( march intro ) WELCOME TO THE PINES!

[officialnotice]

INTRODUCTION LOG

waking up

There was an accident. That's basically the only thing you know for certain. Maybe a car wreck - metal and broken glass everywhere, and the sirens and the screaming. Or maybe there was an explosion. Maybe your bike hit a rock and you careened uncontrollably off a mountain path. You can't can't quite make out the details, not who was at fault or why. Try as you might, the chaos is all you can remember.

It's also the last thing you remember from before you wake up here.

When you open your eyes, the accident is gone. Instead, you're in a hospital bed. You're sluggish, covered in a scattering of minor injuries you only vaguely remember getting, not to mention the vaguely-healed remnants of any wounds you might've had before.

It's a shame you won't be able to tell the difference between the two. Your memories are an indiscernible fog if not absent altogether, only a few standing out in your mind with any kind of certainty.

Whether or not the room's empty when you wake, it's not for long. Nurses bustle in, taking your vitals and asking your name and anything else you might remember. Welcome to Wayward Pines, they tell you. You'll make a full recovery here.

Much of what you say (especially anything unusual, anything about monsters or magic or outlandish technology) will earn placating speculation of head trauma “from the accident”. You'll be told to stay put, not to push yourself, and to wait for the doctor to clear you before you leave... Then you'll be left alone. The hospital's population is quadruple the usual, and you get the impression the nurses are working themselves ragged just running damage control. You can even leave your room without much fuss - whichever doctor or nurse intercepts you gets called away almost immediately to deal with something even more pressing.

Mingle, visit your fellow patients, even poke around for a few basic answers. Or maybe, maybe just stroll right on out the front door.

heading outside

One step outside and it's perfectly clear that your hospital gown simply isn't going to cut it for long. the sidewalks and buildings covered in snow and a crisp winter wind whipping at you through the thin cloth. It's like a scene out of a holiday greeting card or a snow globe, picturesque and nearly untouchable. And yet you're here. Touching it all. Dressed in nothing but a hospital gown. You should at least think about getting some mittens if you're going to keep, you know, touching it.

Trees line the street at regular intervals, carefully manicured and coated in a thin layer of pure white snow. Cars cruise by at a safe and respectable speed. Pedestrians spare you glances, some wary and some concerned.

This isn't even the picturesque city center, though a colorful nearby sign reads "Main Street" with an arrow pointing due south, followed in smaller font by a list of businesses you don't recognize and one that you might: Wayward Pines Police Department. Whether you asked for yourself or simply overheard, you've likely caught wind by now that all of your earthly possessions now lie with the Sheriff until you see fit to claim them.

Might as well head that way, right?

items reclaimed

So you've visited the Wayward Pines Police Department and reclaimed... well. Most of your stuff, anyway, though you can't quite remember what's missing. Best to put it out of mind, as you head down the steps toward the Main Street sidewalk. At the very least, pedestrians have stopped looking at you like you're sick or crazy. (Then again, depending on what you're wearing, maybe it's gotten worse.)

The sheriff also forked over what looks like the key to a house ("A cozy place to stay while you're here in town."), plus the address that it belongs to. You could check it out, see what kind of digs they're putting you up in.

Or you could stick around Main Street and sight-see a little. Also a perfectly viable option. Hell, maybe it'll jog your memory a little. A few of the shops do feel inexplicably familiar...

( ooc notes )

Welcome to the second newbie mingle log! We apologize for the delay.

This log is meant to cover characters' first day in Wayward Pines. For the most part, only the five memories detailed in your character's application are remembered throughout the duration of this log, although the first couple of false Wayward Pines memories might begin to surface (in those who've opted to utilize this mechanic) as the day wears on. These memories, as noted in the FAQ, feel very real and are accompanied by as much emotion or sentiment as a real memory would be.

Any questions about the log or its contents can be addressed to our FAQ or the intro log's designated Plurk.

Comments

[abetment]

[ Relief washes over her face as she gives a weak smile. ] I feel safe with you. [ She really does. ] But I'm, just nervous, I guess. About going out. [ A realistic notion, she hopes. A symptom of feeling safer within walls, even the ones she woke up within, maybe? Possibly? ]

[immoderation]

[ Although Stefan is hurrying it still takes him a bit to make it to the hospital although not too long given what a tiny, insular little town this is. When he walks into the area they've seemingly commandeered for themselves, his gaze immediately locks onto "Elena's" familiar form. ]

Hey. [ He barely spares a glance in Damon's direction at first until he remembers what his brother had come to the hospital for in the first place: ] ... Did you make our weekly withdrawal? [ You know, as in from the blood bank? ]

[unforgivably]

[ He's been a bit distracted. But, Stefan has a point. Instinctively, his hand lets go of Elena's when he sees Stefan, not out of guilt, but - yeah, out of residual guilt. Let's be honest. ] I should, shouldn't I. [ Which means he needs to get back to the car, grab the cooler, come back in... ] Elena, this is Stefan. He's my brother. You can trust him. I won't be gone long.

[ He gives Elena a look, hopefully convincing her before moving to Stefan, a hand coming to his shoulder. He nods once, squeezes his brother's shoulder. He's sorry. But, Elena's here. Not burned up. Alive. Somehow. He also knows he still has more to make up for.

Heading down the hall Stefan came from, Damon goes to make their withdrawal. ]

[abetment]

[ Being able to picture either of them did not come with recognizing their names, and Katherine isn't looking in Stefan's direction as he approaches. She's peering over to Damon for reassurance (specifically that the going outside is no longer an option), giving the start of a smile when a voice sounds. Head turning, her focus hones in on the speaker.

Whatever he's, Stefan's, asking about is lost on her, and her eyes bounce back to Damon when he lets go of her hand so quickly. A tiny frown that fades back into the uncertainty she's been rocking for the past hour. Stefan. Of course -- she looks back over. Yeah, they definitely look like brothers.

She slides off the desk, stepping just behind Damon even after he's given her that parting expression. Pausing and watching the two of them. Something goes on between them that she's not sure about, lips open, questioning etched into the lines of her face, watching as Damon departs. Then, back to Stefan. She breathes in, chest falling slowly. ] Stefan. I... [ she blinks, head shaking ] can't remember much. [ Her arms cross over her chest for a second -- ] but Damon said I will.

And...he told me about the -- rules. [ Of course Stefan knows of the rules, too. She stops then, letting him pose whatever thoughts, ideas, he might want to, maintaining eye contact. Nice eyes too; these Salvatores have great genes. ]

[immoderation]

[ There was a time when everything that Stefan did was for the benefit of Elena. When each decision he made was for the explicit purpose of keeping her happy and safe.

Stefan has different priorities these days. She's not the person he puts first anymore.

But he will always have tender feelings for her. When Damon makes his exit, Stefan has the chance to really look at her, eyes softening with an obvious compassion for her predicament. When she speaks, he nods with his characteristic kind understanding. ]

This place is a lot of things. [ The words 'confusing' and 'weird as hell' come first to mind. ] But it doesn't seem to be dangerous. Damon and I will keep you safe. Until your memories come back. And after that too. [ He reaches out to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, thumb lightly stroking where it rests. ] I promise.

[abetment]

[ The Katherine Pierce standard for determining what makes for acceptable relationship dynamics has yet to return. Or, fully. Her head tilts a little when there's a surge of emotion while seeing the way that Stefan is looking at her. Soft eyes, a warmth coming through in his tone that almost makes her forget that she wants to listen to what he has to say.

It's a captivation she swallows away, silent about it, and not appearing nearly as unabashed as she would like to be. If she's Elena and loves Damon as genuinely as he made her feel their love is, then feeling an immediate connection that's a deeper affection than one ought to have for the brother of their boyfriend (future husband) can't be right.

He has her attention, brows going together, yet again, when he says it's not dangerous. Then another promise of keeping her safe. A lot like Damon's, but with no affection. Until his touch finds her shoulder, attention sliding over and giving his hand a long look. Back to him -- ] Thanks...Stefan.

[ Her lips press together for a moment. ] It doesn't feel very safe, not to me, but -- I trust you. [ And Damon, although he's gone in that moment, and her phrasing really could be a blanket statement; she does trust them both, a familiarity with the Salvatores that she can't explain but she's grateful to have. She takes a partial step toward him, voice lowering. ] Should we...talk somewhere else? [ A glance over to a camera. ]

[immoderation]

[ After a moment, Stefan's hand falls back down to his side and he takes a step back giving her some more space. She has enough to worry about on her own, that much is clear; he doesn't need to burden her any more with his tense hovering. But she soon closes the distance again of her own volition this time. ]

They're everywhere. [ He remarks in a quiet voice of his own, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead, not needing to glance over to know exactly what she's looking at. ]

[abetment]

[ She only trusts two people -- and the jury's out on how confident she is with all of her own thoughts still -- so of course she wants to keep close to the one that's there. They're still at the scene of where this crazy insanity began, so she's on guard. Giving his statement a nod, she sighs under her breath. Eyes just narrowing, she centers them back on Stefan, arms straight at her sides, fingers curling up, tops of her them brushing against the fabric of the dress that's apparently now hers.

Brief subject shift, since the hallway is not the place for most of what she could ask. ]

What's Damon getting here? [ That withdrawal. Scorn for the hospital, truthfully. Blood, blood bags, aren't yet a concern considering her she's not currently hungry. Her tone softens. ] He was surprised to see me. [ A beat. ] Neither of you knew I was here. [ Stating facts, working to be on the same page. ]

[immoderation]

[ This time, Stefan's gaze does find hers, narrowing slightly as the first inklings of suspicion raise to just below the surface of his mind. It's nothing solid enough yet for him to consciously grasp hold of and for the time being, he writes off her haughtier tone as simply being the product of an overwhelming frustration with their situation. ]

It's been over a month since Damon and I woke up in this very same hospital. That's four weeks that we've been living here. Why weren't we notified about your accident? Pretty... strange, right?

[ He lets the implication hang there. It's dangerously close to saying something that could get him into trouble if anybody's listening in and yet it stops just short of actually breaking the rules. ]

What all do you remember, exactly? Any little details sticking out to you? Favorite food, maybe? Or... What you liked to drink?

[abetment]

[ Katherine nods, not looking away. ] Well the nurse I talked to didn't have anything useful to say, and she seemed...creepy. So -- yeah, pretty strange. They should've told you.

[ That question coming from Stefan, the brother she (Elena) isn't in love with makes her eyes slide to the side and hold there as he gives options for what she may have remembered. She's a beat away from telling one less lie than what she told Damon (why does she want to be truthful to Stefan? she doesn't know), pondering a comment to throw out to hint at her being a vampire. To see how he might reply.

Then he tacks the latter portion on. Plus, he didn't answer her question about Damon. ] No. Are those important right now? [ A serious question, cheeks rising in brief disdain that smooths away. ] My name. And after Damon said your names, I remembered that I knew you both too. [ Knew...how? She's not completely sure yet, other than what Damon told her, which didn't include a breadth of detail. ] Is there something else important I should be remembering? [ Without the sweet (not real, on her end) sensations created by affection and love from Damon, more of her true self is slipping out. Oops. Not that she's slipped over entirely, not yet. Her tone is still uncertain, not entirely demanding, but edging toward that point. Soft, for Katherine, still. ]

[immoderation]

[ There's only so much outright prickliness that Stefan's brain is willing to write off as normal before he's forced to consciously question what he's seeing and hearing. Her demeanor is both foreign to him and yet disconcertingly familiar at the same time. Like... He can't imagine Elena saying any of these things -- which isn't entirely the same as thinking he can't imagine someone with her face saying them.

Stefan folds his arms across his chest and studies her more intently now. Observing the way she holds herself so imperiously; the raspier quality of her voice; her petulant tone and more contemptuous mannerisms.

He slowly turns all the way around, feigning sudden disinterest as he pokes his head out the door. ]

No. Forget it. Let's just wait for Damon. He should be on his way back by now.

[abetment]

[ Her mouth opens, bewildered with this full tilt from someone that her future husband told her that she should be able to trust. To talk to. To find out more information from! There's no stamping of her feet, but Katherine does step ahead when he turns placing herself at Stefan's back, reaching up to touch over the side of his shoulder. ] What? Stefan -- you said you'd help.

[ Well, that you'd help keep her safe. Why aren't you helping, Stefan? What's the deal?

Maybe she can't trust him? No. That's not it, she immediately decides. Her hand falls away as she places herself further up at his side and at a comfortable distance in front of him, wanting to be back in his line of sight, petulance finally cropping up in her expression. ] I wanted to talk to you both [ the sulky hold doesn't fade ] but it kind of felt like Damon thought, maybe...it was good if we talk, just us, too. [ Finally her expression shifts into one of a greater neutrality. One shoulder shrugs a teeny bit -- she has no idea why Damon would've wanted that, but it was certainly what it looked like. Meanwhile, she doesn't realize her attitude is off, compared to what they'd expect from Elena, at all. ]

[immoderation]

[ He focuses his keen hearing ability but there's no sound of Damon in the hallway just yet. ]

Okay. Well... What do you want to talk about? [ He relents. If it is Katherine, playing dumb or otherwise, then he doesn't want to give her too much of a chance to figure out that he's suspicious of her. It's probably better to continue engaging her in conversation for the time being.

[abetment]

[ It could be easier to deal with whatever this is when Damon gets back, but stubbornness flares up within her. She doesn't consider handling the situation from that angle, eyebrows furrowing slightly when Stefan poses that question. She sighs softly under her breath -- he knows what she wanted to talk about, why would that change because he turned the hell away from her? And yet, there's always the option of actually conversing. ]

I just want to know more. Where did we meet? [ The question slips out and as soon as she says it, her eyes flash with awareness, one she doesn't state: a notion of there being a deep connection between the two of them. It's inexplicable, still and makes her step in, foot bumping against his before or as he begins to answer. ]

[immoderation]

[ If it hadn't just been for the preceding minutes, Stefan would buy this Elena -- playful and inquisitive. ]

High School. [ He avoids saying the name of it so as to not give any indication of rule-breaking. ] Our sophomore year. You... ran into me. Literally. [ He permits himself a smile at the memory. ]

[abetment]

[ Too bad she has no control over the impression she's giving off: karma, in a horribly cruel way, for Katherine.

Once he starts to seem like he's back to a warmer disposition, she can't help but smile. Mostly innocent enough, a hint of smugness in her eyes that he opted to keep chatting instead. ] Really? Am I clumsy? [ Ha ha -- isn't she great at making jokes? ] Did I...meet you first? Before Damon? [ There has to be a reason she feels as connected, if not more, with Stefan, right? ]

[immoderation]

[ Technically, Stefan knows that Elena met Damon first. But it's not a detail that makes sense to impart at this exact moment. Especially when he can sense what question she's really asking. ]

Yes. You and I... Used to date.

[abetment]

Oh. [ That genuinely gives her pause, staring over at Stefan. Should she have guessed? Would someone in a weird brain fog ever jump to that conclusion? She almost pushes in closer to him before taking a step back. ] I...can't remember. Sorry. I wish I did.

[ She looks away, peering down the hall for a second. ] But. I -- feel like we're connected too. So, maybe that's why. [ Or maybe it's for other reasons. ]

[unforgivably]

[ Damon hurries, for all intents and purposes. Not because he doesn't trust his brother, but because this is already a volatile situation. Elena's not herself, she's not trusting, worried about the sheriff and he came here for a purpose. While his brother and her catch up, he retrieve the cooler from his car, makes his withdrawal and returns the cooler to the car before heading back inside. It's in the drunk. Less real questions he can't answer right then. It's one thing to have evil camera wielding overlords. (Well, "evil" but today's not the day to debate that. He catches the end of the conversation, outside in the hall, moving through the double doors.

"Did I meet you first?" ]

You are. [ Maybe it's awkward, maybe he snuck up on Elena - maybe it's playing his hand, but Damon is not about secrets. Not now. Well, non-vampire related secrets. ]

The three of us have an undeniable connection. [ And doesn't that explanation have layers. ]

It's an old story. [ He approaches. ] Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. Girl and boy fall in love. Girl grows up. She changes. And with that change comes choice. And I think I mentioned growth. [ But not vampirism. ] Catching up, I see. [ To Stefan. ] Consider our deposit made. [ To "Elena." ] We support the local businesses, local issues, healthcare is very important to us. Isn't it, Stefan?

[immoderation]

That's right. [ Stefan agrees mildly, unperturbed by Damon's arrival despite the bit of awkwardness he walked in on. Of course it helps that he's more or less convinced this isn't Elena. To which end. ]

Speaking of... old stories... [ He flashes Damon a tight smile. ]

Do you remember the 'cat' our father gave us? I saw one that looked... Just like it today. It had the most piercing eyes. I was actually thinking about bringing it home but I didn't think that was a good idea until I checked with you first.

[abetment]

[ She's focused on Stefan, so Damon's return does surprise her. Yet, her brows lift and she looks over to him, smiling softly. With but a hint of smug to it. Stefan may have started to talk with her but she didn't like his earlier shift. The way she felt around Damon, that felt safer. Which she should maybe have questioned, yet...she's running on at least partial uncertainty here.

She takes a step toward Damon, listening, eyes bright. Then again, she can't connect the dots in the way he means them. Still, it makes her content. Who doesn't like contentment?

A face at that word. Deposit. What the hell are they talking about, and...her mouth opens when she's provided with an answer. The meaning, definitely doesn't sink in.

Her eyes slide back to Stefan when he speaks again, head canting when he starts in on a story. About a cat. She's frowning, wondering what the hell is up with him -- is Damon sure they trust him (they do! she knows they do)? -- yet she looks back to Damon with an unsure, creased brow.

What? ]

[unforgivably]

[ Old stories? His brow creases, giving a quick side glance to "Elena," before regarding Stefan again. A cat alike from the one their father never gave them. With piercing eyes. Bringing it home. His frown reaches full mast as his eyebrows join in.

No.

No, it can't be. ]

Stefan. You and I both know that that cat died trying to be the other alive cat. [ To Elena. ] It had a complex, you see, trying to jump higher. Had a big thing for the other neighborhood cat all of a sudden, but as I said, that cat is long gone. Not. Possible, Stefan.

[immoderation]

[ Stefan gives Damon a bit of a withering look which definitely suggests his opinion of his brother's refusal to see what's right in front of his face. ] How could I forget. You're more of a dog person now. But when you finally catch it hanging around the neighborhood, don't say I didn't warn you. Anyway, we should probably get going.

[abetment]

[ This isn't good. That's her first thought before she swallows it down and quietly ponders why that matters so much to her, eyes dancing between them to gauge Stefan's reaction to his brother's words. She has no idea what purpose telling this story holds. Or, why Damon's entertaining its strangeness, when he was all about holding her hand, tender touches, coming close to kissing her, before. Aren't they all about helping her, rather than being weird?

She has a voice too, though. No interruptions, but she lifts a hand up when Stefan finishes. ] What are you even talking about? Is this some...code, or something, because of... [ well, who do the three of them not trust? she glances for the nearest camera, eyes widening in emphasis as she lets her gaze pass from Damon to Stefan and back. ]

[unforgivably]

Now, we're all cats. [ It's to Stefan, really, that he needs to question this very mixed metaphor. Then again, it makes sense if Elena's the dog, especially now, anyway. Because she's a dog again after being a cat for a few years now. Damon exhales, weighing his options. ]

At the risk of taking this to a less comfortable place for all of us, while not exclusively a brilliant tactic for playing inside the sandbox, no - [ He says, finally giving her a smile. ] this is not for the cameras. [ What else can he say? ] Stefan thinks you're not who you say you are. Elena had something, someone we both knew who greatly resembled her. She made all our lives a living hell once upon a time. And, speaking of hell, she's probably there right now. Which is why I told him it's not possible that you'd be her. What he doesn't realize is I'm the brother with amnesia experience. So, while he picks at every little mannerism, I know that you're scared and on edge. [ And maybe Damon's not so stupid himself. ] And doesn't that suck, Elena? When someone takes a bite out of your happiness, no matter how fleeting? Stefan really can be an emotional vampire when he wants to be. Cats and all.

[ He hates that he has to do this, but his brother does have the track record. He always recognizes Katherine. Damon had gotten better, but then she'd fooled them all for months. ]

Her name was Katherine.