Sharp Teeth and a Helping Hand

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Argus swung his feet over the ledge and looked down on the city "It really is a lovely city, but with all beauty there is a level danger. My name is Argus by the way, forgive my temper. Even you must understand how hard it is to keep a cool head when you're staring death in the face." he lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Naomi wants me to quit, but its a hard habit to kick. My human self wouldn't have done this, in fact I remember being quite against smoking." he flicked ash on to the city below.

A lite mist hung in the night air, the city below was bustling with night life. A cold wind started to pick up "It's going to rain again soon" Argus looked to the inky black sky. "It's something you just pick up after living here for so long." he took another drag. "So Ari, can I call you Ari, whats an angel doing here? Seems a bit odd that one of your type would get caught up in human affairs?" he let question hang in the air.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naomi was finally able to get her regular clothes on and get paid for her "time" with Argus, he paid ahead of time. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed. "Hey Kev can you come get me, I had a really rough night and I don't feel like walking home." she sighed.

"Yeah no prob. Is it a hot coco night?"

"Oh my God yes! You are the best!" she fawned.

"Aight girl I'll be there in a bit."

*Click* After a night like tonight Naomi just wanted a normal quiet night with her friend, their couch, hot coco, and the warmest blanket she could find. She knew she wouldn't be in to much danger if any, all she had to do was give a small scream and they would come running, Argus or the new guy.
 




if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"]Stretching his wings a tad, Aritian gave a small, contented sigh. He couldn't help but laugh at the demon's observations, though. "Not to alarm you, mate, but this city is dodgy, at best. It looks all right, but I can't say I'm a fan of the rats in every other corner, you know?" He chuckled. "But, 'to each his own'... Heh. That's what you surface walkers say, right?" Looking genuinely curious, Aritian nudged the other man. The cigarette also drew his attention. He looked at it with wide eyes. "What's the purpose of those anyway? Seen quite a few people with them."

Letting his wings shroud his shoulders, mostly to ward off the cold, he watched the cars and such bustle to and fro. There was something pretty fascinating about human ingenuity. "I swear... What will these humans dream up next?" He chuckled to himself, looking out at the neon lights that streaked across the city. After a bit of daydreaming, he finally turned his attention back to the demon. Aritian shrugged at his question. "Ari's fine. And good to meet you, Argus." Extending a hand out to shake, the angel was clearly trying his best to be polite. But the next question caused him to sigh. "Hm... Can't say I'm authorised to tell you much. Being honest, I shouldn't be talking to you now. Proper buried, you should be..." Aritian shrugged again, his gaze following one of the cars below. "Suppose I've never been very good on the 'following through' part of this business." He chuckled a little, though he made no move to become aggressive toward Argus. In fact, he bore no weapons. Just himself and his hands.

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Despite how shitty her life was, Naomi was eternally grateful for the friends she had. She'd only been able to have three or four over the course of her life... Some of whom were still cooped up in that asylum she'd spent most of her years in. Kevin was definitely among one of the best, though. He understood her, knowing when to ask questions and when to just stay quiet. And, to make things even nicer, he always seemed to be able to make time for her. When the two finally settled down at home, Naomi curled up next to him on the couch. She relished in the warmth of her blanket, and stayed quiet for a little while, before finally letting loose.

"I know that a lot of the stuff I say to you is crazy, but... Things are actually getting crazier. Those things that I see have been getting more violent. More often. And... I don't want to go back to that hellhole I came from, again. It didn't help me before... and I think if I went again, it would just kill me." Naomi sighed, trying her best to tell him as much as she could without telling him very much at all. "I don't know what to do, Kev... So I think I'm just gonna hide in my room under these blankets for the rest of my life. ... Mind paying ent for me?" Chuckling a little, she looked over at Kevin with a modest smile. No matter what happened, she was going to try and keep her sense of humour.

[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
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"Damn girl sounds like you got yourself into a heap of trouble." he wrapped his arm around her. "I mean it's just rude that they attacked you while you were on the clock." he chuckled. "Nobody's coming take you way either, not while you payin rent! And look you've been through enough you're a strong person Naomi, and I'm not talking about your hoe either." he laughed.

"Uh! Fuck you!" she laughed and punched him in the arm.

"Damn you hit hard!" faking pain he rubbed his arm. "I know what you need." he got up from the couch and went into the small kitchen.

"I really don't want to smoke right now Kevin." she pulled the blanket over her head.

"Chill out it's not weed, it's your favorite thing after a long night at work." he smiled. She heard the crinkling of a plastic bag, then the sound of some thing big being dropped into a pan.

"Oh my God Kevin is that what I think it is?" Naomi's face lit up.

"I told you it was hot coco night!" he laughed. "Now while the chocolate is meltin why don't you put on some music, you pick." he pointed to her. Naomi went over to the sound system and looked through her massive CD collection. "I don't know why you still have those things, you'd save a lot of space if you just went digital like the rest of the human race." Kevin sighed.

"I like having something physical, let's me it's real. Ah here we go." she took a disk out of his case and put it in the player.


The slow melody started and Naomi let out a deep breath, she was starting to relax a little. She found her way back to the couch and got cozy again. "Yeah there we go." she reclined with a smile.

"Don't fall asleep on me yet, coco is ready." he came over with two hot mugs of coco. Kevin's coco was the best Naomi had ever had: melted down chocolate bars, warm milk, and whipped cream.

Naomi took a sip and her eyes lit up "God this is so could, I want to buried in the stuff!" she tossed her head back in joy. "Thank you so much Kev I really needed this so bad." she smiled.

"I got something else for you too." he had the biggest grin on his face. "I got you another audition, it's for one of the more major parts in a movie one of my buddies is filming." he smiled.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You've never heard of cigarettes?" Argus raised an eyebrow. "They calm your nerves in stressful situations, here." he took one out and gave it to Ari. "Lite it up and suck on the end of it." Argus smiled. "And look man I'm not looking for a fight, not right now anyway. I get it you've got your agenda and I've got mine. Be warned though if you plan on hurting Naomi I will tare those wings from your back and light you on fire. See I plan on giving her the protection no one gave me when I had my life snatched away. I mean hell I was a Seer and I didn't get a guardian angel." Argus exhaled more smoke.​
 
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if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"]Seated on the couch, nestled somewhere between complete comfort and total relaxation, Naomi let her eyes close for a few moments. She couldn't help but smile. The security she felt from having her friend nearby combined with the warmth she had in her body at the moment was something that she wanted to remember. She didn't get to have these moments often... For the entire, premier decade of her life, she didn't even know what peace was. And the years afterward, those moments were so few and far between that she could hardly hold onto them. But that wasn't going to happen now. She had her cocoa. She had her music. And she had her best friend. She couldn't argue for much more.
Though Kev's next announcement was pretty groundbreaking...

Naomi looked at him with wide eyes. Slack-jawed, she stared at him for a while before snapping out of it. "Holy shit! Holy! .. Oh-! H-Holy-! " Barely able to stay coherent, Naomi had to take a moment to compose herself. She could hardly believe it. She'd auditioned for parts before, but usually they were for bit roles. Small parts with very few lines... She'd always wanted to work in theatres, but getting in was so difficult. Damn near impossible for someone with her... 'conditions'. But Kev had gotten her something. Something major! Naomi was practically shaking with excitement! This was so different! Leaning over, she squeezed him tightly! "Oh my gosh, Kev... When is it? Wh-where!? Do I need to bring anything! I.. I've got to make a hair appointment. I have to do so much to get ready! Kev!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" Stammering excitedly, Naomi could hardly stay in her seat.

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"Calm your nerves, eh? ... Can't say I've heard the same about them " Aritian looked at the cigarette he was handed curiously. He knew he really shouldn't have been consuming anything while he was on mortal soil... but he'd already broken a cardinal rule by talking this long to a demon anyway. What was another rule, in the face of breaking that one? So, looking at the cigarette curiously, he observed Argus for a moment before timidly taking it in hand and placing it in his mouth. Snapping his finger, the tip of the cigarette lit, much like Argus's had. And, with a mighty inhale, Aritian got his first taste of the human world... God above, did he not like it... No sooner had he inhaled did Aritian practically gag on the smoke. He hacked and coughed the black clouds up and out of his lungs, mouth watering from the effort. Cringing when he finally finished, Aritian flinched. "Why on Earth would you lot find that relaxing!? Bloody rotten it was! Terrible!" He coughed a few more times, throwing the offending cigarette off to one side. With another snap of his fingers, the small cigarette disentigrated.

Trying to put that ugliness out of his mind, Aritian found himself moving on to more ugliness. His amicable smile started to fade suddenly. "Aah... Well. This.. puts us at odds even more, I suppose... Get me right, I'm not here to do a bit of harm to the girl. But, my mission does involve the nature of 'Seers', as you call them. ...Where I'm from. They're called 'Abominations'." Aritian sighed. He'd been rather liking his conversation with the demon. He doubted this would make it go in a pleasant direction. "No, idea you had a human life, but... The reason you never had a 'guardian angel' is because your power, as it was, never posed a threat to other people. .. But Naomi. That woman is learning too much, mate. If she gets out of control, I'll have to 'put her down', as you lot say."

[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
Kevin smiled "Relax Naomi you have plenty of time to prepare. It's not for another three days, and the audition is at 4:00 at the Doll House-"

"Y you got me an audition for someone at the Doll House Theater? You mean the best play house in the city?" Naomi's heart skipped a beat. "How on Earth did you get me this audition!"

"A friend from high school showed him your head shots, don't worry about it. Shit Naomi this could be your big break, you should be concentrating on sharpening those acting skills."

"Kevin thank you so much." she gave him a huge hug.

"Yeah, yeah, and this time actually show up." he chuckled.

"I promise on my life I will be there." she looked him in right in the eye.

"Just bring your resume, and your A game." he smiled. "Now you going to finish your coco or what?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rain started to pour from the sky "See told you it was going to rain." Argus zipped up what was left of his jacket. "Yeah but see the whole putting her down thing doesn't really work for me. I would think that as an agent of good you would be strongly opposed to taking an innocent life, funny how rules change so easily in your world." he flicked the cigarette butt down into the city below. "I gave that woman my word that I would see her through this situation with Arcanum. Teach her how to use her powers, how to control them, and I can't have you fucking that up." Argus stood up, still looking out on the city. "So as far as I'm concerned starting tomorrow if I ever see your goody two shoe ass anywhere near Naomi.... well lets just say roast chicken will be on the menu." he flashed a smile, then in a puff of black smoke disappeared.
 




if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"] The days that followed Kevin's amazing news were filled with nothing but preparation and hard work. Naomi spent hours upon hours reading over old scripts and presenting them in front of Kevin as convincingly as she possibly could. She wasn't certain what her tests or trials these auditions would call for, but she didn't want to change being rusty. So she practised all that she could. To the point of exhaustion, really. What time she didn't spend practising, she spent at Nine Tails, doing her best to keep her wallet satisfied. Her work wasn't very difficult, of course, but it was pretty difficult to stay in 'Desire'-mode. Especially when she was embroiled in the VIP rooms... Given what had happened to her in one of them... As she thought about it, she hadn't seen either Argus or the angel that had assisted her in quite some time... In fact, she hadn't even had any encounters with Arcanum.. or whatever other monsters he had under his control.

It was eerie...
Naomi had tried so hard to have a normal life. And now, she seemed to have gotten it. It had come out of nowhere, but she actually had peace. True, genuine peace.
Seated outside of the Doll House, quite a few hours early, Naomi was trying to rid herself of any last-minute jitters. Quoting the lines she remembered, she professed her love to the small pocket mirror she'd carried in her purse. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea... My love as deep... the more I give to thee. The more I have, for both are-... " Naomi sighed, realising that her delivery felt forced. Possibly because she was acting as Romeo... but the idea of being Juliet was unpalatable. The girl was an outright dolt. She shook her head, deciding to try again. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea... "
[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
"Naomi Basco." a man with a clipboard came into the greenroom.

"Right here!" Naomi jumped out of her seat.

"Follow me." he motioned for to come into the other room. Naomi happily walked at a brisk pace, her mind racing with excitement and nerves. It wasn't long before she found herself on stage, the man with the clipboard walked out into the auditorium. She couldn't see who was watching as the stage lights were turned on and practically blinding her.

"Miss Basco right? Kevin's friend?" an easy going male voice called from seat.

"Yes sir that's me." she tried to see who was talking to her, but no luck.

"There is a script next you on the stool there, turn to page thirty six and read the first paragraph for me." he called out.

She grabbed the script and turned to the page he requested, quickly scanning the lines a few times. She closed her eyes, composed herself, and started.

"You have no idea what it's like John! What it's like living with this cures day in and day out! Every day I wounder if it's going to be the last day I can go to work, or if today is the day I die!" Naomi started, but it sounded to forced she stopped. "I'm sorry may I try again?" her face lit up bright red.

"Of course, just calm down, breath, read the line again, get a good idea of what it is the character is going through, and have at it." the director called out.

Naomi inhaled and exhaled slowly, she opened the script again and really read the lines. Her eyes went wide when she felt she really related to the character "Oh my God this is me." she whispered.

"Sorry what was that?" the director called out.

"Nothing, sorry I'm ready." she cleared her mind and the haunting images from her past drift back to her. Tears of anger started to fall down her face "You have no idea what it's like John!" her voice shook. What it's like living with this *sniffle* curse day in and day out!" she paused. "Every day I wake up and wonder if I'll get to work, or if today is the day I die! So fuck you for putting me through this, and fuck you for betraying me." she thought back to Argus and gritted her teeth. Feelings of anger turned to sadness "You betrayed me John, and for that I will never forgive you. This is good bye... forever." Naomi closed her eyes and the script, tears still fell from her eyes. "Thank you." she whipped the tears from her cheek.

"Naomi Basco!" the director called.

"Y yes?" she said timidly, afraid he was going to reject her.

"How would you like to be my leading lady?" he called out.

Naomi's heart dropped through the floor "Yes absolutely! Yes!" she beamed.

"Alright please be at rehearsal next week Thursday."

"Thank you so much Mr...."

"Josh Denee."

"Thank you Mister Denee, so much." tears of joy welled up in the back of her throat. She walked off stage and into a hallway absolutely in love with herself.

"Congrats on getting the part." a voice called out of no where.

Naomi jumped and looked around "Who's there!" she called out. One by one the lights in the corridor started to break, until the only set left were above Naomi. Darkness surrounded her on both sides, and she found a very familiar panic run up he spine.

"Exactly who you think!" *POP!* the light bulb above her shattered.

there_is_no_need_to_stare_at__by_thestubborn-d5q0n0g.png

It was him Arcanum and he was very real.​
 
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if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"] Naomi was... ecstatic, to say the very least. She couldn't believe her good fortune. Not only was this role meant for her... Hell, she'd been playing it every damn day of her life. And she'd done far better at acting her ass off than she ever thought possible. This was it. This was her big break. She was finally getting recognised for her talent. And not the carnal ones.. The ones she hardly liked acknowledging herself. Feeling a few tears well in her eyes, Naomi was quick to exit. She needed to get home to tell Kevin how much she appreciated his help. After all, if it weren't for him, he doubted that any of this would have come to pass...

But, fate had other things in mind.

Naomi felt the cold first.. Then she watched the darkness close in... And then that voice...
Like knives on the inside of her head.
Eyes wide, Naomi ran as quickly as she could to the end of the hall. Despite not being able to see, she knew she was still in the hallway, right? The doors had to be there! Colliding with the wall a bit quicker than she'd expected, she shook her head a little, but started to claw at the wall trying to find the door knob that should have been there. Unfortunately, she found nothing. Her nails scraped at the empty wall, finding absolutely nothing to grab onto. Breathing beginning to pick up as the panic settled in, Naomi felt the tears begin to come. She couldn't do this, she couldn't do this... Not now, why n-... Eyes widening again, Naomi suddenly remembered something. She'd been training for this! She.. She hadn't done it lately, but, fuck if now wasn't the time to try! She wiped her eyes quickly, before suddenly turning around. Her back rested against the wall as she looked out into the darkness.

"You've already played your hand and taken everything you thought you could from me! I'm not going to let you take anything else! You hear that?!"
Shutting her eyes for a moment, she tried to concentrate on protecting herself. Her heart beat loudly in her ears, but soon enough, the bubble she'd seen before appeared. It surrounded her. Shimmering and golden, it lit up part of the hallway, though only for a short distance. She opened her eyes, surprised to see that she'd actually done it. She'd made a shield! All by herself! You want my eyes so bad! You can try and take them! I'm not fucking scared of you! "

[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
Arcanum's face stopped right in front of the light barrier and he just stared at her. His gaze pierced hers as he just watched her she gave a nervous smirk "Whats the matter? Have I bested you?"

"You have bested no one." again he whispered with out moving his mouth. "This was merely a test to see how far you've come in you ability, and I must admit it's pretty abysmal." his words cut at her. "I can wait for your light to run out, just as I did with countless ones before you, just like I did with Argus." his voice was so soft.

"Yeah right I can keep this up all night."

"You're a terrible liar Naomi. I don't take kindly to lying, didn't our time in the asylum teach you anything? Remember how I kept switching your reality? What was real and what was fake, I loved that game." his voice sounded happy but his face made no smile. "I wonder Naomi, are you dreaming right now? Don't I only appear to you in your dreams? What's real and whats fake? Who is on your side and who is betraying you?"

Naomi started to question what was going on, and the her light stared to flicker "No No No!"

"Come now you tired to kill yourself once already, why not just let me finish the job?" with each flicker Arcanum got closer and closer until her was right on top of her. "See you can't best anyone you stupid woman!" he brought his hands up to her face. She didn't scream... there was no time, it was over.

"Come on Miss Seer don't give up now." Argus appeared right in front Naomi, grabbed her, and in a flash they were gone.

"ARGUS!" Arc yelled.


Naomi found herself outside of the theater in Argu's arms "Phew close one, are you alright my lady?" she took her hand and kissed it.
 




if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"] Feeling his hand loom closer, Naomi's breath was gone. She hadn't expected this to happen. Not when things were going so well... Feeling her throat constrict, she shut her eyes, hoping that it would at least be quick.
As quickly as she'd felt things change, she noticed a sudden breeze. As if she were outside again. She opened her eyes slowly, after hearing a familiar voice, and looked up to see Argus was holding her. She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, then looked around her surroundings.... "What... WHat happened to? ... Why are you here?", Naomi looked at Argus, confused. Wrigglign out of his arms, she backed away from him and began to look around the area to see if she recognised it. As far as she could tell, this was the outside of the theatre... But, what Arcanum had said. It was true... She only saw him in her dreams. Maybe... Maybe that's why things had been going so well. That had to be it. This all had to be a dream. Raising her hand to her shoulder, she pinched herself, trying to wake up before she saw Arc again. In the meantime, she turned her gaze to Argus. Backing away from him still, she screamed. "Why did you bring me here?! I told you to stay away from me!"

[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
"God Naomi why do I have spell this out to you every time. I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to protect you. Stop" he walked closer and stopped her from pinching herself. "Naomi you are here, I am here, and Arc almost got you or well what you thought was Arc. You're welcome by the way." he sighed. "I said stop." he pulled her hand away again.

"Don't touch me! W what do you mean that wasn't him?" she said still kind of freaked out.

"Ok so you know Vigilantes? From the club... "

"Yes, Argus, I know who he is!" she yelled.

"Well his thing is head games, and illusions."

"So!"

"So he was fucking with you! That was him not Arc, and everything he said to that night was a lie! Come on Naomi wake up, I'm not the threat. Its Vigil and that meddling angel, so please would you just let me keep training?" The wind started to pick up and a chill shot through the air "Come on we gotta go." he took by the hand and started to run. "You hungry?"

The two found a diner and sat in a booth "Okay we should be safe here. So hey congrats on getting the part!" he sounded nervous.
 




if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"]
Naomi continued to struggle with what Argus was telling her. Suddenly she'd been thrown right back into this madness... and she wasn't sure if she wanted to handle it anymore. Things had been going so well. She could see success lying somewhere at the end of this long tunnel. She'd actually caught a glimpse of what a normal life would be like. And now she was running down the street, with a demon attached to her hand and who knows what following them. She just wanted to wake up. Maybe all of this was a dream? Maybe she was still asleep in her bed? Or maybe... she'd never left the asylum? That realisation caused her eyes to grow wide. When Argus sat her down in her chair, she fell silent, trying to grapple with that reality. It was possible... Maybe she'd never gotten out. Maybe they'd put her into a coma, thinking that it would be more humane than letting her live a life in constant fear. She clutched her head, letting her elbows sit on the table in front of her. She blocked out any of Argus's words, simply staring down at the table below.

Silence fell between them for quite some time...

"Apologies for arriving so late, loves. Nasty bit of demon activity I had to deal with a few countries over. Not a very kind lot, either. But, listen t'me chatter. What can I get for you both?" Looking down at the both of them with an impeccable smile, a familiar angel tipped his imaginary hat to both the demon and his lady companion. Curiously, he looked a lot more human now. His wings were gone and the ethereal glow to his skin was absent either. He just looked like a regular, pale human--though the white hair was still a bit odd. Polite as always, he sat right down in the seat next to Argus. "Good to see you again, mate. Last conversation didn't end too well, but mum always told me that an enemy's just a person you haven't smiled at enough yet. Fitting, eh?", he chuckled, turning his attention over to Naomi, whom still seemed rather shell-shocked by all of this. She seemed to snap out of it, though, when she saw the two sitting side by side. Naomi wasn't certain what it was... She didn't trust either of them fully... but she wanted to put her trust in an angel more than someone that could have potentially been lying to her this whole time. She looked over to Aritian timidly.

"Ah... Mr. Angel, sir? Sorry, I'm not so good with names. Anyway... I- I... I know this is gonna sound weird, but I already think I'm crazy enough. ... Could you tell me whether or not I'm stuck in a dream?"

The question elicited another bit of light laughter from the angel. He reached over and patted the girl's hand. "Heaven help you if you're havin' dreams as boring as this one. Suppose that's what I'm here for, eh?" Aritian couldn't stop tickling himself pink with his stupid jokes. Eventually, he shook his head, giving a straight answer. "No, Naomi. You're in the real world. Your demon friend is telling you the truth... Imagine that!" The angel turned his attention to Argus, propping his head up on his hand. "Now, Argus, you do seem a touch unnerved. You think your other buddies are gonna be returning soon?"

[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
Argus was pale and very on edge "Well gee Mr. Wonderful I suppose so considering I just saved this one from Vigil, of which she doesn't care. So that kind of fucking suck!" he growled.

"What in heavens bells is your problem mate?" Aritian raised an eyebrow.

Argus sighed "Sorry, but I've been smoke free these past few days... trying to quit and all that." he gave a quick glance to see if Naomi would even care. "Going through detox is hard enough as is, and now I have to worry about Vigil and his stupid antics. Oh and let's not forget that Naomi here still doesn't trust me even after I saved her life... twice. Then there's you with your crazy schemes, so pardon me mi lord if I'm a bit upset OVER MY CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS!" he shouted. Eyes were drawn to the group for a quick second then everyone went back to their food.

"Oi calm down mate, tryin' to keep a low profile here." the angel shot him a look.

"Argus I want you to leave." Naomi whispered.

"So Naomi what would you like to learn next? As always I'm an open book, ask me anything. How to control your esp, who might be coming after you next, how many goons Arc has, how my wife was killed, what my daughter looked like when I found her dead in her bedroom, how many times I was nearly beaten to death protecting you at the asylum, or how about how many times Arc offered me my life back if I killed you, hmmm? Want to talk about that?" his voice was dripping with anger. "Man these past three days alone he's crawled into my head and made such amazing offers 'Slit her throat and I'll give you your wife and child back' that's what he told me, or 'Set her ablaze and it all goes back to the way it was.' he whispered over and over. But every time I answer no, and you want to know why? Because I can't and I won't kill you Naomi, God knows I've wanted to, but I can't. I look like demon Naomi, but that doesn't mean I am one. So stop looking at me like I'm some kind of monster, that I'm the one causing all this pain because I'm not." he swiftly got out of his chair and left the diner to sit on a bench just outside of it. The cool crisp clearing his head.
 




king still hasn't decided what song fits him
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so she'll continue to be lazy
and leave this as a placeholder


[FIELDBOX="➶ , lavender, solid"]
Naomi was taken aback by the sudden outburst and, truthfully, she felt like she was right to ask Argus to leave. But when it only made him angrier, she felt a familiar fear return. She didn't want to think of Argus that way, but... he could be very threatening. Especially when he was yelling at her. She was even more surprised to see him go, though, storming outside without another word... Though, in the wake of the words he'd left behind, there wasn't really much that could be said in response. Naomi sighed, letting her hands rest in her lap. Her head sunk slowly as she looked down at the floor. She hadn't really known it until that moment, but her entire body was trembling. She wasn't even sure what from. Somewhere between fear and unease... She wanted to go hide someplace so that she could throw up and cry... It was a ... strange circumstance.

"Well... That wasn't very pleasant, was it?" Aritian had listened to the entire exchange. But, notably, he wasn't smiling. Usually his tone was quite jovial. After all, he was an angel. He had nothing but joy in his heart. Even when he was gouging out the eyes of demons or lopping off the heads abominations, he did so with a sound mind and a kind heart... But, something of this demon's story was... upsetting.

"I... I don't know who to trust. I know that Argus has sacrificed a lot for me... and I keep getting him hurt... but... but what if it's all a trick? What if everything's a lie? I... I wake up and I'm not even certain if he is real or if I'm real or... or if anything I've ever come in contact with is real." Naomi's words tumbled out of her. She was hardly even aware of the angel sitting next to her, listening to her words. She didn't trust him either... He just happened to be the only one around her that knew about her situation at the moment. "I'm a crazy person, Aritian. I'm... I'm insane. I never should've left the asy-"

Waving a gentle hand over her face, Aritian smiled at the woman calmly. "Don't worry, love. We'll figure this out..." Within an instant, Naomi's eyes fell heavy. She wasn't certain what came over her, but she couldn't fight it. Before long, her body relaxed back against her chair. Her mind felt at peace... Slowly, her eyes began to close as she fell into a deep sleep. Before she could sink out of the chair entirely, Aritian picked the limp woman up. He stood from where he'd been seated and followed after the demon. He... knew he should've been taking this opportunity to end the poor woman's life... but something about the demon's words...

Eventually, Aritian caught up to the demon. Finding him seated on an empty bench, the angel made his way over, carrying Naomi carefully in his grasp. He stopped, standing just behind the bench. "You know... The rumours are true. We angels have it pretty easy. We don't spend nearly that much time down here as you demons. We get our orders... usually to dispose of one of you lot... pop down here, take care of that business, then pop back home. ... Can't say it's the worst, eh?" Aritian chuckled, though it was considerably less happy than any of the others. He seemed to be thinking about a lot, barely making eye contact with Argus. Instead, his gaze traced Naomi's face. "I guess the only problem is we... sorta forget w-who we do all of this for. I.... I can't even say I've been this close to one before. Never touched a single one. ... Proper rotten, aren't we? Playing as guardians, yet we don't even know what we protect...Heh." Aritian's smile had completely gone now. A strange sadness lurked in his eyes as he continued to look at Naomi.

Eventually, after a few moments, he spoke again. His voice was actually a little shaky. "Why can't you kill her, Argus? ... Wouldn't it be easier for the both of you?"

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a r i t i a n
 
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When Aritian came out of the diner with a knocked out a Nami a small burst of panic ran through him. Then he started talking, Argus listened intently. "Yeah its a shame you guys never stick around, there is a lot of fun to be had here." he eyed Naomi like a hawk making sure the angel did nothing to her. Then came his question and Argus paused thinking over his answer. "That stuff I said about Arc crawling into my head... yeah that stared before I even knew Naomi existed. Plus that's how I got the body I have no... I used to be one of his pawns." his answer hung there in the cold night air, Aritian was a bit shocked. "Yeah after her took my eyes he said he saw some thing in me, some kind of sick potential. So he took me, by force, and instead of just letting me die he turned me into this form, brainwashed me, and made me a killer." Argus was staring off into space nodding his head. Then he just kind of got quiet, like he was reliving the entire thing.

"Argus? You okay mate?"

"Hmmm? Yeah sorry, I'm fine." he gave a big sigh. "To answer your question I can't kill her because I need her to finally kill the son of a bitch who ruined my life... plus I've grown to like her. I watched her suffer in the asylum, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, as I went through the same thing... do you still intend to kill her even after what you've seen her go through?" Argus moved closer to Aritian and put an arm over Namoi's shoulder
 




king still hasn't decided what song fits him
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so she'll continue to be lazy
and leave this as a placeholder


[FIELDBOX="➶ , lavender, solid"]"Not certain I can hear too many more of these stories, mate. Can get a bit depressing if you listen too long." Trying to reclaim some of his humour, Aritian chuckled again. But, as quickly as it had come, his smile dissipated. His eyes finally fell from Naomi's face, though he still held the girl tightly. He'd sat her up so that she was seated comfortably in his lap and her head was rested on his shoulder. Naomi's eyes were still closed, committed to this dreamless sleep state that he'd put her in. Aritian had hoped that it would be a nice form of rest. From what he could tell, the woman didn't seem to experience peace very often. Speaking of depressing... Her mind was an absolute mess... Aritian had tried venturing into it once, just to get a feel for the kind of life she'd lead. But it was so wracked with pain and hurt that he couldn't stay for very long. He held onto the woman a little tighter, uncertain of what to do.

"I wish I could tell ya what I intend. 'Cause frankly, I don't know." Aritian shrugged a little, knowing that his answer wouldn't provide any comfort. But it was the truth. "My orders were to kill her and send you and those other guys back where you came. ... I know I can do the second part. But the first is.... The first is getting more difficult by the day." He sighed. "Maybe this is why we stay away... Humans muddle up our judgement. Make us feel things we shouldn't have to think about... The reason we kill abominations like Naomi is to prevent her powers from being taken... Twisted and corrupted, a girl like her can become a real monster to other humans. Cause real damage. It's why we have to kill them early." He finally looked over to Argus, bearing a fairly serious expression. "Do you think that you'll be able to make her overcome Arcanum? That is at the heart of our desires... "

[/FIELDBOX]
a r i t i a n
 
"I can't make her do anything, she isn't my underling." Argus sighed. "I can however train her, give the the tools she needs to harness her power, and defeat Arcanum. She's been gifted with not only sight, but a will that can move anything around her. It's quit the power." he smiled. If angels taught instead of killed maybe humans like Naomi wouldn't be "abominations", but helpful allies." the demon looked Naomi with soft eyes. "Thank you for giving her a sound sleep, she never sleeps well. You know she doesn't deserve to be killed Aritian, she deserves our help." Argus gave a faint smile.

"My my is the demon falling for the device he's using for revenge?" Aritian joked.

For second Argus went beet red "She's more then a device to me... she someone I can sympathize with. Let's just leave it at that." he looked away. The city streets were dark, and the chill in the air only was only getting stronger "I should take her home, before our friends show up unexpectedly." Argus stood up waiting for the angel to hand him Naomi.

"Would her home be the firs place they would attack? Seems a bit daft to go back there." Aritian argued.

"Look I know, but she's in a very fragile state of mind right now. She needs to wake up some where she knows, somewhere familiar. Right now that is her bed. You can hang out on the roof tops if you want to keep an eye on her, but I'll be there with her guarding the place. Now please give me Naomi." he stretched his hand out.
 




if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
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you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"] Aritian noted the bit of red that came to the demon's cheeks when he mentioned Naomi... Well. That certainly answered a lot of things. He'd been questioning the man's motivations for a while, but now that his feelings were clear, Aritian started to understand. He also started to believe Argus's claims that he wasn't just leading the woman on--pushing her closer to Arcanum's clutches rather than protecting her. The demon's motivations were... oddly pure. Aritian couldn't help but chuckle a little in disbelief. He'd been told, since the beginning of his life, that demons weren't capable of love. They were too twisted. Too sick. Too far from light. Yet, this Argus... There was something strange about him. Aritian didn't know if it was just his 'newbie' judgement... but he was compelled to trust this demon. With this responsibility, at least...

"All right.... I suppose I'll give your plan a go. ... I don't feel right taking the girl's life anyway. Rather give her a fighting chance first." replying softly, Aritian carefully transferred the sleeping woman over to the demon beside him. He watched them both closely for a moment, wondering to himself if he was making the right call. "I'll still be watching, of course. Can't let you both have all the fun, eh?", he chuckled, though it was still superficial. His heart was truly being weighed by these decisions he was making... "But, Argus... I've gotta warn ya. Naomi has more eyes on her than just mine. The moment she takes one step toward your side of the world, you won't have just me to worry about... Call me soft, but... I'm new at this. Barely a century in. I want to give her a chance... But, the moment she strays... or fails... I will have to put her down." With a heavy sigh, the angel nodded. He knew that he was going to try his best to prevent that scenario from occurring. But he couldn't outright deny the possibility. It would be naive to think that it couldn't happen. Naive and irresponsible.

Argus took the news about as well as could be expected. Which wasn't very well at all. But with Naomi in his arms, he couldn't exactly immolate the angel where he stood. So he just went on his way instead. Naomi's state of mind was more important than any argument he could have with that winged dandy anyway. So, hurrying back to Naomi's apartment, he parted ways with the angel, leaving him to do whatever things that angels did...


Hours passed and the warmth of noonday sunlight began to streak into Naomi's room. They caught her right in the face, causing her to wince, turning over beneath her sheets and burying her head beneath them. Eventually, despite her fighting, she was awoken by the brightness of her room. Her eyes fluttered open gradually, squinting at the lights above. It took a few moments, but eventually her surroundings began to become less fuzzy. She could see her dresser.... her mirror.... her pile of clothes on the floor... She was... She was in her apartment. In her room. Naomi rubbed her eyes, sitting up finally, and yawning. Her mind was still fuzzy... but she felt rested. Very rested. Far more than she had been in weeks. As she sat up in her bed, she tried to piece together what happened to her the previous day. She recalled going to her audition and scoring the part. But everything else was so fuzzy... Distant. She sighed... Some days she just didn't want to get out of bed at all.

[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
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"Well good morning sleepy head." she looked and saw Argus standing there in the door way looking as smug as ever.

"Argus?" she said still half awake. "How did I get here?" she didn't feel like arguing with him.

"I brought you here of course, I couldn't just leave you passed out in the hallway." he sat next to her.

"I passed out? I can't remember anything past getting the part... what happened?"

"Your body finally shut down, it was inevitable with how little sleep you've been getting. I picked you up and brought you home." he smiled.

"Thank you... how long have I been out?" she said quietly.

"About a day and half, you really must have needed the rest." he handed her a glass of water.

"A day and a half?... Oh my god work!" panic ran through her.

"Naomi it's okay, I got a stand in for you. One of the succubus I know owed me a favor, add a little transformation magic and BAM fake Desire." he laughed a little. There was a pause between them "Naomi look we need to talk, I'll just cut to the chase. What can I do to prove my loyalty towards you? You say you can't trust me, and I want to know why." Argus wasn't used to being so frank, and it showed in his lack of tact.
 




if I ever feel better . . .
remind me to spend some good time with you
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you can give me your number
when it's all over i'll let you know . . .


[FIELDBOX="❀, #E1C595, solid"] Naomi was grateful for Argus's assistance... She only vaguely remembered the hallway, though. Barely even remembered what must have happened afterward. She recalled hearing Arcanum's voice again but she shook it off, not wanting to remember any of that for her own sake. She sighed, starting to withdraw her head under the covers so that she could just go back to sleep again. Maybe she could just have Argus's friend take over her night life for awhile... That would be lovely. Her ears only perked up when she heard Argus ask her something. Sitting up in her bed, she had to think a little while, trying to form the words...

"It's not that I don't want to trust you, Argus. I do... But... I-... I've been contending with demons for all of my life. I never knew what they were, of course. I just thought they were figments of my imagination that came to life, refusing to let me go. Making me hurt myself... My mother was my only source of comfort because she was the only one that believed me. She believed something was truly wrong and, though she didn't know how to fix it, she tried to protect me. And when she was taken away, I had nothing but myself to depend on... ", Naomi let her gaze fall a little as she sighed. "I'm... I'm used to that. I've always been alone when it comes to facing this world. I've never put my faith in anyone because I... I know that they'll either be ripped away from me... or push me away..."

"I guess that's why it's so easy for me to believe that you don't actually care about me. That you're just after my eyes like all the other demons and monsters out there. It's.... what I know."
[/FIELDBOX]
naomi bosco
 
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