Let it Bleed [Gabriel/Open]

[Dominic Knight]

Dom stomped through the heavy doors of the homeless shelter, forcing his usual façade of cold indifference onto his face. He didn’t want to do it; it was a necessity. He’d much rather just act like anyone else his age. But he couldn’t. If he did, people would get too close, and they’d wind up getting hurt. He didn’t want that to happen. Especially not to these people. They’ve already been through so much.

He reached up and yanked his beanie off of his head, aware that his blonde hair was probably sticking out everywhere, giving him the appearance of a madman. All the better, he supposed. So what if he looked like a lunatic? It kept people at an even greater distance.

Dom shook himself like a dog, knocking the snow from his clothes the best he could. The weather was nearing blizzard-stage, and was only supposed to get worse. Which was why he found himself heading to volunteer at the homeless shelter run by Our Lady of Lourdes. The people here needed all the help and support they could get. Dom, having always sympathized with them, decided that the least he could do was dish out food tonight, even though he hadn’t intended to show up until the weekend.

He recognized a few of the faces around the place, and they greeted him pleasantly. Despite his attempts to keep up his façade, he found himself grinning and waving back. He couldn’t be cold here. He tried each time, and each time failed miserably. This was the only place he couldn’t keep up his persona; he figured it had something to do with the people here. They were heroes in every sense of the word. Survivors, who should have by all rights lost hope long ago. But it was still there, however faint. In some cases, it was even more prominent than the people of higher-class, better circumstances. He respected them to no end.

Dom made his way to the table where the soup was set up, and took up his position behind it. And then, still grinning, he proceeded to ladle some out in bowls and distribute them to the people in line, making idle chit-chat with them. He knew he should shove them away, just scowl, hand them their soup, and repeat. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Despite all his blustering, Dom really wasn’t a cold bastard, contrary to popular belief. He just liked for people to think he was.

[Ophelia Armisted]

Gabriel had been standing within the church's walls for quite a while, mostly praying. She had come away from it with a fuller sense of self and a renewed want to do exactly what she had been sent to do. Funny, it was often strange for the archangel to be referred to as either gender. It would still take some doing.

Rising from her knees, Ophelia brushed her hands down over her legs, knocking whatever dust might have collected there. Then, she moved toward the soups that were being handed out, taking an apron from the wall and tying it about her waist. It seemed to fit right it with the white dress she had been wearing, albeit a bit stained. Smiling kindly to the young man who had also just taken his place serving, she began to do the same, offering kind words to the men and women who filed past.

Her mind wandered. There was so much evil in the world, why had God chosen New York City only? Surely there were more sinful places than this city... Las Vegas, even! Rio de Janeiro! It just didn't make much sense, but... It wasn't her position or right to question God's logic. Ophelia shook her head slightly and began thinking about what was present around her. Good souls who had lost their everything, undeservedly so. However, there was a greater reason for everything. God had a greater reason for everything.

Looking around, Ophelia spotted a few people she recognized amongst the people handing out food and solace. Young children, to teenagers, to older people, all doing their part to make the world a better place. It touched Gabriel, made her want to cry. She felt the familiar sting of tears at the back of her eyes, and knew she was about to cry. Her throat worked to hold the tears back, now was not the time to lose it. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen this before. She'd been working at the shelter for quite a bit of time, after all.

Ophelia ladled another helping of soup into the bowel being held be a rather haggard looking man, and smiled. She breathed a quiet "God bless," as the man continued on down the line. These people, the ones behind the counter, were the ones combating the evil around them, and they didn't even know it.

[Dominic Knight]

Dom glanced briefly at the woman who’d just joined him at the table and smiled at him, then quickly returned his gaze to his work. She was pretty; even someone like him, someone who usually wants nothing more than to be left alone, notices these things. After all, he was human.

Mentally berating himself and his raging libido, Dom dished some soup into the bowl being held out to him. He had absolutely no right to be thinking such things. Even less-so than most people. They wouldn’t run the risk of whoever they get close to getting robbed, or hurt, or raped, or, God forbid, murdered. They couldn’t make people, sometimes best friends, hate each other just by looking at them, touching them.

Dom scowled at his ladle. He hated the fact that he was wired this way. But he was, and that was that. There was no use in lamenting the fact, even if it did mean that he could never get close to another person without consequences. But, God, he just wanted the chance to be happy, like everyone else. He just wanted to know what it was like to feel the comfort of another’s arms, just once. He just wanted to feel alive.

Suddenly, a small sound reached his ears from somewhere beside him. He turned to figure out what had made the noise, and saw that the woman was visibly struggling to hold back tears. Startled, he watched her for a minute. Shit, what was he supposed to do? Ignore it? He couldn’t ignore it. He’d like to think he was a gentleman, even though he usually didn’t act that way. But if he tried to comfort her, he knew that she might get hurt.

Torn, he struggled with himself for a moment. What to do? She passed out soup with a God Bless, and he was suddenly won over. After hastily dishing out one last ladle-full, he turned once again to the woman.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Dom asked her, allowing a slight amount of genuine concern to trickle into his voice. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try to figure out what was bothering her, and if there was anything he could do to help.