because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

Comments

[bereavements]

( Ivan recovers. "Like he said, he's bred. Royally. He's a Ford. Means something to my grandmother and aunts," he contributes, trying to sidestep any mental abilities. )

You're a prince?

( "You're basically a princess, aren't you? INO." In name only. )

Well, thanks, for the assist. And getting me.

( She eyes Colm, because she didn't hear any screaming. And she would've. )

Your highness.

[strippername]

I'm not a -

[Colm huffs as he rubs a hand over his face, frustration building because it's not really a royalty thing, and he can tell from the look on Josie's face she's really not going to let this go, so he sighs.]

My family has these ... abilities. You get 'em when you turn twenty and everyone's are different, but that's it. No other magical talent really. Mine just popped up and I can hear people's surface thoughts. Everywhere. All the time. I'm still figuring out how to control it because I literally just turned twenty before Thanksgiving, but I can't like go digging for secrets or any of that shit. I just hear things people are thinking about. So sometimes - with permission - I'll find people with nice thought patterns to hang out in.

[He gestures to Ivan with a shrug.]

Ivan's one of them. He was freaking out, so I went to go try and find out was wrong.

[bereavements]

Oh.

( That's not what she expected, and she feels bad he had to let it all out like that. )

That's gotta take its' toll.

[strippername]

Yeah.

[To put it mildly. He does relax some now that he's not keeping it to himself anymore, but it's still a lot to tell people.]

It's not that I don't think you all can keep a secret it's just ... weird to talk about.

[bereavements]

Obviously, Ivan can't.

( But, Ivan is still testing out his new nose, retrieves his boa from the ground and straightens himself back up in his heels. )

I know why you didn't tell us. But. Take it from me, living with something like that alone. It's isolating and it does more harm than good. So, I'm happy you have loose-lips over here.

[strippername]

[He shrugs.]

I'm not totally alone.

[A beat.]

Honestly, I'm almost incapable of being alone. I have seven brothers. But ... I appreciate the thought.

[And since he doesn't want to be talking about this anymore, he claps his hands together to distract.]

Do we want to get snacks and head back to the dorm to make sure this one is in the least amount of danger possible?

[bereavements]

Is this one Josie or Ivan?

( Just one more tease. Maybe now things will cool? He's supernatural. Not a bad thing, Jose. )

[polydeukes]

[Josie flashes her girlfriend a mild look at that, because she was doing just fine without being a damsel in distress, thank you very much. But she glances over at Ivan sympathetically.]

Maybe we can stream the movie instead? I know it's not the same but ...

[At least she'll have seen it.]

[bereavements]

I'm hearing movie night.

( Which she is for. And she didn't mean it like that! She was making sure Colm didn't mean it like that! )

Believe it or not, I've never seen this... Picture Show? Sounds old. But, I'm in.

[strippername]

[Colm glances at the two of them, before shrugging and turning in Ivan's direction.]

They had me at snacks.

[brujos]

( Colm accompanies Ivan to their room to change and gather what snacks they have. Well, Ivan just doesn't want to be alone, he asks out loud in a punk way, saving some face from Hope, daughter of Klaus, Mikaelson and the badass Josie. Colm hears everything. Doesn't give him shit.

Back at their dorm, he knows he should be feeling more sore, and at the student center. But, Hope generously donated.

As he works at wiping his make-up off, what a waste, he glances to Colm in the mirror's image. )

Guess there's a first time for everything. You ever need vampire blood before?

[strippername]

[Colm shakes his head as he sorts through his things, looking for where he hid the good (read: his brother smuggled them back from Europe for him) snacks.]

Nah. Though the vamps my Ma usually deals with, you don't want to be drinking their blood. It doesn't have the same healing benefits.

[brujos]

Sounds like it doesn't have any benefits.

( He examines his nose in the mirror, a la Grease 2, making faces along the way. )

Should I feel any different?

[strippername]

I dunno.

[He's never actually talked to someone dosed with vampire blood before. He's just aware of how it works.]

Do you feel different?

[brujos]

No. Just like I wasn't punched in the nose tonight.

( Which is kind of cool. He half-turns around in his chair. )

Hey, sorry about what I said to Hope and Josie. I didn't mean to imply anything like that, or out you. I just - Josie doesn't take you seriously and she doesn't know you. And if she knew you, she'd like you. You know?

[strippername]

[Colm doesn't think it's going to be that easy. Josie is complicated, but she cares about Ivan. He doesn't hate her, not really. She just can be a little judgy.

And honestly, it's her opinions to have. Colm doesn't really care. But he does care what Ivan thinks.]

I don't care if she doesn't take me seriously. So long as you take me seriously.

[In the sense that Ivan knows he cares and knows that he takes their friendship seriously.]

Do you care if she takes me seriously?

[brujos]

I just care if you take yourself seriously. And let other people.

( Give his family a little less credit. )

You're worth knowing, Colm. And, you singlehandedly led Hope right to us. Who knows what would've happened to Josie, or to that guy, Larry. She went darkside there.

[strippername]

Yeah, that was a little disturbing.

[Her thoughts shifted completely. She wasn't a different person, but she wasn't Josie either.]

And I don't think I'm not. I just ... don't like feeling I have to perform to get them to like me.

[Especially since now, he can hear exactly what they're thinking about him as they're talking.]

I am who I am, and if people don't like that, that's fine.

[bereavements]

( They decide to meet in the main room on the girl's floor, so Josie and Hope beat the other two there just by proximity. And, someone has to get the popcorn going. She closes the microwave door and debates "POPCORN" or 5 minutes and listening to the pops. )

I know it wasn't your magic to have, but, Dennis came in hot and I was this close to making him regret that.

[polydeukes]

Me too, apparently.

[Josie makes a face as she begins to build a blanket and pillow nest near the couch and gets ready to settle in.]

She hasn't been that close to the surface in a while.

[bereavements]

( POPCORN wins out because they need to have this conversation. She leaves the microwave to work it's electric magic and takes one of the pillows in her hand, fidgeting with it. )

Not since school?

[polydeukes]

[Josie nods.]

Usually she's just the small, petty voice in the back of my head, you know? The one that tells you what could be really fun to do to get back at someone who pissed you off? But it's never been enough to make me change.

[She makes a face.]

But I also thought that he was going to take everything for a minute there. Not just the magic I was holding but my magic entirely. Maybe even kill me or Ivan and ... I panicked.

[bereavements]

Hey. Don't feel guilty about fighting back. It's a natural response. And maybe - maybe she's evolved. Instead of trying to burn it all down, she's working at preserving the both of you. It feels like an upgrade. But, if it's scaring you, we could go to someone. My aunt Freya or visit Ms. Tig. I don't want you to be poked or prodded, but if you wanted to know more.

( She'll be with her every step of the way. )

[polydeukes]

[That is a thought. And not even a bad one. She knows she accepted a long time ago, that this dark part of her would always be there, but she still doesn't like the feeling of losing control.]

I don't know. Maybe. I might feel better if I sleep it off, but if I'm still feeling weird in the morning, I'll call Ms. Tig.

[She won't let it fester, but tonight was a lot.]

What do you think about this Colm stuff?

[bereavements]

I think that he's always seemed like he knows more than he lets on, but I just thought it was one of those, 'I couldn't care less,' acts. Like he can't be fucked.

( But in reality, he can. )

I should probably be more concerned that he's in all of our heads?