westwhere | ᶾ 001 ; open } { when are you gonna come down?

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ᶾ 001 ; open } { when are you gonna come down?

WHO: Allison Hargreeves + YOU
WHEN: July 1-14
WHERE: Traveling around
WHAT: An arrival + some monthly shenanigans.
WARNINGS: N/A but will edit if that changes

july 1st - an arrival (ota)

Allison Hargreeves is having a very challenging day. Nothing is going as it's supposed to, and she's a little peeved about it.

Not that she should be surprised at this point, that Five trying to time travel them somewhere landed them somewhere else. But she's not thrilled by the idea of being alone again, having to start over again, having to find her siblings again. All she had wanted was to get home to her daughter. And now, after the explanation she was given by Kasra, Claire seems even further away.

Still, she plays with the small bit of quartz she was given as she makes her way through the crowd, intending to make the best of a bad situation. If Reginald Hargreeves taught them anything, it was how to survive. She hangs Luther's locket around her neck, tucks Claire's photo carefully into the middle of From Earth to Moon, and begins wandering through the caravan to see who she can meet and what she can find.

If you happen to cross her path, she'll greet you with a smile, taking the time to introduce herself.

"Allison." She smiles. "Have you been here long?"

july 6-7 - a ghostly interlude (ota)

Allison's never tried to rumor a ghost. She's never really had the opportunity. Ghosts were usually Klaus's department, so she doesn't even know if it would have worked. Right now, though, she wishes she had a bit more than fact.

One night, she stumbles away from a pair of soldiers, starting to come to ahead. As a result, she loses track of her footing in the dark. She forgets where the edges of the cliffs are, only wanting to stay clear of the spectral trouble and finds her way to the precipice of a ravine instead. She feels her balance slip, arms waving in the darkness (Five is going to kill her if she dies like this), but before she can tip over the edge, she feels a presence at her back.

Wide wings stretch out behind her, a physical form forcing her back onto the path. She turns once she settles on her feet again, safe and sound on the ground, and looks back at the tar-covered creature that's become increasingly familiar.

She meets it's eyes, before nodding in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

The harpy doesn't acknowledge her one way or another, before it flies off to do whatever it is it does.

Sometime later, it also might drop off a dead animal for her to eat, almost like a cat leaving their owner a present. Allison, though, is convinced that it believes she can't take care of herself.

(It might be right.)

july 10th - the thing you want most (ota)

The person Allison had wanted to see, more than anyone in the world, was Claire.

Even when she was trapped in 1961, building a life for herself with Ray, Claire never strayed far from her thoughts. She never thought she would have something so tethering beyond her siblings, something that draws her back, no matter how far she wanders or how into herself she gets, but she finds herself, as the caravan moves along, coming back to the photo that she arrived with. She can't help but feel herself wanting to apologize for failing her, even though this particular stop isn't her fault.

She hadn't intended to study the tar so closely. It just keeps coming up, over and over again. The same substance appeared in the temple where she arrived and the hands of the ghost general, and now it seems to be everywhere. Part of her should know better, should be able to see the trap, but she misses her daughter so much she never stands a chance.

She sees Claire's face everywhere she goes, and by the time Claire becomes a fully formed tar construct, Allison is lost, hook, line and sinker. Claire extends a hand to her, luring her further out into the canyon to search for something she can't put a name to.

Part of her knows it's not real. But she can't find it in her heart to say no.

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Five eyes someone getting too near who probably overheard him, and he holds that stare until they move away so he can focus back on Allison. So what if he's not being entirely fair to Karsa? Until he understands her motives, he isn't giving her the benefit of the doubt and he'd rather his family didn't either.

"Technically." And she 'technically' did come to their aid during the siege, then found his sister. He frowns, but refuses to backtrack. "She works for our benefactor. I don't know what makes her so invested, but she insisted on coming along."

There are a few in the group he could point out as having proved themselves to a certain degree, and still more that he has various deals with, but at the moment 'trust no one' is a good blanket rule. That should cover him until he has the energy to go through it.

"Fortunately, you have others you can rely on."

"Have you seen much of our benefactor?"

She can't help but be curious with how high their contact with those involved go. Does their benefactor make regular appearances, or do they just sit on their lofty tower and make Karsa do all the heavy lifting? Because that sounds like someone she'd like to get in a room with.

He can appreciate that Allison is focused and asking the important questions, even if he'd rather have a different answer. She really does seem to be rolling with the punches, and it's refreshing to not have to deal with any obvious trauma.

"Not yet." Though Five has been trying to track him down since he first heard of him. His relationship with the man has been... evolving. Getting him in a room with his sister would actually be really helpful on that front. "I've learned a few things about him, but I still don't have his name or his exact location. He prefers to go by 'the Merchant' when he addresses us, but he can be hard to contact directly."

Might as well see what she knows already. Then let Vanya fill in the more emotional gaps he's sure he's missing in their reunion.

"What else did Karsa tell you?"

Place a problem in front of her and she's usually willing to solve it. And she also knows with Five that sometimes getting to the point is the best. She's become accustomed to her brother's laser focus over time, and she trusts him to have gotten the lay of the land to the best of his ability.

She is a bit disappointed that that's all they have on their benefactor, but it's fine. They can dig into things more as they go.

"It mostly involved catching me up on what I might have missed so far." She pauses. "Did you rob a bank?"

This is exactly what he meant by not listening to everything Karsa had to say. He just didn't think that would be the first thing she brought up, and the answer is obvious in his face before he replies.

"Travel is expensive." Can he help that his ability makes it extraordinarily easy to get inside a vault? He couldn't anticipate everything that came after, but it's really not a big deal. Almost a humorous anecdote at this point. "We're well funded for the immediate future. That's all you need to worry about."

Mostly because Five kept a good portion of the loot hidden from the rest of them so it hasn't been entirely depleted. He was exhausted for days after that, he's not trying to go through it again. -- And he'll be changing the subject now.

"We survived the worst of it. I'm hoping there aren't any other undead warlords where we're headed, but we'll find out soon enough."

"I'm not judging."

It's not like Allison can't say she's done worse. Dear old Dad instilled all kinds of unsavory skills into them over the years. And if they needed to get out of town, then they needed to get out of town. You do what you have to do.

"Just trying to gauge what'll be expected of us."

Right. What's there to judge? If he's touchy, it's because he didn't get as much gratitude as he should have for pulling that off. Which they couldn't have without him. That's all it boils down to, and any other details are irrelevant.

"... I wasn't taking orders from anyone. I just took advantage of an opportunity." This isn't some organization he decided to join. He may owe them some cooperation, but in the end his only loyalties are to his family. "We're cargo to them. We're expected to facilitate our expenses and not die in transit."

Oversimplifying. He frowns and glances back to the caravan milling about. Like he's trying to decide what's important to tell her, while avoiding the fact that he lost control of the situation and he's been fighting to get it back ever since.

"I know you didn't sign up for a detour." Then he's looking at Allison again, and the weight of responsibility returns to him. "I'm going to get us back one way or the other, but not until we find everyone. In the meantime, I could use your help."

"We'll do it together."

Five puts a lot on his shoulders when it comes to time travel and the like. A side-effect from having to work alone for so long, she assumes. But they're family for a reason. Whatever help he needs, she's ready to give it.

"What do you need?"

He smiles briefly, getting that kind of response. After going this long without finding them, he imagined worse. Finding them chained up somewhere, cursing his name for stranding them again, refusing to listen. It may not have been his fault, but he's well aware that he keeps breaking his promises to them.

That's what makes his answer sound all the more selfish.

"What I need is a break." Before he loses his tenuous grip on sanity. Or maybe he's just tired and it's causing him to make mistakes. That Allison is the one who had to come to him is proof enough that he's slipping. "But since that's not in the cards, I could really use some backup. There's too many people I need to keep an eye on, and I can't be everywhere at once."

Edited (sorry sorry, that tag was a mess and I changed my mind) 2021-07-08 03:50 (UTC)

Allison can sympathize with that, him wanting a break. While she and the rest of her siblings had time to adjust before each world ending event entered their lives, Five always seems to have it right on his heels. There's no slowing down, no taking time to build a life and meet people. Make friends. ~~Get married.~~

Still, she nods with the actual request. "I can do that. Anyone in particular I need to look out for?"

Five doesn't often ask for help, but there's rarely anyone around he can trust. And he can admit that Allison is... better with people. She'd probably naturally find out what he needs to know without him saying anything.

When he looks to the crowd to see who is in the immediate vicinity, an old man in the distance catches his eye. As he scans the area, he swears the man keeps looking their way. But he was supposed to have his memory wiped; he shouldn't remember what he did to him. Supposed to. So why the hell is he still hanging around?

"... Aside from anyone getting close to Vanya, yeah." He keeps his eyes on the man, waiting for him to him look away, then turns back to his sister. There's too many people around to not be overheard, so he just nods. "I'll make you a list and point them out as we go."

"Sounds good."

Though she will pause on that because what are we deeming getting close to Vanya, Five? She knows how things with Leonard ended, but that doesn't mean they can keep Vanya from having friends.

"And define getting close to Vanya. Because she's allowed to have friends, Five."

He doesn't respond right away, his mouth hung open until he can swallow who that makes him sound like.

"Of course she is." Even as he says it, he seems less than thrilled with the idea. Not because he wants her to be unhappy, or that he hasn't learned his lesson about limiting her exposure, but because he knows her options. "I just like to know who they are. It doesn't always pay to be associated with me."

That goes for Allison too, but he's not so worried about her. Of all his siblings, she's perhaps the most capable of handling anyone who might have ill intentions, without escalating the entire situation. Vanya hasn't had enough time to adjust, and he's concerned about what she might be keeping from him. It's been a long time since they were kids who told each other everything.

"She's been doing well," he cuts in before she can respond. His concerns aside, he shouldn't make it seem like there's an immediate threat. "Practicing her powers. I didn't give her enough credit."

"I don't think any of us did."

Given the series of events that got them here, they've discounted Vanya far more times than they should have. Allison has her own regrets in that department, but she's glad to hear that Vanya is figuring it out.

"But it's good that she's figuring things out." She'll go see her soon. Just to have a look at her sister for herself.

There's more to that story he's not telling, some that he doesn't know the extent of, but he just crosses his arms and nods. Whatever is weighing on his mind is distracting enough to keep him silent for a few beats. Eventually he looks his sister in the eye and smiles again. Never mind if it's slightly forced; he's trying his best.

"It's good to see you." There. He asked her how she was, filled her in on what she needed to know, and told her how their sister is doing. He's checking all of the boxes. "I have no idea how you found us, but it was considerate that you didn't make us go out of our way."

She lets out a laugh. Hugging Five is always an awkward measure, because he might stab them in retaliation, but she'll meet him halfway, draping one arm over his shoulders and giving him the opportunity to lean into it if he wants.

"Well, I wouldn't have wanted to inconvenience you with my wandering through the mountains alone." As though she had any control or say in any of this whatsoever. "I'm sure Diego at least will make things much more difficult for you."

Getting a laugh at an appropriate time is one thing, but he didn't think she'd be so happy to see him that she would dare to embrace him. Immediately he tenses like he's going to react in the way she suspects, but once he realizes that's what's happening, he doesn't pull away. He also doesn't uncross his arms, so he might not be familiar with how this works. Or he's afraid he might slip and get real emotions involved if he lets it get too far.

He assumes she knows that he meant what he said. It's good that she's here.

"More than likely," he sighs as he looks to the side. Then he scoffs, remembering how easy it was to locate Diego in the '60's. "Last time I found him in a mental institution, so he'll probably want to top that. We'll have to be on the lookout if they start advertising public executions."

"It would be on brand for him to try and overthrow a government when dropped into a place he doesn't understand."

Or worse. Diego seems to be determined to find himself in the worst possible situation at any given moment. But at least they don't know enough about this world to try alter the timeline too much.

It really would. Not that Five is worried about his brother dying before they find him, but he doesn't doubt that he will immediately escalate the situation. He should enjoy this relative peace while they have it. -- You know, if you overlook the harpies, the highly suspicious ghost army, and that horrible oppressive agony weighing on his chest that he's currently ignoring. Total peace.

"At least he's consistent." Just imagine what the stupidest reaction would be. They'll track him down in no time. "Luther and Klaus could take longer, but Luther doesn't exactly blend in. And Klaus should feel right at home with all the spirits and undead hanging around."

He's actually more concerned about the latter being able to deal with all this, even if his powers would be the most beneficial. It's for the best that Klaus missed out on the cult of undead worshippers they just left behind. (Well... almost left behind. That old man he spotted earlier is impossible to get rid of.)

Probably for the best, but that only means Klaus is going to start some other kind of cult elsewhere. Allison highly doubts that Klaus will learn his lesson the second time if he's sick of being alone.

Best not to think of that right now.

"Yeah, I'm sure Klaus is handling that really well." Because she has not forgotten that her brother turns into a drunk mess on occasion, despite his attempts to be sober in the past. "But you're right about Luther standing out."

Unless by some miracle they wind up with a pre-serum Luther, but let's not wish that on anyone.

There's been nothing to dissuade him from the theory that they were all taken from the briefcase at the exact same moment in time. Which is comforting, really, having one thing make some logical sense. So far they haven't been scattered as far apart as he feared they would be.

He's positive he'll find them all soon and get them home, just like he promised.

"Well, we aren't counting down towards doomsday for once, so there's a little more time to find them." See? He didn't say 'apocalypse' so it doesn't count. "Although from the looks of this place, you could make the argument it already happened."

He won't bring up how he's yet to confirm that they prevented the apocalypse that was waiting for them in 2019. He probably won't believe it until he sees it with his own eyes anyway.

She nods, because she can't disagree with that sentiment. This place definitely doesn't seem like it's on the right side of the apocalypse. But she has a feeling the how's and why's are for them to find out.

"Speaking of finding them, I should probably go track down Vanya." She wants to see her sister, just as much as she is happy to see Five. "But I'll find you later?"

Right, of course. Vanya obviously hasn't spotted her yet or she would have already come running. He won't keep her waiting. Anything more can be saved for later, after he's reflected more on her reappearance and he's sorted out everything on his mind.

"Sure." He steps aside so she can pass. Shows he is capable of saying goodbye instead of blinking away when he's done with a conversation. It'd count as personal growth, but really he's just distracted enough to have manners. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good."

Just ... keep it that way, Five. She's starting to get used to having you around. And with that, off she will go to track down their sister.

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