taxonomites | 1 | [ holo / location: sanctuary ]

Three days in this dank, godforsaken tomb. It was three days too long without blood, as far as Katherine was concerned. There wasn’t even a single rat in sight; she was so hungry she’d probably lower herself to eating vermin by now. With a quiet exhalation, the vampire slouched against the clammy rock of the tomb’s wall, losing her balance as the solid rock behind her back disappeared abruptly and the darkness was replaced with artificial light.

"What the—!" Katherine hissed and braced one hand against the floor, bowing her head to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness. Slowly, Katherine raised her chin and blinked at the chamber amidst her hair, bewildered. This was a far cry from the musty tomb she’d occupied just a moment ago. How? A moment of sheer, wide-eyed panic gripped at her as she immediately considered the Originals, but a few deep breaths returned her ability to think straight. It couldn’t be. Damon had imprisoned her in that damn tomb, sealed by the Bennett witches’ spell; no vampire could get out once they stepped inside. It had to be someone else, and Katherine was willing to bet they couldn’t be worse than Klaus.

Despite her blood-starved body protesting at every move, Katherine straightened from her slouch and cast a critical eye down at herself. She was a mess; still wearing the wrinkled, knee-length black dress, dirt smudging her skin that had taken on a slightly sickly, ashen pallor – she could only imagine the dark circles bound to sit under her eyes. Her straightened hair hung down her shoulders, a curtain of limp frizz instead of the mass of curls she normally sported. She scoffed at the state of her and cursed Damon all over again. Caroline and that backstabber Lucy, too, while she was at it.

But she had a more immediate objective now, such as getting out and feeding. Oh, and a shower.

"Very well. I’ll bite," Katherine finally drawled wryly, smirking at her pun as she glanced about. "Hello? Anybody home?"

Preferably someone filled with nice, juicy veins full of thick, warm blood. Humming a soft sound of amusement at the thought, Katherine wet her dry lips and addressed the empty room again, her attitude remarkably lackadaisical for such an evidently unwell person in an uncertain situation.

"Nobody obviously taught you people manners. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm afraid you'll have to a bit more specific than that to get an accurate response.

Edited 2010-12-06 23:25 (UTC)

How are you here? I thought you were -

[ she trails off, going over the conversation she and stefan had about katherine when she first arrived over and over in her head. nowhere did he mention her being in town. ]

Stuck in a tomb? [Katherine means in 2010 after the masquerade ball, unaware that Elena is talking about the original thing. Oh, this timeline confusion.] Well, I was, but then I somehow ended up in this fancy little chamber with this... horribly ugly bracelet stuck to my wrist.

Yes. [ she means from 1864. ] And you've been abducted.

Mm, by hamster aliens, no less. Yes, someone informed me of this a little while ago. So, does anybody around here know how do we get back?

No.

[ she's being careful not to reveal too much to katherine. it's obvious that she knows more than elena does and she doesn't want to accidentally fill her in on more than she has to know. about herself, about stefan or damon or lexi, about the friends she's made while here. ]

God, it's like pulling teeth with you. What's the matter, Elena? Don't want to talk to me? [The words are lazy and languid, laced with an edge of teasing.] I guess I can't blame you for that overly much.

[ a feeling of dread creeps into her stomach at those words. katherine's tone is flippant and careless, but she's got a feeling that she's referring to having done something awful, something that she doesn't know about yet. or a lot of things she doesn't know about yet.

there's a certain amount of power katherine's holding here, but elena's not about to let her know she's got it. ]

After the things you've done? What makes you think I'd want to discuss anything with you?

[ it's a bluff that she prays katherine doesn't call. ]

[Katherine's lips curl into a smile at Elena's retort. Her descendant does indeed have fire in her, despite the tint of fear that is evident to Katherine's practiced ear - or perhaps, because of it. Katherine's ire at Elena for swooping in and stealing Stefan's affections is tempered with a strange mix of reluctant fondness and interest. Some days, Katherine can't quite make sense of it, herself.

When Katherine speaks up again her tone is flinty, the teasing banter gone.]

Because underneath all that scorn and fright you might feel towards me, there is curiosity. You want to know, you want the answers. Why do we look exactly alike? Why did I do the things that I did? I am the only one who can provide you with those answers, Elena. Keep that in mind.

Edited 2010-12-07 15:11 (UTC)

[ elena is not a good liar, she never has been. it comes from holding trust and honesty in such high regard; she hates being lied to so much that it's difficult for her to do it to someone else, even if the lie protects them more than the truth. so even though she and katherine are only communicating through voice, even though katherine can't pick up on the nervous tics and tells that would usually give her away, elena can't bring herself to lie and tell her that she's wrong about her desire to know. ]

[The ensuing silence is all Katherine needs to know she's made her point. Katherine knows she's on thin ice right now; stuck in this strange new place with familiar people all from different points of time, different knowledge about what has happened. Katherine needs to re-establish her standing before she can begin to feel more comfortable. Then there is Lexi, harboring a very intense hatred for her. She'd probably stake Katherine in her sleep if given a chance.

Katherine hasn't survived this long with just pure luck on her side, however. Reminding Elena about her unique position in being able to provide for something her descendant yearns for is just another way to make herself untouchable. If it works even for a moment, that will be good enough for Katherine.]

You know... I'm not intending to harm or kill you, if that's what you're concerned about.

[Technically, it's true. So she's planning on handing Elena, the werewolf boy, Caroline and the moonstone over to Klaus in exchange for her own freedom, but that's if they ever get out of Taxon. But while here, it will be more prudent to keep the doppelganger from harm.]

[ it's not herself that she's worried about, truth be told, although there is some concern about that. from the sound of things, katherine's known about her for some time, and if she wanted her dead, she'd already be dead. she's worried about what she could do to the citizens of the city, the friends she's come to make while here. ]

Good to know. What are your intentions, then?

[ not that she thinks katherine will be telling her. ]

[Good question, Elena. Katherine hasn't thought about that too much yet, she's been more concentrated on getting out and feeding. What is she to do, here? A bored Katherine is a potentially dangerous Katherine.]

I don't really know, yet. I imagine they won't differ much from the intentions of everyone else that gets pulled in here against their will; find something to occupy my time with.

[ which could be dangerous for stefan, damon, and lexi if she decides to blow their cover and expose them. and then it occurs to her - they look exactly alike. how is that going to be explained away? ]

I'm sure you'll find something.

[Now, that is a question that has crossed Katherine's mind as well. How exactly are they going to play this one out? We're in for some interesting times.]

Oh, Elena, I have no doubt about that.

[ she's not really looking forward to finding out how - she's sure that whatever it is, she's not going to like it. elena stares at the tablet a moment longer before saying one final thing: ]

Welcome to Taxon.

[ and then she switches her feed off. ]

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