#also can we talk about inner child will and inner child nico?

[honkygay]

inner child.

image description

Older Nico kneeling on one knee to talk to a younger version of himself in a yellow lit forest with tall trees. This is Nico’s inner child.

Older Nico has very curly dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail, Olive dark skin, brown eyes and lots of scars around his face and arms from battles with monsters and the wars. He is wearing a black shirt, black ripped jeans with two chains around the belt loops, a camp necklace with varying shades of black and purple with a red and a yellow bead sticking out. He is wearing three different bracelets on each wrists.

Younger Nico is significantly paler but still has an olive undertone, he has no scars but two purple band aids, one on his jaw and the other on his forearm. He has a large medical dressing on a skinned knee and bandaged wrapped around his ankle, its bloody but old. His hair is shorter and he’s wearing dark blue jean shorts and a black t shirt.

They are both wearing the same worn red converse.

Younger Nico scowls “What are you doing back here anyway? You never visit me.”

Older Nico smiles “Will told me it’d help. He was right. As usual.”

end of image description

Does anyone else think about Nico’s moments in the Heroes of Olympus books where he goes from his present self to that 10 year old boy that lost everything? remember when he bursts into tears whenever he yells? yeah. also let me know if the image desc is good enough! i used to do it but i never knew if it was good enough!! ^^

[spyrkle4]

Reaction to the post ch2 pt 1 trivia : D

i’m putting under a read more in case you don’t want ~spoilers~ but I just wanted to share my thoughts on some of the fun facts from asking the drdt dev right here

-I didn’t know that America Hope’s Peak was basically college so I feel like all the college au writers in the fandom are vindicated rn XD

-Xander being sneaky w/ his tounge piercing to bend the “no piercing” rule at his school. Xander would be that kid who bends the school rules esp the dress codes

-Someone asked drdt dev what David’s new default sprite was and dev does answer and shows the sprite of him w/ one of his hands gesturing out and I cackled XD like of course that would be his default sprite

lowkey I wanna draw him w/ nail polish now 

-The confirmation that Richard Spurling and Duke Spurling are brothers

-Someone did a post theorizing that Duke was probably alive during the Tragedy era and was influenced by Despair which. has me screaming fr

honestly I love the lorebuilding that is the post-Tragedy era for drdt’s setting I need more of this in my life

-Veronika canonically being confirmed to be pan is something I did not see coming but it makes 100% sense

-Also Ace being gay gives me strong “homophobic homosexual” vibes (sorry not sorry) 

-Charles being under the impression a dog bite scar he has is a birthmark has me ?????? bro got gaslighted fr can we talk about this. Charles blink twice if you need help

-Levi having an unruly sweet tooth makes me laugh, he would’ve eaten that whole cake in chapter 1 if he could, wouldn’t he XD

-Teruko’s least fav color being black and Nico’s least fav color being white bc “unsettling” gives me the vibes it’s bc of the whole “people in drdt-verse are conditioned to be unsettled by monochrome things”

-Ace having 9 siblings. I’m. I have questions. Also the fact that he sometimes wishes he was shorter (bc of jockeying) is lowkey a mood and i hate it

disclaimer: I’m not a jockey I just wish I was shorter

-Rose’s favorite ice cream flavor being red velvet

-Rose’s art mostly being paints (specifically oil paints)

-Her entire family being flower themed (SHE’S ALSO THE MIDDLE CHILD AND SHE HAS 2 MOMS. I LOVE HER)

drdt dev tysm for the Rose facts she is my favorite (please don’t kill her)

-the concept art of beta Arei holding a glock. She’d be that kid to point a nerf gun at someone and go PEW PEW PEW

-OH MY GOD DEV ANSWERED MY ASK ABOUT THE SIBLING CHARACTERS WHICH IM VERY HAPPY ABOUT

-Also I stan Ryan Rosales 

-Xander overseasoning his foods is a hilarious concept to me, I also have the mental image of him being able to enjoy really spicy food due to his poor sense of taste and everyone around him being like “?!?!?!?!?!?!” 

-DAVID WEARS HAIRCLIPS BC HIS MANAGER TOLD HIM TO I’M?!?!?!

-HE HAS A MANAGER?!

Disclaimer: I know nothing about the inner mechanisms on how an inspirational speaker does their job

-Whit being the best chef makes me feel validated af about the time I wrote charwhit cooking 

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

Ok, but you haven't rewritten Soy Luna (yet...), so you can't give out any spoilers there! So!

If you would rewrite Soy Luna, what would you change with the individual characters? Like, "I would write this character like this instead".

Now, this is only how I feel in the heat of the moment, and also it might not be all the characters. Just the ones I think about.

Also, edit, this was really hard without talking about how I'd change a bunch of storylines. Cause this would be focused on the characters more, but they'd also change in storylines.

Luna: I think I'd make her more focused on friendship than romance. She already is in the show, but almost everyone in the show is pushing her to date boys all the time. She can't mention a boy without people asking if she has a crush. She'll still have a romantic plot, but it won't really be the same. Oh, and she would not be that disrespectful to Juliana. Of course, she had a right to call her out, but at times she also behaved rather childishly and I was on Juliana's side lol. I would just remove that little thing. Oh, also, she wouldn't compete in 2x80.

Ámbar: In summary, less bratty, more creepy. For example, I think she's still very picky with the food, but instead of screaming it to the chef's faces, she'll just scream it to Sharon. Now, her brattyness does help with showing how she, too, is just a child and there's an immaturity to her that she tries to hide. But I think we can do it in other ways. For example, I think she'd start off with playing pranks on Luna, but then slowly up her way to just being plain creepy. Like to a degree where she puts up an act around EVERYONE, and she almost does not know who she herself is. I don't know if I am good at describing it, but I love exploring Ámbar's inner thoughts and her identity crisis in S2 is one of the most interesting plots of her character. Also, I'd think I'd have her possibly seek out her bio mom too after the reveal.

Sharon: First of all, more scenes with Luna. I think they interacted way too little, especially in S1 and S3. I'd like there to be some moments in S1 where they just exchange a few words, or just have a casual conversation, and they both feel a sense of familiarity. And in S3, especially towards the end of season, I'd like them to TALK. SPEAK OUT. SOLVE THINGS. AUNT AND NIECE. I also think I’d like her to get more ”visions”. Both flashbacks from the past, but also ”what if” scenarios. As she spirals more and more into insanity, she sees Ámbar and Luna sit together talking and suddenly she’s seeing both of them as little kids. Goes into the kitchen, sees Luna and suddenly she’s little Sol eating a cookie. She goes into Ámbar’s room, suddenly she sees little Ámbar asking her to brush her hair. Also, she’s much more a threat in S3, because in S3… she tbh at times were just hanging around and then in like the final 3 episodes she did something.

Simón: Wouldn’t change much, he is perfect 💜 All I would change is possibly not sleeping in the mansion garage, but rather go stay at a Hotel, or go to stay with Nico and Pedro immediately. Oh, and I'd have him react differently around Daniela. They'd still date for drama purposes but... he's never gonna doubt Luna over anything. Also, he won't decide to go back to Mexico the second he sees Luna kiss someone else, he's gonna see it's a non-consentual kiss (I am having trauma from TWO of these shows that no one saw it as non-consentual and I need to fix it). But otherwise he'd be more or less exactly the same <3

Matteo: Gets held accountable for his crimes /hj

Nina: I think I'd first of all not let her forge Gastón's application. She's still gonna stay in S3, but not due to that journalism for roller skating thing, but because she simply wants to finish her final year and then go to university.

Gastón: He does not break up with Nina. They have a long distance relationship and it works perfectly fine. Otherwise I wouldn't change much.

Ramiro: At first I wouldn't change super much, but I would either give some more impact on him joining Adrenaline, or I would remove the Adrenaline plot entirely because I always forget it exists at every time.

Jim: Make her gayer than she already is <3

Yam: Same as above, but also, her probably knowing more than Jim that she is a lesbian, and giving more hints about it. Also I'd give her more screentime just because <3

Eric: I can allow him to be there, but... he's just gonna be there... maybe just keep him for the "helping him to sing" part, as it can be a fun thing for Nina to go from not daring to sing in public herself to teaching someone else to sing in front of an audience.

Ana: I'm thinking her and Mora having this dating arc kinda going on in the background. Kind of a "hint hint" until they suddenly reveal they're dating. Also she's not gonna date Gary at all, because. She's dating Mora all the time.

Mora: Keep her in S3. And have her drop random hints she's sapphic but then not elaborate. Keep being a sapphic mentor to Jim and Yam at least.

Benicio: He's just gonna be here so that I can make him suffer so much

Emilia: She deserves a redemption. Also I may give some more depth to her. And maybe she has an obvious crush on Ámbar that she refuses to admit.

Juliana: She's gonna stay essentially the same, but be slightly less rude in the beginning. I'm gonna also have her also be a bit of a sapphic mentor too, but to everyone in a way ;)

Jazmin: She's gonna be called out for recording people without their consent. Although, it's gonna be a fun plot where her fans think that everyone in her videos are just acting and that it's not actually true.

Delfi: Basically the same as Jazmin. I'm also gonna maybe change her a bit in S1, but I probably need to rewatch S1 to see exactly how lol.

Everyone else I think I won't change that much or I'm not sure how to rewrite them atm.

[ladylooch]

In all the aus, beside con that we know already did. But which husband or wife would get a tattoo for their significant other ? Like on their ring finger, their initial or something like that.

ooo!!! okay!

Em gets T's initial on the inside of her ring finger. Just the T. I envision her with a few, dainty Tattoos here and there for the kids too. I think she gets it when he is out of town after they have Lio & Liv. He casually asks why she isn't wearing her ring one morning and she shows him what is still healing. He's stunned. The girl who he couldn't get to stay in his bed, now has him permanently on her body 🥵 I don't see T with tats at all.

Nico has the important dates for their family on his forearm. So the birth dates for their three daughters and their wedding date. I see Lexi getting sweets on the inside of her left wrist. So she can run her hands over the letters when she is anxious or having a bad day.

Kev and Sam, none. Again, I don't see them as having any sort of ink. They're the couple that would continuously talk about doing couple tattoos but then never do anything about it.

Con- anywhere he can get Lucie on him he does. We also talked about Lucie having a tat for con on her inner lip. Our lil wild child... who also does it to hide it from daddy Neeks.

Lio- none, just like his dad. Sav is afraid of the pain so no to her as well.

That leaves... Liv and Luca! Our newest babies. I think Liv and Luca spontaneously get tattoos during one of their visits with each other while being long distance. Maybe a little heart of a love quote like "always" or something endearing in Swiss German. I am open to what they have! But see it very randomly as they are walking by a shop after dinner.

[shiftingrealitiesblog]

INTRODUCTION

Hello and welcome to my shifting blog.

How I was introduced to Shifting: The first time I heard about shifting realities was in 2020 on Tiktok... yep the time where everyone wanted to shift to sleep date draco in Harry Potter + with bunch of misinformation.

I tried shifting to my Hogwarts DR, MHA DR and other DR.

Then I took a break for a year, and now I started trying to shift again since Summer 2022.

Mha was the DR I was the closest to at that time. I listened to subliminales and tried to shift almost every day (do not recommend; its better to take breaks now and then). At some time I started to hear voices from my DR, and my hand was getting warm (I scripted that I had an "Avatar Quirk" So I could control all the elements including fire)

Now I have 2 DRs I´m focusing on right now(I´ll probably add a few more in the future):

My Steven Universe DR:

I am the adoptive sister of Steven. The Crystal Gems found me in an alley as a baby and took me in. I was raised by Garnet, Amethyst, Spinel and Pearl. Yep, in this DR Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond took Spinel with her. My (future) SO would be Lapis Lazuli. This will be probably be the DR I´ll eventually permashift. Why? To heal my inner child. Being raised by my comfort characters especially by Garnet and Pearl would make me happy. + I scripted a lot of cool stuff in it.

My One Piece DR:

I grew up with ASL. I am the adoptive sister of Luffy. I am a part of the Strawhat Crew. My Devil fruit is called the "Oni-Oni" Fruit. My (future) SO will be Nico Robin. I see everyone (except Robin) in my crew as a sibling, and I treat them such for example when I see Zoro asleep on the ship when it´s cold I´d put a blanket on him, I check on Nami when she´s in her cabin/room drawing her Map + make sure she drinks/eats/sleeps, make sure the stinky boys shower. (I´ll probably going to write about this one more since I´m currently trying to shift there.)

(I also plan on re-writing my old MHA script)

My shifting tips:

try to focus on the montane things; for example I think about washing dishes with Sanji, drawing with Usopp and Luffy (later with Chopper once he joins the crew), training with Zoro, meditating while trying to ignore the troublemakers

try thinking of a conversation topic you´ll have with some members; for example as I was thinking about me helping Sanji with the dishes we were talking about my complicated relationship with food, then I had a conversation with Nami about me being insecure about me getting anxious and overwhelmed in crowed places/public ( I can definitely imagine Nami scolding me for that)

yesterday as I was trying to shift I told myself "I don´t really care if I shift or not; if I shift cool I´m going to spend time with my Crew, If I don´t okay then I´m going to continue adding stuff to my DR, and I can always try tomorrow" -> Since I didn´t shift yesterday, I wasn´t as frustrated as usually. I was more like "oh, I didn´t shift...okay time to add some stuff I forgot to add" (It´s probably a good thing I haven´t shifted yesterday since I forgot to script that the devil fruits of the enemies don´t work on me (like Boa Hancocks ability to turn people into stone) and I changed Robins age from 28 to 25.

Also, any hate/mean/discouraging comments from Anti-shifters will be removed. If you don´t believe in shifting that´s fine you can believe(or not believe) in whatever you want. I just don´t want your opinion to demotivate me and other shifters.

Have a fun and successful shifting night.

[heavensgateiowa]

can you give me more thoughts/explanation on how will is the most thematically significant side character? im interested 👀

hi yes of course i can because i just got home from work and my brain is still in buzzing crazy mode. when i blink i see pint glasses

so the thing that makes will so significant is that nico is positioned as the protagonist of blood of olympus. it’s hard to say that heroes of olympus ever really has a single protagonist, certainly not in the way that pjo and toa do. in fact it’s rick juggling nine protagonists (the seven plus nico and reyna) which, idc what anyone says, that shit is mad impressive and as far as im concerned he did a pretty good (if not perfect) job of it. not everyone gets equal screentime or even a good arc, and that’s its own post, but ultimately each book has a de facto protagonist emerge: jason, percy, annabeth, (hazel kinda? i couldnt really say for house of hades) and then nico for blood of olympus.

nico is used to tie up a lot of the main themes of the series. if pjo ends with percy demanding the gods pay their gd child support, nico’s story shows the internal problems within demigod communities. hades isn’t the problem- he’s a pretty caring figure in nico’s life in his own way (i could talk about the chapel of bones scene forever… iconic). but even main characters whom we love ostracise and mistrust him consistently, and it isnt until they’re forced to spend time with him (reyna and jason) that they begin to understand him and befriend him.

nico is an allegory for intersectionality. demigods are a specific group with hereditary problems, and percy’s demands in tlo are allegorical of civil rights demands to a group of oppressors/those in power, as well as being literally the demands of a child to a parent.

so once those demands have been made and accepted, more complicated issues arise: what happens to a demigod who is not welcome in the inner circle, the safe space of camp half blood, because of what kind of demigod he is? right the way through both pjo and hoo nico demonstrates that there isn’t a one size fits all solution to the problems that face demigods. they are not a monolith. nico is a demigod, yes, but he’s also the son of hades, and he’s gay- which, while not being a literal barrier to his acceptance at camp, is tied in with a lot of the other reasons he is rejected or ostracised in his own head, and in the metanarrative, prejudice against nico for being a child of the underworld is equated with prejudice against him for being gay.

i’ve already written about how will doesn’t fit the typical demigod mold (which i cant even find sorry) (starting to think i need a masterpost of my pjo rants) because he isn’t a warrior but a healer. i’ve also written about how the whole point of will is that he never thought of nico in the way that others did. it’s ludicrous to him that nico thinks of himself as some dangerous outsider. nico’s self image has until this point been completely set in stone, and he was ready to abandon everything as a result, but will (unwittingly) rescues him from this simply by pointing out to nico that not everybody thinks of him that way.

will is actually serving as the voice of reason in BoO. there isn’t actually anything wrong with nico, with his being the son of hades, with his being gay, and will is the one who says this, who says that nico’s scary persona and the way he thinks about himself and what he projects into the world is all a fabrication, and he accidentally breaks the cycle that nico has been trapped in for years simply by saying it aloud. the broader implication being that the prejudices which others hold against nico and which nico holds against himself are not based in anything substantial and should be abandoned.

in summary, will cuts through the bullshit of both other people’s opinions of nico and his own opinions of himself. he’s essential to tie off nico’s arc, which is one of the most important of the entire series, and this is why i say he isn’t a minor character, not by a long shot. he represents the light (lol) at the end of the tunnel, the justice finally given in nico’s life and by extension in the lives of those nico represents; the ostracised, the queer, those punished for circumstances beyond their control by powerful forces. will is the simple, human answer to these problems and is therefore an extremely powerful and important character.

[dreaming-gamer]

DMC Week day 5: Hurt, Heal, Happiness – Nico & V

This work is lightly tied to my day 2 & 3, but can also be read as a standalone fic. Hope you enjoy!

No warnings, just fluff ahoy, no shipping.

V turned carefully in his bed for what felt like the thousandth time and yet only 10 minutes had passed since he last laid eyes on the clock. This was not a phenomenon he was too familiar with. Pushing forward while having slept too little had been common in his life, but not staying awake when he had the opportunity to sleep.

Shadow was curled up by his feet, a warm lump of fur, he didn’t know how many times his feet had brushed against her every time he needed to move. And yet V couldn’t tell why he felt this need, why he simply couldn’t just fall asleep as he was supposed to. Night reigned outside, cloaking the room in darkness, except for the lamp in the hall that Kyrie always made sure was on, in case any of the boys woke up. The youngest supposedly feared the dark, even asked V to check under his bed for monsters once, instead of Kyrie or Nero. V had checked, assured him it was nothing to be afraid of, when Griffon had chimed in with a helpful “The real monsters are outside!” With the bird banned from the children's bedtime stories from now on, it took about 15 more minutes for the child to calm down. Said bird was currently sprawled out over the other pillow, snoozing soundly.

It surely wasn’t the idea of monsters under the bed that kept V awake, he had been tired throughout the day, but now any sense of heaviness in his eyelids was just gone.

Finally, he gave up, letting out a sigh as he lifted his legs over the edge of the bed. The motions sent a feeling of ache through the bruises decorating his body, but the arm sling kept his arm where it should. It didn’t hurt as badly anymore, the red swelling having died down along with most of the pain, but Kyrie insisted he kept taking pain relievers so he could rest easier. Bless her warm soul, V could see why Nero got along well with her.

Shadow moved as V got up from the bed, leaving her spot to join him. Perhaps a cup of tea or simply a change of room would make him more inclined to sleep in a little while.

“Hihi, fry...” Griffon half snickered in his sleep, his master shaking his head with a smirk. What did a nightmare even dream of? Perhaps he should ask in the morning. His feline familiar and his cane supporting his slow steps, V made his way towards the kitchen.

The lamp on the hallway table lit up just enough for him to not step on one of the toys that the kids always seemed to leave loitering about. Shadow grabbed it in her mouth, moving it to the box of toys with her tail standing up straight up. She enjoyed order, he had learned and keeping an eye on the little ones was her forte, whenever V didn’t need her immediate assistance.

A picture was put up on the hallway wall, of a younger Nero and Kyrie, along with the children even younger than they were now. Kyrie was smiling, Nero looking a tad defiant into the camera, as if he’d dare the photographer to lay a hand on Kyrie or any of the kids. V got the feeling the Nero in the photos were much angrier than the one he knew and that said something. With interest, V’s green eyes continued to take in details, spotting the beginnings of a drawing on the wallpaper behind Kyrie’s white dresser.

There were just signs of a living family everywhere he looked and though V had been reluctant to impose upon them like that, they had still allowed him to stay, while he searched for a home of his own. He envisioned himself having a library, just a quiet space to read between missions because sometimes that was severely lacking in this house, with three lively children.

A kitchen such as Kyrie’s, old but cozy with a small walk-in pantry truly didn’t sound so bad, even though his expertise in the kitchen was certainly nothing to brag about. Kyrie had taken it upon herself to show him some of the basics and V found her teachings much more helpful than the occasional recipes he did try to follow.

As he opened up a cupboard, the smell of tea drifted towards him, a selection of flavors on display, perhaps chamomile would allow him to wind down enough for some sleep. Being limited to only one hand was making itself known now, as he had to do every step one at a time. As he moved to start the electric kettle, setting it in the sink to start the water, he was surprised to hear footsteps coming towards the kitchen. Was he not the only one having trouble sleeping? At first, he suspected one of the children as Kyle had a tendency to wake up during the night and head for Nero and Kyrie’s room, but the footsteps were not light enough.

“Oh-hee, I didn’t take you for the nightsnack kinda guy V.” A cheerful voice suddenly said, followed by a yawn as Nico stepped into the kitchen, dressed in a light top and pajama pants. Her black hair was exceptionally wavy, not put up in a ponytail or held back by the plaited hairband for once. It was unusual to see her like that, but V found it to suit her.

“I would not say that I am.” He admitted with a small smirk. “I was just thinking of having some tea. Would you like some?”

“Sure. Trouble sleeping?” Nico wondered, glancing at what he was doing.

“Yes.” V admitted, some stray water droplets hitting his hand as he turned the faucet on. “You as well?”

“Nah, I’ll probably fall asleep in minutes if I lay down again. After a snack that is. Rice crackers?” She grinned, opening another cupboard and grabbing a colorful plastic package, crackling in her hands. Cheese-flavored was printed on the front.

V gave her a little nod, the electric kettle starting to heat up from the flip of a switch, all they had to do now was wait. Nico pulled out cups for them, setting them on the counter as V leaned himself towards said counter, just for a bit. His muscles ached slightly, but it felt more as if it was because he was stiff from the lack of moving the last week, rather than actual pain.

“Are ya hurtin’?” She wondered, standing beside him. “That’s what’s keeping you from sleeping?”

V wondered if he was seeing concern, behind her red-rimmed glasses.

“No, Kyrie handed me a painkiller before bed. I simply feel as if... I have passed a threshold. Earlier, I was tired but I did not act on it. Right now on the other hand, I should be tired but sleep fails to claim me.”

“Whatcha talking about, can happen to anyone really.” Nico pointed out, her hand slipping to where her belt used to be but stopped when she realized no cigarette was available.

V hummed in thought.

“I admit it to be a new experience. I don’t mind the quiet of the night, but I know I should sleep…”

“Maybe ya just need a hug?” Nico said, tone teasing yet sincere. So sincere in fact that V was unsure of what to answer, straight away. Was that… alright to ask for? He had so little experience with human contact of that kind, yet he could not deny an interest in it.

A laugh slipped out of Nico when he realized his answer was overdue, his gaze upon her probably showing more of his inner thoughts than he meant for it to.

But her laughter wasn’t ill willed, in fact there was just a tone of mirth to it that he had come to associate with Nico.

“It’s not rocket science, come here!”

And then, her arms were around him. Just like that. Warm, careful because of his injured arm but oh so… soothing nonetheless. V carefully maneuvered his other arm over her back, holding on. It felt like she didn’t mind and he liked to return the favor. The sense of warmth, spreading in his chest. Her hair smelled lightly of shampoo with a spicy scent along with just a trace of tobacco and oil.

“Feels nice huh?” She said against him, V didn’t need to see her face to know that she was grinning, her jolly tone said it all.

“Yes. It does.” He spoke softly, holding on for just a little longer. The ache and pain he had faced this time felt so minor, compared to the terrifying feeling of falling apart. And yet this gesture felt like it soothed so much of it. Like the balm Kyrie had helped administer over the healing cracks in his skin, just on a deeper level.

“Thank you… Nico.” A soft vibrating feeling as she let out a light laugh under his hand.

“Anytime, ya hear?” Bubbles assaulted the inside of the electric kettle for a second, until the device shut itself off. “Let’s get that tea ready, we’re moving to the living room.” The mechanic added as she slowly let him go.

“We are…?” V asked, puzzled.

“Yep, I’m gonna show ya a little somethin’.” She told him, grinning from ear to ear. V knew not what she could possibly mean, but the fact that she was willing to spend some more time with him, in the middle of the night when she really could go and sleep some more was very thoughtful. To the point where he didn’t want to ask it of her, but Nico was already moving. She poured hot water into their cups and added the teabags, passing the rice cracker package to V and grabbing the cups herself, leading the way to the living room. V slowly followed, making sure to have his cane make as little noise as possible as he stepped through the hall. Shadow walked beside him, quiet but approving of the fact that Nico had chosen a cup with a black cat on it for V.

Gleaming moonlight touched the wooden surface of the living room table as Nico put down their cups and moved on, crouching by the TV. With a quizzical look, V followed her movements.

“Are you suggesting we watch… TV at this hour?” He asked, puzzled by the idea. Would not the noise wake the rest of the household?

“Uh huh, a Disney movie might just do ya good. Pinocchio sound okay?” Nico looked up, the grin on her face barely visible from the mere amount of light the moon granted them.

“I don’t recognize the title.” He answered truthfully, setting the package on the living room table.

“But ya know Disney?”

“Only that the children seem to enjoy those movies.”

“Hoo boy V, we’ve got something to catch up on here then, whenever ya can’t sleep. Go on, sit!” Nico half ordered him.

Thinking it was probably just for the best to play along for now, V lowered himself onto the couch, moving a toy figure of a… turtle on two legs(?) from one of the cushions, lest he would sit on it.

“Will this not wake the others up?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep the sound low!” Nico assured, the TV flaring to life with the push of a button and she came back to the couch, nestling herself down beside him, on his good side and grabbing for the quilts. The warm quilt that Kyrie always used was suddenly put over V, while Nico spread a yellow one over herself, while the movie was starting itself up.

This was certainly not a situation V had imagined himself ending up in, when he had found himself unable to sleep…

“If yer not gonna sleep anyway, might as well do something productive!” Nico stated, tearing a hole in the noisy rice cracker package and offered him a bite.

“Productive might not be the word I would use.” V admitted, but he nevertheless took a cracker.

“Relaxing then. Enjoy yer first look at kids movie history.” Nico said.

And enjoy it V did, sitting alongside a friend in the middle of the night, watching the story of a puppet who wished to be a real boy unfold, between sips of tea and one or two salty crackers and Nico’s commentary. Shadow laid at their feet, keeping them warm.

Slowly, oh so slowly the colorful pictures let his brain relax itself, the narrative turning no less interesting, but the cozy quilt, company and relaxation creeping up on him. Nico’s head rested against his shoulder, a comfortable, anchoring weight. Eyelids finally feeling heavy, V let his head dip, slowly against hers, the sounds of an old animated movie guiding the last of his conscious to a soft sleep.

What awaited Nero and Kyrie when they woke up the next morning was the words of the youngest orphan, being sad he hadn’t been invited to movie night, as well as the sleeping figures of Nico and V, resting against each other and the TV showing the loop of the movie's main menu since hours ago.

[kaufmann-6]

Fanfic Rec

Hey! I wanna rec some fanfics that I've read here! They are of several different fandoms, but I will organize everything, don't worry. All the fics that I will post here arr available on AO3, and all of them are written in English.

Fandoms:

Heroes of Olympus / Percy Jackson;

Harry Potter;

Voltron: Legendary Defender;

Series Unfortunate Events;

Gravity Falls;

Batman;

The Thundermans.

Relationships:

- Heroes of Oympus / Percy Jackson:

Jasico (Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace);

Jercy (Percy Jackson/Jason Grace).

Harry Potter:

Drarry (Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter)

- Voltron: Legendary Defender:

Klance (Keith/Lance).

- Series Unfortunate Events:

Duncan Quagmire/Klaus Baudelaire;

Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire;

Beatrice Baudelaire/Bertrand Baudelaire/Lemony Snicket.

Gravity Falls:

Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines;

Mabel Pines & Stan Pines;

Dipper Pines & Ford Pines;

Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines;

Fiddleford H. McGucket & Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines;

Fiddleford H. McGucket & Ford Pines;

Ford Pines & Stan Pines;

Dipper Pines & Stan Pines;

Ford Pines & Mabel Pines.

Batman:

Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne;

Tim Drake & Damian Wayne; 

Tim Drake & Jason Todd;

Jason Todd & Damian Wayne;

Bruce Wayne & Jason Todd;

Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne;

Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne;

Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne;

Damian Wayne & Bruce Wayne;

Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne.

The Thundermans:

Max Thunderman & Phoebe Thunderman;

Dr. Colosso & Max Thunderman;

 Allison/Max Thunderman;

Max Thunderman & Hank Thunderman;

Thunderman Family.

PS:You won't find any Top!Lance or Top!Harry

Heroes of Olympus / Percy Jackson

Jasico:

North:

Nico falls into Tartarus. Jason follows shortly thereafter.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13019724/chapters/29776236

Countdown:  

When Nico di Angelo was ten years old he met Percy Jackson, but his watch didn’t stop. He was vaguely disappointed.

Soulmate timers AU

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1119869/chapters/2256441

Even the Strongest Will Break:

Top!Nico/Bottom!Jason (I put this just to warn those who don't like it, but that is NOT the central theme of the story, it only happens once, in the last or penultimate chapter. The central theme of this story is Jason's traumatic situations.)

It had been happening a lot. Ever since they had gotten back from a recent run in with Deimos, the spirit of fear, dread, and terror. He had messed with Jason’s mind, went deep inside of him and pulled out his inner most fears. He had brought Jason Grace to knees in fear and probably would have broken him, if Annabeth hadn’t slammed an old greek vase down on the spirit’s head. He was grateful for Annabeth, but ever since that incident, there was always this feeling of fear at the back of his neck. And, he wet the bed.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12131247/chapters/27517335

Communication:  Alternative Universe - No Powers

Mute!Jason Grace

Nico works in a coffee shop and Jason is having trouble making himself understood.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2142762

Let Us Go Then, You and I: (Alternative Universe - College/University)

Jason notices a strange boy in the library.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1501262/chapters/3171011

To find where I belong:

“It’s Nico,” Thalia said. Jason almost thought he’d heard wrong. Nobody had seen Nico di Angelo since the war ended, and Jason still regretted that he hadn’t been able to stop him from leaving. Nico had told him about his plans to disappear, but Jason hadn't thought he'd really do it. Now he knew better.

“You found him?” Jason breathed.

“It’s a long story,” Thalia said. “But he’s been badly wounded. Think you could come pick him up?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162705

The Emotion and the Response:

After the war ends, Nico disappears, and Jason isn't going to sit idly by while his friend hides away among the dead. He'll get him to come back, even if it means going down into the Underworld and dragging Nico out of there himself.

Part 1 of Not with a bang

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086949/chapters/2186767

The Motion and the Act:

Nico and Jason finally tell the others about their relationship.

Part 2 of Not with a bang

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1138673

(it was always you):

Both overlooked, both struggling to fit in where they didn't belong, Nico and Jason became fast friends when Jason was sent to Westover Hall to bring Nico and his sister to camp. Jason was Nico's hero, his best friend, everything he wanted to be.

And then Jason disappeared.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13371255/chapters/30620913

Consort:

Smut, Top!Nico/Bottom!Jason

"You knelt for me earlier, Jason Grace. Am I wrong to think you might do it again?"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22643527

Exposition:

"He can think of dozens of ways for them to begin, that's all." 

Jason, and how Nico could be the one for him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22964572

Our Dictionary:

epitome,n.

I can’t think of one word that can fully mean what we have. It’s far from perfect, but it’s too good to be imperfect. It’s not always happy, but it’s not always sad either. We are together, but not quite as one. We do have each other, but we’re still separate beings just keeping each other company.

I suppose I have to concede that whatever this is, has to be love. Platonic, romantic, ours. The precious resin seeping through our cracks, holding us together, keeping us bound.

(A non-chronological series of flash fiction.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22014838/chapters/52535770

First Step After the Fall:

As a general rule, Jason tried not to expect anything from Nico. He didn’t expect Nico to reply to every one of his postcards, or for Nico to want to be his friend. He certainly never expected to arrive at his dorm room late one afternoon after tennis practice to find Nico passed out in his bed.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21028073

Survivor's Guilt:

Nico has unbearable nightmares. The panic attacks come in waves, his sense on his self slipping like water through fingers. When Chiron insists that the seven of the prophecy live in an apartment complex, Jason insists that Nico live with him, since he's the only one who can see how Nico is ripping apart at his seams. Nico can barely keep the horrors of Tartarus contained, and tells his stories of what happened in Tartarus. Surviving it was hard enough, but reliving it may prove to destroy him once and for all.

Written pre Blood of Olympus.

(This fanfiction is a bit complicated, so I decided to explain: 

Jason and Nico are best friends, and they live together in an apartment that is in the same building as the rest of the 7 also live. The beginning of the story is basically Jason helping Nico with nightmares, panic attacks, among other things. But there comes a time when Nico tells Jason what happened in Tartarus, and a horrible creature comes back to haunt them. The thing is, Nico doesn't like Jason romantically, because he still loves Percy, this story revolves around Nico's love for Percy, but it's one-sided, because Percy dates Annabeth, but a creature comes back to attack them discreetly, and mess with it. This story is not really about Jasico, there are only a few things at the end. This story is basically about one-sided love, among other things, especially this creature.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1133440/chapters/2290931

Homecoming:

But he did know what his normal dreams felt like, knew his nightmares even better, and knew his flashbacks like the back of his hand.

By 2019, the crew of the Argo II have drifted apart. An earthquake, a message from a god, and Nico di Angelo bring them back together to face the apocalypse one more time.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20545019/chapters/48767933

Jercy:

Jason Grace Doesn't bottom:

“You think the gods are meddling again?”Percy asked.

“Isn’t that what they do best?”He replied.

(Trust me, this fanfiction is one of the best Jercy I've ever read! It's wonderful! Take a look! It includes, to my great delight, unsafe Jason, and past child abuse in Jason.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22340215

Wait for Me:  Hadestown/Orpheus & Eurydice AU 

(This fanfiction takes place in the original Percy Jackson universe, if you are in doubt.)

Percy Jackson might sometimes be impulsive and reckless, but he knew the gods. He had walked among them, had been asked to join them.

So he knew how to get him back.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22884169

Head.Cars.Bending:

Dom!Percy/Sub!Jason

“Percy. Please. I’m driving.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16422161

When It Rains, It Pours:

Tempest finally delivered Jason's message for Percy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20040409 

Stay the night. Please.

Drabble prompt: 'Stay the night. Please.'

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8488180

The Last Summer:

It's been two years since Gaea was defeated, and a new age has arrived for the Greek and Roman worlds.

Jason finally has time to relax. He's spent the better part of those two years building an alliance between the two camp, and now his work is done. He isn't quite sure what's next, but he has plenty of time to worry about it. Summer is here, and what better way to celebrate his efforts than a stay at Camp Half Blood?

Percy is drowning. Unable to see a future for himself in the new age, he returns to Camp Half Blood feeling stuck in the past. Jason catches him at the exact wrong moment, and won't let Percy go without having a talk. What starts out as a simple conversation soon escalates into the friendship that both of them desperately need in this time of uncertainty.

The gods have gone silent, the monsters have disappeared. When a new force reveals itself and threatens the lives of everyone they hold dear, Percy and Jason must find it within themselves to help save the world one last time.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22828987/chapters/54559852

Harry Potter

Drarry:

Facts, Convenience, and Falling in Love:  (No smut)

Alpha!Draco Malfoy/Omega!Harry Potter

While most of the wizarding world is under the impression that Harry Potter is an alpha, he knows it's only a matter of time before he gets outed as an omega. As insurance against the backlash he'll no doubt face when his secondary gender is discovered by the general public, Harry ends up attending an event designed to help people find mates. Who he ends up matching with might be a bit of a surprise though.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23189614

An Unplanned Gift:  (No smut)

Mpreg, Top!Draco Malfoy/Bottom!Harry Potter

"We’ve used spells every time, haven’t we? Except… when we were drunk last pub night,” Draco replies, eyes widening. “Oh, Harry, I’m sorry, I know this was all supposed to be in good fun.”

Harry shakes his head. “It’s fine. Er, what do you think?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574134

Good to Me (And I'd Be So Good to You):

Tall Draco Malfoy

Everyone returns to Hogwarts after the war, but nothing is quite the same. Harry's groupies are creepier than ever, Ron and Hermione are snogging all over the place, and the once-proud Draco is shuffling around like a kicked puppy. But that's okay: Harry's got a plan.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1385362

Such a Softer Sin:  Alternative Universe - Soulmates, Alternative Universe - Canon Divergence

Angst with a Happy Ending

After Draco meets Harry Potter, he's left with two tattoos, one on each wrist. One for a soul mate, one for his enemy. He's never known any one else who has the same name on both wrists.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6058141

Completely Screwed (In the Clean Way):  Alternative Universe - Soulmates

On the night of his 17th birthday, Harry Potter receives two names, one on each wrist. One name is his worst enemy's, the other is his soulmate's. The difficult part of this is usually figuring out which is which, but when Harry's names are the same, Harry has no idea what to do. Oh, and there's the whole Voldemort thing.

  https://archiveofourown.org/works/9902510

Third Time's The Charm:  Alternative Universe - Canon Divergence

Slytherin Harry Potter, Abusive Dursley Family

Dolores Umbridge wasn't the only decision the Ministry made in an attempt to control the narrative after Harry Potter claimed that Voldemort came back from the dead at the end of the school year in 1994. Deciding it was too dangerous to leave Harry in Gryffindor, the House of the Brave, the Ministry decides to pass legislature mandating that students face the Sorting Hat again at the start of their 4th year. Officially, it's under the reasoning that as students grow and develop, they may find themselves better suited to another House and the Ministry is really big on Students Continuing To Develop Healthily And Normally. Unofficially, it's an attempt to remove Harry from any friends who might have believed him about Voldemort. And so, in Harry's 5th year, he's resorted as a Slytherin- the House full of children of Death Eaters just as Wizarding Britain is on the brink of another war. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21109571/chapters/50230406

Lost:

Abused Harry Potter, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Slytherin AU

Harry Potter was perfect, right? He was the Golden Boy, the boy who lived, the Chosen One, his life had to be perfect. Well, that’s what everyone at Hogwarts thought, anyway.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20661836/chapters/49067783

Love is Deaf:  Post - Canon

Fluff, Deaf Harry Potter

A fic wherein Harry comes back for eighth year deaf. The only people who still talk to him are Hermione and Ron cause everyone else finds it so awkward. Draco watches from afar as Harry writes down all he wants to say, gestures wildly and eventually starts giving up on communicating altogether.

One day as they pass each other in the hallway Draco suddenly grabs Harry’s hand, places something in it and then scurries off. Harry looks down and opens a piece of paper that reads ‘meet me in the kitchens for breakfast tomorrow’. Harry has no idea his world is about to change forever.

So basically one of the many things Draco had to learn as a child was sign language and he decides to do something crazy and teach Harry.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13243431/chapters/30293283

What if I had?

Hogwarts Eighth Year, Smut Later (But I don`t know if is Bottom! Harry or not)

Draco knew Azkaban was not an option, not for his crimes.

No, Draco knew that when he came out with the dark mark-his choice or not-he knew he had his fate decided.

What happens when Draco gets help from someone unexpected, unexpected and unwanted, but welcome.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20670938/chapters/49091162

Mood Ring:

Mpreg, Top!Draco Malfoy/Bottom!Harry Potter

“We should probably see a healer.” Draco announced, rubbing Harry’s back. He had been feeling sick the last few weeks. Constant nausea and loss of appetite.

“We don’t need to see a healer.” Harry groaned, “It’s probably a cold or something.”

“Harry. You said it was like you were pregnant again.” Draco argued, “We need to take you to a healer.”

“It’s not possible. You know it’s not possible.” Harry stated stubbornly, “I haven’t been taking any fertility potions or anything. I can’t magically get pregnant without the help of magic.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7895914

A Mother's Son:

Smut, Top!Draco Malfoy/Bottom!Harry Potter Rape / Non - Con

All Harry wanted to do was return Draco's wand. Unfortunately no one thought to warn him that he was a Veela, even though everyone knew about Lily.

(The warning of Rape/Non-con is more specifically because it can be dub con, but there is no actual "force")

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1438927

Don't Fight (What You Can't Deny):

Harry's life changes when he comes across a book that no one else can seem to read. Except for Malfoy, of course.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3603681/chapters/7950867

(Love) Is All You Need:

Draco Malfoy has a chance to start over after being invited back for Eighth year. Althiugh he had doubts of re joining something he helped to destroy, he finds himself wanting to go back.

As much as he doesn't want to be involved in any drama and carry on by himself, it's not something that will go as smoothly.

Especially considering that he is a Veela and his true mate is none other than Harry Potter himself.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080460/chapters/52695160

Starting Over (Temporary Title):

Past Abuse, Creature fanfic

The war is finally over and things have changed. Or at least, people think things have changed. Harry Potter, however, sees the Wizarding World as the same but with one less murderous wizard to worry about.

 During Lucius Malfoy's trial, Harry must make a decision that will change his and the Malfoy's lives. A decision that may lead to uncovered mysteries from Harry's past loved ones.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7091590/chapters/16117288

At the Crossroads There We’ll Meet:

Time Travel

Potter keeps dying; Draco keeps saving him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2039154

Beholden To:

Rape / Non - Con

It's only months after the war and Draco can't handle it any longer. Stupid Potter, and his stupid attitude and his stupid having to die almost killed him. That's what happens when you're a Veela mated to the reckless golden boy.

Just a Matter of Time:

Top!Draco Malfoy/Bottom! Harry Potter

Draco's in a bit of a rut. He's nearing forty, divorced, and he still can't figure out how to make his Time Turner reconstruction work. He's bored, he can admit it, so he's not nearly as concerned as he should be when his pet project malfunctions and sends him twenty years into the past. That is, until he ends up relying on a nineteen-year-old Harry Potter for help and starts developing some very inconvenient—and possibly reciprocated—feelings.

(I have to confess that this is not my favorite Drarry fanifction. It's about time travel, and Draco is forty, and he goes back to the past. Harry is nineteen years old in the past. I don't like older people staying with younger people, even for a short period of time, as it is in this fanifction, so I put it here just in case someone likes it, because the story itself is good, Draco is just too old for Harry.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680190

How to get what you want (even if you don't know what it is):

Smut, Top!Draco Malfoy/Bottom!Harry Potter, Mpreg

"Let me get this clear, shall we? You want me to bugger you in the arse, so you can get pregnant with my superior semen?"

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his face with both hands. "I knew this was a stupid idea. The most stupid of all stupid ideas."

But Harry wanted a different life, a family, a child, and when his Healer told him it was possible for him to carry a child himself, being a wizard, the thought kind of stuck. Even if he wasn't compleatly truthful about his motives. Not to Malfoy and certainly not to himself.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19950838/chapters/47241751

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Klance:

Together (That's How We Belong):   (No smut)

Alpha!Keith/Omega!Lance  

Keith’s abrupt return takes Lance completely by surprise, as do the unanticipated, yet very noticeable changes in the alpha’s appearance. Yet while the omega is secretly overjoyed to finally see the alpha again, when Keith is within his reach, Lance’s nerves get the best of him, and an accidental blunder will forever change the course of their lives.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204288

In This Reality:

“You may be a goofy guy from Earth, but if there’s anyone who can support Allura during this it’s you,” Keith finally says softly, turning from the sunset to look at him. It makes Lance’s heart race and he swallows drily, hoping the blush that creeping on his face isn’t visible under Kosmo’s fur. “The annoying, stupid, Earth version of you.”

While Honerva destroys realities, Lance finds himself going back in time to do things differently and is enlisted in helping an unlikely friend save the universe.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18092651/chapters/42767819

Toward the Future:

Keith wasn’t stupid. He saw the way Lance looked at Allura. With a softness in his eyes, one Keith had only ever seen there once. He saw Allura wish Lance good luck and he saw their twin blushes and maybe Lance had been breaking his heart every few minutes since he came back to the team.

(Rewritten from the S8 with Klance.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072585/chapters/40145954

Fragmented:

In a world of soulmates, Lance drew the short straw. Forever marked inferior to his soulmate, and the people around him, made worse by the first words that pass Keith's lips...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8153570

Kick in the Teeth:

The time travel one-shot that ended up being more fun than expected.

Roughly: Post-Canon Lance wakes up in the Red Lion just after Naxzela and kicks canon in the teeth about as hard as canon tanked his character development.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20109358/chapters/47636014

The Wrong Altean:

It is Lance’s birthday and the gang decides to surprise Lance at his farm for a surprise birthday visit, however, when they arrive, they find the place strangely quiet and even more disturbing, there are signs of struggle. A Galra blade has been found inside Lance’s house one that doesn’t belong to Keith. It is up to them to find Lance before their worst fears become reality.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22670497/chapters/54185773

Just A Touch:

Keith isn't prepared to find himself clinging to Lance, his annoying classmate at the Garrison who is also maybe his "soulmate." He isn't prepared to get expelled or to live alone in the desert and search for the source of a mysterious energy. He definitely isn't prepared to fly into space on a whim or to pilot a magical robot lion in a millennia-old war for the entire universe.

But all of that does happen, so now he has to deal with it. Keith has to adjust to life in space, to becoming a soldier, and to building close and trusting relationships with his teammates – including Lance.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10862013/chapters/24124074

Buried Treasure:

(This fanfiction takes place in the original universe of the series.)

“Last chancey,” the captain sneered down at them. “Wheree be me treasure?” Lance couldn’t answer and Keith’s swears and denial only made pirate grin. “So be it.” And the first shovelful of dirt to bury them alive fell from above.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22361689

Because Love was Your Reality (But it wasn't Mine):

Lance found love in this reality once—he doesn’t think he’ll ever have it again. He swore to love Allura in this universe and the next, and he’s intent on keeping that promise. On the anniversary of her passing, Allura tells him that it’s okay to move on, to find love again and Lance doesn’t believe her—doesn’t want to believe her. How is he supposed to love someone like he loved her?

Altean marks, space phones, and two hearts that were denied their love once, with time telling them to try again.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16991271/chapters/39941202

Don't Forget Your Vitamins:

Fluff, Smut, Alpha!Keith/Omega!Lance

Lance is an omega. Keith is a beta. This was something Lance had made peace with and determined that there was no way they could ever work. No matter how much he would like it to. Saving the universe and all that didn’t leave a whole lot of time to pursue such a complicated relationship.

However, when Keith finally starts getting the food and nutrition his hybrid body needs he is finally revealed to be an alpha. As he struggles with his new presentation, Lance tries his best to be there for him and support him. But it's difficult when the guy you love is now totally capable of giving you the best sex of your life.

Takes place post-season 3. Keith pilots the black lion and Lance pilots the red lion. Shiro is Shiro not a clone and everything is fine except for the impending war against the Galra.

Part 1 of Don't Forget Your Vitamins

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245481

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm:

Fluff, Alpha!Keith/Omega!Lance

Team Voltron and the castle are on an ice cold planet and Lance is suffering. He hates the cold. He was not made for the cold. He's going to freeze to death and no he isn't being too dramatic about it.

Thankfully, his alpha mate is Galra and they come with some useful features for his predicament. Keith is more than happy to help out.

Part 2 of  Don't Forget Your Vitamins

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12484528

The Black Paladin: 

Black Paladin!Lance

Shiro was gone.

He vanished into thin air after the battle with Zarkon and no one had any idea what to do. The Black Lion was back inside the castle with the shields up so nobody could even get close to her. The Hall of Lions felt cold and empty with the Black Lion just sitting there and looking majestic as ever but now with blackened eyes that might never light up again.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9727025

Magnetic In Our Purple Season Five:

It wasn’t the first time Lance had called Keith to chat and give updates, and sometimes he was even the one picking up to hear about some especially stupid teammate or a warning that he wouldn’t be able to talk for a while because of a covert mission or something. There shouldn’t be a reason for him to hesitate to call his rival, old team leader, and best friend (longtime crush more like it), but there he was with fingers hovering over the familiar face reluctantly. He didn’t want to sound like he was whining or insulting Shiro, it was just…

OR Lance calls Keith after Shiro’s outburst, resulting in the clone's reveal and changing the entire face of Voltron. Between Keith's struggles with the idea of family, Lance's lingering strife from his time with the clone, and their growing feelings for one another, what seemed set in stone must change. For better or for worse.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20122084/chapters/47668594

Lance Has the Flu:

Lance has the flu and Keith takes care of him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21375325

Diplomacy with Tentacle Aliens:

Rape / Non-Con, Top!Keith/Bottom!Lance

Lance and Keith go to engage in diplomacy with a species who, according to the Blade of Marmora, are feared by even the Galra Empire. However, due to the planet's harsh atmosphere, those who enter the planet never leave, so little is known about the species. The Red and Blue Paladins are going in not knowing what to expect, and they're about to find out first hand what happens when you attempt diplomacy with tentacle aliens.

(Fanfiction unfinished.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12191529/chapters/27680001

Lance Has Asthma and Gets a Respiratory Infection:

Fluff, Asthmatic Lance

(This fanfiction takes place in the original universe of the series.)

Lance has asthma and gets a respiratory infection. He wakes up in the middle of the night and needs Keith to help him breathe.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19894864

Series Unfortunate Events

The Awful Abduction:

Kidnapping, Duncan Quagmire/Klaus Baudelaire, Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire

When the Baudelaire Orphans find the Quagmires at the bottom of Esmé's elevator shaft, they concoct a plan to rescue them. Klaus insists on staying behind however; something doesn't feel right to him.

Little does he know that this one event won't go well.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23310241/chapters/55832605

Cracked China AU (Part One):

Graphic Depictions of Violence, Duncan Quagmire/Klaus Baudelaire, Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Baudelaire, Beatride Baudelaire/Bertrand Baudelaire/Lemony Snicket

The Daily Punctilio claims that the Baudelaire family died in the fire that destroyed their home. They've got it all wrong.

Beatrice, Bertrand, Violet, and Sunny Baudelaire were inside the mansion when it burned down, but they escaped through the secret tunnels below. Now faking their deaths and on the run, they meet up with some allies and visit familiar destinations, looking for the one thing that can free them from both sides of V.F.D.

Klaus Baudelaire was sent to Briny Beach alone on the day of the Baudelaire Fire, his sisters suddenly left behind. Strange to think how that cost them their lives. Sent by Mr. Poe to live with a man named Count Olaf, Klaus meets Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, two triplets who everyone seems to think are his siblings. Chased from guardian to guardian by the sinister Count Olaf, Klaus and the Quagmires just want some peace and quiet. Count Olaf, however, has plans for them... and their money.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21387760/chapters/50949763

Gravity Falls

But We Could Change It:

Time Travel, Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines, Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Dipper Pines & Ford Pines, Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Fiddleford H. McGucket & Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines, Fiddleford H. McGucket & Ford Pines, Ford Pines & Stan Pines, Dipper Pines & Stan Pines, Ford Pines & Mabel Pines

Even though everything turned out mostly okay, there was no denying Weirdmeggedon had sucked. So when Mabel found a Time Tape she suggested they go back in time and... rearrange a few things. After all, nothing bad had happened with time traveling before, right? Besides, it wouldn't be that hard to fix the past. They just had to stop Grunkle Ford from finishing the portal and getting sucked into it.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Right?

Yeah, like anything in Gravity Falls was ever simple.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21701614/chapters/51763012

Batman

Raisin Delight:

Time Travel, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne

A year after Jason Todd dies, Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne take on the case when they notice strange occurrences in Gotham city. This has disastrous consequences, but so do most things that Tim gets caught up in, so what's new, really.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15644082

Cracked Foundation:

Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne & Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne & Jason Todd

The last thing Damian expected to happen when he ran away from home was to spend a day crammed into a small space with Jason Todd. His father's second son was a black sheep. An outcast. An angry, insanity driven criminal who enjoyed screwing with the batfamily in every way he could. At least, that's what Damian thought. Maybe he was wrong about Todd.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14234844/chapters/32821734

I am We:

Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne

Damian's hit by a spell that splits him up into four different versions of himself.

Anger, Anxiety, Happiness, and one more that Dick can't quite name.

They're a handful. (He loves them all anyway.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21271943/chapters/50647211

Yesterday's Voices:

Bruce Wayne & His Kids

While trying to take down a drug cartel that deals with memory altering drugs, things go awry, and Batman wakes up with no recollection of the last five years. As a result, his family must now race against time to find the antidote, while also having to deal with a Bruce who still thinks Jason is Robin. A Bruce who doesn't recognise most of them. A Bruce far less jaded and cynical than the one they're used to. A Bruce who still cares.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11035398/chapters/24597084

Secrets:

It was always on the left. He couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. That was the side his skull had been bashed in on. But it never started in his head. It started with tingling in the tips of his fingers and a ringing in his ears that wouldn’t go away. And when the pain inevitably started, just like it always did, he couldn’t help but think that getting his skull bashed in had hurt less.

Ever since he came back to life, Jason has been dealing with chronic migraines.

Part 2 of  Chronic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770473

Can I Still Be Robin?

“Hi, Mr. Grayson?” Damian groaned and rolled over onto his side and cursed the school policy that parents and guardians had to be contacted in the event of a so-called emergency. It wasn’t even that big of a deal.

 “Yes, hi. This is Nurse Amy from Gotham Academy calling about Damian?” The phone call wouldn’t do anything but cause Grayson to panic. 

“Yes. We need you to come pick him up. He passed out during lunch."

Part 3 of  Chronic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14831252

Juxtaposition:

Juxtaposition (n) the state of being close together or side by side.

Or the one where Jason reminds Tim that sometimes Damian takes jokes all too seriously.

+ the one where Tim reminds Jason that he has only himself to blame.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9606995/chapters/21704609

When the Stakes are Higher:

Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne

There's a new serial killer in Gotham, and he's managing to evade even Batman's attempts to catch him. The psychopath's inclinations have Bruce on edge, but Jason's not as worried...until it becomes personal. But when even the world's greatest detective is at a loss, will their efforts be enough to prevent another tragedy in the Wayne family?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7826554/chapters/17865421

Time-Travel is not for Amateurs:

Tim Drake & Damian Wayne

That one time a Damian from an alternate future decided make things better.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/617874/chapters/1114756

The Thundermans

This is Your Heart (Can You Feel It?):

Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Max Thunderman & Phoebe Thunderman, Max Thunderman & Hank Thunderman, Thunderman Family

"Dad," Max chokes, clawing at the hand around his neck as the grip tightens and his vision starts to blur. "Dad...please."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17023923/chapters/40024776

He's A Rebel:

Max Thunderman & Phoebe Thunderman, Dr. Colosso & Max Thunderman, Allison/Max Thunderman

An old enemy of Hank gets into the house and renders all the heroes powerless. Max, identifying as a villain, is the only one left standing. The question is, will he finally betray his family for good, or will he fight to protect them?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21945634/chapters/52375057

*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*

I hope you enjoyed these fanfictions that I chose! I have others, but they are common stories, without romantic relationships. I know that Batman's stories had no romantic relationship, but I don't read stories of Bruce having a relationship, and I don't read incest either. Anyway, these other stories, I can post them later, if you really liked this list!

[dabatcavebyhonie]

Marvel's Runaways- an example of a BAD idea

So imagine you wanted to a great comic book show. You buy a great cheap comic so you break the bank. But then you feel the pressure to have your loved characters appeal to a more modern audience. But there is a rift between the movie universe and the TV universe. So now you are left with a half baked story filled with holes and it is almost unrecognizable to the comics. Let us also not forget their horrible idea of re-writing the perspectives for the mass audiences. This is how you get the "cringy" monster that is the Hulu's adaptation of Runaways.

The first thing you must understand before tackling Runaways is that this Marvel property is heavily ingrained into the Marvel universe. In fact, one character from the comic book cast is the son of Ultron. Ultron, who MCU wrote off as someone short series of events.  Then that means that most of the events that occur in the comics become void. This leads to a rewriting of the events that occur in the TV show.

I broke the aspects of this ongoing show into three parts : Angst- the teen and the parent, stereotypes- I promise we're different,  dialogue- Who am I?

“I had choosen the path of the black sheep rather than that of the unicorns and puppies.”

― Magenta Periwinkle, Cutting Class

Angst- The teen and the parent 

     When you are first introduced to the nouveau-rich families of PRIDE  you see  parents with a wide range of jobs. This includes tech mongers, bio-chemists, and even spiritual leaders. By each family you see various color schemes graced across the screen. I assumed this TV show would be promising. Until you meet the children. I first became frustrated by the dynamics of the children. They're all stereotypes written out of a high school rom-com. At least for shows that Have stereotypes like  Daria you understand they're there to be unrealistic and mellow-dramatic. However this idea isn't valid for Runaways. The show is supposed to be relatable and fanciful at the same time. They're also not stereotypes in the graphic novel they're just themselves. This adds angst to the angst . Which this edgy behavior is supposed to replace the depth in their character. Take the biggest example of this: Nico. Her stereotype is that she's a goth so she's mean and does witchcraft and always cries about dead sister. Then in the later seasons she's hopelessly devoted to Karolina and this is supposed to add depth to her one dimensional personality.Her senitive love for Karolina is supposed to add depth- I just...No,no, no, UGH, Stop, please. I  can't with her. The big thing that makes her DEEP is that she's actually sensitive and gay. They use queer-bating to have her be more appealing. Then her stereotypical goth-ness solidifies the Goth norm-perception, it says,"Yes all goths are this way. They're all tortured and filled with teenage melodramatic behavior.".Her Wicca worship is another Goth stereotype. As a goth myself I do not condone the stereotypes that aren't accurate. I wish her character was more inspired like Abby from NCIS. The actor wantesd the  character to be more authentic and not just a stereotype like numerous other shows have.   Just no. Every time she slams her door a front of her mother's face or steals her mother's staff I'm just dumbfounded.   

   Karolina is the church girl stereotype. She waltzes across your screen in all white and reads Her bible-I-mean-her-religious-texts-that-don't-sound-like-Christianity-at-all. Then when she's tempted by the flesh of the witch! Oh no will they, Won't they? Spoiler alert: They will as we assumed with horrible LGBTQ+ characters as always. Her depth is her love for Nico. To the amount that her dreams while she's trapped in the first two episiodes of season three was her wedding with Nico. Granted it was goregous but her love is her character depth which is dissapointing since their relationship ends in season three.  They're both always moody and mad at each other but it's fine they love each other even though they only give each other a few pecks once in a while. Like don't make the mass audience mad cause we can't have too much gay! HAHA! For me it's less for the LGBTQ+ masses or to show representation it's written to sound and look pretty for the male gaze but hey! 

That's just me spreading my SJW bias like Gert does 24/4! Like is there an off button. Introducing the liberal complete with crippling anxiety and even "NO! I can't love a Lacrosse Jock! I hate the Patriarchy!". While no one shows up for her rally or her bakes sales she crushes over Chase who is rude to her. My father being heavily left-leaning said "Gert needs to go. Like she doesn't stop talking and ruins the show!". Like when I told him I was watching the new season he frantically asked why and asked if I was okay.

I'm getting off track. Anyway, The point is the only ones that love their family to start is Molly, Gertrude and Chase. But don't worry the only one that still loves her parents after is Molly (in some twisted way I guess Karolina.....ehhh). After seeing their parents kill a kid and shove them into a magical space tube instead of calling the police or rationally acting. They gain this amazing attribute called teenage angst. Except for Molly cause she doesn't get it. Granted the first season isn't that bad but the show only gets worse the farther you go into it. I especially have been carrying a special amount of disdain for season two. But I think that maybe the new season has promise since the teenage angst doesn't smell as bad so far but I'll give you guys an update on Tumblr. What was I saying ...So if you don't understand what I mean by the heavy angst take a new scene from season three when Dale (her dad) Has Gert hostage in their cottage. She goes on numerous rants on How much she hates him when like a year ago she was being somewhat rational by trying to think before she shouts and finger wag at her parents but now-speak your mind child! I find the teen vs. parent atmosphere.

However  This idea of teenage angst isn't unrealistic. But how general it is over every character is what makes the angst unrealistic. The original hesitation of Gert makes it feel more natural. Karolina's almost disregard to what they saw originally felt more real. The small responses from characters separates their personalities and makes season one much more entertaining.

Stereotypes- I promise we're different 

Now that you understand the edgy personality of the show as a whole let's move on to the content. You're introduced to a runaway teenager named Destiny she's mugged but "rescued" by the Church of Gibborim. Little do we realize these muggers were trying to save her. Six months later we're introduced to Alex Wilder, a stereotypical nerd, who loves coding. Nico Minoru the person Alex has a crush; her  sister died who was Alex's best friend, so now Nico's a goth. Okay, that's a lot. You then meet Gert, Chase and, Molly. Molly is younger then everyone else so she is disregarded when she tells everyone to become friends. Chase is a lacrosse jock but he's different cause he's smart I guess. Chase loves his family but his dad is emotionally abusive to him and his mom. It gives Chase a leader mentality and he tends to think he knows the right answer.

 Gert is a social justice warrior who tries to make her school a better place. But she's different cause she has anxiety. Tell me if my point isn't getting across, tell me. This show's "thing" is that everyone's a stereotypes but, they're different, I guess;Which would usually be fine if it wasn't apart of such a big intellectual property: Marvel. Granted when it comes to movies and TV I never said Marvel story-lines were ever complex but the shows always Go outside the prior assumptions, it's not all stereotypes. 

Take for instance, Agents of Shield.  Take Coulson who literally was resurrected fro the dead. He is hard and stern like he was depicted in the movies but we learn about his strife and how he worked alongside Nick to build S.H.I.E.L.D. to what it is. He has control issues so he has to adopt the mindset that Nick has. It's new and interesting to the MCU audience. Melinda May, is an Ace pilot and personally my favorite simply due to her character writing. Her divide between her reputation versus who she is. She's known as " The Calvary" after all. She has trauma from a mission that killed a civilian which leaves her emotionally scared. This isn't a new concept but seeing her grow and becoming better emotionally gives the audience connections to the characters.

 Every character is written with steady care and good character writing. We feel sad When Coulson dies yet again. We feel the inner turmoil Skye and May feel. The connection isn't there in these hollow stereotypes. The connection to the audience in Runaways is what's making the show stale. The TV show characters are pale imitations of the comic book characters. It's hurts the show in the long run.  

dialogue-Who am I?

The most important thing that makes this show salvageable is the dialogue. No, I don't only mean the words coming out their mouths but the story-line that's surprisingly controlled by the parents. The superficial cold teenagers that only show disdain towards their parents and easily toppled by their Parents beckoning and call. For instance in season 2, Chase betrays his whole team to have his family back after his dad dies. He thinks they'll lose so quickly when  he's left alone with them. You see their guard come down so quickly around their providers. Yet they can never forgive them. This is obvious in Alex's case. His hatred towards his parents lead him to the arms of his father's enemy become's angry when his mother retaliates and kills Darius, but is vexed when his father is calling him. Responds just by his mother threatens him from jail in season three. Why does Nico stop to talk to her Dad in season three, episode "Lord of Lies". I'm going  to keep watching just because of the dynamic of the kids and parents. Especially as the parents are inhabited by parasitic aliens it's changes this complex dynamic yet again. Along with Nico's inner turmoil involving her magic and the forces that are utilized with her staff headlines the dialogue and plot I love so much. I will continue to watch as this tale unfolds.

Conclusion: This show is complex recycling heap. I find it hard to watch and a grotesque figure I can't move away from. I find it a good surface level adaptation. I find it messy but it's not entirely predictable! I appreciate how invested the actors are in their characters! I hope to continue watching the show to see how  the plot moves.  

[moonlit-maiden]

On Nico di Angelo, "Pairing the Spare" and How to Shaft a Complex Character in Less Than 500 Pages

This will be long. Strap in. This is long overdue.

So more longtime followers of mine may already know this but I adore Nico di Angelo from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. They also know I continue to eastly, to this day, about how he was handled at the end of the Heroes of Olympus series. Now, I've never fully delved into the 'why's and I will do so now as it's probably best to actually articulate it at some point instead of continually lamenting it without presenting rationale.

First: WHY do I love his character so much? It all boils down to shared/similar experiences for social ostracization. Growing up, I was quickly pushed out of social circles due to who my parents were; immigrants. Simply existing with the ethnicity and cultural heritage I had labeled me as untouchable. To sum it up succinctly; white but not the "right" kind of white. Keep in mind this was at the end of the Cold War; attitudes towards Slavic peoples were poor as hell. Fuck, they still are 30 years later! Nico is ousted due to his heritage too; being a Hades child. It's not something he chose nor controlled. He himself did nothing wrong to any of the campers yet when word got out they pushed him away. The same happened to me. As soon as the school kids and/or parents realized my parents were Slavic immigrants they shoved me out. It still hurts to this day. As such, I can deeply empathize with Nico.

Why does this matter? Because that blanket social rejections fucks people up. Nico is shown throughout the series to be distrustful, preferring to isolate himself. He has been shown time and time again he is unwanted due to being a Hades child. Eventually you just... stop trying. When you beat a dog enough times it stops coming around. This is the same thing. In addition, Nico has lost his elder sister, Bianca. The one person he felt understood him because she, too, was similar to him. Now I have Opinions on Bianca that would piss off 99% of the fandom but it's irrelevant here. Her death occurs shorts before or after it's revealed Nico is a Child of Hades. He is 10 years old with no one and the whole camp rejects him. It's a cruel thing to do to someone no matter how much you try and justify it. Rick did an incredible job highlighting how racism, ethnocentrism and bullying harms a child. Nico immediately became my favorite for this and I applauded Rick for having the balls to shine a very uncomfortable light on a situation similar to mine. A situation, I'm very sure many first generation or immigrant kids can relate to.

So where did it all go wrong? To be blunt, Blood of Olympus. Now, the final volume of the HHO series is a hot mess in general. Almost ALL characters get shafted on way or another with mischaracterization, simplification or backtracker on character growth. Not to mention the plot feels very slapdash and messy at times. But again, another subject. We see Reyna and Coach Hedge start to really get to know Nico and realize the extent at how bad his abuse has been at the hands of monsters and demigods alike. Neither feels this is right and shows it as best they can while respecting Nico's boundaries. In the previous book, House of Hades, Jason does the same thing. But then we finally get back to Camp Half Blood and shit falls apart for Nico's arc.

It's plainly obvious to anyone who's ready the series in full that Nico is traumatized, even moreso then most of the cast. He has been physically tortured multiple times, psychologically tortured by the camp and emotionally manipulated by several individuals. Keep in mind, by HOO, Nico is roughly 14. Fourteen. Can you even image how that feels?! He's only just now, after Jason, Hazel and Reyna's persistence that they will not hurt him, that they genuinely care for his well being, that they don't care about his heritage (and don't care about his sexuality, from Jason specifically). And then Will appears and Nico magically forgets 4 years of pining for Percy. It's so jarring, like a screeching record! This is when we enter the issue.

In writing, there are many rules. Like all rules, they can be bent of broken under certain circumstances. The rule in question is the 'pair the spare' rule. The rule states that if the pain cast has paired off, do not pair of the "spare" aka the odd man out unless it's been led up to. Rick chose to ignore this rule and pair Nico with Will, citing that as a canon LGBT character, he wanted to send the message to LGBT kids that they were worthy of love. This in itself is not a bad message. What IS bad is execution. First, Will is a background character. He very much has potential, don't get me wrong! But outside of having a few minor scenes in final volume of the PJO series, Will has only ever been mentioned in passing. From what we've seen, he and Nico have never interacted. On top of that, Will who is a healer, completely dismisses Nico's trauma. This is a very big red flag. When someone is traumatized, particularly psychologically, the absolute last thing to do is to dismiss the experience as "teen angst" like Will does. It shows absolute disrespect for Nico as a human being. And he is a healer. He should know better. In addition, Nico himself is not fond of the dismissive personality Will is displaying, the 'I'm going to tell you what to do' persona because he's a doctor so 'doctor knows best'. And in Nico's POV he says as much in his inner monologue! Yet he's "drawn to him". I'm sorry, but I call bullshit. Nico has been shown in 9 1/2 books to be quite smart, paranoid about social intentions due to past experiences and won't take crap from no one, not even his own father, the Lord of the (fucking) Underworld. Yet he'll just grit his teeth and basically follow Will's lead with little complaint? It's so out of character it's jarring and painful.

We briefly see Nico and Will in the first Trials of Apollo book. They're acting like the normal couple with Nico being the "sassy, snarky" one of the pair. Please note it's been 6-8months since the end of BOO, in-universe. In this one scene it completely erases Nico's trauma, very valid feelings of distrust and hurt, his struggle with both his heritage and his sexuality, his years-long unrequited love for Percy, his grief over his sister and his struggle to make connections with his fellow demigods. Love is powerful but its not a cure-all. It doesn't make the years of hurt and abuse magically disappear (trust me. I know.) and it doesn't change someone's personality to well-adjusted.

Pairing Nico with Will at the end of BOO completely destroys his characterization from a writing standpoint. All the real struggle, grief and unpleasant consequences of abusing and bullying people who are "other" in socially-acceptable ways is wiped away in less then 50 pages. It also send a very VERY dangerous message to LGBT youth; find someone you're attracted to and they'll fix you. That's a toxic message to tell to straight kids so why the fuck would you tell it to LGBT kids!? Unlike most LGBT character in literature that I can tell are shoehorned it, Nico was planned to be gay from the start, I have no issue with this. What I do have issue with is throwing his character out the window so he can chase some cute blond ass. Nico deserves better then that as a character. People who suffered socially-acceptable abuse deserve better then that. Immigrants and first-generation kids deserved better then that. LGBT youth deserved better then that.

THAT is why I keep getting so pissed; Rick took a genuinely complex character and fucked him over so he could lazily pair the spare and not be accused of leaving the only canonically gay character single. But there is a reason 'do not pair the spare' is a rule. It's better to leave a character single then slapdashedly pair them up. This goes double for characters who have trauma in their life and trauma is a serious issue that should be respectfully addressed. Love is powerful. Love helps to heal. But the love of family (Hazel) or budding friends (Jason and Reyna) is just as important, valid and send a powerful message. It sends the message 'you are not alone. You are worthy of love. You are a human worthy of regarding of both your experiences and your fears.' Pairing Will with Nico completely and utterly stomps on this message. It sends horrible signals to LGBT youth and scraps his complex character into the token goth gay boy. And Nico di Angelo deserves better then what he was given.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[durativo]

The Disparity of Dante and Tony Redgrave:

(A Useless Meta about Dante’s Character and the Character of Tony Redgrave from Devil May Cry Volume One)

Tony dodged and parried, yet still suffered a number of direct hits. But finally he annihilated his attackers and paused for breath. The dizziness and nausea dissipated, replaced by exhaustion. Tony found it difficult to lift his sword. His spent pistols were little more than dead weights. He realized with a start that if he sat down, he probably wouldn't have the energy to stand back up. 

Tony figured he was becoming more and more ensnared in the demons' encroaching reality.

When I initially started writing this I set out to talk a bit about how Tony Redgrave and Dante act and appear as characters. As DMC5 makes quick note of, Tony Redgrave was simply an alias that Dante went by for ‘an unknown reason’ (we  now know the reason is because his mother Eva told him to rid himself of his name and start a new life) but Tony Redgrave knew deep down inside exactly who he was. He knew himself as Dante, but only to himself, and seemed to be pushing that down.

To make it short, Tony Redgrave hated Dante. And Dante envied Tony Redgrave.

That is definitely a more dramatic explanation, as I don’t even believe that Tony Redgrave and Dante are something severe; like say a split personality or even a personality disorder, but they are, in fact, personas of each other. There is thankfully a passage in the book that explains easily the inner turmoil Tony was dealing with.

Tony paused to recover his breath. The lack of an audience afforded him a rare moment of honesty. His ironic smile and theatrical red coat were mere props, protective masks, to put his enemies on the defensive and himself at ease.

This is of course, not really just a description of Tony. We can easily infer that this is Dante’s personality too, which is what I mean by the two really not being far enough apart or drastic enough that they warrant a title like a ‘personality disorder’. Tony, in essence, became a part of Dante.

But for a very rare sliver of Dante’s life. Dante was a part of Tony Redgrave. Dante was the persona that was buried away, pushed down, forgotten, hidden, and overall tried to lock away. As Dante built a new life with the name Tony Redgrave, he hoped to put away his anger and frustration and hatred into his old self. Dante attempted to bury his worst attributes, so that he could truly start anew, unbridled from his worst emotions and memories.

It was a pipe dream, of course, because the bad parts always bubbled up to the top, but for a while, he truly did believe he could bury the past, lay it all behind him. At night he would still have nightmares about the life he’d lived and been through. He buried a lot of his emotions into drinking at a young age and working to distract himself.

When Tony Redgrave loses everything, that is when Dante finally resurfaced, and came to face the music. It was all intentional, the suffering Tony Redgrave endured at the hands of Gilver, because that is what Gilver wanted. Evident here:

“Does this not upset you? All your friends...disappearing one by one?”

“I never had any friends,” Dante said coldly, trying not to think about Grue. “I don't care for any.”

“I can read your soul like an open book. You might push those worthless emotions away, but you can never fully escape them.” Gilver cocked his head. “The one you're experiencing right now is called despair. Limitless despair at having everything around you taken away. Your place in the world. Your friends. Your partner. Your substitute mother.”

Dante smiled dryly. “Don't make me laugh. Who's despairing?”

The Cellar grew cold.

“Demons feel no despair,” Gilver finally proclaimed. “You have our blood coursing through your veins. You're the mongrel half-breed offspring of a human and a demon. And you betrayed our side.”

Dante's smile left his face. “That's right. So you know I can't feel something as simple as despair.”

Now I could (and probably will) wax on about Gilver in the novel because he’s great -- but his intentions although unclear are very emotionally driven, and he’s clearly very angry at Dante, and Tony Redgrave in essence. He’s very ready to openly mock everything he just took away from Dante. Even stating he had taken away his ‘place in the world’ as he had been thoroughly ruining Dante’s reputation and workplace.

What made me realizing I was not so correct as I thought, as in the novel there are three locations which Gilver overruns with demonic passageways. A bank, a hospital, and Bobby’s bar. I initially thought by the third location, Tony, who had become Dante, was now unaffected by the situation, merely the presence of Gilver was what threw him off.

Instead, it appears that Dante still does feel the physical ailments that Tony Redgrave felt.

Gilver hefted his sword, seemingly recovered from Dante's last attack. “This place is a cancerous blight to incomplete souls like you. Do you know why? Can you feel instinctually?”

“You tell me.” Dante sneered, but he clutched his sword for reassurance. His breathing and heart rate were rising, just like when he descended into the basement below the hospital. He had barely been able to reach Jessica then, and he knew he would be unable to take on Gilver now.

Just holding his sword seemed to sap his strength, and every breath unleashed a new wave of fire into his lungs. (Calm down. Calm down. I can't show him weakness.)

Not only was he weakened by the presence of demons, while it strengthened Gilver, he was also blatantly aware he would not be able to take Gilver on -- and very clearly wasn’t, as he almost dies in the scene shortly after this.

That seems a bit interesting to me, considering Dante does not show this reaction to the demon world at all in the original game, and the book was written after or in accordance with the game. Of course, the game DMC1 takes place years down the line of the events of the novel. Still, Dante reacts fine to the presence of the demon world now, if not thrives in it.

Of course, this is probably with help of Vergil activating his ability in DMC3 (which of course, mostly retconned this novel out of existence) and helped Dante activate a Devil Trigger. In my eyes, Dante had been very far removed from his Devil/Demon side, and it caused any attempt to reconnect to that to utterly ruin him physically, as indicated in the passage above.

Tony Redgrave was so far removed from Dante that he was purely a human man. He had inhuman strength, because, of course Dante would not squander the potential in that. Dante still loved fighting, even if he didn’t love killing, although he showed little to no compassion for demons until later in his life as he encountered more and more.

Even now of course, Dante is aware that demons have a different lease on life and believe the will to live is a bad trait, one that is unnecessary so long as a demon has a greater will to die. To best, or be bested in combat is the one course of action all demons strive for. Dante can’t empathize with that, but he can definitely best them in combat, so he’ll take that trade off.

Tony Redgrave, is, of course, dead like the rest of his past. Very few people who knew him as Tony have really lived on, except for Enzo (the job broker) and Nesty and Tiki, Grue’s two surviving daughters. Nesty of course, was only a baby, and Dante has long since not seen them, hoping that the distance he kept from them would keep them safe.

I like to believe Dante would look back fondly of those memories of Tony Redgrave, Grue, Nell, and even Bobby and the others, but in the end, Dante really only meets them with contempt. Frustration and bordering on violence. It is very easy to set Dante off with mentions of his past. While the name Tony Redgrave doesn’t do anything to him, the mentioning of his lost friends will provoke a reaction out of him -- depending on the remarks of course. Dante was more than happy to hear Nico praise Nell, and to know that Nell had a surviving child -- but it also made Dante want to distance himself from Nico even harder, knowing the truth of what he’d caused to happen to Nell, and his fear that it would befall Nico too.

Other than small quips, Tony Redgrave is a very touchy subject for Dante because it is a constant reminder of all he has lost, and all he had done. All of it leading up to nothing, and scrounging around to finally pick up the scraps so that he could limp away and continue his life as Dante.

[lonelypond]

Pancakes And Planning

Love Live, NicoMaki, 1.6K, 1/1

Summary: Nishikino Maki has proposed, Yazawa Nico has accepted, and the next step is...pancakes on the couch.

Pancakes and Planning

Nishikino Maki sat with her legs pulled up on the comfiest couch in the media room, watching her FIANCÈE Yazawa Nico use a fork to deftly cut through a stack of blueberry pancakes the multi talented, multi tasking, multi cuteness personified Idol had cooked herself. This was her second stack, Nico demolishing food in record time, wearing an old, way too baggy 𝝁‘s Nico Nico Ni t-shirt over borrowed boxers that barely stayed up, sliding down to reveal the slight curve where her abs met...and Maki stopped there, her heart still on doki doki overflow post engagement exuberance. She and Nico had come as close as they ever had to THAT, the big step, and somehow Maki’s entire nervous and circulatory system was still pounding wildly against her skin, surging again every time she had a flash of the fierceness in Nico’s eyes or a tactile shiver at the thought of how adept both her hands and Nico’s had been at finding curves and creases that threatened to push them beyond the boundaries they had agreed on in New York City, what seemed ten years ago. Was Nico this hot then? Did steam practically rise off both their skins when Maki had slid a little closer all those movie nights on this couch? Had Maki’s hands tingled so much at the thought of sweeping over the bare skin of Nico’s back....Maki jumped back, Nico looked startled.

“Sorry…” Maki muttered, feeling the blush.

Nico quirked an eyebrow, “Want some of Nico’s pancakes?”

Maki tried not to cough as her brain took that thought and ran through mental doors into candlelit rooms, large fluffy covers on a bed big enough to sprawl across, no potential cameos from parents or Yazawa siblings threatening, her mouth now watering with thirst more than hunger.

“Idols don’t eat.” Nico continued matter-of-factly, giving Maki a chance to recover from whatever mental cul de sac she’d wandered into. Nico had learned to recognize the signs.

Nico leaned over, offering her fork to Maki, who opened her mouth to say, “You nev…” but then Nico shoved the pancakes in. Maki chewed quickly and continued, suddenly worried that Idol House and the pressures of living on camera was having a negative effect on Nico, “You never diet, you always say it’s unhealthy, Nico-chan.”

Nico sighed, and grumpily chomped a forkful of pancakes, “Idols don’t eat, Maki-chan, because they don’t have time.”

Maki might have laughed, but as Nico’s post high school career path became clearer, time they had together like this had become so much rarer. So Maki’s sigh was the match of Nico’s and she scooted closer on the couch, dropping her head on Nico’s shoulder as the Number One Idol in Any Universe continued to channel her inner lumberjack and got down to crumbs on the plate. Nico set it aside on the coffee table and turned to face Maki, settling into the lotus position. Nico really was tiny, but Maki only noticed on nights like this, when Nico was relaxed and at ease, Nico sized, casual, comfortable...at home, Maki wanted that Nico, every day, in THEIR home, on THEIR couch, discussing THEIR day.

Even if she asked questions like this. “So, are you really doing that poorly in school?”

Maki shrugged.

Nico shook her head, all the hard angles in her face softened with loving concern. “Your parents are going to blame Nico.”

Maki knew that wasn’t true, “My parents are going to blame me.”

“And tell you to stop seeing Nico so much.” There was still sharpness in her tone. Both their parents had been causing just enough friction that triggering genuine worries about Maki’s future was problematic.

“I hardly see Nico-chan at all.” Maki twisted her hair, not aware of the gesture, Nico smiled at the habit.

Nico turned the new ring on her finger, watching the pink gems sparkle, “Nico will make sure you don’t forget what she looks like before the wedding.”

Maki took Nico’s face in both her hands, kissing her fiancèe impulsively, fueled by the lingering allure of the Nico who visited her dreams near nightly, “I couldn’t.”

The pauses for kissing in their conversations had been getting longer for months now so when the front door closed and parental Nishikinos could be heard in the hall, Maki and Nico were horizontal on the couch. Nico jumped up, startled, but Maki was stubbornly glaring at the door through the couch.

“We need a place of our own.” Maki muttered.

“Nico doesn’t disagree but…” Nico settled in, fixing her hair, tilting her head back to cheerfully greet Maki’s parents with an upside down smile as they hesitated in the doorway, “Welcome home! Nico has some pancake mix left in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

“Nico…” Maki’s mother sounded harried, Maki’s father yawning behind her, “We weren’t expecting you.”

“No.” Nico looked pointedly at Maki, “but Maki was having an academic crisis so I came by to fix her.”

Maki’s father spoke, stern, “What happened, Maki?”

“My project didn’t go as well as it could have, but I passed.” Maki crawled up next to Nico, arms hanging over the couch back as she scowled at the intruders.

“Passing is not an acceptable grade for a Nishikino.” Disapproval boomed, filling the room, but glancing off its intended target.

Maki decided to follow up the bad news for her grades with the best news for her future, “Nico and I are engaged.” Silence. Also booming. And three people staring at Maki, who pushed off the couch and stood, feeling a surge of confidence, although when her legs trembled slightly she thought it might have been better if she’d eaten a few more bites of pancakes. “I asked Nico to marry me and she said yes.”

Nico flashed the ring over the couch back with an even more incandescent smile, “Welcome to the family. Nico Nico Ni.”

Maki giggled as Nico raised her left hand to her temple with her signature move.

The Drs. Nishikino let out simultaneous exasperated noises, but Maki’s father spoke first, “Your mother and I have had an exhausting day. Nico is welcome to stay in a guest room and we will discuss this in the morning.”

Maki glanced at Nico, who seemed doubtful. “Nico-chan?”

“Sorry, Maki, I can’t stay for breakfast negotiations. Classes with a famous K-Pop dance studio at dawn.” Nico bopped up and kissed Maki on the cheek, “but Nico trusts you.”

“This is a family conversation anyway.” The grumpier Dr. Nishikino had his arms crossed petulantly.

“Nico is family,” Maki snapped at her father, who gaped in surprise at his suddenly wayward child.

“Let’s go upstairs and let the girls say goodnight, dear. Be careful getting back home, Nico. We’ll see you soon,” Maki’s mother was trying to soothe things over, her arm wrapping around her husband’s waist but everyone could see the sparks coming off the two redheads in the room, “Don’t stay up too late, Maki.”

“Good night, Mama. Papa.” Maki’s dismissal was peremptory as she took Nico’s hand, feeling the stones of the ring she’d found solid against her palm, eyes only for Nico.

“You are the bravest,” Nico whispered, rising on her tiptoes to kiss Maki gently. “I love you.”

Maki shook her head, hair falling over her eyes, full of the brash confidence that took over when she didn’t think, just acted. “It’s not brave. I don’t care what they think about us getting married. What matters is that we want to.”

“Maki…” Nico caressed Maki’s cheek with her free hand, “be a little patient. You’re their baby. Parents get attached.”

Frustrated by the lack of parental empathy and Nico’s reasonableness about it, Maki changed the topic again, “Do you really have to leave, Nico-chan?”

Nico’s eyebrows raised, and she considered for a long moment before replying, but Maki could see the eagerness coming through the thoughtful.“Yeah...but I’m going to cancel everything after Thursday so we can have a long weekend and talk about EVERYTHING.”

Maki felt more awake as she stopped worrying about practical things, realizing how close Nico was to her right now, feeling Nico’s fingers brush through her hair, as their bodies angled nearer to each other...maybe she could reserve a suite somewhere in downtown Tokyo...and she and Nico could finally have some privacy…

“Maki-chan?”A hip nudge. Maki thrilled at the sensation. Almost dancing, but secret, just between them.

Maki grinned at Nico, suddenly daring, “Want to hide out in a comfy suite somewhere, order room service all weekend, and not tell anyone?”

Before Maki could even blink, Nico had slid her hand to the back of Maki’s neck, and yanked the redhead to her, lips so insistent that Maki thought she was going to swoon. Then Nico whispered, hushed, heated, “more than anything” and Maki did, Nico guiding her back to the couch as her legs buckled.

“Nico’s going to have to tuck you in, can’t have my super hot, super talented bride to be get a concussion falling down the stairs.” Nico had Maki in her lap, wiry arms keeping the redhead from canting off the front of the couch as the practiced smile became a perfect one.

Definitely reserving a suite at the Granbell for the weekend, Maki decided as she slid her arms around Nico’s shoulders, losing count of the embers smoldering in fiery eyes as her fingers stroked through the silken, sable strands seducing the rest of her senses. Maki could feel the trust, the love, the strength banked between them. It was time to let THAT blaze.

[twenty-one-froggy-pilots]

Who is Clancy and why is he important?

So I know there are a lot of fans at the moment who are confused about the storyline involving Clancy and Dema and who the Bishops are, and in this essay I will try my best to explain who everyone is, why they’re important and any details that might be missing to explain the situation a little better 

I think the best place to start is with the first Clancy letter 

Let’s start on the contents before we talk about the secret message.

The first line “The perplexities of the Dema horizon didn’t occur to me till my ninth year” seems to be a reference to how many years twenty one pilots has been a band The rest of this paragraph deals with Clancy’s disillusionment with what Dema used to mean to him and what it means now. He also recognizes that Dema isn’t his home, and how the home that he knows now feels like a trap. 

The second paragraph deals with what the Dema day in day out looks like. Everyone has a job to do and everyone does it, they delight in accomplishing the easy tasks and it gives them enjoyment. They all do this to please their Bishops. 

The third paragraph gives us our first look at what Dema looks like and who runs it. Keons is Clancy’s Bishop. Each Bishop rules over their section of Dema. (we’ll get to that in a second) Clancy describes Keons as being no nonsense and stoic and the most put together of their region. Clancy also mentions that Keons, compared to some other Bishops who are needlessly cruel, makes them proud to be under his leadership. Clancy doesn’t say anything bad about Keons and praises him for his steady leadership. 

So now let’s talk about the text on the side of the letter. The text fully reads-

“West wall blocked East is up”

This seems to be how people are escaping Dema, one could also assume this is also why the phrase appears so much in the music.

So after this letter appeared people were finding this image of a failed perimeter check, (or this might have been before the letter, I don’t remember)

above the text it looks the like the FPE logo but cut off, the ‘violation of section’ led to a new part of the website. This image is titled ‘ba_dge’ which could mean it’s almost like a badge of honor. 

 After this came the images of 

The tower of silence, and the image of a little boy, which we will talk about first

The tower of silence is a tower where the Zoroastrian people put their dead to be eaten by the vultures because they believe that dead shouldn’t touch the earth or fire. (Be extremely careful when looking up this subject because google will pull up pictures of it in use) 

We can assume this is why vultures seem to be a very important part of this album.

The picture of the little boy I have less of a story for.

People who are way smarter than me google image searched both of these and found out their meanings, this one is an image of a child from the world war 2 era, linking it to the play All My Sons by Arthur Miller. (Or at least that's what I remember people talking about all those months ago) This image was titled se__elf (Self maybe?)  

The third image that was posted that day was the most important one in my opinion. 

this one is titled _ti_su_p (east is up) now 

So let’s start breaking down this image 

if we zoom in closer, we can see a few different names for what were seeing. The outermost section of Dema is called Necropolis, we can assume this is a reference to the actual towers of silence. It also seems to have a similar structure with it’s pattern as the picture of the towers above does, Moving in from there the other inner circle is called the glorious vista, this also seems to be the city limits, now lets zoom in again

So here we can see the names of some Bishops that look familiar. Both Nico and Keons are here so we can assume these are the names of the Bishops, each represent a song on the Blurryface album. The Bishops from left to right are, Andre, Lisden, Keons, then Nico, Reisdro, Scarver, Then Nills, Vetrono, Lisdo. (Thank you to this post which helped me out with the names)

Their districts that they are the leaders of can also be seen in the image above, and then in the Nico video

another interesting thing about this map, is that if you do something to it, you get a compass in the upper left corner where the map appears to be torn, I haven’t been able to find it, but it is there, this corresponds to the text under the image,  

“ sev_ering__tiez gEt out. the compAss lies. they don't control you. get out. the compaSs lies. They don't control you. get out. the compass lIeS. they don't control yoU.get out. the comPass lies. they don't control you.”

This is the only image with text under it. 

it also stands to mention that since we talked about a compass we also have to talk about what this means from the first letter, if east is up then we have to move our map around right? 

which matches 

Which would make Nico and Lisdo touched by the red, and the only one that the red couldn’t be rotated to would be  Reisdro, which doesn’t mean much of anything I just find it intresting, that’s about all I have for the map, so let’s move onto the next update, another letter from Clancy.

In this letter there are missing letters that spell out “You are still sleeping”

So in this letter Clancy is talking more about why Dema no longer seems like his home. Clancy would listen to a storyteller talk about what home was supposed to feel like and while Clancy used to be content he now longs for the romance and adventure that he feels Dema does not provide him. There is now a part of him filled with wonder at what could be behind the colossal walls of Dema he longs to escape towards. 

So I’m going to skip or gloss over a few code breaking mysteries just because they’re important to unlocking the Dema mystery but not to understanding the story

though I will mention that there was a gif that was the image of a cheetah running and letter flash by at the top spelling out “You don’t know his real name do you” People have concluded that this is either about Blurryface’s name being Nico, or Nico not being Nico’s true name

This is the next image we saw with the caption  “ __n_ot_myo_nly_fri_en d” under it. 

the next image was the gif of the vulture 

So the next letter talks about how Clancy’s eyes are open and he watches everyone go through life with no hopes or dreams. That the Bishops have stolen their trust and their dreams, that everyone walks around like a mindless zombies. Then Clancy mentions the single most interesting thing in any of the letters so far. That the only people who seem to have any light in their eyes are those who have been smeared, and once their punishment is over they forget that they were ever hoping for something else.  

The next image seems to be of the HeavyDirtySoul car driving along the mountains. After we get another letter. 

This is the first time Clancy mentions we, everything else before this has been talking about himself and only himself, this letter makes it seem like he has a small group of people with him. This letter informs us that there is a huge Bishop event going on inside Dema. The assemblage of the glorified. Clancy mentions that they’ve had no contact from the outside but are hoping that the ‘other side’ will be able to find a way in. They know that they have to travel lower and wait for the torches. They don’t even know where they’re escaping to and they’re willing to be smeared in order to get out. He ends the letter by saying hes terrified yet excited, and the final words of “They don’t control us”

The next Gif was the images of the torches in the tunnel, signifying Clancy’s escape. 

This is Clancy’s first letter after getting out of Dema 

The first paragraph tells us how long it’s been since Clancy escaped, three nights. The second informs us that Clancy is thinking about Dema and he wishes he could turn the fear off, and that if he ever went back he wouldn’t be able to look at it the same way again. The third is talking about all those back in Dema who were so focused on the task at hand they never took the time to examine what was around them. They stayed asleep. The last paragraph on the left side talks about how glad Clancy is to be in Trench, that the walls back home used to seem massive but natural wonder of this place is huge to, he also said that Trench can be precarious and easy to grow weary of, but that he’d rather be here than in Dema, a mindless zombie. 

The first paragraph on the right talks a bit more about the natural beauty such as new flowers and colors Clancy’s never seen before. So the next paragraph confuses me, Clancy talks about being alone and wondering if there are any others out in Trench. Which strikes me as odd seeing as how the last letter exclusively uses plural pronouns. Maybe this is used to connect to the reader in a way that is meant to excite? Clancy also talks about seeing things that aren’t there in the corners of his eyes. The last paragraph conclues with the fact that Clancy is scared but excited for the future and with the final line “Cover Me!” the letter ends 

The next image is Tyler lying in the river which leads us into the last Clancy letter we have so far, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we are given one soon now that Nico is out

Just to preface this one, this letter came after Jumpsuit. 

So now, lets start off with the first paragraph. 

Clancy starts off by saying that a few days into his journey he spots someone else. This person is out right in the open, as if he had been here before, while Clancy has kept to the caves entirely hidden from sight. This makes Clancy happy because now he knows that he isn’t the only one out here, but wonders how the stranger could be so unfearful to be out in the open. Clancy follows alongside him inside of the cave system. 

The second describes what happens in the video. The banditos appear out of thin air, which Clancy is excited about because he thought they were just a myth. Clancy describes Tyler as having stopped to look up at them, and not being able to tell if Tyler felt encouraged or frightened by their ominous  presence. 

So then Clancy, overwhelmed by not only seeing another person, plus the banditos, sees the Bishop riding in on his white horse. 

The Bishop seems to look up at Clancy in the cave before focusing back on Tyler. Clancy then describes that Tyler, paralyzed by the presence of the Bishop is then smeared. This frightens Clacy, “Keons always seemed gentle and warm - this bishop, at least out here, seemed something else.” 

This frightens him so much that he runs, are far and as fast as he can. He leaves his note as a sign that he’s not the only one traveling through Trench. 

The last paragraph is Clancy hoping for rest. Now this place feels like a mistake. Dema is somewhere he knows and understands, that at times like these he misses a lot about what he knows. “I’ve witnessed the presence of others for the first time today, and I feel more alone than ever.” He ends his note with another Cover me.

So, in conclusion what do we know? 

Clancy  ≠ Tyler Clancy  ≠ Josh Clancy is a new charcter Clancy is giving us a very important pov due to the fact that he’s alone in Trench, and he’s a character that doesn’t seem to be Tyler or Josh. I think Tyler, Josh, or fellow residents of Dema will use the letters the escape Dema permanently 

Nico  ≠ Blurryface Nico is using fear to control people but is not Blurryface himself I think it might be logical to consider that Tyler lived in Nico’s district which is why it’s so important for Nico to get him back. Because to Nico it seems to be a big power trip, he can’t have anyone escape his clutches but Tyler keeps escaping, keeps getting smeared, but keeps holding onto hope. 

Hope this helps!

[nijiryuu]

Devil May Cry - Before the Nightmare Novel Translation

@sevi007 @wingsofthenight @devilmaycry-headcanons

Version 1.0 (4th March 2019)

What is Devil May Cry Before the Nightmare?

Devil May Cry Before the Nightmare is the official prequel novel to Devil May Cry 5. It was published on March 1st 2019 by Kadokawa.

This novel is in Japanese only, and there are currently no announced plans to translate it. This means that only Japanese audiences get the full story behind Devil May Cry 5. With this in mind, Platinum, DMC5Info’s translator/co-admin, worked tirelessly to translate this 260 page book before Devil May Cry 5’s release.

It was no easy task and required a lot of coffee. If you would like to help replenish her coffee supply, Plat’s Ko-Fi account can be found at https://ko-fi.com/platinumparagon. Any spelling mistakes or errors will be corrected ASAP and will be reflected in the version number. If you are reading this via PDF, please consider checking DMC5Info for any issued corrections or updates.

Please note that everything before Nico Chapter 2 is safe to read regarding spoilers for Devil May Cry 5. After this chapter, some scenes from the game’s prologue begin to be retold and we are granted access to inner monologues. We particularly recommend skipping the second last chapter, V Chapter 3, if you do not want spoilers or hints for Devil May Cry 5.

Thank you and we hope you enjoy!

Prologue Chapter

● Nico is meeting an occult journalist named Jeffrey Turner in a bar. Jeffrey works for the ‘Occult Times’ magazine.

● Nico’s drink of choice is a boiler maker with beer and bourbon.

● Nico tells Jeffrey to call her Miss Goldstein and produces a copy of ‘Occult Times’ from five years ago. Jeffrey gets nostalgic about this issue as it contains the first feature that he ever wrote – how The Saviour attacked Fortuna. Nico bluntly tells him she doesn’t care about his nostalgia.

● Jeffrey is curious about how she knows about Fortuna as it is one of the most secluded regions of the world and its citizens are quite antiquated. He tells Nico that he didn’t witness the event for himself, but he heard that the city was destroyed by a white giant.

● Nico tells Jeffrey that while the magazine may exaggerate the truth or mix in a few falsehoods, those events did happen.

● Jeffrey tried to investigate The Order of the Sword as best as he could, but the locals would not speak to outsiders and it seemed that all key members of The Order (the leader, high members etc.) had disappeared. While general members remained, they became sceptical of the Order’s creed. Jeffrey speculates that the white giant was a result of some sort of failed summoning ritual that destroyed the city.

● Nico says she tried to investigate Fortuna herself, but most places have a ‘No Entry’ sign and she stood out among the citizens as an outsider.

● Jeffrey tries to make a toast with Nico and picks up his glass, but she ignores him and goes back to the magazine. He sighs and puts his glass down.

● Nico goes back to the magazine where she shows Jeffrey a picture of Fortuna covered in rubble. In this picture is a young man whose face is concealed. Nico asks about the young man and Jeffrey says that this is ‘N’. He was like a point of contact with Jeffrey about the story, but he didn’t give a lot of helpful information. Nico asks if N seemed like a member of The Order and Jeffrey said he did, but he had departed from them.

● Nico wants to know N’s name, but Jeffrey is apprehensive. He asks why she wants to know N’s name, and Nico immediately replies that she wants to meet N. Jeffrey would usually forget people's names, but this case was special to him as it was his first overseas reporting and he was so enthusiastic. Now his career his dwindling, so he outright tells her that his name is Nero. Nico also asks if he has a surname, but Jeffrey says he doesn’t know.

● Jeffrey asks Nico why she’s going to Fortuna. She replies – „I’m aiming high“ (as in aiming for the stars). She drops her bourbon in her beer glass, sinks it in one drink, gives a big smile and leaves. She leaves behind her copy of Occult Times and tells Jeffrey to keep it as a memento.

● Jeffrey wonders if he’s heard the name Goldstein before, but he’s too drunk to remember.

 Nero Chapter 1

● The chapter begins with Nero working in his garage as he struggles to get Red Queen to rev properly. Nero playfully speaks to the sword and asks if it’s pouting.

● While tidying in the garage, Julio, an orphan that Nero helps Kyrie take care of, says that there is a strange woman outside. Nero asks what makes her so strange – does she have three eyes and no nose? Julio replies that it’s not her appearance that’s weird, it’s the fact that she says she’s searching for Nero.

● After the Order of the Sword incident, Nero is wary of strangers as occult reporters, novelists etc. come to the city for details, but he can’t tell them the truth.

● Julio says that the woman has dark skin and glasses. Believing this woman to be Gloria, Nero asks Julio if her hair is white. Julio says that her hair is black and frizzy. Overhearing this, Nico yells „Who has black frizzy hair, you stupid brat!?“ and barges to the front of the garage. Julio then points to her and Nico says, „It’s rude to point, brat“.

● Julio would normally retort, but Nero tells him to go to Kyrie with a serious face, so he listens.

● Nero asks what business Nico has while making sure to hide his Devil Bringer from her. He feels that the Devil Bringer bestowed him with great demonic power and he uses it to protect the person that he loves. While he used to be sick of its ugly appearance, he is now grateful for it.

● It is stated that Nero uses his arm to judge whether someone is a demon or not. If they are a demon, his arm has some sort of reaction. As his arm does not react, he believes she is either a human or a demon with minimal powers.

● Nico asks him if he’s Nero. Nero insists that she stop smoking before asking any more questions as he hates smoking and the garage is filled with combustible items.

● Nico basically tells him that he should save the lectures for the bratty kid from earlier. Nero starts to get irritated by her rudeness and tells her to put the cigarette out or get out. She drops the cigarette on the floor, squashes it with her boot and says „Is this okay, No Smoking Boy?“. Nero thinks she’s an unpleasant woman.

● Nero estimates that they are the same age, maybe she’s a little younger, but she acts like she’s older than him (a senpai).

● As Nico enters the garage, she keeps both arms in the air. She teases him by saying „Are you going to hit me, a frail woman?“ As she approaches him, she sees the Devil Bringer. Nero is afraid of what might happen from her seeing it. However, she sits on a box in the corner and says „What, have a complex about it? Don’t worry, it’s part of who you are.“ She then introduces herself as Nicoletta Goldstein and says that she has a favor to ask Nero.

● Nico is looking for missing Order of the Sword demonic research documents. She says that she has no choice but to ask surviving members of The Order for help finding them. While talking to Nico, Nero notes that there is no ill will in her eyes, more like child-like curiosity.

● Nero asks how Nico knew about The Order researching demons as this wasn’t public knowledge. She says that she researched this information from a range of people, from demon hunters to a chain-smoking, gossip-loving old lady.

● As Nico shows knowledge of demons and demon hunters, Nero reflects that this is the first time that someone with a genuine connection to demons (besides cheesy occult magazines) has found him. Because of this, he rejects her request to help her find Order documents.

● After being told no, Nico doesn’t leave. Instead, she asks how Agnus is now. This shocks Nero and he tells Nico that he was killed. Nico, with an air of loneliness, says that she’d heard about that rumor. Nero asks how she knows ‘that asshole’ and Nico says that he’s her biological father.

● Nero is in disbelief and can’t stop questioning Nico about it. Her response is simply „Yeah, what bad luck“.

● During the ‘You’re his daughter!?’ exchange, Nico notices Red Queen and instantly picks it up. Nero scolds her for touching his stuff without permission.

● Nico begins examining Red Queen and gets so excited at its design that she begins to stutter. Nero keeps trying to snatch it from her, but eventually stops and watches in awe as she quickly identifies what’s wrong with Red Queen and begins to repair it.

● As she fixes it, she scolds Nero and calls him an idiot for not keeping up with Red Queen’s regular maintenance. He then begins to accept that this is Agnus’s daughter as they both share the same love of research and even have a similar skin color.

● Nico repairs Red Queen and says to it „Baby, how’re you doing?“. She tests it out by revving it, but its power knocks her to the floor. While Nero thought she’d get angry, she smiles and dusts herself off. She says that Red Queen is ‘very rowdy, but a cutie’.

● After repairing Red Queen, Nero is indebted to Nico. He decides to show her The Order’s documents, and this makes her smile from ear to ear. She tells him that from now on, he’s allowed to call her Nico. The chapter ends with Nero thinking about the man who killed her father – Dante.

 Dante Chapter 1

● The chapter begins with Dante reaching Dumary Island and speaking with Matier on the harbor. He struggles to recall her name and asks if her name is Matia, which she then corrects to Matier. She says that Sparda would forget her and other women’s names as well.

● Sparda is described as Mundus’s right-hand man who betrayed him due to feeling compassion towards humans. Before meeting Eva, Sparda would travel the world and that is how he met Matier.

● Dante doesn’t have many memories of Sparda, but recalls receiving sword-fighting lessons with Vergil. At this time, he had no idea that his father was a demon and didn’t know about the legend of Sparda.

● Matier calls Dante cruel for not returning to the island after the incident around ten years ago. Dante says he couldn’t help it because he was stuck in ‘a garbage dump’ (hell) and travelling between the human world and demon world isn’t easy.

● Matier asks how he was able to escape hell and he says that a hole unexpectedly opened up and he travelled through it. Sometimes holes connecting to the demon world will suddenly appear. These holes seem to be why Dumary Island requires guardians to protect it.

● It seems that ‘small port cities’ have a higher likelihood of holes appearing, which is used to explain why Dumary Island and Fortuna have demons appearing.

● The novel states that when demons enter the human world, they only project their consciousness into another physical entity. If a demon wants to enter with its physical body, the hole has to be massive. Dante feels like it wasn’t a coincidence that there was a hole large enough for him to pass through. When he went to Fortuna and saw the Hell Gate, he suddenly understood that perhaps his escape from hell was related to Yamato.

● Dante describes Yamato as a memento from their father that has the ability to cut away the boundary between the human world and the demon world.

● Matier says that Lucia objected to calling Dante back to Dumary Island, but there aren’t many ‘young men’ left on the island. Dante says that he’s not exactly a young man anymore. He contemplates his own lifespan in relation to Sparda’s and wonders when he’ll be considered an old man.

● Lucia waited for Dante to return from hell and made several round trips to the office and back to see if he returned. When Dante did return, they hugged and she cried. However, Dante had to leave shortly after as he received a call with the password.

● Dante has a rule where he tries to keep his focus solely on a job. Matier scolds him and says that it’s not like she’s asking Dante to marry Lucia for life, he just wants him to give her one happy memory. He says, „My bad, I have my reasons“, then Matier scolds him again for his subpar apology and says that Sparda had a better way with words. Dante says that he likes to think he’s a better man than his father, causing Matier to jab him with her cane. She says if that’s the case, he needs to stop being rude to Lucia. Tired of getting lectured, Dante changes the subject to why Matier asked him to come.

● Matier asks him if he remembers the demon that brought him to the island last time. Dante says that he killed things like a big monkey (Orangguerra), but Matier has to remind him that he killed Argosax. Dante considers remembering the names of all the demons he’s defeated a waste of his brain. However, there’s one name he always remembers – Mundus, the demon who brought harm to his mother.

● Matier says that the demon that has appeared was Argosax’s right-hand man. Dante jokes that he dealt with the number one guy, now he has to deal with the number two guy. Dante starts to  remember Argosax, but also remembers that he wasn’t much of a threat to him.

● According to Matier, around half of hell have rallied around this right-hand man and he has been saving his strength for the past decade to come through to the human world. Because of this demon’s size, Matier doesn’t think it could just slip through a hole. Instead, she reckons that a human is summoning it through a ritual, but she doesn’t think that would happen easily on the island with her and Lucia protecting it.

● Dante asks if she knows who is summoning the demon, but she can’t find any evidence of who it is, particularly as Arius is no longer alive. Dante asks the name of the demon and Matier laughs, saying, „Aren’t you going to forget it tomorrow? The demon’s name is Balrog. According to legend, he’s a ferocious fire demon. Be careful.“ Hearing this warning makes Dante smile.

 Nero Chapter 2

● The chapter begins with Nico and Nero in the basement of Fortuna Castle, the location of Agnus’s research facility. Nico is elated by the modern equipment in the facility, looking at and touching everything. She strokes the round cylinders that once housed demons and once again stutters with excitement.

● Nero asks Nico what she plans to do with Agnus’s research documents. He fears that Agnus’s daughter will continue his malicious work and once again bring demons to the world. While he asks this question, he keeps a concealed hand on Blue Rose as he may have to kill her depending on her answer.

● Nico tells him that she wants to be an artist. Nero becomes confused by her answer and takes his finger away from Blue Rose’s trigger. He asks if she wants to draw pictures of demons and this makes her burst into laughter. She says she’s not interested in pictures, she wants to become a first-class weapons/arms artist. Nero recalls how skillfully she disassembled Red Queen.

● Nico asks if Nero’s heard of her grandmother, the .45 Calibre Artist. Nero shakes his head, and this infuriates Nico as she makes a gesture with her head like she is spitting. She yells at him, „You don’t know anything, boy!“ Nero manages to keep his cool despite being insulted. He attributes this to spending time taking care of orphans, building his patience and resistance to insults from younger people.

● Nero explains that he probably hasn’t heard of her because guns aren’t very popular in Fortuna. He says that in his past, people looked down on him for using a gun. This raises Nico’s interest, asking him if he has a gun. Nero hesitates for a bit and then takes his concealed Blue Rose from his pocket. Nico runs up to it and fixates her gaze on it, once again stuttering with excitement. Her mannerisms remind him of Agnus.

● Nico asks if she can touch the gun and Nero allows it. Nico geeks out over the gun and Blue Rose’s design is explained: a double-barrel revolver that shoots two bullets with a slight time delay on each shot. One bullet penetrates while the other explodes.

● Nero’s impressed that she can identify the two different types of bullets from looking at them as they are nearly identical. Nico says, „Who do you think I am!?“.

● Nico says that Blue Rose’s concept could be thought of, but it would be difficult to execute and would require someone who’s very skilled. Because of a language pun in Japanese, Nero reflects on how Agnus certainly was the crazy type.

● Nero then reflects on his own life circumstances. While he feels his morality is questionable, he was raised in a home with honesty and integrity. He looked up to Credo, the person who was like an older brother to him. But now, he had Kyrie as his lover.

● Nico talks about how her grandmother’s guns were simple and beautiful. She says the final pair of guns that she made were very, very beautiful. Nico talks on and on about them which Nero is not interested in. However, she says, „They’re called ‘Ebony and Ivory’, one’s black and one’s white. Appropriate names for such fine art!“. The names raise Nero’s interest and she continues to describe

the guns, detailing how one is for rapid fire and one is for destructive power. The guns were designed with demon hunting in mind, and she believes that the guns are currently being used by a demon hunter. While trying to remember the name, Nero says it instead – „Dante“.

● Nico says that he is correct and asks if he is a celebrity in the demon hunting world. However, Nero is too dumbfounded to reply as he realizes the connection – Nico’s grandmother designed the guns that shot her father in the head.

● Nico demands an answer from Nero. „I want to know what type of guy is using my grandmother’s best work. Wait, don’t tell me he’s a piece of shit!?“ Nero asks her to be patient while he processes all of this information.

● Nero thinks about how Dante is an important person to him. Dante saved him from the chaos ensuing in Fortuna, but in the process he killed Agnus. Now Agnus’s daughter is in front of him asking what he’s like. Nero says aloud „Shit, how am I gonna explain this?“, causing Nico to raise her eyebrows.

 Dante Chapter 2

● The chapter begins with Dante killing monkey-looking demons on the way to fight Balrog. While killing them, he reflects on how great Ebony and Ivory are and how they were Nell Goldstein’s magnum opus.

● While disposing of the demons, Dante hears a heavy French accent behind him say „As usual, your guns are wonderful“. He turns his head and replies with, „Long time no see, Lucia“. Lucia asks him if he’s aged a little and he gives her a bitter smile, telling her she’s just imagining it. Dante tells her she hasn’t changed at all, and Lucia reminds him that she can’t change no matter how much time passes.

● Dante tries to comfort Lucia by telling her that women pay large amounts of money to try to look youthful, but this isn’t a comfort to her.

● Lucia’s origin story as an artificial demon is repeated. Dante notes that she has a lonely face.

● Dante starts cracking wise with Lucia and says that compared to the horror around them, he’s like something that came from heaven. This gets a faint smile from Lucia and she thanks him for coming while putting out her hand to him.

● This is a surprise to Dante as he heard from Matier that Lucia wasn’t happy with him coming. Lucia says that Balrog is a bit too difficult for one person, so she would appreciate help dealing with him to finish it quicker. Dante smiles as he thinks this is a thinly-veiled ‘I can’t do this on my own’, but he’s fine with it as she appears more confident.

● Dante and Lucia walk shoulder to shoulder to go fight Balrog. He reflects that it’s been a long time since they’ve been together, but they walked together like old partners. There is a mutual trust between the pair.

● The pair fight their way to Balrog, and Balrog simply looks at them. Dante asks if he’s shy and Balrog replies with „So you finally came“. Dante asks if he was waiting for them to appear, and Balrog indeed says that he believed that if he waited here, eventually a person of strength would come to him. Balrog takes a step towards them which is enough to shake the ground. During this conversation, Dante experiences a familiar sensation nearby.

● Balrog says that after losing his partner Argosax, he has grown bored. But now, he has a new power. Dante sees something glimmering in his fist and he recognizes it – it is a shard of Yamato. It seems that when parts of Yamato scattered, a part remained in hell. It seems that Balrog used a shard of Yamato to enter the human world.

● Dante deduces that Balrog had been using the shard to travel to the human world. Dante was able to escape hell using one of these holes left by Balrog, believing his escape to be a coincidence.

● Dante says „Yamato...“ out loud. Yamato was once used to seal demons away, now it is helping demons escape from it. The Order of the Sword collected fragments of Yamato to fuel their ambitions, and that is how the Fortuna incident occurred.

● In response, Dante grabs Rebellion and readies himself for battle. Balrog lets out a massive yell, but Dante is unphased by it. He tells Lucia that this is his job and jumps at Balrog, attacking him in his fist.

 Nico Chapter 1

● The chapter opens with Nico meeting Kyrie for the first time. As Agnus amassed a lot of research documents, Nico must stay for a little while in Fortuna with Nero and Kyrie.

● Nico doesn’t really consider people to be beautiful, she thinks well-made guns and swords are beautiful. However, she believes that Kyrie is so beautiful that it’s a rare sight. The way that Kyrie looks at Nico reminds her of her mother Alyssa who died when she was very young.

● Kyrie asks if it’s okay to call her Nico. Nico immediately nods and says „You can call me whatever you want! ‘Nico’, ‘Nicoletta’, even ‘Bitch’!“. In response, Nero stomps on her foot under the table, points at her and yells „Hey! Don’t use dirty words in front of Kyrie!“.

● Nico heard that Kyrie was Nero’s girlfriend, but she couldn’t imagine just how special Kyrie was to Nero. Nico apologizes to Kyrie for her foul mouth and says that her father is to blame; Nero lets out a small sigh. Kyrie smiles at them like she’s watching two children bicker, which puts Nico at ease.

● Kyrie invites Nico to eat with them as there’s plenty to go around. Kyrie asks Nico if there’s any food that she doesn’t like and Nico responds with, „If you cooked a tyre then I’d eat it!“, making Kyrie laugh.

● When Kyrie goes to the kitchen, Nico tries to get a rise from Nero by saying „Lovely woman, she’s too good for you“. Instead of a snarky rebuttal, Nero says „Yeah, I think so too“.

● As Agnus abandoned Nico and her mother when she was very young, she has complex feelings regarding him. While reflecting on this, Nico takes out a box of cigarettes which Nero promptly snatches away from her. He tells her that she can’t smoke in the house, and Nico asks if she can at least smoke in the garage as she can’t work if she doesn’t smoke. In the garage, kids won’t see her and she won’t be chased out of town for being an outsider.

● Nico was told by her mother that Fortuna was her father’s home town. She read about the town’s feature in Folklore Times, resulting in her starting to collect information concerning demons.

● After this segue, Nero still orders her to smoke outside. As she stands up to go smoke, she asks Nero if she wants any of her technology. He neither nodded nor objected, but Nico felt that there was an implicit acceptance of the offer. Nico says, „It’s fine, it’s give-and-take. I get to make fine art and you get to use it to kill demons. We’ll be like business partners“.

● Nero asks if this is really okay as he was an accomplice in her father’s murder. Nico reflects on the story Nero told her about how the man who wields her grandmother’s masterpiece used them to kill her father. Even Nico with her vivid imagination would struggle to think of something like that. However, she concludes that she has no emotional attachment to her father. As he abandoned her when she was around two or three, she didn’t even have memories of him.

● Nico tells him that the incident is in the past, then asks to make a phone call when she’s done smoking. Nero asks who she’s calling, and she says, „My dad, I want him to send me a package“. Realizing how confusing her words were, she corrects herself and says „Not Agnus, my current dad. He’s a blood relative – my uncle“. Nero heard this explanation with his mouth wide open.

 Lucia Chapter 1

● Lucia is watching Balrog and Dante fight. Balrog seems to be enjoying himself and doesn’t even get angry when Dante dodges his attacks.

● While watching Dante fight, Lucia clenches her fist. She committed herself to her studies and to getting stronger not only so she would never have to rely on Dante again, but so that she could one day repay the favor to him. While watching Dante fight, she felt powerless.

● Lucia wonders if his battle prowess is due to his experience, or whether it is simply because he has the blood of Sparda.

● The fight between Dante and Balrog heats up (literally) as Balrog’s fire causes trees and abandoned houses to catch on fire. Dante asks why Balrog likes fire so much since it’s so commonly used. Balrog says that his fire is unprecedented and goes to punch Dante with a burning hot fist.

● The punch collides with the ground and causes a cloud of dust to appear. Lucia reflexively calls out Dante’s name, but as the cloud of dust disappears, she sees that he is protected by a transparent wall. Lucia sees him holding a three-pronged nunchaku.

● „It’s been a long time since I’ve used these, I’m not good with heat“, says Dante as the wall of ice shatters. This tactic infuriates Balrog and he readies his fist once more. In response, Dante makes an exaggerated pose with Cerberus like a protagonist in a kung-fu movie.

● During the pose, Cerberus starts emitting cool air. Dante comments that he hasn’t used it in a while, so he thinks it’s pouting with him. Upon seeing it, Balrog says „That shape, that ability...did you tame Cerberus?“

● Lucia remembers what Matier taught her about Devil Arms. She says that there are two ways for Devil Arms to be created. A demon will turn into a weapon of overwhelming power if it has been defeated and becomes submissive, or a demon will change into a weapon if there is a strong emotional bond present.

● Dante talks to Cerberus again, saying „C’mon puppy, it’s not like I got rid of you“. Dante and Balrog resume fighting, with Dante throwing some mad shapes with Cerberus.

● Dante lands a big blow against Balrog and he staggers, but it turns out Balrog’s stagger was a bait for Dante to lower his guard. He fires up his right hand (the one with the Yamato fragment) and goes to attack Dante. Dante surrounds himself with Cerberus’s ice, but Balrog punches him so hard that Cerberus itself shatters.

● However, this was a bait from Dante. The force of the dual attack shattered the Yamato fragment that Balrog had. Both the Yamato fragment and Cerberus fragments are said to be granular-sized and they dissipate. After Cerberus breaks, Dante takes out Rebellion.

● Upon seeing Rebellion, Balrog asks if he is Sparda’s son. Dante replies „What’re you gonna do if I am?“. Balrog says that he heard the rumors of him defeating Mundus and Argosax. At this point, Balrog has either used up most of his strength or is losing his will to fight.

● Balrog says he understands the difference in their strength and accepts that Dante won. Dante is suddenly surrounded by a whirlwind of flame.

● Balrog says that he will allow Dante to use him as a Devil Arm. He says that fighting with Dante will allow him to power up, and then one day they can have a rematch. This seems to be the lore explanation for Balrog’s Ignition mechanic.

● The whirlwind disappears and Dante is standing with Balrog equipped. He replies, „Jeez, what a selfish guy. Didn’t even wait for my reply“. Lucia asks if he’s okay, he shrugs and says, „These things happen to me“.

● Balrog starts talking which immediately annoys Dante. Dante tells him that it’s one thing to hitch a ride with him, but if he keeps talking then it’s going to drive him mad. Lucia can’t help but smile at the exchange.

● Lucia becomes lonely at the thought of the job ending. She realizes that Matier saw through her all along. The reason why she didn’t want to see Dante again was because her heart longed for him. Lucia calls Matier a meddler out loud. Dante replies that she’s a good mother irrespective of there being no blood link.

● Dante says Lucia’s name out loud and she becomes excited, but he begins talking about the fragment of Yamato in Balrog’s hand which disappoints her.

● Dante explains how the fragment allowed demons to travel through. He tells her that if an incident like this happens again, she can call him. Lucia tries not to read too deeply into it and nods. She recognizes that the fragment Dante destroyed must have been important to him.

● She tells Dante that he is a cruel man and he gives her a puzzled look. She says that they should return separately and she bids him farewell. Dante tells Lucia to take care of herself.

 Intermission Chapter

● Please note that there is a lot of reminiscing in this scene, so that is why it can jump from scene to scene.

● Rock Goldstein is taking a collect call from Nico in his gun shop, Rock’s Guns and Ammo. As she is staying in Fortuna for a while, she wants him to send her clothes, tools, and an issue of Folklore Times from her bedroom. Rock calls it a third-rate magazine and Nico yells at him to just send it, then hangs up. Rock rubs his hair which is covering the eye-patch on his right eye.

● Rock Goldstein is the son of Nell Goldstein and Roy Martin, a wealthy man. He wasn’t sure what sparked their romance, but he thinks it may have been guns due to Roy’s love of hunting.

● Rock was brought up in a gun-loving home, but he was never allowed near them unsupervised and wasn’t allowed into Nell’s workshop without permission. When Rock was seven, he snuck into Nell’s workshop and played with a gun that she was building. His carelessness resulted in him losing most of the sight in his right eye.

● Roy blamed Nell for Rock’s incident and the two argued more. Eventually, Roy told Nell that she needed to stop making guns. To Nell, that was like a death sentence.

● That night, Rock goes to Nell’s workshop and apologizes as he blames himself for what happened. Nell is moved to tears and she soothes him, telling him it’s her fault.

● Rock slips her a piece of paper. He has drawn her a medal to recognize her greatness as a .45 calibre artist. Due to Rock’s age, it is misspelled – ‘.45 ART WARKS’. Nell begins to sob and hugs Rock tightly, saying „sorry“ and „thank you“ repeatedly. Rock says, „Mommy, please don’t stop making guns – I’m okay“. Nell decides to continue making guns, resulting in the end of her relationship with Roy.

● While Rock wanted to go with his mother, she didn’t have anywhere to go or anyone to rely on. In contrast, Roy was wealthy and had property. Rock was forbidden from seeing his mother and had to run up to his bedroom window to see her leave. While she didn’t look back, Rock saw that she was walking with his medal in her hand.

● After divorcing Nell, it didn’t take long for Roy to re-marry. Rock couldn’t accept Roy’s new wife and became rebellious. When Alyssa was born, Roy focused his attention on her, leaving Rock to become more estranged from the family.

● Rock got a job at Uroboros in the weapons development department. He learned of his mother’s whereabouts, but due to the company’s strict working conditions, he wasn’t able to get a day off for a year. By the time he went to see her, she had been dead for six months.

● From that day, Rock abandoned his father’s surname of Martin and became Rock Goldstein. He quit Uroboros and opened a small gun shop named Rock’s Guns and Ammo in an attempt to be Nell’s successor.

● Rock’s father was furious that he quit his job at Uroboros as he helped him get that job. In response, Rock says that he is proud to be Nell Goldstein’s son.

● While looking for the key to Nico’s bedroom, Rock comes across failed and abandoned creations of his. He reflects that while he wanted to be Nell’s successor, he didn’t have her abilities. He wonders what he would be capable of if he was trained by her.

● Rock remembers a time he was made fun of by a woman who spent the night with him. „I thought you were a tough guy, but it looks like you have an Oedipus complex. You kept saying ‘Mommy! Mommy!’ in your sleep“.

● Shortly after Rock started his business, his father and step-mother died. Rock suspects that it was due to suicide as Roy accrued a considerable amount of debt after a failed investment. The mansion was repossessed and they had no savings left, so Alyssa was left with nothing. Although Rock’s business wasn’t doing too well, he couldn’t stand to see a blood relative left out in the cold, so he brought her to the shop and let her live there.

● Alyssa got an office job at Uroboros. They could live more comfortably thanks to Alyssa’s income, and Rock’s shop got more trade thanks to his improving skills.

● One day, Alyssa asks if it is okay to bring someone home. When Rock asks who it is, Alyssa blushes. Rock says, „Huh, a lover? Where did you two meet?“. Alyssa tells him it’s a company employee, and he replies, „What does he work as? Don’t tell me it’s a researcher. Uroboros researchers are beyond weird“. Alyssa clears her throat and tells him it’s a researcher.

● Rock couldn’t understand what Alyssa saw in Agnus. When he asked, she’d just say „He’s cute!!“. Rock thought she was too lovesick to understand what cute meant.

● Rock reflects on how Agnus didn’t look like other researchers as he was large and burly. Rock says to Agnus, „Nice monocle, a lil’ antiquated“, to which Agnus proudly replies, „It’s c-custom-made“. Rock smiles at Agnus not understanding sarcasm.

● Alyssa became pregnant and she left her job at Uroboros. Rock feels that the following two years were the happiest of his life. He got to see little Nicoletta grow and eat Alyssa’s delicious food.

● After these two years, Agnus tells Alyssa that he needs to return to Fortuna on his own due to His Holiness’s orders. They knew that he belonged to a religious organisation known as The Order of the Sword, but they didn’t mind as he didn’t do anything weird like sacrifice pigs.

● Alyssa asks why she can’t go to Fortuna with him, and Agnus says that only believers can live there. She says that she can become a believer, but Agnus says it’s impossible as she’d never understand their creed. A few days later, Agnus disappeared.

● Alyssa planned to follow Agnus to Fortuna, but she collapsed and went to hospital. She was diagnosed with an incurable disease, but her focus always remained on going to Fortuna. A few years later, Alyssa died without being able to go.

● After Alyssa’s death, Rock legally adopted Nico and raised her into adulthood. He didn’t intentionally raise her to become a gunsmith – she became interested herself.

● One day in the shop, Nico exclaimed, „W-w-what’s this!? It’s so b-beautiful!“. She was holding a photograph of two guns that were brought to Rock’s shop several months ago. He replies, „Momm- my mother made those, we took a photo of them“. Nico responds, „Your mother? My g-granny? She’s awesome!“.

● These guns were Ebony and Ivory. A man named Dante brought them to Rock, and he found it suspicious that the engraving read ‘Tony Redgrave’. Dante explains that it is the name that he told the old woman who made them. It was common for people to give excuses like that if they robbed a gun from someone, but Rock didn’t suspect Dante. He could tell from examining the guns that they were designed to hunt the occult, and he could tell there was something abnormal about Dante.

● While in the shop, Dante points to the engraving on the gun barrel and asks Rock to fix it. Rock gasps at seeing ‘.45 ART WARKS’ on the gun and says „Mommy“ out loud.

● Dante explains that he eventually wanted the spelling mistake corrected, but he didn’t want any old garbage gunsmith to touch the old lady’s masterpiece. „If anyone should correct it then it should be you. Don’t you think, Rock Goldstein?“

● While fighting back tears, Rock replies, „Guns this beautiful shouldn’t have a spelling mistake on them“. After fixing the mistake, he gets the feeling that he’ll never see Dante again.

● Rock packs a box to send to Nico. Rock feels that Nico didn’t choose to stay in Fortuna simply because of Agnus, she must be doing something else there.

● Before leaving on her travels, Nico told Rock that she is giving up on becoming a gunsmith – she doesn’t think she can surpass Nell just by making guns. This surprises Rock, and he asks her what she plans to make instead. Nico replies, „I don’t know what weapons I’m gonna make yet, but I know they’re gonna be art“.

● Rock and Nico are connected through blood by his half-sister Alyssa, but there is no blood connection between Nico and Nell. Despite this, Nico always calls Nell ‘Grandmother’. When she speaks to Rock, she doesn’t even call him ‘Dad’.

● Before Nico leaves, Rock says, „Do your best Nico. I know you’ll surpass Momm...Mother“. He knows that one day Nico will be an artisan of arms, and when that day comes, he’ll get to say ‘My daughter made that!’. The thought makes him smile.

Nico Chapter 2

● The chapter begins with Nico and Nero in the garage as she installs the Devil May Cry neon sign that Dante sent in the previous novel. Nico says she finds a name about devils crying weird, but Nero didn’t think much of it since Dante told him it was the name of his business.

● Nico jokes that it should be ‘Devils May Cry’ since Nero is working with him. Nero says he thought about it, but it doesn’t sound cool.

● At this point, Nico has been living in Fortuna for around a year.

● The conception of the Devil May Cry van is explained. Basically, Kyrie and Nero don’t have a lot of money and there’s not a lot of work in Fortuna. Kyrie asks Nero to help the locals which he struggles to say no to, but when it comes to payment she usually refuses. If they do get paid, it’s in meat and vegetables and other items. Kyrie wears the same clothes, but she makes clothes for Nero and the orphans. With a work van, Nero can travel outside Fortuna and make money for Kyrie and the orphans.

● Because they don’t have a lot of money, the van they purchased was near the end of its life and they are working together to refurbish it. Due to always helping out, Nico hasn’t been able to advance any of her research in the time she’s been in Fortuna. Just as she’s about to air her grievances, Kyrie says it’s time for dinner. Nero tells Nico to go on ahead while he finishes up.

● Nico is eating dinner with Kyrie and three orphans: Julio, Kyle and Carlo. The orphanage in Fortuna hasn’t been rebuilt after the incident, so it’s up to people like Kyrie and Nero to take care of orphans for now. Nico calls Kyrie’s cooking unprecedented and ponders how Nero was able to have such a goddess as his girlfriend.

● Kyrie wonders what’s keeping Nero. She places the youngest orphan Carlo on Nico’s lap and goes to check on Nero. She calls to Nero that his dinner’s getting cold, but Nero yells at her from the garage not to come. She stands there stunned.

● Sensing danger, Nico passes Carlo off to Julio. After hearing an anguished cry from the garage, Kyrie runs towards it and Nico chases after her.

● The scene in the garage sends shivers down Nico’s spine. The garage is covered in blood and Kyrie is screaming Nero’s name while holding him. Nico then notices that Nero’s right arm is severed. She yells at him that she only left him alone for a few minutes, but he didn’t reply. The man who usually returned her insults was staring at her with vacant eyes.

● Nico tells Kyrie to call a doctor. Realizing that the culprit could still be around, Nico pulls Blue Rose from Nero to protect them. Nico takes a wire from the toolbox and wraps it around Nero’s stump to try to stop the bleeding. While doing this, she threatens whoever did this out loud, saying she’ll crack their skull like a walnut.

● Nico thinks about who could have done this. She wonders if it’s possible for a human to sever Nero’s arm as quickly as it was. She struggles to imagine why someone would quickly enter, sever Nero’s arm and disappear again, particularly if they had no intention to kill Nero.

● Suddenly, Nico recalls reading about Yamato in Agnus’s research documents. Agnus recovered fragments of Yamato on a coast on the outskirts of Fortuna. She recalls talking about Yamato with Nero and Nero tells her it belonged to Dante’s older brother. She asks where it is now since it must be powerful – she’d love to research it.

● Nero asks her if she’d like to see a magic trick and makes Yamato appear from his arm. Seeing Yamato makes her stutter with excitement. Nico asks how he did that, and he says he doesn’t really understand, but it’s stored in his arm. He tells her that she can’t research it because it’s too dangerous.

● Nico deduces that the aim of the person who attacked Nero was to take Yamato rather than kill him. The chapter ends with the doctor arriving at the garage.

 Morrison Chapter 1

● Morrison is walking down a street holding a bouquet of gerberas. He walks to Bobby’s Cellar, the bar from the very first Devil May Cry novel. Morrison hasn’t been in the bar for more than ten years; he used it to get information on jobs.

● He sees that the bar has been renamed to Grue’s Cellar, the same Grue from the first novel. Inside the bar is Grue’s surviving daughters, Tiki and Nesty.

● Morrison shares a warm greeting with the sisters and gives them flowers to congratulate them for taking over the bar. The three of them, plus a woman named Sally, make a champagne toast.

● Morrison and Sally apparently watched over the sisters after their father’s death. Morrison reflects on the events of the first Devil May Cry novel, including the deaths in Bobby’s Cellar, Nell Goldstein’s death, and the demon invasion of the hospital where Grue’s now deceased daughter Jessica was a patient.

● Nesty asks Morrison how Tony (Dante) is doing and what he’s up to. Sally replies, „Hopefully he’s dead. If he’s alive, I’d love to stick a shotgun up his ass“. The sisters defend Dante as he sent them money many times. Sally doesn’t budge on her hatred of Dante, considering him to be an ill omen. As a note, former patrons of Bobby’s Cellar and those in the mercenary world dislike Dante as they blame him for the deaths in Bobby’s Cellar, Grue’s death, and the hospital massacre.

● While the four of them celebrate, a man enters the bar. He is covered in tattoos, uses a cane, and is described as having a pale and lifeless face. He is holding a discolored book with the letter V on it. Morrison considers the possibility that he may not even be human.

● The party try to explain to the man that it is a private celebration, but he ignores this and asks, „Are you Morrison?“. Morrison nods and asks what he wants. The man says, „Let me meet Dante“. Morrison asks if it is a ‘special request’ and V nods. Morrison accepts this to mean that this client needs help with demons. Morrison apologizes to the sisters and tells them that he has some business to take care of.

● Morrison and V leave the bar and talk outside. He asks V if he has any money. While Dante will take jobs regarding demons even with no payment, having money would be beneficial as business hasn’t been booming. In response, V casually hands him dozens of paper bills. Some of the bills appear to have blood stains on them.

● Morrison hears a groan behind him. He turns around and sees a man lying in an alleyway surrounded by blood. It appears that he has been attacked by a large bird.

● V stretches out his right arm and the bird rests on it. Morrison asks V if that’s his bird, and the bird itself replies that he’s his own bird. Morrison notices that this isn’t like a parrot repeating speech, the bird appears to be able to talk on its own.

● The bird jokes with Morrison that money is money, but if he’s a clean-freak then they’ll go to the bank and swap them for cleaner notes.

● V tells Morrison that if he’s dissatisfied with the amount, they can collect more. Morrison has a feeling that more people would need to be hurt to get the money, so he says this amount is fine. After all, it’s enough to help his friend living in poverty.

● Morrison, V and Griffon make their way to Dante’s office, but Morrison has two or three places to go first.

 Dante Chapter 3

● The Devil May Cry office has no water, gas, electricity or phone connection due to a lack of work in the past few months. In comes Morrison, who Dante is happy to see as he has a history of providing jobs when Dante needs it.

● Morrison asks him if he wants to hear good news or bad news. Dante says whichever, and Morrison gives him the bad news – Miss Patty, the girl Dante took care of ten years ago, is very angry: she wants to invite him to her birthday party, but his phone line isn’t working. While Dante doesn’t hate Patty, he shudders at the idea of spending time at a party with people even more ‘normal’ than she is.

● Morrison’s good news is that he has a big job for him, cash up front. Morrison used this money to pay Dante’s bills, which Dante is a little sad at as he wanted to treat himself to a strawberry sundae.

● As he’s mourning his lost sundae, the lights come on and the telephone rings. Patty is on the phone inviting him to her party – he hangs up. She won’t stop calling him, so he pulls out the telephone cord.

● Morrison tells Dante to speak to the client while he goes to talk to Lady and Trish. Dante says „Hey, I can do this myself“, but Morrison reminds him that he said it was a ‘big job’.

● Dante eyes up the client leaning against the wall. He thinks he is a strange man. Dante asks his name and V replies with, „I have no name, I am but two days old“. V closes his book and smiles at Dante. „Just kidding. You can call me V“. While it’s clearly an alias, Dante doesn’t mind as he’s used to people using pseudonyms in his shop.

● V approaches him while walking with the cane, but Dante thinks his way of walking might be an act. Either way, he doesn’t look like a normal person.

● V tells Dante that a powerful demon is about to resurrect and he needs Dante’s help. Dante doubts the strength of this demon as people approach him about the ‘strongest demon’ and ‘worst demon’, but they turn out to be disappointments. Dante begins to think that termite extermination might be more challenging. Still, Dante feels that he has no choice but to hunt demons as he doesn’t want them throwing their weight around in the human world.

● V tells Dante that this time is different as this demon is his reason for fighting. Dante stares at V and his intuition tells him that V is not a demon. But if he’s not, how does he know this?

● Dante asks the name of the demon, but if it truly is his reason for fighting, he already knows the name. V says the demon’s name, but the chapter ends without stating it.

 Lady Chapter 1

● Morrison visits Lady in her motel room. Together, they watch a television broadcast about a large tree appearing in a city. Lady speculates that while it looks like a tree, it could be an enormous living being.

● Morrison tells Lady that if they defeat the ‘boss’, the tree should disappear.

● Lady asks Morrison why he’s contacting her about it. Dante alone should be able to handle it, and even partnering with Trish should be more than enough. Morrison admits that he has a bad feeling about this job. Lady believes he is serious as it’s rare for him to meet with her so suddenly. Usually to get in touch with Lady, you need to schedule an exact time and meeting place in advance.

● Lady asks what makes the job so dangerous, is it a self-proclaimed demon emperor? Morrison tells her that the job relates to the demon emperor trying to resurrect. Lady replies, „If it’s the actual demon emperor then Dante already beat him once before“. Lady recalls Trish telling her that Mundus’s army killed Dante’s mother and he was barely able to escape the attack. Twenty years later, he avenged her death.

● Morrison says that he’s aware of Dante’s previous success, but he’s taking precautionary measures. Lady asks why Morrison’s so anxious, and he leaves while saying „The city’s name“.

● Lady turns to the television and sees ‘The Mysterious Phenomenon in Red Grave City’ on the news broadcast. The same name as on Dante’s guns.

● Lady recalls asking Dante if Nell Goldstein made his guns. The reason she asked is because the name ‘Goldstein’ is on her own guns. But this is from Rock Goldstein, Nico’s uncle. Dante asks about Rock’s skills and she says he’s not bad. Lady reflects on how his ‘daughter’ Nico might be more skilled than him. Lately, she has been going to Nico with her requests instead.

● Dante takes out Ebony and Ivory and asks Lady to tell him where Rock’s shop is. This is when she notices the ‘Redgrave’ name on his gun. She ponders whether the name on the guns and the name of the city are connected to Dante’s past.

 V Chapter 1

● V feels that Morrison is an excellent man for recruiting Dante, Lady and Trish along with a helicopter to take them to Red Grave City. Thanks to Morrison’s quick work, V, Lady, Trish and Dante are now inside the tree. Inside the tree is said to have a disgusting smell.

● While in the tree, they hear an ominous roar and the ground begins to shake. V believes this to be the aftermath of the demon emperor resurrecting. V’s original plan was for the four of them to attack before he had awoken, now this plan seemed overly optimistic.

● Dante tells V to escape as V is dead weight. V reflects on how his former self would have been irritated by those words, but he does as Dante says and begins to leave.

● Griffon flies after him in shock and asks if he’s seriously leaving. V’s demon familiars don’t always share his demeanor at a given time as V is described as extremely calm. V is said to no longer have the excessive pride that he once had.

● V tells Griffon he is going to get the youngster (Nero) as insurance. Griffon replies, „Youngster? You mean that brat Nero? Don’t be ridiculous! That guy stole his right arm, how’s he going to fight?“. V replies that it’s better than nothing. He feels that getting a blood descendent of Sparda could help improve their odds of defeating the demon emperor even by a single hair. As V is quite familiar with the demon emperor, he isn’t prepared to take any chances.

● V emerges from the tree and uses the helicopter to travel to Fortuna. Uncharacteristically nervous, Griffon asks V if he gets the feeling that this is risky. V silently nods in response.

 Trish Chapter 1

● Trish reflects on being a creation of Mundus’s in the image of Sparda’s wife. Mundus sent his army to kill Sparda’s wife and sons. While they killed Eva, Dante and Vergil escaped. This unsettled Mundus as they would naturally grow up and want to take revenge.

● Mundus found Vergil first as Vergil didn’t assume a fake identity like Dante did. However, Vergil had inherited Yamato from an early age and was able to defeat the minions Mundus sent to kill him.

● Ten years after Eva’s death, Mundus found Dante assuming the identity of Tony Redgrave. Mundus sent demons to Tony and he dealt with them easily, confirming to him that it was Dante.

● Mundus decided to create a demon for the sake of revenge. Mundus created black knights using battle data from Sparda, Dante and Vergil. These knights were clad in strong black armor made by Machiavelli, a craftsman from hell. Mundus experimented with black knight prototypes, but their imperfect nature and the power limit of artificial demons meant that they were not enough to kill Dante and Vergil.

● It was around this time that Dante and Vergil began to fight. While travelling around the world, Vergil learned about Sparda’s seal and wanted that power for himself. Dante had a strong disdain for Vergil’s lust for power.

● When Mundus was told of the fighting, he decided to sit back and watch – the brothers’ in-fighting would only benefit him. Vergil’s defeated and wounded state was indeed a benefit to Mundus. As Mundus had not been fully revived yet, he felt that Vergil in perfect condition would have been able to beat him. However, Mundus was able to overpower Vergil in his weakened state.

● Mundus captured Vergil and used him in his black knight experiments. This resulted in a knight so powerful that it was incomparable with the others. Mundus named this knight Nelo Angelo, but Mundus did not yet have perfect control over this knight. Mundus was able to win Vergil’s obedience by returning his amulet to him, a symbol of the power that he so desired.

● Mundus had the perfect revenge demon, but he wanted to bring Dante to the demon world rather than send Nelo Angelo to the human world. For this purpose, he created Trish. She was deliberately made in his mother’s image to take advantage of Dante’s strong affection for his mother and bring him to Mallet Island.

● While thinking of the first time she met Dante, Trish wakes up in the demon tree. While breathing heavily, Lady asks her if she’s just woken up. Trish apologizes for her carelessness and stands up. Lady asks if she can still fight and Trish replies with „Just about“.

● Despite thinking this would be an easy job, they are struggling in their fight with Urizen. Urizen barely acknowledges them and remains sitting on what appears to be a throne.

● Trish and Lady begin to attack Urizen, but it is useless – a strange object floating beside Urizen is blocking the attacks. Trish begins strategizing how to land a blow with the Sparda sword, but before she can, Urizen unleashes a wave that sends the ladies backwards.

● Trish concentrates on her right arm and summons Artemis, Dante’s former Devil Arm and a creation of Machiavelli’s. Trish scatters multiple shots in the air, hoping that the multi-direction attack will catch Urizen. However, Urizen summons a wave to blow them away. Trish says out loud, „This is impossible...such power“.

● Trish thinks about how she has heard many rumours about demons. Even if she’s never seen or fought a demon, she has typically heard of them. When it comes to Urizen however, she has never heard anything about him.

● Trish says „Dante...“ out loud and passes out while contemplating Urizen’s identity.

 Nero Chapter 3

● Nero wakes up after being in a coma for several days. When he does, V is standing beside him. Nero immediately raises his guard after what happened to him, but V smiles at him. V admits that he came in through the windows and tells him that his name is V.

● Nero would usually rely on the Devil Bringer to tell whether someone was a demon or not, but what remained of his arm was wrapped in bandages. Still trying to process what happened, Nero scowls at V and asks who he is.

● V tells Nero that he knows the demon who stole his arm. The demon acquired the power of Yamato from stealing Nero’s arm and now Dante is on his way to face him.

● Nero asks how V knows this, and he says that he is pursuing the same demon as Dante – the one who stole Nero’s arm. V says he can’t possibly beat this demon alone, so he enlisted Dante’s help. V then invites Nero to come with him as he doesn’t think Dante can beat this enemy alone.

● Nero is incredibly doubtful that there is an enemy alive that Dante can’t beat. Nero sticks out his bandaged arm as if to say ‘What am I supposed to do?’. Suddenly, the tattoos on V’s arm begin to wriggle and a bird emerges from them.

● Griffon calls him a slowpoke and tells him to hurry up and get a move on as there’s not much time left. Nero thinks that this is coming from V, but V chimes in with his own words. He asks Nero if he doesn’t feel confident that he can beat the demon that stole his pride and his right arm.

● In response, Nero grinds his teeth. He acknowledges that V looks suspicious, but he wants to take back what was stolen from him. Following V and the trail of this demon may be his only opportunity to do so.

● He notes that he has experience fighting one-handed as he used to hide the Devil Bringer. The only problem was Kyrie – he didn’t think she would permit him to go demon hunting in his current condition.

● Nero asks V if he can wait a little while so that he can retrieve Blue Rose and Red Queen; he plans to sneak into the garage and retrieve them so as not to alert Kyrie and Nico. Griffon and V tell Nero to hurry at the same time.

 Dante Chapter 4

● Note: So far, I have been referring to Mundus as ‘the demon emperor’ in accordance with the kanji (魔界の帝王). In this chapter, Urizen is referred to using separate kanji – ‘the demon king’ (魔王). If I say ‘demon king’ from this point onward, it is due to this kanji.

● The chapter begins with Dante asking Urizen if he’s the king of the garbage dump. Dante has arrived at the location of Urizen’s throne and notices that Lady and Trish are unconscious. He tells Urizen that he’s surprised as they are the two most terrifying women on the planet.

● Dante aims Ebony and Ivory at Urizen and says that it seems like he’s hit the jackpot. Dante had his doubts about the legitimacy of V’s words, but after seeing Trish and Lady defeated, it was enough evidence for Dante for who this was – and he wasn’t going to let him resurrect.

● Urizen finally speaks and says „Dante...“. This is further evidence for Dante that this is the demon that V described as ‘your reason for fighting’.

● Dante says it’s a pity that he didn’t die and that he’ll send him back to hell. He begins firing Ebony and Ivory, but the strange object near Urizen stops the bullets from reaching him. Instead, he pulls out Rebellion and swings at Urizen. However, the object prevents even this attack.

● Dante reflects on how it is hard to tell who it is from the muffled voice, but there is only one person who could deflect his blows. Dante asks the demon if he’s tougher than last time. In response, the demon lets out a faint laugh.

● Dante says it’s been a while since he’s gone all out and then devil triggers. He tells Urizen to make it quick as, while he’s a day late, he has someone’s birthday that he wants to celebrate.

 Morrison Chapter 2

● Morrison is observing the tree from Red Grave City’s central plaza. It has been a few days since the tree appeared, and citizens are doing things like taking pictures and praying to it.

● It has been three hours since Dante, Lady and Trish entered the tree, and it has been 30 minutes since V returned with the young man Nero.

● Morrison thinks about how the name Red Grave City and Dante’s alias Tony Redgrave can’t be a coincidence. Morrison thinks about Dante’s/Tony’s ill omen reputation from the first Morrison chapter. Other mercenaries would refuse to work with him because those who did died.

● Morrison theorizes that because Dante is a son of Sparda, he is the natural enemy of demons. For his safety, he adopted the Tony Redgrave persona to hide from demons. Tony’s ill omen reputation began when demons found him and began to attack him. While this is his speculation, it is strengthened by the appearance of the demon king in Red Grave City.

● Dante is usually able to finish his jobs in a few minutes, an hour at most. With Dante gone for three hours, Morrison begins to worry.

● „We’ve known each other a long time. You’ve never had this much trouble, you gonna make it through this?“

 Nero Chapter 4

● Nero and V are inside the demon tree, and Nero sees Dante fighting Urizen in the distance. Seeing Dante alive and fighting, Nero questions why he’s even here. V tells him not to underestimate the demon: he stole Nero’s right arm and gained a mighty power.

● V tells Nero that he will go on ahead and not to be late. With this, V floats off using Shadow’s ability. Nero says out loud how V is undoubtedly suspicious.

● Nero mentally rhymes off the reasons why V is suspicious: clearly using a pseudonym, looks suspicious, never says more than what’s necessary, and possesses strange abilities. However, he wants to believe that V is telling the truth. Whether it’s V’s voice, his gaze or even his appearance, there’s something about him that makes Nero want to follow him without reason.

● Nero says he’ll do as V says, then holds his right shoulder. „I’ve got a score to settle with that son of a bitch“.

● He thinks about the idea of an enemy even Dante can’t beat. Despite knowing that he’d have no prospect of winning, he marches forward. He can’t forgive the demon who stole his arm and wants to retrieve Yamato with his own hand.

● Nero thinks about how he was given Yamato. Dante originally made it his mission to retrieve Yamato, then he let Nero have it like he was just giving candy to a child. He didn’t understand why, but the fact that Yamato was so powerful meant that Dante really trusted Nero. Losing Yamato felt like a betrayal of Dante’s trust which Nero felt guilty about.

● Fly and mantis-like demons block Nero’s path to Urizen. Nero says, „What, feeling motivated? Let’s go“ and revs up Red Queen.

 V Chapter 2

● V went ahead to deal with some demons for Nero, making things easier for him to reach Urizen as quickly as possible. As the demon tree Qliphoth served as a hole to the demon world, countless demons were breaking through in search of human blood.

● Despite clearing obstacles for him, Nero still hasn’t arrived. Griffon remarks that he’s late, and Shadow gives a small howl at V’s feet. Griffon translates for Shadow – „The kitty thinks so too“.

● V returns Shadow to its quick movement form and goes to find Nero. He reflects on how Shadow helps him to move beyond his current capabilities. At that moment, V is said to only have a little power as he is on the verge of death.

● V finds Nero fighting demons. Nero insists that he doesn’t need help, but a large number of demons appear which Griffon begins to attack. Griffon says to Nero, „Don’t you get it, hero? Get a move on, we’ll handle these guys“. Griffon then yells at V to hurry up and finish off the enemies as they are unable to.

● A description is given for why V must be the one to deliver the finishing blow. V describes Shadow and Griffon’s abilities as ‘dream-like’. He explains that while things can suffer because of their dreams, their dreams cannot kill them. In the same way, the beasts can inflict pain, but they cannot kill. It is V’s duty to kill demons that have been afflicted by the dream. V finishes off the demons while calling them trash.

 Nico Chapter 3

● Kyrie is distraught after hearing the news that Nero has escaped from hospital. She shakily asks Nico what they should do, and Nico fights back the urge to hug Kyrie. She tells Kyrie that they can’t do anything but wait, but Nero will return soon.

● Nico notices that Blue Rose and Red Queen are missing from the garage. Nico believes that he has gone to fight the person who stole his arm.

● She feels that it’s not like Nero to make Kyrie worry so much, but it’s understandable – there’s no way she would be happy with him going in his current state. She also wonders how Nero knew who to pursue and how to find them.

● Julio enters the garage. Nico tries to dismiss him as it’s not time to eat yet. However, he tells the ladies that he saw a helicopter last night.

● Nico begins quizzing Julio about the helicopter. He says that it landed in the outskirts of the city and then took off again. As it is rare for helicopters to be cited in Fortuna, Nico believes the helicopter and Nero’s disappearance are linked.

● Kyrie is worried by this, and Nico tries to comfort her. „Like I said, we can’t do anything but wait. Don’t worry, Nero’s a tough guy – he won’t kick the bucket easily“. Kyrie nods in agreement.

● Nico determines that Kyrie can’t leave because she needs to look after the orphans, but it would be reckless for her to leave as she had no clue where Nero was.

● Nico tells Kyrie that she won’t be eating for a while and to keep the orphans away from the garage. Kyrie asks her why, and Nico replies that she will be designing all night and wants to concentrate as much as possible.

● She wants to make Nero a prosthetic arm. But she didn’t want to make just a regular prosthesis, she wanted to create one that was imbued with power to help Nero. She could use Agnus’s research to create powerful and demon-infused artificial arms.

● While smoking outside, Nico blows smoke into the air and hopes that Nero returns safely.

 Nero Chapter 5

● Nero arrives at the Urizen battle as Dante is blown back. He calls out to Dante, but Dante is lying limp. Nero also sees Trish and Lady knocked unconscious.

● A tentacle reaches for Dante, but Nero fires Blue Rose at it and it retracts itself. Nero smiles at saving Dante as Dante was his own lifesaver; it’s because of him that Fortuna’s citizens and Kyrie are safe. Nero always wanted to repay Dante’s help, and he is determined to protect Dante in this fight.

● Nero says to the demon, „Hey asshole, didn’t your mother tell you it’s not nice to steal?“. Urizen does not respond. Nero takes out Red Queen and revs it while saying „Sorry Dante, I’m bagging this bitch“.

● Nero swings at him with Red Queen, but the strange floating object is preventing his attacks from landing. He tries to break the barrier by revving Red Queen more. While doing this, a tentacle attacks him. He is unable to fire Blue Rose at it due to only having one arm, so the tentacle knocks him back. Afterwards, the ground shakes ominously.

● Nero hears Griffon behind him yelling „It’s no good! This is the end!“. Griffon and V are approaching behind him.

● Nero theorizes that if he keeps attacking the object, he should be able to destroy it. However, he doesn’t feel he has the strength to execute his theory as he is struggling to regain his breath.

● Urizen raises his hand. Nero believes that this is to deliver the finishing blow, but he doesn’t have the energy to move. Suddenly, a gunshot is fired at Urizen’s hand that stops it moving.

● Dante, while aiming Ebony and Ivory at Urizen, says „Round 2“. Dante devil triggers and rushes towards Urizen, but Urizen is easily able to stop the blow. After this, the ground shakes again.

● Dante tells V to take Nero and run. In response, Nero yells „You gotta be shitting me! I can still fight!“ as he feels he hasn’t received any mortal wounds. Dante turns his head to Nero and yells back, „Nero, go! You’re just dead weight“.

● Nero stops in shock as he never imagined Dante would say something like that to him. He came to help Dante as he was told that there was a chance Dante couldn’t do this on his own. Knowing this, he didn’t want to leave. V grabs his shoulder and tells him that he needs to leave, but Nero shrugs him off and tries to rush to Urizen.

● Afterwards, debris falls from the ceiling and the ground shakes. Nero stumbles backwards and debris lands on the ground, blocking the path to Urizen.

● Nero tries to climb over the debris to get to Dante, but V holds him back. V tells him that he needs to escape as the demon’s power is beyond imagination. Nero eventually stops trying to push V back, but he yells out to Dante. „You think I’m dead weight!? Don’t bullshit me!“. Nero reflects on how he came here to save Dante, but he didn’t expect to be treated like worthless trash.

● V tells him that if he is frustrated, he should think of ways to get stronger – if Dante loses, it’s up to Nero to beat Urizen. Nero asks if that is the demon’s name and V nods. V reiterates that Urizen is the demon that stole Nero’s arm. Nero tries to look at Urizen, but their line of sight is completely blocked by debris.

● V tells Nero to hurry up and escape, to which Nero complies.

 Morrison Chapter 3

● Outside the tree, someone points to a part of the tree and says „Huh, what’s that?“. Part of the tree starts to wriggle, then Nero and V burst forth from it. They immediately head for Morrison.

● Morrison asks them what happened and what’s happened to Dante. V tells him that Dante’s buying them time and they don’t have much time left. At this point, tentacles begin breaking through the road. These tentacles begin to pierce people, causing mass hysteria.

● Morrison replies, „No way, Dante lost?“. Nero goes to attack the tentacles, but V stops him and tells him that he needs to retreat.

● Morrison asks V if they have a plan. V says while they don’t necessarily have a plan, they know that they need one thing – power. Morrison asks if that will be easy, and V says that they have no choice. V says that they have about a month left, but the world will end after that.

● Morrison sighs. There have been world-ending prophecies before, and Dante has always dealt with them. With his voice trembling, Morrison asks, „Hey, did Dante really lose?“. In response, V says „It is likely“.

● Morrison says, „What the hell!“ out loud. He feels useless as there is no one else to recruit who could help. V replies with, „Don’t give up. Humans don’t give up, that is their saving grace“.

● Nero, who was silent until now, asks if there really is a month until the world ends. V tells him to obtain as much power as possible as he is their only hope, besides Dante, to defeat Urizen.

● Nero asks Morrison to take him back to Fortuna and he will return in a month.

Morrison respects Nero’s tenacity and notes that it is probably because he is young, but great power can be born from youth.

● Several years ago, Dante told Morrison about an interesting young man that lived in Fortuna. He had demonic power similar to Dante’s, and Dante seemed to take a liking to his brash nature. This was evidenced by Dante asking Morrison to order and send a Devil May Cry neon sign to him.

● V tells them that he will stay in Red Grave City. As he cannot gain power, he will stay and collect information. Nero says that he will see him a month; V nods and walks away.

 Nico Chapter 4

● When Nero returns to Fortuna, he asks Nico to make him a prosthetic arm. Nico, being one step ahead of him, discusses her idea with him. Her initial idea was an enhanced prosthesis with a creation time of six months. Nero tells her that he needs a new powerful arm without one month. She finds this time frame absurd.

● After pulling a second all-nighter, Nero asks if she’s started making it yet and she snaps at him – it’s not like she’s just making a plastic model.

● Nero volunteers to ask Morrison for help and Nico rejects it. She regrets not being able to meet Morrison as she’s sure that he’d have great stories to tell about Dante.

● It’s said that she was too busy working in the garage to even notice that Nero was home.

● Nero asks how work is proceeding and she tells them that she has ideas floating around. He says to her, „You’ve worked two all-nighters and have nothing to show for it?“.

● This irritates Nico. „Amateur! The most important part is the planning stage! Do you want to end up with an arm like a pirate hook?“. Nero looks at her apologetically and admits that he’s getting impatient as they don’t have much time.

● Nico says she’s getting impatient too because she wants to go help Dante, see Ebony and Ivory, and hear stories about her grandmother. She jokes about making him a shitty arm that’ll help him eat pasta.

● Nero apologizes and says he’ll wait a bit longer. Nico thinks about how her brain can’t produce the best ideas when the fate of the world might rest on her.

● Julio runs to them and tells them that demons have appeared in Mitis Forest. Nero asks if there are any injured people, and Julio says he doesn’t think so as people are hiding at home. Nero pats Julio on the head and says he did a good job telling him.

● While Nero is heading out, he asks Nico if she wants to come. Although there have been a number of demon sightings during her time in Fortuna, she was too busy reading over her father’s research material to accompany Nero. This time, she thinks she could benefit from watching Nero and demons fight.

● Nero gives her a bunch of instructions to keep her safe (e.g. don’t get too close to demons). Nico says she’s not too interested in demons themselves anyway, so he doesn’t need to worry.

 Nero Chapter 6

● Nero enters Mitis Forest, but he can’t see anything. He wonders if people may have simply seen a bear. Nico says that she doubts the residents of Fortuna would confuse a bear with a demon.

● Nero reflects on how Mitis Forest was mainly used as a training ground for The Order. People rarely use it now except for things like obtaining timber.

● Nero deduces that if a demon is here, it’s probably hiding at the back of the forest. Nico gets exhausted easily as desk work is her speciality and she’s just worked two consecutive all-nighters. Instead of leaving her behind or telling her to go home alone, Nero leads her by the hand through the forest.

● Nero suddenly gets covered in shadow, and he determines that it’s an overhead attack. Nero kicks Nico out of danger and begins fighting the demon – a Blitz.

● During the fight, Nero takes a quick glance at Nico. While looking petrified, she stands absolutely still. He realizes that she knows from Agnus’s research documents that Blitzes cannot see, so she’s making sure not to make any noise to alert it to her presence.

● Nero tries to distract Blitz enough to give Nico an opportunity to escape. Nero executes a perfect bait to let Nico escape. However, instead of escaping, Nico scribbles something on a memo pad. She then shows it to Nero – „I got one! I got one! I got an idea! I’m a genius!“. Nero yells „Are you serious!?“ at her.

● As Nico didn’t use her opportunity to escape, Nero feels he has no choice but to start attacking using Red Queen as its revs create more noise for distraction. Nero attacks Blitz with Red Queen and electricity surges through his body. He groans in pain but continues attacking, and it is enough to kill the Blitz.

● As Nero goes to return home, Nico points to Blitz’s corpse and says that she needs to take it home. She came up with a special design for an arm, but she needs a demon organ capable of producing electricity.

● While picking up the Blitz corpse, Nero asks if she plans to use parts from it to create an arm. Nico says that the Blitz parts aren’t going to feature in the arms, they are simply for reference. Instead, she wants to research how Blitz is able to generate electricity, and she will use those findings to create an arm.

● Nero says that it’ll be a good idea for her to come on future hunts so that she can get inspiration. She pulls out a cigarette and says, „Roger that“.

 V Chapter 3

● In Red Grave City, the Qliphoth continues to grow and the hole allowing passage between the human and demon world grows larger.

● Griffon asks V if the situation would be better if they evacuated people from the city in advance. If people and their blood were kept away from the Qliphoth, it would not have grown so quickly.

● V replies that nobody would believe him if he tried to warn them. It was also not possible for him to negotiate with politicians as he didn’t have that type of authority or that much time. V tried his best with what he could do, but his heart was still dominated by indescribable regret.

● Griffon asks V if he’s worried, and he says he is. It won’t be long until armies are dispatched to Red Grave City, but it’s useless as they too will become sacrifices to the Qliphoth.

● Griffon asks if he thinks Nero will return. V replies, „He’ll come back. He’s not the type of guy to accept a losing streak“. Griffon laughs and says, „And who does he get that from?“. V simply replies, „No idea“.

● V looks at the book in his hands, an old collection of poems. V treasured this book when he was a young boy. When you turn the page, each psalm is eye-catching.

● ‘And it grew both day and night till it bore an apple bright’. The title of the psalm this line originates from is ‘Poison Tree’ – the psalm that predicted the Qliphoth. Remembering the delusions of his former self, V grimaces and closes the book.

● V begins to move and Griffon asks where he is going. V says he is going to help the humans who are being attacked by the Qliphoth. In response, Griffon says, „Help!? You!? The humans!? Seriously? Did you hit your head or something?“.

● V told Nero that he was staying in Red Grave City to gather information, but that was a lie. V already knew everything. He knew why the tragedy was unfolding in this city. He knew Urizen’s identity. He knew everything down to its very origin.

● While remaining in this town, he wanted to avoid too much movement as his body was eroding away. But still, V wanted to help the people of the city.

● Griffon flies after him while saying, „Hey V, wait! Are you seriously doing this? You don’t have to, but I’ll help!“.

● V knew that saving one or two people wouldn’t stop the Qliphoth, but if it bought one or two seconds more, he was still willing to do it. V’s soul told him he was obligated to do it.

● V says out loud, „I’ll do what I can“. He vows to minimize the damage in the city until Nero returns in a month.

 Epilogue

● Nero is preparing to return to Red Grave City. Kyrie tells him that she will stay inside taking care of the orphans. Nero says Morrison may bring people to Fortuna to help protect it.

● Nico beeps the horn and tells Nero to get a move on. Nero replies, „I got it, shut up“.

● Nico gets out of the van and tells Kyrie not to worry, Nero won’t die while using the work of the ‘heavenly artist’. Instead of continuing the banter, they decide it’s best to get a move on as Nero made a promise to meet V.

● Nico and Nero drive off together. Nero chides Nico for her rough driving, but Nico insists she’s trying to tame the van.

● Nico looks at Nero’s artificial arm and the arm holster she designed. She reflects on how it was necessary to prepare a holster because, while the arm she designed is incredibly powerful, a problem it has is that it breaks easily. She believes this is a result of concentrating so much power in such a small thing.

● Nico asks Nero if he likes the Devil Breaker, and Nero replies „Devil Breaker?“. She tells him that is the name that she came up with. Her reasoning is that it is a powerful tool to break demons, and Nero replies, „Is it not because it breaks easily?“.

● Nico pouts and reiterates that it’s because so much power is in such a small and light thing. However, it means that several can be carried at once to offset this.

● Nero decides to go easy on Nico and says, „Well, you did your best. I didn’t think you’d be able to design two different arms in the time limit“.

● Nico created Overture several days after Nero fought the Blitz. While watching Nero fight demons, she was inspired to make Gerbera after looking at some gerbera flowers. Nero wasn’t sure if this was true, but he supposed it was possible that Nico likes flowers.

● Nico says she had a few more ideas for Devil Breakers, but she wasn’t able to make them due to time and resources. Nero says that he can source things locally for her. She says that if he brings her back demon corpses, even fragments, she can make him new Devil Breakers.

● Nero reflects on how he never imagined he and Nico would be work partners as she was the daughter of his former enemy. He wondered what Dante would think of this.

● He hadn’t heard any news about Dante during the month. He murmurs „Dante, wait for me...“.

● For Nero, the upcoming battle isn’t just to save Dante and it’s not just to save the world. For him, it’s a battle of pride.

[solangelover]

Disney Love - a Solangelo Disney AU

Happy late Thanksgiving for those who celebrate it! I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND OFF ON THIS FOR SO LONG. It’s based on this prompt! Will is Peter Pan and Nico is Flynn Rider at Disneyland :)

Read on AO3 or Fanfiction.net

Will Solace was living the life.

He was enrolled in a good college and was having a good time. He had a great internship that made good money. His Disney internship allowed him to be in Disneyland most days of the week. That was enough to make Will happy. It was a bonus that he actually got to be a character - Peter Pan, one of his favorites, no less.

Peter Pan was a happy-go-lucky kid who never wanted to grow up and only wanted to have fun. Will couldn't imagine a more fitting character for him to be. Plus, since college wasn't totally sucking his soul like it was some of his friend's, his inner child wasn't far out of his reach. 

Will loved interacting with the kids in the park. They were all so happy and excited that they were meeting THE Peter Pan in real life – it was written all over their faces. Seeing those bright, smiling faces made Will's job easy. Who couldn't smile back at that?

One of his favorite things about being a character, however, was the behind the scenes things. He enjoyed getting dressed and ready to be in character along with all the other cast members. While some think it kills the magic to see characters half in costume, Will finds it fascinating. It almost makes it more real because it seems like the characters are just normal people getting ready in the morning like anyone else. Except with fancy costumes and wigs and much more makeup.

It can be a buzzkill to discover some cast members are really grumpy and rude out of character, but Will likes to focus on the bright side. For example, he's learned to see just how beautiful some people actually look. When coming out of costume, it's a bit shocking to see a normal person, but then you realize just how amazing normal looks and how strange Disney characters look. And then there are those who look almost the same when coming out of costume. Not exactly the same, but with the same amount of you're so pretty, you have to be a Disney character, you can't be real kind of thing. 

That applies to one person in particular that Will noticed one day. Flynn Rider, the counterpart to his favorite Disney princess, Rapunzel, happens to be quite the eye candy in real life. Just his face gives off the Flynn Rider feel of I'm a handsome troublemaker and I know it. Will doesn't look for him every day, but he's never disappointed on the days they both work. 

The sad part? Will doesn't even know his name. All he knows is that a cute guy is Flynn Rider and they pass each other sometimes around the park. Each time Will sees Flynn walk by, he admires the way he interacts with the kids. His smile seems genuine and he laughs a lot, but he still has his smirk like he's secretly pick-pocketing them all. Who knows, maybe he is. Will loves how perfectly he portrays his character and how he clearly loves his job, unlike some cast members. Once, while Will was admiring Flynn's looks, his cast member reminded him that Peter Pan had a line of kids waiting to take pictures with him, not to mention the kid that was standing right in front of him. Will had blushed and put on his brightest smile for the camera, but not without missing the glance from Flynn, who lost his cool composure for a second to show a bit of curiosity and possibly hope?

Today, Will was feeling a bit more tired from schoolwork than normal and, thus, had to really concentrate on his character in order to do a good job. Unfortunately for him, his one and only distraction was working that same day and had already passed by him a few times in the park. Piper McLean, the cast member that walked with him and controlled his line, pulled him aside and said, "Okay, I realize that you have a major crush on Nico, but this is the most obvious you've been about it. You need to do something about it before I step in because your daily pining is starting to get annoying."

Will couldn't even process all those words. Wait, what? She knows? It's that obvious? Wait wait... "Nico? Who's that?"

Piper rolled her eyes, "Hello? Flynn Rider? You're telling me you've been staring at him this whole time and you didn't know his name??"

Nico. His name is Nico. Wow that's hot. Will was too distracted to pay attention to Piper scolding him. He finally got his name! And it's a beautiful name that matched his beautiful face. 

While Will thought this, he didn't realize that he was staring right at Fl--Nico with a dreamy look on his face. He only noticed when he registered those chocolate brown eyes staring right back at him. Will suddenly straightened up with a blush rising to his cheeks. Then he noticed the light blush that also donned Nico's cheeks.

"Peter Pan!" Will whipped his head around to see Piper glaring at him with a fake smile. "I know you’re a busy kid, so how about one more picture before we go find your Lost Boys?" She asked a question, but her eyes told him to pull it together and do what she said. 

"Uhm, right, yeah, good idea." Will shook his head and reminded himself that he is Peter Pan, not Rapunzel. He turned on his 100-Watt smile and found himself saying the words engraved in his brain automatically to the little boy in front of him. He risked a glance at Nico, who was doing the same as him. Piper and Flynn Rider's cast member, Jason, were talking in hushed voices to each other, glancing at their respective characters every so often. That couldn't be good. 

Once Will finished chatting with the boy, he excused himself and Piper whisked him away to the cast members' break room. Shortly after, Jason entered with Nico, who nervously glanced at Will. 

Once sitting in the room, Piper and Jason began talking quietly again. After the two boys pushed their blushes away, Nico leaned over and said in a hushed voice, "Do you know what's going on?"

Will admits that it was hard for him not to ask Nico to speak again so he could memorize just how smooth his voice was. Instead, he replied, "Um, I think we're in trouble? Piper seemed mad at me..." Who knows why, Will thought sarcastically to himself, though he had no idea what would happen now. 

Will looked back at Nico, who was watching Jason and Piper with concern. Will took a breath, put out his hand, and said, "I don't think we've ever properly met. I'm Will - Will Solace."

Nico smiled and took Will's hand. "Nice to finally meet you. I'm Nico di Angelo. I've seen you around several times." At that, Nico turned a light shade of pink, causing Will to smile a little wider. They were still holding their handshake. 

"Will!" Piper's strong voice startled the boys, causing them to jump apart. "Really? Right now? I just-- gah!" She had annoyance written all over her face. Luckily for the boys, Jason stepped in and placed a hand on Piper's shoulder, saying, "What she's trying to say is that you guys should get to know each other more. Then maybe-"

"Maybe, you two could quit staring every time you pass by each other and actually do your job! I mean, honestly Will, kids keep wondering why Peter Pan won't pay attention to them and keeps staring at Flynn Rider," Piper rolled her eyes.

Will was blushing so hard he probably looked like a tomato. An ashamed tomato. Piper was a force to be reckoned with and just her frustrated side scared him – he couldn’t imagine if he actually messed up big time. Will didn’t even want to make eye-contact with Nico, so he just looked down.

Jason sighed, saying, “Same to you, Nico. You do a good job covering up, and you’re lucky when you have Rapunzel walking around with you, but don’t think your little glances go unnoticed.”

Surprised, Will risked a glance at Nico, who seemed to be feeling the same way as Will. He was red, but there was something in his eye that told Will that he wasn’t as embarrassed. When their eyes met, Will saw the twinkle in Nico’s eye and understood. They both looked at each other each time they passed by, both were becoming increasingly interested in the other. Both wanting more.

It’s funny to think about, considering they just learned each other’s names today. And here Piper is, pushing them together in the most harsh, obvious way just because they can’t do their jobs well. No tact, no schemes, just force. Will couldn’t help it – he started laughing.

Piper fixed him with a stern glare, “WHAT is so funny, Solace?” Will knew he should be nervous, that he should stop, but he couldn’t.

“You two,” Will gestured to Jason and Piper while still shaking with laughter, “you knew, the whole time, that we liked each other. But you didn’t do anything. This could’ve been over with weeks ago if you’d just told us!” Will began laughing again just picturing how mad Piper looked when it could’ve all been avoided.

Soon, Nico joined in too. It was ridiculous. They both could have confessed, both could have gotten to know each other sooner, both could have avoided upsetting their cast members. Will suspected they were laughing with relief that they liked each other as well. But, whatever the reason, they both looked a little crazy to Jason and Piper, who only rolled their eyes at the boys.

“I swear you’re all idiots,” Piper stated. “Okay, well you guys need to get back out there. I expect a smooth-sailing rest of the day. You can do whatever you want after work.” And with that, they were rushed out of the room and back into the park, but not without a smirk from Flynn Rider and a wink from Peter Pan.

---

Nico and Will set up a date, talked, laughed, confessed, blushed, and quickly became a couple. Jason and Piper were the first to know. They didn’t even ask – it was just that obvious. They were ecstatic that Nico and Will finally got together, because, of course, they were shipping them the whole time, and because they figured work would be a lot easier.

Eventually, people at work started noticing, but really, Nico and Will didn’t care. They were happy together and did the sweetest little things for each other. Nico found out that Will liked Rapunzel and often quoted Flynn Rider to him, impersonating the thief as best he could (which he could, he was literally Flynn Rider). He also made Will sing Rapunzel’s flower song because Will was blonde and beautiful and Nico couldn’t help it. Will discovered that Nico was actually this really cool, emo kind of a guy outside of work, or at least, he tried to be. Will was one of the few people who knew he worked at Disneyland and loved it. Thus, Will pushed Nico to show more of his softer side and embrace the love of Disney. He’d get Nico little Disney figurines and finally found out that Nico liked The Lion King, especially Scar (he was very into Disney villains).

Of course, they got to know each other in other aspects, but getting to know someone’s Disney side brings this air of childish innocence and joy that made their relationship more pure and simple.

---

A few months after they got together, Piper seemed to be getting annoyed once again. Will didn’t understand why. He was finally with Nico! He wasn’t pining anymore – he could look forward to seeing Nico each day, whether they worked the same day or not. He couldn’t stop thinking about the beautiful boy, his olive-tinted skin, his dark chocolate brown eyes, the little splash of light freckles high on his cheeks, the way he tried to hide his blush, his—

“Peter!” Piper’s voice brought will out of his thoughts. He locked eyes with her and, upon seeing the suppressed anger in them, he quickly turned away from her and towards the kid that walked up to him. He bent down to him and chatted for a bit before signing his book and walking away. Piper quickly walked up to his side, probably about to scold him, when they encountered Flynn Rider. Flynn was walking with Rapunzel by his side, along with Jason. When they saw each other, they slowed to a stop.

“Hey there,” Will smirked as he saluted Nico.

“Hey yourself,” Nico looked at him through lidded eyes, turning on his signature smolder – whether he meant to or not, Will would never know.

Jason and Piper both cleared their throats loudly, trying to get their characters under control. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite working. The boys stared for too long, not noticing a little girl had walked up to Flynn Rider and Rapunzel. When she saw Peter Pan taking Flynn Rider’s full attention, she latched onto Rapunzel’s arm and stated loudly, “Yes, now Rapunzel is mine!”

That caught everyone’s attention. At first, Nico was surprised. He quickly recovered, grabbing Rapunzel around the waist, saying, “Not quite,” with a little smirk to the girl.

“Aw, but why were you looking at Peter Pan?” the little girl pouted.

Now Will took over. He bent down to the girl and put on his best troublemaker look. “Flynn and I are close friends. We like to have fun and make trouble together. But, we normally don’t take pictures together. Do you want a special picture with all of us?” The little girl nodded enthusiastically, before adding, “But I want Rapunzel to hold me. You can hold Flynn.” Will did not expect that, but he chuckled and nodded yes. Piper and Jason didn’t seem too pleased, but they couldn’t say no to a little girl.

Rapunzel picked up the girl with ease. Will went up to Nico and held his arms out, a bright grin plastered on his face. Nico grumbled, “I hate my job,” to which Will quickly replied, “Love you too!” And with that, Nico jumped into Will’s arms and Will held him bridal-style. It was a picture Jason and Piper made sure would never happen again.

[sparda3g]

Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 172 Review

It would seem that we are very close to the end of the arc, which also means the end of :re. I sensed part 3 is on the horizon. With that said it begs the question on how much change awaits. It’s all on Kaneki to handle the last and prominent problem. The end is near and Ishida is set to go all out with a bang. With a surprisingly emotional end to Amon and Donato, and the badass and hyped start to Kaneki versus Furuta, it’s certainly going to end strong.

As I said before in my last review, I am a fan of Amon and was really glad that he was able to get a closure with Donato. Hell, he won the fight after a series of beating he received. What I didn’t expect is how emotional this bout turned out to be from the moment Takizawa called him out on his struggle. It is better this way to invest it more than a simple revenge bout.

Donato was decapitated, though able to speak for a while before he dies out. Nico did heal his head to speak for a bit, so that make sense for its universe. It’s eerie how he laughed at his loss though. I understand that fans would find it strange, though Ghoul RC cells and what not is something takes imagination to accept. It was also established that there are Ghouls that could speak without a body for a short while, like how Roma was speaking before Urie sliced her face off to end her for good. I believe it was Ishida’s way to have a strong Ghoul’s slow death moment.

It does reward us a really emotional scene that I wasn’t expecting. If it wasn’t for the last chapter, I would think this is just purely revenge and justice storyline. Donato isn’t asking us to feel bad for him, rather establishing how he has been always in the dark and corrupted side of living. Interesting that he’s the third Clown King that the title was given by the second; not sure if Ishida wants us to theorize it. He’s the definition of what CCG once defined Ghoul as and he capitalized it to the very end.

He was everything that you must hate him as a villain. It helps with the visual of him laughing his way out to death. Every time the panel shots his smiling face, he meant every word of it and it’s disgusting to fathom. He came a long way to meet his fate at the hand of his one and only “son” Amon, which even he said it was the most fitting end. His grin in the last chapter makes sense with how perfect the setup is for him to go out, but Ishida goes in deeper with the later scene.

As his death was going to be a cold and dreary end, Amon adds in for the powerful emotional impact. After learning about his inner feeling, it’s a bit surprising that he kept his straight face for so long. I know this is his enemy, but a small crack on his face can happen. I got a bad feeling that his last words were going to be really sad.

Donato talked about his life as a villain; Amon talked about the memory. Those moments he recollected can be argued to be contradicting to everything what Donato finished saying; it’s night and day difference. The fact he remembers those days prove how much dear they are to him, even after the moment of “betrayal” or rather heartbreak. Those times cannot be erased and it will always be effective to Amon, no matter how much he denies it. It was supposed to be a simple revenge story, but it became sorrowful.

What did it for me is Amon elaborating how he has all the reasons to hate him, despise him, and wanting to get a closure; yet, it was too much to bear the emotions he still have. Amon crying for him is so disheartening yet humanizing. His words never felt so powerful. It’s not easy to kill someone who raised you and it’s even harder when you loved someone dearly. Amon couldn’t hide that fact and that’s why he finally let out his genuine feelings. It’s the development that was long waited, but the cost was always severe.

Donato’s final laugh is really interesting as it leaves on ambiguous note. He was called “father” by his cherished “son” and it makes his story into a masterpiece. He laughs with tears until he finally dies. Was he crying from laughing so hard because of how perfect the story was or crying from sadness because of how he was seen like a father to Amon, who arguably the only child he legitimately cared for?

There were many hints from the past that Donato was always fond of him as well as vice versa despite the disconnecting thoughts. They both found a connection to remember in the orphanage; it’s only fitting for one to end another. I thought this was one of the best death scenes of the series. It was eerie, cold, and teary by the end; I was sold by the reactions. Ishida is at his best when exploiting the emotion in subtle and explicit way.

It’s not really funny but I find it comical that Owl is now stopped, only we still don’t know if it was Eto or not. It left with CCG and Ghouls about to approach it, ending before any confirmation. You got to wait for a bit longer. Ishida is probably at his best when teasing. It’s a small scene but I find it charming with Touka sitting beside Saiko whispering “Maman.” Seriously, Touka should adopt her once this arc ends.

It’s evident that this could very well be the final volume of :re when it shifts to the main event: Kaneki versus Furuta. This is the only part left to cover, which would mean that there will be a Part 3. It does make sense seeing how much of a setup this last arc has ensued so far. It would make sense to have another time-skip to clean the awful mess from Dragon. Who knows. Maybe Ishida will pull a Golem Hearts and solve all problems in a matter of a chapter.

I love how the battle begins. First of all, for those who believe Furuta has everything all part of the plan, despite his more or less doubts, fans can be at ease with the fact he was genuinely surprised that Kaneki is alive. Honestly, if he did say it’s part of the plan, that would be too much. Anyway, I was under impression that there will be some serious discussion to be hold but Kaneki waste no time and nearly take his head off.

I laughed at how Furuta reacted; believing Kaneki wants to ask questions. There’s one problem: he don’t care. I feel like Shuu in Part 1: drowned by his badassery. It feels like this Kaneki is the embodiment of all Kanekis before it; basically, when he fights, he becomes Kuroneki as fans would call it. If so, that is awesome. Clearly, he’s done with Furuta’s shit. Poor guy, he thought he’s against a Shounen Protagonist.

I got a good laugh at the narrator while Furuta runs for his life. It opts for describing Furuta’s character in that very moment, only to turn out it’s his monologue. That is pretty funny. He had the nerve to put himself as the hero of the situation. I also laughed at the callback to him versus Eto when he felt like he had some sense of déjà vu. This small scene is rich.

Speaking of déjà vu, it isn’t entirely one until he actually pulls the similar stunt when pleading for mercy, only to surprise attack. Not going to lie, I thought that was it and Kaneki just loses. I don’t think I need chapter 143 déjà vu as well. Also, I thought those Kagune came from Furuta, but it appears to be from Dragon. That is unless Rize is behind the shadow; that would be freaky. It looks like either Furuta knows how to trigger it or it is assisting him.

When it comes to accelerating the hype level, leave it to Ishida to handle it; only thing is he did it too good. It finally comes down to this very moment between the two with everything at stake. Kaneki thankfully wasn’t down and out; only got push back with no sight of fear. Furuta gets his V trademark sword ready and announces his secret: he’s strong. Color me shocked. The hype level goes through the sky with Kaneki getting back up and ends the chapter, cracking his finger. Oh yeah. A complete badass beat down is in order. This is so hype. I must have Unravel ready for the next chapter.

I have to say, the artwork here is outstanding. Ishida went above and beyond here to execute deep heartfelt emotions between Amon and Donato. The details during Kaneki versus Furuta are really good. I like how clean and sense of badass aura oozes out from Kaneki’s line “Don’t care.” The double page is great despite Kaneki getting knocked back; it’s the surrounding that impressed me. It balanced out with the last page that is just pure hype. The dialogues are strong as well; whether it’s the sincerity mood or comical and horror, it has best of both worlds.

This chapter was pretty stellar from beginning to end. I was awed by the emotional end between Amon and Donato with strong dialogue delivery and touching expressive display. Kaneki versus Furuta is off with a strong start with comical and badass reactions. The artwork stepped up and the ending is hype. Seriously, don’t pull chapter 143. I loved it for narrative, but this one doesn’t need it. Go for broke!