Є002

[forgetyourusedtobe]

Who: Elena Gilbert and YOOUUU!!!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: SS Starstruck if you wanna??
When: rite meow!!!

I just want to say that I really appreciate everyone's who's answered my questions about this place, but now that I've had a little time to get settled, [and stop silently panicking] I'm curious about what home is like for everyone.

And since you've been here, have you seen anything like home?

[And since she doesn't really expect to be able to ask and not give an answer herself,]

My world's nothing all that special probably in comparison to some of yours. It's 2012, Earth, with modern-day technology that's nowhere near as advanced as all of this. I live in Mystic Falls, Virginia in a country called the United States.

We do have magic, but I can't do any of it. I only know about it because my best friend was a witch. [And it's invaded every part of her life for the past couple of years, but ssshhh.] Magic where I come from has a balance, it's rooted in nature and spirits of ancestors. So the further down the line of witches you are, the more power you can have. But you have to maintain the balance of nature or the spirits of your ancestors will cut you off.

There are other kinds of magic, but they're bad news and not something you want to mess with. It has some really bad consequences for the user since it ignores maintaining the balance.

[And she leaves it there. She's not willing to out herself as a vampire or acknowledge the existence of other supernatural beings beyond witches and spirits.]

Comments

[redactions]

Pleasure to meet you Elena. James Barnes. Most people call me Jim.

[ He falls silent, listening and noting. ]

That's all right — just wanted to know if your world was anything close to mine. Seems like it is, except for the magic. Ours has - had - aliens.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

I'm guessing they weren't little green men?

[redactions]

[ He actually laughs, having not expected that rejoinder. ]

Nah, taller'n nastier. Bent on invading us.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

[She smiles at his laugh. She wasn't expecting it.]

Figures. I take it they've gone back home though and Earth is safe or we'd be having a very different conversation.

[redactions]

That we would. Here's hopin' they're not coming back, and nobody else up there gets any bright ideas.

[ The World Security Council had been perfectly willing to nuke New York. If there'd been a bigger army, or anything had gone wrong — this would also be a very different conversation. ]

[forgetyourusedtobe]

At least you guys would be ready for it, right?

[She's hoping, anyway. It'd be bad to just have aliens attack and survive it, but not do anything to be ready just in case something came back.]

[...She's also slightly surprised at herself for accepting this as reality for him so easily, but she's in space, so...]

[redactions]

[ ha ha ha considering Natasha practically had to browbeat him into putting on the uniform again, and the Avengers these days are scattered with their own lives, but, ]

Yeah. We would be.

[ He hopes. Fury would have something up his sleeve, if nothing else. ]

Anyway — I was thinking, there might be a pattern to who they like to bring here. We don't all look that different from each other.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

There probably is.

[There usually is with things like this, anyway, right?]

It's a reality TV show, so they probably want at least certain personality types.

[redactions]

[ Lightly, ] ... Wonder what that says about our personalities.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

[She grins, nose crinkling a little.]

As long as I'm not the Bitchy One, I think I'm generally okay with whatever it says about mine.

[redactions]

The... what, pardon?

[ Someone isn't caught up on high school cliches. ]

[forgetyourusedtobe]

You know. There's always the kind of unspoken roles people take on reality shows. There's usually a Bitchy One that's always causing drama, a Ditzy One who doesn't get it, and usually a really Cool One that everyone likes and wants to see win.

They try to build a narrative around that stuff while claiming it's all spontaneous and real with no editing to make it look a certain way.

[redactions]

[ He snorts. That he's more than familiar with. ]

Yeah, I hear ya. S'pose it's the same here since we're on TV. Who knows, you might've lucked out and get to the be plucky ingénue and have plenty of opportunity to show some moxy.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

[Okay, she has to laugh at the word "moxy." It's one of those laughs that actually makes it to her eyes, her nose crinkling a little.]

You think I've got enough sass in me for that?

[redactions]

Now, see, if I say yes I'm butterin' ya up, and if I say no — [ he trails off, meaningfully, and then laughs. ] you tell me.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

[Elena makes an exaggeratedly innocent face as she shrugs.]

I guess you'll just have to find out.

[redactions]

I think I have a pretty good idea already.

[ It's a grumble, but the note of amusement hasn't left his voice. ]

I'd prob'ly be the grouchy one.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

You don't seem that grouchy to me.

[redactions]

I might be biding my time, who would know?

[forgetyourusedtobe]

It'd be a good mid-season finale twist at least. I'm sure it'll be the most talked about thing on the... [She's about to say internet, but do they even have that in space technically?] Whatever the equivalent of the internet is around here.

[redactions]

[ He laughs again. ]

I'm sure you'll be the one pullin' in the ratings. [ a beat ] Were you in school before you got here?

[forgetyourusedtobe]

Yeah, just started my sophomore year at college.

[She was hoping it would be less complicated than her freshman year, but that doesn't seem to really be happening. Especially now that she's found herself here.]