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

[sheriffing]

Let me guess, you made it a thing so you could say you did it first.

[ or that'll be how he explains it, anyway.]

I've punched a princess. I've stolen from a pirate. I've fought a giant.

[unforgivably]

[ he smirks. ]

No. I just -- couldn't handle the front lines.

[ And he'll leave it at that. This one's even harder because he could see her doing all of this. He takes a shot in the dark. ]

We may be in Freaksville, USA but even Freaksville is light on giants. How big was he, though? You use a slingshot to take Shaq out?

[sheriffing]

You think I'd need a slingshot?

[ she's mildly offended, Damon, come on.]

[unforgivably]

Not for the princess you punched.

[sheriffing]

I punched a queen.

[ she had it coming. ]

[unforgivably]

So, then you stole from the pirate's wench?

[ Maybe?

Whatever, he downs what's in his glass anyway. ]

[sheriffing]

I've stolen from a pirate. I've fought a giant. But I haven't punched a princess yet.

[ don't worry, she's already calling the bartender over.]

[unforgivably]

Really. A giant. I'm going to call you Jack from now on. Or, David. [ Depends on the day, probably. ] I - need a minute to think of something not involving death. [ He leans his head back, thinking. ] I've been in prison. I've kidnapped. I've napped.

[sheriffing]

Jack is dead. David is my father's name. [ not two truths and a lie, just two truths this time.]

Seriously, that much death?

[unforgivably]

What can I say. It comes with the territory. [ That territory he hasn't exactly mapped out for her. ] Come on. Maybe I ever nap. Or, I've avoided being behind bars. Maybe all of my misdeeds are momentary. What is it, Emma?

[sheriffing]

If you don't lose, I assume you don't serve time, either.

[ but Emma does, so she'll drink for the hell of it.]

[unforgivably]

I feel like you're twisting this into never have I ever. Do you blame your incarceration on the foster care system?

[sheriffing]

I didn't drink because I served time, I drank because you're buying.

[ but she looks up, irritated, because - ]

I blame my incarceration on my ex.

[unforgivably]

The one you didn't marry.

[ He keeps track. ]

[sheriffing]

Henry's father.

[ now put two and two together and you'll understand why Henry has two mothers.]

[unforgivably]

[ He does, slowly. She went to jail. ] Henry has two months because you gave him up for adoption.

[sheriffing]

I was seventeen years old, in prison, after my boyfriend turned me in.

[ it's her parents all over again, because - ]

I gave him his best chance.

MOMS. WOW. MOMS.

[unforgivably]

And, how'd he turn out. Pretty good if you want to get back to him. I bet he's proud of you. [ Sure, kids hold grudges. But this is a different Damon. He's not going for the parental jugular. She doesn't need to hear that. ] Also, I offered you one drink, but, sure, tab's on me. Consider it courtesy of He who Self-Sabotages.

[sheriffing]

My drinks are always on you.

[ she's nearly averaged a Salvatore with a bottle showing up at her door at least once a week since she arrived here.]

You know - [ maybe it's the alcohol talking. does it matter? Emma doesn't think so.] That's what I don't understand. You have friends here, family, the woman you love.

[ look at her dodging which one that is.]

You're not separated by realms, curses, evil queens. You're together. Why the hell would you make it so hard?

[unforgivably]

Putting aside the love of my life doesn't remember our relationship, [ Not the bigger moments, not what makes them what they are. ] we're all living in 1994's version of 1984, complete with signs and cameras and established relationships. [ Wait. What. ] Evil queens? [ She punched one, sure, but. ] Curses.

[sheriffing]

The memory thing's not that big of an issue. [ she's seen people get past it in Storybrooke. Elena's here, he's here. they're making this into a bigger deal than it is.] This town is something else. But there's literally always something. And since it's usually something bad, sometimes you just have to...

[ she sighs. she just, sighs.]

Look for the moments. Look for the good moments in between the bad ones.

[ don't stop fighting, don't accept this place... but don't make this worse, either.]

And if you can't find any, make some.

[unforgivably]

Make some.

[ Good moments. Well, as inspirational as that is, it's actually inspirational. He takes the glass in hand again, swirling its contents around. ]

Tonight's not about Elena. This -- game is all about Stefan. And that relationship is over a hundred years of moments, bad moments. With Elena, it's easy. With Stefan, it doesn't matter that there are no curses, or evil queens or other realms. [ But, he finally asks. ] Has he said anything to you today?

[sheriffing]

No, he hasn't. And if he had, I wouldn't share anyway.

[ so it's better than she doesn't know anything about it, because she'd end up firmly in the middle. the curse of living near the Salvatores.]

You probably have less to worry about with Stefan than you do with Elena. The two of you have put up with over a hundred years of bad moments. Being brothers is a part of you no matter where you are.

[ unlike their romantic relationships, which have been manipulated.]

So he'll what, avoid you? You'll get drunk. This is exactly what this town wants.

[unforgivably]

I wouldn't ask you to. But, I'd know he's okay.

[ if she knew what he'd done, she'd end up firmly on Stefan's side. he knows. ]

Did. He did avoid me. And yes, I did get drunk. Over, and over again. [ He makes a face, nose scrunching. ] You think this town is trying to divide us. [ He thinks about that, eyes front. ] Stefan couldn't know what he does, [ and then he looks to Emma. ] you think this town gave it to him. [ Maybe they gave him the letter. They got all this random other junk, useless inappropriate books and pointless body suits (and real suits), why wouldn't it turn the wrench. ] Separating me and Stefan wouldn't do anything to me and Elena.

[sheriffing]

I think if they are, you're playing right into it. He's avoiding you, you're getting drunk. I don't see any progress towards getting out of here being made right now.

[ she has enough sense to lower her voice on that one. it's true, but he's the only one who needs to hear it.]

Separating you and Stefan does just that. We're supposed to play the game, remember? They're playing too. One disaster at a time.

[ they don't have to separate him from Elena when he's already bent out of shape about this. they'll save that for another time.]