( 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

[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.

[prescind]

I know.

( he says it quietly, coming closer to her and reaching for her face, thumbs sliding against her cheeks. )

I'm worried but I'm trying not to worry too much because of that.

[manipulative]

People forget things all the time, Stefan.

[ katherine tugs her shoulders back and doesn't pull away from his touch. if she sounds confident, then perhaps she'll feel confident. the way he's behaving worries her. it's almost like he expects the rest of her memories to fall out of her head. ]

It doesn't mean it's permanent.

[prescind]

I know that.

( which is precisely why he's not telling her what she's forgotten. it'll be hard enough for her when she realizes it. )

Would you be worried if our situations were reversed?

[manipulative]

[ she presses her lips together before she looks away. ]

That's an unfair question.

[ and a fair one to ask. if their situations were reversed, she'd be poking and prodding at him until he was blue in the face. ]

I just don't think you need to worry right now. It's most likely temporary.

[prescind]

How exactly is that unfair?

( it's unfair because she doesn't want to answer and tell him that he's right. )

I think it's perfectly valid.

[manipulative]

Because you're asking someone who you believe has lost memories. Next you'll be asking me what my favourite colour is.

[ look, katherine gets that's a very pathetic attempt to change the topic of the conversation, but memories or no memories, she's not going to let him hear "you're right"! ]

You could ask easier questions.

[prescind]

The dog's name isn't an easy question?

( stefan shakes his head. )

What's your favorite color?

[manipulative]

[ without moving her head, katherine tries to glance down at herself. she knows from memory that she had dressed in black jeans and a black top. and if she's wearing that, well... only one can assume. ]

Black?

[prescind]

Why does that sound like a question?

( is she guessing? )

Did you just guess at what your favorite color is?