#this movie is just shenanigans from start to finish and I love it

[pariaritzia]

Queerness in Indian Media

↳Film: DON (1978, Hindi) dir. CHANDRA BAROT

Don follows two characters: Roma (Zeenat Aman), a woman who is out for revenge against the crime boss Don, who killed her brother and sister-in-law, and Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan), a street performer who looks exactly like Don and is recruited to help take down his gang.

In an era where women characters wore long hair and dresses and were often in the narrative simply to be romanced, Roma learns karate and judo, chops off her hair, dons a suit, and infiltrates Don's gang. While she does trade in these more masculine traits for feminine clothes and longer hair at later points in the movie, it is always with the intent of disguise--and in the climactic scene, she is back in her suit, punching and kicking the bad guys right alongside the men.

In contrast, Vijay is far more feminine than the average male action hero. However, he is never ridiculed by the narrative for these qualities--he is comic relief at times, but the joke is never his femininity. Furthermore, he is guardian to two children while their father, Jasjit (Pran), serves a prison sentence. Vijay is a caring substitute father who will do anything to ensure that the children are happy, healthy, safe, and educated--a delightful characterization given society's disinclination to allow gender non conforming people around children. While disguised as Don, Vijay adopts more masculine mannerisms (something he has to learn how to do since, as he says, 'Don shoots at the drop of a hat, while I don't even know how to play marbles!'), but he often reverts to his old style as well.

Most surprising, however, is the end of the movie, when Roma, Vijay, Jasjit, and the children all walk off into the sunset together--a family that would be considered extremely unusual in today's times, much less the 1970s.

[not-neverland06]

hi!! Given my obsession for Hugh jackman I am CRAVING for some Leopold X reader (from Kate & Leopold)! Maybe with some little angst but happy ending??

I love your blog!! Have a wonderful day 😽💐💓

Leopold Mountbatten x fem!reader a/n: I don’t know how controversial this is going to be and I don’t care. I could never finish the movie because I hated Meg Ryan in it so much. It’s so odd, I’ve loved her in everything else she’s been in but she made it such a hard watch. Maybe it’s because she reminds me of my grandma in the worst way lol, but I finished it for you anon sorry this was a little rushed Anyways, hope you enjoy lovelies Summary: Your neighbor went back in time and dragged someone back with him. He's irritatingly polite and far too interested in your way of life. What are you meant to do when you fall for a man who was never even supposed to meet you?

“Hello, madam, please I need your help!”

You’re used to crazies, it is New York after all. But they’re not usually shouting at you through your window. Especially not when you’re on the sixth floor. You look away from your coffee and glance towards the fire escape. 

There’s an oddly dressed man with red eyes waving at you through the dirty glass. You offer him a tentative wave back and he nods aggressively. “Yes, hello, I need your assistance.”

“Um,” you shake your head, “Sorry, I don’t have any drugs dude.”

“No,” he places his hands pathetically on the glass and shakes his head. “Please, I have been kidnapped.” Finally, you take a step closer to him. You can tell now that his eyes aren’t reddened from any medicinal fun, he probably got pepper sprayed. 

Your friend did it to you once when you tried to surprise her on her birthday and you’ll never forget just how awful you looked afterwards. You can see him a bit more clearly now. Whatever odd costume he’s got on, it looks good. Genuine and clean. 

Not like most of the street performers you see in Times Square. Besides, he doesn’t have that maddened look in his eye that makes you worry he’s going to come inside and kill you. Tentatively, you open the window. 

He’s leaping through in a second and you jump back with a yelp. He turns towards you and his eyes widen before he quickly turns away. “My good lady, where are your pants?”

“Uh,” you glance down at the oversized shirt you’re wearing and the tiny shorts underneath. Admittedly, it’s a little skimpy, but you’re not walking around naked. You’ve heard of committing to the bit, but this is a bit much. “On,” you tell him, walking around him and trying to stand close to the phone. 

“Ma’am-” He’s cut off as someone slams their fist on your front door. You keep a weary eye on the man while you unlock your door. 

“Hey,” Stuart smiles at you. His eyes drift slightly past your shoulder and he goes barging into your apartment. “Leopold! What did I say?”

You huff and glare at Stuart’s frantic back. “This is yours?” Stuart nods and rushes Leopold out the door. You don’t miss the pleading, while slightly scandalized, look he sends you. 

You slam the door closed behind them, shaking your head and going back to your morning paper. You doubt you’ll be seeing him around again. 

You know, it’s just your luck that your upstairs neighbor is a scientist, one who happens to dabble in the art of time travel. And it’s just your luck that he had to fall down a damn elevator shaft. 

Now, according to him, you have to care for someone from a different century so he can make it back to his time portal in, well, in time. This is fucking ridiculous. “I’m going to kill you, Stuart.”

“Look, they’re going to take my phone but he really cannot-”

It goes silent on the other end. You shout his name a few times but hear nothing in response. You assume the hospital staff has finally gotten sick of his shenanigans and has taken his phone. You slam your handset down with a huff and look towards the living room. Leopold hasn’t sat down since you walked in and it’s unsettling. 

“So,” you start and his attention snaps towards you. “1876, huh?”

He nods and you roll your eyes with a scoff. “Oh, this is insane. This is insane,” you mutter to yourself, walking towards Stuart’s door. Leopold gives you a concerned look before quickly following after you. There’s a part of you, and you hate that part, that actually believes some of this. 

Stuart is a brilliant, though flawed, scientist. You don’t doubt that he might have actually unlocked the secret to traveling back to the past, but it’s such an insane idea to try and wrap your head around. 

“Come on, we’re leaving.” You know that Stuart doesn’t want him out of the house. Tough. You’re not going to just stay inside and wait until he can supposedly go back to the past. You don’t give Leopold any time to process your answer, already out the door and heading towards the stairs. 

“You know,” he starts as he catches up to you. “You are quite rude.” Your first instinct is to snap back at him. But you take a breath and stop yourself. 

You’re desensitized, ridiculously used to just how awful New Yorkers can be to each other. And whether this man is truly from the past or not is up for debate. But he is polite and earnest, and you have no reason to be a bitch to him. 

“I’m,” the words are hard to come by but you force them out anyway, “I’m sorry.” He looks genuinely surprised by the apology and it only makes you feel worse. “This is just an insane idea to try and grasp.”

He chuckles softly, smiling as he glances down at his feet. “Yes, how do you think I feel?”

You’re sure it’s not his intention, but you only feel like more of an ass. If this is hard for you, whatever he's going through is a hundred times worse. You weren’t forcefully ripped out of your own time and shoved into another you don’t understand. He’s still trying to comprehend the television.

Though, you’re sure being a scientist has helped him in marginally understanding how all of this is possible. “How do you like the future?” It sounds awkward and stiff, but you haven’t had to talk to anyone in a really long time. 

Your interactions are pretty limited at the book shop considering no one ever comes in. They all order online nowadays and all you really have to worry about is organizing shelves. You’re embarrassingly rusty when it comes to conversing. 

And his propensity towards eloquence only makes you feel worse. “I must admit, some of your inventions have been quite fascinating. I’m especially fond of your showers.”

Your face scrunches slightly at the mention of hygiene and you nod, “I bet.” Before either of you can attempt to salvage this horrible attempt at conversation your phone starts ringing. “Hold on one second,” you tell him. You walk a few feet away from him but you can still feel his eyes boring into your back as you move away. 

“Hello?”

There’s a frantic shout of your name down the line and then the distinct jingling of keys. “I need you to cover the shop. Marcy just went into labor and I’ve got to go!” Paul doesn’t give you a chance to respond before he hangs up. 

Your jaw gapes and you stare down at your phone with shock. You know Paul and his wife had been expecting, but had it really already been nine months? Has your life become so monotonous and dull that nine months doesn’t even register for you?

It’s a depressing thought. One you’d rather not linger on. “What was that?”

You scream, though the people passing by don’t pay you any mind, and jump away from Leopold. “Jesus, where the hell did you come from?”

Leopold flinches away from you and his face is just as aghast as yours. “Good heavens, what is the matter with you? Do you respond to anything as a sensible woman might?”

“I resent that.” You tell him bitterly. Though, he does make a good point. You’ve been on edge constantly. You always seem to be more anxious than you are happy. It’s not a good state to perpetually exist in. “I need to go into work.”

You don’t want to outright say that he needs to go back to the apartment. It feels a little mean, but you’re hoping he’ll catch onto your tone of voice. 

His entire demeanor perks up and he smiles at you. “Wonderful, I am dreadfully curious as to what you do.”

You open your mouth to correct him, let him know he’s not coming. But he’s staring at you with such hopeful eyes that you cannot find it in yourself to turn him down. He seems so excited, you’re sure he won’t be when he gets to your cluttered little bookshop. You let out a weary sigh, “Fine. Okay.”

You walk towards the curb, hoping to hail a cab. But Leopold’s hand gently wraps around your elbow and tugs you in the opposite direction. Your eyes widen in response to his boldness. You thought touching a woman he wasn’t courting would cause someone like him to combust. Seems he didn’t mind breaking the rules sometimes. 

You make a mental note of that for later. You don’t know what you’re going to do with the information, but you find it intriguing. Maybe the modern world was rubbing off on him more than he’d like to admit. 

“We should take this,” he stops you in front of a horse-drawn carriage and you immediately begin to shake your head. 

“No, Leopold, these are just tourist traps-”

He doesn’t let you finish, opening the carriage’s door and gently nudging you inside. “Nonsense! This is far more enjoyable than those yellow monstrosities.”

“Taxi,” you correct. You turn towards the carriage driver and give him directions to your bookshop. “Ink and Tea on Fifth.” He nods and the carriage rolls forward with a lurch. You grip the cushioned seats and pray you don’t get motion sickness. 

“Ink and Tea?” Leopold inquires. “Are you a journalist?”

You smile and shake your head. “No, nothing so fancy. I just help take care of an old bookshop. They were supposed to extend the shop when it first opened. They were going to build a space for people to get pastries or drink tea, but it never happened and the owner was too lazy to change the name.”

It feels a little humiliating to be talking about your minimum-wage job to a renowned scientist. He’s invented or is going to, elevators. He doesn’t care about your stupid shop. But he doesn’t look particularly judgy of you. If anything he seems to be endeared to you the more you talk. 

Normally, you’re oblivious to these sorts of things. But it’s nearly impossible for him to hide. He’s not shy with his attraction, never taking his eyes off of you and hanging onto your every word. You’re not used to such outward attention. 

You look out of the carriage, pretending to take in views you’ve already seen a thousand times. “This city is incredible,” he wonders aloud. His awe is palpable. 

Your nose wrinkles and you shrug. “It’s dirty and the people are intolerable.”

“Must you always be so pessimistic?” You snap your mouth shut and feel embarrassment creeping around you. You’ve never had someone point out when you’re being negative, but he has a point. 

You used to view the city through the same rose-colored glasses. Something’s broken inside you in recent years that has just taken the joy out of life. Everything is grey to you now, until Leopold, nothing spectacular has ever really happened to you. 

The carriage comes to a stop outside the shop before you can respond to him. You want to deny what he says, but you can’t. Your attitude is almost always unnecessary. You think sometimes you might just be trying to see if everyone feels as miserable as you do or if there’s just something wrong with you. 

“Come on,” you tell him, getting out and paying the driver. He wanders towards the shop, eyeing the displays in the window curiously. 

“These are wonderful,” he tells you, pointing to the way you’d made the books look like they’re floating above the shelves. It was just some silly little thing you’d tried to get more people in the shop. It’d worked for about a month. 

“I did that,” you unlock the door to the shop and open it for him. But he doesn’t walk in immediately, instead, he lingers in the doorway. He offers you a soft smile and you can’t help but return it. 

“You’re more creative than you give yourself credit for.”

Your eyes widen as you watch him walk inside. He keeps making these oddly astute observations about you and it’s throwing you off your game. You barely know this man and you’ve always been good at keeping yourself aloof and vague. Yet, he seems to read you like you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve. 

“Feel free to…” he’s already made himself comfortable somewhere in the back and you trail off. “Look around,” you finish lamely. His form is lost somewhere in stacks of books and cluttered shelves. 

You know most of the classics and history books are kept towards the back. You wonder if he’s reminiscing or getting a headstart before he gets back to his time. You smile at the thought and walk behind the counter, sitting on the stool and preparing to finish off the rest of the day.

Leopold is still somewhere lost to you an hour later. Occasionally you’ll hear a page flip or the clatter of a book being reshelved, but there are no other signs of life. Not until the bell above the door rings. 

“Clark,” you smile, sitting up straighter as your friend walks through the door. “What’re you doing here?”

He gives you a crooked grin and shrugs. Just over his shoulder, you can see Leopold’s head pop over a shelf, he looks between you both, eyes narrowing with disdain. “Paul told me you’d be here, figured you might want some company.”

“Actually-” you start, but another voice cuts you off. 

“Leopold Mountbatten,” he comes around the corner, hand outstretched as he comes in between you and Clark. “And who might you be?”

Your brows furrow in confusion at the interaction. Leopold seems oddly hostile and Clark looks strangely caught off guard. “Um, Clark. Nice to meet you, man.” He shakes Leopold’s hand but his grip is weak and it only lasts for one awkward half-second. 

It’s uncomfortable to watch them try and interact and it only gets worse when they turn towards you. Clearly, they want you to tell them who the hell the other guy is. But you feel like that might just make the situation worse. 

Besides, you were pretty content with it just being you and Leopold, you don’t need Clark coming in here and riling things up. “You know, Clark, I’m set here. You can just go home.” Your tone leaves no room for argument but you know he wants to. 

“Alright, I’ll just call you later, I guess.” He throws one last skeptical look at Leopold before finally slinking back out of the shop. 

“Neither of you should be alone without a chaperone present.” Leopold bluntly scolds you without even waiting a second before Clark is gone. It catches you off guard and you scoff. 

You motion between the two of you, “We don’t have a chaperone.” 

Leopold shrugs, “Yes, well, I’m not courting you.” It shouldn’t, because he’s right, but that stings. He is attractive, surprisingly so. You have this odd belief that anyone from his century had to be at least a little ugly. But he’s near perfect. 

Hearing him tell you so bluntly that you’re not courting hurts a little. Though, you can’t blame him. You must be dramatically different than the women he’s used to. From your manners to how you dress, you’re practically an alien. 

You stand up from behind the counter and walk towards the cart of books that need to be shelved. “Clark is a friend. Nothing more.” You’ve never once been romantically interested in your friend. He’s attractive, but he’s not really your type.

Apparently, British men from the nineteenth century are. Which does not bode well for your romantic prospects once Leopold is back home. “It is plain for anyone to see how he wants you. Don’t let yourself be blinded by naivete.”

“Naivete?” you scoff and turn around to glare at him. “Don’t pretend to know anything about me, alright? I’m not some maiden in a frilly dress who needs a chaperone.” You can see that your words affect him. He looks a little taken aback by your anger and so are you. 

It’s misplaced. You’re not mad at him, just mad that you even like him. “Just go read or something, Leopold.” You dismiss him more rudely than necessary and hide yourself behind a few shelves. The rest of your workday is spent in a tense silence that makes your stomach churn. 

You’re nearly ready for bed when something slips under your door with a slight whoosh. You turn towards it, frowning when you see a little envelope with a wax seal on the ground. You pick it up and let your finger slip under the paper, opening it to find a letter with your name on it inside. 

The handwriting is impeccable, with a gracefulness to it that you’ve never seen before. You don’t have to read for very long to know who it's from. Leopold writes poetry about the color of your eyes and the way your lips curl when you smile. And then he ends it with a vague, nearly ominous, invitation to dinner. 

You can’t help but smile to yourself, changing out of your pajamas and slipping into something a little nicer. A few minutes later you’re climbing out your window and taking the stairs up the fire escape to the roof. 

You don’t believe your ears at first, thinking the music must be coming from another apartment. But when you make it up to the roof there’s a violin player there waiting for you. He smiles happily at you as you approach. 

You spin in a slow circle, taking in the sheer amount of flowers littered around the roof. You don’t know how he managed to afford all of this. He transformed the barren and empty rooftop into your own little paradise. Candles lit and a live musician playing for you. 

You’ve never had anyone do something like this for you, ever. It’s a little hard to accept that someone would be willing to put this much effort in for you. “I wasn’t entirely sure you would come.”

You turn around and Leopold is waiting behind you, that familiar smile playing on his lips. You aren’t aware of the grin forming on your face in response. You don’t have much control over that when you’re with him. 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He looks like he wants to respond but at the last moment thinks better of it. He instead pulls your chair out for you, helping you into your seat. “This is nice,” that feels too underwhelming a word for such an incredible gesture. 

You sigh and frown as you try and find the right words. You don’t notice him sitting down across from you. You only look up when you feel him placing his hand on your own. “It’s alright,” he assures you. 

It’s still so odd how he can know you so well after such little time. “This is incredible,” you tell him, undeterred by his attempts to soothe you. “No one’s ever done something like this for me.”

He looks like he takes personal offense to that and it makes you laugh. “You deserve far more than this. Sadly, it seems Stuart’s pockets do have limits and I’m afraid I would have put him into debt if I’d gone any further.”

You have the perfect mental image of Stuart coming back from the hospital only to find his science project has robbed him. It makes you laugh and you squeeze his hand once before drawing it back into your lap. He lets his touch linger on you for a long moment, seemingly reluctant to pull away. 

“No,” you tell him, “this is perfect.” 

You fall into a comfortable silence for a little while. Conversation mostly drifting toward what his life was like as a duke. You don’t have much to say about your own life. It’s been incredibly normal and you’re a little sad to find that you don’t have one good thing to share with him. 

Nothing comes to the front of your mind. 

Inevitably, you drift into the topic you’d both been so adamantly avoiding. “Has Stuart said when you’d need to return?”

Leopold’s grip on the fork tightens and for a moment he refuses to meet your eye. “Monday, I’m afraid.”

“Oh,” your eyes widen and you feel something burning at the back of your throat. Monday, the same Monday that’s two days away. 

“Dance with me,” the suddenness of the demand catchers you so off guard that you forget the tears. He stands, holding out his hand to you. You almost say no, you can’t remember the last time you danced and you doubt it’s going to be pretty. 

But he whispers your name and something about his tone tells you to take the chance while you have it. You slip your hand into his, letting him pull you to your feet. He doesn’t sweep you off your feet and dance the night away. 

Instead, he holds you close and you sway together. Like moving even an inch away from each other would hurt. “You could come with me,” he tells you. And you know immediately what he’s talking about. 

You also know it could never happen. Going to the nineteenth century is insane. Even considering it should be enough to have you sent to a psych ward somewhere. Especially not for a man you’ve known for less than a month. 

You try and tell him that you can’t, but he stops you. “I know, a preposterous idea. I just wanted to think about it.” You look up at him and find that you can’t take that away from him. There’s nothing wrong with imagining what it could be like with him. Even when you know it can never happen. 

You dance like that for a little while longer, swaying against each other while the violin plays in the background. He whispers your name and when you gaze up at him this time, there’s a certain look in his eye that you know is reflected in your own. 

He dips down, lips caressing yours gently before he’s pushing more firmly against your own. The world stops. Cliche, you’re aware. For the first time in years, though, you’re alive. You feel something other than the dull monotony of life. You feel excited and terrified all at once. Because you know you can never have this feeling again. 

You will never meet another man like Leopold who ignites this spark of life and passion within you. Never has a man been able to make you doubt every decision you’ve ever made with just a kiss, but here he is. 

Your arms lift like you might try and draw him in closer. His hands come up, taking yours in his gentle hold and squeezing. He pulls away from you and reality comes crashing back down. You’re not in love, you can’t be. You’ve only just met him a few days ago. 

Yet, here you are, wondering if you might actually want to leave everything behind to be with him like the great romances authors write about. He smiles at you and there’s a bittersweetness to it, a final farewell that you know will break whatever is left of your heart. 

He lifts your knuckles to his lips, pressing his lips against them like he never wants to part. “Goodnight,” he whispers your name and backs away from you. You watch him go, watch him leave, unable to muster up any words for him. 

You can’t think of anything that would ease this gnawing ache inside of you. Nothing to soothe the pain for either of you. You let him go because you know if you asked him to stay he would. And how selfish of you would it be to let history unravel simply because you fell in love? 

Monday. It is Monday. You’ve been coming to terms with that all weekend. You don't want to think about the fact that Leopold will be gone tonight. Your time together was so brief but you feel like you’re never going to get over losing him. 

Before the night was over on Sunday, a note was slipped under your door. This handwriting was messy, it made you think someone other than Leopold had written it down, but you don’t know who it could have been. 

It was a date and time, jump off the Brooklyn Bridge at this time on Monday night. Only an idiot would jump off a bridge because of an ominous note slipped under her door. But you haven’t been able to take your eyes off of it, not since you first picked it up. 

Leopold had invited you to go with him. And while you might not have said no, the insinuation was clear. Your eyes dart to your clock. If you left now, you could still make it in time. What an absolutely ridiculous thought. 

So, why are you running out the door without locking it? Why do you not care who slips into your home now? There’s this sense of finality within you that lets you know you’re never going to see that place again and that’s okay. 

You never truly felt comfortable in your life. You always thought a part of yourself was missing. Or that you were always running late for something. You think you understand what you were feeling now. 

The thing you’ve been searching for your whole life wasn’t halfway across the world, a hundred thousand miles from you. He was on the wrong side of time, or you were, at least. 

You manage to snag a taxi to get to the bridge but there’s a traffic jam. You’re forced to jump out of the car and run through the different lanes of blocked traffic. People shout at you. Your cab driver screaming after you about your fare. You don’t care, the only thing you can think about is the note crumpled in your hands and the clock counting down how long you have to jump. 

You’ll either be on the news tomorrow as an unfortunate suicide. An idiot who accidentally threw herself off the wrong side of the bridge. Or, you’ll see Leopold again. 

You reach the ledge and you can’t hesitate. If you do, you won’t jump in time. You close your eyes, holding your breath like you’re jumping into your neighbor’s pool. Air rushes around you, whipping at your hair and skin violently. 

It’s not until you hear someone shouting down at you that you realize you’re not dead. You’re lying in the middle of a dirt road, a group of people staring down at you with concern in their eyes. 

You only have to take in the clothes they’re wearing to know you’ve made it. Before they can react you’re leaping to your feet and running off. You know you’re near the Brooklyn Bridge, or where it’s supposed to be at least. You know enough about the area to remember where Leopold’s house is supposed to be. 

You’re covered in sweat and red mud. The people you pass by in the streets hide behind their hands and whisper about you. You’re not making a good impression on your future neighbors, that’s for sure. But, honestly, all you care about is making it back to him. 

You see people congregating outside his uncle’s home. You know there’s a party inside, that he’s supposed to be announcing who his wife will be. You barrel through the people outside, shoving through the crowd and running up the steps of the house. 

You can hear Leopold’s voice as you run, “The woman I’m going to take as my wife is-”

There’s a loud gasp as you come panting into the room. You can’t catch your breath long enough to speak but it doesn’t matter. The crowd is parting around you and Leopold is smiling down at you. He says your name and there’s nothing else that matters about the world around you. Not when you finally found each other. 

end. — I do not own the characters or the movie Kate & Leopold, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[littlemissayu]

Hi, I really love your twisted wonderland fics, especially the ones where the twisted wonderland boys are being fathers, had me fangirling for hours!!! So I was wondering if you could do a Twisted Wonderland Boys x Reader: WEDDING EDITION!! (Proposal, Ceremony(with Wedding dance song), Honeymoon(kinda saucy)), Also with some Chaotic shenanigans? I've been watching a lot of Rom-Com movies lately, especially My Best Friend's Wedding.

A Quick Trip to The Alter

A/N: I wanted to write some sort of wedding headcanons so thank you for the suggestions!! I really love domestic so its nice to get to do it. It might have taken me a while to get to this due to working on something separate, but now I'm gonna spend some time trying to update more.

A/N#2: I don't remember the last time I was editing this but geez, it's taking me long to post anything at all, I've had ZERO inspo the whole summer, and now school's starting up again by the time I'm writing this author's note, but let's hope I get this out b4 September lol. Let's also hope somehow school will motivate me to be more active in posting A/N#3: I lied I wasn't gonna get this out before September, I apologize. As I am writing this authors note it is 9/17/24 and i've only finished Riddle's part....

Pairings: Heartsabyul x FEM!reader (romantic)

Proposal-

It's romantic obvi, he's so awkward, not to mention atp that he's proposing you guys have been dating for 5 years MINIMUM.

It was a sunny afternoon and the two of you were having tea out in your backyard right by the newly blooming roses. The table was filled with white rose red and (ur fav color). As you two were sitting Riddle was so obviously nervous, and when he spoke up you could hear the nerves in his voice.

“ Dearest, we’ve had a wonderful 5 years together, you’ve been the greatest addition to my life. Without you I feel like a kingdom without its ruler, lost and chaotic”

Riddle’s face was redder than his hair you might’ve mistaken him for a Christmas tree skirt.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than spending all my days in your presence. Your absence is my worst nightmare and your smile is my greatest treasure. A treasure I want to cherish for the rest of our existence”

You finally notice the black velvet box in his hand. He drops to a single knee in front of you, at your mercy. Looking up at you with pleading eyes he ask-

“My Darling Rose, will you become my Queen of Hearts?”

Ceremony-

The ceremony is in a banquet hall, filled to the brim with red and roses. Your favorite color and the blood red compliment the white decor and clam lights.

Riddle was at the end of the aisle, the nervousness on his face was evident. Trey as his best man at his side Cater in tow. And when you finally walk down the isle it's like time freezes in place, and his heart stops, seeing you all done up in your stunning attire, hair, makeup, and just everything about this moment was perfect. His heart warmed, a feeling of home washing over him.

"My dearest, Y/N, you are my peace and my home, everything that I am and will be is with you. The name on my heart is yours. I will spend every second of everyday devoting myself to you and our love. Being your husband is a title I will cherish for all my days"

Wedding song: Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey(instrumental orchestral version/Great Gatsby ver.)

Riddle would want the first dance to be romantic and classy just like you guys and this entire wedding, so y'all are totally slow dancing to this song, because the orchestral version just sounds romantic and grand(especially the ver. from the lady on TikTok who was walking down the isle to it iykyk)

Honeymoon-

I feel like ya'll would go somewhere in the country side, whatever the equivalent to the french countryside, where you guys will be in a beautiful vacation home there surrounded by fields of wildflowers and small fruits growing on bushes nearby, with a small town down the road. While Riddle would enjoy going out into he town with you and learning it's history and culture, he'd also enjoy other honeymoon activities in the comfort of your comfy vacation home, besides even the bedroom is so gorgeous it's only right to use it for one of it's many purposes.

Proposal- It will catch you so off guard. Picture this it's a night after a long day at the bakery and the two of you are walking home together as usual. He asks to walk a long route because it's more scenic and your like sure so you guys are walking and you stumble across a huge willow tree, specifically a weeping willow and you see two initials one are his and the one at the end of the plus has your first initial and his last initial so you joke how it would take a wedding ring to make that happen and he just says "So let's make it happen, Y/N L/N, would you make the decision to not only share a last name, but a lifetime together?"

Ceremony-

I dunno why but I'm convinced yall get married in a garden or something. Think about it a nice forest with luscious trees and greenery, complemented by the fresh white and complementing amber color, as you make your way down the isle the standing their a we smile on his face as you come down the isle. His family and yours watched the two of you in awe and filled with love in their hearts and their eyes.

"Y/N, so much is beautiful about you, your eyes, your hair, your teeth, your smile, your warm embrace, and your sweet face. But nothing can compare to the beauty of your love, the most precious gift anyone could give me. Now I don't have to waste a second yearning for your love cause now I'll wake up to it in the morning and it'll give me the peace I need to sleep at night. I will spend every second of everyday trying to give you the love you give me tenfold and more because you are so worthy of that love and anything you could ever ask for. Thank you for being mine."

Wedding Song: Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.

Vintage, romantic, classy. This is the song Trey would guide you in an intimate waltz with all his friends and family watching. Romance is in the air and everyone can feel the love between you two. And while the two of you are waltzing he's whispering all the things he plans to do to you the minute you're left alone.

Honeymoon-

Now if you've noticed I am RUNNING with this greenery theme but you two would spend your week away together on a lovely lake house that you rented for a week(or however long). The sweet sounds of birds chirping and the sun peeking through the small crack in the curtains as the sounds of the outside relaxed the two of you. The smell of the forest filled your nostrils from the small crack in the window. resting you head on his bare chest and the two of you are cuddled up under the covers. No view the lake could give would be better than the sight of him on top of you.

Proposal-

Think about it like this, the two of you are on a vacation together and he takes you to a private romantic dinner to commemorate your last day there (and take some cute pics for the gram). You finish taking pics and he mentions the beauty of the view. "But it would be more beautiful if you were in a wedding dress" you turn to look at him "And why would I-"

"How about a diamond to become a diamond for starters?"

Ceremony-

An evening/late afternoon ceremony. It's in a gorgeous town hall with marigolds and roses to compliment the warmth from the love that was bouncing off the walls. And as you walked down the isle in a dress that complimented and flattered you in ways that didn't seem possible. And as Cater looked at you, making steps closer and closer to be his wife, his heart melted. Only you could tell that at this very moment he wanted to shed a tear(ugly cry) at the sight of you. Everything in this moment felt complete.

"Thank you for giving me your love and affection. Nothing about you could ever compare to the love of anyone else, you are my home and my heart rest in your hands. Your delicate loving embrace holds my heart dear and guards it from the dangers of the world. My love for you is everlasting, every second of everyday my love for you will increase tenfold and all I want is to serve and love you the way you deserve as not only the fantabulous person you are but the way my wife deserves"

Wedding Song: Die with a Smile by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga

Man maybe it's just cause I'm obsessed with this song, but I can just picture Cater and his new stunning wife dancing in the romantic lighting of the wedding reception to this heart warming song, that makes me wanna fall in love with someone so baddddd.

Honeymoon-

Whatever the equivalent to Greece in twisted wonderland that is exactly where your going. Think mamma Mia vibes. Maybe you're on an island, an island by the mainland with a Airbnb (well the test equivalent) that's right near the water with a stunning view, and you guys are near a market place too. You're out on the balcony where you're looking out into the sea as your husband wraps his arms around, his bare chest out and his head resting between your neck near the bruises and marks from the night before were, ones that he made sure were their himself.

Proposal- A part of me wants to say that he just randomly asks one day while you guys are eating dinner but I'mma trust him and say that he put some effort behind this because he loves you. So let's say you two were at a dinner with his family, and strangely enough the topic of marriage is brought up every so often. "You know lilies are pretty wedding flowers" "Don't you think that a summer wedding would be better than a winter wedding?" "Isn't the idea of settling down just darling, especially if you've been dating for a while, just seems like the logical next step doesn't it?". The only reason you weren't heavily suspicious is cause they always pondered out loud when you two would tie the knot. So by the time you left you hadn't really thought much about it. As you two head back to the car Ace asked if you wanna take a walk by the park that was only 20 minutes away walking and you were down. The walk was mostly quite the two of you just enjoying the scenery that there was to appreciate in the Queendom. Once you get to the park you two are walking deeper and deeper when you notice a small empty area near the flowers where fairy lights are set up? The fairy lights are hanging up on the branches of two trees and it was stunning, Rose petals dabbled around the area and you look at it in awe as your distracted you hear Ace clear his throat and you turn to him, on a single knee.

"Y/N, we've been together for, a while and I think I'm ready to spend my life with you, not as my girlfriend but as my wife, so would you like to be my wife?"

Ceremony-

An intimate wedding in a stunning garden. And there is totally fairy lights because when I think of Ace for some reason I think of fairy lights. Like imagine the fairy lights entangled in the seat to light your way to him and all the Rose petals and the smiles of your families. A beautiful arch adorned with roses the color of blood and ones a pure white as a compliment. Hints of gold everywhere really harp on the warm feel. Ace looks at you smirking, trying not to laugh, not cause anything's funny, just cause the fact this is even happening feels so unreal, you're seriously about to become his wife.

"Y/N, thank you choosing to stay by my side. I can be a hassle sometimes, you tell me as much, but you've never left. You've loved me and cared for me every step of the way. I plan to spend the rest of my days living up to being the perfect, or somewhat perfect, husband you deserve. I don't think I'll ever reach that standard but I'll do my damned hardest trying to. If you were to cut my heart open all you'd find is you, anything and everything about you. That is what I live for, to be your husband."

Wedding Song: I Think They Call This Love by Elliot James Reay

This song is so damn romantic and if Ace had to define you guys love I'm confident this is what he'd pick. If you haven't heard it listen to it please this song is so good and I really think it embodies Ace's love. If you've read my Rom-Com song picks you'll understand why, this song and that one have the same vibe in my opinion.

Honeymoon-

Yall totally going to like the TWST equivalent of Portugal. Imagine site seeing, Ace would say it's boring but he'd secretly be invested in the beauty of the culture and history. Especially all the palaces and market places. He loves it, the views are fabulous, the foods fantastic and the people are great. But his favorite part of this place isn't the white sand beaches, the detailed architecture or even the culture that was built into the place. His favorite part is when you two are left alone in your resort room when he's left to be between the warmth of your legs. Eyes to eyes, skin to skin. Yeah that's definitely the best part

Proposal-

He's nervous af. Sweaty palms, racing thoughts, stuff movements. This man is STRESSED. You two are taking a romantic blastcycle ride at sunset when he stops a cliff with a stunning view of a valley. You can just feel the nervousness radiating off of him and you rub his forearm to calm him, chuckling you ask him what's up and his face becomes flushed as he looks over his shoulder to the view right by the two of you as he begins to speak

"Y/N, you know that I love you.I'd do anything to ensure your happiness, even if it was without me. You're special to me, and that's why I hope you can have your happy beginning with me. Will you marry me?"

Ceremony-

Totally in a like a small chapel, with friends and family surrounding the two of you. The blue chrysanthemums and white jasmines decorate the chapel. The soft music of the wedding march playing as you make your way to him. He's sobbing. uncontrolably. You're just such a vision in white, you're beauty filling him with warmth but his love for you is really what has him in fat tears running down his cheek as he looks at you ever so lovingly, making your way to the start of your life together, forever.

"Y/N, I can barely describe my love for you. It transcends any word or saying or thought. I treasure anything and everything you say, do, think, or express. Your joy is precious and I'd do anything to preserve it and help it grow. I will do my best to be a dutiful and worthy husband. No gem could compare to the pricelessness of your love, everything I do will be to show my love for you."

Wedding Song: Line without a Hook by Ricky Montgomery

I have zero logical explanation behind this pick besides the fact this songs like Deuce, not voice wise, but tone wise. Something about this song is so moving and so Deuce kind of love, like this is how he would describe his love for you, but to him it'd never feel like enough, there's so much more to his love for you.

Honeymoon-

Sweden(the TWST equivalent ofc), like imagine you two staying in a quaint yet busy cute Swedish town. The warm lighting of the place and the warmth of the food, the people, the culture. Imagine waking to the sight of pure snow sitting on the buildings and people starting there day, the smell of fresh winter and the warmth of the hot chocolate warming you right up. But nothing can compare to the warmth you get from your now husbands bare skin against yours, warm and comforting. Your limbs entangled together under the sheets, very satisfied from the night before.

A/N: the fact this took me months get over with is ridiculous, let's hope the school year somehow, motivates me to write more. I dunno I guess when I don't feel busy I forget about all my writing but when I feel busy I wanna write desperately. Anyways, Ik I always say this then never release anything BUT FLOOD MY INBOX BABES. I will force myself to sit in front of my computer til I get something out of myself. You guys have great ideas and I'd love to recieve more to release more content, besides the ones I think of ofc.

If y'all think this deserves to be a series lmk, I think I'll actually be up to it

Heartsabyul Masterlist

TWST Masterlist

Grand Masterlist

[velvet4510]

What The Sequel(s) to X-Men: Days of Future Past Should Have Looked Like

I haven’t even seen X-Men: Apocalypse or X-Men: Dark Phoenix start to finish but thanks to this app i know practically the entire plots of both films and i’m just so utterly appalled by them. Not just with the way they mess up the timeline (Jean & Scott as teenagers and Warren as a young adult in 1983?? Excuse me?? No way Logan’s time shenanigans altered people’s birth dates, what??) But also with the way they just butcher every character arc - Charles being selfish? Erik settling down with a human instead of continuing to fight for his cause and make up for his 10 years of inactivity? Giving Erik an OC daughter JUST to kill her 2 seconds later rather than focus on his fatherhood story with Peter? Erik and Ororo siding with Apocalypse to destroy the whole world? Hank turning on Charles when he alone stood by Charles post-beach divorce all those years? Raven being ungrateful to Charles for creating a better world for mutants? Trying to convince us that Charles was somehow in love with Moira and Erik was somehow in love with Raven? The X-Men throwing Charles out of his own house?? WHAT IS THIS?????

Frankly I don’t get why the writers tried (and failed) to give us more Jean and Scott and Ororo when we got plenty of them in the other movies and we know thanks to the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past that Charles will still eventually recruit them. Jean and Scott’s very presence at the end of that film shows that the sight of Logan’s memories of Jean’s original fate prompted Charles to NOT repeat his other self’s mistakes and instead use a better approach to help Jean that enabled her to keep the Phoenix under control and not hurt Scott. That’s all we need to know about them in the new timeline. We don’t need to see Charles messing up yet again when it comes to Jean when that ruins a huge layer of the meaning and impact of DOFP’s ending.

James McAvoy himself pointed out how unnecessary it felt to recycle characters from the original trilogy when the X-Men in the comics are full of plenty of other characters that could’ve been introduced in a DOFP sequel instead. He’s absolutely right.

But here’s what I really think: if any sequels to DOFP just HAD to be made, they shouldn’t have tried to stuff in even more characters. If they HAD to include another old character we’d seen before, it should’ve been Kurt Wagner and Kurt Wagner only. Why? Because he’s Raven & Azazel’s son. And this would only add to the parenthood theme already present through Erik & Peter, and Charles & his students; add a new dimension to Raven as a character as we explore how she feels about being a mother, and what happened that caused her to be separated from her child; and add a new dimension to Hank as we explore how he feels about potentially being a parental figure to Kurt as a result of following his heart toward Raven.

The sequel(s) should’ve focused on developing the relationships that actually had been established/hinted at, and those that would naturally branch as a result:

Erik & Peter as father and son

Raven & Kurt as mother and son

Charles’ parental relationship with his young students

Charles & Erik getting back together

Hank & Raven getting back together

Hank dealing with being Kurt’s possible stepfather

Charles & Raven reconciling as siblings once again

Charles & Peter as stepfather and stepson

Charles & Kurt as uncle and nephew

Alex seeing all of this and being reminded of his bad relationship with his own parents that led him to get locked up before Charles and Erik found him, emphasizing Charles’ place in his life as his true “father,” and foreshadowing Scott by revealing he’s not in touch with his family (meaning he doesn’t know he has a much-younger brother)

Erik bonding with Kurt and making Kurt comfortable through being the only other native German speaker in the group

Erik & Hank dealing with their rocky relationship; Hank giving Erik a proper calling out for sending Charles into such a depression for a decade

Erik bonding with Charles’ other students and slowly realizing there is a place for him at the school

(Logan may or may not work as a character in such a sequel. But whether he has a big or small role, it must be acknowledged that Raven, not Stryker, saved him from the Potomac at the end of DOFP. So now he is on a different path, and is NOT Weapon X. Either he’s still at the mansion or went his own way with the open possibility of returning; I think the latter makes more sense since he’s such a loner and considering he wouldn’t remember the events of DOFP, he’d be pretty overwhelmed. Plus his explained absence would allow space for the film(s) to focus more on the other characters.)

Regardless, any villain(s) of those hypothetical sequels should’ve been the kind of antagonist(s) whose threat inevitably brought those aforementioned characters together and, in the process, fleshed out those relationships.

Also, no stupid 10-year time jumps between every movie. Keep it to 5-7 years after DOFP, at the most.

Think of the emotional impact that would bring:

Charles & Raven dealing with the fact that she chose not to come to him for help when she became pregnant

Hank & Raven discussing Raven’s history with Azazel and both of them admitting they went to great lengths to try to get over each other but nothing worked

Raven exploring motherhood and her feelings about either having abandoned Kurt as a baby or accidentally losing him, and Hank supporting her in this

Erik exploring his newfound fatherhood, and Charles supporting him in this

Peter’s feelings toward his dad for being absent from his life for so long and also for being a terrorist

Kurt’s feelings toward his mom for being absent for so long, and possibly for intentionally leaving him

Peter & Kurt becoming besties and bonding over being super-fast travelers who have spent too many years not knowing one or both parents

Hank wishing things had been different with Raven and that Kurt could’ve been his son and thinking about stepping into a stepfather role for Kurt

Erik & Peter perhaps getting stranded/separated from the rest of the group and forced to bond while trying to find their way back

Erik saving Peter’s life in battle, cementing their new bond

Hank fully embracing his Beast form (mutant and proud) in battle while protecting Raven and Kurt

Raven, Hank & Kurt as a badass blue family

Erik finally deflecting a bullet successfully to save Charles

Charles & Erik fighting side by side once again and realizing they’re better together than apart

Erik & Hank managing to find some common ground as they both have been unexpectedly thrown into fatherhood (see, no need for female fridging!)

Erik coming up with Quicksilver as Peter’s superhero name, at least getting the chance to name his son in this way

Basically the whole group becoming a big family

Perhaps closing with a flash forward a few years: Erik & Raven are now teachers at the school; young Scott arrives at the school and meets Alex for the first time; Charles & Erik hear about young Jean and head out to meet her; Hank & Raven manage to discover Logan’s location and head out to bring him back to the mansion - tying into the finale of DOFP

Those are just a few things that could’ve, and should’ve, been prioritized in a sequel to DOFP.

[01zfan]

second | j. sc

boyfriend!sungchan x fem reader | 3.4k words

second base - petting above the waist, including touching, feeling, and fondling the chest, breasts, and nipples.

contains: barely public car shenanigans, touching above the waist

bases: first | second | third | homerun

you and your boyfriend are in the front seat of his car when you two should be seating in the theater. you had plans to see a new movie. the barcode sitting on his phone that should’ve been scanned fifteen minutes ago. 

instead of watching a movie and eating popcorn, you two made the executive decision to eat eachother’s faces in the leaned back driver’s seat of sungchan’s car. you two are lucky you’re in the back of an abandoned parking lot, away from anyone who could possibly see what you two are doing. you didn’t have a chance to even make it to the theater, ruining the “date day” sungchan had intricately planned out for you. it was a surprise, sungchan first saying you two were going to the store. you should’ve suspected more when he told you to dress nice and to be fully prepared for a “day of errands”.

the date had started out at a pottery painting place. you remember in the back of your mind showing sungchan a tiktok of cute date ideas, something randomly popping up on your for you page. you had no idea he had paid attention much less booked you two an appointment to paint ceramics. you were surprised that he remembered something you showed him so long ago that even you had forgotten. you learned that although sungchan was talented with his hands, painting was not his calling. you learned that hands learned to hold a hockey stick didn’t transfer to holding a paint brush. you can’t say sungchan didn’t try his best. the idea was cute and well thought out, it was just that towards the end something along the way was lost. the finished product was allegedly supposed to be you two holding hands on a grassy field. you did everything in your power to hold back a laugh when he showed you the finished product.

“babe don’t laugh at me.” sungchan said pouting. you were two stick figures with gigantic hands. “it’s because i’m emphasizing that we are holding hands!”

when it was done you left it with the pottery staff so they could glaze the finished product. it would be awhile until they were taken home so you took a picture of your finished products. you thought the day was over, getting ready to go home. sungchan wasn’t done with you just yet. you were confused once again when sungchan parked in front of a cafe you’d never seen before. you guys went to lunch at the cafe that  also had boardgames. the food was alright, and the games were okay, but the pictures that sungchan took of you was the highlight. 

“you know how much i love taking pictures of you, babe.” sungchan said. it was funny seeing him take photos of you. he would contort his comically large body however he could to get the perfect angle of you. sungchan called you his muse, yelling compliments from behind his phone camera that made you blush. it was a nice change of pace too, since you were usually the one taking pictures of others. you always thought you were awkward in front of the camera, which is why you preferred to be behind it. but sungchan took the time to coax you out of your shell by showing you pose ideas and always complimenting you no matter how the photos turned out. 

after the impromptu photo session you were spent. you knew your boyfriend knew you well when he took you to the park. he carried the blankets while you looked for the perfect tree with shade underneath it.

you two were camped under the trees, people watching and listening to music that reminded you of one another. sungchan laid on your stomach while you played with his hair. it was a position that you guys always found yourselves slipping into when together.

“this song reminds me of you.” sungchan said, turning up the volume on his phone. it was a cute song, one about being young and in love. 

you added the song to your secret playlist, the one you had been compiling since you first met. songs that you were afraid to show him at first, songs you think he’d like, songs you liked. it had a little bit of everything and you had the plan to show it to him on some sort of anniversary. while you were playing with his hair, you wondered what brought this all on. sungchan planned dates of course, but something in the air felt different. 

“is there a reason for all of this?” you ask sungchan. he looks up from your stomach to smile at you.

“just as a celebration.” sungchan says. he looks up through the leaves of the trees filtering harsh sunlight. some of the light filters through, showing a beautiful highlight on your face. sungchan was tempted to take a photo of you but instead he opted to save the mental image of you being bathed in sunlight. 

“celebration of what?” you ask. some hair from his bangs had fallen into his eye so you move it out the way.

“hockey season is over now so i just wanted to show you that we can still spend time together.” sungchan says happily.

you smile while continuing to play with his hair. you would be lying if you didn’t have your hesitations for the season ending. you and sungchan had spent nearly every single dat of the season together as the teams’ photographer. now that it was over you thought you two would drift apart or even break up now that close proximity was no longer an option.

“i appreciate that. but i think you might be stuck with me now.” you say. sungchan smiles at you and continues to watch people around the park.

you guys stay at the park for a majority of the day. sungchan eventually ends up joining a game of volleyball as you watch from the shade of the tree. you would’ve loved to join but you didn’t want to think about sweating in your nice outfit. you also wanted to be fully seated for the show sungchan was about to give you.

your boyfriend took it upon himself to play for the both of you. sungchan was jumping, hitting, and passing with ease. you wanted to remind him that it was an innocent game of pickup volleyball. you thought it would be useless to mention it when he took off his shirt and rolled his jeans up to his knees to give him more mobility. you laughed at how much effort he was putting into the game. during breaks or in between plays sungchan would face to where you were sitting and make a show of flexing his muscles and posing for you. each time you cheered loudly like a fangirl, making sure everyone playing heard you. 

when the game was done sungchan had worked up a sweat, to the point that you both had to go back to his place so he could shower. you sat on his bed, expecting for your day to be done. you couldn’t help but be excited at the fact that you two were conveniently at his place while his parents weren’t here. you had gotten comfortable on his bed and even found on of his shirts that you could wear to sleep. you were searching through netflix looking for the perfect movie to be background noise when sungchan came out dressed in a casual outfit. you had expected to see him in his pajamas or sweats, something that would make him ready for bed. sungchan revealed the final part of your date. it was a double date, with anton and yunjin at the movie theater.

sungchan drove you both around town for a while, not sure what to do while waiting for the movie. sungchan had made the mistake of getting movie times mixed up, so now you two had thirty minutes to spare before having to be there. the whole time while he was driving you had to fight hard to ignore his hand that was on your thigh. when sungchan parked in the back of the movie theater parking lot you tried your best to sound shocked.

“we are really far away from all the other cars.” you say innocently.

“we got some time before the movie starts,” sungchan says. he moves the seat backwards with the automatic button on the side and makes use of the extra room, spreading out his body and legs. “wanna come over here?” 

sungchan helps you over the center console with ease and you are on his lap. you could never get used to the feeling of him underneath you. his athletic legs were like cushions underneath yours and his legs spreading made you extremely pliable. this position always makes you feel antsy in the best way. the way sungchan has to look up to you makes you feel like you are in charge but you both know his strength has you completely at his mercy. 

before making a move to kiss your lips, sungchan plays with an earring hanging from your ear.

“sungchan,” he pulls away from your ear to look at you in your eyes. “i had alot of fun today.” you say.

he nods as you press a chaste kiss to his lips.

“but can we have a little bit more fun? before the movie starts?” you say, looking down at him.

sungchan is more than happy to pull you into a kiss. this one is different from the one you gave him. he wastes no time to tilt your head with his hand and drag his tongue along your lips. you open your mouth wider and you let him in. you can’t get enough of the feeling when he grips the back of your neck to get you you open your mouth a little wider. he’s having the time of your life kissing him, feeling him move under you and against you. when you pull away from sungchan and you see a string of spit connection your lips to his. sungchan holds onto your hips, massaging the skin in his hands. 

“we are going to be late for the movie.” you say looking at your phone. the movie starts in twenty minutes.

“let’s go then.” sungchan says back. neither of you make a move. sungchan smirks, moving a hand going back to your neck.

“just five more minutes.” sungchan brings you in and you oblige, immediately catching his lip in your mouth. you suck on his bottom lip, the soft skin sweeter than any confections the theater can offer. 

sungchans’ hands roam up and down your body, unsure of where to put them. this is when your position above him works perfectly. it gives you just enough sense of authority to make the move to his hand and put it over your breast. 

you can instantly feel sungchan become distracted, his kisses had become delayed and his tongue freezes in your mouth. his legs that were making a game of spreading yours stop. you let him rest his big hand on your chest and use your hand over his to squeeze. sungchan took this as permission to kneed your breasts over your bra. you let out a sigh of relief when he brought his other hand to the other side to do the same thing.

“i thought you’d never do it.” you say. you lean back exposing as much of your chest as you can, giving him the entire expanse of your chest to roam.

“didn’t wanna move too fast baby.” sungchan says. 

he has completely abandoned trying to kiss you, fully focused on making up for lost time with your breasts. even over a bra and blouse your skin felt soft and yielding underneath his hands. sungchan was slowly losing himself in between the valley of your mounds and he wanted to stay there. the movie was the furthest thing away from his mind.

“do you want to see them?” you ask quietly. 

sungchan nodded like a idiot, afraid that if he said yes he would be confess that he had been thinking about your boobs like some hormonal teenager. he was ashamed to admit that he wondered if they would fit in the palm of his hands or be smaller, if your nipples were the same color as your lips, or if you played with them when you thought of him. he thought about your boobs the most when you were button up blouses like these, or on the days you’d go braless. when sungchan could see your hardened nipple through your shirts he always had to avert his eyes. he hoped you never noticed when he’d be staring at the shape of your boobs through your shirt. sungchan never wanted to pressure you to show him, but when make out sessions would get heated he wanted nothing more than to feel your chest the same way you were letting him feel them now.

you were slow and steady with each button. even though the pace was agonizing, sungchan used the time it took with each button to try and compose himself. he was liable to cum in his pants at the first look, and he absolutely had to focus on not embarrassing himself if he wanted to feel you up like he had been dreaming to. when you were halfway up, revealing the outer trim of your bra you put your hands down.

“wanna do the rest?” you asked, with a smile playing on your lips.

sungchan brings hands up to your blouse. they have a slight tremor to them and sungchan almost laughs at how ridiculous he’s being, how nervous he is for no reason. you must’ve seen his red cheeks because you put his hands over his reassuringly.

“don’t be embarrassed. i take it as a compliment.” you say. 

you both work together to undo the remaining buttons. sungchan helps your arm out of your sleeves. when the blouse is finally off of you, you are the one who’s shy. as a reflex your arms come up to cover your bosom. before you can, sungchan thumbs the fabric of your blue lacy bra in his fingers.

“i think blue is my favorite color now.” sungchan said. you would’ve taken it as a joke but the way he stared at you made you think he wasn’t kidding. sungchan looked to you with wide eyes, like it was his first time ever seeing the color blue.

“do you want me to keep it on?” you ask. seeing sungchan so enamored by you gave you confidence. 

“can i see all of you?” sungchan asked. 

you nodded as he was reaching behind you for the clasps of your bra. it only took him two tries before he was able to undo the clasps. you let out a gasp when you could feel your bra loosen on your body. there was no going back as you let the straps fall forward off your shoulders. 

sungchan thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. even his greatest imagination fell short of what he saw before him. he felt like a teenager seeing boobs for the first time. when you used your arms to bring them closer together he had to clear his throat to focus on something else. he looked at you looking at him and was extremely aware of the tent in his pants, and how close your thighs were to it. 

“baby. can i touch them?” sungchan asked. he was pleading and desperate, as if you could ever say no to those eyes.

he was careful and attentive when he first put his hands on you. sungchan almost felt like he was tainting your pure beauty with his hands. did he even deserve to touch you? he didn’t think he was worthy to touch the supple skin, or to flick your hardening nipples. when you held him a little tighter sungchan was driven by the idea of making you feel good. when he experimentally pinched your nipples between his thumb and index finger you nodded your head vigorously. 

“keep going.” you whispered. sungchan started pinching a little hasher and you let out a new sound sungchan hadn’t heard you make before.

“does this hurt?” sungchan asked worried. he rolled both your nipples in his fingers, feeling the buds get harder and harder.

“it hurts in a good way,” you laugh. you seem to be getting carried away on your own, moving your hips slightly on sungchan’s lap. “take off your shirt.”

sungchan is upset he has to pull away from your chest to expose his. sungchans’ shirt is off in a second, thrown the backseat unlike yours that was neatly placed in the passenger side. sungchan flexes for your enjoyment and your hands go to his chest slowly. you do the same pinching motion he did to you and sungchan is shocked at the new sensation.

“wow you were right.” sungchan says. the pain is there, but it’s a type of pain that gives him a little bit of excitement. it’s the type of pain that has him reaching for your chest a little more aggressively, kneading the fleshy parts a little harder. 

you arch your back towards sungchan’s face, straining into his hands. you close your eyes as he gets more into feeling your chest. sungchan has his hands full of you now.

“sungchan,” you moan. sungchan looks at you instantly. “can you suck on it?” you ask a little louder than you meant to.

you think you may explode from the heat you feel everywhere. the car feels like it’s crackling with electricity, like a bolt of lightening is about to touchdown right beside your car. sungchan’s cold tongue on your nipple cools you down, and you lean so far back lay on the horn of his car. the blaring sound doesn’t stop as he sucks on you, and it fails to drown out your moans that fill the car. sungchan has to sit up and use his free arm to pull you into him and off his horn. it isn’t until he adds the pinching motion to your free nipple that your digging your nails into his back. 

sungchan doesn’t stop, looking at you react to his every move. he wants to tell you that you’re addicting and the softest thing he’s ever touched, but all he can do is nod and bring his mouth to your other nipple when you say you’re close. you finish when he nips a little bit, adding a new wave of pleasure coated in pain. you ride out the wave on his lap, amazed that you are having an orgasm without any stimulation in your pants. 

when you finally pull your hands off of sungchan you can see crescent moon shapes from the impression your nails left. you can barely mumble out a sorry as you slump against him, chest to chest. you are so sensitive and out of it that you almost don’t notice the wet spot where sungchan finished in his pants. 

“that’s never happened to me before.” sungchan pants into your hair. it’s relieving that he’s just as shocked as you are. 

you both stay in the drivers seat of his car trying to regain composure. when sungchan finally pulls back he lets his body rest on the back of his seat. you don’t know he means to but his bare chest and new exposed view of his neck already has your body winding up for more. you look at sungchans’ arms as he reaches to the passenger seat for your clothes. he slowly helps you back into your bra, letting you lay against his chest so he can peer over your shoulder to make sure he clasps it correctly. it isn’t until he buttons your blouse up and smoothes out your hair that he reaches to the backseat to put on his own shirt. you feel at ease even in the stuffiness of his car, so at ease that you almost fall asleep until you jerk up from sungchans’ chest. you see your phone light up with a text notification and several missed calls from yunjin.

“we are definitely going to miss the movie.” sungchan says while leaning the seat even further back.

[stevesbipanic]

@steddiemas Day 22: Santa Shenanigans

Steve was going to kill Robin.

Well, not really because he doesn't think he'd survive more than a couple days without her. But he'd certainly be giving her the stink eye next shift for suggesting a secret Santa between the older ones of the party.

"We just rog it so that I get Vickie and she'll fall madly in love with me, it's a perfect plan Steve!"

To her credit it was an ok plan.

"Last week you spent an hour bemoaning the fact that she smiled at a boy."

"But yesterday she spent two hours studying with me in the library!"

Steve rolled his eyes at her shenanigans but agreed nonetheless. They drew names the next time they had all gone out for burgers at the diner. Steve tried not to make it obvious when he saw who his name was. Eddie.

Steve wasn't disappointed, no, far from it, he'd been hiding a crush on the older boy for a few months now, let's just say Eddie spent a lot of time by Steve's pool last summer. But now he felt the pressure to get him the perfect gift. The plan hadn't even worked for Robin.

"I got Argyle! Now how will I win her heart."

"Could always plant some mistletoe."

"You're a genius! Who'd you get."

"It's Secret Santa, Rob's, it's meant to be secret."

"Boo you're no fun, bet it's me."

It took Steve weeks to finish his gift for Eddie and Steve found himself hastily wrapping it the morning of their little Christmas party, grateful that Robin had thought of the plan well in advance otherwise he'd have never finished.

Steve greeted everyone and watched as they placed their secret Santa gifts under the tree. They ate, laughed and picked a Christmas movie to watch after presents. One by one they opened their gifts.

Nancy got Vickie some water colour paints.

Argyle got Jonathan rolls of fresh film.

Jonathan got Nancy some new notepads with larger covers.

Robin got Argyle a big bright tie dye shirt with Groovy printed on the front, he quickly put it over the sweater he was already wearing.

Vickie turned to Robin and Steve quickly saw her cheeks start to redden. She passed her the gift and Robin unwrapped a bag full of pins and badges.

"I've been collecting them for a few weeks for you from around town and around where I went to visit my grandma, thought your work vest needed some more fun ones."

Robin grinned widely at Vickie, the effort making a big impact on her. Steve knew he'd be hearing about it for weeks but he hoped the mistletoe in the kitchen sped things along.

Steve was about to give Eddie his gift when he realised that this meant Eddie also got him for Secret Santa. He turned to the metalhead to find him already shyly holding out a gift.

"It's not much but I hope you like it, Stevie."

Steve unwrapped the small package to find a collection of mixtapes inside, Eddie's handwriting clearly scribbled on the side.

"I started making a mixtape of songs that made me think of you but U ran out of room on the first one and might've gotten carried away," he said shyly scratching his neck.

Steve glanced over the names of the songs and it was clear that the majority of them certainly wouldn't remind someone of their dear platonic friend. Steve smiled softly at him and passed him his gift.

"I think I know what you mean."

Eddie slightly confused at the statement unwrapped the gift, his mouth forming a small o looking inside. He took out the book, a worn copy of The Hobbit that Steve had thrifted as soon as he knew Eddie was his secret Santa.

"Stevie, you know I've got this one, it's my favourite," he said slightly awkwardly.

"Look inside."

Eddie slowly opened the book to see small dribbles of ink between the words. The handwriting clearly Steve's. As he flicked through he saw Steve's thoughts spilling into almost every page.

"It's your favourite and you're always wanting me to read it so I did, I thought it'd be fun if you saw exactly what I thought of it."

Eddie's eyes caught on one of the words near the end, a small red shape next to them, yeah, he thinks he and Steve are on the same page, but he'd wait until the end, no spoilers early after all.

"I love it, Stevie, thank you."

As Steve sat curled up next to Eddie on the couch watching the film he too had the same thought, definitely on the same page.

Ao3

[polarisbibliotheque]

Devil May Halloween - Ghost Riders In The Sky (Dante)

Devil May Halloween 2024 - Ghost Riders In The Sky (Dante's Halloween Special)

Pairing: Dante x Reader Summary: Oh, Halloween. Last year, you were almost forcefully married to a demon, so Dante's keeping his eyes on you. Well, this time, he will be the one needing help - and only a demon at the crossroads will be able to give you the powers to help your red devil. Rider, you should've known better to change your ways so you wouldn't ride with the ghost riders. Word Count: 25k words, it's a book, BEWARE. Author's Notes: Big big BIG credit to our beloved @furyeclipse who literally helped me write this year! We did this one as a sort of a collab and Fury wrote everything Ovid - so don't forget to sing her praises too!! We got you guys 55 pages of pure DMC crew Halloween shenanigans this time! I was on a big cowboy mood and I LOVE Johnny Cash's song, Ghost Riders In The Sky, with all my heart as well as... YES, THE GHOST RIDER MOVIE WITH NIC CAGE. NOT SORRY, I ADORED IT AS A TEEN. Hahahahaha those were the inspirations - oh, and of course Scooby-Doo inspiration with Nico and Kyrie on this one. Fury helped me getting the ideas going and I just finished writing it yesterday, if I'm not wrong. I do hope you guys enjoy it! I also hope Vergil's will follow soon, but I can't guarantee anything. Do apologize - but I hope Dante's can suffice for now. Happy Halloween, my dear critters, hunters and cheeky devils! ;)

“We’re stickin’ together this year, babe.”

You were almost laughing, but you didn’t want Dante to feel bad for wanting to keep an eye on you – your laughs would be of how endearing you thought he was being rather than anything else, but it would be too much to explain.

His protectiveness actually had a point, and you had to give him that.

“Ok, big guy.” Even so, you couldn’t refrain your voice of sounding a little dismissive. It wasn’t like you didn’t carry around a huge sword and a couple of guns to hunt demons by yourself as well – his worries had a point but, quite frankly, you could always put one hell of a fight if something even tried to touch you.

“Ei, I mean it!” You were walking side by side, but he pointed at you for emphasis. It was impressive how Dante could carry so much worry in his voice and still act absolutely nonchalant about everything – you thought it had something to do with the way his hips swayed during his laidback walks; even during a job, like you were at the moment. “Do I have to remind ya what happened every single last Halloween we had together?”

“I know, I know.” You sighed, but you had to agree with him. From a cursed top hat to being kidnapped to a demonic wedding, you had been through it all. Each year, you thought something new couldn’t happen, until Halloween arrived and, lo and behold, you were both in some new, crazy adventure. “To think it all started with that frigging top hat. How do you think Cheshire demon is doing? Any word from it?”

“Well, Patty allows it out of the hat from time to time. It seems to like her and protect her, who would’ve known?” Dante shrugged, letting out a long sigh himself. Patty practically stole the hat from the shop one day, and there wasn’t much Dante could do to have it back – the girl had a will of steel and, if he thought it was really dangerous, he would’ve never allowed it to touch her hands. In his eyes, everything was under control and Patty seemed… Happy. He would never steal happiness from her. “That spook is kinda her pet now. They’re ‘best friends forever’, who am I to get in the way?”

You let out a giggle. Dante looked like a father whose kid just brought a stray from the streets and looked at him with puppy eyes, asking to be able to keep it.

Only Patty’s stray was a skinny, creepy Cheshire cat looking demon, with a mischievous grin… But a good heart.

It looked worse than it acted, in all honesty. You were team Patty on this one.

“What…?” Dante side eyed you, noticing your endeared giggle and pleased expression.

“Well. You’re one hell of a dad, big guy. That’s all.” You answered in a sing-song tune, incredibly satisfied to be having that conversation mid-Halloween job with your half-demon life partner. “Best dad material I could’ve ever wished for. Really.”

And there it was, your life-long ability of making Dante speechless. It was something Vergil would almost always applaud if he was around, but you rarely left Dante speechless over thoughtful feelings in front of other people – those moments were mostly reserved to yourselves.

He immediately tucked his hands in the pockets of his pants – and you could almost say he was blushing. Dante turned pensive in the blink of an eye, and you couldn’t help but smile.

A father. He never really saw himself becoming one or even being one – and his expectations would be to be terrible at it, like his old man before him. Not that Sparda was a horrible dad when he was around, but he wasn’t. When Dante, Vergil and Eva needed the most, Sparda was nowhere to be seen. He never really knew what happened to him – just disappeared from the world and left them with the curse of his blood and stain of his name.

You knew very much what you were doing when you said he was great father material. You wanted Dante to feel proud of that – eventually, because he would have very much conflicting feelings about being seen as a dad… Mostly because, like everything else in his personal life, his immediate reaction would be to think he would absolutely suck at it.

Dante wasn’t the best at receiving heartfelt, sincere compliments. You were well-aware of that.

That’s why you had a personal mission to make him understand how amazing he was in your eyes – one compliment at a time.

“Well. At least I didn’t inherit that from my ol’ man.” He finally said out loud, looking back at you and flashing a half-smile on his lips. “Creepy-ass demons aside, you’re stayin’ under my radar today, hot stuff. With someone like yourself around, I’m gonna have to worry about demons tryna marry you every Halloween now.”

“Oh, please…” You rolled your eyes with his answer, making Dante immediately laugh in response. He was teasing, of course, but there was a sting of truth to his words. “That was… Awful. I hope it never happens again. If I have to wear one of those horrid wedding gowns again, I swear… I’m gonna start throwing punches.”

“Sucker punchin’ demons down the aisle, what an entrance!” Dante had to laugh alongside you – the previous Halloween had been one hell of a ride to say the least. “But hey, I’ll always be around to tear those horrible clothes off you, babe.”

“Oh, and that you do quite well, you devil…” You had to giggle in return as Dante had the cockiest grin slapped on his lips. Oh, how you loved bantering with your red devil.

Alas, it was Halloween, and all that sweet talking with your beloved red devil would have to wait. You two had finally arrived back at the hotel you were staying with the whole crew – courtesy of the inhabitants of the very western looking little town that called your services for that night.

Something had been brewing for quite a while: you and Dante had noticed it, but you weren’t able to actually identify what in the hell was going on. Ever since the disco incident with the hellish imps in Redgrave, it didn’t slip past your fingers that random summoning of demons was increasing around smaller cities – the hellish imps were probably a group that detached from the original summoning point and decided to wreak mischief right at the Devil May Cry’s backyard.

One city, though, seemed to be the most affected. Silverstone was quite small compared to Redgrave, but very much a tourist town. It thrived on its western look and it took pride in being known as a place that could take its visitors back in time to years of salons, gold rushes, wanted posters and duels at noon. Recently, though, the tourists were a little bit scared and decided to avoid the place, and with reason: demons were becoming increasingly common around the area.

There wasn’t much to do against it, for the demons seemed to come from the desert, at night, with a thirst for blood and human flesh – leaving only destruction in its wake. The political leaders of the city were taking too long to figure out what to do, so the tradespeople of Silverstone decided to come together and take matters into their own hands.

With a little council formed – mostly with owners of hotels, cafés, restaurants, shops, and every other kind of business that could benefit from tourists – you had quite the interesting proposition at the Devil May Cry for that year’s Halloween night.

*

“C’mon in! Door’s open!”

It was a chilly autumn evening at the Devil May Cry – nothing really eventful happening, so you took the opportunity to kick Dante off his chair and help you organize the shop a little bit. He didn’t complain – after all, things were a lot better after you came into his life; organizing the shop was one of those things.

You didn’t expect a knock on the heavy doors of the Devil May Cry, though. Since Dante was near the kitchen and your hands were busy putting your swords away on their rightful place at the wall right behind the desk, telling the random customer to come in was the best way to welcome them.

“Didn’t know it was time for a ‘Fall cleanin’ at this place! Looks like you can work miracles, after all.” That raspy voice and the smell of cigar was unmistakable. You giggled as you turned around to greet him.

“Well, you know how I roll, Morrison. If I can’t work miracles, I don’t even show up.” You rested your hands on your waist, having a cocky smile on your lips – which made Morrison laugh in return.

“I sure do hope you people can work miracles alright, pal.” What you did not expect to see, was Morrison’s client: a man well into his sixties, huge white mustache curled up at the ends, wearing light jeans, snake leather boots, checkered button up shirt to his neck and a white, quite imposing, cowboy hat – which he took off to greet you respectfully, revealing his combed back white hair.

“Well, if you call closin’ the Gates of Hell a miracle, we’ve been known to work those from time to time, Colonel Sanders.” As soon as Dante finished his sentence, you closed your eyes, controlling yourself not to giggle. You never wanted to seem rude to customers, but you had to admit, having a cowboy in the shop was a first. A cowboy other than Dante, that is. “Halloween is approachin’ and we’ve been havin’ more spooks than the usual around. Is that what this is ‘bout?”

The Colonel Sanders cowboy gazed at Morrison as if asking if the man had briefed Dante in advance. As the red devil sat on his huge chair, you rested on the edge of the desk, crossing your arms and allowing a proud smile to spread across your lips – Dante always played the goofy, reckless rockstar card, but he was far from being naïve and, how his twin liked to call him, foolish. When it came to his job, he was quick to notice patterns and underlying intentions of demons – and, since your hellish imp disco job, he had been keeping an eye on the increase of devils in and around Redgrave.

Oh, yes. You were more than proud to call him your lover.

“Told ya. He might not look like much, but he’s good.” Morrison answered the man’s look, making you giggle a bit. You could feel Dante glaring at you – the ‘he might not look like much’ would come up later, in a teasing and friendly banter between you both. “You guessed it, Dante. There’s a lot goin’ on, but I’ll let Mr. Carson here do the explainin’.”

“I take it you’re not from the city, Mr.” Dante pointed at the man’s hat, as Morrison moved to his favorite spot on the shop’s couch and the man approached the desk.

“Ye, not from around, indeed. Call me Buck.” The man took his time to shake Dante’s hand and yours – with a strong grip, but not as rough as you expected. You had to admit, you were a lot more familiar with rougher hands – like Dante’s. “I’m from Silverstone, you people probably heard of it.”

“Hmmm. Up north, smaller city. Got the name because of the silver mines around; one of the biggest cities back in the day, right?” You had to pull the mental map you had in your head to find Silverstone – it was a touristic city you had always wanted to visit but never really got the chance, hence why you knew so much about it. Also, it was good knowing maps by heart when you had to count on Nico driving you somewhere: you had been lost a couple of times with Nero, Dante and Vergil and it was chaotic, to say the least.

“Yes, pal, and we take pride in that!” Buck’s mustache smiled to hear you knew about his small town – something he didn’t really expect from people in big cities. Dante also looked at you, with his eyebrows raised, as you only looked back at him with a matter-of-fact expression in your eyes. He called you a know-it-all sometimes, but he actually loved that about you.

Vergil was a whole different kind of know-it-all – as per his words, the asshole kind.

“We been havin’ problems in Silverstone lately… Demon problems.” Buck’s dark brown eyes now turned serious, drawing yours and Dante’s attention. “It started with some small, flyin’ things. Annoyin’ little folk who liked to upset the cattle and do all kinds of mischief devilry around the city; they were drivin’ the tradespeople mad. But nothin’ a good ol’ rifle couldn’t solve. Some men and women took ‘em as target practice.”

“Hellish imps. You’re talking about hellish imps.” And even though you had a smile on your lips, you couldn’t look more annoyed. Dante couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“They’re easy to kill, but annoyin’ as hell.” He shook his head, remembering finding you in the disco, hopelessly chained to a chair, while the imps from Hell messed around with your stuff while Stayin’ Alive blasted through the amps. It was a sight to see – a funny, but rather cute one. “We also had some problems with ‘em recently.”

“Well, if we had only those… Hellish imps, you said… ‘Round the town, folks would take care of ‘em, no need for help. After a month, I think, it got worse.” Buck’s face turned somber and his shoulders seemed to recoil to himself – even if he was a naturally imposing kind of guy, it looked like he got a little smaller… Fearful, even. “Folks from farms started reportin’ dead cattle – not your usual disease or random poisonin’ from eatin’ bad food, no, poor cattle were bein’ torn to shreds; all blood drained. Some of us decided to take a look…” Buck shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “Overnight, farms turned into fields worse than slaughterhouses. I never seen anythin’ like it. And it was random too: some cattle dead, some alive.”

“Hmmm. Demons do have a thirst for blood, but only lesser ones wouldn’t risk going after armed humans.” You pondered, your memory going back to all the things you read in the Codex Daemonica. It was the best knowledge reference you knew… After Dante and Vergil. “You might’ve grown a reputation of being too tough for them not to attack you right away.”

“We tried to keep our lil’ town as protected as we could, pal.” Buck now had a thankful smile on his mustache, proud to hear someone like you appreciated their efforts and courage. “That didn’t keep those things at bay, though. We tried all superstition and priests to keep those things away. Some of us even tried shootin’ some in the dark, but they kept comin’ back. Farmers would be terrorized inside their houses at night, keepin’ their families safe and prayin’ they wouldn’t wake up to their cattle mutilated.” The man’s thick, white eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead, eyes turning somber once again. “We were fightin’, pal. Keepin’ things together as we could. ‘Til that thunderstorm; rumblin’ in the skies like the devil’s herd themselves, crossin’ our path to bring our doom.”

You felt a chill dripping down your spine, rearranging yourself at the edge of Dante’s desk as if you were trying to make your sitting spot more comfortable. You weren’t one to fear any sort of devilish stories – quite the contraire, you and Dante heard those with enthusiasm and even let out some good laughs while at it – but you had to give it to that cowboy. He knew how to tell an ominous story, and that was a rare find.

He would be a certified success at camps, telling ghost stories by a bonfire at night.

“Thunderstorm, huh? That’s no small demon.” Dante suddenly turned serious – and when that happened, play time was over.

“Nothin’ small indeed. The cattle mutilation got worse, if you can imagine. Their blood, their parts… Gone. Some folk in the city tried to see what was goin’ on, and they did see somethin’: dark figures, watchin’ us from over the hills. Always when the night was approachin’, when the horror would begin. The ones who tried to fight back… Well…” Buck sighed, taking a little embroidered handkerchief from his pockets and drying some of the sweat that started to appear between his bushy white brows. “We lost our first townspeople. Good folk. Fair, hardworkin’ people. Good with a rifle too.”

“I know it’s a rather insensitive question, but it’s important, Mr. Carson…” You immediately apologized before you could even ask what you had in mind – after all, you could see the sorrow in the man’s eyes. Sorrowful cowboys had your heart softened like ice cream melting on summer, and you had Dante to blame over that. “But were there bodies? If so, did they have anything missing…?”

“Hmmm, yeah, they had some parts missin’… Mostly hair, nails… One of them, those things they… Well, they…” Buck sighed once more, putting the handkerchief away. You and Dante were used to that sort of horror – having contact with someone who didn’t work in the business like you did was definitely grounding as to what was considered horrible or not. “They took tongues and teeth too. A grim sight, pal, a grim sight… They all had their throats slit, clean cut, pale with their eyes frozen in fear. Forever starin’ at the thing that took their life.”

“Wait, you said clean cut…? As in a blade cut?” Dante had both his arms on his table now, leaning forward with interest as his eyebrows betrayed the confusion that information caused him. “Not an animal’s claw?”

“Nah, friend, that was definitely a blade. I know my animals, and I’m a pretty decent tracker along with some folks who like to hunt together sometimes. We know what’s a cut from a knife and a cut from a beast. Even those beasts you two been huntin’.” Buck shook his head affirmatively with so much conviction you couldn’t doubt his words. “Every single throat was slashed with a blade, maybe a huntin’ knife. The rest that was taken… Well, I dunno. I don’t wanna think a human could’ve done somethin’ so monstrous to someone else. That’s gotta be those demons of yours… After all, they come back every night.”

“And they kill humans every night as well? How many so far?” You maybe had something in your mind, but things were actually quite foggy. Some things didn’t add up – and, judging by Dante’s expression, he was on the same page as you.

“Not every night, no. We’ve been keepin’ ourselves safe. We’ve been sleepin’ together at big places: hotels, churches, markets. Barricade the doors, guards with rifles takin’ turns so everyone has a chance to rest, town watch to keep an eye on the dark figures on the hills… But sometimes, that’s not enough, friend. Sometimes, one of us gets lost and the body turns up the next day.” Buck lowered his head, shaking it right after. “It took us some time to find out how to fight back. We never knew there were… Professionals in dealin’ with those things. We thought we were abandoned to our own doom and nothin’ could save us, until a random couple from Redgrave said a man named Dante might be able to help our lil’ town. Gave us a number, and Morrison picked up.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you found us, then.” You smiled back, trying to lift up the mood a little bit – something that was quite impossible, but you pitied the man. You just wanted to see cowboys smiling; again, something you would always blame Dante for.

“I hope so, friend.” His mustache curled up on a small smile and you already had some more joy in your heart. Dante almost laughed upon seeing you so happy from trying to cheer up a client – you would always do the best you could, and you would always let your heart open to empathy. Something so human, and so lovely to his eyes. “Folks in town weren’t so sure ‘bout me comin’ all the way down to Redgrave to check this ‘devil hunter’, but it’s the last chance we got. We decided to risk it.”

“Your gamble paid off, pal. You got me interested – and, if you’re payin’, you got me hired.” Dante sighed back in his classic nonchalant way, already getting up from his chair, offering his hand to close the deal.

“That won’t be a problem. A job well-done is a job well-paid – you get rid of those horrors in Silverstone, the whole town will be more than willin’ to compensate you, pal.” Buck put his hat back on, shaking Dante’s hand. “I’ll be goin’ back to town tomorrow first time in the mornin’ –”

“Ya don’t have to worry. We can keep up.”

The biggest smile in the room was Morrison’s: he always got a commission whenever he found a job for you and Dante, so the promise of the whole town being monetarily thankful to you both was a great prospect for him as well. As Morrison and Buck Carson left the shop, and you all said your goodbyes, Dante went around the desk, slightly leaning on it by your side while keeping his arms crossed and eyes on the door – just like you.

“Demons don’t usually use blades.” You finally said what you both thought was so weird about all that story.

“And when they do, they’re not the chaotic bunch of the imps. They’re much worse.” Dante agreed with you, his voice now serious and pensive.

“What do you think? Hell Generals? Higher rank demons?” You furrowed your brows a bit, looking up to his reflective face. “Angelos…?”

“Might be… Might be all of them, might be just one.” Dante sighed, slouching a bit on his desk while blankly staring at the heavy wooden doors of the Devil May Cry. “We’ll only figure it out when we get to Silverstone.”

“Hmmm. I guess you’re right.” After your own sigh, you did your best to reach out to his face and place a rather long kiss on his rough jaw – making Dante look back at you quite confused, breaking his blank stare and having life back into those sky-blue eyes. “You’re very handsome when you’re brooding, cowboy, did you know that?”

“Oh, you like it when I’m serious, sheriff?” And even if he kept his straight expression, you could hear the fun teasing and loving notes in Dante’s voice. “Maybe I’ve to play the ‘stoic cowboy’ more often to ya.”

“Eh, I love you anyway, red devil. You don’t have to play any roles for me.” You shrugged, giggling as Dante’s hands already pulled you closer to him, sneaking around your waist. “Blame it on that handsome face of yours.”

“Ya think I’m handsome, then…?” And now he had a bit of his goofy smile on his lips, hell bent on teasing you for the rest of the night. You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into – and, considering every single Halloween prior to this one, that kind of break would be very welcome. You could feel it in your bones. “My sheriff has a thing for handsome devils, huh?”

“For one handsome devil. I’m pretty committed, you know…?” You finally allowed him to playfully kiss your lips, both of you smiling between pecks. “I’m not one to think everyone is handsome. I have standards.”

“Oh, and this cowboy here is your kind of standard, yeah?”

“You bet you are, Dante.” With the certainty of your voice and the way you pulled his head to a deeper kiss, something ignited in Dante’s chest. You knew exactly how to get him going – and he would never complain about that.

“Ok, sheriff. You got what you wished for!” Breaking the kiss, Dante immediately lifted you in his arms, carrying you bridal style throughout the shop and up the stairs. “Undivided attention from your handsome devil tonight, no refunds!”

“See? You surpass every standard I may have, babe!” You giggled, leaving a few kisses on his neck.

That was something you both learned after a few couple life-threatening, serious jobs: always seize the moment you had before the storm; enjoy every kiss and every touch you could with each other prior to one of those dangerous gigs – it could very well be the last chance you would have.

*

“Well, well, rise and shine! Got enough of your beauty sleep?” Of course, Dante had to tease his nephew – or it wouldn’t be Dante.

“Yeah, maybe you should try it too. Be lookin’ too much like an old man, soon they’ll be mistakin’ you for Santa.” Nero’s answer was as sharp as his sword, perfect for a punk like him. You had to wheeze, receiving a side-eye from your red devil.

“What?” You shrugged back, while Kyrie stopped by the porch of the grand Wild West looking hotel you were all staying – property of Buck Carson – worriedly observing the hills in the distance against the orange sky. “You kinda asked for it. Santa.”

“Great.” Dante’s smile was poisoned with annoyance. “Lil’ angel is comin’ along too?”

“Nah, I don’t think it’s a good idea…” Nero started mumbling, and you could see it in his face: it was a topic of discussion between them both. Kyrie was brave and wanted to save people, while Nero was overprotective and wanted to save her at all costs. After the almost marriage, he became a little worse. “There’s plenty of people to help here in town…”

“The demons might have kidnapped and hurt people already, wherever they are.” Kyrie’s hazelnut eyes focused back on Nero – determined, but still kind. “If so, those people need help. You can kill the demons, but I can help the people.” She turned her eyes to you, like an accomplice. “It’s what we have been doing for a while now.”

“Yeah, it backfired last year. With both of ya.” Nero added, having you looking back at him with surprise, resting your hands on your hips. That was bold of him, to talk to you like that. He was your honorary nephew, after all.

You finally felt the pang of a parent being antagonized by their child and you were ready to give him your very first scolding – what a Halloween already.

“Eh, have to agree with the kid on that one.” But Dante got in the way first, and now your surprised gaze turned to your red devil – who immediately picked it up and was quite used to some scolding. “Ei, I’m just sayin’, babe! Last year, you both got yourselves in a pickle, this close to marryin’ a demon in a ceremony that would be a real pain in the ass to nullify if it had happened.” And Dante wouldn’t argue if he wasn’t worried himself: if it was just him, Vergil or Nero being headstrong about something stupid, he would let it go – but it was about you. And your safety was a subject he would never let go. “Cut us some slack here, will ya? We’re just tryna keep ya safe.”

You and Kyrie never looked so conflicted in your entire lifetimes up until that point. There you were, standing on the porch side by side, hands on your waists, ready to rebuke them like the most annoyed family member of the year – but how could you when your partners were only being that annoying because you were so important to them, the only thing they cared about was keeping you both safe?

You wanted to argue and kiss Dante, all at the same time – and Kyrie perfectly understood your conflict, because she wanted to do precisely the same with Nero.

“Well, you don’t want me to stay here in town, do you?” You finally asked the million dollar question. If you couldn’t disarm them with the old ‘you’re-worrying-too-much’ scolding, you had to appeal to logic. “I’m a devil hunter. I go on jobs by myself. I’m as important as Nero or you, big guy, on this one. Kyrie has been training with Nero for a year now to be able to protect herself on the field whenever she needs to come along to help people, and she’s been helping me a lot last couple of jobs. Even killed some demons herself.” With those words, Kyrie’s hazelnut eyes found yours with pride in them. You remembered telling her how Credo would be proud, and how emotional she got. Since then, she was becoming even fiercer, but still keeping her sweet kindness, only resorting to violence if she had no other option at hand. “If you think we can’t handle ourselves, then all that talk about humans being even stronger than demons is bullshit, and you only say that to feel better about yourselves. Your actions must match your words if you really believe in something, you know.”

Nero and Dante just stared back at you like two wet dogs who did something terribly wrong and now we're being lectured by their owner and asking for forgiveness. Not even in their wildest dreams they could’ve thought such calm words could make them feel so small and embarrassed for their actions. They were completely speechless, trying to find an argument back and trying to keep their pose – but failing miserably.

“Damn, did you go to Vergil’s school of winnin’ an argument…?” Dante shook his head, having his hands on his waist now – and a slight smile on his lips. “You know I do believe in that. You two get in trouble, I’m killin’ the bastard who touched you. That’s it for me.”

“Eh, that’s it for me too…” Nero scratched the back of his head, not being able to counter your logic. “But I’m stayin’ close to you, Kyrie!”

“Heeeeeey there, you suckers! Your magical ride arrived for the night!” Nico appeared just at the right moment, tires singing on the pavement as she parked the van. “Gotta say, the mechanic in town is pretty good! Not like me, of course, but we tuned up a few things that needed some fixin’ and the van is workin’ fine!”

That was enough to get Nero bantering with Nico and Dante on his way to the van, ready to get to work. You and Kyrie followed along together, with her entangling her arm on yours as you went down the stairs of the hotel’s entrance porch.

“That was good! Point for us!” She whispered to you while giggling, making you mirror her actions.

“Hey, I learned with the best.” You pointed back at Kyrie, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips. “Nothing like treating the Spardas like the kids at the orphanage.”

“Oh, a little bit of gentle authority goes a long way with Nero. Dante’s like that too, right?”

“You have no idea. Best thing I’ve ever learned from you.”

“Ei! Can you both stop gossipin’ and get on the van already…?” Nero tried to look annoyed and maintain the punk attitude but you both could see how that was cracking and his whole body looked a lot gentler than his words sounded.

“Eh, kid, we just lost all credibility. Time to accept that.” Dante gave his nephew a pat on the back as he hopped on the van, already used to that kind of situation. Nero just blushed as you both giggled together and he helped Kyrie up while you followed your red devil in.

Plopping right by his side, Dante was calmly reading one of the many magazines about gunsmithing. You scooted near him, landing a quick kiss on his jaw – his eyes finally looking back at you, a half-smile hidden on his lips.

“You know I love you, right?”

“Hell yeah I do, hot stuff.” And he landed a quick peck on your forehead. “I love you too.”

Dante’s attention got back to his magazine as Nico kickstarted the van and you took one of your guns of its case to check if everything was in order before the job. Nero sat by Kyrie’s side like a guard dog while she talked about something completely unrelated to hunting with the gunsmith virtuosa at the wheel.

With the sun almost hiding behind the hills, tainting everything in blood-orange, you all failed to notice the dark figures following your every footsteps and the tires of the van as you plunged in the night to find the demons terrorizing the little town of Silverstone.

*

You had to be fair to Nico: driving in the middle of a dark desert wasn’t an easy task. You were engulfed by a sea of darkness and the only light on the highway was that of the van. Granted, there was nothing for Nico to crash the vehicle on, but she wasn’t leaving the road either.

“What you’re seein’ today, is the new town. A few miles away, there’s the old town of Silverstone – the original, if you will.”

As soon as the sun shone in the sky that morning, you called Kyrie and briefed them of the job – which, of course, they were eager to be part of. Buck led you all to the city: riding ahead with Morrison in his truck, followed by the Devil May Cry van… And Dante riding the Cavaliere with you safely holding your red devil’s waist, as you always enjoyed the motorcycle rides.

He introduced you to all the members of the small council of townspeople who decided to take those hellish matters in their own hands and end the horrors – and soon, you were having a meeting to understand where the damn demons were coming from.

“It all started as a silver mine, closer to the hills. Folks started to settle around, built a church and soon, Silverstone was born.” An old woman, Frances Campbell, explained with a map opened on a big table at the hotel’s party room – the common areas now filled with mattresses tossed around and families refusing to dare set a foot outside; be it day or night. “The town was hit with a wave of prosperity, and even more people tried their luck in Silverstone. Soon, there were too many people for such a small little town – and that’s when the town you’re in was born.”

“Why change the location of the town, ma’am?” Kyrie had her attentive eyes analyzing the map and, as always, made the most insightful questions. “Was there something wrong with the initial town?”

“Nothin’ at all, my dear. At least at the beginning.” Frances added, fixing the thin glasses that were starting to slide down the bridge of her nose. “The original town was closer to the mines, but not the water. Silverstone now is a lot closer to the main river in the region.”

“Well, whenever there’s a peak of prosperity, there’s a peak of greed too; at least in my experience.” Dante crossed his arms, also studying the map.

You did love when he got all professional. That’s how you ended up showering him with kisses the previous night.

“And that you are right, Mr. Devil Hunter.” The woman pointed at Dante as a teacher does when a student makes a smart remark – you remembered Buck mentioning she was a retired professor, and you could see she still had that in her. “And with greed, comes crime. People started tryin’ to take advantage of each other, steal, cheat, murder… Everythin’ you hear in ol’ Wild West stories.”

“The type of thing that attracts demons. Maybe that’s why they decided to appear now…?” You furrowed your brows and looked at Dante, but he too had a not so sure expression. “It was long ago, though, as you are saying, ma’am. It’s a long shot, but I’m trying to understand here why demons attacking Silverstone of all places all of a sudden.”

“Well, rumors started goin’ around the town back then, of a man who made a deal with the devil.” And that made all of you even more attentive, as a pack of dogs who hear a favorite word. “He was the richest of Silverstone, built a huge mansion in the old town… Died a horrible death: he got caught in the middle of a stampede. People never found his horse, nor the cattle and the drovers, but they found his body teared in pieces across the desert.”

“How did they know it was a stampede, then…?” And you would never tell him as not to hurt his pride, but Nero looked like a child hearing a spooky story by a bonfire.

“There were roof marks everywhere. Some parts of the sand seemed burned, as if the roofs were made of hot steel.” The lady’s voice was ominous and you did think she and Buck would make one hell of a couple. Maybe that could be your side quest for that Halloween, if there was something close to a spark between them. They would be an absolute banger at the spooky orphanage parties. “The townspeople said the devil had come to collect his part of the bargain for all the money the man got of his contract. Soon, the man’s wife died in an accident at home, and strange, usually deadly, happenin’s started occurring at the mansion. Everyone left and the building was considered haunted. The town started havin’ more and more issues involving death and horrible accidents, and soon everyone believed the man had cursed them from beyond the grave. That’s when the townspeople decided it was time to build a better version of Silverstone.”

“Nothin’ like an old, power-hungry bastard to bring down a whole city…” Nero mumbled more to himself than to anyone else while reading the map – but everyone could feel who he was really talking about. Wherever Vergil was at his Halloween job at the moment, you were certain he was feeling a sting from being stabbed by his own son in the distance. “Gotta a name for this as-Gentleman…?”

You couldn’t hold back a wheeze when Kyrie elbowed Nero so he wouldn’t curse so much in front of Frances, and tried to correct himself.

“Beau Blackwell. My grandma knew him, snob fellow. She never liked him too much, and kept cursin’ his troubled soul ‘til the day she went to the grave herself.”

“The Campbell ladies were never the kind to mess with, that’s for certain.” Buck finally arrived back, having both his hands hanging at the edge of his belt, his moustache smiling to Frances. “Grandma Campbell was a tough one.”

“That she was. Ol’ Blackwell didn’t even try to get in her way.” She had a proud smile back in her thin lips, a spark igniting in her smart eyes as soon as Buck Carson arrived.

Oh, you knew that spark. Your side quest for Halloween was on.

“And what did your grandma think of this Blackwell guy, ma’am? He had a deal?” For Dante, that was the most important information at the moment. A contract could indicate a whole number of things, but there was a good chance the old town had at least one good demon summoning place – at worst, a door to the underworld itself.

“She sure thought he did. As far as she said, Blackwell was a useless wimp who couldn’t find a slab of silver if it was paradin’ naked right in front of his nose.” So far, Nico was serious and didn’t get much into the demon talk – probably studying the map and all the routes in and out of the old town, as she always did. But the whole naked silver slab thing made you and her have to hold a wheeze – Nico failing and trying to mask it with a cough. “He also got to marry the sheriff’s daughter, the most beautiful and smart woman around back then – and the one all men fought to get. For some reason, the woman fell head over heels for a spineless shrimp like Beau.”

“Doesn’t look like she was that smart after all.” Buck shrugged. “I always thought that was the Campbell’s title.”

Oh, yes. Buck was genuinely head over heels for his Frances – and judging by the way she glared him back, with a smart smile on her lips, it was corresponded.

“We kinda got the title after she chose that ass.” With Frances’ answer, Nero couldn’t help but beam a proud smile: if she was cursing, he could curse as well. “The fact is, Blackwell was suddenly hit with a wave of luck that was very much out of character. And then, found death in the most mysterious and grim circumstances.”

“Yeah. That has the foul smell of a demon contract right there…” Dante was pensive again, now looking at the map. “Is the ol’ Blackwell mansion easy to find?”

“Pretty easy, Mr. Devil Hunter. It’s the biggest one in the ol’ town, bigger even than the church. Damn Blackwell was a show-off with all that money of his.”

“Well, it sounds more and more like a contract to me.” Dante sighed, looking back at Frances and Buck. “If they’re watchin’ Silverstone from the hills and there’s that much history in the ol’ town, I think it’s safe to say that’s where the demons are comin’ from. Either way, we’re checkin’ it tonight.”

“Tonight?” Buck’s eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead, Frances copying his worried expression. “Don’t you prefer to go durin’ the day, when those creatures aren’t out?”

“Eh, I can’t put on much of a show if there aren’t any demons to kill, can I?” Dante shrugged and you had to smile. Buck had a point, but you knew the best time to check would be at night: if they were attacking when the sun was gone, that’s when you would find them. Prior to that, you risked finding anything at all. “Besides, I got the cavalry with me. We’ll be fine and you’ll be out of demons in no time.”

With the van riding in pitch-black darkness, though, you couldn’t make out any shapes in the distance: you would only see the creatures on the hills if you had the moon behind it – but it seemed like even the moon herself was hidden that night.

It was eerily quiet as well. You had checked your guns and your sword, making sure everything was in pristine condition. Now that you had nothing else to do, you were watching outside and paying attention to your surroundings – and there weren’t many noises. There were just a few sounds here and there that you couldn’t quite isolate and figure out what it was. But it felt, familiar in an off putting kind of way.

“Ei, sheriff. Everything ok there?” Dante’s voice took you out of your thoughts, and you turned your attention to him. “Your eyebrow will soon look like just one, the way you’re frownin’ there, hot stuff. What’s wrong?”

“Hmmm… I dunno…” You murmured back, trying to relax your eyebrows a little bit. That made Dante smile. “I have a… Feeling.”

“A feelin’, huh? What kind of feelin’, pretty eyes?” And even if he had that easygoing tone sprinkled in his voice and attitude, Dante did take on a more serious demeanor. “Good one? Bad one…?”

“A… Weird one. I can’t quite tell if it’s good or bad…” You had your worried expression back on, trying to understand what the hell was that thing stirring in your heart. Your feelings were notorious between you and Dante: he said it was your spidey-sense tingling, even if you didn’t have any heritage like his. “I just know something is wrong. I’m not feeling like things are completely… Ok.”

“Have they ever been ok in this family, y/n?” Nero had to put his two cents in the conversation, immediately making you a little less worried – and giggling with his question. “But hey, if you’re feelin’ somethin’s wrong, we should have our guard up.”

“Well put, kid. Y/n’s spidey-sense is no joke.”

“It’s not a spidey-sense, c’mon…” You rolled your eyes, already smiling with your red devil and honorary nephew.

But the moment couldn’t last for too long: soon, the van jumped in the air, as if it had aggressively ran over something.

“Hey, Nico! What the fuckin’ hell was that?!” Nero held Kyrie’s waist so she wouldn’t fly around the van – and only after you checked on them, you realized Dante had the very same reaction, but holding you close to him.

If you flew around, you would fly around together. You jump, I jump, as Jack Dawson would say.

“I’ve no idea!!”

“Don’t’cha know how to drive anymore?!” And now Nero stumbled over to the driver’s seat, as Nico stopped the van with a screech. He almost stamped on the front window like a sticker. “What the fuck is goin’ on?!”

“Why don’t you do the drivin’, if you’re so good yourself, huh?!” Nico fixed her glasses on her face, hands trembling and flailing everywhere. “I dunno what happened! It wasn’t an animal, nothin’ like that!! It was too fast and I didn’t see it! One minute, the road was clear, the other, I hit somethin’ and went over it!!”

“Oh, maybe it was a coyote or a wolf trying to cross the road…!” Kyrie’s heart was almost coming out of her throat, but you could all hear the tone of worry in her voice.

“It can very well be, those animals are common around here.” You had your own hand over your heart, feeling it beating like a samba school in peak Carnaval. “They aren’t used to cars, specially this time of the night.”

“C’mon, kid. Let’s check it out.” Dante got up from the seat, leaving Rebellion behind and carrying only Ebony and Ivory in his hands. “If it’s an animal, we can’t leave the pooch agonizing out there. If it isn’t…”

“They’ll regret gettin’ in the way.” Nero answered with a smile and already reloading Blue Rose, leaving Red Queen behind with Kyrie. “You better stay in the van.”

“Was that for me as well? ‘Cause you know, I got my own set of cool guns, too.” You looked back at Dante, waving your dual guns around – and winning a quick laugh from him.

“Hey, if it’s nothin’, it’s just trouble for you, pretty eyes. If it is somethin’, well, thank you’re more than welcome to join the party.” With those words, he winked back at you and left the van with Nero.

You remained close to the van’s door, telling Kyrie to seat beside Nico on the driver’s seat. None of you could really see what was going on: the only thing in front of you was the dark road and endless miles of pitch-black desert. For Kyrie and Nico, it was no different; although they had the headlights to light up a few meters ahead.

You could hear their steps as they quietly approached whatever it was that Nico ran over. Awfully quiet for the both of them. That feeling you had before only tightened in your chest, reverberating even more, almost making you forget how to breathe. Those seconds dragged like feet drenched in quicksand, trying to move but unable to get anywhere.

Until you heard a gunshot.

Before you could even ask what was going on, a dead demon flew over the van and landed on the hood with a loud noise, staring at all of you with its dead eyes and blood splattering everywhere – which made Nico and Kyrie immediately start screaming, almost hugging each other.

You jumped out of the van, finding Nero and Dante surrounded by demons – low tier demons, though, nothing you three couldn’t handle together. Wielding your dual guns, you started to shoot as fast as Dante had taught you.

Not as fast as he did, though. That was his demonic blood at work.

“Where did they come from?” You ran up to him, standing with your back to your red devil’s back – that way, you both could cover a larger area.

“No idea, babe. We were checkin’ out the dead one. Don’t move!” With those words, Dante used the dead demon as leverage to jump right above you and pull off his classic spinning move with Ebony and Ivory. With you in the middle, right below him, it was impossible to hit you.

You had to be fair: you would always be impressed when he did that and managed to keep you safe while slaughtering all the demons around you in one single move.

When you were least expecting, though, a blade flew by your side – superficially slashing your upper right cheek, but enough to make a constant flow of blood trail down your face.

Dark figures were approaching – like the ones the townsfolk described. You, Nero and Dante were already expecting higher rank demons; the ones who were really behind all that mess.

Until you all heard a motorcycle noise.

“What the…?!” Before Nero could finish cursing, though, you all turned around only to find a set of motorcycles running right into your direction. If Nero hadn’t grabbed you and dodged right away, you would certainly end up with a nasty injury.

You counted quickly. There were around sixteen of those dark figures, including the ones on foot and the ones on the motorcycles. One of them held an amulet that glowed with a blood red light in the dark, creating dark seals on the floor – the ones that summoned more of the lesser demons from the underworld.

That was where they were coming from.

“Nico, hit the gas! Get the hell out of here!” Nero immediately screamed, assessing the situation the same way as you did: it was a very bad situation.

“But…!”

“Now’s not the time to argue, Goldstein!” Dante’s voice was almost a roar – and Nico rarely heard him calling her like that. It was enough to make the gunsmith virtuosa get the van running. “Y/n…!”

“Ah, hell no, big guy! I’m not leaving without you!” You roared back, already shooting one of the demons that tried to attack Dante. The van’s tires screeched on the road as Nico turned it around abruptly to go back the way you came from – back to the new town of Silverstone. In a safer place, they could figure out what to do. “You jump, I jump! No refunds!”

Dante’s heart didn’t know if it wanted to jump out of his chest from desperation of having you in such a situation or from elation of you loving him so much as to put yourself in danger.

It was probably because of both.

“Kid! Y/n! Back to back, the three of us! C’mon!” He didn’t even had to say it again: soon, you had Dante’s and Nero’s backs to yours, the three devil hunters making it rain bullets over the demons. The motorcycles tried to approach, but you would always threaten them with killer shots.

With Dante’s sharp eyes in the dark, he eventually hit one of the motorcycles in such a way it crashed a few meters away from you. With the right shot, he could make it explode – and it was a strategy to use. He just wanted some more of those goofs to approach, so he could take a lot of them at the same time.

One of the motorcycles, though, decided to be brave – or suicidal, depending on your point of view – and try to run through the three of you, almost running you over. This time, though, your reflexes were quick enough to dodge in time, but that made you three separate.

“Alright… You clowns are startin’ to piss me off…” With that rumbling comment from Dante, he held out his hand, summoning Devil Sword Dante in a blaze of fire.

You could hear Nero groaning – he definitely missed Red Queen at the moment and ever since Dante managed to summon his two main swords, Nero always complained he couldn’t be that cool while fighting.

Understandable. You were missing your very own sword – you could only wish you could make it come over to you that easily.

At this point, you were pretty sure you would win. As Dante slaughtered the demons – and whatever figure who tried to come any closer – the odds were certainly in your favor. You helped with some shots here and there, aiding his kills and getting the job done.

Until you felt your fingers tingling. Furrowing your brows, you looked down only to see your hands trembling. Your vision became blurry, as the world suddenly tilted under your feet. The gash in your cheek burned with the wrath of the fires of hell.

“What the…” You mumbled, opening and closing your eyes a few times. You could barely hear Nero calling your name: it seemed like he was stuck inside a tin can. “Nero… Dante…?”

“Ei, babe, what’s…” Dante lowered his sword and, before he could finish asking, the dark figure with the amulet finally stepped near enough for you to see it was nothing but a human – which he confirmed when he lowered the hood of the dark robe he, and the other humans, were wearing. “You better start talkin’ before I decide to cut off that ugly head of yours. What’s goin’ on?!”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquittance, son of Sparda.” The man allowed a calm smile to grace his lips framed by a well-maintained goatee as you felt a sting of fire coursing through your whole body. You tried to keep it in, but you couldn’t hold back a groan. “I am kindly inviting you and your… Relative…” The man gestured to Nero, still completely ignoring you and the ever so worsening pains. “To join us in the old town for a talk. We have much to discuss.”

“What the fuck did you do to y/n?”

The man looked into Dante’s blue eyes – now with some sparks of red, teeth already growing into fangs – knowing quite well all their intentions would be fumbled if Dante and Nero decided to trigger right then and there.

And that was why you were an insurance.

“It’s a simple poison, found in the underworld. If the cure isn’t administered soon enough, though, your… Pet, I take it… Will perish.” The man treated you with disdain, making Dante already try to walk towards him to have his sword on the man’s throat. The human, though, lifted his hand, showing a glowing purple vial. “No human antidote can counter it, only the demonic one. This is the only sample in miles. They have only a few minutes, if I am not wrong, and the death… Oh, it is exquisitely agonizing.”

Dante’s jaw was locked. You could barely see through your blurring vision, fighting every fiber of your being to remain on your two feet – but your red devil was tense and ready to fight… Ready to kill. If he let his demon out, there wouldn’t be a soul left to tell the story of that night.

“What do you want?” His voice had a slight tinge of distortion – as you could almost sense, Dante was a word away from triggering.

“You and your kin to put down your weapons and follow us. We have prepared a very important celebration tonight and you are the guests of honor – especially you, Tony Redgrave.” You choked upon hearing that name: very few people knew that alias and, judging by Nero’s confused reaction, even fewer than you thought. “Do this, and we shall save your… Pet.”

“Call y/n ‘pet’ again, I’ll cut your tongue off, smartass.” Dante scoffed, apparently not affected by hearing his old name from the lips of a shady character in such a desolated place. “Don’t usually trust strangers in the middle of a crossroads.”

“As proof of my good faith, son of Sparda…” With those words, the man handed the vial to one of the other hooded figures – another human like him, wearing a dark robe to their feet, keeping their head down under the hood – who approached you slowly. Dante had his eyes trained on them, watching their every move. “I’m taking the first step. Lower your weapons, and my assistant shall heal your… Human.”

You couldn’t keep yourself standing anymore. With your stomach burning, you feel to your knees, barely able to see Dante in amidst the darkness and your blurry vision. Closing your eyes, your head was in such pain you thought soon blood would run down your face instead of tears. Your heart pounded on your chest quicker than when you rode the Cavaliere with your red devil and, as much as you didn’t like to admit, you came to the conclusion that was like dying felt like.

“Alright. Do your thing then.” Dante lowered his hand and his sword was gone in a small set of flames, Ebony and Ivory being abandoned on the floor.

“What…?! Dante…!” Nero was ready to fight back, to get that vial and cure you himself, but he saw the plea in his uncle’s eyes. You were outnumbered and you were dying from a poison none of you had the cure – only them. If they wanted, they could break that vial in a million pieces and leave you to die a horrifying death. “C’mon, we can…” But even Nero didn’t know what more they could do.

“Hey, Nero. Please.” Dante’s voice had no edge of playfulness or the typical easygoing tone. He was serious, defeated even. He would allow himself to be enslaved if that meant saving you – and all he was asking was for Nero to put down his weapons.

And so he did, with Blue Rose hitting the floor right after.

As soon as the assistant inserted the purple antidote into your bloodstream, others quickly approached Nero and Dante, locking heavy silver bracelets around their wrists – immediately cutting out their demonic powers. It was a first for Nero, who stumbled around and seemed like a dizzy, drunk young man. Dante, on the other hand, knew exactly how that felt like, having gone through something similar during his time at the Temen-ni-gru. Ancient demonic wisdom, infused in those bracelets to suppress demonic power and subdue powerful demons to a weaker one’s will… Or to enslave them for eternity, as it happened to Vergil once.

“Come. The night has only just begun.”

You felt your head burning as you watched them viciously knocking down Dante and Nero – something you thought you would never see in your entire lifetime. Falling to the floor of the road, you tried to get up, barely having any strength in your arms. You would drag yourself to them if you had to, but you wouldn’t give up… At least, not until your body gave out.

“What about their… Human… Master?” The assistant checked, standing right beside you but not moving a single finger to help you up.

“Leave them. A weak thing like that deserves to die like roadkill.” The man dismissed with a quick wave of his hand, ordering the others to carry the Spardas back to the old town.

Warm tears trickled down your eyes. You tried to get up, but your body was slowly giving out – the burning sensation, though, was fading away. Indeed, the antidote was working, but your body took the toll of it.

You weren’t weak. You were not. All those years, Dante kept fighting by your side, singing your praises as one of the most powerful humans he had ever met. You defeated the worst of Hell, you faced nonstop hordes alongside your red devil. A stuck-up snob like that unknown guy had no right to call you weak. You were not weak. You were not…

Your hands started giving out as you slowly tried to claw your way to their direction – but they were already long gone and the only soul left in the middle of that desolated highway was you.

But you were human. More powerful than any demon, as Dante would say. Why couldn’t you get up, then…?

Your arms gave out and you hit your face on the warm road, eyes closing in the middle of nowhere. The last thing you heart before fainting, was a blade cutting the asphalt right next to your hand – ready for you when you opened your eyes again.

*

“What are we going to do?!”

“I don’t know!”

“We can’t just leave!”

“I know!”

“What are we going to DO?!”

“I don’t KNOW!”

That was the main conversation back and forth between Kyrie and Nico as the gunsmith virtuosa drove the highway as if the devil’s herd itself was chasing them viciously, their hot breath on their necks, ready to take their souls.

Kyrie was standing right by the driver’s seat, holding for dear life on the very thing, as Nico gripped the wheel like she never did before in her life. They both screamed while the van was practically trotting on the road, bumping on every single stone on the way since Nico couldn’t care less to dodge at that point.

It was actually very impressive she never came to swallow her cigarette.

“What do you think will happen to them?!” Kyrie immediately gripped the necklace Nero gifted her in Fortuna – she saw it as a good luck charm, and would wear it anywhere. It made her feel closer to him and, whenever she was in trouble or uncertain, touching it would make her feel safe.

But never in her life it was the other way around: this time, she was worried Nero wouldn’t be safe. And that was so new.

“I dunno! I-I-I mean... Dante will…! He will, right?!” Nico stuttered back, barely able to think. If she could, she would light five or six cigarettes in a row. “I mean he… He called me Goldstein, for Hell’s sakes! He never does that! I’m as scared as you!”

“I know! They never did that!” Kyrie was about to cry – and she didn’t even know which emotion was making her feel like overflowing. “What about y/n? All of their swords are here, they took only their handguns!”

“What?!” Nico quickly glanced back only to see the three swords calmly lounging in the van. “Oh, fuck! I mean… Well, Dante… He has that big ass flamin’ sword inside ‘im, right? He can summon at any moment…! Right?!”

“I hope he can! I’m used to Nero, I don’t know how Dante’s sword works!” Kyrie rolled her eyes in pure despair, going back in the van to check on everyone’s swords. Red Queen now looked so quiet, so… Dead. It didn’t sit well with her, not like that. It had to be with Nero. He needed his sword. “Y/n knows how Dante works!”

“Oh, be damned! We’re on a hell of a fucked-up situation here, Kyrie!”

“You don’t have to tell me that twice…” Kyrie sighed, plopping down on the couch and cradling her head with both of her hands. After a few seconds of pure desperation, the woman turned her hazelnut eyes back to the Red Queen. The sword seemed like it was ready to rev-up, burning to be back in the hands of her master – like it was as annoyed as Kyrie to be away from Nero, sensing, like her, that he needed his weapon.

In the distance, Kyrie saw Rebellion trembling, as if it had the very same problem. Differently from Red Queen, though, it didn’t seem like a figment of Kyrie’s imagination: even if the van was kicking and prancing around, she could clearly see Rebellion was vibrating, as if it was ready to take flight. She remembered Nero telling her Dante could summon his sword like that: a simple call and she would fly over to his hands, no matter where he was.

“We need to go back.” The resolution settled in Kyrie’s heart as she stood up, holding the charm on the necklace she loved so much.

“What?! Have you lost your mind too?!” Nico didn’t know if she looked back to Kyrie or if she kept an eye on the road. “Those creepy dudes will kebab us in half a second if we step in that ol’ town!”

“They need their weapons, Nico! Right now, we’re the only ones that can help them get back to their owners!” Kyrie walked back to the virtuosa – again holding on for dear life on the driver’s seat. “If we don’t do that, their chance of getting away is very low! They’re depending on us to do the right thing, Nico!” She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “Nero needs me. He saved me so many times, I will not fail him now.”

Nico remained silent for a while, frowning while chewing on the tip of her cigarette – the trotting of the van making her go up and down on the driver’s seat, almost hitting her head on the roof sometimes.

Kyrie was right. She knew the little angel was right. Nero hadn’t saved just Kyrie throughout the years, he had saved Nico too: she was just a crazy gunsmith with a very dubious driving style and a van to get the devil hunter around, but he was the one who would always get the job done. And when trouble came a little too close to them, Nero always made sure it would never even touch Nico. She could drive fearlessly through a horde of demons because she knew Nero would slay them all. That was something her heart always took for granted.

Now it was time to pay it back. It was time for her to risk her skin to get Nero out of trouble.

And damn well she would.

“Alright, little angel! We need a plan to save those three asses!” The resolution that resided in Kyrie now bled to Nico, making the angelic woman beam a satisfied and proud smile. “I’d say we go in guns blazin’, but we don’t have any guns – and those swords are useless for us.”

“I say we take a stealthy route. Calm down, breathe, think. Go back and give them their swords to let them do their job.” Kyrie’s voice now was a lot steadier, finally feeling a little surer of herself.

In the middle of nowhere, Nico slowed down until she stopped the van. The two women finally looked at each other.

“This gon’ be madness, you know that, right?” The virtuosa made sure Kyrie understood the seriousness of the situation they got themselves into.

“Yeah. But we’ve never really got scared of a little madness, have we?”

With an accomplice look, they giggled at each other, the tension finally seeming to dissipate a little. Leaving the driver’s seat, Nico stood up to check on the swords and think of a plan with Kyrie.

“What do ya think? They got kidnapped by that… What the hell was that, anyway?!”

“It sure looked a lot like the Order of the Sword…” Kyrie sighed, having memories of her younger days in Fortuna – making Nico remember as well. “I’d call it a cult. And I don’t know… Maybe they did get away, but…”

Nico waited for her to continue, but the words got lost in her tongue. Holding her amulet once more, Kyrie sighed before speaking.

“I don’t feel right. Something is wrong. Something’s wrong with Nero.”

“Eh… You and y/n with your weird ‘bein’-the-lover-of-a-demon’ bond thing…” Nico raised one eyebrow, pretending to have shivers. “It’s spooky sometimes. But well, if you’re sayin’ somethin’ ain’t right, I believe ya.”

Before the two women could keep going, though, Rebellion started vibrating more violently, stealing their attention. They frowned, looking at the sword as she threw a tantrum – seemingly looking like it would gain life at any moment.

“Uuuuuh… What’s goin’ on…?”

“I don’t know! You’re the gunsmith; you should know about demon swords better than me!” And even if Kyrie scolded Nico, she couldn’t take her eyes from Rebellion – after all, neither of the ladies knew what the sword was about to do.

“You’re the one datin’ a demon!”

“Nero’s weapons work a lot differently than Dante’s!”

With a loud clang, the eyes on the horned skull near the handle of Rebellion lit up in red, the sword perking up in resolve. Kyrie let out a loud screech as Nico jumped back, ready to have to tame the thing – after all, they had never seen that happening before.

In a blink, Rebellion went flying out of one of the van’s windows, crashing it like a million of stars, disappearing into the night.

Nico and Kyrie slowly looked at each other – their hearts beating furiously inside their chests.

“What the hell just happened…?”

“I think… I think that’s how Dante summons his sword…” Kyrie tried to explain in a whisper, still barely able to breathe.

“Doesn’t his sword come out of flames he summons from within’ himself, though…?” Nico couldn’t understand a single thing going on. She thought she knew how everything worked – but that Halloween was proving to be quite an adventure already.

“I don’t know…” Kyrie closed her eyes, keeping one hand over her heart. “Red Queen is very different…”

And, as if to agree with her, the sword herself revved up just a little, a few flames igniting for a couple of seconds. The two women stared at it, a little alarmed.

“And you? Not gonna say anythin’ for yourself too?” Nico pointed at your sword, not knowing what to expect.

With a little shake and a tingling sound, it seemed like your sword was telling off the gunsmith virtuosa.

Exchanging looks, the two women assessed the work they had in their hands.

Returning your sassy swords would be one hell of a ride.

*

It felt like the worst hangover of your life.

You slowly opened your eyes as pain reverberated through all the limbs on your body. Your head was pounding, every breath felt like your lungs were about to burst and your stomach apparently wouldn’t even be able to keep water down, if you had any.

As you came to your senses, you sat in the middle of the road, assessing your situation.

It was bad.

Really bad.

You were abandoned literally in the middle of nowhere. No one in sight: no town, no car, no soul, nothing. You could barely hold yourself together, let alone walk miles and miles in any direction to get anywhere. If you went to the old town to help Dante and Nero you would be more of a hinderance than anything else. If you went to the new town to get help and maybe meet Nico and Kyrie, you would probably arrive in the morning and, by then, the damage would be done already.

To say you were feeling useless was an understatement.

Looking around, though, you finally realized what was that slashing sound you heard before blacking out: Rebellion had carved the road, having come to your aid, as Dante said it would do if it felt you were in trouble – like it did to him. All you had to do was call; apparently, you did it unconsciously, seeking his help even when your mind was fading and all hope was gone.

You couldn’t help but smile – a bittersweet smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“Well, thank you for coming, old friend…” Your started talking, using all your strength to get yourself on your feet again. It took you more than you expected. “But I guess I’m not in my best shape at the moment… I’ve no idea what to do.”

With those words, you gripped the handle of the legendary sword and pulled it off the ground. At least you could still wield it, even if you were tired and defeated.

“We’re in the middle of a lost crossroads, in this godforsaken piece of desert, no way back and no way forward – also no prospects of helping Dante and Nero. Let’s face it, Rebellion. We need a miracle.” You sighed, looking at the horned skull that embellished Dante’s first sword. With that, you summoned all the strength left in your body to rest it on your shoulders as your lover would always do – taking a deep breath and beginning your way to the old town. “Standing here will serve us nothing, though. I guess we gotta make it happen.”

“One should know they can always reach out for a miracle in the crossroads, little one.”

You turned around, startled, ready to put Rebellion to use – but the only thing you found in that empty road was… Yourself.

Yourself, but not really. Something was off. That same gut feeling you had before, started to form at the base of your stomach now. It was like staring at yourself in the mirror, but the eyes… Something was wrong with the eyes – as if they were not quite yourself. Looking down, the figure who slowly approached wearing your form had two sets of shadows – while you, yourself, had only one.

“Some would call that kind of miracle a curse.” You rebuked carefully, still studying that creature’s intentions. You had heard Dante and Vergil talking of doppelgangers, but that didn’t act like one: it was too sentient, too intelligent to be one.

“Not all of them were in your shoes.” The figure smiled – it was your smile, but with a different edge that made you feel slightly uncomfortable.

Either way, the creature – whatever it was – had reason on their side. Your situation was pretty hopeless and you still had a long way to go… You had much to do. Dante and Nero needed you. Whatever those cult like people wanted, it wasn’t good. The man knew Dante’s previous alias, and that was never a good omen.

For the first time, it was your red devil who needed the saving – and you weren’t nearly in no way, shape or form to do so.

You needed whatever help anyone could offer. You needed a miracle – or a curse.

“Now if you’re thinking I’m like those foolish cultists messing with powers they think they can control, you’re wrong. Besides, I could have killed you at any point while you were unconscious at the crossroads, even without Sparda’s beloved Rebellion by your side. I’m simply a bystander that’s looking to be entertained and eager to make mischief on this moonless night.” The figure paused and chuckled. “Not even Hecate could interfere – like she could, anyways.”

“Who are you…?” You asked carefully, wary of the utter convenience and situation at hand.

“My name has been lost for the ages, but it’s not of great importance. You, however, are much more interesting; after all, you are Dante Sparda, The Legendary Demon Hunter’s beloved and prized human. Untouched by demonic blood and yet able to wield one of the most powerful blades known to demonic kind. Consider yourself lucky to have such a powerhouse of a weapon by your side. However, I’m guessing that you’re in need of something with much more firepower to get your nephew and lover back.”

“How do you–“

“Sparda may have had many enemies, but there were a few of us demons that stayed loyal to him even after he left The Underworld.” With those words, the creature mimicking your appearance bowed a bit before turning a soften gaze to the sword in your hands. “It’s lovely to see you again, Rebellion, and I’m quite fond of your new powers as well; it’s a nice touch.”

“Wait a minute, you knew Sparda and served under him?” With your question, the figure wearing your likeness nodded. “Then why can’t you stop the cult that took Dante and Nero?”

“Simple, I’m not the one they’re trying to summon. However, though, they do have something of mine that I would like back.”

“And what would that be…?” When dealing with demons, all wariness couldn’t be enough.

“Dear ol’ Beau Blackwell’s skull, of course!!” Your mirror cackled before coughing politely. “You see, one of my subordinates double crossed me and took the damn fool before he was ready, and soiled the deal I had with him. So, when I came to collect, the body was there, but the head was missing along with his soul. Come a few decades later, I find what I’m looking for, but it’s out of my reach. See, us demons expend huge amounts of resources to stay in your world. It’s not as nice as the Underworld, but it’s decent at times.”

“Huh. So, the town folks were right about him taking a deal with a devil.” You murmured to yourself, one hand resting on your waist.

“Such a smart human, after all. Besides, when you meet the devil on the crossroads, on a pitch black night, talking to your mimic with two shadows… Such a bad omen indeed for most – but to others, a risky chance to turn things around, for a high price. If you know how to make a proper deal without losing it all in the end.”

Your eyes turned to the mirror of yourself – standing calmly in front of you, a peaceful smile on your face. Their eyes were not your own, those were demonic eyes. You were dealing with a demon in the crossroads – and that could turn into something really bad. Even if they were fond of Sparda, the very nature of trickster demons such as the one copying you was uncertain.

They could very well give you what you needed to succeed – but they could ask for an unfathomable price. Usually, the highest prices were always asked when people found themselves in desperate situations such as yours.

But your body was hurting. Your feet were barely able to hold you standing. Your hands were trembling, and you were pretty sure you could only wield Rebellion because the sword herself was aiding you – as Dante would if he was there. You were not in a position to deny any aid, you knew that – and the demon right in front of you knew it as well.

“Knowing how to make a deal is of little help when someone needs a deal.” You answered carefully, still watching the calmly smiling creature. “It usually exploits the one with less power.”

“However, I think you’ll like what I’ve got to offer – and you’ve got nothing to lose, after all.” Hearing that answer, you instinctively grabbed Rebellion tighter, making your clone let out a distorted laughter in amusement. “Oh, relax. I don’t want your soul or to cross blades with you; I’d rather not have Dante put me into the ground like he did with Mundus. I simply want a favor done and, in exchange, you get a way out.”

“What’s the catch?”

“You’ve been trained so well.” The creature’s compliment came without malice. “I simply want that idiot’s skull back and, in turn, you save those two Spardas and prevent a demon from coming into this reality empowered with human sacrifices.”

“And how do I know you’ll make good on your word…?” You had one of your eyebrows raised, the deal sounding too good to be true.

Your mimic whistled loudly and a demonic horse with six legs came out of the right path’s fog. Four blazing red eyes looked over curiously, as the black strong body had strange demonic symbols on its shoulders. There was a saddle, reins and a chest plate adorned with a black feather inside a book with a claw clutching them both: the demon’s symbol, embellished on the surface. Its main was wispy like ashes from a fire, but the fire was coming from inside the creature itself.

What really caught your attention, was the sounds of snarls and soft growls, as multiple demonic coyote-dog-like creatures kept their distance – but stood at the edge of the fog, as if waiting orders.

“My horse, Slade, shall take you to the cultists so you can put the skull in his saddle bag here. Then sound the horn to signal the pack it’s time to feed. Afterwards, the pack of hounds will devour those cultists, since they are made of the souls of those they’ve slaughtered, itching for revenge. All you have to do is prove you are not terrified and step up to save the boys from a cruel fate.”

Oh, you knew what that was. You knew what you would have to become. Meeting a demon like that, in the middle of the desert, offering you their horse and pack of vengeful hell-hounds as power for you to control? You could almost hear the faint song, whistling ghostly in the distance…

Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride, tryin’ to catch the devil’s herd… Across the endless skies.

With your skeptic look, your mimic smiled in amusement.

“Are you brave enough to take the reins or do you want to wander home without your lover and nephew?”

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. You were out of options. Going back meant leaving them behind and failing to save them – you couldn’t do that to Nero, to Dante. Many times Dante tapped into the worst of himself, the darkest places of his soul, to summon a power he despised to save you and have you back home – safe and sound into his arms. Many times he became a demon fiercer and more powerful than those he was fighting against, even if he loathed it.

You could do that for him too. At least once in your lifetime – maybe for the only and last time.

Sensing your resolve, Rebellion settled herself on your back as you walked forward to the demonic horse and held its reins – knowing it was time to aid you, as she had aided Dante a thousand times before. Your mirrored image watched you with a pleased smile.

“Now, take the left path; it’ll take you straight to the abandoned church where the cultists are. Get going, rider, you’ve got until dawn.” The doppelganger reminded you before plopping a black cowboy hat on your head, only for you to look up in surprise when the figure was gone.

You closed your eyes for a second as your whole body seemed to be engulfed in flames – the pain lasted for only a little while, though. When it washed off, it was as if you had never been hurt in the first place: you could breath properly again, your limbs weren’t hurting and all your strength – and more – was back into your body. Taking another step, though, you heard a ringing that wasn’t there before.

Looking down, you realized your clothes had changed: an all-black cowboy attire, covered your body, fitting it perfectly; with a heavy black coat down to your ankles keeping you warm in the chilly desert night. The cowboy boots had spurs that ringed like little silver bells every time you took a step – and, as you did it again, you realized you left a trail of fire behind, melting the asphalt with your footsteps.

That wasn’t the work of the demon who used your appearance to strike a deal with you – as you looked back into the four curious blazing eyes of the demonic horse standing in front of you, you realized it was its way of saying it also chose you to be its rider. At least for a while.

“Demons are always dramatic, aren’t they…” You shook your head, sighing as you made your way back to the horse who kindly awaited you – now looking like a rider who deserved their service.

As you looked around the crossroads, you could see the pack of hounds remained, waiting for your orders. The horse lowered itself down to let you onto its back and the pack of demons perked up in excitement. As you got into the saddle and adjusted yourself, the horse got up and the demonic pack howled to each other – as if signaling it was time to move out.

You adjusted your new hat as you nudged the horse forward onto the left path. The soft sounds of claws were in the distance as the pack followed you both.

“C’mon, Slade. It’s time to burn some asphalt.” Hitting the open road, you cracked the reins and the horse took off into a gate and then galloped once he had hit top speed – the trail of burning fire in your wake, as you did yourself with your footsteps.

In the distance behind you, the faint noise of a stampede was close by, but as you looked over your shoulder, you could only see the pack of demonic coyote creatures following at a distance.

Yipping, yowling and snarling hungrily as they followed in excitement. You looked forward, holding Slade’s rein tightly and feeling the weight of the Rebellion on your back. Those cultists, whoever they were, better be ready to fight – you were coming for them.

Yippie-yi-o, yippie-yi-yay… Ghost riders in the sky.

*

If Dante had to guess, he’d say the cultists would lock them up in the desecrated church of that derelict town, as that kind of people would usually do. To his shock, though, he woke up on an old rotten bed that, if he moved too much, would definitely fall apart with his weight. Even so, it was able to cradle the half-demon with ease, and it didn’t turn into dust as Dante sat on it’s edge, massaging his head on the spot those damn cultists hit him.

“Took some time to wake up, old man.” Nero mumbled from across the room - making Dante look at his own kin on the same situation he was. At least, Nero’s bed was made of brass.

“Eh, those cultists weren’t jokin’ ‘round. Hit my head pretty hard; gimme a break, will ya?” Dante shrugged, shaking his head and looking down to his feet.

Nero furrowed his brows. In all his life, he never thought he would see his uncle so... Defeated. After all, it was Dante they were talking about, not some random human on the street. He couldn’t shake off that feeling that it was all so... Easy.

“Ei, kid. I know what’cha thinkin’. And you’re damn right, I didn’t fight as much as I should’ve...” Dante sighed, raising his head back up again. In the dark, Nero could see his blue eyes, and they had a tinge of melancholy even with the slight smile Dante carried on his lips. “But out of everyone in the crew, I think you’re the one who can understand me the best. Imagine if it was your lil’ angel on that situation. What would you do...?”

Nero scoffed, not wanting to look into his uncle’s eyes. Bringing up Kyrie was a sure way into Nero’s heart - and bleeding heart even. He would die for her, he would kill the whole world for her, he would destroy gods and demon kings if he had to - but he would never let any harm come to Kyrie. And if the only way to save her was to put down his weapons and let himself be taken - by enemies or even death - Nero would do it without thinking and without doubt.

Yes. Out of all the crew, he could understand Dante’s action the best. It was too easy to take them, because those damn people knew quite well the very best way to enslave a Sparda was to tear their heart apart.

“Eh... Guess there wasn’t really a good way out of it, huh...?” Nero massaged his own head, shaking it right after. “But we gotta do somethin’ now. I mean, we can’t sit around and just... I don’t know, what the hell do those creeps want with us anyway...?”

Weirdly enough, Dante smiled until it turned into a good laugh. Nero furrowed his brows, staring at his uncle thinking he had finally lost his mind - the kid wouldn’t complain too much, he could perfectly understand where Dante was coming from.

“What a situation, huh? To think one year ago, it was y/n and Kyrie in the same shoes as us!” Dante shook his head, slapping his leg with a hearty laugh upon realizing it. “There’s somethin’ of poetic in this, kid!”

“Huh. There kinda is...” With that, Nero couldn’t stop himself from laughing as well. He wondered if that weird tugging in his heart was what Kyrie felt when she was locked up in that church with you last Halloween, getting ready to forcefully marry a demon. “I just hope they won’t dress us up in those ugly ass wedding clothes.”

“Oh, no, no, no. If they try, I’m tearing them apart!” Dante answered letting a louder laugh out of his chest. Nero couldn’t help but smile alongside him: it was good to see his heart coming back.

“Well, not to spoil your party, but I don’t think we can do much with those things lockin’ us up.” Nero raised both of his hands, showing off the silver shackles supressing their demonic powers. “Never felt anythin’ like this before, it’s nasty.”

“Yeah, those things are no joke...” Dante glanced down at his own wrists, slightly sighing. “But I’ve been through it before. Just gotta relearn how to fight like a human, that’s all.”

“You say that as if it was easy.”

“It kinda is, kid.” Dante shrugged, looking around the room, trying to come up with some plan to get them out of there. “It took quite a while to have my demonic powers awaken, so I remember how it feels like. I fought as a human for a long time, as long as you did. Well... As human as we get.” He winked at Nero, getting up from the bed and pacing around the room - the wooden floor creaking as his weight shifted the old boards; but never looking like it would give out. “You just gotta fight without the good ol’ demonic leverages.”

“What do ya mean it took you as long as I did?” Nero had his eyebrows furrowed, head pending to the side. They never really talked about Dante’s and Vergil’s lives before Nero met them - even if everything they had lived shaped so much of what happened to him. Either way, it wasn’t an easy subject, and both twins didn’t enjoy much reminiscing about the past: Nero had to piece up their story like a huge puzzle he was only given jigsaw pieces every now and then. “I thought you guys always knew about your heritage. I mean, it wasn’t like me who didn’t know why the hell I was different from everyone else and had a weird demonic arm.”

“You haven’t had it easy, huh, kid...?” Dante wheezed, shaking his head as he still looked around the room, trying to pick up anything on the cult or on a way out. “I knew my heritage, yes, but not what it could do. Your dad found it out as a kid, when those demons almost killed him the night our home burned to ashes. But me...? Well, it took some time. I survived, remember? I started workin’ and opened up the shop, and your dad tracked me down. Instead of bein’ happy I was alive, guess what he wanted...?”

“Power...” Nero mumbled, looking down at his newly acquired human arm - something that was still so weird to him. If he had to be honest to himself, he still kind of missed it as a demonic thing or the prosthetic one Nico built him. It was very strange having to adapt being so... Mundane.

“Bullseye.” Dante winked at him, with a humorless laugh at the end. “It was his first attempt at opening the Gates of Hell, that dumbass. Still, he kicked my ass and impaled me with Rebellion.” With those words, Nero’s eyes shot back at Dante, a little shocked with that story. “At the time, I thought he wanted to kill me, but now... I have my doubts. Your dad’s a weird guy, you know? He won’t tell you he likes you, but he will stab you with your own sword right in the chest to awake your dormant demonic power so you can accept the legacy your dad of the year left you when you were born.”

Again, Nero furrowed his brows. Perhaps it wasn’t that strange he had such a hard time around his feelings - and it was actually a very good thing he had Kyrie around to help him let them out in a healthy way. He got to learn something Dante and Vergil never had the chance to learn: the only thing both of them knew was harshness. Could Nero really ask anything more from them...?

“I was around the age you were back when we met in Fortuna, I think... So you see, I spent quite a while fighting as humanly as possible, with no leverage whatsoever.” Dante pointed at himself, finally stopping in the middle of the room. “I think Verge would have more of a problem in this situation than both of us.”

“Well... If that’s the case...” Nero spoke slowly, still processing everything Dante had told him. With time, he learned not to make much of a fuss when Dante or Vergil shared something about their history and their life with him: it made them feel like it was ok to be vulnerable if it wasn’t treated as a big thing, so Nero would keep it that way. “Then I should have more of an easy time than you.”

“That’s the spirit, kid!” Dante now rested his hands on his waist, sighing while looking around the room. “Now. We have no idea what those Eyes Wide Shut wannabes want downstairs. Windows and doors are sealed with demonic stuff to keep us in, so we’re gonna have to force our way out somehow.”

“Ok. I say we try one of the windows and sneak out. We can try to take ‘em out quietly and figure out what they want with us in the way.” Nero finally got to his feet winning a grin from Dante - who was more than ready to agree with his nephew.

“That will not be necessary, Sparda’s kin.” Both of them were interrupted by the leader of the cultists - still wearing the dark robe, but now permanently without his hood. His eyes were cold, smart and arrogant; the beard well trimmed and intricate. He carried himself with an attitude that certainly screamed he thought he was much better than any other human in town. “I didn’t bring you here to have you in the dark regarding our festivities - you are our guests of honor, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah, King Charles, cut the crap.” Nero rolled his eyes, tired of the way the man behaved. If there was something that pissed him off, that would be entitled people, completely full of themselves. “What the hell’s goin’ on here?”

“Even if you have a share of Sparda’s precious blood, boy, you are not the main guest. Know your place.” The man was clearly respecting Nero more than he respected you because of his heritage - or else, he wouldn’t even be addressing Dante’s kin.

“And you should know yours, fancy pants. Haven’t your mother ever taught you to respect people?” Dante had his hands on his hips again, but his eyes burnt like the fire he carried inside him. “Remember you have to keep us with these things so we won’t kick your ass. Give us enough of a reason, we’ll do it anyway. With or without demonic power.” He showed off the shackles to the man, noticing the human winced ever so slightly - trying to appear Dante’s words had no effect at all. “Who the hell are you? And you better answer this time ‘round.”

“You can call me by my family’s name, Blackwell. I’m Beau Blackwell’s great-grandson - and it is an honor to meet Sparda’s kin.” The man bowed his head in a sign of respect - something Dante didn’t do back and that made Nero smile. “I take it the townspeople of Silverstone did their job of telling you my family’s history.”

“If you’re talkin’ ‘bout the contract, hell yeah they did.” Dante’s eyes were now sharp, taking a guess where they were at the moment. If he could bet, he would say that was the old Blackwell mansion at the abandoned old town. “Guess stupidity runs in the family.”

“Damn, you beat me to it...!” Nero mumbled, making Dante smile proudly. At least they shared the same sense of humor - and taunts.

“I will admit my kin did play with powers much too great for his understanding and that was his downfall. He was too arrogant to realize he was biting much more than he could chew.” As Blackwell spoke, Dante and Nero just exchanged looks, having the same thing in their mind: the irony that he was criticizing the same thing they thought about him. “I, in the other hand, am more careful. I have studied the arcane and occult arts; learned how to wield them, tame them. There’s much more to ask of demonic creatures than petty, mundane things like money... There’s power. That’s what my kin failed to notice.”

“Oh, now there’s a word I never like bein’ thrown around...” Dante shook his head while mumbling to his nephew- and Nero couldn’t refrain to notice it was because of Vergil’s obsession with it for so long.

But, in all honestly, after everything he went through in Fortuna, humans seeking demonic power was never a good thing in Nero’s book either.

“Come. I will take you around the old Blackwell Mansion and you can be aware of what you will be taking part in.”

But, even with the man’s gesture and inviting demeanor, neither Dante or Nero moved a single step.

“Yeah, you see, we make a point on not taking part in things against our will.” Nero crossed his arms, making sure he wouldn’t leave without Dante. If his uncle stayed, he would stay.

Blackwell immediately frowned - not the calmest cult leader they had ever seen. Something about it reminded Nero of Sanctus.

“I am not asking you and you will be part of it - whether you make it a point or not.” The man raised his head high, as if to overcompensate for the fact he was smaller than the two devil hunters inside the room. “I have tried to be cordial and I will remain as such. I planned this night for a very long time, and neither of you will fumble it. The ritual will go on. The sacrifices will be made. The blood will be spilled. The demon king will rise. You can either take part peacefully or by force - but trust me, if you choose the second option, it will be painful.”

Dante wasn’t afraid of pain - and neither was Nero. Those words weren’t alarming per se: after all, it was to be expected of a cult that they would be made of sacrifices and blood offerings somehow, but they didn’t know if they were the only victims chosen for it.

What alarmed them the most, though, was the demon king part. There were a few of them, yes, but Dante couldn’t stop his blood from running cold as soon as he heard that.

After all, Mundus was a king. Could it be that godforsaken spiteful creature found a way to come back, so many years after Dante put it to rest? That it wasn’t for all eternity as he thought he had managed to do so...?

If Mundus decided to rear up its ugly head again, Dante wanted to be at the seat of honor to watch him rise just to tear him back into pieces and make him taste death once more.

As if noticing the sudden shift in his uncle’s heart, Nero looked back at Dante, waiting for an answer - but seeing the murderous glint in those ever easygoing eyes.

“Show us around, then. I guess gettin’ to know the stage of such a hideous play wouldn’t hurt.”

Blackwell had a peaceful smile back to his lips, finally allowing them to leave the room - but Nero could sense something was different; it seemed as if Dante could tear a demon king with his bare hands in the blink of an eye, but he was just waiting for it to rise.

*

“How can... Y/n... Ugh... Carry this thing ‘round... So easily...?!”

Nico mumbled while carrying your sword, heavily strapped on the gunsmith virtuosa’s back like a backpack. She always thought it should weight very little - after all, you always pulled the most incredible acrobatics while fighting - and you were human, just like her.

But the woman couldn’t deny: after walking around with that thing weighing on her shoulders, she started feeling a pain she wasn’t used to. Demonic metal was more efficient and lighter than any human and earthly metal, but still... It felt like she was carrying at least two guitars strapped on her back.

“Y/n is a trained hunter, they’re all used to it.” And even with that comment, Kyrie’s voice didn’t seem to struggle as much as Nico’s. She had dragged Red Queen around countless times to bring it to Nero, so dragging it once again through the desert wasn’t much news to her.

Neither to Red Queen. The sword always knew that when it was in Kyrie’s hands, she would soon find her proper wielder’s hands again to wreak havoc.

“Tell me ‘bout it... We’re all a bunch of weirdos, that’s what we... Ugh... Are!”

Kyrie had to giggle with Nico’s complaints. Yes, you were a bunch of weirdos, but that’s what made you all a family, wasn’t it? And family was always there for each other.

After they decided to take your weapons back to you, Nico drove all the way to the old town - and as soon as the ghostly, abandoned wreckage of a city appeared in their view, the gunsmith found a hidden place to park the van. Behind a few tall rocks, the Devil May Cry on wheels would be safe until that night was over - at least, they hoped it would.

Taking the swords in their hands, the two women started making their way to the old town - away from the main road, so they would have a better chance sneaking in unnoticed - and formulated the best plan they could at the moment.

“Ok. We’re almost there. So, we’re going in, and we’ll find a place to hide...” Kyrie started going over said plan, to make sure she and Nico were on the same page. Too much had already gone wrong that Halloween, they didn’t need even more problems.

“We’ll listen around to those assholes and figure out where they’re keepin’ the damsels in distress.” Nico’s answer was almost immediate, making Kyrie giggle. It was a first, imagining Nero as the damsel in distress and her saving him. “We’ll head over where they are...”

“Give them back their swords, and let them do what they do best.” Kyrie finished with a rather peaceful smile, given the situation. “Here. Let’s sneak in through here...!”

Going around the buildings, Nico and Kyrie entered what would be a dark alley between two wooden, rotten buildings in town. Going in from the back, they kept themselves low, walking side by side until they were the closest they could be of the main street. They could hear the cultists talking and patrolling the street, so they maintained utmost silence to get through them completely unnoticed.

The main street ended in a big plaza, with a large, decrepit mansion being the last building on it - and the only one with a semblance of light: not electrical, but a set of candles lit it from the inside, almost like a jack-o-lantern. The cultists roamed around the main street, but the larger number was definitely inside the mansion; after all, Kyrie and Nico could hear them chanting something they couldn’t understand.

“What do you think...?” Nico whispered to Kyrie, barely being able to hear her own self.

“They’re either in prison or... In there.” The woman answered in the same tone, pointing at the mansion at the end of the road. Nico sighed.

“I was hopin’ you wouldn’t say that... How are we gonna find ‘em in there...?!”

“I don’t know, but we have to think of a plan.”

The certainty in Kyrie’s voice was a little more reassuring - after all, they had a whole city swarming with cultists to cross and a mansion to infiltrate; all while carrying your weapons. They thought it wouldn’t be easy, but they didn’t expect that level of difficulty.

*

“Ok, I’m sayin’ it... We got a huge fuckin’ problem this time, Dante.”

Nero and Dante found themselves in a big party room, entirely lit with candles and decorated with sigils drawn with fresh blood - on the walls and on the floor. The biggest sigil, forming a closed circle, was in the middle of the room, glistening on the wooden floor. Cultists guarded the two entries and every window - big windows, that still had glasses on them.

The two devil hunters were seated on the middle of the circle, with their backs to each other, arms tied together so they wouldn’t escape.

“Beau Blackwell played with a demon he could not tame and he thought he could understand it.” Blackwell explained as they moved into the party room, revealing the ritual setting - everything one would expect on a ritual to summon a demon. “I, on the other hand, intend to do something much smarter. And that, involves... You.”

With a gesture from his hands, some of the cultists overpowered the devil hunters, guiding them to the center of the circle. Nero tried to fight, but immediately stopped as soon as he saw Dante followed the cultists calmly, almost sitting on his chair as if he was indeed a guest of honor. With his eyebrows furrowed, Nero did the same. After all, Dante must’ve known what he was doing, right?

Right...?

“Well, you’d usually need human blood to summon a demon, smart ass.” Dante’s comment was calm and cheerful, even, while he allowed the cultists to tie his hands behind his back and intertwine the ties with Nero’s.

“Oh, that will be arranged. There are many in my flock who are willing to serve such a higher purpose.” Blackwell smiled kindly, opening his arms to show around the room. “But a man with your knowledge must have noticed, this is not a common demon summoning ritual. It’s for a higher rank, a king - and one with that status would only come with a more special blood being spilled.”

“Eh. That’s why you need us, then...” Nero murmured, shaking his head. “And then what, smart ass? Gonna strike a deal of your own, too?”

“Oh, no. To summon him, I need you. To bind him, I need Dante.” Blackwell opened a wicked smile, making the room fall into complete silence as the two devil hunters didn’t say a word. “My ancestor made the mistake of gambling with a demon. I shall not make the same mistake - I will bind the demon and make it answer to my very own command. I will have all its power to myself, and there will be no one to stop my will. But to do so, I need powerful blood to do the binding - and there is no blood more powerful than Sparda’s blood.”

“Well, I’ll like to see you try that, Blackwell!” Dante started laughing, leaning back on his chair. “Stupidity really does run in the family, eh?”

“Apparently, it does.” Blackwell made a small gesture towards Dante and Nero, calling the cultists back to their places guarding the room. “The festivities will begin at 3 a.m. It’s just a small wait, but you will have the time to catch up... And say your goodbyes.”

Those were the last words Blackwell told them before leaving the room. Since then, the devil hunters had remained in silence, thinking about everything that had happened so far - and how to get out of that situation.

“Well, kid... After livin’ as much as I have, you’ll be able to say...”

“You’ve had worse, yeah, yeah, I know...” Nero laughed, shaking his head while staring at his beaten up boots. “But I mean. I’m gonna be sacrificed with a random crazy cultist to raise a demon king from Hell. You’re gonna be sacrificed to bind the demon king. Things aren’t lookin’ too good, man.”

“I just wanted to know which demon king they’re tryin’ to bring up this time.” Dante sighed, leaning back on the chair again. “But I guess there’ll be no old acquaintances today. That’s already a good thing, kid.”

“You... You were afraid that Mundus dude would be back...?” Nero’s question was almost as quiet as a whisper, barely audible for anyone who didn’t have a demonic hearing like theirs.

“Hmmm...” Dante’s answer took some time to come, even after he hummed in return. Nero rarely saw his uncle being that quiet and somber. “The world doesn’t need him rearin’ up that ugly head of his again.”

“Well... You killed him a long time ago, didn’t ya...?” This time, Dante only answered Nero with a shake of his head and a quiet hum. “I don’t think we’ve to worry ‘bout him, then, you’re pretty good at your job.”

“Huh. Thanks, kid...” Dante had a slight smile on his lips, but his words had an uncharacteristic bitterness to them. “But some demons have trouble stayin’ dead. Someone has to make sure that doesn’t happen to Mundus.”

Silence fell between them once again in the room. Nero kept looking at his boots, but his thoughts ran at a thousand miles per hour. He knew it was because of Mundus that his family was as broken as it was, that he never had a chance to have something normal. He knew it was because of that demon that Dante and Vergil had broken childhoods and carried a trauma that shaped their whole lives. But he never really understood the burden Dante decided to carry on his shoulders of ridding the world of such a horrifying demon - of making sure Mundus would never do to anyone else what he did to his family, to him.

It was a good path. A right path, some would say. But probably the most difficult one to follow: it was certainly the loneliest.

“Well, you got me with ya this time. That should account for somethin’, right?” Nero nudged Dante with his shoulder, hearing a slight laugh from his uncle.

“That does, kid. It certainly does.” With that answer, Dante sighed again, stretching his back and legs for a while. “Now, remember what I told ya? Fightin’ like a human?”

“Yeah...?”

“Good. ‘Cause that’s what we’ll be doin’ when that clock hits 3 a.m. You better get those legs stretched and ready to do some damage.”

“Fuckin’ finally. I’m tired of waitin’ here!”

They didn’t really know what they would do to get themselves out of that one - but, at least, they were together. They would figure something out.

*

“Ok... So. We have to find a way in.” Kyrie murmured over to Nico, as both women found themselves ducking behind a set of dead bushes near the mansion.

They managed to get there undetected, counting at least fifteen cultists on their way to the house. Keeping themselves on the outskirts of the plaza, they circled around in the shadows and got into the main garden through a broken piece of the iron gate.

To their relief, there weren’t many cultists around the mansion: they were either inside or outside on the town.

“Yeah. Way in. The main door isn’t an option... Right?” Nico tried a little smile to Kyrie, who just shook her head in negative. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“Hmmm... I don’t see another entrance... Maybe there’s one in the back?” The woman tried looking above the bushes without being spotted but, as if on cue, a loud, ominous bell sounded from inside the house.

The two women immediately ducked even further, almost hugging each other from being startled. The bell sounded three times and they saw one of the cultists - now without wearing the cape’s hood - appearing on the balcony of the second floor.

“My children, it is time! Join us in sacrifice and festivity!” The man had his arms opened and his voice could be heard through the whole dead town.

Kyrie and Nico scooted even further in the shadows as the cultists on the main street left their duties to get inside the mansion. They watched the wicked procession of chanting voices through the dark street, entering one by one inside the house that seemed soon would fall apart.

“That’ll give me nightmares for years!” Nico whispered to Kyrie, shaking from a quick shiver that went down from the top of her skull to the base of her spine. “Damn cults.”

“Damn cults...” Kyrie whispered back, thinking how the Order of the Sword in Fortuna wasn’t that different.

As the heavy wooden doors of the mansion closed, the two women found themselves completely alone in that godforsaken ghost town in the middle of nowhere - being the only ones with some hope to save the devil hunters that night.

“What are we gonna do?” Nico had a tinge of desperation on her voice. “That creep said sacrifices, I heard it fine! You think they’re sacrificin’ the crew?”

“Well, if that is the plan, we can’t let that happen!” Kyrie had resolve in her hazelnut eyes, looking at the house over the dead bushes. “We have to try entering through the back. If there isn’t an entry through the back...”

“We are doomed!”

“No. We try something else. C’mon, Nico, they’re counting on us!”

“I-I-I know, but I don’t count on myself...!”

Before they could continue their discussion, they heard a thunderous noise in the distance - as if coming from the skies. Furrowing their brows, they searched everywhere, but there was nothing; not even a semblance of storm over their heads.

“You’re hearin’ that, right...? Right...?”

“Yeah...”

As soon as Kyrie answered, a vicious galloping came in with the wind. As they stared back on the main street, the figure of a fiery horse running with all might with a black rider on its saddle appeared like lightning, approaching at an inhuman speed.

“You’re... Seein’ that...”

“Yes. Yes.” Kyrie shook her head enthusiastically - probably with the same enthusiasm she wanted to ran away.

Before the two women could think of running, though, the horse reached the plaza - and they could finally see the face of the rider as the horse ran around the perimeter of the place; the rider cracking a fiery whip to draw the attention of the cult.

“Is that... Y/n?! But... We... They... Those assholes didn’t take everyone?!” Nico stumbled over her words, as both of them watched you in awe... And horror.

“Apparently not!” Kyrie’s heart danced inside her chest as the man who previously summoned everyone to the ‘festivities’ ran to the porch once again, having a few members of the cult join him - the others took glimpses of the plaza from inside the mansion, through the half broken windows.

You circled the plaza one last time, heading right to the iron gate - now open, which you saw almost as an invitation. You could feel the unease in the air, as Slade slowed its steps and entered the garden, coming to a stop without even your command.

Looking up, you finally saw Blackwell’s face for the second time that night. Now, he had his eyebrows up in shock, recognizing your face under the cowboy hat. In such a short time frame, you could say you had one hell of a makeover.

“Either you let me in willingly, or I’ll force myself in.” You stated loud and clear, having your hand ready on the hunting horn on the saddle horn. “You’ve got one chance to cooperate.”

“Bold words coming from just a pitiful human.” Blackwell’s response was almost spat on your face, with a small laugh that made his cultists giggle alongside him. “It’ll take more than just a few... Party tricks... To stop the ritual.”

“Oh, I got much more than some party tricks, smart ass.” You laughed as an answer, taking the horn out of its place on the saddle. “You’re not the only one striking deals with the devil on these parts. I think you will all enjoy meeting the souls you sent to the afterlife.”

You blew the horn loudly, allowing a ghostly sound to take over the air, as the demonic horse rose up on its back legs neighing loudly in a distorted tone with the demon pack howling in response - the mix of sounds making it seem like a cube of ice was running slowly down your spine.

When the horse landed, the pack took form from the darkness, making Kyrie and Nico scoot away trying not to get in those creature’s path. Blackwell’s eyes grew in terror, even if the man tried to remain arrogant and not show any kind of emotion - the pack raced forward hungrily with gnashing and snarling sounds as they opened their mouths with sharp fangs, ready to tear through the cultists flesh like butter.

“It’s the hard way for you all, then.” You pointed to the house, raising your voice once more. “Take what they owe from you!”

With that command and an intense howling, the pack destroyed the front door - and you could hear the symphony of roars and screams as some of the cultists tried to run away and others tried to fight.

“No! No! I will not be defeated by the likes of you!” Blackwell screamed from the porch, taking one of his followers and slicing their throat without a second thought, leaving the body on the ground as soon as he collected the blood. “Fight those creatures or sacrifice yourselves to their will! The ritual will go on and the main room is to be protected at all costs! That’s an order!”

The remaining cultists obeyed without questioning, willing to give their lives for that bizarre cult ran by Blackwell. You shook your head, watching as they entered in a rush, and still hearing the mayhem going on inside.

“Are you girls alright?” You finally broke the badass pose to look to your side, checking in on Kyrie and Nico. Both women were hugging each other, ready to scream and run, but now they just stared at you in awe.

“Damn, y/n, what the hell?! You almost killed me! My heart cannot take somethin’ like... Like.. A flamin’ demon horse?! How?!” Nico let go of Kyrie to wave her hands around in despair as they approached you - you, in the other hand, smiled back while caressing Slade’s head.

The horse was quite sweet for a demonic horse, if you had to say something.

“What happened? You were all fine when we left, I mean, you were all together...!” Kyrie tried to explain and you could see where she was coming from. “What’s with the deal you mentioned...?”

“Look, it’s quite a long story. But I had to borrow some powers - and help...” You pointed to the house as some growling and yelling was still happening, making Nico visibly shiver as you did so. “To save our damsels in distress for the day. Also have another kind of help.” And this time, you pointed to Rebellion strapped on your back.

“Oh, so that’s where she went!” And Nico could say she was relieved to see the sword with you. They would have a lot of explaining to do if they had lost Dante’s sword.

“We’re here to bring your weapons too...!” Kyrie took Red Queen out of hiding, since they had put the swords down for a moment while discussing their next steps. “We were just trying to figure out a way to...”

Before she could finish speaking, though, a loud noise came from inside the house and the windows started glowing with a flash of red for a while before going back to normal. The floor rumbled for a couple of seconds underneath your feet right after, and then everything went silent - even inside the house.

“The pack did their job, it’s time for me to do mine.” You took the reins back into your hands. “C’mon, Slade! Time to teach those assholes a lesson!”

“Let’s go...!”

“Let’s go where? Are you insane? We’re pretty ok here, outside, waitin’, while the hunters do their thing in there...!”

“Nico.” Kyrie rested both of her hands on the woman’s shoulders as you led Slade up the front porch stairs of the mansion and inside the house - taking everything in your path and leaving fiery steps behind. “They need their weapons. They need us. No time to back up now. Let’s go!”

“Everyone here’s insane...!” Nico rolled her eyes and, if it wasn’t such a dangerous moment, she would be lighting up another cigarette.

You rode through the dead cultists, ripped apart by the pack you summoned earlier - now gone, probably to finally have their rest. Following the chanting noise, you found a set of heavy wooden doors, locked from the other side and being well guarded. With your fiery whip, you took care of the guards in a blink; and with Slade’s hooves, the door was soon broken into pieces on the ground, with you riding inside the room and interrupting the ritual.

“Sorry the late, love. I got a little... Caught up.” You winked as soon as you found Dante’s sky-blue eyes fixated on you in pure amazement. He watched as you rode inside the room, whipping away any cultists who tried to get in your way. Your objective was to save Dante and Nero, and you had nothing but their safety in your mind.

“That flamin’ horse is pretty cool! Where did you get somethin’ like that?” And to say Nero was excited about it was an understatement: he looked like a child who just saw the coolest thing on earth and wanted that to himself as well - enough even to ignore the gash he had on his hand, dripping blood on the wooden floor.

Not a huge blood offering as they were expecting - but Blackwell didn’t want to waste too much of Nero’s precious blood on the summoning. After all, if Dante wasn’t enough for the binding ritual, he would use Nero as well.

“From a demon, no doubt.” Dante answered instead as you finally left the saddle and your feet hit the floor of the house - leaving fiery steps as you approached him. “Hope you didn’t do anythin’ too rash, babe.”

As you reached Dante, you could see the worry in his sky-blue eyes. He knew that kind of power, for a human like you, came only with a deal - and, usually, it never ended well for the human. Either way, what choice did you have that night, really? Not many, and you would do whatever you had to in order to save your lover. Dante knew that - and he would never want to be the reason of your downfall.

That’s why the first thing you did was to place your lips on his, on a slightly longer kiss. You hoped that would reassure him; that it would make Dante know you would make that decision over and over again if it meant he and Nero would be alright that night. You could think about your deal and your soul later, as long as they were safe.

Also, being Dante, he could easily take the increase in your body temperature after the deal.

“I did what I had to.” You answered as soon as you left his lips, smiling fondly even if you could see how melancholic his eyes looked. “Now, let’s get you both out of here. We have a cult to dismantle.”

“We’re experts on that!” Nero was already bubbling inside to fight, almost as if something told him Red Queen was nearby.

“It doesn’t matter what you all do!” Blackwell reappeared from a door on the second floor, holding a black box with silver carvings. “The gates have already been opened! The king will rise and with a few more spells, the binding will be done! Give up!”

“Why do all power hungry asshats always speak like that, huh...?” You shook your head, going back to freeing Dante and Nero: turns out, untying them was quite easy; the problem was the power suppressing shackles around their wrists.

“Eh, you know, babe... If they can’t sound like cheesy villains, then what’s the fun in that?” Dante shrugged, making you giggle in response. As you untied his feet, he finally got up, being followed by Nero as soon as you freed him.

Before any of you could do anything else, the floor rumbled once more and the red sigils in blood started glowing with a light you only saw in very well succeeded rituals. Indeed, the gate was opening, and the demon they summoned was about to come to earth - unless you did something about it.

“Hey, cowboy, can you take care of the cultists and their smart ass leader?”

“Sure thing, ghost rider. But dont’cha think you’re gonna have all the fun by yourself.” With that answer, Dante kissed you quickly before heading over to Blackwell. “C’mon kid. We got work to do!”

“About time!” Nero ran after Dante, even if he himself wasn’t sure what you would do with the ever trembling floor.

“Slade!” As soon as you called, the horse galloped over to you, having you back on its saddle in no time. You circled around the room, watching as the seal between dimensions opened and a metallic looking demon started poking its ugly head through it. Holding Rebellion’s grip tightly, you took it from the holster on your back, as you watched the creature who stepped into your dimension - black eyes oh so interested to finally be out of the demon world. “It’s time to work, Rebellion.”

“Ah... The Human world, at last...” The demon was almost as tall as the mansion itself, wearing a black metallic armor that you couldn’t tell if it was its clothing or its actual skin. It had a humanoid head, but the lips didn’t move as it spoke - almost as if it was wearing a mask made of marble; crowned with a thousand dark metallic spikes. Its black eyes, though, seemed to harbor infinite void; while its clawed hands dripped a viscous black liquid, pooling around its feet. The demon king looked around with no expression on its masked face, but soon those empty eyes found you: a rider on a fiery horse, carrying one of the legendary swords made with the fire of Hell itself. A human rider, wielding such power. “And already a hunter as a warm welcome.”

“To send you back home where you belong to.” You answered, raising your head with pride. “Can’t let you stay here for too long, your putrid highness.”

“A hunter with such power in their hands. This shall be interesting...” The demon king hummed, summoning two blades on each of his hands; forming from the dark liquid that dripped down from his claws. “Very well, hunter. I shall indulge you.”

You had no more words to say, for now it was time to fight. Charging in, you led Slade right in the direction of the demon king, circling around the creature to try to land a hit with Rebellion. In spite of his size, though, the demon was fast and you had to dodge a heavy attack from one of his swords - that buried on the floor, cracking the rotten wooden panels. You seized this opportunity to land a hit on his arm with the Rebellion - soon realizing the skin of the creature was, indeed, made of metal.

It would need a lot more strategy and power to land a blow that had an actual impact on that kind of demon - in all your life as a devil hunter, you had never seen nor fought against anything like it.

Meanwhile, Blackwell pointed his followers to take on Dante and Nero - who were running up stairs to deal with the man who was already setting up the second part of the ritual in a makeshift altar across the room.

The hunters just exchanged looks and a knowing smile before sucker punching their way up - even throwing some of the cultists down the stairs. If they had to fight like humans, they would... And they were actually very good at it.

“What the...!” Kyrie and Nico said in unison as soon as both reached the doors you brought down when you barged in the room - finding that mess of a scene: Dante and Nero running up stairs and you fighting a demonic king with Rebellion in hand. In a matter of fact, their shock came mostly from seeing a demon king for the first time in their lives. Other than Vergil, actually.

“Don’t t-t-tell me you wanna... Go i-i-in there.” Nico’s stuttering suddenly got worse, wincing as soon as one of the kings swords tried to bring you down - and you expertly held it back with Rebellion, keeping your balance on your horse.

It was actually quite impressive to watch.

“I... Don’t. We can... Wait.” Kyrie’s answer was almost a whisper, with both of them agreeing to hide behind something until the opportune moment to give the swords back to their respective owners.

“Blackwell! Time to end this party!” Dante announced as soon as he got to the top of the stairs, making the man jump in place.

There was a skull in the middle of the altar, sided by candles and behind a brass bowl - where he would probably collect Dante’s blood. Blackwell had already cut his hand and offered his own blood, chanting incantations written in an old book he had opened on the corner of the altar.

“It’s too late now, Dante. You should accept...”

“Man, you talk too much...!” Nero finally lost his patience. Before Dante could say anything, his nephew ran with all his might, drop kicking Blackwell on the floor. Dante couldn’t refrain from shaking his head.

“You never change, do ya, kid...?” He had his hands on his hips, watching as Nero kept Blackwell immobile.

The cracking sound of your whip drew everyone’s attention to the fight at hand. Looking down, Dante found you with the fiery whip on your hand, keeping the demon king at bay. Your foe immediately raised one of its huge swords to take you down in a swift sweep, but with a flick of your wrist, you wrapped the blade with the whip, cracking it with the sound of a thousand raging bonfires. Dante couldn’t help but raise his brows and watch you with amazement and admiration.

Indeed, you were a human to tame his demonic heart. There you were, mounting a demon horse, Rebellion on one hand and a whip made of the fires of Hell itself on the other, holding down the sword of nothing but a demon king in place. You didn’t back down nor felt fear - instead, you wrapped the whip even tighter around your own arm, making it shorter and forcing the demon king’s sword down. You knew it wouldn’t burn you, for you were the one wielding it. Keeping your gaze on those eyes made of oblivion, you commanded the whip to burn hotter and hotter... Until the very blade in the demonic king’s hand started to melt, pouring on the floor like molten mercury.

“Fuckin’ hell, y/n...!” Dante let out as soon as surprise hit his heart, watching it all while keeping his hands rested on the balustrade of the second floor. His mind couldn’t even think of that clown Blackwell behind him when he had you being such an incredible hunter downstairs, taming a demon king like he never saw any other devil hunter doing.

He was the only one he knew who ever conquered a king in his book - and there you were, proving the world why you were the owner of his heart.

“Rare are the fights worth fighting...” The demonic king’s voice echoed through the house, as the creature gained back his posture upon realizing one of his weapons were gone. “I can see why Rebellion stands with you. What is your name, hunter?”

“Y/n. Rebellion stands with me because I gained her owner’s trust.” Your answer came with your head held high, while you untangled your whip from your arm. As expected, there was no harm done to you nor your clothing.

“I reckon you gained more than his trust. It will be an honor bringing you down, y/n.”

“I wouldn’t be that concerned with y/n if I were you, ugly face.” Dante finally entered the conversation. He did like the fact that you owned the respect of a demon king, but he did not like it that the creature was now even more interested in killing you. His phrase, though, made both of you turn your attention to him on the second floor. “I mean, I know, my sheriff is givin’ ya a run for your money and, sooner rather than later, you’ll be back down in Hell in no time.” He had a smart smile on his lips, sprinkled with pride, which made you smile in return. It was good to see how much faith Dante had in you. “But we’re all forgettin’ the big elephant in the room: the smart ass who summoned you and has all the intentions on binding you to serve ‘im.”

“Huh. Son of Sparda. I did feel your stench when I arrived - I just concluded it was tied to the sword.” The demonic king raised his head up to Dante, now pointing his sword towards him. “But your words ring truth. You were not the ones who summoned me - and now you tell me a mortal thought itself to be powerful enough to try to bind me into servitude...?”

Oh, you could all feel the anger running on the king’s bloodstream - if he even had one.

“Oh, yes. Not even a honorable human like y/n, huh?” Dante winked back at you, making you giggle. You weren’t really scared of the demon king behind you - your lover had done one hell of a good job of drawing his attention from you and the fight at hand. “More of a...”

“Coward little shit hidden upstairs so you wouldn’t find ‘im!” Nero dragged Blackwell by the collar of his robe as the man stumbled to stand by Dante’s side - clearly trying to run. “And tryna complete the bindin’ ritual, will you look at that!”

“A cowardly move indeed, petty creature...” The demonic king’s voice echoed through the floor, trembling the boards underneath you all. “Weaklings like you should learn your place and which souls are bound to eternal servitude.”

With that phrase, the portal between dimensions opened once more, making you guide Slade away from it so you wouldn’t fall into the demonic world. The king pointed at Blackwell, making some of the black, viscous liquid dripping from its claws go up the man’s arms and neck, slowly reaching his eyes. Blackwell screamed in horror and pain as the liquid filled his eye sockets, turning into infinite voids completely out of a soul as soon as it was done. Nero let go of the man’s arm, watching him go down the stairs like a mindless puppet, walking obediently to the edge of the opened gate, staring into the demonic world as if he had no choice.

“You shall regret your hubris, petty creature.” With those words from the king, Blackwell willingly threw himself into the abyss, forever lost in servitude to the demonic king he thought he would be able to control.

It was the perfect moment. You couldn’t allow a demon king to stay, and he knew that very well. With a quick movement and a loud crack, your whip tangled itself around the demon king’s metallic arm. The expressionless face turned to you, staring into your eyes with that gaze devoided of soul. You held the look, once again wrapping the whip around your arm tightly, cracking Slade’s reins so the horse would walk backwards - helping you pull the demonic king with you.

You had every intention of pulling him down the opened gate, locking it right after he was gone.

It was a matter of strength and will. You kept pulling, and the demonic king kept anchoring his feet on the floor of the house. Dante and Nero watched it all from the second floor with their mouths slightly opened and hearts pounding viciously in their chests. Nico and Kyrie had their eyebrows furrowed, barely believing what their eyes were seeing. The hardwood floor started to crack underneath the king’s feet, but your eyes wouldn’t leave that soulless gaze. You wrapped the whip once again around your arm, making it even shorter, yanking the creature towards you - making him try to anchor himself down even harder.

Using the same command in your heart before, the fires on the whip got hotter and hotter, burning even brighter and making everyone in the room start to sweat - except for you and the king. The creature stumbled a little when you noticed the whip started to melt into its metallic arm - slowly, but surely, melting it... Destroying it.

If the demonic king wasn’t going back to his rightful place, he was going down. The way you stared into his black eyes made him know that.

“Y/n. I shall remember your name.” The demonic king’s voice reverberated through the room again, as he slowly glided towards the opened gate.

“You better. Next time you try to come up, you should know I’ll be here to take you back down.” Your answer was certain, causing a low laugh to echo through the room in return.

“It will be an honor. Hunter.”

Those were the last words you would hear from the demonic king. He finally let go and you yanked the fiery whip, dragging the creature down the same abyss Blackwell had thrown himself into. With the whip free, you had it back on its place on the saddle in a flourish, watching the gate slowly close up - too slowly, in a matter of fact: some demons had noticed it was open and saw an opportunity to come out and cause mayhem.

“Ei, y/n!” You heard Dante calling, as he ran downstairs alongside Nero. “Use the Rebellion! It’ll speed things up!”

Doing as he said, you killed a few demons who tried to come out - and, as you stroke one of them down where it belonged, you noticed the portal closed faster and faster, until there was only the tip of the Rebellion left buried on the very ordinary hardwood floor.

No demons. No gates. No kings. The mansion fell in silence - and the town had its ghostly quietness back to it. With the last stand from Rebellion, it was over.

Dante finally met you in the middle of the party room, watching you with a proud smile on his lips. He had defeated Mundus once, yes, but you had just put a demonic king back where it belonged without any help from him. That was quite a feat you could brag about as much as you wanted now - even if he knew you wouldn’t do it. He knew you paid the price for the power to do so, but he would be lying if he said it wasn’t worth it.

“Guess you saved my ass this time, ghost rider.”

“I believe ‘thanks’ are in order, cowboy.” You answered casually, approaching with Slade walking lazily towards your red devil.

“Oh, you deserve more than thanks tonight, sweetheart.” And the looks in Dante’s eyes made you immediately giggle - while Nero rolled his eyes.

“Ah, stop that you too. There are children in the room...” He shook his head while both you and your lover stared at him with eyebrows raised, ready to question him. Nero just casually looked back at you. “It’s me. I’m children.”

“Ya know... I’m quittin’ this job.”

You three finally looked back at the door only to find Nico and Kyrie walking towards you - safe to say, Nero immediately smiled and ran to meet his love halfway.

“The materials are good, but damn...!” Nico rolled her eyes, completely ignoring Nero holding Kyrie tightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head while she giggled. “You’re all crazy...! Crazy!”

“What can I say? It runs in the family.” Dante shrugged, making Nero laugh from their now inside joke. He turned to you as soon as your feet hit the floor by his side. “You too, babe. You’re family as well.”

“Good to know you think I’m crazy too.” With your answer, he laughed a little bit out loud before having his lips covered by yours - now burning like fire.

“Phew - gonna take a while to get used to that, babe. Is it permanent...?” You could see the care in Dante’s eyes as he pushed some of your hair away from your face - your cowboy hat still immaculate on top of your head. It was clear he didn’t want any kind of thing that transformed you to something more than human to be permanent, but he would accept it anyway: after all, it was you; and everything you did that day was to save him. Dante never really had that.

“Not really. I just have to keep my part of the bargain and it’s gone.” You played with his hair for a while, making Dante have a goofy smile on his lips - only for you. “Which is a shame, really. I liked having you around, Slade.”

The horse approached you, bumping your shoulder with its fiery nose - making you caress its demonic head. All in all, it was a good mount and you grew strangely fond to it.

“And what’s your part of the bargain, babe?”

“Beau Blackwell’s skull. I’ve to find it and give it back to the demon who first made the contract with him.”

“Ya know, the other Blackwell had a skull on the altar upstairs. It’s probably the one ya need, y/n.” Nero considered, still having Kyrie in his arms. There was no force on earth that would make him let her go before sunrise.

“Huh. The demon who made the deal with Beau made a deal with you too, then...?” Dante decided to follow you upstairs as you started making your way towards it.

“Yeah, pretty convenient, I know...” You sighed in return, now used to the fiery steps you left behind you. “But hey, I needed a way to get ourselves out of this one. Demon at the crossroads was my only way out.”

“Yeah, and what a way out. You make one hell of a sexy ghost rider, babe.” Dante teased and, as soon as you got to the top of the stairs, you turned around to let him see you in all your ghost rider glory.

“Right? I’m gonna miss it, I feel quite the badass!” You laughed in return as he whistled upon watching you.

“You’re always a badass, sheriff, you don’t need all that.” There was that unapologetic sincerity in his eyes as Dante spoke, making you know he actually meant it. In all your life hunting by his side, you never felt like you were missing something for being completely human.

“Thank you, cowboy.” You winked back at him, locating the skull inside the black box with silver sigils. Taking it in your hands, now you just had to keep it in the proper place on Slade’s saddle and let it take it back to the creature who gave you those powers for that night. “Though the fiery whip was pretty cool, huh?”

“That it was.” Dante laughed alongside you, stopping for a while before going back downstairs. “Thanks for the rescue, y/n.”

“No worries, Dante. I’ll always be here for you.” You smiled back at him, using your free hand to gently caress his face. “For better or for worse.”

“Usually for worse.” He completed with a slightly bitter laugh, making you shake your head.

“That depends on your point of view, love. To me, it’s always better.”

You left another quick fiery kiss on his lips before heading back downstairs - and, as you concluded your business with Slade and Nico kept arguing with Nero, who kept glued like a koala on Kyrie, Dante couldn’t stop himself from smiling upon thinking about your words.

You were always the better on his life.

*

“To whom it may concern,

Business in Silverstone is back on its tracks. Folks are regaining confidence and tourists are back in town. Things have been flourishing like never before: with the rumors of the latest ‘demonic rituals’, occultists and supernatural enthusiasts are flocking around to visit the old town. Some young folk in the city have even made a ‘Supernatural Silverstone Horror Tour’, or some stupid young people thing like that.

It’s been a hit, though. Not only the young ones, but some old people are coming to take the tour. The old town has never seen so much interest before - and the old Blackwell mansion is now a haunted spot, or something. Haunted house? Dunno. These people like making things up. Not complaining! The hotel is packed every weekend, and there’s plenty of money going around to help us rebuild from the chaos those pesky demons set around on Halloween.

Things are going steady and good around Silverstone - and we all have you people at the Devil May Cry to be thankful to. Whenever you want to visit, accommodation, food and whatever else you need is on the town. You all will always be welcome here.

Oh, the young ones said if you ever want to take the horror tour or whatever, they’ll be more than happy to have you around. It would be an honor, they said. Maybe you could come and show those kids what a proper scare is like, huh?

Well, that’s it for now. I thought you would like to know how things are going - and that you have made friends here in Silverstone. Once again, in the name of the whole town, thank you.

Buck Carson.

Ps: Frances and I have been seeing each other for a while and she agreed to moving in with me in the Hotel. Thank you for your help, y/n.”

“They’re moving in together! Mission accomplished!” You had Buck’s letter in your hand, having just read it out loud, and now you were in the middle of a very weird - and happy - celebration dance in the middle of the Devil May Cry; Dante watched you with his arms crossed, legs on the table and a huge smile on his lips, as always.

“You’ve been playin’ quite the long game to complete that mission, babe!” He laughed alongside you, watching your bare feet happily dancing over the shop’s floor - no fiery footsteps to follow you anymore; your deal was done. “Who would’ve known? You’re a Cupid too!”

“Oh, I’m a good shot, cowboy.” You pointed at him with finger guns, as if you were aiming for his heart. “I could make a wreck with a Cupid’s bow!”

“Oh, there would be no one left standin’! Ouch!” He took his hands over his heart, pretending he was shot as soon as you hit him with your finger guns. “You already took my heart with ya, sheriff!”

“And you took mine with you, cowboy.” You walked over to his desk, leaving the letter on a safe spot and sitting by the edge as you and the ladies always did whenever you were talking at the Devil May Cry. “Who knows, maybe if I make a deal again next year, I’ll get the powers of Cupid for a little while.”

“Ha! Now that I’d like to see!” Dante let out a good laugh, watching intently as you settled in front of him. “But we did get some nice things out of this one this year...”

“Yeah, the whole town is thankful to us, we could go there someday as a vacation.” You considered while Dante agreed, shaking his head. “That’s nice, for a change.”

“Yeah, a first one for me too...” He took his legs off the table, having his feet on the ground again, leaning closer to you. “And you got yourself your first devil weapon, pretty eyes.”

“Oh, my fire whip. I’m so glad.” You closed your eyes, having a huge smile spreading across your lips. Dante quickly glanced over his shoulder, seeing the whip was still sitting peacefully alongside his own devil weapons on a wall display, precisely where you both left them. “All demon kings better beware.”

“I can bet you’re already a legend in Hell, hot stuff. You’re earning your name.” He nodded towards you in a gesture of respect. You could barely think of yourself becoming a legend and making a name for yourself in Hell - but you had to admit it would be more than nice to be known for your abilities.

“But you know, I really like being known as the human who has earned your love.” You looked back at your red devil intently, leaning down on the desk towards him. “That is more important to me than any kind of power I could’ve earned.”

“And that is somethin’ you’ll always have, y/n.” With those words, Dante quickly pulled you into his lap, you both making his chair shift heavily on the floor and make quite the noise - while your laughs ringed with it. “’Cause you know, there’s a reason why Rebellion followed you.”

“Hmmm... I thought it was because I called you somehow before fainting.” You furrowed your brows, pending your head to the side while watching his kind eyes.

“You can call it too, babe, but that’s not what happened that night.” As Dante started talking, he took one of your hands in his, drawing random patterns in it as he spoke. “You see, my swords answer to my soul. And my soul, was worried about you that night. As soon as Rebellion sensed you were in danger...”

“It found me. But how...?”

“’Cause I’d find you anywhere, babe. No matter the place, no matter the circumstance.” His answer was certain; his sky-blue eyes going back to meet yours. “I’d find you anywhere.”

“I’ll always find you too, Dante...” With that, you took his silvery hair away from his eyes, in order to place a gentle, slow kiss on his lips. There was no job to do, no world to save, no gates to close - you could take your time and savor each other. “And save you from whatever demonic kings that decide to step in the way as well.”

“Oh, I’ll always count on that, sheriff!” Dante held you tight against him, placing another long kiss on your lips, making you giggle as he did so. “And I think you said some ‘thanks’ are in order...!”

“But you already... Dante!” Before you could finish speaking, he lifted you up on his arms, leaving his desk to take you upstairs.

“Job’s done and we’re in due for some lovin’. No refunds!” As he spoke, you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing at Dante’s antics.

After all, by now, you knew every Halloween would have a new adventure in store for you - and you also knew that after every storm, some celebration was to be had.

And celebrating with your red devil would never be enough; after all, loving with all the might of their human heart also ran in the family.

[haphazardlyannotated]

Steven Universe told from the perspective of other characters

Garnet: A story of gay empowerment from start to finish. As a book it would be titled either Made of Love or Stronger Than You and feature Garnet's gauntlets with her wedding rings on them as cover art.

Amethyst: A seemingly wacky coming of age story that drops the most heartfelt moments when your guard is down. The cover resembles kids' detective stories, the kind where the whole gang is looking around for clues to the mystery.

Pearl: Everything up to Rose's death is an ancient literary classic titled The Ballad of Rose Quartz, illustrated with intricate inkbrush paintings. Steven Universe season one to three is the kind of introspective life after tragedy novel you pick up to look sophisticated reading. It's probably titled Without Her or something similiar. I don't have a title for season four and onwards, but the blurb is "it's not easy to manage twenty girlfriends, two life partners, a son and a dark past at the same time!" It's much more lighthearted than the previous two, but still prone to punching you in the emotions with little warning.

Connie: A magical adventure series just like the Unfamiliar Familiar! It centers Steven the magical boy with his best friend and eventual love interest Connie as the female lead. The tone gets a little darker after the first book/season, but less so than the original Steven Universe (let alone Steven Universe Future).

Greg: First a coming of age story, but unlike Amethyst this one is about breaking away from toxic people in your life. This story gets its happy ending when Greg finally finds someone he can be himself with in Rose. The time until Rose's death is a romantic comedy titled My Girlfriend, her Girlfriend and Me and conists mostly of shenanigans. After Rose's death and Steven's birth, it turns into something more bittersweet centering Greg's worries about being an adequate father to his magical son.

Peridot: It's titled How I learned to stop worrying and join the Rebellion and is easily the most lighthearted installment here. Our dorky protagonist is very obviously a somewhat unreliable narrator, but in a funny way. She encounters a few struggles, but they are quickly overcome with the power of friendship.

Lapis: This is just multiple whump fics. They're in a collection titled Bad Things Happen Roulette. Steven Universe the Movie is a pretty standard fantasy adventure with a group of powerful heroes though, and Steven Universe Future is the fluff fic with a smidge of angst you'd read as a pick me up after Bad Things Happen Roulette.

Bismuth: The war is a good vs evil sci-fi story with lots of social commentary. The Diamonds are definitely irredeemable here. I don't know what to do with the few episodes of the original Steven Universe she was in, but the movie is an empowerment narrative against systemic oppression titled Still Standing, or something in that style. Steven Universe Future however is a romantic comedy.

Rose: This is just a straight (well, bi) up tragedy. Our protagonist desperately tries to recover from her childhood trauma and be a good person, but is ultimately unable to escape the prison of her own mind. The book wins several literature prizes, but very few people actually read it because it's just too depressing.

[magiccath]

Home Alone

tenth doctor x GN!reader (ambiguous relationship, could be friends or more!)

Summary: In which you show the Doctor a Christmas classic

A/N: this is really just self-indulgent cause I feel like he could love Home Alone

“Doctor!” you cheered happily, running through the front doors of the TARDIS. He pulled his attention from the screen before him to look at you. 

“Look what I found!” You smiled brightly as you held out a battered, old VHS tape. The Doctor frowned at it, unsure why you were so excited over something he considered ancient technology. 

“It’s Home Alone,” you grinned, bouncing on your feet. 

“What?” The Doctor asked, confused. He pulled his glasses from his pocket and perched them on the tip of his nose. Gently, he took the old tape from you. 

“My favorite Christmas movie from when I was a kid,” you explained, handing over the VHS so he could examine it.

“Can we watch it?” you asked, looking up at him expectantly. He slid his glasses back off and handed the tape back to you. 

“Sure,” he shrugged, pushing off the console, “I think I have a VHS player somewhere around here…” he mumbled, rummaging about the ship.

“I’ll get some snacks?’ you suggested, trailing behind him. The Doctor made a series of murmurs and grunts you interpreted as a ‘yes.’

While he searched for something to play the tape on you gathered popcorn and two steaming cups of hot cocoa for you and the Doctor. You set the snacks up in the library, gathering some blankets and pillows to put on the couch. 

“Found it!” The Doctor smiled, dragging in an ancient-looking TV. “This will play it for us,” he explained as he lined it up with the couch. You plopped down, patiently watching him set everything up. 

“Tape?” He requested, holding his hand out. You passed the movie over to him before settling back against the pillows. After he had cued the movie, he joined you on the couch. 

“You’re going to love this,” you smiled up at him, cradling your hot coca against your chest. 

The Doctor quirked up an eyebrow. He wasn’t much of a movie fan - he would rather experience an adventure than watch one. Still, he was willing to humor you.

The first bit of the movie was impossibly boring for him, and he was just about ready to abandon it when things started getting good. You watched the Doctor’s posture shift from disinterest to sudden engagement with a slight giggle. You had known he would love this movie. Shenanigans and traps involving household items were right up his alley.

For possibly the first time ever, the Doctor sat through an entire movie with a bright smile on his face. By the time the credits started rolling, he was almost sad it was over. 

“Was it alright?” you asked, moving to take the tape out of the TV. 

“Alright?” He gasped, “It was fantastic! That kid is a genius!” He grinned brightly, gesturing wildly with his hands. 

“I figured you’d think so.”

“The ornaments under the window? The feathers? It was all ingenious!” he continued rambling on, a bright smile taking over his face. You watched him lovingly as he recapped the traps of the movie you had just finished. If it was anyone else than the Doctor you might have found it annoying. 

Eventually, your tiredness took over and you let out a wide yawn. The Doctor noticed almost immediately, halting his rambling. 

“It’s late, you should go to bed,” he urged, grabbing your hand gently. You stifled another yawn and nodded, getting up and making your way to your bedroom. 

“I’ll see you in the morning,” you smiled, waving goodbye to the Doctor. 

If you had known the trouble he was going to get up to, you probably wouldn’t have gone to sleep.

The next morning, you stumbled out of your bedroom tiredly. Padding down the hallway, you made your way into the control room. It was early, but you wanted to check on the Doctor.

As you walked through the doorway your feet slid across a pile of marbles on the floor, almost sending you crashing down to the ground. The Doctor caught you at the last second, holding you in his arms. 

“What the bloody hell?!” You gasped, trying to regain your breath. 

“Sorry,” the Doctor winced, setting you back on your feet but not removing his hands from your waist. “I wanted to set a trap of my own.” 

“I’m not a home invader!” you argued, “I live here!” 

The Doctor blushed, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. You looked past him to see the rest of the control room. There were little green army men lined up around the console, a bucket of paint resting on a slightly ajar door, some kind of pulley system by the front doors, and a very conspicuous pile of tacks on the other side of the floor. You decided instantly that you got the least threatening of the traps, especially considering that the Doctor caught you. 

“Is this what you did after I went to bed?” you scolded, eyebrows furrowed. He really couldn’t be trusted by himself for two minutes, could he?

“I needed a project,” he admitted with a sly smile. 

“No one is trying to rob the TARDIS!” 

“You don’t know that,” the Doctor exclaimed, wide-eyed. 

“Who is going to try and rob a police box?” 

The Doctor didn’t have a comeback for that one, so he just looked down at the floor silently. 

“I caught you before you fell,” he tried. 

“You did,” you said matter of factly, still not sure if you should forgive him yet. He looked at you with pleading puppy dog eyes and you found it hard not to cave. 

“Thank you,” you groaned, giving in. The Doctor smiled brightly and hugged you against his body firmly. You smiled against his shoulder, hugging him back. Even if he was a pain in the arse, he was your pain in the arse.

“You’re cleaning this up though,” you sighed, gesturing to the mess of the control room. 

“But what if we get home invaders?” He whined.

[marvelouslytrekking]

A Much Needed Nap

Pairing: Leonard/reader Summary: The exhaustion from multiple crisis made a relaxing night very needed. Even if it meant forgetting something important. Word Count: 1037 A/N: It's been awhile but I was in need of something soft and could use a nap myself so this all but wrote itself. Hope you enjoy.

You knew that when you had enlisted in Starfleet that rest would not be something you would be all that familiar with, however, you hadn’t expected it to feel just so never ending. You knew it was the curse of getting assigned to the flagship, an assignment you would not give up for anything, expect right now, maybe a nice long nap would have you trading in your rank without much of a second thought.

You tried very hard to keep yourself balanced, however part of that balance was making sure you spent time with your friends, but between the back to back disasters and then the mandatory fun the captain would set up to help everyone “decompress” you felt like you have had no time to just relax, unless you were asleep but even that was limited. 

So when Uhura had asked you to get drinks with her after your shift, you didn’t even feel bad for turning her down, you must have looked like you needed the break because she didn’t even ask a second time. She was good at respecting boundaries, but she also liked to try and convince you to join her in shenanigans, so her not trying to entice you, even slightly, was a sign that you looked as exhausted as you felt. 

You sighed happily as you slipped into lounge clothes, you couldn’t even think of the last time these sweats had made an appearance. You plopped yourself on the couch and pressed play on the first movie that came up on your padd. You heard your doorbell go off and you groaned, you hadn’t even made it 10 minutes into the movie. Maybe Nyota had changed her mind and was going to try and force you out with her. 

“Come in” You shouted, too lazy to move to see exactly who it was. You barely even turned your head to look at who you had just let enter your space. 

“From the look of it, I am going to assume you’ve forgotten of our planned date.” You heard a gruff voice say from your doorway, a slight chuckle in his voice. 

“Oh my god!” You sat up rather quickly to look up and see Leonard with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a rather nice looking outfit on. You had been so busy the last few weeks, you and Leonard had barely had time to even see each other in passing. You had finally synced calendars and made plans to have a nice sit down date, one that was more than a 5 minute lunch, or 15 conversation before you both passed out in one of your beds. “It completely slipped my mind, I am so so sorry Len. If you give me like 10 minutes, I can be ready.”

You stood up and walked over to him, reaching up to pull him into a kiss, “The flowers are lovely” You toyed with one of the leaves, smiling at how much thought he had put into getting them for you. 

“You’re fine, you look exhausted,” He frowned slightly when he took in just how true that statement was.

“And here I was about to say how handsome you looked, and you’re saying I look terrible” You huffed. 

“Now don’t put words in my mouth, I said you look tired, not terrible.” He glared at you, “How could I possibly think you look terrible when you look so adorable in my sweatshirt.”

You tried and failed to hold back the smile at his comment, “I don’t remember this being yours.”

“Probably cause you stole it forever ago.” 

“Well anyway, just make yourself comfortable, and I will get changed.” You told him, “though don’t even ask, you’re not getting this hoodie back.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” He smiled, “But no need to change, we can just stay in. Looks like you just started a movie, and I would hate to make you not finish that, plus i could use a nice calm evening too”

“Are you sure? I feel terrible about ruining plans that you clearly took time to make.” You frowned. 

“It really wasn’t anything crazy, we can rain check it until you have had more sleep.” He told you, sincerity in his voice. 

“Thank you, Len.” You smiled, pulling him into a hug. He didn’t hesitate wrapping his arms tightly around you, staying like that for a while, just happy to be in each other's arms. 

“How about, I get these beautiful flowers in a vase, you go change into something more comfy and we can just curl up on the couch, eat some shitty replicator food and watch the dumb movie I had started,”

“Sounds perfect” He planted a kiss on your forehead before passing the flowers off to you and heading in your room to find some of his clothes to change into. 

You had finished putting the flowers in a vase and placing them neatly on your counter before finding some food to replicate when Len came out with a few extra pillows and blankets from your room. Upon seeing how cozy he was about to make the couch, you had no doubt you would be finding yourself asleep soon but you were just happy to have some time to spend with Len quietly. 

As you set the food down on the coffee table, Leonard had gotten himself and the pillows and such situated. You then found yourself getting settled curled up against his chest. You each grabbed a bowl of food and ate in comforting silence as the movie neither of you were paying all that much attention to played in the background. Once you were done eating and the dishes were set aside, you felt Leonard lightly playing with your hair, a gentle kiss here or there placed on your hairline. It wasn’t much longer before you felt yourself slipping into a deep sleep. 

Before fully succumbing to the sleep that was gripping at you, you found yourself mutter a soft, barely audible, “Love you so much Len,”

“I love you too dear” Softly, with so much care behind the normally gruff voice was the last thing you registered before you were fully asleep.

[kirk-says-wah]

𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐬

is this three months worth of fic recs? Yes it is because I’m so bad at remembering to post 🫠

Also, if you suddenly just got a comment from me, it’s because I’ve been really terrible at leaving comments lately I apologise but putting this together reminded me to do it!

I also haven’t started any multi chaptered fics in a while because I just don’t have the time right now to get invested in them 😭 but hopefully once I’ve finished Don’t Cry and my halloween fic I’ll be able to start reading longer things 💕

Anyways, here you go!

Purgatory by @aimbuddylist

- an interesting fic where Dave and James see each other in rehab. Their relationship is so dynamic and interesting! I absolutely adore it!

Too Far Gone by @thenaughtynun

- ahhhh a devilishly good threesome between Dave, Lars and Daddy James 🥵

The Problem With Flying by @ju1ian

- Dave and James meet on a plane. Shenanigans ensue. Someone throws up on someone. I love it

I Need Your Love by @taracsacum

- beautiful fic about Kirk and James working things out and getting closer. It’s so sweet 😍

Quarter After One by @ride-the-hammett

- omg this fic has me in a chokehold! It’s just so good! And theres so much drama! 😍

Eat Me Alive by @n3wstxd

- robbery gone wrong, or maybe it went right? 😆 anyway this literally has the best line of smut I’ve ever read in it!

spotlights by nopeleafclover

- UFO HUNTING!!! The vibes are just immaculate and I feel like I’m being pulled along for the ride in James’ truck

Of Wolf And Man by @ju1ian

- serial killer AU!!!! This is written so well! The characterisations are just *chefs kiss*

Spine Of God by @msgwendolenfairfax

- demon Robert Plant!! This is just so good, of course it was Kirk that summoned a demon 😆 but it’s so interesting to see how the demon approaches each of the boys!

A Viking’s Prize by @thenaughtynun

- Lars captured by Jarl James! A battle for his love! A strong hardened James finally letting himself open up to Lars’ love? GIVE ME MORE!!!! This fic is so gorgeous and I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

Suspicious Of Your Touch by @2ooled

- very hot Dave/Lars sex, I just love Dave using Lars to get off 🥵

chomping at the bit by @gorehoundhammett

- I don’t even know what to say, this fic just left me speechless, in a good way of course! The writing is immaculate and it’s also very hot. I could read it forever and ever

It Started With A Kiss by @ride-the-hammett

- HOT KLARS SMUT 🚨🚨🚨 honestly this fic is so good at teasing you and then giving you everything you’ve been waiting for at the very end! I enjoyed this a lot!!

Movie Night by @n3wstxd

- very hot, drunken smut, with a funny ending! This was so good!

Not For All My Little Words by @aimbuddylist

- I think I actually needed a lie down after the latest chapter oh my god! The writing is so very good, and very detailed, and it just makes me want to bash James and Jason’s heads together 😆 a very very good fic, and grief is also written so beautifully!

What He Deserves by @dethtallica

- James can’t control himself when Jason walks around in tight pants and I don’t blame him! Super hot Jameson sex 😍

[schrijverr]

To Pay Medical Bills and Get Insurance

Divergence from chapter 7, where instead of hiding his family, Buck just tells them he has a ‘husband’ and kid at home when Hen asks how he ended up becoming a firefighter. To satiate her burning curiosity, Hen organizes a trip to the zoo with both their families, just to observe the whole situation more, gossiping with Karen as she goes.

On AO3.

Ships: Buddie (pre-slah), Henren

Warnings: none

~~~

Hen wasn’t sure about the new recruit when he first came in. She trusts Bobby’s judgment, but when Buck arrived with all his frat boy vibes, she couldn’t help but remember her start at the 118.

Fortunately, her worries were for nothing and she finds that she actually likes Buck quite a bit. He’s nice, easy to get along with and all around fun to have the station. He’s up for shenanigans and serious when they need him to.

Buck has been a good addition. He’s willing to argue about stupid stuff and willing to do the crazy stunts Hen prefers to pass up on. She has a wife and kid to come home to, you know.

That morning Bobby and Buck are puttering around in the kitchen – another good thing about Buck’s addition – while Hen and Chim are ‘helping’ AKA stealing bits of the prep work to snack on as they wait for breakfast.

She and Chim are talking about a call they once took, before the others even worked there. Chimney is definitely embellishing it, but she lets him. The probie can use an ego check sometimes, even if she has to be careful not to let Chimney’s ego get out of hand.

“They were super thankful,” Chimney finishes smugly. “It’s why I do what I do. The thanks.”

“Pff, alright saint,” Hen laughs, before directing her next comment to Buck. “What about you? What made you decide to become a firefighter?”

It’s out of a bored interest to avoid getting sucked into another Chimney tale, as much as she does love them. However, upon seeing Buck’s reaction that vague interest turns into piqued curiosity.

Buck physically pauses for a second, before he speaks with forced nonchalance. “Uh- oh- Me? I- I saw a movie with them. Looked cool.”

All of them look at him for a few beats of silence. None of them buy it for second. Hen hadn’t realized how horrid a liar Buck was, until that moment, but that was tragic. Truly tragic. She’s sure her disbelief shows on her face. It does for Bobby and Chimney at least.

“Okay, so that’s not the reason,” Buck says when he spots their expressions and it’s clear they don’t believe him.

“You don’t have to share unless you want to,” Bobby offers immediately.

Even if they don't believe a word of what Buck is saying, they’re not going to force him to change his story. A lot of times people get into this line of work, because something happened to them. They’re not going to make him talk about it, if he doesn’t want to.

Buck gives them a grateful smile, before he turns sheepish. “It’s nothing bad, just not very noble.”

“Not everyone’s is,” Hen replies with a smirk to Chimney, who elbows her for it.

That makes Buck laugh and he now looks to be more comfortable, which means Hen’s mission is accomplished. Then he says: “Honestly, I googled jobs that pay well without needing a college degree. I kinda needed the income on short notice and this spoke to me most. I’m glad it did, because I do love it, but it’s not the most glamorous story.”

“So you just stumbled upon this because you had bills to pay?” Hen asks, fascinated by that. Most people have a story or are a legacy, it’s her first time hearing something like this and it's quite interesting. She didn’t know that happened too.

Buck nods.

Sympathetically, Chimney says: “Played too hard and came face to face with real life?”

It’s not too far out there with what they know of Buck – which is barely anything at second thought – so it’s surprising when he recoils with a frown.

“What? No,” he says. “To pay medical bills and get insurance.”

“You were injured?” Bobby asks, sounding worried.

Hen shares the sentiment, scrutinizing Buck to see if she can spot where. Maybe he still has lingering effects or something? That’s good to keep in mind when out in the field. And definitely should have been in his file.

“Oh, no, not me. Eddie got injured, but those bills were mostly covered, but Chris has CP, it’s a permanent thing, you know, you need solid insurance,” Buck explains quickly, trying to assure them he won’t be a liability in the field.

None of them have heard any of those names before. Hen thinks, maybe he’s in some polycule with these people, which is why he didn’t say or he’s really close with his friends.

“And Chris and Eddie are...” she asks before anyone else can, leaving it open ended to not push any assumptions onto him. She hopes he feels comfortable sharing or is able to lie better about this. She wouldn’t have asked if didn’t she know that otherwise Bobby or Chim would have. And they’d be a lot less delicate.

Buck looks caught for a second, clearing his throat, before he grimace-smiles: “Long story.”

Hen is more than happy to let him leave it there, but before she can communicate that with the others, Chimney has exclaimed: “Oh come on, that’s such a non-answer.”

She steps on his foot, but it’s already too late. Buck’s features are painted with guilt. She is about to assure Buck he doesn’t have to say shit, but he’s already answering.

“Technically, Eddie is my husband.” His reply is tentative and there is something off in his voice.

Hen feels herself wince. She knows how hard it can be to put yourself out there like that and by the looks of it, Buck wasn’t planning on it. The technically also isn’t a great thing to say. Eva is technically Denny’s mom, that is what she means when she says ‘technically’ and ‘long story.’

Bobby and Chimney have both frozen, more unsure than Hen with the newly introduced queer aspect. To put all of them out of your misery, she says: “Thanks for sharing that. You know we always have your back, right?”

“Yeah.” “Of course!” the other two also jump on it to assure Buck.

“Thanks, you guys,” Buck says, a relieved smile breaking out. Then something pained gets mixed in and his smile becomes strained. “But it’s not like that. Uh, Eddie’s straight.”

“And what about Chris?” Chimney asks curiously now that they seemingly have permission to ask.

“Chris is six, so I don’t know. Not truly relevant for me,” Buck shrugs.

“Six?” Hen finds herself choking. “You have a kid?”

“Well, biologically he’s Eddie’s, according to LAFD paperwork he’s all mine, but we share,” Buck jokes, but it doesn’t really land. Buck clears his throat awkwardly, then explains: “I married Eddie to adopt Chris when he redeployed to pay the bills, medical debt is no joke. But it’s a convenience thing. We’re friends, that’s it.”

“That… that is very kind of you. To step up for your friend like that,” Bobby finally says after the room had been filled with dead air. Buck sends him a beaming smile.

“Though I have no clue how you’d end up in that situation,” Chimney adds. “Where is his mom?”

“Uh, she left when he was four, but I met her and Chris when he was three. I babysat, then she left, I became friendly with Eddie and it turned into a co-parenting thing and now we’re here,” Buck shrugs again, recounting it shortly and nonchalantly.

“Now you’re here,” Hen can’t help but repeat, slightly disbelieving.

She can still remember how her and Karen nearly broke apart over Denny. It’s not a situation you roll into easily, adoption, but apparently it is when you’re Buck. The way he tells it, he watched the kid and then never left and Eddie – the kid’s father – was fine with it, even married him to leave the kid with Buck for god knows how long while he was off being a soldier.

It doesn’t entirely rhyme yet in her head. And apparently it doesn’t for the others either, because they’re all quiet as they try to process.

“Yeah, I guess. Like, I said, long story,” Buck says after a beat, rubbing the back of his head.

“You can say that again,” Chimney says, looking at Buck with puzzled eyes as he plops another bit of prep work in his mouth. “I’m still trying to picture probie Buck as a dad. Haven’t figured that one out yet. No offense.”

Buck raises a brow at that, then sternly points the wooden spoon he picked up to stir in Chimney’s direction. “No more eating the prep work, young man. Or you won’t have an appetite later.”

They all gape at him, because it is a weird parody of the new recruit they’ve come to know. It’s not entirely out of character, more a highlight of the maturity they’ve seen shining through before, but it’s definitely not entirely familiar either.

The moment is broken by Buck giving out in a big smile as he rubs the back of his head. “I’m just kidding, I am definitely more the good cop.”

“Well you’ve convinced me,” Hen says, mildly impressed and a little disturbed.

“Thanks,” Buck gives her his puppy like smile, highlighting his youth. God, he’s already a parent, but he’s still a baby to her. Though, to be fair he’s already twenty-five. Still, a six year old at twenty-five is teen parent territory, even if Buck wasn’t a part of the conception.

At twenty-five she was still dating Eva and lying to herself that she wanted to be work pharmaceuticals, the idea of a having a family still a vague unreachable concept in her mind.

Hen wonders what this Eddie must be like. The bad cop. The other parent. The straight guy that married Buck for his son after his wife left. She has so many questions for Buck, but all feel too invasive – trust her, she’s used to invasive questions about her family – so she just looks at him, as if she can find the answers on his face.

Buck, meanwhile, seems completely oblivious to the fact that he has just radically altered their perception of him and has turned back to cooking breakfast, humming softly under his breath. The three of them share a confused look, before following his lead; apparently that conversation is over now.

However, thankfully for Hen’s burning curiosity, the conversation is not permanently over. Buck, it seems, is a bragger.

They’re answering a call in a book store, nothing major, possible broken hip of a grandmother shopping with her grandkids. As she is loaded onto a gurney, Buck picks up one of the books she dropped. “Hey, I know this book. Chris loves it, read it to him all the time. But he can already read it himself too. His teacher says he’s ahead in reading level.”

Jumping on the opening to learn more, Chimney asks: “Yeah, the little guy likes dinosaurs?”

“Oh definitely,” Buck snorts. “Kid’s obsessed. He loves animals in general. We’ve been campaigning to convince Eddie to get a membership to the zoo.”

“Denny loves the zoo too,” Hen interjects. “We can go with you sometimes. Me and Karen have a membership, maybe showing Eddie will convince him.”

Is it in part because she is highly curious about this Eddie and wants to know more? Yes. But it is also because Denny does really love the zoo as well and she knows how hard it can be to make friends as a parent in a new city. She just wants to help out.

“That sounds great!” Buck exclaims. “I have to warn you, though, me and Chris take zoo trips very seriously. Eddie has basically uninvited himself, because he thinks we get too into it.”

“You clearly haven’t met Karen yet,” Hen snorts.

“Making plans later, people, helping now,” Bobby reminds them as he comes up behind them.

“I’ll text,” Hen mouths to Buck, before turning back to their patient. Chimney totally had her while she and Buck talked, just like she had her when Chimney talked. They can multitask.

And indeed she does text, after discussing it with Karen, who immediately gets invested in whatever is happening between Buck and his straight husband. She pushes Hen to invite Eddie along as well, since Karen is coming too, which Buck agrees to.

So, when they have a weekend off, they find themselves waiting at LA zoo for Buck, Eddie and Chris, with Denny by their side.

Hen – who knows who they’re looking for – spots them first. Buck towers over most and Eddie isn’t short either. For a second, she just watches them, observing. Buck is chattering excitedly with the boy who is with them, who is chattering as well, replying to what Buck is saying. Eddie seems to be content to listen, vaguely nodding along and commenting here and there.

Eddie is dressed pretty low key, but stylish and comfortable. Basic, but classic, she supposes. While he isn’t participating heavily, he appears to be genuinely listening and emerged in the conversation. As she watches, he makes a comment that makes Buck and Chris laugh as they roll their eyes, a self satisfied smirk coming onto Eddie’s face.

Having observed them in their unobserved, natural habitat for long enough, she hollers: “Buck! Hi, over here.”

At the sound of his name, Buck perks up to attention like a puppy, halting whatever reaction he was about to give Eddie. He spots Hen with her family and smiles at them as he gives them a big wave.

When they get there, Buck says hello to all of them, before he gives Hen a hug. Then he shakes Karen’s hand, saying: “Buck, hi, nice to meet you,” before turning to Denny and smiling: “And you must be Denny. How’d ya wanna say hello?”

Denny holds his hand up for a high five. Buck grins as he nods, giving Denny his high five as he says: “High five, I like it. Good choice.” That makes Denny smile.

With that ice broken, Buck steps to the side slightly to put Chris in the line of sight from where he is standing next to Eddie. He looks at Denny with big eyes. Denny is a year older, which at that age, means he is ancient and cool. Buck says: “Wanna meet Chris?”

“Yeah,” Denny smiles with a nod, before stepping forwards. Hen watches with pride as he introduces himself to Chris with nothing but gentle kindness, just like they always try to teach him. “Hi, I’m Denny. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Chris,” Chris introduces himself, standing up a little straighter and slightly more confident as he replies: “It’s nice to meet you too.”

As the kids introduce themselves, Eddie keeps to the background, but now he steps forward, shaking both Hen’s and Karen’s hand as he says: “Eddie, it’s nice to meet you.” To Hen he adds: “Buck told me a lot about you.”

“Only good things I hope,” Hen smiles humorously.

“Of course, of course,” Eddie grins. Then he turns to Denny, holding up his own hand for a high five, which Denny gives him happily. “I’m Eddie, Chris’s other dad. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you,” Denny smiles happily.

With that all done for, Buck claps his hands and says: “Who’s ready for the zoo?”

“Me!” both Chris and Denny cheer.

“Then let’s rock ‘n roll,” Buck says, matching their enthusiasm, before the group moves towards the queue.

As they walk, Eddie leans in and whispers: “One day he’s going to know you’re a dork for that and think you’re lame, you know that right?”

“Yup,” Buck says chipperly. “But today is not yet that day, you kill-joy.”

“Just keeping your ego in check,” Eddie shrugs, playfully shoulder checking Buck, who lets out a loud laugh, before skipping forward to catch up with Chris and Denny, interrogating them about what they’re most excited to see today, while Eddie rolls his eyes fondly.

Hen turns away from the scene to Karen with a raised brow. Her beautiful, smart wife is already giving her the same look in reply.

She goes to walk next to Eddie, smiling and nodding to Buck as he comments: “Still a big kid himself sometimes, huh?”

Eddie looks surprised for a second, then laughs too. “Yeah, definitely. But he’s an adult when it counts, no one budgets like Buck. It’s terrifying.”

“Oh, clipboard Buck comes out at home too?” Hen asks, slightly delighted at the thought.

“That’s what you call him? I’ve been calling it Planner Evan, but yeah, he has notebook, which I guess is close,” Eddie says. “He’s worse than some of my drill sargents sometimes, but he gets results, we definitely wouldn’t be going to the zoo as often without him.”

“Why not invest in a membership?” Karen also joins the conversation. “It honestly spares a lot of costs in the long run. I made a spread sheet about it, I could get Hen to send it to you, so you can look it over.”

“That would be great, thank you,” Eddie says, sounding a little pained.

Hen remembers that he’s in camp not wanting a membership, probably not a huge fan of getting more opposition. Just to be nosy, she asks: “You don’t want to?”

“I do, but Buck wants to get one for me too, but honestly, I usually don’t come on these excursions. I was mostly a little curious about meeting one of his infamous coworkers,” Eddie confesses.

“Well, I hope I live up to the hype,” Hen jokes.

“Of course you do, you’re great,” Karen immediately defends her.

“Thank you, babe.”

“So far, I am definitely impressed. I was an army medic, but some of the things Buck describes you doing is truly something. You sound like you’re amazing at your job,” Eddie says.

Hen flushes a bit, but Karen beams with pride, slinging an arm around Hen as she brags: “That’s my wife, the best paramedic in LA.”

“Thank you,” Hen smiles warmly at her wife, before admitting: “I was also very curious to meet you, I have to be honest. We didn’t expect Buck to pull a family out of thin air. Chimney tried to come along just to check that he wasn’t lying. We all kind of pegged him as a frat boy.”

“Buck?” Eddie says incredulously. He squints as he studies Buck for a second, then shakes his head: “I guess he kind of has a face and is way too social, but no.”

“Way too social?” Hen repeats with amusement. “That why you usually pass up on the zoo? Or just not a fan?”

“Not the zoo in particularly, but crowds in general, yeah,” Eddie says, wrinkling his nose at the mention of crowds. “Besides, I don’t get excited about it like they do,” he adds, nodding to others. Whatever Buck is talking about got the two boys hanging onto his lips and bouncing in excitement, his own sparkle in his eye as well. “It’s more their thing. He just wants me to get a membership because he fells bad about excluding me.”

“Ah,” Hen nods, wanting to pry more, but not wanting to scare Eddie off. He seems like an okay guy and asking if that’s an issue in his non-relationship with Buck seems a little much for a first meeting.

“Anyway, enough about me,” Eddie says awkwardly, despite having shared almost nothing about himself, having mostly talked about Buck and Chris. “ I hear, you’re a rocket scientist, Karen? That is so cool. What kind of stuff do you do?”

Karen loves talking about her work and Hen loves listening to her wife, so they stay with the topic on their way into the park. Then Karen directs herself at Buck as she says: “Hen said you had a plan about tackling the park? We usually do too, but we’re letting you lead.”

“Yes,” Buck nods with a serious look on his face, unfolding the map he already has in his bag. “We mapped out a route for optimal animal engagement. The weather should remain nicely average, so there is a good chance we’ll see the large predators, so they’re on the list, but it’s getting a little colder later, so we’re also going by the reptile exhibit. That sound good with everyone?”

The kids cheer and Hen and Eddie nod vaguely, their opinion clearly doesn’t count. Karen looks pleased, stepping forward to look at the map as she says: “That sounds perfect. You drew this out beforehand?”

“Yeah, we usually grab a fresh map each time, so we can plan the next visit,” Buck says, showing her the map better. “Chris is into reptiles and Hen mentioned Denny likes the Savanna, so we tried to plan with that in mind. And of course the weather.”

“That’s a great system,” Karen says as they all start to walk, Chris talking lead with Denny, Karen and Buck right on their tails, while Hen and Eddie close the ranks.

“Karen the planner?” Eddie asks with amusement, nodding at the two.

“Definitely,” Hen snorts fondly. Her wife is the best.

For the first part of the day, it remains like that with Hen and Eddie talking about firefighting, since he is thinking about joining the academy. Karen sometimes comes by, but she with Buck are mostly in charge of the kids, looking as excited as them when they indeed spot the animals, which is watched fondly from the sidelines by Hen and Eddie.

Denny and Chris have become fast friends – which is easier at that age, but it’s still a relief to the parents – pointing the animals out to each other and bouncing fun facts back and forth. It’s clear Buck has had a hand in raising Chris; when he’s sharing his face and mannerisms are just like him. It’s a little trippy if Hen is honest, but also adorable. Buck seems like a great dad.

At lunch, the others return back to reform the group with Buck announcing: “The children have spoken, we’re eating at the Fork in the Road.”

Hen and Karen are more than fine with that, so they nod. It’s definitely lunch time and eating something and sitting down for a moment, looking at the kids, they probably feel the same. Buck must notice that last thing too, because he calls out to Eddie: “Hey, Eddie, piggy back race to the restaurant?”

Eddie glances at the kids, before a competitive grin comes on his face: “You’re on.” He looks and Chris, quirking his brow. “You wanna hitch a ride, mijo? We have to show papi we’re still the fastest.”

“Okay,” Chris agrees easily and with a big grin.

As Eddie lets Chris clamber on, Buck turns to Denny, asking: “You good to be my passenger? Or should I ask one of your moms instead?”

Denny giggles at that. “No, I can go.”

“Whoo, let’s go then,” Buck says, scooping Denny up and sprinting off, as he calls back to Eddie: “You’re already too slow.”

“You’re playing unfair,” Eddie calls back, setting off after him.

Hen and Karen keep walking at their regular pace, laughing at their antics, while slowly the delighted shrieks of the kids disappear. Karen does look to Hen and suddenly asks: “Are we becoming old and boring?”

“Nah, we’re being sensible. They’re just still young and too energetic,” Hen tells her, slinging her arm around her as they walk. “So, what do you think of Buck?”

“He’s nice, I like him,” Karen says. “I can definitely see what you mean when you said he’s like a big kid, but he’s really good with the kids. And you’re totally right about all the fun facts, I don’t know where in his brain he stores them. How’s Eddie?”

“Good company, nice sense of humor. A bit emotionally stunted, but not in a noticeable way. More in a guy way. I think he grew up catholic,” she says.

“Ah, that type,” Karen nods. “Repressed?”

“Definitely a bit,” Hen confirms.

The two of them chat a little more about their company, before reaching the agreed upon restaurant, where they spot Eddie on a table with the kids, Buck nowhere in sight. As they come up, Karen asks: “So, who won?”

“Me and Buck, mom, we did,” Denny says proudly.

“You were cheating,” Chris pouts.

“We never agreed on the rules,” Denny counters.

“I’m still a little injured. Definitely not playing fair,” Eddie backs up his son. Much to Hen’s amusement, they have the same crease on their forehead. A bit of a sore loser then.

However, before they can start – what is clearly – rehashing the argument, Hen decides to ask: “So where is Buck?”

“He’s in the line,” Eddie says nodding to the food line. “We’re holding down the fort. But I can go pass along your orders?”

“Nah, I’ll wait with him,” Hen assures him. “Your usual?” she asks Karen, who nods.

Leaving the four of them behind, she goes to find Buck in the line, greeting him with: “Did Eddie put you on waiting duty, because you beat him or is this your usual task?”

“A bit of both,” Buck laughs. “Though it was cheating a little. Eddie has only been running again for a few weeks.”

“You both mentioned, he was injured,” Hen prompts.

“Oh, yeah,” Buck’s eyes get pained as he says that, as if remembering something unpleasant. “His chopper got shot down, uh, whole platoon nearly died. He pulled them out, got a Silver Star and three bullets in him for his troubles.”

Hen takes a moment to process. “Whoa, that’s quite a lot. He seems to be recovering well.”

“Yeah, thank god for that. Let me tell you, not a great call to get, that your husband is in surgery in Germany somewhere after getting airlifted from the battle field,” Buck says.

“Husband,” Hen repeats, curious at why he phrased it like that.

“Well, not like that, but you know. Still my best friend and my kid’s other dad,” Buck blushes.

Hen suddenly realizes Buck does want it to be like that with Eddie. A burst of sympathy goes through her at the realization, but standing in like at the Fork in the Road in the middle of the zoo, doesn’t feel like the time and place to get into it. “Must have been scary,” is what she says instead.

“It was. Luckily, he returned home okay,” Buck says, injecting a bit too much cheer into his voice. “It’s why we didn’t end up divorcing. So Chris could stay on my insurance while he recovers. He would have pushed himself to all Hell if given the chance. Having Chris is good for him, so I can tell him to sit his ass down and pretend it’s about Chris, while it’s about him too. Picking a table is a very important task in our family,” he tells her conspiratorially.

“Of course,” Hen nods with am understanding smile. Chris needs to sit sometimes, needs someone to carry him when he’s doing this much walking. They’ve become quite a team at making him feel like other kids, while making sure his needs are met. It’s no surprise Buck is using those skills on Eddie too.

“Are you enjoying today a little?” Buck changes topics. “I know Karen is – she is awesome, by the way, she knows so much about space, it’s so cool – but I feel like we’ve barely spoken.”

Hen assures him she’s enjoying today and that Eddie is great company, also enjoying Buck’s company as they wait. This outing started out of curiosity, but she is genuinely having a grand time. It’s also good for trust in the field, to get closer to coworkers like this and she really hopes Buck is there to stay. She likes the guy.

Soon they’re returning to the table with the trays, handing them out. Buck plops down next to Eddie when he’s done and Eddie gives him a critical look.

“What? Got something on my face?” Buck asks.

“No,” Eddie shakes his head, reaching into the backpack. “I don’t know how with this weather, but your nose is burning. You always forget your nose.” He comes back up with a bottle of sunscreen, putting some on his hand as he motions Buck to lean over. “Here, I’ll get it.”

Buck only becomes redder at the gesture, but goes easily too. It speaks of a familiarity, as if this is not the first time they’ve done that.

Eddie seems oblivious to Buck’s reaction, efficiently applying the sunscreen to Buck’s face, before turning to Chris. He puts more sunscreen on his hand as he says: “You too, mijo. We don’t want you to burn. There is still sun, even when there are clouds.” Chris pouts a little, but goes easily too, letting his dad fuss.

After that, lunch continues as normal. It’s fun and restful, but soon they’re on their way to the reptile exhibit.

The reptile exhibit is less walking and they spend more time in front of each habitat, Chris’s face pressed to the glass as he tries to get the best look possible. Denny is slightly less interested, but happily joins his new friend.

Due to the slower nature of this venture, Karen has taken a step back from making sure no one gets lost, finding her place under Hen’s arm as they wander about.

Eddie is the opposite of thrilled to be in the exhibit, usually keeping his distance, but calling back encouraging things to Chris whenever he shares a fact.

Buck of course already knows this, so when Denny and Chris are watching a snake excitedly, he comes up to Eddie with a shit eating grin. “Don’t you wanna come take a closer look, Eddie?”

“You know I don’t,” Eddie glares at him.

“Come on, they’re really interesting creatures. And there is glass between you and them,” Buck tries to entice him.

“I’m not scared of them,” Eddie protests.

“I didn’t say you were,” Buck replies, slightly patronizing, letting Eddie knows he knows better. “It’s a Californian King, it’s found here as well as in Mexico. I thought maybe you’d feel some kinship with it or something. It’s currently Chris’s favorite. He’s going to ask your opinion.”

Eddie doesn’t look very pleased when he hears the name, nor when Buck tells him where it is found. He also looks unhappy at the knowledge that if he wants to make his kid happy, he’ll have to go look at the snake.

Buck makes a sympathetic face, his little shit-ness from earlier gone. He puts a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder and further sweetens the deal by adding: “I’ll be right there the whole time.”

A small beat of silence passes, then Eddie groans: “Fine. I’ll go look at the snake.”

“Yes,” Buck fist pumps.

He leads Eddie to the exhibit Denny and Chris are looking at, hand subconsciously landing on Eddie’s lower back. Eddie is tense all the way there, but relaxes slightly when Chris starts babbling excitedly about the snake.

Together, the four look at more exhibits, while Karen and Hen watch them look. Throughout the whole visit, Eddie never once leaves Buck’s side, nor does he comment on the hand that Buck keeps on him at all times.

After about an hour of this, Karen leans in and whispers: “Are you sure they’re platonically married?”

“I’m sure that’s what they think,” Hen whispers back.

“You said Eddie was repressed?” Karen asks and Hen confirms. Karen nods thoughtfully for a moment, then says: “I give them a year, before they figure it out.”

“Confident,” Hen laughs. “I give them two.”

“You have yourself a bet,” Karen grins, grabbing Hen’s hand so they can shake on it.

Amused, Hen comments: “Chimney is going to be so mad about me making him miss this.”

“It might be for the best that he missed it, though,” Karen says. “Something like this, you need to figure out in your own time. I love him, but Chim can’t keep a secret.”

“That he can’t,” Hen agrees with a huff of laughter.

Before they can continue to whisper together like two school girls, Buck calls out: “Hen, Karen, you guys ready to move onto the gift shop?” While in the background Chris and Denny are chanting: “Gift shop, gift shop!”

“We’re coming,” they call back, hurrying their steps to catch up.

In the gift shop, Denny convinces them that he desperately needs the lion plushy they have, while further down Chris tries to make a case about getting a snake plushy. As Hen half listens along, she gets what Buck meant when he said he’s usually the good cop. Chris gets his plushy.

Outside the zoo, they say goodbye, promising to meet up again, if not to go to the zoo, then to set up a play date, before they bundle a tired Denny into the car. The excitement of the day has caught up and he sleeps the whole route home.

Karen and Hen are happy to drive with the radio low. Karen looks out of the window, humming along to the songs, while Hen mentally thinks back on today.

She wasn’t sure about Buck when he first came in, but she is so happy she trusted Bobby’s judgment, because Buck is so much more than his frat boy vibes. In fact, Hen quite likes him. He has surprised her a lot with his maturity and his happy personality to keep their spirits up.

Overall, Buck has been a great addition to the 118 family and she’s more than ready to integrate him and his family further into hers. Hopefully one day, he and Eddie figure it out too, she can use more queer friends.

~~

A/N:

I looked up a map and the species that are found everywhere on the website for the LA zoo for this fic lmao

Also, Hen and Karen gossiping and speculating about their friends is so dear to me <3

(idk how old Denny is so I made it up here)

[jq37]

Descendants: The Rise of Red is kind of a bizarre movie to talk about critically because, imo, it almost doesn't make sense to talk about it in the usual terms of good vs bad or enjoyable vs not enjoyable when the way more obvious tension is finished vs unfinished.

Because, more than any other movie I've ever seen, it does *not* read as a full movie. And I don't mean in a "this movie has a cliffhanger" kind of way. The Empire Strikes Back and Across the Spiderverse fit that description. They end on big dramatic cliffhangers that point to a resolution in the third installment.

But Rise of Red just sets all this stuff up and then...ends without concluding anything. It doesn't feel like the first movie in a trilogy (or duology). It feels like the first act of a two-act musical. It very specifically reminds me of the end of the first act of Into the Woods where all the main characters sing the song Ever After about how they all fixed their problems with magic and nothing bad will ever happen to them again and then the narrator ominously says "To be continued" before the curtain drops. But in Into the Woods you know there's a second act and this movie wasn't sold as the first act of a bigger story. Like sure, it has the, "You didn't think this was the end" tag at the end like all the other movies, but those movies were complete, self-contained stories even though they had sequels. This was NOT a full story. It's half of one story.

Like, if we're supposed to take this as a full story, there are so many bizarre choices:

Why did they make sure to mention that Cinderella and Charming fell in love at the ball at the top if it wasn't meant to set up Back to the Future style, "Oh no, I accidentally got my mom banned from the ball so she's not gonna fall in love with Dad and I won't be born" shenanigans?

Why did Maddox very pointedly have that bit about "you could lose your mom completely" if that was never going to come into play? Red never did anything to endanger Bridget or endanger her own birth so it doesn't make sense as a warning in that way.

Why was there all this focus on this Carrie on prom night moment for Bridget if we LITERALLY NEVER SAW CASTLECOMING? Why dance around this moment and talk about it all cloak and dagger with no specificity if they weren't building up to some big reveal that it wasn't as straightforward as it seemed? And like, they leaned in HARD with making Bridget the nicest, sweetest, cotton candy princess as a teen so I need WAY more than, "She got pranked by known bullies she's been enduring with a smile very handily up to this point" to buy that she went from that to "murderous dictator". And even if she did become murderous, I find it insanely hard to believe that she'd include her best and only friend on the list of people she wants to suffer unless there was a betrayal. I find it INSANE that there wasn't a falling out scene at any point in this movie with how thickly they were laying on the admiration and camaraderie.

(Note: And adult Cinderella def has guilty vibes re: the Queen at orientation. Which I know I'm not imagining because it's literally spelled out in the Jr Novelization!)

Before the time travel element of the movie started, I thought they were going for something like they go to the past and realize that Bridget was bullied not by the VKs but by the spoiled royals, and Ella ends up joining in the bullying once she gets with Charming, betraying Bridget and justifying her whole "Love Ain't It" philosophy. Or Ella ditching her at the last minute to be with Charming meaning she has to deal with the monster prank alone and it was the being alone rather than the prank itself that hurt her (though that is NOT a good enough reason to go all off with their heads on your subjects). The fact that, as far as we know right now, it literally was just a relatively mild and reversible prank that caused all of this is just, such flat storytelling, you know?

But! All of this makes way more sense if this is meant to be the first act of a single contained story. And I don't wanna be all "Pepe Silvia, secret good 4th episode of Sherlock" about this but I did see this picture:

Which seems to indicate that this was written as a Part One. Which, if so, idk why they wouldn't advertise it that way but whatever. The point is, if that's the case then it means that we're potentially in bad pacing territory rather than straight up bad storytelling territory. Because this isn't a bad place to be halfway through your story:

The heroes, warned that time travel is dangerous, have gone back in time to change the heart of a brutal tyrant before she can stage a coup. They seemingly succeed in their mission and when they come home, everything is great! But then, the side effects of time travel start to catch up with them. Chloe realizes that, in breaking the vase, she prevented her mother from going to the ball and falling in love with her dad (who was conspicuously absent from the final scene btw) which means she's starting to be forgotten and erased from the timeline. And Red realizes that though this new version of her mom is as sweet and kind as the teen she once met, she's a complete stranger to her (fulfilling the Hatter's warning that she could lose her mom completely). So they have to go back in time once more to make sure the Ella and Charming fall in love again, perhaps at the cost of whatever bad thing that happened to Bridget happening again and bringing back the original version of her future self. But, now with more context of how her mom became that way, Red can now talk to her mother and persuade her to give people another chance.

Boom, that gives us time to go back and hit everything we haven't yet hit. We can pay off the time travel tropes that were set up but not explored. We can go to Castlecoming which feels so obviously set up to be the centerpiece of this story (like, come on, Back to the Future literally does the school dance thing. This is Time Travel Storytelling 101). We can actually get info about what the prank was and why it affected Bridget so completely.

(Note: This is a side thing but it really strikes me as so crazy that Bridget would so SUCH a big 180 here. Like, I know the Queen of Hearts is a silly, goofy, campy villain, but she straight up murders people and there's no way to get around that if we're taking her out of the surreal story she comes from and putting her in a (comparatively) grounded story. If I wasn't doing a betrayal plot, I would make the twist that the spell that turned Bridget into a "monster" didn't just have a physical effect, it had a mental effect and it magically twisted her personality to be the way it is now. So they broke the physical half of the curse, but neglected the other half and it's been festering the whole time, turning her as evil as she was sweet. Because like, a simple physical transformation isn't that big of a deal to have such heavy security--Bridget made cupcakes with a transformative effect and that was totally fine. I'm not saying that that's what's gonna be the case. I just think it would be an explanation that makes sense for why she changed so crazy much that makes more sense than a simple prank or even a betrayal. Her mom wasn't even evil! How did she go from zero to murder without even an evil mom to push her onto the path? But I'm super digressing right now.)

(Note #2: OK, one last thing. The trap on the book presumably would have hit the VK's and trapped them in Merlin's office regardless of what Chloe and Red did, right? That's like, net zero influence on the timeline. I genuinely can't tell if that's a straight up plot hole or set up to be like, "Oh no. Actually when she said that she was turned into a monster in front of everyone it was meant in a less literal way." Like she was just made to look bad and that was the real thing that pushed her over the edge. Like idk. It really feels like the only thing they really did that would change the timeline was get Ella banned from the dance and presumably out of the way where she couldn't hurt Bridget. OK NOW I'm done.)

Anyway, my point is that this is not how I would have structured my movie and I think this was a super weird way to go into the second era of Descendants movies, but they can still tell a complete story if that's their plan. I'm genuinely really curious to see if this pans out to be a fairly competently told story that just happens to be split over two movies or a complete fumbling of the narrative bag because it could really be either at this point and it's fascinating to me.

[toby-du-coeur]

incomplete list of ways movie!newt could've survived, because

im rewatching tdc and i honestly can't take it and am gonna chew through my own arm in his memory

NEWT DOESN'T TURN

mary makes some extra serum for brenda for the road, & so they have it when newt is infected

since lawrence is gonna sacrifice himself anyway, gally gets the remainder of his serum from him in exchange for breaking into wckd, buying newt time

instead of getting drunk and wandering the halls she is IN CHARGE OF, ava kills janson or does anything else to thwart him & help the kids

there's some serum they're currently running tests on that's outside the vault, and they take a detour sometime in the minho-rescue to get some

gally deep enraged breaths gally takes the fucking serum with him, when he runs from brenda & the kids to go bring thominewt back

thomas kisses him and they cuddle a lot during all the shenanigans. this makes newt less stressed, buying time 😊😊😊

or. hear me out. xanax

during the battle, wckd captures thominewtally and takes them to teresa and ava, who make the serum and cure newt. then they break out

they continue talking to brenda through the walkie-talkie, and when the berg flies over them, they drop down a hook and pick the boys up. since we all know wckd has stormtrooper aim, they make it. and then maybe they pick up teresa from some rooftop

IF NEWT TURNS

thomas [sometime during wckd training, runner training, or vince] has learnt the fireman's carry and is able to carry newt faster and also like.. just let him gnaw on him or whatever if he starts to turn, or knock him out real quick

thomas hears teresa say 'it's your blood,' immediately cuts himself and newt open and does some kind of blood brothers thing, which.. at least shocks newt's system enough that the serum arrives. and then thomas is lowkey bleeding out but newt is back to sanity & sarcasm enough to finish things off

thomas knocks newt out with the gun or like shoots him in the leg, buying time

they've picked up one of those stun serum thingies like janson uses, and use it on newt

thomas sticks the serum in newt in desperation and rage after he's just been knifed, bella cullen style {with plenty of those squishy stabby noises like in breaking dawn} and he comes back to life

[and after that, as teresa's done her same speech over the intercom, newt is reasonable with him so they get thomas' sweet sweet cure blood as well]

they get some serum to newt and escape to the safe haven. teresa and that bit of serum from the napkin survive. newt stays v e r y c a l m and slowly deteriorates for months, living on the bag of serum and their half-botched attempts to make more. and then teresa shows up 😘

teresa doesn't survive, but thomas keeps newt alive with the extra serum until he manages to make a working cure out of sheer grit and bloodloss and memories of wckd, because he loves newt to the point of invention

and the one that i half-genuinely see in the canon film:

the knife misses his heart. {they LITERALLY do not pull the knife out, check for a heartbeat or touch him in any way, it's insane}. the thomas-blood-knife + newt's undying love [*] resurrect him. he battles his way to the safe haven and they can give him that vial of the cure that thomas is left just holding like a loose end <3

[*plus some faint multidimensional influence of the dashner canon that newt apparently IS the cure, which.. afaik how immunity/cure works is that your body produces enzymes that fight it off FOR YOU and therefore can be transferred to fight it off for others.. so what kinda shuck sense does t h a t make]

[electric-cross]

Movie Night

Pairing: Vinny Mauro x Gender Neutral Reader

Warnings: Oral sex (male receiving)

Word Count: 3.1k

Vinny and the reader can't decide what movie to watch. Smut.

Vinny is a cuddly sub and no one can convince me otherwise.

It was late evening. Vinny was live on Twitch, drumming for his fans and having fun. Sometimes, you’d get on Twitch in the other room just to watch. You loved seeing him interact with his fans. He had such love and gratitude for them. Plus, he was funny, and he was always joking around with them. He was a loveable goof. You adored him more than you could put into words.

Tonight, you were once again watching his stream on your phone. Giggling at all his cute shenanigans. You were particularly moved by a sweet moment he had with a fan. They had told Vinny a personal story and he had the sweetest reply. He had also promised to give them a big hug at a meet and greet they were planning on attending. You were excited for them. Vinny gave the best hugs. He always held on tight and for a long time, ensuring the other person felt the love he was radiating.

You sat your phone to the side and listened as you folded laundry. He was wrapping up, you could tell. You heard him say his final goodbyes before the stream ended. You exited out of Twitch and got back to the task at hand. A few moments later, the bedroom door opened and there he stood.

“Hey babe, folding laundry?” he asked.

“Yeah, wanna give me a hand?”

“Of course,” he replied, making his way over, sitting on the bed beside you.

He picked up a pair of socks and got to work, “So the stream went well tonight. Did you see it?”

“I did,” you began, “Well, I watched most of it, anyway. I think I missed the beginning.”

“Oh, yeah? That’s fine. Had some technical difficulties at the start, so you didn’t really miss much.”

“Oh, what happened?” you inquired.

“I’m still not really sure, but somehow, I fixed it. Did you like what you saw?”

You folded a shirt and replied, “Of course, I always do. You know I love watching your streams.”

He smiled, “Yeah, well, I always try extra hard to put on a good show when I know you’re watching.”

“Well, don’t I feel special,” you joked.

He chuckled, “So, what do you wanna do tonight? Watch a movie? Play a game? What sounds good?”

You thought for a moment, “I’m not sure. What sounds good to you?”

“Hmm. Well, since we’re already in here, wanna just cuddle in bed and watch a movie?”

“Sure, that sounds great. Although, it always takes us like an hour or more to pick one,” you laughed.

He reciprocated your laugh, “That’s true. Well, we can still cuddle while we scroll through Netflix.”

“Yes, we can,” you smiled sweetly at him.

He smiled back. His smiles always made you feel warm and fuzzy. He was so cute and affectionate. You’d never known another man like him. You felt as though you were constantly having to pry yourself out of his grip. This man loved to touch you. He was a cuddler, through and through. Most of the time, you didn’t mind. You loved being held by him.

The two of you finished folding the laundry and chatted while you put the clothes away. Nothing too serious. Mostly just talking about Twitch and Motionless stuff. You finished your chores and made your way back over to the bed. You climbed up and took your normal spot, Vinny close behind. He grabbed the remote from the bedside table and turned on the TV. you cuddled up close to him, resting your head on his chest, while he wrapped an arm around you.

Vinny began scrolling through the movie titles, listing some off that might seem interesting. You weren’t really paying much attention, however. You were too busy being lulled by the feeling of his body beneath you, the smell of his clothes, everything about him. You’d think you would be used to the effect he had on you by now, but it still got you everytime. You softly rubbed your hand across his chest, content to lie here with him the rest of the night. You were more than happy to just stay like this. No movie, no nothing, just him. You didn’t care what he picked.

“Or, what about this one? This one seems pretty cool, right? Oh wait, I just read the synopsis, and it actually seems kinda dumb. Shit. Sorry, babe, I promise we’ll find something,” he said.

You closed your eyes, feeling the vibrations in his chest against your cheek when he spoke, “It’s fine, baby. Whatever you wanna watch is fine with me.”

“Yeah, but I wanna find something good that we’ll both like. There’s too many choices. It’s impossible to pick something.”

You sighed contentedly. You couldn’t care less what he picked, as long as you could stay like this. You listened to him rattle off different options, giving feedback on films he’d already seen or what he thought they might be about. You felt even more relaxed and comfortable the more he spoke.

“So, this one’s not that great, but it has Keanu Reeves in it, so that’s cool, right?” he asked, desperate to find something worth watching.

“Whatever you want, baby. I’m fine with anything.”

“Hmm. I don’t think I want that one, either. Fuck. Why is it so hard to pick something?”

You listened to him continue, still rubbing your hand on his chest. Without even being aware, your hand started to slide lower until you were lightly rubbing his stomach. You suddenly became aware of your hand placement and remembered that his happy trail was right below the part of his shirt that you were touching. You instantly became more alert. You loved the hair on his lower stomach. You loved touching it, so that’s what you did.

You slowly slid your hand under his shirt and began lightly grazing your fingertips across his abdomen, feeling the soft hair. He didn’t seem too fazed by it, this wasn’t the first time you’d done this. You barely processed what he was saying as he continued listing movies. You were now far more interested in touching him than any film.

You continued rubbing your hand up and down beneath his shirt, across his stomach and chest, wanting to feel as much of him as you could. He still didn’t seem to notice. You would make him notice. You lowered your hand until it was at the waist of his jeans. Slowly, you began to undo the button and slide the zipper down.

He chuckled, “You want something, baby?”

“Do you?” you asked back.

He shifted a bit beneath you. You thought you had begun to have an effect on him.

“Maybe…” he teased, “What did you have in mind?”

You leaned upward, meeting his face with your own, “I’ll show you what I want.”

You barely had time to acknowledge that his eyes grew wide before your lips were on his. You wasted no time in giving this man a long, sensual kiss, which he greatly returned. You felt his hand slide down to your behind, giving it a light squeeze as the two of you continued kissing. Long, languid, passionate kissing. You felt your head swim from the contact. The way this man kissed you always made you feel like you were on cloud nine. You couldn’t get enough of it. Normally, anyway. This time, you had other plans.

You leaned your head over and kissed his neck. Sucking gently, knowing his sweet spots and making him sigh. He squeezed your ass a bit harder. Your hand once again found its way to his pants and you slid your hand underneath the material of his jeans. You continued kissing his neck the way you knew he loved as your hand began to slowly rub his cock over his underwear. You heard him inhale sharply at the newfound contact. This went on for a moment, as you felt his cock growing harder beneath your hand. You took this as your cue to dip your hand below his briefs and rub his cock for real.

“Shit, babe,” he sighed.

You grabbed his cock in your hand and squeezed lightly, drawing a soft moan from him. You did this a few times, enjoying the feeling of him, hard and in your hand. You loved having Vinny in this position. It was safe to say that you were typically the more dominant one in your sexual relationship, though Vinny could take charge when he felt like it. He just enjoyed the feeling of being completely at your mercy, allowing you to do whatever you wanted to him. He got off on it.

You slid his pants down slightly. Enough to free his cock from its confines. It sprang upward, fully erect and dripping precum. You finally detached yourself from his neck and brought your face back to meet his. You leaned over him, looking down at his expression. His eyes were a little glossy, eyelids drooping slightly. His lips were parted and he was breathing a bit more heavily. You took in the sight of him. He was so sexy like this. You couldn’t resist giving him one last, slow, deep kiss. You pulled away and flashed him a sweet smile.

He returned it, “I love you, babe.”

You grinned once more, “I love you, too.”

Before he could say anything else, you grabbed his cock and squeezed it fully. Vinny’s eyelids fluttered shut and he let out a soft groan. You watched his expression as you slowly began to pump your hand up and down. He was in heaven, and you were too just from watching. You leaned in and kissed him again, sliding your tongue in his mouth as you continued pleasuring him with your hand. You swallowed his moans as you ran your tongue across his. Your hand quickened its pace as you gently bit his bottom lip, causing him to moan a bit louder. You were being slow with him. Deliberate. Teasing, almost, and he loved every second of it.

You wanted more from him, and you knew what you had to do to get it. You shifted on the bed, your face now level with his hard cock. He opened his eyes and glanced down at you, a flash of excitement in his gaze as he realized what was coming next.

You glanced up at him, watching his face contort as you lightly licked the precum off the head of his dick. You held out your tongue, letting him see the fluid resting on it.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

You smirked, loving the effect you had on him. You gripped the base of his cock firmly and took the head into your mouth, sucking gently, still teasing him.

Vinny tossed his head back against the pillow, “Damn, baby.”

You smiled around his cock, still sucking. You began to pump your hand slowly up and down his shaft as you sucked harder, still only entertaining his tip with your mouth. You knew it would drive him crazy. Good. This is what you wanted. You were in control, and he knew it. He didn’t dare try to tell you what to do.

Slowly, you began lowering your head and taking more of him into your mouth. Vinny’s moans grew louder and more frequent as you worked him. He loved getting head from you. You were so good at it and he was putty in your hands, well, mouth, every time you did it. You felt him begin to buck his hips upward into your mouth, unable to control himself. You took your free hand and pushed down on his stomach, stopping his movements.

“Oh my god, babe…” he sighed, eyes shut.

You laughed around his cock and the vibration made him shudder. You took this as your cue to start moaning around his length. He went wild when you did that.

“Oh! Fuck, sweetheart. God, that feels so fucking good. You’re so good, baby…”

You sucked harder and faster, your hand keeping rhythm with your mouth. You traced your tongue along his tip as you sucked and moaned, determined to give this man pleasure. You felt him tense up and you knew he was close, but you weren’t finished with him yet.

You took your mouth off his cock and looked up at him. It took him a moment to collect himself and realize that you had stopped, although your hand still softly pumped him.

“Mmm. Please, baby,” he whined.

“So polite,” you giggled, “Do you think you deserve to cum?”

He moaned as you squeezed him hard in your hand, “Yes…”

“Yeah? You think you’ve been good enough for me?”

“Yes…” he began, “Yes, baby. Please.”

You were riding a high watching this man fully submit to you, like he had many times before. It never got old. You could watch this man writhe and moan and beg for hours. Sometimes, you had. You wouldn’t torture him too long, this evening. You were desperate to see him cum. You just knew that if you had a little fun with him first, he would cum even harder.

“Tell me what you want, baby,” you cooed softly.

He groaned as your hand quickened once again, “I want you to make me cum.”

“Yeah? You wanna cum?

“Yes. Fuck…”

You dipped your tongue out and licked his tip yet again, feeling him shiver beneath you. You giggled, loving the reaction you got. You gripped his cock as hard as you could and moved it vigorously, causing him to moan loudly.

“Where do you wanna cum, baby?” you asked.

Vinny groaned and said, “Your mouth… I wanna cum in your mouth, baby.”

“Yeah? You want me to swallow your cum, sweetheart?”

“Fuck yes,” he hissed as your hand continued to stroke him.

“Beg for it,” you demanded.

You licked him once more as he writhed beneath you, “Oh, shit. Please, baby. Please make me cum. Mmm. Need to cum so bad…”

You smiled, “That’s my good boy.”

Wasting no time, you took him back into your mouth and sucked hard. Vinny cried out, grabbing your hair with both hands. He didn’t dare try to move your head though. He knew you would stop if he did. He was just latching on, desperate for something to cling to. You sucked and moaned as he whimpered, you knew he was getting close. You squeezed the base of his cock with your hand and lowered your head down so your lips met them. There wasn’t an inch of Vinny’s cock that wasn’t attended to.

“Oh, fuck, babe. Holy shit…” he whined, head still tossed back as far as it could go.

You moved your hand and took his full length into your mouth, feeling the tip hit the back of your throat. He involuntarily jerked his hips at the sensation. You moved your head quickly, bobbing and sucking and moaning. You were desperate to taste his cum, and you knew it wouldn’t be much longer until you did.

You moaned wantonly around his cock, trying to sound as slutty as possible. Your moans drove him crazy, even if they were muffled by his cock. Especially when they were muffled by his cock. His grip in your hair tightened so hard you thought he might pull some out.

“Fuck, baby. Gonna cum. I’m so fucking close,” his moans sounded more desperate, bordering on pathetic, which you loved.

You gave everything you had. Sucking him like your life depended on it. You moaned loudly around his cock and suddenly you felt Vinny’s cum shooting into your mouth, and down your throat.

“Oh! Oh, fuck. Shit,” he cried as his orgasm hit.

You continued sucking, ensuring that you pleasured him through his orgasm. You could taste him on your tongue and it turned you on. You loved when he came in your mouth. Mostly because of the way whined when he did, but you couldn’t deny you also loved the taste of him.

You felt his grip on your hair loosen as you slowed your movements. He was finished. You sucked one last time as you slowly slid your mouth off his cock. His semen still filling your mouth. You looked up at him just as he was opening his eyes to glance back at you. You gave a devilish smirk then opened your mouth, allowing him to see his cum on your tongue.

“Fuck, that’s hot, baby,” he groaned.

You swallowed his cum and opened your mouth again, showing him that you had taken it all. He grinned at the sight and reached out a hand for you.

“Come here, babe.”

You gladly slid back up and ino the position you were prior to your actions, resting your head on his chest once more. You enjoyed the feeling of his chest rising and falling raggedly, still trying to catch his breath from what you had done to him. He shakily put himself back into his pants and closed them up. You returned to lightly rubbing his chest with your hand, listening to his heart pounding beneath you.

Vinny, once again, wrapped an arm around you, resting his hand on the small of your back, “Shit. I wasn’t expecting that. Thank you, baby.”

You smiled as he kissed the top of your head, “You’re welcome.”

The two of you lay silent for a moment, both of you waiting for Vinny to collect himself. He rubbed softly at your lower back, sighing deeply.

“Fuck. I can’t even remember what we were doing before this,” he breathed out.

You laughed, “You were trying to find us a movie to watch, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for distracting me,” he teased.

You laughed again, “No problem.”

“Well, there is a problem,” he began, “We still don’t have a movie to watch.”

“Vin, you can literally put on anything, I don’t care.”

“That doesn’t help me pick something!” he responded.

You grabbed the remote from beside him, “Okay, fine. I’ll pick something.”

“Wait, why do you get to pick? Shouldn’t we both get a say?” he asked.

“Babe, I just let you cum in my mouth, I think I’ve earned the right to pick the movie.”

He laughed, “Okay, that’s fair, but after the movie, I’m making you cum and then I get to pick the movie.”

You returned his laugh, “Okay, deal.”

You scrolled for awhile before Vinny rolled over on top of you.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

“I’m impatient. I wanna make you cum, now,” he answered, “We can both pick something when I’m done.”

You smiled as he began to undo your jeans, “Okay, that’s fair.”

[prismatica-the-strange]

Graveyard Flowers | Aren't You Lucky You're a Bleeder?

Warnings: 18+, gore, murder, needles, sexual acts and innuendo. Seriously. This isn't smut but Beej is a total horndog that doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself.

A few scenes from before Beetlejuice and Lillian's early relationship, how they were reunited after her death, and what they did after.

Bleeders by Black Veil Brides

It's mid afternoon by the time Lilly stumbles out of her room, having been kept up all night by their new "roomie" and his shenanigans with Pete.

She shuffles into the common room, coffee in hand, but as she goes to sit on the couch, something odd appears beneath her.

"Well, good mornin' to you too, sweet cheeks," His voice is muffled by her ass and thighs and she jumps to her feet with a startled squeak.

"You moss-covered freak!" She shrieks.

Beetlejuice just cackles, his feet hanging over the back of the couch when he sits upside down.

"Aw, come on sugar," He pouts, popping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her stomach, "Don't be like that."

"Get off me!"

He suddenly lets go when she tries to shove his arms away and her coffee splashes all over her.

His eyes go wide.

"My bad," he yanks at the front of her shirt and it tears off without resistance, leaving her thankful she decided to put on a bra already. Still, his eyes cartoonishly pop out of his head, "Now don't that just make your pants tight?"

"Beetlejuice!"

"Oh sweetheart," He falls on his knees and presses his face right up against her crotch, muffling his voice again, "You have no idea what you do to me when you scream my name."

She stumbles back when he clings to her and starts humping her leg like a dog.

As annoyed as she is, she can't stop herself from giggling at his antics.

The sound of her laugh throws him off and he falls on the floor, it wasn't a reaction he was really expecting.

She jumps when he appears behind her again, studying her face in confusion.

"You're laughing," He points out and her brow furrows.

"Yeah?"

He mumbles something along the lines of 'that was unexpected' before he coughs and reappears back on the couch and she realizes she's now dry and wearing a clean shirt.

"'S no fun when they don't fight back..."

She rolls her eyes and he watches her walk back toward the kitchen to get another coffee.

"No," She snaps, "No! I am not watching the Exorcist again, Beej."

"Oh come on!"

"No! Wh-hey!" She gasps when he shoves her down on the couch, pinning her hip with his hands, "What are you doing?"

Two more hands appear out of nowhere and cup her breasts. Her eyes go wide and she slaps him, making him grin. A third set of hands pin her wrists as he grins down at her.

"Now don't act like you don't do love it, sweetheart," He growls before he licks the shell of her ear with his snake-like tongue.

"Get the hell off me, sleazebag," She hisses, but when he pulls back she's got an amused smile.

"Damn Rosie," He whines, gripping her wrists tighter, "You're a little perve, ain't ya?"

"If you only knew," She teases, craning her neck up to nip at him, "Off."

He grumbles to himself but does as she says, huffing when she snatches the remote away when he moves to grab it.

"I said I'm not watching The Exorcist again."

Damn fleshy... doesn't wanna have sex... won't let him watch his favorite movie... and now she's- oh fuck.

They only just started The Ring 2 when she sits down next to him, snuggling into his shoulder.

As the movie goes on her head finds its way to his lap. His whole body tenses when she nuzzles into his hip.

"Fuck Rosie, what're you doin to me?"

She finishes touching up her make up, about to go out and thank her uncle for letting her spend the Halloween weekend with him and his family.

Her vampire hunter costume looks amazing and she can't wait to show it off at the block party in town, but she doesn't get the chance before it all comes to an end.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

He ducks around a corner, checking behind him to make sure his soul-suckerof an ex wife isn't nearby.

He just has to get to deep lock-up. There's that newbie that got shut down for killin a bunch of breathers.

Who better to protect him than some cold, hard, killer?

He weasels his way into the warded cell, making sure to prop the door open behind him so they can get out.

When he turns back around he freezes in place.

Laying there, hands clasped, and eyes closed peacefully, is Lillian.

"Well that can't be right," Maybe she's a relative?

But no, the plate on the slab is engraved with her name and the words "Do Not Wake" in big letters.

An ethereal mist collects above her, images swirling to life in front of him.

Images of her getting ready for some kind of event and when she steps into the next room a man grabs her and drags her to some kind of sigil on the ground.

There are more people around them now.

She sees the razor in his hand and begs him to stop. He drags her back when she tries to run and she screams.

"Beetlej-" His hand covers her mouth and wrenches her head back, blood pouring from the deep cut he carves through her throat.

The seen fades to black and cuts to a young woman looking in a vanity mirror, brushing her hair. She jerks like someone scared her and starts clawing at something invisible covering her mouth. A cut forms on her neck, thick blood coating her frilly top.

In the mirror to bright blue eyes glare into what used to be his soul.

They're in the back seat of a truck and she sits the throat of the driver, a young man, and he catches the same eyes in the rear view as the vehicle crashes.

Then they're on a balcony in France next to a middle aged woman who looks frazzled and like she's been crying.

She suddenly looks horrified and wraps her hands around her throat, blood dripping through her fingers. They turn, the same eyes in the balcony door. One left.

Then nothing.

That's when she was caught. Not only had she left the confines of her house, but she killed three fleshies and broke out of lock up twice, all within a few months.

He scowls to himself. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, not even Bob, but he'd grown rather... fond of this breather. Watching her die like that burns him up inside and if he'd know it were her, he'd have broken her out weeks ago.

"Not surprised you went vengeful, kid," He mutters, looking for a way to wake her up.

After coming up short he gets an idea. She kinda looks like Sleeping beauty or that snow white chick laying there like that, so he takes her face in his hands and plants one on her.

Her eyes flutter open and it takes her a second to realize what's happening, but when she does, she decks him.

"Yeeow! Head rush!" He shakes his head and looks down at her, "You haven't changed much."

"B..." She feels like she can't get air through her vocal cords. She sits up and tentatively touched her throat, hand recoiling at the feel of exposed muscles.

"Yeah, you're probably not gonna get much out with that gash. We should probably think about getting that patched up."

She looks like she wants to ask him a million things but he doesn't have time for charades.

"Look, I know you got questions, but first I need you to help me, yeah?" He only gets an unimpressed look, "Knew I could count on you Rosie! Now just keep my ex wife from killing me long enough to get married and I'll do whatever you want, deal?"

She doesn't have much choice in the matter so she just nods.

"That's my girl."

He grabs her hand, pulls her out into the hall, and they run down various hallways until they all but crash into two cops.

When they make a move to grab the two convicts, Beetlejuice steps forward like he's about to talk them down, but he freezes when Lil's eyes flash bright blue.

She's panicking, she won't let them put her back in that unconscious he'll.

The air around her goes cold and her hair starts to float.

Metal from the piping tears through the wall and collects in her hand, melting and reforming into a straight razor. Blood starts to trickle and pour from the wound in her throat, collecting in a swirling pool at her feet.

"Ah shit," He turns back to the cops, "I'd hightail it if I were you, this is about to get messy."

Before they even get the chance the blood lashes out, spreading across their bodies, and hardening like a shell.

She strides past them, waving him to follow, and he hurries after her, speeding up when he hears muffled shouting from inside the red blobs.

She's going to kill him.

He's caught the glare she's giving him a few times. It's his own fault, he should know better than to make her dance in his little dream sequence.

He fucks up again when Jackson and the rest crash the wedding.

Ro goes into another panic, even after he freezes them, and instead of letting her coat the place in gore and cause a scene, he freezes her too.

Then old Delores shows up and thankfully those Deetz's are quick to summon a sandworm, so at least that problem gets solved.

He scrambles for a new idea when his contract goes poof, and when Lydia tries to banish him he unfreezes her.

He's surprised that actually works and she steps between them and shakes her hands to get her to stop.

"Who even is this?"

"This is Rosie," Beej wraps his arm around her shoulders, "She kind of an old flame of mine, but that's all over, no need to be jealous babe- ugh!"

Ro elbows him in the gut and covers the gash in her throat with her hand.

"I need him," She rasps, "He owes me."babies?

Before Lydia can respond a blood seeps from Ro's wound, swirling around both her and the demon in a glistening vortex and when it dies down, the two of them are in the morgue of a hospital.

That's how they find themselves in this position, with her laying on a metal table with him above her, trying to sew up the neck.

It's strangely intimate, with his fingers somewhat gentle on her skin despite the sting of the needle being pulled through her skin.

"Hm," He pulls back and gives her a lopsided grin, "Not bad if I do say so myself."

He pulls a mirror out of his sleeve to show her as she sits up.

"So... what'd'ya think?"

"Really?" She looks up at him unamused. The sutures across her throat spelling out his name.

"I thought I did a good job."

"Well, at least you didn't butcher me," She swings her legs over the side of the table, tugging him over by his tie and kissing his cheek, "Thanks B."

He'd blush if he could and shrugs, "No biggie."

He coughs awkwardly at her cheeky smile.

"Anyways, what exactly do I owe you for playing bodyguard?"

Her expression gets dire and her eyes flicker slightly, "I need you to get me close to my uncle. They made it so I can't get near him on my own."

"Your uncle?" His brow furrows in seriousness, mock or real she's not sure, "He the one that off'd ya?"

She glares at him and points to her stitches, "He did this while my aunt and cousins watched... now he's the only one left."

"This one of those saving the most responsible for last to freak 'em out type things?"

Her lips quirk into a small yet sinister smirk, "I take it you approve?"

He holds out his arm to her, "What're we waiting for?"

They're suddenly standing outside an all night a dive bar out in the middle of no where.

It's pouring out, rain soaking through their clothes.

"Here we are."

"He's in there," She breathes, "I can feel his fucking heart beating."

He opens the door and motions her to go in, "After you, sweetcheeks."

As soon as she steps inside she sees him. He's sitting at the bar hand shaking as he tries to down his drink.

"Found you..." Her voice echoes softly around him in a sing-song manner and he slams his glass down.

Wind whips around the near empty bar and his stool spins around to face her.

Her head cocks slightly to the side as he fumble with a gun. She chuckles when he fires half a clip into her chest.

"Nice try," Blood begins to weep from between her stitches, puddling on the floor. The puddle trickles toward him and dripping up, and wrapping around his feet. She flickers and reappears in front of him, "But you only get to kill me once."

Beetlejuice watches with wide, intrigued eyes as she flashes behind the man, shoves him down on his knees, yanks him back by the hair, and slits his throat. She does it slowly. Deep and painful.

She grins darkly when he falls forward, standing over him while he chokes on his own blood.

"Holy shit..." He has to readjust his pants at the sight.

Once she's sure he's really dead, she looks up at him, and he jumps slightly when she's suddenly just a few inches from him.

"Thank you," She says softly.

That catches him off guard, "Y-yeah."

"So now what?"

Now what, indeed. She can't exactly go back to the Netherworld, not after killing another fleshie. Unless...

"Sign this," He conjures a contract and shoves it in her face.

"What is this?"

"It's your standard work agreement," He hurriedly explains, "It basically keeps you from being taken into custody for acts done under my employment."

She eyes him warily before glancing over it and she pauses, a small smile creeping onto her face.

"What?"

"You like me."

He chokes on his own snarky remark, "I- that's- Lyd's an I are just goin through a rough patch, you're just my side piece, but I'd hate to see a rack like that get locked up again."

"Yeah, whatever," She smirks, dipping the quil from his other hand in the blood from her wound and signing the paper, "I can't wait to report your ass to HR."