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MENTAL LINK ❰ ɪɴʙᴏx ❱
BLOOD its burden is a beast | FEAR |
FURY | LOVE i will always choose you |
( Hey, new guy. )
[Shepard is nothing if not direct. She doesn't like coincidences, and she doesn't like bothering people when they're disoriented-- well, no, that's not true.
Still, just woke up and not enjoying it isn't the best of all times to make friends, if friendship could be called the goal.]
( You got a minute to talk? )
[Shepard is nothing if not direct. She doesn't like coincidences, and she doesn't like bothering people when they're disoriented-- well, no, that's not true.
Still, just woke up and not enjoying it isn't the best of all times to make friends, if friendship could be called the goal.]
( You got a minute to talk? )
( damon hates the telepathic effect of the nest. he dislikes the reminder that these people can get inside his head whenever they want, and he has very little ability to keep them out. that annoyance bleeds through his response to shepard, coloring every syllable. she is not welcome in there, and he wants this conversation to be in person as soon as possible.
Rec room. )
Rec room. )
( Fine. )
[What she'd meant to say was "roger that" or some similar, automatic response. But what came out instead was closer to what she'd meant. Gotta keep a lid on that one, shielding or no.
Still, it's not five minutes hence that she showed up in the 'rec room' as they were calling it, scanning all corners for damon's presence, even if she doesn't yet know his face.]
[What she'd meant to say was "roger that" or some similar, automatic response. But what came out instead was closer to what she'd meant. Gotta keep a lid on that one, shielding or no.
Still, it's not five minutes hence that she showed up in the 'rec room' as they were calling it, scanning all corners for damon's presence, even if she doesn't yet know his face.]
( damon's presence will be easy to detect — he's sitting right in front of the door, watching it, waiting for shepard to come in. he wants to keep shepard out of his head as much as possible, and if he'd hidden, she'd resort to feeling him out with the link. seemed easy enough to just be where he was expected to be. )
Stay out of my head.
( it's easier said than done, he knows, so the demand has no particular bite. he doesn't care about being rude, he just wants shepard to be aware: she is not welcome in his thoughts. no one is. allowances will be made where they must, but in all other cases, contact him in person or not at all. )
Stay out of my head.
( it's easier said than done, he knows, so the demand has no particular bite. he doesn't care about being rude, he just wants shepard to be aware: she is not welcome in his thoughts. no one is. allowances will be made where they must, but in all other cases, contact him in person or not at all. )
[Shepard stops when she sees him, hip cocked and arms folded an an affect of listening that somehow manages to be sarcastic, without words. Oh, you sweet summer child, you think you have a choice?]
Would if I could. [The honest truth, that. There is a sense that Shepard would happily kill for the privilege of staying out of people's heads. Perhaps even that she has done so in the past.] You got a radio on you? Omni-tool? Mail access? No?
Would if I could. [The honest truth, that. There is a sense that Shepard would happily kill for the privilege of staying out of people's heads. Perhaps even that she has done so in the past.] You got a radio on you? Omni-tool? Mail access? No?
( elena has only actively chosen to use the mental link to communicate a handful of times since arriving. mostly it just makes her feel uncomfortable, if she's being totally honest, and she's never missed the simplicity of a phone call as much as she does now. she could track damon, the way he had with her, but she can't quite decide which feels weirder at the moment. is it more bizarre to follow someone's mental footprint through your hive of a space station home, or to literally speak to them in your head?
in the end the pseudo stalking wins out. she's not trying to mask her approach, but even if elena was making an effort she'd likely be all too obvious anyway. she's wary of the work being put into this particular skill now, conscious of the cost that could occur. lexa's warning is ever-present in the back of her mind now: Is that what you want?
there are a great many things that elena will sacrifice for the greater good, but she's not sure if she wants her entire sense of self to be one of them.
elena doesn't have to focus too much to be able to follow the distinct signature of damon, a shade different from everyone else around them. he's easily the person that she's had the most contact with since being here, bizarre as it still might feel he's the closest she's been with anyone. it's relatively easy to narrow it down once she's close enough, and by the time elena catches up with him they're in the rec room.
it's pretty immediately clear that she's here to talk serious. )
It's later.
( really, she thinks she's been very patient. there's so much eating her up about the kind of information that damon could be withholding, it's a wonder that she hasn't exploded. or that her brood haven't gone insane. she'll have to apologise for the turmoil she's causing the place one of these days, but for now at least her primary concern lies with what she still doesn't know. )
in the end the pseudo stalking wins out. she's not trying to mask her approach, but even if elena was making an effort she'd likely be all too obvious anyway. she's wary of the work being put into this particular skill now, conscious of the cost that could occur. lexa's warning is ever-present in the back of her mind now: Is that what you want?
there are a great many things that elena will sacrifice for the greater good, but she's not sure if she wants her entire sense of self to be one of them.
elena doesn't have to focus too much to be able to follow the distinct signature of damon, a shade different from everyone else around them. he's easily the person that she's had the most contact with since being here, bizarre as it still might feel he's the closest she's been with anyone. it's relatively easy to narrow it down once she's close enough, and by the time elena catches up with him they're in the rec room.
it's pretty immediately clear that she's here to talk serious. )
It's later.
( really, she thinks she's been very patient. there's so much eating her up about the kind of information that damon could be withholding, it's a wonder that she hasn't exploded. or that her brood haven't gone insane. she'll have to apologise for the turmoil she's causing the place one of these days, but for now at least her primary concern lies with what she still doesn't know. )
( when elena starts looking for him, damon can feel it. they spend most of their time together anyway, mostly because he prefers to have her as near to him as possible, so he doesn't try to mask his presence from her. on the contrary, he makes himself easier to find, reaching for her mind with his and leading her to him. it's difficult to decide how he feels about the link, when it comes to elena — he likes having her just a thought away, always in the back of his head, close enough that he can always tell if she's okay and what's happening with her, but having her in his head is dangerous. he knows so much that she doesn't, and his shielding lessons with sam have been effective, but he doesn't know that he'll always be able to keep her out the way he needs to.
part of him wants her to be in his head forever, the other wants her out as soon as possible. like most things about him, it's a contradiction he doesn't know what to do with, so he's ignoring it.
when she finds him, he's sitting in the rec room, a book on his lap, but his eyes are only on her. he smiles a little, when he sees her, but before she even says anything, he knows what she's going to say, and the smile fades. after a moment, he slides the book off his lap, and beckons her over. )
This is going to be harder to hear than the other stuff, ( he says — not to dissuade her from asking, but as a warning. it's not easy to hear you were adopted, that the uncle you've disliked your whole life is your real father, that your boyfriend dated your doppelganger a century and a half ago... she's not going to like any of it.
but he won't keep it from her. she's been so patient already, she deserves to know. )
part of him wants her to be in his head forever, the other wants her out as soon as possible. like most things about him, it's a contradiction he doesn't know what to do with, so he's ignoring it.
when she finds him, he's sitting in the rec room, a book on his lap, but his eyes are only on her. he smiles a little, when he sees her, but before she even says anything, he knows what she's going to say, and the smile fades. after a moment, he slides the book off his lap, and beckons her over. )
This is going to be harder to hear than the other stuff, ( he says — not to dissuade her from asking, but as a warning. it's not easy to hear you were adopted, that the uncle you've disliked your whole life is your real father, that your boyfriend dated your doppelganger a century and a half ago... she's not going to like any of it.
but he won't keep it from her. she's been so patient already, she deserves to know. )
( he's aware that neither of them really have a choice, but more of an effort could be made, surely. )
Did you need something? Or are you just here to bother me? ( he doesn't have much room to talk when it comes to sarcastic, shitty replies designed to needle people, but that doesn't mean he won't talk. it just means he's a hypocrite — something he's never much minded, anyway. )
Did you need something? Or are you just here to bother me? ( he doesn't have much room to talk when it comes to sarcastic, shitty replies designed to needle people, but that doesn't mean he won't talk. it just means he's a hypocrite — something he's never much minded, anyway. )
What, you're so busy?
[Stationtime is downtime, for a lot of these folks. Shepard doesn't think she'll be seeing Damon pumping iron or cramming library books anytime soon. But then, she could be wrong; she's only just met him.
Call it a gut feeling, though.]
But hey, if you want the people who have access to your inner self to keep being strangers, say so. Because I might just be a stupid human, but I think you and I should probably get to know one another. Before it becomes a life-or-death necessity, maybe?
[Snide sarcasm is an art-form.]
Your call.
[Stationtime is downtime, for a lot of these folks. Shepard doesn't think she'll be seeing Damon pumping iron or cramming library books anytime soon. But then, she could be wrong; she's only just met him.
Call it a gut feeling, though.]
But hey, if you want the people who have access to your inner self to keep being strangers, say so. Because I might just be a stupid human, but I think you and I should probably get to know one another. Before it becomes a life-or-death necessity, maybe?
[Snide sarcasm is an art-form.]
Your call.
( she hovers for a moment, two, as she tries to decide if she wants to sit or not. in the end it's a small streak of pettiness that sees her dragging a chair closer to damon, she just doesn't want to give him the opportunity to tell her that it might be a good idea. it's good that he warns her, she needs to know that this is going to be tough, but this is going to be on her terms, not anyone else's.
it's a vague gesture of control at best, and a real testament to just how incredibly out of control she feels in this place.
sat straight in the chair, expression sombre, hands clasped, she focuses her gaze on damon and nods. regardless of what he's about to throw at her, elena needs to know it. she knows that much, at least. but how do you prepare for the unknown? )
Can we start with Katherine? ( because that's the one detail that has plagued her more than anything, more than she'd ever like it to. ) Why did you think I was her, when we first met?
it's a vague gesture of control at best, and a real testament to just how incredibly out of control she feels in this place.
sat straight in the chair, expression sombre, hands clasped, she focuses her gaze on damon and nods. regardless of what he's about to throw at her, elena needs to know it. she knows that much, at least. but how do you prepare for the unknown? )
Can we start with Katherine? ( because that's the one detail that has plagued her more than anything, more than she'd ever like it to. ) Why did you think I was her, when we first met?
( start with katherine, she says, like it's just that easy, and damon... he doesn't know where to begin. there's a reason stefan was the one to explain all this to her, beyond the fact that they were together. stefan is better at tact than he is, better at being gentle. damon is a bull in a china shop compared to his brother, and usually he doesn't care, but he doesn't want to break elena. he wants so badly to help her get through this with as little pain as possible. )
In the summer of 1864, Katherine Pierce came to Mystic Falls claiming to be a refugee from Atlanta, ( he says eventually, voice low. he's being as delicate as he knows how to be, but he's never been one for gentility. he doesn't know how to say all this without hurting her. )
Her parents had died in the fire, or so she said, and she needed somewhere to stay. My father, in his infinite kindness, let her stay with us. From the beginning, I was completely taken with her. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
( the words themselves are almost reverent in how they refer to katherine; the tone is decidedly not. it's only with the benefit of hindsight that damon sees how she was playing all of them, playing him, and he hates her for it. if she'd never come to mystic falls, if she'd lived with someone else, if her affection hadn't been so laser-focused on stefan...
well, he wouldn't be here now. despite everything, all the things he's done and had done to him, he wouldn't risk losing elena for the chance at a normal human life. )
Long story short, she was a vampire, the one who turned me and Stefan. She played us against each other, manipulated us, wrapped the whole town around her little finger and then bailed when things got tough. I thought she'd been trapped in the tomb beneath Fell's Church with the others, but she was really just on the run. She wanted to survive mores than she cared about anyone in that town, including Stefan.
( a pause, knowing he hasn't said enough, not sure what else to say that wouldn't require tearing open his own heart and letting it bleed out in front of her. the years of hopeless longing, the thought that all of it would be worth it because she was waiting on the other side — hating stefan for having any part of her affection, hating himself for not being enough —
katherine pierce tore through him and his brother like tissue paper. it's hard to put into words the damage she did. )
I thought you were her because you're her doppelganger.
( for this, he opens the link between them just enough for elena to know that he's telling the truth, and to see herself and katherine standing side by side in his memory. it's not something he'd expect her to just take on faith. )
In the summer of 1864, Katherine Pierce came to Mystic Falls claiming to be a refugee from Atlanta, ( he says eventually, voice low. he's being as delicate as he knows how to be, but he's never been one for gentility. he doesn't know how to say all this without hurting her. )
Her parents had died in the fire, or so she said, and she needed somewhere to stay. My father, in his infinite kindness, let her stay with us. From the beginning, I was completely taken with her. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
( the words themselves are almost reverent in how they refer to katherine; the tone is decidedly not. it's only with the benefit of hindsight that damon sees how she was playing all of them, playing him, and he hates her for it. if she'd never come to mystic falls, if she'd lived with someone else, if her affection hadn't been so laser-focused on stefan...
well, he wouldn't be here now. despite everything, all the things he's done and had done to him, he wouldn't risk losing elena for the chance at a normal human life. )
Long story short, she was a vampire, the one who turned me and Stefan. She played us against each other, manipulated us, wrapped the whole town around her little finger and then bailed when things got tough. I thought she'd been trapped in the tomb beneath Fell's Church with the others, but she was really just on the run. She wanted to survive mores than she cared about anyone in that town, including Stefan.
( a pause, knowing he hasn't said enough, not sure what else to say that wouldn't require tearing open his own heart and letting it bleed out in front of her. the years of hopeless longing, the thought that all of it would be worth it because she was waiting on the other side — hating stefan for having any part of her affection, hating himself for not being enough —
katherine pierce tore through him and his brother like tissue paper. it's hard to put into words the damage she did. )
I thought you were her because you're her doppelganger.
( for this, he opens the link between them just enough for elena to know that he's telling the truth, and to see herself and katherine standing side by side in his memory. it's not something he'd expect her to just take on faith. )
Edited 2017-03-20 13:17 (UTC)
( as far as damon's concerned, station time is all there is. he's still getting his bearings here, and while he's seen evidence that other people have been on the station before the current crop, he's seen nothing to suggest they've ever left the station. maybe that hangar is just for show. )
Easier to keep you out if I don't know you, ( he says with a tight smile, though he doesn't really know if that's true. he doesn't know shit about shit here and he knows it, but he's hardly about to admit to the gap in his knowledge. )
When I keep calling you a stupid human, remember that you said it first.
( that she's pegged him as not-human already would be frustrating enough on its own, but combined with someone he finds so deeply intolerable already, in a situation he never asked for and with questions that still haven't been answered... nothing about this is damon's idea of a good time. )
What would you like to know, stupid human? Oh, I know. I'm a Gemini, I like long walks on the beach, and my favourite colour is red.
( it's possible he's not taking this seriously. )
Easier to keep you out if I don't know you, ( he says with a tight smile, though he doesn't really know if that's true. he doesn't know shit about shit here and he knows it, but he's hardly about to admit to the gap in his knowledge. )
When I keep calling you a stupid human, remember that you said it first.
( that she's pegged him as not-human already would be frustrating enough on its own, but combined with someone he finds so deeply intolerable already, in a situation he never asked for and with questions that still haven't been answered... nothing about this is damon's idea of a good time. )
What would you like to know, stupid human? Oh, I know. I'm a Gemini, I like long walks on the beach, and my favourite colour is red.
( it's possible he's not taking this seriously. )
[ He hadn't had to ask who was responsible for Ilde's injuries when he went to heal them any more than he'd had to when he saw the marks on Elena's wrist - though of course, the two bites were very, very different. Elena'd said she didn't think Damon would be a danger to the rest of the Nest, and honestly, Sam's inclined to agree with her - or at least, not any more of a danger than Ilde or the Darkling or Seviliia.
Still, he reaches out to brush against Damon's mind anyway. ]
( Did she throw things at you, too? )
Still, he reaches out to brush against Damon's mind anyway. ]
( Did she throw things at you, too? )
( Stabbed me, actually.
if sam is looking for any trace of regret, he won't find it in damon. his anger has cooled after spending time with elena, but he still thinks ilde got exactly what she deserved. the people here don't fear him like they should, think that just because they aren't allowed to kill each other that he can't do anything truly terrible. if elena weren't here he'd prove them wrong just to be contrary.
If you're going to lecture me, save it. You'll be wasting your time and mine. )
if sam is looking for any trace of regret, he won't find it in damon. his anger has cooled after spending time with elena, but he still thinks ilde got exactly what she deserved. the people here don't fear him like they should, think that just because they aren't allowed to kill each other that he can't do anything truly terrible. if elena weren't here he'd prove them wrong just to be contrary.
If you're going to lecture me, save it. You'll be wasting your time and mine. )
Edited 2017-03-21 12:13 (UTC)
[ There's something like a snort across the mental link, and the impression that Sam's shaking his head. ]
( Man, I ain't your baby sitter. Both of you can make your own damn decisions, stupid or otherwise. )
[ The obvious implication being that he thinks both of them could have made better choices, but there's nothing like blame. Just a faint hint of exasperation, a little amusement, a little concern. ]
( I'm not sure what reaction she thought she was gonna get with what she was doing, but it's not like people who're that deep in grief think all that rationally. You okay? )
( Man, I ain't your baby sitter. Both of you can make your own damn decisions, stupid or otherwise. )
[ The obvious implication being that he thinks both of them could have made better choices, but there's nothing like blame. Just a faint hint of exasperation, a little amusement, a little concern. ]
( I'm not sure what reaction she thought she was gonna get with what she was doing, but it's not like people who're that deep in grief think all that rationally. You okay? )
( Yes, already. I heal quick.
not as quickly as he could, but he's not about to ask anybody else for a nibble, and elena's body can only handle losing so much blood before it affects her badly. he'd never hurt her, so... neither of them is going to be at 100% for a while. when it actually becomes something to worry about, damon will consider changing his mind.
Did you want to lecture me about it? I won't feel bad, you can save your breath.
Focus. Whatever. )
not as quickly as he could, but he's not about to ask anybody else for a nibble, and elena's body can only handle losing so much blood before it affects her badly. he'd never hurt her, so... neither of them is going to be at 100% for a while. when it actually becomes something to worry about, damon will consider changing his mind.
Did you want to lecture me about it? I won't feel bad, you can save your breath.
Focus. Whatever. )
( damon maintains that he made a perfectly reasonable choice and was then very unreasonably stabbed. he was tired of the whole stalking around each other like predators thing, he wanted something to happen. so he made it happen, and then she stabbed him. ilde is the rude one, here.
I'm fine. I've had worse.
he still thinks he was the one wronged here, but... what did he do when elena and katherine both rejected him? he killed jeremy. he was once a grieving moron too.
and then he remembers that he tried the nice thing, and she tore into him for it, and he stops feeling as bad.
She wasn't thinking. All she cared about was how sucky she felt, fuck everyone else. Been there.
just because he's been there doesn't mean he's not judging hard, though. )
I'm fine. I've had worse.
he still thinks he was the one wronged here, but... what did he do when elena and katherine both rejected him? he killed jeremy. he was once a grieving moron too.
and then he remembers that he tried the nice thing, and she tore into him for it, and he stops feeling as bad.
She wasn't thinking. All she cared about was how sucky she felt, fuck everyone else. Been there.
just because he's been there doesn't mean he's not judging hard, though. )
[ Sam's pretty damn sure that Ilde would also maintain that she made a perfectly reasonable choice, but that's not what he's here for. It's not his job to get them to have empathy for each other, not really - although if he'd known that it'd make Damon relate even if for a moment, he'd take it. ]
( Me too. )
[ Been there, he means, although technically he's had worse, too. And Sam's not judging - either of them - but he ain't excusing it, either. ]
( Feeling fine enough to come punch the shit out some stuff with me? )
( Me too. )
[ Been there, he means, although technically he's had worse, too. And Sam's not judging - either of them - but he ain't excusing it, either. ]
( Feeling fine enough to come punch the shit out some stuff with me? )
( damon isn't incapable of empathy — he used to be, when his humanity was off, but now it's on and he can actually consider other peoples' feelings... he just chooses not to. it's easier than worrying about the fragile feelings of humans all day every day.
I would break anything you wanted me to punch.
misato's been teaching him how to hit things better, so where that may not have been strictly true before — he had raw power but no form, so he was as likely to hurt himself as he was to break anything else — it is more likely now. )
I would break anything you wanted me to punch.
misato's been teaching him how to hit things better, so where that may not have been strictly true before — he had raw power but no form, so he was as likely to hurt himself as he was to break anything else — it is more likely now. )
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