Sorry for the late update. ENJOY!
Werewolf Transitioning Cells...
Landon laid restlessly on the cot before getting up to walk around. He wasn't sure if it was pent-up energy or remnants from the Claustrophobia that kept him on edge, but he couldn't sleep.
A man came down earlier to check on him and Rafael. He introduced himself as Dorian Willaims, the school librarian.
Rafael almost attacked him.
The man was pretty forgiving.
He didn't seem like he initially knew he was there, but after hearing from Harmony and her friends what was going on, he decided to check for himself, and even he apologized and talked to Rafael about going after the headmaster. And in the long run, he explained why it's for the best that Landon stays in the cell for now.
Landon spoke up before Rafael could and just accepted it. He already did, and while it was a bummer he won't get to know what it feels like to walk around as a Gollum (which he still thinks would've been cool!), he was okay with waiting until he had his memory stripped of him.
He found himself sitting beside the wall by the door when he heard footsteps. He looked up to see Hope on the other side.
"Hey."
"Hope."
"Can't sleep either?" she sighed as she sat on the floor.
"Yeah, small spaces. You?"
"Sometimes I get restless.
"Busy brain?"
She chuckles, "Busy everything. My body has a lot going on inside of it."
"Which is an awesome segue into you telling me how you can move things with your mind," he counters.
"You ask a lot of questions," she notices.
"Wouldn't you?" he inquires.
"Hmm," she agrees. Then she notices he started smiling. "Why are you smiling?"
"I'm remembering that day we danced in the town square," Landon reminisced. "This guy who used to mess with me in school finally got what was coming to him. I'd had a good day."
Flashback...
"Do you maybe want to dance, or something?" he asked nervously.
"You want me to dance with you?" she asked incredulously.
"Kinda living in the moment here," he quickly admitted.
Flashback ends...
"Just like me to have a crush on the girl with the most baggage," he says exasperatingly.
"You would've preferred dancing with my sister. She's better at it than I am," Hope mentioned.
Landon raises an eyebrow. "A sister? Um, if I may ask: Is my memory off, or is the sister your talking about Harmony Mikaelson by any chance? Brown hair, green eyes, the living embodiment of '"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"'?"
Hope sighs. "No, your memory is... perfect. I have a sister. Or I had one. No, I have one and she made me an only child. And it's not Mikaelson anymore. It's Kenner as of two years ago. You knew me as a Marshall before I told you my real surname."
Ah, yes, he remembered that conversation. It was one of the few they had before he moved away with his foster family and before he ended up with the Gonzales family and Rafael. He asked why she was going by it now, and she said Marshall was her mother's maiden name, and since her dad died, she'd go by his.
It was a fair answer, but now it raised a new one.
"Why that phrase though?" Hope asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because," he admitted, "your twin has a thing about protecting people. She probably doesn't remember me except as the dumb kid who she stops from being bullied, even though she didn't go to Mystic Falls."
At this, Hope gave a haughty laugh. "Yeah, Monie's big on injustice. If she had it her way, nobody would be a bully or bullied at all. Or in your case, making sure the jocks permanently left you alone."
"So, how can your twin make you an only child? She's your sister, she can't refute that," he said. Rafael may just be his foster brother in the eyes of the state, but he was just as much as his real brother as any of the foster siblings he's had.
"She can if you screw up bad enough that she changed her last name and legally lives with someone else with limited to no contact with her family," Hope muttered towards the end.
Landon had to do a double-take. Harmony Mikaelson (Marshall? Kenner? Just how many names does she have!?) wasn't someone Landon could forget. It wasn't a big secret that Salvatore students would crash school dances at Mystic Falls, but Harmony didn't just crash those. In many ways, she was a student at Mystic Falls without actually being a student. She went to parties, but more for performing than dancing. Almost everyone knew who she was. She was no stranger to just walking through the school as if she owned it and, well, Landon's a guy. He'd be blind not to see how beautiful she was.
Not that he'd compare her to Hope. They were born by the same woman, so they got their looks from her. Hope's just the one he's attracted to more.
Besides, despite how she acted with Rafael earlier, they had history. Well, if one counts somehow always finding and freeing him from lockers Connor and his lackeys shoved him in as "history".
"So, your family's complicated," he states.
"Understatement of the century," Hope replied.
"And she's your sister. And unless something else happened, she's also your blood sister. Meaning blood ties. Blood is thicker than water," Landon urged.
Hope found herself laughing bitterly at that. She would have found that funny...if it wasn't something she said herself during that month...
"Blood is thicker than water, Monie!"
"Actually, it's really '"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.'' Meaning, for reading all of Klaus's memoir, you didn't learn shit but how to disregard family for nothing. And you ruined everything! For what? A man who chose to ignore you? Who flowered you in pretty words about being a princess that you were willing to throw away the only mom we will ever get, who you left to be fed to the wolves that tortured her and just-"
Hope shook herself out of that. That was one of their worst fights before their mom died and two years later, it still struck a chord.
And to be honest, Harmony never said how she didn't feel. Especially when she was right.
Hope did ruin everything in the end.
She got back up on her feet and started to leave. "I'm gonna try that sleep thing again."
"You know, you do that a lot," he says.
"Do what?"
"Leave."
Hope didn't argue about that, but she didn't wanna indulge that statement. "I can be dangerous to people. It's better if I keep my distance."
"Better for who?" Landon presses.
"Again with the questions," she says before walking out the cell block, leaving him alone.
Sighing in defeat and being left alone again, Landon gets up and starts to head for the bed when, suddenly, he hears a creaking sound and the door unlocks itself.
Thinking it's Hope, Landon steps out from the cell and looks around. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"
Abruptly, out of nowhere, an invisible, tugging sensation causes him to fall on his back. Before he could even acknowledge the pain, he finds himself being pulled out of the cellblock and somehow into the deep, dark woods.
He didn't know how much time passes, though being pulled away by the Force was a new one for him, it stops when he heard indistinct chatter in the background and scrambled to his feet.
When he looks up, he sees Rafael and a brunette standing next to him. "Raf?"
Sighing in relief to see he was okay, Rafael sped and engulfs him into a hug, which is happily returned. "What the hell, man?"
Rafael pulled away and looks him over, "Y-You all right? They helped me get you out."
"Summoning Spell," the brunette, dressed half-casual/half school attire, acknowledged, "Did I bruise you? I'm really still working out the kinks."
"Summoning spell?" Landon breathes, not entirely sure if he should be shocked or not at this point.
"Let's get you a drink, bro," Rafael ushers with a hand wrapped around his shoulder.
"Yeah, let's do it," Landon agreed as he was led to the massive party before them.
The Old Woods...
"Not your Barbie girl, I'm livin' in my own world
I ain't plastic, call me classic
You can't touch me there, you can't touch my body
Unless I say so, ain't your Barbie, no
Pull up to that dream house, god gate heels down
How much do you like this?
Welcome to my bedroom, hallway go down
Say he's got permission
I can take myself on a dinner date
Buy myself diamonds and a champagne
Order five courses, then chocolate cake, uh-huh
Actin' like I care when I want a man
Actin' like I care but I don't, and?
I do my own thing, yeah watch me dance, uh-huh
Not your Barbie girl, I'm livin' in my own world
I ain't plastic, call me classic
You can't touch me there, you can't touch my body
Unless I say so, ain't your Barbie, no..."
The pop music blares from the speakers as the girls hit the dancefloor and dance around the lit bonfire. Harmony was already there with Dana and Sasha, sandwiched between as they follow the flow of the music. Her arms around Dana's neck and Sasha's hands on her waist, the sensation of proximity was almost erotic if not wild, but intricate.
The night was still young and personally, the brunette wouldn't disbelieve that the Full Moon causes heighten behaviors and emotions. She lost herself in it, in the high of just forgetting who she was and just relaxed.
BZZZZ! BZZZ!
...Until her phone starts buzzing.
"Sorry, girls," she apologized, breaking away from the group dance, "my best besties got information for me."
"Ugh, what could get in the middle of dancing now!?" Dana drones.
"Careful, someone might suspect you like girls," Sasha jests.
"I like guys! Though Monie wouldn't be too far off my radar," she says cheekily.
"YOU'D BE LUCKY TO EVEN GET ME!" Harmony hollers as she walks away, causing many people to debunk into drunken laughter.
Harmony walks towards the edge of the party, where she was pretty sure couples were making out, getting stoned, or just being wallflowers before she pulled out her phone. She got a bunch of messages from Alyssa, which is surprising when she knew she would hands all over Jed by now.
Wolf Boy's brother has entered the fray - A
I raised an eyebrow. Landon escaped lockdown? No, not likely. Seems more like Josie wrenched him from the cells. A cute guy who's a werewolf and new to the school with an imprisoned brother? Yeah, seems legit...and completely on-brand for Jo-No.
Try to keep an eye on him please - B-Witch
No exact promises - Spycraft
Same here - A
I roll my eyes at Penelope's sudden appearance. That reminds me...
And stay away from the Master Manipulator - B-Witch
Are you referring to me? [wink emoji] - Spycraft
You think too highly of yourself. YOU know who I mean! [angry emoji] - B-Witch
I waited a minute for a response from Penelope and somehow I just knew she was already getting into something.
Putting my phone away, I leaned against a tree as a slow song began to play in the background. My next set wasn't for a little bit and I didn't feel like dancing. I looked to the crowd and glanced at Dana and Sasha and to my disgust, Connor - Sasha's boyfriend...and the guy Dana's having an affair with.
When I wasn't at Salvatore, I was at Mystic Falls High School. I had my fair share of friends and acquaintances there but only a few I was close to. Dana and Sasha were amongst the few because they were fun to hang out with - and Dana enabled my inner party girl for three years.
When Sasha introduced Connor Delaware as her boyfriend, I was cordial but expressed my dislike. He was a typical jock, bully, and narcissistic asshole who thought the sun rose from his ass! Not to mention the many times I had to save his victims, including Landon, from his and his posse's clutches! I despised people like him and they don't change until they enter the real world!
Watching Connor doing his horrible rendition of dancing between Sasha and Dana - while keeping placing his hands on Dana was the final straw for me.
Screw it!
I rushed towards the middle of the dancefloor and pulled into the next dance, which to my fortune, was Trash by Little Mix. Out of all the artists on my playlist, you can never go wrong with Little Mix!
Lie, all he ever does is lie
You don't know where he went last night
Creeping through the door like you won't notice
Why? (Why?)
You keep on going back, girl, why? (Why?)
All he does is make you cry (cry)
When he apologizes, keep your focus
"What are you doing!?" Dana whines as I wrapped my arms around hers got our hips swaying to the beat.
"What do you think I'm doing? Keeping you away from Conner!"
Just as I said that the girls in the crowd started picking up on the next verse and started singing along:
He's always working late (what?)
He's always on his phone (no)
You dealing with the pain (huh?)
Gotta let him go (go)
You're too beautiful
Way too beautiful
I'm telling you, here's what we gonna do (woo)
"What goes on between us is none of your business," she seethed. She tried to leave, but I spun her around until I lowered her into a dip!
"If that was the case, I'd tell Saha about you two a long time ago with video-graphic evidence to prove it!" I said sharply, looking down at her just as the chorus was about to come on.
"You don't have proof."
I lifted her and pulled herself to me again as we danced.
"You and Conner make out in the parking lot every day before the last bell rings like clockwork! I'm over there enough to time it!" I clapped back.
I felt Dana stiffen and I forced her to keep swaying. The beat intensified as the crowd started singing and I knew I had to speak up. So I slowly started edging her away from the crowd or else what I had to say next would get lost in the music.
"Then why don't you?" she asks below her breath.
"Because as much as I hate cheaters, I also hate when friends break up over guys!" I reasoned. "You and Sasha have known each other since you were in Pre-K. From the minute I met the guy, I knew he was trouble! And the fact you were willing to betray your friend over him just says enough about how much of an ass he is. Also, if he can cheat on her, what are the odds he's seeing someone on the side and cheating on you!?"
Hasn't she heard the saying, "Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater"!?
And it doesn't help that Connor tried to put the moves on me once when both girls weren't looking at the last party I played at. Having a feeling telling them without viable proof wasn't an option, I kicked him in the balls and left his screaming to be lost in the endless singing and shouting before my next set!
If your man's a player, throw him in the trash
Tell him, "See you later", never call him back
Girl, it ain't your problem if he don't know how to act
We gon' sell them diamonds, spend out all that cash, 'cause
If your man's a liar, throw him in the trash
Dry out all them tears, we ain't never looking back
Pick up all his things and put 'em in the bag
I'ma throw him out with the trash
"You've never been in love."
"Good," I declared firmly, "I wouldn't make the risky investment if this was the cost. Sasha doesn't deserve this and neither do you!"
Dana looked me in the eyes for a moment, maybe searching for conviction in them before she turned her head and sighed as we continued to sway our hips to the next verse.
Learn, the only way that he gon' learn
Get a lighter, let it burn
But don't you dare give in when he (no) comes running (no)
First (First)
Girl, it's time to put you first (first)
Find a man that you deserve ('serve)
Now you gonna see the bad ones coming
"It's not that easy," she voiced.
I nodded my head as I spun her around again. "Of course not. Admitting your faults rarely is. Look, we've known each other since I was 14, self-harming, and depressed over my dad-"
"-And then I fixed you right up and got you drunk on the school roof," Dana finished before pulling me to her as I arched my back to dip this time.
I didn't hide the wince I felt at the mention of how we started our unconventional friendship. To be fair, I had just watched three people die in the gym through my Sight and my mental state wasn't doing so good at the time. Or any of my life choices after her mom died.
And yet, I never found myself regretting becoming friends with Dana.
He's always working late (what?)
He's always on his phone (yeah)
You dealing with the pain (yeah)
Gotta let him go (yeah) (let him go)
You're too beautiful (yeah)
Way too beautiful
I'm telling you, here's what we gonna do
"Just promise me you'll start looking at someone else," I state. Dana gave me wide eyes and halted our dance.
"What?"
"You heard me. Find another boy toy to play with or just come out as bisexual and put us both out of our misery, but it's either that or implode your relationship with Sasha!" I declared.
If your man's a player, throw him in the trash
Tell him, "See you later", never call him back
Girl, it ain't your problem if he don't know how to act
We gon' sell them diamonds, spend out all that cash, 'cause
If your man's a liar, throw him in the trash
Dry out all them tears, we ain't never looking back
Pick up all his things and put 'em in the bag
I'ma throw him out with the trash
Meanwhile...
Back at the Salvatore School (The Old Mill)...
A bonfire party was completely underway with a mix of three types of students: The Werewolves - the students who transform into wolves under the Full Moon - the Vampires - the immortal teenagers - and the Witches - students capable of witchcraft, and, arguably, the last type of students anyone wants to piss off.
Music, beer, party tricks, and drunken laugher filled the atmosphere as Josie Saltzman guides the fister brothers through the party. Landon watched in awe and surprise as he watched the rowdy crowd mingle. One girl gathered a ball of fire from the bonfire into her hand and blew flames into the air with it. Another with dark hair tried to make an orb of punch levitate from a cup, but in her laughter, it was unstable and destabilizes, much to her friends' amusement.
"Watch this," Rafael pointed out ahead as they headed inside the mill. "They teach it in PE."
The boys watched as a young man performed an impressive set of parkour in front of the crowd. In a few effortless leaps, he jumped from a table to the railings of a baluster, then to another baluster at the top of the mill before dropping thud on his two feet, drawing cheers from all over.
"You seem good," Landon said, "I was... I was worried."
"I was talking to these wolf dudes back here," Rafael said, pointing out a group of guys in the back. "All that stuff I've been feeling, everything that gets me into trouble? It's normal. I want you to meet them."
Landon immediately turned his head to Rafael and stutters, "Uh, honestly, I think it's best if I just take this opportunity to jump the fence and disappear."
"I'll go with you," he says, shaking his head at the suggestion as if it's the simplest thing to do.
"Raf, no..." Landon argues.
"Lan, it's you and me. So whatever we do, we do it together," Rafael declares. "That Dorian guy may have talked me out of talking-"
"-more like punching-" Landon interjected.
"- to Alaric for imprisoning you," he continued, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave you alone. We can talk to him about letting you stay or that you can be trusted."
Landon looked into Rafael's eyes and knew his foster brother wouldn't see reason. They hadn't been foster siblings for long, but knowing Rafael was like meeting that long-lost sibling you'd never known you needed. That inspired loyalty between the two - and that's something Rafael wouldn't forsake to stay in a place where he belongs.
"Yeah, we'll talk about it over a drink," he suggests, patting him on the shoulder. "Want anything?"
"I'm good."
Rafael watches as Landon wales away before a hand claps him on the shoulder and he goes to greet the other werewolves that call out to him. Landon turns back to see Rafael, for the first time in a while, genuinely happy and fitting in with others like him as he always has. Landon takes one last look before he disappears into the crowd and the woods.
Back inside Salvatore...
An older, handsome man in his fifties with light, brown hair gelled back chimes a golden bowl, causing it to vibrate resulting in a bell-like tone resounding through a dorm as he sits across from Lizzie Saltzman on the floor.
"Breathe..."
A hand lands on the bowl, stilling it while stopping the ringing.
"Dad," Lizzie voiced, "this is lame."
"You nearly gave me a tracheotomy with a bread knife. Humor me," Alaric Saltzman retorts, ringing the bowl again as he demonstrates inhaling through his nose.
"Hmm. You know, I could just whip up a remedy with some herbs from the bio lab," she suggests.
"No. No. No magic," Alaric objects, putting the bowl down. "Your magic gets you into these states, and I want your mind... to get you out of them."
Lizzie seemingly nods as she watches her father close his eyes and chest go up down as he inhales and exhales.
"Dad?"
Alaric opened his blue eyes to see the same shade of his staring back at him somberly.
"Do you think I'm broken?" she asks.
Alaric stills for a moment, his mouth gaping as he tries to find the right words to say.
"Of course not," he voices before continuing, "I think your biological mother's crazy-ass witch ancestors left you with a legacy of darkness that you have to work through,"
"But Josie doesn't have freak-outs," she responded.
"Josie spends a lot of time worrying about other people's happiness," Alaric counters, "It's a supernatural phenomenon called co-dependency, and I'm pretty sure she got it from my side of the family."
"I just...I don't ever want to hurt anybody," she confesses honestly.
The image of a young girl laying on the ground with blood pooling around her head flashes through her mind before she shakes it off. It was a long time ago and yet that memory has always haunted her.
"I know that honey," he says earnestly. "That's why we opened this school, to learn control, which is why I'm here now to help, okay?"
"I'm surprised that you have time, what with all of the private training sessions you've been doing with Hope Mikaelson," she says bitterly.
"Maybe if you made friends, we could do group training," he asserts, "after all, you used to be friends with Harmony. And didn't she try to give you lessons as well?"
"Yeah, before I screwed that up and she stopped talking to me," Lizzie said with a hint of sadness.
And I can't say I didn't deserve it, she thought sadly.
"Could you blame her at the time? You took a confidential video and spread it through the school."
Not to mention she had been going through it with an emotionally bad year and nearly getting my head ripped off by her hybrid mother was the last thing I needed, he thought.
And don't get him started on what she did to retaliate! While she may have undone the spell, Alaric never quite forgave the brunette for what she did to Lizzie.
"I apologized! And she forgave me! Which I find ironic considering she's friends with Alyssa Chang, of all people! Especially with what she did to me with my notebook."
"I'd say forgiveness can be subjective," he whispered sourly before toning it down. "She forgave why you did it, but what you did with that videotape threw out the trust she had in you. And her friendship with Alyssa stems from the fact that once upon a time, she and her sister could have gone through the same thing if they didn't have an overprotective mother and a need to hide their identity. Out of both twins, Harmony's more forgiving, it just takes a lot. She's just scared to give you back the faith she had in you, like with her sister."
"Harmony's different. At least she tried to be my friend! I've tried to be Hope's friend when I was five and when I was nine and when I was thirteen. She never makes any effort!" she argues.
"She has lost a lot, both of them have, and you know that. She's just afraid to let herself care," her father consoles.
And trying to rebuild the bridge with her sister that got badly burnt beyond recognition when their mother died.
"Boo-boo," Lizzie bemoans, rolling her eyes. "Everyone in here has lost something. She doesn't hold the patent on it."
Stooping her right there before she works herself up again, Alaric interjects, "-Breathe. Breathe."
He closes his eyes and inhales loudly and his daughter, realizing what he's trying to do, exhales loudly.
KNOCK
KNOCK
"Come in."
The door opens and, much to her disappointment, Hope's head peaks through.
"Speak of the actual devil," she grumbles loudly, knowing the tribrid could hear her.
"Sorry to bother," she apologizes, "Um... I'm feeling kind of restless. I kind of need a release."
Realizing she meant to turn into a wolf, Alaric nods.
"Uh... back acres. But stay away from the Old Mill. Heathens are having a secret party I'm gonna break up in ten minutes," he warns.
"Thanks."
Alaric watches the door close behind her and turns to see a dumbfounded Lizzie staring at him.
"I'm missing a party?" she asks astonishingly, mouth open in shock.
Back at the Old Mill...
The party was still going on, though it was getting less rowdier by the second. Josie was walking over to the bonfire when her eyes caught those of her ex, Penelope Park, looking at her and she just...froze.
It's been months since she broke up with Josie and it was borderline hate and uncomfortable awkwardness that gave the once-close couple so much distance.
Looking at her once more, Penelope walks off, leaving Josie with some upsetting thoughts.
"No. Like, Twilight ruined all vampire mythos!" MG explained to his classmates. "Okay, y'all want reality, y'all got to go old-school. Okay, my man Blade... He is the GOAT! His crazy moms were all, '"You wouldn't kill me,"' And then, he's all, "I must release you." And he's... bam, stab! Dude kills his crazy-ass mom!"
However, just as MG stops when he notices the guys go silent and try to save face, he feels a chilling sensation go down his spine and looks ahead to see Alyssa scowling directly at him. And considering just who she's friends with, he quickly immediately corrected himself.
"I'm not saying that y'all should kill your mom, 'cause that's-that's messed up," he rushes, his eyes looking ahead to see a hint of a nod from Alyssa before she turned her attention towards her date, Jed Tien.
"Thanks for your help with Landon," Rafael expressed to Josie, who caught up with him later.
"Oh, yeah, of course," Josie replied with a laugh, "it was actually the least I could do for stopping my ex and her friends' notorious plan. Which I once again apologize for."
Rafael shrugged. "It's all good."
"Listen, I know that my sister kind of put her foot in it earlier," Josie started.
Rafael laughed. That was the understatement of the century, but he wasn't so mad about it anymore.
"I just...I really wanted you to know that we are really sorry about what happened to you," she apologized morosely.
Rafael looked at her. "Thanks. I had...gotten a track scholarship to UVA. She was gonna follow me after graduation."
He didn't try to think about it. Until last night, everything was so...different. That car crash, waking up in a hospital with Landon by his side to tell him Cassie died, the loss of his scholarship, the anger that he couldn't keep down.
And now learning it was all werewolf aggression? That finally put the edge off.
He just hated what it cost.
Rafael sighed. "She was the best person I knew. Pretty much loved her in the way that they say only exists in movies."
"People who say that are the people who have never had their hearts crushed," Josie stated, a frown forming on her face.
"You, too?" he asks.
"On the regular," she chuckles bitterly before turning to him. "I care too much. It's kind of a problem."
Josie looked down, but Rafael's words made her look up into his brown eyes.
"I don't think that's a problem at all."
Josie looked Rafael in the eyes and the earnestness in them. It was something like trust, but more.
But, Lizzie called dibs and she couldn't have him (though they were still 14 and Rafael had three more years on them).
"You should give Lizzie a chance - as a friend," she urged, even if she felt likes she shouldn't.
"She's the best person I know."
Back Acres of the woods...
Insects trilling into the night were all Landon could hear besides his footsteps as he wanders through the woods.
It was handy that the chol grounds have light posts throughout the woods, but then again, he shouldn't have been surprised.
Kinda like he shouldn't have been walking through the woods, on a dark and foggy night.
But what's the worst that can happen? he thought. Being attacked by a werewolf? It's not even a full moon!
GRRRRRR...
His heart nearly stops in his chest, he quickly turns around to see a big- no, HUGE - white wolf with yellow eyes stalking towards him from behind the trees.
In fear for his life, Landon bolts through the woods, the wolf seeing its prey and right on his tail!
Why did I have to jinx myself!? he thinks in vain.
Logically, considering its size and the fact he's in a MAGIC SCHOOL, he really should have seen this coming a mile away. The wolf is gonna kill him, feed on his flesh, and not even care if he's still alive throughout the process!
For a brief second, he doesn't hear the beast behind him, but he doesn't have a minute to ponder why until he's crashing on the ground with his coat ripped off of him.
Quickly getting up and acting on his flight response, he's about to continue running until a familiar voice stops him in his tracks and he turns around to see jot the wolf, but Hope in its place, in nothing but his jacket.
"Are you crazy?! I almost killed you!" Hope shouts.
Back at Salvatore...
In a room filled with shelves of books, desks, and chairs, there were small, see-through glass displays containing memorabilia, pictures, and strange artifacts.
Landon couldn't help but be drawn to a strange-looking knife and was about to open it up to take a closer look-
"Don't touch that."
Landon jumped, his heart racing a bit fast, and turned to see Hope standing in the entrance, fully dressed in the coat she stole off him in hand.
"Sorry. I didn't. I-I mean, I wasn't... Where are we?" he asks.
"Uh, the Stefan Salvatore Memorial Library. All the artifacts in here have a supernatural history,"
What's the story on this one?
No idea, but in my experience, your safest bet is to not touch it.
Noted. I'm sorry about earlier. You shouldn't have been out there.
"Yeah. I'll file that under the things that seem really obvious after the fact," Landon notes. "So... I guess this means you're a werewolf. He said, casually."
"I'm a lot of things."
"Care to elaborate?"
"They're just gonna - make you forget tomorrow.
"Come on. Humor me."
A few minutes later, Landon was looking through the magic history books - a line he never thought he would say - until Hope appeared again with a book in her hands.
"The blood that runs through my veins isn't human. My dad was one of the earth's Original Vampires," she says.
"Was?" he implores.
"Was," she affirms, turning her head. "Turns out even immortal beings can find a way to die eventually."
Hope opened up the book and skipped to one of the chapters.
"'Klaus Mikaelson: The Great Evil'," Landon reads, reading the first few sentences.
"He wasn't very popular around here."
"One of my foster dads used to burn us with his cigarettes," he tells her, "I guess evil is relative."
Realizing that he was being sympathetic to her, she shares a glance at him before continuing. "My mother was a werewolf alpha."
"There's that "was" again," he comments.
"The people I care about have a tendency to die on me," Hope says with a sigh, "I try not to get close to people anymore."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"Um, my grandmother was a witch," she explains. "So, all of those things passed down, making me-"
"A unicorn?" Landon guesses.
A small smile grows on Hope's face at the suggestion. "A hybrid of three different creatures, tri-brid. I can control when I turn, which is what I was doing tonight."
She felt her heart race at the look Landon was giving her, non-repulsed and open-minded.
"I'm the only one of my kind," she declares, before correcting herself. "Well, one of two."
"Yeah," he replies with enthusiasm. "See? Unicorn."
They both laugh and Hope gets an idea
"Can I show you something?" she asks, closing the gap between them. "Earlier, you mentioned the jock that had messed with you the day that we danced."
She places her hands on Landon's head. she motions him to close his eyes as she did hers and shows him flashes of images through his mind.
A group of jocks, one of them being Connor as the ringleader, got up from a table at the Mystic Grill and threw stuff at Landon, who stood still and seethed but couldn't do anything.
The next scene flashes as they get into a red muscle car and drive off, leaving Landon standing there glaring at them.
That's the guy. You can just dial up one of my memories like that?" he asks.
"It's not your memory. It's mine."
Images flash towards Connor, his jock friends, and a few girls washing the car behind Mystic Falls High School.
Images change to Hope, with her arms spread out, chanting "Glace, solidatur. Glace, solidatur. Glace, solidatur."
The red car quickly covers in ice and freezes over the windows. The ice thickens and cracks before-
Flashes show Hope, with a flick of her wrists, watching in anticipation as the ringing of glass shattering echos while the windows explode, causing a ruckus amongst the group.
"Oh!"
"My... my car! Oh, my God! What did you, what did you do to my car?! Every single... What did you do to my car?!" Connor shouts in anguish and shock.
Images show Hope lowering her hands and smiling in satisfaction.
Landon opens his eyes in shock as he registers what Hope's memories reveal to him.
"Oh, my God! You did that for me?" he asks in surprise.
"He had it coming," she admits.
Landon looked at her as if she was something more, something special.
Hope hasn't felt that way in a long time...not since...
Roman.
Realizing where her train of thought was going, she lowered her hands.
"Um, we shouldn't be in here after curfew. We should get you back before anyone knows that you're gone," she says before she turns and walked away, leaving Landon in a daze.
The next morning...
"Ahh-hhaa," Harmony yawned tiredly as she sat down at the at for breakfast table in the cafeteria. She worked late into the night, but luckily the promoter didn't stiff her pay. But the downside was the loss of sleep and she could barely keep her eyes open. Harmony was also too tired to bother doing an energy-boosting spell. The most she did was get semi-dressed and pull her hair back before heading to the cafeteria for breakfast.
"Someone was out late last night," Penelope sings from behind as she came to the table with two cups of coffee.
"Black like my soul?" Harmony grumbled sleepily as she grabs the cup, almost moaning as the smell of caffeine wafts through her nose.
"With sugar because Momo's a ray of sunshine in the morning."
"Go out with me."
"Sorry, don't take dates at 9 in the morning," Penelope says cheekily.
"Then why are you so chirpy today?" Harmony asks before consuming more coffee.
"Because I had a good night's sleep."
Harmony nodded groggily as she took a sip. She finally managed to get the strength to open her eyes looked up at Penelope.
Then, Alyssa appears with a widely-assorted breakfast tray (toast, eggs, grapes, apples, and orange juice) and sat down in front of them. She took one look at the bags under Harmony's eyes and unceremonially declared, "You look like shit."
"Please run away with me."
"Sorry, I don't elope with my significant others at 10 in the morning," Alyssa pipes as she starts to eat.
"I thought it was 9?"
"Time flies with good company," Penelope quips.
Harmony snorts, "Verdicts still out."
"And why are you so tired? What time did you get in?" Alyssa asks as she took a bite of her toast.
"The party went on until 2 AM and I did three sets plus two encores," Harmony explains as she sneakily took grapes from Alyssa's tray. "I didn't get back to school until 3. I was tired and I'm pretty sure I wore Gia out."
"So what's on your agenda?" Penelope asks, genuinely curious. "Sleeping through the first period?"
Tempted, but I still have to head back to my dorm and make myself look presentable. I plan to catch Landon early before MG compels his memories away."
"Wait, who's Landon?" Alyssa asks in confusion.
Harmony and Penelope exchange mutual looks that said "Seriously?" before Penelope answered.
"He's the guy we got in trouble for trying to turn into a golem yesterday," she explains with a deadpan expression.
Suddenly, Alyssa looked behind her. "Is Landon the guy with the raccoon hair and trash panda aesthetic?"
The other two followed her gaze and sure enough, Landon was freed from his cell and sitting in a far-off corner with his brother, who was dashing impeccably in the Salvatore school suite tie uniform.
She didn't agree with compulsion (or anything vampire-related), but she also didn't believe Alaric was doing the right thing. Even if Rafael did find some support group in the School Pack, she already knew that Landon's presence would and could play an important part in grounding Rafael.
Seeing Rafael get up and walk away, Harmony excused herself and walked quickly to Landon's table, where she swiftly slide into Rafael's seat next to him. Landon, however, wasn't surprised.
"Landon Kirby."
"Harmony Marshall. No, Mikaelson. No, Kenner! Right?" he jests.
She smiled. Normally, it would piss her off if anyone else called one of the first two, but considering he was messing with her, Harmony let him slide.
"Kenner's perfect. Out of the three, it's the one I want to last. So how are you holding up? I just wanted to see you before you spoke to Alaric and apologize for my failure earlier yesterday," she meant sincerely.
Landon shook his head. "What's there to apologize for? You agreed to do that with no benefits for yourself except to do the right thing. I was gaining something and you didn't."
Harmony chuckles. True, considering she built enough of a reputation between both schools that she could blend in with the cool crowd while defending others like Landon, she did have benefits to enjoy.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Doing what I did pissed someone off and I enjoy that enormously," she told him, a mischievous glint flashing through her eyes.
Landon agreed. "Yeah, the Harmony I knew before I moved away seemed to enjoy the benefits a lot. So, why didn't you want Raf to know we knew each other?"
"Because he's new," she said honestly, "I wanted him to have a good impression of me himself rather than from someone else. I told him the general basis about myself when I was helping him locate you. I normally don't care about reputations, but they come in handy if you have some control over the narrative."
"Since you feel that way, do you think I have a chance at getting Alaric to let me stay?"
Her eyes widen. "What?"
"Look, I don't envy any foster kid who had a good living situation and great foster parents. But for those like me and Raf, who are bounced from house to house, from mediocre to terrible foster families - very few of them good or lasting - maybe I will be something here. Rafael's the happiest I've seen him since his girlfriend died and he lost his scholarship. This school is the Island of Misfit Toys. People are different, outsiders, and they belong. I want that. I want a place to belong with my brother and-"
"Hope?" she suspects, unsurprisingly. She could care less about a potential budding relationship with Hope Mikaelson, but she wouldn't be surprised if she was one of the things pushing it, unsurprisingly.
And the blush on Landon's face and his bashful expression confirmed it. "Yeah, definitely her too. Look, I can be the hired help. I can cook, clean, have a great work ethic. And I'm a good secret keeper. That's gotta be enough to convince him, right?"
Looking at those desperate eyes of his reminded Harmony of too many people: Henry Benoit, the victims of the Ninth Ward Massacre, the 12 Hybrids, and so many more innocents the world has stepped on.
Landon called this place the island of misfit toys? Can't fault him for believing that. Anyone who's considered an outsider would believe they could find a home if they looked hard enough. Harmony should know, after all, she believed in the same thing when she first enrolled here.
But that was before she knew the skeletons in the closet.
But in her short life, she feels like she's been alive for decades. She was being optimistic and fair in believing Rafael still needed Landon. But she'd seen too much and known that the odds of him knowing about their world and surviving would come at a cost, and she had to weigh her options in the grander scheme of things.
"If you could pull a miracle and convince Alaric to let you stay, let me tell you: You will never have a boring day for the rest of your life," she says sincerely. "But if you can't, at least ask him to arrange for some type of communication and visits with Raf. I still maintain you're the most important influence for him."
Landon leaned back, seeming to consider her words. It wasn't an agreement or disagreement, but something in the middle.
"So, you got any advice for me if I can't convince him?" he asks her.
"Only a few parting words," she says, before quoting one of her favorite films, "You be careful out there in the real world, a'ight? All right, boss. Everyone's not as friendly as us. And not many are as caring as me."
That evening...
"ATTENTION! CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! ALL STUDENTS MUST HEAD TO THE MAIN HALL FOR AN EMERGENCY ASSEMBLY PLEASE! EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!"
The trio, who reconvened for dinner, exchange looks with each other and hurriedly ate their dinner before following everyone else to the main hall. Seats were already established and everyone was sitting down. There's a spike of apprehension in the air and amongst the chattering and whispers, everyone was confused as to what was going on.
"I don't like this," Harmony bluntly states to her coven. Beside her, Penelope was sipping a cup of tea from a thermos while Alyssa had a bag of popcorn in hand.
They live for this.
"For ten years we've gone undetected. Protecting you, protecting our secret has been our singular mission. Tonight. I need your help to find Landon Kirby... before he exposes us all."
"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate this entire ensemble?" Alyssa implores, popping a kernel in her mouth.
"I scale this an 11 for the dramatics," Penelope whispers.
A student rose from his seat and everyone turned to see, much to their surprise (or not, depending on who you ask), it was Rafael.
"Wait? What did Landon do?" he questions.
Flashback...
It was later in the day when Alaric got an emergency text to come to the library.
Getting a text from Dorian, Alaric rushed over to see the man standing over a small display casing. "What's wrong?"
"The alarm didn't trigger. I don't know why," he answers.
"What was it?"
"Knife, dated circa the 12th century. Supernatural origins unknown."
Flashback ends...
"If Landon stole from this school a weapon of unknown abilities, there's no telling what will happen," Alaric asserts.
Rafael shook his head. "Nah, I don't believe that! He's not a thief!"
"Rafael..."
"NO!" his voice booms, scaring those near him. Realizing that, he quickly calms down and continues, "He's my friend and the closest thing I've got to a brother and he's no thief or a liar!"
With that, he marched out of the hall.
Harmony couldn't help but watch his back as goes.
If she wanted to, she could have used her Sight on Landon at any time to find out any of his dirty secrets at any time. But just because she can doesn't mean she should. After the last two years, she perfected her ability to read people without her Sight and nothing about Landon makes him a thief.
Sure, he wanted to stay and she knew later on that Alaric denied him that, but for a guy who looks like he's from the wrong side of the tracks, Harmony completely read him and just knew something was off.
After the assembly ended, Harmony departed from her friends while everyone else either left or stuck around.
Josie was walking out to head back to her dorm when she heard someone call out to her.
"Jo."
Josie turns to see MG behind her. "I'm not talking to you."
"Hold on," he let out as he walked towers her to explain himself, "I'm sorry. All right? I'm an ass. You-know-who, she puts those sex herbs in her weed, and I had a... a momentary lapse of judgment."
Yeah, a momentary also of judgment that found your tongue down her throat! she thinks bitterly.
"Why does everyone find her so special?" Josie whines.
"She's not special," MG reasons. "She's just... available."
Seeing the sad look in her eyes, he said "Come here," as he pulls her into a hug, which she reciprocated.
"Don't hate me, okay?" he pleas to her.
Looking over her shoulder, she sees Penelope laughing and chatting about behind them. A dark urge surges through her at the sight of her ex's low blow manipulation.
As MG pulls from her embrace and walks away, that dark impulse she felt grew more and more at the sight of her ex. Raising her hand slowly, a red hue illuminates it as she chants out, "Ignalusa."
Almost instantly, flames erupt on the right sleeve of Penelope's leather jacket and go higher, causing her and the other girls to scream around her as one took off her jacket and quickly covers her to put out the flames.
Turning from the screams, Josie walks away with a scowl on her face...not realizing, lurking in the background, Hope Mikaelson was watching her, witnessing everything.
In the Saltzmans' dorm...
"I need your help."
That was the first thing Josie heard when Hope Mikaelson walked into her and her sister's shared dorm.
"Three more words to me than your annual average. Find someone else," she says as she sits on her bed.
Hope closes the door behind her so no one can hear, "This stuff with Landon is my fault. I can fix it. I know how to track him, but it involves using dark magic."
"Well, we're not allowed to use dark magic here, so..." Josie trails.
"Says the girl who just lit her ex on fire," she counters. "Be lucky it was a who saw you and not Harmony."
Josie looks up at her in disbelief. "Are you blackmailing me?"
"No!" she said instantly, before slowly explaining. "No, I'm just looking for a kindred spirit in revenge."
A few minutes later, Hope returned with the spell pages and placed them on the ground as Josie lit candles around it. Hope took out a small rat she got from the lab. She gave the poor thing a small "Sorry," before wringing and snapping its neck.
She used a small knife to cut the rodent open and sprinkle its blood onto the pages as Josie sprinkles reb herbs.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely," she affirms.
The girls interlocked hands, closed their eyes, and began to chant: "Inveniet hostium et tenebrae, Inveniet hostium et tenebrae, Inveniet hostium et tenebrae..."
The wind started to pick up around them, sending pages fluttering everywhere, their hands glowing red as Josie siphons off of Hope as the spell gains traction and vivid flashes flickered behind their eyes and into their minds.
A flash appears, a visage showing Landon sleeping on a bus full of equally sleeping passengers.
"Do you see anything?"
"Just flashes."
"Come on, give me something."
Flashes continue as a horn honks and headlights flare. An image of a road sign appears. South 29.
"I got it! Route 29," Josie says.
Another flash appears through Hope's mind. Another road sign, this time displaying STATE LINE 10 PELHAM 15.
"Near the state line," Hope realizes.
The flashes continue to show Landon waking up and opening his jacket to reach in and reveal a knife, which was now glowing red.
"Is that the knife?"
"Yeah."
The images continue as Landon looks at the knife in confusion as it continues to glow brighter and brighter.
"What's it doing?"
"I have no idea."
The flashes quicken as it shows Landon, examining the knife, showing him turning his face as the knife gloves from red to white-hot color before light envelopes him...
Harmony's POV
I was marching to my dorm when I felt my Hope-Bullshit-o-meter go off.
What is that?
Well, that is my alarm for whenever Hope Mikaelson is planning something devious, conniving, and/or utter bullshit that truly lets her live up to the title bestowed onto her by her father as Niklaus Mikaelson's Heir.
Meaning? She's about to do something stupid and dangerous that will involve possibly innocent casualties.
Like Father, like daughter...
So when I sense that alarm going off, I just know this won't end well if I don't get involved! The last time I waited too long, I got a dead mother, teacher, murdered pack members, and a whole lotta rage which had to be filtered with the help of an evil spirit witch!
I spent 2 years learning how to read people better without taking the easier path with my Sight, maybe more than I should. And if I don't find Landon, I have it on good authority that there won't be anything left of him to find if Hope gets him first!
This is where shit hits the fan.
No, if anything else, this is where shit gets shitter!
I was almost to my dorm an excruciating pain erupted through me, causing me to fall.
"No, no, not now!" I groan in pain.
Those Souls hadn't been active recently, but they now choose to attack me!?
Fucking great!
I struggle to get on my two feet when it felt like invisible hands grabbed my left leg and twists it, almost causing it to break like someone was tearing it off!
An inhumane sound erupted from me when a searing pain ripped through my side as a metallic smell filled my nostrils and a coppery taste filled my mouth.
I spat it out and a deep shade of red stained the carpet where stood.
Fighting through the pain, I rushed to my door in agonizing pain, blood seeping through me as my skin ripped itself apart by unseen assailants before I managed to get to my room and close the door behind me.
I stumbled into the bathroom and an intense stabbing sensation in my gut sends me flying into the tub.
"AH!"
I hit my head against the tile, and a spike of pain rushed through me. Gritting my teeth, I quickly turned the jobs and activated the shower.
Icy, cold water enclosed around me, and I closed my eyes as the pain washes over. It only could numb the pain away as I endured psychological torture. I didn't want to watch as the water filled with blood not did I want to see which one of my tenants was angry with me now.
I just had to endure the pain like I always did. After all, this was nothing.
I had nearly 10 years to endure this and that won't change anytime soon.