It's going. Klaus has decided he wants to have a massive, dramatic Thanksgiving, so I've been helping Hayley with logistics in the midst of other stuff.
[Unfortunately it's the other stuff that she's calling to talk to him about.]
I know you're across the pond right now, but ... do you think you might be interested in relocating to New Orleans?
Massive and dramatic, not really the Cami way. ( to Lindsay. ) It's Cami.
( But, you choose your people. He's getting more and more used to massive and dramatic. Who is he kidding. He's from a massive and dramatic family himself, though not nearly as volatile as a Mikaelson.
He pauses his drying, looks to Lindsay and conveys a confused look. Setting the plate down on the counter, he dries his hand and then slides the phone into his palm, tapping the speaker button. )
Run that by me again, Cami? Lindsay's on the horn now.
[But that being said, it's time to get to the nitty gritty.]
Terry Hawthorne passed away not too long ago, and now that his estate is finally settled, we need someone else to hold the human role for the council. We don't have any one local and ... I don't know. I'd like to keep it in the family.
[She pauses.]
You don't have to give me an answer right now. Take some time, talk about it, enjoy the holiday. But let me know?
( He takes that in, drying the same dish in his hand a little too long as his gaze meets his wife's. They did talk about relocating - and the wedding. And what comes next. Be it, where the slayers are going. Or Buffy. Or, back to Mystic Falls. But they haven't talked. )
Yeah. Yeah, sorry, we will. Thanks. Ah'll ring back.
( He taps the 'hang up' button on their end, finally holding out the plate he'd been drying. Hadn't he been washing?
He wasn't expecting an offer like this. They haven't even discussed next steps. Or the wedding. )
I went once as a lad. Kieran got me into loads of trouble. (Woo-wee.) Kind of fucks with our marriage timeline, right? 'Less we just move it up. We've been engaged six months. Ma'll jump at the chance. She keeps asking what she could do to help. We could have it here. Save the scratch...
[Oh, right the wedding. They have to have one of those. And it seems like Beck wants it to be a thing.]
Most people are engaged for like a year before they actually tie the knot. And it's not like we've made any concrete plans so if you want to do this, we could go, get settled and then plan the wedding?
[Not her trying to kick the football further down the road.]
Yeah, but, Linds. I don't need to stay engaged for a year, or two, become one of those couples. When's the wedding. Oh, we'll get back to you after the humans feel safe and heard. You know this is an undertaking. I'm taking up the mantle. Family birthright. It'd be nice for that to come after the bliss, yeah?
( Wedding, honeymoon, then - the real world. And the danger. And the obligation. )
[It would be nice. It would also be nice for there to not be a wedding at all. She hesitates, staring out the window as she tries to process her thoughts in ways that won't hurt him.]
I mean, if you want to be married before we go, that's fine. We could hit up a courthouse or however they do it over here. We don't need all the fuss.
[As soon as the word "fuss" is out of her mouth, she knows it's the wrong word, but it's too late to take it back.]
They do it like they do anywhere else, but - ( wait. ) Fuss? You tell people not to make fuss when, when you don't want to bother them. Are we bothering out family, our friends with our wedding. I concede we can't get everyone here, but Buffy's up north, the other slayers. We're staying on my family's estate. -- My mom lives on fuss. ( another beat as his congenial, pie-in-the-sky idea dropping slows. ) You know that. ( so, he knows she wants to get married. ) Do you not want a wedding?
[It's the easiest way of putting it, the way she's been telling herself as much since she became a Slayer full time, pulling away from Texas and trying to turn herself into someone who didn't care about what she left behind. It's just a party, one where she has to worry about how many people are seated on her side of the aisle, especially in comparison to who Beck has standing there to support him.
She's never had much family to start with, to look in that front row and see none of them feels like something she'd rather not experience.]
I don't care when we have the party, the important part is the marriage, it's everything that comes after. It's the rest of our lives. That's the part I want.
I want that, too, but don't lie to me. You do care when we have the party. Because we could just have the party and you don't want to have the party.
( He leans against the counter, the small of his back arching against the edge of the dishwasher they aren't using because they wanted to 'help' after dinner. How quaint. )
Have the party now, have the party then, yeah, it's still a party. But if it was just a party, you wouldn't have acted like I asked for something bad. Or, or worse.
( He kicks off the dishwasher, moving to the other wide of the kitchen to fold the placemats. The staff could and will easily do this, but he needs to help.
Not facing her, he concedes. And he doesn't really care, he just wants to be with her. But she could've been honest. )
If you want to go to the courthouse, we'll go to the courthouse.
( Had he missed it? Had she been hesitant? Asking about venues or timing or ideas. Seasons. Had she been into any of those questions. He turns back, placemat bunched up in his hand. )
You could've stopped me from wasting my time. Like an idiot. All those unread emails, I'm guessing. Did you even open one? Make any decisions? Did you want to? Band? Or DJ?
[And started at the options, and then stared at the blank space next to the text message she had sent to her mother just before they had to leave town telling her that she was engaged and seeing no response.
She doesn't have a justification for why she never made a decision though. She knew that the wedding was part of the package, the fantasies of running away to Atlantic City and him being happy with that were just that - fantasies. She just couldn't help but think they would have more time.]
It was just ... hard.
[Also the wrong thing. But more the truth than anything else she's said so far.]
[Her mother hasn't responded to one of her texts in the past however many years, why would she respond to this one? But it still makes that looming weight of a wedding sink even further.]
And it's not your fault. I wasn't talking about it because I didn't want to talk about it.
[Because she didn't want to trample over what he wanted for his wedding, because it's not just about her.]
[She lets him pull her in and takes a deep breath as she rests her forehead against his shoulder.]
I hoped that by the time we actually got around to it, I would be so happy that the empty seats in the front wouldn't matter. Or that I would eventually reach the point where I would make a decision on whether or not to even bother inviting them. And I just ... haven't been there yet.
[Which is the majority of the reason why she's been stalling.]
My dad and my sister, I could probably take or leave. Dad would want to make the wedding all about him and my sister would probably try to ruin it in revenge for vampires crashing her cotilion. But ... I was really hoping my mom would at least congratulate me.
[And there's been crickets.]
But I do love you and I want you to have what you want so I've been trying to get past this. I really have.
You don't have to. We're not the same person. We don't have to want the same things. But, we do have to talk. Much as I like when we ( he nudges her nose with his. ) don't.
( get it? )
We don't have to rush anything. But, we do have to talk about it if I take this post, okay?
( and then... they don't before Thanksgiving, oops. )
We will. When your mother is not around threatening to eavesdrop.
[She loves her, so she says that with the gentlest amount of love.]
And for what it's worth, I think you should take it. We'll have to see how the rest of the council feels about me, but I think you're the best option Cami has.
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everyonelives2025-03-12 08:39 pm
no subject
[Unfortunately it's the other stuff that she's calling to talk to him about.]
I know you're across the pond right now, but ... do you think you might be interested in relocating to New Orleans?
no subject
( But, you choose your people. He's getting more and more used to massive and dramatic. Who is he kidding. He's from a massive and dramatic family himself, though not nearly as volatile as a Mikaelson.
He pauses his drying, looks to Lindsay and conveys a confused look. Setting the plate down on the counter, he dries his hand and then slides the phone into his palm, tapping the speaker button. )
Run that by me again, Cami? Lindsay's on the horn now.
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Well, this is definitely a more efficient conversation. She rubs at her forehead before moving to sit down on a nearby bench.]
I was just asking your fiance if you guys might be interested in moving to New Orleans.
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( He clarifies from before he put the conversation on speaker. )
Not before Thanksgiving?
( his (10) confuses him slightly, why they'd be relocating. )
In need a slayer-watcher tag-team?
no subject
[But that being said, it's time to get to the nitty gritty.]
Terry Hawthorne passed away not too long ago, and now that his estate is finally settled, we need someone else to hold the human role for the council. We don't have any one local and ... I don't know. I'd like to keep it in the family.
[She pauses.]
You don't have to give me an answer right now. Take some time, talk about it, enjoy the holiday. But let me know?
no subject
Yeah. Yeah, sorry, we will. Thanks. Ah'll ring back.
no subject
With that, Cami takes herself out of the conversation. Lindsay tilts her head back at him, curiosity coloring her expression.]
So. New Orleans. Doesn't sound like a bad deal.
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He wasn't expecting an offer like this. They haven't even discussed next steps. Or the wedding. )
I went once as a lad. Kieran got me into loads of trouble. ( Woo-wee. ) Kind of fucks with our marriage timeline, right? 'Less we just move it up. We've been engaged six months. Ma'll jump at the chance. She keeps asking what she could do to help. We could have it here. Save the scratch...
no subject
Most people are engaged for like a year before they actually tie the knot. And it's not like we've made any concrete plans so if you want to do this, we could go, get settled and then plan the wedding?
[Not her trying to kick the football further down the road.]
We don't have to rush.
no subject
( Wedding, honeymoon, then - the real world. And the danger. And the obligation. )
no subject
I mean, if you want to be married before we go, that's fine. We could hit up a courthouse or however they do it over here. We don't need all the fuss.
[As soon as the word "fuss" is out of her mouth, she knows it's the wrong word, but it's too late to take it back.]
no subject
They do it like they do anywhere else, but - ( wait. ) Fuss? You tell people not to make fuss when, when you don't want to bother them. Are we bothering out family, our friends with our wedding. I concede we can't get everyone here, but Buffy's up north, the other slayers. We're staying on my family's estate. -- My mom lives on fuss. ( another beat as his congenial, pie-in-the-sky idea dropping slows. ) You know that. ( so, he knows she wants to get married. ) Do you not want a wedding?
no subject
[It's the easiest way of putting it, the way she's been telling herself as much since she became a Slayer full time, pulling away from Texas and trying to turn herself into someone who didn't care about what she left behind. It's just a party, one where she has to worry about how many people are seated on her side of the aisle, especially in comparison to who Beck has standing there to support him.
She's never had much family to start with, to look in that front row and see none of them feels like something she'd rather not experience.]
I don't care when we have the party, the important part is the marriage, it's everything that comes after. It's the rest of our lives. That's the part I want.
no subject
( He leans against the counter, the small of his back arching against the edge of the dishwasher they aren't using because they wanted to 'help' after dinner. How quaint. )
Have the party now, have the party then, yeah, it's still a party. But if it was just a party, you wouldn't have acted like I asked for something bad. Or, or worse.
( He kicks off the dishwasher, moving to the other wide of the kitchen to fold the placemats. The staff could and will easily do this, but he needs to help.
Not facing her, he concedes. And he doesn't really care, he just wants to be with her. But she could've been honest. )
If you want to go to the courthouse, we'll go to the courthouse.
( Had he missed it? Had she been hesitant? Asking about venues or timing or ideas. Seasons. Had she been into any of those questions. He turns back, placemat bunched up in his hand. )
You could've stopped me from wasting my time. Like an idiot. All those unread emails, I'm guessing. Did you even open one? Make any decisions? Did you want to? Band? Or DJ?
no subject
[And started at the options, and then stared at the blank space next to the text message she had sent to her mother just before they had to leave town telling her that she was engaged and seeing no response.
She doesn't have a justification for why she never made a decision though. She knew that the wedding was part of the package, the fantasies of running away to Atlantic City and him being happy with that were just that - fantasies. She just couldn't help but think they would have more time.]
It was just ... hard.
[Also the wrong thing. But more the truth than anything else she's said so far.]
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He sets the badly folded, bunched up placemat back down, moving back to the sink. )
Your mother?
no subject
[Her mother hasn't responded to one of her texts in the past however many years, why would she respond to this one? But it still makes that looming weight of a wedding sink even further.]
And it's not your fault. I wasn't talking about it because I didn't want to talk about it.
[Because she didn't want to trample over what he wanted for his wedding, because it's not just about her.]
I just thought we'd have more time.
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( He would've listened.
He comes forward, snaking an arm around her and drawing her closer. )
no subject
I hoped that by the time we actually got around to it, I would be so happy that the empty seats in the front wouldn't matter. Or that I would eventually reach the point where I would make a decision on whether or not to even bother inviting them. And I just ... haven't been there yet.
[Which is the majority of the reason why she's been stalling.]
My dad and my sister, I could probably take or leave. Dad would want to make the wedding all about him and my sister would probably try to ruin it in revenge for vampires crashing her cotilion. But ... I was really hoping my mom would at least congratulate me.
[And there's been crickets.]
But I do love you and I want you to have what you want so I've been trying to get past this. I really have.
no subject
( He holds her, not separating. Just letting her be. She fits perfectly against him. She always has. )
I just wished you said something. I can't help if you keep it all in. And I'm gonna sound like a right arse if I keep going on about our big day,
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[She lifts her head to look at him directly with a small smile.]
And I loved how excited you were, even if I didn't quite know how to match it.
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( get it? )
We don't have to rush anything. But, we do have to talk about it if I take this post, okay?
( and then... they don't before Thanksgiving, oops. )
no subject
We will. When your mother is not around threatening to eavesdrop.
[She loves her, so she says that with the gentlest amount of love.]
And for what it's worth, I think you should take it. We'll have to see how the rest of the council feels about me, but I think you're the best option Cami has.
no subject
( This will be complicated.
He kisses her forehead, looks behind them and then leans in close, speaking low in her ear. )
I love you, you idiot.
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[She closes her eyes at the forehead kiss and nods.]
And I'm sorry.
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