The Alibi at the Liberty in Boston was about as classy as one could get for a hotel bar. The wood and brick facade presented an old fashioned warmth, dimly lit by industrial overheads, the grey tile floor and low hanging pipework and ducts soaking in sound and light, offering cozy resonance that belied the crowd mulling about. On the walls, pictures hung of notorious historical figures, ironic, considering what she was there for.
The world outside had been a dull contrast, blackened ash overhead holding moonlight hostage to torrents of rain that splattered the sidewalks and filled the stale summer air with the musky scent of ozone. Droplets fell from the sharp tip of her umbrella hanging over her arm, and clear blue eyes journeyed across the room, settling on a seat almost immediately. Red patent leather clicked across the floor and she smoothed out the skin tight pinstripe dress. It had taken her three weeks to learn how to master a Communication charm... It had taken twenty three years to master walking in six inch stilettos... Crossing her ankles on the lower beam of the barstool, she looked up as the bartender approached. He was a tall, darker skinned man with warm honey-toned eyes and a polite smile that ebbed away from the depths of his irises... A practiced, professional glimmer and little more.
"What can I getcha, darlin'?" He asked.
"Amaretto, on the rocks. Splash of milk, please." The notes of French were so subtle, now, driven away by so many years in England and Maine, but they clung to the edges of her speech, just barely noticeable, except to a trained ear. With the drink delivered a moment later, Mercedes turned on her stool to face the room.
Shawn's thumbs fumbled with the tie laced around his neck. This had to have been right, yes? Surely! The bright maroon hue against the creamy white dress shirt surely would catch women's attention! Yet, the gentle click of his heel against the floorboard sent timely waves of nausea throughout his body. Despite the warm, soothing atmosphere of the bar, accompanied by beautiful people waiting to serve, and beautiful people waiting to drink, Shawn felt anxiety crawl underneath his skin...his form stiffened as a confident smile creeped to his lips. He had this.
This was so simple to accomplish. He just knew it.
In fact, his shimmering, hazelnut trimmed eyes caught sight of a rather alluring woman. She was shorter than most, accompanied by generous heels and award winning dimples. Curly brown hair framed her features with a gentle appearance. Her dress, tighter than what Shawn would have ever let his eyes linger on for too long, reminded him of a confidence and the self esteem this woman must have had. This was it. This had to have been the one. Placing a warm, friendly smile, he slid next to her on a barstool, rolling his shoulders back and adjusting the pads in his suit in the process. "It's on me, doll." He masked his accent with that of an American, features softening with utter care.
He couldn't afford to screw this one up.
Bingo.
It was almost painfully easy, but then, she had dressed for the occasion, so it ultimately made sense. As the man approached, Mercede's lips curved, painted a deep plum that matched the lace undergarment just barely visible along the deep collar of her dress. It was a provocative look that she'd never be caught dead in, were it not for utter necessity. And luckily, it seemed, she wouldn't need to sport it for very long…
Twisting slightly in her seat, she looked up at the figure, and her eyes shifted from the bright, deep red of his tie, to take in his features. He fit the bill, certainly - attractive, though more youthful than she'd anticipated, with a warmth in his gaze that a woman could get lost in and a lilt to his smile that she imagined was the final nail in the coffins of the poor souls he claimed...
Her lip twitched up at the corner, and, curls bouncing, she bobbed her head slightly, to the stool beside her own, her fingertip trailing the edge of her glass in a slow concentrated circuit, "
Merci...Very kind of you…" She answered, before extending her free hand to the man, "...Sabine."
"A lovely gift for a lovely lady. Sabine." A gentle smile pulled at the corners of his lips, relaxation flooding him without effort. She truly was a beautiful woman, and for a moment Shawn struggled to see such a gift from God could have possibly ripped grown men's bodies limb from limb. Yet he knew better from what Abraham had told him so long ago. The population that appears to be mundane has the higher chance of being monstrous. Pulling his wallet from the pocket of his blazer, he threw down his debit card, a dangerous twinkle in his eye. "A tab for me and the lady, thank you very much. Sabine…" a chuckle came to his lips, realizing this made him sound incredibly dorkish. "I'm Christian."
As the tender took the card and swiped it, Mercedes attention flickered to the name scrawled across the bottom, difficult to read upside down… a company… Thorough. Her eyes returned to the man and she smiled faintly, a brow quirked at the small burst of uncharacteristic laughter, no doubt an intentional flaw to lend to the man's ruse, "Pleasure to meet you, Christian. Are you staying at the Liberty?"
"Oh, just for the night, darling." Shawn claimed with a smooth voice, bobbing his appreciation towards the tender. "Thank you, brother, just a draft beer for me." He inquired of him, surprised to find the accent coming along with ease. Drumming his fingers against the tabletop, he leaned back, a pleasant smile overtaking his features. "Figured it would be a nice place to lounge before I had to leave...I do audits around town. This one got cancelled, so...I'm heading to Charlotte in the morning. Figured I'd get a good night sleep. Maybe socialize before I had to go."
Her smile twitched slightly higher, her eyes skimming the man briefly, as she leaned back against the bar, taking a slow sip of the Amaretto. There was a time when she hesitated to drink on a mission, but she had tempered herself to handle one or two - alcohol had a way of loosening lips and ethics, and while she never allowed herself to indulge, it put the targets at ease when she wasn't being a stickler.
"Ah, Same. Just the night. I fly out from Logan tomorrow afternoon…" Crossing one leg over the other, she shrugged, "Kismet, then, running into each other, it seems…"
"Ah, you audit too?" Shawn questioned with somewhat of a smirk, catching the drink that was passed his way. Shawn hated beer with a burning passion, upsetting a majority of his family back in Ireland(Abraham would have kicked his arse straight to good old Kingdom Come if he figured that one out). "Well...I hope you don't find the job as horrifically boring as I do. It's nice though. Travel one place to another. Drink a little bit...meet the people of the area." He brought the glass up to his lips, desperately keeping his face straight as he took a moderate sip of his beer.
A soft twitter of a laugh escaped Mercedes, and she nearly blushed at the sound, forgetting for a moment that the man before her was a dangerous, deadly foe… Damn, if he wasn't at least a little disarming, "No, no. I'm an artist, actually. I was showcased in the city at a gallery over the weekend. I fly home tomorrow." She pulled from her own glass, eyes shifting up to his again, "I'm inclined to agree, however, about traveling." Tucking her hair back behind her ear, she set her glass down, "Though if I'm honest, meeting new people has never been a strong suit."
"An artist, hmm? Ah, one who appreciates the sensitivity in life. Never been up my alley, but you know, it's easy to get lost in the modern age and realize genuine art is right before your eyes." A sly wink greeted the young woman, although his own heart pounded miserably in his chest. He didn't want her to be the succubus in question. He genuinely did not want to see this woman on the ground with hellbound foxes at her feet. He took a larger sip of his beer, disguising a grimace with a chuckle. "New people bring the fun, you know? It's a once in a lifetime experience. You never get to see them again, but you are grateful to have met them at least once."
Damn. It was, for a moment, almost disappointing that this man was, in fact, the hellspawned product of rage and fury. For a second or two, Mercedes felt a twist in her stomach - a foreign flutter of warmth that she couldn't quite identify, but needed no name for… He was too smooth, however, too charming, and if his initial greeting hadn't sealed it, that, for sure, had convinced her.
Her eyes twisted from her glass to Christian, and her expression ebbed towards slightly sly, as she leaned her elbow on the counter, fingers curling into her hair, "...That's an intriguing way to put it, I suppose. I've never really looked at it that way. And what sort of fun do you generally have with these one-in-a-lifetime strangers, Christian?" She asked, as she reached out her free hand to gingerly straighten the man's tie.
Oh. God. Oh God. Shawn could feel his breath become lodged in his throat and unable to speak, he turned from her and swallowed. He couldn't remember how the Americans spoke, now. He knew what she was suggesting. She was going to lure him into the bedroom, rip off his blazer and dress shirt...kiss down his chest...then eat him from the inside out. Shawn paled for a moment, swallowing and only able to claim. "W...well...w-what do you...what would you like...to do with a once in a lifetime stranger?"
The sudden stammer surprised her, and looking up, Mercede's eyes narrowed slightly. But then, hell, if that wasn't the perfect cover, she didn't know what was. A man who seemed so confident, so… what did Gustavo always say? Smooth? But who nearly shook apart at the first sign of interest. Women would fall for it faster than Dominos in a hurricane. And tonight, she had to be one of those women… or she'd lose her only opportunity to nail this bastard.
Biting her lip, she gave a small, innocent shrug, "I don't really know. You're the expert, aren't you?" Behind the bar, the tender, apparently distracted, dropped a tumbler, and as it clattered to the floor, Mercedes jumped slightly, frowning, "...Maybe we could discuss it somewhere a little quieter…?"
Shawn hesitated for a brief moment. The succubus was certainly good at appearing human. Biting his lip, he decided to use his anxiety to his advantage and gently placed his hand over hers. Glancing sideways at the bartender, Shawn nodded and took a final sip of his drink.Oh God. He prayed this wouldn't be the last thing to ever enter his stomach. "My room is pretty cozy, if you'd like."
His room... Not exactly ideal, but she was prepared. The dress she wore may have been scandalously tight, but there was just enough room to conceal what she needed… And the quicker this was over with, the sooner she could wash the nightmare off in the shower and get back home. Rising, steady on her heels, she gave a nod of her head towards the open atrium, "Lead the way…"
Shawn was beyond nervous. Squeezing her hand, he hid the tremors in his own and led her out into the open atrium. Details blurred and became muddled in the aspect of the kill. He was going to hate this. He hated this immensely. Swallowing down his nerve, he lead her to the stairwell and kept a sweet grip on her hand.
Her heart did not pound and nerves did not threaten her calm… Mercedes knew what was coming, and despite the fact that she never relished in a kill, she had no anxiety about it. The man would, were he able, rip her to shreds and leave her an empty shell for a hotel maid to find the following morning… There would be no guilt or suffering at dispatching him. No… And because she did not plan to allow him to get his hooks in, there would be nothing else to worry over, either…
Tension was tight, regardless, and no doubt because he was all too eager to shed his human form and devour… but the walk to his room was brief and as he slid his card into the lock, Mercedes only smiled with what she hoped was an enthusiastic glimmer. Stepping inside the dimly lit space, she waited for the click of the door before turning to face him, brow raised just so, hand balanced on the curve of her hip.
The hotel room was similar to her own, with a small vestibule for a coffee pot and mini fridge filled with expensive bottles of liquor. Opposite this, was the bathroom - a walk in shower, vanity sink and complementary towels and toiletries. A short walk from the door was the bed - queen sized, flanked by two nightstands. A flat screen hung above the entertainment center, and beside this a desk with a phone and complementary office supplies. Everything was grays and soft blues and pristine white, warm, luxurious and expensive… "...Nice place…" She remarked, "Very cozy."
Shawn felt no comfort flooding over him as he entered the room. He wasn't sure how he got lucky with this gig. He didn't work with guilds often, but when he did, it was often a spectacle. He just wished he could have stayed in his homestead. Dublin sounded wonderful. Gesturing to the bed, he offered a gentle smile. He wouldn't let this woman tear him to shreds, drain him of his life...he wouldn't let Gus have the final laugh on his demise. "I think it'll serve us well. Please. Make yourself at home…"
Turning around, her eyes skimmed the bed, and while a smile found her lips, it missed her eyes. Casually, she turned back to Christian, and approached, brushed her fingertips along his tie again, "You know… I don't normally do this sort of thing…" Her free hand moved imperceptibly, and from beneath the hem of her skirt, she felt for the handle of the knife strapped to her thigh. Tugging it free, she brought it up swiftly, angled to the man's throat, "But killing an Incubus I'm very familiar with…"
"Er, you get used to it after-" Shawn started as her fingers tempted his necktie, a blush threatening to grow against his flustered skin. However, the next moment a flash of metal crossed his eye, and he soon found a knife placed to his throat. Eyes widened and horrified, he placed his hands up in surrender. He let his facade go and exclaimed. "Oi! I ain't no incubus lass! My God! I fear ye maybe a succubus! Then you go around and scare a grown man like this!" Swallowing, he squeezed his eyes shut. "I be no monster lass."
Blinking, momentarily thrown both by the sudden shift in his accent and his demeanor, as well as by the claim that he thought she was a... of all things… a succubus, Mercedes waivered briefly, just long enough to loosen her grip, "...A moment ago, you were also an American Auditor. And that act down in the bar? Pretending to be shy and unnerved? You're good, but you're not
that good…"
"It's because I was shy and unnerved! Hadn't had a woman touch me like that ever!" Shawn exclaimed, gaining a bit of a catch on his breath as her grip appeared to loosen. His head threatened to hang. "Look, lass, I believe we both be monster hunters. Guild number lass?"
"....You expect me to believe…" But then, it had been such an unsubtle shift. The only reason she hadn't outright suspected a lie was because she was… ultimately… expecting a lie, anyway. That the lie was his confidence seemed unlikely, but stranger things had happened, "...Two-four-three? You're either lying through your teeth, or your guild is out of their minds… Sending you after a Succubus? She would have eaten you alive before you'd made it to your hotel room." Apprehensively, the knife lowered slightly, "...Who are you, really?"
"Jackman?" He questioned, not having memorized the numbers for the guilds except for the Maine location and his temporary guild. Swallowing anxiously, he took a step back from her knife. "Well excuse me, princess." He growled lowly, a moment of offense taken across his features. He couldn't help but be nervous. He knew what to do. He had holy water in a small vial. He had his spell book. He should be fine… "My name is Shawn O'Connell. Guild Two-five-six. Temporary guild. I'm a lone hunter, for the most part. Occasionally am with guild one-four-Two. Dublin."
Her eyes fixed on his, searching for any indication of a lie. But decidedly, he could have already overpowered her, or at least tried to… and given he hadn't, "Mercedes… And Jackman, yes."
Tucking the knife back into the sheath below her dress, she swore softly, "Means that bastard is still down there… and he'll have seen me leave with… Damn." Running her fingers through her curls, she contemplated the available options, "Unless… unless we can bait him from here."
"Are we even sure it's an incubus?" Shawn drawled out his question, folding his arms with an inquisitive peer. "My guild informed me it was a succubus running amuck. We don't even know what our monster looks like...running in damn circles…" Shawn frowned, mentally kicking himself for so openly accusing a woman first hand of being a succubus. That was rather rude and foolish of him. He bit his lip. The confessional would need a good visit later.
"Of course I'm sure. We've got it on good authority… and he's been here at least a week or two… Two dead prostitutes and a maid. All… well, you can imagine, I'm sure." Tugging the knife free again, she crossed the room, to the bed and tossed it on the side, before bending down to unlatch her heels, "You prepared to do what's necessary, Shawn? To bring down this beast?"
"W-Wait…what about the two business men that have gone missing the last few weeks? Think that's just the prostitutes actin out?" Shawn's head tilted. Confusion flooded through him, she spoke as if he had never hunted a day before in his life. Minus the Fae incident, Shawn was rather good at the job.
For the most part.
"Well I ain't gonna ask for it's phone number!"
"Two business men disappearing from a fancy hotel in Boston Harbor? Hm. Not too difficult to think up another scenario..." Eyes shifting to his again, she shook her head, "I was referring to the bait. Incubus are drawn to sexual energy… We need to bring him to us."
"Bait? Are you suggesting we…" Shawn lost all color upon his cheeks, swallowing hard. Oh God. No. No no no. How did he know this wasn't just a ruse for her to get on top of him and rip out his throat? "I usually buy dinner before I freak out about this sort of thing."
Looking over at him, Mercedes expression shifted and the first genuine smile she'd shown that night filled her eyes, "I hardly think we'll have time, darling. That's not to diminish your charm… but there are monsters to slay.". From the same sheath that had held the knife, Mercedes produced a thin pen, popping the cap, "It's largely speculated that both variants, Incubus and Succubus work off a level of telepathy… A connection from your mind, to theirs. It's thought, in some theories, anyway, that this is why they're able to manipulate your mind so effectively. If I can open a mental channel of sorts… A streamline connection to my mind, we may just be able to entice our clever he-demon to pay us a visit. But… he won't come if there's nothing to draw him." As she started to work the pen along the pale skin of her forearm, she looked up at him again, "I'm not asking you to sleep with me, Shawn. Just asking you to pretend you want to…" Twisting slightly, she turned her back to him, "Unzip me?"
"Um...if we weren't in a crazy arse situation involving sex demons and a lot of nerve, it wouldn't be pretend." Chuckling, Shawn teased the young woman and stared wordlessly at the zipper. Oh God. Oh God. God forgive him! This action caused his entire hand to start trembling and he slowly began to unzip her dress. "Whatcha doing there lass?"
A brow quirked, and her lip twitched higher as she shook her head, "Well… that's a lovely complement, and were the situation less complicated, I imagine I might actually share the sentiment." She continued to work on her forearm as he eased the zipper down. Beneath the dress, she wore a deep purple slip, lace and silk. Looking back over her shoulder at him, she laughed softly, "...Are you shaking? Oh darling… you really don't do this often, do you?" Eyes shifting back to her arm, she shrugged, "It's the Communication Rune… I'd carve with a knife, but that seems a bit rudimentary… not to mention edgy… and blood rarely makes for anything useable."
"You are just saying that." Shawn grumbled, fumbling with the zipper until she revealed to him her purple undergarments, swallowing as he respectfully glanced down to the fuzzy carpet beneath his toes. Slowly, he began to unbutton his blazer and managed a weak chuckle. "I've never done this, lass. I was hoping' I wasn't gonna try this until I found a good lass." Head tilting, he rolled his eyes. "I've never heard of such a thing."
As she finished the rune, she tucked the pen back into the holster, and looked up at him with a small chuckle, "I'm not just saying that, actually. Which is odd, all things considered… Dear Lord. I would find the one decent man left in Ireland, under the worst possible circumstances…" Turning around as she slipped the dress to the ground and stepped out of it. Her expression softened and reaching up to help unknot his tie, staring at the bright red fabric, she shook her head, "...You're still not 'doing this', Shawn. It's all pretense… just to lure him here." Pulling the tie free, she looked up to meet his eyes, "...You gonna be alright?"
"Oi! I ain't the only decent lad! We Irish got good to blood, don't mind the salty poems or the increasing lust for beer." He stuck out his tongue. "Of which I detest both." Swallowing, his eyes peered back up, skimming along the slip and refusing to keep his eyes locked on her. Rather, he met her own eyes and desperately attempted to keep a smile on his face. He needed a good jovial tune to keep the symbol on his chest working. "Aye, I am. You?" Placing a hand on her cheek, he leaned down and briefly planted a kiss on her cheek before using his free hand to unbutton his dress shirt. He was going to feel mighty embarrassed for the pale, milky skin underneath. He was a scrawny man, and it didn't particularly help as he feared she could possibly overpower him.
"You should know… I'm French. We have an increasingly egotistical view that we are the best country on the planet. I'm fairly certain it's in our genetic code." Surprise registered for a moment, as his lips brushed her cheek and color filtered into the pale notes of her skin, bringing out the many freckles. Smiling faintly, she nodded, "...I'll manage…" And gingerly, she brushed his hands away from the buttons, deft fingers taking over.
"Oi, we across the way. We hear ya chatter night after night with puffs of cigarette smoke." Grinning, Shawn felt his nervousness melt nearly completely from his form. This changed, however, as her hands moved to remove the shirt from his torso. "This hot enough for a pervert arse succubus?"
"Oh…" Looking up, Mercedes cracked a small grin, "It's such a shame you haven't been to France since the nineteen-fifties." Then again, she hadn't been there in a great deal of time, either. Reaching up with one hand, she tapped a fingertip to the end of his nose, "Smoking is hazardous to your health, now." Looking to the rune on her arm, she gave a small chuckle and a shake of her head, "...Incubus." She corrected teasingly, before brushing the now dried ink marking, to activate the rune, "...And not quite…"
Gently gripping his shoulders, she backed his knees into the mattress, before dropping down onto his lap, legs straddling either side of his hips. Her arms curved, fingers curling into his hair and with an apologetic smirk and a shrug, she leaned in, crushing her mouth to his.
Shawn planned to make a remark, only to be pushed to his bed and be grasped by his hips. Oh...God...no… Shawn's eyes went wide and a gentle "Mmph!" Emitted from his lips as hers crashed into his. Clumsily he clutched the back of her slip, another hand lucidly burying itself into her mane of hair. Oh, what the hell was he supposed to do? He tried to kiss her back, nerves building in his stomach.
It wasn't necessarily the worst experience Sadie had been through on a mission… She could certainly think of several with significantly less appeal, but it was difficult to enjoy the moment, when she knew effectively, what was coming from it. Shawn's effort wasn't ignored, for what it was worth, even despite his anxiety, which she could feel in the pounding of his heart against her own…
There was a sudden weight.. A pressure in her skull and pulling back, Sadie swore softly as a sharp pain entered her temple. Fingers pinned to her head, she braced herself on Shawn's shoulder, and as the connection resonated, her eyes squeezed shut, "...Oh… Oh no. No, no, no…" Opening her eyes, she met his gaze, "Shawn. There's two…"
Shawn didn't know how to process any of the physical or mental swirls or feeling and emotion, his whole body tensing as she collided into his shoulder. "Two?!" Shawn exclaimed, gently pushing her off of him so he could get a good look at her. "Are they near?"
The pain rolled through her head again, and with a breath, she severed the connection swiftly, nodding, "...Two. And very near… We may have a hell of a fight on our hands." Swinging her legs over his lap, she reached for the knife she'd left of the side of the mattress, before rising to her feet, "I've got your back, if you need to prepare anything… And Shawn?" Looking over at him, she offered a dry, weary smile, "Just in case I die… You really ought to give yourself more credit. You're not half bad at all this."
"Shite." Shawn grumbled under his breath, scrambling haphazardly for his blazer. He had kept his chalk, spell book, and paprika in there for good measure. What could he say? His demonic fox buddy appeared to have an affection for the spice. "You ain't gonna die lass, I'm a professional." He vowed with a grin, buttoning up his shirt before getting to his knees and drawing an intricate design into the sheet of the mattress. "Ah, shut it lass. I don't exactly need the encouragement...but hey, thanks at least if this be me last breath." He sprinkled some of the spice onto the bed and began to hum the incantation, clasping his hands together in concentration.
"You're not going to die, either… And I wasn't referring to the monster hunting." Sadie noted, with a small chuckle before she turned to the door. Her expression sobered as her fingers curled tighter around the handle of the knife, her focus tuned to who or
what might at any point come through, "...Here we go…"
As she spoke, there was a sound outside the door… The beep of a card in the reader. An employee. Of course… it made sense. It made all the sense in the world. The handle clicked and slowly, the door began to swing open.
Readying the knife, Mercedes waited until the figure appeared on the other side… tall and dark, silhouetted by the light in the hallway. The bartender. She recognized his stature, almost immediately, his height, his build. The rich mahogany gaze flashed through her mind, the empty smile… Behind him a blonde, busty and thin, with sharp features and brightly lacquered lips.
Without hesitating, Mercedes flung the blade and the man cried out as it burrowed deeply into his chest.
Shawn's barely had time to pop his head up from his incantation with the cry of the man, just in time to see that the man at the bar was standing in the doorway, clearly ready to take down the two horny lovers in the hotel room. Clearly, a horror story scenario if Shawn ever saw one. (Never have sex! Never ever! You gonna die!). Yet, with one last word, Shawn was able to summon a creature from his ritual circle. In a bright array of bright red chalk,a figure began to morph from the sheets. A gentle, pink nose pierced through the mattress and crawled into being, it's fuzzy, short ears flickering back as it stared with wide eyes to its master. The baby fox's purple tongue spooled from its mouth, a gentle wag to its bright orange tail.
"...That ain't Mulder." He breathed, panic settling into his stomach as the small creatures bounded and attempted to throw itself at the monsters feet. However, it bounded back briefly after a moment and Shawn's head flickered over to Sadie. "Nice knowin ya lass."
She almost laughed at Shawn's reaction to the miniature… whatever it was… that came from his summoning, and at any other time, really, it would have been amusing. In truth, if they survived, no doubt, they'd laugh about it. But in the moment it was terrifying. One hellspawn was enough, but two? This was the double date of nightmares, for sure…
The man staggered further into the room, and as he did, he appearance shifted, swifty, like a mask peeled away, claws and horns, and thick, leathery wings sprouting from the once attractive facade of the bartender. He ripped the knife from his chest with a guttural growl and tossed it across the hotel room, and swinging out a clawed hand, caught Mercedes as she stumbled back from his grip. Claws raked her bicep, and Sadie tumbled back to the foot of the bed with a small cry of pain.
As she fell, her stilettos came into view, and with a small smirk, she grabbed both of the shoes. The Incubus had continued towards her, and Sadie swung one shoe as she spun around, burrowing the six-inch heel into the soft edge just above his kneecap, her legs folded beneath her and she dug her toes into the carpet, vaulting up onto her feet. The second shoe skimmed the sallow skin of his cheek and as he staggered back from the hit, Mercedes pushed away from the creature, retrieving her pen from where it was tucked beneath her slip.
Shawn's instinct the moment a hellspawn sexy man from hell came bolting into the room was to start a rather simple spell, one that would save Mercedes quite a bit of grief. Plucking the buttons from the end of his blazer, he began to chant as his free hand grasped for the pen shoved deep within his back pocket. In a matter of seconds, a gleaming, nearly invisible shield formed around the young woman, blocking her from a strong range of attacks. Swallowing, Shawn raced up towards the incubus to attempt to wrap his arms around the man's arms, only to be swept aside by the succubus's large wings, sprouting from her back in a matter of seconds. She had long, honeydew locks that curled gently to frame her slightly rounded cheeks. Digging her claws into Shawn's shoulders, she attempted to lock her cherry red lips with his. However, Shawn knew better, ducking out of the way and rolling beneath her spreaded legs before she could bury her nails deeply into his back.
"Oi! Lass, you see that?"
Meanwhile, the young hellbound bounded in front of Mercedes and Shawn, stretching back onto its back heels before releasing a loud, deadly yawn. Flurries of fire erupted at the fox's jaws. With a near smirk, the fox bared its fangs and spat continuous spirals of flames, licking at the victims hooves. The succubus managed to roll out of major harm's way, while the incubus suffered slightly more burns.
"I did, darling!" Sadie called back to Shawn as a smile formed, in spite of their circumstances, "Very nice! Oh, no you don't!" The Incubus, still singed from the mini-fox's flaming assault had turned towards her, a misty look in his gaze. Smoke rose from the flames and obscured whatever tomfoolery he might've tried, and instead, the creature twisted, hard and fast, swinging a clawed fist Shawn's way this time.
The Succubus, meanwhile, had recovered from Shawn's swift reaction and turned to Sadie, and her timing could not have been more perfect. The circle was completed on her forearm, and a bright flash erupted. As the Succubus stumbled back from the blaze of light, she reached for the lamp on the desk beside her and hurled it at the wicked woman.
Shawn was taken aback by the claw that struck him in his torso, sending him onto his back in a skidding thud. Groaning, he glanced upwards and noticed that the succubus landed beside him after a lamp struck her in the center of her temple. Leaning forward, Shawn raised his fist and struck her across the cheek, wrapping his arms firmly around her wings and pulling her back into him. However, she shrugged him off of her as if he was nothing, swiftly turning on her heel and grasping his cheeks in her claws. "H-help...la…" Silenced by the sudden crash of lips against his, Shawn's eyes fluttered closed and he found all thoughts had become muddled. Whatever she wanted now, he wanted too.
The small hellbound fox was not having this foolishness with his summoner, racing towards the succubus and burying its teeth deep within her arm. Piercing the skin, a small flame erupted around its incisors, scorching the demon's scaly flesh.
Sadie's attention swung towards Shawn as the Succubus grabbed ahold of him, and anger flared deep within her chest. But as she started forward, so too did the Incubus. With a lunge, he smacked into the shield, swinging hard and fast at it as he growled furiously. Backing up, Sadie knocked something with her foot, and swearing, she bent down to grab the knife that the Incubus had discarded, straightening with a savage swipe towards the hellion. The first swing met the leather of the Incubus's wings, but the second one, she burrowed deep into his ribcage, with a growl of her own.
"Shawn! Snap the hell out of it!"
The succubus tossed the small hellbound creature out of the way without effort, retracing her efforts onto the young man within her grasp. His daze was glazed over with affection and confusion. Pressing her claw underneath his chin, she pressed her lips to his once again, nibbling harshly against his flesh with each repetition of the movement. Catching her breath, the succubus glanced down at her starry eyed victim, his cheeks pale and devoid of healthy color. The succubus bounded for another kiss, but the young man's eyes brightened with acknowledgment as pain coursed through his entire body.
"Fuck me!" Shawn exclaimed, scampering back with a whimper. Oi...he felt rather dizzy now, but he knew he wasn't out for the count just yet. The fox attempted to sink its teeth once more into the succubus' back, but with a simple flicker of her wings, was thrown back to the other side of the room.
Muttering softly, an angry spout of rapid French, Mercedes grabbed the pen free again, and knelt down, her forearm across her lap as she drew along her skin.
The Incubus, furiously clawing at the blade plunged into his stomach with one had, slammed the other into the shield again, but Sadie did not look up, even as she knew it had taken damage. It would not last forever, but she only needed a few minutes… just a few… With the rune drawn, she looked up to Shawn and activated it towards the Irish man, before kicking her bare foot towards the Incubus, who stumbled back away from her.
Shawn panted as the succubus crawled towards him, reptilian tail swinging behind her. Two strikes caming pummeling to her sweet demeanor, a brief moment of guilt paralyzing him. However, one strike seemed to draw blood from her nose, the small stream cascading past her lip. Baring her teeth in a snarl, the woman lunged towards Shawn, burying both set of claws deeply into his torso. Ripping downwards towards his stomach, Shawn attempted to bite down a yelp of utter agony, reaching blindly with his knee to try and rip her off of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the young fox attempt to grasp the man by his leg, tiny, sharp fangs bared. However, the fox appeared to misjudge its movement, missing the man by a few inches. "Come on! Help me out lass!"
"Confounded miniature dog…" Mercedes muttered under her breath, before she grabbed the metal ring from her thumb and slammed it down on the floor, an incantation spoke softly. As it had around her moments before, the invisible cloak-like protection formed around Shawn, mere seconds before the Incubus beat down on her own shield again. One hit… then a second more forceful. She felt the shift, the shattering… and the claws that burrowed into his shoulder, forcing a cry from her throat.
"It ain't me Mulder!" Shawn exclaimed, panic clamping his throat shut. Attempting to throw the succubus off him was much harder than anticipated, his strikes intercepted with a flattened palm each time Clutching both of his hands in her grip, a devious smirk consumed the edges of her demeanor. However, a shimmer fluttered over Shawn, dividing him and the woman. Despite her attempted hits against the shield, it refused to budge. Oh, oh thank God. Shawn was able to catch his breath and calm himself, eyes once again averted to the fox as it finally managed to grab onto the incubus' vulnerable arm. Fire once again ignited within its jaw, but its next movement was brushed aside as it attempted to slam into the creature's leg.
As the claws released, the Incubus tumbling back, Sadie reached up to grab her shoulder, hand coming away slick. Her fingers reached for the runes on her forearm, but the demon had recovered too swiftly, and while she managed to propel herself back away from his first slash, the second swing caught her off guard. Dagger like nails jammed into her back and Sadie was thrown towards the desk, smacking hard into the panel of drawers. She pushed up against the agonizing pain in her left side, and her hand clawed, grabbed for something to throw. A stapler… Missed. A jar of pens… Just past the creature. Another string of French spilled from her lips.
Shawn didn't dare glance over at Mercedes as noise jumbled from across the room. God...their arses were gonna be fucking sore in the morning and Shawn didn't want to have to explain his defeat to a succubus to Gustavo anytime soon. No no. The humiliation would not end. First the fucking Fae...then...then...a shudder crawled up his back. Raising his fist, he managed to clock the succubus across the jaw before she slammed mercilessly into the shield. Heaving heavily, Shawn bit down harshly into his lip, trying to crawl away from the mess that had been created.
The fox, seeing its master in trouble, once again leaned back into his hind legs and opened its mouth wide, exposing newly formed fangs that glistened with a slim, oily substance. Soon, fire ignited once more and several streaks were spat at the incubus and succubus, but they were too swift to receive the full brunt of the damage. However, Shawn had been too slow to duck out of the way, his shield shattering and flesh scolding with new burns. "F-fuck...lass…"
Vaulting towards her, the Incubus slashed, and buckling back, Mercedes kicked the desk chair in the way. It was a short lived grace. The chair slammed into the wall a moment later and the creature slammed into her, it's claws digging into her side. Gritting her teeth, Mercedes brushed the rune on her arm, her eyes shifting to Shawn… With the rune activated, she shoved, weakly against the creature, to no avail.
Shawn felt warmth creep into his body, the burns subsiding as quickly as they had bubbled to his bruised skin. Eyes fluttering and peace invading him once again, he tried to strike the succubus. She avoided the hit with a wild gaze in her eyes. Shawn knew that if he didn't protect himself now, he and Sadie were going to be eaten alive. Plucking a pen cap from his coat, he muttered a quick prayer and smiled at the little shimmer flowing between the two hunters. The succubus could barely scrape her monstrous nails against the magical material.
The fox's little, yellow eyes glided from the woman to the beast, its small heart giving it a massive courage to bound onto the bed, hopping once against the mattress, then again, then once again to give it plenty of leverage...It lunged towards the beast's countenance, dragging its fangs along the beasts nose, squeezing hard and long and bathing in the satisfaction that came with the flames smoldering against the creature's skin. Releasing it's target, the fox proceeded to cave its own skull into the beast, sending it firmly to the ground with a dull thud. The fox fumbled briefly, managing to catch itself on the incubus's now still form. It poked at its neck, dragging its claws along its flesh to make sure the incubus was dead.
Weight shifted suddenly, and she felt relief as claws released from her side, the Incubus dropping from the sudden assault by the little pup, dropping and lying still… unmoving. Dead. Collapsing back against the desk with a small shudder of relief, Mercedes turned her eyes to the succubus and raising a trembling hand, touched her fingers to the light rune again. Another flare, brighter this time, burst free, stunning the creature, as Mercedes struggled to hurl another object, a notepad that had fallen off the desk. Her throw fell short… missing by a mile, her arm dropping limp to her side, heart smacking against her ribs in protest…
Shawn scrambled back from the succubus at hand, able to struggle back to his feet and feel the earth wobble beneath him. Noticing that the incubus was dead, relief flooded through him and he attempted to tackle the succubus to the ground. He missed her as she feint to the side, his body slumping to the ground with a pathetic thud. She hopped onto his back in rage, straddling his hips before taking her long, blood caked nails into his back. Shawn bit down into the carpet to keep a scream from emitting. The pressure was lifted, however, as the fox triumphant and proud tackled into the succubus, removing her weight from Shawn's body. Peeking his head from the ground with a glob of blood escaping the corner of his lip, he noticed that the succubus' eyes dimmed.
Everything hurt… like her nerves had been set on fire. Every movement sent a shockwave of agony through her left side, but she could not…
would not leave Shawn to such a horrible fate. Forcing her eyes open, she looked to where the Incubus lay, eyes glazed and empty, and reaching out a quaking hand, she grabbed for the knife sticking from his midsection. As the fox launching clear, Sadie pushed herself upright, and with what strength remained in her, she threw herself at the succubus, grateful the demon was too preoccupied to notice her movement. The knife raised, Sadie brought it down, hard, burying it to the hilt in the back of the creature's neck.
With a grimace, she dropped to her knees again, hand to her side as tremors stole over her. Collapsing entirely, she brushed her thumb across the symbol on her forearm one more time, eyes focused on Shawn.
Shawn propped himself to his hands and took heavy, labored breaths. He expected sharp daggers to overcome his form, to have his throat slit and allow blood to flow down his chest. However, a gentle thump broke him out of his spell of fear, his head swinging back to see Mercedes successfully slaying the beast. "T-that...that was close."
Breathing out, a small, desperate chuckle, Sadie nodded, "N-no kidding. Y-you definitely owe me dinner, now. C-can you move? Haven't… haven't got a lot left in me, b-but I can make a doorway. N-need your help…"
"I can move." Shawn mumbled, holding himself up to his knees before propping himself upwards. Placing his hand to his temple, he pierced his bottom lip with his teeth. He stumbled to his feet, much like a depressed drunkard desperate to sing his woes. "I...I can help...shite we need to get healed…"
"Just…" Arms quivering like a newborn calf, Sadie tried to push herself upward, weight focused on her right side, "Just help me up… And then I'll need… something to write with.. Chalk…"
"I got chalk." Shawn vowed, hobbling over to her with his arm wrapped firmly around his waist. Bile was building up in the back of his throat and he feared the worst if they didn't draw a symbol fast enough. Making his way to his circle for the fox, he retrieved the chalk from the sheets and approached her, one arm placed around her waist to keep her upwards. "Quickly now lass."
Raising her left arm as she took the chalk, she grimaced, sucking in a sharp breath. Blood slick fingers curved tightly, and her right arm raised to brace the opposite wrist. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned into Shawn with a shudder, "O-one second…"
Arching her arm upwards, jaw clenched against the pain, she drew the rectangular shape along the wall of the hotel room, before tugging a second ring from her index finger, pressing it to the center of the shape. As light flooded the room, the doorway opening, Sadie's knees buckled.
"Good job, lass. Good…" Shawn encouraged softly, his grip remaining as firm as iron as she drew their escape. Shawn didn't realize that the events would escalate so quickly, nor did he figure that he'd be drenched in his own blood. In succubus blood. Grimacing, Shawn readjusted her weight onto his torso and pushed them forward into the light, warmth encasing him like an old friend.