Admiring the cool blue that adorned her fingernails, Vivienne shook her hands lightly to help the polish dry faster before she could add a top coat. “We could forgo the torture of another night and get married tonight, if you’d like.”
“Vivienne! Yes….god yes.” Faye perked up and danced around happily in their bedroom. “Is…is the captain available to do it tonight? Oh, Vivienne…” Faye stopped in place. “I can’t believe I forgot…oh shit, oh shit…” Faye frantically looked around the room. “Casey, how much longer do you have with Vivienne’s hair? I forgot…damnit, I forgot.”
Casey tightened the first ponytail braid on the left side of Vivienne’s head and clipped it with a sapphire clip. “Forgot what, Faye? Stop freaking out. I only have the right side of Vivienne’s hair left. Five minutes tops.”
“Something old, Something new, Something borrowed and something blue.” Faye rattled off quickly as she grabbed her dress and shoes. “I can’t wear the laptop, but that is new. So I need everything.” Faye walked to Vivienne’s side of the bed and opened her partner’s wardrobe and began to look at the garments one at a time. “I think it is funny that you hang up your jeans, Vivienne.”
Resisting the urge to look over to where Faye’s voice was coming from, Vivienne held still as her ward worked on the second braid for her hair. “Am I to gather that you are rummaging through my closet and therefore violating my privacy?”
“So it was you, Vivienne.” Casey chuckled lightly to herself thinking about her first morning with Vivienne. “Faye, I asked that same question with the small wardrobe of things at the beach house.” Casey patted her mistress on the shoulder playfully. “So proper.”
Having searched through the hanging clothing and finding nothing of use, Faye pulled drawers one at a time and dug through the contents until she stumbled onto a drawer of dull black leather. “Oh, here’s an idea.” Faye pulled the set of items from the ample space and set them on the bed. Running her fingers over the well worn outfit, she spotted dried blood over one of the shoulders and knew it was hers. “I haven’t seen this in eight months.” Faye unfolded Vivienne’s outfit that she donned as ‘The Raven’. “You never fixed it, Vivienne?” Getting an idea, Faye walked over to the couple’s shelf and pulled down Vivienne’s small doctor’s kit and opened it. Retrieving the sheers and a scalpel, Faye returned to the bed and carefully started carving into the well worn leather.
Smelling that air subtly had changed to the familiar scent of her oiled outfit, Vivienne folded her arms and leaned back in the chair before answering Faye. “I wasn’t sure that you wanted me to, Mon amore.” Vivienne paused when Casey snapped the last sapphire onto Vivienne’s braid. “Thank you, Casey. To answer your question first…” Vivienne stood up and hugged her ward. “...Simply put, I have the hangers and I prefer things not to be overly wrinkled.” She pulled back and shrugged. “Faye. Allow me to explain myself with regards to that suit.” Vivienne looked at Casey with one of her long eyebrows raised. “I do believe that the love of my life is cutting my clothes.”
“I did say I would go in there.” Casey pointed to the bathroom. “You go in there and let Faye have the wedding she wants.” Casey waved her hand, to shoo Vivienne along. “Go on, we can hear you in there.”
Pointing at the bedroom door, Vivienne’s blue eyes shone brightly. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side. She’s cutting…I can hear it.” Vivienne placed her hands on her hips. “I am far too lenient on you both.”
“We can discuss the updating of my ward benefit package later.” Casey winked at her mistress. “Until you are married, I am in charge.” Casey again pointed to the bathroom. “Get in there.”
While it appeared that Vivienne didn’t have any interest in the wedding plans, the ancient vampire’s mind and blood were overwrought with excitement. Vivienne let herself live in the moment and did a quick little turn for Casey, and promptly tripped over her own feet. Landing with a little thud and hitting her nose on the floor, Vivienne rolled over and started laughing hysterically. “F…Faye..” Vivienne giggled through her words. “Now…now I get…it. I get it…”
Covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, Casey took a minute to gather herself while Vivienne lay on the floor laughing. Casey cleared her throat and spoke up, “What am I missing here?” She offered a hand for Vivienne to help her stand.
Allowing Casey to help her to her feet, Vivienne squeezed her ward in a tight hug. “Thank you, Casey.” Vivienne paused, “You are missing it.” She snickered a bit more. “When Faye and I first met, she was nervous and excited, tried to jump over the front desk and landed squarely on her nose.”
“Not a shining moment, Vivienne.” Faye called from the bedroom. “I was so embarrassed.”
Tapping on her nose lightly, Vivienne continued, “I didn’t quite get what she meant about the pride thing at the time.” Vivienne headed to the bathroom, “Not because I don’t understand pride or anything, but because I haven’t ever tripped on my own feet…until now.” Taking the time to refold and hang up the towels that Casey had moved and used, Vivienne finished her thought. “I felt it, the queasy feeling after I fell..I get it now.”
“Vivienne, you are doing it again. Getting lost in topics.” Faye giggled and waved as Casey came into the bedroom. “How good are you with a needle and thread, Casey?” Faye handed Casey a relatively long leather strip cut from the shoulder of Vivienne’s suit. “I asked you why you didn’t fix this, Viv.” Faye held up the strip to her neck and silently mouthed to Casey, “Collar.”
Bored enough to rearrange the bottles of beauty products around the tub and shower, Vivienne laughed silently, then answered. “I said before I was unsure that you wanted me to.” She paused to smell the lime and coconut shampoo that Casey used. “When I wanted to bring it with me to Petersburg, it felt like you wanted me to give up the persona. So, I tucked it away and left it.” Vivienne picked up Faye’s bubblegum smelling pink conditioner and took a deep breath, savoring the scent. “I haven’t even looked back. Not being ‘The Raven’ has been a relief in some ways.”
“Wasn’t it you not hunting excessive brethren that caused the issues that helped Denise come about?” Faye asked and made a mark on the strap she’d cut. “Casey, It lacks the blue and I need to have something that keeps it on.”
Nodding and smiling, Casey nibbled on her lip as an idea came to her. “It needs to be blue, then you have all bases covered. I have an idea. Let me go to my room fast.” She winked at Faye as she darted out of the door. “I know my way around a bit of sewing. I have a better plan though. I’ll be back.” Sprinting off through the door, Casey dug around the mess within her room until she found her small sewing kit. “Perfect.” Throwing open her closet door, Casey pulled small boxes down until she found what she was looking for, a denim blue chiffon shawl. “Faye, I found it. Though you will owe me about two hundred dollars.”
“Bill me.” Faye laughed. “Wait. Vivienne is paying for the wedding, bill her.”
Kicking the clothes out of her way, Casey glanced at her disaster of a room and dismissed the thought of actually cleaning. “Later. I will do it later.” Making her way back to Faye, Casey showed the delicate wrap to Faye. “I have it to match the few black dresses I use.” Casey placed the leather strap Faye created over the cape and carefully made an outline with a white sewing pencil. “We do this double wide and then I can cover the strip here with the chiffon.” Casey winked at Faye. “It will be beautiful.” Casey then quickly packed up the entire contents laying on the bed, to include Vivienne’s ‘Raven’ suit. “Just in case we need more. Let’s get out of here so Vivienne can get dressed.”
