ataraxionlogs | twenty-eighth jump;

Entry tags:

twenty-eighth jump;

CHARACTERS: Any and all.
LOCATION: Gravity Couches and beyond.
WARNINGS: Maybe some swearing, or even some violence, and more than likely some implied (and possibly explicit) nakedness.
SUMMARY: Another month, another jump, another round of new faces.
NOTES: It could just be the standard sensation of air on wet skin, but if you bother to check, you might notice the steam rising from your body, barely there and gone within a minute. By the time you get to the showers, it will be clear that it's not just taking you time to adjust. The room is cold — colder than usual, but no worse than the last jump. While it's nothing dangerous, it's certainly motivation to hurry through the usual routine and get dressed quickly.

It's getting closer.

YOUR EYES ARE OPEN.

KEEP LOOKING.

You wake up in darkness.

There's a breathing tube jammed down your trachea, and you're suspended in a tube of clear blue fluid. Upon registering your level of consciousness, the gravity couch drains the fluid surrounding you and retracts the breathing apparatus; the doors in front of you open, and you're deposited on the floor of a stark, sterile medical bay.

You are not alone.
There are others who have come before you, others who are awakening beside you. Some may be familiar to you, perhaps even friends. Others have much less amiable plans. Some are merely alien and inexplicable, but there are always those who might mean you harm.

After you catch your breath and your vision returns, you notice a number on the inside of your forearm. Maybe it's a familiar number. Maybe it means something. Maybe it's just a number. But the number—completely unique to you—is a tattoo, and it does not come off.

If you enter the room adjacent to the medbay, you will find a small locker with your number on it, surrounded by rows upon rows of identical lockers. Inside, you will find a few of your personal items, a communications device, and a ship's uniform in your exact size. The comms device is fully powered and connects directly to the ship's network; it's your only means of communication beyond physical conversation. Upon turning the device on, a neutral, automated voice will say, "Please take the blue lift to the passenger quarters." Any other attempts at communicating with the rest of the network are met only with static.

This is your welcome party.

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[He let's the time it takes him to finish buttoning his shirt, to reach back into his locker for the leather jacket he'd been wearing just before being taken- act as a natural pause in the conversation.

It doesn't much mask the fact that he needs to weight his options- with this particular family, every question, every negotiation, every suggestion leads to the same necessary consideration before acting. It simply covers just quite how desperately he thinks he needs to.

In the end, he offers to appease him with a general frame of reference. The less inclined Elijah feels he needs to push Stefan to give first, the less likely Elijah is to discover precisely the things Stefan doesn't want him to.

Besides, he'd rather leaving the pissing contests to Damon, he practically lives for those occurrences]

You are lacking a dagger in the chest. [Is that a space thing, or did someone earn a coffin against Stefan's wishes?]

Edited (no apparently not for real though oh my god i am sorry for me) 2014-02-13 15:31 (UTC)

[ WELL THAT NARROWS IT DOWN but not much. Why is daggering so common with him, again? Is he really so easily fooled?

At least he's satisfied with that answer, for now. Stefan isn't openly hostile, which makes him an exception to the general mystic falls crowd. ]

If that's all I lack, then I'd consider myself well-off. [ HA HA. It is actually genuinely amusing every time someone (be they his brother or a salvatore or anyone, really) thinks they're rid of him at any given point. ] I trust your welcome has been warmer than my own. [ he's not bitter, just fishing. ]

[Elijah may have failed Stefan, might have insisted several times over that he could be trusted in his task- but Stefan was a fool for trusting him. No matter how many times he'd known he should have put Damon down, that he'd wanted to kill him for reasons that had nothing to do with anything but anger, with being so utterly tired of having everything he'd built torn down against his will- he'd never been capable. He'd known Elijah might have second thoughts in regards to his brother. Family was an entirely different ballgame than just about any other victim.

When Elijah had hesitated, Stefan should have moved in and done it himself. It doesn't mean he isn't just a little pissed about it, but at least he understands it. Keeping Elijah daggered and boxed up wasn't even anything personal. He's just the means to an end. All of his hostility, his rage- it's reserved Klaus.

In the last little tier of reasoning, Elijah is the only person who's looked at Stefan and wished he was seeing somebody else. It's a lot less tiring]

You also lack a way out of here, if we're listening to rumours. [So probably not all that well off. His mouth tips up, just a bit at the corner. Amusement that's born of arrogance more than anything else. He never makes anything easy] What gives you that idea?

[ with the slightest flick of his hand. ] Never trust a second-hand word.

[ a man's word is only legitimate from his own mouth, thank you. ]

[ the sides of his mouth quirk up in amusement. he likes the stiff banter that skates around a topic. it's fun, if occasionally tiring. ]

[ so dry. ] Yes, I know my unpopularity is surprising, given our history. [ it was one human sacrifice, okay. it won't happen again, geez. let it go. ] But perhaps I am not alone in that.

[ he suspects that something is off here, still. ]

Sound advice.

[Not one that he'd needed, and not one he's surprised that they agree on. A little to eager to believe he can reach the parts of Klaus that are human, familial, aside- Elijah isn't an idiot, and he's not easily fooled. A rarity in people that quality may be, but he's still a little surprised at the sheer amount of people who cave in to the ready made answers and look no further.

He plans to regroup, discover who else may be here, acquire a general layout first hand- to discover precisely what he's working with, and where- and then he certainly won't be making the same, idiotic mistakes these people have.

A few months ago, the dry return might have had him pick a foolhardy fight on principle alone. Instead, the reminder of Elena's temporary death and the losses that incurred because of it- and all for nothing but Klaus' own betterment- it only makes Stefan's fingers clench briefly, a little to hard, where he's tugging his jacket straighter. A moment later, he relaxes.

Elijah isn't his priority. And the last thing he wants to do is be on his radar any farther than he already is] I thought so. I have such fond memories of that time.

[At least when he speaks, the dry humour remains, and is delivered evenly] Are you sure you're asking me the right questions? [and then without missing a beat, because he's still not interested in probing questions] Not as alone as you were expecting to be.

Indeed. [ he lets out a breath of air that's almost a laugh. the dry wit is appreciated, stefan, really, but elijah is as done with dancing as you are with probing.

currently, stefan salvatore is an uncertain variable, and elijah does not stand for uncertainties. ]

[ with the thinnest smile, genially. ] Let's cut to the chase then, hm?

[ he gestures to stefan's everything. ]

There's something different about you. What is it?

Sure, let's.

[This is the opposite of everything he could have wanted out of this interaction. Not that he was exactly expecting Elijah to become bored and wander off, not when they have a history of being on the opposite sides- he'd simply been counting on him having bigger things to be occupied with.

Or being able to glean a sense of when from him, enough to tailor his answer. Instead he goes for partially honest, incredibly easy, and one he knows the other's are going to be discussing in length. As long as he makes them all believe the same thing-

He bend down and picks up a blood bag off the bottom of the locker, a stack of many and then closes it. When he turns back to Elijah, he tosses it to him with a smirk. He's not precisely sure how clued in he is on Stefan's status as a Ripper. He may be arguably the most famous of them, but Elijah has spent so much time in and out of his coffin he may have slipped that by entirely. And then- well, Klaus makes everything a game, even gaining information. There's no telling what he did or didn't share]

A whole summer stuck with your brother will do that a person. [You know how he is, he's annoying even when he's trying to be nice to you! But he grins, wide and gestures to the bag] Tell you what, why don't you keep that? As much as he likes you out of the way, I'm not too sure he'd appreciate me letting you starve the old fashioned way.

[A second to shrug] Or maybe he would. But then what's a secret between old friends?

[Who's the least annoying brother now, eh?]

[ this. face. from intrigued to five-thousand percent done in seconds.

elijah isn't well-aqcuainted with the history of the salvatores, generally speaking, but what little pertains to his family, he learned. stefan's stint as his brother's accomplice and his sister's lover has always baffled him, as inconsistent as it is with his current life, even considering his unstable state.

now, however, in this moment — petulant, foolish, r u d e . he easily recognizes the appeal for niklaus. stefan is rather reminiscent of kol this way, which, unfortunately, does not stir any fondness in elijah. ]

[ he catches the blood bag easily, offering stefan a scowl in return. the information allows him to pinpoint a relative moment in the timeline, at least. ]

So your manners and self-preservation left with your humanity, how unfortunate.

[ and that's a threat: you better back the fuck up before you get smacked the fuck up. ]

[In that avenue, Elijah is over simplifying matters. Not that Stefan has ever had the misfortune of meeting Kol, but a few months down the line- Kol is a child seeking constant entertainment, and is dangerous in the manner that he's learned the value of being unpredictable, in seeming insane- it leaves him an element of surprise.

Stefan may be arrogant, may stoop to a level of pettiness that even Klaus has trouble achieving- reckless in a way that is a mirror opposite to his often hard won, hard kept control- but Stefan is motivated by nothing more than the high of his addiction, which is often secondary to his love of making an art in the act of suffering. Often born of self loathing- of guilt, in needing to create that raw, hollow awfulness in other people, because why should they have what he does not? But even that's an escape clause that allows him to humanize it.

Even when he leaves his humanity present, at the very core- Stefan just loves to watch them suffer. And as someone who has slipped through the fingers of retribution far too easily and too numerous to count, who knows he holds all the cards for the time being- and unfortunately, though not so much so that he won't own it- has the protection of another Original, as long as he's of use-

Stefan has never learned to truly be afraid, and Elijah doesn't inspire it now. He makes Stefan want to behave cautiously- because if there was one to find truly frightening, more so than Klaus- Elijah is it. He's like still water- smooth surfaced and utterly paused- there's no tell to give him a way, and nothing to tell you when he's chosen to go after you-

Except for the exact moment his fingers close around your heart]

That's funny- coming from the one who ended up in a box because he couldn't finish the job.

Yes, my love for my family makes me weak — so I've heard.

[ it's a jab that would incite him, had it come from say, elena or rebekah, but from stefan, it's nothing. few make him angry. most make him annoyed. now, he actually laughs at stefan's comment, because if there is one thing he does not regret (at this point), it is saving his brother's life.

always and forever, after all. however, his smile does not reach his eyes and sets stiffly. he won't tolerate blatant disrespect. ]

[ with a sharp edge to his voice. ] And I'm sure you understand that all too well, otherwise you wouldn't have joined my brother in the first place. [ as if he just remembered something, feigning thoughtfulness. ] Does your delicate loyalty to him extend to me as of yet, or shall I ask that of you now?

[ is there any loyalty at all? was there ever any? oh, wait, it doesn't actually matter because elijah's 1000% sure he could kick stefan's ass, and elena would be less mad than usual because he has no humanity. ]

Edited (words!!) 2014-02-27 02:09 (UTC)

[He snorts, a sharp exhalation of air through his nose- something between amused and almost bitter. Just imperceptible. Love is on the list- he won't deny that. He hasn't turned a brother and spent his unlife repeatedly letting his guard down for him, trying to win him back- because he does not love him. But in the list of reasons that he gave up everything for Damon, love isn't the primary motivation.

Obligation, penance, need- they all rank higher. Stefan saves Damon because he damned him, because he owes him- because he needed his brother then, and he'll never not need him, even if he hates Stefan. Even if he spends entire centuries away from him, happier without his little brother- even if he continuously takes from Stefan everything he's ever cared for in his own self interest. Damon is the only piece of Stefan left that is truly human, that knew him before Stefan was even aware and cataloguing long term memories.

Damon may make him weak, but in some ways- he's an excellent motivator. Nothing has made Stefan more resilient, more manipulative and cut throat than trying to salvage something that no longer exists]

If I were you, I wouldn't be so quick to make those kind of assumptions. You've known me a grand total of what, half an hour?

[That though, gives him pause. Cools the reckless arrogance if only because he wasn't expecting it. Because he's wondering of what possible use Elijah might find with him, if his manners leave such to be desired. He doubts it's as simple as being the two most unwanted members of Mystic Falls on the ship thus far- or, maybe that is enough.

He's not dismissing it, but he's not exactly planning to swear his fealty, either] My loyalty to Klaus extends on the basis of an agreement- which he upheld.

[It's pointed, but lacks the accusation from before. It's a simple statement of facts. Stefan didn't take the last step to what Klaus wished for him to be, didn't leave Mystic Falls until he'd learned his brother had pulled through. He's curious enough to find out exactly what loyalty to Elijah would entail, especially if it serves his own purposes] I think it's safe to say neither of us believes in blind loyalty.

So go ahead, ask me.

[ for elijah's part, his words were as much an oversimplification as stefan perceives them to be. he prefers to simplify things, to keep his words innocuous. ]

Not even that. [ which is less a remark about the time and more about the finicky definition of 'know.' ]

But I'm afraid I must refrain. In my life, I've found that loyalty is closely linked to humanity. Perhaps another time.

[ sorry, babe, it's not him, it's you. he isn't desperate, by any any means.

of course, the implicit offer of potential cooperation remains on the table. elijah approaches stefan and holds the blood bag out as if to return it. ]

In the meantime, I suggest you attempt to relearn the art of subtlety. [ call it a complisult. ]

I'm not sure I'll be taken lessons on loyalty from you. [Pettiness, thy name is Stefan. But it's not solely aimed at Elijah. As much as Elena's death pained him, whether or not they'd brought her back and rendered the whole thing moot- for one singular, terrible moment- she'd died. And all meaning in his life went right along with her. That was Klaus' doing, not Elijah's. His plan had always required that to happen.

But he knows Klaus, and remembers Rebekah. Loyalty is nothing short of a laughable value they never seem to adhere to. Anything that's thrown out when it suits them and cultivated on an equal whim, or as more often the case- forced, isn't anything more than a cheap imitation.

When the bag is held out between them, as if to return it, he shakes his head only minimally and darts out with fingers on the cool plastic, presses it back towards him] No, I still want you to keep that, call it a parting gift.

[He claps him neatly on the shoulder with it, a kind fuck you in the motion, complisult who does that swear to god-]

You're other option's synthetic if you're going subtle, and well- you can't die, but why risk it? [He's not taking creepy, space food he hasn't thoroughly checked out. He'll eat the whole population of the ship first. But perhaps, in a show of a willingness to potentially cooperate as well, if the stakes are just right- his demeanour shifts minimally, and briefly- into something a little more like civil neutrality]

I'll keep that under advisement. Enjoy acclimating, Elijah.

[That's right bitch, he's dismissing you]

[ um excuse u ]

[ there's a stiffness in his smile, though it's largely amused. young vampires have such gall. ] I'm afraid you're under some misconception. I had more than enough time to master control and subtlety before the advent of blood banks. [ older and better than you, tbh. ] And, as I understand it, the risk for you is much higher.

[ and there's an ounce of genuine concern there. stefan is in danger of committing acts elijah assumes he will regret at a later date. don't sacrifice any resources on his account (or for the sake of pride). ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

twenty-eighth jump;

not according to my edits. ty for rubbing my face in it dick

ilu anyway!!

ilu2 my darling!!!

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this sounded so girl crush-y oh my god. killers, stefan loves them

cool your boner, stefan, gosh

nah, but ask him again the morning after

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