( 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]

[ When the tide of memories turn, Katherine will look back on those moments -- coming together in a love, so pure and real, expressed to her under a guise -- with a regret that Damon may never believe is sincere.

She watches as he steps closer, shoulders going straighter, muscles tensing and keeping her eyes locked onto his face when he steps in front of her. It doesn't take memories to feel the power that's drawing them together. Her lips part when his touch falls on her shoulders, instinctively drawing in closer to him, hands finding their way up and over the middle of his back. There's love in this embrace, and she doesn't care to let it fade quickly. Without knowing this man (yet), there's a grounding in his presence, in the way he's pulled her to him.

Mirroring him, she moves back, slowly letting her hands fall away from him, going lax at her sides. Her eyes slide over slightly with the hand on her cheek, fingers going into her hair. She doesn't put any more distance between them than what he encourages.

Listening, her eyes flash with a recognition, a relief that, yes, he knows that full name. So does, did, she. She must have been posing as Elena long enough for someone to believe that's who she really is, and her heart thrums harder when he continues. The love of my life. Any girl would be pleased to hear those words, wouldn't she? Love can hurt but at its core, it's what make life worth living.

Her forehead creases when he goes on. She can absorb the heavy subject matter, but not everyone would be able to, she realizes. A hand lifts to touch lightly near his collarbone when she hears that doubt about the situation at hand in his tone. A freak accident.

She breathes in, long but without much physical rise of her body, when he zeroes in on an easier concept to relate to. Names. If she could catch all of the implications of what he was saying, she may regret not really being this Elena girl -- but as it stands, with Damon saying what he has, she feels far more like Elena than the mere notion of pretending to be her.

Her breath holds at that name, gasp rising and causing her chest to jerk just so. Damon. Salvatore. Yes, she does know him. But then her head shakes, eyes shutting. ] No. Who's Jeremy? I -- I remember your name. But, not...not anything else. [ A long pause, lips open, brows knitting. ] And...Stefan. [ There's no elevation of her tone, only curiosity, looking to him to justify if a Stefan exists. ] Salvatore. [ As if she needed to clarify.

She breathes in again, looking over to the front entrance. ] You...you didn't know I was here? You were surprised to see me. [ Incoming comments made by a newbie who hasn't seen a sign with any rules of Wayward Pines conduct. ] But...you're my... [ she glances down, reaching to gingerly takes his hands in hers, looking them over, seeing the ring, bulky and heirloom-like ] boyfriend? ...Husband? [ Well. She lets her hands part from his. ] How did I get here, wherever here is, Damon? [ The name feels familiar on her tongue, really and truly. ] How did we? [ She pushes in a little closer, swallowing, holding eye contact. Until her jaw tightens just so, eyes shutting as she gives a small grimace, evidently trying to recall more than what she's able. ] I can't...remember...

[unforgivably]

[ She remembers him, but not her brother. Now it's his breath who catches. He expected to have to explain himself, to work backwards, convince her through touch, and eye contact, and an inherent trust of who he is, but she knows his name. How can he not have a selfish thought in that moment. It isn't as if the young Gilbert isn't off doing god knows what at art school. (He isn't.) ] Don't hurt yourself trying, the memories are few and far between in the beginning, [ But, with one Salvatore comes another, and a sliver of the old Damon rears its ugly head within him. He's the vampire who stole his brother's girl. Twice. It's always more complicated. But in its purest form, this is what it comes down to. ] Stefan's my brother.

[ It's not the time to explain a long and complicated history of betrayal, feelings kept at bay, tragedy, and selfishness from all involved. Small bursts of information are best. If he weren't in a sham town, maybe he'd give her a deeper run down. After all, he'd gone through this with his brother. Amnesia had claimed him, too, thanks to the benefits of Ms. Quetsiyah and her several thousand year paranoid grudge.

His stomach lurches, driving away thoughts of Quetsiyah and Silas. That year was one of the worst. Then again, name a year that wasn't. ]

Boyfriend, but I promised to marry you someday and I'm fulfilling that promise. [ He brings her wrist to his lips, falling back into old patterns, affection coming easily, with only her reaction being foreign. But she doesn't leap back, cry out, feel it's wrong.

They're MFOE, right?

The implications of Elena being here, that while Stefan and Damon acclimated to a town not unlike their own that something happened to Bonnie linger underneath. But, that guilt will come with time. Not when Elena is here in front of him and any real pain would have to be explained beyond her non-accident. The concept of forever has always been an elusive one for Damon Salvatore. What he keeps most to himself is his intentions before waking up here, how seventy years would have gone by in a flash. And then he would've had decades. Priceless decades. ]

Hey. Easy. I meant it before. When you wake up here, you remember very little. It's - glimpses into who you are. I remembered Stefan. And - [ He pauses, knowing full well that her memory could be as isolated as anyone else's. She doesn't remember the coma, Kai. His hand brings hers down again, fingers pulling back, knowing full well this explanation can't be useful, or helpful. But, it's all he has. ] not much else. You're not going to like it, but I promised once to keep you in the loop from now on, so, I don't know. We don't know how we got here. A month ago today, Stefan and I woke up here, like you, were told we were in an accident like you, along with a handful of other, priceless personalities. [ No reason to keep back his real personality. That judgment. ] There's more, but we should find you clothing. And something tells me your key should match ours. [ That's said more to himself, as he glances back behind them. ] They frown upon personal details in public here. Very staunch town. Very Beaumont. Or, that country club in Dirty Dancing. Everyone remembers Swayze and Baby, but can anyone name the country club itself?

[abetment]

[ Of course she'll keep trying to remember more, even with whatever mental block there is.

Clear on her face is the fact that she hasn't connected any other dots of the past, who Stefan has been to her, or anyone else. He's Damon's brother, and she, as Elena (because she must have been posing as Elena, for some reason, right?), would naturally know and care about the brother of the person who loves her. Right? Whatever definition one can assign to caring in this case.

She gives a slow at his clarification, turning the idea of being in love, enough to marry him, over in her mind. It wouldn't be a difficult thought, an innocent daydream, if not how the rest of the circumstances lay. There's a connection she has with him that's undeniable, and even without knowing all of her history, his, hers, Elena's, there's a quiet fondness in her expression with any moments of affection.

When she goes into trying to recall and fails, her lips press together, shoulders shifting in toward herself, sighing out through the start of his answer. It's confusing, no matter how clearly she hears what he says. There's a flash of wondering in her eyes when he brings up having promised to keep her in the loop -- it implies she hasn't always been.

Her shoulders fall back, lips barely open and looking like they could pout at any second, hard look on her face when he says the brothers don't know how they got there. That the same situation transpired for them. Great. She's not entirely concerned with talking to anyone who doesn't know who she is -- a true sort of bittersweet irony, all considering she thinks she should be acting like Elena, however she's meant to do that, and not letting anyone really know who she is. Either way, she takes in those details. This happened to other people. Not just the three of them.

She nods at getting clothing, a hand rising to cross over her chest and brush mindlessly against her upper arm as she gazes over and past Damon for a moment. A key. Then, a slew of words where his message comes across, but she doesn't grasp the reference he uses. ] A key. To a house? [ She didn't hear much in the way of detail about what you can actually get at the sheriff's station... ] And, I wanna get out of this. [ With a small sound of annoyance, her hand moves over to tug at the top of the hospital gown. ] Did you -- have things here [ she gives a firm look around them, meaning the hospital ] after you woke up? [ A cautious gaze is cast over to the outside, knowing she can't cross over into the sun. ] There wasn't anything in the room I woke up in.

[ She's not going back to that room. Feet shifting to put her body closer to his, her voice goes to a whisper, looking up into his eyes. ] I don't like this. It doesn't feel safe. You don't sound like you like what you're saying to me, either. [ It's better than trying to press for more details, if the public discussion of those are frowned upon. But, she's listened to all he's said, has taken it in, and she sees the seriousness of it all. ] I'm... [ well, she doesn't actually want to say that it's creepy enough to scare her a little, but...she is edging toward scared, looking down at the floor for a moment. Especially feeling like she should be able to trust him, that he's giving her reasons that she can, but he also sounds uncertain about certain things. Plus, there's the whole sun thing...she's not sure if he knows about that or if anyone else does either. ] You're gonna help me. [ Obviously, and it's said with just a hint of question; she's not exactly completely with it just yet. ]

[unforgivably]

[ Damon gets carried away, with his word, with his actions, with his impulses for sure, so dropping a pop culture reference Elena doesn't get doesn't exactly land. He knew basic amenities, understood how hospitals work, but other than being a vampire and having a brother, he was pretty much at a loss when he'd woken up. He too pinpoints the details, and focuses on those. He focuses on her questions, what she's getting out of this. ]

Surprise. We live here. [ He doesn't sound convinced and he's not working at convincing her. ] Stefan and me, we live in a house together, but it has a third room. [ He's not about to push her to stay in his, to push a connection he can't recreate. He's been through this once before - with more Elena to work with, but also with more contempt. This is a slight improvement. Or, a lateral move. She doesn't openly hate him and she's not avoiding him. She has no choice at this juncture. She could get to a point where she wants to. He wouldn't force her into anything. ]

Nor mine. Stefan's. Lady with the scars. The sheriff prefers to strip us of everything - possibly to paw at our things, possibly to make back alley deals in the backs of trucks so we have to barter to get our things back. [ He instinctively turns his left hand, palm upward, right thumb and forefinger finding his family ring. ] Anyway, everyone takes a trip there, gets what they can back. [ The sheriff probably wants to get a look at everybody's faces. But, he knows how overwhelming he's being without voicing that paranoid thought.

She shifts, leans closer, Damon's hand finding her waist, fingers lightly splayed along, listening to her. He turns his head slightly, lowering his voice. He mistakes her tone and seriousness for catching on to something being off - and not with the mass amnesia, but the cameras nearby. There's a reason Damon hasn't been more forthcoming, or that he hasn't shared more facts. ] I don't, but this is how things are. [ As he told someone his first time round, 'them's the brakes.'

His hands find hers again, as he intertwines their fingers. ]

If you let me, I will. I won't let anything else happen to you, Elena.

[ He nods once, waiting for confirmation, before the moment passes. ] Do you want to find something less comfortable but less revealing to change into or do you want to go right to the sheriff's? [ He thinks about it, knowing he owes his brother a call, and if he's at home, he'll answer.

The rules.

He can work with either. This is Elena's operation. He's just here to help in any way he can. ]

[abetment]

[ Her expression turns quizzical as she aims to read his tone, picking up on what seems like it could be a more important detail: that the house they're in has an extra room. Katherine gives another nod, finding that's sure a common reaction to all of this. Better to feel like she has someone on her side rather than being left helpless. ] I...don't think I wanna be alone right now. Or, for awhile.

[ She makes a sound, a light scoff, in otherwise silent frustration at the absurdities this place seems to be all about. Theft and bartering? What? There's a quick glance when his hand moves, brows lifting when he highlights the key detail. You get your unstolen stuff back from the sheriff. Creepy. Another nod.

A frown spreads on her lips when he replies frankly about not liking things, but she expected that answer. At that point, aid is really what she cares about, corners of her lips tugging up a hint. More out of uncertain nerves than in any true sense of a teeny smile. She gives his hand a squeeze. ] Thank you -- Damon.

[ She considers that question, holding onto his hand still. ] I'd like to find something else to wear first. [ A beat, because he obviously has an idea, and so had she... ] I was...going to try to find something, but I ended up here before I could find anything. I was trying to find a room for staff.

[unforgivably]

You won't be.

[ Ever again is left unsaid. It's probably not comforting to have a new stalker upon wake-up, but it's a silent promise to be there in the other room. He's going to make sure she doesn't fall into a mystical coma, doesn't fall into the wrong hands, doesn't almost die. He won't call it hovering, he is not a parent (not that any parents in Mystic Falls were helicopter parents), but he will be there, every step of the way. Especially in these next few weeks, if memories work like clockwork. ]

There're a few. Come on. Let's find you a locker room. This won't be the first time I've taken you shopping. [ Or stolen something for her. A joke on one of those dates as they walked out with a hat Elena was wearing. A harmless crime. It doesn't occur to him that memories could be converging again. Or, if they're real memories. Or, just notions. It is a victimless crime.

Taking her by the hand, he leads her back from the lobby into the recesses of the hospital, pushing through the 'authorized personnel only' door, moving past the ER, passing a few open rooms down one hall and then on the opposite wall. It's near the elevator and the handle pulls down like he remembers. There's no locker combination, just an unspoken promise that people won't steal. Or, maybe that they won't need to.

Holding the door open, he waits for Elena to make her way inside. The light shines only in the back left corner, Damon moving to the first row. ]

Broke these two locks last week. Guess they keep their stuff in their car now. [ He passes a third locker, his lucky charm last night before finding a fourth, hand going to the lock. He hesitates, looking back at her. ] You may have more questions after this. [ But he yanks anyway, breaking the pad lock easily, the locker swinging open. He pulls out a sleeveless dark blue velvet dress that looks about Elena's size, holding it out to her. ] Table whatever reaction you're having right now, it's your size and it covers your ass.

[abetment]

[ That's the ticket for her to manage a smile. Faint, but still a smile amid the insanity of the place.

Her hopes rise when she finds out he knows the location of these locker rooms, giving him a look edging toward amusement about how this will be like shopping. ] They shouldn't have taken my clothes if they didn't want me to find something here to take, to wear. [ This thievery will also be harmless, in her opinion, and she stands true to her words.

Letting him lead, staying as close as comfort and walking allow, she steps inside the room and lets Damon pass through, watching as he goes. She sticks to right where she entered, having sized up the room, any sun creeping inside. Fortunate that the path they took was safe in that regard, too.

Air passes through her lips in the quietest of laughs over his admission of having previously broken into the first lockers he checks. Her brows knit slightly when he mentions options: guess who hasn't paid attention to the technology there? She blinks when he breaks into it so easily -- remembering you're a vampire and knowing what all a vampire is capable of? two different things. is he a vampire too? or... ] Weak lock? [ The question slips out before she can stop it, stepping forward, head tilting at the dress. ] Uh... [ Said before he finishes with that. Her lips purse down but she reaches to take it from him. ] That is what I've wanted to fix the most, so -- this'll do. For now. [ To which she glances at the closed door before stepping over to the side a bit farther, assuming that Damon's line of sight can alert her to if someone plans on trudging through the door.

She takes a slow breath, giving him a careful look. In reality, there isn't a shred of modesty rolling around in her head. Is there for Elena? She doesn't know, but with affection and tenderness has come a level of comfort that she's not completely sure if Damon will return but, her limbs are shifting to shrug the gown away, dress being slipped on immediately after. Looking down and smoothing her hands down over her the fabric covering stomach once it's on, snug and in place, her lips purse to the side a bit. Then, she looks back to Damon. ] I -- don't trust anyone here but you, right now, Damon. I wanna talk to you first. I can't trust going to the office of a sheriff who steals from people. [ It's true! She may be stalling, slightly, since they're somewhere with almost no sunlight, and that's a win in her book.

She needs to know more. Not risk going outside. ]

[unforgivably]

[ In hindsight, everything Elena has said should point to her not being Elena. Her tone, her edge she hasn't lost, but Damon, too, was on edge when he'd woken up. ]

I think if you're incompetent enough to let all these patients wander around, you should expect the clothes you wore to work to be taken. Why else leave nothing behind? Maybe it's a hospital-wide fetish, seeing us in their clothes. It's like getting in their pants. [ He says that as they walk, leaning his head in, that playful dynamic kicking back in.

Her own explanation leaves little to explain. If she asks, they're in private now. But, this is easier. If she were a vampire, now, then he'd have no choice. But, vampire 101 went so well the first time around. ] Sure. Shoddy locksmanship.

[ He doesn't zero in on her syntax, her choice in words. Another zero for Damon Salvatore.

Modesty does not Damon Salvatore make, or speak, but he knows when to be modest. And, polite. Sure, he'll stand in front of you, bare-assed with not stitch of clothing on because he can. But, Elena isn't herself, and maybe she's comfortable or she just wants to be covered up, but either way, Damon turns around, closes the door behind them and faces it.

Hearing the dress slip over her, when she speaks he looks back, turning around. ]

Whatever you want to talk about. [ They're alone. He does walk back into the room, glancing into the broken locker. Well, the latest broken locker. :') He leans over, pulling out a pair of - ] Black boots? They really pull together your ensemble. Very 90's. [ He holds them out, offering them with a smirk. ] I was barefoot all day. [ And he wouldn't want her to be. If she takes them, he sits on the nearby bench, straddling it, if not, he sets them aside, again, still sitting. ] You and me. We can sit here as long as you want. I will have to tell Stefan, eventually, but it's not like he's going anywhere. That's probably where we should start. None of us can go anywhere.

[abetment]

[ She nearly laughs at that. Good thing she didn't, otherwise a Katherine Pierce giggle would have pierced the air. It does make her smile. ] Are you always this funny? [ Not like she knows the ins and outs of his personality! It seems like a fair question.

She gives another faint nod, all of the nodding, when he answers about the lock. She believes him. Why wouldn't she?

The changing is quick. No time for preoccupation to see if he's watching her, but that he moves and switches position is evident. Looks like she hasn't fallen completely into feeling like Katherine yet, indeed. She moves toward him again when he turns, when she's clothed.

Something she nearly regrets when she sees the boots, making a face of disgust. Careful, Katherine. Elena wouldn't care that much about shoes. When she sees that smirk, it's easy to smile just so. She takes the boots, sitting down too, easy distance between them. Enough so she can lace up those amazing boots, but not far enough away to be apart from him. She wants to stay close.

She sets the boots down, giving them another unsure look, starting to slip them on only when Damon continues. Lips pressing together, she nods. ] You can tell Stefan. I can't even remember [ she pauses, eyes widening ] what he looks like, but I knew the name. And if you trust him, so do I. [ She's confident in that, for some reason. Damon is leaving a good, deep and strong impression! ]

Why can't we go somewhere else? What's stopping us? [ Boots on, she crosses her legs, shifting in a little closer to Damon, pressing that question into him with an intense gaze. She doesn't wonder if they should be talking about this in there or not, rolling with the talking about whatever they want. ]

[unforgivably]

I like to think so.

[ Others may not. Others wouldn't say he is. He thinks he is. He knows he is. He watches her lace up her boots, waiting for her response. ]

You do. You have. [ Almost always.

He watches as she crosses her legs, unable to hide the raise of one of his eyebrows, briefly, before he keeps the proximity, reminding himself that Elena knows little to nothing. Not what he is, not what Stefan is. Barely who she is. Maybe not even barely. ] Long fence. Big wall. That's the short version. [ He looks up in the corner, and then to the other corner. Cameras. Always cameras. Don't discuss your past. ] Come on.

[ He stands, lifting one leg over the bench, offering a hand before leading her past the lockers into the shower area. Showers. Loud music. Tactics to keep a vampire from hearing what you're saying. Equally useful when trying to keep out prying cameras. ] I'm not asking you to take your clothes off. You just put new ones on. I'm just [ He leans over turning the knob of one shower, and then the next, and the third before leaning back and shaking his wet hand. Turning to Elena, he lets the water cascade down into the drains. ]

We're being watched.

[abetment]

I must too, since I do now. [ She doesn't know if Elena appreciates Damon's style of humor or not. If she's wrong, then it can be blamed on a foggy brain.

Trust. She can't extend it to the mysterious Stefan until she's in the same room as him, but she does believe what Damon has said. So, she nods, pondering for just a second when Stefan will be contacted. She wants to talk to Damon in that moment, only him, so her focus rests there.

Her features tense when he mentions a wall, but they soften when she sees him look around. Naturally, so does she, spotting the cameras. One gets a puzzled flash from her before she looks back to Damon, taking his hand and standing. Since being awake, everything has felt like one big mess of confusion, and when he takes her to the showers? Her feet stop, head shaking faintly. Then he gets more specific, though she gives him a stare-down when he starts. She blinks. ]

Oh. By who? The sheriff? Do you know why? [ There are cameras, so she knows his claim can hold true based on logistics. Furthermore, she's still extending trust that he has a better grasp of what's going on than her. ] There has to be a reason. No one just...watches people. [ Do they? ]

[unforgivably]

You - [ He smiles to himself. ] For the most part, when my humor isn't ... poorly timed. [ Which it can be. ] But, you think I have my moments and that in general, I am just amazing. Not the lost cause I frequently think I am. [ Her hand in his, he slows down, bringing it to his lips. Oops. This is too easy, falling back into this. ] You believe in me, Elena Gilbert.

[ Oh, and here the locker room is.

Catching up now, nobody is removing any clothing. His hand comes up, palm facing her. It's OK, Elena. ]

Beats us. The Sheriff is involved. You'll meet him. Smiley guy, but you don't want to cross him. Not that I know firsthand, he just gives off that vibe. There are signs. [ Literally. ] Rules we follow. [ His hand comes up, one finger illustrating each rule. ] Do not try to leave. Do not discuss the past. Do not discuss your life before. Always answer the phone if it rings. [ His hand forms a fist then. ] Work hard, be happy. [ His fist opens, palm flattening. ] You're going to start to think you belong here. I don't know how they're doing it, if it's our minds, some days I think nothing here is real, like it's all an elaborate distraction from -- [ Too much again. ] Elena, we're from Mystic Falls but we have lives here. Stefan and I own a garage. You'll regain your memory. But, with it you're going to remember other things, memories from this town.

[abetment]

[ There he goes with affection again, but Katherine does not mind it one bit. Elena may have been the sort of girl to question, pull back, when utterly unsure but she's not. So, she smiles with his answer. ] I wish I could remember, but...it feels right to believe in you. [ That, she actually means, and she's not sure why. Likely, the thought does not stem from the same meaning Damon has referenced -- the way Elena believes in him. ]

Rules? [ She whispers it in disbelief, eyes narrowing a hint with each one he lists off. Breathing, finding it difficult to do a lot more than that, the lines of her face crease in disbelief when he goes on. She's about to interrupt, to ask what he meant, when he says her name. Well, Elena. Then there's the name of a town they're from. Her head cants slightly over hearing about this garage, Stefan being brought up again.

Her lips press hard together when he says she'll get her memory back, that uncertainty rising back up when he tacks on that horrible, final detail. ] You already know I don't remember Mystic Falls -- don't you?

What kind of memories have you had about this place? Has Stefan had them too? [ They'd talk about it together, right? Brothers and all. Sharing information. She steps in closer to him, looking down over his form. ] Damon, maybe we should all be here. To talk, I mean. It could...maybe it would help? Make things a little clearer? Or...maybe not? [ She's putting the ball in his corner all while thinking that, yes, she wants to hear what both of the Salvatores might say about this wild and crazy place. ]

[unforgivably]

[ Is he lifting his arm to twirl her, maybe a hint of the last time they spent together? He is. He twirls her around once. As she said before, it feels right. ]

[ As the shower heads spray, "Elena" and Damon continue their secret rendezvous, in perhaps not as scandalous as the situation could be. ]

I didn't, not until now. There are things we remember. Specific things. What do you remember, Elena?

[ When he and Stefan had gone through this, things had been easier. Wrong, considering they thought they lived in this town, in that house with their photographs and a car that was his. ] We both have. I remember living here, working here. I remember going to lunch at an Italian deli almost every day. I remember names of people I can't picture, people who also supposedly live here.

[ He stands, the water reaching his shoes, but only the soles. ]

No. We should bring Stefan here. He should know you're here. There's a phone at the nurse's station.

[ And so he moves around the far left, turning the knob, and then does the same for the other two, one after the other. ]

Are you okay? Tell me at any time if you need anything.

[ He knows how it all sounds. But, she's right, she nods and he leads her back out of the shower area, through the locker room and over to the nurse's station. Surprise, it's unmanned. Keeping his eye on Elena, he rounds the desk, picking up the phone. ]

[abetment]

[ How can she not laugh softly at that? A real laugh. No artifice or mischief. It's warm. A sound Katherine is completely capable of making, even if any sound of humor she generally makes races out of her lit up with attitude. Not that she can remember that characteristic of herself, or that no one in her life has been able to generate more pure emotions within her for ages.

She thinks that question over for a moment, already having decided that she's not going to mention the Katherine Pierce name. She's Elena Gilbert, to Damon, so why should she bring it up? Every instinct is telling her to not mention it. ]

My name. [ Plural, and she feels a pang for lying. ] That's...it. Other than knowing you and Stefan. [ Lie number two, omitting the being a vampire. She trusts him, but what if he doesn't know? She doesn't know how to broach it...

Taking in his answer, weighing how ridiculous is sounds to have memories of a place when you know you're from somewhere else, she doesn't have much to say -- ] That's...confusing.

[ Damon agrees about reaching out to Stefan, and Katherine nods, already moving along with him. When he offers her that, she smiles softly, reaching to take his hand as they walk. Girlfriends hold their boyfriend's hands! She gives it a squeeze. ] I will.

[ She peers around the station, brows going together at its lack of occupancy. How unprofessional. Moving, she finds a spot to sit atop a desk near the phone. Her legs stay uncrossed and hang down straight, snugly together, palms resting on the top of the desk, curling onto the edge, watching Damon as he dials. Listening in, all the while. Oh, hey, she has really good hearing... ]

[unforgivably]

Maybe they locked down our memories after the first run.

[ He counted his because they were his first priority, but Elena has had him. ]

Causes many a headache. [ And he's a vampire. ] And you know I don't really get headaches. You did. Strong constitution.

[ But does she, Damon? Moving on.

He'll replay this day at the bar later, every small tic, her dangling legs, disregard for desks, her penchant for boredom and eavesdropping, the crossed legs in the locker room and her overall tone from the beginning. But for now, his ear is trained on his brother. ]

[abetment]

[ Are you used to her uncertain looks that blend into acceptance yet, Damon? Are you? Katherine nods, wondering what the hell is really up with the town they're stuck in.

Until there's a curious hold over her face for a couple of seconds at the headache comment. There's so much he could mean by that, isn't there? Some people just don't suffer from certain ailments.

Listening, she's even able to dart her gaze away now and then, multi-tasking with sight and her super special (vampire?) hearing. Convenient. ]

[unforgivably]

[ He regrets using that tone with his brother, but this is Elena. He's frustrated with everything. This is the first thing that's happened that feels right, even if it's all wrong. He holds his hand on the hung up phone for a second, before turns to face her. ]

He's on his way. Sorry about that, things can get -- Stefan and I have a complicated relationship. Brothers.

[abetment]

[ Eavesdropping, Katherine's face is turned away as the phone conversation wraps up and when Damon speaks to her once more; looking idly at a camera. Turning back, one shoulder gives a tiny pop. ] I wouldn't know...or, if I do, I don't remember. [ Did you ever tell her who Jeremy is, Damon? Did you? ] It's okay.

Should we -- go someplace else. Or are we gonna meet him here? [ Literally right there. Camped out where they probably shouldn't be. ]

[unforgivably]

I told him we'd be here. Unless you'd prefer the lobby. Elena, we can be wherever. Do you want to meet him outside? Let's go. [ And he -- goes to walk her back towards the sunny, sunny day. ]

[abetment]

[ Her body stiffens at that notion, head shaking. Maybe too quickly, too much. She reaches out to grab onto Damon's hand. ] No. Let's...just -- I want to stay here.

[ Sunlight, the very death of her! ]

[unforgivably]

[ He squeezes her hand. ] Elena, you're OK. You're here now. We found each other. We always find each other.

[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. ]