Allowing a few quiet minutes to pass after she’d heard the doors to the house open and close a few times, Vivienne finally exited her little bathroom and silently strode into the hall and first into Casey’s room. Wanting to do something to occupy her mind, Vivienne picked up and placed the obvious dirty clothes in her ward’s hamper. Chuckling lightly to herself, Vivienne specifically picked up the half dozen pairs of jeans that were half folded in Casey’s drawer and placed them on hangars and in the dead center of her closet. -That should make my point, my ward.- Once Vivienne cleaned up Casey’s room, she took a deep breath and walked into her bedroom.
Closing the door out of habit, Vivienne then turned and noticed that Faye had laid out everything Vivienne needed for the wedding on the bed. Front and center held Vivienne’s egg white mermaid wedding dress. Designed to be worn off the shoulder and flare gracefully at her tight thighs, Vivienne had become smitten and showed her first sign of excitement when Faye and her picked it out. Touching the delicate silk, Vivienne recalled the nervous twitch in her chest and the hopping in place that Faye giggled at. -I do have emotions.- Vivienne told herself and turned to face her wardrobe.
Aware that the garment wasn’t in its drawer, Vivienne pulled open the dark wooden drawer and pulled out the final piece of her recent past. The mask of the Raven. The mask of vampiric horror. The mask of unbridled anger. The mask of defiance. Vivienne turned the black leather over in her hands a few times and admired its simple ability to strike fear in her brethren at a glimpse. -Was it the Raven, or you that struck fear, Ancient One?- The subtle darkness teased Vivienne from the recesses of her being. -Both.- Vivienne responded to the sweet demonic voice calling to her. -I created the Raven out of spite, never facing the fear of what I had become. I hid behind her dark visage…- Vivienne paused in her thoughts and smiled. -Your visage, you demon. You’ve controlled me all these years. Reclusive and alone. I was on the verge,wasn’t I?-
Laughing and cackling the monster within Vivienne slid back to its supposed cage with a little cryptic message. -Pity. You and I were just starting to get along. Enjoy the supposed victory.-
Crossing over to the small fireplace in their bedroom, Vivienne tossed the old mask in and watched it burn. “New beginnings, Faye. The Raven is gone.” Vivienne felt a soothing warmth pulse through her body and she walked over to the bed and picked up her dress. Allowing herself to feel the same rush of emotion that she did before, Vivienne hugged the dress tightly to her and spun happily in place. Unwilling to wrinkle her dress further, Vivienne smoothed the fabric out and placed it back on the bed while she put on her undergarments, complete with a high waist white leather garter belt. While rolling on her bone white stockings, Vivienne felt the unfamiliar feeling of her hand shaking once more.
Raising her hand so that it was in view, Vivienne didn’t bother to will her body to stop. -Nervous and anxious.- Vivienne admitted to herself as she started rocking on the bed and rhythmically bouncing her legs. -I’m not alone anymore.- She emphasized to herself. -Moreover, I don’t want to be alone.- Once Vivienne admitted her subtle change in ideal to herself, the only lingering anxiety was with the wedding itself.
Pushing through her trembling hand, Vivienne clipped her stockings to the straps on the belt and stood up. -Now or never, Viv. You’re only doing this once.- Slipping the silky dress over her torso, Vivienne didn’t consider that she needed someone to help her with the zipper. Forcing herself to think through the delirium of her impending vows, Vivienne simply extended her claws so that she could reach the tiny metal catch and close the dress tightly to her hourglass frame. Once the clasp was in position, Vivienne adjusted her breasts in the tight bodice and then made sure that the shoulderless sleeves were in their proper place.
Thankful that she didn’t have to bend over in the dress to wear her heels, Vivienne slipped her feet into the comfortable shoes and made her way over to her jewelry drawer. -This shouldn’t take long.- Vivienne excitedly told herself as she opened the drawer and pulled out two boxes. Flipping the lids open, she pulled out a set of pearl earrings and a matching gleaming tight fitting necklace. First holding the white spheres up to her dress, Vivienne confirmed that the shades of white matched almost perfectly before she clipped on the earrings and twisted the necklace on. -Lovely.-
Vivienne clapped her hands together and then reached for her newly furnished make-up drawer. -Less is better.- Vivienne took a steady breath and ran through the lessons that Casey and Faye had given her. Envisioning what she looked like, Vivienne reached for the various pencils and first outlined her eyelids and lips in a rich blue that matched her piercing blue eyes. Without a mirror to assist, Vivienne slowly filled in the outlined areas lightly until she felt the change in her skin that the cosmetics provided. -Trust your instincts as you always do, Vivienne.- Faye’s voice came to mind as she carefully patted a smoky touch into her blue eyeshadow. Completing her look with a light clear gloss on her electric blue lipstick, Vivienne carefully placed everything back in its place and cleaned her hands and the dresser so that nothing got on her dress.
Happily dance-like striding around the room so the flair on her dress swayed in the air, Vivienne double checked the room and picked up her gold and white small purse and headed for the door. Just as her hand touched the door knob, she froze in place. -Never again.- Smiling as she reached for the shelf with the last of her grave soil, Vivienne picked up the old canister and stuffed it in her purse.
Racing out of the bedroom, Vivienne went into the kitchen and grabbed her rose covered corsage and slipped it on her wrist. When the elastic lightly popped on her wrist, the clock hanging in the living room chimed once to note the bottom of the hour. -Thirty minutes.- Secretly exiting the back door like she did earlier in the evening, Vivienne took a deep breath and seamlessly changed into her tiny raven form and flew towards the port.
Early evenings in Sainte-Maxime in late August were still seasonably warm and the air carried light particles of salt that flew as the water from the bay crashed lightly on the sandy beaches and sharp coastline. Well lit with soft yellow light to emulate flames, the wooden boardwalk sported various nightlife spots where the hundreds of people gathered and jovially spent their evenings.
The raven found a small wire perch like she always did in the past and watched people pass below her. Unlike times before, the little bird wasn’t looking for a potential meal or even a trespasser in her city. This time, the little bird darted her dreamy blue eyes in search of couples. Vivienne patiently waited and before long, she was able to take in the many ways that each couple doted on each other as they talked and found comfort in being together. -Amour.- Vivienne said to herself and happened to see a young couple stop and lightly kiss in a simple romantic moment. Shaking nervously within her tiny form, Vivienne was reminded of Faye’s soft lips when they kissed with the same simple passion and romance that she’d just witnessed.
