meadowlarklogs | you learned to breathe underwater

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you learned to breathe underwater —

WHO: caroline forbes & you!
WHERE: the safehouse
WHEN: october 10
WHAT: an impromptu birthday celebration.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: excessive cheeriness.

[ by mid-day, a new message appears on the network from a new user, @caroline.forbes: ]

It's my birthday, apparently, so I made cake. Please don't make me eat all of it!

[ it's a fairly short message, but it's at least accompanied by a few photos of a cake, surprisingly delicious looking for being made of everything but chocolate.

those in the safehouse will have likely heard caroline baking up a storm all morning, and may be aware that the photos show her fourth attempt at this extremely finicky futuristic cake. by the time she posts her photos, all the evidence has been scrubbed clean from the countertops (and dishes and floor and tabletops and trash cans) of the safehouse kitchen. ]

—

ooc note: feel free to have your character reply on the network, come by in person, or a combination thereof. this post is a combo pack because i didn't feel like making a network and log post on the same day. #lazy

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ it's never been part of the vampire training manual to attack without the intent to stop an opponent, if not outright kill them. she's learned how to kick a werewolf halfway across a forest or break a man's neck in one fell swoop, but disabling, temporarily disarming? it's out of her wheelhouse.

but she'll try. she'll try her best, and she'll take his criticism, and she'll probably hold back too much at first to avoid hurting him too badly. she'll try, and trying starts with getting ready. so she leaves her flats in a neat line against the wall, shrugs off her jacket (his jacket, the one he'd given her, the only one she owns and now wears everywhere she goes) and folds it neatly to rest on top; the hair tie around her wrist gets pulled back into her hair, securing it in a quick braid over one shoulder.

when she's ready, she joins him on the mat, hands wringing together against her ribs. ]

Can you — can you come at me, then? Because that might be easier than me going at you. I'll at least know how strong you are.

[ and then she'll know how strong she can allow herself to be in return. ]

I'm gonna hold back. ( just a heads up. but that's not--new for jason, either; he's violate, scrappy, tends to push shit too far when he lets himself drift a bit too far. but not this time. a foot slides back against the mat, sets his balance a little lower as knees bend and both fists raise.

there's a breath--it's a tell he defaults to, uses to pull in attention to that instead of how he's moving but he figures: vampire who won't even fucking come at him until he does first. so he throws in another. twists like he's getting ready to throw a punch with the arm that's settled further away from her, before he's pulling that last moment, swinging his left right for her face.

but there's no intent behind it. if caroline doesn't move out of the way fast enough, it'll stop before it ever reaches skin. it's diagnosing her reaction time, not trying to cause damage but seeing how she responds to fists coming for her. doesn't mean there's not strength behind it; jason's spent fucking years building up muscle, has been using loki's mass to try and strengthen himself enough to pull around someone who weighs a good twice as much as himself around with ease. he may not be kryptonian or an amazon, but he's got plenty of brute force to throw around. )

[ curiosity wins out over fear. she doesn't think he can hurt her, not really, so when jason adjusts his stance and breathes and rocks his arms, caroline just watches, eyes taking in each movement of his body, ears listening for the pace of his heart and the way his breath sounds in his chest, senses on high alert by choice instead of by instinct.

it takes more attention, more intent — and so she doesn't quite move as quickly as she might have otherwise, but as she spots his left fist rocking for her, her own darts upwards, a blur of movement that stills with her hand wrapped around his wrist. it's a grip only for a second, only long enough for him to realize what she's done, and then she drops it. ]

Rude. [ she doesn't sound put out, though. just — amused? surprised, too, a little. she hadn't thought he'd go there. ] Don't hit me in the face, that leaves a mark.

[ and then, a beat later, caroline lunges forward, trading what feels like an unfair burst of speed for a show of strength; her hands aiming not for his neck (the usual) but for his upper arms, an attempt to grapple him down, to toss him to the mat. if she succeeds, he'll feel a portion of her strength in the slam of his back on the ground; if he manages to duck out of the way, she'll have to use a little more pep in her step next time. ]

( movement fast enough to stop his fist and that's--all jason needed to see. the thrust of his fist slows even before her hand collides with it (no damage intended) but he drops it soon after. )

I won't leave a mark on your pretty face, promise. ( a wink, playful, but then she's moving to shove him down. jason lets the momentum hit him if only to feel how strong she is, but he's shifting his own weight before he hits the ground. bends knees to land on his ass before it hits his back, slams his back into the ground shortly after and. lays there for a moment.

raises a brow at her as he stays down. )

You gonna come down here and finish me, or are you done now that I'm down?

( she's fast, but there's no skill behind it that he can see. just movements. faster than an average person, but there are quite a few above average, god-like, atlanteans--whatever. )

[ he's not wrong. there's no special training, no kung fu master class for supernatural kick-ass; it's just good old fashioned hunting instinct and the ability to sense an opponent's motions and react far faster than any mortal human had a right to be.

in the woods, against a werewolf or another vampire, caroline wouldn't have bothered to toss them to the ground. she would have ripped their heart straight out of their chest, broken their neck, severed their limbs in such an irrefutable way that they wouldn't have had opportunity to come back after her. if she couldn't take them down, she would have at least left them hurting.

but jason's on the mat, and he's winking and quipping right back at her, so clearly she didn't hurt him too bad in the process. she managed to hold back okay — which feels like a win, if she's honest. ]

You look pretty finished to me. I mean, if we were really fighting, I wouldn't let you back up again.

[ she'd probably have to step on him, but without the adrenaline of a chase in her veins, it doesn't really feel like a fighting move. ]

( she didn't. he's been thrown around by amazons, by kryptonians, and while he's sure caroline could hurt him, she isn't going for it intentionally. unfortunately, jason doesn't have any of the gear that usually helps even out the odds. always be prepared is a lesson bruce drilled into his skull.

and he is, as much as he can be. jason stays on the ground still, smirks up to her. presses the flats of his feet down against the mat even if he doesn't move to get up from it. )

Yeah? Then stop me from getting up. Hold me down, don't let me move.

( he says while--moving to lift hips up off the mat. she isn't coordinated but fast--whereas jason is slow but has the moves. if he can get a better handle on how fast she is, he can--move on to try and anticipate her own movements. but that takes time, and they've got plenty. )

Don't tell me you're just all party tricks, princess.

I'm not. [ a twist of pride, the urge to prove herself again, to show that she's capable — it swells up in her, straightens her shoulders, tightens the set of her jaw as she lunges forward, knees bracketing around his own as she sinks down onto the mat on top, a blur of motion as hands reach for his wrists, pressing them above his shoulders. she could sit on him, but instead, she hovers above on hands and knees, blonde braid dangling over her shoulder. just enough weight on his wrists to make it a little difficult to use his arms for leverage, but not so much that he couldn't struggle another way. ] I'm not.

[ she huffs out a breath between lips that curve into a self-satisfied smile as she peers down at him, a brow lifting just slightly. ]

Are you going to tap out?

( smart. he can't knock her off balance if she's still balanced, not using him for support. jason still gives her a cheeky grin as she settles over him, moves legs to press the flats of his feet against the ground. )

Nah. I'm not the tap out kinda guy. ( but he does shift under her, leaves one foot pressed against the ground and wraps the other leg around one of caroline's own, before he's thrusting hips up in the direction of the leg he has wrapped--tries to throw her off and flip them around. he does it fast--specifically because he knows how fast her reaction time is.

given her strength, speed, and ability to adapt--whether or not he's fast enough to throw her is still up for debate. )

[ the hook of his leg around hers distracts her — just for a moment, just half a second, just long enough for her smile to soften. but it's enough of a distraction for her to not realize what he's trying to do until he's in the process of it, hips bucking up as if to throw her. ]

Hey! [ it comes out a little affronted, but it's more at herself for letting her mind drift than anything else. self-critical more than complaining, she throws herself back into the task with renewed vigor, using a little more of her own strength to press him a little firmer into the mat. ]

What was that, huh?

( her grip only tightens, it doesn't throw off her balance at all and--she's strong, steady, fast. without hands or use of his legs, there's really not much he can do against her. and unfortunately, he's not nearly as flexible as he used to be. muscle mass gain was great for some things, not so good for this. but she is still up on her knees.

so jason grins. )

I thought we were playing. Am I not allowed? ( the grin turns a little more sultry, eyes focusing up on her own as he goes slack beneath her.

just long enough to hopefully throw her off before he's bending a knee and shoving it up between her own, digging his calf into the soft inside of her thigh and putting pressure to the side--still trying to throw her off. )

That is not playing, [ yelped out on a gasp as his leg pushes hard against her thigh, a press that in combination with his expression pulls a flush up her neck. she's trying — really, actually trying — not to let her mind run away with her here, but it's hard to avoid passing go when his body's so close and his mouth does that funny thing at the corners and his eyes are looking into hers.

that's the leverage he needs, and that's when she gives; she protests all the while, but he does manage to knock her off balance, her knees sliding sideways until her legs go slack. balance lost, her hands no longer are enough to lift her up, and caroline's body falls into his own, held there for a beat by her own grip on his wrists until she suddenly lets go, a breathless laugh spilling from her lips as she rolls off him onto her back. ]

You cheat.

( she lets go, which gives him ample time to slide an arm under her own and around her ribcage, twisting his own body to the side in an effort to flip them over. get her on her back with jason on top, knees bracketing her waist. )

You've got the power and speed, but none of your moves are choreographed. ( obviously. look at her. ) You run at the wrong person, and they're gonna throw you over onto your back before your speed can do jack shit. Next time, I wanna see you fight at my speed. See how much harder it is to get me down. Think you can manage that?

I think — [ but it's hard to think when he's smug and satisfied, settled on top of her like it's the most comfortable place in the world. and she knows, logically, that that's not what this is. it's not flirtatious, it's sparring, it's practical. he's giving her good advice, really, and she should take it.

and she will, but she needs a moment to separate her dumb teen girl brain from focused, can-do caroline brain. just one singular moment. ]

I think I can do that. I mean, I choreographed cheer routines, how hard can this be?

Cheerleader, huh.

( weight moving up onto his knees before jason gets up onto his feet, holds a hand out for her to grab onto. )

So we'll start with some choreographed moves. Give me some time, I'll build up something for you.

Head cheerleader, thank you.

[ cheerleading captain, honor student, head of half a dozen dance committees — it seems like a lifetime ago (wasn't, though, more than a few months) when those were the most important parts of caroline's life. if it wasn't for the fact that he already knew the replacement, she might try to wear those a little more prominently. but as he already knows, has already seen the flash of fangs and the pull of bloodlust in her veins, they're little more than cheerful references, made as her hand grabs tight onto his own in order to pull herself to her feet. ]

Luckily for you, I have nothing but time now. [ under house arrest during the day, not totally sure what to do or where to go at night... ]

For now. ( weight moving onto the heels of his feet as jason shifts back, gets her up and presses a hand against her shoulder. he leans in a little more than would be comfortable for most, murmurs low enough for her ears and nothing else. ) We never know what to expect in these parts. Shit's calm for one moment--the next we've got monsters running loose. Don't ever let your guard down 'round natives, 'cause we don't know what they do and don't know.

( she's just arrived, here. he should be a little more gentle about shit. but he's not. of course he's not. )

I want you to be strong and confident without your speed and strength. We don't know what'll come next, or what'll try and break us down. And trust me, I've seen bigger and badder things than vampires get the crap beaten out of them.

[ i want you to be strong and confident, he says, and caroline's eyes close for just a moment. his voice rings in echo with stefan's in a bathroom at the fair, you can do this, you're strong enough,, and she nods. she can. she has to. there's no other way. ]

I wasn't planning on it. [ telling people had never been in the cards. if she hadn't been so desperate, she might not have told him. ] But... thank you.

[ for feeding her, for taking her out, for helping. he doesn't have to do that, she's well aware of that, and she really does appreciate it. it's nice to not feel alone. ]

( jason never does anything he has to do. he does what he wants, when he wants to, and nothing else. he's comfortable living that way--not being tied down with obligations but living his own life, on his own time. helping caroline just happens to be something he wants to do.

but he's not putting any of that into words.

instead, he looks her over once. tucks fingers into his belt loops and tilts his head back a bit. looks--like he's contemplating something. )

You hungry?

[ it's an innocuous question, but not one with such an easy answer. caroline hesitates for a moment before she asks one of her own. ]

If I say yes, what's on the menu?

[ because she'll literally always eat, whether it's breakfast or b-positive, but it's good to know what the expectations are. ]

Whatever you feel like, princess.

( he's down for whatever she needs. if it's blood or breakfast or whatever. but jason does--pause for a moment. considers it. )

How often do you need to eat? Is it a three meals a day kinda shtick, or a few times a week?

It's not — [ a pause, mouth twisting to the side a bit as she tries to think ] It's not like a clock is ticking or anything.

[ it's complicated. but he's asked, not demanded, and she feels like she can trust him enough to be honest about this. ]

If I don't feed, I'll dry out. It's like dying, but I wouldn't actually be dead. Just... mummied out and gross, like a paper mache coma patient. [ wow, caro. ] If I eat every day, I don't even think about it. Every couple of days, I feel a little hungry, but the cravings are mostly manageable. Any more than that, I start to get hangry.

[ she shrugs, but there's a little tension in it, a hand lifting to wrap around the back of her neck and rub at the muscles there. ]

The cravings are there pretty much all the time, though. Sometimes I can drink a little or eat something really salty to tide myself over, but it never lasts very long.

( so it's hunger, but it doesn't resemble human feeding patterns. good to know--because jason sure as hell couldn't keep up with feeding her daily. it'd take too much blood out of him, and while he doesn't mind bleeding a bit every once in a while--losing enough to exhaust him isn't an option. )

I can probably manage half a pint every few days without issue. ( it'll be a struggle, but he's struggled plenty of times before. ) If you need any more than that, I've got--allies here who I can ask for a hand from. Ones who won't fuck either of us over. But you've gotta let me know if that hunger gets too bad between meal times.

( so he can call someone before it's a little too late. dick would help, he's certain. he could probably get cain to, after he talks some sense into him. damian, even--but that's. risky. he wouldn't risk damian. even if he does trust caroline not to be a dick and kill people. )

But we'll figure it out.

It doesn't have to be from a person.

[ if that helps. she's tried hard to find anything on the network about zoos or animal shelters or anywhere that might have a collection of four-legged creatures she could get her hands (and fangs) on, but she's had no luck thus far. ]

I mean, I know there's not bunnies or anything running around in the woods, but it doesn't have to be from, like, an actual person standing there holding out their arm. Blood bags are okay, too.

[ sometimes, they're easier. ]

Back home, there was a blood bank. Do they have those here?

People clone shit here. Blood, kidneys--whatever. There probably are some bloodbanks--but security here's tight as hell, too. I'm working on it.

( getting access to cloning tech, finding nooks and crannies to get through the security in the city, something. )

It'll take time, but it's something I'm looking into.

( no promises. but it'd be fucking amazing. jason--has some connections, knows who to talk to, who to go to when it comes to more. . illicit activities around new amsterdam. and he has no problem getting his fingers dirty as long as it keeps everyone else's hands out of it. )

If I can help...

[ she doesn't know if she can. she's always compelled her way through whatever human obstacles she was faced with. told guards to look the other way, told nurses to forget her attacks, told rude girls flirting with her love interests to leave parties. but she's fast, too, and strong — she could sneak into a room and out of it before anyone was the wiser, if she had to. ]

I want to help you.

[ the you is specific. she's not ride or die for much else in this city, but he's helped her more than anyone else thus far, and she's grateful for it. ]

you learned to breathe underwater —

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