𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 - the runaway witch
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓 just a little lighter, brighter even. Ophelia had professed and admitted to everything that had happened from the moment her family discovered that she was a monster. Her words illustrated the color of her teen years; black and blue, and Rebekah... she was amazing, she had said everything that Ophelia had ever wanted to hear, everything she had ever needed to hear.
The youngest original didn't sugarcoat her words; she told Ophelia that the things she did were bad, but she did them for good reason. It was revenge, justice if you will, in both Ophelia and Malachai's eyes anyway, and how could one of the original vampires possibly judge that? They had done far, far worse for the sake of family, hell, they had even done worse for less.
But despite the things Ophelia laid out on the table, Rebekah stayed by her side, rubbing circles into her arm as comfort. Her eyes didn't change, admiration, awe and respect for the siphon still gracefully shone within her cerulean gaze.
It was a milestone for the siphon - finally telling somebody. It was a secret she had kept to herself and it had bubbled and swelled inside of her, threatening to burst and break her. She had dealt with the dirty secret for nineteen years, completely alone, and when there were finally people around her, she just couldn't say a word.
Rebekah had questioned the brunette on her time in the prison world and the sympathy that glistened in her watery eyes spoke a thousand words. Rebekah couldn't have possibly imagined how it would feel to live in utter isolation and solitude for almost two decades with nothing but the past to fuel one's mind... Of course she had dealt with Nik's incessant daggering... but when inside their coffins, it was as if they were in a deep sleep, unaware that time was passing by around them whilst Ophelia had to wake every morning... that was a feat in itself.
She would have gone insane if truth be told, which was exactly why she felt such respect towards the woman who wasn't quite as young as everybody thought; the moment she had escaped her own personal hell she had saved a girl, a witch of all things.
It may not have seemed like a compliment to many, but Rebekah truly believed that the Mikaelson's and the Parker woman were destined to find one another; that it was fate. She fitted in perfectly with them, a missing piece to a rather tragic puzzle. She was broken and yet still strong. She had committed vile deeds but for the sake of the one she cared about.
If those weren't the standout traits of a Mikaelson, she didn't know what was.
Ophelia, with flustered and salted cheeks, felt relieved. A weight that could have dragged her to the murky depths of the ocean was lifted. Rebekah had promised to keep everything she had learned to herself, and Ophelia couldn't have been more grateful. She'd tell the others at some point, she was sure. But though her worries were quashed with Rebekah's silver-like voice, and though she knew Klaus would probably brush off the 'incident' with a hearty 'good job' and a pat on the back, she still felt... at odds with sitting down with Elijah and telling him of her darkest moments.
The girls spent another hour at their petit table of the café, sipping on mimosas and munching on the delicacies the small business offered whilst they chatted. Even after sharing what she did, Rebekah still managed to elicit laughter from the siphon as if nothing had changed. It was 'normal' and that was exactly what Ophelia had wanted; she didn't want anything to change.
When multiple glasses had been drained and Ophelia began to shock Rebekah with the amount of food she could stuff herself with, they called it time to leave. The pair slowly walked the streets of New Orleans, the bright smiles that had been plastered on them prior, were back in place and glinting brightly.
The sounds and colors around them banished all negativity as they slowly approached the abattoir, knowing in the pits of their stomachs that something was bound to have happened in their happy absence.
And of course, something had happened. Davina had apparently managed to simply walk out the door, completely unnoticed. It appeared that a... team of sorts was formed; Klaus and Marcel were muttering to one another about what they could do to find the young witch. Ophelia wasn't worried, Davina could handle herself, that much was obvious. The only thing that made her nervous for the little Harvest girl was the lengths that Niklaus might go to, to ensure that she came home.
Instead of worrying, Ophelia joined Rebekah and Hayley as they rifled through the old trunks and chests they had found throughout the compound; they were filled with vintage dresses and clothes. They had dumped their copious amounts of shopping bags, promptly ignoring the look from Hayley, and got stuck in.
"So the witch is missing, huh?" Hayley spoke as she picked up one of the old and dusty dresses, her face cringing at the awful composition of fabric.
Rebekah hummed absently, her face mirroring Hayley's as she picked out some mess of material, "Walked right out of the front door, apparently. Know anything about it?"
"No, although I did tell her that the witch elders were dead."
"Ah," Ophelia sighed, slumping herself onto one of the closed chests, her eyes closing as a small ball of annoyance grew, "That'd be it."
"What do you mean? Those witches tried to kill her, why would she care?" Rebekah questioned as she threw another dress behind her, a dust cloud forming as it landed on the ground.
"Agnes was the last living elder, the only one who could perform the ritual. Without her alive, Davina is safe. I knew but... I thought it best for Marcel to tell her, he was the one keeping her as his own personal ballerina in a box."
"Brilliant." The blonde huffed as she directed a tight-lipped smile to Hayley, "So you are the reason she's run off."
"Hey, I was just telling her the truth." the pregnant wolf defended, "She's the one who realized they were just using her to keep their control over the witches."
"Yeah well, I've never been a fan of the boys club. Just wait, Elijah will join them and the three of them will be impossible."
Ophelia sighed, her eyes drifting upwards where Klaus and Marcel were chatting quietly to one another. Rebekah was right, eventually Elijah would join the fray and the small trio would be unstoppable. But no matter the consequences, Ophelia knew Marcel would keep her in the loop with Davina. Sure they might not see eye to eye, but the pair both adored the young witch and would do anything to keep her from harm.
Rebekah's eyes stayed trained on the men that had caused her an insurmountable amount of pain throughout her life, "Used by the witches, lied to by Marcel, manipulated by Elijah, threatened by Klaus." her blonde curls fanned out as she faced Ophelia and Hayley, "Just like a modern-day Casket Girl."
"Are you talking about Davina or yourself?"
"Does it matter? Either way, us girls have got to stick together, right?" Rebekah directed her gaze to Ophelia who looked up at her with a small smile.
"Of course."
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As the day passed by, Ophelia and Rebekah had taken to lounging inside the siphon's room, the balcony door was wide open allowing the upbeat and joyous tunes of the street music to filter through and invade their senses. The bedroom door was wide open also, the laughter that the two let out being heard by everyone in the compound.
Ophelia laid back on her bed, plush cushions propping her head up as she watched Rebekah gracefully move about the room, observing every trinket she could find. Eventually, her eyes landed on the piano, a wistful smile tugging at her lips as she brushed a delicate hand over the clean and dust-free mahogany wood.
"This was Elijah's." She whispered, images of times when her brother would play his beautiful songs whilst she grinned and leaned against him as they shared the stool.
Ophelia pushed herself up, eyes captured by the beautiful instrument as she pictured the nobleman playing away, "It was?"
"Yes. Elijah is very skilled when it comes to the piano. He'd play, Nik would paint and I'd watched the pair of them. It was peaceful, days like that... I miss them."
"Does he not play anymore?"
"Elijah hasn't played in years... centuries even." she turned with an innocent grin, though her eyes contrasted completely, "I bet you could convince him to play."
Ophelia laughed as she hopped off the high bed and approached the piano stool, settling on the cushioned seat, "I could certainly try."
"Really?"
"Sure, at some point... hang on." The siphon reached out to grab the thin book of sheet music, she flipped the white pages until she reached the center, where an old, crumpled page was folded. She took the paper out before swiftly tossing the book back onto the piano lid and unfolded the sheet in her hand, passing it to Rebekah. "I found that when I first moved in, took me a couple of months to be able to play it even moderately well."
"It's the song he wrote for me... for my birthday one year. It was 1918, a year before we had to leave the city. I can't believe you found this." Her eyes danced across the page, light fingers touching the edges of the paper as if it would disappear. "Will you play it for me?"
"Of course."
Rebekah settled herself beside the siphon and gently placed the sheet music on the stand so that Ophelia could follow along if needed. Her eyes watched with anticipation as Ophelia hovered her hands above the keys before finally pressing down.
The tune that filled the room was beautiful, it sounded as if it could have been a lullaby. The sound was light, airy almost as it caressed their ears and melded with the soft breeze that brushed by. It was soft and sweet and upon hearing the tune, Rebekah couldn't help but tear up.
It had been one of her favorite birthdays; they didn't often celebrate due to being on the run from their malicious father. But they had settled in New Orleans, they felt safe and happy. Niklaus had gifted her a beautiful painting for her birthday that year; a painting of their city. The city they had built together. It was one of her most fond memories and the soft tap of the keys, and light notes that filled the room sent her back to that day.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Elijah sat in his office, book in hand with a small smile on his face as he too recalled the wonderful day that he had shared with his siblings. The song brought many memories back, and it was being played just as beautifully as intended.
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The darkness of the sky did nothing to deter the residents of New Orleans; the moonlight shone down on the parade like a spotlight, making the stark-white dresses that people wore all the more brighter. The girls that danced and skipped around the city in flowing dressed with braided and curled hair looked like angels dancing through clouds, and yet they were blissfully unaware of the monsters with sharp teeth and magical abilities that weaved around them.
Ophelia and Rebekah strolled through the streets that were alight with joy and dancing, enjoying the parade despite whatever plan Klaus had stirring within his mind. The pair had actually met up with Elijah and Marcel at one point, cutting into their conversation about finding Davina, that was until Klaus joined the chatter.
"Sister, Ophelia, come to help us find our stray?" Klaus spoke, a cocky grin pulling at his lips.
Rebekah returned the smile with a very convincing fake one. "We can't let your secret weapon get in the wrong hands, can we?"
"For the record, we're moments away from retrieving her."
Elijah sighed heavily, his had twitching as if he wanted to either drag it down his face or simply slap his brother, "I recognize that tone of voice, Niklaus. Clearly you have some diabolical machination. What is it?"
Ophelia rolled her eyes and linked her arm back through Rebekah's, tugging her along, and instead of walking around the boys, she simply shoved through them, "Human sacrifice, probably."
Klaus's booming laugh echoed out at the siphons comment whilst Elijah and Marcel watched the girls walk away, looks of mild amusement on their features, she probably wasn't all that far off.
Rebekah chuckled, her hair blowing about in the nighttime air, "You certainly love to provoke him, don't you?"
"It's all in good fun."
"Fun turns to murder rather quickly when it comes to Nik... though he doesn't seem to mind you."
"Hm. Should I be scared?"
"Probably."
The girls paused in their steps, serious expressions on each of their faces as they looked to one another before they erupted in laughter and continued through the streets. Ophelia admired the festival, it seemed as though there were multiple every week and to be honest, even though they were loud and would sometimes keep her awake, she loved them. She was thankful for the noise, it reminded her that she was no longer in that world of solitude and silence.
It didn't take all that long before Rebekah pulled Ophelia to a stop, and rather than answering the questioning look the siphon threw her way, she simply moved her head to stare through the crowd. Ophelia followed her line of sight, catching sight of Joshua ducking into an alley.
"He's talking to Davina," Rebekah uttered quietly, making sure that Josh was unaware of her words.
They stayed still and silent as Rebekah continued to listen in on the conversation, before quickly relaying everything to Ophelia, "She wants to kill us, not all that surprising. She thinks she has enough power to do it... ah." Rebekah sighed, "He didn't tell her that if we die, so do the vampires we sired. What a brave boy. Let's go talk to him, shall we?" Rebekah finished and looked down at Ophelia before speeding them away, just a few steps behind Josh who whirled around, startled.
"That was very sweet, not telling Davina that if she kills Klaus, you die, too. Very noble." the blonde paused for a beat, "Problem is, she goes after my brother, she'll be the one who ends up dead. A very unnecessary end to an already tragic story. Perhaps you'd like to help me help her?"
Joshua didn't respond, instead, his and Rebekah's attention snapped towards Ophelia as she fished her phone out of her pocket, a light chime sounding from the device at an incoming message.
'Elijah and I don't trust whatever Klaus is cookin' up. I spoke to some of the witches, there's a protection spell on D. She'll be safe. Be careful, Lia. -M'
"Marcel and Elijah don't trust whatever Klaus is up to. Marcel managed to get one of the witches to put a protection spell on Davina..." Ophelia muttered towards the two and she could see the relief in Josh's eyes knowing that his friend would be safe. "We can't tell anyone." She stared at Josh with a challenging look, "Got it?"
His hands flew up in surrender, mildly afraid of the woman in front of him, "Got it."
"Thing is..." The siphon muttered, her gaze dropping back down to the glowing screen. "The only way Klaus could get to Davina is if he lures her out. The only people he could use are myself, Marcel, you-" she gestured to Josh. "-and Timothy. He's clearly not using Marcel, or either of us. That leaves Tim, and I don't trust Klaus with him for a second."
"If Klaus has the boy, then he's most definitely in danger." Rebekah lowly spoke, her tone almost disgusted at the thought of her brother using a mere child to coerce another child to bow down at his feet.
"No. I won't let Klaus hurt him."
"But what can you do?" Josh questioned.
Her eyes looked up, a fierceness alighting the whiskey brown and making them appear lighter, even in the darkness of the night. "I'll cast a protection spell on Tim myself." Ophelia rose a hand, her gaze brushing over the two vampires before her, "I'm going to need to steal some supernatural magic."
"Let me. She's my friend... my uh- my only friend really... so uh, I wanna help her, repay her you know?" Josh rambled on before looking up sheepishly as he held his hand out.
Ophelia smiled at the young vampire, a soft smile that comforted him, just slightly anyway. His skin still buzzed with nervousness at whatever was going to happen. Ophelia admired the young boy, stepping up to repay his friend when Rebekah, an original vampire, was right there and willing to do the same. Her hand gently clasped around his as she rose a brow, "This is going to hurt."
"Oh... great."
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13-12-2020