deercountry | ( january catch all )

Are you trying to freeze your brooding lines in place?

[ it's a good thing that katherine has something for him. she steps behind him and wraps a blanket around his shoulders before standing beside him. another year in the trench and another year together. katherine may be a sentimental creature, but she's not necessarily one who makes a big show of it.

she leans against his arm and crosses her arms against her chest. ]

My flowers are going to be all dead when the snow's gone. [ she pouts. ]

Just means you have to replant them.

( he smiles at her when she brings the blanket over to him, pulling it around his shoulders and then holding it open to bring her inside the cocoon of warmth. )

Or maybe you'll get lucky and they'll survive.

[ while katherine may step into his quiet invitation, she does so while looking at him unimpressed. her flowers are dead. she is the doppelgänger and the doppelgänger brings death wherever she goes, and her flowers are dead because the snow followed her here.

it's all utterly dramatic, but she likes it. ]

If I have to replant them, you're going to help me. You can hold my spade and massage my hands when they cramp.

[ she much likes that, actually. ]

Oh, is that what's going to happen?

( stefan wouldn't necessarily mind helping her but he's not going to just agree that easily. )

And what if I have other things to do?

You cancel your plans.

[ duh!

she peers up at him with a playfully furrowed brow. ]

What other things could you possibly be doing that would be more important than helping me?

Good question.

( he taps his chin, looking thoughtful before laughing. )

You look so offended, Katherine.

[ she smacks him. ] Don't laugh at me!

[ but rather than step away from him, she comes back to his side and rests her head against his bicep.

she pouts and sulks. ] It's not nice to laugh at me.

You laugh at me all the time.

( what's good for the goose, katherine. )

You can dish it out but you can't take it? I see how it is.

[ katherine should say that's not entirely true, but she knows and he knows that she likes to laugh at him from time to time. it's not a cruel laugh. it's her being amused greatly by him being him.

she looks at him unimpressed. ] I can take it. [ excuse u ] But sometimes I don't want to. It's a brand new year. I might be turning over a new leaf.

Is that right?

( he's pressing x to doubt. )

Is that going to be your resolution?

[ she scrunches up her nose as she gives it some serious (although mocking) thought. ]

Nah.

[ leaning into his side, she smiles up at him. ]

Your year would be entirely too boring if I did.

Would it? Or would it be entertaining because I'd be watching you try and make the resolution work.

( so, he thinks it might be fun. )

Maybe make a resolution not to buy so many shoes. You don't need them.

[ she smacks his arm. ] I need new year shoes, Stefan. Don't mock.

[ this is a serious thing, too! and there's no way in hell she's making that resolution when she knows she'll break it tomorrow. ]

Oh, I'm going to mock. You have shoes from last year. You don't need a bunch of new shoes.

( god, they're going to run out of space. )

You don't have enough days to wear the shoes you have.

There are only three hundred and sixty-five days in the year, Stefan.

[ gosh!!!! she rolls her eyes for good measure. how can he not see how it all works out? ]

I have morning shoes, lunch shoes, early afternoon shoes, and night shoes. I don't have enough for the entirety of next year.

Yes, you do!

( he's actually lost count of how many shoes she has but he knows it is just too many. )

I dare you not to buy shoes for the month of January. Dry January.

[ she pulls a disgruntled face at that, almost like she's sucked on a whole lemon and then some. ]

'Dry January', Stefan? Really?

[ despite her being very judgemental of his naming choice: this is cruelty! ]

Don't think you can do it?

( that's what it sounds like to him. )

I could give something up if you do.

[ katherine's grateful she doesn't have to go on the defence because while she fully believes she could do it if the stakes were high, she doesn't particularly want to.

but the stakes will be potentially high. ]

You're definitely giving something up. [ she pinches his side gently. ] The question is what?

( stefan shrugs. there's a few things that he can think of that she could choose but he's not going to give her any suggestions. )

Pick something. I'm sure you can figure out something that you might want me to give up.

Edited 2023-01-15 02:38 (UTC)

[ brooding is way too easy, isn't it? that's part of stefan's entire routine, and katherine isn't cruel enough to deny him what's become a staple of his.

she hums. ] Hm. [ she pinches the fabric of his shirt before she widens her smile slowly. ] I can think of something.

[ it's definitely not going to fly, but this is what you get when you give her free reign. ]

I'm not giving up clothes.

( nice try but no. )

Something logical. I have to wear clothes.

[ katherine scrunches up her face as she peers up at him in uncertainty. ] Do you?

[ she doesn't think so at all. she gently tugs on his shirt again. ]

I know you don't think it's necessary but —

( he shakes his head at her. )

It's cold and I'm not going out into town without a shirt. I'd rather not freeze or even give off the illusion of freezing.

[ it's a good thing he comes to her with all of his problems. there's a simple solution for that—and it's so fortunate she can see it.

she shrugs innocently. ] You don't need to go into town. [ katherine smiles smugly at that. ] Problem solved.

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