Put the knife in the tableThe sharpened blade sunk easily into the white table. "It's really quite simple. You stack the deck on your hand, then stab the knife into them and count the cards. The card's value is it's point value...aces subtract thirteen points and face cards are seven points each. Understand?" The blond man spoke, a bottle of rum helf lightly in his left hand. His opponent just blew smoke from the cigarette held between his teeth and smirked.
"You go first."
Deck of cards fly across the roomIce-blue eyes glittered with mischief as their owner stood, retrieving a favored deck of playing cards from the top of his dresser and tossing the box to his ponytailed rival.
"The dealer never goes first. You start, gunman."
A fanged smile from said gunman before the silver and black cards were placed upon a scarred hand. Then the knife came down, through the tense air, metal sinking through paper.
"Not even fifteen points." He mused, examining the cards on the knife. "How about we make a bet?"
The blond folded his arms, resting his elbows on the table with an easy smirk.
"What kind of bet, Freeshooter?"
This game has ended, someone needs to die
One darkened gold eye surveyed his enemy carefully.
"The usual, Luxord." Another puff of smoke before the cigarette was ground into the table and a fresh one lit in it's place.
"You've got yourself a bet, Xigbar." Luxord smirked, taking another long swig from the bottle on the table. Both Nobodies were in over their heads, intoxicated by the sinful indulgences they could partake of because of their nature...the blond grabbed the cards and the knife from Xigbar with skillful hands.
I put my life on the table but forgot the risk, I assume
Now it's going downLuxord pulled the blade up and tugged off the cards.
"Thirty points. It's not too late to back out it you're scared." He stroked his short beard innocently before flinging the knife at Xigbar. The taller Nobody caught it between two fingers just before the metal plunged into his eye. He shrugged- the last thing he needed was to lose the good eye he still had.
"Don't get cocky. I don't feel fear." Xigbar replied, a shot at the emotionlessness that had been whispered around them their entire existence. The blond's cool personality was making his blood boil in a way he couldn't explain.
Fell in love with the game, but I forgot your name
Go ahead, please fight me, cuz I'm not scared
Though you stayed the same, I forgot from where I came
Go ahead, please fight meThe pair were equally determined and relentless, stealing cards in the lull of distraction and passing the knife with increasing force each turn. The card stack shrunk and the dagger stabs, as opposed to common sense, became wilder and less controlled. More spent nicotine sticks littered he floor, countered in number by empty bottles, as the game continued.
"First to bleed loses ten points." Luxord proposed, a slur tainting his accent as he rolled the tool of play between nimble fingers. Xigbar bristled but complied. Fair was fair after all, wasn't it? His tongue darted out to lick his lips slowly, pushing the unlit cigarette to the corner of his mouth.
I put my life on this table
This is me and I'm lost for words
Xigbar had lost count of who had the higher score, but by the sneer on the lightly tanned visage across the table from him, he didn't think he was coming out the victor. So smug...it made the gunner's hand shake, convulse, bringing the dagger down a little too hard and wrenching a curse from his lips. He snarled, ripping the blade free and sullenly watching black-edged fluid streak in metallic red-violet across the purity of the ivory surface.
"Minus ten, Xig." Luxord purred, arching a slender blond eyebrow. Had that been a play of time?
Now it's me who needs to die, say something now
"Those cards are mine to collect now." The blond said coolly, reaching to take the cards from a bleeding opponent. "And it looks like game over, as well."
"When did that come into play!?" The streaky-haired man barked.
Unphased by the display of anger, Luxord continued smirking. "I'm the card dealer, and the gambler. I make the rules. Count your cards." The blue-eyed man shuffled his deck quickly, counted, then stiffened in shock. ...
Luxord had lost. Xigbar knew it too.
Cuz I'll be dead before dawn if your voice comes unheard
Now I can't find ground"Look like you saw a ghost, Lux." The hazel-eyed man rumbled like a sated cat. He leaned over the table, molten honey clashing with glacier runoff.
"You're a filthy cheater. Lying cad...the Gambler never loses."
"Looks like there's a first time for everything." Xigbar grinned, gravity lifting him to stand on the table and kneel to peer at the cards. Luxord clutched the knife in one hand...an invisible countdown was ticking through the air, each passed number a deafening silence. And all at once- two bodies lunging forward, fingers curled around a tan throat, card-clever fingers attempting to crush a scarred fist.
And we both stand tall on the table
You take me by the hand and I grab you by the throat
And we both come crashing through the window
On the dirt ground below
The two Nobodies hit the ground outside the mansion's window with twin thuds. Luxord was the first to rouse himself to his feet, attempting to tackle and pin Xigbar to the ground. But the gunman was fast with his reflexes, swinging his fist into the blond's face. He snarled in pain and spat blood into the gunner's visage. The fist found it's mark again, bruising the gambler's eye and drawing another loud growl from him.
And we wrestle in the mud and the blood and the beer
Break my jaw, I don't care
Just stay with me, stay
They exchanged wild bellows of rage and tore at each other, wrestling across the ground until the gambler finally had the ponytailed man beneath him, pinned and writhing. Xigbar's hands squeezed around Luxord's neck and he wheezed, forcing the darkness tinting the edges of his vision to retreat and plunged the blade downwards, into Xigbar's arms. It glinted in the dim light as it danced over newborn wounds, over marks long healed, bringing more of the fucshia Nobody-blood bubbling to the surface. Even after the gravity-mage's grip had been broken, the blue-eyed man kept stabbing, the metal biting into gun-calloused hands and rough muscles. The dagger only fell to the grass when the harsh cries of pain couldn't be ignored any longer.
Look, my arms, I don't want to moveHe stared in morbid fascination at what he had done to the other man before the realization leaked through the haze of alcohol, alerting him to just how bad of shape he was in himself. Bruises painted golden skin and masked his left eye, and his jaw was aching inensely. The blond ran fingers through short hair slowly, blinking.
"Bloody hell.." He stuttered, shaking off what he could of the drunkenness. Xigbar turned his head to the side, teeth grit, almost hiding behind the strands of silver and black that had escaped his ponytail in the scuffle.
Hold me still, teach me how to weep
"Xig...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered, wiping stray drops of blood off the Freeshooter's face, surprisingly tender. The bloodied Nobody turned his face back to the other, trying to convey some sort of apology through his saffron eye- and he could bet the same look would be in the other eye had it not been disabled and hidden behind the eyepatch. No words came from either of them as Luxord rolled off and laid beside him, exhausted and in pain.
If it's okay with you, I think I'll stay here
For a little while...It was at least an hour later before Vexen and Marluxia, on a nightly walk, had found the pair on the ground outside. Xigbar was unconscious, breathing ragged, and Luxord was half-asleep and shivering. The Rose had nearly gone into hysterics at the blood and the fact that Numbers II and X had done this again, but the Scholar just sighed.
"Marluxia, pick up Luxord." He ordered as he himself lifted the Freeshooter into his arms carefully. The other was still upset, but acquiesced.
Fell in love with the game, but I forgot your name
Go ahead, please fight me, cuz I'm not scared
Xigbar walked slowly down one of the mansion's hallways, frowning bitterly. His arms were bandaged from shoulder to fingertip and he popped his neck, groaning. He was sore, and could hardly remember why he and Luxord had ended up duking it out, anyway... His ears twitched as he heard a faint clicking. It sounded like... his head lifted from inspecting his boots. Luxord was leaning against the doorframe of the room with the newly replaced window, bandages around the side of his head and a proud feline smirk plastered onto his face. Two dice were in his left hand, being tossed up and down leisurely.
"Hello again, gunman... Feel like playing a game?"
Though you stayed the same, I forgot from where I came
Go ahead, please fight me...