watching_you | Entries tagged with plot: veronica is evil

Be warned that this plot does have some mature themes, including depictions of mindrape and physical violence. If these subjects would upset you, it might be best if you stayed away.

So back a million billion years ago (actually December '05) Veronica Mars found out that a classmate named Meg Manning was pregnant, and lept to the conclusion that her then-boyfriend Duncan Kane had been sleeping around. In a fury of hormonal vengeance, Veronica proceeded to the bar, where she allowed herself to be seduced by one of the Forsaken.

Luckily (unluckily?) Ishamael cared less for the actual sexin' than he did for the mind games involved, so while he left Veronica physically untouched, he did distort her memories of the night. He also left something else behind.

For almost a year, the curse remains mostly dormant.

Then something happens, involving a House. You know, that House. Veronica returns from it rather broken, and meets with Behrooz, who has no idea what's going on but knows it's not good.

Sadly Veronica then leaves the bar for a while and gets caught up in the outside world. Behrooz, for his part, does wonder about what's happened, but when he asks Logan about it neither of them learns much. Back in Neptune, however, the House has changed something - it's small, but it's there.

When Veronica eventually returns, the gradual changes have taken their toll, so much that a personality shift is noticeable. First, Behrooz notices that Veronica does not seem up to her usual interrogations (shock! horror!), and then later in the conversation, when he attempts to press her about what happened in the House, she snaps at him. In a simultaneously-millitimed thread, Indy starts off doing much better, although Veronica does seem oddly antsy and distant throughout. This cumulates with V shouting and freaking out at Indy, who manages to calm her down. Veronica explains this away by telling Indy she has been experiencing anxiety attacks, and Indy seems to accept this explanation, at least for the meantime. Veronica ends the day Bound, and retreats to her room.

A few days later Indy comes to visit Veronica in her room. There are brownies and witty conversation, 'til Indy starts asking about the panic attacks. After some more verbal sparring Veronica asks about Logan, then backpedals like mad when Indy tries to figure out her motives. Indy finally leaves, convinced that something's not right and determined to do something about it.

And he does, in the form of sharing his suspicions with Rachel Grey. It's always good to have a telepath on your side, after all. This also means that Indy's prepared when Behrooz shows up with concerns of his own.

Veronica, meanwhile, hermits away, fading in and out of self-awareness.

The next time she's in she visits the bar, and has a conversation with Behrooz which involves sharing secrets and being really, really awkward. But it ends... not too badly! There's hope! Of a kind! Another simultaneous conversation with Indy occurs, in which Veronica thanks him for the magic brownies and manages to not mentioning anything to do with the 'magic', which is weird in itself - and then it's time for another bout of brain pain. Again, the conversation ends with hope, of a sort.

It's not long afterwards, however, that Veronica completely fails to recover. D'oh.

This leads to round three for Veronica and Behrooz. It's a strange conversation, to say the least, as Veronica's behaviour has moved way beyond erratic. Nevertheless, Behrooz does gain some answers.

It's a little while later that things come to a head.

It starts with Veronica visiting Indy. For a while it seems just like the old days, and there is much joking around, at least at first. Soon enough, though, Veronica descends into being viciously bitchy for no real reason. This seems like a bad sign, but when Indy asks Veronica about her 'panic attacks' she tells him that they're gone, thanks, and she's doing much better. She also reveals that she is no longer Bound, and implies plans to leave. But first, a pitstop!

At which point Veronica finds Indy's gun. And steals it. And flees, passing Rachel as she goes. Rachel immediately senses that something's up, and discusses this with Indy, who is unconvinced at first. When he discovers that his gun is missing, however, he changes his tune. To the Batmobile!

Back in her own room, Veronica prepares to leave, only to be interrupted by Behrooz. She attempts to blow him off, but doesn't count on his Wolfbrother senses finding the gun. Most people might settle this with words, but not Veronica 'Why Yes I Think This Is a Good Idea!' Mars! Who, against all odds, wins! Following the fight, Veronica very nearly kills Behrooz, then decides against it, and leaves.

Indy and Rachel arrive just minutes later, and find Behrooz recovering. The three of them continue the chase.

Meanwhile, Veronica meets up with Logan in the bar, and convinces him to follow her to the lake. They talk, with Veronica veering the conversation towards their relationship, and Logan's brief affair with Madison Sinclair, and Veronica reveals a deep feeling of betrayal that brings us full circle. Logan attempts to defend himself, but Veronica will hear nothing of it, and pulls the gun on him. It's at this point that the cavalry arrives. Veronica is distracted by the shouting and psychic displays of shiny long enough for Logan to attempt to take the gun from her, but in the ensuing fight a misfire hits Indy. Rachel, who is Not Pleased, throws Veronica telekinetically into the lake, then turns to help her friend.

Veronica lands hard in the lake, but not enough that it would be a problem - at least, not normally. But there's something of an internal struggle, and from inside, the real Veronica forces the one inhabiting her body not to fight. She comes very close to drowning before Logan rescues her. Though the others remain cautious - Behrooz keeping the gun ready, just in case - the Veronica that wakes appears to be the real one.

She immediately runs to Rachel, and begs the telepath to destroy the second consciousness. Rachel does so, but although Indy seems convinced that this is the end, Rachel herself remains wary. Veronica asks to be put in the cells, "for everyone's sake," and Rachel agrees. Everyone returns to the Bar.

The End!

Veronica pushes ahead, and leads the way out onto the bar's sloping back lawn. Above, the sky's a dark purple shading to black - below, colours are becoming irrelevant as night vision slowly takes over.

The grass crunches beneath Veronica's sneakers as she makes for the lake, doing her best to keep her pace from quickening, to keep Logan from becoming suspicious of her true intentions. To this end she fixes her eyes on some spot on the distant shore, as though perhaps she's watching the trees for the sign of some nighttime predator, or simply preparing for the long wait until sunrise. With luck this gives her the appearance of being serious, but distracted, an appropriate air for someone who's about to have a Serious Relationship Discussion with her just-recently-ex-boyfriend.

Her bag swings back and forth and slaps her lightly in the side with each step, making her acutely aware of the added weight.

When they reach the lake - a slightly secluded area of it, far enough from the lights of the bar - Veronica stops, and waits for a moment before turning to face Logan, noting somewhere in the back of her distracted mind how different the lake air smells from the ocean she's used to.

Finally, she clears her throat. "So."

[After this.]

Moving quickly, Veronica slips into her room, closing the door behind her and locking it. For a moment she stands still, leaning against the wood and catching her breath. Then she reaches a hand back, lifting her blazer, feeling for the weight of -

- the gun.

It's done, then; too late to turn back now. She pulls it from her waistband and throws it into her shoulder bag, marvelling at how nearly it fits between her wallet and mascara. Then she moves about the room, taking things she cannot afford to leave behind: laptop, camera, cell phone charger, shoving them all into a duffel bag.

When Veronica opens her eyes at last she lies very still for a long time, certain that she has drowned within the confines of her own mind.

A metaphor, perhaps, is in order.

You wake in the morning, and due to - your radio alarm, a lingering dream, a triggered memory: take your pick - a song begins to play in your head. Maybe it's just a tune, maybe there are lyrics. Maybe you even hum along in sync with the melody, or tap your fingers along with the beat. It's such a little thing, really, and you are content to let it rest there, serving as a backdrop to the rest of your daily thoughts.

But the next day, the song is still there. And now, with your attention drawn to it as it is, the tune is becoming a distraction, a frustration. You try to drown it out, or try to listen to something else, but it refuses to leave you. If anything, despite your efforts, it grows stronger, louder.

The next day is much the same.

And the next.

And the next still.

Eventually you hear nothing but song, you know only the words that form its lyrics. Your movements are punctuated by beats of the percussion, regular and measured; you clench your jaw in a sympathetic rhythm with the bass line. When others speak, their speech is piano chords, guitar riffs.

In time, you fade away, until only the song remains.

We return then, to Veronica, metaphor in hand.

She has been listening to the same song for more than a year.

For a long time it was background static, a quiet hum that Veronica, being quite clever, was easily able to tune out. But it has been gaining, and ever since the House it has been - for lack of a better term - loud. Enough so that Veronica has steadily been losing herself for weeks. And as she slips away, something else steps forward.

The first time she realized something was wrong, she was only moments from ordering that Madison Sinclair's expensive new car be crushed into a cube. But since that, it's only become more prevalent: Constant flashes of concocted memory of Logan and Madison, and of Duncan and Meg even, for some reason, after all this time; stretches of time where, though she cannot say why, she feels nothing but bile and bitterness toward every other human soul; sharp, biting headaches; blackouts.

The blackouts are the most worrying. They stretch for days now, coming on without warning, and Veronica wakes from them to find herself - by the lake, in the corridor, starting out the Observation Window - always somewhere different, with no idea how she has arrived there. It is almost a blessing when, this time, she finds herself in her own bed.

But it's dark, so dark, in the room, and Veronica lifts her arm to turn on the bedside lamp -

- her arm -

- her arm does not move.

She attempts to cry out, to force her body out of the bed, but all of this has no effect. She is trapped, so still, no longer in control.

Although Veronica is terrified, her heart rate does not increase. The pulse remains steady, loyal to one constant rhythm.

When Veronica returns to herself this time, she finds herself bent almost double over her desk, nose barely an inch away from a notebook that she has filled with angular black writing. Slow, she straightens her spine, working aching muscles, and unfolds herself from her chair. It's dark out, and there are no lights on in the room - she hits the switch on her lamp and blinks painfully into the overbright glow.

Recovering from this, a number of sensations hit her at once: first, she is tired, a deep in-the-bone weariness that means every movement aches; secondly she is hungry, almost dizzy with it. She splashes some water on her face in the bathroom, then is shocked when she catches her reflection in the mirror. She is pale, lined, her lips cracked.

What have I been doing all this time?

She tries to stay in the shower until she feels warm again, but the hot water runs out first.

As the sun sets, Veronica sits at the desk in her room, staring out the window at nothing. Though it's becoming darker in the room, she makes no move to turn on her lamp, despite the fact that soon it will be quite difficult to read the book spread open across her lap.

Truthfully, she hasn't even glanced at the book in over an hour.

Veronica wakes when the sunlight hits her face.

She rolls to the side and slips out of bed, carefully stepping over where Backup is curled up in what has of late become his spot, and makes her way to the bathroom. She starts a shower, as hot as she can manage it without scalding herself, and moves to the sink as the room fills with steam. With practiced movements she brushes her teeth and remembers to floss for once, the action briefly mingling the tastes of mint and blood in her mouth. Then it's into the water, letting her hair become soaked through as she scrubs the skin on her cheeks.

Despite the escaped heat the bathroom air is chilly by contrast, and Veronica hurriedly grabs a towel as she steps out of the shower a minute later. Water droplets pool at her feet as she attempts to wring the moisture from her hair. She steps to the mirror and wipes it with one hand so that she may see herself clearly, and leans in to check her pores. In that moment something black flickers behind her eyes. She steps away, and after a moment goes back out into the hall, making for her bedroom. Class begins in a little over an hour and Veronica needs to read over some notes before she makes her way to campus.

She wakes.

There's a moment where Veronica can't put it all together, and that worries her, because putting things together is what she does. But then it clicks. The room around her, so white: curtains, walls, sheets. She remembers vaguely a stranger with too-blue eyes and too-smooth skin, and, oh...

Pain floods her head and she winces, pressing her palms to her eyes to fight back the hurting. She didn't drink that much last night, did she? She didn't drink at all, if she recalls correctly - but she doesn't recall correctly. Details are... vague.

She remembers lemon cake. And being asked not to insult Logan.

And then all she recalls is blue eyes, and desire, and sex.

She remembers kisses, a taste like wine, fingers fumbling with buttons. She remembers the feeling of her skin against someone else's, curves of muscle, locks of hair; she remembers a sensation like drowning slowly but having no desire for air. She remembers - all of it.

But it does stand out that she cannot recall his name. At first she thinks, maybe he just didn't say? but no, that's not it, because there's that sort of itching feeling in the back of her mind, and she's sure she's forgotten it. Which is fair. She was... distracted. But the hurried note by the bedside table

(Sorry. Had to go to work.)

doesn't help provide any more clues, either.

As she stumbles from bed, her head still buzzing as though a colony of hornets had taken up residence beneath her skull, she feels a sharp wave of guilt. It is so severe that bile rises in her throat, as though in sympathy, but she bites it back. It wouldn't do, to be standing in this stranger's apartment, naked, throwing up. As if things aren't bad enough.

It hits her then, like a physical force, a weight in her stomach. It was wrong. It was cheating. She reels, one hand grabbing the bed post for balance. It was betrayal.

But he - he deserved -

No.

She reaches for -

Get out of here.

Yes.

And somewhere, far in the distance, the first few chords of a song begin.