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[ miranda gilbert gave elena her very first journal when she was ten years old. they shared a dream what feels like a very long time ago, but on top of that, miranda wanted to encourage elena to find her own voice: to learn herself and become her own person, independent of her mother. to have an outlet for the things you can't always say out loud.

elena harmed herself so much by suppressing her emotions and trauma: out of guilt, out of low self-worth, out of fear. her greatest wish for josie is that she one day feel safe enough to express how she really feels. in the meantime, there's a leather bound journal in a shade of yellow left on her pillow.

for those days the darkness grows too loud, and she needs a safe place to release it. ]

[Her fingers run over the soft leather of the cover, and she doesn't have to ask who it's from. Elena has always been the one with the journals, writing down all her feelings.

Josie doesn't know if she'd ever be able to do it. To articulate all the feelings that are swimming in the back of her head day after day. Putting words to them makes them real, and sometimes she doesn't want them to be. But the gesture means a lot all the same.

Pulling the journal to her chest, she flops back against her bed and reaches for her phone, sending off a quick text.]

How'd you know I liked yellow?

I followed a hunch. I saw it and it reminded me of you.

[ with no expectation that she need use it. but on the off chance josie might ever need to, it's there. ]

Thank you.

[Really. Having some way to express her thoughts is always better than not. Besides she needs the practice.]

How're things going with the new roommates?

So far, so good? It's nice to have some privacy back.

[ there seemed to be good chemistry between them all, and they left elena with the private bathroom, too. ]

What about you and Lizzie? Are you guys okay? [ it disquiets her there's no choice in who they end up with, but she's comforted by the fact the twins haven't been separated in spite of that. ]

Yeah. We're making it work.

[Oliver is okay, but ...]

Elijah Mikaelson's one of our suite mates now.

[Which is not so great news. As much as Elijah claims he's grateful for what they did for Hope, she also knows some of the horrors Elijah committed in New Orleans, as well as what happened with Hope's mom. She was willing to be cordial with him when he arrived, but she didn't want him this close.]

[ ... no. that's not great.

elena is unaware of the ongoings in new orleans, and she is rather fond of elijah, but he is still an original vampire. even if he wasn't, hell has no business making two teenage girls room with grown men. to say that this is concerning to elena would be an understatement. but airing her concerns aloud to josie might amplify hers.

just. gonna need to have another talk with elijah, and make plenty of visits to their room.

it's fine. ] Okay. That's good to know. Who's your other roommate?

Edited 2020-10-16 02:55 (UTC)

His name's Oliver Queen? I haven't actually talked to him much. He mostly keeps to himself.

[So that's ... two grown men, but at least Oliver isn't a thousand year-old Original vampire.]

I think he's got a target range somewhere in town?

I don't think I've seen it, or him, around just yet.

[ time to size him up, too. 😐 ]

I know the floors above have rooms for just two people. We can look into that for you and Lizzie.

Yeah, we've been trying to figure out the rules. It seems like it has to be something you earn.

[Which, thanks to the Fun House shortly after she arrived, Josie ... more than qualifies for. >.>]

[ she wonders if she can contribute to those earnings in some way. elena has to stay put for now, but if it helps secure lizzie and josie their own room, she'd want to.

maybe something to ask lilith once she finally hunts her down. ]

In the meantime, I'm in room 225 now. Feel free to come to me whenever you need to, okay?

Oh hey, that's not that far. You can benefit from the next time an event decides to have me cooking an excessive level of cookies.

[Because really, self, that was so many.]

[ a small smile, then, not that josie can see it. ]

I won't turn down cookies. I'd offer to help next time, but it's maybe better if I don't.

[ does josie know already just how terrible her aunt is at cooking? can elena maybe hope a miracle occurred in the future and she's somehow better at it? ]

[Sorry, Aunt Elena, Christina Tosi you are not.]

Hey. Taste testing is very helpful and 100% necessary. Otherwise, how will I know the proper balance of cookie and chocolate chips?

[ drat. ]

My friend, Neal, is an amazing cook and he'd talk about balance, too. I think you're on to something, and it's not just making me feel better about my hopelessness in the kitchen. [ though she appreciates the silver lining. ]

It's kind of like chemistry and math, weirdly enough, which are not always my favorite subjects, but this at least is a tasty kind.

They're definitely not for everyone.

[ as someone who aspires to be a doctor one day, she's grown fonder of them - though she'll always have a soft spot for english. she'd like to know what subjects are josie's favorite, though. in some ways, she's still learning these girls. ] But all this talk about food has made me hungry. You want to maybe grab dinner together?

Edited 2020-11-11 23:31 (UTC)

[There's a lot she wants to know about Elena too. The Elena of her childhood is a doctor, a healer, but this Elena's had different things to bring her to where she is now.

It's different enough that it warrants getting to know her.]

Yeah, sure! I'm starving.

I'll be over soon!

[ elena just needs to get her affairs in order, and then she heads on over. ]

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