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[itchtokill]

"Kol, here. I'm busy tormenting someone or otherwise causing mayhem around Wonderland. Leave a message!"

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nighttime, 9/3

[alsoagirl]

[ Jessica feels older somehow, much wearier, like she'd just had one of those rare but major wake-up calls every person has a few times in their life. Considering hers was probably going to be lasting longer than a normal human lifespan, she's almost afraid to think of how many more she'll have to deal with.

Until then, though, she needs someone with way more years of experience under his belt to give her some guidance and help her work through things, human and vampire. ]

Hey Kol. Can I come see you at some point tonight? Could use somebody to talk to if you've got the time.

[ She had the foresight to ask first, for once, instead of showing up unannounced. See? She's growing! ]

[itchtokill]

[He's heard about the death, the one his sister had to make sure wasn't his doing when it happened. He can't blame her, it was absolutely a concern, but he's kept his nose clean in Wonderland thus far. He's got his projects keeping him busy just yet.

And there's also Jessica. She is a rather frequent visitor.]

Yeah, sure. Come by whenever, luv. You all right?

[He's not entirely sure he's the best pep talk type, but he's taken a liking to her all the same, so he humors moments like this either way.]

[alsoagirl]

...Not really.

[ She doesn't add anything else, sending the message off and tucking her device into her jeans. If she starts typing everything out, she'll never make it to him. There's too much.

About twenty seconds later, she's down at his room, knocking lightly on the door. At least he had a sign that an avalanche of a talk was coming, because Lord knows she normally would've sent him about twenty more messages by now. ]

[itchtokill]

[It's the lack of rapid-fire pages of messages that say more than anything. He doesn't waste any time opening the door and letting her in.]

So, what's going on? [He has ideas, but they're guesses.]

[alsoagirl]

[ And she wastes no time going inside, immediately making a beeline for his couch. She flops down and the tears are already halfway down her cheeks before her butt even hits the cushions. ]

There's so much shit, I dunno where to even begin!

[ She sniffles, wiping at her eyes with her shirt. Ruining his upholstery is so not on her itinerary tonight. ]

You know that network post? About the death? [ Her lip trembles and her head droops with a vague wave of her hand. She's sure he can fill in the rest. ] That woman's like a mama to me. And to have to see her like that? Why her?

[itchtokill]

[He pushes the door shut after her and trails a bit behind her to the living room, watching with an almost astonished sort of concern. Mostly because he can't fathom being so upset over a death he knows would be temporary.

He perches on the arm of the chair nearest the end of the couch she's claimed.]

I heard about it, but I don't really understand what happened. Who did it?

[alsoagirl]

[ She groans in frustration. ] That's what I wanna know! Course, the only goddamn witness was a fuckin' vampire-hatin' asshole I was prayin' had disappeared by now.

[ With another groan, she flops back into the cushions fully. ] Somebody attacked 'em and killed her in the process. Go figure the shittier person lives.

[itchtokill]

Oh, I bet I know who you're talking about. [He's come across no less than two supernatural bigots so far, so it's not a hard guess. Although Seth is definitely the wrong assumption, and absolutely the one he has in mind.]

But there's no lead on who attacked them? Or why?

[alsoagirl]

Well, least I know he gets around. Not fuckin' surprised. [ Huff. ] But no. I tried glamourin' him and he didn't know shit. Can't even be useful that way!

[ Suddenly, she snickers incessantly, even if she's still crying up a storm at the same time. ] Least he tasted good.

[itchtokill]

Always a pain when compelling the answer isn't even useful. [So often, it really is the biggest shortcut to answers in cases like that.]

You bit him? [He sounds amused, like he's barely holding back a chuckle of his own.] No lasting damage, yeah? [Last thing he needed was some idiot with a stake gunning for the baby vampire. Though it could still happen with something as simple as a little nibble, too.]

[alsoagirl]

[ She pouts, but she's mostly fighting a smile. Funny how talking about eating people can really bring out the happiness in a girl. ] I was hungry! 'Sides, he deserved it. Shouldn't've been such an asshole.

[ Despite sounding so nonchalant about the situation, she's not so sure about any "lasting damage." So she'll just kind of...be vague. ]

Doubt anything'll come of it. Like, what's he gonna do? Bite back?

[itchtokill]

I'm not scolding you, and I'm the last person you need to explain yourself to, darling. [Frankly, it's a miracle he hasn't done more damage in Wonderland so far, himself.]

Wouldn't be be very effective, would it? [He laughs.]

[alsoagirl]

God, sorry. [ She laughs a bit, shaking her head. ] I keep forgettin' you're actually cool and won't yell at me for feedin' on somebody. 'Specially since I didn't really ask him for permission...

[ Not that he deserved the choice! It was easy to justify eating people when they were bad and all.

Jessica breathes out, calmer now. Still upset, yes, but at least the tears have stopped. ]

I dunno. I just get this weird feelin' about him. His hate boner for vampires seems bad as the one my ex's mama had.

[itchtokill]

Do you think the humans ask cattle for their permission to turn them into hamburgers? [He snickers at how ludicrous the idea is.

He shrugs a bit, leaning forward on his knees a bit.] People don't like things they don't understand. Our kind are...sorely misunderstood, unfortunately.

[alsoagirl]

[ That question puts a strange look on her face. ] Umm. Maybe if they're kinda weird...?

[ Still, he's got a point there. Maybe she's the weird one for asking politely for her food. It's not like it'd be terribly difficult to snack and run when she could glamour somebody and heal the fang marks.

Jeez. Kol always got her thinking about interesting vampire things. ]

I know what you mean. [ She puffs out a sigh. ] But I probably didn't make shit better by bitin' him. I'm supposed to be one of the good vampires, y'know? [ There's a small flail of her arms. ] He needs to stop pissin' me off so goddamn much!

[itchtokill]

[He's a great teacher, really. She needs to think about the important things! Lean into her new-found nature a bit more.]

But you made sure he wouldn't tell anyone, didn't you? [Surely she didn't need an active, hands-on lesson in why compulsion was necessary in these sorts of situations.]

[alsoagirl]

[ Jessica presses her lips together. She's sensing she's done something wrong here. ]

Well. I...glamoured him. Yeah.

[ There's a pause. ]

I told him to say he offered if anyone asked about the fang marks. So it's kinda like not tellin'. Right?

[itchtokill]

How did you word it, exactly? [He sounds....cautious, might be the best word for it.]

[alsoagirl]

Er. [ Shit. It's not like she really thought it through at the time. The blood was still pretty distracting. She speaks slowly as she tries to remember what she said. ] Like I said, I told him to say he offered if anybody asked. And, uhh...deep down to know that I did it 'cause he deserved it.

[ She shrugs helplessly. She felt pretty cool afterwards! ]

[itchtokill]

Do you think he'd mention that? That last bit, about- uh, deserving it? [The more he considers it, the more he realizes he has absolutely no clue how her glamour works.] How specific to your instructions are the people you glamour, usually?

[alsoagirl]

Um, I dunno. Maybe I could've been more specific? I try to be, normally.

[ Yep. She done goofed. Jessica whimpers for a moment before throwing her hands up. YOU'RE NOT HER DAD, KOL. ]

Shit, I dunno! I just wanted to fuck with him some! I didn't know I had to read him a goddamn instruction manual!

[ Pouting hard, she lowers her arms so she can cross them tight. ] If he says somethin', I'll just glamour him again. He's so not the badass he must think he is.

[itchtokill]

Christ, Jess, I'm not scolding you, I'm just trying to figure out if this might backfire! [She's not the only one with a short, snappy temper, okay?]

[alsoagirl]

Who says it's gonna backfire? He already ran off with his tail between his legs like he's s'posed to!

[ Because since when do humans try to fuck with vampires? Pshaw! ]

I'm done lettin' people scare me, 'specially people like him.

[itchtokill]

Yeah, all right. [He mutters, still annoyed, words clipped and short. She doesn't understand, and he supposes some of it may be the fact she's still so young, but it's not really an excuse. Not when he's right here for her to learn from.]

You've no reason to fear anyone. And if anyone tries to scare you, I'll rip out their spine with my teeth.

[alsoagirl]

[ She's prepared to be super annoyed right back, since she's so good at it. Until there was talk of ripping out spines, anyway. Jessica sputters. ]

Jesus fuckin' Christ, Kol! Nobody needs their spine bit up!

[ Even if it is weirdly touching that he cares so much to want to kill someone. ]