That's what he made it sound like, unless what he actually meant was that he placed them there in his dreams and experienced real life consequences for meddling.
( can you say witches??? )
No, but then again, I haven't tried asking around. Did you score any new digs? ( and why aren't you sharing? )
[ she's not addressing the fact that she considered it at first. she might not be able to compel her way into a nicer apartment, but she could still move quicker than most — only what good did that do when nobody carried anything? keys, phones, wallets: all of it and more securely tucked away in the digital safe of the implant.
caroline might be a tech-savvy millennial, but she's not that good. ]
not unless you suddenly became a freaky computer whiz since you showed up nobody carries cash
( that's her objection? that they can't rob people because it's impossible? is he confused or seeing her in a new light? he may never know for sure, which one it is. )
Don't you have any nerdy friends?
( hold on........ he does. well. """friend""" is a strong word but damon was amicable towards abel. )
What do you want to be when you grow up? ( if they can't rob people or compel them to hand them the deeds to their homes, then they're going to have to give this whole human life thing their best shot. ew. )
[ there is a whole five second period in which caroline is sorely tempted to reply with i want to be five ten like cindy crawford, but she knows damon's too old to get the clueless reference. truly a tragedy. ]
i wanted to go to college.
[ at least, if they ever went home. there's no actual university life in the future — it's all online. so no dorms, no sororities, no fun parties. just online classwork and writing essays. the worst parts and nothing enjoyable to balance it out. ]
So then go to college. ( you want something, you do it. )
With robbing people blind off the table? I don't know. Will bartending make me as pathetic as Donovan? ( busboy, waiter, bartender. ( does anyone else work at the grill? ) kid will be manager in no time. though it leaves distaste in his mouth, people like to talk to the person holding the leverage of a bottle. he doesn't want to put the next part in writing so he basically ignores caroline until he can track her down — her bed, kitchen, the showers. that's her problem. )
Still trying to get my hands dirty enough to play with the big kids. ( because of course damon wants to do things like gamble and drink and maybe, given the right encouragement, put on a show like sage had. )
[ of course he tracks her down — and of course he waits until she's distracted, her hair thick with soap in the shower, eyes closed into the spray. when else would he bother her? certainly not when she's surrounded by people or out in public or dressed. that just wouldn't be the damon salvatore way.
(he sneaks up on her, and she only manages to avoid shrieking by clasping a hand over her mouth. only just.) ]
Damon! [ hissed, an arm reaching out to tug the shower curtain over her body (as if it's not something he's seen before) ] Seriously?
[ she's ignoring the thrill of it in order to be annoyed at him ]
If I tell you the bar we're going to, will you let me finish my shower in peace?
( come on, it’s not like he times it down to the second — although he doesn’t turn tail and leave when he realizes where caroline must be. a decent person would. he gloms onto all the offense, taking up the posture of someone that’s either a) missing the point or b) been insulted. he spreads his arms open wide, palms on display, face twisted in disbelief as if to ask: what’s your point?
( and if a part of him is even remotely intrigued by a memory they aren’t discussing, damon kicks it down to bury it that much deeper. )
with the curtain clutched around her, he rolls his eyes and makes a show of doing a 180° spin. fine, caroline, okay. have a little privacy. nevermind that if he came here to gawk, he would. )
Doubtful. Can I decide after I hear all the juicy parts?
[ he doesn't? caroline would have been willing to put good money down on the fact that damon had done exactly that — timing things to the most awkward moment possible just to ensure she couldn't bolt away is exactly the sort of manipulation she'd expect of him. really, she shouldn't even be surprised. ]
There's nothing — [ okay, there is, but she's loathe to admit it while she's naked in the shower washing soap out of her hair. she's loathe to admit anything right now. ] Okay, fine. Just stay there.
[ she was planning on enjoying a little bit of solitude in here, but since that's not happening, caroline settles for taking a few minutes for herself. just long enough to condition her hair, staring at his back all the while through the curtain to make sure he doesn't turn around (or, at least, that he doesn't catch her off-guard again when he does).
while the conditioner soaks in, caroline leans forward, head peeking out over the clutched curtain. ]
Laura's taking me. I outdrank a guy on the train to New Tokyo, she wants to see if we can make some money doing it again.
( he's done it in the past and he'll do it again in the future but he's not doing it now. the safehouse isn't like the boarding house with a revolving door and surprise roommates. if the shower roared to life there, damon probably would time a rendezvous. he prefers to be much more troublesome than that by interrupting his own shower to greet someone sans clothes because they didn't bother knocking.
damon remains facing the doorway even if he doesn't entirely understand why. okay, modesty. that's a thing. people that aren't him have it. he doesn't comprehend why caroline does. her eternal life hasn't truly dug its claws into her yet; she hasn't seen and done it all. that's a probability. when she calls out to him in reply, he turns his head some, giving caroline the outline of his profile. his gaze is still somewhere in the distance, watching a far wall instead. )
Who the heck is Laura? ( caroline has friends, what a concept. )
You're drinking people under the table for profit. ( he heard her. he's just re-evaluating their roles in the world. ) Why not count cards? Or while you're out there testing the limits of the realm of believability, get up in the ring and fight. Throw a match if you have to. ( drinking without effect, fighting without bruising — they're very similar in how they raise red flags. ) Selling out pays as good, if not better than prize money.
[ that should be obvious. for all mystic falls offered in terms of questionable (and sometimes supernatural) mysteries, an underground gambling ring was not (yet) one of them. caroline knew how to play cards because she learned how to play strip poker at a co-ed sleepover in the tenth grade. besides, she definitely didn't have a poker face. ]
There are too many people here that go to the ring, anyway. I don't want them to know. [ she's still trying to keep her bloodlust a secret as much as possible, even if it feels like a new person knows every day. laura still doesn't know the hows or whys of her alcohol tolerance, only knows that she managed to drink half a bottle without collapsing, and caroline would like to keep it that way. ] Plus, I don't know how to box. It's not like I can just run away.
[ jason had sparred with her once, but she hadn't exactly learned a routine for fighting in controlled spaces when you couldn't just break someone's neck when they got too close. ]
All I'm hearing are can'ts and don'ts. ( negative nancy over here has objections and criticisms for e v e r y t h i n g. damon rolls his eyes. ) I thought you were a cheerleader.
( not being able to count cards can be fixed with enough practice ( sometimes ) but he does have legitimate skepticism aimed at that lack of poker face of hers. some people can pull off complicated tasks when they have no other options but he thinks caroline's emotions will most likely stand in her way. swindling criminals out of their most likely stolen funds? no problem. taking money from someone in a bad spot? she'll falter. )
Fighting is a skill that can be learned. Similarly to restraining yourself, going down with the right strike and not giving yourself away. ( duh. ) Maybe, if it comes to that. ( he does need a way in. ) I'm throwing other scams out there first, seeing how far you're willing to go to avoid getting a regular nine-to-five.
You know, just because you liked the skirt so much doesn't mean I'm going to wear it here.
[ it would be so easy to just dismiss him. she could roll her eyes, wrap her towel snugly under her arms, and storm out of the bathroom and away from this conversation. it wouldn't take much work — and, honestly, she doubts he would follow her through the middle of the safehouse to continue.
it'd be easy to say that damon is nothing but a bad influence, an unstable force hellbent on creating chaos. but it wouldn't be entirely true, would it? because no matter how closely caroline thinks she's going to follow the twelve step "how to be a good vampire" plan, she's still feeding on humans every other night and using her superspeed to charge primo rates on one-off courier jobs. the earning potential's not enough to swim in cash, but it's been plenty to fund her new amsterdam wardrobe and even enough to leave a little lining in her pocket at the end of the day. enough to fund going out to bars at night and starting up drinking contests with overconfident middle-aged men, too. ]
If you get in the ring, I'll come watch. [ but she's good. her face is nice, she wants to keep it that way. ] And you can come watch me drink more idiots under the table if you want. Maybe someone will take pity on you and buy you a drink.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
( can you say witches??? )
No, but then again, I haven't tried asking around. Did you score any new digs? ( and why aren't you sharing? )
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but i do want to get out of the safehouse. it's too cramped.
[ and every time she gets hungry, she starts pacing, and then people look at her weird. ]
i can't believe i got dragged to a creepy future and i still have to get a job.
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( damon pulls a disgusted face. he doesn't want to work. )
Can't we just rob people of their hard-earned cash?
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[ she's not addressing the fact that she considered it at first. she might not be able to compel her way into a nicer apartment, but she could still move quicker than most — only what good did that do when nobody carried anything? keys, phones, wallets: all of it and more securely tucked away in the digital safe of the implant.
caroline might be a tech-savvy millennial, but she's not that good. ]
not unless you suddenly became a freaky computer whiz since you showed up
nobody carries cash
no subject
Don't you have any nerdy friends?
( hold on........ he does. well. """friend""" is a strong word but damon was amicable towards abel. )
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[ she needs them to live. because she drinks their blood. it's a whole nerd boy harem thing. ]
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What do you want to be when you grow up? ( if they can't rob people or compel them to hand them the deeds to their homes, then they're going to have to give this whole human life thing their best shot. ew. )
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i wanted to go to college.
[ at least, if they ever went home. there's no actual university life in the future — it's all online. so no dorms, no sororities, no fun parties. just online classwork and writing essays. the worst parts and nothing enjoyable to balance it out. ]
i don't know. what are you going to do?
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With robbing people blind off the table? I don't know. Will bartending make me as pathetic as Donovan? ( busboy, waiter, bartender. ( does anyone else work at the grill? ) kid will be manager in no time. though it leaves distaste in his mouth, people like to talk to the person holding the leverage of a bottle. he doesn't want to put the next part in writing so he basically ignores caroline until he can track her down — her bed, kitchen, the showers. that's her problem. )
Still trying to get my hands dirty enough to play with the big kids. ( because of course damon wants to do things like gamble and drink and maybe, given the right encouragement, put on a show like sage had. )
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(he sneaks up on her, and she only manages to avoid shrieking by clasping a hand over her mouth. only just.) ]
Damon! [ hissed, an arm reaching out to tug the shower curtain over her body (as if it's not something he's seen before) ] Seriously?
[ she's ignoring the thrill of it in order to be annoyed at him ]
If I tell you the bar we're going to, will you let me finish my shower in peace?
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( and if a part of him is even remotely intrigued by a memory they aren’t discussing, damon kicks it down to bury it that much deeper. )
with the curtain clutched around her, he rolls his eyes and makes a show of doing a 180° spin. fine, caroline, okay. have a little privacy. nevermind that if he came here to gawk, he would. )
Doubtful. Can I decide after I hear all the juicy parts?
no subject
There's nothing — [ okay, there is, but she's loathe to admit it while she's naked in the shower washing soap out of her hair. she's loathe to admit anything right now. ] Okay, fine. Just stay there.
[ she was planning on enjoying a little bit of solitude in here, but since that's not happening, caroline settles for taking a few minutes for herself. just long enough to condition her hair, staring at his back all the while through the curtain to make sure he doesn't turn around (or, at least, that he doesn't catch her off-guard again when he does).
while the conditioner soaks in, caroline leans forward, head peeking out over the clutched curtain. ]
Laura's taking me. I outdrank a guy on the train to New Tokyo, she wants to see if we can make some money doing it again.
no subject
damon remains facing the doorway even if he doesn't entirely understand why. okay, modesty. that's a thing. people that aren't him have it. he doesn't comprehend why caroline does. her eternal life hasn't truly dug its claws into her yet; she hasn't seen and done it all. that's a probability. when she calls out to him in reply, he turns his head some, giving caroline the outline of his profile. his gaze is still somewhere in the distance, watching a far wall instead. )
Who the heck is Laura? ( caroline has friends, what a concept. )
You're drinking people under the table for profit. ( he heard her. he's just re-evaluating their roles in the world. ) Why not count cards? Or while you're out there testing the limits of the realm of believability, get up in the ring and fight. Throw a match if you have to. ( drinking without effect, fighting without bruising — they're very similar in how they raise red flags. ) Selling out pays as good, if not better than prize money.
no subject
[ that should be obvious. for all mystic falls offered in terms of questionable (and sometimes supernatural) mysteries, an underground gambling ring was not (yet) one of them. caroline knew how to play cards because she learned how to play strip poker at a co-ed sleepover in the tenth grade. besides, she definitely didn't have a poker face. ]
There are too many people here that go to the ring, anyway. I don't want them to know. [ she's still trying to keep her bloodlust a secret as much as possible, even if it feels like a new person knows every day. laura still doesn't know the hows or whys of her alcohol tolerance, only knows that she managed to drink half a bottle without collapsing, and caroline would like to keep it that way. ] Plus, I don't know how to box. It's not like I can just run away.
[ jason had sparred with her once, but she hadn't exactly learned a routine for fighting in controlled spaces when you couldn't just break someone's neck when they got too close. ]
Are you going to fight?
no subject
( not being able to count cards can be fixed with enough practice ( sometimes ) but he does have legitimate skepticism aimed at that lack of poker face of hers. some people can pull off complicated tasks when they have no other options but he thinks caroline's emotions will most likely stand in her way. swindling criminals out of their most likely stolen funds? no problem. taking money from someone in a bad spot? she'll falter. )
Fighting is a skill that can be learned. Similarly to restraining yourself, going down with the right strike and not giving yourself away. ( duh. ) Maybe, if it comes to that. ( he does need a way in. ) I'm throwing other scams out there first, seeing how far you're willing to go to avoid getting a regular nine-to-five.
no subject
[ it would be so easy to just dismiss him. she could roll her eyes, wrap her towel snugly under her arms, and storm out of the bathroom and away from this conversation. it wouldn't take much work — and, honestly, she doubts he would follow her through the middle of the safehouse to continue.
it'd be easy to say that damon is nothing but a bad influence, an unstable force hellbent on creating chaos. but it wouldn't be entirely true, would it? because no matter how closely caroline thinks she's going to follow the twelve step "how to be a good vampire" plan, she's still feeding on humans every other night and using her superspeed to charge primo rates on one-off courier jobs. the earning potential's not enough to swim in cash, but it's been plenty to fund her new amsterdam wardrobe and even enough to leave a little lining in her pocket at the end of the day. enough to fund going out to bars at night and starting up drinking contests with overconfident middle-aged men, too. ]
If you get in the ring, I'll come watch. [ but she's good. her face is nice, she wants to keep it that way. ] And you can come watch me drink more idiots under the table if you want. Maybe someone will take pity on you and buy you a drink.