patheticvillain | sixteen ➢ gym & deck spam

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sixteen ➢ gym & deck spam

[It's an unfamiliar burden that Cassel has realized he's carrying: Kon is here alone now, except for him. Steph's gone. And it's finally sunk in that Kon will not leave until Cassel does. This makes him feel more motivated and also terrified. He doesn't want anybody to be relying on him for anything. It's just not a good idea.]

[So he keeps himself busy. First and foremost working; he picks up an extra shift or two at the gym. When he's not there, he's on the deck, reading and tossing a ball around for Patches. Every once in a while he gets up, restlessly walks to another spot on the deck, with the dog following behind him in some confusion.]

[Occasionally, and reflexively, he will take note of things that look valuable and do his best to slip them into his pocket, unnoticed. He's out of practice, so this is partially an attempt to return to semi-competence; however, if he's not caught, he'll come back and return them within the hour. An exercise in boredom and distraction, more or less.]

for iris }

[Eventually, he spots Iris on deck and makes his way over to her, cocking his head curiously.]

Talk to me about timelines.

[Since it's something she talks to everybody about, it seems like, and she was talking to Zane about it the other day. He doesn't get the point, but there has to be one.]

for elena }

[It occurs to him slowly that it seems like Elena's pissed at him after their last conversation. He's not sure why, given that allegedly she's emotion-free these days, but whatever. Even if it's just an act, he wants to know why. So he tracks her down. Really curious as to what exactly she thought this partnership was supposed to be about.]

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[Elena squints a little like he just sprouted a second head.]

Okay...? Do you usually do door-to-door visits like this, Captain Obvious? Or am I just that special?

I think you think you're better than you are, or that I'm stupider than I am. Don't ever ask me if I trust you again, you just make yourself look like an idiot. I'll give you information that's relevant to you without blinking, but you can't honestly expect me to be loyal to you.

And I'm pretty sure that was the same thing I said to you the last time we spoke. [She claps him on the shoulder hard.] Good talk, Cassel. If I need any more reminders, I'll bug a warden for some post-it notes.

[She moves back inside her room and closes the door. He's free to catch it or just let himself in, it's not locked.]

[He tilts his head, catches the door on instinct, and pushes inside. Not saying anything. He just sits down in the corner with his legs sprawled in front of him and watches her. She's confusing; he has to understand her better or he's in danger.]

[Also: he's intensely curious.]

[Elena ignores him pointedly and keeps her back to him. Or rather, she uses ignoring him as an excuse to keep her back to him while she drinks. It's a little weird having someone who's a) not a vampire and/or b) not someone she actually trusts (or has compelled to be quiet and just sit there) watching her eat.]

[The moment the cap's off the canister again and the smell hits her, she can feel the human facade start to slip. She's going to get better at being able to just drink while she's hungry. A steady supply of blood might not always be possible on this bullshit cruise and she doesn't need to advertise any signs of weakness. Which is all the more reason that even as she drinks, she doesn't turn towards Cassel.]

[When she does turn to him again, she's wiping some of the blood off her lip with a thumb and her face is completely normal.]

You know, now that I've had a little time to think about it, you're right. [She licks the blood off her thumb and sets the half-empty canister of blood down on the table beside her.] There is a misunderstanding about how all this works.

[He is pathologically unbothered by the smell of blood. Used to it - to the taste of it, too, copper on his lips. It just makes him feel comfortable, more secure in the fact that Elena is dangerous in a way that's pleasantly familiar and unpredictable. She reminds him of home.]

[He quirks his eyebrows at her when she turns.]

Enlighten me.

You seem to be under the very mistaken impression that you have even the slightest bit of control over me, Cassel.

[Elena folds her arms and tilts her head.]

What I can't figure out is why. Is it because you're stupid? Or is it because you're scared?

You're wrong.

[It's actually true. He really doesn't think he can make Elena do anything she doesn't want to do.]

I know you could snap my neck quicker than I could blink, and I'm pretty sure you know that if you did there's a line of people who'd do their best to kill you right back. And then we'd both come back having gained absolutely nothing. So no, I don't think I can control you at all. But it won't help you to control me, either.

I also don't really want to control you, at least not right now.

Of course not. I'm like a gun without ammo to you right now.

[She moves to stand in front of him, resting her hands on the arms of his chair and leaning down to be at eye level with him.]

But once I get my compulsion back...

Wrong again. You can do a lot of damage already. Loaded up.

[He smirks, looks up at her levelly.]

And it's nice to know you're angry. Angry people do the best damage.

I'm not going to try to control you because that'd just make things too complicated, you know? I'm just content in the knowledge that someday one or the other of us is going to stab the other one in the back. Until then we can maybe be useful to each other.

Oh, Baby Face, I'm not angry. Irritated sure, but...

[Elena runs a hand down his cheek to his neck. Her eyes follow her fingertips until they rest right over his pulse. She could squeeze, but she doesn't and brings her gaze back up to his eyes.]

If I was angry, my fangs would be in your throat and your head would've disconnected from your shoulders by now.

[He smirks, slow and wicked, and leans into the touch. Not scared of you. Go fuck yourself.]

Okey dokey. Smooth segue away from the main subject there, I note.

Right, I forgot. Subtlety goes over your head pretty quick. I'll go slow for you.

[And she does. There's an invisible period there between each word.]

I'm not interested.

[Elena takes her hand back and returns to the table with her blood.]

You haven't done a damn thing for me since I arrived. [She picks the canister up and empties it.] Never mind that everything I know about this place or about you, I have to find out from everyone else. You're the opposite of useful to me.

[He's actually surprised by this. It doesn't show - in fact, nothing shows. His expression doesn't change at all. He shrugs, straightens up in his chair, then leans forward with his elbows on his knees. All faux-casual. It doesn't matter to him at all.]

[But in the forefront of his mind he is adjusting his label for Elena, moving her from potential ally to enemy. It's unfortunate. But he'll deal with it.]

So why haven't you thrown me out yet?

[When in doubt, dare people to hurt you.]

You haven't done anything for me, but you also haven't done anything to me.

[She sets the canister down and leans against the table, canting her head.]

I'm not interested in being jerked around by you, but that doesn't mean I'm automatically interested in coming after you. It's not worth the grief.

Probably not, no.

[Zane would rip her apart. Which is a comforting thought, and makes him smile.]

[Even so, he doesn't know what to do from here. He waits for her to make her point.]

[Elena waits a moment herself just to see if he's got anything further to say. She eventually just moves away to the wardrobe and opens it up. She pulls off her top and turns as she pulls on a tank top.]

Are you planning on sitting in my room all day? [She steps out of her shoes and pulls off her jeans.] I don't particularly care, but I'm just worried you might get bored since I'm not planning on spending the day in here.

[He glances up at her, watching her only because there's nothing else to watch. She's attractive, obviously. But while he's stupid, he's not nearly that stupid. At least not right now, after this conversation.]

Hm. Nope. It doesn't look like you've got anything interesting in here anyway.

[He stands, kicking the chair back slightly as he does, and goes for the door.]

[Elena doesn't have her normal vampire speed, but Cassel's still going to find himself slammed and pinned against that door.]

Curious minds want to know, before you leave, why are you trying so hard to piss me off, Cassel? Are you suicidal or are you just stupid? Or are you just fishing for an excuse to hate me?

[Well, this is new. His head slams back against the door, and he looks at Elena with interest. Curious minds want to know, huh.]

[He grins.]

I don't hate you and I don't want to. I have plenty of people to hate.

[But he is stupid and he does have that death wish, so he lets his silence speak for itself.]

[Elena's mind is a little boggled by this. People are supposed to have a sense of self-preservation. Her emotions are off, but that still remains the same. Threaten her life and Elena's going to show obvious signs of fear. That's not so much an emotion as it is instinct.]

[But at the same time, Elena knows the exact kind of person she's looking at. The only difference this time is Cassel isn't looking for the salvation Damon always has. He's looking for pure destruction like Damon always claimed to be.]

Funny how I manage to keep running into the same kind of people no matter where I go. [She shakes her head with a smile, lets him go and mutters to herself:] Pathetic.

[He pauses at this, wonders which one of them it is. But he doesn't ask, because in the end it doesn't matter. She's compared him to someone she hates more than anything.]

[Pathetic, at least, is accurate, and he knows it.]

[So he shrugs and opens the door. Forget this.]

[She doesn't try to stop him this time and instead goes back to changing into some shorts. She calls over her shoulder:]

Don't be a stranger.

[Maybe Elena isn't as good as she hopes she is, but he's definitely as stupid as she thinks he is. So, the conversation has been quite enlightening indeed.]

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sixteen ➢ gym & deck spam

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