Re: df || To Deliver One From Evil ||

[Guest]

Venis turned around to see Epiphany coming through the door. "Hey Epiphany, well, don't you look cute? I love the suspenders." Did she really? Absolutely, it had been a while, but Venis was on a construction crew once. "Um yea, package. I don't know, I was coming in from the gardens and there was a delivery guy here with a box for you. Small box, bout six by six by six I think. Plain brown cardboard, tag just said your name and the address of the Inn."

All those details about the box so tactfully remembered, now the delivery guy. "Um, the guy, well he's uh ... male. Um, not as tall as me I don't think, but I'm wearing four inch so, um ... honestly, I can't tell you much about the guy. Not even his scent, skin color, eye color, hair color. Oh man, this never happens to me. I honestly couldn't tell you a single thing about the guy. That is so weired." If Venis hadn't been suffering some self doubt about her senses as of late before this guy showed up, she sure as hell was now. It was like someone had taken the picture of him from her mind and now she couldn't see it.

She scratched her arm again. She had no idea why that one spot kept itching. But every time she scratched it her guard seemed to go up in regards to the situation. "I'm sorry Epiphany, I'm not sure why, but I cannot remember details about this guy." There was a true look of worry on her face. "Do you want me to tell him that I couldn't find you, see if he'll leave the box with me?" She began to get a little worried that something was very wrong with her, if not the situation.

[Epiphany]

It was very odd that Venis didn't remember anything about the guy at the front desk, she thought that Venis had a good memory, or at least good enough to be able to describe something that just happened. She seemed confused. All of it was very suspect, as was the fact that she kept scratching.

Epiphany made her way over to the sink and turned on the water, if someone were here to give her something she should at least have clean hands to greet them with. As she washed her hands she poised another question to her. "It's odd how you can remember the box...isn't it?" Hmm. "Maybe it's something that I have coming in from the docks. Though they never bring the things here, they always leave them for me to pick up." That was said more to herself as she turned the water off and began drying her hands. Something felt odd, yet she had an air of anticipation as well. A mystery box for her, being delivered by a mysterious guy.

"Well!" Hands were dry, she quickly used the damp paper cloth on her face before tossing it in the trash. "Let's go and see this mysterious guest!"

Truth be told, she was rather excited about the whole thing. This was Epiphany, she was all for a bit of mystery and excitement. Pushing that hard hat down a bit further on her head she went out the door and started towards the front desk.

Whoever was there would be able to see her after she exited the kitchen.

[Damon Fauci]

Conversations with doors, telepathic exchanges, a travels from other locations. . .a considerable amount of time had lapsed since the woman at the front desk had agreed to locate the soon-to-be-owner of this six by six by six package. For a delivery man that was required to obtain a signature there were in such cases two options. The first was to leave and return another time when a successful transaction seemed more promising. The second was simply to be patient, and wait.

As luck would have it, this delivery man had all the patience that his cloaked immortality afforded. Not only that, but he was also wise in the ways of Epiphany's door and its inhabitant. He knew full well that the little creature made for less than expedient results, and when the seconds stretched into minutes that such a setback had occurred was one of numerous theories that passed calmly through his mind. Perhaps that was why in an ideal scenario he would have preferred that Venis let him pass, so that he could have dealt with the small sentinel himself.

Nonetheless. Different events had transpired, and if he was to remain a forgettable visitor to this Inn he would simply have to go with the flow, as the modern saying suggests. He went with said flow, now that he was in this main room assuredly alone, in absolute stillness. There was no need to feign gestures of impatience or to make idle sounds to color the caricature of a mortal man while he stood here solitary, as the press of his power washing him the impenetrable blank slate was more than enough to keep his cover. In stillness, in silence, he was soon rewarded - the kitchen was not a great distance away, and his preternatural ears could hear scraps of conversation and approach, and his exemplary sense of smell soon picked up that of the woman who had been at the front desk. . .and a scent far more familiar.

And yet. When Epiphany entered into the room where he stood with his cardboard package, there would be no recognition in his eyes. Only the look of reluctant hope that would be appropriate for a delivery man who'd seen the woman promising to get the owner of this package exit through that doorway that this new person entered through. Maybe for good measure there was a mix of faint confusion at the appearance of this. . .no, it was a female. Epiphany would see the delivery man give himself that little nod of confirmation before he gave a friendly but unimpressionable smile. "I've been trying to deliver a package. . ." It was almost a foolish confession to Epiphany, as if he was sorry he interrupted her work. "and I have to return with the signature, to finish the job."

Note that he still did not say her name. Also note that to her ears, there would be nothing familiar about his voice. To her eyes, there would be nothing reminiscent of Damon in the delivery man's features. To her senses of smell, touch, taste, even down to her very spirit there was no absolutely no hint that the man standing before her was someone that she had come to know in a myriad of ways quite intimately.

But when she drew close enough to see it the one thing that would be familiar to her, as this unremarkable messenger held out the package, would be the handwriting on the cream colored card that he now flipped open as he had with Venis. For if it was true that Epiphany had reread his lengthy letter of a year ago to the point where the paper was worn, the formation of the letters on this card, "To be delivered to the hands of Epiphany, upon receipt of her signature," would seem to her a voice reaching to her from the land of her recent dreams. There was only one man whose old world hand formed letters in such a manner, and it was Damon.

So his presence to her was now made known -- at least metaphorically so, in the shape of a six by six by six plain cardboard package which awaited her hands. She merely had to sign on the line that was clearly provided on the card, the one that the average, unmemorable delivery man was now indicating to her with a simple ball point pen, and the package would be hers.

[Guest]

Venis looked seriously perplexed. It was odd how she could remember the box with her regular perfect clarity, yet not the man holding it. "Yea, it is a little odd." She let the rest of her comments slide as they weren't exactly directed at her, made obvious by Epiphany's tone.

She watched as Epiphany washed up and as she wiped at her face she pointed to a smudge that she had missed. Some people when they have an uneasy feeling they scratch their heads, or the little hairs on the back of their neck stand on end. Venis was scratching a spot on her arm, which thanks to her fingernails, was becoming a red spot.

Was it because of the delivery man? Was she sensing something about him? Actually no, it was the exact opposite. She couldn't sense anything about him, she couldn't even remember him once she had walked away ... And that was a problem for the Goddess.

So what else would one expect her to do but follow Epiphany out of the kitchen? And, after taking a moment to get a wet cloth for her arm in hopes of calming the itch, that is exactly what she did. Just in time to see the delivery man offering Epiphany the box and a pen to sign for it with.

[Epiphany]

Once she caught sight of the delivery man she started her careful study of him. Taking in his clothing, the way he stood and the details of his hair and, as she grew closer to him, her study of him became that more intense. Had this poor delivery guy been so scrutinized by a girl in a hard hat before? If not, there was a first time for everything. After what Venis had told her about not being able to remember anything about him, Epiphany sure was trying to commit this man to memory.

It might have appeared a bit odd. Even when she reached the desk and stood behind it she studied him. Right arm resting on the desk, left elbow up and her chin in her hand, she even leaned forward, tipping her chin up and head to the side. This girl, dressed as a construction worker, was very relaxed. The forward lean had her legs bent slightly and the tip of her right boot bouncing on the wooden floor. As he explained why he was there Epiphany continued to watch him. Any ordinary person might have gotten annoyed or even started feeling a bit strange at being constantly started at; and being put under a microscope. She was trying to get some type of reaction. A flinch, a twitch in the eyes, something. Anything. Maybe that is why she was watching him so intensely. People never simply showed up with packages for her, so the whole thing was rather odd and, after the dream she had those weeks ago, she was suspicious of a few things.

A soft ‘Hmm’ was heard and she had to take her eyes off of him for a moment to look at the writing on the box. In that moment, it was as if everything paused. The tapping of her foot stopped, her chin lifted from the palm of her hand, she even stood up a bit straighter. She’d know that handwriting anywhere, even in her sleep perhaps. Such a notable change in her posture would surely be a sign of some sort, even if she tired to cover it up by making a show of carefully examining the note.

“You know, she could be Epiphany,” She said, pointing to Venis. “Anyone in this Inn could be Epiphany. I may even be Epiphany.” She chose her next words carefully. If this was something from him, and she said the wrong thing, then the guy would simply leave with the package and she would never get it. That’s what she believed and it was better to have that thought, than think otherwise and loose the package.

Giving the man a smile she reached up and pulled the hard hat from her head, the ponytail she had stuffed up there now falling down behind her head. “Lucky for you we’re honest people.” That was said with a wink. Taking the pen she looked at the package and started to sign.

“What did you say your name was?”

[Damon Fauci]

Just as he'd been pleased to see that Venis was not about to let delivery men walk the halls of this Inn unsupervised, so it was that he was glad to see Epiphany slip into a suspicious scrutiny. As with during the dream, when she'd disclosed that since he'd seen her last she had grown into her own with newfound abilities and strength, so did the observation of her current caution confirm that she was one who would not be bested easily. That she could indeed 'hold her own'. And that is exactly what he needed to believe right now in order to offer her only what was in this package as added protection until the day arrived that he could offer something. . .altogether different.

Was it easy for him to have such a plebeian exchange with her? To think as much would be daft. There was no harder task he'd faced in quite some time than to meet her eyes with a look that held only questions and did not betray recognition. To keep his hunger in check as the insides of his nostrils bathed in nothing but her rich, delectable, and achingly familiar scent. To feel her warmth so near and resist the urge to reach, to hold the conversation of two strangers, all of it took insurmountable willpower. To great success, at least, as none of these inner workings showed upon his countenance.

What did show was hesitation. It first budded as worry, when this strange woman didn't answer him right away and just stared at him instead from behind the desk that he'd been waiting next to for so long. That worry bloomed into full blown doubt once Epiphany started speaking. Thus, when she had the realization that what she said could cause her to lose this package if she wasn't careful, all she would have to do is look at the delivery man's face as he glanced between the two women to see that her instinct was correct. Even as she was began putting her name to the page, he was staring down at the letters forming above the provided line as if they were of an alien life form.

"Honest people," he repeated with a tone that suggested now he wasn't so sure. "Uh, right. Hold on." This delivery man didn't hand over the package yet, even after the card was signed. Instead, after he pulled that card off the plain cardboard surface he kept the box close to him, with one of his hands holding it from the top. With his somewhat free other hand he was reaching into the inside pocket of what could only be called an ordinary coat, one that lacked definition as much as this average delivery man did. He pulled an aged piece of parchment. An old document, speaking on topics such as sparring and reporting and coming events, one that was signed quite clearly, 'Epiphany'. The two signatures were compared now, very carefully compared. By a man who looked doubtful that he had the skills to properly compare them, if the way he rotated the two pieces of paper about suggested anything.

"You're lucky," he said finally. But even then, he didn't look entirely sure.

Maybe that lingering uncertainty was what Damon used as an excuse to look her full in the eyes. A single indulgence before he looked down at the card in his hands. He tore it in half, setting the top half with Damon's handwritten message on top of the box, face up so that she could once more clearly see the writing. Then he took a single step backward, away from the package, wordlessly relinquishing it into her possession. Tucking the half of the card she'd signed and the old letter into his pocket he added with a curt nod to her, "Have a nice day." Gaze swung over to Venis, to give her a similar nod as he added, "You too."

Then dark glasses were slid over his eyes once more. The delivery man cast one last wary look over the two of them before he stepped to the door he'd come through, making his exit. Once the door closed behind the strange visitor, only the package with the torn card remained to confirm this odd encounter had ever happened at all.

And as was true for all packages, the act of opening it would disclose its contents.

[Guest]

Venis heard Epiphany's words, but her expression never changed. The delivery man wasn't to only one with a guise. Venis had one of her own. She would stand there and pretend like this was an every day occurrence and that this level of security was just an every day practice. No need for the delivery man to know otherwise.

Sometimes, deliveries were made and the ones delivering them were allowed to simply pass to their destination. Such had been the case a few times during the recently past holiday. But of course, they had been expected, and they were going to the Meeting Hall. Had this delivery been expected one would think that a note would be left at the desk to allow the messenger passage.

But such was not the case and here they were. It was good to know that Venis could pass for an employee of the Inn. She watched as Epiphany signed the card. And then, much to her surprise, the man checked the signature. This pleased Venis, such a show of security. Though it was never once reflected upon her face. No, she was as blank a slate at the moment as the messenger was.

Once the man was getting ready to walk away he had told her to have a nice day. "And you as well sir. Thank you." And then he was out the door. What did he look like again? No matter, the box was still here. Now, does she hang around and see what it is to satisfy her own curiosity and make sure there are no ill effects for Epiphany, or does she leave her to it and afford her the privacy she should have? She would wait, back from Epiphany where she was currently standing.

[Epiphany]

A sigh of relief was almost heard when the messenger relinquished the package, it let her know that she had said the right thing in not joking around. If this same situation had happened a year ago she was almost positive that she would have made an off-baked comment and the situation would have gone differently. Epiphany was famous for turning positive conversations into odd convoluted disasters.

This was a smart guy, the non-descript delivery guy, for even after she said that they were honest people he still had something to check against what he was given. It must have been the wink at the end. She recognized the paper he used, having sent out so many of them in the past year, and it brought a small smile to her face. Memories, they were good and bad alike.

Funny, in that brief moment where the messenger and Epiphany had eye contact she thought that she might have caught something of their intentions, or a tell-tale sign that they were more than they pretended to be. But there was nothing. Nothing at all aside from eye contact. After he placed the note back down on the box, donned his glasses, and after he had exited the building, then did she look down to what was left.

Curiousity screamed at her to waste no time in opening the package, or even to pick it up and give it a shake, but all she could do was look at it while she bit the inside of her cheek. It was from Damon and she feared that it was something she did not want to see, something that she might not be prepared to deal with. And so she stood there a few minutes simply staring at the box and the note. It all must have looked pretty silly.

With a deep breath drawn in she scratched the side of her neck and tipped her head to the side. In a tired voice she spoke to Venis. “Thanks for letting me know I had a package.” She licked her lips then and took the note off the box before she carefully turned the box on it’s end so that she could open it.

It didn’t matter to her that Venis was a step or two away, if she wanted to open the box in private then she would have taken it to her room, or at least somewhere else.

A small bit of fiddling and she had it open. Now, what was inside the box?

[Guest]

Venis smiled, a genuine smile. "You're welcome Epiphany." She could have walked away then. But something in Epiphany's actions and tone caused her to stay right where she was. She couldn't see past Epiphany to the box in front of her. But that itch on her arm warned her to wait and make sure that the boogie man wasn't in that box.

[Damon Fauci]

When the contents of the box were revealed perhaps the first wonder would be why Damon had chosen to pack these three items in such a 'large' box, when a smaller container could have more proportionally served the purpose. During the act of delivery he'd wanted no curious thoughts to linger on the potential contents of the package he wished to pass along, and he had in his centuries of life found that the smaller the box, the greater the curiosity and more persistent the questioning. Thus the size of six by six by six was selected, and he took great care to rest the items within in the very center of the box, safely nestled above and below with soft packing papers.

As such, once the box was opened it would not be until Epiphany removed the top layer of tissue that the three small items would be revealed. The first, a pendant on a silver chain. Attached to the chain was a small tag which said clearly in his antiquated penmanship, "To guard your sleep." Perhaps the color of the stones would strike a cord within Epiphany - it was no mistake that the particular shade of agate Damon commissioned into this pendant was the color of freshly shed blood. A match to a former gift to her, in its own way. Second, tucked just behind the pendant and necklace there was a business card. The front of the business card had the following printed on it in dark red and black lettering, "Moon's Blade Concert Hall; Boston, Massachusetts; Seth Kreig, Owner; for booking call 617-555-1000". Also on the front these words clearly written by Damon's hand, "Summon him in case of danger," with an arrow drawn indicating that the card should be flipped over. On the back, written in handwriting that was not Damon's there were concise directions on how to summon the demon Cimaeth. Seth assured Damon that Epiphany knew enough about him to make the necessary connection without Damon having to note such more explicitly.

Finally, the third item. A cream colored card, twin to the one that Epiphany had signed just moments ago. When she opened this card, she would find written,

"My Dear Angel,
How wonderful it was just now, Epiphany, to see for my own eyes that you are well.
With Devotion,
D. F."

Her name was the key, the very thing he'd taken such care not to speak. As her eyes read his smoothly scrawled "Epiphany", to her would come just that - an epiphany. Like a snap of the fingers, the skewed fog that his power had wrapped about her head altogether cleared and all would be made plain. And she would know: the delivery man, it was him, putting this package into her hands with his incontrovertible stealth. The most beastly part of it all, perhaps, was that the nature of his note revealed to her that he had orchestrated all of this confident in the knowledge that when she opened this package, he would already be gone.

All for her own safety, of course. So long as he entered and left her inn as an unmemorable living ghost, the spirit who sought him would make no connections between him and her. And surely there was no other fail-safe way to ensure that the items now in her possession would be delivered to her hands but to deliver it himself in person, disguised.

But still. . .he wouldn't be a beast if by all of this he wasn't amused. Now, could she attempt to give him chase? One can always attempt, even if attempts promised nothing.

The enclosed pendant:

[Epiphany]

With all the care that was being put to opening the box, it could have been thought that the words 'Handle With Care' were boldly printed everywhere on the box. This wasn't the case, at least nothing was written on it for the average eye to see but sometimes Epiphany saw things that were not there. Because when she had picked up the box and heard no sound or felt no movement from within, the box was labeled as 'Fragile' and had to be handled with care. Whatever was inside had been packed well enough to not be damaged in transport. She didn't expect anything less from the person who had done the packing.

During her brief exchange with the Delivery man her stomach had been nervously tossing between being worried that something was wrong, to being excited that he ha thought to give her something. Both of those feelings were put on hold when she pulled back that layer of tissue paper and saw the blood red pendant, and the note. Epiphany brushed the tips of her fingers against the smooth stone. "He remembered that I don't sleep." Or sleep that often would have been the correct words to say. The words she spoke had a tingle of joy behind them that anyone could hear. "It looks just like blood." She could have been speaking to Venis, for the other lady was still there.

Not wanting to put the pendant down, she wrapped the chain in her hand. Holding it made her feel strong in a way she couldn't describe. Then there was the card. She picked it up and read it over. Seth Kreig. Reading that name and seeing the name of his shop brought back memories, many of them good. Then came the words "Summon him in case of danger." Danger. Yes. Damon was still seeking to protect her and he had given her the name of someone the pair of them trusted. Seth was a friend and yes, she did know about Cimaeth, even if she wasn't sure what summoning him would do to her.

The card was set back it the box and she picked up the second card. As she began to read it over and came across her own name, she gasped and instantly looked up and to the door where the Delivery man had gone from. "Damon. That was him." The mix feeling returned, only this time it settled into a mirthful feeling that caused her to begin laughing.

Epiphany finished reading the card, even though there was not much left to be read, and held both the card and the pendant to her chest. "He came. He came even despite what he said." This was a happy type of laughter. Her words may not have made any sense to Venis at all, but Epiphany was remembering her dream and how he said that she wouldn't see him. It was true that she hadn't see him for who he was, and that no one else may even remember the guy being there, but she knew. She knew and that's all that mattered to her.

He had gone out of his way to give her the package. Would she go and see if he was still there? No. If he had gone through such lengths to make sure he went unnoticed, then rushing out looking for him could draw attention that he was trying to avoid.

What did she do? Epiphany laughed, and it was the first true mirthful laugh in a long time.

[Guest]

Well, Venis was able to relax, a little. The boogie man had not sprang fourth from the box. That was good. In fact, Epiphany seemed pleased with the contents of the box. Having happy people around always helped settle her stomach a little.

So, she had something in common with the Angel after all, or something else, as she was sure there were other things. But this one she had not expected. Doesn't sleep? Hmm. Blood huh? She took a few steps forward. "May I see Epiphany?" She would, of course, look but not touch.

Soon Epiphany was laughing. True laughter of joy. Talk about relief. Epiphany's laughter wasn't chasing away all the pain. But it did wash over her like a wave of peace and joy. Yes, always good to be around happy people. She had to ask the obvious question even though Epiphany's joy was making her smile. "Who's Damon?" Venis started to chuckle, laughter was contagious.

[Epiphany]

If it wasn't for Venis talking to her she would have drifted off into a reminiscent dream that would have left her standing at the front desk and giggling. It was good to be happy and not have to pretend to be happier than you really were. The brightness of her smile was evident as she turned around to look at Venis to see that she was smiling too. She didn't smile enough.

It's true that she had seen Venis having fun with the kids at Christmas but, she thought that sometimes Venis merely smiled and was happy because it was something she was suppose to be and do. An outward smile to mask the inward tears. Epiphany opened her hand to reveal the blood red pendant that was given to her. Perhaps he had even used real blood to make it? That would make sense considering what it was suppose to do. "Guard my sleep, that's what he said it was suppose to do. Damon."

Who's Damon. That was a question with so many answers that she didn't know which answer to give, but then she remembered. Maybe she would remember too? "Remember that story I told you, all those months ago when you were recovering in the basement? How I had put my blood in a bottle and gave it to a vampire?" A slight pause. "That's Damon. We've shared each others blood." She would know what she meant by sharing blood. Venis was a vampire.

Epiphany paused and that dreamy look came over her face. "We've had more than a few bumps, but I still love him and . . . he came to see me, even though it was risky." that made her think about the risk once more before she laughed.

"I've never met anyone like him."

[Guest]

Venis looked at the pendant. "Oh Epiphany, it is truly lovely." She reached out like she would touch it, but didn't touch it. Just felt the energy around it. It felt like love. It was such a wonderful feeling. And it had Epiphany truly happy and giggly. Which was wearing off on Venis.

Venis' smile reached her eyes and those bright blue orbs twinkled. "I do remember. I can feel the love. It's wonderful Epiphany, it really is." Venis giggled. "I should hang out with you more when you are like this." She felt the energy of the pendant again. It was a truly magical kind of love. The kind that could withstand anything, even the test of time.

But what Epiphany took the smile from her face. She looked up at her and looked at her with a serious look upon her face. "Epiphany, is your love in danger? If he needs help with something ..." Epiphany should have known the rest of that sentence. She knew who and what Venis was. But then she said one more thing before answering her question, and it brought back Venis' smile.

It was still a true smile. And yes, a lot of the time if you saw Venis smiling, it was a mask. But this one was definitely true.

[Epiphany]

Listening to Venis made her laugh again. Sure, Epiphany could have good moods and a lot of times she was able to make people happy when they were around her. Watch out if she was in a bad mood though. "He's probably somewhere, right now, laughing over my inability to see him." She'd bet the location of one of her secret spots that he got a laugh out of it! If he was she wouldn't feel bad about it, that was just one of the things that made his personality.

Although, when she saw him again. . .

It was just another good thing to think about and she played it out in her head as she undid the clasp on the necklace and put it around her neck. Yes, she put it on even with her construction outfit. "But he's in a situation, Venis, which is why he didn't make himself visble." Thinking on how to tell it and what to tell.

"You know how men are, wanting to go and face the dangers all by themselves without help. And so, they stay away." There was a thoughtful pause and she settled the pendant in place. "He is in some type of danger and, in order to keep it from me, he's staying away from me. I offered to help, but he's thinking of my safety. He's always trying to protect me because my life isn't like his."

"If he really needed the help, I hope he'd ask. I do miss him, but I'm happy to know that he's thinking about me. I get all tingly when I think about his touch and his bite. He helped me not to be afraid of the dark."

[Guest]

That true smile still plastered on her face. "Oh I definitely know the type. Furball for example." That made her laugh again. "As far as his situation, if you can find a way to get a message to him, let him know I am volunteering to help any way I can. Anyone who makes you this happy is worth helping out no matter what." She laughed again. "A man, ask for help? Isn't that like asking for directions?"

Now that bite, that was another story all together, Venis knew about the bite. She remembered her own. Her hand even went to her neck in memory of it. The smile that spread across her lips, allowing the tips of her fangs peek out, went all the way to her eyes and made them twinkle. Oh yes, that memory never goes away.

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