#deceptivemorals

“Darn. I should’ve just gone to reckless Mikaelson instead, I know he usually answers to violence. What if I told you, we share a similar goal? Katherine.”

@deceptivemorals: [  fever  ]  sender  presses  the  back  of  their  hand  to  receiver’s  forehead,  brows  knitting  with  quiet  concern (you can pick the time)

She knew it was silly. That if the chamomile tea didn't work until now then her best chances of driving the illness away without seeking læknir's help would be to rest.

But Tatia had never been able to sit idly by when ill. So despite the droplets of sweat gathering on her forehead, she continued working the loom until she heard someone come in.

She offered him her greetings with a smile before getting up from her seat... unprepared for the sudden dizziness that accompanied the movement.

❛ Are you alright? ❜

Upon hearing his question, Tatia's brow furrowed and a scoff escaped her lips. A clear tell that whatever was to come out of her lips had little to do with the truth. ❝Of course I’m alright,❞ she said, her eyes purposefully avoiding his as she moved to the pile of textiles she prepared for his family. ❝I must have sat by the loom for too long, that is all.❞

His hand on her forehead came as a surprise. For a second, she was instinctively tempted to move away; but the precious coolness of his skin against her fevered forehead came as a much needed aid.

Her eyes fell closed and a relieved sigh made it past her lips before her brow furrowed more and lips pursed into a thin line, knowing that her lie had been exposed. She kept her eyes closed for a moment more, thinking that perhaps if she kept them closed, she could avoid explaining herself.

❝I will get some rest,❞ she finally said, when the silence began to bother her. She opened one of her eyes bashfully, filled with embarrassment at being caught. ❝I promise.❞

@deceptivemorals Asked:

❛  is there something you forgot to tell me?  ❜ (-> mason, perhaps about the moonstone / katherine's whereabouts)

Mason’s heart pounded against his ribs like a trapped animal. The ancient vampire’s gaze held him in place, making him feel like a specimen pinned to a board. His wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin, desperate to break free from this confrontation. ❝ I don’t think so, ❞ Mason managed, though his voice sounded strangled even to his own ears. ❝ What are you implying ? ❞ Mason had to resist the urge to back away. He needed to think fast, to find some angle that might keep him alive. Elijah Mikaelson wasn’t known for his patience with those who crossed him.

❝ I’m not exactly sure what it is you’re looking for me to tell you. ❞ He half lied, his mind racing through all the things Elijah might have discovered. The Moonstone ? Katherine ? All the secrets Tyler had entrusted him with ? Hiss blood ran cold. He’d been so careful with everything he’s done since returning to Mystic Falls.

Mason’s head lifted when he caught Elijah’s steady gaze. The vampire’s expression gave nothing away, but Mason felt the weight of centuries behind those dark eyes. He straightened his posture, trying to project confidence he didn’t feel.

@deceptivemorals Asked:

• Make yourself at home, okay? This is your place too now. (-> hayley, to s1 perhaps?)

She was not sure what to do with herself. She felt like she’d just wandered onto a theater stage, with everyone whispering in the wings. Judgy Victorian ghosts. Even the walls gave off a musty, velvet-rope vibe, crimson and gold stifling each breath she took. Her duffel -- military green, with duct tape X’d over the zipper -- looked wrong beside the mahogany settee. She looked wrong. She felt Elijah’s polite gaze skate over her again. 

Hayley slung her bag over her shoulder, peeled her palm off the ornate banister, and attempted a smile. ❝ If you say so. ❞ Her teeth skated over her bottom lips for a brief moment. ❝ Not really sure how comfortable someone can make themselves when they are being held prisoner. ❞ She grabbed the strap of her duffel and tugged it higher on her shoulder, the canvas strap biting into the ridge of her collarbone. She didn’t flinch. She’d had worse.

She let the duffel drop to the hardwood with a thud that made something in the floor joist creak. A little satisfaction curled through her chest. ❝ The locked doors. The guards outside. The brother who can’t look at me without practically drooling at the thought of cutting this kid out of me. ❞ Her lips purse with a small nod of her head. ❝ Right, I’ll get right on the whole comfortable part. ❞

@deceptivemorals: ❝ i want to deserve you. i’m trying to deserve you. ❞

Tatia worked hard to maintain composure every time she faced him. To school her expressions into a carefully crafted mask of neutrality. And even though her true emotions often made their way through the cracks, never before (in current day and age) had her mask slipped completely.

But now? Hearing those words from his lips?

The mask didn’t just slip. It shattered.

Eyes widened in a way they hadn’t before, lips parted to release a short breath of utter disbelief. ❝W-What…?❞ The word came out quiet, voice wavering in a way it wasn’t allowed to in centuries. Two simple sentences; but they were enough to break something deep within her with a force she was unable to overcome.

He wanted to deserve her. He wanted to deserve her. He wanted to deserve her.

As though she was still someone worth deserving.

Tatia could feel her heartbeat lowering in a way that almost caused physical pain. Parted lips shivered under the weight of his confession. His words placed her on a pedestal, one she had no right to be on. Not with the blood that stained her hands, the suffering bred from her actions, the troves of corpses left behind in her wake.

After a moment, something in her expression shifted. Disbelief was still evident, but another emotion joined it, causing her brows to furrow and her lips to form into a grimace. It was as though he just slapped her across the face with his suggestion that there was still something in her that was worth this sentiment.

❝Why would you say that? How can you say that?❞ she pulled back half a step, though her eyes never shifted from his. ❝You don't even know who I am now. Who I've become—❞ what I've become. ❝I—❞ the words died somewhere in her throat. ❝I am not—❞ So many thoughts raged inside her head, raged against the notion. So many that Tatia seemed to be unable to put them into words anymore.

But even amidst the chaos her mind produced, a faint echo tried to make its presence known. Pushed away, quieted, buried... but now more incessant than ever.

❛ ... nor do i believe darkness makes someone unworthy of love. ❜

@deceptivemorals: ❝ Who are you? What do you want from me? ❞ WHAT WILL BE LEFT // Amnestic AU

Until she heard his questions, she scarcely dared believe the news that'd reached her not long ago. An Original vampire, wandering seemingly with no recollection of who he was. But now, seeing the confusion in his eyes, she was certain — the rumours were true.

She'd been trailing him for a while, trying to understand his current state. But clearly, she wasn't as stealthy as she'd believed herself to be. Or the senses of an Original were simply much more keen than even the eldest vampires she'd known.

❝I do not come here to harm you, I assure you,❞ she said at last in response, stepping towards him. Though not enough to close the distance.

❝I’m—❞ she had to swallow the words that threatened to slip past her control. The woman who loved you. The woman you loved. The woman you killed. ❝My name is Tatia.❞ she said instead, wondering if the name was enough to stir something inside him.

@deceptivemorals: ❝ feel free to form your own opinion, though it appears you already have. ❞

Tatia's eyes shot back to him, eyes narrowing at his words. Had they come from anyone else's lips, she would have deemed them presumptuous. But of course, given their unique history and proximity in age, he did have every right to speak to her the way he did. Even if she disliked that. ❝You sound displeased,❞ she responded, not even bothering to hide her own discontent.

Her steps carried her closer, eyes shimmering with defiance. ❝If you believe my opinion was formed without all essential details, then please,❞ she said, lips forming into a smile that stopped just short of being condescending. ❝Please enlighten me — what is it that I’m missing here?❞