did you forget

"I suppose they do," Willow agreed. And when you were as old as Willow, one's reputation did have a tendency to get set in stone, as immovable as, well, her namesake. "You shouldn't be afraid or ashamed of some soul-searching. Sometimes that's exactly what a person needs." Even though she'd been given permission, Willow didn't want to overwhelm Clarissa, despite the tug of her curiosity. "I appreciate that, and I'll try to limit myself. Where to begin? Do people out there have any idea of what's happened? And yes, help is always welcome, of course."

"Thank you for saying that. I was quite lost for a long time, it was a much needed turning point in my life. I do regret leaving and the part of complicity I've played in the past, but I'm back now. I will gladly stand on your side of the fight." Clary considered their question carefully, having only picked up bits and pieces from the outside world. "I don't think so. At least, not en masse. In fact, it was quite curious, no one seemed overly aware of Havensdale in general. I would suspect that has something to do with the dome and its maker. Leaving didn't change anything for me, though. I remembered every moment here as did Ruby McReid who I had passed briefly out there. Good, I'm glad. And thank you for having me."

turns out forever and a day wasn't actually that long when you lived forever. the surroundings were overwhelming to the heightened senses. charvi wasn't sure what to expect walking into this, but now was as good a time as any. the place had been hit hard.

"i suppose i deserve that," clary sighed gently. it had been a long time since she had last seen charvi, and she had hardly been at her best at their parting. clary hesitated a moment more before taking purposefully slow steps towards them. "charvi... i don't suppose you could even begin to accept my apologies for my behaviour in the past, could you?"

"I am just happy we are both still alive and are here now. That's the most important thing, isn't it?" Sabrina smiled at Clary. She had tried not to think about Clary too often over the years. But she couldn't help herself sometimes; it was a regret that she had lived with for many decades. Seeing her now felt like a second chance and maybe a joke, considering how much revenge had filled her thoughts. "It could be worse. I am running into a lot of old friends somehow. I would love a rundown of this place; things seem tense."

"Me too, Sabrina. Yes, I really do believe it is... It took me quite some time to realise that, truth be told. If I could go back, you know that I would never have let us part as we did. I know they're just words but I just hope you know how much I thought of you over the years. I have missed you so," Clary sighed, reaching out to take Sabrina's hands in her own. She could tell her that again and again until another century had passed. "Ah, that doesn't surprise me. Even with the dome now, Havensdale has always been something of a beacon to the supernatural. We are currently living in an experiment, I would say. There's an Original vampire, werewolf and warlock all working together to some end. We're trapped in here, more or less, but you may come to notice it's not normal here. We, us supernaturals, can't be killed. At least, not by the usual means."

it was about time that charvi returned to the land of the living - somewhat living for her circumstance. she had spent long enough taking some time away from the drama, but even she couldn't ignore the rumblings anymore. if charvi wasn't awake, the earthquake had more that made sure of it. venturing out, she went for a walk to witness the damage, turning when she heard approaching footsteps.

clary had ruined many relationships over the hundreds of cursed years she'd been alive. not cursed, she reminded herself. she was trying to be better now, you see. one of them was with charvi chandrasekar (yes, the original vampire - you can imagine how complicated her feelings were). clary knew now that all they'd ever tried to do was look out for her. she almost didn't believe her eyes... but it was. "of all the gin joints in all the world, you walk into mine."

Sabrina had thought she would never see Clary again; one of the biggest regrets of her immortal life was having to separate herself from Clary. Things had been fun, but that was a long time ago; both of them had been so different. "It's okay, Clary, I am not mad at you. I am just happy to see you again. Even given the place we find each other." She smiled as she looked at Clary. She could tell that she wasn't the same person that Sabrina had once known. "I am here to handle some things. Unfortunately for me, I found out too late that there isn't a way back out."

"You have no idea what that means to me...," Clary sighed, her palm pressed over her long dead heart. There had been no time to make amends, before. All she had was revenge, it consumed her so totally that there was no room for anything else. Not even Sabrina. She had never looked back for her because she's truly believed that after she had destroyed her maker, she would meet her own end. Thankfully, instead, she had this second chance. "That is quite unfortunate. Not for me, of course, I'm too glad to see you. Is there anything I can do to help you? Anything at all."

Sabrina had often thought of Clary; she had tried for so long to help her see what their lives could be thanks to being vampires. But it had never been enough for Clary; she had been so stuck on hating herself and being a vampire. Looking at her now, she could see that Clary wasn't the same; there was something lighter about her. She hugged Clary, wrapping her arms around her. "I missed you, too, my friend."

"It is so incredibly good to see you again, Sabrina. I can't even begin to... I've thought of you, more than you could know. Losing you is one of my greatest regrets," she breathed, pulling back from their embrace but staying close. "I'm sorry, I know that's a lot to have thrown at you. I just had to say it. As you know, it's terribly overdue." The obvious hadn't quite dawned on her yet as she looked her old friend over attentively. How could Clary have been so foolish, pushing her away like she did? "Oh, Sabrina. What on earth are you doing here, though?"

Sabrina hadn't seen Clary in nearly fifty years, even before she had been captured. They had a connection, something just clicked when they met. But Clary's obsession with revenge had driven her away, that wasn't who Sabrina was. She lived her immortal life to have fun, and Clary had ruined it so many times, it pushed Sabrina away. That was before she had lost twenty years to being imprisoned, before the Institute had broken her down. Havensdale was a stop on her revenge tour before she got on with her life. One of the last things she expected was to see Clary in this town.

It was her. An unnecessary breath fell from her lips, along with an unexpected laugh. Since leaving Havensdale, Clary had spent a lot of time reflecting and even more having fun. Oh, how Sabrina would have loved spending the last few months with her. She'd tried every frivolous thing. She'd learned that she no longer had to loathe herself for what she was. Clary had tried and failed to outrun her immortality, now she had embraced it. She let only another go by before she quickly closed the gap between then, holding her tightly in an embrace. "Oh my god, it's really you. I missed you."

"Really?" She asked, fascination clear in her tone. The Vandevieres hadn't told her any of that–though she wasn't sure if it was something they had even known, with Vivian having been locked up with her. "The hunters cannot hunt us?" Cece hadn't known what to expect when she came here, but this certainly wasn't it. "Too?" She questioned, wondering what had brought her here when one couldn't simply walk in. "I followed some... friends. They were coming here and I had nowhere else to go." She paused for a moment, "Very strange that there's a dome."

"That's exactly right. In fact, I believe that was part of the appeal, in the beginning. Best intentions have paved the road to this hell, depending on who you ask. Oh, right... Me. I was here, before, when the dome first came down. It didn't agree with me," she answered. At least, partially. "I don't know why I crossed over again, to be honest with you. It was more of a split-second decision." Clary nodded to her response. She did wonder how a vampire ended up with nowhere to go. Wasn't that the point? You could go anywhere. Perhaps, she was alone, though. That would make sense. "It's a very strange town. I'm Clary, by the way."

Willow let out a soft, pleased noise now that they were freed, shaking out their limbs. "Not officially? Well that does make me sound quite mysterious. Thank you, I suppose. Clarissa Liu..." Something about that name rang a distant bell in Willow's head, but with the recent shift in the magic, Willow was admittedly a little distracted. No matter, she was sure that she could get an answer later. "So you've been out in the world for a while? That's...I hope you do not mind if I ask you an irritating number of questions." At Clarissa's question, Willow paused. "Well, I have often been accused of being an optimist."

"Well, one's reputation does often precede them." Clary's had changed significantly over the centuries. Willow Evermore, however, she was sure had always been a whispered force for good. "Yes, I have. I'm afraid I had a few hundred years worth of soul-searching to undertake... By all means, ask away." A small smile tugged at her lips at Willow's answer. Hope, a feeling she was newly reacquainted with. "That's good enough for me. I would like to help, if I can."

Sabrina hadn't been in town long; she had managed to sneak in recently and had taken up in one of the many abandoned homes. She had mostly kept to herself, not wanting to make a wrong move, especially in a town that was clearly on the edge. She had heard some things around town, understanding that things had been chaotic ever since the Dome had come up. She wasn't one to get involved, she wouldn't even be in Havensdale if it wasn't for Piper.

Clary wasn't sure how to go about contacting the underground resistance now she was back in this town. Perhaps you just had to hang around until one of them showed up? Tedious, but understandable. It was supposed to be secret, after all. She felt a sort of shift in the air then, compelling her to turn in the direction of a long-lost, but not forgotten, feeling. Sabrina. Throughout her hundreds of years on this planet, Clary had made few meaningful connections. And when she did, she always let her incessant need for revenge ruin it. That's what had happened to her relationship with Sabrina DeLisle many years ago. Since letting go of her purpose to destroy her maker, Clary had plenty of time to look back on the past and regret. Could she really be here now, again?

He'd been Cornelius for the eternity he'd known so far, but in feeling it belonged to someone whose life he could no longer live, he'd settled on 'Corey'. He hadn't been convinced by its familiarity until he heard it on her lips. She made it sound like someone he wanted to be, and his smile grew at the mere possibility of it. "Elle." Her name was soft yet lively, much like her playful words - Lively. Alive. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Elle." Elle. He wanted her name to roll off his tongue forever.

Elle. It had such a sweet and nostalgic ring to it, passing his lips with ease. For a moment, she imagined a life where she inhabited that name. Clarissa had spent 171 years seeking revenge on her hellish maker now to no avail. For many of them, she had given into despair and all consuming rage. She had been going through the motions for so long, she was simply tired of it. Perhaps now, she could indulge in something kinder. Fun, even. "And you, Corey," she smiled. Recognising that very despair she knew too well flash over his face, she knew she'd asked the wrong question. A vampire who didn't relish in it, just like her.

A sigh escaped her at still not having found a human to sink her teeth into, but she still found herself smiling at the other vampire. "I don't know that, actually." Her eyes drifted slightly before locking back on to her. "I've only ever been in one fight for my life and it didn't go very well at all." Could an ambush by the Institute really be described as a fight, though? It wasn't exactly fair. "Wolves?" Cece's eyes lifted to the sky, only now realising it was a full moon. "Huh." She had seen werewolves before, of course, but only ever from the confines of her cell. One did escape once and mauled a scientist right in front of her, though. It had been thrilling. "Thank you. I wasn't aware that they could harm us..."

Clary raised a brow as she spoke, unsure of what it was about this vampire that felt so strange. Familiar, maybe? Perhaps it was the way she spoke? Something about her just didn't seem to sit quite right, Clary thought. "Yes, werewolves can pack a nasty punch. Best to stay out of their paw's reach. Although, in this town, you'll find you're a little harder to kill than anywhere else. The surrounding barrier, it's magic. All the usual tricks don't work on vampires in here - stakes, holy water, you name it," Clary explained. She wasn't sure if wolves could still hurt them here, but she was hardly keen to find out. "Did you come through a gap in the dome, too?"

Willow did not know that particular vampire, and they kept careful track of every vampire within the dome, which could only mean one thing, that...Yet another person had figured out how to cross into Havensdale, that the magic that sealed the rest of the town in was continuing to weaken. The realization was so exciting that Willow almost forgot her own predicament for a moment, would have tried to jump to her feet. Luckily for her, the vampire had moved the tree, and Willow could actually move. "Thank you. I don't believe we've met before?"

"You're welcome," Clary smiled, helping Willow to their feet with ease. "No, not officially. Although, in this town, your reputation does tend to proceed you. My name's Clarissa Liu, but you can call me Clary if you like." She took a moment to glance around them, to take in their shaken surroundings. Clearly, something was happening with the magic that held this wretched dome up. Whether that meant things were getting better or worse, Clary wasn't sure. "I got out quite some time ago. I didn't think I'd look back, truth be told, but here I am. You'll have to catch me up... Are the good guys winning yet?"

Cece wandered through the town square, each step deliberately taken, as though the very ground she walked on could give way at any moment. Her hands hovered at her sides, upturned as if by puppet strings, as the wind danced through her outstretched fingers. She was free. When they reached Havensdale and forced their way through the strange barrier, the Vandevieres had offered to let her stay with them, but they had their own plans and Cece had gone too long without having a little fun.

Clary was very much trying not to instantly regret her decision of coming back here. Every moment she'd spent out there, free of the crushing weight of revenge, had been a gift. It had been healing. She felt more like herself now than she had in hundreds of years. And most of all, she was determined to keep moving forward. To keep changing for the better. To help. And what a night she'd chosen to make her grand re-entrance.