paradisa | ℙ the eleventh;

[ETA: Once the Salvatores left, Katherine filtered this from anyone from Mystic Falls.]

[The voice on the journal is clear and with purpose. There will be a direct point to be made.]

I'm opening an academy here in a month. Hopefully, it will be something to help everyone here. We're here together and maybe it's not the easiest thing to handle, but we're all fully capable of taking care of ourselves. Why not lend a bit of that real-world experience and knowledge to others.

If you're interested in teaching or are looking to learn something specific - please, let either myself, Tess Mercer, or Lilah Morgan know. I've already spoken to a few of you and I truly believe that this is going to be something beneficial to everyone here.

Ezio ]

If you're free this afternoon, I'd love to spend some time with you. I have something I'd like to share.

---

Neal Caffrey ]

I was wondering if you'd join me for drinks this evening?

---

[With that taken care of, Katherine can be found in the city. Pick a place and she's there.]

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And the important thing is living.

[he gets it. he does. It's not the choice he would have made, but he can't blame her for making it.]

At the time, yes. [She was young and maybe foolish, but no one dreams of being sacrificed at eighteen.]

There are advantages to being a vampire, other than an eternity to figure out if you made the right choice. One of them is being able to close off my emotions, to not feel the hurt and remorse of a life that's been lived for as long as I've had one.

[She glances to him, her head tipping slightly.] The castle -- when it makes me human it strips that ability away from me. It's how I was when we were in Paris and why being in Paris was much different than being here.

That's a hard way to live -- not letting the world effect you.

It's how I survived. I couldn't stop to let the world effect me.

[he nods slowly]

I can't imagine you can keep it out forever.

[she mentioned that Paris had been different, but what about what happened in between? Neal can't imagine what that would feel like, the ability to turn off whatever he's feeling. Would he still be able to read people? Would it make him better or worse than he already was?

He couldn't imagine why you would, though he's sure that being a vampire comes with an entirely different set of regrets.]

I don't know if I could do it. Just turn it off, I mean.

[it's hard to tell if it's a compliment or a statement, but it's not negative. His tone makes that clear enough.]

It's never an easy choice, but as a vampire everything is heightened. Every emotional response, every feeling -- along with the advantages of strength and speed, it heightens everything.

It's hard to not only have those feelings stay with you for centuries, but for them to be the strongest you've ever felt.

It's... it's easier to keep them out, than to let them be a weakness.

[there's a small ghost of a smile at that]

I would probably be a pretty terrible vampire, in that respect. No matter how many times people tell me my emotions will get me in trouble, I never really listen. Even when I should.

[She smiles at him.]

We don't have to turn them off, but I'm sure if you care now -- being a vampire would just make that even stronger.

[She pauses, taking a sip of her wine.] Do you want to know anything? I won't keep secrets from you.

[there's a pause]

I hate to be cliche, but I take it this isn't Bela Lugosi's version of a vampire?

This is not Bela Lugosi's version of a vampire.

I can eat, I can drink whatever I wish - but I do need to keep a healthy supply of blood as part of my diet in order to keep my body functioning. But, it does function exactly the same way as yours does.

Interesting.

[he's used to thinking of vampires as ... not living. It's interesting to know that they can blend in that well]

To be honest, vampires were never really my ... scene. My frame of reference isn't that broad.

There are quite a few variations in the castle, but I only know the most about myself.

I have something for you. It's an assurance of sorts that regardless of what the castle does to me, I'll never be able to hurt you.

[raises an eyebrow]

Oh?

[She reaches into the pocket of her jacket, retrieving the small vial of vervain infused water.]

This is water, but it also contains a potent herb called Vervain. It will stop the ability for one of my kind to compel you, also make your blood something I cannot drink.

I need you to take it every day. Without fail.

[reaches forward to take it from her, studying it for a moment]

To protect me?

Yes. Not just from me, because I'm sure you don't trust that I'd willingly hurt you -- but this castle, others from my world -- I'd sooner know that you're safe, than not.

[nods]

Should I mix it in anything?

It's a bit bitter, so you can mask the taste in coffee if you want, but most people don't notice it.

I'll keep that in mind.

Good. Now, there's no sense in letting this wine go to waste.

That would be a tragedy.

[And then they enjoy the bottle of wine and perhaps some food and just chat for the rest of the evening.]

ℙ the eleventh;

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