( CLOSED ) THEY'RE LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH.

[manipulative]

Who: Katherine, Stefan, A Space Robot, and Wanda.
What: October scary stuff.
When: All month.
Where: Around!

Content Warnings: Applicable content warnings go here.

Comments

[manipulative]

I don't need to go to the hospital, Stefan.

[ he's already used up their shared ticket of hospital visits for the year, after all. there's no need to get a headstart next year. ]

I'm fine. [ she shrugs in an attempt to appear just that—fine. ] It's just a temporary thing. Everyone forgets things sometimes.

[prescind]

You remember your daughter's name?

( yes, he's going to ask that and if she hates him, so be it. but, he wants to see how deep this thing goes. )

Or our son?

[manipulative]

[ she regards him strangely, although she looks amused.

she chuckles. ] I don't have a child, Stefan. I'm a vampire. We can't have children.

[prescind]

( oh no. his heart lurches and his stomach tightens. )

Katherine, what about —

( no, he shouldn't say something because if she realizes she's forgotten, it might hurt her even more. )

What about anyone from home?

[manipulative]

[ she almost rolls her eyes, but katherine settles for an amused shake of her head and a smile. honestly, what a question! ]

Who else do I need to remember besides you?

[ even if she did remember the others, why would she? ]

[prescind]

Damon? Elena? Bonnie? Uh, Matt?

( she'd aways liked his blue eyes. )

Ring any bells?

[manipulative]

[ katherine narrows her eyes slightly at him as she looks at him as though he's grown a second head. ]

Are they friends of yours? Doesn't sound like you like Matt all too much.

[ who does? ]

[prescind]

Matt's fine.

( just...nothing special. he shrugs. but that solves that riddle. she doesn't remember much, does she? )

Elijah?

[manipulative]

[ katherine eyes him quizzically for a moment. ]

Another friend of yours?

[prescind]

( not even close. he makes a face because she's forgotten...a lot. he smiles at her though because they don't need to worry, right? )

But you remember me. That's...interesting.

[manipulative]

You have an unforgettable face.

[ katherine reaches up to brush her fingers against his jawline. ]

Very square. Has anyone ever told you that?

[prescind]

You have on more than one occasion.

( he shrugs because fine, he has a square head. )

Seems like it's the thing that most attracts you to me.

[manipulative]

Hm. I highly doubt that.

[ she smiles. even if katherine forgot everything, including her own name, she would remember his ass. ]

You're asking me questions for a reason.

[prescind]

Just curious.

( which is absolutely a lie but — he can't say he's trying to test her for what she's forgotten. )

And you feel okay?

[manipulative]

Mhm.

[ she purses her lips and nods, although katherine isn't quite sure if she would know what 'okay' feels like. he's asking her questions that are making her think that maybe things aren't fine. ]

I don't feel dizzy or under the weather. [ she presses the back of her hand against her forehead and shakes her head. ] Don't think so.

[prescind]

That's...good.

( the memory loss is definitely not good but he's glad that she doesn't feel sick. )

You remember Deerington?

[manipulative]

[ to her credit, katherine does take a moment to consider his question and her answer. she remembers prague and virginia and bulgaria. she's been all over the map to possibly every single place in existence. ]

The place with all the deer?

[ she makes a noise of amusement. ]

How could anyone forget?

[prescind]

( well, she's forgotten other things so — )

I like that, of all things, that's what you remember the most.

( all the deer. )

[manipulative]

There were deer.

[ she looks at him like he's grown a second head. there definitely were deer! she thinks... ]

And the police. [ she clicks her fingers as if that's enough to summon the words she's forgotten back. but when it fails, she crosses her arms against her chest and scoffs. ] It was ridiculous.

[prescind]

I didn't say you were wrong, Katherine. Just —

( he sighs and rubs his face. )

You're not remembering everything you should be.

[manipulative]

I'm remembering things!

[ katherine feels the need to prove that she does remember. she's remembering things! she can remember her name and that she was once in deerington. she can remember that she has a dog and, well... she clearly lives here. she doubts he'd have good taste for interior design. ]

I know that your name is 'Stefan' instead of 'Steven'. That feels very important.

[prescind]

That is very important.

( because the name steven is dumb and it's not his name. )

But some of the things that I've asked you about that you don't remember, you should.

[manipulative]

I could remember them.

[ she will, though. that's what she should've said—she will. katherine realises her blunder and suspects (really, hopes) that stefan won't. ]

No one's memory is ever perfect. You forgot where you put the remote the other day.

[ same thing! ]

[prescind]

Katherine, it's not — it's not the same.

( he shakes his head, wincing a bit. )

Me forgetting where the remote is is not the same as you forgetting people. People that I know are important to you.

[manipulative]

[ she tenses her jaw in annoyance. ] It can be.

[ the one thing katherine doesn't like is feeling as though there's something outside of her control. and this, whatever it is that stefan's proposing, sits squarely outside of that otherwise very comfortable bubble she likes to exist within. ]

It's most likely just temporary.