Inaspettato [Esmeralda Craft]

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Cosimo wasn’t really listening. Not that he wasn’t interested, or that he didn’t care, but that they were nearing the moment of judgment and he was too concerned about success. Finally he managed a low, rumbling, nonsensical sentence that had no words attached to it, accompanied by a nod. Of course, yes, yes. Clothes, money. Snake. Of course snake. It’s a beloved pet so why shouldn’t it come, too? If Cosimo had had a pet, he wasn’t sure he’d have left it behind. But alas, he hadn’t. Even if the seed had been planted that he wanted a cat. A hairless one. Just like the one he had seen in the park. Though for the moment, that cat was completely forgotten.

Instead, he was turning circles in that pagoda; there were cushions on the ground and a small table where tea, or whatever else could be placed. People were expected to sit cross-legged. They were expected to be quiet, he supposed. And to meditate. He often spent his time up on the roof to meditate, though he’d never call it meditating. It was a good place to come and think.

”Maybe… maybe we sit,” he said. There would be a point at which Esmeralda’s body was going to be so weak that she would have to be on the ground anyway. So they may as well sit. Cosimo moved the little table out of the way so that they could sit and face each other. It seemed strange, to discuss this in such a way.

”The way this works,” he started, glancing nervously between Esmeralda and the flowers behind her head. ”Is… I have to drain you of almost all of your blood, until you are almost…” he did not want to have to say the word ‘dead’. ”And then, you take my blood. As much as you can. And then you will change. And it will hurt, for a little while. Your human body must die, si? But you will get better again,” he said. He had. It had been the next night before he was well enough and at that point, he had a raging monstrous thirst that took some time to control. But he got there in the end.

He waited for Esmeralda’s response; wondered, now, if she would have any regrets.

[Esmeralda Craft (DELETED 6851)]

Esmeralda nodded calmly. She didn't want to say it, but she knew this already. Or at least, she had assumed that was the way it was done. Vampire fiction was not hard to come by and that was always the most common way it was performed. There were others ways, simply being bitten, or curses, or just being drained of blood. She knew it wouldn't be a pleasant situation for her. But she saw it all as a means to an end - her end. And at the same time, her beginning. She thirsted for this - felt like she needed it. She had seen, in her young head, what it could be like, and wanted to at least try.

She sat down with him, her back straight and her shoulders pulled back. Her hands lay in her lap. It struck her that she did not care if she died. Esmeralda was by no means suicidal, and didn't want out of this world, but was not particularly worried about death itself. If this process went well, and Cosimo was successful, it would be fantastic. But she felt no reason to pressure him, because why would it matter if she died? She smiled simply at him. "I understand. I don't know if you are worried, but.. Don't be. I think I trust you." She looked him in the eye. She thought she'd try her hand at humour, too. "Besides, if I die.. At least you'll be full."

She almost cringed. It was a weak joke in a situation that did not call for it. At least it might make him realise that she did not mind.. And it was a hell of a way to go. If there's anything after death, like a heaven, she'd certainly have a bit of a story to tell. Esmeralda decided this was a good final night. She lifted her head in confidence, her heart beat calm, and she knew she was ready. For whatever it was.

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Cosimo had to laugh again.

She thought she trusted him? Well, that was encouraging. He was jittery and full of nervous energy but he had to try to quieten it, that electric hum that could cause him to trip up. He had to go slow and he had to pay attention to what he was going, and it would all be fine. It would all be perfectly okay. The Italian was full to the brim with boundless optimism and it didn’t fail him, now. He tried not to think about the fact that he was already full. And would that make a difference?

But, he could still feel it there, that desire for blood. It didn’t go away. It didn’t pester him at all hours of the night, either. He took only what he needed and no more, but he knew that if he wanted to, he could take more. Much, much more. Like a well that reached to the centre of the earth, maybe. But perhaps not that deep. Perhaps there was a limit. He tried not to think of the technicalities as he pushed himself up to his knees and moved forward. Keeping his distance, to begin with, but boundaries of personal space, if Esmeralda had any, would have to be broken at some point.

”I will try to make it as painless as possible, si?” he said, keeping hold of her gaze until he reached out to brush the hair away from her neck; his hand hovered over her other shoulder, as if he wanted to cradle her head but didn’t know whether he should, yet. And then he had his lips against the skin, eyes closed as he felt the steady pulse of her blood through the vein—his teeth slice deep, like a hot knife through butter.

He’d never drained a person near death before. And as the hot, untainted blood gushed over his tongue, he really hoped he didn’t **** it up.

[Esmeralda Craft (DELETED 6851)]

Her breath hitched loudly, and she instinctively reached out and grabbed Cosimo's shirt with her slender hand. The initial pain made her squeeze her eyes shut, and it feeling her blood leave her body through the wounds was deeply unpleasant at first. Her hand loosened on his shirt as she gradually got more adjusted to the feeling, but remained there for a sort of comfort. She didn't even consider that it might make him uncomfortable.

As more and more of her blood was drained from her, a headache grew that felt like her brain was peeling from her skull, shrinking away from what was happening. She started to feel numb at the edges, and extremely tired. But not tired in a pleasant, drowsy way. Tired in a sick, pass-out kind of way. Esmeralda focussed on staying awake - she could hear her heartbeat in her ears and started to count each drum. Whilst she paid attention to this, she barely noticed her body falling limp, relying on Cosimo for support as her limbs became heavy.

Counting got harder as her heartbeat became sporadic and irregular, and the harder she tried to keep her eyes closed, the more she felt like just letting herself fall into unconsciousness. She didn't want to make this harder for him, but as she let her eyes flicker open for just a moment, the darkness that plagued the corners of her vision convinced her to just let herself slip away. Just for a moment.. I'll rest, just for a moment.. She told herself. Even the voice in her head sounded drained.

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Esmeralda’s body went limp in Cosimo’s arms. Just a little more he told himself, assuring himself it was fine; the staccato rhythm of her heart went from steady and strong to weak and a little sporadic. And only when the beats seemed strained did Cosimo tear himself away. He had wondered whether he could stomach that much, but he realised that he could. One swallow after another and the taste consumed him, the strength of it infusing his body with vitality and renewed energy.

But he was not so far gone that he didn’t remember why they were here, in this garden. Somewhere, over the edge of the building and through the park, in the city beyond, there was a siren, wailing its forlorn song. Sirens were a common thing in this city, and rightly so. With so many vampires crawling its streets—and no doubt other monsters, too—Cosimo was not surprised.

If he had a beating heart of his own, it would probably have been in his throat at this stage. The world was bright and vivid around him but he resisted the urge to explore its beauty. Instead, he laid Esmeralda out with the cushion beneath her head, and pinched her arm when he thought she might be have passed out. She could not pass out. She would die, if she did not take his blood, if she was not awake to swallow, and wilfully drink.

”We are nearly there, Esmeralda,” he said loudly, her name rolling through his accent like it belonged there. ”Hey! C’mon, you have to drink, now,” he said, telling her what he had already told her. Reminding her, for clarity’s sake. He’d brought his own wrist to his mouth to slash a wound with his own permanent teeth; blood bubbled to the surface and started to drip, and he held it over Esmeralda’s mouth, pressed it to her lips, shaking her just a little to urge her to take it. To drink.

[Esmeralda Craft (DELETED 6851)]

She felt like she was being pulled in two directions. She felt exhausted, and every part of her felt like lead that was sinking further into a black, ink sea. She heard Cosimo's voice, and the words Five more minutes sprung to mind, as if she was simply resting, but this resting became more and more like dying. Esmeralda had experienced what it was like to drown, and she decided that this was very similar. She felt just as helpless as when she couldn't swim, just as weighed down, and she knew that clawing through the blackness wouldn't do anything to bring her to a surface. She suddenly thought, that whereas breathing when underwater was a dangerous idea, doing it in this instance was not.

She forced herself to take in a deep breath, and almost expected to choke and splutter. She opened her eyes, which was struggle enough, to see the Italian above her, offering his bleeding wrist. She felt it press to her lips, which had become a pale bluish shade, and tentatively moved her tongue to taste the dark red drops that fell easily from the wound. She had tasted her own blood before, like every one had, but this was different. She tilted her head to taste more, and soon it became less like it was dripping, and more like it was flowing.

She hadn't realised that she was actively, hungrily, sucking on the wound as her strength gradually returned to her. Her eyes struggled to remain open for any length of time, fluttering occasionally as she tried to see if everything was ok - between her thoughts of the blood, she worried in small tangents that she was doing something wrong, or that the man she had followed her was simply leading her on, or that what she was drinking was poison. None of those thoughts stayed for very long at all and she did her best not to entertain them. Even when not being able to think straight, she felt the curse of paranoia strike her like it so often did, tainting her perception of man she had met and believed to be incredibly honest.

Her lips even tried to leave his flesh as she almost convinced herself she was in trouble - before she refocused on her purpose there, more and more connecting together in her head where her thoughts had briefly been broken.

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

There have been several occasions where Cosimo has felt his blood being forcibly taken from his body. The first, he didn’t remember so much, and nor did he want to. That was a week that he would prefer to banish to the very back recesses of his mind and never ever mention to anyone, or remember, or force into the proverbial light of day. It led to many difficulties, but some people had worse things to worry about. Things could be worse. Everything can always be worse.

The second time was the night of his own siring. When he had felt what Esmeralda must be feeling now. There was sympathy for her plight, for the panic that a dying body can induce, no matter how much you might choose to trust the person who was doing the killing. But, she had opened her eyes and she had latched on to the bleeding wound. At least she hadn’t decided to change her mind at the last minute. Otherwise she would be dead.

It was a strange sensation, now. To not have the panic of dying himself; to be fully aware and fully conscious, and the one that was in control. With each drag that Esmeralda swallowed, Cosimo felt his responsibility grow. This thing that he’d decided to do on a whim, spontaneously, because this girl had asked—it wasn’t something to take lightly. He realized that now. She was his responsibility. His to take care of, until she had found her own feet and could function independently. And even then, she would not be left alone. This act had firmly cemented Esmeralda Craft as a permanent fixture in Cosimo’s life. His first progeny. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. He didn’t have much to give her, but he would give her as much as he was able to.

Just as he was willing to give her as much blood as she needed; to let her take until she felt she had enough, or until her body rejected it. Until her body started to change, and there was no choice but for her to pull away. He remained crouched there, with one hand tenderly brushing her hair back, comforting, while he bore the sting that spiked up the arm that she currently had a hold of. The pain was nothing, compared to pain he’d suffered in the past.

[Esmeralda Craft (DELETED 6851)]

Before long, Esmeralda became entirely driven by the blood that she eagerly drank. She had become besotted with it, like it was the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted, like there was no point in needing or wanting anything else. For a moment, she forgot who she was, who he was, because all she could think of the hunger that only increased as her body changed. She felt more awake, more alert. Everything she was touching felt different - the ground, her dress, even the air. Cosimo's touch was encouraging, it told her that she was doing ok. Though, she doubted that even he knew what was exactly going to happen. She liked the idea of being his first Childe - it felt as though it would create a strong bond between them, starting from the change.

Esmeralda's hand gripped Cosimo's wrist, holding it as she drank from the wound. Unconsciously, her grip tightened and squeezed with more strength that she was originally capable of. She felt fuelled, awake, but not full. Even once her body and started to feel as though it had had enough of his blood, it still craved something else. It was a sated but present need that, she assumed, would never really go away. She wouldn't let it drive her - she didn't want it to be the only thing she thought of - but it was a replacement for the urge she had had to prove her knowledge of the creatures she was now part of.

Ever since she was very young she had needed something to strive for, else she would become quiet, and even remained mute for six months at age 11, feeling as though she needn't speak if there was no ultimate goal or reason for doing so. After all, what is function without purpose? In school she was supplied with targets that kept her going but none of that had weighed so heavily as her wanting for the 'blessing' Cosimo had awarded her with.

Despite the original feeling of being able to drink the metallic sweetness forever, Esmeralda began to feel that it was becoming too much. She wanted to carry on drinking, and did her best, before she worried she would reject it. She made herself release his arm, and took heavy unnecessary breaths. Even though the air that rushed in and out of her did nothing, the gasping soothed her. She let herself fall away from Cosimo and onto the floor of the Pagoda, struggling to comprehend the new way she felt everything around her.

[Cosimo Alessi (DELETED 6612)]

Cosimo’s eyes closed. He was feeling slightly woozy, himself. Not that he hadn’t lived with this amount of blood loss before, but not in such manner. Not so fast, without accompanying wounds. It didn’t hurt. It just felt strange, to feel his blood slipping from his body and fueling the body of another. It was… well, it was sensational. It was different. It was… unusual. But, draining.

Although Cosimo had been willing to give all that Esmeralda needed, if she had not stopped when she did he might have had to push her away. He could be of no use to her if he himself was passed out due to loss, or lacking in any kind of energy. As she fell back, Cosimo laid her down with her head resting upon the cushion she was supposed to be sitting on. His gaze swept from head to toe and back again; there was no reason for the sweep. There would be no outside wounds. But it was habit, to make sure that she was okay. That she was alright. That she would live.

She was gasping for air. That was a good sign. He did not tell her that she didn’t need it; she would figure that out on her own, sooner or later. Cosimo remembered what it was like when his heart finally stopped beating. It was terrifying, even though he could still feel, could still see and move. That vital organ that had been with him his entire life, and it wasn’t working. It was the most terrifying thing that he had ever experienced. All he could do now was reassure Esmeralda that everything would be okay.

He continued to stroke his hand over her hair; as weakened as he himself felt, he did not focus on his own wellbeing. Not until Esmeralda was settled.

”Is it okay? Are you okay?” he asked, voice tripping over his tongue. He was still afraid that he may have done something wrong, and that it would all fall apart before he could fix it.

[Esmeralda Craft (DELETED 6851)]

When she spoke, she expected her voice to be raspy or laboured, like during an asthma attack or when heaving. Instead, it came out clearly, but with a drowsy undertone. "I... I guess.." That wasn't very like her. She usually spoke in a much more put-together way. She blinked hard, trying to see past the thoughts that littered her mind and vision. She couldn't stop her mind from reeling - the voices in her head, her voices, moved too quickly for her to catch onto. She didn't have the energy to try any harder.

She didn't feel right, and felt like she needed to rest. Things were too bright now, and it was odd to think that she felt like she should have a headache, but didn't, and it's absence unsettled her exhausted mind. Her hand moved to her chest, where she gripped her soft dress material as she checked for her pulse. Her nails scratched her a little as she moved so hurriedly to check for the soft beating - and when she couldn't feel it, or hear it pounding like before, her useless breathing stopped dead.

As much as she had wanted this - and still did - and as grateful she was to Cosimo, she had not anticipated how she would feel when her heart completely stopped. It was jarring and was made worse by the fact that she didn't physically feel shocked - her heart didn't leap into her throat with dread because it couldn't. It wouldn't move, it wouldn't beat. Esmeralda tried to sit up a little using her elbows, but then gave up, settling on just lifting her head to look at Cosimo with her eyes squinting like she was looking at a bright light. She stared at him for a moment, solidifying his image in her mind for a second time that night, this time through a different filter.

She used this moment of focus to calm herself down. She didn't want him to see that she was unsettled. She lacked the true edge of fear but her body was so silent without her heart beat that it drove her to the closest to being scared that she had ever been. Still, within this there was no regret. Worry, definitely. But she didn't think that she had done was wrong for her. Esmeralda had seen that she would flourish in this 'life', and she felt a bond with Cosimo that would be very helpful to survival. Though she felt a little lost and childlike, a part of her was secure with him. She slowly forced herself to resume the useless breathing.

She had figured out that she didn't need it. But it was comforting.