i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

Comments

[affronting]

I helped rescue the man.

( As did Hayley. He can hardly be surprised this transpired, even though he did not see it coming, nor did he need to. )

If he could kick his nasty habit of being kidnapped, I might hold my disapproving looks.

[bravebartender]

We're all works in progress. Everyone has room for improvement.

[She smirks.]

In fact, I think that's something you and his sister have in common.

[affronting]

Cora leaves much to be desired, where I contribute to our conversations. I bring culture and wisdom and I don't suffer fools. All good qualities, if you ask me.

( And she hasn't, but he still does. Hope comes over to them.

"Josie's not answering, but I know that she's meeting her back-from-the-dead uncle, so I don't want to interrupt and I know we all decided that the problem is a later problem, but tell that to my entire body. Do you have anything stronger than the bourbon on the mantle?" )

[bravebartender]

I would agree with you.

[About his contributions. Cami thinks Cora just needs to warm up, and is playing it safe in terms of not saying things that will get her into trouble with thousand year-old vampires, though maybe that's a problem for another time.

Instead, Cami will turn her attention to Hope.]

Aiden slipped me some moonshine from the bayou last Christmas, but I don't think I have enough to generate the distraction you're looking for.

[And she was saving that for a special occasion.]

I'm sure she'll get back to you soon.

[bereavements]

I know. Half of me just wants to astral project, but then I'd be interrupting and it's family time. And this is family time.

( She huffs out in frustration. )

I'm fine. It's fine. She's fine. ( To Alice, if she asked. ) Anything from Lizzie?

[eredite]

[Alice shakes her head before checking her phone.]

But she hasn't left me on read either so she probably just hasn't checked her phone yet? She thought this whole surprise uncle thing was majorly sus, so I'm assuming she's giving him the third degree.

[Because that sounds very Lizzie. But as before she says anything else, her phone does buzz, and she checks before giving a small relieved nod.]

But Danny's alive! So at least there's that.

[bereavements]

And it is. We've done the surprise long-lost relative before.

( Kind of. It's sus, she agrees. She understands. )

Okay! ( A second later. ) And Bonnie?

[eredite]

[Alice nods as the texts from Danny keep coming in.]

And Bonnie and Isaac. Mostly scrapes and bruises, and he's going to be heading back to London in the next couple days.

[So there's one member of their friend group accounted for.]

[bereavements]

And Buffy.

( She just takes Alice's phone from her, scrolling for herself because she's being silly asking all of the questions individually. And she is clearly spiraling. But, she doesn't take the phone away.

She nods, handing it back. )

Okay. So, there's that. They're okay.

[eredite]

[Alice nods in agreement.]

They're okay.

[She's sure there are people who are not, because that's how things work, but the people that they care about seem to be okay. She then glances over at Klaus.]

And Stefan. Since I heard you guys were friends or something.

[affronting]

Or something. He is my favorite Salvatore, not that it would ever be a contest. ( Damon never. ) Thank you for letting me know, Alice.

( And for old time's sake, he will send a quick message.

I assume your brother survived as well, and my brother-in-law's child just mentioned you because I'm mentioned in the journals you donated. I heard about Scotland. I am sorry for any losses you sustained.

Let me know if I or my kin can be of any help. )

[eredite]

No problem.

[She didn't know favorite Salvatores were a thing you could have. And actually, it was your sister who spilled he beans, but she's not going to correct him.

It's also going to be a couple days before Stefan gets back to him, as he also has a phone to replace, so we'll come back to that later.]

Also Rebekah said that we should actually sit at the table and move into the dinner phase of things. That's what I came back to actually tell everyone.

[affronting]

Well, far be it for us to disappoint our dear sister. She went to all this trouble bringing everyone together.

( Even the chatty teenager-vampire.

Hope hesitates, asking Freya to stay back if she minds. They step outside into the little courtyard beyond and she lets the sun beat down before she works up her courage to say what she needs to.

"Kol and Kieran asked me for my blood," she says.

And so we can do a dual thread, later on, over dessert, Hope turns to her other aunt, Rebekah while everyone else is in conversation.

"Are you going to give Kol's girlfriend your blood?" )

[deathlessness]

Oh, good. They finally got around to it.

[Which probably isn't what Hope is expecting to hear, but it's what comes out of Freya's mouth.]

Kol has been fretting about it for weeks.

[She doesn't seem entirely bothered by the problem, but at the end of the day, she knows it was always going to be Hope's choice.]

[bereavements]

( She raises an eyebrow, because it sounds like she's the last of her family to know about her uncle's girlfriend's death sentence. )

With everyone, apparently.

( She assumes. )

Let me guess, everyone decided he should ask me directly. On Thanksgiving, no less.

[deathlessness]

He didn't want to make waves with your father. And he thought it was an awkward ask over the phone. I don't think Thanksgiving was originally their plan.

[You're surrounded by very old people, Hope, they have old fashioned notions about things.]

But we all agreed that it would be your choice, and he won't hold it against you if you say no. There are other options.

[bereavements]

( She can see it from his perspective, but the timing and learning everyone was included in what was probably a family vote has her feel a bit outnumbered. And forced. If everyone trusts her, how can she no? Not that she wants to say no. )

Not many. Not any that would be as foolproof as coding my blood or however her power works. Freya, I can't not. I just want to make sure Kol also knows what he's doing. He's basically signing his girlfriend's death certificate but ensuring she'll become like Lizzie. Forever's a long time. And, I really didn't want to be thinking about forever this young.

[deathlessness]

No, I'm sure you didn't.

[Freya tips her head to the side curiously.]

Have you talked to Kieran about this? Without Kol hovering over her shoulder? I think her concerns about forever are a bit different and it may help for you to speak candidly with her about them.

[bereavements]

I'd like to not undermine her or grill her for her take on forever. If she wants this, she's thought it through. I don't have to drag her through it all over again. It's just a lot.

( And on a holiday. And on a day she worries for her girlfriend's, and Danny's, safety. )

[likeaweapon]

I already have.

[She turns and offers Hope a small smile as she takes a slice of pie and settles into the seat next to her. It wasn't a hard decision on her part. She trusts her brother. But she knows for Hope it's infinitely more complicated.]

He asked me around when he arrived in New York.

[bereavements]

( Right. Of course. Because Kol's been fretting for weeks.

Hope has an untouched beignet on her plate. She misses food like she used to eat it, but she still appreciates flavor. Especially the flavor of her beloved favorites. )

Weeks ago. ( But, she gets it. ) I assume he wanted to ask in person, and I know it's not easy to ask. I'm not forgetting that. You trust Kieran.

[likeaweapon]

I think that she's very formidable. And your uncle is not easily swayed.

[She glances over at Hope curiously.]

I also know that Kol has loved magic longer than he's loved most things. If he thinks that Kieran's experimentations stand a chance, she's jumped through some considerable hoops and preambles.

[bereavements]

And she's survived this family so far.

( There is that. )

If she could've unlocked that within you, if you were still a vampire, would you?

[likeaweapon]

Probably not, no.

[Rebekah pauses to take a sip of her coffee before turning back to her niece.]

I was never as connected to magic as Kol was. I like having it now - it makes me feel a lot safer in a world where I used to feel so much more secure in myself, but it wasn't what I wanted out of being human.

[She wanted a family. She wanted Henry. Everything else was a happy side effect.]

[bereavements]

You wanted a family.

( She sighs, tapping a fork against her beignet, sitting back. )

I feel like I'm taking hers away from her. But, I know she only has so much time.