Taylor was excited after taking a tour of his new home, it was more then he imagined. All the statues everywhere kind of gave it a museum feel to it, Taylor felt like he needed to sit on his hands to stop from breaking anything. It will be a feeling that will pass he was sure but it was there in his mind. Moving in to the place was easy since it was furnished all he had to do was walk in with clothes he wore and all that could be stored in old pale blue gym bag with a faded cougar on the side. Taylor walked in to the house, which appeared to be empty at the moment, and to his room he had selected and placed his bag on the floor with his foot slide it under the bed. He would have to find a safer place for that later but for now under the bed was good. With the door open to the room open he fell back with his arms out stretched onto the bed and sighed "AW home."
Alexi had been forewarned by Steven not to mess around with any of his precious statues. Not like the Italian would, the things were so commonplace in Milan, Italy and the tiny village outside the city that he hailed from that they were mostly ignored as he began his move-in. No time like the present to begin, especially since he had the studio to get ready, and meet with Declan about the receptionist job.
He had bought some new things from Target, which was his new "favorite" place to shop, such as a new shower curtain, a clock, egyptian cotton towels, washcloths, and personal items. His favorite color was blue, like the Meditteranean Sea that surrounded Italy. So it was likely he would have picked some new bedding in 400 count Egyptian cotton, sheets, new pillows, pillowcases and comforter set.
He had to make several trips in from his Fiat Cabriolet, which was packed full of stuff, including his cappuchino/espresso maker, and other items he deemed as necessities like pictures of his family, that had been left at his former house. It would be a change from living alone, but it was better than being awakened at 3AM by a disembodied voice, or seeing black masses take human form in the corner of his bedroom. No, Steven's home had a tranquil feeling to it, thought the psychic medium.
He was placing the espresso/cappuchino maker on the counter in the kitchen, when he sensed he wasn't alone in the house. Leaving items on the bed in his room, he ventured down the hallway to where the other five bedrooms were. There was a guy laying on the bed, with a look of satisfaction on his face. "Um, hallo?" he said, clearing his throat to get Taylor's attention. For the moment, Alexi was confused. Had Steven said there would be another roommate?
He very well might have, and Alexi must've been concentrating on the opening of the studio. Then it dawned on him that the new guy must be the Taylor that Steven had mentioned to him. Alexi suddenly felt stupid, for having forgotten all about it. "My name is'a Alessandro Bellarmine. My friends call me Alexi. I guess I should say, Welcome Home, room mate." the dancer said with a smile.
Taylor stared contently up at the ceiling clearing his mind of the past month, all that hell was gone and if it was left up to him would never come up again. The long nights the rat chattering under his bed, and the unsavory types coming and going all hours it was all gone now. This city he was a new person and could start over. Hearing the hello he lifted his head from the bed and looked up . He really must of been out of it to not of heard anyone approach. With a hop he was on his feet this must of been the other roommate geez he was tall and built what did this guy do for a living. Taylor had seen muscle heads before, hell younger a couple of the weight room guys would pick on him, but this was different for sure Standing in front of Alexi you would see a male in his late 20’s wearing sandals, well worn jeans, black t-shirt and old army green surplus jacket. “Oh hi, you must be the other roommate. My name is Taylor. I just moved in. Can you belive this place I mean hell this view is amazing” Getting closer you may notice his hands his right palm the skin looks darker then the rest of his body and has several scars running across it where the left is the complete opposite brighter coloring and silky smooth almost as if that hand has never seen a hard days work in his life. “Are you just now moving in also? If ya need a hand I’m free.”
"Nice a'ta meet you, Taylor." he said in a thick Italian accent, as the startled young man sat up suddenly. Alexi hadn't meant to scare him. He had a hell of an aura though. There were sunbursts on his hands, from what Alexi could see. Something with a lot of power was using this guy as a vessel.
"I think I have most'a my stuff unpacked now. I just need to set it up, but thanks Taylor." Like make up the bed, and place his clock and lamps where they needed to go. "It is peaceful here, and I like'a the view as well. I picked a room where I can'a see the garden. Reminds me of Italy." said Alexi.
Alessandro was a big boy alright, but he was no muscle head. He had a dancer's physique. Lithe, and finely muscled, he practiced for 5 hours a day, until he got his studio off the ground, the waiting list was growing daily and soon the Alessandro Bellarmine School of Dance would be running full tilt. Noticing the way Taylor looked at him, Alexi told him what he did for a living.
"I'm a Cavalier, or male ballet dancer. I am opening a studio here in the lower Garden District for the underprivileged that wish to learn to dance. I am an Ambassador for UNICEF, it is through a grant with'a them that I am able to teach the childrens about ballet."
"What about you, Taylor. What'a you do?" queried Alexi.
Taylor watched Alexi eyes as he spoke and noticed them go to his cursed hands, he hated when people saw them. With a shrug of his shoulder he slid his hands into his pockets and nodded his head listening to Alexi Italian ascent. “That’s pretty cool, i’ve never really seen a real ballet. So you like spin on your toes and do like jumps and splits and everything?” His face makes a grimace at the part about splits. “Your far from home how long have you been in the states your English is pretty good.” “Well for me I’ve only been in town for 2 days I’m originally from Chattanooga, TN.” Memories slowly filled his head of a home he left, for the good of the people he loved, and a small frown showed on his face then goes away. “I’m currently looking for work but I'm hoping to hear back from a flower shop I just saw. I’ve always liked plants and flowers so much easier then people some times.” And if you hurt them their is no great loss, not like people. Looking around the room he smiled. “Man I need to get some shopping done unless I plan to sleep on just a mattress tonight know of any cool places around town hopefully in walking distance, I don't have a car so public transportation or my two feet for me.”
Taylor's hands slid into the pockets of his cargo shorts, but it didn't matter for Alexi wasn't looking at his hands, per se. He was looking at the glow of his aura through his hands. Smiling at Taylor, he casually leaned in the doorway of his room, dressed in a plain black T-shirt and a pair of Armani Exchange jeans. His feet had on a pair of leather sandals, with the toes in.
Amused by all the questions about his dancing, Alexi answered Taylor. "I can do a grand jete, which is the leap you speak about. I stand on pointe, which is on my toes, and can do pirouettes, which are spins. And yes, I can do a split, but you have to be very in control of your muscles and relax them completely, or you'll pull or tear one. I've been dancing ballet since I was about'a five years old."
He didn't mention the fact that he nearly died from a fall from an olive tree and that was how he got this very strange power to see auras and spirits, human and inhuman ever since that time. The topic wasn't brought up, and Alexi didn't mention it. Not unlike a dirty secret, he just found others thinking he was out of his fucking mind or something when he started channeling all of a sudden, and his voice changed to that of a spirit wanting conversation with the living.
Alexi laughed, and said, "Can you'a believe I haven't been in America for six month. I have never been here before, but I always wanted to visit." He had danced with the Joffrey Ballet in New York, and then to New Orleans to start his Ambassadorship for UNICEF after that, so he really felt his English was weak, compared to the other languages he could speak. "I am better speaking Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French."
Ruffling his dark curls with his fingers, he listened to Taylor speak about being a florist. "Oh good! I love flowers, my Mama had a garden with roses in it. You will bring some home, yes?" asked Alexi excitedly. Anything that reminded him of home was a plus, and if it was flowers, even better. "I'll even pay you for some fresh roses, to bring them to me."
As far as he was concerned, his Fiat Cabriolet was emptied out. But it didn't mean he couldn't fill it up again. "I have a car, maybe I can'a take you to Target. It'a big store with lots of red in it. I bought my things for my room from there. Very cheap. You come'a with me there, Taylor." Alexi wouldn't take no for an answer. His new room mate would get the opportunity to see how a true Italian drove on the streets of New Orleans.
Leaning against the bed Taylor listened intently as Alexi named off the proper terms for the ballet moves and trying in vain to log them in his brain. With a laugh “That amazing I can't think of anything I’ve done since I was 5, except for maybe playing Nintendo, I can play a mean game of Super Mario Brothers.”
Taylor’s face went slack in shock as Alexi listed off all the languages he spoke, and not for the first time in his life he cursed his public schooling. He had always wanted to see the world but always had a reason to put it off with the old saying of oh next year for sure. “To be honest it sounds good to me man.”
Smile came to his face as Alexi talked with such passion of flowers and of home, it was good to hear another man speak highly of flowers like he did. “Well ya i’ll see what I can do if I get this job, and I was planning on running it by Steven to make sure it was okay with him but I wanted to start growing some out back as well.” Maybe that would be a good place for the bag under a rose bush he thought, he’d have to get a large heavy duty garbage bag and think about that.
Taylor smiled at the mention of a car, but also thought of all the stories he had herard from friends concerning drivers over in Europe. They couldn’t all be true.....could they. “Target, ya I guess better then Wal-Mart that’s for sure. Let me just write up a quick list and I’ll meet ya in the living room in say 10 min, and well head out. Oh and you can call me Sticks, all my friends do mainly cause of my willowy frame”
After Alexi leaves Taylor slides out the bag and unzips it pulling out the Sig p250 pistol and placed it on the bed. He counted out 400 bucks in twenty's and slid it into his pocket. Putting the pistol back in the bag he slid it back under into darkest shadow he could find. Stood up and wrote out a simple shopping list of items he would need and at least 4 days worth of new clothes he could get more later. Turned with his list in his hand and walked out to the living room to go for a ride with his new roommate.
The owner of the house came home, and just missed the Fiat leaving. "Garage." And the door trundled it's way open. Parking the green beamer, he got out, and went in the house, closing the garage door with another word of command.
The house was feeling positively cozy with more people now there, even if they didn't have a ton of stuff. He poured himself a white russian, and headed upstairs. He really wanted to get out of his monkey suit. Carefully putting the suit on hangers, he then dressed himself in some tattered jeans and a simple white tshirt. He went back downstairs, and into the smoking lounge, lighting a cigarette as soon as he was inthe door and the exhaust fan kicked in.
He didn't know where his new roommates were at the moment, but that really didn't matter. They would be around when they were around, and he'd be able to observe them then. Not that he was a weirdo or anything, he just wanted to see how they acted in a casual environment, to make sure they weren't nuts like a squirrel.
