#post dmc3

Cursing softly, Albus dialed the number on the card. The phone rang six times before it was answered.

"Lady here, and something had better be about to eat you or I'll hunt you down myself," a feminine voice answered, sounding severely annoyed. Albus had met Lady only once, about five months ago, when he'd called on her services (as Dante had unfortunately been out of town at the time.) The job had not gone well, though he had to admit she'd been extremely… effective. Rather like how a sledgehammer was effective at squishing cockroaches.

"Hello, Miss Lady, this is Albus Haas," he said, and was cut off by a groan of exasperation before he could explain further.

"Look, Haas, I told you that property damage is inevitable when dealing with demons. I took ten percent off my bill, didn't I? If you want more than that, get a lawyer! And don't call me at this number again. This is my business line, not the complaint center!"

He gritted his teeth. The hedge animals she'd destroyed were worth far more than her so-called discount. Not important, he reminded himself. "I'm not calling about that. I'm calling about Dante."

Silence, then an urgent, "Where's Nero?! Is he safe? What happened?"

So she knew about the baby, and cared. That was very good to hear. "I have him, he's safe. Dante came to do a job at my school and I offered to watch Nero while he worked. Some demons tried to attack us, but Dante…" Albus's mind flashed back to that red monster. Devil, said the same part of him that had identified the hags. "Dante stopped them and we ran, but he… he changed."

"Fuck!" she hissed. "Of all the times for him to— Look, I'm out on a job, going to be tied up for at least another day, so I can't come over there right now. Where's Dante at?"

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Devil May Cry (Gameverse) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dante & Vergil (Devil May Cry), Dante & Nero (Devil May Cry) Characters: Dante (Devil May Cry), Vergil (Devil May Cry), Nero (Devil May Cry)

Additional Tags: Dante-centric (Devil May Cry), References to Depression, Depressed Dante (Devil May Cry), Alcoholic Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante Needs a Hug (Devil May Cry), Post-Canon, Post DMC3, Post DMC5, Swearing, dante ships nero and kyire, I Had To

Summary: A comparison between Dantes bad days after losing his brother vs when things are finally alright.

SonicAsura's Doodles #1

A little doodle I made based on my Sonic May Cry story for both my SonicAsura accounts. Went for a Chibi Vergil and Dante considering it's the first time drawing them both. Accidentally use the wrong color pencil which is why the twins are darker instead of pale. 😅

Summary: On a quiet winter night, with the Temen-ni-gru behind them and his family safe, Dante finally lets himself fall apart.

Excerpt:

"I hate winter," Dante said casually, unsure of why he said it. Maybe it was the dark, the warmth of the precious soul curled against him, or the time of night… maybe it was that he felt safe, truly safe, for the first time since his mother's last hug. "I hate being cold, and I hate the snow. It makes everything hurt worse. I hate how beautiful it can be, how it's like a pretty blanket that covers up the ugly while it smothers you."

Vergil met his reflection's haunted gaze, but said nothing, even when Dante looked away, back out into the night.

"It's better when the cold looks as miserable as it really is. I feel a kinship with slush, you know. Something that was pretty once, stuck halfway between two states, unwanted and cursed at, collecting all the unseen dirt until it's basically just cold, gray, gritty mud. Even when it freezes again, it's not snow, just ugly, inconvenient ice that people trip or slip on."

Chapter 1: Come Not Within the Measure of my Wrath

Summary:

It's been months since Dante lost a brother and found a nephew. Still dealing with the aftermath of the Temen-ni-gru and struggling to raise a rambunctious Nero on his own, he's fighting just to keep his head above water. When a demon hunt goes awry and accidentally exposes his supernatural nature to a long-time client, Dante expects only the worst. Instead, he's offered a helping hand up-- the first of many, and Dante finds out he might not have to be as alone as he always believed. Maybe... Maybe, just for once, karma might be willing to give him a break. After all, one good turn deserves another...

Excerpt:

Thy Father Weeps

Summary:

In the aftermath of witnessing Dante's secret, Albus Haas finds out even more about the young devil hunter, the first of which is that Dante is hurt. Unwilling to let Dante and Nero suffer through on their own, Albus takes the pair to his home to recover.

Excerpt:

"Loooong fuckin' day, hmm, kiddo?" Dante asked Nero, voice slurring with tiredness. Nero whimpered, then chirped loudly. Dante winced. "Come on, kid, not s'loud. Head hurts." Nero chirped again, and they could see his arms waving demandingly from his improvised crib. Dante smiled down at his nephew, exhaustion, exasperation, and fondness all warring across his features. "Jus' wanted down, now y' want up again? Fightin' the sandman's a losin' game, ya know? 'specially after such a big day." Nero burbled and Dante sighed. "You're going to make me break out the big guns, aren't you, squirt? Alright, you asked for it."

Gently, he tossed the edge of his coat over Nero's face to block his view, and in that moment, Dante changed. His posture shifted to a more upright stance, shoulders back, feet planted solidly. He ran a hand through his hair, sweeping it back from his face, and his expression smoothed out to a determined calm. Such simple changes, but with them, Dante had become a completely different person. Even his smile when he pulled the coat away from Nero was new: smaller, more restrained, though no less gentle or loving. The illusion was complete when he lifted his nephew, cradling him close, and spoke, his voice now a slightly higher tenor with a breathy emphasis on the vowels,

Tired of Broken Fingers

Summary:

After his panicked escape is derailed by a surprise conversation with J.D. Morrison, a reluctant Dante decides to give Albus Haas a chance... but he's near his breaking point. Too often, a hand outstretched ends up bloody, and now with Nero to protect, Dante's not sure if he can handle another disappointment.

Excerpt:

"I think that's what really pisses me off here. That I should've damn well known better. Just because someone acts nice doesn't actually mean anything." Talons dug into his knee, drawing blood as he tried to ground himself, but that tiny sting was lost amidst all the other hurts. His head pounded, his eyes burned with tiredness, and his cracked rib was reminding him that, while he may have forgotten it during all the excitement, it was still there, thanks! "It's always the same. I'm so damn tired of getting my fingers broken every time I try to reach out! I thought I outgrew it years ago, but here I am again." He didn't realized that his hands had moved until he felt the tug of his own fingers pulling on his hair and the sting of sharp talons cutting his scalp. "Lady was right. I really am too stupid to be an actual devil, even if I look like one!"

Sounded like Robert had been parroting something he'd heard from his parents. That soothed Lady's conscience. She couldn't punch a child, but she sure as hell could punch their asshole parents! 

Sighing a deep sigh of her own, she told her almost-nephew, “I can't promise. You know how it is.” Nero did know, though he didn't like it. He drooped like a disappointed tulip, but nodded. Feeling guilty, despite knowing there was literally nothing she could do if she got a job right before this “tea time” thing, Lady cuddled him in close again. “But if I can be there, I will be, okay? That I do promise.”

Brightening immediately, he snuggled into her arms, hugging her back. “Okay!”

~*~

Honestly, she should know better than to fall victim to the cuteness. She should be immune by now. And yet, here Lady was, one month later, dressed up like she was going to a business meeting, sans weapons except one puny girl gun (because the tiny derringer was the only gun small enough to fit in her ankle holster.) All because she couldn't lie to Nero's cute face and tell him she had a job. Irritatingly, she'd arrived before Dante and Nero, and was refusing to take a single step further into the park until they were here to act as shields. As it was, the wide-open, wrought iron gate and its matching fence were the only things protecting her from the horrors within.