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Solo’s Giovanni
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Extended background story
“My past is… somewhat complicated.”Giovanni said with a loud sigh and sloughed on the couch.“I don’t really know who my dad is. All I know is that he was a demon who seduced my mom. She was a nephilim but somehow they got a child together. Well, that child is me. I’m part human, part demon and part angel. I think I’ve stopped ageing physically by now? I’m not too sure but I assume that my demonic side is dominant when it comes to my lifespan.”Gio simply shrugged and sat a bit straighter on the couch again. He picked up his cup of hot chocolate and sipped from it before continuing his story.“Then my mom died. I went to a few different places because no one really knew how to deal with me. I was a kid with anger issues because of my demon blood. I didn’t really know how to control it. It’s also how I discovered that I was part demon.”Gio grimaced. It had been a very scary moment for him. It also made things make sense for him but that was only because he knew that demons actually existed.“Anyways, I’ve tried the traditional nephilim route. The whole protect humanity of demons and supernaturals. Yada yada. It didn’t feel right. I preferred drawing and playing the bass. So at some point I decided to become a tattoo apprentice and kept the bass thing going. Met a few people who were also interested in music and now I occasionally play at festivals in the summer. I try to combine guest artist opportunities while I’m away from home. So yeah, my life has been very messy. That’s why I crave stability when it comes to my own home. I wanted that safe place, you know? I want my home truly to feel like a home because I lacked that when I was younger. I think I am in a good place now. I like my current life.”Giovanni said with a warm smile. He was genuinely happy with who he was and where he was at when it came to his life.
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Nightmare or a hint?
16 year old Giovanni was sleeping restless. He groaned sometimes but that wasn't surprising. The dream he was having wasn't that nice. You couldn't really call it a dream. He saw flashes. Sometimes he saw a demon running towards him, his claws ready to attack Gio.Then it switched to a world that was on fire and Giovanni was standing in the ashes of the once so beautiful world. It didn't matter what he saw, he kept hearing voices whispering in an language he didn't understand. He has had this dream before but he still didn't understand the meaning.The dream switched again. Valentine was standing in front of him and was grinning. His lips moved but Giovanni couldn't hear what he was saying. It was frustrating him. He had never been able to hear Valentine talking in his dream.The dream switched from Valentine to the burning world and then back to the demon. The demon stood in front of him. Gio could hear him breathing. The demon pointed at himself and then at Giovanni's heart."I don't understand...." whispered Giovanni. "What are you trying to tell me?"The demon took Giovanni's hand. Giovanni tried to pull his hand back but it was like they merged together. The demon slowly disappeared in his hand. Gio's eyes widen and he realised what was going on.He was sucking up the demon. He saw the burning world again and screamed. It was like he was burning from the inside.He woke up screaming. He was wet. He had been sweating while he was asleep. It felt like his blood was boiling."Even if the world burns I'll be the one left standing. The fire is inside me. And the demons.... They won't see me as their enemy."Sooner or later Giovanni would find out what the dream meant and what he really was. A part demon, a part monster.
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The winged creature
It was a rainy day. It was quiet on the streets. Giovanni was in his home. He was in his weapon room to be exact. His cat Shadow was present as well. Gio was sitting on the floor, staring at the seraph blades on the wall.“I hate it how you’re two sides of my identity.” He said softly. He could kill with them but also get killed by one. He could wield one because of his angel blood but he also had demon blood running through his veins.“I should get rid of you damn it.” He said while lighting up a cigarette. It was his home. He didn’t care if Mel would complain that the place he was renting smelled like smoke. It didn’t bother him.“Terrible things. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙢. But what if I’m both Huh? I can get fucking killed by you!” He yelled at the seraph blades. No he wasn’t drunk, just annoyed that he was attached to his own possible murder weapon.Shadow hissed and left the room. She didn’t like it when he yelled.“Fine... you leave me too. Leave me like almost everyone does.” Mel had stayed... only because she knew his struggle. She had it even more possibly. Not that it didn’t matter to him... not at this moment.He got up and stretched his arms while his black wings came out his back. “Fuck you, shadowhunters.” He mumbled while going to the roof. “They aren’t my family. No one is.” He said and took off. A winged creature was visible in the sky but only if you had the sight.
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The war
There he was. It had been a dark day. The clouds were dark grey and rain was pouring from the sky. The battle had been one he had never seen. So many had died. Both demons and shadowhunters. He remembered it. All of it. The screaming, the blood, the confusion that had come with it. The struggle. Two identities, two sides, one choice. One impossible choice.A voice that had called out to him. A voice he recognised but wasn’t sure who it had belonged to. Everything had seemed to slow down after that moment. Someone or something had stabbed him. A second stab. A third. Someone had been trying to kill him. Someone screamed. It had probably been him.Then something inside him broke. He had killed the person that had stabbed him. He had killed them all. Everyone in his surroundings. Sometimes he had used a seraph blade. Sometimes he had only needed his hands. And then... they were gone.He opened his eyes and looked at his hands. They were covered with blood.... He couldn’t remember if it was just his blood or if someone of it had belonged to someone else. He didn’t feel remorse. He knew that he should feel it but it wasn’t there. He would always end up feeling the desire to kill.Suddenly it was like the rain was tickling him. Odd. Giovanni woke up and gasped for air. He was greeted by a small fluffy thing. It was his cat, Shadow.It had only been a dream... A memory. He let out a sigh. His demons would always follow him. How could they not? He was one of them after all. He would always be one of them.
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Double-edged sword
“You look just like him.”Giovanni turned around and looked the source of the voice in the eye.“Excuse me? What are you talking about, Your Highness?” It was the faerie queen. Interesting that she had come to him. He didn’t want anything from her which could only mean one thing. She wanted something from him.“Does the name Sebastian Morgenstern ring a bell?”Giovanni froze on the spot. “Don’t compare me to him. I’m a better person than him.” He had to be. He couldn’t be a monster.The queen smiled at him. “Are you,
dear?”Of course she was playing with him. How couldn’t she?“Isn’t your blood the same as his?” She continued. “You’re both nephilim with demon blood. What makes you so special?”Giovanni took a deep breath. “I won’t let it consume me. I was raised to be better than him.”She looked amused at him. “Your essence is the same. It’s only a matter of time before you accept the true you.”Don’t let her get into your head Gio. “True me? Valentine raised him to be a monster. I wasn’t. People taught me to be compassionate.”“You’re lying to yourself shadowhunter. You’re pretending that you understand what compassion is but you’re fooling yourself. You’re a weapon and you know it. Deep down you like that, don’t you?”Giovanni closed his eyes. “I’m not like him.”“But you aren’t the true Giovanni either.”“Do you even know who the true Giovanni is, Your Highness?” He was becoming impatient. He wanted her to leave.“Not exactly but he’s more powerful than the version in front of me. Cut your ties and your power will increase. Nothing will hold you back.”Giovanni simply smiled at her. “Friendships make me weak, huh? That’s where you’re wrong. They make me stronger in the end. If I fail I have others who can help me. They can rely on me and I can rely on them. If that makes me weak then so be it. I don’t want to make that sacrifice. Sebastian might’ve done it in a heartbeat but like I’ve said before, I’m not him. I’m me and I’ll stay that way. Have a good day, Your Highness.”He walked away from her and didn’t look back. No one told him what to do.
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This is the hunt
His heart was beating fast. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins. He ran and jumped from rooftop to rooftop until it was time to jump off the roof. He struck with his sword.... and missed. He cursed and ran through he many alleys of the city. His prey wouldn’t get away. Not tonight. Not now.He heard two thuds behind him. More had joined the hunt. They might be after him but he wouldn’t become their prey. No.... A devilish grin appeared on his handsome face. Tonight.... they would become his prey. They would die. He blinked and his eyes turned completely black.His prey was still in sight. Usually a person would be getting tired of running by now but Giovanni wasn’t ordinary. He managed to catch up with the prey and attacked. He threw a knife at the demon. The demon stopped and roared. It was angry.His knife couldn’t kill the demon but it had slowed it down enough. Giovanni grabbed his sword and swung it. The demon dodged it. It lashed out with its ugly claw. Giovanni barely dodged it on time. He stabbed the demon in his belly and pulled his sword out. The demon shook and exploded, covering Giovanni in black blood. Gross.Gio turned around when his two pursuers attacked him from behind, stabbing one in the process. The other managed to get its claws in the arm that was holding the sword up.Giovanni let out a scream of pain. The demon that he had stabbed exploded and the other demon let go of his arm. Gio’s hand let go of his sword, unable to wield it for now. The demon lashed out again and Giovanni jumped away. The claw barely missed him. Gio hissed of pain. His arm was bleeding. He had to finish this and fast. He needed that Iratze.His untouched hand reached out for his second sword. He wanted to attack but had to dodge again. This demon was surprisingly fast, faster than the others. Gio kept dodging until he saw a weakness in the demon’s defence. He took advantage of it and managed to stab the demon and banish it back to hell.He dropped his sword and tried to catch his breath as he reached for his stele. He quickly drew an iratze and his wounded arm started to heal, while the adrenaline was still pumping through his veins.The devilish grin returned on his face. He had succeeded. He had killed his prey. The hunt was over for tonight.
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Guilt
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨“Giovanni Vega, you’re summoned today to be on trial. You’re accused of having ties to the circle. Please hold the mortal sword while we ask you some questions.”The pale haired boy was only ten years old but he did as he was told. He held the mortal sword and gasped. It hurt. The truth was pulled out of him, whether he resisted or not.“What’s your full name?” He heard the inquisitor ask.“My name is Giovanni Vega. I was born and raised in Idris with that name.” He replied. He knew that this was simply a test to see if the sword was doing its job.“Have you ever met Valentine Morgenstern in person Mister Vega?”“No, not that I’m aware of.” He said and hissed. He hated the sword.“Have you ever received letters from him?”“No I haven’t.” He replied immediately.“Have the circle members reached out to you?”Oh how he hated that question. “Yes they have. They went to the Vega mansion. They talked indirectly to me. They couldn’t see me because I was hidden.”“What things did they exactly say?” The inquisitor continued.“They said that they knew that I was there. If I showed myself and went willingly with them they would spare my parents. They said they could help someone like me. They would teach me how to use my abilities.”Damn it. He had said more than he wanted.“I didn’t show myself. I stayed hidden. My parents kept saying that I wasn’t there and that they wouldn’t find me. They got killed as a result. The circle members left.”“Do you feel any remorse? Your parents died because of you after all.”That was a slap in the face for him. “I do. Every single day. I know that my parents wanted me to survive and become my own person but I miss them everyday.”“Why were they after you?”He stayed quiet. He didn’t want to say it in front of all these people. He refused.“Why were they interested in you Mister Vega?” The inquisitor repeated, sounding impatient.“Because I’m an illegal experiment.” He replied. He heard some whispers.“What has Valentine Morgenstern done with you?”“I didn’t know until my blood was tested. Apparently I have demon blood in my system.” More whispers.“You weren’t aware of it until the clave told you?”He shook his head. “My parents told me that I was special but isn’t that what parents are supposed to say?”“Would you ever use your amplified abilities against a defenceless person?”“No I wouldn’t. That would be wrong.” He did have a moral compass.“Would you ever consider joining the circle Mister Vega?”“No I wouldn’t join them willingly.” He bit his tongue before he would elaborate too much.“You can let go Mister Vega.” The inquisitor said and motioned that he had to give the sword back to the silent brother.It was a relief when he could let go of the mortal sword. The pain disappeared. He narrowed his eyes at the sword before looking at the inquisitor again.“Mister Vega, hereby I declare that you’re free of all charges. You’ll live in an institute and will be raised as a shadowhunter. You’ll be taught everything that you need to know and serve the clave. The head of the institute will function as your guardian until you’re of age.”Giovanni let out a relieved sigh. He was allowed to live. He would be able to live a semi-normal life. He didn’t know what kind of life it would be but the sacrifice of his parents hadn’t been for nothing.
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Can you fix the broken
TW: blood, bruises, violenceGiovanni woke up. He looked awful. Last night had been rough. He had run into a powerful demon that had dragged him to his nest. It had probably been confused by the demon that was inside him. He had managed to fight his way out and gotten home but he felt like crap.He had used several iratzes to take care of his injuries but he was still bruised and weak. The bruises were all over his body because for some reason the iratzes didn’t want to take away everything. The area around his eyes was purple, making it obvious that he was tired.He heard the demon whisper to him that he was weak. Maybe he was but that was his humanity. The part that prevented him from going on a rampage. He stumbled towards the mirror in his room. He needed to see the damage.He flinched when he saw his own reflection. He didn’t look healthy. He was pale, the bruises stood out even more than he had expected. His eyes were dark and hollow. The internal struggle was also obvious on the outside. Some days he wanted to give in. That would be so much easier. Let the demon control him... but he couldn’t. He would make the world burn if that happened. His demon didn’t care about anything. It loved destroying everything and everyone it saw.His hand turned into a fist. He hit the mirror. It shattered in a million pieces. His knuckles were bleeding. He looked in the broken mirror again. His reflection was smirking at him. That demon would always haunt him. No matter how hard he tried, it would always be with him. That was his burden. Darkness would always follow him. There was no escape. It would be an everlasting battle.
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The Demonic Curse
TW: Blood, violenceAnd there it was... the darkness that he desperately tried to suppress sucked him in again. The white of his eyes disappeared. His humanity quietly disappeared. There was only a void now. It was like he was falling. Just endlessly falling, hoping that he would hit the ground one day. That it would stop. He could reach out. Scream for help but no one could help him. This was his battle.When he was in this state everything was blurry. The noise was barely audible. He rarely remembered what he had done. Sometimes he did remember and then he was torn apart by what he had done.He could hear them whisper. Sometimes it was yelling. Sometimes he wanted to listen to the demons that haunted him. To stop fighting. Just give in. Become the monster they wanted him to be. To be the merciless, cold-blooded killer. Resisting them could be so tiring.It wasn’t like he hadn’t killed before. He still remembered the first time. He had been a child and lived with his parents. A servant had done something to trigger him. He had felt himself slip away. He had grabbed a knife and stabbed the servant in the leg. He had stabbed her again. The third stab had been in the chest. Then he had lost track. He only knew that he couldn’t stop.His father had pulled him off the body. Yelled at him. Begged him to snap out of it. Eventually his eyes had turned back to normal. His hands had been covered with blood. There was also some blood on his face. And the girl... the poor girl... She must’ve suffered. She must’ve been afraid of him.The boy had cried for a long time. He had been traumatised by himself. He didn’t want to be like that. He didn’t want to be capable of it. He didn’t want to be a monster. He just wanted to be normal.His father had told him that he had to accept himself. That he had to learn to control this side of him. That he owed the girl that. The only one that could prevent that this would happen again was him.The death of the servant had been covered up. She went missing. No one knew the truth except for his family, except for him. He had demon blood. This burden was the price he had to pay for it.
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Gio’s story
He took another sip from the wine and started his story.“So.... This mess called my life started before my birth actually. I was in my mother’s womb. I was normal. I would’ve been a normal hunter kid until a man turned me into an experiment when he started giving my mother food with some demon blood. It corrupted me. It made me different. My parents figured it out and fled but the damage was already done.”This was still the easy part but he kept drinking.“So they raised me. They tried to keep me a secret as long as they could. I never left the mansion in Idris. It was just me, my parents and a few servants. They tried to raised me like a normal child. They taught me what love was. They did their best to prevent that I wouldn’t turn into a monster. Demon blood burns away humanity.”He explained.“I don’t know how much humanity I have in me and how much I’ve learned. I do fear that some day all of my humanity will be burned away. But that’s not the point.”He drank more wine.“My parents never really knew how much damage the demon blood had caused until I got angry at a servant one day. I can’t remember much. I only know that my father had to drag me off her. It was too late by then. I was covered with blood and she was dead. My parents knew that their approach wasn’t working anymore. My father got a whip out of demon metal. He hated that thing but he used it on me once. I never held it against him. He didn’t have a choice but it did give me that ugly scar on my back. It helped me to learn control.”It had been good for something at least.“My parents taught me how to control myself. Everything was fine until the man found us. The person that’s behind the experiment. He had sent people to the mansion with the order to bring me to him. My parents made me hide but I could see everything from that spot. They were merciless. They kept asking where I was but my parents refused to answer them. They were killed. They’ve sacrificed themselves for me. They shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve went with them. Then my parents would’ve been alive even though I would’ve been turned into a weapon.”He drank some more wine. It numbed his feelings a bit.“So yeah that’s why I don’t have a family anymore.”