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she can see the DISDAIN touch his features. delicately, almost as if it’s not MEANT to be there, and especially not by airiana’s doing. she frowns, eyebrows coming together and a look of concern crosses her features replacing the HOSTILITY laced throughout them. she cares for enzo, she does. and it was surprising easily he made it onto her small list of people she cares about.

(she’s not sure it’s that small anymore.)

" i i i’m sorry. “ she shakes her head, dropping her gaze to the floor. ” i just i just meant… “ airiana falls short, unable to explain herself the way she always can. “i’m i’m H U M A N . and just ‘cause you’re not doesn’t mean i don’t CARE about you. being FRIENDS with vampires means knowing they can KILL faster than you can BLINK. but so can i… “ she adds quietly, glancing up at him before looking back down again.

a light chuckle rolls of her tongue at his next words. the gentle HUMOR in them easy in her ears like his voice always sounded.

FAMILIAR.

" would it make sense if i told you that i’m not exactly the most experienced either? “ she smirks, looking over at him tentatively. it’s true, airiana was never very good at making friends. though she seemed to be a hit amongst the blood sucking variety, which is GOOD in some aspects.

really BAD in others…

earning an APOLOGY had never been his intent, and he's almost ( o v e r w h e l m e d ) by airiana's habit of catching him incredibly off guard. it's quite ᴀʟᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ, and enzo tries not to consider too intently what that MEANS. ( that he's allowed himself to be encased in a human's grasp, that he has so easily forgotten that those with similar BLOOD running through their veins had trapped him in CAGES. laughed while he flinched at the sound of damon's SCREAMS. )

it should be somewhat of a COMFORT ; ; no one will familiarize themselves with the sound of his agony as he has, as long as they both shall live. not even AIRIANA, who he is sure NEEDS damon with a similar intensity as his OWN. the feeling is fleeting------

if it ever existed at all.

" don't apologize, love, " he says in a much quieter voice, hues gone astray, taking residence on an empty seat opposite them, a far off look embedded in the dark sea. " in augustine . . . i used to tell damon to picture his revenge. to HOLD ON to it. that ( f i r e. ) i learned to do the same. i suppose i'm still trying to ADJUST. "

the words themselves are almost physically painful to get out, but he's surprised to find that it's not due to any predetermined prejudice towards her species , but instead simply a fear of admitting it aloud: how blatantly OUT OF PLACE he was here.

" no, " he returns in response to her question, finally meeting her gaze. " you're quite the friend, airiana. "

the following sentence has a noticeable lack of his usual carefree, flippant tone, and it might very well be the first time he's said her name, at least without a darling or love or gorgeous attached to make her BLUSH. he's completely serious now, charisma and charm since disappeared. " among the human && vampire world alike. "

#bourboneyes #v. main #( medium. )

( ＫＡＴＨＥＲＩＮＥＰＩＥＲＣＥ )

Katherine’s head tilted to the side as she twirled her glass, watching

him as he spoke. She let out a light chuckle though it came out more as a hum than an actual laugh, it was throaty and dangerous. Katherine hardly worried about whatever schemes Damon and Stefan had cooking. No matter how many steps they thought they had ahead of her, Katherine was always three steps ahead of them. You spend five hundred years running and you perfect the game, they played it well but she was always better. At his words she gave a slight shrug of her shoulder, lifting the glass to her lips and allowing the smooth burn of alcohol to pass down her throat before speaking again. "Why have friends when I can have lovers?” she replied, a seductive smirk never wavering from her red painted lips. It was true, Katherine manipulated men into doing her dirty work—look at Mason. Now that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy their company while she had it. But they were expendable, nothing more than collateral damage and a nice night in bed, she didn’t let people get close enough to become a liability. Katherine Pierce couldn’t afford liabilities. Stefan was living proof of that. Didn’t matter now though, she wouldn’t be making that mistake again. She shifted and draped her forearm over the back of her bar stool, fingers absently spinning around the daylight ring there. He was supposed to be Damon’s friend, and a friend of Damon’s was often an enemy of Katherine’s. Her brown eyes narrowed slightly, she didn’t mind harmless flirting but if this was some sort of plan to try and take her down it was not going to end well. “If you’re Damon’s friend, shouldn’t you be assisting with that?” Katherine was paranoid not that you’d ever necessarily pick up on it, she did well to mask it. It was as inconvenient as it was helpful—aint no rest for the wicked, she supposed.

a ghost of a smile flickers across his lips as he leans back in his seat, expression relaxed && carefree. it wasn't as if he UNDERESTIMATED the doppelganger ; ; he was well aware of her affinity for disassembling -- she'd given damon a run for his money once upon a time, and while damon had always been one to jump the gun, his intuition was IMPRESSIVE, and he, too, had learned to survive. he was a survivor in his own right ; ; and if katherine was to blame for the years he'd spent running along like a dog seeking out a bone, there were COUNTLESS things to be sad about the petrova && her undeniable ability to secure what she deemed ( h e r s. ) tonight, that seemed only to be this bar and possibly his COMPANY. tomorrow, it could very well be DAMON. now, that was highly UNLIKELY. damon was not so easily ᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇᴅ, not by him, and definitely not by HER. perhaps he was short a history lesson or two where damon and his previous relationship with the DEVIL IN HEELS, but he could do the math. && yet, he can only be AMUSED, can only really ( e n j o y ) the game they've set out to play. " you make a VALID point, " he returns, tone similar to her enticing lilt. he enjoys the way her lips form around the words, but mostly he enjoys that he is AWARE of the motivation behind each curve her mouth makes ; ; she is playing the game, selecting her pawns.... and any move she makes won't land without his PERMISSION. what's most ( t h r i l l i n g ) is that he thinks he might just give it. her question only furthers his amusement, && he considers for a moment, ponders an answer ; ; it's true, he is damon's friend, and damon is his ( but not h i s, as he's reminded. ) for all she knows, he's playing the part of the spy, biding his time ---- and perhaps he is. surely, he'll report to him later, tell him the details of her sudden appearance. but it doesn't mean that there's harm in enjoying her company, and truth be told, he couldn't care less about the demise of katherine pierce. there's no revenge to be sought out, no pleasure in the sight of her graying form. he's merely an outsider, a face in a growing crowd.

" i'm taking a night off, " enzo finally answers with a smirk, hues shamelessly drifting over her glorious form. " i suppose i've tired of playing the role of damon's helpful comrade from war ------------ -------- and why have FRIENDS when I can have LOVERS ? " a slight wink, paired with a slurred mocked portrayal of her tone as he leans forward in his chair, hand sliding to wrap around his drink and bring it to his lips ----------- " if only for a NIGHT. "

#nosalvationx #( medium. )#v. main

( katherine pierce. )

Katherine’s brown gaze slides over to the man slipping into the seat on her left, she’s hardly one to pay mind to those that hit on her or buy her drinks in bars but maybe it’s the accent, maybe it’s the eyes or maybe it’s just the fact that he has enough intell- igence to tell her apart from Elena. Really who knows, but he’s somehow managed to capture her interests and as someone who is easily bored and not so easily entertained—he could take that as a small win. Keeping her interest though is a whole ‘nother game in itself. As a drink slides it’s way in front of her she doesn’t take her eyes off him when she picks it up, instead Katherine, shifts to face him completely, legs crossing and she takes a sip of her drink, study- ing him for a moment. They’d spoke briefly over the phone once but she’d been in Elena’s body then, and while she knew of Enzo, she’d never quite met him—until now of course. A smirk graces the edges of Katherine’s mouth and she breaks eye contact as she places the glass back on the bar top, twisting it slowly in a stand still circle as the alcohol sloshes around, ice clinking gently against the sides. After a brief pause her gaze flicks back to his. ”How’d you guess?” She replied playfully. It seems pointless considering any idiot with a proper set of eyes could see the difference in Katherine and Elena’s demeanor but she’s curious. She also might just enjoy listening to him talk

his lack of experience where doppelgangers are concerned hardly troubles him ; ; he knew the basics, and that was all he cared to know. katherine was katherine, and elena was elena, and any teasing about issues of transference were seemingly out of the question. he was a fairly last learner, and he wasn't easily surprised ---- most of all, he exceeded at patience, which made the encounter in its entirety quite amusing. he didn't mind playing into her little game, in fact it was probably the most amusing thing to happen to him all week --- and he couldn't help but be a little INTRIGUED by the illustrious katherine pierce, the one he'd heard story after story about when he and damon had shared adjoining cells. NEVER MET ANOTHER ONE LIKE HER, damon had told him once, a look in his eyes that enzo had fought to keep throughout their time there ----- that fire that kept him alive. as long as he could keep him talking, about her, about revenge, about his brother, about anything, there was hope. it was when he stopped talking that enzo got scared, when there was nothing but cold silence between them. he loathes the silence, even now, and he thinks with something that feels similar to relief, that katherine is experienced in keeping conversation flowing. perhaps mere curiosity, perhaps a mere fondness for the way her lips curve so dangerously around words - perhaps mere boredom ; ; but he's leaning forwards in his chair nonetheless, eyes only leaving hers long enough to order himself a drink and then quickly returning, a playful grin of his own masking his lips.

" your previous suitors may or not be plotting your demise, " he says as if he's more bored with the idea than anything, expression amused. " your wardrobe, even if lovely, is hardly dear elena's usual decorum ------ and i've been told that you don't exactly hone an affinity for making friends. "

#nosalvationx #( medium. )#v. main

( katherine pierce. )

Mystic Falls. It lived up to its name, it was land of the living, dead, the not so dead, the witchy and the wronged. It seemed no matter how many bad things happened in that damn town, all of it’s victims just went crawling right back. They just didn’t learn. (And neither did she.) There was something about it, who knew maybe it supernaturally drew it’s mythical residents in. Katherine wouldn’t be surprised—after all she’d have to either be under some kind of spell or just plain stupid to return here. She’s definitely not the latter. One of the unfortunately downsides to being in Mystic is little miss Elena Gilbert has staked her claim and written her name all over everything. She can’t even turn a goddamn corner without someone jumping at her and saying how good it is to see her again. She wants to leave already and go back to lounging in the outskirts where no one knows her face—because lets be honest here, it’s not tied to Katherine Pierce’s reputation, it’s tied to Elena’s. Elena who bakes cookies and hugs people—the next person to touch her she’s ripping their head off. She’d much rather be feared and respected than adored—it’s exhausting. Letting out a slight sigh, the brunette makes an appearance in the Grill, she needs a drink before she goes because after enduring being called Elena twenty seven thousand times—she’s earned it. Katherine swiftly makes her way to the bar, promptly ignoring the looks she gets, she’s hardly dressed like the Gilbert girl, seeing her this dressed up must be a shock. As she reaches her destination, Katherine props herself up on one of the stools and calls the waiter over with a flick of her wrist.

one of the downsides to being attractive, charismatic, and well, remarkably unlikable, as far as the ever delightful citizens of the scooby doo gang were concerned, was that it left him with an alarming amount of free time, most of which was spent in solitude. not that he was any stranger to alone-time, but spending his time holed up in an apartment he'd gleefully compelled for himself was often too close a reminder of the days he'd spent trapped in an entirely different kind of prison. for the most part, he preferred the outdoors these days, even if it meant he was playing the faithful comrade to damon and his friends. truth was, he was pretty lost as far as a sense of direction went, and when it came down to it, he really didn't have much of a clue when it came to the world as it was now, or what to do with his new found freedom. and that left him here. in a bar, scoping out his surroundings like some kind of befouled guard dog, waiting for the local psychopath to make an appearance, if not for damon and his merry band of mostly supernatural idiots, but for dinner. if there was going to be a psychopath running around putting damon on edge, it might as well be him, after all. he said that loosely, of course. hardly time to enact loose revenge if he was fully committed to fetching ice for the fairly ideal caroline forbes and mocking damon's new found role as the hero in town, which really isn't that bad of a way to live, if he's not bitching for sport. considering that part of serial-killer watch was identifying serial killers on the spot, you could say that maybe he sort of slipped up a bit, seeing as one just strolled past him, but he'd had a few drinks, admittedly, and if kai was wetting his whistle, odds were that he was doing it somewhere else. plus, elena gilbert wasn't actually a serial killer. maybe a little inconvenient, but if he was going to start listing off mass murderers with an uncanny social status, stefan salvatore would come miles before his best friend's girl. and surprisingly enough, he'd much rather watch her down jello shots than the younger salvatore. but after a moment of observation, it occurs to him that her mannerisms, and more importantly, her choice of wardrobe, doesn't seem very elena of the gilbert girl at all. and it's that knowledge that leads him to approach her, taking the seat next to her with ease, a small smirk aligning his lips.

" let me guess, the infamous katherine pierce, " he says, words spoken slowly with a slightly amused tone attached. " shouldn't you be inflicting misery somewhere ? " he drawls, accent thick.

#nosalvationx #( medium. )#v. main

( airiana saltzman. )

the statement pours salt on an already inflamed wound. GOD, how many times has she heard that one. and why is that always everybody’s go to EXCUSE?

yeah, she was HUMAN. big fucking whoop.

airiana was just as much as one of the guys as alaric was. but her ass was always stuck rooting for the team on the sidelines. like a fucking MASCOT. what a joke. guess she couldn’t complain though. it’s not her fault she’s got an EXPIRATION DATE and everyone she cares about doesn’t. of course that could easily be changed, but it’s not like that’s ever gonna happen. at least not anytime soon, damon and elena made sure that much was CLEAR.

she rolls the flinch off her shoulders.

" yeah? and so what? ” she snaps coldly, furrowing her eyebrows irritably. " am i supposed to HATE you just because you KILL people? “ it sounded way less stupider in her head… " please not every human hates you enzo, just the stupid ones do. “

her tone suggests that she’s almost offended he’d even think that, let alone say it out loud. that even after everything that she’s done to PROVE otherwise, he still thinks she should treat him like every other human has like shit.

" neither are they. neither am i. everyone’s a bunch of VAMPIRES. and i’m the HUMAN hanging out with them. im just as at FAULT as the rest of you. “

he immediately REGRETS his words as he watches her shrug off a flinch, her expression abruptly changing to one he's never witnessed, at least not one directed at him. he'd never wanted to ANGER her, and he finds himself missing the easy banter they usually engaged in. this was new territory, and he isn't exactly sure how to take back the words in a way that isn't a lie, that doesn't frustrate her. ( she's one of the only people who actually LIKES him these days, and the last thing he wants to do is scare her off -- if he's being honest. ) " you've got me all wrong, love." && she does. because while he's fairly certain that damon and his girl usually treat her like GLASS, he's more than aware of what humans are capable of, what SHE is capable of. he knows from experience that humans can just as easily evade remorse, that they're just as capable of UNRAVELING. maybe he's just surprised that she's looked deeper than a word in a dictionary, that she's had all the chances in the world to tear into his body with just her HANDS and instead has chosen the touch of someone different, of someone similar to.... a FRIEND.

" you belong here as much as i do, darling---likely more. you're hardly the ANOMALY. that's not what I meant. " he's not sure how to explain what he DID mean, though, and he's suddenly almost envious of her ability to explain her thoughts, even if not the most eloquently, so easily. " would it make sense if I told you that I'm not exactly experienced when it comes to ---------- friends ? "

#he JUST WANTS FRIENDSSSSSS #HE'S SORRY #bouboneyes #( short. )#v. main

( airiana saltzman. )

she’s hardly comforted by the thought. since when did anyone really care about the thought? the thought didn’t count for shit if it got him KILLED. then it wouldn’t have mattered if she’d thought about it or not because he’d just be DEAD.

enzo’s next words awaken the flame in her. i believe the question is, why wouldn’t she TRY? this is ENZO, we’re talking about here. and to airiana he’s another one of those vampires she supposed to care about. so of course she TRIES.

“ why are you surprised ? ? of course i tried. “ she shook her head. “ so have they they have no place in criticizing you for that. “

no right condemning him for something so TRIVIAL.

there's a SPARK in her eyes that he might have feared once, that might have reminded him of the flame he'd been so sure would burn him alive the night damon had left him behind. but now, it only reminds him of who airiana is, is only a SIGN that she can't be so easily GROUPED, not with the VAMPIRES she knows only as her family nor with the HUMANS who should be more than allies. " you're human, " he replies, not a single mistruth in the phrase. it's spoken earnestly, somberly, and it hits him then how VALUABLE she is to them, what he would do to ensure her SAFETY. it's a strange thought, a human on the list of everyone who he's ever thought to protect, but he'll PROTECT her, and it's a line he's crossed without moving his feet.

" i'm hardly BLAMELESS, darling. "

#same tbh #bourboneyes #( short. )#v. main

( airiana saltzman. )

"I want you to know that I did try to like… save you or whatever, it’s just Jeremy and Matt fucking locked me in a closet before I could… “

the words are unexpected, and he's caught off guard ( which is hardly easy to do, so props for that ) by them, eyes moving to meet hers, carefully assessing her expression. there's no humor there, no mockery---only sincerity, only a look that tells him that she meant every word she said.

" It's the thought that counts, sweetheart, " he returns, keeping his tone and expression care free. but it feels all WRONG, like it's not enough, like there is still something to say. airiana deserves more than that, than a quick brush off of her attempts, even if not successful. because it is the thought that counts, and it does mean something to him, more than she'll ever know. " I'm surprised that you would TRY. " he says honestly, lowering his gaze. " i killed that girl. it's not as if they didn't have proper MOTIVATION. " and she's HUMAN.

#bourboneyes #v. main #( short. )