March 25, 2019 - 09h34
I still have a buzzing sensation in my head from the conversation I just had with Five. Was it because he filled my brain with complicated physics words? No, I do not think so. Rather, it's because we realized that we are not as 'identical' as we had initially believed. I need time to think. But now I'm curious to find out if Klaus has snapped out of his lethargy.
It's difficult to see outside while walking through Hargreeves Mansion, but from the faint rays of light I can tell that the rain has stopped. Really, this rain was specially intended as a goodbye to Reginald, like to wash him away. I head down the grand staircase, towards the reception room where I found Klaus last night. I encounter Pogo in the hall: he appears unhappy and regards me with suspicion. I hope he doesn't mistakenly link me to whatever stupid thing Klaus may have done.
He's still in the reception room when I appear in the frame of the large doors, busy talking to a lamp. He hasn't improved in terms of dignity since last night: naked, except for ridiculous rainbow-leopard underwear. I sigh. But at least he's not in a coma: any small positive aspect about him should be highlighted, I guess. I enter silently, my footsteps muffled by the carpet, and fix him with a piercing, accusing gaze.
"You missed the Rocky Horror Picture Show", I say.
After flinching slightly, Klaus swiftly turns towards me, his first instinct being to ensure he isn't 'completely' naked. I'm unsure whether to consider this thoughtful or hopeless. What distresses me the most is that I'm sure he's very proud of his choice of pattern.
"Oh. Rin. Hey", he stammers, grasping onto the lampshade.
"You were conversing with that lamp".
And by that, I mean he was genuinely talking to the lamp and not a deceased person concealed behind it. He shrugs.
"No, I swear I wasn't. Besides, its conversation is rather dull".
He rubs his eyes, appearing both exhausted and completely wired. I'm certain he doesn't even recall which drug he took. He reeks of alcohol. Undeniably, yesterday was 'eventful'. Though I could justify his actions due to the family reunion and eulogy, I choose not to. And to tell the truth, I couldn't care less about the movie or the waffles.
"You made a promise to Allison. That you would 'try'".
In fact, he had explicitly assured her that he would remain sober, but it was a losing battle. He can go to hell, I won't sing him songs during his bad trips anymore.
"Come on, yesterday was impossible! It was pure chaos... vortex... or whatever you want to call it. If you had been there, I swear you would've shared the bottle of gin with me."
He has a point, and my lips tighten. It's annoying when he finds his own extenuating circumstances. In any case, I'm sure of one thing: he won't say he's sorry, because he's not. In truth, he doesn't even care much about Allison, who is packing her suitcase to leave this evening anyway.
"And the leopard? Was it for the funeral, too?"
He looks down at himself, proud of his fashion sense.
"You know, even when no one sees, your underwear choice is important because it adds a little multicolored touch to your day and ~you~ are the only one who knows".
I don't need a personal development course, right now.
"The issue here, Klaus, is the 'no one sees' part. But well. I don't care, you aleady know that since you spend half your life naked or dressed 'in whatever'. But I saw Pogo really angry, in the hall".
"Ah Pogo..."
An indeterminable expression comes to him.
Honestly, I somehow like Klaus's unconventional looks. But he doesn't live alone at the moment. I find his clothes piled up on the floor. Gosh, they stink just as much as he does. He casually settles back into the couch, reflexively grabbing his rags as I throw them at him. Then I plop down heavily on the couch next to him, feeling as if the last sixty seconds have drained me as much as ten consecutive jumps through space. Klaus sighs, noticing the expression on my face.
"Okay, I'm sorry about the RHPS. Plus I really wanted to watch it with you ~again~".
Finally, a tiny hint of shame begins to fill the void left in his stomach by the absence of alcohol.
"I don't remember anything from last night. I was completely wasted. I swear I tried to get the waffles! But then Diego threw me at the bus stop, and after that, it's all a blur".
I shake my head then look at the ground, as he puts his coat back on.
"Was yesterday really that chaotic? Or is it because of Five's return?"
"Oh you saw him".
"I talked to him".
"Awesome! You're gonna be as thick as thieves".
Klaus jubilantly gives me a friendly tap on the shoulder. And then his bubbly expression drops.
"But yes, yesterday was almost unbearable. I really don't understand why I was the only one getting high".
I nod but quickly realize that it's not the most appropriate expression.
"Let me guess. You all bawlded out at each other".
I'm aware of the complexities in the relationships among the Hargreeves siblings, and how even the slightest hiccup can ignite chaos. That's why I chose to slip away before the eulogy. Klaus nods exaggeratedly in response.
"Yeaaah, you could say that...", he confirms with an anxious frown. And maybe Luther suspected one of us of killing our father, but you know, it's just family stuff".
"What?"
"That's just how funerals usually go".
"No way! Does he actually have a reason to suspect that?"
Klaus chases the idea with his hand, into the air of this huge room.
"Pfff no, it's just how he cope with things. We all have our own ways, and Luther wants someone guilty. He's always been such a boot-licker... He'll get over it".
I blink, perplexed, and Klaus interjects, as if to set the record straight:
"Hey, I didn't do that. I can be blamed for a lot of things, like breaking into his office to steal stuff, but I definitely didn't kill anyone!"
"Oh. Good news... Wait, what do you mean you 'stole things'?"
Klaus sighs loudly, his expression suggesting that if I'm going to judge him, it should be for something he actually did.
"Hey, I needed money, I'm starving all the time!"
Silence falls.
"What did you steal?"
Suddenly, my voice is toneless. I suspect that Klaus is capable of stealing more than just trinkets when he's in need of drugs and, to a lesser extent, food.
"Uh... it was a stupid box. Wooden. Ornate, with ugly pearls. This size... It finally seems that it had some important stuff in it".
He passes his hand over his eyes. Finally, it seems like a little wave of shame washes over him, and that doesn't reassure me.
"What? What important stuff? And where is that box now?"
"It was... some sort of important papers. Nothing but an old dusty book..."
This time I see him sinking into the sofa as if he is looking for an escape through the cushions.
"I... I kinda threw the book away, okay?"
"You sold the box?" I say, a mix of shock and resignation in my voice. "Please don't tell me you used the money for getting your dope." Of course he did. My shoulders fall miserably now.
"Yes, yes you got it, I sold the box", he mumbles. "I mean... I thought nobody would miss that old antique".
Unfortunately, I can guess the content was more important than the box itself.
"Didn't you even bother to see what was inside that book?"
Klaus hesitates for a moment, his expression filled with dismissiveness once more.
"Oh, it was just old writings. Notes written by my father. Lots of them... They were barely readable!"
"You couldn't read it because you were already drunk!" I sigh in despair.
For a moment, I remain speechless. I have no idea about the contents of those notes, but considering they were stored in a valuable box, it's clear that they were not Reginald Hargreeves' shopping lists. The more I see Klaus taking this lightly, the more it sounds like it's a disaster. And to make matters worse...
"Is that... Is that why Pogo looked angry in the hallway?"
At this point, I fervently hope that I'm wrong and that Pogo's anger was merely caused by Klaus's underwear. However, my intuition is already giving me cold sweats.
"Well... yeah, maybe".
He nervously averts his gaze.
"Klaus", I say, "it's worse than when you peed in the mailbox this time".
My stare gets lost on the gilt of this over-decorated room.
"Do you at least remember 'where' you threw it away? Come on Klaus, please unravel the noodle dish that is your brain, for just three seconds!"
Klaus flinches as my tone turns slightly louder. He closes his eyes, just like if his headache came rushing back.
"It's in the backstreet downstairs, in some sort of trash bin", he mumbles, blinking hard.
"You mean the mansion's waste container? Or the public trashbin?"
"Our wastes. It's just downstairs, I bet I can find it if the garbage collectors haven't done their job yet..."
His voice grows increasingly irritated, and I let out a sigh "Buddy, you'll have to search for this stuff".
As I speak, I notice Klaus making gestures to silence the lamp once more. The lamp? No, this time I don't believe it's the lamp. I frown and notice him scowling as he makes a second attempt to quiet whoever else is in this room.
"Shut up!", he hisses under his breath while leaning forward.
"Hey, you're not telling 'me' to shut up, are you?"
Now I'm completely jaded and annoyed. But wait, I think I just realized who he was talking to: Ben.
"Okay," I say, crossing my arms, "let the lamp speak. Go ahead. I want to know what it has to say about your petty thefts".
Klaus's expression hardens. Pogo and I already got his strips torn off, and he probably doesn't need a third voice to annoy him, but if it can teach him a lesson...
"This is ridiculous," he snaps as he stands up, "You two have no right to comment on my problems".
As soon as he says that, I can see his regret. Because frankly, I never asked to be there, and he knows it. He turns back, glaring pointedly at Ben, his irritation growing to each of his dead brother's words.
"See, I have no idea what Ben said, but I absolutely agree with him. Thank you Ben".
Ben and I have played this little game before. There's a good vibe between us, even if we're not on the same plane and cannot see or hear each other.
"Stop enabling him, Rin!"
Now Klaus seems particularly annoyed that Ben and I might have our own little inside jokes. He points a finger at me, his expression filled with a cold anger.
"And you think you're one to judge me about stealing? Remind me: who spent years stealing stuff for herself, taking advantage of her 'skills'?"
I close myself up. He knows very well how it makes me feel to hear that after all my efforts, but he rolls with it anyway.
"It was ten years ago! Ten years since I stopped! Unlike you, Klaus, who is NOT STOPPING ANYTHING AT ALL!"
I'm eally pissed too, this time and I get up from the couch as well. Klaus flinches again, like I was going to hit him. What an idiot.
"That's my problem", he says bitterly, now. You've moved forward and I'm still stuck in the same goddamn cycles. Always making mistakes, always disappointing everyone".
He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but my teeth remain clenched. Seriously, it's not fair for him to talk to me that way, especially when I came at his request to keep him company here. But I stop shouting. I stop. Yelling at Klaus is totally pointless anyway.
"You know what ? The funeral is over now. So I can go home, right?"
I see a pained expression cross his face, but he says nothing. I then add:
"You're lucky that I need coffee now and that I bought plenty for this damn place yesterday".
It annoys me, but I can't help but forgive him. My temper is worse than his, to be honest. And besides - well - he did not use any fallacious arguments: he's even partially right about my background. I turn to him.
"Ben, tell him that next time he'd better not miss our movie night".
I take three steps before hearing him say, behind me :
"Hey, at least I didn't burn down the house!"
I give him a blank look over my shoulder. At his unsuccessful attempt to once again defuse problems with humor. I take one more step.
"Take a shower".
And *Crack!*, a bend in space time takes me where I can forget about this asshole for an hour or two.
I think Rin is right when saying she has a much worse temper than Klaus. What do you think?
Klaus's very last sentence is quite ironic considering the context of the overall story and what will happen to Hargreeves Mansion after the Apocalypse. No, he didn't destroy the house this time... but the chain of events caused by his 'little mistake' of the day could lead to it.
Chronological markers: this scene fits like a deleted scene from season 1 episode 2, around 19:34 (after Pogo's speech to Klaus).
Any comment will make my day!