Annalise and Klaus had gone to the living room, but not without Klaus stopping into Allison's room to grab an old skirt. Klaus immediately moved to the bar and lit a blunt, pouring a drink for himself; while Annalise had opted for sitting on the floor by Vanya's legs. Vanya, out of instinct, stroked the girl's head as a way to ask her if she was doing alright. Annalise looked to her and gave a weak smile, knowing by the way Vanya's expression had softened when she noticed her tear stricken face and red eyes, but she hadn't commented.
Unbeknownst to them, everyone in the room, except for Klaus, as he was still helping himself to the bar, had watched the exchange. Luther's brows lifted slightly; this being the first time he'd seen Annalise in years and she not only still looked like a ten-year-old girl, but he realized that the time that she and Vanya had spent together created a bond that would rival any sibling relationship she may have with the rest of them. One might even say that they seemed more like mother and daughter than sisters. Diego was still irritated that the two had left and Vanya had spilled all the family secrets in her book, but he'd be lying if he said that his stomach didn't tug at the sight of Annalise with the remnants of tears on her face. Allison watched the two with envy coursing through her veins. She wished to be close to her sisters, to have a relationship that didn't reward her with odd looks whenever she was sweet to them; adulthood had opened her eyes, showing her exactly how much of a sister relationship she missed. All the times that Annalise and Vanya were spending together playing their instruments and learning from each other, Allison was busy with things like fashion, makeup, and boys(Luther, to be exact).
"Um, I guess we should get this started," Luther stood up, catching the attention of everyone in the room, "So I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown, say a few words at Dad's favorite spot."
Annalise looked up questioningly, mumbling, "Endroit favori?"
"Dad had a favorite spot?" Allison spoke at the same time, her volume overpowering Annalise's.
Luther nods a little, "You know, under the oak tree."
The room quiets and becomes uncomfortable; everyone knew Luther was the favorite, but sometimes Luther himself didn't realize that he got special treatment, "We used to sit out there all the time. None of you ever did that?" Klaus decided then to make an appearance, with his smoke in one hand and a drink and some sort of trophy in the other.
"Will there be any refreshments? Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner," he finishes with a smile as he hands Annalise the drink to hold for him. Vanya promptly takes the drink from her hands and puts it on the end table on the opposite side of the couch.
"What? No. And put that out, you know Dad didn't allow smoking in here."
Allison cuts Luther off quickly, "Is that my skirt?" Her exclamation is no surprise to Annalise, who nods to her knowing that she probably wouldn't respond to her.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, this," Klaus shows off the skirt a little, "I found it in your room, Annalise offered one of hers but she's too tiny. Anyways, It's a little dated, I know, but, it's very breathey on the... bits." Annalise can't help but giggle a little, hiding it behind her hand.
Luther, quick to shut down the comical air, cuts him off with his feeling of superiority, "Listen up. There's still some important things that we need to discuss, all right?"
Diego seems to find his voice as he speaks up in the discussion for the first time, "Like what?" he shoots.
"Like the way he died." Luther promptly responded. Annalise shakes her head as she realized that the two were still trying to fight each other over power, just like when they were kids.
"And here we go." Diego dropped his head as he was readying himself for the same information he'd already heard upstairs from Luther in their father's bedroom.
Klaus sits next to Vanya, with Annalise sitting in between both of them, still on the floor. He gives the small girl a pat on the shoulder, and she gives him a smile and points to the end table where his drink resides. Vanya starts talking while Klaus hands Annalise his blunt, she takes it and recoils slightly at the smell, watching Klaus lean over and grab his drink. Klaus leans back and starts gargling his drink while Annalise is inspecting the smoke in between her thumb and index finger. She had started blocking out her siblings bickering, seeing as it was Luther vs. everyone else at this point. They were all stressing about a man who is dead, a man who made them miserable. If anything they should be celebrating, Annalise thought, 'The old man is dead! The old man is dead!' This isn't a mission, or an issue, let's just get it over with and go back to our separate lives. She tuned back in when she had heard Luther say how their father sounded strange when he last talked to him.
Klaus, with a mouthful of his drink, had instantly responded with, "Oh quelle surprise!" Making the sarcastic comment garbled and some to spill out onto his jacket. Annalise couldn't help her giggle, looking up to Klaus, still with the smoke in hand.
"Strange how?" Allison questioned.
Luther was getting irked, and was pushing to get his family to believe him, "He sounded on edge, told me I should be careful who I trust."
Diego stood up, "Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles."
Luther still wouldn't back down and Annalise felt that this was going to end badly, "No. He must have known something was going to happen. Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad." Luther asks, directed towards Klaus and his powers.
Allison scoffs, while Klaus notices attention is on him again as he points to himself, "I can't just," he leans forward and grabs the smoke out of Annalise's fingers, "call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad could you just, stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'" Annalise smiles and shakes her head, he's an addict, what did they expect?
"Since when? That's your thing." Luther retorts.
"I'm not in the right... frame of mind." Klaus tries.
"You're high?" Allison spit out in agitation, he didn't want to flat out say it, but Klaus won't lie about his 'state of mind' if it's said for him.
"Yeah, yeah! I mean how are you not, listening to this nonsense?" He leans back and Annalise only looks up to him and pats him on the knee to show that she's not teaming up against him like the others had been.
Luther looks at him incredulously, "Well sober up, this is important." Klaus and Annalise sigh simultaneously.
Luther continues on, "Then there's the issue of the missing monocle." Annalise's eyebrows scrunch together in confusion.
"Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?" Diego mutters.
"Exactly. It's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal," Annalise looks down with pure confusion written on her face, "Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge." Luther drags on.
"A grudge? What do you mean Luther?" Annalise asks in a small voice.
"Oh isn't it obvious, Anna? He thinks one of us killed Dad." Diego says as he stares up at Luther. Annalise gasps in a sharp intake of air, immediately looking towards the floor as her eyes welled up with tears.
"You do?" she hears Klaus ask, but she doesn't look up till she hears Vanya's voice, "How could you think that?" Luther sees Annalise on the brink of tears, realizing how his words had affected his siblings.
"Great job, Luther. Way to lead." Diego says before he stalks out of the room.
"That's not what I'm saying-" Luther starts but Klaus is quick to cut him off, "-You're crazy, man. You're crazy." He gets up to leave, grabbing the trophy from the end table where he had previously put it.
"I'm not finished-" Luther starts again, but Klaus cuts him off once more, "-Okay, well, sorry I'm just gonna go murder Mom. I'll be right back." He walks off and Vanya follows close behind, not without telling Annalise she'll be in her bedroom looking at her older sheet music. Allison walks out of the room and Annalise is still sitting on the floor, staring at the ground with an expression one could only explain as hurt.
"Annalise?" Luther questions softly though she keeps her gaze on the floor, Luther sighs, "I'm sorry, are you... okay?" The girl in question slowly stands and finally looks back at him, shaking her head.
"Do you really think that one of us could've hurt him? He was our Papa... He may not have been a good one, but he meant something to us just like he did to you." she said sadly as she walked away.
"That went well." Luther sighed to himself as he was now standing alone in the living room, all his siblings hurt over his accusations.
Annalise has the emotional knowledge of basically an angel and a 10 y/o mushed together, so she's big confused.
Endroit favori?: Favorite place?
Quelle surprise!: What a surprise!
Papa: Dad
wordcount 1606