First Meal of the Day [Originals]

[Marcellus Gerard]

"Yeah. Pretty much impossible, really," he said, looking the man in the eyes with a slight smile. "But, enough about that. Where is everybody?!" His voice resounded through the halls around him. Hopefully, one or two people had heard him. "They do know about all," he gestured to the table in front of him, "this, right?"

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

"Oh, I should think so," Klaus returned easily, after releasing a slight chuckle at Marcel's exclamation, clearly intended to catch the attention of a few of them. He again leaned forward in his seat and crossing hands in front of him on the table. "Probably just dawdling, that's all. You are by no means obligated to wait for them, though."

[Marcellus Gerard]

"Well, I wasn't waiting for them," he gestured to his glass, which he'd already taken a bit out of, before bringing his hand down to lay lazily against the arm of his chair. "Just running out of good conversation, is all. Don't you agree with the idea 'the more, the merrier'? The more people we have to engage in the conversation, the more fun it should turn out to be." Except when it turned into an argument...and, he couldn't speak for the rest of them, but he would do his best to keep this whole thing PG...maybe PG-13, depending. Which...he, more or less, told himself every time, and it happened pretty much every time. It was a little tiring at this point, the tediousness of it all. But, all he could do was try.

[Kol Mikaelson]

Kol traipsed down the staircase, purposefully slowing his pace. He was in no hurry to arrive at the 'family breakfast'. It was a bit sad how desperately Nik tried to make them all act like a real family. Sometimes, it even bordered on pathetic. The Mikaelson rolled his eyes as he continued along, his vampire hearing picking up part of a conversation with...oh, well speak of the devil. The hybrid himself and...ahh, young Marcellus. Well, wasn't that just lovely? The first to arrive on the scene were the domineering brother and his lackey.

The dining hall in sight, Kol withheld a sigh when he suddenly heard Marcel yell down the hall. Narrowing his eyes, he decided he was definitely going to have to get back at him for that. Who did he think he was? Casually slipping his hands into his coat pockets, he leisurely entered the room, an impish smile in place. "Morning, lovebirds! I heard you call for me." His smile shifted into a smirk as he let his gaze wander between the both of them. "Have a little spat already?"

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

The more the merrier, hm? Well...he wasn't entirely certain he agreed with that statement. Not all the time, anyway. It really depended on the company, and, at times, a little one-on-one time could be far more welcome than a large group. Again, though...it did depend. Perhaps a fresh face could serve to stimulate the conversation. However, at the one that emerged through that doorway, the hybrid took a moment to let his eyes fall closed, listening to those idiotic words from his altogether equally idiotic little brother.

One really ought to be more careful what they wished for.

"Not at all," Klaus said then, in answer to those words, as he put on an easy smile and instead took another sip of that blood. "Also, if you think for a moment anyone called your name, you might want to get your ears checked, Kol." Ugh...he could already feel himself rising to the occasion, antagonizing that little imp right back. Was it any wonder these little gatherings always turned into some sort of argument?

[Kol Mikaelson]

Kol remained standing in the doorway a moment, his eyes trained on his brother and a grin spread across his face as he could already see the annoyance working already. He just made it so easy to get under his skin. The vampire quirked a brow at Nik's final comment, but altogether ignored it until he was entirely settled in one of the closer chairs.

When he felt satisfied enough with his seating arrangement, he glanced back at his brother and dropped his smirk in mock disappointment. "Why, brother, if I didn't know any better..." he leaned forward slightly and laced his hands together across his lap. "I'd say you didn't want me here."

Narrowing his eyes a fraction, he quickly leaned back in his chair with an amused laugh and threw his hands into the air. "But that's just silly, isn't it? After all, if we're being technical, Marcellus asked where everybody was and, last I checked, I'm an honorary member of the collective." As Kol spoke, he recognized the familiar bite trying to make its way into his tone when he mentioned the name of Nik's protege, but he managed to bury it beneath his current flippant attitude. That was a scar that remained, but rather than let it get him down, he only widened his smirk. It provided all the more reason to irritate his present company.

[Niklaus Mikaelson]

In spite of that smirk, that eternally plastered roguish look that Kol kept up, the bite that had momentarily laced his tone was unmistakable, when he had so much as mentioned Marcel's name. Again, with that? Honestly, wasn't this all getting just a bit old? The jealousy, the underhanded, and, in all honesty, rather absurd attempts to grab for attention? It was always festering, so annoyingly beneath the surface.

Well...no matter. No need to get into any of that. If they were ever to end this incessant, tedious cycle, it couldn't be done if he was constantly willing to drop all manner of civility, at the slightest insult they sent his way. He was, after all, as much at fault as any one of them. If not more. He could at least afford to be good-natured in his mockery, couldn't he?

Keeping up the same smile, Klaus brought his stare to rest pointedly on his little brother then, and he merely said, "You know, there is a difference, between calling for someone, and just asking a general question. Though," here, he gave a slight tilt of his head, "suppose it doesn't really matter, does it? If it makes you feel better, then, yes, Kol...everybody does include you."

[Kol Mikaelson]

Kol's smirk dropped slightly in response. Why was he still caught off guard by anything that sounded remotely like what he wanted to hear? It's not like Nik really meant it. The dry mockery of voice summed up exactly what he meant. But...perhaps it was harmless enough to count. Shaking away those thoughts, he worked out a stiff part of his shoulder before mockingly placing a hand over his heart. "Aww. That was touching, big brother. Really."

Before he started caring more about this ridoculous conversation, he glanced absently over the food spread and, finding something that looked somewhat appealing, he reached for a piece of bread in front of him. "Hello, commoner's food."