☂️ All you sinners stand up

[hellogoodhigh]

WHO: The Hargreeves + Guests
WHERE: Various Cities
WHEN: Month of September
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.

Comments

[obediences]

That's not a solution. [ There's real steel in Luther's voice now, as he straightens out of his relaxed sprawl on the sofa, leaning forward instead. With his self-confidence in his leadership still fractured, being slowly pieced back together, Luther doesn't have as much opportunity to don the skin of Number One anymore — but it snaps into place now, sharp and firm. Immediately. ]

If Diego, of all people, can wrap his head around being an empath, you can work out telekinesis.

[ a beat ]

Dad said what about scratching the surface of your powers?

the hilarious thing is that this could have been avoided if he'd READ HIS FILE

[hellogoodhigh]

I know it's not! It was a joke! Well, half a joke.

[ He's been good. He's been clean. Mostly clean. Like, only taking the stuff that's legal sort of clean. And he's been practicing with Ben, practicing by himself in the desert. The only thing is... he's never had an ability that could be considered a weapon.

Lookout. Information gathering. Support. That role he could slip into as easily as a shed skin. Still a little too tight, a little difficult to piece back together, but familiar.

This? This was a whole different animal. ]

-- Huh? Oh, I thought I told you about talking to dad in the afterlife?

luther: bites off his own tongue trying not to say 'I TOLD YOU SO'

[obediences]

[ Wrangling Klaus is an art form, and Luther's still trying to learn that balance: keeping his brother focused, gently (or sometimes firmly) steering all those tangents back to port. Not letting him distract himself or them. ]

You did, but mostly you told us about him killing himself. [ That particular subject, and Pogo's swift confirmation of it, had pretty much overridden the rest of his memories of that conversation. And Luther muscles right past that remembrance; a stiffness in his jaw, a delicacy in his movements, preferring not to linger on it. ]

So you're saying he said more about your powers? What you might be able to do?

[hellogoodhigh]

Oh, yeah. And you and Five didn't believe me-!

[ He takes a moment to look mock offended, but quickly shakes his head and goes back to discussing the particulars. ]

Not much. Only that I'd barely scratched the surface. And I mean...

[ He crosses his arms, looking away. ]

Twenty four hours later, I was summoning Ben. First time I'd ever done it. What if this is... I mean, I can't believe I'm saying this, but what if dad had a point?

gonna laugh forever at klaus being like 'uhh i threw that out'

[obediences]

Yeah. It's highly possible. [ Luther's always the one who gives their dad too much credit, but in this arena, it's justified: The Monocle had no idea how to be a caring father, but he'd been a merciless trainer. Everything had been in service of honing and sharpening those powers at the expense of all else; it was the whole reason he'd bought them. ]

There's also an easy way to figure this out, though. What did your file say?

[hellogoodhigh]

[ The tentative excitement and fear at manifesting powers he doesn't know are undercut by the mention of his file. Exhaling slowly, he ends up puffing out his cheeks as his hands move back behind his head, the very same manifestation of guilt and disappointment as when he had brilliantly thrown a bowling ball at Ben. ]

Yyyyyyeah, about that...

[obediences]

[ Luther recognises that tone of voice. The sheepish one that Klaus had always deployed when he'd done something even he knew was wrong: breaking one of Reginald's priceless vases, being caught in the study where he shouldn't be, skiving off on training. Luther clears his throat. Tries to preemptively steady his pulse. ]

About that?

[hellogoodhigh]

[ Klaus clears his throat, adjusts himself. Looks like he wants to run or make a quip or do anything other than admit the truth. Guilt is clear on his face, and he ends up rubbing the back of his neck again. ]

... I, uh, never recovered my file after I threw it away, so...

[obediences]

[ Luther scrubs at his face, and exhales a long sigh through his teeth. Not angry. Just disappointed. A little exasperated. Diego had done the same goddamn thing after his port-out, until Luther had told him to read it. Why did nobody in this family read their file??? ]

And you never thought it might be useful?

[hellogoodhigh]

Pretty sure I've gotten this lecture from everyone else before you, Number One.

[ Klaus scoffs, rolling his eyes. ]

Come on, get with the times. I threw it out first day I got here, never got it back. Can't exactly be like, hey creepy mysterious government agency who may or may not have kidnapped us in the first place, can I get a file of all the information you have on me again?

[obediences]

I mean. You could. That's literally exactly what you could do.

[ this family! sometimes! he swears to god!! ]

[hellogoodhigh]

Alright, alright, jeez. I'll get around to it.

[ He rubs his face, and winces when he hits his nose. ]

In the meantime, uh...
[ He shifts, one foot to the next, and he doesn't know why it still makes his stomach flutter, to ask for help. He asked Diego to spar with him. Asked Ben to help him. Surely he can ask Luther, ask Number One... ]

... Think you could... help me train up? This new power, I mean.

[obediences]

[ The surprise ripples across Luther's face, genuinely caught off-guard. Luther stood by perennially ready to offer practice sessions for things like this, but Klaus has always been resistant about his training. Recalcitrant. So this... it's progress. ]

What? Yeah. Sure. I mean, I'd love to. That's what I'm here for.

[ Not just, but it's how Number One thinks of himself. ]

Training would be a good idea, anyway. So you don't break your nose again.

End?

[hellogoodhigh]

[ Klaus lets a grin split his face, and he holds out a hand to shake Luther's, a pact made and fufilled. ]

Alright, awesome. Nice to be working with you again, Captain~

👍

[obediences]