Horn to the Gut (Open)

[crisis]

The room was considerably well-lit, but some malevolent presence seemed to make it darker than it really was. It could have been something psychological in nature, but then again a lot of things could be attributed to Shawn's...more devilish heritage. Either way, he simply sat there on the high-backed chair of red velvet, the heavy wooden table before him, carved with disturbing images. Shawn himself was quite imposing, dressed in a dark pinstripe suit, his hair slicked back and his fingers creating a pyramid of contemplation.

His eyes, black as coals seemed to bore deep into the soul of the person on the other side of the desk. Once again, it could have been purely psychological...but many things could be attributed to Shawn's...more devilish heritage.

"I tire of your excuses." said Shawn in a voice cold as the arctic circle. There was no tinge of anger in it...but that seemed to grant a more frightening effect. The man sitting on the chair seemed to be sweating all his bodily fluids away. He debated with himself whether it would be disrespectful to turn away from that gaze...but those eyes, dark as they were...he didn't know how he managed to meet them for so long as he did.

"Please forgive me Mr. Devauld..." said the man stuttering through half his words, but a raised hand from Shawn quickly silenced him.

"I said i'm tired of them...so if you can't say anything else. I suggest you be quiet." The man half-opened his mouth but then snapped it shut quickly. Obviously he had nothing else to say.

Shawn slowly stood up, there seemed to be a darkness around him. That was a trick that he learned from his father...fear was a very useful tool. And when you were a crime lord, and had demonic blood seeping through your veins, fear was something you had plenty to throw around. He walked around the desk towards the bar situated at the far end of the room.

There were no other sounds except his foot steps and the crackling of the fire place. The other man just watched as Shawn poured a milk and vodka into the same glass, being almost mechanical as he fixed himself a White Russian. He slowly turned around to meet the man again. He just sipped at his drink, saying nothing.

It seemed like hours, but suddenly the man jumped off the chair and prostrated himself at Shawn's feet. "It wasn't my fault sir! Please, please"

Shawn's lips tightened as he looked at the lapel of his jacket, the man's actions had caused him to spill some of the drink. He didn't like messes, he didn't like incompetent henchmen, and most of all he didn't like excuses. He trained his gaze on the crackling fire place, and immediately a gigantic maw erupted from within and consumed the man.

The man was charred in seconds, and with a command of his will he swept the flames into nothingness. Shawn's lips tightened even further at seeing the ashes on his carpet...he really didn't like messes.

[Harley Jacobs]

There were just some days when it didn't pay to get out of bed.

Brushing her long blond hair back from her face, Merrit "Spark" Givins gave a disgusted little sigh and stared at her latest failed experiment. So much for the magical little stun ball she'd been working on. Instead of leaving her victim prone at her feet... The thing had blasted him backwards and into a wall. Even from where she stood, she could see the blood seeping from what was probably a crack in the idiots skull.

Back to the drawing board, it looked like.

Heaving out a sigh, the little blond strolled towards the now unconscious man. Kicking aside the gun he'd just moment before had leveled at her, she leaned down and began to search his pockets. Unfortunately, there was no id so she had no clue as to his true identiy. No surprise there. Hired thugs very seldom went around advertising who they were, now did they?

Merrit snorted at the very thought. Ha, as if she could get so lucky! But then, she didn't really have to now did she? She had no doubt that this villain was one of the many hitman on the pay of one of the kobal families. Only, as a hitman for the magical families of the world, he didn't use just plan old human weapons. There was no doubt a nasty piece of sorcery bespelled on the bullets within the firearm.

Hence the need to take him out of commission before he got a chance to fire on her. Damn it, she'd really been hoping that stun spell would work. She could have hauled this jokers ass in front of Shane and found out who exactly it was ordering these assassination attempts. Although, why they thought killing HER would do them any good.. She had no idea. It wasn't like she was on speaking terms with any of the "family" besides her brother. They'd pretty much cast her out and left her to fend for herself so why on earth would they care if she was dead or alive?

Unless it was someone INSIDE of the "family". Someone who wanted her out of the way so that Shane would be more biddible to their demands.

'Huh. Now there was food for thought." she thought to herself just as her fingers found a hard lump inside the man's jacket. Pulling it out, she stared at a huge wad of money and sighed. Yup, definitely hired guns. Looked like this was finally something to turn over to her brother.

Pushing to her feet, Merrit looked around and grimaced. Wiping the grim of the alley off her jeans, she glanced this way and that to assure herself that she was alone. Then, stepping backwards into the shadows, she called on her magic and felt herself split in a million pieces even as she thought of her brothers office. for a moment, there was a tingling sensation that bordered on pain and then she was coming back to herself in an immaculately decorated room.

Yup, this was right where she'd wanted to be. Thank god.

Shifting to a more casual pose, Merrit let a grimace of distaste spread over her lips even as merriment twinkled in her blue eyes. Her gaze had taken in the pile of ash on the rug and Shanes expression all in one look.

"My, My brother mine.... You do have a nasty habit of making messes.. Who did you burn this time?? Please tell me that it wasn't Santa Claus or someone... The children of the world will never forgive you for it."

[crisis]

There was a split second of warning for Shawn, as he felt the magical energies reverberate in the air to announce the arrival of someone via a teleportation spell. This room was warded against intruders, Shawn couldn’t have his enemies just popping into his place of refuge whenever they wanted…but there were some people lifted from the stigma of the protective ward…one such person was exactly who had arrived…his sister.

Needless to say, Shawn felt his spirits lighten at seeing his sister, even though she had that jesting expression on her face. Merit had always had a special place in Shawn’s heart…in fact; she was probably the one who proved to him, that he actually had one. Not that Shawn would ever admit something like that beyond the confines of his own thoughts. He was a mafia lord, certain images had to be kept…for the good of the family, the business and everything else.

"My, My brother mine.... You do have a nasty habit of making messes.. Who did you burn this time?? Please tell me that it wasn't Santa Claus or someone... The children of the world will never forgive you for it."

He waved his hand, summoning a little gust of wind that blew the ashes into the fire place. The flames crackled violently as they were disturbed, but eased almost immediately. The warm orange beams radiated across the entire room as the dark presence lifted with Merit’s arrival.

“I could only wish it was Santa Claus…then if that happened, I wouldn’t have wasted magic on something so useless. I could have just shot him between the eyes with the revolver I keep in my drawer.”

Shawn walked back towards his desk, and took his place back on the seat. He turned to face his sister again. “That was your bodyguard by the way. He wasn’t supposed to lose sight of you…but apparently he did.” He gave her an accusing look, like a chastising older brother who caught his little sister with the hand in the honey pot [not that Merit ever would dip her hand in something like that]. “You smell of violence, Merit…what happened?”

He didn’t exactly smell it, it was just a term he used for that demonic ability he inherited from his father to sense the auras of violence around people. He had actually gotten quiet used to the sensation, living in a city like this. But to have it radiate from his little sister…he has obligated to ask.

[Harley Jacobs]

Now, wasn't THAT just the question of the day?

Ambling forward, the petite blond witch eyed the fire that had just destroyed the rest of the poor fool who'd pissed her brother off and gave a delicate shrug. Her blue eyes glinted with mischief even as she perched on his desk. In a manner that totally disregarded the dangerous man the rest of the world saw Shane as, she grinned and waded up a piece of paper to toss at him.

"Why is it that you always assume I've been into some kind of trouble?? Really, Shane! No "Hello, baby sister! I've missed you" or "Hey, how you been?" I think i've shown that I'm quiet capable of taking care of myself. Those bodyguards you send out just make me more obvious in a crowd... They are like a giant announcement that says "HERE I AM"... Not to mention they SUCK at their job." she chirped out, swinging her legs back and forth. "Seriously, brother mine, the only reason they care if I live or die is because they are afraid they might meet the same fate as that poor idiot..." she continued, pointing to where the fire danced.

Tilting her head a bit to the side, Merrit let her face grow serious as she met his dark gaze. Worrying her bottom lip, she contemplated how to bring up this next subject without sending her brother into a rage. He was NOT going to be happy she suspected and even she didn't care to be in the same room when he was "unhappy".

"As far as the violence goes though..... I had another of those "incidents"." she said in a tone that was half apologetic. "After giving your boy the slip, I was working a case and realized I was being shadowed. It was a warlock and he was carrying spelled ammo...."

Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out the gun and offered it out to him.

"I think that who ever is behind this is getting a bit more serious.... I also think you have someone in the inside holding the pay purse."

[crisis]

Merit was quick to defend herself, she always had been...which made Shawn think that she could have a promising career as a lawyer.She was also quick to assert her independence, practically...no blatantly...admitting to his face, that she purposely ran away from the hired men that he instructed to watch over her. He gave a mental sigh at that...he really did lose more henchmen that way. The person he just killed, he had been a specialist in teleportation spells, his job was simple at the first sign of danger he was to grab Merit and get her out of there...it really posed the question as to how she managed to get away in the first place. Her angelic face was probably one of her greatest weapons, nobody would ever think that a devious mind hid behind those eyes.


"As far as the violence goes though..... I had another of those "incidents". After giving your boy the slip, I was working a case and realized I was being shadowed. It was a warlock and he was carrying spelled ammo...." Merit did have a lot of vigilante tendencies, and normally it would have irked Shawn, but today he took the news of her attacker more into context. Once again he made a contemplative pyramid with his fingers.

Their enemies were getting either more daring or more desperate, both dangerous in their own ways. It was difficult not to gather so many enemies, being the kind of people that they were. The only thing that Shawn could really do, was keep ahead all the time. Spelled ammo...those would require new precautions. Maybe this time he'd send covert mages to look out for her. Possibly, he can even summon a minor demon to hide in her shadow or something.


She dropped something heavy and metallic on his table. "I think that who ever is behind this is getting a bit more serious...." she said it as if mimicking his thoughts. "I also think you have someone in the inside holding the pay purse." The last words, struck across Shawn's mind like a whip cord. It was one thing to know that somebody wanted Merit dead...that was expected...but for someone he considered an ally? The very notion caused Shawn's blood to burn...and it was quite literal, because in his anger his demon form surfaced.

His skin became black shadow, with a crackling mass of energy visible as the swirls and tendrils gave momentary glances inside. His eyes were furnaces and long twisting horns erupted from his forehead. It was only a split second that Shawn had lost control of himself, but when he reverted back to human form, he left a charred claw-print on his desk. That annoyed him again...this desk would have to be replaced now.

He turned his gaze back on Merit. "That's quite a large accusation Baby Sister, what makes you consider it in the first place." He let his eyes wander towards the gun. Steps should be taken to trace the origin of that weapon.

[Harley Jacobs]

Well, that news had sure gone over well now hadn't it? Watching her brothers expression change, Merrit was glad that she wasn't the focus of all that rage. As his comprehension grew, the demon seemed to surface and he visibly struggled to bring it back under control. The blond haired beauty held her breath as the seconds ticked by and then Shane became himself again leaving only a charred hand print upon the desk. His question didn't surprise her at all but she took a few moments to gather her thoughts in answer.

When she finally spoke, it was in a thoughtful tone that suggested that it had been on her mind for some time.

"Well, to be honest, brother mine.... I find it odd that all the attempts have been made solely against me. If it was against your kobal itself then the attempts should have been made on you. I"m nothing to any of the rest of the "families". Our fathers family doesn't even recognize that I'm alive... Much less put any value upon my life except that I "distract" you from business. Why on earth would any of our enemies feel the need to kill me off?? It would be a complete waste of their time unless they just plan on pissing YOU off so bad you start a war over it... a war that no one else in the family would support...Honestly, that really wouldn't be good business, would it?" she said, wiggling her nose so that a bag of peanut butter M&M's appeared in her hand.

"The only ones who'd truly benefit from my death would be our own family. After all... Whether they like it or not, Father left me a third of the profits from our combined interests.. If I was dead.. all that would revert back to the family holdings... Thats a pretty good motive for murder if you think about it... And then, they wouldn't have to deal with my pesky interference with you either... Although why on earth they think i hold any sway over what you do... I've got no clue."

Tossing a few of the little candies in the air, Merrit caught them in her mouth and munched on them happily for a moment.

"You know they hated my mother and your mother doesn't like the reminder that Father only married her so that the gene pool didn't get polluted anymore... He always said that you were the only thing she did right and his leaving you as my guardian didn't exactly make her roll out the welcome mat. Although.. WHY I need a guardian at my age, I've got no clue.. Just sayin!"she continued in a dry tone. "If she'd had her wish, I'd have been dead the day I showed up on the door step."


Swinging her legs back and forth, the little blond fell silent for a long moment as she looked at her sibling. Tilting her head, she frowned a bit as she watched him and then arched a brow.

"By the way, how is your dear mother?? Has she quiet calling me all those inventive names? Still ranting at you to find a nice demoness and settle down? Carry on the family power?? Thats got to be annoying."