Baby I need a friend, but I'm a vampire smile, you'll meet a sticky end. [Open]

[elasticheart]

Who: Caroline Forbes + YOU

Where: All over!

When: October 13th

Rating: PG-13 to be safe? Will update if needed.

Summary: Caroline arrives in Wonderland. Not sure if like.
Notes: There will be a few starters! Add your own if you like. Prose or action are both fine!

The Story : 

The amount of voicemails she's left in her life has given Caroline the uncanny ability to know instinctively, in her gut, exactly how much time she has to talk before the time runs out. So when her fingertip presses the End Call button on her touchscreen phone this time, she knows she barely has a second to spare before the heartless and emotionless computerized voice asks her if she's satisfied with her message. Hitting it just in time gives her a surge of adrenaline, making her previously steady hands shake ever so slightly as she runs her fingers through her hair. Okay, so maybe the reason she's shaking isn't because of something as lame as the thrill of perfect timing. Maybe it's because of what she left on the voicemail to Stefan and the tightened nerves and emotional release of saying everything she needed to say to someone who won't even call her back. An uneasy feeling in her stomach reminds her of the times she called Tyler, using his voicemail as the only place in the world she could say what she was really feeling, and she's reminded of the trainwreck of that failed relationship. But she refuses to accept defeat with Stefan, wills herself to believe this time it will be different. One of these days, and one of these days soon, by the way, he will pick up the phone and call her back and tell her he's going to help her fix everything. Just like he used to.

Caroline, now more or less back to her optimistic and determined self, receives her check from a pretty waitress at the diner. She leaves cash with more of a tip than she can probably afford, and moves to start carefully packing away the newest batch of occult books she's been reading. When she opens her bag, however, there's something not quite right in the darkness that she sees there. Frozen with a book in hand, her eyes are transfixed by the emptiness staring back at her. At first she thinks she's had way too much coffee and nowhere near enough sleep, but that's nothing new these days with working so hard to get her home back. Then she feels something.

A lurch in the air, a pull in her chest. Startled, she stands clumsily out of her chair and knocks over her coffee cup on the way. With quick reflexes, she moves to catch the cup before it shatters on the ground...

Only to find herself in the middle of a dark forest, feeling dizzy like the entire world flipped upside-down and she's getting used to being on the wrong side of the earth. 

Comments

[Action]

[lost_labonair]

[ Hayley's been spending more time out of doors than in - a habit she'd gotten used to over the past few months in New Orleans, long weeks spent in the bayou. This place is far from the same, but still. Being cooped up indoors for too long leaves her feeling trapped and restless, not a feeling she particularly likes.

So roaming the grounds is not all that unusual for her, especially not in a new place where she's still trying to get her own bearings. She's been avoiding people to a certain extent as well, overwhelmed a little with everything being so... well. Whatever this place is.

Surprises seem to like popping out of nowhere here, however, so when she comes around the corner of one of the vendor stalls, not really paying attention to what - or who - might be nearby, the last person she expects to see if a familiar blond vampire out of her past - and not the one she arrived with. ]

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

[ Crap. That hadn't been out loud, had it? ]

awwwwhellnawwww snap snap

[elasticheart]

[A friendly face is not something she's expecting to see here. So it's a good thing when she spots Hayley after she definitely says that out loud, Caroline only has to deal with a familiar one. A very unfortunate blast from the past.

Caroline only wastes a second being surprised, and then she's marching towards her old backstabbing acquaintance with tunnel vision. Angry tunnel vision. The look on her face is a kind of specific pointed hatred that only a former mean girl could pull off, and for a moment there, Caroline isn't sure herself if she's going to be attempting some satisfying neck-snapping revenge or not. Current situation forgotten, Caroline stops in front of Hayley and crosses her arms.]

Hey Hayley! [The saccharine-sweet smile that grows on her lips is anything but sweet. It's practically venomous.] Stab anyone in the back today?

Or are you still having trouble getting people to care enough first?

oh it's on :|

[lost_labonair]

[ Ugh. She knew she should have gotten out of bed this morning.

She fixes the vampire with an unimpressed look, because how else was she supposed to react to that? She's got enough shit on her plate without adding Cheerleader Barbie to the menu. ]

Back off, Blondie. You do not want to start this right now.

much drama so wow

[elasticheart]

What, are you going to snap my neck again? Don't you want me to close my eyes first? Maybe look away?

[Yeah she has no idea that Hayley's a whole lot more than a werewolf now, but then again, it probably wouldn't matter to her anyway. Hayley not only hurt her, she betrayed Tyler in one of the worst ways possible. Even though it's way in the past now, her loyalty to her friends is something unbreakable. Something that makes her not afraid of death or pain.

But it seems like at the last second, Caroline regains her senses. All fake smiles gone, Caroline's straight with her.]

Okay, you know what, you're right. I don't want this. [She shakes her head a little, as if disappointed, disgusted.] I don't want any of this. [Caroline actually throws her hands in the air before she moves to start walking away.] Just stay away from me.

oh my god not everything is about you

[lost_labonair]

You're the one that stormed over here and started throwing insults.

[ Hayley felt this was important to point out, because really? And she'd thought her moodswings were bad.

Also probably not best to bring up Tyler. Not someone on on Hayley's favorite person list these days. ]

Or invitations. Whatever. Trust me, I'm just as thrilled to be stuck here as you are.

omg why are you so obsessed with me???

[elasticheart]

Yeah, well, you deserve all of it and more.

[Though she's still harboring some rage, Caroline takes the intensity of it down a notch, spinning around to look at Hayley again. Finally getting to the heart of the matter.]

We trusted you. I trusted you. Despite every single flashing warning sign that you were no good, I gave you every chance to prove me wrong. [A light scoff.] You don't even care, do you.

[lost_labonair]

Not really, no.

[ Blunt, but honest. Sort of. In truth, she regretted ever having let herself get drawn into the mess of plots and counter-plots that always seemed to weave so tightly around things in Mystic Falls. Not that things in New Orleans weren't just the same, but again, she never would have ended up there either. Some days she misses how simple her life had been before she'd complicated it with vampires and Originals. But she hadn't been happy then either, had she? ]

I had my own reasons for being there, true. Something I'd been searching for for years. If it hadn't put what I needed at polar opposites of what Tyler was trying to do, then yeah. I would have helped him. And I did help him, where I could. Do you think him breaking his sire bond the first time was easy? Besides. He's not exactly a glowing beacon of trustworthiness himself, you know.

[ There's a flare of rage in her eyes at those words, something sharp and visceral, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. The next time her and Tyler crossed paths was likely to be messy. ]

[elasticheart]

[Caroline, at least, can appreciate bluntness. At least it's honest, and at least it saves time. She's a regular dispenser of blunt honesty, which tends to get her in more trouble than not. But since there's no real relationship here to salvage, it doesn't matter. She just tilts her head and breathes out a silent that's what I thought, arms folding across her chest.

Brows raised defensively as Hayley explains, Caroline has to stop herself from interjecting. But then she makes the comment about Tyler's trustworthiness and it gives her pause.

Significant pause.

Because she gets it. Caroline doesn't know of Hayley's involvement in New Orleans, not in the slightest, so she doesn't understand the connection. However, with her heart on her sleeve at all times, she can't hide the way her eyes darken, her gaze softens. It's recognition of Tyler's flaws and a reflection of the deep hurt that still lingers in her chest.

Caroline glances away, firm stance relaxing a fraction. She's no longer tense like she's on the verge of lashing out.]

He still didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve working that hard and bonding with all of those people, and you, only to lose all of it because of some- [A beat. She looks at Hayley.] Did you get what you wanted? Was it worth it?

[Although her tone remains accusatory, she's genuinely curious.</small]

[lost_labonair]

[ And then she has to go and be reasonable about the whole thing. Hayley was much more comfortable when she was yelling. Especially because she didn't want to think too deeply about that question. Or the only answers she had to give.

So instead, she wrapped her arms around her middle and averted her gaze, lifting one shoulder in a shrug as she scowled fiercely at nothing in particular. ]

Maybe. Sort of. It gave me a direction and I found the answers I'd been looking for. Along with a much bigger mess in the long run. Was it worth it?

[ There's something like pain that flickers briefly in her gaze, sharp and stabbing, and then she clenches her jaw, stubborn. ]

Maybe. Maybe it will be. Eventually. He wasn't the only one who lost them, you know. Or the others... [ She trails off, frowning, then shakes her head before finally looking back to meet Caroline's gaze, defensive and unhappy. ] Desperate people don't make the best decisions. I'm sorry I couldn't help him. That what happened happened. I guess I owe you an apology, too. I... hadn't planned on that. On any of that.

[elasticheart]

[Caroline listens carefully, ready to pick apart what she says, to judge and deliver appropriate arguments to whatever excuse she gives her.

But when Hayley gets to the apologies? Caroline doesn't really know what to do.

Because when people are genuine with her, even people she actively dislikes, even people who don't deserve any chances, she has a tendency to give them a break. Even if said break is only biting her tongue. Maybe a little while ago it would have been easier for her to dismiss the half-apology, to completely ignore the self-admitted desperate reason. She'd done some not so great things in desperation to save her friends.

She barely knew a thing about Hayley. And maybe now she gets that even though she thought she gave the werewolf a chance, maybe she didn't. It's not a nice pill to swallow. Which shows in the way she seems reluctant to reply, the slight sour look on her lips.]

Okay. [It's as close as she can get to accepting the sorta apology. At least right now. Her tone's still clipped, but she's no longer on the offense.]

Just, maybe next time? See if there's a better way to get what you want. Maybe a way that involves talking instead of neck-breaking?

[Also as close as she can get to extending the olive branch. An offer to at least consider hearing her out and possibly helping, if things get bad enough.]

[lost_labonair]

[ Hayley makes a face at that, her nose wrinkling in utter distaste, but maybe - maybe - there's the faintest hint of humor glinting briefly in dark eyes. ]

Ugh. Talking is so unreliable. And it takes too long. What's Option C?

[ Because maybe trying to lighten the topic will ease some of the discomfort she still feels over everything that had happened, and her own part in the mess it had become. ]