pressing a kiss to their hair as he takes a gander at the state of their abode.

He's off to check on other things if his beloved is fine and dandy. With a bit of his devil's magic he'd even start on preparing them some tea to enjoy until the power comes back on. Sparda does enjoy using his talents every now and then, showing off his power in these small displays to charm his S/O further even though he's already secured them. It's something that he can't help. He does get a bit more serious if his partner happens to be a bit disturbed by the lack of power. It's almost like a 180, where his lightheartedness is replaced by being more levelheaded and attuned to every little thing from his partner. The pupils of his eyes narrow as he kneels before them, surrendering himself to them as he takes their hands into his own.

"Darling, if there is anything that I can do, you just need to say the word", he says in a sultry tone. He'll bring their hands to his lips as he thumbs over the back of them.

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

Lately I've been thinking about pushing Dante's moveset to its absurd-yet-logical conclusion, and giving him as many styles and weapons as he can have.

I've pictured Dante with 8 styles, with each selected by pressing one of the Style Wheel directions twice (like how Quicksilver and Doppelganger are selected in the Nintendo Switch version of Devil May Cry 3).

It's easy to imagine some of the new styles that Dante could have.

Trickster could be split into two styles. One has his dash, air star, and the wall running mechanic from Devil May Cry 3. The other has a variety of Darkslayer-like teleports. I'd probably name the resulting new style "Redshifter".

Dante's summoned swords/mirage blades introduced in Devil May Cry 5 could be turned into their own style, with Devil Sword Dante gaining some more traditional Swordmaster moves, probably utilizing the scythe transformation that Devil Sword Sparda never really took full advantage of.

He could also have a ranged moveset for his summoned swords/mirage blades, inspired by Vergil's own ranged attacks, though intended more for extending combos than damage in this case.

Both summoned sword/mirage blade styles could also be used to activate Sword Formation with a back-to-forward input. It may seem redundant to place that mechanic in two different styles, but it can be helpful for a player who doesn't want to equip all 8 styles, and wants access to Sword Formation without being forced to choose one particular style.

Maybe the two styles could have similar names to reflect their overlapping roles, and the fact that neither of them are affected by Sword Formation... "Blademaster" and "Bladeslinger"? That'd mean that Sword Formation would have to be renamed to Blade Formation, though, I'm not sure I like that as much.

As for the 8th style, the one overlapping with Royal Guard, I would bring back one of the styles from Devil May Cry 3: the Quicksilver style.

Now, in its original appearance, the style functions more like an alternate Devil Trigger than a style, but I have some ideas to bring it up to par with the other styles. See below:

Quicksilver Style

Dante's Quicksilver Style grants him control over time, allowing himself to manage and recover from intense situations. Rather than pulling from a universal energy pool like Devil Trigger or Royal Gauge, each Quicksilver move has an independent cooldown period. A successful devil hunter will use each move wisely.

Style: Slow Touch

A close-range attack allowing Dante to effectively stop one demon in its tracks. Only one demon can be affected by Slow Touch at a time. Of all of Dante's slowing moves, this one lasts for the longest time. This one has no cooldown period, but using it while another demon is already affected will restore the previously affected demon to full speed, unless Tracker (see below) is active. This move can be performed in the air.

Forward + Style: Slow Sphere.

A projectile move where Dante will launch a small sphere of Slow Time, slowing down any demons inside the radius. Of all of Dante's slowing moves, this one has a moderate duration and cooldown period. This move can be performed in the air.

Backward + Style: Slow Dome.

Create a wide dome of Slow Time where Dante is standing, slowing down any demons inside the radius. Of all of Dante's slowing moves, this one lasts for the shortest time, and has the longest cooldown. This move cannot be performed in the air.

Back-to-Forward + Style: Rewind Time

Reverse time by a few seconds, restoring Health, Devil Trigger, Sin Devil Trigger, Royal Gauge, and Orbs to their previous state. This also reverts the Health and Armor of enemies to its previous state, and restores lost time in the Bloody Palace. This move can be performed in the air.

Sword Formation: Tracker

Dante's summoned swords/mirage blades will form a shape similar to the hands of a clock, and tick. Each hand tracks the duration or cooldown period of one of Dante's four Quicksilver moves.

This will speed up the cooldowns of all Quicksilver moves, cause all Quicksilver moves to last longer, cause Rewind Time to go farther, cause Devil Trigger and Sin Devil Trigger to deplete more slowly, and increase the time window for Quadruple S.

This may sound strong, but keep in mind that this effect is only active while Dante is in Quicksilver style, meaning that the player must remain in Quicksilver style to take full advantage of the effect.

Tracker also allows Dante to stop two demons at a time with Slow Touch. Switching to another style will not interfere with the effect on either stopped demon.

* * *

Besides all of these changes, there are ways to expand the existing styles.

As I said, Devil Sword Dante could have a traditional Swordmaster moveset. Plus, if a moveset is packed, Dante could use inputs where the Attack button and the Style button are pressed at the same time, like Vergil and Nero already do.

Royal Guard already has Forward Release, but you could also add an Up Release performed on the ground, and a Down release performed in the air, with Royal Revenge being moved to a back-to-forward input. Perhaps this could come with a return of the Charge Release mechanic from Devil May Cry 3, which could allow the player to control how much of the Royal Gauge is expended upon a Release. All of this could add some nuance to the pure Royal Guard playstyle.

But I think the style with the most room for expansion is Gunslinger.

I think that Twosome Time and Honeycomb fire could be moved to Ebony and Ivory's standard moveset. Use a back-to-forward input to enter Twosome Time, and hold forward during Twosome Time to activate Honeycomb Fire. Upon switching to Gunslinger, the player would gain access to distinct and complete movesets for Ebony and Ivory respectively.

Ivory moves, consisting of fully automatic sprays, would be mapped to the Style button. The most notable example would be Rainstorm, which now only utilizes Ivory. However, Dante will fire Ebony if the player presses the Gun button during Rainstorm.

Speaking of which, Ebony's moves would be mapped to the Gun button, and would consist of narrow, hard-hitting, penetrating, and sometimes ricocheting shots, somewhat inspired by Spiral from Devil May Cry 3.

Ivory attacks can sort of be charged too, but by repeatedly firing instead of preparing a single shot. Kind of like Dr. Faust's Red Shot, or the Gunslinger style's Rapid Shot from Devil May Cry 3.

While wielding one-handed guns like Coyote-A, Dante can still use Twosome Time, wielding Ebony in his left hand. And if Dante switches to Gunslinger while wielding such a one-handed gun, the gun's standard fire will be replaced by Ebony's Gunslinger moves.

Now, whether not any or all of these changes would actually make Dante more fun to play is subjective, but I still feel proud of what I've come up with. If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the post.

[darksonofsparda]

Unprompted Asks || Always Accepting

@executionher sent: "You've. . . you've returned, Vergie!" not even giving him a chance to respond, Catherine jumps into his arms, covering his face in pink-lipstick-stained kiss marks. "it was getting soooooo boring without you, I missed you so much!!"

Approximately two hours ago, Vergil finally returned from his joint devil-hunting job with Dante and Trish all the way in Eastern Europe, the darkslayer swordsman had arrived back home before Catherine got back from her human day job. His arrival would of course be a surprise, as she probably wasn't expecting him back so soon. To pass the time by as he waited for her to come home, Vergil sat himself down and lost himself inside the pages of a book, one he had read before so he could stop upon her return and not care about going back to it.

The half-devil had gotten about halfway through the book, right after one of the major fights in the story, and his head perks up from behind the book as soon as he heard the sound of the key unlocking the door. As the door to their luxury apartment opened, he's eyes meet her familiar deep blue gaze, a smile slowly curving onto his lips as she walked in.

Knowing exactly what would come next, he closes the book and sets it down on the side end table for now, rising up to his feet, the second he turns his body to face her, she's already running towards him. The moment she's within arms reach, she leaps at him, and he catches her in his strong arms, her foot rising up as she clung to him like always, he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, flashing his devil fangs in a small smile as their foreheads rest against each other before he's assaulted by a flurry of loving kisses, leaving several smears of lipstick on his face and jaw. After their lips lock into a passionate kiss, it holds for several seconds longer until their lips lightly part, still brushing against each other, keeping her in his arms, his hands resting firmly on her hips.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "I've missed you, too. My luscious little rose~" He softly says against her lips, kissing her once more, breaking a bit after.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "No matter how far I go, I'm always coming back here to you."

[strawberryvanillablast]

Abbacchio: Hey, I thought I told you to take out the trash.

Giorno: Oh, I already did that.

Abbacchio: Well, I didn't see you do that so... *throws garbage bag onto floor*

Giorno:

Giorno: You took this out of the dumpster?!

Abbacchio: Look! Don't worry about that!

@darkslayers-bride

@mrsgiovanna

@briagiovanna

[vischys]

@omgcoffee-and-murder

♛ ⸻ continuation

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒀𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, the Darkslayer straightened himself and went to approach, surveying the extent of the damage and going straight toward his brother's desk where his mother's portrait was enshrined. True she did not thankfully manage to break anything valuable much to their mutual relief, just a general mess of papers that Vergil had previously arranged neatly were now strewn around the parlor but at least the portrait of Eva was miraculously spared of the magical force unwittingly unleashed by the huntress. And if there was a box of leftover pizza that was originally perched upon the desk yet now was upside down upon the floor, well that was hardly accounted as a loss to him.

“I was not aware that you were dispossessed of it.” He quirked his eyebrow in mild puzzlement at her, judging her to be unharmed and proceeded to begin collecting the papers littered about.

Speaking of which, he noticed that she was not accompanied by her familiars. 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘺𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵?

[skvaderarts]

Saudade Chapter Twelve: Nostalgic Nascency

I'm posting this for this week (3/22/2024) because I had the flu and didn't finish writing the latest chapter of Hiraeth! Thanks! Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve: Nostalgic Nascency

Note: Hey, everyone! I feel better now! Thank you for the well wishes! Thankfully we caught it relatively early so it didn't end up becoming too horrendous. Wow, I can't remember the last time I got the flu. It just never stops, does it lol? But anyway, I'm feeling better now. I figured I'd give you guys this fun little chapter while I finish the three bigger chapters I'm working on for Petrichor. Didn't get much done while I was asleep for like four days!

(-~-)

The office had been quiet for the majority of the day, Dante having vacated it rather early that morning to go and do something that had come up at the very last minute. It had apparently involved the girls if the note that he'd left for his older twin on the desk was anything to go by. He'd given no further details, but considering that he'd left at the crack of dawn, the older of the two couldn't do anything other than assume that it must be important and that he would probably get a briefing about it when he returned if it was worth talking about.

Planting himself in the front entrance just in case the phone actually decided to ring for once, he settled in with a book and spent the majority of his morning there after eating whatever he'd managed to find in the fridge. It seemed he was going to have to cook dinner again. He couldn't say that that bothered him, but it was something he made a mental note of. Cooking wasn't something that he minded, but he did mind when it was sprung upon him at the last possible moment. Like this.

As he was approaching the midpoint in his book, he heard a familiar sound. Morrison's car had just pulled up in front of the office, and he didn't need to guess as to its potential occupants. Moments later, the devil hunter in the red trench coat entered the premises, surprisingly alone. And the sound of the car backing out of the parking space out front told him that they would remain that way. Interesting. Perhaps he'd returned to town alone? And that raised an intriguing question in of itself as far as he was concerned. Did Dante even know how to drive? He'd never actually seen him do so. Was that just another one of those peculiar things he didn't know how to do at his age? Not that he could say much. He didn't either. But he wasn't going to volunteer that fact.

Making his way over to the desk, he plopped his coat down on top of it, returning his sword to the wall behind it. He then let out a long sigh and made a beeline for the couch, something that Vergil considered commenting on verbally but didn't get the chance to before he'd reached his destination. And the look on his face made it rather hard to tell if this was about to be good or bad news.

“Hey, so while we were out I gotcha somethin’,” Dante said with a slight huff. He didn't seem out of breath, but he did seem slightly… anxious. That was uncharacteristic of him.

Vergil stared at him as though he'd just spoken to him in a dialect that he'd never heard of before. Had he taken ill while he was gone? He couldn't recall Dante ever doing that and vice versa. The only thing he could recall was him snagging things that he'd been given as a child, but never the other way around.

“Are you daft?” It was a genuine question, one born of a mixture of disbelief and intrigue. That was the last thing he'd expected to hear that day.

“Nah, just saw this and thought “hmm, my terminally grumpy older brother might be into it” so I grabbed it. But if you’re not interested I could-.” Dante didn't get to finish his statement before Vergil interjected, something that he seemed to find vaguely humorous if the gradual shift in his expression was anything to go off of. Ah. So he had the Darkslayer’s attention, did he? Good.

Looking at him with an air of suspicion, the older of the two bookmarked his page and set the book aside, folding his arms as he gave his younger brother his full attention. “What is it?”

“A surprise,” Dante said, almost too pleased with himself. He couldn't skip the opportunity to mess with his brother at least a little, now could he? Where was the fun in that?

Sighing slightly as he set up from the partially reclined position he'd been sitting in, Vergil gave him a curious look. This day had certainly taken an unexpected turn, hadn’t it? “Have I ever been known to enjoy surprises, Dante?”

“Nope! But have I ever done things the way you’d prefer me to?” Dante said with a laugh, folding his arms around his chest as he gripped the box in his offhand. It was small, mostly flat and rectangular. The kind of box that you couldn't fit most things in, so it had probably been specifically made for whatever was inside of it. That roused suspicion in of itself.

“Fair.” Vergil sighed. How… transparent of him. For better or for worse, that was a brutally honest response. It was rare that they both agreed to do something on mutual terms, but they had been managing to do that more than not lately. Still, he genuinely wasn't someone who was fond of surprises, and he knew that his brother knew this. What was this about? “How can I know if I want it if I have no idea what it is?”

“By opening it, obviously,” Dante then thrust the box into his grip before pulling his hands away and holding them up in a defensive stance as if to signal surrender. The box was within the care of the blue devil now. What he did with it was his decision. But he wasn't going to take no for an answer in regards to at least giving it to him. “The girls thought I'd lost my mind when they saw that I grabbed this. After all, it's not really my kind of thing, but they had no idea it was yours.”

“Quite. As I do now.” Vergil thought to himself as he looked down at the box. This was… interesting. Was he wrong to think that he could almost smell what was in the box? He only barely resisted the urge to shake it like a small child out of reflex, but decided against it. At least for now. Knowing his luck he would destroy whatever was contained within if he did so.

“No occasion. Just our birthday.” Dante said almost too nonchalantly considering the gravity of the statement he’d just made. “No big deal.”

Vergil’s head whipped upward towards his younger twin with mind-boggling speed and away from the box that he held within his grip, a look of profound, visible shock apparent to anyone who could see his face. He knew he hadn't misheard him, but that just didn't seem possible. And yet… 

“That's today.” It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A statement of confusion. He'd spent so long not paying that much mind to the date that he'd honestly forgotten what month it was, let alone the passage of time. And yet he knew in his gut that it was correct. It was something he always knew. Except this time for whatever reason. Perhaps being back in the human world for so long had skewed his perception of time? Perhaps the fact that it mattered for once had caused it to slip his mind like all important things seemed to. But that also raised an important question. “How old are we, exactly?”

Dante shrugged, incredulous. His reaction came off as partially sarcastic but also mostly genuinely unsure. The truth of the matter was that he actually hadn't given it much thought. His focus had been simply on seeing what his older brother's reaction would be to what was inside of the box for the majority of the day, and that hadn't changed in the slightest since he’d arrived home.

“Hell if I know. I stopped counting years ago. Just felt kinda… hollow. And it was always a reminder.”

Vergil didn't have to ask what it was a reminder of. That much was rather obvious given the circumstances. Their shared birthday was a difficult topic for various, multi-faceted reasons, none of which he liked to think about. But he would still accept the gift. If only to humor Dante. He had no reason not to. Besides, The barely concealed pained look upon his younger twin's visage was evidence enough that he probably shouldn't probe into the depths of something he already had taken a dip into previously.

Without another word, Vergil opted to simply open the box. It was one of those little cardboard boxes that gave the appearance of already being wrapped. A smart choice considering that his brother was… incapable of neatly wrapping anything with paper. Try as he might, he always seemed to either get the paper cut wrong, cut it too short, or wrap it crooked. He was good at eyeballing many things, but wrapping paper was not one of them. Best to leave it to the professionals.

More to his surprise than he’d perhaps initially expected, Vergil instantly recognized the item within the box.

It was an extra-large chocolate bar. And a fancy chocolate bar at that.

Blinking in evident surprise, he looked at the piece of candy and then back at Dante… and then back at the piece of candy. He hadn't so much as seen one of these in at least two decades. He couldn't even recall what they remotely tasted like, but he did faintly recall that he'd had a great fondness for them when they'd been children. They'd even fought over it once on their birthday due to his younger twin's preference for strawberries as opposed to his own. Neither of them hated the other's personal preferences on this matter, but their preferences were preferences for a reason. He couldn't believe that he'd actually just given him this.

Perhaps brought to a state of discomfort by his lack of response and the lingering silence that fell over the room, Dante cleared his throat slightly. “I, um figured you probably hadn't had one of these in a long time so… “ 

He wasn't sure what else to say about it. That had been why he'd purchased it aside from remembering that he'd snagged one of his as a kid and never given it back. Call it payback for being a greedy little git all those years ago. Not that he was going to bring that up. No need to remind him. He'd been pretty pissed about it back then.

To his surprise, Vergil actually sat the box down and started to unwrap the candy bar. It was one of those fancy ones wrapped in gold foil and encased in a cardboard sleeve you had to remove it from before unwrapping it. The label read “milk chocolate” in a cursive font so complex that it was almost illegible. That was how you knew it was the good stuff.

As it turned out, it was partitioned into squares and didn't contain any fillings or toppings. It was just a pure, no frills except for the fancy design stamped into it, high-quality chocolate bar. And upon snapping off a piece and popping it into his mouth, he discovered as much. Sitting there in utter silence, he closed his eyes for a moment and felt a wave of nostalgia he hadn't expected to wash over him hit him like a tidal wave. He was suddenly flooded with a menagerie of fond memories from his youth that he had forgotten he’d once had. The last time he could recall eating chocolate had been with Vivienne. It had truly been that long. A lifetime ago.

Yes. That was right. He’d loved this stuff once upon a time. 

And apparently, he still did. This candy bar wasn't surviving the rest of the day. It probably wasn't surviving the next few minutes. And he felt no shame about it, either. This was simply a reality he was going to accept. He was going to eat the entire thing in one sitting, spend the rest of the day feeling just so slightly off as a result, and then he was going to procure more. Dante had opened the floodgates. There was no going back. Now that he'd re-experienced one of life's simple pleasures, he felt no desire to backpedal.

Dante continued to stare at him, perhaps concerned that he'd simply closed his eyes and stopped moving. Was he having an allergic reaction? Was that even possible? Just as the silence was beginning to become unbearable, Vergil opened his eyes and looked up at him. And he genuinely seemed pleased, even if only in a subtle way that was barely noticeable to most people. But he could tell. He just could. He liked it.

“... Thank you, Dante.” He said simply, looking down at the candy bar again in utter bewilderment. He genuinely had forgotten just how much he loved this stuff. It was strange how much his time in the underworld had taken from him. Strange, startling, and disheartening. “I suppose I should return the favor.”

Dante immediately waved his hands to dismiss the notion. “No, you really don't. I’m not really into gifts. I mean, I don't even know how you would-.”

For the second time since their conversation had started, Vergil cut Dante short, this time with a halting brandish of the palm of his hand. He wasn't hearing any arguments about this. He had something in mind.

“... What if I made you a pizza?”

Dante looked as though he would need to be defibrillated shortly. He just stared at him in pure and utter disbelief, a look of genuine excitement crossing his face. There was no way in hell he was going to pass that up. Vergil's cooking was actually really good, even if he kept trying to force him to eat vegetables that weren't tomatoes. He had high standards (no shocker there) and made basically everything from scratch. This was going to be nothing short of artisanal. “Okay. Never mind. Yeah. That sounds good. Forget what I just said.”

Vergil considered pointing out that he was going to make dinner regardless but decided against it. He would allow him his simple happiness. Just this once. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen him look forward to something. Perhaps he understood his love of his favorite food just a slight bit more now. Maybe. “Very well. Consider it done. But first, I'm going to enjoy this.”

At that exact moment, the phone rang, diverting Dante's attention to the front desk. They exchanged a silent but knowing look, both of them unwilling to vocalize their mutual pleasure at the arrangement they’d just made and the gifts they would exchange that day, but both knowing it either way. They… appreciated one another. Even if they had absolutely no idea how to say it most of the time. But they were trying. They really were. And as the younger of the two returned to the desk to answer the phone, Vergil broke off another piece of the chocolate bar and ate it, satisfaction washing over him for a second time.

He was glad Dante had done this for him. He truly was.

It seemed there really was a first time for everything. Even enjoying surprises.

(-~-)

Not so fun fact: I'm pretty damn sure that Dante killed Vergil on their birthday. I'm sure that makes the day extra… yeah. So many layers to how messed up that is. I can't even. They needed a good birthday for once. It was the least I could do!

Also, I want to know your opinion about something in the comments! Do you want me to resume posting chapters of Petrichor now and then take a short hiatus during my surgery, or would you prefer I delay them until then and continue to update Saudade in the meantime? It's supposed to happen at the end of April, but the date isn't set in stone just yet. I'm just curious what you guys think! I don't have a preference one way or the other! I just want to make sure you guys are enjoying the content I'm making for you and figured you might not want to be left in suspense for like a month! Let me know what you think of the chapter in the comments below, and I'll see you on Friday, March 29th! Take care and bye-bye!

[spectra-bear]

uhhh smthsmth motorcity. if there is anything related to motorcity that you really wanna say but haven't had the chance to, now is your chance. if not, uhh, opinion on ruby the darkslayer [my most favorite gal]

I would talk abt motorcity but i need to gather shit about it like a dragon gathering gold in its cave, and then explode everyone on my blog once i manifest thoughts abt it, there is so much to analyze, but for now i am obssessed with the art direction, the character design, the animation THE ANIMATION theHGHAVS, the writing (despite a few flaws), and so much more, im really glad my friend introduced me to it, cause it is painfully underrated

Also ruby's a cute nerd, i loved the ep with chucks different friend circles, and both his social circles getting to know each other

[ladynamida]

are you really advocating for vergil to lose to a bnha character...? 🤨

I... just had to google that. The shame.

To be honest, to me Vergil is the mightiest warrior to ever live. He is the alpha and omega, the darkslayer, my fierce and handsome demon king. He has won my heart...

... But he also has the capacity to lose to a wadded up piece of chewing gum (depending on the context and who is spitting it). I don't know anything about boko no hero academia but I know we can't let Vergil get too ahead of himself, and besides he has a reputation to uphold in tumblr polls after all - winning at losing.

[thedarkwithinusbook1]

The Dark Within Us - by Sameer Diab Ronnie Reid embarks on a journey through a world hidden from him for 17 years. He discovers that he is last in the long line of monster slaying Hyperios Warriors that go back a millennia, and he is one of the last still alive. With the help of his long-lost half-brother Matt, his estranged father Robert, and the rogue slayer Angela Grace, Ronnie will have to face an immortal herald of darkness, but in doing so, he'll find the darkness within him.

The Dark Within Us is an original supernatural-horror novel trilogy, spanning across three decades, about a family of demon-hunting Darkslayers, dealing with loss, grief, and one's identity.

[darksonofsparda]

[{ 🗡️ }] - "But of course, it's more fun to mix it up, rather than play the same old tune."

He answers back, seconds, before he unleashes the explosion of light with his fist, as Lady lays absolute waste to all of the other remaining demons that were stunned in place by the flash of light from the Darkslayers, trusted secondary Devilarm, the Beowulf, by the time the white light goes out, the demons that were frozen by the light and were riddled with bulletholes by Lady's barrage of gunfire fell to the ground lifeless before drying out and disappearing into dust.

Just like that, within less than ten minutes, Lady and Vergil had annihilated the entire group of shadow demons, in a much quicker amount of time than he thought. It was remarkable how much some things changed. Never did he think he would be here, fighting alongside Lady, someone he never really bothered to talk to back then, mainly because of how different he was. All those years ago, he only had a one-track mind, power, and nothing more, casting aside everything else all for power, a pathetic choice now that he looked back on it.

The half-devil was sure Lady wouldn't like him, and while it started off a little disjointed, now here they were, taking out an entire horde of shadow demons, even having a bit of fun doing it. Lady was more of an interesting person than he thought, he had definitely misjudged her. It was a shame he never cared to make any friends or connections of any kind back then. Despite all the time lost, at least there was now to make a fresh start -- something he felt like he was finally starting to achieve, albeit slowly, but it was still a significant improvement.

After the amazing chemistry of perfectly coordinated teamwork from the two Devil Hunters, the area was clear, and now they could focus on locating the nest, and then destroying it on sight. As Lady compliments the use of Beowulf, he gives her a nod of acknowledgment, not expecting this from her, but he did appreciate it. Seconds later, he unequips the Beowulf, and in a dim glow of white on his fist and leg gauntlets, they disappeared back into the depths of his soul, the Yamato reappearing and returning into the grasp of his left hand, the dark blue ribbon tie gently swaying in the slow, calm breeze. Hearing Lady's words, he fully turns around to face her, she was right, they made a fantastic team, and this joint mission was going along very well so far.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "I agree, we do make an excellent team." A short pause as he thinks back for a moment.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "You know, most demons in the underworld laugh at the idea of human Devil Hunters, but with you're skill, you have always continued to prove that you most definitely belong in this field of work."

It was strange, to feel a sense of unity with her. but with how things have been going so far, he was starting to feel a bit more confident that the two of them would be able to get along better. The future was unknown, and this was definitely not the result he expected, but admittedly, Vergil was looking forward to getting to know her, especially now that he wasn't actively trying to push everyone he came in contact with away, not anymore.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "The demon nests are usually created in closed-in spaces, so we'll want to check inside old building ruins, caves, or sometimes at odd times, the back of old transport trucks." Vergil informs, as the two finally continue their trek, in search of this area's demon nest.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "I heard you and Trish had a job in what was left of New York City, how did that go? I recall hearing about that place having at least five or six nests." He asks, making conversation as they continue their search.

It was with a lot of planning and a lot of pockets and pouches that Lady was able to have such an expansive arsenal. But it was certainly necessary! One could never know what kind of demon they'd be faced with. Some of them were immune to a number of weapons and the last thing Lady ever wanted to be was unprepared.

The strategy had done well for her, even if it did mean carrying around a lot of heavy gear.

On the upside, it seemed that the other Sparda son was capable of having healthy competition. While it was the first time Lady was witnessing Vergil utilize the gauntlets he had now he was no less skilled with them as he was with the Yamato.

"Good to see you aren't a one-trick pony!" she shouted over the carnage they created.

Focusing on the stragglers with her pistols for faster firing. Bullets flew through all the space that the Vergil wasn't. She didn't waste a single shot, nailing them all in the head.

A flash of white from Vergil's gauntlets wiped out the ones that remained.

"Neat trick that thing has! I'd say that was very efficient. We make a pretty good team, don't you think?"

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

In my post about expanding on Nero's Buster mechanic, I mentioned wanting to incorporate Tomboy's moves into Nero's standard moveset. Let me elaborate on that.

Tomboy's air attacks, Bloody Queen Air and Red Queen Air EX, would be the easiest to incorporate.

Bloody Queen Air is a Revolver-like move that slowly sends Nero to the ground as he spins, slashing with Red Queen. I would incorporate this into his air combo, making it his new Air Combo B (performed by performing the first hit of the air combo, pausing, then pressing the Attack button again), making his Roulette Spin his Air Combo C.

Bloody Queen EX is a downward swing, followed by another downward swing that sends Nero to the ground. I would give this a similar input to Hard Way, performed by holding and releasing the Attack button.

Incorporating the ground attacks is tricky, but not impossible, provided another change is made to Nero's moveset.

In Devil May Cry 5, Nero's Devil Breaker moves and his Devil Bringer are mapped to different buttons (Circle/B and R2/RT by default). However, if the player could utilize the directional pad to manually select Devil Breakers rather than cycling through them in an inflexible order, perhaps they could also select Nero's Devil Bringer instead, using the same button to control it as they do to control his Devil Breakers.

I'm picturing something a little similar to Dante's Style Wheel from Devil May Cry 4, with Nero's Devil Bringer occupying the same position as Dante's Darkslayer style. I'm thinking that switching from one Breaker to another would destroy the currently equipped Breaker, but the player should be able to switch between their current Breaker and the Devil Bringer easily.

The only significant downside to this is that Nero would no longer be able to use Bringer Knuckle during their Devil Breaker moves, not without some very time sensitive directional pad presses. The Devil Bringer moveset I designed doesn't really have a Forward action, maybe some way to queue a Bringer Knuckle that will activate on Nero's next attack? Maybe holding or repeating the input could delay the activation further, up to three attacks ahead? It's a bit of a complicated solution, but it's worth exploring.

But with all this in mind, perhaps Nero would still have access to Maximum Bet and Showdown with his Devil Bringer selected, but with a Devil Breaker selected he'd be able to perform Tomboy's ground attacks, Red Queen Combo EX and Bloody Queen, with the same inputs.

Red Queen Combo EX is a series of heavy slashes, ended with a fourteenth extra heavy slash. It reminds of Force Edge/Mirage Edge Combo B, in which Vergil alternately swings Yamato and his secondary sword, ending with a leaking circular slash. I think this move would be activated with either Maximum Bet's or Showdown's input, but would only continue as long as the player mashes the Attack button, a little bit like Dante's Dance Macabre.

Bloody Queen is an attack that sends Nero forward and upward, and while it could use Maximum Bet's or Showdown's input, there's actually another option I like better, that occurred to me due to how much Bloody Queen reminds me of Vergil's Rising Star. Rising Star is performed when the player holds the Attack button during Rapid Slash, so perhaps Bloody Queen could be performed when the player holds the Attack button during Streak. I like this because it would make room for Nero to have a brand new Red Queen attack using either Maxim Bet's or Showdown's input.

And while I touched on this in the previous post, I want to reiterate that I want Tomboy's EX Shot to be incorporated into Nero's standard moveset too.

In past entries, the player is basically obligated to remap the Gun button in order to take full advantage of Charge Shots, so one change I'd make is mapping Color Up to Back-To-Forward + Gun, and have Blue Rose automatically charge so long as at least one Color Up shot is available.

On top of this, if the player uses the Back-To-Forward + Gun input with all three Color Up shots available, Nero will enter the manual aiming stance associated with Tomboy's EX Shot.

[darksonofsparda]

First Interaction Starter Sentences || Accepting

@fierylittleniece asked: " Who's there? Is anyone there?"

It was just another typical job for Vergil, another mission to kill a target. Devil May Cry had received a contract about another demon, this target in particular, was located in Manhattan, in the state of New York. With the Darkslayer's little brother Dante being preoccupied on another job, he had asked Vergil if he could do it in his place, to which he agreed, but only if Dante would let him take one-hundred percent of the payout, and although reluctant, he obliged, and Vergil officially accepted the mission and set off in the direction of his destination.

The location in question was quite far from where Vergil was currently, so to make a long journey short, the half-devil decided to travel there via portal slice. Closing his eyes and picturing the location of the mission clear in his mind, he channeled up some demonic energy into his blade. Pushing his sword up from the scabbard with his thumb, Vergil drew his blade and sliced his sword twice making an 'X'. Immediately after, the cuts ripped and created a portal, with reflections of Manhattan mirroring off of the void.

Slipping his sword back in it's sheath, he steps forward into the portal, closing right after he went through the rift, and in a blink, he's standing on a side walk on the street he needed to be on. Now in the correct city, Vergil recalls what he read in the job description, which was very important considering that this particular target, as this target was disguised inside human skin. The target: A male in his late twenties. Blue eyes and brown shaggy medium length hair Went by the name: Aaron Parker No other prior information, which meant he would have to seek it himself.

After doing some of his own research, Vergil found out that he eventually learned a valuable piece of information. This 'Aaron' was apparently a student of a self-defense course, and a very skilled one at that -- although that wasn't surprising to find out, considering that he was a demon wearing human skin like a permanent Halloween costume. With this newly found knowledge, Vergil sought out to confirm it for himself and make sure he had found the right person, he decided to silently observe one of the classes for a few minutes from the window, all he needed to see was just a few minutes, that would be enough for him to tell for sure.

The cambion chose to watch the last ten minutes of the class. Vergil watched the class as they sparred, it didn't take him long to find his target, even with his hair tied back, Vergil knew it was him. The first thing he noticed, was that he was evading strikes much quicker, and he had gone through four opponents before the class would end -- the rounds this guy was involved in were also suspiciously short, prime example of his enhanced strength, just watered down a bit so the opponents wouldn't risk getting killed. As the class came to an end, Vergil moved a across the street and acted casual so he wasn't close to the recreation center as the other students began to exit, the last thing he needed was to be seen by any of the students leaving.

As it began to clear out, Vergil saw the perfect chance to eliminate his target present itself, the instructor was nowhere in sight and Aaron had gone to use the bathroom -- the perfect chance to kill him discreetly, and he didn't need to worry about the body either. Since he was a demon, it would eventually turn into orbs and then ash before fading completely, he would be able to sneak in, take him out and leave without issue.

To avoid alerting the instructor, instead of walking in through the doors and causing the bell above the door to chime, he would just teleport inside. In a shade of blue, he disappeared, reappearing inside the building, landing on the padded floor of the dojo. Unfortunately before Vergil enter the bathroom, he heard foot steps coming from the office, making haste, Vergil quickly and quietly went to cover hiding around a corner of the wall near a training weapons closet. Much to his misfortune, the moment he went into hiding, out came his target, who said he goodbye to the instructor before finally leaving. The half-devil as going to wait for her to leave, and then teleport outside.

Shifting in his hiding spot for a second, he fails to realize a fake switchblade at his feet and his boot touches the button, causing it to emit a hallow fake metallic click, the bad luck only continued, as the click wall he needed to give himself away as the instructor spoke, clearly well aware that there was someone else here besides her. Without much of a choice, out steps Vergil as he prepares to attempt to resolve this situation.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "As conspicuously suspicious as this situation appears, I assure you that I mean no harm."

Vergil only had one real option at this point, he would just have to explain to her exactly why he was here, he only hoped she would believe him. Not many humans knew of, or even believe in demons at all, but he wouldn't know until he tried.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Though now that you've found me, there's something rather important I should tell you, that is, if you'll allow me to explain."

[strawberryvanillablast]

Vento Innocente Giorno is Angy

Giorno: Do you even cuddle?

Giorno: Do you even lift each other up with kindness?

Giorno: Do you tell your loved ones that you care about them regardless of who is listening?

Giorno: Do you ever resolve conflicts and emotional issues through compromise and compassion rather than anger and denial?!

@darkslayers-bride

@mrsgiovanna

@briagiovanna

@starry-blue-echoes

[skvaderarts]

Petrichor Chapter 55: Correspondence

Chapter 55: Correspondence

Note: Here you go! A little late but MUCH better than the original draft, OMG! Enjoy!

(-~-)

The train ride couldn’t have been more uneventful, a fact they were both eternally grateful for. This was not the day for trouble. There would be more than enough of that to come. It was in the very air they breathed. It was guaranteed.

It took them next to no time at all to vacate the station after its arrival, the locomotive arriving on time despite the turn that the weather was trying to take. It seemed that the sky couldn’t make up its mind today. One moment it was drizzling, and the next it was clear, but the dreary haze that hung in the air never settled or dissipated. It wasn’t quite foggy out, and it also wasn’t exactly misty, but neither of them could properly explain what it actually was. Only what it wasn’t. Thankfully it was largely irrelevant. The last thing that was going to stop them today was inclement weather. They had come too far for something like that to be a deciding factor. This was far too important.

Vergil was wholly unwilling to squander this opportunity. Not a chance in hell.

As they made their way further down the street, each step that they took bringing them closer to their objective, Dante couldn’t help but notice the air of apprehension and -was that anxiety?- that hung in the space between them. He expected Vergil to be a little nervous as to how she would react, but he couldn’t recall ever seeing him act quite like this. Quite this undone. He was unraveling at the seams, barely holding together. And yet, it was still subtle and easy to miss without an observant eye or prior knowledge of Vergil’s general disposition. A skill that his brother had mastered out of necessity. For better or for worse. A clever ruse that Dante saw right through.

Everything about his body language screamed discomfort. When they stopped to wait for cars to pass, he tucked his hands into his pockets in the most defensive manner possible; exhibiting a total loss of his traditionally calm and collected demeanor. He diverted his eyes at every given opportunity. His breathing was shallow and almost inadequate, the Darkslayer doing everything in his power to not seem as suddenly out of breath as he actually was. For a moment, Dante considered actually asking him if he was unwell. He was viscerally uncomfortable, and it was utterly undeniable.

But before a single syllable could leave his unopened mouth, Vergil let out a soft, resounding sigh, an air of defeat to it that was as subtle as it was absolute.

“I see the way that your eyes linger on me. Is it that obvious?” It wasn’t a question. It was an act of self-conformation. Vergil knew the answer to that question long before it had left his lips or even vacated his mind. Yes, he did look as half-dead as he felt inside, his thoughts tearing him asunder. He almost wanted to ask Dante what it was that he was doing that had given up the ghost so undeniably, but he resisted the urge. It wasn’t that important to him. Why lie to himself; to either of them?

The truth was that he wasn’t even sure if that was something he should make an effort to hide. Perhaps that level of honesty, that kind of vulnerability, was just what the situation called for. Maybe it would help indicate his sincerity. How utterly consumed with remorse he was in regard to how things had ended up between them. How completely and wholly sorry he was.

“Do you really want me to answer that or…?” Another question answered with prior knowledge of the response that it would garner. Dante wasn’t good at gambling, not by a long shot, but he was willing to bet that he knew the answer to that one. And the quick -perhaps too quick- glance in his direction that he received from his older identical twin brother spoke volumes as to the correctness of his prediction.

“No. Of course not.” Vergil’s response was calm. Artificially calm. A measured reaction to conceal his raw nerves. Dante wondered for a moment if his brother realized that he was trying to distract him from the inevitable. Did Vergil see what his twin was doing and make the choice to linger in his own thoughts regardless, opting to look down the barrel of the loaded gun instead of away from it? No matter how frightened he might be. What good would running do now? He would never be ready for this. No amount of time or waiting would ever change that. Dante could feel that. It was a fact.

It seemed like a very Vergil thing to ponder to him.

“Yeah. Didn’t think so.” Dante shook his head and shrugged, a slight chuckle leaving his closed mouth as they continued towards their destination. The numbers on the streets and buildings that they passed were counting down rapidly, quickly approaching their intended destination. It wouldn’t be long now. This would be… interesting. “I think it’s up ahead.”

The duo traversed a few more city blocks before coming to the stoop of a townhouse that looked more or less like every other one on the street. Ordinary and mostly unadorned. The kind of street that screamed “HOA” or something akin to it. Well kept but otherwise somewhat boring and samey. Very ordinary. But as they approached the stoop and made their way up to the door, the pair couldn’t shake the feeling that something was just… off. Not dangerous or sinister, but just not quite right. Unnerving.

Maybe that was just a side effect of being near Vergil in his current state for too long.

Vergil took a deep breath before closing his eyes and knocking on the door, opening them again as he waited to have his suspicions confirmed. As he expected, no one came to the door. He was afraid that might be the case. Oh no.

“Are you sure this is the right address?” He asked as he glanced over at his younger twin. Dante stood behind him, still making his way up to the door. He wanted to give Vergil space just in case she answered the door right then and there. Had they gotten the numbers the wrong way round or something of that sort? It was a possibility. Neither of them was familiar with this neighborhood, let alone this city.

“It’s the one Morrison gave me, so I sure hope so,” Dante said, his brow furrowing in obvious confusion and discomfort. Now he was concerned. This hadn’t been what he’d expected to happen. Well, at least not what he had hoped would happen. He’d registered that it was a possibility, but he’d doggedly hoped to be proven wrong. “He’s never let me down before. His intel is always solid. I trust him.”

Vergil nodded a single time in succinct agreement. He knew next to nothing about the man, but he could tell that he and his brother had known one another for a very long time, and Dante’s confidence in his companion and his capabilities were reassuring enough. He would trust Dante’s judgment. He believed him when he said that the intel was solid, but perhaps it was best to keep his expectations low. Depressingly low.

“I am willing to assume he’s done his due diligence. He seems professional. And I expect nothing less from him.” Vergil said as he peered around the property. The blinds were closed. He couldn’t even tell if the property was currently inhabited. But one thing he did know was that she wasn’t here. No one was at the moment. “But no one is here.”

They knocked again. And waited. Nothing. He knew that would be the result, but he tried anyway. It was all he really could do, given the circumstances.

“... Do you think maybe she just left to go to the store or something?” Dante offered as a possible explanation. Even he wasn’t sure that he believed that was the case, but it was something. Even if that “something” might only be wishful thinking. It was the only positive alternative that came to mind. He didn’t want to think of any of the alternatives.

Vergil fell silent for a short while, folding his arms around himself in a manner that Dante had rarely seen prior to that moment. It was exceedingly rare for his older twin to wear his insecurity and discomfort so visibly. He was making no effort to hide how this discovery was making him feel. There was no anger or hatred present. Only a hollow hole of sadness that Dante wished he had some meaningful way of filling. It had been a while since he’d felt so utterly useless. He didn’t like it.

“I… Don’t feel that she’s been here.” Vergil stated after a while. He knew what her presence felt like. Her touch. Her scent, for lack of a better way of putting it. He recognized her essence anywhere and this place was utterly devoid of it. She hadn’t been here in some time now. If she’d ever been here in the first place. “Not at all.”

“Excuse me, are you looking for someone?”

Both of the Sons of Sparda lurched to the right in almost perfect unison, having somehow not noticed the presence of an older woman on the adjoining porch until she’d just spoken. She was standing inside her own residence still, but she slowly slipped out of the door and stood on the porch, holding the door partially open so as to easily go back inside anytime that she chose to. She eyed them almost suspiciously, seemingly curious as to what they were doing here. She’d certainly never seen them before.

“Yes. A woman. I’m told that she lives here.” Vergil stated calmly, taking her in. She was human. Of that much he was certain. But she certainly had managed to sneak up on the both of them. Had he truly been that preoccupied with his thoughts? He needed to get ahold of himself. This was a new low. “I’ve not seen her in… a very long time.”

Dante considered bringing up the fact that a better description of the individual they were looking for might be helpful in this case, but decided against it. He would simply let Vergil talk. He wasn’t going to interrupt and risk accidentally complicating things. Not for the time being, at least.

The older woman seemed to consider his statement, obviously aware of something that he wasn’t, but unsure as to whether or not she should share what she knew. And understandable sentiment, but one he found himself starkly disapproving of in this particular situation. But he resisted the urge to ask her further questions for the moment, electing to take a more measured approach, much to the obvious relief of his yonder twin who had obviously been expecting him to be less patient. Dante hadn’t thought that Vergil would harm her in any way, but it was amusing to know that he was capable of pretending to be much more patient than he actually was in order to not scare off his mark. First impressions mattered. He only got one shot at this.

“Hmmm… A woman used to live next door. Up and left half a year ago out of the clear blue sky in the dead of night with barely so much as a goodbye. Might be the one you’re after.” She held her ground, speaking almost hesitantly. This was information she clearly wasn’t sure that she should be sharing. She almost seemed to instantly regret doing so. She was in it now. No going back.

“Do you have any idea where she went?” Vergil asked calmly, attempting to hide the way that his heart began to pound and flutter at the prospect of making any sort of progress. The potent mixture of dread and anticipation that he felt rocket through his body was enough to slay a titan.

“What are your intentions when you find her?” Her tone was stern but not unfriendly or accusatory. She genuinely seemed concerned as to the safety of her former neighbor, perhaps afraid that she might be talking to a stalker or some other form of ne’er-do-well. “She’s a quiet sort. Something of a recluse. Didn’t leave her flat much, truth be told. I only ever spoke to her down by the street at the mailbox. But she did help me bring in my groceries from time to time. Swell lass. I won’t see her troubled. She already seemed like she was haunted by the ghosts of her past. Something in her eyes. She’s seen something.”

Vergil visibly flinched at the older woman’s observation. He… genuinely didn’t know what to say to that. Perhaps a bit of honesty was in order. There was little progress to be made here by lying. And if that was the case then… 

“I might be that ghost.”

Dante gave him a somewhat surprised look, clearly not expecting him to admit that. She seemed to show a similar reaction, but he obviously didn’t know her well enough to be certain. Either way, she folded her arms and shook her head in disapproval, seemingly suddenly exasperated by his mere presence. This conversation had just taken an undeniable turn for the worse.

“Then why go looking for her? Why go and reopen old wounds that might’ve finally scabbed over?” She seemed upset on behalf of the woman whom she was clearly trying to protect, her question cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Vergil resisted the kneejerk instinct to inquire as to why that mattered to her and held his tongue, pondering the question himself. But he already knew the answer. His own personal answer, at least. There were many reasons he was doing this. For V, first and foremost, but also for himself, something that he’d questioned the validity and morality of several times over that day alone. And there was only one honest answer he could give to that.

“Because there are truths that she deserves to know. Wounds that I’ve inflicted with my actions, intentional or not that I would be a coward to leave unaddressed. Wrongs that I’ve committed that only I can make right.” Vergil looked down quietly for a long moment, clearly pondering something that Dante could only imagine. He remained quiet, giving his twin the space he clearly needed to think of the proper way to describe the bottomless well of sorrow that he saw in his eyes every time he spoke of her. He had to look into the abyss and pull something back from it. After some time, he looked back up, his eyes meeting his brother’s and then those of the old woman who stood upon her front stoop, clearly still pondering her own better judgment. “And I owe that to her. Regardless of what it might cost me. I am many things, but I am not a coward.”

The little old woman stared at him in silence, the back of her hand slowly raising up to cover her bottom lip. She exhaled deeply before opening her door wider and stepping back inside with haste, closing the door behind her with a resounding slam. It seemed that she had heard enough and wasn’t willing to stick around to hear anything else. The sound of what he thought might be the latching of a lock all but confirmed that. But just as the twins glanced in the direction of one another to share a look of quietly concerned contemplation, the door unlocked again and she stepped out a second time, closing the door behind her. She walked over to the ledge and stretched her arm out to Vergil handing him what appeared to be an old, very torn envelope, the address barely visible due to the damage at a glance. What was he supposed to do with this?

“She sent me this card for my birthday. The only one who remembered it.” An ever so subtle tinge of melancholy colored her face for a moment before she shook it off, the envelope she’d just given him clearly holding some significance to her. She’d kept its contents, but it seemed that even relinquishing that torn old envelope in of itself was painful for her. That card had clearly meant a lot to her. “Tell her thank you for it when you see her. Assuming she’s still there when you lot arrive. I get the impression she’s something of a free spirit. Don’t think she stays anywhere very long. Like a bird.”

Vergil gripped the thin piece of paper tightly in his hand, being mindful not to accidentally destroy it or crumple it into a state beyond recognition as he took in its significance. He understood now. He couldn’t sense anything as he did so, but he pushed that aside. It had been a long time since she’d held it, after all. Trails went cold quickly when they were muddled with other things. Probably the reason he’d been unable to find her in the first place… 

But he did recognize one thing as he held it in his hands and took another look at it. Her handwriting. Slightly smudged, but just as much hers as he remembered. She never wrote in half measures. Her words were simple but just as kind as one would expect from her, given that they were a gift to someone else.

“Please know I’m with you on your special day, even if only in spirit. I hope you’re well, Edna. And I hope you stay that way for many years to come. Thank you for being you.”

A declaration of friendship if ever he’d seen one. A small preamble to what he was willing to imagine had been a beautiful card, a truly special gift that had clearly been treasured by its owner. This was a favor. He had been extraordinarily lucky to have it relinquished into his custody. The older woman who he assumed was Edna had taken a chance trusting them. He wasn’t sure what to even say to that. “... Thank you.”

Edna nodded, pulling as stern and threatening of a look as she could manage. She wasn’t the least bit intimidating, but he wasn’t going to assume anything. He’d been surprised by what people were capable of before. This wasn’t the time to find out she was a retired devil hunter or some such. He didn’t need that kind of excitement in his life. He was just fine, thank you. “I’m wishing you luck, lad. Just… Do right by her, okay?”

He looked at the paper again before nodding a single time in solemn respect. She’d done him a favor, something he hadn’t experienced from many strangers in the past. He wouldn’t soon forget that. “I intend to.”

And he would stop at nothing less than that. Of all the promises that Vergil had ever made to himself, this was the one he would keep. No matter what it took.

Vergil turned and looked at Dante, his brother’s arms folded as he leaned against the front railing that led to the door of her former residence. Quietly awaiting his twin’s response as he pondered everything he’d just seen and heard. He looked in her direction and gave her a small smile and a wave that she reciprocated before stepping across the threshold into her home a final time and closing the door. It was time for them to leave. She wasn’t going to hold them up any longer. Clearly, they had work to do.

(-~-)

Phew! Much better! I’m actually happy with how this one turned out as opposed to what I originally had in mind. Thank goodness I went with my gut and did this instead. This just feels more significant. More heavy. More what I was going for. I like this. Yea.

I’ll see you all next Friday on… the 13th?! LOL in the spooky month, no less. I see you October. I like your style lol! Thank you for allowing me the time to do things right, everyone. And for your infinite patience. I knew I could do better, and you all deserve that. I think this is a win-win for everyone! I’ll see you in the comments! Take care! Bye!

[darksonofsparda-archived]

Shipping Info!

answer the following for your muse so people know how shipping works on your blog.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER?:

I mean, there’s a couple. I like LuciaxVergil cuz Lucia doesn’t get enough love when she really should. 

And there is one that most might not agree with, but imma say it anyway.

I really love VergilxLady. THAT'S RIGHT, I SAID IT. FIGHT ME x3

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO WRITE WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?:

I don’t have any boundaries when it comes to shipping. give me fluff, give me angst, give me those special moments that make you go “Awe that’s cute af!” 

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?:

Well, obviously any muse under 13 with some that’s like 30. That’s just messed lol.

Anything past 12 years I guess. Any more than that and it’s a little weird, just a little.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?:

Moderately yeah, but it's not because I don’t wanna ship. I’ll tell you right now I’m 100% Shipping trash. lol 

It’s just because Vergil is stubborn and is very independent and can just be hard to get to open up to anyone because he prioritizes his goals before anything and refuses to let himself get attached because he has the risk of losing them which tends to set him back. It’s not impossible, shipping is always possible, it just takes a bit for Vergil to open up to anyone.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW?:

Well, I do write smut, but only when it legit comes down to the moment. I guess as soon as a make-out session gets extra EXTRA physical involving the tugging of clothes then yeah it’s immediately going into a read more. Anything involving touching certain areas through the clothes, immediate read more. I don’t always write smut tho, it really depends if I feel like it or not. But when it comes to smut, it’s not really a must or a necessity, If someone is more comfy with a fade-to-black then that’s totally fine. But if both parties are up for it, then sure by all means,  let’s get steamy. Of course, the other mun needs to be at least 16+ to 17 (Since 16 is the legal age of consent in Canada) But below that, Fade-To-Blacks only.

WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?:

 Lady and Lucia. I dunno who else really. I guess I always had a few from other fandoms I’ve wanted to try like a couple of crossover ships. Like for example, I’ve really been wanting to try Vergil and Velvet Crowe from Tales Of Berseria. There are a bit more but honestly, I could go on about wish ships forever so that’s all I’ll say for now. Trust me, I won’t stop if I get started XD

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?:

Not really, but at the same time bringing it by me is a good little heads up. Regardless no you don’t have to.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?:

100% Shipping trash right here! XD

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE - OR - LESS?:

Well even if I’m shipping trash, shipping in a romantic sense isn’t always necessary. If its more of a sibling/guardian type thing then that's fine too. 

But when it comes to ships, my love for it can be raised pretty easily. It mostly depends on the chemistry and interaction shown between the two. If the characters are just hands down super cute, chances are, I’ll be 110% on board and crazy for it. So it all depends on the chemistry and interactions. If I really like it, then hell yeah lets nerd over it together. Overall, I love me some ships!

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?:

You bet!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?:

Unfortunately, I don’t have a ship for Vergil within the DMC fandom currently ongoing. It’s a bit sad but, it’s just how it is atm. But I have one crossover ship I’m loving a lot.

It’s a ship with @arctxcstalkxr  

Because VergilxMizore is my jam rn. I even have a fanfic series based on it because I love it that much. It’s so awesome!

But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a DMC ship with Vergil. Hopefully, that can happen at some point. So if any lucky DMC girl wants to ship with Vergil then come at me! I’ll be here screaming lol

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?:

Pretty simple really. Flirt with Vergil, Tease Vergil, pester him with hints. Create good chemistry and make him head over heels! Send in shippy memes, fluffy memes. Don’t hold back because Vergil is SUPER stubborn.

 I definitely encourage anyone who wants a ship with Vergil to just come at him! Because remember:  Good Chemistry = A Beautiful Ship!

TAGGED BY TOTALLY NOT STOLEN FROM:  @rachel-of-slaughter TAGGING: Honestly, I have no idea atm. So anyone who sees this, you are AUTOMATICALLY tagged!

[motorcityarchive]

Hello, I’m not entirely new around here but this blog is!

As you may be able to tell from the name it’s a Titmouse/Disney Motorcity archive blog, meaning I will be rebloging everything* related to the show and organizing it in order to make certain posts easier to find. Please feel free to send me any old or un tagged posts to archive and please understand that this will be a slow and lengthy process, I am a full time student and as much as I love it organizing motorcity posts is not my only hobby :)

*This includes posts that I may not personally agree with or like

Below are the current Tags I have/will use for posts, it’s LONG:

Warning Tags:

- Potentially NSFW

This tag will house content that has suggestive themes and/or characters lacking appropriate** clothing (**appropriate for the scenario presented ex. burners in bathing suits hanging out at the beach will not be tagged, single burner in a bathing suit without any other context will be tagged. I am being overly conservative on purpose, I’m sorry, this MAY change in the future)

- NSFW

Sexually explicit material: Obvious pin ups of characters/Characters in sexual contexts

- TW Flashing

For videos that contain flashing

- Potentially Triggering

Suicide or self harm mentions as well as generally disturbing material, sorry it’s vague for now I’ll make it more specific if the need comes

- Death

- Implied Death

- Major Injury

- Age gap relationship

- Adult/minor relationships

I am likely as displeased as you that I have to make those a tag

General tags:

- Motorcity

- Headcannon

- Cannon

- Fan work

- Fanart

- Fan edit

- Fan fiction

- Contained Fan fiction

- Video edit

- Image edit

- Screenshot

- Video game recreation

- Digital art

- Traditional art

- comic

- Meme

- Music

- Playlist

- Ask

- Ask game

- Crossover

- Other fandoms

- Written work

- Theory

Gang/Territory tags:

- Burners

- Motorcitizen

- Deluxian

- The Amazons

- Mama’s boys

- Larpers

- The Duke’s men

- Terra dwellers

- The Skylarks

- Fan gang

- Electroblades

- Cablers

- Weekend Warriors

- The Dude Bros

- Outsiders

Character Tags:

- Mike Chilton

- Julie Kane

- Julie Kapulsky

- Chuck

- Texas

- Texas Yang

- Dutch Gordy

- Claire

- Tennie

- Roth

- Jacob

- Hudson

- Kaia

- Rall

- The Duke of Detroit

- Cyborg Dan

- Babs

- Thurman

- Thurman the Magnificent

- Ruby

- Ruby the Darkslayer

- Lord Vanquisher

- The Oracle

- Sam

- Philip

- Rayon

- Red

- Junior

- Foxy

- Lizzie

- Bracket

- Antonio

- Abraham Kane

- Kane

- Crater

- AJ

- Jenzen

- Tooley

- Capri Chilton

- Mike’s Mom

- Mike’s Dad

- Mr. Gordy

- Mrs. Gordy

- Darr Gordy

- Sue Ellen

- Utilitons

- Background Character

- Crossover Character

- [name of crossover character]

- [ship] fankid

- [character] fankid

- [name] oc

- Bots

Ship tags:

- ship

- Implied ship

- Multi ship

- Poly ship

- Cannon x oc

- [character]/[oc]

- MikeTex

- Mike/Texas

- Jukebox

- Julie/Mike

- Muck

- Mike/Chuck

- Dutch/Mike

- Dennie

- DutchTennie

- Dutch/Tennie

- DutchTex

- Dutch/Texas

- Dutch/Chuck

- Dutch/Julie

- Texie

- Texas/Julie

- Clulie

- Claire/Julie

- Chuck/Julie

- Chuxas

- Chexmix

- Texas/Chuck

- Cluck

- Claire/Chuck

- Poly burners

- Jacob/Hudson

- Claire/Foxy

- Flaire

- Red/Mike

- Rulie

- Red/Julie

- Rayon/The Duke

- Babs/The Duke

- Kane/The Duke

I will eventually add more but I either don’t know the ship or do not want to think about the tags of some of the ships I know are on here, I’ll deal with it when I get to it

Au Tags, This is a list that I assume will be ever growing but so far we have:

- Au

- Fantasy Au

- No burners Au

- Galaxies Beyond Au

- Wings au

- Meant au

- And many more to come

All aus will have Au at the end

Idk what to call these but they’re kinda like aus:

- trans!burners

- baby! Burners

- spider! Chuck

- motorcitizen! Chuck

Misc. Tags

Fashion, for outfits other than cannon ones

All posters will have their own tags as well to search by artist/creator

More Tags will be added as I see fit