Info Post

[gracefullycursed]

CHARACTER FACTS
» Name: Elijah Mikaelson
» Canon: The Vampire Diaries/ The Originals
» Reference: http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Elijah_Mikaelson
» Canon Point: 2x01 "Rebirth"
» Gender: Male
» Age: 1000 + years, looks somewhere between 27-30.
CHARACTER INTERPRETATION
» Appearance: Elijah stands at 5'11, slim but muscled build that is hidden under his fine suits. He, like his younger brothers Kol and Henrik, has dark hair and dark eyes, very different than his blonde Nordic parents. He has a cool, reserved expression for outsiders and enemies, but is generally warm and emotionally more open with his siblings and friends. He carries himself always with a sense of style and control, making him seem regal.
» Orientation: Heterosexual, and that is with canonical proof that he has only ever loved and been with women. His first love, Tatia, the Doppleganger of her age; Katerina, also known as Katherine Pierce, Celeste, his New Orleans witch, and of course Hayley, the mother of his brother's child. He is, however, hopelessly dedicated to his brothers and sister to the point of obsession and that has ruined every relationship but one.
» Personality: TV tropes quotes a deuteragonist as:

The deuteragonist (from Greek: second actor) is the second important character in the story; the first is, of course, The Protagonist. This person can be either with, or against the protagonist - thus sometimes pulling double duty as a major antagonist or rival to the protagonist; though they are rarely the "main villain" in this sort of scenario, they may be a high ranking minion. If on the same side as the protagonist they can be a sidekick, lancer, or love interest as long as they are given enough screen time independent of the main protagonist.

That is Elijah's story - he is never the main character, not even in his own life, but he is always second. He is the second born son to, as Cami put it, 'a maniacal father and a manipulative mother, turned second in command to Klaus's controlling iron-fisted 'kingdom' . He was the econd in line in the oldest vampire bloodline after Finn, and then he spent that vampric life putting his wants second to Klaus's, and second to Rebekah's. His personality allows him to step back with little to no ego into this position - not subservient, but the man behind the scenes. If Klaus was truly the King of New Orleans, then Elijah would be his Prime Minister.

And this is where he remains - gladly. Being second allows him a freedom of spirit that would not be allowed otherwise. By putting himself second, he can be the noble soul he wishes to embody - he can be honorable, he can be chivalrous. He can allow himself to sacrifice where others could not, to be a man of his word, instead of the man who has to twist the words of others. In this, he sees in himself in the romantic echos of the warrior-knights he admired long ago in his youth. A courtly presence, slaying the dragons and rescuing the fair maidens -- when they actually need rescuing. This carries across to his relationship - Klaus and Rebekah both bemoan and silently applaud that Elijah will keep his promises, not matter what they are. It is said of him, from the very first time that we hear of him from Rose. Even Elena, who many would consider the moral core of those back in Mystic Falls, would put her trust in Elijah before she would put her trust in any of his other siblings.


Because of this, he is also loyal to a fault - to Rebekah and Klaus, to even Kol and some small part Finn. No matter what his family has done to him, either through malice or carelessness, his love of his family will sway him beyond all reason. For that, his family is loyal in turn - up to a point - but that point is far beyond where most would stand. Rebekah even stated that she would never intentionally hurt Elijah, even despite her own selfish whims. Kol has repeatedly tried to destroy Klaus, but never has he raised a hand against Elijah. Elijah has proven time and time again that his family can count on him, even if they cannot count on one another, and he is often the glue that has kept Klaus and Rebekah from tearing each other apart. In that, he proves himself to bee more than his parents.

But do not break your word to him in kind, because that is when the Mikaelson edge rears its ugly head, where he shows his father's temper and his mother cold calculation. He sees no reason to honor broken promises, and will react swiftly and with great rancor if pushed. When Elena betrayed him and the rest of his siblings to his mother, he put Rebekah, her worst enemy, in a cave to keep her hidden and to kill her if he had to. When the last Elder of the New Orleans witches tried to kill the baby within Hayley, he gave his word that Klaus would not kill her -- but then went and ripped out her heart from her chest. Time and time again, those who have broken Do not break a deal with Elijah, for he will have his vengeance.

Through that harshness, both to himself and to those he feels have betrayed him, he has built up his steel reserve of control. He further believes that if he controls himself he will not give into his temptations. While this allows him to be a strong, moral center, it also means that when he does find himself in a situation that strips that control, he is completely and utterly lost. When he realized what Klaus had done by putting the witches in danger of being hunted, he picked up a gun and shot Klaus in a fit of rage. When he thought that his niece's life was in danger from the vampires of the quarter, he ripped them apart. When he thought Hayley had died at the hands of the witches, he broke down, cursing Klaus for bringing Hayley into their lives, where he learned to care for her. It is in these moment, that Klaus must take control, to give Elijah the firm hand and pull him back to himself, to be the emotional crutch, instead of the other way around. It is one of the many reasons why he will never leave Klaus, for they need one another to balance the light and the dark. For just as there is good in Klaus, there is evil deep within Elijah.

Pray you never meet the darker side.