its a city of strangers

[notwitty]

Comments

[enjoythe_ride]

Klaus is pouting. It's not unusual for him.

[It's said with fondness, but it's true.]

And I doubt Freya feels the same.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

Freya unites the New Orleans factions and keeps the peace. Not at all helped by Niklaus' pouting. Hope and Josette Saltzman are set to attend Tulane, are they not? Rebekah is still in New York with Marcel, Kol is off doing gods know what. What if my time in New Orleans is finished. Do I belong there?

( He doesn't know. )

[enjoythe_ride]

We don't have to stay forever.

[She turns down the heat as the vegetables begin to sizzle, and turns back to the rest of her ingredients.]

But we could visit for a little while. And Hope may have expressed an interest in ... working on things, if you happened to be closer.

[Not a guarantee, but an opportunity.]

[uniquelyvulnerable]

In so many words?

( What did she really say? That's big of her if she means it. )

[enjoythe_ride]

I read between the lines.

[It was more along the lines of "it might be nice if he were closer."]

She may be a legal adult, but she's still a child in this scenario, Elijah. You have to make some of the effort.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

I suppose a return to form, and New Orleans, can reconstitute always & forever.

( Which he will always abide by. )

Perhaps you're right. I've stayed away long enough. I can't do anything from here. Or, anywhere else, when it comes to Hope. I have to come to her. It's up to her to react as she wishes.

[enjoythe_ride]

[She smiles as she makes her way closer, resting a hand on his shoulder.]

I think she'll appreciate it more than she'll ever admit to.

[Her phone buzzes against the table, and she sighs.]

Would you mind adding the wine? This should be quick.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

( He does not mind in the least, grabbing a bottle they already opened, pouring the right amount as to not overpower. His (15) and his being a vampire and an Original means he overhears if there is a mutual conversation to be had, but he does not look over if she's exchanging messages, only doing his boyfriendly duty. )

[enjoythe_ride]

[There's texting. And then she straightens. And then she looks just ... outright concerned.]

We may have to make a stop at the morgue.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

Before or after your bouillabaisse?

( Also. Why. But, why is just always implied. )

Clean-up on aisle hunter?

[enjoythe_ride]

[She wants to say after, but ...]

A group of hunters died at the clocktower today. And Rene just texted me to let me know that they all woke up in transition.

[Someone gave them vampire blood, but how and why is currently a mystery.]

There's eight of them.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

( That's a bigger mess than he anticipated. )

What hunter worth their salt and their code would willingly ingest vampire blood just in case?

[enjoythe_ride]

Maybe they didn't realize they had.

[She doesn't really have the answers for that, but from what she gathered, things went weird at the tower.]

Perhaps we should ask them when we get there.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

It couldn't hurt. How is Rene explaining the mass reanimation?

( Or, is that their job? )

[enjoythe_ride]

Right now? He doesn't have to explain it to anyone yet. Thankfully he was able to easily corral them. But that's only going to last until they make their choices. Hence, why he would like our help.

[He doesn't want to be the lone vampire telling a room full of transitioning hunters this option.]

[uniquelyvulnerable]

Just what I wanted to do today, counsel the morally obligated.

( Where Bela goes, however. )

[enjoythe_ride]

[Bela's not thrilled with it either.]

I'll tell him we'll be there in a few hours.

[Dinner first, likely cranky hunters after. They'll have to find blood anyway.]

[uniquelyvulnerable]

Give him the head start on their identity crises. Correct me if I'm wrong, blood is generally available in a morgue.

( Especially if it's attached to a hospital. How many vampires might they be worrying about exactly. He just decided to return home, he's not about to raise misfit vampire hunters. )

[enjoythe_ride]

We might need more than they have on hand. We don't know how many of them are going to want to turn.

[Better to be safe than sorry.]

[uniquelyvulnerable]

I wasn't suggesting we bring our own supply, merely wondering how out of hand this could get for your morgue contact.

( Several transitioned vampires are still a handful for one, no matter how old. )

We do have daylight on our side.

[enjoythe_ride]

I suppose that depends how many of them are going to want to transition.

[Because hunters are a stubborn breed. While some forms of vampirism do have a cure, including this one, not all of them are well known or easy to find.]

Some may just want to end things peacefully.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

Dramatically, at that.

( Everyone deserves their choice. )

Then let's sit down to our meal.

[enjoythe_ride]

Indeed.

[And they will eat, and a few hours later as promised, they will arrive with blood bags, and Rene will walk them in to help him give the big speech. You are in transition. You will die if you don't turn. And ...]

This is your choice. We're not here to force you either way.

[The room sits in silence, while most of the hunters eye Elijah, aware of who he is. One of the hunters, a grizzly woman in her fifties, focuses on Bela.

"You're Bela Talbot. Everyone was wonderin' what happened to you. The Winchesters said you bit it back in '08."

She purses her lips.]

Technically I did.

["Mmmm." Then she shakes her head. "I'm not turning into one of you. If I'm gonna go out, I'll go out as I am."

Five of the other faces nod in agreement, grim determination to preserve their humanity. They don't want to take that chance. But two of the younger hunters, that had clustered close together when they woke up, look a bit more uncertain.

Bela takes note, before nodding to the rest.]

Then I hope you'll all understand why we can't let you leave this room. Accidents happen, and we intend to respect your wishes.

[uniquelyvulnerable]

You will live out the end of your lives with dignity, and away from being a danger to others.

( He too takes note of the two youngest. )

We are here for comfort, for solace, and for any remaining questions you may have.

[enjoythe_ride]

[Bela nods, and they turn to have a brief conversation with Rene, reviewing logistics. The hunters cordon off into a corner as they discuss, and eventually the two make their way closer, one hand rubbing their arm.

"We ... we don't want to die." The one who speaks glances back to the rest of the group. "But they won't understand."

Bela glances to Elijah, before nodding.]

We can figure something out.