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duplicitymemes2020-03-12 10:20 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2020-03-12 10:20 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #11
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It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. Yet, solace is found in the lies we tell each other, comforted by the peace of knowing that we're not alone in our depravity, and once on this path, sin itself becomes the lesser of two evils masked in a cloud of normalcy. This is how Duplicity has functioned since the beginning. The divide of power and social standing is overt in that Dominants influence the decisions made both publicly and privately while Submissives cater to the rules presented to them. It is the way of Duplicity to assign random designations at birth with no leeway in altering what has been given. Climate in the Up is far stricter than that of the Down; violating outlined personas for a Dominant or Submissive while in full view of others is punished by degree of infraction. In the Down, many tend to turn a blind eye to these sorts of offenses. To counteract the discovery of the Deceit Gene – a natural "negative" response to all stimuli – the L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues. ... and you’re here! Finally! Welcome to Duplicity. After choosing a door and stepping through to the other side, the first thing that greets you are the enthusiastic faces of people in medical scrubs and pristine lab coats. Their enthusiasm translates to eagerness as they strip you of your clothes to perform a thorough examination—you will be healed, bathed, and given a paper gown to wear until your items can be processed and delivered to your residence later in the evening. You are also given a device that accesses the network as well as the time and location of orientation. If you enter Duplicity into the Up, congratulations! You’re a Dominant, which means you are immediately picked up by a limo after processing and taken to your highrise. Here, it is two Dominants per floor with separate apartments. If you enter Duplicity into the Down, congratulations! You’re a Submissive, which means you are directed towards public transportation with the address of the motel you’ll be living in. Here, it is two Submissives per room with a shared common space for all rooms. Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new and old arrivals. The weather is a mild 62 degrees. |
 It's time for the monthly Duplicity train tour. Seats are in pairs and randomly assigned to Dominants and Submissives alike. Traveling from Fiddler's Square, the train journeys through various parts of the Up, showcasing society and examples of lifestyle. Along the way, frequent stops are made; a variety of passengers can be seen exiting and entering the doors. A Dominant with a kneeling Submissive takes a seat near the front of the train at one stop. A small group of Submissives board and sit closer to the LIERS at another, all seemingly content in their roles. As the tour continues through the Up, the train passes close to the Market and White Wall Bridge and zips by North Park before heading into the Down and bypassing Red Wall Bridge and South Park. The train makes a "final" stop at Riddler's Square, where inhabitants of the Down are instructed to return to their temporary housing. Those who live in the Up are permitted to stay on the train and revisit the same locations while returning. |
 Orientation this month is a little…different. The usual orientation center suffered extensive damage in last month’s massive ice storm, and repairs are underway. Unfortunately, they won’t be ready in time to accommodate the newest batch of arrivals, so instead the city has relocated their operations and sent a skeleton crew to help staff it. This month’s orientation takes place in a vintage event space in an old neighborhood in the Up, the Dashing Gardens Event Center and Conference Hall. The decor was fresh and new when the building was originally constructed, some Not only are the facilities dated, but the planning leaves something to be desired. There is a general sense of chaos and disorganization. None of the staff seem to know what’s going on or where to find things, and attendees will be frequently misdirected into the wrong room or session. Some sessions are cancelled without warning, or turn out completely and bizarrely different from how they were described. Additionally, the orientation center was using Cordispondence’s proprietary software for their planning and accidentally sent out strongly-worded, obligatory summons to citizens who shouldn’t be there. It’s very unclear who is actually supposed to be here and who was invited by mistake. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the building is a bit…strange. Hallways seem to warp locations, and doors lead to different places than expected. Attendees will find themselves alone in a room one moment and locked in with a stranger the next with no seeming way out. Citizens of Duplicity might realize it’s time to get creative ( and busy ) if they don’t want to starve. The staff are less than helpful, and all complaints will be met with a heartfelt apology and a voucher for a free hour in the ball pit, located in the great room. If one can find it. The orientation center staff managed to grab what they could from a storage closet before the center was closed for repairs, so the workshop rooms have a variety of items placed within them to help the newcomers get accustomed to their new roles. There are selections of bracelets and collars for doms and subs to try on, with native dom/sub pairs giving appropriate behavior demonstrations. Any LIErs willing to join in the display and practice on each other earn a gift certificate for one meal at one of any of the participating restaurants sponsoring the event. Other tables contain sex toys, lube, and various edible products to help anyone who partakes get in the mood. There is a book table full of inspiring reads and helpful diagrams, with a much too chipper attendee who is eager to help anyone within range find their perfect kink. If that’s not enough, try the punch. It’s sure to leave you feeling festive, Duplicity-style. |
 As the night melts into early morning, attendees will experience a physical crack and shift. For some, they’ll be brought to their knees or find themselves winded. Others will feel a tightness in their chest or the strange sensation of losing their breath. When it’s over, each person will now bear the physical characteristics of two other people: someone they care dearly for and someone that they do not. The combination of features or physical attributes will be unique; possibly the hair style and color of one but the eyes and nose of the other. What’s even more odd is that, now, desires belonging to the other people are transferred. Strong and overwhelming, satisfaction is a must. |
 Other games found during orientation: » Glory holes with tip buckets on the receiving side. Any kind of sex act will do, though the amount of beads someone gets for their time depends on how good they are, of course. » Public sex. Like a righteous frat party, enjoy the rain of beads that comes with a good performance... or at least an entertaining one. Strip teases are included in this, catch an eye or three and try your hand at sex appeal. » Contests of endurance. Try and outdo another, whether it's outlasting an orgasm or making the other come first, one-on-one or with pairs and more competing against others. The prize is always moderate, the largest sum given to winners and trickling down to the losers. Some even have honorable mentions if they’re generous. |
 (CW: potential dubcon, objectification) By far the largest and shiniest booth comes from orientation sponsors Sexy Metal Incorporated, who have set up a display of their incredible high-tech sexbots. These life-sized dolls are made of extremely realistic material that feels like warm human skin, and come with state-of-the-art mechanics that give them lifelike movement. Engineers show off how the bots can be plugged into a computer and programmed to act any way the buyer likes. They come in a wide variety of customizable appearances and, eerily, some of the bots on display look exactly like people you may know. Booth staff encourage customers to buy these dolls, or to rent them and give them a try onstage in front of the fascinated crowds. If that’s not kinky enough, one of the engineers has purchased a VR headset from another booth, and programmed it to interface with the bot’s controls. Care to slip inside the silicone skin of another person? These bots may appear throughout the orientation, some of them having escaped the display. Staff are attempting to round them up. If you’re willing to help out and provide a distraction for the bot, you could earn a half hour with the VR or a voucher for the ball pit! |
 While not as prominent as the booths handing out sex toys, there are plenty of pop-up fortunetelling booths scattered throughout orientation. These impromptu oracles provide a variety of divinations, including but not limited to tarot readings, tea leaves, and even reading roses. Ask about love, life, death, health, wealth, or whether or not to upgrade your insurance policies. Whatever you ask, though, you’ll find something curious - it may not be literal, and it may not be in the manner expected, but all fortunes somehow come true within the day. |
 A couple days after orientation, the citizens of Duplicity are abuzz with the revamp of the virtual sensation: dualcam.com It's available for free and accessible through any device connected to the city's network. Once the page is visited, most will notice very familiar faces. Was that your roommate? Your best friend? Your Dominant or Submissive? What you're seeing are all the participants of the L.I.E.S. program engaged in live shows of varying content—some sexual, some not. But it is all meant to be erotic in some capacity. Lives streams can be interacted with, and the higher the tip, the more provocative the requests might become. Some might even indulge in personal shows. Whatever the content, the person on the screen is a perfect copy of the participant that's being portrayed but with one exception: their main negative trait of the individual is enhanced the longer the shows continue and their content of choice won't necessarily be a reflection of what they would actually indulge in. The L.I.E.S. staff will not be helpful in any capacity if contacted about the site. There is, however, a way to shut the feed down. Find the location where the live feed is taking place. This will not be an easy task as the background of each live show is decorated but a clever person could ask the right questions. Stop it. Let it continue. The decision is up to the participant. |
Please read carefully. On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, characters will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chooses "left" or "right". When participating on the TDM, there will be a third option. Players may link either a top level or a thread (five or more comments from their character) from the TDM and title the link as "Door Pass". This means that the player is choosing to take the designation that they were randomly assigned on the TDM, rather than taking the designation of a door. If the player decides to select a door rather than use the pass, then they are trying their luck; they may get the same designation they had on the TDM or the opposite. Once the application is submitted, players can't change their choice. To assign roles to characters for this TDM, use the following guide: All left handed characters are Dominants and all right handed characters are Submissives. Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
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"All throughout time there have been tyrants and oppressors, and those who have stood against them. Human history is filled with people who have risen from great suppression to overcome their situations in life with great meddle, and those who have wanted to dominate from street level to city, from state to nations. I have seen it all. I can see now that this place, this..." He gestured around, wishing that he was in slightly more formal attire for this discussion now, as he found himself interested in this new person before him.
"...society, is just a manipulation of the natural order of mankind. A twisting of their history, shoved into some ridiculous programming. I, as you say, will never choose to be controlled by my circumstances in any manner. I have fought through many wars to keep myself and my family safe from such things, and I will do what I have to here as well to keep those I love safe."
He tilted his head, and touched a finger to his lips in thought.
"So, you, a dominant choose to help? How does this benefit you? I very well may have to play my role in order to stay the hand of punishment and other forces, but what about you, you have all the freedom this society offers? Why would you wish to help?" He may be willing to trust a little, but he still was wary of motives that he did not know.
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At the man's question, he smiled, having heard that one before. And he answered without hesitation, his words sure.
"Because I am no man if I turn away when others are hurt. I am not Dominant if I do not watch out for submissives. I am not free if my freedom does not mean I am willing to bear my responsibilities for not just myself, but the community I live in. I believe people can be encouraged and helped to overcome trouble and problems. Sometimes by force, sometimes by guidance, sometimes, by words. And I believe that I have been given privilege in this place, and it is my duty to use that privilege to help those who have it not. For the way I was given it has no meaning, no purpose. And I will give it purpose by using it to make sure those around me do not suffer when I can aid them."
It is said quietly and with confidence. He has spent a lifetime running from trouble, helping in small ways as he trekked across a world that showed cruelty all too often. He hid, and he helped where he could, whatever the cost, and in the end, he stopped hiding, and helped that way, even if it killed him. And somehow, at the end of that, he came back.
And he would never, ever stop helping.
"And also, I think, because here in this city, especially, we all must work together. We are abducted, brought here as refugees, in a way, forced to try to make our own way with arbitrary classifications. And none of us are impervious to those who keep us here. I help because I know, someday, I will need help, and only in a society where help is encouraged will I get it."
He nodded again.
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"You seem to have grasped something that most men in my world can spend centuries alive and still not understand." He nodded, very appreciative of someone he was beginning to see as truly noble. Even if he knew that everyone must be handled with a grain of salt. "I myself do my best not to turn away from those who would need help. I do my best to keep my circle safe, given my status. I don't choose to use violence unless it is needed, but then when it is, I have been known not to hesitate. I don't use it arbitrarily, though. I'd too much rather use words, and other means to encourage. Here, I do hope that I will be able to do my part to take care of those I love, and those who I find alliance with."
He took a deep breath, and drew his brows together in a knot, one that always seemed to be there, only briefly reprieved in rare times of happiness and peace.
"If this place is as you say it is, then I wish us both all the luck that we may find. I do believe that I am glad to have made your acquaintance Clark Kent." The brow relaxed, and the first hint of a true smile formed on Elijah's lips as he found himself at ease for the first time since he'd arrived-- if only momentarily.
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He nodded to the other man, grinning a little.
"Would you like to get a suit, or something else than this," and he waved at the man's outfit, "and head toward the Tower to see your family? Or, can I help you some other way?"
He was not sure what the man's priorities would be, here, but he wanted to help. This is what he did, and always would try to do.
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At the mention of a suit, the vampire's eyes lit and his mouth widened into a grin once more. "I would forever be indebted to you if you would mind showing me the methods to procure something beyond this paper gown, especially a suit." Family would wait for now. Elijah wasn't quite ready to face that fact or the reality that they actually existed here.
If Elijah could procure a suit, then there would be a modicum of order to his world, and he would find a bit of control in that, and that my friends would be the start he needed to feel just a little bit more like himself in this mixed up backwards society that seemed to want to call him, one of the originals, submissive.
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"I'm sure." Clark smiled and nodded to the man. "Well, I'd be glad to take you to a place I know. We can get you a suit for now and if you're willing to allow me to take your measurements later, I can make you a better one over a longer time."
Clark nodded and immediately waved a hand down the way. He knew how to get there the easy way from here, and so he was willing to help Elijah to find their way to the suit maker. This was one of the best in the city, frankly, and there they could get him a suit. It would be a quick and dirty fitting job, today, but it would lead to something better.
And maybe, just maybe, Clark had found another friend, and that? that was not a bad thing at all.
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Still smiling, Elijah nodded. At least this was far easier than having to compel a stranger, or taking clothes from a dead body. "Yes, I'd be willing to leave my measurements with you, and I promise to find a means of returning this favor in one way or another. " He met the other man's eyes with his own-- honor and loyalty and a sense of duty all shown behind them. He may not be able to use physical money, or normal means to pay this man back, but Clark had shown kindness in a time where Elijah was vulnerable, and it was credited to him. Elijah would indeed find a way to return a kind deed to this dominant, whatever it took-- for he was always a man of his word.
The vampire wore the gown as if it were a fine suit, not allowing this world to shame him in the way it might have wanted to as he followed Clark to the street where they proceeded to the suit maker's shop.
"So tell me, how long have you been here, if I may ask." Elijah bothered to make small talk, curious now about the place he found himself in, and this new possible friend that he had made.
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"I think, as I reckon it, I've been here for almost four months, now. I arrived in Late December by Earth time and standard, and have been here ever since. Time can get away from you here, so I have been using my own self-made calendar to keep track. Sometimes, it startles me how long I have been here, and sometimes, it feels like I have been here longer."
He glanced at the man as they walked. "The city has weird things that happen, ever month or so. Strange events, or occurrences, anyway. At least it has the last three months. A blizzard that made it hard to communicate was one two months ago, and this last month was all of us suddenly waking up on a spaceship, somewhere in space. Really. Just... waking up suddenly in pods on the ship."
The end of that had been almost as horrific as the start.
"It was not a good scene, not at all. Almost, but not quite, enough to make one glad to be back here."
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This next bit of information had Elijah tipping his head in interest. Yes, there was much to learn about the place he'd landed himself in-- very much to discern indeed. He'd never been to space, nor thought about such endeavors. How odd it must be to find yourself walking along the street one moment and in a strange pod the next. One more thing not to like about this place.
"That does sound rather strange, and like something that the citizens would either rally together against or divide and quarrel. Strangeness has a way of either bringing the best or the worst out in most people, I find. " At least that was the case across Elijah's long life span. He did wonder how the community as a whole handled these strange things. "Thank you for the warnings. I will be on my guard for these... odd events now. It is better to be prepared than surprised." He tried for a weak grin, something to show his true appreciation for the warning given, and for this seemingly true offer of friendship. What would Elijah have done if he had not found Clark today?
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Seizing on that topic as a better one, he spoke again. "Fidders is the owner and best artist at this shop, and is always in, though there are sometimes other workers there too." Clark had considered working there, but for now, he was content with his job at the 13th Step. It gave him money and extra time to do things he could around the city.
"He's a little... abrupt, but he does not ever snap and is never cruel, so I tend to ignore the abruptness." Clark had no idea how old Elijah was, but he had adopted the man, in a way, and spoke as he might to someone he was mentoring or to a younger brother. Not down to, but simply giving advice. Clark would not know how to talk down to someone if he tried.
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He nodded once, and then twice, chuckling a little at the description of the owner. Wondering how Clark saw him, and how he would have described him if he'd seen the opposite side of his nature--the violent and emotionless one that he kept locked behind a red door in his mind.
"I can handle a little abruptness. Let's just say that I might be ... abrupt as you put it ... every once in a while myself." He chuckled lowly, grinning with absolutely no apology for his assumed possible demeanor. He would have laughed quite a bit more if he'd known that he'd been "adopted", amused, but also because he liked Clark enough to accept it for the time being.
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As they reached the shop, and went inside, the old man who was behind the till, looking positively ancient, looked up and then came around the counter.
"Hello, Mister Fidders. I have a new client for you. This is Elijah, fresh off the boat, as it were. Can you give him one of your special right-now jobs? One of your fine suits would suit him so to speak, much better than this wardrobe." And indeed, all around the room, well-tailored suits hung or were set in display cases, and showed the man's obvious skill and exquisite hand at the thread.
Clark nodded to Elijah. "He's one of the best tailors I've ever met. He'll take good care of you."
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"Your generosity is greatly appreciated. I can tell that he is indeed a fine tailor." The vampire bowed to Clark, and did his best not to feel out of place in this role reversal, ever so used to taking care of others was he. Elijah stepped up when motioned to. Offering a quick nod as he held out his arms and spread his legs for measurement, having gone through this routine more than a few times in his long life.
"So, as I am to understand it. I am here for who knows how long, and am to attach myself to another person who will be responsible for helping take care of me? I just don't know how to be taken care of." He thought for a moment. "I mean, allowing someone to buy me a suit is one thing, but my needs? I've been in charge of the safety of my family for around a thousand years..." He trailed off, wondering if it was smart to announce his age. He certainly couldn't tell of all the things that taking care of his family included. That would prove disastrous.
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Clark nodded, hating the system but knowing it could be manipulated, some.
"Privately, what relationship is between them is no one's business. Families have made contract, here, before, to protect one another. Subs who are more controlling have contracted with dominants who are less so, and so on. Legally, and by the ways of this city, yes, they are responsible for those things. But if you find one with whom you can negotiate the right situation, anything goes."
One eyebrow rose at the mention of a thousand years and he gave a slight shake of his head to Elijah catching his eyes. Fudders didn't judge such things, usually, but even he might gossipo on something too juicy.
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Elijah's eyes met Clark's with a knowing look, and he nodded-- a bit of his reluctance still at being branded flashed behind them, but then was tempered.
"I imagine then that I must find one of these more willing individuals. I am an excellent negotiator and am sure that I can find someone who will see my point of view if they would merely be willing to listen." He said, a bit wistfully, only once the tailor had walked away, careful of how and what he spoke of in public. He knew how to take care of what people might just overhear, and didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.
"Although, I must admit, being who I am in this position really does make it difficult. I can't just seem to puzzle it out in my head." Elijah didn't want to say that he'd be slightly prejudiced toward a woman having power over him, unless it was perhaps someone that he truly loved-- and yet the thought of a male in the same position made him uneasy in the same way. How would their egos clash, could he really contract himself into a relationship with a someone like himself? These thoughts burdened him as he moved to sit and wait for the old tailor as he went to create the perfect "quickie" suit for Elijah.
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He does not sound too bitter, but the bite of it is in his eyes. He hates the system, even as he works within it to help people.
"I hope, with the way this city is, you will find such a person. The right person at the right time. I was very lucky, and signed my first contract on the very last day of that three months."
It had been a close thing and Clark still almost doesn't believe it happened, even as it is now two and more weeks past. It still feels... new to him.
"In the meantime, there are places like Haven, a hospital that is contributed to by subs and dominants alike, and also has a kitchen attached, and St Vincent's, where there are resources to help set one up in this weird city."
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Noble. It was something that Elijah strove to be, even hinted at being to those who might have only known him on the surface. Although, his nobility often came with the face of a monster, and sometimes untold horrors were committed in the name of loyalty and always and forever.
"It sounds like a place where I might donate to as well, once I figure out how to. I still have to take a tour of this place. I was planning on doing so after I settled in a little bit. Getting out of this gown was the first step, and you, my new friend have been a help at accomplishing that. Perhaps I can invite you for a drink sometime. It may have to be in the down, but I would still like to share one with you." Elijah found himself growing to like Clark more and more, and considering this was his only friend so far. It would be good if they could hang out again once this little adventure had ended.
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Clark smiled at the man, and nodded. "I'm glad to help. This city can make fools of us all, but it cannot stop us from choosing how we act and what we do. Not day-to-day. We make our lives and our choices, and we live with them, for good or ill. I choose... to help."
He nodded again, a simple statement, a simple... truth, he felt. He was just someone who wanted to make the world a better place. And not just for others, but for himself and people like Hayley, who was his friend.
"I would be glad to join you for a drink, wherever you choose. Take the time to get to know the place, and when you are ready, I can be reached via the communicators. Or at the 13th Step, where I work."
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"I too believe that our life is made of our choices good and bad, but I must always hold onto hope that we are not known for our demons, but for the good we perform in spite of them." He sighed and rubbed his forehead a little, offering Clark a smile. Oh the innocence of men. He had no way of knowing the evil the other might have seen or not seen.
"Good then. It is settled. I will contact you in the near future, and we will enjoy a few good drinks. " He gestured with his hand toward the tailor as he stepped forward with a grunt and a bagged suit, which Elijah took immediately into the dressing room to change into. Very few times before could he remember being this happy to slip into the fine fabric of a well tailored suit. It was sheer luxury against his skin, and with the addition of what amounted to little more than just some well brushed cloth, Elijah felt about 60% more himself.
He strutted out of the dressing room, and turned before the mirror, inspecting himself with a nod before turning to Clark. "So, do I meet public approval?" Elijah looked good in a suit, and he knew how to wear it well. He needed no approval, but never failed to enjoy a small tip to his ego.
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"Very nice. As always, Fidders, you do wonders. Take a good tip with the price, please. Such talent is worth it."
And then Clark turned back to Elijah. "You look like a new man. It suits you, if you will forgive the saying."
He was grinning, glad to see Elijah, a man who he was seeing as a new friend, restored and looking confident and sure in that suit.
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"It just feels right." He grinned, and went over to shake Clark's hand. "Thank you again. I do wish there was more I could do at this moment, but I can't wait for those drinks. We will enjoy our time again then." He nodded and clapped his hands together, swaying as if he didn't quite know how to part ways with his new friend.
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He nodded again, his smile sure.
"Now, let me point you in the direction of Haven and St Vincent's. There are more good people at both, and I think this city could stand for more people to meet you." He smiled as he led the way outside, pointing the way, and giving instructions on how to find those places.
After, he smiled ruefully. "For now, I must go and work. But I look forward to meeting you again, Elijah. Be safe and well until then."
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Bowing slightly, Elijah took off in the direction that Clark pointed. "Enjoy your work and I look forward to our next meeting Clark Kent. Until then." With one last nod, the vampire turned and strode off toward some other form of help-- hopefully one that would direct him toward food, because he was rather peckish at the moment.