Path of the Vampire forum

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo had been at this all night. There was only so much one could do in the Quarantine Zone, and he thought he might be that much more helpful if he could break into places rather than kill things. It seemed in this new life there were plenty of items that were of use that could be got via breaking and entering. It didn't matter that he didn't really know what they were, yet - all he knew was that he was rusty, and he needed practice. A few homes, here and there. Easy, right? This was the last stop for the night. Had to be getting close to dawn. The window was somewhat out of sight, and Cosimo got to it by the fire escape. His hair was a mess, as usual. And he wore a heavy black trench coat over ordinary clothes - jeans, and a tan v-neck cardigan. He played with the lock until the window finally gave. It felt far too easy, but he wasn't about to doubt himself now. The window slid open silently, or so he thought--his long limbs entered the apartment, body following suit. Now that he was in, he had to decide what to take.


Juniper
____________________________
Once again Juniper had been out -all- ******* night in search for her father. It had been two years since her mother had told her about him and two years since she started her search. First she had only been using the internet...she tracked him to Harper Rock. This was only her second week here. Hotel bills had started to rack up very quickly, so she had found an ad in the local newspaper for a loft. It wasn't in the best of areas, but it was cheap and would suit her purpose of giving her a place to pass the **** out when she finally fell asleep. Her mom had told her that Charlie...her father...was in a band when she had met him, so every night she'd comb through the different local clubs and bars, hoping she might see him. All she had to go off of was his name and a picture. It couldn't be that hard could it? **** yes it could! This is week two of ******* nothing. Squat. Zilch. It was near dawn and she was done. She needed sleep. Hands rubbed over her face as she trudged up the stairs to her loft and shoved open her door after unlocking it. Bag instantly fell to the floor as a scream caught in her throat. There was a ******* man in her place....A thief caught red handed. "What the **** are you doing!?"

Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo blinked at the girl. Light swung into the loft from the hall outside as the door was opened, and Cosimo knew this couldn't be hard to get out of. He immediately swung around to disappear out that window and down that escape and out into the city, never to be seen again, except the window hadn't stayed latched. It slammed shut on his fingers. Did one of them break? It certainly ******* felt like it. He stumbled back into the room and just avoided tripping on his own trench coat. But that didn't stop the volley of swearwords that issued from his mouth. He turned again to the woman whose loft he had broken into and gave her a brilliant, broad, gleaming, hopefully charming smile. Think quick, Cosimo. "You ... are not Molly. I thought this was Molly's apartment..." he said, his voice thick with an Italian accent and tinged with the receding pain of having his fingers crushed by a rogue window.


Juniper
____________________________
No...No I'm not ******* Molly! How the hell did you get in here? What the **** are you doing here? *Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the stranger in her 'house.' This man was full of ****...no way someone would break into someone's house if they knew the person they were looking for. She had been raised to be semi street smart and always carried a blade on her. Juniper's hand instantly reached into her back pocket and pulled out her switchblade and took a step towards him* I'm going to ask one more ******* time...What the **** are you doing here?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
A switch blade. Cosimo had a gun tucked in under his arm but he didn't reach for it. He was always the kind of guy to try to talk his way out of things before resorting to violence, much to his father's dismay. A father who would be terribly disappointed in him, now. Maybe there was some kind of heaven and Massimo was watching down on his son, shaking his head in such a disdainful way. There were plenty of other things Cosimo had been stupid about, too - the fact that his body was a walking sun detector and he should have known that this one last job was a bad idea, and that he didn't have time. Lethargy slowly crept up on his limbs but he still didn't think about it. Still didn't realise that the sun was coming and he was about to pass out. He just threw his arms up in the air and continued to smile, though it was a little lopsided, now. Think quick. "I got in through the window," he replied. "The lock, it is not so good," he said. He didn't try to keep up the lie. He didn't know enough to be able to. He blinked. He felt like yawning. He didn't. "I am testing your security, see? I have done you a favour! You need better locks..."


Juniper
____________________________
*stared at him in gross disbelief. Did he seriously just say that he was testing her security? Her mouth opened to say something and then closed before opening again* I'm calling the police. *her free hand grabbed for her phone...**** it was dead. She still however pretended to punch in the 911 digits...was that even the right number for Canada? ****...either way she was fucked. Strange man was going to kill her...or something* You better get going...fast!


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
She was standing by the door, and she had that switchblade open, threatening. Cosimo wasn't going to try the window again. Front door would probably be the fastest route. "Yes, yes. Of course!" he says, hands still in the air as he sidles toward the front door, wary. Except, well, he doesn't quite make it. Outside, the sky begins to change. A very slow, subtle change that leaks in from the edges. The barest hint of the glow of morning. As soon as the first rays slink over the edge of the horizon, Cosimo is gone. Out like a light. His heavy body collapses to the floor, dead asleep. And, no doubt, looks dead, too.


Juniper
____________________________
*Slowly stepped to the side as she watched him step closer towards her. Her blade was ready to be used if necessary. Before he could get much closer...he fell. The ****** just flat out smacked the floor! Her brow furrowed* Dude...get the **** up and get out. *No response...she took a few steps closer and nudged him with her foot. Nothing. Nudge nudge some more...still nothing. Oh ****. Did this ****** just die on her floor? No way was she going to be held responsible for this! She knelt down and pushed at his face a little. He felt cold...****. Her head tipped in to listen for breathing...nothing. Jesus Christ! Quickly and carefully she tipped his head back and propped open his mouth so she could breathe into it. What the **** are those!? Eyes went wide. Sharp teeth were sticking out. Was he one of those freaks that get their teeth sharpened? Her finger poked at one. No...those fuckers were real. It started to register...he wasn't human. No human being could have teeth like that. Her heart nearly stopped...what was he?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
There would be no waking up for Cosimo. He'd discovered this, not long after being sired. Where others might, at a stretch, be able to get up and walk around during the day, he could not. He slept so heavily he wasn't sure he even dreamed. He may as well be dead, except that he didn't turn to ash. That would be the end of him. His body didn't register the touch of the woman, the heat of her human body, or the sound of her vehement voice. He was not sentient, in those sleeping hours. He couldn't even ruminate on the predicament he was in. Just a dead weight, with a passive expression on his motionless face.


Juniper
____________________________
*Juniper was definitely freaking out now....possibly dead man on her floor...no...possibly dead creature thing on her floor. Either way this ****** wasn't going anywhere in his condition...but she couldn't just leave him there like this. She searched around her loft a moment til she found a couple scarves and then instantly went to business. One of the scarves wrapped around his feet and twisted into a knot and then went for the wrists. A full body pat down was to come just after. First thing she found was his gun. Well ****. He came prepared. That set aside, she went back to searching*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Strapped to his thigh she'd find the blade; something far larger than a switch blade, that's for sure. A shorter sword that could also be a dagger on steroids. Small enough to conceal, anyway. In his pockets, some smoke bombs and knockout bombs. There'd be quite a bit of cash in his wallet if she chose to look - the one that still had his ID in it, with that bland photo and his name, clearly printed. Probably stupid to carry that around, too. But he just hadn't thought about it. And the tome, of course, with its chanted printed in fae language, which hopefully she would not read. It just hadnot crossed Cosimo's mind that this was the kind of situation that he could end up in. Not that he could do anything about it now.


Juniper
____________________________
*She continued to pat him down, searching every crevice of his body....she probably didn't need to go as detailed as she did, but damn...he was sexy as ****. And that accent...mmm. Was she seriously having these thoughts about a person who broke into the place she was staying? She had issues. As hands slid up his thighs she found the blade. What the hell was this guy expecting to come across? Who needed this many weapons...and other things that she could only assume he used to break into people's places like he had her own. She set everything aside once she got to his wallet. Fingers instantly pulled out his wallet. Cosimo....that's an interesting name. She shoved the ID into her own pocket and continued to finger through the rest of the items. Once she was thoroughly satisfied that she had found everything, she sat back, his gun and her blade nearby, ready to attack at a moment's notice. She wouldn't be getting sleep today. Who knew when this creep would wake up.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
There was also a thing that Cosimo did not know. Something that he hadn't found out by experiencing it, either on himself or with someone else. No one had told him any stories, and he supposed it didn't matter. Searing physical pain should have been enough to wake him up. It should have been enough to wake any vampire up, the instinctual need to survive. Not Cosimo, though. Even as they day crept onward and the sun climbed into the sky, even as the rays crawled across the floor through the window to finally touch his splayed palm, and maybe his side-turned face. As soon as the skin started to blister and sizzle, to peel back, he should have been screaming and scrambling for shelter. But, no. Dead to the world, and anything in it that might harm him. More vulnerable than he would ever be, otherwise. He could turn all crispy under this woman's watch, if she allowed it.


Juniper
____________________________
*Juniper's head had started to drop as it rested on her palm. It had been HOURS since he collapsed on the floor and she was absolutely exhausted. Maybe this dude really was dead. Her brain wasn't functioning real straight at the moment due to sleep deprivation. However she got a wiff of something...it was terrible...ugh. And the sound of sizzling...what the hell? She wasn't cooking anything. Eyes cast a glance to the man tied up on her floor. ****! He was frying! That smell was burning flesh. Quickly, she used her strength to shove him out of the sun that was coming in from her window and yanked the blinds down shut. She had to think quickly...what do you do when a strange man thing was frying in your living room? Juniper got up and grabbed her first aid kit. Luckily she had some burn ointment and gauze wrappy stuff. She pulled that stuff out and started applying it to his wounds and tending to the possibly dead burglar creature thing*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
It was the searing burn that woke Cosimo up. Subconsciously, he was awake as soon as the sun had set. But he wasn't first aware of being awake. He was first aware of being burned. He hissed and rolled and tried to sit up; his face felt stretched and his hands... why were his hands tied together? Although the parts of his skin that were covered by clothing weren't blistered or broken, it still kind of felt like he'd been dropped in a bath that was a tad too hot. His hands were not only tied, but bandaged too. He cringed, and winced, and groaned. Given that his hands were tied with scarves, he didn't think he'd be in too much danger. A single glance and he remembered where he was. And inwardly cursed his own stupidity. But where was his captor? His gaze swept around him again, searching. Shoulders hunched almost as if he were waiting for her to whack him over the head with a baseball bat.


Juniper
____________________________
*She was there, sitting, waiting, watching...trying not to fall asleep. It had been more than 24 hours since she had last slept. She heard the hiss and then saw movements. Juniper cocked the gun and pointed it at him* I'll shoot you if you try anything funny. *She wasn't in the mood to play games. She wanted to get down to business and figure out exactly who and what he was. She stared down at the man curled on the floor, hard* What are you, Cosimo?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo squinted one eye up at the woman. She wasn't stupid. He could give her that much. He recognised the gun. Would she shoot it? Could she? It took him all of two seconds to realise she had gone through his things, thus why she knew his name. Not that the name had much currency here, anyway. The tune of the questions had changed. Probably for worse. "I am not sure you would believe me. If I told you," he said, his fingers splayed as if he were wanting to raise them again in surrender. As much as his fingers could be splayed. A bit hard, given how bandaged they were. He winced again, as the material rubbed against the burn. "You left me out in the sun..."


Juniper
____________________________
You have really sharp ******* teeth and you sizzle in the sun. I'm going to go with Dracula! *she was half joking with that comment. Vampires weren't real, but then again...he had fangs and just sizzled in the sun. Maybe he was.* How the hell was I supposed to know you were going to be crispy with the sun? And what the hell happened to you? You were talking and then...down for the count


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo snorts, and at least manages to get himself sitting up, with his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands in his lap. He squinted up at the woman again. "The sun, it does not like me," he said. "If I were Dracula I would need a coffin, and some lovely Sicilian dirt," he said. That was how the myth went, wasn't it? Dracula had to sleep in a coffin with dirt from his home country. The country where he was born and died. "I fell asleep..." he said with an awkward laugh and a languid shrug of his shoulders.


Juniper
____________________________
*lifted her arms in a "Well, then what the **** are you sort of motion" The gun followed him as he sat up. She wasn't taking chances. "I don't know much about the legend. Are you going to tell me what you are, or not? I didn't call the cops, but I still can."


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
He cocks his head to the side, as if he's only just realised it. She hadn't called the cops. She'd had a man who may as well have been dead on her floor, and she hadn't called anyone. There was no one there, but he and she. Maybe she was the curious sort, too. He gives another shrug. What point is there in lying, now? She'd seen too much for there to be a logical excuse. "I am not Dracula. He seems old and like he does not know how to have fun. But I am something like him. Vampire. If you want to be specific," he said with a cringe, waiting for the reaction. Whatever it might be.


Juniper
____________________________
*A brow raised as she practically scoffed at the man. She wanted to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded. Instead, she aimed low* Like Edward? Instead of shimmering you burn. How ******* funny is that ****. *She thought about it for another moment...this wasn't a joke...but she still wasn't certain* Prove it. Show me what you are.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
The joke didn't really hit home for Cosimo. Slowly, he was coming around. Despite the fact he was tied up and being interrogated by this redhead, he had learned something else in the process. That when he slept, he slept. A sleep so deep that he could be laying out in the desert and wouldn't even know it. Could probably be stabbed a hundred times, could have all his organs removed in some autopsy gone awry, and he wouldn't even know. But he's looking up at the woman now with incredulity. "I have really sharp ******* teeth and I sizzle in the sun," he said, imitating her. "What else do you want from me?"


Juniper
____________________________
*waved her hands in the air a moment as she spoke* I don't ******* know! If you're some vampire or some ****, those cloth scarves shouldn't truly be restraining you...don't you have like some super strength or something? Jesus…


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
If Cosimo were to be compared to other vampires, he'd measure up to be a pretty pathetic one. Sure, yes, the scarves shouldn't be such a problem, but his hands hurt. That was all he could feel; the burn, like his hands were still submerged in boiling oil. His shoulders slumped forward. He tries. He didn't want to. But he did. Fingers closed into fists (or as much of a fist he could make with them) and he pulled. The fabric chaffed. It felt like his skin was peeling off beneath those bandages. His face contorted into something resembling agony, a low shout issuing from his lips even as the fabric began to tear; loosened enough, then, to slip his hands free. Though he then just held them there, panting, dangling, completely forgetting the gun she had pointed at him. "Please. Do you have some cold water?"


Juniper
____________________________
*****...this was actually hurting him. His burns, duh! Why didn't she think of those before telling him to do something like that. She uncocked the gun, put the safety back on and slipped it into the back of her jeans before getting up to get him some water* Yeah sorry about that... *Why the hell was she apologizing to the man who broke into her place? Either way she came back a moment later with cold water*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Being the curious sort, Cosimo removed those bandages while the woman was gone. He wanted to assess the damage. And yes, it did look like he'd peeled some skin. Some of it came away with the bandages, too, though it turned to ash soon after hitting the atmosphere. The burns almost looked charred, where the dead skin was tinged with ash. The woman came back with a glass of water, and Cosimo laughed. He was in pain, but he laughed. It was a genuine laugh, with no malice. Actual, pure amusement. "I cannot drink that," he said, eyes rimmed with tears, of both pain and laughter, as he looked up at her. "I meant... for my hands. A... bucket of cold water... do you have a bucket?"


Juniper
____________________________
I uh...I don't have a bucket. I have a shower...or a bath. Did you want to go use that? *her head tipped towards the bathroom as she awkwardly put the glass down. Her cheeks tinged a slight shade of pink. His laugh though...it had his accent in it. It made her smile. It was a good sound. She realized how stupid it was for her to bring the water...if he truly were a vampire...that would mean blood only*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo glanced toward the shower and thought about it. That would only be a momentary relief, and he felt like he needed to sink his hands into water for a few hours, not for a few minutes. He shook his head. "A ... towel, then? Ice? Do you have ice?" he asked. There was a hesitance to get naked in a stranger's apartment, too. "And... maybe some help with the feet?" he asked, his face taking on the kind of expression reserved for puppies who want something. His fingers are kind of numb, like they've been stung by a million bees. They were swollen. Kind of useless, in untying knots.


Juniper
____________________________
*raised a brow at the feet comment* I'll get you some ice, but I am absolutely not untying your feet. I can't trust you. You're a stranger who broke into my house...and turned out to be some freak monster. No, I'm not untying your feet. *On that note she went to the kitchen and popped some ice into a towel and brought it back out to him*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo didn't hesitate to shove his hands into the towel. Right into the middle of it, where the ice was. Letting it melt, slowly, there in his lap and he didn't even care. It just felt so damned good. His hand got the worst of it, it would seem. Although the side of his face felt like it was on fire, too, it was nothing compared to his hands. He sat there, looking about as pathetic as he felt. But he had to laugh again, despite the circumstances. "What do you plan to do with me, then?" he asked, mildly curious. Did she even know?


Juniper
____________________________
*Pondered over his question. She had absolutely no idea what to do with this man. Her shoulders lifted in a bit of a shrug* Not a ******* clue. What are you going to do to me if I let you go?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo shrugged his shoulders, too. "Take all my things back and leave you to your own devices?" he said. Probably not the best idea, but he wasn't the kind to kill mercilessly. He was the kind to **** up and deal with the consequences of his mistakes after the fact, rather than fixing them before they could cause any more hassle. "Probably beg you to not tell anyone about me."


Juniper
____________________________
Seriously? That's it? You're not much of a vampire...at least not compared to what I've seen from vampires. *She rolled her eyes a little as she got up and untied his feet.* ...do you go to clubs or bars often?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo arched a brow as the girl untied his feet. "Compared to... what you have seen from vampires?" he asks. So maybe he's not the first one to have broken into her home. Maybe he's not the first one to nearly burn to a crisp on her living room floor. "What difference does it make if I go to clubs or bars often?" he ased, awkwardly getting to his feet so he could find the kitchen and use the sink's tap to run ice-cold water over his poor hands.


Juniper
____________________________
*shrugged a little as she watched him carefully* Only what I've seen in movies and what not. Strength, speed, powers...all that sort of stuff. *She stood up after untying his feet so she could follow him. She still didn't trust this man* Because if you do, I had a question for you, Jesus...Just answer?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo leaned under the tap, a long sigh of relief easing from his lips as the cold water soothed the throbbing pain of his burns. Though he knew, like all people know, that as soon as he removed his hands from the water, the pain would just be that much worse. But it was nice. For now. He shrugged his shoulders. "Even before I was turned, I am a little too old for the clubbing scene. And I cannot drink, so why would I go to a pub?" he asked. If he was persuaded, he would go. But of his own accord - no.


Juniper
____________________________
*Juniper moved to her kitchen counter and hopped up onto the surface. Her feet swung back and forth a bit as she grimaced at his hands. They looked painful. She was curious as to how fast they would heal. Would it be just like if she had been burnt? Or would him being a supernatural being, speed up that effect. A hand ran through her red hair, pushing it out of her face* I'm not from here. Just visiting a bit....was looking for my father. That's why I asked.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo laughed, his hair in his face but he wasn't about to shift it out of the way. No. He was happy with his hands right where they were. He leaned on the bench top, elbows resting on the edge of the sink. He wouldn't have thought that his night would end up like this. He knew his hands would heal within a day or two--he hoped--but he was still reluctant to move away from the cold water. "I wish I could help, but... maybe you can tell - Io non sono di qui," he said with a wink.


Juniper
____________________________
*Her brow furrowed and her head cocked back a bit. Was that gibberish? Maybe the sun had gotten to him a little more than she had realized. With an eyeroll at him still having his hands in the sink after what...five minutes? she got up and moved to the freezer, yanking out a large icepack* C'mere. And what the hell did you just say?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
The water, Cosimo had decided, was preferable to the previous towel of ice that the woman had given to him. It covered all surfaces of the skin equally. So when she collected another ice-pack from the freezer, his face twisted stubbornly. But, he was using this poor woman's water and maybe he should go home and stick his hands in the pond. Or jump in the pool. Yes, that might be completely preferable. "I am not from around here," he repeated in English, this time, rather than Italian. There was no irritation. He hardly expected every Mary Sue to know Italian.


Juniper
____________________________
This icepack is for my back...it should easily cover both of your hands. Might help a bit better. *Juniper nudged the freezer shut and moved towards him, laying it on the counter. She woudln't force him. Whatever he thought would work best. When he translated what he had said, she laughed a little. That was obvious. Of course he wasn't from here. "What brought you here out of all places? Why would one leave....Italy, I'm assuming? to come here"


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo reluctantly turned off the tap and hastily folded the large ice-pack in half, and slipped his hands in between. Ah, yes. That was better. He still leaned kind of haphazardly against the bench. He probably was being a bit of a pansy, but why not? It hurt. There was no point in denying it. She asked why he had left Italy, and he pondered for a moment. "Let us say... I left because I had to. And here? Because I knew someone who could put me up," he said. "Why do you not know how to find your father?"


Juniper
____________________________
*A yawn escaped her lips as hands once again moved back through her hair. She still hadn't had any sleep.* Hmm? Oh...because I don't know him. I've never met him. All I've got is a fuckin picture from two decades ago and his name.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"Sometimes maybe it is better that you do not know your father. Why do you look for him if he never looked for you? Or... does he not know...?" Cosimo asked. A hint, perhaps, that he was not really all that torn up about his own father's death. Though, the man was his father, and every now and again there was a pang of regret. They had had their moments. But not enough of them for a lasting tender memory.


Juniper
____________________________
I left and came here to find him. I guess in hopes to find something better. To find a relationship I never had. I just want something more than what I had. *She leaned back against the wall, as eyes focused on his hands again* Will those heal ok? Scar or anything like that? Do all vampires burn like you did?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"I think so? I am... new," he said. "Maybe... one month. I do not know everything. I did not know that I would not wake up, for example..." he said, cringing. Now he would know to be more careful and make sure he was always home well before sunrise. "I do know that all vampires are different, in what they can and cannot do. I do know I will heal. I do not about the scar..."


Juniper
____________________________*thought about all of that for a moment* You're only a month old...as a vampire? How does one even get turned into a vampire? How many vampires do you know?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"What is... I am not sure I should be answering your questions. Humans are not supposed to know," he said, again cringing. He was always slipping up like this. Somehow, somewhere. Hoping no one would find out and no one would know. What would his punishment be, anyway?


Juniper
____________________________
Well I do know now, so what's the point in holding back answers now? If you don't tell me, then I'll probably go digging for answers...as you can see I'm pretty curious. *she smirked and winked at the man. For some reason she was becoming less scared of him...she didn't think he'd hurt her*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo stared at the woman. This was like deja vu. Except her blackmail didn't include wanting to be turned into a vampire. She just wanted more answers. "Maybe I will bite you. And I will make you forget," he said, and winked back. He wasn't sure that it worked that way; he knew that when he did feed, the victims passed out and woke up, not knowing what had happened. He didn't know how far back the memories went, that were erased. But it could be worth a shot.


Juniper
____________________________
Does that actually work like that? *she frowned at that thought but then perked up* Well....at least I would have known, even if for a short while. If you take it all away after, it's not like I'd be missing anything because...well it'd be like it never happened. So how about ya just tell me everything anyway *Juniper put on a very cute grin and even batted her lashes a little*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"Why do you want to know? What difference will it make, to your life? It is better, perhaps, that you remain ignorant," he said. And maybe it was. Maybe his little stunt had not changed this woman's life for the worst, because it wasn't something she'd be able to let go of. It might end up taking up her time. She might forget all about her mission for her father. Cosimo sighed, and glanced longingly at the window. How did he always get himself into these situations?


Juniper
____________________________
Knowledge is power, my friend. I love to learn. I take in as much as I can. And this...this is something completely new to me, so I want to know as much as I can. Even if you are going to just take it all away. *That was the truth in her mind. She always wanted to learn more. She was always researching online or looking **** up*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"Power? That does not sound good. See. This is why you are not supposed to know," he flinched. "You might use that power to hunt us all down and kill us. You know my weakness. It is not power that you should have," he said. "Unless you are one of us and you use that power to aid, rather than to hinder," he said. Now just talking for talking's sake, glancing around to find his belongings - thinking of the best way to escape. Maybe he should just leave them behind.

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Juniper
____________________________
Why the hell would I hunt you down and kill you all? You guys haven't done **** to me...other than breaking into here to do god knows what. W...wait what? *She stared at him a moment in thought. Unless you are one of us.....Meaning she could be a vampire. That would be a whole new adventure.* Unless I'm a vampire? Is that a possibility?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"Is it..." he blinked at her, attention turned back to the woman sitting on the counter. The look she was giving him filled him with trepidation, and he realised he may have just said too much. But was it really too much, in the grand scheme of things? "I just tell you I am like this for a month. If it is not a possibility, how do you think it happened? Radiation?" he asked, the corner of his lip tilting in the smallest of smiles.


Juniper
____________________________
*laughed at his comment* We're not turtles....or teenagers. *Made a play on TMNT and grinned.* What's it take to turn someone into a vampire? Has it been worth it to you so far?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
He nodded as he understood the statement, though TMNT was not something he'd ever got into. But, sometimes these popular things could not be avoided. He was, as a boy, more of a Power Rangers kind of kid. He shrugged his shoulders. "I have one. She blackmailed me," he said, giving this woman a long look. "But she is a .... sweet bambino," he said with a small smile. He did not regret Esmeralda. "Worth it? To be one or to make one?"


Juniper
____________________________
To be one, of course. Do you like it? What about being a vampire do you like? *her legs pulled fully up onto the counter, crossing over each other as she leaned down onto them. She was watching him curiously now. She wanted to know his story*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
The questions had him wanting to back away. He even did, a couple of paces, though his hands remained ensconced in the ice pack. "It is something that I am still trying to figure out. Where I like, or not," he said with a shrug of the shoulders. "It is... something that happened. And I am alive. And that is what matters. I was homeless before, and now I have a home. I have uses. I have something to do. I have goals. I feel useful. That is what I like."


Juniper
____________________________
Well, what are the perks so far? What can you do better now than you could before? *Her brow furrowed as he started backing away* My questions seem to be bothering you. All good?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"I am not accustomed to questions," he said. More and more feeling like he shouldn't be there. Even though there was something endearing about this woman and her curiosity. He reminded him of his own curiosity. And if he were in her place, he'd probably ask about as many as she was. "I would say that I am not as clumsy, but I think that would be a lie," he said with a smirk. "Being human, it is a rat race, you know? It feels good to be above that. To be free of the constraint of time."


Juniper
____________________________
most important question she had for him. What bad could there be to being a vampire, other than no more sun....Hell, she was a ginger. She didn't like the sun anyway*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo arched a brow. "I cannot get drunk anymore. I quite liked getting drunk. And I had found the best Spaghetti Bolognaise in the city the night I... and I cannot eat that anymore. And...you have seen what happens during the day," he said. He did not mention the feeding, and the poisoned humans, and how it could be a gamble. That seemed to be going too far.


Juniper
____________________________
Do you think there is more bad than there is good?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo sighed. "I do not know. I have not really thought about it. I choose to see more good than bad. There is no point in living if you hate it."


Juniper
____________________________
Do you recommend it? Would it be a fun new adventure?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"It is not some adventure you can just come back from. It is not... you are not Bilbo. You do not get to go slay dragons and then come home again, to live to old age and die," he explained. This was going somewhere, and he did not know where. "Why do you ask?"


Juniper
____________________________
I came here for a new adventure. Being a vampire isn't really the one I was looking for, but...it's something new, something different. Maybe I'd like to try it out. What's the worst that can happen? I live forever?


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
"You... yes. But, you will also have to give up everything you already are. All of your... human family, friends. They cannot know," he said. "I had hit rock bottom. I did not have a home or a family and by becoming this, I gained both. I might have died, otherwise. Can you say the same?"


Juniper
____________________________
No, I cannot say the same. *The girl chewed at her bottom lip some, in thought. Eyes then raised to focus on him, a small grin spreading across her lips* However, my mom and I had a bit of a falling out. She’s the only family I really have. Except for my dad, whom I came all the way out here to hunt down and find. I wanted to get to know him. But I’m beginning to think he isn’t even here anymore. *She leaned back against the wall as she watched him from atop the counter*


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she wanted to just…try it out. Like it was a new haircut. Or a new pair of shoes, that she could just take off if she didn’t like them. He stared at the girl. “I think maybe it is something you should think about. Do you not? It might be… easier to find your father, if he is still around. If you are… vampire. But I have no ability to track. And what if he is not still here? Will you then try go after him?” he asked. These were pertinent questions.


Juniper
____________________________
*Juniper thought about this a moment. As a vampire it probably would be easier to find him, however what would she do once she did, if she did? It’s not like she’d be able to make much of a life with him as such. However, he may not even want her in the first place. Really, she just wanted to know what he was like, what kind of man he was. She wanted to know what qualities she got from him. This could be done by careful observation. She didn’t actually have to introduce herself as his child. In fact, that might just mess up her whole personification of him. Best for the both of them if she just kept who she was to herself. “No, I just want to find him. To see him and know what he’s like.” She wasn’t quite sure what the lure to this whole new life was, but she had made her mind up. She wanted to be a vampire. “Look Cosimo, I want to do this. I want you to turn me into what you are.”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head side to side. It still did not compute. It wasn’t a complete answer to his question. What if he wasn’t in the city anymore? “This city it… it swarms with vampires. Because there is… they call it, I suppose, a rift. Between this world and… another. Where the spirits are. It allows us to live, to die and to come back. Outside of this city, it is not so safe. To leave, you will put yourself at risk. You are willing to make this decision without knowing all of the risks? What if you do this, and you hate it? What will you do, then?” he asked. Yes, he had done this with Esmeralda and she had not complained, yet. But, still. Everyone was different.


Juniper
____________________________
“Honestly Cosimo, what is there not to like? So yeah there a few downfalls...no sun, probably no food, eating blood and all that.” She was getting most of her info from the small amount of vampire lore she knew. “There are constant risks as a human...I could die in a car crash tomorrow. I could have a stroke right now. You know what happens if I die as a human? Yeah...that’s right, I ******* die and stay dead. I don’t get the ability to come back. If I die as a vampire here or outside the city limits...then what happens happens.. **** happens. I’m not overly concerned with the so called risks. I’ll be living the same life I do now, just with different abilities and different sleeping and eating habits. I want to do this.”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo swallowed. There was not much in his mouth to swallow; maybe he was imagining what this girl’s blood would taste like, as he took all of it in order to drain her dry, before feeding it back to her. He looked at her carefully, as if assessing her strength. He recalled the way Elizabeth had buried him after turning him, as a way of testing his own strength. It was not something that he had made Esmeralda do, nor did he think it was something he would make any of his progeny do. His mouth went dry. There were no plans to do this again so soon. “What will you do if I say no?” he asked. He hadn’t decided yet. But. unlike Juniper, he was making sure he knew all the angles before he forged ahead.


Juniper
____________________________
“Honestly? Is there much I could do? In this situation you have complete control. You can wipe my memory. You can bleed me dry and leave me for dead. If you say no, I have to accept that. However, if I have the opportunity, I’ll probably persist in trying to find someone who will do it.” She hoped he wouldn’t say no. If he did, well ****...there honestly wasn’t a goddamn thing she could do. Juniper was happy that she had learned as much as she had in such a short period of time, but there was so much more about this new life she wanted to know about. There wouldn’t be a better way to learn than to become one herself.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo glanced toward the window momentarily, chewing on his lip. As if he were considering running away. Saying no, and just leaving. He didn’t think just biting her would wipe all of her memory. Not from the night before, anyway. She’d remember someone breaking into her apartment, wouldn’t she? He didn’t know how far back the poison would work. It was poison, wasn’t it? Of a sort. He sighed, and turned back to Juniper. “Right now? Tonight? Here?” he asked. Stalling, maybe. Maybe he was a sucker. Maybe he didn’t like the thought of her going to find someone else. What if she came across some other vampire who would just kill her for what she knew, rather than doing what she asked. “You might be killed, if you go to someone else…” he said, as if saying it out loud would assure himself that deep down, this was something he wanted to do. For her sake.


Juniper
____________________________
“Like I said, Cosimo...I could die in a car accident tomorrow. It would be worth it.” She stopped for a moment, took a moment to think. Right now? Would he really do this right now? A hand slid her red hair back out of her face and then she nodded. “Yes...tonight. There’s no point in waiting. Make me what you are, tonight.” She hopped down from the countertop and walked over to him. “What must you do? Will it hurt?” Not that the pain would bother her much, but she at least wanted to know what she was getting herself into for the night.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo straightened, his hands still wrapped in the ice pack. It was slightly awkward, the way he stood, but the way he looked down at the red-head, it was with an uncertain kind of concern. Tonight. Right now, she agreed. Cosimo huffed, and nodded. “Yes, it will hurt. I must drain you, first. And you will almost be dead. Then you have to take my blood. A lot of it. Your human body will die. Your organs, they will die, one by one. Your heart, it will stop beating. You will be sick, as your body rids itself of all that it does not need. Whatever food is still in your stomach,” he said, nodding down at Juniper’s gut. “When that is done, you will thirst for blood. It is… different,” he said, recalling the dryness of his own throat on that first night. How he had felt starved and like a man who had had no water for days. And yet water would not help him. “You are certain?” he asked. He had to at least make sure.


Juniper
____________________________
“I am certain. This is what I am asking for.” She was. None of what he said seemed negative in the least. She wanted to give this new life a try. It would be fun and definitely educational. Fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “How long does it take til I am what you are? Just the night? Or does it take a while for all of this to occur?” It all sounded a little gruesome, but it sounded worth it.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
“A night. Less. I do not…” he thought about it, for a few seconds, head bowed and hair falling over his face. “It was late, when I was… I woke up, after the sun had set the next night. And I was fine. It was the same with Esmeralda. She is the only other one that I have done this to,” he said. Done this to, as if it were a magic trick. Maybe it was. He glanced over at the window again, around at the walls, before finally glancing at his watch attached to his wrist. It was still early. There was a possibility she might be fine before the morning. “It is not exact. I do not know,” he said.


Juniper
____________________________
She smirked a little and pushed a kiss to his jaw. “Don’t **** up.” Juniper let out a little chuckle as she leaned back against the kitchen sink. She was seriously going through with this...Jesus she was ******* crazy at times. Who does this? Who decides to just up and leave their entire life to start a new one? Her. That’s who. “Alright, let’s do this…..What do you need me to do?”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
The Italian pulled back when the kiss was pressed to his jaw. Not too long ago, he was a strange thief laying on the floor of Juniper’s apartment, burning in the sun. Now she was kissing his jaw, like they’d been friends for years. Cosimo wasn’t used to that kind of familiarity, nor did he, these days, condone such proximity. Though, what did it matter? They were about to get very close very fast. What was a kiss to the jaw compared to teeth lodged into the skin? He took a step backward. “Perhaps… make yourself comfortable, somewhere,” he said, gesturing toward the living room. Maybe a couch. Other than that, he didn’t need her to do anything.


Juniper
____________________________
She shrugged a little and made her way back into the livingroom. Juniper flopped down onto the couch and got comfortable just as directed. She even clicked on the television and turned it to one of her favorite channels. And there she sat, waiting for him to come drain her blood...in the middle of her living room as if it were nothing. “Alright then...Ready when you are….Where are you going to bite?”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo followed after Juniper; he left behind the icepack. His hands were feeling a little better, now, though they were still blistered and red. Again, he found the situation slightly surreal. There she was, the TV on and everything. As if this were just an ordinary night, and they were just going to sit down and watch a show. He cleared his throat as he perched on the edge of the couch; his gaze lingered upon the curve of Juniper’s neck. That was normally where he fed from. His gaze drifted back up to Juniper’s face, and those large inquisitive eyes of hers. “The neck… it is faster,” he said. “But if you are more comfortable, I can take from the wrist,” he said.


Juniper
____________________________
She shook her head, grabbed her red hair and tugged it all over to one side. Juniper tipped her head a bit for him, opening up her neck to him. Fingers started to comb through her hair a bit nervously as she waited for him to jump in and take a bite. She was ready for him. “The neck is fine. Are you comfortable perched like that? You can situate yourself better too, if you’d like.”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Of course he’d need to make himself more comfortable. His teeth, of course, were already sharp. Ready to go. He shuffled closer to Juniper, pushing back into the couch a little, only to situate himself a little closer. “Like a band-aid,” he said. That was what they said, right? Better to get it over and done with, than to drag it out. Cosimo lifted a hand to cup the opposite side of Juniper’s face, only to realise at the last second that his hand was still wounded. So he dropped it. It was a little awkward, leaning in without that cradling touch. But he did it anyway; like instinct, his lips found the vein. They peeled back, teeth puncturing skin. Hot blood gushed over his tongue, and he couldn’t help it, then. His hand cradled Juniper’s face. By instinct, he made himself comfortable, then. A vampire taking his prey in hand, eyes closed, lips allowing no drop of blood to escape. He was hungry, he realised now. And this blood was fresh, and sweet. And it tasted good.


Juniper
____________________________
Like a bandaid, he had said. Rip it off and get it done with. And without further warning, needle like fangs bit into her neck. There was a slight popping sound from the breaking of skin and **** did that hurt. Her hands grasped at him, holding tightly to whatever she could reach. Her mouth opened to say something in protest to the pain, but she quickly shut it, not wanting him to stop. It had started and to her, there was no going back now. As her blood drained from the wound into his mouth, her head became a bit dizzy. She was feeling whoosy and was now holding onto him, not just for the pain, which had subsided for the moment, but more to keep herself steady.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo wasn’t awkward, after he had begun. He wasn’t unsure. He tried to be as quick and as gentle as he could be, but it probably didn’t matter. Having one’s blood forcibly taken from their bodies couldn’t have been a pleasant experience, regardless of the circumstances. Whether it was willing or not. There was something predatorial, in the way that the girl clung to his body. But rather than ignite some urge to kill the weaker prey, it instead inspired in Cosimo a protectiveness. The want to tell her that it would all be okay, but he couldn’t, not with his teeth lodged in her neck. Instead, he tried to be as quick as possible, pulling the blood from her body. It was thick, and it was nourishing. It was young blood, healthy and robust. It was not hard to take as much as he had to; until he could feel her heart begin to fight, and her body to go slack. Only then, as she was nearing that point of death, did he release his hold and let her settle back comfortably on the couch; he rearranged himself. He used his own permanent fangs to rip a hole in his own wrist. Within seconds, he had the bleeding wound up to Juniper’s lips. “Now you must drink. As much as you can,” he said. This was the interesting part.


Juniper
____________________________
Her body was slack against him and the couch. She was unable to hold herself up anymore, nor hardly keep any amount of grasp onto him. Juniper felt the wrist against her mouth and it took her a few moments to register what he was saying. Her mind wasn’t fully functioning at the moment. She was in almost a daze. When she felt the trickle of his blood moving over her lips and down her chin, she hesitantly opened her mouth. This was the next step...the final step that would make her into what she desired. The warm crimson liquid started to pool in her mouth til she finally swallowed it. A few small swallows at first and then her hand weakly reached up, grasping at his arm, mouth latching onto the wound he had created. Her mouth suctioned to the hole and pulled the blood from him, taking what she needed.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
There was that moment of panic. Just a second or two where he was unsure whether Juniper had heard, or whether she had enough strength to do as she was told. Although he did not need to breathe, he was still holding his breath. And when Juniper swallowed, when she latched on, he breathed a sigh of relief. He tried not to tense, though his fingers curled into a fist. He was only slightly aware of the burns on his hand as the blood was taken from his system. The sensation was strange. One he didn’t think he’d ever get used to. Blood drained from his face, his skin felt colder the more that she took. But he didn’t stop her. He let her take as much as she needed; he would only force her to stop if he himself felt like he was getting too weak.


Juniper
____________________________
Blood didn’t taste as she thought it would. It didn’t taste like bitter iron, it didn’t disgust her. As she drew the blood from his body, she started to feel the energy coming back into her. The weakness that had taken her over from losing all of her blood, seemed to be coming back, even stronger. That is til she pulled away, her stomach churning and cramping. Juniper tried to scramble from the couch, tried to make it to the bathroom, but she merely collapsed to the floor right near his feet. Her body lurched as she started to spew the contents within her. It was as if her body was purging everything and anything that she had put into it in the past few days.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo remembered this part well. The way his body had shut down, the way the transformation had wrapped its talons around his soul and spread its poison through all his veins. Calling it poison might be a bit much, but that’s what it had felt like. He wouldn’t think that Elizabeth had hurt him on purpose, just as he didn’t seek to hurt Juniper on purpose. He didn’t jump away when she threw up the contents of her stomach, even though the splatter reached his shoes. He leaned forward, hand resting comfortingly over Juniper’s shoulders, rubbing back and forth. “This is your body dying. It will pass. I promise,” he said, fingers gripping her shoulder lightly.


Juniper
____________________________
It was horrible, this gut wrenching pain. It felt like she were going to lose everything, intestines included with her upheaval. She could hear his words, but it felt like this was going to go on forever. It had to pass...she couldn’t have much more in her, could she? Her muscles ached, lungs felt as if they were collapsing, heart felt like it would burst, stomach and innards felt as if they were going to leave her. Everything within her was fighting to stay alive as organ by organ began to shut off, to die. Soon there was nothing alive left within her and her body had sunk fully to the floor, limp. For all intents and purposes, she was dead.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo cursed under his breath, his mother tongue harsh in the silence. All his own wounds and his own slight dizziness due to loss of blood were ignored. Regardless of the mess, he stood and then crouched to roll the girl into his arms, to lift her from the ground. Was she unconscious? Cosimo hummed under his breath. A relative stranger in this girl’s home, and he didn’t want to … hell, who was he kidding? He was only here because he trespassed to begin with. He carried Juniper through to her bedroom, where he would lay her out on the bed. If she was unconscious, he would make sure to clean the sick from her hair, her chin and cheek. Would try to clean up the mess outside. But he stayed with her, to begin with. To make sure she was unconscious; to answer any questions if she were awake. He was connected to her, now. A stranger before, but a childe now. How things could change in the span of half an hour.


Juniper
____________________________
Juniper was out cold. Her insides were reforming to be what was needed as a vampire. She was changing, becoming more like him with every passing hour that she was unconscious. It would have been embarrassing to see the mess she had made during her change, when she woke up. It would be even more embarrassing knowing that he had cleaned up after her. However she would appreciate everything he was doing for her. Hours passed while her body lay in her bed unconscious. It wasn’t until just after the sun had set the next night that she began to stir. She lay there, eyes still closed. Her mind was now conscious, but the rest of her didn’t seem quite ready to move yet. There was this deep burning sensation in her throat. She felt empty. She needed something, hungered and craved something. Eyes fluttered open to take in her surroundings. Where was she? Her own room...how had she gotten there? What had happened to her? It took a few moments til the memories of the previous night sunk in. Juniper’s head shifted a little, looking to see if the man was still there.



Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo woke at the same time Juniper did. As soon as the sun had risen he'd fallen dead asleep in a chair that he'd dragged into the room, near the foot of the bed. He had slumped forward, his head in his arms. Throughout the rest of the night he'd cleaned the mess as best he could, as well as scouring cupboards and drawers for suitable things to cover all the bedroom windows so that absolutely no sunlight whatsoever could get through. He may have gone a bit overboard. And then he'd grabbed the chair and he had collapsed. Now he was awake again, blinking away the sleep and rising slowly as Juniper stirred. He didn't want to startle her. He cleared his throat, his burns all now healed to the point that only pale pink skin remained. It at least didn't hurt. At least it didn't hinder his movements or actions, as they had done the night before. "How do you feel?" He asked, eyes wide with concerned inquisition.


Juniper
____________________________
The noise startled her a little, but the voice followed soon after. It was familiar. It was the man from the night before. The room was so dark. Had she only been asleep a very short while or was it the next night already? Slowly she moved into a sitting position, using her pillows to prop her up a bit. Her hand came to her throat to rub a bit. “I need something...water maybe. My throat, it’s burning...my body feels empty. Is this normal?” She usually kept a bottle of water on the bedside table. Her hand reached out, feeling for it. “Did it work? Am I...a vampire now?”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo watched the movements of Juniper’s hand, first nodding his head before shaking it slowly. “It is normal, though I think it is different for everyone,” he said. He recalled the very first thing that Esmeralda had said to him, the first night that she woke up a vampire: I’m hungry. It had sounded almost sinister coming from that sweet girl, but she hadn’t meant anything by it, except the truth. She was hungry. And now Juniper is hungry, too. “If you drink the water, you will only throw it back up. You need blood. You are a vampire now. Can you not tell?” he asked, canting his head to the side. The first night he’d woken, having dug himself out of the pit Elizabeth had buried him in, his senses had run riot. Now heightened. Heightened sight, smell, hearing, touch. Everything. There had been no doubt that something had changed, and he hoped now, with Juniper, that nothing had gone wrong. Cosimo straightened, choosing to be confident that everything had gone fine. “There is much that I have to tell you…” he said. “It is blood that we will start with. Perhaps… if you would like a shower? And we can go…”


Juniper
____________________________
She focused further than just on the thirst. All of her senses had changed. Even in the dark, she could see clearly around her. Noises on the street sounded as if they were happening right here in her bedroom. The smell...what was that horrific smell? It was putrid...and that’s probably exactly what it was. Her sick from earlier. But more than anything, she felt the burning pang of hunger. Juniper left the bottle of water where it was, realizing that that was not what she wanted or needed at all. That was more just habit. He was right. She needed blood. Cosimo suggested a shower first. She felt as if her body was starving, but she desperately needed the shower. “Yeah, I guess I should probably go take care of this...stench.” She stood from the bed and started making her way to the bathroom, stopping just briefly to turn to him. “But as soon as I eat, I want to hear everything.” The woman turned back on her feet again and made her way into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
Cosimo felt like he could do with a shower himself; but that was mainly out of habit, too. The subconscious feeling of being dirty oneself after cleaning something dirty. Also the fact that he spent a whole day and a whole night in Juniper’s apartment, after a whole night out in the city - the last time he had showered was over forty-eight hours ago. Vampires did not sweat and so there was no body odour. But again, it was habit. Regardless of whether or not he was dirty, he still felt like he needed to shower. But he wouldn’t propose it. He had no spare clothes here. And he would take Juniper back to the Ivory Towers later, as part of the ‘everything’ tour that she had asked for. He could shower then. There seemed to be no adverse effects. Juniper seemed herself, and not too frazzled. Which helped Cosimo’s own nerved enormously. He stood and stretched, before meandering the apartment as he waited, closing the bedroom door behind him so that she could shower and dress in privacy.


Juniper
____________________________
She took her time in the shower, cleaning the remains from the previous night. Juniper used the moment of peace to reflect over everything that had happened, over what she was now. She had so much to learn, so much he had to teach her. And it would all start tonight. She was ready to begin these lessons. Coming out of the shower, towel wrapped around her, Juniper cracked the door open to the bedroom. He wasn’t in there. Good. She made her way in, changed into what she assumed would be appropriate attire to feed for the first time. Just a pair of jeans and a tshirt. Nothing overly nice. She didn’t want to ruin any clothing in case she got dirty again. Once ready, she pushed up her bedroom door to find him waiting in the main rooms. “Alright, Cosimo...I’m ready for you to show me my new life.”


Cosimo Alessi
____________________________
There was a moment of clarity, as Cosimo wandered around the space of Juniper’s apartment. The same moment of clarity he’d had after siring Esmeralda. Maybe it wasn’t common for a vampire to sire two new vampires so quickly after he’d been inducted into this new life, but he’d done okay with Esmeralda. She was still around. He hadn’t killed her; she hadn’t gotten herself killed. There was nothing to be afraid of. This was not something to regret, but instead something to celebrate. The first things that he would do were those that a new vampire might find repulsive. With those out of the way, then, they could focus on the good things. There was plenty about this life that Cosimo would recommend; the silver linings were strong and bright. And he would show them all to Juniper. He turned and smiled when she came out of her bedroom; a bright smile, that lit up the dimples on his cheeks. He nodded. “I am ready.”