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A weary hand reached out to Ravens. Shakey, thin and weak. It had been so long since this poor broken girl had seen a smiling face. She was frail, she was weak...sad...lonely.

As there hands met there as a twinkling as the poor young, broken, Raven shifted into just that...a Raven. Both its wings broken, and its feet clicking up Hono's arm, to her shoulder.

For a normal human, gazing upon this bird they would see nothing. But for the one Lady Raven she could read the look on the birds face. It said so very simply...."please dont break me....".

The world went white.

Raven would find herself ever so gently awakening, her arms folded across her chest. Floating about three feet off the bed.

It was strange, the sun wasnt beaming. According to the Hotel clock it was 6, it must have been 6pm. She had slept the whole day through, and awakened at dusk!

Maddick, quietly flowed a few steps off, his form as still as death. Though still connected.

--Click click--

The sound as barely audible, it was like...something getting tapping, rapping, at her bedroom window. The curtains had been drawn shut...what was it?

By her very thought it was made so. She was gently carried down, a barely visible flapping sound audible as her feet hovered above the ground before gently resting on it.

The curtain parted revealing the source of the odd sound...a bird. Not just any bird to be sure, a Raven. A most beautiful bird if there ever was one. Its feathered body as black as could be. Its eyes a deep dark almost blood red. And its beak, gently rapping at her window.

You see, during the day it had begun snow, and the snow carried through to the night. And this bird, it seemed was cold, so very cold...and somehow...it had found this place and knocked as if it was home. And yet something about it seemed so very shockingly familiar.

Another odd feature seemed to make itself most obvious as she would near it. Its wings, both were laying on the ground beside it, as opposed to being tucked up. It tried to fly, as she got closer, but, one could almost hear the sickly crunching and it let out a screech of pain, as it fell still for a moment.

With broken wings, and snow building...this was a harsh place for any bird to find itself.

But could this be...?

Was this the bird from her dream...?

Or did the birds presence cause her dream?

What happened?

When Adaire saw the neckless she was almost in tears again, to her, it was the most valuable item on Gaia.

"Zetsu, that's so beautiful! It's... for me?!"

Adaire took the necklace gently, placing it around her neck immediatly while turning her back toward Zetsu.

"Please clasp it for me."



Adaire awoke early in the morning. The gift she had in mind for Zetsumeii had been for the tournament, but she thought she'd give it to him anyway. A set of red shuriken, 10 in all, wrapped in red paper and tied in a red bow. She tore off the paper and threw it in the trash, thinking a wrapped present too dramatic.

Today was the day, she had work to catch up on back in Durem, and Zetsu had much business of his own. They would probably have to part ways. Still, she would make sure he had every available method of contacting her, even her secure work lines. In a way, she hoped he would show up in Durem, and chose to work where he could be near her, where she could help him more easily. But that was his choice, she knew she couldn't control him anymore than he could control her, even though there was little he could ask that she wouldn't seriously consider attempting. The ruby pendant gift she recieved reinforced that attitude.

Instead of her uniform and trench coat, she wore a light blue cotton sundress of thin breezy fabric. The dress was accented by the ruby necklace Zetsu had given her last night, in order to show him how much she loved it. Her uniform would remind Zetsu that she was a mercenary, she didn't want that, she wanted Zetsu to think of her in a different light. She wanted him to think it would be impossible for her delicate hands to spill even the most vile blood.

Having a key to Zetsu's room, she entered without knocking, and finding that he was decent, she set down her gift and a small bag with some take-out breakfast. The aroma of coffee slowly filled the room. She sat on the floor with her arm on the bed and lovingly watched as he slept. She would wait as long as it took for him to wake up, maybe twirling a lock of his hair around her index finger once and a while. There was a contented smile across her face the whole time, she was just beaming.

If only you'd ask me........ but then, Evan would have to approve of you first. I did take a blood oath, so the man is like my second father now. I wonder if he'll think less of me for how stupid I've become?

I hope Zetsu doesn't get angry at me for doing this. I'm going to miss him so much when I go back to Durem.

She felt her heart heave at the thought of being away from him.

But something more waited for her outside the frosted window that a bird with broken wings.

And while it happily hopped into her arms...there was a sound...a veritable roar that could not be ignored...

It filled the sky, it sounded like an army marching, and yet no army was on the streets. For any humans walking below the sound instinctually triggered a "what is that!?", sort of reaction. But Raven....Raven was no human at all. She would know that sound, because for the better part of her life, it was beside her at all times.

It was the sound of wings flapping...hundreds of them...no, maybe even thousands...

If she looked up she would see them, all of them. Countless members of her black feathered kin swooped around the hotel. And as her eyes met them, they descended. This was no attack, it was a joyous occasion. A celebration.

As many birds as could fit on the sill landed, many more flocking to the nearby roofs and ledges all to get a look at her glory...

The Lady...

The Raven...

This was indeed a celebration. A welcoming.

Raven herself may notice the subtle differences in her own form. Her hands were paler, her skin as soft as silk. And she was not dressed in that with which she had slept she was, perhaps it was that moment in which she bent to pick up the bird that she might notice. But she was clothed in a gown of farest black. It looked like a gown fit for a lady...perhaps even a queen.

She might notice should she check the mirror that while she was gift with a smaller set of vampiric fangs, that her hair had blended its blood red, with a night sky black. And her gown and nails carried the same beautiful color pattern, blending the two colors together as fluidly as the night sky fused the brilliant oranges and twilight violets.

This was a grandest celebration, perhaps even a ball. Her people were ready, it seemed only that the guest of honor need join them. And they did call her...the ravens, they beckoned for her as if beckoning to be blessed by the presence of their queen...

The gentle touch of her hands brought comfort to the small creature. Its feathered head leaning into her hands.

It was odd. She was speaking a common language. Everyone present would have understood it, and these were birds...they shouldnt speak human and yet it seemed they did. As she spoke there eyes locked on her, hanging on her every word. Because she had asked them a base question. And they wanted nothing more than to answer. She asked what they expected, and they would show her rather than tell her. As a whole the armada leaned back flapping their wings in unison...they wanted to fly...

They wanted to fly with their Lady. To share that most unique pleasure with the one they revered.

It seemed without even a thought she had performed the act she performed a million tims before. In warm glow the bird in hand joined his breatheren flapping his wings. Its wings repaired.

She had accepted her flock. The family that chose her, and would never abandon her.

But there was something more to it this time. Her wings were wider, her body larger. This was no small bird, this was a large bird, from beak to tail feathers nearly 5ft long, with wingspan to match. She could soar through the air gracefully, but her feathers were of a black most unique. She seemed almost ethereal, a black hue around her, almost shadowy, leaving a streak of black in her trail.

She was a powerful woman, and a powerful Raven. As she took to the sky, the entirety of the flock joined her. They formed a triangle with her at the center. She was like a mother to them, some soared around her, ducking and diving closer. Other simply let out sqauks of joy. They wanted to show her something and so some of them did, so very much like children.

They would borrow a bit of Raven's attention, her eyes would fade to a deep black, and in her minds eye she could see what the chosen bird could see. She could know whatever they knew. With mental suggestions, she need not even use words, she could direct the ebb and flow of the flock as a whole, guiding the entire unit as it flew towards the twilight, or guiding one single bird at a time.

People below simply stared up in wonder. It is said that in the past, when the animals were stronger, they were larger and taught the humans many of the things they know today. As the years progressed the animals grew weaker and smaller, though never forgetting there noble origins. Raven reminded this flock of a true Raven. Large, powerful, dominating the sky, as she soared through it. Inspiring awe, and respect in those below, those gifted with the sight.

"And I see you're a sleepy head," She smiled. "I could have pounced on you before you even knew it."

She blushed, suddenly tense, "Actually, the way I just said that........ never mind....... about that pouncing stuff." sweatdrop



"I'm full of energy," Adaire said, smiling broadly, "I'm ussually a cynical, nasty, tired, and generally awful person when I first wake up. Maybe it's because I never slept well, but this morning I just feel altogether different. Like a brand new person. I know, it's really corny for me to be saying this, but I slept soundly without being wounded for the first time in years and I feel great this morning."



For a tall guy, he wasn't terribly heavy for her, her arms were strong enough to lift him if she had too, part of her incredibly deceptive strength. Still, he was heavy enough that she lowered him to the floor in the midst of her lap. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, hands gently interlocking on the other side of his neck and pulling him close so she could whisper in his ear. His little drop in her lap had pushed her to the brink of losing control, and she realized that she had no desire to resist his advances, actually welcoming them. As she pulled him close, he would hear her heart racing.

"It's going, but You better stop making me hot, because our breakfast is going to get cold."

She had much to discuss with him over breakfast, unfortunately, she liked having him in her lap, couldn't bear to let go of him just yet. The future was entirely up to him at this point.