George was not in any state to try to maintain his tenuous hold over the bodyknown as Charles Edmond Galloway. Enough, enough, he surrendered to dreams and echos of the life he lost. In the drunken haze Charles slipped into his own body. He was aware, but not fully aware, he never completely came free from dreams. He was very drunk. So drunk in fact the bar tender refused to serve him more. The door mand steered Charlie towards the door when he looked like he might be sick.

He didn't get sick though. He was simply bristling with rage.....he was angry at everyone and the alcohol was fueling that anger. He staggered drunkenly kicking at things, hitting walls, yelling unintelligible drunken slurring. He was a mess. Wearin damp jeans and a sweater he hadn't zipped up. Through some wonderous magic he still had his glasses, though the very delicate wire frames now rested on his face crookedly.

He encountered a garbage can lid, large and metal. He wasn't sure how he's found it, he was much too drunk. He held it glanced at it an then hurtled it in a random direction with all his might so it flew like a giant frisbee.

Verkur's never played frisbee. But it isn't a suprise that he caught that garbage can lid as if he were some frisbee champion. The lid made no sound in his hands as he walked forward.

The demon was impossibly tall and impossibly dangerous. His height towered at nearly seven feet tall, his body slim but defined even through clothing. He wore maroon leather pants that rode his legs like skin. His shirt was of the finest silk, black, maroon, green, gray colors created intricate braids of patterns up either side of it beneath his bare arms. On his hands were maroon leather gloves, the fingers snipped clean at the knuckles. Long, granit claws tipped each finger. His hair fell past his butt, nearly to his knees in a woven, silk rope of utter black. Blue black.

The demon's flesh was bright in the moonlight, pale and gray, a soft stone color and as smooth as Marble. Possibly as cold. His lips were delicate and thin and lovely, darker gray. His face was striking, inhuman but hansom nonetheless. And his eyes were narrow, sharp, and white. And they glowed faintly. He's been called evil. He's been called Beautiful. He's been called dark.

He advanced and looped an arm over the drunken man's shoulder as if he had been his compainion the entire evening and not just joined him for the first time in life. His arm looked strong, was stronger then it looked, and could use more power and strength then it had if need be. His shoulders were matted in scars, yet strangly, they made him more beautiful rather then mared. He turned, guiding the man to turn as well, he set the grabage can lid ontop of a garbage can lightly, without sound.

"Do you hear that?" Nothing. No sound was made except distant cars and music. His voice was something. It was Wrong. It wasn't meant to speak any form of human language. It rasped and hissed, was deep and light.

He's been called Chaos.

George would have been startled, but George wasn't home right now. Charlie, well he's bad enough off at the moment he isn't startled at all. As for hearing inhuman things it wasn't the first time he has heard such, though he was aware that this was the waking world and not the shroud of dreams. He paused, keeping quiet and listineing to the occaisonal hiss of cars moving along distant paths of pavement.

He shook his head at the demons question. If he heard anything it wasn't in the waking world. Glassy grey eyes, bllodshot from drink looke up at the demon. He paused in his steps, his eyes narrowed and then closed briefly. He opened them again. This was the same demon....."Verkur." he said quietly.

"You've heard of me," his white eyes dropped to the figure. It doesn't suprise him. His name is written in many books if by 'Vyncyra Verkur' or just simply by 'the creature of Chaos' or many other names. "How nice." His arm seemed to tighten slightly around the man's shoulders. What was 'slightly' to Verkur may be near a vice grip on a human of any sort. He lowered his head slightly and put his gray lips near the other's ear. "I've not heard of you before." Too bad. So sad.

He lifted his head again and brought his eyes up to the sky. "Do you know what you hear?" He gave the man a shake. "It's the sound of the night. The silenece." He grabbed the trashcan lid, his claws breaking through it with a high shreaking of the metal. He waved the can lid in front of the man's face. "You would have interupted that peace with this garbage. That does not please me."

He replaced the broken lid on the garbage. "At all."

Charlie still looks somewhat unconcearned. George would be apologetic, contrite, likely sensible enough not to be a drunken ass to begin with. Charlie though, who has lived flittering in and out of nightmare planes in fractured reality......what's a disturbance to the disturbed?

"Heard of you, not at all. I've seen a memory of you, a series of memories.....one of your pets I expect." the words are only slightly slurred by drink. The voice is soft spoken in spite of how deep it is.

The grip the demon has on him is tight but it isn't unbearable, since this is one of five realities Charlie's mind is percieving. The stimulus he recieves in his mind makes those others seem just as real, though to the corporeal body thay are but dreams. Men do die in dreams........and in the waking world.

"Memories?" He began to walk then, and because he held the man plastered to his side in a tight grip, Charlie began to walk too. That or he was being dragged along. Verkur would not care either which way. "Of a pet?"

His eyes glowed brightly. "And which pet would this be?" He asked, mildly interested now. A man who sees memories, a Pet who projects them strong enough to be seen.

((Bah! Short))

Charlie did resume walking, there is a line between crazy and stupid that he hsn't crossed yet. It would be stupid for the Demon to drag him if his legs in fact still worked.

"Yes memories, all twisted inside his nightmares. Some people live over the parts of their lives that torment them in their dreams, this man is one such. That is how I saw you. In Erik's nightmares. Fickle thing, seems to leap from wanting to live and then wanting to die. Suicidal bastard, Death never comes on the wings of our own chosing." Charlie says, still quietly.

Another man would likely not hear him unless he put his ear to Charlie's lips to listen. Charlie knows the demon can hear him though, demon's can hear all sorts of things men cannot. Want to learn about demons? Get trapped in their dreams like Charlie has on many occaisions.

"Andlagur?"

The demon smiled. He'd not paid the Mind reader a visit since he'd shown up and dropped Lucifer and his little inside friend Kaldun on Erik's head. Maybe he should go check on the little death wish.

"He would," try to kill himself that is. Maybe Verkur should help him along. If Erik was trying to kill himself, it meant he was broken. And once a being is broken, Verkur doesn't find them very interesting. After all, the point of having them was to see how far he could push their psychs without actually tipping them over the edge and breaking them.

"Death is a selfish bastard. He takes only what he wants." He turned a corner, taking Charlie with him. Where were they going? It's doubtful he really has a destination. But here, further from prying eyes, Verkur stretched his wings backwards.

"If he's selfish it's his business." Charlie said quietly as the demon led him along. He made no mention of George meeting Death in a bar.

Charlie smiles at the demon. It is a lunatic's smile. Now he doesn't ahve to llok for the demon. He had been getting ready to. Though even as crazy as Charlie is, he would never dream of summoning anyone.....it's disrespectful.

Charlie did watch the wings, something was about to happen here, and so he watched with the sort of morbid but detached fascination only a mad man can posses.

Verkur had met Death once. And It's in his personal oppinion that War is far more charming then Death. Of course, he also happened to be sporting Sanigus' mark on his neck as well.

"Tell me, then, human," Yes, Charlie is just another human, nothing more to the demon. Not yet anyways. He's got to ear a name for himself or he'll remain just 'human'. And Verkur spoke the word like acid on the tongue. "Do you know my Andlagur personally? Or simply because you easedrop in his dreams?"

Erik, the man was a weakling, too brittle in Charlie's mind. Still he had a plan and he intended to try to implement it. As much as he loathed Erik. weak willed and broken hearted thing he was, he still felt, pity for the other. He would stick with his plan.

"I have reluctantly made his aquantance." Charlie still veiws Erik as somethng of an inferior specimen. "I was going to help him deal with his dreams, but he'd rather die. I fished him out of the river earlier. Dropped him off at the ER. " he said.

"Reluctantly?" So, Andlagur was now in professional's care. Verkur was certian that the man was going to end up in some nut house now for sure. Verkur would have taken him to Emrys. Two birds with one stone. Keep the pet and maybe even keep him from breaking (which means he's doing good, keeping Erik unbroken for so long) and Terifying Emrys.

"And what, pray tell, are in his dreams?" Aside from himself. Because as cocky as the demon was he could honestly care less what Erik dreamt about him. He opened his wings and then folded them to his back once more, neatly and carfully. When the wings moved, every muscle all the way down his calves, arms, his chest, every muscle moved. Those wings were heavy.

"Child abuse." Charlie said simply.

That alone is likely what earned Erik any pity or sympathy from the madman at all. The demon being vexed with Erik was his own doing, he had summoned him. The abuse however, he was a victim of pure and simple. The man had endured enoguh torment. In spite of Charlie telling him he ought to kill him, he wouldn't really Erik posed no threat to anyone but himself. Charlie wasn't in the habit of ploting the demise of the helpless. Still it had been fun to throw the notuion in Erik's face. The nitwit even bungled suicide.....several times. Charlie had only screwed that up once.

"Ah yes. The rape thing." Verkur could recall that.

While Charlie throws a death threat that he really didn't plan to carry out in Erik's face, Verkur throws reminders of Erik's childhood rape at him. Such as inviting Erik to bed with him and Lucifer while Lucifer wasn't really himself. (coughKalduncough) Maybe he was trying to break Erik after all. Now Erik was broken and it wasn't his doing.

"And now I am one Pet short." He turned his glowing eyes to Charlie again. The man didn't seem frightened, this both irritated and interested the demon.

"A pet short, maybe. Then again maybe not, that is if you make deals with mere humans." Sharlie says quietly, not that he's exactly a mere human, but from the demon's perspective he knows he isn't terribly special.

From Verkur's perception Charlie in fact was not very special. But then neither had Erik been. There are a hundredTelepathics and Empaths in the world. And there wasn't much special about Rasmus either. And the only thing interesting about Lucifer besides Kaldun was that Lucifer was just another way to torture Erik.

You needn't be special. Just interesting.

"mere humans?" He chuckled. "You too are just a mere Human." His grip hadn't loosened from Charlie's shoulders. And if he's not a pet sure on behalf of Erik, maybe he'll just gain a pet. Or maybe he'll Kill Erik. It's not a terrible idea.

In a very bored tone, " I know I'm a mere human, something you could toy with or squash like a bug, I'm insane not stupid." he said. "You want a pet, I want you to leave poor shitty little Erik alone....maybe we can work something out, or maybe you can squish me.....I already know you'll do what you want anyway, but maybe it won't conflict with what I'm after at the moment." he said simply.

His proposal was in part on the table, now to see if the demon was even remotely interested.....

The demon was remotly interested. Of course, squishing Charlie like a bug wasn't a bad idea. Almost as good as squishing Erik like a bug. But then he'd be a human short and have not gained another toy out of the deal.

And Charlie was interesting in that he was not afraid. Infuriating and annoying, but definatly interesting.

"And what exactly is it that you are after?" He hasn't even hinted whether or not he's interested in replacing Erik with Charlie or squishing Charlie. He'll get what he wants anyways, as Charlie said.

"Leave Erik alone and you can have me instead, though I'm not so foolish I believe you can't have me if you like anyway.....but really look at the poor bastard, where is the challenge?" Charlie asks.

"Why would I leave Andlagur be? Why trade him for you when I could have both at my own will?" So he's a bastard. He's already made up his mind on this matter but he's going to make this human explain every little detail. "And what is your interest in the broken man's well being?"

"It was my ward, but now I don't think he will go back to her. So now it is pity mingled with spite, enough is enough, he is already broken after all, but I want him to know, that I got him off the hook so to speak, it adds flavor to the mutual loathing he and I have begun to share for each other." Charlie answers candidly.

Verkur's arm slithered away from Charlie's shoulder across his neck. As his hands pulled past, he left five deep cuts from Granite claws across the bare flesh of the back of the Human's neck. His wings were once more opened, the leather magnificent and lovely. He held both hands out at his sides.

"You would give yourself to this," this being himself, "for the sake of a man that you loath only because he is involved with your ward but will not be returning to her?" He had said this in a tone that said 'no, your not only insane, your stupid too.'

Stubborn, in the infuriating and irreversible way only the truly insane can be. Logic would have dictated this to be a lost cause to a normal person, maybe even to George , But George has lived once already, and Charles has lived a thousand lifetimes in dreams. Erik has only lived once..... This is just one of many fragmanted realities for Charlie. Though he is for the moment more firmly grounded here by five cuts on the back of his neck. "I do not expect you to comprehend. Simply keep the bargain." With his words he stepped closer to the demon and nodded. His hand explored the cuts only for a moment and dropped.

"Though you should know my loathing, does not stem purely from the fact he was involved with my ward.....It comes from seeing how he veiws himself, for a man who cannotlove himself, should not wonder why the world does not love him. His woe is me attitude is not only weak, but selfish. The notion he might ever go through the process of self realization and see how much of his own wretchedness he directly played a hand in amuses me." Charlie says.

I do not expect you to comprehend. Simply keep the bargain.

Verkur raised a hand and brought the back down on Charlie's cheek with a force that perhapes would knock him over, perhapes send him a few feet across the allyway that he had lead them down. His eyes glowed a more feirce, bright white, as if fighting the darkness to light up the ally.

"You will not speak such to me mortal!" Ohh...you've gone from human to Mortal. Even worse. As a human you're not just an animal but an individual. As a mortal, your being placed with the animals as well, you are unimportant as a mortal. Everything dies if it is not immortal. Except Verkur.

"I will keep what bargin I please and see fit to keep." Though really it was the 'I don't expect you to understand' part that made him angry. Because he did understand, but his nature, his very being would not allow him to make that a rational explination. He was made to be chaotic, to make what isn't difficult difficult. And his mind understood why, but couldn't find it rational, only stupid. He was looming over Charlie now.

Madmen are not rational, mad men make pipe bombs to kill people in order to save tehm from a coming alien invasion, madmen see five worlds in one mind, sometimes more. He knew he would anger teh demon. Charlie has a very calculating variety of insanity, the need to test everything plays into future caluations. The demon's forceful blow was not resisited, Charlie hadn't even tensed up for it. He let himself fall easily. A sane man would stay down. Charlie stood right back up though.

He looked up into the demon's eyes from where he stood. "I will speak exactly how I wish to speak, my choices are my own, I will live with their consequences knowing and understanding I made them." he said.

Truely he was insane!

It wasn't that he stood back up. Verkur had expected this. But if a sane man would have stayed down then of all of his beings, Erik truely was the only sane one. He was, after all, the only one Verkur had had in this centry that stayed down when Verkur pushed him down.

It was the words that had caused Verkur to strike Charlie again. He may be insane but he was smart in that he'd remained limp rather then tensed. Tense would have hurt more. Verkur grabbed at the man's throat and lifted him close to his face. The demon is nearly seven feet. Coming to eye level with those blindingly bright eyes meant Charlie's feet left the ground.

"Your choices were predestined. You have no choices. And you will not speak to me in such a way."

"Men of all creatures, all of them, are the only ones with free will." Charlie gurgled out around being held by his throat. Defiant thing isn't he?

"Destiny is a lie....."

"You are stupid. Human's havn't free will. They fool themselves." He let his claws bite into the side of the man's neck where his hand wrapped nearly around the throat. "Free will is a dream. Your given choices but before your born it's already decided for you which choice you will pick."

Why was he waisting his time arguing with a human about destiny and free will?

"Do you wish to become mine, human? Is this what you want? To put yourself in this position?" Not that it matters, Verkur's already made up his mind.

Charlie is begining to believe the demon maybe crazier than he is.....the Gods are to fickle for free will to be a lie......he doesn't voice it though. It's hardly worth the argument, he can argue with the demon later he's sure.

"According to you, my will or wishes in this matter are irrelvant, but yes, it is my choice to put myself in this position." Charlie says.

Actually, it isn't that Verkur is insane, it is that he's under a tight code. All of his free will has been taken away and put under regulation by the gods. And while it was done for good reason, that being if he weren't under a code most of the world would probably be living in hell, Verkur found it injust.

"So be it. Now take me to Andlagur." It wasn't a request in the least. It was a demand. Verkur never asked of a human. Even less so of one of his humans.

George has been reading up on that. He and Charlie both are aware of the code. Neither one is stupid enough to mention that though.

"MMMmm arangable, but I do have to track him down now that I'm sure he's been put in mental health care. " Charlie acknowledges.

"Then you find him." Verkur released Charlie's throat, his claws making a soft, sickening sound as it came out of the man's skin again. He just let go, without lowering him to the ground first. It didn't matter if the man had fallen or would catch himself.

"Find him and in three nights I will find you." There, suitable time. You have three days to track down a man that you loath for a demon you surely don't like. The demon's eyes still glowed, though a might lighter now. The white still illuminated his face like marble.

"It will be done." Charlie said simply. Ample time, it would even leave him time to deal with a few personal matters, like sobering up.

He did catch himself, letting his knees bend slightly as he landed and then spring back. He looked almost as if he had jumped down rather than being dropped.

Verkur had already unfolded his wings by the time that Charlie's feet touched the ground. His entire body moved with the motion of opening them. The wing span was amazing, but unlike his body, the wings had a faint scent of death on them.

And he leaped into the air, the wings catching and then with one powerful stroke, sending a heavy gust of wind at Charlie, Verkur pulled himself into the air to find a meal elsewhere. Charlie lucked out that he knew Erik, he may have been the meal if he'd not.