[Melanie is also willing to lean into the music theme, but her introduction to pop music was Wes, so she tends to have a soft spot for eighties Madonna. She she does, however, have a passing understanding of what a Swiftie is (10), so she laughs a bit when she sees him.]
Oh, we're on the borderline, tonight. ( Something is there between them, an electric charge he can't name or pinpoint, one that remains unspoken. Things crashed and burned with Elena and then years later, they fizzled with Lydia. Lydia isn't his person. He doesn't know if he has a person (he'd argue it will always be Elena), but he likes how she complements him. ) Does that mean I'm your boy toy tonight?
He wasn't born in the groove, but he always did like to dance, even in 1864. He hasn't been that man in a long, long time.
The small village is decked out. Stalls line the streets and a few shops blast festive music. There's an area for food carts and one food truck, a station to bob for apples, a line for the 'haunted hayride' and various outdoor (and indoor) bars. )
[She smirks as she takes his arm and they start to wander through the various events. She's done many Halloweens over the years, some better than others, but it's nice to be doing something fun.
Especially with someone both familiar and not - as much as they may part ways over time, there's still a comfort in finding her way back into Damon's company again. It reminds her of a time when she didn't feel quite so old and out of sync.]
Do you think we'll need libations for the haunted hayride?
Everywhere. It's something every culture has in common. Call it anything, but the masses will eat it up. I remember when I was younger, our dad was still alive. He would get our mother to throw these lavish parties, he invited everyone in town.
( And back then, costumes were more formal-wear. Gowns and dresses and suits. But, masks too. )
( Maybe it was less innocent than that, he and his brother were young. )
Big thing in Mystic Falls. As is every other big thing. Mystic Falls never met a holiday it didn't want to celebrate. Masquerades happen every few years. Fire eaters. Acrobats. It's a big to do. What were your winter balls like?
Oh, they were big to-dos. Lots of people with wine and bourbon with dancing and big dresses. They were fun, in their own way. Though I didn't get to go to very many before Ashley and I were engaged.
( That's how it was then. You got married and you left your family behind. Back in 1864, Damon would've left everything behind for Katherine. Or, waded on her hand and foot at his father's. She was his everything once upon a time. )
[She doesn't have many regrets for her human life, but giving Ashley so much of her heart is one of them. Especially when he wasn't willing to commit to her with actions as well as his words.
She knows how he behaved with Scarlett, leading her on. It wasn't all in Scarlett's head. It's part of the reason why she was always so kind to her, even if Scarlett didn't return the favor.]
( He misses the innocence. In the harder parts of the night, the lonelier portions of his heart, he misses the simplicity. But, he wouldn't change or undo any of it. He feels like he's lived too long a life of too many atrocities for anything to be water under the bridge.
The line moves and Damon offers her a hand so she can step up into the truck. Damon follows before they tuck themselves and sit, backs to the driver. )
( Is this chemistry he's feeling? Real, honest-to-god, no ifs, ands, or butts about it? Has it always been here? Underneath his on and off with Elena and a few other sorry (read: dead) women? )
Do you remember when you tracked me down? You were worried about Scarlett, she had gone off and joined the vampire circus?
[Her tone is clear that there's no love lost there. She had appreciated Damon's support then just as much as she appreciates his company now. After spending the entire crossing talking herself up on having to do this on her own, having someone with her made all the difference.
But her head tips to the side curiously, wondering what's drawn his mind there after all this time.]
I think before that we were always several degrees apart. You were Scarlett's sire and I was her best friend, and we weren't meant to meet in the middle without her. I think that time during the war is when we became friends.
[Which is why she treasures it, even if their mission wasn't wholly successful. It wouldn't have been until Rhett crossed the ocean to draw Scarlett back into his orbit and return some sense to her. As much as they tore each other to shreds, they always found a way to put each other back together too.]
Scarlett had a way of taking up all the air. I found it intoxicating. I had never met anyone like Scarlett. And then she went and turned her toxic life partner.
( He made quick work of Rhett when his jealousy flared. Eventually, they all came to an understanding, as most vampires do. )
[She doesn't know if Scarlett would have. Maybe, if she had been given the opportunity. But Melanie is the one who was there, and Rhett was her friend.]
Though she turned me. So does the transitive property apply?
[They'll get back to how she is or isn't mercurial in a moment.]
Scarlett and Rhett were on the outs at the time. It was after their daughter died, and Rhett ... he was done. I don't think he felt like there was anything holding them together. Rhett was my friend, though. We kept in touch, and when he fell ill I made him an offer.
[She gives a small shrug.]
Perhaps it was me balking at the idea of spending an eternity with Scarlett as the only person who knew me before I died, and knowing that my husband was not an option. Perhaps it was the fact that Rhett had always been kind to me, even when he didn't have to. I don't really know anymore. But he said yes, and I followed through.
[There's a small, half-laugh at that. Why not her husband? Well, there are a few answers to that.]
Ashley Wilkes had never met a fence he wouldn't sit on, particularly when it came to the women in his life. I felt it wouldn't be prudent to spend eternity with a man that made a habit of leading other women on to believing that he had feelings for them, particularly Scarlett, simply for the attention. He would let Scarlett believe he was going to leave me and they would be together and then never actually leave me.
[And the idea of spending forever with a vampire version of that man? Absolutely not.]
I didn't think that extending the uncomfortable love triangle between the three of us beyond what we dealt with in life was the right choice. I valued Scarlett's friendship far over my husband's love, as little as it was.
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everyonelives2023-10-16 07:09 pm
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I didn't realize you were that much of a fan.
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Depends how quickly you get into the groove.
[Is tonight going to be a night of Madonna puns? Because that could get old fast, but she doesn't mind the flirting.]
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( The Madonna puns will end there.
He wasn't born in the groove, but he always did like to dance, even in 1864. He hasn't been that man in a long, long time.
The small village is decked out. Stalls line the streets and a few shops blast festive music. There's an area for food carts and one food truck, a station to bob for apples, a line for the 'haunted hayride' and various outdoor (and indoor) bars. )
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Especially with someone both familiar and not - as much as they may part ways over time, there's still a comfort in finding her way back into Damon's company again. It reminds her of a time when she didn't feel quite so old and out of sync.]
Do you think we'll need libations for the haunted hayride?
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( To match to the other bundled up neighbors. )
Oooh, mulled wine. Or we can go classy and go Hot Toddy.
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[A nice spiced wine sounds more appealing. She goes to follow him to one of the booths, looking around as she goes.]
This is rather quaint though. I always found it interesting how much people enjoy Halloween.
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( And back then, costumes were more formal-wear. Gowns and dresses and suits. But, masks too. )
Leave it to humanity to commercialize everything.
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[She does love a good masquerade. Big beautiful dresses and masks over faces, a little anonymity allowing you to be something other than yourself.]
My mother didn't love Halloween, but my father's family threw a winter ball every year that was sometimes a masquerade.
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( Maybe it was less innocent than that, he and his brother were young. )
Big thing in Mystic Falls. As is every other big thing. Mystic Falls never met a holiday it didn't want to celebrate. Masquerades happen every few years. Fire eaters. Acrobats. It's a big to do. What were your winter balls like?
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[And she moved to Georgia to be closer to him.]
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( That's how it was then. You got married and you left your family behind. Back in 1864, Damon would've left everything behind for Katherine. Or, waded on her hand and foot at his father's. She was his everything once upon a time. )
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[She doesn't have many regrets for her human life, but giving Ashley so much of her heart is one of them. Especially when he wasn't willing to commit to her with actions as well as his words.
She knows how he behaved with Scarlett, leading her on. It wasn't all in Scarlett's head. It's part of the reason why she was always so kind to her, even if Scarlett didn't return the favor.]
I can't say I miss being that young and naive.
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( He misses the innocence. In the harder parts of the night, the lonelier portions of his heart, he misses the simplicity. But, he wouldn't change or undo any of it. He feels like he's lived too long a life of too many atrocities for anything to be water under the bridge.
The line moves and Damon offers her a hand so she can step up into the truck. Damon follows before they tuck themselves and sit, backs to the driver. )
Look at us, being locals.
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A rather cozy small town adventure. I've always been fond of them.
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( Is this chemistry he's feeling? Real, honest-to-god, no ifs, ands, or butts about it? Has it always been here? Underneath his on and off with Elena and a few other sorry (read: dead) women? )
Do you remember when you tracked me down? You were worried about Scarlett, she had gone off and joined the vampire circus?
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[Her tone is clear that there's no love lost there. She had appreciated Damon's support then just as much as she appreciates his company now. After spending the entire crossing talking herself up on having to do this on her own, having someone with her made all the difference.
But her head tips to the side curiously, wondering what's drawn his mind there after all this time.]
Why do you ask?
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( Even back then he had her back. )
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[She smiles softly.]
I think before that we were always several degrees apart. You were Scarlett's sire and I was her best friend, and we weren't meant to meet in the middle without her. I think that time during the war is when we became friends.
[Which is why she treasures it, even if their mission wasn't wholly successful. It wouldn't have been until Rhett crossed the ocean to draw Scarlett back into his orbit and return some sense to her. As much as they tore each other to shreds, they always found a way to put each other back together too.]
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( He made quick work of Rhett when his jealousy flared. Eventually, they all came to an understanding, as most vampires do. )
You were never as mercurial.
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[She doesn't know if Scarlett would have. Maybe, if she had been given the opportunity. But Melanie is the one who was there, and Rhett was her friend.]
Though she turned me. So does the transitive property apply?
[They'll get back to how she is or isn't mercurial in a moment.]
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( And in Mystic Falls, that became the Salvatore's. In their Elena era anyway. )
I didn't know that. I always thought Scarlett and Rhett, Rhett and Scarlett.
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[She gives a small shrug.]
Perhaps it was me balking at the idea of spending an eternity with Scarlett as the only person who knew me before I died, and knowing that my husband was not an option. Perhaps it was the fact that Rhett had always been kind to me, even when he didn't have to. I don't really know anymore. But he said yes, and I followed through.
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( He's never asked this either, never known much about her past - besides a movie and a novel, both of which were only based in reality. )
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Ashley Wilkes had never met a fence he wouldn't sit on, particularly when it came to the women in his life. I felt it wouldn't be prudent to spend eternity with a man that made a habit of leading other women on to believing that he had feelings for them, particularly Scarlett, simply for the attention. He would let Scarlett believe he was going to leave me and they would be together and then never actually leave me.
[And the idea of spending forever with a vampire version of that man? Absolutely not.]
I didn't think that extending the uncomfortable love triangle between the three of us beyond what we dealt with in life was the right choice. I valued Scarlett's friendship far over my husband's love, as little as it was.
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