fic: lasciate ogni speranza

[imp3ratrix]

title: lasciate ogni speranza
fandom: the vampire diaries
pairing/character(s): elijah/elena/klaus
rating: pg-13
disclaimer: not mine.
word count: 2,313
summary: They are too resolved, too stubborn to be bent as they trade in claws and fists.

notes: Written for tvd_rareships’s Weekend Comment Fic Party. Prompt: To the victor goes the spoils by simply_aly.

 

i. commencement thus begins as calamity

 

Klaus brings her a rose – red and daring and characteristically perverse – and silently issues his opponent a challenge. Arrogant and altogether bellicose, Elijah notes.

He watches as she takes his gift with a trembling hand and dangles it by her leg, over a railing where it stays: perilous and precarious.

And she looks too vulnerable herself, standing there by the grand staircase facing them.

Two men, the entire world before them and winner takes all.

So it begins.

 

-

 

“Such innocence.”

Features chiselled stoic like stone, Elijah feigns nonchalance as the other man runs knuckles down her crimson cheek-to-throat. In another time, in another place, he may have felt incensed – murderous, all hellfire and reprisal – at the disquieting display. If only the budding affections and tensions between them (unspoken, uninhibited, undisturbed) had grown and bloomed beyond rational control. To his relief (and dreadful affliction), they have not.

And what isn’t played upon is of little concern.

So when Elena turns her pleading eyes towards him (wide, watering pools of fear and grief) he can delude himself into not feeling guilty. Guilt is guilt, but guilt has no measure in his plans and whatever Elijah may have thought, holds no lasting consequence.

With sickening ease, he turns his gaze away, pushes her away. Indifference – because her circumstance is a mundane phenomenon if not unfortunate, and he has a façade of loyalty to maintain.

At her whimpers, he inhales deep (hasn’t done that in years) and paints a mental picture. Something to lull, something to appease, and the sight of his distorted, hideous face – caught up in astonished ill-fermenting displeasure, turning rage – soothes him all the way to his burning core.

So he retreats to the sidelines. Immersed in design and mission, and extricated from emotion.

But then, he hears her scream.

 

-

 

And scream.

Loud, rasping, the sound of slams and whipping – the sound of something tearing, perhaps even a limb.

Elijah’s thrown back into the now with frantic, bone-jarring ferocity.

 

-

 

“You passed out,” he states. The obvious and nothing more.

Elena opens her eyes, the last shreds of the day’s light filtering through too-black, too-thick curtains. Shining so bitter and forebodingly and making lurid circles darken under her eyes. And there is a moment, short and fleeting, where Elijah considers reaching out and touching her – wondering if she’ll shrink away. Wilt away like a flower in death.

But the moment is gone, just as well.

Just as well, as attractions begin to call, to plague. For the barest attractions Elijah has left are wasted on her, her, Elena, whom fate demands sacrificed and de-skinned.

And he’s feeling miserable and repulsive and will not admit it (to himself).

Emitting a weary, pain-streaked moan, she begins to massage her neck, bruised and red. His eyes linger on the damage – blotches, like those from a blotched slaughtering – as he feels the inklings of nausea (guilt). Like scabs building on scabs as everything becomes a great, dreary mess. And before he can quash a sudden bout of sentimentality, of self-ruin, Elijah is reaching out and bringing her into his hold. Pressing lips to her hair and whispering: I’m sorry.

“Sorry for what?”

He can feel and hear the forced scorn dripping angry at the end of every word but he doesn’t respond. Doesn’t retort, continues instead with pressing his sharp dagger-fingers into her shoulders and spine.

Out of benevolence and pity (and just a little endearment).

 

 

ii. equidistant tumbling through the nine circles

 

It’s a euphoric, sadistic rush that consumes him.

Burning and potent and exhilarating and oh, oh, how he feels alive after so, so, long. For too, too, long, the world has known and breathed nothing more than insipidness and decay–

as his old immortal bones turned to brittle and ash and dust with tedium, as the years turned grey (and ebbed away).

But Klaus has a secret hidden deep within the vaults and bolts of his brain (has a knowledge of how things will turn right again). Knows that deliverance is coming, sanguine and sweet, personified in innocence and bearing a face of beauty he once learnt to abhor and yearn and want, all for himself.

With her tiny skull in the palm of his right hand, on the cusp of being crushed, he feels life returning once again to his dead, dead corpse. And remembers how, always and forever, humanity serves only as an amusement. A trinket to toy with at his whim.

Smirking at his fortune, he brutally presses lips to hers as his world erupts in flames, burns, and is reborn anew.

Like a phoenix. Like a God.

Klaus laughs and laughs and laughs.

 

-

 

“She is a resilient little thing, isn’t she?”

“I suppose she is,” is Elijah’s response is all too blasé.

Klaus scrutinises his features, deciphering them for some veiled truth, a thing he may have missed, a–

“A shame. Though I may take particular care not to break her entirely.”

“How much longer do you intend on toying with her?”

“As long as I please.” A stagnant pause. “Lamenting for her plight, Elijah?”

“I wouldn’t know how.”

He hums a response and continues to observe him with placid disinterest, notes the barely-there twitch at the corner of his lips. The forced and rigid bearings of nonchalance, hiding internal squirms and strains and really now, he should give him a little more credit – he’s had eternity to learn the signs of deceit.

Still, Elijah meets his gaze and holds it (a challenge), thinking he is so discreet. So noble. And so resolved, Klaus decides that he – traitor – must be destroyed.

Emaciated.

Eviscerated.

Gutted and open (twisting and winding), hung upside-tipsy-side toward the sky.

Klaus grins at the mental picture.

Brandishes his weapons and prepares for bloody war.

 

-

 

Like a clean, swift blade cutting into muscle and skin, Klaus strikes first with cruel and deadly accuracy.

Intent on devastation, castigation. Instant gratification. And it’s all crashing down in giant waves, hits her hard, a resounding slap across the face. With deep-incised, fuchsia-slit bruises, bites and kisses, he ups the ante knowing full well Elijah is never far away. Never far from the chorus of her cries and pleas, echoing his way.

A tenfold gift.

And Klaus can only chuckle along, admiring the trickles of blood trailing down her back to her thin thighs and coltish calves, slithering along her silhouette and onto marble tile. And resigns to wait, counting the days before Elijah cracks. Burnt up, charred, and left to rot; the natural closure of a thorn removed, of enemies decapitated and pieces asunder, of–

“Please… I don’t want to die,” Elena chokes out.

Pulled from his reverie Klaus turns to look at her, viciously and beautifully and full of merciless villainy. “What was that, now?”

With slow, calculated steps he closes the distance and weaves a living hell, just for her (him). With a smile, full of secrets and promises (of the very worst), the fear hits her between organs and she ceases to breathe.

“Kneel.”

His velvet voice purrs, his blue eyes gleam, and just like that he compels her and moves her to his will. Strung up by strings, like a marionette and dangling from emaciated arms and legs.

“Ask me again, my sweet,” he whispers, bending at the waist. The soft pad of his thumb tracing over her swollen lips, claiming them. Relentless, like a conquering conqueror of old.

“Only, this time, with a little more supplication.”

 

 

iii. culmination what appears only once a century

 

If he were on the verge of death and decrepit, hungering for measly power gains or revenge or the mordant, divine taste of blood and cognac tricking down his throat, Elijah would have indeed agreed that he had lost his mind. Or was teetering dangerously close on becoming insane. Or harbouring an unfulfilled ache inside. Or–

longing for a girl soon to be dead, dead, dead.

Or nothing.

He is young – still, even with thousands of years behind him – and has vigour still in abundant supply within his tiring, shelled out corpse. And is driven to recite, like a mantra, that Klaus will pay (for every tear he causes to slide down her cheek). He is in the right, of that he is certain.

With perfect, divine clarity.

Klaus needs a taste of his own ruin; know agony and suffering and then… then everything will be right again, then she will be free. And as for her, whatever happens, whatever fate decrees, will happen (but that is a lie, a vicious lie, because desires-turning-obsessions never truly die, and he cannot rightly abandon the girl to the barbaric hearts of banality.)

Out of sight, out of mind, Elijah tightens his jaw and forces himself to ignore the chorus of her cries. Obsesses a little more and hastens his move, plunging lay daggers and enchanted swords into Klaus’ imaginary back.

The last twists in–

he falls: pop goes his spine, goes (in showers of hail and hate) down in cascades to his vertebrae – pop goes the weasel!

And Elijah can only feel an overwhelming sensation of vindication and anticipation and–

the hallucination shifts to Elena, all broken and dejected. A half-snapped spine, with soft, white bones sticking out.

Elijah suppresses the sudden desire to empty his stomach.

 

-

 

Resonating from behind glass panes, Klaus plays a sonata.

Ode to a Beginning, Ode to Finale is Commencing is Reliving.

Like a skilled virtuoso, his fingers deftly move across a row of ivory keys without hesitation or pause. A perfect melody to contort minds and twist resolves (distortion is a true art only achieved through honing, the spilling of blood and tears). He can make himself believe whatever he chooses as Elijah muses over the irony of it all.

The beginning of the end, indeed.

Turning towards Elena he extends his hand, hoping she’ll take it. And observes the glassy eyes that see right through him, the sickly, pale skin marred red and purple (and resists the urge to pounce with deadly cause there and then).

After a moment – a minute, an hour, he can’t be sure – she slowly places her hand in his. As the vehemence and depth of an infinity’s worth of denial and irrational desire begins to bubble and smoulder, collecting in his centre and twisting out. Consuming him whole.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

Elena remains silent, uncertain. But it doesn’t matter; he is committed to what must be done (with self-satisfied delusions in tow).

On a high, clear note with everything at last in place, Elijah prepares to clasp the casket shut.

It’s curtain call.

 

-

 

“A threat-display, Elijah? Have you really thought this through?”

After a century of monotony and inaction, Klaus rises from the ashes with all his hell wrought furies. And engulfs him in an acrid cloud, draws from boundless reserves and batters his body down with a madman’s laugh ringing deaf. Elijah falls, desperate and grasping for a ledge to stand (falls short, bruised and bloodied on the floor).

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You always had the look of someone bound to overestimate themselves and do something incredibly stupid.”

A fist finds itself buried in his chest, fingers circling about his sternum as he’s hoisted to his feet. His breaths grow short, his ribs contract painfully as he fights to maintain consciousness – inhale and exhale. But it is all so laborious, so onerous–

this, he realises, is what they call onus. Obligation. Sacrifice.

“I’m afraid you over finessed.”

In the distance, something cracks, someone screams and he realises all too belatedly that someone is he. And Elena screams next, loud and strident; a spear to his chest–

that has him instantly seeing red.

Like a sting, like a slap, (like a flash of the afterlife and a-tumbling away from the light) Elijah springs awake and is made alive again.

With a snarl, teeth bared, the ground quakes beneath and he writhes, surfaces, out of petrified sleep like a bundled snake. And before him, Klaus looms and sways (never yielding, never dying).

They are too resolved, too stubborn to be bent as they trade in claws and fists.

Elena looks on from afar, resigned and anxious and ossified in place.

 

 

iv. epilogue ashes to ashes

 

In the aftermath of it all – post-war, post-death, post-calamity and finality – the first thing he does is reach out and touch her.

A strand of hair, a red tear-stained cheek. Something. To feel, to assure (allay his non-existent heart) that all this has not been for naught. That she is there, across from him and not ablated into the crisp winter wind. There–

reflecting back disbeliefs and disenchantments with wide, solemn eyes.

“So… this is it, then? This is the end?”

“The end,” he confirms, running the back of his fingers down the side of her face.

She wavers slightly, threatens to shatter at the mere contact. Disperse and waft away, in a million pieces. He would have frowned at her frailty, but something deep and elusive and intrinsic has him smiling instead. Vampishly white teeth glaring luridly against the pitch-black night. Wounds and pains forgotten, he is guilelessly ensnared.

And so tranquilized, materialized (an apparition carried over from streams of blood), he pulls her to him and inhales the scent of victory through her hair. Feels her body’s tremors turning pandemic (because there’s no where left to run). And this is the moment when her throat chokes up, as his fingers dig deep into pliant, malleable skin. Leaving little crescent scars in their wake – a memento, a final gift – and soon, she’s caught in his too-tight, too-cruel (and real) embrace.

“Come.”

He is pulling her away from the stench of battle and decay before she can utter a sound.

A rotting corpse lies forgotten on the floor.

So it ends.

 

Fin

Comments

[ellensmithee.livejournal.com]

I was curious to see if anyone would take that prompt and what they would do with it, and I'm not disappointed! Your way with language is just lovely. And the ending is just chilling. I love it!

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

I've been quite taken with Elijah's character, as well as the idea of Klaus, that I very well couldn't ignore the prompt once I saw it. I really wanted the ending to be as ambiguous as can be, not to mention a total mind!fuck, so I'm happy to hear I succeeded in that regard!

[simply-aly.livejournal.com]

I am not all too sure I understood what happened, but nevertheless, I loved it. The language was beautiful, and I loved the tug-of-war between Elijah and Klaus with poor Elena in the middle.

Thanks so much!

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry about that! Every now and then I start feeling a little too poetic and decide to indulge in some experimental writing with verse. I promise my next fic won't be quite so vague. XD

I decided to go with highlighting the conflict between the two without focusing too much on context. If it helps, all that's really happening is that Elena is in Klaus' hands and he, always looking for a new thrill to indulge in, decides to have some fun before going forth with the sacrifice. Meanwhile Elijah tries to cope with his feelings on the matter, deluding himself into thinking he doesn't care what's happening to her (and failing), as he waits to make his move. Klaus happens to pick up on the fact, and uses Elena against him so that he may snap and show his real intentions. And Elijah does, deciding instead to protect Elena (because yeah, he cares), and strikes out against Klaus. One of them wins and gets the girl, the other dies.

I hope that helps put it into context. And thanks for reading! I'm happy you enjoyed it nonetheless. :)

[il-isek.livejournal.com]

I loved the fraternal tension between Klaus and Elijah caused by a Petrova doppelganger when watching their interactions in 1492 but unfortunately, I ship Elijah and Elena, and we never got to see Elijah and Klaus and Elena interact in the show.

So thank you so much for the fic (and for the other one "To an Aspect of Perdition, Revolution") Even though it's AU, the characters are intensified versions of what we've seen on TVD, and I loved seeing how the three of them act when they are pushed to their limit.

I liked this fic a little more than TAP,R because it preserved the patience and restraint that made Elijah and Elena's relationship. In the show, he doesnt aggressively pursue Elena in the show (unlike the Salvatores), and on Elena's part, she treats him as a noble man. However in the fic this restraint is not just a choice, but a survival necessity: Elijah cannot demonstrate any affection towards Elena for fear of what Klaus would do to her once he finds out (though Klaus knows Elijah too well), and Elena cannot ask for help from Elijah because Klaus will kill Elijah for his betrayal.

It must be so difficult to write, but I really hope this isnt your last Elijah/Elena/Klaus fic.

[midnightblack07.livejournal.com]

beautifully, beautifully written!!
You've done both these ancient and ambiguous characters such justice (even though we've yet to meet Klaus, for some reason I can't imagine him not being morbid at least to some degree).

I like how you left the ending (who ended up the victor) open to the readers, for Elena's sake I'm going to pretend it's Elijah hehe =p

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Oh, definitely agree with you on Klaus. He is shaping up to be incredibly vile. I like to think of his characterization as a combination of unapologetic sadism, genius, insanity and a serious case megalomania. I can't wait to see him in action!

I couldn't choose one over the other; they're both too awesome for that! But I'd like to think it was Elijah too, if only for Elena. :P

[advo.livejournal.com]

Darling, you definitely have a way with the written language. It was damn creepy! But yay, we have another character in common that we love: Elijah!

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it came across as such. Anything with Klaus in it demands to be all kinds of depraved and creepy.

Elijah is the personification of all things awesome I can't imagine anyone not loving him!

[advo.livejournal.com]

I agree about Klaus, though I'm not sure TV!Klaus will live up to yours. He seems more like a frat boy than a genuinely scary guy. I'll give him a chance since he hasn't really been on the scene in his modern day version yet.

Elijah is the best, LOL. It is true, I don't think I have seen anyone not like him actually. But still, he had me at "Hello there" so dibs!

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

I hope they do his character justice; I've been waiting for him to make an appearance since the beginning of the series. He was so crazy and evil in the books, and it would devastate me if he's anything but. Alas, we shall see.

Haha, that was hot. I loved his entrance; it was so commanding and worthy of a BAMF.

[advo.livejournal.com]

Ahh, you read the books then? I haven't so I'm just going by what happens in the show. I do see the appeal of Morgan - the whole cherubic smile while he does devious things? Totally get it. But so far, his devious things haven't really been that BAMF, you know? Like okay, making Kat stab herself over and over again - nice touch - but pretty amateur, no? Counter that with Elijah smacking off Trevor's head - so not a worthy comparison. Or his verbal "torture" of Jenna - I'm sorry but yawn?

And okay, I guess there are parts of me who's a tiny bit biased because I love Elijah so much and I'm worried they're going to kill him off to make room for Klaus.

God, I know! He was just like, oh Trevor *off with your head!*

Best case scenario for me is if they kill off some of the useless characters and make room for a real Originals family feud with Elijah AND Klaus. THAT would be awesome.

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

Yeah I read them a very, very long time ago. I think they've given him a sense of humor in the show that was absent in the books, so his character is quite different in that respect. Still I am generally satisfied with the portrayal. Joseph has the most arrogant little smirk ever, and his accent is divine. I think his character will become even more psychotic in the future, so there's room for more badass villainy yet (everything rests with the writers; hopefully they'll pull through).

No way, Elijah isn't going anywhere! TPTB know how popular he is. And he hasn't done depraved things to Elena yet.

Well, you got your wish. Three useless characters have been eliminated. Now they only need to cut back on the Salvatores and Damon's manpain and we're in business.

[advo.livejournal.com]

I've still not warmed up to Klaus, but I am very pleased that he survived. What I like about Klaus, is how nice a contrast he is to Elijah. The Originals are just so much more superior and interesting to watch over the Salvatores. True story. Stefan has always been yawn worthy boring and I have been very over Damon and his manpain, a really, really long time ago. He truly is the Chuck Bass of TVD. Ugh.

"And he hasn't done depraved things to Elena yet."

I love the way you think ;D

Hmph. Yes, I got my wish. Sort of. I still have two guys standing out of the three guys I was hoping would survive. My poor uncle John though.

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

Not going to lie, Klaus really brought it this episode. And to think he's only getting started. He's just so delectably vile I really cannot fault him for (temporarily) taking out Elijah. I was kind of expecting it, really. There was no reason for him to keep his word after he'd gotten what he wanted -- then again, in a twisted way he did fulfill his promise in reuniting Elijah with the rest of the family. Shame on Elijah for not paying closer attention to the words being used (that's his trick, damn it).

True, the Originals really are more interesting than anyone else on this show. (I've actually gone ahead and set up an LJ comm just for them; it just needs some finishing touches.) I like Stefan, he's too sweet not to like. Damon though can just GTFO. I do not need a repeat of Gossip Girl and CB a la DE. And you just know that's what's going to happen if they go there (GG has seriously turned me into such a pessimist).

Well. You got your wish. Klaus turned out to be more "badass villainy" but now I'm REALLY not liking him.

Haha, I know. And like I said, he's ONLY GETTING STARTED. Aw, don't hate. Elijah will be back!

[advo.livejournal.com]

If he hadn't killed Elijah (again!) I would have liked him better. I mean, of course, it was very likely that he would turn on his brother - but the problem is that Elijah's been killed so many damn times already! It would have made an huge impact if this was the first time - but the truth is that this is the freaking 4th time, he's been killed in one season. It makes Elijah look bad and I don't like that one bit!

Sign me up for that LJ! Or you know, just let me know when it's ready ;)

The thing about Stefan for me is that he's incredible one-note. He's the good guy and that's it. His character is so defined by his love for Elena and/or his brother. Then, once in a while, they remember him and we get a btw-scene. Hey, remember that time when Stefan used to be a ripper? Or hey, remember that time where it was really Stefan who turned Damon? Damon used to a fun character. Not anymore. Now he's a love sick puppy who whines A LOT all. the. time. And yes, I do know that DE is now a repeat of CB. The last episode confirmed to me they will sacrifice Elena's character (and Stefan too!) to make DE happen *roll eyes*. It's just like how they kept dragging Blair down to Chuck's level and it pisses me off endlessly! I actually like Elena when she's not with the Salvatores, but whenever she's in their presence, ugh. Which is why EE rocks!

I know Elijah will be back but if it's only to kill him off again, I cannot be bothered to be invested in the show. He's my absolute favourite character - and had it not been for him, and TC - this season would have bored me to tears.

[imp3ratrix.livejournal.com]

I place the blame on the writers for that; I don't know why they're so obsessed with killing off Elijah. I don't think it makes him look bad though, but that might just be me. Their intent might be to humanise him somewhat, so that more viewers can relate to/sympathise with him more or something. Still, it really doesn't matter how many times he dies because he is still and always will be an uber BAMF.

Here it is: burnthe_world. I just need something to put in that huge chunk of empty blurb space and it's ready!

Aw. I like that he's a good guy generally. This show can get pretty dark and crazy, especially where the characters are concerned, so it's nice to have a simple breather every now and then which Stefan represents. Personal preference, I suppose.

True, which is why I simply cannot get behind DE, and never will. The writer's ruined any realistic, non-contrived chance they may have had when they made Damon kill her brother, push for the death of her best friend, and shove vampire blood down her throat. And I HATE that he suddenly gets a free pass and instant redemption just because he's dying. What is that?! And SMH at bringing Elena's character down to his level, it should be the other way around damn it! Ugh, GG 2.0 here we come.

I think he'll be around for a while after Elena pulls the dagger out (keeping with tradition is only right). I doubt they'll kill him off so soon after that; boy will be RAGING and on a rampage and will be far too busy to die.

[advo.livejournal.com]

It's because he's looking more and more like a walking plot device. The Salvatores are awesome and everyone should bow to them so of course, they can kill a 1000+ vampire. Duh. Oh wait, we actually like this guy, better make him immortal. Alaric has nothing to do? Better let him kill Elijah so he has something to do for 5 min. Does Elena need to look BAMF today... I can let this one slide because it's obvious that Elijah has a weakness for Petrova girl(s). The audience is not scared enough by Klaus so lets him *gasp* kill a fan favourite. Do you see the pattern? I can accept Elena and Klaus because there are good reasons, but it can't be changed that it's the 4th time now!

Signed up and will be spreading the word!

THEY BETTER NOT KILL HIM ANYMORE IN SEASON 3 OR I WILL BE RAGING AND ON A RAMPAGE! I hope that them killing and un-killing Elijah all the time was because they weren't sure of where to take him. Julie Plec has admitted that they only decided on making Elijah, Klaus' brother and Originals immortals for that sake, because Daniel Gillies was so awesome that they didn't want to lose him. So I hope, the confusion is due to them streamlining their sh*t and S3 will be better because they'll know what they want with Elijah from the beginning. Of course, I'm glad that they keep a flexibility, otherwise, Elijah would have been killed off permanently, but it has really shown in the storylines that they were confused about their direction. Though some, I would also blame on DE!

[advo.livejournal.com]

Well. You got your wish. Klaus turned out to be more "badass villainy" but now I'm REALLY not liking him.

[il-isek.livejournal.com]

I loved the fraternal tension between Klaus and Elijah caused by a Petrova doppelganger when watching their interactions in 1492 but unfortunately, I ship Elijah and Elena, and we never got to see Elijah and Klaus and Elena interact in the show.

So thank you so much for the fic (and for the other one "To an Aspect of Perdition, Revolution") Even though it's AU, the characters are intensified versions of what we've seen on TVD, and I loved seeing how the three of them act when they are pushed to their limit.

I liked this fic a little more than TAP,R because it preserved the patience and restraint that made Elijah and Elena's relationship. In the show, he doesnt aggressively pursue Elena in the show (unlike the Salvatores), and on Elena's part, she treats him as a noble man. However in the fic this restraint is not just a choice, but a survival necessity: Elijah cannot demonstrate any affection towards Elena for fear of what Klaus would do to her once he finds out (though Klaus knows Elijah too well), and Elena cannot ask for help from Elijah because Klaus will kill Elijah for his betrayal.

It must be so difficult to write, but I really hope this isnt your last Elijah/Elena/Klaus fic.