What Time Is It? lauronica_mars

[countess_karnstein]

Years had passed since the events at Silas University. Since the mansion and the unforgeable encounter with Elle and the bunch of restless spirits. Thankfully, since the destruction of the left over eggs from the Angler Fish God life had finally become normal. Well, normal in the world of Carmilla and Laura wasn’t your usual definition. Carmilla was a vampire and finally had her PHD in philosophy. LaF and Perry’s business had exploded and grown to chains all across the world. They even bought an apartment near Laura and Carm’s for when they were in town and could visit. Carm swore Laura pretty much spoke to them every day anyway. Her and her friends were inseparable at times. At first Carm found that annoying but over the years she’d come to respect how there for one another they were. Sometimes it even reminded Carm of a time her and Mattie were so close.

She got back to the apartment before Laura. This time carrying another box of colourful fan mail, thankfully smaller than the one from yesterday. Laura’s reporting had finally paid off and after her blog and videos exploded over the internet a lot of people stepped forward with strange or supernatural occurrences around the world. It meant the two of them got to travel, help people which Laura loved to do and her reporting was as popular than ever. Even Carm got fan mail which weirded her out from time to time. At least in all this between them, LaF and Perry none of the small success had gone to their heads.

After placing the box on the kitchen counter Carm poured herself a glass of synthetic blood. LaF and Perry supplied them free of charge which was another thing Carm could never complain about. She took a sip standing in front of the five year plan board which was now mounted on the living room wall. The laptop was still out from some recording Laura had done in the morning. Carm pulled her long now straight hair back and into a high ponytail collapsed on the couch. The clock read 23:06. By vampire time this was way too early to be up.

There was a groan followed by a blanket being pulled down over her. Her hand only escaped to turn on the TV to the horror channel. Obviously Carm’s favorite.

Comments

[countess_karnstein]

LaF jumped. They knew Laura would one day become a vampire but saying it was different to seeing it and Laura with fangs looked so different. It would definitely take some getting used to. “Black eyes? Carm why does she have black eyes?” They said moving quickly behind Carmilla in defence.

“If I knew I wouldn’t have called you.” Laura snapped. “I turned her and she woke up like this”

LaF’s expression had started to change to the worried look of Carmilla’s. Mattie by this point had vanished into the dark without saying a word. It was when Laura said more LaF ran and and got three more blood bags. They passed them to Carmilla who slowly gave them to Laura one by one.

“Has this ever happened before?” Laf asked, watching Carm shake her head. “Should we tie her up?”

Carmilla started to ignored everything LaF just said and stepped closer to Laura. “Hey. Laura?” Passing the final bag of blood. “You in there?”

[lauronica_mars]

Laura took the first bag and basically ripped it open and poured it down her throat, but passed on the other two, the whites of her eyes starting to emerge.

Her voice was hoarse and sounded as if came from a dry throat. "Starved. But now for human food." And with that she was gulping down her entire cookie supply from the shared room. "And sugar helps. But I think I need protein."

[countess_karnstein]

Both of them exchanged worrying glances while Laura went through the blood and cookies. LaF was convinced no matter what was happening that Laura wouldn’t attack one of her close friends. When the supply ran empty they took gently guided Laura out the room and into the kitchen. Laura’s laptop was still set up on the counter next to her mug. LaF pushed them to the side only to clear space for the amount of food they were about to drag from the fridge.

Arms piling up they kept LaF felt they must have covered every food group just dumping it on the side. They even went to the effort of filling up Carmilla’s cup with blood and microwaving it. LaF was in full support mode. Researching could come later when Perry arrived with the equipment.

Carmilla was grateful for LaF’s interjection. She pulled out one of the metal stools on the opposite side of the counter and took a seat. “She has a heartbeat.” Carmilla folded her arms.

“When I’m less mad at you I’ll talk to you. Right now I can’t even look you in the eye.” It had taken years for LaF and Carm to build up a relationship and it wasn’t easy on both parts but at least they understood one another. It’s was the rare moment they argued that things could get ugly. LaF half expected a sarcastic comment as they placed a warm mug of blood in front of Laura should she need it. “You couldn’t have waited?”

“If I still had my spark or whatever you want to call it then I wouldn’t have but I don’t. I’m a vampire LaF and for your information I’ve been wanting this since we were trapped in the library.” Carmilla wasn’t exactly used to this much emotion. Her shut down mode was already kicking in because she angry. LaF knew that.

“Right so you just wait for Laura to go through all the effort and nerve of proposing to you and then you kill her. Couldn’t think of a better way to say yes?” LaF sarcasm was getting on point with Carmilla’s. Both mad and talking like Laura wasn’t in the room.

Carm stood up from her stool in anger. “You’re a child LaF. You don’t understand.”

“Oh I understand all right. You have a girlfriend, an apartment, success. Things were great so why not turn the girl into some black eyed vamp hybrid…thing.” LaF looked at Laura, naturally protective of her friend. “Well maybe not so much the black eyes anymore.”

In the next few seconds LaF was pinned to the fridge door by their throat. She held LaF up so their feet could barely touch the floor. “Consider yourself lucky I don’t kill you.” Carm hissed. Her fangs were out and her eyes cold.

LaF was struggling for air. Both hands trying to pull Carm’s away from their throat. “Lau..ra.”

[lauronica_mars]

Laura seemed to be breaking down the human food by rough energy density, starting with pouring a squirty bottle of pancake syrup down her throat and then going for the meat, cooked first, making a huge mess of what she did, and starting by drinking all the available milk.

And then she looked up, eyes back to their normal colour, and fangs having disappeared. "STOP THIS!" Laura's voice echoed through the room eerily, and all three other people in the room simply stopped moving, finding that they couldn't.

"Fighting's noisy." Laura's voice was a clipped growl. "Everything's noisy." Hardly the normal loquacious voice of Laura Hollis, and even talking more slowly. "LaF. You filmed video. I made offer. Carmilla wanted and had offer. Carmilla. Not LaF's fault. Now talk." And they'd find they could as Laura went back to eating, picking up an apple to everyone's shock.

[countess_karnstein]

Carmilla’s grip around LaF’s throat was then about to crush their windpipe when Laura froze them. In that moment both Laf and Carm’s eyes locked and they didn’t need words. The phrase ‘what the hell’ was apparent from the two of them. Carm fought with all her strength to move but it was futile. Only when Laura released them could she finally take her hand away and let LaF go free.

Both of them stood in front of the fridge watching Laura demolish the apple like she’d been starved for weeks. “Okay, she can freeze us. That’s not a vampire thing is it?”

“Nope. If a vampire is old enough they can get certain powers but Laura has just turned.” Carm sighed. “I don’t know what I’ve done to her but she doesn’t seem to be a vampire.”

LaF nodded. “I hear ya. She’s got a heartbeat and look.” LaF pointed at Laura’s face while the both of them still kept their distance “She’s not pale anymore.” They stopped looking at Laura for a moment and watched Carmilla. LaF could see she was hurting, only knowing this through spending so much time trapped with her. Carmilla was hard to read but LaF worked it out not as good as Laura but possibly second best. “We’ll figure this out. Laura will be fine.” LaF didn’t know how comfort so gave an awkward pat to Carm’s arm.

The fact Carm didn’t flinch means she accepted LaF’s comforting. “Can you stay with her?”

“Sure thing. Perry is bringing a bunch of equipment from my lab so we can run some tests. Where you going?”

Carmilla didn’t answer. She left them in the kitchen to get her leather jacket from the living room. LaF followed. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to do something stupid?”

“Stupid is not knowing something like this would happen. Laura’s unique, I should have known turning her wouldn’t be that easy.” The vampire slipped on her jacked and tied her hair up out the way. “Prey no one gets in my way.” Carm growled and headed for the front door. Only Perry came bursting in carrying and over the top amount of suitcases and equipment. The volume of luggage completely blocking them all in.

Perry took off her coat, waiting for the two them to help bring the cases in. “Sorry I’m late. There was a lot to pack. I’m lucky I made it in time. Where’s Laura?” She left the corridor completely blocked and followed LaF’s finger which was pointing to the kitchen area. “Laura?” To Perry Laura didn’t look any different. The only thing that shocked her was the amount of mess she had made in the kitchen. “This is hardly the time to eat and since when did you make this much mess.” She stood next to her friend and started picking up and cleaning the side. “LaF left in such a hurry. I wondered what the fuss was about. Glad you’re okay though.”

She then lowered her voice into a whisper. “Did you propose yet?” Perry was too excited to notice that Laura had a ring on her finger.

[lauronica_mars]

Laura's initial reply was to give Perry a fanged, toothy smile, holding up her hand. Perry might like the normal but wasn't unobservant. Her response however was in much more halting English than Laura normally used. "Carmilla said yes. And thought offer to turn me meant now."

She gestured around to the mess of the kitchen. "Something went wrong. Left me starving. A little blood, mostly food. Even vegetables." Laura's face scrunched up slightly.

"Don't know what happened. But can do things." Laura picked up a steak and held it between thumb and forefinger and it started cooking visibly as Perry watched.

And Laura smiled slightly. "So that what fuss is. Still very hungry but not starving. And can now start to think again. Was ... mindless?" And with that Laura started eating the t-bone steak with her bare hands, it being better cooked than it really should have in that time.

[countess_karnstein]

Perry clapped her hands over her mouth and gasped at the sight of Laura’s fangs. It was a weird almost surreal for her to see one of her closest friends now changed. Especially when she was so used to Laura being human. She went to say something, not backing away or feeling scared when Laura cooked the steak in a matter of seconds with her fingertips. Perry’s eyes couldn’t get any wider if they wanted to.

“But…” There was a lot of staring while she tried to gather her thoughts. “But you aren’t pale…you don’t…vampires don’t do that, do they?” Perry was frozen with incoherent worry. Considering Laura had a knack for getting herself in these situations, the worst being when she had her heart magically ripped out her chest. This to date had to be the worst one.

“Laura.” Dropped her hands from her mouth she tried to compose herself. “We’re going to have to run some tests on you and we need to do them now.” She thought by now LaF and Carmilla might have brought luggage into the living room but all that could be heard was the odd shuffling noise and LaF hadn’t come in to say everything was set up and ready to go. “I’m going to go check on them. You finish…eating well..everything.”

And with that Perry left the room.

LaF and Carm were trying to pull the equipment inside without bashing the walls or the front door. “You didn’t answer my question?” LaF pulled their usual ‘I won’t drop this till you tell me face’ at Carmilla.

“Ugh do you think that will work on me you idiot?” There was a famous Carmilla eye roll. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

But LaF wasn’t in a mood for playing fair. “We can do this the easy way or the hard.” And with that LaF shouted for Laura, barely getting the first part of her name out before Carm’s hand clapped over her mouth, silencing them instantly. She must have used her vampire speed because LaF noted there was no way the gap between them could have been closed that fast.

They mumbled ‘not fair’ against the vampires hand.

Carm keeping her hand pressed against LaF’s mouth was now well aware Perry had entered the room. “I’m going to take my hand away and if you shout for Laura one more time you’re going to wish you never had skin.” She glanced back at Perry. “That goes for you too.” Carm then slowly removed her hand and waited a few seconds for them to show they were going to keep quiet. As usual threats of violence never let her down. “There, that wasn’t so hard was it? Now if you must know I’m going to talk to Mother and before you say anything I know she’s been dead a long time now but I think I know of a way.”

LaF started to speak in their normal tone but quickly changed to a whisper so Laura couldn’t hear. “If you’re going where I think you are that is a bad idea and if Laura finds out…”

“Well she won’t find out will she because you two aren’t going to tell her.” Carm sighed. “Do you remember how worried we were when she came back the first time? I’m not letting her go through that again. This wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

Perry stepped between LaF and Carmilla. She spoke soft and very quiet. “If she finds out where you’re going…okay, okay…we’ll stay here and run some tests. There should be plenty to check considering she can now cook things with her hands. We’ll keep her distracted.”

LaF broke into the biggest smile. “She has more abilities. That’s so cool!”

Carmilla once again eye rolled and headed for the door to leave. LaF started to unpack some scanners while Perry headed back into the kitchen to fetch Laura.

“Laura, we need you in the living room. You can bring the food if you want we just need to run some tests”

[lauronica_mars]

"Not real vampire." Laura agreed with Perry. "Mostly human. Mostly." She was gesturing with another steak that cooked as she held it, and in her other hand a tin just popped open before she tipped the contents down her throat even if they were vegetables.

A few seconds later she Laura bolted through the door after Perry, eyes wide. "You're going to what?"

[countess_karnstein]

Carm was seconds away from flitting out the door when Laura came in using that tone which usually meant the two of them were going to argue. And she would have if it wasn’t for the fact Laura looked and sounded more like herself than earlier.

She froze. Only for a moment and then zipped up her leather jacket. “I’m going to the library. If there’s still some magic left then maybe I can jump into an alternate universe. One where I can find out why you’re not a...” Carm was going to finish the sentence with vampire but stopped.

“LaF and Perry are going to do some scans and make sure you’re okay. I won’t be long.”

[lauronica_mars]

"Carmilla. Not going to lose you to other universe." Laura glared. "If you go I go." She frowned. "Library like me more than you."

Another pause. "And you make promise you no can keep. Other universe take long time."

A further one and she touched the ring on her finger. "Mine."

[countess_karnstein]

“Laura...” Carmilla noticed her speech was better and wanted to argue the point about the library liking her more but after a brief trip down memory lane and the amount of books she remembered being thrown at her, it was safe to say Laura was right on that one.

“We don’t know what I’ve done to you and Mother might. She’s old enough that she might know...” Carm had several valid points on why Laura needed to stay here. Each one of them dissolving the second Laura touched her ring. This is why she wanted to be gone before Laura noticed. Camilla knew the closer she got the harder it would be.

“I always keep my promises and I promise I won’t leave you.” Carmilla laced their fingers together, looking at the two rings side by side. “I still need you to choose your ring so I can get my one back.” It was a poor attempt to make Laura smile.

Carm closed her eyes trying to be strong. “If you come with me you’d be putting yourself in more danger.”

[lauronica_mars]

"If don't come with you you'd maybe not come back." Laura squeezed their fingers together. "And safer with you than somewhere else." She smiled. "You stay, I stay. You go, I go."

Laura then stepped forwards and kissed Carmilla lightly on the lips. "Mine." One pair of their hands squeezed together - and Laura's other hand on Carmilla's ass, drawing her closer.

[countess_karnstein]

Carmilla’s free hand went to Laura’s waist. “Yours.” She whispered against Laura’s lips and stole another kiss. This time longer, letting their lips part and their tongues collide. She needed to feel that passion right now and Laura’s lips never failed to disappoint.

------------------

LaF and Perry set up shop in Laura’s apartment. Both were itching to get tests done on Laura but understood that she needed to go. They weren’t happy about it but everyone, especially Carmilla knew how stubborn she could be.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to get back to back to the Silas campus. Both agreed to stay nearby since the whole eggs incident Mattie warned them about. Carmilla used her strength to break the lock on the front door of the library. It fell apart as if it was made from paper. “LaF said a while ago that the amount of energy from this place would take years to fade. Maybe longer. There’s a good chance the portal is still open.”

She pushed forwards towards the back of the building where the familiar steps lead down to the basement. The part her, Laura and LaF lived in for so long. It was kinda eerie to see the place again. “I’ll get the lights. If you have a good relationship with this place tell it we need to go speak with my mother. If I ask it’ll probably send me to the room with the knives.” Just as she said Carm turned the lights on and the room hadn’t changed one bit. In fact their plan board was still propped up in the corner just a step away from the door.

[lauronica_mars]

Laura wasn't unhappy to put off testing; there tended to be needles involved in that. And Carmilla's kisses were delicious and shook a few cobwebs out of her mind. As did time to actually digest the food.

"I've a better one than you." And she'd at least stopped feeling hungry before looking up at the library and smiling. "You've seen what I've turned into. Carmilla thinks that going to a world where her mother is still alive would be sensible, but I think you're a library and can either tell us or send us the right place."

Where Carmilla was in the stacks a book of Darwin Awards and a book called Planning For Dummies fell on her head. Apparently the library was unimpressed with Carmilla's plans.

[countess_karnstein]

The books her it with a thud. “You’ve got to be kidding me! You’d think being a creepy old library you might be happy to see us.” Carmilla stepped over the books and tried the door. There was no portal, no nothing.

“Look my girlfriend.” She paused, now correcting herself. “My fiancé is meant to be a vampire. I’m not asking for the world I just want to fix this. And don’t pretend you’re not listening because I know you are. You helped Laura once before so help the both of us now.”

Carmilla tried the door again. Glancing back at Laura she hoped the Library had listened to her. She had to fix this. Only when turned the handle the old wooden door busted up and pulled Carm in the into the blue light coming from the inside. She reached out for Laura and instead caught the door frame. Everything in the room was being pulled as if it was a black hole opening.

“Sure. Now it listens.” Carmilla shouted over the noise of wind rushing past her. One of her fingers slipping off the frame. There was just enough time for her to look at Laura before Carm lost her grip completely and was pulled inside.

[lauronica_mars]

"Carmilla!" Laura screamed, looping the belt of her coat round the nearest table leg and then diving into the portal after Carmilla. Grabbing her hand, but the table wasn't heavy enough to stop Laura and the pair of them were dragged through the portal, Laura landing on top of Carmilla.

Looking round they appeared to be in the library where they had started off. But this had been used by someone other than the pair of them and LaF.

[countess_karnstein]

She hit the floor with a smack and seconds later Laura landed across her. “Well at least I broke your fall.” Carmilla briefly raised her head only to flop back down. “Remind me to paint the walls of this place a disgusting colour.”

She waited for Laura to get up and got to her feet. It was the same library alright, only with subtle differences. First of which being it looks like this basement part is actually used. “Why would it bring us here? Wherever here is?” Carmilla was convinced the library was playing a joke on them.

“Come on. The sooner I can find mother the sooner I can fix this.” She headed up the stairs, the noise of people around getting louder. The campus was starting to look like how it was when Carmilla first arrived only everyone kept staring at her. Well, staring at them. Every time Carmilla made eye contact someone would turn away and pretended to work. It was the weirdest feeling.

“Is it me or do they look slightly scared of us?”

[lauronica_mars]

Laura blinked. She'd seen lots of ways of looking at her - and more than a few of looking at her girlfriend. But she'd also not seen people look at her like that. And it was unnerving, especially with those forced smiles they gave her before turning away. "I think they're more scared of me than you?" Laura's voice was soft as she frowned, not liking it. "And since when did people work in this library?"

But the way out was pretty obvious and into the sunlight. Which looked ... remarkably sunny and as if there wasn't any gloom to be seen anywhere. And all the buildings had been given fresh coats of paint, making Silas look pretty, welcoming, and professional.

[countess_karnstein]

“Since when is that possible.”, Carmilla kept her voice as low as Laura’s while taking another look around. She was right about them being more scared of her than Carmilla. The glances only got worse as the headed to the front exit and Silas looked so different that Carm took Laura’s hand to stop them from walking any further.

It was a completely different place and so busy with students who kept a wide circle away from them. “Okay something is definitely up. We should probably head for the Deans office before we do anything else.” She noticed a few students pack up and their things at the sight of the two of them. “I’d say split up but I’m starting to think this place is weird. And since when did Silas look so…good?”

[lauronica_mars]

"It looks like I imagined it when I read the student prospectus." Laura smiled. "Almost exactly like I imagined it other than the blue tentacle phones, which somehow didn't put me off when I came here to look round."

The location of the Dean's office was obvious. The building itself was unchanged - other than painted a nice pink with perfectly manicured lawns and plants that were growing remarkably well, although a few of them did look a bit sinister.

"And that building is almost too welcoming."

[countess_karnstein]

“This is like watching one of my old horror movies. Everything is overly perfect. I feel sick.” Carm cut across the grass and the students that were seated got up and got out the way. She was started to think she either had some sort of force field around her pushing people away or she was really that scary. Scary Carmilla could handle. Only just like before it wasn’t her they were afraid of, it was Laura.

“When we get to the office let me do the talking. Mother can be ruthless. If she suspects for one second that I care about you she’ll kill you.” Carm didn’t want to scare Laura but her mother was capable of anything and this world could have thrown out any wicked version or her.

When they got to the front door of The Deans office Carmilla took and deep breath and attempted to compose herself. Laura could come in with her or stay here but if she chose to come inside Carm had to make sure their body language didn’t give they were in love away.

“If you coming don’t show her a second of weakness. Trust me she’ll know.” Carm reached for the handle. “Ready?”

[lauronica_mars]

"Or Pleasantville?" Laura smiled. "And I know a little more than most people about your mother. And think I can fake that." She opened the door to The Dean's office only to see herself sat behind it.

The Laura behind the desk blinked. "Whatever I expected when people told me I was somewhere I wasn't it wasn't this. Please tell me that you're the Ell Hollis and Mircalla Carnstein of another dimension and not yet another pair of doppelganger assassins trying to depose and replace me as Dean of Silas. If you are, thank you for not killing any of my students in passing."

Laura blinked. "We're from another universe but I didn't expect to find myself here? I'm Laura and this is Carmilla."

Ell looked at Carmilla. "Were you born Carmilla like my Mircala, or is this some sort of reversal?" Under the desk she took her hand off a button.

[countess_karnstein]

“Ell Hollis?” Well that wasn’t stab of ironic that caused Carmilla to flash an awkward glance towards her Laura. “And I was born Mircalla Karnstein but go by Carmilla.” There was a reason for that but Carmilla didn’t want to get into it right now. “It does seem to be some weird reversal but what happened to Mother and how did you end up being the Dean?”

So many questions and Carmilla couldn’t stop staring at Ell. The resemblance to Laura being almost impossible to tell apart. All but Ell’s skin looking a little paler which was enough to raise Carm’s suspicion.

“Wait.” She tried to catch Ell before she replied, just for a few seconds of silence. It was in that small window of time only one strong heartbeat could be heard in the room and that was coming from Laura.

Carmilla’s face dropped into surprise and her defence dropped. She didn’t know if Laura had the vampire hearing so said what she suspected out loud. “In this world, your Mircalla turned you didn’t she?” It would take some getting used talking about herself like that.

“You’re a vampire.”

[lauronica_mars]

"Your mother? Do you mean the woman Matska Belmonde killed a hundred years ago? The one she said was far worse than she was?" Laura frowned. "And the one she claimed set up all the 'feed girls to the devouring light' scam?"

Laura shrugged. "It took five years for Matska to kill her mother then dig up Mircalla. And yes I am a vampire."

Laura whistled. "Well, that's pretty different. I guess they were lucky enough to not deal with the Seals. And Mattie used to keep her heart in the locket you're wearing. And it's a cow's heart in there?"

[countess_karnstein]

There were a lot of changes to this timeline. A lot of situations and outcomes that felt entire opposites to their world. Carmilla was starting to think that in every situation where her and Laura took a right, Ell and Mircalla went left. Carmilla drifted closer to the desk. Her thoughts were processing all the information Ell had just given her, so much so she didn’t react at all to what was said.

“How long have you and Mircalla been together?”, Carmilla sat on the desk right in front of Ell but slightly off to one side so Laura could still see. The resemblance was uncanny. Everything, even her scent was Laura. Carmilla let her hand cup Ell’s face, her thumb brushed over her bottom lip.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to touch what isn’t yours? Or is this an exception?” Mircalla leant against the side of the doorframe to Ell’s office with a wicked smile. By now she was used to different dimensions and realities. Her and Ell had seen some strange things over the years and many other versions of themselves, but not all of those versions were good. Until Ell told her otherwise they posed as threat. Both of them.

Carmilla didn’t remove her hand but simply turned her head to look at Mircalla who was now behind Laura. She took her from behind, hand around her waist holding her firmly against her. The other hand tangling in Laura’s hair and pull her head to the side. “I don’t know what’s exactly going on here but touch what’s mine and I’ll take what’s yours.”

Mircalla loved the sound of Laura’s heart quickening as she grabbed her. “And trust me…” She looked at Ell and Carmilla, never breaking eye contact while she teasingly nipped Laura’s soft exposed neck. She was so much like Ell it was intoxicating. “...that can go one of two ways.”

She waited for Ell to tell her if she wanted them removed but it was hard to concentrate when this Laura felt so much like Ell.