Fandom Would You Take My Regrets?---Vampire Diaries {Private}

[Insanity Awakened 18]

This is a private Vampire Diaries RP between me and Saltwater Bound
Lurker are welcome ​

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy didn't remember exactly when he managed to get a hold of the list that was floating around Mystic Falls. He wasn't quite sure what to call it or what it was even for, but after studying it carefully, he finally realized what it was. Somehow this list held the names of every supernatural being that happened to be in Mystic Falls. At least that was the conclusion he that he came to after recognizing a couple of familiar names. He wasn't sure who had put this list together, let alone how he managed to find it, but he knew that he had to act. There had to be a reason these names were on this list, so if he was going to keep his family and his friends safe, he would need to get to work.

Jeremy had to wait for Elena to leave the house with Damon before he was able to get to work. He got the usual things that he would need to deal with a vampire. A couple of steaks, a vervain grenade just in case, and he was ready to go. He had lied to his sister and told them that he would be out late with Matt and not to wait up for him. With his alibi in place, he made sure to double check the first name on the list he received and he was on his way.

Jeremy didn't exactly remember where the woman lived at first. Mystic Falls wasn't that big of a town, so eventually he got to where he needed to be. After he managed to break into the house, all he had to do at that point was wait. While he waited, it gave him some time to look over the other names on the list. What surprised him was the fact that Klaus and some of the other Originals happened to be on the list. Whoever put this list together did know that there were only so many ways to kill them didn't they? He hoped that was the case, but he didn't think about that for too long. After folding up the list and putting it in his back pocket, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized that his target had arrived home. He wasn't sure how things would play out, but he knew one thing for sure. The only way he was leaving this house would be after he managed to kill the vampire

Jeremy thought that he picked his hiding spot rather well. He had hidden himself away in a hallway closet. He knew there was the chance that the vampire might need to grab something from there or put something away when they got home, but all things considered,he thought he'd be able to catch them by surprise. It was a couple feet away from the front door after all, so after he heard them enter the house, he waited until he could hear them making their way over. Once they were right where he wanted them, he sprang out of the closet, tackling them. He hoped that he'd be able to catch them off guard, but if not, he would make sure to put up one hell of a fight. Either way, he was determined to make sure that Mystic Falls has one less vampire to worry about.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Denise Pierce Canessa​

Denise thought that the deal she and Damon came to was working out splendidly. Well, she imagined that it was anyway. All that happened was the vampire would bring her the names, she would disrepute those names to her informants, and now she was waiting for someone to come looking to her for a deal. She could only hope that the names got to the right people anyway. Otherwise she would have to have some strong words with her informants. As she hung out at the Mystic Grill, however, that was the last thing on her mind. After seating herself at the bar, she ordered herself a drink and she waited.

Denise didn't have to wait for very long until she felt the familiar pull telling her that someone was looking to make a deal. She downed the shot of whiskey she got before taking off out of the grill to appear in front of the poor sucker. While she thought they were there because of the list, it turned out that wasn't the case at all. Instead, it turned out they were there for different reasons. The demon was almost pissed off enough to turn them away, but after giving him a quick once over, she decided she might as well hear them out. The deal was like many others. He was looking to make a record deal. He needed that extra boost, so there he was. The deal itself wasn't very thrilling, but if anything else, she would be able to use him for what he had before kicking him to the curb.

Denise gave the usual terms that she gave everyone else before she ended up sealing the deal. The man in question was baffled when she suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt and planted a firm kiss on his lips, but after the deal was done, she ended up bringing him back to the Mystic Grill with her. He had ended up interrupting her drinking after all, so it was only fair that he treat her to some shots right? As they waited for their drinks, she took a moment to light a cigarette, causing him to let out a light chuckle as she sat on his lap, shaking his head lightly.

"I don't think they're going to like you doing that here." he pointed out as Denise took a drag from her cigarette before turning to face him, blowing smoke in his face before she smiled. "Oh, I forgot to tell you? They let me do whatever I want here." she said, letting out a light chuckle of her own before she turned back towards the bar tender as he brought them their drinks. "Thanks hun." she said, winking slightly at the bar tender before she downed the shot that she got. While tonight's deal didn't go quite as planned, at least she'd still have her fun.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Bella Talbot
​

Bella couldn’t wait to get home and flop down on the couch. She’d spent most of the day visiting a witch; one of the few she knew who didn’t hate her kind with a fiery passion. Out of nowhere, a hunter – or potentially several hunters – had started killing vampires. And not vampires like Kol, who flaunted their immortality every chance they got. All the victims so far had been pretty low-key undead, like her. Bella had no idea how the murderer or murderers could’ve known about their status, so she was taking precautions: instead of a daylight ring, she’d asked the witch to make her a daylight necklace that she could hide under her neckline. It wasn’t much, but it was the only thing she could think of doing.

“Leo!” Bella called out after turning the key and stepping into her house. She glanced around the hallway. Strange. Her cat was pretty affectionate and he usually came to greet her right away. She took a few more steps, allowing her a line of sight into the living room, and saw him hiding under the couch. Just as she opened her mouth to ask what was going on, she heard a noise coming from the closet behind her – and she turned around just in time to have someone jump and tackle her, smacking the back of Bella’s head into the hardwood floor. “Jesus, ow,” she moaned, before snapping back into reality: someone was in her house, and, more importantly, now on top of her with what looked like a stake in his hand.

With the speed and strength that immortality had given her, Bella flipped them around. Now on top of the intruder, she pinned his wrists to the ground, squeezing them hard in an attempt to get him to let go of the stake. “Who the hell are you?” Bella hissed, “and how the hell did you find me?”

Stefan Salvatore​

Stefan had been contemplating how he was going to handle their latest problem all day: the supernatural hitlist that he’d inadvertently gave Damon and a demon the idea for. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Stefan had also spent about ten minutes trying to talk to Damon about taking responsibility and putting an end to all this. Unfortunately, since his older brother had been sipping bourbon in the living room since about 10AM, that hadn’t gone over particularly well. So Stefan had gone back up to his room, but all he could think of was going to the demon girl, to get her to put an end to all this. He figured it would go about as well as his conversation with Damon, but he had to try.

Which is why he was now at the Mystic Grill, after a heads up from Matt via text. Typical. He hadn’t bought for a second that Jeremy was hanging with Matt instead of taking advantage of this hitlist. Stefan let out a short sigh before heading over to the bar, where Denise was sitting on someone’s lap. Without a doubt some regular human who’d just sold his soul to her, like so many people – or beings, whatever you wanted to call them – were doing now.

“Leave,” Stefan simply said after locking eyes with the guy. He looked pretty dumbfounded as to why he would leave a hot girl just because some other dude told him to, but he left regardless. Vampirism could be a curse, but at least compulsion was pretty great. Then, Stefan turned to Denise. “So… how long are you planning on keeping this up?” he enquired, trusting that she’d know full well what he was talking about. “You don’t seem like you’re have much trouble raking in the souls, so I’m sure you can quit blackmailing supernatural beings into selling themselves to you.”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy thought that he had done a decent job of catching Bella off guard. He had been about to steak her when he was suddenly flipped onto his back, causing him to groan slightly as he kept his grip on the weapon in his hands. As the blonde vampire squeezed his wrists, however, he winced as he eventually let go of the steak. If he wasn't in big trouble before, he was definitely screwed now. It was obvious that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and while he wasn't sure if the truth was going to end up getting him killed, he let out a deep sigh as he fessed up.

"My names Jeremy Gilbert. As for why I'm here, I came to make sure that no innocent people in Mystic Falls get hurt. That starts with stopping you." Jeremy said, his eyes slightly narrowing at Bella. He realized it wasn't the wisest move for him to threaten a vampire while he was defenseless, but it was the truth. Its not like he would tell her about the list that was circulating around Mystic Falls or anything. Now that would definitely end up getting him killed. He wouldn't be able to do much with her pinning him to the ground, so while his initial plan had failed, maybe he might be able to talk her into letting him go.

"Look, I'm sorry that I barged in here and almost staked you. With the recent problems that Mystic Falls has had involving vampires, I have to make sure that my family and friends are protected." Jeremy said, wincing slightly at the grip Bella still had on his wrists before he continued. "Let me go and I promise I won't come back. I'll leave you alone if that's what you want, but you have to promise me that you won't hurt anyone here." he said to her. He knew he was in no position to be making demands, but if she proved that she wasn't here to hurt anyone, then maybe he could make sure that whatever other hunters were lurking around would leave her alone too. Of course, that would only be after he was sure that she wasn't a threat to the people that he cared about or anyone else.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Denise Pierce Canessa​

Denise hadn't noticed Stefan when he first walked into the Mystic Grill. That was because she had been whispering something in the man's ear before letting out a light chuckle. When the vampire walked up to the bar though, she couldn't help raising an eyebrow. What was he doing here? She was about to tell him that she was busy, but in that moment, he managed to compel her latest victim into leaving. "What did you do that for? That was my entertainment for the night." she said, finishing off her cigarette before crossing her arms. She got along with the vampire in front of her just fine, but if he didn't have a good explanation for getting rid of her entertainment, she was going to be very pissed off.

Denise let out a heavy sigh as soon as Stefan hinted at what she and Damon were doing. Of course he was here to talk about that. As she took a moment to light another cigarette, she turned her head and blew the smoke to the side before she turned her focus towards the vampire completely, giving a light shrug before she answered. "I guess I could, but where would the fun be in that." she said with a light smirk. "Besides, you and the rest of your friends aren't even involved. Even with Damon insisting I save a spot for the Bennett witch." she said, motioning for the vampire to sit down next to her. He did scare away her interest for the evening, so the least he could do was keep her company. After waiving down the bar tender once again, she turned to look at the vampire once again.

"I'll consider stopping. If you give me enough of a good reason anyway." Denise said, the light smirk staying on her face as she continued. "I don't have a problem making deals on my own, but what is happening is a deal that Damon has made. Get him to agree in stopping and I will too." she said as her smirk turned into a grin. "You have plenty of time to do that later though. You scared off my friend for the night, so you are going to stay right there and have a couple of shots with me." she said as the bar tender came back with some drinks. If she was being completely honest, the Deadpool was becoming rather boring. While she would like to put things to a close, the only way she'd be able to do that is if his brother agreed. He was the one who made the deal, so he would be the only one who could end it.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Bella Talbot ​

Bella frowned when the intruder started talking, torn between confused and insulted. Stopping her? Stopping her from what? Sure, she robbed blood banks and lied about her birth year – but to someone who was aware of vampires, surely those issues weren’t high up on the priority list? Especially since the first one was specifically so she wouldn’t have to harm humans, and the second one was just so she wouldn’t be thrown into an asylum.

When he apologized, explained himself and visibly winced, Bella released her grip a little; although his reasoning was flawed, it was relatable. But then he demanded a promise that she wouldn’t hurt anyone, and her eyes immediately narrowed. Bella leaned in threateningly to the point where blonde curls were falling around his face. “Unless they break into my home, scare the hell out of my poor old cat,” Bella glanced into the living room, where Leo was still under the couch, “and literally try to jam a wooden stake into my heart, humans have very little to worry about from me. You don’t have to blackmail me into not hurting people.”

Bella shook her head in disbelief. “And you would’ve known that if you actually knew who I was. Look, multiple friends have been killed these past few days. Unless you think stealing from blood banks is punishable by death, none of them deserved it either.” Her angry glare involuntarily softened. “I appreciate you looking out for your family, but I need to look out for mine too. Which is why I can’t let you go until I know how you’re finding us.”

Stefan Salvatore​

Stefan involuntarily flashed the demon a small smirk when she started laying into him. He was never quite sure if the way she spoke was flirting or just her sense of humor – who knew what was considered normal behavior in hell – but despite their current issues, he did enjoy her company. He smiled at Matt and simply gestured to order his usual as he leaned against the bar. Then, he turned back to face Denise. “Come on, you’re a smart woman. You’re fully aware that the problem isn’t just all the supernatural beings who are now sitting ducks for every wannabe hunter and their mom. It’s what comes next.”

Matt brought him his favorite bourbon. Stefan downed it in one shot and gestured for another; it was usually his brother who kept the Mystic Grill going, but it had been a long day. A long few days, actually. “You know just as well as I do that once the big players get wind of this list, we’re all screwed. There are entire organizations out there dedicated to wiping out the supernatural, or possibly worse, experimenting on the supernatural. That list is going to lead them to the right places and teach them how to recognize us.”

Stefan smirked back at her as he took place on the barstool next to her. “So if that’s a good enough reason for you, your advice in getting Damon on board is more than welcome. Like – telling me about the deal you guys made. And then I’ll have shots with you all night long,” he added, pretending that was a sacrifice.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy realized that he messed up big time by charging into Bella's house and trying to kill her without finding out too much about her first. He just thought with the way the list had come out that all the people on the list had to be a threat to Mystic Falls. Upon hearing her words, however, he realized how wrong he had actually been. He didn't even blame her for glaring and chewing him out. He had made a huge mistake, and while he was surprised that she hadn't just decided to kill him, he couldn't help wondering if he should tell her the truth. The more he thought about it though, the more he suspected that more people might try doing exactly what he did. After letting out a deep sigh, he decided to meet her gaze and tell her the truth.

"There is this list circulating around Mystic Falls. I'm not sure who made it or why, but it has the name of almost every single supernatural being in Mystic Falls." Jeremy said, glancing at one of his pockets before looking back towards her. "The list is in my left pocket if you want to take a look at it for yourself." he added with a light nod. He doubted that she'd let him reach for it himself. Not that he blamed her anyway, but still. At the very least, he was glad that she had loosened her grip on his wrists for now. As she still had him pinned, however, he hoped that she wouldn't end up killing him over what he did. As he waited to see what she would do though, he quickly came up with a solution that could possibly keep him from getting him killed and help her at the same time. As he waited to see if he would get the list, he figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her what he was thinking.

"I'm not sure how many other people might have this list, but from what you told me this list has probably circulated to most of the other hunters in the area. I'm not asking you to trust me, especially after what I did, but maybe we can help each other out." Jeremy said, keeping his gaze on her as he continued. "I can make sure that no one else comes around and bothers you or whoever else happens to be on the list that your friends with. All I ask is that you let me go. I know that's a lot to ask after what I just tried to do, but I promise I won't try anything." he told her. He wasn't sure if she would believe him or not, but he was telling the truth. He did really feel horrible for what he had almost done. If what she was saying was right too, then how many other innocent supernatural beings were being attacked or killed in their town? He wasn't sure, but if she agreed to this, then maybe the two of them would be able to get this to stop once and for all.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Denise Pierce Canessa​

Denise studied Stefan carefully as he started to explain that wasn't the fact that supernatural beings were in the line of fire because of the list. It's what would happen after the list. What could possibly happen that was so terrible? The demon wasn't entirely sure, but as he started to mention that this might get the wrong people's attention. Not only would said people kill or experiment any supernatural being that crossed their path, but they would be able to identify them as well. After hearing that bit of news, she started to think that maybe this whole Deadpool was a bad idea. The vampire's words were enough to convince her to stop, but as he continued, she knew their next challenge would be to get Damon to call off the deal.

"Oh, that is more than a good enough reason to call things off. I'm not about to become someone's supernatural guinea pig." Denise said before having another shot. She knew that she could easily possess someone else before that happened, but what happened if these big shots knew how to prevent that from happening? While she could care less what happened to most of the other supernatural population in Mystic Falls, she wanted to make sure that she covered her own ass before things got worse. She would make sure to look out for the people that she favored as well, but everyone else would be on their own.

"Now as far as getting Damon to board, we could always beat him into submission. It works for other demons that refuse to cooperate, so it could work on him too." Denise said with a light shrug before she continued. "The whole reason he made this deal was because not too long ago you hopped aboard the Ripper train and ended making quite a scene. Ripper Stefan is a bit of a pain in the ass, and since you are so willing to stay and take shots with me tonight, I'm feeling a little generous. We'll renegotiate the terms to keep you from adverting back to Asshole Ripper Stefan and stop the oncoming apocalypse for supernatural beings. All you have to do is keep to your word about staying for shots and everything is settled." she said with a grin. "Do we have a deal?" she asked as she looked at him. She was sure that he would agree to the terms. As far as getting replacement souls for the brothers, however, that was something she could figure out later. The sooner they stopped the Deadpool the better, but of course, that all depended on what the younger Salvatore brother ended up doing in that moment.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Bella Talbot
​

The intruder started fessing up and Bella stared at him, trying to catch him in a lie. A hitlist of supernatural beings – and it just happened to be in his pocket? She followed his gaze, but quickly looked back up. Although he seemed sincere, it could be BS. And she was not going to go out by trusting a guy who just tried to kill her. “Try anything and you will regret it,” Bella finally said. She let go of him and reached into his left pocket. Her eyes widened when she actually pulled out a piece of paper; Bella was about to start reading when it dawned on her that she was now sitting on top of him for no reason.

Bella quickly got up and firmly placed her foot on the stake she’d forced him to drop earlier. As she listened to Jeremy, she scanned the list. “I’d prefer you and your hunter friends not to kill anyone just ‘cause they’re on some list, but… there’s two people on here that I know don’t deserve it. Maya and Pamela. I don’t even like Pam, but she doesn’t deserve to die,” Bella added in a mutter. She kept the fact that she was never going to kill him to herself; she did want to compel him, but if he could help keep her safe long enough so she could put an end to this list, she could always save that for later.

Frowning, Bella kept reading the list. Something was bothering her, and after the fourth scan, it hit her. “This is almost everyone in town who either knows magic, has fangs or has fangs once a month. But two names are missing – vampires I doubt someone would overlook if they knew about this many of us. They’re not exactly subtle – and they were even born here.” Bella studied Jeremy’s face, trying to figure out if he knew who she was talking about. She was not going to give a hunter any more names of her own volition, but as a local hunter, maybe he already knew. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that those two are not on here, so I’m going to pay them a visit. Would you mind lending me this? Make up for the attempted murder a little?” Bella held up the piece of paper and flashed him a small grin.

Stefan Salvatore
​

Stefan wordlessly gestured towards Matt to keep the shots coming. He was more than happy to keep his promise to Denise; a steady supply of liquor coursing through his veins was one of the things that kept him from thinking too much about his latest Ripper-phase. It had been bad, worse even than back in the 20’s, when at least he’d kept track of the many lives he had taken. Not that it helped the victims or that it was any consolation to loved ones dealing with a gruesome, unsolved murder – but it had been a way to keep in touch with his human side, at least a little bit. A way to make sure that his humanity was still there.

This time, he’d needed Damon to make a deal. Stefan studied Denise’s face as she seemed to be thinking about his words; he couldn’t help but smirk at her answer. He clinked his glass to hers before having another shot of his own. “Good. I knew I could count on you to look after yourself. You remind me of Klaus in a way - did you know you and him can be very similar? And before you throw your next shot in my face, please do consider the amount of time I’ve spent with him, voluntarily,” he added. After tapping his fingers on the bar as he contemplated her offer, Stefan continued. “So… all I have to do is have drinks with a hot demon and handle some snarky commentary about my former Ripper ways?” He raised his eyebrows and raised his glass. “Deal.”

Stefan suddenly frowned as he realized something. “Oh, and speaking of Klaus – I saw the full list yesterday. I recognized multiple names, and I know for sure that at least one of them is an old friend of the Mikaelsons. Damon might have a beating coming either way, and you might want to take the possibility into account that Damon’s going to rat you out.” Stefan cocked his head as he looked at Denise, studying her. “Although I’m not sure why I’m warning a demon from hell about a vampire.” He smirked at her. “At least – I assume you’re more powerful than most of us regular undead beings. Are you? What are your superpowers?”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy wasn't sure what Bella was going to end up doing. While he watched her, he let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he was holding in as she let go of him. He didn't make a move to do anything, but after she got the list from his pocket, he noticed that she was still sitting on him. He was thinking that she might be paranoid that he might try something, but as she got up, it gave him a chance to stand as well, brushing himself off somewhat as he allowed her to study the list. He listened to her list off the names of people that didn't belong there, but as she continued, he couldn't help giving her a curious look.

"There are names that are missing?" Jeremy asked, looking to the list that was still in Bella's hand before looking back towards her. How could he have missed that? Then again this was the first time that he studied the list and attempted to go after someone that was on there. He wasn't sure whose names could be missing, but as he listened to the blonde vampire's description, it didn't take long for it to click for him. Maybe he would have a conversation with the brothers to see exactly what was going on. As the blonde vampire suggested keeping a hold of the list, however, he couldn't help giving her a small smile in return as he nodded.

"Yeah, you can actually keep it. I don't think I'll be needing it anymore anyway." Jeremy said, rubbing the back of his neck as he let out a light sigh. "I really am sorry about attacking you like I did. I didn't even stop to think that maybe I should have tried to talk to the people that were on it. Now that I know that they aren't on the list, I think we really only need to worry about talking to one of them." he pointed out to her. He wasn't aware of the recent Ripper bender that Stefan had been on, but even if he did, he knew that the younger Salvator wasn't capable of putting together a list like this. That left only one person for them to talk to; Damon.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Denise Pierce Canessa​

Denise was definitely looking forward to having drinks with Stefan. When he pointed that she reminded him of Klaus and that she was similar to him in a way, however, she couldn't help giving the younger Salvatore a curious look. What did he mean by that? As he suggested that she might throw a shot in his face, however, she was quick to shake her head. "Now that would just be disrespectful. That would be a waste of a shot and I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours." she said, patting his cheek as she gave him a cheeky smile. Now the demon wouldn't be giving him crap the entire time he was there, but when he agreed to stay with her, she grinned as she raised her glass as well.

"Now that is what I like to hear." Denise said, clinking glasses with Stefan once again, downing her drink before she answered. "I won't be giving you too many snarky comments about your former asshole phase anyway. I am, however, free to tease you as much as I want until I decide otherwise." she said, giving his cheek a playful jab with one of her fingers before she brought her hands back to her sides. As the frown set on the younger Salvatore's face, she couldn't help give him a slightly concerned look. Has his last shot hit him the wrong way? That's what he got for trying to keep up with a demon, but as he pointed something out to her, she was almost tempted to throw her glass across the bar.

Of course Damon would throw Denise's ass under the bus if it meant saving himself. She would have ways of keeping herself safe should Klaus or any of the others try to come after her, but at Stefan's questions, she couldn't stop the grin from coming to her face. "I guess you could say that they are similar to the powers you have with a few added perks." she said, wondering if she should show off said powers that she had. She didn't want to go making a mess out of one of her favorite places, so she would make sure to keep whatever she did contained. She had waited until the vampire got another shot in his glass, but before he was able to touch it, she looked at the glass and winked, causing a small fire to engulf the glass before it quickly went out as if nothing had happened. Of course she had other powers, but that was information she'd keep herself for the time being.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Bella Talbot
​

Bella leaned back against the wall after Jeremy apologized again. Despite vampire rage boiling inside of her, she could easily understand why he did what he did. Jeremy knew about Stefan and Damon. If the Salvatores are your main experience with vampires, it’s no wonder you’d want to protect your family at all cost. The youngest is kind but completely loses it every so often, leaving an insane trail of bodies. The other is more calculated and therefore even more fearsome. And she knew what it was like, living in fear. “I won’t say it’s fine that you jumped me – but I get it,” Bella finally said. “I can’t imagine being human and having them live a stone’s throw away. It’s bound to cloud your judgment a little, or at least make it hard to see that some of us do know the art of consistency with blood bags,” she added with a nod to her fridge. “And I think you’re right – one of them is the prime suspect.”

After kicking off her high heels, Bella headed into the closet for some comfy Converse. Her eye fell on what was on one of the shelves. Bella bit her lip. She didn’t trust him entirely – she’d be stupid to – but everyone deserved to feel safe, including him and his family. After swapping shoes, Bella turned back to face Jeremy and handed him a small pencil case. “This has about a dozen syringes filled with vervain. I have them ready just in case. It’s yours, but you gotta use it only when you have to. And if you use it on me, I’ll be really mad. Deal?”

Bella headed into the living room, gave her cat – who was still hiding under the couch – a kiss goodbye on top of his head, and then walked Jeremy out the front door. “Guess I’ll be heading over to the boarding house. I just walked past the Grill and didn’t see Damon at his usual spot.” Then she realized he’d just said we – we only need to worry about talking to one of them. “If you want to tag along, I can’t guarantee this going down without violence.” Bella looked up at him, locking gaze. She might not have wanted to hurt Jeremy, but she didn’t give everyone that courtesy. “Damon should know better.”

Stefan Salvatore
​

A smile tugged at Stefan’s lips when Denise conceded into not getting too snarky on what she referred to as his “former asshole phase”. That actually seemed like a very light-hearted way to describe a trail of bodies from Mystic Falls, Virginia all the way to… wherever they actually ended up this time. He genuinely wasn’t sure. He could lost sight of almost everything else when he turned into Stefan the Ripper: all that mattered were the kills, as bloody and gruesome as possible, with torn off heads and a Criminal Minds-level display of insanity. Then again, a demon from literal hell had probably seen a lot worse. Honestly, it was a relief to have someone be so breezy about it. Despite Denise’s semblances to Klaus – the carefree attitude and always looking out for number one, to name a few – even Klaus himself seemed to have been a little taken aback by the level of macabre this time.

“Well, good to hear that you’ll be able to keep up with us,” Stefan said, clinking yet another glass to hers before downing yet another shot. “I can tell you’re on our level when it comes to booze as well. It’s very impressive.” He flashed her a smirk while Matt got him a refill, but before he could drink more and enquire further, he got a real life demonstration of her powers.

Stefan’s eyes grew wide and he raised his eyebrows as his face was momentarily lit up by the bright flame in his shot glass. “Nope, never mind – now that is very impressive. So…” he paused for a moment, staring at the drink before looking back at her, locking eyes with the deceptively cute demon. “Magic too, huh? Pretty sure you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to vampires like Damon then,” Stefan said. He was about to bring his next drink to his lips when the door to the Mystic Grill opened and an unfamiliar group came in; five men and two women. Clothes-wise they didn’t look out of place, but their demeanor was something else: all seven menacingly scanned the crowd before taking place near the pool tables.

Stefan leaned in closer to Denise. “What do you think? Regular rednecks – or hunters?”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy felt very bad for jumping Bella. Now that he knew that they were on the same side, however, that was something they didn't need to worry about. He didn't focus on that for very long though as they were going over their list of suspects. It was now obvious to the youngest Gilbert that Damon was responsible for this. Was he working with anyone else? Why is it he left Stefan off of this Deadpool? The youngest Gilbert had a lot of questions going through his head, but all of those thoughts came to a stop as the blonde vampire walked over, handing him a pencil case. He listened to her conditions, especially the one where he wasn't to use these on her before he gave her a light smile and nodded.

"Deal." Jeremy said, making sure to stow the pencil case in his pocket before looking back towards Bella. He hadn't noticed the cat the first time he was here, but as he followed her to the living room, but when he watched the blonde vampire give the cat a kiss goodbye, he shot the cat an apologetic smile before looking back to the blonde vampire. he had only assumed that they would be going to the Salvatore residence together as they walked out of her house, so when she suggested that he could tag along, he quickly agreed.

"I'm not worried about it." Jeremy said when Bella mentioned that this visit wouldn't be violence free before nodding at her comment concerning Damon. "He should know better about a lot of things, but that hasn't stopped him from doing stupid things in the past." he said with a light shrug as he started to walk towards the Salvatore residence with the blonde vampire. "Even with Damon being Damon, I don't think that he did this on his own. If it means saving his own ass, I imagine that he'd throw them under the bus in a heartbeat." he suggested. he had no idea that the local demoness was responsible for helping him out. Then again, he hadn't stopped to notice the crossroads demon that took up residency in the town either. Either way, as they were making their way to the Salvatore residence, he hoped that there wouldn't be too much fighting on his or the blonde vampire's behalf.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Denise Pierce Canessa​

Denise didn't think that Stefan's ripper phase was that big of a deal. She didn't particularly care for Ripper Stefan, but she had seen a lot worse in her time. She had grinned when Stefan clinked his glass against hers, letting out a light chuckle when he was impressed by her showing off a little. She hadn't thought that it was that impressive, but it was amusing how the vampire next to her thought it was. As he locked eyes with her, the grin stayed on her face as she nodded at his comment. "Not at all." she said, her gaze going towards the crowd that entered the building as well. What they were wearing caused her to raise an eyebrow, but upon hearing the vampire's suggestion, she turned her gaze over to him.

"I was thinking lumberjack convention. Most hunters don't travel in packs like that. Especially lady hunters." Denise said before she down her shot. "I don't think we have anything to worry about. Not unless they start going at people with the pool sticks anyway." she added with a light shrug. Even with that in mind, she would make sure to keep a close eye on Stefan. She may have looked after herself first, but she liked his company. If any of those wannabe lumberjacks tried to mess with him, she'd make sure that they regretted it.

Denise watched one of the bartenders other than Matt walk over and set a drink in front of her, nodding towards the ominous group to the side as he said that they bought it for her. "Aww, isn't that sweet." she said, eyeing the drink suspiciously. Maybe they really were hunters. She didn't get the distinct sent of Vervain from it, so there was still a chance that it could be spiked with holy water. She knew that it would look suspicious if she didn't drink it either, but before she could do anything about it, the drink had been 'accidentally' spilled on her. She immediately felt the effects of the holy water, causing her to swear as she stood up from her chair as the 'lumberjack convention' was now looking at her. She wasn't sure what Stefan was going to do, but she was definitely pissed off.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Stefan eyed the drink that the lumberjack onvention so kindly purchased for her as suspiciously as Denise. He didn’t smell any vervain, but then again, that particular poison only applied to vampires; come to think of it, he wasn’t sure what worked on demons. He was about to open his mouth to share his train of thought, when of course Denise had already found a solution by “accidentally” spilling the drink on herself. Based on her reaction, he assumed it had indeed been mixed with whatever the demon-version of vervain was.

A flood of anger rushed through him and he exchanged a quick glance with Denise. “They’ll pay for that,” Stefan muttered under his breath. With darkening eyes, he scanned the room. Luckily, it was a weeknight, and it was still pretty early in the evening: the only employees currently working were Matt and the guy who brought over the drink from the hunters, and the only customers were Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, Alaric and three older ladies having dinner. So, only four people to compel.

Just in case things would get out of hand, Stefan quickly pulled out his phone and shot Damon a text. Then the tall vampire got up from his barstool, and in a flash he was at the table of the lumberjack convention. With a small smirk playing around his lips, Stefan towered over the group of hunters.

“I gotta ask – did you think that was clever?” he asked with a shrug. “All you did was give yourself away to every supernatural being in the room.” Stefan leaned in, placed his hand firmly in the neck of one of the male lumberjacks and squeezed, hard enough to let them know he was part of that group.”So now you’re going to tell us what you’re doing here and why, or else my partner here,” he looked at Denise again and smiled, “is going to show you just how dumb that stunt was.”

Jeremy mentioned Damon’s tendency to throw others under the bus before you could even say the word bus, and Bella nodded. “Oh yeah – I learned that real soon,” she added in a slightly darker tone as they continued walking beside each other. “The night I met him he’d just come to London, back when he was still obsessed with the psycho who turned him and looking for a way to rescue her. After talking to this warlock at my favorite pub, just to throw off anyone else who might be looking for her, he burned the whole damn place to the ground. Warlock included.” Bella pushed open the gates to the Mystic Falls’ cemetery, a convenient if eerie shortcut to the Salvatore house. “When he said that it was for the best, that the others who were after her would do much worse, I should’ve known it was only going to go downhill from there. Again.”

After a few moments the trees started to clear, the boarding house loomed into view and they headed towards the door; Damon clearly had either seen or heard them coming, because it swung open as they walked up the steps. Leaning against the doorpost, the dark-haired vampire grinned down on them. “What the hell is this?” Bella immediately asked, holding up the list.

Damon narrowed his icy blue eyes, pretending to study it. “Well, Bells, it looks to me like… a piece of paper,” he commented with raised eyebrows.

“Cut the crap, Damon. You put me on this list,” Bella snapped, “and don’t try telling me otherwise. You and your brother are the only ones not on it, and I’m not an idiot. I’m not looking for one of your twisted explanations, I don’t care whatever childish reason you had, just fix it – before any other hunters show up.”

Damon’s grin became a little wider, although it now had an apologetic hint to it as well. “Well, about that…” He handed his phone over to Bella. “I just got this. I was about to head out there myself when I saw you coming. So if you wanna tag along...”

Ignoring Damon, Bella read the text that was up on the screen with a frown on her face. Demon hunters at the Grill. Tried spiking your partner’s drink with holy water. She turned to Jeremy and passed the phone to him, looking up at him to gauge his reaction. “What do you think?”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy couldn't say that he was surprised by Damon's actions. It sounded exactly like something he would end up doing. He just hoped as he and Bella got closer to the house that they would get answers as to what was going on with this list that had everyone's names on it. He hadn't expected the vampire in question to open the door as they got closer, and as he gave a sarcastic response to the blonde vampire's question, he couldn't help rolling his eyes. Why did he had to act like his usual self at a time like this? He was half tempted to use the vervain darts that the blonde vampire gave him, but when he admitted that he was heading out, he looked to the phone as it was passed to him, his eyebrows knitting together in slight confusion as he raised his gaze to the two vampires.

"I think we should head to the bar to see what's going on. Yes that includes you too Damon." Jeremy said, shooting a pointed look towards the vampire in question before looking to Bella. "If this partner is who I think it is, we might be able to find out exactly how all of this started." he told her. He didn't have any personal experience with the demoness that happened to be in Mystic Falls, but if she was involved, he couldn't help wondering which one of the brothers happened to make a deal with her. The more he thought about it, however, he started to think that maybe the dark haired Salvatore shouldn't go with them.

"If Stefan is right about our local demon partnering up with Damon, I don't think she'll be very happy seeing him. Especially if someone tried coming after him with holy water. Think we should still bring him along?" Jeremy said in a low tone as he kept his gaze on Bella. Personally he thought it might be amusing to see what the demon might end up doing to the dark haired Salvatore, but at the same time he didn't want to take him if it meant the demon might cause a scene. While he was sure that the dark haired Salvatore had something to do with this list being leaked throughout Mystic Falls, he would leave it up to the blonde vampire to decide whether or not they brought him along.

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Denise Pierce Canessa​

Denise wasn't sure which one of the lumberjacks was responsible for her spiked drink, but before she could do much of anything, she caught the glance that Stefan exchanged with her. Wait, what was he going to do? She wasn't entirely sure, but as he texted whom she could only assume was his brother, Matt had made his way around the bar to help her get cleaned up. "What happened just now? I thought you got burned or something." he said, watching as the demoness gave him a slight smile.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. I would suggest going to the other side of the bar while I teach our lumberjack friends some manners." Denise said, watching as Matt shot her a cautious look. "Don't worry. I'm respectful enough not to cause too much of a mess in your bar." she said before turning her gaze back to Stefan. At that point she saw that he had a hold of one of the lumberjacks already, and as he squirmed in the vampire's grip, she couldn't help smirking as the others took a couple of steps back. As she watched the vampire look to her, she proceeded to get up and make her way over.

"We were only acting on orders from a bigger group. All we were told to do was scope out the demon man." the hunter said, throwing a cautious look over to Denise as she came to stand next to Stefan.

"Is that all?" Denise asked, watching as the man looked to the others before looking back to her. After letting out a light sigh as she looked to Stefan. She nodded for him to let the hunter go, but before he could retreat back to his friends, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and started to drag him towards the bar. "Looks like we're going to have to play this the hard way." she said, forcing him to sit down before taking a seat next to him. "Here is how this will work. You tell us everything about these hunters that are going to come to Mystic Falls. If I don't like what you have to say or I think your lying to me, I'm going to mess up that pretty face of yours." she said, taking a moment to fish a cigarette out of a pack in her pocket before putting it in between her lips and lighting it. To emphasize her point, after she took a drag of the cigarette, she grabbed the man's face, her hand over his mouth as she proceeded to put the cigarette out on his cheek. At this point the other hunters that were with him were long gone, and as she straightened back up, she kept her gaze on him as she waited to see what he was doing there.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Bella stared at Jeremy for a moment, impressed and concerned at the same time. Our local demon? No wonder he jumped on the chance to go all Buffy the Vampire Slayer; this guy was so surrounded by overpowered supernatural beings that he even casually referred to freaking demons. She bit her lip, trying to focus on the rest of his words. “On one hand, the demon’s going to be pissed either way – and I don’t want to bear the brunt of its anger when it realizes we found it thanks to this one,” Bella said, gesturing towards Damon while looking up at Jeremy. “On the other hand, Damon’s gonna get on someone’s nerves extra hard if their drink was just spiked. So yeah, let’s go with no Damon,” she agreed with a nod, followed by an annoyed glance in the vampire’s direction. “Looks like I’m going to solve your problems for you again. Try not to make it worse this time and just stay put.”

Damon raised his hands and grinned. “Last time you and I were dealing with Klaus – this is someone who is literally from hell. You don’t have to tell me twice to stay out of a demon’s way. Well, Bells, Jerbear, it was really nice to have known you. Also, a tip – don’t refer to her as it!” he called out while Bella had already rolled her eyes, turned around and started making her way to the Grill.

Despite what Bella said about not needing an explanation, Damon had gotten on her nerves too. They hadn’t parted on the best terms, but actually putting her on a hitlist? That was some next level bullcrap. “Well, at least he was semi-helpful by blowing his partner’s cover,” Bella said with a sigh as they approached the suspiciously quiet town square. “I can only assume that he wasn’t the brains of the operation anyway.” She nodded towards the Grill across the road. “Ready to see what’s up?”

After Denise’s warnings towards Matt – the kindness of which slightly caught Stefan off guard, like Rebekah’s sweet moments so often had – the two bartenders quickly went to go stand behind the bar. Meanwhile Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Alaric had conveniently positioned themselves between the oblivious group of old ladies and the group of lumberjacks. With all those bases covered, Stefan turned his focus back to the hunter in front of him; his “friends” were already retreating.

“So that means,” Stefan said, rolling his eyes before he grinned down on the man, “that you’re just the morons who got duped into giving holy water to a demon, then.” Which also meant that none of the lumberjacks probably had much value to offer information-wise, but he could always try to get something out of them. But before he could decide on his next step – red eyes or straight to full on fangs – Denise stepped in. Stefan let go of the hunter in his grasp to let her have at it, the Ripper inside of him thrilled to see a demon in action. Denise dragged him away and the threats that came from her lips instantly led the others to panic and flee; meanwhile, Stefan’s grin only grew wider.

The man’s muffled scream shook the entire Grill when Denise extinguished her cigarette on his cheek, and Stefan took that as his cue to join back in. “There’s a lot more where that came from if you don’t start talking,” he said, crossing his arms while tears of pain were streaming down the man’s cheeks.

“Jesus Christ,” the hunter finally choked out, “fine. Fine.” It clearly pained him to move his mouth, but after a trembling sigh, he continued. “We’re regular hunter folk. Spirits, vampires, werewolves, the occasional djinn, shapeshifter or demon. These guys…” the hunter shook his head. “They’re somethin’ else. They don’t just hunt, kill and move on, they kidnap, torture and experiment. They keep monsters in their cellars for decades.” He fell quiet for a moment, knowing full well that this was the part that his audience was not going to like. “But I think they’re looking to… expand their collection, if you know what I mean. Demons. Reapers. Older vampires, the ones who have been around for centuries. They saw so many supes in Mystic Falls on that list that's been goin' around, they said the odds were big that those beings would be around too, and sent us to scope it out.”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy wasn't too thrilled about cleaning up Damon's mess for him, but if this was what he and Bella needed to do to fix things, then he would do it. He just hoped that things would go smoothly with the demon. Before they started heading towards the Mystic Grill, however, he paused as soon as the dark haired vampire brought up the older vampire's name. "Wait, you've dealt with Klaus too?" he asked as he looked over at the blonde vampire. He knew that they needed to focus, but he couldn't help being slightly curious. He didn't stop to think that Klaus might be involved with all the chaos that the dark haired vampire created, but as he and the blonde vampire got closer to the Grill, the only thing he was worried about was what they were going to say to the demon.

Jeremy was still completely in the dark how they were going to speak to the demon when they reached the Grill. Would she be triggered if she found out that Damon threw her under the bus? He wasn't entirely sure, but as Bella mentioned Damon was semi-helpful, he couldn't help letting out a light chuckle. "That was actually surprising. Let's just hope that it doesn't backfiring on us though. I'm not sure if you've dealt with demons before, but I haven't talked to one let alone met one before." he said, pausing as they stood across the street from the Grill. Upon hearing Bella's question, he let out a light sigh before he looked to her with a slight nod.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Jeremy said before he started to walk across the street to the Grill. About halfway there, however, his eyes widened as he heard someone screaming. What was going on in there? After throwing a cautious look to Bella, he started to approach the Grill carefully to see if he could check out what was going on in there. He could see someone sitting in between a woman and Stefan at the bar. He couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but if they wanted to figure out what was going on, he knew that he and the blonde vampire would have no choice but to go inside.

Denise Pierce Canessa​

A grin came to Denise's face as Stefan walked over, but she quickly looked back to the hunter as he started to confess what was going on. When he mentioned who they were working for and what they did, she exchanged a look with the vampire before looking back to the hunter. Was all of this true? She imagined it was considering the threats that they gave him, but if these big time hunters had sent him and the others to scope out Mystic Falls, then there might be a chance that they were already on their way. Either that or these hunters he described might already be there. No matter what situation she knew that things weren't going to be good for her or the other supernatural being in that town.

"Okay, I think that's all the information we're going to be getting out of him." Denise said to Stefan before looking to the man in question. "You are going to deliver a message for us though-" she said, pausing as she watched two other walk into the grill. She recognized one of them, but she couldn't say that she had seen the blonde vampire before. Either way, she shot the both of them a grin as she placed a hand on top of the hunter's head. "Now probably isn't the best time to be here. Not until we get our new friend here on his way." she said, intentionally patting the spot where he had been burned before she turned her gaze onto him once again.

"Here is the message you'll pass along. You'll tell these guys that you didn't find anything of interest. You make sure your friends pass along the same message too because if they start causing trouble for us, I'll know exactly to feed to my good friend over here." she said, smiling in Stefan's direction as she draped an arm around the hunter's neck. "As a peace offering, I'll even make sure to fix up that burn you have there. Not that you deserve it or anything." she said, motioning for Matt to pour her a shot of whiskey really quick. Once he did, she took the shot and brought it to the hunter's lips.

"Better drink all of it. Otherwise it won't work." Denise said, watching as the hunter was hesitant, but did as he was told. Just like that, the burn on his cheek was gone. "Now time to stop that crying. Your embarrassing yourself." she said, using her free hand to brush away whatever tears were there. "Go on now. Otherwise I might change my mind." she said, her eyes flashing a red color as she brought her arm back to her side. As she watched the hunter in question almost falling over himself to run out of the Grill, she turned her gaze towards Bella and Jeremy with a smile. "So, what brings you two here?" she asked, watching as the one she recognized looked to the blonde vampire before looking back to her and Stefan.

"We actually came to talk about what you have going on with Damon. He showed us the text that he got from Stefan, but we figured that it was best that we come without him." Jeremy said, watching as Denise glanced over at Stefan before looking back to them with a slight shrug as she did so.

"Probably a good call to come in his place. Well since your here to talk, come have a seat and let's talk." Denise said as she motioned to the bar. She watched as Jeremy seemed hesitant, so after letting out a heavy sigh, she patted the seat again. "I'm not gonna bite you or your girlfriend. If you keep me waiting though I just might." she said with a grin, watching as the younger Gilbert walked over and had a seat. Once both of them were sitting down, she turned her full attention towards the pair as she leaned against the bar. "So, you said you wanted to talk about what I have going on with Damon? What do you want to know?" she asked as she looked between the two. She would have to make sure to pay the vampire a visit later on for ratting her out like this, but for now, she got all the crazy out of her system. Should the younger Gilbert or Bella act up, however, she wasn't sure how calm she would end up staying.

 

[Saltwater Bound]

He knows Klaus too? Caught by surprise, Bella glanced away for a moment while Jeremy continued talking. Him knowing Klaus combined with him not liking supernatural beings meant that he was not going to like the answer. Bella bit her lip. Then again, he’d been honest about himself too; someone like that deserved the same courtesy. “It wasn’t so much dealing with Klaus, more like… living with Klaus?” she admitted doubtfully, looking back up at Jeremy. “The Mikaelsons helped me after I turned. It was an accident – I was in bad shape and Bekah had given me her blood trying to save me, but I guess I was too injured, and, well, I’m sure you know what happens when you die with vampire blood in your system.” Bella sent him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry if you’ve only experienced their bad side. So did Damon, which is why I helped him out – that’s what he was referring to.”

Just as Bella was contemplating whether or not adding details could help Klaus’ case, her train of thought was interrupted by a horrifying scream and she quickly but carefully followed Jeremy towards the sound, into the Grill.

Stefan watched Denise at work, a grin playing around his lips. Once again, he was reminded of Klaus, or at least of the times when the hybrid was being smart, calculated and just morbid enough to still be fun. What finally made him tear away his attention from the demon was movement in the corner of his eye. To his relief, it wasn’t more hunters, like he expected; Stefan immediately recognized Jeremy Gilbert, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise when he realized who the hunter was accompanied by. Speak of the devil – it was the vampire he’d seen on the list, the one he told Denise about earlier. Klaus’ friend.

Looking back at Denise, who had been letting the lumberjack know what his cover story was going to be, Stefan’s surprise reached a whole new level when he realized she was now somehow healing him. After the guy stumbled out of the Grill, Stefan followed Denise and their new companions to the bar while they’d started talking. He couldn’t believe Jeremy and Bella had actually managed to have Damon stay at the house. And he couldn’t believe these two were… teamed up, or whatever this was. Denise asked them what they wanted to know, and Stefan moved his gaze to the blonde vampire.

“Well, I just wanted to have that list destroyed before it lured any big bads to town – but I guess that ship has sailed,” Bella finally said. She sighed, reached over the bar, waved at the cute blonde bartender and his colleague who were still hiding behind it and poured herself and Jeremy a drink, assuming that the other glasses were Stefan’s and the demon’s. “So I guess my next question would be: what do we do now? And also: who was the screamer, exactly?” she asked before bringing her glass to her lips.

“He was one of the seven hunters that were here,” Stefan said, deciding to answer the easier question first. “But they were all just lower level guys, apparently reporting to this group of people who prefer experimenting on us over just killing us.” He leaned back against the bar, his arms crossed in front of his chest. “The guy basically said they were looking for new subjects – specifically, amongst others, demons,” Stefan glanced at Denise, “and older vampires,” he continued, looking back at Bella.

Bella frowned and got off her barstool. “Shouldn’t we be following him, then? Have him lead us to their lair or whatever?”

Stefan shrugged. “We are in the 21st century now. I assume he will be calling them.”

“There are like, two hotels around here,” Bella said, raising her eyebrows and spreading her arms. “Don’t you think it’s worth a try to find them, compel the desk person to give us their info and see if we can find out more? We could even wait until the morning, so we really catch them off guard! If they’re dumb enough to give holy water to a demon, they’re probably too dumb to know about daylight rings.”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy had been reeling after what Bella told him. She knew Klaus? With the way the vampire acted, he didn't even stop to think that he had friends. He didn't even know the older vampire had a nice side. He guessed it wasn't that big of a deal, but in that moment they had bigger things to worry about. Specifically how the conversation with the demon was going to play out. She seemed nice enough, but he would still keep his guard up while around her. He thought that this conversation was going to be difficult, but as they all started hashing out what should happen with the list, he found himself very grateful that Damon hadn't come to the Mystic Grill.

Jeremy wondered what they would do at this point now that this list had gotten out of control. He had been half wondering who the screamer from earlier was as well, but thought it best not to ask. When the details were revealed, however, he didn't think that it was a smart idea to let him go either. He thought that he spotted an amused look come to Denise's face when Bella suggested that the hunter had a lair that he was retreating to, but as she started to throw out ideas, he found himself agreeing with her completely.

"She's right. We should look into which hotel they are staying in and see if there is anymore information we can get out of them. With their being two hotels, it would probably be best for us to split up. Bella and Stefan can take one hotel and...I'm sorry, Damon didn't tell us your name." Jeremy said, looking to the demon as she offered up a small smile.

"Denise." she said, watching as the young Gilbert gave a slight nod at her introduction

"Denise and I can take the other. If either of us happens to find the hunters, then we can call the others before we do anything." Jeremy said, causing the demon to raise an eyebrow slightly.

"That's a good idea, but I figured that you would want to stick with your girlfriend." Denise said, watching as the young Gilbert got slightly flustered.

"Shes not my girlfriend." Jeremy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck before he continued. "Besides, considering you and Damon are responsible for this list that did have her name on it, I want to make sure that this doesn't turn out to be some sort of trap or anything. No offense." he said, causing the demon to give a light shrug in response.

"Fair enough. Although if we're going to be honest, Damon was the one coming to be with names to put on the list, not the other way around. Once these hunters are dealt with though, we won't have to worry about that list anymore." Denise reassured the pair. The vampire next to her had already talked her into calling off the deal she had with Damon. Not to mention hearing there were big time hunters that were coming specifically for demons and older vampires, now was a better time to pull the plug on things anyway. While she wasn't sure what was going to happen when they decided to go to these hotels, she would make sure that nothing happened to the younger Gilbert.

Denise Pierce Canessa

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Her arms casually resting on the bar, Bella had been looking up at Jeremy as he explained his plan, including how they could pair up. When he got a little flustered at Denise’s question regarding those pairings and he continued to explain the reasoning behind that, she glanced away for a moment. Typical. Not her boyfriend, but more kind and considerate than most who actually had been. At least, she couldn’t imagine many of them willing to team up with a demon they didn’t know to go up against a group of hunters they didn’t know. And those boyfriends hadn’t even been mortal. Come to think of it, she wasn’t sure how she felt about a human - well, this particular human - going up against a group of people that hunted supernatural beings for a living. As any plan involving vampires and hunters, it had the potential to get real ugly real fast.

As Denise informed the others of how exactly the list had come to be in the first place, Stefan nodded grimly. “And, for full disclosure, it all started in order to save me. It never would have happened if I hadn’t flipped the switch and gone full Ripper again.” He sighed, trying to shake the horrible imagery of the past few months that was now flooding back once again. Like last time, no matter how many diaries he filled, the guilt would always keep feeling like a punch to the gut. “Okay, well, why don’t you two go to the Holiday Inn, and then you and I,” Stefan turned to face Bella, “can go to the Best Western?” Despite his most recent Ripper stunt, he had no qualms about teaming up with Klaus’ old friend. As far as he knew, both Elijah and she would never partake in the other Mikaelson’s more morbid hobbies.

“Cool,” Bella agreed, sending him a smile. “Meet me there at nine?”

Stefan gave his old acquaintance a small smile back, followed by another nod in a silent alright, see you tomorrow. Then he turned away from the bar, towards the people he still needed to compel, both the one employee that was out of the loop and the older ladies – but Caroline was already working on it. “So,” he said, heading back over to Denise. “That turned into a strangely exciting couple of drinks at the Grill. I get the distinct feeling that there’s never a dull moment with you,” he added with a grin. “I guess I’m off to the boarding house – I’d invite you over, but I also get the feeling that you and Damon under one roof would be a bad idea right now. When this all blows over, you’re welcome to stay for however long you’re enjoying Mystic Falls.” Stefan smiled again, broader this time. She had definitely dragged him out of his rut tonight; he could use more of that. “Keep me posted tomorrow.”


As Stefan was preparing to leave, Bella took a step closer to Jeremy. She bit her lip for a moment, puzzling the words together in her head. “Hey, before I go, I just wanted to say thanks, for coming, and for offering to go with Denise. But I also wanted to say that you don’t have to do this. I know we had, you know, a rocky start, but you don’t need to risk your life on behalf of immortal beings. However, since I feel like you’re going to be the hunter turned hero anyway…” Bella grabbed a pen from the bar, took his hand, wrote down her phone number on his palm and looked back up at him with a smile that made her dimples appear. “Let me know as soon as you see anything suspicious, okay? See you tomorrow.”

 

[Insanity Awakened 18]

Jeremy Gilbert​

Jeremy hadn't known what to expect when he and Bella had gone to confront Denise about the Deadpool. Then again, he hadn't encountered a demon before. Seeing how concerned she was for Stefan, however, was surprising. Were demons usually that compassionate towards other people? He wasn't entirely sure, but at the same time he knew better than to ask. After they put together the plans as to who would go to what hotel, he looked to the blonde vampire as she approached him. He appreciated the fact that she offered him an out to all of this, but he was determined to follow this through. As she wrote down her number on his hand, however, he smiled back as he gave her a slight nod.

"I'll definitely let you know if we run into anything. See you tomorrow." Jeremy said, his gaze turning towards Denise and Stefan for a moment. While he was still suspicious of the demon, he could see the smile that came to the vampire's face as he spoke to her. Maybe she would be a good person, well, demon to have around. He never imagined he would be thinking something like that, but as he headed out of the Mystic Grill, he planned on taking as much time as he could to prepare for what they were about to get themselves into.

Denise wasn't worried about what they were about to get themselves into. If anything, she would make these big time hunters sorry that they came into Mystic Falls. Usually she would have ducked out of whatever town she was in when hunters were on her trail, but she couldn't do that this time. Not when she and Stefan seemed to be getting along so well. She would be damned if he fell into another Asshole Phase, so while the thought of being caught by hunters that would experiment on her was daunting, she wasn't going to be leaving Mystic Falls anytime soon. As they were all preparing to leave, she had grinned at the vampire's comments, appreciating his invitation to go to the boarding house. She knew better than to disrespect someone's house by starting a fight, but considering the way that Damon had thrown her under the bus, she knew that it was best to keep her distance from him.

"I'll make sure to keep you posted. Depending on what happens tomorrow, we may have to end up coming back here for drinks again. Minus the lumberjack convention." Denise said with a grin. After the two of them exchanged numbers, they had all left the Mystic Grill. The demon wasn't sure what was going to happen the following day, but she would make sure that nothing happened to Jeremy. She wasn't sure if the big time hunters were already in Mystic Falls, but if they were here, she would make sure they went back home empty handed.

-------The Next Day-------​

Jeremy was feeling pretty nervous as he got to the Holiday Inn. He hadn't even stopped to think that he had no way of contacting Denise, but as he turned to grab something from his car, he jumped when he saw the demon leaning against it. As she let out a light chuckle, he rolled his eyes slightly as he shook his head.

"We're trying to be inconspicuous. Could you not sneak up on me like that?" Jeremy asked, watching as an amused smile came to the demon's face as she nodded.

"Fair enough. I'll try not to scare you too much while we're here checking things out." Denise said with a grin. She then linked arms with him as the two of them walked towards the lobby. The plan was simple enough. They would get the front desk receptionist to fill them in on who had checked in. If any of the people seemed suspicious, then they would check it out. The plan seemed easy enough, but as they walked into the lobby of the Holiday Inn, the demon raised an eyebrow as her sights feel on a very familiar screamer from earlier.

"Wait, isn't that the guy you and Stefan were interrogating yesterday?" Jeremy asked as the demon slipped her arm out of his and nodded.

"It certainly is. Why don't you get a hold of Bells and I'll see if our friend is feeling chatty." Denise said, walking over to the man who was in the lobby, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as the young hunter called Bella. "So, this is where you and the other lumberjacks are hanging out. Fancy seeing you here." Denise said, pinching the cheek that she had managed to heal for him the day before as she gave his shoulders a light squeeze. "You deliver that message like I asked you to?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair as her eyes flashed red for a moment before going back to normal. While she was talking to him, Jeremy was relaying to Bella and Stefan what was going on. The young hunter was nervous about the demon hurting this novice hunter and blowing their cover, and while he wanted them to keep a lower profile, he hoped that he would be able to stop the demon should she decide to do anything to hurt this guy again.

Denise Pierce Canessa

​

 

[Saltwater Bound]

Ryan Murray was waiting in the lobby, trying hard to seem casual. He stared at the flyers on the wall, advertising tours in the area, but he wasn’t reading a single word. He’d wanted to tell the big guys on top what the demon told him to say, but his fellow hunters had flat out refused. Ryan cursed under his breath for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Easy for them. They weren’t directly threatened by those godforsaken monsters. Despite Ryan’s protests, the others came up with another plan: get them to their bosses, with him as effin’ bait, because there was no way a bunch of overpowered freaks weren’t going to try and find them. So there he was, in the lobby. Being bait. He was just about to curse under his breath again, when two people entered the Holiday Inn. No, scratch that. One person, one demon. His breathing hitched when he recognized her. The demon was beautiful, and somehow that made it even more terrifying; what other pretty girls were secretly monsters from hell? Damn man, focus, he chided himself as he forced himself to look her in the eye.

“I did,” Ryan hastily answered her question, “seriously, really, I did.” The plan was for him to seem nervous, and that was perfect, because he most definitely was. “I called my bosses and let them know they were shit outta luck, no demon in sight, the whole shebang. But, um – I don’t think I fully convinced my buddies, you know, the guys and girls you saw yesterday.”

Ryan’s gaze flickered from the demon to the guy and back to the demon. The guy looked like a hunter as well. They could grab him too, maybe talk some sense into that head of his. “So I was hoping you’d come by – talk some sense into them. There isn’t a lot of time – we’re going to headquarters now, so they’re loading the van with our baggage.” In the small roofed parking lot, where they drew a giant devil’s trap on the ceiling. And it wasn’t his buddies waiting – it was a task force from headquarters, with at least ten experienced hunters. His buddies were at the one other hotel close to Mystic Falls, just in case the monsters would be looking for them in pairs.

“Please. If my buddies decide to tell the truth when we get there, they’ll lock me up – and then they’ll come for you. I know I probably don’t deserve your help, but that has to count for something, right?” Ryan looked at her hopefully, then nodded in the direction of the exit that led to the roofed parking lot and took a few steps towards it. “Please?”

Bella quickly pulled her phone from her leather jacket when it rang, relieved to confirm that it was indeed Jeremy checking in. She nodded along as she listened to him. “Well, we actually just got to Best Western – nothing much is happening,” she said as she wandered around the lobby, making a face at the hideous wallpaper. “Stefan’s talking to the receptionist right now, but I’ll let him know we should just head your way for backup. See you soon – and keep me posted. And be careful, okay?” she couldn’t help but add before finally hanging up. Bella headed in Stefan’s direction and tapped his arm. “Hey,” she whispered, glancing at the receptionist who was clicking around on his computer with a robotic look in his eyes. “They ran into the guy you, uh, talked to yesterday. Let’s go to the Holiday Inn.”

“He’s checking his records for a group of seven that checked in since the Deadpool came out,” Stefan whispered back, nodding towards the receptionist.

Bella raised her eyebrows as she looked up at him. “I sincerely doubt that the screamer guy is so annoying that his hunter buddies made him get a whole other hotel. Let’s go,” she repeated, taking Stefan’s arm and getting ready to drag him out of there if she had to.

“Wait – just let me reverse the compulsion,” Stefan protested, but just as he was about to turn back to the receptionist, they heard multiple shotguns cocking.

In the entrance of the lobby were six hunters, all pointing their weapons at the two vampires. One of them smirked in response to the vampire’s silent stares, and nodded in the direction of his gun. “Loaded with woodchips, so don’t get no ideas. You freaks ain’t goin' nowhere anytime soon. And don’t make any dumb moves, or you’ll be tryin' to pick woodchips out of your hearts for the rest of your damned lives.”