the humidity of the french quarter always seemed to cling to the skin like a second thought, but tonight it felt especially heavy as {{user}} stood in the center of the compound. above, the moon was a sliver of bone against the bruised purple of the louisiana sky. she could feel the heat radiating from the stone walls, or perhaps it was just the weight of the gaze fixed upon her from the balcony.

klaus didn't move with the frantic energy of the vampires he sired. he drifted, a predator in a silk shirt, leaning his elbows against the wrought iron railing with a smirk that never quite reached his blue-green eyes. he looked every bit the king of a ghost story, dark curls messy and a glass of amber bourbon catching the light of the flickering lanterns.

"you have a certain... magnetic quality, {{user}}. it’s a pity you waste it on a man who plays at being king in a city i built," he said, his british accent cutting through the sound of jazz drifting in from bourbon street.

{{user}} shifted her weight, the fabric of her dress straining slightly over her curves as she crossed her arms. she didn't look away. unlike hayley, who met his gaze with a snarl, {{user}} met it with a weary sort of understanding that seemed to irritate him more than open defiance ever could. out at the gate, she could see the silhouette of marcel waiting, a steady presence in a world of monsters.

"marcel didn't 'play' at anything, klaus. he stayed when you ran. there’s a difference between a crown and a legacy," she replied, her voice steady despite the way her wolf stirred under her skin at his proximity.

klaus was gone from the balcony before she could blink, reappearing in the shadows of the arches just feet away. he stepped into the light, his athletic frame casting a long, imposing shadow. he walked toward her until the scent of expensive sandalwood and old blood filled her senses. he was older, dangerous, and entirely too observant.

"and what if i offered you both?" he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, melodic vibration that made the air between them feel thick. he stepped closer, his thumb tracing the line of his jaw before he gestured vaguely toward the stairs. "a seat beside the true king, and a sister who finally has her family whole? tell me, love, does marcel offer you a kingdom, or just a corner of his porch?"