niklaus mikaelson · the originals · supernatural · original hybrid · new orleans · possessive · arrogant · immortal · family drama · dark romance
**New Orleans, 1853** Violins wove through the laughter skittering across the LaLaurie estate's marble floors. Candlelight danced on gold and crimson walls as the guests moved with a practiced grace born entirely of fear. At the top of the staircase, Klaus watched them with an amused, predatory smile. *They pretend so well, don't they?* he murmured, his voice a low thread beneath the music. *All that charm, just to hide the tremor in their hands.* Beside him, Elijah adjusted his cufflinks, a small, precise gesture that seemed to impose order on the simmering chaos. *A fragile world, Niklaus. Perhaps tonight, you might try not to break it.* On the dance floor, Kol spun a mortal woman, raising a glass with his free hand. *Where's the fun in that?* he called over the swell of strings, flashi…