Connall Couldn't Remember The Last Time Something Had Actually Taken Him Down. He Was A Hunter. This

She thought she'd made some progress when he at least dropped the sword. Her fingers twitched at her side, threatening to curl into tight fists over the irritation of even having to make progress. Mona wasn't used to being so unknown, or to not possessing the upper hand. This wasn't some fellow witch that knew her as the scourge of their kind and feared her for what she was willing to do, for the power she'd been born with and grown by draining others. This wasn't a lesser being who she could crush so easily.

And maybe that had been thrilling a moment ago, but it was starting to bother her. She bent the world and everyone in it to her will on a daily basis. It existed with her boot on its neck, and she suffocated and squeezed it for all it was worth, but Vergil existed outside of her grip and just turned around to walk away from her. Like she was nothing. Rage burned in the pit of her stomach. "I don't give a fuck about my kind. I don't like being told what I can and can't do." She replied before her temper got the best of her and a flick of her finger blasted away the wall of one of the buildings lining the alley and sent chunks of debris heavy enough to crush a mortal man falling just a few feet ahead of him. "And I don't like when people walk away from me,"

Which was exactly why Mona stood her ground. She was done trailing after him. He was treating her the way she treated everyone else, and at this point, she would rather he just try to kill her than act like she was nothing. "Listen, asshole, I don't want to work with someone else either, but you either want to get this done, or you want to sit around jerking off instead." She certainly wasn't about to let his stubbornness get in her way. "I know there are a few things needed to open the gates, and I know how to get them. You have the balls to go kidnap a god?" Nymphs hardly counted as gods in her mind though, daughter of Zeus and a titan or not. She'd easily be able to subdue the keeper herself, but she was going to need Vergil for what came after.

She really was pushing his buttons. But Vergil knew better than to react right away. Something about her was putting him off, yet still sparked interest. The fact she's been following him around, and now has faced him with a pretty laid back facial expression made him realize there's something more behind all of this and he hoped, for her sake, she'll reveal it soon because his patience did run thin.

Vergil held his stance, gaze heavy and unbothered as he looked her down. But once the stranger woman began talking about gates of Hell, how he hasn't been able to open them yet made him groan in the back of his throat. At the mention of who she truly is Vergil's hand gripped tighter onto the handle of his katana. A fucking witch that wanted to work alongside with him? Once she finally introduced herself to him, another grumble followed - she knew too much for his liking.

Taking a step back in a swift motion he pulled back his katana, holding it straightened along his leg, still not talking and just piercing through her with his cold blue eyes. "Can't say I share the sentiment."he huffed, it wasn't a pleasure for him, that's for sure. Finally, with a deep breath and another quick motion he put the katana back into it's saya. "And I know better than to have a witch meddle in my business. I work alone and I can't state that enough."he commented and turned on the heel of his boot to start walking down the alley. But he knew, deep down, she won't back away just like that. And his curiosity did itch a little. "What does a witch even have to do with gates of Hell? I thought your kind doesn't work in that sort of direction?"he asked, loud enough for her to hear but not stopping or turning to grace her with his attention.

𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. this quotes range in intensity so discretion is given consideration the nature of the sentences. please make sure you change pronouns, names and/or location as you see fit.

"I can feel you watching me… even when you shouldn't."

"Tell me, how long have you been wanting this?"

"Your lips are too close to mine for me to think straight."

"If you're going to tease me, you'd better follow through."

"Are you going to make me wait, or will you come closer?"

"You look like you're fighting the urge to kiss me."

"If we keep pretending this isn't happening, it might get worse."

"The way you’re looking at me… it’s driving me insane."

"You know I can't concentrate when you touch me like that."

"One step closer and I won’t be able to stop myself."

"Your breath on my skin… it's hard to ignore."

"Is this how you planned it, making me want you more?"

"I wonder if you taste as good as you look."

"You don't realize how hard it is to resist you."

"You’re enjoying this too much for me to stay calm."

"It's taking all my control not to pull you into me."

"I think we're far past pretending now."

"You're making it difficult to be the good one here."

"If you keep this up, I might just give in."

"You don't have to say a word… your eyes tell me everything."

"You shouldn’t look at me like that if you don’t want me to react."

"What if I told you I can't stop thinking about last night?"

"Are you teasing me, or do you actually want this?"

"One kiss and I might lose control of everything."

"You've made it impossible for me to think of anyone but you."

"Do you always make it this hard to stay professional?"

"Your hands feel too good for me to walk away."

"If you wanted me to leave, you wouldn’t be standing so close."

"I think we both know what you’re really asking for."

"I can feel your heartbeat… and it’s not just from excitement."

"Don't act like you don't want this as much as I do."

"Every time we're alone, the air feels… heavier, doesn't it?"

"You’re playing a dangerous game, being this close."

"I never thought I'd be this tempted by you."

"Your touch is burning through me… in the best way."

"It’s getting harder to pretend I don’t want you."

"If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll forget we have rules."

"Are you trying to test my limits, or do you just enjoy the tension?"

"You’re closer than you should be… but I’m not asking you to stop." "I can tell by the way you're looking at me… you're tempted too."

"You know what you're doing, and it’s driving me wild."

"I didn’t expect you to be this bold, but I’m not complaining." "I can't tell if you're trying to push me away or pull me closer."

"There's a fine line between teasing and giving in… which side are you on?"

"You don’t have to say it, I can feel what you want."

"Every second I stand here, I want you more."

"Tell me to stop, and I will… but only if you really mean it."

"This tension between us… it’s only a matter of time before we snap."

"You think you’re in control, but I can see how much you want this."

"One touch, one kiss, and there’s no going back from this."

"Don’t pretend like you don’t want me to touch you right now." "Every time you look at me like that, it takes everything not to rip your clothes off."

"You’re making it really hard for me to be patient."

"I don’t think you realize how badly I want to have you right here."

"If you don’t stop teasing me, I’ll make you beg for it." "I’m not going to ask twice… come here."

"Keep pushing me, and you’ll see just how much I can take."

"Your body is practically begging me to take control."

"I can hear how your breath catches when I get this close."

"If you keep tempting me like this, we won’t make it out of this room."

"Do you feel how much I want you? It’s impossible to hide now."

"You don’t know how much self-control it’s taking for me not to touch you."

"Tell me you want this as much as I do, or I’ll lose my mind."

"If you want me to stop, you’d better say it now… before it’s too late."

"I want you in ways I shouldn’t even be thinking about right now."

"If I kiss you, there’s no going back. Are you sure you’re ready?"

"Every second we’re apart, all I think about is what I’ll do to you when we’re alone."

"You’re making it impossible for me to focus on anything but you."

"I can feel how badly you want this… your body doesn’t lie."

"It’s only a matter of time before I lose control with you."

"If you get any closer, I might not be able to hold back."

"You have no idea how badly I want to tear this off you."

"One taste of you and I won’t be able to stop."

"The way you touch me makes it impossible to think straight."

"If I start, I’m not stopping until I’ve had every inch of you."

"You’re trembling… and it’s only making me want you more."

"I don’t think you understand what you do to me when you look at me like that."

"I want you so badly it’s driving me out of my mind."

"You’re not as innocent as you pretend to be, are you?"

"I can’t wait anymore… I need you, now."

Had her mind been more settled after the commotion, she would've blushed furiously when Dante called her 'a sweet little miss', but there was still some panic polluting her thoughts. He was talking, at least. He was breathing. He was alive. That was the only thing that she needed to know right now. She never would have forgiven herself if she killed anyone, least of all him. Dante always made the usually quiet days interesting when he came in, sure. More than that though, he made her smile. He made her laugh. A quieter creature herself, it had taken a while to adjust to the unending snark of him. It had been a bit jarring at first, but now she was always hoping that he would come in.

Thank the gods he had today.

Once she was satisfied that he was just as fine as he had been when he'd strode in earlier, Bradley finally began to survey the damage. Shelves and cases had crumbled to the floor in shattered bits. There were trinkets strewn out in every direction. Some had survived. Most hadn't. Luckily, she didn't keep anything particularly valuable out on the floor. Luckier still, she didn't keep anything with any kind of real power out here either. That was too risky. It wasn't as though she was going to sell those things anyway. They were safest in her care.

So she waved a hand when he offered to have other people come handle the damage. "Don't worry about it. You saved my life and I...shot you. I think we're even. Besides, it's a delicate ecosystem in here." Even if the items out here weren't particularly significant, they still needed to be placed thoughtfully, which was why the disaster was so odd. Bradley never put anything in proximity of another object that would agitate it. She couldn't understand why there was a reliquary holding the teeth of a saint still standing next to where the shattered pieces of the demon's vessel were lying. That was a rookie move, and she wasn't a rookie. She made a mental note to check up on the poltergeist she kept bound to a puppet in the basement.

She reached for the reliquary before turning to look at Dante as he began explaining himself. "Don't worry, you're hardly the scariest thing within these walls. I'm not freaked out. Well, I'm not freaked out now." She certainly had been a few moments ago. That hadn't necessarily been his fault though. With a small sigh, she set the divine item back on the remains of a shelf. "No, I'm not hurt. I'm just... Do you know about me then?"

The look on her face was genuinely horrified that she actually pulled the trigger. He didn't see her as a type to do that, anyway, even to own a gun for that matter. It seemed like his words didn't register as she rushed to his side and looked at what was left now just a hole in his clothes and a few stains of blood on the white shirt underneath the coat. Evidently she was in shock, but once Bradley is able to take a breath, she'll realize it all herself.

"Just got my ego bruised a little that such a sweet miss like yourself shot me."Dante said with a half smirk and a chuckle. "I'm alright, Bradley. Just peachy - another demon has been put in a shithole it crawled out of. I'm sorry for the, uh... mess."he then hummed and pursed his lips as blue hues scanned her cute little shop. "I know people who know people who can take care of it. It'll be like I was never here, swear my heart and hope to die."he said a bit too dramatically with the hand over his left side of the chest.

Dante cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. "So, assume I have some explaining to do. Hopefully I didn't freak you too much when I, you know, took onto that other form. I know it looks freaky, the wings, horns, all that shenanigans. But I need you to know I'm fully in control and it's still me - I don't always change like that but I had to, in order to protect you and react quickly."he elaborated before looking her over. "You're not hurt or anything, right?"

PHOEBE TONKIN getting ready for the Zimmerman Fall RTW 2025 fashion show (March 10, 2025)

MEGHANN FAHY via Instagram

"You'll be the first person I tell." She promised. And the only. It wasn't as if she really had anyone else to ask for help. Bradley didn't dislike her life. It had intrigue; it had purpose. There was always something new to learn. She liked that, but it was still a rather solitary life. Everything went into looking after the objects in her care. Most of them didn't require that much tending to. Some of them required too much to be left alone for long. Time to make connections didn't come easily or often. Centuries ago, there had been three more of her kind. Sisters that she'd never known. They were long gone, faded into nothing before she'd ever gotten a chance to know them. Her parents had made one last of them to fill in the gap and left her to figure it out. She'd done a pretty good job thus far. It certainly could've been worse.

She laughed once, glad for his humor now more than ever. It cut through the weight of what had just happened. "Maybe a little bit of both," she grinned back at him. Whether he was the scariest thing in here or not, he was definitely one of the more likeable things. It wasn't just poltergeists that she kept in check. There were evils older than time locked away beneath the foundation of her shop, monsters that her parents knew needed to be kept away from the world. She climbed upstairs to her little apartment on the second floor and slept above them every night after checking that all of her safeguards were still in place. Then she checked them again in the morning before doing anything else.

This time, she did blush just a little as Dante went on. It was silly, really, how simply hearing that he enjoyed her company was enough to dust her cheeks in pink. She busied herself then, making her way to the front of the shop to turn the sign on the door to closed and then beginning to pick up some of the more manageable pieces of debris. The questions that followed made her pause. Her hand hovered over the remains of an old medical textbook. She stood from where she'd been crouching to reach it and set the pieces on a precarious bookshelf. When she looked back to Dante, her eyes caught the motion of him rolling up his sleeves. They lingered there long enough to take in his corded forearms before she forced them up. "Nothing like this, no," she replied quietly. "I have other beings in here, but they always come to me contained. It's just on me to make sure they stay that way..." Bradley trailed off. Her brows pulled together. "Why? What are you thinking?"

Dante let out a sigh as she mentioned being even with him and it hardly felt like that, honestly, just by looking at the ruined stuff around the shop. His blue eyes looked at her closely and carefully as she glanced at one specific reliquary, often he wondered what was going on through her head, even more so now. "Still --- if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know, Bradley, alright?"he insisted.

At her bringing up how he isn't the scariest thing in here his brows rose up and he chuckled. "Should I be offended or flattered?"he asked with a little smug grin on his features, showing her he was just joking. Even though the demon was beat, his senses were on alert - the attack couldn't have happened out of no where, that demon was after something. And the more he backtracked, the more it seemed like the demon wasn't after him at all, the element of surprise with Dante being present making him kill it faster.

Once Bradley spoke again he snapped out of his thoughts and offered her another grin. "I do. I mean, it made sense who you are, with the whole business you have in your little shop. Kinda put the two and two together."he admitted with a shrug. "You've got a lot of things of interest kept here. Things that some might use for something bad. So I was kinda swinging by, got some reliquaries from you that helped me in my own agenda. And I grew to enjoy your company, you're one very interesting young lady."he chuckled and procedeed with putting his sword to the side so he could take off his coat, it was already damaged from the demon fight and the bullet hole wasn't as pretty. "Bradley, did you experience demon coming after you before? Have you ever had any sort of encounter similar to this?"he asked and began rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, while his trusted guns ebony and ivory rested on each side of his ribs.

closed for: @ciitrustears

Golden hour had never been his favorite time to paint. The world was always so warm. He much preferred working by the cold glare of the moonlight. It suited his style better. He liked the sometimes unsettling melancholy of cooler tones. Yet he'd set up that day to paint Bailey during the fleeting moments when the cozy glow of dusk streamed in through the floor to ceiling windows and bathed her in gold. Asher wanted to capture all versions of her. He needed to have every single image of her imaginable, every single piece of her. He needed to own everything that she was.

And they only had so much time, so he really couldn't have her ruining to pose he'd put her into again. He wanted her relaxed and fluid the way she was when she was in the water. It was such an enchanting sight. He was going to pull that ease out of her whether she wanted him to or not. Asher wasn't about to let her spoil the vision of perfection he had in recreating her image. So he set his brush down, pulled his gloves back on, and crossed to the platform he'd set his muse up on. Draped across a pile of plush cushions like some kind of empress of antiquity and wrapped in crimson silk that looked like a shock of blood against her snowy skin, he'd gotten her so close to flawless. It was up to him to complete the final push on his canvas. He crouched down and reached a gloved hand out to catch her chin, angling her face up towards him so it caught the light better.

"You're tense today." He observed as he pressed his thumb into her lower lip. "Whatever's on your mind, get rid of it."

𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃  &  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄    (a  series  of  nonverbal  prompts .   mature  themes  present ,   ‘ my ’  muse  belongs  to  the  one who  posted  the  meme  -  send   “ + REVERSE ”   to  reverse  the  prompts .)

→     𝐈 .    GENERAL

❛   hush .   raise  a  finger  in  a  gesture  to  silence  my  muse . ❛   sit .   gesture  for  my  muse  to  sit  down . ❛   door .   hold  a  door  open  for  my  muse . ❛   tap .   tap  my  muse  on  the  shoulder  to  garner  their  attention . ❛   hunger .   give  my  muse  something  to  eat  /  drink . ❛   cook .   present  my  muse  with  home - cooked  food . ❛   brush .   work  a  brush  /  comb  through  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   read .   silently  read  a  book  alongside  my  muse . ❛   hand .   hold  out  a  hand  for  my  muse  to  take . ❛   dressed .   help  my  muse  put  on  an  article  of  clothing . ❛   note .   give  my  muse  a  note  saying :   [ content ] . ❛   amplify .   turn  up  the  music  in  the  car .

→     𝐈𝐈 .    ANGST

❛   patch .   help  my  muse  patch  up  a  wound . ❛   night terrors .   hold  my  muse  after  they  wake  up  from  a  nightmare . ❛   company .   silently  sit  with  my  muse  to  comfort  them. ❛   hospital .   my  muse  is  told  that  yours  is  in  the  hospital . ❛   revelation .   show  my  muse  evidence  of  a  lie  they  told . ❛   indulge .   find  my  muse  drinking  to  cope . ❛   downfall .   find  my  muse  collapsed  on  the  ground . ❛   console .   comfort  my  muse  as  they  cry . ❛   nurse .   give  my  muse  company  in  the  hospital .

→     𝐈𝐈𝐈 .    AFFECTIONATE

❛   wink .   wink  at  my  muse .  ❛   wrap .   wrap  an  arm  around  my  muse’s  [ shoulders  /  waist ] . ❛   caress .   gently  caress  my  muse’s  face . ❛   tousle .   mess  playfully  with  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   chest .   place  your  head  on  my  muse’s  chest .    ❛   comb .   comb  fingers  through  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   grasp .   run  to  my  muse  &  jump  into  their  arms . ❛   lean .   lean  on  my  muse’s  shoulder . ❛   tender .   kiss  my  muse  on  the  [ forehead  /  cheek  /  nose ] . ❛   abrupt .   kiss  my  muse  out  of  the  blue . ❛   chaste .   chastely  kiss  my  muse . ❛   good morning .   kiss  my  muse  the  morning  after . ❛   volumes .   gaze  at  my  muse  in  a  way  that  silently  says  ‘i love you’ .

→     𝐈𝐕  .    VIOLENT

❛   strike .   [ slap / punch ]  my muse in the face . ❛   gun .   wield  a  gun  at  my  muse . ❛   twist .   twist  my  muse’s  arm  behind  their  back . ❛   throttle .   aggressively  wrap  your  hands  around  my  muse’s  throat . ❛   parch .   burn  my  muse  with  a  hot  object . ❛   take down .   forcefully  bring  my  muse  to  the  ground . ❛   gouge .   wield  a  sharp  object  at  my  muse . ❛  shunt .   shove  my  muse  backwards . ❛  stickup .   yell  at  my  muse  to  put  their  hands  in  the  air. ❛  shoot .   [ fatally  /  non-fatally ]   shoot  my  muse . ❛  stab .   stab  my  muse with a  [ knife / other object ].

→     𝐕 .    NSFW

❛   surprise .   send  an  unexpected  nsfw  image  to  my  muse . ❛   pin .   push  my  muse  against  a  [ wall,  table,  other ] . ❛   go down .   go  down  on  my  muse . ❛   choke .   intimately  wrap  your  hands  around  my  muse’s  throat . ❛   belt loops .   pull  my  muse  closer  by  their  belt loops . ❛   skinny dipping .   go  skinny  dipping  with  my  muse . ❛   rip .   tear  a  piece  of  clothing  from  my  muse’s  body . ❛   mark .   leave  a  mark  on  my  muse’s  body  [ specify where ] .

The disapproval was evident on his face the second Bailey said that she couldn't shut her mind off just because he wanted her to. He didn't like her disobeying in the first place, much less not even trying to comply at all. She simply insisted that she was incapable, and he couldn't have that. Because she wasn't. "Are you telling me that I chose someone incapable?" Asher challenged, his grip on her chin tightening. "You think that I chose poorly, that I was wrong when I saw something special in you? You think that I was wrong?"

Some part of him wanted her to say that she did think that. It wanted her to defy him so he could put her in her place. Bailey always danced on the edge of rebellion, spirited herself but never quite going far enough that he had to do something about it. That kept the beast inside of him that he tried so desperately to keep under control placated. As long as she obeyed, he didn't have to correct her. But he wanted to. God, he wanted to watch her will crumble as he bent her to his own.

"Go ahead. Tell me you can't. Tell me why you're so helpless."

there were still so many things about asher that she would never understand. especially his desire to paint her because she had thought he'd have grown tired of her. it seemed that she was wrong considering that he had once again wanted her at his studio. though it was a change in the time given he normally wanted her there at night. that usually worked out with her schedule given most of her gigs were in the day. she was just doing her best to remain in the pose that he had put her in. though she was having a hard time sitting still.

there had been the thought of canceling on him. the past few days had been insane for her. she thought that posing for him would be the perfect distraction. that was why it completely confused her when she realized he was setting his brush down. was he about to tell her to leave? she had no idea if she actually wanted that or not. instead she waited as he crossed to the platform that he had set her up on. sometimes he made her feel like a doll with how he seemed to want her posed and the entire look. it did help her that she was so comfortable in her own skin. otherwise she probably wouldn't have been okay with any of what he was trying to do. her breath hitched as his hand reached out to tilt her face up.

"i didn't realize you noticed," she told him, though her eyes narrowed at his demand," how am i supposed to get rid of it? i can't shut my mind off just because you want me to."

plot: It's ren faire season, and the guy who's taken an interest in your muse has a suspiciously good costume. Complete with horns and a tail.

muse: Alexei Valdis. 1,439/27. fae. magic dealer.The Lord of Blood

open to: m/f/nb (21+)

Please do not like my starters.

It was the most fun he’d had in months. Dropping his glamour, Alexei couldn’t help but bask in the way that everyone fawned over him. Among the bad costumes and fake adornments, he stood out with his delicate, curling horns and tail that flicked around with shocking realism. With his glowing skin and golden eyes. With the way he moved silently across the gravel on the ground that should have crunched beneath his feet and the warm scent of earth and smoke that trailed behind him. He was too graceful and too perfect among them, but he didn’t need to hide here, and he’d found a particularly lovely little human that had been hanging on his every word as they played their way through the day.

As the sun began to set, the torches that were lit began to reflect the devious glint in his eye more clearly. He’d always enjoyed playing tricks, toying with the mortals in their world. He could do better though, and reaching for their hand, he began pulling them to the edge of the fairgrounds, where the forest began and his world awaited. With a reassuring smile tossed over his shoulder, he tugged them along. “I want to show you something. Don’t tell me you’re getting nervous now.”