come back...be here

[unforgivably]

Who: Damon Salvatore, You.
Where: Around town.
When: Saturday, May 13th.
What: After missing this call, Damon closes the shop for the day and unsuccessfully searches for his brother.
Warnings: None. Yet?

the delicate beginning rush ❦ lagomarcino's

[ The Saturday morning rush is in full force, Damon not stopping for pleasantries as he moves through the confectionary to the sandwiches in the back, eyeing the people taking in their innocent brunches. Fake memories fueled him coming here first. Any fight he and Stefan had ended here, sharing something sweet. They hashed out their business arrangement here. They hashed out their side business arrangement. Passing the counter, he peers toward the back.

He even ducks into the men's bathroom, stopping himself from calling Stefan's name.

As the door swings closed, he spots someone familiar, approaching them. ] Have you seen my brother today? ]

the feeling you can know so much ❦ between the pines

[ He ducks into Between the Pines, first to see if Stefan has sought solace from his 'wife,' and selfishly to see if he shared what he knew with her. Damon is achingly aware of the days as they pass. Elena's memory should return any day now, and maybe a part of him selfishly wants this, a reason to not confront his brother. Something to distract him until his brother is ready to talk to him, to discuss what he knows now.

However he knows. ] Stefan? [ He waits a beat before calling out. ] Elena?

[ Phone in his hand again, he finds Stefan's voicemail. As emotionless as he sounds, he thinks Stefan would take more glee in retelling a letter he wrote to Bonnie, maybe as his way of telling him he's caught up. But, Damon can't be sure. ]

without knowing anything at all ❦ wayward pines academy

[ He searches through his memories of living here, trying to think of somewhere else Stefan might be.

It's probably futile, but he tries the school.

The handle is broken easily as he lets himself in the side door. He finds himself stopping, looking at pictures of he and his brother in one of the glass cases. He checks Stefan's small office, sinking into his brother's chair. He tries him again, getting Stefan's voicemail. He sees if Emma, or any other teachers he knows are in the locked school he assumes they might have a key to. He half expects to come upon a Breakfast Club, but that would be the wrong decade wouldn't it?

Never one to shy away from an opportunity, he finds himself in the main office, specifically in one of the filing cabinets. They won't mind if he borrows his family's permanent records, right? Any more clues that could point to why they're all here, why everything is eerily similar but off. ]

and now that I can't put this down ❦ tequila mockingbird

[ He's a professional.

Drowning his sorrows at his partial place of work isn't his style, and seeing they live in a town with more than one bar, now, he decides to park himself here at the bar, of course. Forget tables, or booths. He's finished with this day and this town. His brother isn't speaking to him, because of a reason he couldn't have prevented but also not one he could've presented either. So, he drinks. He buys drinks for the people he knows, and if they're nice enough the stranger who sits next to him.

He's just over the edge when he decides on something. Something he'd done with Katherine early on in this town. Technically, he could even lie about the lie and not be lying. Considering. ] It's an old game, tell me if you've heard it. Two truths. And a lie. You pick the lie, I drink. I fool you, you drink. And so on.

[ He liked the layers of this one, the false pretenses and 'false' truths. ]

if i had known what i'd known now, i never would have played so nonchalant ❦ chez salvatore

[ He ends the night dancing in the living room to records he picked up at the record store at some point, and some they'd already had. 90's classic rock. He pours, he drinks. He gives a good look around the house he shares. He reads those permanent records, learning more about their school reputations. He leaves them strewn across the counter.

Eventually, one can find him on their roof with a bottle of Wayward Pines' finest, Pearl Jam blasting underneath. He opened the windows so he'd be able to listen. ]

*let me know if none of these work for you, or if you have a better idea. assume he checks the entire town, really, or you can always see him on the street. or, even at the shop before he gets the call.

Comments

tequila mockingbird

[sheriffing]

[ luckily for Damon, Emma knows just enough to know this sucks. she might not know why Stefan isn't speaking to him, or what trouble this particular bad day stirred up, but the rest of it isn't much of a secret. his girlfriend is here, probably down a few memories, and married to his brother. it's a drama she'd rather not get involved in, but when he's drinking booze like it's water and looking for someone to play along, she does what any friend would do.]

You don't want to play that game with me, Damon. [ it's hit or miss, Neal apparently never believed she had a thing with lies, but to her it's real. she saw Tamara for what she was, saw Regina through all of the crap she used to try to pull. the grander scale threw her off, things like curses and magic weren't a part of her vocabulary before, but now she's ready for anything.

he's already paid for her first two drinks as it is, but since he's paying, if he insists, she's in.] I'm good at it.

[unforgivably]

[ Damon's a hypocrite really. He wonders what Caroline is thinking with her brother and her big bad ex, and here he is, drinking with his supposed best friend in this town. Emma puts up with him at this point, and maybe the difference is, Emma acknowledges the fake elephants in every room. Damon's trust in her runs deeper than he can explain, and the mutual acknowledgment that everything is fucked up helps. It's why she's who he talks to.

She finds him there, as if he's some kind of homing pigeon, as if he looks like he needs the woman who tolerates his presence.

But, she understands. She's the only person outside of the Mystic Falls Five that knows what Elena is to him, and why it hurts every day that they can't be anything. In another world, he fought to get her back, to prove what they were to each other, but he'd respected her, too. Here, he couldn't. This was not Elena without memories of him, this was Elena without memories of anything. ]

That sounds like a challenge. [ He tips his glass at her, one eye half closing. His eyebrows raise, taking a sip. Letting the burn coat his throat, he comes out swinging. ] I killed Elena's brother once. I killed her mother. I killed her father.

[sheriffing]

[ she's not sure what it is that keeps pulling her in the direction of the Salvatores. they're her neighbors, maybe that's one piece of the puzzle. then there's the false memories, which are great for people who need that pull, but she's gone most of her life without having people she could count on. she doesn't need people who she can confide in, she has that back in Storybrooke, and forming friendships here only slows her progress towards getting home.

so she's not fooling herself. she knows her memories are fake, and along with it, their friendship. all of that should probably factor in here, especially when they're about to start breaking the rules, but they both know they're not getting out of this town tonight. she might as well see what he can come up with.] Suit yourself.

[ she takes a sip after he does, letting a few seconds pass before he speaks, and then there's.... that. she shifts against her seat, turning towards him, and suddenly she knows why they get along so well.

sometimes hanging out with Damon is a little bit like having Regina here.] You killed her brother? You're an asshole. [ she doesn't need to sip, but she does. suddenly she wants a drink. and maybe an explanation, too.]

MaryBeth, how are all your icons perfect for these threads.

[unforgivably]

Once. I also saved his life. Once. [ He half shrugs at that, taking the drink. ] That's one truth. You need to find the lie. [ And then he'll explain himself if she asks. If she doesn't, there's a high chance he won't explain himself. Emma's right in thinking he doesn't owe her anything, despite feeling like he does. ]

Emma Swan is magical.

[sheriffing]

You killed her mother, too. [ considering the cycle of death in her family, someone offing mom or dad isn't as shocking as a sibling. Regina killed her grandfather, her mom killed Cora, and Cora killed her grandmother. ask her if that one surprises her.] You didn't kill her father.

[ but she's still staring.] Why did you kill her brother?

tequila mockingbird

[appetitive]

[Magnus is no stranger to alcohol and the various establishments that served it. When he walks into a bar, it's with practiced ease, whether it's in the middle of the day or night. He's familiar with mixology to the point he often makes his own drinks at home, but there's something both entertaining and indulgent about telling a bartender to dazzle him with whatever drink they think suitable. Bartenders, as well as those they served, were the best amusement for a bored mind such as his. He's been told that getting a job would probably keep him at least slightly more tolerant of the slow, small-town life, but the jury is still out on that one.

Damon, at least, is very intriguing to Magnus. He and Alec had gotten to know the Salvatore brothers when they had helped fix their over-worked car as they'd driven it across the country, and ultimately they'd settled down in Wayward Pines in part thanks to the kindness they'd received there. Now, though, it looks like Damon could do with a bit of kindness.

Sliding onto a stool next to him, Magnus waves the bartender over.] Two more of whatever my friend here is having. [Turning his attention to Damon, he gives him a smile and raised eyebrow.] That game is a dangerously fun way to getting to know a person.

[unforgivably]

[ Magnus caught his eye immediately. He and his husband weren't from Wayward Pines. His dress alone had made that clear. But, they'd all gotten along, Damon taking the couple to Lagomarcino's as a welcome gesture. It was only right that Katherine had befriended Alec's sister, and a friendship had formed. The friendship in itself is more an abstract idea for Damon, but he feels it, and he matches Magnus' smile with one of his own, albeit more lopsided. ]

I like to live dangerously. [ He waits for Magnus to be served two more top shelf bourbons, taking one in hand. ] And here I thought someone with your sense of style wouldn't dream of setting foot in an establishment this kitschy. [ He waits a second, something dawning on him. ] Not that there wasn't a time I wouldn't have either. [ He smiles. ] So I guess I'll go first. I've never set foot inside an Arby's. I perfected the art of making the perfect pancake. I could live on bread and bread alone. [ Praise Oprah. ]

[appetitive]

[True, there was no denying that wearing a silk magenta tunic and tight gold pants into a bar was the perfect way to get attention. Even that was rather conservative for Magnus who had built up a collection of sheer chiffon shirts as well as what could only be described as deep v-necks. How did the saying go? If you've got it, flaunt it.]

A man after my own heart. [Lifting the second glass between his thumb and middle finger, he gently clinked their glasses together before taking a sip. Chuckling at what he took to be a compliment, he shrugged a shoulder.] I have a weakness for literary puns and decent drinks. The company is enjoyable tonight, too. Besides, who says that two stylish men such as ourselves can't liven up a kitschy bar now and then?

[Raising his glass again, he hummed in thought while taking another drink.] The third one is a lie, or a tragedy. No one can actually survive on only bread, and if you're happy eating nothing but plain bread, are you really living?

[unforgivably]

Noone.

[ He smirks. Nobody can say that.

Lifting his drink, he pauses, only slightly, before raising it. Bringing it to his lips, he tips his glass back. Got it in one, Magnus. He sets his glass down. ] I'm not Oprah. [ He smile turns more into a smirk.] Your turn.

main street

[otrazhenie]

[ Saturdays were actually surprisingly busy at the bookstore, Elena's finding. It feels like everyone in town is out and about, wandering along Main Street and popping into the shops. Not everyone bought something, but the customers still have to be greeted, chitchat has to happen, and she has to pretend to know everyone who knows her. It's easier with some than others, but it's still a huge relief when Nyx stops by. She feels awful about asking her big brother to watch the store for a few minutes while she runs out, so she's quick about dashing down to the bank (which thankfully hasn't closed yet) to get change, and even quicker when she ducks into Java Joe's for two coffees.

She's not surprised to see someone leaving the store, but she doesn't expect it to be Damon, of all people. And there's something about him that seems... off. Different from when they'd spent the day together, for certain. ]

Damon? [ Was he looking for her? ]

[unforgivably]

[ He almost runs into her, mirroring her first meeting with Stefan. He'd heard about that, the boys bathroom meet cute. This is anything but. ]

Elena. [ He'd seen Nyx, expected to not see her today, figured he probably shouldn't and then here she is. Why are things always like this. He doesn't know what to say, doesn't want to ask if she's seen Stefan. He smiles at a passerby, looking back to Elena.

He studies her features, is she surprised to see him because she knows more, feels more or was she not expecting him? ] Has Stefan been by?

[otrazhenie]

[ There's definitely something off, even if she can't put her finger on it. She's been starting to remember little things, meetings and conversations, bits of knowledge trickling in. Nothing major so far, but enough to have an idea of what he'd been like before, and coupled with the time they'd spent together since she'd arrived--

Yeah, she's worried. ] No, not today. Why, did something happen? [ Is Stefan alright? Are they, those brothers who mean so much to her? ]

[unforgivably]

No. [ He doesn't know, but he doesn't want to drag Elena into this. ] I just need to find him. He isn't picking up his phone, which is a rule around here, so. [ He attempts to smile, lips coming together. He tries changing the subject. He brings a hand up, halfway, but drops it back down. They're in public. This is his sister-in-law. ] Are you okay?

[ Damon, she's like this because you're like this, but sure. Ask. ]

tequila mockingbird

[volitaunt]

[ Poe blinks.

He's been minding his drink and his business, doing some thinking and some people-watching. Something's been bothering him (okay, that's like, a wild understatement, but there it is). Something specific has been bothering him, and he hasn't pegged what it is yet. Thus, thinking and drinking, a little. ] And so on--meaning I tell two truths and a lie, too?

a favorite!

[unforgivably]

If you want the game to continue. Are you in, stranger I have no memories of? [ Which he prefers, he realizes, to these manufactured connections. ]

[volitaunt]

[ Poe can't help laughing at that. Dead drops, he thinks. ] Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no?

[ He offers a hand. ] Poe Dameron. What are we drinking?

[unforgivably]

[ Well, he may not know him personally, but he knows him. Luckily, his overt level of inebriation masks his wariness. This is Caroline's Poe. He's heard of him.

He shakes Poe's hand. ]

Damon Salvatore. Bourbon. Aged.

Wayward Pines Academy

[oncekind]

[Jiaying spends her time buried in work, if only to give herself something to do. Otherwise she'd obsess over the bubbling hatred that's building to a tipping point.

She happens to pass the main office as the sound of a cabinet opening breaks the silence. Curious, she opens the door and steps in, surprised to see who she finds.]

Damon?

[unforgivably]

Jiaying.

[ He doesn't bother looking back at her, fingers dancing along the tops of folders. He knows his and his brother's are in this cabinet. And then he sees them, Salvatore, Stefan and Salvatore, Damon. Pulling them up and out, he closes the drawer. Setting them ontop of the filing cabinets, he turns back finally. ]

You know, the song isn't called Working on the Weekend.

[ He's not too worried. Jiaying knows (and keeps) his secrets. What he is. What he's been through. Probably why he's here right then. But, maybe she'll ask anyway. ]

[oncekind]

[She steps inside and shuts the door behind her, watching his actions without interrupting]

That's because they don't live in this town. [She can sort of guess why he'd be here but instead of asking what happened, she asks instead]

Is it worth breaking the rules to find answers?

[unforgivably]

Hm. I haven't said anything out loud about what I shouldn't. I haven't vandalized, or attacked anyone. If my phone rings, I answer it. I'm not sure I'm breaking the overt rules. [ But, he takes the folders with him as drops them on one of the secretary's desks. ] Interested in light reading?

Between the sPines

[sirnyxalot]

[Nyx doesn't technically work at the bookshop. Technically he shouldn't even know this place aside from the few times he stepped in here in his first month to get something to do to fill his time while his memory was jagged. But with Elena came new memories, ones that somehow fit into the comfortable nostalgia he feels for Galahd of home and family. He remembers this shop from its ridiculously old selection to the obscenely-easy-to-fall-asleep-in armchair where he used to read to his sisters.

He can't really remember their 'parents' beyond knowing that they had been there, but that's fine. He'd rather they didn't overshadow his real mother back home.

Still, it's becoming habit now to stop in after work and wait for Elena to close up shop a couple times a week so they can go train and get to know each other. Then somehow he found himself idly putting stock away, and now he's keeping an eye on the place while she steps out. It hasn't even been two weeks since they met but he hasn't found reason to complain about it yet.

Nyx looks up at the bell. Most of their regulars already know what they're coming in here for, so he doesn't start to the front until he actually hears Damon's voice. It's easy to ignore, this time, the curl of distaste his memories insist he has. The last time they talked ended almost pleasantly, after all, and he doesn't have the time or patience for undeserved hostility. Plus, he notes as he sees him, Damon looks unsettled. Needling him would be cruel.]

She's out running errands. Everything okay?

[unforgivably]

A. [ He smiles, when it's Nyx who emerges and not Elena. He even decides it's true. It's better Elena's not here. ] Minding the bookshop? [ He changes gears, preferring small talk over his existential Stefan crisis. ]

lagomarcino's

[heisenbitch]

[ What a time to approach a guy: while peeing at the urinal. Jesse hadn't paid any attention to the door swinging open or shut, though he absolutely throws a look over at the guy when he's spoken to.

Jesse's expression drops the moment he sees who it is. All while he's standing here peeing. ]

Uhhh. Kinda in the middle of something here, yo, in case that somehow escaped your notice.

jfc, a+

[unforgivably]

[ OK, he didn't approach Jesse, he just -- opened the door to see if his brother was here. And he got one syllable out. But, hey, the door is unlocked, Jesse.

He lets the door shut behind him. ] You know men come in and out of here before, during, and after what you're in the middle of? I thought my brother might be in here.