CAROL LOCKWOOD.

carol lockwood closed rp for mysticfallsundone

[sarahnclson]

“Let go of me before I cause a scene.” The day wasn't even half over and already there were idiots in the bar. Sarah watched as he stumbled away, leaving the bar, grumbling something incoherent. "There really needs to be a cut off point around here." She sighed, shaking off the feeling of his hand around her waist. "It's too early to be this wasted."

[mysticmiilf]

this town was going to be the death of her. if it wasn't something supernatural, it was some drunken idiot who peaked in high school and couldn't hold their liquor. a fresh injection of botox was proving to be an absolute godsend for relieving muscle tension, otherwise carol's permanently clenched jaw— already sore from the smiles faked— would be even stiffer than it was.

"a great suggestion," carol replied easily. "unfortunately, i'm afraid the best we can do is stop the bars and restaurants from over-serving patrons and arresting them when they get too unruly. that doesn't stop them from overconsumption on their own time, of course." and then, because it was the right thing to do, carol put on a maternal face. "are you okay? do you need to make a report?"

[greedfuls]

people spoke. whispers carried. let them say what they'd like , richard knew this : for most men , self-determination was a curse. what creature wanted to take the blame ?? to wrap the noose around their neck knowing that every maligned action that ultimately led them to their death was their own ?? better to be sheep ---- to rest cosseted in the wool pulled over their eyes. they'd wake in the morning , bland and uncurious , satiated in half-hearted murmurs. they'd die comforted by the thought that there was no other way things could've gone. this was how mystic falls functioned and how it always would. he slid into the booth across from his wife. took her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. " not overworking yourself , i hope ?? " a pointless question. he wouldn't of married her if she were lacking in ambition. " everything will go as it's meant to. " it had to. christ alive , something needed to go their way ....

[mysticmiilf]

it would not be fair to ask if carol lockwood loved her husband. love— that supposed all-encompassing, mind consuming, soul rendering sensation— had never been the determining factor in their marriage. like it or not, richard lockwood was the mayor that mystic falls needed. want was of little consequence, both in regards to the town and in the union that carol had found herself in. richard was the needed mayor, and she was the complimentary first lady. did it need to be any more complicated than that? carol knew her role. she knew why she had been picked ( to be richard's wife, to be the mother of his child, to be the smiling face in the campaign ads with never a trace of lipstick on her teeth ) and she was at peace.

were there things she didn't like about her husband? of course. it was richard. she watched him hover in tyler's sky like a storm cloud, threatening rain and destruction during a time when their son should have been able to enjoy the sunshine of his youth. carol watched with pursed lips, but she didn't intervene. that was not her place ( of course it was: she was tyler's mother. she was a coward ). there were certain sacrifices needed to keep the marriage— and the town— running smoothly. that was just how things were.

the sight of her husband settling into the booth across from her failed to stir any real emotion. a pill here, a swig of wine. everything was under control and neutrality was the key to a happy marriage. the smile was one she had given him a thousand times before: perfect, posed, inscrutable. carol lockwood did not openly fret. she did not publicly express displeasure unless it was with a tasteful sniff, and she never did so towards her husband where others could see.

"oh, you know how it goes." the smallest of laughs, the wave of a hand to gesture towards some unarticulated point. "we're ahead of schedule, of course. i wasn't sure how it would be this year without miranda—" a required but still genuine pause "—but everyone is really showing up for the town. i have no doubt that everything will be perfect."

richard and his council were in over their heads, which meant, by extension, carol technically was too. there was still, however, the slightest stirring of pleasure in her chest that her event was going off without a hitch. carol lockwood would absolutely be coming out on top— vampires be damned.

"but you. i'm surprised to see you here. i thought you were working late. are you meeting someone?"

[mysticmiilf]

"no, please. go ahead and sit down. god knows i need a break from miss mystic falls planning."

life was a never ending stream of social events, now with a few murders sprinkled in. if carol didn't drink, she was going to lose her mind. a glass of wine was totally acceptable as long as she kept her composure. thank god that carol lockwood was good at keeping her composure above all else.

[washedquarterback]

"Hey, you haven't seen Vicki today, have you? I've been calling her and keeps dodging me." she seemed like she was doing well lately but he was starting to get worried she was on another one of her benders again.

[mysticmiilf]

and why, exactly, would carol lockwood: first lady of mystic falls have seen kelly donovan's trainwreck of a daughter? carol hadn't even wanted to see kelly when they were growing up. forget her daughter. "your sister?" carol kept her tone polite and interested, a stark contrast to how she actually felt. "sorry, matthew. i think tyler cut ties with her recently." thank god for that. the donovan girl— in all her trashy glory— would never be good enough for a lockwood. "i'd recommend you file a report if you think something's wrong. unless she takes after your mother, of course. kelly always was a good time." the words were cruel, but the tone was dripping in honey. cruelty was fine, but being impolite was unacceptable.

[mysticsheriff]

"high schoolers." liz sighed. she didn't hate them for being young and reckless, everyone was young and reckless once, she was just annoyed because all she wanted was to keep them safe and they notoriously made her job harder. "these kids hear town wide curfew and animal attacks, and decide its the perfect time to throw a bonfire party in the woods." liz started her day bright and early with a call about several burned bodies in the cemetery. she was just wrapping her head around the resurgence of vampires and now they might have a regular human serial killer on their hands. in mystic falls of all places. what's next-- werewolves? at the snap of a branch liz wipped her head around, eyes landing on a familiar face that didn't belong.

"hey-- you cant be out here, this is an active crime scene."

[mysticmiilf]

the last thing mystic falls needed was more corpses. they were piling up at an unsustainable rate, and it looked terrible optics-wise. the news would keep running their cover-up stories, and the council would keep wringing their hands and trying to kill the vampires before they killed the citizens. it was a goddamn nightmare. it wasn't necessarily the death that bothered carol. that was...unpleasant, of course. but death was part of life. it was inevitable. it was the messiness of it all that bothered her, the callous regard for those who had to clean up the aftermath. carol, thankfully, didn't have to literally. she let liz deal with the bodies and richard make the statements. carol smiled, she waved. she ran her house like a tight ship and made sure every event was planned to perfection. carol found herself integral to keeping mystic falls running, even if people didn't realize it.

picking across the leaf strewn ground, carol's lips twisted downwards as she felt something get stuck on one of her heels. "stand down, liz." a gloved hand clutched at her coffee cup. from behind her oversized shades, unimpressed eyes surveyed the scene. "this is going to be taken care of soon, right? this is not anything we can have people stumbling upon or posting pictures of." some sick fuck surely would try. social media was great for validation and horrible for keeping things under wraps.

[thequeensofbeauty]

SALMA HAYEK by Matt Easton for The Sunday Times Style, June 27th, 2021.