Second-Hand [Elizabeth Naarc]

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Have you any skills? she asked, as if she were a social servant and he were an interviewee. Now, Mr. Alessi. Fill out this form and we’ll see which job you might be suitable for. Except, it wasn’t quite that formal, and he wondered what kind of skills could be used in a place like that. It wasn’t an entirely bad idea, and Cosimo slipped the cash and the card into his pocket. After he had retrieved a few more of his belongings he might go and give this friend of Elizabeth’s a visit.

Except, he had laughed. Skills? He knew how to take a gun apart and put it back together again. He knew, kind of, how to do as he was told. He knew how to stay silent during a business deal and how to kick a man in the face if he didn’t follow through. Except Cosimo had never been too fond of kicking people in the face. Not if they didn’t deserve it. If they did deserve it, kicking people in the face was quite fun.

But he couldn’t exactly tell this woman that he was quite skilled at kicking people in the face. That could hardly be the kind of answer she was looking for. What else, Cosimo?

I am good at holding drugs but not taking them.

I am good at breaking into low security areas.

I am good at … running away.

But it was a rhetorical question, no? Not something that he would have to discuss in length with this woman, but instead with the one who owned the motel. Hotel. The place he was told he should go. By the time he got there, maybe he could have thought of a few more things he was skilled at. Maybe a few carefully crafted lies. In the very least, he could act as bodyguard. Maybe a sometimes handy-man. He was okay with the common tools, given a bit of fiddling and some well-placed curse words.

”I will think of skills. I will go see your friend. Thank you, Elizabeth,” he said, testing the name and then repeating it three times in his head to make sure that he would remember it. ”My name is Cosimo. Maybe this friend, you can tell her I am coming, no?” he said. Maybe he’d have a better chance if this Lisa was prepared for the lice-ridden homeless man.

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth just stood there and waited for the man to say something. Anything. Maybe she should not have suggested a barter system. It was a thing of the past, but he seemed like the type of person who didn't want to take something for nothing. Or didn't really want to take anything at all.

"I will tell her, Cosimo." Elizabeth said with a polite nod to the male, and a genuine smile. Still, through all the politeness, Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder about the male. And the potential he could reach if he just had the right resources and tools. But could she muster up the potential to be a teacher once again? And give him the appropriate time and information to make him successful? If not she, maybe Lisa. Why not?

The very idea of spending most her nights with a new childe, away from the tower unsettled Elizabeth. What if he finally returned and she missed Shamus' return because she was busy with this Cosimo? Then again, it had been months since he vanished into the shadows, with no signs of him returning any time soon. She couldn't even hear his thoughts anymore. It was quite the conundrum.

Help this male and spend her nights fulfilled, or wait for another male; the more important of the two at this time should he return, with her nights unfulfilled? Undecided, Elizabeth took a step backwards and then another, clearly intending for the male to go where he wanted and needed to go. That didn't mean that this would be the last time she would see him. No, instead, the woman waited until he was out of sight and followed him, once again pulling the shroud of shadows around her.

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Cosimo nodded, and turned. He continued on his way, the card tucked neatly into his pocket for later. He would find it. He wasn’t lying when he said he might go and see this Lisa person. He wasn’t completely beyond accepting a leg up. Anyone would appreciate a leg up, if they had tripped and fallen into a muddy well with slick walls that they could not climb. A leg up isn’t charity. It’s just common decency, right? And nothing that couldn’t be thanked for with a bottle of wine. No skin off the other’s back, and then they could both get drunk, and have a good time.

Cosimo was preoccupied with thoughts of wine. It couldn’t hurt, right? Just a glass or two from somewhere with the money that he had been given. That didn’t make him a sad homeless alcoholic. It didn’t. Probably nowhere would let him in though, in his current state. A bottle shop, then. He could drink straight out of the bottle. Just some wine to warm the bones. Wine, and… where he could he find some proper pasta? True, Italian pasta? His mouth watered as he imagined it. Just enough basil and garlic to give it some bite. Lots of fresh, diced tomatoes. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Homemade spaghetti.

His mouth watered.

He was procrastinating, obviously. He didn’t want to have to go down into the sewers. He didn’t want to have to risk being seen and interrogated. So instead, he wandered down a side street that would lead him to a busier section of the city. There was a place he had seen. Grosetto’s? Something like that. It sounded vaguely Italian. Would it be true Italian, or something only pretending to be Italian? Anything would do, he supposed, as his stomach grumbled and clawed.

He did find the place, near Wickbridge station. Though, of course, as soon as he entered with his unbathed stench and his homeless attire, they turned him away. Though they did agree to take his money and bring him a take-away dish to eat outside, somewhere. Away from the other customers. Cosimo could deal with that. He could. He asked for a bottle of wine, too, but they wouldn’t sell it to him. The wine was only for the customers, only to be bought by the glass.

So he sat in the gutter while he waited, his hands between his knees.

[Elizabeth]

She followed the male, hidden deep within the shadows. Elizabeth couldn't help it. She would tell Lisa that a male was on his way, but she wanted to know just -who- she was sending her childe's way. Elizabeth had been both blessed and cursed with childre, and those that remained she was of course protective over. Not overbearing, but she didn't want to send a potential problem to a childe that wasn't a problem. She both loved and respected Lisa, something few sires; and elders at that practiced. She was a particular and careful sire, and so, Elizabeth trusted those she sired, once taught, to take care of themselves and be careful not to expose themselves.

As she followed him through the city; Elizabeth couldn't help but grow a little disappointed. It didn't seem he was going anywhere near the place she spoke of. And even worse, the male, known to her now as Cosimo, would rather drink the funds she gave away, then use it for something long term. She 'tsk'd' as she followed after him, both at a distance and in the dark. Until he sat, like he was resigned to his fate.

"You should not be here." Elizabeth said in an even tone as she exited a shadowy corner of a building, her eyes on the male. Perhaps, he knew not the layout of the city and needed help. "You should be north. By the city limits of Cherrydale. And at the place I spoke of." She moved to sit on the same gutter, but kept a fair amount of distance between them. He would probably wonder why she was following him. Was she crazy? Perhaps. She had been called that a fair few times in her lifetime. Sometimes, Elizabeth suspected it to be true. Especially as of late as she sat and waited for his return for hours, night after night. Would he think she meant him harm? Her posture, or the fact she was sitting would hopefully tell him she hadn't the mindset to intend him any harm. And her tone certainly wasn't scolding or condescending when she spoke, so she wasn't following him to belittle or judge him. "I know of a wine shoppe." Elizabeth offered him as they sat side by side, with a few feet away from the other. "In Honeymead." She added on, as her eyes moved from the male to the buildings across the street from them. "Surely, you are not content with sitting here, passing the night away, pissed?" There was a slight tone of amusement at the idea. "You would be an easy target. For muggers and other nefarious characters as they."

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

The Italian should have been a little more wary of the fact that this woman seemed to have followed him halfway across the city. The frown was deep set between his eyes as he watched her emerge from the shadows, all the way until she sat down beside him. When she did, he shuffled a little away, putting a little more distance between them. Aware of the fact that he had lice and she was clean and sharp. Also – she scared him. Just a little. Not that he would admit to that, but he wondered if she was like one of those fairy folk. All fair and well put-together on the outside but pure evil within.

Doubtful, given his interactions with her thus far this evening, but he was feeling a little paranoid. Just a little.

Although her accusations and opinions filled Cosimo with indignation, he was smiling. And, almost as if perfectly and miraculously on cue, one of the waitstaff from the Italian restaurant behind him brought out Cosimo’s meal in a plastic bag. The pasta was steaming and all boxed up in a white cardboard box, and he could smell it as soon as it landed in his lap. His stomach gave a demanding gurgle. He didn’t care about his company. Not one iota. He tore open the box and the plastic cutlery. The heat and scent of the past wafted upward in tendrils of delicious steam, and Cosimo breathed it in like a man ready to swoon into nostalgia.

”Food,” he said, throwing that accusation right back into Elizabeth’s face. ”I tell you that I am hungry, si? I did…” he said, distinctly recalling the conversation. Food had a priority. He nodded as he shoved a mouthful of the pasta into his mouth and barely refrained from groaning as he swallowed almost without chewing. He hadn’t realised just how starving he was. How long was it since he’d eaten last? An actual, proper meal?

”Also,” he added. ”You made an offer, no? A… suggestion. You did not give an order. And if you did give an order, I am not bound to follow it. I should be nowhere but where I want to be,” he said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, but went for another forkful of pasta. So, so very hungry.

”Are you following me?” he asked, just before he shoved that food into his mouth. This time, he chewed a little more.

[Elizabeth]

Her mouth quirked into an amused smile as he talked. "So, you are happy, then? Sitting on a curb, hungry, and lice ridden?" Elizabeth asked, her head tilted in Cosimo's direction. They were just questions, with no real emotion built behind them. Questions asked to gain an insight upon the man's life and the way he lived it.

"And yes, I believe I am. Following thee." She commented idly as she watched Cosimo eat away at his dinner. She was certain that was bound to get some sort of reaction; a raised brow, or more questions, it was after all human nature. And she supposed vampire too. Wouldn't anyone and everyone of sound mind, at the very least, want to know why they were being pursued? She certainly would.

"I would dislike learning that an unfortunate fate fell upon thee. The dangers of the city, are far and many, you see." Elizabeth continued as she sat there, making no movement whatsoever. He might even notice the lack of breathing, if his attention at times drifted from his food to her. "And my thirty-seven dollars, was it?" A slight attempt at humour from the woman, which was usually lost upon others when she attempted it. Things there were funny to her, were not so funny to others. Mostly because her sense of humour was usually innocent and perhaps comparable to that of a teenager, while others joked about things that were more derogatory than the things Elizabeth dare speak of. Modesty, in her mind still went a long way and was appreciated as well. At least to her.

"Have you ever imagined a different life for yourself? Something far different? Perhaps more meaningful, even?" She had been asked something similar a long time ago. Centuries ago. The phrasing had been different, but essentially they were all the same questions. And she knew the answers long before she was asked these questions. Elizabeth knew her sire was more than just some young, misguided, noble woman the night they met. Most had claimed Elizabeth was touched in the head when she was a human, and perhaps she was, but some, like her sire, considered her a forward thinker. Someone destined for something better than that of a peasant lifestyle. She just needed the opportunity to be presented. "I do hope that does not sound insulting, for that is not my intent." Words, sometimes had insulted others when phrased in the way she spoke, the way Elizabeth attempted to blend modern phrasing with her own comfortable phrasing. "It is just that thirty-seven dollars does not go a long way."

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Cosimo arched a brow at the strange woman as she admitted to following him; the words—everything she said—should have had some effect on the man. But the food was distracting him. He could taste the garlic. It must have been fresh, chopped from the clove rather than squeezed from a tube. The ingredients were fresh. And this spaghetti was the best spaghetti he had consumed in… how long? Definitely since he’d left Italy. But what was the last meal that he’d had there? He couldn’t remember. He had a feeling he would be coming to this restaurant more often – when he could afford it, of course. Which probably wouldn’t be too often.

That was what caused the pang of anxiety to strike at Cosimo’s heart. Where he had somewhat accepted his lot, there out on the streets, and where he continued to tell himself that he was alive, and that was what mattered, he remembered his circumstances when he realised he couldn’t eat this spaghetti whenever he wanted. After this, he had no idea where his next meal would come from, or when it would be. Once he realised this, he slowed down. He savoured his meal, rather than rushing it. He made a conscious effort to chew slower, to allow the tastes to linger. He swallowed, and paused, the fork lingering over the food.

”You do not know me. Why does my wellbeing matter to you? Why would you follow me, when there are … more clean men you could follow?” he asked, curious. There was no attitude in his tone—just a pure question. He shrugged his shoulders, then, knowing that other questions were asked and mulling over what answers he could give.

”I once wanted to be a soccer player. I imagine what that might like be. A chef. I do like food,” he said, smiling up through the oily locks of his hair as he held the spaghetti up for Elizabeth to see.

”I am happy to be alive. I am no longer as hungry as I was. And the lice…” he gave a lazy shrug. ”They keep me company,” he said.

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth laughed, lightly. How could she not? The whole thing seemed ridiculous. Clean men? What did that have to do with anything? And then she laughed again at the lice comment made by the male. "With friends like those, who needs anyone else, hmmm?" The woman's nose wrinkled ever so slightly at the spaghetti he had held up seconds ago, finding nothing appealing about the look or smell of it. After being unable to eat for centuries, human food didn't do anything for her. Not even spark her interest or curiosity on how it might taste. Of course, in her mind, nothing would compare to what food used to be like anyways. When people took time and effort to make the things they ate every day.

"And there may be more clean men out there, but they interest me not." Elizabeth's shoulders lifted and rolled into a small shrug as if what she said was ever so casual. "I follow you because I am slightly concerned for your well being. There are things in the city-" She whispered, thinking of the Alpha fadebeast she encountered a few evenings ago, paladins in the sewers that were gun happy and then of course there were the rouge vampires that were a danger to them all as a complete society. "I follow you because I have given you a chance to change your life, something, I doubt anyone else has or would do." Another shrug of her shoulders as the woman scooted away from him and the food, not because of him but because the stench of the spaghetti that wafted in her direction from time to time. "Because while you sit here, enjoying yourself, you have failed to realize that you have gained the attention of someone who would like to rip your throat out." Blue hues moved away from the male to another male across the street who looked as in sad shape as Cosimo was, the only difference was, he was pale, and not breathing-but just as focused on his 'meal,' as Cosimo was. "Though, that is purely coincidental. I was following you to ensure you went to see my friend, originally. But city dwellers, such as yourself, tend to draw the attention of vampires for an easy meal." And there it was. The v word said so casually, but if Cosimo wanted to sit here and eat and pass the time, he would become a meal, and would it matter what she told him? Probably not. It seemed most humans had no idea what happened to them moments before being bitten-a safety precaution granted to the vampire population that so many didn't appreciate.

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

The word didn’t register with Cosimo. He already knew about vampires. He was far too focused on his food to keep his mouth shut; to not act like they were just two people talking on the street, just as they were. Just that. He swallowed yet another mouthful of pasta even as he turned toward the vampire that Elizabeth gestured to. Thus far, he had been lucky. Living on the streets like he had, he knew that he was perfect prey for the creatures of the night. For a semi-large city, Harper Rock didn’t really have too many homeless people. Like they were vermin, and the vampires were slowly cleaning the city of them. Cosimo, honestly, chose to sleep during the day rather than at night. Otherwise he wouldn’t sleep at all. Even now, his face blanched of colour. A male vampire. Why was he less afraid of this male vampire? It could do just as much damage as those… others, had. Women. Two of them.

He turned back to the one at his side. Was she…? Of course she must be. He wanted to tell her that he meant no harm, that he would just be on his way and she didn’t have to do a thing to him. He wouldn’t tell anyone what she looked like. But he was already damaged. What more could she want for him? But the panic rose and fell like a violent tide. Although the pitch of his heart picked up the pace, he looked calm on the outside. She had only wanted to help so far, right? Even if she was stalking him, and it was a little bit weird. A little bit… controlling. Something that she was forcing on him, whether he wanted it or not. Maybe he did have cause to worry?

”I stay in public places,” he said. The restaurant was there, just behind them. They were bathed in the restaurant’s light. Maybe he got careless, sometimes. Hell, he’d been about to go romping through the sewers at night time to get his jacket. A couple of his other belongings. He was hardly keeping himself safe. But, he did stay in public when he got. ”There is less that can happen in public. The vampires, they do not like being seen. Si?” he said. Only after he had said it, did it occur to him that they were talking about vampires. That this woman knew. This time, he was the one to shuffle backward. Ready to stand, and back into the restaurant. Whether he was wanted in there or not.

[Elizabeth]

There was a long drawn out moment of silence at his last question. Elizabeth could rely to it one of two ways. The first being...'No, I doubt they would,' discrediting her of being tied to the vampire community in that moment. Or, she could say the truth, which would incriminate her. She stewed on it, letting him eat, even as he moved around. Where was he going? Did he think in some strange way that she knew the other vampire and was in a very subtle way threatening him? The idea almost made Elizabeth laugh.

"No, most do now. However, Cosimo..." Elizabeth looked around them before she lowered her voice and returned her gaze to him. "Some of us do not mind. I am of the prior mindset." And there it was. She told the truth, but still wore a smile upon her features. As if it were normal to run into a vampire and have conversations about vampire life. "And while we are in public...there are ways to ensure that what should remain unseen...stays in such a way." She tipped her head and blinked, looking at him. "For example...that friend of mine, Lisa...she can manipulate the darkness around us quite easily. More so than I could. As can my husband." The topic of her husband brought a moment of pang to Elizabeth, as well as pause to the woman. She hadn't meant to bring him up tonight, but how could she not? Lisa and him were of the same cloak and it would be silly to have not even thought of him in that moment. Let alone mention him.

Elizabeth sighed softly and shook her head. "And so, you see now Cosimo, public places are not always as safe as one thinks they are. But. rest easy. I assure you that I mean you no great harm. So please, do not get up and stop eating your food. I used to be quite the tracker centuries ago. And still have a knack for it. Besides, running on an upset stomach does no human good. It looks better going in than going out." She offered him another smile as Elizabeth simply sat there and waited for his reaction.