cuddlecity | ( open ) ♕ ❝ a place in the clouds ❞

Entry tags:

( open ) ♕ ❝ a place in the clouds ❞

CHARACTERS: caroline forbes & you!
LOCATIONS: all around the city, ft: deja brew.
WARNINGS: none yet.
SUMMARY: catch-all log post for january & february.

♕ deja brew.

( first things first: caroline forbes cannot — will not — live in a shoebox apartment. not if she can help it, anyway, and a careful perusal of her cadelle welcome kit says that moving out is both totally possible and easy... provided she has the right funds. which, of course, she doesn't have here, because her bank account didn't exactly transfer over. normally, that wouldn't be too much of an issue, what with her enhanced abilities of persuasion at work... but for whatever reason, that hasn't been working out so well here. mostly, trying just gives her a headache.

so it's back to the old standard for caroline, and while the employment office had been quick to point out a few places that could likely use her help, she wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of coming to a new place only to venture into food service. not that there was anything wrong with waitressing. it just wasn't her idea of a good time.

the locations directory in her phone doesn't give her many ideas, so rather than linger in her tiny apartment any longer than necessary, caroline decides to do things the old-fashioned way. she'll just walk around and find places that seem interesting, and once found, she'll ask if they're hiring. how hard could that be?

well, fast-forward two hours later, and she knows exactly what it could be: exhausting, and boring, which is worse. sinking into a booth at deja brew with a freshly steamed latte is just the ticket to feeling decidedly less miserable about this entire thing, right? it might also help to talk to people. people like the person whose walking path just crossed into her field of vision. )

Hi. Do you work here? ( a pause, and she corrects: ) Not, like, here here. In the city. Do you have a job?

♕ wildcard.

( if you'd like something specific with caroline, please let me know! semicolons / hartbeat#2740 on discord / pm, whatever floats your boat! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( he's on time, and he's polite; two stars are already marked in the 'pro' column for derek hale as far as caroline is concerned, and they've only exchanged smiles and a few words thus far. plus, it doesn't hurt that he's so nice to look at, what with the firm line of his jaw and the slopes of his shoulder and...

and she's getting carried away, even in her own head. a sip of her drink helps to steady her runaway thoughts, and caroline smiles again, a little more warmly this time as he settles in across from her. )

You too. ( but she can't quite help herself as she confesses: ) Your smile's still pretty distracting. I should have asked if you wanted me to grab you a drink.

[ Derek smirks a little, eyebrows lifting a little. ]

Well, I appreciate the compliment. I'll get one when someone comes around next, I'm not in a rush.

[ He's interested in spending some time with her, after all, otherwise he wouldn't be here. No sense hurrying things along. ]

If you can forgive the cliche, you're even prettier in person than you were in your profile.

( she can forgive it. she might groan a little, good-naturedly, but she's smiling still; there's something to be said, at least, for the sincerity behind the statement. he doesn't make her feel like he's saying it just to flatter her or get in her pants, so that helps. )

That's... you know, I honestly don't think I've ever had somebody say that and mean it before. ( a soft laugh, and she holds out her drink in his direction, gentle sloshing of the amber liquid inside going to and fro up the sides of the glass. ) Since you're so nice, I don't mind sharing.

( or, maybe more specifically, she doesn't mind sharing because it gives her an excuse to shift just that much closer, where she's able to pick up the scent of him, earthen, like a damp forest after rain. )

[ Derek leans forward a little bit, lowering his voice like he's telling her a secret. ]

I don't say anything I don't mean.

[ He's entirely too used to being surrounded by other werewolves who would be able to tell in a second that he's lying if he were to try.

The smell of the alcohol is the first thing he notices; he's more used to the smell of beer from work and this smells like a little — a lot — classier a drink than they'd typically serve at CriminALES.

The next thing he notices is a metallic tang behind the spearmint of what Derek assumes is the remnant of a piece of gum ditched before the drink, and an artificial scent on top of her own — perfume. It's sweet and if she were wearing more, it'd probably be overwhelming, but as it stands, it's actually soft and pleasant.

Derek leans in and takes her drink, lifting it to his lips for a sip, although he doesn't drink much. If he's going to drink, it's usually a good craft beer or something that'll actually get him drunk. ]

Not too bad. So, Caroline, what should I show you so that you'll show me yours? What do you want to know?

( if he asked, she'd tell him: it's the same perfume her mother had worn, one that carried the subtle southern sweetness of magnolia and honey, one that rested even now in a place of pride atop her vanity. or, in the case of her starter apartment in cadelle, that lavender colored bottle of guerlain perfume sat atop what she was considering her makeshift vanity space in her very cramped bedroom. she really needed to find somewhere a little more suitable.

but he doesn't ask, so caroline doesn't mention it. instead, she takes back the drink when he hands it to her, her fingertips brushing along the back of his knuckles for a moment before earning a firm grip on the glass. ) I could say tell me about yourself... but that's a pretty vague question, I know. That wouldn't be very fair. ( and, above all things, she thinks it's important that they're fair in this. give and take. )

Where's your favorite place here to go? Other than Mahogany, I mean.

And, you'd be right; you've seen my okCuddle profile, so you know I'm not good at vague.

[ The brush of her fingertips isn't lost on him and it makes him smile to himself a little. It's got an affectionate ring to it, whether she means it that way or not. Sometimes he forgets what those little sorts of touches feel like, because it's been a long time since he's felt them. Here, he's mostly been wading in slowly, getting to know women and keeping them at an arm's length if he can manage it, until... Who knows? He figures he'll know when it's a good time to let his guard down. Two of the women who managed to get through his wall have already left Cadelle, and the other is in a relationship with someone else, so there's a reason he's pretty far behind in the game. Her touch is innocent enough but it's a nice reminder of part of the draw of this place.

In any case, it's nice. ]

I actually haven't ever been here until now. [ He gives her a sheepish sort of smile and a shrug. ] It just seemed like a good place for a date.

But to answer your question, I like the woods. My cousin and I run there a lot. I've always liked the woods; when I was a kid, my family's house was out in the woods. I guess I just like how quiet and peaceful it is. It reminds me of home.

[ Not Beacon Hills, home; the Hale House, home. The home he'll never be able to return to, but which will always hold a special place in his heart. ]

What about you? Have you been here long enough to have a favorite place?

( caroline's always been physically affectionate. whether it's friendly or flirtatious or outright seductive, she's got little hesitation in casual touch, to the point where sometimes she doesn't even realize she's doing it. tonight is not one of those times, though. her touch is intentional, just the barest hint of flirtation to accompany a warm smile and a slow slide over in the circular booth, getting just that much closer every so often. )

You have good taste, then. It's — well, it's nice. I can actually hear you talk, which is definitely working in your favor.

( she doesn't mind a dance club, and while she might have been able to hear him anyway even over the booming sound system in one, he doesn't need to know that yet. there's things you reveal on a first date, and then there's things you reveal much later on. her enhanced senses? bloodlust? yeah, those are definitely in the latter category. )

We have woods at home, too. I don't think anybody has houses out there, but... well, it's a big space. ( she wouldn't be surprised, anyway. if brody had managed to hide his torture chamber rv in the thick of it, who knows what else is out there? ) I could be wrong.

( as for his question? caroline offers a shrug, a little noncommittal, but there's a hint of amusement in the corners of her lips, a laugh not quite spilled. )

I think I'm pretty fond of this place, now that I think about it... it's definitely got better atmosphere than my shoebox of an apartment.

What would be the point of a first date somewhere too noisy to hear one another talking? Isn't the whole point to get to know each other a little bit?

[ And, in Derek's case, try to decide whether he can trust her as far as he could throw her. Women haven't exactly been kind to him in the past. At least, not the ones who aren't family. He's open-minded and Derek genuinely does want to put himself out there, but he can't just do it on a whim. He's been broken a few too many times for that, by now.

That's also why, while he isn't going to recoil at her advances — and yes, he notices them — he also isn't going to be proactive enough to have any of his own. Maybe eventually, but probably not tonight. Tonight is to observe and consider. ]

Yeah, the apartments do leave a lot to be desired as far as the amount of space goes. I'll give you that. How long have you been here?

( his question earns a pointed moment of silence from caroline. she blinks at him, as if considering it, before taking a long sip of her drink, fingertips tapping against the side of the glass along with the music in the background. )

Well... ( maybe that's the difference. if you want to get to know someone, or if you just want to check a notch off on your cuddlequota to do list. while caroline's initial okcuddle swiping had been for the former, she has to admit, she wouldn't mind taking things a little slower with him. ) I guess, for some people, it's not really about getting to know each other.

( she'll settle, in that case, leaning back against the booth to sit a little more comfortably. it's not exactly a red light, but just calming her motions, meeting his speed. )

It's only been a few days. I honestly thought I was hallucinating a little bit at first, like some kind of terrible coping strategy. ( vervain had the bad habit of inducing the abnormal in high doses. it wouldn't be impossible. ) But it's got to be real, if I can do things like go on dates.

[ Derek hums amusement when he feels her move to lean back against the booth. He's put her off unintentionally, he suspects. The problem with Derek is that he never knows if he can actually trust someone enough to let himself be vulnerable to them and the other problem with Derek is that...sex isn't just a thing he does for fun to get off. Masturbation is a thing he does for fun to get off, but sex, for him, is never really about him. It's about her, whoever she may be. Showing that part of himself, the part that cares more about the other person than himself, is more vulnerable than he cares to get with strangers.

Maybe some women would find that to be off-putting and maybe she's one of them. ...but she hasn't bailed, yet, so maybe she isn't. ]

I'm not really that kind of guy...but if I was, I probably wouldn't have wasted time on a date at all. I would've just invited you back to my apartment and fucked you until you couldn't see straight.

[ Just putting that image in her mind, in case he had put her off entirely, because he is attracted and that's a start. She just has to be patient enough for him to catch up with where she'd wanted to be.

And then she says that and his amusement falls away into something a little bit more concerned because if he can't identify with that, he can't identify with anything at all. ]

Coping strategy for what? Was something bad happening back home for you...?

Edited 2018-01-27 04:19 (UTC)

( he has an uncanny habit of surprising her into silence. this time, though, there's nothing contemplative about it; caroline's silence is entirely fueled by the shockwaves that run through her in response to his words. it's not a reaction she has much control over. what girl could resist such straightforward statements, offered with the cheekiest of grins?

when she does manage to wrestle her attentions away from that very, very enjoyable mental image, she coughs to clear her throat, finding it suddenly dry after so many thick swallows. a swipe of her tongue over her bottom lip, another sip of her drink; by the time she speaks, she's grinning, clearly pleased. )

I wouldn't have said no... but now I guess we just have that to look forward to, huh?

( she can be patient. slow and steady is very different than a straightforward rejection, and now that she knows he's interested... well, that doesn't mean she won't tease, but she won't be upset if he doesn't give her the pleasure of an immediate loss of resolve.

but, of course, the conversation can't just stay there, can it? )

It's not exactly first-date conversation, ( though she's not saying no. just a warning, in case he wants to cut her off. when he doesn't, caroline sets her glass down, fingertip running along the rim. ) I was — being tortured, basically.

[ Part of the fun of being so blunt is seeing the reaction; hearing the way her body reacts to it, for example, the thick swallowing and the clearing of her throat.

The other part is being validated. Good, now they're on the same page. They both know that the other is interested, and she's aware of his intention to wait on it, but yet again, she's still here, so he's going to take that as a good thing. ]

Good to know. I guess we do.

[ The smirk on his face falls away, though, at her response. It isn't just the words, but the body language that goes with them. Derek watches her face silently for a moment. Asking her why she was being tortured is both rude and insensitive, he already knows that, but having been tortured a time or ten himself, he can't help being curious. She doesn't smell like a wolf, so she's not like him. So what happened? ]

I'm sorry. You're right, it's not really first date conversation but I'd rather honesty than a lie.

[ Especially since he'd have heard the lie if it had been. ]

In that case, I hope you don't have to go back. No one should have to endure that, no matter who or what they are.

[ That's a test to see if she notices the latter word and how she reacts to it. If she gets cagey or seems to understand, he'll assume that they at least have not being human in common. If she looks at him like he's grown a second head, he'll know that telling her what he is down the line is probably less of an option. He'll need to feel comfortable enough to cop to being a werewolf if he's going to sleep with her, that's his only real, concrete rule. ]

You don't have to apologize. It's not like it's a question that wouldn't have come up at some point.

( and, based on the solemness of his reaction, she feels a little better about having him be the first person to ask. though, she has to think about his statement. does she want to go back? to that immediate moment in time, to being between the bars of a cage on the floor of a dirty van in the middle of the woods outside mystic falls, with brody's smug face staring at her while he shot her at point-blank range? no, caroline could do very well without going back to that moment. but not going back at all is something she hadn't really considered until now.

she'd assumed that, given enough time and enough sacrifice on her end, that she'd go home with a magical solution, somehow transported back to safety and away from the clutches of douchebags who wanted nothing more than to make her suffer. she hadn't really thought about the idea of not returning to mystic falls at all. it's something worth considering, though she knows she might miss... well, her mother, most of all. but caroline also knew that, someday, she'd be saying goodbye anyway.

it's a little too heavy a train of thought for a first date, current conversation even considered, so she shakes her head a bit, as if to clear her mind. and then, clarity found, she realizes the second half of his statement — what you are — and caroline has to nod, a little too familiar with the concept. )

As if what you are determines what kind of person you are. ( she's so tired of the assumptions. that she's incapable of controlling herself, that she can't keep up — and they come from all around, from humans (matt) and vampires (damon) and witches (bonnie) alike. doesn't matter who it is, or what they are, they've got some kind of judgment to lay down on caroline forbes. )

[ She doesn't have to say anything for Derek to recognize that he's in familiar water right now. Her reaction is too mild for him not to be. The verbal response only nails it down for Derek and he nods, huffing a humorless laugh and reaching for her glass, since he hasn't one of his own yet, this time letting his fingers be the ones to intentionally brush hers before he steals a sip and then puts the glass back in her hand. ]

It's almost as if there are good people and bad people, no matter what they are.

[ He doubts he has to point out the sarcasm, because it's clearly in his tone.

Derek lowers his voice a little, partially just not to be overheard and partially to test her hearing. Maybe she doesn't smell like wolf because she smells like perfume. ]

If I never see another cattle prod for the rest of my life, it'll be too soon.

[ His eyes shift over to meet hers, curious whether that rings any bells for her. Most hunters use some sort of electricity, typically something in a wand-like shape. Cattle prods are his experience, but they're just the tool. They're always juiced up to insane levels of voltage to keep his wolf at bay and torture him at the same time. It hurts like hell and keeps him from turning, which stunts the healing process. It's like using wolfsbane only exponentially slower. You know, for the hunter with a hunger for inflicting pain. ]

( she's never had the displeasure of a cattle prod. electricity's a poor weapon against a vampire, even one as young as caroline, but she doesn't doubt the pain of it. she does, however, have to wonder what sort of role it might have played in his life where he'd seen one so often. maybe he'll tell her. maybe he won't. )

Wooden bullets, for me. ( that earns the need for a drink, a longer sip that drains her glass of what's left; the empty glass is set aside when it's done, and caroline lets her fingers twine together atop the table in lieu of her lap. she hasn't realized he's lowered his voice, her own hearing picking up the sound just fine all the same, but good conversation manners has her lowering her own out of habit to match. ) Maybe we should get another drink.

( but that would mean getting up, leaving the surprisingly cozy bubble they've created for each other here in this booth. she's not particularly driven to get to her feet. )

[ Derek looks a little confused by that. Wooden bullets? What the hell is she? He's never heard of a supernatural creature whose weakness would be wood. Silver, wolfsbane, mistletoe, electricity, water, courage, but not wood.

His eyes move to the glass she's emptied and when she suggests another drink, another humorless huff escapes him. Since she doesn't seem to have noticed the fact that he's lowered his voice, he keeps it that way. Clearly, she can hear it just fine. ]

There's nothing in this bar that'll give me a buzz, but I'll go get you another one, if you want.

No, ( perhaps a little too quickly, but true all the same. she'd rather he stay. ) That's okay. To be honest, it doesn't really get me drunk, either. It just curbs my appetite.

( she'd picked up the concept from damon. not that it was his idea, or even one unique to the salvatores. it seemed to be a pretty common practice — at least for the vampires in mystic falls, anyway. drinking the stronger stuff helped to dull their senses, to tamp down on the insatiable need for sustenance that left unchecked would unleash ripper-quality hunger. she'd started with food cravings, but alcohol was stronger, and therefore easier to manage. )

Why cattle prods?

( he doesn't have to answer, but she has a feeling he will. )

[ Derek gives a thoughtful facial shrug at that. It's interesting, alcohol as an appetite suppressant. He wonders if that would work for him and makes a mental note to try it sometime, just to see for the sake of curiosity. It isn't like he needs to curb his appetite with his metabolism the way it is and his high level of physical activity in place, but now he just wonders.

Her question has him looking away again reflexively, clearing his throat. ]

Keeps me in this form and stops me from healing. Plus it hurts like a motherfucker, which I imagine is a nice bonus for them.

[ Blunt, but honest. She asked, he's telling just like when he asked, she did. ]

( he mentions this form, a phrase which naturally lends itself to the existence of another, and caroline has to wonder what that might be. her knowledge of the supernatural — even her own knowledge of the vampire world, for that matter — is limited at best, gleaned from the conversations she hasn't been pushed out of or just kept from entirely. what information she's been given is few and far between...

but she does have tyler, at least. there's something familiar, there. she can make an educated guess. )

Are you... ( and here, her voice does drop with full intent. ) a werewolf?

( he may not want to tell her. he may not even want to answer. but she'll do her best not to look away, or to look frightened by the possibility of his confirmation. she won't judge him, that much is for sure. )

[ He can see that she's watching him for a reaction and Derek's eyes are moving away from her for the first time since they started talking, because he's checking their surroundings to make sure no one else is overhearing this conversation before he actually answers her. No one appears to be able to hear them.

His eyes shift back to her and he nods subtly, his eyes lighting up a glowing icy blue for just a second before he lets the glow fall away again to reveal the green human eyes beneath. ]

You asked that like you already knew we weren't strictly mythological or fictional...

Well, you're not, are you?

( no, the shift in his eyes is answer enough. while she remembers tyler's glowing gold, the difference isn't enough to bother her. maybe it's like hair color. blue or gold, brunette or blonde. that's not the important thing. what is important, at least to caroline, is reassuring him that she understands what it means to share that part of himself. what's important is returning the honesty in kind.

there's a moment of quiet, just a soft smile as she watches his reaction, before she swallows hard, eyes closing in concentration. it doesn't take more than a second for the veins under her eyes to darken, and when they open again, there's redness where white had been before, the irises darker too. when she finally opens her mouth, her cuspids are sharp, small daggers ready to tear. a flash of white, and her mouth closes again; after another thirty seconds, all is gone as if it'd never been there before. )

But I guess I'm used to people thinking we're fictional too.

Edited 2018-01-28 02:28 (UTC)

[ Derek's eyes used to glow gold once upon a time. Before he killed an innocent. His eye color represents one of the worst moments of his life and it doesn't care about the circumstances surrounding it. Paige was an innocent and he took her life. He doesn't like the blue.

She surprises him a little with the darkened veins and the redness in her eyes. Even more surprise comes with the fangs. She doesn't look like a werewolf, though, so he's a little confused by that. Her verbal response only confirms that she's not a werewolf, but something else. ]

What are you?

[ It would probably be a rude question except that it makes sense in the context of the conversation for him to ask it. The tone isn't judgmental so much as it's curious. ]

( his question surprises her, perhaps more so than shock might have. everyone knew what a vampire was, even if all they knew was the dracula varieties. the horror movies come to life, complete with thick stage blood and the eternally annoying (and eternally fake) aversion to garlic — she was used to those. she could explain the differences.

but not recognizing at all? not even a little? it takes caroline a moment to answer, brow furrowed in confusion. )

Have you never seen a Dracula movie or something? I thought it was pretty obvious.

( and then, just in case: ) I'm a vampire.

I've seen them.

[ He's just never met a vampire in person and just because she has fangs, that doesn't really tell him much. ]

Practically all of the supernatural creatures I've come across have fangs and shifting faces. ...including myself. And I've never met a vampire before, actually. Well, now I have.

Well, now you have.

( it's such a perfectly caroline forbes statement: perky and confident; the sound of the end syllable a slap like the closing of a book, as if to signal enough of that as she forcefully changes the subject. they've exchanged supernatural calling cards, shared a drink that got neither of them buzzed, and verified interest in one another. she thinks that's a pretty successful start to an evening. )

So... Derek. ( her smile turns a little cheeky as she tilts her head to peer up at him. ) You'll still call me after tonight, right? I'd be pretty bummed if you ghosted me after all this.

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