hyperactivewhore:
Caroline trying to get back together with Tyler after sleeping with Klaus kills me every time I rewatch. Was the sex really that bad #sure maybe it's not outright specified that she wanted to get him back but she CLEARLY wasn't over him #that interview where joseph said klaus probably disappointed caroline sexually is still so funny to me
*sips tea*
Tyler was competitive and incredibly eager to please and prove himself (read: Tyler would probably die before he fucked someone and had her come away saying he sucked, especially a loudmouth like Caroline) by the time he and Caroline become intimate, which was heightened by his affection for her and his willingness to experiment with power, stamina, and whatever other benefits being a supernatural likely had for him.
This is heightened further by Klaus' own meddling as Tyler may have used the threat of another man as reason to 'up his game' sexually, in case Caroline was tempted, as a reminder of what she'd be losing. Tyler wasn't oblivious or stupid, and he was fiercely devoted and wanted a forever with Caroline. Looming threats wouldn't result in him slacking or giving up/giving in in any areas, as he truly wanted to be the best Caroline could have (read: he twisted himself into knots to become and remain the best for her, in her life, for her well-being and safety, for their future together, because she had become the best for him).
Comparatively, Klaus has rarely had to fight for anything, let alone women. Uh, you dislike my British charm? Tut tut, time to compel. Oh, you're going against me? How about I swing around my big, fat shield of Original-Being and see how you like that? Ah, you're on the fence? How about all this money, power, and the promise of me being able to make anything you could ever imagine possible with a simple snap of my fingers?
When a man has to do little to get his way, it's easy for him to become rusty when it comes to the 'fight' to get there. This isn't necessarily a dig at Klaus but rather a comment on how constantly being in a position of dominance and control and being highly desirable, especially amongst one's peers, can lead to overconfidence and the belief that there's no reason to get better at something or try harder than one needs to because you're already the best.
Doubly so when it comes to sexual endeavours. Worse still when considering the fact Caroline wasn't necessarily even an uphill battle for Klaus, just a bumpy ride of a side quest, until he eventually got his way. His thought process is likely "hah, finally" when she propositions him. So they fuck and he gets his fill and is sated.
Caroline, hopped up on having no sex for a while and the promise of The Fantasy™ (a feeling empowered by the buried guilt of knowing she was betraying a long time partner, because she knows her rights from her wrongs), is likely expecting a sexual encounter unlike anything she's ever experienced. She'll forget the moon and the stars; Klaus will surely help her see the entirety of the universe and the secrets hidden beyond it.
But in the end it's just sex. Hasty, rushed sex against a tree that she bargained for; not truly spontaneous, not like the romantic swept-away-in-the-moment sex she's had before. Sex where she offers herself up as a means to an end and she's viewed as a bargaining chip and a small treat whose delivery has been delayed by a cheeky game of will they, won't they. Sex that is the culmination of her relinquishing herself of her morals, beliefs, and rightful indignation for a romp in the hay with the man who tormented her, her boyfriend, and their friends and family. He literally killed Tyler's mother. I emphasis this because Caroline of all people should understand the absolute void this would create in anyone.
It was not sex fuelled by some strong, unyielding connection—a genuine bond knitted together over time, with shared grief and joy and trust, and years upon years of understanding and connection; fuelled by love—but by lust and intrigue, both flimsy and fleeting on their own.
Whilst putting herself back together, the severity of what Caroline had done probably hit her. Somewhere between the guilt and defensive guard ("I'm empowered, I made a choice, I'm allowed, I was horny, he wasn't here!"), Caroline probably envisioned the scales and noticed how whatever enjoyment she had in that moment was dwarfed by all this other stuff.
It probably ate at her, bit by bit, as her encounter with Klaus amounted to little more than nothing. Not a fairytale, not the start of something new, just a footnote in his centuries long story and a mistake that would be monumental in her own.
And then she winds up with Stefan who likely fulfils some level of the romanticism she wants without much of the wonton intensity she also wants because it's Stefan.
That's the face of a woman once again bargaining her pleasure and happiness within herself while her partner (probably) dreams of someone or something else and holds her like she's shaped entirely differently because they don't quite fit.
That's the face of a woman who used to have this:
And this:
Within the span of one scene and refuses to truly examine where the hell she went wrong. Hell, that's the face of a woman who refuses to admit she ever did.
Caroline Forbes' Life Lesson No. ???: Don't let go of or give up on the self-proclaimed love of your life or you will be stradled with inferior sexual experiences for the rest of your eternal days. This extends to romantic, emotional, and mental connections as well. No exceptions.
