come_sailaway | Love Does not Discriminate

Entry tags:

Love Does not Discriminate

Who: Valdis and Open with Some Closed
What: Valdis does stuff around the Serena Eterna, feel free to join her
When: February
Where: All Over
Warnings: In Starters

It takes and it takes and it takes | Erin | CW: Nightmares

She’d be lying if she said she hasn’t been avoiding Erin a little, despite their conversation at her hollow. But the woman is important to her, even if just as friends. Sometimes she thinks Erin is trying too hard to be something else, but Valdis isn’t anywhere near ready to move forward in that manner, and Erin has implied very strongly that she is willing and happy to wait. But Valdis can’t stop thinking about what Erin told her back when they first met, about her ability to enter dreams, and there’s something just outside of her reach within the nightmares that plague her every night. If Erin can help her go that extra step, then it’s worth a try, even if the intimacy of it may be uncomfortable for them both. She knocks gently on Erin’s door. It’s a little late for visits, but she can’t go another night in those hallways without knowing what lies at the end of them.

“Erin?”

And we keep loving anyway | Max Maximum | Stellar | CW: None

It’s their first actual date, and of course it’s also Valentine’s Day, which, for the first time in a long time she’s not going to spend alone. The short, tight, sequined black dress with a plunging neckline leaves just enough for the imagination that she knows he’ll be delighted to remove it later. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before, but she loves how he marvels every single time, like he can’t believe he has her.

For once, she’s early instead of exactly on time, feeling like a schoolgirl on a date with her first crush. Childish perhaps, but the next step beyond just friends with benefits. She may never have his whole heart, but she is happy enough with just a piece of it. The memory of how he felt when he learned she returned his affections was pure magic. The one time that being able to feel what others feel is more of a blessing than a curse. Who else has the power to feel love so incredibly deeply from both sides, especially when one side is your own?

We laugh and we cry and we break | Reading Around The Ship | Open

The Library is the best refuge she has these days and she’s reading romance novels this month. The spicy kind that she’s actually hiding behind a larger book. When she’s not reading romance, she’s rereading the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, or Pride and Prejudice, or some other less spicy book. Occasionally she’s reading out by the pool, lounging in an almost sheer wrap in the sun, she is wearing a bikini underneath so not too much can be seen. You may also find her reading in the lounge or in Sanddollars.

And we make our mistakes | Just Around the Ship | Open

From trying different foods at the various restaurants around the Serena Eterna, to Sundries and the sports deck, Valdis is all over the ship. She meditates every morning on the top deck, practices sword maneuvers or works out in the gym later in the day. In one instance she is lugging a beautiful red ball grown across the ship, grumbling about how Friday needs to stop giving her dresses she’s never going to wear. In another she’s watching Aladdin on the TV at Sanddollars (she borrowed it from Klaus), and sketching cartoon versions of the passengers she’s met on the ship. When they aren’t cartoon versions, they are detailed sketches of flowers, places and people she doesn’t really want to talk about, but ask the right questions and she might be willing to tell people a bit more.

And if there's a reason I'm still alive | Palamedes | CW: Rolled a 5, so there is blood

Sleep doesn’t come easily these days, especially since opening the box with the three feathers from Friday. It’s restless, filled with images and twisted memories. Dreams. But she’s mostly able to cope without causing any issues for her roommate. Until the dreams burn into reality with a searing, stabbing pain in her side. The massive amounts of death energy seeping into the room are suddenly banished by a flash of light and soul energy. The pain increases, followed by something wet streaming down her stomach and back. Blood.

She tears off the sheets and races into the shower fully clothed, almost breaking the handle as she turns on the cold water to fight the burning pain. The pink water swirls down down around her feet. Palamedes is likely awake, that light is still so bright it might as well be daylight inside their room.

“Crap.” At least the bleeding has already stopped.

I'm willing to wait for it | Wildcard

Choose your own adventure! Valdis can often be found in the library, on the sports deck, or wandering around the ship, so anywhere you wish to encounter her works.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Oooookay. I'll keep it for you, then. Just let me know if you need to get in for me."

They smile as she twirls, which turns into a stupidly large grin when she asks if Max will like it. "Valdis and Max, sitting in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" It's all sing-song and clearly they're having a good time of it.

"Duh. You're on fucking fire. He'll definitely like it. I can see his blush and his dopey smile in my head already." A beat. "So when did you guys start making heart eyes at each other, then? Come on. Tell me! Teeeeell meeeee!"

Valdis rolls her eyes at his childishness. Not that she's being any better, acting like a lovestruck teenager trying on dresses for prom. It's something she hasn't felt in a long time.

"Obviously he fell in love before I did," she teases, "Most people do. But we...slept together after the trial. I thought it was a one time thing, a moment of weakness and nothing more. But looking back, I realized that I cared long before that actually happened. He got a little reckless with himself and I got upset with him and he told me he loved me and...well, I realized I loved him too. I know it sounds stupid."

Klaus would tell her if it actually was, he was that kind of friend, but even if he did, she doesn't think she could ever leave Max behind. She meant it when she said she would give him the world if he wanted it. But that is also terrifying.

Klaus thinks it's cute. Here she was all serious about stuff and now she's worrying if she'll look nice in a dress for a boy. Klaus isn't any better, though. They're always worrying if they'll look nice. Except for that time when they were detoxing and obviously looked like shit.

They are already writing the fanfiction...or they will be. Once they know what fanfiction is. "Oh, obviously." His voice is definitely not disguising the amusement at the suggestion that she didn't go and get feelings first. As if she didn't take him to a whole dance. Mmmmhmmmm. They see you.

"Psh. If anyone's going to think someone's stupid, it's me, so you're good. Max is cute and sweet. I can see how he'd get to you." Klaus is quiet for a moment, his mind wandering back. "Those ones always sneak up on you somehow."

Anyway.

"But no. It's not stupid. Love's weird like that. Just like surprises you. And if anyone deserves it, it's both of you."

"He didn't even have to try very hard."

She looks down at the dress, smoothing it with her hands and turning her head to look over her should and see what she could of the back.

"The walls I've had up for hundreds of years just collapsed into nothing. His smile turns me into a puddle. The look in his eyes, how they light up when he sees me. The absolute trust...I don't know how someone who has been through captivity like that could ever forgive others enough to fall in love."

She's not sure she's even talking about Max with that last sentence, she doesn't know nearly enough about what he went through. But she knows he's been through more than he should ever have had to, and if Erik ever shows up here, there will be words at the very least.

"You deserve love too, Klaus. Even if my asshole brother is the one who loves you, I can't disapprove of his taste. Or yours."

Aw. That's so cute. Klaus is just chinhands about this. Absolutely adorable.

"I think it's...just being hungry for affection. And I get that. We didn't get all that much affection as kids and sometimes...it just makes it hard not to always want to be close to people." He gets it.

They smile a little, looking down and seeming a little more nervous about things. "Well, I do love him and I know he loves me. I'm sure more than one person has questions about my choice, but..." There's a shrug. "Oops."

"I wish I knew more, but I suppose in order to know more, I would have to share parts of myself too."

Which she's not keen on, but if Max asked, she could never lie to him about it.

"Nobunaga is a firecracker, but we both love him. Just in different ways."

She twirls again, imagining dancing in a grand ballroom. More childish thoughts of what she never had. Thanks to Fenrir and Amos.

Klaus considers something. "When I say we, I do mean my siblings and me. I don't know a lot about the uhhh...anything on his side." He gives her a little smile. "Well, I think opening up to him is a good idea. Since you love each other. It'll come up eventually, right?"

There's a nod at that. "Yeah. I'm glad we met."

They smile as she spins around again. "You know you're adorable as hell right now, right? I don't think I've ever seen you like this. Which is cute."

Valdis scoffs, but she's smiling, "An Angel of Death is not adorable, Klaus. I am a terrifying vision of the end, who...happens to be wearing a red and poofy dress." a pause, "You would be twirling too."

Valdis stops though, not sure if she wants Max to know what Erin knows. Or if he would even understand. She has to be the one to protect him from the darkness, he can't do it himself. Not yet. Sharing her past wouldn't help him. He needed life, joy and love. Not the monsters hiding in the shadows.

"What about you, Klaus. What secrets are you hiding from the one you love?"

"Woooow. You really do sound like Nobunaga." There's a laugh and Klaus doesn't seem at all threatened. "I would be. I didn't say that. I just said I thought it was cute that you were all...twitterpated."

Klaus considers this. "I dunno. I feel like I tell everyone everything. Does anyone not know my life's story? That's the real question." There might be something, but they shrug.

"This is avoiding your own introspection!"

"Got me." She laughs, "I'm a fairly private person, I think Erin and Nobunaga know more about me than anyone else and even they don't know the whole story."

She sits on the bed.

"I don't even know the whole story."

Klaus smiles a little. “This is what it feels like to be right, huh?” A joke, but they push the dress up so they can sit next to her, letting it fall over their lap again. “Well, if you ever want to share more, I think it would be okay.”

He looks at his lap briefly before looking at her. “You afraid something is going to make him change his mind about you?” But that is fair. “Well, maybe you’ll learn more along the way. Maybe you won’t. Either way, I’ll be here whatever happens. You might have to cut me off like a barnacle on the bottom of a boat if you want me to leave. But I’m stubborn.”

Valdis sighs, smoothing the dress with her hands.

"When I first met Max, it was clear he had no idea how to be his own person. Bash also recognized this and he hunted me down to warn me to not take advantage of him. I don't know what I did, or what Max told him, but for some reason he believed I was that kind of person. It hurt, a lot. So I lashed out and used my ability to feel his emotions against him to hurt him back."

And it had worked.

"The ability I use to make Max happy is the same ability I can use to tear someone apart, and I don't want Max to know I am capable of doing that. I know he would forgive my past, but I don't know if he can forgive my present."

Edited 2023-02-22 18:57 (UTC)

Klaus considers that a moment before nodding. Yeah. Okay. That seems true enough. Being his own person didn't really seem like a strong point. He'll take that.

There's a brief pause at the mention of Bash and what happened. They sort of stare for a moment, brain working to figure it out. There had to be some reason for that. Something Bash worried about in some way.

"I get the backlash. He hurt your feelings and so you hit back where you knew it would hurt, too." There's a sigh. "But I think if Max is upset with you and not Bash at the same time, then that's...also not fair. And I...think he'd understand. I mean, it's not the best reaction, but I've done a lot of stuff myself, too. Maybe not quite the same, but..." They move to lean against her. "Have you two talked since that conversation?"

"I never said it was a rational fear...and yeah, I spoke to him after he came back. But he was different, darker somehow. Though I suppose being torn apart by a death bringer would do that."

She leans back on him, releasing a long sigh.

"Max just sees the world in a way that I can't. The things he does, what he says, the way he interacts with those around him. It's something I desperately want to protect, but at the same time, I need to make sure he can make his own choices, even if they might hurt him."

Like with Siffleur.

"No. I guess not." Yeah. Things have...been somewhat off. Klaus feels like the wrong person to address it on most occasions but...he's trying. When he can. "Yeah. It's hard to...not feel some kind of way, I guess, being murdered like that. I've...never reacted to death right, I guess. Cause it never...stuck? But not everyone is me."

They very casually move enough to loosely wrap their arms around Valdis. It's easy enough to get out of if she wants to.

"The grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one. Oldest trick in the book." There's a hint of amusement in their voice. "But...yeah. I think we all come with our own world view, our way of looking at things. And he...has stuff that comes from his own traumas and things. But at least he knows that he has someone he can turn to when he needs it or if things go pear-shaped." Klaus looks at her quietly for a moment. "We'll find a way as a collective to give him perhaps a better vibe altogether. If I meet that Erik guy...I'm gonna wear brown shoes with black pants and mismatched patterns." Cause he knows that Erik is very particular about fashion.

He sighs. "Wish I had my hand tattoos and the assurance that I could actually slap or punch him effectively. I could make a great joke...and I'm disappointed now." Has he come up with the joke? No. Not exactly. But still.

"I understand the not reacting to death properly. But, yes. I know he knows he can turn to me about anything. I would do anything for him, even to my own detriment. Is that unhealthy?"

It must be in some way, but maybe it can help her grow as well. To trust someone like that.

"I mean, I suppose falling in love isn't exactly in my best interest. But I can't help it."

She laughs when Klaus mentions how he plans to torture Erik. "I don't know what I would do if I ever met him. I don't know much about what happened, but anyone who can make someone as sweet as Max feel so...unworthy, to have broken him down into nothing more than a pet. I could never like someone like that."

Klaus smiles. “Like I can with Nobunaga.” There’s a shrug. “I think that’s love. I mean, you might have to decide what is good for you and if there are any hard lines for you that would fuck you up more than it would help you. Or like leave you neutralish anyway.”

But Klaus can’t fault anyone for that when they would put their lives at jeopardy for the people they cared for.

“Is it not?” A beat. “Cause of the immortality thing?”

Klaus makes a face. “I don’t know everything either, but I know he’s a diiiiiick.” And they are not taking that back. “I hope he fucking suffers because of whatever fashion I wear.”

"Well, as you can imagine, it's hard to get attached to someone you will most definitely outlive. I kept everyone at arms length back home. I know things are different here. He could be the one who outlives me."

The look on Klaus' face draws a laugh. "I hope I never have to meet him, I don't think I could stop myself from punching him in the face."

"Yeah. I get that. I mean, technically I'm immortal. Or...I was. I wish I..." But he can't finish that sentence. I wish I'd been the one that got shot in Vietnam. Even if Dave never wanted to see him again because he was too freaked out about his abilities, at least he'd be alive. "understood that whole situation. Like how far does it extend and shit. And like am I still gonna get old?" A beat. "Was I, I mean. It's weird remembering things aren't the way they were."

Their eyes light up at that. "I would pay good...well, I guess not money, but something. I would pay something to watch you punch him."

"I suppose punching Erik would depend on the circumstance, but I certainly wouldn't let Max convince me to like him. Max might not be able to stop me from punching his either, though I would briefly consider it. Maybe."

She looks at Klaus. "Aren't the way they were?"

"But it would be so fuuuun." A light whine, but it's fine. "I'm sure Max would forgive you! I can always distract him! Or whatever. I mean, it's not like it'll really happen, but...MAYBE!"

Klaus shrugs. "I know I hated my powers in a way. Well, the ghosts...but...it feels wierd not having them, you know?"

She sighs, "I can't imagine my life without my powers, they are who I am, I suppose. I don't think I ever hated them, even if I hate who I remember being. I just don't want to mess things up with Max."

He knows what she can do, but it doesn't seem to scare him at all. It doesn't seem to scare anyone. Which is nice, but also seems foolish.

"Yeah. I guess I don't have a great relationship with them. I'd probably have been...different. But...you know." Things from their life happened and they're definitely not in a place where there were good vibes.

"I think you'll be okay. Just...check in with each other about things. I'm sure it'll be okay."