[ …. ]elena's mind turned into a narrow tunnel, only able to ponder on all the tragic events that have transpired as of late. everyone around her, all her loved ones, seem to continue getting caught in the middle of this supernatural mess she's been thrusted into. if she hadn't met stefan and damon, would vicki, mayor lockwood, and bonnie's grandmother still be alive? if she hadn't met them, would klaus still be a threat to her? she couldn't help but wonder, dissecting every possible ‘what if' situation but, in the end, none of it mattered. this was her new reality and she refused to let anyone else die because of her. she wanted everyone to stop trying to save her and allow her to make love's greatest sacrifice in the sake of saving her family and friends, any innocent person that got caught in the crossfire.
she was disappointed that @survivingpierce didn't immediately jump onto the opportunity to offer her as a peace offering as well as deeply surprised. elena sighed softly, looking down into her lap and processing katherine's words carefully. she was right, as much as she hated to admit it, stefan and damon would refuse to allow elena to offer herself. they couldn't know about this plan; they had to be stealthy. ❝ fine. but, how?❞ she asked, concern dripping from her tone.
❝no. no one else can be involved. i don't want anyone else getting hurt. if klaus needs me for… whatever sick thing he needs me for then fine. but no one else can get hurt, katherine❞ she stated firmly, locking eyes with her doppelganger. she swallowed thickly, trying to push back her nerves, ❝ what about elijah ? he has to know where his brother is. ❞
she admired elena’s willingness to die; she seemed to have accepted her fate without really fighting back. foolish on the one hand, but admirable on the other. would katherine have reacted the same way if she had known what was going to happen? probably. she doubted that she could have escaped if she had known what revenge klaus would take on her.
"i don’t want this to spiral out of control either, elena. fewer bodies, less mess; it’s better for everyone, including me.“ even though katherine would do anything to ensure that this sacrifice happens so that klaus is finally satisfied and no longer interested in hunting her.
”keeping the salvatores out won’t be easy. they’re stubborn; stefan’s all noble guilt, damon’s a loose cannon. as i said, they’ll fight tooth and nail to stop you. we’d need a way to distract them, maybe misdirect them long enough for you to slip away. otherwise, good luck hiding from the salvatore puppy eyes; they’ll sniff you out faster than you can say ‘self-sacrifice.’“ somehow katherine deemed it impossible to keep them out of the way because they just don’t listen. ”you either need to put them off or you pretend you go on a trip. volunteering somewhere else, perhaps? even if i think they will follow you anyway.“
when elena asked about elijah, katherine’s brow furrowed, unease creeping in. ”elijah’s… complicated,“ she said carefully, her voice low. ”he’d know where klaus is, sure, but reaching out? that’s a risk i don’t like. he’s got a score to settle with me. betrayal’s a sore spot, and i’d rather not be his punching bag.“ she didn’t trust him and she wouldn’t say that he was a safer approach than klaus when it comes to her. one should never underestimate elijah and she won’t make that mistake.
”it’s strange, though. elijah and klaus not showing up together. makes me wonder what’s brewing between them – could be useful, or a problem.“ somehow she believed it was the latter. so klaus or elijah? what’s the better choice?
”do you even know what klaus wants with you?“ she asked because somehow she had a feeling that elena didn’t even know what was going to happen. it could be better that way, sure, but if she wants to do this her way then it would be smarter to be informed.
”as i said: spreading rumors could work; plant a seed, let it reach him; but it’s a gamble. others might catch wind, and that’s chaos we don’t need. i’d rather find a direct line, something discreet.“ so again, klaus or elijah?
”i’ve got ears, places he’s not, patterns he follows. i could narrow it down, get you to klaus without the salvatores crashing the party. if you’re set on this, i’ll dig - quietly. but you’ve got to be ready for what’s coming, elena. if you mess this up; if you fail to mislead your little friends and lovers, then you’ve created a mess. and all is for nothing.“ for elena, at least.
”i’m sure you’d find a way to contact elijah as well. if you manage to make a deal with him, you might be able to get your conditions.“ she paused, her eyes narrowing slightly ”but you should be aware that i expect something in return for my help. if this works, i want you to convince them to let me go.“ || @paralyziingfears
❛ you will not fall. i will not allow it. ❜ ❛ i could torch him if you like. but you do seem attached. ❜ ❛ you’re making us look bad. stop it. ❜ ❛ i chose him for his inability to relent. ❜ ❛ at least i didn’t let you fall to your death. ❜ ❛ but i will not run. i wouldn’t be standing here if i’d quit every time something seemed impossible to overcome. ❜ ❛ the right way isn’t the only way. ❜ ❛ justice is not always merciful. ❜ ❛ the reason we’ll never be anything more than friends isn’t because of your rules. it’s because you have no faith in me. ❜ ❛ i’m used to functioning in pain, asshole. are you? ❜ ❛ in the darkest moments, it is our light that shines the brightest. ❜ ❛ fear is not the enemy, but rather the catalyst for growth and bravery. ❜ ❛ the only limits we have are the ones we set for ourselves. ❜ ❛ courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face it head-on. ❜ ❛ going for blood today, are we, [name]? ❜ ❛ i don’t deserve you. but i’m going to keep you all the same. ❜ ❛ there’s nowhere in existence you could go that i wouldn’t find you, [name]. ❜ ❛ you look all frail and breakable, but you’re really a violent little thing, aren’t you? ❜ ❛ defenseless women have never been my type. ❜ ❛ even when i’m not with you, there’s only you. ❜ ❛ there is no me without you. ❜ ❛ i’ve been yours for longer than you could ever imagine. ❜ ❛ i know exactly who and what you are, [name]. ❜ ❛ we’re all broken in some way, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find beauty in the cracks. ❜ ❛ if i get my hands on you, really, honestly get my hands on you, i don’t know if i’ll be able to stop. ❜ ❛ she exists and i get turned on. i’ve come to accept that particular truth over the last year. ❜ ❛ fuck, i’m never going to get enough of you, am i? ❜ ❛ not that i wouldn’t climb the man like a tree if presented with the right set of circumstances. ❜ ❛ let me guess, you could smell my perfume. isn’t that what always gives the heroine away in books? ❜ ❛ do you boys just want to whip it out and measure? it would be faster. ❜ ❛ hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. it steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs - on the probabilites. ❜ ❛ you can’t make me fall in love with you and then die. ❜ ❛ none of this is worth it without you. ❜ ❛ i’m so wildly in love with you that i can’t imagine what my life would look like without you in it. and i probably shouldn’t have said that, but if we’re doing this, then we’re starting from a place of complete honesty. ❜ ❛ you never considered that it was you i couldn’t stay away from? ❜ ❛ you turned oranges into a weapon, [name]? ❜ ❛ you’re going to be the death of me. ❜ ❛ have you always been this tall? ❜ ❛ no one stays friends forever, [name]. eventually those closest to us become our enemies in some way, even if it’s through well-intentioned love or apathy, or if we live long enough to become their villains. ❜ ❛ i need you to survive this, even if i hate that i still love you. ❜
"freedom’s a tricky beast, isn’t it?” she mused aloud, “but you wear it like a crown, darting about without a leash. i’ve clawed for mine through centuries, dodging chains, outrunning shadows. tell me, how do you keep it so effortless? or is it just a pretty illusion?”
He watched her lean against the wall, trapping the book behind her back. His eyes dragged over her, slow and indulgent, like he was memorizing the way the firelight kissed her skin.
When she asked what he was reading, he didn’t answer at first. Just stepped in, closing the distance with a smooth glide, letting the air between them grow electric. His hands came up to either side of her, palms braced against the wall. He caged her in, but gently, with a boyish glint in his eyes that betrayed just how helpless he was for her. “Poetry.” He admitted, voice pitched just above a whisper. “Laugh if you must.”
His lips curved, crooked and charming as ever. “Though I suspect you’d rather hear it than read it.” He leaned in closer, his mouth just beside her ear, and recited softly:
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony. “ A breath. His voice dropped lower. “Half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are going for ever.”
Then, with his smirk returning full force, he pulled away from her ear to look into her eyes. All play once again. “Now, do I have to recite another poem, or will you give that back before I’m forced to make this rescue mission more… hands-on?”
katherine felt a flutter of surprise as damon closed the distance and braced his hands on the wall on either side of her, caging her in with a gentleness that piqued her curiosity. when he admitted that he was reading poetry, her brows shot up. poetry? damon salvatore, reciting verses? she hadn’t pegged him for the type, and the revelation stirred a flicker of intrigue, even a touch of romance she hadn’t expected from him.
his crooked smile and hushed words drew a playful tilt to her head, her eyes sparkling with delight. then he leaned in, his breath warm against her ear as he recited and her breath hitched. the words were tender and raw, and for a moment, she felt a rare softness bloom in her chest. she hadn’t thought him capable of such depth, and it thrilled her, this hidden layer beneath his usual charm. “were you memorizing this verses for me to woo me or do you wish to charm another girl?” she leaned forward slightly, the book still trapped behind her, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper “i’d have guessed you are reading tales of war or some dashing adventure, not verses. what’s next, sonnets by candlelight? i’m positively stunned you’ve got this side to you. who knew you had such a romantic soul hiding in there?”
at his playful threat, she paused, considering, then arched a brow, her lips curving wickedly. “hands-on, you say? what’s your strategy, damon? charm me with more verses, or risk scandal by getting grabby? i’m dying to know how you’ll play this. i’m wondering if you think it’s proper to touch a lady just to reclaim your precious book?” her whisper was intendedly coy, daring him as she pressed herself a little firmer against the wall, the book a playful barrier. “try it; i’d love to see how far your charm gets you.” || @crowsalvation
Damon’s boyish grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched her with a mix of playful exasperation and undeniable affection. Katherine had that glint in her eye again—the one that always set his heart into some erratic, breathless rhythm. Even now, with her delicate fingers curled around his book like it were some priceless treasure, he couldn’t muster even a thread of annoyance. Not when she looked at him like that.
“Oh, Katherine.” He drawled, stepping closer, a glint in his eyes to match hers. “If you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to resort to petty theft. You already have it. All of it, in fact.” He lunged playfully, fingertips grazing the edge of the book before she whipped it back again, her laughter soft and stifled. Damon tsked, the sound light and amused.
“Stealing a man’s book? That’s practically war.” He said with mock seriousness, though the corners of his mouth betrayed him. “But I’ve got to admit…” His hand shot out again, not forceful—never forceful with her—but clever, confident, a little dance of fingers as he tried once more to snatch the book. “You do wear mischief well. Makes it hard to stay mad.”
Damon’s grin only grew as she slipped just out of reach again, curls bouncing and eyes full of fire. He let out a dramatic sigh, then took a step back, hands raised in mock surrender—though the sparkle in his eyes said he was anything but finished.
“You know.“ He said, voice low and playful, “I could pretend I’m letting you win. That I’m being noble. But let’s be honest…” He let his gaze trail over her like a secret. “If you ran, Katherine, I’d chase you. Across the fields, through the trees—hell, to the ends of the earth if you let me.”
the brunette twirled away slightly, the book still pressed to her chest like a trophy, her soft laughter hushed. the firelight caught her curls as she spun, her skirts whispering against the floor. ”petty theft?“ she whispered back, her voice a sultry taunt as she dodged his playful lunge, his fingers brushing the book’s edge. ”it’s hardly petty when it’s this much fun.“ her lips curved wider and she stifled another giggle, her free hand fluttering to her mouth. ”war? then i’m winning, aren’t i?” she darted back, to avoid his confident grab that almost snagged her prize. “if this is war, then perhaps, i’m a conqueror, and you’re my favorite battlefield.” she winked, letting him know just how much she enjoyed this little banter between them.
when he sighed dramatically, hands raised in surrender, katherine paused, her head tilting as his gaze trailed over her. “the ends of the earth?” she murmured, her tone dipping into a playful purr “that’s quite the devotion; i might just test it.”
she still held the book just out of reach, her eyes glinting with mischief as she leaned in, her breath brushing his ear. “pretend you’re letting me win?” she murmured, her voice a playful purr. “no need, i’ve already got you hooked.” she pulled back, twirling the book in her hands before she hid it behind her back and leaned against the wall so it was trapped between her and the building.
@crowsalvation sent: ❝ do you understand how little sense that makes? ❞
damon’s frustration was a familiar flavor, one she enjoyed stirring up whenever the chance arose, and she wasn’t about to let it slide now. “sense?” she replied, her voice a silky taunt as she crossed her arms. “oh, damon, i didn’t realize you were the arbiter of logic now.”
"i play by my own rules, darling. if that’s too much for you to grasp, well…“ she shrugged, her tone dripping with mock pity. ”not my problem.“
special starter call 🎉 you can request a starter by commenting a word of your choice and i will write a starter about/around that word. you can also pick a verse/au of mine if you want to. multis please specify ♡
special starter call 🎉 you can request a starter by commenting a word of your choice and i will write a starter about/around that word. you can also pick a verse/au of mine if you want to. multis please specify ♡
🏺 — “why wouldn’t i miss the woman who ruined my life?” he teased, knowing instantly that she’ ha’d mistaken him for her beloved stefan. despite the jab, he gave her a romantic little spin — then pulled her close. “did you miss me?”
katherine’s smile widened as ‘stefan’ spun her with a flourish, his teasing jab not being taken seriously at all. instead, she melted into his pull, her hands resting lightly on his chest, oblivious to silas’s true identity. “ruined your life? oh, stefan, you’re so dramatic,” although this little spin was a bit too dramatic as well but in a positive way. “would i ever not miss you?”, the brunette questioned “what happened for you to show me this rare, romantic indulgence?” did he finally accept that what they had was real? || @humanitycease
♊ — “Not in the mood for doppelgängers. Except, maybe, the hotter male ones.”
"not in the mood?“ she drawled, although she raised her eyebrows slightly at the comment or rather comparison to ‘hotter male doppelgängers’. ”pity. guess you’ll just have to adjust your mood for me.“ || @humanitycease
