Corazon 5: Happy Accidents

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As always he did now, Mayor Whiskers enthusiastically greeted Ezio as he stepped out of the elevator. Ezio smiled, reached down, and pet the cat, scratching the spot he liked under his chin. Ezio may not have intended to get a cat, but he seemed to have gotten a cat all the same.

The cat was welcome as long as he wished to be there, as far as Ezio was concerned. The building manager didn’t seem to mind him either, regardless of Geeta’s whining about it. Ezio didn’t care what her problem was. And yes, her life was still very difficult from time to time, mostly for the fun of it. You didn’t get after a man’s cat and expect your life to go smoothly.

Mayor Whiskers pawed the air, then turned around and went into the apartment through his little door. He always went first, as if he didn’t lead the way Ezio might get lost. Maybe he was right. Ezio waited until the cat had made it through the door, and then went in. Everything was the way he’d left it when he’d gone to work, as he expected.

Mayor Whiskers was an adventurous cat, but after some time in the apartment he’d become accustomed to what could safely be explored. Rarely, Ezio needed to firmly tell the cat not to do something. He’d always heard cats didn’t listen, but Ezio had relative ease correcting his behaviour. There were things Ezio let him continue doing as a trade-off. Mayor Whiskers’ habit of jumping onto the counters was one of those things.

Ezio kicked his heels off, and then went into the kitchen to pull the blinds. He wasn’t weak to sunlight anymore, but it remained gratingly bright.

“I suppose you’ll be wanting your dinner,” Ezio said, looking over at the cat. Mayor looked back at him, then jumped onto the counter and sat down.

Ezio set to making Mayor’s favourite. It was a good thing he couldn’t hear what went through the cat’s head, but he was curious. Ezio opened the cabinet, looking for a pan. That feeling he kept getting at work was stronger here at home, now that he was focusing on it. He stood up straight, holding a pan but focusing on something else. Now that he was paying attention, it felt like another vampire.

There shouldn’t be other vampires around here. San Myshuno was a very large place, but this side of town was generally devoid of them because most were on the other side of the city with the Desert Storm. That meant, whoever this was likely wasn’t Desert Storm. Rogue vampires were unpredictable and could be dangerous.

Ezio wasn’t Storm, either. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the Desert Storm. Those that he’d met were very nice people. It was that they all smelled dangerous, and many smelled ancient. Ezio had run alone so long he wasn’t sure how to handle a coven anyway. It was difficult to teach old dogs new tricks, was it?

“There are other vampires nearby,” Ezio said, looking over at Mayor. The cat tilted his head and loosed a quiet sound.

Ezio smiled. “I wonder if they’re friendly,” he said, more to himself. Mayor Whiskers was unlikely to have answers for him, but asking the question aloud helped him put words to what he was thinking and make sense of it. Having a cat around to at least look like he was interested was a new bonus.

Mayor Whiskers simply watched Ezio bustle around the kitchen. He was likely trying not to get scared of the stove.

Ezio focused on cooking for a few minutes. Mayor Whiskers focused on the fact he was getting food rather than that the stove was lit. Ezio set the pan down on the stove, idly reaching over and toying with a bottle of parsley sitting on the counter. Cats weren’t like humans, and certain spices were bad for them. Ezio didn’t use any, not in Mayor’s food, but there were times when he made something else just to practice. Besides, he was fidgety when he was thinking. Having something on the counter to play with ensured he didn’t spill hot gravy or something.

Cats were such simple creatures. Ezio thought people could use to take a leaf from their book sometimes, slow down a little, and enjoy the simpler things in life. Ezio liked to think he was decent at it, but something always happened sooner or later that made him get caught up in silly things again. It was easy to forget. Easy to get caught up in silly things, even.

Like this mystery vampire. Theoretically, this side of San Myshuno was his territory. He should defend it. If there was a new vampire in his part of town, it was his job to make sure they weren’t going to cause trouble and make his life harder. It took a little work not to get caught and send the Spice District into a panic.

“I’ll see if I can find them,” Ezio said, pausing and looking up at the shelving. Eternity was a long time to be alone. Spending at least some of it with someone that was just as eternal as he was would be nice, in a way. He wouldn’t have to worry about whether a vampire was going to up and die on him for the most part.

With spellcasters, they had issues staying dead even when they did die. Vampires didn’t typically die at all, or at least very rarely. They also knew what it was like, in a way mortals never could, what it was to lose everything and everyone you’d ever cared about repeatedly over the years. It became difficult to care, to bridge distances and differences and make friends with someone else.

Maybe it was a good thing. There were things Ezio wanted to talk about, to remember, that others found strange things for him to think about. Another vampire to talk to might be just the right thing to make everything a little easier.

Taking in street cats and deciding to try making friends, was he? He must really be lonely.

~*~

Ezio wanted to ask his senses if they were sure it was here. He’d followed the sense of vampire here to this bar, but this bar wasn’t known for being favoured by the denizens of the night. Of course, that could be at least partially the point. Some vampires were not kind, after all, and who would know that better than another vampire?

Ezio had learnt it a long time ago, maybe the hard way. There was a time he was a kinder person, but things had changed and that time was over. Of course things had changed. How couldn’t they? Life wasn’t the same as it used to be, though in some ways it was exactly the same. Strange how that’d turned out. Ezio supposed human nature wasn’t something that changed often.

He could stand here all night debating the semantics of human nature, and whether or not it was logical for a vampire to come here. He could also just go in and find out. After all, he was both a vampire and a spellcaster. There wasn’t much in the world Ezio had to be afraid of. Yet for some reason, Ezio found he was more hesitant than made sense. Like there was something beyond those doors he wasn’t sure he could handle.

Like maybe he was on the cusp of finding something he’d been looking for.

No. He was just nervous about interacting with another vampire. It was logical. Ezio didn’t interact with other vampires normally, the whole vampires weren’t always nice thing. The idea of trying again seemed almost too much.

Ezio tilted his head, watching others come and go. If humans were willing to come and go like this, it probably wasn’t a bad place. Ezio sighed, straightened up, and moved for the door.

The music was softer than he’d been expecting, but it was a welcome surprise. Grey eyes swept the interior, taking in the exits and pathways that would get him out, emergency routes to use. Then, Ezio headed to the bar. The place was so busy, there were two bartenders instead of one. That was almost impressive, but there was a bar in Del Sol Valley that had five on weekends.

“Could I get a Ridgeport, please?” Ezio asked when the bartender closest to him glanced his way. The bartender nodded and went to mixing. Ezio reached into his pocket, setting money on the bar. He murmured a thanks as he got his drink, then turned away from the bar and moved into the crowd.

The place wasn’t exactly packed, but Ezio had seen emptier bars. A small cluster of very young-smelling humans were tucked into one corner, all drinking sodas instead of something he’d have to have a talk with law enforcement about. Ezio spent some time weaving through the dancers before he reached a table to one side, with two seats at it.

Ezio sat down, taking a drink of his Ridgeport and setting it down on the table. The song changed. Ezio was trying to figure out where exactly the vampire feeling was coming from. It seemed to be from everywhere and nowhere at once, and it was difficult to pin down. After a few minutes, he got the distinct feeling of being watched. Ezio ignored it. The one watching him seemed to have other ideas.

“Hello, beautiful,” a voice said from one side of him.

Ezio turned a little. He was cute, if you were into pretty strangers that hit on people in bars. Maybe if he didn’t talk to it, it’d go away.

“Care for another drink?” the man asked.

Ezio smiled. So much for that. “No, thank you,” he said. “I won’t be here very long.”

“Come on,” the man said, smoothly sliding into the seat across from Ezio. “Let me buy you one drink. What’ll it hurt? I just want to talk.”

It was never so simple as just talking. Talking led to other things. From the outset, that was never all they wanted, was it? Ezio wasn’t born yesterday.

“Thank you,” Ezio repeated, “but I’m alright. Fortunately, my ability to speak isn’t dependent on how much I’ve drunk. Should I assume yours is?”

The man looked confused for a moment, and then amused. “Clever, too,” he said, leaning against the table. “I’d rather take you out now. Somewhere nicer than this dump.”

If it was a dump, then why was he here? Ezio looked less than amused. “I’d rather not,” he said. “You don’t even know my name.”

“Then, what is it?” the man asked.

Ezio’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting back slightly. “I’m not interested,” he said. “You’ll have to find someone else to charm, because it won’t be me. Have a good night.”

Ezio stood up, picking up his glass and moving back towards the crowd. The man cursed, grabbed Ezio’s arm, and threw him back into the chair he’d been sitting in. The sound of glass shattering as Ezio’s Ridgeport hit the floor went unheard. The music was louder. A few people close by glanced their way, but none moved or said anything.

If being shoved back into a seat bothered Ezio, he didn’t show it. His expression was oddly blank.

“I didn’t say we were done,” the man said.

No, Ezio didn’t suppose he did. Unfortunately for him, Ezio answered to no one.

“Now,” the man went on. “My name is Jackson. What’s yours?”

Ezio didn’t answer, his head tilting slightly. His eyes began to give off a faint glow. “You were leaving, Jackson,” Ezio said eerily calmly and even toned. “There’s something you forgot to do at home, and it’s very important.”

Jackson looked confused for a moment. The mental suggestion then took root, and he shook his head. “I gotta go,” he said. “Ain’t worth the trouble anyway. Good luck getting anywhere with an attitude like that.”

He stood up, casting a hateful glare at Ezio as he went, and disappeared in the crowd. Ezio watched him go. As soon as he was out of sight, Ezio released a slow breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the glow had faded.

Ezio glanced down at the dance floor. That was a relatively expensive drink, and now most of it was a loss. He released a quiet sigh, and then stood up and started back towards the bar, intending to get a replacement. As soon as he raised his head and looked at the bar, he stopped. The other bartender was watching him.

As they stared at one another, Ezio had a weird feeling. That feeling that he knew him, whoever he was, or had known him once before. Ezio’s eyebrows drew together. That was the vampire he’d been sensing, or one of them rather. Now that he was looking at one, he knew there were two. Related, if he had to guess.

It clicked. The scent, he’d smelled it before, a lot fainter, when he was still human. Celio.

Ezio’s eyes widened as recognition set in and surprise flickered across his face. And when he moved again, he was heading out the door. Faintly, he could hear someone behind him calling his name as he practically ran back out into the cool air of the night.

~*~

He didn’t know where else to go. It wasn’t as if Ezio had a lot of friends (he had a depressingly low number of them), so on instinct almost, when he left the bar he headed to Glimmerbrook. Everyone that had magical background knew where the Charms lived, because they were one of the loudest and most boastful magical lineage in the history of magical lineages.

Ezio hurriedly tapped on the door, then backed away somewhat. One hand idly rubbed his arm. The more distanced from it he got, the more jittery he became. It was like he was nervous about something, but there was no reason for it.

He’d spent his entire life looking for Celio and suddenly he falls right into Ezio’s lap just as he starts to give up on ever seeing him again. Maybe there were plenty of reasons to be full of this nervous energy. He couldn’t tell if he was happy, or simply anxious.

The door opened. Ezio raised his head. Minerva stood in the doorway. She wrinkled her nose and then moved back into the house, leaving the door ajar. “Emilia!” she barked.

Ezio released a sigh, shaking his hands a little to try and burn off some of the excess nervous energy. What was he supposed to do now? Go back? Maybe he should rather avoid the place for the rest of his life.

Now Celio knew he was alive, at least. The recognition in his eyes was there in Celio’s eyes, too. Maybe it was pointless to run from it. Celio would find him again, if he wanted to. Then again, Ezio was a lawyer. He knew a thing or two about making someone disappear, and he could use those methods on himself no problem.

Nothing would change his scent, or the energy signature he gave off, the psychic presence everyone unconsciously exerted. Celio had undoubtedly sensed Ezio’s energy when he’d used his vampire powers in the bar to chase Jackson off.

Something moved in the doorway. Ezio looked up again. Emilia stepped out onto the porch. “He probably won’t be here long anyway!” she was saying. She closed the door behind her, rolling her eyes and turning to Ezio.

His body language, or nervous pacing, must’ve been off to her. She blinked once.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Ezio took a breath in. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I figured when I found him I’d be ecstatic about it, but I just feel confused. I’ve been looking for him my whole life and suddenly here he is? I wasn’t even trying! And now what!”

Emilia blinked again. “I’m sorry, what?” she asked. “No, start over. What happened?”

Gently, Emilia nudged Ezio over to one side, and they both sat on the bench on the porch. Ezio took another breath in as he settled down and fussed too much with his legs. It was a long story. Yet, not a long story at all.

“I sensed another vampire nearby,” Ezio said. “I followed it to a bar. Ordered a drink, sat down at a table, had a problem with someone hitting on me, used my vampire powers to make him go away. He’d broken my drink, so I went to get another one, but I looked at the bar and he was staring at me. I found him Emi, entirely on accident.”

Emilia raised an eyebrow. “Okay,” she said and nodded. “Who did you find on accident?”

Ezio sighed, loosed a groan and curled up into himself, burying his hands in his hair. “Celio,” he said.

“Ooooh,” Emilia said softly. “Wait, I’m confused. That’s great, isn’t it? He’s alive, and you found him, isn’t that a good thing?”

Yes. And no. Ugh, Ezio didn’t even know how he felt. “I’m not unhappy,” he said, sitting up. “It’s just, I’ve been looking for him so long, and I didn’t expect to find him after a point. I don’t know what to do now. I never got this far in my head. And that was the meaning of my whole life for two hundred years, you know? What now?”

Emilia gave him an unamused look. “I guess that’s your sign not to depend on someone else for your own motivations and whatever, but I’ve told you that before. Maybe he can still be your drive, though. Just in a different way, right? Make friends again. Bridge the last few hundred years. Smile again.”

Ezio looked up at her, eyebrows raising in surprise. He didn’t know she thought things like that. Ezio was kind of depressing to be around after a while, though. He shouldn’t be surprised at all.

“Thanks Emi,” he said. “You’re one of my best friends, you know that?”

“At the moment, your only friend,” Emilia said with a grumble. Her legs crossed, one arm resting on her thigh and holding her chin.

“Not anymore!” Ezio said. “I have a cat now.”

“A cat?” Emilia asked. “Huh. Never would’ve guessed you were into cats. That makes sense, though.”

“Does it?” Ezio asked.

“Sure,” Emilia said, shrugging one shoulder. “Cats are more tolerable than people, right? You’ve never been much of a people person. At least not as long as I’ve known you.”

She had a point.

“Don’t run from this,” Emilia said. “Go see him again.”

Ezio frowned. “What if I still have feelings for him?” he asked.

“So what?” Emilia asked. “Isn’t that good too? Kind of nice if your feelings can survive for that long, I’d think. It’s a little sad, a little romantic. You know, a lot of things that are a little romantic are also a little sad. Weird.”

Ezio snorted. “What if he doesn’t want to talk to me?” If he didn’t, that’d make sense. Ezio was probably attached to a number of negative memories and feelings. Ezio’s time in France wasn’t exactly the best.

Actually, they were calling his experiences back then torture nowadays.

“I bet he does,” Emilia answered. “If he doesn’t, that’s his loss, isn’t it? You’ve only spent more or less your whole life trying to find him. That has to count for something. If he can’t be happy that you tried and at least give you a chance, that’s his problem.”

She was probably right, and Ezio was just scared of something for the first time in a very long time. Scared that he’d have spent all that time looking for Celio only to find Celio didn’t want anything to do with him. It would be fair of him not to, and even if he thought he should, Ezio couldn’t be angry about it. The things they’d lived through together were things that weren’t easy to deal with. Ezio knew. He’d been trying to.

“If you never do anything,” Emilia said, interrupting his thoughts, “you’ll never know how things could’ve turned out.”

Of course. Yet if he didn’t do anything with it, he’d never be disappointed either. Ezio wasn’t sure he could handle anymore disappointment.

“I know you’re scared,” Emilia said, reaching over and taking his hand. “I can see that. It’s good. It means you’re thinking about it, and not just blinded by having found Celio. But you’ve got to take risks sometimes, Ezio. And I think this is the best time to take one. I want to see you happy for once, you should be happy at some point or another. You live too long not to. Forever’s a long time to be miserable.”

Ezio loosed a snort and squeezed his eyes closed. “Emilia… please.”

Yet, she was right, and he knew it.

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