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@ofniightshade

The Vampire Diaries, 6.05 "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here"

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"Permanently this time?" he teases, amused by her threat, "Good luck." All this death and revival business had already done a number on his ego, so he couldn't help but wonder if he was actually invincible. He does what he's told, though, and drops the sparkler to die out on the grass. There would be plenty more for later. Bonnie's confidence is promising, but he isn't entirely convinced. "Yeah, well," he leans in closer to her, lowering his voice to avoid any supernatural eavesdropper, "What if the call ends up coming from inside the house?" He juts his chin toward the surrounding booths, narrowing his eyes in a measured suspicion. Damon's been around the block enough times to recognize some of talismans and symbols decorating the other tables, but a few stick out as strange. Many had to be kitschy tourist fodder, he's sure, but after everything else that had been going down it feels wise to leave a guard up around any witch he's unfamiliar with. "Look I've been to many a sorority house in my time, Bon-Bon," he tells her, "There's no way all of you are friends." He doesn't really want to rain on her parade, so he'll quit while he's ahead. Maybe this could actually be a fun safe time. For once. Damon sets the last box on the table, cracking it open to pull out one of the little voodoo dolls she'd made. He holds it by the arms and waves the little hands around, dancing its feet on the edge of the cardboard. It's cute. Almost as much as is it creepy. "Maybe you're the one I need protection from," he gives Bonnie a look, quirking one brow, "What're these for anyway? You building a little tortured army? I'm not doing your bidding well enough?" In Bonnie's defense, he does tend to putz. "I'm hurt."

events  that  centered  around  witches  were  a  rare  delight,  a  fleeting  chance  in  a  vampire-dominated  world.  though,  if  you  asked  some,  every  era  was  a  vampire  era.  the  lighting  of  the  solstice,  the  culling  of  summer—bonnie  had  been  vibrating  with  excitement  for  weeks  leading  up  to  it.  she  had  hoped  enzo  would  be  here  to  celebrate  with  her  and  soleil,  but  the  unexpected  arrival  of  damon  salvatore  had  been  a  welcome  addition  to  a  house  that  felt  quieter  than  ever  in  the  absence  of  family.

she  could  guess  the  reason  for  his  extended  stay,  and  while  she  told  him  that  talking  to  elena  was  always  the  best  course  for  them,  she  knew  damon  ultimately  did  things  in  his  own  time.  no  matter  how  foolish  his  timing  seemed.  her  contacts  were  searching  for  more  information  about  the  dagger,  and  she  hoped  soon  they  would  have  the  tools  needed  to  save  elena's  soul.  until  then,  she  was  happy  to  use  damon  to  his  fullest  potential.

which  now  included  making  him  carry  boxes  to  her  table  at  the  bonfire.  who  said  damon  couldn't  follow  instructions?

"pretty  sure  that  isn’t  what  they  mean,"  she  chuckled,  taking  one  of  the  boxes  of  trinkets  from  him  as  she  started  to  set  up.  she  slapped  his  arm  with  a  laugh  as  he  waved  his  sparkler  around  like  a  wand.  "damon,  i  swear,  if  you  set  me  on  fire,  i  will  set  you  on  fire.  i'd  hate  to  have  to  kill  you,"  she  warned  with  a  smirk.  but  who  was  she  kidding?  like  it  or  not,  they  were  stuck  with  each  other—through  thick  and  thin.

"with  the  amount  of  magic  from  the  covens  and  witches  in  the  air,  any  plans  of  chaos  will  probably  be  cut  short,"  she  offered  confidently.  it  was  the  first  time  she  had  felt  excited  about  anything  in  a  while.  her  mossy  green  eyes  met  his  blue  ones,  narrowing  slightly.  "it’s  the  culling  of  the  season,  damon.  i  don’t  think  anyone  would  be  foolish  enough  to  attack  witches  during  a  peak  time  in  their  powers."  she  placed  a  hand  on  his  shoulder.  "don't  worry,  scaredy-cat.  i'll  protect  you,"  she  teased.

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closed starter: @ofniightshade

Bonnie's house was starting to feel more like home than his own did anymore. He doesn't remember who initiated the first sleepover, but she hasn't asked him to leave yet and he really doesn't have any plan to. Maybe he'd found comfort in the smell of the herbs and oils that peppered every room, creating a space where he finally had room to breathe. Or maybe it was how easily they fell into a routine, reminiscent of how things had been in a previous life. Mutual loneliness had a habit of stringing them back toward one another, and Damon was starting to believe the safe house he'd sought was just Bonnie herself. Funny how that happens. With Enzo still missing and Elena a shell of who she used to be, he'd prefer to stay holed up in their little hideaway. At least in here they could avoid dealing with any of it directly. Pretending the rest of the world had disappeared had been the right medicine, he thinks, cabin fever be damned. The witch appears to have a slightly different idea. It's at Bonnie's insistence he's even attending the bonfire to begin with. Damon had sulked the whole time she was getting ready, coming up with every excuse in the book as to why they couldn't go, but it only took one stern look from her to get him off his ass. He tells her he's only being agreeable because she asked nicely, but that doesn't mean he won't be a brat about it. "This is what the kids mean by 'spark up', right?" He waves a sparkler like a magic wand, drawing circles near her head with it as they weave their way through the gardens. Damon carries a box of her things dutifully under his other arm, careful not to jostle the trinkets inside too much. He isn't sure if they're for display or for the fire so he'll be careful either way. Against his better judgement, Damon might be warming up to the idea of event. It seems they're both overdue for a renewal of sorts, and if that's what tonight symbolizes then so be it. "Should we start taking bets now on what goes wrong first?" he asks, eyeing the other party goers with a fleeting interest. "Pretty brave idea to be uniting every kind of magic under the sun."

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Damon & Klaus The Vampire Diaries 4x10

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Damon releases the tome without an argument, watching as she cleans up after his mess. At least this part has never changed, he thinks, because every time the world blows up she's there to save the day. There's a greater metaphor in there somewhere but he isn't clever enough to think of what it means. "Can't it be both?" he muses, "Haven't seen you in a couple days. Consider this a welfare check." He makes a show of looking her over, and nods to himself. "Well. You look well and fair. There I checked." That had to count for something. But she's right. They need to get down to business. He waves a hand at her psychic threats, mostly because they both know she's always seen right through him, anyway. "Come on, Bon-Bon," he tuts at the accusation, "It's all sunshine, rainbows, and puppies up here..." Damon knocks on his temple for emphasis before lifting his shirt to produce the dagger. It makes a clatter when it hits the counter, gleaming under the candlelight. "And whatever the hell this thing is that's ruining my marriage." His lips press together in a tight line, and he cocks his head. "Hence the ... love potion request." Maybe it was pathetic, or at least a little weird, given their history, but Damon's at a loss. Part of him hopes Bonnie's seen this stupid hunk of metal a zillion times before and there'd be an easy fix. He won't hold his breath, though.

"the  prozac,  i  get,  but  why  exactly  would  you  need  a  love  potion?"  bonnie  stepped  out  from  behind  the  red  curtains,  appearing  on  the  main  floor  of  her  shop.  one  brow  arched  in  question  as  her  eyes  shifted  from  damon  to  the  ancient  tome  he  now  held.  she  had  acquired  that  piece  on  one  of  her  early  adventures  before  she  and  enzo  started  their  family.  a  smirk  tugged  at  the  corner  of  her  lips  as  she  set  down  a  tray  holding  a  few  bottles  of  herbs  and  a  bouquet  of  flowers  she  planned  on  arranging.  "careful,  the  last  person  who  touched  that  grew  a  third  toe."  her  expression  remained  serious  for  a  heartbeat  before  she  laughed  softly.

placing  her  items  down,  she  quickly  moved  towards  him,  an  expectant  look  in  her  emerald  eyes  as  she  gently  took  the  book  from  his  hand  and  placed  it  back  where  it  belonged.  "besides,  you  really  couldn't  afford  this,  and  you  have  nothing  worth  the  trade,"  she  quipped.  the  familiarity  of  their  banter  reminded  her  of  her  younger  days—or  perhaps  his  younger  days,  though  he  probably  aged  better  than  she  did.  well,  maybe  not,  given  the  stress  of  his  situation.

"not  that  i  don't  love  these  stimulating  visits  of  yours,  but  something  tells  me  this  isn't  just  a  check-in  to  see  how  i'm  doing."  she  leaned  against  the  front  counter,  arms  crossed,  her  expression  turning  business-like.  "so,  out  with  it.  i  really  don't  want  to  have  to  sift  through  your  mind  to  figure  it  out.  who  knows  what  i'd  find  in  there?"

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A mark? That was familiar in only the worst possible way. "You're kidding," he says, and he almost drops the spatula into the fire. He stares at her for a moment, and it's almost like a flashback. She was a lot less annoying than Jeremy, at least, but he doesn't like where he thinks this is going. "Yikes," he says finally, "You're about to be significantly less popular around here."

"Yeah, I'm gonna pass on that ocean-themed lump of protein," Miranda said, scrunching her nose at the grill. The thought of going back to eating meat was rapidly losing its appeal. She chuckled, leaning back next to her uncle and taking a sip from her bottle. "It's like you don't even know me. I might not be on the supernatural rollercoaster, but by human standards? I'm all in."

Her uncle probably didn't want to hear that, but Miranda prided herself on honesty. She scoffed, draining the beer bottle. "Well, guess what? Apparently, I'm a hunter now," she said, glancing at him. "Not exactly what I signed up for, but that gala? The gift that keeps on giving. Pro: the mark is pretty sick-looking. Con: no one can see it… I think? Not really sure how this whole thing works, honestly."

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"Well you're here a day late and a dollar short," Damon says when he sits. He's surprised it's taken that long for her to show up. "I think you've missed the bulk of it," he adds, cocking his head. "Unless we're in the calm before the next storm." That seemed most likely.

𝙸𝙽𝚃 . 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙷 𝚀𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁; 𝙱𝙰𝚁 , 𝙳𝙰𝚈𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 status  ,   open —  @inaducursehqstarters

Rebekah sat at the bar, the familiar hum of New Orleans a comforting backdrop as she sipped her cocktail. The city's intoxicating blend of music, magic, and memories swirled around her, a bittersweet welcome. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment of peace, when someone slid onto the stool next to her.

"No. No world-ending drama until after I finish my martini. Mama needs this drink," she said with a weary but playful tone.

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For a boy genius he could really be an idiot. Damon buries his face in his hands for a second. "I feel like I've sent you to space camp enough times for sex to be a nonissue for you," he grumbles, because he remembers that talk being just as awkward (if not entirely unnecessary) at the time. "Point is your mom might be acting .. funny. I just don't want you taking it personally." If he came right out about the soul thing that may lead to too many questions Damon doesn't have the answers for just yet.

" OH GOD IS THIS ANOTHER attempt at the birds and the bees? " he mumbled eyes growing wide before he began to fervently shook his head. " we already HAD that talk remember? i really do not need to hear another ' when a man and woman love each other very much ' rendition coming from either of you, the first was TRAUMATIZING enough. " he had two younger sibling sand he'd seen his parents be gross enough times to piece what happened on his own. " so if we could reel that thought back in i'd greatly appreciate it. "

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"We were friends," Damon explains, scratching his jaw as he tries to relay anything significant. "Typical high society southern lady. Last Lockwood with any class, I'll tell you that." He looks her over, then, as if he's deciding. "I guess you're alright, too."

"You knew her?" Kaya asked, looking at her friend's dad with curiosity. While she'd heard plenty of stories from her dad over the years regarding his teenage life and run-ins with Klaus, he hadn't spoken much about his mom, her grandmother. Any nugget of information she could glean always interested her. "Typical Lockwood," she chuckled. Must have been where Asher got his (disgusting) flirtatious nature. "Do you remember anything else?" she started, "About her?"

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Damon's satisfied with the rearrangement, giving Grayson a nod to let him know he could take a break. "Who the hell is Love?" he asks, and tries to remember any of the friends he knew Grayson had. Damon can barely remember who his own friends are, so he's still lost. "Her mom know anything about soul trading?"

"Exactly... so little ol' me has to pick up the slack?" he mumbled with a hint of a tease to his father. He moved back into the open air to grab the grill before opening the door with his back and passing through the threshold once more. "Oh good... well at least they are trying.." he admitted before placing the grill down. At the question of if he knew anyone, Gray paused. "I mean... Loves mom is powerful... and has a lot of knowledge about stuff..." he stated.

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Damon makes a mental note to just snag the display box on their way out. He feels too old to recognize this month's toy collection theme so hopefully it's something only mildly appealing to Theo; if he doesn't like it Damon will have to hear him complain, and if he likes it too much he may never shut up again. "At home, last I checked," Damon reassures him, but he's still being a little coy. "I just wasn't sure if you'd gotten a chance to ... see how she's doing." Doesn't sound like she's hurt his feelings yet, so maybe it was good Damon got to give him a warning. "Do you know what menopause is?"

“ WASN’T THIS DEATH THREE hundred and twelve? i think you may just be ‘funeraled out ‘ i however have NEVER had a parade in my honor, despite being deserving, i’ll let you mull on it a little longer. “ he stated with a wiggle of his brows, now the only reason humor was something he used, was simply because he was standing in front of him now. when his mother had called to break the news, he’s been devastated and he’d jumped on the first plane back without much care for anything else. “i was thinking traditional, but this will do.. if you get me all the kid’s meal toys. “ he finished with a pout before his smile dropped. “ i do NOT like the way you asked that. “ and then be realized… oh “ where’s mom? “

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His brow raises at the size of the scar, and it only serves to pique his curiosity. It seems like a touchy subject, but he presses on for details anyway. "I think that depends on the story," he counters, cocking his head, "Bar fight? Accidental stake?"

She rolled her eyes at the very outdated quote but kept walking, knowing if she added to it it would just be fuel to a fire she did not want to deal with extinguishing. At his question, she stiffened a bit before sighing. "I was stabbed," she said as she turned around and pulled down her shirt to show a stab scar right about where her heart was. "Got lucky I guess," she shrugged before turning around

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Damon had been there. He remembers it well. "I liked your grandma," he says simply, and he thinks of the time he shot Klaus over it. Maybe Tyler did have valid reasons to be picking the same fight. "Nice lady. Huge .. flirt." Then again, Damon's complicated relationship with his own mother left little room for him to extend any sympathy.

Kaya grimaced, feeling slightly awkward at her own slip of the tongue. Usually she aimed to please when it came to parents, especially her friend's parents. But sometimes, she just couldn't help herself. And if he was going to lump her father and Klaus into one pile, she'd push him right in with them. She had actually heard the stories after all. "Oh, old drama. Of course. Nothing exciting has happened to either of them in 25 years." Kaya smiled, letting out a small exhale akin to laughter.

"My dad is very good at holding grudges. Especially against people who like, screwed up his life and killed his mom. Sorry, too personal. I mean, you were there. So." Kaya pressed her lips together. Keeping her mouth shut was an impossible challenge some days. Especially when none of her friends were anywhere to be found. She just had to talk someone's ear off, why not Mr. Salvatore's? At his last comment, she raised her hands up in defense. "No history of stabbing, here. And I don't plan on starting now, especially if the punishment is food poisoning."

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"Jack of all medical trades, huh?" Damon asks, amused. That had to be useful. Damon flips the burger over, and he's pleased to see he might actually have this part down now. First one that didn't even burn. "Please do, if you see her." He extends his free hand, then, offering a proper introduction. "Damon. Dr. Gilbert's stay at home husband."

"I wouldn't want to be a burden." Nova joked. Nova noticed but she decided it was probably safe at eat. "Nurse maybe a pharmacist or medical statician if I play my cards right." She probably could with her father's money. "Yeah I do know Dr. Gilbert." Nova remarked with a small grin. "It has been a while since I saw her on my shift." Nova didn't meet Elena at night yet. "Must have a new schedule." Nova remarked. "Should I say hi to her for you?"

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"If I didn't get a funeral, you aren't getting a parade. Give me one second." He dashes inside to raid the cashbox, but it seems looters had beaten him to the punch. He reappears with a very crumpled twenty dollar bill and a pressed souvenir penny. "McDonald's work?" It would have to. Once they're seated inside, he figures now is as good a time as any to address one of the several elephants in the room. "So you, uh ... been back at the house yet?" It's as direct as he wants to be.

" AND WHEN MOM ASKS WHY i chose a school so far away, i'll cite this moment. " he deadpanned with a tilt of his head, a smile on his features as he studied his father for a moment ⸺ he looked about the same, a few and by a few he meant A LOT less wrinkles but that could just be a result of whatever ' go go supernatural ' juice everyone seemed to be drinking in this city. " don't tell me you still have those TRICK mirrors i put up when i was seven... " he teased, with a gentle shrug of his elbow against the man's arm. truth be told, he was lying after all if thee was one very important thing he did inherit from his father, it was the ' devastating looks and charm ' thing that he'd been told he'd sway the ladies with... it hadn't happened YET but hey he sure had a lot of robots and computers that liked him, and that was far more interesting anyway. " i'd settle for a stale mint, if it meant dumping whatever this is. " he motioned towards the grill, before he gestured towards their surroundings, not wanting to ask the obvious question even if it was at the tip of his tongue. " and you're the ONE who's lived here, shouldn't you know... i don't know surprise me? to make up for the lack of parade in my honor of course. "

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Damon's brows fly up in surprise, but he's more amused than anything else. "Touche," he says, mildly impressed. Maybe he'd been wrong about her. "Hometown rivals in a new city is a little tacky," he adds, "Is this a new grudge or are they dragging up old drama?" He doesn't know why he cares. Must be the old man gossip in him. Besides, someone else's pity party would be more entertaining to relay to Elena than dredging in their own issues. Damon shoots her a look, then, waving a finger. "I'm holding you to that. One wrong move and we're back to my cooking."

She hit him with a blink and you'd miss it glare that softened quickly. "They're both dicks. And so are you, from what I've heard," she snapped. "I mean—sorry." She mentally chastised herself for the slipup. "I'm not Tyler and she's not Klaus. I just wish they would leave us out of it so we could get over this stupid fight already." Truthfully, it was her father who couldn't seem to drop the rage he felt for the other. Could she really blame Hope for fighting back? If Klaus cornered Kaya with vitriol about her dad, she'd certainly fire back in a similar vein. "I think it'll be okay, and I personally promise not to stab anyone."

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Damon gives him a look. "Have you met your brother? Just the idea of physical activity tuckers him out. Grill next." He gives the freezer an additional push inside to make room. "Both are still on the case, last I checked." If he hadn't made such a habit of pissing off all the other witches in a ten mile radius, maybe they'd get this figured out faster. "You know of anyone else that might have an idea?"

Gray raised a brow and nodded his head. "Sure.." he admitted before glancing to the freezer and back to his father. "I'm sure you only had another son to boss about... Theo wouldnt have to do this.." he muttered more to himself as he moved to grip the freezer. Luckily for Gray he did work out and was able to move the freezer into the building. He listened to his dad and nodded a little. He hoped Damon was right. "What about Aunt Bonnie... or Hope?" he questioned.