#TRISH CARES SO MUCH AND SHE WANTS HER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS TO GET TO BE THE HERO

[thelovelywriteress]

BABYSITTING YOUR BOSS𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ

─ Dante x Reader

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉୨♡୧﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ୨♡୧ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈

You looked at a younger version of Dante, who was whistling, then at Lady, who give you a knowing nod. You once again looked at a younger version of Dante, who was smiling at you, then at Trish, who also give you a knowing nod.

"No way!"

You protest quickly. Why the hell you gotta waste your night taking care of Dante, especially kid Dante. That guy acts like kid in his normal body too, you can't imagine how annoying his kid version would be.

"Oh come on, he is your boss. See it as another of your task." Lady tried to convince you as Trish agree on her point.

"Yeah the tasks I already don't get paid for and now this."

"(Name)! (Name)! Do you hate me?" Little Dante grip your leg and give a puppy eyes much to your dismay.

"What the hell in the way is he talking?" You once again question the ladies in annoyance. Lady look bit nervous, much to your confusion but Trish quickly explain situation to you,"He do have his memories but just say except that he is all child. From body to mind."

"So you don't just want me to take care of Dante but in fact babysit a literally child Dante?" You remark to show your frustrations but Trish simply nodded like finally happy you were understanding the situation.

"I-I will go!" Lady hurriedly left the scene which was concerning,"Is she alright?" You enquired but Trish simply shrugged,"Maybe she remembered something like I did that I still gotta enjoy the night." And with a wink she was also vanished from Devil May Cry.

Everyone left you and now it was just you and kid Dante who was gripping your leg like he is afraid you would left him.

You sighed. As much as you wanted to straight up beat your boss for not paying you on time and even then having audacity to ask you on dinner through you still weren't this cold to let out your angry on a child.

"Do you remember the time, when I ask for my salary but you said you didn't had any but next moment you were asking me to go out with you to eat and even offered that you will even pay for whole thing."

You asked through you didn't know why. You doubt anything you said will help your angry on normal Dante.

"Yeah because if I gave you money, you could have go to eat with someone else." Kid Dante said with a smile like he just solve hardest question of math while you just sighed. Yeah he is definitely not saying anything senseful but again you doubt normal Dante would say much different too if not same.

"Let's go." You called him in dead voice already feeling like some miserable single mother who had no money to handle the child.

You cautionsly hold Dante's hand, your maternal instinct taking over. All way the home, you were pulling him away from people on road and even at some point just hold him in your arms to make things easier for you.

"Here." You open and push the Dante inside before closing door behind. As his little eyes scanned the area and run inside to explore more of the place he is staying at.

You saw him looking around but once his eyes fall on you, looking at him from sidelines, Dante chorused your name as he run towards you but you get out his way before he would latch on you, causing him to hit with the table and making the things on it fall down.

"Ouch." He rubbed his head through he also get worried that now you will scold him which wouldn't be new but he didn't like it when his body was small.

Uncharacteristically you didn't throw him a glare or any words just stare down at him, like just casual stare. Totally unaffected, bored stare.

"Sit at the table." You order and pick up the fallen things before going through the fridge much to Dante's suprise but he assumed you were only being like this because of how he looked.

You heat up whatever you supposed would fill his stomach and brought to him. Dante complaint about wanting Pizza but you told him to just eat whatever was in front of him.

Dante took a spoon and just put the hot food in his mouth, not realising it was way more hot than one needed while eating,"You didn't burn your tongue?" You asked with concern. Dante as a demon had great resistance but at that moment, he quickly poked out his tongue and start fanning it.

You pass him the water before getting closer to him and taking and blowing on spoon and putting it near his mouth. Meanwhile Dante on inside was giggling. One would who would have feed him to dogs days ago is now feeding him food.

After the dinner you were once again at table staring at the young boy which made him feel little conscious.

"Aren't you a cute boy?" Your unexpected words scared him as you continue with your face resting on your palm,"Can't believe this cute face will belong to an annoying pest in few years?" Dante pout at your words but you didn't mind his reaction, in your eyes he was just a child─nothing more, no boss, no guy, just a child.

"Okk now time to sleep." You pulled him but Dante resisted throwing a fit.

"I don't wanna sleep! I don't wanna sleep! I don't wanna sleep!" He moved his hand like a bird's wing as you let out an annoyed growl,"Tell me what can I do to make you sleep?" And that's what Dante was waiting to hear.

"I wanna you to pat my head!" He grinned with excitement as you tilted your head in confusion.

"You are now a cat?" You questioned as you watch Dante's satisfied reaction to you playing with his hair.

Next he wanted to ride on your back and commanded you to go there and do this and that, which was most hated part of this night.

Then he wanted to dance with you which with you guys height difference means you holding him in your arm and just moving in circles on your own which made you nauseous.

"Now I want to marry you." He stated as for a moment there was silence, he was scared that you catch on his act and finally snapped but which to his suprised you let out a tired ok.

Of course he was still extra. Not only did he ask you to provide two rings (which you get from the snacks) but also wanted you to wear something on your head as veil.

"(Name) I liked you. I know you think that I can't be serious and all that flirting of mine have no meaning but let me tell you that I do want to be with you. You may act so cold and annoyed at times but I still remember in my depressive times you once never left my side, ensuring I eat and stay alive and even after delaying in your salary you still never stop coming. So let me have a chance to show you how much a gentleman I would be for you." He wholeheartedly confessed as you let out a weary 'yes, yes I get it' and ask him to just put the ring which he happily did and happily let you put yours on his finger too.

"Just sleep now." You fall on your back, feeling more exhausted then ever as Dante give you puppy eyes before his last demand.

"Can I sleep with you?"

"Why?"

"I feel scared in this new place."

"You won't make a noise?

"Nope."

"Do whatever you want."

Dante latch to your arm through you find it awkward and uncomfortable at start, you eventually doze off too.

In the morning you felt a hand pushing you into a chest as you felt difficulty to breath and eventually your eyes started to flutter open.

"THE HELL?" You let out a scream that definitely wake neighbours but not the Dante who has turn into his usual self again and his hugging you like some stuff toy.

Blood run to your face as you viciously pushed him off you,"Ahh (Name) such a nice morning. I wanna have a kiss." He puckered his lips, probably thinking he was still child and you would agree but you punch him instead, waking him completely.

"Way to wake your husband." He groaned as you throw him a glare to which he simply showed his finger with the ring you put night before. As you felt like this whole universe had taken revenge from you as Dante simply throw you a chessy grin,"Now you can't refuse me to go out to eat with him."

You stare at him, blood boling to your cheeks thinking how many hours did you let him hug you,"DANTE YOUR SO DEAD!" You pounce on him.

"No way each of you lie to me." You groaned, showing your disappointed at the trio through out of three only Lady took the accountability.

"Well he did turn into kid during fighting a monster to get the money you are always asking for so I don't see what was the problem with you taking him." Trish said not even sparing you the glance as her focus was on her nails on which she was putting on the paint.

"There is problem and one of them is you lied about his mental age too! He was just acting like kid." Once again only Lady apologized and other two keep on doing their own stuff.

"Atleast we know you will be a good mother." Dante joked before putting another pizza in his mouth as you shot him a glare.

"What did you say?"

"Remember we are married."

"Dante you are officially dead!"

Even a devil may want to enjoy night with his crush even if he had to deceive her.

[da-g04t]

I actually love how almost every male female relationship in dmc is platonic. Dante and Lady’s relationship is built off of respect and it could’ve been a silly love interest sure but I think that the creator stating they’ve never done anything makes their relationship so much deeper. Dante doesn’t just like Lady he loves her, he respects her, understands her, and values her talent. I think it’s so beautiful that they have such a deep unspoken understanding, and love for one another that doesn’t manifest itself into romance like most games of this nature would.

Same goes for Dante and Trish. Dante obviously wouldn’t get with her because of her connection to Mundus and her resemblance to his mother. This makes sense, but also I like to think them not getting together is another display of a deeper form of love. Trish learns to respect Dante, and love him for his kindness towards her despite betraying him. He was the first person to ever show her kindness no matter what she did to him. I also like to think that Dante doesn’t just care for her because he sees his mom. It used to be like that fs but later on he started seeing her for the person she wanted to be, and he truly loves who that person is.

And we can’t forget Nico, and Nero!! My shaylas fr. Nero is such a good friend to Nico, and Nico is so good for Nero. They balance each other out so well as they both can relate to having a shit dad (like most characters in this game lmao), and can provide different coping strategies for one another. I think Nero being so family oriented is also really good for Nico as it gives them both a sense of home. Also they’re just so funny together lol.

All the main men in these games respect their female counterparts so much that it would be weird for them to get with each other. I really like it that way we don’t have enough straight platonic relationships where the two involved love each other so deeply without there being romantic tension.

[inquirepannacottafugo]

If you want to could you talk shit about the others in your team? I like drama. You can skip Giorno if you want because I know you love her ❤️

I will include Giorno because it is for fairness,

Bruno:

-Likes fish a little bit too much, I think there's something deeper going on. I'm not sure what, but something is happening with him and those scaly creatures.

-Bad at cooking, specifically soup.

-He doesn't fucking use doors, he just zips his way in. Fuck locking the door, he'll zip his way in, like the nosy scum he is. Respectfully, keep it zipped.

Mista:

-Said he has never tried fresh celery, dirty little man.

-Unpleasant smell, it sticks to everything. Trust me, you know when he's coming.

-Asks the worst questions over meals, I don't want to hear his validations for cannibalism, even if he's against cannibalism himself.

Narancia:

-Plays his music too loud. His room is directly attached to mine by shared wall and he puts his speaker up against that wall in particular, I need him to stop.

-I don't understand how he talks sometimes, I didn't almost get a degree to have to learn what a 'skibidi' is. I don't care about Mr Toilet or his camera men, are they in a harem or something alike?

-He peels fruits and leaves the skin on the table and the table almost always has fruit juice on it, irritates me. I don't want my hand being on a sticky mess, it ruins my day.

Trish (I suppose she counts) :

-I believe, in my personal opinion, she has too much stuff. There is a lot of items in her ownership and it's getting hard to keep track of.

-She keeps calling me emo (I'm fucking NOT.)

-Generally annoying, she keeps taking MY seat at the dinner table (which I've had the same seat for three plus years) and she needs to recognize that she doesn't always have special privileges. If anything, she should have reduced privileges because she was the ex boss of Passiones daughter, indirectly, she caused a lot of people to die/almost die. She will make me end my life if she takes MY favorite seat one more time, I don't like sitting anywhere else and she needs to know her place under my heel, not on my chair.

Giorno:

-Doesn't let bugs out of the house when someone tells her to, 'it's their home too now, they're too little to know where they are'. Shut up, Narancia's plenty little too and he fucking knows where he is. Plus Abbacchio's a little cockroach, he knows where he is, get those fucking little crawlers OUT.

-Keeps turning my pencils into frogs, stop it. I need my pencils, what I don't need is a Lake Titicaca Frog. Thank you very much.

-More of a complaint directed at Golden Experience, but she willingly let's Golden Experience out, so it's on her. I need that damn stand to STOP hugging my stand, Purple Haze is a rabies ridden little freak who does not deserve a hug. Additional little point, stop comparing my stand to a dog, Purple Haze may drool like one and rub his face against things, but that freak is not a dog.

Abbacchio:

-Ugly.

-Seventeen teeth.

-Seventeen teeth and one growing.

-Still bitching about his seventeen toothbrushes that went missing, one for each rotten little tooth.

-Hasn't replaced his toothbrushes in over fifteen years.

-Alcoholic bitch who leaves glass bottles on the floor in front of my room to watch me trip over, it's NOT funny.

-I'm convinced he hasn't read a book in over ten years.

-Ex cop.

-Smelly.

-I haven't seen him sleep in his actual room in over three months.

-His lipstick looks bad, It's not your color, let it go.

-Has a stupid little 'A' bag that reminds me of the Lost Relic Of Atlantis from Spongebob Squarepants.

-Hair looks like Squidward (from Spongebob Squarepants') tentacles, it also makes the noises when he walks, I bet it's so greasy it sticks like tentacles too.

-Copied my hair color.

-Has a stupid fucking stand who looks like a stingray.

-Stand has ugly eyes.

-Listens to bad music.

-Stupid.

-Outfit is an ugly color.

-I don't like his shoes.

-Depressed.

-Broke the toilet by shitting too hard a few weeks back.

-Pisses really loudly, seriously, it sounds like chicken being fried.

-What is up with that stupid fucking little purple thing on his stupid fucking cone head?

-Resting bitch face but in a bad way.

-Why does he look like that?

-In dire need of cosmetic surgery.

-I'm half convinced he didn't graduate Elementary School.

-I don't like his personality.

-His beer is cheap and tastes like shit.

-Eyes are an ugly color.

-I saw him eat cake barehanded once, no utensils, no nothing, he didn't even wash his hands before or after. He just committed the diabolical act and left the plate on the side, before scurrying out like the little spineless rat man he is.

-Should be dead.

-Generally just disappointing to be around, he's just so uninteresting.

-Owns a rat, which he probably got so he could sit on the floor and munch cheese with and claim it to be 'bonding' instead of him trying to be the mischievous little mouse he thinks himself to be.

-I fucking hate him.

[dioslesbianwife]

Pspspsps Its me again.

Im Here to request the Part 5 gang with a Reader whom has Anxiety. and maybe they have a dangerous stand that corresponds with that Anxiety.

“Id rather be Violent that anxious”

Thank you sm.!

hii, no prob- hope you enjoy and thank you for requesting :3

Giorno:

Giorno immediately notices that your anxiety tends to spike in stressful situations. He’s observant enough to catch the small signs before your Stand activates.

When he first sees your Stand in action- lashing out violently when your anxiety becomes too much- he doesn’t seem fazed. Instead, he calmly approaches you, soothing your nerves with a gentle touch.

“You don’t have to fight alone. We’re here to help you.” He means it, and over time, he tries to help you control your Stand.

Respects your desire to be violent rather than anxious, but gently encourages you to find balance. Giorno knows you’re strong, and he wants you to feel secure without resorting to violence all the time.

Bruno:

Bruno is compassionate and understanding. The first time he sees your Stand manifest out of anxiety, he carefully intervenes, making sure you’re safe before addressing your feelings.

He’s firm but gentle when discussing your tendency to choose violence over anxiety. “It’s alright to feel afraid sometimes. You don’t always have to fight your way through it.”

Makes sure you know that the gang has your back, so you don’t feel pressured to always be on edge. Offers a comforting presence and a safe space when you need it.

Abbacchio:

At first, Abbacchio is a bit harsh about it, not fully understanding why you lash out. However, when he learns about your anxiety, he softens- just a bit.

He doesn’t coddle you, but he respects your strength. “If violence keeps you from breaking down, I get it. Just don’t take it out on us.”

Over time, he becomes more protective of you, using his own tough demeanor to shield you from situations that might set off your anxiety. He won’t say it, but he cares.

Fugo:

Fugo best understands the overwhelming feeling of losing control emotionally, and he sympathizes with your struggle. When your Stand lashes out, he’s quick to back you up rather than scold you.

He’s honest with you, admitting that he also sometimes feels like it’s easier to snap than to stay calm. This shared understanding makes you feel less alone.

If anyone dares to criticize you for being too intense, Fugo’s the first to snap back, fiercely defending your right to feel what you feel.

Trish:

Trish sees a bit of herself in you. She knows what it’s like to feel vulnerable and need ways to cope.

She doesn’t judge you for it, but she does encourage you to try expressing your feelings before resorting to violence. “It’s okay to be anxious. You don’t have to hurt someone to prove you’re not.”

Sometimes she’ll distract you with something comforting, like talking about fashion or doing your hair. It’s her way of helping without making you feel weak.

Mista:

Mista tries to lighten the mood when your anxiety gets bad, cracking jokes or pulling you into a game to keep your mind off things.

When your Stand activates, he’s not scared- more impressed, honestly. He’ll tease you about being “more badass than he thought.”

Once he learns why you act that way, he becomes more thoughtful, staying close to you during tense moments. “If you gotta fight, make sure I’m there to back you up, alright?”

Narancia:

Narancia’s not the best at dealing with heavy emotions, but he knows when you’re stressed, and his first instinct is to cheer you up.

He doesn’t see your Stand as scary at all- in fact, he thinks it’s cool how you can turn anxiety into power.

Once he realizes that violence is your way of coping, he sticks by your side, ready to support you no matter what. “We’ll fight together if we have to. You don’t have to do it alone.”

[armybratz123]

The Netflix Devil May Cry show: Why I Think it's Utter Trash

Okay, this is usually not my thing. My sister, Froggy, is the one who usually goes on rants about stuff. Usually, her gothic stories and Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss stuff. But I need to get this out somewhere. My sisters don't know the story as well/don't want to/are tired of hearing it. My brother hasn't seen the show (and no way in hell am I letting him), so he only barely understands when I manage to explain it to him.

So now I'm finally using my account for something outside of my quick ideas that I need to get out and decide are good enough to post.

First off, I want to start on the subject that has the most controversy and mixed reactions among the audience of the Devil May Cry Netflix show. The Makaian refugees, I was wierded out by the concept at first, honestly.

The reason why I didn't care for the Makaian refugees in the Netflix show is that what made Devil May Cry so impactful is that Demons are born bad. With these instincts to hurt and kill and make others miserable. It's what makes stories like Sparda, Trish, and Bradley (a Demon who fell in love with a human in the 2007 anime) so impactful.

Because despite their instincts, their heritage, and how they were raised, they chose to be something different. Something good. It felt out of place, but I could deal with it...... until they started using the refugees to pretty much spit on Sparda's name. The White Rabbit's whole motivation is that humans are ruthless creatures, in his eyes they are the true Demons, and Sparda is an idiot and the real Bad Guy because he chose one helpless, but cruel/unworthy race, over the other helpless race that are suffering, dying, and of his own kind. Another thing that took away the impact of Sparda's deeds.

I didn't entirely care for the Makaian refugees at the start, because I saw them as what I thought them to be, at the time, a tool. Mary (I'm not calling her Lady, that woman in the show is not Lady. She's no Walking Arsenal, she's a fake) was written to hate Demons to the extreme x10, they needed something to the extreme to knock her down a few pegs. Thus, the Makaian refugees.... And then I watch what basically was a reenactment of the Holocaust at the end of the episode. When I was watching the show, there was one part that really stuck with me. It was when the Darkcom soldiers were loading up the refugees under Mary's orders onto the trucks, you know, the ones meant to hold demons with flamethrowers on the inside? I was getting nervous. All I could think of was the stupid flamethrowers, but I had to remind myself that this is supposed to represent change, the humans, overall, are the good guys here. Seeing and helping the refugees will help them see the bigger picture- oH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?

The Vice-President ordered them to kill them all, and they fucking lined the ones left in the building up, and my mind kept blanking out, the images from the stories I read, the stories I learned growing up, of how Jews would be lined up in the streets, in broad daylight even, and executed for the crime of existing. There were tears in my eyes because I saw what was coming next. My gut was screaming about it since I saw the refugees being loaded up in those damned trucks, and I was reminded of the showers in Concentration camps, only this time, instead of gas, it was fire. Which could be argued to be a worse, more painful death. I was crying in the end, not sobbing though, my mouth was too busy hanging beneath my shoulders in horror to be sobbing while I cried.

I wasn't the show's biggest fan or anything, but before that point, I thought the show was okay. I could deal with it, it's not canon, no skin off my back. It could be a what-if Dante never knew his Father and who he is, and Lady had already killed hers since the beginning, so she was no longer after him for revenge. But they did that.

Whether or not the Makaian refugees wrecked the Devil May Cry universe and the impact it was meant to be, we still had reason to cheer for humans, for our people, for justice to come out on top. The whole point of Devil May Cry is to push the boundaries of justice, of what's considered right and wrong, because Demons don't consider those boundaries, so sometimes, tough decisions are made. The point of Devil May Cry's lesson was to reveal the shades of grey that make up the real world and that we alone are in charge of making up our identity. Instead, the Netflix show decided to dig their heels in, shovel themselves a deeper grave, and show us that there is a Black and White, but both are to the extreme that you can't even tell what was right and wrong anymore, with just of sliver of Grey in the middle and the grey is actually just Dante.

And right after that episode, we saw the White Rabbit's and Mary's backstories. It was cool how they did it with the music, little to no sound, music was great too. And then they hit me with the ending again and I just wanted to groan.

I was already emotionally tired and done with the show because the extermination of the Makaian refugees literally just happened at the end of the last episode.

By the end of the show, I just settled for cheering for Dante and hoping he beat the White Rabbit so the divide Sparda made wouldn't be destroyed. He did, and then he mentions him and Mary partnering up and fighting Demons together, protecting humanity. I though I saw Lady, that we were going to get out duo, they will build the Devil May Cry shop together, okay. Alot of sucky bits, but I can be happy with this ending- Mary just betrayed Dante and drugged him to unconsciousness.

Vice President stole the White Rabbit's portal device and is now using it to invade Makai because his Ego is the size of a continent.

And now Dante has been put on ice, like he's a weapon being put away until ready for when is in need to be used again.

You can't- You can't just give me the one thing? Just the one? Seriously? Are you for real? I was ready, I was ready and willing to give you a chance. I am a hardcore Devil May Cry fan who looked into the lore outside of the games and was willing to give you a chance. In fact, I gave you multiple! And in return... You Give Me....... THIS FLAMING PIECE OF HOT GARBAGE!!!

For over an hour. I was pissed for over an hour and felt like I just wasted four hours. Of. My. Life. I wasted four hours of my life right there, because, of course, I binged it. They nerfed Dante, Mary killed more high-end demons than he did, made Lady a backstabbing bitch with a potty mouth worse than Nero's, twisted just about everything that made Devil May Cry what it was, and just pumped up everything to the extreme.

Down in the comments, tell me, did anyone else just give up and start cheering for the demons at the end after Dante was put away? Because to be honest, when Vergil showed up, I wasn't happy he showed up because I like Vergil, no, I was in relief because I was FREAKING CHEERING FOR THE DEMONS AT THE END OF IT!!! I should NOT be cheering for the demons! I was even imagining how Vergil would rescue Dante due to this ending. Just-! JUST-! uuuUUUURRRGGGHHH!!!!!

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So yeah. Not a fan.

And yes, being a Devil May Cry fan did make me hate the show. I am aware of my own bias, but I also know myself. I don't like the writing of this show, even if I weren't a Devil May Cry fan, I wouldn't like this show. I wouldn't feel hot burning rage and as if I wasted four precious hours of my life, but I still would dislike the show. I don't know if I would still call it trash if I weren't a fan.

But I am a fan.

So, it's Trash.

[chronicallyonline101]

How do you think la squadra would react to having a member similar to trish? Like a rich teen girl with an attitude problem?

OUUUUGGHHHHH THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE Trish was EXTREMELY lucky to have Bruno assigned as her caretaker. He didn't see her as a rich, spoilt brat, he saw her as what she was; a traumatised teenage girl that had been thrown into a situation WAY out of her depth, so while some members of his team treated her a bit harshly, they were kind to her because Bruno helped them understand her situation, and it was with his support that she was able to fully come into her own and grow confident with herself! I'm not sure if someone with a similar personality and upbringing would be treated the same way if they joined La Squadra... they may not be as understanding as Bruno was, and so, she wouldn't find herself in the same way Trish did!

BUT. THAT DOESNT MEAN SHE WOULDNT FIND HERSELF AT ALL - La Squadra aren't evil, they wouldn't just hate her. And I think this is a very interesting to explore SO more under the cut!

Platonic La Squadra Di Execuzioni + Rich Teen Girl with an attitude problem.

I think the first issue the team would have with her is NOT her attitude problem, but the fact that she is a teenager. A child should not be doing the things that they do; it's dangerous, it's traumatising, it's cruel to put someone so young through a situation like that. I think that members like Risotto, Pesci, Prosciutto, Formaggio and Melone would sympathise with her the most in this regard - especially Formaggio, Prosciutto and Melone, as I headcanon them as having joined Passione when they were rather young. It upsets them that Passione targets young, vulnerable individuals and it pisses them off to see another teenager going down the same route.

They probably go rather easy on her in this regard. She would go on less missions than them, and when she does go on a mission, she is accompanied by someone and that person is expected to carry the whole mission - which, when your a spoilt teen, you wouldn't really complain about.

One thing that should be made clear though, despite how much they sympathise with her that La Squadra would NOT take kindly to her spoilt behaviour; they are a team with very little to their name and most of them have never experienced the luxury and privilege that she would of had growing up. Illuso and Sorbet get along with her in this regard however; they'd use her bratty nature and the sympathy the others feel for her as a way to get what they want - "She said she wanted this shampoo, didn't you hear?" , "Get the expensive water, it tastes better, think of how upset her parents would be if they found out we were letting her taste poverty." , "She's going to cry, Prosciutto! Let her get what she wants!"

They aren't a good influence on her at all, because unlike Trish, who in the face of a dire situation learnt to get over her spoilt tendencies, this girl is getting rewarded for her attitude. Crying and lashing out has Prosciutto caving because he has too much of a headache to deal with that, yelling will have Risotto adhering because he hates loud noises, being mean and picking on people brings forth laughter from Formaggio, Illuso, Sorbet and Gelato and so she'll just get worse and worse - so, unlike Trish who got kinder and more confident as the series went on, this girl, in addition to getting more confident, gets meaner and ruder.

THIS, HOWEVER, IS HOW I THINK SHE WOULD COME INTO HER OWN. Trish developed Spice Girl because she needed to protect Giorno's Ladybug - the situation on her team was dire, if that Ladybug was destroyed then Golden Experience would become useless, which meant that Narancia and Mista couldn't be healed and the three of them would be out of commission permanently. She needed something to protect the people she cared for, and that is how her stand awakened. I think it would be the same for this girl, because even if they get frustrated over her behaviour, I think a genuine bond could form between them and so, when on a mission where she's left alone because the enemy has actually managed to take out whomever was taking care of her that day, I think she would establish herself as a competent hitman with her stand. And her selfless actions would show the team that she actually cares for them, as bratty as she can get, and it would solidify the familial dynamic that the group has for her.

ANYWAYS thats all my yapping... i hope this is similar to what you wanted!!! if not just send another and i'll try again!

[randomthefox]

THE DANTE FIGHT! HELLS YEAH! This is SO FUCKING FUN especially on higher difficulties. DMC3SE included Vergil as a playable character, but there was unfortunately no Dante fight you just fought a palette swap of Vergil. So a proper boss fight against Dante was a DREAM COME TRUE in this game, including the way he fucking SWITCHES STYLES DURING THE BOSS FIGHT and uses all the same moves from DMC3! This fight is sick as hell, and I don't care how much you hate Nero as a character his inclusion was worth it for this alone.

Nero has been very pissy in all the cutscenes leading up to this, understandably so because Kyrie is in the fridge. So I really like how this fight is basically Dante's way of calming Nero down so he can get his head in the game And Also testing him to make sure he has what it takes. I honestly really love this kind of thing, where the protagonist from the previous games passes the torch in a moment like this where he gives his approval to let the new protagonist handle the conflict. Because you really get the sense that everything going on with the Savior is sort of beneath Dante he could mop this whole situation up himself without breaking a sweat. But if Nero can prove he can handle it, he's happy to be sidelined and let the new kid on the block step up to the plate. Obviously Dante let Nero win. But he did enough to prove himself and get Dante's blessing.

Not only that but in this scene, especially when Nero activates his Devil Trigger and wields the Yamato, Dante is 99.9% certain that Nero is Vergil's son at this point. After the fight he even says he wants the Yamato to stay in the family, and then ONE SENTENCE LATER says he'll let Nero hold onto it. See, the Yamato will not work for anybody but a member of Sparda's family - as Agnus says he was never able to put it repair it let alone use its power. Yamato works for Nero because Nero is not only of the blood of Sparda, but he gets extra points for being Vergil's son. The game is all but shouting in your face that Nero is Vergil's son, all the pieces are there and we can put the puzzle together ourself to see the full picture.

I also love the moment where Dante calls Nero a kid and Nero gets all pissy about it lol. It's funny how much Dante has matured since DMC3 huh? In that game he was an immature punk himself. Now he's cool ol' uncle Dante trying to wrangle in this young buck Nero who's rude and crass and foul mouthed. You know something? The philosophy behind Dante as a character was that he was designed to be a hero who was the epitome of cool, but doesn't smoke. He doesn't smoke, drink, he doesn't even cuss! He's a PG rated cool dude, with total confidence and style, he's like a human Sonic the Hedgehog! But Nero? Nero is a punk, he's edgy, he's a young rebel of a hero who uses swear words! It's a real generational dispute here lol. Dante is classic coca cola and Nero is PEPSI MAX.

I kinda love the bit at the end where Gloria shows up. Up until this point you might have thought Gloria was exactly what she appeared to be, a mysterious and dangerous sexy member of the Order of the Sword, and she got to show off during a big action scene devoted to her. It seemed like they were setting up for a boss fight! Dante vs Gloria? But then naw, the game pulls a joke on us and has Dante immediately recognize that it's Trish in disguise, and she drops the act and reveals herself to us. SUBVERSION OF EXPECTATIONS =P

I like Dante and Trish's dynamic. Wish we'd gotten to see more of it. Due to the way the story of these games ended up going, we only get occasional glimpses of their chemistry as demon hunting partners. DMC1 ended with them being hero and sidekick, but we so rarely actually get to see them working together like this. Plus I just really like Trish as a character. Oh well, least there's always that one episode of the animated series. Oh and the PS2 version of Viewtiful Joe.

[icycoldninja]

Hello!! Can I request for a platonic one for the Sparda bros with Nero and V? Like what if the twin have a younger sister who got most of their mom’s features, but still as strong as them. She’s kinda like Nero, stubborn, reckless, but has a big heart and like the twin she got an obsession with video games

Please n thank u 🙏

Yes, of course! Enjoy 💜

Sparda boys + V x Reader platonic headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-Dante is reminded of you guys' mom every time he looks at you. You're basically a younger clone of Eva, which is both a good thing and a bad thing, because as much as he loves his mother, he is reminded of everything that happened when he looks at you.

-Dante trained you to be as strong as he is, (Vergil helped too) and is glad you turned out to be a badass devil hunter just like the rest of your family.

-Dante loves you, as any big brother does, but, being your sibling, he is obligated to argue with you at least twice a day.

-Will steal your food when you're not looking, especially if it's pizza.

-Sometimes your arguments turn into full on wrestling competitions where the victor usually isn't clear for several hours.

-However, Dante will always be around to play games with you when you want him to.

■ Vergil ■

-Vergil is that overprotective older brother that scares away all your friends and potential dates cause he doesn't trust them.

-He takes very good care of you because you remind him of his mother, whom he failed to protect. He'll make up for it now by protecting you.

-He'll train you to be a swordswoman who is at least half as good as he is so if you're ever in danger and he's not around to help, you can defend yourself.

-You are the only person who can get between him and Dante and stop a fight without getting injured or called deadweight in the process.

-Still, as siblings are inclined to do, you guys still fight a lot, usually over menial things. For instance, Vergil will insist you misplaced his copy of William Blake, you'll deny it, an argument starts, Vergil rises from his seat in anger, discovers he was sitting on it the entire time, and sits back down sulkily as you give him the silent treatment. About an hour later you'll be back on speaking terms.

-Doesn't know how to play video games because he's your boomer bro, but he won't object to being taught.

□ Nero □

-Nero finds you to be the cool aunt, though you're really more like his best friend since you have less of an age gap.

-Plays video games with you all day, every day, whenever you want.

-Is amazed that you have the power to stop an argument or fight between Dante and Vergil and that they actually listen to you.

-It must be because you look like their mom, Nero reasons, and he's right. Also, the fact that you look almost like a carbon copy of Eva means that Nero gets a chance to bond with his grandma and aunt at the same time.

-Loves to spar with you to test your strength and see how well Dante and Vergil trained you.

-Is really more fond of you than he is of his own dad.

● V ●

-V, being the human half of Vergil, knew who you were and had some level of familiarity towards you, but carried none of the brotherly love Vergil had.

-Because the memories he gained from Vergil are somewhat fuzzy, he mistook you as Eva herself when he first saw you and had to do a double take. Then when he saw you and Trish standing side by side, he thought the two of you were twin sisters.

-Does not know what video games are as he's only ever read poetry, but with your guidance, he might learn...someday...when he finally understands that the controller is not magic and that the TV is not a window to another universe...

-Is very glad you're as strong as the Sparda twins because his condition warrants a bodyguard, ashamed as he is to admit it. You, the younger sibling, must now protect her older brother's human half because said human half is trying to protect you.

-V cares for you, and even though he doesn't see you as his sister, he does see you as a very dear friend.

-He will divulge Vergil's secrets to you, and also spill the beans on how this MOTIVATED man feels about his baby sister so you can use it to tease him later.

[thus-wrote-mrs-zeppeli]

hear me out

Okuyasu, Trish and Lucy with a reader who's kind of a parental figure for them. Like taking care of them all the time, and just generally being very doting with them. Thank you in advance!

That sounds sweet, lets do it~

Side note I have to say how much I LOVE Trish Una underutilized character big time, she’s so interesting.

Discussion of her becoming a pop star after the events of Golden Wind

Sorry I only really had thoughts for Trish and Lucy, My Daughters fr

Reader is a parental figure to Trish and Lucy

Trish Una: She seems like a closed off girl, but you’re sympathetic to her…it’s difficult to lose your mother that young, AND find out that your biological father quite literally hates you and wants you dead. Really she’s remarkably strong, but she shouldn’t have to be strong at her age.

As a parental figure to her, you try to give her some semblance of a normal life, taking her shopping and buying her all sorts of presents, and supporting her taking some singing classes.

She struggles to open up. Of course she does. She has to be stoic and strong to protect herself, and she had to be on her own when her mother died.

So you have to be patient with her.

But when she finally trusts you, she’ll slowly open up to you, bit by bit. It hurts to hear how scared she really is. How much she hates the legacy her father left behind. She speaks so much about how her father doesn’t determine who she is and what she can do in her life, but sometimes…it still haunts her. He would’ve killed her. Her own father. Even though it’s all over, she can’t escape it.

So even though she doesn’t usually say it, she’s grateful to you. A listening ear, an actual parental figure back in her life…she’s just afraid you’re going to leave or disappear too. So she tries not to be too dependent on you.

She’ll probably never be able to fully open up and confide in you, but she’ll always have a place in your home as a daughter to you. And she’ll remember your kindness to her.

She stays in touch once she’s out on her own. Sometimes she’ll send letters to you or give you a phone call. And you’re always a welcome VIP guest to her concerts. She doesn’t know how to express it, but she’s always happy to see that you’ve come to her shows. Makes her know you’re still on her side and supportive of her.

Lucy Steel: It’s so sad. She’s a young girl. But when you speak to her she talks like an adult, acts like an adult, always forced to behave like an adult.

She doesn’t deserve that. She needs to be a normal kid.

You’re not sure what you’re even supposed to do for her honestly, so you just try to be a friend to her, without any expectations for her to act or talk a certain way. There is no pressure when she’s around you. You just encourage her to think about herself for once. It’s strange, she has to act so grown up all the time that sometimes it seems she’s even more of an adult than you.

At first she can’t even bring herself to drop her act, no matter how comfortable she feels around you. She always has to be Mrs. Steel, even with you. Even though she trusts you and sees you as a parent, she doesn’t even know what children her age do.

You dote on her, and she doesn’t have any adult responsibilities when she’s with you, and you try to encourage her to make friends with people her age. She’s a sweet girl, kind and respectful, but struggles to connect with kids the same age as her. Understandably, since she’s had to be an adult for so long.

You’re glad she’s able to open up to you about how frustrating it is that she just can’t understand her peers, but with your encouragement, she won’t give up.

She’ll always be different from the other children, but the more she gets to slow down and enjoy life again, the more she’s able to relax a bit and not be so formal around other kids.

It always warms your heart to see her smiling and having fun doing normal kid stuff. And she’s grateful to you for giving her the opportunity to be her own age. She makes a habit of sending you money with her letters, and she always makes sure to visit you every couple months once she’s older, to check on you and make sure the person she trusted and loved as her parent is doing okay.

-

I feel my inspiration to write coming back, I’m so glad!

[suzukiblu]

For Wip Wednesday is it possible to request one of each? Or would you prefer individual asks for different wipes?

the Gotham Kid

Trauma can do a lot to a person, though, and it’s not like the Alley isn’t spoiled for it. Kid’s only been here a few months, and he’s seen way worse than something a cheap dye job could cover up. 

Way, way worse. 

“Should it be, pretty boy?” Trish asks the guy, her smile pleasantly poisonous and familiarly shit-starting. Kid might have to rough up a couple guys before they're done here, he notes in mild resignation. Not that he blames her for wanting to make it clear that this isn't the time or place for outsiders to be fucking with anybody, but these guys haven't actually done any fucking with anybody yet. 

Though he does know better than to give anybody in Gotham too much benefit of the doubt, especially in Crime Alley. 

Superman would, but Superman would do a lot of things Kid can't afford to.

Could never afford to.

the one where Kon isn't the father

Tim cries all over himself and also Kon for way, way too long, but it’s–fine. It’s fine. He can explain looking like he cried to the Kents, because crying over his dead boyfriend coming back to life is a perfectly normal emotional response. 

And Kon is, technically, his dead boyfriend now. Or–not the dead part anymore, obviously, but–

“The cover’s good as-is,” Kon murmurs quietly as they’re sitting together in the far corner of the nursery. She’s still asleep. Tim couldn’t bring himself to leave her and go upstairs, though. “Like–what everybody assumed, I mean. They already all think it anyway, right? Like, they’re all already convinced. So coming up with a different lie might just make ‘em reexamine shit and maybe notice something, and that’d be a problem.” 

“It would,” Tim agrees in relief, glad that Kon understands that. But also . . . “But you want to tell them–you want to pretend about us, too?” 

“I don’t want anybody to have a single reason to doubt who Kyra’s other dad is,” Kon says. “Ever.” 

“You don’t have to do this,” Tim says, although if Kon doesn’t it's going to ruin his life. 

Ruin Kyra’s life, more importantly. 

“Fuck off, Rob, don’t tell me what to do,” Kon snorts the exact same way he used to in their Young Justice days, and Tim chokes on a sob of a laugh. Fuck, he’s missed him. 

He’s missed him so, so much.

Match technically is also a Luthor

Match finds that response . . . strange. Strange in several ways, in fact, because it almost sounded like Luthor was actually listening to what he said. 

Almost. 

“I take it there isn’t something less idiotic than ‘Subject Match’ to be calling you, then?” Luthor says. 

“No,” Match says. He doesn’t particularly care what anyone thinks of his designation–it’s perfectly serviceable–but he doesn’t know what he thinks of the way Luthor’s commenting on it. Like he thinks the Agenda should’ve . . . tried harder or something. 

That can’t be right, Match thinks. 

“Of course there’s not,” Luthor snorts dubiously. “Fine, I’ll come up with something bearable in the car. Now come along, I wasn’t actually joking about that meeting I have to terrorize. The board members have been getting ideas again, suicidal little optimists that they are.” 

“In the . . . car?” Match asks incredibly. What, did he just drive here? 

“That is what I said, yes,” Luthor says, then snaps his fingers impatiently beore turning back towards the door. “Keep up.” 

And Match doesn’t understand what the hell is happening here or even why it’s happening at all, but he doesn’t have orders and Luthor definitely does have kryptonite, or at least an Amazon or two, so Match just . . . 

Follows him.

weird Kryptonian bonding rituals

“Huh?” Clark startles, and they all look over at Lois. She looks triumphant, waving her phone. 

“Conner,” she repeats matter-of-factly. “It’s easy to pronounce, common enough he won’t constantly be having to spell it, but still uncommon enough there won’t be twelve other ones everywhere he goes. Also it means ‘lover of hounds’, so we have to get him a dog now. Do you want a dog, Conner? And, uh, also the name. Also do you want the name.” 

“. . . maybe?” Superboy looks curious, floating over to peer at the phone screen. “What’s having a dog like?” 

“It's nice, if you get one who's right for you and take good care of them,” Clark says, immediately resolving to find an apartment that allows pets. He’ll pay the pet fee. He’ll pay a monthly pet fee if he has to. Superboy can have all the dogs he wants. “It's rewarding. And, well–nice, again. Dogs are great, and they love people. Man’s best friend and all that, you know? Not that we necessarily count as that kind of ‘man’ because of the whole alien definitely-not-biological-weapons issue but–look, it’s fine, dogs are great! They don’t even get weird about us being the wrong species! Um. Not the wrong species, just . . .”

“A dog would love me?” Superboy tilts his head, then . . . blinks, very slowly. “Like–how much?” 

“Almost as much as we're going to,” Clark says, his chest clenching tightly.

the last son of Krypton meets Hypertime Kon

“We’ll help you however we can,” Clark promises again, slightly rephrased, and Kon looks surprised. 

“Um–you sure it's not a problem?” he hedges awkwardly. “I can, like, go bother somebody who’s less busy . . .” 

Clark cannot imagine ever being busy enough to ignore this kid, much less pawn him off on someone else. That is not a thing that he is ever going to do, no matter how long it takes to get Kon home. He’s another Kryptonian, and one who’s proudly wearing the El crest and carrying both genes and a name from a version of him. How could he do anything less than his best for him? 

“It’s not a problem at all,” he says firmly, giving Kon’s shoulder another squeeze before dropping his hand away. 

“Certainly not,” Diana agrees. 

“It’s definitely a problem,” Bruce mutters under his breath, like he’s never picked up a random stray kid who he doesn’t know anything about except how much they needed his help. Hypocrite, Clark thinks both wryly and fondly.

[aritamargarita]

ATTITUDE || 003

YOU ACTUALLY MIGHT have your match tonight, you had a WCW meeting, and afterwards, you make some new friends. Friends that seem to be Vince McMahon’s left-hand and right-hand man. You kinda wanna go home now.

“I’m glad you could join us, [Name].” Regal actually sounded relieved to see you walk through the door. “Though…” He peers down at his watch and then looks back up at you. “You’re about 10 minutes late, young lady.”

His scolding tone makes you grimace. “Sorry.” You mutter out, keeping your hand on the doorknob.

It wasn’t your intention to actually be late, the stupid rental car ended up stalling and you had to get it towed. Cheap ass New York. You ended up getting a taxi to the airport, then immediately after landing in Seattle, begged the workers at Seattle-Tacoma International to give you a rental last minute.

You couldn’t even use the excuse of “do you know who I am,” you were completely at their mercy until they relented and gave you a rental, one that you were required to return within 24 hours. Fine, whatever. You could do that.

As soon as you hit the doors of the arena, one of the producers immediately told you to visit Regal’s office. They’re running a bit behind schedule and need you in the room because it’s live, something like that. They rushed you so much that you could barely grasp what they said.

Guess everything’s messed up today.

And here you are, apologetic and slightly surprised at who you see in the room. Edge, Christian, Matt, Lita, and Jeff—all five of them are here. They’re as surprised as you are, but it's Edge who bolts toward you.

“[Name], [Name], [Name],” Edge repeats your name, taking you by the shoulders and leading you over to Regal’s desk. “I don’t know what he doesn’t get,” He starts off, earning a dirty look from Matt. “Maybe you can get him to understand you. This match isn’t handicap, right?”

“Not at all,” You confirm. “It’s supposed to be us three against you three. What’s going on?”

“That doesn’t matter, okay? Why did you guys even ask for this?” Lita interjected, clearly not on board with it at all. An exasperated look is on her face once she looks towards Regal and back to you. “That’s not gonna give us enough time to prepare, especially if I have to go on again after I fight Trish.”

“You’re up against Trish tonight?” You question. “Must want some revenge for-”

Matt immediately cuts you off, his voice way louder than yours. “It’s funny you of all people decided to show up last. I don’t know which one of ya’ gave him the idea for this match, but it ain’t fair.”

You stand your ground. “I’m sure all of you have performed twice, right?” You fire at him, pointing a finger between Matt, Lita, and Jeff. “I’m sure all of us have been out there more than once, even. What makes it any different now?”

“The fact we don’t want to go against you guys! Is that hard to understand?!” Matt shouts. He’s getting frustrated, so Lita decides to take over.

“Listen,” She starts off. You can hear the strain in her voice even if she was trying to keep calm. “It’s messed up that you guys didn’t ask us first. You just went ahead and did it. There’s other important things we have to do, and for me, that’s dealing with Trish. She’s gotta pay for what she did.”

At the end of her sentence, there’s jealousy as clear as day in her voice. Christian rolls his eyes, uninterested.

“We don’t care.” Christian takes a step toward Lita. “We want a match against you guys. Winner takes all, final showdown.”

Matt immediately shoots to her defense, hopping right in front of her to face Christian. “If you think you’re getting a match, you’re wrong. Back off, man!”

“Ughhhh!” You groan out, startling everyone. “My god, you talk so much. Are we ever gonna have a turn, Matt?” You felt like no one on your side could get a word in edgeways since Matt was trying to take charge.

As far as you know, Jeff hasn’t said a word since you’ve arrived. He’d been eerily quiet, only making faces and shaking his head. He was like a ghost in the room, standing away from the drama and only spectating it.

Meanwhile, Edge feels like he had been talking to a brick wall. Both of his hands run through his hair in exasperation.

Regal let out a sigh and gets up from his chair. “Ladies and gentlemen!” He calls all of your attention now in order to halt this dispute from getting even more heated. “That’s enough. Stop arguing like children. My decision is final. This match will be taking place tonight and it will be intergender.”

You’re satisfied with that. It didn’t matter who you got your hands on, as long as you got in that ring. Glancing around, you look at all the combined expressions in the room. Matt’s seething, Lita, who’s clearly on edge, and Jeff who is…still oddly quiet. Both Edge and Christian are neutral, but there’s smiles playing on their lips.

He turns over to Matt, Lita, and Jeff. “The matches won’t be taking place back to back. There’s going to be time in between the matches, just for you, Team Extreme,” His voice is rather mocking when he refers to the other three.

And your team as well, as he pens a brand new name for you three. “ As for you, EC[N], try to plan something a bit more in advance next time. I don’t appreciate the lot of you arguing in my office, there is no room for belligerence here.”

“Sorry.” You’re first to apologize to get on his good side. “On behalf of me, Edge, and Christian.”

With Lita knowing that she’s probably the only one who’d say something nice or anything at all, she speaks up for the other two. “Yeah. We’re sorry. All of us.”

“That’s alright.” Regal quickly accepts those apologies. “As long as some of you have the manners to apologize. I suggest you all to get ready. You’ve got a long night ahead of you, yeah?”

You’re all dismissed, and you give Regal one last nod of appreciation before you go. But, as you’re heading out, you tell Edge and Christian to go on without you for now. You’ll catch up with them later.

You decide to stick back in the hallway and wait for the others to come out. You’d like to have a word with them.

It doesn’t take long before Jeff is the first one that comes out first, and he freezing up when he sees you standing there.

“Jeff Hardy.” You say. “Hello!”

“…Hey.” He greeted, holding his hand up. When he takes a look behind him, he sees that Matt was still complaining to Regal while Lita was trying to get him to let it go for now. He mutters something to himself, something about having some time before Matt actually loses it.

Suppose that gives him more time to speak with you. “I had wondered when I’d get one on one time with you.” You say with a grin. “You were so quiet I almost forgot you were in there. How are you?”

Jeff lets the door close behind him. “I’m fine. You should probably know I don’t talk much, so you shouldn’t expect anything from me.” He seemed to prefer observing things rather than engaging in any conversation, obviously.

All he can do is give you a shrug. “Matt usually does all the talking for me. I’d rather show things than tell them, y’know? Actions speak louder than words.”

You let out a chuckle. “Wow. That’s almost the most I’ve heard you talk, I think.” You’re impressed. “You’re like an enigma. I give it about a month, I could figure you out.”

He’s a little amused at this, the ghost of a smile on his face. But as soon as you see it, it’s gone. He shrugs at you. “Maybe, but I’m not gonna make it very easy for you.”

As soon as you think you might be getting through to him just a little bit, Matt bursts open the door, mumbling even more complaints. “Hate that guy, he doesn’t even know what he’s talking about!”

Lita follows behind him. “It’s fine, Matt. Let’s just get ready.”

“Uh, hey guys,” You start off, getting their attention before they could chew you out. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for springing this on you so soon. And I’m sorry for snapping on you a little bit, Matt."

Matt rolls his eyes, not buying your apology. He waved his hand dismissively at you. He won’t say much, especially since he’s spent from airing out all his grievances.

But he knows he’ll have enough time to make you regret it in the ring later tonight, so not everything is so horrible right now.

“Oh, come on.” You frown. His silence bothers you. “We’re all supposed to be friends here. How can we bond properly if you don’t know how I work?”

As true as some of it may be, Matt scrunches up his face into a grimace. There’s something wrong with what you said and he’s damn sure pointing it out.

“Let’s get one thing straight now.” Matt’s already on the defensive. “We ain’t friends. None of us are your friends. I don’t know what fantasy world you live in, but you think we’re gonna trust you that easily after you hurt Lita on Raw? You’re crazy.”

He seems to care about Lita a lot. It’s sweet, sure, but it feels overbearing. You wonder if Lita could see that. You hold your hands up toward him. “Okay, okay, sheesh. Not friends. You don’t have to call me crazy.”

Crazy is a strong word. A strong word that shouldn’t apply to you. You’re not crazy.

Matt’s putting a damper on your little scheme, although you have to give him kudos for being wisened up. You’ll try again another time.

“Now that you’ve got us signed up for a match, we need to get ready.” Lita sighs out. That was their cue to leave, and Matt’s more than happy to take that opportunity.

“C’mon.” Matt says, ushering the other two to follow, not even waiting a second before heading down the hall.

Waiting for him to walk further away, Jeff turns to you. “…Take care.” That’s all he leaves you with as Lita goes right with him.

“I’ll see you in the ring!” You call after them. Theres no doubt about it though. After seeing you, they’re left with uneasy feelings in their chests.

“It looks like those three saw a ghost when [Name] showed up!” JR says. “I’m sure everyone is on edge right now.”

Paul gets exactly why they were so tense around you. “I would be too! This same woman from World Championship Wrestling ever so conveniently decided that she liked the WWF. I don’t buy it, JR!”

“Neither do I,” JR agreed. “But she may be our best bet when it comes to Invasion. She’s the only one that’s been close to WCW. If she ends up helping us to a victory, this may be a redemption to remember.”

Not even a few minutes after leaving Regal’s office, you were summoned by Shane McMahon for a meeting.

Why? You don’t know.

Whatever’s going on here, it’s something you weren’t really expecting. You were greeted by your coworkers almost as confused as you were.

But when Shane had called you and Booker T over to huddle up for some important news, you felt like you were given information you had no idea what to do with.

“Okay, let me get this straight.” You begin, still processing what you’ve heard. A reality check would be nice. “They’re bringing the titles over here?” The other members in the room are too busy with their own conversations to hear you.

“Unfortunately.” Shane sighs, sounding defeated. “Since we’re still part of the WWF, my father decided to bring them over. I understand since we’re all one, but I think it’s fair to keep it on its own show. That’s why Smackdown turned into WCW last time.”

“I missed that.” You admit. You only went to catering, then went right back to your hotel, as there wasn’t much left to do for you. You promised yourself you’d only lie down for a few minutes, but the sleep caught up to you. “Now he’s liable to lose his title.” You add, motioning towards Booker T’s title. “Is that right?”

Booker T isn’t happy at all about it. That’s understandable. You wouldn’t want to be in this predicament if you were a championship holder. “You’re joking. It’s sounding like I gotta defend it from Steve Austin.” He says.

“You just might have to do that. But I’ve got faith in you.” Shane nodded, reaching over to pat his shoulder. “It’s not just the Heavyweight championship. Hardcore, Tag Team Titles, and if I’m not mistaken, the Cruiserweight is coming over too.”

Your memory is failing you, but you know WWF has a couple of titles of their own, including the Women’s Championship, which is your only concern now. “Wouldn’t that be like a shit ton of titles? By the way, who's got the Women's Championship?"

"Her name's Chyna. She's a tough woman." He muses. "She's on a leave of absence but hasn't vacated her title yet. We'll see what happens in the future when she comes back.”

Chyna? You're not sure who she was, but it worries you a bit that Shane said she was tough. If you were to go against her, it sounds you'd have a lot of practice to do in the future.

"I know you’re both worried.” How he says it makes you think he’s tired of you two’s apprehensiveness. “We’ll be fine. Take a seat. I’ll get things started in a minute.” Shane pulls out his phone and wanders off somewhere else, muttering something about an important call to make.

You and Booker T share a wary look. Both of you were unsure, but end up relenting and get to your seats.

You find yourself sitting in the middle of Torrie and Stacy, just how it should be. Looking around, you notice only eleven of you are in here. For a big company like WCW, this is pretty small.

Before you could even speak to Torrie, she beats you to it. “[Name], do you like my outfit?” You had seen it earlier, how could you not? The turquoise of it caught your attention immediately. It was only a short skirt paired with nothing else but a bikini top.

At first, you’re not sure what to say. It’s a very bold choice, that’s for sure. She looks great, you’d voice as such, but the next thing you know, you’re already saying the first thing that popped into your head. “Are we at a strip club or a wrestling show?”

As soon as you say it, you backtrack quickly, covering your mouth. “Oops. Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be mean. You look great.” You don’t miss the way Torrie instinctively pulls down the front of her skirt. It wasn’t that short, but thanks to your comment she still felt a need to adjust it.

Her voice is still light with you, though. “You’re just jealous, [Name].”

“Always wanted to be you!” You reply, sinking back into your seat. “Every night, I cry because I’m not. I’m [Name].”

“I know.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “And besides,” She emphasizes her outfit. “This is all a part of a plan to embarrass Mr. McMahon. I talked to Shane earlier and that’s what he wanted me to do.”

“Embarrass him?” You’re instantly intrigued. “Can I come? I wanna help.”

Torrie immediately shakes her head, almost as if she knew you’d ask. “Shane said you can only get as far as sitting in the room. He doesn’t want you blowing any cover. Me and him know that you have a tendency to…go a little too far.”

You’re pretty offended. “That is not true!”

“Hmm, okay.” That’s why she’s here. To prove you wrong. “Well, what about the time when you screamed at David Flair that he was nothing but a nepotism baby? Right in front of Ric Flair?”

You felt justified doing it, so you quickly defended yourself. “I remember that, but I wasn’t wrong! He was…listen, that day was not a good one for me. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Your following words are hushed. “The fact Stacy started dating him made things no better. She kept bringing him around! Why did they keep pushing him, Torrie? I couldn’t escape it!”

“Oh, sorry,” Torrie gives an insincere apology with a laugh. “You were in the right. You were. But what about this one? How about the time when I was in the NWO? Remember that? Kevin Nash patted you on the head, and you decided to kick him in his knee! With heels!”

“It wasn’t that bad. I could’ve stabbed my heel into his knee on purpose.” You say. Torrie cringes at the thought of it. “Funny you mention that. I was going to ask you, do you think they’ll bring people like Kevin Nash or Hulk Hogan back here? I think if they bring Hulk Hogan, it’s so over. Their storyline annoyed me. No, excuse me, he annoyed me.”

In the midst of your rant, Torrie’s eyes widen in horror. Everyone knew you weren’t supposed to voice negative feelings about the veteran guys, especially in front of other people.

Maybe it’s a good thing they hadn’t been brought over yet. If this was anything like backstage at WCW and someone had overheard you, you’d probably never see a ring there again.

“It was hard to escape them, you remember. We could barely do anything because they took up like half of the time slots.”

Torrie ends up shrugging. “I don’t know.” She’s never had any issues with them, even when initially involved with the NWO. “They might. I wouldn’t know what they’re waiting on. I do remember that, though. I didn't mind, I didn’t see a reason for us all to do anything more than cat fights.”

”Horrible take.” You quickly say. “I definitely think we should’ve did more than that.”

Luckily for the both of you, Shane had hung up the phone, halting the possible debate between you two.

“Hey, guys,” He calls everyone to attention. “I’m sure all of you know about Invasion.” Shane starts. “And I’m sure you all know how serious this is.”

There are only eleven of you in here, a relatively small group for a big company like WCW. Now that you’re really looking around, you feel blessed that you were one of the few who did end up coming over. Becoming a leader, no less.

“You guys need to look out for each other. My father’s superstars won’t go easy on you. But understand that none of you should feel any fear. We’re going to grow as a unit. I promise this room will be much bigger in a few days. It might even be packed with those who have the same feelings as us. I give you my word as your boss.”

You and the others can only hope that Shane’s promise holds true.

It’s like he can sense that hesitation, too, because he’s already shaking his head as he looks around the room.

“I can see the looks on your faces,” Shane‘s quick to point out the mutual unease.

“You’re all nervous. I get that. But we can’t let them get under our skin like this! We’re better than them. We’re stronger. And damn it, we have more talent than them. Tonight, we have the last 20 minutes of Raw. It’ll be Buff Bagwell,” He motions to him. “..versus Booker T for the title. This is your time to shine. Oh, and not to forget, Stacy, you’re the ring announcer for the night.”

From the corner of your eye, you can see her face brighten. Good for her.

“That reminds me, some of you remember Wrestlemania X7, right? Were any of you impressed?” He asks.

Unfortunately, you chose not to attend that event, but someone who did was Stacy. You turn your head to her, and she shakes her head no. She told you about some matches but didn’t hesitate to brush off any feats. As Shane said, you’re better than them.

“If you weren’t impressed there, then you’re not gonna be impressed at Invasion. Trust me. I had to carry my father through my entire Wrestlemania match. That doesn’t mean you’ll have to carry your opponents, but..”

There’s a bit of disagreement, with most of your coworkers complaining that they didn’t want to be the only person pulling their weight. You stand up from your seat, surprising them and Shane.

“Listen, even if we have to take control of the match, that just shows how much experience we have in the ring.” You say. “They can’t keep up with us! It’s just going to show the crowd how better we are.”

As a leader, you felt like you had to try to put some thrill about it into your peers. Most wrestlers hoot at your encouraging words while your little cheerleaders, Stacy and Torrie, clapped their hands.

It’s a small group, but you know it will grow.

Shane gives you an approving nod. “She said it best. I’ll keep this short and sweet. I wanted to give you all a pep talk and reassure you that everything is working out as planned. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Stay on standby, and have a good night.”

“What do you have planned, Shane McMahon?” You cross your arms. “Not even for me right now, in general.”

“A magician never reveals his secrets.” He grinned. “But, I’ve got something you can do. Torrie’s going to embarrass my father. You’re staying in the room and doing crowd control. Also, a heads up, it’s going to be live.”

It’s live? Great. Exactly what you needed right now. Not really. “Funny you say that.” You say. “She mentioned that to me as we were sitting down. Who else is in there?”

“Stone Cold Steve Austin and his wife, Debra. Can’t forget Kurt Angle. They’re attached to my father’s hip, and they’ve got some issues between them because of it. The one thing I need you to do is to make sure they don’t interrupt Torrie. She’ll lead him away while you go in head first. That means getting in good with the champion and keeping him calm.”

You frown. “I have to play peacemaker? It would’ve been much more fun if I could embarrass Mr. McMahon. Come on, please?” You clasp your hands together.

Shane doesn’t budge. “Nope. I think we both know you’d go a little too far. Besides, you’re supposed to be on their side, remember?”

“Why did Torrie say the same thing?!” You huff out. “I don’t take things too far!”

All he does at first is pat your shoulder with no reassurance whatsoever. “Right, right. I believe you. Now get ready. I’m sure they will be waiting for you guys any minute.”

Weirdly enough, you had come to learn that the WWF and WCW locker rooms were all kept separate. Because of this, it always gave you, Torrie, and Stacy an enormous amount of space. Stacy did about three cartwheels to show how much room there was, touching not one of you or Torrie’s bags!

Even you decided to test it out, leaping around the room. WCW’s locker rooms seemed much smaller than this, granted you shared it with a few other women. You won’t complain about it too much. Not like you care that much anyway.

Actually, maybe you do care. It makes you feel alienated from other wrestlers, almost like they couldn’t stand being near you for a second. Did they hate you guys so much that a separate locker room was necessary?

If that’s the case, then the feeling was mutual. Fuck them, that’s exactly why they’re going to lose at Invasion. Guess things never change regarding backstage life, no matter what company you go to.

“I’m kind of scared.” Torrie admits. She’s combing her fingers through her hair, making sure that it looks perfect enough for the camera.

You turn over to her. Shane already warned you that it’ll be live. You both made sure that you had your acts together. You can’t stutter. You can’t screw up.

“Just gotta suck it up and do it.” It’s your only advice for her as you reach your fist up to knock. You hear her sharply exhale but ignore it. After giving a warning that you’re about to come in, you open the door and enter with Torrie trailing behind you.

You notice the camera pan over to you two and quickly let a smile grow on your face, nodding toward those seated. Your eyes settle on the championship sitting on the couch behind him, but they quickly return to everyone else.

“Hello.” You greet rather monotonously, but your smile mends it, holding your hand to the first willing person to take it. Kurt’s the most eager, immediately jumping up and taking your hand.

“Hey there, [Name]! How’re you doing tonight? You remember me, Olympic gold medalist—“

“Kurt Angle.” You finish for him. “I remember. You were nice enough to pick up my bag. I’m doing fine, thanks. How are you?” You opt to leave out the part where he dropped it.

He’s happy to hear you remembered him. “Yep, that’s me. I feel great! Wow, you look fantastic tonight. It’s great to see you again.” He really seems to mean it, too.

Flattery doesn’t hurt. You’ll return something insincere when you get the chance to. You take your other hand and set it on the opposite side of his. “Thank you so much!”

As much as you don’t want to, you shake Vince’s hand next, quickly, move onto Steve Austin’s hand, and then his wife. She quickly introduced herself as Debra, a smile on her face. Once you finish shaking her hand, you lean over and say, “Your wife is very pretty.”

You wanted Debra to hear it, too. It’s true, she is pretty, but you only said it to get in good with her. Like thought before, flattery doesn't hurt.

You can hear her giggle beside you. Steve nods his head. “Thanks. That’s why I married her…” His expression then turns into confusion. “How’d you know she’s my wife? Never told you that."

That’s right. No one from this side told you that! Shane did. “O-Oh,” You’re quick to sputter out, breaking your first rule. “Well, I heard all those wrestling magazines talking about you two. I’ve always been a huge fan. Been a big fan of you and wrestling, I mean.”

You think he believes your lie with the way he backs down, his shoulders relaxing and gaze going toward Vince. Torrie mimics your handshakes, immediately cutting to the chase to save you any trouble. “Mr. McMahon, can we possibly finish up our conversation last Thursday about a contract?”

“Now might be a good time.” His response sounds like you’ve got your foot in the door.

Steve nods his head. “Debra, if you don’t mind, take Kurt and that girl somewhere else. We’ve gotta discuss something about those contracts. Go get them some happy meals or something.”

You shoot him a look, but turn over when you see Vince step away from him. “Well, maybe I should step out as to not embarrass anybody here. And go out just for a moment to…” Vince starts, approaching Torrie. He holds out his arm for her to take. You're unsure whether you should feel thrilled that it's working or nervous for Torrie.

“You don’t need me?” He sounded a little crushed as he looked at the two, then took a few steps forward to hug him randomly. Shane was right. Steve was firmly attached to his hip. Kurt hadn't made it too obvious that he was, but he seemed pretty appalled that Steve had gotten to hug Vince.

As Torrie reaches to grab Vince’s arm, the two head towards the door and she turns her head to give you a quick wink. It’s almost reassuring. You’re like 98% sure Torrie can handle herself. Quite literally against your will, you end up hearing him loudly proclaim the color of her outfit being his favorite color and how great her tan looked. Ugh.

Steve was the only person who caught the wink exchange between you two and was quick to point that out. “What the hell was that?”

It’s best to act clueless, so you look at Steve with a relatively blank look. “What was what?” If they’re as dumb as Shane says they are, then hopefully, you can pass things off as him being delusional.

“That thing she did with her eye. I saw that crap.” He accuses. You questioning him like that only pissed him off more. “She looked right at ya’!”

“I have no idea what you mean. I wasn’t paying any attention. Maybe an eyelash fell into her eye.” You turn your attention toward the spot next to Kurt, and as you motion toward it, he pats it happily.

Debra lightly hits Steve’s arm to get his attention, a disappointed look on her face. “I thought Mr. McMahon told his wife he changed.”

You’re not entirely sure what that means, but it makes you raise a brow. “What in the world does that mean?” All of their heads turn to you, and just like that, you’re quickly apologizing. “Sorry, not my place?”

Debra shakes her head. “No, sweetie, I’d be happy to tell you.” The pet name makes you smile. “Mr. McMahon tends to—"

“He is a changed man, Debra,” Steve loudly cuts her off. “The man’s trying to talk business! How is he going to sit here and talk business with you know who? You know who with the gold medals around his neck!” He points over at Kurt.

“Me?!” Kurt’s already on the defense, getting up from his seat. Vehemently shaking his head, he approaches Steve. “Hold on, he's not uncomfortable with me! Not with me, I don’t think so.”

“Then why’d he leave?”

Steve’s question makes Kurt jerk his head toward Debra a few times and you can hear Kurt whisper, “Your wife.” The opportunity arises for you to try and stir the pot, so you speak up, standing up as you do so.

“Oh, you mean Debra?” The two turn to you at a neck-breaking speed, and you shrug, looking between them innocently. None of them do anything to save face, either. Anyways, you move on. “You know, I’m excited. I can’t believe I’m in the same room as Stone Cold Steve Austin."

A lie. You hadn’t had the slightest idea as to who he really was and who he wrestled. The only interest you had in wrestling was WCW, crossing your fingers that they’d win this so-called “Monday Night War”, and here you are, finding yourself a part of it. Well, the fragments, maybe.

When you signed that contract in 1999, rumors began circulating backstage that WCW wasn’t doing so well regarding ratings. It broke your heart. You wanted to do everything you could to keep people intrigued, even with your limited creative freedom.

“I can’t believe you watched WWF while in WCW.” Kurt says. “I get it, though. I bet you were bored of what they had to offer, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Absolutely.” You nod. “Boring. So boring. I almost fell asleep during the broadcasts. None of my coworkers were any fun, either. They all cared about themselves. It didn't seem like a family. I'd hope that this place would be a better change."

“I figured! Besides, you should be a much bigger fan of me, [Name].” He holds up the gold medals around his neck to boast even further, the metal glimmering under the light. “I won this in the 1996 Olympics. With a broken neck!”

“Wow.” is the only thing you’re able to say. You won’t lie; that was pretty impressive. “That’s amazing. Could I take a closer look at your medals?”

He nods and happily takes them off, holding them out to you. You take a minute to inspect them, muttering compliments to feed his ego. The idea of stealing them and pinning the blame on Steve becomes all too easy, especially since you’ve noticed the static between the two.

As you’re distracted, Kurt turns his head over to Steve with a grin and points his finger toward you. It was almost like he said, "I told you so". Steve can only roll his eyes at this show. “Those damn medals don’t matter. What’s your favorite match of mine, kid?”

You pause, your heart dropping down to your stomach. You weren’t expecting him to ask that, and your brain racks for possibilities of who he could’ve wrestled.

A nervous chuckle comes out. “It’s kinda embarrassing. I mean, I think I picked the most lackluster one to like,” which was a quip on its own, but you only did it to buy yourself just an ounce of more time to think.

Plenty of WWF wrestlers came over to WCW and vice versa. Had you been any wiser to this attack on this company, you would've asked around to hear who's wrestled who.

A nervous chuckle comes out of you. “It’s kinda embarrassing. I mean, I think I picked the most lackluster one to like.” Which was a crack at him, but you only did it to buy yourself another ounce of time to think.

Yet, a trip to your local Blockbuster was already in your future. It’s going to be a pain in the ass. Still, if you want to learn about this company and not get caught in a situation like this again, you don’t have a choice but to binge-watch their previous tapings.

“Don’t be embarrassed.” Debra bags her hand at you. “He has plenty of good matches—“

Steve’s voice overpowers her again. “Damn right, I do. Better than what this blabbermouth’s been doing in the ring.”

“Hey!” Kurt yells in offense. “I thought we agreed I wasn’t the blabbermouth! Your wife’s the blabbermouth!”

Now Debra’s offended all over again. “What?! Steve, are you just going to let him say that?!”

When you look toward him, Steve’s just stuck in thought. He really was going to let that slide, what a way to defend your wife.

You let out an amused huff. The more you stick around, the more you realize it's looking dysfunctional around here.

You really hope Torrie hurried it up.

Steve’s quick to move on, much to Debra’s chagrin. He’s gearing up to go. “I should go find Vince. I can’t stop thinkin’ about Invasion. He needs someone who isn’t a dork to talk about it with.”

You can’t let him leave, so you immediately shoot into action, drowning out Kurt’s complaints with your words. “Hey, I don’t think it’s best to bother them.” It almost grossed you out to say this, but you grip your fist and go for it. “I think Torrie had quite a few…intentions when I talked to her about this. We shouldn't interrupt them.”

“Intentions?” Kurt repeats, his gaze going from you toward Steve. “What does that mean?”

"Intentionssss." You drag out the word, nodding your head. You don't explain, hoping that someone would catch your drift.

Steve also looks at you in confusion for a moment, then puts his hands on his hips.

The only person who understood you was Debra, you think. Her eyes widened and she spread her arms out toward Steve.

“See! I told you. This is spelling bad news, you never listen to me and it bothers me. It's like you don't care about anything I say. I’m your wife, for gods sake!”

Brushing Debra off, Steve is quick to leave her frustrations in the air unaddressed. “I’m telling the both of ya’, the man’s just talking business!” Steve insisted. “He’s like me, worried about Invasion and all these wrestlers coming out the woodwork. It’s the only thing I give a damn about right now.”

It would be generous to say Steve was in hot water with Debra. It would have been boiling at this point. You weren't exactly here for marriage counseling, so you set things straight. “I’m more than welcome to help you guys,” You offer. “That’s why I came here. You know, see you guys win.”

Steve comes over to you, staring you straight in the eye. It's an intimidation tactic you don’t back down from. “It’s gonna take a lot more than some help to win. You better have the guts. You better have the drive. And you damn sure better not chicken out.”

You answer without hesitation. “Being scared isn’t possible when winning is the only choice you have. Trust me, I’m the last person you’d have to worry about.”

Saying that brings a smile to Kurt and Debra's faces and a smirk to Steve’s.

You return your disingenuous smile. You’re looking forward to twisting your metaphorical knife in their back to see their faces of disappointment in the future.

It’s not only them, either. It’s everyone else, too. The people you’ve met so far…they don’t know what’s coming to them.

“Guys,” Kurt calls in a rather serious tone. All of you turn toward him, and he crosses his arms. His face is proud as he looks back at the three of you. “You know, I’ve got a good feeling about this. This little alliance. A very good feeling. I say let’s all celebrate this with some cold glasses of milk.”

Milk? Out of everything he could’ve offered, he picked milk. He could’ve picked soda, juice, hell, you wouldn’t even be mad if he conjured up liquor from somewhere.

But milk.

You stare at Kurt momentarily before reaching over and patting his shoulder. “Milk? You’re one sandwich short of a picnic, aren’t you?” Although the crowd laughs at your jab, you deliver it to Kurt in the sweetest voice imaginable. “I like your spirit.”

Both Debra and Steve snicker at you, but Kurt’s pretty clueless. All he can do is be happy at your “compliment”.

“Thank you, [Name]! At least some people around here can appreciate me. You know, I don’t do this often, but I’d like to teach you a mentality you’ll need if you’re hanging with us.” Kurt slings an arm around your shoulder, and you immediately tense up. There’s a certain mentality you were supposed to have been here?

“The three I’s.” Kurt starts, then uses his free hand to gesture toward the air. “Intensity, Integrity, Intelligence. You use them, and you’re good as gold.

“This shit again..” Steve mumbles under his breath. He must’ve thought it flew under the radar, but you heard him. Before Kurt can detail his so-called three I's, Steve raises his voice. “Alright, alright. You’re making the girl fall asleep.”

“For your information, [Name] is wide awake!” To make a point, Kurt shakes the arm he has around you. “If she learns the three I's, you'll say thank you, Kurt, for teaching her a champion mindset!”

“Champion mindset, my ass. Who's got the title?” Steve asks, reaching over to grab the belt from the couch. “Me, not you.”

This is childish. The both of them were trying to one-up another. However, your mind is on other things. “What title is that? There's so many I've had to keep up with that it's so easy to lose track, you know?”

You say the last bit as a quick coverup for your lack of knowledge, but you're truly curious this time.

“WWF Championship,” Kurt answers quicker than Steve can, like he’s trying to score a point for what he did. “Pretty piece of gold, eh?”

You make a noise of agreement, but it lacks enthusiasm. Kurt reaches over to slap his hand on the center, much to Steve's disgust.

The champion yanks it away from him. “The hell are ya' doin' to my title?” Steve looks at him accusingly, as if he just committed a crime in front of him.

“And you,” He points you out next. “Don't look at my title like that. It looks like you want it. I'm gonna be the first to say you're damn sure not getting it.”

“Steve!” Debra huffs out, her hands on her hips. “Leave that girl alone, she admires you. [Name], don’t take it too seriously.”

Steve shakes his head, gripping his title for dear life. He can't just trust some admirer who was ogling his title like that. Out of all people, you decided to pick him. “I'm not a damn role model.”

“I am,” Kurt cuts in.

Steve continues his mini-rant, ignoring Kurt, but does not forget to give him an irritated look. “Not a hero either. I don't give a damn about what's right or wrong. I do what I want. You're better off riding on someone else's coattails cause' I ain't the guy you should look up to.”

If you were a fan, hearing him say those things would have broken your heart.

Luckily for you, you weren't! So you're going to keep trying. Try to work your way into this little group that they have. “Then, I'm going to do what I want, too.”

The door suddenly busts open, startling the four of you. It's Vince, his pants rolled down around his ankles. “She got me!” He roared out. “Look at me!”

He must've come back here to show you guys because there's no way he's just walking around like that willingly. You don't even try to hold back your laughter, leaning over to hold your stomach.

Him coming here like that was probably the funniest thing you've ever seen. “This is your fault!” Vince accuses. Your laughter is abruptly stopped. “You…you planned this!”

“I knew it! I knew I shouldn't have trusted ya'! That damn wink you gave Torrie was the signal!” Steve looks at you in disdain, shaking his head and shielding his title away from your gaze once more.

You're immediately on the defense. This plan was blowing up in your face in the worst possible way. “Woah, woah, woah, me?! How was I supposed to know she would do that? It's not my fault Vince wanted to be alone with her! I wanted to know about a contract! Take that out on Shane McMahon, not me!”

Vince is red with anger, and it's even funnier with his pants down. Sadly, you can't enjoy it how you want to, trying to defend yourself. “Get out of here, now!” He barks at you. “Damn it, I want her gone, NOW!”

His attention switches between Kurt and Steve, seeing who would do the honors of removing you first. You look at Debra and Kurt, hoping they'll step in for you somehow, but both stay quiet with their tail between their legs.

Steve springs into action, tossing his belt back onto the couch and setting his hands on your shoulders to push you out.

“Hey! Listen to me! I had nothing to do with this! What do I have to do to prove myself?!” You try to fight back, trying your best to stay in the room and explain yourself.

You thought most of your cries had gone unheard, but Steve looked back at Vince and then towards you. His following few words leave you stunned. “Best thing you can do is kick that girls ass! But she’s your little friend, so you won’t do it, will ya’?”

And when you're finally pushed out of the room, the door slams in your face when you turn around to try to face him.

Saying that this backfired was a huge understatement. The next thing you needed to do was figure out how to clear your name. A way that preferably didn't involve beating Torrie up.

You can hear their muffled speaking through the door. Steve's was louder than the others, and you walked over to put your ear against it.

"-took care of the trash, Vince."

Trash? Was he talking about you?? You narrow your eyes as you listen further.

"I think that was a little overboard." That was Debra. "I don't think she had anything to do with this. That's saying something."

"How the in hell are you gonna say she didn't do anything?! That girl was plotting, Debra. Plotting to embarrass Vince." Steve again.

"I can't believe I was going to tell her my strategy. I guess you can't trust anybody. Isn't that right, Steve?" It's Kurt next. You can't stand listening any longer, your frustration bubbling up toward the surface.

As bleak as it looks, beating Torrie up may be your next option. However, you'll continue playing this damsel in distress role to reach the goal.

Like she was lying in wait, the woman of the hour comes rounding the corner with a giddy look on her face. She can’t even sit still, you’d be the same way, had you gotten out of the room with no issue.

Her voice lowered, but still excited, she grabs your hands and jumps in place. “Did you see that, [Name]? I totally got him! His wife came in and it was hilarious! He completely got caught with his pants down!”

You absolutely had to gain trust again. You don’t want to disappoint Shane and you can’t afford to lose trust this close to Invasion.

You had a feeling that you’re right on the cusp of getting in there. Kurt and Debra seemed to have liked you, and you weren’t so sure about Steve, but you can definitely persuade him by proving yourself to him.

In a perfect world, this would’ve went well and you would’ve solidified your spot in the WWF. But this was a stupid idea, and it probably should’ve been planned out more.

“Yeah, I saw.” You give a strained smile to Torrie. “It was really funny…”

Thankfully, Edge and Christian weren’t quite wary of you when you met up, more focused on their match ahead. If they had any suspicion, you’d rather them ask it afterwards. You’re here to win as of now.

Especially Christian, who’d lost against X-Pac earlier. Kind of like you, he was looking to burn off some steam and he mentioned how he was more than happy to do it again in the ring.

Although, you couldn’t help but to feel as if they’d been giving you weird looks since you got here.

Matt, Jeff, and Lita had already made their entrance. The three of you were up next.

JR’s the first to kick things off. “We’ve got hell of a match cooking up tonight. Six man tag-team match set up by Commissioner Regal, I hear it’s partly thanks to [Name]. I tell you, Paul, I don’t know how she’s done it. She waltzes up into this company, begs for a match, and gets it immediately? I know a few guys here that would die for a chance to do something like that!”

Right now, you feel very stiff. No idea why, either. You had started feeling that way when you made your way over to gorilla and you still feel that way coming down the ramp. You made sure to stretch before hand, so you’re not entirely sure why you feel tense.

Edge cooly slides into the ring as Christian descends up the stairs. You watch them for a second, waiting until they clear out of your way before you go up the stairs yourself.

“The real question is, can this woman hold her own against Lita?” Paul says. “I gotta say, that [Name] looks like she’s a tricky one. I might even say she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing! It’s almost foolish to say she wasn’t involved with Torrie Wilson’s scheme!” Paul exclaims. “For once, I can admit that Stone Cold Steve Austin had a point. Don’t. Trust. Anybody!”

Almost immediately, Christian rushes right into the ring and straight up tackles Matt onto the mat to start punching the bell out of him. The rest of you look in awe, completely startled at his sudden aggression.

In an attempt to defend his brother, Jeff rushes over to try and knock him off, but Edge catches him, spearing him right out of the way before he can do any damage.

“Look at this madness between these teams! Can they even control themselves??” Paul chastises. “The match hasn’t even started yet!”

“A long standing rivalry between those men. Edge and Christian, the Hardy’s, they’ve been at each others necks for nearly two years now.” JR starts to explain. “There may be some mutual respect, but it’s all about winning. As a matter of fact, it’s only a matter of time before Lita and [Name] start to clash because of it..”

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Lita start to approach you, so you decide to get her before she gets you first, leaping at her with the intent to hit her. There’s complete chaos in the ring as the referee rushes around, unsure as to who to stop.

JR called it. “And there they go!”

The crowd yells even louder as they watch all of you exchange blows. Christian and Matt decide to take things outside the ring, both rolling out. Edge and Jeff also start to make their way out, giving you and Lita the floor to do as you please.

Because you two were the only ones left within the ring, the referee decided that you two were going to be the legal men. He forces his arm right in between you two, then completely pushes you away from Lita.

You take a moment to catch your breath, retreating over to the corner and adjusting your gear. The men on the outside finally stop fighting each other and make their way up to their respective corners.

When Edge and Christian get up onto the apron, you can hear them saying words of encouragement toward you, albeit out of breath. Christian is the one who reaches over and slaps your shoulder twice. “[Name], you’re up.”

“Good luck.” Edge gives you a thumbs up.

When you focus back on your opponents, you can see Matt pointing fingers toward you, while Lita’s trying to play peacemaker. You’re not exactly sure what they’re saying, as the crowd buzzing all around you prevents you from hearing them.

She holds her hands up, gently pushing him away from her. Matt eventually relents, going under the ropes followed by Jeff. There’s a focused look on her face as she sighs and looks at you.

“Reaaady?” You ask her with a smile. She doesn’t reply.

The referee takes a look at you two and nods in confirmation to himself, then turns to signal for the bell. The bell rings thrice, signaling you two are cleared to begin.

The both of you approach the center of the ring carefully, then rush at each other to lock up.

Lita gets the better of you as she suddenly breaks the hold, giving the impression that she would irish whip you into the ropes until she pulls you back and knees your stomach.

You immediately keel over in pain, but she doesn’t stop there. Lita stands you up straight, hooks her leg behind your knee, then pulls your arm over her shoulder. She lifts you up with practiced ease, and then fisherman suplexes you right down onto the mat.

The sharp pain runs right up your spine and you writhe on the mat for a moment.

“Lita!” You hear Matt call. You turn yourself to look at him and see his hand outstretched toward her. And when you tilt your head to look up at Lita to see her reaction, she seems rather confused.

Instead of reaching down to pick you up, she walks towards Matt. You take this opportunity to take your foot and jam it into the back of her knee, causing her to crumple down onto the mat with a thud.

“[Name] quickly taking advantage of this situation!” JR watches as you hop on Lita in an attempt to pin her. The crowd buzzes in anticipation, but she kicks out quickly. “Matt wanted the tag in, but I don’t think he meant to distract her!”

Matt puts a hand on his chest and sighs of relief. That was a close one…

“If you ask me, JR, it seems like Matt has a little bit of a crush on [Name]!” Paul theorizes, turning his head over to him. “Why else would he want to get his hands on her? I think that Hardy boy likes what he sees.”

“Now where in gods name did you get that from?” JR raises an eyebrow at him. “Matt and Lita are together, besides, don’t you see how irritated he was with her earlier?”

“But you’ve gotta look deeper.” Paul insists to him, motioning a hand up to the ring. “Look past the suspicion for a second! I know it may be hard for someone like you to get this, but know that a beautiful woman like [Name] could easily whisk Matt Hardy away! In fact, Lita should be on her knees thanking [Name] for her mercy!”

You get up from your spot and give a kick right into Lita’s midsection before she can get up to ensure she’ll have the wind knocked out of her for a bit longer. You turn on your heel and wave at Jeff, who only looks at you in confusion.

He still waves back, fortunately.

“Let me humor you,“ JR says. “But it seems like Matt’s out of luck. [Name] looks like she’s got her eyes on another Hardy at the moment.”

When you turn around and lean down to get her back up, Lita elbows you right in the stomach to take back control. She gets up onto her feet and grabs onto your hair, then works her way over toward the corner and slams your head right into the turnbuckle.

You almost lose your footing from the impact and grab onto the rope. Lita forces you to turn around and starts to punch you. She stops around the third time, then pulls you back out in another attempt to irish whip you into the other corner.

You saw it coming. You spin around and reverse it so that she’s catapulted to the corner instead. Once her back hits the turnbuckle, you take a few steps back and run towards her to slam your hip into her torso.

”Switch out,” The referee suddenly tells you two. You’re not sure if Lita was taken aback as much as you were, but damn.

That call was quick, a little too quick. But if that’s what they wanted, then fine. You begrudgingly walk over to her, hold onto the ropes, and use your foot to choke her for a few seconds.

There’s still some time in the rest of the match, so you’re not too upset about it right now. You can come back later.

Anyway, you’re quick to reach your tag team partners and decide to give it to a very eager Christian. His hand quickly slaps yours and you two trade positions. You’re hanging back with Edge and you look at him with a strained smile.

He can’t even question it either, the attention is focused back onto the ring. Christian grabs Lita up by her hair, but she gathers enough strength to lift her arm up and give him a low blow.

It gives her time to rush over to her corner, nearly losing her footing as she does so, and tag Jeff in. A shrill of women screaming in joy hit your ears, and Jeff rushes into the ring to handle Christian. Immediately, he drop kicks him. The crowd excitedly gets onto their feet for him.

All the while, Matt looks incredibly offended. You can’t help but to snicker.

“She skipped right over Matt!” Paul exclaimed. “Talk about a lovers quarrel!”

“Matt Hardy visibly not pleased about the tag,” JR points out. That displeased look is forever written all over Matt’s face as he turns over to Lita.

Just before Jeff can do anything else, Christian’s able to catch him. With strength that even surprises you, Christian lifts Jeff up and drops him stomach first onto his knee.

JR flinches at the sound of the impact. “God, what a gutbuster by Christian!”

Jeff immediately rolls off of his knee, clutching his stomach in pain. But it doesn’t end there, Christian comes over and grabs him into a headlock. He puts up a struggle, flailing his arms and doing his best to remove Christian’s grip.

“Come on, Jeff!” Lita yells, slapping her hand on the rope. “Get up!” Then she starts to clap her hands, coaxing the crowd to join her.

Claps begin to echo around the arena, which gives Jeff enough motivation to get up from his spot and free himself from the headlock. The crowd cheers and he punches Christian multiple times. He ends up backing him into a corner and continues this assault.

Both you and Edge reach your hand out to no avail, desperately wanting to get in there and save Christian.

Jeff’s taking advantage of this upper hand for as long as he can, and the crowd has yet to simmer down. He’s on fire!

And suddenly, he starts to tuck Christian’s head under his arm. You’re not entirely sure what move that is, but Edge frantically hit your shoulder, worriedly calling your name. “This is way too early, that’s his finisher! You gotta get in there!”

Oh yeah. You’re stopping that immediately. "I got it! Hey!” You call for the referee’s attention and start to get under the ropes. He turns over to you and starts to chastise and push you back out, which lets Edge slink into the ring.

You’re grabbing onto his shoulders, making sure that he doesn’t turn around to see what’s going on.

“Referee‘s got his back turned, Edge is in the ring!” JR says.

“[Name]’s pulling out some tricks!” Paul adds in. “Suppose she’s playing some mind games to get where she wants to be!”

Matt and Lita try to get the referee’s attention, but you’ve got him distracted by making a scene. He’s trying to hold you back from intervening while Edge yanks Jeff off of Christian, turning him around and lifting him up to perform a Flapjack.

When Jeff hits the mat, he hits it hard. The way the mat thuds in response to his body landing on it makes you flinch.

You think he’s out cold for a second, which weirdly concerns you. Edge quickly exits the ring afterward, quickly getting under the ropes as to not rouse any suspicion.

Once he’s securely over there, you let go of the referee and he turns back around to see Christian trying to pin Jeff.

He starts to count, but Jeff gets his shoulder up a little bit after two. Both men rise to their feet once more..

But the loud sound of glass shattering completely startled you. The music that began playing afterward is drowned out by the crowd screaming.

“The rattlesnake?! What in gods name is he doing out here?!” JR exclaims in shock.

You turn to see none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin himself coming down the ramp. You’re confused, with the feeling shared by your fellow wrestlers. He comes down the ramp and slides into the ring, quickly turning Christian toward him and kicks him right in the stomach, pulling off a Stunner on him.

Jeff wasn’t exempt either. Steve kicks him in his stomach and does yet another Stunner.

When you look at your opponents, you see Matt come from under the ropes, while Lita jumps off of the apron to get away. It’s probably the fastest you’d ever seen her move so far.

Edge springs into action too, but you know for a fact they’re both going to meet the same fate. When he gets to handle them, it was only then you realized he came to disrupt the flow of the match.

The bell rings, signaling that this match ends in a no contest. All thanks to Steve.

You’ve only done a few things and yet, it gets ruined. Your start here gets ruined by him. The man who wanted you to prove yourself, the man who told you to get rid of Torrie if you had the balls to and you’d have their trust.

He seriously ruined your debut match.

Ruined every single thing about it and all you can do is just stare in shock, but it quickly warps into anger. Was this supposed to be his revenge?

JR notices the range of emotions on your face. “She looks conflicted! In the face of a rattlesnake, what can a woman like [Name] do?!”

“You either get bit or run like hell! I mean, look at Lita,” Paul said. “She high-tailed it out of the ring!”

Steve turns to look at you, waiting to see if you’d do anything in response to this attack. Yet again, the crowd gets on their feet.

“Does that piss you off, little girl?” The patronizing tone he speaks to you in makes you clench your fist and grit your teeth. Who did he think he was?

“Yes!” You exclaim, huffing out heavily afterward. “Yes, it pisses me off!” In response, Austin comes closer to you on the apron, getting right in your face.

Getting revenge was great, but he figured seeing your aggression on display was greater. Men and women cower when his name is even mentioned, but you, you weren’t afraid to step up it looked like.

“Good. Good!” He says, watching as you twist your head away from him. “I’m glad that shit pisses you off.”

As much as you want to hit him, you don’t. Something in the back of your mind tells you that you couldn’t compromise yourself. If you were to get back into his good graces, you don’t have a choice but to stand there and take it.

So much to Steve (and the crowd’s) disappointment, you jump off of the apron without a fight.

Match is over, what’s the point of sticking around?

There’s boos from all around you as you throw your hands up. You’ve already had enough major losses for the day. Can’t wait for the next inevitable disappointment.

As soon as you push those curtains away and hit backstage, there’s someone waiting for you. This is no wrestler. From the looks of his no-nonsense appearance coupled with his neat clothing, you can only assume that this older man is a member of production. He’s sorting through some papers and then looks up at you.

“Ah, [Name], right?” He asks, holding out his hand. Once you take it with a rather defeated nod, he smiles. "My name is Julian. Some of the creative team were watching you in the truck and at the tail end of the match, I was sent to speak with you backstage on behalf of the team. I’ll make this quick, trust me. You seem like a busy woman now.”

”Guess so.” You say. The sudden reminder that the window to return the rental car in was closing, and you wince. Hopefully this is as quick as he says. “You know, you guys sound like the police, doing all that surveillance. You guys have a production truck? I’m curious to see what it looks like now..”

“We do. Must be an upgrade from WCW, yeah?” He chuckles at your curiosity. “Unfortunately, wrestlers aren’t allowed back there. Onto lighter news, for your first match, you did great. Everything went according to plan.” His praise brings a tired smile onto your face. “However, there is just one thing.”

No matter how perfect something might be, you’ll always be subjected to some kind of criticism, so you think you’re ready to hear it. You don’t say anything, simply nodding your head for him to go on.

“You see,” Julian clears his throat, weirdly nervous. “How do I say this?” Almost as if he doesn’t want to offend you, he gives you an uneasy smile.

“Believe me. You look fantastic in the ring from what we’ve seen so far. You can hold your own. But we don’t want you to outshine the others, that’s all. Slow your moves down a bit at least. If you need any assistance with changing things up, we have a school over in Kentucky. There’s nothing wrong with staying off television.”

Guess they wanted to nip it in the bud before you had any single matches. You’re not even sure if the compliment he gave you was worth it. He sits here smiling all while telling you that you had to slow down, suggesting that you change the way you wrestle.

And why? To be dumbed down to Torrie or Stacy’s level in the end? You love them to death, but everyone knows they can’t touch you in the ring. You’re more fit for someone like Lita, that is until you find out how the other woman of the WWF roster hold themselves up in the ring. Besides Trish, you’d like to meet them.

But this? This is killing your morale. It’s not fair. “No,” You quickly answer. “I’m not interested in it and I don’t need help either.”

You quiet down after thinking about what he’s told you. Shortly after, a battered Edge and Christian brush past you, the both of them gently setting their hand onto your shoulder as they go, perhaps telling you that it was a good match despite what happened.

They don’t forget Julian, shaking his hand as they pass by. He praises them, telling them that they looked great out there and keep up the good work. Despite it being nearly the same as your own praise, theirs felt more genuine.

You think you’re starting to hate this place more and more. You’d much rather be at your true home.

[fushitoru]

AASHIIIII!! i hope you're doing well!! i'm finally back from my trip (which was great, got to spend some time with my bff and see one of my fave bands and then we ran into them after the show) and i absolutely binged your bridgerton au while i was on the plane so now i'm here to gush

i've never seen bridgerton so i don't really have much of a background to go off of but the setting and the environments and linguistics feel soooo authentic and i'm so deeply invested in the world you've created and all of the side characters like the tanaka family and how gojo is woven into the world

also the way you write gojo?? ugh i love him sm he's so deeply complex and frustrating but charming it's chef's kiss truly

i loooove love love the way reader is written as such a perfect depiction of what she's expected to be but she's also a rebel (very fitting for anyone related to sukuna) and smart and independent like how she's always challenging gojo and his expectations of her while simultaneously being very genuinely sweet and caring

i'm also so unbelievably invested in the way you've written gojo's thoughts out, like the way he's not quite sure what he wants and clearly conflicted in his opinion on reader and their relationship, it's so interesting getting to see his perspective as well and understand both the tender moments (when he saves her and then gets her a pastry <33 so cute) and also when they're on horseback and both frustrated with one another, i love the dynamic of their relationship

also their conversation about sex asjklhfd that was so funny poor reader not understanding and poor gojo not sure how to explain it was so fun

ANYWAY sorry for yapping i hope you're doing well and having a great day <33

-- @starmapz

HI TRISH!!! AHH im so glad that sounds SO FUN.

im so glad you think it's authentic, sometimes i think it's really corny LOL. i did try to make it general so people who haven't watched bridgerton can still read this so im really happy you liked it!!!

and yesss!! that is exactly how i wanted reader to seem. i struggle with her characterization a lot. i fear i kinda gave her eldest daughter vibes (responsible yet still advocating for change/being a rebel) despite not being one but oh well!

i think i like my gojo's in fanfiction a little complicated and a little toxic. like he doesn't know what he wants and always struggles with his status/elevation in society despite having a really assured outward persona. like ughhhh yes my troubled hero, forever doomed to be the strongest and have a lot of responsiblity *drops panties*

and not the sex convo ahhkewfwkjn. pls reader is all book smarts her mother has NOT told her about sex LOL

OMG ILY trish for this <333 gen made my day. im glad you had a safe journy to and back :33

[in2thenewworld]

Hi! Can I get a matchup for Devil May Cry

I am female, she/her, 25 years old, bisexual, ENFP.

I am a very ambitious person that loves to learn new things, I am an artist by profession and finished 2 art schools. I am a big art history nerd and love to talk about artsy and philosophical things. I am very extrovert and love to meet new people, I love going out and taking long walks. My main hobbies are video games, writing, reading, watching anime and movies and lifting. I am very friendly, love hearing out other people and I always try to understand their side and how they feel. I am very sensitive and tend to easily get attached to people. Romance wise I struggle to show affection to my partner, however I show it trough gift giving rather than physical touch or trough words. Overall in relationships I am very communicative and will always bring up issues or understand if my partner has issues with me and I will try to fix them always.

Appearance: medium length red hair, a mole above my lip, chubby build and short, pale skin and hazel eyes, 5'2 (I am very short). What I seek in a partner is someone understanding of my issues, I suffer from BPD, anxiety, OCD and depression and it's essential for me to have a partner who is patient and can support me when it gets bad.

Heya!! Sorry it’s been a hot minute, I’ve been working on this gradually since I got the request I hope it’s to your liking c:

Here’s to striking up a new spark!

Matchup loading! ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

…

your match is…

TRISH!

* Trish admires your character. You’re ambitious, headstrong and well intentioned. There’s something about you that instantly draws her in, and then she can’t turn away. It’s not very often someone is able to catch her attention so much and so quickly. You’re already ticking her boxes with one conversation- although it’ll take a lot longer than one conversation if you want to truly crack her. It’s going to be a slow burn relationship.

* Direct communication is an absolute must for Trish, so you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t like to imply. She doesn’t like when she has to read what people mean when they say something else. If you want something, ask. If there’s a problem, speak up. She’s not going to take offence to that. She may come off intimidating to strangers, but her heart is good, and even better to those she loves most.

* Trish is calm and patient by nature, but will never overstep her boundaries. She can read you very well once you get close, and she’s not overly the mother type anyway- that’s a stereotype she’s not too fond of being read as. She’s just the perfect amount of caring. No more, no less.

* She’s always got sound advice. She can tell it like it is, but not so bluntly that an unwanted response will come off mean. She’s your rock, she’s here to support you. In return, you support her in her own times of need.

* You’re an extrovert? Now you have a scary dog! Congrats! When I tell you she would let the world BURN for you. If you want protective, you got it.

* Nico most definitely catches you staring at Trish and proceeds to make fun of you for it. Will call you guys things like “lovebirds” and what not.

* Trish has expensive taste and that includes when buying for her lover. Prepare to be spoiled with not only lavish but also the most well thought out gifts ever. And she absolutely adores and treasures anything you give her.

* Philosophical talks are a total go for Trish. She loves to hear you, you love to hear her. She can be quite mature and intellectual so having someone on her level to communicate with is the key.

* Trish can be quite witty, so even if she isn’t the loudest, she can totally gel with the extroverts.

* She uses your artistic talents to her and everyone else’s advantage- by which I mean you decorate the dmc office together because Dante refuses to have an eye for interior design.

* You’ll probably find yourself on a lot of far out missions with her, seeing, surveying and fighting in the new places the gang haven’t been to yet

* Bonus points if you know some background about the history of said place!

* You’re occasionally in charge of a group movie night now, and everyone adores it. Dmc family bonding time!

* Trish is the more affectionate one but she can read the room, so she knows when to lay off if need be.

[matcheadz]

Since I fucked up these past two months

Here are some abandoned scraps:

Nero was quiet for a moment. A moment longer than Vergil ever would have expected from the explosive young man. He flopped to the back of the couch, his head lolling to the side, slowly losing himself to some distant train of thought. Dante, on the other hand, pulled himself up and splayed his arms over the back of the couch.

“See, that doesn’t make sense, Verge. I had the keys and a deed before I could fly the proverbial nest. Or… maybe literal.” The only laugh he gets in response is his own.

“I had security. Mostly. What didn’t I have if my inner demon still wanted to take chunks out of… clients?”

Vergil stared at his brother for a moment, something cold and sharp sliding its way down his chest.

“What do you mean?” Vergil replied levelly.

Dante shrugged, a flat smile pulled over his tired face.

“Made business pretty hard, that first decade or so. Clients are less likely to trust a devil hunter if they think the hunter himself might be a front.”

Long dead and long silent, something inside Vergil thrashed. Not his demon, not really. Not completely. He froze as the strange feeling burned his palms, but also pushed incessantly at the inside of his ribcage.

Vergil’s demon had been a restless one for years. It had clawed and growled its fury—it’s terror, truly, for many years. Born from the moment it had been—in flame and loss and pain, it had sought balm from blood for weeks at a time until it cooled enough to control. Until he had happened across a port, with its air full of sea salt and arcana and… some kind of security that came from raven hair and laughter and now bittersweet promises of safety. He had cooled, abated to some degree. Found himself again, for however a brief moment—a carefree child of the world and no one else.

Dante had never found that security. Couch hopping for a decade, roaming the urban streets until one was fortunate enough to find a kind soul in a city of demons. The non-literal and the literal. What had happened to his little brother, Vergil wondered not for the first time since their reunion? What happened to the little boy whose smile was of sunflowers and sunshine and unending vigor brush away his own cool shade? The ennui was loosely hidden behind his drunkenness, but Vergil had always taken the imbibing as an imdesire to be rid of the feeling.

Now, as his brother quirked an eyebrow at his silence, he felt something congealed and painful slide its way down an artery. An all too familiar, cold regret.

“When did your demon finally mature?” Vergil implored quietly.

Dante blew a raspberry and lolled his head back.

“I dunno, when I was… maybe twenty-eight? That was around the time I…”

Dante quieted a moment.

“That’s when I met Trish.”

Vergil nodded in understanding.

…I Have Much To Thank Her For.

Dante gave him a look of complete incomprehension. Whether it was for what he said or what he meant, Vergil found it did not matter. He was a little too slow to cover the wince that followed.

“So…” Nero rasped, bringing one of the blankets further into his lap, “It’s like taking care of a kid.”

Both brothers turned their heads to him, almost as if they suddenly remembered his presence. Nero shrugged.

“After the Sanctimonious Asshole blew half the city to the kingdom of heaven with his evil fucking statue, the orphanage needed some extra hands. Kyrie and I felt we owed it to them to help out, but it was really Kyrie that did all the heavy lifting. I took over the Order… for a little bit… while she became their go-to for literally anything under the sun: childcare, education, record keeping, secretarial stuff. I even saw her training in the Foundling’s wing—where they put the kids who’s families they knew specifically died to the demon attacks. She told me she ‘owed them for giving her me,’ for a little bit…”

Nero chuckled something soft, his eyes fond as he recalled the memory. Vergil tilted his head curiously. That something knocked against his skull again.

do you remember?

Nero cleared his throat, his face aflame as he realized his own words. He coughed weakly into his shoulder.

“uh…anyways, that’s how we became foster parents. She started asking me if she could ‘take work home with her,’ and… well, I couldn’t say no.”

He stared off into the middle distance, jaw grinding.

“It sounds like new devils just need… what any kid needs, really. ‘It’s not just about providing a roof over their heads and food on their plates, it’s about the stability.’” Nero recited.

“…Consistency…” Dante mumbled curiously.

Nero nodded, “Right. Consistency. That’s how you get any of the children we work with to start coming out of their shell. Consistently keeping a routine, showing them they’re safe—that they have a herd. That’s what Kyrie told me, at least. And it’s been working so far.”

Vergil hummed, flipping the idea around in his mind. It seemed trivial. Not the concept of consistency itself—it was rather useful in honing crafts and skills to their perfection. Rather, the concept of providing constant… whatever this was. It rankled some defensive part of his mind, keen on proving he had no need of such frivolities. He was no mollycoddle. Yet…

“How…quaint.” Vergil replied derisively.

Nero frowned, but did not reply. Instead, he simply stared, and Vergil felt a small sense of recognition as her eyes looked him over. Oddly, he felt discomforted. Flayed.

“You have to make me a promise.” Nero’s tone was flat and intense; oddly familiar.

Vergil nodded silently.

“Kyrie can barely handle a .22 let alone Blue Rose. She’s not made for this kind of thing.”

*naahhhh I don't like this... I need a big BOOM!!*

[silverstream2]

More "Shovel Talk" stuff (fuck it, that's what I'll call stuff for Abbie having to deal with/be prepared to kill Vergil during the whole Qliphoth thing):

And V keeps picking at her, asking her questions, because he can tell she is very much Not Okay and is trying to hide it. And that she's doing the same thing Vergil did before splitting himself with Yamato: Shutting away any personal feelings because they hurt too much and just trying to convince themselves that violence/power is the best way through. Just reacting to things defensively, and telling themselves that anything goes and is justifiable so long as it helps them survive. But V knows that's not what either of them really want to do. And it hurts his heart to see Abbie like this, hardened by her time as a devil hunter- a role she pretty much forced herself into to protect herself, her son, Dante, and their friends. Mostly her son, tbh, at least at the start. And V can tell she's scared, too. Terrified of losing the people she cares about, of not being strong enough to protect them, and is dealing with that fear by just hurling herself headfirst into ruthlessness and cold-heartedness.

Abbie practicing her knife throwing while trying to talk to V (and convince herself) that she's absolutely willing to kill Vergil Urizen if that's what it takes to keep her son and her world safe.

And he can see the guilt, too. At not being a good enough parent to actually be a mother to Nero and riase him herself. (V can tell that just from the way she talks about it. I think Abbie would try to be brusque and sound detached and professional about it, to make it seem like she's totally delt with any bad feelings from having to give her son up for adoption, and she really is grateful that Nero still wants her in his life... but she still feels guilty for not being better.)

At not being strong enough to protect Nero from- well, from Abbie's perspective, from ANYTHING. Not the Order and their stupid plans, not from any demon that might attack Nero when Dante isn't around, not Mundus if that bastard ever crawls out of his vault again, not Vergil if he ever popped up again after Temen-ni-gru or even after Mallet Island- and that last one especially hurts, because that's how Nero lost a fucking arm. And now, not Urizen.

(Might change this later: And yeah, Abbie calls him "Urizen", not "Vergil", as a way to distance herself from the Vergil she knew. Because maybe if she hides far enough away from it, it'll stop hurting. It'll stop tearing at her whenever she thinks about how much she wishes they could just snap Vergil out of this power-hungry bullshit and just talk to him, help him, somehow. Help him be better. Give him a chance to be better. Make him understand that he's not alone.

Or she might just call him Vergil as a way to try and force herself to harden her heart and be ready to kill him if need be. If it's to protect her son, her brother-in-law, her friends, her world, then it's worth it. It's worth the pain. It has to be. Right?

It'd be so much easier if she could just hate him. But she doesn't. She really doesn't. Oh, she still wants to punch or at least slap him for the shit he's done, especially the shit he's done to Nero and Lady and Trish, just on fucing principle... but she really doesn't want to kill him. Even tho she knows she's probably going to have to.

"I forgive you. But I cannot let you leave.")

Anyway. Abbie practicing her knife throwing, and V poking at her with questions, and she keep missing. Over, and over, and over again. I'm not sure what V could say to get through to her, if Abbie would even let him in that close, but I could see V doing this:

Abbie misses again, and V just sort of. Gently goes over and, touching her as respectfully as possible, corrects her aim. And the thing about Abbie is that she learned her knife throwing from the knife throwers in the carnival her aunt and uncle were a part of. It took her two summers to get that particular wrist flick down just right. And then she showed it to Vergil during the Book Incident, "so that way you don't get screwed over the next time you want to play a knife throwing game at a carnival stand". And here, now, V corrected her knife throwing technique back to just that. Just that particular wrist flick technique. And that'd strike Abbie as odd, and she'd ask V where the hell he learned a knife throwing trick like that.

And V just smiles that annoyingly secretive smile at her and says, "From a friend" or "From someone I should have loved, a long time ago". And just wanders off before she can ask him any more questions. Which she might be too stunned/confused to do, because the look V gave her was... strange. An oddly bittersweet mix of fondness and sadness, with a little touch of longing. And Abbie can't figure out WHY.

For extra sadness, listen to "Doomsday" by Lizzie McAlpine. The lyrics of that song fit so damn well it HURTS.

[sheinthatfandom]

I do not understand New Japans booking at all this years G1 was so fucking much better than last years and they had so many opportunities to make it even greater by focusing on new stars and really building storylines and new champs and then decided t go back to the same people they always do like wtf then they wonder why viewership goes down

The way I’ve literally avoided this ask all morning so for that I’m sorry nonnie but I wanted to get my thoughts in order. So okay first off I do not watch NJPW its not because I don’t want to it’s just I get tired like firstly I’m in New York so EST and also between dynamite rampage collision and ROH I only have so much time for other things if I add in another wrestling company I honestly think I might go even more insane.

Now that’s not to say I don’t know anything of what’s going on like tumblr twitter and insta are pretty good at telling me what’s going on and there’s people I love and woman support however I can. (Shota zsj elp)

Okay so that said there’s a very important rule promoters follow and that’s book for the people buying tickets to come see the show. Yes PPV buys are also important but not at the cost of having an empty arena. The people who buy tickets and actually bring their family out to the shows aren’t thought of often because social media is loud. But having an empty Tokyo dome would be even louder like…. Njpw might legit just cancel all future g1’s could you fucking imagine? Like they need to sell tickets they need asses in seats and they have to book for the home crowd to actually get out of their house and walk or drive to the show. Social media and people paying 10 bucks or whatever to watch online like we matter but not that much cause you can’t make the whole world happy but you better fucking make people who will actually sit in a hot ass arena happy .

Also (not saying it was you cause the language here is dramatically different) for the shitty ass angry ass anon about my saraya post I do not like the bitch I have her name blacklisted I don’t want her on tv or in any wrestling company at all with her transphobic ass but end of the day no company owner gives a rat ass about her thoughts or her boyfriends transphobic thoughts they don’t give a fuck about being an ally or sticking up for what’s right they just care about money. Which is why I said I rather her be in another match instead of a 4 way (I believe I said Giulia or just thought it cause I’m sure she can carry the match so saraya can not do much and hopefully someone on staff could keep her bf from preforming live) I don’t want her on the show at all but in London they want her they will go to the show to see her (they probably also agree with her views cause online it does not seem like an inclusive place but I digress)

What I want is more womens matches more womens 10+ min matches I want roh level matches I want multiple women storylines not connected to belts at all I want feuds that feel personal and I want them to be long term stories that I can get excited about I want womens matches to also be intergender matches I want to see Eddie and willow on a team against Kip and penny or orange and kris vs Claudio and Nyla i want Bryan and Athena Vs Trish adora and Shawn dean like…. So many possibilities anyway yeah not gonna happen cause shows aren’t booked for social media and since I’ve never gone to a wrestling show and probably never will cause we are not going to Trenton we just aren’t people whose entertainment is focused on and the best we got is just to find what we like and focus on that instead of what we’re not getting.

Sorry for the ramble my coffee hit like halfway through the post