maskormenacelogs | [open] And the nights, they last forever...

He's moving, walking them back to the porters, which thankfully, in this location, isn't a long ways away.

Good. Drinks are good. It had taken them long enough to get a place that would serve him let alone serve Five, but Pour Decisions was shaping up to be okay. Ben would rather go to some of the darker places in Maurita Falls, but Five liked this place, so here we go.

"You've had over a decade to forget I enjoy pranks. But also... I knew Allison would tell you right away and that was going to take away from my telling you myself. Figured ribbing you a bit would be fun enough. You don't have to forgive me either."

That phrasing hits like a wave on top of him and pulls Diego up short and he stops, grabbing Ben's arm to make him stop too. He's shaking his head. "You weren't, okay? You weren't forgotten. Ever." He says it fiercely, like he needs Ben to understand this one thing about the last decade and a half more than he needs to move from this spot in the middle of the street.

He blinks, realizing the other had stopped him. His arm grabbed and all. He stopped, looking back with a confused look on his face for a moment, which softens a moment later. He gave Diego a soft sad smile, reaching a hand up to pat the hand on his arm.

"I know." He said it simply, but decided it was too simple. "I've been around Klaus all this time. I was able to connect to him while I was gone. I... didn't get to see much of any of you while he was away from it all, but I'm very sure I didn't just get dropped out of the family. Forgotten or anything. Promise. I never thought you of all would forget me." He said, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

He knows how important the family is to Diego. Or... he thinks he knows. His good protective brother. He saw how Diego was with Klaus, and that meant a lot. Tht even if Diego thought Klaus was a fuck up, he was still there for him. It made it stick in his mind, that Diego wouldn't have forgotten Ben so easy either, if he could continue to protect Klaus when he could.

He blinks at little at the simple assurance. It might have been enough, really, even in all of its simplicity, but it's not the worst thing that he decided to expand on it from there, either. "Okay," he breathes the word out, nodding a little, slowly dropping his hands away from Ben. Again. This whole clinging-grabbing thing is just becoming a thing, isn't it? Maybe he's still not really convinced this isn't a dream, or that Ben won't somehow suddenly disappear on him yet.

He would explain it, all the reasons why he felt the need to stop him, tell him that exact thing, like it was something life-altering and necessary... except he doesn't even know how to put it in words. So he doesn't try.

Instead, he just starts heading in the same direction they'd been going, a silent cue that he's fine now, they can move again.

Okay, he said. That was all that was said too. Ben chuckled, smiling at the other. He was taking it all pretty well, he thought. he knows that Family means a lot to Diego. He's watched it for ages now, even after he died. If he didn't care so much about them, he wouldn't put himself through the pain of trying to keep an eye out for them. Or, at least Klaus. His point of view was all from a Klaus side of things.

Maybe he just felt he needed to look out for a 'younger' brother doing dumb shit. He knew how hard Diego tried. As hard as Ben tried, really. But Klaus was Klaus and it was impossible to make him do anything other than what he wanted.

Still, the point was, he understood how Diego could be. The simple Okay was enough. He smiled at his brother, moving to fall into step with him again, standing close enough that his shoulder leaned into the others arm and shoulder, keeping mild contact with him.

"So, you've missed a lot. I think Allison is mad at the three of us for not telling Vanya what she did in the end. I didn't feel it was our place to ruin her life here though. This place is kind of a second chance for some of us. I rather like it." A pause and he hums a moment. "Klaus has settled in well, in his terms. Which means you're going to be pissed, but can you try not to take it out on him too hard?" And another humm... "Five seems to be settling in well too. Luther is around also. I think you'll like it here though. They have a need for Heroes like you."

He nudged the others shoulder as he looked up at him, smiling still. His small and shitty family report over.

Edited (wow, spelling.. ) 2019-05-15 08:12 (UTC)

He tries to listen to everything Ben is telling him, a quick-point summary of what he's missed so far. He blinks and frowns a little. "Vanya...she didn't remember any of it?" All the grudges in the world won't ever change that these people are the only family he has ever known, and the automatic written concern that brings with certain pieces of information being thrown into the mix. "How much was missing? And-- why didn't you guys tell her?"

He hums, somehow equally soft and gruff at the same time, at the remark about Klaus. "Back to the same old habits, I take it." He definitely isn't thrilled about that one. He nods a bit at the report about the rest of their brothers. "Yeah, apparently." is the only muttered comment he manages to get out at the remark about the need for heroes.

"I'm not sure? I think from where she passed out on stage, but I didn't ask. Look, this place is a second chance for us, right? Why tell your sister that she destroyed the moon and caused the apocalypse if that hasn't happened yet for her? She seemed so happy here. Why ruin that for her? She knows she has powers now, like everyone else that shows up here. Just let her have a good life."

He shrugged. It seemed reasonable to him. He'd hate it if he was blissfully unaware that he destroyed everything and had one of them tell him. He didn't think it was fair to uproot her life if she didn't need it. Then again that's just him. "Not sure why the others didn't tell her. Not my place."

He lifted a finger and pointed at Diego though. "And don't give Klaus such a hard time. He's having problems, I suppose. Just... don't lay into him too hard. You know it doesn't help any."

His frown deepens at that explanation, if only because-- "Don't you guys think she's had enough kept from her? I mean-- that- that's literally, like, ninety-seven percent of the entire Apocalypse issue. She had things removed from her awareness for- for over two decades. How is continuing the cycle Dad started the right move, ever, Ben?"

On one hand, he can understand the temptation of it; she didn't remember--he distantly wonders if it was less that she didn't, and more didn't want to and she had created her own mental block from the trauma--so why break her with the truth? But considering the situation as a whole, Diego doesn't see it being the kind of choice that could have a good outcome. Not when it would be twisted, sharpened, heightened into the idea that she, somehow, still wasn't worthy of knowing the truth, no matter how twisted or bad it is. That she was still the one that needed placating, platitudes, and lies thrown at her.

Diego raises an eyebrow and a finger right back at him, swatting Ben's away. "I'll be as hard on him as I want. He needs to quit the shit."

"Bullshit it's like dad!" He snapped back, glowering now. His hands shoved into his pockets as they walked along to the porter. "And why does it fall on me to tell her? She doesn't even know if I was there or not. Luther and Allison have been here a month. They could tell her too." He let out a breath, relaxing a bit again, frowning. "And how do you breach that anyhow? 'Oh, hey, sister. I know you seem happy right now but let me throw that out the door for you. You did it all. You're welcome.' Because I'm not sure how to bring it up."

His head is lowered, watching the ground he's walking on. Being compared to Dad was like a hard blow. He doesn't see it. He's not hiding her powers. He's encouraging her powers. He's encouraging her to have a life too. That's nothing like dad. Mood soured he doesn't look at the other now.

"You want to push him farther into it then. You know every time you get hard on him he goes deeper into a spiral. You might not have ever seen it, but I did."

His faces pulls something incredulous, "What? Are you kidding me-- yes, it's exactly-- Dad hid everything from her, from all of us, about her! You honestly think that wouldn't fuck you up? To not just deal with that, but- have it all unraveled and then just find out two months later that your siblings were starting the whole cycle over again, when you didn't remember?!" He shakes his head, grabbing Ben's arm to stop him suddenly. "No- not you, it didn't have to be you, specifically, but all of you were here, somebody could have-- I'm not saying- you- you're not- that's not-"

He lets go of Ben's arm and gives a frustrated groan, spinning away as he shoves a hand through his hair, sliding down to rest on the back of his neck. "Nevermind. This isn't... this isn't what I want the first night of having you back to be about, okay? Just- forget it."

"He uses fights with us, or us telling him to clean up his act, as an excuse to push himself further into the spiral. Don't fucking put that shit on me, or any of us. Klaus makes his choices. He needs to make better ones, and if we all just sit around, holding hands and singing Kumbaya, pretending the ones he's making are fine, he'll never change the ones he makes." He shakes his head. "I won't enable him, Ben. Be pissed at me for it if you want, but I won't do it."

Edited 2019-05-18 23:00 (UTC)

He's glowering even more now. Being compared to Dad is a bit of a brain fuck, really. He always tried to be what their Father wanted him to be and he always failed at it. He knows the man was bad, but it's really hard to deal with that now too. Diego is practically growling at him, and as he's made to stop he does stop, but he doesn't look at the other, frustrated.

"You're right. I don't want to argue about this on your first night here. I don't know what's going on. For all I know she and Allison have had a few talks. Or Luther and her have gotten along. If I'm being honest here, I've been spending more time on my own and around whoever decides they wants to be around. I got to go shopping with Allison. I've hung out at Vanya's while she practices. I did an escape room with Luther. I've had Five crash at my place and I actually got sleep. Klaus..." He looked mildly hurt for a moment. "I don't know... it's just... Klaus."

He took a breath, hands shoved into his coat pockets, deep. Trying to shake it off. "It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter what I know. Talk to Allison or Luther about family matters. You three are basically the head of the family anyhow."

"As for Klaus. I'm not putting that on you. I'm not even sayin--you know what. No. I'm not saying shit. I don't... I don't care what he does right now. He'll do it with or with out me so it doesn't...--Whatever." He reached out to pull at Diego's arm, to make him start walking again if he can. "Just... come on. Five is getting the first round of drinks."

Someone is being avoidant. Especially about Klaus.

He can see it written so easily and plainly in Ben's demeanor. The annoyance rolls off of him in waves, the refusal to actually look at him screams a perfectly clear point. He hates it. Everything about this has taken the absolute most wrong turn it could have, and it was his fault. If Ben spares a glance at him at the exact right second, he might find that Diego almost looks like he might say something, but thinks better of it, deflates, and abandons the idea completely.

He picks up the track on a different part of this whole conversation, a frown sliding into place across his features. "You're really isolating that much, or--?" He doesn't like the way that sounds. Then again, would he really like it if Ben said he was friends with every person he came across, either? Sorry, Ben, Diego is a cagey asshole who is probably impossible to actually please, here.

The hurt look at the mention of Klaus doesn't go unnoticed, either. "What's going on between you guys? You've always been like," he lifts one hand, crossing his fingers before he lets his hand fall back to his side and shrugs. "What's up?" Maybe siblings weren't supposed to have or play favorites, but it happened, especially in groups of siblings as big as theirs. Luther and Allison. Klaus and Ben.

"Yeah, okay." He nods once and follows his brother's lead toward the-- what was it? Porter? God, he hates this place.

He doesn't look though. Not for a bit. He's leading them to the porter and ignoring some of their topics now. Glad that Diego doesn't push it more. He's a bit wounded by that Dad comment, it being directed to him or not, it was still a low blow.

"What? No! I'm not... not isolating. I'm just..." He shrugged. He had no idea what he was doing. He didn't want to push himself into anyones lives but he wasn't standing his distance either. He just... kept doing things on his own. Mostly assuming the others wouldn't want to do things with him. Not the things he wanted to do that is. He made ONE comment once and got looks. He's decided since then that he's not going to bring up his personal life too often. Not around his siblings. "I don't know? I've just been keeping busy."

Which is part of the Klaus Problem.

He gives the other a side look as they come to the building with the porter. Klaus and Ben were close, always, sure. They were a good pair together. He liked to think he had been close to Five, and he liked to believe he and Vanya got along swell, but he and Klaus had over 12 years of a connection and now? Now he felt empty.

"Nothing." He lied, giving another shrug. "Klaus is happier with out a nag of a brother hanging around him all the damn time. He can actually have some privacy now. He's got friends here. I don't want to be a bother to that."

He felt like a bother too. One that could be easily cut lose now. One that Klaus didn't need in his life. They were only so close before because Ben didn't 'move on' and stuck around to bother Klaus. Now? Now he wasn't needed.

"You'll like this bar we're going to. Pour Decisions. It's... nice." He said more confidently at last.

There's something about the way he still refuses to look at him, even as they make their way to the Porter, even as he's explaining how busy he's been lately, that grates under Diego's skin. "Right. With the whole-- second chance thing." he waves one hand vaguely. Not that... Ben would see it. Fuck.

His eyebrows arch as they walk inside the building. "A nag? Did he actually say that?" He would like to say he can't picture it, but. Well. Klaus just says things sometimes.

"I'll like anywhere with decent tequila." He admits with a shrug.

He'll look at him again, after a bit. or just to the side to catch the gesture of his hand wave, but he's still a bit hurt by the Dad comment. That isn't going to go away anytime soon. He's going to have to recalculate his life now is all.

"Yeah, the second chance thing. It's kind of important, you know." He shrugged again, realizing he was shrugging a lot and rolled his shoulders, trying to force himself not to do that. No reason to make Diego feel bad because he, Ben, was off his game today.

"No. He didn't say it himself. Not recently. I know how I was though, as a ghost. But anyhow, come on. Let's hurry up. Five is waiting. So is that tequila." he said in a rush, and with a glance at Diego, he marched off towards the Porter.

When they get through any sort of line for the porter and make it to the other side, a new town, he leads the way outside almost voiceless, headed down a street to try and get Diego to Five now.

"I know." The words come quiet, but rushed, like the need for them to fly out of his mouth and let Ben know he gets that just took over anything else in the moment, for a second.

A part of Diego wants to continue that conversation, to point out it's not being a nag to want their brother to be better, to assure him it's not wrong for him to want that, but the way Ben brushes by the topic makes it obvious: He doesn't want to talk about it, and Diego doesn't feel like fighting any more than they already have.

So, he just falls as quiet as Ben and follows him toward the bar where their brother is.

Edited 2019-05-20 14:39 (UTC)

Ben walked beside the other once they were outside the porter. He just didn't want to talk about Klaus. It was a touchy subject that was going to end up boiling over because some boys just don't understand hot to be healthy in relationships like this. What does one even do when your brother is a complete jackass idiot?

Anyhow, as they walked, Ben looked over at Diego, frowned for a moment, then moved to loop an arm around him, sneaking off with another hug for a moment. "I mean it though. I'm really glad you're here, Diego." He said softly.

He would let go a moment after, not meaning to stall them any longer, just needing to have that moment was all. Five was waiting after all.

Diego can't say he was exactly expecting another hug, but he absolutely doesn't stop it in the way he might with literally anyone else trying for the same thing. He hugs him back, short-lived as it may be. "Yeah..." He nods a bit, "Yeah, me too." Maybe not glad he's here so much as glad Ben is here.

He's just having a hard time lately, and it's only going to get worse. He can take all the love he can from any of them. He ducks away, almost sheepishly, and moves for the door of the place they are going.

"Welcome to Pour Decisions." He says, holding the door open to Diego and looking around inside for Five. "Time to drown yourself in tequila until some of this place makes sense to you."

He wanders inside on Ben's heels, taking in the look and vibe of the place. Seems decent enough, as far as he can gauge within the first handful of seconds of being in it. "I like the sound of that."

His eyes are scanning the crowd, mixed and pressed together, bordered at edges in some places, but he's only looking for one person in the sea of people. It doesn't take long to find the one he's seeking, perched at the bar, standing out against the rest for his smaller stature.

"C'mon," he tugs on Ben's arm before he makes a beeline for Five at the bar. "I hear you owe me a drink." Best brother-greeting ever, right?

Five looked up when he heard Diego, smiling. He had a glass and a bottle of scotch in front of him courtesy of Eli before he left at the end of his shift. For some reason, the other bartenders were hesitant about serving him. He wasn't wearing his uniform but was wearing a black button-up shirt and slacks, a coat over the back of his chair.

"You made it. I was starting to wonder. HEY!" Five called out to one of the bartenders, flagging them down before looking at Diego and Ben. "Order what you want, I have an open tab here. They know me."

Ben let Diego pull him along now, spotting Five after he did. He wandered over, taking a seat on the other side of Diego and leaned on the counter. "I made him walk it. Figured he wouldn't want to ride Bitch on my bike the first night here." He shot to Five.

As the tender came over he ordered a Whiskey Sour and intended to take it slow tonight. "Mister Big Shot over here has a tab. Fancy." He teased. Leaning on the counter he let Five and Diego reunite as well.

"Of course you do," he muses as the bartender wanders over to take their orders. "Right?" he smirks over his shoulder at Ben.

Diego slides onto the seat next to Five and tips his head, "So, how long have you been here?" There's a beat and he adds, "In this place, not at the bar." Although that might arguably also be a good question, it isn't what he's looking for at the moment.

The corner of Five's mouth twitched upwards in a slight smile at Ben's comment. "Of course I do, they know me."

He looked back at Diego after taking a drink of his scotch, taking a moment to enjoy the taste. It was good scotch, he wasn't going to just down it. "A couple of months now. I would say you get used to it but I haven't yet," he admitted as he poured himself another glass.

Ben moved to lean on the bar with both arms, resting there a bit. He ordered a whiskey from the bar tender and leaned there, head propped on his arm. It had taken some time to get them ok with serving the two of them here, but it works.

"I literally showed up the day after Vanya and Five did. Klaus a few days later." He added to the statement.

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deadlycurves - 2019-06-18 23:22 (UTC) - Expand