"Welcome to New Orleans, the living get easily lost and the dead stick around to play!" I hear the eerie voice of woman behind me say as she leads on unsuspecting tourists to the darkened corners of the quarter. I turn back to the scene in front of me, the vibrant colours shimmer down whilst the singers, dancers and drummers descend upon the street. The quarter is booming and the air feels tense. I raise my hand to my bronze coloured necklace and slip it under my shirt as I look around to find aa bar.
If I'm doing this I'm going to need some liquid courage. I spot a modern looking place which fits in very well with the quarter. Rousseus. I make my way towards the bar and take a deep breath as I enter the place.
Confidence Forbes. You can do this.
The place reminds me of the Mystic Grill back home but this bar looks darker, the lighting is low and the previously tense air is now electrifying as it gives my skin a pleasant burn. I look around and spot a free seat at the bar, I make my way there and sit down without drawing too much attention.
"Hi, what can I get you?" asks a blonde with shallow blue eyes.
"Bourbon please."
"My names Camille, but you can call me Cami, you're new here, tourist?"
"Yeah, but I might stay a while. I'm Caroline"
"Nice to meet you, here you go" she says as she slides the glass of bourbon to me. She seems nice enough but I know from personal experience that looks can be deceiving. Keep it simple Care I think as she starts trying to break my character down through her eyes. She surreptitiously scans me but my instincts tell me what she's doing. "Visiting friends?"
"Something like that." Her eyes glance to my right just for a second and I can tell by the shift in the air that someone is approaching me from behind.
"Hello beautiful, you're new here." I hear a silky smooth voice with a vibrato say into my ear, I'm ready and turn my head to the newcomer who is flanked by 3 other men. His eyes are chocolate brown and his smirk reminds me that not everything is unicorns and rainbows in New Orleans.
I compose myself, "Yeah, just passing through" I keep it simple and short.
"My name is Marcel, I'm the King of the Quarter, it's a pleasure to meet you." He says as he extends his hand suggesting that I do the same.
"Caroline." I say as he lifts my hand and places a kiss on it.
"Is it Caroline like Madonna or do you have a last name." He says with an edge to his voice.
I don't know what comes over me but my confidence reaches a new high. "Yes I do have a last name, but you can just call me Caroline." I say in a resolute voice, he edges further towards me but I keep still not to show any fear.
"My, my you do have a sharp tongue, and I like feisty little things with sharp tongues. Lovely to meet you darling the names Kol, Kol Mikaelson." Another man with chestnut brown hair and eyes says as he seemingly undresses me with his eyes. Mikaelson, original vampire and brother to the hybrid. I process the thought while keeping on my poker face.
"Pleasures all yours" I murmur as I roll my eyes and turn back towards my drink. I gulp it down and stand from my seat as someone grasps my arm, my senses are on high alert and I can tell it's Marcel.
"Now honey, welcome to this city and seeing how brave you are, I will allow you to stay in my city but you need to know the rules. One, no killing other vampires, two witches are not allowed to do any magic and three don't kill the humans, drink and compel. Break any of these and I will kill you." He says with his sinister smirk. I look down at my arm which is still being held by him, I look at him and raise my perfectly curved eyebrow as he unhands me.
"Thank you for the help Marcel. Lovely to meet you Cami. Kol." I say with a nod, I turn and head out of the bar.
I walk in the direction of my newly unpacked apartment which I bought this morning when I see a man painting a snowflake on a canvas. I stop, stare and feel tears slowly gather in my eyes as I see the loneliness he feels. I shift closer towards the painting and stop. The air vibrates around me as I notice someone standing next to me.
"Beautiful isn't it?" I hear a British accent smooth as honey say.
"Lonely, beautiful but lonely." I whisper as I find comfort in my necklace. Not turning to face the man as I continue to follow the brush strokes of the artist with my eyes.
"What makes you say that?" he asks.
"How do I explain it? I mumble. "Snowflakes are one of a kind, unique in every sense of the way, right?" I wait for his response as I see him nod from the corner of my eye. "Well, what if that makes it lonely? Knowing that there isn't a snowflake like that one. He's an artist, meaning he's one of a kind. I wonder if he sees himself as a snowflake…if his creation is just a manifestation of himself." I whisper the ending, thinking to myself as I notice that the man is still standing beside me. I realise what I just said " sorry, I talk too much" I murmur as I begin to move away from his magnification.
"No, no don't apologize, I find you fascinating love." He looks at me astonished before he composes himself. "Klaus, Klaus Mikealson." He says as he draws me in with his eyes.
"Caroline Forbes, Mikealson, oh I just met your brother, Kol right?" I remember
"Yes" he chuckles, "tell me he didn't hit on you" he cringes
"He tried, called me a feisty little thing with a sharp tongue" I giggle.
"Ignore him, he hits on anything that moves."
"Yeah I figured" I smile at him.
"Really though, you are fascinating" he repeats
"Umm thanks" I carefully say as I look away from his mesmerising eyes and adorable dimples, Stop Caroline, he's a stranger, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate his assets. I turn to leave and start walking away when he follows me.
"It's not safe for a beautiful woman, such as yourself, to be walking home in the dark. Let me" he says as he pulls his arm out for me to join. Something draws me to him and lets me hook my arm around his. "So are you an artist?" he asks as he guides me to the shining lights
"Well if you call throwing a few paints onto a canvas and spinning it being an artist, then yeah sure" He looks confused and I giggle, "I'm what you call an abstract artist I guess."
"You don't sound too sure?" he pries for more information
"What I do isn't exactly what you would consider the natural sense of art. I throw paints at a canvas through any means possible and have it on a turn able stand so that I can let gravity doo some of the work whilst I find my inspiration." I explain.
"That definitely sounds like art so there isn't any confusion about it." He convinces himself.
"Well I see painting as a metaphor for control. Every choice is mine, the canvas, the colour. It taught me a lot about life. As a child I didn't really have a sense of the world or my place in it but art taught me that my vision could be achieved by sheer force of will. The same can be said is true of life, provided that I refuse to let anything stand in the way." I say as my eyes look on into the distance remembering the loneliness and neglect I felt as well as the suffocation. I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts and look at Klaus who is just staring at me as I notice him swallow and our pace slow. His eyes are swimming with tears. It's intense, electrifying until I look away and notice that we're standing in front of my apartment. "Well thank you for walking me home Klaus." I look back and notice that he is genuinely smiling at me as our eyes make contact again.
"It was a pleasure love, and if you need anything in the city please don't hesitate to ask me, I'm ususally down by the bar, Rousseus." He says softly as he lifts my hand and presses a gentle kiss on it without breaking eye contact. "You are quite the snowflake Caroline."
"Goodbye Klaus" I smile at him and turn to open the door as I hear him whisper "hope to see you soon sweetheart" into the wind and then flash away.
I enter my apartment, close the door and lean against it. Great, I met the king of New Orleans, an original vampire and then had a pleasant chat with the original hybrid as he walked me home. Well don Caroline, well done I think sarcastically. Just need to find my pack, figure out how I'm a tribrid and try not to get killed. All in a day's work, one step at a time Care, one step at a time.