Klaus - Torchwood

[im_torchwood]

Jack had informants all over town. He felt it was a good way to invest Torchwood's money. You couldn't put everything on technology, even alien technology. Sometimes you had to have eyes and ears and intuition. He had yet to have an informant be wrong about the vague 'something weird' things that Jack paid to hear about.

He'd offered to pay Klaus and he'd tracked the man down in London. It really wasn't hard. London had more CCTV per capita than anywhere else in the world and Jack could access all of them. And security cameras. And ATM cameras. And, in a pinch, he could hack into a satellite and get a shot like that.

So it was no surprise to him, but probably was to Klaus, when he walked past a couple making out against an alley wall and up to the covered back door area of a club known more for the dealers that partied there than anything else. Jack flashed a smile at him and took in the sight of him there smoking.

"You look cold," he said.

Comments

[seanceinfurs]

Klaus was there smoking and pretending he wasn't looking for a dealer. He'd fallen hard on New Year's Eve, and since he'd found it difficult to stay clean. The reason he wasn't cold, in spite of his rather light outfit, though, was drink, rather than drugs tonight.

He exhaled and smiled at Jack. "Hey, fancy seeing you here."

[im_torchwood]

"Yeah, fancy that," he replied. "Figured you could use this."

He pulled out a slender envelope bulging with cash.

[seanceinfurs]

Envelopes of cash in a back alley behind some club... If Klaus had pride he would have refused it. But he could use the cash so he didn't. Besides, this was just taking what he was owed. So, he took the envelope and stuffed it inside his back pocket. "Yeah, thanks," he said, and then. "How'd you find me?"

[im_torchwood]

"Eh, you know. I looked around," Jack dodged. He looked at the door, then to Klaus's cigarette which was nearly gone.

"The least you can do now that you've got that is buy me a drink," he said.

[seanceinfurs]

"Oh, what? Yeah, sure," Klaus said, as he stubbed out the cigarette with the sole of his shoe. "In here?" He pointed to the club.

[im_torchwood]

"Sure, why not. I' don't think I've ever been in this club," he replied.

[seanceinfurs]

"It might be a bit loud," Klaus said. Ever since he'd stopped doing drugs, he found clubs difficult to deal with. "There's a bar down that way. Let's go there." Less temptation too.

[im_torchwood]

"You sure? But we're already here..."

He gave a look, a shrug, then turned on his heel.

"Lead the way."

[seanceinfurs]

"You prefer the club?" Klaus wondered. "You strike me as a bar type guy."

[im_torchwood]

"I'm actually more of a late night diner kind of guy," he replied. "I guess a bar will do it. Not really dressed for grinding on anyone."

[seanceinfurs]

"You'll have to part with your coat first, to effectively grind up against anyone," Klaus joked as he remembered Jack distinctly not removing his coat even inside. "Oh, it's a good coat, don't get me wrong. But not for a club. Not that club anyway."

Too much drugs in that club anyway. No, the bar was a better place.

[im_torchwood]

"I'll take your word for it," Jack said. He fell in line with Klaus as they made their way out of the alley.

"So I know you drink tea...but not at the bar, right?"

[seanceinfurs]

Klaus had found a way to drink without influencing the amulet's powers. He needed that thing to ensure the dead stayed behind a veil, but had found that drinking in moderation did not influence it. Which was good because he liked a drink.

"No, I drink anything," he teased, echoing words spoken when they first met.

[im_torchwood]

That made Jack smile, an actual smile that lit his eyes. His normal smile was charming, but when he looked at Klaus with a real smile? Devastating.

The bar wasn't all that far from the club and inside it wasn't terribly loud. The music played just loud enough to be heard over the crowd. There were people at the bar, at tables, around a pool table and playing darts. Two women lingered by the loo, sipping fruity drinks.

Jack made his way right up to the bar to order.

"Whatcha like?" he asked.

[seanceinfurs]

Really? With that smile? 'You' would have been the honest answer. But Klaus really wasn't the sort to jump into bed (or a dark corner in the back of a club or a toilet cubicle) with every person he met. He really wasn't. He also wasn't celibate, or anything and he'd done his share of one-nighters and back-of-the-club quickies, but it wasn't the first thing on his mind usually. The smile was good, though, and the thought did cross his mind in this instance.

"Scotch, please," he said instead.

And then he noticed something. "So... you said you wanted to know about weird stuff, yeah?" He said.

[im_torchwood]

"Yeah, whatcha got?" he asked before ordering a very nice glass of top shelf Scotch and a water for himself.

[seanceinfurs]

"Alright, so..." Klaus regarded Jack carefully. Did he trust him? No, not really. But there was a part of him that wanted to earn the money he was being given, if only because he wanted to be able to say he had a job and didn't suck at it too badly. "I have this thing where I er..." He debated how to say it and then opted for just being quick about it. "Commune with the dead and - well, it's a joy - but anyway, there's a distinct lack of death here." Would he be believed? Maybe it was better if he wasn't.

[im_torchwood]

"Like in London? Or right around here?" he asked, gesturing to the bar, and more largely, to this neighborhood. He didn't even think to question Klaus's claim. He'd heard stranger.

[seanceinfurs]

"No, not London," Klaus said with an unamused snicker. God, that would be something. "This street," Klaus replied. "And this bar."

A beat. "You believe me?"

[im_torchwood]

"Of course I believe you," he said, but he was flipping open a cover on a wide wrist strap. The tech inside looked like nothing the earth had ever seen.

Jack scanned the area, but the data he collected would take time to process.

"That's good. Really good," he said, sliding Klaus an envelope full of notes.

[seanceinfurs]

Klaus regarded the technology. Kinda reminded him of Reggie's stuff. He accepted the money (yay, more money) and smiled. "So...what's your deal, then?"

[im_torchwood]

"What do you mean, what's my deal?" he asked. "It's not like you need to know to get paid."

[seanceinfurs]

"Wow, way to make me feel like a prostitute, there," Klaus said, and lifted his glass before chugging it down. "I'm just curious, you know. Wouldn't want to be affiliated with some weird ass apocalyptic cult, or anything."

[im_torchwood]

"It's nothing like that," Jack said. "I just keep things...safe. I try to," he added with a shrug.

"How long have you been able to talk to the dead?"

[seanceinfurs]

"Ever since I can remember," Klaus replied. It had taken him a while to understand other people couldn't see the same people he could see, but he'd always been able to see and talk to them.

[im_torchwood]

Jack nodded.

"Hell of a gift," he said, not envying Klaus in the least.

[seanceinfurs]

"Yeah," Klaus said, and he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. He downed his drink first and put it on the bar next. "I'll drink to that," he said, by which he meant to keep the drink coming.

[im_torchwood]

Jack gestured at the bartender for another round.

"I'm guessing it's not all it's cracked up to be?" he asked.

[seanceinfurs]

"Let's just say I'm glad when they shut up," Klaus said. "But I can still feel death and there's a lack of it here."

[im_torchwood]

"Interesting," he mused. "You know anyone else who can do what you do?"

[seanceinfurs]

"No," Klaus said. "Other stuff, but not what I do. If you're interested, talk to my dad. He's the one with a keen interest in gifted kids." His voice dripped in sarcasm.

[im_torchwood]

"I think I'll pass," Jack replied. "I feel like you're going to keep my hands full all on your own."

[seanceinfurs]

Klaus regarded that statement with a lot of scepticism. "Hands full?" What was he meaning to do? It sounded like he was going to use Klaus as a test subject. And he'd had quite enough of that from dad.

[im_torchwood]

Jack tapped the envelope.

"Just keep this kind of thing coming, Klaus. Definitely worth the money."

[seanceinfurs]

"Ah, good, well. Any death-related weirdness and you'll be the first to know," Klaus - who rather hoped never to see death-related weirdness - said.

[im_torchwood]

"Good," he said, then slipped out of his seat and stood to go. "I'll catch you next week. Just keep your eyes open."

[seanceinfurs]

Klaus nodded. "Yeah, okay."

[im_torchwood]

Jack turned and his coat billowed dramatically, then swung behind him as he left the shop.

An absence of death. That was a new one.