February 26th, 2025
Wednesday; early evening
Ethan knew there were people out there that happened to dislike pizza. He never met such people personally, but he was certain that they were out there somewhere.
When Ethan mentioned the rounded dish that was enjoyed by many cultures throughout human history, Daniela merely shook her head, implying that she never had the pleasure. Still, the way she was visibly giddy with anticipation demonstrated that she was aware of the concept, whether from her books or by word of mouth and was dying to try it out for herself.
"Would you like to try it?" Ethan just had to ask, even if her excited face was answer enough.
"Certainly! I always love trying out new things!" A vigorous nod accompanied the energetic statement as Daniela eagerly clapped her palms together. Her unbridled enthusiasm made Ethan smirk, though he was hardly surprised about her reaction. God knows how long she'd been stuck in her menacing castle in that forsaken valley. Exploring this wider world and all the wonderful things it could offer was like a dream come true for Daniela... it had to be.
Feeling a little mischievous himself, Ethan quickly scrolled through the pizza delivery application on his phone, searching for one type in particular.
"How about this one, then?" Ethan couldn't contain the smirk as he reversed the phone to demonstrate Daniela its screen and his selection of pizza on it.
For just a millisecond, Daniela's expression fell as she glared at the touchscreen with dismay, but just as quickly it was replaced by sly mirth. The redhead's eyes slowly traveled up from the screen to lock themselves with Ethan's. The man's keen senses warned him of impending danger from a predatory flicker in her narrowed eyes, yet it was too late to act.
Like an oversized house cat, Daniela suddenly pounced right atop Ethan; the force of the impact, combined with the sheer shock the man experienced at that instant of time assured that his back was soon pressed tightly against the couch's soft padding.
Lying flat on his back with one leg hanging off the couch, Ethan could do little but stare into Daniela's playful amber orbs as the mischievous redhead claimed her spot on top of him; her slender yet strong arms pushing hard against his chest, while her legs straddled his own. Her left knee pushed precariously against his most manly place.
At their own volition, his treacherous hands placed themselves at the side of her hips. The thin denim of her jeans could hardly hope to conceal the alluring shape of her curves from his touch.
"Ethan," the gorgeous witch muttered, in a mockingly hurt voice. "You know I love you, but one thing I won't stand up for in our relationship is vegetarian food." Daniela spelled that word with particular contempt while wagging her index finger, as if disappointed in him, before leaning her upper body even further - closer to him, with their noses almost touching now. Her agility was as impressive as her flexibility.
"Have you even tried it? Maybe you'll like it…" Ethan tried in a rather meek voice, still yet to recover his composure fully from her unexpected assault.
Unamused, Daniela let out a slight growl, though that coy smile of hers remained etched onto her face. "Try to feed me a vegetarian pizza at your own peril, Ethie. A certain delectable man-thing," the redheaded witch licked her lips in an overly dramatic, yet undeniably seductive way, "would certainly look far more appetizing to me than that…"
Her lithe hands would permit no escape; Daniela leaned even closer to him, apparently intent to establish physical contact between their noses. Her hot breath on his lips sent a shudder of erotic pleasure to travel down his spine. "Mhmm… I could eat a cutie like you right up, you know…"
She hasn't blinked once since mounting him, with her burning eyes never leaving his own. Somehow she managed to sound both seductive, playful and even mildly dangerous, leaving Ethan's rational mind guessing at her true intent. Of course, his reptilian brain couldn't care less about all the implications of their predicament.
It took him less than fifteen seconds to become rock hard. It certainly didn't help that her knee was pressing against him like that, nor did it help that a hint of pink colored her pale cheeks as she realized just how aroused he was.
Now it was Ethan's turn to let out a low growl as his fingers shot to restrain Daniela's wrists above his chest with a deathgrip. Her eyes widened from the force he was able to exert; a light gasp that escaped her throat threatened to drive him wild with forbidden lust.
At this moment in time Ethan could barely remember that it was a cannibalistic bug-witch that was straddling him right now, nor could he recall his fatherly duties or marriage vows. In this instant it was as if all the blood went down from his brain straight to his reproductive organ. All he wanted was to punish this naughty vampire for doing this to him - to slam his lips against her own, while roughly reversing their positions and then to have his way with her in a very decisive manner. Ethan Winters wanted Daniela Dimitrescu.
Daniela could not withstand the intensity of his suddenly feral gaze and averted her eyes. "Ethan…" Her tone was needy; she wanted this as much as he did, yet it was his very name leaving her pink lips that allowed the haze of lust to part. He remembered who he was.
This isn't right, goddammit!
The man pushed her away harshly, forcefully enough that she ended up on her original spot on the couch, with only the couch's arm preventing her from falling over.
Ethan took a moment to regain his own sitting position, only now realizing just how hard he was breathing. His heart was pounding in his chest. This was far too close for comfort.
"I need a moment…" without saying anything further, Ethan shot to his feet and marched out of the living room, straight into the bathroom.
Slamming the door shut and locked behind him, he swiftly doused his face with a generous portion of cold water; the chilly liquid immediately provided a measure of comfort as it cooled his heated skin.
Ethan took a moment to stare at his reflection, while wondering how this could have happened so quickly. He wasn't blind to the attraction he felt towards Daniela, but to see that spark threatening to ignite into a blazing, all-consuming inferno was more than a little unsettling. One moment he was trying to be funny by offering her something he knew she would not want, the other he was on his back, thinking of the best pose to have her in. He could not recall the last time he had felt such powerful, primal lust that overrode every rational thought within seconds - not since the days when his relationship with Mia was just starting, back in the university, with them having been unable to keep their hands to themselves for more than half a day.
With his hands supporting his leaning frame at the sides of the sink, Ethan closed his eyes and started counting down from ten slowly while breathing in and out, deeply and ponderously. A good technique for dealing with stressful situations, the man had never expected that he'd apply it in such a peculiar setting.
One…
Ethan opened his eyes and gazed into the mirror once again. A man far too youthful to be in his early forties stared back at him, with only his eyes betraying the true extent of his breadth of experience to a keen observer.
In a way this whole situation was a bit funny to him. By the very definition of the word, Daniela is a monster - her likely long list of victims and her unnatural being saw to that. Yet it was not a physical threat she posed to Ethan. No - the primary danger she exuded was far more insidious in nature, the kind that drove even the most rational of men insane with primal desires. Ethan could slay monsters that were after his life, but how could he defend himself against something that wormed its way deep into his very heart and mind?
"Come on, Winters… you got through hell and back and now you can't handle a single cute girl? Get your goddamn shit together already!" Ethan muttered to himself, intent on regaining his composure, splashing his face with cool water once again for good measure. Surprisingly, it helped somewhat and the man felt like he could face the seductive redhead once again.
Ethan returned back to the living room, only to find Daniela unmoved from her spot on the couch. Hearing the sound of his footsteps, she looked in his direction, but not at his face.
"I am sorry… that went a little too far…" Daniela mumbled, appearing just as shaken as he was. She lightly nibbled on her lower lip, clearly nervous as she tried to calm herself down.
Rationally, Ethan knew that he should've been mad at Daniela for acting like that, for testing his resolve and threatening to ruin his very family by making him cross the line that could never be uncrossed. That made it all the more peculiar that he felt no anger towards her whatsoever. In the end, it was partially his fault for messing with her in the first place, or for being so weak-spirited that her mere proximity was enough to drive him insane with forbidden desire. Moreover, Ethan knew that he had to downplay this episode, unless he wanted the air between to remain tense for the rest of the evening.
Determined to do just that, Ethan let out a chuckle, allowing the excess tension to leave his body through the laughter. "Not as sorry as I am!"
Tilting her head, Daniela looked at him curiously, though her expression swiftly eased up as she realized that Ethan was not cross with her. "What are you sorry for, Ethie?"
The man took his spot on the couch and guffawed, "Why, for offering Miss Carnivore here a vegetarian pizza! What was I thinking, really?" Surprisingly, the words flowed naturally out his mouth, displaying that he was ready to put that episode behind them.
The living room came alive as her resonant laughter came into being. That melodic sound immediately put Ethan's mind and heart at ease, as its carefree mirth and childlike joy washed over his frame. Few sounds could compete with it in the amount of happiness they brought to Ethan as he heard them; only Rose's own laughter could exceed it.
As she calmed down from her outburst of mirth, Daniela's face softened into an incredibly lovely sight and she gazed at Ethan with nothing but fondness for a couple of moments, before once again adopting that sly look of hers - only too happy to play along. "It is fortunate that you came to realize your grave mistake, Sire Ethan." Her theatrical tone almost caused the man to burst with fresh laughter, but she wasn't done yet. Leaning a bit closer - but this time respecting the proper boundaries, Daniela gestured towards the smartphone that lay discarded next to Ethan. "You can repent by showing me a meal worthy of my noble heritage!"
Ethan decided not to mention that he hardly considered her family noble if all they did was having served as lap dogs to a delusional, child-stealing priestess. Instead, the man merely snorted and picked up the phone to resume the interrupted pizza-selecting process.
"How about an eternal classic then?" Ethan asked while showing hardly complex yet always appealing Pepperoni pizza. Before Daniela could even respond, Ethan amended his thought, eager to make up for his jest before."Actually, let's make it double."
Daniela slapped her palms in delight as she inspected the image of the aforementioned Double Pepperoni pizza. Ethan could understand her excitement, since the pizza's image naturally appeared as delicious as it gets - Daniela was probably unfamiliar with the unfortunate fact that the actual product often turned out to look somewhat less appealing than what was advertised; not that this particular pizzeria was known to cheat its customers like that. "Oh, this one looks nice!" It did look juicy here, with the extra helping of pepperoni slices creating a mouthwatering image, at least for those who loved spicy salami - such as the overly-eager redhead next to him.
Daniela's obvious affinity for meat was hardly a head-scratcher, considering her origins. While at this point Ethan felt certain that her current body was more than a mere imitation of a human, the fact remained that her second shape was a bunch of flesh-eating flies. There had to be some notable connections between her two forms, and the carnivorous preferences were likely just one of them.
Satisfied with his choice, Ethan moved on to selecting the size of the pizza.
Now, he was no slouch when it came down to devouring a hearty meal himself but he suspected that Daniela was on a whole other level in that department. Judging by the way she had handled her enormous hamburger in Bioparc's cafe, Daniela was anything but a light eater. Of course, her enhanced physical attributes and unnatural abilities had to come from somewhere - the chemical processes that occurred inside her body likely demanded a respectable amount of energy to maintain. With that in mind, Ethan wouldn't be surprised if her daily calorie intake was twice, if not thrice as big as that of an average young woman of her build.
Extra large it is.
Satisfied with his choice, Ethan proceeded to submit the order.
"You guys sure have it convenient around here…" Daniela's eyes widened for a moment once she saw that the pizza would be delivered right to her doorstep within the next thirty minutes.
Ethan smirked, "It's not quite the same as actually having maids, I'd imagine, but yeah - the modern civilization we got going has its perks…"
Daniela made an exasperated grimace at hearing that, making Ethan let out a chuckle. The brief moment of laughter served to mask his own nervousness, as now came the hard part - the waiting. Still not entirely over the inappropriate closeness that took place mere minutes ago, Ethan feared what his own mind could come up with, if left with nothing but Daniela herself to occupy its thoughts. Therefore, finding a diversion was a paramount, if not a particularly challenging task.
Giving a glance to a large wall-mounted plasma display, Ethan realized that it was just the thing. "By the way, I assume you never got around to trying this beauty out?" Ethan gestured towards the screen.
Daniela made an unhappy sound,"I know that it's a television set and that it shows motion pictures…" she started fidgeting with her fingers, appearing embarrassed, "I couldn't get it to work, though…"
That was actually more than Ethan expected, "Oh, so you're somewhat familiar with it in general?" He spoke as he stood up and went towards the display and the remote control that was laying on a shelf under it, while listening to her speak.
"Yeah, the Duke had also sold us a small television set after Miranda's passing, though it was a bulky, ugly thing - compared to this smooth and sleek one. We needed to insert a cassette in it for it to work, and I couldn't find any here…"
Ethan snorted at hearing that. "Cassettes? Jeez…" He couldn't even recall the last time he used a videotape player… maybe twenty five years ago or something? It was surprising to him that the Duke sold them something that old and outdated. Then again, there was probably some profit to be made when your clientele was hopelessly out of touch with the modern world, yet with quite the wealth behind them…
Fidgeting with the plasma display and seeing it not even connected to the receiver, Ethan sighed as he started on getting it operational, though a different thought about Daniela's words made his curious tongue ask questions. "So you girls actually watched some movies back there in your castle?"
Daniela responded with a happy chirp, "Yeah!" She bounded a little on the couch, presumably excited to find another subject over which she could bond with Ethan. "The Duke sold us a bunch of cassettes - the best movies of the human world, he said."
"Oh yeah?" Ethan fidgeted with the cables. "Which ones? I should probably know them if they are actually good." Watching good movies - both new and old was one of Ethan's hobbies, so he wasn't just boasting.
Bored of sitting by herself, Daniela stood up and moved to stand beside Ethan's kneeling frame, while recounting all the movies she had watched with her sisters, "Let's see now… we watched Titanic - I really loved that one, but Cass got bored quickly and slept through the most of it, though she did enjoy the part where the ship started sinking… Oh but it was all just so romantic…"
Ethan rolled his eyes, absolutely unsurprised about the sisters' respective reactions to that movie. He felt Daniela's fingers on her right hand start to lightly play with his hair as she talked, causing Ethan to freeze for just a moment.
"Then we watched Star Wars - Bela had her face glued to the screen pretty much for the entire movie! She was utterly entranced with all the scenery. Cass enjoyed the fight scenes in there, though she kept complaining - and I quote - the white-suited man-things are pathetic weaklings who can't shoot for shit and if it was I who had lightsabers and blasters, I'd slay all the rebel scum myself." Incredulous, Ethan snapped his eyes up at Daniela who stopped caressing his scalp to make air quotes at him. "End quote." She giggled and shrugged her shoulders, with Ethan shaking his head in amusement and returning back to work. Judging by her description, Ethan assumed that they watched the original trilogy.
"We also watched The Godfather - and even Mother came to briefly join us for that one! I think all four of us enjoyed it…though Mother complained that it had contained far too many men for her taste. "
The image of the whole Dimitrescu family just chilling on a couch together and simply watching a movie like that was oddly wholesome, making Ethan smile. "These are some great movies, alright-" Done with the cables, the man turned on the TV set and to his satisfaction and Daniela's vocalized delight, the plasma display immediately lit up with a rainbow of colors… and an onslaught of sound a second later.
"...today, YOU can be the lucky winner!" TV's speakers roared at them with a voice of a stereotypical cheerful snake oil salesman, making both Daniela and Ethan clutch at their ears.
"This is too loud, Ethie!" wailed the redhead as her ears were assaulted by the overly-enthusiastic commercial at max volume.
Thankfully, that issue was solved swiftly with Ethan's deft fingers locating the relevant settings on the nearby remote.
"Ouch… my ears…am I bleeding? Am I going to die, Ethie? If I spent my last moments in your arms, I guess I won't mind…"
Scoffing in amusement at her playful antics, Ethan turned to regard Daniela, who was now laying on her back right on the carpet, her eyes closed and her hands crossed over her chest. "You're not bleeding and you're most definitely not going to die." Ignoring him, she remained unmoving.
"Only the warmth of your loving embrace can reignite my fading heart, Ethie…" she mouthed without opening her eyes.
"Uh-huh." Ethan wasn't going to fall for such nonsense, however. "Maybe I should head home if you feel like taking a nap?"
Immediately opening her eyes upon hearing that, Daniela pouted at him. "Meanie." Her bemusement didn't last however, with her amber orbs soon gluing themselves to the plasma display and the overwhelming gamut of colors at its disposal. "Wow… this is way prettier than what we had at home…"
Ethan scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess the Duke didn't sell you the latest model exactly …" He gestured with his hand back toward the couch.
Accepting the invitation to stand up on her own, Daniela got back to the couch with Ethan soon rejoining her. Her wide open eyes were stuck to the screen. "What movie is this? It's so… strange!"
Ethan's finger was hovering over the channel switch button. "It's an advertisement, not a movie. Just some gambling bullshit." Daniela just batted her eyelashes at him, confused.
"An advertisement? What is that?"
Ethan couldn't help but let out a laugh at that, though he was quick to note Daniela's face growing tense. Not wanting her to think that he was laughing at her, he smiled at her, before explaining, "Sorry, it's just I got just a little jealous of you right now, Red."
Daniela's mouth adopted that cute 'O' shape. "How come?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Ethan relaxed further into the soft couch. "A world without advertisements can't be all too bad." She was understandably confused, so the man continued, "Advertisements, or 'ads', are just short video clips or even just static images which are made by people who want you to buy their stuff. Like a car maker creates a video of how awesome their cars are, and the television channels show them for a cut of the profits. Its nothing more than a way for businesses to attract new customers… and you better get used to it, since its fucking everywhere nowadays, not just television." Ethan gestured with his arms in mild exasperation. He hated ads.
"Oh…interesting…" Daniela appeared deep in thought as she processed Ethan's words. After a few moments, her eyes sparked with fresh curiosity as she raised her index finger and peered at the man next to her, "Oh, but then why does Duke not have anything like that - he always calls himself a businessman!"
Ethan scratched his chin, considering the question for a second. The blonde knew that not every business wanted to be advertised in the first place, but in this particular case the situation seemed more straightforward. The answer seemed obvious to him, "Well, I guess he wouldn't need any advertisement considering he was literally the only merchant in your valley?"
"Ah. That makes sense. I suppose you have a lot of different merchants out here and they all want you to buy stuff from them. I think I got it." Daniela nodded and hummed in satisfaction, before turning to stare at the screen once again. A different ad was now playing there, making Ethan believe that this channel was deep in a commercial break.
Taking it as his cue to switch the channel, Ethan did just that. The bright and vibrant setting was immediately replaced by a desolate cityscape, illuminated only by moonlight and raging fires. In the bottom corner of the screen the words, 'Damascus, Syria' informed Ethan that this was likely a news piece - and not a cheerful one.
"The death toll continues to rise in the wake of deployment of lethal bioweapons by the Ahrar al-Sham extremists. Syrian official sources estimate that tens of thousands had already fallen victim to the deadly virus. The government forces are doing their best to quarantine the affected areas, but many doubt their capability in the face of such a threat."
The screen switched to the news studio, with a pair of solemn-looking newscasters continuing the grim story.
"We reached out to the Middle East division of the B.S.A.A. for comments on how they plan to proceed, as well as how an extremist organization such as Ahrar al-Sham could gain access to biological WMDs in the first place…"
Ethan hit the switch. He didn't want to hear more of that. He'd heard, seen and lived through enough of that shit to last him a lifetime… several lifetimes, in fact.
Relatively nothing of interest happened on the next channel, allowing Daniela to inquire about the nature of what they had just seen. "Ethie… what was that?" She already had a clue, judging by her unsteady voice.
"This was news, Dani. They were talking about what was actually happening out there right now." Ethan's voice was solemn.
She shook her head violently, with her whole frame shuddering. "But that's horrible! All those poor people…"
Ethan's eyes snapped to Daniela's face. The man took a moment to inspect her expression. It did not appear to him that her distress was faked, as she genuinely looked crestfallen in that moment. That was rather intriguing to Ethan. Admittedly, the sight of a large city burning in the night with black smoke trailing into the dark sky was a haunting one, but truthfully, he still did not expect her to show such empathy, considering her own past deeds.
Seeing no signs of deceit in her large eyes, Ethan merely chewed on his lip before providing a brisk, "Yeah…" There was really not much more to say, unless he wanted to go deeper into the tragedies that occasionally shook their world to its foundation… and he wanted to do anything but that.
Locking their gaze and understanding that this was a hard topic for Ethan as well, Daniela did not pry further and instead simply thrust a single dainty hand to grasp at Ethan's palm. In turn, Ethan eagerly clutched at her soft hand, only too happy to find comfort in her soothing touch. The mood was hardly romantic right now, but that made the two troubled souls all the more eager to find solace in each others' presence, as that short newsclip was a painful reminder of just what their past had been…
Understandably not wishing to dwell on it for too long, Ethan switched the channel again and almost sighed with relief as they stumbled upon some nature program.
The camera followed some incredibly cute-looking cat as it traversed sandy terrain. The creature had a gray coat with black stripes, and the friendliest face one could find amongst the notoriously haughty feline family.
Daniela cooed, instantly taken by the gorgeous little beast. "Oh, we always wanted a cat…"
"Why didn't you get one?" Ethan inquired, curious.
"Mama was never fond of animals running around the castle…" Daniela responded with a hint of bitterness in her tone. Ethan felt like he should've seen that coming. Before he could respond, the narrator from behind the scenes started talking about the little cat before their eyes.
"On average, the African black-footed cat makes a kill every fifty minutes during a typical night, making it the deadliest predator in all the feline kingdom. With a 60% success rate, no mice, birds or rabbits are safe if this little cat prowls around them. Its accelerated metabolism forces this tiny force of nature to constantly remain on the hunt, ever searching for fresh prey."
"Ha!" Daniela giggled, pointing at the screen, "Cass would love this one!"
Ethan conceded, not blind to the similarities between this little wild cat and a certain trio of predatory bug-ladies, "That's one prolific little killer right there, heh." A stray thought crossed his mind, though he did not vocalize it. And it also manages to remain supremely cute despite all the blood it sheds… just like them.
The narrator's pleasant voice combined with the beautiful scenery of African grass plains and scrub deserts dispelled the bitter aftertaste of the newsclip on the bioterrorism. It set the tone for the next twenty minutes, as they simply observed nature in its splendor, as if it was a continuation of their trip into Bioparc Valencia. Through it all, their hands remained entwined and unmoved, with neither trying to break the hold nor to further the physical contact; like a mutually beneficial stalemate that neither side wanted to change… yet no stalemate lasts forever.
Ding!
It took a ring bell for Ethan to remember the larger world out there existed. The blonde finally broke their hands apart, even though in the very next instant he was already missing the way her soft and smooth skin felt pressed to his own.
Instantly alert and tense, Daniela herself shot to her feet and rotated to face the source of the sound. She looked as if she was expecting that a bunch of armed men was about to burst through the entrance.
"It must be the pizza delivery," Ethan tried to reassure his troubled friend, as he was not blind to the expression of anxiety that now marred her face with its tense lines. He wondered if she had the same reaction when he had knocked on her door earlier today and the notion made him feel a little bad, though the knowledge that she now possessed at least some way to distantly connect with him was reassuring.
"Oh." A measure of tension left her frame, though she still remained on guard.
Standing up from the couch, Ethan did not waste any further time and simply went towards the entrance while fishing for his wallet in his pocket. He had already paid for the pizza online, but he'd still be remiss not to reward the courier with a tip for such a swift delivery.
Daniela followed him along, though Ethan noted how she pulled her long hood up, concealing a number of her facial features - including the scar. Moreover, from the way she kept behind him, it was clear that she expected Ethan to handle the process, even though he was technically just a guest.
That was just fine with Ethan, however, and the blonde promptly opened the door and greeted the person behind it.
Just like he thought, it was just a simple delivery guy - a local youth, with a bored expression and no particular distinguishing features. He was probably somewhere in his early twenties, with tanned skin and a rather average build. His long, messy hair partially obscured his boyish face.
"Extra large double pepperoni," the young man bluntly stated while pushing a large box into Ethan's waiting hands. He was obviously in a hurry and in turn found nothing of interest in Ethan's face as he lazily chewed on some bubblegum while rummaging through his delivery case for the drink that Ethan ordered alongside the pizza; his eyes wandering around the entrance hall meanwhile. The chewing stopped abruptly as his gaze caught onto the hooded redhead that stood some steps behind Ethan. Whether it was due to her peculiar indoor getup, pallor complexion or unusual amber eyes, the delivery guy simply froze as he shamelessly stared at Daniela's partially-hidden face.
Turning around to glimpse at the redhead, Ethan saw her expression as unreadable, with nothing to indicate that she found the extra attention either as welcome or unpleasant. Still, he had no desire to test the limits of her patience with this gawking boy, so he placed the box on the chair next to him, abruptly snatched the soda bottle from the courier's hands, shoved a small tip into the kid's still outstretched palm, forcing himself to smile, "Thanks for getting it here so fast, have a good day!" and slammed the door shut in his face.
"He was actually kinda cute…" mumbled the redhead as Ethan turned to regard her, surprising the blonde. The sly smirk that decorated her face somehow managed to produce a mixed reaction in Ethan. On the one hand he was obviously happy that she was not reacting violently whatsoever to what some might take as a mildly inappropriate staring. On another hand, however, his stomach started to feel just a little tight for some reason.
Does she prefer them young? A stray thought made Ethan wet his lips as Daniela kept staring at the closed door. As he leaned down to reclaim the pizza box, he failed to note how the redhead subtly glanced at his face, carefully inspecting his slightly upset expression out of the corner of her eyes. Her sly smirk widened, while a spark of wicked mischief played across her expressive eyes, though Ethan himself could only catch a glimpse of that playful visage as Daniela hid it beneath the veneer of neutrality when the man rose his eyes to meet her own.
Of course, whatever cunning thoughts went through Daniela's head evaporated the moment the enchanting aroma of hot pizza reached her twitching nostrils. Romantic fantasies were well and good and - indeed, the very fuel that kept Daniela's soul alight throughout even the darkest days, but the insatiable craving for warm and tasty food could not be denied - not when it challenged her keen olfaction in such a direct and brash manner, anyway. Her stomach rumbled in hunger. "Oh my… this smells… delicious!"
Ethan chased his own errant thoughts away and smiled. "How about we eat it while it's hot then?" Daniela eagerly nodded and grinned wide at him, showcasing her pearly white teeth.
The duo proceeded back to the living room, with Daniela prancing ahead, light on her feet. She frowned a little once they passed the kitchen without entering it. "Do you wish to dine in the living room? Mother frowns on eating anywhere but in the dining area…"
The blonde smirked, "Well, she ain't here, is she?"
Daniela appeared uneasy with the prospect of defying one of the rules that were set forward by the Dimitrescu matriarch, if only for a moment. A moment was all it took for Ethan to consider just how oppressive the environment inside Castle Dimitrescu could have been.
These three vampiric bug-women were prisoners in so many ways… They could never leave their isolated valley, for such was Miranda's law. They could only leave their castle when weather permitted it - which was not often. And even within the confines of their so-called home itself seemingly every aspect of their existence was tightly regulated, with any deviation resulting in swift punishment. Was it any wonder that by the time he had encountered them for the first time they radiated nothing but malice and madness?
After considering the issue, Daniela smiled and nodded, putting an end to this particular train of thought for now.
"Ah!" she gasped as she noted the bare table in the living room. "Let me just grab some plates and glasses then!" Before Ethan could protest that it was common to eat pizza straight out of the box, Daniela was already gone in a blur of motion. Then again, glasses could be useful, unless they wanted to share the bottle. As silly as that was, that particular notion colored Ethan's cheeks with just a hint of pink.
Placing the pizza pox and the soda bottle on the table, Ethan took the opportunity to switch the channels on the still working plasma display for a bit, searching for something appropriate for the situation.
"Ha. Perfect!" A football match was just kicking off, with two big national Spanish teams facing each other.
Returning with two plates with two glasses on top of them in one hand, a bunch of utensils in another and a stack of napkins under her arm, Daniela eagerly placed them in proper spots before plopping onto the couch and giving the display a curious glance, "What is that? It looks rowdy and uncouth!"
Ethan chuckled at that unflattering yet somewhat accurate description. A crowd of men, running around the green field while the crowd around them cheered and shouted could indeed appear unruly and pointless to an uninitiated person. "Oh, it's just the most popular game in the world - football," the blonde spoke with just a slight hint of teasing in his voice.
"Hmm…" Daniela was clearly interested to learn more about what was popular in this strange land of humans, but it proved an impossible task to keep her attention any further from the tantalizing aroma of the pepperoni pizza, "Let's eat already!"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ethan pried open the cardboard box and beheld the glorious splendor of fresh and steamy double pepperoni pizza. It was hardly healthy eating, but Ethan figured out that an occasional weakness in the shape of a doughy treat could not do too much harm.
In turn, Daniela looked like she was about to start salivating, but the large round shape of the dish appeared confounding to the vampire and for a moment she simply stared at it.
"Here," Ethan carefully extracted the first 1/8 slice from the pizza, passing it to Daniela's waiting hands. Due to the overall size of the pizza it was a hefty slice, enough to fill some people all by itself, yet the redhead appeared undaunted as she took her first bite.
Reaching for his own pizza slice next, Ethan watched Daniela's expression with interest. She closed her eyes, seemingly focusing her entire sensory input on processing the taste of the bite she was carefully chewing through. This was quite a different approach to the way she had annihilated that huge burger in Bioparc's cafe; Ethan could only assume that her varied levels of hunger led to respective speeds with which she dealt with her food. Regardless, the man found himself satisfied that she took her time exploring this slice of pizza, instead of just making it vanish down her gullet with barely any chewing done. Some people saw food as just the source of nutrients, but he personally believed that one should savor a good meal and enjoy the process whenever possible.
As Daniela slowly worked through the slice held by her slender hand, Ethan took the moment to pour soda into both of their glasses, while also taking his own first bite of the pizza today.
Still with her eyes closed, Daniela finished the slice, carefully wiped her hands on a topmost napkin and just sat still with her palms coming to rest on her knees. "Ethan," she muttered in a peculiarly solemn tone.
Ethan washed down a particularly hearty bite with a generous amount of soda, becoming somewhat alert at her unexpectedly serious tone, "Yes, Dani?"
"I have come to the conclusion that it's a shame that you have killed Miranda."
Ethan ceased eating in an instant, dumbfounded and even a little tense from hearing something so unexpected. "What..?"
What happened next, however, made Ethan actually drop the rest of his pizza slice from sheer shock, as Daniela exploded into a flurry of motion by leaping straight at the table, barely avoiding knocking the glasses off with her feet. Like a spirited orator before a passionate audience, Daniela thrust her arms up and forward, with her outstretched digits almost touching the ceiling, as if she was raging against the heavens.
"A shame indeed - for you've spared her my own horrible wrath for daring" - Daniela was seething now, with her wide-open eyes burning with scalding intensity and her fists clenched tight - "to deny us all these wondrous inventions for so unbearably long!"
With her outstretched palms, she gestured at all the small things Ethan took for granted - pizza, tv, soda, smartphone, before suddenly bursting into uncontrollable cackling. A thin trail of cheese went down her chin, making the situation all the more ridiculous.
"Whoa there!" Ethan tried to calm her down as he leaned to recover the fallen pizza slice, though internally he felt like laughing himself. "Get down here, Red!"
Instead of doing as told, the mirthful woman merely laughed some more, while spinning on the table. Ethan was just glad that the solid oak table was large and sturdy enough to accommodate both the pizza and Daniela's crazy antics.
It took around ten more seconds for her to rid her body of the excess mischief so she could get back down to the couch and snatch another pizza slice, like nothing out of the ordinary just happened. To his chagrin, she devoured it in around twenty seconds.
"Well, Miranda aside-"
Ethan mumbled, only for Daniela to curl her lips in distaste and interrupt him, "Fuck that stupid bitch. I never want to hear her name ever again."
The blonde had to do a double take as he could hardly recall Daniela swearing like that ever before, in such a decisive and no-nonsense manner, no less. In turn, the moment the harsh yet deserving words left her mouth, the redhead's eyes widened and a pink hue of embarrassment colored her cheeks. "Ops…" Daniela sheepishly giggled and snapped her eyes his way, "I hope you can forgive such crass language just this once, Ethie. I know it is unbecoming of a lady to curse like a sailor."
"It's alright to let things let these out once in a while, I suppose..." Ethan unsurely noted, before continuing his previous thought, "Anyway, how are you enjoying the pizza so far?"
The woman let out a humm of delight in response before elaborating, "It's exceptional! I am not going to say that it's the best thing I've ever tried - but it's quite close!" Daniela proceeded to consume her third slice with gusto, as if to confirm her assessment.
Ethan gestured at the still full glass, thankfully intact after her performance, "You should also give this soda a try. It goes really well with pizza."
Daniela glanced at the soft drink warily, perhaps repulsed by its black coloration or the gas bubbles rising to its surface. Still, seeing that Ethan was drinking it just fine was enough to embolden her enough to try out herself, starting with a careful sip. "Mhm, so sweet!" The measuring sip swiftly turned into Daniela greedily guzzling it all down, only to almost choke on the fizzy beverage in her silly quest to drink it as fast as possible.
Ethan's right hand went to lightly pat Daniela's back. "Easy there," the man spoke, though could not help but chuckle once the redhead cleared her throat, appearing none the worse for wear.
"It's good!" Daniela observed, while reaching for yet another pizza slice. In turn, Ethan wanted to note that soda was even tastier when cold, but stopped himself just in time. Sometimes it was easy to forget that at the end of the day Daniela was not human, and by extent, of her crippling vulnerability to coldness. In that regard it was fortunate that this bottle of soda was delivered in a lukewarm state, but Ethan knew that he had to make a better job of ensuring that he did not offer something chilly to Daniela by accident. The last thing he wanted was to cause her health problems with his negligence.
Blind to Ethan's momentarily inner monologue, Daniela continued to happily chew through her fourth pizza slice and even refilled her glass with more soda. Apparently having her fill, the redhead slowed down her eating pace and shifted some of her attention back towards the plasma display, where the football match was still ongoing.
"You know, I think I actually saw some of the peasant boys playing something similar once. It had been a very sunny day back then - a true rarity for our gloomy valley."
Ethan wasn't sure if he should've smiled at the notion of these poor villager boys finding what little happiness they could; or if he should've bemoaned their eventual grim fates. Not wishing to explore that particular topic further, he tried his best to come up with a neutral-sounding response, "It's a simple game at its core, hence why it's so popular. You just kick the ball down the opposite's team gates - boys love games like these."
"Aha." Daniela now had her full attention fixated upon the screen, seemingly intent on learning the intricacies of football. After a couple moments of contemplation, she did not appear to be overly impressed by it, "But they are just running back and forth and kicking that ball around… I don't know… it looks a little bit silly to me."
Ethan picked one more slice of pizza - his third and last today, as he considered her words. "Like I've said, the game is rather simple at its core, but the human factor makes it quite a bit more complex."
Looking at the screen, Daniela expected Ethan to continue, "Uh-huh?"
In turn, the man tried his best to do just that, "You see, it's not just twenty two random people mindlessly running around there, it's two teams of eleven playing against each other; with every single player having an assigned task on the field. Moreover, every single person you see there puts everything he has into this game right now. They train on a constant basis to develop and maintain speed and endurance needed to compete at the highest level; and that's not even getting into the mental game."
"Mental game?" Daniela glanced his way out of the corner of her eyes, though the majority of her attention was still fixated on the display.
Ethan took a moment to chew a pizza bite before swallowing. "Yeah. It's no mean feat to get eleven players to play in a coordinated style in such a chaotic environment. The goal of getting the ball through the gates may sound simple, but in reality it's an all-out war there. Even if one team has the faster players, the other team can still easily win if they play around each other better." Ethan motioned at the screen to illustrate his point, "they gain momentum by passing the ball to other members of their team, and at the same time they hope to confuse and tire out their opponents, while looking for an opening to appear, while also doing their best to obey the strict rules that govern the game." Having said his piece, the blonde continued to watch the game, which was picking in intensity.
After performing a series of elaborate passes, the team in white pressed their advantage and scored the goal. The red & blue goalkeeper's attempt to stop the ball was valiant, but his fingers just barely missed it as it shot past. He fell upon the grass under the thundering roar of the crowd.
"Yay!" Daniela cheered, appearing to be taken by the festive mood just as well. In fact, Ethan could see that her gaze swerved between the audience stands. There was a certain longing in her eyes, a hunger even, which could also be heard in her tone as she spoke, "I can see the appeal now, I think. Look at all these people, all the positive energy they share. I wish I could be there." Ethan realized that it was not even as much about the game itself for her, as it was for the myriad of people surrounding it. The stadium atmosphere.
Ethan knew that it also could get a bit ugly there sometimes, even violent on a rare occasion. He kept that knowledge to himself, however, as it was plain to see that Daniela's prolonged isolation was something that gnawed on her. The many years of solitude could not just vanish overnight, not without her going out to experience the vast society herself. She ached to belong to this world that was denied to her for so long. To be a part of it in the open, instead of lurking in the shadows.
"We could go, if you want to."
Ethan's offer was made without too much thought put into the potential obstacles and issues that could arise, but that made it no less genuine or heartfelt.
"Really..?" Daniela couldn't decide if she wanted to look at Ethan's face or the display, so she kept swerving her gaze back and forth, with an open-mouthed look of disbelief etched onto her face.
"Sure." Ethan smiled. "We got a nice stadium right here in Valencia - I am sure we could attend one of the games, though I'd need to check out the schedule to book the tickets and make the time for it - so maybe next week? Rose would also love to attend, I am sure."
Daniela appeared giddy with joy at the notion, though before she could respond, another doorbell rang. That was likely the food delivery guy. "Oh, I'll get that one!" she muttered, a bit nervous but also excited.
Nodding, Ethan gestured towards the entrance room.
Maybe a bit too eagerly, the redhead leapt to her feet and shot towards the entrance room, not forgetting to pull her hood up on the way.
Naturally, Ethan followed along to oversee the process. While Daniela was seemingly making some remarkable progress in acclimating to human society and its ways, she was still a tad unstable and sometimes even borderline feral with her volatile personality. Ethan hoped that the following exchange would proceed without a hitch, but he was still prepared to act swiftly if that turned out not to be the case.
Much like she did during the pizza delivery guy's arrival, Daniela adopted a rather neutral visage, with her lips in a thin line and gaze held evenly. After glancing into the door's peephole to confirm the identity of the visitor, Daniela cleared her throat and reached for the doorknob.
With their spots pretty much reversed from when the pizza was delivered, Ethan found himself relegated into an observer role as Daniela opened the door and greeted their visitor with a simple, "Hello."
The groceries delivery guy turned out to be an older, more experienced man than the kid that brought them the pizza. His grayish stubble and the somewhat apathetic look in his brown eyes betrayed the extent of sights the man had seen over the course of his life. He barely spared Daniela's exotic visage a glance before calmly passing her the groceries, then tactfully waited a couple of moments for a potential tip and when it became obvious that Daniela was not about to give any, politely bid them farewell and went on his way.
Daniela waved at him and closed the door. "Well, that wasn't too bad," she offered, turning to Ethan.
The short-lived encounter turned out to be so uneventful that in a way it almost felt anticlimactic to Ethan. Regardless, the man did his best to just count his blessings and move on.
As Daniela rummaged through the grocery bags, Ethan checked his watch. It was nearing seven o'clock, so maybe it was also time for him to go back home, now that his assistance was no longer required. He had already ruined Laura's plans with her friends with his impromptu decision to stick around for an extra hour; he would only look worse in her eyes the longer he delayed. While Ethan didn't take Laura to be a mean-spirited girl who held grudges, he also had no desire to antagonize her if he could avoid it.
"I think it's about time I headed home, as well, Dani." Ethan didn't miss how just a bit of life left Daniela's expressive eyes the moment he spoke these words. Everything she had learnt today would likely prevent her from getting bored in his absence, but none of it could truly replace a living being by your side.
Nevertheless, the redhead demonstrated her agreement with a slight nod, "I suppose so…" She shook her head a little, as if to dismiss the gloomy thoughts, "I've had fun today, Ethie."
"So did I," Ethan eagerly offered, before moving towards the living room to get his stuff. They still had plenty of topics to discuss before Daniela could claim to have a proficiency with modern devices, but the man was certain that what they have gone through today would last her a while. Even a limited understanding of television and internet had the capacity to provide boundless entertainment, though they had yet to breach an important subject of online safety, with Ethan only briefly mentioning that one should exercise a degree of caution whenever performing online payments or even just surfing the internet in general. "Try to avoid visiting websites other than the ones I had shown you today, Dani. The Internet is a much bigger and darker place than it may initially seem."
"Alright," Daniela immediately conceded to Ethan's warning, as she trailed behind him. "I think I'll just watch the television for today - maybe you can teach me more about it all later?"
"Of course!"
Grabbing his stuff, Ethan had to resist a momentary temptation to just dial Laura and tell her that he would be staying here tonight. Neither his body nor mind wanted to leave the aura of warmth and hospitality Daniela radiated today. Despite all the crazy stuff she could do, Ethan found himself genuinely happy to be at her side.
Standing on the other side of the room, the redhead held her hands behind her back as she graced him with a lovely half-smile. Not a trace of the bloodthirsty monster could be seen on her fair face; instead, the pale woman appeared as inviting and friendly as ever.
It was a small challenge in itself to simply tear his eyes off her slender frame and to force his slackening body to move towards the entrance room. "Thank you for having me today, Dani."
"Thank you for such a wonderful gift, Ethie!" the redhead immediately parried and demonstrated her shiny new smartphone before putting it back into her jeans' pocket.
"You're very welcome."
Reaching the entrance, Ethan dressed up and allowed himself out, with Daniela following him through the doorway to properly see him out after slipping into her shoes.
The blonde was about to turn around to bid his gracious host a proper farewell, but an unexpected sight of a particularly majestic natural phenomenon froze him in place for a second.
Sunsets in Valencia never ceased to amaze Ethan with their beauty, and today was no exception. The gentle blanket of puffy clouds stretched as far as an eye could see, and through them the last rays of crimson sun conveyed the warmth and the light of Spanish Winter. The beauty of this picturesque moment was truly dazzling; Daniela coming to stand by his side, utterly enchanted by the stunning sight as well.
Her soft hand suddenly clutched Ethan's own; the five delicate digits taking his remaining three in an affectionate embrace which he returned without a thought.
"So beautiful…" Daniela's passionate whisper sent slight chills running down his spine.
"It is…"
Despite his earlier urge to return home sooner rather than later, Ethan couldn't help but remain fixated in place, with his fingers entwined with Daniela's and his gaze appreciating the undeniable natural beauty before him.
They must have stood under Daniela's house porch for several minutes just like that, with no words being spoken, yet in near-absolute comfort - or so Ethan thought.
This moment was surprisingly emotional for both of them, but apparently much more so for Daniela. The darkness of her past would not let her go so easily, as Ethan recently figured out; it would latch an occasional tendril out in a bid to drag her back down and she was never more vulnerable to them than in such tender, emotional moments.
"Sun is so beautiful, too beautiful… and sometimes… Sometimes I wonder… why?" Daniela muttered unsteadily, while still gazing at the star.
Ethan frowned as he glanced at his companion for this evening. Despite their day going relatively smoothly and them both clearly enjoying it, he could not fail to sense the sorrow emanating from Daniela at this moment. He did not like seeing Daniela sad. "Why… what?"
Her grasp on his hand tightened, becoming almost painful. She was still looking at the sun. A lone tear trickled down her cheek.
"Why would it permit a monster to walk under its light?"
It was all too obvious to whom she was referring to. Moreover, Ethan could immediately tell that this was not some jest about a vampire's common weakness in folklore - the pain in her voice was all too real, as was the pull on his heartstrings from hearing it.
Unable and unwilling to dismiss her tormented query, Ethan turned around to face the redheaded woman, while squeezing her palm with what he hoped would be a comforting force. He intended to cut this miserable train of thought at its stem with his next words. "Come on Dani, you're not a m-"
"But I am!" she cut him off mid sentence, and with such unexpected determination that the man was momentarily thrown for a loop. Daniela wasn't about to let him recover, either, as she swiftly rotated to face him; the dreadful expression of agony in her large eyes further stunning him with its intensity.
She took a step back and forcefully pulled her clenched fists back to her chest. "You have no idea about the extent of atrocities committed by my family. What makes you believe that I even deserve all this beauty… all this kindness?" Ethan couldn't help but swallow from the dark passion that was smoldering in her amber orbs, but she wasn't done, as she peered into his own gray eyes for an answer to an existential question he did not possess. "What makes you believe that I am worthy of this second chance?"
Ethan had no idea from whence such overwhelming despair suddenly came - Daniela was in high spirits mere minutes ago. Regardless, he knew that it was up to him to provide comfort to this broken woman, lest he would risk seeing her shattering for good. But would mere words - any words - be sufficient to drag her out of the pit of depression she found herself in? He still had to try.
"You can't blame yourself for your family's deeds, Dani…"
In hindsight, that was not the best thing to say, but Ethan only realized that once Daniela let out a derisive scoff in response. She took a further step back and her features hardened, as did her voice.
"Don't tell me you're foolish enough to presume that I just stood aside and watched it all happen, Ethan." She solemnly shook her head, before giving him a withering glare. There was not a hint of a previously cheerful woman, with only her haunted shade remaining in front of Ethan now. "I am as much Dimitrescu as my mother and sisters are. I share that name, just as I share the burden that comes with it."
Somehow, Daniela appeared to be far older than her fair features would suggest at that moment in time. It felt as if her eyes betrayed not years but decades of sorrow and cruelty.
She stood firm and straight, staring into his eyes unerringly, challenging him to prove her wrong, if he can. Seeing that Ethan was at a loss for words, she continued herself, in a tone of grim resignation.
"My hands are soaked in the blood of innocents, Ethan; they are drenched in it."
She moved closer to him, and now it was Ethan who couldn't help but take a step back.
"I have beheld countless savage and meaningless deaths; caused many of them myself…" she lifted her chin up and a flash of madness glimpsed across her eyes as she spoke her next, unfathomable words, "...reveled in them."
Ethan was sweating now. This was an aspect of Daniela he did his best to pretend didn't exist, but now the reality just laughed at his feeble attempt to bury the truth. Of course, Ethan suspected all of what she said to be the case, yet he still couldn't find it in himself to despise her.
She was inspecting his face with an inquisitive gaze, as if expecting him to declare her an irredeemable abomination right there and then, but at his continued silence apparently decided to up the ante by once again forcefully grabbing his maimed hand.
"Even your body still bears the mark of my malice - look at it!"
In truth, his whole body was a tapestry of pain, the imperfect regeneration telling vast tales about all the hardships he had undergone. And Daniela herself had left a mark upon it, just like she said.
Swallowing, Ethan did as told and glanced at the faint scar that still remained from four years ago, when Daniela had cruelly put a hook through his palm at her mother's behest. The man couldn't resist a shudder that pulsed through his body from the horrific memory; that wicked smirk that Daniela wore on that awful day could never be forgotten.
She was shaking now. "And despite that; despite all my unforgivable transgressions, you still treat me with kindness and compassion…how?" Daniela squeezed his maimed hand with both of hers now, while tears glistered in her sorrowful eyes. "How, just how can you do that!?"
Ethan had to struggle to not avert his eyes from her grief-stricken expression. It was all but physically painful for the man to see the redhead on a brink of despair like that. That still didn't make answering her query any easier, however.
The ultimate question of whether Daniela Dimitrescu and the rest of her cursed family were beyond redemption or not was something he had already considered, with no definitive answer - not until now, anyway.
Now, as he beheld the breadth of agony on Daniela's visage, the man was able to part the veil that concealed the depth of torment that raged within her soul. He glimpsed the crushing remorse she lived with and knew that guilt forever gnawed on her innards.
Ethan brought his healthy hand to cup Daniela's own, with his expression slowly but steadily recovering from his previous shock, demonstrating his certainty of purpose.
Whatever atrocity Daniela committed in the past, can be left in the past.
Just as he thought that, Ethan was aware of his own flaws as a person. He was not beyond considering that it was his weakness of spirit or his lacking judgment that allowed him to arrive at this juncture.
Perhaps a righteous hero such as Chris Redfield would see Dimitrescus for what they are - a vicious band of murderers with a mountain of corpses behind them. Chris would know that there could be no redemption for sins of that magnitude…only retribution. He would then proceed to carry out their deserved sentence himself, not allowing his personal attachments to color his perception of what was right and just in the world. Impartial and uncorrupted by feelings, he would bring death onto those who deserve it.
But Ethan was not a righteous, selfless hero like Chris. He stubbornly refused to focus on the bigger picture; all his eyes desperately tried to see was the broken individual in front of him. That pale girl that helped him in his biggest hour of need. That violent seductress that returned what was taken from him. That half-crazed, yet indubiously beautiful blood-sucker that went behind her family's back to escort him through the monster-filled dungeons, risking her vile mother's and vengeful priestess' wrath alike - for his sake. Perhaps he would not be here today without her timely aid, and Ethan could never forget or overlook that.
It was that singular, deeply personal episode that colored Ethan's whole take on Daniela. The kindness she had shown to him that day was etched into the forefront of his mind, while the inexcusable malice she demonstrated before that point was left on the periphery. The salvation she offered to just two people somehow matched the damnation she delivered to countless others in Ethan's view. The remorse she demonstrated now tipped the scales.
She deserves a second chance.
Perhaps such a view made Ethan a small-minded man, unable to fully grasp the larger picture of endless horror perpetuated by the Dimitrescu Family.
He didn't care.
Ethan Winters was not some larger-than-life hero like Chris who could condemn the girl in front of him based on the sum of her deeds alone, nor did he want to be such a person. He was just a man who saw a spark of goodness in Daniela's soul, and that's all that mattered to him.
He had no doubts anymore.
With newfound determination Ethan tightened the grasp between their entwined hands. His expression no longer reeked of anxiety, instead adopting a visage of resolve. He knew what he had to say.
"Listen to me carefully now, Daniela."
She looked at him pensively with her teary eyes, but the firm tone of his voice caused some of her shaking to abate.
"We do not get to choose where we are born, or even as what we are born." Ethan softly separated their entwined hands and moved his palms to gently place them on her shoulders.
"We are all but a product of our environment and it is not easy to break through its mold; impossible, sometimes." He could not truly relate to Daniela's upbringing due to his own, somewhat mundane one, but he knew enough people over his lifetime who had escaped oppressive households to forge their own destinies. It was never a simple path to walk, but few - if any - had it as difficult as Daniela, Ethan wagered.
"You are what you are, because you were never given an opportunity to become something, someone else… you never had any real say in how to live your own life, have you..?"
Shaking her head so very slightly, Daniela stared at him wide-eyed, never expecting to be on the receiving end of such compassion. Ethan took a moment to wipe a single tear off her cheek with his index finger, before continuing, "...until now."
Ethan spoke from the heart and he could see that Daniela felt it. A small part of him contemplated that she could've forged her own opportunity, but it was quickly stifled by common sense. A dependent, cold-sensitive and blood-hungry organism like Daniela could've never escaped an isolated and brainwashed settlement such as the one Miranda had ruled over, not without meaningful outside assistance.
"Now…" Ethan let out a small sigh as he prepared to deliver the essential point behind that whole monologue.
"You are free to make your own choices, Daniela Dimitrescu."
He might have been more dramatic than he normally was, but the situation called for it and the effect it had on Daniela herself was undeniable.
"My own choices…" she mumbled, with the spark of life slowly but surely returning to her molten gold gaze.
Ethan squeezed her shoulders and nodded. "That's right. You are the only one who decides how you're going to live from now on." He tilted his head to the left, "Do you go back to your old ways and hurt people to get what you want?" and then to the right, "Or do you leave your past behind and accept that others have just as much right to life and happiness as you do?"
To drive the point home, Ethan leaned forward until their foreheads touched, "The past is done, but the future is all up to you now, Dani."
From her expression Ethan could tell that his words had an effect. It certainly helped that he believed what he was saying himself - nothing he spoke was just some empty platitude with no real meaning behind it.
"I don't wanna hurt anyone anymore…" the redhead muttered, while staring into Ethan's eyes.
The man responded with a genuine smile. "Then I want you to know that I'll support you in any way I can going forward, Dani. I owe you that much."
Daniela started to tear up again. "Oh, Ethan…" she gasped out before burying her face in his neck and wrapping her arms around his back. In turn, Ethan was quick in reciprocating the gesture by allowing his own arms to soothingly coil around her slender body, while his chin rested among her fiery locks.
Even as he gently caressed her back, Ethan knew that it would take more than mere words and hugs to truly break the hold Daniela's past had on her. It would take a dedicated and uninterrupted support system to allow her to move past the violent impulses and dark memories that made up her formative years. It was an enormous commitment, perhaps too large for him to tackle, yet Ethan had no doubt in his mind that it was worth a try.
In his warm embrace, Daniela was crying freely now, but Ethan knew that such things had to be let out from time to time. Bottling emotions would eventually lead to them spilling over, after all. "There there, let it all out, sweetheart."
Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the inappropriate way he held this woman now, considering his marital status; or the way he addressed her with a term of endearment normally reserved only for his wife and child. He found himself not caring as he held the person that was going through so much, while also taking the moment to reflect on the strange day itself.
This was a strange day, all in all, filled with peculiar moments. Genuine joy, wonder of discovery, spontaneous lust, subtle intimacy, soothing touches, harrowing despair and newfound hope - it had it all, and Ethan also needed time to properly process it.
They stood like that for a while, still under Daniela's porch, uncaring of the few passerbys that gave them weird looks.
By the time Daniela regained her composure, the sun was all but gone and the chilly evening wind let itself be known by causing her to shudder even through her warm hoodie and jeans.
Now, Ethan had originally wanted to bid the woman a farewell and be on his way home, but there was no way he would be leaving the vulnerable redhead alone tonight.
Ethan knew full well that such deep trauma could easily break even through the most inspiring words, if allowed to fester in darkness and solitude. It was vital for Daniela to know that she was not alone, and that somebody cared about her well-being. Misery was a powerful foe, not one meant to be faced by yourself.
However, he could not leave Rose alone either, nor demand Laura to spend the night there. That really left only one option for tonight's sleeping arrangements…
Gently pulling back from her embrace, Ethan placed his hand under her chin and softly lifted her head up. Their gaze connected once more and Ethan could see the maelstrom of feelings and thoughts that swirled around her large eyes. Uncertainty and hope alike were all but etched into her expressive face.
"How about spending the night with us tonight, Dani?"
Daniela smiled, a beautiful and genuine smile that caused a peculiar swirly feeling to develop in Ethan's stomach.
"I'd love that very much."
Author's Note: Hello, everybody! I do apologize for the delay, but I was feeling unwell for a while, with little enthusiasm for writing or even reading :( Thankfully, I am feeling better now, and I hope this chapter was at least somewhat worth the wait!
As befitting our erratic redhead, this chapter was all over the place in terms of mood and it is commendable of Ethan to go along with the flow without being utterly swept by it. I've wanted to broach the subject of Dimitrescus' sins for a while now, so Daniela, feeling unworthy of all the beauty and compassion, initiated that hard discussion herself. This is as hard a topic as is it necessary, but at the end of the day, I believe that everyone has their own opinions on whether Dimitrescus deserve a second chance or not. Anyway, I do hope that it at least clears some air when it comes to Ethan himself here, and also shows that he views Chris as some larger-than-life figure (which is obviously not the case).
As always, thanks for reading! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask and remember that I welcome all forms of constructive feedback here! :) Stay safe and warm out there!