Our actual day today was quite eventful to say the least. One of my brothers found his mate, I broke free from capture, and I found out that my son is more stubborn than I could have ever imagined. If this boy were anyone else I'd be beating the crap out of him and making sure that he knows his place, but that's child abuse and I'm not my shitty father. I'd never lay a hand on one of my children no matter what they do. That's plain abuse and I know what that feels like. Physical discipline doesn't work, it scares children into doing things. That's not what I want or need.
Now we had to wait for people to get home and for dinner to be served. While we don't actually need food to eat, it does help curb some of the worst cravings for human blood. Plus it also tastes good. I also can't get fat from it no matter how many slices of cake I have. Amazing. Wonderful. The best part of being a vampire for sure.
Currently I was taking some time to sit on the couch with Stefan, who refused to let anyone but Damon anywhere near me. I still couldn't blame his protectiveness. After all, it was him who was becoming a father and Damon is his brother. I'm his mate and losing me even for a short period of time could lead to terrible side effects that may or may not include becoming feral, which wouldn't be good for anyone in the house. There have been very few rippers, but the ones that turn feral are absolutely horrific. Dead bodies everywhere. No witch or vampire can stop them. The most famous case was of this feral ripper girl in the fourteenth century. Thankfully everyone played it off as the Black Death, but it could have gone much better.
Laying down on Stefan's lap, I recognized the clear mating bond between Kol and Davina. My older brother couldn't bring himself to leave her alone, clinging to her for dear life. Right now he was showing her a few magical books that he loves. It's nice to see him like this. Of course magic is what interests him. Even if he isn't a witch anymore, he knows magic better than most of us. Finn will always be the one to know the best, but he's a close second when it comes to book knowledge.
Head rested firmly on my mate's chest and lap, I heard the sound of a bell chiming. Nik I swear it was so quiet until you fucked it all up with that stupid thing you bought.
"Here here!" Nik called out from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, little children!"
"I hate him sometimes," Damon grumbles, standing up from the armchair right next to Stefan and I he'd previously been sitting in. "When will we get even an ounce of peace and quiet? I'd rather be stuck back in school and that's saying something."
Taking myself off of Stefan's lap, I hear him let out a growl at the separation. It was to be expected, but Davina stepped further away from my annoyed mate. Everyone knows that he's a ripper now if it wasn't obvious before. How he managed to hide it away for so long is beside me. Constantly getting annoyed with the smallest things, clearly hungry, very protective over the people they love. Obvious signs of a ripper. They're more common nowadays than many in the supernatural community would like to think. Less dangerous now that they can control themselves as well.
During all the time that I've spent in this world, which is very long, I've noticed that each subset of a species has their own thing that makes them just plain obvious. They stick out like a sore thumb so to speak. Rippers' emotions are higher than anyone, heretics start using magic much later even if their parents try to teach them from a young age, and now the hybrids (even the very few that left our group to do other things) have a strict social order that's far less forgiving than that of a normal wolf. It's odd how we all work.
Now, the Originals have always stuck out. People know an Original when they see one. We seem to have a different presence altogether. Witches just know from the way our type of magic works. We linger in the shadows, but when we come out everyone knows to run. It's why we were able to survive Mikael, although he almost got us a few times.
Why am I worrying about Mikael? He should be well out of my mind by now. He's dead. Gone. Never to be seen again. Still, I have this lingering feeling that I'll never get rid of that asshole and that me killing him will never be enough. Gods know how many times I've seen witches get resurrected, even if it goes against their fundamental beliefs.
"Let's get you over," Stefan crooned in my ear, running his hands down my sides. I giggled, letting him pick me up into his strong arms. My face flushed pink as he kissed my cheek. "You're so cute when you get all flustered."
"No," I denied playfully as we made our way back into the dining room. Plates of food were ready for us, already being set out by someone. It could have been our compelled house maids or Nik, we'll never know. "The food looks great, Nik."
"See, someone appreciates it," Nik almost huffed, looking over at our sister, who simply rolled her eyes as she took her seat. Sometimes I wonder with the two of them. They're both confusing. I think Rebekah expects to have the same relationship that Nik and I have, but Nik and I know what we share is special. He... we both went through the same things as children and bonded over that. Rebekah has gone against him to help herself many times and Nik knows that. He may have forgiven her but he'll never forget. With him being as damn paranoid as he is... I doubt he'll ever get past it enough to form a bond like ours with any of our siblings.
Perhaps Henrik will get the closest, he hasn't done anything and mostly plays video games with Jer.
"Wonderful," Davina said cheerily as she sat down next to Kol. Thankfully she wasn't deprived of all knowledge relating to mates and how they work, or else I would be having another harsh conversation with my son. Even if she's a bit behind magically, I should be able to help her catch up. Hell, Kol should be able to help as well.
"Are we all going to play nice happy family over here or are we going to talk about the real reason why we're having this dinner?" Laurel questions, taking a bite out of her food. Finn gave her a confused look but stayed quiet. He's been in a coffin for 900 years, I can't blame him for not understanding our very, very weird relationship with Marcel. He's my son, but he's never met Finn. "Pass the salt please."
As always, Henrik arrived late into the dining room, looking just as confused as Finn. He's been dead but he could see... where was he during our years here...? Doing some exploring of his own in the great beyond?
"And baby brother is late for dinner," Rebekah snarked at him, eyes narrowing as Jeremy made his way into the room. "With the boyfriend as well."
"He's not my boyfriend!" They said at the same time before taking a seat next to each other. Kol and Damon couldn't hold back their snorts. The two of them have a bet with Stefan and Rebekah. Are they gay or are they not, that is the question. I would have betted them as well if I hadn't been downstairs helping Kai with his spells. Damn them for leaving me out on the bet.
"We should get back to why Striddy decided that it would be nice to have him over," Nik said with clear disdain for the situation I'd put him in. "After all, Marcel seems to be back from the dead and bringing the French Quarter into authoritarian ruin."
"Politics at the table, really?" Henrik says.
"Yes, politics at the table little brother," Kol says with a chuckle. "Marcel has made himself into a dictator. Not what we taught him, I'm sure. Even I wouldn't do what he's doing. Then again, I used to be a witch myself, so I sympathize with the people whose lives and livelihoods he's ruined due to his tyranny." Okay, so now the debate is getting heated. I shouldn't have expected anything otherwise, but one can have hope for civility. "Honestly Marcel, did you really think that they would work with you on anything. I don't even know why little Davina has taken a liking to you. I never did."
"Okay, okay, let's be civil," I tried to say, only to have them completely disregard me. I felt Elijah tense from the other side of the table as he chose to stay quiet for now.
"The witches don't work with me they work for me-"
"And that's the problem, Marcel!" Kol exclaims. "You can't expect a group like that to work for anybody but themselves. I would know best! Your mother would know best when it comes to how tricky witches are. They hate you. You've repressed their traditions that they cling on to and soon enough you'll have an uprising on your hands. An uprising means that humans find out about us and God knows what could happen to my family. Sorry to break it to you, but what you're doing just won't work in the favor of anyone. Vampires can't be allowed this much power because they'll abuse it. We've seen this before and it doesn't end well."
"I hate to say it, but my little brother is right," Elijah says with a sigh. "Witches are a fickle people with superstitions and generational trauma, which makes them volatile. When they feel threatened or abused, they attack. Maybe not now, maybe not next week, but at some point they will break your forces and take back the city. This place was not meant for ruling, it was meant for governance, honor, civility, and prosperity. You have given none of these vital things, hence your obvious incompetence. Despite your upbringing you have not gained the rights to the throne of which you sit, making you a mere figurehead for what could be."
"Wow, the man of morals," Marcel huffs.
"Throwing tantrums is not something I've done since I was a toddler, yes," he retorted. Damon and I exchanged a look before we continued to listen in as if this were some TV show. "Whether you like it or not you are not fit for any throne, big or small, golden or bronze. I will not let you play politics with people's lives, especially when you have been taught better by my family. To forget all of our teachings is to put a stain on my name and every other Mikaelson at this table. What you do affects this family."
"If I'm really a part of this family, why don't any of you act like it." Nik was clearly fighting back the urge to roll his eyes at the impending tantrum our son was about to have. We've dealt with the same behavior for so many years that we sense the tension as it starts to break down. "Everyone else at this table gets to make decisions-"
"That is not true in the slightest," Elijah cuts him off. "Henrik and Jeremy make no decisions regarding this family. Rebekah does not make decisions. There are very few people who have gained the ability to make decisions around here. Myself, your mother, father, Kol, and Kai make the majority of the choices and changes in the house. When it comes to children or witches the heretics do things on their own with the help of Caroline. This is a group effort, but not everyone has authority."
"We are not claiming to be a democracy," Nik says. "Never once did we say that everyone gets a choice in what they do. Free will only gets you so far when you don't know what the bloody hell you're doing. This family may be a social unit but at the moment we have groups that need structure, discipline. For the most part we are a people, not a dictatorship."
Nik had a good point there. We may be family, but our family needs something to do, people to look up to for answers. That doesn't mean that we don't argue or do things that we don't want blindly, but it means we have faith that our plans will work out for the better of everyone. We're supposed to be on the throne, supporting each group, but now Marcel has gotten it into his head that one person can figure it out all on their lonesome. That never works. It ends in a power grab or anarchy.
"The fact of the matter is that is no game." Elijah takes a sip of his blood. "This is a matter of life or death. Thankfully we are both."