now i hope this doesn't end in a fight but as a sibling of four myself i feel compelled to ask, who is each of you's favorite sibling?
Diego, Luther, Viktor, and Klaus are playing poker when Allison walks in. Five has fallen asleep, his book sitting open over his face and his hands clasped together over his stomach.
“Could he be any more of an old man?” Allison quietly asks her siblings.
Diego chuckles lowly as he deals out a new hand. “We asked if he’d want to play with us and he said he’d slaughter all of us either way. Then he knocked out.”
“Grandpa needs his nap,” Klaus adds, eyeing his cards. “He gets grumpy without it.”
Allison plops down next to Viktor, who smiles at his hand. “He’s grumpy no matter what.”
The box begins to twirl again, and Allison reaches over to unclasp it and unfold the note that’s appeared inside.
After she reads it aloud, a silence fills the room so deafening that it startles Five awake.
Luther looks up at him in surprise, asking, “We’ve been shouting at each other for the past hour and you wake up as soon as it goes quiet?”
Five sits up, stretching his back and replacing his bookmark. “You idiots are always loud. It’s the silence that tells me something’s wrong.” He furrows his eyebrows and looks at his siblings individually. “What’s the issue?”
Allison rereads the note and Five nods. “Alright, who’s going first?”
Luther has a horrified look on his face. “Favorites with siblings isn’t a thing! I like all of you guys.”
Diego nods, placing down two cards and adding, “Yeah, I couldn’t pick between any of you.”
“Wait, Five, you have a favorite?” Allison asks, dumbfounded. All eyes turn to him in surprise after Viktor and Klaus add the blinds.
The old man swirls his coffee mug a couple of times before taking a loud sip. “Viktor and Ben.” He says it like it’s obvious.
“Can’t relate. I don’t have any favorites but I definitely have a least favorite.” Klaus looks at the empty space in the corner of the room, scowling dramatically. “Luther? You playing?” Luther nods, matching Klaus’ blind, and Diego places a third card face-up.
Five gets to his feet, circling his siblings to watch the game. “Nothing wrong with having a favorite or two. You guys are all… fine enough. Viktor and Ben… always preserved the peace and quiet, so I’ve always preferred their company.”
Silence hangs in the air once again.
“C’mon, you guys don’t have a sibling who you just really enjoy being around? It’s not like it means you despise the rest of us.”
Allison speaks up after a fourth card is placed and everyone checks. “I guess… I’ve always enjoyed Diego’s company. I think we make a good duo.”
Diego smiles at her, nodding. “Me too, sis.”
Klaus looks to Five. “I do like hanging out with Cinco. We took a road trip before the Kugelblitz, that was pretty rad. Even if he did drag me to a giant ball of yarn—”
“Twine,” Five interrupts.
“It’s impressive, that’s all.”
Klaus rolls his eyes. “You are so elderly.”
Luther points at him, smiling widely. “You should’ve been there when I met Old Five.”
“Old Five?” Viktor raises an eyebrow. “I thought he was already old.”
“Well, technically, he was actually younger-”
“We had to meet up with Five before he traveled forward in time from Dallas, before he screwed up the jump and turned himself all…” Luther trails off, searching for the right word.
“Little?” Klaus chimed in.
“Well, actually, he was just as small when he was actually old.”
“Klaus, who’s Ben’s favorite?” Five cuts Luther off.
“Me, probably.” He shushes the corner again, making it clear that Ben disagrees. He throws a few yellow chips into the pot and smiles.
“I think Ben was my favorite to be around,” Viktor says. “He and Five would come into my room after a mission and he’d tell me all about it while Five read to himself. And I’d play violin as they fell asleep in my bed,” he reminisces fondly as he adds chips to the pot.
Five has a small but genuine smile as he thinks back to his childhood. “Good times.”
Luther groans and sets his cards face-down and Diego follows suit.
Klaus evens out the bet before guiltily looking up at Viktor. “Alright, I’ll give it up. He says you and Five were his favorite, too.”
Diego lays down a fifth card, and Klaus squints at Viktor. He pushes his entire pile of chips into the center. “All in.”
Viktor mirrors the amount of chips and squints back. “On 3?”
All eyes are on the table as they set their cards down, revealing Viktor’s straight flush… and Klaus’ royal flush.
The room is engulfed in cheers and whoops as Klaus excitedly pulls the huge pot toward him. “And I didn’t even ask for Ben’s help that time.”
Diego stares at him, eyes wide. “That time?”
