First Meal of the Day [Originals]

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

Freya Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson, Kol Mikaelson, Rebekah Mikaelson, Henrik Mikaelson, Hope Mikaelson, Marcellus Gerard, Hayley Marshall, Davina Claire

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After coming to the bottom of the grand staircase in the entryway of the castle, Klaus turned and strutted through the open doorway to the dining hall. With a pleased smirk, his eyes fell upon the breakfast spread that had already been laid out on the table for them, prepared by some of the finest chefs this little town of theirs had to offer, who had clearly been working away diligently in the kitchens since daybreak. As they should, of course. It was, after all, what he paid them for. While it was true, he could have just compelled the work out of them for free, he did have an example to set here, didn't he? What sort of leader would he be if he asked others to not go around abusing their powers, if he went and did it more than any of them? There was discord enough in this city without that raising an issue.

Even this little breakfast of theirs, it was nothing too lavish. I mean, it was nice enough, yes, but not exactly the feast of kings, and he had given clear instructions for it to be kept simple and efficient. No need for excess, they couldn't exactly afford to go wasting all of their resources, now, could they? He didn't even really plan to eat any of it himself, a nice wine glass filled with a bit of B⁺ would do the trick.

Supplies were scarcer than ever these days, and with tensions growing between them and those back-stabbing little medicine dabblers, he wasn't exactly sure when they'd get the next shipment of food in. If they decided to start boycotting them for good, it wouldn't be long before he was forced to take some sort of counter-measure against them. Either way, it was clear he wouldn't be able to rely on them for much longer, so he'd have to get those witches to work, now sooner than ever, so they could become self-sufficient. Enough of this importing nonsense.

Taking his seat at the head of the table, the Original lounged comfortably, propping his elbows up on the armrests and folding his hands in front of him. Gazing over the empty table in front of him, he couldn't decide if he was more looking forward to or dreading another little family gathering. It was bound to get a little heated, at some point, accusations would go flying around, as they always did, and then, inevitably, they'd all get into some sort of fight.

But then...what would their family be without all that?

A humorless smile formed at the corner of his mouth. It was just the way things were. For that matter, it was the way they had always been. And, at this point, after all they had been through, all they had done to one another, there was no changing it. What was the point of even hoping?

[Marcellus Gerard]

Leisurely steps echoed off the walls of the large castle before the source reached the floor at the base of the stairs. Marcel gave the air a small whiff before he felt himself smile. Breakfast really was the perfect way to start a day. His feet continued to move on a path to the dining area, before his eyes landed on the man at the end, sitting in his high chair as if it were a throne, hands folded on his lap, more than likely waiting for the rest of his family to join him. Really, though? No one else is here, yet? he questioned to himself, taking notice of the empty seats.

"And I thought I liked sleeping in," the vampire said lazily, before taking a seat at the other end of the table. "So, Klaus...what are you thinking about, sitting here all alone? You're smiling, but...that smile doesn't really scream 'I'm happy'."

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

Picking up on the distinctive sound of footsteps traipsing down the hall, Klaus wasn't at all surprised when that familiar figure entered the room, wearing his signature grin and approaching the table with such a leisurely air. The Original lifted his gaze to rest on his protégé when he spoke, watching him take the seat opposite him, and, at that last little remark, his smile shifted, to more of a smirk.

"Well, we can't all go around with a smile like yours, Marcel," he returned. It practically radiated with merriment, that grin of his. "And anyway, can't say I've been thinking about anything too important, nothing at all worth sharing. Awfully tedious musings, really."

Essentially, that's what they were, after all.

[Marcellus Gerard]

Marcel clicked his tongue at man's response, leaning back comfortably into his chair, "Well, I guess I can't argue with that, now can I?" he asked, his smile growin' a little. It was true...not many people could quite compare. "We certainly wouldn't wanna waste our time on anything tedious, though, you're right. Might as well just forget about it." He has doubted Klaus would talk about it, but...he was pretty much used to that at this point. Klaus didn't talk about much at all when it came to what bothered him. It really didn't seem like that big of a deal this time, though, so he supposed he could just ignore it.

"We could still have a civilized conversation, though, right?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head, hands facing up in a 'why not?' gesture. "There anything you do wanna talk about, Klaus? Let's see...how's life been going for you lately?" He rested an elbow on the arm of his chair, his fist moving up to rest under his chin before he grinned at the man, adding, "Or should I say...death."

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

Releasing a chuckle at that last little remark, the hybrid glanced to the side, his eyes narrowing a fraction as he mused, "Such a blurry line between the two, isn't there?"

Deciding to indulge the man, then, he focused his stare upon him once more, and replied, "But, you are right, there's no reason at all we can't keep up civility here. In fact...," a smile took hold of his expression, "I'm all for it. Life, death...whatever you want to call it, it's going about as well as one might hope." Hm...no. Actually... "For that matter," he corrected himself, spreading his hands out in a nonchalant kind of gesture, "all things considered, I'd say even better."

They were supposed to be in some sort of apocalyptic state, after all, weren't they? And, yet...here they were. Sitting comfortably, within these walls, having breakfast and a lighthearted chat amongst...old friends. No...even more than that, Marcel was family. And that was a bond that could never truly be broken, no matter how annoying it may be, or how desperately you might tug at it.

Lifting his glass, then, filled with that deep, sanguine liquid, Klaus tilted it slightly in Marcellus' direction, as he asked, "Wouldn't you agree?"

[Marcellus Gerard]

Marcel's eyes narrowed a little as he glanced at the table, his teeth softly grinding as he re-positioned his jaw in thought. "Better?" he echoed the word, thinking about his current situation. The town wasn't exactly in a state Marcel would have wished, and...his personal life...well, there wasn't much to it. Honestly? It didn't even come close to what he could hope for. And, it definitely wasn't better.

His eyes drifted back up to look into his adoptive father's eyes as he reached his hand out to the glass in front of him, filled with his own personal preference of blood type, before he allowed a smile to take place on his lips. "Of course," he said in response, raising his drink to the man at the other side before it was brought to his lips, the contents slipping slowly into his mouth.

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

The strain that had taken hold of the other man's countenance was not lost on the older vampire, and, therefore, when he put on a smile, when he conceded, the makings of a smirk tugged at the corner of Klaus' mouth, and he lifted his own glass and took a long, generous sip. The blood was, admittedly, a little colder than he preferred. Blood from the vein was so much more satisfying, reinvigorating, naturally preserved at that perfect 98.6°, but...it was a small sacrifice to make. In this day and age, there was one simple rule all vampires had to follow: if desiccation was to be avoided, luxuries must be sacrificed. 'Course, that could be extended to almost everyone, couldn't it? Minus the desiccation bit.

Setting the glass back on the table, Klaus fixed his eyes back on the man opposite him. "But," he gave an easy smile, "that's just my own experience, of course. Tell me...how's your own undead life been treating you lately, Marcel? Anything interesting worth sharing?"

[Marcellus Gerard]

"Hm...now that's an interesting question," he mused, his gaze rising in thought. Anything worth sharing, huh? Worth sharing with Klaus? He gave in internal chuckle at the thought. No one could really share much with Klaus. Sometimes, it just meant their head on a chopping block.

There were, of course, a few safe zones, though. "Well, D's been itching to get out lately. I was thinking of taking her on the town, maybe go shopping or something. I can't believe she's over 21 now...it's crazy. She might wanna go drinking or something."

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

"Ahh, yes...a right of passage into adulthood, for this generation," Klaus remarked with a faint chuckle. "You are right, though, that is a little hard to believe. I still remember when she was trying so hard to remind us all that she had turned 18." A distant smile forming then, he lowered his gaze, his mind drifting a moment, to a uniquely pleasant image amidst all the troubles that were so often weighing upon it. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"

[Marcellus Gerard]

Marcel gave a breathy laugh at that before setting the glass in his hand back down on the table. "Yeah...you can say that again." He looked back at his 'father' then with a slight smile, "She's got a big attitude, but...she grew up really beautiful, didn't she?" He gave another short laugh before shaking his head. "It's so weird. It feels like it was just yesterday I was bringing a scared little girl into my family. And now...she really grew up a lot. Not just physically...mentally, too. I don't really think about that too much...but I can see it in her eyes sometimes. Behind the brattiness and rebelliousness...there's this maturity in there. An understanding she didn't have before."

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

"Well...," the Original's smile took on a more joking nature then, "I think it's an improvement that girl was in desperate need of." The way Marcel talked about her, with such fondness in his voice, he really did sound like such a doting parent, at times.

However, the way he described it... 'It feels like it was just yesterday I was bringing a scared little girl into my family.' Klaus glanced up then, bringing his gaze to rest upon the man seated in front of him. Yes...he couldn't really deny there were times, even now, when he felt very much the same way. It was an odd feeling, every time he did, and every time he looked at Marcel now, seeing the person he had grown into since then. It was...baffling, at times, how different he was. He really had come a long way, hadn't he?

[Marcellus Gerard]

Feeling the man's eyes in him, Marcel's brows creased slightly as he returned the gaze, a small smirk in place. "What?"

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

"Nothing," Klaus gave an easy shake of his head. "Just...thinking, is all," he said offhandedly, turning his gaze to the side. "Marveling at the similarity, between situations. How what you've done for Davina isn't unlike what happened to you." If he was being perfectly honest with himself, it made him feel as though he had actually done something right, for once.

[Marcellus Gerard]

"Well, it wasn't completely like it, either," he said offhandedly, his gaze wandering to the side before landing again on the glass in front of him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the liquid inside.

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

"Well...it'd be a bit difficult for two separate situations to be completely alike, wouldn't it, Marcellus?" Klaus returned, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. It was a little amusing, seeing Marcel try to brush off the topic every bit as much as he had.