Open ☂ We get a little restless from the searching, get a little worn down in between

[numberthree]

WHO: The Hargreeves + Guests
WHERE: Various Cities
WHEN: Month of June
WHAT: Mass log of idiots to keep from flooding others. A log for all things Hargreeves, their Adventures, and those trying to befriend them.
WARNINGS: Obligatory CW for: drugs, alcohol, mentions of death and child abuse.

"NEEDTOBREATHE "Brother feat. Gavin DeGraw" [Official Video]" (Watch on YouTube)

Comments

[family text]

[the_horror]

This is about the 4th time I've popped over to Vanya's place and she's not there. Just tried calling her device and it's disconnected.

I... don't think she's here. Have you guys heard anything?

[family text]

[stuckintime]

she's gone

[numberthree]

[ Allison stares at it. For a long time. Watches the conversation between her brothers. Trying not to think of the words she used so recently, only barely said to Luther, waiting for Klaus to pull through. And he had, but only for the floor to come out on another of them.








It takes a good bit of time before Allison actually can bring herself to say anything, and it's only. ]

How does this house have so little to drink in it?

[deadlycurves]

[He sits and stares at this for a long moment. He has a lot of mixed feelings on Vanya, all things considered, but when it's boiled down to the bare bones of it all: She's still his sister. Still family. And he had been planning on trying to figure out how to... be around her. Handle and deal with her in the wake of everything. He had even planned on trying to do something dumb, like have lunch with her, at some point this week and... now... Diego frowns at the screen for another long moment before finally answering.] I told you, this place is too good to be true, Ben... [Probably not the right thing to say. Definitely not a comforting thing to say. But it only feels like proof of everything he's been doubting about being here so far. Vanya first. Who's next? Ben? Diego isn't a fan of that thought.]

[closed to Ben and Five]

[hellogoodhigh]

uhhh
okay so i know that like
i don't have the most normal sleeping schedule
and i might have missed everyone?

but it's been hours and i haven't heard anyone in the house

this house is too quiet
i think
everyone might be

gone

[the_horror]

[Ben reads this and checks everyone's devices. Frowning as they are all disconnected. Like Vanya.]

i can't get hold of anyone else either.
what the shit

[stuckintime]

It looks like we're the only ones left.

Klaus, Five & Ben: Three Sad Boys

[the_horror]

Klaus had woke up missing three siblings. Five had been at Ben's place that night and gone come morning. They were all there that afternoon though, spread out in his room. Somber for the most part. No one really talked about the missing siblings. There was no reason to talk about it. They all were upset that they were gone, all on the heels of Vanya leaving too.

Rebecca was given space in the computer chair, a blanket tucked around her to keep her cozy. Star, Ben's black cat, was curled up on the edge of the chair and sleeping beside her.

Ben was seated on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair and holding his head. The last thing he said to Diego still running through his head. He didn't mean it, honestly. He was just mad that the other was so careless about Vanya. She didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

He could hear Klaus in the kitchen, cooking up something. And Five was finding how much booze he had left in his room, which wasn't much. Ben groaned, moving to stand and go find the other two, unsure if Five was here or popped out for more booze. Klaus he knew was in the kitchen. "Be right back, Rebecca." He said to the mannequin as he stepped out and down the stairs.

[hellogoodhigh]

Five had popped down into the kitchen, cursed, and disappeared again.
Seems about normal, honestly, and Klaus wishes he'd raided more than his personal stash of alcohol. Honestly, they needed a subscription service. Or at least to hit up a Wine Depot or something.

The spaces between the words- they aren't talking about it, what's there to talk about?- is somber. A wake for their siblings with no ghosts to summon. No bodies to mourn. Just gone. Vanished. Erased.

He's staring at the oven as he hears footsteps come downstairs- and there's Ben. His constant companion since they were 17.

Losing Vanya- he could handle. They weren't close. Allison and Luther as well- worse, but still far enough he can walk in a fugue state for a while and get on with his life. But Diego? That was a knife- maybe not to his heart- but somewhere closer to his neck. Sticking in his jaw. A lump in his throat that can't go down.

But Ben? Would be like scooping out his heart with a spoon and setting it on fire.
And he didn't want to breathe that worry aloud, scared he'll somehow jinx his brother and make him disappear next.

So he crosses the gap between them and presses his forehead to Ben's shoulder, letting his shoulders slump. Defeated.
"Sorry the kitchen's a mess. Tried airing it out."

Luther { It was long ago and far away but it never disappears

[numberthree]

[ Backdated to the day after moving in. ]

Moving in is weird. About as weird and disjointing as everything else about this place. The way it sits between her shoulder blades as she manages it. If they were trained for anything -- aside from taking down any opponent put in front of them, trying to hurt people -- it was to survive. Still, it happens. A small handful of them. About as few-many as she ever thought would agree at first.

It's a strange, strained affair. Tripping on so much history.
Even when this place looks nothing like their childhood home.



But that doesn't mean everything absolutely has to -- or even should be -- different.

Which is why Allison comes back downstairs and finds herself looking through all the downstairs rooms until she finally finds Luther. Trying to keep her expression as calm as it can, even as there's a slight bit of nervous energy to it. Her expression. The hold of her natural, graceful posture. The edges of her mouth tugging toward her cheeks at the hope this one thing can't go wrong.

To: Luther Hargreeves (Locked)

Hey.

How busy are you right now?

[obediences]

The house is big enough that they can all take refuge from each other, or be in entirely separate wings or floors -- which is pretty much par for the course, considering what they'd grown up in (the Hargreeves manor a sprawling affair, apart from their cramped hallway of bedrooms). They're not accustomed to sharing personal space anymore; being in any closer, tighter quarters would probably make them stir-crazy.

For now, the place is empty, and the hallways echo curiously -- they don't really have the money to furnish the whole place at once, so it's going to be a slow process of saving up over the next several months, and in the meantime they wander this gutted place like a hollowed-out skeleton of itself.

And so, Luther seems to visibly perk up at the company, glancing towards the doorway as she finally finds him downstairs. It's still such an unexpected joy, turning a corner and finding his family, rather than three strangers. Four out of seven Hargreeves have moved in, but with the way Five seems allergic to walking anywhere, there's only two possibilities for who it might be, and he realises that he'd recognise Allison's footsteps anywhere.

"Pretty much not at all," he says. "What is it?"

Ben { did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

[numberthree]

[ After Allison's return, but before FanPort ]

Morning is a hazy affair sometimes. Especially after going back to working incredibly long hours, in far locations for her new job. She remembers these hours, she worked these hours for over a decade, but it's like stretching a muscle she hadn't been using for the last few months. There's a daze to push through.

Which is why she finds herself awake too early this morning, and unable to get back to sleep, even though she's not needed in for hours and she can't shake the fuzzy tired sunk into her bones. Allison slips out of her bed and her room, still rubbing at her eyes, decked out in only a pair of black tights, a loose cable knit sweater hanging off one shoulder, padding barefoot across the house until she finds the kitchen.

It's not hard to start making coffee, even in that haze, and to stand there, watching and waiting.

[the_horror]

He had been glad when they all returned. It was like a weight lifted off his chest for a moment. The crushing feel of the possibility of not seeing them again was painful. More so for leaving things bad with Diego. He knows they don't want to be here. He knows they'd rather be home and not dealing with this place, but Ben can't help liking it here. He's alive. This place gave him his siblings back. It felt GOOD to be able to make contact with any of them let along just talk to Klaus.

When the news came that they had returned, Ben had been hanging around the Hargreeve house a bit more. He was still living in Jeopardy, because he liked his city best, but he was over here a bit more too. Crashed out in Klaus' room last night, Ben got up early and made his way down to the kitchen.

His intent was to make pancakes and eggs for anyone who wanted some, but upon seeing that the kitchen was already occupied, he smiled. There was Allison, trying to make coffee in a sleep haze. He came up behind her and as soon as she was done measuring coffee into a filter, he looped his arms around her in a hug.

"Mmm, short." He said, grinning that for once he wasn't just around her height or shorter, but he was at the advantage now. No shoes. Very nice. "Mornin'. Want breakfast?"

Diego + Move-In Day [Backdated: May 27]

[obediences]

If they'd actually had anything to transport into the new place, Luther would've booked Joe’s Movers for it with a discount -- but the Hargreeves are still so ephemeral, almost transient, that they can handle the move themselves. It’s not like they have much to bring, nothing by way of furniture, but Luther does have a few belongings: a wardrobe of clothes to fit him (and some that don't anymore), a few books he bought, plus a few from the De Chima library that he he has to remember to return later.

He'd taken a brief look at the place from outside beforehand, but he trusted Allison's judgment. She's done this before -- negotiated rents, owned property, spoken to landlords, signed paperwork, and Luther is so painfully aware that he doesn't have anything to bring to the table in this regard. That he can't lead or be team leader in something like this; it has to be her.

So, on the day itself, he's trekked in from De Chima by himself, and he's standing in the driveway with a military-style duffel bag slung over one shoulder, staring up at the large house.

White columns, large arch windows. But it's a pale cream colour against the North Carolina heat, bright against the sky, and a far cry from the heavy, dark, near-Gothic facade of their old house, though they're of a similar size. It's surrounded by manicured grounds instead of a humming city. It's more spacious, more private. (Sir Reginald would've liked the privacy, he finds himself thinking, and as always it's still hard to banish that little internal voice that keeps thinking of their father, sense-checking himself against that ever-present spectre of their father.)

Diego has a stealthy step, but their surroundings are quiet enough that Luther hears the footsteps on the cobblestone drive. He stays standing there, though, just looking.

[deadlycurves]

Diego had barely had time to do anything close to even settling into a routine at the house he'd been told to live in upon his initial arrival. The only person he even really spoke to that he'd lived with was Rene and that was sparse and at random, at best. He didn't have much of anything to leave behind, or to bring with him into the new house. Whatever clothes could be crammed into a backpack, and his usual array of knives. He didn't need much, truth be told. He hasn't had roommates since he left the Academy back home, at 17 years old. Even when he first went out on his own, he did everything entirely on his own. Lived in his car rather than be at anyone else's mercy, until he could get a crappy, rundown apartment. He isn't convinced this will go well, but at least they'll be together. Some of them on a constant basis, some of them in a swinging door policy, but still. As weird and screwed up as all of their varying relationships are with one another, these are still the only people that Diego would want to be around on anything like a regular basis. Diego comes to a slow stop just behind Luther, standing there and staring up at the giant house set to outfit their entire brood, in varying stages of occupation at various times. "It's huge, innit?" Maybe not the most eloquent opening line, but what else is there to say, really? He hasn't lived in anything larger than his gym boiler room makeshift apartment in... more years than he'd like to put a number to, probably.

Five + Porting Back [June 11]

[obediences]

He hadn't even really known that it was possible: to wake up again, brought back into this universe with a blank spot in your memory. Like his blackout during the rave, but this time he's back at the Porter in Cape Canaveral and it's as if time has rewound and he's reliving that same damn day back in April. Welcome back, hero, the woman says, and his first muzzy thought is: When did I leave?

After demanding the date, Luther realises that it's just been 24 hours. Only that much stolen from him, and thankfully nothing more. So the man lines up for the Porter to Nonah, and then takes the long walk back to their new house. His device had been disconnected, so he can't even see the slew of missed calls and inquiring messages that came in while he was away. By the time he reaches their mansion, it's late, too late for anyone sensible to be awake; he breaks the handle on one of the back doors, reminding himself to call a repairman in the morning, and then slumps through the halls into the large kitchen. (So similar to theirs back home, and yet so different.)

He freezes in the doorway, though, as he sees a familiar shape sitting at the table, nursing a drink. Five. Number Five. Still little.

"Hey," Luther says, clearing his throat.

[stuckintime]

Maybe he should have been alarmed that the someone broke the handle on the back door but no one else had any reason to be here except family. His suspicion was confirmed when Luther came into the kitchen. He was wearing his pajamas and there was a bottle of whiskey in front of him, his glass half full.

Nights were the worst, especially it was quiet. The whiskey took the edge off, even though Rebecca chided him for drinking too much. He denied that he did but he did like his whiskey. Maybe he would be able to sleep well.

"You're back." Five wasn't the sentimental type but he was glad to see his brother once more. He wanted to look after his family the best that he could, even if they acted like idiots many times. "I take it you've just come through the Porter," he remarked as he disappeared to head to the cabinet, grabbing a glass before reappearing in his seat to slide a glass across the counter along with the bottle of whiskey. He had a feeling Luther may need it.

[family text]

[obediences]

[ Luther is a few days late, but in his defense, this came out while he was away: ]

Hey.

Has anyone else listened to Coaster to Coaster? I just found out about it and listened to the episode where they interviewed Jacob Taylor. They're talking about the universe destabilizing, and they have a projected date for it:

"Our astrophysicists and our astrologists calculate Armageddon to come around, oh, later September, early October. Sorry for you Libras out there!"

Who knows if we'll even still be here by then, but first off, sounds like this might be the apocalyptic scenario that Five has been working on.

Secondly, that's some really great timing.

[ s i g h ]

[hellogoodhigh]

happy birthday to us it's another apocalypse!

text;

[the_horror]

Welp. That's a Libra for you.

[Yeah, helpful as heck]

[numberthree]

Why am I not surprised this universe isn't even stable.

{A new celestial electricity running in my veins » Hargreeves House 6/10 » OTA siblings

[deadlycurves]

When he wakes up, it's in the familiar, too-brightly lit room in the same military base he first showed up in and to the same clipped voice that had greeted him that first day a month ago. "Welcome back," she'd said, and he wasn't prepared for the jarring feeling that came with those two words. Welcome back? Welcome back?! He was never aware he'd left in the first place. And he didn't remember anything new, his last solid memory at home was still there on the stage in a circle with the rest of his siblings. So what happened? When did he leave? How long was he gone? Why was he gone? He doesn't wait for the spiel, new and updated, or old and the same, it didn't matter, he doesn't want these people or their government or their mission statement-- he wants his siblings. So, he doesn't hesitate to leave and head back to Nonah via the Porter and make the way to the shared Hargreeves house. As soon as he's in the driveway, there's a weird hum or... maybe it's a buzz coming from-- well, he doesn't know where it's coming from. And he can't quite decide if he'd noticed it on the way here or not; he had been so focused on getting here, he hadn't stopped to pay attention to much else. He tries, for a few minutes, to follow the sound--through the front hallway, into the living room, the gym, and back toward the kitchen--but it only seems to follow him somehow. It's annoying, but no more so than a sudden quiet ringing in his ears. He lets out an annoyed huff as he puts together a sandwich because he realizes how hungry he is, suddenly, standing there in the kitchen. There's something else he can't quite pinpoint, too, as he leans with a hip against the counter, trying his damndest to ignore the phantom noise. Like somehow he can feel the buzz rolling under and over his skin, not quite a crawl or an itch, but there. Obvious and irritating in way he can't put into words. Whoever might wander into the room has a fifty-fifty chance of seeing him either simply standing in the kitchen eating a sandwich like absolutely nothing has happened, or staring curiously at nothing, mid-air and looking like he's intently listening to something-- except there's nothing in the room but silence.

Family texts » 6/12

[deadlycurves]

Whatever they did to me the other day fucked me up. I think it's feelings or something? Everything people are feeling- almost like I'm a siphon for it now? I don't know. Whatever it is, it knocked me out at work today. [And his siblings should know exactly how hard that is for him to admit. Even as he types it, he can hear Reginald's voice in his head saying, "Weakness is unacceptable, Number Two." But Diego knows can't be that kind of liability, he refuses.] They made me go to medical because it happened at work, told me to take a couple days off. I don't know how this works, or how to make it less... THIS... but I have to find something or I'm dead in a fight. [Time to reach way far back into our collective memories and set up training schedules, fam.]

[obediences]

[ did someone say trAINING SCHEDULES ]

Do you think you have some new abilities? I got some when I came back, too. [ A little sheepish-embarrassed about it, because they're just so weird. ]

Sounds like we need to set up some training time. Just like old times. Have you double-checked your file?

For Klaus + Telepathy Training

[the_horror]

"Okay. Tell me again how it works. Or, how it... happens to you?" Ben said to Klaus as he pushed his door closed with his foot, balancing a large bowl of popcorn and a bag full of different drinks and snacks they picked up from the corner market before starting this.

Star (his black cat) was asleep in Ben's bean bag chair, but Izzy (the pink fluffy snake like creature) was wiggling her way over to Klaus almost instantly to try and climb him and hug around his neck softly. She had taken to Klaus very easy.

Ben sat the popcorn down in the middle of the floor, near the bed, and plopped down on the floor, removing his shoes almost instantly. "Because if all I have to do is think at you, this is going to be easy for me, but how do we teach you to block it?"

[hellogoodhigh]

Izzy's crawling across the floor like the world's friendliest snake, and Klaus can't help the soft laugh as he reaches out a hand. She wraps around his wrist and starts making her way to his neck, and he grins to himself as Ben sits down on the floor near him.

"It's difficult, right?" He asks as he picks up a piece of popcorn, munching as he talks.
"So like, when I was in the middle of a crowd, I thought it was the voices of the dead. I mean it's pretty much a constant stream of thought and they all end up overlapping. Here? Not so bad, because it's just you and me. Middle of a crowded street..." He waves his hand dismissively, leaning back slightly as Izzy makes herself comfortable.

"But I don't want to be in everyone's head all the time! I mean, would you want to be in mine?"

Saturday morning coffee- ota

[therewillbeorder]

Maybe he shouldn't have stayed for the second cup of coffee. But he was in a good mood that morning and didn't want to run out so quickly after a night with Klaus.

"I should go," he said quietly as he finished his coffee, leaning over to kiss him. He put his mug down by the sink as he grabbed his coat. "I'll call you later when I'm home," he said as he moved away. He knew he should get going but leaving Klaus seemed particularly difficult this morning.

But he froze when he heard footsteps approaching, looking at Klaus with wide eyes.

There was nowhere to hide, no escape.

[hellogoodhigh]

Second cup of coffee hadn't been a bad idea, persay. As far as Klaus was aware, no one was in the house- but it was difficult to tell, with how far apart their rooms were and how large the house was. And after last night- his first time dragging Hux to a rave- a second cup seemed to be just the right pick-me-up after a night of drinking.

The kiss is affectionate, and he hums, sleepy, when Hux says he'll call him later.

Too bad those footsteps have him practically bolt upright.

He is definitely not ready for the interrogation that's about to happen, and he's got to figure out a plan- fast. All but skidding to the doorway of the kitchen and leaning against it so he takes up the full space, blocking the way in.

"Kitchen's closed. The, uh, coffee pot exploded."

Nailed it.