Sarawritesx - Blog Posts

There was a little flutter in the pit of her stomach when Dante told her that he liked when she smiled at him. This really wasn't the time for her to be fixating on some offhand comment. The shop was in shambles. Her favorite customer was...certainly more than just her favorite customer. She'd seen plenty of infernal things in her day. She hadn't expected him to be one of them, but she supposed there were worse things that could happen. It was almost nice, really, the knowledge that she finally wasn't the only inhuman one in the room.

But this wasn't the time to enjoy that either. Even said with an edge of humor, there was dread in what Dante said next. He didn't think it was just an accident. On the contrary, he seemed to expected something more sinister. Given his clear offensive experience and her rather meticulous keeping that made accidents in the collection all but unheard of, she was tempted to agree. Things like this didn't happen here, not just a demon breaking out but anything, really. The idea made her stomach turn in a much less pleasant way this time.

And it gave her pause when he asked about potentially apocalyptic additions to her collection. Bradley thought about her eldritch roommates, about the prison her titanic mother had built that the two of them were standing above, about the doors to cells that defied time and space. She didn't want to be suspicious of him. Right now though, she was starting to get suspicious of everything. That wasn't information that she could hand over lightly. "Of course I know everything that I keep here." The nymph finally replied, deliberately only answering the first half of his question. She brushed past Dante to continue picking up pieces here and there that she could. "I-I need to start cleaning. I really appreciate you saving my life, but I-" she grunted as she tried and failed to start dragging a wrought iron wall ornament out of the barely there path left through the rubble. And continued trying even when the metal dug into her fingers. "Can you come back another day? I really need to take care of all of this."

His grin grew as she grinned back at him, she was getting under his skin the more he spent time around her. "I like it when you smile like that at me - it makes my day."Dante admitted without any hesitation. He was an honest man, always has been, plus it was cute to tease her and offer her well deserved compliments because when she blushed it made him feel a certain way.

Scratching along his forearm, it didn't pass him by the way she looked at him, and he had to bite his tongue back to continue with the teasing, there were times when he actually had to be a bit serious, to the best of his abilities. Dante hummed as Bradley explained how things in here worked, with her receiving contained supernatural entities and keeping them that way. Blue hues scanned through the mess, for a moment lost in thought before speaking up.

"There's gotta be some disturbing in the force."he pinched at his chin before looking back at her. "--- Sorry, been watching a lot of Star wars lately. What I mean is, something is definitively happening. There's been an increase in little portals opening up, demons being let into the human world... And this attack onto your shop didn't feel like an accident. I think that demon was looking for something - or testing the waters for someone else."Dante continued on, pacing around the wooden floor as he did so. "Do you know every thing you keep around here? Is there something you keep well hidden that could be dangerous if it'd get into someone's hands - like end of the world dangerous?"

He laughed once and groaned at the realization of what help meant. "Dante's never gonna let me live that down, you know." It was still so strange to him- having people around. Having help. When he'd been tied to a criminal empire for decades, he'd been sent out to maim and kill by himself. Even when he'd still been with the fae, he'd always hunted on his own. That was how his kind worked. They brought death, and death was a solitary experience. He appreciated that Lady was the same way. She could handle herself. More than that though, she could apparently handle both of them along with the demon that they'd been dispatched to take out. She was something else.

"You kidding?" Connall reached up to grab the hand brushing through his hair and sat up. He didn't release her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze instead. "I'd've been fucked without you. You're the one who got both of us out of there. If you're blaming yourself, you better cut that shit out right now." He didn't want Lady to feel badly about what happened, and she couldn't be dragging guilt around. They'd be back to work in no time. Neither of them could bring anything into a fight that would make them hesitate. "Lady-" he let go of her hand only to grab her face when she started offering things. "Lady, stop. Relax. I'm okay. Are you?"

For someone who's been surrounded by both humans and demons her whole life, being around someone like Connall was refreshing. He was such a fascinating creature and the more Lady worked in this branch, the more she learned about what really is out there, it went beyond hell and demons she constantly battled. Once he stopped whittering around and actually lied down, her gaze took in his exposed torso, focusing on the wounds that were getting better with each passing minute. Lady wasn't phased with the way he healed, she's seen it before, and considered them with such ability lucky bastards.

As he asked her directly how did she pull it off, a small smirk graced her lips. "I had some help."the brunette admitted and she scooted a bit closer to him once he relaxed back onto the bed. Fingers carefully brushed through his thick locks. "Had to make sure we get you out of there safely, since it was basically my fault you got hurt in the first place."she murmured with a little sigh. While he was down, she gave it a thought, did a bit of a rewind - aside from the fact they were ambushed, Lady lost a moment of focus and nearly got pinned down. She's been in a lot of life threating situations, but having Connall with her today really saved her this time. "Tell me are you hungry? Thirsty? I could fix us something up. It's been long twenty-four hours."

"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.

The tragedy of mortal life wasn't unknown to Zack. He oversaw the fields that he'd named his band after. They were a place of healing. Souls that needed rehabilitation came to rest among the asphodels before he chose which of them would be reborn for a second chance and which would rest for all of eternity in the Underworld once they'd had their time to recuperate. Some of the most traumatized of mortals ended up in his care, but it was different when Maggie began to describe her own personal tragedy. Those souls were already dead. Some of them hadn't lived full lives, no, but they'd ended all the same. Hers had barely begun, and it was already causing her such pain. It was threatening to snuff out her light.

"I don't feel sorry for you. Nobody should ever feel sorry for you. It takes a lot to endure what you have. I don't think even you realize that." He reassured her. "I understand you. My family is... They're a lot." It was an understatement. "There were expectations as to who and what I would be before I was even born. They gave me responsibilities when I wasn't even old enough to understand them. For a long time, they were- it was all suffocating. Even just the weight of being my parents' son, I felt like I would never get out from under all of it. I felt like I'd never be anything more than their son, like I'd never be my own person or find my own way. It took me a long time to carve out something for myself."

Longer than she could imagine, longer than a mortal could really conceptualize. He hadn't been ready for it. He hadn't really been confident enough to do it, hadn't felt like he was capable of being anything more than Hades' son and doing what was expected of him as the Underworld's prince. It had only been in the last few years that the band had come together and become his refuge, which was...a little pathetic, really. He wasn't about to admit to that. Maggie didn't have to wait as long as he had though, not when he could offer her a path to freedom. Whether it bothered her brothers or not, it wasn't like they would be able to stand against a god. Maybe she wasn't ready to jump yet. Maybe she simply needed a push instead.

The band would understand.

"I hope you don't still think you're unwanted." He began, lifting a hand to tuck a wet wave behind her ear before leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. "When I saw you on the barricade tonight, I could barely think of anything else. Damn near forgot half of the lyrics, and I wrote them. I've never been like that when I perform." Zack sighed. "But all I wanted was to just...look at you,"

The no he let out followed by a growl made her blood freeze and the hold onto him tightened, tips of black painted nails dug into the tattoos of his shoulders. Her lips fell open, wanting to speak but suddenly loosing the ability to under the heaviness of his tone of voice and the look he had on his face. It felt as if she has offended him with something. But before her brain could come up with something coherent to say, she was suddenly lifted up and it made her gasp in surprise. "Zack, what are you --- "she breathed out, her hold onto him tighter as he then placed her at the edge of the pool. Maggie wasn't that short of a girl but it was crazy how she still had to look up at him even as he had her sitting like this in the pool.

Of course he caught onto her poor attempt to change the subject. It made her feel almost embarrassed and the blush crept along her neck and cheeks. "I already believe you far more than I do others --- and I barely know you."Maggie said, and in a way it was a frightening to admit that. "And what does everything even mean, Zack? Because it might get ugly and you might end up not liking it."she continued on, her whole body feeling tense and arms staying tightly wrapped around his shoulders, because no matter how much she wanted to pull away she was going to try and sit this one through.

"Should I start with how I was an unwanted child? A complete accident that happened when my parents already had two adult sons? My father passed away before i turned five and I barely remember him, so it was just my mother and I because my brothers got sucked into the family business working with very dangerous people."Maggie spoke almost without catching a breath which only made her heart beat faster. "But then my mother began getting really sick, and she developed first stages of dementia. And I took care of her. I did the best I could, while staying put, keeping myself very low key, because it was expected of me. My brothers controlled what I did, where I went, because they always said I was in danger. Hell, I was in danger more than once because of them. If they knew I went out tonight to a concert without telling them, if they knew I was on this rooftop with you right now I'd be in big trouble."she let out a shaky sigh.

Maggie wasn't afraid of her brothers, if anything she loved them to death. She just despised the kind of life that was expected of her to live while they did whatever they wanted. And all for her safety, as they'd say. "And even as my mother got so bad, when she couldn't recognize us anymore and we put her in a care facility, I still didn't get much of my life back. I thought I would, as awful as it sounds, now that I didn't have to take care of her anymore. But I'm always watched, controlled, and am expected to be happy and thankful for the life I have. I don't struggle, I have the money, the place to live at, I'm young and healthy but I am not satisfied. Because I feel trapped."Maggie breathed out and felt all the tears that swelled in her doe like hues and she tried real hard not to blink as she didn't want to let them stream freely. "And if you say you're feeling sorry for me or even look at me in that way, I swear I'll just leave. I don't - I don't want you to feel sorry for me."she let out the last part in a slightly lower voice, even a hint of it breaking in the very end as she struggled to keep her gaze locked with his.

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.

Connall couldn't remember the last time something had actually taken him down. He was a hunter. This was what he'd been doing for centuries. Now, waking up with his mind foggy and an ache at his side, he wondered what he'd gotten himself into by agreeing to be a part of this team. Still, even now, he thought it was better than being beholden to some gang leader. He'd traded one pact for another, but that was what his kind did. At the end of the day, someone had to give the hound something to hunt. Demons were as good a prey as any.

So it could have been worse. He rolled onto his back with a light groan and began pushing himself up onto his elbows. Then Lady was at his side and holding him still. "Sorry," he grumbled, realizing that he'd still been quadrupedal when he'd blacked out. It couldn't have been easy for her to get an oversized hound to safety. "And thanks," sitting up properly, Connall looked down at his bare torso. There was still some black blood around where he'd been gored by the demon. The gashes had almost completely knit themselves back together though. The ache was dull. Bearable. "I'm good. I'm good. Fuck," he huffed as he fell back onto the bed and looked up at Lady, thoroughly impressed with her even as his face remained blank. "How did you even pull that off?"

open to males and females 30+ (m if romantic)

plot; marry ann arkham aka lady, devil may cry inspired. lady has been working with your muse closely hunting down demons and those who wanted to achieve whatever agenda they had using demons as their asset. as a former lieutenant of the darkcom, she has a team people behind her who are scattered all over but do bounty work with her. on one of the missions your muse gets hurt and knocked out and lady saves you. hiding in one of her safe houses, she is taking care of your wounds.

One had to take perfect care of the weapons they use. There was no room for mistake on the field, she has learned that many years ago. Creatures of hell didn't scare her, no - she grew up with a monster in her own home, being her father who she later on put a bullet into. After everything that happened with Darkcom, Lady preferred working alone, but that was hardly ever the case. Dante has been part of her life for many years now, but unlike him she couldn't heal so it took more training, more precision, all the time, to stay sharp and focused.

She was about to finish cleaning one of her guns when they began stirring on the bed and immediately she jumped to her feet to their side. The red and blue-ish eyes immediately scanned over their features, and grabbed onto their shoulders to keep them steady. "Hey, hey, calm down - you're safe now."she hushed and urged them, to not strain too much as they'll need time to heal. "Once again you left me to do all the heavy lifting. Typical of you, really. And you're heavy to drag around, you know? I do work out but damn - you put on some muscle yourself."Lady teased in an attempt to lighten up the mood. "Tell me if you're hurting? I can give you something if so."

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?"

"Oh, trust me, it wouldn't be good for you." Mona practically purred. A part of her wanted to see him try though. She was always eager to not just to test her own mettle but to prove it. Undoubtedly, the man before her was one of the more powerful beings she'd come across. Whether she wanted to work with him or not, that made him a worthy opponent. If she could hold her own against Vergil, the gates certainly wouldn't stop her, She never got to enjoy a good fight anyway. Most of them were so easy to subdue that there was no satisfaction in it.

Risking her life by provoking him just to feel that thrilled would have to come later. Unfortunately. She had a goal. Whatever his reasons were, she'd heard rumors that he had the same one. Playing nice wasn't her strong suit, but she had to do it. Mona only hoped that he didn't need the sugary sweet kind of playing nice, that he wasn't going to expect charm and smiles. The only playing nice that she knew was the mutual respect that came along with the acknowledgment of power.

"No, I came to the right guy." Unable to stop herself from just a small show of defiance, she closed the distance between herself and his drawn blade. "You see, I've got a bone to pick with the gates of Hell. Word on the street is that you're trying to open them, and I'm sure you would've done it by now if you could pull it off yourself. Couldn't hurt to have a witch working alongside you, right?" She flashed a smile and held out her hand, arm running parallel to his katana. "Nice to finally meet you, Vergil. I'm Mona."

"Yeah, no shit."he grumbled, there was clear annoyance in the back of his voice, the icy blue gaze steady and firm onto her. He had no idea who she is, and it felt like a waste of his time already. Not that he didn't have time, he just hated being disturbed in the middle of something, but since she followed him around it was a matter of time before she finally shows herself to him.

Tall, skinny brunette surely had guts, was confident and even cocky a bit too much, as she stepped towards him, trying to prove a point. It amused him but he didn't let it show. For all he cares, he's seconds away from just turning away and leaving her be. But why not give her a chance since she's been in his shadow lurking for days. "I like a good challenge."Vergil said straight away about the pet part, and pulled out his katana as she continued to speak, and pointed it right in front of him, almost drawing a line at where she should stop - he absolutely hated having his personal space invaded.

She had a mouth on her, that was for certain. What did she even know of his progress and what his mission is? Something wasn't sitting right with him nor her words and he gripped at the handle of his katana tighter. "You know what bothers me? This conversation. I don't know who you are or what the fuck you want from me, less alone what you expect of me. You came to the wrong guy."Vergil said in a way for a warning almost.

His fingers flexed against her skin, pressing into the soft curve of her waist as the anticipation of hearing her answer set in. Zack couldn't remember the last time he was so eager just to hear someone speak. More often than not, he was happy to be on his own and in his own head. His circle was small. There were friends and family among the chthonic gods and the Underworld's residents, of course, but when he was in this world, he was content to have just the band and the people working with them. Performances were the closest he got to connecting to strangers. Skotos was able to do that, able to feel their energy and return it back to them as some raw, powerful being that commanded their attention and demanded their worship.

But he didn't need to hear about the rest of them. He needed to hear about her, and he frowned when Maggie told him that her life wasn't that interesting. Did she not realize that everything about her was interesting? Enchanting? Enrapturing? Absolutely fucking spellbinding? He still didn't understand why nobody had told her. Even he couldn't solve that mystery. She deserved to hear it.

Just like she deserved to break free of whatever she was chained to, even if she wasn't telling him exactly what that was. Zack found himself worried then that she was suddenly being so vague about whatever that darkness was. Still, he leaned into her touch and silently pleaded with her to keep talking. He wanted her to tell him more and nearly pouted when she tried to change the subject.

"No," he declared, not realizing that the growl slipping into his tone sounded eerily like the one he'd performed with that night. "We're not doing that." Leaning down to grip her thighs, the god easily lifted Maggie from the water and held her at his waist. Carrying her to the edge of the pool, he set her on the ledge. They still weren't entirely eye to eye, but she was closer to his height now with him still standing in the water, tattooed hands on either side of her to cage her in while he stood between her legs and fixed her with a surprisingly severe gaze.

"Don't change the subject. I told you that I want to know everything about you. Why don't you want to tell me? Do you not believe me?"

Maggie held back a breath as he approached her again in the water, his movement swift, making her almost freeze. Not from fear, just anticipation. His voice seemed a bit tense as he spoke her name, and their gazes locked onto one another. She couldn't look away even if she wanted to, his hands gently but firmly keeping her focus onto him. How easy it was for the world around her to stop when he'd look straight into her eyes, combined with his touch, it felt like her skin was on fire. Zack's gaze was puzzling to her, it felt heavy and like there was a lot of story telling behind them. It was so easy to get lost in them, to be captivated, just like... Just like there in the pit at the concert.

Letting out the softest of hums due to his touch, she let her hands carefully rest onto his chest once he pulled her in closer, firmly saying they aren't going anywhere. "Okay."she murmured in a whisper and offered him a little soft smile, so he'd know she's fine, her body began to relax once more against him. "My life?"Maggie then asked, a tad surprised by his choice of question.

Or maybe that is because she shouldn't really talk about her background as much. That's how she was raised, anyway - keep everything very lowkey, don't let people know who your family is or who your brothers work for. It could put her in grave danger, and her brothers were very paranoid when it came to Maggie. "But if I tell you everything, I might need to kill you."she mused with a chuckle, telling the most cliche quote there is, really. "I --- wouldn't know where to start. My life isn't all that interesting, Zack. It's very routine like, very lowkey. And the older I get, the harder it is. Feels like I'm chained to this kind of life and I can't break free. Maybe I don't know how, or deep down don't want to... but something has to change at some point, right? It can't always be this dark for me."Maggie mused and pushed his wet locks back, the touch soothing, tender. Perhaps she was just afraid to stand up for herself, and go against her brothers wishes. They only want what's best for her, they only wish her well. But they are never around to see this isn't the best for her and she isn't doing as well as they thing. "You, on the other hand, look like an adventurer. Like someone who has interesting stories to tell."Maggie tried to switch the subject and offered him a wide grin.

Truthfully, Bradley was more horrified by the fact that she'd actually shot someone than the revelation that Dante wasn't entirely human. The gun had been collecting dust in the back of a drawer since she'd inherited her little oddities shop from the previous owner. She'd never had to use it before. She'd never imagined that she would have to. Most of the time, she forgot that it even existed. In all of the time that she'd looked after all of the sacred objects in the shop's walls, she'd never faced a threat, whether human or not. Fear and chaos had triggered instinct and driven the nymph towards it though. She hadn't thought; she'd just pulled the trigger, and now that the air was calming after the confrontation that Dante had come out of victorious, she felt... She felt stupid.

How had she not seen it? Dante always came in asking about things that had power, seeking artifacts that regular people shouldn't be putting their hands on. Once or twice, it would've been a coincidence. Maybe he just had odd taste in decor. More than that? She should have known. Contrary to how she felt, Bradley wasn't stupid. Quite the opposite, really. She should have put the very obvious two and two together to realize that he was something else.

But that was something to tackle later. Because she'd actually shot him. "Oh my god- you- I shot-" she blurted. Dropping the revolver with significantly less care than she should have, the nymph scrambled to her feet and rushed over to Dante. "I'm so sorry! I didn't- I was- are you-" her eyes landed on the bullet hole in his clothes that revealed unmarred flesh. No bullet, no wound even. Still, she had to ask. "Are you alright?"

open to females 30+

plot; dante, devil may cry inspired. half-human, half-demon, twin brother to vergil. devil hunter and paranormal investigator. your muse has known dante for a while now, for whatever reason you see fit. but they don't know his true nature. once a demon attacks happen in her presence, she is left absolutely afraid as dante's devil trigger works and he transforms into a demonic creature. once he is back in his human form, in fear, she shoots him. but that doesn't kill him, of course. she could be aware of the supernatural or not, it's up to you.

"------ That stung."Dante says as he grabbed onto his shoulder and saw blood there. "And you ruined my favorite trench coat, come on. Not cool."the half-demon huffed and looked over at her still holding the gun. "Can a guy just not have a gun pointed in his face every single day? I deserve a break. And a slice of pizza. Bleeding makes me hungry."Dante protested and looked down at his shoulder as it began to heal on it's own, thanks to his demon blood he reacted differently to many things, unlike normal humans or demons. And he healed quickly, and easily. The bullet got pushed out as the wound closed off, only what was left was a hole in his clothes where the bullet went through. "Look --- just put the gun down, yeah? I did save your life, just to remind you. I can explain - or at least try to."Dante shrugged and took a careful step towards her. "Bullets can't kill me, anyway - you're just going to ruin my clothes and it's kind of annoying, really."

It was unheard of for her to seek out someone else to try to work with them. She didn't need anyone else, and she certainly didn't need the risk of another person around who'd probably just fuck everything up. Mona had more than enough power on her own to do whatever she wanted anyway. Well...she usually had more than enough power. It was the first time she'd ever run into a road block like this, the first time she'd been denied by the ironclad gates themselves. Being told no? Being told that she wasn't strong enough to do what she'd set out to- it was maddening for the witch. At first, it had just been simple necromancy. She could usually do that in her sleep. Sure, it was forbidden among her kind, but so was working with demons, and when had either of those things ever stopped her? It was why she was stronger than the rest of them. Better than them.

And now, it was personal. This wasn't about being paid to bring someone back anymore. Her client had long since been forgotten. Now she was only focused on getting the gates open and siphoning as much as she could from Hell so nothing could ever stop her again. She hadn't swallowed her pride to seek a partner. No, that was too bloated to fit down her throat. She'd chewed it back though, enough to go after the son of Sparda himself. She wasn't going to work with someone weak, after all, and if anyone would be of help to her, Vergil fit the bill.

"Yeah, I certainly hope so." Mona huffed. "I haven't exactly been subtle." On the contrary, she'd been rather obvious about following him. She didn't flinch at his threat though. She wouldn't have expected anything less from what she'd learned about him. It probably would have disappointed her if his first move wasn't to put her life on the line. There was nothing to respect in someone who wasn't as brutal as she was. "First," she began as she took a few steps towards him, wordlessly stating that she wasn't afraid. "You couldn't make a pet of me if you tried. Second, you are making a truly shocking lack of progress, aren't you? Doesn't that bother you? Honestly, I expected more of you."

open to females 30+

plot; vergil, devil may cry inspired. half-human, half-demon, twin brother to dante. dark slayer. unlike his brother who accepted his human side, vergil embraced his demon side. they don't see eye to eye and have different agendas. vergil is on a mission to gain the power of his father, sparda, and reopen gates of hell. your muse has found it's way to him while he's in the human realm, and wants to join his cause for whatever reason you see fit, maybe they want to bring someone from the dead? either way, vergil doesn't take well to strangers so your muse better have something to offer in exchange.

They try to sneak up onto him but Vergil senses her a while ago. It was clear she was after him, nobody really bumps into him for no reason. He'd been in this little town for too long, looking into some artefacts and trying to put pieces of a puzzle together for him to finally open the gates of hell. A tough mission, especially with his brother being in this realm and knowing he'll try to stop him. Without Dante, he can't open it, either. But Vergil was going to damn try. "There is little to be gained from idle conversation, but I find myself curious..."the half-demon finally speaks out as they get close enough in the back alley he just turned to. "I've seen your face around the town. Funny enough, just as I got here. And town before this one. And before that one..."he speaks, his stance firm, gaze cold as he weighs down onto her. "I am not a pet kind of guy, and I work alone. So - I'm giving you a chance to speak your mind before I put this through you and get rid of you."Vergil huffed in a gruff tone as his hand patted the katana Yamato resting on his hip.

closed for: @sarawritesx

continued from: here

Guilt burned in the back of his throat as she apologized. She thought that she'd hurt him and apologized for it, but he was the one who'd done something wrong. He was lying to her. That never usually bothered him. He didn't put himself in a position when it would. Asphodel didn't interact with their fans. He wasn't out there talking to anyone as Skotos, and he didn't talk to fans as Zack either. The beauty of their anonymity was the ability to keep to himself, to not be gawked at and to simply be able to exist when he was up in the world above.

But then came Maggie. She was so open with him. She shone so brightly and was unafraid to be vulnerable and trust a stranger. Maggie was just so...good. And he was lying to her. About something that she loved. And she was apologizing to him? She thought she was in the wrong? She was giving him the option to leave their little bubble? "No, you- Maggie-" he moved closer to her again and captured her lovely face in his hands, the face that had enchanted him when he'd been on stage and watched her through his mask. As he looked down at her, he was tempted to just tell her. If he was the only one who'd be affected, he knew that he would. He was so tempted to show her every piece of him. Zack, Skotos, Zagreus- he wanted her to know all of them in that moment, but his choices could affect the rest of the band. He couldn't do that to them.

A part of him wished she would just figure it out.

"You didn't hurt me. Don't apologize. You- Maggie, you did nothing wrong." He shook his head and dropped one hand to her waist to guide her nearer to him again. "We're not going anywhere." This was the closest he'd been able to get to her answer to his question in such a short amount of time. He wanted to get closer though. Maybe he could. "What's your life like? I want to know everything about you."