#delores you will never be forgotten

[franklyieros]

the first thought i thunk when lila and five kissed was "BUT... DELORES... NO." that mannequin and fives relationship has an embarrassingly large place in my heart

[cheshire-salvatore-mikaelson]

This is will probably make no sense, and I shouldn’t even make a post but the thought had me cackling.

Hear me out…

Five has Delores.

Reggie has Grace.

There are parallels that can be drawn between these relationships that I don’t have the brain power to do right now.

So do with this what at you will!

[itstheghostofmypast]

Transparent Love

Five Hargreeves x F.Reader ft.platonic Ben

Summary: Her past that she had forgotten after coming to the commission, her past that she had forgotten after marrying Five- the mistakes and guilt that she had forced herself to forget, all resurfaced at the worst of times. One thing was for sure, even if you run from your past, it'll catch up to you, in one shape or another.

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Word Count: 3.3k

Read Time: 16 min

Requested by: @simpformoonkight

If there was one thing Five Hargreeves was proud of, it was his ability to read people like a book, and his favourite person to read was his wife; from the day he had met her at an Irish bar to the day he had reunited with her in the 60s, not once had she caught him off guard, even the little kiss she had given him in front of his siblings wasn't a surprise for him.

A whimper caught his ear. He glanced up from the newspaper cutouts that Elliot had glued to the wall to find her curled up on the couch, clutching onto the blanket for her dear life. Walking up to her he gently brushes the stray hair out of her face, caressing her cheek, trying to calm her down. He doesn't remember the last time she'd had such a nightmare- well, there was that one time.

The married life did not bring much change to their routine, they'd still go on missions, she'd still choose the comfortable silence, and he'd still be arguing around waiting for her to calm him down, she'd occasionally stress eat and he'd choose to storm off to cool down if the two ever argued, but one thing was clear, the two loved each other no matter what. Due to this very reason, he had believed in the all-transparency policy, sharing everything with her, now, to some extent that meant becoming extremely vulnerable in front of someone and giving an entire list of weaknesses, not that he had many, the point was, for Five Hargreeves, other than Delores, she was someone who he would die for, someone who he'd trust blindly at any given moment of time and space, which is why he assumed she felt the same way. Never keeping anything from him. Or so he thought.

It wasn't until their third anniversary that that belief in transparency somewhat cracked. He had come home early from a mission, and since the two had gone on separate ones, coming home early meant that he could set up her surprise. The well-dressed man opened the main door only to hear something crash, his killer instincts kicking in as he blinked into the living room, spotting her sitting on the floor, hugging her knees, mumbling to herself.

"Y/N! What happened?" his fingers gripped onto her shoulders, jerking her back to reality as she looked up at him, letting out a choked sob, pouncing on him with a death grip of a hug, her face pressing onto his collar as she choked on her sobs.

He remembers sitting there for hours that night, with her weeping in his arms, unfortunately, she never told him what had happened, but had only thanked him, and claimed that her dream was so bad that if he hadn't shown up when he did, she might have done something irrational.

"What's that look mean?" he glanced at the intruder who had come to sit on the opposite couch, a giant mug of coffee in hand.

"What do you want, Klaus?" letting out an exasperated sigh he stared at his brother, the person she had spent most of the 60s with while they were parted. He watched the other one shrug before smirking at Five, "Trouble in paradise?"

"None what so ever." he snapped back earning a chuckle from Klaus who shook his head, "Come on Five, it's plain as day, you have that bitchy look on your face, the one where you're thinking but are perhaps constipated in the process."

"Not a day goes by where I don't want to strangle you Klaus”, sighing he leaned back on the couch, his hand resting on Y/N's head, gently scratching her scalp out of pure habit, it was something that would help both of them calm down.

"Everyone has secrets Five, we" He gestured at him then an invisible ring where he assumed the latter would pick up on the notion of the gesture representing their family, "Of all people should know that."

"We don't have secrets, Klaus"

"Perhaps, or…you just have things you haven't talked about, I mean", reaching for the table he placed his mug down then looked at Five, eyes flickering to her, "Have you told her everything? Like everything everything? Not a single secret?"

Five glanced down at her stirring form then up at Klaus, "No, I don't. Neither does she." with that he had concluded the discussion.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

That was until they came to the new timeline, a mistake, but probably a harmless one. Amidst the uncalled-for battle, she ran into the living room, after helping up Diego, only to stop when a tentacle slammed in front of her before slithering back to its owner, Ben, shit.

"What are you guys like? Did they steal you two from your parents?" he snapped at her only for her to pull out her handy dandy pistol, a.k.a 'Bodyguard'.

"F*ck around and find out." aiming at him she muttered, "I don't wanna do this Ben."

"Sweety, your gremlin and co.  burst in here. We're just taking out the trash." With that he swung another tentacle at her, one she dodged with ease, bouncing off the opposite wall to kick him. He may have been stronger but he wasn't quicker.

"I said I don't wanna do this." she said aiming right at his forehead, "But threaten my husband or his family one more time and I will."

"Husband?"

"Let's go! Move, move, move!" was all Diego yelled, grabbing her and tossing her over his shoulder in the process and running out.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

"So, what now?"

That's all she heard before they began bickering, shit, this timeline, this was not what she was expecting, what happened, where did they go wrong- should she have stopped him from meeting up with his father in the past? This was not good, definitely not good, should she tell Five? No- what if there's a way out? Wait, is there? Isn't time supposed to flow as per agenda- at least the beginning and the end, what if-

"Y/N?"

"Huh?" Glancing up from her lap she met with a confused Five, his hand automatically reaching to caress the top of her head, an act Klaus had noticed back in Dallas- a way of his to calm down his wife, much like one would do to a cat.

“What’s wrong?” his words were but a whisper, eyes scanning her, as if reading her every move, the way her breathing was uneven, eyes darting around them, trying to calculate, fingers twitching with anxiety- give her something to eat and it’d be the perfect image of how his wife usually got when she was nervous.

 “I- nothing, I think I just hit my head a little too hard.” With a gentle, yet, assuring smile she, “So, what are we going to do now?”

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

With that question she found herself on a sofa, giving Allison and Vanya the room inside, since it did have two beds and the sisters needed some time alone- that and she needed some time alone as well, she needed to think, she needed to process this, to make sure things did not go south, to make sure she had everything under control this time, to make sure she could save him this time- if not Ben, then Five- this was no longer for Ben, this probably wasn’t even the same Ben- but her husband is all that she cared about.

The thought of her husband had her trembling in fear, she was hiding something from him and she didn’t know how long it could go on. She knew she couldn't keep it up for long, it was either her insistent stress eating that would give it away or his usual commendable deductive skills that he'd use to put the puzzle together. Maybe she should tell him, or maybe she should just try to fix this herself- there was no need to increase his burdens.

It was her hunger that led her downstairs, spotting the three brothers as she looked at their approval in silence, wanting to occupy the free seat.

"What are you guys? Barn animals?" Klaus sighed before smiling at his sister-in-law, “Oh, hey there my sweets, are you per se on a stress-eating roll again?” he asked, chin in palm, admiring the way she had filled up her plate more than Luther would.

“S-stress? What no!” clearing her throat she took a sip of her coffee, trying to not start an actual conversation, her original thoughts of asking either Klaus or Diego for some form of assistance went down the drain, much like her confidence.

“You know Ben?” Diego perked up, causing his brothers to pause and look at her, only for her to choke on a slice of bread.

“Stop harassing her.”

Never had she been so glad to see her husband, who sat beside her, gently patting her back and glaring at Deigo, “How the hell would she know Ben anyway?”

It was during their little meal that Five had announced his retirement, looking at her expectantly, as if wanting her to do the same, which she did- though hesitantly.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Initially she had thought of talking to Ben, she was convinced she should too but the moment they had landed in the house, a basic fact had occurred to her- this was the asshole Ben, she was used to the one who had lost everything. But then again, she wasn’t like this back then either, in fact, she was as paranoid and impulsive as Five, perhaps that’s why she fell in love with him, for deep down she missed her old self, the one who could protect her- or perhaps that was just a front, for her to pretend in those dark times, trying to tell herself that she was not afraid and Five was the real deal, he really was never afraid. So, she decided not to say a word, but the only problem was, that her anxiety was starting to pent up to a breaking point.

“Where have you been all day?” Five asked, looking up from the newspaper, his bathrobe replaced with a floral t-shirt and slacks, “Also, why are you on edge? Are your hormones kicking in?”

“What does that even mean?” mumbling she flopped down on the couch next to him, resting her head on his lap, his hand instinctively going to play with her hair, gently caressing her head.

“You horny?”

Clicking her tongue at his question she glared up at him, earning a chuckle in return. It had been long since the two were at peace like this, at least for him, what he did not know was that she was not in peace at all, but only that his presence near her was somewhat calming. She wanted to tell him how this timeline was no better than his own, that and a persistent fact she had somehow stumbled upon began to bother her.

“I’ll understand if you are”, smirking at her he pinched her nose, earning a swat of his hand in return, his hearty laugh echoing in the small room, this was possibly the most domestic the two had been since they travelled back in time.

“Five”.

 Her hushed tone caught his attention, eyes darting to scan her face, her brows furrowed to the slightest degree, so faint that one could barely notice it, but Five just wasn’t anyone. He had noticed her unease ever since they had come to this timeline, how she was eating in proportions larger than Luther’s, how she was more on edge, quieter, he would’ve been blind if he hadn’t noticed it, but he respected her boundaries, for he truly believed that the two had no secrets. Sure, she had always been closed off, but he knew for a fact that she’d never keep anything from him.

“What’s the matter?” he responded with a tone as quiet as hers, earning a small smile.

“I love you, Five.”

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

“Five, listen to me, I swear I wanted to tell you but-“

“BUT WHAT?” his voice boomed in the corridor, causing her to flinch, and Klaus who was behind her cleared his throat, “Five, buddy, just hear us out.”

“Shut up Klaus, I am…” sighing he ran his hand through his hair, wanting to rip it out, “I- why would you take his side when the future I said let it happen, when I said let it happen.” She stared at him in disbelief, she knew this was out of his control, but she had never imagined for it to get this out of hand.

“Five, I need you to calm down and listen-

“I AM CALM!”

“BECAUSE I CAN’T LOSE EVERYONE I LOVE AGAIN!”

“Again…” frowning at the statement he looked at her, then glanced at Klaus who shrugged, hand reaching to console the shivering girl, only for her to slap it away, “What do you mean by….Y/N… is this…your timeline?”

With a shaky breath she nodded, trying to walk over to him, only for him to raise his hand and stop her, “I…I need some time.” With that he turned around and walked away, not even listening to her pleading, blinking away when he felt her come closer.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

“So, are we gonna talk about what’s going on between you and your husband?” Klaus asked, picking up a glass of wine, no, he picked up hers, her seventh glass of wine and as much as he wanted everyone to enjoy Luther’s wedding, he knew this was not what he wanted for her, or what her brother wanted for his wife, but he was too stubborn to approach her.

“Nope.” With that curt response, she snatched her glass back, “I can’t believe you are willing to die like this.”

“Well, I’m not. You know that, but we got voted out and Five, well, Five is Five, he’s stubborn, arrogant, and annoying but he loves you more than anything.” He smiled softly, taking it back from her as he placed his hand on top of hers, “Go talk to him.”

…

That’s how she finds herself on the rooftop, staring up at the imploding cosmos, soon to be part of it all. Spotting her husband at the other end, sitting on a cushioned seat, staring up at the sky, bottle in hand. Approaching closer she stopped when he turned his head in her direction, an unspoken apology swirling in his eyes, though she knew he had nothing to be sorry for, she knew he had been transparent with her since the moment he had told her, told her how much he loved her, devoting his life to her. Though she had nothing to apologise for as well, what she had hidden was a part of her memory, an experience so foul that she had spent a good amount of time trying to forget it. Sitting on the opposite seat she smiled, “Hey stranger.” Watching him sit up straight, placing the bottle on the table between them, hand reaching for hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Five, I just, you need to understand how before I met you, before the commission, I was someone different, living a different life, one that ended poorly.”

“Tell me, trust me, I’ll believe and listen to anything you say.”

 She looked at him, admiring his sculpted face, noting the seriousness and love his features held for her, all for her.

“I… it’s a long story, I honestly don’t remember much of it.” Taking in a deep breath she continued, “It began in a blur, well, most of it was a blur, one day everything was normal, the next there were walkers, the undead, then there were groups of survivors, humanity was falling, wars had begun and slowly, the world had begun to wither away. In about a week I had lost everyone I loved, my parents, my siblings, my friends…I was…so alone.”

“How…for how long?” he asked, moving closer to her, which she appreciated, the cold had begun to creep up on her, “About 3 years…alone, I mean, I was fine at first, I mean, I was scared, obviously like any normal teenager, but it was so exhausting, I didn’t know who to be scared of more…the undead, the other groups or the men I just- then I met the Sparrow Academy, we were fine- I mean Ben was an asshole- as usual…but then one day..”

“Ben, we need to leave!” grabbing his hand she dragged him out of the building, he was too shocked to even react, his siblings being torn apart before him- but…they had powers! He had powers and this did not make any sense.

Sitting in front of the makeshift fire, she stared at the burning wood, she had gone numb far too long ago, but for Ben, all of this was new, he was so used to being surrounded by those who could bear him, that his world had shattered. She felt sorry for him, she did, but a twisted part of her was relieved, his instant obnoxious attitude came to a stop. She was tired and scared as it is, but when she saw all the siblings together, she was …jealous. No, she just missed her family, thinking that perhaps if they had any training like all of them did or powers, maybe her family would be alive too.

It didn’t take long for Ben to let her in, perhaps because she was the only one there, the only one who had his back now, the only one who would stay awake and keep watch while he was asleep, the only one who’d make sure he was eating, sometimes give him her rations as well. He would return the favour often, making sure she was warm, wearing extra layers, or that she had enough sleep, staying up and keeping watch. Slowly turned into a cycle of a unique bond, one where they needed to be next to each other, needed to know what the other one was doing.

“Ben, I swear, they are expired.” She hissed, snatching the bag of chips and tossing it away, earning a whine.

“Come on, not everything is expired, plus you can hear the crisp, that means they haven’t gone stale.” He argued, picking up a few batteries for their torches, “Listen, you let me get those chips, and I’ll keep watch tonight.”

“Ben, you’re supposed to keep watch tonight anyway.”

“shit.”

That was her fault though, maybe if she was awake, they could’ve had a chance, and maybe, he would’ve been alive. But just like the day it all began, it all happened so quickly. One moment she finally fell asleep, the next she was shaken awake by Ben. He was yelling, telling her to sit on his bike, the one they’d ride on, going from state to state, city to city, the very bike he had named Jennifer. The last thing he had told her was,

“I’m sorry, I am…thank you for spending your time with me, I’d pick you over my siblings any day.”

“Ben…this Ben?” Five whispered, more to himself than her, hugging her close to him, ugly sobs wracking through her form, causing him to tighten his hold on her, “Come on it's okay, it's over, it's over.”

“I…” pulling back she looked up at him, “I didn’t want to lose you so- so I agreed with your father and I just – forgive me.”

“My love, I…I should be asking you for forgiveness.” He smiled, leaving a gentle peck on the top of her head, “I should have been more patient with you, I had noticed your nightmares, the panic attacks but I…I really couldn’t place them”. Letting out a chuckle he smirked at her, “You’ve always been my favourite riddle, never easy to solve, but so addictive.”

 Smiling up at him, she nodded, not at his stupid statement, but at the thought of them being together forever, or however long they may have left, even if time was crumbling their love wasn’t, it was as pure as the will of an angel and as clear as a crystal- a form of pure, melancholic, transparent love.  

A/N: not only is this centuries late, but Tumblr has had it in for me for the past two days. Nothing was uploading. I hope you like it @simpformoonkight , haven't watched the walking dead, but did some researching.

[missheavenfield1215]

I think taking the relationship between Beetlejuice and Lydia for granted in the new film is too hasty to say.

I know it's hard to tell them not to be hopeful when they've already released this kind of official material. I mean, have you seen this?!

Or the certainty that Lydia accepted without hesitation Beetlejuice's proposal to look for her daughter. (although it is more than obvious why she accepted it) min: 3:57

Or even this video... Are you really saying that a relationship is very difficult when you talk about his "relationship" with Lydia??

And let's also talk about this face... Jesus... It seems that Beetlejuice has found the love of his life when he sees Lydia. (Personally I think in the second GIF Beetlejuice is looking at his wedding cake or something else, because it seems that he is still with his back to her)

But I think there's something they're forgetting.

This has also come out and is behind the scenes.

You can use the ending of the musical (although I doubt it very much, Tim and Michael refuse to see the musical). Here I believe that Beetlejuice will choose Astrid or she herself will offer to marry him to save her mother and so they would kill Beetlejuice, staining her dress with his blood.

I'm not a person who gets excited when I see some romantic approach, I expect it to really happen.

Have they forgotten the unfinished ship ReyLo?? Zutara's discarded idea?? The bland romance between Lucy and Raoul? The main couple of Wish with Asha and Starboy who they discarded because #feminism?

I think this could be the same...

I feel like they're not really going to pair Lydia and Beetlejuice. Because even though their deal is transactional, (he helps her find her daughter and she marries him to bring him back to life and get him away from his ex-wife, Delores).

I feel like all these "shows of affection" are a farce... This comes across as:

-"Like why do you say you can't marry me?" "You say it's because you don't love me and I don't either?" "So here, take (literally) my heart and shut up."

I don't like to be so pessimistic, I really wish they stayed together, because for God's sake, they are an iconic couple in gothic horror and black comedy movies even though they have never really been a couple (plus ALL if not most Tim Burton movies have romance or proof that there was going to be a romance (like an unfinished pairing). As in Alice in Wonderland, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride etc).

If the Beetlebabes is canonized, Tim Burton risks waves and a HUGE amount of hate for "pairing a girl with a disgusting adult" (even though in the movie Lydia is already an adult).

Beetlejuice has a picture of Lydia when she was a teenager, which means that he fell in love with her when she was an underage girl...

Even if he says that Beetlejuice and Lydia were created to be together (as some sort of "soulmates") and that at some point in a sequel they would make that a reality, there will be a lot of people who will be very angry about this.

I really don't think Tim Burton would risk all the criticism and hate...

Unless he makes the decision to defend this Ship openly, he will not do so without at least giving as an example the musical, whose directors ignored that detail (of the "soulmates", Perhaps because of the pressure to be politically correct by Broadway standards) because they did it at his expense and not with his help...

Let's remember that the musical and everything in it, is not from Tim Burton's own mind, but they did do what they wanted with his characters without consulting him first.

But I still thinking that claiming victory so hastily would be very bad for the whole Fandom.

I ask you not to celebrate such an abrupt "triumph"... The film has not yet been released.

I ask you to wait at least until the premiere of the film.

I ask you to wait until it is 100% confirmed.

[indig0away]

I kind of want to rewrite the ending for The Umbrella Academy season 4. There will be spoilers in this post, so please do not press read more if you haven't started or finished the 4th season!!

----

I kind of want to write this story from either Luther's or Five's point of view. I might choose Luther because I understand his character more, and the way the writers just turned him into a joke is sad.

I want to expand on how he felt about having to resort to stripping. I feel like he'd be upset, but he'd also be trying to hide the fact that he's upset because he wouldn't want to worry people, especially his family. I'm also going to bring Sloane back.

Luther had too much character development just to be turned into a sort of sex joke, and the fact that the writers made his insecurity towards his body into a joke pissed me off.

I also want to completely erase the whole ship with Lila and Five because it was just weird that it turned into a romantic thing. I saw them as siblings in a way. It feels like Lila would've actually taken care of Five as if he were her younger brother, because he IS her younger brother-in-law. And also, the fact that Five met her when she was still a kid and the fact that Lila is physically older than Five was in season 4. It's just weird. Five would've never ever betrayed his own brother like that, and I'm sure if Lila even tried to kiss him, he would stop her and completely avoid her. I also want to bring Delores back, but as a human. I just don't know how it would work out honestly, so if someone has a suggestion then please tell me. You will be credited!!

Moving on to Klaus. I want to expand on the fact that he went to war and why he went back to addiction as soon as the marigold entered his system. I want to expand on the fact that he might have been okay dying before Allison put the marigold into his wound.

I also want to expand on the idea of the subway and why it's there. I also want to expand on why everything is backwards, because there was a lot of potential with that. I also want to expand the universes within the different timelines. Also, the diner thingy at the end needs more explanation.

Diego will also be rewritten and he will not be turned into a joke. He will still be suspicious of Lila, but it wont be cheating. He'll find out on his own about her working on figuring out what and who the Keepers are. He'd want to help and I feel like he'd be good at it too.

I want to rewrite Allison as well and expand on the fact that Allison kept picking up Klaus when he spiralled into despair. I also want to expand on her feelings about not being able to be an actress like she was before the whole timeline skips. I also want to write about why Ray left and if he's still alive.

This whole season felt really rushed, and I feel like the ending would've made more sense if the writers hadn't forgotten who the characters were and if they had expanded on why and how the cleanse exists. Ben and Jennifer should've been written better, and their stories should've been expanded upon too.

Personally, I think the fact that Five and his siblings became Marigold flowers after their deaths is beautiful symbolism. They are still there, but less destructive. I just don't know if that means the actual marigold that gave them their powers would still be in the universe because of the flowers. 

Sorry for all the writing, I just feel kinda passionate about this. 😭😭

[simshousewindsor]

REDEEMED

[Buckingsim Palace, Buckingsimshire 11:23 AM WST]

[??]: (on the phone) We'll only be gone a week. Anthony is so excited. Thankfully my morning sickness has passed.

Queen Katherine: Have a fun time in Americreek, Lara. I've never been invited to the Academy Awards, so you'll have to tell me all about the celebrities when you return!

Queen Katherine: I should go. I'm only allowed five minutes of fun per day and Uncle Louis' antics this morning took up twenty! (laughs)

Princess Lara: (on the phone) Get back to work, Your Majesty! (laughs)

Queen Katherine: Love you!

Martin Lavelle [Private Secretary]: Your Majesty. Before your next audience, we need to finalize plans for Garter Day. With three weeks until the ceremony, much is still left unresolved.

Queen Katherine: Why are we so behind?

Martin [P.S.]: (confused) Your coronation, ma'am.

Queen Katherine: Oh yes! That was just last week. Goodness. So much has happened since.

Martin [P.S.]: Many of the Knights felt snubbed by not being permitted to join the Knights' procession during the coronation.

Martin [P.S.]: The orders leadership has asked that you restore tradition, by granting full pomp and circumstance for this year's ceremony.

Queen Katherine: (annoyed) Leadership? I am the orders leadership! They should be reminded that I am Sovereign of the Garter. The Monarch alone decides who is appointed and removed.

Martin [P.S.]: Your Majesty. With this being your first Garter Day since crowning, parliament would approve the additional expenditure.

Queen Katherine: Would I still have time to go to Beaverdam beforehand?

Martin [P.S.]: I'm afraid not, ma'am. For a traditional ceremony, you would require an additional three days of rehearsals. Unfortunately, your schedule would not allow for another vacation until the end of July, after Trooping the Colors.

Queen Katherine: (sighs)

Martin [P.S.]: We also need to talk about Windsor Castle. This is the first year the castle will host Garter Day since renovations began in 2021! The Queen Mother was heavily involved in the luncheon's planning and...

Queen Katherine: Thank you, Martin. As Prince consort, Rainier is more than capable of taking those responsibilities from the Queen Mother.

Martin [P.S.]: Yes! Of course. Yes, Your Majesty.

- - - - - LATER - - - - -

[Griffin Park, Buckingsimshire 11:43 AM WST]

Lady Sonja [Lady-in-Waiting]: The Women's Foundation sent a letter of thanks for attending their luncheon yesterday, along with a lovely bouquet of flowers.

Delores Bryant [Private Secretary]: How lovely, especially after not having invited you the last two years.

Delores [P.S.]: It appears the negativity from the scandal has finally been forgotten. Your approval ratings have also improved since the coronation!

Queen Rowena: A new chapter is beginning.

Delores [P.S.]: You endured so much hate over the last three years, and then to lose your husband! No-one understands how much you have truly given to this country, ma'am. I'm glad to see Windenburg showing you the love and respect you deserve again.

(phone rings)

Delores [P.S.]: Griffin Park, this is Delores.

[??]: (on the phone) Hello. Is this the office of the Queen Mother? This is Sister Angela. I am the aide of Mother LaKisha.

Delores [P.S.]: Yes! Yes, it is. I am the Queen Mother's private secretary. How may I help you, sister?

Sister Angela: (on the phone) The pope has invited Mother LaKisha to the Vatisim next week and she would love to visit with the Queen Mother during her time in the country.

Delores [P.S.]: The Queen Mother would be honored to host Mother LaKisha. The royal family would be happy to take care of any and all accommodations, not done so by the papal organization.

Sister Angela: (on the phone) Thank you, Delores. I will be in touch.

(call ends)

Delores [P.S.]: Things really are beginning a new for you!

Queen Rowena: Oh?

Delores [P.S.]: The pope has requested an audience with Mother LaKisha, and she has asked to see you while here! There are rumors she is being awarded the Noble Peace Prize for humanitarisimism.

Queen Rowena: Mother LaKisha founded a sisterhood that runs 19 homes. She was so close with my dear mother. Shortly after my mother died, Mother LaKisha returned to her home country of Marvania, and has become revered for her work with the poor.

Delores [P.S.]: I didn't know you still kept in contact.

Queen Rowena: I haven't seen her since my mother died.

Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Heir Ascent (story)

Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Consort Redemption (story)

[xxjewellynwatts]

— ☆彡 𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗜𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 彡☆—

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟝: 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝓁𝒹 ℴ𝒻 𝓅𝓇ℴ𝒷𝒶𝒷𝒾𝓁𝒾𝓉𝒾ℯ𝓈

✯༄

Neither of you wanted to let go of the other. But you suddenly remembered something Five had mentioned. You parted away and suddenly took him by the shoulders as you said with wide eyes:

'Wait, did you just mention an apocalypse?' you asked.

For a brief moment, as he held you, he had forgotten about it all. For the first time in decades, he had forgotten what had been his obsession: save the world from the apocalypse.

'Oh, yeah' he said bluntly.

You starred at him, questioning him with your wide eyes.

'Care to elaborate?' you asked sarcastically.

At the use of that word, he made a funny face.

'Don't say that. But yeah I jumped too far, and I found my entire family dead. I never found you and figured you were gone like everyone else.'

You felt a sting of sadness as you realized how lonely he must have been there.

'I'm sorry you had to go through this' you said with a soft voice.

'And I'm sorry you had to go through this' he said bitterly as he vaguely gestured towards everything around you.

'So... when does the world end?' you asked after a moment.

— ☽ —

Luther and Diego finally arrived on the floor where you two were. You seemed both deeply asleep and... drunk, even though that was only true for one of you two.

'Are they...?' started Luther.

'Drunk as a skunk' smiled Diego.

Luther took Five and Diego took you. They got out of the library under the curious glances of readers and people passing by.

It was by then night.

'Well we can't go back to the house' said Luther. 'It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment.

- My place is closer, no one will look for him there' said Diego.

'What about her?' said Luther as he glanced towards you.

'She might know something about them if she was with him. She stays with us for now' decided Diego.

Inside, Five had briefly explained to you what was going to happen and when. He told you about the eyeball and how lost he felt. You still reprimanded him for drinking so much and he thought you sounded like Delores very much.

'Wait' you suddenly said.

The ground beneath your feet had barely trembled.

'I think someone is moving us' you said as you looked around you. 'We have to wake up' you explained.

You grabbed him by the arm, as usual, and you both stood over the giant gap, or fall as you'd call it.

'This time around, you're not pushing me' said Five.

'I'm sorry about last time' you apologized. 'But I have to push you, otherwise it doesn't work. When you wake up from a dream, you wake up because you fell unexpectedly, not because you decided to jump.'

He didn't admit it but you made a point. He starred at you before standing in front of you, back to the fall.

'Oh and by the way' you added. 'Please don't tell your siblings about any of this.

- Why not?

- Because I didn't feel like explaining it to them so I kind of lied...

- Wait, you saw them?

- Yes. There's been an attack, at the house. A big man and a woman in suits and masks came.

- Shit... Hazel and Cha-Cha.

- Yeah, and I kind of froze his arm and they saw it and now they just think I can freeze stuff.

- Wait, you what? How did you do that?

- We really don't have the time right now' you quickly said.

'Don't you da-' he started but too late. You pushed him over. Again.

Five woke up dizzily. The effects of the alcohol had been gone while he was in your mind, probably thanks to you, but now he could feel it all... And it felt terrible. He burped as he realized he was in Luther's arms and still holding onto Delores. Diego was holding you but you weren't awake yet. What were you still doing there?

'If you vomit on me...' started Luther.

'You know what's funny?' ignored Five. 'I'm going through puberty' he scoffed. 'Twice. And I drank that whole bottle, didn't I? Well, that's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye' he vaguely gestured. 'Poof, it's gone... What are you guys talking about?'

'Two masked intruders attacked the academy last night' said Luther.

'Interesting choice of word' said Five. Intruders. Now that sounded much like you.

'They came looking for you' said Diego. 'So I need you to focus, what do they want?

- Hazel and Cha-Cha.

- Who? snapped Diego.

- You know I hate code names, added Luther.

- Ah, the best of the best. Except for me, of course.

- Best of what? insisted Luther.

- You know... Delores always hated when I drink. She said it made me surly-

- Hey! shouted Diego. I need you to focus. What do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want? We just want to protect you.

- Protect...? glared drunkenly Five. I don't need your protection, Diego. Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? No. I'm the Four frickin' Horsemen. The apocalypse is coming.'

He puked.

Once they arrived at Diego's place, Luther laid Five down on the bed and before Diego could decide where to put you, you suddenly woke up, slightly gasping for air. You immediately jumped out of Diego's arms as you looked around.

'You might want to slow down' said Diego.

'Hold it' you retorted. 'I'm not drunk'

'Then what were you doing there with him?'

'I stumbled upon him.

- You expect us to believe that? asked Luther.

- Uh, yeah?' you said.

You looked at Five and back at the siblings.

'I'll be at the house' you said as you quickly got out before any of them could hold you back.

Once you were back home, you spent hours in your mind, thinking about what Five had told you. Sure, you didn’t like the real world very much but you didn’t want it to end either. There had to be a way to prevent the tragedy.

You spent hours inside, weighing down all the possibilities, thinking about the probability of each event your imagination displayed for you and that could happen in the real world. You had to know how to react, it was the most important thing. And you had to be prepared for all eventualities.

The next day, you went outside around the city to train more. What you had achieved when you froze Hazel's arm was incredible, but it had also deprived you of any energy and made you exhausted. Your body has to hold the consequences of such powers, your mind was capable of great things, you just had to push yourself a little bit more. As you walked around, you tried to find the equilibrium between both worlds you had found during the fight. You had to be able to live simultaneously in both the real and your world. You took in everything around you and replicated it in your mind every minute, every second, every millisecond. For years you had been afraid to use this part of your power because you had paid the cost of it. But now you knew what was coming up, you had to master your mind. You had to be able to replicate the real world exactly without trapping yourself in your own perfect copy.

Something suddenly prevented you from focusing though. You saw the bus stopping and someone with bloody hands, a briefcase and a veteran tattoo come down. You were at the end of the road but could've sworn this was Klaus. He suddenly ran towards the bench next to the bus stop and hammered the briefcase on it. Could it be the briefcase Five had mentioned to you when he told you about his work with the Handler?

He suddenly threw the briefcase away as he screamed. You ran towards the briefcase but it exploded before you could take it. Klaus dropped to the floor as he cried.

You crouched next to him and he didn't even wince. You stroked his arm very gently until he got up and you walked him home.

You gave him water and sat him on the couch as he gasped for air and cried.

'What happened?' you simply asked with a low voice.

He turned his head, slowly, to look at you.

'(y/n)...' he said. 'I remember you...'

If Klaus didn't seem so bad himself, you'd have bursted into tears right now. You couldn't believe he remembered your name. Like all the other Hargreeves, he had probably seen you twice at best.

He looked at you, and saw your eyes turn a bright red. He felt all tension from his body melt, and suddenly warmer, like he wasn't in the living room anymore and like he'd been put in a bed of silk. The sensation didn't last long, your eyes turned back their usual (y/e/c) color but he felt better.

'h- How did you do that...?' he started.

But you hushed him kindly, like a parent would to a beloved child. He slowly started telling you about what happened, but stayed vague. You didn't mind though, you were already glad he had opened up to you. He saw how you could relate to the sadness and despair and loneliness he felt.

After that, you convinced him to go clean himself up and like an obedient child, he went upstairs as you sighed. Time travels really did more harm than good and you were starting to think so did living in your mind.

You went back to your room, proud you had provided some sense of comfort to Klaus using your powers. You could do good things with them, and that's something you never would have imagined before. You got back out of your room, and decided to go wait for Five somewhere in the house. You went upstairs and roamed the corridor slowly until you heard some noise from one of the rooms.

You followed the sound and saw Five writing on the walls with a chalk. You hadn't seen him since he was drunk and you had pushed him again over the gap before he could ask about your powers and weren't sure if he was still mad at you. You stood there, hesitantly as you read what he had written... it looked like a probability map.

'Okay, I think I've got something, Delores. It's tenuous but promising.'

You didn't hear Luther come up so he startled you when he walked past you and got inside the room.

'Who you talkin' to? What is all this?' he asked.

You felt the courage build up inside of you and followed him inside.

'It's a probability map' you said before Five could answer.

Five's head snapped, startled you were here. His brothers had told him you were home but he hadn't found you. He was worried but had to work on his equation. He was glad you were okay.

'Probability of what?' asked Luther.

'Of whose death could save the world' continued Five. 'I've narrowed it down to four.

- Are you saying one of these four people causes the apocalypse?

- No, I'm saying that their death might prevent it.

- Oh...'

You tried to hide your smile. He clearly didn't understand.

'I'm not following' whispered Luther to you.

'Time is fickle, Luther' said Five quickly. 'The slightest alteration in events can lead to massively different outcomes in the time continuum'.

'The butterfly effect' you added.

He didn't say it but he was so glad someone else than Delores could understand.

'So all I have to do is find the people with the greatest probability of impacting the time line, wherever they may be, and kill them' summarized Five.

He got down from the bed to take a book and jotted down some notes in it.

'Milton Greene' read Luther on the wall. 'So who is he, a terrorist or something?'

'I believe he's a gardener' said Five without looking away from his book.

Luther winced.

'You can't be serious... Wait, this is madness, Five. You-'

Five took out a rifle from under his bed.

'Where'd you get that?' asked Luther.

'In Dad's room. I think he used it to shoot a rhinoceros. It's similar to the model I used at work. Nice shoulder fit and highly reliable.'

'But you can't- This guy is just an innocent man!

- It's basic math, explained Five. His death could potentially save the lives of billions. If I did nothing, he'd be dead in four days anyway.'

He did make a point, you thought to yourself.

'The apocalypse won't spare anyone'

'We don't do this kind of thing!

- We are not doing anything. I am.'

'I can't let you go and kill innocent people, no matter how many lives you'll save.

- Well, good luck stopping me'.

Five turned around and looked at you.

'We need to talk' he simply said.

But before he could head out, Luther said:

'You're not going anywhere' said Luther.

'NO!' you shouted as you saw him take Delores and put her outside the window. You knew how much she meant to Five. Well... you didn't know, you had guessed she had been a huge part of his life during the apocalypse, just like the imaginary people who had been with you in your mind all these years.

Five immediately turned around, scared Luther had threatened you but saw Delores and immediately brought his gun up.

'Put... her... down...'

'Put the gun down, you're not killing anyone today. I know she's important to you so don't make me do this. It's either her or the gun. You decide'.

You sighed, baffled at the lack of maturity between these two. Luther suddenly threw her over. Your eyes turned a bright red as you suspended Delores in the air from afar. You didn't need to do it for long though as Five quickly jumped to catch her but Luther saw what you did.

'I thought you could freeze people' he suspiciously said.

Five sat down on the bed as he starred at you too.

'I hate to say this but Luther makes a point. How can you do all these things? You didn't let me ask you this back inside' said Five.

'Inside? What is he talking about?' asked Luther.

Shit, you thought.

— ☽ —

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕 | 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖...

[ladyofscreenshotsmiraboo]

Encanto Au

Why Do You Say The Things That You Say?

Summary: Dolores and Mariano who are envious of Mirabel and Raaj and their baby, resume trying for a little one of their own. Mirabel makes a discovery and Bruno and Veronica....well you'll see.

One warm sunny morning sweet giggles were heard all through out the enchanted house, the sweet giggles of a 1 year old baby boy who just starting walking. "¡Come on, pequeño tigre! Come to Mami."

Delores still sleepy came down stairs too see a wonderful site her prima Mirabel with her boyfriend Raaj and their adorable baby Carlos who was walking to his mother happily.

"Sí Carlos, over to Mamá that's it." Mirabel encouraged Carlos as giggled his way over to her but the baby fell onto his mother's lap making both parents exclaim in worry but Carlos lifted his head and smiled. Mirabel scooped up her son and kissed him on his chubby cheek, Carlos continued to giggle as Raaj gazed lovingly at the child and his mother.

It was a moment that should never be interrupted ever a moment that made the sun shine brighter, a moment that they may be forgotten in a a couple of years but still special. A moment Dolores and Mariano were desperately trying to receive but to no avail.

Delores exhaled considering if she should just go back upstairs and leave the little familia be, uninterrupted and nonchaotic but Camilo came in doing just that.

"¡Good morning familia!"

"Hola Camilo, how was you're morning run?" Mirabel asked as she bounced Carlos in her arms. "Finally lossed some weight Cami?" Raaj said rudely poking unnecessarily at Camilo's weight.

"As a matter of fact yes actually. I've lost 12 pounds and I feel great and productive. Unlike you bumming around Casita all day." Camilo ramped back and it would've have continued if it weren't for Mirabel sending daggers at the both of them.

The impertinent exchange ruined the warm atmosphere so Dolores decided to come down stairs and just like that the moment was gone and the sun didn't shine as bright, it was now just another morning with Raaj around.

The morning progressed and Julieta came down stairs with Agustin who was sporting a broken nose. "What happened Papi?" Mirabel asked not surprised just curious. Agustin nose ached to the point he couldn't talk so Julieta spoke for him.

"Bee got it through the window and in trying to avoid it your father fell flat on his face and broke his nose." Julieta said gently forcing a arepa into her accident prone husband's mouth.

"At least i didn't get stung this time." Agustin happily chewed turning his attention to his babbling grandson Carlos who being held by his father. Dolores was sitting at the table watching Agustin playing with the chubby child, wishing it was her father playing her and Mariano's child instead. Just then Mariano finally came down to the kitchen to greet everyone that was up it was one of those mornings where people could occasionally sleep in.

"Good morning everyone." Mariano said heavy-eyed.

"Good morning Mariano." Everyone replied Julieta turn around from making breakfast to see Dolores and Mariano looking like they didn't get any sleep she walked over to the two of them concerned.

"Are the two of you alright you both look exhausted"

"Juli is right you two look haggard!" Raaj remarked chuckling lightly "Especially you Mariano. What? Was Dolores jackin the jackhammer all night?" Raaj laughed out earning loud and shocked

"RAAJ!" Mirabel shouted make everyone but Raaj flinche. "Baby, what? I was just asking."

"Out! If your gonna be inappropriate find someplace else to eat breakfast." Mirabel said pulling him by the ear and shoo him out.

Dolores and Mariano were bright red, Agustin cringed and Julieta faced palmed wondering where she went wrong in raising Mirabel to make her choose a man like Raaj.

"Alright, Alright. Really trying to make good on that bet huh? Well you're gonna have to work harder!" Raaj yelled at he was out of Castia.

Dolores fuming at this point. "Ugh i can't stand that that Insecure bum i can't wait till I'm pregnant so I can win this bet and throw him out." Dolores never got really mad like that but Raaj really pushed her buttons but then again he pushed everyone's buttons even Julieta the most slow to anger person in the whole world.

"Honestly Mira what do you see in that guy?" Camilo questioned like he wouldn't have made a similar joke like Raaj.

"It's simple." Mirabel said as the family awaited her answer.

"He makes me laugh."

Mirabel laid down on her soft comfortable mattress exhausted. It wasn't like her to take naps especially not since she became a mother, it always made her feel like she missed half of a day. But today while her primo Antonio was watching over Carlos she was gonna nap. But then she heard a voice and then door slam.

"Forget It!" SLAM!

Mirabel jumped out of bed to see what was causing the problem. "Uh oh." Mirabel and Luisa both stood out for their rooms to see Veronica Bruno's girlfriend storming off out of Bruno's tower with a suitcase. Anger filled her eyes, her fists were clenched and Bruno soon walked out of the tower after her.

"Damn not even here two weeks and she's leaving. I guess Abuela was right." Isabela came out of her room looking at the chaos unfold with Luisa and Mirabel.

"That's not nice. I'm sure there's a good reason why she so upset." Luisa said trying to be optimistic to which Isabela replied with "You can't be serious, you know how Veronica is she gets upset over the littlest things!"

"I HEARD THAT!" Veronica yelled from downstairs.

Mirabel and Luisa both shot in opposite directions and Isabela stayed there.

Mirabel made her way to kitchen where she could overhear the shouts of Veronica.

"I knew your mother didn't like me! i knew it, but you lied to me and said that she did." Veronica yelled at full volume.

"I didn't want your feelings to be hurt, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that i love you, so you don't have to leave." Bruno replied trying to be reasonable.

"How can I do that to you Bruno!? I don't want you to have to spend the rest of your life trying to keep the peace between me and your mother. You deserve better. SO I HAVE TO GO!" Veronica tried to storm of but her lazily packed suitcase fell open with all her belongings. She groaned in frustration and Bruno quickly went to help her which she refused. "Why would i 'deserve better' if. I already have the perfect woman?" Bruno said underneath his breath.

[number5theboy]

Please elaborate on how Five could've turned into the most insufferable character to watch

Thanks for asking me to elaborate on this text post:

@tessapercygranger​, @waywardd1​ and @margarita-umbrella​ also wanted to see a more detailed version of it, and I ended up writing an essay that’s longer than some of my actual academic essays. So buckle up.

WHY NUMBER FIVE SHOULD BE THE MOST OBNOXIOUS CHARACTER IN TV HISTORY, AND HOW HE MANAGES NOT TO BE

Number Five: The Concept That Could Go Horribly Wrong

Alright, let’s first look at Five in theory in an overarching way, without taking into account the execution of the show. The basic set-up of the character, of course, is being a 58-year-old consciousness in a teenager’s body, due to a miscalculation in time travel. Right off the bat, Five is bar none the most overpowered of the siblings; by the end of Season 2, no one has yet been able to defeat him in a fight. He is a master assassin – and not just any master assassin, but the best one there is – and a survival expert, able to do complex maths and physics without the aid of a calculator, shown to have knowledge of half a dozen languages, has very developed observational skills and, to top that all off, he can manipulate time and space to the point where he can literally erase events that happened and change the course of history. And Five knows how skilled he is; he is arrogant, self-assured and sarcastic, and his streak of goodness is buried deep inside. David Castañeda once described Five in an interview as 90% chocolate with a cherry in the middle, meaning that you have to get through a lot of darkness and bitterness before knowing there is a good core, and I think it’s an excellent metaphor. However, Five is also incredibly, fundamentally terrible at communicating with anyone, and, because he is the only one with time travel abilities, the character a lot of the actual plot - and the moving forward of it - centres around. Also he’s earnestly in love with a mannequin, who is pretty much a projection of his own consciousness that functions as a coping mechanism for all the trauma he has endured. All in all, this gives you a character who looks like a teenager, but with the smug superiority of a fifty-something, who a) is extremely skilled in many different things, b) has a superiority complex, is arrogant and vocal about it, and most of the superiority is expressed through cutting sarcasm, c) has one very hidden ounce of goodness that he is literally the worst at communicating to other human beings, d) is what moves the plot along but is also bad at talking to anyone else, meaning that the plot largely remains with him, and e) his love interest is essentially a projection of himself. Tell me that’s not a character who is destined to be just…obnoxious, annoying, egocentric, a necessary evil that one has to put up with to get through this show. There are so many elements of this characterisation that can and should easily make Five beyond insufferable, but the show manages to avoid it, and I’m putting this down to three aspects.

That Trick of Age and Appearance

Bluntly put, Five as a character would not work if he was anything else than an old man in a 13-year-old body. Imagine this character and all his skills and knowledge, but actually just…a teenager. Immediately insufferable. Same goes for him being around 30, like his siblings, all of which are stunted and traumatised by their father’s abuse. If Five, being comparatively unscathed by Reginald to the point where he explicitly does not want to be defined by his association with his father, were 30 like his siblings, it would just take the bite out of that plot point and also give him a lot less time in the apocalypse, reducing the impact it had on him as a person. And making Five his actual 58-year-old self would make him very similar to Reginald, at least on surface level, with the appearance and attitude. Five and Reginald are two fundamentally different people, but having one of the siblings being a senior citizen that’s dressed to the nines and bosses his siblings around in a relatively self-centred way does open up that parallel, and would take away from Five’s charm as a character. Because pairing the life experience of a 58-year-old with the appearance of a teenager gives you the best of both worlds. You get the other siblings (and a lot of the audience, from a glance in the tags of my gifsets) feeling protective and paternal about Five, but his age and experience also give the justifications for his many skills, his arrogance, in a way, and his ability to decimate a room full of people. It’s the very interesting and not new concept of someone dangerous with the appearance of something harmless, a child. This is also where Five’s singular outfit comes in. I know we like to clown on Five to get a new outfit, but I think what gets forgotten often is how effective this outfit is at making the viewer take him seriously. The preppy school uniform is the perfect encapsulation of the tension between old man in spirit and young teenager in appearance. The blazer, vest and especially the shirt and tie are quite formal, relatively grown up. They’re not something we, the audience, usually associate with a teenage boy wearing; it makes Five just a little bit more grown up. But there is also a reason characters in this show keep bringing up Five’s shorts and his socks, because those are not things that we associate with grown men wearing; they’re the unmistakably childish part of his school uniform. Take a moment and imagine Five wearing a hoodie or a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers; would that outfit work for him as well as the uniform does? Would he be able to command the same kind of respect or seriousness as a character? I don’t think so; the outfit is a lot more pivotal in making Five believable than a lot of people give it credit for.

Writing Nuance

The other big building block in not making Five incredibly insufferable is the writing. Objectively speaking, I think Five is the most well-written, and, more importantly, most coherently written character on the show (which does have to do with the fact that the show’s events are all sequential for him), and his arc and personality remain relatively intact over the course of the two seasons. More to the point, a giant part of what makes Five bearable as a character is that he is allowed to fail. He is written to have high highs and low lows, big victories through his skills and his intelligence, but also catastrophic failures and the freedom to be wrong. His superior intellect and skillset are not the be-all end-all of the plot or his character, just something that influences both. His inability for communication has not (yet) been used to fabricate a contrived misunderstanding that derails the plot and left all of us seething; instead, it’s a characteristic that makes him fail to reconnect with the people he loves. This is a bit simplified, as he does find common ground with Luther, for example, but in general, a lot of the rift between Five and his siblings is that they can’t relate to his traumas and he does not understand the depth of Reginald’s abuse, which is an interesting conflict worth exploring. Another thing that really works in Five’s favour is that he is definitely written to be mean and sarcastic, but it is never driven to the point of complete unlikability, and a lot of the time, the context makes it understandable why he reacts the way he does. Most of the sarcastic lines he gets are actually funny, that certainly helps, but in general, Five is a good example of a bearable character whose default personality is sharp and relatively cold, because it is balanced out with many moments of vulnerability. Delores is incredibly important for this in the first season, she is the main focus of Five’s humanising moments, and well-written as she totes the line between clearly being a coping mechanism for an extremely traumatised man and still coming across to the viewer as the human contact Five needs her to be. In the second season, the vulnerability is about his guilt for his siblings, it’s about Five connecting a little bit better to them. There’s also his relationship with the Commission and the Handler specifically – which honestly could be an essay on its own – that deserves a mention, because the Handler is why Five became the man he is, and this dynamic between creator and creation is explored in a very interesting way – their scenes are some of the most well-written in the entire show. And TUA never falls into the trap of making Five a hero, he is always morally ambiguous at best, and it just makes for an interesting, multi-faceted character, well-written character, and none of the characteristics that should make him unlikeable are allowed to take centre-stage for long enough to be defining on their own. I know a lot of people especially champion the scenes where Five goes apeshit, but without his more nuanced characterisation, if he was like that all the time, those scenes would not hit as hard.

Aidan Gallagher’s Performance is Underrated

But honestly, none of the above would matter that much if the Umbrella Academy didn’t luck out hard with the casting of Aidan Gallagher. I think what he achieves as an actor in this show is genuinely underappreciated. Like, the first season set out to cast six adults having to deal with various ramifications of childhood trauma, and a literal child that had to be able to act smart and wise beyond his years, seamlessly integrate into a family of adults while seeming like an adult, traumatised by the literal end of the world, AND had to be able to create the romantic chemistry of a thirty-year-long marriage with a lifeless department store doll. The only role I could think of to compare is Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire, where she plays a vampire child who, because she is undead, doesn’t age physically, but does mentally, so she’s 400 in a child’s body. And Kirsten Dunst had to do that for a two-hour movie. Five is a main character in a show that spans 20 episodes now. That’s insane, and it’s a risk. Five is a character that can’t be allowed to go wrong; if you don’t buy Five as a character, the entire first season loses believability. And they found someone who could do that not only convincingly, but also likeably. As I said, he is incredibly helped by the costuming department and the script, but Aidan Gallager’s Five has so much personality, he’s threatening and funny and charming and arrogant and heartbreaking. He has the range to be convincing in the quiet moments where Five’s humanity comes to show and in the moments where Five goes completely off the rails. Most child actors act with other children, but he is the only child in the main cast, and holds his own in scenes with adults not as a child, but as an adult on equal footing with the other adult characters. That’s not something to be taken for granted. But even apart from the fact that it’s a child actor who carries a lot of the plot and the drama of a series for adults, Aidan Gallagher’s portrayal of Five is also just so much fun. The comedic timing is on point, he has the dramatic chops for the serious scenes, the mannerisms and visual ticks add to the character rather than distract from him, and his line deliveries, paired with his physical acting, make Five arrogant and smug but never outright malicious and unlikeable. It’s just some terrific acting that really does justice to the character as he is written, but the writing would not be as strong if it wasn’t delivered and acted out the way Aidan Gallagher does. He is an incredible asset for this show.

Alright, onto concluding this rambling. If you made it this far, I commend you, and thank you for it. The point of all of this is that Five, as a character, could have been an unmitigated disaster of a TV character. He is overpowered, arrogant, uncommunicative and could so easily have been either unconvincing or completely unlikeable, but he turned out to be neither. It’s a combination of choices in the costume department, decisions in the writing room, and Aidan Gallagher’s acting skills that make the things that should make him obnoxious and annoying incredibly entertaining, and I hope you liked my long-winded exploration of these. Some nuance was lost along the way, but if I had not stopped myself, this would’ve become a full-blown thesis.

[because-im-write]

The Beloved Big Sister of 1-7, feat the Beloved Number Five

5/7 1 2 3 4 “Luther was always awkward around X. She was too straight forward for him, his tendency to shy away and take the quick routes out never went well with her. But he used to try... try and be strong like her. In the end if made them closer than any of us thought they would be.” -Vanya

Five knocked on the door to what was once Ben’s room. He made a good guess. X’s sleepy voice came through the door.

‘What?’

‘I’m going out, you’re coming with me,’ he said, leaning on the wall to wait.

There was a muffled groan, a grumble and the sound of movement. Five knew that X wasn’t going to be more than 100 metres away from him at any given time for at least two months after just getting him back.

There was a clump, and curse or three, a sigh, a half-restricted yawn and then the door opened.

‘Where are we going?’ yawned X, forcing her hair into shape absentmindedly with a grouchy hand. She looked about Five’s physical age and he blinked in surprise; it had been a very long time since he’d seen young X. 

‘Ben’s bed is too small for an adult,’ X explained, aging herself up. 

‘Glass eye,’ Five reported, as X eyed the bag slung around his shoulders with no surprise whatsoever. ‘Watching that guy, I don’t trust him.’

She shrugged a shoulder, ‘alright,’ and followed him through the house. ‘Wait,’ she said when she realised Five’s route, ‘we’re not taking that god-awful van in the alley, are we?’

‘Why not?’ Five glared.

‘Well, Klaus is out there dumpster diving for one,’ X yawned, ‘rattling around outside the windows. Also it stinks.’

‘Well what do you suggest?’

‘Take your Dad’s car, he’s not going to miss it.’

Five pulled a face that said he’d like to argue about stealth and needless ostentatious behaviours, giving up before he’d even started and followed her out the front door.

They got in the car and she turned the keys.

Five pulled the bag onto his lap as they drove, unzipping it and pulling out Delores.

X glanced to the side to see what he was doing. ‘How is she?’

‘She’s fine,’ Five sighed lovingly, caressing the bullet holes in the mannequin.

X kept her eyes on the road. ‘If you’re going to keep doing that, I’m dropping you at a hotel.’

Five scoffed and pulled Delores upright to face outside.

Delores apparently said something.

Five laughed. ‘Yeah, she is, isn’t she.’

‘You two aren’t shit talking me, I hope,’ X said distractedly, trying to look around the corner.

‘She said you’re funny,’ Five explained.

‘I’m sure,’ X responded, unconvinced.

‘Yes, I was happy to see her. ... You were right. ... All these years.’ Five sighed.

‘Hey lovebirds,’ X announced, pulling the handbrake up. ‘We’re here.’

They watched the factory in content, peaceful silence, after a while resorting to taking turns watching while the other napped or talked to Delores, or read.

-

The tranquility was disturbed as a back door was opened and the car creaked from the great weight of Number One, pulling himself into the car.

‘What the...’ Five hissed, glaring at the disturbance as he stirred from his thoughts. ‘You shouldn’t be...’ he stared at Luther in disbelief.

X had a similarly bewildered expression.

‘How did you find us?’ Five asked.

‘Uh.’ Luther looked down at his feet.

Klaus emerged, somehow having managed to fit in the space below the back seats.

‘What the...’ X jumped, blinking down at Klaus, beyond impressed.

Klaus sent her a wink and a wave.

‘GET OUT!’ Five groaned, ‘we’re in the middle of something, go away!’

X put a hand to her head.

‘Have you found the man with one eye yet?’ Klaus asked, leaning over X’s chair as he somehow managed to sit beside Luther.

‘W-,’ Luther began.

‘Doesn’t matter, it’s Klaus,’ Five grumbled sternly. ‘What do you want, Luther?’ He glanced back at the factory, antsy.

‘Um, so Grace may have had something to do with Dad’s death,’ Luther announced as if he was on the news.

Five frowned a little but seemed otherwise very unperturbed. X wasn’t far different.

‘So I need you to come back to the Academy. It’s important.’

There were many times, Five reflected, in fact it was most of the time, that Luther’s ratio between brain and brawn was very difficult to deal with. ‘Important,’ he muttered.

‘Why, are we giving Grace a medal?’ X asked lightly.

Klaus clapped his hands at the idea. On the other side of Luther, Ben snickered.

Luther gazed at X in a stupor. ‘X, this is our Dad!’

‘Your Dad,’ she corrected nonchalantly, ‘and so what?’

‘Hey,’ said Klaus suddenly, before Luther could rile up further, ‘did I ever tell you guys about the time I waxed my ass with chocolate pudding?’

‘Yes,’ X replied, tired among the disgusted faces of the others.

‘Why are you still here?’ Luther asked.

‘Wha-’ Klaus flapped, ‘I need an excuse to-,’

‘-we’re trying to have a conversation-,’

‘-I should-,’

‘Luther’s got a point,’ Five interrupted pleasantly, ‘you should get out.’

With more grumbling, Klaus exited. He rounded the car and rapped jazz-like on the driver’s window.

X rolled it down.

‘I’m peckish,’ Klaus whispered in a complaint.

X glanced behind her at the hell Five was in and the storm Luther was creating. Without resisting, she nodded in resignation and got out.

‘Whoa, whoa,’ Five startled, leaving the conversation with Luther immediately, grabbing her arm with a frantic grip. ‘Where are you going?’

X put a hand over his grip, squeezing it reassuringly. She looked into his eyes until the panic left his and she nodded.

Five looked back to Luther so he wouldn’t have to see her moving away.

Klaus linked their arms automatically and skipped her over to the corner shop.

Luther frowned. ‘What’s with you?’

‘What do you mean?’ Five glowered with his impatient grin.

‘I’ve never seen you...’ Luther wisely trailed off as Five’s eyes widened threateningly. He changed tact. ‘You know what your problem is, Five?’

Five nearly rolled his eyes.

        ‘That one?’ X pointed to a chicken 2-minute noodle.

‘Oh, no, no, no,’ Klaus sighed with a gentle sway, ‘it doesn’t taste like chicken at all, it tastes like turkey.’

X nodded thoughtfully. ‘Hmmm,’ she agreed, and put it back.

‘Get the pork, get the pork!’ Klaus said, seeing the flavour behind her.

‘Is it good?’

‘It’s delightful. SHHHHHHH,’ he then hissed at what X presumed was a ghost. ‘By the way, what’s up with Five?’ Klaus sauntered conversationally, twirling a packet of something into the wrong shelf. ‘He seems almost petrified,’ Klaus made a clown-like shocked face, ‘to let you out of his sight.’

‘ You noticed it, too, huh?’ X replied casually with a fond grin at Klaus. ‘It’s certainly more than even I’d expect. I haven’t asked because he’ll tell me when he wants to,’ she stood up with a small groan, ‘and I’m not sure I really want to know.’

      ‘I don’t think I’m better than you, Number One,’ Five said, restrained. ‘I know I am. I’m better than all of you, and you know it, too. Telling yourself otherwise won’t get you anywhere. In fact, the only one of you better than me, is X.’

Luther felt defensive. ‘Oh, so that’s why you barely talk to us after coming back but don’t leave X out of your sight?’

Five opened his mouth to retort but Luther pressed on.

‘X has lived 28 years without you, Five, you can’t be around her forever.’

Five had fully rounded in his seat, two seconds away from punching Luther in his rambling mouth.

        X looked at the piled of food in her arms. ‘Okay, noodles, chips, oranges... anything else?’

‘I could go for an ice-cream. Chocolate?’ He fished in the freezer and got them both an ice-cream, placing them on top of the mess in X’s arms.

‘Uh... dammit. My purse is in the car,’ X realised. She’d been so preoccupied with reassuring Five that she had forgotten to bring her bag.

‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got the backup plan,’ Klaus announced with a grin.

         ‘You always did like to tease me that she liked you better...’ Luther was spiraling into a bout of his usual self pity, staring blankly ahead as he nodded philosophically to himself. ‘I think I know her better than you do, now, though,’ he added thoughtfully, completely missing the pained tension that flashed across his brother’s eyes as he was reminded of all the time he missed and the years he spent aching for his siblings and X.

But he doubted and disregarded Luther’s, really rather un-thoughtful, words without hesitation. If anything, it made him more impatient. In a second Five was leaning closer toward Luther menacingly. ‘I don’t have time for your insecurities, Luther.’ He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him forward with a sharp tug. ‘I didn’t drag myself back in time to deal with this, in fact, I came back here to try and save all of you.’

Luther, eyes rabbit wide at the hold he was in, looked out of the window in a feeble attempt to try and escape Five’s fury in time to hear a hoot and see Klaus pushing X out of the shops, a pile of food in her arms. A security guard was chasing after them.

Five turned around at the sound of X’s voice as she squealed across the road, laughing as together she and Klaus evaded the guard.

‘Hey bitches!’ Klaus yelled at the car.

‘Though I’m beginning to wonder if it was worth it,’ sighed Five, letting go of Luther, who couldn’t see the hidden happiness in the young face as he watched X and Klaus. His eyes hollowed a little when X disappeared somewhere unknown around a corner. ‘I’m busy. I’ll get back when I get back. Right now I’m busy.’

       The guard started to catch up. While they ran, X passed as much of the food as she could to Klaus, dropped the rest, grabbed him by the shoulders and surged down an alley, then onto a street, back around the block and beside the car.

Klaus opened the door and they shuffled themselves inside, scooting over the back seats, now vacated by Luther, and made themselves comfortable. X passed the before startled and now relaxed Five a bag of chips and an orange and peered into whatever already open package Klaus was offering her.

‘Luther went back home,’ Five told them, settling back in his chair to watch the factory.

‘Oh, darn it,’ Klaus cried with an exaggerated sigh. ‘I guess I’ll have to go, too.’ He let out another dramatic sigh and picked out the noodles from the food. ‘I’ll see you later.’ He clambered out of the car again and sauntered away.

‘How was the heist?’ Five asked.

X was throwing the shopping into the front seats. ‘Oh, good. Klaus has been a terrible influence the more the years have gone.’

Five’s head lowered by a fraction and he felt the same regret Luther had brought up in him reappear. He ignored the look Delores gave him.

Then his mood dropped as quickly as it came, washed gently away as X was already clambering back into the driver’s seat to sit beside him.

-

They continued in their weird happy stakeout exchanging stories until they were a lot further caught up with what had happened over their years. 

It was dark and they’d moved their seats back to lie down a little, keeping their eyes lazily on the entrance to the factory. If X wasn’t there, Five would have been a great deal more transfixed, but he found himself quite relaxed. Turns out X was the only one in the family besides Pogo and Grace that knew Luther was a little ape-y, something Five had discovered in the apocalypse. He didn’t bother to ask how she knew, she always knew these kinds of things. 

He sighed. Even though the task he felt on his shoulders like lead was great, he was doing all he could. That would have to do. 

The conversation had quietened while X ate a little more, and Five stared down at the glass eye, still able to picture it in Luther’s dead hand after all this time. He stole a very quick glance at X, keeping his eyes and head low. With the flames still burning he’d found bodies of his siblings, crushed, beaten and broken, seemingly knocked back as they fought. 

He’d found no trace of Ben, the reason for why he later found after finding Vanya’s book and clearing a bit of the rubble to find the white grave, but it had taken him even longer to find X. 

She was strong, and fast, and healed at an incredible speed. She was so strong that even after the torment of finding his family dead, he had some strange persistent hope left in his heart that maybe, just maybe, X had survived. If anyone could have, it was her. 

After two days Five was searching for any more clues or hints in the rubble of the house when he saw a hand buried under a huge mountain of rubble. Telling himself it was just a hand, he’d seen many these days, he gently reached down. It had no warmth. But it felt very familiar. 

Feeling like he wasn’t quite managing to control himself, since half of him wanted to run away and never know, he spent a long time trying to get enough of the large pieces of wall to fall away off the pile. Then he dug out the rest and, not even looking at the body, pulled it by the hand out. Once it was on flat ground, he was knelt beside it with his eyes closed. He took a few deep breaths and forced them open. 

He shut them immediately with a strangled cry and put his head under his arms. 

Diego was a mum’s boy. He’d been raised completely attached to Grace, with her as his guide and source of paternal love. Not that there was a word for it, but Five was a big sister’s boy. Back then, he’d never have admitted it, not even for a second, but if he’d been asked by a stranger on the street who his guardian was, his mind would go to X straight away, and stay there. To Luther and Diego she’d been a harsh but fun older sister, to Vanya, Klaus, Allison and Ben she’d been a mix between the cool aunt type and the big sister. To Five, she was paternal and sisterly. 

And now she lay beside him, body stuck forever in mid-twenties. He hadn’t seen anything properly, just her face, and rocking back and forth a little he gasped for air and looked again, then away as if it had seared his face, cringing and hiding behind his hand. 

He was right. It did take a lot to kill X. Not only had she clearly been thrown across the entire manor, probably blasted through the ceiling, but some sort of shrapnel had flown into her neck, her shirt stained with dried blood, easily litres’ worth. 

In the days after, when he had recovered enough to set about burying them, Five had removed the shrapnel and discovered another piece lodged shallowly at the back of her head. 

‘Well, well,’ X declared suddenly, clapping her hands and resembling Klaus a great deal.

Five sniffled, spooked and looked up. X was watching the man from before, Lance??, exit his work, and get into a car that had pulled up in front of him, looking very suspicious. 

‘It looks like someone needs another little visit,’ X remarked.

Five sniffled again at the sound of her voice and she frowned and turned her attention to him.

He gave her an embarrassed laugh as he wiped his face with his hand and sleeve. ‘I, uh... I just remembered a few things.’

She nearly scoffed at him, her expression telling him exactly what bits of his words she’d easily pick apart. ‘Five.’

‘I found you,’ he managed through a thick gulp. ‘In the apocalypse.’ He settled into his usual glum repertoire whenever he mentioned what he’d seen. ‘You were killed by shrapnel. To the neck and head, and you were blown through the air, the length of the block.’

X’s eyes mellowed and her head tilted slightly as the final piece of information slotted everything into complete understanding. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into her embrace, wrapping him in as much warmth as she could. She rocked gently from side to side to keep herself animated. 

-

Bullets rained through the Umbrella Academy and Allison, Luther and Diego pelted full speed through the mansion. 

‘X?! WHERE THE HELL IS X?! X! WHERE- VANYA, GET OUT OF HERE!’

‘I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON, VANYA, GO!’

‘YEAH, YEAH, GO, FIND X! YOU’LL BE SAFE WITH HER!’

-

Five sighed as he rolled over. He hadn’t slept this well in... well, just under fifty years. The bed was unbelievably comfortable, it was a smell and atmosphere he hadn’t been in since a week before he time traveled, and Delores was beside him again. 

The sound of footsteps stirred his sleep, but didn’t wake him up.

X scratched her head as she walked through her house toward the front door, glancing at the clocks to make sure she wasn’t in a dream and it wasn’t nearly midnight. 

She looked through the peephole and saw Vanya, shivering from the cold and scared. 

Immediately she ripped the door open and Vanya fell in to her arms. ‘X!’

‘Whoa... Vanya...’

X put her arm around Vanya and picked her up, carrying her to the comfiest spot on the couch. Vanya was too tired and shocked to say anything. 

‘These people, they attacked... they attacked the academy - everyone’s fine, but it was scary, I, they told me to run and find you, so I’m, I’m here, to be safe.’

X put a hand on her shoulder and then moved into the kitchen, making Vanya cocoa. ‘Tell me only what you want; I can ask later.’

Vanya swallowed and clasped her hands together. ‘There were two people, I think, with machine guns... I heard gunfire and went down to see if everyone was okay, then, I don’t know, someone attacked me, Luther pulled them off and they yelled at me to run.’

‘Highly trained?’ X asked in a tone that said she didn’t care if Vanya answered or not. 

‘Uh...’ Vanya’s forehead creased. ‘I don’t know. I think so, even Diego had a hard time. I got a message from Allison saying they’re fine but to stay away in case they come back.’ 

‘No wonder they sent you to me.’ X passed her the cocoa. 

Five growled as he was woken and rolled out of one of X’s many spare beds in the large room, stomping out into the living room. ‘Who the hell is here this late-,’ he stopped when he saw Vanya, mouth closing gently. 

Vanya had looked up at the movement 

‘Vanya?’ He moved and sat beside X on the coffee table, leaning closely toward Number 7. 

‘A team of two attacked the Academy,’ X summarised, ‘they’re fine, Vanya’s here to be safe. Highly trained,’ she added in answer to Five’s question before he could ask it.

‘Yeah, that’s probably something to do with me,’ Five muttered solemnly. ‘Vanya. I’m sorry.’

‘No,’ Vanya said, ‘no, it’s okay. I’m fine, just a shock. It’s been a while since anything crazy like that has happened around me. I’ll be fine.’ She took a sip of the cocoa and felt better. 

‘Stay here for the night,’ X said, putting her hand on Vanya’s shoulder again. ‘You know no one gets past me.’

The words made Five squirm a little as he felt a little colder. He shuffled closer to X. She put her other hand on Five’s shoulder. ‘Come on, bed time.’

-

‘That beanie does nothing for him,’ X remarked airily as they watched Lance from afar. Five was beside her as they sat on the edge of the building, watching the street below. It had been very easy to tail him with X surging them from rooftop to rooftop, following the car as it trudged through the dismal traffic like smug birds. 

Lance was returning to his car. Five stretched and stood up, the usual madness springing into his eyes. 

X chewed on a candy happily as she watched Five disappear and reappear in the passenger seat of the car, putting a knife to Lance’s throat. 

       ‘One more thing,’ Five finished as he leaned back into the passenger seats. ‘My sister’s coming, too.’

‘Your...’ Lance frowned. 

The back door opened and X slid into the seats, grinning at Lance lazily. ‘Hi again.’

Lance knew better than to ask questions. He drove. 

     They got the factory and Five marched up the path, then they noticed the smoke pouring from the building. X and Five left lance behind as they broke into a run. X grabbed Five and surged them the rest of the way and around the corner toward the entrance. She let go of him and he felt her already speeding away. He looked at the flames completely engulfing the building. 

‘NO!’ he screamed, reaching into the air where X was an instant before in an attempt to stop her. 

Mid surge, X had seen what he had and she, lightning fast, turned her head as she flew toward the flaming doors. 

The blast wave from the explosion hit Five first, sending him flying back, then he was vaguely aware of X holding him before the heat reached him. 

He landed cushioned by the arms held protectively over him. 

X ducked her head as shrapnel and fire blew behind her and once the explosion had ended she stood up, helping Five stand. 

He checked her head and neck for injuries with a quick scan and then stared, still behind and holding onto one of X’s arms, at the wreckage of the glass eye factory. 

‘... ... ... ... ... ... ... shit!’ he growled eventually and gave up, letting his weight collapse on X as he stared dismally at the smoke. 

@woohoney @i-think-you-are-gr8 @irrelevantyettopicalusername @catvader101 @theamazinghana @livinlifelikeishould @itsintothegreatbeyondstuff @reallysparklychaos @queenmissfit @shadowsndaisies​ @narcissistic-ginger​ @glass-ghost​ @mikariell95​ @clinomanians​ @death-s-embrace​ @garbage-potato​ @sarcasticsweater​  @blueoceans-clearskies

[isnt-it-loverly]

little birdie (5)// five hargreeves

Warnings: very tiny trigger warning for self harm

Summary: When Five lands in the Sparrow Academy, he must convince one of them to help him reset the timeline. 

Word count: 1650ish

Author note: finally done with exams and back to writing! it felt good to write something I wanted to, instead of essays for school. 

part one, part two, part three, part four

Remember when you said The Umbrellas were not that bad, well most of them weren’t. But they were hesitant to welcome you with open arms. Luther stared at you intently, fire and rage seeping from his demeanor. You tried your best to sink into the burlap couch, the fibers itching away at your skin. You had delivered their brother safely, mostly unharmed but at least he was alive.

“Does anyone else think that this is- I don’t know, dangerous? That thing is a killing machine, she could be raiding our minds,” Luther snarled.

“I have to agree with King-Kong, she could be satelliting our location to Dad as we speak,” Diego, you assumed, spoke. 

“That’s not entirely how it works,” you spoke up timidly.

“Oh yeah? Then how come you know everything about Five? Or how about how you tried to kill Klaus? I’m sure you’ve already told your little flock of drones all of our secrets,” Luther yelled. 

“First off,” you started, “I am number five. I’m not the ringmaster, I’m not the leader of the group, and I have the body of a teenager. So let’s assume I hold no power when it comes to my family. I am an object to them. If I was in league with them- believe me, pea brain, you’d be dead.” 

The room fell silent as you raised your voice, and Five gave you an encouraging smirk. He was going to enjoy you putting his egotistical brother in his place. But boy, did his family make your blood boil.

“And another thing, Mr. Age-of-enlightenment, don’t try to use my ability against me. Because I can bet that you will lose every single time. Brain beats brawn, tough guy,” you spat. 

You were in his face now, on your tippy-toes, but still making yourself eye level. You could do it if you wanted to. Take over his mind and make him do unspeakable things, but you decided against it. You needed them to trust you, but more importantly, you needed their help. You took a deep yet shaky breath and backed away from Luther slowly. The anger was suddenly gone and replaced with immense dread. You looked around at your surroundings, they were all staring at you harshly but with fear ever-present on their faces. You knew that all they saw was the beast who stole lives, who knew every secret and thought, the monster who could never be trusted. 

“This was a mistake,” you whispered, tears brimming your eyes. 

“(Y/n), wait,” Five called. You felt him reach out for you but it was too late, you were already out the door. 

You could hear him yelling at his siblings from outside the door. It was strange how much he cared, you’d known him a couple of days- and half of that was fighting with your families. You looked around cautiously, where were you gonna go. You made your way through the old and dusty hallway of the rundown apartment complex. It was a good hiding spot. The other side of town in a secluded and forgotten area, your siblings would never think to look down here. They thought the umbrellas were too egotistical to be smart. The stairwell, you thought, was the only way to rise from rock bottom. You must go up. You run up the stairs as fast as your feet could carry you, hearing the loud boom of your stomps echo off the concrete walls. 

You reached the rooftop in a matter of seconds. The chill of the April air lingered around you. You made your way to the edge, the streets were barren and quiet. There was no one to help you escape from this nightmare you had created. What a mess you had managed to create in less than a week. You peered over the edge trying to find any living being to take over so you could be rid of all these conflicting emotions. 

You were a member of the Sparrow Academy, and yet here you were fraternizing with the enemy. The Umbrellas would never see you as an equal, just as someone who stole their life. Then there was your family, how would you ever come back from this? 

“You really shouldn’t be leaning over the edge like that. You could fall and that would be quite unfortunate for the both of us,” Five’s unempathetic voice pulled you from your thoughts. 

Five carefully grabbed your forearm and pulled you away from the edge. Not that he thought that you’d intentionally hurt yourself, but he was not about to lose someone he cared about. Five thought for a moment, did he care about you? Or were you just an important asset to resetting the timeline? He didn’t have time to sort that out at the moment, he had more important matters to attend to. You looked up at him, the tears made your eyes shine more than they usually did. He didn’t know if it was your power drawing him in or if this was just a moment of weakness. He just couldn’t help himself. He wiped a tear that had managed to escape, though he could tell that you were trying your best to keep them in. 

“They’re a lot, I know, but they’ve been through hell and back. They’re scared. They’ve lost everything, and they see you as Number Five not as (Y/n). A replacement for us. You’re better and far more powerful than any of us,” He explained. 

You liked this version of him. This Five was gentle instead of hostile. You wiped your eyes and nodded, showing him that you understood. 

“I can’t believe I let my temper go, I just- it’s been a hard couple of days. I’ve never disobeyed an order, I’ve always done what my father told me, was always there when Number One needed me. Yet here I am, standing in the presence of my most dreaded enemy,” You explained. 

“I’ve told you, I didn’t ask you to help me,” He remarked coldly. There he was, there was that hardened exterior. There was a silence for a moment before you decided to continue.

“I’ve heard about you my entire life, the boy who could travel between space and time. I used to be afraid of you, how could I possibly compete with someone who could be anywhere they wanted. I used to have nightmares about the day when you and your family would come,” you finished. 

Five cleared his throat with an unreadable expression. You could look into his mind and see what he was thinking, but you did not want to destroy the foundation of trust you had built with him. He placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“Our father really has a special way of sculpting young minds. When we met him in the sixties, I should’ve been more careful...if I had known that’s why he was taking notes at that dinner- I would’ve watched what we said,” Five said solemnly. 

He blamed himself for all this, how could he not. Not only had he managed to ruin his entire family’s life, but he had managed to drag someone as good as you down with it. He thought for a moment about where you would be in his timeline. Maybe you had learned to control your powers, and you had grown into a young woman. Maybe you had a life, a job, a family, a house mortgage to pay. But yet his stupidity had cost you everything. Now you were just as broken as he was. 

“You’re not stupid,” you spoke up. 

Five gave you a quizzical look, and then it dawned on him. 

“You were in my head,” He responded in a monotone voice.

“I couldn’t help it, you blanked out. I had to make sure I didn’t say anything wrong. More importantly I had to make sure you were okay,” You said reaching for his hand. To your surprise, he didn’t pull away, and for that you were thankful. 

“Why do you care?” He asked sharply. It was meant to hurt you, but you’d faced worse than a moody old man. 

“Because you’re my friend. We are friends, right? I mean, I saved your life...twice. You held me while I bled everywhere,” You said with a small yet hopeful smile. 

Five cautiously looked at your hand holding his. He wouldn’t let anyone else do this, he really shouldn’t let you do it. Something about it felt right, your touch was comforting. It was like a breath of fresh air and if he concentrated really hard it almost brought a sense of normalcy. He could imagine that there was no danger and definitely no world in need of saving. It was you, he concluded, it had to be. Somehow you must have been drawing him in, making him feel this way. He hadn’t felt like this since he first saw Delores. This had to be one of your mind tricks, and yet he didn’t care. The feeling was worth having. 

“Yes, I suppose we are friends,” He confirmed. 

That brought a smile to your face. You both liked the sound of that. Five gave your hand a gentle squeeze and you felt your heart melt. Surely this was not the same Five Hargreeves your father had warned you about. You were sure that there was no way you could ever hate him, you just didn’t have it in you. 

“Come on,” Five spoke up, “We better get inside before my siblings think you murdered me.” 

“You know that I’m not always in your head, or anyone’s for that matter. And I’m not a cell phone tower, I can’t satellite your location,” you explained. 

Five gave you a small chuckle, “I know.” 

With that he lead you back into the warm and safe, yet slightly smelly, hallway. Having Five by your side made you feel safe and you knew with him there- you could face anything. 

[checkurwindow]

denial

Book: Open Heart

Warnings: Implied sex

Rating: Teen 

Pairing: Ethan x F!MC

Word count: 1900+

Author’s Note: I’ve kind of written a sequel for this fic and you can find it here! Check out my masterlist while you’re here too!

He knew she was special from the moment he met her. He could see the determination in her eyes, the hope that there was still some good left in the world. She was the only slither of light left in his world, the star guiding him through the darkness.

He was hesitant. He thought that if he told her it would ruin their relationship, or whatever it was that they were, but most importantly it would risk their lives. He had a good career, nobody would bat an eye about him, but he knew that if they came out to the world there’d be whispers about her, and he couldn’t be the one who ruined her career.

But one day, he was watching her. He watched her give her all to save a patient's life and he thought to himself, “I can’t be the one to throw away the love of my life either.”

So he told her. Sure, he was a blubbering mess but he told her what he really felt, how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. That was all it took. Just like that, they were together. They were happy.

She doesn’t think about the times she looked at him and knew right then and there he was the love of her life

“Of course you’re great with kids too,” she rolled her eyes.

He let go of the now 3-year-old little Ethan Hudson’s hand. The two of them had taken their rare day off from work to spend some time with little Ethan, or as she liked to call him, Tad, short for tadpole, the nickname Delores used to call him.

“And that’s a problem?” He raised an eyebrow at her as little Ethan ran off towards the playground in the middle of the park.

“Yeah, now I can’t find anything you aren’t good at,” Ethan’s lips curled up into a small but visible smirk, “do you know exactly how frustrating that is?”

“Oh, I know all about it,” he wrapped his arms around her waist, “I have to deal with that every second I’m around you.”

She threw her head back and laughed, “that was very smooth.”

“I learned from the very best,” he replied as his smirk widened into a grin.

They sat down on a bench in peaceful silence as they watched little Ethan play on the playground with the other kids. He had gotten into some sort of argument with another toddler around his age. They’d been fighting over a sandcastle mould which was really one of them using it and the other snatching it up when no one was watching.

The sun was shining directly over them and it was starting to feel warmer by the second.

“We should take little Ethan to go get ice cream,” she said to him as they watched him wipe sweat off his forehead. She started to get up when he pulled her back down.

“I can’t let you tell him. He already likes you better than me and I refuse to end up just being ‘Ethan’s aunt’s boyfriend,’” he said with playful disgust lacing the last few words.

She teased, “can you really blame him?”

“No, I suppose I can’t,” he said as he stood up and took her hand, leading her to where little Ethan was, “you’re just too perfect like that, Rookie.”

She didn’t think of him anymore

If it weren’t for the cool air or the streams of morning light passing through the ever so slightly opened window, she would have thought of the situation as less of a fairytale dream and more of what it really was—a slow-moving nightmare that would haunt her endlessly

Her heart beat in sync with his breathing as she stared aimlessly at the wall to her side while he slept. Afraid that he’ll leave all too soon, she closed her eyes and slowed her breathing when she felt him stir in bed, meaning that he’d be waking up any second now.

She felt him peel his arm off her side as he sat up in bed, probably looking around at the mess they’d made last night. Her brain told her over and over again to open her eyes, do something, say something, anything to him, but she decided that maybe it was best if he just left right then and there. She didn’t want to put herself through any more pain than she had already been through and knew she’d undoubtedly face soon enough.

Light kisses were trailed down her neck as she felt his weight shift. Why did he do that? Why did he decide to remind her of their anger-fuelled relapse last night that ended with her in his arms, not wanting to be there but not willing to let go?

She felt warm drops of his tears fall onto the base of her neck as he left the last pepper of kisses. It was like he wanted to leave her with something to accompany the scars on her heart that he had caused.

She felt the weight being lifted off her as she felt him leave the bed. She tried to keep her eyes shut as she heard his feet shuffle across the hardwood floor of her bedroom.

But alas, her breaking point was when she heard his belt being picked up off the floor, along with his tie and the rest of his clothes that were strewn across the room, long forgotten in the haze that was the night before.

“Don’t leave me,” she croaked out just as he finished tying the laces of his shoes, “please, Ethan. I’m begging you,” she pleaded desperately.

He looked at her sadly, maybe contemplating whether he wanted to stay or not, if he could bring himself to ruin her, if he wanted to be remembered in her eyes as the man who crushed her heart without a sense of guilt.

He stepped closer to her, standing at the edge of the bed. She looked up at him expectantly but he simply shook his head lightly. Cupping her face with his hands, he leaned down, bringing his lips to meet hers as he kissed her with all the emotions he could muster.

He stepped away, giving her one final longing look, “I’m sorry,” he looked down to his feet, “you have no idea how sorry I am,” his hoarse voice made tears well up at the sides of her eyes, threatening to fall at any given moment.

She couldn’t pull her eyes off him as he walked away no matter how much she wanted to. As the sound of the front door closing echoed through the silent hallway of her apartment, she stared ahead emotionlessly. She looked to her empty bed, the open wound that would never quite heal fully, if at all.

She didn’t cry. She would have welcomed the tears with open arms right then but they just refused to fall, to roll down her face and stain the blankets that once wrapped around the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with.

At that point, anything would be better than the dreadful feeling of emptiness that was stuck at the back of her throat, clawing at her emotions that left when he did.

There was no longer even the slightest trace of Ethan in the entirety of her apartment, no memories of last night's events present except the one that replayed in her mind over and over again.

She doesn’t think about the words she wished could be taken back.

“We’ve all made mistakes, Rookie,” the enchanting nickname she used to love was being twisted against her, and she hated it.

“Don’t compare us, Ethan. I’m nothing like you,” she spat the words out as if they were venom.

“It takes two people to destroy a relationship,” his volume raised a few levels.

“Well, when things get hard I don’t run off to the Amazon for the second time!”

The words struck Ethan like a knife. How did she know he applied to go back? He laughed at himself internally, of course she knew. Everyone was in awe of her, someone would’ve let it slip eventually.

Everything finally made sense, the guilt that had been building up for weeks now finally reached a breaking point when he saw the hurt look on her face.

Any anger he previously had disappeared as she turned away from him, not wanting him to see just how broken she was, how broken he made her. Something in her wanted him to yell at her, to tell her that she was wrong. She knew the truth, but she wanted him to lie to her one last time. It could’ve been good, it would’ve been better.

The denial she wished so hard for never came.

“Will you ever forgive me?” He asked nervously.

She scoffed at his words, “Of course I want to forgive you, you have no idea how much I want to forgive you,” her voice softened, “but I’m scared that if I forgive you, you’ll come back and hurt me deeper than you already have,” she told the truth, then decided that she absolutely hated telling the truth.

He let out a defeated and shaky sigh, “so we’re over then,” he leaned against the counter. She didn’t know it, but if he hadn’t leaned against the counter, he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t have collapsed.

“Yeah. Yeah, we are,” she tried to hide the tears that slipped down her cheeks but he noticed them, he always did. It broke him inside to know that he was the cause of her pain and her tears, and it hurt more to know that there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

“Then I suppose this is goodbye.”

She doesn’t love him, not anymore.

If she had a dollar every time she repeated that same stupid lie to herself, maybe she’d be able to move out of the apartment that, even after so many nights, still felt like him. Maybe she’d even have enough money to move out of the godforsaken city that reminded her of him at every turn,

Even with him being thousands of miles away from her, she still couldn’t escape him. Occasionally, she’d hear the interns admiring everything about Ethan Freaking Ramsey. Just like that, all the tape, glue, and bandages that she tried to patch her heart together with fell apart and she was left to dwell on all the good times they once had.

She told herself that she’d get better. That one day she wouldn’t fall apart at the mere mention of his name. Who knows, maybe one day when he gets back she’d actually be able to hold an entire conversation with him.

Ethan wasn’t a mess like she was, even though she hoped he would be. From what she’d heard, he seemed to be handling the break-up well. The knowledge that he was fine when she wasn’t was another stab in the heart.

Maybe it was all a ruse, she’d hoped that he was putting up a front and was keeping his true feelings at bay with them, just like he had done to her.

But maybe those same friends told him that she was doing fine as well. On all accounts, she looked like she was doing fine. It was only when she locked herself away in her Ethan-free apartment that she could really be honest with herself.

If tissues filled her room, who would know? She was the only one who had to face the unmade bedsheets and piles of unfolded laundry. If anyone asked, she kept her room spotless.

And if she really asked herself, she didn’t love him anymore, she had gotten over him and was ready to go on and venture into the next chapter of her life.

But even she knew those were all lies.

[thewatermelloncat]

Blank Canvas

Summary: Five struggles to deal with life in a timeline that he doesn’t think he belongs in. Not wanting to confide in his siblings enjoying their newfound lives, he turns to self-destructive methods.

Warnings: Self harm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Five was low. Last night he’d slept in his cupboard, the small space enveloping protectively around him. Anything just to make the world around him feel smaller. The wooden floor didn’t bother him, instead it felt familiar after spending nights upon nights on the ground in the apocalypse. The increased darkness didn’t bother him either, it made him feel like he was somewhere else. Somewhere far away, where for the moment nothing mattered, that nothing needed to matter.

The strange thing about it all was that he could spend nights like that then go down stairs to his siblings in the morning like nothing unusual happened. And he wanted to keep it that way. They were so happy having their old lives back in their rightful timeline. Who was he to disturb them with the fact that he felt like he wasn’t supposed to be there?

He wasn’t there the first time the timeline rolled around this point. He was out of place, like a game piece put back in the wrong set. Matching some of the other pieces but not meant to be there all the same.

But he couldn’t tell them how he felt about any of it, that would involve a lot of explaining and sharing of things he didn’t want his siblings to know. Both things that he couldn’t be bothered with. And deep down he knew that in the end he was the only person who would understand what he was going through. So, he shut it all in on himself and threw away the key.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He’d been fundamentally invisible all day, going down in the morning for breakfast before retreating to his room where he stared at the walls for hours on end. Though it was doubtful that anyone else noticed, they all had their own stuff to do, and he was sure no one was keeping tabs on him.

Eventually he’d fallen asleep and woke up curled sideways on his bed, shaking. He didn’t have the powers of Klaus to see the dead, but he knew the spirits of the people he killed followed him everywhere. Plaguing him in his sleep even through to the moments when he is awake. Somehow, they never leave his mind.

He knows his job had never been personal and it was what he had to do to get beck to his family, but the memories of killing stayed with him. For the most part the people deserved to die, but the owners of the flower cart and the child minding their own business playing in the park were exceptions. They stuck with him.

The people who screamed and begged for mercy before the life in their eyes faded out stuck with him. After returning from an assignment he would often hear agents bragging about how long they tortured their targets before their bodies gave out, how loudly they screamed, how they pleaded with them. Five always left the room. He may have been the best in the business, but he was the one who hated it the most.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He can’t remember when the scars started appearing on his arms. He thinks one day he had gotten low in the apocalypse and it had happened on accident, moving past something that had split his skin. The pain had made him take his mind off of things but it hadn’t lasted.

Delores was always critical when he began to do it intentionally, pleading and trying to reason with him that they would become infected. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t. It didn’t matter either way, the pain was good and there were many more ways he could die quicker than by infection.

It was in his later days in the Commission that he started to stop. He guessed it was the prospect of his final calculations finally settling into place, the fact that he would be able to see his family soon. Or what he refused to admit – that he was becoming acclimatised to the frequent killing of people.

When he’d travelled back through time to his siblings, the scars on his arms rewound leaving blank, smooth skin. A blank canvas. Though the deaths still haunted him, he hadn’t had the time to think about punishing himself with the threat of the apocalypse looming closer and closer. But now with two apocalypses having been averted, he had all the time in the world.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There is a knife that he keeps in the draw of his desk. He doesn’t really know why but it sits there under a small stack of books. It had been there since he was a child and he’d never had a thought about using it. Though after waking up to the memories of the child in the park, he brings it out.

Sitting on his bed, both his hands resting on his knees, he hesitates. He knows this isn’t logical and he isn’t afraid to admit to himself that he knows it never has been. But part of him wants to indulge in the old pastime. Just to remember what it feels like.

He’s already punished himself for the child in the park and the owners of the flower cart, and looking down at his unmarked arm he debates whether he really wants to do it again. Then he remembers the conference. The blood dripping from his axe and splattering against the walls and his clothes, marking him as their murderer. He hadn’t punished himself for those.

The fading sunlight shining through his window glints off the knife like it’s trying to hypnotise him into doing something stupid, and he gives in bringing the blade against his forearm.

He inhales at the stinging of his skin. He’d forgotten how satisfying it could be to have some of the pain he inflicted on someone else reflected back at him – no doubt to a much smaller scale, but a reminder of it nonetheless.

Looking down he sees the reddening mark standing out in stark contrast to the fair skin on the rest of his arm. Alike to Öga for Öga written in blood on the pale-tiled floor.

He hadn’t punished himself for Elliot’s death. Unlike the others, he hadn’t caused it but he certainly could have prevented it. Bring the knife back to his arm he blames himself for not having been careful enough.

“Shit!” he whispers out a curse as the blade cuts deeper than he intended for it to. Dropping the knife to the floor a small amount of blood splatters off it onto the wood, camouflaging in with the drops from his arm. With is hand now free he clasps it over the cut.

It isn’t too bad, but it is certainly deeper than intended and he knows he will have to patch it up because the bleeding won’t stop on its own. Luckily, he has a few medical supplies around his room and he gets up to grab them from the box in the cupboard, saving him from wondering through the hallways with a reason he doesn’t want to explain.

Back on his bed he lifts up his hand, ignoring the stick of blood, assessing the damage done. He’s had his fair share of injuries and decides that this one doesn’t need stitches. So, he begins by cleaning up the smeared mess around the wound, wiping the blood off his other hand as well.

With a well-aimed throw, the used cloth lands in the rubbish bin next to the desk, as Luther’s voice rings out from behind his door. “Five, dinner!”

Five bites back a curse at the poor timing but is thankful that his brother doesn’t open the door. “Okay, coming” he calls back hoping that his voice sounds even.

Whether it did or not, he’s relieved when he hears the heavy footsteps fading away. Though he still can’t afford to take much time getting down stairs, or it will raise suspicion.

Quickly he pulls a bandage out of the box and hastily wraps it around his wrist in probably the worst job he’s ever done. Though in fairness, he’s never been this short on time and he can redo it later. After tying it off and tucking the end underneath, he stands from his bed and makes his way down to the kitchen.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It’s not long into dinner that he feels the bandage beginning to slip around his wrist. Maybe he should have spared another minute to wrap it more efficiently, but it’s too late now. So, he deals with it, resting his arm on the table and turning his wrist up against gravity. No need to hide it away just yet and raise suspicion.

So, dinner continues, seeming to be going fine until Five realises he can feel the bandage soaking through. Now taking the opportunity he shifts his arm under the table to rest it against his leg. Thankful that the dark fabric of his blazer should hide the worst of the staining if it were to bleed completely through.

No matter how careful he was being, he shouldn’t have gotten complacent as he reached up to put his knife and fork on his plate after he’d finished eating.

“Is that blood?” Vanya’s voice startles him.

Five freezes but doesn’t dare look down to asses the damage. Quickly suppressing any expression that he knows what she is referring to he stares at her blankly.

“Five, show me your hand.”

As a play of deception, he raises his unharmed left hand to her.

“The other one” Vanya demands.

Biting the bullet Five raises his right hand above the table. Quickly flicking it back to front and hiding it back under before she can get much of a look at it. By this time the rest of their siblings have abandoned all other conversation and are staring at them intently. He doesn’t dare look at any of them, he doesn’t want to be there.

“Give me your hand, Five. I know what I saw” Vanya lowers her gaze at him, her voice turning into a warning tone.

“I’m fine” he says through loosely gritted teeth, trying his best to suppress his anger. Knowing it would only raise more suspicion like an animal acting out when cornered.

“If it’s fine you should have no problem letting her have a look at it” Diego says.

Five rolls his eyes. Figures that Diego would say something as predictable as that to try and prove he is smarter than he actually is.

He was hoping that his siblings would drop the conversation at his lack of response, though after a painstaking silence he realises they are willing to keep waiting until he says something. “S’just a stupid mistake” he mumbles.

To be fair, he isn’t lying. He hadn’t meant to cut himself that deep, and it had also been outright and inexplicably stupid.

After glancing once at all of his siblings staring at him with varying looks of concern, none of which he wanted, he was hit by the realisation that not only did he not want to be there, but he couldn’t be there. So, he decided he wouldn’t be. There was no way he could deal with this now.

He hits his fist down on the table as he pushes his chair out, for no other reason than as a warning for them all to back off, before making for the door.

“Five, it’s okay. Accidents happen” Luther’s voice calls out to him and he wonders why he didn’t just blink out to avoid this situation.

Nonetheless, the words stop him in his tracks and he swallows convulsively.

“It wasn’t an accident” Klaus says weakly as he realises. Staring at Five with more understanding than sympathy.

“Oh my God!” Allison gasps as it all clicks for her. Clasping a hand to her mouth and pushing her chair away from the table in shock. She’d known Five had been through a lot but somehow it had never crossed her mind that he would use self-harm as an outlet.

“Five?” Luther’s voice sounds strained. “Talk to us.”

Something in Five shifts and he realises that no matter what he does or says now his siblings will look at him differently. His time for keeping secrets is over. They will no longer sit by not being able to understand him, to not know what he had gone through.

For once in his life he wishes he could act like the thirteen-year-old that he looks like, to be able to storm out of the room and hide away. But he isn’t thirteen and he knows he owes his family an explanation.

“I can’t have this conversation now” he begins, “and I’m going to be honest and say that it’s because I don’t know what to tell you because I never planned to have it.”

He swallows deeply as the cracks in his armour open.

“But I understand that there are things that you want to know which I have been keeping from you, and in time I will let you know them. I just can’t tell them all to you at once.”

For a long time Five stands in uncomfortable silence, feeling all eyes on him and a trail of blood running down his hand, curling between his fingers to drop on the floor.

None of his siblings know what to say. Never having heard him be so honest, they don’t know how far they can push him. Somehow, they know that there is really only one thing that they can bring up without Five changing his mind and disappearing.

“How long?” Allison asks smally once she finds her voice again. Her eyes not leaving the slow trail of blood tracing down Five’s hand.

“I don’t know” Five begins, his voice sounding tight with his whole mind telling him not to speak. “Sometime in the apocalypse, I guess. On accident.”

Clear that his brother won’t elaborate any further Luther shifts in his chair before asking the most obvious question in the book. “Why?”

Five sighs shakily, closing his eyes.

There are so many reasons why, but then again is there a reason at all? Does something justify marking your body in such a way if everything is temporary? There are so many answers.

Five can’t pick one and his body turns to leave before his loyalty to his family commands him to stay and he reluctantly turns back.

His siblings can see that the conversation is hard for him, and they shift uncomfortably in their seats wanting more than anything to bring him over to them. Though they know if they move toward him, they’ll spook him and he’ll disappear.

“I take it back, that was badly worded” Luther backtracks before rephrasing. “What makes you think about doing it?”

Five feels a shiver run down his body. Regardless of his family already knowing about his stint as an assassin, he doesn’t want to explain it in more detail just yet and he shakes his head.

“Okay” Luther nods to him. “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain now.”

Five’s shoulders relax a little and he shifts further around to face his siblings directly.

“How often?” Vanya asks, her voice small like she doesn’t want to know the answer.

“I can’t remember… but I stopped nearing the end of my time at the Commission. This is the first time in a while” Five’s siblings seem to relax slightly as he is able to give them more of a detailed answer.

“What can we do?” Allison leans forward in her chair and for a second Five is scared that she’s going to move toward him.

“Nothing” he says. It should have been expected that they would all look at him with varying levels of disparity, but it still irritates him. “Look, I know it’s stupid and I know I shouldn’t do it! But it’s not as simple as that” Five lowers his voice in a sigh, his arms tensing then relaxing at his sides.

“No one said it was simple, buddy” Klaus murmurs quietly.

“I thought I was over it” Five’s voice cracks as a single tear rolls down his cheek and he immediately brushes it away. He sniffs frustratedly as he drops his hand, looking away from everyone. “And I never meant to go that deep… like I said, it was a stupid mistake.”

There is a long silence but this time it isn’t painful. It’s clear that Five isn’t able to handle more interrogation so they decide to shelve it for another day.

“Do you want one of us to have a look at it?” Allison asks.

Five shakes his head.

“But if you said it went deeper than” – Five cuts her off.

“It’s fine, it doesn’t need stitches.”

“Okay” she says quietly as she gives in.

Sensing the conversation drawing to a close Five shuffles impatiently on his feet.

“Just – Five” Vanya calls out to him before he can disappear, breathing out a sigh of relief when he stays. “If you ever get low like that, can you promise that you’ll come to one of us instead.”

Her words take on a tone of pleading and he knows the sentiment is reflected on behalf of everyone. He swallows thickly and looks away, unable to meet their eyes as he tells them, “I can’t.”

[simshousewindsor]

HOUSE OF THE FALLEN

[Hardy Manor, Newsoms 1:01 PM WST]

Delores Bryant [Private Secretary]: What do you think, Your Majesty?

Rowena, Queen Mother: (hesitant) It's.. It's a lovely property.

Delores [P.S.]: Be honest.

Rowena, Queen Mother: It has enough rooms. It's just... the art... it's going to need a lot of updating!

Delores [P.S.]: Well, the manor has been vacant for about 107 years, ma'am. At such a discount, the Hardy noble family seems eager to sell it.

Rowena, Queen Mother: (somber) I don't understand why I can't just stay at Highpark House. I hate the other vacant royal residences. I wasn't expecting to use all the money George left me to now buy and remodel a home.

(cell phone rings)

Rowena, Queen Mother: (to caller) "Hello?"

??: Your Majesty?

Rowena, Queen Mother: "Yes? Who is this?"

Mother LaKisha [Nun]: "This is Mother LaKisha from Saint LeSun Convent. You gave us your private number for emergencies. It's your mother. She's dying."

Rowena, Queen Mother: (gasps) Oh no! I'm on my way!

- - - - - LATER - - - - -

[Buckingsim Palace, Buckingsimshire 1:39 PM WST]

Alfred Culpepper [Estate Manager]: Good afternoon, Your Majesty.

Rowena, Queen Mother: Hello, Alfred. I'm here to see the Queen.

Alfred [E.M.]: Of course, ma'am.

[Aide #2]: and these are the urgent patronages needing new royal leadership, since your ascension.

[Aide #3]: Many of which, we believe, the Earl and Countess of Boykins would be a great fit for.

Queen Katherine: These are the patronages listed here?

[Aide #3]: Yes, Your Majesty.

Martin Lavelle [Private Secretary]: (whispers) Pardon me, ma'am. The Queen Mother is here to see you. She says it's urgent.

Queen Katherine: (stands) Stay seated! I'd like to see a few of those patronages given to the new Duke and Duchess of Hastings. Take some time to rearrange the list. I'll be right back to discuss.

[All]: Your Majesty.

(Queen Katherine exits)

[The Queen's Library, 1:52 PM WST]

Queen Katherine: (confused) Mom? Is everything okay?

Queen Katherine: What's so urgent you pulled me from a meeting?

Rowena, Queen Mother: Oh, darling! It's granny Niema! She's dying! Mother LaKisha called me while I was out looking at Hardy Manor.

Queen Katherine: Granny Niema! Are you okay? Oh, mommy!

Rowena, Queen Mother: I knew this day would come. I'm happy she was able to tell her story while her memory remained. She's the last of her family, the last of the House of Zulu. I'd like to borrow the helicopter to fly to Forgotten Hollow. Your approval is needed for its use.

Queen Katherine: Never be afraid to ask to use the royal fleets. You are still a Queen.

Rowena, Queen Mother: ...with no place to live.

Queen Katherine: Oh! Royal Lodge. I'm sorry, mommy. Let's talk when you return.

Queen Katherine: (stands) How quickly would you like to leave? Usage approved! I can clear my schedule and go with you, if you'd like.

Rowena, Queen Mother: No, Lady Sonja will go with me. Plus, I know how excited you are about attending Royal Ascot tomorrow. Duty first!

Queen Katherine: I will have the flight plans requested with a departure time of 3 o'clock. I love you, mommy! Give grandma Niema my love.

Rowena, Queen Mother: (somber) Thank you. I love you too.

Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Consort Redemption (story)

Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Heir Ascent (story)

[trashytoastboi]

Hi Toast! If you don’t mind can I please ask for Hc’s where Haruta finds out his fem s/o is the bassist for a classic rock band/ hair band.

Heyya!🍀 sure thing! I went to reread every chapter that had Haruta in it so I could get a better idea of his personality so I hope its alright. Hope you enjoy~

(Female Pronouns)

Headcanons: Haruta x F! S/O – Discovering she is the bassist for a classic rock band.

Haruta

😋It wasn't hard to see that {Name} was a big fan and lover of music, considering how she usually knew the word to every song. Would instantly light up when she heard something that piqued her interest and Haruta always admired the way she gets fired up with an evident passion.

😋Haruta always picked up that there were times when {Name} couldn’t meet, just telling him that she was busy with something, though never really delving into the specifics of what she was busy with.

😋Haruta had a bit of a surprise for {Name}, he recently procured tickets for a concert, to a band he thought his partner might have loved, considering it was definitely her type of music. Haruta did feel a little disappointed that she wasn't able to go with him, but at the very least he decided to go alone and see if it they were as good as their reputation suggested. If so, Haruta would definitely make an effort to get {Name} to the show.

😋After wrestling through the crowds and finding a good place, he waits eagerly for the band to begin, the members walk up on to stage and his excitement grows. The band in style and sound were remnant of the classic rock era, a throwback to the early days of the movement and genre which is why Haruta thought {Name} would appreciate it.

😋Of course...he didn't expect to actually see {Name} on stage. She was the bassist, styled and looking like a classic rockstar, her looks and attire were definitely inspired between a mixture of Joan Jett and Delores O'Riordan. Haruta's mouth was hanging wide open as he watched her taking her spot on stage before the music started.

😋He was loving her performance, place and time were forgotten as he was so smitten just with her, more so than he already was. Watching the way she lost herself in the music was such a gorgeous sight.

😋Suddenly all of her absences made sense, this is what she was busy with, Haruta did wonder as to why she never said anything. Whatever her reasoning it was a little secret he found out and he was definitely going to support her.

😋Totally not standing around like a stalker, Haruta called {Name} to tell her he was there to pick her up and she was so surprised she nearly had a heart attack. When she saw Haruta, asking what he was doing there and Haruta explained the interesting turn of events and {Name} was actually just too complimented by the fact he was thinking of her.

😋Though {Name} also wondered as to how he didn't realize it earlier then realized she was forgetting to add the important details of show and band practice into the mix.

😋Besides the fact that Haruta now showed up at every single show, she was would occasionally serenade him with some new bass line she learnt and was proud of sharing, having him to be the first one to hear.

[five-hxrgreeves]

I Won’t Back Down - Five Hargreeves x OC

Word Count: 3,597

You can stand me up at the gates of hell But I won't back down I'm gonna stand my ground Won't be turned around And I'll keep this world from dragging me down

1 | 2 |

Pt. 1- 10 Days Until Apocalypse I, 2019

Lola Gimbel was a very peculiar child and it wasn’t because she was one of the forty-three children born on that fateful day in 1989. Instead, she was strange because at the ripe young age of fifteen, she had already started her autobiography. It wasn’t that she was famous and needed her life written down, or that she was planning on dying anytime soon; on the contrary, she planned to live a long and fruitful life.

(One must be careful with what they wish for.)

Instead, her inspiration came from an eleven-year-old girl who’d lived over seventy years ago in a fictional work called The Book Thief. Lola admired Liesel’s perseverance and survival skills during war-torn times and the romantic part of her wanted someone like Rudy to stay by her side. This created the urge to pen down her own life story, first by asking her family members about the early years beyond memory until she could rely on her own.

Then, she spent many, many nights hidden in her basement writing by the aid of flickering candlelight. Of course, she didn’t need to use such old-fashioned ways, but the atmosphere helped set the mood and was a replica of how her book-hero wrote. Unfortunately, Lola didn’t think she had anything interesting to write even in the two and a half notebooks and counting. So far, she had:

My name is Lola Gimbel and I was born August 1, 2004. My family consists of my mother, Diana Gimbel, my father, Edmund Gimbel and my uncle, Edward Gimbel. I go to the local public high school in downtown Toronto, Canada. My father and uncle own a department store downtown called Gimbel’s Brothers. (An original name, I know. Don’t tell them I said that.) This is where I spend most of my free time after school. My mother works long hours as a nurse and apparently, I can’t be trusted enough to stay home alone after burning eggs one morning.

I’m getting ahead of myself; I was born in Toronto General Hospital at 9:15 a.m. According to my birth certificate, I weighed five pounds, five ounces. Tiny, I know! My mother was in labor for almost nine hours and when I finally arrived, she named me Delores. I hate my name because it sounds so old fashioned and it means sadness. I’d like to think I was a gift to my parents, but maybe not? and I know they love me, so instead of telling them that, I call myself Lola, which is better. It’s still a derivative of Delores, after all. As for appearances, I have shoulder-length brown hair with mid-length bangs and blue eyes.

The writing continued on for pages and pages, detailing everything she could- and couldn’t-remember from her life. There was one thing that she did not include, however, as it would give her parents a heart attack: the mansion the next block over, home of the long-forgotten Umbrella Academy, housed the biggest library she’d ever seen, and she stole books from it.

Three Years Ago

It had really been a coincidence that she’d taken any interest in the building at all. While it was the biggest thing in the city practically, the old man who lived there was an eccentric recluse who never left the house. And, despite it’s past grandeur, the once-grand entrance had faded with time and memory. Even those who’d grown up in the golden years of The Umbrella Academy had let their passions for the group of crime-fighting children go by the wayside as they grew up, leaving the large house to sit without audience for years on end.

Still, that didn’t stop some interested passers-by from peering in occasionally and Lola was among them. One night, she’d been passing by on her way home from a late-night walk and had travelled by the house on her way home. She’d passed by the house hundreds of times before, but that night she’d seen something. Or, someone. A slightly stooped figure had lingered in the window until they’d sensed they were being watched and had disappeared.

Since then, curiosity had plagued her to go check it out. Maybe, just maybe, she’d have something interesting to add to her life’s story. Her mother would cluck her tongue and say curiosity killed the cat, but her Uncle Edward would wink at her and chime in with but satisfaction brought it back. So the next night, Lola didn’t hide in the basement. Instead, she donned all-black clothes and crept to the house.

She’d never broken in anywhere but she had an inventive, quick mind and could almost always come up with a solution. The first-floor windows and doors had been locked and secure but after a few, terrifying minutes of climbing- luckily, the old stone had great places to cling on to- she’d reached the second level. Despite the ache in her fingers from grasping the side of the building, Lola had pressed on, hoping for luck, which arrived in the form of a second-story window being unlocked.

The brunette pushed it open carefully and dropped in, keeping low. A young girl would hardly trigger any alarms, but she wanted to be cautious anyway. The room she’d landed in was dark and with only the faint filter of light from the street lamps, she made her way into the hallway. A part of her hoped to find the figure she’d seen, but the other part- the larger part- hoped she wouldn’t meet anyone.

Despite the age of the house, the floorboards were in excellent condition and made no sound as she walked down the hallway. After trying a few doors to find them all barred, Lola hesitated at the back staircase. She should really stay on the floor with the escape, but something was encouraging her exploration upward, so she climbed.

There, at the end of the hallway, stood two large, double doors. Her anticipation heightened and it took everything in her not to sprint towards them. Instead, Lola continued at the same pace and, with bated breath, tried the handle. To her surprise, the door swung open immediately. The room was dark but her eyes had gotten used to the lack of light by now and she could make out towering, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. She gave a squeak of excitement. Books! Now she could really be like Liesel Meminger!

Sure, there were libraries, but this was so much better. Her feet moved quickly, closing the distance between the door and the books. She ran her hands enthusiastically along the spines of the volumes, unable to read their titles due to the dim light. Which one should she take first?

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Someone was outside the door. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but the air suddenly felt… charged.

Quickly, she pulled one volume off the shelf and close to her chest. At the same time, a shadow appeared in the open crack of the door.

Oh no, oh no, oh no- Lola shook her head furiously, clutching the book. Panicking wouldn’t help. The room was dark enough that whoever it was probably hadn’t seen her, so she could still get away. Her eyes darted around the mostly open space.

There was a couch with side tables, a working desk, library nick-nacks and- aha! she thought triumphantly, soundlessly making her way to the window.

The figure in the door entered the room, peering cautiously around before backing out again, closing the door with a sharp click!

Lola, from her hiding place in the curtain, let out a relieved breath. She took this as her queue to leave, exiting with her prize out the same window she’d come in. While she was triumphant in her first heist, her mind was whirring. The figure had been obscured by darkness, but the outline had been clearer than when she’d seen them in the window- that, she was sure of- and it seemed like the person wasn’t actually a person at all, but a- monkey.

9 Days Until Apocalypse I, 2019

After school hours usually found Lola en route to her father’s department store where she would spend time until closing working on homework or hanging out with the staff that was on break. While the back room wasn’t the most ideal place for studying, she’d become used to the constant comings and goings and the noise that came with the workers.

Now, she was sitting at a table in the cluttered space at the back of the store working on her math homework while the daily news played on a small, old-fashioned TV hung up in the corner of the large room. Three of the staff members, Sam, Eric and Brittany were sitting at the table with her. The first of the workers’ attention was fixed on the small TV while the second two where scrolling through an app on their phones looking as bored as Lola felt as she completed her assignment.

With a loud sigh, she looked up at the trio hopefully, “do you guys want to see a magic trick?”

Brittany rolled her dark eyes, “what, are you gonna pull a quarter from my ear?”

Lola grinned, “nope!” she said cheerfully, shifting slightly in her seat to pull out a deck of cards from the back pocket of her jeans.

Sam huffed, “are you going to do the ‘pick a card, any card?’ schtick?”

“You guys have no faith in me,” the brunette complained, pulling the cards from the container and proceeding to shuffle them, “I’ve been practicing.”

Eric sighed, “fine, I’ll bite. Hold ‘em out.”

Discreetly, the brunette flipped the bottom card of the deck over and then fanned them out to the other teen, careful not to let the different card show, “alright, pick a card, any card,” she said this part sarcastically with an eye roll towards Sam.

The blonde boy reached forward and pulled out the card he wanted.

“Show it to everyone but not me,” she commanded, “make sure you remember it.”

“Aye aye, Cap,” Eric said, flipping the card to reveal his choice.

While he did so, she flipped the deck casually in her hands, feigning nonchalance. She took it back from him, placing it carefully in the middle of the deck, “now, I’m going to find your card without looking.”

Lola hid the deck behind her back, flipping the top card over. At this point, even Brittany had put away her phone to watch. She revealed them again showing a face-up deck and carefully shuffled through the cards to reach the only face-down card.

Flipping it over, she showed the eight of hearts, “is this your card?”

Eric let out a low whistle, “well, I’ll be damned. You have been practicing.”

The dark-haired girl beamed happily, pleased that she’d pulled it off. The first time she’d tried this with her uncle, she’d accidentally revealed the workings of the trick as the deck slipped out of her hands.

“That’s definitely better than a quarter,” Brittany said begrudgingly.

Before anyone else could say something though, the jingle of the breaking news broke through the work room.

“This just in! Moments ago, police reported the death of the eccentric billionaire, Reginald Hargreeves. More on this story after the break.”

Sam’s head snapped towards the TV, “Hargreeves- that name sounds familiar.”

“That’s because he ran that Umbrella thing, idiot,” Brittany said with an eye roll, “they were all the rage during the early 2000s. My brother went nuts over them.”

“The Umbrella thing?” Lola questioned, curious.

“Oh yeah,” the older girl said, “there was this group of crime-fighting children that was run by Hargreeves. They became famous after stopping a bank robbery but they went downhill after one of their members went missing. Tommy was heartbroken.”

“Went missing?” Lola asked, “as in kidnapped?”

Brittany shrugged, “no one knows what happened to him. Hargreeves isn’t exactly an open book, either. There were several unsolved documentaries but they flopped since there’s not a ton of information. You can look it up if you wanna to know more. Personally, I was more of a Disney fan.”

“Of course you were,” Sam said in amusement.

The dark-haired girl glared at him, “what’s that supposed to mean, moron?”

The blue-eyed boy shrugged, “just that it’s a girly thing.”

Lola rolled her eyes as Brittany shot something back at the boy, tuning them out as the attention shifted away from her. She made a mental note to research The Umbrella thing, as the other girl had said. Standing, she stretched and made her way into the main area of the store to take a break.

Despite all the time she spent in here, Lola didn’t think she’d ever tire of looking at the constant rotation of styles and colors. Her favorite thing to do was run her hands along the racks, feeling the shifts between soft, scratchy, wooly and a hundred other different cloths.

Her favorite section was the formal wear for the vast amount of sparkly dresses that her father decided to sell. She particularly liked the sequins because of the shine they gave off and the unique texture that passed under her fingertips. While she wouldn’t necessarily consider herself a girly-girl, she did appreciate a nice dress and the occasional accessory, even owning-and wearing- an assortment of hats and dressy items containing her favorite material.

This was the section she made her way over to now, immediately reaching her hand out to touch the slightly-rough, slightly-smooth fabric of a long, strapless dress covered in a layer of silver-and-gold sequins.

She jumped when a gentle, warm hand came to rest on her shoulder, “hey, Sequins.”

Lola rolled her eyes, “Uncle Ed, I thought I told you I hated that nickname?”

Her uncle smiled goofily at her, “what, I can’t call you something that you love?”

She huffed, “it’s dumb.”

“That’s what your mother said when you wanted to go by Lola but you did it anyway.”

“Ouch, I think I need ointment for that burn.”

The man laughed loudly, attracting some stares from other customers. They both ignored it, Lola being used to her uncle’s easy, hearty laughter, “I thought she was going to have a conniption when you told her.”

Lola’s face warmed, “are you ever going to let me live that down?”

He gave her a bright smile, “no way, Dolores.”

The brunette gave him a half-irritated, half-playful glare, “please, Uncle Ed.”

8 Days Until Apocalypse I, 2019

That evening before dinner, Lola sat herself down at the computer in her room and typed in the first part of a search inquiry: The Umbrella and then Google helpfully suggested the rest: Academy.

Clicking on the first result, her blue eyes widened in shock as an image appeared on the screen. The building she stole books from almost every night was home to heroes. Good god, what if she’d been caught? She would be dead for sure. She thanked her lucky stars that she’d only met the slightly-stooped figure a handful of times and had never spoken to anyone.

She scrolled further down to read about The Umbrella Academy.

On October 1, 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth simultaneously, despite none of them showing any sign of pregnancy until labor began. Seven of the children are adopted by eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves and turned into a superhero team that he calls "The Umbrella Academy." Hargreeves gives the children numbers rather than names, but the public gives them codenames. Spaceboy, Kraken, Rumor, Séance, The Boy and Horror. While putting six of his children to work fighting crime, Reginald keeps the seventh apart from her siblings' activities, as she supposedly demonstrates no powers of her own.

Intrigued, she clicked on a few more links that showed poor-quality pictures of six kids in domino masks and black uniforms after complete missions. Sometimes they’re covered in blood, sometimes they’re not. The group visibly diminishes in number after 2002, a few years before she was born. Then, when they’re in their teens, it shrinks again before all articles about the group cease to exist.

Frowning, Lola then typed in Reginald Hargreeves. There are, unsurprisingly, few articles about the man himself. There were a few about his notable achievements including his knighting and entrepreneurship but most involved The Umbrella Academy. There was even audio recording of one of the few interviews he’d done, showing the man standing outside of a bank as he introduced the group to the world.

“Our world is changing. Has changed. There are some among us gifted with abilities far beyond the ordinary. I have adopted six such children. I give you the inaugural class of The Umbrella Academy!”

Abilities beyond the extraordinary? Lola thought, weren’t they just regular crime-fighting children? She snorted at that. There was no such thing as regular crime-fighting children. She entered her next search: Umbrella Academy superpowers.

Many articles were speculations of the full extent of the powers the children possessed, what-if questions and potential side effects or results of their use. She did learn, though, that the six powers were as followed: super strength, super accuracy, altering reality, ghost summoning, teleportation and time travel and summoning inter-dimensional beings. Lola could barely believe what she was reading. Children like this existed? And here she was, writing down her autobiography like she was someone important!

She shook her head, forcing her jealousy to dissolve. The media tended to sugarcoat everything; these kids probably didn’t have a very fun life if they were constantly on the job. And besides, of course she was important, she had time to do something noteworthy. Still, it felt like she’d entered an alternate universe and couldn’t believe she hadn’t been aware people with super powers even existed.

A part of her wanted to stop searching then and there with how muddled her mind was currently feeling but an almost morbid curiosity forced her to continue. As her final search of the night, she typed in The Boy disappearance.

Here, even less credible evidence popped up and she sifted through what she found until she had enough of a framework for a story. Apparently, he disappeared on November 10th, 2002 and his adoptive father proclaimed him dead. There were several conspiracy theories but nothing concrete, causing her to eventually give up on finding information. There was more to be found on the other siblings, she knew, but her curiosity had been satiated and she had other things to do tonight.

Standing from her desk, she went to her bedside table and opened the drawer, pulling out the two hardcover books she’d hidden in there. Tonight, she’d return them to The Umbrella Academy’s library- that was hard to believe- and get two more. Placing them in her bag, she wondered about the lack of security for such an at-risk family, but she’d seen pictures of Hargreeves; he was old, and despite being incredibly smart, he probably had difficulty with technology like any older person. It wouldn’t matter much now that he was dead, though.

Turning her feet towards the door to head downstairs for dinner, she wondered if the stooped figure she’d seen had been Hargreeves before quickly discarding the thought. While the man had appeared old, he’d always stood straight and proud, never bent with age.

During dinner, she let her parents and uncle talk around her while she puzzled over the mysterious Umbrella Academy. They seemed to have a fairly large fanbase in their youth, but all information on them was practically made up or guessed. Lola had always liked puzzles.

Finally, towards the end of dinner, she broke her silence, “mom?”

Diana turned towards her daughter, pushing back her short, brown hair behind her ear, “yes, Dolores?”

The younger girl winced. Her mother insisted on using her formal name, “do you know anything about The Umbrella Academy?”

Now she had both of her parent’s attention as Edmund cut off the conversation with his brother, “The Umbrella Academy?”

Lola nodded, “the superhero children of Reginald Hargreeves?”

Her mother shook her head, “a bit after my time, dear.”

The brunette girl rolled her eyes, “you’re not that old, Mom.”

Diana shot her a look, “I never said I was old, just that I didn’t know them.”

She grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms and pouting. She’d only been trying to give a compliment. Unfortunately, the dark-haired woman leaned over and gave her daughter a firm smack on the back of her head, “don’t grumble, Dolores. You sound like a caveman.”

There was just no winning with her. Thankfully, her Uncle Edmund came to the rescue by changing the subject, “any progress on your autobiography, Sequins?” he asked with an amused twinkle in his hazel eyes.

The brunette sighed and uncrossed her arms, using one of her hands to push her hair away from her face, “I don’t know what’s even the point anymore,” she complained, “especially with super-powered kids who are more interesting than me.”

Her father gave her a fond look, “you’re just as important as they are, don’t think that you’re not. And besides, this Umbrella talk reminds me- one of the children of the Academy published an autobiography a few years back, you might want to take a look at it.”

She shot him a surprised look, “really? Exposing superhero secrets?”

He shrugged, “I’m not sure of the extent of what’s written, but it’s probably worth taking a look, right?”

She chewed her lip in thought for a moment before nodding, “okay, thanks Dad.”