substances: (bright eyes)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-17 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Klaus is not what you'd call a 'classical music guy.' Sure he knows some of the major composers or whatever because they'd been stuffed into his head as a kid, but most of those names have been replaced since then by far more important things, or in some cases, just blank space. So he couldn't name the song that he's hearing if he tried, couldn't name the composer, and doesn't particularly care.

What he does know is that the particular piece someone's playing that echoes throughout the city, bouncing off all those cement walls, is really familiar. Couldn't name the composer, couldn't name the piece, but he knows where he knows it from. It's attached to one familiar name in his head.

Vanya.

So he's off before he's even really put any thought into it, still barreling ahead in his usual impulsive way. Out of the agriculture area and out over the breezeway and into the garden that lines the inside of each level, until he gets to the edge, squints until he figures out the general direction the music is coming from, and then trotting off in that direction.

It takes him about 15 minutes to find her, and when he does, he's panting, leaning over, hands on his knees. He doesn't look much different than she might remember - still wearing his leather pants, though with floral-print boots instead of bowling shoes, a blue net tank top under his usual army jacket. The major difference is that his hair is longer, curling around his ears and the back of his neck. The moment he catches his breath, he pads toward her, quiet until he speaks.]


Vanya?
substances: (soft focus)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-17 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
[He'd noticed it, of course, the way dry leaves rattled in the wind around her feet while she played, the way the breeze was stronger here than anywhere else, in tune with her music. But when he says her name and her notes crack and shriek like a scream, and the wind rushes away from her, he can't help but flinch.

Klaus remembers being suspended on the other end of that beam of light, feeling the life sucking out of him. He remembers the moon cracking and part of it careening toward earth and the feeling of numb acceptance as he held Dave's dog tags and knew he was going to die.

And then there's silence and the wind is gone and Vanya looks tiny and fragile again, she looks at him and then looks away and says his name and starts to apologize.]


Hey, hey hey hey, Vanya, it's okay.

[His voice is pitched soft, as if he were talking to a frightened child, and he holds his hands out in front of him. He remembers seeing her locked up in that soundproofed cage, and how she'd cried and screamed that she was sorry - he couldn't hear her, but it was easy to read her lips. And he remembers Allison furiously holding up a notepad with 'my fault' scribbled on it and hitting Luther. His head tilts and he looks at her for a moment.

When everything is boiled down to instinct and emotion, the way it usually is for Klaus, he trusts his siblings. He trusts his sisters.]


It's okay, Vanya. I know. I know, I know I know, it was an accident.

[He licks his lips, meets her eyes.]

Can I come over there and hug you?
substances: (sick)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-17 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
[She's a mess, and it's obvious, and Klaus has never seen her like this, never seen her so emotional. It's the medication, he knows, but it still feels strange and foreign and heartbreaking. She nods yes when he says he knows it was an accident, and then she comes to him and presses her head against his chest and his arms come up immediately, wrapping around her.

Vanya is tiny, all narrow shoulders, and he can practically feel the fear and remorse rolling off her in shaky waves. She's trembling and her back is hitching, and he can tell she's trying not to cry. Just the same way that Ben used to try not to cry, and Klaus tried not to cry, and Diego got angry because he couldn't cry, and on and on until none of them could get any of this out.

Turning his head, he presses his cheek against his sister's hair, and rubs his hand in circles on her back.]


I know, Vanya, I know. But it's okay, Allison is gonna be okay, she's not mad at you. Luther is a prick, but he'll come around, and I know, I know, god, you must be so scared...
substances: (please)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-18 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
[When Vanya pulls away from him, Klaus lets her go but keeps his hands on her waist so she can't run away. She looks up at him with that completely blown away expression on her face, and he looks back at her, keeping his expression serious so she knows he's not joking, or lying, or whatever else she might think.]

She's alive, yeah. We got there in time, and Diego donated blood for her, and she's okay.

[He takes a short breath, and lifts his hands from her waist to take hold of her arms gently, just above the elbows, squeezing affectionately.]

You didn't kill her, Vanya.

[A pause.]

What's the last thing you remember?
substances: (supplicate)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-20 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[Almost immediately, Vanya is pulling away from him and babbling apologies again in that scared little voice that makes his heart hurt. Lifting both hands, he shakes his head at her, eyes on her face so she can hopefully see that he means what he's about to say.]

Vanya, hey hey hey, come on, Vanya. I know, I know it was an accident. I'm not gonna...

[He pauses, his cheeks puff up with air, and he lets it out in a little huff while he tries to think this through. His mind is going a million miles an hour, and all he wants is a hit of something to take the edge off so he can think, so he can figure out what to say to make everything okay without his heart slamming in his chest and his breath coming too fast. He holds his hands out to her, as if he's reaching for her for a hug or...something.]

Okay. Okay okay okay...look. I get it, you were scared and angry and you fucked up. I get that, believe me. I've fucked up a lot. I'm not...look, if you can work through this with any of us, it's gonna be me, because I get it. Just, let me think for a minute, I think I remember more than you...we can piece things together.
Edited 2019-07-20 20:19 (UTC)
substances: (245 on the case)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-20 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[Vanya doesn't notice, but Klaus does, and he sways a little on his feet with his desire to step forward and give her a hug. But he doesn't, he just sways a little and keeps his hands extended, ready for when she might be ready to accept his touch again. Right now, he doesn't want to push her, because she's distraught and he doesn't want to die. And he also suspects that accidentally killing Klaus would probably not be the best thing for Vanya's fragile mental state right now.

When she finally says 'okay' over and over like that, he nods and offers her a tentative smile, exhales softly and takes one careful step toward her.]


That, uh...Leonard, right? I know about that one, we...me and Five and Diego, we went looking for you and we found him, but not you. Christ, we were so worried about you, Vee. Did he try to hurt you, is that what happened?
substances: (flashback)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-21 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
[Klaus can see the reaction Vanya has when he says Leonard's name and he feels a little spike of fear that Leonard...Harold Jenkins...had actually done something to hurt her. So he waits, stands still with his hands extended and looks at her with an expression on his face that's a mix of fear and empathy and worry.

And when Vanya crosses her arms over her chest, looking distressed and upset, Klaus feels another spike of worry - and he's slightly surprised to discover, a spike of protective anger. Then Vanya says that he knew the whole time about her, realizes she's talking about her abilities, that she doesn't know who he is, and Klaus closes his eyes, lifts his hand and rubs it over his face, sighing softly.]


His name is Harold Jenkins. I don't know why he would've done that to you, Vanya, but it sounds like he...manipulated you.

[He thinks about it for a moment - Vanya, vulnerable from feeling worthless her whole life (and he knows how that feels, he knows too well) and someone was there showing interest in her, but knowing all along...]

He deserved what he got.

[It comes out without him meaning to, and he lifts a hand to his mouth, shakes his head.]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sorry, I shouldn't have said that Vanya, I just...that's fucked up.
substances: (calm)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-22 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
[Klaus can see that she's distressed, and he feels a stab of guilt, because he thinks it's about his anger. Trying to tamp it down, he takes a few breaths and nods.]

All of us should have listened to Allison. But that happens, we aren't exactly the most functional family...

[His voice takes on that ridiculous edge it gets sometimes, the affected tone when he's trying to make a joke of something, but that's wrong too, so he drops it, and sighs.]

None of us have ever been willing to listen to anyone, ever since we left. So don't beat yourself up over that.

[An exhalation, and he steps forward toward her again, smiles tentatively while his brain scrabbles around for a different topic.]

That's fine Vanya. We don't have to. Um...so guess what? I'm actually three months sober, except for a little bit of weed. Can you believe it?
Edited 2019-07-22 02:08 (UTC)
substances: (griping)

[personal profile] substances 2019-07-22 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I'm pretty sure Allison's always been the smartest one of us, you know?

[Sure, she has her issues, and she behaved like a dumb kid past the time she could claim to still be a dumb kid, but didn't they all? And who could blame any of them, after the way they'd been raised? Most of them had turned out better than anyone could've expected, really. Except maybe Klaus himself.

Then Vanya is raising her eyebrows at him, and for the first time, one of his siblings looks surprised at a revelation like that because of the time difference and not because he said he was sober. It's stupid, but his eyes go glassy and he nods.]


Yeah. No, wait, no, I was in another place before this for a couple months, called Hadriel, and I've been here just under a month. And I was two days sober at home before I went to Hadriel. It's pretty close to three now.

[Of course, though, there it is. 'How much is a little bit of weed.' His gut drops, but he can't blame her, and so he laughs.]

In Hadriel, a few joints a week when I could get it. I've had two and a half since I got here. Can't give it all up at once or I'd probably just off myself.