Happy Birthday, Caroline! [Night of Oct 10]

[vampire_barbie_girl]

1. Getting ready for the party (for Thomas)

To say Caroline was excited about her birthday would be an understatement. Especially because this was one of those important sounding birthdays, twenty-one. Nevermind that she was in the UK now, where the drinking age was eighteen. It was still a big deal, or at least it felt like it.

She'd been trying on clothes for the last fifteen minutes or so, before finally settling a cute black and gold outfit that was sexy but in a more grown-up way.

For a moment, she wondered what her mother would think of it. She smiled sadly at her reflection before turning her focus to the clock. It was about time for Thomas to arrive to do her hair. She couldn't wait to see what he came up with.




2. Get the Party Started (Open)

Caroline had decided on a pool hall in Haringey as the location for the party, since it seemed like a good, neutral place. She'd basically invited everyone she'd met in London, which mainly included some co-workers (the ones who weren't working tonight), neighbours, and a number of vampires who she was fairly confident wouldn't be snacking on the other guests.

All and all, she was fairly satisfied by the turnout. It made her feel like this London life of hers might actually work out for the best. And so she started making the rounds, smiling at each familiar face she saw - and a few unfamiliar ones too because the more, the merrier.





3. Sorry I can't hear you, I'm kind of busy (Open)

The party has been going for awhile when Caroline heard her phone beeping, alerting her to a text message. She froze for a moment when she saw the notification. It was from Stefan.

Of course he would pick today to end the months long silence. She put her phone away without reading the message, then headed over to the bar for another drink. She wasn't sure how many she'd had at this point but after that, she definitely needed another.




[Feel free to join the party even if your character doesn't know Caroline well enough for an invite, everyone's welcome]

Comments

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline tensed a bit at the touch, though thankfully didn't react more than that. She took a slow, deep breath, focusing on the question. "I'll have whatever you're having," she said, since she honestly couldn't remember what her last drink had been.

[goodgraces]

Oh. Well. Gwen has been nursing the same drink all night, so…

“Another of the same, please.”

She indicated Caroline to let the bartender know whose drink she meant, before turning back to her focus on her friend.

“Something’s happened, hasn’t it? Did you want to talk about it?”

Gwen wouldn’t push if she didn’t. Sometimes keeping someone company was enough.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline pretty much always wanted to talk about these things and right now was no exception. "Urg, yeah. It's boy drama, of course." She paused sighed heavily. "I got a text from uh, I don't even know if I can call him my ex, really. It's complicated." To say the least.

She'd spare Gwen the gory details, especially since a number of said details were quite literally gory. It was those details, as well as her mother's death, that had led to her fleeing the States in need of a break. Which she'd finally felt like she was getting, until just a few minutes ago.

[goodgraces]

“With boys, when isn’t it complicated?”

She smiled ruefully.

“I’m sure it wasn’t a coincidence that he contacted you tonight. What did he want? Is he nearby?”

Having no idea who this man was, she decided to start with where, in case he was any sort of physical threat to Caroline.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"No, he's still back in Mystic Falls. It's not ... he's a good guy. Things just didn't end well and that's mostly on me." She wasn't just saying that - she'd been the one who jumped on a plane, the one who decided things were too broken to even try fixing.

The bartender appeared with her drink just in time and Caroline drank a large gulp, barely tasting it. "I didn't actually read the text yet. But it's the first time he's contacted me since I moved here."

[goodgraces]

Good. Well, not good, but at least he was only a potential threat to her heart, which was far better than the other possibility.

Gwen winced internally while watching Caroline down a large gulp of alcohol. If the drinking got out of hand, she’d gently try to cut her off. For the moment, she’d let it go.

“I know you probably don’t want to, but you really should read his text. It’ll only eat at you if you don’t.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Oh, I'm going to read it. I just don't want to do it right now. Old pop songs be damned, I don't want to be the one crying at my own party."

There was an empty table nearby and Caroline walked over to, then sat down. "Are you enjoying yourself at least?" she asked Gwen.

[goodgraces]

At the table, Gwen chose to sit next to Caroline instead of across from her.

“Oh, absolutely! Everyone I’ve met so far has been a real pleasure to speak with. Not a surprise since you obviously have excellent taste in the company you keep. Case in point.” She indicated herself while giving Caroline a cheeky smile.

“But…”

Yeah, she won’t let her friend change the subject that easily, not without checking to make sure everything was going to be okay.

“You don’t have to play the part of a gracious host if you’re not up to it. Like you said, this is your party. That means it’s all about you and what you want to do.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline had known she liked Gwen from the first time they met but now it was becoming clear just what a good friend she was. Friends don't let friends avoid subjects!

"Okay, what I want to do right now is finish this drink. And by the time I'm done, I want to forget that I ever heard the name Stefan Salvatore. And then tomorrow, I'll read what he said and come up with an appropriately polite but distant response." She raised her glass, gesturing for Gwen to do the same.

[goodgraces]

“I’ll drink to that!”

Smiling, she clinked their glasses together, making the toast official, before downing the remnants of her drink. The face she made afterward had nothing to do with the strength of the alcohol but rather the fact that it was godawful this far past the point when it should have been gone.

“And if you need any help constructing that polite but distant response, let me know. I’ve spent a lifetime around ladies who’ve make that sort of communication into an art form.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline smiled as their glasses clinked together - they'd been many cheers this evening and she was thankful for each on.

"Oh really?" she said, raising an eyebrow at Gwen's offer. "That is very interesting information. I'll definitely let you know if I need a proofreader or something, though I have to admit, it won't be the first time I've sent a message like that."

[goodgraces]

“Go on then! I believe in you--and your ability to construct a proper sentence.” She laughed. “Then again, I’ll bet most women would be up to this task. On the other hand, experience says that a man would make a mess of it. Or simply ghost to avoid it all together.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline thought about that for a moment, but had to agree. "Ghosting is definitely Stefan's approach, why else would it take months for him to say a thing at all?"

[goodgraces]

“Behaviour that’s made all the worse when the ghost comes back to haunt you. Stick around or stay gone, I say.”

Guinevere has had a grand total of two romantic partners in her life, and that includes a one-night stand. Even so, bearing witness to the heartache her girlfriends suffered at the hands of inconsistent lovers taught her it was best to have no tolerance for that sort of nonsense.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"That's a good rule, you should make a bumper sticker or something. I'd buy it."

Not only was it good for Stefan, but it was a rule she should have used on Tyler a lot earlier than she did. Hell, Klaus too for that matter, though he had so far kept his promise to stay gone. But this really wasn't about Klaus.

If you wanted a new girlfriend with boy trouble, Gwen, then you've definitely found one.

[goodgraces]

Boy trouble sucks, but she’d take it in a heartbeat over being a widow. If you add Nancy to this mix, then between the three of them they could pretty much cover the entire spectrum of romantic problems.


“Hopefully, he’ll get your message loud and clear. There are plenty of good men right here to focus on.”

Just as Gwen finished that thought, she made the mistake of making eye contact with a rather sketchy-looking man who was currently leaning against the bar and scanning the room. Acknowledging her attention, he hoisted his drink while offering both women a wink and a cocky smile.

Gwen frowned in response.

“Well, perhaps not here at the moment. But you know what I mean.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline followed Gwen's glance, then laughed. "Yeah, I don't think tonight's the night for random hook-ups anyway." Though the one a few months back had been fun.

"Okay, we need a new topic. How's your life these days?"

[goodgraces]

Gwen hated outright lying and was honesty quite rubbish at it. And yet she didn’t want to spill the whole truth right now because a birthday celebration should be an upbeat affair and that conversation would be the opposite of fun. While she was very much ok (just plain ok) when not actively dwelling on the loss of her husband, talking about it was still awful at this point.

Lying, even by omission, was easier to do without making eye contact. So, she focused on her empty glass instead, tapping the fingers of her right hand against it as she spoke.

“My life is pretty steady, nothing exciting going on. I go to work, come home, watch some telly, and then it’s off to sleep. Next day: wash, rinse and repeat.”

She offered up a contrite smile, apologizing for being so boring.

“I know it sounds dull, but I’ve always been a bit of a homebody.”

Perhaps more so now than before, but the reasons for that could wait for another time.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Dull isn't always a bad thing," Caroline says, thinking about the crazier parts of her life that she could definitely do without. "Plus, how dull can it be if you get to go to this awesome birthday party?"

[goodgraces]

She laughed out loud at that.

“True. Thankfully, the company I keep is rarely dull—especially tonight.”

One good thing about dull: it was usually safe. Excitement often had too close of a relationship with trouble. But not tonight. Tonight, had been a good break from routine, and another reason Gwen was grateful for having befriended Caroline.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline looked around, surveying the people who'd come out. Most of the people here she'd met through work or were from her building. And then, of course, there was the supernatural crowd. "It is a pretty interesting group."