[ It doesn't take Caleb long at all to get to the location Drake had sent him. In eight months he's gotten to know the city pretty well, moving easily through the crowd while avoiding the SIN guards. The dark clothes he wears blend with the mark on his throat, making it easier for him. On some days.
Today it goes well, and he stops outside the place, looking around for someone that matches the image on the finder. ]
[ Drake is waiting outside, leaning against the wall of the building... this is about when he realizes that they didn't exchange descriptions, and he doesn't even know if he's looking for a Dom or a sub. But he sees a guy lingering outside the building on the other side of the door and decides to take a chance. ]
[ Drake smiles back; it comes easily and lights his eyes as he reaches to shake Caleb's hand. ]
It's not where I wanted to end up, that's for sure.
[ He tries to keep his displeasure with what goes on here from exploding into 'I hate it' because hey, Hadriel sucked too, but he was still able to make it home. It's not like he can go back to his own world. ]
[ He nods his thanks for Caleb grabbing the door, wondering how it looks to the people around them, what with the other man being a sub. If he's playing in to the culture or if he's overthinking this. Probably the latter... he steps through with another grin. ]
Thanks.
[ They make their way up to the counter and Drake is struck by just how long it's been since he's done anything like this... meet someone for coffee, or a meal, or a date. Just going out somewhere there's service and you pay... he was out of society too long. He glances at Caleb sheepishly. ]
Sorry, I haven't done this in forever -- should we order together?
[ He always feels for people who are new here. It's been nearly a year and for Caleb it feels like longer than that. More than that, he's come to accept it as home, and he has reasons to want to stay but he hates it for the sake of so many.
He glances at Drake, considering that and what the finder had said about him. ]
We can. Works for me. My treat since you are willing to let me be a nosy bastard.
[ He grins at that though, giving them his order. ]
Uh. Both, actually, though it wasn't my home world. I should probably start from the beginning.
[ Their drinks are placed on the counter and Drake picks them up, passing Caleb's to him and nodding towards a table tucked away against the shop window. ]
This isn't my first 'kidnapped to another universe' rodeo.
That's from home, actually. And 'undead' isn't really accurate, it's more like... mostly dead? I was infected with something that basically turns people into zombies. Then I died for real and wound up in the other world in that state.
[ He waits for the reaction, having run into someone already who didn't know what a zombie was and needed a whole bunch more explanation. ]
[ Caleb stares at Drake for a minute because the words make sense but there's also the part that just kind of shocks him. ]
Wow, you were infected? And you... I mean, you said you were infected, but were you a zombie? Does that mean mindless brain eater in your world? Because I've dealt with terms meaning different things.
[ He shakes his head, kind of marveling at it. ]
I was thinking you meant vampire with the undead.
I'm sorry though about... hell, all of it. I just can't imagine.
[ There's shock there but no judgement that Drake can see, so he continues, hands around his coffee cup. ]
It... can mean that. It's not like the movies, corpses rising from the grave and all. That doesn't happen. If someone's dead they're just dead, but if an infected person doesn't stay fed, they can turn into mindless brain eaters, yeah. The rotting, the shambling, all of it. I never hit that point, though it got close a couple times.
[ There's more to it, but he'll let Caleb process it one piece at a time. His smile is a little wry. ]
It sucked. Like really sucked, on a lot of levels, but there are benefits too. That's why I stayed one so long before asking the gods for a human body.
[ Caleb shifts in his seat, considering the other man and what he's been through. He tries to imagine things he thinks it's got to be an asshole move to ask about. Like where he got food, and how long it took before movie zombies happened but it seems early in meeting the guy to ask those things. ]
Once you hit that point, game over then? No coming back from it?
[It makes sense in a way. Kind of like dementia maybe. Once the brain gets to a certain point, it can't come back. ]
You asked for... So they didn't heal you, they found you another body?
[ His mind finds itself catching on one thing and another. Who is he to question gods, after all, when he's in this world and seen the dead rise here in another way. ]
[ He takes a sip of his coffee, appreciating that Caleb is dealing with this so well. Or seeming to, anyway. ]
They made me another body. They didn't understand how to cure illness, but they remade humans all the time when they died in the city. That's how I got brains, too, which I'm sure you wanted to ask about -- back home I got them from a funeral parlor.
I was trying really hard not to. I was going to fail but I was trying.
[ They've gotten this far, so how could he not ask? ]
I have to say. My dominant is a magician and he's got a friend that's a vampire. My... Nate is a witch who makes spelled piercings and tattoos. This one is new to me though.
Both the zombie thing and the... [ He's been trying to be cool about it but this is just making more questions. ] How do they make a body?
My family never put a name to it, though history labeled us witches as well. [ Because he's talking about others, but might as well admit his own. ] All three of us work magic differently and specialize in different forms of magic.
Well yeah. I mean, it's kind of amazing they can do that. It would explain how people can die here and come back within a month too. That kind of knowledge and technology.
[ It's interesting... he knew that even within the specific categories there are different forms, like the little war going between Lup and her brother over who's school of wizardry was better. ]
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Action
Today it goes well, and he stops outside the place, looking around for someone that matches the image on the finder. ]
no subject
Are you Caleb, by any chance?
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Drake. Hey, yeah. Thanks for entertaining my questions.
[ He offers his hand. ]
I would say welcome to Duplicity but most hate it here.
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It's not where I wanted to end up, that's for sure.
[ He tries to keep his displeasure with what goes on here from exploding into 'I hate it' because hey, Hadriel sucked too, but he was still able to make it home. It's not like he can go back to his own world. ]
Should we go in?
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Wasn't my first, or tenth, choice either but I wouldn't change it.
[He has too much here now, and he isn't ready to lose that if he's ever given a choice.
He moves to grab the door for the other. ]
After you.
no subject
[ He nods his thanks for Caleb grabbing the door, wondering how it looks to the people around them, what with the other man being a sub. If he's playing in to the culture or if he's overthinking this. Probably the latter... he steps through with another grin. ]
Thanks.
[ They make their way up to the counter and Drake is struck by just how long it's been since he's done anything like this... meet someone for coffee, or a meal, or a date. Just going out somewhere there's service and you pay... he was out of society too long. He glances at Caleb sheepishly. ]
Sorry, I haven't done this in forever -- should we order together?
no subject
He glances at Drake, considering that and what the finder had said about him. ]
We can. Works for me. My treat since you are willing to let me be a nosy bastard.
[ He grins at that though, giving them his order. ]
no subject
[ He places his order as well, then steps over to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. ]
The place I was stuck before this one, there was no service industry. This is kind of nostalgic.
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So was it just cafeteria style? Provided for everyone?
[ Except for one or two people, most seemed to come from a world that is like his own, so this is the first he's heard of something like this. ]
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Not cafeteria style, more like there was a pantry. Limited options, but they did provide for everyone.
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Is this about the descriptor in your finder post, or was your world like post apocalyptic?
no subject
[ Their drinks are placed on the counter and Drake picks them up, passing Caleb's to him and nodding towards a table tucked away against the shop window. ]
This isn't my first 'kidnapped to another universe' rodeo.
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I know I've heard of some mentioning it but it's still crazy to me. Hell, this place is crazy still to me.
[ He considers that. Does he truly think that still? It can be crazy and he can still want to be in Duplicity. ]
So the whole undead part... that came from this other world?
no subject
That's from home, actually. And 'undead' isn't really accurate, it's more like... mostly dead? I was infected with something that basically turns people into zombies. Then I died for real and wound up in the other world in that state.
[ He waits for the reaction, having run into someone already who didn't know what a zombie was and needed a whole bunch more explanation. ]
no subject
Wow, you were infected? And you... I mean, you said you were infected, but were you a zombie? Does that mean mindless brain eater in your world? Because I've dealt with terms meaning different things.
[ He shakes his head, kind of marveling at it. ]
I was thinking you meant vampire with the undead.
I'm sorry though about... hell, all of it. I just can't imagine.
no subject
It... can mean that. It's not like the movies, corpses rising from the grave and all. That doesn't happen. If someone's dead they're just dead, but if an infected person doesn't stay fed, they can turn into mindless brain eaters, yeah. The rotting, the shambling, all of it. I never hit that point, though it got close a couple times.
[ There's more to it, but he'll let Caleb process it one piece at a time. His smile is a little wry. ]
It sucked. Like really sucked, on a lot of levels, but there are benefits too. That's why I stayed one so long before asking the gods for a human body.
no subject
Once you hit that point, game over then? No coming back from it?
[It makes sense in a way. Kind of like dementia maybe. Once the brain gets to a certain point, it can't come back. ]
You asked for... So they didn't heal you, they found you another body?
[ His mind finds itself catching on one thing and another. Who is he to question gods, after all, when he's in this world and seen the dead rise here in another way. ]
no subject
[ He takes a sip of his coffee, appreciating that Caleb is dealing with this so well. Or seeming to, anyway. ]
They made me another body. They didn't understand how to cure illness, but they remade humans all the time when they died in the city. That's how I got brains, too, which I'm sure you wanted to ask about -- back home I got them from a funeral parlor.
no subject
[ They've gotten this far, so how could he not ask? ]
I have to say. My dominant is a magician and he's got a friend that's a vampire. My... Nate is a witch who makes spelled piercings and tattoos. This one is new to me though.
Both the zombie thing and the... [ He's been trying to be cool about it but this is just making more questions. ] How do they make a body?
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[ Drake just smiles at the question. ]
I have no idea, but I'm pretty happy with it.
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Well yeah. I mean, it's kind of amazing they can do that. It would explain how people can die here and come back within a month too. That kind of knowledge and technology.
no subject
What form do you specialize in?