𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 — the dreams of the dead

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𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 be moving along just fine. No witches overstepped their boundaries, the wolves stayed in the bayou, the vampires fed on tourists and simply healed them and compelled them to forget moments after, and the humans did what humans do... Stay blissfully unaware of the monsters lurking in the streets.

This night was as quiet as ever, and Ophelia seemed to be the only person in the compound to still be awake; granted it was three in the morning.

As ever, the siphon had been tucked away within Elijah's office as she scoured the hundreds of books that lined the walls; some were old and worn, others new and pristine. Some were books she had read and recognized easily, others entirely new to her, and so, the second she found a book about witches, she snatched it up, threw herself onto the couch and delved in.

Yes, Ophelia hated to be associated with witches... But their blood was in her veins, no matter how much she tried to deny it. She used magic just as they did... Though obtaining it in a very different manner, of course.

The history of witches, no matter her burning hatred, was fascinating. Their supposed origin — which was entirely false as of course, she had the real information straight from the horses... Stag's mouth —, the Salem witch trials as well as other old stories and 'spells'.

The cover of the book had been pulled open at around nine in the evening, and in all honesty, Ophelia hadn't noticed just how late it was; she could just about recall when Nik had popped his head in to say goodnight and scoff at the book she was reading, as well as Elijah passing her by, gently squeezing her shoulder as he muttered his own parting words, his touch lingering just as they always seemed to be, as of late.

She'd noticed, of course. Ophelia was an observant woman, and when an original vampire's touch lingered, well it was hard to ignore; especially when it was Elijah, a man who didn't often show such gestures.

Her own lingered also; fingers tangling together for short moments of comfort, light taps of the arm, unnecessary closeness. It was as plain as day to a fair few people; Nik being one of them.

It seemed that the hybrid delighted when such touches would occur; his brows would raise, his eyes would narrow, and that rather infuriating grin of his would light up his face with all the smugness in the world. He made short comments here and there; teasing comments.

The two brushed them away with averting eyes and parting touches, both entirely unable to explain themselves... Both unable to fathom that they could show affection.

Ophelia saw herself as a woman who lost everything she touched.

Elijah saw himself as an unhinged monster, simply being held back from his darkest desires by the thinnest of threads.

Happiness wasn't something they sought, for they knew it would, in time, leave them broken.

The ornate mahogany clock ticked away, the small and cursive numbers telling the woman it was nearing three-thirty as she glanced up. Her eyes lowered again, her shoulder shrugging to themselves as she got back to her reading, that is, until footsteps caused her attention to travel away from the words on the yellowing pages.

Elijah strolled inside, not a suit in sight; just simple clothing that he must have worn to bed, and for a vampire, he actually looked dead to the world. Bags were under his eyes, his hair in mild disarray and his eyes were blinking furiously, trying to adjust to the light and banish his fatigue.

"Elijah?" Ophelia called softly, her hands setting the book down on the table beside her as she shuffled into a sitting position, having been laying on her stomach. "Are you okay?"

His eyes blinked once, twice, three times before he nodded, his voice as unconvincing as his state, "I'm quite alright, what are you doing awake at this time?"

"I found a book." was all she said as she cocked her head, eyes narrowing as she glanced him up and down, "You know... For a thousand-year-old vampire, you aren't nearly as convincing as you ought to be."

A light breath escaped him as he took a seat beside her, trying his best to maintain his image of cleanliness and nobility but despite his effort, his elbows found his knees, his back slouched and his eyes drifted shut as he sighed. "I'm perfectly convincing, you, however, are far too observant."

"Hm. Glad we've sorted that, now stop evading. What's bothering you?"

The man before her swallowed as he turned his head towards her; it was a sight, to see Elijah looking just how she always seemed to feel. He looked utterly exhausted. "I believe you recall the stories I have told you of my family, of my father?"

"Mikael? The one who hates Nik because your mother decided to sleep with a wolf and he was the product? I remember; he hunts you down, all of you, because you stay by his side."

"Indeed. As of late... These past few nights I have been... Dreaming of my father."

Ophelia cocked her head, "Dreaming?"

"Vividly. It feels as though it's real... As if I could truly be pierced by the blade he wields." He paused for a moment, eyes unfocused as he recalled the feeling of his father sword being driven through his heart, the blood that pooled in his mouth and stain his clothes. How cold the ground had been when he had fallen to his knees only to look up and see those eyes. The eyes of a true monster.

"Elijah?" Ophelia spoke once again, her voice a whisper as she laid her hand on his forearm, snapping him out of his daze, "I might be able to help?"

"You always can."

His words brought a slow smile to Ophelia's face as she shifted so that her body was facing him, her palm outstretched and waiting for the man to offer his own.

Elijah placed his own, larger hand atop of Ophelia's, his eyes glued to the glow that surrounded them as she slowly siphoned magic into her body, "You've become rather skilled at siphoning magic without inflicting pain."

"That's because you've been helping me," Ophelia muttered in response as she slowly pulled her hand from his, instead she inched them closer before she settled two fingers on each side of his head. Her eyes fluttered to a close as she focused on the spell she used to use on Davina when the young witch would have nightmares.

The poor thing would often dream of the harvest; images of her fallen and bloodied friends plaguing her mind, and so, she did everything she could to find a spell that would offer her peace of mind as she slept.

Incoherent whispers slipped from Ophelia's lips as she muttered the spell, she had come accustomed to using. After a short moment, she opened her eyes, "I used this spell for Davina... She used to have nightmares, I'd hold her hand and mutter the spell, and she'd sleep like the dead."

"I do suppose I should already be sleeping like the dead, hm?" Elijah mused; his brow raised as he took in Ophelia's mildly startled expression of his use of a pun.

"You should." She eventually replied with a laugh, "But this spell should work wonders, you'll have a dreamless sleep."

"I'm relieved, thank you, Ophelia. Let us not mention this to Niklaus, Father makes him... paranoid, angry and —" he sighed deeply, knowing the fear that their father instilled in his brother, in them all, "— Scared."

Ophelia nodded; it was for the best that they kept it from Klaus, he didn't need to know that his brother was having trouble sleeping because of the vivid dreams of their monstrous father.

"Come on," Ophelia chimed as she stood, her bones clicking rather loudly as she stretched. A lazy sigh escaped her as she held out a dainty looking hand to the original, beckoning him to follow, "You need to get some sleep."

"I need to sleep? Ophelia, you need your rest too."

"I'll sleep if you sleep."

"You know, the vampire you're currently mothering is over a thousand years old."

Ophelia grimaced, "Okay, one, I'm not mothering you... Hate to say it but those dark circles don't suit you. Two," she paused as Elijah huffed a laugh at her statement, "Two, pulling the ancient card hm? Perhaps I should get you a cane then?"

"Perhaps I could use it to reprimand my brother..." he spoke in what seemed to be genuine wonder before he snapped his head up at Ophelia's light laughter, allowing her to grasp his hand and pull him out of the room.

"I'd pay to see that."

"No need, I'll make it happen."

Ophelia shook her head as she lightly stepped her way through the compound, Elijah swiftly following by the tug of her hand. She didn't quite think she'd be able to get the image of the man out of her mind; the way he looked so... Different, casual almost. He seemed far more relaxed even though he had been tormented in his sleep.

It almost surprised her that he so willingly allowed her to see that side of him, but the more she thought... Well it wasn't all that shocking. They spent a lot of time together and were comfortable with one another; she had shared her darkest story with the man, and he had told her of his past, everything from when they returned, to what followed. Though she did have to admit, there was definitely something he was keeping from her.

She couldn't expect the man to share everything; that was unrealistic. He was old, incredibly so, and he and his siblings had been through so much together.

But even so, the thought that she, the siphon who had been deemed an emotionless bitch, could break through whatever walls Elijah had crafted, well it made her feel... Something. It was the same in reverse; she hadn't been out of the prison world long, but even so, during the eight months that she had been free, she had only ever let Davina in.

And then came Elijah and his family; monsters that made her feel... Less alone.

It didn't take long for the two to finally make it to Elijah's bedroom; the sleek wood was completely smooth, not a single chip or dent in sight.

His free hand reached out to twist the golden handle, a click sounding out before he pushed the silent door open; revealing the contents of his room.

It was just as Ophelia had expected; spotless. Well, except for the disturbed bed, but it was four in the morning and the man had practically stumbled his way to his office. There were small trinkets from the many places he had been able to visit in his time. A beautiful painting of Venice was hung above his dresser, and though Ophelia couldn't see who had signed it... She'd recognize Klaus's handiwork anywhere.

"Thank you," Elijah spoke as he dropped his hand from the doorknob, his other still tangled with Ophelia's as his thumb lightly traced over her knuckled; a gesture he did all too often without even noticing. "These dreams have been weighing on my mind for a few days now."

"You should have told me; I could have helped you." Ophelia muttered in response, her back softly connecting with the door frame as she leaned back.

"I don't wish to trouble you more than I already do."

"You don't 'trouble' me Elijah. Far from it. If you were, believe me, I'd tell you."

His lips twitched as she spoke, he should have known that. Nobody could make Ophelia Parker do anything she didn't want to do; it was an impossible feat.

"Niklaus mentioned how tired you've been." He confessed, thinking back a few nights as he and his brother shared a bottle of whiskey, once again toasting to their alliance whilst melodic notes of the old piano filled their ears, courtesy of Ophelia.

Klaus had taken a moment to listen, mentioning the woman to his brother as slyly as he could, gauging Elijah's reaction. Of course Nik noticed his brother straighten in intrigue and simply rolled his eyes at his stuck-up sibling as he avoided any and all conversation about his feelings. And so, Klaus had changed the subject with a huff, asking his brother if their resident siphon had been sleeping... Of course throwing in a comment like 'Or has she been with you this whole time?'

It had been easy to see where Niklaus was coming from; Ophelia almost always had dark circles beneath her wide eyes; though Elijah somehow never noticed...

"Elijah." Ophelia huffed as she crossed her arms, "I'm perpetually tired, I could sleep for a year and wake up only to need a nap within thirty minutes; stop worrying about me."

"I can't help that, I'm afraid."

Her shoulders slumped at his words. The amount of comfort they brought her was unimaginable.

Despite the exhaustion, Elijah noticed and a small smile grew on his lips as she looked to the ground. He stepped forward, a hand moving to her cheek as he placed a small kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight, Ophelia."

⋆⋆⋆

Ophelia and Elijah attended Father Kieran's funeral together. They had both approached Klaus and offered for the man to join them, but Nik had simply bypassed them with a look in his eyes that told them something was troubling him.

Ophelia had not been close with Father Kieran, nor had she been in the city long enough to truly understand how much of a beacon to the people he was; but Camille had lost yet another person, in the same vicious way.

After Ophelia had left for the bayou; Klaus seemed to believe that turning the father into a vampire would solve the issue and bypass the hex. It did not, and that was something that Ophelia could have told him... she did tell him that, actually, in a manner of speaking. She had told both Klaus and Camille that no magic would help; it was purely a mental affliction. Emotions were heightened as a vampire, and whilst physical injuries might have been healed, the demons that plagued one's mind would never disappear; no matter what they were.

And thus, Father Kieran had turned rampant, newly acquired vampire fangs begging him to drain his niece, and he almost did, if it weren't for Klaus.

The funeral honored him, and the turnout was substantial. Humans, vampires and witches gathering to say goodbye to a critical member of their community.

One thing Ophelia had never quite understood, was having a party once somebody died. She had never quite been one for parties, but having one mere days after a loved one had passed? It seemed like an odd concept to her.

Both herself and Elijah had entered Rousseau's with their arms intertwined; curtesy of Elijah who used his height, broad shoulders and unsettling stoic look to guide them through the crowd of rowdy drinkers who were... 'Celebrating a life.'

Ophelia strayed from their path as she noticed Nik, alone in one of the booths as he, rather boisterously, nursed a bottle of scotch... Well, chugged it seemed more accurate, especially since he had managed to swallow a fifth of the bottle in the time they had noticed him.

"Nik?" Ophelia drawled out cautiously as she carefully pried the bottle from his grasp and shuffled into the booth, making room for Elijah to slide in at the end.

Nik's grip had dropped its hold on the bottle rather quickly as an agitated sigh left his plump lips and he watched on as Ophelia distributed the amber liquid into three glasses, sliding one to himself and Elijah; keeping the last for herself.

"What's going through that brutal little brain of yours?" The siphon questioned the man as she brought her drink to her lips, a hefty swallow of the liquid burning her throat as she waited for an answer from the huffing man.

Klaus scowled at the siphon, only for her to raise an unbothered brow back at him, completely disregarding his attitude, "Seems rather uncivilized to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one."

"Yes, far better to practice your process of grief, Niklaus —" Elijah pondered in mock thought, "— Henial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements."

Ophelia laughed at the comment as she took another sip of her drink, "Sounds wonderful, I don't know why you're opposed to it."

"I presume you've never been stuffed into a coffin?"

"Not to my knowledge. Stuffed into a much more peaceful New Orleans, but no coffins." She retorted, her smile sly as she turned her head away from him to offer a smile to Hayley who approached the table, her hands gesturing for Elijah to move; the four of them sitting shoulder to shoulder with one another.

"I will warn you, Hayley," Elijah began, his head lolling to the side just slightly as the woman joined them, "Niklaus is in a spectacularly foul mood, and Ophelia seems to be particularly sarcastic today."

"Oh hush."

"Sod off."

Ophelia and Nik spoke in unison, and despite the mood Klaus was in, he offered the woman a small smirk as he clinked his glass with her own.

Hayley spared a glance towards Ophelia and Klaus, rolling her eyes at their interaction before her face sobered and she leaned forward, her rather swollen belly bumping the table, "What's the deal with these moonlight rings? Oliver's trying to set a revolution every five seconds. People are scared, angry, and frankly, I'm tired of stalling."

Ophelia almost groaned as she leaned back in the chair, her hair falling onto Elijah's shoulder as she scowled at the thought of Oliver; of course he would be trying to set a revolution; he was quite literally another version of Marcel... Just more... Hairier.

"It's a day of peace, Hayley." Klaus sighed, "Try and enjoy it. And, in the meantime, with all manner of unknown enemies conspiring against our family, you'll move back in with us."

Ophelia glanced up to Elijah with a brow risen, wondering if he too knew that Hayley was about to be plucked from the humid bayou and into the compound where she would, no doubt, escape and return to running with the wolves... Or waddling at least.

Elijah shook his head subtly; he had no idea that his brother was going to drag the wolf kicking and screaming back to the compound... Then again, he did suppose it may be safer for herself and the baby, especially with Oliver making his grab for power.

"Awesome!" Hayley chimed, sarcasm dripping from her tone as her face scrunched up in utter distaste. "Then, we can do that thing where you lock me in the tower, I escape, there's drama, and then you realize I'm very capable of looking after myself.

"The rings are in progress. I will live up to my word. We will find and punish whoever launched the attack on the Bayou, and you will return to the compound for your own safety!" Klaus' voice attracted a few looks to the group which he promptly ignored alongside Hayley's eye-roll.

Klaus scooped up the bottle in the middle of the table, brown liquid sloshing about as he opened it, "But, right now I'm gonna finish this bottle, and the next, in the hopes of drowning the demon who has chosen today to haunt me. Cheers, Mikael. Impeccable, Freudian timing."

Ophelia straightened, her eyes darting from Elijah's startled expression and back to Klaus, "Did you — Did you just say Mikael?"

It couldn't have been a coincidence that both Elijah and Nik had been having dreams of their father, for multiple nights in a row, Ophelia had been sitting down with Elijah in the middle of the night to perform the spell to ensure he'd have a dreamless sleep... At first they had simply waited for him to wake, to see if the dreams would continue; they did. And he would make his way through the compound, wrap his knuckles on her door, and stand with a guilty expression before she'd usher him inside and mutter her incantation.

"Yes, yes. Go ahead little thief, I know how you love to laugh at my misfortune."

"I'm not laughing Nik... Especially since —" her gaze landed upon Elijah who straightened, his fingers dancing over the cuff of his sleeve as he cleared his throat.

"— I've been dreaming of him, too."

Klaus stammered for a short moment as he looked to his brother, brushing away the fact that Ophelia knew that Elijah was having such dreams. "What?"

"If you are also seeing him..." Elijah pondered mind-thought causing Ophelia to look up and follow his line of sight.

Genevieve.

"...Perhaps our elusive, unknown enemy is orchestrating a further attack?" He finished as he rose a brow at his brother.

Both Ophelia and Klaus shared a small grin as the hybrid tipped his glass towards his brother, "And how shall we punctuate a day of peace then, Lia?"

"By killing your witchy escort."

⋆⋆⋆

Klaus had been on board the moment 'killing' was uttered.

Elijah had lightly shaken his head at the pair, a sigh slipping from his lips as he watched the trouble makers clink their glasses and share a victorious smile; though he did have to swallow back a grin at the sight of somebody getting on so well with his brother... Of course Klaus would find somebody who shared his liking for all things chaotic... And of course Elijah was drawn to her too.

Hayley had scoffed, though Ophelia could sense the hint of amusement before the wolf took off. The siphon and the hybrid had shared another grin before Klaus practically hopped to his feet, a dramatic movement following as he held out a hand to the siphon, offering up a witch hunt.

Ophelia had shuffled out of the table, the corner bumping her hip as she scrambled to her feet with a spark of... Something in her eyes at the mention of hunting down Genevieve. Klaus himself had to say, her eyes could most certainly hold and display pure pleasure at the thought of harming another... She'd make a brilliant vampire; he could only imagine the state the two would get themselves in, only for Elijah to scold them, of course.

Ophelia had taken Nik's arm, her lips twitching slyly as she looked to Elijah and held out her own hand, beckoning for the man to join them in their glorious chase.

The siphon had tugged the man up, leaving no room for him to argue and linked her arms with both men; and what a sight that was to those who knew them. The siphon, the hybrid and the noble original, all together and ready to corner their little witch.

They had found Genevieve in the Jardin Gris Voodo Shop; Klaus had taken the lead and stepped in first, initiating the conversation before Ophelia and Elijah followed.

"Do you care to explain why you would choose to torment us with visions of our father?" Elijah spoke, his tone nonchalant, though Ophelia knew that with just a shift of the air; he could tear her apart.

What shocked Ophelia was that Genevieve seemed genuinely surprised. The siphon narrowed her eyes at the witch as she stepped forward, rather enjoying the look of fright that swam in her eyes.

Though before she could utter anything from her silver tongue, the witch finally spoke in the hopes of saving her skin, "I didn't. I wouldn't!"

"Of course, how foolish of me." Elijah rolled his eyes, the sight being rather amusing to Ophelia, "It must have been that other witch that's been parading through our house in scraps of lace."

"I know how talented you are with your tongue, Genevieve." Klaus uttered, containing his childish laugh that wanted to spill from his lips at the sight of Ophelia sighing in utter repulsion, "Might I recommend you use it to provide answers? I would so hate to tear it from your mouth."

The witch laughed nervously, her thumbs twiddling with one another; something she noticed and immediately stopped, "As much as I enjoy these repeated accusations of wrongdoings, I don't know what you're talking about. But, if you've both been seeing your dead father, I can try to get you answers."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes as Klaus stepped forward, his thumb caressing the woman's jugular as hunger swam in his eyes before he dropped his hold, "Fine. Go."

"Nik what are you —" Ophelia began to protest, just as Elijah had tried. She couldn't understand why on earth the mighty hybrid would let her go, who else could have been the one orchestrating the dreams that plagued the Mikaelson brothers?

"Go!" He yelled, cutting Ophelia and Elijah off, and the snap of his voice sent Genevieve running out the door. Klaus turned to his friend and brother, "You don't trust her, and you're right not to. Only a fool would. But, she certainly wants us to, doesn't she?"

"Oh, I see." Ophelia hummed as she crossed her arms over her chest. The witch... Despite being a nuisance to each of them, was useful to Klaus. He had his claws in deep and could manipulate the witch to do his bidding. "You'll use her to create the rings for the wolves."

Time and time again had Ophelia suggested that she simply siphon magic from Nik, and in turn, use Esters spellbook to create the rings herself; she might have been a little inexperienced when it came to stronger spells such as creating moonlight rings, but Ophelia was certain she'd be able to do it.

She used her magic often, she could siphon and choose to inflict pain when doing so, rather than it happening on its own. She was getting stronger.

It helped immensely that both Elijah and Nik offered their hands so that she could experiment with spells; it was how they would often find her. Most evenings were dedicated to her practice; she had years upon years of going without her abilities to make up for.

"I don't want you making them; the vampires hate you enough already, little thief." Nik sighed as he shook his head and placed a hand on the siphon's shoulder. "They can kill her if they like, but they're keeping their hands off you."

Ophelia cocked her head just slightly, amber meeting cerulean as she looked up to the 'menacing' hybrid, seeing nothing but care in his eyes... Well, care and stubbornness.

The words Klaus had uttered had even made Elijah smile, lighting a warmth in his heart to see the brother he loved so dearly and the woman he... Well, seeing the two care for one another struck him. He had fought and sought for his brother's redemption; and every now and then, when Niklaus was around Ophelia, or when his child was mentioned... Everybody could see him shed an icy layer.

It was obvious that Nik actually trusted the siphon that had somehow become such a vital part of their family in such a small amount of time. Though Elijah himself would never deem Ophelia a monster, that is exactly what she called herself... monsters often find solace within other monsters it seemed.

"Okay." Ophelia muttered, her voice soft to the ear like a gentle caress, "I'll listen to you, just this once."

"I thought you'd fight me more." Klaus chuckled as he straightened, his gaze shifting to his brother, "I thought I'd have to get Elijah to talk you down... You seem to listen to him more than me..." his tone grew sly, "I wonder why that is?"

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04-07-2021

this is update 1 of the day; make sure you've read the rest!

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