diffindo | ↠ free for all.

Of course he could have, but when does Michael Westen ever do things the easy way? He gets something on his mind and he does it. Besides, he knew how busy Lois could get and he needed her to know it was serious.

"Is that how you greet all of your out-of-town guests?" He asked. "Because your welcome wagon could really use some work." He pushed past her and walked right in, not waiting on an invitation. He let out a light whistle as he looked around.

"Nice place you have here." He put his hands in his pockets and spun around on his heel to face her. "So are you going to help me or not? I'm pretty sure you owe me a favor."

[ based on this promo but obviously with a good twist.

it's caroline's turn to drive, which means no good can really come from this. caroline driving means they pack up their bags and leave, or sometimes they return to where they're staying with even more bags. it's better than the baggage they already have, though, and maybe that's why she buys all the things she can. maybe their baggage can be stored there, a weight being lifted from their shoulders, so they can stop living with fear and start simply living. klaus is dead - or temporarily on ice - and tyler's alive. she can't help but want to splurge, spoiling them both with goodies and memories she's determined to take home to both of their mothers when this blows over.

for a girl who never thought to live her life outside of her small town home, she's living it large and big. maybe it's going to bite them in the ass later, how over the top and loud she's being, because the council have eyes and ears everywhere. their scents are unique; a vampire and werewolf travelling on the road all over the united states isn't something that passes the council daily news every day.

they're on foot, the car parked almost an hour away from where they are now, in the heart of the woods. finding locations similar to mystic falls makes caroline ache for home, but it also brings her some peace when she can find something that's almost a replica of somewhere she loves. her hand grips tyler's a little firmly, maybe a bit too tightly for a normal teenage girl, but she's leading him through the tall grass and over some logs and branches to their destination. ]

You still with me back there? [ she laughs, glancing over her shoulder at him. ]

Fortunately for Caroline, her memories of Abax weren't emptied from her skull. She thought they'd be, since that's how it was when she'd returned for her birthday. Her mind hadn't even thought of the place. Looking back over her time in Mystic Falls, she knew something would've triggered a memory; a glance in the mirror, a smell, the smile of a kind nurse in the hospital. She wasn't new to magic existing, but she didn't think that there was a spell as powerful was that to keep her memories at bay.

Finding herself in another strange place was jarring. Caroline felt every nerve in her body jump at the new sights and smells and sounds. With a new face she couldn't quite place, with an accent she hadn't heard at home or at Abax, Caroline kept hoping that by clicking her heels or pinching herself would bring her back to Abax or Mystic Falls.

Neither action worked, but it happened to bring Christine Chapel to her.

She let Christine lead her away, not resisting in the slightest. She was too startled and out of her element to properly react, to be on guard and attack those she didn't quite know. The fact that her first instinct was to stand there startled was worrying for her. Belatedly, she said rather loudly to Christine, "Malfunction?" She looked over her shoulder, but it was effortless. She kept her eyes on the ground, on the walls and the sights around her to log into her memory for any possible future reference. Caroline frowned. "I'm not a malfunction!"

[ caroline finds it hard to let things go. her humanity sticks to her like a bad smell, just like her memories and her old habits of ensuring everyone's okay before she looks after herself or sacrificing herself for the good of everyone who really doesn't deserve it. maybe it's a part of her personality being amplified, her selfnessness and stupidity, as damon would call it, but caroline's never been able to let it go, despite trying to trick herself into thinking so.

things with klaus aren't easy. she never expected it to be anything like in the movies; bad boy and good girl somehow collide with redemption on one side and growth on the other. klaus doesn't redeem himself just like caroline doesn't grow into the bad girl he tries to get her to be. she can't let go of her restraint on who she is; she'll always want to be that human girl who doesn't want to rip out the jugular of anyone who looks at her - or even klaus - the wrong way. but she finds that klaus accepts her for who she is, maybe not exactly one hundred and ten percent as he tries to rid the human side of her more and more with the encouragement to dig into the flesh of someone's neck, but it's close enough.

nothing's really perfect.

her mother's almost eighty when she ends up killed. hunters, werewolves, other vampires; it's one or the other. she's never been intent on spilling blood before, but after losing the one last piece of who she sometimes desperately holds onto, caroline's stopped resisting the urge to rip into skin like it's dinner.

and it's why she's in the women's bathroom of a bar, doing just that. if only it was bon temps would she be making a feast of everyone on the bar itself. she's got the man's neck exposed and bent in such a way she's not sure how he's still managing to gasp for breath. compelling him to be a doll beneath her fingers doesn't let her have any fun. ]

[ gwen's an outcast because arthur pendragon is the king of idiocy. gwaine's allowed to say that. he's a knight. he's allowed to say mean things about his king. he's also allowed to go behind his king's back and right his wrongs - or maybe not quite like that. gwaine's never really done anything by the book, after all.

he's abandoned his post in favour of going after gwen at the persistence of her brother - and his own conscious. if lancelot's not going to be man enough for her, gwaine's going to fill in his rather abnormally large shoes and do so. he's never been one to love a damsel in distress, but he's always been one to be there for his friends.

he finds her out in the fields, wearing black that almost swallows her whole. he almost rides passed her, his horse moving at a speed that's so slow he's sure arthur's mind works at this pace sometimes. she's beautiful in black, just as she is in any colour, but he doesn't recognise her. her colour is gone; he's used to her lilacs and violets, her royal purples and golds. gwen's strength is what pulls him towards her, and even though it's blanketed in the thickest and possibly heaviest of dark cloths, he can still see it - if he does what arthur never really did and look.

gwaine dismounts his horse and walks slowly towards her. he doesn't wish to spook her, nor overwhelm her with anything he could possibly to do make this go badly - which is anything. gwaine's for dramatic entrances; these quiet moments are more of merlin's. ]

My lady. [ he bends down and picks a flower from the ground. it's not as pretty as the one he gave her in camelot, but he feels the familiar sentiment might be of comfort to her. ] We really must stop meeting like this.

[ it's destiny. ... at least it isn't chicken, okay. ]

Edited 2012-09-19 23:59 (UTC)

Do I look like a servant? [ he says it with a grin. and, honestly, he knows she might answer that with a yes. perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't; his memory is a little fuzzy. ]

Is it my fault I simply do not know how much detergent is too much? [ the way he says it suggests he does. kol spends a lot of his time reading when he's not harassing his siblings. from cereal boxes to dvd cases to laundry detergent cartons. it's because he's left out, really; always has been with elijah, rebekah, and klaus. he's not always and forever; while they think in the long-term he thinks in the short, living in the now. considering niklaus' short temper with him, he knows he can't afford to live for the future.

he'll take a step back into the bubbles and bend a little, scooping a large pile in his hand and blowing it towards her. ]

[ kol decides to push niklaus out of the way - not physically, but he steps in front of him for his turn. if his brother doesn't step back, it's not his fault if he gets hit. he looks over his shoulder, though, and his brow is furrowed as if in deep thought. ] Speaking of my coffin, do feel free to do so, mate. I have no use for it. [ and he grins, looking at niklaus before turning back and taking a swing. he's not going anywhere, dear brother. ]

Now that you mention it? A little bit. [She can't resist the urge to rib him, of course.]

It's your fault for not reading, so yes, it is. [Though she knows Kol and her voice says she knows he probably knew damn well he was putting too much in in the first place. So there's that.

She'll frown as some of the bubbles land on her shirt.]

Don't start that.

[This isn't Tyler's first time leaving home. It's not even his second. When he left with Jules, he hadn't even been sure he'd come back until his mother got hurt. And then the last time was to break his sire bond. Both those times he felt like he was running away from something, and to a certain degree, he still is but this time? He has someone he wants to run with, someone he wants to protect and cherish and that somehow makes things very different.

It's exciting. He knows it shouldn't be. They should be worried, the council could be anywhere, but he can't help it. Every time Caroline insists on splurging he just smiles because it's so nice to see her happy. She deserves to be happy. And it's easy to be away from home with her because as corny as it may sound he can't think of anything that feels more like home to him than her now.

He'd follow her anywhere.

Which means currently, making his way through a forest that reminds him of the Lockwood estate in a way that feels oddly fitting (if anything was theirs it was that land, the place of his transformations where their relationship was built on suffering and understanding).

He grips her hand tightly in response, probably more than he needs to.]

Oh, I'm still here. You can't get rid of me that easy. [He calls back, teasing a little.]

Her mind was spinning. Everything that had happened to her in Abax seemed unbelievable, but if she explained everything calmly (and submitted to a psych evaluation, she was sure), there was a chance that her captain and the rest would believe her. Maybe. In the mean time, she steered Caroline through the halls to her quarters. She'd get her doppelganger settled and then call Captain Kirk and a few other senior staff to explain it all. Mr. Scott was probably telling the captain already.

Amused, Christine gave Caroline a smile. "Sure aren't. He meant the transporter. The place you were standing is the transporter pad. It's a way to bring people or supplies onto the ship. Basically it's a really complicated process and it can malfunction, which led him to think I'd been cloned by the machine." She took a breath, then moved from the science talk to something more familiar. "I don't know how you ended up here, but we'll figure it all out, okay? I'm taking you to my quarters so you can sit and relax for a bit."

On the way there were plenty of stares from passing crewmen, but they made it there without incident and Christine typed a code on a number pad before a door slid open and she waved Caroline in. It was a small, one person living quarters, with a living area/office, round dining table and chairs, and a bedroom through a doorway in the back. That doorway also led to a bathroom. It was decorated with some pictures on the walls, and some odd items picked up on shore leave lined a shelf near her desk. Beyond that, it was rather sparse and filled with Starfleet-issued items.

"Here, have a seat. Do you want something to drink?"

[ arthur throws her out of camelot, and elyan does nothing, nothing, nothing but that is only because gwen made him swear he wouldn't. there's no sense in plunging them both into poverty and banishment, not when elyan is a knight and happy and gwen brought this upon herself. she doesn't need anyone else dragged into it.

the cart filled with her things is heavy and gwen sits, skirts spread out amongst the flowers and she doesn't cry, she refuses to cry, but she has a moment where she'd really like to, a moment of panic as she says to the empty air, where will i go? because she honestly can't think of a place. part of her wants to go back, to push the doors to the throne room open and demand arthur see her, demand he take her back. but she thinks of his face, as if carved from stone, cold and unforgiving, and that puts an end to that. he'll not take her back. what she's done is unforgiveable, and lancelot.

well. best not to speak of it.

but she does think, at the sound of hooves and the flash of pendragon red, that perhaps this is lancelot, come to play the hero. but it's gwaine and her smile is a small sad thing but it's there all the same, widening at the proferred gift of a flower. ]

Always a charmer, Gwaine.

[ it's so reminiscent of before that her chest tightens, breath catches. but things are different in thousands of ways. she takes the flower from him, fingers brushing his and then sighs. ]

But you should be in Camelot, not here.

[ not here with me. ]

As should you.

[ honestly, he doesn't miss a beat. he's glad, though, that she isn't turning her back on him as he had on her. he hadn't known what was happening at the time, since arthur's a twit. gwaine's not usually one to be confused over loyalties, but to see one good friend throw another from the walls of his newfound home, it causes him to boil in a fit of confusion before following the much prettier of the two. ]

But I fear, since all the fair maidens seem to have scattered across the kingdoms, that I find myself without a purpose within the walls of Camelot.

[ basically, he's waving the team gwen flag right now. it's no secret he held a small torch for gwen; it's only grown brighter and larger over the months of watching her transform from what he perceived to be a quiet, loyal, servant girl to a woman quite fit for the throne.

he does hope, though, by the sight of her cart that it is merely temporary. a life without gwen is a life of darkness. ]

Caroline kept quiet, allowing Christine to guide her through the corridors that were unfamiliar territory to her. She tried to take it all in, but with how overwhelmed she felt - and how amplified that was - she wasn't sure she could retrace her steps back to the transporter pad confidently.

Christine's room - or quarters, as she had put it - allowed Caroline's mind to slow down a little and focus on the small things that made it a little more personal. It didn't feel like home or Abax, but the photographs and furniture that she could find in either world's store caused her beating heart to settle. The desire to flight and fight was still there, humming underneath her skin, with the threat of her canines and veins around her eyes exposing her still a risk. With Stefan's breathing methods, Caroline was able to somewhat calm herself down.

Doing as Christine suggested, she took a seat in one of the chairs. She seemed to fall into it like a doll without much thought. It took her a few moments, perhaps ten seconds, to even act as though she had heard Christine's question. "Do you guys have, like, space things here? Because I really can't survive without Pepsi. Or really good tequila."

Caroline's priorities in situations like this were not always as expected.

Looking amused, Christine headed to the wall where there was a keypad. She typed something in and a moment later, a panel door in the wall slid up, revealing a glass with something in it that certainly looked like Pepsi.

"Here," she said, handing the glass to her. "Give it a try. I have to call somebody real quick, and you'll be able to hear them. Just ignore us."

Though, really, Christine doubted Caroline would do that.

"Computer: contact Dr. McCoy." A moment later a deep, irritated voice appeared in the room, out of speakers hidden somewhere.

"Chapel? Mind telling me why you aren't at your station? And why people are saying you've got a clone running 'round?"

"Sorry, sir. I thought the situation called for delicacy." Then she quickly explained the situation leaving out anything that wasn't a main detail and ended with, "And yes, I would be happy to submit to a psych eval so you can see I haven't gone crazy."

There was a pause, and finally Dr. McCoy said, "All right. I need to talk to the Captain about this. In the meantime, bring your twin down to the medbay for a checkup."

Christine looked over at Caroline. Would she be okay with that? "It's nothing invasive," she explained in a softer voice, so Dr. McCoy would know she wasn't addressing him.

Lois didn't have time to turn herself into a wall to block Michael's path. When he pushed past her shoulder, she looked up to the heavens and hoped for some patience. With her editor breathing down her neck, and the threat of Chloe simply outdoing her, because, lets face it, Chloe's the better journalist and always will be, Lois was about ready to snap from all the pressure. She kept the door open a few moments longer in an attempt to somehow pinch herself awake from this particular nightmare. "An insult and a request all in the same sentence," she said. "You have quite some skill there, Westen."

She turned around and threaded her arms against her chest, head tilted and eyebrow arched to show how unimpressed she was. "I'm sure the favour was repaid the moment I saved your ass from being grilled."

Faith arched an eyebrow at videogames, but found herself bent over, hands clutching at her stomach, as she laughed. "Beautiful, huh?" she managed, uprighting herself with a large smile. Glancing at him, but not speaking to him, Faith's hands lingered on her torso, "Ow." Lifting her shift, she found herself with a nasty gash; she didn't think it was too deep, but it was definitely going to be a bitch in the morning. "Damn, guess I've got to handle over my title of most beautiful now."

He was about to remark on that beautiful remark, but the sight of the gash. His eyes went wide and he took a step forward. "Wow, um. You should get that looked at. It really doesn't look good."

His hand went to her shoulder in concern of her fainting or something. He didn't like girls fainting in front of him from blood loss. Fainting over his awesomeness was one thing, blood was another. "You can keep it if it'll keep you kickin'," he said.

He gave her one of his famous smirks at that. "I have many skills, Lane. I don't really have time to reveal them all to you right now, so let's get passed that."

"As for who owes who..." His head tilted as well in an opposite way. He kind of liked getting under her skin this way. Most people in his life just ignored his abrupt ways. "Yes, but in the beginning you came to me, so it's still my turn. If it makes you feel any better I'm sure there will be a chance for me to save your ass by the end of the day."

And then there was the grin. "How about it? For old times sake?"

[ her teeth dig into her lip. it's hard to tell with gwaine, sometimes, just how much of what he's saying is honest and how much is flirtation. but this seems like more than necessary for a simple flirtation, following her out here. arthur would be livid if he knew where gwaine had gone. ( and arthur's rage, oh, that was something to fear as gwen well knew. )

she presses her palms together, looking away from him with a sigh. ]

I'm sure there's more waiting you there than here with me.

[ a knight of camelot would always be better off than a vagrant. or whatever it was gwen had become. she wasn't entirely sure herself. ]

↠ free for all.

me too. so much.

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i want my future things, so i'm forcing you rn into giving it to me.

this will be incredibly bad and by that i mean flawless / s4 but au bc i haven't seen it

please add this to the list of why i like your style.

steals it anyway

/adds to list

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i am already thrilled by it to be honest.

omg good because gwaine/gwen is the best anything. let him charm your pants off.

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you know you want these two like unf

but gwaine she needs those pants.