♬ karaoke party ♪

[deformiwhats]

“Welcome to Caritas!”

That’s what you’ll hear when you make your way down the stairs into the Karaoke Club. Dark and atmospheric, with glowing tables and a stage that faces the bar, if the sights don’t make it obvious this is a karaoke bar, the crooner up on the stage will.

He’s dressed to the nines in a cream suit, deep purple shirt shining under it as he belts away, welcoming you in. He apologizes for the intrusion, but it seems the ship wanted more than just his beautiful, sultry voice.

“My name’s Lorne, and I’ll be your host for tonight! So hit the bar and drink in your courage, Sailors. Because you might not be able to leave until you give us a show!” That's all he gives you before slipping into what he thinks is a pretty appropriate tune for the occasion.

If you didn’t come here by choice, hopefully Lorne’s words will give you a hint? The ship is hungry for bad belting. For some, the door will reappear after they chirp a few bars. For others, a few songs are required.

Some people have even gone up, struck with the strong feeling that they must do so, even if they’d been railing against singing at all just a minute ago. The ship just really wants everyone to sing and enjoy themselves, OK?

Comments

[easily]

"Nothing's going on except me simply not knowing who you are. But you know who I am. I suppose it's one of the multiple universes thing -- you would think the Rifts would of left me more used to that."

Except most of the people she met in Chicago from Mystic Falls hadn't known her either -- except for Stefan who she obviously already knew. So she's never really gone through this scenario before.

[otherwise]

Matt holds out his hands. "Okay, what? Rifts?"

Elena had said something about rifting or whatever that was, but it had gone in one ear and out the other, the information she was sharing with him drowned out by the immense relief that filled him upon realizing that Elena was human again.

"It's me, Rebekah. Matt? The guy whose truck you ran off the road? Your brother broke my hand for the fun of it? Ringing any bells?"

[easily]

"In Chicago -- or an alternate future version of it." Rebekah had been arguing with her brother back in the 1920s version of the city when she showed up in the one full of rifts. She never got daggered, never woke up ninety years in the future and because of that never met Matt.

"I don't know you, nor do I remember any of those things though if Nik only broke your hand you're probably getting off lucky."

Because as far as she knows, Kol hasn't been undaggered. Let alone killed.

[otherwise]

"Kol broke my hand," he holds up the appendage in question, as if whatever happened to the bone and tissue hasn't long mended itself or been repaired in the wake of his Gilbert ring revival, "not Klaus."

[easily]

"Kol did it?" She asks in confusion. Because he was definitely still in his coffin last she knew. When did that change....

[otherwise]

"Yeah, he did."

Matt had recently acquired a new vervain bracelet and was busy unhooking it from around his wrist. He set it aside on one of the nearby tables.

"If you don't believe me, compel me to tell the truth."

[easily]

It surprises her when he takes off the vervain -- she doesn't remember him but he clearly trusts her implicitly -- not something she's used to from anyone, let alone a human.

She let's her eyes meet his, her eyes dilating as she speaks.

"Tell me, how did we first meet?"

[otherwise]

It can take some time for Matt to trust someone, and he doesn't trust easily. But once you have his trust, it's hard to shake it. That's one of the reasons Matt was the last one standing (with Damon, albeit for reasons Matt viewed as far more selfish than his own) when it came to saving Elena from herself and having faith that she was still in there, somewhere.

"In the gym," he answers. "We were both there when your brother killed Tyler and made him turn."

[easily]

"Made him turn? Caroline's boyfriend?"

The Tyler she had been vaguely aware of in Chicago had never been turned into a hybrid. So this is of course all new information for her.

"And later Nik undaggers Kol?"

[otherwise]

"Yes. Snapped his neck, fed him Elena's blood so he didn't die like the others."

Matt wasn't always kept in the loop when it came to these kids of things, but he knew that much. Actually, a lot of what he knew he found out from Rebekah herself.

He nods. "Not just Kol. Everyone."

[easily]

"I had heard he finally broke the curse."

Stefan had told her that much, at least. The turning hybrids and Elena's blood role in it? Not so much.

Her eyes widen. "Even Finn?"

Finn hasn't been out of that coffin in like forever. Not that anyone really missed him. Or cared...

[otherwise]

Would they care if they knew Matt was the one to drive that stake through his heart?

"He did," and he killed a lot of people in the process. All so he could turn into even more of a monster than he already was.

A nod. "Yes. Even Finn."

[easily]

Maybe? It's debatable.

"Stefan didn't tell me much about what happened after I was undaggered, I had no idea."

She can't help but wonder what he might be keeping from her.

[otherwise]

"Stefan and his brother aren't big on sharing."

Is that a bitter note in his voice? You bet.

[easily]

"So you know the Salvatores as well."

Sorry Matt, this is going to be like the worst game of twenty questions.

[otherwise]

"Yes. Damon Salvatore turned my sister and Stefan killed her."

Those are his most prominent connections to them, even if there are shaper ones to be found in Elena and Caroline. They killed his sister. He'll never forget that.

[easily]

"Why did he kill her?"

Not that she's surprised to hear Stefan did -- she knew him back when he was the ripper but these days he seems to try to be more discerning.

[otherwise]

"She was new. She attacked Elena."

In Vicki's defense, Damon's impulse turning of a drug addict was not the best choice ever -- but when were any of Damon's choices good choices? It would've taken time for Vicki to adjust, patience and understanding that neither brother seemed willing to give her. Sure, it sounded like Stefan had tried, but the moment Elena's life was threatened, he opted to end Vicki's.

Matt refused to believe that had been the only choice, but he also knows he likely doesn't have the whole story.

[easily]

"Ah. Elena. That would do it."

Stefan had hidden Elena's existence from Rebekah at first in Chicago -- which led to Rebekah discovering her at a ball where she mistook her for Katherine, tried to attack her until her rift change kicked in and Rebekah turned into a little white kitten.

She is well aware of the lengths people go to protect Elena -- whether Elena herself wants them to or not.

[otherwise]

"She doesn't need them to protect her."

And that's not just because she's a vampire in his time. Elena's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. The Salvatores just don't give her a chance to do it. They always have to be her knights in shining armor whether she wants them to or not.

[easily]

"No, but they tend to insist on doing it anyway. She's more than capable herself."

This Rebekah lacks the venom the one he knew might use when it comes to Elena. While they weren't friends they had been allies more than a few times. It left them on better terms, if nothing else.