[ DUPLICITY ] inbox

[braveoff]

[ text | voice | video | action ]

Comments

[requiemshark]

[ Sharkface smiles a little, moving over to the sink to rinse his eye out before popping it back in. He feels - better, he thinks. Closer to human in the aftermath. ]

Sure. I can do that.

[braveoff]

[ The batter comes together quickly, and Drake turns the heat on the stove. ]

So the best way to tell if the pan is hot enough is to flick some water on it -- if it bubbles up and dances, we're good.

[ It doesn't take long before they get to that point. Drake motions Sharkface over and demonstrates pouring one scoop of pancake batter, then passes him the scoop. ]

Go ahead.

[requiemshark]

[ He watches curiously. Barrows always cooked for the team. Took over the task religiously and so Sharkface never really learned anything beyond wrangling MREs. But he tends to learn new things quick and this doesn't look all that complicated.

Besides. He likes pancakes. Sharkface nods, then takes the scoop and pours out some batter. Careful not to get too much. It's a little lopsided, but more or less pancake shaped. ]

Like that?

[braveoff]

Yup.

[ Drake loops an arm around Sharkface's waist, resting his chin on the other man's shoulder and watching the pan. ]

Now we wait for the edges to bubble and start looking dry, that means they're ready to flip. If they're too brown on the other side we just turn the heat down.

[requiemshark]

[ The gesture feels almost natural, Drake coming up behind him and looping an arm around Sharkface's waist. Not hard. Not enough to pin him, or hurt him. Later, Sharkface will wonder why he didn't flinch. He stiffens a little, then reminds himself to breathe. And perhaps strangely, it's okay. He supposes they've earned this. This closeness.

He nods again, watching. ]

Doesn't sound too hard.

[braveoff]

[ Drake waits patiently for the other man to relax into the touch, smiling when he does. They can have this, this closeness. It can just be something nice, something good in the midst of all this... everything Duplicity throws at them. ]

It's not. You've got this. I'll watch for these first two so you know what to look for, then pancakes are your job.

[ He also has eggs and bacon set out, he'll be making those on the other burner. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Sharkface nods slowly, watching the batter. Barrows would have done this back home, he thinks, and fights back a pang of sadness. He thinks Barrows and Drake would have gotten along. ]

All right. Teamwork.

[braveoff]

[ They just stand like that for a little while, Drake lazily cuddling Sharkface while they watch pancake batter cook. It's not exciting, but it's close to a perfect morning for Drake. And soon enough they're looking like they're ready to flip. He reaches around Sharkface with his free hand to grab the spatula. ]

Okay, here's the fun part. You want to move quick, small sharp movements.

[ He flips the first pancake and hands Sharkface the spatula for him to try the other. ]

Go ahead.

[requiemshark]

[ Quick and sharp. All right. Sharkface watches Drake, eyes half-lidded. Content in a way he hasn't felt for a while. It's not that he's forgotten last night. Can't forget that shit. But he feels -

Human. Safe. A rare thing. ]

All right. Here goes nothing.

[ He takes the spatula and does his best to copy Drake's gesture. It's a little clumsy, but he doesn't squish the pancake and it ends up flipped. A little ragged, but still passable. ]

[braveoff]

Congratulations, you can cook.

[ Anyone can be taught! It's pretty good for a first try, honestly. Drake turns his head and kisses the side of Sharkface's neck before pulling back to start on the other components. ]

Just give them a minute before you start checking the bottom, they should pull off the pan on their own when they're ready.

[ He cracks an egg into the other pan and just like that, they're making breakfast together. It's ridiculously domestic, and makes him stupidly happy. ]

[requiemshark]

[ He huffs, cracking a faint smile. ]

Shit. Guess I can.

[ Or at least he's not completely hopeless when it comes to learning. Hey, there are worse things. They're making breakfast. They're going to have breakfast together. ]

Thanks. For this. For showing me.

[braveoff]

Of course. It's fun once you get the hang of it, I really like cooking.

[ Especially when he has someone to feed. ]

I should go for groceries at some point today... and do you need any of your stuff from the Down? We can go pick up your clothes and art supplies. And you should probably tell Lakshmi you're here, so she doesn't worry.

[requiemshark]

[ Yeah. That. Sharkface doesn't answer immediately, watching the pancakes as they start to bubble. Not quite yet, he thinks. Give it another moment. ]

She's gone.

[ It's said simply. It's not like she died - or maybe it is like she died. But it cannot be changed, and there's no one he can track down and hurt to avenge the the wound.

He misses her. She made sense to him. He thinks they were forged in similar ways, walked similar paths. ]

[braveoff]

[ Oh, shit. Drake pauses in what he's doing, the pit of his stomach dropping out. He didn't know her. Hadn't even gotten to meet her yet, but he knows what it's like to lose people in that way. For them to be there one day and gone the next, and it's a harsh reminder to him that it still happens here.

He breathes out, turning an egg gently. ]

I'm sorry. I know what that's like.

[ And he wonders, in some small part of his mind that he tries to ignore, if that's the only reason Sharkface came to him. Ultimately it doesn't matter, because he's here and he wants to stay. Drake just... wonders.

He shoves it down and brushes his fingers against the back of Sharkface's hand where it hangs beside his, offering contact and comfort. ]

We don't have to talk about it. But we can if you want to.

[requiemshark]

[ It's done and it cannot be changed. He's lost people before, his family first amongst the list. And even now, he's uncertain where Lakshmi fell on that scale. They were allies and she made sense to him in a way very little does in this place. Under different circumstances, if they'd been forced to cross purposes, they might have been bitter enemies. Here, they were allies. He thinks they might have been friends one day, if they'd had enough time. It was a different sort of connection than what he has with Drake, drawn across different lines, but no less real for it.

He exhales. He flips a pancake. It goes better this time. ]

She made sense to me. In a different way than you, but.

[ He hesitates, trying to find the words. ]

I'm glad she's not stuck here anymore. But I miss her.

[braveoff]

[ Drake nods, completely understanding that sentiment. Every time someone who'd wanted to go home vanished, it was bittersweet. ]

It's complicated, and hard being the one left behind. But you're not alone here.

[ He doesn't bring up what he learned about contracts -- if she just left Sharkface should have a couple months, Drake will let Lakshmi's vanishing settle first. Let everything settle. See how they do living together, if Sharkface even still wants to.

He reaches for a plate, sliding the eggs out of the pan and tossing some bacon in next. ]

I'll grab your painting supplies after we eat, that sound like a plan?

[requiemshark]

[ It's not the first time he's been left behind. The last man standing. The grief still comes in sharp like it's the first time. Raw, brutal. Unending. But she isn't dead. That has to be something. You can't do shit when you're dead.

He exhales. At least he knew her. He liked her. He hopes she gets a better shot, wherever she ends up.

He flips another pancake. It comes easier this time. A little more smoothly. ]

Yeah. It's a plan.

[ He smiles a little. ]

My pancakes aren't completely shitty.

[braveoff]

[ The change of subject is deliberate, Drake knows, but it's also the truth. The pancakes look as good as anything he would've made. He smiles back, leaning in to bump their shoulders playfully. ]

They're not even a little shitty. You pick things up quick... we're going to have to try something more complicated next time.

[requiemshark]

[ He watches Drake for a moment, then smiles. Sometimes when the two of them are in the same space, it feels - Sharkface isn't sure he has the right words for it, exactly. Peaceful, he supposes. He hasn't had that for a long time. ]

I'd like that.

[ He flips one of the pancakes onto the plate. ]

Never really learned how to cook, but I like this.

[braveoff]

I'm not a chef, but I can teach you what I know. My ma... she was terrible in the kitchen, but she watched a ton of cooking shows. I picked some stuff up, and in Hadriel cooking was the only choice so I've gotten a lot better at it the past few years.

[ Even as a zombie he'd needed to eat normal food, and once he'd moved in with Ephemera it'd become less of a chore and more of something fun. Sharing whatever he came up with that day. ]

It's kind of creative, in a way. Except you eat it. Closest I get to art.

[requiemshark]

Yeah?

[ He flips another pancake over, considering that. Everybody needs something, he supposes. A way to put the world in context. ]

I get that. It feels good, getting it right.

[braveoff]

Yeah... it's satisfying.

[ Drake turns the bacon, watching it sizzle in the pan. ]

You ever teach anybody art?

[requiemshark]

[ He shakes his head. One pancake left to flip, but it doesn't look ready quite yet. ]

I drew a tattoo for Barrows once. And I made stencils for people so they could paint their armor. Never taught anyone, though. Nobody asked.

[braveoff]

[ Drake's quiet for a moment, thinking. He'd probably be terrible at it, but he'd like to learn. ]

Do you think you'd enjoy it? I'll trade you cooking lessons for art lessons.

[requiemshark]

[ He blinks, considering. ]

I'd give it a shot. See what happens. I like this - cooking. Learning from you.

[ Maybe it'd be all right, teaching Drake something. ]