#angel002.

even in a room full of this many people, naomi spots angel immediately. whether it’s because there’s something magnetising about angel herself that draws people’s attention, or if it’s just that naomi has always been extra perceptive whenever it comes to her best friend, it’s hard to tell—perhaps it’s a little bit of both. it takes a bit of time and effort to cut through the crowd, and when she’s close enough to get a better look, the first thing she notices is the tense stiffness of angel’s shoulders. it’s understandable, she supposes, even naomi’s not quite comfortable being around so many vipers, she can’t imagine how awful this must be for someone who had once belonged in a place like this. 

the second thing she notices is the guy hitting on angel, and she makes it to their sides just as angel politely turns down his offer to dance. the guy doesn’t take no for an answer though, reaching for angel’s hand as he suggests grabbing a drink instead. it’s too bad for him that this is the moment naomi chooses to intervene, sliding between the two of them and shoving at his chest so that he stumbles a few steps back. “she said no,” she says, with warning in her voice, and when it looks like the man will argue, she raises her leg slightly so that the slit in her dress reveals the dagger she has strapped to her thigh. if the guy had any brains at all, he would’ve known that there is no way naomi would dare to cause a scene when they’re in viper territory, but she’s willing to bet that he’s not that smart. true enough, the man blanches immediately at the sight of the dagger, turning heel and disappearing into the crowd.