roots before branches [ruben]

[REMINY ODESSA BARLOW]

Reminy traced the pages of her journal delicately, as if it was an old friend. The ink of her most recent entry smudged slightly underneath her fingertips, causing her index and middle finger to become black at the tips. She couldn't count how many journals she had written in throughout the years, but to this day, it remained solidly as one of her favorite pastimes. She wrote when she was sad, when she had an interesting dream, when she traveled to a new place... and Manuka, with all its hidden wonders, was still a very new place to Reminy. Her reasons for coming were honest enough - this was a battleground, even with all its natural beauty, and she knew it. This would be where battles were won, lost, and humans and supernatural beings gave their lives for a number of separate causes. Reminy was fond of her immortality, quite fond, but when she made the final decision to move to Manuka, she came accepting that if it came down to it, she would do what had to be done.

She could practically hear Noelle's voice in her head, scoffing at all her found goodness that she had developed in her years with Lowell. Sometimes, Reminy wondered what Noelle was doing, if she knew about the war, and what she could possibly be doing to help fight against the side that was unfathomable to her. As much as she loved Noelle, and as grateful as she was (most of the time) for the gift she was given, she hoped their paths would never cross again. Some things were best left in the past.

Reminy jotted down that last, final thought, then closed her journal and slid the leather band back in place, effectively closing it. She gazed out over the waterfall, enjoying the smell of the fresh water on her senses and appreciating the shade that her green and white sun hat brought, shading her eyes from the bright, unforgiving sunlight. The breeze picked up, and she held onto her hat, but her long hair blew behind her, curling slightly in the wind in a way that she could never accomplish with beauty products. She missed the way her sister Janessa's hair curled naturally - hers never would.

She tucked her journal into her bag and was preparing to leave, perhaps to go shopping at the nearby boutiques, but then she heard the crunch of footsteps behind her. She flipped around quickly, eyes scanning the nearby trees and nature, wondering if perhaps it was just a deer or a squirrel.

"Excuse me?" Reminy called carefully. "If someone walks nearby, do not tread in shadow. Show yourself."

[RUBEN DANIEL CARRAWAY]

sugar we're going down swinging ,

[atrb=style, background: #373737; border: dashed #ffffff 4px; border-radius:50px 0px 50px 0px;] [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border: dashed #ffffff 3px; width: 400px; height: 500px; float: left; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-top: 25px;] The giggle that escaped the blonde that was laying next to him pleased Ruben, the breeze few around them, the sound of the waterfall oddly soothing. The girl; Amanda, she had insisted on taking him there. It was quite a strange place, not one which Ruben would enter at his own will, but he can't say that he was complaining. His deep brown eyes focused on Amanda, she was beautiful. Well, Ruben had always had a weakness for Beautiful girls, they could please him certainly. He leaned over and kissed the girl, smirking a little bit at the happy sighs which she let out, and wrapped a strand of her light hair around his index finger as he hovered over her. You would think that they were dating, if you were looking on form somewhere far away, but the truth of the matter was, that Ruben didn't date. He fucked, he messed around, he even had some friends with benefits, but all that stuff, it was no strings attached. He could never deal with commitment, no, after all, he had run away from commitment. He was going to be married off to some random girl at home, but he was better off here. He had made friends, had girls who wanted him, and Simba was always there when he came home, life was good. He wondered if he could get Amanda to take her clothes off in this meadow near the water fall, it would seem highly personal ad intimate, this way of having sex, but Ruben was certainly up for anything when it came to that. But then he phone rung, and he let out a small groan of dissatissfaction. He knew what was coming. This wasn't the first time she had bailed on him. He didn't know if she thought that she was having 'dates' with him, but he didn't consider her a close enough friend to just hang out casually like that. He was leaning back on his elbows when she gave him an apologetic look, and he just shook his head and waved her away. "Don't worry, go, I can walk home." He nodded, before laying back down on the grass and draping one tattooed arm over his eyes to hide the sunlight, the cool breeze tickling his skin, before turning downright cold now that he was paying attention to it. When you had a warm body next to you, it was easy to forget that you're cold, but he would deal, he had brought a jacket. Not like Ruben hadn't endure more than that. Once Amanda was gone, he looked around to think. Maybe he could use a space like this for some training one day. It was so quiet, it could help him concentrate. The one thing in life that Ruben was truly passionate about was martial arts. He had trained all his life, and running away from home was not going to stop him from doing what he loves. As carefree as he may seem, when he was in the zone for his training, there was almost no way to reach him. He thought about it all, tactics, movements, which muscles he was working on in that moment, and everything went away. The drinking, the girls, the garage and the responsibility of having bills to pay. Not that he couldn't meet bill deadlines, and usually it was Spencer who would whine at him to give him the money on time, or else, but Ruben simply couldn't bring himself to be responsible. He was only twenty, he was so young, he was supposed to be enjoying life. He had just hoped that his parents would have understood that notion, but it seemed like it would have been unlikely. Now that he wasn't home, maybe they would be different. Who knew. The male thought that the only thing he missed about home was his younger siblings, and he really did. He tried talking to them over instant messaging, but it was so hard to arrange a time without his parents knowing, because he didn't want them to know where he was. After a few moments, he didn't want to lay down any more. He started making his way through some trees, and then he was back around the other side of the waterfall, and a branch cracking under his feet made him cringe as it spoiled the tranquillity. But never mind, because then there came a female voice, and he wondered if Amanda hadn't left after all, but that wasn't the case. Taking a few steps forward, he had a smile on his face, it truly lit up his features. He observed, the girl in the beautiful background was pretty, that was for sure. Very pretty actually, and a lazy grin spread across his features. "Sorry, I was on the other side of the waterfall, and figured why not go look around ..." He walked a little closer, running a hand through his thick brown hair, his eyes on the water, before resting back on the girl. "Didn't mean to frighten ya, but you looked pretty deep in thought?" He mused a little, he wondered if she was intelligent. Probably, usually intelligent women liked this kind of area, to think and obviously from the book in her hand, to write or read, and Ruben did value that in a woman. Sometimes looks didn't just cut it, and even though Amanda was gone, he was still determined to have some fun.

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[REMINY ODESSA BARLOW]

Reminy was relieved when the person that walked out of the woods was a young man, slightly disheveled, who seemed to be there for honest enough reasons. She grabbed her bag and placed it next to her, securely, then shifted on her perch to face him as he approached. The smile on his face made him seem friendly, but also gave away his age - he was very young, but she knew that she appeared to be young, too. It was very hard to judge physical age by appearance these days, especially in a town like Manuka.

From his greeting, the young man claimed to have been wandering around the waterfall. That was fair enough, she supposed. It was a gorgeous day, and the waterfall allowed for a tranquility that the city, or more metropolitan sights, could never provide, even if she did enjoy the daily hustle and bustle. Reminy smoothed her hands over the front of her dress and looked at the young man from under her sun hat, making certain he he could see her eyes and know that she meant him no harm, either.

"Didn't mean to frighten ya, but you looked pretty deep in thought?"

Reminy laughed softly, airy and musical: Lowell always had told her she had a beautiful laugh, so she tried to do so often, for the memories that accompanied her laughter were always fond.

"You didn't scare me," Reminy said simply. "I confess, I'm still getting used to this town, and haven't made acquaintance with anyone significant. I thought I was very much alone here, so you could imagine my surprise."

She placed a hand over her bag, and considered taking the strap, sliding it over her shoulder, and excusing herself to go about her daily activities. Yet, following her last statement, she wasn't sure how she could just leave. It might appear rude, and Reminy always tried to show courtesy and proper manners. Besides, the handsome young man seemed to be a gentle soul, at least, from what she could tell. She hadn't honed her abilities of reading people as well as other vampires that were much older, but her instincts with humans had always been good.

"I was journaling. It's a hobby of mine I picked up years ago... there's something cathartic about putting one's feelings down on paper," Reminy continued, answering the second part of his question. "Although, I can imagine this would be an excellent place to stop and think. Is that why you've come here?

There had been a place once, in Boston, where she and Lowell would go to spend quiet time with one another. They both enjoyed spending time in their home, at the dinner table, or curled up in front of the fireplace, but they both also enjoyed nature. Once Lowell got over the fear that she would be touched by sunlight and burst into flames, he enjoyed taking them on outdoor expeditions, and she was always happy to accompany him where ever he would go. One day, he took her to the harbor, and sat down next to her on the docks. The water was cool, but neither of them hesitated to put their feet in and look at the boats that were docked there, leaving, and coming in. They could hear the shouts of fisherman pulling in their daily catches in the distance, half a mile way, perhaps, but it wasn't enough to disturb them; it only added to the atmosphere.

On cold nights, Lowell would drape his jacket around her shoulders, even though she couldn't feel the cold the same way humans did. He was a gentleman, though, and she never spurned his desire to be polite. Lowell would wrap his arms around her and regale her with tales of the sea, when he was a young boy who went sailing with his father, the fisherman. He'd tell her stories of the war, of things he'd seen, of friends he'd lost, and she would happily sit there, head on his shoulder, content to listen to his voice, regardless of the content of his stories.

The waterfall was the quietest place she knew, and while today her excursion had been about journaling, whenever she sat in a quiet place for too long, she could almost hear Lowell's voice, and his stories, and his laughter... and it brought her peace. She chuckled to herself: perhaps she was deep in thought, after all.

[RUBEN DANIEL CARRAWAY]

sugar we're going down swinging ,

[atrb=style, background: #373737; border: dashed #ffffff 4px; border-radius:50px 0px 50px 0px;] [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border: dashed #ffffff 3px; width: 400px; height: 500px; float: left; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-top: 25px;] Ruben quirked an eyebrow when she said he did not scare her. Well, that wasn't quite what he meant. He didn't look very threatening, not until he was in fight mode, then Ruben could be scary. There was a smirk on his lips at her words, and he shook his head. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not very scary looking, even I know that." He chuckled a little flirtatiously, because that is what Ruben does when he is in the same space as a pretty female, and this one was down right gorgeous, damn. "Surprise is a very good word to apply to a situation like this, it would be funnier if I was actually out here to kill." Ruben laughed, and turned his amused expression onto the brunette. "Rawr." He said, putting on a mock 'scary' face, only if to make himself laugh. Ha ha he was so funny. Not. Ruben listened as she spoke about putting her thoughts into a journal, and all he could think of were those Victorian drama's on TV with all those whiny women. Of course, he could not judge this girl here, and these were modern times, but nevertheless he nodded. "Yeah ... it's like something out of one of those romantic chick flicks though, don't you think?" He mused his thoughts out loud, quite intrigued by the old manner in which she was speaking in. It seemed that she was old fashioned, much older than she looked, and he figured she must be one of the immortal races. Because really, it was quite common for someone who was born a few centuries back to speak in old fashioned ways, since sometimes the accents stuck. Ruben had a few party friends like that, and really, most of them were a bunch of bores. Moving to stand in front of the girl, Ruben's flimsy shirt was not really covering up his sides, handing loosely off his skinny shoulders. You would not be able to tell that he works out, because he is tall and thin, but his stomach is well toned and hard, which is sad that that's not really visible to the naked eye without touch. Stop and think? Ruben smiled a little and shook his head, thinking back to the blonde who had bailed on him not so long ago. He knew by now, that telling someone that he was just with someone was a turn off, so he refrained from telling this woman the truth, and opted more for a half truth. "I come here to practice sometimes. I specialise in a few kinds of martial arts." She shrugged, because he would come to a place like this to practice, so it was not an out right lie. Rue figured that introductions were in order, if they were to get anywhere. "I'm Ruben, it's a pleasure indeed." He smiled a little, and nodded, looking around, his deep brown eyes scanning the area. He looked at the waterfall, and the large pool of water that the stream was falling into, and he looked back at the girl. "It's a real warm day out, what do you say for a swim?" He grinned a little, and wiggled his eyebrows in a careless Ruben manner. "I mean, I promise I won't try to drown you?" He joked, because obviously he was a stranger, but he was not a killer, so she didn't have much to worry about. He was sure that she could see his good nature, and the face that he didn't have ill intentions towards her, only playful flirting.

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[REMINY ODESSA BARLOW]

Reminy wanted to laugh at the young man's antics: ah, to be young again. So wild, so carefree, so oblivious to the starkness of the world. She had been young once, many years ago, and while she could still be wild on occasion, she had grown up. Her appearance was still that of a young woman, but she'd stay that way forever. It was rare that she took an interest in the spirited activities of youth and went along with them, but this man was certainly interesting, and a breath of fresh air. His speech was modern when he spoke, which wouldn't have been completely unexpected even if he was older than he appeared: many supernaturals had tried to adapt to a more modern pattern of speech as time passed, but Reminy thought that the beauty of older linguistics needed to be kept, even if it made her sound old-fashioned. She wasn't ashamed of what she was, and while she didn't announce it to the world, she knew that even in dangerous situations, where a hunter might be present, she could defend herself. Besides, from what she knew of most hunters, they only went after the ones that were a definitive threat. There were some who'd see even the gentlest of supernaturals as a threat, because they weren't human, but she liked to hope that one day, peace would descend on all races, and humans and hunters alike could leave alongside the supernaturals, and laws could be put in place instead of blind hunting. It was sad, but she didn't want to dwell on serious matters when the youthful man before her seemed to be rather interested in her. Strange... why is he looking at me like that?

[/color] Reminy wondered, but didn't choose to bring it up.

Her late husband hadn't been so blatant with his visual appreciation of her when they first met, and only later on, after they were promised to one another did he give her such smoldering looks, and even then, not directly so. How times certainly had changed. Reminy felt flattered, because the young man certainly was handsome, though not necessarily the type of man she'd spend an evening with. He seemed too daring... too wild a stallion for her to tame, and she wouldn't want to. The older vampire appreciated the beauty inherent in all things, and didn't want to stifle someone just because it didn't agree with her personality. Nevertheless, she decided that if she was going to stay in that location, since he was there, she might as well attempt to have a good time. She responded first to his comment about her journaling, a smirk on her lovely features. "it's classy. Some women these days lack class; they're too easy. Which, that's not my place to judge, of course, but there is something to be said for an old-fashioned woman with brains. A challenge." She was teasing him, but he didn't know it; she wouldn't sleep with him. Even though she found him attractive, there were some lines she wouldn't feel comfortable crossing, and she doubted they'd be a workable pair in the bedroom. She was more selective, anyway, and usually had to develop some commonalities or rapport with a person before taking them to her bed.

He gave her a few more details about himself; that this was his place to practice martial arts, which wasn't surprising somehow. He seemed physically fit, but in the leaner way that suggested a exercise with more cardio and less weight training. Reminy could appreciate the physique of most men, but she did prefer ones that were leaner as opposed to bulkier. It was simply a matter of personal preference.

Next, he surprised her by suggesting that they go for a swim, and prefaced it with a promise not to drown her; not like he could, she didn't need to breathe, but it was a kind thought. "But I haven't a swimsuit, and I'm not about to let you see me naked. We've just met." It was a protest, and she wasn't against the idea of swimming, just that it wasn't exactly... practical. She waited for the man to come up with a solution, and grinned. "But I'm happy to continue sitting here with my boring journaling if you're so determined to take a dip."

She was a proper lady, but she had her shallow moments, and the thought that maybe this man, Ruben, she learned his name was, would consider skinny-dipping wasn't awful. "And I'm Reminy. This has been a strange little chance meeting, but I suppose one never knows what fate has in store, do they? Else it wouldn't be fate, and we'd all predict the future." The vampire sat back on the rocks, and adjusted her sun hat to keep the light out of her eyes, but offered him a warm smile so he'd know she really was enjoying their interaction.[/blockquote][/justify]

[RUBEN DANIEL CARRAWAY]

sugar we're going down swinging ,

[atrb=style, background: #373737; border: dashed #ffffff 4px; border-radius:50px 0px 50px 0px;] [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border: dashed #ffffff 3px; width: 400px; height: 500px; float: left; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-top: 25px;] The male listened to her words and thought about 'classy', and with her definition ... well, journal writing was so old fashioned, and to him, old fashioned did not equal classy. "I would disagree with you there." He flashed her a while toothed smile, a glint in his dark brown eyes, as his gaze drifted from the woman to the scenery. "Not about the brains thing, brains really are sexy." He spoke, so freely about things like that, because Ruben knew what he liked and he wasn't ashamed of it, he was not embarrassed to speak his mind and he wouldn't hide his thoughts, certainly not to a beautiful stranger. "I also do like a challenge." He smirked, as if implying something, but then he finally got to the point which he had been making. "But writing in a journal doesn't necessarily mean brains or a challenge. It just shows that a girl might be more reserved, than say someone who puts themselves out there, but it seems like your definition of classy is old fashioned, and that is really not always the case." Ruben spoke his peace, because he liked to speak his mind, no matter what the thoughts were. Usually he said them in less blunt terms, but he didn't know how else he could say this. Ruben laughed loudly at her protest of a swim, and skinny dipping really sounded pleasant in that moment. He cast his smirk onto the woman and shrugged. "Come on, neither of us has anything to be ashamed of." He pointed out, a wide grin spreading across his features. "Adam and Eve didn't have any problems walking around naked, plus, I'm sure you haven't got anything I haven't seen before, so." He shrugged. He knew that some people were less confident with their bodies than he himself was, but he didn't understand why. Surely, he knew that women had different sized breasts and all, and he himself appreciated a good pair of knockers, but unless she had three boobs he's seen it, and really, wouldn't be surprised. But he wasn't stupid, he knew people could get self conscious and things like that, he would just urge her to take her clothes off and take a dip with him because well, why the hell not? What did she have to lose? "Well, in five minutes we'll have known each other for five minutes, and that's longer than I've known most of the population of Mauka." He countered, a cheeky grin on his face. He had logic in his arguments, and really, no one could tell him otherwise. He listened to her next words, a quirk of his eyebrow as she leaned back to enjoy the sun. And well ... her way of speaking was as old fashioned as her view of classy. "What are you, Reminy? Clearly you might be a few decades older than me ... but you know, still looking good as hell, might I say." He said, because he was curious. With a small shrug, he moved to remove his shirt, because really, he wanted to swim. "You can always swim in your underwear if you don't fancy doing it naked." He offered, stripping down shamelessly to his underwear, and slipping out of them, his back to her, before he turned back and offered a bright smile. "Come join me." He asked, before moving closer to the water, not caring that he was start naked, and jumped in with a splash, coming back up a few moments later and shivered. "Holy hell that's cold!" He laughed.

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[REMINY ODESSA BARLOW]

As she listened to the young man speak, Reminy couldn't help but notice that he was rather eloquent, which was something that was sort of unexpected. She knew better than to judge books by their cover, but she was still getting used to the 'youth' of the modern age, and could note many ways how they were different than the 'youth' of her time, and the 'youth' of her husband's. Lowell had been a young man when they met before the dawning of World War II, a mere eighteen years old, and ready to go fight for his country, and die if necessary. Reminy had always looked young for her age, so she could pass as being close to him in age, especially since she never got any older. Her mind was the only thing that aged, after all, but in wisdom and experience, not through any sort of deterioration. When Lowell had returned to her, he was 21, and she married him three months after he returned, safe and sound. She couldn't tell how old Ruben was, but she'd estimate that he was probably near the age Lowell had been when he returned from war. Oh, how happy she had been to see her soldier, and part of the reason she agreed to marry the headstrong young man in the first place was out of shock from how much she'd really missed him, and how many nights spent worrying that he'd make it home all right.

Ruben, with his tattoos and lean muscled torso was rather attractive, and something about him did remind her of the man she'd loved and lost from the natural, human aging process. It had been a quiet death, and she had stayed by his side, her heart breaking every time mistook her for his grandchild. Only they knew the love they'd shared, and in his later years, she'd become more of a caretaker for him than a lover, but she didn't mind. She didn't have the heart to end his life so he might stay young and beautiful with her forever. The man kept talking, and Reminy listened: he did have a few good points on class versus old-fashioned. ”I see your point there, Ruben. A valid point, and I concur. I suppose I would classify myself as classy and old-fashioned, and say there's nothing wrong with either.”

He spoke of enjoying the challenge, and reiterated his desire to go swimming, even with a lack of proper swimming clothes, and Reminy smirked. It certainly would be a challenge for him to get her in that water. ”Ah, he quotes Biblical folklore. At least you're well-read. Hopefully you don't believe everything you read.” She quirked an eyebrow at him and looked across the grassy area to the cool, clear water. It did look beautiful, and it would be nearly perfect weather for a swim. Ah, but he was so young and frivolous. Surely he'd want to spend his afternoon with a girl his own age who might actually indulge him in some of his longings. Although, Lowell had also pushed for her to become involved with a much younger man. And he had succeeded. ”Nor you anything I've not seen before,” Reminy challenged, moving her eyes up and down his body. ”Although, some from ages long ago might call you a little thin.” Reminy added, giving a little playful wink and hoping he wouldn't take offense. The men these days had changed, too; some were more willowy, with a slimmer build that was attractive, but certainly not what she was used to. Not that change was always a bad thing. Ruben really was rather attractive.

”Perchance you don't take the time to really know people, if your encounters only last five minutes,” Reminy said, standing and walking a little closer to him. ”You don't strike me as the type to be skittish and shy. No, you read more like a bold, daring young man. It's fascinating.” It was, truly; Reminy tried not to twist or bend the truth if she could avoid it, and when there was no reason to lie especially. Her words must have piqued his curiosity, because he asked what she was, and Reminy grinned. ”Well, you've called it right. I might look to be a woman your age, but in truth, I'm over a hundred years old.” She licked her bottom lip for a moment, sensually, because at this point, she wasn't afraid of him: she didn't smell human blood, and doubted he was a hunter. No, this one read more animal. A shifter, maybe, or a werewolf.

”Most of my kind bite, but I don't. At least, I try to be on my best behavior.” He was a clever boy, that should have been more than enough for him to figure her out if he knew anything of the supernatural, and it seemed he knew enough to guess and call her out. After he seemed to be satisfied by her answer, he still wanted her to swim with him, and suggested that she go in her undergarments instead, then stripped down to nothing but his bare skin and leaped into the water, complaining moments later that it was cold. Reminy barely felt cold; it wouldn't be an issue for her. But, as his eyes were watching her, she took off her sundress, and slipped out of her shoes, feeling proud and glad that she'd chosen to wear matching undergarments that day. Her bra was lacy, but not overly feminine, and white with blue polka-dots, and her underwear were slight bikini cut prints, almost like a modern bathing suit would be and matched the pattern exactly. ”I suppose it's as good a day as any.” She didn't throw herself into the water like he had, but she slid in slowly, adjusting to the feel of water surrounding her, and treaded water beneath her by kicking her strong legs, content to keep afloat and not to mess her hair up too much. ”Are you very pleased with yourself, Ruben?”

[/justify]

[RUBEN DANIEL CARRAWAY]

sugar we're going down swinging ,

[atrb=style, background: #373737; border: dashed #ffffff 4px; border-radius:50px 0px 50px 0px;] [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border: dashed #ffffff 3px; width: 400px; height: 500px; float: left; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-top: 25px;] Sometimes Ruben liked easy going banter. Something intellectual to talk about, because through popular belief he is often seen as someone who just likes to fuck around, with no brains. They couldn't be more wrong. Sure, he might not be a genius at the school subjects, but Ruben has lots of street smarts. He's had to have street smarts to survive this long, to be able to run away and actually not be lost, to find somewhere to live. But he could also be intellectually smart, his opinions weren't always uniformed, he just hated that sometimes people took him for some stupid guy just because of his tattoo's and occupation. "Correct!" Ruben beamed at the woman with the diary in her hands. "Nothing wrong at all, though I suppose it's an opinion for someone else to make of you, no?" He actually liked the fact that she had a good opinion of herself, Ruben like confidence, it was one hell of a turn on. He was confident himself, borderline arrogant or cocky a lot of the time. "But sometimes old fashioned is reserved, and that's no fun." Ruben scrunched his nose up a little, because it made him think of those conservative people, where there was no sex before marriage and all that old fashioned crap that he didn't particularly approve of, because fuck if that was a sin that sent you to hell, there was no hope for Rue. Believe everything he reads? Such as the bible? No way. Ruben was not a religious man, not in the least, hell he commits most sins possible almost everyday, and causes other to commit them too. Adultery for example. Oh, how Rue liked an older woman, it brought a smirk to his face as he looked at Reminy. "Don't worry, I have my own opinions on the Biblical crap, but I wouldn't want to offend." He didn't know if she was religious or not, but he figured it would better be safe rather than sorry. He could feel her eyes on him, on his body, and it wasn't something he wasn't proud of. He liked his own body, the markings on it, the leanness, and hell if he liked it might as well flaunt it. "Aw, I would say that was something shocking to hear from someone so classy, but you're pretty damn good looking, so no wonder you've seen a dick before." Ruben snickered, the crude language as natural as anything else. And sure, she was classy and all, but Ruben didn't think she was a prude. Maybe she had a boyfriend for all he knew, hell she could be married, but he didn't care to ask. If she wished to, she'd tell him, but other than that, he didn't particularly care if she's had a dick anywhere near her. Rue cocked an eyebrow as she said he was a 'little thin', laughing low in his throat. "I dunno, I've always been pretty thin. I keep fit through martial arts, but I eat like a pig, so ..." Ruben didn't mind his slim physique, he wouldn't want to be horribly muscled, because that shit was unattractive. To him at least. Ruben couldn't help the cheeky grin on his lips. "Nope, most people aren't worth knowing more than five minutes." He said, a low hum in his throat and he tilted his head sideways. His eyes followed her movements as she walked closer to him, not inching even a fraction back and then his lips curved into a smirk, because she was completely right. "There's no fun in being skittish or shy." He told her, his brown eyes brimming with amusement. "If you want something, you should just take it, or have fun taking it rather than shying away." He told her, his logic seemed to have sense to him but lacked morals. Ruben was not a man with many morals. "Do you ever take what you want, Reminy?" He asked, his eyes meeting hers, his voice lower than before and a smile playing around the corners of his lips. "Or do you shy away?" He asked, because she seemed like the kind of person who was quite the opposite from him, because he was blunt and crude, and if he met a woman he wanted, he would go for it, if he wanted to eat a burger he fucking would even though he had training in the morning. Same for getting drunk and getting into fights, because why the hell not. He would hate to sit still. The biggest achievement from this was leaving his stifling home. He was going to be forced to get married, that was something he didn't want, so he left. That was all there was to it. Ruben positively beamed when she agreed that she was old. Not human. She had a bite, and Ruben eyed her. "A vampire, huh?" He asked, smirking as he raised a hand to run through his thick hair, mussing it up so it looked much like a lions mane. "I wouldn't mind if you didn't behave right now." He winked, a tease from his lips, shameless flirting because that was just who Rue was. Flirtatious all the time. But then he was naked, and in the water, the cold running through his skin and once he was back above water, he ran a hand down his face to get the water out of his eyes and smiled brightly, watching Reminy as she stripped, his eyes shamelessly roaming her body, because damn the girl had some nice assets and he wasn't ashamed to let her know with his gaze. When she was in the water, Rue could only nod. "Very satisfied actually." He moved to float on his back a little, staring up at the sky before he was right up again. "You know, you look good without the dress on." He complimented, chuckling softly. He had heard that girls liked to be complimented, and a lot of the time he said what he thought. He moved to walk closer to her in the water, eyes on hers, trying to see if she'd shy away from him or not. "Do you always agree for a swim with naked boys?" He teased.

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[REMINY ODESSA BARLOW]

It was a relief that there were still intelligent souls in the modern world's young people. Ruben seemed to be in possession of conversational skill that relayed a bright mind that he probably kept hidden. Although the vampire usually tried to keep company with older souls, she had been introduced to a few genuinely young people, and they all seemed to be more impressed by looks than a sharp mind. Times had certainly changed. But Ruben was one that she found she actually enjoyed talking to, mostly because he could debate well, and brought up interesting counter points to her arguments, even though they weren't arguing, but rather having an intelligent discussion that was actually affecting Reminy in more ways than she was willing to admit. Especially in mixed company. The vampire gave the young man a cheeky smile.

”Most of the time, the opinions of others aren't particularly interesting to me. I find most of them are ill-founded, and many don't really fathom what they're talking about these days.” Ignorance was a rampant thing in the modern world, and she supposed that the past had been more ignorant in many ways: slavery, Prohibition, women's suffrage, segregation, inequality for same-sex couples... the list of ignorant topics went on, but those were mostly human laws. As much as Reminy liked humans, she didn't think they were fit to run the world. The world should be governed by people like her, although she knew she wouldn't be fit for the job: supernatural beings that didn't want to harm humans, but had also seem the harm that they had caused on the past with their ignorant blindness... that would be the person to make real changes for the better.

”Who says 'fun' is everything? There are much more satisfying things in life,” Reminy said coolly, knowing full well that Ruben probably was a thrill-seeker, and seemed to enjoy the finer things in life that weren't actually so serious. When she considered herself to be a young person, and a mortal, she was very curious about the fun that would come from reckless decisions, but never actually got up the courage to truly be reckless. Now that she was a little more solid, and had a strength that came from immortality, she wondered again if letting loose would be very liberating. Reminy rolled her eyes when Ruben went into an anti-Bible tirade for a moment, even if he wasn't exactly scathing with his words – it was all still in good fun and the same banter of a discussion instead of a real argument. ”Oh, I parted ways with any God that might exist long ago,” Reminy said simply. ”I was just remarking on your ability to quote some Scripture. It was unexpected. Truth be told, I'm not much for the 'good book' now, and never really have been. My father swore by it, though, before he swore by the bottle instead.” That tidbit was more than she'd tell most strangers that she first encountered, but Ruben was easy to talk to, and there was something that wasn't intimidating about him, and that somehow made him safe with her darker secrets about the life she'd led before Noelle and before her current state of being.

As he was certainly full of surprises, Reminy couldn't say that his crudeness completely threw her off guard, but she did bite her lip a little. It had been a while since she'd seen what he was referring to – it had been since Lowell had gotten too old to share their marriage bed, and she wouldn't dare be unfaithful to him. After Lowell had passed, her sexual encounters were mostly with women, when she did indulge. There were a few men that she'd enjoyed, but it hadn't gotten to consummation, because for a while, the memory of Lowell still left her sad and she had mourned him for a very long while. Part of her would always mourn him, but she'd moved to Manuka for new beginnings, and didn't intend to mope. ”I have seen far more women intimately than I have men, but neither is unpleasant.” Reminy teased, then looked him over before he jumped in the water. Ruben explained that his skinny physique was from martial arts, and she admired that. That took dedication and commitment, which she wouldn't have guessed he had much of – maybe he just lacked it toward certain things, like women. Although she had been around for far longer than the term 'player' existed, she could tell that was what this particular young man was. Jumping in after him meant that she'd have to make a choice: let him seduce her, and let loose, or tease him relentlessly and leave him high and dry. Both sounded appealing, if she was being honest with herself.

So she stripped. Just down to her bra and underwear, but enough to make her feel confident and like she still had some power. His next question appealed to the internal struggle that she was currently having where he was concerned: should she take what she wanted? Was he what she really wanted, or just a means to an end? She had been very lonely since she moved to Manuka, and someone who wouldn't want any strings to be attached wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, especially since Reminy wasn't sure that she wanted strings, either. ”Well Ruben, it really depends on the situation. I've been told that I'm a 'go-getter' when I want something badly enough. But if that something isn't life-altering, I might not waste my precious time.” Reminy arched an eyebrow and gave him a smoldering look before jumping in. Ruben was much nearer to her in the water, and very naked, but the water felt exquisite against her skin, and she enjoyed swimming. She began to tread water with her strong legs, even though it had been a while since she'd last been swimming. Reminy supposed that it was just another of those things that no matter how many years separated its last event, one never truly forgot muscle memory. So many things had been revealed to Ruben, including her species, which was a hint that he picked up on almost immediately, clever boy. It didn't seem to phase him or bother him – quite the opposite. He seemed to like that she was older, wiser, and that she was still being reckless and youthful with him. He complimented her appearance without the dress, even though Reminy knew she looked fabulous both ways.

She kept her ground, staying strong when he was practically teasing her, begging her to shy away so he could prod her about it later. ”I seldom swim with naked boys. Consider yourself to be special, Ruben,” Reminy said, looking him up and down. ”I wouldn't make the mistake of calling you a boy, either.” He was young, sure, but he was definitely a man. A young man, but a man nonetheless. ”I also wouldn't be silly enough to infer that I'm the only woman you've seduced today, although perhaps I'm the closest to a real woman. I wonder, young man, if you've the ability to handle a real woman. We're not like the girls you likely play in the sandbox with.” Reminy grinned, then splashed at him a little before swimming over to a more secluded part of the waterfall, knowing that he would likely follow.

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[RUBEN DANIEL CARRAWAY]

sugar we're going down swinging ,

[atrb=style, background: #373737; border: dashed #ffffff 4px; border-radius:50px 0px 50px 0px;] [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border: dashed #ffffff 3px; width: 400px; height: 500px; float: left; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-top: 25px;] Ruben didn’t often get a chance to show his intelligence, and of course because he dropped out of school and all, he was more street smart than actually intelligent, but the shifter could hold a well thought out opinion. However, the words out of the little brunette’s mouth made him cock his head in curiosity. Clearly, she wasn’t afraid to think her opinions better than others and he’d certainly not been expecting that. “If you say so, though you can’t always discard someone’s opinion just ‘cause it doesn’t match yours. Makes a person seem up themselves.” He shrugs, hoping she understood that he wasn’t insulting her, because Rue knew better than to insult people in anything but a mostly joking manner, although there have been more cases than he’d like when he’d insulted to cut. Guys at clubs who’d picked fights Rue didn’t hesitate to spout rude words are, putting them down for not being able to please their girlfriends if they sought comfort in a stranger's arms. Rue would go so low as to insult masculinity and appearance before kicking idiot’s asses in a fight because they never expected a scrawny kid like him to have technique. That was another thing that made Ruben intelligent. He had strategy in fighting, knew what to do to dodge punches, and once he started learning the martial arts it really came easily to him. Ruben laughed pleasantly at her comment about there being more to life than fun. Hell, he knew that but that was why he was here. Fun was something you didn’t need to think about, it was something that could take his mind off things, you could delve into it head first and forget about everything else, which is why Rue valued it so much. “Oh sweetheart, I know that much, but I suppose I am who I am. The more satisfying things in life require too much effort and commitment.” He nodded, knowing that first hand because the only thing he’d ever been committed to was his training, and hell, it was satisfying as fuck but it was so much effort that he didn’t want to have on the side. “Pray tell me what things satisfy you? I would be very interested.” He asks, knowing that asking questions of the female counterpart that you’re trying to flirt with got you points in their book, for being interested and all, and he showed his interest. However, he was curious about Reminy. She has clearly lived and seen more, and it was an interesting thing to compare generations. She didn’t look older than him, and damn, her body was something out of a magazine, it was something Ruben liked, but her age was also interesting. He knew she could say some things that not many girls said usually. Rue cocked an eyebrow in mock offence that she was ‘surprised’ at him being able to quote anything. It would have been insulting if Ruben took things more seriously, but he was able to just cover it with jokes and words that meant nothing. “Aw, you wound me Reminy. Do I make such a bad impression that I look unable to quote a book?” He chuckles. It was true, he didn’t read much at all, sitting down with a good book was not his idea of relaxation. He’d always had a hard time concentrating at school, never paying attention to learning in the classroom and passages from different novels. School was certainly nothing up his street. Maybe if he’d stuck around he wouldn’t have had to be a mechanic, but it wasn’t a profession he didn’t like. “I can see why. Religious books are a bunch of bullshit written by men who think they’re gods.” He snorts. “Personally, I do prefer the bottle myself. Nothing like the bitter taste of alcohol and someone willing to have a good time with.” He grinned, a suggestive wiggle of his brow, not thinking anything wrong in delving himself in alcohol and women. It was a common thing for Ruben and one of his favourite pastimes, but then he was pleased rather easily. Once he was ready to jump into the water, the quip of being with both men and women caught his attention, because damn that was a hot thought. “I do have my own appreciation for women, so you’re not going wrong there … as long as you’re not discarding dick completely that is. It would be an absolute shame.” He told, her a pout on his full lips, and a smirk on his face before he was in the water. The wetness was cold, but it was a hot day and felt good on his body. He had been entirely too hot, and why the hell not indulge himself in a little swimming and try and get into this woman’s pants, because that would be a damn good end to his day. Experience was certainly something Ruben liked, though he didn’t mind the innocent virgin’s either because he’d show them how good it all felt. He didn’t keep his eyes off her as she stripped, his gaze shameless on her body, but her words made his brown eyes sparkle in mischief. “Mmm, honey, I can assure you I can offer something life altering.” He grinned once she was in the water and he was able to speak. “But you know what they say, you won’t know unless you try, and I think something is always worth trying.” He said, swimming beside her, close enough to her in proximity but he was not touching her apart from their ankles brushing against one another in the water. Ruben smirked when he was called ‘special’. “Well, I do have my better points, though I’m glad that one of them is getting someone like you to come out for an, unfortunately, almost naked swim.” He chuckles, looking at regret at her underwear which was in a completely teasing manner. He wasn’t going to rip it off her … well, not unless he had permission. He cocked his head to the side when she said he was a man. “You don’t know the half of it, I barely had time to be a teenager.” He explains with a small shrug, a small smile playing around his lips as her next words caused another laugh. She was rather funny, but he was in an excellent mood. “No, you wouldn’t be, but I assure you I know how to handle a real woman.” She splashed him then and was swimming away. He took a chance to dip his head under water, following her just like that as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist, letting the water bring him up in line with her body so when he shook the water out of his hair they were eye to eye. His fingers were barely brushing over the skin of her waist. “Gotta admit, I’m at least a little tempting?”

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[REMINY ODESSA BARLOW]

Life was an adventure, and Reminy liked to treat it as such. That was why she liked to live, when she could manage it, with as few plans as possible when it came to her social life. Of course, work was a completely different story, because it was nearly impossible to build an entire empire without proper structure and planning, and she had done well in building a very successful string of publishing houses by herself, in a time when women and business were rarely used in the same sentence, and certainly not taken seriously. So it wasn't a complete shock to her that this run-in with Ruben was sudden and unexpected, or that she wasn't sure where it was going. Truly, Reminy was conflicted – he was intelligent, interesting, and attractive, but she wasn't sure that it would suit her to be another notch on his likely impressive list of women that he'd bedded much in the same casual manner that she guessed he probably wanted to ensnare her within. Not that she had anything against one-night stands or casual sex – no, she was too much of a pleasure-seeker and into her own enjoyment to say no to something that she truly wanted, unless it was really bad for her. Although, there had been a few situations where she had given in to the 'bad' outlets for pleasure, too. Right now, the two of them were still locked in more intellectual banter, which she appreciated, but wondered how long it'd stay as a battle of wits before it took a turn for more flirtatious chatter. ”Oh, you mistake me – I have no problems with the opinions of others; I am just not as coy as to refrain from giving voice to my own, when it's warranted. But I'll gladly hear the opinions of others, even when they're wrong.” The vampire gave him a teasing smile, and then they went on to another topic, seamlessly, which she could appreciate. Few young people seemed to be able to hold a conversation without making fools of themselves in the modern world, so he did win points for being able to keep up with her verbally. Toward the end of the encounter, she'd have to tally his score, see if he was worth a little recklessness on her behalf.

The way he called her 'sweetheart' did seem a little patronizing, given that she was so much older and more experienced than he was, but she let it slide, biting the inside of her cheek a little to keep from putting him in his place. Reminy was certain that he meant no harm by it, and was likely used to treating women a certain way, and to most women, that sort of address might even be charming, but to her? Well, people could call her by pet names, and had, but only if they had the proper meddle and leg to stand on. Noelle, who was her sire and far older and wiser than she, for example – then, it was a sign of her exerting a sort of unspoken dominance, and Reminy was usually willing to fall into place as the weaker of the two women, gladly. She liked being pampered and spoiled, being treated like someone's precious paramour, but didn't like when others did it. ”There are things that satisfy me that I'm sure you would be able to provide, and other things... not so much. You've still got years to go,” Reminy said, making a little comment toward his age, which was likely young – very young, as she could sense the wild youthfulness to him, even though she was relatively young by vampire terms in her own right, being just over a century old. Likely, she was even older than his grandparents, so she was careful to remember her place, and his.

”I could wound you, if you like. Perhaps not as kindly as in the figurative sense, however,” it was a blatant tease, but reminded him of her edge, and when he spoke of being fond of 'the bottle,' she quickly changed the subject, as she didn't like to think about alcohol being enjoyed to the extent that her father had enjoyed it. The extent of such being where the man she had once loved and adored drank himself to death after becoming an abusive, violent shell of his former self. While she did indulge in alcohol on occasion, it was never something she really 'enjoyed.' ”I can understand a man's quest for a good time, but be careful that you're not too reckless, or you might find yourself biting off more than even someone of your... experience could chew.” It was clear that Ruben was a player, and she understood that there were multiple features about him that likely suckered in more vulnerable, less street-wise women who hadn't experienced the ups and downs of life that she had known. Still, there was nothing wrong with that, or a 'good time' as he said.

Next, he had stripped down completely and was prepared to jump in the water before passing a comment that was both lewd and intriguing her way. It had certainly been a while since she had been sexually involved with a man... and she wasn't 'discarding' the male appendage entirely. She did notice the briefest of interest that passed along his face when she mentioned that she also enjoyed women, and once he hit the water, she took the opportunity to tease him in a little more of a blatant way, since he had opened the door to bold, sexual comments. ”A woman no longer needs a man to enjoy certain parts they possess, darling. Technology has made beautiful advances.” Reminy grinned wickedly, and traced her eyes along the dark-haired boy that was treading water before she stripped down to her underwear and joined him. ”And when I'm unable to find a man that I can appreciate... or get along with... I've been more than willing to enjoy such devices by myself or with a partner who knows what she's doing, sometimes even better than biological males.” She wasn't as good as being explicit, but knew that he was very smart, and would understand exactly what she was trying to say.

The two of them made it into the water, where he continued to do his best to convince her to sleep with him, and Reminy was tempted. Tempted, but not convinced, so she lured him to a more secluded part of the waterfall, and wanted to laugh at how he was trying so hard to sway her. ”You are tempted, and while I'm sure that many have told you that your... abilities are, what was the term you used? Ah, yes. 'Life-altering.' I'm not sure that I'm properly convinced. Consider me a... skeptic.” The feel of his slender arms around her did cause a pleasant tingle, and her lips were very close to his. For a moment, the vampire considered leaning in and kissing him, but not yet. No, she'd tease him a little longer, just to make him realize that he wasn't the biggest or most tempting fish in the sea. Perhaps Ruben could use a little 'life lesson.'

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