Raziel turned away from Jennifer and wandered down the hallway into the bathroom. He loosened his cowl and let it drop around his shoulders. The mirror cast Raziel's demonic features back at him. He ran a claw down his cheek, tracing the remains of his features. Raziel decided to reform his jaw. Perhaps with that in place, the rest would follow.
Raziel spent most of the night sitting in front of the mirror, trying unsuccessfully to change his appearance. "This is pointless," he spat at his reflection. He considered his apparent failure. "I need to identify with the form I desire," he muttered, remembering Jennifer's words. He wandered back into the living room and called up the picture of Jennifer holding him as the sword. He could not recall how that must have felt, being shaped like a sword. Raziel lingered on the thought. "I need to feel what I want to become."
Raziel wandered into Jennifer's bedroom and considered her sleeping form. He did not feel any qualms about intruding on her rest like this; Jennifer was never modest around him, and she was a heavy sleeper. He lightly traced the contours of her face, just as he had done to his own only hours before. He let his claws wander down her shoulder to her arms. He cradled her hand in his. Her flesh was warm and soft. Raziel studied her with eyes and claws, memorizing the important details.
Raziel quietly left Jennifer's bedroom and wandered back into the bathroom. He recalled the warmth of her skin, the stirrings of breath. Raziel saw a flash of his former human self. He wasn't sure if he had actually seen his face change in the mirror, or the memory of that moment when he had impaled the bastard.
"This is will not do," Raziel said. He realized that he could more easily make himself anew than wear that former identity. "I can make a new life for myself."
Jennifer awoke the next morning. She was concerned about Raziel. He had seemed so troubled, but Jennifer felt that he had needed to be left to his own thoughts. She hoped that Raziel had decided to drop back into the distractions that he was so fond of.
Jennifer walked into the living room and stared. There was a man sitting on the couch, quietly contemplating his hands. He was naked, but he had a rumpled piece of cloth draped across his lap, Raziel's clan banner.
"I did it, Jennifer." Raziel smiled.
Jennifer walked over to Raziel and laid her hand on his shoulder. His flesh was cool to her touch, but not unnaturally so. She inspected his face. His grin disappeared, something dark passed behind his fawn-brown eyes.
Jennifer withdrew her hand and questioned, "What's wrong, Raziel?"
"Do you like the way I look now?" Raziel asked in a dry whisper.
"Of course," Jennifer assured him. She realized that she had accidentally awakened a shadow of his past by touching him like that. Kain too had touched him curiously, right before ripping off his wings. His question had been one of fear.
Jennifer knelt on the floor before Raziel, gazing at him once again. His face was young and flawless, framed by long silken hair. His body was lean and well muscled, and his skin was not quite pale. Jennifer could have sworn she saw small fangs in Raziel's mouth when he grinned, but only a dentist would have been disturbed by their appearance. Raziel still held traces of his vampire nature.
"You're gorgeous," Jennifer sighed happily, "but you're going to need clothes if you're going to walk around. That is, if you still had that in mind," she added, grinning.
Raziel was taken aback by her words. "I believe clothes are an order," he whispered uncomfortably.
Raziel spent most of the night sitting in front of the mirror, trying unsuccessfully to change his appearance. "This is pointless," he spat at his reflection. He considered his apparent failure. "I need to identify with the form I desire," he muttered, remembering Jennifer's words. He wandered back into the living room and called up the picture of Jennifer holding him as the sword. He could not recall how that must have felt, being shaped like a sword. Raziel lingered on the thought. "I need to feel what I want to become."
Raziel wandered into Jennifer's bedroom and considered her sleeping form. He did not feel any qualms about intruding on her rest like this; Jennifer was never modest around him, and she was a heavy sleeper. He lightly traced the contours of her face, just as he had done to his own only hours before. He let his claws wander down her shoulder to her arms. He cradled her hand in his. Her flesh was warm and soft. Raziel studied her with eyes and claws, memorizing the important details.
Raziel quietly left Jennifer's bedroom and wandered back into the bathroom. He recalled the warmth of her skin, the stirrings of breath. Raziel saw a flash of his former human self. He wasn't sure if he had actually seen his face change in the mirror, or the memory of that moment when he had impaled the bastard.
"This is will not do," Raziel said. He realized that he could more easily make himself anew than wear that former identity. "I can make a new life for myself."
Jennifer awoke the next morning. She was concerned about Raziel. He had seemed so troubled, but Jennifer felt that he had needed to be left to his own thoughts. She hoped that Raziel had decided to drop back into the distractions that he was so fond of.
Jennifer walked into the living room and stared. There was a man sitting on the couch, quietly contemplating his hands. He was naked, but he had a rumpled piece of cloth draped across his lap, Raziel's clan banner.
"I did it, Jennifer." Raziel smiled.
Jennifer walked over to Raziel and laid her hand on his shoulder. His flesh was cool to her touch, but not unnaturally so. She inspected his face. His grin disappeared, something dark passed behind his fawn-brown eyes.
Jennifer withdrew her hand and questioned, "What's wrong, Raziel?"
"Do you like the way I look now?" Raziel asked in a dry whisper.
"Of course," Jennifer assured him. She realized that she had accidentally awakened a shadow of his past by touching him like that. Kain too had touched him curiously, right before ripping off his wings. His question had been one of fear.
Jennifer knelt on the floor before Raziel, gazing at him once again. His face was young and flawless, framed by long silken hair. His body was lean and well muscled, and his skin was not quite pale. Jennifer could have sworn she saw small fangs in Raziel's mouth when he grinned, but only a dentist would have been disturbed by their appearance. Raziel still held traces of his vampire nature.
"You're gorgeous," Jennifer sighed happily, "but you're going to need clothes if you're going to walk around. That is, if you still had that in mind," she added, grinning.
Raziel was taken aback by her words. "I believe clothes are an order," he whispered uncomfortably.