darksonofsparda

[darksonofsparda]

Arthur Rimbaud, from a letter featured in The Selected Poems & Letters of Arthur Rimbaud

[darksonofsparda]

Vergil never would have expected to be going on an impromptu date right after completing his mission. On all his jobs, he would normally just go back home after doing his work, but he didn't feel right to let her night end on such a low note, especially since a demon had been involved.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "No, I can assure you that I am neither vegetarian nor vegan. I much prefer being an omnivore." The half devil wittily added to the joke, a soft, quiet chuckle after his response.

Just before he took his temporary leave, Vergil did catch her question before completely disappearing towards the nearby tuxedo shop; he already knew she would ask him that question.

The client's always paid before the target demon was slain because each new client knew exactly how this line of work went, and there was never any reason to doubt a Devil Hunter. They were professionals in what they did, and the job would always be completed. All that was needed was a description of the demon if it were disguised as a human, the location or area the target had been known to choose as its hunting grounds for human prey, and that was usually it, unless the target in particular was a highly powerful demon with a notorious name, then more information was needed.

Devil Hunting wasn't exactly a widely known profession in the earlier years, since lots tended to doubt the existence of demons, despite the infamy of his late Father. Sparda. Only a handful of people knew that he was real, and those believers also knew that demons were real. It wasn't until the incident with the demon tree that people started to understand the truth about demons. Due to that awful catastrophe, Devil Hunting was starting to become a more well-known career, but very few ever dared to pursue it, and understandably so.

Upon his return, he looked polished and fresh in his formal outfit. It was a very good thing that Vergil had passed by the tuxedo shop earlier during his scope out of the area while he was observing the previous target's routine; not many people had Vergil's sophisticated formal fashion sense, even if he wasn't going on a date, he still probably would have purchased one for himself, a way to treat himself for all the hard work he had been putting in lately. A small half-smile at her compliment.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Thank you. And to answer you're previous question, I don't need money. Clients always pay before the job is done." He explained, a nod at her correction and affirmation that she could use what sounded like a nickname she used among friends.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Right. Well then, Roxy, shall we make our way inside?" He asked, offering his hand for her to take, since this was still a date, even if it wouldn't be completely romantic; he was still going to make it at least feel like a proper date; it was supposed to be one before her previous date turned out to be his target.

Heading inside through the doors with her, he allowed Roxy to lead the way since she was the only one who knew about the details of the reservation, because he was essentially a replacement date. Once the two were at the table, like the gentleman he is, he moved to grab the chair and push it in for her as she took her seat, taking his own seat across from the table from her shortly after.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Now then, let's take a look at the menus. Order whatever you like, I can cover it." He offered, reaching for one of the two menus already waiting for them on the table. Devil Hunting was a high-paying job, so he had more than enough to cover the food, wine, and whatever else she wanted, along with his own order, blue eyes scanning the menu for options.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "I think Red Wine sounds like a delightful addition." He added, looking through the selection of wines along with the food.

Roxanne herself was shocked by how quickly she'd been willing to take up his offer. It was likely the heartache speaking or rather the desire for this night to not have been a total waste of her time. The dress was expensive and the reservation had been hard to get.

All of this couldn't be for nothing. She'd done too much already. Someone was taking her to dinner whether it be Vergil or some valet outside damnit.

[{ ��� }] - "Then what does your diet look like instead? Please don't tell me you're a vegetarian. That'll make dinner awkward for us both."

Joke for joke. Roxanne glancing at the restaurant that prided itself in the quality of it's steaks. There was no expectation of romance from this. A simple night of thanks before he likely left her life forever.

[{ 🏅 }] - "Wait don't you need mone-"

Gone before she can even finish her question. The human woman wondering where a demon hunter was finding enough money to buy a suit on his own. Did Vergil have credit? Eyebrows raise at his swift return, taking note of his fashion choices. More involved than she'd expected. At first interaction, he seems like the type to prefer minimalism.

[{ 🏅 }] - "You clean up surprisingly nice considering your career."

[{ 🏅 }] - "Roxy. Friends and dates usually call me Roxy. Only coworkers call me Roxanne."

[darksonofsparda]

incredibly rushed mspaint doodle i did right before i had to get off work earlier

[darksonofsparda]

[{ 🗡️ }] - "As have I, my dear. That demon's pesky jammer was the only thing stopping me. Had we killed Damien sooner, I'd have brought you here long before this." He promptly replied a bit after the kiss broke.

He waited a few minutes to let Stocking take her time hanging her heavy bags on the hooks he had provided, courtesy of his phantom blades that he could morph into anything he desired. Once her bags were on his phantom hooks, they hovered behind them, easily handling the weight of the baggage. They were charged and infused with his demonic energy, making them pretty much unbreakable, which was exactly why he was able to wield a larger two-handed blade in that form, based on its appearance and design of the Force Edge blade that his late father had used to seal away the Temen-Ni-Gru tower, just a glowing blue transparent version of that old sword, he chose to call it the Mirage Edge to keep it original.

At her confirmation that she was ready to proceed, he drew his blade and sliced open the portal leading to his world, sheathing his Yamato blade with a flash of silver shortly afterwards, before walking through the rift. He felt the angel take his hand, to which he welcomed in his own as his fingers interlocked with hers. Her fingers fit neatly between his digits, much like a puzzle that found its missing piece, making it complete. Hand in hand, the pair stepped into the portal and passed through it. The world around them changed as the couple walked through the rift, and in seconds, the two were in front of his luxurious home.

Judging from her excited reaction, amazement in her tone. It was clear that she liked it already. Truthfully, Vergil had planned to purchase a home for himself once New Red Grave City was built, but as an expression of their thanks to Vergil, the construction crew went ahead and put this house together all for him. The Darkslayer had singlehandedly cleared out this entire area and eradicated all the previously lingering demons that used to claim this area for themselves.

A simple thanks and proper payment were already more than enough, yet they still built him this beautiful home. He wasn't ungrateful either, completely the opposite, at the same time, though, part of him did feel a little bad since they were unknowingly doing something so kind for the very same person who had brought the demons here into the human world in the first place--or part of him anyway, either way, he still felt responsible.

Regardless, this wasn't the time for regrets; at least Vergil was actively doing the right thing now by working to clear out the rest of the world from demon control. Far from any redemption that atones for the various crimes that his demon half had committed, along with the innocent blood that was in his hands.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Of course, once you unpack, we can begin. It's a nice home indeed. I was originally going to purchase a home here after the city was rebuilt, but after I cleared out all the demons, allowing the humans to construct this city, as a token of their thanks, the humans built this home for me. While it wasn't necessary, I certainly am not complaining." The tall half-devil explained, giving her the history of this gorgeous home.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Anyway, let's go inside and head to the master bedroom, then we can get your things unpacked and put away." Hands still locked with Stocking, he led his angel up the walkway and inside through the sliding glass door, the hooked luggage hovering behind them.

The couple passed through the lavish living area that was full of gothic colors that were a mix of midnight blue and black, passing by the various high-quality furniture, they came up to a hallway that had a spiral staircase, up they went, taking a hard right upon reaching the third floor, he opened the door to the spacious master bedroom, letting go of her hand so she could begin to unpack, he would help her too, of course.

[{ 🗡️ }} - "Here we are, the master bedroom. It has two walk-in closets; yours is over there." He informed, pointing to a door on the other part of the bedroom, across from the queen-sized mattress. The phantom hooks hovered over towards the bed and gently lowered her luggage onto the mattress before the hooks disappeared.

[{ 🗡️ }} - "Here, I'll give you a hand, darling."

As if she wouldn't deny the suggestion of getting the hell out of Daten City! It was interesting to be here, but Stocking would drop everything just to get away from everything including Panty, Garterbelt and even Chuck. And as much as she enjoyed having Vergil staying here whether it's on a date, defeating both ghosts and demons or just having a good fuck sesh together, the angel has been genuinely curious about what his own world was like. As last minute as the plan was, she was more than willing to go!

She ignored before all of the sinful priest's warnings, shit talk, all the sort about his feelings against Vergil beforehand (not that she gave a shit anyway). Stocking had managed to slip away and get her packing started, preparing about seven bags of luggage for the trip. "Eh, I guess this will do for what I got..." she muttered, "Let's see: day outfits, night outfits, swim, dinner, sexy, cozy, wild, not wild, gothic, cutesy, make up, extra emergency sweets, shoes..." Stocking reached for Honekoneko and set him grouped with the luggage to avoid forgetting. "I think that's everything--"

Just in time did her love arrived with a teleport, seeming to take note of her bags and moved in to her for a long greeted kiss. "Heey~ You know I'm ready, sweetie--hell I've practically been waiting for this day to happen!" She lifted a few of the bags onto the floating hooks besides the ones far too heavy to carry and turned back to him with a wink. "Ready!" She waited and watched as Vergil begin to use his blade, literally slicing a portal open into his world across the way. An excited chill ran through Stocking as her grin grew wider, anticipating this moment even more with him.

She held his held and stepped through with him, now entering the new world of New Red Grave City while standing in front of his home. Her eyes widened, astonished at its beautiful layout that it looked like the home of a celebrity! She knew he had some sort of regal behavior going on with him but she hadn't expect this much of a turnout. "Holy shit!! Vergil, this is fucking awesome! I didn't think you were holdin' this much from me! Yeah you HAVE to give me a tour of ALL of this! I don't wanna miss a single thing!"

[darksonofsparda]

[{ 🗡️ }] - "I will admit that is the case with video games. When it comes to board games, though, especially ones that require flossing the brain, I pity you, brother, since you lack one."

[darksonofsparda]

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Lady, do I honestly look like the type who ever bothers with technology of any sort? Come now.." He asked, eyes slightly narrowed, although it was true, he didn't care for technology.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Just accept the fact that you lost, because you're just giving off the impression that you're a sore loser, which would be quite embarrassing for you."

"There's no way you beat it in one try. You definitely cheated! You looked up the answer online or something!"

[darksonofsparda]

[{ 🗡️ }] - "It wouldn't be much of a book if there were only pictures."

He called out in response as he locked in his pursuit of the blood fiend, as she continued to flee with the book he had previously been reading before she snatched it from him. Antics like this would usually irritate him, but at this point, he knew what to expect with Power, so he had gotten pretty used to her sudden bursts of energy and foolhardy impulses that seemed to happen at random. Vergil's speed wasn't just because of how tall he is. The half-devil's speed was one of the many things he was notorious for.

The only person to come even close to matching his speed would be his younger brother Dante, although he was much too busy with his devil-hunting shop, Devil May Cry to bother himself with the Public Safety Bureau, besides, Vergil had gotten himself involved for the purpose of a secret mission that only he and his private employer hired him for. Admittedly, though, he slowly found that he actually started to enjoy this ragtag group that he had been a part of now, although he wouldn't outright admit that, at least not so easily, anyway.

When she stopped in place at the revelation of what it means to be a president, it allowed him to easily close in on her; so he was able to close the gap pretty quickly, in seconds. Power was already within arm's reach of him. Although, unlike the Blood Fiend, Vergil had caught a glimpse ahead of him, causing him to abruptly stop in place the second his sky blue eyes saw the hole in the sand that Denji had dug earlier in yet another attempt to try and flex for Makima, something that half-devil was used to seeing by now, if only the kid knew what she really was, but that for Vergil to know, and no one else to speculate.

While Vergil had spotted the hole in the sand, Power wasn't so lucky; he ended up watching her fall in and comically faceplant into the sand pit, a small plume of sand rising up briefly from impact. Glancing down at her from above, he simply crossed his arms as she got herself back up to her feet and peered up at him, where she would accuse him of tripping her because, of course, she would do that. The claim only made him arch an eyebrow; he fully expected it. He simply scoffed at her blurt about suing him.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Preposterous, I did no such thing. You were the one who wasn't looking where you were running. It's your own fault for not paying attention. So your grounds for suing does not apply." He stated, deflecting her baseless action.

Sliding his two fingers from his forehead, a transparent clone of himself appeared in human form down in the pit to retrieve the fallen book. Once in the clone's hand, it teleported to Vergil's side and handed him the book before it disappeared back inside of him. Because the sand pit was pretty deep, Vergil lowered to a knee and offered his hand down to help her out of the pit.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "How about this? I'll treat you to ice cream if you agree to not snatch my book again."

She held the book above her head, as if she was showing it off to the rest of the beachgoers. Her legs pushed her forward, sprinting across the hot sand and away from the fast approaching Vergil. His legs were definitely longer, which meant she had to take twice as many steps to keep away.

Power made a grand gesture to flip through the pages of the book as she ran, laughing wildly as sauntered across the beach. "How can you read such a boring tome?! There are no pictures!!!" She shouted.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the devistating news that Presidents did not rule the world, but rather just a single country. She turned to give him a shocked look, ready to protest that she'd change the rules once she become president, but upon seeing him stalking toward her, a shiver ran down her spine and she scrambled to run away again.

"Nuh-uh!!! I'll be president of teh world one day! And I'll have a nobel prize!!" She called out, throwing her head back as she tried desperately to keep distance between herself and the half-demon.

But she wasn't looking where she was going and there just so happened to be a freshly dug pit in her way (made by Denji earlier in the day when he was attempting to impress Makima).

With a rather heavy thud, Power tripped and fell face first into the sand. The book fell out of her hands and skidded across the sand, landing a few feet away. She grumbled a little before pushing herself off the ground and turning to face Vergil.

"You tripped me! You shall pay for this! I require ice cream as form of payment or I will sue!!"

[darksonofsparda]

@hana-akari || Continued from here: X

Sakura was just walking by the couch when Vergil’s strong arms wrapped around her waist and brought her into his lap. His hands locked her in place, leaving her no room to move. Not that she wanted to. A small grin spread across her face as she shifted to face him, straddling his lap as she did. Just so she could wrap her arms around his neck, 

“My, someone’s frisky today.~” She teased.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Indeed, I am, but you don't seem to mind~"

He counter-teased in return, keeping his arms around her, ever so slightly pressing her into his lap as she shifted herself to straddle him, an amused but mischievous smirk painted along his lips, sky blue eyes peering deeply into her beautiful green emerald eyes as the heated tension began to surge, an air of electricity forming between them in this slowly escalating moment of growing blissful desire. It had been a rather busy several weeks for the devil-hunting power couple. In a world that was in its current state, there were always more demons to kill ever since the fall of the tree.

Luckily for the pair of half-devil lovers, this was the very first quiet week in quite a while. It was hard to say exactly when they would get another chance like this, and during the long string of missions they had been on, Sakura had been flawless, graceful, and sexy in her movements. Watching her effortlessly slice through groups of demons alongside him only made that lingering urge grow, and now that both of them had their first free week in who knows how long, Vergil wanted to take this chance and use it to their advantage.

Come to think of it, it had been a little while since they last had some frisky fun. Because their next week would very likely be another hectic one, the Darkslayer wanted to indulge while the opportunity for some together time was available. Devil Hunters were the last line of defense; they had to focus when it came to their work. This was a rare bit of peace, and he was going to make the very most of it; who knew when they would get another chance like this again? So now was a good time as ever to get into some devious up-close and personal time together. Shifting a bit in his seat, he would pull her a bit into him. It wouldn't be long before Sakura would feel a distinctive, sizable bulge poke her inner thigh.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "We finally have some free time. While it lasts, I'd say we've more than earned some...quality fun time." He added, a lingering husk in his smooth, rolly voice as he leaned in, and started to roughly kiss her neck.

[darksonofsparda]

Busy weeks were common in her field of work; however, this past week had been by far the busiest in quite some time. Vergil wondered what may have potentially caused it; he didn't recall any rise in demon count because he had taken great care to ensure that all the demons in the area were eradicated within a long radius. Ever since he had permanently moved in with Arabella, the half-devil had done a lot to keep this small, peaceful town safe, so the community here could continue to live their lives without any fear of being eaten or shredded to pieces by any demons.

This place was a town where everyone's knew each others name, and everyone here was a neighbor to each other, a trait that Vergil had found rather rustic and charming about little town's just like this one, perhaps that was one of the other reasons he had remained here for such a long time, although Arabella had been the major reason for that, he still found the town quite appealing, the peace and tranquility here was truly something special, it made him want to not only protect the people here, but futher motivated him to keep his brand new life that he had built with Arabella.

The three years he had spent here with her were unlike anything he'd ever felt before, though it wasn't a feeling he wasn't used to; rather, it brought back memories of a time when he almost had a life like this, but Mundus and his lackey demons had ruined that for him, thankfully that was a long time ago now, and while he wished he could go back and make it, but he knew that would be impossible.

His life with Arabella felt like a second chance, one that he sometimes felt he didn't deserve, considering all the horrible things he had done in the past, especially the vast amount of crimes of mass murder at the hands of his other half, Urizen, had caused. Arabella had become his saving grace, and her presence was always like a rising sun that warmed the cold heart he used to have.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "After the grueling, long week you've had, I'd say it's well deserved."

Words could never describe the sense of joy he had felt with her since he started this new life with her. So when the opportunity arose, he did his best to convey that feeling to her whenever he could, just like today. A small smile of his own at her little nickname for him, along with her thanks. There's a sense of amusement in his smile at her request as he lets her settle down on the couch, snug next to him.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Cheesy horror movies, hm? Of course. But the next question is, how cheesy, exactly, are we talking? Early two-thousands bad movie cheesy? Or eighties horror movie cheesy?"

{ ♪ } -- It was entirely unlike her to sleep past sunrise. Sometimes, though, that exhaustion just took hold of her and wouldn't let her go. Bella didn't even stir as Vergil rose and started to move around their space. That was a shock in and of itself, given how lightly she could sleep.

Still, the sunlight shimmering through the window and bouncing off her assortment of plants earned a soft grumble of protest before she pushed herself to a sitting position. Her eyes shifted to her left, the wall blocked by a bookshelf she and her dad had attached to the side of her bed. A few photos and little succulents were peppered in among the books and she smiled a bit. Stretching, she did her usual motion of trying to reach for the arc above her bed that was covered in ivy. Being as high as it was, she never could reach it from a sitting position but that hardly mattered.

Now, she moved. Slipping from the sage green comforter, she placed her feet on the floor and ruffled her curls. One hand reached out for her desk and she used it to push herself up. Her legs still ached from how long she was on her feet this past week. Fingers gingerly combing through her hair just to get out any tangles, she set to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Taking a slow breath, she finally shifted to go towards the living room. Bella hadn't seen Vergil on the couch, evidenced by a little yelp when his hand found hers and pulled her into his lap.

Her cheeks dusted with color, but a smile stretched her face as he spoke.

"I would love a lazy weekend. That sounds brilliant, zuccherino."

A soft hum started in her throat, a pleased noise at the suggestion. The soft beige couch settled her bones. It was decorated with green and purple pillows, and a warm yellow blanket over the back. Once she was handed her plate, she smiled both at the doppelganger and at Vergil himself.

"This is lovely, Vergil, thank you.. Now, this might sound a little counterintuitive, but... Can we watch cheesy horror movies?"

[darksonofsparda]

Vergil and Nero's relationship is still a lil rocky lmao

[darksonofsparda]

[darksonofsparda]

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Likewise...." He simply replied.

In response to her curtsy, he gave a simple greeting bow. So here she was, the client he would be protecting for the long trip, from someone who came from such a powerful family. Lady Nunally seemed to give off this unique aura that was a mix of sophisticated, graceful, and kind, a sharp contrast from her father when he was contacted and hired for the job. Admittedly, he was curious to see what kind of leader she would be; it was hard to believe she came from the same family that had such a strong influence, even in this barren and ruined world. With no government left to maintain order after the destruction of a large portion of the world due to the demon tree, it sort of made sense for her to be escorted to New England.

Unfortunately, the client didn't really specify the reason for the escort, so Vergil was just taking a guess that it involved putting someone in charge of things, that person being the young woman he would be guarding for the very long trip. Overall, it probably wasn't his business. To someone like her father, he was just a disposable devil hunter. Whatever the reason, he still had a job to do, and the half-devil would see it through to the end.

He did have a flawless mission record without a single mission failure in his history, which was probably why her father had chosen him for this very important mission; he may be nothing but a swordsman to him, but it obviously meant something had impressed him enough to pick Vergil. The Darkslayer wasn't very fond of people in such powerful positions; he could tell just by the man's voice when he called Devil May Cry that he had a 'too big for his britches' vibe to him. Something told him that Lady Nunally was completely the opposite, although it was just a guess from the first impression she had given him; he had only just met her after all.

Vergil originally thought that they would be leaving the moment he arrived, so he wasn't really expecting to be invited for an afternoon snack. Now that he had thought about it, he didn't recall being told that he would be departing the second he arrived. At first, he's unsure of whether or not to accept, glancing up at the clock. Vergil saw that it was only just after twelve.

While he didn't require as much food as normal humans did, a snack did sound rather pleasant. After a few brief minutes of silent thought, he decided to accept and gave a nod when she offered him to sit with her. This would be a good chance to get to know a little more about her, and it seemed like she had no idea about the details of this trip, a bit strange, so he may as well enjoy some food and fill her in; it was going to be quite a long trip after all.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "On the contrary, no one told me that we had to leave immediately upon my arrival, so I accept you're offer." He said, taking a seat across from her, setting his sheathed sword right next to him, letting it lean against the wall beside him.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "..Thank you." He promptly added as he settled himself into the comfortable chair.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "You weren't told about the details yourself?... odd."

[{ 🗡️ }] - "I wasn't given the reason, but I'll be you're protective escort as you make your trip to New England. Unfortunately, that's all I know, although I wasn't expecting to be told. For people like him, I'm just a disposable blade."

She was reading, when he entered the room. She would have preferred they met in a different way. In a way that would have allowed her to greet him properly, but no-one had informed Nunnally about his arrival. Probably not seeing his status high enough to interrupt whatever she was doing.

That wasn’t an unusual occurrence for Nunnally; always protected, or ‘caged’ as she preferred to call it herself. And it just happened that his words called her back to reality from the pages of a book written a long ago; guiding her through the unknown land. It was almost terrifying that the world from the book of the novel she was reading was not that different from their world…now… Since the tree had emerged…

Though Nunnally was still excited about her journey from New England to New Red Grave City. A rare opportunity, when it was necessary for her to leave. If she had a brother, she would have never been allowed to leave the safety of her chambers until her wedding day…but for better or worse she did not have one. A single child. A weak girl.

But Nunnally was aware she was precious, so all necessary means would be in place to guarantee her safety. Although they say with demons, they was never a certainty. And they were probably right. 

“I am. And it’s a pleasure to meet you Sir Vergil.” – Nunnally stood up, and as soon as the princess did that, she offered him a small curtsy. He looked intimidating; with that sword and with his hand on it – “I trust you will.” – Nunnally saw it necessary to confirm her feelings.

“I was just about to be served a small afternoon snack. Unfortunately, I haven't been told you were on your way here.” – her voice was soft and clear, perhaps a bit ashamed that Vergil had found her so unprepared – “Would you like to join me?” – she invited him – with a gesture – to sit down – “Or perhaps are we in such a hurry that we should leave immediately?” – a pause – “I can be ready rather quick, if needed, but I would rather assume we will spend some time together before the journey.”

A pause. Again.

“I was hoping you might want to brief me about it. I’ve…I’ve been given no details…”

[darksonofsparda]

I draw the dad

[darksonofsparda]

I ended up spending a LOT of time playing PGR, more than I thought. Ooops. Since I got the Devil men, I've been leveling them up I also got a bunch of constructs I really wanted, too.

My phone needs to be charged. So now that I'm here, let's see how many replies I can do.

[darksonofsparda]

Christa Wolf, from her novel titled "Cassandra," originally published in 1983

[darksonofsparda]

Bro’s so fucking annoying I swear to God 😭

[darksonofsparda]

@ouroborius from here X

"Those are some cocky last words for an old man that's about to eat my dust." Yeah, he's squinting at the Scrabble board. Much too stubborn to give up but wow is this a lot harder than it looks!

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Face me if you wish, I have the entire dictionary memorized in my head, so we'll see just how long it takes for you to lose."

Most people would never read a whole English dictionary, no one but Vergil, anyway. He was about to show this young devil hunter just how well knowledge proved to be another form of power, especially when it came to something like Scrabble; he was about to school his son in a game of smarts, so he was extremely confident.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Best of luck, you'll need it."