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

[ 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.

[ His eyebrows lift with question when she says his name, the expression on her face suggesting she's about to say something he ought to pay attention to. He laughs a little when she finishes, nodding his head.

Consider her someone he can most likely trust. Something tells him that she may or may not have been hunted in her time, too. ]

I would never ghost on someone.

[ He pauses and has the grace to look appropriately sheepish. ]

...I don't know what ghosting on someone means, but I'll call you. I promise.

I'm totally going to have to teach you millennial buzzwords, aren't I? ( she's teasing, a bright burst of laughter bookending her statement as she wrinkles her nose in his direction. ) Ghosting is basically not calling. Disappearing. Like... 'I really liked this guy, we had a great first date, and then he totally ghosted on me! I never heard from him again!'

( a pause, and caroline shoots a pointed look in his direction. )

That better not be you.

[ Grimacing a little, Derek laughs again. That doesn't sound appealing at all, if he's honest, but she probably will have to, because if he wants to understand what half of the things that come out of women's mouths if he's going to use a dating app to start up conversations with them. ]

Probably, yeah.

[ He can't help laughing a little in addition when she not only defines the word for him, but uses it in a sentence, just in case he didn't get it without context. ]

Yeah, that's not me, I think we're good. It's not the kind of thing I do. If I lose interest, you'll know it. I don't really see the point in just disappearing. It's rude.

Good. ( and she does look pleased, too, as she settles back against the booth, a hand lifting to tuck an errant lock of her hair behind her ear. ) Though I guess the whole point is that you're not supposed to lose interest, but at least you have some class about it.

( she's only teasing, and the wink in his direction helps to reinforce that. she knows, really, that you can't force attraction or attention to it anymore than you can anything else. sometimes, things just don't work out that way. but caroline's an optimistic kind of girl, and she really likes the way she feels so comfortable around him. he reminds her of stefan, in a way that she hadn't quite expected when she'd gotten distracted by the brightness of his smile. )

I know you're probably not in the mood for another drink, but maybe you could walk back with me? If you don't have other plans, I mean.

( unless he's moved out, she guesses they likely live fairly close by. all the resident buildings seemed pretty close together. )

[ His chin lifts, a smirk on his face. Okay, she does have a point. Talking about losing interest on a first date when one hasn't actually lost interest is probably not a great move. Obviously, he's not so good at this. Thank God he's a good looking guy, because he needs something going for him. ]

I don't have any other plans, I can walk you back. Are you saying you're ready to go right now, or...?

[ And if she is, does that mean he's blowing it or just that she's done being in this place for now? ]

( his concern — entirely misplaced, really, she's having an entirely different but no less enjoyable evening than she'd expected — is incredibly endearing, and caroline doesn't hesitate to reach out, letting her hand drape over his for a moment and squeezing lightly. )

Oh my god, no, I'm not — no, listen, I'm having a great time. But this is a pretty big booth, and neither one of is going to have another drink, and part of me wishes this place had a dance floor so I could drag you out onto it... so I figured maybe a walk would be a good alternative?

( now she has the opportunity to look a little sheepish from her own confessions. )

I don't want to say goodnight, if that's what you're asking. I just, you know. Maybe I just wanted an excuse to get a good night kiss?

[ The reassurance that comes from her little squeeze of his hand smiles Derek smiles and he turns his hand over to give hers a quick squeeze, too, before letting go again. ]

Just checking. Walking, yeah. That I can do. Dancing, not so much.

[ It's more of a relief than she probably knows that there isn't a dance floor and he makes a mental note to keep this place in mind in the future for that very reason. ]

Do you want to go now? It's kind of cold out...does that bother you...?

[ He's wearing his leather jacket, but the cold doesn't really bother him that much, so he's happy to let her borrow it if it gets to her.

His bypass of the mention of a goodnight kiss isn't intentional, it's just that isn't what he thinks the focus of the conversation is just now, so much as he's mentally noted it as a green light for later. ]

I probably should have brought mine.

( does it bother her? well, a little, though not so much that she'd freeze to death — but caroline forbes is also the kind of girl who knows the entire script of the notebook by heart, and who would give her left arm for a life out of a nicholas sparks movie. she's not going to turn down the option of a loaned jacket on a first date. she might, however, squeal a little. internally. to herself.

as he settles it over her shoulders, caroline hums out a quiet: ) Thank you.

( she's having a hard time resisting the urge to grin ear-to-ear, even as they leave the quiet bubble of their booth and the warmth of mahogany behind. it's been a nice evening. definitely very different than she expected at first, but in a good way.

her boots make a soft crunching sound as they step out onto the sidewalk still covered in a thin layer of white snow. it's pretty, to be sure, and quiet at this time of night, just a few people here and there milling about. )

I wasn't really expecting to tell anybody here about... you know. But I'm glad I told you, at least.

[ As dense as Derek can be in dating situations now and again while he's trying to reacquaint himself with the process, he can take a hint. As they move outside, Derek shrugs out of his jacket and smiles a little, draping it over her shoulders. ]

You're welcome.

[ Leather suits her, but Derek doesn't mention it to her. It hadn't been terribly loud inside Mahogany but it's significantly quieter out here, he can't help noticing. That might be more to do with his hearing than the actual decibel level, though.

There's something about snow on the ground that makes it seem like the sound is being absorbed. Every night seems exponentially quieter since it had started snowing. It means that however much he prefers summer, Derek thinks winter is better in some ways, like this.

His eyes turn to settle on her again when she speaks. ]

It feels better to get it off your chest. I felt a lot better the first time I told someone. [ He pauses and laughs a little. ] Who, believe it or not, was Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. I swear to God. This place is so weird.

Like, leave before somebody drops a house on you, too Glinda? ( yes, caroline's seen — and adored — the wizard of oz. she can't help but laugh, a delighted little sound bubbling up in response. ) I cannot believe you met Glinda the Good Witch. That's... wow.

( she's stunned a little into silence, even. not that anything's ever really silent, now that she knows how to listen; the crunch of the snow beneath her boots, the faint echo of conversations in the distance from people wandering in and out of the storefronts that face out to the street, even the sound of their breathing, steady and in sync, provides a soundtrack to their walk through the city. )

I hope it's not a bad kind of weird, though.

Seriously, I swear.

[ He laughs a little, shaking his head. ]

I thought it was crazy, too. We went out a couple of times, but she disappeared on me. Didn't even say goodbye. Bummer, right? She would've been cool to hang out with; she was really nice.

[ He looks over at her and his amusement settles into something a little calmer but still warm; still smiling. ]

It's mostly a very good weird.

[ He'd be lying if he said it was all good, given the few issues they've run into, one of which displaced him from his apartment for a short while, but for the most part, it's a good weird. ]

I get to meet really cool people all the time. People I wouldn't typically have met back home.

[ He doesn't say it, but the way he looks back at her suggests that she ought to include herself in that bucket. ]

( open ) ♕ ❝ a place in the clouds ❞

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)