Argus smiled at Isla's compliment( or at least, he chose to perceive it as such) before getting up to walk back into the kitchen, getting the things she had described. Unlike alcohol or tea, coffee was something Argus was familiar with, though he'd never made it himself. He'd usually just order it whenever he stopped by a place that sold it. He'd tell Isla of this as he went to properly make it, calling back a few times for instruction on how to do certain things. After a few tries, however, he'd come back with two hot cups of coffee.

As the girl explained the details of the process to him, he took to popping a rather size-able amount of sugar cubes into his coffee before stirring the dissolving granules into the cup's darken depths. He took a moment to consider what he wanted, seeming to have a bout of internal conflict play across his face before he finally nodded his head, having come to a decision.

"In my picture, I'd like it if I could be sitting down in front of a pond, looking at my reflection, only instead if only my reflection, I see it joked by two others. One my right would be the me I used to be, dressed in ragged clothes, covered in grime and locked in chains. . . with my mother's blonde hair and my father's blue eyes." As he spoke, the white- haired girl wouldn't be able not see the disheartened look on Argus' face, his eyes glazed over as his thoughts turned to the past, hardly a good memory to be found. "In the center is the me I am presently, with hair, eyes, and soul dyed crimson by many darker deeds I'd been forced to commit. Sand to the left of that would be the me . . . that I can be. There would only be a silhouette surrounded by red and black fire, tongues of crimson lightning branching around me in a cage, the only thing visible through the haze being a pair if eyes glowing a deep menacing red."

Argus would take a second to calm himself down, as tears had started to fall from his eyes, the young man apologizing with a sad smile as he did so. 

"I'm sorry for unloading all of that, but I kinda wanted this to mean something if I'm going to keep it, so why not make it a reminder of some memories, some good . . . most being much less so. If you feel awkward about painting the portrait now, then I understand and will take my leave." Argus voice slowly began to gain a vulnerability to it as he looked at the young girl who he'd accidentally given a glimpse into his past, which was something he wanted to bury and leave behind him.

[i]But how can you do that if you're holding on too me![/i] 

A familiar voice whispered to him from his subconscious mind, but he promptly ignored it. Twice before, he'd given into to it's honeyed words, and both times it had brought only destruction and death. As long as he could prevent it, there would not be a third.

[@liferusher]