taxonomites | 1 | [ holo / location: sanctuary ]

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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."

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[ ...wow, she really was starving. stefan eyes the blood that escapes her lips, nostrils flaring at the mere scent of it, but keeps himself at bay, under control. katherine's arrival has put him on edge, has his mind flying in a thousand different directions, but unlike damon, this isn't the first time he's seen her since 1864. ]

I can always take the others back, if you don't want them.

[ he holds the next one up, but not out to her, shaking the bottle. ]

[Katherine drains the last dregs from the bottle she's holding in a more sedate manner and tosses it carelessly somewhere on the floor, swiping at the crimson smudge snaking down her chin and neck with one finger and licking it clean. She feels better and her skin is starting to look less ashy, but she knows she needs - wants - more.]

Oh, now, Stefan. Let's not be hasty.

[She extends a hand towards the bottle he's holding up and wriggles her fingers in "gimmie" manner, giving Stefan the same look that usually gets her way with men.]

[ stefan knows that look. it's a look that, a century and a half ago, would've had him caving to her instantly. no questions, no hesitation, just the desired reaction upon request. but, he's not that naive kid from a small town in virginia any more. and while he may be stuck as an eternal teenager and there are parts of himself that can't grow up, move on and mature because of his perpetual youth, he's changed and grown as much as he can within the limitations of his immortality. that look, now, will get her nowhere with him. ]

Oh, we wouldn't want that. I was thinking a more lingering approach.

[ he takes a step back and folds his arm back, hiding the bottle behind him, though the other two stay tucked into the crook of his elbow. ]

What were you doing in the tomb, Katherine?

[Letting her arm drop back to her side, Katherine heaves a fed up sigh and narrows her eyes at Stefan, all traces of flirtatious pleading gone from her face. If she's completely honest with herself, she didn't really expect that to work on Stefan. Not anymore. That doesn't make it any less annoying that it didn't.]

Couldn't we leave the Q&A until later? I'm still hungry and I desperately need a shower.

[She considers holding her ground, continuing the push-and-pull they seem so good at, but she has firsthand knowledge of the Salvatore brothers' stubbornness. Stefan won't be swayed until he's had his answers. Rolling her eyes, Katherine rests the side of her head lazily against the door frame.]

Fine. I was in the tomb because your dear brother shut me inside while I was... momentarily incapacitated.

[ stefan smirks despite himself, satisfied with her answer. damon had shut katherine in the tomb? the irony of that was almost enough to make him laugh aloud, but he keeps the amusement within and does show any of it outside the upturn of his lips and that twinkle in his eyes. he unwinds that hand out from behind his back and tosses her the next bottle. ]

There's a hotel or rooms here that should have showers.

[ because she's not staying at his house. ...though part of him wonders if she should, if only for being able to keep a better eye on her. what would that accomplish, though? stefan can't control her. she's got almost four hundred years on him and isn't on an animal blood diet. he can distract her, maybe, but he's not foolish enough to believe that'll work for very long. ]

[Katherine tosses Stefan a wry look as she catches the bottle deftly. She's perfectly aware of the same irony, she just doesn't find it as amusing as Stefan seems to. Damn witches and their familial obligations. Had Lucy not decided to get all uppity on her at the last minute, she wouldn't have ended up in that damned tomb. So embarrassing. Thankfully, Stefan isn't asking for further clarification, and Katherine is content to fiddle with the cork of the bottle while giving Stefan a teasing smirk and a coy look through her lashes.]

What, not going to invite me over to your place? I'm hurt.

[Good luck trying to keep Katherine from visiting the boarding house once she finds out that it's in Taxon as well. She takes a quick sip from the bottle before sobering, dropping the flirty act.]

Fair is fair, so it's my turn to ask a question now. What is this ugly thing around my wrist?

That would be the point.

[ ...ouch, stefan. gotten meaner, indeed. katherine was right when she predicted that stefan was the rougher of the brothers. damon may be the one with the looser morals, but it's perhaps stefan who should be watched out for. and will he ever get his room back? lexi practically cohabitates with him, even when elena stays over; damon has no sense of personal space; river invades as she pleases and now he gets mornings of waking up to katherine curled up next to him to look forward to. wonderful. ]

A bracelet. We all have them. [ stefan shakes his own wrist at her, his own metal band peeking out from underneath the sleeve of the dull gray hoodie he's got on. he'd tried getting it off when he'd first arrived and had only succeeded in making a bloody mess on the floor of the arrival room's floor. stefan probably would've kept at it if damon hadn't shouted at him to stop tearing into his arm. ] They serve a variety of purposes - namely pinpointing your location on the map and keeping track of your funds.

Edited 2010-12-07 20:36 (UTC)

Mm, you really are hot when you're on the offensive.

[Katherine's purr is followed by a mischievous quirk of her lips before she takes another pull from the bottle, savoring the taste on her tongue. So, she can't quite quell the flirtatiousness half the time; it's just how she rolls. Besides, this new Stefan who is such a contrast to the one she knew in 1864 is fascinating. Yes, Stefan, unfortunately that means you may just one fine morning wake up to an uninvited guest. Too bad.

Glancing at the metal bracelet wrapped around her wrist, Katherine scoffs distastefully. Not only is the thing ugly, she doesn't like the idea of being tracked constantly. Sometimes one just didn't wish to be found.]

Wonderful. No orange jumpsuits to go with it? How disappointing. [Not. Her next question is perhaps not as innocent as it sounds.] And the fellow abductees... is there a large population?

[ stefan steps closer - a quick, single step that should've taken more than a few - and around her, leaning in towards an ear... ] And flattery will get you nowhere.

[ moving back a few steps, stefan weighs the two remaining bottles of blood in his hands, eying them and then her. the scent of the blood from the open bottle in her hand has his attention, demands it, as always when a vampire is near an open blood source, and he uses that as an excuse not to focus in on her. ]

Depends on your definition of large, but I wouldn't go provoking them. People have tendency to bite back when bitten.

Edited 2010-12-07 22:03 (UTC)

[For those fleeting seconds that Stefan's breath ghosts across her earlobe, Katherine allows herself to simply stand still - she's hardly intimidated by him - and inhale his scent, to enjoy his closeness. Her fingers itch to touch him; were they not curled around the bottle, she might have done so. She gives him a slow, small smile as he pulls back from her but otherwise makes no comment.

The moment passes swiftly, and before sipping some more blood from the bottle, Katherine shrugs one shoulder and retorts flippantly.]

I can't imagine what you're implying by that.

Edited 2010-12-07 22:26 (UTC)

[ stefan busies himself with tucking one of the bottles back under and arm and screwing off the cap of the other. he leans down, sniffs it - ...stefan, what are you doing - and shrugs a shoulder, inattentively. ]

You're the one who got stuck in the tomb you should've been in back in 1864. You tell me.

[Katherine watches Stefan with unabashed curiosity. This is proving far more interesting than the halfhearted fishing attempt, but perhaps in some twisted, vague attempt to encourage him, Katherine speaks the truth anyway. Well, sort of.]

No provoking. Simple witchy, holier-than-thou, family first nonsense. [Idly, she swirls the few remaining inches of blood around in her bottle.] Tell me you're not still drinking from bunnies even in this place?

[ the answer to that question is yes, he has been. but, that would be admitting a weakness. stefan knows he's weaker while on his animal blood diet, but the last time he he was on human blood... things hadn't gone so well. yet, despite that, he makes an impulsive decision to defy the truth and supply her with a lie, lifting the open bottle to hips lips and taking a sip of the blood. he swallows it, licks the remnants off his lips and holds the bottle out to her, fixing her with a look that seems to say, "answer your question?" ]

Bonnie, I'm guessing. Not a good idea to get on her bad side. I thought you knew to play nice with Bennett witches already, Katherine.

Edited 2010-12-08 04:30 (UTC)

Well, now. Glad to see you've finally given up trying to deny yourself, Stefan.

[Raising her brows, Katherine grins in delighted surprise. Stefan is just full of surprises today! Part of her wonders about this development suspiciously, remembering his staunch determination not to stray from his animal blood diet back in Mystic Falls. Another part of her is willing to accept it as it is, for the time being at least. This should prove to be interesting. She empties the bottle she's holding and tosses it, making a face and scoffing at Stefan's remark.]

Bonnie? Please. She has potential, but she's not up to Emily's level quite yet. Enough about witches, already. Imagine my surprise to hear good old Lexi greet me over the device in her inimitable manner. Tell me, Stefan... [Stepping closer, she reaches out and takes the opened bottle from Stefan, holding it up and shaking it slightly at him to make her point.] How are the three of you playing this little detail out? I would hate to put a kink into whatever story you've fed to the rest of the people here.

[ even such a small sip a blood feels warm in his belly, despite the bottle having not been heated. it's the first time he's ingested human blood since damon and elena had to lock him up in the cellar to detox after he got too wrapped up in how good it felt to be at full strength again and let himself spiral out of control. he instantly regrets doing that, chastising himself for being so impulsively idiotic, even if his little lie seemed to do the trick he intended it to. stefan tells himself he can handle it this time, that this is one sip and nothing more. elena's a vampire right now, she's not a temptation. the only person he's around regularly who would be is river and-- no, he wouldn't do that to the girl. he can keep himself under control. one sip is just one sip. he's fine. stupid, but fine. ]

She's not a fan of yours, for obvious reasons. Can't say I blame her.

[ stefan surrenders the bottle, shrugging at the tail end of his own comment, eyes fixated upon the bottle as she shakes it at him. maybe just one more-- no. one sip it will remain. just a single sip. he pulls gaze up, staring at her face instead. part of him wants to hoard their cover and not share, but he knows not sharing will lead to slip ups and even though katherine is katherine, that there's still the issue with being vampires and people not taking kindly to them. even here, where the are vampires who are out in the open with what they are. (foolish of them, stefan thinks, but he keeps that opinion to himself.) ]

Damon and I are what we are: brothers. Parents died in a car accident, Damon's his little brother's sole guardian. Lexi is our cousin and Elena is what she is, too: [ "i came back for you" rings in his ears as he delivers, a little more edged than the rest of his speech-- ] my girlfriend. Just a normal group of people from a small town in Virginia without any knowledge of the supernatural.

[Katherine is not oblivious to Stefan's interest in the bottle - or rather, its contents. There's an edge to his attention, a gleam in his eye that appears just a touch too intent to be that ever-present thirst, demand, triggered in every vampire by the scent of blood. Knowing Stefan's refusal to drink human blood back in Mystic Falls, she hazards a guess that he has perhaps not been on this new and definitely improved diet for very long. Exactly how long has he been stuck in this place with the others? Smothering a smirk, she lets it be for a while.]

Trust me, the feeling is mutual.

[Katherine may be inclined to the 'my way or the highway' approach, but she's not ignorant or stupid when it comes to this particular point. Discretion about their true nature is vital, other vampires or no - she doesn't even know yet that there are others of the blood-diet oriented in Taxon. No, she knows she has to dig up some team-spirit for this one, unfortunately. Mostly it's the whole issue of looking exactly like Elena that has her taking a moment of consideration.]

How quaint. One big, happy family. Not that I'd be overly concerned about these finer details if it weren't for the unfortunate fact that your... [She pauses briefly to narrow her eyes and put a sarcastic stress on the word - thanks very much for that little verbal smackdown earlier, indeed--] girlfriend has my face. I have a feeling that might raise a few eyebrows, so any ideas about that to share with the class? Don't even think I'll cloister myself indoors during my stay just to avoid the confusion.

Be nice. [ who is stefan to tell katherine of all people what to do? it's lexi, however, and thus stefan's protective side rears it's head and demands that lexi's safety be ensured. he lost his best friend once, he wasn't going to do so again. especially not to katherine. damon's dislike of lexi suddenly seemed like a tiny pebble sitting next to very large boulder in comparison to whatever outlook his sire was harboring for her. ] ...how do you know Lexi, anyway?

[ he didn't like this. katherine had a point and he didn't like it at all. the suggestion that she simply pretend to be elena was out of the question. he didn't want to endanger elena's friends here by putting them in a position where they'd be unknowingly interacting with someone who would not hesitate to make them into a late afternoon snack. but, the fact that the two were undeniably identical in appearances was impossible to ignore.

stefan huffs in irritation. ] Estranged twin sister?

Mm? [Lowering the bottle she'd been taking a gulp from, Katherine widens her eyes innocently and bats her lashes, pursing her lips in a look that means to say something like 'aren't I always?'. No, Katherine, not really. Swallowing, she smiles lazily at Stefan. Oh yes, he was from the time before she'd sneaked into the boarding house and spent the morning there, before the masquerade ball. There were a few things that he didn't know, and she planned on holding onto that advantage for a while longer.]

Oh, I know a lot more than you probably think I do, Stefan.

[It's a good thing she didn't drink when Stefan mentioned the sister thing. Choking out a sound between a chuckle and a scoff, Katherine shakes her head. To be honest, she doesn't really care what they pretend to be - the twin idea is a sensible one, and quite possibly the only plausible way to explain away the physical similarity. She didn't relish the idea of playing a teenager, though. And Elena might be reluctant to play along, seeing as how she appeared to be spooked even by the mere sound of Katherine's voice.]

Every family needs a black sheep, huh? Good luck trying to convince Elena of that idea. I think she may have a few objections.

Edited 2010-12-08 18:59 (UTC)

I mean it, Katherine. If any harm comes to Lexi, I will make good on my promise to rip your heart out. Leave her alone.

[ rawr, stefan. the scarier brother, indeed.

elena is not going to be keen on this idea. neither is lexi or damon, and at some point he's going to need to inform godric of the presence of another vampire. ...vampires, since elena's now turned. (that glitch that he doesn't yet know is a glitch won't be mentioned to katherine any time soon. let her go on thinking her doppleganger is still a regular ol' baseline human.) keeping godric in the basic know is essential, for stefan - through lexi - knows how this works. godric's an elder - an ancient. he's the oldest and the strongest here. thus, if he wants to keep tabs on who's a vampire and who's not, it's in their best interest to adhere to that. and godric's kept their secret thus far. eric, too. ]

Parents divorced, you normally live far away with the parent she doesn't. We can work with it. You've been covering your tracks for over half a millennia, Katherine. You can't tell me you don't have any ideas of your own swirling around that pretty head of yours.

God, I do love this new-found forcefulness in you. It's so sexy. [Oh yeah, she had to get that one in. Your threats don't intimidate her, Stefan.] But ugh, whatever, fine. If you absolutely insist, though goodness knows I can't understand why you would - I'll try to behave. No mistake, though; if she comes after me, I will retaliate. Make sure she's aware of that.

[Elena being a vampire won't go down well with Katherine, because if she has become one, then who will she sell out to Klaus in return for her own freedom? And her experiences with the elders haven't been very favorable thus far; if there's one thing that truly frightens her, it's the Originals. Never mind that Godric (and Eric) aren't from the same world as they are.]

Doubting my abilities to pull off a ruse, Stefan? Tsk! I can and will handle my end of the deal just fine, as long as Elena can do the same. Girl's a little skittish, if you know what I mean. [She takes a quick sip from the bottle before offering it to Stefan with a smirk.] Toast to it? I'm getting full.

Edited 2010-12-08 20:26 (UTC)

[ ...and this is where stefan's brilliant idea to swallow a bit of blood in order to trick katherine into thinking he's not still on the weaker animal blood diet comes back to bite him in the ass. and so soon after the lie, too. denying his lie would be stupid, but following through with what she's asking might be even stupider. ...even more foolish, perhaps, would be trying to work around it. what a corner he has back himself into.

hesitating would look bad and so stefan reaches out, takes the bottle from her and raises it up in a toast-- ] To keeping up appearances. [ --then tips his head back and drains the rest of it's contents.

that bottle is immediately discarded and he tosses the unopened one at her. partly to get it out of his hands to he's not tempted. ] Keep that for later. No sense in good blood going to waste.

[ damon would really, really rather have stayed the hell away from katherine until he can pretend to be unaffected a little better. but thanks to the hamsters, he has a voicemail of stefan drinking human blood. with her. jealousy aside-- and oh, there's jealousy; she came back for stefan, wants stefan, he's the first one she'll see in and taxon, and stefan break his ban for her-- the memories of his brother locked in the basement are too fresh to ignore this.

it doesn't take long to haul ass over to the sanctuary. it takes a moment longer to smooth down his shirt and hair and paste on an uncaring expression, but it never does pay to show up to battle without your armor. ]

Having a reunion without inviting me? Bad form, you two. I'm hurt.

[A good two and half bottles of soccer mom in her belly (thanks for sharing, Damon), Katherine finally feels fully back to old herself again - if still in dire need of a long, hot shower. Her lips curl into a smile before Damon is anywhere near them, eying him up and down when he does draw closer. She was not expecting Damon to show up, but it's not an unwelcome surprise.

Turning the full bottle Stefan tossed her up and down in her hands, she gives Damon a small pout.]

You're the one who didn't sound too pleased to hear from me earlier. If anyone's got a grievance around here, it's me. But here we all are now, just like in the good old days.

[ thank god he's not still holding that bottle, stefan thinks, but unknown to him, damon already knows. and he'll smell it on his breath, regardless. shit, stefan is in it no matter what. and it's odd, for while he's got well over a century and a half's years behind him, he feels more like the seventeen year old who's about to get scolded by his older brother for being stupid and feels the urge to run in the other direction because of it. he doesn't, though, and instead bites the bullet and moves closer to damon. ]

Che ci fai qui?

[ katherine would be able to hear the most hushed of whispers between them, so italian it is. ]

( translation | "what are you doing here?" )

Edited 2010-12-09 13:54 (UTC)

[ damon throws a careless arm over stefan's shoulders, tugging him close, his hand digging harshly into the muscle of his brother's shoulder. ]

Ti impedisce di fare qualsiasi mossa più stupida.

[ arm still keeping stefan close-- an anchor, a chain, a dam-- damon turns them to face katherine, careful to keep his face lazily amused. this is their battle line; stefan and damon on this side, katherine on the other. ]

Well, isn't this cosy.

( translation | 'keeping you from making any more stupid moves.' )

1 | [ holo / location: sanctuary ]

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;

and everything you love will burn up in the light;