#hell i insult vergil all the time

[storytellering]

the moment I see someone unironically make a "deadweight" nero joke or seriously refer to him as "deadweight" i know i can't trust them

[basil-does-arttt]

I need to know more about your opinions on chubby Dante bc that man is absolutely has some fat on considering the amount of pizza he eats

Chubby Dante is 100% canon to me capcom told me themselves In all seriousness though, it doesn't make sense for him to be shredded 24/7. I don't care that he's a half-demon, he has a horrible diet, and spends most of his free time sleeping when he isn't on jobs. I personally think his weight fluctuates a lot between various points in his life... When he was younger, i imagine he was on the scrawny-to-average side of things body-wise, on the skinnier side more often than the average side. A combination of an active lifestyle working as a merc and only really getting a hearty meal when he went to Grue's place. As he gets older and his diet continues to worsen, i think his weight increases a bit. Between 3 and 1 i imagine him to put on a good amount of weight, but i also imagine he loses most of that during 2 and TAS from depression. (i can see Dante as the type to go insane periods of time without eating because of his depression.. and bcs he's a half demon, those periods of time are a lot longer than they should be. im thinking weeks here. and ofc when he does eat, its just pizza and sundaes and whatever else he chooses) He puts on weight again during 4 and just before 5, this time enough to be comfortably considered "chubby". Meeting Nero has given him a new reason to live and actually take care of himself for once, so he puts more effort into that and by proxy fixing his atrocious eating habits. Again, he loses a good bit of this during his month long nap in 5 though. Also loses quite a lot of weight while he's stuck in hell, they dont have much pickings down there and demon meat is gross. When he gets back from hell, is when he puts the weight back on again. He's got Vergil back, and Nero is there too, once again giving him reason and motivation to live a bit better and actually take care of himself for once, and this means eating better too. I think also, he'd learn how to cook because I doubt Vergil can. Maybe learns from Nero and/or Kyrie. (Im getting side tracked.) I absolutely adore chubby Dante, esp as somebody who is fat themself. It makes me happy to see people not only loving a character who is chubby but also preferring this version of the character too?? not to get sappy or emotional but it makes me feel good inside, and gives me hope that my body type can actually be appreciated outside of mocking and insults

[that-gay-guy-from-hell]

Tapestry of Leather: Vergil x G/N Reader

SUMMARY: Vergil finds some old clothing.

BEGINNING NOTES: Vergil x G/N Reader Pre-established Vergil and you live together Fluff Lime? Not quite smut but still has some spicy stuff (god I feel old for using the term “lime” lmfao)

==

     The rain pattered softly against the abnormally quiet house. Only one of the two residents was currently home and he hated it.

     It doesn't come as a surprise that Vergil disliked having days off--especially if you weren't with him; however, it happens sometimes and today was just one of those days. His brother and son were out on a job, the ladies were... somewhere, and you had gone out to do some shopping. The blue devil offered to accompany you but you said you'd be fine. He had been too stubborn to admit he wanted to spend more time with you. 

     That he missed you.

     A soft sigh left his nose as he shut his book with a small thump, unable to focus. He leaned back in his chair with an elongated groan and placed a hand over his face. That’s when out of the corner of his eye he spotted his tattoos. Admittedly, he wore his sleeveless turtleneck because you enjoyed playing with the off-black markings; but now that you weren't home, Vergil felt nothing but an unending loathing for his marred-up skin.

     "Why do I even still wear things like this," he clicked his tongue in irritation as he stood up. 

     The eldest twin slid off his shirt and tossed it on the bed. He opened the dresser drawer and rummaged around for something to wear when a certain old leather duster caught his eye. 

     With a small 'hmph', he pulled out the neatly folded clothing. He had forgotten that he had kept the stolen apparel. Out of curiosity, the blue devil rummaged further into the back of the drawer and found the rest of the outfit; sandals and all. 

     He held out the corset and raised a brow, “Such brazen and unsightly apparel,” he pursed his lips before looking around; despite being fully aware he was alone. 

     Vergil quietly huffed as he carefully laced the black corset around his middle, leaving it loose enough to move comfortably but still stay wrapped around his middle. He slowly turned and viewed each side of the black leather in the mirror.

      He let out a small huff in thought, “What was I thinking when V decided this was an appropriate outfit?” 

     His curiosity about how he’d look in this old leather got the better of him. As Vergil removed his yoga pants his brow furrowed. The eldest twin could practically hear how a younger Vergil would’ve reacted. How he would've insulted himself for dressing in such a way, for dressing like a cheap whore.

     Slowly, he slid on the skinny black jeans, buckled the belt, and hooked the skull chain to his right side. His jaw clenched as he became increasingly aware of how pathetic he looked right now; how unrefined he has become. 

     Behind all these bitter displeasing thoughts, however, there was another voice. The lowly sultry voice of the man who had last worn this colorless punk outfit; the small part of himself encouraged him to finish the outfit. Vergil slid on the sandals and picked up the duster jacket, holding it in his hands. 

      A voice from the doorway behind him caught his attention, “If I had known this is what I was coming home to... I would’ve been home a Hell of a lot faster,” Vergil whipped around to see you standing there with a warm smile, eyeing him up and down. 

      “I-” his face quickly became red with embarrassment and was unable to find a response. 

      You approached him and gently ran a hand down his chest, “You look divine, Vergil,” you gently grabbed the front of the corset lacing, “Are you gonna put the jacket on, too?”

      His eyes met with yours, “Do you want me to?”

      “I mean,” you smiled, “Only if you want to.”

     He stared for a moment before coyly sliding it on. A soft hum came from you as you reached out to fix the collar of the jacket, then slowly ran your fingers down the old leather. 

     “Do… Do you like this..?” Vergil’s eyes followed your fingers that had moved to the lacing of the corset, tugging it slightly.

     “Want me to be honest?” 

     He nodded, feeling an odd nervousness pooling in his gut.

     Your voice was low and seductive, “I came home expecting to have a sweet dinner date with you,” you gently leaned up to his ear, “but now?” You bit his earlobe, pulling it slightly, and let go to place a kiss behind his jaw, “I want you to fuck me senseless, to turn me into poetry.”

     Vergil’s face shot bright red and his eyes widened. Before V re-conjoined with Urizen, the lithe man had been quite the flirt with you and that line was something he used frequently; a promise of sheer decadent intimacy.

    The feeling of teeth grazing his neck brought Vergil back to reality. A small grunt came from him as he felt your teeth grip him harder and he harshly dug his fingers into your hips, pulling you tight to him. Between the two of you, something was growing and, quite frankly, V’s skinny jeans weren't exactly hiding it. As your teeth left the blue devil’s neck, he moved you to the bed, tossing you down lightly. 

     He moved to straddle you, watching as your chest rose and sank with each uneven breath. He felt your fingers ghost over his strained cock.

     He leaned down and placed his forehead against yours, “ ‘Love and harmony combine,/And round our souls entwine’,” Vergil's lips brushed against yours, “ ‘While thy branches mix with mine,/And our roots together join.’,” the blue devil placed a hard passionate kiss against your lips. 

     Tonight he was going to make good on those words, he was going to make sure you understood exactly how much he yearns to hear your sweet song; to hear you in nothing but sheer ecstasy. 

==

ENDING NOTES: Poem quoted:      “Love and Harmony” by William Blake (yes, I know V says this to Urizen, just let me have this lmfaooo Also V saying this to Uri has always been funny to me because the poem is about fucking and making a kid lol) 🐄🐄🐄 Sorry this is so short lol I kinda just wanted something small to work on. Ngl had this sitting in my WIPs for a while because I didn’t know how to finish it. Finally found a way to ;))) Thanks so much for reading!! Hope y’all enjoyed!

==

If you like this please consider checking this on my AO3. There are extra chapters and my H/Cs over there, so please consider checking them out! Comments, Likes/Kudos, and shares are always appreciated! Thanks so much for reading!! :)))

MASTER LIST FOR TUMBLR

[corvidamned]

CHARACTER INFO SHEET

name: kira alexandria drake name meaning: "dark-haired" (kira), "defender of the people / mankind" (alexandria) "dragon" (drake) alias/es: nevermore, the raven, the sphinx, the dragon, kiki, alex, mallard, murdock ethnicity: romanian-english one picture you like best of your chara:

three h/cs you've never told anyone: (ive probably said these already)

kira's first victims were three school bullies she maliciously planned on killing prior to becoming a vampire. they were three girls her same age that tormented her for years prior. she was encouraged by her father before he passed to pick someone who she truly hated and channel all that rage and hunger that comes with the transformation into killing someone she thought deserved to die in order to curb the inherent need to target one's family or loved ones. in hindsight, they weren't evil. they were just bullies that made her life a living hell because they had no sense of control in their constantly changing homelife. however, 13-year-old kira could not distinguish that. she saw three mean girls who pretended they liked her only to neg her, insult all aspects of her identity, attempted to use her to do their homework, promised to show her all the pop culture and conventional beauty techniques she was missing out on, and ghosted her... and she thought that was enough to inflict creative violence. she took one's eyes, another their jaw, and the last one, their heart.

while kira's dad is essentially dracula, our dracula is a composite of many different dracula stories. the most central of which are: nbc's dracula (the inventor), young dracula (the father), dracula untold (the war hero), van helsing (god's nemesis), bram stoker's dracula (the plague and the forbidden love), and castlevania lords of shadow (the devil's nemesis). he is all these things, and very tired. he's also a slut, and I will accept that kira has distant siblings by other dracula brides or cousins from other sides of the family. its just her all alone in her side of the world since in many verses cillian is stuck in a different dimension or tragically dead.

Kira's not against the idea of something like a symbiote or a parasite living in her body and sapping some of her strength in exchange for giving her abilities. It's when there's the possibility that it'll change her blood chemistry permanently or take over her mind and transform her into something that's no longer her anymore but one with something else and doomed to serve something else that she's completely put off. It's not worth the power or the community and she would rather walk alone as an anomaly and turn her own fledglings than deal with something ancient with backwards values.

three things your character likes doing in their free time:

painting and drawing, usually accompanied by singing or humming

swordfighting or sparring to keep sharp

journaling for to-do lists and keeping logs for memory

eight people your character likes / loves:

Edward Nigma

Rick Flagg

Vienna Roberts

Jack Rabbit

Bertha

Albert Wesker

Vergil Sparda

Wally West

two things your character regrets:

not letting anyone know she's a vampire out of survival and fear of being dissected by umbrella

only telling very few people about the details of her past because it's awful bloody and rife with monsters and not their burden to bear

two phobias / fears your character has:

losing a loved one, losing control, killing a loved one accidentally, ghosts

deep water such as lakes and oceans

Tagged by: @umbrellamedic @mxlevolence Tagging: @fcllederage @ask-the-ghostface @luposcainus @who-is-muses @eclipsecrowned @brucieboy297 @celerem @manufactoredxbyxdesign and you!

[blazerwyvernmaster]

Daichi, The Lone Individualist

OK time for my first character that I made for this project. He's a goober, originally designed for a P4 rp, and I like em alot.

Basics

Daichi Yuugi was born to two engineers.Both of which spent most of their time away from home when he grew to be around 10 due to work. Because of this, Daichi spent most of his time being alone and restless. In the privacy of their home, they did the best they could to keep themselves entertained and free.

Though, this attitude didn’t really translate well when trying to interact with people his age. Everyone seemed to think he was weird, and because of his meh grades and underachieving attitude, they kind of just…declared him the town idiot. Which forced him into a state of being alone, a state they desperately wanted to escape.

So, in high school, they have been trying to hide their weirder tendencies in order to seem more approachable. But the label of town idiot still follows him, whether he likes it or not. Even with the few friends he does manage to make.

After the party discovers The Dark Garden while trying to save a classmate, Daichi initially runs away, fearful of death and battle. But he eventually decides to muster the courage to go in alone, shaming himself for his cowardice. This almost gets him killed, but he decides to stick it out, joining the new team in their quest to uncover the secrets of The Dark Garden.

Personality

Daichi is both cheerful and gauche. He is very excitable and hyper and has a tendency to make jokes that only a few people find funny. Because of their odd style, their awkward and loud personality, and their low intelligence, many seem to dislike him or write him off as a waste. To avoid getting hate thrown his way, he either tries to act more normal or pretends the insults don’t bother him. They do, though.

Daichi loves to consume media, most likely as an escape from this world, and often dreams about making stories that can be appreciated by the entire world if possible.

He cares deeply for his friends and the town he lives in, even if they hate him. He is especially protective of Abel, who he relates to as an outsider seeking relationships.

Combat

Daichi's personas are Dante from the Divine Comedy and Ovid, a roman poet

Dante is the writer and main character of The Divine Comedy. It follows the story of Dante, a poet who has been sent to Hell. He is guided by a man named Vergil, and travels through Hell, Purgatory, and eventually Heaven, learning about all of them along the way.

Ovid was a Roman poetry who wrote many stories. Specifically, he is responsible for many of the stories where the Olympic gods are more explicitly flawed and awful, such as Aracnhe's and Medusa's stories.

As a party member, Daichi specializes in

Decent stats all around with an emphasis on speed and luck

Strike damage with boots.

Electric magic

All types of buffs, including Heat Riser

Status healing

Confuse and Fear status effects

Arcana and Story Arc

Daichi is of the Hermit Arcana. Representing solitude, but also self reflection. Daichi has been forced to be alone for a multitude of reasons. His parents are almost always away on business. His interests lead him to stay inside more often. His eccentric nature often leads people to bully him or dismiss him.

Daichi seeks an escape from this awful world. They like helping people, and weiritjg stories, but what's the point of writing stories for people if everyone dismisses what you do as foolishness? They must struggle with these thoughts and feelings.

Daichi tries to find ways to fit in, desperately, but eventually realizes they don't really have to. He has his people. The world may be unnecessarily cruel, but they manage to actually help people who are alone, understanding what that feels like.

Daichi would also be one of the only social links that you can reverse. If you call his dreams stupid, or belittle him, he'll feel like you're just like everyone else. And why would they want to hang out with someone who doesn't really like them?

[astarab1aze]

// light blue heart, for Safe Haven. unu

muse relationship headcanon game

who curses more?

haha bee. i thought about it for a minute, honestly thinking it'd be vergil, but we must never forget bianca listens to hardcore gangster rap in her private time, like when she's gardening, cooking, or dancing. she's always cursing. sure, maybe under her breath when bobbing along to a song, but who cares? let bee say fuck--

who is more patient?

bee by a mile, i feel like. vergil's patience comes from his careful planning, until it comes down to the execution phase, then he focuses so- hard on doing the thing. bee, on the other hand, is just passive in general, so she's much more inclined to be patient and bide her time altogether. also very tolerant, but she does get very anxious and self-doubting at inopportune moments, putting her in a panicked urgency. hummmmm. i wouldn't say they actually defer much on this point, like they're similar levels of patient but display it differently. if that makes sense? idk kjdfh

who does the driving?

vergil. c'mon, as if bee's learned how to drive. :I vergil can try to teach her all he likes. he's simply better at it and she trusts him more than she trusts herself behind the wheel.

who is louder? who is quieter?

hmmmm. vergil's louder, bee's much much quieter by comparison but this has to do more with dominance versus submission, assertiveness versus passivity. their upbringing, how they survived, the reactions to their individual traumas. like at the root of this. do you get where i'm coming from homie?

who is more physically affectionate?

they're about even. they both have their positively wild moments, but, for the most part, they've always been chaste and particular with and about each other. until the need for proximity is overwhelming, or they're searching for comfort, warmth, reprieve. when they sleep together, they sleep together. when they bathe, they often bathe together. little touches, pawing in the night after a nightmare. bee's favorite spot to kiss and touch has always been his jaw, for instance. vergil gathers her into his arms, brushes his knuckles against her skin. yes. bye.

who is more likely to tease the other?

they can both be playful, but i feel like...it's still probably bee. but overall? i think they're far more serious and uptight than v and garrett will ever be skjjdhfjs i'm not going to lie. playful and loose sometimes in private, where garrett is only too happy to be coocoo for cocoa puffs with v in public kind of a deal.

who is better with time management?

vergil. all that schemin' ya dig. no, the hacking! the hacking. all his computer sorcery bee doesn't understand because computers. numbers bad. time? all she knows is morning, noon, and night. she has zero proper time management skills, especially because she doesn't generally plan for anything unless she's being sneaky. but even then, she can be impulsive so everything goes awry.... -looks at her time in hell- vergil plans and actually thinks more critically about what he's doing, even when he does stupid shit--

who wins the arm wrestling matches?

vergil ksjdhfsd but i feel like...he lets her win sometimes. but then i think he wouldn't insult her like that, but he's also much stronger than her, and it just. goes round and round. ooze, send help

who controls the music in the car ride?

they talk to each other or sit in silence, what music. shut--

who covers dinner when they order in?

vergil. i know he pays for their groceries. i know they never go out. bee cooks but vergie pays mhmmmmmmmm, that just be how it do. a little traditional in certain ways but it works for them

who is more outgoing? who is more shy?

i think vergil's usually more reserved unless pissed off, where bee is more friendly but less inclined to talk to people she doesn't know or trust explicitly, unless she has absolutely no other option. she was so terrified in the beginning, but now it's more like she's neutral? just. um. friendly with people they know, fuck off to people they don't ok

who has the more outlandish fashion sense?

vergil. it's that goddamn jacket (the fedora doesn't exist, it can't hurt us)

who starts the tickle fights? who ends them?

hmmmm. tickling? i can't see it happening, but i can't not see it happening either, like in the first place. :I i'm unsure. vergil and vergil skjdhfsd

who has the darker/more “edgy” sense of humor?

i don't think either of them have a very clear sense of humor tbh. they're both so serious... hmm. we will have to discuss.

who is more competitive when it comes to games?

what? vergil omg. he's a competitive guy. look at his and dante's interactions throughout the game. hell, look at our brief interactions when i wrote him. they has such rivalry between them sure, but also that distinctly brotherly sort of dick-pulling contestery. remember ksjdfhs 'i have a bigger dick' HAH bee wins--

who has the bigger appetite? the bigger sweet tooth?

vergil takes his tea with lil pieces of chocolate bee makes for him and burns way more calories, so vergil. i don't remember ever writing bee eat or drink anything more than lemonade, tea, water, and stew omg..... going by evidence alone ksjdhf she grew up horribly poor. sweets and such were a luxury anyway so she learned not to care about them, just filling enough foods like rice, beans, potatoes, surviving on the bare minimum literally her whole life-- she eats a bit like a bird in the first place... ah. made myself sad

who is more likely to get in a confrontation in public?

vergil. :I

who hosts the parties/hangouts? who organizes them?

bee organizes family gatherings with v and that's about it on that front

who is better at cooking? do they ever cook for each other?

they cook together, or at least vergil helps and is otherwise very involve. sometimes. he can get so wrapped up in his work! so diligent. i don't think we've ever talked about him cooking for her? not that it wouldn't happen. but i do think bee does it the most often and has learned lots of things over time, so she's better at it skjdfhsdf

who is more likely to engage in dangerous and/or illegal behavior?

vergil. he shot the succubus. >:I and i don't think he actually gives a damn about the law. knows very well about it, enough to bend and break it, but he doesn't give a shit about it-- it's his world and we're all just living in it unu as far as specifically dangerous things, law aside, they're both veeeeeeery guilty of that and covered in the evidence.

who is more likely to notice when something is wrong with the other?

they both are entirely attuned and affixed to each other. i think when vergil gets focused on his work, he ends up doing it for hours and hours (a point against him for time management skjdhfs), but when he has a minute to spare, he very much notices. bee checks on him regularly throughout the day, so she would just know faster.

who does the talking in public settings (i.e. to the waiter at a restaurant)?

reeeeeeally depends on context. she follows his lead for certain things, puts her foot down on others, but doesn't really...hm. generally speaking? follows his lead but checks him if necessary. when they're around family? bee never shuts up, but is still somewhat polite and reserved.

who is more likely to extend a helping hand & provide emotional support?

bee. beeeeee. she is the bleeding heart in this outfit, at least as far as other people go. when it comes to each other? they both do the best they can, and that's genuinely enough for them (-sweeps bee's insecurity causing her to go to hell under the rug-)

who is the bigger prankster? do they get the last laugh or do they suffer for it?

pranking? uhhhhhh. hmmmm. no

[tanakavox]

Little Hellion: The proud mother, and the frustrated uncle

Edits done by @thatorigamiguy. Thanks for that man!

Vergil stood quietly, overlooking the city from atop the tower. Rain fell from the sky, the feel of the cold droplets soothing Vergil before she did battle. Her eyes narrowed, a familiar presence before her and one that she had been waiting for. The fight had arrived, and she did little to hide a cold smile before addressed her adversary

"You showed up." She said aloud, barely tilting her head as she addressed her twin brother. Dante merely smirked in response, sauntering up to his older twin with a practiced swagger as he confidently swirled Ivory in his hand.

"And miss this party? Not a chance!" He stated confidently, before giving their soon to be battlefield an unimpressed look. “Can’t say it’s much of a party though…” Dante stated, dry sarcasm lacing his tone. No food, no drinks, and the only babe left being his sister? Talk about the worst party hostess ever.

“My sincerest apology brother, I was so eager to see you that I couldn't concentrate on preparations for the bash.” Vergil replied with her own sarcasm, though it lacked the warmth and humor of her younger twin. She still hadn’t turned to face her brother, causing some annoyance to perk within Dante. Still thinking she was so above him that she couldn’t even be bothered to face her own brother huh? For a moment, the thought of shooting his sister in the head drifted in his thoughts before he turned down the idea in distaste. Sure, it really wouldn’t have done anything other than mildly annoy her, but Dante was never the kind of guy to utilize something so underhanded like his usual prey did. But then again, if it did get a reaction out of her…

“...Nah” he muttered to himself. “At any rate, it's been a whole year since we last met sis! How’s about a kiss from your little brother?” He said with a cheeky grin, before he aimed Ivory directly at Vergil's back. “Or better yet, how’s about a kiss from this?” Lighting cracked throughout the skyline as Dante’s blood began pumping in anticipation for the fight. His sister obviously felt the same, before she began turning to face her brother as she unsheathed Yamoto in one smooth motion, her smile the same cold and calculating one that Dante had seen time and time again. But as his sister fully turned to face him, Dantes excitement turned to confusion, before his eyes widened in shock and panic as he quickly lowered his gun. This cause of action made Vergil pause, a confused look on her face at her younger brother's sudden change of mood.

“What are you doing? Lowering your weapon is poor form brother, and quite frankly even more insulting before the fight has even begun.”

"Poor form- Sis, I’ve known you and fought for you for years on end, and you’ve always been the cold and logical type," Dante began calmly, before pointing at her chest with an angry look on his face, “But using a baby as a shield? What the hell is wrong with you?!”

We see a small baby, barely even six months old with hair as white as Vergil and Dante, happily cooing and aweing as he waved happily at Dante. He was dressed in a onesie that Dante quickly noted looked very similar to his fathers Devil trigger form. Dante would have thought it was adorable if not for the fact that there was a baby strapped to his sister's chest. Vergil for her part, merely tilted her head to the side in confusion, as if to question what the big deal was which really only served to actually annoy Dante even more than he already was.

I’m not using the baby as a shield brother, such a thing would be in poor taste. Only the lowest of demon trash would ever stoop to such a tactic, and I assure you I’m above such behavior.”

“Then why do you have a baby to begin with?!” Dante shouted, his patients having finally run out as he was trying to decipher what the hell his sister was thinking.

“Oh, that’s because he’s my son.”

Of all the things that Dante had ever expected to hear uttered from his sister's mouth, the fact that her admitting such a massive bombshell was the very last thing that he had ever expected to hear. Dante gapped like a fish, his mouth closing and opening as his brian tried to catch up with the reality of the situation.

"Your… son?" He croaked out, his usual bombastic and confident tone gone as he spoke barely above a whisper. Holy shit, his sister was a mother. Holy shit, he was an uncle! In response to his question his sister smiled(she actually fucking smiled) a beaming smile so bright, that Dante swore that it could have brightened the entire darkened skyline with how bright and genuine it was.

"Yes my son and your nephew, regrettably.” She added the last part as if being related to Dante was more of an unfortunate circumstance than something to be proud of. “His name is Nero, and he’s about 6 months old. Is he just a cutie?" She cooed, rusting his hair causing the little one to giggle a bit.

The site of his sister being tenderly and caring was… an awkward sight if Dante had to be honest. Of all the people he’d know in his life, she was the last person that he would have ever expected to bare a child, let alone even be bothered to have sex. Which, now that Dante really thought about it, who was the man brave enough(or stupid enough) to manage to make such an impression that he got his sister into bed with him? Dante shuddered at the thought, before shaking those distracting thoughts out of his head before he glared at his sister.

"Okay, so he’s your son. That’s great and all sis, happy to have a new member to the family, but why did you bring him here to begin with?” Seriously, had his sister truly lost her common sense? This was no place for a child, even one of their lineage, and Dante could only dread what might happen if the poor kid gets caught in the crossfire.

"Well I certainly wasn’t going to leave him with a babysitter. Humans are oh so delicate, so the thought of leaving my precious hellion alone with one didn't seem practical. And the mere thought of trying to find demons to care for him, well…” She left her sentence unfinished, sneering at the thought of some demon trash even being in the presence of her pride and joy. As much as he hated to admit it, Dante’s sister had a point. A human not versed in dealing with demons would be well above their heads if trying to take care of Nero, and other demons… Well, better left unsaid.

“Besides,” she began with a proud smile, “This is a perfect learning experience for him, and for me to begin teaching him early!”

"Teaching?” Dante questioned aloud, “Teaching him what?! Vergil he’s six months old, the only thing he should be doing right now is learning to crawl and playing with toys!”

"Nonsense! Babies are like sponges, and if he watches me fight now, he’ll easily get a head start when it comes to his skills when he's older."

“What are you- Vergil that makes zero sense! He’s barely old enough to comprehend basic shapes, let alone keeping up with one of our fights! Where did you even hear that from anyway?”

“I read it on a mommy blog.” Vergil stated casually. “And I would put more of my trust into a woman who has 3 children then someone like you, my foolish little brother.”

Dante felt one of his eyes twitch in frustration, the beginnings of a headache coming on as his rage began boiling over at his sister's insane commentary. “A ‘“Mommy Blog?” Dante stated dryly, before he managed to calm himself and loudly declared, “You know what? This is not what I came here for, I came here to fight Vergil! And come hell or high water, I’m going to get a fight out of you!”

Vergil smirked, Glad to see that Dante had gotten his fighting spirit back as she readied Yamato into a two handed stance, “Very well Dante, let’s dance!” 

Vergil was ready to make her first move, but hadn’t made it a single step before her brother shot his hand out in a stopping motion. Vergil gorwed in frustration, what was the problem now-

“Put the kid down first, Vergil.” Dante stated in a no nonsense voice, gesturing towards his nephew who was now staring at his mothers sword with wonder in his eyes. Vergil blinked, “Beg pardon?”

“I said, put Nero down Vergil. You might be crazy enough to bring your son to a fight for your own reasons, but I’m not going to fight you with my nephew strapped to your chest.” Dante stated in a hard tone, his usual enthusiasm for battle dampered by the fact that his sister was far too comfortable with charging into battle with her son strapped to her chest. At the mention of his name, Nero excitedly waved at his uncle, to which Dante awkwardly returned back.

“I refuse to do so. Should I let him just sit in the rain, then he’ll surely come down with some sort of sickness.”

That fact that merely bringing her son out into the rain at all would have increased Nero’s chances of getting sick seemed to go right over his sister's head. Or really the fact that the chances of Nero getting sick at all was slim to none due to their demon blood, but Dante was far to done with his sister's bullshit to really point it out.

"Then if that’s the case, I’m not fighting." Dante stated in a firm tone, crossing his arm. Vergil blinked as she processed Dantes statement, before she gave him a smug smirk.”

"Well then I guess I win then brother," she stated in a smug tone, causing Dante to give her a harsh glare back.

"Vergil you damn well know this doesn’t count as a fair win!” He shouted in response, pointing an accusatory finger at his sister.

"And I fail to see how it doesn't count. You forfeited the fight, meaning I won be default.”

“Because I refuse to fight you with a fucking baby strapped to your chest Vergil! Besides, didn’t you state earlier that you wouldn’t have used a baby in a fight?”

“No, I said I wouldn’t use one as a shield.” She stated matter of factly, before shooting her brother an unimpressed look “Are you even bothering to keep up brother, or is it too hard for you to understand such basic concepts?”

Dante felt the last bits of his sanity leave him at this moment, and it was through sheer force of will that he didn’t start wailing on his sister right then and there. Taking in a deep, steadying breath and counting to ten, he managed to grit out between his teeth, “Just… put the damn baby down Vergil.”

“I will not-”

“Vergil, do you want a fight or not?!”

Vergil rolled her eyes, before she finally relented, “Oh fine. But if he gets sick, I’m blaming you brother.”

Dante let out a sigh of relief , finally happy that his sister was seeing some kind of common sense. Vergil undid the straps on her chest harness, before lowering Nero down and wrapping him in a blanket that she had seemingly produced from nowhere. 

“Now, pay attention to mommy my little hellion and make sure to learn as much as you can.” she said softly, as she patted Nero’s little head, causing him to reach out and coo at his mom. Dante could only roll his eyes at the scene, before he impatiently called out “Are we going to get this party started, or what?”

“Yes, I’m ready to “Party” brother.”

“Finally, so lets gets this start-”

Dante didn’t even get a chance to finish his sentence, before he had Yamato lodged into his guts, not even noticing Vergil moving from her prior position.

“Fucking… cheater!” He ground out, coughing up blood as his sister gave him a disapproving look.

“Language brother, my child might catch on.” Vergil said smirk, before turning to leave Dante on the ground bleeding. The sudden physical(and mental) trauma had finally caused Dante to unlock his Devil Trigger, but he couldn’t find it in himself to be as psyched as he should have been. Dante was far more worried about the fact that his sister had a child, and the very last thing the world needed was another Vergil. So whether or not Vergil liked it(not that Dante liked it much himself, but it’s better to just go with the flow) Dante was going to be the coolest, and most supportive uncle he could be to Nero. For better, or worse.

“See sweetie? That’s what we call, “catching our adversary unprepared.”

…It was going to be a long eighteen years.

Idea came from this femVergil mod and talks with my buds about Vergil as a mom. That's it lol.

[queenmuzz]

So, anyways, I saw something @liulyam had posted for Spardaverse a while back I DON'T KNOW HOW I MISSED THEIR WONDERFUL ART FORGIVE ME! Anyways, I saw specifically THIS piece of art, and it sent the brain juices into overdrive....

So, the same thing plays out everyday. Nero gets off the school bus and runs in, backpack flying, and tells his uncle excitedly about his day at school, before racing up the stairs to tell his dad the same thing, in the same adorably animated manner. Unfortunately, Vergil doesn’t respond the same way as Dante, sitting still, not even acknowledging that the boy is talking to him. Initially, Nero doesn’t mind, understanding his recently rescued father has been through a lot, and needs time and patience to recover. But as the months pass by, Dante notices that his nephew doesn’t run up the front steps as eagerly, his descriptions of school become shorter, paler. And most worryingly of all, Nero spends less and less time with Vergil, preferring to peek his head in the man’s room, sigh, and slowly make his way to his own room, closing the door sullenly.

“What’s going on Nero?” Dante takes the plunge and asks him one day, before the boy trudges up the stairs. “You haven’t been that rambunctious ball of energy lately.”

Nero kicks the worn hardwood floor. “It’s dad… I know you told me I need to be patient,” his face scrunches up at the word, it’s a thing he’s never been able to truly do. He’s definitely a Sparda boy. “But he just keeps ignoring me. He won’t talk, won’t even look at me. It’s like I don’t even exist! Maybe...maybe he doesn’t want me to exist-”

“Hey now!” Dante needs to nip this train of thought in the bud. He knows first hand where it can lead to. Had he not found Nero nearly nine years ago, while wandering the world, drinking up every bar’s entire inventory in a vain attempt to fill a void in his chest, who knows where he would have ended up? “Your dad...well, even without the stuff he’s been through, he was never much of a talker. Always preferred to have his actions speak for him.” “But that’s the thing, Uncle Dante!” Nero blurts out, close to tears. “He DOESN’T DO ANYTHING!!! He doesn’t care!” And with that, Nero bolts up the stairs, past Vergil’s room, not even checking up on him, and slams his bedroom door with such force, Eva’s portrait wobbles on the desk and tips over. Dante sighs, sets his mom back up, and slowly makes his way up the stairs. Not to Nero’s room; Dante knows better than to provoke that tiger cub when he’s in an ornery mood. It’s time to talk to his dad.

Vergil, or what’s left of him, is sitting in an oversized chair, the only one that fits his giant frame, facing the window, the only one in the place with a view. If he’s heard the ruckus (and Dante knows he has), he makes no indication that it affects him.

“Verg,” he calls out, “I know it's been rough, I know I piled on a lot of shit on you, the whole thing about having a kid and everything these past nine years. I’m not expecting you to just snap back to normal, and start insulting me like in the good old days, but…” Dante’s not good at this sort of thing. He’d rather Royal Guard his emotional turmoil. It used to be with alcohol, but now it’s with a cheery smile. “The kid needs a sign that you’re still there, you’re still fighting. I know you are, hell, you’re the one that helped me take down that bastard Mundus on Mallet Island. But that’s the thing, Nero’s only heard things that you’ve done, not seen them. You need to show him yourself, otherwise…” Vergil makes no motion, and even Dante, stubborn as he is, knows it’s fruitless to continue much more, “you’re gonna lose him too.” And then Dante heads back downstairs, to see if he can whip up a snack to bribe his nephew to come out of his lair. Strange, he swears he hears the rustle of fabric from Vergil’s room, as if his brother had just moved.

--

Nero sits at Dante’s desk, working on his math homework. It’s his least favourite thing, fractions. Uncle Dante is a whiz at them, and usually would be able to help him, but he’s gone out on an ‘Really quick, won’t be more than a half hour’ errand run. It’s been nearly two hours, and the only other adult here is his dad… so Nero is practically by himself.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Nero’s neck prick up, and he hears scrabbling at the front door. He’s still not allowed to go out with Uncle Dante or Auntie Lady on their hunts, but he knows what a demon feels like, especially when there are a lot of them. ESPECIALLY when they’re really powerful Instinctively, he grabs a chair, and wedges it underneath the door knob, and looks around in a panic. He’s never had to deal with a demon attack by himself before. He remembers his uncle has a case of weapons that he was told to NEVER touch beside the jukebox, but Nero figures that he can say sorry to his uncle later. He smashes the lock with a billiard ball, and yanks open the lid. He’s disappointed. He thought there would be a treasure trove of swords and guns, but all there are two swords, one red and one blue. But he doesn’t have much of a choice, and the whine of protesting wood ends with a thunderous CRASH, and demons pour through. “FIND THE HERETIC GOD SLAYER!” One says, before turning in Nero’s direction. Without much warning, it shrieks as it launches at him with razor sharp obsidian claws.

Nero might be little, but his uncle has trained him well. Whipping the two blades around, they connect the monster’s waist in a pincer move, and like a pair of scissors, bisect it in a shower of blood and ash. Nero swears he hears a voice (or is it two voices?) approvingly say, “Impressive!” but doesn’t have a chance to savour his very first demon kill as another demon comes at him, knocking him over. The reddish gold blade clatters away on the floor, way out of reach, not that it matters. Nero’s pinned to the ground by a skeletal foot, as the demon lifts a blade to impale him. He squeezes his eyes shut, preparing for the end.

The final blow never comes. Instead, he hears shriek, and the pressure on his chest instantly subsides. He opens his eyes, to see it stagger back, its decapitated head clattering to the floor. Its brethren likewise are either dead or dying, their high pitched screams shattering the glass in the jukebox.

Nero’s first thought is that his Uncle has finally come home, Dante’s come to save me! But what’s odd is that there’s no sound of Dante’s beloved Ebony and Ivory. And last he checked, his uncle never was able to shoot out blue ghostly blades that now impale most of the horde. But it doesn’t matter, because his uncle is here to save the day! That is, until he yelps as he’s quickly, but not roughly picked up and held as whoever holds him spirits him out of the building, the blue blade still clutched in his hand. Nero begins to panic, but hears a voice, almost like a croak, as if the vocal cords had been in disuse for years…

Nero

And even though the voice is harsh sounding, it's one of the most comforting things Nero’s ever heard.

--

Of course that half hour errand run would turn out to be three hours. But when he was promised a free pizza for clearing out that demon nest on the West side, Dante couldn’t say no. Besides, he’d pick up some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the way home as a way of apologising to Nero. The kid might be cross with him, but he’d forgive him the moment he smelled those chewy biscuits. Dante might even let him have more than half of the package.

So when he gets home to find his front door smashed open, his office trashed, and worst of all his jukebox shattered-wait no, worst of all, his nephew missing, all thoughts of pizza and cookies vanish from his mind as he rushes in, guns drawn. There’s no sign of life, but the black splatters of demonic ichor painting the walls shows that some real bad mojo went down here. The strangest thing though, is Agni, a weapon Dante was definitely sure he had under lock and key, laying there on the ground, alone.

“Alright, time to spill your guts” he yanks the blade up so that he’s at eye level with the pommel, “What the hell happened here?” Agni makes the same response as Vergil. Which means silence.

“I swear to…” he pulls out ivory, and presses the muzzle into the (more troubled than usual looking face), “You’re gonna tell me what went down, or we’re gonna see how many bullets I can jam into your ugly mug.” “You told us to remain silent.” He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, consider that rule temporarily relaxed.” “There was an attack.” Agni starts, its distorted voice unusually agitated, “The little one fought with great valour, but eventually even he was overwhelmed.” Dante’s blood goes cold. “But then a great bulk of a demon came out and slaughtered the attacking filth, and spirited the boy away, alongwith my brother.”

“Rudra’s still with Nero?” That’s odd, if they were trying to capture the kid, they’d disarm him first.

“Yes, they are not far, I think they’ve stopped moving.”

“Alright,” Dante makes his way out of the disfigured wood, “let’s go find the kid and your bro...and if he’s alright, maybe I’ll reconsider giving back your talking privileges.” “Oh, that would be wonderful, will you allow us to leave the dark box? It’s been so long since we’ve fought, we crave batt- ”

“I said IF, and I won’t guarantee anything if you keep jabbering on and on.”

--

Angi directs the demon hunter to a dark secluded alleyway, a few blocks from Devil May Cry. One hand on its hilt ready for attack, the other fingering the trigger of Ivory, he cautiously makes his way past the recently overturned garbage cans, to a shadow alcove, where a shadow crouches. Beside it is Rudra, glowing faintly, it’s turquoise blue light providing enough illumination for Dante to make out what has happened. There’s Nero, peacefully slumbering away, apparently unharmed, not even his shirt is torn. And holding him gently, stroking his downy white hair with a giant hand...is Vergil… And for once, even though he is still staring straight ahead, there’s a different look on his face, a sense of contentment.

Huh Dante thinks to himself as he holsters the weapons, I was right, actions DO speak louder than words.

[rodeoxqueen]

Keeping Up With A Himbo: Vergil (II)- La Méprise

Series Summary: A series of domestically fluffy snippets where the S/O of a Sparda learns just how much of a himbo their lover is.

Work Summary: Vergil misunderstands the pronunciation of a common French pastry. 

Tags/Warnings: Sexual Humor, Explicit Language, Gender-Neutral! S/O, Nero Is Here Too, Implied Sexual Content, Family Bonding, Dadgil Shenanigans 

Rodeo’s Two Pieces: I would write this for Dante but that man would probably do this stunt on purpose and full chaotic intent. 

Ever since Vergil returned from Hell, the devil had made an effort to get to know his son better. Much to the help of you, who Nero grew very attached to. 

With your patience and help, the two were able to somewhat reach each other and establish a bond. 

There was a new French bakery in Redgrave and you insisted on taking both father and son out for lunch. “Bonding time,” you dubbed it.  

The two of them peered over you as you looked at the glass display of tarts and croissants. The smell of butter and sugar had you swooning along with notes of coffee and baked bread dancing through the air. 

“Oh, eclairs. Kyrie loves those things.” 

You got to the register, greeting the cashier with a polite hello. As you would definitely be bringing some treats home and sharing them, you were sure to be generously purchasing many in addition to whatever the Spardas wanted. You were very sure to include Dante, asking for strawberry tarts in another box. 

After all of you had completed saying what you wanted, you reached for your wallet. Nero attempted to pay for some of it but you refused. 

“(Y/N), do you want to have a quickie?” Vergil asked you casually as if he was commenting on the weather. The cashier, a teenager with big red hair, stifled a gasp. You and Nero whipped your heads over to gawk at him. He remained stony, arms crossed with an eyebrow raised at your theatric shock. 

“Vergil what?” 

“You heard me. You enjoy them, I’ve seen your face when you have one.” You slapped his arm, eyes wide. Memories of Vergil trapping you in his strong arms and pinning you against a wall with rushed fervor-

“Vergil, that’s obscene.” You choked out. Nero shoved his dad as a warning yet the man did not budge. 

“What the hell-” 

“Child, I’m asking a genuine question.” 

“It’s a bad question!” 

“What seems to be the problem here?” A manager called herself over, wearing an apron and cap. Before you could stop Vergil, he already started talking. 

“I would like to get a quickie here.” 

“Dad! Stop saying that!” Nero snapped. Vergil almost didn’t recognize that he was addressed accordingly. 

“Oh honey, this is not the place for that.” The manager explained. Vergil made a face of displeasure. 

“What do you mean? I can have quickies in other establishments.” 

The employees were cackling behind the counter, holding onto each other in bewilderment and sheer amusement. The manager had met her match for once. 

“It’s a bit of an insult to assume this shop is meant for that. You must be kidding.”  

“I’m not insulting or kidding anyone.” 

Nero was a sputtering mess, trying to apologize for Vergil while also attempting to move him away from glaring the manager to death. You were also trying to go through with your current order without said sexual reference, hoping to just leave with some of your dignity. 

“Hey, can you hurry up?!” An obnoxious woman with a strangely angled bob demanded. 

“Hush, fool. I am trying to get a quickie here.” 

“Stop saying that!” Vergil growled as an employee walked by with an egg tart in hand. He gestured immediately at the stock-still individual who had no idea what was happening, the tension in the room unparalleled to anything before-seen in customer service. 

“That employee has one on their person as I speak.” 

If jazz was playing before, it would have stopped now. You blinked twice, Nero scratching the back of his head. 

“Vergil, you were talking about a quiche?!” 

“Are you f*cking kidding me,” Nero said, exasperated. 

The manager left after the hubbub was absolved, leaving you with an oblivious Vergil. The youngest Sparda stood there with no words left to say. So obviously, you had to finish your order. 

“Man, anyways. Can I also get some eclairs in a separate box? Let him pick while I pay.” You put your hand on Nero’s shoulder, grinning. He sheepishly went to pick some decadent treats for his girlfriend. 

After that mortifying ordeal, you were quick to give the cashier a giant tip in the jar. Having your shared lunch outside, away from the still-laughing shop clerks, you finally managed to cool down your blush. 

“Thank you for letting me pick these for Kyrie. I was sure we were going to get kicked out.” Nero nudged his father who hmphed in indignance. 

“It’s a good thing your father is a himbo, not a Karen.” 

“I’m still on the fence about that.” Vergil ignored his comment, not knowing what either phrase meant. He didn’t want to know anyway. 

Nero sipped loudly on his iced coffee, observing his father cutting up the troublesome pastry. 

Weeks later, when Nero was on a hunt with his uncle and father, the same story was retold. Dante roared with laughter while Vergil crossed his arms. 

“Oh Verg, I can only imagine (Y/N)’s face when you basically said ‘Hey, can we f*ck here for a hot minute? I can’t? But I do that all the time!’” Dante impersonated his brother, pinching his nose to sound more nasal. 

“So that’s what it means.” 

“Yes, that’s what it means! Ever heard of urban dictionary, bookworm?” 

Recollections of hastily rebuttoned clothes and quickly finger-brushed hair ran through his mind. 

“Why I had one of those this morning-” He said to himself. It fell upon very sensitive ears that were connected to a certain cantankerous quarter-devil who didn’t want to hear it. 

He was quickly clubbed to the face by Nero’s astral fist, sending him flying a few paces away. 

“Bon voyage, shithead.” His son gritted his teeth and stomped off. Dante chuckled, helping his brother up. 

“Well, your kid now knows too much about your sexual history. You’re really getting the hang of being a dad, big bro.” 

“Shut up.” 

[dmc-tings]

DMC Gang Teaching their s/o how to drive

Dante

Uh, yeah he knows how to drive

But... he's not the best teacher

Usually ends up asleep in the back

Cause he trusts you to figure it out

One day though, damn near changed his life

You smashed into a newspaper stand

The impact woke him from his nap

You were holding on to the steering wheel for dear life

Tears welled up in your eyes and he immediately pulled you into his lap

Kicking the door open, hauling both of you out of Morrison's now wrecked car

Dante was more concerned about you

You still hadn't said anything, just letting tears fall down your face

He checked you over, he was silent as well

Pissed at himself for letting his negligence, almost get you killed

The cops showed up, after a kind soul called them

An ambulance got to the scene and checked the pair of you over

While the paramedics looked you over, Dante called Vergil and Nero

The pair made it to the scene in Nico's van

But it wasn't just the two of them, the whole crew came

Kyrie and Lady rushed to your side, Lady shoving the paramedics and cops away from you

Kyrie got you talking, letting you weep onto her shoulder

Dante got a scolding from Vergil and Trish

Something along the lines of, "How could you be so wreckless." And "You knew that was dangerous, Dante."

He wasn't listening tho, he watched you cry into Kyrie's arms, while Lady rubbed your back comfortingly

Once the scene cleared out, it was just you and the crew

Oh! And a confused and angry Morrison

"How the hell.... Dante, you know your paying for this."

Your half-devil finally made his way to you, for once (and during this whole thing) speechless

His head hung, he didn't need Vergil, Trish or Lady to scold him

He was beating himself up over this

You looked up from Kyrie and Lady, throwing yourself into his arms

Crying out "I'm sorry's" and "I should have been more careful's"

He shushed you, burying his face in your shoulder, "Im sorry. I should have been paying more attention."

He silently cried into your neck

After that day, Dante took more care in paying more attention to your driving

Once you got your license though, he still took naps

Or so you thought

The devil man would only be resting

Peeking at you every so often

Vergil

You stood awkwardly in the archway of your shared bedroom

Vergil giving you a (visibly) shocked look

You wanted him to what?

"Verg? Did you hear me?" You shuffled your feet abit, again

He blinked at you

Dumbfounded, flabbergasted, and down right appalled

"You.. You want me to..."

You looked away, abit ashamed

But to your defense, you could and had always walked everywhere in Red Grave

You really didn't need to drive, unless you went to the beach or somewhere out of town

But.... Vergil didn't know how to drive either, he had spent the last 20 something years in hell

And the last thing he thought he would ever be asked to do or teach was FUCKING DRIVE

He shook his head, not saying anything to you

You bit your lip and looked away from him

You misunderstood his head shaking

Then his face flushed, letting out a grumble

"I dont know how to drive."

And in his defense, he just teleports or opens a portal to where he wants to go

You straightened up, "Wh-what?"

Great, you were back at square one

Vergil gave a small cough, "Why do you need to learn how to drive?"

You looked at your feet, "I just wanted to learn..."

In all honesty, Nero had teased you about being an adult, and not knowing how to drive

It made you feel low

Vergil gave a huff, noticing your hesitation

"Who." He stood up

You looked at him, "Ver-"

"Was it Dante? No... he barely knows how to drive..." his eyes flashed

You grabbed his arm, but it didn't stop him

He slashed open a portal, right into the shop

"Who teased (him/her)." It wasn't a question, a demand for the person who insulted his sweetheart

"Vergil. Please stop..."

Everyone in the shop looked at Nero, who had his headphones in

Vergil let out a growl and pushed you behind him

"Teach them how to drive!" He snarled, slicing the headphones off of his son's head

Nero shot up and got ready to fight back, but stopped when he realized what was happening

"Uh... sure... i-"

"Both of us."

Dante burst onto laughter, realizing what Vergil was getting at

Nero looked at Nico, "uh... can we-"

"Oh hell nah!"

At a loss Nero looked at you and his dad

"Well.... uh... i-"

Vergil scoffed, throwing a few summoned swords at his cackling brother

Then he pulled you close, "Tease them about not knowing how to drive again, and you'll feel my wrath."

He took you back home

After setting you on your feet and giving you a kiss on the forehead, he returned to his reading

"So..."

"You have me. No need to drive."

And that was the end of that

Nero

Nero sat in the van in the driver's seat

You in his lap

You insisted that he sit in the passenger seat

But the part-devil placed you in his lap

Now he was scratching his head

"Nero?" You looked at him with big puppy dog eyes

He looked down at you, "Yeah?"

"Do you know what your do-"

Nero waved his gauntlet clad hand

"Of course, I got this."

He, poorly, started to explain the gears, buttons and switches in front of you

"Aight. So. You got the gear shift, I think it's a stick. And the... uh... windshield wipers. And the lights in front, and the brights..."

'Oof,' you thought, 'I could have just asked Dante... and got just about the same experience.'

You drummed your fingertips on the steering wheel

Finally, tired of your boyfriend droning on, you turned the key and started the van

Nero jumped, then patted you on the head, pointing at the 3 pedals at your guys feet

"Well since your in my lap, I'll work the pedals. Just tell me when to speed up and slow down. Ok?"

You nodded, "Alright! Nice and slow though."

From here, using team work, you and Nero made your way around the block

Slow and steady

Then Nero hit the breaks a bit too hard

You nailing your forehead on the steering wheel

"Shit! Nero!" You leaned back rubbing your sore head

"S-sorry! There was a old lady crossing the street..." he mumbled

Then leaned forward a bit, examining your forehead

He sucked his teeth, "Shiiiiit. That looks bad babe...."

"No shit." You barked

You felt your boyfriend flinch at your tone

After the pain passed you patted him on the arm, that was wrapped around you

"Its ok. Good thing you stopped though." You pointed at the old lady still trying to cross the street

Nero nodded, grunting with agreement

"I... I think thats enough driving for the day."

Nero gave another nod, letting you crawl into the passenger seat

He made way back to the garage/shop

Once parked he looked at you

And you gave him a smile

"Thanks. That was pretty fun!"

Nero gave a small laugh, "I suppose it was, save for you bashing your skull on the wheel."

You huffed, poking out your lip, "Not entirely my fault."

V

(Yes, I include him, cause some people like him. And personally I like his character as well)

You and V were cuddling in the living room of your apartment

You leaned into his chest, watching tv, as he read from his book and gently running a hand through your hair

"V." You spoke lifting your head

He gave an acknowledging hum, looking to you from his book

"Can you teach me how to drive?"

He looked at you, his mind drawing a blank

As Vergil, he never drove, hell they barely walked

"Love, I've never driven.... Ever." He told you gently

You looked forward at his chest, searching your mind, trying to figure out who you could ask to teach you how to drive

V cocked his head at you, wondering what was going through your mind

You looked up, eyes shining, "we could learn together! There's plenty of books on driving!"

V's eyes lit up as well, your excitement fueling his

"Oh? Where to we begin then?"

You both sat up, you grabbing your phone and V sitting up with you

"Well the DMV would be a good start. They can give us all the info to study."

"There's a written test?" V asked, he knew he could pass that

You nodded, not looking up from your phone"Yes. And there is a driving segment as well."

V froze and looked down at you, but seeing you so excited, he didn't want to ruin your fun

Later you both got everything from the DMV

And at V's insistence, the library as well

You both spent weeks reading and learning

Even convincing Nico to let you practice and take the driving part of the test, using her van

Eventually when it was time for the tests, you both where prepared

You passed them with flying colors

Ignoring the dangerous tips Nico gave you

When it was V's turn, he passed the written exam

But hesitated when it was time to get into the van

He stood at the driver's door, hand on it

You walked to his side, gently putting your hand in his

"V? You can do it. Just don't think too hard about it."

He looked at you to speak, but you cut him off, sealing his lips with a kiss

Happy, he climbed in

You sat alone in the DMV, anxious

He came back with the instructor minutes later, beaming proudly

"You were correct, my dear. I didn't overthink."

He pulled you into a hug, after you both got your licenses

[spoiler1001]

Nightmares and Reunions Pt.1

V knew he fucked up. He had no substantial demonic power, besides the power he siphoned from the Nightmare. He had his honor code. Apparently, that was a part of his humanity. All of his monstrous traits were congealed and currently digging a portal to hell. And not for the first time. V knew that to learn from their mistakes was to be human, apparently to repeat and to make mistakes worse was not. He was digging a rock bottom from a palace far below what his ego was once convinced was rock bottom. It was exhausting. V could feel the fatigue building in his bones. It was emotionally difficult to hunt down Vergil’s nightmares to gather strength to fix his mistakes. Those same mistakes lead Dante to go missing.

It’s been days since Dante first went missing. He obviously lost. The all-consuming lust for power that Vergil carried was too much for Dante’s heroic way of being. If Dante was truly lost, then so was the rest of the world, provided Nero also failed or lost the will to come back.

If Nero actually managed to come back it would impress V, but Nero didn’t seem like the type to back down to V.

Nero was too identical to V and Dante when they were younger when the tower grew. Dante looked so different now. He could have been Nero’s father. Even in V’s withered state, V could sense the blood of Sparda in Nero’s Veins.

V swallowed down regret for hurting family he didn’t even know he had. If he had waited and recovered there would have been a later time to challenge Dante. Hindsight was a curse that burned at V like an acid. This push for power cost V something far more precious, over and over again.

“My, My V. Normally I’ll catch you moping about Mommy dearest; but this time you’ve had your mind on a pretty lady.” Griffin made himself apparent. V had forgotten that they were. V felt his jaw clench. It was true. He lost a trusted friend because of his own actions. The memory surrounding their goodbye was bitter and angry. He regretted his words to her. He insulted her, and then she was gone.

“Oooh, a touchy subject. I do love those.” The bird ducked his head and flapped his wings to shift the feathers. V hated the fact that the creatures of dreams were connected to his mind. Griffin hissed out some laughter at that passing thought.

“Let’s… try not to awaken all of my ghosts. Some deserve some rest.” V whispered, running his fingers over the spine of this book. He could still taste the bitter words of condescension before she vanished. Shadow bumped his head under V’s hand, trying to comfort him.

It was late. The moon was in the sky and he was still very exhausted. It was weighing under his skin.

V came to a stark realization that was true for a long time. Maybe since his mother had died. V was lonely. Maybe sleep brought clarity to his mind. Or maybe the nightmares stripped him to his bare essentials and loneliness was the front and center. Maybe his emotions were twisted like the armor, which formed the very demons he fought with. It quelled V’s helplessness for a time being or at least weaponized it. V knew that his facsimile of magic imbued others with the sense of fear and panic that he woke up with. That transfer seemed to help him deal.

Sleep was hard to come by. V was not used to being so vulnerable that it affected him being able to get rest. The nightmares that melted onto him didn’t help matters.

It was a new personal tragedy every time he closed his eyes. This time it was of clowns and distant laughter.

“You’ve taken a trouncing, haven’t you Vergil?” a mocking voice rang out from his mind. A thought rushed through his mind: was this the same voice that-

V woke to a face appearing above him. The light and his own eyes coming into focus prevented him from seeing the face in its entirety. He could make out blonde hair, blue eyes,and freckles across the nose. Something was covering her mouth and chin. Her eyes were boring into him.

V recognized her immediately. “Either I’ve lost my mind or in my final moments the divine has sent me beautiful memories as I take my last breath.” V whispered and gave her a shy smile.

The woman gave a deep breath through her nose.

“Both are debatable.” She said on the exhale. V reached up to her face, the back of his hand brushed gently against her cheek. She flinched for half a moment before her eyes softened.

“YOu look terrible.” She said painly. She pulled herself out of his reach. V felt panic build up in his chest, but he swallowed it down. He pushed himself into a sitting position, allowing him to see her more clearly. His muscles were sore and it shocked him awake, meaning she was really here, unless dying was more painful than he had been led to believe. She was wearing a black scarf over the bottom of her mouth, but she still looked just as young as she did last time he saw her.

“I thought you were dead.” V stated. It was surely an icebreaker if he heard one.

“Wipe that guilt off of your face; we can’t change the past.” Her voice was not as harsh as the words she used would suggest. Alice ran her fingers through her hair, it was shorter than it was last time he saw her and tied up in a practical ponytail.

It was difficult to discern her figure, despite her skintight jeans with dark sneakers. It was probably because she was wearing a men’s suit coat, green in color. It was worn not by the sleeves, but by a silver chain on the top of the lapels. She wore it like a cape and it was almost down to her mid-thigh. It made the blue in her eyes pop.

Vergil could see bits of Nero in her face. The boy had her eyes and his face had her round cheeks. The anger in both of their eyes mirrored each other.

“How did you find me?” V tore his eyes away from her.

“Word tends to spread about a fucking talking bird, Vergil.”

That answered that. Honestly V hadn’t considered that the bird would catch someone’s attention. Plenty of people’s pet birds talked. He took a breath and rephrased his question. “Why did you come looking for me?”

“Because Dante told me you died and you popped up fine and dandy.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“It appears we were staring down the same abyss.” V found himself back to watching her face. Griffin was still external, but was yelling at him inside V’s mind. Both human and demon knew that she was angry.

“No. I grieved; I moved on. I Just want to know why you ripped off Nero’s arm.” Her voice dropped an octave and almost growled at him.

“It was not my finest moment,” V admitted.

“It might actually be your stupidest and think about how high that bar is.”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“Obviously.” She scoffed.

“I didn’t know he was your son.”

The air was sucked out of V’s makeshift shelter. She froze and got quiet.

[ssson-of-sparda]

A TRIP TO THE BEACH - PART 2 (DANTE X FEM!READER)

Summary: When Dante shows up, Patty finally learns how things ended between Y/N and him but that's not the kind of ending she likes. (Part 5 of A Tab To Erase) (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

Tags: Dante is Tony Redgrave / Love / Angst / Blood and Gore / Minor Character Death / Violence

Author’s note: This is the end! I hope you enjoyed this fan fiction as much as I enjoyed writing it. I can't wait to read your thoughts about it. Is it the end you expected? How did you imagine it? Tell me everything. I'm all ears

Patty dared peeping from above the headrest of the couch when the woman opened the door, definitely curious to see the two adults’ reactions when they would finally see each other – though she still feared Dante’s wrath a little.                 But when she finally saw them face-to-face, this couple she had been imagining – and rooting for - for weeks, she didn’t care about her friend’s anger or disappointment - He would definitely thank her later - . They looked so perfect, like coming from an episode of one of those telenovelas she loved so much. Dante was towering Y/N perfectly and she was so pretty. And the lighting.  Gosh “Like a scene from a movie.” She sighed. If only she could read their minds right now.      “There you are, young lady!” Dante declared with a menacing finger as he entered the house            “Hi Dante! What are you doing here?” Patty tried to play innocent but there was something in her voice that couldn’t fool Dante. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I never thought this annoying little brat would dare come here … or steal my stuff.”  “That’s alright, Dante. We were having fun actually. And at least, that girl dared visit me … unlike someone else.” Dante definitely felt that sting and he knew he deserved it. “How long has it been?” “A while.” He said, pretending to be casual even though he had the right amount of years and months in mind. “And this day never happened. Come on, Patty. Let’s go.”             No, no, no. This couldn’t end like that. Patty thought. Not after all this time. “Can I at least finish my tea please?”                  “ I’ll buy you a tea on the way back to Red Grave. Let’s go!” Dante insisted as he came closer to the girl to grab her by the arm and drag her away from Y/N’s place as fast as possible. “Right. Like I’m going to believe you. You never buy me anything, even when you owe me.” Y/N smiled while Dante sighed deeply. “Damn it.”                  “ Plus, you still owe me a trip to the beach.”   “ Alright. I’ll take you to the beach. You happy? Now let’s go.” He tried to pull her from the sofa but the girl resisted.             “ Or … you can let Y/N finish her story.” Patty suggested. Dante glanced at Y/N whom he hadn’t seen go to the kitchen to prepare him a strawberry sundae. “Actually I’d prefer that. Y/N can you continue your story, please?”   “ Well, maybe Dante can tell you so that you can finally erase his tab while I’m making this devil a strawberry sundae. Topped with a cherry and two pink wafers, is that it?”           “I don’t know. You’re the pro.” He had a faint smile at her that Patty noticed and beamed at. About time. “Where did you stop you damn story?”

A TRIP TO THE BEACH - Part 2

Dante was sitting at his desk, eyes closed, a magazine covering his face while he was listening to some good old school metal on the jukebox he had just acquired when the damn machine starting to sizzle and shake. “You gotta be kidding me.” Dante complained and, with a deep sigh, got up from his chair to kick the jukebox like Y/N had once taught him. “Funny how those machines always need a good kick to work.”          When he thought of his beloved girlfriend and realised how late it was, he wondered how the hell she had not arrived yet. It was very dark outside and the clock was striking one. The restaurant should be closed by now and Y/N should have been in his arms at least an hour ago, naked preferably.

Not sure Patty needs to know that.

Worry tied Dante’s stomach in a knot in spite of his sleepy brain screaming at him not to be paranoid. “Relax, Dante. She’s probably helping clean the kitchen or something”, he told himself     And yet, tired of repeating this sentence over and over again in his head, he decided to grab his coat and head to the diner. Better be paranoid and look like fool rather than wait here and worry one more second. Plus, he had waited long enough already and he had made a fool of himself in front of Y/N more than once. So what was one more time, huh?

But when Dante arrived at the restaurant and found it empty and dark, he wished he looked like a paranoid fool. But he was not paranoid and he was not a fool. He was terrified and alert in ways he hadn’t been for years. “Please be okay.” He whispered as he entered the place, feeling once again like a little boy hidden in a cupboard, crying for mommy and his brother. A ghastly feeling for someone who had spent years burying his past deep in his armoured heart as a promise … a dying wish.

Dante climbed the stairs quickly, very quickly and yet not quickly enough to his taste, only to stop and freeze at the sight and smell of warm blood on the wooden floor. But there was not just iron and salt flowing to his nostrils, there was this stench, rotting and disgusting, a stench only his demon sense could pick but that would soon be unbearable for humans too, he was sure of it. The stench of decaying corpses.

The son of Sparda never really liked Y/N’s parents. He actually lost almost all sort of respect for them the second they insulted him and made him understand they would never approve of him or of his relationship with their precious daughter. But when he saw them both, drenched in blood and completely ripped apart, their broken bodies lying on the floor of in their bedroom, he couldn’t help but feel sadness and compassion especially for the woman who was standing in the corner of the room, petrified and in tears, her small feminine frame strongly hold in a demonic grip. A nightmarish vision that had been scaring Dante for too long.               “Took you long enough… Son of Sparda.” The demon said with a calm and yet menacing cavernous voice that would make anyone tremble in fear. But that wasn’t the sound of his voice that made Dante afraid – because yes he was afraid –

You? Afraid? Rrr, shut up!

It was the sight of the woman he loved so close to that monster’s sharp claws.           The half-demon squinted at the devil before him, at his cloaked silhouette hidden in the darkness, trying to hide his fear, turning it into a nonchalant and over-confident mask he knew how to wear better than anything else (except his red leather jacket) but that somehow didn’t look as convincing as usual. “I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong guy, pal. Sparda may have a son. But that's not me.”          “Tony, what’s going on?” Y/N’s voice was shaking just like the rest of her body.            “It’s alright, baby. I’ll get you out of here. I promise.” He had too.        “You can try and pretend to be someone else. But I know who you are. Dante, Son of Sparda. And soon, your blood will flow for what your father did to my master.” Usually, that same old routine would have made Dante scoff and slice that creature in two for he was used to demons coming at him with pathetic threats and silly villain monologues. But today, what was at stake was simply way too important for impulsiveness.           “And who would that master be?”         “The one true king of the underworld. Mundus.”

Dante had heard that name before, long ago, in something that was now a long-time memory. Mundus was the villain of his favourite bedtime story, the one his father would always tell him and Vergil before going to sleep, when they were nothing but kids tucked in their beds.            Mundus. He remembered how that name would make him fidget and jump in anticipation and how his big brother in the bed under his would always kick him through the mattress to make him stop wriggling like a hyperactive goldfish out of water.            Mundus, the so-called Prince of Darkness Sparda had cast away and locked in the underworld a long long time ago to free the human world from his diabolical tyranny. Never thought he would have ever heard about him in another context though.

“Oh. That dude. Thought he would be dead by now… like you soon will be”    “Cocky, just like that filthy betrayer Sparda.” The demon smiled, showing short pointy black fangs that yet shone in the dim moonlight. “And in love with a human, just like he was. It would be a shame …” He grabbed a strand of Y/N’s (colour) hair to toy with it with a vicious smirk, making the young woman shiver even more. “… if something were to happen to her the same way something happened to your slut mother” Dante felt his jaw clench tight and his nails pierce the flesh of his palms. The rage, it was slowly yet surely eating at him.               “Don’t you dare talk about my mother! And don’t you dare lay even just a finger on Y/N!” Dante growled, not realising he had just given his identity up. But the black demon did and with a satisfied smile, he cupped Y/N’s face in between his vile sharp claws to burry his long nose in Dante lover’s soft hair and smell her human perfume that was oh so exquisite to him. An intended provocation and an effective one.      “How chivalrous! How noble! I’m sure your father would have said the same thing…” Dante frowned and clenched his fists even tighter, trying to stay put and in control, trying desperately to resist the powerful will to pounce on that demon and impale him on his sword and spill his guts on the floor. He knew he had too because he knew that the reaction he thought so much about was exactly what that monster wanted.           He was trying to infuriate him, to make him reckless and stop thinking rationally so that he would have him at a possible advantage when he let his rage have the best of him. Provocation at its finest. A strategy Dante knew all about. “… had he been here when I and my fellow demons tore her apart.” Yes, he knew all about it and yet... “Mundus says farewell, hybrid filth.” He suddenly stopped caring about what he knew.

Dante jumped and with a scream, unsheathed his sword to slash the arm that was holding Y/N. An impulsive move, a mistake he realised only too late, when the demon pierced the soft neck of the one he loved the most with his sharp claws in an attempt to protect himself from the demonic blade.       Everything went so quick to Y/N and yet so slow to Dante. She didn’t scream. She didn’t even have time to realise what was going on or to process the sudden pain. She only understood something was wrong when her body hit the floor and she saw Dante’s icy blue eyes widen and stare at her in horror. Then she felt the blood, her blood she was quite certain of it, running along her pale skin covering it in shades of dark red.                   Dante screamed like never before, like no human could, so loud the walls trembled and the demon slightly bowed down in fear. He screamed with an anger, a rage he didn’t know he was capable of, something so deep and passionate he never thought was in him. Something fiery … something … demonic. It felt like his skin was burning, like there was a ravaging fire spreading, growing in his body, menacing to burst, to combust him. And it almost did. It almost did but it stopped just when Rebellion sliced the head of the demon open, spilling his brains and his blood on the walls behind him.   Then, there was a relief that all this was over. The fight. The fire. The fear…  No not the fear!

“Y/N” Dante ran to her and quickly pressed her body against his. His hand found her neck to apply pressure on her bloody wound. She was barely conscious but she was still with him. “I’m so sorry, baby. Hold on, I got you.” He kissed her forehead. It was so cold against his lips. “You’re gonna be okay. I promise.”

Dante stayed by her side for what seemed hours to him, holding her tight against him, trying to keep the weakening life in her safe, when finally blue and red lights began to flicker in the bedroom. What happened next was so blurry. All he could make out were a group of men dragging Y/N from his embrace, saying they would take care of her and that he had to let her go. He didn’t know how he did it but he eventually obeyed those men, in spite of his arms trying to reach for her.         He followed them- followed Y/N- to the crowded street where the nearby residents were crammed into, whispering and trying to take a peep at what was going on in this usual very quiet neighbourhood. But he didn’t care about them or their judgmental looks. All he cared about was Y/N being taken away in an ambulance.   The paramedics didn’t let him in. And in spite of how much he wanted to fight their decision, Dante chose not to. He couldn’t delay them. Y/N’s life depended on time and too much had been wasted already.

But he found her again, like he would always find her, and he spent days waiting for her to wake up, waiting for her beautiful (colour) eyes to open again, for her sweet voice to say she was alright, his hand holding hers in an eternal grip that only her awakening could break, days in which he had to think about what happened, about what could have happened and what will happen. So many hypothesis, each one worse than the last.       And when Y/N finally awoke and, with a soft smile that bear no grudges or hatred, said. “Hey handsome.” He did what he thought he should have done days ago. “We need to end this.”

***

Patty’s eyes were glowing with tears as she was staring at Dante without blinking. This was certainly the saddest love story she had ever heard in her entire life. Even Bolero in Spring had never made her feel so much. “You can’t do that!” She declared as if in denial, as if she could change the past. “The story can’t end like this!”    “But it is not a story, Patty. This is not some television show made to satisfy a bunch of hopeless romantic little girls. It’s real life. And real life is tough and …” Dante looked at Y/N, at her sad eyes and at the scar she was trying to conceal under a red silk scarf. “What’s done cannot be undone.” “But you loved each other!” The girl was almost furious, shaking her head nervously.              “Patty.” Dante said calmly.       “And you still love each other, I’m sure of it. I can tell by the way you both tell your story.”   “Patty.” Dante repeated with insistence this time.     “I won’t have this ending! No way!” She shouted with a deep frown.                  “It has already ended!” Dante screamed and Patty froze. He had never screamed at her, never in his entire life, even in times when she was incredibly annoying. He had never screamed at her. “It has ended. And neither you nor anyone can change it, okay? If it doesn’t please you, you can leave, wait in the car and go back to your mushy love series.”

There was a pregnant silence in which Patty stared at Dante with a disappointment he had never witnessed. “Y/N was right. You know how to fight demons. But you don’t know how to fight YOUR demons.” And she got up and left the house to do exactly what her beloved friend had told her, meaning wait in the car to go back to mushy love stories, leaving Dante and Y/N alone in the living room with nothing else but a heavy discomfort.

“I’m sorry for making a scene.”                “ Well, you always had a flair for the dramatic.” They both had a conspiratorial smile similar to the ones they used to share when they were younger except it was fainter, sadder. “ She read the letter, the one you wrote me” Dante said staring at his hands in discomfort. He couldn’t look at Y/N, not with all the memories rushing in his head.                  “ I figured.” But she looked at him, excepting deep down he would say something, anything about what happened.”Never thought you would have kept it though.”               “ Why not?”       “ You never replied.” And there it was, that disappointment Dante well deserved.   “I did reply. I just never sent the letter.” Y/N's eyes slightly widened at this unexpected confession. What did he mean by that?              “Huh, words of advice. After writing a letter to someone, you need to mail it.” She declared sarcastically, not really knowing how she managed to crack such a joke. Was it a joke? Maybe, because Dante laughed a bit.       “ I had no money to buy a stamp.” The girl scoffed. She knew the man before her all to well to know that this was “Bullshit.” But she had missed it, missed him.  “What did it say?”          “ Same crap I told you at the hospital. How much I was sorry and … You know what? … There.” He opened his red coat to take a crumpled letter from his inside pocket. It was unsealed, stamped –obviously- and her name and address were written on it.                “ I hope Devil May Cry will never provide delivery service cause this has clearly arrived way too late.” However she took it in her hands, gathering all her inner strength not to tremble as she could feel all those emotions shaking inside of her.  “ Years too late. You can say it.” Dante smiled as he watched the letter he had kept to himself for so many years finally reaching its long-awaited recipient.  “I don’t expect you to read it … or open it. You can actually turn it into a paper plane or shove it down my throat if you want. I won’t fight you.” Of course he had to joke, to play it cool but she didn’t mind. She knew it was just one of his defence mechanism and she couldn’t blame him for it.      “ So why giving it to me?” Dante shrugged, refusing to admit he did want her to read what his young 19 years old self had to say, what he still had to say. “You can’t stop with the devil-may-care for a second and admit what you truly want, what you truly feel, can you?”     “ Fight my demons, huh?” He quoted her and she nodded. “Yes. Would that be so complicated for a ‘menacing devil hunter’ like yourself?” It was her turn to quote him but that quote made him melancholically happy.                   “ I guess that’s a challenge I still can not face.”              “ Or don’t want to” There was a new pause and as they finally looked at each other’s eyes, they knew they would not fix what had been broken years ago today. He was not ready. Not yet anyway. And that was okay. Y/N was patient. She could wait. She could keep waiting.     “Goodbye Y/N” Especially when this time a kiss on her forehead and a hand on her cheek felt more hopeful than ever. “Goodbye, Dante.”

And she watched him leave, again, but certain that someday, one day he would come back to her as he always would. After all, he promised.

[etlunainmorte]

~ Very brief mentions of violence and death here. Be warned and tread carefully.

***

***

Day 5 - Client

***

A few hours has passed since V entered the very old and prestigious - looking house of his client. And he was doing practically nothing.

Well, actually, his client allowed him to do as he pleased. He could read any book from her vast and breathtaking collection, he could summon Griffon and Shadow and let them roam around freely, hell, he could even join her with her hobby - knitting!

Now, V wasn't fond of knitting, nor of letting his familiars wander, since his client has quite a remarkable collection of very fragile antiques displayed all over the place.

What worried, or confused, him the most was he has been doing this exact same thing for almost a week.

He would knock at the door at exactly eight in the morning, join his client for breakfast at half past eight, then she'd have tea and cookies with him in her spacious morning room. At exactly twelve noon, they would have lunch together, at one, she'd ask him to bring her some flowers he picked from her garden, himself, then at two in the afternoon onwards, V's allowed to do anything he wants. At seven in the evening, he's allowed to go back home.

The client actually offered him an unbelievable sum of money to do all this for her. What he couldn't understand was the purpose of this so - called mission.

V's a full - fledged Devil Hunter, not an old - lady sitter. He could do so much more, and he could be more efficient doing other things than having tea and cookies with his almost senile client. And above all, V's a very proud man. He loves taking pride in his handiwork. Of plunging his cane deep into the flesh of his enemies, of stepping into their severed limbs, of watching them waste away into nothingness,...

On the other hand, V was also a very, very insatiable man. He's naturally curious, and he craves knowledge.

So, on the seventh day of his stay with the haughty old lady inside her mansion, he decided to demand answers from her. He wanted the truth, and the truth he shall have.

"Why?" He simply asked. "Why,... me?"

And to this, the old lady raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Don't ask me. Ask him."

V felt goosebumps all over his skin when the old lady pointed at something invisible behind her. Or was it?

"I,... don't understand. I hunt Demons. If you have only spoken to me about something,... otherworldly,... bothering you in the first place, then I'd - "

"Oh, for goodness sake! I don't want you whirling that ridiculously hideous cane all over the place!"

"I,... excuse me?"

Still confounded about his client's sudden outburst, and a bit offended that she called his cane, ridiculously hideous, he watched her as she, once again, took her place to her favorite spot in the living room.

Picking up the white scarf she has been working on for almost a week, she said, "Maybe you remind him of himself when he's still living." She, then, brought her glasses down to her nose bridge and gave the poet a scrutinizing gaze. "You do look awfully a lot like him. With the exception of those markings on your skin. He may be a bit of a vagabond, but he still has his vague sense of fashion about him, the poor soul." Putting her glasses back, she went on knitting, her surprisingly long and nimble fingers working their magic on the now almost finished scarf. "Now, if I allowed myself to not be biased, at all, I'd say you have a vague sense of fashion, as well."

Torn between thanking her for her strange compliment and rebuking her for her insults, V remained calm and respectful as he decided to keep up with the conversation.

"Forgive my ignorance, my lady, but, who are you referring to?"

"An old flame. Much younger than I was but, a very consistent lad, nonetheless." She answered, her words as crisp as Vergil's freshly ironed shirt. "Decided the grass is greener somewhere else, so he left me and pursued a stupid career he thought would make him rich. Now, I' am the one who's rich, and he's the one who's turning in a grave."

"What happened to him?" V carefully asked, not exactly wanting to open some old wounds. "How did he,... die?"

The old lady just rolled her eyes and shook her head. With another sigh, she answered, "No one knows. He just showed up right here one day looking like a humble sheep. Maybe he has come to regret his decisions. But, you know what they say about regrets."

"Absolutely, madam." V answered, trying his very best to take all the information in. "Right now,... what is he doing?"

"Ahh, the usual. Still watching over me. Still fussing about if I'm living right. If I'm eating right, if I'm taking my medicine, if I'm getting enough sleep. Well, I'm living right! I refuse to be like him! Careless, and egotistic, and outrageous, and,... vain!

"But, these days are a bit tougher than usual."

"How so?"

"I think he's now waiting for me on the other side." Not even making the words sound much easier for herself, V's old client simply told him. "But, oh no, I refuse to die. I still have so much left to do! So many things to take care of! My niece still needed me, you know! And you being here," The old lady looked directly into his eyes and smiled, a very sincere and bright looking smile indeed. " ... it kept him away from me, even for a while. I know I sound like an insane old woman to you but, I can feel it.

"You have kept me longer into this world. Enough to watch over my niece,... even for a small period of time."

Such bravery,... how,... commendable. Admirable. "My commission ends today."

"The time you shared is more than enough. My niece arrives today, and by then, I could manage. I would, then, go straight to where that man is and give him an earful like what he deserves!"

"I see." V solemnly answered with a nod.

There was a moment of silence, and when the old client saw V standing motionlessly next to her and awaiting her orders, she yelled, "What are you standing there for, boy?! Sit down and finish those doilies!"

"But, I can't. I don't - "

"Oh, your foolish, petty reasons would never work on me! You did nothing but stare at me for seven days! You must now have an idea how to properly use a knitting pin!"

A week has passed since then, and after that, he heard about the passing of his client.

He may have forgotten what exactly got him to work for her in the first place but, one thing is for certain.

He would never, ever, forget Marsha Suermann. Not in this lifetime.

***

[blackrose343]

Hopeless - Chapter 3: The Search

Warnings: Gore and Language

Devil May Cry - V x Gender Neutral Reader

Fanfic summary:  You have been kidnapped by a Soul Snatcher clan that used to reside within Red Grave. They’re torturing you for more information about the one who helped you kill their leader. While being held captive you begin to think about how to escape, how this all started, and if someone will find you. Then again, what would happen if you escape?

Hopeless Masterlist

Present Day

V grew more irritable and anxious as days passed. V asked Trish and Lady to keep an eye out for you when they went on missions. Kyrie offered to keep an eye on things in Fortuna. V had Vegril search the Underworld. Dante and Nero chose to stay with V. Not only to help search for you but to also keep him sane. V was distressed and more so each time anyone told him they had nothing to report. The only good thing to V was that your death wasn’t all over the news. 

Morrison casually waltzed in as the group returned from today’s mission. Dante’s eyes darted to the envelope he was holding. Morrison with an envelope meant one thing: Devil May Cry has a mission. Morrison explained the mission would be taking place where the Qliphoth once stood. Ever since Urizen was defeated, the government had the whole area on lockdown. They were gathering samples and studying what remained. Someone within the government hired Devil May Cry to eliminate the demons attacking the scientists.

Dante took the envelope from Morrison only to find a couple hundred bucks. Before Dante could ask, Morrison put up his hands. Majority of the money went to Dante’s debts (bills, bets he lost, payments owed to the others). Dante sulked in his chair, partially disappointed his pay wasn’t bigger. He knew this would happen but he wouldn’t mind having some extra cash once in a while. Dante already knew Nero would want in on this. He decided to ask V since he didn’t believe he searched that area yet. “V, want tag along?”

V was reading Creatures of the Occult and How to Summon Them hoping to find something he may have missed. He went deep in thought with Dante’s invitation, debating if that area was worth searching. After defeating Carmilla, it appeared all the other Soul Snatchers within her clan fled. Ever since he hasn’t seen a single Soul Snatcher in Red Grave. Would any of the Soul Snatchers stick around? V was unsure. His worry for you along with lack of sleep was affecting his judgement. As V opened his lips to answer, Vergil appeared. “I have an inkling of where (Y/N) is. They may be hidden somewhere within the area where the Qliphoth was.”

“If they were there, wouldn’t someone have found them sooner?” Nero wondered.

“Not if they’re killing whoever ventures too close to their hideout….We should get going.” V knew this bait to lure him to the Soul Snatchers. He didn’t care. All he wanted was to find you. 

--------------------------------------------

You couldn’t tell how much time has passed since you’ve been captured. A day could have passed yet it felt like eternity. Day and night didn’t exist to you any more. Your prison’s light was on at all times. You attempted to sleep whenever you could. Majority of the time your captors would wake you with torture. Whether it was a slap, punch or stab. You were thankful when you were able to get an hour's sleep.

Ever since your torture began you pleaded for it to end. Until now, you thought no one could hear your silent pleas. Yet for some reason you knew the end was coming. “How” was the question. Would they just kill you? Would your body give up from the torture? Would you reveal everything you know about V? No, you couldn’t do that. The reason was because your torture would worsen. You would be tortured with the guilt of ratting out the only person you ever became close with. You would never forgive yourself if you betrayed V.

You hung in the air taking deep breaths. You needed to calm yourself. To keep your sanity. You wanted more than anything to ignore the pain and suffering inflicted upon you. You could feel every strike, every punch. Hell, your stab wounds felt as if they were made seconds ago. You needed to focus your energy on escaping. Even if death was the only option. 

You wouldn’t deny you were afraid of dying. But you knew you danced with death more times than you should have. If death was the only way out, you would gladly welcome it. Although you did not want to die in this shit prison. Which meant you had to get the fuck out of here before death made its way to you.

You closed your eyes to block out your surroundings. At first you heard the buzzing of the lights above you. As you focused more, you could hear a muffled conversation. They were talking about planting a seed to lure who they suspected to you. They never said a name so it was a safe bet they still had no idea V helped you. They intended to lure him by revealing where they were located. Someone joined in saying they believed Vergil Sparda got word of their location. A small piece of relief for you. The possibility of you leaving was plausible. 

--------------------------------------------

A soldier was finding a place to take a piss. Stealthy a Soul Snatcher crept up to him. The Soul Snatcher latched itself onto the soldier's throat sucking the soul out of him. The soldier screamed as he attempted to get the Soul Snatcher off him. His screams faded as the Soul Snatcher fed. It fled as everyone gathered to see what was going on. Dante, Nero, Vergil and V, along with other military personnel, arrived at the scene. The soldiers immediately accused Devil May Cry of murdering the soldier. 

Dante was (miserably) explaining to the military they had nothing to do with the soldier's death. V knew Nero would be able to help Dante so he made his way to the body. V asked Nero for his phone so he could use the flashlight function. The body didn't appear to have any wounds. V pushed the head to the side then saw it: puncture wounds along the throat. V had no doubt that a Soul Snatcher got him.

"A v-vampire attacked him?" V sighed as he pinched his nose. He should have expected someone uneducated would automatically guess "vampire". He quickly explained that it was a Soul Snatcher that attacked him. V knew he couldn't waste even a second with petty stuff. If Soul Snatchers were going after the military then you wouldn't have much time left. That is if you haven't run out of any. V shook his head not wanting to think about being too late.

Vergil was searching the area with Shadow. Nothing. Not even a damned footprint. V sighed with irritation. He needed to clearly think about what he had to do. He knew he couldn't do it around the bumbling idiots. "Where did most of the attacks occur?"

"Over there. More attacks happen the closer we get to where the weird tree was."

V commanded Griffon to fly ahead of him hoping he would find something. V hastily passed the soldier sticking to Griffon's trail. Something within V was telling him you were near. As long as he had this feeling he was not going to stop until he found you.

Dante and Nero (failed) to coordinate who would go where. It didn't help that they didn't notice V left without them. Nero got into a small argument with Vergil for not stopping V. Vergil just went after V to avoid the argument. If anyone knew how V would act in a situation like this, it was Vergil. 

"You could have waited until we came up with a plan...except I know you well enough." Vergil shot V a cocky smirk. V ignored Vergil.

--------------------------------------------

You began to focus on yourself and your surroundings. You knew your ribs were cracked. You weren't positive if you could use your legs. You had no idea how long it's been since you actually used them. The most movement you got we're swaying them back and forth. You were lucky they decided not to keep you blindfolded the majority of the time.

You couldn't hear too much outside. The window was rarely open. More than likely this room was soundproof so no one heard you. You heard the Soul Snatchers’ frustration with you. Of course they were also threatening and insulting you. Those didn't matter, you needed to focus your hearing on what your captors' conversation was about. To listen for what could possibly be beyond the room you were prisoned in.

Your eyes snapped open when you heard something tap the window. Tears of joy ran down your face. It was Griffon, the most annoying fucking bird you ever met. But fuck that! You were instantly filled with hope...then embarrassment. You wanted to cover your wounded body. You didn’t want anyone to see you like this. You wiped your tears along your arm. You shot a small smile at Griffon, then mouthed "go". 

Your face was composed when the guard came in. Griffon automatically flew away making his way to V. The guard rushed over to you then pulled you by the hair. He pulled your head so far back you were gazing at him. His face was filled with rage. "Who the fuck does the bird belong to?"

"You’ll find out soon.” You were instantly knocked out by guard.

--------------------------------------------

V and Vergil weren’t having any luck finding you. All they saw were dust covered abandoned buildings. Cats and other animals fighting for food in the allies. Few intact corpses here and there. V ignored all of it. He made sure to stay close to Griffon except Griffon soon flew too far away. Shadow went after him. V wasn’t sure if they went further ahead because they found something or if something found them.

"V! I found them! They're not too far from here. You gotta hurry. Things are about to get uglier." V’s widened from panic. “Uglier”? What torture did they put you through? He couldn’t spare any time to think about what you’ve been through. V and Vergil closely followed Griffon. Vergil unsheathed Yamato preparing for an ambush. V was ready to kill each and every Soul Snatcher he encountered. But was he ready to see what they have done to you?

One Year Ago

Nero called to discuss his and V's plans for when they met up. You didn't want to sit around and do nothing. You needed to find the target and soon. You invested more time than you wanted tracking the damned thing. At this point you may be losing better paying missions by choosing to complete this one.

You searched below the occult store where the altar used to be. The altar got shattered when you and V were attacked. Pieces of it were scattered everywhere. There wasn't anything worth investigating. You made your way to where the Soul Snatcher came from. Low and behold, there was a door down the hall. It was difficult to find even with your flashlight. Gun drawn you opened the door. Lower class demons were lurking beyond the door. Children's corpses, along with Soul Snatchers', laid sporadically on the floor. Their dulled lifeless eyes stared at you and beyond. Clothing and flesh were trapped between the demons' fangs. Blood ran down their jaws into the already formed puddles. “Of fucking course.”

The demons switched their attention to you, a fresh meal. You shot one in the head before it could make a move. The other you nicked. You jumped out of the way realizing you underestimated it's speed. You landed two shots in it's chest as you hid behind a pillar. You could hear it looking for you. A few more shots you took then hid. It sounded like the demon hit the floor. You knew your magazine was empty. So you put the gun in its holster then unsheathed your katana. You gave the demon a good stab to the heart, then proceeded to search the area. Your only achievement was finding a list of more possible locations. You cursed at yourself as you made your way back to V.

You and V searched another abandoned area and below. The building had nothing of interest. Below was a whole different story. Another altar greeted you. Before this mission you only saw them in movies. Now, you’re seeing more than you ever imagined under Red Grave. You were concerned about a giant cult hiding in Red Grave. Then again, if the cult consisted of humans, they’d be dead or run away if they were smart. Nothing special about the props. The altar itself had symbols carved into it. You took a couple pictures with your cracked phone hoping the book would have some information about them.

V was tapping his cane along the walls. Metallic rings against the walls were all that could be heard. Unwelcomed shivers ran down your spine. V froze stopping his tapping. Both of you heard a slight crack. Too soon after another crack, then rumbling from above. Was the building about to fucking collapse?! You both instantly ran. Up the stars, out the building then onwards. You stopped when you believed you were a safe distance away.

A giant sinkhole engulfed the building. You were beyond pissed. Every time you get closer to your target, something has to fuck you over. You made your way over to the sinkhole. You had to check if there was a path beyond the altar. A tap from the handle of V’s cane stopped you. Shadow manifested ahead of you then made her way to the sinkhole. You took a seat on the bench next to V. Waiting. For what, you had no fucking idea.

Before you heard the rumbling of buildings collapsing. Now complete silence. It was agonizing. You tried to keep your mind focused on your mission. You found more corpses recently except they weren’t drained by the Qliphoth roots. These corpses had punctures on their throats. It was evident your target was still in Red Grave yet you had no idea if the corpses were killed by your target or others within its clan. Honestly, you had no idea how big the clan was. Did they all survive during this time? Just thinking about the damned target irritated you. You were so close. Too bad yo kept getting pushed further back.

V’s head gently laid on your shoulder. He was taking a nap again. V resting and taking naps more frequently than when you met concerned you. This didn’t occur too often but too much for your liking. Was what the Soul Snatcher said true? Is V starting to die because he only has half of his soul? The thought upset you. He was probably the only person you ever got close to. He listens to you, shows interest in what you do and helps you when you need it. You weren’t sure if it was because of the partnership. If it was, you were happy to be with someone who cares even if it was only for a bit longer. 

You petted his hair while pushing a few of his black locks out of his face. He looked troubled. You didn’t think he was having a nightmare. Maybe he was dreaming of something bothering him. Your mind drifted to V. He found out everything he needed a while ago. You knew he stayed with you to hold up his end of the deal. You didn’t want him to die before accomplishing his goal because he was stuck helping you. For his sake, you had to tell V you no longer needed his help. So he could rest properly before going up against Urizen. You just had to figure out how without upsetting him.

Shadow returned with a mangled Soul Snatcher corpse. She placed the corpse in front of you. Gently you woke V by moving your shoulder. He looked at you with his emerald eyes questioning what happened. You tilted your head at the corpse before you. V sat up then examined the corpse with you. Claw marks, bite marks, missing limbs. The marks looked fresh. Too fresh. Did the Soul Snatchers become so desperate for food they ate their own clan? Maybe a herd of demons got them? Only one way to find out.

Shadow led you, V and Griffon to where she found the corpse. You wished she had the ability to talk instead of Griffon. You didn’t want V wasting his energy for nothing. The putrid scent of rotting corpses and who knows what else sucker punched your nose. You instantly covered it cursing it wasn’t helping. Piles of fly covered corpses made of adults, children, demons and Soul Snatchers, dried up blood, scattered limbs littered the area. You almost thought you were in an abandoned slaughterhouse. You wished you found what you needed below the occult store. You couldn’t waste any time so you sucked it up and got to work.

“Hey, why don’t you zap these flies away? They’re getting in my way.” You were fed up with the flies flying into your face. One almost made its way up your nostril. Your annoyance with the flies would affect your work. You would find the quickest excuse to leave. Which you knew better than to do.

“What do I look like? A fucking bug zapper!?” Your bickering went on until Griffon swallowed a fly. If he was going to eat, he wanted something a hell of a lot better than a fucking fly. Griffon sent small sparks of lightning throughout the area. Zapping the flies one by one. To damn bad they were endless.

V found a note within one of the disgusting piles. He kept it since you would probably make it more illegible than it already is. You and Shadow were mostly covered in blood, sweat, and corpse juice. You don’t know how but you managed to not barf. You were impressed V was able to keep a composed facade the whole time. You couldn’t stand being here any longer so you decided to call it. Griffon was the first to leave bitching about how gross the place was. You were irked. The fucker didn’t search through the fucking corpses. He just did the one job you gave him: zap the flies.

You felt somewhat refreshed after getting cleaned up. You sat next to V while drying your hair with a towel. You could tell V was having trouble reading the note. He stared intensely at the note. You took the note from his hand recognizing the language: Enochian. If you remembered correctly it’s a dead language once spoken by demons. Very few creatures fluently speak it. You stared at the note wishing it would literally spell out (in English) what it said. You tried to remember what you learned about the language. Griffon flew onto V’s shoulder ready to jeer at you. V gripped Griffon’s beak shut not wanting him to interrupt you. 

“They’re hiding somewhere at the opposite end of town. But what fucking clues where left to reveal their exact location?” V faced your phone to you. He was showing you the symbols you took pictures of. You gave V a baffled look unsure how symbols for a ritual would lead you to your target.

“I’ve noticed a few of these symbols at the other locations we searched. I thought the same as you at first. Then it became clear these symbols were directions. Follow the directions from and you’ll find your target.” Lucky for you the previous owner of Creatures of the Occult and How to Summon Them left basically every detail of their findings in the book. V already saved the page explaining the symbols for you. You honestly believed you would find your target soon.

The mini celebration you started in your head soon vanished. You had to convince V to stay behind. You knew he would be persistent. You thought making him stay behind would anger him. You knew V never wanted to be seen as weak or helpless. Except he needs what strength he has for his goal. V helped you more than enough. You couldn’t think of any good possible outcome from doing what you had to so fuck it. You mustered what courage you could then got V’s attention. 

“Um, V?” V looked at you with his concerned filled emerald eyes. Your nerves were starting to take over. You tried to be still the best you could. (You never understood how you had no problem killing demons and other creatures yet had difficulty telling someone something they don’t want to hear.) “Why don’t you stay behind? You know, plan some more about how to defeat Urizen.”

“Nero and I have discussed what we needed to do.” 

“Oh...then maybe you want to get some more rest before meeting up with Nero?” V’s eyes darkened with anger and annoyance. You could see V putting together what you were trying to avoid saying. You bit your lip and cursed at yourself.

“I believe our deal was you help me gather information in exchange for helping you find the Soul Snatcher. Until then, there is no time to rest.” V left you to go to bed. Shadow and Griffon followed him. You were paralyzed by V’s harsh tone and his fury. You sat staring at the Qliphoth glowing red. The night approaching complemented the Qliphoth. You weren’t sure what to do. Empusas flew here and there searching for food. They were too far away so they never noticed you. Screams and cries could be heard. All too soon did they vanish.

You got up from the bench more than sure you V would be asleep. You gathered everything you needed except the book. Soft echoes could be heard as you made your way to V. V was sleeping to the sound of Griffon sleep talking. You giggled at Griffon’s argument about him deserving the greatest meal on earth. From the sound of it he was arguing with a chef and maybe V. Shadow was staring right at you the entire time you made your way to the book. You were thankful she wasn’t trying to stop you and didn’t wake V. You grabbed the book. You gave V one last kiss on his forehead which softened his sleeping expression. You gave Shadow a good scratch behind her ears. Silently, you closed the door, then continued your search.

[acapelladitty]

Ties That Bind

Summary: A quick fix-it fic because I was ridiculously sad with the ending that Griffon and Shadow received and I want Vergil to be able to keep his favourite familiars.

A lifetime spent either on the offensive or in hiding from powers even more dangerous than himself had left Vergil with one invaluable rule; his instincts were always to be trusted. A rule which was currently placing him on high alert as a sense of danger pressed against his consciousness and forced him to place his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

“You okay there, Verge?” Noticing the change in atmosphere, Dante eyed his twin with an easy gaze as he pulled his feet from the table and sat up to pay attention.

They were alone in the building as Lady and Trish were off working a job on their own and Nero was spending the weekend with Kyrie and the kids. The peace was nice, but both were itching for a fresh job to appear; that or there was a high chance that they would travel downwards and blow some steam off in one of the more populated areas of hell.

“Something is wrong.” Vergil answered, his trained eyes sweeping the room for any source of danger. “Can you feel that?”

“Nope.” Dante ran a hand through his hair, disturbing the mop of white as he strained both his human and demonic senses, “I’m not feeling anything, demon or otherwise. What do you think it is?”

Taking a deep breath as he focused his concentration, Vergil closed his eyes to pinpoint the feeling.

“It’s pain and panic,” his brow furrowed slightly as something odd came to light, “but it’s not here.”

“Not here? What do you me-“

“It’s in hell. Something is connected to me, calling to me.”

“What the hell could be wanti-“

“I don’t know,” Vergil cut him off again, rising from his seated position, “but I am going to find out.”

Drawing the yamato from its sheathe, two quick swipes were enough to open a portal, his instincts telling him that it would lead him straight to the source of the unwelcome feelings. Ready to leave, the pulsating energy within the portal enticed him forward, but his steps were halted by a sudden voice.

“I’ll join you.”

Turning to survey the eager grin on Dante’s expression, Vergil quirked a brow at him.

“I can handle this myself.”

“Whatever you say,” Dante answered with an obvious eyeroll as he strapped his devil sword to his back, ebony and ivory clearly holstered at his hips, “but I’m not coming to help your sorry ass, I’m coming because i’m bored.”

Vergil couldn’t argue with that.

“Fair.”

Stepping through the familiar energy of the portal, the first thing to grab Vergil’s attention was the heat- a natural product of the hellscape which manifested as an intense humidity- and the second was the utter chaos of the scene before him.

Around twenty lesser demons, their expressions twisted with fury and malice, were working in conjunction to attack something but through the mass of bodies and flurry of movement, neither Dante nor Vergil were able to make out exactly what.

“Let’s go!” Dante grinned, exclaiming loudly enough to grab the attention of the two demons closest to their position. Turning, they immediately went on the offensive as they swung the thin scythes which were gripped within their hands and Vergil took a stance as he allowed Dante to begin the slaughter.

It was hardly a battle; between his own precisely deadly style and the chaos of Dante’s attack the demons stood no chance, falling like dominoes before their combined wrath. Small bursts of electricity decorated the area as whatever had summoned Vergil continued its own battle on the other side of the demon hoard.

Demon after demon fell to his blade as he barely broke a sweat and it wasn’t until he felled a chainsaw-wielding beast that he caught his first glimpse of the source of his internal panic and the sight was enough to make him still for a moment.

There, against the flat of the ground, lay Shadow and the broken hilt of a scythe was visibly pierced through the side of the big cat. His demonic body harmed, he swiped and hissed at any demon who approached as he attempted to heal against the damage. The bolts of electricity they could see were from Griffon, his last line of defence, and were helping to keep the lesser demons at bay as the power singed and burned their skin.

Shaking himself back to action, he continued to pick off the demons in the area as he coordinated his attack with Dante, settling into their familiar pattern of assault until a summoned sword pierced the heart of the final demon; banishing it to the void.

“Hey!” Dante called out, finally spotting the two familiars. “It’s those guys!”

Pacing towards the pair of demons, Dante had barely a moment to dodge as Shadow swiped at his ankles; a weak hiss emitting from the panther’s chest as he registered the demonic presence.

“Woah, kitty,” Dante muttered, “these boots are new. Relax.”

“If it isn’t the Sparda twins,” Griffon spat over his shoulder, landing on the ground before Shadow and using his claws to pull free the hilt of the scythe, “ho-”

His words were cut off by a surprisingly loud growl as the open wound on Shadow’s chest sealed itself up and his body reverted to a rotating ball as his demonic core exposed itself to allow him to heal.

Eyeing the ball with a stoic expression, Vergil allowed Dante to ask the questions he knew they both had.

“What’s the deal, little chicken?” Dante asked, having not had the opportunity to use the amusing nickname for so long. “Why are these demons attacking their own? Don’t you have a union for this kind of thing?”

“Because of him!” Griffon flared his wings in irritation as his beady eyes fell on Vergil. “They know that we worked with V to help destroy the Quiphoth and they don’t care that we were his summons.” Extending his claws, Griffon flexed the razor-sharp edges and looked ready to make a move against Vergil. However- before he could make a move- Shadow reverted to his regular appearance, having fully healed, and the sight seemed to relax the demonic bird. “It’s open season on Shadow and me and we’ve been on the run since you,” his eyes darted back to Dante, “banished us back down here.”

A small tendril of guilt stroked at Vergil’s conscious as Griffon made his admission. His memories from his time split between V and Urizen were fractured at best but there was a warmth there for his familiars. Many nights had seen Shadow using his chest as a pillow as he rested while Griffon perched close by, both demons prepared to defend their master to the death as he fought to restore himself.

In the moments of silence, when reflection was at its peak, Vergil found that he did miss them.

“Sucks to be you, buddy.” Dante shrugged, leaning on his hilt of his sword as Shadow padded gently around the twins, his step limping slightly as he continued to recover. “Demons can’t live topside without help, you know that.”

“Yeah, we know, we already tried that, dipshit.”

“Hey, no need for insults.”

“You try being hunted down for weeks and see how you feel.”

As Griffon and Dante continued to bicker, Vergil instead focused his attention on Shadow. The big cat was watching him with a passive gaze, his wide dark eyes blinking slowly as he held Vergil’s gaze with an almost fond familiarity.

It was not until he realised that he was rubbing the tips of his fingers together gently that Vergil realised he was resisting the urge to reach out and stroke the panther. Dropping the pretence, he extended his had slightly, enough that if Shadow wished to reject him that the decision would go unnoticed by Dante and Griffon.

Shadow took a steady step forward and willingly dipped his head against Vergil’s hand, the actions sparking a slideshow of recollections within Vergil’s mind of the ease with which V showed affection to the large familiar. Following the curve of Shadow’s head, Vergil settled his hand across the back of his neck, rubbing the fur there almost absent-mindedly as he felt the demonic energy crackle against his fingertips.

“-and we are FUCKED!”

The loud voice of Griffon cut across his musings and Vergil once again focussed on the discussion between his twin and the demon bird.

“Can’t you go find another person to leech on to?” Dante asked, leaning on his hilt of his sword as he offered the solution.

“We were reborn and moulded from Vergil’s nightm- I mean V’s memories,” Griffon caught himself quickly but the near mention of his experiences was enough to make Vergil twitch slightly, “and we can’t be bound to anyone else.”

“Is that why you were able to call me here?” It was a question, but Vergil already knew the answer.

“Yeah. V bonded with us and that bond was never truly severed by him before he reformed. It’s why we’re still kicking even after Dante banished us here.”

Dante shrugged off the accusation.

“I play hard, little chicken.” He turned to face Vergil, “Hey, Verge, you want to bring these pets home? They did try to kill me but that just puts them on the same level as everyone else at work.”

Put on the backfoot by the sudden choice, Vergil peered hard at the pair of familiars. Griffon held his head high, ready for the rejection which he suspected was coming, while Shadow stood passively, his large and intelligent eyes flicking between both Dante and Vergil as he also awaited an answer.

As a human, he had formed a bond with these creatures, a companionship which he had rarely experienced across his life. As a demon, he had fought aside them, all agents of Mundus and forced to do his bidding.

They were powerful familiars; able to kill their own with ease and skilled enough to keep himself alive when he was little more than a decaying form. Loyal to him alone, they had been formed of his nightmares but soon worked to keep those nightmares at bay as they protected him.

At the very least, they had earned the right to live.

“If I recognise the bond then you are bound to me forever,” Vergil spoke quietly, “you know the process is irreversible. You should not have even survived the first separation.” His eyes landed on Shadow and he awaited a response.

Shadow gave another slow blink, showing his understanding of the statement and what it meant.

“And you?”

Griffon extended his wings.

“Better alive and bonded, than dead and hunted.”

“Can we get this show on the road?” Cutting into the discussion, Dante checked an imaginary watch as he glanced at and tapped his wrist. “These soppy reconciliations are too much for me.”

Despite the teasing tone, Vergil understood that Dante was trying to help. Emotional displays were not something either twin particularly enjoyed.

Placing a hand on Shadow’s head and the familiar weight of Griffon settled on his extended forearm, Vergil tugged on the residual feelings which had brought him to this area in the first place. Now understanding what it was, it was easy to find the thin tendrils of the bond which only loosely tied the two demons to his energy.

Summoning energy from within his demonic core, Vergil passed some of the energy into the tendrils strengthening them as he focused on the sensation of his connection to both familiars. The hair on his arms raised and a tingle danced along his skin for a moment as the magical contract formed around their forms and was sealed.

The two demons were now bound to him as familiars until his death; at which point their demonic energy would extinguish and they would perish at his side. As long as he drew breath, his familiars would exist across both the underworld and above.

“Well,” Dante muttered, “that wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. I was expecting fireworks.” Groaning as he extended his arms into a lazy stretch, his deceptively smart gaze landed on Vergil, “How’s it feel?”

Tilting his head as he smoothed out his coat, Vergil took stock of his mental state. It had been a while since he had to use his demonic energy for anything other than his devil trigger so it was interesting to have the sensation of electricity dancing through his nerves without the accompanying transformation. His senses were balanced and he could feel both Shadow and Griffon, almost like shades within his mind, and he was able to feel that not only were both in his immediate area but that they were also in good health.

It was strange, but it was not a negative feeling and he lowered his arm to allow Griffon to fly off.

“Acceptable.”

“Well, that was fun!” Griffon called out, swooping overhead, “Gotta say, I though Shadown and I were screwed there, V.”

V.

He was not V anymore.

Nor was he the demon king Urizen.

But as he stroked a hand along the ridges of Shadow’s spine and admired the surprisingly soft fur of the demon familiar, Vergil found that he did not have the energy to correct Griffon.

Not that the bird would ever listen to him.

AO3 Link

[skvaderarts]

Hiraeth Chapter 34: Atelier

Masterlist can be found Here!

Chapter Thirty-Four: Atelier

Notes: Ah, it is so good to be back writing this fic! I have some important info at the end of this chapter, so please check it out! I hope I haven’t lost any of you due to the pc issues I’ve been having! So sorry that I had to delay some chapters! GAH!

(-~-)

Heels clicked loudly, echoing through the sprawling open halls of the manor as Willow vacated the lounge and headed back towards the main hall, the rest of the group in tow behind her. She made her way over to the large staircase that filled the center of the room, a destination already in mind. She glanced back over her shoulder for a moment before stopping, her attention seemingly drawn to something that she hadn’t noticed before. She started up the stairs again for a moment, placing one foot on the first step, before stopping yet again. It seemed that whatever had been on her mind had been sufficient to stop her in her tracks for the time being.

“... Sirrus. I genuinely hadn’t noticed your presence until just now. Somehow I managed to look right past you. I’m sure that’s not something you experience very often.”

The Adjudicator stopped for a moment, pondering what to say next. There seemed to be something more that she wasn’t saying, and everyone in the room had picked up on that. A blanket of discomfort fell over the group as several sets of eyes glanced between the lady of the house and Sirrus, settling on the man with the red hair after a moment due to the unmistakable amount of discomfort that he radiated. It was abnormal for him. He was normally so relaxed and put together.

“Did you happen to be in town when that attack occurred about two months back? The one where the city east of here nearly burned to the ground? Or when that store was leveled by dark magic just a week or so ago?” Willow said, still not turning to face him. There was a knowing tinge to her voice that required little explanation. “I’ve not seen you in these parts for at least a decade. Curious that you should return so suddenly and during such an inopportune time.”

A subtle but unmistakably displeased expression slowly made its way onto Sirrus’s face as he seemed to register the implications of what she was trying to say to him. He folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head slightly to the side as he seemed to stare through her as opposed to actually looking at her. Magnolia seemed to go on high alert, her eyes widening slightly and her face turning noticeably red. She was clearly uncomfortable, but neither Nero nor V really knew what had caused this situation to escalate in the way that it just had, or what it might have to do with her. They were seemingly the only two who noticed her sudden shift in mood. What was going on here?

Vergil looked over at her a moment later, quietly taking note of how displeased and anxious she looked. There was clearly history between the three of them, and he didn’t care to get involved with it, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t somewhat curious. That being said, he had no tolerance for wasting time, especially given the circumstances. Sitting through a more than likely chaotic fight between the two of them wasn’t in the cards right now, as far as he was concerned. He would probably intervene if the situation called for it, if only to keep from having to actually sit through it or see them destroy the entire house. He had no desire to be rained on.

“If you're going to insinuate something, Willow, I’d appreciate it if you were less passive-aggressive about it and you actually said it to my face,” Sirrus said flatly, clearly unamused in regards to what she was trying to imply. He hadn’t come here to be insulted, and he had no plans to be. There was no reason that he should just stand here and allow her to accuse him of anything. He’d done nothing to earn that kind of response from her.

“Sirrus has done nothing wrong, and you know it. He’s not the only one in these parts with such power. Do not be so quick to jump to unjust conclusions based solely on what he is and not who you very much know he is. You and I both know he isn’t involved in those attacks.” Magnolia said, stepping forward and standing between her sister and her nephew. She was clearly just as unamused as her red-haired relative was, and she didn’t like where this was going.

“Rather ironically, I was actually present for the second attack. He and I were nearly killed. That’s why we're here today.” Sirrus said as he gestured towards V calmly, still very irritated, but more composed than he had been a moment ago. He couldn’t give her what she probably wanted that easily. He didn’t want to, nor did he need to, explain himself to her, but for the sake of keeping things cordial between them, he would do so. “As for the second attack, I wasn’t in the region yet. I arrived about an hour later. After the second attack, the decision was made for me to come and sort things out.”

Willow turned and looked at Sirrus, a cold, almost fearful look on her face. She seemed unsettled by the revelation that he was here on business. A moment of silence fell over the room as they locked eyes, intense but otherwise lacking hostility. Finally, she turned and looked up the stairs before speaking again. “Adjudication, then? That’s what brought you to town after all this time? And then you simply stumbled your way into… whatever this is? Once again you find yourself a victim of happenstance, caught up in the middle of something larger than yourself.”

Sirrus nodded in agreement despite the fact that he knew she couldn’t see him. He was fine with going with that assessment of the situation. It wasn’t inaccurate, and it kept him from having to say or do anything further. “For the most part, yes. That is correct.”

Nodding in acceptance, Willow quieted down before continuing up the stairs, saying nothing as she went. Hydrangea sighed quietly and shook her head, looking at the rest of the group. She then looked at her aunt and cousin before looking over at her mother again. She had continued down the hallway and into a room they couldn’t see, but they got the impression that they were probably still supposed to be following her in spite of it all. Hydrangea walked over to Sirrus and gave him a sympathetic look, allowing her regret in regards to the current situation to be seen easily on her face.

“Please forgive my mother’s less than hospitable personality. I believe she is intimidated by the presence of so many powerful beings in her home.” She said softly, clearly thoroughly embarrassed in regards to her mother’s behavior. Hydrangea knew full well that Sirrus wasn’t a threat to any of them. She had spent plenty of time around her older cousin during her lifetime. It was just her mother who didn’t. The young teen got the impression that her mother would do a massive double take if she realized how many times her daughter hadn’t been forthcoming about going somewhere or simply spending time with him. She enjoyed their conversations, and she didn’t want her mother to ruin that for her.

“Don’t apologize on her behalf. Please. It’s your home, too. Your mother is an adult. She has a responsibility to carry herself with the behavior expected of one. That is not your burden to bear. Trust me, I have experience with this.” He said, matching her tone as he took a mental note of the fact that Willow was ushering them up the stairs now, seemingly tired of waiting for them. Magnolia nodded in agreement in regards to Sirrus’s statement before heading up the steps. It seemed that she wanted to put space between her sister and everyone else present.

He closed his eyes for a moment and nodded once, slowly. After he had composed himself, he cleared his throat and patted Hydrangea gently on the shoulder. There was no need for him to make her worry. There was no way that he would dare to do anything to her mother, especially with her standing right here. He didn’t get along with Willow very well at times, but it wasn’t a killing offence, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to do that to his little cousin. Her wellbeing was important to him.

Sirrus had grown tired of the atmosphere in the room. He decided to change the subject.

“Where are we headed, then?” He said, starting up the steps as the group migrated towards whatever place they were being brought to. Willow had failed to actually explain what she had planned to do after Vergil had informed her that they were there because they needed assistance with something demonic in nature. There had been no time to truly explain the depths of the issue they had been presented with.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, Willow gave him a look that seemed to indicate that she didn’t understand why he had asked her that. “Why, to the Atelier, of course. Ours is a bit unconventional, but it’s still not nearly as opulent as the one at your mother’s estate. Something we have to fix in the near future.

“You’ve been there recently, then?” Sirrus asked, seemingly surprised by the fact that she had brought it up. It was rare that people visited his old home. His mother was not very accommodating to outsiders of any sort, so the idea that she had allowed anyone to come and visit her home was news to him. It didn’t affect him in any way, but it was indeed a fascinating turn of events.

“I just returned from there, actually. Aluta was requested specifically, but she’s been indisposed recently. And I don’t think she’d go even if she wasn’t. To my understanding, your mother makes her extraordinarily uncomfortable, and that place she calls home has much the same effect on her. She thinks it’s thoroughly cursed.” Willow rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, funneling them towards the door at the end of the hall that she had disappeared near just a short while ago.

Magnolia shook her head in distaste as they fell behind her sister and Sirrus slightly, allowing them to make idle chit-chat in the hopes that things would stay calm for now. The eyes of everyone besides Sirrus and her sister fell upon her for a moment as though to ask her what in the world had just happened. She sighed softly as she continued forward. “It would appear that there is still a bit of bad blood between our two families. None of that has to do with Sirrus, however. My sister needs to remember that. Sirrus is simply a child unlucky enough to be caught up in a double divorce.”

Nero piped up that time. “You mentioned something about that before. Or was that Sirrus? Anyway… What happened again? The details are kinda fuzzy. I was only half-listening at the time. Sorry.”

“There is no need to apologize, young one. Although it is a rather unpleasant story…”

Sirrus stopped as Willow unlocked the door again and entered, leaving it open behind her. He seemed to consider something as they entered the room, clearly displeased but otherwise fine. He had obviously overheard their conversation, though he didn’t seem to mind the fact that they had been having it in the first place. They weren’t exactly talking about him behind his back. 

“After my mother and father split up, he married Aluta. And then they divorced a short while later. Things have been… tumultuous since then. Despite the fact that my allegiances lie with house Ludwig in regards to what transpired, I don’t think that everyone here wishes me well.” He shifted slightly as he said this, clearly recalling something that he would have preferred to forget before continuing onward. “The very nature of who and what I am gives her reason enough to be wary of me. I can only imagine that you all have experienced something similar. Perhaps it is difficult for her to believe a son would go against his father’s wishes, but he was never much of a father to me. But then again, neither was my mother…”

Discomfort became evident in his demeanor for a moment before he simply stopped talking and made his way into the room, clearly unwilling to say anything more. Dante and Vergil exchanged a curious look for a moment, the eldest of the two then giving his two sons a lingering look that was hard to decipher. He said nothing, but something about what Sirrus had said had clearly piqued his curiosity. There was clearly more going on with him than what was immediately apparent, and he couldn’t help but wonder if that would become a problem going forward. While Sirrus seemed to have everything under control, the fact that this could introduce unknown variables into the equation was enough for Vergil to be somewhat uncomfortable with it.

Entering the room, V was immediately taken back by the sheer number of books on display. A two-story room with a balcony on either side greeted them from where they stood, tempting them with access to books that they otherwise wouldn’t have. A large window spanning both stories of the room and the vault in the ceiling above them would probably have let in ample light if not for the fact that the storm still raged just beyond the glass. It was the kind of space that V could get lost in and never leave, forever indulging in the vast variety of literary works that stretched out in front of him like an endless sea.

“I trust you remember this place, Vergil? There have been a few additions since your last visit, but even so, I can’t say that much has changed.” Willow said as she took a seat in the middle of the room, pulling her dress around in front of her. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, her gaze drifting lazily over towards the window. For a moment she looked over at Sirrus before turning back towards the window, a more sympathetic look on her face. It seemed that she didn’t know what to say to him. Or more likely that she knew what she needed to say to him, but just hadn’t yet. She had miscalculated, and she seemed to understand that.

Looking around the room, Vergil seemed to take in the space spread out in front of him. Yes, Willow was correct in that regard. Things had changed substantially since his last visit. This library hadn’t possessed that much of a second-story back then. Just a sitting area where at least 10 new bookcases now stood, filled to the brim with vintage books, journals, and artifacts. There was even a section for scrolls now. A work area took up the middle of the floor on the lower level where they currently were, a painting easel and several pieces of half-finished art and a stack of blank canvas sitting next to it. It seemed that someone had started painting something, but stopped abruptly, leaving their work just unfinished enough to be difficult to discern.

“Yes… that is clear to me now. You seem to have added a few new shelves during my time away.”

“Personally, I know very little about the Devil Prince Belial, but you may be able to find something of use in this room. There are texts detailing things from the underworld that pertain to those sorts of matters on the second floor next to the painting of the fountain. The Demonology section is a bit lacking, unfortunately.” Willow continued, standing up and heading towards the door. It seemed that she had somewhere else to be, and had simply intended to set them on the right path. “Otherwise, you're going to have to wait until Aluta returns. I would be willing to believe that she knows more about the subject than I do. Keeping tabs on his actions hasn’t been of much concern to me until recently. He was largely dormant for countless years. I believe that something disturbed him.”

Nero couldn’t help but think about the library in Fortuna as he took a seat at the table that sat in the center of the vast home study. There were so many priceless books that probably had tons of important information in them and they had just been abandoned and left to the elements… Maybe he should see if there was something he could do about that. He got the feeling that the Ludwig family (or V, for that matter) would take much better care of the books than they were currently experiencing. This place was immaculate. A great deal of time and effort had clearly been put into making sure that everything in this room had been treated with care. Maybe he’d mention something about it if he got the change. “You said he’s be “dormant” for a long time, hu? How long do you think? What, was he just gone the rest of the time?”

Magnolia sat down next to Nero, shrugging nebulously. “For the most part, yes. Belial just sort of didn’t do anything noticeable for the better part of about a century. Probably a little bit longer. I have no doubt that he was up to something, but demons that are this primordial tend to take breaks for hundreds of years at a time before becoming active again. Mundus did much the same after he lost to your Grandfather. Resurrections take time, and he bided his time for well over a thousand years until he felt that he was ready.” She looked over at V, taking note of the fact that he was listening intently to what she was saying. “He’s become increasingly active in the last few years. We were under the impression that he was after something, but now we know what that something is. And we can’t let him succeed. Not for our sakes, and especially not for V’s.”

Willow stopped dead in her tracks, turning around and allowing her eyes to follow her sister’s gaze. She stood quiet for a moment before speaking, seemingly taking in the fact that it was V who her sister had insinuated was the object of the Prince of Darkness’s fascination. To think that Belial wanted this child… it made her blood run cold. “Before you leave here… come see me. There may be something I can do. Trust me, it shall be worth your time. And if Belial is indeed after you, it may very well save your life. Nothing good has ever come from being the object of a devil princes’ obsession. The least I can do is slow him down.”

(-~-)

For next week I can unfortunately only do a chapter for Friday because I’m still recovering from the issues my pc had and just now catching up, but from there forward, I’m happy to announce that I’m back! I’m also working on something cool for you all, so I hope you like it! I’d love to see you all in the comments! Take care! I hope you're having a wonderful week, and I’m so sorry for all the delays I’ve had for the last couple of weeks! I seriously love writing this story, and I’m not going anywhere, but my pc just loves to hate me sometimes lol!