[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 ...
( 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?
[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.
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?
[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.]
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.
No one said anything about you performing. Without drumsticks. Getting to know people doesn't have to be about performing.
( And this is coming from ex-ROTC. Back when he was trying to fulfill what he thought his parents wanted. And, instead. Kicked out. Living with his witchy aunt, grandma, and cousins. His parents are coming around. )
[To him, it feels like it does. Especially lately, when he can hear all of their first impressions echoing in his head. There's an element of shame to it he doesn't like, where he catches himself course correcting, changing elements of his behavior to change the thoughts.
Ever since he started being able to hear what everyone thinks of everything in real time, it's become a contested effort to try to not become misanthropic, blaming people for the things they say in the privacy of their own mind.]
No, it doesn't. But lately it feels like that's all it is.
( 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.
( 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. )
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.
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.
[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.
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?
[Especially with all they have running around in there.]
It doesn't seem like he's thrilled with it either. Maybe there's a way of warding it? We'd have to figure out what triggers it, but we are smart, capable witches.
We do. But he also may not realize that's something he can ask for.
[Josie sighs as she pushes herself up into a sitting position.]
I know I haven't really given him a lot of credit in the past, and I stand by a lot of it, but if it really is as bad as he says then I could understand why he might not want to be in crowded spaces like a football game or a movie theater. Maybe it might be worth it to make an offer.
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everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
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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?
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( Just one more tease. Maybe now things will cool? He's supernatural. Not a bad thing, Jose. )
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Maybe we can stream the movie instead? I know it's not the same but ...
[At least she'll have seen it.]
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( 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.
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They had me at snacks.
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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?
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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.
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( He examines his nose in the mirror, a la Grease 2, making faces along the way. )
Should I feel any different?
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[He's never actually talked to someone dosed with vampire blood before. He's just aware of how it works.]
Do you feel different?
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( 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?
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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?
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( 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.
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[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.
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( And this is coming from ex-ROTC. Back when he was trying to fulfill what he thought his parents wanted. And, instead. Kicked out. Living with his witchy aunt, grandma, and cousins. His parents are coming around. )
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Ever since he started being able to hear what everyone thinks of everything in real time, it's become a contested effort to try to not become misanthropic, blaming people for the things they say in the privacy of their own mind.]
No, it doesn't. But lately it feels like that's all it is.
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I know it wasn't your magic to have, but, Dennis came in hot and I was this close to making him regret that.
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[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.
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Not since school?
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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.
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( She'll be with her every step of the way. )
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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?
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( But in reality, he can. )
I should probably be more concerned that he's in all of our heads?
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[Especially with all they have running around in there.]
It doesn't seem like he's thrilled with it either. Maybe there's a way of warding it? We'd have to figure out what triggers it, but we are smart, capable witches.
[They could probably figure it out.]
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( But, he might be listening to this right now? He made it sound like it's involuntary. So, she moves back to the microwave, which beeps. )
But, maybe we also let him come to us. If he wants to. We remember my loner phase.
( Years, Hope. Years. )
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[Josie sighs as she pushes herself up into a sitting position.]
I know I haven't really given him a lot of credit in the past, and I stand by a lot of it, but if it really is as bad as he says then I could understand why he might not want to be in crowded spaces like a football game or a movie theater. Maybe it might be worth it to make an offer.
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