nebulochaotic | apartment log

“Nah, Ben and I both spent some time in another universe. Kinda similar to this one. Honestly? Technology is way better.” He crosses his arms again, awkward at making small talk. Matt seems the kind of guy who’s clean cut, and good natured. Not the usual type of person Klaus ends up gravitating towards.

He’s thankful for the beep of the coffee maker, so he can turn away and pour two cups.
“Studying? Are you in college or something?” It’s hard to get an estimate on Matt’s age- similar to his, he thinks. Not unusual for college, right?

But the last comment about being in New York- Where there’s more noise, where the weather doesn’t feel like stepping out into a sauna, brings a soft smile to his face.
“Oh, yeah? Big Apple? Always wanted to go- there’s a couple of really cool museums I’d love to go to- have you ever been to the Met? Or the MoMA?”

The moment it leaves his mouth, he realizes it’s a stupid question. What kind of idiot asks a blind man if he’s been to art museums???

"Not exactly. I'm a practicing lawyer back home. Not here. They want me to retake the bar. So, I'm brushing up." he replies, hands still idly playing with the countertop edge before coming to rest in front of him.

Klaus' question is well intended, and for that he's grateful. He can hear the instant regret Klaus has and it's kind of endearing. He smiles shyly and shakes his head before Klaus can berate himself, a hand coming up to stop him.
"I have. But only the Met. Over twenty years ago, before this happened." He makes a vague gesture to his face. "I was a kid. A lot has changed in there I'm sure." See? Not a stupid question.
"It was larger than life then. Still is now. Though if you want to see art and don't mind religious scenery, you should check out the churches." Steadily he shifts his weight.
"Closest you'll get to anything European. And they're typically free."

“Twenty years ago, huh?” He smiles, glad for the distraction. And brushing up on the bar, a lawyer back home- well, he would want to keep his number. Just in case. Just in case everything went-

No, no, don’t think about that. He steels himself with a soft intake of breath and reaches for the pot.

“What was your favorite? In the Met, I mean. Or church.”

"Yeah. School field trip." he adds.

The tension rises, and he's not sure why, or how. If he's making Klaus uncomfortable or not. So he stays still, where he's parked, looking particularly thoughtful.

"To be super honest with you I barely remember it. I remember the statues I think the most." A beat.

"As for churches, well. That young? Anything with a stained glass window. And not just because I stared at them for the whole hour either."

No, no, Matt, it's not you. It's the fact that Klaus has been dancing closer to his bad habits since arriving here. When he pours out the coffee, he takes a sip of his own, shakes his head, and pulls down the whisky bottle again.

"Statues, huh?" He can appreciate that. Never really had exposure to them outside of Ben's mortuary marker and a few peeks here and there at museums they helped save from being robbed.
He was more for the vibrant paintings of impressionism, of surrealism, of vibrant abstraction.

"And stained glass. Can't say I've ever really gotten to see good examples of that up close." And what he had seen was beautiful, in a way. Shards of jewel colored glass forming tapestries that spilled light across the floor... He remembers a night he had slept in a church. How... peaceful it had been in the morning, as the dawn hit that glass, a rainbow of light scattered across the floor like the most beautiful of broken things.

"Here, coffee-" He leans closer, scooting the cup across the counter until he nudges it against Matt's hand.

"It's not really the up close that they're impressive---I mean. They are. But it's when the sun hits them." he actually thinks outloud. "When I want to remember colors, I think of them." A small admittance, but he's rather trying to sell the idea of them instead of have a heart to heart.

Now that Klaus has brought the whiskey down again, he wonders if that might be an option to help him sleep. He also wonders if it's the reason for Klaus' nerves, or vice versa.

"Thanks." he sounds, gingerly taking it. Once the smell hits him though, he cocks his head to the side.

"Could I, uh. Steal a shot of that, actually?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure-" Klaus gently tips the bottle against Matt's cup, pouring out what is probably a little more than a shot's worth. Maybe two. You know, for good measure.

"And I think I know what you mean. I mean there was this time..." He trails off. Oh, that's hardly a good idea, is it? First conversation segwaying into 'Hi, I'm Klaus, I'm an addict that used to sleep in churches and I may have stolen the offering money before I left so I could score some sleeping pills'.

He clears his throat and takes another swig straight from the bottle before pouring another shot into his coffee.

"So- lawyer, huh? You said you were a defense attorney back home? Must have had some pretty interesting cases."

He notices, hand brushing over the countertop for the silverware drawer, to pull out a spoon. Might need to stir that up, to avoid the whole shot at once.
A turn and he can tell; he was a bit heavy handed.

"This time...?" he prods gently.

"Yeah, actually. Quite a few. None that I can really talk about. But, interesting." he offers.

Sipping at his coffee with a slight wince, he smiles a bit in spite of now having a spiked cup of black coffee.

"Is spiked coffee a nightly ritual for you then?"

"Can I plead the fifth on that?" Law jokes. That's funny, right?
He tries to laugh it off as he puts the bottle back in the cabinet, hiding it well behind some of the other essentials.

"I, uh... It helps. Get to sleep." He waves his hand like he can dismiss it, because how exactly can he explain his powers? Sure, yeah, they all have powers, but he feels like he's back to where he was before, where it wasn't common knowledge, where telling the wrong person that he can see what he sees will get him a one way ticket to a 72 hour hold. After all, back in Jeopardy? He could manifest them. He had others that could see them. That weren't his family. Now...

Alcohol helps. Weed is better. Opiods are the best. And that's not a discussion he wants to have with someone who's a stranger.

"I, uh, sorry I've kind of invaded the apartment..."

He does chuckle under his breath, sipping again at his coffee.

"Sure, but it's more incriminating if you do." he offers back with an air of humor. "Don't worry about it."

Matthew continues to take pauses to sip his coffee, really just contemplating what to say next. It's obvious Klaus isn't all that comfortable, he wants to choose his words carefully.

"I can relate. If I couldn't I wouldn't be here." he says with another shrug. "And don't be sorry. I'm almost never here, unless the campus is closed."

Klaus notices the chuckle, the soft smile against his coffee cup and it almost puts him at ease. Like he can let go of a breath he’s been holding, knowing that Matt won’t pry, that he won’t make a judgement for something like this. So quietly he sips his coffee, trying to unclench the muscles in his shoulders.

Honestly it reminds him a tiny bit of Dave, that easygoing humor, and he finds himself idly playing with the dog tags around his neck. It’s a pang of regret, a pain in his chest as he clutches that last piece of him he has. Just like the last world he was in- would he be able to summon him? And even if he could, would he remember him?
Would it even be the same man he’d loved?

“Still, you know, you didn’t ask for a fourth roommate.” He manages a soft laugh, trying to stay in the present, leaning back against the counter.
“But is Hargreeves are kind of a package deal. You’ll probably deal with all seven of us eventually. Good luck.”

Edited 2020-01-30 04:41 (UTC)

He doesn't know what it is that sets him at ease, but it's something, and he's glad for it. If he'd be over all the time, maybe it was better to not be on edge with him.

There's an unusual skip of breath he would ask about, but he doesn't.

"I mean, if we're going by what anyone's asked for here, I can't say I asked for any roommates. But I've been pleasantly surprised so far." Casey, Ben. As far as roommates, they were practically angels, and Casey especially.

"All seven of you. Sounds like an...exciting childhood, to say the least."

“Oh yeah, the half dozen siblings is just the start of it. All of us were born with powers, had this whole superhero squad thing, codenames and everything. It was so messed up.” He laughs, like it’s a huge joke- because it’s easier talking about the issues everyone else has instead of his own personal traumas.

“I mean, none of us are really in the superhero biz anymore. Took our own paths. But for a while...” he waves his hand.
“I don’t miss it.”

Edited 2020-01-30 23:42 (UTC)

Matthew raises his brows, clearly intrigued. So this wasn't outlandish for everyone here, and that doesn't relieve him of his nerves as much as he thought it would.

He forces a smile, trying to see the comedic side of it. But he remembers his comparison to celebrities earlier in the morning with Casey, and putting two and two together----if they were anything alike, he can't imagine they're doing well at all.

"I can't imagine you do. That's a lot for a kid." It's a lot for him on the daily, and he doesn't even really consider himself a superhero, just a guy with an action plan.

"It is easier now? After the fact."

"No." He says it without hesitating, a beat, and then clearing his throat. He didn't have it as bad as Allison, super famous, who had paparrazzi beating down her door. After all, after his tenth stint in rehab, it started getting old news, and the media moved on to new blood in the water.

"I mean... I don't really deal with the fame stuff back home. I think the last time anyone in the media even contacted me was after my sister wrote her book-" No, wait, no, is Vanya here? That's a door he doesn't want to open if she is.

God knows if it'll come through.

"ANYWAY- How are you dealing with it? Had anyone ask for your autograph yet?"

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