He's been alone for over 8000 days by the time he feels the smallest tug hit his gut. At first he thinks it's the prison world spooks poking him again. The sensation that there's something eerie at the end of a darkened corridor, someone always watching just outside his window, a ghoulish hand hovering over his shoulder- retracting just as he turns around to get a good look. It really messes with his head. Even ghouls make for some form of company which is why his mind has taken to making them up wherever there's something even slightly creepy. Lack of people, mixed with deathly silence wherever he goes, means most places have something off about them. Meaning he's damn near out of his mind. When he was first zapped here he was angry, angry enough to need an empty world as an outlet. Then he was amused at the fact that his father thought the best form of Prison was an empty world. Because of said great coven leader he'd spent most of his youth isolated, how was this any different? How was this any form of punishment? Wouldn't it have been smarter to just kill him? Twenty odd years later and he finally understands. People need people, and so does he. No matter how much it kills him to admit it. Ironically after coming to terms with that he does actually kill himself. Attempt number 435 by drowning. He likes drowning. Waking up from death itself is a reset, add in water and it's what he images being baptised is like. He wakes up in a lake, face skyward,and the tugging is still there. Is he dreaming or does it feel stronger? The only company for miles around, lodged in his abdomen.
It doesn't go away. And he doesn't know if he's afraid or grateful because it's the first solid thing he can focus on since he's been here. Something beyond his control. An exciting plot twist. The one thing he does know, is that it's pulling him in a certain direction. It might be worth investigating but it also might be gas. And he's right in the middle of a treasure hunt. But it doesn't go away and a week later her's packing a bag filled with his few findings and heading to Heathrow Airport, blinking goodbye to England from the cockpit. Even without people the small country holds a certain charm. It's perfect to be alone in. Paris was supposed to be next but instead he's flying back to Portland, dumping the plane with a less-than-smooth landing and driving back to the homestead. Still covered in blood and gore, the smiley face he drew on the front door with Joey's blood seems to have rectified itself and there's nothing more than plain wood guarding the entrance again.
Nope.
Nothing different here.
But the tugging has become more insistent. Definitely stronger. Definitely not gas. Moving in certain directions seem to affect it. He's playing hot and cold with the universe and it's the most fun he's had in years. Jumping into the Grand Canyon is a close second, but there's no pain in this game. Yet. He steals another car- is it really stealing when the owner doesn't exist and the keys are in the ignition- and starts driving, using nothing but his organ as a navigator.
Seventy-two hours and seventy-three cramped muscles later he's in Virginia. What the hell is Virginia even good for? At least Portland has Tonya Harding. But the sensation in his abdomen practically sings the moment the wheels roll past the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign. A day searching the place, maybe another Ascendant has turned up, and then he'll keep on trucking. He pulls into the driveway of a large suburban house, his instincts screaming at him to stop here. He's been roped into listening to the universe, after it consistently screwed him over, but he'll listen in style. The house he's chosen is the biggest one on the street, looming over a brown doored one across the quiet road. It's practically vacant, with few signs of being lived in in the real world, so he doesn't feel like he's imposing too much. The one opposite has kids toys littered all over the lawn and a porch swing the stinks too much of homeliness.
Master bedroom. Huge bed. Almost seven whole pillows- with three tiny ones too, but who needs more than one- and he's beyond comfortable. Comfortable and relaxed aren't always the same thing as he's learning. Counting the small little indents on the white ceiling, blue under the light from the window, does nothing to lull him to sleep. It could be travel lag, the fact that he's not really used to sleeping at night anymore, or the ridiculous warmth of this State that's keeping him up. It could be any of those but Kai puts it down to that feeling, his supernatural Sat Nav, niggling at him.
He's been drifting, drifting, drifting through this world, not attached to anything and it's the first thing to stay with him. He's big enough to admit that he's worried finding the source of the feeling will leave him empty again. There's a part of him that desperately craves being so full of nothing because it means he's fortified. Being filled with nothing, means there's nothing to hurt. Nothing is also boring. Which is why there's also this small, desperate, part of him that clings to feeling something. He feeds that part with anger, snark and humour. They're easy to hold onto. They won't run away with him and leave him breathless to catch up. Control. That's what this is about.
It's even bigger of him to admit that when he hears a sudden scream he nearly weeps. From instant alarm at such a loud and unfamiliar noise, and from the fact that he doesn't recall making it. Which means someone else did.
Someone else.
He's hurtling up, dragging the covers with him and wriggling his legs to drop them onto the floor in exchange for the freedom to gawk out of the window. He takes a breath, letting it fog up the glass as he searches.
Nothing- no one- zip-
Porch lights.
The house opposite has it's porch lights on.
He definitely didn't do that.
Kai is seconds away from investigating, leading with his glowing chest, but doesn't even manage to stand before noticing the moving front door.
He feels her before he sees all of her. The smallest brown hand revealed by an opening door; half her torso and head and so on and so forth and all the while his heart is hammering out of sheer excitement.
There's another person here. How long has she been here? It's got to be recent. There's a reason he's only been pulled towards this place now. Kai's been tugged towards her. For all the times he's been a little shit, he hopes the universe can feel how utterly grateful he is right now. Not just for the fact that the he's not alone. But for the fact that his cellmate is a girl- a pretty girl. From his height he can make out her general visage, pressed against the glass and grateful for the dark room covering him, he unknowingly commits her to his memory. Black hair, possible lighter in the sun (he'll have to wait and see), dark eyes that are red with tears, and a figure that can be appreciated at any distance. An Adam and Eve type situation plays out in his mind before he can quickly concentrate again.
She looks sad. So forlorn. Definitely a recent inmate.
He's already thinking of ways to introduce himself, charming words and handsome smirks. Oh man, he sniffs himself, he needs a bath. Maybe some hair gel. Definitely some cologne. Or would that be too much? She'd totally notice too. Why else would he have a reason to wear cologne unless it was for the only other person in the world. But he could act like he didn't even know she was here. That he always happened to have outstanding personal hygiene. He could manufacture it in such a way the she found him.
A blink and there's someone else standing in front of her. There go his plans for the night. From his perch on the second storey, behind the window pane, he can hear their muffled conversation echoing around the avenue.
'Leave me alone Damon.' She glares at the newcomer. It's the first real voice that isn't his own and his neck does this involuntary spasm, that feels like someone has blown on it, as he consumes her words. They feel like music. A new song he wants to listen to over and over again until he's sick of it.
'If that's really what you want then fine I will. I will leave you alone forever, in this empty, godforsaken place. Or you can accept the fact that you're stuck with me and I'm stuck with you and there's no way back.' This guy just sounds grating.
The girl keeps up the hard stare, having wiped away her tears and trying to look formidable. He is almost certain the fact that she's the only girl he's seen in 22 years is playing a major role in how turned on he is right now. That aside, there's no denying how beautiful she is. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it. She's got this bonny quality all about her.
'Is that how you do it with Elena? You bully her into forgiving you.'
Who's Elena? Please be his girlfriend. Please be his girlfriend. Please be his girlfriend.
'What Elena and I do- or did-' there's restrained pain in his words 'is none of your business.'
Yup. Elena was his girlfriend. Kai smirks at the implication. Beautiful girl is available.
Her whole demeanour changes as Damon replies and he watches her tears break through again. Kai's picked the right time to find them. She's onto the final few stages of grief, mourning everyone she's lost. She must have cared about a lot of people to be so distraught. His memory of his own adjustment period is a little fuzzy given how drunk he was most of those years. But it also means that he's going to have to wait until she's reached acceptance before introducing himself. Once she accepts she's stuck here she'll practically jump on him. Not to be cocky but she doesn't really have many options and he's way hotter than Damon.
There's lots of apologising and and crying and before he knows it, he's being abandoned again.
That won't do. He tiptoes to his backpack and roots around for what he needs. It's not ideal being a siphon in a world that so clearly needs magic to leave. Obviously by design. He puts the Ascendant down on the bedcovers while he empties the bag to look for what he needs. Magic is the second half of that equation and there's no one here to siphon it from.
But there are things. Magically imbued objects he's spent decades collecting from all over the world. Getting out of here is the only thing keeping him going, even motivating him to learn how to fly. He's been searching for something with Bennett magic but nothing so far. Now there's something else to keep him going but currently she's- they, he means- are walking away from him. And there's no way to follow them discreetly without some magical help.
He finds the necklace and holds the cold silver in his palm. Searching for the stilted magic and drawing it out quickly. The trinket dulls visibly and he dumps it on the floor before gathering his things up quickly and bolting out of the house. They turned left at the end of the street, from there he guesses left again and then from there he hears her giggle.
An encore at the right time and he's cloaking himself as he catches up to them. Not quick enough because she glances back at the sound of his feet. He's invisible before she can spot him. And for good measure he drops back a few paces. They walk at a leisurely pace discussing how different things look, people they once knew and their uncertain future. Here's what Kai learns:
They've been here for almost five days and they are definitely not from 1994- which takes a moment for him to wrap his head around.
Damon is a vampire, it explains the speed. It took all of three minutes for Damon to bring up the subject of blood and for the girl to shut him down- again. Apparently that's what they'd been arguing about in the first place. A remembered coven warning; stay aware from vampires, they're all a bunch of bloodsucking assholes.
Elena definitely was Damon's girlfriend, and the dude sounds completely whipped when he talks about her. All the better for Kai.
Lastly, this is the third time they've fought and Bonnie has stormed away.
'You can't keep doing that.' Damon chides as they turn into a country lane.
'Trust me, I'm doing it for the both of us. Elena would never forgive me if I killed you.'
'We're already dead, how much more can you kill me.'
'We're not dead-'
And that sets off another argument. All the way down to a huge mansion that they're calling home. 'Salvatore Boarding House' he reads from the sign. But from what little he already knows of them this is more of the playful kind. They're still on good enough terms to share dinner. Damon's prepared a mess of a grilled cheese. If the way it looks is any indication to how it tastes then the girl is a saint. Kai wouldn't dare pick at it and alert them to his presence, he'll wait until their both sleeping to confirm his suspicions. The cheese is all melted wrong and the bread is soggy. But the she eats it without complaint and they chat some more about the possibilities of this world.
'I told you.' Damon drops his disappointing creation back onto the plate. 'It's hell.'
Dramatic but not too far off the point.
'Why would May 10th be hell?' The girl asks, still politely nibbling. She so clearly wants to spit it out but swallows like a champ and Kai tucks away that information.
'Cause it's a sucky day Bon.' Damon bins his leftovers and leaves the room.
That's the end of that then. But there's definitely more to his theory than Damon's letting on. From experience it's always bad people searching for redemption who are the first to assume every awful situation is hell. They keep hoping the punishment will lead to atonement. Which means Damon is hiding the real reason he thinks this is hell.
Kai moves from his hover by the counter to sit opposite the girl. It's the first time he's alone with her and can properly study her up close. The way her jaw moves as she chews, her eyebrows knit together as she thinks. His only question is, what is she thinking? And her name is Bon- that information didn't slip by him.
Bon.
Bonnifer?
Bonnibel?
Bonster?
Bon Bon?
No sane parent would name their child Bonnifer. And she looks, walks and talks like she came from sane people. Inside the house, under the light from the kitchen fireplace and few candles, her notices that her eyes are actually green. It's the last thing he studies before he can feel the magic begin to fade and has to drag himself out of the house, hopping out of an open window to avoid making a noise. It wouldn't matter anyway. As he passes by the study he can see Damon already drunk on half a bottle of bourbon.
Yikes.
Overcompensating much?
Kai knows his way back to their homestead and heads back to his own residence with something akin to excitement bubbling in his chest.