(no subject)

[fifthbeatle]

Once Viktor is well and truly satisfied that Luther isn't dead, he takes some time. First, it's alone with himself, examining feelings and teasing out... memories, maybe? Really, it feels like they are, but it's not possible. It can't be. Viktor's been here. Instead of landing in the righted timeline in 2019, Viktor had landed here. He never saw--

(the outline of Reginald's new children, siblings tossed around the Sparrow Academy, a blinding white discharge of power, a busted-ass hotel, his family licking their wounds, a diner downtown...)

Dissonance so extreme has a sound now, like a throbbing, blinding hangover that comes and goes. It is not entirely dissimilar, Viktor knows firsthand, from torture.

What guides Viktor back is himself. That guy in the mirror. Viktor Hargreeves, concert violinist, forgotten child, destroyer of worlds, is considering his reflection with something he's never felt: patience. Elation. Freedom. He turns the shower on to begin a day of chores and errands, smile bright as the sun.

1. Boutique Shop
The sun is shining outside, too. It's hot, but a faint breezes seems to follow Viktor where he goes. Whether it exists in the air or the sway comes from him, he couldn't say. Bony little hands stay tucked in the pockets of his jeans as he walks, passing a window with a very handsome pair of sunglasses in the window. Viktor drops the underwhelming pair he has on to give them a better look. As he examines them, he sees his faint expression in the reflection of the window and knows he's about to spend more money on a garment that he has since he ended the world.

It's not like colors are brighter -- though there is a tint to his new shades he's not used to. It's trying on clothes that fit in a way he likes. Being excited to try it on. The way he nervously pulled his ID out of his wallet to pay for his new clothes to find the ID in the window slot has changed, as well.

Viktor leaves the store in a whole new getup, shades to shoes.
And tosses the old shit into a nearby garbage bin.

2. New Leaf Used Books
Errand one, check. A pleasant task, shedding old shit to make way for new. The second is just as breezy. Viktor spends a good enough amount of his free time in bookstores. They all know him, and they all know (much to Elio's annoyance) that New Leaf is his favorite. They get strange and interesting curiosities, often of unknown origin. Viktor has found some fascinating music books, and it's reached his ear that some new ones have hit their well-loved shelves.

Viktor checks his new watch: still early enough for coffee. And if he's got the timing right, around the time Dani might be needing a pick-me-up if she's working this shift. He knows her order, and the barista knows them. Though, this time, it takes him a minute for the kid to register. Instead of writing what they always do on the cup, the kid asks for a name. Viktor smiles brilliantly.

Two cups of coffee in hand, Viktor strolls to the bookstore. If Dani's not around, someone will surely take a free coffee while Viktor gets his hands on some new sheet music.

3. Piano Bar
Someone from the orchestra invited him, and he wasn't going to go, but Viktor can't be home tonight. Whether it's the dream or Five's weird, unsteady vibes or the creeping feeling that something terrible is coming... these are the shitty feelings Viktor's been steeped in so much of his life. Scrimping for attention, a feeling, a purpose -- belonging. Darrow is a place Viktor belongs. It's where his family is, where his people are, and it's given him another gift: a shortcut to healing himself, to be who he's always been.

It's a raucous night, at least for classical musicians. People drift in and out, smoking or meeting dates or relocating to the next bar along the stretch of them. This is open mic night, and there are many atrocities to be visited on these poor, unsuspecting patrons in the form of terrible spoken word poetry from a harpist and even a few basically-karaoke hits. The night is exactly as Viktor guessed it might be when he was telling his friends and family about it. That was only yesterday, but it was a foot and a half of hair and thousands of memories ago.

The next person Viktor recognizes will be treated to a warm, brilliant smile that didn't exist before this man was let out of the box he didn't know he'd been in.

[Find him at some little clothing/accessories boutique, at New Leaf Used Books, walking between either of these locations or at a little jam sesh in the evening at the piano bar.]

Comments

[larger_world]

Obi-Wan doesn't like to presume. In the shop, a small place he had stopped to see if they might have something Klaus might like, not for any reason in particular, but simply because he likes to see Klaus smile, he spots the small and rather familiar young man.

Familiar or not, he won't make assumptions, and so Obi-Wan simply shifts near enough for his presence to be known. Either this is simply a young man who looks terribly like Vanya, not an impossible thing, he knows well enough from his own experiences with Dan, or something has changed. And, if it's the latter, he'd like to give Vanya the space to tell him.

[fifthbeatle]

Since he dreamed of a whole new world last night, he's still lost in it. So much of it is painful and, the Hargreeves boys suspect, still unfolding gradually. There will be a lot to unpack.

If anything, now is a time to celebrate. If what Viktor and Luther dreamed happened, they're lucky to be alive. One of them more than the other.

He's been thinking in the direction of a jacket over by where Obi-Wan is when it registers he's there. Strange that he didn't say hello.

"Obi-Wan, hey," Viktor greets with a little, easy smile. Since he's got the floor, he takes it. "Viktor. It's, uh, me. Viktor." This unfolded a lot smoother when he had Diego asking obvious questions to break the ice.

[larger_world]

"Hello there," he answers with a smile, his gaze shifting to Viktor. He had rather suspected at much, between the similarities, both in physical appearance and the very presence of Viktor within the Force, but he still thinks the right thing to do was allow him that space to speak.

Making an assumption about how one presents themselves is never the right path.

"You look like you're having an exceptional day," he comments.

[fifthbeatle]

A small smile twitches at the corner of his mouth. Whether Obi-Wan knew before now is irrelevant.

When Viktor woke up this morning changed, he recognized himself. In his dream (memory, whatever -- he hasn't figured it out yet), everyone else did, too. No questions, no hesitation, nothing but the kind of love everyone deserves and not enough people get.

Of course it would be the same from this remarkable part of Viktor's extraordinary family.

"I am," Viktor answers, and that twist of lips blooms into a brighter thing. "It's good to see you." And good to be seen.

[larger_world]

"And you," Obi-Wan answers happily. "You feel..." His breathes deep, eyes closing for a moment as he searches for Viktor's presence in the Force, isolating it, really allowing himself to sense the way Viktor is carrying himself.

"Like yourself," he settles on when he opens his eyes again. "And that is a wonderful thing."

Having come from a galaxy where such things were never treated as a bad thing, Obi-Wan has had some difficulty understanding why anyone here might care. This pleases him greatly and he lays a hand on Viktor's small shoulder, squeezing happily.

[fifthbeatle]

The dream is real. It has to be because the familiar, gentle tug of the Force feels new. Faint marigold.

Whether by petulance or protection, Viktor puts aside the longing and anger to protect a timeline in which he couldn't have existed. He expects Obi-Wan knows it's there, and he knows he won't have to talk about it until he's ready. He'd rather be here, now.

Viktor's faint smile brightens, brilliant as the sun. It is as Obi-Wan says: wonderful. Even if the man couldn't feel it himself, it shines out of every pore.

Viktor wraps his arms around Obi-Wan, too much gratitude in it to be just a greeting.

"Did you know?" Viktor asks, quiet and unconcerned with the answer. In some ways, Viktor has always known. In about 100 others, it doesn't matter. Viktor's soul is alive and curious, and Obi-Wan is an open book.

[larger_world]

He smiles, looping his arms around Viktor in turn, squeezing him into a hug. What others might think of them, hugging in the middle of a store, Obi-Wan cares not. Moments in which people feel most themselves, discover how to achieve that, those are moments worth celebrating.

"Not in any particular terms," he says after a moment, pulling back to look down at Viktor. The switch over to a new name comes easily and why shouldn't it? Obi-Wan himself has gone by more than one name in his life.

"I knew you weren't comfortable," he continues. "But further than that, it wasn't my business. I do my best not to pry."

[fifthbeatle]

"You're too good for us," Viktor laughs, head tilted all the way up to look at him. "Not Klaus, I mean, our family." Prying was kind of the Hargreeves family pastime, when they weren't drinking or beating/blowing each other up. The remaining four pieces of the Hargreeves family puzzle fit themselves together as best they can, but the picture isn't complete. If it is, the image has changed. Until today, he didn't know how to feel about it. Today, he sees a different picture -- and he knows in it is where he belongs.

"I was - uh - going to try on some clothes." He looks down at what he's wearing and how it fits just differently enough to make him realize that he's always known what he's wanted to look like. "I could use a second pair of eyes." Maybe this isn't how Obi-Wan wanted to spend his afternoon, but since he's here, and since so much has changed, maybe Viktor would prefer some company.

[larger_world]

"Not at all," Obi-Wan answers, unable to believe such a thing. First, he is merely a man, like any other, and he doesn't see himself as too good or too bad for anything or anyone. He simply is. As with the Force, he does his best to find balance, but that is all anyone can do. Strive for balance.

"Well, Klaus will tell you my fashion sense leaves something to be desired," he says. "But if you're willing to put your trust in me, I would be more than happy to help you with your shopping."

[fifthbeatle]

In Viktor's experience the very best people don't know how great they are. So it goes with this one. Viktor smiles at him and starts to move about the racks. He considers without touching, first, skimming the rounds with his eyes.

"I think my aesthetic is closer to yours than Klaus'," Viktor assures him, bright smile settling into a faint glow, his a corner of his mouth turned up. Viktor's wardrobe was never full of bright colors or statement pieces. Obi-Wan may not be the hoodie-sporting type, but he has great taste in sweaters and looks good in anything.

A larger question pulls at his attention -- and so does a very nice black coat. He inspects the garment and asks, "last year when you woke up with a different body, did you dream about it before it happened?"

[larger_world]

Obi-Wan considers the question, then shakes his head and says, "No, I don't believe I did." There's a possibility he dreamed something and doesn't remember, like many people, Obi-Wan doesn't remember all his dreams, but he thinks something like that might stand out.

All he knows is he woke up, looking very much like Wanda, though with sandy hair to her red, and after about a week, he had woken up like this once more.

"Did you?" he asks, knowing there must be a reason.

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor nods his head, smiling. That's the answer he'd hoped for. The more dissimilar his experience from Obi-Wan's, the more likely the change is permanent. For whatever permanence there actually is in Darrow where appearances are concerned.

The finer details of the dream trouble him, but he's not caught on them now. If what he remembers happened, he didn't have time for peace. Their family never does.

The black coat is picked off of the rack and slipped on over his shoulders. As he scoops his arms into the sleeves, he turns to the mirror, head tilted.

"What do you think?"

[larger_world]

More important than what Obi-Wan thinks is what Viktor thinks and Obi-Wan can already see that answer in the way he stands. It's there in the way he looks at his reflection, satisfied, comfortable. Even confident, perhaps.

It's a good look on anyone, he believes.

"I think it's perfect," he says, not because of how the coat actually looks -- though it is a rather lovely coat -- but because of how Viktor looks wearing it.

[lazyandincompetent]

"Whoa, so... new twin?" Nathan asks, spotting the little Vanya-lookalike and falling in step beside him, because what the hell, why not? He looks just like Klaus, only more handsome and younger, so the thought of some little dude looking just like Vanya isn't really all that surprising.

"Are you one of them?" he asks. "Another Hargreeves? Ooohh, alternate universe Hargreeves? That's gotta be a thing, yeah? Somewhere out there you've got these other siblings."

He pats down his pockets for a joint and his lighter, then shoves it into the corner of his mouth, looking at the dude expectantly.

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor rolls his eyes immediately, a corner of his mouth curling into a patient smile. He lets Nathan roll through his theories, waggle his spindly fingers, do whatever he needs to do to get the never-ending string of thoughts out of his never-stopping mouth.

"Nathan," he says, dry and patient. "It's me." Nathan's theories make sense, as much as anything else around this place. "Viktor," he clarifies. He looks up at Nathan from above his sunglasses.

[lazyandincompetent]

"I don't know anyone named Viktor," Nathan answers, narrowing his eyes at not-Vanya-but-Viktor. He knows Nathan's name, though, and says it's me like that's supposed to mean something, and Nathan's heard of people who're like, born in the wrong bodies and feel all weird and shit, but he's never actually encountered anyone.

Not that he knows of anyway, he realizes. Could be he has and he just never knew. Something to consider later.

[fifthbeatle]

"You do," Viktor assures Nathan with a bemused smile, "You just didn't know it yet." In Viktor's experience this far, people have usually figured it out by now. Nathan is blunt and self-centered, but he's not a bigot. The man is simply allergic to niceties. In their strange way, they've earned each other's trust. From this cultivates an extra dose of patience.

Viktor watches Nathan as closely as he can mid-walk.

[lazyandincompetent]

Nathan stares for another long moment, his eyes still narrowed into slits, wondering if he's actually understanding what he's being told.

"Okay, so t'be clear, you're not just a twin," he says. "Which is a fair question, given, y'know, me and Klaus look exactly alike."

He's not completely stupid, but he thinks this is something he needs to be confirmed.

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor would be lying if he said watching these mental gymnastic didn't fill him with a certain amount of satisfaction.

"It is a fair question," Viktor confirms, for exactly that reason. Viktor stops walking, taking his sunglasses off to look at Nathan.

"It's me." His lips twist into a smile, somewhat sad. He speaks with all of the grace and quiet deliberation as he always has. "You know Vanya wasn't even my real name? The name on my birth certificate is Number Seven." Numbered as he was like the rest, he didn't ever get to be useful. As a matter of fact, his number indicated his uselessness to Hargreeves.

"I'm Viktor. It's who I've always been." And God, the vice-grip on his lungs slackens every time he says it. That much is clear by the way his smile turns hopeful, bright as his future.

[lazyandincompetent]

"Huh," Nathan says, looking first at Not-Vanya-But-Viktor's chest, then at his groin, because Vanya's tits were never huge, but he's pretty sure they're gone now. Which makes Nathan wonder if he has a dick.

Those probably aren't the right questions to ask.

"Okay, cool," he says, then asks the super inappropriate questions anyway. "So... same body or what? Like, have you grown a dick? Because that'd be fuckin' cool. Klaus was a girl for awhile, but this is different, yeah?"

[fifthbeatle]

The urge rises, to tap Nathan hard in the chest with his own sound energy, but Viktor resists -- mostly because he would like it, thereby rendering his point moot.

That's no way to make a point, anyway. Standing here and staring incredulously risks a lot less collateral damage.

"Nathan, you didn't care what was in my pants before," Viktor says, easy and bemused, "why does it matter now?"

[lazyandincompetent]

"It doesn't matter, mate, it's just fuckin' cool if you grew a dick, isn't it?" he asks, like that should be completely obvious. If he had always felt like he was in the wrong body or something and he woke up one day and was just ready to be who he really was, it'd be cool to grow tits.

Then again, Nathan is also waiting eagerly for the day he wakes up like Klaus did. It's probably different than what Viktor is going through.

"You don't have t'tell me," he says easily. "Just thought I'd ask. Never know how far this Darrow magic stuff goes, yeah?"

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor tilts his head in agreement. Dick or no, it is pretty fucking cool to look in the mirror -- to even want to look in the mirror -- and see himself peering back. No curiosity or rationalization, just a simple look, smile, settle.

"No dick yet," Viktor responds with a smile. "I'll keep checking. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know."

And well, since Nathan's curious, he presses on. "I don't think so. My body is different but, not like magic. I have surgical scars, but I don't remember having surgery. Or cutting my hair." His own reflection in a store catches his eye. He has to do a sort of double-take because he, for just a second, can't believe the smile he sees is his own.

[lazyandincompetent]

"Cool," Nathan says, as if that settles it, and as far as he's concerned, it does. Viktor says he'll let him know and that is pretty cool of him.

"So it's just like... all the sorts of changes you would've done anyway," he says. "Probably. Not magic. I mean, still pretty cool and it is kinda magic that you just, bam, woke up with your hair cut and tits cut and shit, yeah?"

[fifthbeatle]

Not so familiar with how this works, it makes Viktor wonder what else will change about his body if he stays the course, which he's very interested in doing. Overnight, his voice is lower, his body changed, even the shape of his jaw.

"Something like that," Viktor agrees thoughtfully. He tears his eyes away from his reflection, like he's been caught staring at a beautiful person from across the room. He smiles up at Nathan, too euphoric to look sheepish.

"It's amazing. Also, I had this, I don't know, dream. It felt so real, like I was looking at a different timeline. Luther saw it, too, but it wasn't a dream." That seems less important than the result: him waking up out of that small box he didn't know he was in.

[lazyandincompetent]

"So you dreamed yourself into bein' cool with being a man?" Nathan asks, not even trying to be a dick at this point, just genuinely confused as to how that works. Shit, he hopes that doesn't happen to him.

Still, it kind of seems like this is what Viktor wanted all along without realizing it and Nathan is certain he feels completely comfortable as is, so it probably wouldn't happen like that for him.

"And your brother was there? Shit, this place just gets weirder and weirder. How'd your brother get into your dreams? Is that his superpower? Kinda intrusive, yeah?"

[feelheld]

With classes over for the summer, Dani is spending more time than usual working at New Leaf. Technically speaking, she's studying while she's there, too, getting ready to start having training sessions in the near future, but she likes to stay busy and also to get paid, and New Leaf is a pretty perfect place her. It's quiet enough that she can get other work done too and not get overwhelmed, and busy enough to keep her actively doing something.

Today, she's shelving some new acquisitions when she hears the front door open, the little bell hanging from it jingling and a brief burst of heat flooding into the front of the shop. "I'll be right with you!" she calls instinctively, brushing a strand of hair away from her forehead with the back of her wrist. When she turns to glance at the person who's walked in, though, she's greeted by the sight of a friend. A smile spreads across her face, pleased and a little surprised. "Hey," she says, leaving the rest of the books to put away later and heading closer. "Trying a new look?"

[fifthbeatle]

"Hey," Viktor greets in return, smiling back at her, albeit a little subdued. He feels great, and has the affirmation of his family from his strange dream-that-doesn't-make-sense-as-a-dream. Bringing his authentic self out into the world feels right. Yet, the faint anxiety persists. Viktor tries to tell himself that's just who he is, but he can't help that his heart is beating faster, vaguely hot-cold under his skin in a rush of adrenaline.

"Something like that," Viktor responds to the question. He holds out the coffee. The cup says Viktor, but that's not the same as telling the truth. "I got you the usual."

And that's as good a transition as any.

"Actually, my name is Viktor." Saying it feels even better than seeing it on that familiar little cup. He likes Dani, and what's more, he's felt that little rush from just her smile before. It would hurt like hell if she couldn't accept him, but he can walk away if she does. "It's who I've always been."

[feelheld]

Dani takes a moment to let that sink in. It's a significant piece of information, after all, and unexpected, nothing she would want to take too lightly. The meaning, though, is clear enough. This is the same person she knew, the same person who was always there, just comfortable and confident enough to take this step. To her, it might seem sudden, but it's not her place to judge one way or the other. She's known people who've transitioned before, and she knows that all she can really do — all she wants to do — is support her friend.

"Viktor," she echoes as she reaches out to take the coffee cup, her smile softer, but suffused with warmth. "I like it." She pauses a beat, then adds, "I'm happy for you," because she is. Maybe in a perfect world, it wouldn't have to be a huge deal, but in the one she's from, it very much is. She doesn't want to make more of it than he's comfortable with, but she wants him to know, too, that she offers nothing but acceptance.

[fifthbeatle]

Without knowing exactly what she's gone though, Viktor knows there is unimaginable pain in her. She's alluded to it, and Viktor wonders if he could sense it. Not in the way that Harlan taught him, but in a reflection of his own pain. It has been Viktor's experience that sensitivity and sweetness are things not all people value. In Hargreeves' case, he did his best to stamp them out of his children, but he couldn't do it. Even the one everyone thinks is unbreakable has his soft spots. The strongest of them all is also the most gentle.

Dani is sweet, gentle. Sensitive. If made it, she has the soul of a warrior or a madman, or, like Viktor, both. Whatever she is, she is smiling at Viktor like he's given her a precious gift: not the coffee but a piece of himself. And she likes it. Viktor is beaming before he has any idea how to stop it.

"Thank you," he says quietly, trying and failing to contain his grin. Instead, he takes a sip of his own coffee, and even that can't quite dull his shine. Part of him wants to let loose the flood gates and talk for hours and say all of the things he's never said. More of him wants to live his life, present and accounted for, loved by his friends and in love with his own body.

"How's work?" Viktor asks, leaning against the counter. The sheet music can wait.

[feelheld]

"Of course," Dani says, smile still small but meaningful. There are, unfortunately, plenty of people for whom she knows that wouldn't be true — maybe even here, though at least Darrow seems more consistently progressive than what she left behind — but as far as she's concerned, there's nothing to thank her for. If anything, she's grateful for the trust this must have taken, and to be able to stand here looking at Viktor, her friend, knowing this is an honest representation of him.

She's curious, of course, about how long he's been ruminating on this, about why now, but it's none of her business — or, rather, it's up to him to decide how much he wants to share, and not on her to pry. Her reaction would and will be the same either way, especially because it's clear how happy he is, looking self-assured in a way she isn't sure she's ever actually seen him before.

"Work's alright. Quiet, which is good," she answers, taking a sip of her own drink. "How are things with you? I mean... clearly some big developments, right?"

[fifthbeatle]

Quiet it is, Viktor notes as he takes a look around. He prefers it, too and not just because it means they can speak more freely. Viktor values silence, now that he can choose it. Yet, quiet isn't what it used to be, now that Viktor's power is allowed to exist -- more so now, if what Viktor and Luther dreamed(??) actually happened. If they saw another timeline, Viktor has access to a new soundscape. And some hard pills to swallow, so to speak.

Viktor ducks his head and laughs, a quiet, warm breath where a self-effacing huff may once have been. By way of answering Dani's question, he says, "I used to hate the quiet. Growing up in my weird family -- I told you there are seven of us -- it was loud, one way or another, when we were all together. But, I didn't get to be with the others outside of lessons. I was alone a lot. Even more after the, like, one person that gave a shit about me wasn't around anymore." A gross oversimplification is happening here, but there's no neat way to say what he's feeling, and not enough time left on Dani's shift to fill in all the gaps.

"I used to think that playing music was going to save me or keep me from being ordinary, maybe make Dad finally value me. And it wasn't quiet all the time. I was allowed to be a part of the noise."

Viktor's relationship with sound is intimate, formerly fraught and presently resolved. He's smiling when he settles his eyes on Dani. "I found out later my dad was afraid of me. He put me in a box. It seemed like no matter what I did, the box got smaller and smaller." He takes a peaceful breath.

"It's good to be out."

[feelheld]

Despite the friendship the two of them have struck up, Dani doesn't think they've talked all that much about their families. She's heard some about Viktor's siblings — the ones who are here, the ones who aren't — but it's one thing they haven't gone into much depth about. She tends to steer clear of it when she can, after all. Only one person in this whole city knows what happened back home. It isn't that she intends to keep it a secret, it's just that she can't talk about it, not without falling apart. That wound is too fresh, too raw.

Listening, though, she can do, expression thoughtfully curious. The experience isn't one like hers, but something about it strikes a chord all the same. And at the last — she isn't entirely sure if it's an intentional double meaning, but it makes her smile anyway, glad that he gets to have that freedom now.

"It seems like it," she says, warm and sincere. "Really, you seem... happy. At ease." It's not the sort of thing she would ever have speculated about or guessed earlier. Knowing what she knows now, though, it's easy to think back and be pretty sure she can sense a difference — that he wasn't so comfortable in his skin before, maybe still in that box even here.

"I... It wasn't like that, for me, but I think I know what you mean anyway," she adds. "About a box. I think I... kind of put myself in one without realizing it."

[fifthbeatle]

"I'm not sure how I feel," Viktor admits. The haircut is new, the scars inexplicable, the peace welcome. He could do without the new memories, including a handful of things he wants to un-know. It both feels and doesn't feel like those things happened to him. Can he separate the bliss of what's come with it from the work he still has to do on himself? Not advised, Viktor figures. Dani smiles at him.

He's going to anyway. For now. Dani smiles at him ans he smiles back. Like his whole fucked up timeline, Viktor both is and isn't being seen for the first time. Each new affirmation is a dopamine rush people would pay a lot of money for. Here, in the welcome quiet of this odd little bookstore, sharing a piece of himself he didn't mean to and finding it well-received, it's even more marigold than morphine. And he does feel good, but he already said that.

Dani returns his confidence with her own, just a little. "Yeah?" Normally, Viktor might just remain quiet and allow the person space to share. Dani hasn't talked about much up until now. Maybe, she needs some affirming, too. "Do you want to talk about it?"

[feelheld]

On that subject, Dani isn't sure how she feels. On the tip of her tongue is her usual denial — to say that it's fine, she doesn't need to talk about it, quickly bleeding into claiming that it wasn't that big a deal. She still believes that it shouldn't have been, but the more time she spends here, the more distance she has from the relationships in her life back home that were less than healthy, the more she feels like it was. At least, she knows what she would say to someone else in her position. It's always easier to have clarity with distance, though, always harder to apply such concepts to herself.

"God, I didn't mean to suddenly make this about me," she says instead, wrinkling her nose, a little flustered. If she were going to talk about it, Viktor is one of the very few people with whom she would probably be comfortable doing so. Right now, though, when he's come here sharing something so significant, she doesn't want to detract from that by unloading all her family baggage on him. "But if you maybe want to go sit and talk or something? I could definitely go for a break."

[fifthbeatle]

"Isn't that how a conversation works?" Viktor laughs, trying not to absolutely light up at the adorable way she scrunches her nose up. "I say something, and then you say something..."

And she wants to keep talking to him. That is also nice. Viktor still hasn't grown entirely accustomed to holding people's attention. Dani never brushes him off, but it's clear she keeps it close to the vest. Viktor has wanted to know more. Now, it seems like she wants to tell him. That's pretty fucking cool.

"Yeah, I would like that." Viktor's smile burns a quiet few lumens brighter. "Oh, uh, Maeve called me about some violin music that came in." He pauses before adding, "but -uh - I can get it later. When we come back."

[feelheld]

"I guess, yeah," Dani says, ducking her head for a moment as she laughs in turn, self-deprecating but genuinely amused. "See? This is exactly what I'm talking about." At least with Viktor, there's never been any sense of pressure in that regard, no need to make herself smaller, to take up less and less room. It's just an old habit, all but impossible to shake, one she picked up in childhood and leaned into more and more as she got older.

She still doesn't want to derail the conversation by talking about all of her bullshit when there's something so much more significant at hand. Even the way he smiles seems to drive that home. It's hardly the first time she's seen him smile, but it seems somehow that much more vivid now, as if lit up from within.

"And I'll make sure I grab that music for you when we get back," she agrees, saying so mostly to commit it to memory. "We don't get a lot of people coming in for sheet music, so I'm sure it'll be fine until then."

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor takes a breath -- and a chance.

"I like talking with you," he says with a soft smile. "I like hearing what you have to say." Maybe it won't bring Dani comfort. Maybe all it will do is nudge Viktor another inch out of his very strange comfort zone. He can remember what it was like to wish that someone would show a sign that they were listening, and what it was finally like to hear it.

Shame he heard it from a killer. Deeper shame Dani just did, too.

He heads to the door and opens it for her.

[terriblymisguided]

It's been two days since he's been home, so Klaus leaves Obi-Wan to his meditating with a kiss on the forehead and then leaves the building. It's gotten to a point where he doesn't even need to pack an overnight bag anymore, because he has enough things in both places to make it home. It feels like he lives in two places, and he supposes that he does. He likes it that way. It does something to settle the wandering nomad in him, even trapped here in this city.

He decides to stop and get some coffee and pastries on the way home for whoever might be around, but when he ducks into the coffee shop, he finds his sister already waiting in line. At least, he thinks that it's his sister. The haircut is new, and something seems a little off. Not wrong, but different. So much so that Klaus wonders if this is a different person entirely, like him and Nathan, or Obi-Wan and Dan.

But then Vanya turns and sees him, and Klaus knows for certain that it's her. Or maybe not her at all. Rather than jump to conclusions, he'll wait for Vanya to talk to him about it, if she wants.

"Hello there, tiniest sibling," Klaus greets fondly, tucking his hair behind his ear and smiling as he walks over to join said sibling in line. "I am loving this haircut on you."

[fifthbeatle]

Klaus is never gone for long. Even if he were, Viktor knows his brother is just a text or call away. This morning was confusing, filled with what may be memories and what might be the dull throb of creeping insanity. Viktor has certainly earned a breakdown, though he cannot afford one because of who he is. What he's done. The responsibility that comes with power and what he owes mankind, whom he once obliterated.

The afternoon sun warms away the cloudy morning. By the time he's in that little coffee shop he loves, he can barely remember what happened the night before. Viktor is living in the present in a never-spoken truth. In new clothes, a spiffy new haircut, a torso he doesn't quite understand the presence of but is eternally grateful for... it all seems like a dream, itself. Like Darrow, nothing makes sense, and it has brought him some of the best things in his life.

"Hi, most beautiful sibling," Viktor responds, winding his arm around his brother's middle. The smaller boy tilts his head all the way up to smile placidly at one of his top 3 very favorite people. Klaus says he likes the haircut and the smile spreads brightly. He hugs him so, so tight, still grinning so hard his face hurts a little.

"Thanks. It's Viktor, now."

[terriblymisguided]

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Klaus says with a laugh, smiling as he's squeezed so hard that something in his lower back cracks in an oddly pleasant way. "What's gotten into you?"

But then Viktor tells him, and Klaus takes a few seconds to process the information before easily accepting it, already shifting things around in his brain. This will be easier for Klaus than most, and he's glad that he's able to be there for his brother during this time.

"Very cool," Klaus says with a smile, because how could he not be happy when Viktor is smiling so radiantly, like something has finally clicked into place? He leans down to press a kiss to Viktor's forehead and then wraps his arm around Viktor's neck to pull him into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles playfully against the top of his head.

"Brother stuff," he explains with a fond laugh, loosening his grip until his arm is draped along Viktor's shoulders. "Want to talk about it?"

[fifthbeatle]

"Oh my God," Viktor groans, shaking his head to try and stave off this brotherly assault. He doesn't work too hard to disentangle. When he can lift his head again, he glares at Klaus -- truly ineffectual when he's grinning like he is. Even as he shakes his hair back into place.

For now, he's forgotten about the bad bits from his dream. Viktor has never been so happy to be in the present moment. He's got his arm around Klaus' waist, head angled up to look at him.

"There's not much to say," Viktor admits, taking a moment to stare up at the cafe's menu like he hasn't been here dozens of times before. "I had some weird dreams and woke up like this."

[terriblymisguided]

"Huh." The explanation doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but nothing about their lives make any sense, so it's easy enough for Klaus to roll with it. His brother knows who he is, and already in this brief interaction has seemed more confident and at ease with himself than Klaus has seen in a long time.

Why would he be anything other than grateful for that?

"I'm happy for you," he says sincerely, giving Viktor a brief kiss on the temple and then draping an arm over his shoulders, staring up at the menu along with him. "Coffee's on me, from a them to a him."

[latermaybe]

With about an hour to spare before a departmental meeting, I ducked into the little boutique a few blocks from campus. I was in the market for a new pair of shoes, but tended to find things for Elio more often in a place like this.

Empty-handed, I made my way to the door, glancing up just as a petite young guy turned away from the register, dressed head to toe in clothes I'd seen hanging in the shop.

I smiled in a politely detached sort of way, then did something of a double-take when I realized how familiar he was.

"I—"

[fifthbeatle]

It's only been a couple of days since Oliver and Viktor have seen each other. Even if it had been longer, he can't blame the other man for not quite recognizing him. The entered each other's orbits because of Elio, but they have enough in common. Though unassuming, Viktor hides a pretentious taste like so many classically trained musicians. Hargreeves considered it an admirably quality, too. Viktor has always suspected that is why, in a gesture of uncharacteristic good will toward little Number Seven, the old man paid for his entire education without a word. That, and offload him into a world that cared even less than he did. In some ways, Viktor had it great. He wasn't sent to the moon.

The bag in his hand is full of clothes that will be discarded on the other side of the door. He's so excited to do it that he nearly runs into his friend.

"Shit, sorry," Viktor says with a little laugh, self-effacing at a much lower volume than his previous apologies. "Oliver, hey!" This store doesn't seem like his style, but maybe he's not shopping for himself. Or maybe he was and that's why he's leaving bagless.

"It's me. Viktor. We already know each other." Nope, not the most elegant attempt, but people here seem much more caught off-guard than his family did, and Viktor's just getting his footing, himself.

[latermaybe]

"Viktor," I repeated clumsily, smiling through the growing feeling that my lack of comprehension was being made into the butt of some joke. I knew him, yes, but not as Viktor. However, the introduction was being made so casually, as if this were a thing that happened all the time and hardly warranted explanation.

Even before arriving in Darrow, I was vaguely aware of transsexuals, under much more vulgar nomenclature, and had since had a year to forcibly open my eyes to the freedoms and progress I wouldn't have been capable of imagining in 1983. I wasn't completely oblivious, but in that moment, I still longed to be spoon-fed.

"I... All right. Viktor? It's... good to see you."

[fifthbeatle]

Even though Oliver rolls with it like a champ, Viktor hears in the pauses that maybe he needs some time to process -- or to have this more gently spelled out. Easy enough, save for the part where he woke up changed from the strangest fucking dream.

"It's good to be seen," he responds, smiling coming easier with every reintroduction, with every step in this welcome skin. "And it's good to see you too." He gives Oliver another second before throwing the lifeline. "It's okay if you have questions. I'm happy to answer. We could head to the café around the corner."

Is it his responsibility to spell this out? No, and he's happy to do it for Oliver.

[latermaybe]

"No, I'm sorry. I just... feel like I'm missing something."

I winced, knowing that if I felt uncomfortable, then Vanya— Viktor surely did, as well. "I..."

I almost begged off. Told him I was busy. Escaped in the other direction. Later! I'd always been good at that kind of thing.

"Sure," I said, instead. "I've got time."

[fifthbeatle]

It occurs to Viktor that Oliver may not want to go through this. He is a lovely man, smart and gentle, generally polite. And Elio's boyfriend. For all the time they've spent together, for all that Viktor does think they would have been friends even without Elio's intervention, he didn't ask for this.

"It's on me," Viktor promises, still unable to shake that faint smile. He holds the door open for Oliver and follows along.

"I forget you're from another time," he continues pleasantly. "Not that it's easy to be who you are anywhere. Anywhen."