#Devil May Cry OC Week Day 6

[waywardxrhea]

Chapter 6 - Jet Black Heart

What happens when you lie to the Devil? How long can one woman keep a lifetime of secrets from the Devil of Hell's Kitchen? The answer may surprise you...

installment list

pairing: Matt Murdock x enhanced!fem!OC

series content: coffee shop AU, fluff, humor, friends to lovers, pining, language, canon typical violence, angst, drinking, implied smut, medical emergencies, mental health disorders (PTSD, panic disorder).

"i've got a jet black heart and there's a hurricane underneath it..." jet black heart, 5 seconds of summer

word count: 2.9k

Crystal has a WPW episode at the shop plus karaoke night and more flirting!

“Hello? Earth to Crys! Come on, let’s go, we have people needing to be caffeinated!” Raeyes called out as she snapped her fingers in front of Crystal’s tired eyes. “Is everything all right? You’re more out of it than usual…”

“Oh, yes, sorry, I just didn’t get much sleep last night, the coffee should kick in soon I hope,” she told her before getting started on the next ticket in line. 

“You know you shouldn’t be drinking caffeine,” Raeyes scolded with a light tap on Crystal’s wrist.

“I know, I know, but I got desperate when I could barely open my eyes this morning,” she replied, stifling a yawn as she grabbed the requested pastry out of the case. 

“Long night at the gym?” Raeyes asked as she began working on the customer’s drink. 

That phrase had turned into their code so they could talk freely about what Crystal did at night without anyone prying about what they were discussing. With this in mind, she replied, “Yeah, we made some good progress last night. I’m hoping we’ll be done soon because it’s wearing on me.”

“Yeah, I know, you need to take it easy, Crys, I’m worried about you…” Raeyes told her, her tone of voice soft. 

“I’ll be fine, just give it a few more weeks,” Crystal replied, stifling another yawn.

“Okay, you need to not be handling hot liquids right now, take over orders,” Raeyes told her sternly as she guided her to the register right as the bell over the door chimed. She looked over and smirked, telling Crystal, “And would you look at that, your favorite regular is here.”

“Oh piss off,” Crystal replied with a laugh before greeting Matt, Karen, and Foggy. “Court today?” she asked, noticing the multitude of papers in Karen’s arms. 

“Yes, so extra shots of espresso for all of us,” she replied before heading to a nearby table to relieve herself of the load in her arms. 

“Regular order otherwise?” she asked, finally taking a glance over to Matt, who looked nearly as exhausted as she was. 

“That would be great, thank you,” he told her with a small smile. 

“Everything all right? You seem exhausted,” she pointed out before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth in shock before blurting out, “I am so sorry that was an incredibly invasive question I- forget I said anything, and uh…coffee is on me today.”

The awkward moment seemed to perk Matt up, evidenced by his usual wide smile making its way onto his lips in response. He chuckled before telling her, “Don’t worry about that, thank you for asking though. I just had a long night preparing for this case.” 

“Well I’m sure you’ll do amazing, all of you,” she said, throwing a smile in Foggy’s direction. 

“In part thanks to the caffeine and pastries,” Foggy said brightly before he paid for the order and the two walked off to sit with Karen at their usual table. 

When there was a lull in customers a few minutes later, Crystal and Raeyes stepped back to examine the coffee bar and decide what needed restocking. Once determining that they were in desperate need of mocha chips, Crystal looked up at the high shelf the jar was sitting on and asked, “Remind me why we still don’t have a bloody step stool after the last one broke?”

“Because of shipping delays,” Raeyes replied with a roll of her eyes. She sighed before asking, “Why did Carlos have to call in today of all days when we only have short people working?”

“Because of Murphy’s Law…” Crystal replied before grabbing a rag to begin cleaning off tables. 

The rag was quickly snatched away from her hands before Raeyes said, “I’ll clean the tables, you jump up and get the chips. You’re the one who works out. I believe in you!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence I guess.” She sighed before looking up at the chips with determination in her tired eyes. 

Forcing aside the temptation to use her abilities to knock down the jar somehow, Crystal jumped up and snatched the mocha chips off the shelf, a sense of victory filling her chest. As she landed though, she felt her heart give an irregular stutter and a feeling of breathlessness filled her chest in its stead. “Shit…” she whispered as she dropped the jar to the ground with a loud clatter, leaning onto the counter for balance. 

Heat felt like it was engulfing her entire body and black was threatening to encase her vision as she tried to make her way to a chair to sit down. Before she could make it there though, her knees buckled under her weight and she fell to the ground. Using what remained of her strength, she forced herself to lean her back against the counter. 

“Crys!” she heard Raeyes’s voice through what felt like cotton in her ears. Within seconds she felt her friend’s presence beside her and then felt her fingers gently tapping her cheek to rouse her. “Come on Crys, deep breaths…” Raeyes mumbled, her voice steady despite what was happening. Unfortunately, it had become all too routine lately for her roommate to get her out of these episodes…

Another voice joined Raeyes’s that Crystal recognized as Karen asking, “Is she okay? What’s going on?”

“Should we call 911?” Foggy asked, panic evident in his voice. 

“No hospital…” Crystal managed to whisper in response, slightly shaking her head in protest. 

“I know, I know, no hospital,” Raeyes told her gently. “Karen, get me a straw.”

“A straw?” 

“Yes, a straw! Hurry!” Raeyes pleaded as she held Crystal’s shaking hand. 

Crystal could hear rustling nearby before the straw was being presented to her mouth by Raeyes. On instinct, Crystal blew into the straw and within a few seconds she could feel her heart kick back into a normal rhythm. She took the straw out of her mouth and leaned her head against the counter as she took a few more deep breaths to calm herself. 

A few seconds of silence passed before Raeyes asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I…uh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene…” Crystal whispered, heat creeping up her neck knowing that Matt, Foggy, and Karen were right there beside her on the floor, Matt’s dark lenses trained oddly accurately at where her heart sat in her chest. 

“What happened? Why’d you collapse?” Foggy asked, concern laced in his voice. 

“It’s nothing, just a heart problem I have…” Crystal replied as she stood up on shaking legs, still keeping her hand on the counter for support. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Raeyes asked quietly. “These episodes have been happening a lot more lately, I’m worried about you…”

“I… I know it’s not my place, but maybe you should go see a doctor…” Karen offered tentatively, taking a glance over to Matt whose face had concern written all over it as his lenses continued to be trained on where Crystal’s heart sat in her chest. 

Crystal instantly shook her head and replied, “It’s just something I have to live with. I’ve been dealing with this since I was a kid, I can handle it. I appreciate the concern, but…” As she trailed off, the bell above the door rang and she told them, “Duty calls. Good luck on the court case today.”

She picked up the jar of mocha chips and placed them on the counter where they belonged before attending to the customer who just walked in, ignoring the conversation Raeyes was having with the group just outside of earshot. 

Later that evening after getting off from a double, Crystal immediately went into the shower to clean off the day’s sweat and coffee scent. When she emerged and changed into pyjamas, reassuring Raeyes once again that she was fine, she finally got comfortable on the couch before checking the notification center of her phone. What greeted her was a text from an unknown number that caused her to cock an eyebrow in confusion. 

Unknown at 6:26: Hey Crystal. This may be a little unprecedented, but I just wanted to check in on you after this morning at the shop. Make sure you’re okay. 

Unknown at 6:28: This is Matt by the way, I believe Raeyes wrote your number on a napkin with a winking face today when she made our drinks.

“Raeyes!” Crystal called into the relative silence of the flat, causing her roommate to come running from her room, half of her hair curled and wearing a look of concern on her face. “Did you give Matt my number?!”

Relief instantly flooded Raeyes's face as a mischievous smile made its way onto it instead. She sighed in her relief before saying, “Yes, yes I did. I was tired of watching the two of you pine after each other without anything happening so I gave him your number when I took them their order this morning! I think what you’re trying to say is, ‘Thank you Rae, you’re the best wingwoman ever!’” She gasped dramatically before throwing herself on the couch beside Crystal, asking, “Did he text you? Did he ask you out to celebrate their win in court?! Tell me!!”

“He texted me yeah, but not asking me out. He’s asking about the near heart attack I had this morning…” Crystal muttered, showing her the text. She groaned as she leaned her head back against the couch, saying, “That was so embarrassing, why did that have to happen in front of him…? He didn’t even say anything when it happened… If he was interested, I’m sure he isn’t now knowing how messed up I-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that just because your heart is messed up doesn’t mean you are messed up,” Raeyes said sternly. “I’m sure he just wasn’t sure how to react. And he’s texting you about it now, so you just need to text him back and see where this goes. I’ll be in my room finishing getting ready for my date tonight, but if you need your wingwoman, just call, okay? You got this.”

“Thanks Rae…” Crystal whispered, trying to push her doubt aside as she finally looked back at the messages from Matt. 

Me at 7:23: Hey Matt, thanks for checking in on me. It doesn’t usually get that bad, but I’m doing a lot better now that I can rest. Sorry if I delayed you guys getting to court on time this morning.

Matt Murdock at 7:36: Don’t apologize for a disability, you can’t help it. I’m glad to hear you’re doing better. May I ask what happened?

Me at 7:38: Oh, I have this condition called Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. Long story short it causes an arrhythmia in my heart and today that episode was triggered by a perfect storm of bad ideas haha. 

Me at 7:39: I had a long night and didn’t sleep much so I had a small cup of coffee before the shift started and I really shouldn’t have done that because caffeine is just about the worst thing I can have with this condition. 

Cringing at her oversharing, Crystal got up from the couch and threw the phone into the cushions as she made her way to the kitchen to find something to eat for dinner to distract herself from how much she was embarrassing herself. Within a few seconds, Raeyes emerged dressed for her date, asking, “So?”

“You look great, as usual,” Crystal replied off-handedly as she paced the kitchen. 

“No, not that! How’s texting Matt going?” she asked with a laugh. 

“I just started word-vomiting about my condition and I feel like I completely embarrassed myself…” Crystal muttered, running a hand through her hair. 

“Oh honey, no, I bet you didn’t,” Raeyes said, wrapping her in a quick hug. 

“Then why do I feel like I just don’t have a filter around him lately and that it’s messing up everything?” she asked, a sigh of frustration leaving her mouth. 

“If it was messing everything up then he wouldn’t be texting you,” Raeyes said while heading over to the couch to retrieve the device. As she handed it back to Crystal, she said, “Now when I come back tonight I want to know what happens in the rest of this conversation. And I expect there to be a date to come out of this!” 

“Don’t get your hopes too high,” Crystal said with a playful roll of her eyes as she closed the door behind Raeyes before looking back at her phone to see that Matt had responded. 

Matt Murdock at 7:43: Wow, working at a coffee shop and you can’t even drink the product? I’m even more impressed with you now.

Matt Murdock at 7:45: On a more serious note though, I am glad you’re okay. 

Me at 7:47: That means a lot, thank you Matt.

Matt Murdock at 7:54: Well we’re heading to Josie’s soon, how do you feel about meeting us to celebrate our win today? If I remember correctly, you said you’re looking forward to the next time when I walked you home after Josie’s before. 

A furious blush made its way onto her cheeks at the vague memory of the night as she debated on how to respond to the text. With shaking hands, she finally decided to reply after a few minutes.

Me at 8:00: Oh if I wouldn’t be intruding…

Matt Murdock at 8:01: Never. I look forward to it. 

With shaking hands, Crystal placed the phone on the counter as she let out a quiet squeal of delight at the text. It had been so long since she had felt the rush of texting someone she fancied and it was honestly exhilarating. After quickly eating the rest of her leftovers, Crystal got dressed into something decently nice to meet the group, knowing that it wasn’t a date, but still wanting to feel confident. 

A few nights later Crystal and Raeyes got dressed before heading out to Stardust for karaoke night – the first one they were planning on participating in rather than hosting. The previous morning, Crystal had boldly invited Matt and his friends to join them for the evening, but as the time got closer, her nerves started to settle in. 

“God, why did I invite him? I wasn’t thinking, I just-” Crystal rambled on as she adjusted her necklace for the fifth time. 

“Crys! Crystal! Take a breath!” Raeyes shouted with a laugh, steadying her friend by firmly grabbing her shoulders. Once she stopped talking, Raeyes said, “For real, what’s there to worry about? You had a great night at Josie’s with them the other night, you and Matt have been talking on the phone a lot more, what is worrying you?”

Not really having an answer, Crystal sighed and admitted, “I guess it’s just nerves…”

“Well that’s nothing a few glasses of rosé can’t fix!” Raeyes said excitedly as she grabbed Crystal’s hand to guide her out their flat door. “If we get there before them we can totally pregame a little bit and you’ll be fine by the time he gets there!”

“I hope you’re right…” Crystal mumbled as she followed her friend out into the night. 

As it turned out, Raeyes was right. After getting there before the group of Matt, Karen, Foggy, and Marci showed up, Crystal drank nearly two glasses of rosé and was starting to feel more confident in herself. Her confidence only grew when Karen and Marci joined her and Raeyes in matching each other glass for glass as people began taking the stage to poorly sing karaoke music. 

“Come on you three, I have a great song idea!” Crystal said with a giggle as she grabbed Karen and Raeyes’s hands and began dragging them away from their table and toward where Carlos was manning the computer for the evening. 

From there, Crystal took a mic and the four of them went into a high energy performance of Wannabe by the Spice Girls, all four laughing together as they made their way back to the table with Matt and Foggy. As they returned, they were met with slow clapping from Foggy, who told them, “What a performance ladies!”

“Why thank you, Foggy Bear,” Marci told him before pulling him in for a kiss. 

Karen laughed before saying to Crystal, “You know, I am impressed you were able to sing all of Mel B’s lines considering you’re, what? Over a bottle in?”

“Never question my love for the Spice Girls!” Crystal said with a giggle as she went to take her place standing next to Matt once again at the tall table. 

As she did though, she tripped over her boots and ended up stumbling into Matt. His arms quickly reached out and caught her, chuckling as he quietly told her, “We seem to end up like this a lot.”

“Sorry, I, uh-” she started to stutter out as she stood once more. 

“Don’t apologize,” Matt whispered as he snaked his arm around her waist discreetly, his hand landing on her hip. “I quite enjoyed your song choice,” he told her, his hand squeezing her hip. 

“I…I was hoping you would,” she whispered back breathlessly, her filter no longer functioning.

“I suppose then once you two sober up, there may be a conversation that needs to happen with Raeyes?” Matt asked with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“I, uh-” Crystal tried to respond, but was interrupted by Raeyes grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the counter to get more drinks with the girls, the conversation dropping there, but the tension in the air not leaving for the rest of the night.

next chapter

[melodiaemfrp]

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ACE ATTORNEY

THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY

Ryuunosuke Naruhoudou (Mica)

ARKNIGHTS

Ernesto Salas (Tequila) (Hika)

Ling (Hika) *

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Flora) *

Nikolai Gogol (Kit)

Sigma (Rosel)

CHAINSAW MAN

Power (Satsujin)

CODE GEASS

Suzaku Kururugi (Laur)

CRITICAL ROLE

Lucien Tavelle (Aria)

Mollymauk Tealeaf (Myco)

DEATH NOTE

Light Yagami (Light)

Matt (Mail Jeevas) (Aria)

DELTARUNE

Kris (Willow) *

DEMON SLAYER

Rengoku Kyojuro (Rose)

Yoriichi Tsugikuni (Rose)

DETECTIVE CONAN / MAGIC KAITO 1412

Hakuba Saguru (Lucifer)

DEVIL MAY CRY

Dante (Willow)

DON'T STARVE

Charlie (Emberlyn)

DRAGONFABLE

Tomix Danao (Birb)

ELSWORD

Raven Cronwell (Nova Imperator) (Sadie)

ENSEMBLE STARS!

Ibara Saegusa (Aria)

FATE

GRAND ORDER

Enkidu (Lancer) (Aria)

Romani Archaman (Linette)

FINAL FANTASY

XIV

Amour Darling (Pax)

Ardbert (Mica)

Breakfast Sandwich (Emil) *

Charlenaux Valmont (WOL RPR) (Star)

Hilda Ware (Rhia)

Osial viator Lacus (OC) (Owl)

Shara Ruivert (WOL SGE) (Jun)

Zero (Myco)

FIRE EMBLEM

THREE HOUSES

Felix Hugo Fraldarius (Owl)

SACRED STONES

Lyon (Jun)

GENSHIN IMPACT

Kaeya Alberich (Laur)

Zhongli (Ree)

GRANBLUE FANTASY

Lucilius (Aria)

HADES

Zagreus (Moshi)

HONKAI IMPACT 3RD

Elysia (Mikey) *

HONKAI STAR RAIL

Dan Heng (Xing)

Jing Yuan (Hika)

Pom-Pom (Satsujin)

Stelle (Rhia)

HOW TO WIN OVER MY HUSBAND

Rudbeckia de Borgia (Alice)

JUJUTSU KAISEN

Inumaki Toge (Jun)

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

PART 2

Joseph Joestar (Stan)

PART 5

Leone Abbacchio (Tom)

PART 6

Foo Fighters (Tom)

PART 2

Julius Caesar "Gyro" Zeppeli (Derrick)

KAMEN RIDER

REVICE

Hana Natsuki "Aguilera" (Lucifer)

Yukimi Igarashi (Lottie)

ZERO-ONE

Aruto Hiden (Isu) *

Jin (Lottie) *

KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN!

Fran (Carmen)

LEGEND OF ZELDA

Dark Link (Pax)

MEGAMIND

Megamind (Birb) *

MORIARTY THE PATRIOT

Sherlock Holmes (Rosel)

OCTOPATH TRAVELER

I

Alfyn Greengrass (Shae)

II

Temenos Mistral (Shae)

Trousseau (Shae)

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Erika Ishikawa (Rhia)

Grey (Cee)

Shimmer (Rhia)

Witch Princess (Pax)

PERSONA

3

Elizabeth (Aria)

Minato Arisato (Athiel)

5

Morgana (Satsujin)

PROJECT MOON

LIBRARY OF RUINA

Hokma (Rosel)

LIMBUS COMPANY

Demian (Rosel)

Don Quixote (Swub)

Faust (Tian)

Galeas Sturm (Fris)

Gregor Samsa (Ghost)

Ryoshu (Rosel)

PROJECT SEKAI

An Shiraishi (Kyuu)

Ena Shinonome (Rhia)

Hatsune Miku (Mikey)

Rui Kamishiro (Fris)

PROMISE OF WIZARD

Figaro Garcia (Ree)

PSYCHEDELICA OF THE BLACK BUTTERFLY

Ai Minato (Carmen)

SUPER SENTAI

DOUBUTSU SENTAI ZYUOHGER

Misao Mondo (Nox)

TEAM FORTRESS 2

Spy (Red) (Birb)

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

Michael (Myco)

TOONTOWN

Chip Revvington (Xanthe)

SOUZA SAMONJI

Souza Samonji (Rose)

TRIGUN

STAMPEDE

Millions Knives (Eris)

TSUBASA: RESERVOIR CHRONICLE

Fai D. Fluorite (Ashley)

TWISTED WONDERLAND

Malleus Draconia (Laur)

Morrigan Desrosier (Fris)

WITCH'S HEART

Noel Levine (Lottie)

[skvaderarts]

Devil May Cry OC Week Day 6!

This is the day of @dmc-oc-week​ that I’m most excited about! I even made the family tree! It’s below the cut XD

Maybe if I didn’t make these posts so late at night people would actually see them! That’s a shame too because this is the important day! But that’s my fault lol! Anyway, this segment is going to have spoilers for Sirrus’s backstory that will reveal who and what he is, so if you don’t want to be spoiled by that, there is a spoiler free version above the cut. Otherwise your in for a world of shock if you read my fics lol because this is gonna give away so much stuff! You’ve been warned! This really does give away A LOT! It also pretains somewhat to his role in the actual book I;m writing with him in it, though not quite as much. But again, still a spoiler.

Still here? Now to the backstory!

Spoiler Free Version:

During Sirrus’s early life, his parents split up and his father left to go and deal with his own nefarious plans while he stayed with his mother. As a direct result of the fact that Sirrus took heavily after his father aside from his trademark red hair that he got from his mother, his mother does not like him. She actively avoids spending time with him to do literally anything else, and as a result, the high society people that he was raised around see him as a sort of back sheep, not least because of the fact that he is a half breed of unknown blood. (none of his mother’s people know who or what his father is. it’s kept a very close secret.)

After some extremely traumatic things happen to him as a young teenager, he leaves to go and live with his extended family for the rest of his teen year and into his adult years. That’s where he got his blade from and where he learned to fight. It’s also where he picked up some of his opinions about authority and what it means to actually care about other people. He attempts to reach out to his father at the end of this period only to find out that he has remarried a young woman who is actually quite a bit younger than he is by the name of Aluta Ludwig. She was then betrayed by her husband, and Sirrus sided with her and her family over his father, leading to more than a little bit of animosity between the pair. He then left and joined his current employers, fueled to do right by his tumultuous upbringing. And that’s basically where everything in the fic picks up.

There is a family tree below, but it’s slightly spoiler as it give away his last name. Aside from that, you’ve got the main idea.

Spoiler Filled Version! Last chance to turn back!

Okay, I warned you XD

Early Life: Sirrus was born to Lilith Sanguine and Cirus Centurius smack dab in the middle of the victorian era. His father left shortly after to pursue his study of the Beast Heads in order to further his own agenda. As a result his mother developed a disliking to her son who she believed to be a monster of sorts due to his father being an angle and herself a sort of half devil. In truth, she actually fears him, but she would never allow that to be known. She also thought he looked to much like his father, sharing his general angelic look aside from his trademark red hair that he inherited from her. As a result, he was ostracized by literally everyone around him until he was nearly killed as a 14 year old and he ran away to join up with his uncle and their covenant of peacekeepers. He trained under them and stayed with them until about WWII. he was so disgusted by the bloodshead that he saw while he was living in the area at the time that he decided to take a nap for about half a decade and then when he awoke he decided he couldn’t stand idly by and do nothing anymore.

After seeing all of that awfulness, he moved away and studied in solitude for a while with his cousin before deciding to join his current employers. He quickly became bored, but stuck with the job through to current day in order to make sure that things were running as they were supposed to, still working on the side with his uncle. His uncle is his mom’s half brother.

After the events of Temen Ni Gru attack, he was assigned to keep a watchful eye on the regeon. Several more attacks occurred during that period (The Abigale Attack, the Savior Incident, the Redgrave Fragility, and all the attacks in my fic including the fire at the port city and V’s run in with the death cult in the woods as a teen) until the events of the book finally made it clear that he needed to come and check things out. The Conduit going critical was the last straw.

From there, the fic takes place, and he becomes involved with the DMC Crew, although he had been quietly watching their activity from affar. He didn’t know who they were individually, but he knew that a group of devil hunters were working in the region and that they seemed to have everything under control... well, until V was brought back from limbo and Belial’s Death cult descended upon the city. But the fic fills all of that in better than I can.

Here’s a family tree. It only covers people currently living, so it is missing quite a few people. Didn’t want to make things more complicated than they already were! But either way, here you go! Let me know if you have questions!

[rodentsunite]

Devil May Cry OC Week: Mercenaries (2/4) Royalguard and Swordmaster

What is known of the OCs so far (subject to change)

Agent Marcella Aguilar [Royalguard]

6 ft 2 in (188 cm)

Half human (Latina on her father’s side) and half demon (mother’s side)

Raised by her single father who still lives. Mother does not comprehend human tendencies, is an absent parent as she wanders the world collecting information.

Mother was a fierce fighter under the rule of Mundus. She was one of the first to be approached by Sparda concerning his rebellion. Agrees to join as she does not particularly care for humanity, but humanity’s creations. 

Marcella has mommy issues

Fears abandonment so she keeps to herself. Has trust issues. Don’t let the confident energy fool you. Natural leader because she’s naturally calm and focused. 

As this takes place in canon DMC timeline, none of the four have ever met the Sparda family nor have lived near Red Grave City, but some know of it. 

Marcella shoulders the responsibility of protecting humanity more out of moral obligation than genuine concern. Hides the demon side of her from her partner and crush so as to not lose her, but is otherwise proud of devil trigger form. 

Close combat fighter. Is not ideal for most so she references humans like Lady to defend against any suspicion. Her devil trigger form is where she has the most fun reenacting kaiju scenes from Pacific Rim.

Became a mercenary because it aligns with her ideals, plus the pay from [Company name TBA] isn’t bad. Sends what she can to help her father even though he’s doing just fine. 

He is a Pulitzer Prize winner and well-known author of several war novels covering his own personal experience as an amputee with PTSD. He holds all of the money received by Marcella so he could return it when she comes home much to her displeasure. 

Loves his daughter so much. Is incredibly proud of her. Will show off her baby pictures with immense pride.  

Marcella likes being tall. She loves brushing her hair after a long day but does not get how it can look silky when it’s loose but the ends are frayed in her classic braids (she’s humming bird themed ( Huitzilopochtli)).  

Is the cool, quiet, loner type but enjoys hanging out with loud and energetic people. Enjoys getting dirty but if she does not have access to a shower right after she will throw hands. Is a hopeless romantic. Asexual. 

Agent Suraya ??? [Swordmaster]

5 ft 5 in (168 cm)

100% human. Mother is from Georgia (the country) and her father is from the U.S. Both are alive.

Is the middle child. Suraya’s older sister and her sister’s wife own a successful salon. Their younger brother is 16, likes to shade Suraya for her interest in K-Pop. 

Suraya’s parents signed her and her siblings up for Tae Kwon Do classes only for her to end up as the only one out of the 3 to love martial arts. 

Then bounced to karate. Once she started getting into shonen anime she also fell in love with sword users (Still believes the sheathing and unsheathing of a katana is the coolest thing).

Started off with fencing, and when she felt it wasn’t enough she practiced kendo, then gatka. 

Where Marcella focuses on taking out the threat (demons), Suraya prioritizes human lives. She does not take the lives of any human. This is also why she took up using a shield alongside her specialized sword. 

Suraya’s parents, happy that their daughter is a prodigy, do not like that she is a part of such a high-risk career, and often call out of concern/in hopes of changing her mind. Suraya believes that she is doing the right thing so their pleas don’t work. 

Is hesitant to even bring up accomplishments because she knows her parents will try to convince her that what she is doing is dangerous. Why can’t they just say that they’re proud of her?

The neighborhood she grew up in fell under siege of a large demonic portal. Luckily, she and her family were able to escape, but she hated feeling of helplessness. 

Initially volunteered to get rid of demons but likes receiving income so she now works with [Company name TBA] where she met Marcella.

Whatever money she makes she saves it just in case. Yearns to live in a cottage with a nice garden. 

Suraya is confident in her swordsmanship. Can be rather reckless and impulsive, but her skills are often more than enough to get the job done. 

If she was a playable character, she would collect various swords throughout the story with a multitude of fighting styles. 

Is optimistic and full of energy. Out of the four demon-hunters, she makes friends the easiest. 

Is kinda maybe sort of oblivious to people liking her romantically. You’d figure that a woman that watches novelas should be aware of at least a few signs. 

Likes playing with make up. Marcella has a hard time saying no to her. 

Immediately takes the role of leader in group work, though she gets impatient and wants to do things herself soon after.  

Does have feelings for her partner but for the longest time believes those feelings are of friendship. 

[gardenofdelight]

The Most Precious Power

An unexpected visitor drops by Devil May Cry to check up on Lil Pea and her new protector. 

Here’s my drabble for DMC OC Week Day 6: Family/Background! This is the first time writing this OC...he’s been up in my head for so long now. Hope you enjoy! 😘

The human world has always been a fun place for the fey folk. Most fairies don’t stay for long, but it’s a cozy home to the resident pixie of Devil May Cry.

“Look, Pretty Boy!” she exclaims, happily flying down to the office while her fairy light glows pink with joy. “I found another fairy cup!”

Vergil glances over his book at the tiny thimble in her small hands. “Well done, Peaseblossom.”

Lil Pea beams with delight as she lands on Dante’s desk. “What do you think, Scruffy Boy? Pretty good find, right?” she asks while holding the thimble up over her head. 

Dante plucks the thimble with a quirked brow. “Where the hell do you find this stuff, Lil Pea?” 

“No nook and cranny is safe so long as there’s a Peaseblossom around!”

Vergil smiles behind his book as she flutters off to find more lost trinkets in the corner of the office. Dante laughs and adds the thimble to a little pile of various small treasures on his desk.

Both brothers admit that the shop is more lively with a very pretty pixie buzzing around, but her presence seems to bring unexpected visitors to their doorstep. 

The sound of soft knocking on the front door breaks the peaceful silence of the shop. Vergil remains still as his eyes flicker over to the entrance. A man with fiery red hair walks through the door, appearing friendly while scanning the office with a curious glint in his green eyes.  He’s wearing normal attire, black trousers with a casual shirt and coat...but the lap harp case strapped to his back strikes both brothers as a little odd.  

Dante greets the mysterious stranger with a wave. “Hey there...what can we do for ya?” he asks while eyeing him cautiously. 

The mysterious stranger looks at both brothers before speaking. “Ah yes, I’m just here to-”

“TALIESIN!!!”

Lil Pea pops out from a box in the corner of the room with an elated squeal. Her fairy light glitters many colors as she flies high over the mysterious stranger. A sparkling pink cloud completely surrounds her before she dives straight down in her human form. 

“Oh my!” the mysterious stranger exclaims while catching the giggling pixie. “You’re a lot taller than the last time I saw you!” he observes with a playful grin as he sets her down on the ground.  

“I can turn big whenever I want thanks to Pretty Boy!” she informs proudly, her fairy light glimmering with admiration as she frolics over to the couch. Vergil grunts as she hops right into his lap, ignoring the annoyed scowl on his face as she wraps her arms around his neck.   

The mysterious stranger chuckles in amusement. “I see! And you must be…what name do you have now?” he inquires while tilting his head towards the gushing pixie. 

“Peaseblossom!”

“Oh, that’s much better than Dewdrop!” he admits with an approving nod. “I can already tell that Peaseblossom has chosen her new protector very wisely.”

Vergil regards the mysterious stranger with a wary glare. The last time an acquaintance of Lil Pea’s came barging into the shop, he ended up in a duel for her honor...but this man doesn’t seem to be looking for a fight.  

“You seem well acquainted with my fairy,” he assumes while pulling away from Lil Pea’s affectionate cuddles. 

Dante stifles a laugh while leaning over his desk. “Are you another one of her ex-boyfriends or something?” he asks with a cheeky wiggle of his brow.  

Lil Pea hops off her grumpy protector’s lap with an irritated flutter of her wings. “Of course not, silly!” she exclaims with an annoyed frown while hugging the mysterious man’s arm. “Tali is my father!”

Vergil raises a confused brow. “Your...father?”

“Ah yes, where are my manners?” the mysterious stranger wonders aloud. “Taliesin the Bard,” he introduces himself with a respectful bow. “And you must be the Sons of Sparda, Vergil and Dante.”

“No, no, Tali! That’s Pretty Boy and that’s Scruffy Boy!” Lil Pea corrects while pointing at the brothers with a playful giggle before dashing up to the desk with an excited grin. “And oh! These are all the trinkets I’ve found in their shop!” 

Taliesin chuckles softly. “Still fond of finding lost treasures, I see!” he notes while inspecting the various baubles. 

“I have a bunch more! And I’ve made lots of pretty dresses!” she adds, her fairy light shining bright pink as she shows off her tiger lily dress with a whimsical twirl. “You wanna see my prettiest dress?”

“I’d love to!”

Lil Pea claps her hands gleefully. “Okay! Be right back!” 

A sparkling pink cloud of magic surrounds her once more before she zips away upstairs in her smaller form. “She’s grown up so fast in the past millennia,” Taliesin murmurs as he patiently waits for his daughter’s return. 

Dante stretches his arms rests them behind his head while leaning back in his seat. “So, you’re Lil Pea’s father. Does that mean you’re a fairy too?” 

“Oh, I’m just a simple bard with a talent for magic,” Taliesin replies absentmindedly as he examines the wall behind the desk. “That’s quite a collection of weapons! Do you know how to use them by chance?” he asks with a hopeful gleam in his green eyes. 

“Uh, yeah, I’ve used them a time or two.”

“Would you mind trying them out on me some time?”

Dante smirks at the peculiar question. “Is that a challenge?”

“Oh no! I just want to see if any of these can actually kill me.”

Vergil raises a quizzical brow. “I beg your pardon?”

Taliesin turns to the eldest brother. “Well, I’ve been searching for a way to die for many millennia now,” he informs with a weary sigh. “Never asked to be immortal, and this curse has proven difficult to break. But perhaps the power of Sparda will end my life?” he wonders while eyeing the Yamato next to its wielder. 

The brothers share bewildered looks before getting back to the matter at hand. 

“So, you’re immortal, but you’re not a fairy.”

“And yet, you claim to be Peaseblossom’s father.”

Taliesin shakes his head. “Not by blood, no. I created her after making a deal with the Fairy Queen.”

Vergil tilts his head with interest. “She wanted you to make a fairy?”

“No, no...that was the clever part of the deal,” he begins while pacing around the floor. “She was supposed to kill me but of course I came back to life like always, which is why she added the condition about making a fairy if I didn’t stay dead.” He pauses for a moment as he inspects a demon skull mounted on the wall. “She thought it would be impossible for a mage to create one of her beloved children, and the deal stated that I wasn’t allowed to leave the Fey World until I succeeded...I think the Queen was hoping to keep me there as her prize for eternity.”

Dante sits up in his seat with an intrigued smirk. “But you proved her wrong?”  

Taliesin nods as his lips curl into a sly grin. “Oh yes...and let me tell you, the Fairy Queen doesn’t take getting the lesser half of a deal lightly.” 

The mirthful twinkle in his green eyes dims with regret. ”She resents my- or rather, your fairy’s existence, so my daughter is not very welcome among her own kind,” he informs while turning his attention to the eldest brother. “But I knew this might happen, so I gave her all that needs to survive in the human world.”

Vergil ponders for a moment. “She was very insistent on being my fairy when we first met.”

“I did tell her that it’s very important to find someone to protect her when I’m not around, but it’s more than that.”

Taliesin summons a spectral image of a budding flower with a flick of his wrist. “I gave her all the notable qualities of a fairy: their capricious nature, penchant for making crafty deals, even their magic and immortality,” he explains as each petal of the flower bursts into bloom. “But I also instilled a rare power in her that no fairy has,” he reveals while slowly waving his hand over the image. 

“Most of her kind are attracted to strong emotions,” he continues as soft rainfall waters the newly born flower. “They cannot tell from right or wrong, good or evil, cruelty or compassion...but Peaseblossom can, and it’s this most precious power that truly protects her from the harsh reality of this world.”

The spectral flower begins to glow pink, growing brighter and brighter before all the petals shimmer into the form of a tiny fairy with dragonfly wings. Vergil stares in awe as the newly born pixie flutters up to his face and gives his nose a small kiss.   

Taliesin chuckles softly as he dismisses the image with a wave of his hand. “My daughter has always been attracted to the good hearted and the brave,” he clarifies while his enigmatic gaze bores straight into the eldest brother’s soul. “Which is why I know she’s in capable hands despite choosing the Dark Slayer as her protector.”  

Vergil tilts his head at the strange bard’s words. He remembers saving Lil Pea from the demons running amok in her meadow and her sudden deal to his fairy. All this time, he thought she offered because she was grateful to him, but it was more than that; despite all the pain and suffering he’s caused in the past, she sensed some good within the dark reaches of his soul.

Everyone looks up as tiny flecks of fairy dust shoot through the air before exploding like glittering fireworks. Then, Lil Pea comes buzzing down the office in a beautiful dress made of pink hydrangea flowers. 

“Ta da!” she exclaims while twirling around above her father’s head with a cute giggle. “Aren’t I pretty?” 

Taliesin smiles up at her warmly. “You’re as pretty as a petal on peony!” 

Lil Pea bounces in the air happily as her fairy light glowing pink at the compliment. Then, she swoops over to Vergil with a coy smile. “What about you, Pretty Boy? Do you think I’m pretty?” she asks while wringing the end of braided blond hair nervously. 

“But of course,” he murmurs, staring deeply into her wide purple eyes as a tender smile graces his lips. 

Lil Pea lets out a bashful squeal while hiding her face behind her tiny hands. Her fairy light reddens as she peeks up at her beloved protector between fingers. Then, she flutters up and gives his nose a loving hug before peppering his face with sweet kisses.         

“Aww! You’re such a softie, bro!” 

“Shut up, Dante!”

Dante chuckles softly as the pretty pixie continues to gush over his brother. “So, you really approve of your daughter’s new boyfriend, huh?” he inquires as the strange bard approaches his desk.

Taliesin regards his daughter’s protector with his critical gaze. “The Dark Slayer has done some horrible things in his pursuit of power, but my Little Petal is never wrong...he’s a good man,” he admits with a satisfied nod. “I just hope he can handle the unbridled affection of a pixie,” he adds with a soft laugh as Vergil tries to shoo away his fairy’s adoring attention. 

“He’s survived this long,” Dante notes with an amused smirk as Lil Pea continues to tease her grumpy protector.

“That he has,” the strange bard agrees, feeling truly content with his daughter’s assured safety and happiness. “That he has.”  

✨🌺✨

The Story of Ceridwen heavily inspired the creation of Taliesin. He’s always been a fascinating figure cloaked in myth, and I couldn’t resist making my interpretation of him. 

[dmcweek]

We're pleased to announce the first ever DMC Week, a seven-day fan event in celebration of all things Devil May Cry! Whether you're an artist, a writer, or a maker of gifs and edits, we welcome you to join us in creating content for this wacky, stylish series!

The week will run Sunday, October 4, through Saturday, October 10. Post your creations throughout the week and we’ll reblog them here for everyone to see. Since Devil May Cry is M-17, NS//FW works will be allowed, although we ask content to be placed under a read-more cut. All other content is welcome, including fics, fanart, gifs, edits, OCs, reader inserts, and any other SSS content for DMC! To help get you started, we've come up with some prompts with the help of some of the fandom's most involved creators. You're not required to follow all of the prompts, but we hope they'll spark a bit a creative inspiration! Day 1: Bone | Blood | Weapon Day 2: Monster | Cryptid | Demon Day 3: Fight | Reunion | Loss Day 4: Food | Style | Music Day 5: Hurt | Heal | Happiness Day 6: Home | Family | Belonging Day 7: AU | Free Day We'll be tracking the tags #dmcweek and #dmcweek2020, so please make sure those are in your first five tags so we can find and reblog your posts. We also have a Twitter over at @/dmc_week, so make sure to check us out there and follow for even more DMC content!

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[hysterialevi]

Eitr | Chapter 6

Fanfic summary: In an alternate universe where the Raven Clan is wiped out, Sigurd ends up being rescued by the son of a Saxon ealdorman, and is tasked with being the boy’s new bodyguard. Upon meeting the boy’s father however, Sigurd soon realizes that the ealdorman is responsible for his clan’s destruction, and secretly plans for revenge while hiding behind the guise of a Norse pagan turned Christian.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male OC

This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

ONE WEEK LATER

FORANGAL CASTLE, THE COURTYARD

Swinging the wooden blade with a firm grip, Sigurd sent Edric stumbling backwards as the other man lost hold of his sword and collapsed to the ground, bringing their fight to a close.

At the moment, they were engaging in a friendly spar in the middle of the courtyard and spending the morning away from their noble duties, hoping to catch a minute of peace.

Things had calmed down somewhat ever since Sigurd first arrived at Forangal, and most of the people seemed to have finally accepted that their new friend wasn’t going anywhere soon, but Edric feared tensions would only rise again with the upcoming visit of one of the local thegns.

Due to the surprising increase of Dane activity in Wedenscire recently, Ealdorman Aegenwulf had called upon one of his old friends -- a man by the name of Raedan -- and summoned him to the castle for an official meeting.

Apparently, Raedan was one of the strongest thegns in the shire -- in addition to being one of the most respected -- and held quite a reputation for battling his fair share of vikings. He resided in a peaceful corner of England’s countryside nowadays with his wife and two children, but his sword was never out of arm’s reach.

The man sounded like a warrior just based on what Edric had told Sigurd so far. He may have been an Anglo-Saxon at heart, but it was clear that he didn’t share the diplomatic methods of his fellow thegns. 

He often favored taking the more aggressive approach when it came to confronting vikings, and considering how much this war was taking a turn for the worse, Sigurd only assumed that Aegenwulf had called for his aid out of sheer desperation.

Was there another clan he wished to wipe out? Did he plan to carry out a second assault? Or was there something else brewing beneath the surface, waiting to erupt? He supposed only time would tell.

“Ah...!” Edric panted, worn out from the fight. “You beat me again! I knew Norse warriors were strong, but... my goodness. You fight with the wrath of God Himself...!”

Sigurd smirked, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword. “You do yourself a disservice, Edric. For a man of your age, you are not so gentle either.”

The nobleman chuckled. “You are kind, but it’s evident to me that I must polish some of my skills. The trainers we have here in Forangal -- they’ve taught me nothing of true battle. Most of them treat me like a doll. They fear that I’ll break if they hit me too hard.”

“Then they are also doing you a disservice. Real war will not coddle you. They are only setting you up for defeat.”

Edric nodded in agreement. “I suppose they are, aren’t they? Or perhaps they’re just afraid of what my father will do if they whack me over the head too firmly. I know plenty of them have received an earful from other lords whose sons ran crying to them when they ended up with a black eye. Well, fortunately for me, I have you here now. Maybe you can change things.”

Sigurd reached a hand out. “I think I already have. Unless, of course, your bishop is always this irate.”

The young man sighed deeply, allowing his friend to pull him up. “Hundwerth still hasn’t gotten over it, has he? I swear, you’d think the Devil himself pissed in his ale with how he constantly behaves. I hope he hasn’t given you too much trouble.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Sigurd replied. “I have dealt with many other Saxons like him before. I am no stranger to his type.”

“No, I imagine you aren’t. Still, I wish he’d treat you with more civility. You have yet to give us any reason to distrust you, and frankly, Hundwerth is only making things worse in the castle with his incessant arguing. But, I digress...”

Patting his clothes clean of any dirt, Edric retrieved his fallen sword and neatly placed it back on the rack, eager to have a rest.

“Thank you for training with me today, Sigurd. I know it’s not technically your decision whether or not you get to spend time with me, but I am still grateful for your company. I realize this past week has been difficult for you.”

The viking smiled warmly. “It’s my pleasure. Out of all the people in Forangal, you and your siblings have been the most hospitable. It’s a great relief to have you around.”

Edric beamed at the compliment. “I’m glad to hear it. Though, I fear things will only get more difficult from now on, what with the upcoming arrival of Thegn Raedan.”

Sigurd crossed his arms. “Remind me, when is he coming?”

“If things go according to plan, he and his family should be here by tomorrow morning. They were supposed to be here today, but from what I understand, they were held up by some... ‘complications.’ Details are vague, but it’s pretty clear that Danes were involved.”

“What makes you say that?”

Edric took on a more serious tone. “Keep this between us, but I overheard Raedan’s messenger say that they spotted a group of Danes lurking in the woods north of Agenbury. They didn’t attack anyone, but their presence was enough for Raedan to delay the journey for one night. It doesn’t sound like anything urgent -- yet -- but I’d be lying if I said the news didn’t have me on edge.”

Sigurd paused for a moment. “Agenbury? That’s just outside of Forangal. Is it normal for Danes to be so close?”

“Apart from you? No. Sometimes, we’ll get the occasional straggler wandering about these parts, but it’s rare to see an entire pack of them traveling together like that. And unlike your situation, I didn’t get the impression that these Danes were here by accident. It makes me wonder what they’re really doing here.”

The viking furrowed his brow on thought. “I agree, that does sound odd.”

Edric shrugged in a casual manner. “Well, if we do end up having any trouble with them, perhaps you could try to smooth things over. I realize that not all Danes are bound by camaraderie as some Saxons would believe, but still, it’d be a better chance than one of our people approaching them.”

Sigurd wasn’t so sure. “Hmm. Possibly. Or... it could just make things even worse.”

“How do you mean?”

“Many Danes have a mutual hatred for your people,” Sigurd explained. “They would treat you with the same animosity that Hundwerth has treated me. If they see a Norse such as myself defending you, they might see it as betrayal.”

Edric nodded in understanding. “Ah. I see. I suppose that’s to be expected. Danes have a strong sense of loyalty, do they not?”

The Norse grinned at the understatement. “Oh, yes. We do, indeed. Especially among our clans. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for our own people, and that gives us strength.”

“What about your clan?” Edric asked, bringing the other man to a halt. “I know you said you travel alone nowadays, but... you must’ve had one before, right? What happened to them? Why did you leave?”

Sigurd hesitated for a second, trying not to dwell on the grief that still racked his heart. 

“I... didn’t leave.” He clarified, his voice much softer now. “They were killed. All of them. Including my brother. It’s possible that some could have survived, but if they did... I’ve yet to find them. The rest of us have simply... scattered to the winds.”

Edric picked up on the man’s pain, suddenly feeling the urge to console him. 

“...I’m sorry.” He said, resting a hand on Sigurd’s arm. “It seems that the cruelties of this war know no boundaries. I only hope that, one day, we may see the sun rise in the morning without having to fear whether or not we’ll see it set.”

The Norseman shared his sentiment. “As do I. Perhaps then we will finally know true peace.”

Trailing off into silence, Sigurd placed his sword down and stared blankly into the distance, mindlessly gravitating towards Edric’s comforting gaze.

He couldn’t quite place it, but there was something... new in the nobleman’s eyes; a subtle glint of fondness. He seemed to be drawn to his viking counterpart and looked at him in a manner similar to the way Randvi once did, and if Sigurd didn’t know any better, he would’ve said that Edric was... infatuated with him.

But... no. He had to be mistaken. Sigurd knew how much stricter the Saxons were when it came to men fancying other men, and even though Edric had butted heads with Hundwerth in the past, it was still quite clear that he lived his life according to God’s word. There was no way he would’ve allowed himself to develop such feelings.

Though, despite his reluctance to admit it, Sigurd couldn’t hide the fact that a part of him shared Edric’s affection. The nobleman was rather handsome in the viking’s opinion, and with every day he spent accompanying the young lord around the castle, he found it harder to deny how he truly felt.

But even then, Sigurd was aware that he had to control his thoughts. He was nothing more than a servant to Aegenwulf and his family, and it was not his place to engage in such a relationship with one of his masters. He had just started to gain the ealdorman’s trust after days of keeping his head down, and he did not wish to besmirch himself now.

“I, um...” Sigurd said awkwardly, clearing his throat, “I think we should... return to our duties.”

Edric snapped back to reality and swiftly pulled his hand away, suddenly wondering if he had overstepped his boundaries.

“Oh, right...!” He blurted out sheepishly. “Of course. Forgive me.”

The young man turned away from Sigurd, knotting his hands together in embarrassment.

“Erm, p-perhaps we could retire to the kitchen for now? I hear that Nelda’s in the process of making a fresh batch of soul cakes. You should try one. I think you’d like them. They’re quite good at this--”

“--Lone Wolf!”

Bringing their conversation to a halt, both Sigurd and Edric turned to the side when a third voice abruptly barged into the scene, shattering the calm nature of the courtyard with their gruff bellowing.

“...Algar.” Sigurd said lowly, glaring at their guest. “What do you want?”

The housecarl dismissed the viking’s question and approached Edric, throwing a nonchalant smirk at him.

“You ought to teach your new pet some manners, my lord. He doesn’t learn his place soon enough, he’s bound to get hurt.”

Edric crossed his arms, instantly switching to a more assertive temperament. “Sigurd is not some dog to be led around on a leash, Algar. He is a man, just like you and me. And I expect him to be treated as such. Now, I believe he asked you a question.”

Algar chuckled at the young man’s defiance and brought his attention back to Sigurd, pointing a finger at him.

“You. Come with me. The ealdorman wants to see you.”

“What for?”

Algar shrugged. “Does it matter? Just come along.”

Sigurd didn’t budge just yet. “Forgive me if I’m somewhat hesitant. I only want to make sure I’m not walking into a potential execution like the last time you dragged me around the castle.”

Edric joined in. “I would also like to know the reason. Is everything alright with my father?”

The housecarl sighed, resting a foot on a nearby stump as he spoke. “There’s no need to worry your pretty little face, young lord. Ealdorman Aegenwulf merely has concerns about the Dane activity in Wedenscire, and wants to know if your bodyguard here is connected to it.”

The nobleman glanced at Sigurd. “...Are you suggesting he’s betrayed us?”

Algar shook his head. “In order for one to be a traitor, one must first be a friend. I don’t think Sigurd can exactly call himself that yet. Do you?”

Sigurd stepped between Algar and Edric, tired of the housecarl’s games.

“Enough running around in circles. If you have questions to ask of me, ask. I have nothing to hide.”

The other man smiled darkly. “...You sure about that, Lone Wolf? I suppose we’ll see soon enough, won’t we? Well then, right this way.” 

Removing his foot from the stump, Algar promptly turned on his heel and began making his way out of the courtyard, beckoning Sigurd to follow him with a simple wave. Before the viking could leave however, Edric quickly grabbed the man’s arm and held him back for a moment, whispering a few words of caution in his ear.

“...Be careful, Sigurd. I don’t like where this is going.”

The older man nodded. “Have no fear, my lord. I won’t let my guard down.”

“Good. Don’t. I’d like for you to return to me in one piece.”

“I’ll be alright, Edric. Do not worry about me.”

A light laugh escaped the Saxon’s lips. “A task much easier said than done, I’m afraid. But I suppose it’s out of my hands now. If my father has summoned you, it’s best not to keep him waiting. Go on. I’ll see you afterwards.”

Deciding to let it go for now, Edric released his friend -- albeit somewhat reluctantly -- and allowed the Norse to follow in Algar’s footsteps, leaving him alone in the courtyard. 

He didn’t know if the housecarl’s intentions were sincere, or if there was some sort of ulterior motive lurking in the background, but regardless of whatever the case was, Edric had to admit that he felt uncomfortable leaving Sigurd alone with him.

The man was a snake. Everyone knew it. Despite his gargantuan size, Algar often clung to the shadows like a thief and slithered his way around words, twisting people’s minds as if they were nothing more than toys for him to play with. He molded people with their own fear, and broke them to the point of no return.

He was technically bound to Aegenwulf’s command, but Edric had no doubts he would harm Sigurd if he felt it necessary. Algar seemed to operate based on his own code, and that put the nobleman on edge.

Letting out a sigh, Edric returned to his duties and pushed his thoughts away for the moment, deciding to carry on with his morning. Even though he was concerned about Sigurd’s well-being, he knew it was no longer within his control to determined what happened to him. That man’s fate was in Aegenwulf’s hands now, and Edric would just have to hope for the best.

~~~~~~~~~~

A WHILE LATER

ALGAR’S CHAMBERS

Stepping into the dimly-lit room, Sigurd felt a sense of alarm settling into his chest as he followed Algar into his quarters, flicking his eyes around in nervousness.

Contrary to what he expected, Aegenwulf was nowhere to be seen. There were no signs that the ealdorman had been there recently, and just based on the housecarl’s laid-back demeanor, Sigurd assumed he wouldn’t be showing up anytime soon.

He glanced around the room and placed his hands on his hips, shrugging at Algar.

“Where’s the ealdorman?” Sigurd asked in an accusatory tone. “I thought you said he wanted to see me.”

The other man scoffed, shutting the door behind them. “Aegenwulf is irrelevant to this conversation. This... is between you and me.”

“...So you lied.”

Algar strode over to his end table and grabbed the pitcher that sat on its surface, pouring himself a glass of wine.

“I did only what was necessary. I knew Edric would never free you into my grasp if he was aware we’d be alone.” 

The Saxon turned to face Sigurd, taking a sip from his goblet. “It seems the young lord has grown fond of you. I have to admit, that’s an outcome even I wasn’t expecting.”

Sigurd leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. “You didn’t expect me to survive Ravensthorpe either.”

Algar grinned. “True enough. I suppose you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

The viking grew impatient. “What is this about, Algar? Why have you brought me here?”

The housecarl remained silent for a moment and simply drank more of his wine, allowing his thoughts to realign themselves before firmly setting the cup back down on the table.

“...Who did you tell?” He finally asked, leaving Sigurd in a state of confusion.

“What? Who did I tell about what?”

Algar shot him a fierce glare. “Oh, spare me the act. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You told someone about the attack on Ravensthorpe, didn’t you? Well, who was it? Who was your contact? Where are they now?”

Sigurd shook his head in frustration. “You’re spewing nonsense, Saxon. No one in Forangal besides you and Aegenwulf knows about Ravensthorpe. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The housecarl prowled towards the Norseman. “Is that so? Then explain to me why there’s a group of Danes in Wedenscire at this very moment investigating the ambush. I assume you heard about Thegn Raedan’s delay? Well, he postponed his journey because of these Danes. And coincidentally, they happen to be near Agenbury. The same town you first visited.”

“How am I supposed to know? Not all Danes have a connection with each other.”

“No, but as I said before, they are specifically investigating the ambush in Ravensthorpe. And on top of that, my scouts also report that they originate from East Anglia -- one of the kingdoms allied with your clan. You expect me to believe that this has nothing to do with you?”

Sigurd sighed, already growing weary of the man’s obstinacy.

“How would I even get the word out? I’m trapped in a castle full of Saxons who would see me dead if they knew my true identity. What, you think I just strolled up to someone and asked for their aid? Don’t be foolish.”

Algar formed his own conclusion. “Well, if you didn’t tell anyone, then that means someone outside of Wedenscire knows about the attack.”

Sigurd’s brow furrowed in resentment. “Perhaps you weren’t as thorough as you thought. There could be other survivors.”

The housecarl narrowed his eyes. “And I suppose you expect me to believe that these ‘survivors’ have yet to try to reach you?”

“What I have to say means nothing. You’ve clearly made up your mind.”

Algar let out a breath, deciding to drop the subject for now. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to get any information out of Sigurd with this method, and unlike other prisoners, he didn’t have the option of dragging him to the torture chambers. He’d have to think of another approach.

“Fine,” he said plainly. “Keep your secrets, Norse. I will learn the truth eventually, whether you like it or not. In the meantime, see to it that you stick to your duties. If you give me even the smallest reason to suspect betrayal, I will not hesitate to strike you down.”

The Saxon walked over to the door and yanked it open, gesturing for Sigurd to leave.

“Now, get out of here. I have much that I must attend to.”

Pushing himself off the wall, Sigurd gladly removed himself from Algar’s chambers and headed for the exit, eager to take his leave. 

Just before he could step through the entrance though, a sudden thought crossed his mind and stopped him in his tracks, causing him to glance over his shoulder as he asked one last thing.

“Before I go,” he said despondently, lingering in the doorway, “I need to know -- what exactly did you do to Eivor? How... how did my brother die?”

Algar’s signature smirk returned upon hearing the question and he leaned against the frame, causing the wood to creak.

“Still hurting, are we? You need to let him go, love. He’s not coming back.”

The viking glowered at him. “You think I don’t know that? I know he’s dead. I know my home is gone. But I need to know what happened to him. I need to know whether he died a warrior’s death.”

The Saxon tilted his head in a taunting fashion. “...Your brother died gracefully, Sigurd. He died in a bed of flowers surrounded by his family, and asked me to tell you that he always loved you. We shipped him off on a boat of fire, and soon after, the Valkyries brought him to Valhalla. Now, he feasts and drinks in your name at Odin’s side, waiting for you to join him as he prepares for the Twilight of the Gods. A true warrior’s paradise.”

Sigurd clenched his jaw in hatred, having to restrain himself from attacking Algar right then and there. He knew the man was only trying to rile him up, but the pain of Eivor’s loss remained deep in his heart, and he couldn’t help but feel a certain rage boiling inside him.

“...Your time will come, Algar,” Sigurd practically growled, his voice barely above a whisper. “And when it does, I’ll be there, standing over you and smiling down at your mutilated corpse as the light flickers from your eyes.”

Algar was hardly fazed by the threat. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lone Wolf. Run along, now. I’m sure Lord Edric is eager to see you.”

Calming himself down, Sigurd simply turned away from the housecarl without saying another word and stormed off into the distance, not even bothering to acknowledge the prying eyes of the Saxons who stood outside.

He knew it was unwise to let his anger run free in such a manner, but in spite of all his attempts to stifle it, Sigurd’s wrath only seemed to burn brighter with each passing day. There was a feeling of hopelessness that he just couldn’t shake off, and with Algar constantly fanning the flames of his grief, part of him feared that he would no longer be able to contain it.

He was only human, after all, and he had his limits just like everyone else. But for the sake of not jeopardizing his relationship with Aegenwulf and his family, Sigurd forced himself to hold it back.

He was already short on friends in this godforsaken castle, and considering the fact that yet another thegn was soon to be in their midst, Sigurd knew it would be foolish to betray the ealdorman’s trust at such an early time.

The Nornir put him on this path for a reason, and regardless of any struggles he may have had to endure along the way, Sigurd decided to put his faith in their judgement for now. 

They were the only ones guiding his hand in this obscure land, and he did not wish to defy their plans.

~~~~~~~~~~

THAT EVENING

IN THE WOODS OUTSIDE FORANGAL

“Gjuki!” Broder called out, walking over to the man as he observed the distant castle. “The disguises are ready.”

Gjuki kept his eyes on the walls of Forangal and studied the guards’ routines, meticulously searching for an opening.

“And what of the Saxon thegn?” He questioned. “Any updates on his whereabouts?”

“He hasn’t reached Forangal yet,” Broder answered. “Our scouts say he plans to arrive tomorrow morning at the main gates. Everyone will be there to welcome him, including the ealdorman.”

Gjuki seemed pleased with the news. “Good. Then everything should go smoothly.”

“The plan is still the same?”

The bard looked away from the castle, slowly making his way back to their camp. “Yes. At dawn, we’ll catch up with Raedan’s personal guard and sneak into their ranks. From there, we’ll follow him all the way to Forangal and infiltrate the castle’s walls.”

Broder shrugged. “And then?”

“...Then, we keep an eye out for Eivor’s brother.”

The other man remained skeptical. “You really think Sigurd is still alive? You heard what Eivor said. The man was shot twice before he fell into the river. Chances are he drowned, or died before he even hit the water.”

Gjuki wasn’t convinced. “Do not be so quick to dismiss the unlikely, Broder. It happens more often than you think. Even though I am not yet certain if the fisherman in Agenbury was speaking of the same man, I do believe it is possible at the very least. The Dane he rescued from the river matches Eivor’s description perfectly, and the timing of his arrival is somewhat suspicious.”

Broder decided to humor him. “Fine. Let’s say we do find Sigurd. What then? How are we supposed to get him back home?”

Gjuki sighed, chewing his lip in thought. “I’m afraid I do not yet have an answer for that. If Sigurd is in Forangal, it’s most-likely that he’s under heavy guard. Possibly in the dungeons. If we find him, we’ll report it to Eivor first. I think we’ve left him in the dark for long enough, don’t you?”

“Whatever you think is right, Gjuki.”

The bard smiled. “Good. Then we should focus on getting some rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day, and if everything goes according to plan, we’ll be surrounded by Saxon forces soon enough. I don’t want any of you letting your guard down.”

Broder gave him a firm nod. “Understood.”

“Come, my friend,” Gjuki beckoned, guiding the other man with a hand on the shoulder. “The day is young, and our bellies are still empty. Let us drink to our good fortune, and pray that the gods favor us in the times to come. Odin knows we’ll need it.”

[fairy-writes]

FairyTailWzard’s New Annual tradition!

2020’s Top 10 List Part One!

So here’s a list that no one asked for of the top 10 anime series I watched this year. I wanted to put this in no particular order but I figured I might as well.  I’ll also be doing my top 10 fanfics from this year and my top 10 books I read this year so stay tuned for parts 2 and 3!

10.) RWBY

Uuuggghhh I really didn’t wanna put this on here… but I really didn’t watch much this year so I had to I guess :(((

I’m really not liking this right now… if my blog wasn’t sort of popular because of my rwby oneshots I’d consider just dropping the anime all together….

(I’m seriously debating on whether to watch the new season or not)

Honestly, the only thing bringing me back is my unhealthy love for Ozpin, Torchwick, and Ironwood.

Honestly, I’d give this show about a 3 or 4/10…

I used to love it so much but I think the quality of writing is going down and the show is trying to be too many things at once that I’m just losing interest.

9.) My Hero Academia

Why is this so low you may ask? Well, cause I think my main hype coming from this is the manga.

Yes I love the show, the animation studio is freaking amazing and the quality of animation never ceases to amaze me. But I love the manga a bit more.

This will probably jump up in rating around season 5 or 6 but for right now I’ll leave it in the 9th spot :)

8.) Sirius the Jaeger

Oh my GOSH, I want a second season so bad. One of my favorite OC’s I’ve ever made was for this anime (it’s Idris Tana btw) and I actually commissioned artwork for her recently and it’s SO PRETTY.

Anyway getting off-topic, the animation of this show and again with the dark and grittiness of it is what drew me in.

Actually, my late grandma and also my great aunt tagged me in a Facebook post with the trailer when it first came out cause they saw vampires and thought I would like it and that's what got me into this show in the first place.

So thank you grandma and auntie!

But I absolutely adore the soundtrack, the mix of orchestral pieces mixed with the more electro-kinda-vibes is my life (seriously go listen to “The Beginning of the Hunting” it changed my life, as an orchestra and cello geek it made my heart so happy)

7.) Tokyo Ghoul season 1-3

Ok, I’m currently reading the manga after I’ve seen the anime and lemme tell you I wish they didn’t censor the anime so much.

I can’t even find an uncensored version anymore and it makes me so upset.

The darkness and goriness of the manga is what appealed to me in the first place (yes I get weird looks for it, no I will not change my mind)

Kaneki is my CHILD and he CANNOT do any wrong. I don’t care who you are I love him

6.) Ajin: Demi-Human

Uuuggghhh to be honest the anime is kinda meh but my love for the manga is so great I am legally obligated to put this here.

Don’t get me wrong, the animation and soundtrack for this show is phenomenal and I think they got Satou down pat.

But they did dumb down and cut out a lot of interesting scenes. Scenes like how Satou takes down some of his opponents (which I can see why... many American viewers would most likely get offended by it… you manga readers know what scene i mean)

Nagai Kei turns into a bit of a whiny character instead of the smart but exasperated teenager I know and love in the manga is the anime version of Kei going to bite off his own fingers in order to climb a wall into a military base?? Definitely not. Would manga-Kei do that? Well, he already did… so... yes..,

Nakano Kou is still kind of funny but he is so much more fascinating in the manga (his backstory breaks my heart).

5.) Bungou Stray Dogs

Another new one that I was actually recommended by my friend @bright-like-the-sun-00 :) I ended up watching it originally in dub but then went back and rewatched it in sub because I love my children so much.

Chuuya is my bean and I love my OC that I created Charlie Dickens :)

(if you guys could go read her story I’d be eternally grateful).

Anyway!

This show has a fantastic cast in both Japanese and English and the music score is one of my favorites. The characters are so wonderfully hilarious and interesting and fhajxbqbaka I love this show okay??

4.) Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

I actually put this off for YEARS because my oldest step-brother kept saying I should watch it. At this point, I was refusing out of spite cause I’m petty like that. But I finally started watching and-

HOLY-

GUYS

I have never gotten so attached to a character (cough cough Giyuu) so quickly.

I have been listening to Gurenge and Kamado Tanjiro no Uta on repeat for literal weeks now and I still grin like an idiot when listening to them. I also have a potential OC/crossover coming out soon sooooo…. stay tuned??

I also broke my sister cause I showed her a post that said national donut day and had a picture of Rengoku on it… I didn’t understand it until she explained it to me and now I cackle every time I think about it.

3.) Jujutsu Kaisen

@plusultranerd​ got me into this blame her for the future spamming of your dashboards

GUYS GOJO SATORU IS MY LIFE NO QUESTIONS ASKED

He could literally murder me and I’d thank him. He is the prettiest anime character I have EVER SEEN and I love him so much.

Anyway anime. The show got my attention from the get-go. Itadori is such a fun main character and Megumi is me cause you know dogs.

I think I saw an ad for it and since I have Crunchyroll I figured why not and fell in love with it

AND THE ENDING SONG

BEST ENDING EVER YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND

I put it on sometimes so me and my sister just start jamming out to it and we get the stupidest looks and it is amazing

2.) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Another anime that I will rewatch over and over again until literally the end of time. Also, another series that I’ve already read/or am reading the manga.

Alphonse Eric is my cinnamon roll you can pry him from my cold dead hands.

I have cold hands and no heart by holy heck my BOY

I actually am buying the special edition hardback manga covers that are coming out and I LOVE THEM

THEY ARE SO PRETTY

Am I talking about the characters or the manga?

My answer is yes

Anyway, all of the characters in this are so wonderfully complex and have motivations and i fall in love with 99% of the characters (except for Shou Tucker, I even like Father actually)

1.)  Death Parade

This has got to be one of my top favorite anime of ALL TIME.

I rewatched it early this year and this is one of the very few anime that will get me to cry and this makes me cry every freaking time.

The music is stunning, the animation is magnificent.

For being based on an animated short film, this has such potential for a second season and such a complex storyline was packed into 12 episodes.

I will forever recommend this anime to literally anyone who is looking for something new to watch.

I’m also noticing I have a thing for white-haired male anime characters with really pretty eyes….. Kaneki… Gojo… Decim...

Honorable mentions!

Darker than Black

I didn’t rewatch the whole thing this year but this anime is literally my life. Hei is such a bean and I love him.

Hunter x Hunter

Another anime i didn't rewatch completely but still adore :) I heard they’re continuing it and I’m excited for the dark continent arc!

Dororo

Technically i watched this late 2019 but whatever; I do what I want. The animation was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the gritty darkness of it. Mio will forever be my favorite character; you cannot change my mind. Some parts I did find a bit boring but overall I’d rate this a solid 6/10!

The Devil is a Part-Timer!

I rewatched parts of it and not the whole thing, I also have the first two volumes of the light novels and I forget how funny it is until I actually watch it. It has me laughing every time and never fails to put a smile on my face :)

[solynaceawrites]

Promise Me Forever [6]

Fandom: Devil May Cry Characters: Dante, Lirael Thorne (OC) Tags: Slow Burn, Romance, Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe, First Time, Friends to Lovers Chapters: 6/14 co-written by @lickitysplitfic​ Summary: An old, long-forgotten promise between gods comes back to haunt Dante when it deposits an unfamiliar woman on his door. Claiming to be the descendant of Ler, she says that they’re meant to fulfill the oath made by Sparda centuries ago, and all he can do is watch as she turns his life upside down. Yet when her parents come knocking, demanding the oath be fulfilled, he’s forced to choose: return to the bachelor ways he loved so much, or give in to the emotions brewing between him.

»»————-　⚜　————-««

Dante stares at his reflection in the mirror of his bathroom. There are dark circles under his eyes, his hair hanging in strands around his face. Three days' worth of stubble covers his jaw, and although he knows he should get himself together and make himself presentable, his stubborn streak makes him defiant. Because she will like it, and he's tired of it.

Not that he's tired of Lir: it's been a few weeks since she arrived in his shop, and to be frank, she has made a vast improvement on his life. Not just the cooking and cleaning and calling the plumber when the sink broke, but in other ways he can't describe. He finds himself working harder, acting better. He spends less time sleeping and more time getting jobs, stopped eating crap and drinking Jack and being wasteful.

It's terrible, and he hates it. When has Dante Sparda ever needed to take care of himself? Survive, sure. Food to eat and a roof over his head and a sweet ass bike was all he ever needed. Fuck, even that is better, because he suddenly can afford the good gas to put it in and she's been purring like a dream every time he goes for a ride.

He stares at himself and curses. "She ain't worth this," he mutters. A damned lie, but if you can't lie to yourself, then who can you lie to, right?

She has made him better in every way except one. Dante hasn't slept a full night since she's arrived. He spends his nights tossing and turning, thinking about her down the hall, picturing her hair and her smile and the way she wears a t-shirt cinched at the waist and god damn he has it bad. Except he doesn't, because he refuses to, because Lir is way too young and way too naive and way out of his league.

"Fuck," he curses. 

Which brings Dante to his newest problem: he hasn't gotten his rocks off since she's been living at the Devil May Cry. It just never felt right, because as soon as he'd grab the snake she'd surface in his mind's eye, and he'd hear her tell him again that she was trained in the art of pleasure. What the hell did that even mean? He had no idea, but what he does know is he is about to burst. So, in an act of defiance, he grabs the bottle of lotion he didn't know he owned that sits on the side of the sink, tosses away the towel from his shower, and opens the cabinet under the sink where he has some dirty magazines hidden.

He places the first magazine he can grab on the edge of the sink, balancing it on one thigh as he finds a good picture. There, Miss June, her flirty cowgirl boots just what the doctor ordered. He holds the book open with one hand as the other pumps some lotion. But it's clogged, so he leans his elbow on the book, hooks the bottle under his arm, and uses his chin to press the top, letting a glob out and into his palm.

He lets it warm for a second, and that proves to be a mistake. Because, while he's standing there with his dick half-hard and Miss June's legs spread just enough to glimpse the curls between her thighs, the door that in his infinite wisdom he hadn't locked starts to open. There's a split second where he considers shoving back against it, but her shoulder is already between it and the jamb and he knows he'll hurt her.

So, he does the second best thing. With a strangled yelp, he whirls around, tripping over his towel and nearly going headfirst into the tub. There's a squeak from Lir, whether surprise at seeing him on the other side or surprise at seeing his bare ass or both he doesn't know, a muffled thud, and then the door slams shut. Dante pushes himself away from the wall he'd fallen against, listening for her, trying to gauge what she's doing, and his gaze falls on the lotion and magazine. Shit, if she caught a glimpse of either of those, then she's gonna have exactly zero doubts about what he was up to, and that makes his neck heat in a way he's unfamiliar with.

"Um . . ." Her voice, muffled by the door. "Do you . . . Uh." She clears her throat. "I can . . . I'm going to make some coffee."

"Hey, Lir, just—!" He takes a step, but the towel is still wrapped around his foot, and he goes down, his hand scrabbling for anything to stop himself. Dante ends up grabbing the shower curtain and pulling it down with him, the rings popping off and bouncing off the tile as he crashes to the floor, the curtain falling on top and the rod smacking him in the back before rolling away.

"Dante?" The doorknob turns, but she doesn't open it. "Are you okay? I heard a crash."

"Yeah, uh . . . just don't open the door. One minute." With a groan he climbs up, grabbing the towel to wrap around his waist, and once the important bits are covered he steps over the mess and opens the door.

At the last second he spies the magazine, still open to Miss June in the sink, and he grabs it and puts it behind his back. Lir looks up at him in shock, and he uses his free arm to lean on the side of the door jamb, trying to look casual. "What's up?" he grins.

"Towels," she stammers, and the sight of the red that colors her cheeks is the last thing he needs right now, which is why it makes no sense that he enjoys it. "Towels! I came in to bring the towels from the laundry. I didn't realize you were in here. I had music playing downstairs on the jukebox, so I didn't hear the water running, and, um . . ."

"Hey, it's all good. I was just finishin' up." Or trying to, he thinks. 

She doesn't look convinced in the slightest. "Are you sure? I can put them away later, or . . ." Her eyes shift to the sink as she trails off, and he remembers the lotion balanced on the edge, and something in them flickers as they return shyly to him. "Do you need help?"

"Not the kind you can give," he says.

"What?"

"No, nothing." He straightens up, still holding the magazine behind his back. "Just tripped is all. Might need a new shower curtain though."

Lir peers around him, her brows rising. "Did you hurt yourself?"

I'm hurting, alright. "Nah." He steps aside and nods towards the counter. "Just put the towels there, I'll get them in the cabinet."

She squeezes around him, stepping over the shower curtain. After putting down the toilet lid she stacks the towels on top before turning around and grabbing the curtain rod. "Let me see if I can get this up so you don't trip again," she chuckles.

Dante uses the moment to toss the magazine into his bedroom, aiming it so it sails behind his bureau. With that taken care of, he turns back, groaning internally to see her on her hands and knees, hips up and facing him as she crawls around, collecting the curtain rings that had snapped.

"You know," she says, reaching out to grab one that rolled behind the toilet, and his mouth goes painfully dry, "my youngest sister, Ilya, snapped our curtain rings once, and my father used unbent paperclips until he could purchase new ones. And I'm pretty sure I saw a box of paperclips downstairs on your desk."

"Uh-huh." Her shirt slips down the arch of her back, revealing the smooth skin beneath. Dante knows he should stop staring, and yet . . . "Paperclips. Right."

"It'll at least get you through a few days until I can order you some." Lir kneels back on her legs, counting the rings in her hand, and Dante bites his lip. She even kneels straight, like how she sits, one of the hundred little things he's noticed about her over the days and days spent together, and it's freaking adorable. And he hates it.

She glances over her shoulder. "Okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Uh . . . why don't you go find them? Then I can get dressed."

He points to the towel on his hips and Lir's mouth pops open before promptly shutting. "Oh! I'm such an idiot. Yes, let me get out of your way." She stands and walks past him to the door, but Dante doesn't move, forcing her to squeeze between him and the countertop. Their eyes meet briefly, but then she blushes and pulls herself away, and he leans over to watch her disappear through his bedroom into the hallway.

He waits until he knows she's gone to reach for the lotion. The moment his fingers touch the bottle, he hesitates; all he can think of is the shape of her body beneath her clothes, the gentle curve of her hips, and he drops his hand with a groan. No way Miss June, or any of them, is gonna cut it now that he's got her lodged on his mind, and he steps out into the bedroom and rifles through his closet—another strange, new thing, all of his clothes neatly folded or hung on pegs—until he finds something suitable to wear for a day off. Then he steps into the jeans and yanks the t-shirt over his head, deciding that's fine enough, no need for shoes.

It's not like he's going anywhere, anyway.

Lir is settled on the couch, two cups of steaming coffee on the table in front of her, her ankles crossed neatly as she studies the weapons hung on the wall behind the television. It's something he catches her doing often, though he doesn't think it's out of fear. She seems more curious than anything, and that suspicion is confirmed when she says, "Um, Agni? Rudra? Do you need to be dusted?"

He's startled to hear Agni reply, almost politely, "No, little lady, but thank you. We are still comfortable from our cleaning last week."

"Yes," Rudra agrees. "Thank you."

"Shouldn't be too nice to them," he says as he scoops up the coffee cup. Lir looks at him as he gestures towards the swords. "They'll start acting like they're important or something."

"Hey!" the brothers shout, but Lir laughs. "I think they're sweet," she says.

Dante rolls his eyes. He moves to sit at his desk, wanting to seem casual, but really he just likes to watch her. He pretends to read as she pulls out a notebook, making what he is sure is another list. Once in a while she stops to tap her pen to her cheek, and when she does that her tongue pokes out for a moment, and it drives him nuts how adorable it is.

The rest of the morning wears on similarly, the shop quiet except for when she asks him a question, or he reads her something that catches his eye. It's nice to have peace in the shop, he decides, and even when Lir snaps on the television, he loves how they can be comfortable together without having to do anything or say anything. It dawns on him that this is pretty domestic, and he wonders if this is what marriage is like. If it is, maybe he should have taken her up on her offer after all.

The door to the shop opens, and they both look up in surprise. "It's Saturday," Dante calls, standing up to go shoo whoever it is away. "Read the sign on the door. No appointments today."

"Dante," Lir says, quietly, and he stops and looks at her. Her face has gone very pale, her eyes very wide, and his first instinct is to protect her from whatever it is that's causing her distress. "That's . . ."

"I had expected a warmer welcome from our son-in-law," a woman's voice says, "but I suppose, given that we did not call ahead, it can be forgiven."

Son-in-law? He moves to Lir, shifting his gaze back to the door. Two people stand on the rug she had purchased last week: the first is a woman with mousy brown hair and pale green eyes, her plump figure covered by an immaculate dress like something from one of those Jane Austen movies he and Lir had watched last week. The second is a man, tall and thin, his pale hair receding the slightest bit from his forehead, his dark eyes looking around curiously. Like the woman, he's dressed in rather dated clothing, and Dante makes the connection just as Lir steps forward.

"Mother," she says, "father. What a surprise! We weren't expecting any visitors today, so you'll have to excuse  our state of dress."

"Lir!" she cries. The woman walks across the room, arms extended, and grabs Lir into a huge hug. She plants a wet kiss on her cheek before pushing her back to look her up and down. "Oh, my beautiful girl. Let me look at you! I can't believe you're here, I was so worried!"

"Worried?" Lir frowns.

"Yes! I thought you hadn't made it, or something terrible had happened. You didn't write! I would have at least expected a thank you card or something. And then that horrible woman showed up asking about things and I thought, well she's gone and done it, my little girl has ruined our clan forever by failing to impress the son of Sparda. Why else would some stranger come around asking about the oath unless disaster had happened? But! Here you are, alive and well and—" She cuts off her monologue to give Dante a look up and down. "He does own shoes, doesn't he?"

Lady, Dante thinks, trying his hardest not to grit his teeth. "Of course he does," Lir replies. "As I said, we weren't expecting company today, so—"

"Yes, yes, yes, of course." The woman smiles, though there's something sharp to it. "Aren't you going to introduce us properly?"

Lir takes a deep breath, a sign of irritation he recognizes, and it feeds into his own in a way it shouldn't. "Mother, father, this is Dante, son of Sparda. Dante, this is Lorenna, my mother, and Augustus, my father."

"Very pleased to meet you," Augustus says pleasantly. "I do apologize for dropping in on you like this. When weeks went by without a word from Lirael, Lorenna became rather distraught. We were expecting some sort of confirmation of marriage, you see."

They both look at him expectantly, and Dante realizes they are waiting for him to speak. "What?"

The woman leans in towards Lir. "Not very intelligent, is he?" she murmurs loudly.

"Mother!"

Lorenna waves her off. She walks over to Dante and stretches up, giving a little wave. "Nice. To. Meeeet. Youuu," she says, exaggerating each word.

Lir covers her face. "Mother, what are you doing?"

"He's part demon, dear, does he even speak English?"

"Rather well, actually," Dante says sharply. Lorenna's eyes narrow, but his last concern is how someone like her feels, Lir's mother or not. "Lir didn't write because she's been settlin' in, figurin' things out."

"Oh! Oh, of course. I do suppose it must take some adjusting, and she was always a willful thing. Augustus spoiled her rotten, you see, which is why we were in such a panic to get her trained properly before she left." Stepping back, she gestures to Lir, standing miserably by her father. "See? The moment I do something she doesn't like, it's right off to him she goes."

Dante opens his mouth to argue, but Lir lifts her chin and walks over. "Won't you sit?" she asks tightly. "Can I get you something?"

"Go make tea," Lorenna says as she sits on the couch. "Oh," she frowns. "Isn't this . . . an interesting material."

Dante turns to glare at Lir, who glares at him back, and then they both turn to walk quickly to the kitchen. He pushes her inside and holds the door closed behind them, hissing at her, "What are they doing here?"

"I don't know!" she wails, leaning against the countertop, holding her head in her hands. "This is a disaster! There is no way my mother isn't going to know we aren't getting married."

"So what?" Dante says.

Lir looks at him furiously. "They'll make me leave, Dante. If I'm a failure at this, which technically I am, then they'll make me go home."

"The hell they will," he growls. "I'll go set them straight right now."

He turns to stalk back to the office, but Lir grabs his arm and tugs hard. "No, please! Just let me think before you go barging out there!"

The pleading look in her eyes, the desperation in her voice, both of them make him try to get a grip on himself. "Make the tea," he says lowly, "and think. I'll try to buy you some time."

"Dante! Dante, wait—"

He steps back into the office and makes his way to the couches, taking the one not occupied by Lir's parents. Her mother's nose is wrinkled faintly as she studies the television, but her father still seems merely intrigued by his surroundings, and it's easy enough to see which of them had the most influence on how she views the world around her. "So," he says, "you mentioned getting married?"

"That girl!" Lorenna tuts. "Don’t tell me she’s gone and done it without being married first. What will people think?"

"She was probably only busy, dear," Augustus interjects mildly. To Dante, he says, "I'm certain she's told you of Ler?" Dante nods. "Good. Well, it is through him that the horrors of the sea are kept locked away, but that spell has been slowly weakening over the years. The promise between him and Sparda, your father, served two purposes: a reward for Ler's help, and a way to renew the wards before they shatter completely."

Lorenna pats her husband's leg. "Oh, enough about all that! You can talk about that later." She turns with a huge smile to Dante. "So, you're the legendary son of Sparda. I must say, your father certainly took his time in producing a son for Ler's line, didn't he?"

Dante clears his throat. "Actually—"

"You don’t really look like him, not that there were cameras back then," she continues, laughing at her joke. "But the portraits we have do show some resemblance, around here . . ." She gestures towards Dante's nose, "And there . . ." She gestures to his eyes, "Although you don't have the, uh . . . well, the antlers. Which honestly is quite a relief."

"Sparda —"

"Although I have to say I did expect something a bit more . . ." Dante grits his teeth as she talks over him, gesturing around to the room. "One would think the savior of humanity would have been able to afford a bit better. But oh well! We can't all live in fancy mansions can we?" she finishes with a huge laugh.

"I think it's rather nice," Augustus murmurs.

"Of course you do, dear." Lir emerges from the kitchen with a tea set he didn't know he had balanced on a tray he was also ignorant of, and Lorenna fixes on her like a vulture. "Ah, here she is! I do hope you haven't forgotten how to make a decent pot of tea while you've been gone."

"Lorenna." Her father's voice has a faint edge to it. "Forgive her, Lirael. Our journey was more taxing than either of us expected, and you know how your mother gets when she's tired."

"Of course," Lir demures.

Seeing her like that, like she was when she arrived, sets Dante on edge. "Your parents were telling me about marriage."

Lir almost drops the tray, and Dante jumps up to grab it just in time. He frowns when he sees the deep blush on her cheeks, setting the tray down on the table as he watches her closely. Lorenna tuts as she goes about setting out cups and saucers. "Such a klutz," she sighs.

"She looks well, though," Augustus remarks as Lir hands him a cup. "Domestic life does look good on you, my girl!"

Lir flinches a bit as she pours, and Augustus turns to Dante. "Now you must tell me all about Sparda. I've heard so many stories about him. But first, how has our girl been treating you? Have you found her suitable?"

Both he and Lorenna look at him expectantly, and Dante blinks, not knowing what to say. He glances at Lir, who has gone pale, and clears his throat. "She's great," he says.

That seems to be the right thing, as Augustus beams and Lorenna claps her hands. "Wonderful!" the woman cries. "I want to hear all about you, Dante," she says coyly. "We saw you on the news, fighting those demons in Fortuna. What a business that was!"

"Did Sparda really show up there?" Augustus asks.

"Do you have any photos from the wedding?" Lorenna chimes in. "I'm assuming the civil ceremony was small enough that her own mother didn't need an invitation. Otherwise why else would my own daughter not include me on such an important day? And to the son of Sparda, no less?"

The flurry of questions leaves him speechless. Luckily for him, Lir seems to know how to handle her mother. "Of course I didn't forget to invite you, Mama, don't be ridiculous. We aren’t married.”

Her mother looks shocked, but Augustus clears his throat and says, “Well, of course . . .  we’re just old fashioned and thought—”

“We haven’t . . . done that, either,” Lir says quickly, and Dante frowns. Why the hell are they so interested in knowing what they’ve been up to? Lir is safe and happy, isn’t that enough for them? He is about to say something when she continues, “I know how much you loved planning my sister's wedding, so I asked Dante if we could do a simple little thing here when you were available to help with it. I only got so caught up in learning about him and what he does that I forgot to send the letter."

"Oh! Of course!" Lorenna beams at her daughter. "Of course, a wedding to the son of Sparda deserves all the touches. I’m so glad you’ve decided to take my advice, I would have hated to think of you doing this your way." She lifts her cup and takes a sip of tea. "Now, Dante, I'll leave you and Augustus to talk while Lir shows me around." She looks around critically at the freshly mopped floor and dusted furniture. "I can already tell there is plenty of cleaning to be done, and I have no doubt the upstairs is a shambles. Lir was never very good at keeping house. If we're to have a wedding here, we'll need it in perfect condition. Unless you want a tour too, dear?" she asks Augustus as she stands, who shakes his head. "Alright then, Lir darling, let's start in the kitchen, shall we?"

Lir gives him a look that clearly means behave, and he inclines his head slightly to show he understands, the expression of relief that flickers across her face warming him quite a bit. Once the women are gone, Augustus leans back with a chuckle. "Always thinks she knows best, that one. Well, it's a heavy burden to bear, producing a suitable wife, and Lirael's being chosen ruffled more than a few feathers."

"Yeah, Lir mentioned something about that." Despite his irritation at these new intruders, he finds himself begrudgingly liking the open, affable nature of Augustus. "Sounds like you and your wife were busy."

"Mm, yes, all five of them were handfuls in their own way. Florence, our eldest, was the one raised from birth to fulfill this role, you understand, and so were Lily and Irene, but, by the time Lirael was born, we had given up hope on you appearing during her generation. If we'd learned of you even a week later, she would have been promised to another, and Ilya would have come in her stead."

Dante mulls over that, wondering what life would be like if it had been someone other than Lir, deciding he doesn't care to think about it. "Why do you call her that?"

"Lirael?" Dante nods. "Ah." Augustus steeples his fingers in his lap. "It's her name, though I had to fight fiercely for it to be. There is a . . . test of sorts that is performed whenever one of Ler's descendant's is with child, meant to test the potential magic of the unborn. Hers was the strongest in centuries. I thought it only fitting she was named after him."

"She was?" he glances at the kitchen with a frown. Other than some general healing things, Lir hadn't talked much about magic.

Augustus laughs. "Of course you knew that already! Must have been quite a shock for Lirael to show up at your door though. From what we understand, Sparda has not been seen in quite some time. Do you know what happened to him?"

Dante looks at him and shakes his head with a frown. "Ah well," Augustus sighs. "I would have liked to have met him. But no worries, we have detailed accounts about the transfer of power, and can take care of everything."

“Transfer of power?” The more he learns about this stupid promise, the more this sounds like something he wants no parts of, spells and ceremonies and transferring power now giving him a headache. His eyes go to the kitchen door again as Augustus continues talking, wondering what to do. If he decides to go back on Sparda’s promise, where will that leave Lir?

[harlot-of-oblivion]

Harlot’s Master List

🌹 A Rose Among the Briars 🌹

(Vergil x Gardener Reader)

A Rose Among the Briars (Part 1)

Flower for His Thoughts (Part 2)

A Daisy follows soft the Son of Sparda (Part 3)

The Spirit of the Lotus (Part 4)

When Roses Cease to Bloom (Part 5)

A Rose of Unconscious Beauty (Part 6) 

Chapter 1: Meeting Dante

Chapter 2: Dealing with Dante

The Heart of the Camellia (Part 7)

Chapter 1: Family of Flowers

Chapter 2: Wild Roses, Wild Nights

Flowers By The Sea (Part 8)

Chapter 1: Waves of Devotion 

Chapter 2: His Radiant Rose

A Lotus In Full Bloom (Part 9)

Sowing the Seeds of Lasting Love (Part 10)

Chapter 1: White Heather 

Chapter 2: Bleeding Heart

Chapter 3: Everlasting Arbutus 

A Nocturne of The Secret Garden (Part 11)

🔎 The Devil’s In The Details 🔎

(Dante x Detective Reader)

Chapter 1: Another Day

Chapter 2: Consulting With The Experts

Chapter 3: Never Met A Girl Like You

Chapter 4: The Devil’s New Partner 

Chapter 5: The Devil’s Arrival

Chapter 6: Of All the Devil Hunters

Chapter 7: Red Flags and Long Nights 

Chapter 8: Here We Go Again...

Chapter 9: Growing Attraction and Blessed Distractions

Chapter 10: Resisting the Devil’s Temptations

Chapter 11: A Little Heat Never Hurt the Devil

🦇 Partake Of Me 🦇

(Vergil x Vampire Reader)

Partake of Me 

Sweet Sacrilege 

Prowling For Pleasure

Part One: His Deepest Desire

Part Two: Decadence & Debauchery 

Part Three: Devilish Debauchery 

🤠 Tales of Miss Fortune 🤠

(Dante x Cowgirl Vampire Reader)

What’s Your Pleasure? 

Tales of Miss Fortune

Chapter 1: Fallin’ for a Gun Street Girl

🔥 Harlot’s Spicy Delectables 🔥

Vergil x Reader

Midnight Delight 

A Dance with the Devil

Garden of Delight

The Most Beautiful Flower

At Least One Devil 

All Mine, All Yours

Tempering The Devil (SSS Zine Piece) 

Your Wildest Dreams (DMC Secret Santa)

The Sweetest Dessert

Dante x Reader 

Watch Me Ignite 

The Devil Wears Prada Suits 

✨ Fairies May Cry ✨

(Vergil and Pixie Reader)

A collection of drabbles about the unlikely friendship between an adorable pixie and Vergil Sparda.

🌺 Fairies May Kiss 🌺

(Spardaverse 2021)

Chapter 1: The Dragontail Prince

Chapter 2: The Gathering Storm

Chapter 3: A Pretty Pixie’s Past

Chapter 4: Only the Best for His Fairy

💖 DMC OC Week 2021 💖

Updated: 07/12/2023

[pixelroseartist]

Roleplay Search

I'm out of school, I'm bored, and I'm free y'all! So, heres the deal folks, I wanna rp, and I've been itching for a lot of them. Here are some rules:

1. Be able to at least type a paragraph or me. I dont mind one liners because we all have a life, but if its constant, I may say something.

2. I tend to ask people if they're okay after 3 days, I've had people ghost me for no reason. After two weeks, I do tend to move on. If something happens, and you dont gotta give me details, you can tell me, you can be like, "hey something came up" and I'll make sure I dont bug you again. I'll say this now, YOUR HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A RP!

3. You are more than welcome to vent to me, I am perfectly okay with it. We all sometimes need to vent, and I'll offer advice if you want it as well. I'm no therapist, so please, if you're having dangerous and dark thoughts, go see someone!

4. Do not drag me into drama, it's not cool and it causes me to get aggravated really fast. Unless that person affects me directly, I'm not getting myself involved.

5. Understand I have a life, if I dissapper, do not be afraid to message me after 3 days. I have anxiety and sometimes I just get nervous.

6. Do not control my characters, unless I give you strict permission to, and vice versa. It's simple respect.

7. DO NOT, and I repeat this, DO NOT ask me for personal info, simple as that.

8. Understand I call everyone mate, dude, etc. If you are uncomfortable with that, please let me know. I am going to respect boundaries, your comfort is my priority!

Some rp things:

1. I only do Oc x canon. I may do Oc x oc, but your oc has to really catch my interest or the plot catches my interest regarding your oc. I am happy to double up on oc x canon because I think it's fair.

2. I need build up to romance folks! Unless we heavily discuss predetermined relationships.

3. I only do MxF. I've had exteremly bad experiences in the past with doing MxM and FxF. This is not against anyone and I hope you understand.

4. Diversity is my cup of tea! Anything goes! As long as it isnt too ridiculous.

5. Please let me know what characters you are most comfortable rping as, like I said, your comfort is my upmost priority!

6. You are welcome to share ideas, I full encourage it!

7. Aus or crossovers? Honey, you've come to the right person!

8. If you have any personal headcanons for a character, you are welcome to use them, I fully encourage it!

Fandoms:

Pokemon

Kingdom Hearts

Fire Emblem (Fates, Awakening, Echoes, 3 Houses, I may budge on Heroes)

MHA

Soul Eater

Animal Crossing (the animal characters would be humanoid with animal features, like having the ears and tail)

JJBA

Kid Icuras

Persona (4 or 5)

Megaman

Obey Me!

Smash Bros

Overwatch

Devil May Cry

Finally, you may contact me here or on Discord! My Discord

Discord: PixelArtist#6125

Anyhow, that should be everything! I hope we can rp soon!

[skvaderarts]

Devil May Cry OC Week Day 1!

Happy first day of @dmc-oc-week! I’m so excited for this!

So I hope this isn’t too annoying, but a lot of the stuff about my OC relates to the 120 Post DMC5 Nero and V as brothers fic that I’ve been writing for the last year (Help I can’t stop), so I have yet to reveal a lot of the stuff about him. I seriously hope that at least one of you likes him, though! The artwork is by the always amazing @gaaebolg​, and I’ll have more sometime in the future, so stay tuned!

Also, I’m sorry for how long this post is. I’ve been creating things for this OC for the better part of two years now, so I’ve just got a lot of pent up excitement to get through. If at least one of you like him, then it’s a success!

Now then... SIRRUS

General Information:

Name: Sirrus (sear-us not Cyrus)

Age: Nope. He’s not saying. How rude of you to ask! Looks 21-25 though.

Eyes: Very light gray

Height: 6″ 5′

Build: Thin. He basically never eats anything. But he likes to cook (mostly for V and Nero) and he drinks sometime. And it’s normally wine. he doesn’t eat his own cooking, though. Everyone is freaked out by this.

Species: That’s tricky. Very tricky. He’s technically three different things at once due to his complicated parental lineage, and it causes him nothing but suffering. I may reveal what he truly is later this week if people actually care that he exists barely concealed intense crying. As a result of this, he had one hell of a power set, although many of his powers clash in a sort of MHA Todoroki sort of way. He’s not very pleased by this. The power is great and all, but it literally gives him a miserable migraine sometimes.

Personality: Sardonic, sarcastic, linguistically unapproachable at times due to his tendency to be very formal in an old fashioned, bitingly straight to the point, occasionally cripplingly brooding, and internally melodramatic. His entire internal monologue is just him chastising himself for every breath that he takes or him thinking he’s a total badass. He has no in-between. If left alone, he won’t make it off the couch due to a healthy dose of self-loathing. Thankfully he can’t become drunk. But he still tries. Think Tom Cruse Lestat meets Dorian Grey meets Alucard from the Castlevania Netflix anime. He likes to make dry, deadpan jokes, but he also knows how to read the room. He’s been around long enough to have developed that skill. But despite his desire to be left alone and work in isolation, he finds himself around the crew more than he might like to understand. He tries to be supportive to those around him, though he’s fully self aware of the fact that he’s not that great with it.

Preferences: Dark rooms, good food, better wine, even better conversations, and fantastically showboat filled fights. And not so subtly spoiling V with unsolicited but much appreciated gifts and luxuries.

Dislikes: Mostly his father and bullshit in general. Which is a large reason he doesn't like his father. Also, people who abuse others or power for self gain. So again, his father. I’m noticing a reoccurring theme here. It’s his mom’s fault, too.

Relationships: He knows the cast due to being sent to investigate the events of the fic I was writing, and from there he hangs around and offers to help in any way that he can. He’s on good terms with basically everyone, but later becomes very friendly with V and they have a frankly adorable relationship that I’m 10000% sure he wishes were more than just a friendship but he’s just too shy and sure he’d be rejected to ask. He and various members of the cast have some fun banter with one another, though, and he’s more or less free to come and go as he wishes. He also may or may have not gotten V slightly drunk off of blood wine once. It’s complicated.

Abilities: Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy. Just kidding. in addition to the standard things like quick movement, increased durability and stamina, and some other things I’ve yet to reveal, Sirrus has a vaguely explained light ability that forces a lot of very powerful demons to recoil at the sight of it. He can also wield fire, but in a localized state, and the more he allows it to spread, the harder it is to control. The more localized and small the fire area is, the hotter he can make it burn, all the way up to white flame is he absolutely needs to. It’s very draining, however, as the usage of such power is in direct conflict with what he is. Far too much light for his tastes. But, at the very same time he, the other portion of what he is makes the light within him stronger. He’s a living contradiction, and yes, he totally hates it.

Weapon: He possesses a swept hilt rapier called “Kilnsbane” forged from a combination of Damascus Steel and meteorite. It earned it’s name for it’s ability to be coated in intense heat as a veiacle for his powers (it’s easier to control that way) and from the shards of dust that speckle the blade. The blade is slightly longer than average, reaching about a meter in length. It’s also sharp on both edges of the blade like a razor. It’s not as sharp as something like Yamato, but it’s exceptionally durable, kinda like the difference between Vibranium and Adamantium. Nico is going to have a field day with that.

Interesting fact: Due to two divorces on the part of his father, he is technically part of two powerful families. One by blood, and the other as a sort of honorary son after he sided with them over an important domestic dispute against his father’s wishes. if you’d like to know more, let me know!

Notes: I’d tell you more, but so many things about him are showed in mystery by nature, so if I tell you (yet) what some of these details are, I’ll spoil the surprises. And also, if your reading my fics, I don’t want to spoil anything about his roll in the story by telling you entirely who and what he is. His last name is actually a spoiler in of it’s self, so you can’t know it just yet!

So... what do you think?! I would so love for someone, ANYONE to give me feedback or just ask me more about him! It would be so exciting to see someone on Tumblr go down that road with me :D thanks for reading this! I look forward to tomorrow!

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, December 11 - Wednesday, December 12

ALONNA: It shouldn't have gone down the way it did. You're getting reckless. GUNN: I do what I gotta do. ALONNA: No, you do more than what you gotta do. Three weeks, G. Three weeks and no teeth and you had to ring the dinner bell like that? You just couldn't go another day without getting a little death in, could you? GUNN: You think I like this? ALONNA: No, I think you love it. And you won't be happy until you get as close to death as you possibly can.

~~War Zone (Season 1)~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Christmas Eve Kiss (Buffy/Angel, T) by badly_knitted

When a Plan Comes Together (Buffy, Giles, Xander, G, Devil May Cry xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Ophelia; She is Not (Buffy, Cordelia, Giles, Nancy, unrated) by kerk_hiraeth

Intimate (Spike/Angel, E) by Hello_Spikey

Not So Bad (Spike/Robin, E) by Hello_Spikey

Losing at Gay Chicken (Spike/Riley, E) by Hello_Spikey

To Hell With 'The Journey' (Spike/Lindsey, E) by Hello_Spikey

Tred Lightly into the Arms of Gods (Spike/Illyria, E) by Hello_Spikey

Insubstantial (Spike/Angel, Angel/Wesley, E) by Hello_Spikey

Delusional (Spike, Giles, M) by Hello_Spikey

A Bad Influence (Spike/Giles, Giles/Ethan, E) by Hello_Spikey

Advent Drabbles (Multiple characters & pairings, E) by Hello_Spikey

In the Shadow of the Stones (Buffy, Dawn, T) by Cornerofmadness

Light of All Lights (Buffy/Giles, G) by GhostDetective

Refuge (Spike/OC, unrated) by blog-of-a-multitude-of-fandoms

Blind Date (Buffy/Spike, T) by ms_jenny_b

'Twas the night before Christmas (Buffy/Spike, E) by Twinkle

[Chaptered Fiction]

Together in the Dark Ch. 1-2/2 (COMPLETE) (Angel(us)/Spike, Buffy/Spike, M) by xVenusRosex

Rapture Ch. 1-10/10 (COMPLETE) (Angel/Faith, Buffy/Spike, M) by xVenusRosex

Lilah and Anya in Hell Ch. 1-9/9 (COMPLETE) (Giles/Anya, Lilah/Wesley, T) by DWEmma

Forward Without Seeing Chapter 136: Never Leave Me (2) (Buffy/Spike, M) by queen_insane

dear friend 1/? (Giles/Jenny, T) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

A Time Lord in a Sunnydale Crypt (Ensemble, G, Doctor Who xover) by spikesgirl58

Cinders Ch. 1-17/17 (COMPLETE) (Spike/Lindsey, E, SPN xover) by ash_carpenter, Hello_Spikey

Mortal Allies Series, Episode 2: Spike's a Good Boi, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Passion4Spike

Out of Time, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by joycometh

Friend and Foe, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, T) by KillerSnotMonster

Dawn Bleeds Into Dusk, Chapter 27 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Malapert

A Hellmouth Resurrection, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, M) by SpindleKitten

Ghosts of Savannah, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, T) by TBD

Skipping the Stone, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, M) by sandy_s, Badwolfjedi

Eye of Eleos, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, R) by pfeifferpack

Now for something a bit weird, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Micrindle23

Resolutions, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by All4Spike

Ripples on a Hellmouth, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by stuffandnonsense

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:BtVS Webcomic () by heroofthreefaces

Artwork:OotD | buffy summers S2 Ep.21 () by tarastheory

Artwork:i can’t believe i find it sexy when she calls me ‘ma'am () by tarastheory

Artwork:Cordelia Chase (NSFW) by eddelarosa

Artwork: Buffy Episode Poster Series: Season 1, Episode 8 “I, Robot…You, Jane” () by lazmarquez

Screencaps:Sceencaps || Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 4 () by grande-caps

Artwork:Buffy Summers () by ncisduckie

Finally got the Buffy tattoo of my dreams by GlitterPup1019

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1E1 “Welcome to the Hellmouth” by pass-the-bechdel

Buffy Rewatchith: My Thoughts and Comments… Edition: Angel The cockroach episode. by mrsgordo730

PODCAST: S4 E18 Where The Wild Things Are by Buffy Virgin

PODCAST: Still Dead #26. Hello, Lover. (S3.7-8) by Chipperish

PODCAST: FBTP 33: A Whole New World by Fire Bad, Tree Pretty

PODCAST: Still Pretty #32. Touched (S7.20) by Still Pretty

PODCAST: S4 E18 Where The Wild Things Are by Buffy Virgin

PODCAST: S1E13 She by Angel On Top

PODCAST: S05E14 - Big Book of Vampires - Crush by Pop Culture Role Call

PUBLICATION: Rewatching Buffy – Episode 90 by Confusing Middle

PUBLICATION: Rewatching Angel – Episode 34 by Confusing Middle

PUBLICATION: Slayer | Waiting on Wednesday by literary-lion

PODCAST: WttH Episode 117 - Normal Again (S6E17) by Welcome To The Hellmouth

[Community Announcements]

Noel of Spike 2018 by noel-of-spike

[Fandom Discussions]

Random Love: SMG and Eliza by harsens-rob

Tell me an unpopular opinion you have about the show. by frankchurchillsaysrelax

Anti-Spike Meta by aliciavikander

Spike and Angel by jackpittgregor

Tara love by joyarmy

As a teenager watching Buffy by heart4hawkeye

Buffy paper! by parallel5ths

Why people compare TVD to BtVS by sulietsexual

Spike vs Damon by we-pay-for-everything

Not looking for a ship war I just wanna know by spaceprimcessleia

i wish wishverse!buffy hadn’t died by bbuffysummers

# 8 and # 9 for the Buffy ask by thewritingfreak19

Taking Gifset Requests! by slayers-every-one-of-us

Could i get a Buffy and Firefly ship, please? by make-me-imagine

What Buffy scene did Supernatural rip off? by impostoradult

Was it hard for Buffy not to let Angel fight by her side in Chosen by foreverbangel

Missing the high school years by Wesley Pryce

Could Oz have been a permanent cast member of Angel? by Athena

Faith raped Xander?! WTH? by PaulParmar1

Faith was gonna kill herself? by annistark

Dawn or Connor? by Antho

Was Gunn useless? by PaulParmar1

Darla's best season by PaulParmar1

Did season 5 ruin Gunn? by Taake

Hot Topic: Did Darla redeem herself before she died? by Buffy Summers

Do you feel sorry for Dru because she lost Spike to "The Slayer"? by cryptwarmer

Thought by Samof94

Buffy Season 10 Volume 6 Own It by BretBaber

Theory by bevenstarlow

S2 E14 Innocence aka TEARS by hillari8908

What inspired Buffy the Vampire Slayer? by FishInsideWater

Is Buffy a metaphor for prostitution? (No spoilers) by Kazrules

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

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[dmcweek]

DMC Week starts tomorrow!

Help celebrate everything we love about Devil May Cry and support the fan creators as DMC Week arrives. All week we’ll be reblogging your fan works and bringing you some awesome DMC content. Since Devil May Cry is M-17, NS//FW works will be allowed, although we ask content to be placed under a read-more cut. All other content is welcome, including fics, fanart, gifs, edits, OCs, reader inserts, and any other SSS content for DMC!

In case you missed it, here are the prompts! They aren’t required, but maybe they’ll help get you motivated:

Day 1: Bone | Blood | Weapon Day 2: Monster | Cryptid | Demon Day 3: Fight | Reunion | Loss Day 4: Food | Style | Music Day 5: Hurt | Heal | Happiness Day 6: Home | Family | Belonging Day 7: AU | Free Day 

Don’t forget to tag us and use the hashtags #dmcweek or #dmcweek2020! We also have a Twitter over at @/dmc_week, so make sure to check us out there and follow for even more DMC content!

[notajinn]

Ranking Video Games Played in 2018 But Less Detailed Because of Procrastination

Starting this in the evening on the 31st, so let' see if I even get this done in time. Normally I start more ahead of time, and provide seperate detailed post for each game in my list. Initially I wasn't planning on making a list at all this year since I played very few 2018 releases. But then I realized not only that I played more than I thought, but that the non-2018 games I played for the first time this year deserve some love as well.

I conveniently played ten games this year, so here is the ranking of my top ten games:

10. Marvel Puzzle Quest (Mobile)

This game is garbage, and I play it every day. It's a Match-3 puzzle game, which I somehow never played until this year. And it's on mobile and with a Marvel flair to give it an edge, plus a Gacha mechanic for longevity and scum.

Pros

The actual puzzle gameplay is fine. I have no other Match-3 to compare it to besides Puzzles and Dragons, which I tried out around the same time solely due to Persona 5 characters being in it. And I enjoyed Marvel more. You can only move each gem one space rather than across a line or column, or straight up anywhere like in Puzzles and Dragons. But there is no time limit, which I really appreciate.

I like a lot of Marvel characters, so I don't mind them as the rewards. Each one also has different Abilities which make a bigger difference in the gameplay than I initially expected. I unfortunately do not have Ms Marvel, Gwenpool, or Silk yet, but I do have Spider-Man.

Speaking of, the free characters they give you are pretty decent. Within the first few missions, you will come out with Spider-Man, Iron Man, Storm, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor. You can also get Juggernaut and Venom with only slightly more effort.

The game has thus far been very generous with the gacha resource, but I can't comment on the actual pull rates (which may be where they really make their money).

Cons

You may get a lot of chances to pull, but you have a limited barrack you can recruit characters into. And the resource to increase slots is VERY slow. Which means you could potentially pull a great character, but either wait a few weeks to earn enough coins to buy a new barrack spot, remove one of your existing characters, or give them money. And if you wait more than a few weeks, your un-recruited character will be automatically "sold" for resources. I've lost one or two characters to this already. At this point the smart thing seems to be to never pull unless you have open slots, since your recruitment resource does not expire (that I'm aware of).

The difficulty is all over the place. Even the so-called "Prologue" has unusual difficulty spikes in terms of enemy levels.

The leveling system is also garbage in general. You need duplicates of characters to level up, but higher rank characters start at higher levels. Which means even though I pulled and merged like 6 Iron Man, the single 3-star Dr Octopus is significantly stronger with no effort.

Final Thoughts

This game is garbage, and I will continue to play it.

9. Fire Emblem Heroes (Mobile)

Not long ago, Fire Emblem Heroes was one of my favourite games. But the game fell so far in 2018, perhaps outlining the heightened speed of a gacha game's life-cycle.

Pros

They started adding alts of characters that were not from Awakening or Fates. It's not exactly good that we're getting so many alts, but at least they're not all Camilla or Xander.

The new Aether Raids mode is legitimately good. It allows you to create your own mini-maps with different structures and traps, and play against other players. You win a new resource called Heroic Grails, which you can use to summon otherwise limited-time free characters like those from Grand Hero Battles, or the Tempest Trials. I should specify this lets you select characters, not go into a random gacha system. You want more of Joshua? No problem, just select him from the list and hand of the Grails, and you've got him. A lot of characters I like fall into this category, so I especially appreciate it. The actual mode of fighting in user-created maps is also fun.

Book 2 of the story had some good moments early on, and I liked some of the new characters. Said new characters were also added into the summon pool, and not as limited-time units either.

A lot of older characters got new weapon refinements to help them keep up with the cast slightly. Some of these are only okay, but some have been amazing. Still waiting for my man Matthew to get one.

Also this one is kind of cheating since it didn't happen yet, but we are confirmed to finally be getting Laguz (the beast units from the Tellius games) in 2019, which I am very excited for.

Cons

After a decent start, Book 2's story fell into disarray. A comically bland villain was the worst offender, feeling like an OC a child came up with that kept getting sudden new powers for no reason.

Said main villain is also the focal point of the powercreep in the game this year. The absurdity of how good 2018 units are compared to before is frustrating, and I say that as someone who doesn't particularly care about ranking. A lot of these new units and skill sets are just plain not fun to fight against.

Outside of Aether Raids, the game felt pretty stale in terms of having things to do, and I simply found myself far less interested.

Final Thoughts

Laguz will keep my interest for at least some of 2019, but I see myself playing this far less next year. And with a new real Fire Emblem game coming out, I may leave this game entirely.

8. Final Fantasy Record Keeper (Mobile)

This is an unusual one because I didn't play this game much this year. For a few months, I didn't even bother logging in. And 90% of the time I do log in, I just grab the daily rewards and leave. So how did this beat Marvel Puzzle Quest and Fire Emblem Heroes?

Pros

This game is absurdly generous with resources. Keeping in mind this is a gacha game way past it's prime, and being cannibalized by its own parent company through other newer Final Fantasy mobile games, Record Keeper has been trying very hard to keep people playing. Even as someone who barely plays, I am flush with good resources. Enough so that, if I get interested enough, I could probably catch up to the meta-game.

The game has also continued its policy of "characters are free, the gacha is for equipment" that I love. I have no trouble getting characters I want (new ones I liked added this year include Marche from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Sora and Riku of Kingdom Hearts).

The gacha itself is also generous, with multiple event banners that guarantee at least one 5-star for every 11-pull. I wish other gacha games were this generous.

It also keeps the great aesthetic and soundtrack that got me into the game.

Cons

I've played it so much over the years that it's not super fun, but I appreciate it's there for me and doesn't feel like scum.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for doing a gacha game well, Square-Enix.

7. Mighty Switch Force (3DS)

Though I got this years ago in a Humble Bundle, it wasn't until one bored weekend this summer that I actually tried it out Wayforward's other first-party game. The Mighty Switch Force DLC trailer for Shantae: Half Genie Hero also helped.

This is an interesting little arcade action/puzzle hybrid that's a little unusual. It puts you into different areas where you have to use the main gimmick of moving things into and out of the foreground along with other puzzle mechanics to find and arrest some escaped criminals.

Pros

The main mechanic of moving objects forward and backward is pretty fun, and while it's been occasionally seen in other games it's worked more effectively here than I've ever seen. I also appreciate that most levels will add a new mechanic you have to learn.

The levels are short and easy to digest on the 3DS.

It's got the classic Wayforward cartoon aesthetic.

Cons

This is mostly personal preference, but I don't play puzzle games a lot; they don't hold my interest too long. So this was a one weekend game. I didn't beat it, but I got my fill in those two days.

The lack of story really drives home the "arcade" aspect of the game, which is frustrating because I like the often silly pacing of the Shantae series. I'm also someone who invests in characters heavily, so having very little to go off but designs really hurt my long-term interest here.

Final Thoughts

This is a fun little puzzle game I recommend to try out considering it's often on sale and under $10. It's far from the best game, but you'll probably have fun with it.

6. Bayonetta (PS3)

For better or for worse, my first introduction to Bayonetta was when she was added as a DLC character to Super Smash Brothers 4. Suffice to say I was bummed a character I had no interest in won the people's choice, and that definitely negatively tainted the series for me for a while. But after getting itnerested in character-action games by playing Nier Automata and Platinum's Legend of Korra, I ended up picking up Bayonetta on sale on the PS3.

Pros

Oh my god, the combat is so strong. I knew this from Platinum's other games, but it has a different feel. Korra was ultimately a budget game, and Nier Automata was an RPG first, but Bayonetta was a character-action game through and through. The combat is not easy to learn, but when you figure out and see the radical moves you're pulling off, there's a certain unmatched joy to the gameplay.

The plot is campy and silly in the vein of Devil May Cry, and has a good handful of characters I like (particularly Jeanne and Luca). It ramps up to hilarious scales.

The music is so good, and I wish more of it made it into Super Smash Brothers.

I love that you have a space to practice combos without any repercussions by turning off the timer in the loading screen transitions. This helped me so much early on to get a hang of which combos I could both pull off effectively, find a use for, and actually enjoy.

Checkpoints are fairly generous, and so long as you don't care about your score you can continue to try again with no repercussions until you win.

Cons

There are certain sections of the game where you are pulled into on-rails vehicles. These sections are not fun, and last FAR too long. To make matters worse, the best boss fight in the game is in the second half of a level where the first half is one of these terrible vehicle sections. Which means I'll never fight that boss again since I don't want to go through that initial part.

Through a combination of the initial negative reaction and the fact there are more interesting characters around her, I didn't end up attached to Bayonetta herself, which is disappointing considering how much I like Dante and the Nier Automata cast.

The first few levels are also far harder than the rest of the game. This happens because you're learning a new combat system, have less moves purchased, and most importantly do not have the Bat Within ability that increases your dodge invincibility. This move probably saved me so much, and you can get it pretty early, but not until you get past some hard parts. In particular, the first major boss has you contend with the above issues and, for no particular reason, is the only major boss without any checkpoints. This boss almost made me give up on the game, and heavily slowed down my progress and general enjoyment.

Probably the biggest issue is that this is a PS3 era game, which means you can expect tons of QTEs that cause instant death if you fail them. These even happen during bosses. It's such a product of its time.

Final Thoughts

If you can struggle through those initial hard (but not un-fun) levels and that first frustrating boss, you have a great game ahead of you. With some truly awful vehicle sections thrown in, but mostly great. At the very least, grab the soundtrack.

5. Dragalia Lost (Mobile)

Oh you thought the mobile games were all at the bottom? Then you forgot about Nintendo's newest IP, Dragalia Lost. Which would be fair, because this game is available officially in very few countries, and it's kind of crazy.

With the success of other mobile games, Nintendo decided to try out a new IP in a mobile game with the help of the experienced developers CyGames. What we got was a mobile MMO with a heavy anime aesthetic and a lot of love.

Pros

The character designs vary, as they do in any mobile, but one major strength of Dragalia Lost (and the reason I started the game) is the large percentage of dark-skinned characters. It may seem silly, but as a South Asian it's so rare to see dark-skinned characters in this aesthetic. You'll get your token characters here and there, but Dragalia Lost alone probably has more than I've seen in a few other series combined. I'm pretty sure they have more than Fire Emblem Heroes, or at least an equal amount.

The developers have been very generous with resources, and so far have given you a free 10-pull whenever there's a new event.

We've also already had a lot of improvements due to developer feedback, which is a great sign for the game's future.

The strangest thing perhaps is...the gameplay is really fun for a mobile game. It's a top-down action RPG with heavy MMO elements in terms of leveling and co-op play. While your party setup means a lot, your skill in-game means even more if you're skilled at dodging, effectively moving around the map, and knowing when to throw out which ability. As you have such a heavy level of interaction with the characters, you also feel more attached to them, which is great for longevity in a gacha game. Each weapon type plays very differently, and with different elements and abilities you get a lot of variety. You also have different dragons you can transform into as essential limit breaks.

I really love how seamlessly co-op is integrated. You can play any mission with or without co-op, and it takes very little effort to group up with people.

Cons

It's still a gacha game, so a certain level of garbage is expected. The rates of pulling a 5-star seem far worse than Fire Emblem Heroes and Final Fantasy Record Keeper. To make matters worse, you can potentially pull a 5-Star Wyrmprint (a type of equipment) instead of a character or dragon, thus resetting your pity rate.

In co-op, if a host quits the entire battle is considered a fail. Which makes logical sense, but it's frustrating when the host quits while you're winning.

Bows are also significantly worse than the other weapon types, but my favourite character is an archer. This presents a problem.

It’s only available in a small number of countries, with still not announced plans for others.

Final Thoughts

It's the best mobile game I've played this year, but it's still a mobile game. Unless you're looking for a mobile game, I recommend just appreciating the art from afar. If you ARE looking for a mobile game, however, I highly recommend this. And if you care about Nintendo, maybe keep an eye on this; I could see this IP eventually coming out of mobile.

4. Deltarune (PC)

It's tough to write these all at once. Okay, Deltarune. The surprise game from Undertale's creator. I still don't want to get into too much detail in case you haven't played this free and relatively short game, but it's been a while. There will be sort of spoilers below, so if you want to go in blind, skip down to number 3.

Pros

From the graphical style to the writing to the soundtrack, it's got the same great charm of Undertale in a smaller package.

The battle system is more involved and honestly a lot more fun. You're also not forced to go Pacifist to get the good ending, so you can actually enjoy it like a normal RPG. Even if you do go Pacifist like I did, the inclusion of different abilities gives you a lot more to do than just dodge enemy attacks.

The progression of Susie and Lancer as characters is fun to watch unfold, and the game does a great job making you invested in these characters within such a short time frame.

The final section of the game, without mentioning any spoilers, is also a nice little reward.

Cons

Simply because of playing Undertale, you may assume you have to play Pacifist and thus miss the main combat. This is untrue, but hard to know since you also want to go in blind on your first run. This is entirely a self-made issue, but it is nonetheless a common issue I can see.

..I don't really have any other negatives offhand except that it's short?

Final Thoughts

If you played Undertale, play this. If you didn't play Undertale, probably play that first and you'll enjoy this more. But you'd probably enjoy this regardless. And hell, it's free and under 5 hours, and runs on probably any modern PC.

3. Dragonball FigherZ (PS4)

There have been so many Dragonball Z games, but the quality never hit this level. Remember when we considered the Budokai games to be amazing because of the competition? Now we have a DBZ fighter that's not only the best of the series, but also a legitimately great fighting game when compared to the other big fighting series. No weird 3D mechanics, no attempt to heavily integrate fighting. This is just a solid 2D fighter with some unique elements and a DBZ flavouring.

Pros

Made by Arcsys, the gameplay is unsurprisingly amazing. It's fluid, has a lot of ease-of-use for beginner players, and a lot of more complex mechanics to make high-end gameplay fun to watch. I was able to teach some friends in a short amount of time how to play this decently, which is very important with a multiplayer game.

And despite most of the characters fighting extremely similarly in DBZ, each character feels unique here. They're all just throwing punches, kicks, and energy blasts, but they all have their own distinct feel. Even the various orange-gi-black-hair characters all stand out with different silhouettes and colour tinting.

The new OC that Arcsys seems obligated to add may be strange as an Android/Buu hybrid, but adding a new female character to such a male dominated series is much appreciated.

The online lobby is easy to find the types of fights you're looking for, and provides a good deal of variety.

Cons

The DLC lineup is awful. Two versions of Goku, two versions of Vegeta. Really? Do we really need that? Then we got Goku's dad Bardock, who visually looks like another Goku. And then we got Fused Zamasu, who is basically an alternate version of base game charater Goku Black. The only characters unique in both design and gameplay are Broly (who I generally hate), Android 17 (who's great), and Cooler (who's not quite as cool as his brother). There's so many good choices for DLC, but short of a second season, this is what we got stuck with. And honestly, good DLC characters can make or break my interest in a fighting game long-term. This was what broke it.

Final Thoughts

It's a great fighting game, and hands-down the best Dragonball Z game. But there's only one fighting game series that is able to hold my interest long-term.

2. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (Switch)

It's still wild this was announced and came out in the same year. After being used to a long pre-release for Super Smash Brothers games, Ultimate really bucked the trend. It's also not like the other games in other ways as well, opting to include as much old content as possible instead of taking the usual "add a lot but cut a lot" approach.

Pros

One of my long-time top wished characters finally made it in: K. Rool! And he's so well-animated and sporting so many references! They really put a lot of love into him.

I'm vicariously excited for all the Ridley fans who finally got their big space dragon into Smash. They were always steadfast beside us K. Rool fans, and really deserve this win.

No one has to worry about their main being cut, because everyone is here. For those few people that legitimately liked Pichu, that must be a great feeling.

The core gameplay also received a nice boost in speed so it's not overly-fast like Melee, but still a lot more fluid than the other games. Bringing back moving air dodges, and clamping down on over-dodging have helped make the gameplay feel much smoother.

After the disappointingly poor single-player of Smash 4, I love all the single-player modes here. Classic has been redesigned to give each character a tuned and unique experience. We have a big single-player mode in the World of Light, and the smaller but more long-term Spirit Board.

Spirits in general are just a great way of reusing Stickers from previous games in a way that makes everybody excited. Seriously, they are just your typical gacha JPGS, but throwing effects and levels onto them really makes them feel more involved than trophier or stickers in past games.

My main, Zelda, got significantly buffed. This is really specific to me, but it makes a big difference.

Mii Fighters also feel far more viable this time around.

The range of music and stages in the game is just amazing.

Cons

For a game that promotes itself as having everything, it's bizarre and frustrating that the Stage Builder was completely removed. I really enjoyed playing around in there, and being able to use tracks I like from stages I don't like.

We also lost modes like Target Smash and the Home Run Contest for almost no reason. Short of these being added in future updates, I find this odd.

I could make a lot of complaints about character choice, but I'll keep it short and mention that I'm one of the few people not happy about the Piranha Plant, and I would really have had almost any non-3DS FE character instead of Chrom.

World of Light is also really long, and unlike the Subspace Emissary lacks cinema scenes. The opening scene everyone has seen is great, and then...that's it so far. I am expecting one more at the end (I'm maybe halfway through), and maybe one in the middle, but it's not going to live up to the SSE.

I also can't believe the huge backwards step taken in the online mode. Rather than having a separate Casual and Competitive mode like every other fighter (including the last Smash Brothers), there is only one queue, and you can easily get thrown into the opposite type of style you want. I actually cancelled my plans to buy the online service after I heard how bad this system is.

Final Thoughts

It's a Super Smash Brothers game, so I will enjoy it for a long time. The Spirits add a lot of longevity, but unless the online is heavily fixed I can see myself dropping out of this game within the next year.

1. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)

This game had such bad timing. Released alongside the similar but more anticipated Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on a competitor system, and the different but same-system Persona 5, I think a lot of people completely missed this game. Or as many as can miss a big AAA game. If this came out just a few months earlier or later, I'm sure I'd see a lot more talk about it. But as things stand, it seemed to disappear from everyone's minds very quickly.

If you're one of the ones that forgot, Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world action-adventure about a post-apocalyptic world where humans are left to deal with the increasingly dangerous machine robots built by pre-apocalypse humans, and is just as much about dealing with different tribes and cultures that emerge in this new world.

Pros

Alloy is one of my favourite new main characters in a long time. Not just in video games, but in general. While having some of that player-character "choose their personality" feelings here and there, she is mostly a defined and often interesting character with distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Voice acting from Alloy as well as the entire cast is superb, and really sells the world.

The gameplay is heavily archery focused with a lot of traps and different ammunition to help you bring down the machines that heavily outmatch you in a straight fight. The game is built to allow you to play with stealth or as an action game depending on how you select your skills. It's also got a good level of difficulty where you will definitely die a few times, but never get overly frustrated.

The story hits on many different points, and most of it has something interesting to offer. Don't expect story quality on the level of something like Nier Automata, but for a new IP it's pretty impressive.

One thing I love about fast travel is that, early on, you have to use consumable items to do so. This means you're initially encouraged to manually explore, and in doing so will learn a lot more about what the game can offer. Once you get a little further, you can unlock the ability to fast-travel with ease so you can backtrack and do quests without an issue. It's a good way to try to balance having people skip over environments.

Also it's a big AAA game with NO MICROTRANSACTIONS AT ALL!

Cons

The subtitles are pretty small based on my TV size and the distance I sit at. If you sit closer to your TV, it's probably fine.

For a game with such good quality everywhere else, the soundtrack is honestly pretty average outside of the main theme.

The open world is nowhere near as fun to explore as in Breath of the Wild, and holds far less secrets.

Final Thoughts

This feels strange to say for a AAA game made by first-party Sony, but please don't sleep on this game. It's really good, and it's been insanely cheap for the latter part of this year.

That's it. That's all the games. This took a lot more time than I expected, and I don't feel like proofreading since now it's already almost midnight.  2018 may not have had that many good new releases, but I found fun with video games.

Looking forward to playing Fire Emblem Three Houses and Kingdom Hearts III next year, and talking about them next December. Hopefully not on the 31st again.