westwhere | I'm not scared of anything

[Allison raises an eyebrow at the situation, and it doesn't take much to realize that Five is on edge. She just isn't sure why, if it's residual from their earlier conversation on the boats, or if it's something different. With Five it's hard to tell.

Still, she does as he asks and sits in the chair, crossing one leg over the other.]

And what's that?

[ Five half-expected her not to listen, so he offers a nod of acknowledgment for giving her full attention. Now that he has it, it's harder to know where to start. His thoughts have been erratic since speaking with Wrath, and he makes an effort to put them in order and not immediately fly off the handle. ]

I had an interesting conversation. [ Nope, still angry. He takes a breath, but it doesn't really help. ] Apparently you've been keeping our friends up to date. Were you going to wait to tell me until someone fessed up to it? What was your plan if they did the same thing to you?

[She raises an eyebrow at that, because she knows exactly what he's talking about. But given that she was clear that she was going to go looking for answers, she's not exactly sure what part of this was behind his back.]

I told Emilia and Wrath. I didn't think either of them were stupid enough to go messing around with your memory.

[ He narrows his eyes, trying to decide if she's telling the truth. He still wonders if Emilia knew before, when he had thought she connected the dots herself, or if what happened just made it easier for her to put together what Allison told her. ]

You assumed it was someone. If you thought they were a part of the group, you should have come to me. [ Instead of letting him think he screwed himself up worse with a mirror. ]

Don't you think there's a reason I don't go around asking about it?

I didn't think they were part of the group, actually. Since it happened in Taravast and we were all up in the political bullshit there, I thought it might have been someone else trying to fuck with you. Wrath spent time with the necromancers, and Emilia knows magic.

[They were strategic choices, and people that she trusted not to run their mouthes to the wrong people.]

In fact, it wasn't until I talked to Wrath that I got the idea that it might have been someone trying to protect you, in their own misguided way, rather than hurt you.

[ The audacity of that statement hits hard enough to throw him off his train of thought. There are all kinds of implications to that statement that he really doesn't need to hear, and he loses the firmly-held grip on his temper. ]

Is that what you think? [ There's accusation in that tone, like she's still not telling him everything. ]

I was attacked. Either I saw something I shouldn't have, or they thought they could take me down. [ And, as much as he hates to admit it, they succeeded. Until now. ] That doesn't matter. All I need from you is help finding them. You. No one else needs to hear about this, alright?

Alright.

[She holds up her hands in a gesture of surrender. If he wants to believe he's attacked and miss a completely valid avenue of investigation then fine.]

No one else that hasn't already heard about it will know.

[ Five deflates slightly when she attempts to appease him. If she was more aware of what he's suspecting, she'd understand why he's angry, but he never told her about everyone he was involved with and what they'd done to him in the past. He's been circling around the same thought since he spoke to Wrath. There aren't that many people who know what he's capable of and would go through those lengths to stop him.

Huffing out a breath, he nods. Now that he's made that clear, he runs a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm down. Once he fixes this, it won't make a difference who knew. ]

Your memory is what's important here. I need to know more about the last time you saw our siblings. Where were they, what was going on. How long before you saw me again.

[ He's reluctant to give her a name and explain his theory. It makes sense, but it also gives him very little options. First he needs to pinpoint exactly when it happened. ]

...I might have an idea, but you know what happens when I try to remember.

[Allison pauses and rubs her forehead trying to figure out what the right answer to that is.]

That's hard to say. Klaus and Vanya were on your side of the palace most of the time. Team Malacuso.

[Which means Allison didn't get to see them as much as she'd like without being very careful.]

Vanya, it was around the time the undead started popping up. When Anhurr took over the city. Klaus disappeared before that. He arrived around the time of the ice dragon, but he wasn't around long after.

I was there. [ Not a question, even if parts of that event are missing; that's proof enough that he saw Klaus. He looks back to Allison, and the thought that he could have just as easily lost her and Diego thanks to his mistake isn't far from his mind.

He ignores the edge of a headache as he tries to focus more on the events and less on his siblings. Sets aside his guilt on the subject of a certain undead lord he let loose on the city. — Neither attempt works particularly well. If Klaus was killed first, and Vanya later on, he'd have to aim for the tower.

He debates telling her what he's pieced together up until it comes out. ]

There was someone I knew back then. [ He's more subdued when he admits to that. Only because Allison has been looking into it for so long. ] He read my mind once before. I told him I'd kill him if he did it again.

Does reading your mind mean he could also do things to your mind?

[She doesn't know if one lead to the other. They never had a telepath powerset at the Academy.]

[ That's what he thinks. Five certainly wouldn't put it past Mingyu, and the fact that he can't remember him being there makes him more of a suspect. ]

I don't know. [ It's just a gut feeling. There's little chance that Allison saw him walk off with him, so he has to go with what seems the most logical. He shrugs stiffly, hating that it's taken him until now to even consider something obvious. ]

I'll find out. [ He frowns at Allison for a long moment as he considers all the possibilities and repercussions. ] ...I am sorry, about the volcano. I shouldn't have taken so long to get you out of there.

[ That might seem random, but it's related to what he's thinking. There's a lot of things he'd change. ]

It's not your fault.

[She's the one who wound up in the volcano all on her own. But she's not going to deflect away that easily.]

Is this guy still here?

[ It's partially his fault. He's always losing track of them. That's obviously what happened with Klaus and Vanya, and he nearly let it happen again.

After he came to his conclusion, he was prepared not to talk about it further, but he can't be surprised that she asks. He crosses his arms and looks away for a few seconds, then shakes his head. ]

He disappeared. Not long after that.

[She raises an eyebrow because she's not sure how he's going to find out if the guy isn't here. It also drops their chances of fixing this quickly and cleanly, which is frustrating.]

Is there someone here who knew them well?

[ He could guess what she's confused about, but he doesn't make any great effort to explain what he meant. ]

There's a few left who knew him, but I don't know how well. He was one of the first people I met. [ One he should have warned Allison about. Maybe he did. He was better at that back then.

...He doesn't have to tell her this, but after a long moment, he sighs and meets her gaze again. ]

Do you remember a man named Mingyu? He also went by Gabriel.

[She shakes her head. It's long enough ago at this point, that even if they did meet once, it's faded to the background.]

No, I don't think so. Seems like he would make an impression.

[ He watches her carefully, then nods. A part of him is happy to hear he kept his distance, but what does that really mean for someone who might have the ability to alter memories? ]

Just as well. [ Even Five knows their relationship wasn't entirely healthy. He doesn't have anyone who could confirm what he's thinking, but it all makes too much sense to be wrong. ]

You know, when I first got here, I actually went around telling everyone I was looking for my family. [ Because who could resist a lost kid? ] That's what got his attention. He might have read my mind just to see what they looked like and didn't expect what he saw.

[ Mingyu didn't just read his thoughts, he found out everything about him. Even more than Allison knows. Five knew he was dangerous. ]

Anyway, it was my mistake. I'll deal with it.

[Her eyebrows go up at that, because that is a bold move, just going in and reading someone's mind to find the answers you're looking for instead of asking. But she can't necessarily judge whole heartedly given some of the shit she used to pull when she was a less complicated person.]

Deal with it how? He's gone.

[Which means there go the chances of getting the memories back, right?]

[ Five doesn't mention how he got him drunk first, and that was when he thought he was a thirteen-year-old kid. Choices were made and Mingyu was not a pillar of morality. At least he knew to take him seriously when he got a firsthand account of his time in the Commission, but that also meant he knew how far Five would take things if he thought his family was dead.

As for how, he's decidedly leaving that part out, and he's purposely vague. ]

That's something I'm still working on.

[She squints at him, because when it comes to a Five plan, there are a limited number of options.]

You're not going to try to time travel back there, are you?

[She doesn't know about the briefcase but she does know that Five can be impulsive when he's desperate.]

[ It might not be comforting that he doesn't immediately say 'no', but it's not exactly what she thinks. He doesn't want to resort to something that has failed him so many times in the past, but if they get the briefcase working, the whole thing becomes much more predictable.

The look that he gives her will have to be confirmation enough. He's thought about it long before now, but since he put together who was behind it... there's a real chance he can get them back on the right track. ]

I promised I'd get all of us home. I can't do that if I don't remember who you are.

[It's not comforting, that would be correct. And because Allison doesn't know about said briefcase, she's not necessarily thrilled with the idea that he's just going to be flinging himself wildly through time in a new world.]

I don't think the solution is getting yourself lost in time here. That's not going to help us either.

[ He can't blame her for that reaction, and he doesn't know that he can convince her that he's given this enough thought. True, he didn't plan on it exactly until he spoke to Wrath, but now it's starting to feel like the only option. ]

That's not going to happen. [ This isn't a spur of the moment use of his powers. ] ...I met someone who might be able to help. With a briefcase.

[At first, she's not sure she heard him properly. In fact, she could have sworn she hadn't because her brother wouldn't be so reckless to neglect the fact that he had something as crucial as a briefcase.]

I'm sorry, did you say briefcase? Like one of the Commission's briefcases?

[Something hot floods the pit of her stomach and she rises to her feet.]

Have you had a briefcase this whole time?

[ It's been a long time since someone else used the word 'Commission' around him, and it nearly makes him flinch back when she stands. Technically that's true, so he gives a hesitant nod. ]

It's broken. Has been since I arrived. [ He's lucky he didn't make it self-destruct after the beating he gave it when his frustration boiled over all those months ago. ]

I held onto it just in case something came along that could fix it.

Why didn't you say something?

[Not that Allison knows how to fix it, but she could have been helping him look. Making friends with the science types if necessary. She knows the answer to the question, because as much as Five desires his family, trusting them with the whole truth is never something he's been particularly good at.

Still, even if it's expected, it stings.]

We could have been working on it together.

[ From the look on his face, he didn't expect her to take that as hard as she does. If he thought she could help, he might have brought it up, but that's not really the full reason. ]

...I didn't want to get your hopes up. [ Even now, he's hesitant; it's only because he doesn't have any other way of fixing what he screwed up in the past. ] Even if we repair it, I don't know if it can get us back home.

It's still worth a shot.

[She closes her eyes, taking a breath as she tries to figure out what to say next.]

Sometimes, it isn't about whether or not our hopes are dashed. Sometimes it's about knowing all the plays on the board. You can't expect us to just psychically follow the plan if we don't know there are options. A briefcase is a big piece on the board.

[A beat.]

If you want us to be a team, you have to put us on an even playing field.

[ He's quiet for a while, thinking that over. At the time, it hadn't even occurred to him to bring up a broken briefcase that's only just become relevant. From her perspective... there wasn't anything she could have done with that information, but it might not have made anything worse. ]

You're right, I could have let you in sooner. [ He's letting her in now at least. When his mind is already made up on what he has to do. ] I'm telling you now. I'm not keeping any other secrets.

[She wants to take him at his word. This is her brother, even if she's frustrated with him. But there's also an itch, something that's been tingling in the back of her mind ever since they left the House of Ravens.

So she gives him one more chance to come clean, since she's not sure what it is she's noticing.]

Are you sure?

[ He tilts his head and narrows his eyes slightly at that reply. It'd been a risk to tell her about his plan, so he thought that'd be enough to show that he's trying.

Of course what he meant was relative. There's an entire litany of things she doesn't know about from his time in the Commission, but he doesn't know how she'd react. None of them need to hear everything he did to get back to them.

This feels more pointed, and it only slowly occurs to him that he could have overlooked something. It's hard to remember what he might have neglected to mention. ]

Did you hear about something else?

[She shakes her head, before gesturing briefly to her head. These powers she didn't ask for, but she's dealing with, and they're telling her something's off.]

More like I can feel something else.

[ That's... concerning. He stands closer and looks around them, like he's expecting to see a ghost in a corner, then focuses back on her. ]

What does it feel like?

Something ... dead?

[She makes a face because she's not really sure how to describe it.]

It's not a ghost. It feels more like a thing?

[ A thing?

There's been something wrong with Allison since the volcano, and now she's sensing the dead. It isn't unusual for death to linger around here, so he's slow to make the connection. ...There's a chance that she's sensing the necklace. Wrath could feel it right away. He's been keeping it close, just in case, and wearing it so often that he forgets he has it on him.

He just got through telling her he didn't have any other secrets. That was a poor choice of words on his part. ]

Oh. [ What can he say to that? He keeps his eyes on her, waiting to see if she looks in the right place or if he's just reading into it too much. ] Can you tell where it's coming from?

Like specifically? No.

[Not really. She really wishes she had a better way to explain it but:]

Every time I'm around you my brain itches.

[Because that's helpful.]

[ Around him. Whatever happened to her in the volcano, it's clearly still affecting her. There's an inkling in him to test what else she can sense, and if it's getting worse over time. Itching doesn't sound painful, but he's experienced with how magic can be absorbed and accumulate in a body.

Five nods quietly and reaches under his collar to pull on a string. He eventually tugs it free from his shirt to show her a severed finger tied to the end. ]

...It was a gift. [ It's an explanation, but he assumes she's going to have more questions. He frowns deeply and holds it up. ] You can feel this?

[Yes, she has many questions, mostly just kind of weirded out that he's been carrying around a dead finger, but that's not really the point.]

Yeah, I guess. That must be it.

[Now she's sensing dead things. Great.]

[ He keeps holding it out for a moment more, studying her, but when she doesn't immediately ask any follow up questions he tucks it back away under his shirt. Their family is fairly desensitized to that kind of thing, but there's no need to rub it in her face.

He's talked enough about his plans, it's time he focused on a more pressing issue. ]

How bad has it been? Better or worse since the volcano?

[She honestly doesn't want to know, though it will make their later body part conversation a little more concerning.]

Better, I think? It's not as loud as it was then. I'm feeling more like me.

[ He's thankful she lets it slide, even if he's acting like he's just now realizing how weird that might look as he readjusts his shirt.

Better is good. He nods. ]

It must have been the mirror. Maybe it's working its way out. [ Even if he does change the timeline so that never happened, he's relieved. Mirrors are a bitch. ] Did you find anything that helped?

Hermione gave me a sleeping draught. It's helped sleep become less of a struggle.

[Less focus trying to drown everything out, so better sleep in the end.]

But mostly it's just tuning it all into white noise. I'm trying not to pull a Klaus.

[ Hermione did? ... He'll have to bring that up with her later, if he gets the chance. He's well aware of how bad it got with Klaus, mostly after he left, but that puts it into context. ]

I'd hope you weren't that ambitious. [ Klaus would have hated it here. Allison could tell him, but he doesn't ask. Instead he runs a hand through his hair and gives her a resigned, if apologetic, look. There's a lot of work left to do before he can fix this. ]

You'll let me know if it starts back up again?

[She nods. Honestly, she's hoping that the fact that it's been lessening means it's finally wearing off, if that's at all possible. But it's also a good warning system for bad shit, so she'll take it if it tries to go off.]

Yeah. I'll let you know.

[ Five accepts that with a nod in return. After coming in so angry, he's distracted now. Hearing that Allison is improving, and that she'll alert him if anything changes, helps settle some of the guilt he's been feeling over letting that happen. ]

Good. [ He's barely helped her at all so far, but if his plan works... hopefully she won't have to worry about it. ]

I won't let that happen next time.

[ He stands there a moment more, like he wants to say something else, then turns and disappears in another flash of light. ]

I'm not scared of anything

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