It's What We Do (Venge, Raven, Deacon, Kiefer)

[Lovely]

June 30, 2006

4 a.m. - Morte's Abode - Venge's Quarters

Venge had returned from feeding the others in their pens. He now held up the container and took a worm for himself before holding it out to Raven like a box of Chinese take-out. "Fresh, if you want any," he offered the worms, snapping down the snack like spaghetti.

She was starting to wander a little, exploring his 'area' a bit on her own while he fed the other things he kept. Raven was curious and learning more with each moment as she observed and was directed by Venge, since they had returned together. she turned as he came in with the offered box. "Ooo worms!" She whispered in an excited voice, with little hops like her smaller feathered form woud take she came closer to him.

He watched her hop, finding it amusing. He had to remind himself once in a while that she wasn't always a girl, though she was clearly in every way a girl right now. "That's cute. I think we need to work on... well maybe, walking?" He gestured the box again with a nod. She could have as much as she wanted.

She stopped hopping and stood up, hands clasped behind her, one leg slightly bent in front of the other. Her toes curl against the floor, her long dark waves flowing gently over her shoulders, dark eyes 'peeking' at him, a almost shy smile as she sort of half turned in place. "Why?" Her hands curling into each other and flexing as she tried not to reach out to snatch the offered worms. She leaned closer to him, making a soft chirping noise and of course she was completely bare as she had been since giving Venge his dress back.

"Because y-... well it's better t-...," his own head tilted, watching her and trying to explain her 'human'ness that needed a little modification. His hands worked over the air in front of him, trying to help him grasp the words he wanted. "Maybe later. Go ahead, these are yours," he nodded, pointing to the wriggling mass.

A most happy sound came from her and she moved as though her wings were fluttering in delight, though she wore none in this form. Her dark eyes gleamed and shone with her happiness at the small treat and and she darted to peck him in thanks, bestowing several tickling kisses to his cheek and neck before turning her attention to the wiggling yummies.

A pleased grin worked into a rare full smile under the tiny pecks. "You're welcome," he chuckled. If only his other 'captives' were as appreciative for their snacks. "When you're done with those, we've got an assignment or two."

She paused and turned her head to look up at him from where she crouched, swallowing down the worms. His smile was returned and her expression revealed how such a pleased expression from him delighted her. She tilted her face and her eyes questioned him silently to tell her more. Raven straightened up and offered him one of the worms, much like he'd fed her many times, though she did it shyly -watching his face.

"Someone's been a little busy. Deacon's already brought back a coat-full. There's a place that's always a little busy, it seems, but thankfully it's a short trip from here. I think you'll have some fun if you want to come with us," he said, waxing slightly excited, even for him. The smile remained bright, though small.

Her hand fell away from holding up to offer the worm to him and she frowned slightly, looking to the side as she thought about what he said. A moment passed and she slowly nodded her head, bringing her gaze back to Venge's face. "You want me to go with you?"

That confused him. "Why the..?..," his fingers worked around his mouth, motioning a downturn of his lips like hers had done. "Don't you want to go? I want you to go, yes. You can help me. Would you want to do that?"

When he motioned his mouth she glanced away and then curled her fingers tighter around the wiggling worm in her hand. To what else he said, she nodded again and looked back to him smiling a little herself. "I want to."

"There's bound to be more worms," he tempted, reaching to tease the one in her hand away with a taloned finger. "Plenty to share. They seem to come out wherever we like to play."

Raven opened her hand to let him take the worm when he reached for it, holding it up a little more for him grasp. "Do I have to wear a dress there?" She asked with quiet curiosity and remembering how he'd taken all buttons from the one she'd worn before.

He pulled half the worm she held for himself. He chuckled. He still had a lot to show her for her to understand their place in the world of humans. "Only if you want to. We shouldn't be seen this time and it's just you, me and Deacon. Unless you want to wear it for him - he's the fashion nut."

She shook her head, she liked her feathers and when she didn't have those the skin was fine with her. "Do you want me to?"

He smiled a little softer and shook his head. "Wear what you like. Skin or feathers, you're still you. Hands will be helpful, though. And walking. Humans weren't meant to hop very much... even if it does look nice," he said, unable to deny the fascination with how she made a beautiful form that much more interesting with her movements.

She appeared to 'puff up' a little at his compliment as it was, though a small praise -her eyes still sparkled darkly. "Humans.. I'm supposed to act like a human then?" She sort of squirmed a little and her lips pursed slightly. "Deacon.. didn't he say humans wear dresses?"

He laughed a little. "You can act however you want to. We won't be seen. We're not intending to interact with them this time unless he wants to cause trouble. Can't speak for him and he's not here, so... he doesn't choose for you, does he?" The laugh faded to a shadow and his eyes went dark, a subtle but brief jealousy. "We should go."

[Lovely]

She watched him and smiled at how his eyes went all dark, reaching out and nearly touching his face in her curious nature. "No.. he doesn't." She agreed, tipping her head to the side and shaking it gently. "..I'm.. not.. his.." She said slowly as if thinking deeply and trying to grasp for knowledge that hid from her. "I.. I think.. am I yours?" Her head nodded, it seemed to her that she was.

"I don't know. I can't say you are, only that I brought you here because I liked you. Do you understand if I say 'choice'? Choosing... he can't choose what you wear - that's your choice. Nor can I choose myself for you.. even though I want to. I knew you were beautiful enough to keep... and that was when you only had feathers."

She understood in her way of things and her head nodded slowly. "Choice.. yes.. I understand.." Her hand gestured gently between the two of them. "Want.. keep.." She whispered, putting the words and their meanings together for herself. Rave took a step towards Venge, shifting herself lightly against him and resting her head on his shoulder. Her hands went to rest lightly on his hips, she smiled a little and tipped her head to kiss his neck softly. "Choose.."

"I already did," he cooed quietly, returning the kiss to her cheek. He brushed after it with his thumb, taking his hand away to stretch himself into his own talons and feathers, squeaking out his last words before chirping for her to follow him, "Time to go now."

She chirped in return and shifted, melting to shadows and into her smaller winged and feathered form.

Doors and glass weren't necessary when one could fit through the spaces in the iron grates in the windows. Venge preferred to keep the glass out and let the spiders and flies in, saving him the trouble of finding breakfast after long nights.

*** Gabriel's Keep - 4:30 a.m. ***

He led her up to the ledge and out into the open dark woods beyond Morte's home, breaking through the vaporous portal to the human worlds to a spot near Gabriel's Keep. The place smelled sweetly of fresh death and it brought a smile to him even in this form. He chortled out a pleased 'caw' and swerved off to one of the cold chimneys.

Raven followed, fluttering down beside him and watching with her cold dark eyes. There were things that brought familiar sensations and vague memories from before Morte had made her like this.

Inside the ominous walls was their destination and a heavily burdened Deacon, gathering the cast-off souls from the last round-up of 'treats' the vampire had brought home. Though unseen and unheard, he passed each as they passed into death, some from being changed, others from fright, others still from being feasted upon by the rest. His coat clinked lightly as he stepped and bent to each, an empty vial produced to gather the essence, heard only by others like himself, or those waiting for a merciful end before endless night would take them. Deacon chuckled softly as he pressed grey eyes closed one by one and waited for his helpers.

Up the chimney pipe, the soft chimes of the vials and the glittering essence within each rose up to their ears. They weren't far from the room Deacon wandered through, though he could be floors down. Human materials were little issue for their kind. Venge unfurled his wings and settled his human-looking self to the ledge of the bricks, seeming to cling to nothing. "You hear him? If he were any happier, he might even sing. I want to show you something. I am not human, nor am I a bird. If you stay close, you can come with me. If you're afraid, I'll find a window for you, okay?" He lowered his hand, letting it pass through the bricks as if they weren't there at all.

She watched, listened and 'knew', with a slight flutter of her wings she lofted to his shoulder. She was not afraid to go with him, it appeared as though she'd follow wherever he wanted to lead her.

"Good girl. Give us a kiss," he chuckled, turning his head and reaching up to stroke her velvet wing. "Hold tight."

She 'kissed' his ear by softly grasping it with her beak and then grasped tightly to his shoulder as he told her to hold on.

He winced againt the sharp 'nip' and chuckled. His hand covered her gently as he lofted down from the chimney and passed ethereally through the roof and rafters below, unhindered and unhurt. The scenes they passed were like viewing through a glass elevator, brutal and gorey, though not so much unlike home. Deacon was apparently in the cellar of the place where they stopped and his hand came down. "We're here. You get to help me now. Those that are close to death, those that Morte is toppling over for us to take back, need to be found before the rebirthers come."

A thin shadow passed from a doorway to another down the hallway ahead of them, unconcerned with the onlookers. He was too busy to care, but knew they were here. He waited a moment for them to catch up.

She 'leapt' off his shoulders, her wings giving a slight flutter as she landed softly on human feet and faced him as the girl she'd been made into. She nodded that she understood that she was to help him. "You will show me..." She smiled and glanced around at the scene, biting her lip as her eyes sparkled with curiosity and delight.

Venge nodded and motioned to the hallway ahead of them. "We get to keep anything we find, but remember we can only carry so much. We'll find out where he's left off and tag them for him to pick up this time. Next time, you'll be collecting with us." He walked slowly at first, to show her how steps could be taken instead of hops to move faster over ground.

She chewed at her soft lips, lightly as she watched him walk and then immitated the movements, gliding silently behind him. Eager to learn and wanting to please him, Deacon and Morte, though the most pressing and instant gratification was in making Venge happy. "I don't have... pockets? to carry things I find." Her eyes roamed over him and the 'clothes' he wore. "Next time.. I will have pockets?"

"That's why I get things that can be worn," he said, turning to her and seeming like a young boy chasing frogs. He bit his lip as he thought. "Next time... hahah... next time!" He broke into playful laughter and began to run, tugging her behind. She'd kept up, she was interested.. sharing.. following HIM. "This time.... follow me!"

"This time?" She questioned, giggling as she followed behind him, she grasped his hand and stayed as close as she could. She stumbled a few times until her feet and legs adapted to a movement that was natural for this form. Rave wondered what he was so excited about but shared in the excitement in a curious and exploring way.

He stopped suddenly and turned to her. "This time. I have a lot to show you this time first," he said. He'd forgotten her wobbliness on her feet and realized the sudden stop might not be a good idea.

He'd waited and now he'd seen enough. Humans were difficult enough to understand, but now his 'brother' was no better. "C'mon you two," he sighed, moving from the doorway, through the door itself as Venge had done, into one of Gabriel's pens where a few treats awaited their services.

The sudden stop brought her toppling into him with a slight surprised giggle as she fell against him. Rave smiled up at Venge as she held on to keep from going right over. She frowned at Deacon's hurrying them along, she wanted to see what Venge had to show her.

He laughed, but her frowning again had him looking over his shoulder, his eyes darkening again with the fleeting twinge. He turned back to reassure her. "I'll start with this," he said, leaning down to kiss the frown away and whisper. "Stay close, but no need to stay on my shoulder unless you want to. We're looking for the ones that are tipped and ready. You'll know them by the way they stare. They may even see us, but they may mistake us for angels," he snickered. "Let them think that if it keeps their souls shining. Ready?"

The kiss brought her smile shining back for him as she straightened up. "Ready.. angels?" She tipped her head softly and nodded. "..have wings.." She whispered and with a slow rolling of her shoulders her large black feathered wings shifted into view on her back. "To help keep their souls shining for us?" She asked if it was alright and if she'd been right in thinking it was a good idea.

"They're not white, but in their state, they won't notice the difference," he chuckled, nodding that she would be fine like that. "Perfect. Let's get to gathering. He gets competitive sometimes. Don't let it bother you. Let him 'win' if it makes him feel better." He stepped back toward the door, but continued watching her.

[Lovely]

Inside the room, he was again waiting, amusing himself with the terror in the rambling speech of one of the ones they'd be leaving behind. Deacon was leaning on the far wall, more interested in the seal on an empty container he was waiting to fill than the contents he'd be putting in it. The man's wife was sickly and older anyway yet the man persisted in his pleas for Mercy. They didn't know her like he did. "She's busy and won't hear you tonight, old man," he smirked, toying with him though the man couldn't hear him.

"Alright." Raven replied, reaching for his hand and following him as he led her again to the next step in their assignment. In her current form and with the dark shadows it would be easy for them to mistake her for an angel.

She eased through the wall behind Deacon, not liking the shadows here much but still coming to the call that had been loud enough to reach her, louder than the man's pleas for mercy. She heard Deacon's coment as she appeared and wondered how he could enjoy such suffering. "Mercy might be busy but I was stood up for dinner.." She chuckled at Deacon as she moved past him to kneel beside the man.

"Strange place to find you, stood up or not. Who would do such a thing?" Deacon stepped away from the wall, curious to watch what she was doing. "Not sure why you're bothering with him. He'll be free of his burden in a few minutes. I'm ahead of schedule."

Venge heard the comment and stopped just inside the door, helping Raven through it and letting her learn a bit more of the shadowy power she also held thanks to Morte. He hadn't turned around yet to see or hear Love. "He who? What are you talking about?"

She just smiled softly at Deacon shaking her head gently as she curled around the man, giving him comfort and seeming to calm him some with just that small gesture. "If you think like that.. why bother with any of them? They all are only here for a limited time, such a short visit in the grand scheme of things." She countered while continuing to soothe the man and remind him of the wife he loved, the soul catcher might notice that as she touched the man his essence shone more brightly than it had with the fear and panic.

"That's really my point," he smirked, hunkering down next to her and watching over her shoulder more closely. "You're doing that? I might change my mind. Morte likes them shiny. They look better on his tree."

Hearing the other voice and realizing it wasn't Rave, he turned around to see the redhead in the corner. He was curious. "Deac? Talking to ... a... hey, she's a girl. What's the occasion?"

"What if I am...?" She teased with a soft laugh, still holding the man in her comforting embrace as she helped his mind drift from the terror of this place and to much stronger and brighter memories. She hummed a little and the man's essence grew brighter as he too began to hum and felt his heart and soul well with love.

She stayed behind Venge and looked around him at Deacon and the redhead, she smiled at the woman. Rave couldn't explain the sensation she got just by looking at the other woman, she drew closer to Venge reminded of the way he made her feel only much stronger in the presence of Kiefer.

He chuckled. "What if you are... a girl, or what if you are making him happy? What happens when we take her, then? He'll be just as empty as if I'd taken his as well. How does that help him?"

He reached forward with a flat palm against Deacon's shoulder. "Shh. Let her work - this is fun to watch," he said, not meaning at all what she was doing to the old man, but the effect she was having on Deacon and Raven.

"Just hush, you'll see." She turned her smile towards Deacon. "Haven't you ever believed in things that can't be explained?" She chuckled as the man reached to hold his wife's hand and the effect Kiefer was having on him was shared. He leaned down much the way she had and whispered to his wife instead of being hysterical.

She watched curiously, wrapping an arm around Venge's waist and leaning against him as she was awed by the beautiful redhead. She didn't understand the effect the woman was having on the couple or her, but she could see and feel it.

"Belief is for creatures that don't know we're out here. Those that know, well, that's the last thing they figure out, usually. I keep trying to explain him, if that means anything," he said, pointing toward Venge and ducking away from the hand he was sure would come at him again.

"Watch yourself, Deac. She works in ways to be seen, believed and lived by. She's no lightweight in the whammy business..., are you?" He spoke with respect for the girl, knowing full well what effect she'd always had on him.

She looked up at Venge and smiled most sweetly for him and glanced just behind his shoulder with an arched brow. "Could be you're familiar with my touch?" She stood as the essences of the couple behind her glowed very brightly, with the love they shared and the strength they gave one another in these final moments. Her hand brushed Raven's cheek and she smiled. "She's a keeper.. I think." She winked at Venge and turned back to Deacon with a nod. "This one will shine brightly for Morte's tree.. "

At the brush from the woman's hand she giggled shyly and curled her arms more snuggly around Venge, turning her face to 'hide' behind his shoulder more. She was filled with the most delightful sensations and she wanted to share them with Venge, she wondered how the woman did what she did.

"Don't encourage him. Either of them," he rolled his eyes, getting impatient and ready to move on though the shine of the couple was holding his attention enough to keep him from ploughing on through. He wondered if it would become brighter still before the woman would let go of it and fade.

"Familiar many times, but usually only a little while. Work is still work," he sighed and turned a smile to Raven. The situation with her would be a little different than the other creatures he'd come to care for, only to bottle them up for storage a short while after.

She laughed and looked over her shoulder at Venge again. "She's not work, Morte fixed that problem for you.. or complicated it, and you likely don't have a jar big enough for her." She laughed and glanced back to Deacon. "It's what I do.. I encourage.. It's fun.." She shrugged and leaned to whisper to his ear. "You should let me do my thing with you sometime.. you might like it."

He pulled away from the whisper, finding its tickle strange though not uncomfortable. He stared a moment, uncertain what his thoughts were telling him. He searched through the sudden jumble to make sense of them and came up with nothing he could easily decipher, anymore than he could decipher the nonsense of a dream. He felt warm and stood up. "How much longer? Does she get any brighter than that?"

He laughed and slipped his arm beneath Raven's wing, around her slender waist. "Take it easy, Deacon. It's not like she's going anywhere else tonight. Her dance card was filled a long time ago - this is the last dance."

She smiled and shifted to come around to lean against his chest, her head tilted to watch his face before resting down on his shoulder and her gaze shifted over the couple. "They're shiny." She whispered.

She shrugged even as the glow grew brighter though the woman was closer to 'toppling' than she'd been before, the man wiped her tears away and leaned to kiss her softly before she went. In that moment she passed yet her soul shone more brightly than it had the whole time they had been in he room. The man lay down beside her, holding her as the tears ran down his cheeks, yet he too glowed bright with the love that had been rediscovered and shared. Kiefer watched them with a soft smile and turned to Deacon with a slight gesture of her hand. "Sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

"Thank you," he clipped out, moving foward past the man to capture the shine from the woman while it stayed undeniably brighter than most he'd seen. The container he'd held at the ready was spun closed and seemed even to vibrate gently under its own power, nearly humming. He ran his finger over the dark glass that shone from within. "Worth waiting for. Very nice," he nodded.

"Should be careful with your shiny objects, Deac. You never know when someone might steal one of them away before you can even kiss it," he teased. It would serve him right for that shiny iceblock of a heart to melt him down from the inside out.