[ katherine remains facing him as katerina manages to miraculously not stumble and make a loud noise. she knows what comes next. katerina will be brave and stupid all in one. ]
She will in five hundred years.
[ she peers up at him before she lifts her hand to cup his face, wanting him to look down at her. as much as she wants to be there for herself, to be present in ways no one else was, he's right—she doesn't want to see this. and she doesn't want stefan to, either, as katerina takes herself off of the chessboard with a clatter. ]
( he swallows and doesn't resist when she pulls his face down to hers. he doesn't want to see this happen even if he doesn't want her to be alone. hearing it is hard enough.
he swallows a few times, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers. )
[ rose rushes into the room. katherine's memory of this is murky at best. she remembers rose at her feet, tugging at her as she came to. what she sees now is a literal blur as the trench doesn't even try and fill in the blanks for her. ]
Do you wish you had a choice in turning?
[ katherine peers up at him with a strange, serious look. it's not a question she's ever asked him before. she's never wanted to know, always presuming he never wanted to turn at all. ]
[ everyone has a choice. they either transition or they don't. she thinks to tell him that, but she forgoes it. she had chosen to transition to survive. stefan had chosen to transition to not leave damon alone.
and with katerina coming back to life in the other room and the stench of blood as the old woman dies, katherine knows that, despite what she didn't know, she'd always choose to turn. ]
I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I had to bite that old lady to be able to get out of here. No one gave me the Vampire 101. [ she looks at him, then down at his chin. ] I guess no one did for you, either.
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( he shakes his head after a moment and looks over at her. )
No, it's not weird. I just wish she knew somehow that she wasn't alone. That there was someone here for her.
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She will in five hundred years.
[ she peers up at him before she lifts her hand to cup his face, wanting him to look down at her. as much as she wants to be there for herself, to be present in ways no one else was, he's right—she doesn't want to see this. and she doesn't want stefan to, either, as katerina takes herself off of the chessboard with a clatter. ]
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he swallows a few times, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers. )
You're all right.
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Do you wish you had a choice in turning?
[ katherine peers up at him with a strange, serious look. it's not a question she's ever asked him before. she's never wanted to know, always presuming he never wanted to turn at all. ]
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Wouldn't...everyone like a choice?
( he doesn't know the right answer to this question so he tries to be honest. )
I don't regret how it happened. But if I had to turn then, I think I would have liked a choice.
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and with katerina coming back to life in the other room and the stench of blood as the old woman dies, katherine knows that, despite what she didn't know, she'd always choose to turn. ]
I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I had to bite that old lady to be able to get out of here. No one gave me the Vampire 101. [ she looks at him, then down at his chin. ] I guess no one did for you, either.
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( he'd woken up hungry and desperate and so confused. his brother had been there but he'd been the same way. he looks down, shaking his head. )
It's why I've tried to help people when they've turned in Mystic Falls. If they let me.