hellonexrth

[hellonexrth]

"No," he whispered, to himself, to her, to anyone who could hear them. "You're not going anywhere," he said, shaking his head, his eyes never leaving hers. Laurie pulled her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. If he couldn't take the dagger out, he would hold her through it all. Because this wasn't the end. They were only just beginning. Their marriage just starting, their lives together were supposed to stretch far into the future. She wasn't supposed to be fragile. He was the one who should have died. Him. And all he could do was hold her and let the tears fall from his eyes and beg over and over again for whatever was happening to stop, for whoever was dragging her to the other side to lessen their grasp, to let him keep her this one time. He would spend the rest of his long life making up for it, if they'd just let him keep her.

He swallowed thick, a choked sob coming up without his permission, the grief controlling him. He wouldn't let her go. She wasn't going anywhere. Not without him. He dropped his forehead to hers, pressing kissing all over her face as she voiced her last words and he listened, because it was all he could do. Even if he wanted to pretend she hadn't said the words, pretend she wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll tell them," he said finally, because at the end of it all, he was loyal to her. He would do anything she asked of him, anytime. Even on her deathbed. "I love you, Hope. I love you so much," he said, squeezing her body against his chest. He wanted to tell her to keep her eyes open, tell her to just keep looking at him, that he'd be there for her always. He couldn't bring himself to say the words. Instead, he said, "It's okay, love. You can rest now."

He didn't let her go as the sobs wracked through his body. He let them, let everything he felt destroy him. Only for a second. Then, he got himself together, lessened the tight hold he had on her body and disappeared from that warehouse, returning to the home they shared together, and got into bed with her, still cradling her body, never wishing to let her go, stroking her hair even though she could no longer hear him, even though her eyes had long since closed. "This isn't the end," he whispered, his cheek against hers. And then he lay her down, finally ⸺ feeling a cold spread through his body. Enough to make him shiver. The feeling of being without her. Of being alone. Again. He reached for the dagger again, pulled upward for as long as he could sustain before finally letting go with a guttural scream of rage and grief and regret. No regrets, she'd said. He shook his head, looking down at her form. The only time he'd ever seen her so peaceful. He could think of a thousand things to regret.

END.

the second twist of the knife didn’t make her cry out, but her knees did buckle, and bloodied hands came up to feel around her chest, the pool of blood that formed was cold and sticky and then she fell forward, a silent whine falling from pale lips ⸺ the tribrid, looked frail, something she’d never been HOPE MIKAELSON had been all powerful from the moment she was conceived. everything about her unnatural, off balance a THREAT… at least it had been, now? as she felt the small bursts of energy leave her? she finally felt NORMAL, a feeling she’d chased her entire life. who knew that all it would take was dying?

but she wasn’t ready, and it was this moment that she realized it and so she could feel herself panic. she didn’t want to leave her family, her sister and her HUSBAND ⸺ she’d promised him forever and he’d promised her the same in return, leave to her to break that promise and that? well that hurt more than any taunting word the hellhound tribrid could taunt her with. it was the squeeze of her hand that, made her eyes search for him, his voice felt so far away… and she wanted her mon, she desperately needed her mother. ‘ momma, i’m scared ‘ she heard herself think and she was like she’d never been in her life. hope had always known that her END would be because she’d save someone she loved, and she was okay with that but god did it suck to leave him, the love of her life, she had so much to say to him but so little will or energy to do so. “ no.. “ she breathed out, swallowing hard and tasting her own blood. “don’t you.. be sorry. “ she coughed again, and she did her best to squeeze his hand in an effort to show some sort of good spirit. “ don’t you dare, lawrence. “ she chided in a rush, head shaking slightly.

“ no regrets. “ she confirmed, because she didn’t and wouldn’t regret saving him. nor would she ever regret loving him, despite the unfair amount of time they’d had together but something told her that a million lifetimes would never be enough anyway. her eyes fluttered foe a moment and she tried her best to keep them open. “ i’m tired…” she whined, the pain had faded, and that had to be bad news right? if she couldn’t feel anymore? had the ground always been this cold? maybe she should have worn a sweater, would wherever she’d go allow one? ‘ say hi to klaus for me ‘ would her father be angry? he’d left this world so she’d have a LIFE, it had been for her, a sacrifice made because of unconditional love and that had to mean he was at peace no? maybe she would be just as lucky, even with the red on her ledger, the people she’d hurt ⸺ and she’d hurt many, even people she loved because that was the nature of being a mikaelson.

she’d heard it said so many times and still her sister came to her mind, her aunts and uncles, her cousin, her step mother and… “ elena.. “ she’d said her name out loud and maybe it was a sign because she was rambling. she’d already said it once, but it would never be enough. “ tell her… tell her.. “ elena gilbert had been another mother figure in her life a CONFIDANT who’s trust she’d so irrevocably broken and now she’d have no time to repair it. “ and caroline… “ oh was she going to be upset, she would miss her too, because the vampire was her mother too, just as much as hayley had been. light ocean colored eyes fluttered again, and a lazy hand came up to rest on the one that her husband rested on her cheek. “ i love you.. “ she made herself say and then her eyes closed, hand going limp and falling aimlessly to her side.. as her usually flushed complexion greyed and she drifted off into nothingness with little to no resistance, an overdue bridge she’d needed to cross since she’d been born, a life debt finally settled for her overstayed welcome, the time she borrowed expired or so it would seem because her body didn’t disintegrate nor did her magic release back into nature where it belonged… no, it was contained, a frozen ticking time bomb with a dagger in her chest and a mourning husband that’s what was left of the mythical, all powerful, original tribrid. betrayed and defeated by who she’d once called her sister, a mirror she’d looked into her entire life, there was irony in there somewhere but she hadn’t found it, no time for that… not when she’d been pulled away, into nothing.

[hellonexrth]

Her life was a long string of action and consequence. Most of which had not been decided for her. Her mother died and her father left, and Xander built a vendetta against vampires. She followed. Not for a desire to kill anyone, but because the fear of being alone curdled in her stomach like acid. And she followed him and followed him, anywhere he wanted to go, anywhere he thought Diana might be. And it didn't matter, what he wanted to do, because at least they were together. It didn't matter that she'd given up college and friends and all the things she thought she might have wanted if she'd had the time to imagine a life for herself. It didn't matter, because they had each other.

Now, staring down the only person she'd ever let herself begin to build a possible future with, anger rose alongside that fear. Anger at Xander, for his vendetta, and at herself, for never speaking up, for never voicing her wants, her needs. For letting herself be complacent in her own life. For letting herself follow his lead every step of the way. Because the truth of the matter was, she'd never made a single decision for herself and all of the consequence that followed, that fell hard and heavy on her shoulders ⸺ it could have been avoided.

So, for a moment, she let herself hate him. Let herself imagine a world where she hadn't followed Xander to the edges of the earth. Maybe it would have been better, to follow her dreams. Or maybe it would have been worse, to be without him. She didn't allow herself to think about it for too long, didn't allow herself to feel that hatred for the one person she had left, for longer than a second. Guilt at the thought alone crept in regardless. And she found herself muttering words of forgiveness silently, to her past self, who she'd let down, to her brother, who she loved no matter what, to her future self, who she would inevitably fail again and again, and to Lexi, looking at her like she'd gone mad. And maybe she had.

Maybe Grant had put his hands into her brain and twisted it around all sorts of ways. Maybe she was irrevocably fucked up. Maybe, there would be no world in which she could set herself straight. After this, this moment that seemed to last an eternity, in which Lexi told her to sit, in which Lexi looked at her like that, she was certain there would be no chance, no possibility of rightness in her future. And she thought, in the same vein, that she would have to let Stefan kill her after all was said and done. Because she could not stop herself from raising the knife, looking at Lexi with tears collecting in the corners of her eyes ⸺ because Grant had not instructed her to keep from crying.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, over and over again like the words would absolve her not of the guilt associated, but the action in itself. She couldn't let herself do it and there was no way out. She couldn't harm Lexi and she had to. She was falling in love, and yet, she fell apart.

The dial tone kept her steady, gave her hope that maybe someone would get there before it was too late, that maybe someone would kill her first, that she wouldn't have to do this terrible act. But even as she thought that, even as she begged and pleaded with her own mind, her legs carried her from that spot on the couch toward the girl she could have loved if given the chance. And she held that knife tight enough that it made her sweat. She couldn't even mutter the word run, could only look at Lexi with pleading eyes she hoped could convey all the things she could not say. And she lunged, hoping with every ounce of humanity she clung to with blistered palms, that Lexi knew how to fight.

alexia salvatore could be accused of ‘ little ‘ despite her nearness to a world of DARKNESS the youngest salvatore’s soul was pure ⸺ and according to her father she was the BEST of him, of them as a whole… the one shining hope for their family’s aspirations of a normal life well lived. which was a lot of pressure, but she’d been blessed with a generous spirit and she wanted to do everything to make sure that her parents’ wishes for her came true. now more than ever they needed something good in their lives and maybe the hope was NAIVE but she refused to believe good things didn’t happen for good people, and her family despite the many mistakes committed was exactly that. so she believed, believed in the ‘ bright and shiny ‘ side of things, crossed her fingers, made wishes and shared her light those she came into contact with it made her RESILIENT or so she’d heard.

and it was that exact nature that beckoned her to pull maisie into her family’s life, introducing her to her parents. wanting to share with her the life she GREW UP in and that had been unjustly denied to her. so when her father’s name came up, the brunette’s brow creased “ wait… i… my dad? “ she questioned with a shake of her head. “ is this… “ her voice trailed again, she’d shared their desperation when it came to finding her BROTHER. she’d confided in the blonde, because she believed that she could. “ is it theo? did you see him? “ she said question in a quick whisper, but the longing in her tone couldn’t be hidden.

‘ lexi, i’m so sorry ‘ it had her shaking her head again, maybe she didn’t need to hear more, so she’d began to fumble with her cardigan pockets in search of her cellphone. “ okay… “ she’d begun to say, as she pulled away. something about the way the girl looked at her now made her stomach turn. “ why don’t you… please sit. “ she gestured towards the living room couch, they’d spent countless afternoons chatting away on. “ i’ll call him, i’ll make him come home. “ she paused, as she studied the blonde once more, a hand coming up to reach for her but she hesitated and pulled back.

“ he’ll help, my dad… mom too. “ she was simply speaking to kill the suspenseful silence between them in an attempt to soothe. “ you just, wait okay? they’ll come. “ because they always did, no matter what was going on in her or theodore’s lives ⸺ stefan and elena salvatore were ALL STAR parents, the kind that people envied it wouldn’t be any different this time around, and so she’d dialed his number, pressing the speaker phone. “ you just have to… you stay there, don’t move. “

[hellonexrth]

13 Going on 30 (2004) dir. Gary Winick

[hellonexrth]

When the blade sunk into Hope's chest instead, her first instinct was to laugh. Something deep inside of her broke free for a moment, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Not an act. The feelings were not present, but the tears came nonetheless. A girl mourning for her friend despite all that had been lost, despite the aching nothingness reaching shaking hands out from the center of that dead, dark heart. She didn't wipe them away. Didn't bother. Let her see them. "I saved you a seat," Kaya said as she dropped to one knee next to her mirror, the other side of her being, always and forever in some sick way, the family she wanted so badly to be a part of mocking her even now.

She grabbed hold of the hilt, looking at Hope with big, dark eyes tears that must have seemed so entirely out of place, as much as they felt. A testament to the sad little girl still inside her somewhere. They were tears of deception, whether she meant them to be or not. For they showcased something worth saving, made it look as if the girl within could be freed when that would never be the case, when she could never go back. Not even if she wanted to. Touching the hilt sent a strange sensation through her body, and her mind reeled as if watching a film, the scenes out of order.

Them, racing around the block and Hope ⸺ always winning. Her bothering Klaus, telling him she'd kick his ass one day. Her mother, looking at her with clear brown eyes, shaking her head. And her father too, that horrified look on his face in the moment before his death, looking at the girl that became a monster, the girl that would never be just a girl again. They all looked at her, the past versions of the people she loved, some alive, some deceased. The disappointment on Ingrid's face in that coffee shop only days ago, the shock on Theo's, and all the hypothetical disappointment from the people who could not see her now but would think her lost and beyond repair. Theo's mother. Even Laurie. All the people who ever thought her once, liked her, loved her, were a part of her family ⸺ real or found.

The worst part, was that it meant absolutely nothing. The faces could have been anyone's, their disappointment reaching no last left behind warmth in her chest. She could only smile, a bit of a laugh coming out at the thought of someone, something sending her a message. Even her subconscious. She laughed. I am beyond saving. "Say hi to Klaus for me," Kaya said, leaning down to whisper the words as she put the second hand on the hilt and turned hard and fast, digging it deeper into her chest.

It had been meant for him. That was the only thing he could think as he watched the dagger go through his wife's chest. He reached a hand up to his own, hoping to find it there instead, like the whole thing had been some sick trick devised in the dark trenches of the demon girl's mind. But he found no dagger, no blood. He dropped to the ground next to Hope, across from Kaya, holding Hope's hand tight and searching her face for something, anything that would tell him this would all be okay.

"It's okay, it's okay," he whispered, ignoring the demon's cruel words and the desire to rip her apart ⸺ a desire that would only get them into more trouble. He was not all powerful, not like Hope. And even now, Hope lay broken on the floor and he could only feel like an idiot, the grief washing over him, overlaid by ancient memories of another death he'd finally started to heal from. The scene too similar, the blood seeping out of her wound too fresh. He tried to say something but a choked gasp only came out and he was convinced, fucking convinced that this would be where he lost her and everything, fucking everything would be on his shoulders. Because there was no world where this was not his fault, where he had not led the both of them here even after hearing about the risks. He'd done this. He'd harmed her.

He placed one hand on the side of her face, turned it toward him as the demon girl stood up and paced away, as if letting them have their moment. He found her eyes, ones he had memorized, ones he could describe at the drop of a hat, every hint of color and light and darkness, and everything about her ingrained so deeply in his brain. Even this moment, too, would find a home there. "I'm so sorry," he said, unable to stop the tears that started and poured down his face. He reached for the dagger, and the hope that everything would be okay. A hand around it resulted in immediate agony and he looked up to find the demon, only for her to be out of sight. He pounded a fist into the concrete ground and didn't care that his knuckles bloodied then healed. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here and everything is going to be okay." He swallowed thickly. "Don't close your eyes, okay? Just keep looking at me."

heartbreak topped itself with grief, as strong arms wrapped around her best friend’s frame. the hellhound tribrid looked so SMALL for a moment in her eyes, and guilt began to creep into her pores ⸺ she should have known better, should have been BETTER, did they not grow up together? how could anything truly sever that bond? and so she shook her head, squeezing the brunette tight, she held back tears, because she knew what came next. eating yourself alive for everything you did, when that pesky HUMANITY switch was off was never ending, and the guilt of all the atrocities the original tribrid had committed still felt soul crushing, but she’d had laurie to hold her up, now it was turn, she would make damn sure to be who her friend leaned on.

“hey, it’s okay.. it’s going to be… “ what it would be died as soon as the soft doe eyes, that had so quickly disarmed became pitch black again, the view making her want to pull away but she’d lowered her guard, and like a fly she’d fallen for the honey. “ what.. “ she began to say, willing herself to power up, but completely FORGETTING to and then it came, a sharp, pain in the middle of her chest, accompanied with release for the girl’s arms. that sound that ripped every illusion of finding herself at home, in her BED, with her husband.. that mixed in with the vampire’s return to the land of the LIVING, and it was then that shocked filled baby blue’s met his dark eyes.

“ It’s… “ she struggled, but refused to give into the pain coursing through her. the feeling of floating away invading her, she shook her head “it’s okay, i ⸺ i love you. “ she managed to breathe out, before the hellhound demanded her attention once again. clumsy steps were taken back as her knees buckled, but she did her best to stand upright. her PRIDE was still intact, she was hope mikaelson, that would never change.

was she afraid? absolutely, but she also looked down, the pain it felt far away. hmm dying surely didn’t suck as much as she thought it would. “ it doesn’t hurt…. not physically anyway, the BETRAYAL did however weigh on her heart, but maybe she’d see her mom again and find her dad. her eyes fluttered again and once again she buckled. her family would find a way to go on, they’d take care of laurie, of ingrid ⸺ caroline wouldn’t leave their side, and he’d have the salvatores, her sister would have their aunts and uncles. in other words the world could keep spinning without her, just like maybe it always should have.

“ you’ll still lose.. “ because of course they’d avenge her. “ i’ll save a seat for you in HELL..” quippy till the end, that was the hope way, she coughed blood pooling in her mouth, and a hand lamely came up to try and touch the knife, but one graze of her finger and it burned again. okay maybe it did hurt… and once again her thoughts went back to her husband. the life she promised him, everything they wouldn’t get to do, oh how she would MISS him, wherever she went. being separated wasn’t what she wanted, not when she had promised him she’d fight ⸺ but she was tired.. and she felt it now, so irrevocably. so she looked back in his direction again, and uttered more i love you’s.. because he had to know, surely he did know.. right? “ always and forever..” she mouthed in his direction… and she nodded again. “ you and me. “ words they’d said to each other and only each other. “ i love you. “

[hellonexrth]

Is it presumptuous to say I'm happy to see you? The happiness in Lexi's voice tore every last living bit of hope inside of her to shreds. What she had to do... she knew now, and had known always ⸺ deep down, that she would never come back from this. This one action would end everything she'd built, everything she'd worked so hard to cultivate her entire life. Not only the friendships, but the caring, passionate personality that many often thought made her weak, but made her strong, in truth. It would all disappear and in an hour or so, an entirely different person would be reborn within her.

She felt nothing but fear. A fear for Lexi and for herself, for who she would become. But mostly for Lexi. Despite her involvement, Maisie knew shockingly little about vampires. About Lexi, however, shew knew a few things. How would she feel about being turned against her will, and how would her strong, more powerful parents feel about the change? This would make enemies of the family that had begun taking her in, a family that she'd longed to be a part of.

That's why he'd done it. He wished for all her attention, all her thought to be focused on him, on the Faction. So this was what she got in return for making a new friend, a potential girlfriend even. Maybe it was her fault to begin with, for chasing after something she knew she couldn't have, for mingling with the vampires and only causing them danger and death. She hated him for this and for everything else he'd done to her and Xander. Desperation coursed through her veins and nothing else, no evil, no hatred, as much as he'd wanted to make her feel that, she never could. Never did.

As much as she'd tried to fight against everything in her life for the past few years, she tried to fight against this, too. Even harder. Every shred of her conscious went into breaking the compulsion, severing the connection between her and Grant, but still it furrowed deeper into her brain, escaping her grasp and making tears well in the corners of her eyes. Nothing more got under her skin than being unable to save the people she loved ⸺ even when it was her hand that had to kill them. Her hand, guided by Grant's overwhelming hatred.

Her hand moved into the interior pocket of her jacket even as she actively tried to tell her brain to do anything else, to grab Maisie and kiss her, to just kiss her and everything would be okay. But her body wouldn't do anything but move forward, hand around a dagger within that hidden pocket, but not yet withdrawing it. And her mouth, unable to seize Lexi's, could only say, "Call Stefan," in a strained, forced voice, tone gravely like the words hurt. "Please," she begged, a loophole in Grant's compulsion, a way around. Maybe Stefan could kill her first and then this whole thing would be over. "Please call Stefan," she said again, because it was all she could say, the only words that would move through her lips instead of stopping in the center of her chest and twisting painfully. "Lexi," she whispered, tensing her fingers and squeezing her eyes shut, needing to do anything else, anything else but what she had to do, what she knew down to her most fundamental parts, she could not escape. "I'm so sorry."

staying close to her parents had become a must these days ⸺ with her thick headed brother off being a NIGHTMARE somewhere far away, the youngest in the salvatore household felt that her parents, especially her mother’s sanity was hanging by a thread. so she did her best to be extra ANGELIC, not that her positive facade lasted long when she was alone. she missed theodore, missed fighting with him, missed family nights and how NOISY his yelling at the tv was when he got too excited over a video game, life was just incomplete and it hurt, even if she didn’t exactly show it.

there was but one LIGHT in what seemed to be an endless tunnel of doom, and one particular knight in shining armor, who’d long occupied her days and when not together her mind. she had to wonder if that’s what a CRUSH truly felt like, alexia salvatore had never given herself the opportunity or ever really had the desire ⸺ but something about making the blonde laugh, it was as if the romance books she buried her face in finally made sense. she could finally say she understood EVERYONE around her. and so she’d taken advantage of it, even if not necessarily being forward yet, because romance took time no? she’d have to make a mental note to ask laurie, later.

skipping towards the door, the young girl placed a strand of her loose curls behind one of her ears, pulling on her sweater sleeve, before she pulled the door open. “ hey there bea…” her voice trailed off for a moment as she studied the petite blonde’s features, head tilting slightly. “ mais? “ she quirked a brow, before reaching for the girl’s hand and lacing her fingers through her in a clear offer of SUPPORT.

“ everything ok? “ she mumbled clumsily as she pulled her further inside. “ i’m a good shoulder to lean on.. just throwing that out there. “ another impulsive addition, but it was followed by a happy giggle regardless. “ is it presumptuous to say, i’m HAPPY to see you? “ her nose scrunched before she spoke again. was it? she didn’t know, all she understood was that it was true, and hopefully that was something that worked to cheer the other app. “ because i am. “ another gentle squeeze of her hand and a gentle tug towards the living room, before she finished the sentiment with a small kiss to the girl’s cheek.

[hellonexrth]

ft. maisie & lexi location: stefan's house @tricrsed

Her wrist felt empty from where Grant had sliced the bracelet away with a look of what could only be described as disgust. The loss of the familiar weight made her feel off-balance, wrong. Maisie had made plenty of mistakes in her life, but this had to be of the worst ⸺ if not the worst. And for some reason, all of those mistakes only served to hurt the people around her. Never once had the consequences of her own actions targeted the source. It was because, and only because, Grant knew her too well. Knew exactly what would get under her skin, what would make her comply. And when his compulsion didn't work, his words of order telling her to leave the little Salvatore girl alone landed on dull ears ⸺ he laid out a punishment he believed to fit the crime. One that would hurt Lexi and her entire family, yes, but also one that would bring Maisie to her knees.

It would ruin her. She knew it. Grant knew it. The only one who didn't know anything was Zander. Another stab to her chest, the inability to speak to him, the growing distance between them. Another way to insure her compliance, to turn her into the killing machine he so desperately wanted by his side. If he couldn't have both, he would have one. But it seemed, these days, that he would have anything he wanted, either sibling, listening to his beck and call.

They should have run, should have left when they had the chance, before he slipped fingers stained with blood beneath their psyches. Before he did real damage. Now it was too late. Now, they were well and truly trapped. At least Maisie was. Information about her brother was scant, and she could only hope he'd landed in a better position than she had. Zander was stronger than she. If anyone could save them, it would be him.

She always carried weapons. Daggers, knives, Grant had even equipped her with a gun. Shown her how to use it. It felt heavy in the lining of her jacket. All of it felt heavy, like a weight she couldn't shake. And she wanted to, god did she want to. She wanted to take that jacket full of weapons, full of equipment to enact only misery, and toss it into the ocean. But the compulsion was too strong, and she was too weak and there was simply, nothing left to be done but the act itself.

No matter how desperately she tried to make her feet move in the other direction, they could only and would ever only move toward Lexi and the home she shared with her family. Maybe Stefan would be there. Maybe he would kill her before she had a chance to do any real harm. Maybe then, things would be okay. Zander would find a way to move on eventually, and Lexi would get to continue living her life as a human. From the porch, the house stood empty, and that hope died in her chest. She'd always had poor luck, and this was the worst of it. Raising a hand to knock without conscious thought ⸺ in fact, actively trying to rebel against conscious thought ⸺ she knocked on the door, rang the doorbell, and called Lexi's name with an air of desperation that could not be left behind no matter how hard Grant tried to drill any and all manner of feeling out of her.

[hellonexrth]

She watched everything crumble in front of Hope's eyes, and the devastation that replaced the tribrid's cruelty fueled the demon living within Kaya Lockwood. As she was beginning to learn, being a demon meant manipulation. Taking someone and changing them, giving them hope and taking it away ⸺ making them lust before the kill and so on and so forth. This was her first foray in what seemed such a lovely world of deception. If only her mother had enough foresight to teach her such things. Maybe she wouldn't have ended up here, in front of her once best friend, twisting her mind in such delicious ways.

At the same time, it felt all inevitable, to be here ⸺ like this. All roads lead to hell, or whatever people say. Her mother never wanted to teach her, never wanted her to see this side of herself. For good reason, clearly. But withholding never truly teaches anyone anything good, right? No, the true masterclass was in submersion, in becoming the thing everyone dreaded, in drowning herself in that darkness and pulling on string after string, finding out what each one could do in real time with her opponents.

There was no part of the hellhound that felt remorse, regret, or the possibility of redemption as her mirror image spoke words that should have brought at least something to the surface. It only continued to feed that thing inside her, continued to make her wish for more destruction, more chaos. Maybe it would have altered someone else. Someone weaker. Theo, perhaps. But not her, never her. There was no coming back from this, this version of herself she'd chosen over a family that didn't love her like they did one another. Always and forever would never include her, and so she'd make her own. A bond of longevity with the darkness, with the evil that beckoned at all hours, day and night. It would never leave her, never choose another over her idealistic and manipulative tendencies.

But she let herself collapse into Hope's arms, let herself pretend for a moment, that she'd released that bond and returned to her old, weaker, duller, frankly boring self. She let false tears slip from her eyes as her arms snaked around Hope's body, searching for comfort. Maybe it was instinctual, that tiny part of humanity within her desperate for something, controlling the machine for only a second to get what she wanted. It didn't matter either way. "Hope," Kaya whispered. Then, "I'm so sorry."

The darkness clouded over her soft brown eyes once more, hidden in the crook of Hope's neck, as Laurie coughed back to life behind them. Kaya's grip on the tribrid grew stronger, one arm barring her inward, knowing that it would not last. When it came to pure strength, there was a clear winner if only for the years and the training the other tribrid had been gifted from that same dastardly, loving family that everyone hated. "I really am sorry," she said again, whispering the words coolly, the her voice empty of feeling all over again, devoid ⸺ as she was. She materialized the dagger in her hand. A very special dagger, or so Katherine had said. One that could not be removed so easily. Laurie moved in a blur of speed, but the dagger moved faster, controlled by a whisp of smoke and the desire to find it's target. "Any last words for your one great true love?" Kaya asked, mockingly, releasing the girl from her grasp and taking a step back to keep a keen eye on her face and the pain that would inevitably blossom there.

there was so much negative energy built up inside of her, the intensity of it felt like it was swallowing her WHOLE. the more she gave in the more, she kept saying yes to her urges, to maim, to kill, to hurt, the less she could hear herself think. because hope mikaelson was not a KILLING MACHINE, not in the way the world around her urged her to be, the one those who feared her wanted her to be. no, she was someone who loved deeply, behind that fearsome reputation, the never ending walls she put up ⸺ the tribrid’s duty of care was far greater than anyone could imagine.

she cared so much, that it hurt to exist, to breathe, to think. but she could be monstrous and in equal measure, she could be unforgiving, prideful, cruel. she knew how, she’d been taught how and it LIVED inside of her, that never ending rage. It was always there, she had just been taught to choose differently, to be better because she was BETTER wasn’t she? otherwise what would her father’s sacrifice mean? and elijah’s?

still brows furrowed as she did her best to keep her resolve and then it came, her name… slipping from her best friend’s lips. pitch black hues, now wide, brown and doey ⸺ the soft eyes, she’d come to know like her own. this was kaya, her sister.. and so her hand opened, her features softened but disgust filled her eyes, shock at what she had just done. at what she was about to do. “ kay… “ the nickname slipped her lips with a shake of her heas. “ i….” her voice failed her, and she looked back to where her husband was. this had to be it right? her chance? to get through to her, to bring her back HOME. “i’m sorry… oh god, i’m so… “ tears streamed down heartbroken baby blues, a hand coming to extend for a second as if to reach for the girl but she pulled it back. it would take time wouldn’t it? but surely this was good news? it had to be, didn’t it?

[hellonexrth]

“Just because you learn that you come from true love, doesn’t mean you believe that you’ll ever find it. But, thanks to you, now I have.”

[hellonexrth]

"You really don't know anything," Kaya said, through gritted teeth. Nothing she did was for anyone. They had nothing on her. No one to hurt if she misbehaved, no way to punish her if she ran away. She stayed because she wanted to. Because the killing? It brought her joy. There wasn't anyone around to see how fucked up that was, either. Everyone she once loved was either dead or distant. She'd lost Hope the second she laid a hand on Laurie. Ingrid would never speak to her again after this either, and she couldn't find it within herself to care. Even that banging from the cage in her chest had ceased, tired of fighting back when all was so meaningless to begin with.

She didn't have time to voice her counter argument, didn't have time to say anything. She choked, hands raising to her throat in mock desperation. It was the shock of it all, really, that hurt. The instantaneous pressure on her throat. Not pain, exactly, but an abrupt change to her functioning. If she just calmed down, adjusted to the crushed larynx, and steadied herself ⸺ she could overcome it. After all, did the undead really need to breathe? Ingrid had stripped the last bits of her human self away the moment she'd turned her, leaving her as an amalgamation ⸺ a monster and a threat to society. She liked being a threat, though, liked having people cower in fear of her, liked making Hope worry for the safety of her husband. The strength of it all reverberated through her inhumane veins, she made Hope Mikaelson SCARED. God, there was such power in that. To strike fear into the unkillable, the monstrosity herself.

A nasty plan came over her as she continued gasping for air, not unable to steady herself, but not caring enough to do so, again enjoying those moments of sharp pain. As if they centered her in some way. The demon fed off feelings, even her own ⸺ and since she had few to give, it snatched up the pain quick, delighting in the meal. Looking at her friend over the hands clenching her throat with mock desperation, she pleaded. "Hope," she said, trying to remember a time when she trusted the other tribrid enough to save her, to love her. "Hope, please. Please, stop," she begged. She willed the darkness away from her eyes, and looked at her past friend with soft brown irises, the whites blown out red. A fun trick that would definitely have its uses. It would be nice to masquerade as a human sometimes. She learned so many new things, fighting her best friend. "It's me, it's me. Please," she begged, coughing, getting a few words out a time, straining to speak but trying to connect ⸺ willing a sense of sincerity into her voice that no longer existed within her.

the speed in which the tribrid rushed towards her husband, could be some kind of record. hope was on her knees, her target forgotten for a second as small hands came to cup the vampire’s face. “ laurie… you need to get up. “ she pleaded in a desperate whisper. “ come on baby, get up… “ she asked again, a gentle tap on his cheek, before she shook him. “ laurence, get the fuck up ⸺ idiot. “ he needed to be out of sight, because she couldn’t be worried about his safety, when she did what ultimately needed to. leave it to her husband to not LISTEN, but her hands sparked and she sent the magic directly into his chest in an attempt to wake him, not that it lasted long because her attention was back to the hellhound tribrid calling to her.

centering herself, the original tribrid allowed her breathing to slow, a clear attempt to calm herself down. tears still stained ivory colored cheeks, a hand came up to wipe at her eyes, before she faded out to appear in front of the brunette. a hand slamming into the inside of her chest ( she couldn’t rip her heart out, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t hurt it… if not metaphorically than physically would do ) and so she squeezed, golden eyes locked onto pitch black ones.

“ no, family is the REASON you fight. you’re doing their bidding kaya… “ she declared with a tilt of her chin, her hand twisting in the girl’s chest cavity, to yank at the heart she couldn’t truly pull out. “you think that’s STRENGTH? you’re their errand girl…. controlling nothing, you are nothing, to them ⸺ to me. “ and she’d show her exactly how true that run now.

one more notch to her belt, that’s what this would be. nothing else, and in the centuries that came it would long be forgotten. apparating near a wall, she slammed the hell hound against it. “ at least i have SOMEONE who’d give up everything for me… what do you have? a master and a leash? “ she didn’t care about the answer no, instead she’s conjured up as much energy as she could into a blast that sent her through one of the shipping containers. “ all those years and theodore is where? “ not here, and not at her side that’s what she wanted her to know. this was war and by god she’d give her and the collective an epic one. once again she came close to the other, a fist gripped shut in order to make the hellhound choke on air, on the words she’d uttered. the challenge had been accepted, the bait taken and from this point forward, turning back wasn’t an option, not until she found a way to put her once better half in the ground.

[hellonexrth]

You murdered yours. It was a reminder she didn't need nor want. Even in the darkest moments of her life, when hell consumed her heart and soul, could she remember the way her father had looked at her in those final moments, could see the pain in his eyes. The betrayal. The fear. Afraid of his own daughter. Afraid of what she could do, of what she would do. But despite the fact that this pain surfaced, the Hope succeeded in bringing some kind of feeling through the first layers of darkness ⸺ they never made it far enough to cause any real change. Instead, they were swallowed up by the time they reached her throat, by the time her fingers started to twitch, as if an entity inside her chest reached out to grab them at the very last second, right before the blade fell from her grasp.

Instead, she laughed, raising both eyebrows. "Family is nothing," she said, casually, as if it didn't hurt the little girl deep in her chest that slammed bruised fists against the locked door. The girl that wanted to claw her way out, that wanted to get on her knees and beg for forgiveness. That girl might as well have been dead entirely. "Like, I get it, Hope. We all get it. You're a Mikaelson," she said, waggling her fingers for added effect. "It doesn't mean anything. Certainly not as much as you think it does. Because newsflash, no one really gives a fuck. They want you dead for your name?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Then why do they want me?" She was smart enough to know what their end goal was, that they would kill her, too. But she was also smart enough to know she'd find a way out, even if it meant burning everything to the ground in hellfire.

She laughed again, unable to help herself. It really was hilarious, this whole thing. Them fighting. It would end up the same no matter how hard Hope tried. The one person left for her to love would die. And Kaya would laugh then, too. Apparating away from Hope once more, this time toward Laurie ⸺ she placed her foot on his already broken but slowly healing. "Family is a crutch. It's a crutch! I can't believe you can't see it. Every time you've ever been hurt?" she asked, eyes open wide, every inch of black visible. "You've been protecting your stupid fucking family." She stepped down harder on Laurie's neck, rejoicing in the sounds of his cracking bones. "The real power is in being alone. There's nothing you can do to hurt me. But you? My god, is it easy to hurt you." She raised a stake and lowered it in a blur of motion, right in the center of his chest. "Oh, I missed. Bummer." Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout as she apparated away from him again, so Hope could undoubtedly rush in his direction. Back on top of one of the shipping containers she called, "But I bet that scared you, didn't it? The potential? How does it feel?" she asked, "Thinking about him dying because of you?"

bright lighting met fire with a loud crackle, the sight of two girls who’d once stood solidly by each other’s side standing against each other, was something to behold. unmeasurable power capable of swallowing each other whole ⸺ and yet broken beyond repair, in their very own UNIQUE way. maybe this was always meant to be their fate, the rough history between their families, the CHOICE to be better because they’d been raised to be.. it only delayed the inevitable, they weren’t meant to be UNITED, and the tribrid’s choice now had made that clear.

the mention of her family name, made a fierce sense of protection stir within her. “ at least the loss of my FAMILY was a proof of love ⸺ you murdered yours.. “ she declared with a tilted chin, hurt baby blues covered in a golden glow bore into completely clouded dark eyes. “ and for what? the pathetic need to keep up with me? easy to CONTROL or not, kaya you’ve spent an entire lifetime trying to be exactly like what you deem easy to ‘ manipulate ‘ now. “ and maybe it was true, her family’s emotions were easy to play with because they all felt so intensely but it was that very notion that had made them fearsome.

their love for each other was the biggest redeeming quality the mikaelson’s possessed. “ family is POWER… “ the auburn haired tribrid declared with a defiant tone to her voice. ‘ always and forever ‘ a promise envied by many, one she held tightly close to her chest, because a ‘ squad ‘ wasn’t the same, it never would be and this moment proved it. “not that i expect you to understand ⸺ if you did, maybe you’d spent more time cultivating yours.. instead of being obsessed with joining mine. “ cruel? maybe and it was her rage talking, that sense of complete betrayal at the thought of seeing her former best friend hurt the ONE person she’d deemed untouchable. her little sister’s voice had long ago faded and in it’s place the reminder that ‘ everyone who isn’t us ‘ is an enemy and how could she refute that?

one little collective, one small offer to be rid of pain and here her so called best friend stood, ready to throw everything they PROMISED away. and so she lunged forward too, teeth bared, sparking hands that came to wrap themselves around the girl’s throat in an attempt to hold her there. her eyes falling to her husband on the ground before looking back at the hellhound. she wouldn’t take him, regardless of what had to be done, hope knew that she’d do it ⸺ whatever it took, and the hand that bore her engagement and wedding ring, served to remind her of that. laurie, was her version of ‘ always and forever ‘ an important part of the family she had left, she couldn’t lose it, not like this. “ no, i’ve just always known, i’m better.. there’s a difference. “

[hellonexrth]

They were all the same, all of these men she'd met over hundreds of years, all wanting power in completely different ways, only to end up in exactly the same place ⸺ the palm of her hand. It didn't matter what they really wanted, it always came back to power and how much of it they were able to hoist above the heads of those they believed less than. In this case, Grant and his desire to hold power from all the supernatural creatures in the vicinity. It would have, maybe, been a better idea for her to put distance between the two of them, disappear in the night and never return. But she had a feeling he could hold a grudge, and besides, being on the same side as the monster had its benefits.

She let him pull her in, let him think himself strong. A typical game they played. Or perhaps one she played all alone, right under his nose. If she could make herself seem smaller, seem less-powerful, less of a threat, maybe he would let her live. Because, of course, she had no plans to die just yet. It was a difficult balance, however, a line nearly impossible to walk to be everything he needed from her and innocent at the same time. She could not go out, manipulate the newborn tribrid and her little friends and come home seeking praise while also pretending to be weak. Besides, feigning weakness had always been her lease favorite hand to play. So, it was a difficult balance, one that almost always ended up tipping the scale, showing her hand, framing her power just so.

"And would that be any different from your current sleeping arrangement?" Katherine asked, cocking her head to the side, leaning only slightly backward to catch his eyes. I'd rather drink cyanide. "I'll remember that," she teased, placing a hand on the center of his chest. The way they looked at one another, ready to jump into something that would erase who they both were, monsters to each other, of course ⸺ but needing of something only the other could provide for the time being. "If you wished to kill me, you would have done it already," she purred before kissing him back, draping her arms around his shoulders if only to hold herself tighter to him in a desire for something she'd gone too long without ⸺ intimacy.

smirk was on the hunter’s lips as he looked down at the petrova doppelgänger. his mind lingered on a current UNFINISHED task, his ‘ darling children ‘ the eldest in particular ⸺ who was by all means the most difficult to manipulate. curse his son’s fervent passion, a trait he’d one sought to praise, until it began interfering with the PLANS he had. and he’d been tempted to set the vampire minx on his ‘ pride and joy ‘ only to realize that zander’s sensibilities were more in tune with vampires ( especially of the pretty nature ) than he thought. so that idea had been discarded in favor of others.

“ and you still have a thing or two to learn about humility, my dear. “ and with that a strong arm, albeit not stronger than anything she could do, snaked itself around her waist and pulled her towards him. she may be, an abomination and the very real representation of everything he ABHORRED ⸺ but he was a man, and why deny himself the pleasure of what was so readily available to him?

he wouldn’t praise her for a ‘ job well done ‘ no he quite enjoyed her being hungry to prove herself to him, but a pleased smile did escape him. “ and sleep with one EYE OPEN and a stake under my bed for the rest of my life? “ he teased, before pulling at her bottom lip with his own teeth. “ i’d rather drink cyanide… at least then it’s quick. “ and a less humiliating way to day, than it would be if he were bested by a vampire ⸺ he wasn’t a SALVATORE, he wouldn’t forget what she was. “ i can end you, just as fast as i raised you.. dearest, remember that. “ and with that final warning he allowed his lips to crash against here, in a clear effort to both enjoy and shut her up.

[hellonexrth]

Unlike Hope's fierce aggression, the smile didn't leave the hellhound's face. It was taunting, teasing, a reminder of the girl she used to be, but tainted by death and demonic nature and the bloodlust that swirled low in her stomach, creeping up her throat. All of the pieces of her broken, once kind ⸺ now with new desire to harm and kill. Hope's words did not cut, and she found it all too easy to laugh at them in response. None of this could she take seriously. That was her life now, wasn't it? Playing villain like Katherine Pierce had taught her? Taking nothing seriously and harming anyone who stepped into her path. It was a good life ⸺ and she didn't have the shred of humanity required to see a problem with that.

"You are so boring and so predictable," Kaya said, raising both her brows and holding back a cruel, cold laugh. "Hurt your husband, you get angry. You are so easy to control. Just like Ingrid. Guess that's a Mikaelson flaw." It was different with her, she'd decided. Kaya wanted to do this, wanted to hurt Hope, wanted to descend into hell and become something incapable of rising up from the ashes, she wanted to tarnish the good-nature of a hellhound. She would not be warning those of their future deaths, sitting by their sides while they transitioned to the afterlife. No, instead she would become an ill omen, a wisp of darkness on the wind and a demon with a black heart. And she wanted that. More than anything. Maybe because it was easy, or maybe because she was already halfway in the ground. Either way, she felt it her decision to descend deeper and deeper.

If her heart hadn't already been coated in a thin layer of shadow, maybe the speed at which Hope chose Laurie would have hurt. Instead it was only a nudge further into the ground, dirt up to her ankles. They'll never choose you. Because why would they? What did she have to offer to Hope more than Laurie or Ingrid more than Heath? They had found the loves of their lives, the people they were willing to die for and it had never once been her. And neither, of course, was Theo willing to die for her ⸺ even though once upon a time, she would have died for him, too. Though, maybe not at the cost of her friends' lives. No way to truly know for sure. Not anymore.

Lightning and fire collided in a sparkling ball between them, sending off embers and sparks in all directions and lighting the place up with bright, glowing fire. She let her claws come out, sharpening at the tips, a combination of her demon and werewolf sides. Fingers black to the knuckle like a sickness spread downward and claws razer sharp where fingernails used to be. "You have always underestimated me," she said, tossing her hair behind her back with a clawed hand. "I don't give up that easy." And with that, she lunged forward, ready to strike.

every punch she threw, every spark that left a closed fist, that she raised over and over again made her REMEMBER everything that had been taken from her. and for a moment her best friend became a stand in for all the FRUSTRATION all of the helplessness inside of her and so she threw hit after hit. for her mother, for her father, elijah ⸺ it all just melted into a mixture of endless grief, heavy rage and it was all pointed in one direction.

‘ destroy her ‘ that voice inside of her, that so often wanted to pull her into a darkness she’d been rejecting as a child, spoke. ‘ you’ve always been monstrous ‘ no amount of LOVING sacrifice will change it so. and perhaps that was the way, burn the world down before it burned her. to be rid of everything that could possibly THREATEN the safety of what she cherished most, hope mikaelson didn’t mind being the monster, at least now it was warranted.

and so she snarled, bared teeth, glowing golden eyes ⸺ a magnificent living reminder that KLAUS MIKAELSON had once in fact lived. and she could hear the i love you’s she felt them, and she loved her husband too. more than anything that had ever been hers before. he was by all means the happiness she’d accidentally stumbled upon and for that? well what was a little sacrifice? for the first time she thought about something she WANTED for a change. nothing to do with the greater good, nothing for the benefit of someone else, she wouldn’t be letting him or anyone else go for a world that begrudged her very EXISTENCE. the world that so rejected her, no that selflessness had been extinguished the minute her parents were taken from her and it took this very moment as she bared her claws to a friend now foe that she realized it had been a long time coming.

and then it came, the snap.. the crush of bones. the action had her hurling, magic in form of lightning in the hellhound tribrid’s direction, just as the other sent fire her way. “ i can control my powers better than you can, but if it’s really the FIGHT you want… i’ll send you back to your new master… leash between your tail and all. “ because she could and she would, so she snarled again, her own conjured fire aimed in the other’s direction. “ and i’ll do it again, and again.. for however long it takes ⸺ you can count on that, lockwood. “

[hellonexrth]

Playing with Grant was akin to playing with any of the power-hungry men she'd taunted and teased throughout history. He wasn't her first human, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. The centuries old vampire didn't enjoy following orders, but would do so to a point. In this case, to make it all the easier to nestle in next to Grant in the hierarchy of the Faction. Not to become someone he trusted ⸺ because she knew better than that, but to become someone he delegated important tasks to, someone that could stand by his side and learn information otherwise unavailable to a vampire.

Like most of the plans she involved herself in, this one too was for one thing and one thing alone ⸺ self preservation. Caught in Grant's web and faced with imminent death, she did the one thing she'd always been best at. She convinced him of her worth. A worth she would continue to showcase, especially in the success of her most recent little task. It had been a mistake on his part, to let her get so close. To invite her inside not only his apartment, but under his skin if only a centimeter.

Appearing before him in a blur with her head cocked slightly to the side in a teasing manner was maybe her favorite thing in the known universe. Playing with someone who both hated her and needed her, oh how it was a space she loved to fill. She would continue to confuse his emotions, his plans, whatever she could ⸺ until maybe, just maybe, a clear exit appeared before her. Until then, she would hurt whoever necessary. Including that powerful, yet utterly lost hellhound tribrid she'd handed a dagger to earlier in the day.

"It's done, as if you had any real doubt," she said, looking up at him with chin inclined. She followed his orders, yes, but she would not be his true subordinate. Not without a little bit of that typical doppelganger fight. Always on the edge of getting herself killed. It made her feel alive. Truly. She traced a few fingers down his jawline, smiling coldly as she went. "You really have got to learn to trust me, Grant. It's in your best interest. Otherwise you'll have to find a different little minx to do your dirty work."

setting a plan in motion and watching it unfold was and always would be one of the HUNTER'S most compelling talents. he was by all means, a master manipulator, call it years of bending the truth, of twisting it into the REALITY that he wanted ⸺maybe it was his natural unfeeling nature, he'd heard it said that he'd make a GREAT vampire once or twice. call it his lack of humanity even while being human, but that's what he'd embraced the cruelest parts of himself in an an attempt to reach out and touch greatness. maybe that's why he RESENTED the ' gifted ' supernatural so much, the talents they possessed all wasted on beings who OFFERED little to nothing to the world around them. their power went against nature and yet the earth spun on the same axis, and they reeked more havoc than they solved and there was NOTHING worse than an unchecked, uncontrolled monster. and thus he sat on his couch, his eyes casually glancing down to his phone as the woosh of someone pushing his door open pulled him out of his thoughts. his hand instantly coming up to grab the hand that had reached for him. " well.. " he said as stone cold blue eyes found their reflection in the sultry brown of one KATHERINE pierce. " you really do underestimate my attachment... " he spat almost in a scold as his chin tilted upwards, his hand closing around her wrist as he stood up. " is it done? have you finally PROVED why your invaluable? " and by that he meant the small side task they'd manipulated one very lost and vulnerable ' hellhound tribrid ' into completing. that very same who's head he still wanted mounted on his wall. a nice little addition to his long collection of trophies... " tic toc, little minx ⸺ we're running out of patience. "

location .... grant's apartment, featuring .... katherine pierce !! ( @hellonexrth )

[hellonexrth]

It felt good to be hurt. It didn't matter that it was her best friend pummeling her over and over again, she could only smile as the wounds created closed over and over again. It felt good to fight, to have engaged her best friend in something that she clearly didn't want to do. To manipulate. It made that power surge even more, relishing in the conflict behind the original tribrid's skull and her own misplaced joy at the damage being done.

Even from within Hope's grip, she wanted to hurt Laurie. Eye to eye with her best friend only had her remembering Theo's pain. And for some reason, his pain, his hatred of what he turned into, surfaced through all the layers of bricks laid atop anything that could make her feel. It was always him, and this was anger, anyways, at what Hope had done to him. Turned Theo against her, turned him into some apathetic man she didn't recognize. At least he was by her side again, albeit just like her, but she reveled in that now ⸺ too.

"Wow, thee Hope Mikaelson doesn't consider herself a challenge for little old me?" Kaya teased, batting her eyelashes while continuing to let Hope attack for as long as she desired, knowing neither of them could ever truly kill the other. It was a showcase of their talents alone, and if she were lucky ⸺ she'd be able to take down the one thread that held Hope's humanity in place. Then, the girl, drowning in devastation at the loss of her husband, would be free to join Kaya's side. And how glorious that would be, to be back together once more. Afterward, they could steal away Ingrid and terrorize the East coast together once again. Oh, how they'd all been destroyed with guilt from those days, but now Kaya only wished to return. It was so boring, after all, to engage in such activities all alone.

Hope wasn't angry enough for her liking. Especially as Laurie murmured reassuring words in her direction like pathetic I love you's and the like. It simply wouldn't do. Kaya disappeared from under Hope's grasp and appeared behind Laurie, snapping his neck in one quick motion. He wouldn't be down long, due to his old age, but hopefully the sound of his bones cracking would strike enough rage into her once friend's heart. Enough to really bring about a challenge. "Now that it's just us girls," Kaya said, cocking her head to the side as shadows gathered at her feet. Raising one hand, a ball of fire grew an inch above her palm. She inspected it for a moment, looking at the glowing ember-less flame, pure and bright, straight from hell, before hurling it at her opponent.

tears she didn’t allow herself to shed, pooled in ocean colored eyes ⸺ her line of sight moving from her so called friend to the love of her life. hope mikaelson was no STRANGER to peril that resulted in tragedy, her curse it seemed was to be the person who survived it all but nothing she had ever prepared her for this moment. no amount of premature goodbyes to anyone who loved her and she loved in return, had her ready for how earth shattering her husband’s voice sounded just then.

and she could feel panic course through her, the feeling manifested PHYSICALLY, in the sparks she could feel on her fingertips. she was being goaded into a FIGHT one she wanted to avoid. but it took just one dark cloud of smoke to have her toss the ‘ peace keeping idea for the sake of chosen family ‘ out of a metaphorical window. no the action had her lunge forward, a loud “NO!” slipping from her lips, as she lifted a sparkling fist, to hit the hellhound tribrid wherever it landed first.

rage that was so easily summoned came back, that act of betrayal ⸺ even if not final, it had woken her up and as much as she hated making a choice… she had. this was the love of her life, a LOVE she never thought she’d have. a joy she had always felt was meant for anybody but her. and for that? for that she’d damn everything to hell, literally. for him? she’d give up everything, no QUESTIONS asked.

“ pathetic.. “ she spat out, as she raised her first again. “ all that power you relish now, and still not DARING to find a challenge. “ how bad could this be? she’d been fighting against things that wished her misery, her entire life ⸺ even before she breathed air outside of her mother’s womb. the legendary tribrid had already done it all, a demon added to her resume would be a trophy wouldn’t it? just another moment to establish her power. and it was that side, the side that kept telling her that her father love of inciting FEAR was the only way to keep her loved ones safe, that part rationalized what she was doing now. chosen sister or not, she wouldn’t TAKE from her, no that was over ⸺ she wasn’t mourning anyone else and so she lifted her fist over and over again, eyes filled with tears as she reminded herself, that she didn’t want this, but it was necessary… she had to, she did.

[hellonexrth]

They'll never choose you, Katherine's words reverberated through her skull. She was alone. Theodore stood by her side out of obligation, not love, never love. Ingrid and Hope, they had each other, would do anything for one another. Katherine was right. If it came down to it, they wouldn't choose her, wouldn't save her. You're alone, the ancient doppelganger said. But you could have everything. With eyes wide opened, she'd followed. Eyes now deep pits of darkness, of that all-consuming blackness that kept one foot in hell at all times.

Maybe it was her hellish nature that made Hope's pain so absolutely delicious. The way it powered her, drove her further into the dark, made her mind reel fast with reckless abandon. She wanted to hurt them both, wanted to kill them both if only to increase that feeling, the live-wire adrenaline that coursed through her veins, made her feel unstoppable. And since no one had invented a way to kill her just yet, that unstoppable feeling skyrocketed. What could Hope really do to her, anyway? Snap her neck? Stake her? None of it would work. Even the most permanent of deaths for a hybrid would land her back in hell, where she could eventually claw her way out. Easy enough if not time consuming.

Not only did she cherish Hope's pain, her fear, but she also delighted in watching her attempt and reach a person who was irretrievable. It was almost cute, watching her care. Not that the care was really for Kaya. Of course it wasn't. All the fear and fight, it came from the silly little source right under her finger tips. Just a vampire. Easy to kill, really. Just one little piece of wood through the heart and he'd be gone forever. How sad. She cocked her head to the side, watching Hope prattle on about regret and humanity and whatever other bullshit she felt the need to spout. None of it mattered. Nothing mattered. Nothing except that feeling of adrenaline and her desire to keep feeling it for as long as possible.

"It's okay," Laurie said, nodding his head while making eye contact with the love of his life. Whatever he tried to convey, Kaya didn't care. There was no plan they could form via eye contact that would put her down. Just like nothing she did would be able to kill Hope. They truly were two sides of the same coin in that way. Unstoppable, unkillable, unlovable.

Kaya sighed dramatically, stepping away from Laurie entirely to approach Hope, still keeping him bound together in shadows that slipped around his body. "It's s shame you didn't fall in love with someone more durable," she said, before sending a blade of pure shadow in his direction. Experimentation, really. Most of her powers were unknowns, and sometimes she found that just thinking about something, like ⸺ say, a knife made of darkness was enough to manifest it. Hope's fear powered it up, made it crackle and spark. "Please, Hope," she said, bitterness embedded in every word. "Stop pretending you know anything about me. You don't. You never have."

her heart was in her best friend's hands, LITERALLY and all she could do was follow ⸺ reacting to every taunting move, hope could feel herself tense up, her hands closed into tightly wound fists as her MIND desperately tried to find a solution and yet hazel eyes expressed fear, not for herself no because there would never be such a time. this was a feeling solely reserved for the man she loved, the man who's eyes she'd found just then and her expression softened, the silent PANIC that filled her did take front and center for a moment before she pulled herself out of it. and still she didn't move, not until she saw her hands on his neck. ' don't hurt him ' that was the phrase going through her mind a plead she'd never make out loud but one that she knew her BEST FRIEND had to be able to read, because despite the lack of humanity, the emotion that was missing behind the girl's every word this was still the girl she grew up with not a sister by blood nor would she have been the SISTER her father would have wanted her to choose ⸺ but one she had CHOSEN entirely and honestly. that had to mean something and in this moment, the tribrid wanted to cling to that, until the other side of her that told her to lash out spoke. ' you'll lose someone you LOVE again and it will be your fault.... it's always your fault. ' and that was ALWAYS true, she couldn't save her parents, she'd killed countless people in the name of family, and yet the great savior she was meant to be had NEVER existed. she hadn't saved anyone, she hadn't ' fixed ' her family ⸺ no she'd BROKEN it and here she was once again about to watch the same thing happen again. and so she lunged forward, her own hands reaching out for the other girls wrists as she pushed her back. the crackling magic that flowed through her veins, sparking and traveling like electric waves as she pushed it out. " you never did learn how to FIGHT fair... " she mumbled as the green of her eyes found the dark of hers, " don't worry, i can fix that. " at least she wanted to, but something about the moment had her pulling back, despite her raging desire to throw punches to use every part of who and what she was to WIN ⸺ despite the anger she felt the betrayal of seeing her play with her husband's life like that. she could hear her sister's voice ' IT'S KAYA ' and it was what changed everything, because it was... humanity or not. " you don't want to do this kay... trust me i know. " and she did, she lived with the REGRET of killing her best friend, of taking him from laurie, hurting elena.... what she'd done to theodore and countless others, it was all there and she didn't wish it on anyone else.

[hellonexrth]

You always lose. That was truth for the Lockwood's for many years. Decades. Not anymore. Never again would she be a loser. Especially in the eyes of Hope Mikaelson. When her father was alive, she'd always looked up to him, despite the bad things everyone else seemed to have to say about him. Her relationship with her parents had always been complicated. They hadn't prepared her for anything. Which didn't really make sense, when they'd been through so much on their own. Tyler never taught her how to prepare for the transition after killing, and Gabby gave her absolutely no information about what it meant to be a demon.

Everything learned had been in the trenches, on her own. Katherine offered little advice when it came to her vampiric nature. And that was fine. By that point, she was used to being alone, used to figuring out her way all alone. Besides, even if she were sick of being alone, there was no time to think about it now. No, now she only wanted to think about her target, about Laurie's body in her grip and how easy it would be to drive the stake through his heart. Nothing easier.

It wasn't just her humanity being off, but the demonic nature of her heart made her want it. She saw the pleading nature in Hope's eyes and wanted, more than anything else, to make her hurt, to watch her beg for the man's life. This man, who meant absolutely nothing to her, but everything to Hope ⸺ oh, how it would feel so good to end his life. So, she only laughs, not taking any stock of the words that Hope's said, because really and honestly, they do not matter.

She let the stake hit her, embedding itself in her upper arm just to prove how little it hurt, how little it mattered. How little anything mattered.

"Just because my useless dad lost against your power-hungry father doesn't mean anything." She apparated again, this time taking Laurie with her, appearing behind Hope in another haze of black, spreading darkness. "Tyler," she said, addressing him by his first name and with distaste lacing the word. "Was always under your dad's thumb. But not me. And besides, I'm stronger than he ever would have been." It was so easy to be cruel, like second nature. The monster everyone already thought she'd become. Might as well see it through to the end. She raised a brow at her fear, feigning a pout. "Don't make you do what?" Cocking her head to the side, she placed her hands on either side of Laurie's neck, keeping him frozen before her. Weak. "Don't make me do this."

hope mikaelson was no stranger to the harsh realities of life ⸺ in fact one could make the argument that her entire existence on this planet was a CAUTIONARY tale. far removed from a fairy-tale, the original tribrid and unfiltered, explosive rage have long ago been friends. walking hand in hand, it followed her wherever she went. that path of DESTRUCTION that seemed so hell bent on being hers, taunted her at every turn and that desire to BURN and rip everything she came into contact with, was lodged deep inside of her, only to be rivaled by her great sense of love.

warring natures neatly packaged, she was faltering ⸺ the darkness that had followed her since she was a child, the one she worked so hard suppress and forget, always reminding her that it was there. because nobody outside of those close to her HEART had ever given her the chance to be more than the ‘ abomination’ meant to destroy them all. being the center of attention, had always been lonely, heavy burdens on her shoulders that long ago stole her innocence. disadvantages that she’d turned into strengths, because she could use it ⸺ she’d been taught to walk with her anger, to see it as her will to fight and flawed as that logic maybe, it was what has her STANDING now.

the threat of losing her husband, taunted her ⸺ her heart lived outside of her, and LAWERENCE RUTHEFORD was the very real, very visible reminder of it. the fact that anyone, even someone she called a friend, could reach a hand out and take him from her, it BURNED and it was that very sentiment that made her forget who’d she sped off to fight in the first place. a petite hand wrapped around a makeshift stake, pieces of a chair she’s thrown against a wall, before racing off to the warehouse where she made a less than delicate entrance, throwing it as HARD as she could in the hellhound tribrid’s direction, before lifting a hand up, thar hand sparked, the uncontrollable magic she tried to push down out in the open, for all to see.

except this time, it was TARGETED outwards, she wanted to cause damage, she wanted revenge and NOTHING had even happened yet. still hazel eyes bore into her best friend’s dark gaze before she spoke. “ and here i thought we’d broken that tradition…” she declared with a tilt of her chin. “ has history taught you nothing lockwood? “ she baited the other girl. “ you always lose. “ was it smart? no. but if it pulled her attention away from her husband, then she’d keep at it. still she did hesitate, this was kaya ⸺ her friend and that part of her that loved, that stupid heart of hers that reminded how much of a mirror the hellhound was, twin flames and total opposites that had always been their STRENGTH or perhaps curse and thus her features softened. “ kaya… “ her name fell from rose colored lips. “ don’t make me do this, please. “

[hellonexrth]

feat. kaya & hope (w/ laurie) location: abandoned warehouse @tricrsed

PLAYNG the cards life dealt was nothing but a game to the young tribrid. They told her what to do, laid out the plans, handed over the instructions, and waited for her success. It was easy work, didn't involve using her brain, and made the demon third of her monstrous DNA whirl in vicious delight. That part of her loved the pain, curled tight around her heart and kept the humanity switch in a firm off position. Not like she wished to flip it back on, anyway. It wasn't even a thought, turning it back on. It made her question everything—the before times—why had she ever bothered with such a thing as humanity? Her life would have been all the more simple with it off in the first place. For that, she could kiss the bloody dirt at Ingrid's feet. Or, more likely, the Factions. For they hand a hand in everything, and so obviously this, as well.

So seeking out her best friend's husband didn't cause flag anything in her consciousness. There were no alarm bells, no signals that went hey maybe you shouldn't be doing it. Because there was a part of her who wanted it, too. The best friend she'd always had, but the person who knew how to get under her skin the easiest, as well. Her best friend, but the person who'd killed Theo. And while grief for Theo's death was no where to be found, the anger still easily flooded her bloodstream. Anger was easy and present. So fucking present. It was all she had. And so yeah, it was easy to think about revenge. It was easy to seek him out. He always made such good bait. Just another reason to never care about someone.

She apparated into the warehouse—a fun little trick she'd learned during her time in the Faction—disappearing into a puff of thin black smoke and appearing again, sitting up on the edge of a shipping container, legs dangling over the side. She twisted the knife's point around on her finger. The knife made especially for Lawrence Rutherford, eternal pain in the ass to pretty much everyone aside from his loving wife. "Fancy running into you here," she said coyly, hopping of the top of the shipping container and landing gracefully on her feet before him. She slashed the knife toward him, and he dodged with ease. "You won't kill me," he said, and she can only laugh. "Then you don't know me at all," she said with another slash, getting into his personal space.

When she sensed footsteps, a smile crossed her face, as cold and calculating as ever. Two for one? How delicious. Especially now that they're matched in strength. Maybe this would actually serve to entertain the hellhound tribrid, instead of proving to be much too easy for her liking. Killing a half a century year old vampire would have much harder months ago, but now it's quick and simple work. And besides, she loved a challenge. With total and utter ease, she held Laurie, knife settled on his chest floating above his heart. She was much smaller than him, so the scene looked a bit ridiculous, but she managed to pin his arms just fine. And if needed, well, she could just snap his neck.