+ The Crossover Game +
01 | 01

Fanuel's sleep is interrupted by the presence of another, a scent he's growing familiar with but one he summarily tries to ignore just the same. Turning his lean frame over to bury his face against the softness of the pillow beneath his head, he mutters a groggy type of expletive  that  pulls an amused smirk to the nearby woman's lips.

"Rise and shine, doll. I've found a new place for fun and you have been moping long enough. We're going to go out and play." Saiyuri chimes and from her standing place against the wide doorway arch of her room, she tosses a bundle of leathers at the Angel, laughing softly to herself when he swings his arm back to push the clothing away from his body without ever lifting his head.

Fanuel continues to ignore her, simply working to gain back the sleep he'd been pulled from and just when he starts to slip back under, he finds the blankets being ripped away. A moment later there's a strong grip around his ankle to jolt his entire body up and white eyes snap open, the tall figure having just enough time to flick his gaze back towards the shapely frame behind him before he's offered the wickedest of grins and then yanked hard from the comfort of the bed. With a loud grunt, the Angel's face contacts with the hardwood floor below seconds before red heels are kicking him over and onto his back, the black haired woman simply swinging a long leg over and plopping herself down to straddle his now prone form.

"Get… the fuck off me." He tries, his hands flying up to grip at her slender waist in an attempt to lift her free.

What he gets in response is a simple chuckle filled with that infuriating amusement that stares down at him from above. He should know by now that she's a hell of a lot stronger than she looks, he's learned this the hard way a few times over but even in knowing that, Fanuel can never seem to stop himself from trying to work his way out from beneath her anyway. With the slightest of fluid shifts, delicate hands tipped with lacquered nails slip onto the floor beneath his head, black strands of loose locks cascading around him as she leans down and purposefully presses her body hard against his own. She's had so much fun with this one since that night they'd met in the club and the more he struggles, the longer she finds herself wishing to prolong the game.

"Listen sugar…" Saiyuri says coolly as if he isn't currently protesting her close proximity the way he is. "…you either get up and get dressed on your own…" red eyes practically light up as she tilts her head in to brush ruby colored lips along the side of his cheek, ignoring the disgust that shows plainly on the Angel's face as she does it. "…or I'll be dragging your cute ass out of here naked."

She spends a few moments tracing over his features with her mouth, enjoying every protesting sound made in response and each little flinch the white haired figure can't seem to help before she finally slips back just far enough to meet her flawed gaze with Fanuel's  one sided own. "Maybe… I'll take you out naked anyway because I have to admit that I do enjoy you like this the best." She grins slyly, suddenly shifting her hips back to drive her point home and pulling a soft involuntary sound from the one below when they contact. "All. Helpless. Beneath. Me…"

"What in the hell-" Fanuel starts breathlessly, turning his head towards the floor when Saiyuri dips down and her lips travel too closely to his while his attempts to remove her from where she currently sits renew. "-do you want this time?"

"If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise." She smiles, pushing her slender body up far enough to pull her hands free of the floor. A moment later she slides them down to wrap around the Angel's wrists, prying his fingers away from her waist and yanking them up to cup her breasts. In one hard movement she forces him to push them together while throwing her head back to make an overly exaggerated cry of mock pleasure. When finally her head drops back down, the sheer look of disgust  emanating from the man beneath her  sends her into a bout of loud amused laughter.

"You… are so completely fucked in the head, you know that right?" Fanuel whispers as he stares up, too flabbergasted to do anything but lay where he currently does.

"Aw, that kind of talk hurts my feelings." Saiyuri pouts teasingly without relinquishing her hold and a moment later her expression straightens, replaced with a serious sort of frown. "Especially coming from one of my Uncle's toys. Maybe… instead of having fun with me today, you'd like to go play with him."

A quick frown slips over the tall Angel's mouth at the implication and he swiftly shifts his seeing eye away. "God dammit," he grumbles under his breath "I get it." The entire time he's been living in this woman's home he's found that she's been protecting him from his Maker, a courtesy she's extended for whatever fucked up reasons she has. But for whatever other reasons of hers, she's also made it quite clear that the privilege can easily be revoked. While he's begun to hate this bitch with a passion and would really love nothing more than to be able to cut off her pretty little head and stuff it down her bleeding neck stump, the alternative to dealing with her is something he's not ready for on any level at any point in time. "Just… get the hell off me so I can get dressed."

"There's my good boy." The black haired woman chimes while finally allowing his hands to drop. A moment later she's lifted her petite frame up and is stepping over him, turning to move towards the entrance of the room and speaking as she goes. "Just don't keep me waiting too long, sugar. I'm growing anxious to play."

Lifting his head away from the hardwood, the Angel scowls at the back of Saiyuri's own and just as she reaches the entrance she flicks her deep red gaze back over a narrow shoulder, the smile she wears quite possibly the most irritating smile he's ever seen. "Oh and make sure you bring that long coat of yours, you're going to need it." And with that she steps out, the sounds of her heeled footfalls ringing throughout the hall.

With a near silent expletive practically spit at her, the white haired Higher's head drops back onto the floor while strong hands rise up to push at his temples with his palms.

What did he do to deserve the attentions of that? Because … Mother fuck.

____________________________________________________


"Now ya just watch me carefully darlin', ya'll see there's nothing up my sleeves, no trick photography, just real, honest ta goodness magic." Cade smirks devilishly back at the waitress before taking a long sip from his drink, motioning quickly for her to sit down. Flicking the cards over with long fingers, he lets a roguish grin cross his lips as she already seems mildly impressed with his shuffling. These humans are so gullible sometimes that it feels like shooting fish in a barrel.

Looking down at the man suspiciously she studies him for a long moment, his long fitted leather coat and deep red silk shirt suggesting that he can easily pay the bill.  Usually she wouldn't even consider something like this, but there's something about his bright fiery eyes that hypnotizes her and she'd suddenly found it very hard to say no. "Alright, but make it quick, the regulars are starting to come in." she replies with a quick nod as she sits promptly in the booth across from him. She still can't quite place his accent, it's almost Irish, but there's a twist in it that confuses her, it sounds... older somehow.

Pushing his black hair away from his eyes and flashing her a pleased little grin, Cade nods back. "Right ya are love, but remember, if ya can't pick how I did it then these drinks are free." He chuckles and spreads the cards slowly out on the table with one hand.

"Oh no, I'm pretty good, my brothers always played tricks on me growing up so I know how to spot a card trick in a bar." She adds, a smug little smile pricking at the corners of her mouth as she raises her hand, ready to pick a card. There is something different about this man that she can't quite place, well, apart from his eyes of course. She had thought they were brown at first, but now she can see they are clearly an orange or red of some sort and this revelation only makes her more and more curious as long moments drag on.

"Is that so darlin'? Well I better pull out the good stuff for ya then. Go on, pick out a card and then place it back in the deck. An' don't tell me what it is, I'm sure ya know the drill." Cade grins and motions towards the cards as he takes a large sip from his glass, rubbing his palms together slowly in anticipation once he's set the mug back down.

After the waitress does what she's told, she shuffles the deck and hands  it back to him, Cade leaning over to take it while letting a sly grin cross his features at her smug look of self-assurance.  "Ya're a shifty one you are, but shufflin' the deck aint goin' ta ruin my trick, ya'll have ta do far better than that because I know ya picked the 3 o' hearts." he smiles and pulls a card from the deck, turning it towards her with his fingers.

Bursting into laughter she begins to rise from the booth, giving him an apologetic sort of smile as she moves. "I'm sorry mister, you're way off." She chuckles and holds out her hand for the payment.

"Are ya so sure o' that love? Perhaps ya should check ya pocket there then." Cade grins and raises the glass again, quickly finishing off its contents with a satisfied sigh. He's been to this place a few times and while he does  like  it, the patrons are starting to grow a little tiresome so perhaps it's time to move on?

Slowly the waitress pulls a card from her breast pocket, the disbelief on her face quickly shifting back to a sardonic look of bemusement. "6 of spades… you know you're actually getting worse." She smiles and brushes off her skirt as she straightens completely, her patience now worn sorely thin. She can tell this one can pay, the expensive clothes he's wearing alone tells her that, so clearly he's just looking to waste her time.

"Well fuck darlin', I'm just no good at this I guess..." Cade sighs with a forlorn expression. "… Well I guess I won't be needin' these anymore." He shrugs, taking the deck from the table and throwing it curtly over his shoulder, the cards bursting out and fluttering only to explode into a spark of orange flame before sizzling out of the air altogether.

The waitress stares in disbelief while her hand remains outstretched for the money, the fireball lasting less than a second and many of the patrons giving no indication that they'd noticed it, but damn if she could explain what she'd just seen. Despite her confusion, the man continues to sit in front of her, now halfway through finishing off the second drink that he  has yet to pay for. "Ah… wh- what the hell was that?" she mutters before realizing his hand still has something clutched in it.

"What this? Oh, this is ya card darlin'." Cade chuckles and slips it gently into her palm in place of the money owed. This one is boring him now, she clearly has no sense of imagination. Sighing he finishes off his second glass and sets it back down on the table with a little clink.

"I… er..." she stutters, finding herself unsure of  what to say as she slowly begins to remember where she is again and what it was she'd been doing. The man looks up at her with a wide smirk now painting his features as he slides his two empty glasses slowly across the table, her well trained hands shaking slightly as she moves to quickly pick them up. Looking down at what she holds, she can see that it is indeed her card -a crisp and completely unharmed ace of spades staring back at her.

"Go on an' just keep that one love, but tell ya what… bring us another round will ya?"

____________________________________________________


There's a sudden pop that rings throughout the otherwise still air, easily lost with the gust of chilly wind that streaks across the lining trees to shake the few remaining leaves free of their anchors and send them fluttering down. In that instant, Fanuel finds himself jolted onto the ground, the whirlwind of energy that had all too recently engulfed him gone -leaving leather covered knees to contact with the hardness below. Coughing violently, the white haired Angel doubles over, one arm wrapping around his exposed stomach while the other is thrust towards the frosted dirt road in an attempt to steady the involuntary shaking of his toned frame.

Son of a bitch… every damn time that woman drags him somewhere, this happens. He has no fucking clue how she does it, but her methods have never failed to wreak havoc on his system -his body protesting rather loudly in disruptive, nauseating waves.

It takes the Higher a few minutes to recover, the time spent crouched over stretching on until the feeling of retching begins to subside, allowing him to lift his head and take in his new surroundings. Fanuel pushes the back of his hand against his mouth while the white of his seeing eye shifts across the scenery, a slow frown soon forming on full lips.

Where in the hell…?

Wherever he is, it's cold and empty, the forest besides him scattered with barren trees covered in a coated thin layer of frost. Slowly rising up onto his feet, he takes a moment to swat at clean leathers and pull the fur lined hood up over snow colored locks. It doesn't take long before the chill in the air  hits him even as the Higher begins calling Saiyuri's name.

She did not fucking leave him here did she? Especially without telling him exactly where 'here' is.

But the more he calls out and the longer he goes un-answered, the more he begins to realize that he has indeed, been abandoned.

Which… pisses him off like a mother fuck.

Frustrated and annoyed, Fanuel swears loudly and turns to punch the nearest trunk of a tree. Yanking his hand back with a soft hiss right after, he begins shaking his fingers out in an attempt to lessen the sudden rush of stinging pain the impact has caused.

He's seriously beginning to rethink whether or not putting up with this bullshit is a better alternative to facing his Maker again. Fun? What fucking fun? The day has barely begun to pass since Saiyuri dragged him from the bed and he's already wishing he had a drink to wash her supposed 'fun' away.

Shifting his gaze to his knuckles, he smirks in irritation at the lightly broken skin before narrowing his eyes to concentrate enough to knit the flesh back in place. The sting this causes is minor and it only takes seconds before his hand is pristine again, the tall Higher turning away from the tree to once more stare out into the scenery up ahead.

Somewhere out there, there better be a god damned bar.

Rolling his head back towards the tree he'd hit only a moment ago, Fanuel spends less than a second gauging the strength of it before turning to move beneath the closest outstretched branch. Bending his knees in the slightest, he hops up with fluid ease to latch onto the limb just above his head before swinging his lithe body completely around and pushing himself up. He takes only a second to right himself on the branch, creeper clothed feet touching at its rounded surface before he begins repeating this action time and time again, the Angel hopping from one branch to the next until he's  reached   the very top. Shivering despite himself when the cold wind tugs at snowy hair as he's straightening, he scans the area below until a dark spot far off in the distance catches in the corner of his eye. Turning towards it, his white gaze narrows and focuses in on what he's assuming is either some form of city or town. Wherever he's been left at least has habitation even if the kind of habitation resting there remains to be seen.

As long as he can get the fuck out of this cold and gain his bearings, he could really give a damn about what's lying within.

Without even another thought leant to it, the tall Angel suddenly rocks back on his heels and with one strong jump, he dives right off the side. Layered strands and leather coat alike whip back behind him as he allows himself to freefall until he's almost midway to the ground, then from one heartbeat to the next; he drops the seal on his wings. Pure white appendages stretch out far behind him to catch the updraft he'd been riding, carrying him right back up into the air and a few strong beats later, he's gained enough altitude to fly off into the direction of the spotted town.

He swears to everything holy, if he finds Saiyuri there –near god or not he's going to kick the shit out of her for dumping him out here they way she did…

____________________________________________________


Resting his fingers gently on the back of the boy's palm, Cade grins at him and the boy shudders lightly as his own smile brings a little color back to his face. "Relax kiddo, I aint goin' ta hurt ya." The tall Demon chuckles, his fingertips sending prickles of warmth through the other's body.

"I- ah… I know… this is all a little… new to me." He blushes, lifting his drink and taking a long swig from it, the smile never leaving his lips. Little more than eighteen, he never imagined something like this would happen to him. This beautiful man had started speaking to him only minutes ago and while he had never considered exploring these feelings before, there is something about his eyes that… calms him.

The man across from him smiles warmly moments before   a loud bang sends the door of the bar flying open as if kicked, the heavy wood contacting the wall with a crack and heads soon turning to witness a new arrival. From the corner of his eye, Cade sees a tall figure in a long white leather coat trudge through, rubbing his arms against the cold as small sleets of icy water trickle from his back and shoulders. The boy doesn't seem to have noticed as he continues to stare back at Cade, the goofy smile growing larger on his face with every passing second.

"Huh… oh, that's alright, there's a first time for everythin' lad." The Demon smiles back, lifting his own glass to his lips as long fingers continue to trace tiny patterns across the boy's hand while he studies the one who'd just walked in. The man in white brushes long matching hair away from one side of his face and heads straight for the bar as Cade stares in mild disbelief, his attention now riveted.

"B-but… I'd have a good teacher, w-wouldn't I?" the boy grins back more bravely this time as Cade's eyes are still locked on the new presence, an amused grin creeping onto the Demon's lips as the man pushes a woman out of the way and sits himself down on a tall barstool directly in front of the bartender. Mistaking the grin as meant for him the boy's smile widens, moving his own hand to rest gently on Cade's thigh.

Dragging his attention back to the human, Cade leans forward and flashes the boy a roguish smirk of approval as his own hand travels lightly along the boy's arm, brushing long blonde hair away and stopping teasingly behind his neck. Starting to blush, the boy can't believe his luck as he pushes his drink away and leans over the table to kiss the tall dark man.

"What do you mean it doesn't work? Just try the fucking thing again…" a voice rings out over the chaotic noise of the bar to pull the Demon's attentions. Cade looks over in time to watch as the mystery man picks up a small plastic card and slaps it down before the bartender once again, quickly downing the first in a line of glasses laid out to his front. The Demon turns back to the boy seated across the table from him and finds his lips mere inches from his own.

"Heh… ah… hold that thought kiddo." Cade smirks and brings his finger up to the young man's lips, pushing him gently back into his seat before he gets up and slips his coat back on. Striding towards the bar with a renewed sense of purpose he sighs in resignation, he'd let this shit go on for long enough.

Crossing the small room in seconds, he produces a crisp blue note with Queen Ophelia's face staring back at him. As he slides it slowly across the bar towards the flustered bartender, the man nods and scurries away as quickly as possible. Shifting his eyes to the man in white, the Demon's gaze trails from snow-covered creepers along long leather clad legs and bare stomach, lingering for just a moment before reaching a face still beautiful despite the obvious sneer of irritation and criss-crossing scars peeking out from beneath a blanket of side swept bangs.

"What… the fuck do you want?" the man bites out, still shivering slightly as ice crystals melt in his long white hair even as he's reaching out to down another drink in an attempt to ward off the lingering cold.

Taking a seat on the stool next to him, Cade stares back at him with a look of puzzlement. "Ya know, I was just goin' ta ask ya the same fuckin' thing boyo." The Demon replies and looks the man over once more, fighting with his instincts. Something about this man reeks of Angel and yet it just doesn't feel right because what he's sensing is also very different. Despite this inner turmoil, a seething anger boils deep inside him, begging to let it out.

The Angel narrows his eyes at the one at his side, his scent strange in a way he doesn't know how to explain. He almost smells of Demon… but it's different, vaguely familiar, yet wrong.

Without lowering the drink he holds, the white of his seeing eye sweeps across the stranger beside him, the irritation of his presence showing plainly within. He's decked in thick leather boots and fitted leather pants strapped with buckled belts, a red shirt stretched tight over his toned frame and covered by a long matching black coat, but what strikes the Higher most is the similarities he has to that filthy race. Long black hair spills over broad shoulders and his glaring red eyes are unmistakably Demonic. If his scent wasn't off, he'd swear he was one of them. Where in the fuck did Saiyuri drag him to this time? The longer he takes in the other's features, the more he realizes that his eyes aren't… exactly red, that they are a deep orange perhaps, now bright and almost burning under the dim light.

Not that it really fucking matters, he snorts to himself while slipping his gaze away and downing the drink in his hand. Demon, not Demon, so long as this asshole pisses off so he doesn't have to be subjected to his stink for much longer, he could care less what he is in the end.

The Demon stares back in anticipation but when nothing is given but a look of disgust, he begins again. "Ya've got a lot of balls to show ya face in this territory Angel… that is what ya are aint it? There's somethin' fuckin' different about ya, but ya walk around smellin' like feathers an' lookin' like a drowned fuckin' dove… Well there ain't much else ya can be now is there?" he sneers and pulls a cigarette from his pocket. Slipping the thin object between his lips, he covers it with his hands and conjures fire to light it, puffing quickly before blowing a long line of smoke across the bar towards the other.

The glass in the white haired man's hand suddenly slaps down onto the bar top, the words that leave his mouth nothing short of a sneer "First, whether you paid for this shit or not…" he starts though partially grit teeth. "…You blow smoke at me one more time and I will knock your ass to the ground. I'm not in the mood to have some filthy pissant Lower speaking to me on any level and my patience for your smell is growing pretty thin."

His reply pulls a frown to the taller figure's lips, the single brow quirking in response ignored as tapered fingers slide out to grab at the next drink set to his front. Lifting the glass to his mouth, Fanuel practically snorts against it even as his one sided gaze slides away from the black haired man and comes to rest on the various bottles strewn over the shelves of the bar. So this was that stupid bitch's idea of fun? Dump him in some place that reeks of almost-but-not-quite Demon filth?  When he finds Saiyuri again he's going to beat her to a bloody pulp for this shit alone, he swears it.

"'This territory'" he mumbles a moment later, more to himself than to the other but still loud enough to be heard. "Fuck you, I don't even know where 'this territory' is and even if I did, you think I give a damn about it?" Taking a sip of the alcohol and relishing in the way the liquid burns a fiery path down his throat, he begins to set the glass onto the polished bar top beneath his hands when he realizes the one at his side is still there. Shifting his attentions back over, Fanuel narrows his gaze at the fact that the Demon –Lower –whatever the fuck he is, is still staring at him with intent shifting through those bright orange eyes. "Why don't you get the hell out of my face before I make you get out." He smirks.

But instead of actually leaving, the taller figure simply slides the smoldering stick in his hand up to his lips to take another quick drag and a moment later he's blowing the smoke directly at the Angel again. The snap his action causes in the Higher is near audible even in the busy noise of the surrounding bar and before Cade even has time to blink, Fanuel is on his feet to kick hard at the barstool beneath his built frame. A sudden hush overtakes the patrons, all eyes turning as the chair is clattering to the ground and rolling away, the Demon's fall caught only by a narrow grip at the bartop moments before his body can contact with the tile below.

The Higher sneers as orange eyes slide up to find his snow colored own, the moment of disbelief shifting through his gaze replaced quickly with a look of near wicked glee. Ignoring it, Fanuel slides his hand up to flip his fur lined hood down and turns back to retrieve his abandoned glass in order to claim another drink. Just as he's lifting it from the surface, he suddenly finds a fist streaming right for his head. With one swift movement, the tall Angel arches back and it's the glass he holds that the other man punches instead, sending both crystal and liquid flying completely away...