Valencia unboxing day

outfit

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Someone had left a pile of cardboard boxes on the curbside. They were of course flattened and folded, very purposefully placed in what one might assume was the correct designated space for garbage pickup. It did not strike Simon as litter. Only treasure!

Cardboard was a magnificent material. Durable, sustainable, pliable, and most importantly; movable. He was in need of more for his garden, as the plants he thought would maintain themselves through the cold were doing poorly this time around. It took an exhaustive amount of effort to make things grow when they would otherwise die. It was much easier with a bit of help.

So he was helping himself, assuming that whoever had left the boxes was no longer in need of them. Gathering them up under one arm, he pinned the boxes to his ribs, making certain none of it had succumbed to moisture or street wear.

He was nearly done when the section of side walk he stood upon became suddenly filled with light. Straightening, Simon glanced to the window of the building before him, which had been covered from the inside with brown paper. One corner seemed to have come un-taped, allowing the paper to curl away and expose the lower left quadrant of the glass.

He’d not bothered to notice until now that the lights were on inside. And, there were signs posted to the doors and windows, advertising… oh! What was this!

An apothecary?!

Simon rushed forward, forgetting the boxes in his arms until he found himself stumbling to a knee before the window. Placing the cardboard to the side on the concrete, Simon leaned in to peer through the exposed bit of window, lifting an arm to wipe away stray bits of snow from the sill. His face filled the space that the paper had peeled away from, allowing him to peer inside the half-finished shop. And right up into the face of the proprietor inside.

Hilargi was in the to-be apothecary, trying to imagine its interior. It had been a long while since she last ran a shop. This would certainly be a more modern attempt at selling various herbs and potion-making supplies. Things any witch would be interested in adding to their altar. Less a pharmacy, she supposed, in the modern-day sense but an alternate place for traditional healing practices and magic to flourish.

Hilargi was sweeping when she caught a shadow on the other side of the window. It was a face peering into her new sanctuary. One she did not yet feel was vampiric in nature.

Hilargi unlocked the front door and poked her head outside in the cold.

"Hello, can I help you?" She asked politely, a friendly smile on her lips as she finally registered what he was. Hmmm.

Oh! Simon blinked at the figure on the other side of the glass. Then, she was gone. Only for a moment, before the door beside the window opened. Simon started, straightening in the spine as he turned too quickly.

“Oh!”His knee caught on one of the flattened boxes, bringing it out from beneath him, and onto his rear end atop the pile.

Hands falling back to prop himself up, Simon grinned up at the face of the stranger in the door. ”Hello!” He said, is if he were not splayed out like a fool on his rump. “Are these your boxes?”

Down he went, seemingly startled by her appearance! Hilargi stifled a chuckle and glanced at the boxes.

"They were but you may have them, stranger." She cocked her head to one side.

"My apologies for startling you." Though he had been the one peering into her place, technically.

Aha! He had assumed correctly! Her trash once, his treasure now. With her blessing, he’d take the cardboard and put it to good use. She was kind, even apologetic. And, he realized with a jolt, just as alive as he was!

”I thought I startled you!” Simon countered with a chuckle, and began the process of gathering all of his gangly limbs back underneath him. Soon he was up again, though he immediately bent to gather the boxes.

”Forgive me, I was only excited to find another apothecary!” He tacked on. It had been many centuries since he’d truly practiced, but at his heart, that was what he was. What he had trained to be with such diligence in his life-after-life. Though, his definition of such a thing might be something entirely different to her.

Another apothecary?

"Is there one in the area already?" You know, besides a modern pharmacy? Or did he mean another store that served magical remedies and potions? An apothecary in the traditional sense of the word with herbal ointments and herbs, alongside magical healer powers, of course.

Still, his interest and enthusiasm was met with a warm smile.

He laughed, because the answer was, “Yes! Just here!” As he pointed at the ground he stood upon.

“Though, I am some centuries out of practice.” He conceded with a tilt of his head. The bluntness with which he addressed their shared condition was lost on him. No matter if she quite wished to address it or not.

Hilargi smiled softly, warmed considerably by his enthusiasm. She noticed something else about him as she considered what he said -- he belonged to a clutch. How interesting. She wondered which one, as at least two areas she'd noticed were claimed in town. She'd have to be careful about any of her own desires to start a new coven.

"Why don't you come in? It's not much so far, but you can take a look around if you'd like?" Better than talking so openly on the street.

Why! He hadn’t expected such forward hospitality. If he were cleverer, perhaps he would have had the mind to even be cautious about it! But, he only saw kindness and not the potential that anyone could have ill intentions. This was simply a woman he thought he would very much like to befriend, and she seemed amiable to that!

”Oh, I didn’t mean to impose!” He said for the sake of politeness, though he was already moving toward the door. ”But I should like to see it!” He would certainly keep visiting, too!

"It's not an imposition, I'm inviting you in." Hilargi smiled and held the door open for him to step inside.

The shop was still in disarray. Boxes of products were lining one of the walls to the right. Furniture she'd ordered from IKEA (a ghastly place she avoided by ordering online), along with some relics of her own in another corner. A broom and dustpan next to an old, weathered counter that she planned on touching up herself when she had time, with a few books on magic stacked on top. Old editions, mainly for her own records than to sell to anyone.

It was a bit of a fixer-upper, but Hilargi was proud of it already.

A very kind gesture. Invitations, after all, were quite important to vampires. Though this was not her home, he imagined it was just a special a place. A manifestation of one’s passion!

”I can tell it will be wonderful!” He said of the disarray. He could almost see her vision! He walked into the center of the space, still toting the cardboard beneath his arm as he turned in place. Once he’d rotated to face her, Simon blinked as if he’d just now seen the woman for the firs time. ”What is your name?”

It was very kind, and Hilargi, too, believed it would be wonderful once the space was set-up and ready to go.

She smiled softly and met his gaze, unafraid. Besides, it wasn't like he could suggest her if he wanted to. Not that she thought he did.

"Hilargi Ibaiguren," She told him with ease. "And you are?"

Oh! What a delightful name. It was almost like a song! He dedicated the sound of it to his memory, intent on remembering how precisely she pronounced it.

“Wonderful,” He remarked, then strode to extend a hand of greeting, ”My name is Simon Radley.” Oh, why did he not introduce himself in full more often! It sounded quite impressive, if he dared to say so himself. If she took his hand, he would give her knuckles a gentlemanly squeeze as he dipped his head in a courtly bow.

Perhaps made less impressive by how the boxes he held jabbed her gently in the leg as he did so.

A man of her era perhaps. If not, older. Hilargi smiled at the courtly bow as he squeezed her hand and offered a bow of her own head in turn.

"Pleasure, Simon Radley. I'd offer you something to drink but, uh, I don't quite have this place stocked up on blood just yet." She offered a playful smirk and instead gestured for him to sit down on the only stool in the space, if he desired. She would take a seat opposite him on one of the boxes.

Hilargy was an incredibly hospital woman! Simon smiled appreciatively even as he waved his hands reassuringly, “Not to worry!” He kept himself very well fed! He even had alarm clocks for it. He dreaded to even risk letting himself wither again. Blessed Catrina had saved him from being ashes!

As she offered the stool, he shook his head in polite declination. It felt rude to sit above her while she sat on a box! Of course he could not tell her where to sit, but he remained standing, and returned to casting his gaze around the room, “What all will you sell? Will you offer healing remedies?” Easy to bombard her with questions, he had so many!

He was more than welcome to stand if that's what he preferred. Hilargi, meanwhile, leaned back on the box and took in the space at the same time as him. It wasn't much really but it would be fantastic. As he asked the question, she tilted her head and hummed a little.

"Yes. We'll offer healing services as well. I'm a healer," She explained. "It's been a long time since I've opened my services up to the public but I am looking forward to getting to know the community."

Simon considered himself to be quite the unique individual. A chronic affliction, in fact. It made it quite difficult at times to find anyone whom mirrored his interests and investments. Hilgari’s practice seemed a touch different from his, but he was nevertheless delighted to find someone with whom he could identify.

A healer, she claimed. Not a doctor or physician. Instead, context seemed to imply it was a more holistic form of medicine. Or, perhaps, magical! ”You and I are alike. I have served as a medic in every clutch I’ve belonged to!” Though, not Rhiannon just yet. He had not been confident in Catrina’s trust in him. He wished to prove to her his intention to stay this time.

”Though, I suspect you’ve got a lighter touch. Is your healing practical or magical?” Perhaps a combination! He was limited to his knowledge of herbal medicine, and a textbook understanding of biology and orthopedics.

A medic! Now that was interesting. Hilargi wondered if he was the medic in his current clutch.

"Magical, though I'd say I have some experience with practical healing remedies as well though many were used hundreds of years ago. Not as much today. At least here."

A beat and then, perhaps against her better judgment considering he was already in a clutch, Hilargi asked:

"Are you looking for work?"

He suspected as much! How wonderful, the gift of health and healing. To be able to take someone’s pain from them with only a touch of the hand. He envied it, truly.

The question surprised him! Simon was always looking. For nothing in particular, for everything at once, for something new and unexpected. Something like this!

”Are you in need of help?” He volleyed back with an eager grin.

"We are hiring, yes," Hilargi smiled back, meeting his gaze for no other reason than it was polite to do so.

"So far it is just my daughter and me but we're looking for clerks and people with a more specialized interest as well."

She wondered what he could do.

Hiring! Goodness, a job. How long had it been since he had been employed by somebody? Certainly it had been no one like Hilargi before. And her daughter, whom he was mildly surprised and exceedingly delighted to hear of. So many people lost precious things like children when they were turned into a vampire. He thought briefly of his sons, but he could not remember their faces.

”I think I can be of much use to you, Ms Hilargi.” He concluded, ”While you heal with your magic, I can grow plants with mine!” He lifted his palms to her, wiggling his fingers like spindly beanstalks.

Oh. Oh dear. Hilargi’s heart sunk a little in her chest, though she smiled sentimentally at the thought of someone with plant magic. Just like-

"I knew someone once whose magic was based in plants. It’s a gift." Her smile softened a little, and she moved on quickly from the subject.

"I think you’d make an excellent addition to our growing roster of employees." She stood then, and stretched out her hand again to shake his. "We can draw up some paperwork soon, if that works for you?"

There was something that happened across Hilargi's face, and Simon watched it with present interest. A memory! He was a reminder of someone she had once known. The way she spoke about them with such past tense, he wondered if the individual still lived. She didn't elaborate! He was delighted nevertheless to discover yet another commonality between himself and Hilargi.

How invigorating, to have a change of circumstance so suddenly appear before him! How eager he was to dive headlong into this diverging path. Always, he would say yes to something new. Moving in a singular trajectory for too long made him feel... terrified!

His smile was positively jubilant as he took her hand, shaking it with finality. And to think he had only been rummaging through her garbage minutes earlier!

"Yes. I will treat it as an honor." He promised. Then firmly squeezed her hand before letting it go to gesture about the small space. "Now, put me to work. We have a lot to do!"

Hilargi shook his hand, smiling as she did so. It seemed he wanted to start right away, and she was happier for the help.

"That we do. Welcome, Simon."

She smiled softly, grateful to have someone so kind helping her at the shop. Hopefully, Itxaro would understand.