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Niklaus and Elijah Mikaelson
We will always remember you. Always and Forever.
Marvellous job, Julie Plec. Really, just bloody marvellous job! :/
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Yeah, mum. I got it. Heard you for the millionth time already,” I sighed, feeling nauseous with the New Orleans air surrounding me. Jazz music rang into my ears the moment I stepped out from the airport.
“Promise me, Joy. No conversing with them. I mean it,” mum was deadpanned serious. She didn’t want me to get in trouble with the supernaturals living here. But everything was too compelling not to intervene, especially the witches. There were none back home. The churchy women would always run their mouth about me being a witch but I was sure witches were much stronger and have magic. I didn’t.
“Yeah, mum. I promise,” was all I could say. Deep down, that promise was not going to hold.
Mum released a shaky breath. “I love you, sweety. Daily phone calls, okay. Don’t let this raggedy old mother of yours worry.”
I chuckled. “You’re not raggedy or old. And yes, I will call. Love you too, mum.” I waited for her to say a few more motherly lines until she finally hung up. Pocketing the useless android and shifting the bags on my shoulders, I called out a taxi.
“Where to?” the taxi driver asked as I entered, his Southern accent deep in his voice.
“Urmm, Tu- Tulane University please,” I stuttered at the word, trying to remember the university’s name.
The man nodded and slithered through the traffic smoothly.
New Orleans was gorgeous. The architecture of each building, both old and new were beautiful.
“They’re Creole designs, hun,” the driver spoke, pulling my attention to him.
“Creole?” He glimpsed at me through the rear view mirror and elaborated further.
“It’s a mix of French, Spanish and other languages that stayed here. Most buildings are of French and Spanish designs”.
I nodded at the explanation, turning my attention to the passing cityscape. People of all races came to visit as they roamed through the streets with coloured alcoholic drinks clenched in their hands. The deeper we drove, the more crowded the streets were, making cars stopped in their tracks.
“Urmm, is there anything going on right now? I don’t know, like, a festival or something?” I asked worriedly as I set my eyes onto the overflowing crowd.
The driver tapped on the wheel restlessly. “Yeah, Southern Decadence. But it ain't supposed to start until 6. Now’s just 3.”
I sighed. “Is there any way around it?”
“Sorry, hun. If there’s this many people, then the road up ahead is already closed,” the man turned his key and stepped outside. “No charges, hun. You can either walk with the crowd until the end of the road or find a place to stay. Tulane Uni is a little bit further up but Southern Decadence last till midnight,” he said looking back at me.
‘Midnight?!’ I yelled internally then grimacing at the thought of being lost in the crowd on the way to the school. I shook my head in defeat. “No charges? Are you sure?” I asked.
The man simply nodded and went on his way to a nearby bar.
I quickly grabbed my bags and exited the idle car. Woos and aahs blasted through the air as tourists watched performers with flashy outfits stunting on the streets. Rainbow flags prompted on every balcony buildings, even their outfits were of rainbows. Jazz tunes from trumpets and trombones followed suit as they marched in harmonious steps. With haste, I escaped the oncoming march to a less crowded spot, blurting out apologies as I bumped into people on the way. “Finally,” I exclaimed without minding those around me. Leaning into the wall behind me, I checked my phone. “Shit, 2 and a half hours left,” I mumbled.
“Hey, you’re lost?” A voice broke me out of my thoughts.
I looked up to see a gorgeous lady with impeccably stunning blonde hair and ocean eyes. I shook my head to maintained composure. “Y-yeah. More stuck than lost to be honest,” I replied awkwardly.
The lady chuckled. “You’re new, huh. Wasn’t prepared for the festivities?”
“How do you know I’m new here?” I asked curiously.
She raised her brows and tilted her head to my bags.
I shifted in embarrassment. “Oh, right. My bags. Duh”, my face winced at the cringe worthy situation.
She waved it off and smiled. “It’s alright. I’m a stranger and you were being cautious”. She looked at me relocating my bags to my shoulder. “Do you need help?”
I shook my head no. “No biggie. Thank you, Miss-”
“Ma’am or Madam actually. But you can call me Rebekah,” the woman snatched my heavy bag like it was nothing, ignoring my clumsy protests. “Now, follow me. I heard you need a place to stay,” she said walking in the direction of a french styled building at the corner of the street.
Feeling scared and confused at the sudden words, I was reluctant to follow her. ‘How did she know I needed a place to stay?’ I thought. ‘Damn it, my bag!’ I ran after her the moment I realised she took my bag. “Hey, wait!” I yelled, squeezing through the sweaty crowd. A hand suddenly pulled me out of the mob and to the side. It was Rebekah’s. No questions were asked as her face didn’t seem to be amused. Inside the house, she placed my bag onto the couch and went upstairs. I didn’t know if I should follow her or not so I chose not to. I went to grab my bag and leave but a petite voice called out to me.
“Wait!” she called out before my feet stepped outside the building.
I turned to see a lovely auburn-haired girl approaching me with a smile. I moved a few steps back just to be at the clear if things messed up. “Urmm, hi?”
“Hi, I’m Hope. You need a place to stay, right?” she simply asked.
I frowned. “I’m Joy and no. I’m just-”
Hope cut me off. “Just going to walk endlessly without a plan until you found the university?” she crossed her arm on his chest.
I was left speechless. “Hold on a minute now, Hope is it?” Not waiting for her to reply or nod, I added “I don’t know where you heard that from but that was just creepy, girl.”
Hope chuckled. “I’m a witch, Joy.”
“Oh,” was all I could say. ‘Of course there are witches here, it’s freaking New Orleans what did I expect? But I didn’t think I get to meet one so quickly or...meet one that’s straight-forward. Grandmum said witches are nice. Well, some of them.’ A shadow behind Hope caught my eye. It was moving fast but I immediately knew it was a ghost. Or ghosts.
“So,” Hope spoke out. “You can sleep in the room next to mine.”
I frowned at this little girl. I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming. “Hope, would you mind sitting down for a minute,” I ushered her to the couch. She sat and looked at me expectantly with her big light blue eyes. “I’m a complete stranger, Hope. You can’t just invite someone you don’t know into your home.” I put up my hand to stop her from speaking. “Listen. From what I know, witches are powerful and yes, they can take care of themselves. BUT safety is safety. What if I’m a serial killer?”
Hope laughed. “I can take care of a serial killer."
‘Smug little brat.’ “Well, what if I’m one of the supernatural beings or something?” I pushed.
She tilted her head, analysing me. “You’re not a vampire because you need an invitation to come in. Just now, you were pulled in without any invite.”
I nodded at the new information but shook it off, maintaining my big sister act. “Well, what about that wolf thing?”
Hope just smiled. Her smile was unnerving, like it had meaning behind it. She then stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me up.
“Hope. I’m sure your parents won’t allow me to stay here without consent,” I said, still sitting.
She paused, turning her head away. “My parents are in a better place,” she replied. She turned her head back to me and smiled. “But I’m sure they’re fine with it, Joy.”
‘Oh damn. Now, this forces me to stay here.’ “How about Rebekah?” I tried to divert the conversation.
“She’s my aunt. She doesn’t mind.” Hope then placed her hands on either sides of her waist. “Now are you coming upstairs or not?”
I laughed. “Hey hey, I’m older than you. I think. Wait, how old are you?” I finally asked.
“I’m 17”.
“What?! You’re just 2 years younger than me? You looked not more than 14,” I exclaimed grabbing my bags as Hope leaded the way.
She huffed. “I’m not 14. I’m grown and I can take care of myself pretty well just so you know,” she said walking up the stairs.
I chuckled. “I have no doubts about that”. Shadows then blurred across downstairs when I reached the upper level. ‘These ghosts are fast. Must be vampires,’ I wondered.
“What’s wrong, Joy?” Hope asked worriedly.
I turned towards her and smiled. “It’s nothing.”
Hope toured me around the house that was called French Quarter and to every doors, even her witchy room and basement slash dungeon. I didn’t understand why she needed to show me those but I didn’t mind. She then told me about her school and said that it was a special school. She later on asked me to come with her but I declined and told her I wasn’t special. She looked skeptical at my reply. To be honest, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the whole thing. ‘Why did she pick me to stay here? There were lots of newbies in New Orleans, I’m sure of it. She could have picked one of them’.
“Well, this is your room, Joy,” she directed me to a fully furnished room.
Warmth enraptured my whole body as I stepped into the nicely dim lit room, Cajun designs plastered on the walls and the bed looked fluffy and comfortable at first glance. “Wow, it even has a balcony,” I said as I glanced at the ray of sunset blaring through the glass doors connected to the balcony. “I’m sorry, Hope, but I can’t afford this room,” I tightened my hold on my bag.
Hope wrapped her hands around mine. “It’s fine, Joy. You don’t need to.”
I was about to argue but she wasn’t finished with hers.
“I know you have a sense to payback so how about it… You could help me, urmm i don't know, around the house or accompany me with errands in the city?” she proposed.
I raised a brow. “I don’t thing that’s enou-”
“That’s plenty enough, Joy. Please? I kinda.. need a friend right now,” she pleaded.
I immediately shrank and hugged her. “Alright alright, I will. But, just for your information, I suck at mopping the floor but I’m an excellent cook.”
Hope laughed and squeezed me before pulling back. “Just so you know, I’m a terrible cook but my mopping skills are at pro level.”
We both laughed but at the same time, I could feel tension in the air.
Hope left me to myself. I unpacked my bags in the room, taking out my laptop and books and placing them on the vacant table next to the bed. Just when I did that, the room started to grow cold, the only significant sign that ghosts were near me. It took years of practice not to flinch or react when ghosts talked alone or with one another so they don’t suspect anything about me. It’s rare for anyone to see ghosts, much more communicate with them. So, I remained calm when the first words were spoken.
“What in the bloody hell is she trying to do?!” a voice shouted. “She doesn’t even know this girl!”
I continued unpacking, pretending to glance around looking for something and saw there were 3 grown ghosts with me, one was a blonde pacing back and forth while the other 2 looked like a couple as they calmly leaned against each other, although their faces were tensed. I sighed mentally at the situation. ‘What have I put myself into?’
“Oh shut up, Klaus. Your voice is hurting my head,” the woman said.
I swallowed a chuckle, still poker faced. Klaus who I now know as the blonde that couldn’t sit still glared at the woman.
“Hayley, as much as I love your company, why don’t you watch our daughter for a while?” he said with a smirk.
Hayley scoffed. “I was going to in the first place,” she said standing up and walking through the closed door.
Klaus sighed. “What is she thinking, Elijah?”
This Elijah who looked pretty uncomfortable in a formal suit yet pulled it off sighed as well. “She’s mourning, brother. Just give her time.”
“Mourning doesn’t lead to asking strangers to waltz into our home,” he said looking at my direction.
I solemnly averted his eyes and unpacked more of my stuff.
“Remember the Sienna boy. What if it’s another one of that?”
“It’s not, Niklaus. Stop with your worrying. I expected you to..,” he paused clearing his throat. “relax in the afterlife but I suppose it just follows us wherever we go.” He walked out of the room. “All is well, brother. Just trust in her,” Elijah's last words echoed.
Klaus was frustrated. He did save Hope but now he felt helpless. “If you touch a hair on her head, I will-,” he tried to threaten me.
“Klaus, stop it. She can’t hear you!” Hayley yelled from Hope’s room.
Klaus rolled her eyes. “The afterlife is bloody annoying”, he mumbled before speeding out.
“I heard that!” she replied.
I sighed. ‘Finally! I was contemplating on skipping shower if they stayed any longer,’ I said internally as I head towards the bathroom.
“Joy?” Hope knocked on the bedroom door.
I was just drying my hair after the cold shower. “Yup?”
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Yup!” I replied as she opened the door. “You don’t have to ask, Hope.”
She chuckled. “It’s your room now. What if you were naked?”
I laughed at her adorableness. “I won’t,” I said. ‘Not with ghosts around me,’ I wanted to add.
She just shrugged. “You hungry? Want to head out for dinner?”
“Oh. You know any place? I’m not fond of crowds. If you don’t mind, I want to buy groceries so I can cook us a meal.”
Hope’s face was blank but she eventually laughed. “I don’t mind. I just thought you prefer eating outside. I hate crowds too.”
“Nope nope, homemade food is my all time favourite,” I said, drying the ends of my hair before tying it up in a ponytail. “Any grocery shops nearby?”
Hope stood at the door. “Yeah, there’s one down the street.”
“Alright. Does your aunt know? Should I go tell her-?” I asked.
She cut me off. Again. “She knows.”
I raised a brow. “You told her through your witchy powers?”
Giggling, she replied “Something like that.”
“Where are you going?!” Klaus was furious, he was blocking Hope’s path but she went right through him . “Where’s Rebekah?! Why isn’t she watching Hope?” he added.
“She’s going grocery shopping, Klaus. Jeez calm down! And Rebekah’s with Marcel” Hayley was annoyed at his constant yelling since the moment I came. “If only I could drink whiskey right now.”
Klaus growled. “Why isn’t she here protecting my daughter?”
Elijah placed his hand on Klaus’ tensed shoulder “What is worrying you, brother? Rebekah had left Hope with herself plenty of times before. You know how Hope is if she’s kept in the house for too long. She’s a teenager, Niklaus.”
Klaus managed to calm down a notch. “We don’t know much about this Joy girl. I just need to be there with her.”
They sighed as Hope and I left the house, feeling eyes drilling into the back of my head.
“We’re bound to the house, Klaus. We can’t leave,” Hayley remarked, looking away as tears swelled behind her eyes.
“I know,” Klaus sat himself down with Elijah next to him.
“Just trust her, Klaus. She knows what she’s doing. She’s a Mikaelson,” Elijah said, making Klaus loosen up and smile.