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Devil May Halloween - The Samhain Ritual - Dante's Path

Devil May Halloween 2023 - The Samhain Ritual, Dante's Path

Pairing: Dante x Reader Summary: It’s finally Halloween and, even if the demons are a lot more active this time of the year, that doesn’t stop you from going on hunts - the partying can be done later. Or… At least that was what you thought. Maybe Nero had pretty good reasons to worry about that job after all. Author's Notes: Fucking. Finally. It took forever, but here I have around 20 pages of a demon wanting to marry the reader and Dante going feral over it. Took me ALL THIS TIME to write and I do apologize, but SO MUCH has happened since October, I'm finally managing to get my life back on track. So heeeeeey, here we have Dante's part of the Halloween Special for 2023! Be sure to read the Prologue first to understand the road so far yes Supernatural fan right here and have fun!! But I do have to thank @furyeclipse - the idea came from an ask sent a thousand years ago and I've been reading her works on ao3 and that motivated™ me to write again! Be sure to check Fury's work over there!

Oh. And I highly recommend an AC/DC playlist while reading this. Just sayin'. We all know Dante is an AC/DC guy

Devil May Halloween 2023 – Dante’s Path

“You know, of all the things that could have happened to me as a hunter, getting into a forced marriage with a demon lord was the very last one I would’ve imagined.”

And you were definitely the only person in the world that could have made Kyrie laugh in a moment like that – at least, that was what she thought as she smiled for the first time since you both had stepped in that place.

It was desecrated ground, that was the reason why the demons chose such a place. An old cathedral, now turned into an abandoned set of ruins with a cemetery of forgotten souls in the back. Some stone walls still stood tall, but the roof was gone, along with some windows and part of its gothic architecture. The shroud of the darkest tones of night slowly crept over, having rows and sets of candles of all sizes as the only source of light beside the moon.

You and Kyrie were being kept in a secured room – the only with still four walls to hold you in, and a heavy set of crumbling wooden doors. You were handed wedding attires – white, as to demonstrate the purity of your human souls compared to demons – and shoved in there, forced to change before the ritual.

You tried to resist, but as soon as they threatened Kyrie, you had to abide. There was nothing you could do: you had promised Nero nothing would happen to her, and she was your weak spot that night.

“We will figure something out…” Kyrie murmured with a ghost of a smile on her soft lips, even if she didn’t carry too much hope in her heart. She knew that if you were alone, you would probably be fist-fighting demons with all your might to drag yourself out of that place, but with her by your side… She had never seen you so compliant.

“Hmmm. Yeah. I’m still trying to think of something.” You huffed, sitting by her side on a stone loveseat, having your elbows on your knees and your face cradled by your hands. “I feel naked without my stuff. So uncomfortable.”

Once again, Kyrie giggled. Indeed, it was probably the first time she ever saw you without your everyday clothes and specially without your weapons: be it your guns, your sword or even a pocketknife you carried around for emergency self-defense. She could only imagine how stripped you felt at that moment.

“Well, if it serves as consolation, this is definitely not my style.” She whispered in response, making you laugh immediately. Indeed, poor Kyrie looked like a princess covered in Chantilly. Too over-the-top for her, and you could say the same about your forced attire.

“Oh, what a mess we got ourselves into this time, huh…?” You still had that laugh in your lips, making Kyrie respond with a sad smile. “Though I bet Nero is going to die seeing you dressed as a bride.”

“He will never admit it.” Kyrie had to giggle with that mental image. She could almost see Nero standing in front of her, red as a tomato, stuttering while trying to maintain that nonchalant punk attitude he always tried to – even if Kyrie could easily see through all of that. “He does get all flustered whenever I’m wearing anything slightly bridal looking.”

“There you go. The hideous Chantilly wedding dress will have at least one good effect after all.” You sighed with a laugh, following Kyrie on her giggles as she blushed herself, happy to imagine that.

The moment wouldn’t last long, though, as you felt something shifting in the air. You immediately got up on your feet, keeping Kyrie safe and sound behind you. Her curious, scared eyes tried to pick up what was going on, but neither of you could see – you could just feel it.

With some fiery sparkles, one of the demons responsible for that mess materialized right in front of you.

“Well, well. It is good to see you are already prepared.” Horns and sharp features, but in the suit of a ruthless man – that was the best way you could describe the demon lords. They had the leathery wings, skin as rough as that of a lizard, eyes bright like flames in the dark – but something still carried the resemblance of a human being. They were tall – even taller than most doors – with sharp nails to be used as claws, fangs ready to tear throats apart. But they were built in the image of humans: something quite rare when it came to demons.

“Not out of our own free will – you shouldn’t be that pleased your minions managed to coerce us into these horrid things.” You pointed at your own attire, making Kyrie look up at you with tense eyes.

It was something she admired, to say the least. You could all look in the face of the most threatening of creatures and still manage to say something to taunt or belittle them. She wished she had that kind of courage.

“You do have a point, human.” The demon had a quick giggle in his voice, making you furrow your eyebrows slightly. It wasn’t every day one of those things would agree with your big mouth. “Come. I would very much like to speak with you.”

Oh. Demons and their teleportation shenanigans – to be quite honest, you hated it. Whenever you used any of their magic or even Vergil’s void thing from the Yamato, you always felt a little dizzy afterwards. It took you some quick seconds to make sense you were in what seemed to be the abandoned church’s library – in a room made of stones and rotten books, lit by decrepit candles and having just one usable table in a corner. The demon lords had clearly made that their own room for the day.

“It’s rare a demon wishes to talk.” You finally managed to say while the demon lord slowly walked towards his desk, having you in the middle of the room. Now Kyrie was alone and you had no idea what was going on with her – you had to play your cards well to see her alive again. “According to my experience, your kind prefers a bloodier approach.”

“I take it you haven’t met many demon lords then.” He had a nonchalant tone, waving his hand in disregard as he approached his desk and leaned into it, staring at you. “Nevertheless, that is more Orcus’ style.”

“Your little friend.”

“Al Pacino did play the devil once, didn’t he…?” The demon laughed in response and you did your best to cover up the shock that he understood your Scarface reference.

Movies and pop culture references with Dante were a given – the same way Vergil was an encyclopedia of forgotten and obscure texts, Dante was the go-to man when it came to movies, especially the classic ones. Making references and laughing with each other was something both of you cherished wholeheartedly – and you never thought a demon would get it.

Vergil never did – and he had to have spent some time with those guys in the last decades.

“Well, I don’t think you brought me down here just to talk about movies.” You crossed your arms, trying as much as you could to look tough in that attire. Which wasn’t going very well for you. “And it certainly wasn’t to properly ask for my hand in marriage.”

“Oh, no, no…” He answered with a laugh that crackled like fire – and you could easily see the amusement in his eyes. “I wanted to see what the son of Sparda saw in you… To bind himself to one of the weakest creatures known. Just like his father before him.”

“It’s not like Dante has married me, you know? We’re not like Eva and Sparda.” You raised one of your eyebrows. Something about that conversation was very… Weird. To put it mildly. “We’re not bonded like you want to do today. And on that note, I have to point out: marriages are quite religious. Aren’t you guys going to combust spontaneously trying to do something holy?”

“Oh, but you are bonded. He may not have chosen his father’s path, but his heart does not lie.” The demon had something quite mischievous in his eyes, and you were starting to notice the difference between him and Orcus: the second one was more of a brute, a lord of war so to speak – the one you were talking to, Erlach, was very cunning; but there was a glint of bloodthirstiness in the back of his eyes. That made him even more dangerous than you gave him credit for at first. “I shall never understand why Sparda did not wish to follow the ritual with his human. That would have made him so powerful, not even the most dangerous creatures in Hell would have dared to slaughter his family. A shame really.” He tossed aside a charred painting of Sparda and Eva: old, barely holding itself together, but still clearly depicting the couple holding hands and smiling to whoever decided to look upon them. “We do have our own rituals – and demons are no strangers to marriages. It has another name in Hell, though, it is a binding ritual: where souls connect and one can be made more from the other’s power.”

“Oh. So the other just accepts it’s going to be a puny little thing beside their partner? Sounds more like slavery to me.” You wouldn’t give the demon the benefit of the doubt nor make it all sound so wonderful. Anything related to devils always had a catch – and that had to be the catch to their own twisted version of a ‘marriage’.

And in all honesty, you weren’t looking forward to be made a slave to a demon lord.

“Some creatures enjoy that.” And the smile that covered Erlach’s lips could be only considered devilish. You did your best not to look like you were agreeing – even if you knew, deep down, that yes, some people did enjoy that. “Every con has its pro. With the binding and forfeit of power, comes protection and status. Few would want to desecrate the partner of a powerful demon – it could easily be the last thing they would do.”

“if I am bonded to Dante, then, I wonder why would someone like you decide to mess with the chosen partner of the son of Sparda.” Now you had a small smile hidden in the corner of your lips, slightly raising your head in hubris. You wouldn’t lie: the status you got from him among demons was always very welcome. “Not that I really need him to help me. If I had my weapons, you would all be laying on the floor in a pool of your own blood – and I’d be home celebrating Halloween with him.”

Erlach stared into your eyes for a good four seconds before opening a threatening smile with his sharp fangs. His own eyes burned like fire, but you never let his gaze go – it wasn’t in you to be scared by the likes of him. You had seen worse, you had fought worse… And only you knew how threatening Dante’s eyes could look when he was half asleep in a nightmare of his young years with you trying to wake him up so he could have some peace. That was worse than any demon you could ever face.

“Indeed, that is why I needed some leverage against you.” He waved his hand nonchalantly towards the door and you immediately understood he was talking about Kyrie. “It was never my intention to allow Orcus to bond to some creature as powerful as mine… But I did not knew the extent of your powers, so I needed something to keep you in line. Luckily, Sparda’s grandson is not as attuned to powerful partners as Sparda’s children.”

You furrowed your brows. Whenever you talked between the members of the crew, there was a tacit agreement Kyrie was indeed the most powerful of all – for her ability to love openly, to cry, to be vulnerable and to care with such an open heart.

But those abilities were inherently human – and appreciated in humans rather than demons. In the human point of view, Kyrie was stronger than all of you together, and no one could argue against that. But in the demonic point of view… You and Lady were top of the list when it came to being able to take demons in a fair fight.

But you… You had Dante’s heart.

“It was part of our bargain. But I would never allow Orcus to bind to the most powerful of partners, would I?” Again, that smile painted his lips. You remained in the middle of the room, holding his gaze, not even flinching as he approached you. “I must admit, though, I never thought you would have this… Fire.”

As Erlach stopped with a few inches from your own face, you didn’t recoil. You remained with your arms crossed, standing as tall as you could in front of that huge demon lord as his fiery eyes just stared deeply into yours – and you stared back.

But you sensed something… Different. In his words, in his gaze. You wanted to furrow your brows as you were slowly coming to realize something, but you did your best to remain as proud and emotionless as you could – and Erlach took note of that. A pleasurable note.

“I can see what the son of Sparda saw in you.” That devilish smile colored his lips once more as the demon took another step towards you. It took you a great amount of willpower not to step back. You would never step back. “When demons bind with demons, it is one sort of marriage. When demons bind with humans, on Samhein, with the correct ritual… Well, it is a very different thing. A kind of binding never seen before – and never attempted, not even by Sparda.” Erlach approached with another step, making you raise your head even higher. Every fiber of your being wanted to scream Dante’s name and watch your red devil storm inside that room and suplex Erlach face first on the floor – as he deserved. The demon lord, though, offered one hand to you, palm facing up. “At first, I targeted you for Dante would not take a weakling as a partner, but now… I am more than inclined to take you as mine. With me, you would have the protection and status of royalty in Hell. We can take over entire worlds. And they would all be mine and yours to rule.” You just kept staring at him as Erlach’s fiery eyes stared even more deeply into yours. “You just have to say yes.”

To say your head was spinning was an understatement. What a wild ride that night was becoming – and something inside you stirred, telling you it would become even wilder. Were you reading his words right…? His gestures…? Not that Erlach was being subtle about it, he was being as blunt as his kind could be, but… Were you going crazy? You were, probably. That was a more plausible explanation than what you had to admit yourself – than what you were living right at that moment.

“If you think I’d give up Dante for power, then you can see nothing he saw in me.” You spat back, still holding your head high. “You are just as clueless as the rest of your kind.”

Erlach laughed back – not a laugh of an evil demon as you were used to, but one of delight. He… Enjoyed your answer…?

“The more you speak, the more I see.” He finally chuckled, stepping back after one last stare. “And I will see you later.”

With a snap of his fingers, you were back to the cold, abandoned crypt you and Kyrie were being held hostages. As your dizziness faded and you came back to reality, you saw her holding one of your hands, checking if you were ok with one of her palms on your forehead. Even if you didn’t feel lightheaded anymore, your mind was still troubled – and you had to sit down on the stone loveseat you shared with Kyrie earlier.

“Are you ok, y/n? What happened?” She sat by your side, big hazelnut eyes staring at you with warmth and humanity – so much different from the fiery pit of Erlach’s eyes. So much more welcoming and cozier. So much more like home. You would’ve hugged her if you weren’t so disoriented. “Y/n. What did he do to you? What happened?!”

“I think…” You finally managed to put into words what just happened – even if you didn’t want to say what you thought out loud. It seemed that by saying it, a sort of magic would make it become true. “I think… A demon lord just fell in love with me.”

You and Kyrie just stared at each other in horror, not even knowing what to say.

“What the hell…?!”

And Kyrie finally managed to put into words what you had been thinking the whole time.

“Fuckin’ hell…”

Nico just stared at Lady as Dante growled while mounting on his bike.

To be fair, Nico wasn’t the safest person to be behind a wheel, even more in a dire situation like that with Nero by her side looking like he was about to bite ankles and throw punches – but something about Dante looking like he was about to burst into flames while viciously riding the Cavaliere and growling in a half-distorted demon voice was enough to get the gunsmith ever so slightly… Concerned.

“Everything ok there, Dante, or do we need to take you in the van?” Lady screamed out her window, while Nico hoped the bright red glint in Dante’s eyes was only her imagination. “You look like you wanna beat me in a race! We hunt demons to save humans, not run them over, you know?”

“Eh, demon spidey-sense is tinglin’, Lady! That’s no good!” Dante screamed back, doing his best to keep the demonic part of his voice repressed inside his chest. He would have more than enough opportunities to let that explode. “Y/n is unsafe. I can feel it. And I…” With that, Dante drove to the back of the van because of a narrowing road, only to come back a few seconds later. “Don’t…” Another interruption for Dante not to run over a citizen cluelessly crossing the street and almost being run over by Nico. “Like it!”

His last phrase couldn’t keep the distortion in anymore and it sounded like a deep roar that came out of his chest like fire. Trish could already see the fangs in his bared teeth: those demons were in for the fight of a lifetime, for everyone knew making Dante’s lover feel unsafe was one of the worst sins in the Sparda dictionary.

Nico opened her mouth to talk to Nero – because, maybe, he could beat some sense into his uncle’s head, given they had the very same heritage – but for the first time she just put the cigarette between her lips and decided to shut up.

She was still getting used to Nero’s new trigger, so the halfway-into-turning state was something Nico didn’t really know how to deal with. By this point, Nero’s nails were definitely claws and his fangs were very much similar to Dante’s. He was fidgeting everywhere, messing with Blue Rose, as if something was really wrong with the gun and he had to fix it – a thousand fucking times. Nico could also swear his eyes were starting to glow with an inhumane gold tinge and that was very alien to her.

“Hey, kid! What about your spidey-sense tingling? Anything new?” Luckily for Nico, she had Trish around – and that woman was a pure devil, so there were very few things she feared. They all knew Nero was getting used to his own new powers, so Trish always decided to stay around and lend a hand whenever Nero had to go through something emotionally heavy – she knew it herself that demon instinct always came crashing like a wild wave whenever emotions were running high.

“Eh, she’s not good too, Trish. Worried as heck, I can feel it.” Nero mumbled under his breath, fixing the barrels of the Blue Rose for the tenth time, probably – not even needing to mention he was talking about Kyrie. With a click, the gun cocked back to its original state and Nero turned his now slightly golden aquamarine eyes to the devil leaning on his seat. “And I don’t like it either. Not at fucking all.”

Nico had to say, it always sent shivers down her spine when Nero spoke with his demonic voice like that. She was used to him being her goofy sort of brother, bickering with her down the road and tossing over-the-top, smart mouthed taunts to demons. Hearing him like that was… Something else. And Nico didn’t like it that much as well.

The last time you felt unsafe seemed like a whole lifetime ago.

You tried to control your hands as they wanted to start shaking – but you kept telling yourself you needed to keep Kyrie safe. After all, you were the devil hunter, not her. Kyrie could kill every single one in the crew with kindness, but not those devils… Those had to be killed with blades and gunpowder.

Being with Dante had given you something you never really had before, and just now you noticed it was tied to your red devil: safety. Even if he wasn’t around physically, you could always count on the fact that Dante, son of Sparda, Crimson Slayer, would bend Hell itself around his will to keep you from any kind of harm. It had never downed on you because, up until that point, that was a given.

Today, Halloween of all days, was a little more complicated. Dante wasn’t around, the whole ritual was bound to have some heavy magic to keep him at bay, you were completely unarmed and the demons you were up against were another kind – not the stupid, belligerent type you handled almost on a daily basis; no, those were smart, cunning and dangerous.

To top all of that, you had Kyrie on your side. If you were alone, you’d probably already be trying some unhinged escape attempts, but they were so smart on deciding to kidnap her as well. She was your weak spot on that situation and the fact that you felt unsafe and couldn’t do your best to protect her, only highlighted the fear you started to feel creeping up at the base of your stomach.

Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, the only thing that could at least try to calm your nerves was to imagine being back in Dante’s arms, at the Devil May Cry, the smell of warm pizza around and him humming some old tunes you both loved. That was home. That was your haven. Dante was your refuge, keeping you secure from every evil thing that could attack you in this world, and he wasn’t there.

For a split second, you wondered if he could feel how much your heart was aching – screaming with all its might in the hopes he would hear its call.

Suddenly, two demons entered the room you and Kyrie were being held. They didn’t have to say much: with swords pointed at both of you and the heavy doors wide open, you knew it was time. Knowing you had to calm your nerves so at least she could have a chance to escape, you got up and calmly walked in front of Kyrie – head high and staring those demons right back in their eyes.

“Everything will be ok.” You murmured back over your shoulder, knowing Kyrie would listen. “If you find a safe chance to run, do it and don’t look back. I can handle them better alone.”

You felt Kyrie’s soft hands brushing on one of yours, her voice nothing but a whisper. “Don’t put yourself in danger, y/n. I don’t wanna run without you.”

You closed your eyes, chuckling a little in silence. She was indeed an angel among so many demons – including all of you in the crew. “Oh, Kyrie. You have to learn… The whole crew would die for you, don’t you know that already…?” And even if your words weren’t the kindest, you had the sweetest tone in your voice – saying nothing but the truth. “You run. It’ll take more than a few demons to bring me down.”

Kyrie knew you were lying only to make her feel safer – there was a tinge of bitterness in your sweetness, a slight glint of sadness in your eyes. Those were more than a few demons, and both of you knew it.

She could only sigh in response and confirm with her head. You and Dante were bittersweetly so alike: always lying and pretending nothing was too serious, putting yourselves on the line for those you loved, trying to make them stop worrying while you were both ready to walk right into certain death. She had seen how angry you got every time he tried to pull something like that on you – and Kyrie had to smile even if a little bit upon realizing how similar you and your lover were, even if you hated when he did that.

Both of your thoughts had to be violently changed and brought back to the present moment when the time came to enter what one day was a beautiful, untarnished cathedral. The imposing gothic architecture was in shambles, the stars shining clearly in the deep night sky above your heads – the high peaks of the cathedral long gone. A long tapestry on the ground, torn apart and eaten by parasites, lead the way in a dirty blood red to the middle of the aisle, where a grandiose bonfire stood and lit none other than your groom.

That was definitely not the devil you had intended to marry if you ever walked down the aisle. Also, you always thought if you ever married Dante, the ceremony would be in the Devil May Cry: you would enter the shop, dressed in your best hunting clothes – maybe something leather, carefully picked by Trish to make you even more mesmerizing – watching Dante smiling at you, leaning on his desk, arms crossed and love pouring from his eyes.

That was the perfect marriage for you alright. And leaving for a quick honeymoon with your red devil, riding on the Cavaliere, a few cans tied to it with a “just married” sign on the back, waving at the crew at the door of the shop while Dante made the motorcycle burn the road with its demonic power? More than perfect.

“You shall enter first. The other human stays until your ritual is performed.” One of the demons held Kyrie hostage, pointing your way down the derelict aisle. Her eyes were filled with fear, and you couldn’t do anything but comply.

Holding your head high, you walked down the damned aisle. Not like a perfect fiancé, but like a wronged force of nature, just waiting for the right time to unleash your fury against all those demons. You were wearing those ridiculous clothes, on that ridiculous place, while demons started chanting and playing a song for the demonic ritual that had just started, stripped of your guns, blades and clothes.

To say you wanted to sucker punch Erlach on his face until his sharp teeth fell out was an understatement.

And yet, he had nothing but admiration and fire in his eyes for you. The more you approached, the more he smiled, offering you his hand as you were getting closer and closer – you refused to take it, standing in front of him just like you did when he first talked to you.

“You know, the kidnapping and taking my gear away, I could forgive. But these clothes…?” You pointed down at that hideous thing that was forced to you. “You could’ve done better. A lot better.”

“I judged you by all the mortals I’ve ever met – and now I realize I shouldn’t have done so. Do apologize, exquisite creature.” And Erlach answered your insult with a delighted distorted laugh. You just remained there, looking like you had just stuck a flip flop into a toaster, not knowing what to do. It seemed that the more you tried to repel him, the more Erlach liked you. “But rituals shouldn’t be taken lightly. One should wear the proper attire.”

“To think a demon would’ve dressed his counterpart a lot better and risqué than this…” You sighed, pushing all those ruffles away from your face as he, once more, tried to take your hand and guide you to approach the bonfire. “I thought this was going to be a dual wedding. Where’s your friend?”

“Orcus can try to pull off his ritual after I’m done with mine.” Erlach had a devilish smile pulling his lips up in a distorted line. It was a little… Unsettling. “We… Agreed such a powerful ritual should be done one at a time.”

“Huh. That’ll be before or after you kill him?” You had one eyebrow lifted and Erlach laughed with joy in his voice, now finally forcing you to walk with him towards the bonfire. “You got quite the silver tongue to convince him you’re gonna let him go through with his ritual with his head still on his shoulders.”

“Oh, my dear, you have no idea.” Erlach forced you to spin around and look deep into his eyes, holding you by both of your arms in an iron clasp you couldn’t break away easily without your weapons. “You are very welcome to discover soon enough. I am mesmerized with your cunning and wit – so much better than all those pitiful uninspired creatures I have to live with every day. We will be quite a pair, sweet temptation.”

That admiration was there, that fire burning in his eyes, and… Lust…?! You had to contain a shiver of pure terror thinking a creature like that lusted for you. It wasn’t necessarily his appearance – you did find Dante one hell of a piece of temptation in whatever form he was, be it human, Devil Trigger or even his Sin Devil Trigger – but his soul. Erlach lacked the very thing that made you fall madly and hopelessly for Dante: his golden heart, his gentle soul, his kind eyes and his unapologetic humanity.

That was why it didn’t matter how Dante looked like: you would always fall in love with him. Even if he was just a piece of rock with googly eyes laying on his desk, you would love that rock with all your heart.

“What if I refuse to be your pair?” You had one of your eyebrows raised, trying to hide the fear creeping at the base of your stomach. “As far as I know, all marriages require a resounding yes from both parts. What are you gonna do? Torture me?”

“As tempting as that sounds…” And even if you didn’t show it, your blood certainly froze in your veins for a second. “I fear you would take a very long time to break under such circumstances. The Son of Sparda chose you for your brave heart and hardened soul, I can see that now. Luckily for demonic rituals, the sacrifices don’t need to consent.”

“Oh. I thought I was more than just a disposable piece of meat. I’m hurt.” Masking your fear with jokes and taunts, you had learned that with the very best. Dante had all the blame for that.

“Don’t be, my creature.” Erlach’s words were laced with a laugh while he took a ceremonial dagger from an altar nearby. “That is how humans are usually named in our rituals. You will remain alive, or else, it doesn’t work. I do need your blood… A reasonable amount, but nothing lethal.”

His hand clasped your wrist with a tight grip you couldn’t break from. Your heart started beating faster and faster, as you looked around trying to find Kyrie – crossing her terrified eyes as she watched from the distance, close to the entrance where once was a door, fearing for your life. You wanted to mutter some soothing words for her, but not even you could lie that much: your survival instincts kicked in and your adrenaline spiked. It was now or never, but you had to escape.

Erlach held your arm above a bowl made of pure gold, now darkened with time and stained with all the sacrifices it contained. He spoke some words in demonic language, while the chanting got even more intense – some things you could understand, but the others were lost as your mind became hazy with trying to think what to do.

It was a surprise to all – you closed your free hand in a fist and did exactly what you wanted to do since you saw that hideous thing you were wearing: sucker punch that conceited demon right on his face.

Erlach was taken aback for a moment, looking back at you with confused eyes. Seizing his distraction, you disarmed him and took the ceremonial dagger to yourself, cutting his hand that held your wrist and demanding him to let you go. Erlach stumbled back in awe, while you took a fighting stance with the dagger in your hand, ready to kill – but not ready to get married.

And he smiled.

“Such fire…!” To say Erlach was ecstatic was an underestimation. “My creature… What are you going to do with that?” And he took a predator stance, as both of you studied your options in that fight.

If you could look back at Kyrie, you would see her smiling and supporting you as much as she could. To say she admired you, was to say you only liked Dante.

“I am going to kill every single demon in this cathedral… Including you.” Pointing the dagger at Erlach, it was your turn to allow a devilish smile to cover your lips. “Then, I’m taking my friend back home. Back into the arms of the only devil I will ever love. Back to Dante.”

As you spoke, you didn’t even hear a ragged guitar faintly playing in the background – and approaching ominously. The only thing you had in mind was a tunnel focus on Erlach, ready to tear him apart as soon as he got close to you.

“Oh, I will enjoy that, my creature. And I might even need to get rid of Dante myself.” As soon as he finished his sentence, though, you scoffed in a laughter of pure mockery.

“Now that, you would try. Dante is so much more than you will ever be – he will reduce you to ashes with a single stare. That’s how pitiful you are compared to him, Erlach.” As your words poured, you couldn’t stop laughing at how he looked slightly insulted. Fucking finally. “And I gotta say, that’s not the only thing Dante is really good at. He does burn like fire.”

“I will enjoy subduing you.” Erlach growled, baring his teeth. Now you managed to piss him off.

“I will enjoy watching you try.” You wouldn’t allow him too much time to think: spinning the blade in your hand for a better grip, you finally tried to stab him with a swift attack – but he easily dodged as you got even angrier at that ridiculous clothing you were wearing. Those frills and terrible fabric made your movement a lot debilitated.

You tried a few other attacks as Erlach dodged and started smiling again, enjoying every bit of it – starting to even try a few attacks, while you blocked with the dagger. It was all too fast… At the same pace of the guitar that now echoed loudly, with a very familiar song approaching the chorus.

“Now, my creature.” Erlach held your hand with the dagger when you tried another stab. Even if you were resisting, it was more entertaining than anything else: you needed your gear. He pulled you closer to him, even if you tried to stay away as much as you could. “It’s time to stop the fun. We can do this after the ritual.”

Before any of you could do anything else, the guitar finally arrived – with the screeching of what seemed a thousand tires, the smell of gasoline and the sound of a shot from a gun you knew so well.

Said shot hit the dagger, making it shatter into a thousand little pieces in your hand, causing Erlach to let go of you in a reflex – while AC/DC’s vocalist screamed he would shoot to thrill, play to kill.

“Well, I think we’re all ready for the afterparty, aren’t we, hot stuff?”

Dante had entered down the aisle with Cavaliere screeching, leaving a trail of fire behind him, stopping right in the middle to shoot that ceremonial dagger into oblivion. The smoke was still fresh on the barrel of his gun, while he had one foot on the ground, still mounted on his motorcycle, smirking at you with that gorgeous smile that, today, you wanted to kiss out of his mouth with so much passion the crew would probably have to throw a whole bucket of water on both of you to put out the fire.

And, right behind him, Nico crashed what was left of the cathedral’s door while blasting AC/DC’s Shoot to Thrill because she would be damned if she didn’t put a good soundtrack for that moment. You could see her smiling behind the wheel, supporting every single bit of Dante’s antics.

The smile that painted your lips – a broad one, mixed with thrill and relief – was everything Dante wanted to see. That was all the confirmation he needed to know that pull in his chest was actually your heart desperately calling for him to help.

“Ya know, I could forgive the kidnapping, you got one hell of a devil hunter in your hands to deal with…” Dante now let go of Cavaliere, leaving it in the middle of the cathedral, walking down the aisle with the sassy walk you always loved to see – moving his hips and opening his arms, taunting with a pretended carefree attitude. The distortion in his voice, sharp teeth and claws betrayed his words, though – and you couldn’t be happier. “But what’s the deal with those clothes?!”

“Exactly.” You smiled back, sighing as if someone there finally understood you. Erlach just looked at you and back at Dante trying to contain his surprise – it wasn’t possible you were synchronized in even that. “I can barely move, how am I supposed to kick his ass?”

“I can help ya with that, pretty eyes.” Dante’s voice now became darker, leaning even further into his Devil Trigger. For a split second, you could swear you saw his demonic form taking over before Dante appeared again. His eyes were almost entirely taken by red, his hand already gripping the hilt of Rebellion. “But I gotta deal with a few of these clowns first.”

“I’m not going anywhere, hot stuff.” You had the proudest of smiles on your lips as the demons started to approach, ready to fight your red devil. “Show them what a real party looks like.”

“Ya don’t have to ask twice!”

“What are you all waiting for?!” As soon as Erlach screamed, the demons ran towards Dante as a pack of rabid creatures, ready to take his blood. Erlach smiled with pride as they surrounded the Crimson Slayer, already pouncing to take a bite – there was no way a hybrid could take so many demons at once in a fight.

Looking at the crew’s van, you managed to see Lady leaning by the vehicle, watching it all with excitement but refusing to get into the fight. You almost laughed upon seeing Trish holding Nero’s jacket while he tried to let himself go from her iron tight grip, probably saying he should be in the fight too – but his eyes weren’t locked on Dante or the swarming demons: Nero was looking for Kyrie.

And you would’ve done the same, finally questioning yourself where they were keeping her after all that confusion took over the ritual. Nero could very well let himself go of Trish, but everyone knew he had his own priority – a priority you couldn’t find, and that fact started worrying you.

You would have given that a better thought if a sudden fiery explosion hadn’t sent demons flying around the cathedral like fireworks. Dante’s Devil Trigger was on, but not his normal one… It was his Sin Devil Trigger in all his demonic glory, with leathery wings hovering him from the floor and Devil Sword Dante burning like fire in his hands.

To say that would be a slaughter… Again, would be putting it lightly. With the masterfully chosen soundtrack by Nico blasting on the background, Dante single handedly slayed all the demons that decided to cross between you and him. You risked a side look to Erlach, only to find the demon astonished by Dante’s form and power – and you couldn’t resist. You leaned on the altar next to you, with a matter-of-fact look in your eyes.

“He usually has this effect on people… And demons.” You had to say it. You just couldn’t refrain from taunting and annoying that silly devil who forced you to wear those terrible wedding clothes.

With the Devil Sword Dante dripping blood, the son of Sparda approached as he slayed all the demons that tried to fight. Dante was a frightening powerhouse – usually terrifying, but today even more… After all, the human he loved most in all dimensions was kidnapped by a conceited demon who thought he would have the chance to bind his beloved in a marriage ritual without their consent. Dante was beyond angry.

“It will only be an obstacle, then.” Erlach turned his eyes back to you. “Don’t think for a second I gave up, my creature. If I have to kill the son of Sparda, I will do so – with the power you will grant me with your blood.”

Once again, the demon held your arm – but this time, digging the nails into your skin, making you scream with the sudden pain. That made Dante immediately turn to you, being hit as well and inundating the cathedral with the smell of the blood of Sparda. His fighting became sloppy as he tried to approach you even faster – but it also became even more vicious.

Erlach dragged you back to the sacrificial bowl, as you tried to get away. Even with your fighting, your limited movements weren’t helping too much. As he extended your arm above the bowl, you managed to see – behind him, in the distance, covered in shadows – Orcus holding Kyrie hostage, searching everywhere for a breech so he could finish his ritual before Erlach.

“Nero! Kyrie is over there! Go kick his ass, kid!” You screamed while fighting so Erlach couldn’t drip your blood into the bowl. Yes, he needed more than a few drops from the gashes from his claws – but he could make them bigger once you were in a decent position. And you didn’t want to give him that.

“Kyrie! I’m coming for you!” And finally, after his aquamarine eyes found Kyrie’s plea for help, Nero did let go of Trish with ease – and the she-devil didn’t even try to hold him back. With just a smile on her face, the woman looked back at Lady and they knew it was time to intervene now that both of you were located and they wouldn’t risk any of your lives.

Amidst all that, with Dante literally burning his way towards you while being held back by three demons, a few invisible cuts made them fall apart and gush blood all over the floor. Vergil entered the cathedral, while carrying an old book you saw at Erlach’s office earlier that night – the book with all the ancient, and most forbidden, devilish incantations.

“Go on, Dante. I’ll take it from here.” Vergil barely looked at the demons he was fighting with: holding the book with one hand and being assisted by summoned swords, he only needed a few well placed judgement cuts to get rid of all those nuisances.

Dante didn’t even think twice after hearing his brother’s words. Marching down the aisle, he approached you and Erlach like a death omen – his demonic form in his ultimate Devil Trigger was enough to inspire respect even in the upper echelon of Hell.

And you had to say, you were proud of that.

“Let y/n go, Erlach.” As Dante commanded, you couldn’t fail to notice his voice was slightly… Different. The more he approached, the more his voice sounded less distorted and more human. “Ya know, for a demon with such a pretentious plan, you’d think you’d put up more of a difficult fight.” And when Dante stopped right in front of the altar between you both, he was completely human – looking at you with the sky blue eyes you loved so much. “I’m barely breakin’ a sweat.”

If Erlach’s claws weren’t deep into your skin, you would’ve locked your arms around his neck already, taking in his scent and calming down your heart. Yes, Dante would be smelling of gunpowder, blood and sweat, but that was still his scent. It was enough to make you feel secure again.

“Indeed. I underestimated you.” Erlach’s claws dug out of your skin, making you retreat quickly. You managed to see a little commotion where Kyrie and Nero were before, but with everything that was happening, you couldn’t quite make the moment where Orcus was nowhere to be seen – all you could be sure was that Kyrie was safe, back into Nero’s arms. And that was enough. “It seems like the blood of Sparda still thrives to this day.”

“Yeah, yeah, daddy’s blood and all that…” Dante rolled his eyes, shooting near Erlach’s feet. The demon jumped back, farther away from you – and that made you smile. “Spit it out, spook. How did you find out ‘bout the ritual? Where did ya get that book?”

“Apparently you never heard of a library. On that aspect, I win, my creature.” Erlach still had that weird admiration in his eyes for you, making you wince. You never gave him a single reason to like you. Demons had to be masochist creatures.

“Oh, I heard about those alright. It just so happens my brother here has spent a very long vacation time in Hell and lemme tell ya…” With those words, Dante finally took Erlach by his neck, leaning the demon over the sacrificial bowl and touching the blade of Rebellion on his neck. Dante usually didn’t get that feral… But Erlach had tried him a little bit too much that night. “He doesn’t have very nice words about you and your little friends. Those rituals aren’t well known in detail. Something gave you that book. Who?”

It wasn’t a side of Dante you liked to see, but, when dealing with those kinds of demons, it was a necessary one. Erlach, as far as you could tell, wasn’t just your dumb daily demon – he was in the upper echelon. And said echelon only became worse the higher the rank.

“You would love to know, wouldn’t you?” Erlach laughed even if the sword already started to nick some blood out of his thick demonic skin. “You will have to let me go to get your answer. If you don’t, no deal.”

You closed your eyes, sighing. Erlach was the deal kind of demon. And it was always a slippery slope with those silver tongue devils.

Dante knew that as well. His heart screamed at him to kill Erlach and let his blood run over the floor of the cathedral – to take you home safely and let you know that threat would never loom over you again.

But they needed answers. Only very high rank demons would have access to that kind of book – to those kinds of rituals. Demons like Sparda… Like Mundus. And that was something none of them wanted as a threat. The single thought of the possibility of Mundus being alive made him shiver and his blood boil. His house burned in his childhood, his family slaughtered like animals, his past stained in blood and sulfur. He didn’t want that to happen again. He wouldn’t let that happen again. Not to anyone in the crew, not to his nephew, not to his brother… Not to you.

Dante let Erlach go. The demon cracked his neck, gaining his posture once again. You stood by Dante’s side, ready to suplex Erlach into oblivion if he tried anything funny.

“The two of you already have what you need to know the answer.” Erlach pointed at the book in Vergil’s hands, moving his gaze back to you soon after. “I will have you as mine, y/n. You have my word, sweet creature.”

Before you could do anything in response, Erlach set himself ablaze in flames that kept burning for a few seconds while he disappeared back to where he came from – probably Hell, if you had to guess.

“Eh. We should’ve known he would leave without giving us a decent answer.” You sighed, feeling your shoulders relax for the first time that night, knowing all demons were dead and you were around safe people again.

“And even shamelessly flirtin’ with ya, what’s up with that…?”

“No idea, red devil. I did my best for him to hate me; apparently it backfired tremendously.”

You finally turned to look at each other. Both of you looked tired, completely out of energy – you, from your human body; Dante from the toll all that fiery explosion of anger and demonic heritage could take on him. His eyes, though… Those sky blue eyes, looked at you with the human kindness you always longed for – with the admiration and fire of a lover, but the gentleness of a soul who was not only your mate, but your home.

You felt safe again. All that insecurity, that fear, that horror of being alone and having to fight on your own – to survive on your own – it washed away in that infinite blue sky. He was your home, and you were safe. Nothing bad would ever happen to you, for Dante was there to catch you and hold you in his arms until you felt you could walk with certainty again.

“I heard you, pretty eyes…” Dante murmured, taking a strand of hair out of your dirty face, watching with amusement as you furrowed your brows. He took one of his hands over his heart, eyes looking into yours. “I heard you here.”

A gradual smile lit up your face as you understood what he had said. That pull, that thing you did, of closing your eyes and praying he would find you… It worked. Of course it worked. And you couldn’t be happier, with all that pouring like a golden fountain from your heart, making your eyes laminate with a few tears and threaten to overflow.

“I’m glad you did, cowboy.” You approached him, cradling his face with your hands and leaning him down so his forehead could touch yours. “I’m glad you did. I prayed so loud for you.”

With that, you took his hand to touch your heart, in the hopes he would once again listen – but this time hear the golden tunes it sang along the overflow. The frills of the ridiculous attire didn’t allow him to find your beat, though.

“Well, I told ya I’d get rid of that, right?” Dante sighed, staring down at that horrid attire – although he would argue you could never look bad. Even with that thing on. “Ei! All of ya, look away! I’m puttin’ y/n out of their misery!”

“What…?”

Before you could finish asking, though, Dante masterfully moved Rebellion around you – while everyone turned away or closed their eyes. Lady and Trish, though, just kept staring at that goof of a man you called your lover. Within a few seconds, those terrifying wedding clothes tore apart, pooling around your feet on the floor while you just stared back at your red devil – the chilly air of the night all around your bare skin.

“That was hot.” You had to say it while Dante quickly checked you out like the masterpiece he always thought you were.

“Not as hot as you, babe.” With a wink, Dante took off his red coat, wrapping it around you and making you warm again.

You loved wearing Dante’s coat. It was definitely too big for you, but it was always warm – that night, you could almost say it seemed like it was enveloped in flames. But it had his scent all over it and it fit like a huge cape you could almost drag on the ground. You couldn’t have asked for a better attire for that evening.

“Hey.” As you called for his attention, those blue eyes rested on you again, little by little settling all that restlessness that whole ordeal had set in your soul. And, since words weren’t enough, you once again cradled his face with your hands, this time placing a well-deserved kiss on your lover’s lips.

Dante giggled between your lips, wrapping his strong arms around your waist to lift you off the floor – making it easier for you to kiss him unapologetically. You never saw yourself as a damsel in distress, and you would have killed every demon in that room with a dagger and your teeth if it was necessary, but it wasn’t. And that was so new: you could always count on Dante to be there for you, to protect you and to be a place for you to fall whenever you lost your balance.

Your heart stopped screaming and Dante’s soul found peace again.

“Ah, I see Nero stole Dante’s idea.”

As you saw Kyrie leaving the van’s bathroom wearing nothing but Nero’s coat, she smiled happily back at you while showing it off as soon as you pointed that out. You were sitting in the van, still in the red coat – Dante would know only later that decision would cost him his sanity while trying to get his coat back from you. A few chases and him gripping you tight to get his coat back was in store for the rest of that night.

“It was a very good idea.” Kyrie had a mischievous smile on her lips, blushing a little bit while grabbing the collar of Nero’s coat and taking in the scent. “It smells like him. It feels like he’s always around.”

“I know what you mean.” You smiled proudly as an answer, barely noticing Nico staring at both of you while Lady and Trish giggled.

“Ya know what she means…? That coat is nasty!” Nico pointed at the blue coat enveloping the crew’s little angel, making you laugh a little bit more. “And yours?! If Nero’s coat is bad, Dante’s even worse! Looks like he just blasted from the insides of a frog demon or somethin’! And you say it has his scent?!” The gunsmith couldn’t be more revolted at yours and Kyrie’s antics.

“That’s Dante’s scent for ya...” You sighed, leaning back on the van’s seat – something quite red devilish like. “Gunpowder, demon’s blood and sweat. When he’s clean, though, it’s more of a woody and musky with a hint of pizza kind of scent. Sometimes strawberries.”

“Apparently, love doesn’t make us only blind, it makes our sense of smell completely absent.” Trish strutted her way towards the seat she always took in the van, across from you, having a complacent smile on her devil lips.

“It makes us more tolerant.” Kyrie sat by your side, completely happy to be wearing Nero’s clothes and safe and sound with the crew again. “That is a thing most people need to learn more about.”

“As always, angel Kyrie is right.” Lady sighed, taking her spot inside the van – after lightly elbowing Nico just to tease the gunsmith. “Just like we tolerate the smell of your cigarettes.”

“Hey, at least I’m not turning into a fuming creature blasting demon viscera everywhere!” Nico pointed at Lady with her cigarette between her fingers, making all of you laugh. “Must take days to get those things off your hair!”

“Sometimes, it takes even weeks!” Dante’s voice added from outside of the van, entering soon after to take his seat right by your side. To say Dante would be hovering around you for months, overly protecting you over anything and everything, was a very mild way to describe his behavior after that evening.

“Ya know, once I found a piece of liver hidden right behind my ear…?” Nero approached Nico as she just glared at him with pure disgust. “Took me days to find it.”

“You’re nasty, demon boy.” Nico lightly shoved Nero out of the way, dismissing all that conversation to go back to the stirring wheel. Nero laughed back, making his way to Kyrie and sitting by her side, cradling her with one of his arms while she rested her head on his chest.

“We couldn’t find more on the origin of their knowledge…” Vergil was the last one to board, closing the van’s door behind him. As soon as he did, Nico started driving back home – and he showed you a few things he had in his hands. “But we did find your gear. I will keep it in a safe place until we get back to the shop.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Verge!” You had genuine relief in your voice, watching as he carefully placed your sword next to him. “I thought I’d never see those things again. Thanks for finding them.”

As always, Vergil didn’t answer, just bowed his head as the perfect gentleman he was. Soon, Dante’s arm found its way around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him.

“Huh, so much thankfulness for Vergil, while I was the one who saved your ass from that demon lord. I’m feeling a little ignored.” Of course, you knew Dante was only joking – never in all your time together you picked up any sign of jealousy he could have of you and Vergil. Dante was very secure about your relationship, knowing quite well where your heart rested – he would be insecure, sometimes, when it came to other humans.

“Oh, c’mon. How can I not be thankful when it’s my gear we’re talking about?” You raised one eyebrow, teasing him back – which only made Dante smile. “Now being a little more serious, it was rough being stripped of everything. Even with that hideous frilly attire, I felt completely naked. There’s no way for me to defend myself without all my stuff; I don’t have demonic blood running through my veins to go into a rampage and kill every single living thing in front of me.”

“Well, lucky for you, I got that goin’ for me.” Dante brought you even closer, tightening his half hug around you.

“Hmmm…” You took some time to take in his scent, this time directly from his neck, right in front of you. Yes, all those things you mentioned before, but you could always find the woody and musky Dante scent underneath all of that. And maybe it was that which made you feel so comfortable and secure. “I was scared. I was running out of options when you showed up.”

“Shhh, don’cha think ‘bout that, pretty eyes.” Whenever you voiced how uncomfortable you were with something, Dante immediately started caressing you just to at least make you feel physically comfortable again. And you had to say, it always worked.

“I know, I know… It’s just… I know I can always count on you to appear at the direst of moments, no matter where I am.” With those words, you placed one of your hands above his heart, making those sky blue eyes look back into yours. “I know you can hear me call, no matter what.”

“It’s part of the demon thing, babe.” Even though he was happy with that, Dante had a bittersweet smile on his lips.

“Yeah, maybe… But demons don’t show up to save desperate souls who are praying for them when all other options have failed.” You brushed aside some strands of dirty hair that insisted on covering those beautiful eyes – now looking at you with curiosity and admiration. “Do you know who do?”

“Hmmm…?”

“Angels do.” Your answer was but a murmur, even quieter than the engines of the van. “You are my very own guardian angel, Dante.”

Lady once said that, somewhere out there, even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one – but you would dare to add that devils did cry when they were loved back.

Your red devil was living proof of that on that Halloween night.

#devil may cry #devil may cry imagine #dmc #dmc imagine #dante x reader #dante imagine #devil may cry fanfiction #dmc fanfiction #dmc dante #dante sparda #devil may halloween #the ripping the dress apart scene #I'm SUCH a fan of Zorro #and Antonio Banderas does that with Catherine Zeta Jones in the 1st movie #BOOM one of my fave things right there when I saw it for the first time #Dante was raised on Zorro and I'll die on this hill #alsoooo couldn't resist making Erlach a character that may or may not appear again #something about having a demon lord fall in love with Dante/Vergil's s/o sounds so funny to me #I have to make that a recurrent theme #and the 'I'd love you even if you were a rock with googly eyes' is indeed a reference to Everything Everywhere All At Once #just recently watched with my mom and was devastated and happy at the same time #some people we would love even in the rock dimension #I hope you guys like it!! even if it took forever to post!! T-T

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bloggingboutburgers · 1 month

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hi! so, uh, I wasn't really sure where to send this, but you seem nice and (hopefully) have some advice. I'm aroace, specifically sapphic-oriented cupioromantic ace, and I think I have a squish on this one girl. or maybe mesh? idk. all I know is that I really like her and want to be close to her, I think the word for me is alterous attraction? or maybe platonic or aesthetic, because I think she looks really cool too. honestly, I'm not really sure what the heck I feel :') could be a crush, squish, mesh, or just wanting to be friends. uhh anyways, I'm not really sure what to do about it. idk, I guess I want to become closer to her?

anyways, sorry for bothering you. basically I was wondering if you have any thoughts on what im feeling, what I should do, and also maybe how you and your qpp got into a qpr with each other? if u dont mind.

oh! and congrats on you engagement, your 'no one can know I dont like sex' comics make me smile and also have helped me figure out myself! thanks.

Hey!! I'm so sorry I'm replying to this ask so late T^T Kinda buried myself in other projects of let myself get distracted for this blog for a lil while... Either way I hope I'm not too late TwT And don't worry, you're not bothering at all!! (Also thank you so much for the kind words, they mean a lot TwT)

I guess... Whatever you do about it is up to you honestly, as vapid as that probably sounds of me! Heck, maybe you've already taken some steps since writing to me too, late as I am...

I also don't wanna put a label on how you feel, because it's a very personal thing, but I'll say – honestly you don't even necessarily NEED to put a label on it, not yet or not ever (whatever works for you), if you're not sure how to call it. The most important thing is if you're vibing with what you are, besides that you don't owe anyone any explanation. Though I guess it's also understandable to want to know what to call it if you're gonna bring it up to her... But also (maybe I'm naive, but yeah) I think there's nothing wrong with just sincerely saying you don't know how to call things yet either, even to her. I feel it'd be fair to both of you still, personally.

As far as me and my QPP, I didn't do anything – they were the one who realized they had a squish on me and took all the steps originally to get it going 🙈 Which they told me was definitely nerve-wracking! But yeah, their handle is @civiart if you want to reach out to them too for more advice, or they can also answer further questions here on my behalf, they told me whichever is fine with them^^

But also in case it helps, I've actually drawn how it went down for us here in the past, and I tried to elaborate a bit on my own experience of a QPR here and here!

And sorry again for being late TwT I wish you the best though!

#anon #sorry i'm so late #aroace #cupioromantic #asexual

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alemonyoyo · 3 months

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No Country for Young Humans - Chapter 8

Got this chapter out a lot sooner than planned. This chapter does NOT pass the Bechdel test I am SORRY. But on that note, from what you should expect of this story; a lot of MC and Star. This is definitely an idealised narrative that is moreso focused on the relationship between these two characters rather than the ongoing story of the Underground as a whole. Of course, elements of the Underground and the happenings outside of The Wild East will become prevalent, but MC and Star are the main focus, hence why there is so much focus placed upon MC and Star. I just wanted to clarify this!

Missed the previous chapters? Check out the Masterlist!

Words: 3397

Tags: GN Reader, No use of YN, Flirting, Teasing, Does not pass the Bechdel test

Summary: Finally you've returned from Waterfall, and your feelings are starting to swell. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of celebration, a more quiet figure plagues you with a question.

Chapter 8 - The Childhood Friend: BGM: Undertale Yellow OST: 069 - Getting The Thoughts Out

You hadn’t expected to be near tackled at your own arrival back home, but it was a welcome surprise.

“Ah, jeez guys!” You laughed out, the Feisty Four being quick to embrace you. It was nice to know you had been missed, even if you were gone for only a day.

“Good to see you’re alright, rookie.” Moray spoke out, being the first to detach from the group hug. Ace followed suit, readopting his stoic demeanour as he added,

“Not that we didn’t have any *faith* in you.” After some of your missions with him, you were surprised that he did. Ed eventually let go of you, picking up Mooch by the back of her collar as she tried fiddling around in your pockets.

“We were just worried is all.” Ed replied before giving Mooch a dirty look as he placed her down gently.

Home hadn’t changed since you’d left of course, still as vibrant and hot and dry as always. Despite the lustre and elegance that you had been met with at Waterfall, being home and safe felt all the more radiant. You felt a hand get gently placed on your shoulder, Star approaching from behind.

“No need to worry. They had the best Sheriff in town to keep them safe!” He beamed out. For all it was worth, he wasn’t lying. If it weren’t for his quick thinking, and knowledge of Waterfall, then you would probably have been captured, or killed-

“Yes of course.” You heard the calmer voice call out from behind the crowd of the Feisty Four. “Glad to see that you are both still in one piece.” Ceroba joined the small group with a calm expression. She looked the same as always, perfectly dressed and groomed. You watched as she turned to give North Star a quaint smile, yet she only nodded at you.

“I think this calls for a round of drinks, right boss?” Ed asked, tipping his eyebrow at Star who nodded in agreement.

“Sound’s good to me, Ed. Let’s celebrate another victory.”

“And the rookie will be paying for all of us!” Mooch spoke out as she held out your pouch of gold which she had keenly swindled from your pockets. That bastard! The cunning thing squirmed out of grasp before you could grab her.

“Hey! Give that back!” You chased after her as she ran into the bar, the others following close behind.

The saloon's chatter was a wall of sound hugging around every part of you, oppressive and overwhelming. Yet, its thick presence left no room for intrusion, left no room for your awkward sighs and light breaths to be heard as you remained slumped on the edge of an ongoing conversation. Chatter this wild allowed for some sort of anonymity that you were otherwise lacking.

The Feisty Five, plus Ceroba and yourself, had been chatting about the excursion for quite some time now, with North Star painting quite the elaborate and dramatic picture of your adventure;

“But then, the *leader* of the Royal Guard came runnin’ at us! She had this look in ‘er eye, I knew it was bad business then. But thankfully-” The flourish he added always had you delighting in much of his charm. Sewn within each word was this giddy tone in his voice, the bravado of the tapestry he weaved was magnetising to watch. Yet, having been there yourself to experience the real thing, his tale was a large stretch of the truth.

You had wanted to help recount, but instead found yourself sitting silent by the edges, simply watching as North Star worked at the theatrics, miming actions, putting on voices. You were too enthralled by the mere sight of him to even interject with your own remarks. This feeling- it was dense and tight and pulled at you every which way, yet you indulged in it all the same. You liked him, more than the average friend. But if you found your tongue caught every time you were with him, with *everyone*, how could you ever make your feelings known?

Not even a couple hours ago talking had felt so easy, the words slipping off your tongue like the rapids that rushed beside you as you spoke. You had pinned him down, punched him, laughed with him, yet now it was all too much? Others were watching, yes, but shouldn’t the company mask the need to indulge in your own fluster?

Ceroba was making a comment on the events of North Star’s retelling as you elbowed him lightly in the side, just enough to get his attention;

“I’m gonna get some air for a bit.” You whisper, before shifting off your seat to leave out of the Saloon’s back door. Hopefully he’d follow, and you could be alone again to be playful with him without the fear of being seen. Or even worse, understood.

You felt the Saloon door swing shut behind you, the air out here was, although still just as hot, far less stuffy than the hive that throbbed within the Saloon’s walls. Out the back there was a small, rickety patio made of wooden planks with a couple of stairs that led down to the sandy ground beneath. A faucet jutted out of the wall though it wasn’t functional and probably never had been. You went to sit on the stairs, feeling the wooden boards wheeze beneath the weight; weathered and old. Down the far side of the back of the bar, there were a couple barrels of what you assumed to be rum strewn about.

The outside air was fresher, less anonymous, yes, but it gave you the space to clear your head. The space to not let your emotions take you over.

Taking a deep breath in, you felt the warm air shift in your lungs. Exhaling, you dragged out all of the tension in your shoulders, your back. It could have just been aches from your prior adventure, or it could be something more-

A calm breeze washed by, sending a couple of tumbleweeds floating with it. Stumbling over one another in a chance to make haste to who knows where. Objects without purpose travelling onward. They were like you at one point in time. Making a journey to a place you would never see again. It was useless, really, when you thought about it. Even if you *wanted* to leave, you couldn’t. So maybe it was good that you liked Star, liked him this much to change the entire trajectory of your life to stay *here*. Your new home.

This was the best choice for you, right?

Suddenly, you heard the Saloon door squeak on its hinges as it was forced agape.

“Need some company?” You heard the mellow voice speak out.

“Sure, Ceroba.” You responded, too lost in your thoughts to turn your head to her.

She gladly took the reply, shifting down next to you on the wooden planks. The wind that rolled by shifted through her locks of hair. They looked like tendrils as they brushed through the wind. Even sitting she was elegance personified.

“I was hoping to hear *your* side of the story. I know Star’s dramatic tendencies all too well.” You heard the smirk in her voice, and turned to see it for yourself. A strange sight it was, but a welcome one. You had seldom seen Ceroba even frown, such levels of expression were rather abnormal for you to be privy to. You sighed out, thinking of where to start, “Long day?”

“Yes-” You nodded, leaning your chin on your hand as you started.

“We don’t have to talk about it then-” You felt her shift, but it was smooth, and lacked the jagged edges of awkwardness. Despite your *state*, she was still effortlessly comfortable in your presence.

A silence settled between you, one that was far more comfortable than that which you had shared with some of the others. All you needed was the sound of the wind and the muffled chatter to keep you company. Though, there was a part of you, the same nagging voice that felt oh-so oppressive earlier in the bar, that wanted to ask her about him. North Star had said they were best friends, since childhood no less. Had he spoken about you? Or were you nothing but a passing remark in their conversations?

“North Star took me to this hidden place when we were running from the Royal Guard. At least, I *think* it was the Royal Guard.”

“Oh so the bit about you and Star getting chased by Undyne was all made up?” You weren’t sure who that was, a Royal Guard evidently.

“I like to think of it as a bit of flourish rather than an outright lie.” You let out a small chuckle, an exhale that showed the playfulness of your tone while your face could still remain stagnant. “It was this small area, with a bench and an Echoflower. We had to tread on these weird flowers to get there. It was like nothing I had ever seen!”

“Oh, did you check under the bench?” The mentioning of this secret spot seemed to catch her attention, she had turned to you, looking at you more directly.

“Uh, no?”

“Oh.” She retreated a bit in her tone, “Maybe next time?” You saw her flash a smile. A rare smile. One’s that feel like secrets shared between first loves, only you were barely even friends.

“Maybe. Why should I be checking under there?”

“Oh, it’s just an inside joke- When I used to take Star there as a kid, sometimes there’d just be- oh, well I won’t spoil the surprise.” And just like that, the moment went sour. Those moments with Star had felt like they were *yours*. Yours to ponder over and to turn around in your head obsessively like you had done mere moments ago. But that wasn’t *your* place, this was North Star and Ceroba’s place, wasn’t it?

“Ah, yes, he told me you took him there.” You could feel your tone fall flat, losing its initial flighty underbelly, skinned of its lighthearted tone. “You’ve known each other for a long time, huh?” You asked, not really directing the question towards her. Rather it just reaffirmed the brewing feeling that tripped in your stomach. It wasn’t as painful as jealousy, no. This was the solemn poison of doubt.

“Yes. Pretty much since I was born. I guess as friends, I never really outgrew him.” Hm, that wording struck you as strange. The feeling in your stomach only got hungrier for info;

“As friends?” You asked, knowing the road this would lead down. You didn’t want to dislike her. You didn’t- Ceroba had kindly come out to check on you after you randomly departed from the group. How could you dislike someone like that? Yet, envy was a powerful thing that battled for control over your logic, appealing rather to the jury of the heart.

“Well, there was a point in time where-'' She stopped herself, almost as if she had been paused by some outside force. And then, just like that, they had pressed play, and she had snapped out of whatever stupor that overcame her. “You don’t really want to hear this, do you?” She asked, eyebrows downturned.

“Why do you say that?” Perhaps even with the coolness of the outside air, your emotions hadn’t simmered down, and your face had failed your intentions, ringing out doubt and envy on all of its features.

“You like him, don’t you?” Oh.

“I- what?” She met your reply with a knowing smile.

“You do!” She beamed with glee, pointing a light but accusatory finger your way.

You stammered an excuse, waving your hands to fan off her presumptions. But it was too late, this spark had been fanned into a wildfire, and there was no way that the stream of words that left your lips could ever put it out. As your attempts slowly faltered, you felt a dewy warmth emanate beneath your clothing, sticking to your skin as your face fell hot.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I won’t tell.” She placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, but the act was dampened by the fact that she still wore a smirk on her face. “I just wanted to confirm some suspicions. Glad to know I was right.” Her face shifted into a smile, and you calmed your panic.

“How could you tell?” You asked. She had read you so easily! Were you that open of a book that this near-stranger could tell your feelings. And who else knew?

“Ah, I always have fun watching the gang do their missions. I was quite keen to watch you when you first joined. I see the way you look at him.” She leant back on her hands, staring out to the vast horizon of the Dunes, “I thought at the very least, it was in admiration. But I started to suspect that it was something more after I heard all the names Star calls you.” She giggled, and you looked down at your lap where your hands sat clasped in dismay. “ “Darlin’” seemed to have you gasping for air a couple of times. It is quite amusing to watch.” You had assumed this whole time that the passionate inner feelings you harboured were nothing more than swells of the mind, yet instead they chose to manifest visually, giving you away.

“Well, I guess you’ve got me all figured out then?” You responded, sighing heavily as you tried to let go of the embarrassment.

“I wouldn’t say that. I just know that you like him, is all. I don’t know *why* you like him, though I have my suspicions. And other than that, I hardly know anything else about you. North Star has talked to me more about you than I have talked *with* you.” I suppose that was true. You had heard more about Ceroba than seen. You had heard more about her whole life than seen it; Her husband, some chatter here and there about a daughter. Where were they now?

“What kind of things is he saying about me?” You ask hesitantly. She giggled and you shot her an angered look.

“Ah, sorry, sorry. This just reminds me of when I was a kid, a little.” She chuckled.

“Why’s that?”

“Ah you know, asking your crush’s friends about what they think of you, gossip and all that. Talking behind others’ backs. It’s all a bit childish but it's something I enjoy for its nostalgia all the same.”

“You calling me childish?”

“Aren’t we all?” The response was befitting of everything you had encountered in the Wild East so far; this large game of pretend that strung out over weeks, the playful yet meaningless back and forths of the Feisty Five’s banter, your conversation right now with Ceroba. It was all quite childish. But maybe that’s what you needed right now.

“Anyway, to answer your question, he’s only said good things, so don’t get hung up on that.” That was a relief, after everything you had sacrificed to stay here in the Wild East, the last thing you needed was the driving force behind that decision to turn sour on you. “He sees a lot of potential in you. You seem quite eager to do well for him, and you’re brave enough to try all the crazy things that he asks of you. He admires that” This made you smile. Of course it did-

“Good to hear that my dedication is paying off.” In response to this, she shifted in her place, turning a little towards you.

“So, why do you like him?” She asked before slinking back in slight embarrassment, “Now I’m being childish.” You decide to feed into the gossip, the two of you giggling at how silly the whole conversation was.

“Hm, well, he is quite the character. There is a lot to go over really.” You held your chin in contemplation; “He is rather attractive, that’s for sure.”

“Shallow.” She mumbled out before chuckling.

“Okay, okay! There are more reasons than that!” You slap her playfully on the arm, “He’s really patient with everyone's abilities. I feel like he doesn’t expect too much of everyone. Even if I suck at something, I never feel shitty about it when I’m around him.”

“There was a time where he was pretty bad at all of this.” Ceroba responded, gesturing with her pawed hands, “When he was younger, and first got attached to human culture, he’d go out into his yard every day and practice lasso-ing his dad while he worked.” Now it truly felt like gossip. Now you truly felt like friends.

“Oh god- That sounds painful. But in the most endearing way possible-” Star sounded like quite the hoot, even as a kid. Maybe even before he got ensnared with all the Wild West stuff.

“What was North Star like as a kid?” You asked her, hoping that the mentioning of the past would be a welcome topic. Ceroba seemed to be one to indulge in nostalgia.

“Ah, very different from how he is now. He was just as well meaning, but not as bold or brash.” You listened intently, and Ceroba couldn’t help but laugh at your heightened interest, “Not sure how much I can tell you without Star trying to kill me. He tries his best to look cool for you.” The remark had your mind buzzing with glee. He tried to look cool for you- What a dork. What a loveable dork! “I can tell you that he was a lot quieter, more contemplative and a bit bored with life. I guess that’s why he latched onto human culture so much. It’s hard to live a satisfying life down here. Guess he needed some excitement.” Her gaze turned to look pointedly at you. There was no smirk on her face, just pure contemplation. “Maybe that’s one reason why he’s latched onto *you* so much.”

You hoped not, as it rang rather shallow in comparison to the depths of your own feelings for him. Seeing your slightly pained expression, Ceroba quickly added, “Not the only reason, of course. I have heard many reasons.” You tried to smile appreciatively at the response.

“Do you think I have a chance?” You mumbled, feeling your heart’s pace quicken, its vibration’s thrumming.

“A chance with him?” Her expression was like nothing you’ve ever seen. Trying to decipher its parts, it seemed like a mixture of reassurance and something more painful. Something you couldn’t read into any further, your shovel of inference hitting a rock. “Well, I’m almost certain you do.” She added, turning away, her expression unchanging.

“You think so?” Your tone is careful yet still injected with the characteristic flightiness of joy. This was everything you had wanted to hear, afterall!

“Y-yeah.” She sighed out, her gaze astray, “He really appreciates having you around. I don’t think he’ll ever willingly let you leave.” She chuckled, but it was faint and flat and her eyebrows downturned only helped the playful tone run off into the thick summer air.

“I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon, if I can help it.” You reassure her. You couldn’t leave Star, nor the Feisty Five. And now you had another person you couldn’t leave. Even if the moment had soured, Ceroba seemingly plagued by something, you still considered her a friend. Still gossiped with her as if you were still a child. As if you were still innocent. That was worth staying for, on top of everything.

“Yeah.” Was all she said, her shoulders sinking with her words. Another silence settled as you fumbled with your own hands. “Just- Just make sure not to get too attached.” She mumbled out before standing up, and heading back inside without a word.

And just like that, you were left alone once more. Only now, not even the air could carry with it the anonymity afforded to you prior.

Now, everyone could see you.

***

“Whatcha doin’ out here all by yerself, deputy?”

“Just got a bit heated in there. That’s all.”

“Ah well, hope you don’t mind my company. I’ve missed havin’ you in there with me.”

“I have hardly been out here long!”

“Ah well, guess I’m just gettin’ too attached to you is all.”

“Haha… Yeah. Me too.”

#undertale #undertale yellow #uty #uty north star #uty starlo #starlo uty #north star uty #starlo #north star #undertale yellow starlo #undertale yellow north star #north star undertale yellow #starlo undertale yellow #fanfiction #north star x reader #starlo x reader #north star uty x reader #starlo uty x reader #no country for young humans

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fractiflos · 6 months

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awww poor Yoichi :(

Hmm, do you have any immortal headcanons?

I felt so sorry for him the whole time I was writing that AU. But yes, I do have some immortal OFA users headcanons.

Note: This time, an immortality quirk got mixed in with stockpile, so the users all had to fake their deaths. The headcanons go from there.

Yoichi had fun writing the books he always wanted to write, but under a pseudonym of course. His brother hates his books of course and vows to hunt down the author. (Yoichi does change pseudonyms and stuff every few years)

Also, once every few years, Yoichi will get HOOKED on some trend. It lasts about twice as long as it takes for the trend to die down.

Second married Yoichi and while he wanted to just steal what they needed; Yoichi convinced him to get money in a more ethical way. So, he became a mechanic. The only bad thing is they have to move every few years as they look the same age they were when they passed on OFA. Like the vampires in Twilight.

I headcanon Third as aro/ace, so this is a duoholders universe.

Also, Third becomes a therapist. He figured he would be qualified after so many years being the therapist friend. And he is good at it, but he also runs into the Twilight issue. Even so, the 3 are never far apart from each other. Third does have his own place, but he's always there if the other two need anything and vice versa.

(I have a weird version of trioholders where, while the first two holders are romantically involved, their friendship with Third runs so deep, that if he died, they would be destroyed. Same with Yoichi and Second. They all need and understand each other in a way so deeply, it goes beyond any normal intimacy. Like, platonic soulmates I guess is the best word for that.)

Hikage lives in the woods. After 18 years of being chased around, he decided to fake his death and give OFA to Banjo. So, now he lives with the forest creatures in peace. Third still drags him out for the occasional family dinner though.

Banjo uses his extra immortal time to become talented at, not just normal hobbies, but really weird stuff like peeling a banana with his feet like a monkey. In addition to bothering Hikage, he decided to try his hand at a childhood dream and become a cowboy. That didn't work out, so he travels the world instead.

My headcanon for En is that he had 5 siblings, so immortality would give him a lot of grieving to do. However, I also headcanon him as a lover of reptiles and technology, so he used his immortal time to get acquainted with all the new tech coming out each year and finally get a pet chameleon. He also got a degree in Graphic Art. However, he chooses to make his money by doing commissions.

Nana did give away her son after her husband died, but only until she faked her death. Then she got him back, so Kotaro doesn't end up being as bad, but there's definitely still some tension between them as she didn't tell him about her plan. She hides away, with Gran Torino helping her try to raise Kotaro as normally as possible. Meaning his last name does end up changed because Torino adopts him, but he co-parents with Nana. It's complicated. At least Hana and Tenko are happy children with grandparents who spoil them and a better dad. Nobody wants to be on the bad side of both Nana and Gran Torino.

Toshinori did not know about the immortality thing. Nana forgot to tell him, and he just thought his master had really good genes. So, he has the same knowledge in canon. In fact, his life is pretty much like canon, as they figured it was best that he goes to America for a bit to keep AFO away from Nana's hiding place. He also gets into the same fight with AFO, but sustains the same damage. You see, the immortality quirk doesn't keep them from getting hurt, it just keeps them from dying.

Oh yeah, remember the family dinners Hikage gets dragged to? Those are between every OFA user. Toshinori just thinks they're historians who love to joke around. He has to believe it at this point. At least they only happen once a year, unless there's an emergency, like a new user or a faked death. Or, AFO dying (is he dead?)

Then Toshinori brings Izuku to OFA family dinner. Cue the awing over the new user (who looks oddly familiar). There was some worry over how Izuku would adjust to the quirk, but they all assumed All Might had it figured out. That man was taught by someone who beat the crap out of him daily. All Might did not have it figured out.

(After the AFO fight, the other users convinced All Might to get a hobby or something, so he decided to try and get the credentials to become a teacher, because he always loved children. The credits to become a kindergarten teacher that is, so the jump to high school is still going to take some adjustment. Not to mention training a middle school boy to handle a quirk you gave them. I don't think there's a book on that.)

After the entrance exams, out of worry for their new user, all the vestiges move to the Musutafu area around UA to help with Izuku's training. The users get along great with Inko (who was told about OFA.) And Yoichi's brother and Inko's husband sure have a lot of similarities. What a coincidence...

From here they get upto all sorts of school-themed hijinks, but I'll let you imagine them. (The eventual meeting with Aizawa is always a fun one to imagine)

Uh... this did not turn out how I thought it would. It was supposed to be random headcanons and not a story outline. I did keep some stuff vague on purpose. Anyway, I hope you liked it :)

#hw ask game #jane's asks #my hero academia #yoichi shigaraki #second one for all holder #third one for all holder #hikage shinomori #daigoro banjo #en mha #nana shimura

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bnhabeans · 10 months

Text

Class 1a pride headcanons let's gooooo 🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Going by seat order bc I'm autistic and it makes good sense

Also no mineta bc I don't know what to do with him

1. Aoyama 🌟🩶

Nonbinary and aspec. They aren't sure if they have a definitive gender one way or another but if anyone asks they just say "sparkling of course!! ✨️" as for sexuality/romantic attraction they are asexual and still questioning their romantic alignment. Honestly they would be happy going through life with maybe some qpps and not really thinking too much about it

2. Mina 👽🩷

Bi as hell babey!! Everyone is gorgeous in their own way!! Mina falls in love so fast and with so many people she's just like. Everyone deserves love and if she's gotta be the one to give it then so be it.

3. Tsu 🐸💚

Distinguished lesbian. Not afraid to tell the other 1a girls what makes them attractive. Tsu loves complimenting ppl and feels very proud of herself whenever the other girls get flustered bc she knows it means she's made their entire day.

4. Iida ⏩️💙

Bisexual and doesn't know what to do about it. Has many panicked conversations with Tensei over finding people attractive and feeling very weird about it bc they all live together and also puberty hormones hit him like a truck about a month or so after meeting everyone.

5. Ochako 🌌🩷

Pansexual. Very proud of it. Often seen very loudly validating her classmates identities and making sure that any potential homophobes and transphobes know that they will be punted into the stratosphere if they so much as breathe wrong in the general direction of anyone ochako cares about

6. Ojiro 🐒🤎

Token cishet. Great ally tho.

7. Kaminari ⚡️💛

Nonbinary and bisexual. Pronouns vary by the day. Often jokes that they've never made a decision in their entire life because of this. When they go pro there ends up being an official line of Chargebolt merch that has the slogan "gender? I don't even know'er!" On it.

8. Kirishima 💪❤️

Bisexual but kind of oblivious to it. Equates attraction to admiring someone for being "manly." It is discovered at some point during his years at UA that his personal definition of manly just encompasses all the traits that he finds attractive in a person plus other traits he admires but isn't necessarily into. This makes for a very confusing journey of self-discovery.

9. Kouda 🐇🤍

Grey ace. Questions his gender sometimes but is not overly concerned with what gender is the right one. More interested in solid friendships than dating too and so he ends up with qpps as his most meaningful relationships

10. Sato 🍫💛

Stereotypical cake loving aro ace. He doesn't care what everyone else is doing, he's busy perfecting his ganache.

11. Shouji 🤝🩵

On the ace spectrum but still figuring out exactly where. He has body image issues due to trauma and that kind of effects his views on attraction and romance.

12. Jirou 🎵💜

She thinks she's bi but she's still figuring it all out. Honestly anyone that can vibe to music with her could catch her eye, and she especially likes people that have slightly odd tastes such as listening to classical music or pre-quirk pop*

*(this is based on the headcanon that bnha takes place a couple hundred years into the future. Pre-quirk pop would just be the pop of the 80s up to about now in her view)

13. Sero 🩹🩶

(I couldn't find a tape emoji so bandaid it is)

Pansexual. He and ochako get along very well bc not only do they share an identity in this way, they also both feel like they're parenting their respective neurodivergent friend groups lol.

14. Tokoyami 🐦‍⬛🖤

Homoromantic ace. Sometimes does Bird Things to show his affection like bringing gifts and trinkets to ppl he is interested in or like nesting with their stuff. He finds these urges embarrassing but everyone else thinks it's cute and adores him for it.

15. Todoroki ❄️🔥❤️🤍

Gay gay homosexual gay. Has absolutely no idea how romance or crushes or teenage hormones or anything is supposed to work so he just does not realize that it isn't normal to daydream about cuddling his male classmates. Ochako gently explains the concept of a crush to him after he mentions something about this offhand and it blows his fucking mind.

16. Hagakure 🌫🤍

Bisexual and a very proud member of the Loving Women Club. Has a huuuuggeee crush on Mirko (which like, same girl).

17. Bakugou 💥🧡

Gay. Has a very specific taste in men but he won't tell anyone what it is because like three people on the entire planet fit the criteria (in his mind anyway) and he does not want anyone figuring out who he might be into because he sees it as weakness. Even after he goes to therapy he describes his type as "certain dumbasses who have issues and can't take a single fucking hint" so.

18. Deku 🐰💚

Bisexual disaster and everyone around him knows it. Has like 3 crises a day over finding random classmates attractive and overthinks everything there is to overthink in the situation. Luckily for him everyone knows what he's like and how his brain works and they find it endearing (even if certain classmates won't say it out loud)

19. Yaomomo ⚛️❤️

Lesbian. Momo recognizes that all the girls around her are so pretty and talented and it's a win for her bc they have such a culture of uplifting each other so she's constantly getting compliments from very pretty girls. She's living her best life as the president of the loving UA women club.

Bonus: shinso!!! 🐱💜

Shinso uses the Queer umbrella label. He has a preference for men but is generally attracted to any gender. When he transfers into class A the first two weeks are like a constant crisis bc he's like. Getting attention from all these attractive and talented people??? And they like him for who he is??? Paralyzing.

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cloveroctobers · 9 months

Text

EM HAYWOOD — summer prompts 🍋

A/N: writing this quickly with a cold and before that vertigo has me spread out like Anderson Paak in that one music video lmao. This was meant to be out last month during pride but there is no limit to that sugar in your tank if you catch my drift! 😜 Also we’re always spreading love to THEE mother Keke so I thought why not? Hope ya’ll are still out there reading and it might be time for me to give NOPE another watch this summer! This is a mixture of fluff & humor mostly since the last one I wrote ages ago! really wasn’t that. Although I love a little spookiness too, otherwise I wouldn’t be called “Octobers” for nothing! You’ll find that out towards the end ❤️‍🔥

PROMPTS are from here & I’m using: “i know it’s hot but we have to go grocery shopping, get up...” + “roll the windows up, I’m about to put the AC on.”

ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.*

The sleep was hitting okay!

Especially when it took forever to get comfortable in this new home and you were managing the electric bill. Emerald was used to the heat SoCal would bring growing up in Agua Dulce but moving out to Lancaster? That dirt was bringing up a different type of heat—despite being only twenty something minutes away! But she didn’t mind spending the extra money so that the both of you could be comfortable.

With the way inflation is set up and companies are increasing everything every month just because they felt like that was the answer to their problems was a problem. You weren’t having it and settled on opening windows and fans majority of the time while Emerald let it slide…except for today.

You’re sleeping on your stomach, cheek pressed into a pillow made for hotels, covers a tangled web over your now room temp body as you rest peacefully. Which was a contrast to what started at the beginning of the hot uncomfortable night, you were home alone dressed in nothing but a oversized white t-shirt and Em was hanging out at the ranch with OJ and Angel. The invitation was always open for you to join but you needed to get some last minute things done for work, so you stayed behind to meet that deadline.

It was funny how that worked out, you being a digital journalist who fell in love with a charming woman, who went through a unexplainable experience that is still talked about to this point in time. If you thought Emerald Haywood was a talker, then that made you a believer and combined? That made the both of you a invested duo.

You thought you had it all figured out, since the trio received a nice “settlement” if that’s what you want to call it—once the higher ups were involved but that didn’t mean you didn’t want to put in the effort towards this home. Em’s name maybe on the deed and she wanted you to live with her but you’re the piece that made this feel like home.

Emerald’s dreams were always big and bright, she had no issue being a hustler but with you by her side you had to level her out just a bit and so she wouldn’t get too crazy when it came to home shopping. Sure house shopping was actually kind of fun; you personally didn’t think too much about it before, since you were still scrapping for money once living underneath your elementary school teacher mother’s home. It was just the two of you since your brother moved off to Texas with his girlfriend; that your mother didn’t particularly like but respected that her eldest wanted to start a new chapter elsewhere.

She just didn’t expect her daughter to go off and do the same thing a year later. Your mother tended to be harder on you than she was on your older brother but you stemmed that as your mother being dependent on you. Relax! Y’all were finally in therapy working that out and it definitely wasn’t with the help of Em’s ex, that would be a huge red flag.

So yeah there was some things going on along with some heat? You were going to do everything in your power to ease that electricity bill. Even if a nagging throbbing headache started to occur? Ice packs were in your reach for your dear forehead and back of your neck. If the walls were getting sticky? Put the fans on blast and rotate and open up those large windows to allow some fresh air in. You had it figured out and definitely was known as the DIY queen.

Emerald was staring down at you adoringly, kiss going right to the side of your neck before she lightly shook your shoulder, “wakey wakey, baby.”

You huffed, keeping your eyes closed, normally Emerald was the heavy sleeper but for some reason she wanted to be up and at ‘em, “huh?”

“We got things to do.”

“…like?” You croaked, knowing you needed some water soon.

“Plenty. First we need to get more gas and fill up the portable tanks, then we need to pick up Bam Cooke and Cathaway.” Emerald started counting your to-do list as she began pacing beside your side of the bed.

You honestly forgot your mom had your dog and cat (they were named after some soulful legendary singers, name creds completely go to emerald for this one!) for the weekend.

Peeking over at your nightstand you squinted trying to see the time and settled on snatching your phone instead.

8:56am.

Unlocking your phone you checked the weather and sighed, “there’s also a heat advisory today and tomorrow.”

“Girl what else is new? We also need to eat. I know it’s hot but we have to go grocery shopping, get up.” Emerald stated with her hands digging into hips, after she just yanked the curtains open to reveal the sunlight.

Slapping a slighty damp arm over your eyes after resting your phone back on the night stand, you exhaled, “can’t we just do a delivery service?”

“Yeah, we can. But you’ve been cooped up in this house for who knows how long. Like when’s the last time you’ve been to the office or been interacting with people?”

You’ve interacted with plenty people! That’s the perks of working remotely, you chatted only when necessary—although that also started to feel like a ghost town? Ghost server? it was still enough socializing for you with a employer that was basically a chatty Kathy that loved video calls and phone calls that could go on for hours every other day.

“Interacting with you and my mom is more than enough,” you mumbled, “plus we still have to get this house together, things are still in boxes, and we’re still waiting on backordered items.”

Emerald scoffed with a fan of her hand, “we’ll worry about that in due time! There’s no timeline to when this place has to be together, it’s about what we make of it.”

Which didn’t stop her from having a house warming with her group of close friends and your best friend. You wouldn’t have minded if it was just family but having friends over when the decor wasn’t even in the state was a little annoying. However emerald was open to sharing with everybody, her success was basically everyone’s success, although you tried to hint that one of her friends out of the group seemed to be moving a little funny after Emerald came into that money.

True tea.

You repeated after a yawn, “Grocery shopping?”

Emerald nodded as she approached the bed in her bra, brief’s, and rodded hair. She then climbed up onto the bed, standing over you as she lightly sang, “oooowoaaahyeaaah!”

Snorting you teased with some snaps, “Okay, Hannah.”

Winking, Em spun off the bed as you pushed up onto your elbows, “you need help taking your rollers out?”

“I got it, baby, thank you.” Emerald called out as she entered the bathroom, “you can help me pick it out though…never mind yo ass is heavy handed.”

“Compared to who?”

“Me myself and I.”

You rolled your eyes as you tossed the covers back, reaching for your tumbler so you can down some water, before joining your girlfriend in the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Now…drives to the grocery store was just as if you were in the south. This you knew since you were originally from North Carolina but finished your senior year and attended college in California. Emerald was always in the driver’s seat out of your relationship but it was amplified with the new car y’all were leasing. You offered to get out and pump the gas along with refilling the extra jugs, leaving Emerald to sit sideways, checking social media while her elbows dug into her knees with the door wide open, legs begging for some air since…you guessed it! wouldn’t drive with the AC on either.

Gas stations were never far from the house living in Lancaster but going to the grocery store? That required at least a thirty-five minute drive on the highway and there was a accident, which was taking this little outing much more time than usual.

Emerald was getting impatient while you sat with your legs up on the dash of your Honda sport, hands throw up and locked behind the headrest while you gently nodded your head along to the Afrobeat mix.

The side eye game was strong as Emerald peeked over at you, completely at ease in this weather. Yeah she should be used to this weather and normally she is but with a heat wave with barely a breeze brought on some agitation for real.

Sitting bumper to bumper, tumblers of water in the cup holders, heat rays roasting the brown on Emerald’s hands and arms, and the drip of sweat sliding down the back of her neck towards her back was enough for Emerald’s Patience to wear very thin. With one hand on wheel and the other shooting out to mess with the knobs and buttons on the dash, caught your attention.

“roll the windows up, I’m about to put the AC on.” Emerald started before sitting up straight and glanced over her shoulder, “I’m also about to float this motherfucker.”

Your eyes went wide after cautiously rolling your window up and latching onto the door before Emerald whipped the car out of the slow lane, now flying down the emergency lane towards the next exit, quickly influencing some cars to follow right behind.

You breathed, “Excuse me, Samuel L. Jackson.”

“You ain’t know? That’s my uncle.” Emerald curled her lips into a smile, proud of herself before increasing the volume of the music by the steering wheel.

Shaking your head, you lowered your feet onto the floor, stretching before sitting up on the passenger side. You were already comfy before but now you had to reach into the backseat to reach for your crochet blanket you made last winter to toss over your bare thighs.

“Sorry but we’ve been inside the house with no AC during ninety degree weather and there ain’t no type of breeze outside! If we’re gonna be outside, we need to survive.” Emerald claimed as she paused at the stop sign before turning right.

You shrugged, “We got a full tank now so it’s whatever.”

Emerald hummed at this before holding her hand out to rest on top of your blanket, “Guess that means now we can be cute and hold hands without being sweaty.”

“Uh uh, both hands on the wheel Ms. Float this muthafucka.”

A laugh bubbled out of Emerald’s lips at this, “Fine, if that’s how you wanna do me.”

“Safety first,” you raised one finger in the air before pushing your glasses up the bridge of your oily nose.

“You right, can’t have nothing interfering with my baby and I.”

“That’s riiiight.”

“Oooh, alto.”

You laughed.

Eventually the both of you made it to the grocery store after eleven, the parking lot wasn’t packed but had a nice little crowd filling the area.

“Good, now we can use the corporations’ air instead, knowing they’re about to sell us some overpriced eggs.” Emerald told you as you walked the aisle, making a elderly woman glance at you two.

You laughed, watching as the woman slowly smiled at your conversation before carrying on. Emerald was pushing the carriage and you were rotating between hanging onto the crook of her arm and holding onto the side of the carriage.

“That’s my girl.” You praised as Emerald pointed at you.

Stopping at the vegetables section, you bounced up on your toes as you noticed the organic section up ahead, “Ooh, I see that tangerine juice we like. Let me grab that before there’s none left.”

“Yes please do! I’m gonna get into these bell peppers and zucchini.”

“Alright,” you tapped the carriage before departing.

Folding your arms and humming to the soft 80s jams the store played, you took your time heading over to the organic section, briefly glancing at the other sections before getting to the main one that sparked your interest. Standing in front of the mid-sized section, you scanned the various of drinks and decided on three main ones.

First you picked up the tangerine juice, tucking it underneath your arm, some kombucha that people were raving about on tiktok, and finally when you reached for the small bottle of pomegranate juice, you paused as another hand was reaching for the same thing.

“Oh,” the voice says, making you turn to them.

Hey listen, normally you weren’t the type to say much on anyone’s appearance but the woman with the sun hat and wicked smile made you feel some type of way. Her green eyes were large, almost too large that they looked too big for her tight pinched face. Her ears were also pointed and stuck out from her long frizzy jet black hair, lots of teeth, thin barely there brows, and pale skin the color of powder.

“Looks like there’s only one left of the little ones.” The woman spoke, taking note that your eyes went to the four large bottles to the right of the smaller bottle.

“Mhm.”

The woman’s eyes almost widened as she said, “A little goes a long way, don’t you think?”

“Sure does. My mimi—my grandmother, used to have a pomegranate tree. Learned to love them from a young age.”

“How wonderful,” the woman commented, “I sense southern roots…where about? Princeville?”

You halted and pushed your glasses further up the bridge of your nose at that. You knew your history regardless of being a journalist or not but this didn’t feel like good ‘ol southern chat with this woman. It felt invasive and unsettling.

Clearing your throat, you pulled on the top of the bottle, weighing the juices in your arms as the woman cradled the basket that held small amounts of pink petals that grew from the lengthy green leaves and stems. Almost as if she pulled the shrubs up herself, which you noticed she had lace gloves covering her hands. You’ve never seen flowers like those and planned on picking up some here later but there was a feeling in your gut telling you otherwise.

“A much bigger city,” you responded with a small smile, “my family leaves their mark wherever they go. We tend to be active in many communities. Excuse me, I have to get back to shopping.”

The woman kept a smile on her face as you talked, not blinking once as you conversed. She turned while you walked by her before she called out to you, “Yes, Miss. we all have to finish our deeds before God pours the storm on us. You should enjoy that juice to ease his suffering and return.”

You didn’t grant the woman a word or a glance as you sped-walked back to Em who also happened to be chatting with a bald buff man. You caught their attention as you placed the items back into the carriage, almost roughly.

“Hey baby, this is my new friend, Duncan. He listens to Angel and I’s podcast…matter of fact, why don’t you snap a pic on our phones so I can send it to him and our socials?”

“Really? Oh no. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Oh please! Anybody that’s a supporter of mine, can get something as simple as a conversation and a picture. Don’t be shy on me now, Duncan!”

The man grinned as he cautiously held out his phone to you, “Only if you don’t mind?”

This was nothing new.

Ever since operation nope hit the internet and radio stations, people were intrigued to know the people who took it on. You didn’t feel any sort of way when people would come up to Emerald, you admired how she handled herself with grace, chatting with people with ease as they inquired about the what and the how.

Although she was advised not to speak much on it, with hush money, her and Angel still touched on some of it on their supernatural podcast: UNO U KNOW U.F.NO! Yes it was lengthy title that was abbreviated when you search for it but it makes sense if you’re observant and think about it. The listeners that get it, get it and those that don’t?

They don’t listen.

You seemed to be on autopilot, taking the phones as you snapped a few pictures, which Duncan thanks you two for before the both of you carried on shopping. You didn’t see the woman around anymore and that still didn’t make you feel alright.

“Can we hurry out of this section, em?”

“Yeah sure,” Emerald responded as she finished up some texts before shoving her phone into her back pocket, “we only need some fruits then we can head out into the main aisles.”

“I think we’ll be fine with frozen fruits, we don’t eat the fresh ones fast enough.”

“Speak for yourself, there’s nothing wrong with stocking up.” Em leaned on the carriage as she pushed forward, “don’t worry about a thing, I’m buying.”

Quietly you responded, “okay,” eyes still searching the area around you.

Emerald raises her brows at this, stopping in front of the pineapples, “…you okay? Is The AC making your head hurt again or something? Usually you’re all up for debating on who wants to pay.”

“I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” a look of uncertainty passed on Emerald’s face as she wrapped the pineapple in a plastic bag for protection before placing it into the carriage.

The tension in your shoulders almost faltered as the both of you went through the main floor, breezing through two aisles until you got to the third one. You stood in front of the carriage while Em voiced her complaints on oat milk and coconut milk. She had her back to the opposite end of the aisle while from your peripheral you saw a flash of black.

Turning your head, you glanced out the aisle and saw no one for awhile before a customer walked by with a carriage.

“I mean I don’t even care for oat milk like that, I think it messes with my stomach. Almond milk ain’t all that and coconut milk is only good for certain meals…wait a damn minute they got rice milk? How do they do that?!” Emerald browsed the milks in awe.

It was when you turned back, you saw her. She was walking by the aisle, raising a few fingers to wave at you, sickening smile planted on her lips, except her green large eyes were almost see-through, a silver tone that flashes as she went by.

Hell. nawl.

Leaving the carriage behind, you backed up in the other direction and took off into a sprint.

“Aries?” Em called out to you.

However you didn’t look back until your back was pressed up against the car. Emerald was only seconds behind you, hands on her knees as she finally caught up to you.

“…what…the…hell…was that? you never told me you were a track star?!”

You pulled yourself from the heat of the car that seeped through the thin material of your shirt and yanked on the car door handle. Emerald was completely confused but something was clearly going on as she rested a hand on your waist.

“Hey, tell me what’s going on?”

You swallowed, “There’s a shapeshifter or some shit in there that’s been following me—or us around!”

“Say what now?” The look of seriousness washed over Emerald’s features as she let go of you to start patting herself for the keys.

You nodded your head, not showing a ounce of humor on your own face and Emerald knew she had to ask questions later. Unlocking the doors, you threw yourself inside, waiting for Emerald to jog around the car to get into the driver’s side. She locked the doors and stuck the key in the ignition as specs of rain began to platter against the window shield.

Before she could turn the key, the both of you turned to the right parking space to see a yellow Volkswagen beetle pulling up beside you with their window down. It was the same woman with the bow sun hat, smiling and her eyes flickering silver like a coin about to be spun in circles, just watching you two before she sped off.

That action alone made your glasses fog up more than the humidity outside.

You sank into your seat, ripping your glasses from your face, other hand holding onto the strap of the seatbelt as you croaked out, “Did you see that?”

“Uh uh. And I don’t want no damn parts,” Emerald stated as she started the car, putting it in reverse not bothering to use the back up camera this time, “Let’s get the hell up outta here and call OJ.”

You pulled out your own phone with shaky hands as Emerald led the both of you in the opposite direction. As the phone rang on the Bluetooth, Emerald reached out to grip your hand in her’s.

The touch was comforting enough but you couldn’t help but to think:

Here we go again.

However it was round one for you and round two for Em but with the warmth of her hand in yours, maybe you’ll make it out just fine with her by your side.

Or you could both simply ignore this?

Yeah…

Right.

ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.* ↟ ੈ✩‧✧.*

Continue along with my summer anthology prompts here.

#nope #nope film #nope 2022 #jordan peele #keke palmer #emerald haywood #em haywood #emerald haywood x reader #emerald haywood x f! reader #emerald haywood x black! reader #em haywood x reader #em haywood x f! reader #em haywood x black reader #summer prompts #queued

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aficionadoenthusiast · 1 year

Text

I absolutely hate these kinds of posts so I thought I'd do it to see first hand how many people actually like it and care about other people's opinions on their ships so...

my arbitrary ratings of non canon pjoverse relationships and why I think they would never work (or would) (scroll down for canon)

perachel: 3/10 nothing but platonic vibes, their brief stint felt more like an experiment than genuine romantic feelings or attraction; they both deserved better

percico: 1/10 a reiteration of an earlier post: their relationship would get bogged down by unshared feelings and grief, plus nico's crush was just a crush, and percy never had feelings in the first place

perlypso: 0/10 their whole interaction was percy being half dead and calypso being manipulated, not to mention she cursed him

pereyna: 2/10 any het relationship with reyna feels icky to me, she just seems so queer coded (which makes sense cause she literally joined an ace club), and percy was so focused on annabeth when they first met it just doesn't seem fair to either of them

pipercy: 4/10 this is a FRIENDSHIP I wanna see them figuring out they're bi together so much platonic potential

jercy: 7/10 honestly if I had to put these two with anyone else, I would choose this ship solely for the tension in mark of athena and that an alternate ship name is person

percypollo: 0/10 icky, pedophilic, and honestly kinda homophobic. percy would never enter a relationship with a god anyway

percy/literally any god: 0/10 see percypollo

lukercy: -1/10 imo there is no way to write this in a way that's not abusive, predatory, and just bad in general. i will not take the "enemies to lovers" storyline for this one either because there are some things that just aren't redeemable, and i consider luke's actions irredeemable. plus both their histories with annabeth make this ship very, very icky

pipabeth: 9/10 favorite non canon pairing, I can totally see a threesome with Percy, these two have such a great dynamic, only minus a point because I love percabeth too much

lukabeth: 0/10 sexist, icky, just all around a red flag

jasabeth: 2/10 nothing but platonic vibes

reynabeth: 4/10 they would be so powerful together, but feelings and emotional skills would be their undoing

jeyna: 0/10 see pereyna

leyna: 2/10 sibling vibes and see pereyna

theyna: 8/10 see reynabeth, but also I would love to see their similarities come to a head when they actually have to confront their feelings

apollo/reyna: 0/10 this is a thing?? ew???? reyna has such a huge issue with authority and the gods in general, it would never work, and see pereyna and percypollo

pipeyna: 7/10 would be good, but I need more info, though I think it would bring piper's jealousies to a nice full circle, especially if it was used in a way that helps piper figure out her sexuality

liper: 3/10 sibling vibes, I do not like

jiper: 5/10 that's right y'all, this isn't canon anymore! cute while it lasted, but they were completely made up and forced together by hera. that does not make a good, trusting relationship where one party is missing crucial details and the other remembers things that didn't happen, honestly i would have much rather they just ended it in lost hero when they realized hera was manipulating them

thaluke: 3/10 so much complicated history, I see them as ross and rachel from friends only worse

valgrace: 6/10 platonic mostly, but I can see it turning into something; I think they could definitely be good for each other; would love to see some healing centered stuff for them

valdangelo: 0/10 they barely interact, and their personalities are not the cute "opposites attract" it is straight up "we are both intensely traumatized, but in different, incredibly clashing ways"

haleo: 4/10 I can see it, but with sammy, it's just too complicated

fraleo: 5/10 I like the tension, but ultimately their personalities would clash too much

frazeleo: 10/10 this might be the only non canon ship I really wish was canon. separate, they are boring and clash with each other so much, but I think having the three of them together would provide a buffer when necessary while also keeping things fun and interesting

jasico: 3/10 very much a sibling relationship, seems to me like they were just shoved together because they were there

tratie: 10/10 floors me that they aren't canon

sally/poseidon: 2/10 sure it would work but she is an independent woman who wants less a man and more someone to love her and be there for her that isn't her son

ruegard: 8/10 would 100% ship it if i didn't love beckengard so much, plus i love the patrochilles parallels here

canon ships in order from least favorite to favorite:

zeus/hera: -10/10 sucks ass, their relationship is built on mistrust and a forced marriage, hera is quite literally shackled while zeus does whatever the hell he feels like while hera takes her anger out on anyone but him

god's/any of their affairs: 0/10 there's a reason none of them lasted

piper/shel: 4/10 another reiteration: ig it could be something, but it was literally a few paragraphs, and we know piper is experimenting with her sexuality, so it could be anything, not just a permanent romantic ship

caleo: 4/10 calypso needs some time to figure herself out and not be chained to a person or place; maybe they can try again after they both have some more life experience

frazel: 6/10 cute, but they're still pretty young, even by pjo standards, and compared to the other canon ships they're kinda dull imo, but i do love the awkwardness

beckengard: 9/10 absolutely love it, wartime romance, tension, dying for each other, trying for elysium for each other, only minus a point because one of them was a spy

sally/paul: 9/10 i love it, i'm so glad sally finally found a decent man, only minus a point because...adults

gruniper: 9/10 very cute, would be 10/10 but the start of their relationship felt kinda wonky to me like rick just wanted to pair grover with someone

solangelo: 10/10 adorable, checks all my boxes - opposites attract, healing from trauma, one extrovert one introvert, there is absolutely no downside

percabeth: 11/10 the OGs, the ship i use as a standard for all of my other ships no matter the fandom, still my absolute favorite ship, there was not a single bad track, they are so good for each other

#old

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powerbottomblake · 1 year

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I'm thinking about ruby and yang so much, the parallels,, the way they grew up affected them in SO MANY WAYS 🫠🫠🫠

Like I just think about v5 Yang "and i had to pick up the pieces" and Ruby "expect to pick people up" AND I JUST DIE

Like we know for a fact that Yang just started bottling everything up when Summer died and had to take care of ruby herself while their dad was completely depressed (and let's be real, Qrow was probably to scared to stay with them too long bc of his semblance, GOD THIS FAMILY CAN STORE SO MUCH TRAUMA, IT'S JUST OOZING EVERYWHERE)

So OF FUCKIN COURSE ruby, who grew up with yang as a role model/parental figure, absorbed ALL OF HER BAD COPING MECHANISMS, how many times do we think both of them had to put a smiling mask for their father or each over, just so they wouldn't worry anyone more than they already do ????

I think what started to tip the balance for ruby, was when yang stopped wearing the mask at the end of v3. Like blake leaving, the fall of beacon, losing an arm, ruby being out, yang just collapsed AND SHE WAS A PILLER FOR RUBY. I definitely believe that they thought they could mutually support the shaky foundation of their mental state if they kept making each other believe that they were alright

SO in that moment when yang says she doesn't know if she's gonna be alright and "bad things just happens", ruby felt like SHE had to do double the work for herself and for yang

And like it's so telling that when yang goes to find ruby at the end of v4, she isn't ok either but still decides to put the mask back on, LIKE THE WAY THEY KEEP HIDING THEIR FEELINGS AND PUSH ON, THE XIAO LONG-ROSE SIBLINGS ARE SO BAD AT TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES, YOU TWO ARE THE SAME !!! YOU KEEP ECHOING EACH OTHER BC YOU DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE IT WOULD WORK, they can't allow themselves to falter or else everything will just collapse 🫠🫠🫠

But the damage was already done,, yang clearly wasn't hiding it as well as before and ruby just kept the same level of responsibility, bc she can't lose yang again (both of them have so many issues and trauma about losing people,,,, it hurts so bad)

I feel like the only time she started to relax was in v7, yang was CLEARLY better with blake AND penny was back, the world might be shit but every one that matter is here and okay

(And I believe that penny was probably one of the most important person in her life, whatever it was that was going between those two (they certainly felt like aro/ace spec soulmates))

Now if we think about it, between the end v7 and the last episode, it's been 3 days of v8, and maximum 3 days of v9.

6. FUCKING. DAYS.

And she lost penny again. Yang didn't lose blake again. That doesn't seem fair. Why bad things keep happening to her. Everything is falling apart, weiss also seems very down, every time she tries to talk she gets cut off, and every attempt of wby to reach out also gets cut off or rejected by ruby bc she just can't brake. (Every one broke around her at least once, so if she does it, who will put them back on track ??? HAHA,,, TT-TT)

And to be fair, i don't think that blake and yang would have been together that soon if it wasn't for the storm. Like obviously it was about time, but they also kinda had to do it to get out, but ruby doesn't know that. In her mind it's must have felt like out of place, they get to be happy and carefree, while she's struggling so hard, can't they see that everything, every hope is burning down

It's really telling of how yang started to have better coping mechanisms and having things for herself (like talking about about her feelings etc) and ruby hasnt, bc everytime she tries there's just a new thing hitting her in the face, penny's death for example, (CRYING IN THE CLUB RN)

Ruby needs to talk and voice her feelings, with people (I believe in you little dude ✊️😔, look at how yang keeps getting better even if it's not linear !! You can start to break the generational trauma too !! Wby will always be there for you as long as they're alive, bc they love you and you are enough, you don't need to be strong all the time 🥺🥺, just be you !!!!

Anyways sorry for the long ask,, I just have so many thoughts about them

ahdjkshfjksdhfjkHJKJFDSHFJDKH I've been sitting on this ask for a while bc 1/ I loved going back to it every day to see someone lose their entire mind in my askbox in real time, 2/ I wanted to gear up to give you a proper response although honestly my first reflex would have been this:

do have a few pointers here though:

ruby's coping mechanism isn't one she got from yang per se, more like both of theirs developed alongside each other (yang had to step up and be the caregiver who hides her vulnerability behind humor; ruby chose to be the kid that's easy to cheer up! that's positive! that can kick back from anything! bc then it's also easier on yang)

what started tipping the balance for ruby is less yang's reaction to the fall of beacon and more the fall of beacon itself. Of course, having Yang put up a wall and freeze afterwards hurt her a LOT, but we need to remember that the fall of beacon itself was a deeply traumatic moment for everyone involved but especially ruby who witnessed BOTH penny and pyrrha's deaths. ruby's coping mechanism has always been to bottle things up and move, stay moving stay fighting jump to the next thing, it's not a coincidence her semblance is about scattering at high speed from place to place bc she's always tried to outrun her trauma. when her team falls apart and isn't available for moving she goes with rnjr bc for her it's still a better alternative than actually dealing with that trauma (plus she's fueled by both grief and survivor's guilt that prompt her to action)

yang's trauma is different than ruby which is why we saw her moving forward in v4-v5-v6 her trauma is rooted in abandonment issues and feeling that she's never gonna be enough so while their coping mechanisms mirror each other bc of how they had to work around each other they're not quite on the same trajectory

I think ruby suspects that the ever after trapped blake and yang specifically bc they had things to work out (and jaune makes a pointed remark about that that they all must have gotten) but you're a 100% right that seeing the bees together while she's still reeling from the fall of atlas and losing penny a second time, especially in these latest episodes where she's also confronted with what her purpose should be and Herb had nitpicked at her identity leaving her even more lost and sad and depressed, must feel so jarring bc how can they do it. why are they able to bounce back and it feels like she's been drowning the whole time. and going after blake especially is so vicious but also rooted in that feeling of inadequacy - why is blake stepping up as a second leader so naturally and so easily when she feels irreversibly broken, all these qualities blake has shown in v9 being those they had in common/blake admired in her/ruby cannot find it in herself to showcase them rn.

you're right that the bees have grown!! and have better communication skills and mechanisms to bounce back from a traumatic event!! but i'm gonna say the parallel here isn't between ruby and yang, it's between ruby and blake. See the reason why we see blake hit the ground running in the ever after and be able to carry everyone through is bc she's done it all before. She was an idealist much like ruby, she got her whole framework for approaching reality shattered and was utterly disillusioned, and when it shattered at beacon again she decided to shoulder the burden and consequences on her own. her whole v4-v5 arc is about realizing she cannot do things on her own!! and it's with this new mindset that she can lead in the ever after, and it's this realization ruby needs to come to. and you're right!! ruby needs to let her teammates in (the same way blake let sun and ilia and her parents back and asked for their support and all of menagerie's help!!)

you are so right about passed down trauma for ruby bc the whole time she's been emulating herself after an idealized version of summer who herself has been whittling herself down having to stay on that pedestal. ruby needs to break the cycle!!! no more solitary heroes no more living people that get entombed alive in a savior role!! she has to accept her limitations and let her team see the humanity and fallibility of her

anyway I'm glad you're on a downward spiral with us here buddy don't hesitate on having more breakdowns in my inbox we are All Not Good rn let's take rwbyprofen together 🤝

#rwby spoilers #rwby #i'm sorry but when i got this i was giggling the whole time you were REALLY going through it anon

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nutmeg-mayonnaise · 11 months

Note

Hello~! I am a new fan of Ace Attorney and I found your blog and absolutely fell in love with ur fankids and au, aaaa!!!! It's all so cute!!! I was wondering if I could ask a few questions about it, if you don't mind?

My first question is regarding Maya and Phoenix! So is Phoenix like a sperm donor for their kids together and it's like an agreed upon thing they talked about alot beforehand and felt okay doing because they're dear friends and close or is it more like a comfortable romantic-leaning relationship they've got going on where they have sex sometimes but they're more like cozy partners?

My 2nd question is about Miles!! I wanted to know how he interacts with the girls! For them, he's more like an uncle right? (Or is he like another father figure for them too?) Does he find it more awkward/harder to interact with them or does he soften up and treat them the same as Gregory??

Anyway, thank you for enlightening me to this au!!! I just got through the 1st game and could definitely see the Phoenix×Miles ship but I hadn't considered how well all 3 of them could click together! I love that you're exploring that happiness for them and now it's one of my favorite au/headcanon's for AA!!! (^^)💕

Hello friend (and Happy Pride Month everyone 𔓘⭒๋࣭ )!! Thank you so much and I'm so glad you enjoy the au, it means a lot! The three of them deserve a happy and loving life together and it brings me joy to see that other people think so, too!

I always love answering questions about the au so I'll be happy to answer!

There's a lot here so I have it all under the cut. :)

(And here's another teaser from my illustration series I'm still working on. I haven't had much time to make new artwork for the au lately ahh ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ )

Anyway, with your first question, it's funny because neither is exactly right. In the beginning, being a donor was something that both Edgeworth and Maya mentioned explicitly (Phoenix feels that there's maybe a "nicer way to put it") but that's essentially what they believed that they were getting themselves into.

They discussed it for nearly half a year while Maya still explored her options and met with other people in the mean time, and this was already after Maya was actively looking for a husband for more than a year and a half. Luckily, Phoenix already knew a bit about the matriarchy and history of Kurain Village, so Maya didn't need to explain much more about that to him. Regardless, the arrangements had to be discussed at length.

Maya didn't expect nor want Phoenix to drop his whole life to be her house-husband in Kurain, so they knew early on that they would spend their parenthood together on a visiting-basis. They visited each other often anyway, so it wouldn't disrupt their lives too much all things considering.

This obviously wasn't ideal on paper, and there was some lament that it was unreasonable for them to be full time parents together. However, with Maya finding herself feeling overwhelmed "in a bad way", as she puts it, whenever she met with potential spouses combined with Phoenix's anxiety with the history of unhappy marriages in Kurain Village and wanting nothing more than for Maya to be happy, they decided the "less than ideal" situation was the best option for them.

Then there was the matter of conceiving the kids, which I detailed in a previous ask.

Their journey to parenthood did push the boundaries of their friendship, and after exploring what those boundaries were, they often had to stop and ask themselves what they even were to each other anymore. They weren't attracted to each other, weren't super comfortable with being married for a long time (with Maya opting to label themselves as "hus-friend" and "wi-friend" in private). However, they still deeply loved each other, found some forms of intimacy pleasant with each other (eg, they enjoy cuddling and sleeping in the same bed but not making out nor having sex), and, obviously, had children together.

It wasn't until shortly before Mia (the eldest daughter) was born--nearly 4 years after Phoenix and Maya decided to have kids together--that they accepted that their relationship could not be defined and stopped caring. They knew what they were to each other and that's all that mattered. (Although, their relationship can be defined: it is queerplatonic, but they don't call themselves this because they are ignorant to the label.)

As for Edgeworth and the Fey girls, it's also a hard relationship to define. He doesn't see them as often as Phoenix does, because when Phoenix and Gregory visit Maya in Kurain, he opts to go to his house to rest and enjoy some time alone. He sees Pearl's daughters even less, since when Maya visits LA, Pearl rarely joins her since she takes over Maya's duties in Kurain.

While all four of the Fey girls call Edgeworth "Uncle Miles" or just "Miles", he’s considerably closer to Maya's daughters than Pearl's. Even before adopting Gregory, he found himself involved by counseling Phoenix and Maya throughout their journey to parenthood, was present when all three kids were born, and even named the youngest daughter (Melusina).

When the girls got a little older, Edgeworth isn't hesitant to discipline them (well, Mia--Melusina doesn't usually cause issues) if he needs to. He tries to give them equal attention but he can't help but be somewhat distant to them compared to his son. Sometimes he overcompensates and Mia takes full advantage of this--and Edgeworth knows it. All in all, he's somewhere in between a father to them and an uncle. Regardless of labels, he is very much part of their family.

Thank you so much for the question!

#ace attorney #ace attorney au #gregory wright au #phoenix wright #maya fey #miles edgeworth #queerplatonic #aroace #narumayo #mayonaru #mitsunarumayo #mayonarumitsu #meg text #my art #queerplatonic ot3

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sistervirtue · 7 months

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Oh im curious about cross and mephisto's backstories, as you said theyre both crossroad demons. I also dont know if ive ever seen their designs...

this made me finally redo cross' reff since before it was an absolutely dogwater train sketch. this one is also not so good but its better.

admittedly both of them are also still fairly bare-bones in terms of their story as of right now, although cross definitely has a lot more going on since hes been around since i made johnny

as crossroads demons, their job is to hone in on sinners and lead them further into temptation, and thus, collect their soul. I don't want to limit them too much with red tape, so let's just say it can be an "anything goes" situation with a heavy lean on fairytale logic & contract law

Cross DeVille, currently, is contracted with Johnny Strings, whose soul he planned to reap through a contest of skill. She won, however, collecting his golden guitar and accompanying magical abilities, thanks to his help.

(As for his own separate abilities, I think doing something more literal with crossroads would be fun-- manipulating things along vertices? teleportation? tinkering)

He's not particularly young or naive, and I'm toying with the idea of him using his contract with Johnny to get out of a prior, unfavorable contract once he loses and has to adapt to not getting her soul. (A contract unfavorable for perhaps his own personal/ethical reasons and not relating to being screwed terms-wise, making it hard to wriggle out of) He's definitely the sort of person who always has an ace up his sleeve, and he knows a guy for just about everything.

As for his relationship to Mephistopheles, you could say Cross sees him as a sort of "older cousin" or mentor figure, but they're not particularly close, nor do crossroads demons ever really work in groups.

#godhead death sentence #cross deville

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practically-an-x-man · 2 months

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Prompt from a Siv/Hailey piece I'm working on:

"They're just being their usual self again."

"Are we talking felonies or intense self-loathing?"

Okay first of all... I cannot WAIT to read this piece bc that sounds absolutely hilarious!! I love Siv and Hailey so much

And second... this definitely sounds like Quinn lol

____ Pyrotherapy

Word Count: 2.7k Content Warnings: some swearing, fire, mentions of hospitals

____

Three stormed into the room, slamming the door so suddenly that Billy nearly jumped out of his skin. He twisted around to glare at the other man - a decision that only earned him a red-tinted Game Over screen as his avatar was sniped by a long distance enemy. Billy huffed, tossing his controller to the side and renewing his glare at Three.

"D'ya mind?"

"Go wrangle your girlfriend." Three muttered, waving a hand at the room he'd come from, "She's in a mood."

Billy could have laughed. He settled for a scoff.

"Nobody's wrangling Quinn," he fired back with a grin, "Pity the guy who tries. But, ah... what kind of mood?"

"Hell if I know." Three said, producing something from one of his pockets and holding it out to Billy, "She threw this at me when I tried to ask. So... a mood."

Billy turned the object over in his hands. It was Quinn's lighter - one of them, at least - worn and scuffed and printed with cartoon flamingos. From the weight of it, he guessed it was close to spent. He figured that meant she'd either been chainsmoking in an effort to calm down (a bad habit of hers) or simply lighting random objects on fire to amuse herself (a worse habit of hers).

He tucked the lighter into his pocket.

"There are worse things they coulda thrown at you."

"That's your takeaway?"

"Yeah, kinda." Billy admitted, shrugging at him. He spared one more remorseful glance at his game screen, knowing the TV would be commandeered the instant he was out of the room, but kicked himself up and off the couch. "I'll go talk to her. In their trailer?"

"Yeah. Guard your head."

"Ah, please, she likes my face. Wouldn't dare mess it up." he said, giving Three his best grin. The other man scoffed.

Billy slipped out of the lounge and jogged down the hall. He decided to make a detour for the kitchen - sure, a pack of Swiss Rolls probably wouldn't solve the problem, but it couldn't hurt either. Well... make that two packs of Swiss Rolls. He'd missed lunch.

He jogged across the desert, wincing at the thick heat that closed in around him. He could see it rippling in loose waves over the sand, and knew it would only get hotter from here. Summer here was no joke.

"Billy!" Five's voice made him pause, and he found her running up to his left, "Guess you got the message. Quinn's kind of... struggling right now."

"So I've heard," he remarked, shooting a low frown in the direction of Quinn's trailer. Not one but two members of the team calling on him for damage control. And two of Quinn's favorites too, besides him. This must be bad. Very bad. "D'you know what's wrong?"

"Not really. They're just... being their usual self again."

"Are we talking felonies or intense self-loathing?"

"Don't know. Both?" she guessed, "I thought I saw something on fire."

"Yeah... that's Quinn. Sounds like a rough day." he sighed, and took a few more steps towards her trailer, "I'll give it a go."

"Good luck."

He shot her a smile, though it felt as thin as tissue paper, and resumed his jog down to Quinn's trailer. He could hear a string of expletives from ten feet away, echoing off the tin walls and drifting over the sand like tumbleweeds. It didn't make him pause until the swearing stopped, replaced by something that sounded like broken sobs.

Quinn was not a crier. If she cried at all, it was usually out of pain, and she rarely acknowledged those tears.

This didn't sound like that. He'd only heard sobs like this once in his life: the day he'd met them, after their life had fallen apart in virtually every possible way. Whatever this was... it wasn't good.

"Aces?" he asked, sparing her a moment or two to collect herself before he pulled open the door.

Something shiny and pink barrelled straight for his head.

Three had been right.

Billy caught Quinn's spare lighter in one hand, flipping it over in his palm. The back of it was printed with a yellow emoji hand, flipping him the bird in all its cartoon glory. That felt fitting.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Five said you were lighting things on fire," he replied, taking a step further inside. Quinn was seated at the booth in her trailer, a stack of papers and a small pile of ash strewn across the table in front of them. Before they could tell him to get lost, Billy slid into the seat across from her. "So, y'know, I wanted to make sure you weren't gonna burn down your trailer."

"Tsh. I'd just stay in yours if I did," Quinn muttered, and held out a hand, "Give me my lighter back."

He obliged, dropping it into her palm and pulling the other lighter out of his pocket for good measure. Quinn took them both without even meeting his eyes. Hers were bloodshot, red-rimmed, and he could see the shiny tracks of tears down her cheeks. He chose not to acknowledge that.

"What're ya burning?"

Quinn scoffed, and for a moment he thought she was going to ignore him entirely. They'd picked up one of the slips of paper and had their lighter poised to set it ablaze...

And then they paused. Sighed. Flipped the paper to face him.

It was a photo - a Polaroid, small and square and a little faded with time. It took Billy a moment to process the figures in the picture.

He recognized Quinn first, of course. In the photo, she lay in a hospital bed, casted and bandaged up to the base of her ribs. An assortment of tubes and wires trailed out from her arms, feeding into an array of blocky gray machines behind her. Their hair had grown out, their Mohawk shaggy and their blue hair dye faded into a washed-out green.

Next to them was a man in nursing scrubs. He had to be in his fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair and a warm, creased smile. He had an arm around Quinn's shoulders, posed for the camera. Quinn was smiling too, but it looked fractured. Her eyes were a little distant, like she wasn't quite present in the moment.

Quinn snatched the photo back at once, scowling at the little paper.

"Found these in the bottom of my bag," they muttered, shoving at the rest of the stack. With just a glance, Billy could see that they were more of the same: taken in the hospital at various points throughout her recovery. Most showed Quinn in the bed, but he caught a few where she was on her feet- albeit leaning heavily on a walker or supported by a nurse on either side.

"Forgot I had them." she concluded, lifting her lighter until the photo in her hand caught fire. She dropped it onto the table and watched it burn. Their eyes were hard. They picked up another photo almost before the prior one had even finished burning. "The nurses took them. Said it would be 'inspiring' to look back and see where I'd come from. But y'know what? It's not fucking inspiring. Look at them. I look dead inside."

"You don't." Billy said, though for most of the photos that wasn't quite true. Quinn saw straight through his bluff. She shot him a glare and stuck one of the photos in his face.

"Don't lie. I'm a fucking husk. They had me on so many goddamn drugs, I didn't even know where I was." they huffed, "I don't even remember when they took half of these. Thought I was hallucinating the other half. And they thought- they seriously thought I'd want a reminder of that fucking nightmare?"

"Hm." he sighed. He didn't know what else he could say. Appeasements wouldn't help, they weren't Quinn's type. Saying it didn't look so bad would be a lie - she looked miserable - and lying would only make things worse. Part of why she trusted him was because he'd never lied to her. And he didn't know enough about the situation to look for a silver lining in it. They didn't talk about it much.

Quinn picked up another photo to burn, this time holding the lighter straight in the center so her photographed face turned black with soot before going alight. Billy flipped through the remaining photos, frowning at the collage before him.

"This one's not so bad," he finally said, holding up a photo. Quinn reached for it- Billy drew his hand back, worried she might try to burn it before he got another word out.

The photo showed Quinn, vaguely off-center like the photo had been snapped on a whim. She stood in a hallway, some sort of wheeled frame holding her up by the hips. Her hair had been cut and dyed a fiery orange, and she had her getaway jacket thrown over her shoulders like a cape. She wasn't quite smiling, but her expression was open in a way the other photos didn't showcase. It was about the only photo in the stack where she looked like herself.

"Hm. That was the first time they got me on my feet," Quinn explained, reaching again for the photo. This time he let her take it, though he kept a wary eye on the lighter in her other hand. "Hurt like you wouldn't believe. I only made it about four steps before they had to put me back in the wheelchair, and that was with that goddamn gait trainer on me. But... I was on my feet. For about thirty seconds."

She huffed out a sharp breath, bringing the photo towards her lighter. Billy's hand snapped out, grabbing her wrist before she could bring the photo any closer.

"Don't." he said, "Save this one."

"Let go of me." she hissed. He released her at once, but Quinn didn't torch the photo just yet. She pressed her lips together. "Why the hell should I?"

" 'Cause it was a win." Billy tried, "First time you got back on your feet- that's a good thing. And now you're here. Back on your feet for good, right? The others... torch 'em. Blow 'em up with a tactical nuke, I don't care. But save this one."

Quinn gave him a hard look. He couldn't read their thoughts. Usually he was pretty good at that, but now... he didn't have a clue.

She turned her lighter against the remaining stack of photos and watched it all go up in flames. Fire danced across the table, and Billy reeled back at the sudden wash of heat. For a moment, he debated trying to douse it or dampen it before it spread to something else in the trailer, but then the fire began to die as the last of the photos crumbled to ash.

It left only the photo in Quinn's hand.

They blew out their lighter.

"It took ten seconds to ruin my entire fucking life," they growled, staring at the picture in their hand, "Eight years, and I haven't even put it back together yet. I'm not sure- I don't think I ever will."

Their hand snapped out, slamming into her crutches propped against the table and sending them clattering across the trailer. They landed off by the door. Billy, biting back a faint frown, made a mental note to grab them for her before she stood up.

"You're not in the hospital anymore." he offered, "You're not in the bed. You don't have a walker."

"You sound like my nurses."

"Yeah, well... maybe they were right about that part." he said, ignoring the glare she gave him for saying it, "Yeah, okay, you don't have all the pieces back together yet. But you've got most of 'em. Swiss Roll?"

"Um. What?"

"Forgot I had them," he said, pulling the snacks from his pocket and sliding one across the table to her, "Want one?"

Quinn shrugged, but tore open the package and picked at a few chipped-off pieces of chocolate glaze. Billy bit back his smile. Chocolate always made things a little better.

"I'm just sayin'," he continued, "You're outta the hospital. You've got a crew. Don't have any more casts on your legs. Don't have to eat shitty hospital food anymore."

"As if shitty prepackaged cake is much better," Quinn muttered, still poking at the Swiss Roll in front of her, "But I guess Three's cooking isn't bad."

"You've got your own bed," Billy said, and couldn't resist shooting her a cheeky smile, "And sometimes my bed too."

That drew her eyes up to him, halfway between amusement and something a little deeper. Billy was pleased to see that despite all her sharp words and sharper actions, her tears had stopped.

"And..." he finished, reaching across the table to offer her his hand, "You've got me. And I'm not going anywhere."

"You think you're such a prize, huh, Wings?" she teased, though she took his hand and held on tight. Billy just grinned, pulling his spine up straight like he was auditioning to be the next Adonis.

"Obviously. Look at me, I'm a total catch."

"And modest, too."

Billy snorted, tossing his head a little. Modesty was something he'd never tried to claim. He was proud of who he was - his skills, his body, everything else. He wouldn't deny that. And he'd rather be a little too comfortable with himself than a little too afraid of it. In his line of work, insecurity got people killed.

"I'm glad you stuck it out, Q," he admitted, giving their hand a faint squeeze, "I'm glad you didn't give up. I'm glad you're here with us."

Quinn nodded but didn't speak. Not for a long time. She stared down at the table, sprinkled with dark ash from her midafternoon pyromania. After a while, she lifted her free hand and traced her index finger through the drifts of ash, drawing out abstract patterns.

"Maybe we should take a new picture." she mumbled, "All of us. The new crew. Maybe that would help."

"Heh. Yeah. And when you're done with us, you can burn that too." As sarcastic as it might have sounded, he meant it genuinely. If this was how Quinn moved on, well... there were certainly worse methods. And better ones too, but he wouldn't begrudge her this one. He burnt things too. He had a shoebox full of old photos, ones of him and Lex that he'd printed out from the cloud, and he always torched a couple whenever he got sick of the memories.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Quinn muttered, "But if I'm gonna have a photo, might as well be of something I'm proud of."

"I think Five's got a Polaroid around here somewhere," Billy offered, "An' if she doesn't, I'm sure One's got a camera. Want me to track something down?"

"I dunno. Later. I think if we took it now, I'd look just as goddamn dead inside as I did in those other ones."

"You don't. You look pretty." he said, running his thumb across her tattooed knuckles. Quinn rolled their eyes but gave his hand a brief squeeze.

"You're sweet." they mumbled, "Even if you are a fuckin' liar."

"I'm not lying! You're beautiful, Q. Maybe I want my own picture of you, just to look at."

"Why would you need a picture when I'm right here?"

Billy shrugged, letting his eyes flick up and down her face. As much as he voiced it as a joke... he never got tired of looking at her. And he wouldn't have minded a picture or two in those years he'd had without her. It would've made the hard times a little easier to get through, he thought.

"I dunno. Cause it would get creepy if I just stared at you all the time?"

"You'd be the first to even bother."

"Hm. Got you all to myself, then. Perfect."

Quinn shook their head, though Billy could see a faint flush coloring their cheeks. Maybe he was laying it on a little thick... but he didn't care. He liked to think of it as making up for lost time.

He let his hand fall away from hers, but only to frame her with his fingers like he was holding up a camera. Quinn gave him a look, but Billy just grinned.

"Mental snapshot, Q. Say cheese."

#my friends!!!#answered asks #my ocs #oc quinn/aces #my writing #6 underground #oneshot #ficlet #angst #angst with a happy ending #tw medical #tw hospitals

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