Who: Stefan and Caroline What: Attending the Gala When: March 18 Where: Emerald City Warning: None Status: Completed via Gdoc
Given that the last portal Caroline ended up in led to her torture and near demise, the vampire was not eager to venture through another. However, there was something about exploring Oz that was far too tempting to pass up. It was possible that the allure had everything to do with nostalgia. After all, how many times had she curled up on the couch and watched the Wizard of Oz with her mom or dad when she was a child? Fallen asleep dreaming of skipping down the yellow brick road, singing that iconic song?
Too many times for Caroline to recall. Still, there was another part of her that wanted to stretch her legs outside of Madison Valley and explore. To not let the fear spawned by her last portal experience keep her caged. The Gala happening in the Emerald City presented the perfect opportunity. She had the bonus of dressing up in a fashionable green dress (green was definitely a good color on the vampire) and exploring with the most handsome man in Madison Valley: Stefan Salvatore.
While it had taken her some time to find a dress, Caroline eventually settled on a dress with matching pumps. She had a cute, but simple purse slung over her shoulder. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders in waves that framed her ageless face. The vampire had kept her makeup light for the occasion.
“Wow. The movie was not exaggerating about all the green here,” Caroline commented as the two stepped into the gala. Her gaze swept the area, taking in everyone dressed in green, all the green decor, and food.
The Wizard of Oz books were quite popular around the turn of the twentieth century. Stefan read them--because of course, he read them--but he had been far from the target demographic. They were fine, though a bit kiddy by Stefan’s standards. Still, then the movie had come out, and that was quite fun. Stepping from black and white to color was a clever trick. Audience members had gasped in the theater.
Moving into the city, Stefan’s hand was slipped into Caroline’s. He’d chosen a dark green suit to match her dress, and brown shoes. The whole place was so green. He hadn’t honestly expected this place to be so green.
“No, I think the movie downplayed it,” he commented, looking up and around at the buildings nearby. “Though, it’s not so much emerald as it is… Well, seems like glass.” He squeezed her fingers. “Are you ready to dance the night away?”
Yes, it had occurred to Caroline that she was dating someone who’d been around when the book was published. Who’d witnessed the release of the movie in theaters. She’d be lying if she said it did not give her goosebumps to think about. It was wild to even conceive how many things Stefan had witnessed in his lifetime. By vampire standards, Caroline was a baby. She hadn’t even hit her first hundred years yet and Stefan had been around for over two hundred. It was nuts and yet so very cool because she could pick his brain about anything.
Yes, it was rather like glass, wasn’t it? Caroline looked around her once more, really taking in the color as she did so before turning back to Stefan. “You’re right. It is like glass. I mean it’s still beautiful, but yes, not so much of the emerald variety.” Not that it bothered Caroline. If anything, the idea of it being more like glass was far more enchanting and possibly alluring too.
At the mention of dancing the night away, Caroline broke into a bright smile. “Obviously. Should we get a drink of something green first or just hit the dance floor and show them how it is done?”
Stefan nodded. It was beautiful. He thought it paled in comparison to the beauty holding his hand. Being here was too much like being in a dream or a vision to get really comfortable. It was too… fuzzy. Pretty. Perfect. While he was glad to get to go there for a visit, he'd also be glad to get back home to the real world. (Or, at least, whatever passed for the real world in Madison Valley.)
"How could we come all this way and not try the green refreshments?" Stefan asked with a smirk on his face. A part of him wondered what Munchkins might taste like, but he wasn't willing to risk the ripper coming out to find out.
Caroline felt the same way as Stefan. It felt too perfect and pretty to be real. She would enjoy their time here, but in the back of her mind, she was already looking forward to going back to Madison Valley. This place felt as if at any moment it might shatter like actual glass and while Madison was far from unbreakable, it felt a bit more sturdy than the Emerald City at the moment.
The blond laughed. “Exactly. Might as well see if their alcohol is as good as the alcohol back home.” Caroline led the way over to one of the stalls that was serving refreshments, including those of the alcoholic variety. Not surprising, green beer was among those listed.
Caroline looked over at Stefan. “What are you thinking? I’m probably going to go with a martini.”
“Definitely,” Stefan said, following Caroline over to the stall that had… a lot of green drinks. He’d never really understood the appeal of green beer, so he figured he’d pass on that one. He’d seen far too many people get sick on that stuff around St. Patrick’s Day. It was entirely unappealing.
“A martini sounds good,” he mused, glancing around at the other drinks on offer. “Think they have any flavors here that we don’t have back in Madison Valley?” It might be fun to try something new.
Stefan was also insanely curious about the poppy fields. Would they make a vampire fall asleep? What did they smell like? Could they get through if they held their breath?
Caroline was of much the same mindset as Stefan. Green beer gave her flashbacks of too many Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations and people being sick from ingesting it. No, she would stick with a martini. Hopefully, it wouldn’t turn out to be a bad choice. Of course, even if it was a bad choice, Caroline knew it wouldn’t wreck her time with Stefan. If anything, it would be something they laughed about later. As long as one of them didn’t end up sick.
At Stefan’s question, Caroline’s blue eyes shifted back to the board. “It looks like they have some interesting flavors. I was just going to have the Emerald City martini, but they also have something called a Flying Monkey cocktail.” Which, not surprising to anyone, was also green.
Caroline would be up for exploring the poppy fields. She was curious too. However, she was also worried they would be affected by them and they would fall asleep. What if no one found them or Glinda wasn’t around to make it snow?
Falling asleep in a field of poppies didn’t sound like the best idea in the world. If there was no Glinda to wake them with snow… well, would they be there for all time? Would Madison Valley--The Dome--pull them back when portal time was over? Somehow, Stefan didn’t want to chance it.
Still, maybe they could pick one and bring it back with them. Then they could sniff it in the comfort of their own bed.
Stefan chuckled softly at the name. “I say we get one of each, and share.” Then they could both try the specialty cocktails before they cut a rug on the dance floor. Stefan stepped a little closer to her and wrapped an arm down and around her waist. “What do you think?”
If the portal would let them bring a poppy home to attempt that experiment, Caroline would be up for it. She didn’t see why the portal wouldn’t let them. After all, the purchases they made here could be brought back to Madison and didn’t disappear once the portal faded.
As he wrapped an arm around her waist, Caroline stepped closer and briefly rested her head against shoulder. “I can get behind that suggestion.” As the person in front of them stepped aside, Caroline stepped up to the counter and placed their order for those two drinks.
Thankfully, it didn’t take them long to receive their order and soon the two were each holding a green drink. The blond skimmed the area and smiled as she located an empty table for the two to sit. Taking Stefan’s arm, she led the way over and claimed the seat across from him.
Setting down her drink, she looked over at him playfully. “So, would you care to do the honors of starting us off?”
Stefan figured maybe they should try it. Either it’d work, or it wouldn’t. And they should try anyway.
His hand trailed up and down her spine as she cuddled in against him. For a moment he was perfectly content. He could just stand like this forever. But then the people in front of them moved, and Caroline led the way up to the counter. The bartender’s eyes wandered over her, and the smile on his face was predatory. But Stefan stood by her side and narrowed his eyes just a little.
Soon they were off at their own table with their drinks, and any thought of the bartender eyeing his girl was dashed from his mind.
“All right, here goes.” He gave her a warm smile before sipping from the martini glass. It was good. Really good. He couldn’t quite place the flavor, though--somewhere between honeydew and lavender. “It’s good.” He nodded. “Your turn.”
It was probably a good thing Caroline was preoccupied with thoughts of sharing drinks with Stefan. Otherwise, that bartender would have witnessed two predatory glares from the vampires. Instead, she was perfectly content to watch her boyfriend try the first drink with curious blue eyes.
When he nodded instead of grimacing, Caroline felt a wave of relief wash over her. At least one of the drinks was okay. “I guess it’s flying monkeys for me.” Caroline reached for the other glass and took a sip of the green liquid inside.
Part of her expected it to be terrible because Stefan’s was so good, but surprisingly, it wasn’t. In fact, it was rather delightful. She set the glass back down on the table and nodded.
“Not bad. I was expecting it to be terrible because yours was good. You want to give it a try.” The blond nudged the glass towards him with a playful smile.
Stefan didn’t like that some other guy was making eyes at Caroline. Then again, he couldn’t blame them. Caroline was the most magnificent creature that ever walked on this world or any other. She was kind, and funny, and smart, and beautiful. And she loved him. Maybe even almost as much as he loved her.
And then Stefan watched Caroline sip from her martini glass. He broke into a smile when she said it was not bad. He nodded, and slid his glass across the table toward her, then took hold of her glass and sipped from it. “They’re both good,” he offered, then sipped again. They could split them right down the middle, unless she had a preference.
“What sort of music do you think they play in the Emerald City?”
Caroline felt the same way about Stefan. She was not a fan of someone checking out Stefan. She knew if someone tried to flirt with him in front of her, Caroline would be upset. Her normal, carefree and kind self would take a brief hiatus to put them in their place.
The blonde accepted his glass and took a sip. “Oh, I think yours might be a bit better,” she replied. She liked the hint of lavender in it. “But yes, they are both good.” Caroline was fine with them splitting the drinks down the middle. Though she may sneak a few extra sips from his drink.
Caroline pondered his question for a moment. She didn’t have any idea. “I’m not sure. I hope it is at least tolerable or dance-worthy.” She reached for the Flying Monkey drink and took a sip.
They could always get more drinks, too. Stefan wouldn’t mind it. Maybe after a swing around the dance floor? He smiled at her preference for his drink, then sipped from hers again. Or maybe it was his now?
“I hope so, too. Then again, I’m sure you and I can find a beat to dance to, regardless.” They could make their own music, if necessary. Or just drink until the music became palatable. Though, he had a feeling that the music was going to be good… if The Wiz or The Wizard of Oz was any indication.
“Worst case, we can just buy a gallon of this stuff and take it home for our own, little party.” He might want to bring a bunch of it home with them either way. It was pretty tasty.
Swallowing, the blond nodded. “Oh, absolutely! I feel like we could dance even if there wasn’t any music at all.” As long as she was with Stefan, Caroline truly felt as if there was nothing she couldn’t do. Music or none at all, they could have fun dancing and probably made everyone else jealous in the room while they did it.
“I say we take a spin around the floor then buy a gallon of the good drink anyway,” she replied, giving him a playful smile. “Maybe I want the best of both worlds.” A dance here and a little party at Stefan’s or her house after sounded perfect to Caroline.
They absolutely could. Stefan simply wanted to hold Caroline close in his arms, sway gently, spend time together quietly, holding one another, loving one another. It was all that he wanted in the world, actually. “We could.”
A gallon of the good drink and at least one of the poppies from the sleepy poppy meadow. “Let’s get to it, then.” He offered, then gulped the last of the drink from the glass. They were quite small, considering.
Caroline mimicked his motion and polished off her own drink easily. “I was hoping you’d say that.” The blond picked up her glass and stood. She offered her hand to Stefan.
“Let’s go drop these glasses off at the bar and have a spin around the dance floor.” They could pick up the gallon of the good drink after and yes, one of those poppies from the field.