boneless.

send one to have our muses meet for the first time.

“Sorry, were you just talking to me?”

“I think you dropped this.”

“You look lost. Need some help?”

“I don’t usually talk to strangers, but…”

“You’re sitting in my spot.”

“Whoa! Careful!”

“We’ve never met, right? You seem familiar.”

“Is that seat taken?”

“Sorry, I think I just spilled something on you.”

“You’re blocking the doorway.”

“Were you just staring at me?”

“Excuse me, do you know the time?”

“Wait — are you the person I’m supposed to meet?”

“I’ve been sent to find you.”

“Please don’t be alarmed, but I think we have the same bag.”

“Do you work here?”

“I’m fairly certain that’s mine.”

“You’ve got something on your face.”

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Do you know the way to ___?”

“You’re hurt. Do you need help?”

“That’s a fine ___ (cloak/hat/book/etc.). Where did you get it?”

“This might sound strange, but can I hide behind you for a moment?”

“You look like you could use a friend.”

“I think your dog just stole my lunch.”

“Hey, you dropped your coin purse.”

“I think we’re stuck in here together.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear, but…”

“Are you the new neighbor?”

“First time in town?”

“I’m not sure if this belongs to you, but…”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’ve been hearing a lot about you.”

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“I think you’re in the wrong place.”

“You seem… out of place.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you following me?”

“That was a close call.”

“Not to alarm you, but someone’s watching you.”

“Mind if I walk with you?”

“You look like you’re in trouble.”

“Was that your doing back there?”

“You don’t look like you’re from around here.”

“That was impressive. How’d you manage it?”

“I’m guessing you’re not here by accident.”

“Do I want to know what just happened?”

“You might want to keep your voice down.”

“Is it always this strange around here?”

“I have a feeling we’re about to become acquainted whether we like it or not.”

@wrathofivar sent “I’ve had a long week, alright?” (Katherine)

"Oh, boo hoo." Sarcasm drips from every word she speaks. Why the hell should she care how hard of a week it's been for him? They all have hard weeks, he's not special. At all.

A low breath escaped through his nose. He leaned back slightly, studying her as she spoke, letting the sarcasm wash over him without much effect. Katherine’s attitude had never been difficult to predict. In some ways, that was refreshing. When she finished, the corner of his mouth twitched upward into a smirk. “I did not ask you to care.” There was no bite in the words. “You asked what was wrong. I answered.”

❛  i can't be the person you want me to be.  ❜ ❛  i can't be the only one fighting for this.  ❜ ❛  i can't be the reason you hate yourself.  ❜ ❛  i can't do this anymore, but i don't know how to stop.  ❜ ❛  i can't do this if you don't trust me.  ❜ ❛  i can't hate you, and that's the worst part.  ❜ ❛  i can't keep loving a ghost.  ❜ ❛  i can't keep waiting for you to choose me.  ❜ ❛  i can't look at you the same way anymore.  ❜ ❛  i can't lose you, too.  ❜ ❛  i can't make you love me.  ❜ ❛  i can't sleep without thinking about what happened.  ❜ ❛  i can't stop thinking about the way you left.  ❜ ❛  i can't tell you the truth without losing you.  ❜ ❛  i can't tell you to stay when i know you want to leave.  ❜ ❛  can't you hear yourself?  ❜ ❛  can't you just do me this one favor?  ❜ ❛  can't you lie to me, just this once?  ❜ ❛  can't you please just listen?  ❜ ❛  can't you see that i'm trying?  ❜ ❛  can't you stay, just for tonight?  ❜ ❛  can't you stop pushing me away for five seconds?  ❜ ❛  can't you tell i'm scared?  ❜ ❛  can't you understand that i needed you?  ❜ ❛  can't we go back to before everything changed?  ❜ ❛  can't we just be friends?  ❜ ❛  can't we just have one normal night?  ❜ ❛  can't we pretend, just for a little while longer?  ❜ ❛  can't we try again?  ❜ ❛  you can't ask me to stay after everything you did.  ❜ ❛  you can't decide how you want me now.  ❜ ❛  you can't erase what happened.  ❜ ❛  you can't fix this with an apology.  ❜ ❛  you can't just show up here without calling first.  ❜ ❛  you can't keep punishing me for surviving.  ❜ ❛  you can't leave like that and expect me to still be here when you come back.  ❜ ❛  you can't love someone only when it's easy.  ❜ ❛  you can't promise forever when you can't even promise tomorrow.  ❜ ❛  you can't save me from this.  ❜ ❛  you can't say you love me and then disappear.  ❜

The corner of his mouth twitched, though whether it was amusement or skepticism was difficult to tell. For a moment, he simply studied her. Katherine Pierce had spent centuries slipping through the hands of kings, monsters, and men convinced they were clever enough to catch her. It was not difficult to see why.

“Very little worth repeating,” he said at last. His gaze drifted briefly toward the room around them before settling back on her. His head inclined ever so slightly with interest. “That you survived when you should not have. That powerful men became obsessed with finding you. That entire cities seemed to stir whenever you decided to stay in one place for too long.” Not to mention her ability to outrun those powerful men when it mattered the most.

⠀⠀⠀⠀her shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "as for surviving when i should not have..." she tilted her head slightly. "that was never a choice presented to me. but one adapts. life becomes considerably more enjoyable when one learns to make the best of circumstances one did not ask for." the remark was delivered lightly, as though centuries of running, hiding, and narrowly escaping death were little more than an inconvenience.

⠀⠀⠀⠀then he introdruced himself and his name settled between them. one eyebrow arched and she gave room for a brief pause.  "should that mean something to me?" the question was entirely genuine because the way he said it, the way he felt like it's necessary to make an addition to the mere name felt like he should be known.

A Welcome Surprise

"And here I thought you'd skipped town."

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched her reaction. For a moment, he said nothing, content to let her accusation hang in the air. He shifted his weight against the doorframe, appearing entirely at ease despite having arrived unannounced. “You seem disappointed.”

For the past several months, he had spent more time on the road than in Mystic Falls, chasing rumors, old stories, and faint traces of traditions that should have died centuries ago. Every lead ended the same way, another dead end, but he continued searching for some sign that the old ways still survived somewhere beyond memory and myth.

In the end, the journey had yielded little more than dead ends and long roads. “I left for a few days. The town survived despite the hardship.” His gaze swept over her briefly before settling back on her face, studying her expression with quiet amusement. “What gives is that I returned. You are still here. The world continues turning.”

dialogue prompts from the first season of prime's off-campus.

you are intolerable.

do not give me the silent treatment.

nobody is expecting you to be _____.

take a shower. you smell like shit.

it'll come back to you. like riding a bike.

did anyone ever tell you that eavesdropping is rude?

has anyone ever told you your references are dated?

i'll pick out your outfit, you just do your makeup.

i plead the fifth.

i am always telling you to wear your jacket. you never do.

how do you suddenly know my name?

you can't just kiss me out of the blue.

you blush whenever i come near you.

get over yourself. i don't blush.

my single ass needs another drink.

this is the part where i tell you all the things i want to do to you when we're alone.

you're just giving me the bed because you feel bad for me.

i wouldn't know who i am without it.

you centered me.

you're overthinking. get out of your head.

you can put me down now. we all know how much you can bench.

i don't need your pity. i don't need you to be my therapist.

what if i'm broken?

if you're going to chase an impossible dream, chase one that actually matters.

this party's kind of dead, right?

are you driving, or shall i?

i think people can change, if they want to.

if i go, will you come with me?

you can't let the bad memories erase the good ones.

do you never have a shirt on?

people who care about you will understand. if they don't, they're not your people.

you said this wasn't a date. it feels like a date.

god, it's so hot when someone knows what they want.

this is a party. parties are supposed to be fun.

stop fucking with my head.

i'm a girl. i have to think about what everybody else is feeling before i can figure out what i'm feeling.

don't think. tell me what you want.

you scare the shit out of them, you know.

look how hard they're trying to please you.

you really can't be alone, can you?

can we hit dairy queen on the way home?

i can't take on anyone else's stress today. i'm emotionally raw. i'm a shell of a woman.

i don't know what your problem is, but i suggest you do whatever it takes to work it out.

we have to cling to the people who see us and smile.

just let me know you're okay.

we're on the same team. don't you get that?

don't you want to know what being single and slutty has to offer you?

let's start with the small stuff and work our way up, okay?

you didn't do anything wrong.

it has recently come to my attention that i'm a serial monogamist.

i'm actually so proud, i could cry.

what kind of _____ do you want to be?

have fun. do stuff just 'cause you want to.

i told you to stop opening my mail.

who says print media is dead?

i don't want you to look at me differently, or treat me differently.

i always knew. i just thought you'd tell me when you were ready.

you're not just one thing. you're everything.

the words will come when they come.

you reminded me of who i used to be.

you could be anywhere, doing anything, but you're not. you're here.

hey, look at me. i got you. i got you, okay?

i don't want to be that guy.

you're not as dumb as you look.

stop being chicken shit and tell _____ how you feel.

i know i said i was dropping out, but can i maybe drop back in?

i couldn't miss your big moment, could i?

“I know who you are.” His eyes narrowed slightly, a smirk teasing the corner of his lips. “The world has been speaking your name for centuries.”

⠀⠀⠀⠀katherine's brow lifted ever so slightly. if anything, the confidence with which he delivered the statement made it more entertaining. "have they?" she asked lightly. a faint smile touched her lips as she folded her arms.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"that is rather impressive considering how few people actually know anything about me." her gaze swept over him briefly, measured and unhurried. the only ones who truly knew anything regarding her and still lived where the mikaelsons, people searching for a way to break the sun-and-moon curse, or people who lived in mystic falls. she wondered to what group he belonged.

The corner of his mouth twitched, though whether it was amusement or skepticism was difficult to tell. For a moment, he simply studied her. Katherine Pierce had spent centuries slipping through the hands of kings, monsters, and men convinced they were clever enough to catch her. It was not difficult to see why.

“Very little worth repeating,” he said at last. His gaze drifted briefly toward the room around them before settling back on her. His head inclined ever so slightly with interest. “That you survived when you should not have. That powerful men became obsessed with finding you. That entire cities seemed to stir whenever you decided to stay in one place for too long.” Not to mention her ability to outrun those powerful men when it mattered the most.