US AGAINST THE WORLD ▹ KLAUS MIKAELSON

four; old faces and new

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As a slightly annoying wave of birdsong made its way through a crevice in Marley's balcony door, she knew she had made it - she had finally slept through the night. Albeit taking a while, this feat proved monumental for the woman. Her untamed brunette locks flopped onto her shoulders as she sat up, leaning against her headboard for support. 

The corners of her mouth twisted upward into a subtle grin, and it only grew as Porkchop walked  speedily into her room. "Hey, buddy," her hoarse voice sputtered aloud.

Marley sat up from her bed, letting Porkchop rest his forelegs on her thighs. "Day two in New Orleans, Porkie. You wanna go for a walk . . . again?"

She realized that it was pointless to ask such a question, as the answer was always an invigorated bark - yes!

Chuckling to herself, the woman walked mindlessly around her apartment for a solid three minutes before realizing that the leash had been in her hand the whole time. She was a bit of a mess, but it was warranted. Day two in an entirely new city was always the worst, she assumed. Marley didn't have much experience in the matter, having been raised in the same old town all her life up until recently. 

She secured the harness around Porkchop's torso and then attached the leash. After throwing on a pair of old, dirty sneakers, the two made their way out of the apartment once again. 

The sun was surprisingly bright, and people seemed strangely happy. Marley wasn't used to seeing so many happy people in one place, but of course she didn't mind it. There was something so inherently infectious about a happy person - something that made it impossible not to be happy with them. Marley wasn't 'unhappy' per se, but she felt so strangely out of place in New Orleans. Sure, she had made some sort of acquaintanceship with Elijah, Klaus, and Hayley, but she doubted that she would see them again any time soon. 

Marley was desperate to find some sort of stability to tether her here, in the city of the undead. She needed a sign that her life was on the right path. After the year the woman had, something had to finally go right for her. It had to. The universe is a cruel and unfair place, but there has to be a point at which some ethereal being grants even the slightest morsel of mercy . . . right?

The silently brooding woman was interrupted by Porkchop suddenly stopping in front of a rather small bar/restaurant by the name of Rousseau's. The bulldog pressed his snout up against the glass door, his heavy breathing causing a trail of fog to crawl up it like vines. Her eyebrows raised as she sent a calculating gaze his way. "I didn't know dogs could have drinking problems."

However, the dog and his stubby legs willfully stayed in place. Marley's shoulders dropped as she groaned. "This was supposed to be a walk to clear my head, not a way to drown my sorrows in booze."

But, as passersby started to send the odd pair strange looks, the woman decided to give in to her dog's whines. "God, you are such a brat sometimes, you know that?" she mumbled under her breath as she hesitantly walked into establishment. Her eyes scanned the walls, looking for any 'no dogs!' sign, but didn't come upon on.

Deciding that a drink might not be so bad after all, she walked over to the bar and took a seat. A blonde woman with a striking jawline quickly made her way over, looking slightly overwhelmed by the afternoon crowd. "Cute dog," she said as a relaxed grin spread across her cheeks. "What can I get you, Mars?"

"Cami-fucking-O'Connell," Marley chuckled. "I haven't seen you since we went away for grad school. Hey, hows Sean doing? I never properly thanked him for coming down here to watch my grandma all those year ago."