i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

Comments

[boomgoesthedynamite]

Yes! He did. It was after you left.

[Because Julian was the thing that tipped Alexander and Jackson off to it all.]

Jackson said it was related to something the guy who was watching over you while you were coma'd said.

["H?" Kieran asks, turning to face them more. "What does this have to do with him and Hallewell?"]

That I don't know. I wasn't there. But Jackson and Alexander were asking around and Aalis spilled the beans on something called the Gauntlet. It's a whole heir battle royale thing, mostly for the witch adjacent.

[tuumest]

( "The adjacent being all witches. Or, so we've been warned," Hope says. "To be fair, this is all second or thirdhand." Still, she leans against the nearest piece of furniture. "But, I guess it's better it's been mentioned than no one here knowing anything at all. And, aunt Rebekah lived through it."

To Kol: "Salem."

Kol takes that in, knowing his sister wasn't "involved," but believing she was aware. )

And now we're all just...

( "Quite caught up," Kol says, putting a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. )

[boomgoesthedynamite]

From what I understood it was a whole waiting game before. Something happen?

["There was an attack in Scotland," Alice supplied. "According to my mom it was Gauntlet-adjacent."]

Your mom ...

["Wynonna Earp?"]

Dolls' smokeshow! Okay, now I understand. I can go check in? See if there's more information to go with the warnings?

[tuumest]

Do you mind?

( He doesn't want to take them away from the holiday. This was supposed to be fun. Low stakes. (As low stakes as anything is Mikaelson-adjacent.

"In the meantime, maybe we can head downstairs. Convene altogether. Find out if we should be battening down the hatches or if we can actually have turkey?" Hope suggests.

"Just a minute, Hope" Kol asks, as everyone shuffles out.

"Yeah?" )

[transientem]

["No, not at all. I'll start some texts."

And with that, they will head off to track down some information. When Kol asks Hope to stay back, Alice starts to walk back but tosses a look at Hope over her shoulder to be like "you good?" without actually making it seem like she's asking it as far as other people are concerned.

But if/when Hope waves her off, she will follow Julian and Crash downstairs.

Kieran glances over at Kol like oh we're doing this now? before turning her attention back to Hope.]

We wanted to talk to you about something. I was shooting for after dessert, maybe with alcohol involved, but ... we should also probably give you time to think about it.

[bereavements]

( Hope will not, Julian follows his date plus-one, and Kol brings his hands up, making a face. Is there a better time to do it? Especially if the witches are about to be scattered to the winds? )

Uh...

( she looks from her uncle to his girlfriend, really not aware of what they're even getting at. but her (17) realizes it must be something about her. something -- tribridy? )

I find alcohol never makes a situation better, only mildly more -- what do you guys need?

[transientem]

I was hoping you might be willing to help us with a project.

[Yes, that's a good place to start.]

I'm ... trying to crack the being a vampire but also able to use magic thing. I know the theoretical whys, but I want to try and crack into the actual, metaphysical whys. Since you can still use magic as you are, I was wondering if you would be willing to lend me a sample of your blood, so I could compare it to your uncle's.

[With the ask out there comes the caveats.]

Blood is kind of my special witch skill. I'm good at breaking down the magical properties and creating charms with it. I only need a small sample to work with and I know that your blood has a lot of different properties and issues, so once I'm done I can return it right to you. I won't need to keep it long term.

[bereavements]

( Well, this is a bizarre ask. But, she does trust her uncle. But, she's also Hope. So questions will follow. )

Are you looking to become a vampire who can use magic, or to restore a vampire's magic? I'm assuming you have an intended recipient.

[transientem]

Both.

[And considering the intimacy of the ask, it's only fair she puts her cards on the table.]

I have Huntington's Chorea. So that means my options are a long, debilitating death where I slowly lose control of my body, euthanize myself before I get that far, or have a quick clean death and become a vampire after. For me, the most appealing option is option C. But that doesn't mean I don't still love magic and would rather have it than not, so I want to use the time I have left before I hit the use it or lose it point to see if I can crack the code to why you and heretics can still use magic but most vampires can't.

[She glances over at Kol with a small smile.]

That's part of why I sought your uncle out. Because I knew that if I could crack it, he would probably be first in line.

[She then looks back at her.]

There's no pressure. If you say no, then I'll try and see if I can find one of the few heretics left out there. Rebekah's already agreed to help from the cured vampire end of the spectrum as a point of comparison. And if you say no, I'd understand.

[bereavements]

( Hope knows a thing or two about agency, so that start speaks to her. And she believes that's why she sought out her uncle Kol. )

Are you two really together?

( If they aren't, that might make things thornier.

"We aren't trying to trick you. She did seek me out, but very quickly I recognized something in her. And I did fall in love with everything she is. Including the mind she so desperately would like to save," Kol says. Her (15) has him believing Kol's intent. )

[transientem]

Romance wasn't part of the plan, but since when is it ever?

[Kieran offers a small smirk, before shrugging.]

It definitely complicates things, I won't deny that. We haven't fully talked through what this will look like when our business arrangement is complete. But I do love him. Everything else we can figure out when we have the time to do it.

[bereavements]

I don't love that you're calling it a business arrangement, but, I can't say I don't understand, or that I don't see where you're coming from. But, my blood is -- to be honest, I really don't know everything it can do, but if it can help you, I want to help, just - could you give me time to think about it?

( Talk to her mom, maybe aunt Freya. Rebekah. Make the Mikaelson rounds. (NOT KLAUS.) )

[transientem]

[The business arrangement she's referring to is the spell work, not Kol. But she can understand where Hope is coming from. That being said, she responds to Hope's question without reservation:]

Of course. Take all the time you need.

[Her head tips to the side.]

And I'm also willing to do a magical assay for you. Maybe help clear up some of those questions as a thank you?

[bereavements]

I will be taking you up on that offer. Thank you. And, maybe before dessert I'll have an answer for you.

( Probably.

That's as much as she can promise for now, leaving them as the last two in their room.

"That went well. Sorry for usurping the timing of your big moment. I thought now rather than never. Things tend to catastrophically occur around my family." )

[transientem]

You say catastrophe, I say keeping things interesting.

[She shifts as she turns to face him, reaching for his hand.]

I don't think there was ever going to be a good time. And if we waited until we went downstairs, your brother might have been looming over our shoulders.

[witchaffinity]

Usually, it's my brother that keeps things interesting. We're lucky he only wants help with decorating today and not halving our witch populace or enslaving the vampires.

( He takes her hand. )

They all would've. But they understand why we're asking what we're asking.

[transientem]

I know.

[She squeezes his hand.]

We do still have to talk about if what we are now changes things for what we originally agreed. The Gauntlet may result in us adjusting our time table a bit. But I think we can save that for tonight? After we've eaten a stupid amount of food?

[witchaffinity]

Whenever you're up for it. Shall we join the rest?

( And yes, he will taste everything. For all the problems he has with family and his brother, Klaus, he always liked the family gatherings. )

[impetere]

[She gets up and takes his arm with a nod. "Let's do it."

As word is starting to spread around, the Hales plus Stiles and Hayley make their appearance, and Cora let's out a low whistle at the size of the preparations.]

Klaus really doesn't do things in half-measures, does he?

[Hayley shakes her head. "Not once in his thousand years of existence."]

[phonetically]

( Stiles admires the styling, the chandelier, the spread. )

A thousand years is like, a lot of years. Will I get to be 1000 years old one day?

( "If someone doesn't kill you before then," Derek says, nonchalantly, but also impressed by everything. Breakfast with Stiles and Cora was a chatty affair. He doesn't miss that about Stiles. )

[werewolfqueen]

Klaus is also a particular brand of unkillable, so I'd say the rest of our odds are considerably less. But you could get a few centuries under your belt.

[Which is honestly also daunting enough.]

[phonetically]

Not really wanting to think about what a hundred years from now is going to be like.

( It's an over-overwhelming thought.

Derek stops, listening for a second, and then looks to Cora and Hayley. The discussions in the sitting room are not of the Thanksgiving variety.

"I think the party started without us," he says, leading the group in the direction of the other voices. )

[bravebartender]

[Hayley's brow furrows, and she turns to follow the sound of voices into the other room where ... Klaus is clearly upset about something, and Bela, Cami and probably Elijah are just looking exasperated.

Hayley's brow furrows. "Who died?"

Cami sighs as she looks up.]

No one. And hopefully things will stay that way.

[Hayley tosses a glance to Elijah, amused. "Not one of those instances where we have to kill potentially everyone?" How's that for an eighteen year throwback.]

[affronting]

( "Potentially," Elijah says, raising his glass. )

Small-minded witches with tunnel-vision have apparently triggered an ancient tradition that puts targets on all of our children, our extended family and every witch - potentially everywhere. I wouldn't be against tracking down the witches in question, but you see, it's a holiday.

[enjoythe_ride]

[Hayley's brow furrows, before glancing around to the others who might be slightly less Shakespearean about it. "Is someone coming after the French Quarter witches?"

Bela shakes her head as she explains again.]

Not exactly, and not even really an immediate threat at the moment. Just something that's happening. It's called the Gauntlet. There's a coven called the Colony involved.

[Hayley knows nothing of any of this (4), but Cora's eyebrows raise (17), before she turns to Stiles. "Isn't that the same coven as the witches who tried to kidnap you?"]