everyonelives | as we pass through arrangements of shadows

Oh wow.

[She's not sure what she would think of having this place as a personal milestone but she visits the bridge where her parents died a lot, so she's not really one to judge.]

Did you come here to meet her?

( Of all places, right? But you can't choose your family, or your family history. )

She said she was here. We made this plan. I wrote it down right. Sometimes, I get dates mixed up, but, this date, I knew.

I'm sure you did.

[How? Unclear, but despite everything Elena still has some confidence in the good intentions of the world.]

Maybe something happened. Have you tried calling her?

She stopped answering my calls and texts the night before I arrived. People get busy, they get tired, they sleep. And I waited the first day for her to pull the trigger. She found me -- and, I don't know, it's like I needed her to really solidify wanting to meet me. And then, nothing. And, I know she's here. We shared our locations, and I saw her name on the computer screen when I asked the front desk for warm towels. But, I don't know what room and -- and that kid told me he has no idea who I'm talking about. I just - I feel like I'm going crazy, and like I wasted my time. But, I'm also -- I'm just really worried. And -- and when I worry, I can't sleep and when I can't sleep --

( She holds up her cup. )

Do I sound crazy?

No, you don't sound crazy.

[A little obsessive, but when it comes to meeting a sibling you didn't know you had, she can't really say she blames her. And there does seem to be an uncomfortable amount of coincidences.]

But ... definitely a little intense?

[She tries not to make that sound bad, because she doesn't mean it that way.]

A little? ( Please, Elena. ) I know me. I live with me. My boyfriend, Phil? We met like right before Natalie first surfaced and he's been through the entire saga. He works in a zoo, he calls me his owl. I'm hyper-intensive and he just takes it all in stride. He's actually here with me, asleep in the room. If I didn't have him... ( Well, maybe she'd be going even crazier. ) I just, I think about something and then I can't stop and then I get anxious and thinking becomes overthinking. Like what if something happened to her and her phone is just... here in the hotel. But she's...

I ... trust me. I know this thought spiral very well.

[She's had it on more than one occasion, given how dramatic her life can be. She also can see why the woman would have reasons to be concerned.]

But sometimes it is just that. A spiral, and odds are she's fine. Her phone says she's here - do you know what her car looks like?

No. But, there's one car that hasn't moved, like hasn't moved in three days. If she's here, and inside her room, then why wouldn't she answer for three days? At first, I thought I'd give her time. And then the front desk denied she was even staying here, which are I guess affair rules, and it's not like I have a picture of us. Just of her. And that kid just denies she's here.

( She shakes her head a few times, shoulders rising. )

I just - something's off. And I'm lucky my boyfriend is even staying through this. Through the crazy.

[Elena nods, because that is a little odd. But she doesn't think she wants to poke around with the woman with her, given the fact that Elena is thinking whoever owns that car is probably dead in a room somewhere.

She glances over her shoulder, to see if Katherine is on her way back, and then goes to peer at the cars:]

Which one is the one that's been stuck here?

( Katherine does emerge just then, bell ringing, but Elena has a little bit of a back and forth left before she joins. Katherine is more interested in the pavement against her expensive shoes then what's happening above. )

It's that green Prius.

( She shrugs, moving closer to the edge before she sees Katherine approaching the stairs. )

You two --

( Maybe not a back and forth because Katherine click clacks up the stairs to find Elena and -- this person.

"Late night snacking with a friend," Katherine asks. )

Late night fight with the coffee machine.

[A pause as she turns back to her new friend.]

She's my sister.

[But she makes note of the Prius and files it away.]

Look, I would recommend going to get some sleep. I'm sure something with your sister will turn up soon.

( Hm. She seems harried. Definitely the kind of mess of a flame Elena would be drawn to in the middle of the night at a motel.

"Nadia," she says with a pleasant, if lacking, smile. "I'm Nadia. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? It was nice to meet you. Both. And thanks for listening."

Don't say it Elena. Katherine just burns holes into the back of her mind as she's taken back, the keys in her hand, ornate, one dangling down. )

Get some sleep.

[But no, she won't say anything. She is totally not going to say anything. She might be planning to wait for Katherine to go to sleep and then investigate, but that's neither here nor there.]

The front desk guy give you any trouble?

( A rough memory stuffed back down, she turns to the door. )

Only made me argue the difference between a 6 and a 9. He's a bottom feeder.

( She opens the door and shuts the light on, dropping her things on the bed furthest from the door. )

You fixed the coffee machine?

More like I wasn't super anxious so it was easier to manage.

[She takes the other bed, dropping her stuff next to it.]

She was having a bad day.

Really, just the day.

( She sits on the edge of her bed, pulling off her heels one at a time. )

[Elena raises an eyebrow.]

Do you actually care?

You know I don't.

( Especially with a name like that.

But, she does. She just isn't in the business of sharing how she feels with Elena Gilbert. She was judging her, not sympathizing with her, but she can do both.

Collecting what meager toiletries she got her hands on, she brings her little bag with her as she gets to her feet. )

But, while you play that little interaction in your head and predictably knock on her door in the morning, I'm going to shower this day off.

You do that.

[And that is absolutely not what she was going to do.

What she is going to do is head outside, wander down to check out the Prius and see what she can find without opening it (12). She also will send a text to a certain new FBI agent friend, Stiles.]

Can I ask a favor?

( The Prius is cold to the touch, it hasn't been driven in a while. Turning on the light of her cell phone, she sees a bag in the trunk, some trash in the backseat, a charger in the middle compartment in the front seat and the glove compartment on the right side is open.

Nothing weird about the car itself, or strange, but this is Elena and she's not exactly a fan of Antique Roadshow

Stiles can't exactly help from where he is, relying on Audrey's connection. He is working in overtime to try and track his friends.

I've kind of got my hands full right now
But I have a colleague that owes me a favor

Not even a minute goes by before her phone rings )

Edited 2022-03-10 03:53 (UTC)

[She will take what she can get, and as such will answer the phone:]

Hello?

( "Is this Elena," a voice asks from the other end of the line. )

Yes, this is. Is this Stiles' colleague?

[That feels so awkward, but it's the word Stiles used.]

( It is awkward, right? )

Not quite, but we can go with colleague if that gets you what you want faster.

( Inter-agencies and all, but, however Stiles wants to characterize him. US Marshall's aren't exactly colleagues of the FBI, but they can work together. )

I was told to help you in any way I could and I owe him one. You can call me Hayes.

Hayes. Nice to meet you.

[Over the phone anyway.]

I was wondering if you could run a license plate for me?

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