Atrickofthelight, 21st of July 2025.
Pairing: Female V and the Lady in Red
Setting: DMC5, spoilers for DMC1,3,4,5.
Short thing I wrote as a take on what a romantic relationship for Vergil could look like. The focus is on their future relationship, their initial meeting is mostly left to interpretation.
Oooh watch out i play with pronouns and voice in this one.
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To see the lady in red again, he need not the painful process of cleaving himself in two and to seek her out but only to make Yamato a pin and prick out her memory, put it in his hand, and see it remain in the past.
Vergil had divided vulnerability from himself. Once in the womb and he did it again by the Yamato. Both times his humanity came to defeat him. But humans make a habit of taking the long road to a conclusion.
Heavy chain that does freeze my bones around.
An idea was born from a vengeful and desperate man. It was violently cast from its body into the place of his past trauma, although it had no memory of it, dreadfully aware of how undesired it was, and understanding itself only by self-hatred and an already well-formed image of its features: young, feminine, sick, weak, human. Finite and made hitting the wall with nowhere to run. The man turned around and scowled at it, as one would the contents of the toilet. His face disappeared behind his broad shoulders before the body started to convulse horribly and demonstrating the telltale signs of demonic transformation: quick unnatural movements and warping of the air. The relation between the two was clear and fresh in their mind still. Discarded and dead was the preferable outcome to the terrible demon in front of it. The old living room grew ever colder, and the idea collected itself by its fear. Its instincts held the answers that made its existence and purpose as natural as anything. It recognized its enemy, and it wanted to survive. But the muscles were tender and couldn't manage a single step. It curled in on itself on the hardwood floor and prepared to die. The tone of tragedy, which had carried on as long as it could remember, was suddenly broken by his own brashness in the shape of a proud bird. And then, the idea began to form it’s own experiences. A pitiable lady, only refined in the sarcastic sense of the word.
V was a miserable street wanderer who spoke to her own broken mind, the only company she had. She took her rage out on demons, rarely a reluctant hero in these scenes. She had a pointless mission to right the wrong that ended the world, and only a tiny share of the history of humanity to do it in. Painfully feeling through it all, committing everything she witnessed to memory. The corpses, rotten food, stalking demons, broken cityscape. All extensions of the mistake she embodied. They were part of the same cause, to turn the city of Red Grave into a tragedy. It resulted in a dark empowering of her ego. As she turned it all inward, it kept her getting to her feet every morning and putting food in her mouth. Another day of pointlessly playing undertaker in the new underworld.
The desires of her former self haunted her. Not quite the unstoppable man, but always the determined man. That was the constant he existed with. And what of his ideas? With her own mind, the same ideas of rebellion, pushing back no matter what, festered and wanted realization. She had to end what he had started. What she realized now, only part of the man had wanted. The conflict had become external. This self-instrumentialization that could not entertain the idea of anything else demanded to be centered just the same as his determination. It would fill her thoughts when she fell on bony bruised hands, when bestial gore covered her in battle, when buildings fell apart and trapped her in labyrinths of glass and stone, when the people of the city disapproved of her presence and made an opposition. Always, her response would be silent and violent retaliation, never compliance.
The sum of Vergil’s discarded qualities had looked down at the book in its hand. He had first cherished learning from their parents, but he had continued to calculate his way through the waking world and experienced extraordinary rarities of life. He had made it through the claws of the Lord of Hell and back, but had he ever become a person? Something whole, that experienced and reacted to the fullness of life? V turned the cover and read the contents. It was a children’s book, but something told her they had overlooked something vital. “See infinity.” These do not make sense to me. I didn’t even understand them as a child. I just read them to feel smart. I wanted to be like father. And mother... But that was creating an identity, wasn’t it? at some point my identity became to oppose Dante, instead of cultivating my upper hand. Poetic philosophy is tangible to the weakened body, so she took to the book. She made its verses her mantras. She had a single reason for living, but her mind sought to expand and experience the world, she had an infatuation with the past. There must be something mistaken when he discarded the whole of me. I won’t repeat his mistake again. Urizen’s weakness is a stomach that he will show. I am the wielder of the sword and the grafter of the soft skin it penetrates. Her walk slowed as she stared at the demonic growth, gripping her cane tight and clenching her teeth tighter. I must follow this narrative of certain victory. “You’re not gonna do shit, Ballbreaker!” Griffon brought her out of her thoughts. Exploiting their proximity, he ripped Blake’s collection out of her hand and ascended to perch beside a gargoyle. “You can’t go having second thoughts, hot shot. Wait for the boy.” Her familiar proceeded to demonstratively leisurely flip through the book, pretending not to see her enraged expression. But she quickly deflated. She was quick to passiveness, and even quicker to indifference. Vague recollections of the pages filled her immediate memory. She shifted her focus to the road she had passed by. It was another historical tourist site, a threatre, which she often passed by. Demonic activity would soon spread to it as the roots of the Qlipoth grew.
Vergil had conceived of her as a woman, and she remembered his thought process,
still. It was a childish thought to believe one’s features so oppositional and defined to isolate a perfect ego. V was only real insofar as Vergil could imagine her. As a human, she never felt whole. The delicate woman mourned the loss of her memory and life. Vergil had accomplishments, familiar attachments, a bloodline and power. V was no one and found herself too often surrounded by trash in a forgotten world. It mirrored the way she felt on the inside.
V had searched an abandoned supermarket when she was forced to sneak out past a Hell Antenora that was cleaving the aisles apart as it screamed for food. Likewise, she was unhappy to abandon the opportunity to eat that day. Red Grave was disgusting. She defended her meals from rats. Demons left horrible smelling gore behind. They crawled their way into every corner of the city and waited to throw their violent deformed bodies at her. The cane did not leave her hand, even as she slept.
Every day the tree grew taller, and spread further under the cement. Like worms, humans still squirmed in its soil. The city was often consumed by human-made fires meant to destroy the tree. If not military action. It was alike a war zone, but often quiet for long periods as the nation strategized, although they were acutely aware that the demons advanced in the dark. With some distance to the base of the tree where the rest of him resided, there was only evacuated city left as time passed. The empty city was slowly but surely corrupted ever more for each day. It reminded V of what he remembered of the underworld. She caught herself fearing the armored humanoid demons more than she should have and acting aggressively, recklessly throwing herself at not yet weakened instances. Until she remembered that it wasn’t Mundus who sent them, if any demon was hunting her, it would be himself that did. And he sent demons to kill her, but what was left of Vergil did not bother with strategy and she easily vanquished the companies that walked the streets. V knew she was supremely inferior to the coming demon lord. But did not understand him as the whole of Vergil. His goal had been to cast aside his humanity, and titles befitted reigning demons, only. This had been Vergil’s understanding of “potential” before…
…Before she had understood what it was like to be truly powerless. Vergil had always been close to power, and it had enhanced its importance in his mind leaving nothing else. V took notice of much more. She turned over memories, finally reaching conclusions on morale, strategy, and self-understanding. She had hours of quiet with no demons manifesting or roots searching for her, in which she finally understood his goals. To live is to seek joy. She knew now, she had been seeking joy in perfection and that this was a futile endeavour on its own. She imagined his father contemplating his own purpose under that same sky.
As she walked past the historical theatre once again, she saw someone plainly standing on the balcony where noteworthy guests in the past had posed for tourists. V did not feel the same indifference she did towards other humans who stayed in the demon-infested city. From the distance, she could tell she was of weak posture, looked to be of southern European descent and wore black, fashionable clothes that resembled something festive or ceremonial. She was captivating, somehow. V felt like she was forgetting something important.
Hey. Hey! There’s a real princess. If you’re lucky she might need an escort out of the bad part of town!
V stood still idling with her in sight. She brought out her book, if it could possibly jumpstart her memory she would need it.
“Silently, invisibly- O, was no deny-!” She shut the book and looked to the woman again. Certianly! He had met her before! In Fortuna. A woman quite important to him. V was overcome by slight embarrassment when recalling their relation. It was quickly upended by the sound of Griffon’s laughter. V summoned the familiar and squeezed its neck until it turned into a slick oil that seeped back onto her skin.
Then, a Qliphoth root erupted from the ground in the plaza and grew towards the balcony, but it missed the woman and sunk into the theatre building. The woman seemed unbothered, but V had reacted and thrown herself towards the root, mind, not quickly enough. In lieu of standing still in the middle of the plaza, she summoned Griffon and flew onto the balcony where she landed roughly with one knee on the bannister. The woman was taken aback, and sceptical at her appearance. She stared at the marking of her familiars. The woman, like Dante, did not recognize her. It remained that she had the upper hand in their meeting.
V spoke as she settled on the ground and her familiars returned to her. “Oh Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm that flies in the night, In the howling storm.”
“A scarcely dressed woman comes to rescue me so theatrically no less atop the theatre. What a show, here at the end of the world.”
“Had I known the branch would miss the guest I would not have made such haste.“
She walked to her, and relaxedly offered her hand.
“Liliana. And might I ask your name?”
V was familiar with it, yes her name had been Liliana. Is. “I am called V.”
“One would think you’d be deserving of more letters.”
She scoffed. “What’s in a name?”
“I suppose you are right, mysterious summoner of the theatre. I thank you for your rescue."
Liliana was slightly mocking in her tone.
“Yes, I couldn’t leave you alone in good conscience."
“Suppose you have been waiting to exercise your skill for the supernatural, the situation at hand is quite accommodating.”
“I happened to take pity on you. If you would, allow me to accompany you to wherever you reside.”
“...I would be ever so graceful if you could come along to Chiaro Mondo.” Challenging her to visit the hotel. She stiffened at the choice of location, clearly flustered. She showed emotion quite easily, unless it was a ruse, of course. But however irrationally, Liliana wanted to trust her. “It would be my pleasure.”
This woman was suspicious. Tall, darkly handsome.. She was frail, and looks could so often be deceiving with demons, but unless she read minds then V could not know that Liliana had exorcised evil since she was but a child and could easily vanquish the creatures she summoned. After a hundred meters V hobbled and was out of breath, she offered for her to be seated for a moment. Neither of them talked during this time. She was grateful to stop herself, feeling short of breath simply standing. They online listened to the sounds of foundation being upended around the city, like a slowly effecting earthquake.
Liliana had no idea how much power this woman held, but neither did she know hers. They were at an impassé. The tension intrigued her, and she felt a sense of deja vu for memories she had visited sparsely in the past twenty years. She was brought out of it when a demon attacked. The woman commanded her demons to kill the demon and the couple more that followed it out of the destroyed shop. But when it looked weakened, she jumped towards it at light speed stabbing it’s vital point with her cane, muttering a curse of banishment as she did. and it hit her like a train, that this woman fought exactly like the visitor to Fortuna. The descendant of Sparda. And so, she must be a true ally of Sparda? She mulled it over. But then the woman then fell over and she had to practically carry her to temporary refuge in a shop building. She thought that she might be mistaken.
At the doorstep of the hotel, under the shadow of the winged horse, the two souls were to part, but V had a plea that she has been holding since she saw that woman from her past life.
“The situation here will only become more dire, I must suggest you run away from Red Grave as fast as you can.” But Liliana only looked at her sternly, she motioned for her to follow her inside. They became seated in the lobby.
“I last met a doctor the day before this nightmare started, I had been bedridden only once this long, he told me my weakness had become severe, as I felt it too. Not long, he said.” “And then, you know what he said?”
V listened to her patiently. She was so willing to tell her life story, and she was eager to listen. Through those pale lips, Liliana’s story continued:
“Take care of everything you need to do.”
“I made a list that day. Of loose ends. But I never even got to make a phone call. That night the area my associates lived in was attacked by demons and there were no survivors. You’d think such things terrify me, but not quite.”
“I come from a small island south of here, but I do not consider the people that raised me family. I was shunned for leaving, regardless, I am already dead to them. There were often encounters with evil creatures called from the beyond. I sometimes think of that island as the root of all this evil. Something like Dumary. They carried out rituals there which tempted demons to our world.”
“But that wasn’t what you asked of me, V.”
“I can hardly defend myself. And yet, I stay safe. I know that staying in Red Grave is correct. Those bloodsucking roots don’t even search for mine. If I should die at the end of the world, I want to be where it happened at least.”
“I have only known you for a day, but you are truly admirable.”
“You are a rare one, V. You should flee Red Grave.”
“I can’t leave Red Grave. My demonic connection forbids it.”
“And what a choice it is to make such dark deals, You must regret that now.”
“Very much so. That grave was dug wholly by my hands.”
Liliana got up, and made for the stairs. “Thanks to you, I live another day. Goodnight V.”
With her hand on the railing, She looked like the charming, determined girl from his memories. “It has been a pleasure.”
Unceremoniously, V left for the streets. Griffon yapped mocking words in her ear throughout the night.
Surely, that woman had left as well. Which is why, passing by the treatre, she was surprised to see her again. She waved at V. She summoned Griffon and flew to her onto the balcony.
“I see you are true to your word.”
“Certainly, and staying in Red Grave proved to be the correct choice. I wanted to see you again.”
“And why is that?”
“You interest me, V. and I believe we are kindred souls. Both of us on the cusp of death, making the most of the end of the whole world.” She twirled around, back to V, and took her hand.
V took a step back. She could put off confessing no longer.
“I haven’t been honest to you. I can’t leave Red Grave because what I gave away for this body resides in that tree.“
“What are you saying?”
“It is my demon half which has raised it. I have brought this doom upon all of the world.”
“Surely not?”
“Yes. In a moment of desperation, I turned myself into a thoughtless monster. He is a force of evil and destruction without honor or measure. In his plan, I am the only factor unaccounted for. I am betting my life on that.”
“Are you Vergil? What should I call you?”
“V is fine. These days I don’t quite feel myself.”
“The world never ceases to place burdens on you.”
“The world? My own agency allowed this.”
“I do wonder… if you were pressured into it. The Vergil I know is determined, but he is not stupid. And he wants most of all, to protect himself and others.”
V was abashed. She gave Vergil so much grace, despite it all.
“I can only imagine.”
Leliana leaned against the railing overlooking the plaza. Front to V.
“You surely could not get away with roaming around the castle towers shirtless like you did back then.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember. Those were his memories.”
“And where are they now?”
“I can’t be sure. Damaged in the process, resultingly broken. Gone. "I apologise."
Liliana looked away from her.
“I will be honest. I used to hate you. But… It was short lived. My choices are mine.”
“Yet you excuse my faults-”
“The situation is different. You haven’t been yourself, have you?”
“...”
“But I will ask something of you. What is this tree that lays claim to all of our lives? You never told me about something like this.”
“It is a secret weapon that I only learned of from the most demented Lord in the Underworld, called the Qliphoth.”
“But mystics have speculated on its existence for hundreds of years. A demon must have told them.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think they ever dreamed of raising it? A human, desperate to destroy the world to bring revenge on it?”
She wasn’t looking at her anymore. She knew she spoke about his own rage of the static nature of things. The unguided fate which had so frustrated Vergil when they met in Fortuna.
“Yes, and I believe such a man would find the world empty of people to exercise his power on once the ritual is complete, such a thing would consign many people to hell, including himself.”
The lecture wasn’t necessary to preach to V. Guilt and hopelessness washed over her. Fear of coming clean to his past.
“Therefore we must reverse the process.”
She sighed, but looked up wisely, hopeful: “A drop of water, poisoned with vinegar, can end the thirst of a tree. Even rodents, can sever the arms from which it feeds.”
V laughed. “My unholy connections have stolen years from me where I could have listened to your light wisdom.”
Liliana couldn’t help but retreat slightly at the compliment. Meeting him again, like this, the emotional parts of him at the forefront and her own heart laid bare, it was too much. In her memory, Vergil was stubborn, sure, but an immovable object. Now, even he was at his lowest, and they had too much in common to have been separated for the length of their lives.
V had the same indifferent expression that suited her handsomely still. V turned to leave. She stared at the ground, and Liliana could only feel sorry for her.
“I apologise for it all.”
Liliana spoke from the heart, without thinking. “V. I… I want to get to know you better.”
“I’m sure you would, but I’m not him.” “I’m sure you would find me… lacking.”
“You scum, you haven’t changed!”
“I’m not hi-”
“Given a second chance, you’re leaving me alone at the end of the world?”
V stared at her, straightened. She was mad. It was the same determined look. Too much pride for an argument that didn’t end in violence, and too kind to hurt a human. Then a profound sadness unlike anything Liliana had ever seen clearly washed over her, and she seemed too tired to carry on living. Liliana spoke up to defuse the situation further. “I apologise, that isn’t what this is about. I will say, that I missed you, and I want to make up for lost time.”
V huffed. “I am interested in you as well… and we are only losing time.” It seemed difficult for her to admit.
“Would you like us to meet at the Riverside Building?” V asked.
“At the Millennium Wheel?”
”Precisely. even In this mess, one can’t miss it.”
“Yes I will meet you by noon tomorrow, if that is to your liking.” So formal, but Liliana couldn’t help herself. V was really still a stranger.
As they parted, only V looked back.
That night V slept, and dreamt. He was in Fortuna, in the castle at night, vanquishing demons in its fenced graveyard. He was in his devil form, powerful. But the violent ritual was interrupted by a human. A woman had been following him, and once the spirits were banished, her breath was the loudest sound in the night. He turned to her and removed blood from his sword, which carelessly struck the decorations on the wall. But she did not falter. Then she asked something peculiar of him.
“Shed your hood, traveller, so that I may see you.”
Vergil brought forth fire from his body, which burnt the anonymizing cloth off. The woman’s stance was determined, as he stood in demon form in front of her. The light of his form writhed against the night air as it sucked in oxygen. He wondered if she was a huntswoman for the Order on the island, and how to shed his demon from in short time without revealing that weakness. Sternly, in his distorted demon voice, he spoke “You as well.” And she brought up her hands to let down her black hood. She did not have the features of a hunter, she was young, and on her face was conflict, but no fear. Duty against curiosity perhaps. He did not linger on it further as she took off her black ceremonial clothes as well, and then simply stared at him, so he showed her his human form. He saw her flinch, when he changed into this form. She recognized him, and that was no surprise, as she had clumsily been following him for days through the streets. Vergil sheathed the Yamato.
“Prioress Liliana of the Order. What is your intention for intruding upon the holy ground?” She spoke fluent Fortunian, Vergil was versed in the unique latin language and spoke easily to her.
“I am above the constrictions of your Order.”
“That is not possible, no human or devil has the right to consecrate the earthly ground, aside from doing so in worship.” The prioress was agitated, but more so at his tone than disregard for her belief.
“No devil? And what of the one you worship?”
That struck a chord with her: “You liken yourself to the Savior?”
“Yes. In fact I do. And my matters are important, but not to be shared with demon worshippers.” He turned around, and made to walk up the stairs of Fortuna Castle.
She did not follow him. As he walked into the historical library. He suddenly felt her come in from a secret door, and sneak up behind him.
“Vade retro satana.” She whispered, as ahe brought an ornate dagger to his neck, but at inhuman speed he brought the sheathed yamato between them and deflected the knife.
“Is that a way to service a far-travelled visitor?”
She made distance to him and uncorked a bottle, spreading holy water into the room, which dissolved and filled the air. Vergil only raised his head, unaffected.
“I see that I have no way of defeating you.” She put away her tools for exorcism. She looked at his face for what felt a long time to them both. Her demanding expression was committed to his memory. “Mysterious stranger. Who are you?”
Then V woke up.
Liliana found V on a bench, staring across the river at her mistake. Her panther was circling her, and it approached Liliana but she was surprised when it didn't attack her. Instead it played like an animal. As soon as it rubbed against her legs, V was alerted to her and got up sluggishly, she steadied against her cane. Then she suddenly straightened and grabbed hold of it off the ground. She looked attentive and (re)collected. “Shall we?”
The two of them walked across Red Grave, asking each other questions about the past 20 years once in a while. They did not restrict themselves to demon-free areas. In the darkest corners of Red Grave, V sent her familiars to protect them so they could save antique valuables. Liliana had quite the knowledge of arcane books, which V had to admit impressed her, and made her moun the many years he had lost to Mundus. Liliana showed her the places of art and culture she frequented, and V examined them as history. Throughout, so close to the Qlipoth, they did not meet a single person, only fragile statues made of the dried blood still showing the veins from the deceased victims. On the way, they pilfered an intact wine from a shop where the floor was covered in class and sticky alcohol which triggered both of V’s familiars to emerge and lap at the ground. Although it embarrassed V greatly, Liliana found it so perfectly mundane.
Liliana demanded they rest, when her vision became blotted and her feet hard to lift. From a rooftop the two women watched the sunset with their backs to the hell tree. Birds flew over the horizon. Peaceful, earthly birds. They carried on despite it all. Maybe this story would have a happy ending, thought Liliana.
V suddenly blurted out something unexpected.
“Liliana. I remember, you took a knife to me.” Liliana looked at her dumbfounded. But V smiled back at her. Liliana broke a smile too. It strained her aging features, and she hadn’t used her face quite like that in some time.
She liked this about V, she was always smiling. Always joking. Something had been set free from Vergil, a joy that he had been denied. Or perhaps denied himself. She wondered how much of it was conscious from V’s side.
“I did not yet know how wonderful lovers demons make.”
“Even though the topic is covered in superstitious tomes at length?”
“I do not believe things unless I see them for myself.”
“Or feel them.”
“You are smooth, V.”
“I know I must be unsettling to you.”
“Not so much anymore, as a harmless woman.”
“Hrmph.”
She let V to her flat. By deliberate happenstance, it was directly next to the theatre, and V had half a mind to be offended that Lelinana had pretended otherwise. It was a humble, third floor, two person apartment. The one room had been turned to a study. V, quite curious, stuck her head inside and observed the tools of exorcism and research inside of it. No signs a second person had lived here, or frequent visits. But plenty of aides for a failing body. Liliana asked her to sit down on the couch. From that soft seat, V continued to observe. The apartment was cozy. It had quite a few decorations reminiscent of Fortuna. It reminded her of her family home that was falling apart not far from here. She was so close and nearing her end. How curious, that their life would circle back like this. Liliana served them the wine. The questions became more personal and daring, even as exhaustion threatened them both. V liked the thrill of that. She imagined Vergil offended by her willingness to share their story, and felt a peculiar triumph over herself. She found herself returning to the memory of the night before, but it was Liliana who brought it up through her breathless voice.
“I will remove my skin, as you do yours.” At this request, V exposed her frail and feminine body to the lover of her past life.
“You look the same as last I asked this of you.”
“Joking, surely.”
“No. You were quite vulnerable at the time, when you let the facade fell. But never like this. I am quite lucky.”
“Yes you are.” V kissed her.
Their bodies held each other long into the night, and into the next day.
"V. do you love me?"
"I find myself with an abundance of love for you." She put her hand on her waist. "There should be love behind duty. I forgot you along with that principle, and I have not thought of you in many years. I let you be reduced to nothing, yet you had not passed." He turned to look at the upturned skyline. "I destroyed my world, so catastrophic that I see it every time I look around. Yet, like my humanity, I find you amidst it all. You are a flower growing in this rubble." Liliana listened, then kissed her hand. "Apology accepted. When I pass, could I possibly hire you as the author of my eulogy?" “I’d rather we keep things such as death at bay, and welcome them once their time is.” Liliana smiled. "Let mine eyes see thee, and then see death.”
Screams of the damned erupted nearby. A nest of demons was manifesting underneath her window. Liliana slid into her clothes. “For now we must carry on that important mission of yours, V.”
V laid waste to the demons, Liliana brought her hand to a destroyed fire hydrant bathing the street, and made the water holy. The pyrobats circling them cauterized in it. Both of them collapsed onto the ground, out of breath. Liliana grabbed her chest as her sight waned.
“Yes. He is alive. Or was. It is quite possible I doomed him by involving him in fixing my mistake.”
“He must have been glad to see you again, after all this time.”
“I did not reveal my identity to him. Our relationship is strained, I am sure he would have blamed me for everything. And perhaps he is right to.”
“Only time will tell, but I am quite certain you will meet again. Your paths have always crossed sooner or later, haven’t they?”
“You’re right about that.”
They were climbing a park hill when Liliana’s body gave in.
Her chest hurt, and her legs collapsed under her, she was dizzy, when V gently caught her. She held her for a long time, shifting to watch the sunset. Until eventually V laid down beside her in that grass.
V’s worry increased the longer Liliana was prone. But she reached over. She held V’s hand as she passed her keys into hers.
“In my apartment, there is an book. It is a recording of sorts.”
“Yes?”
“It will not save the world, but maybe it would be of some use to you.”
“Thank you.” V kissed her again. She had not considered how much she missed meeting her lips.
“I don’t know if I can right my wrong, but I must try. It is the only goal of my existence.” She brushed back hair from Liliana’s face.
“Goodnight Prioress. The only misery I have not been responsible for.”
“You enriched my life wholly in ways that you will never know.”
When she spoke, looking up at her, it was ever quiet, but V heard her clearly.
She was suddenly gripped by panic as the imminent loss became clear, and she placed her self on her knees and picked up her body. The body in her arms became slack as every muscle ceased functioning. Liliana looked her in the eyes, then closed them for good, and V’s eyes became filled with tears as she realized the reason Liliana had done so.
"Let mine eyes see thee, and then see death.”
V had not noticed, but the black spots in her vision were not imagined. Her demonic magic had seeped through her skin again and was besmearing the body in her arms, forming into feathers which were light like air, not thick like her nightmares. The black feathers laid across the body, and as the wind caught them, they flew away over the cityscape in the twilight leaving no body behind. Griffon manifested on her shoulder but watched in silence. V took a hold of what she still held onto, and felt the feathers slide across her palms as though moving by themselves. When she opened them, a young raven looked back at her, desperate to escape her hands. V looked towards the fields opposite of the Qliphoth where the sun set and she raised her hands and opened them towards the sky to let the bird free. She watched it soar away under the clouds, unbothered by the demons in the city and unburdened by its life. Another soul given wings. How unusual, that with her little power she would be giving new life like this. In this moment, she felt further from Vergil than she had ever been.
In her hand, she still held the key Liliana had given her. Her body swayed as Griffon took off from her shoulder and went off ahead and above her in the direction of the theatre. She felt the demons stir when she began walking towards the darkened city buildings where the city had become much too infested.
The apartment was empty without her presence.
Shadow and Griffon spread out and began to roam around the apartment. She ignored them, and ran her hand across the furniture taking it in with her senses. Her office desk was locked. It was an antique, repurposed school desk meticulously lacquered. The only thing inside was a black leather book with a rose imprinted, but when she opened it, she found the notes of a young woman filling every page until they lost momentum and the latter half was unwritten. The dates carried back to the 1980s. She placed the book in her innermost chest pocket, behind Blake.
Vergil descended towards hell. Below him in sight, was the base of the Qlipoth and where it had broken in two, it had upended its roots to show a grand, dark hole leading directly to hell. The gateway was quickly being patched up by the magic their father had weaved for the human world. His brother was a small flame on the backdrop of that darkness.
Vergil turned his gaze to the horizon. Past the wind gliding violently against his scales, he saw a single raven soaring towards the coast. In his mind, he expressed gratitude to it. Underneath his demonic form, close to his heart, he felt the weight of that book that was not taken from a home, but meaningfully given and found.
He quickened his fall to catch up to his twin, and Dante put his claw on Vergil’s shoulder. The display of camaraderie was utterly ridiculous in their demonic forms, but they quickly discarded them regardless. He saw the age on his brothers face, as it surely must show on his own.
Somewhere else, a young girl would brutishly drive a van through ruined streets. There was nothing to be heard for the loud engine and louder jukebox. Nero scowled at Nico as she lit another cigarette. He held his own arm tightly, and found comfort in feeling it there.
Nero watched the world fly by, and a raven caught his eye. It looked like any other bird of the kind, but he imagined the same bird had been watching over him throughout his life. He recalled flying above the same rooftops. The raven was flying in the direction of the sea where Fortuna lay and a train of thought towards homesickness soon followed. Once the song ended, he picked up the phone.
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An:
Thanks for reading more sappy shit from me. first nero and kyrie now his parents what
Their flirt scene is inspired by this myth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lindwormwhich is local to both italy and northern europe, as well as the rest of the continent.
The places in fortuna castle where they meet are the same Dante and Trish searched in books.
the line liliana says in response to Vs poems is from Saint Teresa of Avila, a christian religious poet. i imagine Liliana would read such poets, being from the dmc vatican and all.
Liliana is reincarnated as a raven of course, because of the Poe poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven
liliana’s diary describes her pregnancy, and Vergil can get to know her motivations from it. and the hard words she had to say to him at the time. Good thing he met her in the future, too.
I placed some photos in here that ive taken in london. to set the mood, maybe.
