#and Nero didn't even notice him

[meri-meri-mwah]

Ain't no way I just noticed this big teddy bear was watching Nero during the entire first fight sequence in DMC 4.

I gasped so loud when I found out about this.

[viciousvortexx]

Some of my Vergil headcanons

just random headcanons about anything <3

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

★ Vergil likes to leave gifts on places he knows you could easily find, like over the table, over your bed, in front of your door. He'll always do it before he's gone for a mission, and when he's back, will casually ask while you're talking to each other, “did you like the roses?”

★ Physical touch to him is something very intimate, no hugs or something like this unless you're close to him, he watches over his personal space.

★ Still talking about physical touch, there's nothing more intimate than holding someone's hand, this means how comfortable and close you're and how much you trust this person to let your guard down to relax and hold hands. Touching hands it's like a bridge to connect yourself with someone else. Also, this means he would love to caress the back of your hand, trace the patterns of your palm, kiss it...

★ Eye contact is also very important to him, it's noticeable how hard is for Vergil to keep eye contact on casual situations, even though he's trying his best. So when those crystal clear blue eyes are locked on yours, he won't take them away unless someone else appears, eye contact is powerful and can talk more than words.

★ He loves to do cleaning, taking off his coat to wear an apron instead.

★ When hugging, he'll place one arm around your waist while his free hand gently press your head to his chest, peting your hair.

★ Secretly sings his favorite songs when no one is around.

★ Organize his books by alphabetical order.

★ Definitely would use those silk pajamas sets with buttons.

★ About Vergil's phone: the brightness will always be too high or too low, the speakers are probably low cause he was watching cute and funny cat compilations on the van and he didn't want to bother, definitely there's a lot of accidental selfies he took by opening the camera and the ringtone is LOUD, really loud (he doesn't know how to change it properly and is ashamed to ask Dante or Nero since they'll probably make fun of him).

Plus: use a lot the thumbs up emoji after someone complained he only views the messages and doesn't say anything, so he started to use the thumbs up as a reaction.

★ He likes to make his tea the old way, doesn't like tea bags.

★ Call anything technological a "device" since those things are new to him and he's learning the names and how they work. “Nero, come here, my device is broken again.”

★ The only time you would see Vergil with his hair down is when it's wet or if he's too tired to groom it (like, can't even keep his eyes open), if not, he'll always groom his hair to make it look the way it is, he's a man of routine (and also it makes him look different from his twin, so that's why he isn't going on public with his hair down).

★ He loves classical music, but that doesn't mean he isn't open to discover new genres and tunes.

★ Vergil used to make dog ears on the pages of his books when he was a kid to continue reading it later, but he noticed it crumples the paper so stopped doing it.

★ He is extremely warm because of his demon nature, just like an walking oven baking cookies, that's why cats are always attracted by him, there's often cat fur on his coat, probably Vergil faced a kitten on the streets and it started to butt the head on his legs to feel his warmth.

★ Always have a pleasant smell, unless when he's back from a mission, that's why he takes so long in the bath.

★ Loves citrus fruits.

★ Vergil takes a lot of pictures of the sky and nature, he treasures them and shows to the ones he treasures the same way.

★ Won't tell anybody if he got hurt during a mission, waiting for it to heal by itself (this also happens if he get sick).

★ Heard Dante listening to dad rock once, after that he tried to listen to a couple of songs too and started to like it.

★ Knows a bit of Latin from old books he read once.

★ Vergil is passionate and enthusiastic about the things he likes, he can spend hours talking about it with that glimmer he has on his eyes when happy.

★ The same way he likes someone to listen about his interests, also likes to be the one who listens to it from others, he's a very good listener.

★ One of his hobbies is writing his own poems on yellowed rag paper with a feather pen (things he like to buy with his money), he keeps them hide inside a little box.

[icycoldninja]

Can you write the DMC boys with the reader in a scenario where she had to be bridal carried by them?

I just rewatched “The Cat returns” and the scene where the MC is exhausted, panting on the stairs when one of the male leads decided to bridal carry her because the antagonist are still in hot pursuit

(Seriously this Ghibli film is underrated asf, more ppl should know abt it)

In this scenario, the reader could’ve had an injured ankle due to loosing footing or just exhausted from being chased by demons for a long period of time so she just stands there panting, urging them to leave her behind as she’ll catch up later

They boys are like: “no..not on my watch” 😒

So they snatched her up and carry her away while being pursued by loads of demons from behind not so far away

P/S: They’re still in their crushing phase, so the reader is just bashfully and embarrassingly brooding in their arms while trying to avoid eye contact with them bcz of how hot her face is and they’re trying to search her gaze, hoping to find the answer they need within her eyes

Yeah sure, here you go.

Sparda boys + V x Reader bridal carry headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-You guys were running up the stairs to a long, winding tower while being chased by a horde of demons.

-Somewhere along the way, you twisted your ankle and fell behind.

-You being the selfless person you are, you urged Dante to leave you there, but he being the stubborn ass he was, he refused.

-Sinc you were pretty much a cripple at this point and the demons were gaining on you, Dante ran up, scooped you into his arms, and carried you up the remaining flights of stairs.

-You never expected something like this to happen and didn't know what to do, so you just remained there, blushing and trying very hard not to show him how red you were.

-Dante was not helping in the slightest; he was staring at you like you held all the secrets to the universe. This whole situa35ion was very awkward, but also cute.

■ Vergil ■

-You and Vergil had been running from demons for hours; you'd grown completely exhausted and were now doubled over and panting heavily on the landing.

-Vergil saw you and sighed. Humans, pathetic, weak creatures with poor stamina.

-You told him to just go and let you fend for yourself, but Vergil knew that if you couldn't even ascend a flight of stairs, you wouldn't stand against all those demons.

-Without a word, he rushed over to you, lifted you into his arms, and began carrying you around bridal-style.

-You were absolutely mortified in this position, evident in your tomato-red face.

-Vergil was only continuing to stare at you, making your embarrassment that much worse.

□ Nero □

-Nero knew you wouldn't be able to keep running up the stairs any longer and he was right.

-There you were, doubled over and panting heavily, your lungs burning with air while a horde of demons and other foul creatures scampered after you.

-You knew this too and tried to get him to leave you, but we all know Nero's a stubborn bastard like his uncle, and that he'd never leave.

-If he didn't get you out of there now, you would be overrun, so Nero hurried on over to you, scooped you up like a sack of potatoes, and bridal carried you up the stairs.

-You were absolutely flabbergasted and felt a powerful blush growing across your face, but you did your best to hide it.

-Nero noticed your furious nervousness and couldn't help but smile. Cute thing like you must have feelings for him, how precious.

● V ●

-Although not a normal human, V's stamina is quite similar to yours.

-Both of you were running from demons, just trying to survive, when he noticed that you weren't huffing and puffing alongside him.

-He turned, looked, and saw that you had twisted your ankle somehow and were now sitting on one of the landing areas, watching the encroaching demons fearfully.

-V stumbled over to you, and despite your protests, decided to pick you up and carry you away, bridal style.

-How he did not collapse into a shambling pile of bones is beyond anyone's guess, though Griffon suspects it was "the power of love" that gave him strength.

-Regardless of how he did it, you found yourself blushing madly at V's noble behavior and try as you might, couldn't hide your huge grin.

[smorksthings]

Astarion x Druge — Fangs | HC

Gender-neutral reader/Durge, no pronouns mentioned | Author's note: I started playing with my durgie and can't help but imagine him (my Durge) with sharp canines, and how Astarion would see them | Not proof read, NSFW implied ; undercut incase | words

Astarion had easily taken to your... Murderous habits. He had such a casual relationship with murder himself, it didn't really matter to him that you would as well.

I mean, I wouldn't even say that he didn't care either, he relished that you had something in common. The bloodlust, that is.

But the fangs? That was something else.

He didn't really notice them at first, perhaps habituated to the sight from spending so much time around other vampire spawns and Cazador, but he eventually did.

Astarion noticed when looking amongst his peers, and then you. He more so noticed that everyone else had dull canines, and realized that it was probably not actually normal to have sharp teeth.

But for a very long time, he didn't quite care, either. Sharp teeth? Gods, who cared! Vampire had them, he didn't get the appeal at all!

Until you used them in a fight and oh boy was the appeal ever so present. Seeing your teeth sink into some unsuspecting creature, seeing the blood dribble down from those fangs of yours? Exquisite.

Perhaps he would be inclined to have you use them on him instead? It wasn't often that he got bitten, after all, he was doing all of it himself, never the one bitten.

But Gods above, you went from hot to intoxicatingly hot when he realized he had a thing for sharp teeth, your sharp teeth.

Astarion spends time dotting on you and your teeth afterwards. Sickeningly sweet words, complementing the way you bite.

Everyone is absolutely perplexed at his own behaviour towards you and your teeth, his utter fixation upon seeing them in action. It's a lot, even for a vampire spawn.

This one is a little short because I didn't want to get too NSFW, but might update the more I think about Nero and his sharp teeth

Characters I write for | Masterlist

[spiritually-a-blorb]

in light of me being a little silly, a little sillier, and finally reaching my silliest peak, I would like to introduce my favorite cringefail loser and give you headcannons about him

- Lester still had slightly purple veins after the possession. it was barely noticeable, but his blood, and therefore his veins, were a little darker. he just never points this out

- Lester had a little bit of a scuffle trying to get to California in the burning maze, and he literally never told anyone. just as a little silly. this is why he wanted maple lemon cronuts. he got in a fight at some random bakery (beacuse he wanted to get food for everyone) and he managed to snag food for everyone but himself

- Apollo visits Sweet on America, the place Sally used to work, and he'll get different candies his kids like, or he thinks they'll like. he is surprisingly successful at this, and now he keeps candy on his person at all times, like a grandma does

- Lester's complaints about memory loss were valid, for one. but the second thing? just for a lil spice, I think trying to access those memories hurts him just a little, enough for the brain to try and block those memories out. that's why his memory is super faulty. his brain is literally working against him

- Lester is checked over by Meg after every fight they have after The Big Stab™️, and she feels extra guilty when she finds out how tarquin was turning him into a zombie

- Lester was separated from Meg in a crowd once, while they were getting to the Tower of Nero. he flipped his ever-loving shit and proceeded to yell her name so loud he broke a window. Meg never got separated from him again

- Meg will do this thing where she will mispronounce words on purpose beacuse she knows that it annoys Lester. Lester eventually uses those mispronounciations in multiple haikus, and presents them to Meg in a written and stage performance. Meg has never been so annoyed and so touched in her life once she remembers that those were her mispronounciations. she then demands financial compensation for her words being used in said haikus

- Apollo (post ToA) does actually help herophile start some game shows. he gets her a nice setup and everything, and she soon becomes well known for her successful shows, both on normal channels and Hephestus TV.

- Meg eventually goes out and sees the ToA books on some bookstore shelves, and buys the entire series. she gets a lot of secondhand embarrassment due to Lester sometimes, but she enjoys re-living some good memories with her dummy. plus she likes hearing what the Arrow of Dodona actually had to say.

- Conversely, Apollo literally shrivels up in a ball when he finds out that Meg read the entire book series. he just lays there with his hands over his face while his kids swarm Meg to get her to show them the books. Apollo does not want to live through that, but he stays as they read the entire story. they all end up in a massive cuddle pile by the end

- Eventually, Artemis meets Meg. she kinda likes her by the end, but is somewhat jealous of the sibling relationship she has with Apollo. Apollo just likes seeing his two sisters get along. Meg, however, is a little conflicted as well. This is her annoying dummy, and someone else telling Apollo that, even in jest, grates on her a little (unless he deserved it. then she adds on)

- Apollo really likes fries. The big reason is they are cheap, and he would get a meal with the money they had at some gas station or fast food place, and give Meg the meal and just eat (and share) the fries. He did this right up to The Burning Maze, but only beacuse Aloe Vera kinda snitched on him to Grover. Aloe Vera only found out when she saw him climbing back down into the maze to eat the strawberries.

- Meg was super upset when she found out about the fry thing. Apollo insisted he was fine, and that he didn't need as much food as her, since she was still growing. She was a little more mad when she realizes she had been growing food that was meant to help in combat, and Apollo had to double back to get some, or he went hungry.

[sadlynojellybeans]

So I am re-reading TOA and i have decided to write some things i noticed now that I know what is going to happen next.

THE HIDDEN ORACLE

Meg was about do develop a crush on Percy, and Apollo noticed. It was immediatly curbed by Percy mentioning his girlfriend. He did not even notice XD

Apollo actually got out of the three legged death race unscathed O.o Scared to death but unharmed

Lester is being surprisingly not pathetic??? I mean, he can't remember shit and has the constutution of a limp noodle, but he has not fainted in several chapters!!! Maybe it's because Camp Half Blood is a relatively safe space for them...

THE FORESHADOWING IN CHAPTER 26 IS DEVASTATING - he gets confirmation it is the emperors behind everything and he thinks "i would have rather tangled with Tartarus or Ouranos or Primordial Chaos" APOLLO PLEASE

Speaking of foreshadowing, Rhea?!??!? "Find your center. Enlightenment has to come from within" HELLO??!?!??

Apollo mentioning he caused an earthquake that wiped out most of Sparta and that he never liked the Spartans much??? What about HYACINTHUS???????

"I busted out some footwork the Nine Muses and I had been working on" please I want so bad to see Apollo dance. Especially Apollo as Lester

Apollo being absolutely convinced that he will never have a proper partner is tragic. "It was not in my destiny" bro

The Germani appear and the absolute first thing Apollo does is move in front of Meg. "Instinctively". This is the same guy that at the beginning of the book was evaluating which demigods would be best to keep on hand to throw at quests. I can't. Just how much exactly did he repress his protective instincts through the years and centuries?

I find so fascinating that Apollo wants to strike Nero down immediately after meeting him. Like, yes. Apollo is a god. And he would not allow anyone to threaten what he cares about. Even after his trials, he might be kinder and more attentive to demigods, but I think that anybody who crosses him (really crosses him) will have to start praying for mercy.

If there is one thing I can say about TOA is that it is certainly expanding my musical horizons, with all the songs I have to check out on youtube just to have an idea of what Apollo is singing about.

He did not suck during the confrontation with Nero?! Burst of godly strength saved the day and his dignity

"Just because she had lied about being my friend did not mean I wasn't hers. She was in danger. I was not going to leave her" man. He cares so fucking much. No wonder he never let anybody get close to him in the last years.

Didn't they say a sonnet was worse than a limerick in the next book?

"BLESS HIS CONNIVING LITTLE HEART". "Children of Hermes cannot rap". "[Cecil] was demoted to dancer" skjsjskansnkzbsnsmmsnzm

It's kind of ... sad? How happy Apollo is when flying on the giant ants. He is used to being a god who can fly whenever he wants, and a part of him is usually in the sky every day as he drives the sun chariot. And instead he has been stranded on earth, away from what is both his duty and something he greatly enjoys. "It felt so good to fly again. [...] For two or three seconds I was exhilarated".

AND THE ARROW OF DODONA IS FINALLY HERE AND TALKING FRIENDS!!!!

I cannot believe I am so happy because of a talking arrow

The arrow QUIVERED kjsnsksjsnsnzjxndnsk i love them so much

Not Apollo asking where Jason Grace is 💀

I genuinely cannot understand if this is foreshadowing or really lucky wording on Riordan's part. Rachel asks about Meg and Apollo thinks "She might as well have plunged the Arrow of Dodona into my chest". RICK. RICK DID YOU KNOW? HAD YOU ALREADY THOUGTH ABOUT THAT SCENE IN TBM OR WAS IT PURE CHANCE????

WE WERE ROBBED. I have been wondering for a few days if in TOA we ever see Apollo sing for fun (not to confuse enemies, not to open doors, not for any practical purpose. Just for the fun of it). The depressing answer seems to be no, although I might have forgotten. At the end of THO it is implied that Apollo, Leo and Calypso join the sing-along at CHB, but the fact that the books end before we actually see him sing is a travesty.

[hard-times-paramore]

Why Nero Devilmaycry is Asexual

It's a headcanon, but turns out I had a lot of evidence. And even if I didn't I like when I have characters I can relate to with this one thing about myself, so nothing you could say would stop me. Still. Hear me out now. If you’re open to reading this post, then let me tell you, I think it very well holds up in canon.

As a start, look how he acts when he sees the sexy demonic lures from that frog demon in DMC4:

His reaction to the demons is to notice they’re causing a stinky storm which is probabbly hiding something, and he kills them. That’s it. Not even a fucking comment. In fact he even seems a bit avoidant.

Now compare it with Dante’s scene.

He knew they were in fact lures for a giant evil smelly frog, and yet he joins in the game and acts all flirtatious, actually acknowledging that he’s being faced with two sexy naked ladies.

Another evidence is Nero’s immediate reaction to seeing Gloria. Which I don’t even think needs any comments. Just

He can’t even look directly at her. He’s so uncomfortable help him.

Of course one might argue that all of that is because he’s in love with Kyrie. And I totally agree, he is in love! He’s asexual but not aromantic, and he loves her. But being in love with someone - and considering they weren’t together yet - doesn’t mean shutting down all interest and attraction to other people. Since he doesn’t show that attraction in the slightest, I think it’s cause it’s not there to begin with.

(On that note, it's nothing big but Nero is in love with Kyrie, one of the few female characters whose clothes cover her up. She’s a lot more modest/non sexualized when compared to Lady or Trish.)

But that was DMC 4. What about how he's like in the next game?

What I’d say from this game, is that Nero is ace, but he’s not out to Nico. And I can understand why, because Nico’s dirty jokes are like, Her Brand when it comes to humour. Dante would love chatting with her. Nero, however, does not. 

I mean, a dirty joke was her first reaction when Nero tried to tell Kyrie he grew back a whole arm

(he’s tired)

Whenever innuendos happen in this game towards Nero, it’s been because of Nico. Look at what she wrote in her diary, when she gave Lady her clothes after Nero rescued her.

Even though Nero himself during that scene was focused on her wellbeing and asking about his friends, nothing else (…actually, in that scene V was the one who made the comment about Lady’s appearance. V, who is Vergil, and the only other time they ever met was when they were a bunch of teenagers trying to kill each other, and uh. Awkward).

And since we brought this up, when Lady was rescued from inside of the Artemis demon, she was completely naked, but Nero?? Payed no attention to that?? He only looked at her face, and was mainly concerned with her safety and with the fact she was Dante’s friend, not about her body. She could have been fully clothed and there would be no difference. 

It took Nico’s little comment for him to realize that “wait, she’s naked, wait, I have a girlfriend”, I mean. He goes “what?” and it takes him three full seconds to remember that, complete with a face journey:

Like, it’s just my humble opinion but if someone forgets that carrying a beautiful nude stranger in your arms miiight be kind of erotic, maybe sexuality just doesn’t occupy that person’s mind for most the time in the first place.

And holy shit, speaking of Kyrie, Nico seems rather interested in their sex life. She literally built an arm for Nero with the purpose to make sex more comfortable for them. And he did not ask her to build it, because she never tells him what she’s making beforehand, and by her comments it was supposed to be a surprise anyways. He ends up using it for healing.

Complete with that sexy joke she makes when Kyrie called him in the end, and the reaction she got, I conclude the following: yeah Nero is still ace as heck, he just hasn't come out to her yet. I get him, he doesn’t know her for that long, and I have that kind of friend too.

And just as a final point, just take a look at the main characters in this series! They all have shown a rather sexual side (specially in DMC4 which is by far the horniest game of this series). There’s Dante with his constant teasing and innuendos, Lady and Trish with their provocative clothes and body language, and even some demons sometimes act like that. But Nero? He seems to be an exception to that rule. In all his sarcasm and attitude, he’s still more about the taunting and mocking the enemy than flirting with it. While he’s the only one to have a love interest, the dynamic of their relationship shows a profound bond, loyalty, protectiveness and warmth. And yet with all that, it doesn’t get on the sexual side that was to be expected of those games, considering the other characters.

So, yeah, that's been my Ace Nero Manifesto. I wrote my evidence but, in reality nothing can stop me from headcanoning a character as ace just because I feel like it.

[daes0]

Chapter 1: “This reminded me of you.”

Rafayel and all the ways he says he l̶̯̞̱̬̘̜̗̏͒̂̐̈͋̍̓ô̶̡͙̤̻̐̓͑̚͝v̴͕͖̙̦̩͚͓̠̌̄͂͒͜ȇ̵̪̆͐̒̈́͠s̶̬̬̼͆͛̚ you.

Pairing: {Rafayel x Reader}

Rating: {Mature} {Violent Content}

Word Count: {1.6k words}

liar liar lover

You haven't seen Rafayel in a bit. It was mostly due to your schedules not colliding, with you being busy with your work as a Deepspace hunter and him busy meeting up with investors and preparing for a major art exhibition with the Flux Arts gallery. So you're surprised, then, when you're walking back to your desk and see Rafayel chatting with your coworkers.

Tara notices you first. "_____, why didn't you say that you're friends with Rafayel!"

"I didn't know you guys were into art," you explain as you grab a seat and move it closer to the commotion.

"It's mostly just Tara," Nero explains as he sinks a little lower into his desk.

Rafayel smiles up to you, unusually shy in front of your friends. "I brought you something."

"Alright everyone, clear out," you say, pushing Tara's rolling chair away.

She hums in disagreement but doesn't complain, playing wingwoman.

Nero narrows his eyes at you. "Why do I have to go?"

Tara comes back quickly, grabbing the back of Nero's rolling chair and taking him with her. "Don't worry, _____, me and Nero actually have to discuss top secret details."

"We do?" he questions as he's pulled away.

Finally alone, Rafayel takes a breath of relief. "Thank you. I didn't want to be rude but they're… a lot."

"It's mostly just Tara being Tara." You shake your head at their antics. "You had something for me?"

"Yes!" He takes out a leather-bound journal. "I was trying to keep it safe for you. I actually found it a couple days ago."

You take the journal, flipping it open. You find a four-leaf clover amidst the pages, pressed delicately. A token of his affections.

"This reminded me of you," Rafayel explains in a quiet voice.

Your heart absolutely melts. Thoughts of how he found this course through your brain. Did he search for it? Or did he happen to find it and thought of you? Either way, you can't help the small blush spreading on your face.

"Rafayel…" you start, not knowing how to properly accept the gift, how to show how much you appreciate it.

"I missed you," he explains. Then, regaining his composure, he quickly adds: "I mean, I miss my bodyguard. You've been slacking off with your duties! What if I get hurt while you're away?"

A giggle escapes your lips. "I'll be sure to see you more, Rafayel."

He beams. "Great! The bribe worked!"

You both hear a distant laugh, followed by a shush.

Seems your friends were still listening in.

~

"You're much too kind, Rafayel, to be bringing it personally."

Rafayel smiles at Francis Cortez, an art critic who favored Rafayel's work. He leans the painting up on the wall. "I've been following your critiques for a while now. I really respect your eye for art."

Francis beams at the praise. "Well, even so, it is rare for a creator of your caliber to personally see to your sold creations. I wasn't expecting this during the auction."

"I don't often do this," Rafayel admits. He takes a few steps back, trying to find the best place for the painting. "But the location can be part of the art, don't you think?"

The man laughs in agreement. "Well said!"

The painting seems to wobble, but Francis does not notice.

Rafayel hesitates, before going towards the door. "I unfortunately can't stay to see the finished piece, but I'm glad to have brought it in for you."

Francis grabs at Rafayel's arm. "What are you doing?"

Rafayel tries to shrug it off with a smile, but Francis' grip is strong. Unfriendly. "I have to leave."

Francis suddenly laughs, a boisterous sound that resonates across the room. He stops when Rafayel does not laugh with him. "No, no, no, surely you don't mean to leave before setting it up? Why come here in the first place if you won't see to its proper place?"

The painting seems to stretch out, hitting the wall with a bang. This time, Francis notices.

Rafayel takes the time to push past Francis and close the door, locking it shut and forming a small flame within the knob, effectively welding it close by melting its structure.

Francis starts towards the door, before the Wanderer knocks him down, claws attached to Francis' shoulders and pinning him down with its weight. It roars, a cry so strong that it paralyzes the man underneath it. Its jaw slowly lowers, licking the air in anticipation towards its meal.

"You've been too kind to me, Francis," Rafayel says as the wanderer growls at its prey. He smiles in his confidence. "Much too kind."

Francis pulls at his pocket, but the gun splays out, moving away from him on the floor and landing right by Rafayel.

Rafayel goes to grab it, "Nice try-" when suddenly the wanderer jumps at him instead.

Francis stumbles up, gripping at his wounded shoulder, before barreling towards the door. He tries the door knob, desperate, but the door stays shut.

Rafayel pushes back against the wanderer, but it keeps coming after him with each push. The wanderer growls, saliva flying everywhere as it keeps trying to attack. In a last ditch effort, Rafayel takes out a dagger and buries it in the wanderer's neck. The creature roars, a repulsing guttural cry due to the blade piercing its trachea, before snapping at Rafayel with a broken scream.

His hand comes up, an attempt to block the wanderer from encircling its jaw against Rafayel's head, but it instead bites at the flesh of his forearm, almost breaking bone. Rafayel cries out in pain. He uses his other hand to retrieve the dagger and buries it through the wanderer's eye, stopped short due to its skull. Rafayel pulls it back before slamming it back into the wanderer's skull with all his might, and this time it breaks through the bone. He feels it give, feels the slosh of brain matter as he pulls the dagger back out.

The wanderer cries, a pathetic and bloody sound, before finally falling with a thud. Its flesh turns to black dust.

The fight done, Rafayel groans out in pain. He turns towards Francis, a renewed sense of vigor within him. "Almost forgot about you," he can't help but laugh.

"W-why are you doing this?!" Francis wails, scrambling as far away from Rafayel as he can.

Rafayel slowly walks forward, each step reverberating through the room. Francis trips against a large flower vase and it crashes, slashing at his feet. He tries to use the remaining vase to block Rafayel, but Rafayel strides forward with surprising speed and grabs Francis by his bloody tie, stepping over the broken glass. Rafayel lifts him up.

"I didn't want to do this, you know," Rafayel calmly explains.

"Please! Please, I'll give you anything!" Francis begs, "Money, fame, power, anything! Just don't kill me!"

"Really?" Rafayel cocks his head to the side. "Then bring back my home. Bring back all the people you've ordered to kill."

"What- what do you mean?" Francis stammers. "I haven't killed anyone!"

"For Lemuria," Rafayel drawls out as his hand bursts into flames. "Lemuria's oceans will never dry up!"

The blaze takes to Francis' face immediately. He screeches out in pain, but Rafayel holds him down. With his other hand, he grabs at Francis' throat and throws him into the floor.

Rafayel pushes down on Francis, pinning him down so the flames engulf him. He stares into the scared man's eyes as his air slowly depletes, the life in his eyes trembling against the fire.

"You don't even deserve to die," Rafayel says, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "But I'm a good person, you know? You might hate me now, but you'll appreciate my mercy once you're gone."

The man dies in his hands. And Rafayel revels in the newfound power. His lips tremble, and he raises his hand up to the man's jaw. With his dagger, he rips the man's jaw, separating the meat of his flesh.

Rafayel raises the bottom jaw, smiling at his trophy, before pressing it to his lips. A kiss of death, the viscous taste putrid in Rafayel's mouth. He bites down on the bottom lip and pulls it back, breaking off a chunk before spitting it out.

Rafayel lets go. The man falls on top of the pile of broken glass, the shattered pieces piercing through his head. Rafayel resists the urge to mangle the body, to destroy it further, but instead he lets his flames grow. Once satisfied, he brings his bloody hand up, raising the flames up to the walls.

While humans have the ability to reincarnate, their souls cannot leave their remains if they're consumed. Prey cannot move on, cannot live on and cannot die properly. It is the torture they deserve. Rafayel smiles, rubbing the rest of the blood off his mouth with his sleeve.

Finally, he goes to the door and kicks it open, letting the flames spread.

"Is it over?" Francis' butler asks, coming around the corner with a glass of water.

"Yes, and thank you." Rafayel takes the glass and drinks it in. "Make sure to keep yourself safe."

"As you wish," he replies with a short bow.

Rafayel gives him a small nod, before re-entering the room. He breathes it in and enters the void of the flames.

The butler comes in. "He's really gone…" he comments, seeing that Rafayel has disappeared within the flames.

He turns to see his dead master laying on the floor. And the butler smiles. "For Lemuria," he repeats, before making his exit.

END OF CHAPTER 1

[devilmayfamily]

holds out cup a little crumb of dmc boys x reader with add/adhd please? maybe with some angst sprinkled in? i don't mean to be greedy, i am just a small simp 😔

GN!Reader Angst/Comfort Think I made myself tear up a little with these haha enjoy!

Dante

When you find something you love, you can talk about it for hours

Lucky for you, Dante loves hearing about your hypertfixations

He finds it wonderful to see you excited about something and wants to know everything you can about it

One day while talking to Dante, you notice him seemingly not paying as much attention as he usually does

He'd been writing in a notebook the entire you'd been talking

You instantly begin to think you might be annoying him or boring him and slowly stop talking

When you do, he looks up at you worried

"What's wrong sweet pea? Why did you stop talking?"

"Do I... Do I annoy you?"

He's quite shocked

You could never annoy him!

"Never! I love when you tell me all about the things you are interested in!"

"You've been looking at that notebook this entire time though"

Dante softly smiles before flipping the notebook so you see it

On the page is a list of everything you've ever told Dante about, new and old

"I've been keeping a list of the things you like. I was adding this to it"

Dante pulls you in, kissing all over your face until you start laughing

He will reassure you anytime you need it and sometimes even when you don't expect it

He loves listening to you ramble on and on and he won't ever let you think otherwise

Vergil

Vergil is a man with his own problems and one of those is perfection

Growing up, Vergil worked hard to earn his father's approval and maintain it

Getting ready for a mission one day, Vergil notices lots of things are missing or out of place

"Sweetheart, where is everything? I need to get going soon"

"Oh! It's, um..."

"Sweetheart, please"

"I remember! I promise! It's- It's..."

"Y/N! Why can't you just remember these things?!"

Vergil instantly regretted yelling at you

He knew you were trying your hardest

He couldn't get his apology in, however, as you ran off and he had to get to this mission at this point

You spent the rest of the day with Nero, the kid making threats to his father and reassuring you

When Vergil came home, he was greeted by an angry Nero

"You better fix this"

Nero lets his father in, taking him to you instantly

You're curled up on the couch, a look of fear when you see Vergil walk in

It breaks Vergil to see you scared of him, its the one thing he didn't want to do

"I'm sorry, love"

He has a few gifts for you; your comfort food, a soft sweater in Vergil's signature royal blue and a matching blanket

Without warning, you pull Vergil into a hug, ignoring the gifts

He holds you tightly, as close as he can get you to him

Vergil works on forgetting about perfection because really, nothing will ever be perfect

As long as he has you though, it's near damn perfect

V

He lost you

Again

"Angel! Come back! Where are you?!"

He told you to stay right next to him while he talked to this guy to get info

Now, he turns and finds you've run off

Again

"Angel!!"

It wasn't safe for you out here

Who knows what demon or monster of a human would find you

V knows you can hold your own but that doesn't stop him from worrying about you when you venture off like this

As V rounds a corner, he sees you battling it out with a demon

A demon that just pierced your leg

"YOU INSISTENT FOOL, LET GO OF THEM"

The demon flings you in a different direction before growling at the poet

V takes down the demon before rushing over to you

You were laying on the asphalt, the pincer of the demon still stuck in your leg

V doesn't say anything to you, just helps you up and gets you back to home base as quickly as possible

Vergil patches you up and makes sure you don't try running after your boyfriend back onto the battlefield

Later when V and Dante come back, Vergil leads Dante out of the room so you and V could talk

"I'm sorry for running off again"

"Oh angel"

V pulls you into a hug, trying not to hurt your leg

"Not out of sight anymore, please"

The two of you work on it over the next few weeks leading up to your next mission together

V's gentle with you as well, softly reminding you when you need it until it becomes second nature

And if you have to get out of his sight for something, you tell him before running off. A lot of the time he follows

V also reminds you he loves you more than anything

He doesn't want you getting hurt again

He has trust in you though

While you can't help it every time, he trusts that you'll come back in one piece

His little wanderer

Nero

You weren't listening again

Your attention was somewhere else and Nero could tell

He was trying to brief you on a mission but you weren't taking in anything he was saying

"Baby, you getting any of this?"

Focusing on Nero, you stiffen and your face becomes pale

You realize you've been daydreaming the entire time and the look on Nero's face tells you everything

He's disappointed

Blotches of color return to your face as hot tears slowly roll down your cheeks

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Nero watched as you bow your head, holding your wrist out, the sight making his heart ache

He knew the orphanage people were terrible to you for being a little different than everyone else but the stance you held was so defenseless, it was like you were expecting someone to hit you

He slowly walks over, taking your hand in his

He sits down next to you on the couch, slowly putting your arm down

You look up at him, the scared confused expression stained with tears making Nero tear up himself

"I'm not upset, baby"

You begin to cry again, this time pulling Nero into a hug

He holds on to you, slowly rubbing your back and whispered soothing reassurance into your ear

"You're safe now. I won't hurt you like they did"

"I'm sorry"

Nero quietly shushes you, telling you it's ok

Once you'd calmed down and Nero checked in with you to make sure you were ok, he slowly went back over the mission

He checked in with you to make sure you understood and rewarded you with kisses when you were able to repeat back to him

If you couldn't, that was ok. Nero simply went back over whatever part he was on

He was forced to watch back then when you two were kids, getting punished for being different. Sometimes taking extra beatings for trying to save or defend you

He wasn't going to let that continue now

You may be different, but that wasn't going to stop him from loving you anyways

He reassures you and rewards you for any and everything

You may be different but that's exactly what Nero loved about you

[myristicisms]

@sleeplesswork | vergil;;

things were progressing, certainly not fast, but at a steady rate — a dripping faucet someone had forgotten to turn off, left broken. with every passing day, it was hard to determine whether he was finally getting a footing with everything or if he'd been falling for so long that the nothingness was beginning to feel like floor. . . the headache pounding behind his eyes didn't seem to dampen, but the reception the once angelo received at devil may cry was getting… friendlier. it wasn't exactly the word he'd use, but his presence no longer set off alarm bells, and vergil knew he didn't deserve any more than that. whilst he was trying to better himself — more for dante and nero's sake, and perhaps v's — his efforts were solely to be noticed and appreciated by himself and no one more. yet lady had started greeting him when she stormed into the office to bark something at dante. his brother was throwing his arm over his shoulder, and vergil was trying hard not to be repulsed by the touch ( though it often ended in a fight when his foolish twin refused to let go ). there was also nero, his son; while the boy clearly strived for them to have more of a connection, they were at a standstill, truthfully when vergil was dragged to visit the man's home, he spoke more to his human companion ( girlfriend ), than his spawn. another that came to mind was miriam, the woman who'd been most greatly affected by urizen's actions; whilst she may have despised him more than mary, they forged common ground. she'd started to offer her endless supply of home-cooked meals as-well, presenting them to vergil as if he had the right to judge whatever she created. it took an embarrassingly long time for the man to realise she'd been trying to offer him a meal.

how amusing, he shouldn't be thinking about warm meals as the blood on his hands chills, while what's left on his tongue burns so hot it's all he can focus on. the mangled caucus before him matters not; there's nothing left of it to eat that doesn't involve the stomach where he can smell the human remains. still, he stands there, staring, starving. the pain twists and curls its way through his suddenly full stomach, and yet he feels starved… when was the last time he'd eaten ? v had a couple of meals during his measly month of living, but she wasn't vergil. he couldn't die from a lack of nutrition, but he felt the pain; his hollow insides hadn't started aching until today, though.

in an almost mindless haze, he returns to the devil may cry, watching his bloodied hand push open the agency's front door as if it belonged to someone else. the feeling of being puppeteered was so familiar that it was almost comforting; once alarm bells would have gone off, now it granted a momentary respite from forcing heavy limbs to function without fail. though, in such a stupor, the devil had failed to notice a familiar shard binder within the building's walls.

Silence is tranquility, something she's come to note for many years and yet it still never leaves her feeling any easier. Miriam knows she's welcome where she's sat, the unlocked door of the building further vindicating the fact that the familiar albeit empty space of the business had been a place of conversation and solitude alike throughout the years and yet it doesn't leave her any more calm to be there without one of the residents of the place present and yet still she patiently waits. It's another night she'd intended to waste her time idly chatting with one of the brothers, perhaps preparing dinner for the residents seeing as they won't eat anything of substance if she doesn't. It's ridiculous how fulfilled she truly feels, being able to provide for someone again no matter how minor it was, Nero being out of the house had taken a lot of adjustment and even then the absence of his presence, of not having nearly as many leftovers as she now often does, it's all a reminder of just how quickly time passes and oh how she grieves the past.

Whatever the case it hardly mattered, she has other matters at the forefront of her mind, like how dusty the bar of Devil May Cry is despite having just been taken care of a few weeks ago or how much progress the elder of the twins was slowly inching towards in bettering himself. It wasn't asked of her but Miriam, for her own piece of mind, had been keeping an eye on the man, blue was a color of calmness, loyalty and leadership and while Vergil appeared to be those on the surface, he was a tornado of control and over domination when she'd first had the displeasure of truly meeting the man as Urizen. He's made great progress in bettering himself, slowly opening up to the prospect of new things and foolish a thing as it is she can't help but find some sort of softness for the otherwise prickly and cold man. Perhaps it is her own foolish desires to see the best in everyone regardless of the sins that taint their fingertips or maybe it's the fact that he was much like herself as far as circumstances go, whatever the case she couldn't bring herself to truly hate the elder of the spawn of Sparda.

Blunt nails gently dig into her thigh, a pinching reminder of what she nearly lost and yet again she falls deep into thought, memories swirling like a whirlpool of disdain and sorrow at just how terribly her time spent under Urizen's control had been; Despite being able to walk around again with hardly any issue, there still lingered the after effects of not maintaining her glyphs, her energy still sapped away and it's irksome how powerless she is as her body fully recovers many months after the fact. It's a miracle for her to be sat in the familiar building as she is just as it's a miracle for her to be able to witness a familiar figure stumble inside. She almost cracks a joke to him, the beginnings of a smile swiftly falling to concern as she stands and paces to the blood covered man. “ Vergil- ” She speaks up, voice uneasy as she holds a hand out in offering, not wishing to bother him with an unwelcome touch.

[racco]

Hello this is my first request.. I was thinking could you Worte whenever you have time a Vergil x Fem/GN reader where he shows care to reader after battle in front of Dante and Nero leaving everyone speech less?

Vergil Sparda x fem!reader PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION

Hi sorry for being gone so long! I see you asked for an after battle story but I felt like writing 2 versions! I hope u like them both

♡care after battle♡

It had been a long and grueling battle, one that left Vergil Sparda and his girlfriend, [Reader], battered and exhausted. They had fought alongside Dante and Nero (surpringly their presence not necessarily minded by vergil) taking on an army of demons that threatened to overrun the human world.

As the dust settled and the last of the demons fell, Vergil turned to [Reader], concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

[Reader] smiled weakly, still catching her breath. "I'm fine," she said, squeezing his hand.

Vergil's eyes softened, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I'm glad," he said, relief evident in his voice.

It was a small gesture, but one that didn't go unnoticed by Dante and Nero. They exchanged a look, surprised by the usually stoic Vergil's display of affection.

"Uh, what's going on here?" Dante asked, his eyebrows raised.

Vergil ignored him, instead turning to [Reader]. "Let's get you out of here," he said, taking her arm and helping her to her feet.

As they walked away, Dante and Nero looked at each other in shock. They had never seen their brother act so tenderly with anyone before.

"That was...unexpected," Nero said, breaking the silence.

Dante nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "Yeah, it was. But I guess it just goes to show that even someone like Vergil can care about someone else."

As they made their way back to their base, Vergil kept a protective arm around [Reader], keeping her close to him. It was a small gesture, but one that spoke volumes about the depth of his feelings for her.

And as they walked, Dante and Nero couldn't help but feel a newfound respect for their brother (and father lol) , who had always been so distant and reserved. Maybe, they thought, there was more to Vergil than they had previously realized.

♡bonus story♡

Vergil had always been reserved and focused on his goals, but there was one person who had managed to break through his tough exterior: his girlfriend, [Name]. They had been together for several months now, ( which is hard to get to as is) Vergil found himself more and more in love with her every day.

One day, as they were walking through the streets of Red Grave City, Vergil and [Name] ran into Dante and Nero. Dante greeted them with a grin, but Nero looked a little uncomfortable - he still wasn't entirely sure what to make of Vergil.

As they chatted, Vergil noticed that Dante and Nero kept glancing over at him and [Name]. He could tell that they were curious about their relationship, and a part of him felt a little self-conscious.

But as they continued to talk, Vergil's love for [Name] began to overcome his reservations. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.

At first, [Name] looked surprised, but then a smile spread across her face. She leaned in and rested her head on Vergil's shoulder, and Vergil felt a warm sense of contentment spread through him.

Dante and Nero both looked a little taken aback by the display of affection. Dante raised an eyebrow, but then he grinned and clapped Vergil on the back. "Well, well, well," he said. "Looks like little bro's all grown up." (Vergil is the older twin lmao)

Nero looked a little uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. Vergil could tell that he was still getting used to the idea of his father being back in his life - let alone having a girlfriend.

But Vergil didn't care. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly happy, surrounded by the people he cared about. And as he looked down at [Name], he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, no matter what challenges they might face in the future.

As they continued to walk through the city, Vergil kept holding [Name]'s hand, and she leaned into him with a sense of contentment. Dante and Nero continued to chat with them, but there was a new sense of respect in their eyes, as if they had a newfound appreciation for the love that Vergil had found.

In the end, it was [Name] who broke the silence, squeezing Vergil's hand and looking up at him with a smile. "I love you," she said softly.

Vergil felt a warmth spread through him, and he leaned down to kiss her gently. He knew that there were still battles to fight and enemies to face, but with [Name] by his side, he felt like he could take on anything.

[icycoldninja]

Hello! Can you do a dmc boys + V with a rich S/o? Perhaps the boys didn’t know that their s/o was rich when they first started dating but as time went on and the relationship becomes serious the s/o starts to spoil their boyfriends with all kinds of stuff related to the things they like because after the stuff they went through they definitely deserve it.

Aww yes, here you go and enjoy!

Sparda boys + V x Rich!Reader headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-He was completely oblivious to your wealth (as you did a great job of hiding it) and didn't really give it much thought until one day, when his power went out.

-He groaned, suddenly remembering he had no money to pay the bills, but then, astoundingly, the lights flickered back on.

-Was it a miracle? No, even better, it was you. You had paid his bills and gotten him out of debt with Lady--how?! Then you revealed you were rich, and Dante's mind was blown.

-Even after this stunning revalation, Dante still didn't care. He was very thankful for all your help, but he honestly had no sentiments towards being rich. He still treated you the same.

-The only thing he'll ask you for is for you to buy him some pizza, maybe once every week or so. He's not greedy.

-If you decide to shower him with presents anyway, he'll gladly accept and immediately find a way to make it up to you, be it taking you somewhere nice or...something else. No do not read into that

■ Vergil ■

-Vergil never noticed, and never cared. He is far too MOTIVATED to trifle with mundane things such as wealth.

-But then you presented him with a rare copy of a book that was worth hundreds of dollars, and he had to question, how did you obtain the funds for such a thing?

-Thus, you revealed you were absolutely loaded with cash, and Vergil was, understably shocked.

-After thanking you, he went right back to not caring about wealth because now he has this interesting book to read.

-Still, he appreciates it when you gift him little gifts, regardless of what they may be. You could give him a pebble you found on the side of the road, and he'd still treasure it forever.

-To reward you for your generosity, Vergil will do his best to take good care of you, physically and otherwise.

□ Nero □

-Nero didn't think much of it either, cause he's not shallow, but one day, Nico's van broke down in the middle of the road and was assaulted by demons who ripped up the exterior. Repairs were going to be extremely expensive, but then you stepped in and promised to take care of it all.

-Nero had to wonder, where'd you get the funds for that? You sheepishly revealed your wealth and he just shrugged.

-After thanking you and all that, things proceeded as usual, with you and Nero splitting the bills for everything as you always do.

-Nero never asks for anything, regardless of how expensive it is, but you don't care. You shower him with gifts, love and affection because this sweet boy deserves it.

-You two end up leaving little treats 'n things for each other at a designated "drop off" spot somewhere in your house.

-Your gifts always seem to be well thought out and expertly made, proving that you don't just buy meaningless trinkets to appease him, you get him things that truly have value.

● V ●

-V noticed you always seemed to be impeccably dressed, but didn't dwell on the subject since it wasn't all that important. His current objective was to get to know you further.

-Then, as things progressed between you, he found himself constantly receiving little presents on his doorstep, usually wrapped in shimmering velvet bows. There was no name tag and no writing on it, so he had no idea who was doing this or why.

-One day, Griffon caught you placing a little gift box and, Griffon being Griffon, decided to rat you out.

-V then approached you the next day and expressed his appreciation, which led to a massive confession on both your parts. You explained you just wanted to give him the luxury he deserves, and he was very touched, but insisted you didn't need to do that.

-But of course, you don't listen, and continued to spoil him however possible, even if you have to break in at 3:00 A.M. and leave it on his kitchen table.

-Eventually you had him move in with you, where you can treat him like the lovely princess he is.

[fairyniceyeah]

⌛🐣Day 20: "I can handle it."

Scrape/Panic-Attack/Neglected

@juneofdoom

Day 19: "This can't be happening."

Summary: It’s October 2020 and Mingi is not doing well.

CW: hospital

Whumpee: Mingi

Caretaker: Yunho  

They were having a good time. A really, really good time. It had been so long since it had just been them, just Yunho and Mingi.

It might have been pre-debut if Mingi thought about it. Even as they were starting to establish themselves in the industry slowly, though very much slowed down by the global pandemic, all ATEEZ members were living out of each other's pockets. Even with having his own room to himself, Mingi did not really have the chance much to spend time one on one with his best friend.

But now? 

Hongjoong and Seonghwa were out for dinner, as the two oldest always did at least once a month to “escape the children” as they called it. Yeosang and Wooyoung went to visit TXT’s dorm to spend time with their friends. Jongho had invited San along to go out with his parents. 

So yeah, Mingi and Yunho had the dorm to themselves, piles of food on the TV table in front of them and watching an episode of one of the animes they had discovered during being locked up at home. 

By all means, Mingi was supposed to be happy.

Yet, there was a tight knot in his chest, leaving him feeling off and slightly breathless. He wasn’t sure if Yunho had noticed. While his best friend could be very observant he also managed to totally lose himself in TV shows if given the opportunity. 

MIngi squirmed, adjusting the blanket over his legs again. It felt weird. Too light but too suffocating at the same time. 

It was scary, a bit.

He just didn't feel good and Mingi couldn't put a finger on why he was so … off.

All he knew was that he didn't like how he was feeling at all. Was the breathlessness getting worse?

Something definitely was wrong. Wrong with him. Why was he so antsy, so worried? Nothing was wrong. Mingi was actually having the perfect ending to a nice day. So was Yunho.

Yunho deserved to relax.

Yeah, he couldn’t let Yunho know how he was feeling. 

What if…?

What if Yunho hated him?

Here they were, just the two of them, and Mingi wasn’t feeling safe? But instead scared?

Was he scared of Yunho? 

Not really.

Scared that Yunho would hate him if he realized that MIngi wasn’t feeling safe with him?

Totally.

What if Yunho hated him even outside of that?

MIngi tried to tell himself that Yunho did not hate him. Of course he didn’t. Yunho was his best friend. Had been for years. Yunho had run to a different school to eat lunch with Mingi every day for years. Yunho who knew all of Mingi’s secrets and had let Mingi in on his own. But what if Yunho didn’t actually trust him?

“I, uh, I …”, Mingi stuttered out before he could stop himself. He threw the blanket off of himself and stood.

“Are you okay?”, Yunho asked, his attention snapping up to him. He looked worried.

Surely that was just a trick? A lie?

It probably was.

Maybe Yunho’s worry when Mingi had fallen earlier during their last practice for The Black Cat Nero - which was going to be soon filmed as a Halloween special - had also been a lie.

Was Mingi even good enough to be in an idol group?

It was like a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over his head. Where had that thought come from? Suddenly everything hit him at once.

The fear.

The trouble breathing.

The overwhelming feeling of doom.

Was he shaking? 

He flinched as a hand touched his shoulder. Yunho was kneeling in front of him suddenly. When had Mingi fallen to the ground? 

“...gi-yah? Mingi-yah?” Yunho’s voice seemed so far away. “Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

Mingi nodded frantically. 

He wasn’t okay. 

But Yunho had been having such a nice day. Mingi couldn’t be the reason that day turned sour.

“I’m okay. I can handle it”, he whispered. 

“Mingi? Handle what? What is going on?”, Yunho asked, sounding so worried. “Talk to me.”

Mingi shook his head and clutched at his chest. It hurt. He was so scared. He didn’t think he had ever been so scared in his life.

But he didn’t want to be a burden.

His thoughts were flying apart. 

He couldn’t remember much except for the fear and the crying. He thought that Hongjoong-hyung was there but that couldn’t be, could it? Wasn’t he with Seonghwa?

MIngi blinked open his eyes and found himself in a dark room. There were some beeping sounds and some lights. He couldn’t place it. Where was he?

Another wave of fear crashed over him but before it could get worse, a tired voice asked: “Mingi-yah? You awake?”

“Yeah”, Mingi rasped out, his voice barely there. He cleared his throat and repeated: “Yeah.”

A light-switch was turned and Mingi recognized where he was. Well, not really but he immediately knew he was in a hospital room. He didn’t quite remember how he had come to be there.

“Yunho?”, he asked quietly and lifted his eyes to look at his best friend, who was slumped in a chair next to the bed, holding Mingi’s hand and looked very, very tired. “What happened?”

“You don’t remember, princess?”, his best friend asked worriedly. Yunho really looked like shit up close. Pale, frazzled and half-asleep.

Mingi shook his head. “I only remember … I was scared? Why was I scared? Did something happen?”

“I was hoping you could tell me”, Yunho said and stood up. For a second Mingi feared he would leave but then he sat down on the bed beside Mingi. “We were watching TV when you … I had to call an ambulance because you didn’t breathe right, were hyperventilating, and then passed out. Don’t do that to me again. I don’t think I ever want to tell Hongjoong-hyung a member is in hospital again, he was so scared. I was so scared.”

“I … oh.” That was all Mingi managed to say. His memory was kinda hazy. “Did the doctors say why I … well?”

Yunho ran his hand through his hair, as he always did when nervous.

Was something seriously wrong with Mingi? Something Yunho didn’t want to tell him?

“They said you had a panic attack”, Yunho finally said.

“A … what?”

“A panic attack. Anxiety attack. Whatever you want to call it. It’s basically a short amount of time where your mind experiences insane levels of fear and the body goes into overdrive, making you have physical reactions to the fear”, Yunho explained, kind of like reading out of a medical book. Maybe he was. Yunho was known for looking up everything he didn’t know. Especially if it concerned Mingi.

“But … what was I so scared of?” Mingi chewed on his lower lip. He really didn’t know. Why had he been so afraid? He’d just been with Yunho. 

Shit. Yunho. Why was he here? Didn’t he hate Mingi now, knowing that his presence wasn’t enough to keep Mingi from panicking?

“Yunho? Do you … do you hate me now?” The questions burst out of him before Yunho even had the chance to answer his previous one. The dancer seemed so startled that he nearly fell off the bed.

“Me? Hate you? Why would you think that, baby?”, Yunho asked, his eyes wide and frightened, “Did I do something to make you think that? I’m sorry. I promise, I was so worried about you. So worried.”

Oh. Yunho was worried. He didn’t hate Mingi. At least he said so. It was enough for Mingi now, to believe him. Yunho wouldn’t ever lie to him.

“Mingi? Why would you think I’d hate you? You’re my best friend”, Yunho repeated quietly, after Mingi started to fiddle with his blanket instead of answering him.

“I had a panic attack”, Mingi started, then faltered.

“Yeah”, Yunho agreed, “what does that have to do with anything?”

“I had a panic attack while I was with you. I was just with you, my best friend. Why would I have a panic attack when I was just hanging out with my best friend? There was nothing that triggered it. We were having fun. Do you really not hate me? I don’t hate you, I promise”, Mingi choked out.

Yunho immediately shook his head: “Of course I know you don’t hate me, Mingi. I don’t think you are even capable of hating anybody. Don’t go thinking that. Really, I was so worried for you. I love you. So do the others. So does Atiny. Having a panic attack doesn’t have to be triggered by anything, you know. It can just happen.”

There was silence for a while as Mingi tried to process all the events. Finally it was Yunho who spoke up again. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Huh?”

“You said you felt scared. You couldn’t breathe. Why did you say you could handle it?”, Yunho asked. He seemed to be trying very hard to keep the hurt out of his voice.

Oh no. Mingi hadn’t wanted to hurt him.

“I … I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t enjoying our time together. Lately everything has been so stressful. I’ve been on edge so much, we all have. With the pandemic but in general … everything had felt so awful. We were having a nice evening. Just us. I didn’t want to worry you. I wanted you to enjoy it. I really thought I could handle it”, he whispered.

“You don’t have to handle it though. We’re all here for you, we want to help. I am your best friend, Mingi. Don’t close yourself off.” Yunho sounded really scared again. Mingi couldn’t fault him; he’d feel the same way if the roles were reversed. “I want to help if it happens again. Do you trust me?”

Mingi nodded. Yeah, he trusted Yunho more than anybody. Yunho would never do anything to hurt MIngi and he always wanted the best for him. He was kind of ashamed he had doubted that.

Then Yunho’s words struck him.

“Oh”, Mingi said quietly. “Is it going to happen again?”

“I hope not. But I don’t know.” There definitely was helplessness in the older’s voice.

With a sigh, Mingi leaned forward to let himself fall into Yunho’s warm embrace. They both needed that hug.

He was safe.

Yunho loved him.

He was okay.

He would be okay as long as he had his members.

Mingi just hoped he’d never have to experience anything so terrifying ever again.

Day 21: "Let's play a game"

Masterlist link: Fairy's Full Masterlist Fairy's June of Doom 2024

Notes: We obviously know it’s not the last of it… sorry…

[moodyseal]

i hear you are 🤡clowning🤡 over Commodus coming to his senses so I have slid into your inbox to 🤡clown🤡 with you about it

What 🤡clown🤡 thoughts have you been harboring about this👀

for science.

🤡<-me and you

SOMEONE WILLING TO CLOWN WITH ME A BIT okay uhm. I was mostly having thoughts about the reasons for his behaviour, actually, and in the end I came to the conclusion that he's not entirely unredeemable, or at least he wasn't up until the fight at the Waystation in TDP, where he became a serious threat to the lives of the people who lived there (and actually got Heloise killed)

Like, if you ignore for a moment his past deeds and historical background (because if we accepted the atrocities as quirky parts of Apollo's personality we can do the same for him /j) and look at what he actually did for the first two thirds of the book, you'll notice that he wasn't as cruel as, say, Caligula or Nero. For example, he didn't kill all the prisoners he was holding captive, like Caligula would've done, even if Georgina (and maybe Hunter, since she's one of Artemis' hunters) was the only one that was actually useful in luring Apollo in, and at the end of the book he was still agreeing to let everyone go as long as Apollo and Meg went with him.

This shows that he is capable of some kind of restraint and not totally incapable to be reasoned with, which makes for some solid villain redemption arc material; the only problems, other than his small bloodlust problem that, again, we'll skip over for now and deal with some other day, are

a) the behavioural issues his relationship with his father led to (that could've been actually dealt with if only someone told him that therapists are an option today),

b) his ugly, horrid desire of revenge against Apollo,

and c) his narcissistic tendencies, which resulted in him not acknowledging the whole concept of. You know. Other people's feelings and how his actions might affect them.

They're all intrinsically tied together, and as a whole they're the main reason why, in the past as well as after his death and deification, Commodus was unwilling to accept any sort of help or suggestion coming from the people around him, and Apollo specifically. Before his death, he didn't acknowledge that there was a problem with his behaviour at all; to him, his actions were always right, and the people around him were vilifying him when he didn't deserve it, all while trying to suffocate his desires and needs. The lack of his father's support throughout his adolescence only intensified those feelings, and at the same time rendered him all the more vulnerable, making him latch strongly onto anyone he felt like would always support him—Apollo, in this case. Inevitably, the betrayal of the only person he trusted unconditionally (which was done for Rome and its citizens' own good, but was still a betrayal) had an explosive result, leading to Commodus' attitude worsening, him becoming effectively deaf to the guidance of anyone who didn't agree with him (when in the past there was a chance that maybe he would have listened to Apollo, at least, had he intervened sooner) and, finally, him making his life's goal destroying Apollo's life.

Despite the fact that any last bit of love Commodus had for him turned into blinding hatred, though, there were still some feelings in his heart that weren't rage. He didn't show them; on the contrary, he tried to hide them, and that's because they were a sign that there was still some vulnerability left in him—that he cared, to a degree. Had Commodus' revenge been the two dimensional kind, where he didn't give any sign of care about what happened two thousand years before and operated solely on the train of thought of "kill, maim, destroy" even when he barely thought about Apollo being the reason he died, I wouldn't have thought of there being a chance of him coming to his senses. But instead, with these feelings, Commodus demonstrated that he didn't forget, and that as much as he hid himself behind his glitter and his spectacles and his luxurious palaces, what Apollo did ultimately affected him. He still cared about what Apollo did in the past, and about what he was doing in the present too. In a way (and this is purely my personal perception, as everything I've written above is) it seemed that, consciously or subconsciously, he was even waiting for some sort of feedback, for a response that Apollo didn't give.

Why else would he insist so much? For what other purpose would he throw back his death in Apollo's face again and again, if not to get a reaction out of him?

I don't actually know how, exactly, it would be possible to fix all these issues, as well as their relationship. I have thought a lot about a scenario where Commodus realizes he's in the wrong, where Apollo manages to bring him to the good side just like he did with Lityerses, and this behaviour of his is exactly the reason why I never figured out how it would happen. How do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped? Apollo tried and failed, didn't he?

Maybe not enough.

It's true that Commodus was a selfish, arrogant man, as it is true that Apollo tried to help him, only giving up on his insistence when the man he loved went down a path of no return. It's also true that he didn't reprimand him for what he did once, trying to get to him through good humour and support, being too permissive when Commodus didn't need permissiveness, but some strength of character from someone he trusted. It's also true that Apollo never apologized.

I don't remember much about TDP and TTT, but didn't Apollo never mention once to Commodus the reasons for what he did? He cried about that day on his own, never with him, never showing Commodus that he has suffered for that murder just as much as he did.

Maybe the apology wouldn't have changed anything, maybe Commodus would've stayed the same ruthless man he's been for the whole series. But I like to think that it could've potentially stirred something inside him anyway.

[tgrailwar-zero]

... leaving aside the fact that some Servants have categorically, measurably better luck than others... do we even have enough cash to blow on gambling?

... is there a signup fee for the Flaming Bout or can we just put out hat in the ring?

.... Caster, Caster, dear beloved empress, why did you make me think about gambling- now I wanna test my luck... the slot machines are calling to me... the poker tables are calling to me... the roulette wheels- well maybe not the roulette wheels, but...

Rider, please be a voice of reason on this...

NERO: "I cannot relate to those urges that you and Saber seem to have. I only like games of chance if I win. Who wishes to lose money? Money is to be spent, not wasted."

CONSTANTINE: "I get the feeling there's no stopping you all. I'll watch the little one and wait in the lobby, maybe ask around. Don't spend too much in one place, like you said we don't know if there's an entrance fee yet. Just… be careful."

CONSTANTINE: "Not a bad idea. I'll see what I can find related to our Pharaoh, and keep the little one with me. I'd rather the child not get caught up in the gambling."

MUSASHI: "I'll keep them safe, okay?"

CONSTANTINE: "Oh, like it's just them I'm worried about? You stay out of trouble too, Saber."

With that, he stepped off on his own, taking the little guy by the hands.

(CONSTANTINE has temporarily left the party!)

She feigned a deep gasp, as if gravely offended.

MUSASHI: "I don't cheat, I strategize. And I'm better at swordfighting. Playing cards would be fun, but I probably couldn't pull a ton off without a plan first. Or... what's it they say in modern movies? 'Casing the joint'?"

That was about right. The voice matched up.

Your Assassin, OKADA IZOU...

ASSASSIN... he was surly, loyal to a fault, and had horrible gambling luck. Far from the most heroic of individuals, but he wasn't an unpleasant person to be around-- when he was in a good mood at least.

He was also notoriously bad at gambling, and yet notoriously obsessed with it, if your memory served you right.

Outside of the 'black box' prison, he had also died at the hands of KARNA after killing ASCLEPIUS, but considering those memories were much less clear, it was best to remember the good times like 'Grail Force'.

IZOU was a blade, coated with blood and grime, but as effective as even the most luxurious of swords.

Approaching the table, you could see that he wasn't in the best of moods or situations.

IZOU: "Hey… mind loaning me a few bucks? Not a lot, just enough so I can afford this blind..."

GAUDY MAN: "Wahahaha! Why? What's the fun in winning my own cash back?"

GAUDY MAN: "However, if you really think you can pay me back… I'll loan it, with interest."

IZOU: "You're downright criminal, you know that?"

GAUDY MAN: "Come on, what if you win this time? And win big too, so that you actually turn a profit."

IZOU: "Bastard…"

Despite his cursing, you could already see him rummaging around in his wallet.

GAUDY MAN: "Attaboy. You need to spend money to make money, my friend. And see? Your goodwill has been rewarded by a couple of beautiful women and their pet ominous shadow gracing our presence."

They seemed to have noticed your arrival, looking up from the table as you, NERO, and MUSASHI approached.

OKADA IZOU, abruptly stood up, pointing in your direction. Or, more specifically, in MUSASHI's direction.

IZOU: "Saber? Saber, if that ain't you! Long time no see! I could never forget a pretty face like yours!"

It seems like he didn't pay much attention to you at the moment. You weren't exactly sure what you looked like previously, so there was a solid chance he just didn't recognize you.

MUSASHI: "I didn't think you'd be here, Assassin. How are things?"

IZOU: "Ah, the summonin' is a new deal. But... Say, do you and your rich-looking friend have some PPT you can loan an old pal? I swear I'm good for it."

MUSASHI: "Straight to asking for money? Assassin… take the war out of the picture and you're just sort of a slimeball, huh?"

IZOU: "C'mon, you're breakin' my heart here."

NERO: "As far as men go, I'd opt to call them both unsavory in very different ways."

GAUDY MAN: "Well, 'Assassin', don't just start up a conversation without introducing me. Especially in the company of such lovely ladies and their... well, dark and looming bodyguard, I presume?"

The man by IZOU spoke up, lightly clapping the Assassin on the back. He had a roguishly charismatic air about him, and seemed as slick as he was strong. He had the eyes of a schemer, similarly to CASTER.

DURYODHANA: "My name is Duryodhana, a pleasure. Though, when I grace the battlefield, the crowds have taken to calling me 'Jishnu'. It means 'Triumphant', where I hail from. I know, I know, it's a lot, but what can I say? The people call it as they see it."

MUSASHI: "Nice to meet you. You can just call me 'Saber', for now."

NERO: "I am Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Though Emperor Nero will suffice."

DURYODHANA: "An Emperor? Well, how about that? I'm royalty myself! How about some drinks for our new friends? I've come into quite a windfall recently thanks to my swordsman friend here, you see. Hahahahaha!"

DURYODHANA flagged down some of the waitstaff as he cackled heartily, as IZOU placed a hand on his blade, smiling wickedly.

IZOU: "Oh, fuck off… I'll kill you, you know? Stab you right through that exposed gut."

DURYODHANA: "I'd love to see you try."

The two men, the former with the eyes of a killer and the latter with the glare of a demon, stared at one another.

There was a moment of tension where you really thought they actually would slaughter each other in the middle of this casino, before they both laughed and clinked their drinks together.

[yanderelovlies]

𝓤𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝔀𝓮 𝓶𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓪𝓰𝓪𝓲𝓷

You knew it was a bad idea to get attached to V. It was clear he was only around for the mission, and once it was done, he was. You couldn't keep away, though. The way he always seemed so calm and collected. Flawlessly beautiful even as demon blood splattered around him. His elegance even extended to the way he talked and taunted. It was hard to find a flaw in V, making it harder to stay away.

Somethings don't go as they should, unfortunately, and that's how you ended up cuddled up with on the couch talking about your dreams and the future.

"Oh! After this whole thing is done, I have to show you this little jazz club I'm town! I think you would really like it."

V chuckled as he as he ran his fingers through your hair. "That sounds like a nice change of pace to Dante and Nero's... music."

You smiled up at him. "So then it's a date!'

V stared at you for a moment. He knew he couldn't promise that to you, but despite that, he still smiles at you so lovingly. "Of course, little wander...I wouldn't miss it for the world." He kissed your forehead before pulling close, trying not to think of consequences he brought for himself, promising that.

.

Not long after that, he disappeared. He left the next morning without a word. Nico assured that it he went with Dante and Nero to finish this Qliphoth problem, but it didn't put you at ease. Why didn't he tell you? Or wake you? You were part of this mission, too!

It took you a while to catch up to the three of them at the bottom. Right when you walked into what seemed to be outside, the first thing you noticed was V weakly raising his cane to strike at the Demon bellow him.

"V!"

When his cane made contact, your vision was obstructed by a powerful light, making you cover your eyes. When you finally were able to open, then a single man stood with his back turn.

"Vergil," Dante growled, readjusting his sword.

The man turned to the crowd, his eyes scanning over Dante and Nero till they landed on you. His eyes softened. "Litte wander."

You took a step towards him before Dante stepped in front of you. Vergil's glare hardened at the sight of his brother. You didn't bother listening what they were saying. All you could focus on was the fact the man in front of you was V or at least a part of him is.

You snapped out of it what Vergil used the Yamato to open a portal telling Dante to meet him at the top.

This time, you ran towards him, pushing Dante aside. "Wait!"

Vergil stopped but didn't turn to you. You stopped not too far from him, hoping he would say something to you.

"Meet me at the top little wander...be careful." He walked into the portal, and it immediately closed after him. Well, now you had no choice but to see this through.

.

Once again, you were the last to arrive. Both vergil and Dante were making their way to the edge as you felt the platform below you began to sway. Dante and Nero were yelling at each other while Vergil stayed silent.

"Vergil!" Now, all eyes were on you.

Dante let out a sigh as he wagged his finger at you "No not you too."

Vergil and you kept eye contact as he walked closer to you. He held out the book V always held, "Keep this till our...jazz club date." You took the book looking down at it before looking back at him. "Until we meet again, my little wander."

He said nothing else before turning to his Sin form and flying off the edge to the underworld. Nero had to drag you away from there and to the van as you quickly left before the qliphoth collapsed. While everyone cheered and sighed, you kept looking at the book in your hand.

Was this his way of keeping a promise? Would he be back? Does he have V's memories? Who was he?

There are so many unanswered questions that you were ever sure you would have awnseres to. Yet you still held out hope that he would be back to keep his promise. He was still your V, after all.