The slow simmering anger of a mother scorned

[oncekind]

Who: Jiaying and YOU
Where: Here and there: see prompts
When: March
What: A little counseling, a little teaching, a little slice of life. There's potential for characters to secretly 'talk' to each other about things related to their past if they wanna avoid cameras.
Warnings: None that I can think of.
[Open]

School
Jiaying has taken to teaching in the local school though the subject itself is curious for a town this size. Who would have use for Mandarin? But between all the prep work that goes into teaching and her other duty as school counselor, she's kept busy. Five days a week for about half a day, she can be found in the teacher's room or the small office she can call her counseling room, usually marking papers or coming up with teaching material. Being the only Mandarin speaker in town has its downsides.


Counseling + secret notes
After school hours, she takes on regular counseling sessions by appointment. She appears to be a holder of a psychology degree but she has no memory of taking any such courses. She tries to keep her sessions casual anyway, focusing on making her clients feel comfortable. While she has an office nestled in half of the second floor of a building in Main Street with a small plaque that barely qualifies as a sign, she also pays house visits and allows visitors in her shared home with Emily Grey.

She puts on a good act of playing along with the rest of the residents of the city. She doesn't talk about her past. She doesn't question things. Not openly. Some time near the end of February (after the intense snow), she begins to slip small written notes to clients she knows to have awoken in the hospital and are just as confused as she is. Short and succinct, they are handed out to the people she has gauged to be trustworthy, a moment passed off as a friendly grasp of the hand for the cameras.

The past isn't dead.
Burn this after reading.

Hospital and wild card
She still visits the hospital whenever she can. She doesn't bother the nurses anymore but she can't help but wander past the children's ward to check in on the babies, hoping against hope that she can catch a glimpse of her baby daughter. She usually leaves quickly before she overstays her welcome but the look of loss, sorrow, and angry determination is one that gets harder and harder to hide.

She can also be found shopping or dining around Main Street. She doesn't cook so eating out is common. The groceries she does buy are related to baked goods. She is especially fond of the book store.

Comments

[unforgivably]

Shame.

[ That stings, as does her reaction, but she wouldn't be the first person. Damon's daily life could be described as 'confused.' Not missing a beat, he takes a seat in a chair he's more familiar with, light memories of doing this before bubbling to the surface again. ]

I just wanted to see if you've resumed your sessions. Even now memories can't quite catch up in a timely matter. It's good to see you back there again. [ He has no thought toward it whatsoever, but go figure. He's doing the friendly thing. ]

[oncekind]

It is. [She lets the look of hurt and anger creep into her face for a moment before dutifully filing it away to focus her attention on Damon. Warmth returns to her features and she nods]

It passes the time. And I enjoy helping others. What kind of difficulty have you encountered since your accident?

[unforgivably]

[ He feels that, too, among a host of other things. ]

Other than reintegrating myself into a life that doesn't quite fit, it's been a scream. [ He slowly leans his head back, evaluating where they are, what he can say. ] It's safe to say that you've resumed your sessions with everyone else as well? All your town usuals?

[oncekind]

You can say that. There hasn't been a huge showing as yet. I let people come to me.

[She's not about to reach out by phone to ask people to come for therapy. It has to be a choice.]

When you say 'fit', are you referring to some kind of dissonance? [Because it is nice to know she is not the only one]

[unforgivably]

[ A lot has happened, including but not limited to his and his brother's estrangement, his and his brother's handling of first Elena and then Katherine's arrival and he could do well to talk to someone about it, someone with zero consequences, someone who won't go and share it after.

Leaning forward, his eyes dilate as he catches hers, his tone staying friendly. ]

You're going to take doctor-patient confidentiality extra seriously with me. Anything discussed within this room will stay in this room, or until I say otherwise. You don't tell anyone about this session, about what I am, or what my brother is. Anything I say that might be out of the ordinary for you, will just be another day in therapy.

[ And then, he breaks that gaze, continuing as if nothing's happened, shifting in his seat. ]

I am, Jiaying. I'm referring to just that kind of 'fit.' But, more to the point, I don't need to fit in here. I've never been a person who's needed to fit in. So, it's not that much of a problem.

[oncekind]

[She falls under the compulsion without missing a beat, especially since it's not a request that's too far out of the ordinary]

Of course. I value my clients' privacy.

But something does still bother you. [another attempt to coax him to open up.]

[unforgivably]

[ That, he looks up at her for, arms on the arm rests. ]

In this town, everything bothers me. [ Not even in this town. ] But, you mean right here. Right now. Where can I start. Someone my brother and I both know, someone who practically made us who we are today arrived here, woke up [ He corrects ] in the hospital, memory-free. [ And his eyes find Jiaying. ] Do you think that absolves someone of their sins?

[oncekind]

No. [she says firmly, without knowing where the solemn conviction in her tone comes from.] I don't think so, especially when those memories aren't lost forever.

[unforgivably]

Well, I set all the naughty feelings, and the desire to rip her heart out aside. It seemed unnecessary when she did things like help and apologize. [ He's disgusted by the way. ]

But, we're about to go -- beyond the scope. I think we can take this somewhere more private, don't you?

[ And without asking,

The waves crash upon a sandy, sunlit beach. Damon and Jiaying now perched on nice, wooden beach chairs. Luckily, compulsion won't make this out of the ordinary and he can continue. ]

It's a trick we vampires have. With cameras in every crevice we have to be able to talk about what's real, and what's this freaky deaky town.

[ He looks over, lifting his sunglasses.

Does Jiaying appreciate the sarong, though? It seemed disrespectful to put her in a bikini.

And thus begins a tale regarding a selfish, narcissistic vampire who picked on two brothers and loved them both, while lying to the both of them about that. Because of Katherine, they're vampires, something Damon asked to be, and Stefan never asked to be. He promised his brother an eternity of misery because of it and until a few years ago, they all thought she was trapped in a tomb with other vampires. But, fret not, she'd escaped, faked her death and she was on the run. It was a turning point for Damon, when he had to admit he felt things. He'd loved Katherine all that time. Now, he felt betrayed. ]

And that's just the beginning, Doc.

[oncekind]

[The sarong is much appreciated though she really would have preferred to not have bare shoulders. She looks out at the beach for a moment but returns her full attention to him as he speaks again, telling her a story that seems as wild as it is real. If she only remembers her own history to compare. Still, she doesn't seem too shocked to learn about his identity as a vampire, the knowledge of it stirring a small look of surprise that quickly turned into acceptance. Somehow, something tells her, inhuman abilities are something she's more than familiar with.]

What happened next?

[She asks, eager to listen.]

[unforgivably]

She surfaced. She came back for Stefan. [ He really only pauses for dramatic effect. ] But Stefan was with Elena. Katherine's descendant and a picture perfect cut-out. That's a longer story my brother can go to therapy for. Suffice it to say, she made all our lives a living hell for half a year. Katherine's always about angles and boy did she have one.

[ He's on his side now, using his elbow to prop himself up. ]

Turns out, the vampire that was after her, an old piece of work who liked to possess bodies and move the chess pieces around from afar [ Also Katherine's MO. Also his. ]. Klaus.

[oncekind]

[She frowns, reading the significance but not understanding it. She sits up and turns, sliding her legs off the chair so she can sit proper and face him.]

Klaus? Was she using you to avoid him?

[She guesses. After all, why wouldn't one use a cut out if it's available?]

[unforgivably]

The opposite. She thought if she lined us up like so, she could bargain for her freedom. You see Klaus really is a special snowflake. He was an untriggered hybrid. A half vampire, half werewolf, and he wanted very much to unlock that side of himself. Cut back to when Katherine was human and Klaus needed her blood in a ritual to do just that. He didn't take kindly to Katherine turning herself and getting away.

[ Damon, too, sits up, bare feet finding sand, continuing his story. ]

Elena, like Katherine, had the same blood - family. It's called a doppelgänger, but you pay by the hour, so, just know they look the same and their blood has lots of surprising properties. [ Like he's going to pay :') ] Anyway, in this ritual, Klaus needed to sacrifice a vampire and a werewolf. Enter Katherine into our lives again. She turns Caroline Forbes. You may have seen her around, she's here now, too. Or, back, from her accident. She's blonde. A lot to take, but, I have a bit of a soft spot for her. Now. Never ask about me.

[ .. ] Where was I?

[oncekind]

Katherine's angle. And Klaus.

[Jiaying accepts that demand to not ask about him further. And while she does imprint these names into memory, she's not aware she won't remember this conversation once it's over.]

[unforgivably]

Right. Katherine's angle. Riddling the town with new vampires and werewolves to ensure Klaus had everything he'd need, enough to grant her freedom. If Katherine Pierce does anything, it's has plans A, B, and C, and it's getting rid of her loose ends. Katherine is the worst. She looks out for herself, surviving is always her number one priority. And now she's here. And she remembers nothing.

[oncekind]

[There's something about his description that resonates with a part of her she has yet to remember. But it feels familiar and very very cold.]

If either of us are anything to go by, she will. With time.

[unforgivably]

And then I'll stab her.

[ Again, in nonchalance. ]

[oncekind]

[She looks briefly surprised but comes to terms with it abnormally quickly. She looks around them.]

In this world?

[After all, the sheriff is watching in the real one]

[unforgivably]

In any. She deserves far more.

[oncekind]

You'll need a plan.

[Straightforward and matter of fact.]

I doubt our local law enforcement would approve.

[unforgivably]

Law enforcement wouldn't know what to do with me. [ But, she has a point. ] All I'll say, is every room has its blind spots.

[oncekind]

And every town has a black sheep. [It's said so casually that a very small part of her is startled. A part that is quickly silenced however.] I mean, as long as suspicion isn't cast on you.

[unforgivably]

A goal I'll work to maintain. Though, that is my specialty usually. Loose ends when need be. [ Doing what's necessary. ]

[oncekind]

[A bit more solemnly] Be careful. I'd hate to lose you, Damon.

[unforgivably]

[ A nod in return. It's probably about time he end their session. But, he'll return. ]