Chapter Eleven:
Nanageddon
Salem walked into the shop and up the stairs, setting down in the chair in the common space, she slowly began to drift off to sleep. Howard walked in, noticing the sleeping girl, he grabbed a soft blanket and draped it over her with a smile. He sat on the couch quietly reading.
Vince came up the stares, dressed in a goth style. Howard held a finger to his lips, then pointed at the sleeping girl. Vince followed his directions and saw Salem curled up in a chair, sleeping away and smiled.
"Howard, I was at the goth club and I ran into two goth girls." Vince started.
"Goth girls?" Howard questioned. Vince nodded.
"Yea, I invited them over later tonight. I figured, two of us, two of them." Vince said wiggling his eyebrows.
"Well, Vince -" Howard started.
"It's not Vince anymore. It's Obsidian." Vince interrupted.
"Obsidian?" Howard questioned.
" Yes. It's my goth name. Obsidian Blackbird McNight." Vince said motioning with his hands. Howard shook his head. Salem moved in her sleep, slamming her face down on her palm, and continued snoozing away. Howard chuckled at the girl and turned back to Vince.
"I don't think this is such a good idea." Howard said. He glanced back at the sleeping girl. Howard had admitted to himself after punching Giddion and ruining any chance he had with her, that Salem was important to him. He was still unsure of how he felt, but he hoped to explore them at some point.
Vince shook his head and stared at the man.
"They're coming tonight, goth out, get dark, and do something with your hair." Vince said.
"I am a dark person." Howard said.
"Oh yea?" Vince egged him on.
"Yea." Howard began arguing.
"You're not dark." Vince said.
"I am too, I'm the darkest person I know." Howard countered, as the pair batted back and forth. Naboo walked into the scene, noticing Salem asleep in the chair and shook his head. The men sat down on the couch still in their debate, when they finally noticed Naboo standing there.
"How about you stop worrying about girls and worry more about paying your part of the rent?" Naboo said, the men looked at him with guilt written on their faces. Naboo shook his head and motioned to the girl.
"You see this girl, sleeping in the chair?" Naboo asked. The men nodded.
"She's been paying your part of the rent, working day and night as well as working for me when she can't find anything." Naboo said. The mens faces dropped more.
"Why would she do that?" Howard asked, curious of her intentions.
"She asked me not to say anything, but this is ridiculous. She works hard to try and support your dreams of being musicians, or whatever it is you want to be." Naboo scolded them. The men looked over the girls sleeping form, Naboo shaking his head and leaving the room to let the men think.
Vince watched her closely, the bags started to disappear around her eyes slowly from getting the rest she needed desperately. He recalled her staying up to help him with some new fashions, helping Howard with musical contemplation in the early hours of the morning. She was his rock, and he realized that he was taking her for granted.
Howard was examining the girl in front of him. A contemplating look crossed his face. She had been trying to help them, expecting nothing in return, and kept them housed. On occasion she would cook the meals for everyone or bring back leftovers from one of the various restaurants she would work at when they were short on people. A smile crossed both of the mens faces.
"Well, let's go get you ready." Vince said, breaking the trance the men had been in, Howard following behind him.
Salem blinked her eyes awake, and sat up. She stretched her limbs, thankful for a day without having to work. She looked around and saw Vince walking towards Naboos room. She overheard him asking about some magic spells, and borrowing a book. She shook her head and stood up to go to her room. As she turned into the hall way, she bumped into something hard, warm and soft all at the same time.
"Good afternoon, sleeping beauty." She heard Vinces' voice say, feeling the vibrations from his chest as he laughed at the dazed girl. She took a step back, looked up and smiled at him.
"What are you all dressed up for?" She asked, examining the outfit he had on. Vince smiled.
"We're going goth tonight to get some girls. Care to join us?" He asked. She smiled and nodded.
"Sure, I have just the outfit." She said and continued walking to her room. Vince watched as she shut the door behind her with a content sigh.
Salem left her room, and walked into the common room. Vince and Howard felt like their jaws were melting off. She had put her hair up in the usual spiked bun style with a black rose clip slipped in next to it.
She wore a sheer, under bust black top with the shoulders left open. The sleeves hung down her arms, in a shroud that ended at her wrists. Black lace, fingerless gloves covered her hands. A black corset with a dark purple skull pattern, covered her bust and mid section and framed her curves in an almost sensual way. Her short, black skirt was lined with silver chains around the hem and waist line, and clung to her at her hips. The skirt flared out to brush around her mid thighs. Fishnet thigh highs adorned her legs leading down to her mid- calf black, high healed boots.
Her accessories were simple as usual, one small black rose earing in each ear on top, and silver skull dangling ones in the bottoms. A silver pentacle hung from a chain around her neck, resting the charm between clavicle bones.
Her make up was done darker, dark purple eye shadow, black liner and mascara rimmed her eyes, making them stand out. Her lips were tinted with a shimmery gloss. The men felt their mouths water as she made her entrance into the room.
"What? Is it too much?" She asked turning herself around checking her outfit. They shook their heads, snapping out of their stupor.
"No, it's-" Howard began.
"Perfect." Vince said, taking in her appearance once more.
"Alright then. Let's get you ready for your company." She said, flashing a smile at them.
The girls had arrived, as Salem escorted them up the stairs to the common room. The room had been rearranged and designed with candles and a large, white star in the middle of the floor. Salem sat to the right of Vince, as the girls sat across. Howard entered the room upon Vince calling for him.
"Who is this girl?" One of them asked with a snotty attitude. Salem kept her cool as Vince and Howard explained how she was an assistant and fellow witch. Vince, still trying to impress the girls, read from a magic book Howard had retrieved for him. He ended up making flowers appear out of thin air. The girls rolled their eyes, Salem mentally slapped them, but maintained her composure and straight face.
"Oh, this must be the wrong book. Howard, go and get the right one." Vince said smiling to the girls. Howard had tried to argue, but the girls and Vince won. Howard returned with the occult book Naboo had told them never to mess with. Vince smiled and began summoning something.
An old lady appeared, wearing a red cardigan and holding a bag and knitting needles. The girls got up, with disgusted attitudes and left. Salem followed the men as they chased the girls down the stairs. She saw a flash few flashes of light from cameras and walked back inside.
"Where'd the old lady go?" Vince asked.
"Quick, Naboo's coming, act natural." Vince said, the men sat on the couch, while Salem curled up in her the chair. Naboo entered, seeing the trio in their normal spots. Vince listening closely, as Howard talked about his preference of jazz periods.
"What have you done?" Naboo asked, panic clear in his voice. The men confessing to borrowing the occult book and summoning something. Naboo ran to his room and searched for his book of demons, the trio followed him quickly. Naboo flipped through the pages, trying to match the description of the old lady.
"Not this old lady?" He stated more then asked, seeing the trio nodded their heads.
"That's Nanatoo. She's dangerous, see, she's got 5 stars." Naboo said, and turned his back on them. Vince and Howard begged for him to help them. Salem sighed and continued reading on the demon they had summoned, catching the important information about the demon getting the book and raising a nana army that would end the world.
The trio had quickly changed into old lady clothes and headed to a bingo parlor. Vince and Howard were arguing over the costume choices when an old lady began walking to the line.
"That's her." Vince said. Howard sprung into action, telling her to hand over the book. He took her bag and slung it to Vince.
"Guys... That's not her." Salem tried to tell them, but failed as Howard punch the old woman.
"It's not her, this bag is full of cakes." Vince said, dropping the bag beside the woman. The trio walked into the parlor, the bingo announcer flirting with Vince and Salem as they scanned the area for Nanatoo.
"What color cardigan was she wearing?" Vince asked, keeping his card up to win a pair of boots.
"I don' know." Howard said.
"It was red." Salem said, stamping her card. They scanned the area.
"Got her, watch this." Howard said, creeping his way to the nana and stealing the book back. He had made it to the door when another shaman, Saboo, appeared and tried to take it from him, rambling on about something called 'the crunch'.
Nanatoo turned her attention to the scene in the back of the room and let out a horrid scream. Vince yelled bingo, and went to grab the boots. Nanatoo started knitting a long scarf at inhuman speed. The scarf wrapped itself around Saboo, the trio stood there helpless as Saboo was used as a dart board for her needles.
They sprinted out the door, Nanatoo catching up to them quickly. Salem stepped on the long baggy dress she had put on over her goth clothes. The sound of the material ripping reached her ears, giving her an idea.
She continued to run, stripping off the baggy garment and shredding it into strips, tying the ends together she gathered the make shift rope in her arms. She scanned the street, finding two telephone poles and tied the ends to them, leaping over the trap and sprinting to catch up with the men.
Salem looked back as Nanatoo fell over the rope, but began to pick herself back up. The trio finally reached the shop, and ran up the stairs, finding Naboo still passed out on the couch. The men quickly got him up and gave him the book to find the banishing spell.
Salem stood between Vince and Howard, guarding Naboo as Nanatoo entered the room. Letting out another scream, she began knitting. The men threw their arms around Salem, trying to shield her from the scarf.
The scarf wrapped around their feet and quickly ensnared their bodies, trapping them in a woolen prison. Salem blushed under the scarf, noticing the position they had been trapped in. Her chest was pressed up against Vinces, their faces centimeters apart. She could feel his breath on her lips. His right leg was between hers, causing her skirt to raise up. His hand held her left thigh, while her left hand was wrapped around his waist.
She glanced backwards towards Howard, who had one hand free. His other hand was wrapped around her ribs, his arm under her breasts, pushing them up. His lower regions pressed against her bottom.
Nanatoo took aim with her needle, aiming straight at Salems face. Howard looked over, spotting the goth juice hair spray and grabbed it with his free hand. He sprayed the product at the needle, stopping it inches from her face.
"I found it, Nana Nana, Go away, Come again Another day." Naboo said quickly. Nanatoo screamed and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The trios heart beats started to slow, and the men finally noticed the compromising position they were in.
"Uh... Naboo?" Howard called out. Naboo walked into Salems room and grabbed her camera, walking back out, he stood before them.
"Say cheese!" Naboo said, snapping few pictures of the trio in the embarrassing position. He took his time returning the camera to her room and walking back.
"Now, how can I help you?" He asked smiling.
"Help us out, please?" Salem asked, batting her eyes at him. Naboo laughed and started pulling on a string. Vince took notice of her face, and the way her body fit with his. Howard looked down at the girl, trying to be a gentleman and not move, feeling more awkward than he normally would.
The scarf began to unravel around their lower halves, freeing their legs. The trio let out a simultaneous sigh, then giggled.
"Well, this was an interesting night off." Salem said smiling up at Vince as the string finally started loosening around their heads.
"Yea." Vince said in a breathy voice.
"Agreed." Howard said, blushing bright red.
"Look Howard, we made it on the cover of Goth Weekly." Vince said, holding up a magazine. Howard smiled and nodded.
"You think that's good. Look on the cover of Dark Vogue." Howard said, tossing a copy to Vince. He looked at the cover and saw Salem dressed in her goth attire. He stuffed it in his jacket and smiled, looking over to the girl curled up in the chair sleeping soundly once again.