#wonder why nero likes her at all

[duvewing]

in all seriousness i do genuinely think that kyrie has much more potential as a character than just being “the normal one.” like idk idk but with everything she’s gone through it just feels a bit ?? to me for her to be characterized as like...the only normal one, absolutely normal, nothing to see here, with few struggles and is perfectly happy to be the emotional support for everyone else with no issue.

i think she has the potential to be much more interesting and just putting her down as “the normal one” really doesn’t do that potential justice. like personally i think kyrie should be allowed to be scared, angry, weird, exhausted, trying the best she can and having to choose kindness and finding strength in that compassion over and over again not bc i think she deserves to struggle but bc i think she deserves to be like. an actual person

[hohuios]

Tag drop: 2/2

[always-just-red]

hihihi! sylus girlie here. as a college student i often never take breaks whenever im working and often stay up late finishing up assignments. then i stress out but never tell anyone and suffer in silence:’) i was wondering if you could do something similar with sylus x mc where mc often forgets to take breaks at the hunters association and is always the first the volunteer for missions so she could improve.

but then it’s starting to take a toll on her and is so so stressed, but feels bad about venting to someone or saying no to new missions.

maybe one day she’s doing a simple task like cooking herself dinner (or something) but accidentally burns herself and she just ends up breaking down and decides to call sylus and he immediately goes to her. :’)

feel free to decline or change anything! i just like the thought of someone comforting u when ur overworked and stressed bc i wish someone would do that to me lol.

Fast-tracked this one for you, anon! I'm really sorry you're having a tough time right now, and I hope this brings you a bit of comfort- remember, Sylus would want you to take care of yourself! Good luck with all your studies, and feel free to send in another request if ever you need it! 🥰

Technical Difficulties

Sylus x Reader 🩸

Summary: You're not very good at asking for help when you're struggling. Thankfully? You don't always need to.

Genre: fluff + comfort ft. a very domestic Sylus!

Warnings/Additional tags: stressed reader (has a lil bit of a breakdown!), some swearing, uses of 'kitten' and 'sweetie', Sylus is so soft here he should come with a health warning tbh

| Word count: 2.4k | Masterlist | Opt-in to my taglist here!

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Love and Deepspace. All work is my own, so please don't repost or plagiarise!

In the event of a wanderer incursion where evacuation of citizens is obstructed or otherwise not viable, association protocol 32.3-A dictates that you should first… That you should first… What?

Your pen is poised above the blank space where your answer should be. 32.3-A is a general procedure: something to do moving people to the nearest shelter. Or, wait— are you supposed to try to contact support, first?

You drop your pen with a huff and flop face-down onto the mock exam. It’s too much. Too much information, too much responsibility. Open textbooks are spread over your desk and around your head like an unholy halo— stacks of them, filled with codes and procedures. They’re supposed to be helpful, but they’re not; they’re drowning you.

Your phone pings and you glance up. Text from Tara:

Hi! Hate to be a bother, but did you finish glancing over that practice question for me? xx

Shit. You’d completely forgotten. You straighten, reaching for your laptop so you can load up your latest emails. You’ve got time to look over it; the exam isn’t for another two days. Breathe, ok? You have time.

Seven unread emails. What? You scan over them frantically. Two from the Captain: accepting additional mission requests you’d applied for. Were those both this week? One from Nero: you hadn’t sent in that finished report. Three from your colleagues, all scrambling for help with the exam. One from Tara:

Thanks for saying you’d look over this for me! You’re the best at this stuff!

Ok, so: Tara’s practice question. Nero’s report. Your own practice questions. Then… dinner? Maybe that should come first. You’d skipped lunch— had one slice of toast for breakfast. But you don’t wanna cook; cooking takes time, and you’ve got none. None.

Your phone is ringing, snapping you back to reality, and you peek over at it. Sylus?

“Hi,” you greet as you put him on speaker. On your laptop, you’re opening up Tara’s attachment.

“Are you free tomorrow?”

Always straight to the point. “Uh… yeah?” you frown as you read through your friend’s work. “Why? What d’you need?”

Sylus sighs through the phone. “That was a test, sweetie. You failed.”

“Yeah, well…” you murmur, highlighting a sentence with your cursor. “Add it to the list.”

The man doesn’t find that funny. The phone is quiet— too quiet. “Are you alright?” he asks, just as your gaze wanders to check if the call has disconnected.

“Mmhmm.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Sylus.”

You stare down at your phone. He’s waiting for more, but you won’t give it to him. You’re one word away from slipping, and you can’t let the dam crumble, especially in front of him. He’s smiling from the phone call background: a photo he insisted would ‘ruin’ his image when you took it last week.  

“I need to go, ok?” Your eyes are shining.

“Ok,” he says softly.

There’s a bleep as the call cuts out, and the photo is gone. Waiting beneath it is another text from Tara, and one from Xavier: Nero told me to txt U bout a report??

You swallow the ache in your throat and slump down on your desk again.

…

You wake up with a start, your head ringing. The tangerine sky outside your window’s turned dark— your laptop, too— and light spills from your desk lamp, yellow on white pages. There’s more, and you turn, tracing it back to where it leaks through the crack of your almost closed bedroom door.

You hadn’t left any lights on in your flat. You hadn’t switched on your lamp, either.

Tiredness is dulling your thoughts and your senses, but you know you feel uneasy. There’s something in the air: smoky, but not unpleasant. You can hear something as well. No— two things. A faint, almost imperceptible hiss, and a more obvious humming.

Hunter instincts kick in. You roll open a drawer of your desk, snatching up one of your standard-issue pistols and removing its safety with a click. You stalk up to the door, your trained footsteps near silent. You take a deep breath, clearing your head. One. Two.

Three! You shoulder the door open, leaping through with your gun trained forwards.

At the other end of your sights, Sylus turns, an eyebrow raised. Your kitchen stove seethes behind him, and he gives you a once over as he sluggishly raises both hands. “You flatter me, kitten,” he smirks in surrender, looking between your weapon and his: a spatula.

You lower your gun, your heart still racing. “I could have killed you, Sylus!”

“That’s the spirit.” His hands drop, too.

“How did you even get in here?”

He’s turned back to the stove, and he’s using the spatula to push something around a frying pan. “Hmm…” he muses, then blink— he’s gone. He’s at your fridge a second later, materialising from thin air. “I wonder,” he finishes as he reaches around for something.

Show off. “You know how I feel about you telepor…” No. “Phas…” No. “Magic…king…?” By now he’s watching you over his shoulder. “You know— that thing you do.” You’re twinkling your fingers. “What do you even call that?”

“Magicking, yeah.”

You huff in response and he laughs, walking back over to where he’s cooking two steaks and preparing a salad. You’re still coming to terms with the fact he’s even here, looking... quite frankly ridiculous, because he’s wearing your apron. It’s too small for him. Baby pink. Frilly, too.

“You know how I feel about you magicking into my home,” you mutter distractedly, because actually? He’s kinda pulling it off. His sleeves are rolled up past his elbows, tight on his arms. “Use the door like a regular person, you psychopath.”  

“Where’s the fun in that?” He sounds smug. Ugh, he must feel your eyes on him; he must know. You think he’s toying with the idea of calling you out, but he doesn’t, and when he does speak, the smugness is gone. “Mephisto saw you were sleeping. I didn’t wish to disturb you. You sounded… tired. On the phone.”

Guilt twinges in your chest as you draw up beside him. “Is that why you’re here? Playing housewife?” You pick at a frill on the apron.

“Poke fun all you want,” he sneers. “This shirt costs more than your entire wardrobe.”

“Snob.”

“Ha.” You have to retract your hand as he threatens it with the spatula. “Watch yourself, sweetie. I’ll remember that the next time you ask to ‘borrow’ my card.”

You laugh gently. Now that’s a threat. You’re about to tell him so when you hear a ping from the other room, and your heart sinks. Just a single sound, and you’re back to where you were an hour ago, at your desk with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Sylus hums in acknowledgment as you excuse yourself and hurry back to your workspace, snatching up your phone. You missed three calls while you sleeping: all from Xavier. He’s been texting you, too.

Nero’s yelling at me

Wants to talk to U

Can U pick up? Pls?

It’s one report, for gods’ sake. You feel your chest tightening again. You just needed to proofread it, but it’s probably fine, right? You wake your laptop out of standby; you’ll just send it as it is. “I’ll just be a minute, Sy,” you call out. “Need to finish one thing.”

He mumbles something in response, and you imagine it’s for the best you can’t hear it. Your keyboard clacks as you tap out a quick email to Nero, then you surf your files for the report he so desperately wanted. It should be… here. You attach it. Hit send.

Nothing happens.

Huh. You hit send again. Then again— still nothing. You groan, trying to back out of the email. None of your keys are working. Your cursor is stuck. “Oh, come on,” you release on an impatient breath. Switch it off, switch it on again? You hit the off button. The screen goes black.

With a sigh of relief, you wait a moment before switching it on again. The screen stays black.

“No, no, no, no,” you plead quietly, but it doesn’t cooperate. Your phone rings and you snap, hitting more buttons: Answer. Speaker. “What?” you hiss.

“Whoa. Hi…?” Xavier’s voice is cautious. “I don’t know if you saw my texts, but Nero—”

“The report, Xavier! I know! I know!” You try holding down your laptop’s power button. “I’m trying to send it, but my shitty computer won’t—”

“No way!” Tara’s voice comes in on the other line; did they both get the night shift? “Hey you! Did you get a chance to—”

“No, ok?!” you practically cry out. “No! Can you two just back off? Please!”

“Oh, sorry, I…” Tara sounds upset, then distracted. “Wait, Xavier wants to speak to you.”

“Are you ok?” he asks after a second.

Ok? You just want everything to stop. “I’m fine. Shit, tell Tara I’m sorry. I am sorry, Xavier, I just… I just need my laptop to…”

Work. Work! Nothing’s working. Half of your files are on there. How much of it is backed-up? Panic is setting in, gripping your body like ice. Your throat hurts and your mouth is dry, the dam is breaking and you can’t stop it. Tears prick at your eyes as you blink at the blank, hopeless screen. Your reflection stares back at you.

You let out a sob, expelling days of frustration and exhaustion. Everywhere you look there’s something you need to do, something you need to learn, something you need to finish. You can’t. You clasp a hand over your mouth, muffling your own cries.

Xavier is speaking— saying something over the phone— but you can’t hear him.

The light changes, and there’s a figure above you, lifting the phone from the desk. “They’ll call you back,” the shadow says. Sylus.

“Wait, who is this?” Xavier.

“That’s Skye!” Tara.

Your friends’ distant voices cut out as Sylus ends the call. He sets the phone down again, nudging your laptop out of view, then lowers himself until all you can see is him: his red eyes, softer than you’ve ever seen them. “Come on, sweetie,” he coaxes, guiding your hands over his shoulders.

You understand what he’s asking of you. His arms wrap around you and you hold him tighter, letting him lift you out of your chair. He feels warm, his skin ever so slightly flushed from where he’s been standing over the stove, and he pulls your legs around his waist, letting him carry you with ease.

With your face buried in his shoulder, you can’t tell where he’s taking you, and you don’t care. His shirt is going damp against your cheeks. You want to stop crying, but you can’t with the taste of your tears on your lips. You feel weak. You feel pathetic.

Something solid is behind you, and Sylus is setting you slowly down on the kitchen counter. He’s away from you for a moment— moving the frying pan off of the heat and turning a dial on the stove— but then he’s back, standing between your legs, standing close. You’re looking down until his hand is under your chin, lifting it with the delicate touch one employs when inspecting a flower that might break.

He shushes you without a hint of impatience. “Look at me,” he directs quietly, and when you do, he unrolls his shirtsleeves— drawing the cuffs over his hands so he can use them to wipe your eyes. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”

You do— you tell him everything. The hunter’s exam. The textbooks. The extra patrols you’ve been signing up for. The work you’ve been doing for your friends. The stupid report. The even more stupid computer.

Sylus listens collectedly, nodding his head and issuing the odd hum of understanding. He listens to all of it, and when you’re done, he pushes your hair back from your face with a sympathetic sigh. “Oh, sweetie.” A tendril is tucked behind your ear. “You should have said something.”

“I know.” Your gaze is still shy of his. “But how can I? I need to do this— be this— for everyone.”

His hands are on your cheeks again, drawing back your focus. “You’re just one person,” he says. “You— just you— and that’s all you need to be. You’re stubborn, and strong, but you’re not invincible. Even Linkon’s shiniest hunter is allowed to have limits. Everyone does.”

“Even you?” you snivel, setting him up for a quip.  

Nothing. He smiles. Shrugs. “Even me.”

It’s hard to believe when he’s staring back at you, oh so solid, oh so perfect. Always a picture of strength: of fiery determination or calculated coolness. Everything in extremes; nothing by halves. Except… his hair is slightly dishevelled from where he’s been working away in the heat. There’s a damp patch on his shirt. He’s wearing your pink apron, and there’s mascara on his sleeves.

Then there’s the way he’s looking at you.

It shifts when you finally look back. He drops his hands from your face and pulls back a little. “You do a lot for your friends,” he continues with confidence, but he’s rubbing his neck, “and they care about you. You should afford them the chance to return the favour. It’s only fair.”

“You’re right.”

“…Good.”

Perhaps it’s the fact you’ve vaguely composed yourself— or the way you’re watching him like you’re seeing something new— but he straightens self-consciously, rolling his shirtsleeves back up as his eyes go sharp: assuming their usual severity.

“You’re too soft, kitten,” he scolds, reaching out to tousle your hair until you’re glaring daggers from behind a curtain of it. “How many times do I have to tell you? You put yourself first. Always. No-one else matters.”

There’s quiet for all of a second. He can’t help correcting: “Well, except me, of course.” The apron’s crooked, and he flattens it with a brush of his hands. “Any time spent with me qualifies as self-care. You really should know that by now, sweetie.”

Your mouth curls, but you haven’t quite got it in you to laugh— not yet. Stretching his neck with two sideways tips of his head, Sylus returns to his post at the oven, where the meal he’s cooking has almost certainly gone cold. You watch as the stove flickers back to life. The man is humming again, and though the food might yet be salvaged, whatever melody he’s attempting is long-past recognition, let alone saving.

You chuckle to yourself.

And you can’t see it, but Sylus is smiling, too.

[impyssadobsessions]

Here's a comic depicting a snippet of a story Idea I have. >w<

(Link to Reference Art I made of Danny) Danny comes across Clockwork's lair, see's some visions of a past he wasn't quite sure of whose, before being dropped down a hole where CW cryptically fills him in as to why he had summon him. Thus dropping Danny into this new world with only knowing he has to save a guy name Dante- and defeat Pariah again. He falls through a roof of a thrift store- fights some skeleton demons with the racks after learning something is weird with his powers as he cannot change into phantom and his body feels weird. His clothes get ripped and tatter thus him "borrowing" clothes and walking out to see the extent of what Pariah has already done.

Which causes him to run into a big bull demon and fights him one to one- while learning the new limitations on his powers/how they work in this world. Spoiled below more ideas that are very rough and not set in stone. That I copied and pasted from my word document- which was just hastily written down as to not forget.

Danny is summon for another favor for Clockwork- CW isnt in the tower but screens of timelines are playing around the room. Danny thinks some of them are cool- wondering when and where that is- until he see one of a woman running with a baby in her arms. Cut back to danny who falls through a hole in the ground and winds up falling into a thrift store. His form has changed and his powers don't really work how they were suppose to. Maybe instead following Pariah into the demon world- finding himself in same scenario. Maybe CW gives only cryptic word help dante. But dante supposedly still gone so meets nero instead. Nero over time realizes Danny might not be human- doesn't think ghost- but assume Danny might be Dante's son... for various reasoning. ---Maybe CW is split in two reason Danny was able to live on the other side. (because of legend of Pariah having been banished to in between because he was feared by demons- only for him to take over new world and being sealed there. Chronos was part of the reason he got banished. ) -Pariah Dark being big bad. But once Danny wins title of king the curse tries to bind him. Then Clockwork stabs him to the ground with his staff- essentially winning the title and being sealed away with Pariah. Danny is rescued by Dante, and he uses the staff to slow the closing of the portal. Everyone safe and rescued. Danny stands where the portal was and cries. Overwhelmed by information and also realizing he has no way back home.

--- Also thought of an idea for a sequel idea- where Danny is in a comatose state but it is revealed after a seemingly heartwarming scene of Dante and Danny watching the sunset peacefully as father and son. Then Nero arrives to pick up Danny. Dante reveals that they know where the guy who did this to danny is and how to get Danny back to normal. (Vergil having scouted ahead) Dante leaves to help clear out the problem leaving Nero with literal dead weight as Nero has to take Danny's lifeless body to the lair- Danny slowly regaining some motion as he gets closer to his-self. Nero at first saying Danny owes him big time- but as it goes on Nero like- hey don't pay it back all in one go- I still need at least one favor so I could spend a nice night with kyrie. (Because Danny uses his blood to help Nero fight back the ghosts- and then him phasing them through a collapsed ceiling while still in a coma like state) Very Nero centric taking care of Danny- and whose been taking the most care of Danny. So very much him just talking one sided to Danny but seriously hoping for the best. And to clock the guy who did this. Which my idea that it be actually Dan ;3 who split Danny apart.

[felassan]

Super random but by any chance do you know or know of a resource that lists what crow houses control/reside in which antivan city? I realized I had no idea who's supposed to be in "control" of Treviso and managed to just confuse myself more on crow lore....

hello! ◕‿◕ (rest of post under cut due to DA:TV spoilers)

we know that the Crows sometimes have "territory disputes" (quote from Caterina). the disputes part implies that the Crow 'territory map', if you like, isn't static. I also do wonder if some of the larger settlements at least are in practise 'split up', with different portions being controlled by different houses?

World of Thedas has it that House Valisti operates (or operated?) out of Treviso.

in DA:TV, we see that House Dellamorte has the Dellamorte Estates/Villa Dellamorte/Dellamorte Opera House in Treviso, and that once they owned a vineyard that lay south of Treviso; that House Cantori has the Cantori Diamond casino in Treviso; and that the Talons of de Riva, Cantori and Dellamorte are in Treviso. Teia writes to a colleague in Antiva City that Crows from Cantori, Arainai, Balazar, de Riva, Dellamorte, and minor houses like Magneretti and Candide are cooperating in Treviso under the occupation. ofc, someone being somewhere doesn't automatically mean it's their territory that they're in, Crows/Houses could own buildings and property in multiple places, and (re: below) people can own more than one home.

Tevinter Nights mentions that Viago de Riva has a home in Salle:

Teia, to Viago: "Are you going straight home to Salle?"

so perhaps Salle is where House de Riva usually operates out of?

Tevinter Nights mentions that Teia Cantori has a home in Rialto:

Teia had a garden full of the bell-shaped flowers in Rialto.

Teia: "Andoral so rarely gets a chance to let loose in Rialto."

so perhaps Rialto is where House Cantori usually operates out of?

given those ideas, and with Villa Dellamorte/Dellamorte Estates (Caterina/Lucanis/Illario's home) being in Treviso (and also the way Lucanis talks about Treviso), maybe Treviso was usually where the Dellamorte operated out of?

Tevinter Nights also might imply that Teia has another home in Antiva City[?], the city where she was a thief on the streets of before she joined the Crows. When Viago replies to the question about Salle, he says no, he's going to Antiva City, and asks her why she's asking. She says "To see if you had a place to stay", in invitation.

This TN passage could imply that House Nero originates somewhere coastal, somewhere along the Rialto Bay:

Bolivar had all the trappings of a Talon, but none of the substance. His family had made their fortune as pearl divers and were once the wealthiest elves in Antiva. House Nero no longer held that title, but Bolivar spent coin as if Rialto Bay had an infinite supply of pearls to support his lavish lifestyle.

(It's also said that pearls are synonymous with House Nero).

Zevran was purchased in Rialto and speaks of Antiva City - maybe House Arainai has/had a presence in that/those place[s]?

🤔

[leggerefiore]

so I have an angst request that I’m wondering if you could do. I love the fankids but I’m wondering if for some reason the fankids end up in another world. Where they don’t exist. Their respective parents exist but due to some nonsense (Cyrus and his refusal to stop, Grimsley cheating, Nanu pushing reader away) their parents never got together and now they are stuck in such an unfamiliar place without the comfort of their parents. They stay with reader and the pokemen realize that in another world they are happy and have a loving family. So lots of angst from all sides until one day the real parents come to rescue their children and take them away. Leaving the people in this weird world confused and in despair. Hope that makes sense! Idk why I am in such a mood lol

cw: angst, some (not) parental arguing in cyrus's part, cheating in grimsley's, fankids amuck

characters: Grimsley, Cyrus, Nanu

i wrote this for no one to read lmao. changed the request a bit sorryyyy

interesting

♠️Grimsley❤️

♤ Nero held tightly onto Morrigan as they looked around at their surroundings. It was still Alola, same as ever. A place he originally had been upset about moving to, yet now it was a comfort to see. The Ultra Wormhole had been a surprise, both had not been expected such a thing to just pull them in. Nanu had warned them – Telling them stories of fallers without memories ending up in unknown places. They had not had their memories scrambled, at least. Well, he had not. Morrigan had fallen unconscious. It seemed that it likely had just looped them back around. He bravely supported his twin on his shoulder and headed towards the nearest pokemon centre.

♡ Yet, as he headed to the one near the Tapu Village, he passed a familiar man. A man who was just about to walk past them when he felt his annoyance spike. How could he ignore his son and daughter like that!? It was frustrating enough that his father never seemed to learn from his mistakes. His glare seemed to make the gambler come to a stop. “… May I help you?” he asked, “Are you playing the hero to a helpless damsel with the hopes of winning big in the end?” Nero felt like gagging. That was his sister.

◇ “… You're not funny, dad,” Nero grumbled, “Help me with Morrigan. She's been unconscious for a minute, and I'm seriously worried.” He went to move his sister to the older man, but Grimsley took a step back. Icy blue eyes observed him for too closely before switching to Morrigan. He cocked up a brow and brought a hand to his chin. “… Dad,” Nero urged, “Seriously. Help. This is your daughter. Don't you care about her?” This once more caught the gambler off guard. There was much pondering.

♧ “Can you tell your parent I don't appreciate being informed of such a monumental thing in this way?” was Grimsley's reply, “Do they want child support or something? I'm completely broke these days. They played their hot hand too late.” Nero felt frustrated. Was he mocking them? This truly was not the time. He felt Morrigan begin to stir. Her head lifted as she looked around and grasped her head. Then, her gaze landed on Grimsley.

♤ “Dad!” she smiled and moved to hug the gambler, “Nero and I got pulled into one of the Ultra Wormholes!” Grimsley awkwardly dodged her affection. She tilted her head, unsure if this was her dad messing with her. “… Well, I guess it was mostly my fault,” she admitted, “The thrill of whether we would end up in some strange alien world was too much to resist.” His expression was strange at her words. She shrunk back. He almost looked like he was regarding her as one might an insect.

♡ “… I don't know what lies you have been fed,” he let out a breath, “But, I have little interest in being a dad. I doubt you're my only children out there. Just because I had some on and off again relationship with your parent doesn't mean I'm interested in you.” He shook his head. Morrigan took a step back, confused. It was the first time in her like in which her father had ever spoken so harshly to him. Nero stepped forward and stomped a foot at him, already sick of his shit. Whatever game he was playing at, he was taking too far. Being cruel to Morrigan for seemingly no reason and insulting their other parent was too much. Grimsley actually looked a bit intimidated. “… They should have told you this. I made that clear before we broke up.”

◇ Both stood shocked. Broken… up? Neither could recall their parents being unhappy with another despite the circumstance that had happened to them. In fact, if anything, their other parent had been happy Grimsley had more time to lavish on them. Both looked at one another in horror at the thought. This had to be another world. Or Grimsley was really messing with him, but both could tell his expression was too real. “… What?” he questioned, cooking a brow at the twins, “Did they not tell you? Apparently, when I started dating them, I wasn't supposed to keep sleeping around.” Nero had to be physically held back. Though, it did confirm that this was not their world.

♧ Before the situation could intensify any further, a familiar voice called out their names. Both stood astonished when their father seemingly appeared with you in strange not-quite spacesuits. The other Grimsley took a few steps back when his counterpart removed his helmet. “… Oh, man, you two actually nearly gave me a heart attack,” he seemingly ignored his lookalike to approach the two kids, “You certainly did Nanu. The old man was calling all the shots on your missing investigation. Didn't think he was that attached to you both.” He brought a hand to rest on each of their shoulders. Morrigan soon shoved Nero out of the way to cling to Grimsley. Nero watched as the other one observed how you approached them, too, smiling softly. He should have felt at ease.

♤ “… What a situation,” the other Grimsley remarked, placing a hand on his hip. It was clear that he could comprehend this scene. Yes, he understood Ultra Wormholes thanks to Nanu's badgering about avoiding them, but here stood a testament to something far greater than his understanding. Something inside of him twisted at the sight of the happy family. It was something that he never desire, but he could observe the genuine smile on his counterpart's face. “… Did something happen to your head?” he questioned his alternate self.

♡ That Grimsley managed to escape his daughter's hold. Turning to his counterpart, he tilted his head. “… Nope,” his simple reply was with a shrug, “I fell in love. I simply couldn't resist them, and now I've built myself up something. It's better than any high from a thrill.” He pointed the twins to follow you as he headed away. “When you really want something as yours… It drives you into a special kind of madness.” He bid his counterpart farewell and walked over wrap an arm around his partner's waist.

That Grimsley pondered if he could have ended up like his counterpart.

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ Cyllene would admit she was perhaps a little too playful. Even if she was a child, there were certain things she knew better than to do yet still did. Engaging with Palkia was chief among them. The legendary had opened a portal, and she, curious crawled in. Which led to her seemingly being atop Mt Coronet. She was lost as to what had happened, but simply assumed that Palkia had created a portal to the top of the mountain. She opted against thinking too much on it, as nothing was immediately odd or uncommon. That was until she found herself riding the train back towards Veilstone. Most people glanced at her strangely. It made her a bit nervous, but she otherwise made her home trip as normal.

☄️ The glances in Veilstone were far more intense as she was spotted by some Galactic grunts. She tilted her head at their reaction. They gazed at her like some unexpected oddity. She ignored them and simply made her way to apartment her family resided in. It was only as she approached the door that she realised she did not have her key. Nervously, she brought her tiny fist to knock against the door. It was quiet for far too long until the speaker beside the door beeped on. “… Are you lost?” It was unmistakably the voice of her father, “There is a police box just a few buildings down. They can help out find your parents.” Cyllene stood stunned. Her eyes went wide, and her heart raced in her chest. Her father was not one for such jokes. Tears burned her eyes.

☄️ “… F-Father…?” her voice was small. The PA system was quiet for but a moment. Then a reply. A simple questioning, “Pardon?” Cyllene moved closer to the speaker, knowing it doubled as a camera. “… Dad…” she begged, “Please…. please don't tease me…” She felt like crying. More silence followed before the door clicked open to reveal the man who was no doubt her father. He was wearing more casual clothing and his hair was unstyled, but it was him. She clung to his legs and felt herself begin to cry. Why was he being mean to her?

☄️ This Cyrus stood stunned, however, at this little girl who stood outside his home. He was no fool. The resemblance was plain as day. This child was a relative of his, if not directly related to him. Some horrible sense of empathy burned in his hardened heart as she wept. Instinct got the better of him as he knelt down and rested a hand on her back. Her reactions… They reminded him of someone. He swallowed. Judging by her age… It was not illogical to assume a possibility that she was… He sighed. “There, there…” his voice was soft, “… Are you claiming that you are my daughter?”

☄️ Cyllene nodded. She could not fathom her own father not recognising her. Had he attempted to mess with the Lake Guardians once again? Her panic led to her gripping his arms tightly. “Father…” she mumbled. His eyes went wide. Another question came from him. A question about her whole parentage. Cyllene blinked at this one. “… My other parent is…” A familiar name left her. Cyrus was frozen by her words. His theory… It was correct. How could this be? The question was about to leave him before he finally motioned her in the apartment.

☄️ Cyllene was further shocked at the state of it. There was no trace of family home she had come to know. Nothing of the small projects she had worked on with her father or the bed for Weavile in the living room. It was dark and seemingly mostly unused. Slowly, it finally set in about what had occurred. She felt sick. All she wanted was her Rotom toy or her bed or for her father to sit her in his lap and explain a star map to her. Instead, she was stuck with an alternate reality version of her father. One who clearly did not recognise her. More tears escaped her eyes. This Cyrus seemed to attempt to comfort her again.

☄️ Forcing down her torment, she was faced with a situation. Yet, before she could be given a chance to explain, her father had out his phone and was making a phone call. His tone was reserved, but Cyllene recognised the voice on the other end of the call. A demand was made for them to meet him at once. Seemingly, they relented after a bit of back and forth. Cyrus informed her she would be back with her other parent soon enough. Yet, they needed to have a chat before he handed her back off. Cyllene felt bewildered. There was no time to object when he grasped her hand tugged her along to a certain building in Veilstone. There stood another, waiting with their arms crossed and clear frustration on their face. Though, this was changed when they saw Cyrus approach with Cyllene.

☄️ “Why did you fail to tell me of our child!?” Cyrus's voice was a rare kind of loud and aggressive. Cyllene was startled away from him due to it. Her other parent stood shocked, too. Their eyes went to Cyllene and back to Cyrus. A simple response of not knowing failed to appease the man. The two soon fell into an argument, making Cyllene curl into herself. Panic burned inside her and made her arms feel numb. All she could do was tap to two stones she found on the ground together. It only seemed to grow worse and worse until finally a voice cut through the fighting.

☄️ “Cyllene.” Her head whipped up as tears fell from her eyes. There, approaching from stairs leading up to the Galactic building was another Cyrus. His gaze was firmly on her. Her legs had never moved so quickly. This version of the Galactic Boss caught her and held her tightly to himself. Another person ran up the stair to them. You. Her eyes burned as you brought a hand gently to comb through her hair. The alternate pair of you both came to an abrupt silence.

☄️ “… What is this?” the Cyrus of this world asked. The Cyrus she knew shook his head. “… Pointless to discuss such things. The idea of parallel worlds existing is something that you are no doubt aware of,” was his reply, “It seems we are two versions of the same person who engaged with different choices. Intriguing.” He clutched Cyllene tighter to himself. The other Cyrus nodded. The other you stood shocked at how close you were to your Cyrus. “… I apologise. We will be correcting this error,” with those words, Cyllene was lifted into the air and carried away by her father to a nearby portal.

Somehow, she felt as if those two had been changed by the experience.

🐈‍⬛️Nanu❤️‍🩹

🌑 Ohi'a would admit what he did was dumb. And, without a doubt, would piss off his dad. The geezer probably would be ready to kill him and then himself if he learnt that he got pulled in an Ultra Wormhole. It really had not been his fault. A toddler almost pulled in, and he dumbly rushed over to push them out of the way. He, instead, was sucked in. Yet… Despite all the horror stories of fallers and Miss Anabel's own existence, he did not fell discombobulated nor without his memories. Looking around, in fact, he still just seemed to be in Alola. The same as ever. He shrugged it off and headed back towards the Po Town police station. He needed to discuss whatever happened with his dad even if it was going to be a pain in the ass. He could already feel the hardened glare of the Kahuna piercing his soul.

🌑 He found himself approaching the station, seeing a familiar man and girl outside the door. Both turned to glance at him strangely. Ohi'a cocked up a brow at them. Acerola approached him with a bright smile and asked if he was lost. He was bewildered. Lost? He lived here. His gaze drifted to his dad, who was trying to pretend that he was not there. “… Huh?” he finally spoke, “… It's me. Ohi'a. I live here.” Acerola's head tilted while Nanu's attention finally shifted onto him.

🌑 “… In Alola?” Nanu finally cut in, carefully treading over, “Where, boy? You aren't trying to join Team Skull, are you?” His hands were in his pockets. Those crimson eyes stared into his own matching ones as if attempting to intimidate him. Ohi'a's nose scrunched up. What? He was acting extremely suspicious towards him. Why? Acerola was even treating him like an anomaly, too. It stung more than he would like to admit. Was this some kind of punishment? It was not like his father at all. Nanu could be a bit of a hard ass, but nothing cruel. Something was wrong here.

🌑 “… No. I mean…” Ohi'a trailed off, pondering what to say. The idea of parallel realities was no unknown to him. That one trainer on their island challenge had told him about their travels in the Ultra Wormhole. An alternate reality, far into the future of a destroyed Hau'Oli city. He stiffened up. Bringing his hand to the back of his neck, he sighed. “… Look, I don't think you'll believe me, but I fell through an Ultra Wormhole,” he explained. Nanu tensed up visibly at his words. “Through some struck of luck, I still have my memories,” he met his gaze, “… No idea what's going on in this world, but in mine, you're my old man.”

🌑 Nanu registered his words in an instant. The suspicion towards him somehow seemed to both fall and increase. Shaking his head, a sigh left him. Acerola gasped at Ohi'a's words and looked between Nanu and him. The Kahuna motioned for him to follow him into the police station. He waved Acerola off, too. Both of them sat in the station for a moment in silence. Ohi'a took in that it seemed much more… different from his memories. A single couch for sleeping. Nothing really to survive on. Some take-out and instant ramen about. “… So, can I ask who your other parent is?” he finally broke the silence. Something told Ohi'a that he already had an idea. His reply of a certain name only got a nod. “Figured…” He sighed, “… Am I a happy family man in your world or something?”

🌑 “… Nope,” Ohi'a replied, watching a Meowth approach him and give his hand a sniff. He brought a hand to pet the pokemon. Its soft fur, a familiar comfort. Nanu observed the interaction. “You're exactly the same, but you're married,” he shrugged, “… I guess you get busy with us, though. Tapu Bulu seems quite happy you had a kid.” Nanu scoffed at that. “I need to get back, you know” he continued, “My parents… They'll end up worried. You seem to think I'm more trouble than I'm worth until something happens to me.”

🌑 Nanu glanced at him. “… Are they happy?” he asked seriously. Ohi'a thought on his family for a moment. It was difficult to tell with how tormented Nanu could be, but he knew his father simply enjoyed the peacefulness of being in a loving relationship. You adored Nanu, often being far too affectionate for either of their tastes, but the small smile on his father's lips. You were happy as can be. Despite everything, he felt his family life was healthy. His parents were in a loving relationship, and they both cared for him.

🌑 “… Pretty much,” he nodded, “… What happened here?” He glanced at the alternate version of his father. Nanu shook his head. Ohi'a felt curious. His father always seemed quite attached to his other parent, typically being quite open to whatever they wanted simply to appease them or make them happy. Granted, it was still in his usual lazy fashion, but it was much like a cat putting up with its owner annoying it out of love. “Are you not together?” Another head shake. Ohi'a felt his heart drop. It was already strange enough being in a world where he did not exist, but his parents not being together felt strangely more difficult.

🌑 Before the conversation could grow any deeper, the door to the station opened, revealing three people in strange suits. Ohi'a recognised them as the attire of the Ultra Recon Squad. Stepping in, one removed their helmet to meet the eyes of the other two. Another Nanu. It felt like something out of a bad movie. “… There you are,” he walked to Ohi'a, “… You're more trouble than you're worth, boy.” The boy rolled his eyes in return. The other person revealed themselves to be you as you rushed over to hug him. He groaned at the tightness. The third actually seemed to be one of the Ultra Recon members.

🌑 The other Nanu relaxed as the recon member explained that they had a way to safely return to their original world. Yet, he felt himself staring at the family for far too long. Everything he had rejected because he felt so unworthy stood right in front of him. His counterpart met his eye. “Thanks for watching over him,” he nodded, “I apologise if he caused any problems.” The Kahuna shook his head. As the four departed from the station, he sat alone for a moment in deep thought.

Maybe he should contact them. It probably was not too late.

[icycoldninja]

Hello :) hope you’re having an early spoop-tackular month full of treats or tricks ∩^ω^∩

I love your writing and had something that has been tickling my peewee of a brain—ya know bouncing about the noggin’.

Many eons ago I discovered that when I get angry, frustrated, scared, or excited I put on my good ole country accent since where I live it’s full of southerns AND northerners. So basically I can be a distinguished fellow one moment then mere seconds later become a hillbilly bent outta shape because someone forgot my Diet Dr. Kelp while ordering pizza from the Krusty Krab

imagine the Sparda boys with their s/o that is known to be really, really sweet to everyone but when the s/o gets super upset or angry she full throttle her southern accent and it always throws people off guard 💀

YOU ARE PERFECT AND AMAZING TYSM FOR KEEPING MY HEART IN LOVE WITH DMC. WELL WHAT I MEAN IS THANK YOU FOR THE MOTIVATION.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I AM! OK, first of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I know this took like a century to post and I hope you forgive me for that. Enjoy!

Sparda boys + V x Reader with a southern accent headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-Normally, you sound as average as average can be. No one thinks there's anything odd about the way you speak.

-Dante honestly couldn't care less about accents anyway, what you say is the same, regardless of how you pronounced it.

-Except for when you get angry and fly off the handle, cursing and shouting like the ol' hillbilly you sort of are.

-Dante absolutely loses it, laughing so hard he almost pees himself. While such a reaction is understandable the first time, it just doesn't make sense that he continues laughing after the 50th or 60th time.

-Shows you off to everyone at gatherings and parties, always asking you to say a joke or something in your accent.

-It's nice to have all the attention and surprise people like that, but you get tired of doing it after a while. One can only hope Dante will get tired of it too.

■ Vergil ■

-Vergil is largely indifferent to the way you speak.

-Or so he thought, until one day you got mad at something and started screaming like a true Southerner.

-He was convinced you had become possessed by a demon of some sort and was ready to drive it out of you, when you snapped back to your usual self and started talking normally again.

-He couldn't believe what he just heard, and after mentally debating it, decided to pretend it never happened and tell himself he imagined the whole thing.

-When you do it again a few days later, he is forced to accept the fact that your accent is real, and worst of all, that it's funny.

-Now he has to cover his face with his book whenever you blow your stack or everyone will see him grimacing to hold back laughter.

□ Nero □

-Nero never thought anything was suspicious about you at any point, why would he, anyway?

-He knew you were from the South, since you told him, and while he did wonder why you didn't sound like most southerners, he chalked it up to familial influence or something and left it at that.

-Needless to say, Nero was pretty confused the first time he heard you go off like that.

-He thought you were doing it to be funny, but realized this was natural after hearing it a few times.

-He thinks you sound like Nico and can't wait for the day when you both get upset over something and start aggressively jabbering at each other.

-You and your funny way of talking are cute in Nero's eyes, but that's about it. He's just not one to care for silly things like that.

● V ●

-Since V has only arrived on earth recently, he is doing his best to learn about the workings of the world.

-He was familiar with the concept of accents and dialects, sure, having been around Nico for a while, but when he met you, he never thought you'd be one of those individuals with a distinct accent.

-You were pretty normal until Griffon made a particularly hurtful comment that you decided to return. All of a sudden, your accent kicks in and you start scolding that bird in true Southern momma fashion.

-V was stunned for a moment, then was quickly reduced to laughter because the whole exchange was hilarious.

-When you demanded to know what the hell he was laughing about, he just kept going.

-You eventually gave up and left him to his devices because there was no point in trying to understand his mind.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

How I think Meg would react to the other 11 Olympians:

This was originally on Discord in a convo between Chronic and me :3

Zeus: Would have zero (0) respect for him. I think she would be able to read between the lines and see that Zeus & Apollo have a...complicated relationship, perhaps enough to figure out the parallels between them and her & Nero.

Hera: Honestly I don't really think Meg would be that intimated by her? Maybe put off a little by her cold exterior but if she sees how Apollo acts around her she'd probably just follow his lead and dunk on her with him

Poseidon: ??? Zero clue what would happen here.

Demeter: agree with u Meg would be a little wary of Demeter.

Athena: Perhaps a bit intimated? Athena's a very reserved person who keeps her cards close to her chest, while Meg prefers to get to the point and start stabbing problems away. Athena's whole deal may make Meg wary of her, perhaps even a bit distrustful because of how secretive she is.

Ares: I wonder if she would be equally affected by Ares's whole "fight aura" as Percy is so she may get a little aggressive with him, but Ares would probably find it funny though i would like to direct his attention to the last time a twelve year old got aggressive with him lol

Hephaestus: I think they'd be pretty chill. Probably don't interact much because Hephaestus isn't really a people-person and Meg's kinda reserved too. Maybe they'd bond over some type of machine-plant invention that makes Apollo go oh no

Aphrodite: Hmm...I think she may be slightly disturbed by Aphrodite's whole "I play with your love life because I like you so much!" thing. She'd take one look and go "you fucked up Apollo's life because you like him?????" Meg's blunt personality probably wouldn't mix the best with Aphrodite's guile and subtly.

Hermes: She wouldn't like him lol summons the wall lizard I just don't see Meg really liking Hermes all that much? Though I don't know why? Just the vibe I get from her

Artemis: Mutual inner jealousy beloved haha. I think Meg would be a bit jealous/resentful of Artemis because of how much she takes Apollo for granted. Meanwhile, Artemis is jealous that Apollo "prefers" Meg's and Athena's company over hers even though her company usually involves her badgering him...tragic twins beloved. She's a huntress - she's territorial. When someone encroaches on her territory, she gets growly.

Dionysus: She'd like him lol. As seen in ToN, Dionysus likes messing with Apollo (in a good way) and she likes messing with Apollo (in a good way). They'd get along like a house on fire and Apollo fears this alliance (though is secretly pleased)

[hyperfixatedcatlover]

The Little Dancer In The Spider's Web - Prologue

Yandere Phantom Troupe x Ballerina Reader

So, this idea came to me randomly. I was wondering what a nen user with powers like Risotto Nero's stand Metallica would be like and wrote this. um, enjoy.

TW: Death of Sarasa, mentions of Kurta Clan Massacre, mentions of implied non-con (not the troupe members), future yandere behavior, MDNI

I do not condone these behaviors in real life.

I never belonged in that city.

Words you commonly think whenever the news of another massacre/heist done by the Phantom Troupe is reported on the news. The sentence wasn't too hurtful, for you know they were true. Even when you were a little girl in the place few know the existence of, whenever someone said it, you knew the words were true. Even as they defended you. Little you, abandoned with nothing more than a name stitched on a tattered blanket, birthday made to be the day you were found, raised in Meteor City, the city of criminals.

Why did I ever think I did?

When you were young, you met Sheila, a girl just a couple of years older than you, who gladly took you in as a shadow. Following her silently, clinging to her hand our hiding behind her when talking to adults, where ever she went, it wasn't a stretch to assume you weren't far behind. It was her who introduced you to Sarasa, another kind girl who took you in like a kid takes in a puppy, constantly jumping about with excitement. The three of you became like sisters. It was them who found the book on ballet, and it was your sisters who introduced you to him.

Why did he think I belonged with them?

He was thin and pale, but his hair was a rich black. His gray eyes seemed to know everything. By looking at you, it felt like he was watching your every memory and hearing your every thought like a movie. When he wanted to voiceover the VHS tape of The Power Cleaners, your sisters were on board, but not you. No matter what the two did, little you was so shy, a rabbit quivering in the city of wolves. Chrollo noticed your shyness and didn't seem to mind. He soon became another one you clung to. Shadowing him during days you couldn't shadow one of your sisters. He introduced you to them.

Why did they think I belonged with them?

They all knew eachother before, you could tell. One bonus to being so quiet that you're almost unnoticed is that you learn how to observe. Movements, sounds, patterns. Who a person first looks at and how says a lot about the dynamic between them. You met Pakunoda first. She seemed so mature despite being a teen, but that wasn't shocking. You grow up quick in that city, childhood is a mere biological stage in life. She was also close with your sisters, but there was always something that never seemed sisterly about her. Her eyes sharp, sharp enough to pierce through you, especially when you got close to Chrollo, you stopped shadowing him after a few too many glares from her. Then you met Uvogin, Feitan, Phinks, Nobunaga, Shalnark, Franklin, and Machi. They had known each other too, but some were closer than others. Uvogin and Nobunaga seemed to be connected at all times. Uvogin was like a wolf held back by something, and after seeing Nobunaga start a fight over a junk pile, you understood who was holding him back. They often joked about your height, being so small that one would sneak behind you and pick you up. Feitan, Phinks, and Shalnark seemed like a trio of troublemakers. They were, often pranking you and teasing you, something you still don't know if was done with malicious intent. They were good at hiding that from you. Machi seemed to go wherever and find a spot within the group. Her gut telling her where she should go, who she should trust, what she should do. Her instincts were almost always spot on and her cold demeaner somehow seemed less apparent with you. Franklin was always just there too, it felt. A silent protector, his size scaring off unwanted stragglers. He spoke little, but when he did, he was calm.

You weren't loud, speaking was hard, but you could dance.

The ballet book your sisters gave you was something you knew you'd like. You always had a rhythm in your step, you were always flexible, and you were silent. Moving about like a swan would, gracefully, silently, purely. The book had words in another language and you'd beg Chrollo to translate whenever you and your sisters saw him. You didn't like being alone with him, especially with Pakunoda not far behind. The book contained pictures of poses, step-by-step guides on moves, warm-ups, ballets, and everything you soon fell in love with. When you were alone, you'd go through the motions in the book, do the stretches, the moves, and make up your own dances. When people saw you dance, you seemed to hypnotize them, especially them. Uvogin and Nobunaga wouldn't pick you up, Feitan, Phinks, and Shalnark wouldn't tease you, Chrollo, Pakunoda, Machi, and Franklin would silently observe. Your moves were a little clunky, not having the music you needed, but they worked well. You loved to dance, and silently had the dream to become a dancer at the York New City Opera House, the worlds most famous stage, especially for ballerinas. You never told anyone, as you hardly ever spoke, but they could guess you wanted to be something more than a girl who could do a few tricks. Everything felt fine, normal, and happy. Well, as happy as things could feel in Meteor City.

Then the trio became a duo.

When you all split up to look for Sarasa who didn't show up for the recording that day, you went with Sheila. After failing to find her in the junkyard, you all reconvened, where one of the adults was taking the body wearing Sarasa's clothes to wear all the corpses go, a burlap sack held on top of the corpse. But then, you noticed something missing. Many in the group heard your voice for the first time that day when you said in a quiet voice,

"Sheila, where did Sarasa's head go?" Nobody answered. What could anyone say to that? When Chrollo looked at the bloody burlap sack, his reaction said it all. You were the most fragile. The silence broke you, the sight etched into your mind broke you. You fell to your knees, crying and silently screaming. Sheila's near crushing grip on your shoulders came after you fell to your knees like a puppet without a string. She pushed your head into her chest, holding onto you like you'd vanish if she let go. The grip was more for her than for you, you think. What else happened after the discovery is unknown to you. You faintly remember being picked up by someone, carried home, and being tucked into bed.

You were even more silent after that.

Everyone was shaken. Everyone felt a hollowness now that the bright energetic girl was permanently missing from your lives. Chrollo and Uvogin seemed to be the angriest. Uvogin was always quick to punch first and ask questions later, but there was nobody to punch in sight. Chrollo's anger was a quiet, simmering rage. Like a pot about to boil over, but nobody would realize until the burning smell permeated through every possible barrier. Everyone else seemed snippy. You distanced yourself for a while from them. From everyone really.

It took two years to dance again.

Everyone else seemed to recover. A secret strength unlocked in them. A year later, Sheila left to pursue her dream of being a hunter. You couldn't blame her. Everyone grew sick of this place eventually. A few days after Sheila left, Chrollo came by. You were stretching, using a decrepit table to prop your left foot on as you leaned to the side, right arm extended and touching your pointed toe and your side perfectly aligned with your leg. You remember the conversation to this day.

~~~~~~~~~

You paused as you heard a gentle knock and a gently calm voice asking to come in. Of course you let Chrollo in. You found some security with him and the Troupe. They seemed to ease up on teasing and piercing stares after a while. They were distracted by some promise Chrollo made Uvogin. You were going to ask if he needed anything but stopped when he said, "Do you want to join the Phantom Troupe?" You were slightly surprised.

"Is that the new official name for your acting troupe?" You were still quiet, but after Shelia left, you had to speak more.

"We aren’t acting anymore." That should've alarmed you, but everyone changed after the death of a member of the troupe. You just lived in denial. You turn to face him, looking up into his steely grey eyes.

"Then what are you doing?" Creaks in the floors from the other room let you know that the others were in the house listening for your answer. Quiet people always listen.

"Revenge."

"Oh." You knew this. This was something you wanted to avoid thinking about.

"Do you want to join? I know Sarasa was like a sister to you." Your fingers clutched the table behind you.

"No." Chrollo looked surprised for the first time, but only vaguely. His brows slightly raised and his eyes held that look of a predator figuring out the best way to catch his prey.

"No? You refuse to avenge your family?"

"I think we'd become the same monsters that killed her." 'We all know I don't belong in this city. Why are you even bothering with me?'

"People leave their stuff here. They need to learn they can't take it away. We'll be the ones to teach them."

"I refuse." 'I'm a weaking. I'll slow you down, I hate drawing blood. I can't do anything to help you.'

"Fine." Chrollo said curtly. He turned and left the building, the footsteps of the others following.

~~~~~~~~~~~

That was the last time you saw them in person.

Getting used to being alone took a while. People heard your voice more, people mocked you more. You realized how much you were guarded from when you lost the silent protection. But the pastor of the church took pity on you. He trained you in the same power that he taught the others. He told you how they asked him to not teach you as they could protect you, but now that they were gone, he'd teach you Nen. You caught on quick. The training making sense to you as ballet was also about patience. In a few months, you were able to do the water divination. You were a manipulator. After a few more months, you found your Hatsu, iron. Controlling iron came naturally to you. You never realized how deadly this was until a night you were dancing in a clearing, tucked behind several junk piles. You were practicing your pirouettes when a large man tackled you from behind, pinning you down. You knew instantly what he was going to do and your small size didn't help at all. You called your nen to do anything that would get the man to let go of you. When a warm liquid reeking of copper started dripping on your head and back, you realized what happened. You slid from his grip and watched as he coughed up blood and vomited razor blades.

It was that same night you left Meteor City.

 You ran into a well dressed man in your haste to get away from the bloody mess. He stopped you and asked, "Were you the dancer in the clearing?"

You shakily nod your head. Your mind racing. He smiled and said "You have talent. What if I took you from here? Taught you how to be a dancer? I own an opera house, and am famous for the dancers I teach." You believed him. Machi described the feelings her instincts gave her and what was brewing inside you matched.

"Yes."

With a single word, your whole life changed. You wrote a few letters. One for the council, to tell them you were leaving, one for Sheila, and one for the Troupe. The man introduced himself as Peter Ivan, and drove you to an airport where you got on an airship and landed in York New, where drivers picked you up and took the two of you to his penthouse apartment. He had his maid go scrub you down in the tub, gave you a good nutritious meal, and a warm bed. In the morning after breakfast, he led you to the studio in his suite and asked you to show him what you knew, which you did. He watched with an analytical gaze. He saw you had raw talent, your moves were objectively correct but needed more precision in the movements. He needed to break apart everything you knew and teach it to you again, which he did. He taught you everything, and introduced you to his dancers at the York New Opera House as a member of the Corp de ballet. You rose through ranks, eventually becoming a Prima Ballerina. When Peter passed away, lung cancer, he left his properties, assets, and opera house to you. You were now a star, shining under the spotlight.

Then you made a discovery.

Walking up the opera house stairs to rehearsal one morning, you caught sight of a newspaper dropped by a random person before you arrived. In bold lettering, you read:

Kurta Clan Slaughtered, Eyes Missing! Phantom Troupe Activity Suspected!

In shock, you couldn't hold your stomach and vomited everything inside it into a trash can outside the doors. The dancers nearby hurried to you and apparently you looked like you went through the wringer. One drove you to your apartment and helped you inside and set you up with some water and a blanket before leaving to rehearsal again. You were in a daze. 'How is that vengeance? Why did you do this?' You didn't realize that in a couple of years, you'd get the opportunity to ask them.

Little did you know, that in a few years, you'd be a butterfly dancing on a spider's web,

[wrongcaitlyn]

Ok now that we have a secound tsats book coming out i feel the need to read all the solangelo fics

Do you have any long solangelo fic recs? U feel like I've read them all

of COURSE i do omg i have to admit that a lot of the fics in my bookmarks are shorter ones/oneshots but i think that the solangelo fandom just tends to write more of those?? or at least that's just my experience based on what i've read - but here are some longer fics that are must-reads!! (don't have as much time to write in depth reviews as my past recs so just assume that i have lines of caps lock keysmashes for all of them bc i swear they're incredible)

la vita è fatta così by HowlingAlchemist

When Bianca somehow comes back from the dead, she, Nico and Will are sent on a quest that will hopefully answer some lingering questions. But Nico and Bianca are not the kids that they once were, and things get very difficult as a result. this one is more bianca & nico focused as a plot HOWEVER there's a lot of absolutely wonderful solangelo!!

The Stolen God by @tsarinatorment

Python is defeated. The prophecies are restored, and Nero has fallen. Apollo has not been seen since. His trials are over; why isn’t he back on Olympus? i KNOW that i've already rec'd this one but if you haven't read it. like literally. go read it. seriously. (and also it's another one where solangelo isn't really the *main* focus, BUT there's lots of solangelo content <3)

FAR GALAXIES by @rosyredlipstick

She didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled out her PADD from her coat, slow enough that Nico only slightly twitched. Jason’s transmission was loaded up on the screen—at the bottom, their signature tag was spelled out. “Guardians of the Galaxy. That supposed to be a joke?” “More like an aspiration,” Jason said. - Space, the final frontier. Or whatever. this one's actually one im currently reading and i'm abt halfway through rn and love it!!

okay usually i define a "long" fic as 100k+ words but after looking through all of my bookmarks im realizing that those are literally the only ones i have. so! we're lowering the word count minimum to over 40k+ words bc these are also amazing fics!! (currently wishing there was a way to sort bookmarks by word count)

peach tea by ghosttotheparty

Please Stay by CoolBeesBro

like the sun and stars above by demigodbeautiies

Bad Sons by thesungod

will also subtly self promo my hunger games fic which has a lot of mcd and is very very fun imo

so that's wild it looks like i need some long solangelo fic recs too?? why are most of my bookmarks oneshots??? its actually so funny bc in other fandoms i have a bunch of long fic bookmarks and rarely any oneshots so it's an interesting little statistic. pls drop more recs if you have any!!

[of-pale]

Here’s a leftover from a DMC Christmas themed fanfic I’ve been working on, since not all of my ideas had a place inside that monstrosity. I’ll post the fic itself soon-ish, after ironing out some details (shhh it's called being fashionably late). And maybe the scrap bin here will see a few more leftovers in the future:

It was absurd enough that Dante had managed to sneak Vergil's violin into the family celebration unnoticed, but even more absurd was how he’d goaded Vergil into playing by framing it as a challenge. If there was one thing Vergil never did, it was back down from a challenge. And so, perform for an audience he did.

He chose a piece he’d practiced countless times, one he could perform flawlessly, even with his eyes closed. It was a calculated choice: impressive and reliable, ensuring his nerves wouldn’t interfere with the performance. And, as expected, it went off without a hitch.

The final note lingered in the air, a hauntingly beautiful echo that seemed to hold the room spellbound. Kyrie’s eyes shone with admiration, Nero’s brows lifted in quiet surprise, and the children, initially captivated, now began to fidget. Dante broke the spell with an exaggerated, slow clap.

“You know,” Dante drawled, reclining lazily in his chair, “you're not forced to play dusty old songs. Why not try something written this century?”

Vergil arched a brow, the faintest flicker of annoyance crossing his features.

“Oh! Oh! I know,” Dante continued, his grin widening. “Play the song from that one kids' movie with the ice queen! The kiddos will love it!” He gestured grandly toward the three children sitting on the floor, who perked up with renewed interest.

“The what?” Vergil asked, his tone sharp with suspicion.

“You know, the one that spread like a plague. I swear, Patty wouldn’t shut up about it for months.”

Vergil’s eyes narrowed. “It’s… a plague?”

“Might as well be,” Nero muttered from his spot near the fireplace, exchanging a knowing look with Kyrie, who stifled a laugh behind her hand.

Before Vergil could demand clarification, Dante drew a dramatic breath and began belting out, “Let it go, le—”

Nero moved faster than anyone thought possible, clamping a hand over Dante's mouth. “Don’t,” he hissed, glaring daggers at his uncle. But the damage was done. The kids’ faces lit up with recognition, and they burst into excited giggles, eagerly picking up the tune where Dante had left off.

Vergil pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, suffering sigh. “Ah. That one.”

“So you have heard it?” Dante asked, peeling Nero’s hand off his mouth.

“I have had the misfortune of hearing you attempt to sing it in the shower,” Vergil replied dryly.

Dante had an irritating habit of turning the office bathroom into his personal concert hall, belting out whatever songs suited his fickle moods with no concern for the ears of others. Certainly loud enough to be heard all over the building. Much to Vergil’s dismay, there was no escaping it.

“Guess that means I should’ve charged you for concert tickets,” Dante quipped, puffing out his chest as though he were the star of a sold-out show.

“Can I pay you for silence instead?” Vergil countered without missing a beat.

Dante feigned an affronted gasp, clutching his chest dramatically. “Hey! I’m a wonderful singer.”

“Yeah, no,” Nero snorted. “That’s just assault on everyone’s ears.”

Vergil glanced down at his violin. His fingers brushed the strings thoughtfully, debating whether to subject the instrument to the indignity of mimicking Dante’s auditory assaults. With a faint sigh of resignation, he lifted the bow. A few tortured bars should suffice.

What followed was an uncanny parody of Dante’s so-called ‘performances’, the screeching notes more akin to the wails of a wounded animal than music.

The children collapsed in laughter, clutching their sides as they rolled on the floor. Even Nero cracked a grin, shaking his head at Vergil’s rare display of humor. Dante winced, covering his ears. “Alright, alright, I get it! It’s not my best song, I admit.”

Vergil lowered the violin, his lips twitching into the faintest smirk. “Swear an oath to never sing it again, and I’ll consider playing it properly.”

“Deal!” Dante declared, raising his hand as if making a solemn vow.

Satisfied, Vergil lifted the bow again. This time, the violin sang with grace and precision. The melody, though largely improvised, flowed effortlessly under his skilled fingers. While he hadn’t heard much of the original song, the composition he crafted carried its emotional weight, weaving something delicate and enchanting.

The children swayed to the tune, their earlier restlessness replaced by rapt attention. Kyrie’s smile softened, Nero leaned back with a contented sigh, and even Dante looked quietly impressed.

[ariseur]

HAIII I've read about all of ur DMC posts and they always make me feel gushy and silly OUGHH can I request a lil fluffy blurb of Nero with a reader who confesses their crush on him accidentally after a particularly bad fight w a demon?? Ty!!!! (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

“well, this wasn’t really what i was hoping to do this evening but,” you looked back at the horde of chaoses headed straight for you, the scales on their back glinting as they caught sight of you and nero, “i guess i could use a little workout.” you looked towards your companion, a quizzical look on his face with blue rose slung over his shoulder. “so could you, y’know.”

“nah,” he said, charging up his devil breaker— or nico’s masterpiece, as she’d like to call it, “i’m good.” with that, he approached into the crowd, evading all their charges towards him as they whipped their tails.

you rolled your eyes, “ever so arrogant.” you unsheathed your own weapon, parrying one of the attacks that the chaos tried to get on you, it’s tail whooshing back and forth as it anticipated your next move.

he guffawed, “not arrogant! just know i’m— that— good!” he clenched his teeth as he rolled away from one of their attacks, successfully striking a vulnerable spot and knocking two of them down.

few more comments and where were you at now? kneeling over nero with deteriorating demon husks behind you, hands on his chest as you urged him to lay back down. “you’re hurt, nero.”

“relax, i’m— damnit!” his eyes scrunched close while his hand darted over to his abdomen, an aching sensation overtaking his stomach as he laid back down. you made sure to put your hand under his head to gently let it down so it wouldn’t hit the hard, concrete tile.

“listen, i appreciate the help— ugh, i guess. but you can just let me up.

“no, actually— i cant.”

“uh.. yes, you can.”

“nope,” you popped the p, “can’t do that.” you coaxed him to sit up against the wall since he was so antsy, patting his leg as you peered down at him— his eyes narrowed with skepticism. “can’t have nothin’ happen to you.”

“why? you got a crush on me or something?”

“yep, got problem with that?” your eyebrow quirked as you looked back up at him, tearing your eyes away from the pay phone nearby. maybe you’d watch his reaction a little more before going to call nico. he gulped, looking around as if somebody could hear. “well, no.” he finally said.

“then listen to me, ‘just that good’.” you stood up, darting over to the pay phone so nero wouldn’t have anything else to say.

he let out a breathless laugh, clutching his stomach as he tried to keep it to a minimum— so as to both not alert any nearby demons and to try and not strain himself as badly. he watched as you threw him a soft smile, holding the phone to your ear as you called nico.

knowing her, she wouldn’t take long before her van pulled up and would almost kill both of you from how reckless she drove, but nero couldn’t think of that when all he thought about was your words— how casual you were. he wondered how long you had held your feelings towards him for, and he wondered if they were as long as his. unfortunately, the rumbling of an approaching engine and tires skidding interrupted both of your thoughts, the silent moment now gone. you two would definitely talk about this later, you thought.

[ladykailitha]

The Promise

Just a little sweetness to break up the absolute angst fest I’ve been working on. I’ve have cried so many times writing the next few parts, my little romantic heart needed a break.

So I jumped on the “they met as children” bandwagon.

Or you can read it here on AO3

*

Eddie wandered around Steve’s bedroom as Steve went to answer the phone. He wasn’t surprised to see that the room held little personality. Not because Steve was a blank slate by any means. No, it was more that judging from what Eddie knew about Steve’s parents and the way they forced conformity on him.

So the book shelf was a bit of a surprise. Four neat little shelves crammed with books.

Steve opened the door and asked, “Hey, what are you doing?”

Eddie looked up from the bookshelf feeling caught out. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snoop. It’s just everyone says you don’t read, so the bookshelf was a bit of a surprise.”

Steve scoffed. “They only say that because I don’t read fantasy or science fiction. I read other stuff.”

“What’s wrong with either of those two genres?” Eddie asked, moving away from the shelf to sit on Steve’s bed.

Steve shrugged. “I guess I never found the right kind of fantasy, especially since you told me that there are so many sub-genres. I guess I got overwhelmed.”

Eddie nodded. Not every fantasy book was for every person. He would have to go through his books and find a nice variety for Steve and figure out what he liked.

“And what about science fiction?” he asked.

Steve wrinkled his nose. “I hate it. And I’ve read all of the supposed greats, too. Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury. They all spend so much time on the science that they don’t get to the fiction. And it hurts my head.”

Eddie sighed and cocked his head. He couldn’t fault that. “So what do you like?” Steve cocked an eyebrow at him and he laughed. “I didn’t get to read any of the titles before you came back.”

Steve still eyed him skeptically but came over to sit on the bed next to him. “I like biographies. Mainly sports but a couple historical figures too. Winston Churchill was interesting. Diary of Anne Frank. But mostly I like mysteries.”

“Mysteries? Really?” Eddie said lightly. “Will wonders never cease. So who’s your favorites?”

“I like Agatha Christie, of course, Nero Wolfe, Sherlock Holmes...” he trailed off. “The classics, I guess.”

“Nothing wrong with the classics,” Eddie said. “What’s your favorite Holmes story?”

Steve hummed. “I would say ‘The Adventure of the Silver Blaze’.”

Eddie frowned. “I don’t think I’ve heard of the that one.”

“It’s where a horse goes missing right before an important race and the trainer is found dead,” Steve explained, starting to talk excitedly for the first time since he caught Eddie going through his bookshelf.

“Whoa!” Eddie teased but Steve laughed. “Why do you like it so much?”

Steve blushed. “It’s one of the few times that Dr Watson finds an important clue.”

Eddie lit up with interest. “Yeah? What was the clue?”

“That the horse tracks start coming back about half way through.”

“And Holmes was so focused on seeing the clues in front of him that he forgot to look to the side?” Eddie guessed.

Steve nodded. “It’s really cool.”

“Now here’s the really important question...” Eddie said, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees. “Poirot or Marple?”

Steve who had leaned forward before Eddie asked the question, threw his head back and laughed.

“Poirot hands down!”

Eddie put his hands over his heart. “No! Say it isn’t so!”

“Afraid so,” Steve said with a grin. He leaned over the bed to pull out his favorite book. “Elephants Can Remember.”

“It’s about a girl who’s future mother-in-law wants to find out if insanity runs in the girl’s family because when she was a little girl her father was with her mother both found dead on the top of the cliff near their home. Was it a double murder? Murder/suicide? And if so, who was the one that killed them both, the mother or the father?”

“So this old bat comes to Poirot to find out?”

Steve nodded. “It’s really good.”

“Huh,” Eddie said. “That does sound interesting.” He began leafing through the pages when a piece of paper fell out. “What’s this?

Steve shrugged. “Just a piece of paper I use as a bookmark sometimes.”

Eddie eyed suspiciously. Steve was far too causal about this little piece of paper.

He turned it over. There was a circle around a heart and a little note that said, “This is the best ring I can do right now, Love E”

“What’s this?” Eddie asked, his breath catching in his throat.

Steve blushed. “The first person I ever kissed.”

“Eleanor Jackson gave you this?” Eddie asked. He had heard the story of course. Everyone had. How when Steve was ten Eleanor declared him to be her husband and would kiss him every day on the playground. Everyone thought it was cute. Personally, it made Eddie gag. Mainly because no one had asked Steve what he thought.

But Steve was shaking his head. “She was the first girl I kissed.”

Eddie’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me, what?”

Steve looked down and began picking at a loose thread on his comforter. “I don’t even remember what his name was and since he only signed it as ‘E’ I guess I probably never will.”

Eddie looked down at the note again. “Tell me about this boy.”

Steve bit his lower lip. “When I was eight, my aunt took me out to one of the lakes to play on the beach. I don’t even remember which one. But there was this dark haired little boy making a sand castle too close to the water and would get frustrated every time a wave came up and destroyed his hard work.”

Eddie grinned. “Sounds cute. Even if he seems a little dim.”

“I asked why he didn’t simply move further up the beach,” Steve said, remembering with a fond smile. “He said that he had. Twice!”

“Oh the poor little bastard,” Eddie said, nearly doubling over with laughter.

“So I convinced him to make little soldiers instead for the waves to deliberately carry away.”

“Awww...” Eddie said. “Did he agree?”

“We made a game out of it,” Steve said. “Who could build the fastest army before the wave came back.”

Eddie was cackling now. “So who won?”

“He did by a landslide,” Steve said. “I could only manage to make three or four but he made ten!”

Eddie shoved his hair in his mouth to try and stifle the laughter. “Oh god, you are so competitive. How on earth did you handle that?”

Steve tipped his head back and sighed. “I pouted.”

“Of course you did,” Eddie said.

“It’s how I got my kiss though,” Steve said. “So I really couldn’t complain.”

Eddie tilted his head to side. “And how did that work?”

“When he saw me pouting, he kissed me,” Steve murmured. “Said that he had seen his mom do that with his dad when his dad pouted.”

“Cute!” Eddie said giggling.

“I kissed him back in retaliation,” Steve said. “He was just so sweet.”

“He really sounds like it,” Eddie said softly, looking down at the note. He crossed his legs and looked up at Steve. “When did he give you the note?”

Steve mirrored his position. “Just before him and his parents left. He told them he had forgotten something. He rushed back to me and gave me the note.”

“That’s real sweet, Stevie,” Eddie said. “So you just told everyone it was from Eleanor Jackson and kept it safe all this time.”

Steve nodded. “Everyone thought it was so sweet that she wanted to marry me, but I hated it.”

“Because you were already engaged to someone else,” Eddie teased. “Oh my what would Nancy think? You were cheating first!”

Steve protested, “Hey! It wasn’t like that!”

Eddie grinned. “I know, big boy. I’m only teasing you. You look so pretty when you blush.”

Steve pouted.

Eddie leaned over and pressed his lips to Steve’s.

Steve gasped. “Eds?” he asked, unsure.

“I learned that from my mom,” Eddie whispered as he worked a ring off his right hand. “Sorry it’s late, darlin’, but I finally got you a better ring.”

He slipped on Steve’s ring finger on his left hand.

Steve stared at the ring on his finger in awe and something softer, more dear.

“Did you know the whole time I was tell the story that it was you?” he asked, suddenly shy.

Eddie shook his head. “Not at first. I didn’t remember the sand castle or the little soldiers. Remember the kiss, though.”

Steve looked up at him through his eyelashes. “Yeah?”

“Of course I remember the first person I ever kissed, Steve,” Eddie cried. “Like you, I didn’t remember the boy’s name. I don’t think you ever said.”

Steve blushed. “Probably not,” he admitted still shy.

Eddie kissed him again and Steve melted into it. “So pretty boy: gay or bisexual?”

Steve frowned for a moment, thinking. “I want to lean more to toward bisexual because of Nancy, but the more I think about our relationship and how we are much better as friends, I start to wonder. And then there’s Robin. What straight or bisexual man suddenly stop having feelings for a girl just because she said she liked her own gender?”  

Eddie nodded. “You’ve dated women pretty exclusively, did you feel anything for any of them? A spark, a floppy feeling in your stomach?”

Steve shook his head. “The closest I ever got to that was with Nancy. I was happy with her. Maybe no sparks or fireworks or anything like that, but she made me happy. So I thought that’s what love was.”

Eddie smiled, “And now?”

“Happiness is just a start,” Steve said, pulling Eddie back for another kiss.

Eddie grinned against Steve’s lips. “Well you make me pretty happy.”

Steve looked down at the ring on his hand. “We haven’t even dated and we’re already engaged,” he said with a laugh.

Eddie moved to sit next to Steve and picked up his hand to admire the ring. “I didn’t think I would find you again. And even when I entertained those thoughts, I would come up with scenario after scenario where we hated each other because we become such different people.”

Steve blushed. “My nightmare scenarios where were I found you again only to find out you were already with someone else. Or you tell me that it was a youthful indiscretion and that didn’t mean anything.”

Eddie kissed the ring gently. “Turns out we were both wrong.”

Steve chuckled. “I’m glad we met when we did, Eds. Again, I mean.”

Eddie cupped Steve’s cheek with his other hand. “Why’s that, sweetheart?”

“I think our nightmares would have come true,” Steve said softly, closing his eyes and leaning into Eddie’s touch. “Only it would have been me telling you it was a youthful indiscretion so Tommy would still like me. And then we would have hated each other. And I can’t stand the thought of that. Not now. Not now that I’ve gotten to know you.”

Eddie smiled softly. “I know what you mean, baby. And I’m grateful, too.”

Steve kissed him again and let Eddie lower them on to the bed.

“You’re so beautiful,” Eddie whispered. “You were beautiful then and you’re even more so now.”

“I love you, Eds,” Steve murmured. “I think I always have.”

Eddie grinned. “Me, too,” he murmured against the skin of Steve’s neck. “Me, too.”

[ryanthel0ser]

Now that I've read the DMC4 novel, the scene Dante tells Nero that Vergil is his father has changed for me. Having that extra context has me changing my interpretation of the whole scene and why Nero doesn't go looking for answers during that 5 year period between DMC4 and 5

Disclaimer: this is my own opinion and thoughts, not fact just speculation based on what we've been given

It's very easy to say that the scene where Dante tells Nero about Vergil that Nero is clueless before this and that this is some kind of new revelation to him. The DMC4 novel though implies Nero has some idea that Vergil, or to be specific, Dante's brother is his father. Not only does he refer to Yamato as his birthright but Sanctus straight up states

“It all makes sense now. That man must’ve been a descendant of Sparda. He must have impregnated a woman from Fortuna…”

TO Nero.

So what are the facts Nero knows:

He's a descendant of Sparda

His father was a foreigner

Yamato belonged to Dante's brother

Yamato chose Nero to wield it after he repaired it

Dante's brother has been dead for a while

So it's easy for Nero to assume that Dante's brother may have been his father, the problems that have now arisen are that last point and that the guy with any answers just left. I believe in Before the Nightmare, Nero thinks something along the lines of "his brother has been long dead, so why does it matter" to sort of shrug off the thought. But why shrug off this thought? Nero remarks how he had always wanted someone like Dante in his life (which he is a little annoyed with himself about because...it's Dante, who is nonstop teasing him) so why not think about his father and want to know more? I think there are two main reasons as to why Nero doesn't pursue more information.

Why get to know the guy if there's no chance you'll ever meet him? It's a sad thought yes, but from Nero's position it's a safe one. He's dealt with and is dealing with a lot of grief from both Kyrie's parents dying and Credo dying, adding on the yearning to meet a man that has been long dead would only make things worse for him. It's likely he also developed this defense during his time at the orphanage; he probably for a bit wanted to know who his parents were and wondered if they'd come for him at some point, but after years of wishing and wondering why he was abandoned he put up a defense of "it doesn't matter, so why try looking into it" and turned his attention to his present day family: Kyrie, Credo and their parents.

Fortuna is a wreck and I nearly lost Kyrie, I don't want to leave her alone to deal with all this and any possible danger that might arise We get a scene at the end of the DMC4 novel of Nero and Kyrie helping out with the recovery and in Before the Nightmare we know they are still helping and now running the orphanage, but are HELLA poor because Kyrie accepts payment in meat and veggies instead of money (cause she's a saint like that). Additionally, there are still demons appearing on occasion although not at the rate they were before the whole Savior incident. His whole motivation (ha) for fighting and keeping Yamato was to protect Kyrie, and after nearly losing her and losing Credo it's not a surprise he decides to stick by her side during these five years. He already had to watch her grieve her parents, now he has to be there for her when she grieves for her brother whilst doing everything she can to help the survivors. Leaving her alone does not justify the want for answers to Nero.

Having this in mind now, let's look at the situation surrounding Vergil's return and the scene Dante tells Nero "he's your father" from Nero's perspective.

He just learned from V that the giant demon king named Urizen is actually Dante's older brother Vergil and that they're fighting each other despite being brothers based on their opposing ideas

This mysterious guy who showed up out of nowhere with a ton of answers for things and none about himself is now deteriorating rapidly and wants to be there for when Urizen is defeated

V landed the final blow and all of a sudden there's a guy there who is apparently Vergil and he and Dante immediately begin fighting before Vergil leaves

He thanks me???

Somehow V was part of that guy

Dante is refusing to let me fight even though this guy taking my arm kicked this whole thing off

To us the audience, this doesn't seem as strange because we're used to DMC nonsense like splitting your being in half but to Nero who has only dealt with the events of Fortuna and this past month this is still bizarre and seems like the most insane set of events to happen.

And then Dante has the audacity to tell Nero to go home and that it doesn't concern him. This is the man that took his arm, the one that took his power, the one that nearly killed Dante, the one that is responsible for thousands maybe even millions of lives being taken and despite how confident Dante was in Nero last time they met in Fortuna and has seen what he is capable of with the Devil Breaker he seems to have thrown that all away?! His own rage at the whole situation blinds him in that moment and Dante hits him with

"He's your father!"

This snaps Nero out of it. As Dante explains, we can almost see the implications of it all set in for Nero. It makes perfect sense. But this man took his arm. This man was supposed to be dead. This man has caused so much destruction. This man was the one he had been working with this whole mission and the one he was fighting. This is the man that Nero never imagined even meeting. And he was alive, he was real, but could this be called a good thing when he's caused so much pain for others and Nero himself?

Nero has gained so much information in the span of an hour and now Dante is on his way to fight Vergil that is guaranteed to kill one or both of them. Like Nero says on the phone with Kyrie, he's suddenly gained a family and he might lose both of them if he doesn't do something. And he's not losing anyone else.

[mackjlee9]

Yami Sukehiro x Wanted!Criminal!Male!Reader [?]

Masterlist.

Black Clover

Requested by Christmas_Tree on AO3 (Archive of Our Own)

For months now had Julius given the same mission to the kingdom's orders, and none of them had been able to fulfill his order, not even Golden Dawn.

The mission was to capture this extremely dangerous and psychotic wanted criminal, and Julius finally gave in to inform the Black Bulls.

Now, in the meeting room of the castle, Julius and Marx were waiting for Yami to arrive, and a few minutes later, a portal appeared, Yami himself walked through it followed by Finral. The meeting was short and concise, Yami was given the mission to capture this criminal and given a picture to be able to identify him. Marx was specific about needing every member of the Black Bulls working on this and to capture him alive, the time limit was a month, less than half than the other orders had to find him.

Yami scoffed and grabbed the picture, looking down at it to see who this "dangerous and psychotic" criminal was. The guy was-

Yami had always been kinda proud of being able to maintain a poker face when surprised or overwhelmed, because that's exactly what he felt when he recognized the guy in the picture. He looked up at Julius and groaned an affirmative response, signaling Finral to open the portal again, and they soon left.

Back at their base, Yami sighed and glanced out the window, where he saw (M/n) sitting outside.

"Everyone!" His deep, booming voice caught the attention of everyone in the room, they stood up and gathered around Yami, or just stayed in their place, like Zora who didn't care much and didn't want to stand up, Nero standing close to him, "We got a mission, and it has a time limit, so listen up," Yami frowned and look at the picture in his hand, "There's a fugitive criminal that we have to capture in a month."

Luck seemed hyped about it, and so did Magma, Gauche wasn't as interested like most of the members, who were nonchalantly accepting the mission.

"Is that a picture of them, Yami?" Vanessa asked fixing her clothes that had gotten slightly wrinkled.

A unison gasp left everyone's mouth the moment Yami showed them the picture, followed by Asta screeching and about to run to the window, only to be stopped by Yami. All of them approached the window slowly and quietly, looking outside.

The picture was of a younger (M/n), who was definitely a teenager back then, but it was him, no doubt. And there he was. Sitting right outside their base, playing and talking to animals, his grimoire open and glowing as he used a spell to be able to understand them.

"Them. Looking. Window," One of the squirrels said, making (M/n) look over his shoulder.

There standing in front of the wide window were all the members of the Black Bulls, observing him as if he was an exotic animal, (M/n) just smiled and waved happily at them, yelling a cheerful "Hello~!"

Yeah, he was too nice to be a "dangerous and psychotic" criminal, there had to be an explanation.

///////

It was dinner time, and like usual, Charmy was cooking while Asta engulfed everything in sight, well, usually it would be like that, but everyone was quiet, wondering what the reason could be. And Zora was fed up with the silence that seemed to be piercing his ears.

He stood up from the dining table and headed outside, where (M/n) had his own plate of food brought over by the wild cats around him, who were eating along with him, gently grabbing the food with their teeth whenever he handed it over to them.

"Hey," Zora's voice slightly startled (M/n), who turned around to look at him with a nervous smile.

"Hi, Zora, do you need something-?"

"Why are you a wanted criminal?" Well, that was a direct question. (M/n) sighed and looked down at his plate, hearing footsteps behind them, and looking at the chinchillas perk up from their hiding spot by the hollow rocks, he knew everyone had walked outside.

(M/n) remained silent for a few moments, before taking a deep breath, "Yami," the black-haired male approached him and stood next to him, "Can we talk in private?"

Yami looked at (M/n) in the eyes and decided he will, quietly signaling the rest to go back inside. Once they were left alone, Yami sat next to him and they stayed silent for a while.

"So? You gonna explain?" (M/n) kept his head down, reaching his hand out to pet the wild cat sitting by his feet, and he sighed.

"It's all made up," Yami remained silent, but his eyebrow raised, awaiting any other thing the male might say, "Julius made that up, 'cause he wants me..." Taking a deep breath, (M/n) rubbed his face in distress, "To come back."

(M/n) continued to explain to Yami what had happened years ago and how this whole thing started, and Yami just listened in silence. And eventually, they made a deal. (M/n) accepted to be taken back to the castle, not caring how Julius would react upon seeing him back.

After hours and hours went past, Yami took (M/n) back to the castle, Finral accompanying them with his portals, while everyone said bye to (M/n) one last time. He even had to hug Asta and dry his tears 'cause the silver-haired male didn't want him to leave, he grew attached to the (h/c) haired male, especially after all the training they did together since the day they met.

With a gentle smile, (M/n) followed Yami through the portal as quickly as he could, not wanting to put a strain on Finral, and soon, the three of them were in the castle's meeting room, where Julius and Marx had been discussing personal matters.

"Julius," Yami called him, catching their attention, and the two of them looked toward the Black Bulls members.

King Julius was about to say something, when a familiar face walked through the portal, standing next to Yami, "(M/n)..."

Clenching his fists and swallowing, (M/n) made eye contact with the blond, "Br-"

His voice was cut off by the crushing hug Julius gave him, dramatically crying out his name and much he missed him.

"My little brother is back!" With an even more surprised expression than before, Marx gasped loudly.

"Brother?!" Yami sighed and stared into Julius' eyes, who was tearing up like the childish king he is.

"You're not keeping him," everyone in the room looked at Yami as he spoke, shocked by the serious tone of his voice, "I brought him over this once, but he's not staying here, Julius."

The King released a chuckle when the shock passed and he kept an arm wrapped around (M/n)'s shoulders.

"As long as you let him visit, then I don't mind," leaning his head on (M/n)'s he smiled brightly, "I'm just happy to know he's okay," (M/n) sighed and tried to free himself.

"Can I go now?" He asked with a monotonous tone, and Julius only laughed louder.

"Only after you have dinner with us, of course!"

Extended ending

"Your brother, sir?" Marx asked once their guests had left, and Julius only kept swaying his body side to side, a happy smile plastered on his face, a subtle blush coloring his cheeks.

"Yeah~!" That was all he said and Marx couldn't help but sigh as he realized that he now had to inform all the orders about (M/n) no longer being a threat.

++++

| Buy me a Ko-fi~? |

[stardustgalaxy]

Even more DMC headcanons~! Y’all seem to really like the ones with the reader/you involved so… why don’t we go more with that then?

(Just a whole bunch of nonsense thrown together, y’know?)

✨Let’s take a journey backwards into how Dante managed to ask you out in the most on brand way possible! He did and didn’t ask you out, but running on the assumption you’ve been friends/known each other for a while he’ll just kind of give you something expensive (let’s be honest, it’s a bracelet with a red gemstone embedded in it) and ask you this: “Can ya hang onto this?”

“Sure, but, why…?

“Isn’t it obvious? So I’m always able to find you, (Nickname)?”

✨Vergil, alas, is much less suave with his ways of asking you out, but the fact you managed to get past the icy shell of protection and get along with Dante, he’ll do something a little more romantic… by giving you a questionably expensive set of books to write in/a book has already been filled with his thoughts of you~! Man sucks with speaking, but writing is his expertise!

✨Nero, oh you sweet summer child, is the more bold of the trio! He’ll get cold feet, freak out about things going sideways, and then absolutely melt when you kiss him on the cheek when he hands you a bouquet of your favorite kind of flowers. And yes, there is indeed a single bright blue rose in there that he’ll carefully place in your hair~ Kyrie is 100% the one who suggested he do the bouquet with the rose.

✨Lady asking you out is by far the simplest of the entirety of the DMC crew, even Trish is surprised considering they both enjoy the more lavish (yet simple) sides of things. Lady is most likely the one to ask you out with you two on your classic lunch once a month, a tradition you started and she come to enjoy happening~ 100p extra if you turn the tables on her and ask her out instead, with a charming smile on your face and a quick peck on her lips!

✨It’s a wonder how Trish managed to find herself falling in love with someone, let alone you since you’re… well, you. She can’t describe it! But you’ve hung out together long enough, and if you’re a fellow hunter also slayed a few demons together, and so she figured she might as well ask you out on a date first! What she wasn’t prepared for was for you to show up looking nice with a single flower in your hand, gently placing said into the suit she decided to wear that day and saying such simple words. “You may not think much on it, but a woman as elegant and electrifying as you should wear this as well...”

✨Now for the ACTUAL headcanons:

💜Nero has a low resistance to spices, though it’s gotten better now that he moved out of Fortuna City

💜Dante, on the other hand, has a stupidly high resistance to spices and gets a little disappointed that the “spiciest thing around” is just a tickle on his tongue… have mercy upon his toilet

💜Vergil finds the concept of eating to be difficult, his sense are a bit skewed from his time split apart into two as well as time as Nelo Angelo, and thus he has the worlds slowest burning metabolism! He can go without eating a full meal for like… weeks. He will snack on small things like gummy bears and animal crackers, just so Dante and Nero get off his back about him skipping some sort of fuel. He’s gotten better at eating more consistently tho.

💜Lady has this ONE particular shade of lipstick she absolutely adores and was crushed when her favorite shop ran out of that shade, nearly punched a hole in Dante’s wall when it came to be discovered her favorite shade was discontinued due to unfortunate events… (demons)

💜Trish actually has a sour tooth! Contrary to what others may think, she prefers sour things over sweet, savory, and spicy! Go ahead, give her a sour patch kid or a warhead, she’ll snack on them all day if she could~!

💜Kyrie, believe it or not, has a secret love for some rock metal and it’s entirely Nico AND Dante’s fault! She also has a once a week little brunch hangout with Vergil to help him get more acclimated to “semi normal” life, as she is the only one who didn’t attempt to suffocate him in his sleep. (i.e gave him a scolding in a way that reminded him of Eva, so he felt comforted in a way because of it)

And that’s all the headcanons and I guess insert moments I got! Tune in next time for when I share these again… tho, I wonder if y’all would want me to make a separate lil blog for this