call me out!

[cyclical]

CALL ME OUT



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call them out: put their name in the comment header
leave a prompt (picture, music, quote, etc!) or blank comment
no smut please! but all other tomfoolery is a-okay

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@somebadnews;

[imprudency]

The Hotel Obsidian has always been a strange safe haven for him, from the years of an unruly teenager to a washed up adult, the old carpet and antique, deco decor feels more like home than the tall, arching doors of the Academy ever did. Leaving dear old Reggie behind after days upon days of rigorous training makes the place look even more appealing.

He's learned something, however, and the idea that he has discovered something more about his power has left him buzzing with energy. He's exhausted, however, from the constant trips back and forth from life and death. Exhausted by the wailing of the dead and the ghosts he'd been made to face. But there's something about this place, this timeline - why would he learn about all of this now? Why is it important here that he harness the supposed "gifts" his father was so disappointed he'd never realize.

It's what has him thundering up to one of the bars in the back, the tender long gone, and at first he thinks he'll get a stiff drink - something to soothe the edges of sobriety and fatigue - until he sees Five. Five, looking too old in his young body and as he comes up to the bar, he slaps his hands down on its top.

"I'm back," he drones in a sing-song. "I have to show you something. Something incredible - so I was spending time with dear old daddy, and would you believe it he stuffed me in the trunk of his car, the old bastard. Come with me, come on," he reaches for Five's sleeve, gives it an insistent tug.

"Bring your drink, but - wait, where are the others? Actually, it's better they're not here. You won't believe it, but dad? Good old Reg? He taught me about my powers, about things I can do. Well, after he let me out of the trunk. And threw me into oncoming traffic, but no pain no gain, right?"

[somebadnews]

When Five asked where Klaus was and only got shrugs in response, he assumed that meant he was off doing something objectionable with the old man. Which is really a wild assumption, but when you're teetering on the edge of oblivion and contemplating the hellish nightmare of your future demise, it isn't all that farfetched that his brother would think this is the best time to bond with an alternate version of dear old dad.

He'd stopped trying to chase down his siblings every time they wandered off in the face of an apocalypse, and miraculously found out that if he didn't try, they eventually return all on their own. And he might have marveled over that revelation more had he not been on his third drink only to be startled into spilling it by the abrasive slap on the counter and instant stream of nonsense his brother started spouting.

"Hey—," Five swats him away when he tugs at his sleeve like an excited little kid until he gave in to whatever he's worked up over. And he could ignore him and continue his existential crisis in peace, but instead he steps off the stool and scowls up at him. "Alright already. I'm coming."

He leans back to grab his drink and downs the rest in one gulp, then snatches the bottle sitting out beside it. He dares anyone to say anything. It takes about that long for the part where Reginald thew Klaus into oncoming traffic to register, and he takes a moment to scrutinize him and his bad decisions.

"He did what? I thought you said he'd changed."

[imprudency]

"Come on," Klaus insists, gesturing for Five to follow him. He starts toward the elevators first, considering just how he's going to go about this. He hasn't had enough to drink, he realizes, after being experimented on and taught diligently by his father.

God, that's already something he never thought he'd say.

"Gimme that," he swipes the bottle himself, drinking deeply from it once then offering it back out to his brother as the elevator dings. "He has changed. Well, I mean I thought he was pretty much useless but turns out those Sparrows were drugging him. Keeping him locked in his little cage, but I helped him get clean. Taught him all the old tricks. Pill under the tongue, the old heave ho, you know."

He wiggles his fingers flippantly to his brother as the elevator doors open.

"But in exchange, he helped me harness my powers. Or, well. Get better at it. I had... I had no idea what I was capable of. Now before you judge or say anything, yes I know, I'm the family degenerate, I could be pulling your leg. But I'll show you."

He grins toothily, and when he speaks again, he mimics their father's accent: "Number Four, you are my greatest disappointment-- yadda yadda, I've heard it all. So come on. We're going to the roof. There's something I got to show you."

[somebadnews]

Five frowns, both because of what Klaus is rambling about, and for his regrettable decision to indulge him. He doubles down on his scowl when his brother doesn't ask before he takes a swig from the bottle he stole (and therefore had ownership of). Once he has it back, he takes a drink to help him through what sounds a lot like a problem he's going to have to deal with.

And he really doesn't know if he can take another thing going wrong. Whatever Reginald is planning, he can't fathom why it involves Klaus. Though he has to raise an eyebrow when he offhandedly mentions the Sparrows drugging him and that he, of all people, decided to get him sober.

It's a lot to process when he's more than a little tipsy and far too complacent as he shuffles into the elevator.

"Are you sure you didn't take those pills with him?" Sure, Klaus has been clean since the '60s, but he's practically bouncing off the walls right now. Or at least, it feels that way as he braces himself in the corner and the elevator springs to life. He's torn between wanting to shoot this down and wondering if he really did... train with their father?

More importantly: "Why the roof?" That should set off alarm bells, but he can't decide why. Something is very weird here.

[imprudency]

"Five," he gasps, offended, pressing a hand to his chest like some swooning damsel. "I am not on pills anymore, thank you very much, but honestly it probably wouldn't hurt if I was. Just my good old friends Jim and Jose to back me up instead."

With the elevator doors shutting behind him, Klaus selects the button for the roof and leans against the wall.

"But the roof will be the best place. Not as messy. No one likes cleanup. But it's incredible - do you ever wonder if Dad always knew what we were capable of but held us back? This guy here's totally different from Captain Asshole back home."

There's still a little unease in it, but the validation has done something to bolster his confidence in a way he hadn't realized he needed. They all yearn for the approval, whether they like to believe it or not, and Klaus has known that for a long, long time. He thinks to the boy in the mausoleum, scared and desperate for a tender hand. Their father was a cruel, unwavering, cold man. The one here likely has some of that bite to him, but what he's done so far is enough.

"But hear me out, okay? He's still unconventional, psycho dad with all his weird theories and testing techniques, but I don't know, man. I didn't think I'd be capable of anything else but being the family eyesore."

The elevator dings and Klaus waltzes out. There isn't sunshine to be had, it's gloomy and overcast with the oncoming apocalypse. "Hurry it up."

[somebadnews]

Five looks entirely skeptical about nearly everything coming out of Klaus' mouth. Usually half of what he says is nonsensical, but he's starting to get legitimately concerned about how much stake he's putting in Reginald. For some reason it takes him longer to back up and piece together why the roof would be less messy. Didn't he say something about throwing him in traffic?

Despite the repeated insistence that he hurry, Five follows him slowly out of the elevator, only allowing himself one look skyward before taking another swig from the bottle. It seems he forgot for a moment that none of this will matter pretty soon. He highly doubts that whatever he discovered has anything to do with saving the world, but he's curious enough to humor him. Maybe it'll suddenly become clear why this new version of their father would suddenly latch onto training someone he never even raised in this timeline.

"Okay, we're here." On the roof. Where it's easier to clean up. He puts the bottle down on the ground near his feet, and makes a point to give him his full attention. "What breakthrough did the our old psycho dad have with you?"