Who: Regina Mills and Caroline Forbes What: Regina catches Caroline compelling herself a free coffee When: A few days ago. Where: Starbucks Rating/Warnings: Low. Talk of vampires and magic. Status: Complete
This was so not the way to start the new quarter. Caroline had overslept, thanks to Nik, and was late for her first class of the day. Of course it took her forever to find a parking space too, even with her vampire speed she couldn’t get across campus on time. Although Caroline wanted to do better this quarter, actually get good grades, not just barely pass. But that was starting to seem highly unlikely.
The day just went downhill from there. Of course she had forgotten her wallet in her rush to leave. But at least she had her books, and had remembered to drink some blood before leaving. Now though she needed coffee if she wanted to stay awake for her next class. Baxter’s was too far away and she didn’t exactly have the time to go back and get her wallet either. So Caroline went to the closest Starbucks. She knew she was going to have to use compulsion to get a free drink and using it at a chain coffee shop wasn’t as bad as ‘stealing’ from a local place, right? She would go back and pay double next time, when she had her wallet.
After placing her order for a vanilla latte, with an extra shot of espresso of course, she leaned over the counter slightly, locking eyes with the barista. “I already paid. Send my order back and tell me it will be ready shortly.” The barista did exactly as Caroline said, echoing her words exactly. With that she walked over to the other side of the counter to wait for her drink. She really was getting good at this compulsion thing. And she only felt a little guilty. Probably not a good sign, but sometimes a girl just needs a latte.
Getting her car stolen and shot out wasn’t in her agenda for the year, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Like it ever would, Regina thought bitterly, uncomfortably adjusting her slung arm. These things were rather uncomfortable and part of wished Rumple’s convenient healing voodoo was around to do the damn trick. Her state didn’t stop her from being mobile, however, and she managed to drive Hans’ car with both her hands (she just had to move it and angle it right), so she was out and about - despite her urge to just teleport everywhere instead of using four wheels.
She actually liked Starbucks, but she loved the hipster atmosphere it had - and Regina loved judging hipsters in general, so it was a field day for her. Except this little visit wasn’t the most ordinary and Regina was attentive enough to notice the blonde’s little trick while Regina stood not to far, waiting for her name to be yelled to get her beverage.
Huh.
Wonder what that was about?
“That’s a different kind of magic,” she suddenly said out loud - and right to Caroline, giving her a look that belonged to a lioness. “You’re lucky everyone else is an idiot, otherwise you could be in trouble.”
Caroline was caught off guard. She didn’t really think anyone was watching her. Of course the one time she decided to use compulsion she got caught. Panic briefly flashed in her eyes but she did her best to act innocent. “Magic?” she asked purposely furrowing her brows to fake a look of confusion.
She did have to give the lady some credit though. She was clever. It didn’t seem like she was trying to get Caroline in trouble either. Still the blonde wasn’t a fan of the look on her face, and she definitely didn’t want a stranger to know what she was.
Getting a better look she noticed the sling on her arm. “You okay? What happened?” she asked with genuine concern in her voice, because Caroline was the type to care about a strangers well being, but also a subject change might get the subject off her and what she had just done.
That was a random gesture of concern. One that eased her expression and made her snort a laugh. “I’m sure the more interesting topic of conversation is your interesting ability for mind control, Goldilocks. But if you must know…” Her name was announced to retrieve her drink, and she grabbed it with her good hand. “Some asshole shot me. He ended up much worse.”
And that’s all she’d leave it to. Regina took a quick sip to test the flavor, and after she was satisfied, she gave Caroline a suspicious lookover. “Witch? Sorceress? You’ve gotta be something.”
Goldilocks. Ironic since that was her Halloween costume. Though it wasn’t much of a stretch with her blonde curly hair. “Seriously?” she really shouldn’t be so shocked. The crime rate did seem to be going up a bit. Yes, she paid attention. She just wasn’t worried too much, she could easily handle herself. “Glad you made it out okay,” she offered, because really what else were you supposed to say to that. “Or well with not tooserious of an injury.” A gunshot wound wasn’t exactly making it out okay now was it?
A witch? Caroline almost laughed at that thought. “Nothing like that,” she replied, being a bit more open about it although still not confirming anything. If she had to she could always compel Regina to forget. Unless she was a vampire too, or a witch, or on vervain. Compulsion wouldn’t work then. Caroline’s own name was called and she grabbed her drink as well, thanking the barista. She may have technically stolen the drink, but at least she had manners.
“Then where did the mind-control power come from?” At least, that’s what it looked like to an outside observer, and Regina was most curious. Even she didn’t have a handy little trick like that, and she had quite the magic arsenal at her disposal. Or at least was getting it - some kinks still needed to be worked on, but she liked to think she got her signature heart ripping technique down quite nicely.
“Where I come from you need quite a bit of magic to accomplish something like that, and if it’s not magic you’re using…” Where I come from - a slip of the tongue, as if she had stepped into the pointed killer heels of the Evil Queen and the two were one. “Telepathy, maybe? I’m throwing guesses, clearly, so you might as well humor me. You’re in similar company.”
Well the more Regina talked, the more clear it was she knew about magic. Though that had been pretty obvious with her first statement and the fact that she had picked up on what Caroline had done. “Where you come from?” Yes, Caroline had to ask. She figured she meant her dreamworld. They were in Orange County after all, but if Caroline was going to talk about her world she sure as hell wanted some info from Regina as well.
“It’s called compulsion,” now Caroline was sure to keep her voice low. She glanced around Starbucks, nodding to an empty table in the corner. If they were going to have this conversation, might as well do it somewhere a bit more private. “What are your, uh, powers?” she asked making her way to the table. Regina had said she was in similar company so that meant she had powers. At least that’s what Caroline figured.
Might as well gravitate to a corner that was less populated - something with a small round coffee table and plush chairs. Regina wasn’t in a rush and she wouldn’t mind hearing about this little technique, and whether it was teachable or inherited.
Always looking to expand her array of skills, this Queen.
“The Enchanted Forest,” she dully said, not all too excited about her cliche fairytale origin. “To put things bluntly, I dream of being the Evil Queen from Snow White’s tale. But not all fairytales follow the retarded Disney chronology. Our story tends to have more complicated twists, and everyone’s somehow related.” And that was going to be the extent of her explanation. She could go on and on, but she’d give herself a headache and it was still too early for that kind of irritation.
Back to - what was her name? Carol? Caroline? - the original topic. “I do magic. And that can mean plenty of things. But we can keep it at that, for our sanity. So if you’re not a witch or anything with magic, how did you manage...that?”
The Enchanted Forest? Really? It made sense that that place would exist though. If vampires, witches, werewolves and hybrids were real fairy tales might as well be real too. Plus Anna and Hans were from Disney too. Of course she was having coffee with the Evil Queen. Not that she could really judge. She was dating an evil, original vampire/hybrid. But he wasn’t that here. So maybe Regina probably wasn’t evil either. Who knew the Evil Queen was named Regina though? News to her.
“The dreams are all pretty twisted.” At least from what Caroline had experienced and heard about. “Snow White always seemed a little too perfect for me.” She didn’t ask more about Regina’s dreams though. She seemed bitter about it, not that Caroline blamed her. The dreams did have that effect.
“Well…” she paused taking a sip of her latte. “I’m kind of a magical creature,” or you know predator, but no need to go into that. Being a witch was one thing, even an Evil Queen, but vampires? They didn’t always get the best reputation.
Dissing Snow White already? All it took for Regina to have a liking for the girl, really. Good and evil were two simplistic terms, if you ask her, however. So many things fell between the polar opposites; who was ever truly good, and who was ever truly evil?
“A magical creature. Now I’m even more intrigued.” Caroline looked normal from the first glance. Was she hiding behind glamour? No, that didn’t make sense - glamour was magic, she’d detect an illusion like that. Not a dwarf, not a mermaid, not a fairy… “I can think of plenty of magical creatures, but none do what you’ve done. And I can’t compare it to what I’m familiar with.”
Caroline was right there with Regina on the whole good evil scale. Everyone was both in her opinion. Some may be more good than others but the world was not black and white. It was grey. She tried to be good, but she was still a vampire.
“Definitely not a dwarf,” Caroline replied with a laugh. She was too tall for that. Being a mermaid would be pretty awesome though. But it was time to come clean. Caroline was no longer quite as paranoid about people knowing what she was. Probably because everyone that knew was very accepting. Even the ones not from her dreams. Hell Hans even offered to keep blood at his place for her. And Regina admitted to being an Evil Queen so…
“Vampire.”
Wow. Didn’t expect that. The surprise was evident, with the sudden rise of both her brows, but she didn’t look afraid.
Impressed, was the more accurate term.
“Never would have guessed. You sure as hell don’t dress like a creature of the night.” Preppy cheerleader is what she assumed Caroline would be at first glance - though she obviously had a brain between her ears, so she gleaned points for that. And unafraid of using her abilities to steal a little cup of caffeinated glory. “And you’re out in the...sun. Enlighten me there, hon.”
From a purely magical perspective, it was rather fascinating. Who knows what kind of advantages she had - and that Regina could learn from, should she manage to squeeze that in.
She was right with her cheerleader guess, though Caroline wasn’t really preppy at least she didn’t think so. She was just bubbly and optimistic. “Did you think we dressed in all black and walked around in capes?” because that wouldn’t be obvious at all. She held up her hand, flashing her ring at Regina. “Daylight ring. It let’s me be out in the sun.”
But enough about her. “What kind of powers do you have?”
Now wasn’t that a fascinating little piece of jewelry? It looked like a Lapis Lazuli, but she could be wrong. “Thought we already touched that part,” she replied, one shoulder rolled into a shrug - the other one would rather not be moved. “Magic. I can teleport.” Rip hearts out, cast curses that reigned catastrophe on an entire fairytale population for the sake of making sure a little someone would never be happy. A little too much information to bestow on a young woman she barely knew. “Fireballs, if we want to get specific. Among other things.”
Some things still continued to come slowly, but they were on their way, definitely. Soon she’d be at full power, and what that meant yet to her, she didn’t really know.
They had touched it, but all she really knew was that she had magic. What Regina could do Caroline had no idea. She sipped her latte as the woman filled her in. “Teleporting would be awesome. Then I would never be late,” like she had been this morning. “I have speed, but sometimes that is just not enough.”
Fireballs. Well that caught her attention. “Is that a pretty common power? The witches in my dreams don’t use fireballs, but I have a friend here that is learning how.” Of course she wondered what the other things were, but she didn’t press for more information. Caroline of all people knew it could be difficult to talk about dream abilities.
Regina would have loved to use her teleportation much more often, but Hans was providing her some sensible logic that stomped on her little fun. This wasn’t the Enchanted forest, this wasn’t Storybrooke - too many other citizens unaware of the interesting things that went on in this County. The hype wouldn’t be worth it.
Mostly.
“Not sure, perhaps? Is your friend...what? A wizard, or whatever?” Men that used magic had such embarrassing titles. Made him sound like the Wizard of Oz, or something.
“Not that I know of.” Was Hans a wizard? She always thought he was just a prince. That wanted to take over another kingdom. Not that she judged him for it. Caroline was definitely not one to judge over others wanting power. She enjoyed her abilities, didn’t want to lose that power again. Even if it meant she would have to drink blood forever.
“He’s not from my dreamworld though,” obviously since she just stated they couldn’t do that. “So I guess he might be? Someone else is teaching him apparently. Is that possible?” She wondered if she could learn too, though it wasn’t likely since she was technically dead and all. You had to be alive and connected to the earth or some shit. At least in her world.
Her friend was being taught, how curious. “Well, I’m teaching my brother-in-law. Turns out he’s got magic, so I’m teaching him how to use it.” Hans was a natural at it and at times like these, was relieved that he had a hidden weapon to use should shit get rough.
Like, oh, someone attempting to shoot him.
“He dreams, like the rest of us. His dream circumstances are as unfortunate as mine,” and she meant that as a vague reference to their roles as villains, without making the announcement obvious. “But he’s a good kid. Well, good man’s more accurate. He’s not exactly a kid anymore.” He was a lot younger when they’d met and she married into the family; her mindset was still there sometimes.
Wait. Brother-in-law? Caroline may be blonde, but she was smarter than she looked, despite what her grades showed. Hans had definitely told her that his sister-in-law was the one teaching him magic. It would be a pretty big coincidence if there was another set of inlaws teaching magic. “Your brother-in-law wouldn’t happen to be Hans would it?”
She felt a little guilty somewhat spilling Hans’ secret. Because if Regina wasn’t the one teaching him magic then she had just alluded to the fact that Hans could do magic to a stranger. But she was almost positive they were both talking about him.
One eyebrow lifted. “Yes, actually.” What a bizarre coincidence, then. “Redheaded. Snarky?” Two of the more accurate descriptions for him, and she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. Obviously this wasn’t Anna, but she hadn’t heard anything about Hans knowing a vampire.
Boy’s been keeping secrets!
“If that’s who it is, then yes, I’ve been the one teaching him the ropes. Small world.”
“Yeah, that’s him.” Weird. It really was a small world. Although even though Orange County was a big place, it seemed like the community of dreamers all seemed to find each other in one way or another. Even if it wasn’t on Valarnet. “It’s good he is learning. Everyone should have some way to protect themselves.” Especially with all the supernatural beings running around. And you know, the rising crime rate too.
Caroline finished off her latte and glanced at her phone for the time. Crap. Her next class would be starting soon. The last thing she wanted was to be late for a second time that day. “I should probably get going,” she said, getting up from her seat. “It was nice meeting you.”
Right - it was supposed to be a quick in and out trip, not like she had actual intentions of socializing with people. Her first time meeting a vampire though - that actually made it kind of interesting, for once. “Likewise,” Regina said, her mouth tilted into a small smile. “Take care.”