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xxfanfiction-emo-trinityxx · 6 years

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I Lied - Frank Iero x Reader

Request: could u please do like maybe a punk!frank high school au fic? with like idk angst i guess.... thank u!! ur lovely ;)

Word count: 3 466

Being friends with Frank was always spending the breaks together with his arm flung over your shoulder, sitting next to each other in every class, never caring about the evil stares and always ready to tell each other a joke.

Being friends with Frank were sleepovers and watching movies until the early hours of the morning before falling asleep in the same bed or cuddled together on a couch.

Being friends with Frank was sitting in detention together because he spoke his mind in class and got detention and when you said that this was unfair you also got detention. It was a tradition by now.

Being friends with Frank also were rides in his old car, windows down, riding through the night and feeling infinite to the sound of your favorite bands. It was standing on a hill in the middle of nowhere, shouting lyrics at each other, dancing around and feeling powerful enough to take on the entire world. It was sinking down on your knees, when you were out of breath, high from the adrenaline flooding through your veins and slowly finding calm comfort of knowing you would always be there at each other’s side.

Being with friends with Frank was mostly loud and rebellious, it was you going to every single one of his concerts, sitting backstage on a table and dangling your feet to the rhythm of the guitar riffs or the drums.

It were his puppy dog eyes when he needed help sewing a new patch to his jacket, and sweets snuck into your locker to surprise you.

It was the exchange of annoyed looks on the sports field when you both had to do things you hated and/ or sucked at. It was him finding you crying behind the school after physical education, because girls continued making fun of you when you were not good at what you had to do. It was him wrapping you in his beloved, patches covered jeans jacket, taking you in his arm and guiding you back inside, daring the others to make fun of you again.

It was you stopping him from beating up bullies who took the sandwiches from younger students, even though they would have deserved it, but you did not want Frank to get into trouble.

It was exchanging foods at lunch you did not like; he got your olives and you got his green beans.

Being friends with Frank was sitting on the small sofa in your room on Sunday evenings, knees pulled up to your chests, quietly imagining which horrors school would confront you with this time. It was wiping tears of each other’s cheeks, assuring each other that live would get better, even if you did not believe it yourselves. It was feeling lost in the small room and being unimportant in the big, wide world.

It was helping Frank when he had an anxiety attack that made him curl into a tiny ball, sitting on the floor and shaking. You would wrap your arms around him, hold him tight and stroke his hair until he had calmed down.

It was getting him out of bed when nothing else would because his depression was kicking him down again.

It was sitting in silence next to each other, taking comfort in knowing you were not alone.

Being friends with Frank was sometimes silent.

Being in love with Frank was different. It was your heart racing every time he touched you, breath hitching every time you saw him. It was the urge to touch his hair when he was asleep or cuddle into him. It was heartbreak when you were falling asleep on your own, because you knew that nothing in the world would make it possible for you to be with Frank.

And it was guilt. Guilt because you knew you lied every time you promised to tell each other everything. You did not want to lie to Frank, but you could not tell him either. You were terrified he would find out one day and that he would hate you for it. You could not lose your closest, your best, your only friend over a stupid, stupid crush.

Sometimes you could forget that you were in love with him, or pretend that he was in love with you too, that this story would have a happy end, at least while he was with you, while you only had to extend your hand and could feel him by your side. You lived for the moments in which you could be carefree at his side, the moments he treated you like you were the only one in the world that mattered for him. But you died in the moments in which you were alone and realized that it was only friendship, that once you were done with high school, you would probably never see each other again. Your heart broke over realizing that after graduation he would go on tours to pursue his music career while you would go to college. Sometimes your mother checked on you to see why you were crying in the middle of the night. She brought hot chocolate and asked why you did not talk to Frank about it, since she did not know about how much in love you were with him and how impossible it was for you to reveal that to him. So you told her he could not help, and she patted your back until you had cried yourself to sleep.

~*~

It was already late at night. You sat on Frank’s bed, legs crossed, humming the tune of one of his songs that was stuck in your head. You could hear the shower running in the bathroom. You had been to one of his concerts again and because it was late he had offered you to stay over, as always. Now he was taking a quick shower while you ran your fingers over his blankets, trying to stop the spinning thoughts in your mind. You did your best to focus on the pattern on the sheets, pushing the thoughts of Frank’s bare, wet chest out of your mind. One day you would probably go crazy over the boy. The image of his dripping, black hair appeared in front of you. Quickly you focused back in the pattern on the blanket. It was okay to have these thoughts when you were alone in your bed, as okay as it could be to imagine your best friend like that, someone who you were supposed to have a completely platonic relationship with. But you could not think about these things while he was next doors. You sighed quietly and let your eyes wander over the walls of his room. There were still the same band posters you had known for years and a few newer ones as well. An amplifier stood in the corner of the room next to one of Frank’s guitars. On the window above his desk he had written lyric ideas with white-board pen. In one of the corners was a small doodle of a dog. His wardrobe was covered in photographs. Some of them were pictures he had taken at concerts, some were of him on stage and over the last time there were more and more pictures of you as well. He loved to take pictures with you in them. Sometimes he spent hours staging a picture, sometimes he just pulled out the camera and took a quick snap. You stood up, curiously scanning the collection of pictures of you he had put up. There was one from the rehearsal for drama, in which you stared absentmindedly into the spotlight. Another one was from the performance of the play. It captured a moment in which you had to throw a plate across the stage. Your face was contorted with anger, the plate was shattering on the floor into a thousand pieced and the light made each one of your stray hairs shine. The picture was amazing, and if you had not been the person portrayed, you would have even liked it. The next picture you noticed had been taken by one of Frank’s bandmates. Frank was hugging you tightly right before his new band Pency Prep, in which he was lead singer, played their first show ever. There were a few more pictures of you with the band, laughing backstage or during rehearsals. One picture had been taken by you and Frank together when you were sitting in his garden and played around with his new camera. Another one was from a BBQ both of you had attended. His one arm was wrapped around your waist loosely, both of you were laughing. You smiled at the picture and ran your fingers over the smooth surface before you noticed something else that drew your attention to it. It was a picture on the bottom corner of the wardrobe. It took you a moment to realize that it was a picture of you sleeping in his car, probably you had fallen asleep after one of the car rides. Frank must have had taken the photo before waking you up. You bent down to inspect it further, but in that moment the water in the bathroom was shut off and you quickly stood back up, your heart pounding slightly too fast from the discovery you had made. You wondered why he kept a picture of you sleeping on his wardrobe, without having it shown to you earlier.

When Frank exited the bathroom, you were sitting on his bed again. He wore a shirt and sweaters, just like the clothes he had given to you so you did not have to sleep in your day clothes. His hair was still damp from the shower and his face red from the hot water.

“Sooo,” he jumped onto the mattress next to you, sitting down, “What do we do now?”

You looked up at him, still wondering about the picture, but you decided not to mention it.

“I don’t know, you were the one insisting that I come over…” you looked at him with wide eyes, expecting him to suggest something, but he just let himself fall on his back and stared against the ceiling.

“My mind is blank,” he told you. After a few moments of silence he spoke up again. “Have you ever wondered if life is just passing by us without us noticing? We could change so much in the world, but we just sit in school and rot.”

He sat back up and stared at you wide eyed.

“Sometimes… but I mean… I really don’t do anything to change the world…” you stared back at him, trying to find the right words. “But you, you make music, right? You play in a band, you make a difference.”

“You think?” Frank looked at you proudly. “Wow, that is really a nice compliment.”

“It’s true,” you told him with a smile. You sometimes saw the kids in the crowds he was playing to. They loved the music, and if they were anything like you, the music carried them through the day until they were safe from whatever was haunting them.

Frank continued staring at you, nervously biting his lower lip. “Have you ever kissed anyone?”

You glance snapped back up at him and you felt a blush rise into your cheeks. “You know I haven’t,” you answered confused. Of course he knew, why was he asking? His question made you dizzy and your heart pound painfully.

“Neither have I…”

“I know, so what?” You tilted your head and looked at him, hoping for an explanation.

“I was just wondering…” now it was his turn to blush, “you know, most people at our age have kissed someone and… I mean it would be embarrassing to kiss the person you like for the first time and you really suck at kissing.”

You furrowed your brows. You had thought about that too, but because you always thought about kissing Frank and you knew that he had no experience either, you had never worried about it.

“Who are you planning on kissing,” you asked instead, trying to sound playful.

“Nobody!” Frank grew even redder. “I just thought, maybe… we could try it out, you and me, you know?”

You could have sworn your heart stopped in that moment. Was he really asking to kiss you?

“Come again?”

“I mean, we could try and tell each other what we liked and what we didn’t like and that way…” he was waving his hands around helplessly.

Your mind was spinning. You wanted to kiss Frank really, really badly. But you did not want it to be just like that, you wanted him to like you the same way you liked him. And you were certain that if you kissed him without your feelings being returned, there would be an awkward tension between the two of you until the end of time. An awkward tension you did not want. So if you had to die without ever having kissed Frank Iero, but with an intact friendship, that was the way it was going to happen.

“I don’t think I want that,” you told him hesitantly.

The disappointment on his face was visible immediately, even though he tried to hide it.

“Oh,” he whispered, clearly ashamed. His shoulders sunk down and he lowered his gaze on the mattress.

Great, now this was even more awkward. You waited for him to say something but he kept quiet. Maybe you should just kiss him; at least the awkward tension of the moment would be gone, maybe. But it would be even worse later. You shimmied uneasily around for a moment and were about to speak up, just to say something, anything, when Frank suddenly spoke up.

“You know how we always promise to tell each other everything, no secrets and stuff?” His eyes were still fixed on the blanket in front of him while he fiddled around with the hem of his shirt.

“Yeah,” you mumbled, scared that Frank had picked up on your feelings for him.

“I’ve been lying to you,” he suddenly admitted, his eyes finally meeting yours.

You tilted your head slightly, asking wordlessly what he had been lying about.

“I’ve always told you how much you mean to me as a friend, but I’ve never told you that I actually love you and that the only reason I started talking to you in middle school was because I had a huge crush on you. And then I got to know you and you became my best friend and all the while I was still pinning for you and I know this changes everything, I’m completely okay if you don’t wanna be friends anymore and I know things will probably never go back to how they used to be, but I just can’t do this anymore, you know?”

He looked at you, eyes pleading you to understand him, to let him down gently, but your mind was too occupied putting the puzzle pieces together.

“Is that why you took a photo of me sleeping,” you wondered.

Frank groaned quietly, covered his face with his hands and sunk back on the mattress without answering.

You thought about a way to best confront him about your own feelings.

“You know, you might be right, things will probably never go back how they used to be.” Your voice was calm and you could see Frank pulling his knees slightly towards his chest.

“Maybe you should leave,” he told you, his voice monotone.

You pretended not to have heard him. “But I really wanna stay friends, if that’s okay with you.”

You sat up from the blanket and crawled to Frank until you were over him. His face was still hidden by his hands and you were not sure if he was crying or just listening quietly. Anyway you were pretty sure he wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

“We could, of course, be a bit more than friends,” you told him, surprised by how calm your own voice was.

It felt like your body was moving without you ordering it to. It just carefully pulled Frank’s tense hands away from his beautiful face, while on the inside you were totally freaking out. He looked surprised at you words, eyes widened and lips slightly parted. The blush was still burning on his cheeks.

“And considering I lied to you too, about my feelings for you, I’d like to take back the ‘I don’t wanna kiss you’ part and actually do it.”

Frank’s eyes scanned over your face, then he leant up and connected your mouths, your eyes fluttered shut. You were both shaking slightly at the foreign sensation. His lips were warm and soft against yours. For a moment it felt like you were frozen in spot, too overwhelmed by what was happening to react in any way. You felt him place a hand at your waist, a gesture you were used to, but this time it sent a bolt of electricity through your system, making you shiver slightly. With one swift motion he turned the two of you around so he was on top. You caught a glimpse of him smiling before he leant back down to you, connecting the kiss again. This time he seemed to have more courage and slightly moved his lips against yours. Since you had no idea what you were supposed to do, you just copied his movements. You were fascinated by how gentle he was and how perfectly your lips fit together. Your insides felt fuzzy as you wrapped your fingers into his still damp hair. It was really soft and his curls perfectly rolled around your finger. Your heart leapt into your throat as you felt his tongue press against your lips slightly. You left him hanging for a while before you opened your mouth for him. You could feel him smile into the touch and relished the feeling of his hands at both of your sides, holding you gently in place. For a while you let him explore your mouth with his tongue before you got too curious yourself. He fought for dominance for a few seconds before giving in, allowing you to kiss him deeply yourself. It was a strange feeling, but strange in the best of ways. It was warm and wet, soft but also strong and the taste of his lips almost blew your mind. You wished you could taste him like that forever while your nose was filled with his delicate scent and your hands wrapped into his beautiful hair. The tiniest of moans escaped him before he took back control, gaining confidence and kissing you harder than before, pressing you into the mattress, trying to balance his bodyweight so he would not crush you.

You only noticed how breathless you were, when he pulled away and rolled off to the side. A giggle escaped both of you while you were trying to catch your breaths. You turned to face him, his cheeks were flushed a beautiful red, his perfect lips were slightly swollen and crimson. A smile played around on the corners of his mouth and you could tell that he was as high on adrenaline as you were, but exhausted at the same time. He extended his hand and ran his fingers over your cheek, a grin lighting up his face.

“You’re blushing,” he told you, his hand wandering from your cheek to your hair, softly stroking it.

“You should see yourself,” you told him cockily and he giggled.

“Sooo… does that mean you like me?” he asked hopefully.

“I just kissed you until I almost fainted from lack of oxygen, I think it’s safe to say, I do.”

He giggled again and you knew he was about to say something really stupid. “Ugh, (y/n) likes a boy,” he mocked.

“Oh god, Frankie,” you playfully hit his arm, making him giggle even harder.

“Guess what, I like you too,” he whispered, suddenly serious again.

He pulled you close to him, until your chest was resting against his. He nuzzled his face into your hair, breathing in your scent, humming softly. You placed your cheek against his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat and breathing. The last thing you registered was how he pressed a soft kiss against your forehead before sudden tiredness overwhelmed you and you fell asleep in his warm embrace. He felt you relax to his touch and how your breath got even. Sleepily he closed his eyes, his heart skipping a few more beats when he reminded himself of what was just happening before sleep overwhelmed the young musician as well and he was gently covered by the soft blanket of restorative slumber.

#fanfiction #fanfic #Frank Iero #frank iero fluff #frank iero x reader #romance #punk!frank #high school #high school au

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harveyb-wabbit92 · 6 years

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DMC: Innocent souls 1

The following is a non profit fan based story, Devil May Cry belongs to Capcom. please support the official release.

I gain no profit from this nor do I own anything other then OCs and whatever sprouts from my imagination. Thanks for reading!

Gaila whimpered as her stomach growled, her dull lavender eyes scanned the empty streets as she sat huddled behind a bakery waiting for the staff to throw away the unsold bread jumped hearing the backdoor.

The white haired child flinched as she hid farther behind the trashcans, it was Marco the bakery owner taking out the trash this time not his wife...Who was a sweet old lady, who secretly left lunch bags for Gaila knowing the that this was probably the only meal the little girl would have for a while...Marco however.

Gaila remembered the last time he caught her stealing from the dumpster. he grabbed her arm called her a dirty mutt and other names and threatened to report her to the cops if he ever saw her again...and she'd be damned if she was going back to that hell hole!

The eight year old noticed the old mans limp and felt a sliver of guilt when she recalled Bruno biting Marco's ankle to get the old man off her, however another rumble from her tummy soon flushed that feeling out. Gaila stood dead still as Marco took the garbage bag and threw in the dumpster; cussing about him being to old for this crap. The eight year old slowly stood up careful not to make a sound when a can dropped from the trash cans she was hiding behind. she threw her hand over her mouth so not to gasp. Marco whipped his head in the direction the sound came from.

"Whose there?!"

"If it's the same little bitch who bit me, good luck eating tonight!"

Marco scanned the alley waiting when a cat jump from where he thought the noise came from, with a dismissive grunt he reached into he pocket and took out a pad lock and chain. Gaila could only wince as she watch her dinner get locked away. she felt her eyes tear up as Marco walked back into his shop and turn off the lights. Soon the alley was in complete darkness And Gaila was left hungry. and wondering how a sweet old lady like Francesca got stuck with a cold hearted man like Marco... as Bruno nuzzled the little girl from inside her worn out hoodie.

The soccer ball sized demon frowned feeling he was letting Sparda down, as he could only watch his deceased master's grandchild live like this; suddenly a smell a cheesy garlicky smell... Bruno's ball like body shifted and looked outside the mouth of the alley. He saw a very lost looking teenager, sitting on his scooter squinting at his note pad; while the kid was busy Bruno jumped out of Gaila's hoodie and stealthily made his way over to the scooter.

The teen had gotten off to use a pay-phone, while Bruno opened the pizza box strapped behind it, the demi-devil arm switched to his knight form opened the pizza box; grabbed a few slices, and quietly closed it before silently running back to his young mistress. Gaila nearly had a heart attack when Bruno ran off, her eyes tried to see where he had gone when a large black figure with lighting bolt like eyes stared down at her the girl frowned "Bruno! where-" she was cut off by him handing her three slices of pizza still warm...

Bruno then went back to his smaller form and settled back into Gaila's hoodie as the eight year old greedily chowed down only slowing when she picked the olives off, she tried to give Bruno the last slice. but, he refused settling for the crusts and discarded olives, and with that the two were on their way out into night.

Meanwhile

Dante was pissed! that not only was the kid late with his pizza! there were three missing slices and there were olives on it! He contemplated whether he should complain to Romano. but, considering they'll bring up his tab...he begrudgingly let it go.

The next morning... Nero's pov in third person.

Nero slightly bobbed his head to the music coming from his earbud, while he waited for the light to change, It wasn't like he was in a rush or anything; as he took his sweet time getting to Devil may Cry, when the sound of a little kids giggling got his attention. the teen turned and saw a group kids oohing and awing at a little white haired girl in ratty clothes, who was bouncing a black and red soccer ball? he hummed thinking nothing of it, till out of his peripheral... when the girl stretched the ball out like silly putty and it bounced back into it's original shape. That's when Nero noticed the tail,rabbit like ears and the red lighting bolt shaped eyes staring at him...A demon!

The teen felt his stomach tighten "Hey you!" Nero yelled at the girl who jumped five feet in the air, Her purple eyes found his blue ones, in a flash she was off running, "wait" Nero shouted as he tried to follow, but a bus sped passed him blocking his path! When the bus was gone so was the girl. He went over to where she was standing and asked the kids about her they of course; scattered the second he looked at them, Nero scratched the back of his head looked down and saw a hat? he recognized it the girl was wearing it before she ran off he sighed picking it up:looks like he and Dante finally got a job.

Later...

"Yo, old man! you awake?" Nero said slamming the door open "I am now..." Dante moaned from under his magazine ignoring the old man jab he yawned and sat himself up gave Nero a tired glance which quickly turned to concern when he noticed how shaken up the younger male was. "what happen? Your girlfriend dump ya?" Dante joked trying to get a rise out of the teen who just glared at him.

"All have you know we're doing fine."

"Then the hell's got you all spooked?"

"I saw demon at the park on the way here...at least i think it was?"

"YOU THINK?! there's is no "you think" in this business kid! either it was or it wasn't...what did it look like?"

Nero gave Dante the run down, and jumped when Dante's energy changed "And you just let her run off with it?!" the elder hunter growled as Nero backed off "It's not like I meant to!" the teen argued as Dante calmed himself; grabbing his coat and weapons Nero gave him a wide birth just as Morrison arrived the old man could sense the tension the second he stepped out of his car. "What happen?" the old man asked as Nero awkwardly scratched his head "I s-sort of messed up." he repeated what happened on his way over.

Morrison eyes widened the child's description before pulling out a photo "Is this her?" Nero's eyes widened at the girl's photo. "Yeah! that's her!" Dante curiously looked over Morrison's shoulder, he could already tell this child wasn't completely human, which made the situation even more dire.

"Her name is Gaila Maxwell age 8; her social worker reported her missing three days ago, but, she been missing longer then that." Dante's eyes narrowed as he took in the kids features a weird feeling curdle in his stomach, he shrugged it off as Nero held the girl's hat out for Dante.

He could already smell the demon's stench on along with the girl's Morrison and Nero took the low ground while Dante took high, he was at the same park Nero had last seen the kid, when a slightly different aroma got his attention; it was sweet, mixed with grave soil and sage... "She gone to the hills." A voice said causing to look up at the trees when he noticed her,a woman with golden yellow eyes and raven hair lazily watching him from a large tree.*Who the hell is this?* Dante mentally screamed as his eyes drank in her appearance and frankly he was liking what he was seeing.

She was totally his type! she wore a plum scarf that faded into a sky blue, a nice rack that was safe and snug in black and yellow bikini top, with tight denim shorts with black g-string hugging her hips and shredded stockings. Dante gave her a sly smirk before shaking his head remembering what he was there for.

"Sorry what?"

"The little girl you're looking for... I saw her run off into woods towards the hills."

"Oh, yeah thanks..."

"just call me Ripple, it was good seeing you again Danny."

Ripple said jumping from her perch and calmly walking away, Dante just nodded and took off in the direction Ripple pointed out to him when a thought occurred "Wait how-..." the ravenette was already gone.*why does she know that nickname?!* There was only one girl who ever called him that... but, she *It's in the past, Dante focus on finding the kid.* with that Dante continued his job.

Meanwhile

Gaila was in a very bad situation after that boy had yelled at her this morning, she thought he was one of Marco's employees there to report her to police and that met social services knew where she was! so, she ran only she didn't know the area well enough, to realize there was something worst out here, then some cranky old man and it was hunting her...

"hurry up Bruno..." the little girl muttered rubbing her arms Bruno had gone ahead to find a way out of this forest; he said he'd come back for her when he found the exit. the white haired child sighed leaning against a fallen log as she waited for her friends return, when a sudden pinch stung her arm she looked down and saw blood leaking down her arm along with with a hole in her sweater she hissed in pain and confusion when had that happen? maybe she caught her arm on something?

Then it occurred to her, she had been standing still, in a clearing! with nothing sharp that could've pos- Gaila ducked and rolled just as a sickle came flying out of the shadows missing her head by a hair! but, managed to nicked her cheek. the eight year old yelped as tears welled in her eyes, she looked up in the direction the sickle came from. her stomach felt like a block of ice as these ragged twitchy deformed monsters emerged from the darkness. one of the monsters sniffed the air and let out a giddy giggle and he pointed at her "Blood of Sparda!?" it exclaimed as the monstrous horde approached the little girl, Gaila could only shut her eyes wait for the end.

Only nothing happened...Gaila's purple eyes looked up and gasped seeing a large demon standing in front of her and pile of bloody ash at it's feet; the rest of the creatures seemed to hesitate as they observed this newcomer, it's chest and eyes were a blazing orange, it's face was very human looking. Gaila assume it was male because of it's stubble like spikes on it's chin and large broad frame that it was made of black scales and red armor resembling a long red trench-coat.

Unknown to the girl, Dante was observing her too... And He was pissed right the fuck off! with every scratch and cut he saw on her tiny body. He calmly leaned down gently pulled a twig out of her white hair as he examined her cheek and arm, his face contorted into a snarl as primal growl rumbled from his throat.

He silently picked Gaila up and held her close to him as his enraged gaze landed on horde the demons responsible for her injuries and they could sense his killing intent; a few fled while they could. But, the few brave ones that stayed? Yeah...they Barely registered what had happened hit them; before Rebellion had pierced trough their rotted bodies like paper. "Damn you son of Sparda! you can't protect her forever!" one shrieked before rebellion tore it's body in half soon into dust.

Dante turned to the left over demons who shivered under his gaze "Boo." he hissed the demons flinched and took off into the night when he was sure they were gone, Dante de-triggered and calmly turned his attention at the little girl in his arms. Who was gawking at him, if he was her position he do the same, the half-demon smirked "Hey..." she blinked "hi..." she shyly whispered back Dante felt his heart flutter, before a twig snap caused Dante to whipped his head in it's direction he aimed ivory at the intruder only for the girl to grab his wrist "No, stop! that's Bruno! he's my friend!" she begged as Dante stared at her baffled.

"He's not your friend kid, he's a demon."

"Bruno's different he protects me."

"well, he's done a good job proving that today!"

"Please don't...hurt him..."

The child begged Dante was conflicted here he had a kid who was bleeding out and small soccer ball shivering under his gaze, the hunter growled holstering his gun, "Fine! but, if he I find out he was just a lure to get you out here-" he turned to the small demon with a looked that set a car on fire "I'll pop em' like a balloon" he hissed the demon squeaked and nodded before bouncing after the white haired man.

=============================================== This is set in a AU where Dante met Nero four years before DMC4 and is fostering/mentoring him.

ages

Dante 34

Nero 15

Gaila 8

Lady 29

Trish unknown

Patty 10

Morrison 47

#classic devil may cry #Dante #Nero #morrison #anime/game #fanfic #my stuff #crappy grammer #crappy writing

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hiro-melodie7228 · 6 years

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Just reposting this

It was a cold and dreary night in the world of Lumen, the pitter-patter of rain falling on the armored helmets of two guards could be heard. The gates to heaven, or Tenebris as they call it, a large wall with millions of brick towers attached with a large steel gate in between, was what these two brutes dared to guard the world from. In the darkness, I was careful to keep the splashing of my feet wading through the flooded water of the black top road to a minimum. They mustn’t hear me. The two began to converse, one turning to the other, muttering, “hey, have you heard of the druid boy?”

“Everyone on this side of the earth has heard of Bong-Ju, why?” the other guard replied, waving one of his camouflaged, buff arm, the other occupied by a gun. “I could use that” I thought to myself, hiding behind a bush, shivering, anticipating the moment I would take those guards down.

“I heard that he’s trying to escape to Tenebris. You know, the place where the scum live?”

“Scum like him? I doubt it. Why would he want to go there if that place just has a bunch of monsters.”

“Well, if he is coming, we should be ready.” The two soldiers were unaware of my presence as I plan a smoke grenade right under their noses. The egg shaped grenade rolled out of my hand, floating directly in between the two soldiers. Four seconds… Three seconds… Two seconds… one second… Boom! The grenade bursted, the two soldiers squealing like the pigs they are. I tugged the gun out of the left man’s hands, a glowing inferno exploding out of my hand, destroying the gate before I ran to my freedom in Tenebris. I am The Druid Boy of Lumen, a scoorage amongst the angels.

-------The Dullahan of Tenebris POV-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I tousle my cotton-candy pink hair in anticipation as I walk out of the plane and through a corridor leading to the inside of the airport, the normals, they stare upwards to see my always severed head in my hands. Their eyes widened and they began to shake as a great burst of flame came from where they thought my head should be. They pointed at me, screaming as if they were in excruciating pain and my very existence pained them to the point where they had the nerve to call me out. “Stop it with the screaming!” I yelled at the group, the inferno growing larger and larger until I felt a hand on my shoulder. This hand was soft, yet it was firm and that of sheer discipline. It felt so familiar…

“Xannie, leave them be, they just immigrated from Lumen, so they wouldn’t know what we’re like,” a woman, with my same wavy cotton candy hair, turned me around so I would face her. She was about a foot shorter than I was and had beautiful sun kissed skin. She was my mother. The only person I had in my life. Mom escorted me toward the baggage pickup area, demi-humans on every corner. I saw vampires, yokai, ghosts, sirens, cyclopes, giants, even a few centaurs. However, one centaur stook out to me, she eagerly clippity-clopped as her luggage finally arrived to her arms. The bag was HUGE, large enough to fit a horse! It was a wonder that some normal construction worker built the conveyor belt for something that big. Her luminous chestnut brown hair waved along with her movements as she seemed to gracefully lift the large baggage, a fellow centaur, seemingly her mother shown by her perfect posture and old shoulder padded dress from the 70’s said, “Hana, are you sure you can handle this? Your father and I can help.” ‘Hana’s’ supposed mother folded her hands as if she was about to pray.

“No thanks mom, I can handle this on my own,” Hana replied as she eagerly lugged her bags along, eventually spotting me. I turned my attention to my baggage, a large midnight black bag with wheels and an extendable handle. It floated above me, seemingly on it’s own accord, but, as if on instinct, I turned to the centaur girl, who held her hands toward the bag, clenching her teeth as if she was lifting it via telekinesis. The bag fell with a slam onto the floor in front of my size 14 feet, the handle facing the smoke resonating from my neck. “Hey!” I heard Hana’s voice say as her heavy panting got closer and closer to me.

“.....” I said nothing, staring up to see her smiling… at me? I fiddled with the itchy collar of my white button-up shirt, sweating and tapping my foot against the white tiled flooring. My glasses slipped off of my face, her hand gently clasping them in her shapely hand and handed them to me.

“You could’ve been in big trouble if these fell. My name is Hana, what’s your name mister?” her sparkling grey eyes glimmered with wonder and curiosity as her pointed ears twitched like that of a cat waiting for the right moment to pounce on a laser pointer.

“I-I Uhh… My name is Xanthus, b-but please call me Xannie.” I stuttered, my right hand taking the glasses, my muscular arm extending toward her. I quickly put my glasses on and lifted my head up to face her.

“Ooo!” she giggled harmoniously, my tanned face turning a slight shade of pink. “You’re quite tall if you can surpass a centaur, even though your head isn’t on your neck.” I clenched my fist, my eyes widening in disgust. Was this girl like the rest of them? “Oh dear, I hit a nerve, my apologies, Xannie was it?” she exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her, her expression frantic.

“Don’t worry, just don’t mention it to me again..” I replied. A shadow creeped up behind her, a cloak draped over their face. I could make out a face, in the darkness of the hood, it’s cheeks marked in red. It had markings? Yes, but these markings weren’t any ordinary face paint. The sideways crimson crescents glowed ominously in the shadow… These markings were those of a druid. It seemed to notice my staring, quickly fleeing out the automatic doors of the airport.

“What’re you looking at?” Hana asked, trying to look where I was look, which was towards the exit, advertisements for fast food and the airport itself on the doors.

“Druid…” I whispered, before rolling my bags’ wheels on the dingey star-patterned carpets towards the door, hana following soon after, gasping out in fear.

“You don’t mean The Druid of Lumen?” I froze. The Druid of Lumen was some silly urban legend about a young druid who lurked the streets of Lumen, trying to avoid execution and to escape. He did everything he possibly could, stealing from merchants, even killing when he was desperate. He was considered a symbol of freedom for the people suffering in Lumen, for the ones who could think for themselves, and for the demi-humans.

“Why would he be here?” I asked myself, wondering what would bring him to Orlando, Florida. “He got all the way here from Lumen?” I strutted out the doors, turning my head around to maximize my vision of the area. The Druid was gone… there was only a parking lot buzzing with the honks of cars and the yelling of raging drivers. Once again, I felt that same hand on my shoulder, my head turning to face my mother.

“Xannie, lets just go home now, it’s time…” My mother sighed, escorting me away to her rental toyota. I waved Hana goodbye as we temporarily parted ways.

------------The Druid Of Lumen POV------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I jumped into a taxi the second I found one, the driver saying, “where are you going?”. The car was suffocatingly hot, and a incredibly dingey. Did this guy even bother to take care of his car? I plugged my nose, trying to ignore all the nonsense just this once.

“Take me to the nearest hotel or homeless shelter,” I replied, my face grimacing in disgust, pinching my nose to avoid the smell of rotten eggs and pizza crust. The man simply nodded at my request and began to drive. A cold sweat dripped down the back of his thick neck, his short, partially shaved, curly blond hair drenched from the heat, as I tap my nimble fingers against my lap, patiently anticipating potential betrayal. Back in Lumen, you couldn’t trust anyone, unless they were rebelling alongside you, but here, who knows if I could trust anyone. We passed through the security of the airport to leave the place, the driver reached out his sweaty and bruised arm (Why would this man be so scarred?), placing a card into the slot and pulling it out soon after.

“So, you’re The Druid of Lumen?” the driver asked, as he turned the greyish steering wheel to the left out of the parking lot.

“If I said I was, what would you do about it, mister?” I grimaced, my face and body radiating with heat as I waited for an answer.

“I would say that I’m sorry for the smell, I was reassigned this car for work and well, the last person who drove this didn’t take good care of it.”

“So you wouldn’t take me back to Lumen?” I squinted at him, still suspicious of this mysterious driver until I noticed the bull horns protruding from his skull. That’s when I realized, this wasn’t a normal this was a Demi-Human, a Minotaur to be specific.

“No way! You’re a hero here, a sign of freedom!” The driver’s olive toned, tan face became visible to me in the mirror hanging from the car ceiling. His pretty green eyes glimmered with hope and inspiration, like he idolized me.

“I don’t want you to freak out, but I am The Druid of Lumen.” He gasped, a grin stretching across his face. He radiated no malice, only genuine happiness and excitement.

“Yessir! I won’t fr-freak out! B-By the way, I’m Nuona!” The man, now I know is Nuona, drove by several lights, looking like stars in a line. Stars. I want to reach the stars. I pressed my face against the car window as we passed three other cars, each different in their own ways. Whether it be color, structure, or license plate, they weren’t the same. We eventually drove up to a large building with a sign by it saying “hotel” by it in fancy bold lettering. “Here is where we stop sir. Here’s my number, call me whenever you need my services again!” Nuona says as he handed me a piece of paper with a bunch of numbers and dashes. I felt confused, looking up at him with my glowing eyes wrinkling at the edges from a grin stretching across my face. Maybe I needed to input this number into a phone? I didn’t know. I opened the door with a creak, waving the young minotaur a goodbye before strutting towards the hotel. “He was kinda cute” I thought to myself, shaking it off as I opened the door to the hotel.

--------------Dullahan of Tenebris POV-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I walked into the kitchen of our new and empty house. The counter-tops of white marble looked as if they were to fall off the wooden bases. Crumbling. Like porcelain. The white and blue checkered flooring gave a sense of home. “Our home in crete had the same colors as these,” I thought to myself. My grip on my head loosened. I must look. Look at home.

“Xanthus!” My mother yelled, my grip becoming firm once more, “Isn’t this place great? It’s smaller but at least you won’t have to work so hard to support me..” She put a hand on my shoulder, leading me to a large window. The window lead to our backyard which was full of roses, carnations, lotus’s,- in short, it was like a garden of eden. “Look here, this is the beauty of a new life.”

“It’s a fresh start, mom. I’m glad I can live this new life with you,” I say, in awe of the beauty of our backyard. I pressed my face against the window. The colors. They were so much. A rainbow of flowers and plants of all kinds. The sun shined upon me, everything feeling so fresh, making me want to live here. I felt ready for whatever was going to be thrown at me.

Boy was I wrong.

#repost #oc canon

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bexsbaxters · 7 years

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the one in which chris's music taste is shit

Book: The Freshman/The Sophomore   Pairing(s): James x Chris x Zig x MC, Abbie x Tyler, Zack x Brandon, Kaitlyn x Becca (can be seen as either platonic or romantic)  Rating: PG (besides the occasional use of the word shit ?? is that like even a proper swear word ? idek anymore)  Summary: in which mc loses her boyfriends, starts her preparation for facemasks friday and gets it up to here with her boyfriend’s hair gel addiction.  A/N: i lowkey decided to make this poly fic because i love all three of my boy babies, i would’ve added kaitlyn but the way she treated mc was horrible and she wasn’t really apologetic ?? and becca is meh, especially after this new episode. i highkey wish we had the chance to romance abbie 😭😭. btw for future reference, in my fic land, all the original roomates + zig and james, live in vasquez’s old house. —–

mc stood in the middle of the busy supermarket, her basket on the floor as she studied the confectionary aisle, mind lost in thought. she had decided to leave her loose wavey hair hanging, yet when it started to annoy her she ached for a hair tie to be available to put it out of the way.

she had originally arrived there with james, zig and chris but had lost them in the throng of shoppers. she dithered between the sour patch kids or a packet of skittles but being the weak person that she was, she had caved and put them both in.

her weakness was probably the number one cause for her brokeness.

she moved between the shelfs, looking for her three musketeers. she thought she vaguely saw a flash of black leather and slicked hair by the frozen food but it turned out to be some high school student. but she had lost them for over twenty minutes and she was slowly getting desperate.

“zig? james? chris?” she called out, but softly trying not to attract attention, she held on her basket tighter, heart beat quickening when she thought she had lost them forever until she stumbled on them in the cereal aisle.

“i thought i lost you!” she cried out, as they all turned to look at her. hair frizzing, eyes watering and her strong grip had turned her knuckles to white.

yet, she still looked beautiful.

they didn’t know how she did it, was it some sort of cream? a potion? they all made a mental note to ask sometime in the preferably future.

“it’s all zig’s fault!” chris blurted out, pointing at the man with the white t-shirt who held his hands up as if to prove his innocence.

“it wasn’t me, honest”

james was holding a box of lucky charms, eyes rolling at the other two’s antics as they got in a row over who was to blame.

“honestly, without you james i wouldn’t be sane with these knuckleheads” mc said fondly, leaning her head on james’s shoulder, sighing contently.

“we still haven’t finished the list you know, zack is probably going to kill us” james commented, resting his head on top of her’s and snaking an arm around her waist.

she nodded, before moving to grab both chris and zig’s ears. they hissed in pain, even though that mc’s grip wasn’t strong but it was due to the fact she had caught the two burly football players out when they weren’t paying attention. james tried to hold his laughter so he started chewing gum to conceal his giggles at the thought of his small 5'8 girlfriend berating two 6'2 men.

“we need to actually get some shopping done before kaitlyn and zack kill me!” she moaned, the boys nodded not wanting to face her wrath any longer.

“chris and james, you can go get this half of the list” mc said, tearing the piece of paper in half and handing it to james aka the more responsible one. chris had his moments, either on the football field and when he was doing his presidential duties but all the other time, he was very goofy (let’s put it that way).

“zig and i, will get the rest and we will reconvene here in twenty-five minutes” mc stated as the other two nodded, already on their search for garlic bread. mc took out a pen where she had started to cross off certain items she had already added.

“you know i love it when you act all strategic” zig murmured, putting his hand on her lower back as she rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“babe, this is not a time to get horny, we’re in the dog food aisle, i can hardly see how that’s a turn on” she replied, kissing his shoulder before moving to a different shelf and grabbing some toilet paper.

zig had offered to take her shopping basket for her, so he held it with his left and moved to hold her hand with his right.

“we should buy not another teen movie for facemask friday” zig commented idly, as mc grabbed some milk and butter. “i mean who doesn’t love young, dark haired chris evans?”

“you drive a hard bargain sweetheart” mc laughed before giving the go ahead for zig to put it in the basket. now, zig was holding two baskets and his arms were straining, veins almost popping out against his olive skin.

“you need any help with that?” mc asked, looking worried as zig shook his head.

“nope i’m good!” mc side-eyed him.

“ok, if you say so, it’s your funeral”

she grabbed a packet of cookies and started moving to meet up with her other two boyfriends.

chris ran to her, sweeping her up in a hug as she giggled.

“i missed you so much mc, don’t ever leave me again”

“chris i was literally only two aisles from you”

“i know! the torture!”

mc laughed before motioning him to let her out of his grasp which he stubbornly refused, half-carrying her to the checkout in which there was a cute boy working. his name tag spelt kian in bold lettering, his strawberry blond hair was swept up in one of the latest hair styles and his green eyes twinkled when he caught a glimpse of the foursome.

“how many bags will you be wanting” he asked, his voice had a soft irish accent lacing the words.

“um, about seven?” mc replied, kian nodded and started scanning the items through. zig leant on james, putting his arm around his waist and leaning his head on his shoulder which james responded happily to. they then wandered off to go find where chris had disappeared to, most likely to try and pick some more hair products to sneak in with the shopping.

“you’ve picked a lot of popcorn, you planning on having a movie night?” kian politely intruded, trying to make some sweet small talk.

“yes, i mean my roommates and i usually have a facemask friday in which we all make facemasks for each other, eat ice cream, popcorn and order pizza and watch a cheesy chick flick that zack and brandon will ultimately ignore as they would be too busy making out on one of the beanbags.” mc laughed as kian chuckled appreciatively.

“it sounds fun”

“it is super fun, i mean all of our main friends come around and it’s a time where everyone can just relax you know?”

“yes i agree, i mean my roommates are die hard study geeks and i wish they had that time to take a breather, because they shouldn’t just be focused on work but more about they mental health and relaxation so i might induct this into our roommate time if you don’t mind me stealing your idea?”

“go ahead by all means, i think i lowkey stole it from pinterest anyways” mc giggled as kian smiled, they had finished packing just as james, zig and chris returned, holding a something small in their hands.

“what is that” mc questioned as the boys looked sheepish.

“i swear to god if it’s more hair gel i’m jumping you”

“by jumping us you mean jumping our bones then it is hairgel but if you meant jumping us like attacking us it’s not?” james started out confident then ended up drawing slowly into silence.

“put it through i guess,” mc exhaled, the boys whooping loudly until mc with flushed cheeks told them to be quiet.

“how much is that?”

“$86 dollars”

mc pulled out their house affairs credit card, paying for the items quickly and letting the boys hold them not because she couldn’t but mainly due to fact she wouldn’t.

“i’m driving!” mc called as james threw her the car keys from where they had been safely stashed in his pocket.

“i’m riding shotgun!” chris shouted as zig let out a groan of discontentment, james rolled his eyes before opening up the boot of the car and placing the groceries in, the other two following suit.

“i only agree with this if chris isn’t allowed to play his shitty music”

“james ashton how dare you” chris exclaimed in mock anger, clutching his chest. “my music taste is very well refined”

“well refined where? if big green tractor was a person that person would be you with that ugly green sweater on” zig declared crossing his arms over his chest, chris frowning and james and mc falling about in giggles.

“leave chris’s sweater alone zig, babe your sweater is cute” mc said, wiping the tears from her eyes before starting up the engine. chris leant forward and gave her a kiss as zig grabbed a hold of james’s hand in the backseat, playing with the older man’s fingers.

“so does this mean i can play my music then?” chris queried hopefully after a few minutes of silence.

“NO” came a joint reply as chris moaned and slunk back into his chair like a four year old, sticking his tongue out at his two boyfriends and girlfriend.

“your music taste isn’t any better then mine!”

“um yes it is”

“james just listens to the hamilton soundtrack, zig just listens to 808s & heartbreak and mc just listens to old throwback songs and beyoncé.”

“i dispute that” james said, “i occasionally listen to disney soundtracks i am a very musically cultured person!”

“i listen to other songs! i mean fr example, just yesterday i listened to despacito” zig called out, as mc looked shocked.

“zig, hun, that song and the remix have been out for ages, how is this the first time you’ve heard of them?”

“i, um, well as you can tell, i don’t get out much”

“i can see”

mc laughed as zig pulled a face in the backseat in reply.

“and what’s wrong with listening to throwback songs and beyoncé?”

chris kept quiet, moving to the window so that mc didn’t interrogate him further.

“it’s only tuesday, why can’t this week be over already” abbie moaned as they walked in the house with the groceries, tyler and kaitlyn getting up to help them.

“damn, how much shopping did you guys buy!” tyler asked as they started to put them away.

“blame zack, he gave us the list”

“blame zack for what?” zack said, moving into the kitchen to grab some apple juice.

“blame zack for forcing me to go out with this loser bunch and get shopping” mc said, hip bumping james smoothly to get to the refrigerator.

“hey, i just wanted to give you a little time with your boys, sorry for helping you sheesh” zack replied, smiling as he held up his hands, mc lightly slapped his knee as he chuckled.

“who’s cooking today?”

“it’s kaitlyn and becca’s turn!”

“if they can stop making lovey-dovey eyes at each other for a second to actually make the food” abbie commentated, sitting on the counter and chomping on an apple. “i honestly don’t know what you see in that girl but you should make a move liao”

“i will! i mean i’ll try?” kaitlyn replied sheepishly, abbie smiling fondly at her.

they had patched up their friendship after their falling out and although it wasn’t like before, it was better then it used to be.

the doorbell rang.

“that’s brandon!” zack gasped, rushing to greet his barista boyfriend as james draped his arm over mc’s shoulders, leaning down to give her a kiss as zig and chris were preoccupied with trying to fit as much pizzas into the same freezer compartment.

“i’m actually worn out after today, i’m gonna take a nap, care to join me?” mc asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

“when would i ever deny that opportunity my lady?” james responded, giving her another kiss.

“come on, we’re going in your room because it smells like you” mc said as james nodded, letting mc pull him up to his room and when chris and zig had finally fit in six pizzas, they were fast asleep. —

(nine minutes later)

“so what do you want to do now then?”

“i don’t know, do you wanna have sex?”

zig hesitated before turning to his blond boyfriend with a dimpled grin.

“last one up to your room is a smelly egg!”

— will i return and write a saga about the gang’s facemask friday ?? perhaps i shall, perhaps i shalln’t (which isn’t a word i probably made it up) but feel free to message me so we can talk about the freshman/the sophomore headcanons ! 😋✊🏾

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years

Text

The Most Photogenic Places I’ve Ever Visited

Any destination can be a photographer’s paradise if you’re creative enough. But some places are massive overachievers! I’ve visited some countries, cities, and regions where beautiful shots lurk around every corner.

And it’s not always the places you think. I don’t always have the best luck shooting photos in Italy, for example. And as gorgeous as Savannah is, the shadows from the ubiquitous oak trees make it a challenge to photograph. And I was so upset when my first trip to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a near-disaster due to poor photography conditions.

But when a destination gets it right, I have treasures that will last me a lifetime.

Here are my picks for the 10 most photogenic places I’ve ever visited. Some of them are obvious, like Paris and New York — but I’m sure at least a few of them will surprise you.

Copenhagen

I couldn’t believe how many great photos I got in Copenhagen. I don’t say that to brag about my skills; I say that because I was flabbergasted at how every aspect of the city was begging to be photographed. I had to restrain myself from covering my whole apartment in framed Copenhagen photos!

So, what should you look for in Copenhagen? I take a lot of photos of bicycles ordinarily, and Copenhagen is bike-crazy metropolis.

The Nyhavn, the famous ship-filled wharf along a canal, is the most photographed site in the city. I also happened to be there for Sankt Hans, when bonfires are lit in the canal and led to some awesome colors.

The picture with the lines was taken at the Superkilen, which is a great spot for black and white photography. That shot hangs in my black-and-white bathroom today.

Oh, and also get photos of very tall, very attractive people clad in nothing but black and charcoal gray.

Japan

I’m putting the entire country on this list because literally every part of Japan is a photographer’s paradise. Whether you’re in cities, more traditional areas, or in the wilderness, you’ll get to enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful light.

I urge you to see as much of Japan as humanly possible. Some of my favorite places for photography were the Dotonbori neighborhood of Osaka at sunset, Kyoto for the temples and rare geisha-spotting, the tech-crazy Akihabara neighborhood of Tokyo, and of course Shibuya Crossing.

One thing I’ve always said is that Japan turns you into a stereotypical Japanese tourist — suddenly you want to photograph everything because it’s so different! From vending machines to trash cans, everything is worthy of a photo. And Japanese people are lovely and a lot of fun; many of them turn into total hams when they see a tourist with a camera!

Cherry blossom season is, of course, a very popular and photogenic time to visit, but it can be tough timing it right. Personally, I’d love to visit in the fall when the leaves change.

Istanbul

I’ll spare you the Istanbul is where East meets West and old meets new drivel (god, I hate that so much) — Istanbul is on my list because nowhere else looks like it. I don’t know any other city that looks just as good up close (details in markets! Tulip-shaped tea glasses!) and far away (mosques and minarets dotting the skyline! Colorful seaside buildings!).

There’s so much to see in Istanbul, you could be occupied for weeks. I would start by visiting the Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, and every market that crosses your path. Bowls of olives, brightly colored spices, detailed lamps and hand-painted dishes make for amazing photos.

Istanbul has an amazing skyline and there are fabulous views from the Galata Tower. Istanbul also has some cool neighborhoods — I recommend checking out the hip zone of Kadikoy and the colorful Armenian neighborhood of Kumkapi.

One last thing to photograph — cats. Stray cats are all over Istanbul and they’re well cared for by the locals. Some of those cats are better-looking than most people!

Rural Australia

I’ve been to Australia twice, visiting four of its states, and while the cities are great, it’s the outdoors where Australia truly shines. In no other place in the world have I had as many “I can’t believe this place exists” feelings as I did in Australia. Some of the national parks make you feel like you’re at the beginning of time, a dinosaur lurking around the corner.

Some of my favorite photography spots are Uluru, Litchfield, and Kakadu National Parks in the Northern Territory and Hutt Lagoon (pink lake!), Shark Bay, the Pinnacles Desert, Rottnest Island, and Karijini National Park in Western Australia. I would love to explore the Kimberley, Queensland and Tasmania.

The challenge in rural Australia is getting around safely. WA in particular is very sparsely populated and there is very little public transit; most people either drive themselves or take an organized tour. Of course, driving leads to its own challenges, particularly when kangaroos like to jump in front of your car at night.

Pack your wide-angle for the landscapes and your zoom for the wildlife. And be prepared to take a million selfies with the quokkas!

Oia, Santorini

Ah, the island that launched a thousand calendars. Santorini might be a giant cliché at this point, but clichés exist for a reason. And Santorini’s crown jewel is Oia, the white village on the northern tip of the island.

Oia has been photographed a million different ways, so finding your own take on the village can be a challenge. My recommendation? Just make peace with that fact and take whatever kinds of shots make you happy.

If you want to get the key sunset picture, shot from the fort, I recommend heading there an hour or so before sunset. Bring a book to read; you’ll be glad you have something to do. And don’t leave as soon as the sun dips beneath the surface — stick around for Blue Hour!

Another tip can be photographing the sunset in the opposite direction. It can be surprisingly entertaining to get photos of hundreds of tourists lined up with their cameras.

New York City

It’s a city full of icons. How could New York not be on my list? My only crime is that living here, I treat it less like a travel destination and don’t have nearly as many photos as I should! (That will hopefully change this flower season. I need photos of New York in bloom!)

So, what should you photograph in New York? Definitely get the icons in: Times Square at night, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island ferry, Central Park. If you want views from above, head to Top of the Rock or One World Trade Center (the Empire State Building is popular, but isn’t the point to have the Empire State Building in the photo?).

But I think the best New York photography comes from neighborhood wandering and seeing what comes your way. Some of my favorite neighborhoods for photography are the West Village, Bushwick, Harlem, SoHo, and the Lower East Side. Spend the bulk of your time here — and don’t fall into the trap of spending most of your time in midtown. Midtown is boring.

Season-wise, you can’t beat spring when everything is in bloom!

Nicaragua

Of all the countries in Latin America, I feel like Nicaragua was the best for photography. (“Not Mexico?!” yells everyone. Sorry, that’s how I feel! Maybe I’ll change my mind when I visit Guanajuato and Oaxaca.) Not only was Nicaragua one of the most colorful countries I’ve visited, it also has the rare combination of extremely photogenic cities and extremely photogenic rural areas.

Nicaragua is a place to focus on details and colors. Think markets, street art, all the fruits you can find. And try to visit at least one volcano; they’re all over the country.

I found León to be the richest photography destination in the country, so many colors and markets, plus that incredible white roof on top of the cathedral. And while I didn’t have a great volcano boarding experience with Bigfoot Hostel, you can’t deny that their orange jumpsuits against the black volcano and blue sky make for some striking shots.

And a little tip: your Instagram followers will love tropical shots of Little Corn Island the most.

Paris

I don’t have to explain why. You already know.

Like New York, I find it best to knock the Paris icons off your list and then dig deep into the neighborhoods. Some of my Paris neighborhoods for photography are Montmartre, St. Germain-des-Pres, and the Marais. My new favorite street in Paris is Rue Montorgueil in the 2nd, which is covered with food shops and cafes so perfect that they look like they’re out of a movie.

But if you’re looking for the best views of Paris, I recommend the top of the Arc de Triomphe, the towers of Notre Dame (gargoyles!), the Montparnasse Tower (I hate that building so much, so when you’re up there you don’t see it!), and the top of the Printemps department store.

Do be prepared for less than ideal weather. One thing that doesn’t get said often enough is that Paris generally has gray weather with sprinklings of rain, not unlike London. Don’t fight it; lean into it and learn to love your gray photos.

Want more? I’ve got 100 travel tips for Paris.

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia

The Balkans are my favorite region in the world to travel, and Macedonia is a particular delight. The first place I visited in the country was Ohrid, the town on the banks of Lake Ohrid (which spans both Macedonia and Albania) and it astounded me with its understated beauty. I’ve never seen water meld into the sky more cleanly than on Lake Ohrid.

I’ve only visited the Macedonian side, so I can’t speak to Albanian shores, but the town of Ohrid is a great place to base yourself. Everyone gets photos of Sveti Jovan, that famous church overlooking a cliff on top of the lake, and make sure you go inside the churches, too — they’re just as interesting as the outside.

One of the best things I did was take a boat trip to Sveti Naum, a few towns away. It’s home to pretty shoreline, an abundance of wild peacocks, and young Macedonian men who don’t speak a word of English but cut you pieces of watermelon with an enormous knife.

Get photos of the lake from every angle — I especially love shots of swimmers from high above.

Also, Macedonia is one of the cheapest countries in Europe and they make surprisingly good wine. Use those facts to your advantage.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a feast for the eyes. So many colors, so many interesting landscapes, an interesting blend of cultures, religions, and people. There is quite a lot packed into this small island, and I was deeply enamored with what I saw.

My favorite photography spot in the country was Galle, home to a Dutch colonial settlement, a fort, and clear cerulean waters. Galle also makes a good base for exploring the nearby beaches. Another must-photograph destination is Sigiriya, home to a giant rock in the middle of the countryside.

Two things that you shouldn’t miss photographing in Sri Lanka: women in their gorgeous dresses, and the tuk-tuks, which are somehow a million times nicer than the ones you’d see in Southeast Asia. And if you’re into mountains or temples, Sri Lanka has both in spades.

While I haven’t been to India, lots of my friends have said that Sri Lanka is so much cleaner and calmer than India. There’s something to be said for that.

Photography Notes: These days the camera I use is a Fuji X-T1, which has dropped in price now that the Fuji X-T2 has come out. I’ve tried the X-T2 and love it, but I don’t feel a pressing need to upgrade at this time.

I use two lenses: my main walking-around lens is the 18-135mm 3.5-5.6, which is versatile enough for most of the shots I take, and I also have a 16mm 1.4 wide-angle lens, which is FAST and FANTASTIC.

I’m also a big fan of the Pacsafe Camsafe V17 anti-theft bag, which is big enough for all my photography and tech gear yet small enough to put beneath the seat in front of me on a plane.

What are the most photogenic places you’ve ever visited?

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