(open) the stars gaze upon us too

[stefanged]

Who: Stefan Salvatore and YOU
Where: all around the Citadel
When: April 1 - 4
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Space adventures start out so calm and then you end up running from the law. Sounds about right.
The Story:
a. presidium commons

[ When he had first arrived, Stefan had been told about another him, traveling across the galaxy on a spaceship. Until this very moment, the idea had seemed ridiculous.

Now that he's here, embarking on a similar journey, he wonders how he could ever grow used to the wonder, the ambiance, and even the sound of his slow, purposeful footsteps. Stefan orients himself quickly with everything the Commons have to offer, from the wide range of shops (cue him browsing for new space-age jackets) to even admiring those Blasto posters.

Mostly, though, he spends the mornings crawling through every single cafe and coffee shop the presidium has to offer. When he spots someone he thinks is from Wonderland - which isn't hard, they've got that equally tourist-y look to them - he gives them a wave and slides over his current coffee of the hour:] Try this.

I know the menu says something else, but trust me. Nothing else wakes you up more.

b. a photo says a thousand words

[ Or perhaps you'll catch Stefan with an old Polaroid in hand, stopping all along the Citadel for that perfect shot.

He's no photographer - his composition leaves much to be desired, and the windows' glare prevents him from capturing the best shot of the stars outside the station - but he wants to savor every moment. (He has no idea that those photographs might leave him, once Wonderland returns back to normal. He also knows that he has to try, to at least remember the past with something more tangible than one of his handwritten diaries.)

Stefan does, however, remember the importance of consent and so, before he even tries to get a shot with other people, he'll lower the camera and motion towards it, then to the people in the frame.

He's gonna ask before he captures it on film forever. No question about it. ]

c. the perfect swim (presidium)

[ Well, this blows.

After discovering the foreign booze in one of the Citadel's less prestigious bars, Stefan returns to the Presidium with slightly wobbly steps and an even more wobbly outlook on life. The lakes in the Presidium look so tempting right now. They're an oasis in the desert, and Stefan's the parched man who could use a pick-me-up. He doesn't know it's his last night in the Citadel, but he has this insatiable urge to dive in.

Even in the temporary darkness, the water seems to sparkle as he approaches the edge of the lake. The coast should've been clearer than the water awaiting him (and the faint stench of alcohol that he wants to douse off).

He flings his shoes and socks off, tentatively dipping his feet into that surprisingly cold crystal water. He doesn't take much longer to wade in and-

And those sure are C-Sec officers staring back at him. Stefan doesn't even try to nab his shoes; he's got bigger concerns. Like trying to evade some pretty unhappy law enforcement officials. Don't mind the drenching wet vampire running past you, or the officers intent on mowing him down - it's nothing personal. Especially if he accidentally bumps into you on his way out. ]

d. wildcard

[ Want to do something else with Stefan that wasn't mentioned here? Shoot me a PM and we'll get the ball rolling. ]

Comments

A.

[plutonicideals]

[She frowns at the coffee shoved in front of her.]

I don't know... I don't really like coffee.

[stefanged]

[ Eep, that's right . . .

Riley isn't most people. Any sort of caffeine could keep her up all night. Stefan mulls this over, before returning (in the blink of an eye) with a mug of hot chocolate. ]

What about hot chocolate? Is that any better?

[plutonicideals]

[And being up all night would be terrible when you consider that she rarely stays up past 10.]

Way better. Have you had the hot chocolate?

[stefanged]

A couple of times. [He feels like he should feel more guilty about that...] I prefer something more caffeinated, but whatever they use here is delicious.

B

[theothermrgray]

[Someone ask to take Dorian's photo? Way to fuel his vanity!]

Oh, yes! I wouldn't mind at all! All I ask is a copy of the photograph when you're finished.

[stefanged]

In other words, I don't get to keep it.

[ Stefan laughs, completely unsurprised at this request. It's classic Dorian, after all – and Stefan is the mere photographer who sought out to capture the moment. ]

Sure, I think I can manage that.

[theothermrgray]

[He chuckles at the notion.]

You could always take two pictures and keep one, you know. I'm sure you have enough film for that.

[It's nice to see someone accept him for who they think he is.]

[stefanged]

Fair enough. [ He readies the camera, careful to keep his hands steady. ] Ready when you are, so... strike a pose?

closed | for Barry

[stefanged]

[ As it turns out, running from the law was in and of itself a violation of its own. Stefan wished he knew that before he fled the scene of his crime.

(Didn't the Citadel have bigger fish to fry? He could've sworn he saw some cars being taken for a joyride or three...)

In the end, resistance is futile and Stefan doesn't want to try compulsion. He's already lost the battle. He doesn't want to lose another one and ruin any hope of getting out of here before the night's over. At least he's dry now, rather than the sopping wet mess that had been carted into the station.

He doesn't remain alone forever, though – after about half an hour, his cell opens up and another guy enters. Stefan blinks back surprise upon realizing just who it is:] Barry? What're you doing here?

[accelerate]

[ with his head hung, barry lets the police...aliens escort him into the detaining cell. dressed in civilian clothes, the only difference in his usual attire are the converse shoes that light up every time he takes a step. they'd been something he originally enjoyed seeing, and had partly been the reason why he'd chosen to take a joy run along the streets and the sky-roads. ]

[ they lit up even at his very fast speeds. he thinks he almost looked like a really fantastic light show. ]

[ looking up, he gives stefan a small smile. looking over his shoulder, he watches as that iron bar closes, and lets out a breath as his shoulders sag. hands in his pockets, he lifts one, keeping it in there as a half-assed wave. ] Hey. I guess this is the place to be, huh?

[stefanged]

Absolutely. Forget the bars, the holding cell's got better company.

[ Stefan laughs, returning the wave before folding his arms. While he notes those converses, he can't judge. He's wearing fuzzy socks, the kind that glow in the dark, with bitty spaceships on them. It was the only thing he could grab on such short notice.

He sighs, ] At least it's just the two of us for now?

[accelerate]

Two's a company, three's a … probably a prison yard by the looks of it.

[ he lifts his shoulders, arms spanning away from his sides even though his hands stay in his pockets. they slap back into place as he shifts his feet along the ground. barry glances down for a moment, distracted by the glow of his shoes. he likes them very much, even though the colouring isn't red and would definitely clash with his suit. ]

[ he cocks his head toward him. ] What'd you get done for?

A.

[tattooedredheads]

[Thanks random guy. Kay quickly downs the beverage. He's been cramming as much as he can in however long this event lasts, which means he's not getting much sleep. Something that much easier to accomplish with caffeine.]

That's an interesting taste.

[stefanged]

Isn't it? [Stefan leans on the table, resting his elbows.] They said it was "single origin," but I don't think their coffee's from anywhere we know.

[tattooedredheads]

The extra-net would tell us. [Kay grins as he taps on the omni-tool. He doesn't care about the coffee that much, but the omni-tool is amazing!] How many species can even drink normal coffee...?

[stefanged]

Beyond humans and human-like species? Who even knows. [ . . . ] Though it would explain why I can't pronounce a good fourth of the menu.

C

[morethan084]

[Daisy just manages to dodge this guy running past her, back pressed against the wall she looks in his direction quickly in confusion. Why is he running and why the hell is he soaking wet? Then she hears loud footfalls and sees some officers coming after him. She could just watch this all go down or...

Daisy's hand sticks out at her side and she uses her power just enough to cause them to be knocked off their feet. Like they had been tripped by some invisible force. Then she's off after the guy running away.]

Hey! Wait!

[stefanged]

[Now that's an impressive trick. Stefan glances over his shoulder at the officers being knocked off, then at the girl chasing after him - and he weighs his choices.

Clearly, she isn't with them. She wouldn't have knocked them out of their way.

So he screeches to a halt once they're a safe distance away, wincing at the sudden pain on the bottom of his foot. (Yeah, it's what he gets for running barefoot.)

Then Stefan turns to her, giving a nod of acknowledgement,] Thanks for helping me back there.

[morethan084]

[Brows knitted together, Daisy breathes a little heavily as she looks over her shoulder to make sure they hadn't been followed.]

You're welcome. I think?

What the hell happened back there?

B~

[mandrakes]

[He had been approaching Stefan to begin with, and pauses mid-step with a curious expression as he spies the camera. In his world, the art of photography is a very young one, and instant film is still a very long way off. With one hand, he makes a small 'wait' gesture and clears the distance between them in several quick steps, drawing up to the other vampire's side.]

What a curious-looking contraption. [His attention darts very quickly to Stefan's face and he smiles again.] A camera? I believe I might take my life over again to learn about these kinds of new technologies.

[Almost since he arrived, he's been carrying around a slim datapad, kindly given to him by a passing Citadel official to keep him from hovering around the Avina hologram he had chosen to quiz with every question he could think of.]

How does it work?

sorry for the late!

[stefanged]

[ Stefan holds out the camera as Regis approaches, fully intent on letting him play with it as he sees fit. Sure, it stands out among the sleek omni-tool and the various contraptions available to them on the Citadel - but Stefan's never been one for truly adapting to the times. ]

It's super easy. See that big button over there? You press it, and it'll take a picture of whatever's in view. There's probably a more scientific explanation about it capturing a reflection and pressing it onto film. I'm uh, I'm not the guy who would know it.

[He pauses, finally remembering his omnitool,] While I look it up, why don't you take a couple of pictures?

UM SAME...

[mandrakes]

[He takes the offered camera without a hint of uncertainty, turning it over in his hands in clear curiosity over just how it might work. His fingertip fits over the button that Stefan mentions, and he doesn't need to know how it works to make it work. He'll leave that kind of detail to his alchemy.

Regis gives a small nod, and lifts up the camera, carefully framing the view over the Presidium in the viewfinder.]

Absolutely astonishing. [As directed, he pushes the button.] And the... 'film', it's inside the camera, yes?

[How are you doing on your info search, Stefan?]

b!

[uncaging]

[Elizabeth catches the light glinting off the camera, and quickly understands what Stefan's gesturing means. She's not sure if he's from Wonderland or a local - though given the strange forms that most of those native to the station take, she's guessing the former - but she'd be happy to pose either way. She stands with her feet in a position that's almost like a ballerina's, her hands clasped in front of her and a radiant smile on her face.]

Is that one of those cameras that prints the pictures right away? My friend Max has one, they're incredible.

[stefanged]

Yeah, she's the one who inspired me to try this. [ Stefan grins, holding the camera steady as he looks into the lens. ] On three... two... one...

[ He presses the button, setting off a quick flash as the photo's then printed and released. Stefan reaches out for the print, waving it a little in the air as he approaches Elizabeth.

Stefan's composition could use a little work, but the lighting is perfect: there Elizabeth is, standing just before the splendor of the Citadel, with the bright lights making her look larger-than-life (and almost angelic). ]

[uncaging]

[Elizabeth peers at the photo as he approaches, clapping her hands excitedly as she sees the finished picture - she doesn't think she'll get tired of Polaroids any time soon.]

It looks great! What a wonderful idea, to capture memories of this place.