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[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || ❝  maybe that’s what i’m TRYIN’ to do,  ❞  he points out playfully.  ❝  i ain’t gonna complain if this turns into some cycle.  ❞  it’s an excuse for them to see each other, to talk to each other.  and jimmy just truly does want to do nice things for alden.  they get along well and jimmy values that. ❝ hey, you won’t catch me upset about you talkin’ a lot.  i like hearin’ you talk,  alden,  ❞  he assures.  he’s interesting and he’s sweet and jimmy is just CAPTIVATED whenever he speaks.  he can’t help that.  he INVITES it.  ❝  i would,  ❞  he agrees.  ❝  but i find anything YOU do interesting,  ❞  he flirts.  though,  he does actually think he’d be interested in this.  it takes TALENT.  ❝  i don’t mind at all.  and i promise not to hold back either.  ❞

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || he rolls his eyes,  but there’s a playfulness to it that wasn’t coming as easily before he reached out to alden tonight.  ❝  fine,  it’ll do for now,  ❞  he teases.  he can absolutely just enjoy being with alden tonight,  having someone here who is looking out for him in the way he needs it.  a scoff erupts from his mouth and he shakes his head.  ❝  what do you mean?  all of adam’s movies are GREAT.  you know,  happy endings and stuff!  why,  what kind of ‘variety’ do you think he could get?  ❞  he asks curiously.  he really doesn’t mind exclusively watching kids movies.  they tend to be easier to stomach.  ❝  it does.  you all lift my spirits,  ❞  he notes with a whisper.  that’s why he’s finding comfort in alden tonight instead of turning to what he normally would turn to.

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || he can’t help but frown as alden winces, HATING to see the sight of him in any kind of pain at all.  his hand extends to rest on the other’s arm lightly in an attempt to bring him any kind of COMFORT.  ❝  oh,  no,  my head will be PERFECTLY sized for my talents,  ❞  he teases back,  letting the corners of his lips curl upward into a slight grin.  his shoulders shrug.  ❝  sure,  but you can’t do AS great of a job if you’re all banged up,  ❞  he reminds.  so he wants alden to take the time to get BETTER.  he deserves to have that much.  he deserves to allow himself some CALM. klaus feels a rush of BUTTERFLIES when alden leans into him,  taking a deep breath and looking at him with eyes full of wonder,  adoration,  and affection.  he can’t help that’s how he reacts to being so CLOSE to him.  his hand moves up to gently trace his fingers along alden’s arm,  his touch light but holding a certain INTIMACY.  ❝  no.  no,  not at all.  ❞

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, viktor looks down,  because he knows klaus is right  ---  this is yet another question that is far too big for them to answer.    there's so much about their lives that viktor has had to accept they may never know or understand,   and he knows ben won't have the answers,  either.   ❝  i guess.   maybe i'm just talking out loud,  ❞    he mumbles,   because it is nice to have someone to talk to about it.   he's never sure who to really confide in,   but given klaus's specific history with ben,   this felt right.   he looks back up to klaus,   brows furrowed.   ❝  really?   you want to get to know him?   he doesn't seem very .  .  .    welcoming,  ❞    he points out,   and the irony isn't lost on him:    ben used to be the most welcoming of all,  he thinks,   at least to him.   ben was who viktor turned to when he didn't know how to approach any of the others,   at least after five left.   he looks ahead again,  thinking it over.   ❝  i don't remember him ever being that annoying.   or that arrogant,  ❞    he points out.   though,   he doesn't know ben the way klaus does,   either.   

he takes a deep breath at the question,    thinking back to a time he tries so hard not to think about at all  ---  but for ben,  it feels worth it.   ❝   he was good at making me feel  .  .  .     real.  ❞     he almost feels silly for the way he phrases it,   but there's no better way to describe it.    ❝  like a person.    sometimes it was hard to feel like that in that house.  ❞    he did it again when they said goodbye just a few days ago,    reminded viktor that his guilt wasn't entirely on him.   ❝  when we lost five---    i used to stay up late.   you know,  um,   leave him a snack in case he came home.    be there so that he wasn't alone when he did.   ben found me one night,   and he just sat with me,   and we waited.    guess i know now that we were waiting for nothing,   and maybe he knew that,   too.    but he sat with me anyway,  ❞    viktor explains,   a small grin on his lips.   ❝  we talked about him. we cried. he made me feel better. i always remembered that.  ❞    it helped him get through it,  he never told anyone else about it until now.    he looks back to klaus again,   nodding towards him.    ❝  what about you?   you knew him better than all of us.  ❞

[ghosthaunt]

his shoulders shrug and he nods quickly. ❝  it’s okay! you can do that. just don’t expect me to have the answers because i rarely do! ❞ he notes with a chuckle. he really doesn’t mind viktor working through his thoughts with klaus; he just doesn’t know how to HELP. but what he can do is be here to listen and to TRY and hope that’s enough. klaus tilts his head and looks to viktor with a little smile. ❝  if a bunch of randos walked into your hours and said, ‘hey, this is MY house actually!’ would you be very welcoming?  ❞ he points out. ❝  he just needs some time to get to know us! that’s all. i’m sure he’ll be great once he warms up to us. ❞ he’s not actually sure, but he’s hopeful. he thought he had lost ben forever and he’s not going to let the opportunity to have him back slip through his fingers, even if this ben is a bit DIFFERENT than the one he’s used to. klaus scoffs sharply and raises his brows at viktor. ❝  oh, ben could be that annoying AND that arrogant, ❞ he assures. ❝  maybe not with you but after being stuck with him for what felt like FOREVER? yeah, he was like that. ❞ and klaus misses it now that he’s gone. 

he offers viktor a warm grin of UNDERSTANDING that he hopes he picks up on. he gets it. he knows what it’s like to not really feel like a person. ❝  well, it’s hard to feel like a person when you’re treated like... i don’t know, LIVESTOCK? weapons? i don’t know. just not HUMAN. but he did! because he saw us all as human. because we ARE human, ❞ he notes with a shrug. ben was a huge part of all of them. that’s why his death was a factor in driving them apart. the grin on his lips shifts to one that holds a certain SADNESS. he hates the idea of them staying up waiting for five and him not coming back. but it’s SWEET too. despite everything, despite how terrible things were growing up, there was love there. they’re family. he lets out a sigh and looks down. ❝  yeah, that sounds like ben. he was annoying as all hell, but... he was easy to talk to. and he cared. a lot. ❞ klaus thinks he may have taken that for granted a lot of the time. his head tilts as he thinks over all the things he could say about ben. some serious, some not as serious... he settles somewhere in between. ❝  he could be a mischievous little shit when he wanted to be. sometimes he did that WITH me, sometimes against me, ❞ he scoffs. ❝  you know, everyone always saw him as the ‘good one.’ and he was! he was good. but you know, he could still get into some trouble when he wanted to and i liked that. i’ve never known a world without him. ❞ his voice is hushed as he speaks those last words. it’s hard without him. and that’s why he’s so hopeful with the ben they have now. he wants him back.  

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, sloane thinks for a moment,  her brows furrowed as she shakes her head.   ❝  it's,  um,  actually  ---   more about the rest of my family.   i don't think they'd want me to go.   they're all so set in their ways,   you know?   and i like helping people!   i love doing that,   but ---  this way?   stuck in the same place?   i don't think any of them realize how boring that would be for the rest of our lives.  ❞     their father is complicated;   he may still be calling the shots,  but they've found their way around it,   done things to ensure they're doing this their own way,   that they have power over him    (  even if it's never completely.  )     her nose crinkles and she lets out a small laugh.   ❝  right.   but not HERE,  not like this,  ❞    she points out.    ❝  i'm sure it was still so very different,  right?    the suffocating part,   no.   sometimes it can feel so small in here.   i know that sounds silly,   but  ---   maybe you know what i mean.    there's only so much we can do here.    and it's so dark!  so dreary!    nothing here feels like ME.  ❞    she wants big windows,   bright colored walls,   triple the amount of lights,   anything to make this place not feel so stuffy.   she laughs,   shaking her head.    ❝  i don't think my sisters have the same style as me,    so---    really,  if you need anything,   we can talk,  ❞    she teases.   she's happy to help,   especially as the rest of her siblings seem so determined to make enemies out of them    (   why should they have to be?    they already have enough enemies,   and maintaining their fame and relevancy is the least of sloane's worries.   )     her eyes widen with surprise.   ❝   really,   you want to sneak in there?     you're not afraid of the crows?  ❞    she asks,   tilting her head to the side.   ❝  they're always watching,   you know.  ❞

[ghosthaunt]

brows furrow at her and he frowns. though, he can understand it. luther was like that ----- not wanting any of them to leave. but it didn’t stop them. he doesn’t want her siblings to stop her either. if she wants something, she could go for it. ❝  oh, i’m with you on that one! i don’t want to be stuck in the same place either! can’t blame you, ❞ he promises. he gets it. he wants her to know that. ❝  they shouldn’t stop you from that. i mean, you don’t have to leave FOREVER. you can see some of the world, come back, leave again, see some more, come back, and repeat!  ❞ he claims with a shrug. ❝  would that make it easier for them? ❞ though, he knows it’s easier said than done. once out of the umbrella academy (or sparrow academy now), it’s hard to come back. when she mentions feeling small here, his eyes widen. it’s exactly what he was feeling as a child. there was this whole huge world out there, but they were trapped here. it was depressing. ❝  yeah! ugh, it is so dark and dreary here. for some people, that works, but no, not for long. ❞ sometimes klaus embraces the dark and dreary ----- as is the nature of his abilities ----- but other times, he can’t stand it. he likes VARIETY and this place doesn’t provide much of that. ❝  hey, maybe we can sneak out together and get you some stuff to put around here that makes you feel more like you. ❞ this room already feels more like her, but it could be even BETTER and klaus wants to help with that. klaus scoffs and waves off the worries with a carelessness. ❝  no, i’m not afraid of crows. what’s the worst that could happen? ❞

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || he’d like to follow luther up on his offer.  he IS right now and he may try again in the future,  but the second he senses any kind of COLDNESS or disinterest from his family,  he’ll turn the other direction and find something else to cope with.  but he doesn’t want to think about that right now.  he just wants to be here with luther. he wants his family.  ❝  i will.  and you too,  okay?  ❞  he notes with a raise of his brows.  he does want to believe that luther is always here for him.  it’s just maybe not always in the ways that klaus needs.  though,  he’ll take what he can get. ❝ i’m always here for you too,  ❞  he mutters.  especially right now,  in times where his family needs EMOTIONAL support.  he can tell what luther really menas when he talks about one-on-one training.  he wants to hang out with them.  klaus would like to hang out with him too. he just doesn’t want to train,  so they’re going to have that disconnect.  but right now,  they don’t have that.  they’re together.  they’re BROTHERS.  ❝  he liked being around you too,  luther,  ❞  he assures.  he hopes luther doesn’t forget that.

klaus looks up at luther and hesitates.  immediately,  he wants to tell him that something is happening to him anyway.  emotionally,  he’s DISTRESSED and thta was the case even before this awful event with ben.  he’s been in distress for a while,  which is why he’s always looking to ESCAPE their situation,  even if that only means mentally.  but he knows luther may not see it that way;  he might just not get it. so he doesn’t verbalize all of that.  ❝  i’m more okay when i DON’T have to do things like that,  ❞  he speaks with a shrug.  he nods at his brother’s quiet words.  ❝  i don’t want to be sad either,  ❞  he whispers back.  ❝  i don’t want any of us to be sad.  we all might just have different ideas of what would make us NOT sad.  ❞  and they ALL need to keep that in mind.  

he gives a faint smile before it fades as he mentions talking to diego.  that does seem like it’ll be a difficult conversation,  as those two butt heads fairly often.  ❝  hey,  i mean this,  let me talk to diego first,  ❞  he insists.  ❝  you can still talk to him today,  but let me talk to him first.  he’ll listen to me a little more, don’t you think?  i just think it’d be easier,  you know?  on everyone.  i could try to get him to listen to YOU when you want to talk to him.  ❞  klaus is not at all unaware that diego has a bit of a soft spot for him,  even if he’s not always too keen to show it.  in moments like this,  klaus thinks he can get diego to just listen to him.  he can be helpful here.  and he wants to help all of them,  but especially luther,  since he can’t get him to take all this weight off his shoulders.  ❝  you can handle viktor and i can talk to diego,  okay?  i wanted to talk to him anyway.  ❞  just as luther wants to check on everyone,  klaus does too  -----  both to comfort them and to be comforted.

[doomdays]

tracy hums,  her head tilting to the side as her eyes narrow in on him.  ❝  celebrate ME?   i haven’t done anything,  ❞    she points out,   tapping her fingers against his chest and smiling softly at him.   ❝  but if you want to celebrate me for being a supportive girlfriend who has no idea what you’re doing but knows you’re doing a really good job at it,   i can take that,  ❞    she teases with a small giggle.  she sits up slightly,   looking back at him more seriously.   ❝  we’ll plan something special with our friends.  ❞   she almost says ‘your’ - but she’s been a part of his life for too long now to let that slip.  they’re hers now,  too,  no matter how surreal that still is.    ❝  but now, i--- i just want to hear how you feel. i mean, excited, i know, but was it difficult? sometimes it barely seems like you ever break a sweat. ❞ 

[ghosthaunt]

he lets out a scoff and shakes his head, furrowed brows reflecting on the lights on his mask. ❝  and since when do i need an EXCUSE to celebrate ANYTHING, let alone you? ❞ he exclaims. his smile brightens at her teasing and he tilts his head. ❝  yeah, see, that’s exactly what we can celebrate! you’re the perfect supportive girlfriend and you just EXIST! that’s plenty of reason, baby,  ❞ he tells her. he’s always down for any kind of celebration or party and getting tracy involved in that, even if it’s just the two of them, makes it so much better. wrench notices the way she says ‘our’ instead of his own friends. she’s one of them now. he’s known that ever since he brought her here in the first place, but her ACCEPTING that makes it so much BETTER. ❝  that sounds PERFECT, ❞ he agrees. his shoulders shrug at her question and he relaxes against her, content to just be CLOSE with her tonight. ❝  it wouldn’t be FUN if it wasn’t difficult, ❞ he points out. ❝  so, yeah, it is! but that’s what makes it satisfying. and that’s how you’re know you’re doing something that MATTERS! ❞ 

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, alden nods,  thinking of all the people he met who had made this place their home since the beginning,  watching as it evolved into something better and better.   ❝  oh, yeah.  y'know,  the suttons were brought here immediately.   got them and their son safe before things got too bad.  the barrington house was a historic museum,  FEMA opened it up to a safe zone.  well,  they abanonded it shortly after,  but the people here,  they still made it work.  whole lotta people here who have been here the whole time.  i s'pose i woulda been a lot better off had i found this place first,   before i ended up where i did,  but i got here eventually,  huh?  so,  that's all that matters to me. ❞   he looks back at him,  his head tilting to the side with curiosity.  ❝  you run into many communities out there?  know you were out there for a while ---  guess i don't know how far ya traveled in the process.  ❞   he's just a kid;  maybe some other place would've taken him in   (  or maybe it just took a special person to give him reason to come.  )    he scoffs,  waving him off.   ❝  well,  sure,  but---  whatever it is you're lookin' for,  i mean,  surely that's gotta be worth it,  huh? ❞

[ghosthaunt]

five nods at his words. he is curious about the creation of places like this ----- how they came to be, WHY they came to be, and how they’ve survived for as long as they have. so he listens to alden. he’ll REMEMBER all of this about this place. ❝  so a lot of people don’t know what it’s like to live out there on their own? ❞ he notes with a raise of his brows. ❝  that’s probably for the best. ❞ it’s PROTECTION, especially for the children. even though five believes it’s NECESSARY to know what’s out there and know how to survive, he won’t criticize the people who are lucky enough to not have had to EXPERIENCE it. his head shakes. ❝  aaron finding me was the first time i heard of any communities here, ❞ he admits. ❝  when i got here, i found a library and stayed there. i didn’t have any reason to go anywhere else. i was doing fine on my own and had no reason to trust anyone i DID happen to stumble upon.  ❞ aaron was the first one he even considered and that’s a testament to how good aaron is at what he does. ❝  i don’t regret going with aaron though. ❞ it’s been HELPFUL for a number of reasons. he looks down from alden for a brief moment and nods before looking back up. ❝  yeah, it’s worth it, ❞ he admits. finding the answers and getting back to his family is more than worth it.  

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, aaron smiles and nods his head as he looks ahead.   ❝  oh,  i agree.   not much we can do about the ones that don’t have a reason,  is there?  ❞    he takes a deep breath as he sinks back into the couch further,  thinking it over.   ❝  well,  i don’t know.   normal teenage things,  i suppose.  ❞    things five likely wouldn’t get,  actually,  because he is far from a normal teenager.   ❝  whatever was normal back then,  i mean.   you know,   i’ve told you that my mom wasn’t always the best?   well,  i suppose i carried everything she said to me with me through the night.  used to spend hours,  tossing and turning,   wondering if she was ever going to accept me for the person i was.   wondering if it was okay that i still accepted me,  ❞    he says honestly,   finally looking back at him.    ❝  i don’t remember what happened in those nightmares.   i just remember waking up and trying to get to school as quickly as possible. ❞    a soft smile spreads over his features as he gives him a small nod.   ❝  deal.  especially since you’re willing to share,  ❞   he teases.   he brings his hand up and rubs his forehead for a moment before he lets out a sigh.   ❝  well,  no trips,  no heavy lifting,  nothing that’ll wear us out even more.   you,  me,  and gracie  ---   we could spend the day together.   though i imagine if we leave the plans up to her,   it’ll be futile anyway,  ❞   he jokes with a soft laugh.   ❝  could be nice,   spending the day with family.  ❞ 

[ghosthaunt]

he lets out a sigh and shrugs his shoulders. ❝  there’s not always a lot you can do about the ones that DO have a reason either. ❞ he points out. ❝  you can’t control a nightmare. ❞ he wishes he could. he doesn’t like not having control of something, but aaron IS making him feel a bit better about it. he’s making him feel like it’s NORMAL, especially in a world like this. it doesn’t soothe EVERYTHING, but five will take what he can get. five doesn’t exactly know what he’s talking about, but he’s not concerned with whatever “normal” teenage things are. he’s never had that and he never will. he’s okay with it. he’s not normal. but he is interested in AARON, so he does entertain those ideas a bit more. ❝  did you getting up getting to school as quickly as possible have more to do with the nightmares or just not wanting to be around your mother? ❞ he asks with raised brows. he can imagine that was more the case, but regardless, it does bring him some comfort to know aaron has experienced this before. he doesn’t view aaron as WEAK, so five doesn’t have to be either just because of something he can’t control. his head nods when aaron explains what he has in mind for taking it easy and it’s something he can consider getting on board with. while he doesn’t like taking time away from his work, he has to consider it right now. he’s in a rough place. he’s shaken from his nightmare and maybe spending time with them would be NICE. maybe it would help. ❝  yeah, ❞ he agrees. ❝  we can do that. ❞ 

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, viktor thinks for a moment;  he might have said no not too long ago.  but he and sissy barely knew each other when they were sure about their love, too.  so maybe it really is that simple,  he just never knew how to connect with people before knowing who he was, first.  ❝  yeah.  maybe.  ❞   his brows furrow as he looks over him.  ❝  but you've had her information for a long time, right?  i think it's easy to love someone when you spend all that time thinking about them.  even if you never get to know who they really are. ❞    in some ways, that's how it felt with his siblings growing up -- like he hardly knew them, but he loved them, anyway.  even when it felt like they didn't feel the same.  a small smile grows over his features and he shrugs his shoulders.  ❝  i'm telling you now,  ❞   he says quietly,  because this is their fresh start -- they can do those things now.  they can be better brothers now.   

viktor scoffs,  looking ahead for a moment.  he tries not to think about it.  he has a lot to confront their father about,  but he can't really do that --- it won't be as satisfying,  knowing this dad doesn't remember the cruelty he put them through.  ❝  wasn't much of a dad, was he?  ❞   he says quietly.  he can think of one time he really felt like one -- when he gave viktor the violin.  but even now, that feels like something that was done for his own benefit, rather than viktor's.  he holds his breath for a moment as he looks up to klaus,  nerves running through him because he's not actually sure what he wants to do.  ❝  maybe,  ❞   he mutters.  ❝  --- yeah,  um,  yeah.  i think i want to.  i want to know who i am.  ❞   that's surely obvious by now;  he's making changes, trying to figure out who he is, where he fits, what he wants.   maybe this is the next natural step. ❝  you'd really help me?  ❞

[ghosthaunt]

❝  yeah, i guess, ❞ he shrugs. ❝  but how i felt toward my mom hasn’t really changed since i first saw her name. ❞ it makes his heart sink to say that because it makes him realize something: klaus has spent all of these years loving his mother but never expressing that to anyone. he’s kept it in. and maybe this was one of the things he should have let out. though, it was COMPLICATED. and it’s gotten even MORE complicated now knowing she’s no longer around. ❝  yeah, you’re right, ❞ he speaks with more confidence. ❝  it is easy when that’s the case. besides, you know, she’s my MOM. i have to love her. ❞ klaus knows that family is what you make it and his love for his mother doesn’t come from obligation. it more has to do with LONGING ----- wishing he had her instead of reggie. he smiles brightly and nods his head. ❝  yeah! you’re telling me now. and i won’t forget that, viktor, ❞ he promises. it makes him feel GOOD. it makes him feel wanted. and he hopes his brother feels the same with him. 

klaus scoffs and shakes his head, eyes widening at the thought of reggie being their dad. at least, the reginald they know. the one they’re with now is a little bit DIFFERENT. it gives klaus a bit of HOPE that he’s not yet sharing with his family. ❝  nope! we can’t even say he was our GUARDIAN either because what kind of guarding did he do, constantly throwing us into danger?  ❞ he scoffs. ❝  i have NO IDEA what to call him. ❞ he perks up when viktor claims he wants to find his mom too, immediately intrigued by the idea. he both wants to be able to HELP his brother, bond with his brother, and not feel ALONE in wanting their moms. ❝  yeah, of course i’d help! i want to help, ❞ he promises. ❝  we’ll find out who she was. TOGETHER. ❞ 

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || klaus stares at him for several moments,  unsure if he actually BELIEVES his brother.  ❝  i care,  ❞  he shoots back,  though he keeps his voice slightly GENTLE.  but he can understand it being better than hitting people.  ❝  yeah,  hitting people’s not that fun all the time.  and,  hey,  you know,  we’re glad that you protect us!  but that still can’t be FUN,  ❞  he insists.  it sounds terrible, actually.  but he’s not that surprised luther won’t acknowledge it.  his eyes roll playfully,  but he can’t help the smile that pulls at his mouth.  ❝  oh,  they would LOVE that,  ❞  he insists.  he frowns quickly at the insistence that it is his responsibility,  shaking his head,  but knowing he can’t convince luther otherwise,  so he just rolls his eyes again and throws his hands up in defeat. ❝ fine.  ❞  his eyes narrow at his brother just briefly before he shakes his head.  ❝ that’s kinda messed up,  don’t you think?  it SHOULD bother us.  ❞  but it’s not luther’s fault and he does know that.  it’s their dad who has always made them think violence is the answer,  that this is what they’re meant for.  klaus has never agreed.  yet,  he goes along with it because what other choice does he have?

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, aaron leans back as he thinks it over;  it's not an easy answer,  because when he thinks about his friends, his family, and eric -- things were good.  he was happy.  he loved his community, loved the freedom that came with the apocalypse despite the destruction it was surrounded in.  he liked what they had built.  but the saviors took so much from them;  they owned their lives, and it was between submitting to that for the rest of their tragic lives or leaving -- and the latter didn't seem like a viable option.  ❝  we were .  .  .  we were trapped, by those we were in war with.  the life we built here, the one you see now, it started to feel like it wasn't much of a life at all.  i loved what we had in alexandria and the people in it.  i was happy, when i consider that, but the saviors made sure it wasn't much of a life after all.  so,  we were struggling.  my heart was in a healthy place, though.  does that answer your question?  ❞   he asks, taking a deep breath and letting out a small, empty chuckle.  ❝  but it wasn't that.  it was--- losing eric that same day.  feeling like my life just .  .  . faded, all at once.  i think that's why i wanted to take her to a safe place.  i wanted to have a mission, something to take care of so i could keep moving, you know?  i didn't think she was going to be my daughter then.  but now, i can't imagine letting myself see her off with anyone else. ❞   he doesn't necessarily need to be a private person as it is,  but it is still important that he's this open with five.  he wants him to know more about him, their family, this life here.  

his eyes close for a moment, because he spends so much time worrying about exactly what happened today.  he's not entirely surprised that it came so soon.  ❝  that would be so easy, wouldn't it?  to never have to worry.  ❞   he knows that's not realistic, though.  he looks over to five after a moment, offering a small nod of his head.  ❝  you're a good brother,  you know. ❞   he means with gracie, but he wants him to hear it because he hasn't forgotten about his other siblings or what he's trying to do for them.  he sees it with them, too, even if he's never met them.

[ghosthaunt]

five listens carefully to his story. he knows some of it, but he’s never sat with aaron and asked him about it in depth. he’s wanted to, but it just never came up. it never felt like a good conversation to have, but now, it’s a good time. the more he’s gotten to know him, the more he’s trusted him, the more he’s realized that aaron is FAMILY, the more interested he has become. what he’s been through sounds difficult. five has always know that, but hearing it in detail makes it so much more REAL. his head shakes at his question, the faintest of grins still lingering on his lips, but doesn’t speak and lets aaron continue. he doesn’t know what it’s like to lose family to DEATH quite yet, but he knows what it feels like to lose them so suddenly. he did too. and he understands the feeling of needing to cling to something else just to keep his head above water. ❝  i know all about that, ❞ he mutters. he’s sure aaron knows that about him too. ❝  that’s a hell of a mission. if that’s what you were looking for, then you’ve got one for the rest of your life, ❞ he notes. he pauses for a moment and nods his head. ❝  it’s a good mission for you ----- you’re good at it and it helps what happened. ❞ he’s complimenting the way he coped with all of that pain. he’s strong.  

he scoffs and nods before looking down at his lap. ❝  but if we stopped worrying, then what would we even think about? ❞ he points out. at least five doesn’t know. he worries all the time. that’s ALL he does. he’s worried about this world, this family, the world he left behind, and the family he left behind. he doesn’t know how to do anything else. but he doesn’t let his worry stop him. it motivates him, so he thinks it’s not too bad of a thing to have.  he looks up to aaron at his words and he feels his chest WARM. ❝  i’m trying to be, ❞ he admits. it matters to him that he can be a good brother to gracie. he loves her. he loves this FAMILY.  

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, alden smiles warmly,  full of pride,  because nothing is more important to him right now than making sure the kid gets a good life,  better than the one alden and klaus’s own fathers wanted for them.  he lives in a house full of love;  he’s already doing better.  ❝  that’s why he’s going to get a good night’s sleep tonight.  well,  that,  and ya wore him out, ❞  he points out with a soft laugh.  he offers a small smile as klaus puts his hands on his shoulders,  his own arms moving to rest loosely around his waist.  ❝ can’t be too greedy,  i know.  you still deserve your time together.  but--- can’t yeah,  i’d like to be a part of it,  too, ❞   he insists,  his head tilting to the side as he looks over him.  ❝  someone’s gotta teach ya both how to clean up,  huh?  ❞   he teases.    

[ghosthaunt]

klaus lets out a laugh and nods is head. ❝  that was part of the plan! ❞ he tells him playfully. ❝  wear him out and then we can spend time together tonight. it’s the best of both worlds for ME. ❞ he’s only joking. he wants all of them to be able to spend time together and he would never take away alden’s ability to bond with adam. ❝  you can be! hey, we should make some time for that soon for a whole day! the three of us can spend all day together, ❞ he suggests. klaus rolls his eyes at the comment and lets out a scoff. ❝  yeah, i don’t know if you can teach us that. you might just have to be the one to clean up after us. ❞ 

[doomdays]

@ghosthaunt, luther's jaw clenches and he looks away from his brother,  ahead instead.  ❝  no,  i'm not,  ❞   he mumbles.  maybe in some way,  he is ---  but that's more for himself,  just another regret to add to his ever growing list:  he should have listened to his siblings.  he should have followed their lead a long time ago.  though, even though they all left--- they're still back here in this position,  made into a pawn for their father.   luther's brows furrow at klaus's explanation,  but he shakes his head.  there's a part of him that always feared what reginald could do to him.  when he saved luther's life,  he changed his body into something else --- and luther convinced himself that he did something good.  when he sent luther to the moon,  it nearly killed him every single day he was there,  and he convinced himself it was because his father believed in him.  none of that was any true;  he put luther in danger every day of his life, and he made luther feel like that was normal.  it wasn't.  he hates himself for believing that he might actually have seen the error of his ways and been sorry about it.  ❝  well,  dad killing me seems a whole lot worse than being crushed to death by a boulder,  ❞  he mutters,  immediately bringing his hand up.  ❝  ---  and not just because that seems impossible for me,  ❞   he notes,  shaking his head again.  ❝  but we were supposed to beat him.  we were supposed to out live him and finally have a little peace.  ❞   maybe it's a naive dream, but luther wanted to believe that once reginald was completely gone, they might have the chance for that --- but everything he ever did to them wouldn't just go away.    his head back to him quickly.  ❝  so now it's my turn to tell you i told you so? ❞   he won't.  luther was just like klaus once, and here they both are -- as if it's some kind of karma for wanting to believe in their father, against all odds.  

luther leans over to his brother,  placing both of his hands on his shoulders.  ❝  hey, do you remember when we were younger?  when i told you i'd help you fight,  and you threw the weakest punch at me ever?  ❞   he doesn't mean to be insulting,  no sensitivity here as he's desperate.  ❝  and,  you know,  you kept throwing weak punches at me and telling me that's all you could do.  until finally,  you did it,  you PUNCHED me!  and it felt good, right?  to get there?   we can do it now,  too!  and i've seen you these last few weeks,  klaus.  you're stronger than you were before you left home.  hell,  you're stronger than you were when we were in 2019.  i mean,  well, the first time.  you know,  ❞   he clarifies,  closing his eyes briefly before waving a hand in front of him.  ❝  i don't know what you did or how you did it,  but klaus,  you're more capable than you think you are.  you always have been.  we can make it back to our family.  i know we can.  you can make death--- ❞    his brows furrow again as he thinks.  ❝  wait,  what does diego always say?  ❞   not to take advice from him,  but it feels imperative for klaus now.  ❝  make death your bitch!  ❞  it's clunky from his lips,  but his face is filled with pride anyway,  even if some of it is more feigned than not --- he just really needs this,  and he needs klaus to want it, too.

[ghosthaunt]

his brows furrow and he tilts his head, thinking it over carefully for a few moments before as his lips purse. ❝  really? i don’t know, getting crushed by a boulder still seems worse to me! take away the fact that you’d probably survive getting slammed by a boulder and just think about what it’d actually be like to die by one! i mean, your bones and guts getting all crushed. you’d probably EXPLODE!  ❞ klaus squirms at the thought of it. ❝  at least it’d pretty quick, i guess. ❞ he lets out a sigh and finally actually LISTENS to what luther is saying. his face does fall a bit, looking down from luther and nodding his head. ❝  yeah, we were supposed to beat him, ❞ he mutters. ❝  but, hey, everyone else... they still have a chance! they can do it. they can beat dad. ❞ does klaus actually believe in them? he’s not sure. he WANTS to, but he’s just not sure. klaus rolls his eyes and looks away from his brother. ❝  fine, fine, you can have this one! you told me so! ❞ but deep down, it’s something he always knew. they should stick together. they’re FAMILY.

he can’t help but smile at the words because he DOES remember that encounter. quite honestly, he remembers it fondly. it was a weird experience, but when he eventually DID throw a punch that was worth something, he felt GOOD. not because of the violence, but because luther was proud of him. that meant something. it might STILL mean something. ❝  yeah, yeah, fine, okay, it felt good! ❞ he agrees, eyes brightening and his smile holding. it does feel wonderful that someone believes in him ----- someone he LOVES believes in him. and as much as he likes to give up before he even tries so he doesn’t let himself or anyone else down, luther is making him WANT to try. the PRIDE his brother seems to have in him right now makes him want to try. (this is always what he has needed ----- someone to actually believe in him, to support him in a way that HE needs it. so as luther continues to talk, klaus can’t help but feel the same enthusiasm that his brother feels, hands gesturing along as luther speaks. ❝  yeah! ❞ he exclaims after. ❝  i can make death my bitch! ❞ he takes a deep breath and excitedly looks around, falling quiet, but continuing to nod his head excitedly. ❝  ----- how do i do that? ❞ the encouragement is wonderful and it’s giving klaus a reason to TRY, but he doesn’t even know where to start. 

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || ❝ you do! ❞ he speaks with certainty, but continues to keep his voice quiet.  ❝  you know,  i never wanted that.  peace.  at least,  i thought i didn’t.  i think i just didn’t want the QUIET.  ❞  because quiet meant having to be alone with his thoughts and that’s the last thing he wanted.  but even now,  the quiet isn’t so bad because he’s not without tracy.  his eyes shut as she presses soft,  sweet kisses to his face and he can’t stop the SMILE that tugs at his mouth.  wrench loves her so deeply.  he’s certain of that.  ❝  i like being awake with you too,  ❞  he whispers.  he just wishes the circumstances were different.  he wishes they were awake because he wanted to be awake,  not because he was plagued with anxieties.  his head nods and he leans over to press a kiss to her cheek. ❝ okay,  ❞  he agrees.  he’ll let her take care of him.  he WANTS her to.  he woke her up for that reason because he’s willing to accept this help from her.  ❝  i think what i need is just to talk,  ❞  he shrugs.  ❝  tell me something.  anything.  ❞

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || his head nods in agreement.  it’s the truth.  it’s just part of life now.  ❝  yes,  but some of us are better at it than others,  ❞  he notes with a raise of his brows.  the corners of his lips raise into just a hint of a smile to tell her he’s only teasing  -----  something he rarely does. his shoulders shrug.  ❝  that’s because i always am busy and need to do something,  ❞  he reminds.  she’s right. he doesn’t get to be like this very often.  ❝  is it?  well,  enjoy it because you won’t see it very often.  ❞  he tilts his head.  ❝  if you do,  we have a problem.  ❞  he doesn’t intend on doing this often,  but five DOES get carried away with a lot of things.  ❝  this does FEEL good,  ❞  he admits.  ❝  you know?  ❞  he feels more relaxed right now than he ever has.  it’s a wonderful feeling. five lets a smile form on his mouth,  not caring enough right now to fight it before he takes another drink.  ❝  and he would HAVE to listen to you,  ❞  he claims.  he likes having someone on his side. he always DOES have someone on his side,  but at times,  that can be difficult to accept.  right now,  he’s accepting it.  he’s accepting his FRIEND.  ❝  oh,  that would convince him,  ❞  he insists.  aaron would LOVE to hear he’s having fun.  ❝  is anyone gonna care about this for you?  ❞  he asks.  he’ll back her up too if he has to.

[ghosthaunt]

@doomdays || ❝  i think it’ll be more of a challenge for YOU to make it challenge for me,  ❞  he insists with a raise of his brows.  klaus has no problem showering alden with compliments and there’s very little that could change that.  it’s an interesting perspective and not one that klaus is confident that he shares.  and how could he?  his whole life,  even BEFORE an apocalypse was consumed by DEATH.  he’s always been surrounded by the dead and has always faced the idea of death.  that got even more intense when suddenly so many people were dying all at once.  so in his mind,  yes,  people are dying.  people are going to continue to die.  but he’s not going to take alden’s hope away from him.  ❝  your life definitely isn’t all about losing.  i can tell,  ❞  he grins.  ❝  you have...  SO much life.  ❞  he seems so full of it.  klaus can admit that it is incredibley contagious.  his head nods quickly and he lets out a harsh sigh.  ❝  oh,  that’s very true!  at least you’ve found a place where there aren’t many monsters,  ❞  he notes with a raise of his brows.  and because of him,  klaus has found that too.  his shoulders shrug and a smile paints his lips.  ❝  oh,  you know,  as charming and endearing and lovable and fun as i am now,  just SMALLER!  and reckless,  as SOME people would claim,  but i don’t agree with that.  what were you like as a kid?  ❞