February 26th, 2025
Wednesday; early afternoon
Normally Ethan was not known to do something petty and immature like that, but today the man felt particularly proud for weaseling his way out from the work much earlier than usual, by claiming that his stomach was playing nasty tricks on him. His boss Lorenzo was naturally unhappy, but even that demanding old goat did little beyond grumbling; Ethan's part in his precious project was finally done after all.
Of course, Ethan took his expanded afternoon's free time as an opportunity to spend more time with his newest neighbor. After the restless night Ethan had today, he was all but desperate to be in her soothing presence. Was he insane for seeking comfort in a bloodthirsty bug-vampire's abode? Possibly, yet that's exactly how Ethan felt and he was not one who tried to devalue his earnest feelings with cold reasoning.
Therefore, the father was swift in parking his car next to his house, entering it just to have a quick shower and a change of clothes - not forgetting to hug and kiss his little girl with fatherly affection, naturally - before promptly adopting a brisk pace on his way towards Daniela's residence. Laura might have allowed herself an overly dramatic sigh of exasperation at Ethan's undisguised eagerness to visit his redheaded neighbor, but Ethan found himself in a mood too good to care.
In a way it was strange - just yesterday he was suffering from a case of severe anxiety, with uncertainty gnawing on his insides. Today, he was feeling giddy and excited, much like a schoolboy who was about to hit the arcades. Was Daniela's mere reappearance in his life enough to cause such a major shift in his character? He was hardly ever given to any particular mood swings before, after all - unlike a certain capricious redhead. She was affecting him in more ways than he could possibly guess - she had to be. Where else could that newfound passion for life come from?
After he crossed the distance between their houses in record time, Ethan felt himself young and full of life as he knocked on Daniela's door, with a smile he could not suppress even if he tried to.
It took a couple of moments, but soon enough the door swung open and Daniela's mirthful expression was like a palette of bright colors that splashed against Ethan's monochrome canvas. "Ethan! I didn't expect you so early!"
Accompanying her energetic words was an enchanting aroma that sneaked out through the open door, with its source likely being the house's kitchen. It reminded Ethan's stomach that it actually hadn't seen breakfast today since its owner decided to skip it in a bid to close the project as fast as possible. The onset of hunger told him that it was just the time for a good, hearty lunch.
"Hey, Dani! And yeah - finished my day at work a bit earlier than usual today - but I can come back later if you're busy now..?"
"No!" It was almost comical how the notion of him leaving caused her eyes to widen in alarm. "I am not busy… stay." If there was ever a mix between a demand and a plea - this was it.
Giving a light chuckle at her antics, the man was swift to reassure her with a simple 'alright' - which was enough to force every hint of anxiety out of her body as she responded with a giggle before moving out of the way and making a dramatic inviting motion with both of her arms.
"The doors of my humble dwelling are always open to you, my dearest Ethan."
Entering the house, Ethan took a moment to sneak a peek at his welcoming hostess, while snickering at her theatrics.
Today, Daniela chose to wear a gray hoodie, a pair of dark denim jeans and a pair of rather warm-looking white socks. Unlike the start of most of their previous encounters, Daniela's hood was down and there was no other headwear that would conceal the scar that marred her otherwise perfect face, though she still angled her head in a way that would prevent a random passer-by from catching a glimpse of her hideous deformity. The notion of their strengthening bond and the trust she was putting into him made a pleasant feeling of warmth tingle in his chest.
Daniela must have taken his scrutinizing gaze at her choice of an indoors outfit as questioning, however, as she brushed their shoulders while playfully snuggling close to him for a second. "It's so cold today!"
Not at all bothered by her proximity, Ethan, nevertheless, moved a little away from the redhead to make space before taking off his black leather jacket and his simple backpack as he acknowledged the spoken fact. Today was indeed a bit colder than usual - probably as cold as it ever gets in Valencia. Turning around to gaze into her expressive amber orbs, Ethan couldn't help but imagine a hint of accusation in the way they slightly narrowed at him. "Were you cold despite the heater?"
The redhead pouted cutely at him, before averting her eyes and speaking in a lowered voice, defeated. "Well… no."
Ethan could still read between the lines well enough however. The chill of Winter was just one among many menaces that plagued Daniela Dimitrescu. The loneliness and constant craving for affection were other. A night all by herself, in this unfamiliar and likely scary human city was probably not something Daniela enjoyed too much. Nevertheless, even with that realization in mind, Ethan was stuck with just how to assist her. Surely he could not invite her to share the bed with him, once again..? Perhaps she could stay in their guest bedroom..?
A tug on his sleeve interrupted that train of thought, as Daniela dragged him towards the kitchen. "I was hoping you'd come today, Ethie. I missed you yesterday." Clearly she wasn't done with her mildly accusative mindset, as hints of annoyance could be heard in the way she spoke it.
"I did tell you that I was busy yesterday, Daniela." Ethan did not let his own annoyance at such clinginess show itself, forcing his tone to remain neutral.
The redhead let out a resigned sigh, at that. "I know," she mumbled in that same neutral tone Ethan used, but somehow the man was able to decipher the weight of her sorrow from it, nevertheless. The guilt prickled at his heart.
He might not be the most sociable of people ever, but Ethan had a rather wide circle of acquaintances in Valencia, a number of friends and of course his own wife and child, even if the former of the two was on a lengthy work trip right now. Moreover, with a stable job, Ethan could hardly recall a time where he felt truly lonely or with nothing to do during daytime.
That couldn't be the same for Daniela. All by herself, presumably with no contacts whatsoever and possibly too scared to explore the city alone, she had no choice but to be stuck in this house. That might not sound like such a terrible thing for a modern well-adjusted city-dweller who could call upon the infinite power of the Internet for entertainment, but Daniela was not exactly on the first name basis with technology, as far as Ethan knew. "How did yesterday go for you?" Ethan inquired in a sheepish tone.
"It was okay. I've read a little and cleaned up around the house…" Daniela responded in a semi-dejected way, making it clear that what she really meant was, 'I was bored to death.'
Ethan let out a hum of comprehension, not willing to offer more than that. He felt a bit bad for leaving his newest neighbor just by herself when he knew that she had nothing to occupy herself with. Hopefully, the present he had for her in his backpack would help to remedy the issue going forward.
As they entered the kitchen, Ethan was finally allowed to see what it was that caused such a delightful scent to flood the whole house. His own stomach rumbled in anticipation as his eyes set upon the hearty meal Daniela had prepared. A cast iron pot, fresh from the oven and with its meaty contents smoking hot was enough to draw the entirety of his attention for now.
Not missing his eager expression, Daniela leapt to be between the food and the hungry man, while proudly, if tad dramatically, waving her arms at the fruits of her labor, "Ta-da! Tochitura de porc by yours truly!" A bit less enthusiastically, she leaned over to give the contents of the pot a probing sniff while mumbling under her breath, "Normally I'd keep it in the oven for a couple more hours over low flame so it tastes even better, but since you're already here, I guess we can skip that part."
"That smells delicious, Dani!" Ethan was quick to reassure her, since he naturally had no desire to wait for several hours now that his olfactory receptors were already stimulating his stomach. That was hardly empty flattery of an impatient man, however - it did smell delicious.
Glowing with obvious pride, Daniela nodded and hurried to serve two platters of food, not forgetting to add a generous portion of mashed potatoes to them. "Sadly I don't have eggs or mămăligă around here, so I hope the purée will have to do!"
Ethan waved off her concerns, eager to dig in.
The food looked and smelled delicious and its taste hardly belied its appearance. Ethan couldn't help himself as he stuffed his face with with pork - incredibly juicy cube-shaped pieces of pork that all but melted in his mouth. Simple mashed potatoes also proved to be an acceptable substitute to the more traditional pairing this Romanian dish was normally served with, to Ethan's vocal delight.
He actually recalled the Duke preparing a similar enough meal to him, before the father had ventured deep into the mad engineer's factory. He had no complaints about the Duke's cooking skills, and now he'd wager to say that Daniela was just as good.
"This is really good!" Ethan mumbled through in between bites, as he engorged himself on the filling lunch Daniela was kind enough to prepare. In turn, the sly-looking redhead on the opposite side of the table took a moment to grin at him with triumph while doing her best to match his ravenous appetite.
Still, as he was close to cleaning his plate, Ethan couldn't help but wonder at the peculiarities of this situation. While it was true that he didn't pay too much attention to the Dimitrescu Castle's kitchen's state due to a certain blonde vampire's highly aggressive advances during his time there, he still recalled that it looked more like a butcher shop; all but medieval and with no signs of modern appliances. Daniela's proficiency with the electric stove and oven that she had in this house left a lingering question mark in his head, which his curious nature just had to poke at.
"I am not going to lie, I am a little surprised at how good you are with…" Ethan motioned at the aforementioned cooking implements, which were still hot from the recent use,"...this. Where did you learn to cook that well, Dani? If you don't mind me asking."
The redhead finished her bite before swallowing and letting out a giggle at Ethan's cautiously-worded question. "Oh, we actually had some modern stuff brought over by the Duke after Miranda's passing. She hadn't liked us using human technology too much - with Karl being the sole exception," Daniela huffed with annoyance at that, clearly envious at how much leeway the Lord of Metal had with the late priestess, before continuing, "anyway, with her gone, the Duke sold us some nice stuff, including several kitchen appliances."
That answered Ethan's question in part, but Daniela wasn't done just yet, though the girl averted her eyes, adopting a more furtive persona, which indicated that the next topic was not exactly comfortable for her, "...and, since we were a little short on staff back then, the four of us had no choice but to learn how to cook ourselves."
Ethan froze as his mind registered her words and the deeper meaning behind them. The travesty of how she worded that appalling situation made waves of nausea travel through Ethan's stomach, threatening to make him vomit his recently consumed meal. Thankfully, he came short of doing just that, instead adopting a harsh expression as he recalled the day he ventured into Castle Dimitrescu himself.
Ethan remembered well that he had not met a single living servant on that day. Back then, he had not paid it that much mind, due to his own pressing concerns, but now he could assume that they were either in hiding or dead. With what Daniela just said, it was not hard to imagine that the castle mirrored the village underneath it, in which the monsters had callously butchered all the human inhabitants. Moreover, he could vividly recall the bloodlust and murder that sparked in Dimitrescus' eyes upon that horrible day, the dried blood that adorned their faces, the wickedness that seeped from their every pore. There really was no doubt about the grim fate of the Castle's human staff.
The noble Dimitrescu ladies had purged their own human servants in cold blood - but why? With how obsessed Miranda had been with death and rebirth, it only made sense that she was the one who had ordered the total decimation of all the humans in the valley, and the Dimitrescus were a mere tool that acted upon her will.
Still, even if Ethan were to heap the blame of that atrocity upon Miranda's shoulders, he could not pretend that the beautiful creature sitting across him was not a murderer, soaked in blood of countless innocents.
The old scar on his left palm flared up, remembering that day - when this very charming woman put a metal hook through it, with no remorse or hesitation as she obeyed her cruel mother's callous command.
Daniela Dimitrescu may have come here to start a new chapter in her life, but that hardly excused the many vile acts she had likely committed in her old one. Could he really overlook that?
Somehow, it seemed like Daniela caught onto his current train of thought, as his solemn face likely betrayed his grim musings to her keen senses. The woman grew sullen and silent as her gaze fell into her empty platter, as if awaiting his verdict.
Seeing her forlorn visage softened something in Ethan, and while a small part of him wanted to shoot to his feet, flip over the entire goddamn table and loudly demand righteous retribution for the unjustly slain maids, his rational mind reminded him that he might not see the full picture - how could he judge Daniela or her sisters without knowing the precise chain of events that led them to be who they were? For all he knew, they were but a product of their environment; who could even begin to guess what he would do, were he in their place.
"I see… I am glad things improved for you after I got rid of Miranda." Ethan spoke in a neutral voice, the statement being an offer to move on, for now. They'd have time to discuss Daniela's past at length, but for now Ethan was determined to move into that direction with baby steps, conscious that progress had to be made slowly and gradually, considering the dire nature of said past and Daniela's own less-than-perfectly stable temperament. He didn't want to risk upsetting Daniela and ruining the rapport they had already established. Empty accusations over events long past would achieve nothing productive.
Catching on to it, Daniela's pale face brightened swiftly as she followed up on the conversation. "They did. Mother did not take Miranda's passing lightly, but Bela was able to eventually convince her that it was for the better - that we were finally free from her grasp."
"Anyway," she continued, with an increasingly carefree voice, "we had to endure some changes, which also saw us learning to cook for ourselves. At first, all four of us - even Mother! - took part in preparing food."
Ethan couldn't help but snicker as he imagined that colossal noblewoman bending over a stove, with Daniela mirroring his gesture and even allowing herself a short but giddy laugh. "Mother's and Cass' cooking was just the worst, though! So, by a unanimous vote, we had agreed that they would not take a step into the kitchen again, leaving just me and Bela in charge of the food."
The redhead then pointed a delicate finger at Ethan's empty plate, "Moreover, if you think my cooking is good, you have not yet seen what Bela can come up with! Trust me," Daniela's eyes glinted with both admiration and a hint of sorrowful longing as she conveyed her thoughts in a passionate voice, "if you ever tried what my dear sister makes you would not wish for anything else ever again!"
Letting out a chuckle of amusement, Ethan stood up, collected the plates and placed them into the kitchen sink. The man was about to wash them himself, but a glare of disapproval from Daniela made him rethink that idea - clearly, the woman wanted him to feel like an honored guest in her household; while he didn't like leaving a mess after himself, he'd play along for now.
"Come, I want to show you something. You'll love it." Daniela called out to him as she stood up from her spot and moved to exit the kitchen.
Curious, Ethan followed his hostess along all the way to the second's floor room that was next to her bedroom - a storage space for multitudes of canvas he had noted earlier.
Without any extra ceremony and a sly grin decorating her graceful features, Daniela swiftly jumped to and fro the various covered paintings, only to expertly pull the covers from the pieces one by one, allowing Ethan to gaze at the works of art that were suddenly open to his perusal.
While Ethan was not some famed art critic, he had at least some passing familiarity with paintings due to his occasional visits to the local and foreign galleries, which usually happened due to Mia's deeper interest in the world of classical beauty. Therefore, Ethan knew a number of the most famous painters and their works - here, there were none of those.
Even assuming that he was not probably looking at some priceless pieces any museum would kill for, the man was able to appreciate the striking beauty of the works that were lined up for him, as if it was a little personal gallery venue.
There was little to unify the works, with portraits standing next to the landscape vistas or even some abstract head-scratchers. The one feature common to all the works was something Ethan struggled to put into words; something ethereal. If he had to really think about it, he'd say that every work radiated not only mere skill with the brush - which was obvious - but also boundless passion for the beauty of their world.
"Do you like them?" Daniela inquired, while lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet at his side.
That was a no-brainer - every single piece here was of an exceptional quality, making even someone less-than-artistically inclined like Ethan gape in awe. "Yeah, they are all beautiful…"
"From what I understand, this is something of a side-venture for the Duke." Daniela started explaining, with her gaze still locked on the paintings in question. "He collects art from little known, independent painters, from all over the world. He hopes to open his own gallery one day, composed from the best pieces of his ever-growing collection. The art here is but a part of it."
"Huh…" Ethan mumbled, inspecting the breath-taking vista that was so eerily familiar to him. "The Duke's got taste, gotta give him that…" Where did he see this…?
As her own eyes followed his line of sight, Daniela's lips split into a wide grin. "You like this one?" The redhead repositioned herself to stand next to the vista, finally making Ethan realize that it was the depiction of that cursed Romanian valley, perhaps captured from one of Castle Dimitrescu's windows.
The beauty of this piece was undeniable and the unflattering valley was represented in the best possible view it could ever get, highlighting its sheer natural appeal. The vast mountains in the distance, the snow-capped trees all around, the quaint settlement nested in the middle of it; with a couple of scenic objects around - an old-fashioned factory, a water mill, an ancient fortress - every little thing on this painting was done with excruciating attention to detail. Even someone like Ethan - who recalled the subject of this art with no fondness whatsoever could not resist being captivated by the artist's mastery of the brush or their passion for natural beauty.
Moreover, somehow Ethan could feel the sorrow and longing the artist seemed to convey through this piece. The painted sun shined with more vibrancy upon the distant boundaries of the valley; it seemed like the further the vista went from its centerpiece, the brighter and livelier it became - as if depicting the pull its creator experienced. The call to freedom.
Entranced, Ethan could barely formulate the words to respond to Daniela's question, not the least due to all the grim memories of this place rushing to the forefront of his mind, "It's beautiful, Dani… did you paint this?" It seemed like a natural assumption that it was the redhead who was responsible for this masterpiece, but Daniela herself was swift to dismiss that notion with a half-hearted giggle.
"I wish… but no…" Daniela placed her dainty hand upon her breast, while staring into the window. A note of sorrow crept back into her voice, "Cassandra painted this… our home."
"Cassandra?" Ethan spluttered, genuinely shocked. The man had a very distinct and singular impression of Cassandra Dimitrescu - that of a deranged psychopath. He could still vividly picture her unhinged expression or the undisguised malice glimmering in her molten orbs, which offered nothing but boundless hatred and the irreconcilable desire to mutilate him. Her sadistic sneers and maniacal giggles had left Ethan certain that she was only capable of inflicting suffering and spreading misery. The very notion that this very same sadistic brunette was responsible for creating something beautiful like this painting here was mind-boggling, hence Ethan struggled to believe Daniela's words. "No way…"
Apparently taking Ethan's denial personally, Daniela straightened up. "Cassi could be… difficult to deal with sometimes-"
"Difficult is an understatement of the century with that crazy bitch!" Ethan interrupted without thinking, as he recalled the way her teeth viciously tore into his shoulder. She hadn't wanted to merely drink his blood, she had wanted to make him suffer. The phantom pain in that spot still lingered, even to this very day.
Ethan could only curse his own sharp tongue as he caught the sight of Daniela's eyes narrowing and her fists clenching. Regardless of how his own brief encounter with Cassandra went, Ethan knew that Daniela cared about her cruel siblings, and insulting them would win him no favors.
Instead of lashing out at him like he'd half-expected, however, Daniela withdrew into herself, whispering in a barely audible tone, "Everyone always thinks the worst of her. Even Mother. Even Bela. What do you think that does to a person?"
Too surprised to respond, Ethan could only stand still as Daniela slowly approached him. He did not resist when she took his relaxed palms into her own. When she locked their gazes, however, Ethan could see a lifetime of pain in her amber orbs - not all of it her own. With her often carefree exterior, one could easily forget the unenviable burden Daniela carried with her, no matter where she went.
"Aren't you at least a little sorry for how bad you've hurt her, Ethan?"
The suddenness of that ridiculous question made him lose his tongue for a second, but the seriousness of her expression made it plain that she was not mocking him whatsoever, and that she expected a response.
"Sorry?" Ethan couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle at that. "No, I am not sorry whatsoever."
Daniela blinked her large eyes in shocked confusion. It seemed like she also had a little grudge with him - their intervening past was nothing if not complex. "But… you almost killed her. You almost killed my sister."
The way she spoke it, with so much emotion, made a pang of guilt prickle Ethan's heart. It also made him remember the telling damage his shotgun pellets had made against Cassandra's cold-weakened frame - it had looked terrible, indeed. Whole chunks of her flash-frozen flesh blasted off, accompanied by her screams of pain - it was not a sight for the meek. Still…
Ethan's own expression hardened as he squeezed Daniela's palms with sudden firmness.
"And I would do the same, if the situation repeated." Daniela wanted to protest, if her opening mouth was any indication, but Ethan would have none of it. If there is one thing Ethan Winters was sure about is that his cause had been righteous in Castle Dimitrescu. He would let nothing and no one tell him otherwise.
"You know full well why I broke into your castle, Daniela. It wasn't just some sick thrill ride or a twisted game for me. My goddamn daughter was on the line, and for her I would do anything." The conviction of his words was enough to shake her resolve, making her quiet and attentive as Ethan continued his passionate tirade.
"Do you think I enjoyed crawling through your blood-soaked dungeons like a rat? Fleeing from your unstoppable mom or your relentless sister? Maybe you think I've got a kick out of smashing your vases or scrounging through your drawers, when in reality I was just that goddamn desperate to find something that could help against such fucked-up odds!"
Daniela averted her eyes, though Ethan wasn't yet done, though he took a moment to catch his breath and calm himself down a little. The man turned his head to gaze in the direction of his own house, and the precious little life that was within it.
"It was all for Rose. And for Rose, I would do it all again."
Now fully calm and in control of his thoughts and words again, Ethan took a further moment to appreciate the emotions that played at Daniela's face. She could relate to that unconditional love one would have for their family. Ethan respected that, and funnily enough, his own passion-driven tirade was enough to further open his eyes to the way Daniela loved her own family, regardless of how wicked they were.
Tenderly escaping her grasp with his right hand, Ethan slowly moved his thumb until it just barely brushed against her chin. Ever-so gently, the man nudged her head up, until their gazes interlocked once again.
"Don't get me wrong, I did not enjoy hurting your sister or hearing her cry in pain." That was not entirely truthful, as Ethan definitely had a moment of triumphant satisfaction when the vicious brunette fled from him with her tail between her legs - not that Daniela necessarily needed to know that. "But I could not let her stop me. Therefore, I am not sorry for what I had to do to her to remove her from my path. Of course I wish things turned out different - that we could've just talked through our differences, without anyone getting hurt."
Daniela smiled at that, a small curl of her lip that indicated that she was not too opposed to trying to solve their differences with words, rather than violence.
In turn, Ethan felt his respect for Daniela growing for her apparent care for her loved ones. In this day and age it was all too easy to forget about your family, which made remembering them and caring about them - especially when far apart - all the more precious.
To fully dismiss the gloomy mood that settled from discussing their violent past, Ethan decided to extend an offer of peace.
"Let me make you and your sister a deal."
Daniela's amber orbs widened in surprise as her lips shifted into a questioning pout. He had her attention.
"How about I apologize to your sister for hurting her…" Ethan smirked. "...after she apologizes to me for attacking me." The very concept was childish and laughable, but it was exactly what was needed to dissipate the tense atmosphere.
Daniela's mirthful giggle signaled the end of this particular episode. Gazing at him with her playful orbs, the redhead appeared to be in accord with his offer. "That's a deal! I'll hold you to it, Ethie!" She wagged her finger at him.
"Alright." He wondered if Cassandra herself would be as amicable, though Ethan still hoped to never have to see her again, naturally. Still…if she was truly responsible for this artistic masterpiece, perhaps she couldn't be all too bad?
Ethan wasn't sure if anything that was said today truly stuck with Daniela, as the redhead appeared to be fully at ease and giddy with excitement once again. "Anyway, if you're done here, shall we go downstairs to continue The Twelve Chairs?"
It was quite tempting to do just that, as not only the book itself was a joy to read, but Daniela's skillful narration promised to soothe the worries and fears away. Ethan had other ideas for today, however.
Wetting his lips in anticipation of her reaction, Ethan took her offer as his cue to move downstairs, though not before giving one last glance towards Cassandra's masterpiece. Perhaps there was more than just violence and sadism to the middle Dimitrescu sibling…
Regardless, Ethan focused his attention on the one Dimitrescu that was next to him - and the activity he had planned to do with her. "The Twelve Chairs is a wonderful book and I'd love to continue it, but I actually had other activities in mind for today."
"Oh?" Daniela was at his side in a heartbeat, a small but coy smile on her face as her voice adopted a more flirty undertone. "Pray tell…"
Ethan would probably never grow used to how Daniela could move from being combative to sorrowful to neutral, only to then leap straight into full on seductive territory. His eyes did not miss the way she started to walk slightly ahead of him, each carefully-made step emphasizing her appealing rear, with her jeans doing little to hide the delectable contours of her graceful figure.
Before the notion of doing the implied kind of 'activities' with Daniela could overwhelm his rational mind, Ethan turned his shameless gaze away from the woman's rear, while mumbling, "Curious, are we?"
"Mhm." Daniela never hid her inquisitive nature. Regarding him with a curious eye over her shoulder, the redhead struggled to contain her questions all the way down the entrance area, where Ethan left his backpack. Seeing her unbridled excitement in her widening eyes, Ethan couldn't help but smirk her way as he slowly recovered his backpack and leisurely moved towards the living room. Her visible impatience was as cute as it was amusing.
"What is it?"
"Wait and see."
"Hmph!"
Folding her arms, Daniela followed Ethan as he made his way to the sofa on which they almost fell asleep two days ago. Lounging comfortably, Ethan rummaged through the backpack with intentionally ponderous motions, aware of a pair of amber orbs that tracked his every move. The man briefly wondered just how the redhead would act if she ever saw a Christmas tree with gifts underneath it. It was obvious that she was fond of presents, just as it was obvious that her family was not the kind to practice such celebrations.
Of course, as his fingers actually located the device in question, Ethan felt his cockiness evaporating, instead replaced by a modicum of anxiety. It was not every day he gifted pretty girls in his neighborhood with expensive toys, after all.
Clearing his throat, Ethan produced the smartphone from the depths of his backpack, while trying to remain neutral as he introduced it. "How familiar are you with phones, Dani?"
The girl squeaked in embarrassment, even as her eyes remained glued to the sleek black device in Ethan's palm. "A little… Mama has a telephone, but I never used it."
Ethan actually remembered how he had listened in on Alcina's conversation with Miranda - the Dimitrescu matriarch had been quite annoyed back then that she had to track Ethan down and keep him alive for whatever ceremony the vicious priestess had planned. The man couldn't contain a nervous chuckle the memory evoked.
"Anyway," with more dramaticism than he would usually be able to muster, Ethan turned to face Daniela while connecting his palms together, with the smartphone laying on top of them. "This is a phone just for you, Dani."
Daniela's large eyes lit up in undisguised glee. "A telephone? Just for me?" The redhead reached for the offered gift, taking it with overly careful motions as if it was a newborn babe.
"Well, it's a bit more than just a phone. Let me show you." Adjusting on the sofa in a way that saw him edge closer to Daniela until their knees brushed, Ethan put one hand over Daniela's own, hiding the smartphone from view for a second. He had already prepared it beforehand, charging it up to full and activating the SIM card, but now came the hard part - teaching a person who had never used a piece of modern technology how to properly make use of an actual, multipurpose smartphone. Ethan hoped he was up to the challenge. "Let's begin, shall we…?"
It took around ten minutes just to get Daniela comfortable with the idea of manipulating the touchscreen with her fingertips alone, though even then she pressed upon the screen with the faintest of touches, as if afraid of breaking the glass. Amusement, curiosity and joy filled the air between them as Daniela's introduction to the conveniences of the modern world continued.
Fifteen minutes were spent to get the redhead acquainted with the way one navigated the electronic device, though she would still often get lost in unrelated programs she would randomly open.
Still, Ethan had to admit that she caught on quickly for a person who never interacted with such stuff before. God knows it was tougher when he tried to do the same for his technophobic mom, back when she was still alive. In turn, Daniela's erratic mind seemed to hardly struggle to grasp the entirely new concepts that were presented to it. There were setbacks, to be sure, but nothing he couldn't handle in a couple of hours.
Soon enough Daniela knew enough to effortlessly locate Ethan's number in her phone's address list and call him herself, which he would playfully answer from another room.
Likewise, the messaging feature came naturally to her, and something told Ethan that he would soon be receiving a lot of those small texts from her, especially after he showed her all the smileys and emojis, which for some reason made her ecstatic. Still, he couldn't help but smile and give her a thumbs up as he inspected an incoming message on his own smartphone.
ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ This is so fun, Ethie! ( ˘ ³˘) ︎
Her joy was infectious. Of course, Ethan was not entirely prepared for the barrage of excitement that was about to fall upon his ears as he went through the other features the device possessed, while demonstrating them to his overly-eager audience.
"It makes photographs too?!"
Ethan smiled, while nursing the ear that was closest to her shouting mouth. Demonstrating to her the camera, the man stood up with her phone in hand, just to take a quick snapshot of Daniela herself, who was still sitting on the sofa with eyes wide and a happy grin on her face.
"Incredible! Such a tiny thing, but it does so much!" Daniela was awe-struck as she inspected the resulting image of herself, before a little pout appeared to take place on her face. "Oh, these black bags under my eyes do not look good at all!"
They weren't that glaring, but Ethan did notice them as well. The redhead likely had issues sleeping, but that was nothing unusual for a troubled person who just changed residences so suddenly. Ethan still wished to help her overcome her nightly demons, if he could.
"Nonsense. You look lovely as always, Dani."
In hindsight, Ethan might not have been wise to offer such direct flattery to the one who was romantically interested in him. Still, the way she gazed up at him while fluttering her long eyelashes was totally worth it. "Thank you, Ethie. You're such a gentleman." As her voice shifted into a deeper, more sensual tone, Ethan felt a shudder passing down his spine.
Knowing that he would not be able to withstand this incredibly seductive expression Daniela had right now, Ethan cleared his throat - a habit he realized was getting old as Daniela's lips morph into a coy smirk. Since he had no wish to test his mental fortitude right now, the man hurried to attract her attention by moving on towards the next subject of interest. The Internet.
Naturally, that was a subject far too wide to tackle during one afternoon session, but Ethan still spent the next hour trying to explain its general concepts as well as introducing a small number of popular websites that could aid Daniela during her lonely hours. Some news outlets, a video-hosting service, a social platform known for uploading hilarious memes, and a digital music distributor all made Daniela's eyes grow wide. As far as she was concerned - and it was all too easy for Ethan to read from her expression - this was the world of unspeakable wonders that was opening to her right now.
Of course, the wonderful world of the Internet had its own fair share of pitfalls, some of which became quickly apparent as Ethan tried to search for relevant Romanian news and instead found himself inside some highly controversial Hungarian blogger's news feed, thanks to Daniela's impatient fingers.
Ethan merely scoffed as he briefly glanced over the lengthy rant. He was all for freedom of speech, but some people really took that particular right too far with their vitriolic and hateful remarks. Understandably, Daniela had a bit of a stronger reaction as she finished reading the post they, unfortunately, chanced upon.
"Where can I find this person who is saying that 'all Romanians are filthy gypsies?' I want to kill him."
Daniela's eyes were narrowed, but she spoke with a peculiar nonchalance, as if discussing the weather. That made it hard for Ethan to understand if she was being serious about wanting to actually kill some jerk just for making a derogatory statement or was merely making a joke. Knowing Daniela, it could've easily been either of those.
Responding to her statement with an awkward chuckle, Ethan decided to just move along and introduce her to some goods delivery services, as she had previously let him know that she was slowly but surely running out of basic necessities in her house. Thankfully, staying true to her erratic nature, Daniela forgot all about her wounded national pride the moment her eyes caught the images of tasty-looking food that could be delivered right to her doorstep.
Naturally, she had a number of relevant questions that she didn't hesitate to give voice to, making Ethan scratch his back as he tried to come up with appropriate answers to her understandable, if exotic worries. "So, will a person just come over here and bring me the stuff I want? Without trying to rob or kill me? Will he demand my jewelry for his troubles?"
"Yeah, you just order what you want and a courier will bring it right up to your house."
"No, he will not try to rob or kill you, Dani."
"And nope - you don't need to pay him with the jewelry, a digital payment is enough."
Perking up, Daniela repeated after Ethan, "a digital payment?"
Ethan wanted to slap himself for his stupidity. He was teaching her about the Internet and somehow he assumed that she had a handy credit card at the ready. "Oh, right, you wouldn't happen to have a bank account, I suppose…"
The man was considering sharing his own for the time being, hopeful that she wouldn't spend too much too swiftly, but then Daniela responded with an unexpected answer. "Oh, I think the Duke mentioned something about a bank account or some such. Give me a second, Ethie."
Scaring him more than he'd care to admit, the lower half of Daniela's body transformed into a buzzing swarm of flies that promptly flew their carefree mistress onto the second floor's bedroom.
"Jesus…"
With speed that the ordinary human legs could likely not match, the half-woman returned swiftly, a small piece of paper and a plastic card clutched in between her index finger and a thumb. Nonchalant about her shapeshifting shenanigans, Daniela settled onto her spot next to Ethan as the last of her flies seamlessly melded back into her body, once again making her whole and all but indistinguishable from a normal human. "Here," she passed him the paper, "the Duke said that he had placed the remains of my treasures' worth here, after subtracting his fee for my travel expenses as well as this house's monthly rent, naturally."
Ethan raised his eyebrow at the mention of treasures but still carefully inspected the chicken scratch that was etched onto the paper. It became obvious soon enough that it was the details of a bank account.
"There was also this useless bit of plastic; the Duke said 'a certain someone will help me figure it out later'", Daniela said, mockingly imitating Duke's voice as she passed Ethan the plastic card.
Ethan couldn't help but chuckle as he accepted what turned out to be a MasterCard's debit card issued by the Romanian branch of Raiffeisen Bank. The spot where normally would be the owner's name was blank, however.
Curious, the man accessed the bank's website from Daniela's smartphone and attempted to log in using the provided details. Daniela watched him carefully as he did so, as curious as he is, if not more so.
"Huh…" A half-unexpected success.
Romanian Leu account balance: 319,382.30
As someone who still remembered using Lei for his daily needs, Ethan only took a moment to calculate that it was around 65k € Daniela had to her name. While it was hardly some mythical fortune, it was a respectable sum that could last her for a while.
"What a horrid miser. He told me that my treasures were worth more than a million Lei and now this is all that's left? Hmph."
Clearly, Daniela was less than amused as she beheld her remaining funds. A part of Ethan felt like berating the redhead for treating her 'treasures' with such carelessness in the first place, as it became apparent that she had likely simply given them away to the Duke while making a verbal agreement that included him getting her here in one piece and providing a place of residence; with the spare funds being put into some vague account Daniela had no idea about. The Duke could've easily taken advantage of Daniela's lack of knowledge by pocketing the rest of it instead of actually opening an account in her name. It was a credit to the obese merchant's honor that he didn't. "Well, you should've discussed details and prices beforehand, Dani. That's how normally things that concern finances are done, anyway."
"I know, I am not stupid!" Daniela huffed again, but turned her eyes down to gaze at her sock-clad feet as she mumbled out a meek-sounding afterthought, "I was in a bit of a hurry…"
Ethan wanted to pry further, to find out what made her run away from her home in the first place, but he saw the signs of her discomfort plainly. Therefore, instead of pressing on, the man simply rerouted their attention back to the topic at hand, gently inquiring what kind of goods Daniela was interested in at the moment. Unsurprisingly, it was mostly groceries that piqued her interest today, as well as some beauty products; fortunately, Ethan knew just the quality service that delivered them both to the households across Valencia.
Eager to demonstrate just how easy the process was, Ethan surfed the service's website for produce that appealed to Daniela, and after ten or so minutes, had a virtual cart of stuff the redhead took interest in.
"And that's that, the courier should arrive in an hour or so." Ethan confirmed the check-out, as he stood up from the sofa. He had spent more than four hours at Daniela's residence already and felt like it was about to head home - they could continue this activity tomorrow. Laura did ask him to relieve her earlier today - so she could go to a local ice rink with her friends.
Daniela fumbled with her feet, appearing uncertain and more than a little nervous. "I don't know, Ethie… what if that person comes harboring ill intent?"
It seemed to Ethan as something ridiculous initially - Daniela Dimitrescu, afraid of some delivery guy? A powerful, vampiric bug-lady scared of a single human? That made little sense, but the worry in Daniela's expression didn't look faked as she lightly nibbled on her lower lip in clear concern.
Then it struck him. Daniela wasn't afraid for her own safety, per se. Perhaps she was concerned for the delivery guy's well-being, as she was not exactly unaware of her own volatile temper and murderous tendencies. What if the dude made an offensive remark; or, indeed - demonstrated a hostile intent for whatever reason? Would Daniela be able to retain her composure, or would she lash out at any slight - real or imagined?
Remembering their trip to the zoo, Ethan had to admit that the risk of an altercation occurring was there; knowing her vicious streak, he couldn't help but consider the probability of any such altercation turning violent… or even bloody. One would normally not connect mundane stuff like delivering groceries to a house in a nice neighborhood such as this with being murdered, but Ethan had to acknowledge that it was a distinct, if small, possibility, all things considered.
Ethan was certain that Daniela had more than a sliver of decency at her core, but her rough edges and her explosive temper could lead to a tragedy - one that which they all would come to regret.
The risk of unsupervised human contact was simply too great and while Ethan had been considering going back to his house before - as he had promised Laura to relieve her by five o'clock, now he was certain that his presence here during the courier's arrival would help mitigate any danger by diffusing the situation if something unpleasant did happen.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ethan plopped right back on the sofa, with Daniela providing him an unbearably cute, consolatory smile. Would he do anything for that damn smile? Probably not. Would he risk drawing a teenager's ire for it? Totally.
Ethan briefly pondered on just which excuse he could come up with, before realizing that he probably didn't need to think that hard in this particular case. Better to remain ambiguous than to outright lie, anyway. Quickly typing on his phone, Ethan composed the message for the unfortunate babysitter.
Hey, Laura, I am afraid I won't be able to make it by five, after all. Your friends will have to go to the rink without you today. I'll make it up to you, though.
Not unexpectedly, her response arrived almost immediately.
'Fine'
A bit curt for a girl that normally went out of her way to politely refer to him as 'Mr. Winters', but Ethan figured that she was not exactly happy with his repeated tardiness. He could vividly picture her exasperated scoff, followed by a resigned sigh.
He did feel a little bad for leaving Laura hanging like that, but it was for a good cause. There hadn't been a murder in this neighborhood for decades, and Ethan aimed to keep it that way. It's not like he wanted to spend his every waking moment next to this capricious yet utterly enchanting redhead… Okay, he should probably not lie to himself with that last stray thought.
The redhead in question herself appeared to be quite grateful for Ethan changing his plans for her sake. "Thanks, Ethie… I appreciate what you are doing for me. I want you to know that," Daniela mumbled in a soft tone, even as her right hand lightly caressed his knee.
Simply staring at her delicate digits, Ethan just nodded. He knew what he signed up for when he had accepted Daniela Dimitrescu back into his life. In a way their relationship now was already a serious commitment, but the man found himself not minding it too much. "Don't worry about it, Dani. All good."
His stomach rumbled in hunger once again. Daniela's Tochitura de porc was both tasty and filling, but that had been hours ago. A sudden thought crossed Ethan's mind, making the man's lips shift into a smirk. If they already had a bunch of groceries that would be delivered in an hour or so, why not order something else to go along?
"Hey Dani…" Ethan turned to regard his pale-skinned companion. She tilted her head slightly in question as their gazes met. For just a moment Ethan couldn't help but once again admire the soft contours of her beautiful face and these gorgeous, soul-seeking amber orbs of hers.
"Hmm?"
Ethan scratched the back of his head with a surprised amount of excitement as he was about to share yet another wonders of the modern world with his guest from such a limiting background. "Have you ever tried pizza?"
Daniela's whole expression lit up, causing a chain reaction in Ethan. He was certain that their day was about to get even better.
Author's Note:
Originally I thought that this chapter would be a bit bigger, but that it would end with Ethan saying goodbye to Dani for the day... now, as its content grew and grew I realized it would get to 15k words unless I split it in two. There is gonna be 3-4 more such relatively 'harmless' slice-of-life chapters before the plot will advance with a certain outside force bringing Dani and Ethan ever closer together. Regardless, hope you guys having fun reading about Ethan engaging in casual stuff with Daniela! As always, feel free to express your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section and thanks for reading! :)