A day after Hope Mikaelson left Mystic Falls, she finally arrived in New Orleans and got off of the bus. Her stomach grumbled a little from hunger, which meant she needed to get some food instead of just going straight home. The tribrid would rather just sticking to research, but she still needed to eat and was not a vampire that could use their enhanced speed to get what they wanted quickly. She had to do this the normal way. She headed inside of Rousseau's, despite not being the legal drinking age. It wasn't like she was getting anything to drink anyways, she thought to herself before going over to the bar.
"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" the blonde bartender questioned as Hope took a seat.
The tribrid wasn't paying much attention but replied "Technically. But I'm not planning on drinking alcohol and this place reminds me of home"
She looked down a bit, her heart aching painfully as she thought of everything that had happened lately. It all kept replaying in her mind no matter what she tried to do to distract herself. Not that she has had much of a chance to turn into her wolf form or hit anything, which were her main ways of burning off energy and helping with her thoughts.
The woman watched her and finally nodded. "What can I get you?"
Hope placed her order and finally looked more at the woman, her lips parting open in surprise at the sight of her and the further confirmation of the name Camille on the woman's name tag. She was stunned into silence for a moment before regaining her ability to speak. "A burger and fries and a coke to go please" A burger wasn't her usual preference, but it was a good meal to have either way
"Coming right up" Camille said before passing the order back to the kitchen before returning. "You look like you have a lot on your mind?"
"It's nothing. Just some family problems that you probably don't want to hear about"
"Well, I have a PHD in psychology" she said, looking at Hope. "Maybe I could offer some advice?"
"I don't know. It's not exactly something I want to talk about in a bar. Besides, I don't think anyone could really understand how this feels unless they lived through it"
"Well, if you change your mind, I get off in half an hour if you want to talk alone"
"Thank you" Hope said softly. "But I should really just get home."
"Alright. Then perhaps I will see you around..." Camille trailed off, not knowing her name.
"Lizzie" Hope lied, her mind going to her best friend that Camille never got the chance to meet.
Lizzie Saltzman was someone that had been a conflicting person in her life from the moment they met. Hope hadn't been comfortable with making friends when she first started attending the school because she couldn't be honest with any friends she made. She had to pretend not to be a Mikaelson. And the only people that knew her identity were Dr Saltzman, Headmistress Forbes, and the school counselor, Emma. Dr. Saltzman was there for her, which led to Lizzie being jealous. And their relationship just got worse but Lizzie never told Hope why. And then finally they cleared up a past misunderstanding and lies from Josie Saltzman, which being resolved had led Hope and Lizzie to become best friends.
"Alright. It was nice to meet you, Lizzie." the blonde bartender said, looking at the underage girl that had walked into the bar.
She clearly wanted to help Hope but was respecting her wishes not to talk about her problems. Something Hope appreciated. Even dialing down her situation to be something humans could understand, it was still a painful topic to even think about, much less speak about. All Hope wanted to do was retreat to her solitude and figure out some answers.
Finally, Hope got her food in a bag and carried it and her drink out of the bar. She heard people following after her and turned down an alley. Suddenly, two vampires jumped off of the roof and landed in front of her with ease.
She looked at them before looking at the vampires that then landed behind her. She sighed and set her bag and drink down. "What do you want?" She questioned, unsurprised she couldn't even get home without being interrupted by someone.
"Werewolves aren't welcome in the Quarter" one of the vampires said.
"And what makes you think I'm a werewolf?" Hope commented, raising an eyebrow.
"I know the scent of werewolves. Your kind have a distinct odor. Werewolves are supposed to remain in the bayou"
"Well maybe your senses aren't as sharp as you think they are. Look, fighting really isn't something I should be doing right now" the tribrid replied.
The vampires then moved to attack her all at once, ignoring her request to not fight. She kicked one and grabbed another, shoving him into the third. The first one recovered and threw her back against the wall. She pushed herself up and moved to fight the vampires that came at her. She got behind one and snapped his neck before throwing another two back magically, pinning them to the wall. The last one came at her while she was holding the other two up against the wall, and she had to let the two go to block the hit the fourth vampire was sending her way. She did a spell to blast them all back, having to quickly summon her food to her to avoid it getting crushed by a vampire. She blocked them with a barrier spell to keep them secured long enough for her to go out of there.
It was only once she finished doing what she needed to do that she noticed the blonde staring at the scene in shock.
"Camille?" Hope questioned, surprised. "Look, I know you're probably confused. But it was just a trick."
"No, that was magic. You can't just do that as a trick-" Camille said, still looking at the scene. "How did you- Magic's real?" This opened up the world to so many possibilities. She had questions following her brother's death, but this confirmed magic and opened up other possibilities. Possibilities that could make more sense.
"Look, I can explain it to you later, but I really need to go" Hope said.
"I'm coming with you"
"You just saw me attack these guys, and you want to come with me?" The tribrid questioned incredulously.
"I have questions. So many questions. And I'm not leaving until I at least get answers to a few of them" the blonde said, following after Hope as the tribrid began to leave the alley.
"I don't think that is a good idea" Hope said as she headed down the street with her food and drink.
"Please" Camille said, looking at her. "I need to know"
"You really don't. And I'm sure you will get answers eventually." Hope said. "This isn't the time to find out about it. And I really just want to get home"
"Lizzie-" Camille said, causing Hope to stop in her tracks at the sound of her best friend's name.
"I'm sorry, Camille. Just... go home" Hope said.
Finally, the blonde turned and left her alone. Guilt weighed in the tribrid's heart, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She took a deep breath and headed to the Abattoir, needing to take a look at some of the books her family likely had here, collecting dust. Except, when she got to the door, she realized her mistake. The house was already occupied. Why hadn't she considered that possibility?
She turned to walk away from the front door she had stopped at only to find herself face to face with Marcel. Someone she definitely should have made sure to stay clear of. If only she had thought things through instead of focusing on getting to books that likely were not going to be useful. If only her family had bothered to give her details about their past instead of trying to shelter her from their past mistakes. She only really knew what she had found out from what the books Camille, Dr. Saltzman, and Stefan Salvatore's diary had written in it.
"And who are you?" Marcel questioned, looking at her.
"No one important" Hope lied. "I'm just passing through"
"No, you stood in front of my front door and just stayed there. I take it you want to go inside if you aren't here to see me" Marcel pointed out with a friendly smile, eyeing her curiously. At Hope's silence, he continued. "What's your name?"
"Lizzie" Hope lied, not wanting to change aliases in the same city. Just in case Marcel happens to be around the same time Camille was.
"Well, Lizzie, if you truly want to get inside, I am having a party tomorrow, where I can allow you to be a welcomed guest" Marcel said.
"You want to invite me to your party? What if I refuse?" she questioned.
"I want to talk to you and figure out why a werewolf is in the Quarter at all. Now, we can discuss this civilly at the party or I can have my people track you down and get answers the hard way"
"I don't even have anything to wear, and you could just ask me now"
"Then I suggest you find something. I would chat now. However, I have business to attend to. The party starts at eight." Marcel said before leaving with his enhanced speed.
Hope let out a sigh and looked around before heading to find somewhere to stay and think. She needed to get into the house and try to see if she could find anything that could be useful. Which meant she needed to go to the party tomorrow. The tribrid got a few things she needed and headed out to an abandoned house. She took a seat once she got inside and put up a barrier spell, not wanting to be bothered. She looked down at her to go box and opened it before starting to eat, grimacing at the temperature a bit. But it wasn't that bad, As long as it didn't get cooler. She quickly finished her burger and fries and let out a sigh. She pulled her bag off of her back and sifted through it, drawing out the crystal Bonnie had found for her. She set it down in front of her, and Landon appeared.
"Hey" the projection of Landon greeted her.
A small sad smile formed on her face. "Hey" she said softly as she looked at him
"Need some company?"
"Yeah, I do. It is really good to see your face and hear your voice again" Hope said. "I just... I feel like the entire past is falling apart because of me. I mean I know I should have left the second I showed up in Chicago but-"
"But you had a chance to spend more time with your dad. It's understandable" Landon said, looking at her. "I'd have done the same if it was Raf. Or you. And I probably wouldn't have had the same strength to leave."
"But even leaving, I messed things up. By coming here. Now Camille knows magic exists, and she hasn't even met my father yet. And Marcel has met me. And once his people that attacked me get back to him if they haven't already..."
"He'll know that you're part werewolf and part witch" the prismatic hologram of her boyfriend finished.
"Which no one has ever been until me" Hope sighed and leaned back against the wall.
"You'll figure it out. And maybe you could get Marcel to compel Camille if you are really concerned about her knowing magic exists."
"But then Marcel will meet her early since I think she met him and my dad around the same time. I just.... I don't know. I don't know the right path, and I'm afraid I'll end up going down the wrong one up until the future is sabotaged" she explained.
"Look, things are gonna go wrong by you being here. Since you're not from this time, it's just going to keep disrupting the future even if you just sit in here. The best thing you can do is just keep trying to get back. No matter how much you want to stay"
"I know. Look, I know you're technically me and only know what I know, but... any theories on any of this?"
"With the changes you've made to the timeline, you could have either messed up your own future or created a parallel universe by disrupting the timeline. If the latter is true and you successfully return from where you came from, everything should be okay. However, you could also end up still in this parallel universe but in the time you came from. Or it could not be a parallel universe and you're screwed at this point when it comes to keeping it the same. Though if I had to guess, I'd go with the parallel universe theory"
"That sounds like a lot of possibilities" Hope said. "Even though it's only three"
"Especially when they all have a very different impact from each other" Landon agreed, moving closer to her and taking a seat beside her.
"I missed your eyes" she said softly, looking at him and not wanting to tear her eyes away. "I miss you. I miss you so much that the thought of possibly not seeing you again hurts."
"You'll get back to me. You'll figure it out. I know you will" Landon said. "One way or another, we will get back to each other. We always do. Do you know what Landon would say if this was really him?"
"I know. But tell me anyways" Hope said.
"You're going to do the right thing. You always do. And no matter what happens or what you choose to do, I'd stand by your side in a heartbeat. I'd support you as long as it doesn't get you killed. Because I love you and trust you more than I trust anyone else"
Hope smiled softly at the words said with Landon's voice. "And this is the part where if you were really him, I'd kiss you"
"I know. And I know you miss him. But you can do this, Hope. You can figure out how to get back to our time"
"I hope so. I'll probably pull you out sometime after I read it all so I can see if there is anything I missed that could be important" Hope said. She lifted up the prism and put it in her bag, the prismatic hologram of Landon disappearing in the process.
Hope let out a sigh and tried to get some rest, hoping she could clear her mind enough to figure out something useful tomorrow.
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The next night, Hope Mikaelson arrived at Marcel Gerard's party, already doubting this was a good idea. She should be staying away from anybody and everybody. But Hope had come to New Orleans for a reason, and she didn't plan on leaving without an attempt to fulfill it.
That morning, Hope had opened the door to the abandoned building she had stayed the night in, only to find a box with a dress in it. It appeared as though Marcel didn't want her to have an excuse not to show up. She wondered if his vampires had told him what happened.
The tribrid took a deep breath as she stared at the party. Despite her love for New Orleans, she wasn't a big fan of crowds. Especially without a friend to talk to. And she wasn't sure how her presence could be here and not disrupt things. But she wanted to see her family's books. Before the tribrid could better consider walking away, Marcel was there, inviting her inside.
Hope walked past her adoptive brother/uncle and further into the party, looking around. People were already drinking and socializing. Both of which were things Hope had no intentions of doing. Instead, she slowly made her way through the crowd and over to the wall, standing near the study. But she didn't go inside. Not yet. She couldn't just directly go in there. Especially if Marcel or his vampires were watching her, which wouldn't surprise her.
It wasn't much later, just when Hope was about to detour to the library, when suddenly she heard Marcel's voice from beside her. He had walked over to her, carrying two drinks. "Not a fan of crowds?"
"Not particularly" Hope admitted, looking out at the party.
"Then maybe you want to tell me what you are doing in New Orleans?" Marcel asked as he held out a drink that Hope took from him. "After all, if you aren't wanting to be in a crowd, this isn't the best place for you"
"I'm just passing through" she replied, looking over at him. "Everyone deserves to see New Orleans at one point or another."
"I don't disagree at this being a great place to visit. But werewolves aren't exactly welcome in my city." He watched her curiously, and Hope made sure to not betray any emotions at his words. Despite how much she disagreed on the whole territorial issues in New Orleans. If it was up to her, they'd all be able to live in New Orleans with minimal conflict.
"And yet you not only invited me here, you gave me this dress to ensure that I would come"
"I did, but you are not an ordinary werewolf, are you?" Marcel questioned. "Because my vampires told me that you used magic on them, which also isn't allowed in the Quarter."
Hope didn't reply. Instead, she stared ahead at some of the people that were dancing. Her mind was trying to remember spells for memory. Something she hated the idea of using. Memory spells were dangerous, and she didn't want to tamper with his memory. She wasn't even sure if it would work. Besides, her family already knew. And he was her family too. She just wished she had avoided all of this. If she had just stayed away from New Orleans. If she had left Chicago without her father.
"I didn't even know that anyone could be both a werewolf and a witch. I didn't know it was possible. Which brings about the question, who are you?"
"Who I am is none of your business. I'll be out of the city tomorrow, and you'll never have to see me again" Hope replied.
"A lot can happen between tonight and tomorrow. I need to know more. Can't have unexpected werewolf witch hybrids turning about. I had enough to deal with involving the Original Hybrid in the past"
"I thought you used to be close. Like family"
"I see you know who I am and my history. Hardly seems fair that I don't know the same" Marcel chuckled a bit. "We once were, yes. However, family doesn't mean the same to him as it does for everyone else. And eventually, how he treated others caused them to grow tired of him"
"Them meaning you"
"Me as well as others, I'm sure" Marcel said. "Are your family members werewolf witch hybrids as well?"
"No" Hope replied. "I'm a rarity. You may never run into anyone else like me"
"Well, then maybe we should continue talking if this is a once and a vampire's lifetime opportunity"
"Like I said, I'm leaving tomorrow, and who I am is none of your business" Hope replied before walking further into the crowd and away from Marcel
Suddenly, Hope took a step back as a strange feeling washed over her and her heartbeat started to slow. The champagne glass slipped from her hand and shattered as it hit the ground. The chattering stopped, and she vaguely took notice of people staring at her. The tribrid nearly collapsed as a wave of drowsiness hit her. Something was wrong with her. She muttered an apology and started to move away to figure out what it was, a hand on her chest. However, before she could get the chance to leave, she stumbled and fell to her knees before collapsing to the ground. Her eyes drifted shut, and her heart stopped beating.