1st ғʟɪʀᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ☽O☾ [video]

[malefice]

[ When the video feed comes to life, Isaac is lounging on a rather plush chair looking far more smug than he ever has in his life. He's got a cup of tea balancing on one of the arm rests and next to it a plate of biscuits - quite the sweet tooth at the moment apparently. Two things stick out like a sore thumb - the amount of stubble on the usually babyfaced teenager and the white gauze pad above his eyebrow. Of course when "Isaac" opens his mouth it becomes apparent quickly that either A) Isaac has developed a European accent or B) this isn't Isaac. ]

I'll say, one moment I was smack dab in The French Quarter and then I found myself here and I haven't a bloody clue how it happened.

[ He purses his lips a bit indignantly before speaking again. ]

And while I have to assume the company here is far superior to the company I was forced to keep there - I'm not a big fan of this unbreakable boundary spell. I'd like to meet the witch that cast it.

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[fantoche]

[Warning bell a, he knows her name. Warning bell b, he thinks she kidnapped him. Warning bell c, second date? She doesn't even know where to start with this.]

What? Second- How do yo-

[A beat.]

Who are you?

[malefice]

Kaleb? We've had this conversation - you've got terrible taste in music but your name makes up for it.

[ Okay, now he seems offended. ]

I get it, not a great date. I can't really control if you've pissed off werewolves, that's on you.

[ AS IF YOU COULD FORGET A FACE LIKE THIS OR SUCH CHARM. WOW RUDE.]

[fantoche]

I've never met you before. [There may be a little more of a huff added to her voice than necessary thanks to the dig on her music taste. DOUBLE RUDE.

After a moment, she sighs thinking back on something Cami had said.]

People get pulled in here from different times. [Look, she's not calling you a liar. Bonus.]

What do pissed off werewolves have to do with a date? [Because unlike some witches that might want her dead once she revives, she'd managed to stay out of the werewolves way thanks to Marcus.

She gives a wave of her hand, not waiting for an answer.]

We should talk in person. Where are you? [She wants a read on him ASAP.]

[malefice]

[ He's about to give her a less than favourable response about how he's already disliking this place but then she says she wants to meet up and he can't help but grin.

Blue eyes traverse the room around him for a second before finding the feed again. ]

First floor tea room. [ Notice the tea?

He relaxes more into the plush chair. Kol does appreciate when he's not being called a liar - it's refreshing.

At this point he's willing to give her just about whatever she wants simply because he has no reason not to. ]

Are we trying for date two? [ Going for coffee, going for tea... same thing. ]

[fantoche]

[Considering just how many tea rooms this stupid place had, she's grateful for the location. She's not gonna comment on the date #2 thing right now. That's a topic she'll broach once they're face to face.]

I'll be right there.

[And with that, she quickly ends the feed and heads down the floor doing her best to keep her nerves in check. As promised, she's pushing open the door not even a minute after shutting off the feed. There's a soft brush of magic as she reaches out, though the confidence in her powers is nowhere near where it'll be in the future.

She crosses to him, settling in the seat across from him with a little exhale rather than saying anything else. Skepticism written all over her face, she takes the chance to give him a once over.]

[malefice]

Hello, gorgeous.

[ He can feel the soft charge of magic, and he comfortably reaches out in return. When she all but sizes him up he can't help but speak up. ]

Well I feel a bit judged.

[ There's a pout on his lips as he blinks slowly. The table between them is full up with tea accessories, cream, sugar, cookies. Kol slides a cup of tea towards her followed by a plate of sugar cubes - first though he plucks one up and pops it in his mouth. ]

Cream?

[fantoche]

[Any surprise she has at the magic coming back at her is schooled away, though her reaction to the 'gorgeous' comment isn't quite as easy to control.]

Just covering my bases.

[Better safe than sorry as far as she's concerned. Picking up a sugar cube of her own to deposit in the cup, she grabs a spoon to start stirring.]

Sure. [She gives it a casual beat before jumping into her questions, trying to focus on the more important things than the dating comment... Although it's definitely trying to work its way out.] So, are you part of a coven back in New Orleans? [Because depending on his answer, the casualness could go bye-bye real quick.]

[malefice]

Fair enough.

[ There's an upwards quirk to his lips as he slides the small pitcher of cream to her. ]

Nah - just me all by my lonesome - having a coven's important though. [ His eyes trail up from her cup of tea to lock with her eyes as if he could see right into her soul. ] Even if it's just two. I think it's about chemistry more than family.

Me mum's mad, I could never consider myself part of her coven - she's the reason I stopped practicing for a long time.

[ He's not lying to her, and he has little intention to. Kol falls into a comfortable silence for a moment, turning his attention back to his own tea. ]

[fantoche]

[Her hand overs over the pitcher of cream when their eyes lock, the breath she'd been taking in catching in her throat. She'd felt so alone the past few months she'd been stuck here - surrounded by people that didn't know her... Not truly. No one had looked at her like that before and had been sincere about it - not like this. Not even Tim.

It was almost unnerving.]

Chemistry.

[She gives a soft exhale as she takes the cream and pours it into her tea, the warring emotions in her taking a back seat to the confusion as she stops stirring. Another coven? That's -]

What? You're mom has a coven? In New Orleans?

[And what did he consider a long time because he didn't look much older than her.]

What's her name?

[malefice]

[ Kol mulls over the questions as he draws his tea cup to his lips, when he places it back down on its saucer he snatches up a tea biscuit. ]

She knows quite a few witches, not just in New Orleans. You don't think I got my charming accent in New Orleans do you?

[ His head tilts slightly, baby blues watching her curiously once again. ]

Esther. [ It's honest. He doubts she knows who the Original Witch actually is - but if she does, he hardly cares. ]

Know her?

[fantoche]

Makes sense.

[Picking up her own tea cup, her cloudy blue eyes meet his. There's a lift of her shoulder as she crosses her legs, bringing the cup to her lips.

The name doesn't ring a bell, which is strange. She thought she knew all of the witches in the French Quarter... Then again, she'd never heard of him so that logic was probably flawed.

With a shake of her head, she takes another sip watching him over the rim of the cup.]

So if she's the head of a coven, she must be pretty powerful. I'm amazed she let you stop practicing. [A scoff.] I know my mom wouldn't have if I'd even suggested it.

[There's a bitterness in that, breaking the gaze for a moment. The wounds were still fresh - the way she'd been groomed for death without ever knowing.]

[malefice]

[ She'd started this out as some form of interrogation and it's obvious he's doing well enough that it quickly shifted to something more friendly.

When she shakes her head, he shifts a little, relaxing more. ]

Nah, it sounds like our mothers aren't too different; mine's a bit of a control freak - she forced me to stop practicing. She wanted to protect me, didn't give me a choice. It was rubbish.

[ The expression that takes over her face makes Kol pause and lean forward, his free hand reaching out across the table to find hers. Kol's words soften as he watches her carefully, eyes never straying from hers as he speaks. ]

If you want to stop practicing, stop. Not that I suggest it - you're a brilliant talented witch, Davina Claire - it's refreshing to see a girl that can take care of herself.

[fantoche]

Mine groomed me for a sacrificial ritual so I could become a host for an ancestral element if I revived. [It tumbles out faster than she can stop it, not exactly something she's been all that open about. She doesn't regret the words though, not really. As much as it unnerved her, everything he'd demonstrated so far gave her no reason not to trust him.

And the way he takes her hand just reinforces it.]

I still don't have control - I don't want to hurt the people I care about. [A reason the loss of control thanks to the event had rattled her so much.]

How can I - [She cuts herself off, putting down the cup so she could run her other hand through her hair and get the words out somehow - past where they'd caught in her throat.] There's so much I need to do and I don't think I'll ever be strong enough.

[The confession leaves a sour taste in her mouth, her head dipping forward as her legs uncross so some of the hair she'd brushed out of her face is now obscuring it.]

[malefice]

[ Mine murdered me in cold blood to protect me and turn me into something without giving me a say - ruined my family in one go. He doesn't say it though - he can't. She may trust him, but he's not sure he can trust her. ]

I know. Just about everyone knows your story, you're brave.

[ The look in his eyes is sympathy, he looks sad for her and the way his jaw locks, maybe just a bit angry for her sake. ]

Trust me - mine wouldn't hesitate to do the same. I bet she'd even have been the one to preform it. [ He can remember she let him get stabbed in the heart quite literally. ]

Control is easy to learn, you've just got to find the technique that works for you.

[ The Mikaelson pauses but doesn't let her hand go, wanting her to know that he's there for her. ]

I can teach you a plan b if you're ever afraid of losing control.

[ He can show her how to lock her power away in something temporarily. He's fairly certain he can show her how to control it too. ]

I can help you; you're not alone.

[fantoche]

[Brave... There are so many moments where she hadn't felt brave, vengeful yes, but not brave. She'd been terrified and Marcel had presented her with a way to channel that energy and power.

The admission from him, though, earns a look from her - brows knitting.

With a sniffle, she brings her free hand up to wipe at the tears that had slipped out. There's a vulnerability to her right now, something she have the strength to mask right now.]

We should start a club.

[And it's hard to work on controlling her powers when the voices of the Ancestors echo in her mind - their warnings clear as day.]

A plan b.

[A beat.]

Why would you help me? You don't owe me anything. [And there was no such thing as a free lunch. Not with the supernatural.]

[malefice]

I believe they call them Covens now a days, not clubs.

[ He cracks a grin, trying to lighten the mood at least a bit. ]

I'm not wearing any god awful matching scarves. Don't even pitch the idea, love.

[ Kol pauses, humour dropping from his face as he watches her, an eyebrow hitching up his forehead as he decides to explain. ]

A plan b. There are spells you can do to put your power away temporarily into something. Either for your safety or the safety of those around you. It's a great technique if you're playing with unstable magic.

[ From the sounds of it, he's dealt with it before. ]

What better do I have to do? And believe it or not - I rather like you.

[fantoche]

[Covens, it's a word that she hadn't expected - her eyes widening just a bit. Though, matching scarves - now there's an idea. She barely knows him and yet the thought of him in a frilly scarf eases some of her discomfort with the subject matter.

She picks up the cup of tea she's been neglecting, watching him over the lip as he speaks.]

When can we start?

[After what had just happened, she more than a little eager to learn, the cup resting on the table as she leans in a little closer. Besides, what better way to test the truth of his words than through doing a spell together - see just how much power he had.]

[malefice]

[ Kol lets out a startled chuckle, not expecting her to be on board so quickly. Welp. ]

Whenever you want, love.

[ When she leans in he leans back a bit, relaxing in his chair. ]

I sort've just got here, but if you want to start now. [ He shrugs. ]