singinghuntress | IC Inbox: Duplicity

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"They were. Ma and Pa were the best I could have hoped to be with." He nods to her as he smiles softly. "People can surprise you, but I think sometimes they need a helping hand, a guide to show them the way out of the darkness, and into the light." He shrugs.

Maybe.

He grins as he watches her, chuckling. "Oh yes? I am curious to know what those are." He has not told her everything yet, and he will, in time, he thinks, but sometimes it is fun to go slow.

He nods slowly. "Did you choose to?" He is curious and not judging. He wants to know more about her. She is fascinating.

He nods at her last words, chuckling ruefully. "I know this pain. The never-ending control, the never-ending caution. I once described it as living in a world full of tissue paper."

He spreads his hands, and sighs.

"Sometimes. I find to often zhere are people zhat refuse zhat guiding hand und vould razher be lost in zhe depraved darkness zhat zhey create." Rip may have a little experience with that kind of person. Fifty years worth of experience that had her caught up along with the rest of them.

In a way, arriving in Duplicity when she did might have saved her in a really, strange and unusual sense. It definitely gave her the opportunity to meet others that helped turn her life around.

"Eventually, I might show you. Once ve get to know each ozher a bit better." Some of the things she can do really aren't for the faint of heart and some are simply down right private or she's not quite sure how to do them just yet.

As for whether she chose this though? She taps the side of her teacup for a moment before taking a sip. She takes her time savoring her tea before nodding a response. "I did. I chose to be zhis twice. Zhe first time back home und a second time here vhen zhings aligned to correct zhe previous mistakes." Someday, she might explain that further to him, just not tonight.

"Zhat.. sounds like a surprisingly accurate vay to describe it. Zhough for a vampire, you also haf temptation added into zhe mix. Humans are usually our primary food source." So she was more or less, a wolf living among the sheep.

"I understand." he grins at her and raises his tea in salute to her, as he listens. She impresses him, with her thoughts and her words. He likes her style and her way of carrying herself and he nods as he speaks again.

"To getting to know each other."

He sips his tea, then nods slowly.

"I can't imagine how hard that must be to deal with, with temptation everywhere."

She smiles slightly as he salutes her as she just keeps sipping her tea. Somehow, she got the impression that getting to know him was going to be quite the adventure. "To getting to know each ozher~."

After a few more sips of her tea, she sets down her cup and considers the cheesecake for a moment or two. "You could say zhat. It iz like valking around a vorld filled vith delightful deserts but, being unable to taste zhem." It's a strange comparison but, it might help put some things into perspective at just how difficult it can be sometimes.

"Zhough, I find zhat zhere are more zhan a few people here vith a..vampire fetish. It keeps me fed vithout resorting to violence or hunting. Zhe blood bags from Haven also helps on occasion."

He was drinking his tea as he listened to her, watching her, and nodded.

"I cannot say I have such a fetish. My own feelings toward such things are... it depends on the individual. Some are more delightful than others and make one entertain ideas."

A little teasing there as he sips his tea.

"Would you care for some of that sweet... cheesecake?"

She smirks a little at the tease. "Hopefully I'm one of zhe ones zhat make you entertain such ideas. I'm told my bite can be heavenly vhen I vish it to be." Or it could be painful if he was into that kind of thing, though she doubted that was the case.

As for the cheesecake, she nods slightly. "I'd love some since you're offering."

"You are." but he hesitates, worry on his face.

"My only fear is that you might well hurt yourself trying. My skin is... tough, very touch. Most bullets, knives, and lasers don't get through it."

He nods and pulls over the tray of it, carefully cutting it into pieces, and levers a piece to a small side plate for her, and one for him.

"There you go." He passes the plate to her.

She arches a brow hearing how tough his skin is. That does pose a bit of a challenge if she were to even attempt to feed off of him. Even if she can manage, it's a gamble to see how his blood might even affect her.

So far, she's been lucky with some of her other...friends that let her feed off of them. "Zhat vould pose a problem. My teeth are strong und meant to tear through flesh und bone."

She frowns faintly before starting to hum for a moment as she considers something. "But, anozher vampire from my vorld vas known to bite zhrough metal und catch bullets vith his teeth..So, it vould be a gamble if I vere to attempt." It's really just food for thought right now.

She smiles as he passes her the plate and takes a moment to enjoy the sight before setting it down to pick up her fork. "Zhank you. Hopefully it tastes just as good az it smells."

Clark nods, still worried, but he smiles warmly. "Good to know. I am not against it, but the idea of hurting you while doing it is not exactly one I am fond of."

"I hope you will enjoy it. It was fun making it." He loves to cook new things, and for friends, even more so.

"I'm hardly a delicate flower, Clark. Zhe amount of damage I can take might surprise you." Or worry him. There wasn't much she couldn't heal from and so far, only the destruction of her heart really manages to kill her. Something she's learned a few times over in her time here.

She was poised to take a bite when he mentioned he made it, giving her pause. "Oh? I suppose now I don't need to ask vat bakery you got it from." She smiles a little before taking a bite to savor the delightful flavor with a soft sound of pleasure.

"You haf a talent for zhis... I may haf to ask you to make me zhings as often az possible."

"I've no doubt that is true." His grin is admiring.

He chuckles as he samples it himself. He delights in making foods, especially when he has company to feed them too. At her comment, he grins wider, almost shyly.

"Well, I may just have to bring tidbits along with me when I visit your shop." He already has some ideas on what to make next.

"Zhen I look forvard to see vat you bring me. Vatever it is, I'm sure it vill be just as delicious az zhis cheesecake." Of course she's saying that just as she's taking another bite. Rip's taste buds are in heaven right now~. She takes her time savoring the delicious treat and occasionally sipping her tea to let the flavors mingle on her tongue.

After she gets part way through, she pauses and sets down her fork. Rip didn't want to rush eating it after all. "So, you can bake, haf a love for fine music und zhe arts und can fly. Vat ozher hidden depths are zhere to discover I vonder."

Clark's cheeks are a little red, but he grins as he eats his cheesecake, interspersed with sipping more tea. As she pauses, he raises his head, and chuckles.

"I have a few. I traveled for two decades, learning different jobs and working them. While I am not a master at most things, I know a little of a lot." He shrugs. She is not the first to say something like that and he is a little amused.

And a little concerned that most men are not learning more things. What the heck are they doing with their time?

That's a question he probably shouldn't find an answer too. Or, Rip has more than a few ideas considering some of the people she knew back home and even here. Simply put... not being as well rounded as he seems to be.

"Zo a Jack of all trades, master of none. Zhat simply means you haf a lot to offer anyone zhat might catch your interest." Whether she meant friend, lover or otherwise she wasn't going to clarify. "I do envy you being able to travel for twenty years. I vish I could haf done it myself."

Despite her age, the places she's been Rip can name on one hand, not including Duplicity.

"Perhaps you can learn new things here, instead. You seem bright, warm, and eager to learn things, with defined tastes." He nods again.

He does not go into why he traveled, for that was not so happy a thing, but he is glad to share what he learned. He eys the tea pot and rises to fill the water heater pot up again, setting it to boil. As he returns, he smiles to her

"what do you do when not running your store?"

"Vho is to say I haven't learned a few new zhings already?" He was right, someone as bright and eager as her was definitely capable. Though, there were some things holding her back that Rip really didn't want to admit to. Or deal with.

She's also not about to go into why she hasn't traveled despite being a vampire for the last fifty or so years. It's really not something she's proud of anymore and slowly dealing with.

"How bold of you to assume I'm not alvays running my store~." She teases as she watches him move about before taking another bite of her desert. "I sleep during zhe day most days, unless I haf a bad case of insomnia, zhough.. zhat vas getting better before zhe issues vith zhe mirrors." Which still leaves her uneasy to think about.

"Ozhervise, I entertain myself by vandering zhe Down or spending time vith my lovers or friends." Or antagonize frienimes... It's just easier to say she keeps herself busy and leave it at that some days. "Or I read a good book since I haf zo many to choose from und enjoy music."

"I have no doubt you have. I find you amazing." The admission is quiet and sincere. As he sips his tea and considers her words, he chuckles.

His face darkens as she speaks of the mirrors. "That was... I definitely am glad that lasted no longer than it did." He shivers, remembering that darker world.

He smiles at her ongoing words. "I imagine we will see each other occasionally, then. As I do wander both the Up and Down a lot at night. Doing what I can." Stopping crime, volunteering at various spots, and so on.

He nods again. "And reading and listening to music is a favorite for me, as well." Its something where he can let his mind go.

Being called amazing causes her to blush a little and shake her head. A darker part of her wondered if he'd say the same thing if he had met her over a year ago. But, that was something she had to push aside. Everyone had their demons. Some just had more violent ones than most.

"Zhe less said about zhe ozher vorld zhe better. I doubt any of us escaped it unscathed." Or at least no one she's met. As for the rest, she finds it interesting he wanders the down doing what he could to help out. Rip has to wonder why they haven't crossed paths before.

Regardless, they have now and she was determined to make the best of this budding friendship. "I vonder vat else ve might haf in common besides music und good books."

He nods. "Agreed." That had been a nightmare full of nightmares. About all that had been good had been him meeting friends, there. He is hopeful to continue that.

"Hmm. Hard to know, yet. We do both like tea. And sweets, it seems. Neither of us sleeps much. And neither of us are shy about taking a chance."

He grins a little, considering her. "Do you ever spar? Or swim?"

"Ah, zhat is true." She smiles as she takes another bite of her cheesecake and savors it for a few moments before answering. "Zometimes, zhough I hafn't in months. Most find sparring vith a vampires to be a little too intense. Ve're really quite violent even during sparring." At least in her world anyway.

"But, I do like zhe beach and do like to swim." She smiles slightly. "Admittedly, I haf a little bit of an unfair advantage in zhe vater. I don't need to breathe."

He grins at her, listening as he eats and sips the tea, sitting back for a moment to consider that. "Sparring is always hard for me. Finding good opponents, anyway."

At her words about breathing, he chuckles.

"Nice. A very good advantage to have." he waves a hand idly outward. "I like swimming in the bay, along the coast. And I can hold my breath for a very long time, so, that helps." he nods, sipping tea, then going on. He likes this sharing, a lot.

"Perhaps one evening, we might go, have a picnic and swim, out at the beach."

"I find zhe opponents I do face are too.. delicate. Vith one or two exceptions of course." Most of the people that wanted to spar with her were human and well.. That came with its own complications for her.

As for his idea..She nods approvingly, smiling as she takes the final bite of her slice of cheesecake. "Zhat sounds like it vould be a perfect night during zhe summer. Perhaps on zhe night of a full moon? I bet zhe vater vould look like liquid silver zhen."

"I understand. Having to hold back is not conducive to sparring. I pretty much skip the gyms here." Well, save when he went for friends.

"That sounds lovely." with the water finished heating, he sets a new pot to steeping, and this one brings hints of chocolate and orange, to the air.

"I think I would enjoy spending such an evening with you." He could record some of the music on a device and bring it with them.

The new hints of chocolate and orange draw her attention as she turns her head to watch him settle the pot. "Zhen ve vill haf to find time to go on zhat future date. In zhe mean time, ve can do ozher dates until zhe veather becomes more cooperative."

As for what kind of little 'dates', she wasn't sure yet. "Lets see.. ve've covered zhe beach und zhe sky, vat about zhe voods? Do you like being among zhe trees or do you prefer vide open spaces?"

"I like the woods, too. I traveled through a couple of the larger European forests in those years. I was never a good woodsman, but the peace of it, and the quiet, well, it was nice." He nods, remembering.

"Traveling, bathing in streams, starting my own cookfires and catching my own food, that was a pleasant time."

He chuckles. "So I would not mind revisiting it with you, wandering in woods, if there are any you like around here." He wiggles fingers out and about again.

"I don't mind the open either, as long as there is a sight to see." And his eyes stay on her, warm regard as he grins.