* HERO !

“That’s true, somehow she finds a way to thrive in it.” Ellie laughed. “Yeah for once I can say that I actually am.” She nodded. “What about you?” 

💥 ― He leans back on his heels, letting his face reveal a little of his answer. “I think so, yeah.” Everything was pretty heavy, and it was a group effort, but he was enjoying the night. “Carpe diem, you know?” 

“Leave it to Lizzie to throw a party in the middle of chaos.” Ellie let out a small laugh. But it was good. The students had been through so much lately and they needed a break. It was like she was telling Josie; they just needed time to be kids.

💥 ― “No one better. Chaos is her first language.” A year ago, the connotation of that might’ve been different, but the point would stand no matter the era ― whether she be the cause or the solution, Lizzie Saltzman was at the top of her field. “Having fun?” 

@notmilton​ lizzie was sitting on the ground on her beach towel, eyes closed as she sipped on the drink she made herself. mentally she was patting herself on the back for a job well done - she was adjusting a little better, able to focus on other things aside from heartbeats and then she heard his voice. the heretic stood and made her way over to where mg was and leaned against a tree until he was done with his conversation. “it’s nice to have actual fun for once, isn’t it? we don’t get enough of that.”

💥 ― he smiled as she approached. “i don’t know,” he began. “i think we have plenty of fun.” not wanting to sell their many nights together since the carnival short. “nice to put some work into it though. i think it’s going well.” he gives her a look that said, ‘don’t you?’

“Assuming Lizzie is number 1, I’ll let that slide.” She gave him a small smile in response. “Have you… have you talked to Penelope?”

💥 ― “Knew you would,” he chimed. Then his smile faded, albeit subtly. Coming off more confused than concerned. “Well, yeah. I’ve seen her.” His arms cross. “What’s― Is something going on between you two?”

“it will be nice to see them get creamed the way we wish we could when we play them, or used to.” she said, brows knitting. it was only a matter of time before they graduated and it was both scary and freeing all at one time. the blonde couldn’t help but smile and she nodded in agreement, two fingers lift to a salute. “wouldn’t dream of it, your secrets are safe with me.” her hand placed in his when offered, interlocking their hands and she stood to her full height before exiting her bedroom. it seemed mg always knew what she needed, without fail.

💥 ― “watching humans taking other humans to the cleaners?  it’s the little things in supernatural life.” the kind of normal that they were not, would never be, but sorely needed a reminder of. sure, lizzie was born spectacular (and mg born into a spectacular legacy) but her life had turned upside down, just as his did those years ago. their hands intertwine and his smile glimmers. “i knew i could count on you.” keeping up the banter. “because if you didn’t, i’d just be too popular and i wouldn’t have the free time to sneak you off campus. i’d be miserable and you, lovesick.” a playful laugh and a snarky smirk. 

Ellie laughed, smiling at his reaction. She knew she could always turn to MG when she was in the need of a mood lift. “No, it’s okay, I know it’s been wild around here lately.” She added as she gave him a hug. “I heard about the whole Lizzie thing. How are you handling it?” 

💥 ― He smiled at her reassurance. Say what you want about MG, but he was a fan of Ellie’s attitude. She was real, and true to herself. Stronger than she realized.. if her current situation wasn’t proof enough. “We’re working through it,” he admitted, confident and warm. “She’ll be alright.”

“Assuming Lizzie is number 1, I’ll let that slide.” She gave him a small smile in response. “Have you… have you talked to Penelope?”

💥 ― “Obviously it’s your dad,” he teased. Once upon a time he did look up to Dr. Saltzman, though that had changed over the years. He was always 3rd though. The playfulness subsided and MG nodded. “Briefly. What’s up?”

“Hey, got a second?”

@notmilton

💥 ― “For my second favorite Saltzman?  Always.” His grin was so warm, and he offered a ‘sorry’ shrug as if she didn’t completely understand why and who was number one.

@notmilton​

“MG, hey. I feel like it’s been forever since we last talked. How are you?” Ellie asked, approaching her friend with a smile. 

💥 ― “El!” He lit up, approaching her with arms outstretched. “Good, good.” They weren’t good, but he was good in that moment, and that counted. “Sorry for being scarce. Always the busy boy.” A badge he wore proudly enough.

“Clearly not, especially if you guys haven’t even heard of Katherine.” Sighing with frustration, the werewolf couldn’t help but laugh. “Then again, Care probably didn’t want to talk about her dearly departed husband’s ex… ironic.”

“MG, we’re in a supernatural warzone. Shovels worked for the zombies on the twins birthday, but right now I’ve got bigger problems to deal with that magic is more or less necessary for.” She protested, but she also knew that the vampire’s loyalty and moral compass was too strong for that, so she let the argument die there, especially as he raised his next question. “I want to help end this, if I can before I get too weak, and then I’m going to say my goodbyes, get the hell out of dodge… and I’m sure you can connect the rest of the dots.”

💥 ― “You don’t just have shovels, Pen. You have me. You have your friends.” He felt her fight weakening, whether it was out of surrender or apathy, he didn’t really care. “Wield me however you like ― I’m not going to stand by while you waste away.” Her answer didn’t faze him, but there was a part of him that wanted to know: “You’ll keep lying?” He frowned. “She’ll find out, and she will have to know she wasn’t there when you needed her.” But surely Penelope already knew this. He wouldn’t let her get away with not being told it, but he could accept the fact she’d already weighed the pros and cons. 

lizzie was definitely still adjusting, she was putting on her best face in hopes of the motto ‘fake it til you make it.’ so far she hadn’t killed or seriously hurt anyone, that had to count for something didn’t it? “oh hell yeah. i love seeing people spank those puppies into the ground, it’s almost therapeutic even.” the heretic beamed, hands clasping together. “you are actually kind of a genius, you know that?” she said, standing on her feet then and turned toward the door. 

💥 ― mg smiled proudly. “my thoughts exactly.” it was a difficult year for pretending to be normal students. now they were dipping their toes in being supernatural graduates, and whereas the world was meant to be their oyster, they were still here, just trying to keep what they had. watching their rivals get absolutely demolished was a small, but significant, joy. “a real brainiac, actually, but i can’t risk exposing my powers to the public. you cool with being my confidant, right?” he stood, offering his hand out to her.

“Are you seriously going to tell me that Alaric’s crackpot school for magical creatures doesn’t tell you about all the people Katherine Pierce tried to screw over as the queen of hell and as a bitch before that?” 

 “Cursed. I was trying to help Josie and Lizzie… I never like her, but I didn’t want her to die. I didn’t want Josie to die either, and I knew what would happen if one of them lost the other… so I went looking, spent the last year scouring Europe and Asia for it while mom thought I was in school. I’m sure Care did a great job, but I come from a long line of witches, lots of grimoires, lots of leads, lots of history with covens… so I stuck my nose where I shouldn’t have and got cursed.” She let out a laugh, because if she didn’t laugh she knew she was going to cry. “When I realized it, I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, nothing a little magic couldn’t fix, but using my magic only made it worse… so I tried not to. I bought a ticket here to see everyone, say goodbye, thought I had about eight months left… give or take, as long as I didn’t use my magic. But because this place is a raging dumpster fire, because of course it is, I’ve been using it non stop…” There’s a pause as she takes a sharp breath, remembering the carnival, remembering what happened to Lizzie. “I should have died at the carnival… I tried to tell Lizzie but she wouldn’t listen… so Lizzie died for nothing. I’m still dying, and now she’s a vampire… and it sucks. All of it sucks, and I haven’t told anyone except for Dr. Back From the Dead and now you, even my mom doesn’t know..”

💥 ― He let her finish. “You’re going to stop, for one thing,” he butted in seconds after she trailed off. “No magic, period, or I can’t keep this a secret. I won’t.” He wasn’t one to threaten, but this would have to be the exception. “What are you planning to do?” If she was telling him the truth, he’d have to know what part he was playing. He wasn’t going to overlook the fact that after all this time, he was given the chance to have her back; and he wasn’t going to betray that if he didn’t absolutely have to.

when what she was saying clicked for him, lizzie couldn’t help but smile even if only a little. she had been cautious and kept to herself long enough, if there was anyone she could trust herself around it was mg and it wasn’t just because he was also a vampire. “it’s been a while since i’ve had some serious fun, i think that is just what the doctor ordered.” the blond heretic said, brows lifting as she nodded from his question. “absolutely, it’s getting a little too stuffy in here.” and she wanted to spend time with him, it was a win-win. “where are we going?” she asked, slipping her sock covered feet into her boots.

💥 ― seeing her smile all mischievous-like was a comfort he’d never take for granted again. he knew how long it took for him to feel like himself again after dying. it wasn’t that he was a different person, but he felt different, and he knew she had to feel the same. seeing her exude the same poise and confidence as always... was he really surprised?  “nowhere too close-quarters. a little birdy did say the timberwolves have a new rival, and that they’re going to have their asses handed to them tonight. you in?” 

“none that are beneficial.” he stated, tossing the bag aside. “ i was looking for material that can only be found here and felt a little peckish.” 

💥 ― That got him feeling defensive. “Not for you, maybe, but it makes sense for us.” It didn’t matter if Kol and his family invented the vampire experience... the Salvatore School sought to reinvent it. “What material?”