'cause you know I'm coming home

[mistyday]

Somehow, at this point, a magic doorway leading to yet another world doesn't surprise her at all. As soon as she sees the sun and the waves and the green where her quarters should be, she doesn't hesitate to step through. It's not just the warm draw of nature either, so refreshing after the cold darkness of space - there's something else drawing her as well. Or rather, someone else. She follows that sense down the beach, through the town, and to another door.

Knock, knock.

And there she stands on his front step, beaming. "Hey, stranger."

Comments

[proweird]

Speak of the devil, or the dinner guest in this case, Elena approaches the door and only hesitates slightly before she opens it. "Stefan, it's me," she calls out. She's carrying an armful of flowers and a fancy bottle of sparkling, strawberry lemonade in place of the bottle of wine she'd normally bring as a hostess gift.

She steps further into the room, having stressed out a little over what to wear. She'd settled on a pretty, floral dress that hits just above her knees.

[stefanged]

"Elena! Hey!" Stefan rushes towards her, reaching for both the flowers and the bottle of sparkling lemonade.

He hadn't done that much to prepare for the dinner; the Den looks the same as usual, if not slightly neater. Save for the dining table, which he had set, and the warmth of the fireplace - it felt like home. He's dressed nicer too, in black slacks and one of his darker-colored button down shirts. (He even has cuff links, styled to match his lapis lazuli ring.)

"Thank you. You really didn't have to," he teases, poking his head above the flowers and knowing full well that he'd done far more. "Your presence would've been enough."

Though speaking of presence... he sets the bottle down, intent on finding a vase big enough for those lovely flowers.

"Elena, this is Misty," he says, motioning towards his roommate. "And well, Misty, I'm sure I've talked your ear off about Elena already."

[mistyday]

Misty practically beams at Elena, only barely restraining herself from rushing over and hugging the other woman. Instead she settles on enthusiastically taking both of Elena's hands in hers. "Oh, I feel like I know you already! I'm so glad to finally meet you!"

[proweird]

Elena isn't as nervous as Stefan, but she is nervous. While he hasn't told her a lot about Misty, she knows that Misty is important to him simply because she's sharing his living space with him. She's wondered a little about Misty's relationship with Stefan, and tried to convince herself that it didn't matter if it was a romantic relationship. Stefan is her friend and she wants him to be happy. However Misty makes him happy, Elena is simply glad that she does and she's not jealous, nope, not at all.

Her smile goes from nervous and tight to something softer and genuine when Stefan approaches; she brushes a kiss against his cheek then turns her attention to Misty, that soft, genuine smile still on her face. She wouldn't have turned down a hug at all and she doesn't shy from the way Misty takes her hands. Instead, she squeezes them lightly. "Misty, it's so good to meet one of Stefan's friends."

And she means that.

[mistyday]

Elena need not worry about jealousy in the romantic front. Stefan is undoubtedly Misty's soulmate, but romance doesn't factor into the equation. Family is more like it. And Elena is so warm and friendly - and pretty! Misty easily sees why Stefan cares for her so much. Still holding onto Elena's hands, she turns to Stefan with a teasing grin. "See? It told you you didn't need to be nervous!"

wow I'm so sorry

[stefanged]

“You sure did,” Stefan admits, fighting back a laugh as he glances back at his soulmate.

Then again, he knows just how territorial Elena can feel – and he also knows how his closest friendships could look like something more. Enough people had mistaken Misty and Stefan for a couple even though they weren't. Even though they'd never really thought of themselves that way. Stefan can't imagine life without Misty anymore, but certainly not in the romantic sense.

Finally finding that vase, he fills it up with water before arranging the flowers in. Already, it seems to brighten up the whole place.

“But uh, you know how I worry.” A little too much – and seemingly for nothing too.

No worries

[proweird]

She'll realize eventually that she needn't worry about the romance part of things (not that she has a right to worry. After all, she dated Stefan's brother and he was married to her best friend back in her world).

In that case, Elena is pleased that Stefan has Misty and she's got a good feeling about getting along with her. She smiles at Misty, squeezing her hands once before she lets them drop, smirking a little at Stefan.

"A habit I'm not sure anyone can break him of," Elena confirms. Yes, he worries and absolutely for nothing. Elena generally gets along with most people, and even if she didn't think she and Misty were going to be just fine, she'd make sure she tried for Stefan's sake. "So how long have you two known each other?"

[mistyday]

Lord knows she's been trying. But his fussing is also part of what makes him so endearing to her. Stefan gives a shit and she'll take that any day over someone who doesn't care or worry about anything. "Uhhh...what, over a year now?" Misty looks to Stefan for confirmation. "It seems like longer than that, don't it?"

[stefanged]

"Feels like my whole life," he admits, laughing a little at the realization. Had it really only been one year? Time really had flown by. "But yeah, I guess it's been a year and a half."

He sets the flowers aside for now.

"We were in the same world before. There was, uh..." and his cheeks grow a little red, since Allah knows he'd certainly omitted the reality show factoid before now, "There wasn't much to say, back then, but Misty was a big part of it."

[proweird]

She smiles at that. It's so foreign to her that Stefan might have a friend that he didn't make through her or that he hadn't known for a century or two. It's nice though. "Sometimes, you meet people like that, I think," Elena responds.

Elena's brow furrows a little at Stefan's blush, not certain of the reason for it. Something to do with that world he'd been. "Right. A space ship?" Stefan had told her a little about it, but yes, he had omitted the reality show factor. "It sounds like things there were interesting at least." She turns to Misty. "Stefan says you're a witch? I mean....you've got magic. My best friend back home, Bonnie, is a witch."

[mistyday]

"Yeah! Stefan mentioned her before. I'd like to meet her some day - I haven't been around another witch in a long time. I mean, there were some other magic people in the fleet but it ain't quite the same, you know?"

She tilts her head, curious. "What kinda magic does she do? I'm mostly a green witch."

[proweird]

Elena kind of winces at the question and looks to Stefan then back to Misty. "Uhm...just white magic. I think. I'm not sure she has a speciality. Bonnie can do almost anything she sets her mind to, I think."

It's clear that Elena is fond of her best friend and that she admires her.

[stefanged]

"She plays a lot with fire," Stefan chimes in unhelpfully, unable to keep a smile off his face. He respects Bonnie too, even if they aren't the best of friends back home. (Of all of Elena's friends, Bonnie had wisely kept her distance.)

"If we're going by magic types, uh... I think offensive magic. The kind you'd see people like Mikleo and Kirito using." He pauses, turning to Elena. "They were friends of ours, in that other place. Mikleo uses water magic, and Kirito uh... could pretty much do anything."

[mistyday]

"Yeah, it's like... type and alignment I guess you could say. I never was as good at the fightin' magic." She grins. "Rather use my fists, when it gets down to it."

[stefanged]

"Gave everyone a run for their money, too." He remembers, on more than one occasion, how her fists had not only wounded their enemies but also saved their loved ones. That, however, might be another story for another time.

"Turns out there's a lot of people like Bonnie," Stefan clarifies, glancing between Misty and Elena. "Which is probably a good thing, given all the magical stuff that's happened since we got here."

[proweird]

A smile bursts over Elena's face at Misty's comment. "I feel the same way. Not that I know magic. I don't. At all." Some people underestimate a little tenacity and fight.

"Mystic Falls could have used a few more people like Bonnie," Elena responds. "I can never make up my mind if this place is more dangerous or less than back home." No one has died yet, not that Bonnie knows. "I do see a lot fewer people in the clinic though. I'm not sure if that's a safety thing or if they're using other means to heal."

[mistyday]

"Safer here than it is at home, that's for sure. And at least no one's watching us like Stefan and I had in the fleet." She shudders. "In any case, you ever find yourself in trouble, I know a lot about healin'."

And resurrecting the dead but you know. We'll save that bit of information for a while. Even though she knows now that not everyone will respond to that negatively, it still makes her nervous.

[stefanged]

"Uh... Misty, thanks, but..." Stefan draws in a breath, wondering best how to say this. He settles for the truth, "I never told Elena about the reality show."

Which, in hindsight, might've been something more than a little important to mention. But in the wake of reincarnations and other worlds, it seemed a little too fantastical.

[proweird]

Elena's gaze goes from Stefan to Misty and back. Her mouth gapes a little and she can't help but let out a laugh. "Oh. My. God. You were on a reality show?"

Yeah, she's just going to be stuck on that for a moment. "Was it a dating show or a Big Brother type thing or...the Amazing Race across...space?"

If you were hoping for sympathy, Elena doesn't know enough about the downsides of it to feel that yet. Right now she is entirely too entertained by the idea of Stefan Salvatore on a reality show.

[stefanged]

This, right here, is exactly why he withheld that little nugget of information.

Stefan actually steps back, holding up a couple of hands in surrender. "Honestly... I'm not sure. Some weird hybrid between Big Brother and Amazing Race?"

He looks towards Misty, possibly for a lifeline, "Please tell me you saw some reality TV back home?"

[mistyday]

Misty shrugs. "Not a lot. I didn't have a tv at my place. Madison was some big actress or some shit so sometimes she watched it. Knew all the gossip in Hollywood."

But she gives it some thought.

"Amazing Race was the one where they went around the world, right?"

[stefanged]

"Yeah. Teams would solve riddles and go from country to country..." He tilted his head. "And we had hosts, like they did? So it kind of counts."

[proweird]

Please continue. Elena is just going to giggle at the image of Misty and Stefan running around space to solve some sort of puzzle, riddle or complete a mission. "Please tell me you had to cram yourselves into a tiny space shuttle," then she holds up her hand in a universal 'stop' position. "No. Wait. Don't. I'll just imagine it like that regardless."

[stefanged]

"We kept upgrading it," he protested, on what he suspected was mostly deaf ears. "But... yeah, this place is way bigger."

He can't say he misses the Paisley, except in spirit. The little quirks of Alex's singing, or Kirito yelling at his video games - that, he missed far more than the blood pills or whatever nonsense Atroma threw at them this week.

[mistyday]

"It was kinda like being in a tin can," Misty confirms, looking about as amused as Elena does, especially because Stefan is so embarrassed. "But it wasn't all that bad - 'bout once a month we landed on a planet and got to explore for several weeks. I hardly spent time on the ship at all, to be honest."