Arcadia: on broken wing
 

It had been three months since she'd made her way to this tiny resort island. Three months of relative comfort and ease, she'd found a job as a waitress at a cocktail bar fast, and was renting a cheap studio apartment. She was starting to feel at ease, though not at home. In fact, she had never felt at home anywhere in her life. Too many upheavals and strife to call anywhere home, but at least she was comfortable for the moment.

She had the graveyard shift tonight, and despite the late hour the bar was still packed with young rabble rousers and aging tourists alike. An inebriated couple came crashing in through the swinging doors and almost fell over a table. They succeeded in tipping a few drinks over before they found some stools at the bar. That was about as rowdy as it got around here, and Fae hoped that was how it stayed.

Th hours dragged on, and her shift neared its end, the last of the dedicated partiers were filing out of the building with their mates in tow, the unlucky ones with only their frustration to keep them warm tonight. The age old dance of last call played itself out with conviction this evening. Fae was used to turning down the advances of men, but tonight was an ordeal! No less than ten men within a half hour made their amorous intentions known, a new record fer her, if she had ever kept track of such things.

"Must be something in the air" she though bemusedly, before locking up the doors and turning out the lights. She deposited her uniform in the wash bin, soiled as it was with all manner of alcoholic beverages and broken hearts. She slipped on her worn down sneakers and left out the back door, ready for the short, lonely walk home.

She was not scared, although this neighborhood was no stranger to crime, she had long since learned to defend herself from the predations of criminals. In fact, she could most likely "defend" herself if confronted with a large carnivorous animal. She was very independent to say the least. She had also seen many things, things whcih most people only dreamed of, or had nightmares about. Penthouses of luxurious hotels, death squads of genetically altered assassins, yeah, she was definitely "cultured."

What she saw tonight did not fall into any category she had come across. And that in itself was something to be alarmed with.

As the key turned in the tumbler of the back door, she could hear loud noises of an indeterminate source coming closer to her. The alley was dark, but she saw clearly enough, a dark shadow clung to a patio railing on the third floor of a building down the street. A few bright flashes of light and sound and the shadow had leapt from it position onto the street directly in front of her. The thing was incredible, horrifying yet beautiful al at once. It had the shape of a man and jet balck plumage lined its massive pinions. It seemed on the verge of collapse, and as it looked back their eyes met. She could sense a human intellect raging behind this monstrous facade, and that whoever this was, they needed help.

"GO! you must leave here! they are coming!" it spoke in a melodious voice. tears of pain streamed in its eyes and a large wound seeped blood onto the asphalt.

"WHO! who is coming!" her words fell on deaf ears as the creature lost consciousness. As it did, it started to change, from a beautiful beast into a man. he was shirtless and his pants were ripped were the creatures musculature had exceeded their limits. His wounds were gone, despite their apparent severity. He came to abruptly, and stood facing down the street.

"If you don't want to die you must go now! they won't care if your not involved, what are you waiting for?!" he was pleading now, hoping she would come to her senses and run for her life.

"I've got a better idea, come with me!" she grabbed his hand and lead him down an old staircase which fed into an underground area. She knew these streets well enough, and for some reason she felt like helping this... whatever it was. "Ah well, things were bound to heat up sooner or later"

Turning this way and that, holding his hand tightly and backtracking making sure no one followed. Finally they had arrived at her apartment, she took him inside and closed all of the blinds and locked all the doors. She sat him down on the living room couch, turned on the TV to some loud channel and turned on a lamp. "Just act like you live here," she said sitting on the couch next to him. "What happened back there and what are you?"

basic evasive manuvering, multiple locks on doors, knew to add background noise. Whoever this is, she's been chased before. Annoral shook his head, still ill at ease despite the girls attempts to secure her apartment. "The less you know maam, the better for you. You've already placed yourself in worse danger than you can imagine."
Dispite his worry, he did see the wisdom of what she said about 'acting natural' and leans back in the chair, stretching. "I'm sure your neighbors are going to have questions, what with you having a shirtless man come to your house at the middle of the night." Hopefully she only got a slight hit of it, she's already probably ruined her life helping me. What a waste.

"First off, don't call me ma'am, my name is Fae. I'm not a delicate flower, i've seen plenty of trouble and I can handle myself. Maybe I should have ran, but where would the fun be in that?" She replied, smliling. She changed the channel to a horror movie, with demons, super beings and humans fighting eachother. Leaning on him and acting scared by the movie she pried, "So, what's your name and what happened back there? When I first saw you you looked like a demon in this dumb movie."

Annoral can't help but chuckle at Fae's comments, but they abruptly die when she comments on him appearing as a demon. She did save my life, I can't tell her nothing, but well...no, the truth wouldn't work at all. And damnit, she did get a good whif.
Leaning back and trying his best not to be obvious about trying to distance himself from her, he lies smoothly, "My name is Umbra, and what happened back there, well, some people don't like my work, and would prefer I not continue it. As for what you saw, what do you mean a demon? Maybe it was just dark, and you saw some shadows." He still can't supress a smile as he says, "and those demons are all wrong, the wings would be about 8 inches longer, and only the smaller ones would have horns, the others would just have pointed ears."

Over the cacaphony of the demonic battle raging on the view screen loud footsteps were heard. Shadows danced along the walls of fae's home as a group of men ran past her window. Their shadows seeming as ominous and demonic as the program, and infinitely more dangerous.

Annoral's eyes widen, and he reaches to his side, realizing with a start that he didn't have his guns or sword with him. Keeping his eyes on the screen he whispers, "Get down, now, don't argue, don't play tough, and don't be obvious, but get out of sight now!" He glances around, trying to remain casual, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. "Where's your kitchen? Surely you have some knives."
It hasn't been long enough, I can't revert unless I'm willing to finish their work for them. All things considered, I'd prefer not to be dead.

"Down the hall. But that won't do you any good, my knives are pretty dull." She got off the couch and asked, "Look I'm in this now, there's no changing that. So, I might as well see what happens in the end. Who knows, you may need my help again."

a few muttered words could be heard outside the door, followed by a loud knock.

"Hello, this is the investigation department, we are investigating a crime in the area, please open the door immediately."

the voice was even and cold, and it came from directly behind the door.

Annoral shakes his head, mumbling, "right, existence is such a crime." He starts down the hall, towards the kitchen. He comes back carrying about eight knives, which as Fae had said, were less than sharp. "Open the door, be pleasant, seem intimidated, but don't act like you want them to leave. Be sure to report some petty crimes while talking to them. They love that." He smirks slightly at that last, then ducks down behind the couch, a knife gripped tightly in each hand.