Lights Go Out and I Can’t Be Saved

[redlightgreenlight]

Who: Valdis and Open with Some Closed
What: Valdis does stuff around the Serena Eterna, feel free to join her
When: September
Where: All over
Warnings: In each starter



Confusion never stops | Crichton | CW: None

Valdis hasn’t seen much of Crichton since she tried to remove Harvey last, but with her and Cassandra’s suspicions, she knows she needs to talk to him. He appears to be in his room on this particular evening, so she gently knocks on his door.

“Crichton?” She calls softly, trying to find the balance between worry and rage.

It’s not his fault that Harvey took over and started targeting people, but if he’s losing time again, she felt that he should have told her. Or at least somebody.

“Are you there?”

Closing walls and ticking clocks | Siffleur | CW: none

The one person she’s been avoiding is also the one person who she needs to see and it was only a matter of time before the two predators ended up in the same room by accident or on purpose. There’s a tightness in her chest when she sees Siffleur at one of the tables in Sand Dollar, anxiety perhaps. She’s been refusing soul energy again for fear of killing someone. She’d managed for awhile last time, but she knows she’s weakening herself by not having any backup.

But she still tries to ignore him, making some coffee and heading to a table with lots of room for escape should it be necessary.

Gonna come back and take you home | Open | CW: none

Valdis is struggling, but trying to keep her schedule as normal as possible. Meditation in the morning sunlight, sword practice in the afternoons. Reading a book from Cassandra in the spare quiet moments. Sometimes she practices what she’s reading, but mostly it seems frustrating for her and she’ll shut the book firmly before grabbing something else.

She’s doing her best to not withdraw from her friends, but she is less outgoing than people are used to, spending hours in the library or drawing people she knows on the ship.

Event Starters | Open | CW: The flowers are dangerous

Red Rose:
A rose by any other name is still as sweet and the red roses growing on vines in the library smell sweet. So sweet that anyone who smells them falls in love with the next person they lay eyes on. Valdis is wearing a makeshift mask and trying very hard to avoid getting too close to the flowers as she searches the shelves for a specific book.

Angels Trumpets:
Valdis sits in Sand Dollar reading, and another of her sits across the table, the one clearly trying to ignore the bookless one as she smirks and says in hushed tones:

“It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t gotten so weak. Trust is so human.”

Purple Hyacinth:
If her past self following her around hadn’t been bad enough, the purple hyacinths growing outside her door decided to make her day even worse. Faces of the people she’s killed, the ones in the village, keep coming to mind. People she knew. People who didn’t deserve it. People who had once been friends.

She’s back at the bar and drinking as much as she possibly can, making sure it’s not the non-alcoholic stuff. She needs the real stuff and anyone who sees her can clearly see that she has probably had too much, even if they know it doesn’t affect her.

I could not stop that you now know | Wildcard | CW: As Necessary

PM to discuss or just go for it!

Comments

[busball]

Klaus shrugs, pressing their palms to the TV screen. If she's looking, she'll see the HELLO and GOODBYE tattoos on the right and left palm respectively. "Maybe you gotta get me out of the meditation..? Maybe I'll be able to do it on my own later."

He sighs. "I wonder if I can find my way back..."

[redlightgreenlight]

"You think your body is back at Sundries?"

She's almost out of her chair and ready to rush over to try to wake him up, but she sits back down. What if she can't?

"You got your tattoos back too."

[busball]

“Yeah? I think so. I mean, where else would I be?” A beat. “Well, no. I could be a lot of places. But I got this feeling I should try it and I did and here I am.”

Oh! He looks down at his hands and nods. “Yeah! Isn’t it great? Finally something that’s not just my Umbrella Academy tattoo that Dad forced us to get when we were thirteen!”

[redlightgreenlight]

Yeah, the tattoos are great, but Klaus is entirely too nonchalant about the fact he's not sure where his body is.

"Ok, Klaus." Valdis takes a breath. "I think we need to locate your body before it runs away without you."

[busball]

They pause, blinking slightly at the mention of their body running away. "I dooooon't think it's gonna run anywhere...but I guess that's a valid concern." But it's never run away from him before...so maybe not?

"Um. I don't know how to switch screens? Maybe I can figure that out and try to come with you...but uhhh...I'm sure it's fine."

[redlightgreenlight]

This is worse than being trapped in that shadow months ago because at least she kind of knew how to get out, she just couldn't remember.

"How did you get to this screen then?"

[busball]

"Probably by accident? Or cause I was thinking about hot chocolate again. Either way. Most of my stuff happens because of accidents. Like...I was asleep when I started levitating and the telekinesis thing happened because I was getting sober and my emotions were a wreck."

He frowns slightly, trying to focus on exactly what was happening before this. "I almost never do things on purpose at first and then I have to figure it out after." But where exactly was he? There's a beat before, "No wait. I was at the Sundries...and I was gonna come here for hot chocolate...but when I touch the tv, I sort of blacked out? And then I was here."

[redlightgreenlight]

"So you willed yourself here, like I do with shadows."

It would make sense, but she had memories of the ability and Klaus said this was an accident.

"Can you get yourself back to Sundries the same way? Should I meet you there?"

[busball]

"I guess so?" That makes the most sense. Logically. That he willed himself here. It's just a matter of willing themself back into their body now.

"Well...I sure am gonna try, so yeah. I guess meet me there and make sure it worked!"

And it will...after a few attempts. A few more than they want to admit anyway.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis leaves and quickly makes her way over to Sundries. Klaus is there, but seems a little out of sorts.

"Klaus?"

Hopefully it's not just his body.

[busball]

It’s a moment before they open their eyes, feeling a bit out of sorts as they do. “Shiiiit. That’s so trippy.”

[redlightgreenlight]

"Well, I'm glad to see you back in your body."

It seems the situation is less dire than she feared.

"But maybe don't do that again until you have a better idea of where you will end up."

[busball]

Klaus rubbed at their eyes, staring at Valdis for a moment before pulling themself up off the ground. "I can't make a lot of promises here. I gotta figure this out one way or another, right?"

[redlightgreenlight]

"Klaus, I really worry about you sometimes."

All the time really. When she's not worrying about everyone else.

[busball]

There's a laugh at that. "Wow. You sound just like my siblings when you talk like that!" Of course, they said that for different reasons.

"Don't worry. I'll be fiiiine. When have I ever seriously fucked myself up anyway?"

[redlightgreenlight]

The sibling comment makes her laugh.

"Which time do you want me to recount?"

She can think of a few.

[busball]

Klaus waves it off. "But I'm fine now! So it's not even a thing. It's like...pretty much nothing, right?"

[redlightgreenlight]

"It's not nothing to me, Klaus. You were one of the first to welcome me here, and that means a lot."

Her first friend in hundreds of years, and he's almost as idiotic as his husband.

[busball]

The awkwardness is strong in this moment. "I mean...sure...but like...I'm not even the most impressive! I mean, yeah, I've got great hair and a personality only childhood trauma could create, but there's a lot of that going around here."

[redlightgreenlight]

"I think you have a fantastic personality."

Childhood trauma aside. He's right though, this ship attracts a certain type.

"Your hair needs some work though."

[busball]

Klaus looks offended. “Excuse you. My hair is amazing. You’re just jealous.”

[redlightgreenlight]

"You're right, I am jealous of your perfect hair."

Because he at least has to put work into it.

"But I'm also still going to worry about you, it's what friends do."

[busball]

They beam brightly at that. "I knew it!" They don't really believe it, but they are choosing to ignore that.

"Ehhh. I'm cool. I've been through a lot. I've got this." A beat. "But I'm guessing there's no stopping you, so I guess...that's okay."

[redlightgreenlight]

"Yeah, you can't stop me from caring."

She suddenly hugs him, squeezing tightly.

"Just be careful."

[busball]

The hug catches him off guard and he lets out a soft, surprised noise. "Oh." Valdis doesn't really surprise hug as much in Klaus' experience, but maybe they've missed that part of everything. Once the surprise has worn off, they hug back.

"I'll be fiiine. Really. Can't promise anything, really, but like...you know. I love you, buddy." A beat. "You and your cute hugging habits." Cause you gotta tease your friends/family.