001 | ( VIDEO. ) | JULY 30th

[pubertytwice]

_{[ The feed clicks on and shows a kid appearing no older than 13 seated back in a chair, curled knuckles against his face. His eyes look tired and expression rather thin. He's wearing a uniform of some sort, though pieces of it look tattered or stained. One of his legs bounces in his seat (aren't his shorts cute?) but after a moment of mulling over what to say, he leans forward, hands folding together neatly. ]}

I already lack faith in gathering information from anyone here, and yet, here I am with inquiries. Serious responses only.

_{[ What could this boy possibly be asking for?? Where is the best place to get ice cream? Hardly so. ]}

Has anyone has ever even attempted hacking into any confidential files that could be in the government's system that operates here? Alternatively, if anyone has ever attempted to assassinate the Queen?

_{[ Oh.. what.. ]}

If not, is there any place on this goddamn planet that serves coffee? Decent coffee. Every place here is a shit hole.

_{[ That's it. No thanks for your time or anything. ]}

Comments

[pubertytwice]

Oh.. well. Thank you.

_{[ Nope. It's a compliment for him. ]}

[onerous]

...Have you always been like that? So mature for your age?

[She's curious, okay.]

[pubertytwice]

Maybe not.. as mature as I am now.
How old do you think I act?

_{[ He's curious, okay. ]}

[onerous]

[She tilts her head, considering] Hmm, sort of like a grandfather, sometimes...? Maybe like someone in their 50s?

[Somehow, an American 50s sort of aesthetic comes to mind when she talks to him]

[pubertytwice]

_{[ there’s a small, lopsided smile. ]}

I knew you were smart. It’s a miracle. Most people I’ve come across here are simpletons.

_{[ the key to Five’s friendship is recognizing he’s an old man. ]}

[onerous]

[That gives Yuri pause for a moment.]

How...old are you, really?

[It's not terribly strange of a concept. Ouse was hundreds of years old, after all, and still looked to be in her early 20s.

Then again, she was a sorta-spirit, so did that really count??]

[pubertytwice]

58. No, there's nothing mystical about my appearance and my age. It was a miscalculation in the equation I used to get home.

_{[ And.. now he's here. Maybe he shouldn't have even tried. ]}

I don't go around explaining my gift to people since it's a pain in the ass for just the average person to understand, but..

_{[ But. He's already kind of fond of Yuri. ]}

I can share it with you as long as you'll just accept it.

[onerous]

[That explanation manages to explain nothing, but it does make her curious. She shakes her head though and smiles a bit, reassuring]

I can accept it. I can see dead people, after all--I'm rather willing to accept most things by now.

And... I'd like to know. [It feels like being trusted, which is a pretty nice feeling!]

[pubertytwice]

I'll try to keep this.. condensed.

Basically, I was born with the natural ability to jump through time and space. I adapted to spatial jumps first. Eventually, I was able to time travel by pushing my consciousness through various planes of existence. By mathematics equations, I can calculate specific parts of time to travel to, but the outcome can have error, especially if miscalculated. Of course, there are some things that are too much to explain without going into an entire quantum physics lesson, so..

_{[ Five squints for a moment, lips pursing together as if in thought. ]}

I heard of someone used a basic term for me before.. a "teleporter?"

[onerous]

[She blinks slowly and tilts her head, parsing through it in her head.]

I understand.

[Sort of. It seems like a lot of words used to just say that he can time travel and teleport around, but the fact that he did explain it in so many words like that just seems right for him.]

So, the reason you look so young is because you...miscalculated a jump. And ended up in your own younger body? [Or something like that? She hums thoughtfully] I suppose there are worse things than youth... It's an advantage, at least, to look like that.

[Looking on the bright side!!]

[pubertytwice]

_{[ It's positive people like her that Five needs in his life. He's way too cynical. ]}

I guess.

_{[ Fine, he'll agree. It can be an advantage. ]}

I'd like to have my actual body back. I've lived enough of a good long life; I wasn't asking to live it again.

_{[ Actually, most of his life was horrible, but it's fine. ]}

[onerous]

[She stares at him for a long, quiet moment. Her eyes, large and dark, seem to be trying to stare right through him and when she speaks her voice is soft]

Did you want to die?

[pubertytwice]

There were times where I considered it. I spent about 45 years, give or take, without anyone or anything.

_{[ A minor detail he left out, but you know. ]}

That way of escape seemed weak, though, and I knew I could never get back to my family if something like that had happened.. if I hadn't survived somehow.

It was sweet ambition that got me to this point.

[onerous]

45 years alone? [Yeah she can see where that might have a little bit of an effect on someone. Just a lil bit. Like make them start talking to a mannequin or something.

'Weak,' though... Her brow furrows and she chews on her bottom lip like she thinks he's wrong, but doesn't know how to express herself or argue about it in words.]

That's impressive, though. Your family knows about your powers then, I assume? [She doesn't think he's ever heard him talk about his family much]

[pubertytwice]

Sure. We all know about our sister's powers now too. Though, that one would have been nice to know sooner rather than later.

_{[ Yeah, uh. It would have helped with the whole stop the apocalypse business, for sure. ]}

[onerous]

How so?

[She tilts her head curiously]

How many siblings do you have with powers?

[pubertytwice]

Six.

_{[ Wait.. ]}

Five. We lost one, but I guess he's around in spirit. Sometimes helps out. Maybe I should count it as.. five and a half.

_{[ Nice. Ben is just a half. ]}

[onerous]

In-- Literally in spirit?

[Which makes the 'and a half' seem like a terrible sort of joke. The corner of her mouth twitches, amused despite herself, and she shakes her head with a soft 'ha.']

I suppose that's good, though, in a way. Comforting? Though things like lingering spirits is a little uncomfortable to me... But when it's family, maybe... [Maybe she'd feel different if she had a better reminder of her family being around than the memories of corpses.]

...Do you wish your family was here?

[pubertytwice]

Sure. Klaus talks to him all the time and gets to count his vote in for things. It's good to know he still gives a shit to hang out and around.

_{[ Hmm. ]}

In way, yes.

_{[ this softie ]}

That means I would know for sure they were safe. One is here, at least. So..

_{[ He pops his lips together. ]}

That's something.

[onerous]

[Yuri nods in understanding and decides that, out of courtesy to Five, not to push that line of questioning too much more. Not now. The friendship is a little too new for that.

Instead she focuses on the next interesting thing, eyebrow raising in surprise]

Klaus? Ah-- That Klaus is your brother? [But unlike how someone else might have said it, Yuri's expression softens fondly and there's that hint of a smile] I've met him, we talked. He's nice.

[pubertytwice]

Oh.

_{[ well then ]}

I'm sure you two had a lot to talk about.

_{[ not commenting on the 'nice' bit cause Five knows it's true and that's a little bit too much praise for his liking. ]}

[onerous]

We have a few things in common. But... he’s been dealing with this a lot longer than I have. In many ways, he really has it worse.

[Though given how Yuri’s abilities work to exorcise the spirits, Klaus night say otherwise. She looks down at her hands a moment, contemplative]

And our ways of dealing with— all of it are... very different. I’m not sure which is worse. [Sure drinking and drugs were a pretty bad way of dealing with it all, but if such things had been easier to get for her... she’s not sure if she’d have gone down that path or not. Then again, Yuri’s idea for a solution had been much more... permanent. And not in a good way. She exhales slowly]

...I’m glad. That you’re here with him, I mean. The support of even one person whose opinion truly matters to you can make all the difference.

[pubertytwice]

<sub>[ Five doesn't know what Yuri does to cope with it, but he knows he certainly doesn't approve of Klaus' way of dealing with it all. Speaking with Yuri makes him think about reconsidering how he treats his brother in regards to his habits. Klaus may have expressed in the past how shitty it could be to talk to the dead— not to mention the fact Reginald forced it upon him as a child.

It's just.. so easily to ignore Klaus sometimes. Now that they're older (in Five's case, much older) it's easier to feel regret.

His jaw tightens and in a gentle tone, he replies. ]</sub>

I'm glad I'm here with him too.

_{[ At least he could protect one of them, though the fact the rest of them aren't in plain sight aggravates him. Five hasn't even tried to jump back to home because that meant leaving Klaus here, and the guy seemed so happy to have Five here. Not to mention, the last thing that needs to happen is another mistake and he ends up.. alone again, without any of them. ]}

I just hope the rest of them are doing well.

[onerous]

[He says as much to Yuri, but she's watching him again with that quiet, sad expression that she always has]

Does he know that?

[Because, you know, that's important too!!]

[pubertytwice]

_{[ squints..... ]}

Kind of.

_{[ which is Five language for “no.” ]}