Through a Wine Soaked Glass

[Talia Bracken]

Was that an assassin mind trick thing? For her to say she was focused on the assassin, and for her to then sit there and wonder how deep that focus went? In response, Talia blinked. Then burst out laughing and shaking her head. It was genuine, which always felt odd but good at the same time. "Assassin mind trick." She repeated, amused.

Then she turned to look back at her. Eyes shining and smirk ever present and full again. "I doubt that extends only to those in my line of work." She answered. But then she tilted her head to the side slightly, blue gaze curious and sly. "But now you've got me wondering how deep it does go."

[Lucy Serrano]

Now there was progression. Lucy was almost sure this was the first time she'd gotten a genuine laugh out of Talia. It was a little shred of normality for a set not normally defined as such. Even she had to smile, like that laughter could be infectious.

"Is this the bit where I say I like you too and then it gets all cute? Cause I gotta be honest with you; you're a killer and I now drink blood for a living. We're not cute people." Rather, they likely seemed like the oddest pair available. And far be it for Lucy to even bother trying to fit a stereotype her humane self couldn't colour.

[Talia Bracken]

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that she was smiling somewhat. it must've been the laughter. Which Talia managed to reign in by the time she spoke again. Was this the part where she said she liked her too and it got all cute? Because she had to be honest: she was a killer and she now drank blood for a living. They weren't exactly "cute."

Again, she felt entertained. She always managed to do that. And now, even get her to laugh. Openly laugh. Talia could count on her hand the number of people who could manage something like that. "Only if you want to try and live out the cliché." She was teasing again. Neither of them exactly fit the stereotype. Neither probably ever had, or would for that matter.

"Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I agree we aren't cute, but I doubt that's stopped others from pursuing you. Or that it will."

[Lucy Serrano]

In such silence, Lucy knew she'd proposed something guided by her own humour. She thought it was funny to even consider a kind of cliché. She was grateful to never be one of those people, and equally grateful to know that this person wasn't either.

Then again, who was in this world? And what was she to make of the clever words given to her by someone so adept at saying the perfect thing?

"That your way of saying you like the look of me?" Lucy asked her, unable to help the way she grinned. In this instance, it aided her perfectly. She did her best not to look smug or egotistical, but she asked the direct question all the same.

[Talia Bracken]

Was that her way of saying she liked the look of her? A grin came with the question. As did Talia's chuckle. She was trying her best not to look smug while she asked. But all the same Talia could see it. She'd gotten a little used to reading her expressions now. The way her body spoke while she didn't. It came with repeated exposure. And she was sure it would come in handy. It always had before with others.

"Shouldn't that have been obvious by now?" She asked instead. Sure there was physical attraction. Yet that wasn't necessarily what drew the assassin to her. it was something a lot more complex. Something even she had a bit of a time trying to figure out. Maybe that's why she kept coming back. Among other things. "Should I take all those 'secret' glances you've given me when you thought I wasn't looking as your way of saying you like the look of me?"

[Lucy Serrano]

Being upfront and honest was growing to be Lucy's protocol. She didn't mind putting herself out there above most; she knew she had a kind of confidence that clouded over that sort of rejection with relative ease. And if it didn't work, she could often drink any kind of fear away.

She stared at the set of blue eyes as she spoke, fingernails tapping at the bench behind her back.

"Secret?" Lucy replied with a laugh, low from her throat and riddled with a kind of genuine humour, "There's nothing secret about the way I look at you. I didn't think a blatant stare from day one'd get classified as a secret."

But then, it could always be assassin mind tricks at play.

[Talia Bracken]

Her gaze was matched, but Talia didn't mind. Neither did she mind nor fail to notice the set of tapping fingers behind her head. Still, she was relaxed. Almost at complete ease. Or so it would seem. Although there was little reason for her to be tense in this situation.

Secret? A low, throaty laugh came from her laced with genuine humor. There was nothing secret about the way she looked at Talia. She figured a blatant stare from day one wouldn't get classified as a secret. The fact Talia had pulled something as equally sincere from her made another smile appear. Only this one was more mischievous in nature. "Well that's good. Otherwise I was going to say you were bad hiding when you wanted something." The reply came smoothly. "And still are."

[Lucy Serrano]

It was good to know such banter fell out.of the realms of any kind of disguise. Lucy would have had to think all that subliminal effort - or lack thereof in her blatancy - had cost her any transparency. It delved further by the second. She tapped her nails again, like she was actually in thought.

"Do I?" She asked, "Would I?"

Posed as questions for Talia, but Lucy was quick to give her answer regardless; "Absolutely. You could take me back to whatever hiding place you call a home and do whatever you've dreamed of to me. Or with me." And the language was so easy for the thief who turned a phrase as eloquently as she herself had been turned.

[Talia Bracken]

There were the nails again. Signalling thought? Simply an action? Did it really matter? Talia doubted it. Questions soon came. Did she? Would she? While they seemed pointed at Talia, she answered them quickly enough.

Absolutely. She could take her back to whatever hiding place she called a home and do whatever she'd dreamed of to her. Or with her. The words were very forward. Practically as straight forward as they could be, really. Talia found herself regarding the brunette for a few seconds. Slowly a smile was growing on her face. A little wicked with her eyes just a little darker. Just a little more pointed. Intense. "You'd like that, hmm? What kinds of things I could do to you. Or you to me." It came out in a low sort of purr. "But wouldn't that make it too easy? Just taking you back like that."

[Lucy Serrano]

Straight forward was as good as Lucy got. She offered the sentiment as she had considered it last time they wandered the streets. Before the change, which had her questioning her life despite how altered her lifetime now was. Not a lot of people responded well to it, and the juxtaposition between how she was tied to how Talia was an expert at avoiding such questions.

Of course, in the end, it boiled down to a kind of game from the assassin who seemed to love them so much. It forced the corner of her mouth to shift into a grin as sue dropped her head; "Righto, love. You want another game?"

[Talia Bracken]

Did she want another game? That seemed to be what these little meetings always ended with. She couldn't quite help it though. It was fun. A challenge. And she was a good opponent. One who didn't mind the games so much. So if she could, she certainly would. "Righto." She parroted, grinning now too.

She thought. Went through all she could think in her head. The terms had changed now. She was changed now. It would make things easier. Or at least that should be the case. But Talia dealt with fully developed vampires. She could change the rules to follow suit. "Then how about I give you a choice?" She started. "I have to come back here over the next few days anyways for business. You could try finding me then, but you'd have to wait. Or you could really give those senses of yours a test and try finding me in the Outer City."

Patience. That was the name of the trait being tested. While also giving her a way to test things out. "Either way, your reward is the same when you find me."

[Lucy Serrano]

Pieces of information filtered their way into her mentality in a slow pace. Lucy listened to the options posed to her; her choices were those directly influenced by her patience and her confidence behind her own skill.

"So all the work's mine to do?" She asked, pointing out something she assumed as the obvious. It wasn't necessarily bad; it was an undoubtedly similar prospect, "Last time we went down this road, we sat just like this at a set of docks."

She mulled the choices in tandem with her own additive. "What if I disappear again?" Lucy asked instead. Tables could turn on a pretty easy dime, given the presence that pursued her.

[Talia Bracken]

So the work was all hers to do? Talia shrugged. It was essentially true. Last time they went down this road, they sat just like this at a set of socks. "That was of your own choice though." She pointed out with a smirk. That night, she hadn't exactly known what would happen. Talking about her past to the thief that had pursued her certainly wasn't one of the scenarios her head had thought up.

What if she disappeared again? Then the game would be changed. So she mulled over the new found option. "Then how about you have a week to find me. After that, I'll find you if we haven't met already." Came the offer. If she truly vanished again, Talia would find her this time. And she'd make sure she was far quicker so nothing else might happen.

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy laughed again, though this time it was a little quieter. True, how the last encounter played out was entirely up to her. She'd made a point of not following the obvious curve then, and she'd made that clear enough while managing a sense of an agreement.

There was almost a somber thought to the amendment given. She considered it very briefly before her lips parted, but it took a spare set of seconds before she actually responded.

"I don't think you should try to find me." She reasoned. Given how her last few days went, it seemed like the worst idea in the world.

[Talia Bracken]

She laughed again, only a little quieter. After that however, there was a brief pause. Talia didn't say anything all the while. It was clear that the brunette was thinking. Then there was hesitation before she spoke. She didn't think finding her would be such a good idea. An eyebrow once again arched at this, but the reasoning behind it was a little understandable. Last time she disappeared, she'd been turned. If she vanished again, the same vampire that had done it might be involved.

She pursed her lips. Thought on the warning she'd been given. Or the advice. Whichever it was, Talia smiled anyways. "Then I guess that means you better find me before its my turn." It came out playfully, but it was also true. If she went missing again, then she'd be searched for. It might be dangerous. But that was Talia's life. It wouldn't make anything different.