Trust In Me (Costin)

[Jesse]

Progress was definitely being made.

He as branching out, meeting new people, this was good; this was very, very good. He made a note to write home to mother about how well his endeavours were going. He still carried his very useful book around with him but he found that he was checking it less and less now. Mostly because he had a great deal of it memorised now.

“Not now Elliot,” said Jesse, apparently to his orange and yellow scarf which he had wrapped around his neck, “We are about to make a new friend.”

He had already locked eyes on his target. He had a somewhat ‘ennui’ filled expression on his face and looked like just the sort of chap that might appreciate a bit of company. Time to initiate Operation Make Friends.

Step one; Wave. Jesse waved, slower than was really acceptable which gave it a sort of eerie look.

Step two: Smile…was he showing too much teeth again? Was he smiling with his eyes, smising? That was sometimes a problem.

Step three: Have a good opening line.

“Hello there, what is your opinion on reptiles?”

[Costin Dracula]

People didn't just walk up to Costin and smile and wave. Especially not when he had just come out of a shop and was inspecting his receipt to be sure the cashier hadn't shortchanged him. He hated it when people cheated him out of money that was rightfully his.

But he looked up in surprise when someone approached, and his immediate reaction was to take a step back as the other young man waved, smiling in a sort of odd way that made Costin wonder if he wasn't looking for a meal. Then he spoke, and...well, that was not at all what Costin was expecting him to say. Reptiles? His opinion?

"Pardon?" he said, confused. Surely that couldn't have actually been what he said. "Reptiles?" He had definitely said reptiles, there was no getting around that. Costin supposed he could have misheard, it could have been "roof tiles" or "erectile" but neither of those made any more sense. "I suppose I have no strong opinions on reptiles. I don't dislike them. I could get along with a snake, I think."

[Jesse]

He wasn’t going to count the step back as a setback. Jesse had sort of called out to him out of nowhere and that was enough to surprise anyone, it didn’t necessarily mean that the other guy didn’t want to talk to him; it just meant that he had been surprised. Yes, this was still progress, this was good. Besides the other guy had answered his question, mostly people just said ‘ have to go now’ and ran away but he had actually stopped and answered. And what an answer it was.

“Really,” said Jesse with an excited grin, “well sir, today is your lucky day.”

Jesse reached up and gently pulled off his red and orange scarf…which wasn’t a scarf at all really…it was a snake. He held it up to the other guy, so that the head of the snake was facing him at eye level and said, “This is Elliot, he’s a cottonmouth. And I’m Jesse Summer-LeGume, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

[Costin Dracula]

His lucky day. Clearly not, considering he had not had the presence of mind to walk away from this conversation before it had started. That was not lucky in the slightest, Costin thought, far too late, as the blonde boy reached up and unwrapped an actual snake from around his neck.

Now, it didn't hurt that Costin had always thought that if he had a pet at all, it should be a snake. They weren't obnoxious, they had no fur to shed all over your clothes or get on your rug, they weren't loud, and much like Costin himself, they seemed to mostly want to be left alone. And they could live a few decades, which was nice for someone like Costin who planned to be around for quite a long time. So when Jesse held up the snake, Costin didn't flinch, he just looked a little surprised, and then a little confused. It wasn't every day someone walked up to you on the street and introduced you to a snake and themselves at the same time.

"I'm Costin," he said, and for perhaps the first time, he realized that he very much did not need to provide his last name along with that. Not because he didn't want to share the information with this odd boy, but because he just didn't feel that he needed the gravitas his father's family name provided. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, and you, Elliot." Elliot. What a curious name for a...wait...."Sorry, did you say cottonmouth? Like the poisonous sort?"

[Jesse]

“Yes, indeed,” said Jesse excitedly, “I see you know your snakes Costin.”

It was very rarely he met anyone that had the same interests as himself. He had been lucky the other day when he had met John in the park who at least seemed to enjoy fire and spiders, now he had met Costin who knew about snakes. Truly this had been an excellent idea.

“The pain from the bite is more severe than copperheads but less painful than rattlesnakes, although Elliot tries his best. It’s venom destroys tissue and on occasion those who are bitten by one require amputation. ” he said smiling, “although…I’m sure you already knew that. Would you like to hold him?”

[Costin Dracula]

Costin honestly didn't know that much about snakes, but he knew the names of several of the poisonous ones. Rattlesnakes. Copperheads. Cottonmouths. Cobras. Those sorts. He couldn't say he'd ever met one, or had any special desire to do so, and yet here he was, face to face with one.

"I would prefer to avoid amputation, if possible," he said, a little warily. "How do you keep him from biting you? I will hold him if you can ensure that I will not end up less one arm for my trouble."

He shoved his receipt and the little bag he had gotten from the shop into one of the deeper pockets of his coat, so his hands were free for snake-holding if it turned out that was happening. "May I ask where you met Elliot?"

[Jesse]

“Oh I make sure that I keep him well fed and that I spend as much time with him as possible so that he’s gotten used to me,” said Jesse nodding, “I think he believes that I am his snake ally now. Either that or a tree that moves and sometimes feeds him. However, do not worry, if he did not like you he would have bitten you by now, and I always make sure to carry around and antidote just in case.”

Jesse passed Elliot into the outstretched hands of Costin and smiled as the snake stuck out it’s tongue to give a little lick of Costin…savoured it…and then decided to proceed to wind itself around one of his arms. Jesse gave a little nod of approval and said, “see, he likes you.”

As he kept an eye on Elliot he said, “oh I met him in the forest one day when he was a very little snake, he’s still fairly young, so he should get a little longer in the next year or so. There was a bird that was looking to make a meal of him and I chased it off, poor little guy, and we’ve been together ever since.”

Looking at Costin he smiled cheerily and asked, “do you have any pets?”

[Costin Dracula]

His snake ally....right, of course. That made complete sense. Except not, at all. Costin was marginally reassured to hear that the snake apparently liked him, but less relieved that Jesse was so certain of that fact. That sounded like the voice of experience, if Costin wasn't mistaken.

"How often does he dislike someone?" he asked, holding his hands very still as the snake licked him. Well. That was different. Oh, and now it was wrapping itself around his arm. That was certainly a treat. He kept telling himself that, as if that would keep him calm in the event that the snake decided they were not, in fact, the best of friends, and thought it might eat him instead.

"I do not have any pets," he shook his head, working up the nerve to turn his arm so that he could see Elliot's little face again. "Although interestingly, I have always thought that if I were to acquire one, I would like it to be a snake. Perhaps not a venomous one, though, I don't believe I'm qualified to raise one of these little fellows. I must say, you make it sound very simple, not at all as complicated as I would have imagined. Are you an animal handler of some sort by trade?"

[Jesse]

“Well, there are some people that are a little nervous of him, I think he picks up on that and it makes him uncomfortable to he gives them a little nip to let them know not to worry,” said Jesse sympathetically, “however, I am afraid that I do not think Elliot is aware of just how dangerous those little nips are…however…you seem very relaxed.”

Elliot raised his head a little to look at Costin’s arm, clearly trying to decide where to go next, briefly glancing at him before deciding to travel up over his shoulders.

“Snakes make wonderful pets,” said Jesse as he spoke about his preferred pet, “perhaps you could get a constrictor? Do you have an aversion to dead mice?”

Jesse smiled, pleased at Costin’s assessment of him, “unfortunately no I am not, I’ve just read a lot about them. I find them fascinating.”

[Costin Dracula]

Costin. Relaxed. What an idea. In all the time he had been forced to interact with humans and participate in all their strange societal settings and ideas, he was not sure anyone had ever accused him of being laid-back or particularly relaxed. Certainly not more than any other human. But...well, he wasn't going to argue it in this case, because apparently being relaxed was the condition for not getting bitten by a venomous snake out of anxiety.

He lifted both arms slowly as Elliot passed around up over his shoulders, extending his hands so that the snake would have options if he wanted to go in either direction. "I have no aversion to dead anything," he assured Jesse, and wasn't that the truth. "I think I would like a snake, actually." He was also starting to enjoy very much the idea of walking around with a snake. Unless he went up to people and initiated conversations like Jesse had just done (which was unlikely for him), people would probably leave him alone more than they already did. It was an excellent plan, really, and he wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it or something similar before. It didn't even have to be a snake, it could be a spider or a giant hissing cockroach or something of that sort.

But he was really starting to enjoy the snake idea. He glanced to the side, towards Elliot's little face. "Hello, little Elliot," he said, then turned back to Jesse. "What are you studying?" he asked. "Do you want to do something with animals when you're done here?"