{1.05 | Malivore | part 2}
Spending her day outside, partaking in physical activities, was something that Elara liked to do. Even before she triggered her curse, sports came to her naturally. Conditioning was something she enjoyed doing. Running and climbing gave her a chance to escape her mind.
But having to demonstrate every physical test that Landon had to take was not something she wanted to do.
Elara sighed as Hope finished explaining the list of tests to her, tying her long, blonde hair back into a ponytail.
"I heard you the first time, Hope," Elara insisted. She tossed her jacket towards Landon. "Hold this."
Elara looked up at the tree branch, the blue ribbon hanging on it. It must've been at least seven or eight feet in the air. She took a deep breath. Then, she bent her knees and jumped as high as she could.
When she landed, she smiled, holding out the blue ribbon for the two to look at. "See?"
"Impressive," Landon commented as he handed the werewolf her jacket back.
"Your turn," Hope instructed. She took the ribbon from the werewolf, their palms brushing together. She tossed the ribbon into the air, and magically, it attached itself to the branch. "Have at it."
Elara shifted over to stand next to Hope, crossing her arms against her chest. "So, how long do you think this'll take?" she asked.
"We just started, and hopefully, not all day," Hope answered. She flicked her hair out of her face, turning to look at Elara. "Do you always go to the Olde Mill in the middle of the night?"
The werewolf let out a small laugh. Of course, Hope was going to take this chance to interrogate her.
"I don't know," Elara said, turning to look down at Hope. "Do you always follow strangers into the night?"
Hope rolled her eyes. "Firstly, we weren't strangers, and secondly, no. I just followed you that time to check on you."
"Right, because I risked my life for you. You're welcome, by the way."
"Just answer the question," Hope huffed, trying to show annoyance, but the quirk of her lips betrayed her.
Elara shrugged. "Not always. Sometimes I go to the dock, sometimes the gym. The Mill's my favorite, though."
"Why's that?" Hope questioned. She shifted her gaze over to Landon, who was jumping up and down in an attempt to grab the ribbon.
"It's dark, quiet. Away from everyone else. Plus, it's the best place to look at the sky. There's nothing better than contemplating everything while looking at constellations."
"So, you're a fan of the stars?"
The werewolf clicked her tongue. "You're asking a lot of questions, Mikaelson," she pointed out with a joking tone. "It's only fair if I get to ask some of my own."
She lifted a brow as if to challenge Elara. "Go ahead, then, Davenport," Hope said.
The mention of her last-- well, her fake-- last name caused her to flinch, and thankfully Hope didn't seem to notice. Elara paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. She hadn't expected Hope to agree, but she wasn't going to waste her opportunity. She could ask a basic question-- or a deeper one.
"Why did you hug me?"
Hope blinked, a gentle pink settling across her cheeks. "Which time?"
"The time after the football game when you walked in after fighting a dragon." The sentence felt strange as it naturally came from Elara's lips. A dragon?
"Well," Hope began, fidgeting. "I was upset."
"Mhm," Elara hummed. That much had been obvious. "And?"
"That's two questions."
Elara sighed dramatically. "I also answered two questions."
Hope's lips drew thin. She hadn't realized. "Dr. Saltzman yelled at me because I used black magic, which was already a bad idea, but what really upset me was him pointing out my anger. He said that was my father."
Elara didn't comment. Klaus Mikaelson was meant to be the greatest evil Mystic Falls had ever faced. He was described as a monstrous being, a demon. It was the reason Hope had to hide her lineage in the first place.
But Elara didn't think that. From what she heard, it sounded like Klaus was broken. Not evil.
"And Landon left a-a note," Hope added, attempting to shift the mood. "I was emotional and needed a hug."
"So, you hugged me?" Elara asked.
Instead of answering, Hope muttered, "that's three." She called out to Landon. "Okay, you can stop. You're not getting it."
"I was close," Landon mumbled.
Hope shook her head. "You weren't. Elara, can you show him how to do a handstand?"
Elara lifted a brow as Landon looked annoyed. "I know how to do a handstand."
"Do it, then."
The next few tests flew by, each time Elara helped Hope set them up and demonstrated what Landon was supposed to do. Each time, Landon failed. Elara and Hope actually took advantage of their time together, trading questions back and forth. Hope would ask a question, then Elara would ask one of her own, but they weren't very deep.
"Middle name?"
"Don't have one. Favorite color?"
"Red. Favorite season?"
"Easy, winter. Hometown?"
"New Orleans. Biggest fear?"
Elara paused, thinking of an answer. The questions had been coming in fast since the answers weren't complicated. It took her a moment to answer. "Dying alone."
"That's kind of sad," Hope said.
The blonde shrugged. "Yeah, well, knowing my luck, it'll be my future."
They paused their questions since Elara had to carry a log over to Landon in order for Landon to attempt to lift it. Landon thought he would be able to, seeing how easy the werewolf made it look.
He failed, but he did manage to get it a few inches off of the ground.
Hope let out a sigh. "You can stop. You failed. You have no supernatural strength."
"Thank you," Elara mumbled under her breath so only Hope could hear. "This was starting to get pathetic."
Landon dropped the log, placing his hands on his knees. "What's next?" he panted.
"Next?" Hope's brows lifted. She was irritated at this point. "You failed the vertical climb, the long jump, and you straight-up refused to swim across the lake."
"Yeah, well, excuse the foster kid for never having swim lessons, and you didn't make Elara do it," Landon countered as he stood up straight.
Elara raised her hands. "Don't drag me into this."
"Can you swim?" Landon asked, looking at Elara. She raised her brows.
She didn't answer. Then, Hope asked the same question.
"No," Elara answered with a sigh. "But I'm not the one being tested, here."
"Look," Landon started, approaching the two girls. "I might suck at-at everything, apparently, but I only have to pass one test to stay, so I'm not giving up yet."
There wasn't a better time for Emma to walk up to the four. Elara relaxed her shoulders, seeing the counselor.
"How's it going?" she questioned.
Hope turned. "Landon was about to run sprints. To the lake and back." She glanced at the werewolf next to her. "With Elara."
With a click, Landon took off. Elara shot Hope one last look. "I hate you," she mumbled.
Emma and Hope watched as Elara shoved her jacket into Hope's hands, taking off after Landon. She caught up to him pretty easily.
"What are you testing for, exactly?" Emma asked Hope.
Hope crossed her arms, holding Elara's blue school jacket against her chest and smiling sarcastically. "His ability to get away from me as quickly as possible. If he's gonna stay in this school, it's a must. As for Elara, she's providing support."
Emma lifted a brow, her expression neutral. "For him, or for you?" And to no one's surprise, Hope didn't answer. "Anyhow, did you run the lineage spell that I left you?"
"Yeah, first thing," Hope answered. "Zero magic in his bloodline, which was weird since I tested it on Elara first, and hers came out with a lot of magic in her bloodline. Was there something wrong with the spell?" Hope asked.
"Hmm," Emma hummed.
Hope's brows raised in confusion. "Hmm?"
"There's nothing wrong with the spell but perhaps the results. Most humans have some trace of magical blood in their veins from a far-flung ancestor, and how much magic did you detect in Elara's?"
"Enough to draw concerns," Hope answered. She knew testing Elara was a good idea. The werewolf had fallen for Hope's trick, and she was getting some answers. "So, what does that mean?"
"We need to learn more about Landon's past," Emma explained.
"What about Elara?"
Emma shook her head. "I will handle her. You need not worry about it."
Hope narrowed her eyes as a realization passes through her mind. "That's what Dr. Saltzman said about her when I questioned him. What's going on with her?"
"Nothing concerning, Hope, I assure you. How about when she and Landon get back, you send Elara my way?"
Emma's answer caused Hope to think. Alaric had hinted at Elara potentially causing issues for the school, but Emma was saying it wasn't anything to worry about. Hope had to know what was going on, especially since it involved her fr- roommate.
Roommate. It involved her roommate.
"Yeah," Hope said, a sudden wave of an unexplainable feeling washing over her. "I'll finish up the testing without her."
~-~-~
Elara sat in the leather chair, her heart pounding in her chest. Nervously, her fingers dug into the armrests. Despite its homey appearance, Emma's office made her feel nervous, almost sick to her stomach.
She hated therapy.
"Date of birth?"
Elara cleared her throat in an attempt to push her nerves back down. She sat up, placing her hands together. "November 2nd, 2012."
The counsellor nodded, writing down Elara's answer with a pen. "Full name?"
Elara felt her heart skip a beat. Did Emma know about what Penelope told the werewolf? Hell, did Emma know before Penelope?
"Don't you have this on file, already?" she questioned.
"Yes," Emma answered. "But I wanted to make sure everything was up to date."
"Why am I here, again? I don't have an appointment scheduled."
Emma set her pen down, crossing her legs. "No, you don't, and that is why you're here. Sessions are mandatory for all students."
"I haven't had a chance to schedule one," Elara grumbled. "I've been busy. With monsters, y'know."
"How do you feel knowing that there are monsters?"
"I'm not answering." Elara positioned her hands to push herself upwards. "And I'm not doing this."
"Stay," Emma insisted, her tone still warm. "We can sit here in silence if you prefer."
And they did for about twenty minutes.
Elara let out a sigh, finally losing her patience. She was meant to stay there for another thirty minutes, and as much as she liked silence, sitting in silence with her school counselor was not ideal.
"I feel like I'm losing my mind," Elara said. She kept her eyes trained on the window.
"In what sense?"
"In the sense that everything is changing, and I don't know what's real and what isn't."
"Would you care to elaborate?"
Elara took a deep breath. It had been years since she sat in an office like this. Talking like this. The memories weren't pleasant.
"I've been here for, what, nearly six weeks?" Elara began, leaning forward. "In that time, I've learned that witches, vampires, and werewolves exists, and I'm a werewolf, which I caused by killing someone that meant the world to me a week earlier. I met Hope Mikaelson, who-- get this-- is actually a tri-brid of the three, and she seemed to hate me. Josie Saltzman and MG became my only friends if I can even call them that, and I spend every full moon in a cage." A huff left her lips as she paused.
"That stuff started to make sense and was just beginning to be normal. Then, suddenly, boys named Landon Kirby and Rafael Waithe appear, a knife is stolen, and creatures from mythology appear in order to get that very knife. On top of it, Hope suddenly acknowledges my existence and even shows interest in befriending me, my own abilities are starting to become questionable, and my last name isn't even my last name!"
Emma lifted a brow. She hadn't expected Elara to be as transparent as she was being. Elara wasn't expecting it either. Bottling everything in had finally gotten to her, and, like expected, it all came crashing down.
"I am sorry that everything is changing, Elara. It can't be easy having to adjust to so much in such a short time. You said that your last name isn't your last name. What makes you believe that?"
Elara clenched her jaw.The statement had slipped out in her frustration. "I- I don't know. It's just a feeling," she lied. "Either way, everything is changing and nothing makes sense. Is that normal in your world?"
"In my world," Emma started, seemingly forgetting about Elara's concerning statement. "It is. We live in a different version of the world than most people. Every day, there's something new."
"And suddenly there's monsters."
"There were always monsters, Elara. They simply looked like you and I."
Elara's brows furrowed as she processed the statement. Elara had faced monsters before the supernatural world entered her radar. Growing up, bouncing around, she came face to face with various people. Some of them were better than others, but in a messed-up system with terrible luck, she dealt with monsters. They were the reason she worked so hard to keep her walls up. If she were to let them down, the monsters would squeeze through and tear her heart-- her trust-- to shreds, again.
A sudden ringing entered her mind. She grimaced, raising a hand to cover her ear, but the motion was useless. The sound persisted, growing louder and louder.
"Something's wrong," she muttered.
"What is?" Emma asked, a mixture of worry and concern on her face.
Before she knew it, Elara was sprinting out of the school, Emma calling after her.
~-~-~
Elara wasn't full sure of how she ended up in Landon and Rafael's room. She stood next to Landon-- who laid in the bed with a band-aid on his head-- biting at her fingernails. Her white shirt was spotted with blood that wasn't hers, and there were bruises on her knuckles.
Landon had been hurt, and she didn't remember how she found him.
"I'm gonna tear Jed apart," Rafael seethed, his hands curling into fists.
"No, you're really not," Hope said. Elara could practically feel Hope's sadness radiating off of her. She was unaware of when Hope's feelings towards Landon changed.
Rafael turned to her. "He's gonna pay for what he did."
"Agreed," Elara said under her breath, but her voice went unnoticed.
"He could've killed him."
"You want to do something to help him?" Hope questioned; her voice was tight. "Take a walk to the herb garden and get me some hazelwood root.
Rafael breathed out loudly, practically growling, but he gave in. He marched out of the room past Elara, his steps heavy.
Elara looked at Hope, noticing her unshed tears.
"What does hazelwood root do?" Landon asked from the bed.
"Nothing," Elara answered. "I think."
"It'll make him cool off before he realizes I made it up," Hope clarified. She sat on the bed, turning to face Landon.
Landon looked between the two. "Raf's had a... rough couple of weeks."
Elara accidentally tuned out Hope and Landon's conversation, her mind elsewhere. She should've been listening, should've been focusing on what was in front of her, but she could only think about what happened-- or what possibly did. She remembered running from Emma's office, making it out the doors, then the next thing she knew, she was carrying Landon into the school.
She's brought back to reality when she hears her name.
"Elara?" Hope called. "Did you hear him?"
"No," Elara answered, dropping her hand to her side. She lowered her gaze to Landon. "Sorry."
"I asked how you found me."
Elara blinked, hesitating. Hope watched her with an unreadable look, and Elara would've spent the time deciphering it if she had it. It was like Hope knew she didn't have an answer.
"I listened," Elara said, attempting to push the idea forward-- attempting to convince herself. "I heard Jed's voice and knew it couldn't be good. "
"Yeah," Landon laughed weakly. "It wasn't."
"Landon, I'm so sorry." Elara reached out a hand, placing it on Landon's shoulder to try and be comforting. "I shouldn't have gone to see Emma. If I had been there-"
"It's not your fault, Elara. Even if you were there, I think he still would've done it," Landon said.
"I'm still sorry." She glanced at Hope. It was clear the tri-brid had more that she wanted to say, and Elara didn't want to intrude on whatever it was. "I'm going to give the two of you some space."
Elara gently squeezed Landon's shoulder and sent him a reassuring smile before she left the room. She closed the door behind her and quickly made her way down the hallway. Her heart was racing, her breathing was rapid. Landon had been hurt, and it was her fault.
She should've taken Jed down weeks ago. She was stronger than him and had proven it before, but she didn't challenge him. If she had, then Rafael wouldn't have had to take the alpha position from him. If he hadn't have needed to do that, then Jed wouldn't have taken it out on Landon.
God, everything was her fault. If she hadn't failed at protecting the knife, which she still had no clue why she tried to in the first place, then Landon never would've taken it and caused the monsters to arrive. Then, Lizzie would not have been hurt. Then, Dana wouldn't be dead. Then, Alaric would've been there to test Landon and stop him from getting attacked.
Elara had failed at providing any type of support.
~-~-~
The stars shone brightly above. Elara watched them, careful to look at each one. They were miles and miles away, yet she felt like she could reach out and touch them.
Swinging her legs back and forth, Elara sat on the edge of the roof of the Olde Mill. Landon was gone. Hope volunteered to walk him and even offered for Elara to join, but the werewolf declined it.
She couldn't watch someone else she cared about leave.
It was strange how quickly she grew to care about Landon, especially since she didn't spend much time with him. Her walls remained in place for a reason, and she let Landon slip past them without a second thought. She questioned it, but the realization hit her with a bittersweet tune. He reminded her of the best parts of her past.
There was a gentle thud behind her. She lowered her head, staring forward.
"Following a stranger into the night, Hope?"
"Maybe," the tri-brid responded. She carefully sat next to Elara, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. "But it's just to check on you."
"I'm fine," Elara answered, turning her blue eyes to Hope's. Her brows knitted together in confusion when she noticed a small, red orb in the tri-brid's hand. "What is that?"
"It's like a lie detector," Hope explained, cupping it gently. "It glows blue if what is said is true, and red--"
"If it's a lie," Elara finished, assuming. "Afraid I'm going to lie, again?"
Hope shook her head. "No, I've figured out how to tell if you're lying without it. Emma hasn't asked for it back yet, and I didn't want anyone else to get their hands on it."
The orb glowed a vibrant blue, and the blonde felt her heart skip a beat.
"How are you feeling?" Hope asked.
Elara leaned back on her hands, sighing. "You'll have to be more specific."
"In general. About today. About Landon."
"Afraid I'm going to steal him from you?" Elara asked as a smirk played on her lips. "He's not my type, and besides, I'd be a terrible roommate to go after the boy she likes."
"I don't like Landon!" Hope said, a whine threatening to escape her. Both girls dropped their gaze to the orb as it turned red. "Okay, maybe I like him a little-- I don't know."
Elara lifted a brow. "You don't know?"
"It's... complicated."
"Complicated?" Elara questioned.
Hope dropped her head, refusing to look at Elara. Elara couldn't stop herself from grinning. She discovered that she quite liked teasing Hope. In fact, she discovered a few things that she liked about Hope that day.
Moreso than a roommate would.
Hope spoke lowly, as if her words would trigger something in Elara. "He kissed me twice."
The werewolf grinned. "Oh, that's great! Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. Sounds simple to me. Were they any good-"
Elara's question was stopped by a smack on her shoulder from Hope, who was now looking at Elara with a flushed face. "Quit it! Answer my question."
"I'd prefer to tease you about your boyfriend." Her grin began to widen, but at the sight of Hope's glare, Elara dropped it. "Okay, okay. I'm going to miss him. It was nice having him around, even with all the new monsters he brought. At least Rafael is still here, even if he is pissed at you for sending Landon away."
"Hopefully, Rafael will get over it-- Why are you laughing?"
The giggling blonde placed her face in her hand, attempting to contain herself. "'Hope-fully.' Get it? Like your name?"
Hope couldn't help but laugh, smiling at the sight. "That's so stupid."
It took a moment for Elara to stop herself. Truth be told, she wasn't sure why she found it so funny. The joke was kind of stupid, but she couldn't help it. It was like after everything she felt that day, her emotions were a mess. Her mask had completely fallen off.
At least she was laughing and not crying.
"You know," Elara suddenly said after she regained her composure. "I had fun today. You make for some decent company, even if you stabbed me with a needle and forced me to exercise."
"Hey, you agreed to demonstrate, and as for the stabbing, I'm not sorry. Your wolf blood helped provide some answers."
"That's good, at least," Elara commented. She made a note to ask about the results but held off for the moment.
"Anyways," Hope said, returning back to the topic. "I had fun today, too. It was nice to spend the day with my roommate."
The werewolf lowered her gaze, her eyes catching the sight of the glowing blue orb.
"Yeah," she agreed. "It was. Hopefully, we can do it again, sometime."
At that, Hope shoved her by her shoulder again, and the two shared a laugh. Landon's departure was sad, both girls were upset about it for different reasons, but they would be okay. Elara felt it.
And she felt the familiar sensation of doom. The same feeling that appeared whenever others were getting too close.
But the smile on Hope's face, even if the tri-brid was trying to hide it, pushed the fear away. Elara wanted to stay there with Hope. She wanted to know more about her, and she wanted to be friends with the girl.
Uh oh.