{"submission_id":"773834","keywords":[{"keyword_id":"360","keyword_name":"bird","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"15344"},{"keyword_id":"60","keyword_name":"cat","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"110716"},{"keyword_id":"44319","keyword_name":"contemporary","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"101"},{"keyword_id":"398","keyword_name":"demon","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"18402"},{"keyword_id":"2193","keyword_name":"fantasy","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"11600"},{"keyword_id":"123","keyword_name":"female","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"519902"},{"keyword_id":"112296","keyword_name":"garuda","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"51"},{"keyword_id":"1396","keyword_name":"hermaphrodite","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"12335"},{"keyword_id":"1440","keyword_name":"human","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"46904"},{"keyword_id":"191","keyword_name":"magic","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"11599"},{"keyword_id":"165","keyword_name":"male","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"639886"},{"keyword_id":"3313","keyword_name":"monkey","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"4907"},{"keyword_id":"10129","keyword_name":"supernatural","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"375"},{"keyword_id":"597","keyword_name":"werewolf","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"5589"},{"keyword_id":"164","keyword_name":"wolf","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"111560"}],"hidden":"f","scraps":"f","favorite":"f","favorites_count":"0","create_datetime":"2015-01-19 00:18:50.676129+01","create_datetime_usertime":"19 Jan 2015 00:18 CET","last_file_update_datetime":"2015-01-19 00:02:56.968404+01","last_file_update_datetime_usertime":"19 Jan 2015 00:02 CET","username":"Simoni","user_id":"279733","user_icon_file_name":"75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","user_icon_url_large":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/75/75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","user_icon_url_medium":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/75/75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","user_icon_url_small":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/75/75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","file_name":"1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/1046/1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/1046/1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1046/1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","files":[{"file_id":"1046050","file_name":"1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/1046/1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/1046/1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1046/1046050_Simoni_part_15_showdown_at_mccall_casino.doc","mimetype":"application/msword","submission_id":"773834","user_id":"279733","submission_file_order":"0","full_size_x":null,"full_size_y":null,"screen_size_x":null,"screen_size_y":null,"preview_size_x":null,"preview_size_y":null,"initial_file_md5":"db651d373704fab95677610f8b9c5f0c","full_file_md5":"db651d373704fab95677610f8b9c5f0c","large_file_md5":"","small_file_md5":"","thumbnail_md5":"","deleted":"f","create_datetime":"2015-01-19 00:02:56.968404+01","create_datetime_usertime":"19 Jan 2015 00:02 CET"}],"pools":[],"description":"Whew, been a while since I touched this huh? Worth the wait though, I had a blast with this one and it's something I've been wanting to do for a while now.\n\nI toyed around with some ideas about how Merihim's personality would be. He's a wrath demon so I could have him more angry and warrior-like, but I decided having him as a snarky self-absorbed bastard would be more fun to write.\n\nMammon was another fun one, I really like being able to do surreal characters like demons. They give me an excuse to be creative with this stuff... also, yes I was planning on having Mr. Maroon turn out to be Mammon since we introduced him back in Bloody Aces & Eights. There's a reason why 'Maroon' and 'Mammon' sound so similar.\n\nAnyways, this concludes the storyline in Texas. There's another story I may upload that explains where Sammi, who was mentioned above, came from... but it gets pretty fetishy and tends to be more cutesy schtick than anything. I had fun with it, but I'm not really sure it'll make that great a story. That and the RP logs for it are on my old computer (I got a new Dell PC as a graduation gift at the start of the year) and it'll be a while before I can be arsed into getting the data from my old HD transferred over.\n\nI am going to eventually, I need to reformat the computer so I can send it off to my boyfriend to replace his. My old HP Pavilion may be a bit creaky, but it still holds up fine... his computer on the other hand is held together by duct tape and happy thoughts and is cobbled together from whatever they could find at thrift stores... so yeah.","description_bbcode_parsed":"Whew, been a while since I touched this huh? Worth the wait though, I had a blast with this one and it's something I've been wanting to do for a while now.
I toyed around with some ideas about how Merihim's personality would be. He's a wrath demon so I could have him more angry and warrior-like, but I decided having him as a snarky self-absorbed bastard would be more fun to write.
Mammon was another fun one, I really like being able to do surreal characters like demons. They give me an excuse to be creative with this stuff... also, yes I was planning on having Mr. Maroon turn out to be Mammon since we introduced him back in Bloody Aces & Eights. There's a reason why 'Maroon' and 'Mammon' sound so similar.
Anyways, this concludes the storyline in Texas. There's another story I may upload that explains where Sammi, who was mentioned above, came from... but it gets pretty fetishy and tends to be more cutesy schtick than anything. I had fun with it, but I'm not really sure it'll make that great a story. That and the RP logs for it are on my old computer (I got a new Dell PC as a graduation gift at the start of the year) and it'll be a while before I can be arsed into getting the data from my old HD transferred over.
I am going to eventually, I need to reformat the computer so I can send it off to my boyfriend to replace his. My old HP Pavilion may be a bit creaky, but it still holds up fine... his computer on the other hand is held together by duct tape and happy thoughts and is cobbled together from whatever they could find at thrift stores... so yeah.","writing":"The story begins with Trixie outside shooting some cans as she tries to work out how to deal with McCall. Nelen recently found out that McCall will be returning to Texas soon and it’s a safe bet that once he does he’ll attempt to attack the ranch again. So long as he uses proxies like Coyote he’s untouchable, they can’t trace it back to him.\nAs she’s shooting Lupe comes up to her with an old weatherbeaten journal she found buried near the barn.\n\n[i]Trixie blinks, looking down at the girl and taking the book \"What's this, girl?”\n\nLupe spits a bit, she may act like an animal but she doesn't like the taste of dirt, \"Lupe dunno. Lupe find buried near meat.\" she says, nodding towards the cow barn. The book looks like something from about a decade ago and has a name written on the upper left corner of the inside cover. David Smith, Trixie's late uncle and former huckster. Inside is the passage from before that Lupe found but couldn't read:\n\n\"I found it! I finally found it! That bastard McCall's secret! He didn't just win his immortality like any old huckster, he made an honest to goodness pact with a demon straight up from Hell! Thats how he's been alive so long! I have it's sigil marked down here, all I need to do is contact that demonologist I know in New York and he can give me it's exact name! Once I have that I just have to play him in cards and win, thats all there is to it!\" reads the journal, a drawing of a circle with what appear to be two daggers crossing each other, one vertically, the other horizontally.\n\nShe bops the girl's head with the book \"Stop tryin to eat our cows\" she says before flipping through the book \"This is uncle David's...\" she says, frowning a bit as she looks at the passage with the symbol \"Holy shit...\"[/i]\n\nAs she looks through the journal Nelen pulls into the drive with several of the group in an SUV. They’d gone to the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy one last moment of peace before McCall’s return. He sees her reading the book and comes up to her, asking what she’s looking at. Arja, Simoni, and Stephy are in the SUV, along with a young ice mage they met in Houston recently known as Sammi Montebank. Sammi is a part-fae boy from France who makes a living as a stage magician of sorts.\n\n[i]Trixie Smith grins, thrusting the journal out to him, still open to that page. \"TELL ME YOU KNOW THIS SYMBOL!\" she shouts, laughing a bit, \"Lupe found my uncle's journal, I can beat him, I just need to know what this means!\"\n\nNelen steps back a bit at the sudden thrust, then takes the journal and heads closer to the house, adjusting his glasses. \"Hum... lets see here...\" he looks it over, then whistles, \"Yeah, I recognize it... it's definitely one of the host of Hell...\" he says, \"Huh, which one...\" he tilts his head at it, reading the inscription again...\n\nAs he looks one of his arms gives an odd spasm, and he winces, then his eyes widen. \"Oh fuck... yeah, that would make a lot of sense if...\" he closes the journal and takes a deep breath, \"Okay, shit... No wonder he had such a hard-on for this place...\" he nods, \"Trixie, we need to have a chat with everyone inside. C'mon.\" he says, heading into the house as Lupe shrugs at her and follows him.\n\nTrixie nods, moving behind him, still grinning \"As long as I can kill that son of a bitch I don't care if he's got the devil himself in his corner...\"\n\nNelen glances back over his shoulder, \"Be careful what you wish for Trixie.\"[/i]\n\nInside Nelen reveals what he’s found. The symbol in the book is the sigil of one of the seven princes of Hell. Henry McCall apparently made a pact with him some time in the past when he first began his company which has allowed him to become semi-immortal, through gambling with others for their lives.\n\nHowever, pacts like this have a flaw. If one can name the demon he made his pact with they can demand a duel against them. By the terms of the contract they’re forced to accept or it’s considered a forefit on them, thus ending their contract (and their lives usually).\n\nNelen doesn’t recognize which of the seven the sigil is specifically, but given McCall’s business in casinos and gambling it’s a safe bet as to which. Its also a safe bet that the journal is the reason why McCall wanted the ranch in the first place. He knew that it must’ve been hidden here and he wanted to buy the ranch so he could find and destroy the journal before someone could learn the secret of his immortality.\n\n[i]Nelen nods, \"More or less, knowing it's name will at least get us in the door without getting shot.\" he replies, then leans back and scratches at his beard, \"There's seven princes of Hell, one for each of the seven major sins, and they're some of the most powerful beings in the pit. The only one above them in Hell's heirarchy would be Lucifer himself.\" he nods, \"Given McCall's business with casinos I'd, hah, bet that we're dealing with Mammon, prince of Greed.\" he nods. \"Girls, again... we may be in over our heads. We can take out McCall, but that still leaves his demon partner to deal with... and the princes of hell are... well...\" he glances at Arja and Simoni, \"I'll be blunt, that Rakshasa we fought would be an angry hornet in comparison. If we defeat McCall and it decides it wants revenge... we're dead.\"[/i]\n\nNelen advocates caution, the princes of Hell are some of the most powerful beings in existence and any one of them would be more than a match for the group even if they all fought together. Trixie, however, is raring to go head to head now that she’s found a way to strike back at the man who’s been harassing her family.\n\n[i]Trixie shakes her head angrily at that \"No, fuck that. This thing made a deal with him, prince or whatever, he clearly likes this shit, so I'll go in there, I'll tell him I know his boss, and I'll settle this once and for all. If this demon wants revenge we'll deal with that later, right now I gotta protect my family. If this was your house would you talk about being in over your head?\"\n\nNelen nods, \"Mm...\" he grunts, glancing around the room. Simoni is nodding in agreement with Trixie, \"Look, Hell demons always work in deals and such right? So long as we don't agree to anything the demon says he can't actually touch us.\" she comments. Lupe just rrfs and scratches at her ear, \"Eh, demon, human, Lupe bite until they stop.\" she grins, showing her fangs.\n\nOnly Dawn seems worried, the cat unusually quiet... her eyes seem to keep glancing towards Nelen's arms for some reason...\n\nTrixie nods \"He's comin’ back today right? We're endin this, he tried to fuckin’ kill my family, I'm not stopping until one of us is dead. You can help or you can get out of the way, but that's how shit works down here.\"\n\nNelen sighs, \"Fine, fine. I guess majority rules here.\" he says, getting up to his feet. \"Kids, go get dressed. McCall should be back in Texas now and his penthouse is apparently above one of his Casinos. Lets just... get this over with.\" he nods, heading into his own room to get out of his swim trunks.\n\nDawn glances at Trixie, then at him, then vanishes. There's a faint sound of bedsprings as she most likely reappears in his room, followed by voices through the door, though they're too indistinct to make out. \"I wonder what that was all about...\" says Simoni in a confused tone, the girl already heading up the stairs to get out of her salt-soaked bathing suit.\n\nTrixie Smith shakes her head as she goes to change \"Look if any of you don't want to come and get in danger that's fine, no one but me has to go\" she says as she walks to her room to change.\n\nSimoni shakes her head as she heads upstairs alongside her, \"Nah, we've fought down all sorts of nasty stuff together right? I'm in.\" she grins, \"And I know Arja wouldn't want to turn down something like this... just, I wonder why Nelen is so freaked out. He knows that those things can't do much unless you give them a way to affect you...\"[/i]\n\nStephy is asleep on the bed as they enter the room he and Trixie share, the young boy all tired out from their day at the beach.\n\n[i]Trixie sighs, \"Well maybe he has a good reason to be nervous.\" she says as she looks at Stephy, \"...Leave him here, no reason for him to worry, I should be back soon...\" she says, looking a bit softly at the boy before shaking her head, moving to her closet to change into a snug dark blue suit with a black shirt under it, putting her guns up but grabbing her 'lucky' cards just in case.\n\nWhen she comes back out Nelen is already in his usual jeans, teeshirt, cloth jacket, and baseball hat. He seems distracted, but ready to go... almost resigned in a way. Dawn is next to him wearing a pair of bluejeans, her Cheshire Cat teeshirt, a sock hat, and sunglasses, sticking close to him for some reason. She's grinning, but in a halfhearted way.\n\nSimoni is also all set, the garuda wearing a denim knee-skirt, green tank top, and her long black sleevless jacket along with flip flop sandals that can be easily kicked off if, say, she wanted bare feet quickly for some reason. \n\"Right, anyone else coming?\" asks Nelen, glancing around the room.\n\nArja raises her hand, dressed in a snug green shirt with a cartoon monkey face on it and jeans, \"I'm in.\" she says calmly, nodding to Simoni with a smile. Sammi, meanwhile, shakes his head, \"I'll man the fort back here, no offense but casinos are big markets for me, besides I can distract Stephy if he wakes.\"\n\nNelen's eye twitches, \"Right.\" he says, \"Probably a good idea anyways. McCall doesn't know we've found this yet, so I wouldn't put it past him to send someone like Coyote to cause trouble.\" he glances around at the four girls, then nods and sighs, heading back out to the car. Once everyone is in he sets the GPS for McCall's casino and pulls out of the drive, heading back towards Houston. \"You're sure you want to do this Trixie? You do realize what'll happen if you lose, right?\" he asks, Simoni wincing a bit as she remembers that ghost they met in the Underworld.\n\nTrixie nods, \"I'm the only one who has a chance of winnin’ this game to begin with, I'm sure a game like this takes place in the hunting grounds in some way, if I don't do this I'm gonna die anyway, least this way I'm gonna force him to use all his tricks then if...I do lose...you can...\" she trails off at that, frowning as she looks out the window \"I'll win.\"\n\nNelen shakes his head, \"If you do lose we haul ass out of here as fast as we can. From what I could gather about McCall's pact it makes him effectively immortal unless someone beats him at cards.\" he replies, \"Arja could burn him to ash, he'd be good as new tomorrow. That's the whole point, a demon like Mammon would be able to bring him back from anything short of a nuclear strike on Houston, and even then there's a good chance McCall would walk out without so much as dirt on his shoes.\" he nods, the city limits coming into view.\n\nEventually, the casino comes into view and Nelen pulls into the parking lot. He parks and gets out as the group heads inside, then heads up to the front desk. \"Excuse me.\" he says to the receptionist, his tone going from serious to friendly and businesslike, \"Is Mr. McCall in?\" he asks. She nods and he says, \"Give him a call really fast and tell him that Mr. Smith and party are here to see him about a high stakes game. Tell him that a Mr. Mammon told us to stop by.\" he grins. The casino is very, very impressive. Gold railing on the stairs, lots of bright lights, a huge fountain in the middle of the lobby with a gold statue of a man in a suit from the 1800s with a plaque next to it reading 'Henry McCall the First, founder of McCall amusements'.\n\nShe gives him an odd look but makes the call. Her face goes slack as she hears whatever is going through on the other line, then nods to him, \"Um... Mr. McCall says he'd like to speak to you right away. That elevator over there will take you to the penthouse.\" she gestures to one in the far wall.[/i]\n\nNelen nods to the receptionist and the group heads into the elevator, the receptionist giving them one last odd look at the fact that it’s a guy and several young kids in a casino, a rare sight in of itself… but if the owner wants to see them then that’s that. Trixie tells Nelen to get her family out if this all goes bad, that they can hide out in Louisiana while McCall levels the ranch.\n\nAs they head upwards they get a good view of the casino through the elevator doors.\n\n[i]The front doors are glass, clearly designed to impress, and they can see all the patrons of the casino playing at blackjack, at slots, at roulette and poker and a million and one other ways that all say 'play me and win big! You can get rich in a single night here! The odds may be against you, but who knows? Maybe you're the lucky one!'.\n\n\"A prayer wheel...\" mutters Nelen. Simoni blinks and looks at him, \"Huh?\" she asks. Nelen shakes his head, \"Demons are fed by the sin they represent. In this case it's greed. McCall's casinos are feeding Mammon's power. Like water on a prayer wheel, every time someone cuts work, steals to play another round, or mortgages their house to keep going, well...\" he gestures out the window, \"It feeds Mammon.\"\n\nTrixie nods \"So how does a ranch feed Mammon then? Looks like he's eatin’ pretty well as it is.\"\n\nAs she says this an intercom in the lift sparks to life and a cultured voice with a distinct southern drawl comes out of it, \"Why, it doesn't m'dear. I just wanted to find that dirty little secret of mine that your late uncle stumbled across.\" says the voice in it. \"Oh my lawyer kept trying to talk me out of it, said that it was a waste of time and effort and that we wouldn't be able to use the land but... well... its the principle of the thing y'see.\" he says, as casual as if he was just chatting with a news reporter.\n\n\"I don't know where he'd hidden it and, well, I don't care now. All I need to do is sort out one little loose end and I can have Coyote go and burn your little farm to the ground.\" he sneers, \"My dear I don't know how good you are at cards and, to be blunt, I don't give a damn. You're young, you have a lot of years to gamble with, and that's enough for me. If you want to settle this like we would have in the old days, the ol' six shooters at dawn schtick, then by all means I'll take you up on it.\"\n\nTrixie smirks, looking up at the speaker \"Yea, I got a whole life's worth of years to gamble with, so the pot better be pretty big, and if you think that I'm dumb enough to come here without a plan to beat you, you may be the dumbest guy in the world.\" She just keeps grinning at that, staring right into the security camera in the lift.\nHe laughs in response to that, \"My dear, do you know what every Casino in this fine nation says to those who 'know' how to beat the system? We say 'welcome, come right in'.\" he replies, and then his tone turns cold, \"I have been doing this longer than your little ranch has even existed. You will lose and you will die.\" he says firmly, then the connection cuts off as the door opens. The room is dark, lit only by a single lamp above a poker table. A dealer is standing next to it, the 'man' seeming to be cloaked in shadows with just two faint pinpricks for eyes, and seated on the opposite side of the table is a blonde haired man in a white suit with a bright blue tie. His teeth are perfect, his skin free of any blemishes, and he doesn't look a day over twenty five... and hasn't for about two hundred years. \"Welcome to my 'high stakes' game Miss Smith.\" he says with a grin, \"Come try your luck.\" he gestures to the chair across from him. \"One on one only, but your friends can stay and watch.\"[/i]\n\nAs the group enters the doors clang shut and the elevator goes back down, trapping them in the penthouse. After all, McCall doesn’t want them to bail if the going gets rough.\n\n[i]Trixie nods, motioning for the group to stay back as she walks to the chair \"There's a saying my grandpa said once. If you look around the poker table and don't see the chump, then it's you, but if you look around the table and see nothing but chumps, you're about to have a bad wakeup call...”\n\nMcCall laughs at that, \"Good! Glad to finally have someone with some backbone to play against!\" he grins as the shadowy dealer shuffles the deck and starts to deal out the cards. \"Game is five card draw, jokers wild.\" he nods to her, picking up his cards and looking over them. \"As I was saying, its nice to have someone who has some backbone. Usually I wait until I get word of some deadbeat who's deep in debt to my casino and offer to let them play against me to get that debt cleared.\" he smirks, \"They bet what they have, though they don't know what that is until they're in here, and they're promised a pot of fifty grand and their entire debt to my casino forgiven if they win.\" he chuckles, \"I should mention I'm undefeated.\" he nods as he puts two cards onto the table and takes two more from the dealer. As he's doing this Trixie becomes aware of a pile of silvery poker chips sitting next to her, shimmering like heat in the summertime as if they're not really there... about eighty chips or so, the words 'one year' stamped onto each one.\n\nTrixie nods, looking at her cards and chips \"Meal's a meal though, right?\" she says, putting two chips in the pot to start with and asking for one card. \"I got a friend, nice girl, a vampire, she has favorite meals and all but hey, gotta eat sometimes and all you have is fast food.\" she says as she rearranges her cards a few times. \"You take a lot of kids' years?\"\n\nMcCall shakes his head, matching your two chips and raising five. His pile is substantially bigger, easily a few hundred. He seems set for the next couple centuries already. \"Of course not, nobody under twenty one in the casino proper.\" he replies, \"Mind you, this is a 'special' exception from one practitioner to another.\" he nods. \"Call.\" he says, showing his hand. Its a full house, king high.\n\nTrixie nods, meeting his bet and revealing her own hand, a pair of threes. \"Mhm.\" she says, sounding unphased \"I am at a pretty big disadvantage no matter what, though.\" she muses \"I mean, I understand it's silly to expect to be equal with the house, but this is a friendly game, isn't it? Seems a bit unfair you have, what, two, near three centuries and I have eighty years? This is low stakes for you at a certain point...I mean, if you're cool playin small ball that's fine, I'm sure after...gonna guess two hundred eighty-five years you're REALLY gonna be hurtin for an extra eighty, got a lot of big plans for that last eighty years you need locked in...\"\n\nMcCall chuckles, \"Whats the matter little missy? All you have to do is win a few hands and you could be the one sitting on two centuries of life instead of me.\" he replies, the dealer sending out another hand.\n\nShe knew she'd never win a card game with him, this was a con. \"Yea that's true...or I could bet bigger myself.\" she says, setting her hand down and reaching to her coat pocket \"The journal's moot, but my uncle had more than that, he had a secret room.\" she says, pulling out a piece of paper...the farm's deed! \"Now, you could send your man to burn down a farm full of women and children and he...may do that, he strikes me as enough of a shitbag to think that's ok...or you could own it, secret rooms and all.\" She grins a bit at that \"Uncle may have been dumb as a brick...sad to say I take after him a bit, did ya know I had to retake second grade? Seriously what was confusin’ me there, macaroni art?\" She laughs softly, wanting to play to his ego and, most importantly, his greed. If he was dedicated to that sin, she'd play to it... \"Grandpa though, boy he was smart, he didn't have any feud with you but he had plenty of books on demon princes himself, see he was workin’ on the theory the spirits you and I gamble with are just demons, so, ya know, know the boss. He's got journals on near all the princes I think, gluttony, lust, pride, wrath... Pretty sure he's got a couple on your boy too.\" she nods to the dealer. It was an absolute bluff, but she knew McCall was already feeling like he won, and just the thought of all that could play well to his greed...\n\n\"Make ya a deal, one hand, we both go all in, includin’ this deed, and, like you said, we settle this like we used to, one hand, one draw, six shooters style.\"\n\nMcCall raises his eyebrow, he looks intrigued... then he sighs, \"Hmm... thats a tempting offer. Pity too... I was hoping I could draw this one out a while, but I suppose you young people are just so damned impatient...\" he replies, pushing his pot forward, \"Alrighty, one hand and one draw.\" he smirks, \"Ladies first.\" he smiles, gesturing to her.\n\nTrixie grins, alright... time to test the theory. She was pretty fucked no matter what here, might as well go all in in every sense of the word. McCall would no doubt feel the surge of energy as she channeled power into her cards. They weren't hers, but knowing this game they probably had juju of their own on them, she just had to access it. Her card shift faces, going from a hand of nothing to a full house, but that's not the important part, that was just about making sure she fulfilled the anal parts of the deal with a technical winning hand. If the dealer was what she thought, a demon or something like it, then this should count as one of her hunting ground games just like when she's casting spells...\n\n\"Two centuries or so, takin’ advantage of grown men with nothing left, boy you must have a lot of ghosts in your closet... LET'S SEE EM!\" she grins, blood was flowing from her nose as she put everything she had into one spell, literally tearing the barrier between the mundane world and the Underworld, calling out to every spirit McCall wronged to get his immortality as she drops her cards face up, already looking pale from the drain though. \"This stupid ass plan may kill me...but you and I are goin down together at least.\"\n\nMcCall sees the full house, glances around the room at all the spirits around him, then laughs. \"Hah! Good trick there girl, good trick... but I'm afraid that's not quite gonna do it.\" he says with a sneer... \"Royal flush m'dear.\" he replies, putting his cards down on the table. Five bright red cards... King, Queen, Jack, Ten, and... four? The four of diamonds.\n\nTrixie laughs loudly as she leans back in her chair, looking about to pass out \"Sorry old guy, all that counts is what's on the table, right, dealer?\" she grins to the hooded figure, looking back to Simoni, she legitimately had no idea how that four got there. Ripping the hole was her big trump card, she figured when she died she'd at least drag him down with her...\n\nMcCall blinks, then looks down. \"What? I...\" his face goes pale, \"No... wait, that was an ace. That was the ace of hearts!\" he looks around as the ghosts start to move forwards, \"No dammit! I never lose!\" he growls, his handsome face twisted in fury as he reaches into his coat and pulls out a handgun, pointing it at Trixie, \"I NEVER LOSE! I AM IMMORTAL!\" he roars... then his hand trembles as the skin on it suddenly sprouts liver spots, his veins showing through as his gun falls from his hand and clatters on the table. \"No...\" he gasps, his hair starting to turn grey as his teeth begin to fall out. \"No! You bitch! YOU BITCH! I'LL GET YOU!\" he yells, his voice sounding old and strained as he tries to come across the table, only to fall onto it as his face sinks into lines and wrinkles, his hair falling out. He reaches out one hand towards Trixie as his skin starts to flake, then crack and fall off, revealing muscles and bones, his eyes sinking in as two centuries of time catches up with him all at once... and then, finally, he goes limp, nothing but a mummified corpse in an expensive suit.\n\nOne by one, the ghosts wink out of existence, going back to the Underworld as they all look towards Trixie as if in thanks. Behind her Simoni cheers as Dawn leans back and grins, Nelen letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.\n\nTrixie laughs weakly, shaking her head \"You ain't gettin outta there, big guy, you got a lot of friends who wanna play...\" she says, pulling the chips and deed back to her before looking to Dawn \"You give me that assist, kitty?\"\n\nDawn whistles, \"Noooooo idea what you're talking about~\" she replies as the dealer looks at Trixie curiously, the elevator moving behind the group as it comes back up. [/i]\n\nWhat happened was thus; While Trixie had kept McCall distracted Dawn had used her Wonderland Eyes to trick McCall into believing he had a royal straight flush, convincing him that he could win no matter what. McCall was already using his own huckster magic to cheat, so all she did is make him think he got the card he wanted when he really didn’t. Having put down his hand too soon and having gotten a random card instead of the Ace of Hearts his royal straight flush had changed to a king high and nothing else, which couldn’t beat Trixie’s full house. \n\nTrixie ripping open the veil between the living and dead with her own magic may have almost killed her, but it kept McCall from noticing Dawn using her own powers to trick him.\n\n[i]Trixie shakes her head, looking at the dealer as she stands \"You work for him or Mammon?\" she says, tossing him a couple chips from the large pile as a 'tip'. \"Tell him his butt boy here is dead and he ain't comin’ back, but he can have the casino, that's what's feeding him, right? Just stick some random cultist in power and you keep your all you can eat buffet...just NEVER bother the Smith family again, in person or through proxy...you tell him it's that or we're comin’ back and blowing this place up and he loses everything.\" Seems the girl felt some brass balls after the whole 'looking into the face of death and living' thing. \"I don't want any fight with a demon prince, and he don't need some asshole causing trouble for him in his name anyway, win win, right?\"\n\nThe doors open with a faint ding and the sound of footsteps echo across the floor, \"Very well then.\" says the voice of Mr. Maroon, McCall's lawyer, as he enters the room. \"Sorry to interrupt your victory dance there, but I felt McCall die and I wanted to come confirm it for myself.\" he says, the short balding man nodding politely to Trixie as he enters the area.\n\nTrixie nods, \"Yea, he's currently having some fun time with his victims. Lemmie guess, you're the brains of the operation here?\" She didn't know demons well, but she knew cons, and a smart grifter always made sure they were just a step behind the seat of power, thrones make great shields when you're not sitting in them.\n\nMr. Maroon nods to her, \"Very astute. I could tell that first day we met back on Thanksgiving that you would be one to watch young lady.\" he replies, blinking his eyes. When they open back up they're the shiny gold of a freshly minted coin with goat-like slits for pupils. \"Mammon, prince of Greed at your service.\" he says with a bow. As soon as his eyes change the entire group staggers, his demonic presence filling the room. He is STRONG. He could eat a Rakshasa, he could take down a dozen alone, hell they could combine into a Super Rakshasa and he'd still win. Any one of the group would wind up dead if they tried to fight him.\n\nHe casually walks over to McCall's body, not acknowledging the effect he had, and looks him over as he makes a tsking sound, \"I told him to leave the ranch alone. Nobody knew about your uncle's journal, but they always get so damn paranoid after the first century.\" he sighs like a disappointed schoolteacher who sees an otherwise bright student get a D- on a test. \"So... Normally when something like this happens the first offer of that power goes to the victor. What do you say Ms. Smith, would you like to live forever?\" he asks with a grin, his teeth now pointed with jagged saw-like edges to them.\n\nTrixie shakes her head, \"Nah.\" she says, pocketing the deed. She sure as shit already felt weak and knocked out from that spell, Mammon's little show almost knocked her over... \"Let's just call it done here, gimmie my eighty back I gambled with, keep this casino that seems to be doin’ fine regardless of who's in charge, we call this square.\" She was a gambler, but she didn't need to be told trying to make a deal with a demon this strong wasn't a good idea, especially in her current state. \"But hey, if your casino buffet needs beef, the Smith ranch has the best cows in Texas.\" she says with a laugh. \"I gamble with demons or... whatever those things are... near every day, I don't got anything against you, just don't wanna wind up... ya know\" she nods to the mummy man, \"Like you said, first century and on gets tricky, and really what's the point beyond then.\"\n\nMammon shrugs, \"Pity. You have some potential, but if you're to throw away your soul it has to be of your own choice.\" he replies, \"But then, you'd know with someone like that in your group wouldn't you?\" he asks, snapping his fingers. There's a burst of acrid black smoke and McCall's body is seated back in his chair, looking just as it did when he was alive. \"There, autopsy will show that he died of a sudden brain aneurysm. No foul play at all.\" he nods.\n\nTrixie nods \"Yea, if I ever get the urge to go immortal I'll bug Nat.\" she chuckles, nodding at the body \"Good then, I think we're all good here then, casino for you, no asshole messin’ with my family for me, and hey…\" she reaches into her pocket and tosses a five dollar bill at the dealer, \"Get cloaky here a nicer robe, he looks like a rejected Druid from WWE, there, we all win, lucky lucky day at the casino.\" she says, making her way to the lift, mouthing 'move move move', obviously not wanting to press her luck any further.\n\nMammon points at the elevator and the doors suddenly clang shut, sealing themselves. \"A moment please, I want to have a word with you.\" he says, turning to the group and looking at Nelen, who begins to sweat. \"What?\" he asks, his voice shaking a bit, \"Look, we're done here Mammon. We're just leaving.\" he says as the demon smirks, \"No, I think we're not. Your friend didn't react at all when I mentioned that she has someone in her group like McCall...\" he nods, his sharp teeth showing, \"You never told them where your power comes from did you?\" he asks as Dawn looks nervously between him and Mammon, Simoni scared but unable to hide her sudden curiosity.\nTrixie frowns a little bit, \"Come on, ya got a good deal here, no reason to play Mr. Smug Demon Prince still, you already won good…\"\n\nMammon glances at Trixie and for a moment she can almost see a glimpse of his true self...\n\nIts like how an NPC in an online game might feel if they looked at a player character and were somehow able to see past the small avatar at the real person controlling them. She gets a glimpse of a gigantic creature made of wealth, all gold, silver, and precious gemstones... but streaked with blood and viscera as it sits upon it's throne. Cracks in it's skin reveal it to be empty inside, yet still it radiates a power and intones feelings of desire, avarice, and a longing to have more than you already do. Mammon's true form is all the things that humans value and how hollow that wealth truly is, coated in all the blood and pain that humanity causes over such things. The blood from a gunshot when a mugger robs someone, the blood from the feet and hands of a slave forced to mine diamonds in Africa as they're worked into an early grave, the blood of someone who hangs themselves when their finances crumble... all of it feeds Mammon.\n\nIts only for a moment, and then the image is gone, replaced by the slightly inhuman lawyer. \"I know I won, but I do so love doing this...\" he grins, \"As I was saying, your friend didn't tell you where he got his powers, did he?\" he asks again as Nelen presses himself to the wall, the demon looking him over with it's golden goat-slitted eyes. \"Why not? You trust your friends don't you Nelen Balint Fullmoon?\" he asks.\n\nTrixie takes in a breath when she glimpses the real figure behind the avatar, feeling dizzy as her already weakened mind takes that form in just for a second...\"Nnngh…\" she groans, looking a bit shaky on her feet as Arja walks up, frowning still, \"It's fine, Nelen, you know we trust you.\"[/i]\n\nMammon makes a gesture and Nelen is suddenly lifted off his feet, then traces his sigil in the air, telling the group that every warlock, one who uses demons, has their patron demon’s symbol somewhere on their body, and then asks Arja specifically if she may have seen something similar on Nelen’s body somewhere.\n\nArja seems confused and asks if Mammon is the source of Nelen’s blood magic, to which the demon prince laughs.\n\n[i]Mammon laughs, \"Hah! No no, I'm not... My powers are of greed and avarice girl, not blood and disease...\" he replies, then tosses Nelen to a far wall where he lets out a sudden pained gasp when he hits it, \"No no, I know that at least one of you must have seen his symbol by now...\" he walks to Nelen, extending the nail on his index finger into a long sharp blade. \"He's been using those bandages to seal it I see...\" he sniffs, \"Hmph, someone taught this boy well, normally he'd be in full control by now.\" he mutters.\n\n\"Well...\" he smirks, leaning in as Nelen watches with wide terrified eyes, \"Why don't we introduce your companion to your friends?\" he asks, then slashes with his finger, shredding the bandages on Nelen's hands. For an instant the sigils carved into his palms glow a bright bloody red, then Nelen cries out in pain as all his blood bursts out at once in a shower of fanged and bladed tendrils.\n\n\"... Really now, save the show for someone who cares boy.\" says Mammon in an irritated voice as the tendrils lash at him without causing any apparent injury... then slowly they start to meld together, pooling infront of Nelen as they take on a vaguely humanoid shape. Its skeletal thin with long grasping arms and hands, no legs (the blood vanishing into Nelen's body) and no face save for a pair of bloody clots where the eyes would be. The fangs that usually sprout from the tendrils making a crown like shape around the creature's head. \"Ladies...\" says Mammon, \"... and otherwise.\" he adds, glancing at Trixie with a sneer, \"May I introduce one of the valued servants of Sathanus, prince of Wrath... I give you, Merihim, lord of Pestilence.\" he says with a flourish, the blood-demon turning to stare at the girls in an almost hungry sort of way, Nelen gasping for breath as he looks to be on the verge of blacking out.\n\nArja growls at that, teeth turning to her iron fangs as she barks out \"That's enough! You've made your point!\" Her eyes were locked on the demon coming from Nelen, apparently the smell of blood and the presence of a servant of Wrath were enough to bring out her more 'savage' side as she breathes heavily \"Put him back!\"\n\nMammon stares at Arja and she's suddenly sent flying backwards, slamming into a wall. \"Manners, young lady.\" he replies calmly. \"As I was saying, normally Merihim is in full control of his host by now, but it seems this young warlock has found a way of containing him...\" he tsks, \"Dear dear, we can't have that... Well, you cost me my own warlock, perhaps I should deal with this one and let him free to find a new playmate.\" he says, reaching out for Nelen's head as if to snap his neck...\n\n... only to pause as he suddenly has several sharp blades at his throat made out of Merihim's body. \"... what exactly do you think you're playing at? You know that won't kill me...\" he asks the bloody creature, Merihim responding in a sort of low hissing sound. \"... Hm? You'd rather... why? He's just some mortal, its not like you ever gave a damn about any of the other meat suits you've worn through the eons.\" he asks.\n\nAnother hissed reply, \"... really?\" asks Mammon, sounding honestly surprised at something. He glances towards \nArja, and then Simoni. The young garuda is kneeling next to where Arja landed, glancing between her and Nelen with wide horrified eyes. \"... them? They're actually capable of...\" he starts, Merihim nodding.\n\nMammon looks back at the girls and his face splits into a wide grin, almost too wide as it seems his sharp-fanged mouth is momentarily too big for his human body, \"How amusing...\"\n\nArja growls as she pulls herself up, she was hurt but she still strode over to Mammon with a glare on her face, \"What's funny now?\" Her eyes bright yellow as well now, her own divine blood flaring up, obviously no match for Mammon regardless, but clearly intending to show him he couldn't throw her around and control her so easy, children of the monkey king had long histories of thumbing their nose at authority just because they could.\n\nMammon raises one eyebrow at Arja, seeming bemused by her anger more than anything, \"Hmmm... divine blood in you, yes perhaps...\" he chuckles, \"Children, my dear colleague here informs me that you are apparently planning on doing battle with one Franklin Douglas Fullmoon in the near future.\" he says to everyone, \"A bearer of one of the mundane blades, and... you intend to destroy his sword?\" he asks.\n\nArja nods, looking between the two \"Well sure can't leave it lying around after we kill him. Lotta shit like demons around these days you know.\"\n\nMammon chuckles, \"Tell me young lady. What will happen when the blade is destroyed?\" he asks, still grinning at her.\n\nArja keeps her eyes locked on Mammon at that, frowning, \"We have a general idea…\" she says, wary of revealing too much to him about their plan.\n\nMammon smirks, \"My dear, has anyone ever told you that you have a terrible poker face?\" he sneers, \"You have no idea whatsoever. Just a few possibilities.\" he replies, then he throws his head back and laughs, \"Oh this is TOO entertaining! Very well very well, I have no desire to stop such a wonderful little turn of events.\" he nods, gesturing to Merihim. The blood demon looks at Arja, leans in as if to sniff at her, then slowly shrinks as the color returns to Nelen's body. After a few moments all that's left of the wrath demon's presence is the bloody sigils on his palms.\n\n\"Have your warlock back.\" he smirks, gesturing as Nelen is suddenly thrown the length of the room to land with a sudden yowling sound (he landed on Dawn), \"It hardly matters, he's doomed anyways.\" he smirks, turning his back to the group as he walks back over to McCall's body. \"You're free to go, have fun with your little crusade. I hope it all turns out exactly as you want it to.\" he grins as Dawn scrambles out from Nelen, fishes out his spare bandages, and quickly re-wraps his hands, redoing Merihim's seal before the demon can get second thoughts.\n\nArja just keeps glaring at the man as the others scramble to help Dawn out \"We call them different things, but my kin have a long history of killing demons that underestimate us. You should be careful how you treat your entertainment, hate for the dancing monkey to get angry and remember it has fangs still.\" she says, turning at that and waving to her friends to get to the elevator again, \"The deal's done, if I smell demon anywhere near me after tonight they're coming back to Hell broken, I don't care what sign or banner or whatever you want to call it they have, Hanuman's holdings are free of the infernal.\"\n\nMammon smirks, \"Tell that to your warlock. He's certainly not.\" he sneers as the elevator doors close. The group makes their way out to the parking lot, but there's a slight issue... Nelen hasn't woken up yet. Merihim fully manifesting seems to have severely weakened him and, well, he's the only one who can drive. \"So... um... That was, something...\" says Dawn in a forced cheerful tone, glancing between Arja (who still looks furious) and Simoni (who looks like she might be sick). \"... How are we getting home?\" she asks.[/i]\n\nNelen’s current unconscious state leaves the group in a pickle. He’s the only one with a driver’s license, none of the others are sixteen yet! They could probably manage to get home alright, but after a night like tonight it may be best to avoid anything that could attract the wrong sort of attention from the police…\n\n[i]Trixie Smith huffs as Arja focuses on taking her anger out on a garbage can nearby, kicking and punching it angrily as she shouts in Hindi...\"Well...shit none of my family is in Houston and he looks out pretty cold...”\n\nDawn watches Arja trash the trash for a moment, then sighs, \"Well, I guess we could always get a hotel or something. Usually when this happens he's only out for a few hours, day at worst...\" she says, then suddenly Nelen twitches and says, in a raspy voice, \"That won't be necessary...\"\n\nTrixie blinks \"That sounds bad...\"\n\nDawn looks relieved... until Nelen straightens up and she gets a good look at him. His eyes, the entire eyeball, is dyed the color of fresh blood. \"Mnn...\" he stretches, popping his neck a few times, \"If this meatsack can handle a motor vehicle, how hard could it be?\" he asks, fishing the keys out of his pocket.\n\nTrixie frowns \"Shit, no way, you can't just ride Nelen's body, we'll just get a hotel.\" she says as Arja slams the trashcan into the ground with a loud snarl.\n\nNelen/Merihim looks at her, \"Why the hell not? I've been riding him for the past ten years now.\" he asks, heading for the car, \"Besides, I watched him do this every time he's ever been in one, it seems simple enough.\" he nods, climbing into the driver's seat. Dawn glances at Arja, then shrugs, \"Eh... why not, driven home by a homicidal life-drinking demon in my dad's body. All we need now is the radio playing 'Highway to Hell'.\"[/i]\n\nIn Nelen’s weakened state Merihim is able to seize total control of his body, at least temporarily… though the demon seems content with playing chauffer for the girls for some odd reason. Unlike the more cultured and snide Mammon however, Merihim comes off more like a young delinquent in his mannerisms. Cocky, swaggering, and foulmouthed… and also insane by any mortal standards.\n\n[i]The engine starts and Nelen/Merihim pulls out into the street... then stomps down on the gas and guns it down the road at about ninety. The demon cackles as it darts in and out of traffic, Simoni yelping as she clings to Arja and Dawn gripping her own seat with wide yellow eyes as, somehow, the vehicle makes it out of the city with no actual damage, though Merihim has to use the blood magic he shares with Nelen to create a few spikes on the road to help escape some police who decided to take too close a notice of them. Demonic reflexes or just the 'devil's luck' keeps them from winding up on the traffic alert system, but soon they're out on the highway as the possessed warlock decides to see how fast he can get this vehicle to go before the engine blows out. \"Hahaha!\" he cackles, \"You mortals make some of the best shit!\"\n\nTrixie actually blacks out on the ride, her weakened state not doing too well at high speeds... Arja, meanwhile, actually seems to enjoy the ride, laughing loudly as well as he swerves and dodges.\n\nHe gets back to the ranch, almost missing the gate entirely, then pulls three doughnuts before coming to a halt infront of the garage. \"See, this is why we don't try for Armageddon anymore.\" he nods, turning off the engine, \"This world is just too much fun! Let Heaven worry about wiping you out, we're eager to see how much more shit mortals can do.\" he smirks, sauntering into the house as he grins ear to ear.\n\nHe sees Drusilla inside and grins, then wraps an arm roughly around her shoulders and presses his mouth to her's, shoving his tongue in roughly. \"Heya blinky!\" he grins, \"Whatcha say we go see if we can wake the neighbors?\" he says, pulling her towards their room, \"Yeah I know they're about five miles away, I still want to see if we can pull it off! Lets raise some hell!\"\n\nArja shakes her head \"Ok, I know this undercuts my whole 'I'll suffer no demons' speech but I gotta admit of all the demons to be riding your brother that one at least is fun instead of a smug twat.\" he says, Dru squealing as she's kissed, blinking a bit at him \"You're... odd…\" she says, seeming confused by Nelen’s sudden personality shift, but not sounding upset...\n\nNelen/Merihim half-drags her into the bedroom, closing the door with a loud slam, and then there's a few faint crashing sounds as they apparently start to go at it. Simoni is still a bit frazzled from the trip home, but she nods weakly, then goes and lays down on the couch, gripping one of the cushions until she feels better.\n\nDawn hears Drusilla yell out something about god and then Nelen replies, 'Hey! Watch the language!' before another round of what sounds like a bed being used as a battering ram against the wall. \"Weeeeell... Apparently Merihim is a wrath demon so, yeah... I guess they're a bit more energetic than greed ones?\" she suggests, her tail still a bit fluffed out from when they almost hit a coyote and Merihim tried to chase it offroad for about ten minutes.[/i]\n\nAs Nelen/Merihim and Drusilla engage in some ‘angry’ sex, wrath demon style, Arja and Dawn discuss what to do now that McCall has been dealt with.\n\n[i]Arja smirks a bit \"Well I mean, don't get me wrong I'm sure having a demon hitching a ride on your soul isn't good no matter what, but tell Nelen to maybe let him out every so often, maybe he's like a puppy and an occasional walk will keep him calmer.\" she teases.\n\nDawn shrugs, \"Eh, maybe... there's also the thing that, apparently, anyone else who made a pact with him wound up totally possessed and killed all their friends and loved ones so Merihim could feed on their lifeforce...\" she replies, \"So... um... yeah...\" she glances away as there's a loud cracking sound. 'Get the spackle out!' cackles Nelen/Merihim. \"Cripes, it's like he's channeling his inner frat-boy.\" she winces.\n\nArja blinks at that \"Huh, well I dunno...I mean again, not trying to apologize for a clearly nuts ass demon but... he said something to Mammon back there to stop just that from happening I think. Maybe he and Nelen have a kinda... symbiosis thing going on? Like, he's a mage, and a powerful one at that, so he fights plenty of genuinely terrible threats... maybe that keeps the demon happy?\"\n\nDawn shrugs as Merihim does a trick he can do when he's in charge, forcing all his blood into a certain body part to make it bigger and stronger. He normally uses this on his host's arms to bash someone apart... but in this case... Well, after the screams die down Lupe wanders in and sniffs at the door, then tilts her head, \"Beard guy murdering big eye?\" she asks, her ear flicking.\n\nSimoni pulls a pillow over her head and pins it down to try to block out the noise as Dawn stares at the bedroom door, \"Yeah. Lets go with your theory.\" she says to Arja, \"... should we tell Drus that she's had sex with a demon after this?\" she asks.\n\nArja laughs, nodding, \"I think we have to...it'll be pretty funny.\" she says as she rubs Simoni's head.\n\nDawn nods, then flops down on the couch as the two keep going, Merihim seeming to have demonic stamina of his own. \"So, guess we're heading back to India after this?\" she asks Arja as Lupe watches at the door, jumping and barking a bit at a particularly spectacular crash as all the shaking sends the bedside lamp in there flying.\n\nArja nods \"I suppose so, gonna be nice to be back home after all this, honestly.\" she says, smiling a bit.\n\nDawn grins, \"Yeah, still... what a trip...\" she whistles, \"Y'know, I wonder where Clan Fullmoon was during all this though? I mean between the Pride Festival and Stephy setting off everyone's magic radar in Houston when he and Sammi had that pissing contest you'd think they'd have homed in on us by now.\" she comments... then shrugs, \"Eh, probably for the best. One crisis at a time.\" she nods.\n\nThe next morning Nelen sits up in bed and fumbles around for his glasses, then looks around the room. Drusilla is curled up next to him, several large bruises on her shoulders and hips despite her seeming quite content. The room is trashed in every sense of the word, the bedside table in splinters with the lamp in shards, Drusilla's clothes from last night hanging from what's left of the ceiling fan, the 'bed' is just the mattress and box springs piled up on the floor as the frame gave out around three in the morning, and there's several holes in the wall above it where Drus was pounding on it... He takes this all in, then takes his glasses back off. \"I don't even want to know.\" he says, then lays back down and goes back to sleep.[/i]\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"The story begins with Trixie outside shooting some cans as she tries to work out how to deal with McCall. Nelen recently found out that McCall will be returning to Texas soon and it’s a safe bet that once he does he’ll attempt to attack the ranch again. So long as he uses proxies like Coyote he’s untouchable, they can’t trace it back to him.
As she’s shooting Lupe comes up to her with an old weatherbeaten journal she found buried near the barn.
Trixie blinks, looking down at the girl and taking the book "What's this, girl?”
Lupe spits a bit, she may act like an animal but she doesn't like the taste of dirt, "Lupe dunno. Lupe find buried near meat." she says, nodding towards the cow barn. The book looks like something from about a decade ago and has a name written on the upper left corner of the inside cover. David Smith, Trixie's late uncle and former huckster. Inside is the passage from before that Lupe found but couldn't read:
"I found it! I finally found it! That bastard McCall's secret! He didn't just win his immortality like any old huckster, he made an honest to goodness pact with a demon straight up from Hell! Thats how he's been alive so long! I have it's sigil marked down here, all I need to do is contact that demonologist I know in New York and he can give me it's exact name! Once I have that I just have to play him in cards and win, thats all there is to it!" reads the journal, a drawing of a circle with what appear to be two daggers crossing each other, one vertically, the other horizontally.
She bops the girl's head with the book "Stop tryin to eat our cows" she says before flipping through the book "This is uncle David's..." she says, frowning a bit as she looks at the passage with the symbol "Holy shit..."
As she looks through the journal Nelen pulls into the drive with several of the group in an SUV. They’d gone to the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy one last moment of peace before McCall’s return. He sees her reading the book and comes up to her, asking what she’s looking at. Arja, Simoni, and Stephy are in the SUV, along with a young ice mage they met in Houston recently known as Sammi Montebank. Sammi is a part-fae boy from France who makes a living as a stage magician of sorts.
Trixie Smith grins, thrusting the journal out to him, still open to that page. "TELL ME YOU KNOW THIS SYMBOL!" she shouts, laughing a bit, "Lupe found my uncle's journal, I can beat him, I just need to know what this means!"
Nelen steps back a bit at the sudden thrust, then takes the journal and heads closer to the house, adjusting his glasses. "Hum... lets see here..." he looks it over, then whistles, "Yeah, I recognize it... it's definitely one of the host of Hell..." he says, "Huh, which one..." he tilts his head at it, reading the inscription again...
As he looks one of his arms gives an odd spasm, and he winces, then his eyes widen. "Oh fuck... yeah, that would make a lot of sense if..." he closes the journal and takes a deep breath, "Okay, shit... No wonder he had such a hard-on for this place..." he nods, "Trixie, we need to have a chat with everyone inside. C'mon." he says, heading into the house as Lupe shrugs at her and follows him.
Trixie nods, moving behind him, still grinning "As long as I can kill that son of a bitch I don't care if he's got the devil himself in his corner..."
Nelen glances back over his shoulder, "Be careful what you wish for Trixie."
Inside Nelen reveals what he’s found. The symbol in the book is the sigil of one of the seven princes of Hell. Henry McCall apparently made a pact with him some time in the past when he first began his company which has allowed him to become semi-immortal, through gambling with others for their lives.
However, pacts like this have a flaw. If one can name the demon he made his pact with they can demand a duel against them. By the terms of the contract they’re forced to accept or it’s considered a forefit on them, thus ending their contract (and their lives usually).
Nelen doesn’t recognize which of the seven the sigil is specifically, but given McCall’s business in casinos and gambling it’s a safe bet as to which. Its also a safe bet that the journal is the reason why McCall wanted the ranch in the first place. He knew that it must’ve been hidden here and he wanted to buy the ranch so he could find and destroy the journal before someone could learn the secret of his immortality.
Nelen nods, "More or less, knowing it's name will at least get us in the door without getting shot." he replies, then leans back and scratches at his beard, "There's seven princes of Hell, one for each of the seven major sins, and they're some of the most powerful beings in the pit. The only one above them in Hell's heirarchy would be Lucifer himself." he nods, "Given McCall's business with casinos I'd, hah, bet that we're dealing with Mammon, prince of Greed." he nods. "Girls, again... we may be in over our heads. We can take out McCall, but that still leaves his demon partner to deal with... and the princes of hell are... well..." he glances at Arja and Simoni, "I'll be blunt, that Rakshasa we fought would be an angry hornet in comparison. If we defeat McCall and it decides it wants revenge... we're dead."
Nelen advocates caution, the princes of Hell are some of the most powerful beings in existence and any one of them would be more than a match for the group even if they all fought together. Trixie, however, is raring to go head to head now that she’s found a way to strike back at the man who’s been harassing her family.
Trixie shakes her head angrily at that "No, fuck that. This thing made a deal with him, prince or whatever, he clearly likes this shit, so I'll go in there, I'll tell him I know his boss, and I'll settle this once and for all. If this demon wants revenge we'll deal with that later, right now I gotta protect my family. If this was your house would you talk about being in over your head?"
Nelen nods, "Mm..." he grunts, glancing around the room. Simoni is nodding in agreement with Trixie, "Look, Hell demons always work in deals and such right? So long as we don't agree to anything the demon says he can't actually touch us." she comments. Lupe just rrfs and scratches at her ear, "Eh, demon, human, Lupe bite until they stop." she grins, showing her fangs.
Only Dawn seems worried, the cat unusually quiet... her eyes seem to keep glancing towards Nelen's arms for some reason...
Trixie nods "He's comin’ back today right? We're endin this, he tried to fuckin’ kill my family, I'm not stopping until one of us is dead. You can help or you can get out of the way, but that's how shit works down here."
Nelen sighs, "Fine, fine. I guess majority rules here." he says, getting up to his feet. "Kids, go get dressed. McCall should be back in Texas now and his penthouse is apparently above one of his Casinos. Lets just... get this over with." he nods, heading into his own room to get out of his swim trunks.
Dawn glances at Trixie, then at him, then vanishes. There's a faint sound of bedsprings as she most likely reappears in his room, followed by voices through the door, though they're too indistinct to make out. "I wonder what that was all about..." says Simoni in a confused tone, the girl already heading up the stairs to get out of her salt-soaked bathing suit.
Trixie Smith shakes her head as she goes to change "Look if any of you don't want to come and get in danger that's fine, no one but me has to go" she says as she walks to her room to change.
Simoni shakes her head as she heads upstairs alongside her, "Nah, we've fought down all sorts of nasty stuff together right? I'm in." she grins, "And I know Arja wouldn't want to turn down something like this... just, I wonder why Nelen is so freaked out. He knows that those things can't do much unless you give them a way to affect you..."
Stephy is asleep on the bed as they enter the room he and Trixie share, the young boy all tired out from their day at the beach.
Trixie sighs, "Well maybe he has a good reason to be nervous." she says as she looks at Stephy, "...Leave him here, no reason for him to worry, I should be back soon..." she says, looking a bit softly at the boy before shaking her head, moving to her closet to change into a snug dark blue suit with a black shirt under it, putting her guns up but grabbing her 'lucky' cards just in case.
When she comes back out Nelen is already in his usual jeans, teeshirt, cloth jacket, and baseball hat. He seems distracted, but ready to go... almost resigned in a way. Dawn is next to him wearing a pair of bluejeans, her Cheshire Cat teeshirt, a sock hat, and sunglasses, sticking close to him for some reason. She's grinning, but in a halfhearted way.
Simoni is also all set, the garuda wearing a denim knee-skirt, green tank top, and her long black sleevless jacket along with flip flop sandals that can be easily kicked off if, say, she wanted bare feet quickly for some reason.
"Right, anyone else coming?" asks Nelen, glancing around the room.
Arja raises her hand, dressed in a snug green shirt with a cartoon monkey face on it and jeans, "I'm in." she says calmly, nodding to Simoni with a smile. Sammi, meanwhile, shakes his head, "I'll man the fort back here, no offense but casinos are big markets for me, besides I can distract Stephy if he wakes."
Nelen's eye twitches, "Right." he says, "Probably a good idea anyways. McCall doesn't know we've found this yet, so I wouldn't put it past him to send someone like Coyote to cause trouble." he glances around at the four girls, then nods and sighs, heading back out to the car. Once everyone is in he sets the GPS for McCall's casino and pulls out of the drive, heading back towards Houston. "You're sure you want to do this Trixie? You do realize what'll happen if you lose, right?" he asks, Simoni wincing a bit as she remembers that ghost they met in the Underworld.
Trixie nods, "I'm the only one who has a chance of winnin’ this game to begin with, I'm sure a game like this takes place in the hunting grounds in some way, if I don't do this I'm gonna die anyway, least this way I'm gonna force him to use all his tricks then if...I do lose...you can..." she trails off at that, frowning as she looks out the window "I'll win."
Nelen shakes his head, "If you do lose we haul ass out of here as fast as we can. From what I could gather about McCall's pact it makes him effectively immortal unless someone beats him at cards." he replies, "Arja could burn him to ash, he'd be good as new tomorrow. That's the whole point, a demon like Mammon would be able to bring him back from anything short of a nuclear strike on Houston, and even then there's a good chance McCall would walk out without so much as dirt on his shoes." he nods, the city limits coming into view.
Eventually, the casino comes into view and Nelen pulls into the parking lot. He parks and gets out as the group heads inside, then heads up to the front desk. "Excuse me." he says to the receptionist, his tone going from serious to friendly and businesslike, "Is Mr. McCall in?" he asks. She nods and he says, "Give him a call really fast and tell him that Mr. Smith and party are here to see him about a high stakes game. Tell him that a Mr. Mammon told us to stop by." he grins. The casino is very, very impressive. Gold railing on the stairs, lots of bright lights, a huge fountain in the middle of the lobby with a gold statue of a man in a suit from the 1800s with a plaque next to it reading 'Henry McCall the First, founder of McCall amusements'.
She gives him an odd look but makes the call. Her face goes slack as she hears whatever is going through on the other line, then nods to him, "Um... Mr. McCall says he'd like to speak to you right away. That elevator over there will take you to the penthouse." she gestures to one in the far wall.
Nelen nods to the receptionist and the group heads into the elevator, the receptionist giving them one last odd look at the fact that it’s a guy and several young kids in a casino, a rare sight in of itself… but if the owner wants to see them then that’s that. Trixie tells Nelen to get her family out if this all goes bad, that they can hide out in Louisiana while McCall levels the ranch.
As they head upwards they get a good view of the casino through the elevator doors.
The front doors are glass, clearly designed to impress, and they can see all the patrons of the casino playing at blackjack, at slots, at roulette and poker and a million and one other ways that all say 'play me and win big! You can get rich in a single night here! The odds may be against you, but who knows? Maybe you're the lucky one!'.
"A prayer wheel..." mutters Nelen. Simoni blinks and looks at him, "Huh?" she asks. Nelen shakes his head, "Demons are fed by the sin they represent. In this case it's greed. McCall's casinos are feeding Mammon's power. Like water on a prayer wheel, every time someone cuts work, steals to play another round, or mortgages their house to keep going, well..." he gestures out the window, "It feeds Mammon."
Trixie nods "So how does a ranch feed Mammon then? Looks like he's eatin’ pretty well as it is."
As she says this an intercom in the lift sparks to life and a cultured voice with a distinct southern drawl comes out of it, "Why, it doesn't m'dear. I just wanted to find that dirty little secret of mine that your late uncle stumbled across." says the voice in it. "Oh my lawyer kept trying to talk me out of it, said that it was a waste of time and effort and that we wouldn't be able to use the land but... well... its the principle of the thing y'see." he says, as casual as if he was just chatting with a news reporter.
"I don't know where he'd hidden it and, well, I don't care now. All I need to do is sort out one little loose end and I can have Coyote go and burn your little farm to the ground." he sneers, "My dear I don't know how good you are at cards and, to be blunt, I don't give a damn. You're young, you have a lot of years to gamble with, and that's enough for me. If you want to settle this like we would have in the old days, the ol' six shooters at dawn schtick, then by all means I'll take you up on it."
Trixie smirks, looking up at the speaker "Yea, I got a whole life's worth of years to gamble with, so the pot better be pretty big, and if you think that I'm dumb enough to come here without a plan to beat you, you may be the dumbest guy in the world." She just keeps grinning at that, staring right into the security camera in the lift.
He laughs in response to that, "My dear, do you know what every Casino in this fine nation says to those who 'know' how to beat the system? We say 'welcome, come right in'." he replies, and then his tone turns cold, "I have been doing this longer than your little ranch has even existed. You will lose and you will die." he says firmly, then the connection cuts off as the door opens. The room is dark, lit only by a single lamp above a poker table. A dealer is standing next to it, the 'man' seeming to be cloaked in shadows with just two faint pinpricks for eyes, and seated on the opposite side of the table is a blonde haired man in a white suit with a bright blue tie. His teeth are perfect, his skin free of any blemishes, and he doesn't look a day over twenty five... and hasn't for about two hundred years. "Welcome to my 'high stakes' game Miss Smith." he says with a grin, "Come try your luck." he gestures to the chair across from him. "One on one only, but your friends can stay and watch."
As the group enters the doors clang shut and the elevator goes back down, trapping them in the penthouse. After all, McCall doesn’t want them to bail if the going gets rough.
Trixie nods, motioning for the group to stay back as she walks to the chair "There's a saying my grandpa said once. If you look around the poker table and don't see the chump, then it's you, but if you look around the table and see nothing but chumps, you're about to have a bad wakeup call...”
McCall laughs at that, "Good! Glad to finally have someone with some backbone to play against!" he grins as the shadowy dealer shuffles the deck and starts to deal out the cards. "Game is five card draw, jokers wild." he nods to her, picking up his cards and looking over them. "As I was saying, its nice to have someone who has some backbone. Usually I wait until I get word of some deadbeat who's deep in debt to my casino and offer to let them play against me to get that debt cleared." he smirks, "They bet what they have, though they don't know what that is until they're in here, and they're promised a pot of fifty grand and their entire debt to my casino forgiven if they win." he chuckles, "I should mention I'm undefeated." he nods as he puts two cards onto the table and takes two more from the dealer. As he's doing this Trixie becomes aware of a pile of silvery poker chips sitting next to her, shimmering like heat in the summertime as if they're not really there... about eighty chips or so, the words 'one year' stamped onto each one.
Trixie nods, looking at her cards and chips "Meal's a meal though, right?" she says, putting two chips in the pot to start with and asking for one card. "I got a friend, nice girl, a vampire, she has favorite meals and all but hey, gotta eat sometimes and all you have is fast food." she says as she rearranges her cards a few times. "You take a lot of kids' years?"
McCall shakes his head, matching your two chips and raising five. His pile is substantially bigger, easily a few hundred. He seems set for the next couple centuries already. "Of course not, nobody under twenty one in the casino proper." he replies, "Mind you, this is a 'special' exception from one practitioner to another." he nods. "Call." he says, showing his hand. Its a full house, king high.
Trixie nods, meeting his bet and revealing her own hand, a pair of threes. "Mhm." she says, sounding unphased "I am at a pretty big disadvantage no matter what, though." she muses "I mean, I understand it's silly to expect to be equal with the house, but this is a friendly game, isn't it? Seems a bit unfair you have, what, two, near three centuries and I have eighty years? This is low stakes for you at a certain point...I mean, if you're cool playin small ball that's fine, I'm sure after...gonna guess two hundred eighty-five years you're REALLY gonna be hurtin for an extra eighty, got a lot of big plans for that last eighty years you need locked in..."
McCall chuckles, "Whats the matter little missy? All you have to do is win a few hands and you could be the one sitting on two centuries of life instead of me." he replies, the dealer sending out another hand.
She knew she'd never win a card game with him, this was a con. "Yea that's true...or I could bet bigger myself." she says, setting her hand down and reaching to her coat pocket "The journal's moot, but my uncle had more than that, he had a secret room." she says, pulling out a piece of paper...the farm's deed! "Now, you could send your man to burn down a farm full of women and children and he...may do that, he strikes me as enough of a shitbag to think that's ok...or you could own it, secret rooms and all." She grins a bit at that "Uncle may have been dumb as a brick...sad to say I take after him a bit, did ya know I had to retake second grade? Seriously what was confusin’ me there, macaroni art?" She laughs softly, wanting to play to his ego and, most importantly, his greed. If he was dedicated to that sin, she'd play to it... "Grandpa though, boy he was smart, he didn't have any feud with you but he had plenty of books on demon princes himself, see he was workin’ on the theory the spirits you and I gamble with are just demons, so, ya know, know the boss. He's got journals on near all the princes I think, gluttony, lust, pride, wrath... Pretty sure he's got a couple on your boy too." she nods to the dealer. It was an absolute bluff, but she knew McCall was already feeling like he won, and just the thought of all that could play well to his greed...
"Make ya a deal, one hand, we both go all in, includin’ this deed, and, like you said, we settle this like we used to, one hand, one draw, six shooters style."
McCall raises his eyebrow, he looks intrigued... then he sighs, "Hmm... thats a tempting offer. Pity too... I was hoping I could draw this one out a while, but I suppose you young people are just so damned impatient..." he replies, pushing his pot forward, "Alrighty, one hand and one draw." he smirks, "Ladies first." he smiles, gesturing to her.
Trixie grins, alright... time to test the theory. She was pretty fucked no matter what here, might as well go all in in every sense of the word. McCall would no doubt feel the surge of energy as she channeled power into her cards. They weren't hers, but knowing this game they probably had juju of their own on them, she just had to access it. Her card shift faces, going from a hand of nothing to a full house, but that's not the important part, that was just about making sure she fulfilled the anal parts of the deal with a technical winning hand. If the dealer was what she thought, a demon or something like it, then this should count as one of her hunting ground games just like when she's casting spells...
"Two centuries or so, takin’ advantage of grown men with nothing left, boy you must have a lot of ghosts in your closet... LET'S SEE EM!" she grins, blood was flowing from her nose as she put everything she had into one spell, literally tearing the barrier between the mundane world and the Underworld, calling out to every spirit McCall wronged to get his immortality as she drops her cards face up, already looking pale from the drain though. "This stupid ass plan may kill me...but you and I are goin down together at least."
McCall sees the full house, glances around the room at all the spirits around him, then laughs. "Hah! Good trick there girl, good trick... but I'm afraid that's not quite gonna do it." he says with a sneer... "Royal flush m'dear." he replies, putting his cards down on the table. Five bright red cards... King, Queen, Jack, Ten, and... four? The four of diamonds.
Trixie laughs loudly as she leans back in her chair, looking about to pass out "Sorry old guy, all that counts is what's on the table, right, dealer?" she grins to the hooded figure, looking back to Simoni, she legitimately had no idea how that four got there. Ripping the hole was her big trump card, she figured when she died she'd at least drag him down with her...
McCall blinks, then looks down. "What? I..." his face goes pale, "No... wait, that was an ace. That was the ace of hearts!" he looks around as the ghosts start to move forwards, "No dammit! I never lose!" he growls, his handsome face twisted in fury as he reaches into his coat and pulls out a handgun, pointing it at Trixie, "I NEVER LOSE! I AM IMMORTAL!" he roars... then his hand trembles as the skin on it suddenly sprouts liver spots, his veins showing through as his gun falls from his hand and clatters on the table. "No..." he gasps, his hair starting to turn grey as his teeth begin to fall out. "No! You bitch! YOU BITCH! I'LL GET YOU!" he yells, his voice sounding old and strained as he tries to come across the table, only to fall onto it as his face sinks into lines and wrinkles, his hair falling out. He reaches out one hand towards Trixie as his skin starts to flake, then crack and fall off, revealing muscles and bones, his eyes sinking in as two centuries of time catches up with him all at once... and then, finally, he goes limp, nothing but a mummified corpse in an expensive suit.
One by one, the ghosts wink out of existence, going back to the Underworld as they all look towards Trixie as if in thanks. Behind her Simoni cheers as Dawn leans back and grins, Nelen letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.
Trixie laughs weakly, shaking her head "You ain't gettin outta there, big guy, you got a lot of friends who wanna play..." she says, pulling the chips and deed back to her before looking to Dawn "You give me that assist, kitty?"
Dawn whistles, "Noooooo idea what you're talking about~" she replies as the dealer looks at Trixie curiously, the elevator moving behind the group as it comes back up.
What happened was thus; While Trixie had kept McCall distracted Dawn had used her Wonderland Eyes to trick McCall into believing he had a royal straight flush, convincing him that he could win no matter what. McCall was already using his own huckster magic to cheat, so all she did is make him think he got the card he wanted when he really didn’t. Having put down his hand too soon and having gotten a random card instead of the Ace of Hearts his royal straight flush had changed to a king high and nothing else, which couldn’t beat Trixie’s full house.
Trixie ripping open the veil between the living and dead with her own magic may have almost killed her, but it kept McCall from noticing Dawn using her own powers to trick him.
Trixie shakes her head, looking at the dealer as she stands "You work for him or Mammon?" she says, tossing him a couple chips from the large pile as a 'tip'. "Tell him his butt boy here is dead and he ain't comin’ back, but he can have the casino, that's what's feeding him, right? Just stick some random cultist in power and you keep your all you can eat buffet...just NEVER bother the Smith family again, in person or through proxy...you tell him it's that or we're comin’ back and blowing this place up and he loses everything." Seems the girl felt some brass balls after the whole 'looking into the face of death and living' thing. "I don't want any fight with a demon prince, and he don't need some asshole causing trouble for him in his name anyway, win win, right?"
The doors open with a faint ding and the sound of footsteps echo across the floor, "Very well then." says the voice of Mr. Maroon, McCall's lawyer, as he enters the room. "Sorry to interrupt your victory dance there, but I felt McCall die and I wanted to come confirm it for myself." he says, the short balding man nodding politely to Trixie as he enters the area.
Trixie nods, "Yea, he's currently having some fun time with his victims. Lemmie guess, you're the brains of the operation here?" She didn't know demons well, but she knew cons, and a smart grifter always made sure they were just a step behind the seat of power, thrones make great shields when you're not sitting in them.
Mr. Maroon nods to her, "Very astute. I could tell that first day we met back on Thanksgiving that you would be one to watch young lady." he replies, blinking his eyes. When they open back up they're the shiny gold of a freshly minted coin with goat-like slits for pupils. "Mammon, prince of Greed at your service." he says with a bow. As soon as his eyes change the entire group staggers, his demonic presence filling the room. He is STRONG. He could eat a Rakshasa, he could take down a dozen alone, hell they could combine into a Super Rakshasa and he'd still win. Any one of the group would wind up dead if they tried to fight him.
He casually walks over to McCall's body, not acknowledging the effect he had, and looks him over as he makes a tsking sound, "I told him to leave the ranch alone. Nobody knew about your uncle's journal, but they always get so damn paranoid after the first century." he sighs like a disappointed schoolteacher who sees an otherwise bright student get a D- on a test. "So... Normally when something like this happens the first offer of that power goes to the victor. What do you say Ms. Smith, would you like to live forever?" he asks with a grin, his teeth now pointed with jagged saw-like edges to them.
Trixie shakes her head, "Nah." she says, pocketing the deed. She sure as shit already felt weak and knocked out from that spell, Mammon's little show almost knocked her over... "Let's just call it done here, gimmie my eighty back I gambled with, keep this casino that seems to be doin’ fine regardless of who's in charge, we call this square." She was a gambler, but she didn't need to be told trying to make a deal with a demon this strong wasn't a good idea, especially in her current state. "But hey, if your casino buffet needs beef, the Smith ranch has the best cows in Texas." she says with a laugh. "I gamble with demons or... whatever those things are... near every day, I don't got anything against you, just don't wanna wind up... ya know" she nods to the mummy man, "Like you said, first century and on gets tricky, and really what's the point beyond then."
Mammon shrugs, "Pity. You have some potential, but if you're to throw away your soul it has to be of your own choice." he replies, "But then, you'd know with someone like that in your group wouldn't you?" he asks, snapping his fingers. There's a burst of acrid black smoke and McCall's body is seated back in his chair, looking just as it did when he was alive. "There, autopsy will show that he died of a sudden brain aneurysm. No foul play at all." he nods.
Trixie nods "Yea, if I ever get the urge to go immortal I'll bug Nat." she chuckles, nodding at the body "Good then, I think we're all good here then, casino for you, no asshole messin’ with my family for me, and hey…" she reaches into her pocket and tosses a five dollar bill at the dealer, "Get cloaky here a nicer robe, he looks like a rejected Druid from WWE, there, we all win, lucky lucky day at the casino." she says, making her way to the lift, mouthing 'move move move', obviously not wanting to press her luck any further.
Mammon points at the elevator and the doors suddenly clang shut, sealing themselves. "A moment please, I want to have a word with you." he says, turning to the group and looking at Nelen, who begins to sweat. "What?" he asks, his voice shaking a bit, "Look, we're done here Mammon. We're just leaving." he says as the demon smirks, "No, I think we're not. Your friend didn't react at all when I mentioned that she has someone in her group like McCall..." he nods, his sharp teeth showing, "You never told them where your power comes from did you?" he asks as Dawn looks nervously between him and Mammon, Simoni scared but unable to hide her sudden curiosity.
Trixie frowns a little bit, "Come on, ya got a good deal here, no reason to play Mr. Smug Demon Prince still, you already won good…"
Mammon glances at Trixie and for a moment she can almost see a glimpse of his true self...
Its like how an NPC in an online game might feel if they looked at a player character and were somehow able to see past the small avatar at the real person controlling them. She gets a glimpse of a gigantic creature made of wealth, all gold, silver, and precious gemstones... but streaked with blood and viscera as it sits upon it's throne. Cracks in it's skin reveal it to be empty inside, yet still it radiates a power and intones feelings of desire, avarice, and a longing to have more than you already do. Mammon's true form is all the things that humans value and how hollow that wealth truly is, coated in all the blood and pain that humanity causes over such things. The blood from a gunshot when a mugger robs someone, the blood from the feet and hands of a slave forced to mine diamonds in Africa as they're worked into an early grave, the blood of someone who hangs themselves when their finances crumble... all of it feeds Mammon.
Its only for a moment, and then the image is gone, replaced by the slightly inhuman lawyer. "I know I won, but I do so love doing this..." he grins, "As I was saying, your friend didn't tell you where he got his powers, did he?" he asks again as Nelen presses himself to the wall, the demon looking him over with it's golden goat-slitted eyes. "Why not? You trust your friends don't you Nelen Balint Fullmoon?" he asks.
Trixie takes in a breath when she glimpses the real figure behind the avatar, feeling dizzy as her already weakened mind takes that form in just for a second..."Nnngh…" she groans, looking a bit shaky on her feet as Arja walks up, frowning still, "It's fine, Nelen, you know we trust you."
Mammon makes a gesture and Nelen is suddenly lifted off his feet, then traces his sigil in the air, telling the group that every warlock, one who uses demons, has their patron demon’s symbol somewhere on their body, and then asks Arja specifically if she may have seen something similar on Nelen’s body somewhere.
Arja seems confused and asks if Mammon is the source of Nelen’s blood magic, to which the demon prince laughs.
Mammon laughs, "Hah! No no, I'm not... My powers are of greed and avarice girl, not blood and disease..." he replies, then tosses Nelen to a far wall where he lets out a sudden pained gasp when he hits it, "No no, I know that at least one of you must have seen his symbol by now..." he walks to Nelen, extending the nail on his index finger into a long sharp blade. "He's been using those bandages to seal it I see..." he sniffs, "Hmph, someone taught this boy well, normally he'd be in full control by now." he mutters.
"Well..." he smirks, leaning in as Nelen watches with wide terrified eyes, "Why don't we introduce your companion to your friends?" he asks, then slashes with his finger, shredding the bandages on Nelen's hands. For an instant the sigils carved into his palms glow a bright bloody red, then Nelen cries out in pain as all his blood bursts out at once in a shower of fanged and bladed tendrils.
"... Really now, save the show for someone who cares boy." says Mammon in an irritated voice as the tendrils lash at him without causing any apparent injury... then slowly they start to meld together, pooling infront of Nelen as they take on a vaguely humanoid shape. Its skeletal thin with long grasping arms and hands, no legs (the blood vanishing into Nelen's body) and no face save for a pair of bloody clots where the eyes would be. The fangs that usually sprout from the tendrils making a crown like shape around the creature's head. "Ladies..." says Mammon, "... and otherwise." he adds, glancing at Trixie with a sneer, "May I introduce one of the valued servants of Sathanus, prince of Wrath... I give you, Merihim, lord of Pestilence." he says with a flourish, the blood-demon turning to stare at the girls in an almost hungry sort of way, Nelen gasping for breath as he looks to be on the verge of blacking out.
Arja growls at that, teeth turning to her iron fangs as she barks out "That's enough! You've made your point!" Her eyes were locked on the demon coming from Nelen, apparently the smell of blood and the presence of a servant of Wrath were enough to bring out her more 'savage' side as she breathes heavily "Put him back!"
Mammon stares at Arja and she's suddenly sent flying backwards, slamming into a wall. "Manners, young lady." he replies calmly. "As I was saying, normally Merihim is in full control of his host by now, but it seems this young warlock has found a way of containing him..." he tsks, "Dear dear, we can't have that... Well, you cost me my own warlock, perhaps I should deal with this one and let him free to find a new playmate." he says, reaching out for Nelen's head as if to snap his neck...
... only to pause as he suddenly has several sharp blades at his throat made out of Merihim's body. "... what exactly do you think you're playing at? You know that won't kill me..." he asks the bloody creature, Merihim responding in a sort of low hissing sound. "... Hm? You'd rather... why? He's just some mortal, its not like you ever gave a damn about any of the other meat suits you've worn through the eons." he asks.
Another hissed reply, "... really?" asks Mammon, sounding honestly surprised at something. He glances towards
Arja, and then Simoni. The young garuda is kneeling next to where Arja landed, glancing between her and Nelen with wide horrified eyes. "... them? They're actually capable of..." he starts, Merihim nodding.
Mammon looks back at the girls and his face splits into a wide grin, almost too wide as it seems his sharp-fanged mouth is momentarily too big for his human body, "How amusing..."
Arja growls as she pulls herself up, she was hurt but she still strode over to Mammon with a glare on her face, "What's funny now?" Her eyes bright yellow as well now, her own divine blood flaring up, obviously no match for Mammon regardless, but clearly intending to show him he couldn't throw her around and control her so easy, children of the monkey king had long histories of thumbing their nose at authority just because they could.
Mammon raises one eyebrow at Arja, seeming bemused by her anger more than anything, "Hmmm... divine blood in you, yes perhaps..." he chuckles, "Children, my dear colleague here informs me that you are apparently planning on doing battle with one Franklin Douglas Fullmoon in the near future." he says to everyone, "A bearer of one of the mundane blades, and... you intend to destroy his sword?" he asks.
Arja nods, looking between the two "Well sure can't leave it lying around after we kill him. Lotta shit like demons around these days you know."
Mammon chuckles, "Tell me young lady. What will happen when the blade is destroyed?" he asks, still grinning at her.
Arja keeps her eyes locked on Mammon at that, frowning, "We have a general idea…" she says, wary of revealing too much to him about their plan.
Mammon smirks, "My dear, has anyone ever told you that you have a terrible poker face?" he sneers, "You have no idea whatsoever. Just a few possibilities." he replies, then he throws his head back and laughs, "Oh this is TOO entertaining! Very well very well, I have no desire to stop such a wonderful little turn of events." he nods, gesturing to Merihim. The blood demon looks at Arja, leans in as if to sniff at her, then slowly shrinks as the color returns to Nelen's body. After a few moments all that's left of the wrath demon's presence is the bloody sigils on his palms.
"Have your warlock back." he smirks, gesturing as Nelen is suddenly thrown the length of the room to land with a sudden yowling sound (he landed on Dawn), "It hardly matters, he's doomed anyways." he smirks, turning his back to the group as he walks back over to McCall's body. "You're free to go, have fun with your little crusade. I hope it all turns out exactly as you want it to." he grins as Dawn scrambles out from Nelen, fishes out his spare bandages, and quickly re-wraps his hands, redoing Merihim's seal before the demon can get second thoughts.
Arja just keeps glaring at the man as the others scramble to help Dawn out "We call them different things, but my kin have a long history of killing demons that underestimate us. You should be careful how you treat your entertainment, hate for the dancing monkey to get angry and remember it has fangs still." she says, turning at that and waving to her friends to get to the elevator again, "The deal's done, if I smell demon anywhere near me after tonight they're coming back to Hell broken, I don't care what sign or banner or whatever you want to call it they have, Hanuman's holdings are free of the infernal."
Mammon smirks, "Tell that to your warlock. He's certainly not." he sneers as the elevator doors close. The group makes their way out to the parking lot, but there's a slight issue... Nelen hasn't woken up yet. Merihim fully manifesting seems to have severely weakened him and, well, he's the only one who can drive. "So... um... That was, something..." says Dawn in a forced cheerful tone, glancing between Arja (who still looks furious) and Simoni (who looks like she might be sick). "... How are we getting home?" she asks.
Nelen’s current unconscious state leaves the group in a pickle. He’s the only one with a driver’s license, none of the others are sixteen yet! They could probably manage to get home alright, but after a night like tonight it may be best to avoid anything that could attract the wrong sort of attention from the police…
Trixie Smith huffs as Arja focuses on taking her anger out on a garbage can nearby, kicking and punching it angrily as she shouts in Hindi..."Well...shit none of my family is in Houston and he looks out pretty cold...”
Dawn watches Arja trash the trash for a moment, then sighs, "Well, I guess we could always get a hotel or something. Usually when this happens he's only out for a few hours, day at worst..." she says, then suddenly Nelen twitches and says, in a raspy voice, "That won't be necessary..."
Trixie blinks "That sounds bad..."
Dawn looks relieved... until Nelen straightens up and she gets a good look at him. His eyes, the entire eyeball, is dyed the color of fresh blood. "Mnn..." he stretches, popping his neck a few times, "If this meatsack can handle a motor vehicle, how hard could it be?" he asks, fishing the keys out of his pocket.
Trixie frowns "Shit, no way, you can't just ride Nelen's body, we'll just get a hotel." she says as Arja slams the trashcan into the ground with a loud snarl.
Nelen/Merihim looks at her, "Why the hell not? I've been riding him for the past ten years now." he asks, heading for the car, "Besides, I watched him do this every time he's ever been in one, it seems simple enough." he nods, climbing into the driver's seat. Dawn glances at Arja, then shrugs, "Eh... why not, driven home by a homicidal life-drinking demon in my dad's body. All we need now is the radio playing 'Highway to Hell'."
In Nelen’s weakened state Merihim is able to seize total control of his body, at least temporarily… though the demon seems content with playing chauffer for the girls for some odd reason. Unlike the more cultured and snide Mammon however, Merihim comes off more like a young delinquent in his mannerisms. Cocky, swaggering, and foulmouthed… and also insane by any mortal standards.
The engine starts and Nelen/Merihim pulls out into the street... then stomps down on the gas and guns it down the road at about ninety. The demon cackles as it darts in and out of traffic, Simoni yelping as she clings to Arja and Dawn gripping her own seat with wide yellow eyes as, somehow, the vehicle makes it out of the city with no actual damage, though Merihim has to use the blood magic he shares with Nelen to create a few spikes on the road to help escape some police who decided to take too close a notice of them. Demonic reflexes or just the 'devil's luck' keeps them from winding up on the traffic alert system, but soon they're out on the highway as the possessed warlock decides to see how fast he can get this vehicle to go before the engine blows out. "Hahaha!" he cackles, "You mortals make some of the best shit!"
Trixie actually blacks out on the ride, her weakened state not doing too well at high speeds... Arja, meanwhile, actually seems to enjoy the ride, laughing loudly as well as he swerves and dodges.
He gets back to the ranch, almost missing the gate entirely, then pulls three doughnuts before coming to a halt infront of the garage. "See, this is why we don't try for Armageddon anymore." he nods, turning off the engine, "This world is just too much fun! Let Heaven worry about wiping you out, we're eager to see how much more shit mortals can do." he smirks, sauntering into the house as he grins ear to ear.
He sees Drusilla inside and grins, then wraps an arm roughly around her shoulders and presses his mouth to her's, shoving his tongue in roughly. "Heya blinky!" he grins, "Whatcha say we go see if we can wake the neighbors?" he says, pulling her towards their room, "Yeah I know they're about five miles away, I still want to see if we can pull it off! Lets raise some hell!"
Arja shakes her head "Ok, I know this undercuts my whole 'I'll suffer no demons' speech but I gotta admit of all the demons to be riding your brother that one at least is fun instead of a smug twat." he says, Dru squealing as she's kissed, blinking a bit at him "You're... odd…" she says, seeming confused by Nelen’s sudden personality shift, but not sounding upset...
Nelen/Merihim half-drags her into the bedroom, closing the door with a loud slam, and then there's a few faint crashing sounds as they apparently start to go at it. Simoni is still a bit frazzled from the trip home, but she nods weakly, then goes and lays down on the couch, gripping one of the cushions until she feels better.
Dawn hears Drusilla yell out something about god and then Nelen replies, 'Hey! Watch the language!' before another round of what sounds like a bed being used as a battering ram against the wall. "Weeeeell... Apparently Merihim is a wrath demon so, yeah... I guess they're a bit more energetic than greed ones?" she suggests, her tail still a bit fluffed out from when they almost hit a coyote and Merihim tried to chase it offroad for about ten minutes.
As Nelen/Merihim and Drusilla engage in some ‘angry’ sex, wrath demon style, Arja and Dawn discuss what to do now that McCall has been dealt with.
Arja smirks a bit "Well I mean, don't get me wrong I'm sure having a demon hitching a ride on your soul isn't good no matter what, but tell Nelen to maybe let him out every so often, maybe he's like a puppy and an occasional walk will keep him calmer." she teases.
Dawn shrugs, "Eh, maybe... there's also the thing that, apparently, anyone else who made a pact with him wound up totally possessed and killed all their friends and loved ones so Merihim could feed on their lifeforce..." she replies, "So... um... yeah..." she glances away as there's a loud cracking sound. 'Get the spackle out!' cackles Nelen/Merihim. "Cripes, it's like he's channeling his inner frat-boy." she winces.
Arja blinks at that "Huh, well I dunno...I mean again, not trying to apologize for a clearly nuts ass demon but... he said something to Mammon back there to stop just that from happening I think. Maybe he and Nelen have a kinda... symbiosis thing going on? Like, he's a mage, and a powerful one at that, so he fights plenty of genuinely terrible threats... maybe that keeps the demon happy?"
Dawn shrugs as Merihim does a trick he can do when he's in charge, forcing all his blood into a certain body part to make it bigger and stronger. He normally uses this on his host's arms to bash someone apart... but in this case... Well, after the screams die down Lupe wanders in and sniffs at the door, then tilts her head, "Beard guy murdering big eye?" she asks, her ear flicking.
Simoni pulls a pillow over her head and pins it down to try to block out the noise as Dawn stares at the bedroom door, "Yeah. Lets go with your theory." she says to Arja, "... should we tell Drus that she's had sex with a demon after this?" she asks.
Arja laughs, nodding, "I think we have to...it'll be pretty funny." she says as she rubs Simoni's head.
Dawn nods, then flops down on the couch as the two keep going, Merihim seeming to have demonic stamina of his own. "So, guess we're heading back to India after this?" she asks Arja as Lupe watches at the door, jumping and barking a bit at a particularly spectacular crash as all the shaking sends the bedside lamp in there flying.
Arja nods "I suppose so, gonna be nice to be back home after all this, honestly." she says, smiling a bit.
Dawn grins, "Yeah, still... what a trip..." she whistles, "Y'know, I wonder where Clan Fullmoon was during all this though? I mean between the Pride Festival and Stephy setting off everyone's magic radar in Houston when he and Sammi had that pissing contest you'd think they'd have homed in on us by now." she comments... then shrugs, "Eh, probably for the best. One crisis at a time." she nods.
The next morning Nelen sits up in bed and fumbles around for his glasses, then looks around the room. Drusilla is curled up next to him, several large bruises on her shoulders and hips despite her seeming quite content. The room is trashed in every sense of the word, the bedside table in splinters with the lamp in shards, Drusilla's clothes from last night hanging from what's left of the ceiling fan, the 'bed' is just the mattress and box springs piled up on the floor as the frame gave out around three in the morning, and there's several holes in the wall above it where Drus was pounding on it... He takes this all in, then takes his glasses back off. "I don't even want to know." he says, then lays back down and goes back to sleep.
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