#dante definitely made his bright fucking blue

[t4tdanvis]

forget any other oc/blorbo questions. what would your blorbo's childhood self-insert warriors oc be. this tells you a lot about who they are as a person

[starvine]

first date headcanons

attack on titan (modern au)

summary: some first date headcanons with some of the attack on titan characters. 

warnings: none, just fluff :)

eren jaeger: movie 

a little basic but it’s all eren could come up with

besides, it was between a movie and dinner and dinner felt too formal so y’all decided on a movie

he’d let you pick the movie tho

he might argue with you if it’s something stupid and claim that it’s horribly written (as if he knows a thing) but that’s it

eren would make sure to get the BEST snacks. spicy food? check. candy? check. popcorn? check. fruits? check.

he just wants to impress you (even if he did have to confide in his friends for some advice)

he just really likes you

during the movie, you guys would start shifting closer to each other, both a little too timid to move all the way all at once

but you guys would make commentary throughout the movie, laughing when things seem too cliché or when a character says something funny

half way throughout the movie, you guys aren’t even really paying attention it it

you’re too busy throwing popcorn at each other and trying to catch it in your mouths, feeding each other candy, and giggling at each other

it’s intimate in its own relaxed way, which makes eren realize how perfect you are

you both could make the most out of a pretty average first date situation and make it into a beyond amazing first date

and that was all he needed to ask you on a second date before he dropped you off at your car, walking with you to make sure you got there safely

and ngl you’d be a bit of a fool to say no to eren

armin arlert: aquarium 

sweetheart is so nervous 

before he came to your apartment to pick you up for your date, he was a little nervous wreck 

he was fidgeting with his fingers, playing with the buttons on his shirt--he probably accidentally opened one by accident 

but once he saw you, he felt fine 

it was as if he physically melted, you just make everything okay 

once you guys got to the aquarium, he would NOT shut up

he was probably pointing things out, telling you fun facts, asking you what is your favorite marine life 

“oh, you like pufferfish? that’s cool! i like them too. they’re very... puffy.” 

he’s like a child in a candy store 

but while he’s rambling about how the digestive system of a sea cucumber basically cleans the ocean, he’s wondering how he should make a move 

he doesn’t want to scare you off or anything, but he doesn’t want you to be disappointed 

but while you guys are looking at one of those large fish tanks, the ones where you walk through a tunnel, you guys just sort of stand there and watch in awe

or rather armin watches in awe while you look at him, a soft smile gracing his pink lips as his eyes dart across the illustriously blue colored glass

and when he feels your pinky latch onto his, he’s a little shocked that you had made the first move

he didn’t not expect it per say, he just thought that he would be the one to make the first move 

but his overthinking got in the way

and when he turns to look down at your intertwined pinkies, he caught you sending him a delicate smile that made his heart squeeze until he felt as if every part of him was on fire

but it was him who finally held your hand fully 

he just needed you to give him the extra push

mikasa ackerman: book store 

it’s a very calming atmosphere, which is something you’d both need for this first date

mikasa is probably pretty anxious for the first date, and wants to make sure you’re okay and enjoying yourself while also making sure she’s okay and enjoying herself

so the calming scent of the book store and the quietness is perfect for her to multitask between mediating the two

you’d both be tasked with picking each other books and then buying them for each other

so initially mikasa was nervous because she wasn’t sure what to get you but then you asked what she liked to read and so that allowed her to ask the same, making the situation less stressful

and all while you two are walking from isle to isle, eyes scanning the various book titles and covers, she sneaks glances at you and how pretty you look

and the fact that you seem very deep in thought, heavily concentrated on getting her the right book, makes her feel less concerned on whether or not you’d rather be with her or not

the answer is obviously a yes but mikasa has a hard time understanding that sometimes

so when you give her the book you bought for her, making sure to lightly touch her fingers while you hand it to her, she already knows that another date is what she wants you both to have or else she’ll probably explode

and based off of how flushed she looks, the possibility of her exploding is not highly unlikely

you guys will sit at this little table in the corner of the store, reading your books

i can picture mikasa annotating certain lines that remind her of you, making mental notes to show you later

overall, the date is pretty lowkey and very sweet

connie springer: dave + busters/bowling

ok there’s not much of an explanation for this one besides the point that if feels right

like connie is pretty energetic and i feel like you can learn a lot about a person based off of the games they’re drawn to 

hence the arcade

i think connie really likes those racing games or the zombie shooting games

he also claims he’s really good at ski ball (he’s not, he’s trash)

so a good portion of the date consists of you just laughing at him the whole time cuz in all honestly he’s not the best at games but he enjoys them for the fun of them

he’d definitely cheer you on when you were playing or try to mess you up if it was you two against each other

but either way he’d give you a hug or a pat on the head after every game

even if u beat him

he’d probably try to sneak a kiss when you guys were in one of those shooting games that requires a booth and the curtains drawn (does that make sense?)

it’s not really romantic like at all, especially since it smells like a million different people in there, but it’s very low stress so in all honesty that’s what makes the kiss nice

and after you guys had used up all your tokens, you’d combine your tickets and pick something together

your prizes would mostly consist of candy and him insisting he get you a plastic gem ring so you can always remember your first date together

it was also his little, strange way of asking you for a second date

levi ackerman: art museum 

unlike connie, he’s not super energetic

so a museum is right up his alley

levi’s a bit awkward, he doesn’t really know how to talk to you

and especially since you’re lovely, his words jumble together and he gets all flustered

so a nice, quiet museum exhibit is perfect for him

it’s a nice balance between casual and formal, so you both dress nice but aren’t restricted by the need to be super polite and stuff

he’d probably like it when you try to imitate the poses that are shown in the paintings or sculptures

just imagine the soft chuckle he’d be unable to prevent from escaping his lips which then melts into a soft smirk

beautiful, beautiful lad

he probably wouldn’t join you though, he doesn’t want to embarrass himself

he just smiles at you and stares at the art, reading the background info they give on those little plates near them

but he would notice when you stare at him

he could be looking at some art made during the dutch golden age, but as soon as your head slightly tilted in his direction, his cheeks would HEAT up

you almost asked him if he was feeling alright he was so red

but as the date went on, levi really just thought about how much he enjoyed your presence

and he’s not a wicked talkative guy so being able to feel comfortable with someone even if you aren’t talking or doing much is pretty important to him

as the date concludes, levi finally works up the courage to place his hand on your shoulder, asking if there was anything else you wanted to see before the museum closes for the day

his face might be bright red, but the smile you give him makes him feel a little less embarrassed

what can you say, you’ve got charm 💅

hange: the fucking zoo

ok i won’t lie when i got the idea of hange taking you to the zoo for your first date i thought it was so funny and idk why

like they’d be so excited that they’d nearly forget that they’re on a date with you

they’d drag you around from exhibit to exhibit, pointing out the exact breed of tortoise or some really strange fact about the zebras without looking at the little description panel in front of the exhibit

it’s pretty comical

but then randomly, when you guys are sitting down and eating some fries from one of the concession stands, they start going on a rant about animal cruelty and how a lot of zoos don’t treat the animals properly

and you’re just sitting there like “what 🧍‍♀️” cuz they’re mood changed so quickly LMAO

and as soon as their rant started, it finishes and they’re rushing you to the reptile exhibit

they’d probably try to figure out if they could hold one of the snakes

you’d have to drag them out of there before they start harassing one of the workers into letting them hold a snake

they’d also give all of the animals names only to forget them in 2 seconds

“hey, robert, it’s good to see you again!” “hange, i thought you named them dante?” “oh... did i? 😁”

however there’s probably like one animal they absolutely despise and idk why but i feel like it’s parrots

y’all would be walking through this rainforest exhibit, birds flying from tree to tree and the whole time they’re cursing the birds under their breath for no reason at all

just an angry person walking through a rainforest exhibit, cursing out birds

pretty normal if you ask me

however, the date itself is pretty casual and almost feels like you guys are just hanging out

or it would if they didn’t ask you out on another date before dropping you off at home, kissing your cheek as their farewell

pieck finger: café

very simple and quaint

i feel like pieck has a coffee addiction and always puts her in a better mood

so what better place to go on a date then a café?

she’s definitely an iced coffee drinker, and will occasionally go for a hot drink but usually iced coffee is her go-to

and if you get a coffee or tea that she also happens to like, you’re already practically golden in her eyes

since pieck has a very soothing and lowkey nature, i can see the date being much more just like a conversation with someone you’ve known for forever instead of interview-y which is something i’ve found coffee/lunch/dinner dates to be a bit like

but pieck knows how to keep things interesting and she’s a pretty calming person to be around so all is well

i also can’t see her getting super nervous before the date

she seems pretty calm unless in high-stress situations, but even then, she’s pretty level-headed

but since she’s so calm, it makes you wonder if she really cares for the date

and of COURSE she does, she’s so excited about it

it’s just the way pieck is

but as the date continues, she’d probably start to tease you by playing footsies under the table

you gotta keep the date interesting, you know?

you guys would talk about your interests, family, friends, shows you’re watching

literally just anything and everything that’ll allow you guys to get a feel for each other

and if all goes well she’ll definitely suggest another date ;)

also don’t expect to leave without her either writing something cute on your cup, pressing a lip-stick stained kiss to your cheek that matches the one surrounding the rim of her cup, or a promise that your game of footsies will continue next time you see each other

[bunny-wk-fanfic]

Hey I am glad you are doing okay, I was worried for you. I would like to request a Kagome and Dante (Devil May Cry). Maybe Dante thinks he needs to save Kagome from some demons, but Kagome got it covered with her abilities? I love when Kagome kicks ass. Stay safe.

Been a long time since I’ve done anything DMC wise, hope this still entertains you.

Leaning against the tree, he could honestly say he was enjoying the show. How could he not? It appealed to every part of him.

The job he had taken had been slightly restricting in that it brought him to Tokyo, a sudden increase in missing young women and high school girls had become a cause for concern. Especially since there were no ‘normal’ explanations behind the disappearances. So when he had been asked, he took the job.

Arms crossing over his chest, he smirked when the petite figure easily took down a brute at least three times her size, wincing in male sympathy when she brought her knee up sharply between his legs only to give him a quick kick in the head. He bet those heels gave an extra sting to the sudden blow.

If he didn’t know half the women in his life, he would question how this woman was able to do half the stunts she was pulling off in those heels. But damn, if they and her pants didn’t make her legs seem endless, the pants being skin tight also didn’t leave much to the imagination. Though he did wonder how her breezy little top didn’t shift or reveal anything so far.

He tensed when the ugliest of the bunch launched itself at the woman, it’s intent to outright kill rather than kidnap as had been obvious in the beginning. Hands reaching for his guns, he barely drew them when the woman spun, arms out and a quick burst of bright light filled the area. The creature’s screech quickly ended to echo eerily in the air as a pile of ash landed at the woman’s feet.

“What the fuck are you?” the ‘brains’ of the group cried out, quick to scramble away from the woman when she turned back to face them.

Face set in an upset scowl, the woman scoffed. “If you have to ask that, then you’re about a 100 years too young to think you can take me on.” her stance shifted ever so subtly, a stance he was familiar with, it spoke of experience in fighting. Not that he doubted she couldn’t, if what with the past 15 minutes were anything to go by.

Shivering, he felt the lingering traces of that ‘light’ it was the oddest sensation he had ever felt from a human, and he was sure she was completely human as he sensed nothing demonic from her.

“So, I’m giving you this chance and this chance only.” fingers flexed  at her sides, gaze locked on the leader of the group.

“Oh yeah? To what?” said leader scoffed, wiping a small trail of blood from his chin.

“To release the women you’ve already stolen, if they’re still in your possession, and you’ll have the ability to walk away alive.” a brow ticked when the group snickered and laughed at her proposition.

He would have taken it, knowing when to cut his losses. What the woman was offering was more than gracious, he would have simply beat the information out of them, and depending on their answers, may or may not of let them live. It would depend on his mood upon learning the truth.

“I’ll enjoy breaking you personally.” the leader smirked. “First one to get her, I’ll let them have my seconds.”

Tensing at the words, he slowly withdrew his weapons, fully intent on getting rid of the muscle and maiming the leader. He wouldn’t need the use of certain parts of his anatomy to reveal where the women were, which was hopefully holed up somewhere alive.

“Trust me woman, you’ll be a sloppy mess when I’m done with you.” he made a show of licking his fangs, cracking his knuckles to draw attention to his claws.

With a flick of her wrist, her hair was tossed over her shoulder. “How juvenile.” and just like that, she was taking them on single-handedly. Her moves were graceful, using the bare minimum of energy, in fact, she used her enemies energy against them. It was actually sort of seductive, though not in the way Trish fought, but it had its appeal. There was nothing hotter than seeing a woman kicking ass in his personal opinion, so he was content to watch. That was, until he saw one of them sneaking up on her from behind, and he finally saw fit to step in.

Drawing his weapons, a shot rang through the air causing all to turn and face him.

“And who the fuck are you?” the leader spat, snarling at this point and losing control of his human appearance.

“Just someone out for a night stroll and saw this attractive woman in a spot of trouble, so I thought to lend a helping hand.” he used Ivory to give a mock salute, grinning at the last three as he had just taken out one of the brutes.

The leader lifted his nose into the air, making it obvious he was actually scenting the air. “Helping hand my ass! You’re trying to pouch our target!”

A snort from the woman drew their gaze to her. “...like that was going to happen.”

“I gotta agree with her, looks like you were getting your asses handed to ya.” he smirked, being sure to wink at the woman when he stopped next to her. His smirk grew at her obvious confusion.

“No bitch-!” before he could complete his comment, the leader gagged when a fist landed a solid hit in his throat. Hands scrambling at the now bruised flesh, he chocked and attempted to direct the two next to him. They appeared to have some form of intelligence, if their immediate jump into action was anything to go on.

“By the Kami, he complains a lot.” the woman slipped next to him, easily keeping up to his own fighting style.

“Well you did say he was young, and brats do enjoy pitching fits when they don’t get their way.” smirk still in place, he observed the smaller brute eye him, though their gaze would shoot to the woman that was easily handling the larger of the two with some trepidation.

There was a soft snort from behind. “Speaking from personal experience?” if it weren’t for the teasing tone in her voice, he was sure she was taking verbal shots at him.

“The likes of which you wouldn’t believe, Honey.” stepping back, he folded his arms over his chest when he saw that the two brutes decided to take on the bigger threat. A woman as tall as 5’5’’, he was sure at least a couple of inches were due to her shoes.

“Honey? I wasn’t aware that we were on close terms.” with a wave of her hand, a shimmering barrier popped up around them, leaving her time to turn and face him, blue eyes shining in the dim light from the distant lamp.

“Would you prefer babe? Sexy? Gorgeous?” with a slight waggle of his brows, he chuckled at her scoff and eye roll.

“...red clad, silver haired jerks… I’m surrounded by them…” her mumbled words were curious, but he didn’t get a chance to ask what she meant as she pulled out a cell phone, making him wonder where she kept it hidden. Any attempt to find a pocket had her snapping her fingers. “Oi! You want to keep those pretty eyes in your head?”

Leaning down to be closer to her height, his smirk grew when a cute blush colored her cheeks. “You think I got pretty eyes?”

She didn’t deign to answer him, instead choosing to talk to the person on the other end of her call. “Yeah, found the one responsible, he’s here with two others. Just track the GPS from this call.”

Realizing that his attempted catch was actually bait, the leader croaked out in an attempt to call the others into leaving. No sooner had they turned their backs to flee, did the barrier shift to encase them instead.

“Nifty trick. How are you doing that?” a low hiss escaped him when he wrapped his knuckles against the semi-solid surface of the barrier a few time. It stung a lot more than he thought it would!

“I thought with you being half demon, you would know what a holy person is capable of.” her cell phone was mysteriously tucked away again. Where, he had no idea though he seriously wanted to know.

“Honey, I’ve met my fair share of ‘holy’ people,” he made a show of eyeing her from top to bottom. She was attractive. Long black hair, that now looked wild from fighting these demons, framed her delicate face that housed her surprisingly vivid blue eyes, surprising in her obvious Asian features, and plump lips. She was slim, though there was subtle definition that spoke of a more active lifestyle than most women. It wasn’t as defined as Lady, but it was there. “And let me tell you, I’ve never seen a nun dress like you do.”

“I’m not a nun. I’m a miko; shrine maiden, shameness, holy warrior. Take your pick.” at his low whistle, a brow rose in silent question.

“A miko? Didn’t think any were still around. You're my first.” he stroked his chin, attempting to recall having met another like her.

Head canted to the side, she rolled her eyes. “...bet that doesn’t pass your lips often…”

Grinning at hearing the words, once again leaning down closer to her level. “Honey, you’ll need to buy me a drink and dinner before asking about my lips and their possible activities.”

Blue eyes narrowed on him, not in anger, but in contemplation. Her nose quickly wrinkled as her lips pinched. Soon she flinched back as she shook her head, as if attempting to shake off some thought, groaning only for it to end in a whine.

“You okay there, Honey?” he was honestly amused by her expressions. Trish, due to her nature, was poor at expressing herself save for extreme moments. As for Lady, she also seemed to have a set of emotions that she was willing to publicly display, everything else were kept private. But this woman, now that the three were contained, was easily expressing her thoughts and emotions.

“Please, shut up. With your words and appearance, my mind went down a forbidden path.” she quickly pinched the bridge of her nose, once again muttering under her breath.

“Miko, your ability to attract riff-raff with little effort never ceases to entertain me.” the voice drew their attention to an approaching male.

Dante whistled lowly at the amount of power this male carried with ease. The male was obviously not human, demon of some kind, wore a business suit that was tailored to his size. Despite his apparent Japanese appearance, he was tall, standing perhaps at his own height.

“Does that include you, Sesshoumaru? Remember, you came to me in the end, not the other way around.” there was a tilt to her lips, a teasing tone to her words.

A brow was merely raised as the now identified male stopped next to her, golden eyes slowly closing when he seemed to realize that her words must have held some truth. Dante blinked when those eyes turned to him. “...I’ve heard of you, son of Sparda.”

“Same, son of the General.” smirking at the slight narrowing of those golden eyes, he turned his attention back to the Miko when Sesshoumaru approached the three contained males. “He always this excitable?”

“You don’t know the half of it.” her attention was more focused on her acquaintance and the three males, waiting for a signal from Sesshoumaru. The moment she had it, the barrier was down and the three were being escorted by more of Sesshoumaru’s agents.

While he was happy that the threat was taken care of, the reason he took on this job was an attempt to find those that went missing. “What about the missing women and girls?”

“They will reveal where they are.” Sesshoumaru spoke up, pulling out a wallet as he approached them. “One way or another. I believe this was the amount this ‘job’ offered you in finding the females.”

Dante didn’t accept the money, though it was tempting. “Why give me this?”

“Allow the families to keep their money, they will need it upon the conclusion of learning the truth of what happened to their females. This paltry amount is of little consequence to me.” the money was once again offered.

Going over the words, Dante figured it was true. Learning that demons were real would be traumatizing for those women and girls, the medical bills for any injuries they suffered was also going to add up. “Alright. Guess I can take you out to dinner now, Honey!”

“We never agreed to any such thing. Nor am I interested in learning of your illicit affairs.” offering a mock salute, she spun about and began walking away, no doubt home being her destination at this hour.

“Miko.” the single utterance had the woman freezing, shoulders hunching as she turned to toss a stink eye at the stoic male, it darkened at seeing his smirk.

“Fine!” the words were growled through clenched teeth. “Come along, Oh great son of Sparda! I shall direct you to where you can receive the best accommodations in payment to seeing to the return of our missing women folk!”

Snickering under his breath, it became outright laughter when her ire was quickly directed at him. It didn’t stop him from make his way to her side, following her out of the park and to where said accommodations were no doubt going to be. “Honey, you’re a sure spit fire, I’m gonna enjoy getting to know you.”

“Don’t, you’re free to leave at your earliest convenience.” she was practically stomping along the pavement, grumbling under her breath about brats and the males in her life. “I already babysit one silver haired idiot with a fondness for red, I don’t need another in my life.” she gave him a quick look over, brows pinched. “Do you always use guns? Or do you have other weapons?”

“I have a sword, why?” he was honestly curious, wondering why what weapons he used had to do with their current conversation.

“Great. No doubt you’ll meet each other sooner rather than later and start a fricken pissing contest about who has the bigger sword.” she started mumbling again, her anger causing tiny sparks to fly from her.

Dante was honestly entertained, and so glad that this job didn’t go as planned. Normally when things didn’t go as planned, the shit hit the fan leaving him with more work to do. “Well, size is great and all, but it’s useless without technique.” smirking at the look she tossed him, it was downright venomous, and she looked ready to spit fire, he relaxed as they continued on. “But don’t worry about that, Honey, you still have to buy me that drink first.” tossing a wink at her, he laughed as she sputtered for any sort of come back.

[imaginetheending]

Vacant Chapter 1 Preview

Here is a preview of Vacant chapter 1. To read the rest go to: https://www.wattpad.com/story/254655449-vacant-the-devil%27s-son

Chapter 1

It's hot outside.

Blood and dead bodies occupy the only decent shade. A trail of blood leads to the forest. It's created by Scouts dragging soldiers away by the straps of their boots. Grains of sand are crushed under Rapture's feet as they shift in the sand. He's been acting off since that morning, thinking of something else.

"Where did the furniture come from?" I ask.

In front of us, under the second floor of a three hundred year old building, sits worn down, used dressers, cabinets, and beds against broken and crumbled down walls.

"Probably from one of the traders" he responds.

One of the traders…

I'm impressed. All I own is a rusty mattress and a romance novel I kept when I was captured. These people managed to sneak in an entire dining room set with a working kitchen and chairs. Whoever did this has to work for Imports.

"I want you to come with me," Rapture says suddenly, dragging his fingers over the sides of his mouth.

Rapture is quite scary when you first meet him. His head is shaped like a human skull with hard features extruding from the back. His eyeballs are black just like mine, but he has golden lizard-like irises. After you get to know him, tough, he has a charm. A very sarcastic charm.

Without another word, he starts walking off. Adjusting my gun, I follow him. Angel does, too. The gear makes it hard to tell the difference between us. The only way to identify a Scout is by our bodies. Each species has a different body structure. Especially the legs. Since Angel is the same species as me, we have very similar forms. We both have thick female legs with no feet and big Canals. Compared to humans, our torsos are quite masculine.

Apparently, my big identifier is hips. I have thick thighs. It's true. I can crush a man's head between them, but the observation still feels somewhat perverse. Soldiers make similar comments towards Angel.

Lieutenant Bade, Angel, and I are Rapture's bodyguards. We follow the General around while he does his duties. It's not the most exciting job in the world, but Rapture is the best swordsman on the planet. No one messes with him. It is a safe, cushion position compared to the conditions other soldiers lived in.

"Angel, could you leave us? I want to talk to Siren alone," Rapture says.

We both look at each other. Angel steps back, not sure what to do. It takes a second for him to join the other Scouts.

I follow Rapture into the forest. After a while, it becomes grey. The pale, thin trees cover the bright sky. We walk for hours back to a part of camp I have never seen before. This is dangerous, I thought, for the two of us to be out here alone. However, whatever part of the forest this is, no one visited.

In the distance I see a small wooden cabin between an assortment of tree trunks. It has to belong to a General. No one else is allowed housing. The lights are off for the dusty building, though. We keep walking for another ten minutes, and arrive at an even bigger house -- a small, one bedroom home. Just like the rest of the planet, the exterior looks like old, American human architecture. On RubenDies, you can probably find a house like this for super cheap in a bad part of town, but here -- well, I have never seen anything like it.

Rapture grabs the door handle and yanks it open. The door stutters releasing dust and plant pores into the air. I am careful to breathe it in. He enters.

Dark inside, I can barely see the living room from the front door. Cautiously, I step inside. A thick smell overwhelms me. It's not a bad smell, but it's potent. Like someone lived here for a long time.

Both the living room and kitchen are small. Sun seeps through the closed blinds onto a rusty, old pale, orange refrigerator. The cabinets are dirty -- crusted. A small wooden dining table sits in front of it. There are more than one chair. Multiple people live here. Lived here -- I should say.

"Where are we?" I ask.

Rapture doesn't respond. He just walks between the dining room and living room towards a bedroom in the back. It's the only thing that lit up the hallway. My footsteps are unbelievably heavy on the wooden floors. I don't think Scouts are intended to be in here. The bedroom itself feels frozen in time. Nothing has been touched in years. There are still dirty clothes laying on a white bed sitting in the center of the room. Dust has collected on all of the wooden furniture. There's a couple nightstands and a dresser.

I'm scared to touch anything.

This doesn't bother Rapture at all. He grabs one of the drawers and opens it. After rummaging around, Rapture pulls out a stack of thick, white, plastic paper. He gives them to me, and I realize they're photos. Very small, rectangle photos. Each one is stained with dirt and muck. It's hard to tell what they consist of. The helmet makes it even harder. Rapture talks to me as I look through them, my eyes trying to make out vague shapes and sizes.

Each one shows a very attractive, young man that's the same species as me.

Most of the species outside of the Milky Way don't have names. We found no reason. It wasn't until the Human Reformation that it changed. Humans got confused by our lack of categorization, and decided to introduce a naming system. So, for clarity sake, I'll call our species BSBE.

The young man sits on a hotel bed, arched forward. A gaudy, geometric tattoo covers his sickly, gray, toned back. There are dog tags hanging from his neck. In each photo he is wearing different tank tops. In this one, it's white.

"Zerethus had a son. He escaped ten years ago," Rapture explains.

Oh, I see. I know who Zerethus's son is. Who didn't? The female camp whispered daily about him after his escape. By the time I made it to the male camp, the rumors had died down, however. All I know is that Cain isn't liked very much, and that he is permanent with most of the female camp.

In the second photo, he sits in a swimming pool, shirtless. It's at a wealthy establishment. The orange walls of the fancy hotel reflect off the blue, crystal water. It gave some color to Cain's dull skin.

"Zerethus has been looking for him ever since," Raptures continues as I shift to the next photo.

Cain is smoking a cigarette. He is maybe twelve or thirteen years old. A train of smoke trails to the sky. His expression is calm. Happy.

"I want you to find him before Zerethus does," he says.

My hand freezes. I heard his words clearly, but stammer.

"You want me to find Cain," I ask confused.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

When the soldiers brought me to Edeon, they asked me for my gender. Stupidly, I said female, and was thrown into the female camp. From that day on, my life was shit until I got kicked out. Edeon doesn't like women. They never did, and my presence in female housing left a mark. Everyone knows I lived there. Everyone remembers.

I want to object. Ask him questions.

"No, sir," I respond instead, cowardly.

I would send anyone on this mission but me. The Generals are some of the best fighters in the galaxy. They're trained to search and find targets. As a Scout, I am also trained to do this as well, but I am nowhere near as talented. Finding Cain would be a high profile mission. Only the best of the best would be put on it. I am not the best.

Send Dante. Or Felix. Or Moon. Angel. Reaper. Hades. Pain. Cerberus. Vnux. Serpen. Dalen. Gabriel. Michael. Archer. Rion. Tarli Nobi. Th'Aman. Brani. Xani. Kreniea. A'Zule. Feri/ Q'Urlid. Achan. Meni.

Literally anyone but me.

"Who is my lieutenant?" I ask.

Every soldier gets a lieutenant when sent off the planet. They watch over the group. Make sure everything goes according to plan. If he picked anyone to go with me, he would pick Bade. Bade is pretty good. He'd make up for my lack of skill.

"You are," he obviously lies.

My mouth falls open, "What?"

No, I wasn't. This is the biggest bullshit I have ever heard. First of all, there hasn't been a new lieutenant in over ten years. Second, the only women of power on Edeon are Lieutenant Reaper and General Mourning. No one even knows how they got promoted. Third, if I was promoted, I would be promoted by Zerethus himself. So, something is very fishy.

Rapture cups his hands, and smiles.

"The mission is simple. Give Cain a message. The Devil is looking for his son. He wants to cut off his wings. He'll know what that means."

"Where is he?" I ask.

I remember that I still have the photos dangling in my hands. While he continues, I look at the next one. Now, Cain has his arm draped over Angel's opal, white shoulders. Huh. That's weird. In our species' culture we don't touch each other, but they seem chummy. Either Cain is straight as fuck or they were in a relationship. Bold for him to have this photo as a part of his collection. All homosexuals get killed on this planet. There isn't a warning. It happens suddenly, and mercilessly.

"The Luminary. He works for an agency called The Eye. Goes by Hayze Redborn. Was put on a mission recently to find an Alex Hall. Code name Aex. He's a super hacker."

Cain is butt naked in the next photo. It's in the same room as we are standing in now. He's maybe eighteen. Every detail of his muscles subtly defined, his body is gorgeous. Due to the pose, and moody lighting, this is definitely a selfie. Luckily, the photo cuts off at his penis, but you can still see the top of the shaft. I laugh. Why would you take a photo like this on Edeon? We don't have Be-book. There are no dating profiles or blog posts.

"If you catch Aex, Hayze may follow," Rapture says.

The last photo is the worst. It's just his dick.

This guy took a dick pic.

I roll my eyes. How many women did he try to show this to? Knowing his reputation, he probably sent this to multiple. It's girthy. Long. Blood rushes under his skin creating purple. His skin is smooth. There are only a few faint veins. The top is round and soft. There is no color difference between the tip of his penis and the base, outside of some discoloration. He has a pretty penis. I have to give him that.

"Siren," Rapture scolds venomously and grabs the photo from my hand. He rips it in pieces and then slams it into the dresser.

Oh, shit.

I don't think he knew that was in there.

My hand hangs loosely from where the photo once was. Scared, eyes fixating on him, he's mad. After a moment, he brings his hand to his face and makes a loud sigh. He takes out another sheet of paper from his pocket. This one looked like it was printed off an old printer. It's very faded. It is a much more recent picture of Cain. Cain is much older, and worn down. In the old photos, he is vibrant and active. Here he is dead inside.

His skin is a very healthy baby blue. The black that consumed his eyeballs is clear, and not glossy. A couple other things are off about his appearance, but otherwise Hayze and Cain are identical. Over his shoulders he wore a deep, aqua blue coat. It had a very nice, faintly, shiny, textured material. Under it, he wore a black shirt similar to the ones he wore when he was younger. His dog tags could be seen through his fabric.

Behind him, a short, gray-ish brown overweight being stands at a podium wearing a nice, trim suit. His species is a cousin of Rapture's. They look very similar, but this species has more than two eyes. The overweight being has the appearance of a government official. A banner hangs behind him. It's a symbol I feel like I should recognize.

"What happens after I tell him the message?" I ask.

"Protect Cain with your life," he remarks. To continue reading go to: https://www.wattpad.com/story/254655449-vacant-the-devil%27s-son

[dabis-azure-songstress]

Devil May Desire (Dante x OC)

Requested by @marilovesdante: Hi it's me who commented on your Dante one shot. Can I have some smut with my oc and Dante? Her faceclaim is Demi Lovato and I have her as my muse but I gave her my name. It can be something like he's saving her from demons or she's baking his favorite pizza and he feels a sudden hunger and urge for her and he wants to have sex with her for the first time because the attraction is too strong. Thanks in advance xx ❤

A/N: You best believe I had fun with this. Dante is oof!~ Thank you for the request!~ I hope this brings you joy! I was thinking Dante would probably be considerate since it is her first time with him and also nearly losing his mind and wanting to just leave her a quivering mess, as opposed to just being a total lewd boi. Let me know what you think and I’ll be happy to rewrite it if you don’t like it! P.S. Apologies that this took me quite a bit!

Pairing: Dante x OC

Warning: Dante is a hungry demon man with urges and you're on the menu, NSFW

Bonus: Songs I was listening to - Scream by Usher and Adrenalize by In This Moment

NSFW below line, of course!

There was an extremely tempting smell as Dante came through the doors of Devil May Cry that made his mouth water. Following his nose brought him into the kitchen where his beautiful Mari was working on making a delicious pepperoni pizza. "Damn, now this is what I'm talking about. This is one nice way to come home," he mused happily. The woman in front of him giggled as he looped his arms around her waist softly and rested his chin on her shoulder, unable to help the smile that spread across his face. Her laugh and smile could light up the whole damn room and even Dante's worst workdays. Dante was enraptured happily in the smell of the pizza in the oven cooking and sharply inhaled to release a deep sigh of relief into her hair. That was a mistake and also an exceedingly pleasant one. Her sweet and ripened smell infiltrated his senses and reverberated in his head. "Fuck," he cursed out lowly and pulled himself away from embracing her. He felt that familiar thrum ripple below the surface of his skin. His Devil Trigger was tugging at him and trying to coax him into freeing himself. The brunette woman in his arms turned swiftly to him, frown pulling at her full lips and features. "Dante. What's wrong?" she asked him innocently, bright cocoa eyes searching over his face. His piercing blue eyes had taken on a much heady look. "I'm alright, babe; It's nothing really," he licked his lips absentmindedly and swallowed the saliva that had gathered in his mouth softly. His beautiful babe didn't believe him and she was lost in thought as his eyes traveled over her form in lust. She was too innocent for her own good. He had to have her and do, well, something. Anything. Dante's vision begins to blur menacingly. "No!" he actually snarled out loud. Mari looked up at him in complete shock as she turned the stove off. I have to be gentle and stay in control for her first time with me. "N-no? What are you talking about? You're starting to scare me. Are you okay?" she stammered. He couldn't handle the urge that surged through his body like lava. Dante all but dove for her lips as he cupped her face and pulled her quickly to him. "D-Dante, the pizza." "It can wait. I want to devour you first." his voice dropped dangerously. A blush rose into his beautiful woman's face, but she surrendered to the heated albeit soft kisses he continued to press to her lips. His hands surged carefully over her form before slipping beneath her shirt and smoothing over the delicate skin of her torso. They landed on her full breasts, large palms covering them as he held them and slowly rolled them in his hands as they kissed. The sound that hit his ears nearly had him pulling away to reign himself back in. "You want that, right? A beautiful babe like you deserves to be worshipped and have the best time of her life." She looked up at him, eyes slightly darker and lips kiss-swollen. The sight killed him and even more, heat pooled to his groin, even though he was already so rigid that it began to hurt and his Devil Trigger thrummed louder in his ears. "Yes..." she breathed to him. "I knew you were a sensible woman," he teased slightly but scooped her up gently to place her on the counter in front of him before pulling at her bottoms rapidly. Her scent immediately smacked him full force and he shuddered as he nearly began to drool as his eyes settled upon the feast in front of him. Mari was fighting her blush as his gloved hands pushed her thighs further apart and he began to delicately kiss and nip softly up the length of her legs. She was watching him through her lashes as he finally leaned in for the initial taste. Dante's tongue flattened and he took a full soft lick of her core and groaned lowly at the essence hitting his tastebuds. He felt extremely intoxicated on her. "So delectable, babe," he growled as he dug his fingers into his leg softly to keep a hold of his control on himself. He slid his arms around her legs and pulled her into his awaiting and greedy mouth. His entire mouth enveloped her and his eyes rolled up to stare her down like a starved beast as his tongue swirled lazily and sensually around her rosebud and center. The sensation had the woman mewling softly as she began to roll herself into the languid attention and grip his silvery locks in her fist. Dante's piercing blues continued to stare her down and he had her right where he wanted. He timed the soft rolls of her body and used it to his advantage, causing her to impale herself slightly onto his tongue. Her head fell back and she moaned in surprise as he dipped his tongue a few times into the depths of her nectar. He only pulled away to mutter three words up at her: "Use me, babe." And with those three words, he had relinquished control entirely to her. The female above him used the hand she had in his hair to guide him back down to her core. "F-faster." Dante's eyes literally smirked up at her as he began to follow her instructions and devour her like the true beast that he was. Mari shuddered under the ministrations, exasperated moans falling from her lips in praise. Dante slid his tongue to her rosebud to lap as he gently began to massage the pads of his index and middle finger against her entrance. "Mm, so wet here, babe." She shuddered and mewled softly as the length of one of his fingers slid in to his knuckle. He did a few testing dips before his went back to focus on her button and he curled his finger within her slowly. Her hips sputtered softly and she moaned out again as he added a second finger slowly to pump in and out of her wanton heat. "Please, Dante..." He had to withdraw the attention of his tongue and mouth to stare at her. His name sounded like a prayer on her silky lips. "Please what?" She squirmed softly as his fingers continued to delve and press into a spot that had her tummy tightening pleasantly. "I want you." "Was hoping you'd say that. You're fucking irresistible. Well, luckily your wish is my command, babe," he drawls, already beginning to pull his gloves and jacket off. Mari quickly reached for his shirt and tugged it up over his torso, completely disregarding the buttons and revealing the ripped muscles and some scars beneath. Dante was able to handle her help on his pants for about 0.5 seconds before he started to lose his self-control completely and helped her rip them open. He kissed and nipped at her neck as he finally slipped her out of her shirt and tossed the forlorn garment across the room. "You're so smokin'," he smirked. Within moments, their lips were melding together and she could taste herself hotly in the confines of his mouth as he finally pressed the very tip of himself up against her. She gasped and jerked slightly as it sent shocks up her body. "Mm, babe, I love you, and I'll try to be as gentle as I can be. But, I might get a little carried away with how amazing I know you're going to be and already are. I'm already losing it." She nodded against him softly and that's finally when he started to feed himself into her heat, spreading her wide and filled to the brim. Mari had never felt so full before and her head went fuzzy a bit and she teared up slightly as Dante grit his teeth to keep himself from immediately rutting into her like a sex-crazed rabbit. He placed a shaky kiss to her forehead and held her securely to him. "D-Dante...it's okay. I'll handle it." "Careful what you wish for, toots." The first few drags of his hips brought her some discomfort and slight stinging and the very sight of her had Dante absolutely starved for her. He braced his hands on the counter, on either side of her with a knuckle-white grip before he shoved himself back into her velvet body. The noise of utter pleasure that left her mouth, the feel of her gripping his shaft tightly, and the scent he caught of her had him dizzy. It was finally when her nails took purchase deep into his back that he finally lost it. He was thrusting forward in his haze so hard that the sound of the smacking skin on skin and Mari's moans reverberated throughout the kitchen. Her body was receiving him so well and the slickness of her was leaking around him down to the counter-top and slowly onto the floor. "Shit," he growled as he twisted his hand into her silky hair and pulled her in for a kiss before he swiftly had one of her legs tossed over his shoulder. The simple adjustment had him sheathing himself entirely into her slick cavern and Mari was nearly in pain but has never felt so overwhelmed with pleasure before. "You flawless little babe..." he growls before he literally starts to pound her and loses it all. The demon above Mari nearly has her screaming out in pleasure as his claws dig slightly into the gorgeously tinted flesh of her hips and he gives fully into his urges. She's going to have bruises the following day, but she definitely won't regret it. Her mind is reeling in pleasure and all-too-soon the coil in her abdomen bursts as she comes around Dante's thick cock. He moans above her and soon he is throbbing inside of her, hips pressed tight against her as he unleashes shot after shot of creamy release into her. All she can do is moan out as he slowly removes himself and gently lowers her leg from his shoulder, some of his seed trying to follow. Dante slowly begins to return to normal, only hazy from the afterglow of his orgasm and drunk on seeing his girlfriend thoroughly satisfied. "Are you okay, toots? I lost myself a bit there." He would feel a bit bad, but proud she could handle him at his most primal. "Y-yeah. Wow." Dante begins to chuckle. "Shouldn't be so smokin' all the time, babe. You make me hungry and get some pretty strong urges." Mari blushes as he helps her down onto her wobbly legs. "Well, if you're actually hungry for food this time...the pizza is still there." Dante smirks at her brightly. "It's a good thing cold pizza is the best then! Though I can't promise I won't try to eat you again for dessert, babe."  

[wackygoofball]

Gwenspiration: The Wacky Version Vol. 3 - The Moodboards

So, here I go again parading myself and tooting like there is no tomorrow.

As people still brave enough to follow me on Tumblr will know, I do a lot of moodboards, or at least I call them such. Others call them collages or storyboards or pictures with random text. Either way, for me, moodboards became a neat tool to somehow capture story ideas not yet anywhere near a level that I could write fic about them - or serve as inspirations for fics I am actually writing.

And it gives me opportunity to hoard unhealthy amounts of Gwen and Nik pics, in the name of moodboards. And science. And stuff. Whoozah!

So yeah, in this post, I want to share some of my personal favorites. A lot of them actually, because I can’t decide, really.

I will start off with a group of moodboards which took inspiration from the Marvel universe, since the Marvel universe was my gateway into the more active parts of fandom.

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An all-time fave is the Iron Man AU... I mean, what not to love about a JB AU with Jaime as sassy Tony Stark and Brienne as the not-taking any shit from you army doctor, am I right? But yeah, seriously, Jaime *is* the Tony Stark of the GOT universe, and I can’t be convinced otherwise. And neither should be you.

Also, the Iron Man suits just totally fit the color scheme for both, which made creating the moodboards all the better for me. Jaime and Brienne were made for armor, now in medieval or modern times, let’s not kid ourselves.

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Another Marvel fave has got to be Captain Westeros. Because if there is a female GOT Version of Steve Rogers, it’s gotta be Brienne of fuckin’ Tarth. This one is really close to my heart because it gave me a lot of feels coming up with plot bunnies for it, and the tragedy of those two people missing each other in time over and over again, always trying to protect one another, only to end up on opposite sides because of the machinations of others... *sigh*

And I mean, one guy loses an arm. The other is blond and strong... I don’t make the rules but this delivers me enough material to re-imagine this as a JB AU... so yeah, I do kinda make the rules after all. Anyway.

Since I realized that this post’s gonna get even looooonger, I decided to make a cut here and put the rest below, so not to have you scrolling for five hours.

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Although it’s not the most popular moodboard amongst my followers (you brave people, I can’t parade you enough for staying through the madness lol), I really, really love that Fantastic Four moodboard and the concept behind it. And I just know a lot of effort went into making Valyrian Steel Brienne, which took all of my three computer editing skillz brain cells. But yeah, here again, I liked to play with the idea of them not admitting to their love until shit hits the fan and then they hide behind that because... drama, angst, feels, pining, yadda.

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And we go from Marvel to DC little quick. Because Brienne is, most certainly, a Wonder Woman. Nuf said.

Now, let’s move on to other big movie franchises that give me all the JB feels:

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Jurassic Park (aka Valyrian Park) evidently holds a special place in my heart because JB fighting dinosaur-dragon hybrids and kicking ass while being disbelieving about what was bred out in Valyria thanks to some certain someones to rescue Brienne’s adoptive daughter Arya is just... a thing? For me anyway.

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More down memory lane, I don’t know how often I watched the LOTR movies, suffice to say it was a lot a lot. We had the extended versions DVDs of the first two and basically it was the one thing to watch when nothing was on (which was the case a lot). Either way. JB in MIddle Earth long after the days of Frodo et al. - why? Because I just loved the idea (and aesthetic) of Jaime as a ranger and Brienne as a knight of Gondor working in disguise. And Hobbipod. I mean, Pod as a Hobbit. Come the fuck on. And Tyrion as an asshole wizard. What could possibly go wrong? This moodboard was very time-consuming as I had to do a lot of edits (pointy ears, tiny up people, smudge Brienne’s face on a lot of Boromir and Faramir images, smudge Jaime’s face on a lot of Aragorn images, you name it). So yeah. No matter its popularity... I dig it. Despite not having read the books yet (I know, shocking), I continue to ogle at the idea and go like: Must. Write. But. Must. Resist. Either way. Mood.

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So yeah, I grew up watching these movies a lot, too (I grew up watching a lot of TV, period). And when Gwen was cast as Captain Phasma, I got a lot of JB juices flowing as a result. Mehe. I found it was a fun idea to play with, to basically *kill* Phasma so *Brienne* can come into play and assume her identity. And a rundown Jedi!Jaime who’s lost faith in himself and everything else safe for his partner in crime/resistance is just... I needz. So you gotta cope with it. I still adore this concept a lot even if others may not. :)

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This one’s just... gah. Feels. And I really liked the color scheme lol. And I watched Horse Whisperer A LOT. Because of feels. And horses. And Honor is a horse and he deserved better than be barbecued at Highgarden, dammit.

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The No Reservations AU definitely has to be in this post because I live for this dynamic. Brienne taking care of the girls, not knowing how, though, constantly doubting herself while always trying to be perfect and composed, not just in life but on the job as well. And Jaime being the laid-back guy who’s just a darn good chef but may carry his own baggage of problems that keep him from his happy ending story is just... mah jam.

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This one was a lot of fun to do because you don’t really think about Erin Brockovich when you say Brienne of Tarth in terms of character. But when you scratch away the boob jokes and the differences in where they come from, what you find are two hard-working women who fight for justice, so I found that close enough. And it was excuse enough for me to go down the lane of biker!Jaime because... dayum.

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Music and Lyrics is an all-time guilty pleasure romcom of mine. It’s so light and easy and I kind of love how everyone is basically a bunch of awkward losers. All the more perfect for Jaime as a singer (we need that in our lives after the infamous video Nik was in to sing to us about global warming...) and Brienne as the unexpectedly gifted songwriter. What I like about the moodboard per se is how the color scheme turned out because it’s all warm and bright and... makes me happy.

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Very much in contrast to the former stands this one. I still love the overall mood of it and I dig the story idea because I dug both The Prestige and The Illustionist because they presented something dark yet very different, which made it all the more appealing to put into a moodboard for me. While not the most well-known moodboard of mine, I keep going back to it time and time again to basically lust at all the illusions and magic and drama. And blue butterflies.

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What is there not to love about a Pacific Rim AU for JB, am I right? Right?! JB ain’t just compatible when it comes to the Drift, yo, that’s all I’m gonna say. Reasons why I like the moodboard a lot is that it’s very different, flashy colors, gigantic robots, and I was mostly alright with how the edits turned out. It is tough to get images that fit the angles, yo.

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Jumping back in time once more, I really adore this one even though it’s not one of my popular moodboards. I dug the fusion of elements from Cinderella Man while granting Brienne as the female lead more space to develop as a character and make her a badass sniper nurse who is about to get her doctor’s degree. And Jaime doing anything to make it work because he owes her a debt (and his love) by boxing his way to their shared life is just... nice.

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Another supposedly lesser known moodboard is this one, though I really adore it for its premise and the amount of work I put into it (all the giffing and moodboarding). I also found use for that image of Gwen with what looks like the veil of a nun, which was probably what had me inspired in the first place lol. The plot bunnies revolve less around Se7en and more the novel El ùltimo Catón (2001) because it has a nun solving a mystery revolving around Dante’s works. But Se7en gives us the Seven, which is a delicious parallel too hard to ignore. For me at least. If only I knew how to write crime, dammit.

Now, to  move more into the serial (smooth transition from serial killer to serial TV shows, I know, I know) way of life, here is some moodboards inspired by TV shows (although some have since gotten movies which I also took inspiration from... yadda):

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Childhood memory galore. I spent many weekends watching The A-Team with the whole family. When the movie came out, I was happy about the feels it gave me (and the “you spin my head right round” scene still cracks me up more often than it should). Either way. I found it absolutely necessary for Jaime to be Face, for Tyrion to be Hannibal, for Bronn to be B.A. and cuss at everyone and everything and Brienne giving us the strangest genderbend of a Howling Mad Murdock. It added some angst, which I always need because I am a thirsty hoe for it. In case no one noticed yet. Ha.

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This one is very remotely inspired by The Bletchley Circle and the Imitation Game (because both feature encryption and one features Charles Dance already, yo.) I just really dug the idea of Brienne being so good at this because she is such a straight thinker but being underestimated because “she a woman.” And of course her not being done just encoding messages but getting into action, very much to the dismay of the stupid soldier wanting to defend the bae from harm. What could possibly go wrong? Right. A lot.

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Then. Elementary. Let me count the ways in which I love that show... ALL THE WAYS. And I really dig it as a JB AU. I have so many thoughts and feelings, I can’t even begin to tell you. I especially had my fun basically making Jaime Sherlock without making him really Sherlock because that guy was the one who taught him how to be an investigator before disappearing and fucking up his life for bad. And Brienne as the army doctor turned sober companion turned private investigator turned love interest is just too delicious to ignore.

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Pants down I mean hands down, this may be the actual favorite (currently) amongst them all for the plain reason that I also grew up watching that series and still watch it and keep obsessing about it. Ever since Discovery launched and has since given me both joy and grief, I found myself intrigued by the premise of a JB Star Trek AU where Brienne would be standing *with* the Klingons during the war around the time Discovery takes place, and Captain Jaime Lannister having lost far too much to this war already to truly trust anyone, even less so a woman who ran to the Klingons, for what it seems.

You would not believe how many ideas I have for a fic based on it. You wouldn’t believe that I basically have a sequel to that fic already in mind. And you would definitely believe, knowing me, that I am nowhere near writing that fic. But a fangirl can dream and moodboard, right? The moodboard was such a fun way of going about it, not only for the edits but because I could sneak some secret Klingon messages in there. :)

Now, on to the last part, which are the moodboards not inspired by movies or TV shows primarily but really just spewed out of my wacky, wacky brain:

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This has a special place in my heart because it combines military and the traumas it comes with for JB and.... the aesthetic of farming. And both finding a kind of peace they didn’t know they were looking for as they struggle to adjust and find their way back “to normal” after the horrors they have both seen in war. And did I mention the aesthetic? And Jaime in plaid? All dirty and sweaty? Do I have to say more?

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Why this one? Because it combines angst and romance and falling in love twice because DESTINY. And paintings. I love me my artist AUs. So that was my go at it, combining it with the “mystery” to be uncovered about what history Jaime and Brienne actually share as he tries to put his memories back together.  Also. This moodboard gave me opportunity to try out new filters and create JB paintings. :)

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This one’s gotta be on the list since I also added the Horse Whisperer. Now it’s Dog Whisperer Jaime and Brienne who won’t give up on her dog who’s seen some shit in the warzone (as did she, but Brienne will put it all aside for her doggish best buddy, of course). While it’s not a very popular moodboard of mine, I really enjoy the premise of it and how the dynamics can so easily change between the two of them if you see it in comparison to the Horse Whisperer AU. Also. I just really think Jaime is a total pet person.

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Another lesser known moodboard, I’d assume, but I really dug the premise of it (still do), and it was intriguing to do some edits to make Jaime’s hand *truly* golden lol. With people having developed strange mutations which aren’t nearly as much fun as they are in Fantastic Four AUs. What I liked about it was the idea that Brienne would have a kind of mutation/ability that links to the mind, since she is such a physically strong fighter that she may rather rely on that than on her own mind, fearing that she cannot control that with discipline the same way she can train her body with it. What unites the two is their strong wish to protect the people in their care, in a world on the verge of collapse forcing two unexpected allies together (okay, I totally expected it, but they didn’t). Either way. Much love for this one. :)

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Aaaand the last one (not of all the ones I made but the ones I picked for Gwenspiration). I really, really, really adore this one because I was so happy with how the aesthetic turned out and how the colors all match. And I dig the premise. Like holy moly do I dig it deep. Jaime and Brienne both serving in military, but on different fronts, and almost accidentally ending up writing each other letters? I mean... the PINING. And Brienne having to decipher Jaime’s chickenscratch. Yeah no, but for real. I just love the idea so much. That they are both committed to the cause while also yearning for a home, for peaceful times, for sweet, sweet love. And them meeting up and acting like stupid teenagers, only for drama to keep hitting because. It’s eh me angsty Wacky.

Either way. I dig the premises of a lot of my moodboards (in fact... basically all of them or else I wouldn’t be making them, I guess). I spared you listing all of them, though I listed a whole damn lot already. Moodboards are an awesome means for me personally to visualize and (re-)imagine. And since quite a few people seem to continue to be onboard with them, I am all the happier to keep making them.

That’s all for today.

Much love! ♥♥♥

*flies away*

[imastrangeone98]

Lost and Found - Chapter 12: Lady

(A/N: hello my non-existent fans! how was the last chapter you definitely didn’t read? so I put up a masterlist [finally] for my horrible page. also I decided to work on a story for my bnha idea, so if you’re a bnha fan maybe you can look forward to it??)

(fair warning- this and the next chapter are probably gonna be the longest)

TRIGGER WARNING: brief mention of cutting and suicide (please don’t do this to yourself- there are people that love and care about you- you are strong, never forget that)

ok some tips: normal means present events, italics mean memories, and bold means memory within the memory

Lady couldn’t tell how long she’d been wandering the darkness.

That, and the strangely crunchy ground under her feet, was the only thing that existed in what she called “The Center of God.” For a being made of light and goodness, His insides were black as pitch.

The only thing that cut through it was Dante’s flickering demonic energy, causing his body to pulse with red light. But it was hopelessly faint, and would fizzle out from time to time, causing the blackness to surround them once more.

It didn’t help that he was currently sobbing his heart out, causing the already-weak light to die more frequently.

Lady knew she wasn’t the best at words at times. She wanted to comfort her grieving companion, but the reassurance died in her throat each time she thought about her.

Faith. Her friend.

She just... dissolved. A shower of gold that couldn’t be put back together no matter how hard they tried.

No more long walks through the meadow. No more conversations about life and joy. No more stargazing on the beach. No more shopping sprees. No more photo booths.

No more Faith.

A lump formed in her throat. Unshed tears stung her eyes. She raised a hand to swipe them away-

A bright diamond-like star briefly hung in the air seconds after Faith dissolved. Lady reached for it, fingers barely grazing it-

Her eyes widened. “Dante.”

She turned around to notice him hiccuping on the ground. He hadn’t heard her.

She kneeled next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Dante. Listen to me. I have an idea.”

He heaved another breath, his bare chest briefly glowing with dim light before disappearing, plunging them back into darkness.

“Dante. Breathe.”

“She’s gone, Lady,” he choked out. He sucked in another shaky breath. “She’s gone! I- I’m not gonna see her again, I-“

“Maybe there’s a way. Just hear me out.” She waited a bit for his breaths to at least slow down before continuing. “When she dissolved, there were those weird sparks that came out, right? I... I managed to touch one before it flew off. And I saw-“ Her voice cracked, and she swallowed. “I saw her memories. I think.”

That clearly got his attention. His whimpers died down to sniffles, and he shifted, causing the ground to crackle. “Her memories?”

“Yeah. At least, I think so. She was holding someone and- and crying. There was a lot of blood, too. I think I saw something from her past.”

For a moment, everything was silent except for the faint screams of pain in the distance.

“They were scattered,” Lady said, the idea in her head already solidifying. “What if we could find them? Bring them back together? If there’s a chance that her body could be restored-“

Dante suddenly shushed her. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Screaming. Lots of it.” His body flickered once more, illuminating the darkness; it was much brighter than before, which relieved her. “It- it sounds like Faith.”

She closed her eyes, focusing in on the sounds. For a second, she didn’t hear anything.

Then- a painful wail erupted in the distance, followed by another, and another, and another-

“Sounds like a lot of voices,” Lady murmured. “What could it be?”

“This, maybe.”

She turned to Dante, who was holding, in his hands, a skull.

A human skull.

“What the fuck?!” She scrambled away from it, and her hands scraped on something hard. Lots of hard things.

“Bones,” he spat, his blue eyes flickering with red. “Nephilim bones.”

“We need to hurry,” Lady declared, all too eager to jump from the ground and brush off the bone dust. “If we can find those shards, maybe we can find a way to put her back together.”

“Let’s split up. It’ll be faster.” He stood up, glancing behind him. “Before we fell, I thought I saw one of them go that way.” He turned around and pointed in that direction. “I’ll head there.”

Lady thought it was a bad idea to split up, especially in an area where neither could see and weren’t familiar with. But with the desperation clear in his eyes, she knew she couldn’t debate with him.

“Alright. Then I’ll check out the other side. Maybe we can meet up at the...” She looked over at the general location of the screaming. “...Wherever that is.”

Dante nodded. “Yeah. See you soon.” He dashed off into the darkness, the light fading into the distance.

She sighed, and (hopefully) turned in her chosen direction. “Okay, Faith. Where are you?”

[...]

She found three pieces.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to find them. But the memories that came with them...

She stared at the three glimmering shards in her palm. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost feel the raw pain emanating from them-

She dropped to her knees. Memories of the boy getting shot, of the old man in the crash, of the screaming-

Her grip on the shards tightened. The whispers died down.

How do you live with this? she couldn’t help but think. How do you deal with this pain every single day?

The shards didn’t reply.

Lady stood up again on shaking legs and began trekking, keeping an open ear towards the screams. She could tell that she was running out of time, and she still needed to find her last shard.

But it took about an hour before she found it. Floating atop a large pile of bones; she winced each time she took a step.

As she approached it, she noticed that it’s light was growing dimmer, as if-

As if the life in it was being leeched out.

Eyes widening, she hurriedly reached out to grab the shard-

She stood in front of a little alleyway. The sky was pitch black, no stars to be seen. The lamppost above her shone with an orangey light, painting everything in a strange, fluorescent hue.

Through the light, she saw a faint shadow huddled in a corner near the trash cans. Soft whispers and sniffles grazed her ears.

The closer Lady got, the more she noticed- the faint smell of iron in the smoggy air, the wet cement under her feet...

The shadowy figures took the form of children. Two little girls, probably no more than the age of seven. One lay on the ground while the other- a younger Faith- kneeled over her, whispering something that Lady couldn’t quite make out. She was sweeping something towards the resting one, cupping whatever it was into her hands and pouring it onto the other’s-

Wrists. Bleeding wrists.

The liquid that dripped from her hands was dyed red.

Lady stumbled backwards, phasing through a dumpster. She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs forgot how to function. She just sat there, helpless, watching with stunned horror as the girl desperately tried to save her doomed friend.

“Have you ever lost someone?” Faith had asked her once, during their walk through the forest.

Lady had found a hiking trail relatively close to the shop, and had invited her to come along. They sat together on a log, watching the birds fly past and make nests.

“...My mom,” she replied, fingering the pendant at her throat. “And a friend of mine, once- when I was younger. Suicide.”

Faith nodded. She was quite for a moment, then said, “I understand.”

She didn’t say more. She didn’t need to. Lady was grateful.

Deep down, she knew- had always known- that Faith understood better than anyone.

And now, Lady saw why Faith understood.

And as she tried to revive her friend, carefully scooping up blood and willing it to re-enter her dead friend’s body, she fought the urge to throw up.

But she didn’t look away. Couldn’t look away. It was as if time stood still, frozen in an eternal loop of never-ending fear and hopeless wishing.

Perhaps it did.

It was only when the blood began to spill to the floor in rivulets that Little Faith began to cry.

“Please don’t go,” she wailed. “Please don’t leave.”

“Please don’t go,” Lady- Mary- sobbed, clutching her cold friend’s body to her chest. “Please don’t leave.”

“It’s my fault,” Little Faith said through heaving breaths. “It’s all my fault, so wake up... Blame me and wake up...”

Lady’s hands clenched.

“No...” she whispered, staggering to her feet. “No, don’t...”

She stumbled towards them. Almost immediately, the world began to spin. The edges of her vision turned white.

“Wait!” Lady nearly lost her balance, and she tried to run towards the children. They only slipped farther away. “Wait!”

They didn’t wait. And neither did the world.

Everything spun out of focus.

And her eyes saw nothing but white.

Her hands still shook. Her legs were weak.

But then she blinked, and her breath- once more- got caught in her lungs.

Sitting with her back turned... was Faith.

“Faith!” Lady sprinted towards her and fell to her knees, placing her hands on her shoulders. “Are you alright? I got your memories; do you feel better?”

Silence responded.

“Faith?”

“...Riley.”

She froze.

“Her name was Riley. She loved to sing. I played for her a lot. She always brought snacks and shared them with me.” Faith gazed at her hands- unstained, untainted. “I killed her. I watched her blood slip away through my fingers.”

Lady stared at the ground. Words formed in her mouth, but they turned to stone the moment she tried to speak. “I...”

“I killed my friend. I killed all of my friends.” She buried her face in her hands. “They were right. I’m a monster.”

I’m a monster.

She gritted her teeth. “No, you’re not. It wasn’t your fault, Faith- it was never your fault!”

A sob escaped Faith’s chest. “Then why do I lose them?! Why do they always go away?! I try so hard to make them happy, and they always leave! They go away, and I’m...” Tears streaked her cheeks. The scars on her body began to glow- as if the spirits residing in them were growing upset. “I’m still here. They’re gone, and I’m still alive.”

Lady didn’t know how to answer. What could she say?

“...They’re still here, aren’t they?”

“...What?”

“Your friends. Your loved ones.” She placed a hand on shoulder, gently nudging her friend towards her. “They’re still with you. They never left. Even when they could, they stayed by your side.”

Faith’s scars glowed, a tad brighter than before. She ran her hands over her arms.

“They were good people,” she murmured. “Like you. And it’s good people that I always get killed.”

“I won’t die. You could never kill me, Faith. Never.”

Finally, she looked up- her golden eyes shone with tears. “I lose everyone. I don’t want to lose you.”

Lady smiled; the words finally came to her. “You won’t lose me. I promise.”

“How do you know that?”

She gripped Faith’s hands in her own, giving them a light squeeze. “You’ll have to trust me. Do you?”

Her response was immediate: “Of course.”

“Then trust that you won’t lose me. And I give you my word that no matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side.”

She sniffled. “Until the end?”

Lady gave her a grin. “Until the end.”

And when they hugged, she felt relieved at how warm- how alive her friend felt.

...She couldn’t stop herself, even if she tried. 

When she buried her face in Faith’s shoulder, she immediately sunk her teeth into the skin. 

Faith didn’t seem to mind. Her hand was soft when it rested on Lady’s hair. Her lips moved, as if saying a prayer. 

A blessing. A promise.

[...]

Lady and Faith laid side by side on the ground, the former’s arms wrapped protectively around the latter.

Faith’s shoulder began to glow just a bit.

———————————————————————

A/N: holy shit! It’s done! Huzzah!!!! Fair warning- the next chapter will probably be just as long XD

Edit: read chapter 13! :D

[spirit-of-the-void]

Ebony and Ivory (V x Reader Fanfic) Chapter 12

Author’s notes: What is a timeline and an upload schedule? Cause idk lol Thanks for the love and support lovelies <3 Psst...think you’re gonna like Chapter 13

Chapter 12

What the hell were you supposed to do with yourself?

Nero was leading the way back through the subway. The area was completely clean and clear of demons, scorch marks and bullet holes telling a very violent story. You found yourself quiet, unable to think of anything to say while your mind raced the way it did. Completely done in by a little hint of romance. V seemed completely unfazed, his usual confident self as you both followed behind the demon hunter. He hadn’t let Griffon and Shadow back out yet, which you appreciated. You couldn’t imagine how you looked at that moment, but Griffon was definitely smart enough to tell when you were flustered. How dare V be so composed and calm after shaking up your world like that? Very unfair.

You wanted to make it fair.

So you tasked yourself with finding a similar composure. Counting breaths, tapping your fingers on you thigh, biting the inside of your cheek. You thought you saw V steal a few glances at you from under his black hair, but you couldn’t be sure. You were so frustrated. You felt teased, so unbelievably teased. But in a way...maybe this was best--had you kissed him, you don’t know how you two would have acted afterwards. Even this close space contact was just so hard. Was it just simple lust? You doubted that, at least on your part. You could never feel attraction without at least some emotion attached to it.

You kept close to the poet, wondering just how you could get him flustered--probably would have been easier alone. You glanced forward at the demon hunter, who was keeping a close eye on your surroundings. Unlike you.

Nero, for the most part, was completely oblivious--at least to your knowledge. He was flexing his metal arm, flicking blood from in between the gears and fingertips. You noticed he had switched between several different types of arms, this one a little more stream-lined. All made by Nico of course. It was pretty apparent that you didn’t know much about the demon-hunter either, which was kind of upsetting considering how much you enjoyed his company as well. He was a closed book too. Minus the knowledge of him having a fiance named Kyrie, whom he loves and adores. You definitely hoped you could meet her someday as well, you couldn’t imagine what kind of woman she could be to date someone like Nero.

Trying to distract yourself, you cleared your throat.

“So what’s your story, Nero?” You asked, quickening your step a bit to catch up with him. You made sure to give V’s arm a light squeeze when you passed, not looking at his face, “What lead you to a life of fighting demons?”

Nero glanced at you, raising a grey-tinted brow at your question.

“What brought that on?” He asked.

You shrugged, clasping your hands behind your back as you replied, “Genuine curiosity. Realized I don’t know jack shit about a lot of you guys.”

Nero gave a short laugh, rolling his shoulders a bit, “Fair enough. It’s a long story though.”

“If you haven’t noticed,” You smiled lightly, staring at the subway stretching before you, “We’ve got time. Bet V is aching to know your backstory.”

“Mmm.” V hummed, stepping up beside you suddenly and brushing your leg with his cane. You tried not to show how much it affected you. You met his sidelong glance with a smile, resisting the urge to touch his face with you hands--you needed to play nice for now, you weren’t going to force Nero to third wheel. Besides, you had asked the white haired boy a question and you were determined to focus on his answer.

Nero let out a low huff, making a face as he thought over your words, deciding how to answer.

“Have you ever heard of the Order of the Sword?” He asked you, turning his blue eyes back to your face.

Your expression blanked in confusion, “Uh...no.”

“Hooo boy. Settle in then, there’s a lot to unpack.”

You talked as you walked, Nero breaking down a lengthy explanation of the Order of the Sword and everything that had happened to him. About the attack on Fortuna, where he first met Dante. You listened with interest, enjoying learning about the world you were living in and all it entailed. According to the white haired boy, the Order of the Sword was secretly becoming demons and doing naughty things in a search for power, which was pretty typical. Demons had attacked Fortuna, and Nero pretty much learned how to fight them while there. A lot had happened--he apparently fought Dante when they first met, but both worked together to stop the attack and stop the Order. Kyrie was saved, the city a bit messed up afterwards but the rebuilding time had been fast.

He also talked wistfully of his life without parents, growing up in an orphanage where he met Credo and Kyrie. Their parents ran the place, and they were very kind to him growing up. You ached for him--growing up without blood family had to be hard, and judging by the bitter edge to his voice it was a stinging wound. But he spoke fondly of the people he did have, telling you about Credo’s death and how Kyrie had been saved. Christ, the boy had been through a lot. Growing up with a strange arm, fighting this order, then recently losing that arm to a mysterious man. Apparently a sword called “Yamato” was inside of it, and now it was gone. Your head was spinning by the time he was done, and you could hardly comprehend all of it.

V was strangely quiet throughout it all, eyes forward and head tilted as he too listened to Nero’s backstory. You couldn’t read the expression he wore there, but he did seem intrigued.

“So let me get this straight,” You said after he relayed some more information, tapping your nails on your chin, “Nico’s father was a part of this organization, but he was an insane, deadbeat asshole?”

“That’s right.” Nero replied, jaw tightening as he remembered the man he described to you.

“And Dante killed him?” Everything was becoming a bit convoluted. Nero had fought her father at some point, which is how he had acquired the Yamato. But Dante...he was the one who later landed the killing blow, destroying the now-demonized father of Nico. According to Nero, the mechanic hated her father anyway, and wasn’t bothered by the fact that Dante was the one to finished him off. Which you could understand.

“Right again.” Nero inclined his head, putting his hands behind his head and stretching a bit.

Wow. That was definitely a lot to take in

“Nero,” You commented after his lengthy explanation, shaking your head a couple times, “If you ever need like...a hug? I will gladly provide.”

He smirked lightly, sticking his hands in his pockets as he tilted his body in your direction, “Gee, I’m touched,” He rolled his eyes a bit, seeming amused, “Don’t worry about me. I think I’m fine without hugs for now. Not the hugging type.”

You chuckled, clasping your hands behind your back again, “Still, thank you for telling me. If feel like we’ve all learned a lot of important things about you.” Nero’s life really made sense, all that bravado and energy came as a direct result of his very existence. You wished he had lived a better life, with parents who cared, but he turned out okay for the most part. Probably due to Kyrie, the woman you were now very eager to meet.

Regardless, you and your group neared another set of stairs. You immediately saw a payphone resting on a nearby wall, just aching to be used. Nero had gone through a few arms, so you weren’t shocked when the demon hunter made his way over, coin in hand. You personally were just happy to check on the mechanic. The daggers were serving you very well, picking up the slack of your energy and making for some very interesting fights. You pulled one out to examine it a bit, facing the payphone as Nero dialed the mechanic. V took up place by the wall, pulling out his poetry book and quietly reading the pages--you had no doubts he already had them memorized. You eyed him a bit while he was distracted, chest squeezing at the way those long fingers flipped the pages so delicately.

His jade eyes slid up, easily catching you in your staring. You blinked, too stubborn to look away. A challenge of sorts. You met his gaze, smiling brightly and tilting your head at the book. He offered a wry smirk in return, holding the book down a little lower so you could get a better look at them. Well, at least he wasn’t secretive about it. You looked over the beautiful cursive, the bright illustrations only slightly faded with time. You wanted to ask him where he got the book, but were unsure if he would answer for whatever reason.

“Hey, I’ve got a job for you.” Nero said on the phone to the mechanic, making both you and V turn.

You didn’t even have time to react--V suddenly grabbed you, pulling you roughly against him when the wall next to you shattered. Nico’s van came within inches of hitting you, practically grazing Nero’s asscheeks as you squeaked, tucked against the poet. Jesus Christ, how the hell had she managed to get into the fucking subway?! You blinked, turning with the two males to stare incredulously at the driver of the van that almost hit you. She had straight up came busting through the wall, not a scratch on the van but rubble from the concrete sliding off her roof and clattering to the floor. You did not appreciate the free heart attack, the theatrics completely outrageous.

Nico opened the window, still holding the phone and smirking a bit as she met your gazes.

“What do y’all need?” She said innocently, hanging up the phone and blowing a cloud of cigarette smoke.

Nero clicked his tongue, simply walking around to the van door and going in. You were still frozen in place, V’s arms sliding from your form, poet taking a step to the slide now the Nico’s searching gaze was on you both. You tried to ignore how his fingertips lingered on your lower back, tracing a gentle line along your spine. Focus. You needed to focus.

“Hey Nico?” You asked, voice acceptably breathless after almost getting hit by a van, “Do you take criticism on your driving yet?”

“Nope,” She replied, giving an only slightly apologetic smile, “Why? Ya got some complaints?”

You sighed lightly, walking over to lean on the side of the van and stare imploringly at her.

“Please,” You stage-whispered, eyes so very tired, “Stop trying to hit us with the van.”

She let out a light laugh at that, reaching out to pat your head. Her hand was a little stained with oil, but you still didn’t pull away. A smile curved your lips, making a face when a bit of tobacco scented smoke met you.

“In my defense, wasn’t trying to hit you,” Nico replied, tapping her fingers on the window’s edge, “Nero? Maybe.”

“I heard that!” The demon hunter shouted from inside the van, sounding appropriately annoyed.

You laughed, pushing off from the vehicle and brushing off some of the dust from the incident. V’s gentle hand suddenly reached out, stroking your shoulders and upper back. You blinked, looking over at him, seeing him wince a bit as the action set up a cloud of more dust. You fought a giggle, but it still slipped out. He was covered in a layer of his own, the stuff looking like snow on his all black clothing. You turned, grabbing him by the sides of his head so you could tug him down. He seemed startled, letting out a light grunt as you ruffled his locks, coughing lightly when a bunch of dust left him. Damn, maybe another shower later was a good idea. You gave him an apologetic look when he lifted his head, seeming absolutely exasperated with the whole situation.

You shared a long look with him, that needy little voice screaming at the back of your head. You tried to ignore it.

“Maybe wearing all black wasn’t the smartest idea,” You told him,shaking your head at all the white and grey powder on his form, “It’s very noticeable.”

He smirked, lifting his book and shaking it a bit.

“I wasn’t anticipating Nico’s...creative methods of travel,” He replied, eyeing the van with a bit of foreboding, “One would suppose I should keep it in mind for next time.”

You giggled again, leaning against the wall next to him. You couldn’t imagine him in anything other than black clothing. An image of him in brighter colors couldn’t form in your brain, but you were sure some domestic clothes would look very good on him. A nice suit and tie, some sweatpants, a tank top. Ahh, there went your imagination. You banished such thoughts before they could fully form, keeping that smile on your face and trying not to show what a misbehaving thinker you were. V’s eyes were still on your face after all. And Nico’s, you just realized. She had watched the whole exchange, eyes narrowed and lips blowing a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. You met her probing looks, giving her an expression that implored her not to say anything.

Almost on cue, Griffon materialized from V’s tattoos, gusting wings sending all the dust flying from your forms. You coughed, holding out an arm so the bird could land, moving his way to your shoulders. Shadow materialized too, weaving between your feet and the poet’s as they let out a low growl. You were both relieved to see them and disappointed. On one hand, you loved them both dearly and enjoyed their company so much, on the other...No more alone time with the poet. You were so limited with what you could do with Griffon there, despite the bird swearing to being your wingman. He was eyeing you both closely, head tilted and golden eyes glinting with curiosity. Oh yeah, he could sense something was up.

“What the fuck just happened?” He squawked, fixated on the shattered wall and settling dust, “You bastards are filthy. I leave for what, ten minutes, and you both have a quick roll in the dirt?”

You rolled your eyes, gripping his talons as you replied, “No, just more of Nico’s property damage.”

Nico let out a snort at that, smothering her cigarette in a nearby ashtray upon finishing it off.

“Not like the place isn’t trashed anyway,” She stated, shrugging her shoulders, “Besides, we’re doin’ a service to the public by goin’ after Urizen, gotta make it to y’all as fast as possible.”

She had a point in there somewhere. But you got the feeling that she, too, had a flare for the over-dramatic.

The mechanic turned back into the van upon hearing Nero’s voice, probably to help the boy with his metal arms. You looked down when Shadow sat at your feet, mighty head resting against your leg and eyes staring at you expectantly. You were so very weak for this cat, they had your heart in those precious paws. Meat was immediately created, given to both the familiars. They had been working hard all day, fighting and working to help you and the poet. If you had enough strength, there were so many abilities of the Void you could use and utilize to help them. At your peak of power, you could summon things from the darkness to distract enemies, take on a shadow-like form and teleport. You hadn’t done that in a very, very long time. It took a long time of training and non-stop missions to reach point, and even then...you still died fighting with all that strength.

The thought made a twinge of pain pass through your head, hand instinctively coming up to rest on your temple. That certainly wasn’t pleasant.

“Are you alright?” V immediately noticed, taking a step closer to you. There was concern in his gaze, those full lips tilted into a frown.

You smiled, closing one eye as you addressed him, “I’m okay,” Not a lie, you technically were alright, “Just the hangover still knocking on my head a bit.” More...of a lie.

“Almost like drinking was a bad idea,” Griffon huffed, snapping his beak by your ear and making you wince, “Got any regrets yet, girlie?”

You beamed, patting the side of his beak, “Nope.”

He snickered at that, making you laugh too. V smiled ruefully, leaning his cane on the wall and crossing his arms. The lazy posture and that gaze reminded you of a jaguar eyeing something to eat. Which was funny, considering Shadow--a big black cat itself--was sitting on your feet making lovey-eyes at you. You made sure to give them all the pats, focus bouncing all over the place. You wanted to focus on V, but Christ, you were gonna sweat. You had to practice some self control, some form of restraint. It was becoming very hard, which was bad considering now Griffon and Shadow were back--you hoped to god Nero hadn’t noticed the tension yet, which seemed likely considering how battle-focused he was. You appreciated that heavily, he also wasn’t the type to say anything either.

Speaking of, he finally exited the van, sporting some brand new devil breakers on his belt. You looked away from the poet, taking a deep breath as you met Nero’s focused eyes.

“Ready to go?” He asked, eyeing the group now that the demons were back, “Oh hey, the chicken came back!”

Griffon puffed up his feathers, narrowing his gaze at the demon hunter as he replied, “Eat shit and die, brat.”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms as you chided, “Can you ladies stop bickering for a few minutes at least?”

Nero, much to your shock, laughed. He turned his back, starting up the stairs with a passing wave at Nico as she took up a spot in the van window again. You did the same, walking in step with V as you blew another kiss to the mechanic. It was time to set off again, unfortunately, but you didn’t mind. But your foresight was already tickling the back of your mind, warnings prickling up even as you finally exited the subway. Blessedly. It was cloudy outside now, but the breeze was nice as it blew over your group, ascending up the subway stairs into a completely obliterated part of the city. This place got hit bad, buildings upturned and absolute chaos all around you. The closer you got to the tree, the worse the damage was; it looked like the apocalypse, absolutely trashed and not a human in sight. Only silence prevailed, dark and eerie and sending chills up your spine.

V came up next to you, looking at all the damage with a strange expression. In fact, there was no emotion on his face, no smile, no anger. But you thought you saw his jaw clench a bit, hand gripping the top of his cane ever so tighter. The destruction bothered him a lot, almost to the point of guilt. You could tell that pretty well of him. Something about the look in his eyes made you reach a hand down and gently squeeze his wrist--a reminder of your support. Sure enough, you could feel his pulse racing, outside not reflecting the obvious turmoil within. You were getting better at reading his emotions, and that pleased you quite a bit.

The poet flickered his gaze to you at the feeling of your hand, clenched jaw relaxing ever so slightly. He slid his hand down into yours, giving it the lightest of squeezes with those delicate fingers of his. You tried not to feel flustered, but your heart was pounding away in your chest with that dumb excitement you always felt. V looked so composed, so calm and collected--that wasn’t fair, was it? You wanted to do something he didn’t expect, wanted him flustered too, but you had no idea what would cause that short of grabbing his ass. Which you would not be doing. Instead, you waited until Nero walked forward, Griffon launching from your shoulders with a low chortle as he flew on ahead to scout a bit. Before V could pull away from you, you pulled his hand up to your lips.

You brushed your lips over his knuckles, making his eyes dart back over to you with a startled expression. You smiled softly, meeting his gaze unflinchingly as you gently kissed his hand. You wanted to distract him from the pain, the guilt, the bad feelings. He swallowed visibly, unfurling his fingers in your grasp slightly as time seemed to stop for you both. His hands truly were beautiful, you couldn’t help it. Mesmerizing, elegant. You kissed his index finger, surprised when he was responsive to that. Much to your absolute delight, that was what triggered a flustered reaction from the poet. You saw his cheeks flush a bit, breath catching with shock a second before his eyes darted to the side, unable to look at you. He put his other hand to his mouth, fingers twitching a bit when you let out a surprised gasp. You were sure he felt your breath on his fingertips.

“You’re blushing…!” You breathed, eyes alight with delight as he tried to look away more, “That’s so cute…!”

“...Y/N.” His tone was mumbled around his hand, his fingers curled back around yours as he started forward, tugging you along before Nero noticed you lagging behind.

You were still beaming, absolute evil coursing through you now. Like you knew his weakness.

“Do you like it when I touch your hands…?” You whispered to him, bumping his shoulder with your own, “Come on, V. A little honesty won’t hurt.”

He said nothing, jaw twitching a bit as he continued forward, hand still over his mouth. Griffon flew back, blinking in shock when he saw V’s face, and you giggling like an idiot. He landed on V’s shoulders this time, an incredulous look in his eyes when the poet shook him off.

“What the fresh fuck did you do, Y/N?” The bird asked in shock, landing on you and shaking out his feathers, “Did you give him a quick blow job while I wasn’t looking? I’ve never seen him look that flustered.”

“Griffon.” V’s tone was low, full of warning, as he pointed his cane at the bird.

He held up his wings defensively, letting out an alarmed squawk now that he was on the sharp end of V’s weapon.

“Cool it, Shakespeare!” He exclaimed, narrowing his eyes and wearing that expression of mirth, “Just stating simple facts. Searching for answers. Sleuthing.”

You smiled innocently, still enjoying the look on V’s face. He was very embarrassed, which made a part of you feel bad. But that other part that had been cock teased by the poet all day was downright gleeful, triumphant even. You squeezed his fingers again, sliding your thumb over his palm gently. You had held his hand before, sure, but not like this. Fingers entwined, squeezing his digits--that was all pretty simple. Now you were trying to get a rise out of him, trailing your nail gently over his soft skin and gauging his reactions. He immediately jolted again, jerking you closer to him and making you release a surprised squeak.

He put his lips to your ear, saying in a breathy hiss, “If you can’t behave yourself, little sparrow,” His breath felt very hot, lips brushing you just enough to make your own face feel warm--not that the implications in his tone weren’t enough, ”You’re going to make me do something that will get us both in trouble with Nero.”

Thank nickname...it made your heart speed up considerably.

You shivered again, not caring if Griffon saw at this point--because the bird was definitely watching, like you two were some juicy soap opera. The jig was up, he was already well aware of your shenanigans and lust by that point. You and the poet were now pushing each other, bit by bit, in a contest to see who caved first. And you now had a fun card up your sleeve, knowing that he liked when you touched his hands was so much fun. You never noticed it before, because before you hadn’t been looking, things hadn’t been this charged. You felt incredibly bold now, oh so eager to see just how far you could tempt him. But he was right--Nero was still here, oblivious to your exchange, that or he was politely not acknowledging it.

Still, you smiled softly, letting go of V’s hand and blowing him a small kiss. You skipped forward to catch up with Nero, leaving the poet to contain himself a bit and get his bearings. In the meantime, you looked at your surroundings, taking in what seemed to be a destroyed opera house in the near distance. It looked like it was beautiful once, ornate, with carved gold on their pillars and beautiful hand painted art pieces. It was a shame, really--it seemed like this city had a lot of wonder to it before the whole incident, stories to tell and memories to be made.

“I bet it was beautiful here before,” You commented to Nero quietly, walking step by step with him. Concern was in your gaze, mixed with a hint of regret, “Wish I could have seen it.”

Nero grunted quietly in agreement, resting his blue eyes on you.

“Never been to Redgrave before?” He asked.

You shook your head, running your attention around the disaster again, “No. Not exactly from this area,” Not exactly from this dimension, more like, “I was...traveling here to see it when the calamity happened.”

Griffon flew up behind you, landing on your shoulders as you walked. You could see his gaze on you, a knowing look in those eyes as he more than likely recalled everything you spilled during your drinking frenzy. He knew damn well now that you hadn’t been here long before that, and that you had done no such traveling. But he, luckily, kept his mouth shut, starting to preen his feathers with a low sigh only you could hear. You appreciated his discretion.

“Damn shame,” Nero said with a low sigh, slowing as you approached the opera house’s remains. He pointed at it, a small smile passing over his space as he added, “My girl sang there once...Kyrie’s voice it beautiful, you would have loved it.”

The affection in his voice, that obvious adoration…every time he mentioned Kyrie, he went adorably soft.

You gave a soft smile, giggling a bit. Nero was a big, bad demon hunter. All rough and tumble, taunting and powerful in the face of battle. It was so interesting to see him settle down a bit, his expression losing that edge, taking on that remembering look as he thought of the person he loved. It was so precious, wholesome even. You didn’t even know Kyrie, but you were already damn well prepared to put yourself in harms way to preserve whatever it was they had.

Nero blinked at you when you still didn’t reply, raising his brow as he asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” You shook your head, giving him a sidelong smile, “It’s just cute. Seeing people who are as much in love as you is a rare treat, Nero. Don’t ever change that.”

He seemed surprised by your words, but you only got the back end of his expression as you turned to check on V again. The poet was catching up, skin tone normal and eyes meeting yours with that familiar, reserved smirk. Ohhh, someone had found his composure again--and much to V’s luck, since Nero was paying attention now, no more hand holding. Which meant you would be forced to behave.

You reasoned that this was a good thing--Your foresight was slowly growing louder, alerting you of some big, bad enemies up ahead. You snapped your fingers to get Nero’s attention once more, both men turning to look at you as you pointed at the ruins of the opera.

“Something is waiting for us,” You warned, summoning some tendrils just as a precaution, “So be ready, we’re going to have a fight on our hands.”

Nero simply smirked, cracking the knuckles on his left hand and starting forward with confidence. You sighed--well, at least you had tried to warn him. V seemed to sense your exasperation, giving you a wry smirk and squeezing your shoulder as he followed the eager demon hunter, signalling that you should too. That was probably the most wise course of action. Shadow materialized in front of your group, Griffon perching in his favorite spot on your shoulders. Both seemed ready for battle, Shadow’s pelt rippling and glowing marks traveling over the black surface of their body. Griffon was charged up too, the sensation of his energy crackling in your ear a bit. You didn’t mind at all.

You heard V let out a low hum, leaning over to whisper in your ear.

“Be on your toes,” His voice was a low purr, “And if you feel close to exerting, take shelter nearby. Griffon will know to grab you.”

You hesitated, hating the idea of leaving him behind in danger to save yourself. You also hated the idea of Griffon prioritizing you over him.

But still, you nodded.

V was not convinced, stopping you from following Nero and adding, “Swear to me, Y/N. No invocations, you prioritize yourself.”

“...Promise.” You mumbled, hating how it felt to do so. Choosing yourself over others felt so wrong, but you couldn’t argue with him when he used a tone like that. Those jade eyes fixed on your own gaze, lips parted and hand touching your cheek. You couldn’t deny him.

Your answer made that wry, cocky smile appear. As if he knew the effect he had over you. He turned away, letting his hand drop as he turned to follow Nero into the abandoned opera house. Fuck, you had a weird feeling about this, but what else could you do? Your foresight was signalling a much stronger enemy, but there was no convincing Nero not to rush headfirst into a fight. You followed behind V, summoning your tendrils as you all stepped over the threshold into the abandoned building. You had to climb over a pile of rubble, landing in what looked to be the main theater, or at least what was left of it.

The box seats were still somehow standing on high walls, mere inches from toppling over.It was beautiful at a time, the floor made of carved, intricate stone and ornate seating tossed here and there. It seemed clear of enemies, but you knew better. Always knew better. Something was here, waiting for anyone to pass through and attack. The area, luckily, had plenty of areas for you to attach your tendrils to, making for safe movement based fighting for you. You could pepper down attacks at random to whatever appeared, using your daggers to hit and Void powers to fly away when needed. Now it was only a matter of what breed of nasty would appear to your cue.

Right on time.

Almost sensing your thoughts, something big and mean looking hopped down from a high ledge, landing in front of your group. All three of you stopped, staring at this creature with varying expressions. It was humanoid in appearance, but most certainly a demon. Long, red glowing horns extended from a head without eyes, yet you knew it was staring at you. It looked like it was wearing armor, definitely a hefty sword-wielding demon man. The inside of its mouth was glowing blue, face expressionless as it face your group--he was certainly an intimidating looking creature, but nothing your group couldn’t handle, right? At least so you thought. Before you could open your mouth, four more came walking out on either side of the intimidating creature, only these had blue horns and looked lower level than the main baddie. They were wielding shields as well as swords, which was a bit of a concern in your opinion.

You glanced at Nero, and as expected he wore that cocky, battle-eager grin. He didn’t seemed bothered at all. You tilted your gaze to the poet, expecting him to be wearing that same swarmy, half smile you so adored. Ready to toss out a poetry quote, right? At least so you thought. The expression he wore...was not one you expected.

He looked…angry.

Several emotions shifted across his face, varying in intensity as you desperately tried to get a read on him. You were sure you saw realization, then discomfort, fear, and then settling on a quiet rage you had never seen on his face before. And...familiarity. You couldn’t place it, nor understand it. You simply stared in shock, unable to speak as he stepped up beside Nero, grabbing his cane with one hand and pressing the other to his temple. You exchanged a look with Griffon, seeing that same knowing look in his eyes as he met your gaze. He shook his head at you, letting out a low, nervous trill as he launched from your shoulders and circled overhead.

“Ohhoo, nice,” Nero laughed, gesturing between all the creatures casually, like they were old friends, “Gettin’ the band back together, huh?”

You worriedly glanced at V, a chill going up your spine as he spoke. One of both fear, and extreme intrigue. Seeing him mad was both alarming and exciting.

“What evil lurks…” He said in a low growl, lifting his eyes up to the demons, “I must destroy.”

Nero let out a low snort, pulling out his gun and smirking at the creatures.

“Thought that was the plan all along…!”

You opened your mouth to reply to them both, but the whole building lurched. You fell forward with an alarmed cry, catching yourself on one hand and knee as everything started shaking. The entire structure began to move and tremble, sliding forward with you and everyone else on it. You jerked your head to look behind you, seeing the opera stage detach from the building and leaving it in the distance, moving fast down an incline and still somehow staying in one piece. Completely absurd, absolutely insane. Wind whipped past you, some stray pieces of debris and rock whizzing past close enough to graze you. Yet Nero and V still faced forward, absolutely focused as the fight began.

Fuck.

You summoned your tendrils, trying to find your sense of balance as Nero shot forward, leveling his sword on the bigger of the creatures. V, opposite in fighting style, stepped back. He lifted his book of poems, reading from it as the wind pressure sent his hair waving wildly about his face. He still wore that cold expression, and you knew there would be no getting him to back down. So you provided support.

You wrapped your tendrils around him, whipping one out at a creature trying to get closer. It his his shield, sending him flying in Nero’s direction. The boy dodged easily, firing bullets into its head one after the other. Griffon was keeping low, desperately trying not to get blown away and keeping up with the fighting. How he managed, you’d never know. Still, you wrapped tendrils around him too, keeping him secure in the fighting area with all of you. He seemed grateful, providing backup fire for Shadow on the ground. The mighty cat was digging in its claws, roaring over the rush of sound and battle as it attacked with deadly spikes.

Another one of those creatures came for V, so you darted to his side, wrapping a tendril around its wrist and whipping more tendrils at its shield. It didn’t even flinch, taking the knockback and trying to swing its sword at you. V whipped his cane around, blocking the attack in one fell clang of metal. God, there was so much going on at that moment, you didn’t know what to keep track of. You were terrified of someone getting knocked off, but V needed to be protected. And yet, he was still keeping an eye on you, protecting you. It made your heart race, adrenaline pumping faster now as you sent of a flurry of tendrils, slicing the creature over and over and sending it rolling away.

“This is totally unsafe…!” You shouted at the two boys, who seemed pretty indifferent to the whole situation.

Nero let out a light laugh, hurling a demon away from him as he winked at you, “Don’t worry kid, you’ll get used to it!” He punched another creature with his metal arm, sending it flying away in an explosion of hot metal. One arm broken, it would seem.

You weren’t sure you wanted to get used to it.

Another piece of debris came flying off the front of the opera stage. V grabbed you, yanking you to the ground just as it passed overhead. You glanced up in enough time to see a demon raising a sword over you, using your tendrils to send you and V sliding away from each other just as the metal clanged down on stone. Christ, that was way too close. You met V’s gaze with a concerned one of your own, worried that maneuvers like that would accidentally fling him off at some point. He let out a slow breath, rising to his feet and snapping his fingers. Alarm filled you, brain wondering how the hell Nightmare would land on the sliding death trap.

He didn’t have to, the portal opening to the side and sending him bowling over the group of demons. Nero let out a light laugh, hoping out of the way and narrowly avoiding being crushed. Jesus christ. The structure shuddered and groaned at the extra weight, more dirt and rocks pattering past. You felt a couple scratch your face, but the pain was irrelevant at that moment. You saw two of the demons get finished off by Nero, but that big one was heading toward V.

Both boys looked at it, Nero launching himself with his devil breaker to slam it face first into the ground. Nightmare sent a line of laser behind him, targeting the remaining demons with vigor and readying them for death. V shot past you, cane in hand. He swung around, slamming it into the chest of one staggering demon, then whipped it around to impale it in the head of the other. The look on his face concerned you, no longer the level-headed look of the poet you’d seen all week. He looked...displeased, to say the least. Like there was a foul taste in his mouth. Something about this particular breed of demon was not settling well with him, and you wished you knew why.

Before you could give it any real though, Nero began finishing off the final creature.

As he stabbed his sword into the demon’s chest, the structure around you began to shudder more, rumbling filling the air as you jerked your gaze up. You could see a cliffs edge nearing at high speeds up ahead, just as the opera stage began to crumble apart from the stress of sliding down such a steep incline. You lost your balance, landing hard on your side even as your tendrils whipped out in a flurry of activity. Mind drawn to several places at once. V, reaching toward you and Griffon latching onto him, Nero looking up from the demon’s corpse. You latched onto them both, using the tendrils to launch you group up and back out of the stage, onto the cliff just as it went crashing down below.

You landed on your feet, falling back with a low huff of air as V came to a stumbling halt beside you, and Nero in front of you. Nightmare had returned to his master’s hair again, and Griffon and Shadow had apparently returned as well.

And you? You took some time to catch your breath.

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18136193/chapters/43249853

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Tagged: @nightshadow4713 @slightlylunatic @silentwhispofhope @just-call-me-no-name @efiicitia @raven-huntress

[keeroo92]

Crimson Tide Ch8

Chapter Eight - Sink or Swim

---Nero---

Nero hated swimming.

Passionately.

He hated how the water flowed against his skin, how even a twitch of his hand would ruin his back float. Hated how his ears popped when he dove, how blind he was during every descent. He hated how his breath ran out in under sixty seconds.

But above all else, he hated when he had to piss.

This is so disgusting…

The water was too murky for any yellow stain to appear, but the warm zone left behind was unavoidable. It reminded him of children in a public pool, relieving themselves as they pleased until you smelled the urine mixing with chlorine. He shuddered in revulsion and did his business quickly, hoping they found a portal before he had to take a shit.

“Right, let’s keep going,” he said. Dante smirked and splashed away, heading toward the horizon where the sun kissed the water. Soon they would run out of daylight and would have to figure out how to rest or search in the dark, but they didn’t have any alternate ideas.

Dante dove first, his body slicing through the waves at a near perfect angle. Nero waited for a count of fifteen before following with a much less elegant sploosh. The foggy water meant he had to guess at where his uncle wound up, but so far they’d been lucky. He searched for any sign of motion, diving deeper until he spotted a flash of something to his left. The young warrior angled his right arm and focused, extending his ethereal blue limb as far as he could until it grasped the familiar leather.

He took hold and shifted, pulling Dante to his side as he propelled himself skyward with his wings. His uncle kicked to assist him, and within seconds their two white heads broke the surface.

“See anything?”

Dante glared at him. “No, but I could’ve stayed down longer. You need to give me more time.”

Nero sighed, rolling his eyes. They had the same argument every few hours and he responded with the same answer he always did.

“Okay, next time I’ll let you drown.”

“What’re you talking about? I’m a fantastic swimmer!” Dante replied, rolling over to display his skill with a clumsy backstroke and consequently sending a wave right at Nero’s grumpy expression.

He didn’t flinch as the water cascaded over his face. What was the point? Only a click of his tongue revealed his fresh annoyance.

“Whatever. Let’s go again.”

“Count to twenty this time, yeah?” Dante called out, already on the move. Nero growled and followed a beat later, his arms aching with fatigue as he forced his body forward.

Dante took a deep breath and vanished into the surf with a cheeky salute. Nero frowned and started the count, ticking off the seconds. The water sparkled in the fading light, and for a moment he imagined he was on the beach of Fortuna, taking the kids for a swim as Kyrie started lunch. His heart ached and he tried to resume his count. That was twenty, right? It wasn’t worth risking. He inhaled and plunged into the surf, wide eyes already scanning the depths.

Dante didn’t get very far on most dives, descending less than one hundred feet to stay within Nero’s range in case something went wrong. It left thousands of feet unexplored, but without diving gear this was the best they could manage. Only twice had he truly needed to help his uncle reach the surface. The first stirrings of worry coiled in his gut as the pressure forced his ears to pop and he still saw no trace of the man. He dove deeper, squinting as panic set in.

Dante was nowhere to be seen. What number was he on? Forty? Forty-five?

Fuck, gotta breathe soon!

Nero released a stream of bubbles as he rose, gently fluttering his wings. His heart pounded erratically and his system flooded with adrenaline as he broke the surface alone.

“Dante!”

He spun, searching the waves for a flash of white. Only the pale greenish-blue hue of the sea greeted him and he cursed. With another deep breath, he forced himself below the water once more. He ignored the insistent pressure squeezing his skull, the ache in his limbs and the exhaustion in his muscles as he descended as far as his body allowed, counting the seconds.

Nothing. forty-three seconds had passed. Could he last to fifty?

No, I need the time to reach the surface. Damnit!

His wings pumped a brutal rhythm and he shot upward, churning the tides in his wake. The dull tightness in his lungs sharpened, his time running out. Fifty-eight seconds gone. His throat spasmed and he coughed, exchanging the last few precious bubbles for water despite his willful refusal to breathe. Sometimes, the body had no choice.

Shit!

He kicked and clawed, desperate to reach the surface as the edges of his vision darkened. Nothing mattered outside his need for air, and he didn’t notice the first stirrings of motion nearby. With a final push, the sweet caress of a breeze touched his cheeks and he gasped, hacking up mouthfuls of water and bile.

I fucking hate swimming.

He shifted to human and laid on his back, staring at the dusky sky as he recovered. There were no stars; the night would be black as pitch. Impossible to navigate. He needed to find Dante, now. Nero sighed and opened his lips to call for his uncle, praying for a response this time. If he was still underwater, it was already too late.

“DANTEEEE!”

Nothing.

Except… was that a roar?

Nero’s brows furrowed in confusion as he shifted to locate the source of the sound. Roars usually didn’t preclude good fortune, especially not in the Underworld. It could only be bad news and he braced himself for disaster.

A lithe shape cut through the waves, heading straight for him. It was massive, at least sixty feet long. Definitely not Dante. He couldn’t see much due to the shitty lighting, only a few shimmering scales and what looked like a yellow fin. Another roar echoed across the sea and he gulped.

Water demon. Great.

He drew Red Queen, gritting his teeth and facing the beast in a fiendish game of chicken. Its beady eyes met his and he shifted, revealing his devil form for a heartbeat. A cheap intimidation tactic, but it dipped to the side, passing by his left with dozens of feet to spare. He was about to call out an insult when the last few inches of its tail crossed his vision and he spotted a flash of crimson leather.

Only Dante…

Without pausing to think, Nero threw out his demonic arm and reeled himself in, hitching a ride on the demon’s tail. If he was wrong, he’d never find Dante now. Not moving at this speed.

“Bout time, kid!”

I’m going to murder him.

He adjusted his grip and peeked over the rubbery spine to find Dante, scarlet jacket flapping in the spray as he held the demon’s fin in a white-knuckled fist. The man had to nerve to smirk as he greeted his nephew. If he didn’t need to hold on with both hands, Nero would’ve punched him. Hard.

“This is Terry! He likes sushi and long walks on the beach!” Dante shouted, struggling to be heard over the rushing wind.

“There aren’t beaches here, dumbass!”

Dante frowned but shook it off with a casual shrug. “Whatever! Keep an eye out for a portal, should be easy to spot in the dark!”

Nero grunted and shoved his irritation away, focusing on the mission. He could deal with Dante later. Preferably on dry land. With a stick. Repeatedly.

He contented himself with imagining various ways of unleashing his annoyance, periodically refreshing his grip or shuffling his feet to gain better traction on the slippery scales. This was the closest thing to rest he’d gotten in days. As the hours passed in a blur of rushing wind Nero struggled to keep his drowsiness under control. He fund himself blinking quickly to focus his vision for another scan of the dark water more often than he liked.

His hands were cramping, his thighs and calves numb from the continuous cold spray. Every nerve felt lethargic and clumsy. It was a miracle he didn’t drop into the waves.

“Oh, SHIT!”

Dante’s shouted curse banished his fatigue, alarm bells ringing at the tone of his uncle’s voice. He didn’t see anything and was about to comment that Dante needed his eyes checked when the beast they rode howled.

And another howl answered it.

---Dante---

Dante gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, bracing for the impending confrontation. He might be wrong, the two demons might not fight, but better safe and embarrassed than dead. The waves rolled over a rounded shape in the distance, rapidly growing larger as it approached. It was pointed straight at their ride, the intention becoming more clear with every passing second.

“Hold on!” Dante cried at full volume.

“No shit, Sherlock!”

Under his thick soles, Terry shuddered as the attacker slammed into his side a few dozen yards ahead of their precarious perch. Blood tainted the salty air as it ripped open the meat of its prey, but their mount wasn’t going down without a fight.

His body curved until Dante spotted his beady eyes glinting in the last rays of sunlight. As the bright orb vanished, the environment faded away and went utterly black. The darkness was so complete it made Dante claustrophobic, a surge of anxiety flooding him at the loss of visual input. All he could do now was hold on tight, listen and pray.

Another howl. Fluids splashing, more blood hitting the water. Growling. Gnashing teeth, only a few feet from his face. Terry’s muscles coiled and extended in turn, a rotation of attack and defense. A slam of flesh. Hissing. Motion sickness – Terry must have lifted his tail.

Hope Nero’s got a good grip…

Gurgling. More splashes, the scent of blood overpowering that of salt. Another slam. Tearing. A squeal of pain.

Come on, Terry! You got this!

Coiled muscles. Tissue splitting. Scales whizzing past his face to hit the bloody waters below. And then, the unmistakable sound of a death rattle as Terry went limp.

Fuck!

Dante didn’t dare to draw breath as the corpse grew still, sinking a few feet into the sea. The attacker keened its triumph and dug in, sickening crunches and slurps rending the air. They needed to move. It would eventually find them if they stayed here, clinging to its dinner like fleas. Dante exhaled, lowering one leg into the water. There was so much blood now, the fluid was warm.

The attacker’s greedy sucking sounds got closer. They were running out of time.

“Let go, quietly,” Dante whispered. Nero grunted his agreement and only the shifting weight of Terry’s remains told Dante when he released his hold. He listened for a reaction, his heartbeat racing through his ears.

The attacker paused; it felt the motion, too.

Double fuck!

The faintest outline of spiked fins and thick plates of toughened skin shifted as it turned toward the source of the disturbance. Dante lowered his second leg, dipping into the heated mix to his thighs. Scales littered the surface, yellow and gray.

Wait. I can see?

Even as he processed the change, the dim illumination strengthened into a buttery glow. The epicenter was over one hundred yards away, partially blocked by the damned attacker, but the shade was unmistakable.

A portal.

All they had to do was reach it.

This is gonna suck.

The beast snarled as the light brightened further and it turned to asses the threat. Dante didn’t hesitate, unclasping both hands as one and dropping into the viscous sea with a soft plop. He took a silent breath and dove, doing his damnedest not to disturb the water as he crossed under Terry’s corpse. He trailed a hand on his slick scales, tracing the curve so he knew when to rise.

Thanks for the ride, pal. Here goes nothing.

He surfaced as slowly as a snail, tilting his head to breathe instead of risking the beast hearing drops fall from his hair. There was Nero, paddling a few yards away with narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw. He floated to the young warrior on his back, almost motionless.

“Portal. See?” he murmured.

Nero nodded, his gaze sharpening with determination. He leaned into a back float of his own and flashed a thumbs up. Time to move.

Dante adjusted his body and fluttered his hands, propelling himself toward Terry’s head. Or what was left of it. Judging from the subdued splashes, Nero was close on his tail as he crossed in front. He gagged on the stench of exposed brain tissue. Why it smelled so much worse than regular dead bodies, he couldn’t imagine.

Moment of truth. Luck be a lady tonight!

He turned his head to the attacker, grimacing as it feasted. There wasn’t much left of Terry at this point, poor fucker. A few lengths of sinew entangled with muscle fiber, a patch of scales here and there. They definitely would’ve shared Terry’s fate if they had stayed put.

The beast paid them no mind as the two men floated on, either not noticing or not caring enough to kill them. Still, Dante didn’t risk speaking until a football field separated them, counting the seconds and keeping his eyes locked on the gargantuan creature. He’d never seen anything like it. Granted, this was his first time in Armisael. He’d have to be a moron to think the same demons resided on a damn water world.

Regardless. They made it. He let out a sigh of relief, judging the distance as safe and opening his lips.

“Ready to dive?”

“Let’s get out of here,” the young warrior replied.

With a final mournful glance at Terry, Dante inhaled and sank into the depths, Nero a beat behind. The yellow glow was glaringly bright, but it did nothing to dispel the murkiness of the water. He struggled to keep himself from comparing it to piss, with little success.

His ears popped and the vice crushing his skull tightened. The portal had to be close.

Otherwise we’re screwed.

His lungs screamed for air, bubbles streaming from his lips as he forced himself to go deeper. Forty seconds. They might be able to make it back up, but not for much longer. Nero wouldn’t, at least. He glanced at the blue outline of his nephew, making a quick rock on hand signal.

Nero vanished as the yellow light flared. The insistent pressure on his cranium eased, and Dante closed his eyes against the blinding glow, knowing he was crossing. He took a tiny sniff to confirm, coughing in relief as he smelled hot mustard and methane. Now for the extra fun part.

Let’s see what the wheel of fortune gives us this time…

His feet flattened, solid ground forming under his expectant soles. He stepped forward until it felt safe to open his eyes and took in his surroundings, waiting for Nero to join him.

Finally, a damn break!

The plane was the perfect temperature, and the air smelled of citrus. Green grass covered a hillside nearby, a pair of trees rising from its crest. Blue skies without a single cloud stretched overhead, tiny winged demons flitting about like songbirds. Dante’s lips spread into a wide grin as Nero’s heavy footsteps joined him, a surprised gasp slipping from his mouth.

“Whoa… are we home?”

“Not even close, Kin of Sparda. Spardakin. Ha ha…”

Dante’s heart leaped in alarm and he spun, drawing Ebony and Ivory and bringing them to bear against the new threat – a hunched figure, misshapen and demonic. Its black lips grinned at him, beady eyes staring down the twin barrels as it chuckled. Its laughter reminded him of dry paper, crackling and spent.

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you,” he commanded. By now Nero had Blue Rose drawn and leveled, an echo of his own posture.

The demon hummed and extended a single, spidery finger to push all three weapons aside. Three simultaneous clicks marked his and Nero’s attempts to fire, and it laughed outright as Dante glared at the water dripping from his gun.

“Ha ha… I knew you’d be such fun. I’m glad the rumors proved true, for once.”

“What the hell are you talking about? What rumors?” Nero exclaimed.

The demon tutted, spinning in a circle and smirking mirthlessly. “Why, the rumors of a new ruler, of course! I live to serve, your majesties.”

It bowed, twirling its hand theatrically. Dante stowed his useless pistols, his apprehension plain as he met Nero’s mystified gaze. He had a sinking feeling this demon was about to redefine the phrase ‘mischievous demonic shenanigans.’    

Fuck.

[fandomcathouse]

SSDD - Ch1 All Hands on Deck

AO3 - Written by Me & @lynxtigerwritings

Tags = AU Canon-Divergent / Canon-Typical Violence & Behavior

Pairings = Vergil-OFC / Dante-OFC / Nero-Kyrie

Note - READ LOVE’S SACRIFICE IT’S V PROLOGUE - Pairing V/OFC

If there was one thing Vergil was thankful for, it was that even when he was severely poisoned he could not only feel the presence of the Yamato but also his son. He was also thankful they were in the same place, making it so much easier to focus. Wrapped up in his cloak, shivering even when he was dripping sweat from excursion and fever, he picked his head up when he heard the voice of a sweet girl.

“Hey you two! Dinner’s ready!”

Vergil’s brows pinched together. Was that Kyrie? It echoed from the garage up ahead, the door halfway open. He’d be able to duck under it. That was where the source of the energies was, too.

He wasn’t one to swear, not like Dante or even Nero, but fuck his whole body was shooting white-hot pain all over every step he took...Goddamn Stolas’ for sicking his poisonous plants on him, going after him from behind...All because of Abaddon...

“You, uh...you need somethin’?”

When had he gotten across the road?

“What...hungry? Heh...in luck...food’s ready and Kyrie...too much.” As his vision doubled, most of the sentence was distorted. The sound of clanking reached his ears. That was definitely his son’s voice, and that had been Kyrie after all. Nero had said her name so sweetly...had their relationship developed further? How long...had he been away?

Vergil slipped under the garage door and slowly stepped closer, breathing heavy. His mind was wavering...Focus! He needed to tell Nero he needed help.

“Hope...loud talkers...a pair of those...” Nero had stood up and paused whatever he was saying, but now he was closer Vergil heard him more clearly, “...see somethin’ ya like?”

A blue glow alerted Vergil, feeling the energy of the Yamato spike. When had his son’s arm become demonic?

“You a demon?” Nero growled, obviously on edge now.

That wasn’t what he wanted and he lifted his hand, skin showing grey and veins black in the light. Suddenly desperate he worked his throat and rocked on his heels as he lost his balance, “Nero…”

“Nero! The food’s getting cold! What’s-” Kyrie was immediately cut off.

“Call Dante!” Nero shouted as he swung himself forward. The voice sounded...but it couldn’t. When the robe fell from his face, Nero’s eyes widened and then narrowed. His father looked as though he had aged terribly. The black veins were sucking the very life out of him, and it looked like it was slow acting. Nero knew not a thing about poisons. He only knew how to point and shoot. Kyrie might have something in the home to help slow it down further, but an actual antidote would have to come from Dante, if the demon hunter even knew what the poison was. If this could be cured. “Hey. Father.” His skin was flecking at his very touch, as though he were crumbling to dust.

He slowly pulled the robe back on, trying not to let it rub too much on his father’s skin and hoisted him up. “We’re going to get you upstairs.” He told him seriously. “Kyrie’s calling Dante, I’m sure and we’ll get you better.” As better as they possibly could. “Alright? You gotta stay with me ol’ man. That’s your job right now. You got that? Stay with me.”

His voice needed to work goddamn it but all he got for a second was a chest-rattling grunt to show he was listening. Any other circumstance he would consider this humiliating, and every jostle, as accidental as it was, hurt like a bitch. When he was finally set down on a bed - at least it wasn’t a couch - he reached and grabbed Nero’s arm, choking out, “Yamato...the...power will...” he hissed as his whole body shuddered in a shiver yet a bead of sweat went down his temple, “Slow..it...down...” he finished, feeling incredibly weak and he hated it.

Slow it down? Nero looked at his arm where the Yamato was sealed away. Dante was going to fry him. The Yamato would practically call out every demon from their hiding spots, but what choice did he have? He reached into his palm and pulled the sword out, covered in blood and his arm falling limp from use, Nero had gritted his teeth so finely it was amazing he hadn’t screamed from his own pain. “What do I do?”

Instead of wasting breath, Vergil took it from him and promptly pressed it to his chest where it pulsed with energy. It felt good to have his sword back in his hands, and it when he was able to finally suck air through his teeth and into his lungs instead of fighting for every breath, he relaxed into the bed. Eyes fluttering back open, they were a lot clearer now. Everything still hurt, the poison was still creeping, but he didn’t look or feel like he was going to die in the next heartbeat. “In answer to...your question,” he swallowed hard, throat dry, “Check with...Kyrie. The poison is...from Stolas’ plants. Another demon.” Not being able to articulate his words properly irked him to Hell and back. At least he got his point across.

Nero got up onto his feet. “I got it.” He told him as he walked out of the room. The girls were around the kitchen table looking grim.

“What was that about?” Nico asked clicking her tongue and folding her arms.

“Poison from Stolas.” Nero looked over at Kyrie who was holding the phone. “If that’s still Dante tell him that. I bet he had a few ideas.”

“Do you know who Stolas is?” Kyrie asked the seasoned hunter on the other end, her hand pressed over her heart in worry, “Nero learned that’s where the poison’s from.” Noticing he was holding his arm and it wasn’t as bright, she tilted her head, silently asking if he was alright.

Nero nodded and gave Kyrie a trade-mark smile but he listened for Dante’s reply.

“Looks like I gotta call Lysander. Now to hope that one of them picks up the phone. I’ll be there shortly afterward. Not sure if it’ll help, but holy water might ease it a twinge. He’ll be in a hell of a lot of pain but it’s better that than to bite his tongue and die.” Dante sighed on the other end before hanging up.

“Holy water until help arrives. Do we have any?” she looked at Nico who tended to keep stock of their supplies, then to Nero, “Somebody named Lysander’s going to hopefully be here.”

Nico shrugged, “I might have some but you might wanna make another batch Kyrie just in case. I’ll go down to my van. Be back in a snitch.”

X

“Yo! Sis!” the younger Lysander sister shouted to the void that was her apartment with Charlotte, “The world must be ending, Dante’s called! Asking about plants. That’s your shtick.”

Charlotte blinked from reading. Quietly the older sister closed her book and dig into the mess of papers where her own cellphone was. Three missed calls. All from Dante. Oops. “What about plants?!”

Yvette came from the hallway, phone to her chest so she could talk without getting mixed signals, “Some douchebag demon named Stolas?”

“Ugh. Where?” Charlotte asked as she got up from her desk and went over to her closet. Better drag out the big guns. She reached up and pulled a large oak case that jiggled and clinked ominously. “We’re gonna have to go fast meaning you drive Vet.”

Pale green eyes lit up and she put the phone back to her ear, “Text me the address, would you? On our way now.” If she had the address then that’d make it easier for Charlotte to input it into her GPS and give her directions. Honestly, she was giddy with the thought of getting out of the house and driving. Sure it was dire circumstances, but meeting new people was always fun, and if it was Dante asking for help then part of her knew they were a few steps shy of having a hunt.

“Sure thing,” Dante said, “Tell your sister she’s shit at having a phone.” It was a nice little jab. “See you.”

Not even five seconds went by before Yvette’s phone dinged with a text for the address. Charlotte hauled the big case up and over her shoulder. The rattling increased tenfold. “Following you out the door kiddo.”

X

Honestly, falling asleep was a horrible idea. Vergil was lucky as hell to even open his eyes again. All he remembered last was little concerned Kyrie -my how she’d grown- soothing him while Nero not only made him drink a shot of holy water but apply it to some of the wounds from his skin flaking.

What brought him to consciousness he wasn’t quite sure. All of a sudden he felt Dante’s energy, and drawing near was the presence of what he could only guess was a witch. A rattling noise echoed in the hallway before the door was eased open. Reflexively he gripped his sword, but the sight before him threw his guard off. Straight strands of brown hair spilled over the woman’s shoulders, and as she turned on the light to see what she was doing he was sucked into deep green eyes that reminded him of staring into a forest.

Heaven and Hell combined, he must be really off his game, poison be damned.

Charlotte didn’t miss how he reached for his sword. A part of her wanted to be cheeky about how that sword wouldn��t do much against her and he was delusional, but she kept her mouth closed. This poor man was going through hell. She placed the big case on the ground and kicked it open. It unfolded itself to show so many different kinds of vials in many different colors.

She carefully sat on the edge of the bed and slowly telegraphing her moves to pick up his arm and looked at the black veins. “Holy water?” She mused. “Fast thinking.” She looked up at the man who was on the bed.

“Can he be saved?” Dante asked, folding his arms against his chest.

“He can be,” Charlotte said soothingly and turned to Vergil. “Stolas did this? It’s a new kind of poison. Taking demonic energy and transforming it into literal poison.” She turned away and started to sift through the vials. She hummed a tune softly under her breath.

Such a lovely sound...Vergil closed his eyes briefly before he shifted, “Dante, Stolas got me...in the back. Starting at...the source...might help.” Which of course meant he had to take off his cloak, jacket, vest, and possibly his shirt. “Normally wounds...heal closed. This one...did not.” Which of course meant it had been festering.

Dante walked around the bed and helped Vergil turn around once they got him out off the complicated outfit. The odor was terrible and Charlotte clicked her teeth.

“What the fuck, dad.” Nero hissed when he saw the damage that was on his father’s back. He hadn’t wanted to leave his side, but holy…

“Stolas didn’t really know the safe word here.” Dante grimaced.

“Lets…” Charlotte started to pull her hair back into a makeshift bun. “Yvette I need gauze and warm wet towels.” She lowered herself so Vergil could hear her. “How steady is your grip? I can give it to you orally and you take it yourself or I find a different method.”

“Either holding the yamato...in a death grip...or not at all,” Vergil admitted with a sigh, feeling even colder than before but at least the cool air on the back of his neck where he was drenched in sweat was relieving. He heard the creaking of the door as this ‘Yvette’ left the room to get what was asked of her. “What other methods?”

“One method is that I administer it through a kiss, another is that I open that wound of yours and try to see if I can’t get it to take through the bloodstream. I can even have you sit up and I pour it down your throat if you’d prefer.” Charlotte listed.

“Won’t even consider taking you out to dinner Verg.” Dante teased, though the worried edge on his voice betrayed his feelings.

Nero rolled his eyes. He’s been there. He’s done that. “I’m going to help Yvette find the towels. It’s crowded in here.” He knew his father didn’t want to display too many weaknesses to too many people. At least the Lysander woman was trying her best.

“I was thinking...the same thing,” Vergil nodded to Nero in appreciation and he released a long breath when his son was out of the room, leaving the three of them. Even the Yamato pulsed a little bit when he thought about her kissing him and he shook his head in spite of the ache, “Sit up...pour it.” Lifting his hand to his brother he grit his teeth when Dante grasped his wrist and hauled him up, his body lurching to the side only to be caught by the woman. Her touch set him on edge, but not out of distaste. “My shirt. I’ll bite it.” Whatever it was she gave him to cure the poison was going to make him scream.

“I can knock yo-Okay then.” Dante had to admit it was nice that Charlotte didn’t even try to persuade Vergil to do the other thing. She uncapped the vial. “Brave man.” She set the cap to the side and she scooted a little closer to Vergil. She knew this was going to hurt. He was going to drink it, it was going to taste vile, he was going to hate it and when it was also poured on his wounds with the towel and gauze he was either going to pass out or scream loudly enough to wake up the neighborhood. That shirt of his was going to get torn, undoubtedly. She swirled the vial three times in either direction and looked at Vergil squarely. Like two warriors on opposite sides of a battle. “You can swear at me, I know I’m the bitch in this scenario.” Without further ado, she helped him drink it.

Vergil expected the taste and covered his mouth as he tried not to cough and spit it out, squeezing his eyes shut and swallowing down the bile and the liquid. In the nothing that followed he grabbed his shirt, twisted it and when the first pangs of something made him double over he shoved the cloth in his mouth in time to feel burning.

Yvette returned with the items Char asked for in time to see Vergil slam his body back onto the bed which creaked ominously at the abuse. Screaming into the wad of his shirt while his hands gripped the edges. Yup. That shirt would be pieces by the end of this. “Lotty,” she whispered to get her sister’s attention, holding up the wraps and towels, “Anything else you need help with? Holding him down when you wrap him?”

Charlotte looked at Vergil who was panting, Dante was gripping his brother tightly and they both looked at each other before Charlotte shook her head. “No.” She said after a moment. “I think once we get this done, we can take watch. Make sure it doesn’t get worse or continue to spread.”

“Sounds like a plan, how long does it take?” Dante asked, carefully loosening his grip on his brother so that he could reposition himself. Charlotte carefully took the things from Yvette.

“Twenty four hours, if not a little less since he’s half-demon.” Charlotte determined. “The wound on the back is what I’m worried about most. It’s been infected and reinfected. Actually, Yvette, shove my case a little closer to the bed.”

Huffing mostly at the weight of it, Yvette did as she was told and cocked her head when Vergil screamed again, back arching and if it wasn’t for Dante she’d fear he’d snap his back in two, “I’ll get you another cloth for his forehead, a basin while I’m at it. He’s drenched.”

“You sound like a peach,” Charlotte said as she shifted through the vials a little quicker this time before picking one up. She unrolled the gauze and started to drip some onto cloth and leaned in uncomfortably close to get the wrapping around. “At least,” Charlotte said dryly, “I’m wearing a bra for this.”

Dante appreciated the humor. She was as much in an uncomfortable position as his brother and he was grateful that Charlotte knew how to work swiftly as she did carefully. His brother still writhed in pain and agony, but he still kept a firm grip so he wouldn’t ruin more of her handiwork. “This is going to take all night.” He sighed.

“I’d much rather he scream and punch than to go still and iced,” Charlotte said bluntly. “Yvette can hold him down as well as you can, but I’m pretty sure I’m pushing limits as I am.”

“You know his pride.” Dante huffed a laugh. “I didn’t realize that was infamous.”

“I have my own honor code I abide by. It drives Vet up the wall. Ask her. One time she legit threatened to shoot me over it I kid you not.”

“Oooh boy, you’re his type.” The younger twin snorted, but then had to double his grip again at another wave. “I’m a little worried about putting him on his back or even back on his stomach.” He admitted. “I don’t feel like he can handle that.”

Charlotte didn’t blame him for that line of thinking. But Dante couldn’t hold him all night long and while Yvette did offer to help, Charlotte wasn’t sure if it’d make things better or not. “We have to. We’re better off keeping him from rolling off the bed than we are to restrain him. That’s wasted energy and effort.”

“Logical and precise.” Dante let out a breath. “Okay then.”

They helped each other to get Vergil to lay down, but the moment that they got him back onto his stomach, it was a hell storm. It was agony for touch, for the skin to be pulled and soon enough that antidote would stop burning and it would be numbed, hopefully drugged. Hopefully. His back needed to heal, and him writhing around wasn’t helping. She didn’t doubt that after the first hour, she’d have to change them again.

“I’ll tell Nero we’re taking watch shifts and let Vet know that too. If you’re hungry, I’m sure Kyrie can heat up whatever dinner they were having.” Dante offered as he slowly got himself untangled from Vergil’s grip and body. “She feeds an army and then some, it’s no hassle.”

Charlotte sighed, “Sure. I can’t work on an empty stomach and if there’s room to share, I’ll take it.”

“Awesome. Keep an eye out, you get first watch,” Dante patted Charlotte’s shoulder before heading down the stairs to let the group know what was going on.

“Should’ve let ‘im punch me,” was the barely audible whisper when he was well out of earshot, voice too hoarse and literally cotton-mouthed after his tattered shirt was gone.

Charlotte looked down at Vergil. “At this point in time, I don’t think you’d even know what a punch feels like.”

All he did was hum and Yvette came back in with the cloth and basin she promised a while ago, “Dante told us. I’ll bring your food up when it’s ready, yeah?”

“Sure.” Charlotte looked over at Yvette, “By the dresser thanks.” She let out a low sigh as she started to make herself comfortable on the side of the bed. “I’m good here.” She assured her sister.

“Hmm, I’m sure you are,” Yvette gave her a sly wolfish smile and easily danced away when a pillow was thrown at her, ‘kekeke’ing and tossed it back before leaving her alone with Vergil until she brought food.

“Should’ve shot her, but I don’t know if that’s worth a bullet or my sanity,” Charlotte muttered darkly as she pushed the pillow against her stomach, glaring heatedly at the door. She waited for a moment, in case her sister decided to come back. When it was clear, she set the pillow to the side and went to the basin. The water was lukewarm, which was nice. She dipped the cloth in, and wringing it out before going back to Vergil and gently swiping it across the back of his neck and his forehead, humming soft.

Sleep had nearly claimed him before he felt her gentle touches and picked up on her sweet humming. It was the same tune from before and something he didn’t cater to often, curiosity, nagged at him. Perhaps later he could ask. Instead of releasing another little hum to answer hers, Vergil heard a different noise. With his body so numb, it took a second to realize it was coming from deep, deep in his chest. Not quite human, either. If he had any strength left to care, he would be embarrassed as hell his demon was purring and trilling.

Charlotte heard it. She heard it and it made her pleased. She didn’t know much about hybrids, let alone half-demons. Yet she knew that the demons had their own little purrs and noises that they made. Animalistic as they were, they were sometimes more human than humans. To know that hybrids and half-demons could do the same thing as a regular demon, well...that was going to be her secret to keep. She hummed in tune with the purring and trilling as she wiped away the sweat, and cooled his body down. She didn’t stop humming when she put the cloth back into the basin and went back to settle on the side of the bed. She certainly didn’t stop humming until he was nice and knocked out.

[dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt]

Odd :) numbers :)

You say you don’t care who I do but I’mma do Jesse and Vrox anyway XD

under the cut bc *insert vaguely angry but also just very affectionate ‘my son is a dick but I love him’ eyes here*

questions are from here, send me some if you’d like! :P please try to specify which character tho, less stress for me X’D

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Jesse: He’s actually very patient. He might jolt his bounce his knee a bit and twiddle his fingers, zone out/daydream. He’d probably have a nap after a while, he can fall asleep anywhere. He could last hours and hours if needed.

Vrox: You don’t leave Vrox alone in a room for a long time. Something will get broken, Even if there’s nothing in the room to break, something will get broken. About two hours at MOST before he starts getting annoyed.

June: They could last a long time if needed, though they would not be happy about it. They like to complain at the best of times.

3. How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

Jesse: Normally has a long shower and eats whatever unhealthy shit they have for dinner (normally cereal or take out) and then plays music low in the background to help him nod off, occasionally he’ll replace it with an audio book but he’ll put his earbuds in for that. He and Vrox are both big night owls tho so keep in mind this is usually at about 3AM.

Vrox: Drags Jesse into dancing with him, eats whatever Jesse’s bottomless pit stomach couldn’t hold, and works out for a while (where Jesse can see of course because he’s a show off.) Then he has a very short paranoid shower because his DICK BOYFRIEND used up almost all the hot water, and tumbles into bed. Not gonna lie he and Jess have sex most nights, they’re… incorrigible. 

June: Soaks in the bath for a hundred years and refills it for every one of those years, then pulls on their super expensive silk PJs, does a facemask and pulls out whatever disgusting trashy knock-off romance novel they’re currently reading and pick it apart like the happy little vulture they are. They have a massive bed but they rarely ever sleep in it, most of the time they fall asleep on the couch until the sun wakes them up through the blinds they forgot to shut and they stumble into the bedroom cursing and go back to sleep till Taco wakes them up (they would sleep in all day if he let them.)

5. How easy is it to earn their mistrust?

Jesse: It depends on what you do. If you make a mistake, he’ll be fine. If you turn out to be transphobic or generally a dick then woop there goes his trust.

Vrox: hates everyone from the get go and that rarely ever changes, you don’t even have to try dude

June: Them?? Trusting anyone??????? *hysterical laughter*

7: What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Jesse: Nostalgia for him is bittersweet. Music is the biggest trigger since his dad loved it and had a record player that was like his second child, he used to dance with Jesse’s mom to Let Me Call You Sweetheart. One time Vrox found the old record and played it for him and Jesse absolutely broke down. He tries to think of the good rather than the bad, but it all gets jumbled up a lot: being gay, trans and black in 1910s was not a good life to lead. He’s got to step carefully around his memories.

Vrox: Doesn’t have a lot of nostalgia, but he DOES get weird dream-memories sometimes of back in his ‘baby years’, when he was just a simple hellhound without sapience yet. Jesse always laughs his ass off when Vrox has one of those dreams because Vrox looks so confused and disgruntled - and annoyed and embarrassed when he remembers something humiliating.

June: 99% of their nostalgia is soaked in PTSD, so no, they don’t enjoy it. The sound of the ocean, the smell of roses and citrus, wearing heavy dresses, any kind of grating or grinding on their teeth, and washing clothes by hand are all triggers, they hate it.

9. Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?

Jesse: Said “drat!” once and his mom made him wash all the dishes for three months straight. Needless to say, he doesn’t swear much even now. It gives it more impact when he does… unless in the bedroom, them he swears like, well, a demon.

Vrox: Fuck yes he fucking swears and he’d like any motherfucker to try and fucking stop him. Honestly the first word that came out of his mouth when he evolved was probably a swear of some kind.

June: Swears a lot. They’ll swear in front of you and your grandmother and your 6 year old, they don’t give a shit. They don’t remember their first one tho.

11. How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

Jesse: Definitely asks, he’s a responsible bean who’s mature and wants to know exactly what’s going on.

Vrox: Probably doesn’t care enough to ask, unless it’s just him and Jesse, then he’ll ask.

June: They’ll fake it till they make it or ask with a blunt “what the fuck are you talking about?”

13. What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?

Jesse: Looks fucking fantastic in blue and/or yellow and knows this. Vrox can’t stop kissing him when he wears yellow and it almost reduces his big scary boyfriend to tears because “you look so cute, what the fuck, how are you so cute?!”

Vrox: Red. He loves red. But blue brings out his eyes and suits him better, tho red is also good on him.

June: Black or a dark smokey grey. They know they look damn good. They’re highly allergic to bright colours, you understand.

15. How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?

Jesse: Is the chillest charasmatic person you’ll ever meet, amazing at putting people at ease and making lasting conversations or small talk. Master people person. He can still talk a little ‘weird’ for our time and some old slang slips out occasionally, but still very confidant. thus i have no idea how to write him LMAO how are you cooler than me i created you wtf

Vrox: No small talk, no rehearsing. He’s intimidating and doesn’t normally talk to people unless absolutely necessary, or he’s trying to pick a fight. Has 0 interest in making people feel at ease or comfortable around him, he wants to be left alone as much as possible. People think he’s got a weird accent when he does talk, one that’s pretty unrecognizable - he spent most of his life in hell, after all, not on Earth.

June: Clipped, concise, they get what they need out of a conversation and then conversation is over. They don’t rehearse, they’re blunt and don’t care about feelings. They have the faintest hint of a cockney accent that gets stronger when they’re drunk/angry/emotional.

17. Are they easily embarrassed?

Jesse: Kind of. And he’s easily scandalized, and sometimes not in a funny way. He still forgets that it’s okay for him to hold Vrox’s hand in public where people can see.

Vrox: Only Jesse can really get blushes out of him.

June: Occasionally, but they’ll get irritated faster than they’ll get embarrassed, and when they get flustered they tend to scratch so be careful with that.

19. What is their favorite number?

Jesse: 2.

Vrox: 666.

June: 43.

21. Why do they get up in the morning? 

Jesse: Sometimes he doesn’t. Mostly because he tries to find good little things in every day that he looks forward to. Or because Vrox wheedles him out of bed with breakfast and kisses.

Vrox: Because somebody’s gotta annoy Jesse out of bed. Also because once he wakes up he gets restless and needs to move around, no peaceful lie-ins for him.

June: Because Taco won’t stop drooling and shedding on them, otherwise they wouldn’t. Sleep is like the only thing they enjoy... just not the dreams.

23. How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?

Jesse: Gets a bit quiet but tries to feel happy for the person he’s envious of.

Vrox: Angrily. What did you expect. Tries to get the thing and if he can’t have it he tries to ruin it, or he just stalks off.

June: They get pissy and territorial and they sulk. A lot.

25. What are their thoughts on marriage? 

Jesse: Likes the idea, definitely wants to get married one day. His parents were both people of faith (even if it wasn’t SUPER strong) and he doesn’t really like that they would disapprove of him living in sin, ironic as it is. And he just wants to get married as an intimate tie.

Vrox: Doesn’t give a shit but would do anything to make Jesse happy.

June: HhahahAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahAHAHA no.

27. What causes them to feel dread?

Jesse: Any kind of weird looks in public, people he cares about running late, having anything around his neck, sleeping in the same room as other people (asides from Vrox.)

Vrox: Not being able to contact his (admittedly few) loved ones for whatever reason, and really not much else. Vrox doesn’t dread a lot.

June: Literally anything to do with their past, being shown affection, knowing they have to go out to a public gathering bc they are a big introvert, knowing they need to sleep at some point.

29. Do they usually live up to their own ideals?

Jesse: He tries damn hard to. you’re doin great sweetie.

Vrox: Has no real ideals and still disappoints himself on a regular basis.

June: They don’t really have any ideas other than ‘be a snarky asshole’ and they sure live up to that.

31. Who are they the most glad to have met?

Jesse: Vrox. He kept him safe when he needed it most, supported him through everything, always encouraged him to kick ass and do what he thinks is right.

Vrox: Jesse. He taught him that it was okay to let people in and to be soft, that just because he was a demon doesn’t mean he has to let it define everything he is.

June: Dante. He showed them a way out and helped them build a life, always there to support them. And Taco, of course.

33: Could they be considered lazy?

Jesse: No. At worst, depressed. He’s definitely not lazy, not by a long shot, very active in human rights, painting, social activities.

Vrox: Not really, he’s somebody who always has to be Doing Something.

June: Absolutely. They enjoy it greatly.

35: How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive?

Jesse: Super hyped and into it, gonna be asking lots of excited questions and listening to every word.

Vrox: Might playfully tease but always encourages whatever it is

June: Will roll their eyes and put on a show of not being interested but you bet your ass they’ll be paying attention and they will care (and anybody who manages to get close to June would know this)

37. Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)?

Jesse: He’s got an okay memory but if he really needs to remember something he’ll scribble it in his sketchbook

Vrox: Is one of those people who needs to sing the entire ABCs while looking up a word in the dictionary. But he doesn’t really care.

June: Has a good memory, but if they forget something they don’t give a damn. If they forget somebody’s name they’ll just call them by a bunch of different insulting names and ignore the person trying to correct them.

39. How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? 

Jesse: It really depends on what the flaws are, but mostly he’s pretty chill.

Vrox: Is Vrox. Everything pisses him off, what do you expect. He doesn’t take shit.

June: If they care about you, they will tolerate a lot, though they won’t overlook them. If they don’t care about you, prepare to have all your flaws thrown in your face.

41. How do they feel about children?

Jesse: Not good with little kids and feels awkward around them, but he’s good with older kids/teenagers.

Vrox: Is very good with little kids and likes them more than his scarred angry ass will admit.

June: Loves kids but they make them uncomfortable so they avoid them at all costs.

43. If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?

Jesse: “Gay, gay, very gay, have you even seen guys? Guys are great, I’m gay, I’m so gay.” (Vrox, in the background: “GAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY”)

Vrox: “I don’t care, if I like you you’re stuck with me.”

June: “The void.”

[leapingtitan]

R∃/MEMBER (Individual Song Thoughts) - SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] 3rd Album

I made a review on the 2nd album, 2V-ALK a while ago so here is the next installment. This is mostly for the Sawano Discord server but I’m posting it here for convenience and safekeeping purposes.

01. Glory -into the RM- (violin: SUGIZO from X Japan; vocal: Yosh)

I really love the instrumental parts of this track. It works well as an introduction piece and is up there with ~prologue~ for me. The vocal parts with Yosh are a bit weak and turn the track from a badass instrumental piece to a stadium football game chant. The track can do without it. However, there is that one section after the chorus where Yosh whispers like he’s singing in a 2000′s alternative rock band and the vocals do this cool panning effect. SUGIZO from X Japan is on the violin and his parts are really good and have a lot of synergy with the sampled bagpipes and piano. The guitar chugs are also pretty cool and remind me of TBFworld a bit. Overall, it’s a good track despite the vocal section being a bit unnecessary. Speaking of, them lyrics. “Honor of dying alone”? Was this made for Thunderbolt Fantasy or something?

02. EVERCHiLD (vocal: Akihito Okano from PornoGraffiti)

I admit the track has grown on me a bit and I definitely like it more than I did when the first preview video of it showed up. Still, as I’ve stated many times, I don’t really like happy and bright songs too much and prefer something with a stronger emotional impact. Still, the track is nice and again I’m glad Sawano did something different with the drums for once rather than layering electronic beats over an acoustic kit. My biggest problem with the track is the last chorus and the outro. “Tiny world is so stuffed all day, but nothing’s gonna change my story” is sung 6 times back to back and gets repetitive after the 2nd one. Should have just kept it as an instrumental. Other than that, I’m not the biggest fan of Akihito Okano’s voice. I like him more in the first Bnha OP for instance.

03. never gonna change (vocal: SukimaSwitch)

One of the tracks I’ve been most hyped for since the preview has dropped and boy does it not disappoint. I love the guitar and the drums and SukimaSwitch’s voice is really nice. It honestly reminds me some of the pop-ish music I used to listen when I was younger. The “2nd chorus” in the original PV was actually the bridge, to my surprise. The 2nd verse, which is new here, is really good. Love the guitar that comes in after the first few measures. Overall, the track is great.

Lastly, that instrumental outro section with the piano and guitar was completely unexpected but it’s amazing. It sounds like it would be a track rearrangement if never gonna change was an OST piece. Really good and honestly adds a whole new dimension at the end of an otherwise great track. My favorite so far.

04. narrative (vocal: LiSA)

Now we get to some of the tracks which have already been heard before in other releases. I’d be repeating myself if I go in detail like with the other tracks so the tl;dr version would be that I don’t think LiSA’s voice fits this type of Sawano music at all. Not that it’s a surprise considering the track wasn’t even composed with her vocals in mind. The instrumental is, for all it’s worth, actually not that bad. I don’t really mind the strings, or “casio pad strings” as dante calls them and it makes the song at least a bit more interesting.

05. i-mage (vocal: Aimer)

It’s been a long time since an Aimer and Sawano collab and unfortunately I don’t think the wait was that worth it. For the record, I really love Aimer’s voice but the song composition itself is what I dislike. Similarly to EVERCHiLD, the song just doesn’t have enough emotional impact, at least for me. I can see the appeal of it otherwise but personally it doesn’t do much on my end. The intro and verse are alright but the chorus is where it gets too playful for me to take it seriously and I found myself spacing out and losing focus on the actual track which hasn’t happened with the other songs so far. The 2nd verse has some cool bass going on but it sounds really noisy in the mix for some reason. Lastly, again, same problem with EVERCHiLD where the standout English portion of the lyrics, in this case “Light and dreams that children hold tight, now you have them in your right hand” repeats way too much in the last chorus and outro portions. Same formula.

Despite all of these complaints I think if I listen to the track enough it might grow on me. Might. But other than that, a bit underwhelming and personally my least favorite Sawano and Aimer collaboration for now.

06. NOISEofRAIN (vocal: swan with nishi Takanori Nishikawa from TM Revolution)

I’m gonna be honest here, it’s really hard for me to talk about this song without any irony and memes to go with it. This song just slaps. That’s it. I listen to it on an almost daily basis and have been doing so since it came out at the end of November. Can’t really say much other than it’s my favorite [nZk] song and Takanori Nishikawa is the OG.

One thing I have to point out though is that the mix in this album’s version is slightly different than the one in the narrative/NOISEofRAIN single, specifically the start of the first verse where there’s two synths that are either made really quiet or missing. Yeah, I’ve listened to this track way too much in order to notice the smallest things like that..

OUTRAGERS DRIVE ME NUTS

07. Binary Star (vocal: Uru)

This is the one older [nZk] song I can’t put my feelings into words for. I really like Uru’s voice and I hope Sawano collaborates with her again in the future, but the song itself is just... strange. Specifically the instrumental. It’s just really weird, having the strings and piano portion at first and then adding drums later on. I just don’t know what to think. I definitely don’t dislike it and I do enjoy it but that’s it. I actually really need to listen to it more often... 

You know what, Binary Star is really nice.

08. ME & CREED <nZkv> (vocal: Sayuri)

Okay... so... uhm. I guess this is it. This is the track. I’ve made fun of this song a lot back when we only had PVs to go on. I called it a lot of things and overall shared the server’s opinion that it’s not that great. But you know what? I listened to it once today, in the full album. Just once, didn’t really need to listen anymore to open my eyes.

By the way, little fun fact: It’s actually spelled Me & Creed in the original Blue Exorcist OST, or I guess if you want the full name.. “Exorcist Concerto First Movement”... something like that, don’t !songtitle me... but yeah I’m just delaying the inevitable here.

So, I have finally been able to have a fresh, reformed opinion on ME & CREED <nZkv> and express my true feelings. Because, well, the truth is...

...

It still fucking sucks.

Honestly... just.. why? First of all, out of all of the “High Pitched Jpop Vocalists That Do Not Match Sawano’s Composition Style” category members, Sayuri is by far the worst. And, you know, that might just be be for not preferring this kind of voice that a lot of Japanese singers, but I’ve listened to some of Sayuri’s own stuff and it’s not bad because the SONG ACTUALLY FITS HER VOICE.

Now, despite all of this the verse is alright. The chorus is where the harmonies really get out of hand and only make the already bad vocals worse. And it wouldn’t have been as jarring if the instrumental was decent but it’s not. Me & Creed is not at all the type of song that would benefit from overly punchy kick drums and toms and it loses its entire flavor just with the drums alone. It sounds like a below-average pre-rec demo of the original track and doesn’t even respect what kind of song the original is.

Also, this is made for a mobile game. I don’t know about you but if this was in a game as its main theme that would not give me a good impression.

Fun fact, this is the only track on the entire album that is under 4 minutes long. I guess you can say it came short in multiple departments. I give it an Aldnoah Zero out of 10.

09. Unti-L (vocal: ASCA)

After the traumatizing experience that is the previous track, I come to something that is actually good. Unti-L and never gonna change are my favorite new tracks from this album. I’ve been looking forward to this one since the first 5 second PV and I’ve been listening to the short version a lot for the past week. The song is incredible. 6/8 time signature, ballad-y sound, strings and good sound design in general makes for a solid and near flawless track. ASCA’s voice is very enjoyable and I find that it works well with the song since it was probably made with her vocals in mind unlike narrative and... the other thing.

I can’t really say much else, really. Great intro, verse, vocals, melody and overall sound. The instrumental break/bridge is also very pleasant with the simple guitar. Probably the most emotionally impacting track on the album and I love it.

10. Cage (vocal: Tielle)

The original Cage is interesting but I have to say I find it inferior to the <NTv> version from the narrative/NOISEofRAIN single. I’m not the biggest fan of the synth in the intro and the electronic drums don’t quite do it for me in terms of the overall sound. The <NTv> version is still superior in every way and has fits more with the melody and Tielle’s voice. Overall though, the composition is great but you can’t really look at the instrumental alone in both cases since Tielle’s voice makes the track what it is.

11. REMEMBER (vocal: mizuki, Gemie, Tielle, naNami, Yosh)

Should have just credited it as [nZchoir]. 

On a serious note, this sounds like something you would hear in a Disney Channel movie, especially the chorus. The track is surprisingly pleasant to listen to and I find it really catchy and easy to jam and sing along to. Also like the parts where there’s just one vocalist singing and the choir effect in the chorus is really nice as well. Again.. Disney movie.

I actually want to say more about this track but I definitely need to listen to it a bit more to make other comments. Other than that, it’s nice.

Conclusion

As a whole, this seems like a much more fresh album than 2V-ALK. It still doesn’t compare to the diversity and variety in o1 or how solid UnChild is, but I still think it’s at least on par with 2V-ALK despite not having all that many songs. Still, the new original tracks here (well, almost all of them) are interesting and despite my comments on some of them I do think they do their thing and make the album.. work, I guess. I definitely have some tracks I want to go back and relisten to a few of them though, which is a good sign.

I don’t have individual ratings for the tracks but in terms of ranking, a few hours after my first impressions and a few listens I would order them in the following fashion. The best is at the top and the worst is at the bottom.

NOISEofRAIN

never gonna change

Unti-L

Glory -into the RM-

Binary Star

REMEMBER

EVERCHiLD

i-mage

Cage

narrative

you know what goes here.

And that would be it. Thanks for reading!

[forestwater87]

Do you happen to have any headcannons for Edward Pikeman/ the woodscouts? Any for the flower scouts? (And I understand if you wanna take time to answer or do separate posts; if you wanna answer it at all).

I haven’t really thought about it, but since Petrol is one of my new Favorite People, I think it’d be fun to sit down and do these guys! Llllet’s go!

1: sexuality headcanon:

Straight. Slimy, sleazy straight boy.

2: otp:

No one. He … needs to learn how to not be quite so creepy first.

3: brotp:

Him and the Woodscouts, definitely. He’s the only one who calls Billy “Snake,” and Petrol is apparently willing to fall in acid for him. They’re the only 3 people in a dying camp, but they seem to be really close-knit and it’s actually hella cute.

4: notp:

Him and Gwen. For one thing, I don’t think he’s a counselor, so there’s no way he’s older than, like, 20 on the very outside. So ew. But also I’ll hear the way he said “Mmmmhmmm” in my nightmares. No, no, Gwen deserves better.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

I think he was the youngest in his family, and that his siblings are all super popular and successful. It makes him throw himself into the Woodscouts, because that’s something he’s fairly good at, and that’s why he’s so eager to win Camp Campbell and improve the quality and numbers of the Woodscouts: to prove to himself that he’s a winner. He’s also ridiculously competitive in general, and a little like a Chihuahua — small, not very threatening, mostly just annoying, but highly confrontational and super delusional about his own abilities.

6: favorite line from this character:

“That’d be immoral.” I love the way you can practically see the italics as he speaks.

7: one way in which I relate to this character:

Uh … I also don’t have great skin?

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

Everything. All of his everything.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Problematic, absolutely.

1: sexuality headcanon:

Demihet, biromantic. No idea where this headcanon came from, but I’m going to cling to it like it makes sense.

2: otp:

He looks like he’d be good with someone like Ered. They could do badass things together and look awesome.

3: brotp:

All the other Woodscouts, again. No idea what he sees in Pikeman, but apparently it’s enough to keep him sticking around.

4: notp:

I see the Woodscouts so much like a family that the idea of any of them together feels vaguely incestuous. No clue why, but it squicks me out in a big way.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

He’s actually relatively popular in school and stuff, but for some reason he tends to gravitate not toward the cool kids, but toward the losers like Pikeman and the Woodscouts in general. It’s not an intentional thing, his affinity for lost causes, but he’s the jock who’ll kick your ass if you’re bullying someone he’s fond of.

I also think he’d tend to be friends with really talkative, outgoing people, because he’s very much the “strong and silent” type. It’s a big part of why people think he’s cool, but really he’s just kinda shy.

6: favorite line from this character:

He … doesn’t have lines.

7: one way in which I relate to this character:

Pretty sure my legs are literally that skinny.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

Never! He’s too awesome!

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

CINNAMON. ROLL.

1: sexuality headcanon:

No sex. Just honor. (And Scouting.) Maybe he’ll grow into a sexuality, but he strikes me as either ace, or just too dedicated to The Cause to be actually interested in romantic or sexual anything.

2: otp:

None.

3: brotp:

WOODSCOUTS!

4: notp:

Any adults.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

He doesn’t need the eyepatch. He just thinks it makes him look cool. Sometimes he’ll switch eyes if one of them gets tired.

6: favorite line from this character:

“I made a vow.” He couldn’t be more Zuko if he tried, Jesus. Dante sure has a Type, doesn’t he?

7: one way in which I relate to this character:

Candy canes are a year-round snack.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

He wants to be cool so badly. The insistence on being called “Snake” (and no one doing it) is really sad.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Neither, really. I don’t have strong feelings in either direction about this kid.

1: sexuality headcanon:

Girls. Not necessarily exclusively, but certainly a preference. She loves girly, feminine things so much and it extends to women; she’s convinced forever when the right (tough, rugged) guy comes along she’ll fall for him and they’ll have a perfect fairytale romance. Eventually … she’ll realize that she likes girliness so much in part because she just likes girls, and she likes being around them.

2: otp:

Nikki and Sasha is the ship I wish I didn’t love. I do not believe that all antagonistic ships are automatically True Love, but how cute would it be if years later they ran into each other, and Sasha had grown up to be less of a shallow person, and she realizes “oh shit Nikki’s hot” and they become the most badass power couple ever?

3: brotp:

Her friendship with Tabii. She’s so good and supportive even though her friend is legitimately troubled, and her willingness to get dragged along into these crazy schemes is heartwarming, in a weird way.

4: notp:

Don’t have one, adults aside.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

She has OCD, or a similar anxiety-related disorder. She excels so much in the Flower Scouts because everything is based on cleanliness and routine, and being able to meticulously organize everything in her entire life so that it’s aesthetically pleasing and perfect to the last detail is extremely comforting and relaxing to her. This is part of why Nikki upset her so much (and she was the driving force behind getting her out of the Scouts); it went beyond simply “ew, boy things!” and became a genuine source of stress, having her carefully-organized life upturned by this filthy child.

6: favorite line from this character:

“Seriously Tabii, what the fuck?!”

7: one way in which I relate to this character:

I love pink!

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

She’s a bitch. Not sure that’s embarrassment or irritation, but it’s hard to watch sometimes.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Definitely problematic, definitely a fave.

1: sexuality headcanon:

More or less straight; has a huge thing for David. (Yes, I literally ripped this from my fanfic. I don’t even feel bad.) I like the idea that she’s secretly drawn to dorks — not to the extent that Tabii is, but that she’s not as big a fan as the tough and stoic types as the sweet, puppy sunshine boys.

2: otp:

I … don’t have one. But now that I think about it, she and Tabii would be adorable, wouldn’t they? Or wait, what about Neil? That’d be kinda cruel to poor Tabs, but she finds his nerdiness appealing.

3: brotp:

Her and Sasha. They clearly recognize each other as the sane ones in their troop, and bond over a mutual love of pumpkin spice lattes.

4: notp:

Adults. Again. I’m a boring broken record in this regard.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

The hair isn’t natural. Sasha helped her dye it because she was jealous of her “cool” hair color, and Erin’s mom is gonna be pissed when she comes home with bright blue hair.

6: favorite line from this character:

“She’s the dumb one.”

7: one way in which I relate to this character:

I love Fraaaaance.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

Nothing, really. The Valley Girl shtick is a little obnoxious, but honestly these girls are just too much fun to really be bothered by.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Neither? Both? Not sure.

1: sexuality headcanon:

Straight as an arrow with a thing for assholes.

2: otp:

I … wish I didn’t like her and Neil as much as I do. But it’s kinda cute. Not exactly an OTP, but I’m enjoying seeing where it goes, and as someone who’s had obsessive hopeless crushes like that, I think it’s extremely endearing.

3: brotp:

Her sister scouts love and support her so much! Also her sister is apparently the greatest, despite feeding her very bad information.

4: notp:

Adults. And … well, she’d probably be awful with Neil. Can it be my OTP and nOTP?

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

Tabii is actually surprisingly good at school, despite not being very smart. She’s excellent at eyeing something and knowing exactly what someone wants her to do, so even if she doesn’t know the information she’s an incredible test-taker.

And she loves English class, and to write poetry in particular. It’s pretty bad poetry at the moment, but by the time she’s in college it’ll be surprisingly good.

6: favorite line from this character:

“He can pee in me anytime …” Or “he’s so hawt!” (I actually use that second one all the time.)

7: one way in which I relate to this character:

Me in 6th grade? I was Tabii. Girls get crushes so much earlier than boys, to speak in generalities. It’s so hard being in the “I wanna kiss your face” stage when they’re still in the “girls are icky” stage.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:

She’s just so bad at everything. (Also the way she talked to Bonquisha was a little … uncomfortable. Had a little “privileged white girl” feel to it that made me twitch.)

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Look at this cutie and tell me she’s problematic. Just fucking try it.

[devilsnwitches]

SSDD - Ch1 All Hands on Deck

AO3 <Link - Written by Me & @lynxtigerwritings

Tags = AU Canon-Divergent / Canon-Typical Violence & Behavior

Pairings = Vergil-OFC / Dante-OFC / Nero-Kyrie

Note - READ LOVE’S SACRIFICE IT’S V PROLOGUE - Pairing V/OFC

If there was one thing Vergil was thankful for, it was that even when he was severely poisoned he could not only feel the presence of the Yamato but also his son. He was also thankful they were in the same place, making it so much easier to focus. Wrapped up in his cloak, shivering even when he was dripping sweat from excursion and fever, he picked his head up when he heard the voice of a sweet girl.

“Hey you two! Dinner’s ready!”

Vergil’s brows pinched together. Was that Kyrie? It echoed from the garage up ahead, the door halfway open. He’d be able to duck under it. That was where the source of the energies was, too.

He wasn’t one to swear, not like Dante or even Nero, but fuck his whole body was shooting white-hot pain all over every step he took...Goddamn Stolas’ for sicking his poisonous plants on him, going after him from behind...All because of Abaddon...

“You, uh...you need somethin’?”

When had he gotten across the road?

“What...hungry? Heh...in luck...food’s ready and Kyrie...too much.” As his vision doubled, most of the sentence was distorted. The sound of clanking reached his ears. That was definitely his son’s voice, and that had been Kyrie after all. Nero had said her name so sweetly...had their relationship developed further? How long...had he been away?

Vergil slipped under the garage door and slowly stepped closer, breathing heavy. His mind was wavering...Focus! He needed to tell Nero...he needed to admit he...needed help.

“Hope...loud talkers...a pair of those...” Nero had stood up and paused whatever he was saying, but now he was closer Vergil heard him more clearly, “...see somethin’ ya like?”

A blue glow alerted Vergil, feeling the energy of the Yamato spike. When had his son’s arm become demonic?

“You a demon?” Nero growled, obviously on edge now.

That wasn’t what he wanted and he lifted his hand, skin showing grey and veins black in the light. Suddenly desperate he worked his throat and rocked on his heels as he lost his balance, “Nero…”

“Nero! The food’s getting cold! What’s-” Kyrie was immediately cut off.

“Call Dante!” Nero shouted as he swung himself forward. The voice sounded...but it couldn’t. When the robe fell from his face, Nero’s eyes widened and then narrowed. His father looked as though he had aged terribly. The black veins were sucking the very life out of him, and it looked like it was slow acting. Nero knew not a thing about poisons. He only knew how to point and shoot. Kyrie might have something in the home to help slow it down further, but an actual antidote would have to come from Dante, if the demon hunter even knew what the poison was. If this could be cured. “Hey. Father.” His skin was flecking at his very touch, as though he were crumbling to dust.

He slowly pulled the robe back on, trying not to let it rub too much on his father’s skin and hoisted him up. “We’re going to get you upstairs.” He told him seriously. “Kyrie’s calling Dante, I’m sure and we’ll get you better.” As better as they possibly could. “Alright? You gotta stay with me ol’ man. That’s your job right now. You got that? Stay with me.”

His voice needed to work goddamn it but all he got for a second was a chest-rattling grunt to show he was listening. Any other circumstance he would consider this humiliating, and every jostle, as accidental as it was, hurt like a bitch. When he was finally set down on a bed - at least it wasn’t a couch - he reached and grabbed Nero’s arm, choking out, “Yamato...the...power will...” he hissed as his whole body shuddered in a shiver yet a bead of sweat went down his temple, “Slow..it...down...” he finished, feeling incredibly weak and he hated it.

Slow it down? Nero looked at his arm where the Yamato was sealed away. Dante was going to fry him. The Yamato would practically call out every demon from their hiding spots, but what choice did he have? He reached into his palm and pulled the sword out, “What do I do?”

Instead of wasting breath, Vergil took it from him and promptly pressed it to his chest where it pulsed with energy. It felt good to have his sword back in his hands, and it when he was able to finally suck air through his teeth and into his lungs instead of fighting for every breath, he relaxed into the bed. Eyes fluttering back open, they were a lot clearer now. Everything still hurt, the poison was still creeping, but he didn’t look or feel like he was going to die in the next heartbeat. “In answer to...your question,” he swallowed hard, throat dry, “Check with...Kyrie. The poison is...from Stolas’ plants. Another demon.” Not being able to articulate his words properly irked him to Hell and back. At least he got his point across.

Nero got up onto his feet. “I got it.” He told him as he walked out of the room. The girls were around the kitchen table looking grim.

“What was that about?” Nico asked clicking her tongue and folding her arms.

“Poison from Stolas.” Nero looked over at Kyrie who was holding the phone. “If that’s still Dante tell him that. I bet he had a few ideas.”

“Do you know who Stolas is?” Kyrie asked the seasoned hunter on the other end, her hand pressed over her heart in worry, “Nero learned that’s where the poison’s from.” Noticing he was holding his arm and it wasn’t as bright, she tilted her head, silently asking if he was alright.

Nero nodded and gave Kyrie a trade-mark smile but he listened for Dante’s reply.

“Looks like I gotta call Lysander. Now to hope that one of them picks up the phone. I’ll be there shortly afterward. Not sure if it’ll help, but holy water might ease it a twinge. He’ll be in a hell of a lot of pain but it’s better that than to bite his tongue and die.” Dante sighed on the other end before hanging up.

“Holy water until help arrives. Do we have any?” she looked at Nico who tended to keep stock of their supplies, then to Nero, “Somebody named Lysander’s going to hopefully be here.”

Nico shrugged, “I might have some but you might wanna make another batch Kyrie just in case. I’ll go down to my van. Be back in a sinch.”

X

“Yo! Sis!” the younger Lysander sister shouted to the void that was her apartment with Charlotte, “The world must be ending, Dante’s called! Asking about plants. That’s your shtick.”

Charlotte blinked from reading. Quietly the older sister closed her book and dig into the mess of papers where her own cellphone was. Three missed calls. All from Dante. Oops. “What about plants?!”

Yvette came from the hallway, phone to her chest so she could talk without getting mixed signals, “Some douchebag demon named Stolas?”

“Ugh. Where?” Charlotte asked as she got up from her desk and went over to her closet. Better drag out the big guns. She reached up and pulled a large oak case that jiggled and clinked ominously. “We’re gonna have to go fast meaning you drive Vet.”

Pale green eyes lit up and she put the phone back to her ear, “Text me the address, would you? On our way now.” If she had the address then that’d make it easier for Charlotte to input it into her GPS and give her directions. Honestly, she was giddy with the thought of getting out of the house and driving. Sure it was dire circumstances, but meeting new people was always fun, and if it was Dante asking for help then part of her knew they were a few steps shy of having a hunt.

“Sure thing,” Dante said, “Tell your sister she’s shit at having a phone.” It was a nice little jab. “See you.”

Not even five seconds went by before Yvette’s phone dinged with a text for the address. Charlotte hauled the big case up and over her shoulder. The rattling increased tenfold. “Following you out the door kiddo.”

X

Honestly, falling asleep was a horrible idea. Vergil was lucky as hell to even open his eyes again. All he remembered last was little concerned Kyrie -my how she’d grown- soothing him while Nero not only made him drink a shot of holy water but apply it to some of the wounds from his skin flaking.

What brought him to consciousness he wasn’t quite sure. All of a sudden he felt Dante’s energy, and drawing near was the presence of what he could only guess was a witch. A rattling noise echoed in the hallway before the door was eased open. Reflexively he gripped his sword, but the sight before him threw his guard off. Straight strands of brown hair spilled over the woman’s shoulders, and as she turned on the light to see what she was doing he was sucked into deep green eyes that reminded him of staring into a forest.

Heaven and Hell combined, he must be really off his game, poison be damned.

Charlotte didn’t miss how he reached for his sword. A part of her wanted to be cheeky about how that sword wouldn’t do much against her and he was delusional, but she kept her mouth closed. This poor man was going through hell. She placed the big case on the ground and kicked it open. It unfolded itself to show so many different kinds of vials in many different colors.

She carefully sat on the edge of the bed and slowly telegraphing her moves to pick up his arm and looked at the black veins. “Holy water?” She mused. “Fast thinking.” She looked up at the man who was on the bed.

“Can he be saved?” Dante asked, folding his arms against his chest.

“He can be,” Charlotte said soothingly and turned to Vergil. “Stolas did this? It’s a new kind of poison. Taking demonic energy and transforming it into literal poison.” She turned away and started to sift through the vials. She hummed a tune softly under her breath.

Such a lovely sound...Vergil closed his eyes briefly before he shifted, “Dante, Stolas got me...in the back. Starting at...the source...might help.” Which of course meant he had to take off his cloak, jacket, vest, and possibly his shirt. “Normally wounds...heal closed. This one...did not.” Which of course meant it had been festering.

Dante walked around the bed and helped Vergil turn around once they got him out of the complicated outfit. The odor was terrible and Charlotte clicked her teeth.

“What the fuck, dad.” Nero hissed when he saw the damage that was on his father’s back. He hadn’t wanted to leave his side, but holy…

“Stolas didn’t really know the safe word here.” Dante grimaced.

“Lets…” Charlotte started to pull her hair back into a makeshift bun. “Yvette I need gauze and warm wet towels.” She lowered herself so Vergil could hear her. “How steady is your grip? I can give it to you orally and you take it yourself or I find a different method.”

“Either holding the Yamato...in a death grip...or not at all,” Vergil admitted with a sigh, feeling even colder than before but at least the cool air on the back of his neck where he was drenched in sweat was relieving. He heard the creaking of the door as this ‘Yvette’ left the room to get what was asked of her. “What other methods?”

“One method is that I administer it through a kiss, another is that I open that wound of yours and try to see if I can’t get it to take through the bloodstream. I can even have you sit up and I pour it down your throat if you’d prefer.” Charlotte listed.

“Won’t even consider taking you out to dinner Verg.” Dante teased, though the worried edge on his voice betrayed his feelings.

Nero rolled his eyes. He’s been there. He’s done that. “I’m going to help Yvette find the towels. It’s crowded in here.” He knew his father didn’t want to display too many weaknesses to too many people. At least the Lysander woman was trying her best.

“I was thinking...the same thing,” Vergil nodded to Nero in appreciation and he released a long breath when his son was out of the room, leaving the three of them. Even the Yamato pulsed a little bit when he thought about her kissing him and he shook his head in spite of the ache, “Sit up...pour it.” Lifting his hand to his brother he grit his teeth when Dante grasped his wrist and hauled him up, his body lurching to the side only to be caught by the woman. Her touch set him on edge, but not out of distaste. “My shirt. I’ll bite it.” Whatever it was she gave him to cure the poison was going to make him scream.

“I can knock yo-Okay then.” Dante had to admit it was nice that Charlotte didn’t even try to persuade Vergil to do the other thing. She uncapped the vial. “Brave man.” She set the cap to the side and she scooted a little closer to Vergil. She knew this was going to hurt. He was going to drink it, it was going to taste vile, he was going to hate it and when it was also poured on his wounds with the towel and gauze he was either going to pass out or scream loudly enough to wake up the neighborhood. That shirt of his was going to get torn, undoubtedly. She swirled the vial three times in either direction and looked at Vergil squarely. Like two warriors on opposite sides of a battle. “You can swear at me, I know I’m the bitch in this scenario.” Without further ado, she helped him drink it.

Vergil expected the taste and covered his mouth as he tried not to cough and spit it out, squeezing his eyes shut and swallowing down the bile and the liquid. In the nothing that followed he grabbed his shirt, twisted it and when the first pangs of something made him double over he shoved the cloth in his mouth in time to feel burning.

Yvette returned with the items Char asked for in time to see Vergil slam his body back onto the bed which creaked ominously at the abuse. Screaming into the wad of his shirt while his hands gripped the edges. Yup. That shirt would be pieces by the end of this. “Lotty,” she whispered to get her sister’s attention, holding up the wraps and towels, “Anything else you need help with? Holding him down when you wrap him?”

Charlotte looked at Vergil who was panting, Dante was gripping his brother tightly and they both looked at each other before Charlotte shook her head. “No.” She said after a moment. “I think once we get this done, we can take watch. Make sure it doesn’t get worse or continue to spread.”

“Sounds like a plan, how long does it take?” Dante asked, carefully loosening his grip on his brother so that he could reposition himself. Charlotte carefully took the things from Yvette.

“Twenty four hours, if not a little less since he’s half-demon.” Charlotte determined. “The wound on the back is what I’m worried about most. It’s been infected and reinfected. Actually, Yvette, shove my case a little closer to the bed.”

Huffing mostly at the weight of it, Yvette did as she was told and cocked her head when Vergil screamed again, back arching and if it wasn’t for Dante she’d fear he’d snap his back in two, “I’ll get you another cloth for his forehead, a basin while I’m at it. He’s drenched.”

“You sound like a peach,” Charlotte said as she shifted through the vials a little quicker this time before picking one up. She unrolled the gauze and started to drip some onto cloth and leaned in uncomfortably close to get the wrapping around. “At least,” Charlotte said dryly, “I’m wearing a bra for this.”

Dante appreciated the humor. She was as much in an uncomfortable position as his brother and he was grateful that Charlotte knew how to work swiftly as she did carefully. His brother still writhed in pain and agony, but he still kept a firm grip so he wouldn’t ruin more of her handiwork. “This is going to take all night.” He sighed.

“I’d much rather he scream and punch than to go still and iced,” Charlotte said bluntly. “Yvette can hold him down as well as you can, but I’m pretty sure I’m pushing limits as I am.”

“You know his pride.” Dante huffed a laugh. “I didn’t realize that was infamous.”

“I have my own honor code I abide by. It drives Vet up the wall. Ask her. One time she legit threatened to shoot me over it I kid you not.”

“Oooh boy, you’re his type.” The younger twin snorted, but then had to double his grip again at another wave. “I’m a little worried about putting him on his back or even on his stomach.” He admitted. “I don’t feel like he can handle that.”

Charlotte didn’t blame him for that line of thinking. But Dante couldn’t hold him all night long and while Yvette did offer to help, Charlotte wasn’t sure if it’d make things better or not. “We have to. We’re better off keeping him from rolling off the bed than we are to restrain him. That’s wasted energy and effort.”

“Logical and precise.” Dante let out a breath. “Okay then.”

They helped each other to get Vergil to lay down, but the moment that they got him back onto his stomach, it was a hell storm. It was agony for touch, for the skin to be pulled and soon enough that antidote would stop burning and it would be numbed, hopefully drugged. Hopefully. His back needed to heal, and him writhing around wasn’t helping. She didn’t doubt that after the first hour, she’d have to change them again.

“I’ll tell Nero we’re taking watch shifts and let Vet know that too. If you’re hungry, I’m sure Kyrie can heat up whatever dinner they were having.” Dante offered as he slowly got himself untangled from Vergil’s grip and body. “She feeds an army and then some, it’s no hassle.”

Charlotte sighed, “Sure. I can’t work on an empty stomach and if there’s room to share, I’ll take it.”

“Awesome. Keep an eye out, you get first watch,” Dante patted Charlotte’s shoulder before heading down the stairs to let the group know what was going on.

“Should’ve let ‘im punch me,” was the barely audible whisper when he was well out of earshot, voice too hoarse and literally cotton-mouthed after his tattered shirt was gone.

Charlotte looked down at Vergil. “At this point in time, I don’t think you’d even know what a punch feels like.”

All he did was hum and Yvette came back in with the cloth and basin she promised a while ago, “Dante told us. I’ll bring your food up when it’s ready, yeah?”

“Sure.” Charlotte looked over at Yvette, “By the dresser thanks.” She let out a low sigh as she started to make herself comfortable on the side of the bed. “I’m good here.” She assured her sister.

“Hmm, I’m sure you are,” Yvette gave her a sly wolfish smile and easily danced away when a pillow was thrown at her, ‘kekeke’ing and tossed it back before leaving her alone with Vergil until she brought food.

“Should’ve shot her, but I don’t know if that’s worth a bullet or my sanity,” Charlotte muttered darkly as she pushed the pillow against her stomach, glaring heatedly at the door. She waited for a moment, in case her sister decided to come back. When it was clear, she set the pillow to the side and went to the basin. The water was lukewarm, which was nice. She dipped the cloth in, and wringing it out before going back to Vergil and gently swiping it across the back of his neck and his forehead, humming soft.

Sleep had nearly claimed him before he felt her gentle touches and picked up on her sweet humming. It was the same tune from before and something he didn’t cater to often, curiosity, nagged at him. Perhaps later he could ask. Instead of releasing another little hum to answer hers, Vergil heard a different noise. With his body so numb, it took a second to realize it was coming from deep, deep in his chest. Not quite human, either. If he had any strength left to care, he would be embarrassed as hell his demon was purring and trilling.

Charlotte heard it. She heard it and it made her pleased. She didn’t know much about hybrids, let alone half-demons. Yet she knew that the demons had their own little purrs and noises that they made. Animalistic as they were, they were sometimes more human than humans. To know that hybrids and half-demons could do the same thing as a regular demon, well...that was going to be her secret to keep. She hummed in tune with the purring and trilling as she wiped away the sweat, and cooled his body down. She didn’t stop humming when she put the cloth back into the basin and went back to settle on the side of the bed. She certainly didn’t stop humming until he was nice and knocked out.

[hellspains]

questions 1 to... oh hell you know I'll ask you to answer them all. Although I think I know a few answers alread

I’m putting this under the cut because it’s LONG.

Original Character Asks* 1: What is your character’s biggest fear?Iago is terrified of death and being alone. His old self was homophobic but it wasn’t his biggest fear. * 2: What is your character’s favorite memory?Depends on the verse, but in his main verse Iago’s favorite memory is tied with his worst; summer camp. * 3: What is your character’s least favorite memory?See above. * 4: Does anyone have a crush on your character? Is your character aware of this?Not in his main verse, and Iago’s pretty… oblivious about other people’s feelings in general.* 5: Describe your character’s dream date.He’s much of a “date” guy because that usually means he has to walk around/eat things/be in public and he doesn’t like that. He’d prefer staying home and doing drugs or having sex, though if a date was required, he’d pick the movies.* 6: What is your character’s sexual orientation?He’s GAY AS HELL but in complete denial because of trauma he lived through as a kid which led to internalized homophobia.* 7: How does your character feel about their name?He hates it XD. His full name is Iago Holden Dantes because when he was dumped at the fire station he was in a box of books including Othello, Catcher in the Rye, and The Count of Monte Cristo. When it came time to name him, the nun (a Spanish woman and a teacher) picked one name from each book. Iago is the Spanish form of Jacob, and she had planned on naming her son Iago before she became a nun, then Holden because it means “gracious” and she thought he could use it instead of Iago if he ever wanted to appear more American, then Dantes because it means “one who endures” and she liked the dual reference to The Count of Monte Cristo and The Inferno. Of course Iago was mercilessly tormented by the other boys in the orphanage for his weird name, and when they started reading the books in school, it got even worse. The “worst” moment was when they were reading Othello in English class and the teacher decided to assign roles to students so they could act it out. Iago was assigned the role of Iago and he actually enjoyed it but it only made the teasing worse. * 8: Does your character hate anyone? Why?Yes. He hates queer people because of internalized racism, bullies, most authority figures, and of course, himself.* 9: How does your character feel about religion?He was raised in a Catholic orphanage so he’s relatively well versed on it, though he never payed rapt attention, so his knowledge is spotty. He mostly treats God like a deadbeat dad; to be used as a threat by some and cursed at/hated by others (including himself).* 10. Would your character ever kill someone?Yes. Without a doubt. It just depends on the person, but in some cases he might kill someone by accident just because he got into a fight and lost control.* 11: How did your character meet their best friend?His best friend is a cat named Pig. In most verses Pig actually finds Iago, either by walking up to him and meowing loudly/slamming against his shins in a demand for pets, or somehow making his way into wherever Iago is living without being spotted and making himself at home in Iago’s room.* 12: How would/does your character feel about roller coasters?He’s never been on one, and he’d be terrified but too proud to admit it. After one ride, he’d love it. Iago’s an adrenaline junky.* 13: What would your character die for?Iago’s been suicidal since he was 8, but he’d die “for” people he loved. * 14: What is the cutest thing your character has ever done?Bahaha Iago’s accidentally cute a lot (he’s 5’4” so even when he’s angry he’s cute) but he’s never purposefully cute and will probably fight anyone who says he’s cute (which would be cute anyway because… he’s 5’4”) but some accidental cute things he’s done include; sleeping curled up around Pig/a stuffed animal/a pillow, waking up and wrapping the blanket around himself like a robe and dragging it to the kitchen to make coffee, when he listens to music or watches TV/movies and he thinks no one is looking he’ll either sing along, or talk to the people on screen and it’s adorable. * 15: What music genre would your character listen to?Punk, rock, metal, rap, and anything he deemed “hardcore” though he’d also listen to top 40 hits and sappy/cheesy/angsty songs but he wouldn’t tell anyone. * 16: What other fictional characters remind you of your character?Well he’s based off Iago, Holden Caulfield, and Edmond Dantes, so there’s that. Beyond those three, Hayley from Hard Candy reminds me of him, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Rorschach from Watchmen.* 17: Does your character have any irrational fears?Yeah, he’s terrified of needles. * 18: How would your character feel about having their life recorded?He’d HATE it. Anxiety alone would make him wanna die. * 19: What is your character’s deepest, darkest secret?At most points it’s that he’s gay, or the trauma he lived through. He THINKS his deepest secret is that he “liked” the abuse, but he didn’t like it, he just has a fucked up definition of enjoyment and consent.* 20: What is the most surprising thing about your character?That he’s actually really… sensitive? He likes flowers and animals and bright colors. Had he not been abused/grown up in a “normal” household, he’d probably be the type of gay boy you see on tumblr posting selfies of their makeup and nails and wearing flower crowns and neon croptops and he’d have a million pets and stuffed animals and spend his time studying to be a veterinarian. * 21: Is your character flexible?Physically? Yeah, mostly because he’s so skinny (and because whenever he gets drunk/high he ends up going out and getting screwed by men who bend him in half which is his form of stretching. * 22: What is the worst thing your character has ever done?Well… that depends on who you are. He’s fought people, bought and sold drugs, said horrible things to people who trusted him, and almost killed himself. * 23: Is your character morally gray or black or white?Probably gray. He’s not without his sins but most of the bad shit he does hurts himself more than others. * 24: What prejudices does your character have?He’s hella homophobic but after he realizes he’s gay, he pretty much turns into an anarchist liberal. * 25: Would you want to hang out with your character?Hahaha uhm… that depends on what version of him. I doubt Iago would want to hang out with me, regardless. * 26: What is your favorite headcanon for your character?His love for animals. It can be explained as simply as “he loves animals” or delved into deeply to explore why he feels the need to save and protect creatures who can’t do it themselves. * 27: What would be the worst way for your character to die?At his own hands or from a drug OD. Alone. * 28: What pet would your character like to have?ALL OF THEM. In most verses he has one cat, and that’s it, but in some verses he gets snakes, hedgehogs, puppies, birds, and even attempts to take in seals, raccoons, lions, bears, and monkies.* 29: What would be your character’s favorite food?Strawberries. * 30: Would your character have any hobbies?Doing drugs? Or drawing. Or both. * 31: What social media would your character use?I made him a fake Instagram once. He’s likely have a snapchat and a twitter as well. He might join tumblr after he comes out. (and grindr)* 32: What does your character look like?His fc is Ash Stymest, though Iago’s quite a bit shorter than him. He’s got an eating disorder so his weight fluctuates, though he’d never be described as anything but “skinny” even at his heaviest. He’s covered in tattoos, with very pale skin, dark hair, and bright blue eyes. He usually has bags underneath them from a lack of sleep. He’s be described as “disheveled” and if you saw him on the street you’d likely be concerned for his health. * 33: In what ways is your character like you?Hooo boy. A lot. I tend to take the advice “write what you know” too far, though Iago shares more traits with my younger self than me currently, which is a good thing. * 34: What is cliche about your character?If you boil him down to the core, almost everything. Skinny gay but homophobic white boy with tattoos and mental illnesses who does drugs but has a soft spot for animals? Yeah. Cliche. * 35: What is unique about your character?I’d like to think that I make him unique by how I write him, though I couldn’t tell you what makes him unique to others because I’m constantly paranoid that he’s not unique at all. * 36: Does anyone want to harm your character?Bahaha yeah. Iago’s not what you’d call “likeable” but most of the time he’s literally asking for it. * 37: Do people have justified grudges against your character?Grudges? I dunno. He doesn’t hang around people that much in general so unless he gets into a barfight and the guy takes it personally, there wouldn’t be a lot of people who hold longterm grudges. * 38: What role does your character play in their story?The victim. :/* 39: What would be your character’s niche on Tumblr?See above “cliche” question, or the one asking what’s surprising about him. * 40: What would be your character’s favorite school subject?Theater but he’d never admit it, so any class he could sleep in, really.* 41: Would your character want to have any children?NOPEx100000* 42: What would be your character’s dream career?Veterinarian. Or vaguely an “artist” somehow. * 43: What is your character insecure about?EVERYTHING. His looks, his smarts, his past, his height, his weight, his interests, his tattoos, his education….* 44: What is your character proud of?Uhhhh well when he comes out he’s proud that he can take dick like a champ and he doesn’t have a gag reflex but that’s about it. * 45: What would your character change about themselves?E v e r y t h i n g.* 46: Would you want to trade places with your character?Hopefully no one. * 47: What fandoms would your character be in?As a character? I dunno. As a fan? Marvel, DC, probably some anime fandoms, and anything he deemed “badass” (James Bond, TMFU, Tarantino films, etc)* 48: How would your character type?Badly. Quickly, but badly. Lots of text speak or typing errors. No punctuation and no capital letters. * 49: How does your character stand politically?He’s… not political. He thinks everything’s shit so if nihilism is a political view that’s his. * 50: What is your favorite thing about your character?Probably the fact that he’s so weird? Like I never know how he’ll react until I sit down to write stuff out. He’s volitile and that makes him fun, (but exhausting) to write.* 51: What is your character’s favorite animal?If you pressed him he’d say “cats” but he loves all animals and he’d hate you for making him pick one. * 52: How would your character act in gym class?Sit by the bleachers and steadfastly refuse to participate. (He actually forged a note from a doctor so he didn’t have to attend gym for the last two years of highschool.* 53: What clubs would your character join?He’s not  a club kinda guy. * 54: What is the saddest thing about your character’s life?ALL OF IT lmao. No but he’s an orphan who was raped and molested for 3 years, then dropped out and ran away to become a semi-homeless drug addict in denial. * 55: Would your character do the Ice Bucket Challenge?No. His ED means he’s pretty much always cold and he would think it’s stupid anyway.* 56: What’s one of your character’s quirks?He runs his hands through his hair/scratches his arm when he’s nervous. * 57: How would your character feel about feminism?Originally? He’d be of the “fuck SJWs/feminazis are dumb/I’m an egalitarian” sort. He’d evolve over time. * 58: Is your character dorky or more athletic?Neither hahaha though he can be a dork he’s not dorky, and he’s certainly not athletic. * 59: What is your least favorite thing about your character?People think he’s gonna be one way but he’s not and they get mad or freaked out when he behaves a certain way because they didn’t think I’d go “that far” (i.e. crying during/after sex, attacking them, using slurs)* 60: If you could title your character’s life, what would you title it?“What the everloving fuck” maybe. Or “dear god look away” or “it keeps happening why does it keep happening” or just a gif of a giant rotating middle finger.

[keeroo92]

Crimson Tide Ch6

Chapter Six - Planar Explorations

 ---Dante---

Dante didn’t know how long they’d been walking in this obnoxious realm of color and light, but it was too damn long in his opinion. It was like being trapped inside a children’s story. At least, until a swarm of demons appeared. They had a tendency to shatter the illusion. In fact, he was oddly grateful each time they attacked; fights kept his mind busy, kept him from thinking about how fucked they were.

They walked mostly in silence, both focused on moving forward, but now and then Nero would pipe up with a question. Though Dante hated teaching, he found it a nice break from the monotony of endless walking. It helped immensely that the kid didn’t constantly heckle him.

“Hey, Dante.”

He glanced at the young warrior beside him, waiting for the boy to continue.

“Is there some way to predict the portals or is it a crapshoot?”

Dante barked out a laugh. The first time he found himself in the Underworld, he’d asked the same question. He didn’t find the answer until years later, when he met Trish.

“Depends on the person. A couple demons can tell where a portal goes without crossing, but for most it’s a matter of luck and timing.”

Nero stared at him, grappling with the new information. They walked onward in silence for a few minutes, passing a purple field dotted with painfully luminous yellow bushes. He trained his eyes forward, ignoring the blinding light as Nero spoke again.

“What do you mean, ‘timing’?”

Dante stretched his shoulders beneath his massive sword, taking a seat to face the other direction and watch the cerulean grass waving in the breeze. It had clumps of orange and red flowers similar to polka dots; the shades were less offensive to his eyes than the atrocious field behind him. Nero followed his lead, taking a sip of blood with barely a grimace as he plopped onto the ground. He’d adjusted quickly after the first few sips.

“See, the planes aren’t stable. They move. They’re like little bubbles or some shit, and they have to shift every time another plane pops up. To make room, I guess. I don’t really get it myself, but Trish said the one that’s closest to where you are when you cross is where you end up. She said the portals are where the edges of the realms overlap.”

Nero’s eyes narrowed in thought. He was a smart kid, a good head on his shoulders.

 But he’s still got a lot to learn.

“Well, fuck.”

Dante nodded his agreement, pulling the last few scraps of blood-soaked demon flesh from his pocket to eat. He handed some to Nero and they shifted to snack, their devilish bodies insulating them from any illness they would otherwise catch from the putrid remains. The tomato shade of the mountains on either side of the valley they were traversing made him long for his favorite food.

“Damn, I miss pizza,” Dante said between bites. Nero snorted in amusement.

“Well, I miss Kyrie’s cooking.”

Dante snickered. “I bet that’s not all you miss from her!”

Nero shot him a yellow eyed glare, the blue of his cheeks deepening into a dark azure. “Shut up.”

Dante laughed again as he swallowed the last of his snack and stood. He stepped away, cresting the hill they’d been climbing. He paused to take in the view even though it made him cross eyed, searching.

 I never knew there were so many colors.

He panned his gaze across the horizon to find a hint of amber light coming from behind a boulder. There were a couple Antenora skulking about, but no real threats. He found it odd that the only greater demon they’d encountered so far was a Titan.

 Where is everybody? Something weird is going on. I expected us to get discovered by whoever's in charge by now.

He suppressed the thought as Nero joined him at the top of the hill, and he pointed at the light. “A portal. Ready to roll the dice?”

His nephew launched himself skyward in response, pumping his wings to shoot toward the gateway. Dante grinned and followed, a red blur in the sky to match the blue. His heart was thundering in his chest, the tiny flame of hope growing as they neared the gateway.

 We might be going home.

 But first…

He tilted his wings and summoned his blade, swiping it across the head of an Antenora as he passed by. It roared at the sudden attack, its cleavers slicing empty air in retaliation. Nero landed three quick shots from Blue Rose and the Antenora fell to the ground, dead.

“Good thing I softened him up for ya!” Dante taunted, already headed for the second Antenora. Nero smirked, rising to the challenge and racing over to the demon to slice it clean in half.

“Like I need your help, geezer!”

They landed side by side and approached the glowing doorway, hope shining in their eyes. It was the first portal they’d found in… however long they’d been here. Dante estimated it had been a little over two weeks, judging by their consumption of blood, but he couldn’t be sure. Regardless, they were both more than ready to go home.

 Or at the very least, leave this shitty place behind.

“Well, here goes nothing,” Dante murmured, and stepped into the embrace of the portal.

It felt like diving into a pool and trying to reach the bottom. His ears popped and he couldn’t breathe. The same hue of yellow soaked through his closed lids, so bright he thought he’d go blind. A smell of hot mustard and methane filled his nose and he struggled not to sneeze as he felt a firm surface beneath his feet. The light faded, the crossing complete.

He opened his eyes.

The new plane was shadowed and dark. Mountains surrounded him, high peaks rising to stab at the blackened sky with tips covered in blue ice. Dante exhaled and watched his breath steam the air as goosebumps erupted on his flesh. He rubbed his arms and looked down, wondering how high he’d landed.

“Oh, shit!”

He stood at the summit of a crag, looking down at a steep expanse of glittering ice over a mile deep. A gust of frozen wind lifted his wings and he forced them closed to remain on the tiny ledge. Nero stepped forward a few seconds later, teeth already chattering despite the heat their devil forms provided.

“Fuck, guess Hell froze over, eh?”

Dante grunted, already scanning the neighboring peaks for the familiar amber glow. He imagined if there was one nearby, it would be easy to spot. The ice might reflect the glow. Yet all he saw was blue and black, no yellow warmth to be found. As his teeth chattered, Dante realized the danger they faced. If they remained here for too long, they risked hypothermia.

“Right. Don’t see any other portals, so we’re gonna have to look around a bit. Think you can fly in this?” he asked his nephew. The young warrior nodded, stubbornness making his brow furrow as he spread his wings and let the stiff wind carry him off the cliff side. Dante followed close behind, and together they circled the peaks, eyes cast downward in hope.

Again, they spotted a surprisingly low number of demons. Staying airborne meant they didn’t have to fight any of them, but even if they had taken them all on simultaneously it wouldn’t have taken over ten minutes.

 Something is definitely off…

They flew until the sky began to lighten, the darkness lifting as sunlight illuminated the world around them. It brought the temperature up, barely. The solid beating of their wings became erratic, clumsy as the bitter cold set further into their bones. Dante’s hands were numb, his toes tingling like they were asleep.

 We’re running out of time.

He glanced at Nero to see his hands stuffed in his armpits, his shivering so violent it sent the ethereal glow of his wings fluttering. The young man’s eyes were fixed downward, searching desperately for a way out.

“Dante, look!”

Nero pointed toward a small valley in the distance, a vague shade of orange rising from the ice.

“G- good eye, Nero! Let’s g- go!”

The distance to their goal felt insurmountable, but still they flew onward. The edges of Dante’s vision were going black when they began their descent, but he gripped onto consciousness with all his strength and pushed through it. He didn’t even bother to land as they reached the portal, flying straight through with Nero just behind him.

Under the shadow of a particularly icy peak, a lone demon watched the two white-haired humanoid figures fly through the gateway. Its voice was cold and grating as it spoke a single word.

 “Ssssspardaaaa…”

 ---Nero---

The portal felt like an oven and his extremities screamed in shock at the rapid change in temperature. He felt his blood rushing to his fingers and toes as his shivering faded away, and opened his eyes as the crossing ended. He found a cloudy blur, unable to discern any details as he took the first breath.

And choked as water flooded his mouth.

 Fuck!

A warm hand grasped his forearm and pulled. Nero forced his exhausted body to move, swimming in what he assumed was upward as quickly as he could. He still couldn’t see, but the hand on his arm remained and he could only assume Dante was beside him.

The urge to inhale grew stronger and he had to focus to keep himself from automatically obeying his body’s needs. His ears popped and the tightness in his chest consumed him but still he rose. Finally, he heard something change as his head broke the surface and he took a gasping breath of sweet, sweet air. Beside him, Dante choked as he did the same, coughing up a few mouthfuls of water.

Nero leaned back, floating as he gathered his wits. He didn’t see any nearby land, no shores or islands to rest upon. Only water extending in every direction. He needed to rest, they both did.

“Dante, do you know where we are?”

His uncle, finally able to breathe normally again, spun around a few times to get his bearings with a muttered curse.

“Motherfucker… Yeah, I know where we are.”

Nero gulped at the morose tone of his uncle’s voice.

 That can’t be a good sign.

“This is Armisael, a water world. We’re gonna have to dive to find another portal.”

 And the water is too damn cloudy to see anything. We are so fucked.

“How deep is the water?”

Dante grimaced. “You ever heard of the Marianas Trench?”

 Oh yeah, we’re doomed.