The boy that slides into the booth across from her own isn't familiar to Eloise. He's thin-framed and covered in toned muscle, there's a bit of scruff growing at his chin that's not much longer than the hair covering the top of his head, his complexion is nice- Eloise honestly can't find a single blemish and what is it with that? She'd been an acne riddled fool at sixteen- but his eyes are the first thing a person would probably notice if they looked at him. All-in-all, the boy is cute but way too young to be sitting at a table wit a twenty-two year old art major when he should be at school. If it weren't for the witchy-ness swirling around him Eloise might have been fool enough to think he's trying to get lucky.
Eloise sips at her coffee and raises a dark eyebrow at the boy who smiles so disarmingly at her.
"Hi, I'm Luka Martin." He says, offering his hand across the table.
"Eloise."
"Just Eloise?"
Tension rolls through her as Eloise squeezes the hand in her grasp a bit tighter before pulling away with a, "Just Eloise."
Luka's smile is a bit hesitant before he seems to shake off the feeling. Eloise watches as he moves to recline back in his seat, arms spread out over the back of the booth, head tipped to the side a bit, she wonders if he's trying to come off as nonchalant and charming in the hopes of getting something from her. Eloise knows better than to fall for such cheap tricks. Points for trying, though. Eloise doubts he came here of his own free will so at this point it's only a matter of figuring out who sent him- her options aren't good but some are certainly more manageable than others.
"So, is there a reason you're here?" Eloise asks before shoving a few fries in her mouth.
"I'm just trying to offer some company to the pretty girl sitting in the back booth."
"Seems a bit more suspicious than saying you were interested in talking to another witch."
There's a moment where Luka's aloof expression freezes on his face, a sort of tension bleeding in around the edges before he covers it. Eloise wonders why he was sent as opposed to someone older and more experienced. Luka's a kid, Eloise knows she has no room to talk as she's not much older than he is but at least she's old enough to drink legally. The boy sitting in front of her can't be much older than seventeen maybe? A little older? Eloise doesn't do good with ages but she can tell he's not older than twenty as matured witches tend to have a certain air about them. It only gets more noticeable the older they get and Luka's aura isn't exactly all that intense.
"Of course, that's probably not a good idea. I could have been a normie... Do you even know how to tell a witch from a human?" She finds herself asking.
It seems to offend him because Luka puffs up and says, "Of course I can!"
"Uh-huh. Right. Want to explain why you're here instead of at school then?" Eloise asks, in part because she wants to antagonize him and in part because she's genuinely curious.
"I was the only one available to come and talk to you."
The taste of cheap coffee lingers on Eloise's tongue as she puts down her mug. It was bound to happen sooner or later she supposes, one of Elijah Mikaelson's witch contacts was bound to seek her out eventually if the vampire didn't do it himself. Eloise is a little surprised none of them came looking for her sooner but they might have just figured they'd try and talk to her without anyone around to bother them. With Elena and her friends at school and Damon taking care of Rose's turning now seems as good a time as any. Smiling brightly, Eloise drums her fingers on the tabletop and watches Luka as he digs around in his pocket.
When he finally holds up a scrap of paper with her familiar scrawl covering the front Eloise can't help but snort.
"Seems a bit ridiculous for an Original Vampire to send someone else to do his negotiating." Eloise remarks as she plucks the paper out of his grasp to crumple it up in her own.
Negotiating isn't exactly the term Eloise would use for it, however. Making a deal with Elijah Mikaelson isn't something Eloise wants to do- for obvious reasons- but it's not like she doesn't want to talk to the original vampire. Knowing what little she does about the Original family puts her in a bad spot; without information she can't very well protect any of her friends, and yet, despite this she might be in more danger when she actually has information of the various Mikaelsons. It's a bit of a precarious situation but Eloise isn't exactly a stranger to those. If anything, handling precarious situations is the one thing she's good at.
"Negotiating? Naw, he's more interest in talking." Luka says.
"His words or yours?" Eloise asks as she wraps her hands around the ceramic mug.
Luka shrugs and says, "Elijah just wants to talk from what I was told. I haven't really talked to the Big Bad so I can't speak for him, but I've talked to my dad and he definitely wants to meet you."
"I'm not entirely sure I trust you," Eloise says, "I haven't heard a lot about the Mikaelsons but what I have heard isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows."
"That's fair." Luka rubs the back of his neck like he's trying to drive out tension, "Elijah's ok though. I think he's the more rational of the bunch but I've only really just met him so what do I know, right?"
Biting the inside of her lip Eloise wonders if maybe she should have told Damon or Miranda about her little plan to meet up with and talk to Elijah. She's not planning on angering the man, she's not stupid, but it might have been a good idea to have someone in the know should things go pear shaped. They would have tried to talk her out of it though and Eloise isn't going to pass this opportunity up. If things go well Eloise might be able to get something out of Elijah that could help her keep Damon and her people safe. Besides, it's always better to know who you're dealing with. Telling either of them is out of the question at this point too. Miranda would haul ass to Mystic Falls and Damon would probably lock her in the basement if he didn't insist on going with her.
Eloise glances around the Grill to see if she recognizes anyone; she doesn't.
Slowly, Eloise digs through her purse until she comes up with a small notepad and a pen. She flips to a clean page on the note pad before putting it on the table so she can scribble out a note for Elijah which she promptly rips out and hands to Luka.
"It's my phone number, tell Elijah to text me when he gets a chance." Eloise says.
Luka stares at the page for a moment before nodding and shoving the note in his pocket.
"He'll be in touch." the younger witch says as he begins sliding out of the booth.
She nods to show him that she heard but doesn't say anything to him aside from that and she waits until Luka has disappeared through the front door to call a waiter over so she can get her ticket. After finishing off her coffee so she can slip a generous tip under the mug Eloise leaves the Grill and makes her way over to her car while digging around in her purse for her keys. All in all, it hadn't been an unpleasant visit considering who Luka is to Elijah and what he could have been instructed to do to her. Eloise thinks she's going to have to figure out a game plan pretty quickly though. Going in blind isn't going to keep her alive and that's all Eloise is trying to do. Keep herself and Damon alive.
Heartless though it may sound, Elena Gilbert is not her priority. Jeremy Gilbert. Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes and Stefan and the rest of the people living in this supernatural hot spot of a town are not her priority, nor should they be. Eloise has no emotional attachment to anyone in this town outside of Damon and should it come down to him or Elena? Well, Eloise will do what she can for Elena because Damon loves her but the fact of the matter is that Damon is the one Eloise is going to chose should she have to decide which one she's going to save. Unfortunately, she knows that Damon's caught feelings for the doppelganger and will do anything he has to do to keep her safe, which is why Eloise has to talk to Elijah and figure out why Klaus needs her for the curse exactly so that she can plan ahead from there.
Being a bad bitch is hard work, obviously, but being a sneaky little witch bitch is even tougher.
Eloise thumps the back of her head against the headrest of her seat before digging her phone out of her pocket to call Miranda.
Her roommate picks up on the third ring with a chipper cry of, "Well if it isn't my favorite witch!"
"Hello, Miranda. I hope everything's going well?"
"Your shop is thriving, I'm living my best life, and I just sold a truly delightful seventeen year old a couple of amethyst pillars. But you aren't calling to ask me about the store- I'd be a little offended if you were TBH- so what do you want?"
"I need you to dig up whatever you can on the Mikaelson family."
There's silence for a long moment before Miranda says, "What are you getting yourself into, Eloise?"
"Nothing too serious yet." She glances out the car window toward the street. "I just need as much information as I can get on them before I do or say something that gets my head lopped off."
"Jesus Christ."
"Look, can you do this for me or not?"
"Yeah, yeah, uh, I'll do some digging."
"Thank you." Eloise says to the other girl.
"Just be careful. I'm serious, Eloise. If it comes down to you or that fucking backwater town you say "Sayonara baby." and get the fuck out." Miranda's voice is waspish. Harsh and full of distant fear.
Eloise hates doing this to Miranda, it doesn't sit well that she's making her friend worry as much as she is, and she finds herself nodding and promising, "I'll be on the first flight home before I can even say it. Promise."
"Ok."
"Miranda?"
"What?"
"You're a good friend."
The redhead scoffs and says, "Of course I am." before the line goes dead.
Shaking her head, Eloise starts up her car before backing out of the parking space. She ambles through Mystic Falls, takine a look at all the town has to offer and deciding that it's actually a really cute place to live before she gets board and goes off in search of something fun to do, which eventually leads her back to the boarding house because she has no friends here aside from Damon, who's busy, and she honestly doesn't think Mystic Falls has fun things to do. Richmond is always an option but Eloise would rather stab herself in the knee than drive anymore than she has in the past few days. Sighing, Eloise pulls her car into her chosen spot and parks.
After scanning the house to make sure no one is home Eloise gathers some supplies and makes her way down to the basement where there cells are. It's spooky as hell and Eloise makes sure all of the cells are empty before picking own for her own use and promptly arranging it to suit her needs. Candles are set up, a throw rug is tossed onto the ground where she'll likely end up sitting or kneeling, ingredients and tools get put in their places, and her grimoires end up carefully stacked on the seat of the folding chair she'd dragged down so at not to stain or damage them with anything that might be scattered about the floor- it's mostly just a little dust from what Eloise can see but she's not taking chances with grimoires that are a hundred plus years old. While the space isn't a proper work-space it's private and that's all she needs. She can also spell it to keep people out of her business when she's not around to protect it. Much easier than trying to ward her room or something. Besides, there's less distraction in the creepy basement cell than there is in the rest of the house.
Sighing, Eloise lights a few of the candles and closes her eyes.
"Sisters, brothers, friends on the other side," she whispers to the shadows dancing in the corners of the room, "I call upon you in search of wisdom and advice. Speak to me, your wayward sister, so that I may find my way."
To make something very, very clear: Eloise is not all that close with the spirits, she's not a follower of ancestral magic, and she sure as shit isn't going to let some bitchy spirit with a bone to pick tell her how to use her magic but Miranda doesn't like communing with spirits. It's something she just won't do under any circumstances, which means that all of the information she's going to be able to get on Klaus or any of the other Mikaelsons is going to be current information and while that's certainly helpful it's nice to have as much information as one can get when dealing with homicidal maniacs. Eloise releases a deep breath and centers herself.
"I call to those willing to speak to me about the Mikaelsons- friends, lovers, enemies- so that I can gain wisdom from your insight."
Something moves in the shadows behind her. Eloise can't see it but she knows that something has entered the room with her. Nothing that has violent intentions, but something definitely willing to talk. She opens her eyes to find a young woman with large dark eyes and inky hair staring at her. The woman is unfamiliar to her and dressed in a long linen shift of rusty coloring with a brown woolen apron-like dress over top, there's a necklace of brightly colored beads dangling around her neck as well. She's beautiful, and powerful, and Eloise wonders how long she's been waiting to have come so quickly.
"Hello," she greets as steadily as her sudden tension allows, "my name is Eloise."
"Yes, I know, the little witch asking questions she should not."
"But you came. So is there anything you wanted to tell me about? There must be something, you came to me so quickly."
The woman sitting across from her frowns, glances around, and finally says, "I was alive when they were, I saw their humanity and I was there when it was taken from them."
"Taken?"
"Yes, by a woman I once considered a friend."
Eloise licks her bottom lip in trepidation before reaching out to place her hand over that of the ghost woman's. Cold seeps into her skin, like she's dunked her hand into a bucket of ice water and left it too long, and it's uncomfortable but it's the only contact the two of them have before the spirit rips her hand away. They stare at one another for a long moment as the candle flames cast flickering shadows on the wall until eventually Eloise begins speaking, pleading, begging really.
"You were there when they were human? You know of their creation? Then please, tell me about the one who changed them! If there is anything you know that can help me protect me and mine I beg you to tell me of it."
There is hesitation in the witch-spirit's voice as she says, "It was a spell preformed out of desperation, dark magic that was paid for in blood and suffering. I warned her what her fear would breed, the price she would pay, but I was forced to turn my back on one whom I considered a dear friend... And then I was forced to watch as her spell bred a plague."
"Vampires."
"And an abomination much more foul; a hybrid."
"Klaus."
"Yes, Niklaus. He was a sweet boy when I knew him."
Eloise purses her lips and tries not to get snappy at the woman for being so blatantly judgy. Old-school witches, ones born before the invention of the internet and cellphones tend to be a bit too closed-minded for Eloise's liking. Especially when they spread their hate to younger generations that end up being brainwashed into thinking that anyone who isn't a witch isn't worth the dog shit clinging to the bottom of their shoes. Total bullshit considering witches are the root of all these so called abominations.
"What happened? What changed? Kind hearted people don't just stop being kind hearted after they've been changed. Doesn't the transition just highten emotions? Sure, the blood lust isn't exactly a good thing but that can be managed. So what turned him into the Boogeyman?" Eloise asks, careful to keep her voice curious as opposed to righteous.
"After he was cursed Niklaus killed a man and it became known that he was a product of infidelity. To appease her husband, my old friend bound Niklaus' werewolf side and as a result he grew angry, hateful."
Fair.
Eloise frowns as she says, "Then what happens when Klaus breaks the curse? If he does? What's his goal?"
"To create more hybrids."
She already assumed that would be a goal. Why wouldn't someone want to make more people just like them? Abandonment issues and self-worth probably have a lot to do with that but Eloise can't help but think that something doesn't add up. Before she can ask the woman sitting across from her anything else a door somewhere above her slams and a loud cry of her name splits the air and kills her concentration. Eloise swears loudly as the witch disappears as the flames hovering above her candles go out as if on an undetectable breeze. Annoyed, Eloise mutters a quick spell to make sure no one else has lingered or left any bad mojo behind before leaving her chosen cell-turned-work-space. She seals it shut as she goes because there's no way in hell she's letting Bonnie fucking Bennett get her hands on her grimoires. Witches may help witches, and Eloise may be cool with sharing her skills, but she knows that Bonnie hasn't exactly had a good history of borrowing things and giving them back- just as Damon.
Slowly, she makes her way up to the main floor of the house to find said vampire stomping around the living room.
"What's up?" She asks as she makes her way to the couch.
"Caroline is missing."
"Missing? Like, MIA?"
Damon shoots her a withering look before saying, "Can you do a spell to find her? I got a hold of Bonnie and I think I have an idea of where she might be but I want you to do your thing just to be sure."
Quickly shooing Damon off to get a map of Mystic Falls and something of Caroline's results in Eloise having a moment to contemplate if coming to Mystic Falls was a good idea or if she should have just been an over the phone consultant to Damon. It would have saved her a lot of trouble if she'd just stayed in Chicago. Huffing, Eloise makes her way to the kitchen where she'll do her locator spell so at not to ruin any of the wooden furniture in Damon's home. He should be thankful for that honestly, Eloise isn't nearly this considerate of other people's personal property. As demonstrated when she burns a picture of Caroline to a crisp so she can sprinkle the ashes over the map of Mystic Falls that Damon so kindly spread out of the counter. The ashes gather in a thick circle around some bit of forest that Damon seems to recognize because he has his phone to his ear and is out of the house before Eloise can spit out a hesitant location.
Yeah, staying in Chicago would have been way simpler.