March 23, 2019 - 09:32 pm
I managed to get my toothbrush without causing us to be late for dinner. I also packed a few items into a large bag, just enough for a week. Anyway, I won't be staying much longer: Klaus promised.
To be honest, I'm only starting to realize the implications of this deal we made. The experience of walking through Hargreeves Mansion's corridors is unique, and I'm uncertain if I enjoy it. There are countless corridors, colossal staircases, and the lighting consists of multiple lamps and lanterns diffusing a dim amber glow. The mansion houses naturalistic specimens, machines, improbable artifacts. I like art-deco. But not when two-headed lambs are used to decorate.
The eccentric opulence is what makes me the most uncomfortable. Klaus never hid that he grew up surrounded by this absurd wealth. He isn't really proud of it, particularly since he never truly benefitted from it. Except for when he stole and resold items to fund his first tokes since he was 13. It's difficult to picture him as a child on these embroidered rugs.
The room used for regular meals, tucked away at street level, looks much more like what I would expect from a 'home'. Ironically, since it's easy to sense that it was previously a commercial space. Inside, there's a kitchen with a retro fridge, deep cupboards, and a long table... and in a cozy corner, a billiards table covered in red felt. The lighting remains dim, which appears to be a constant in this mansion.
Allison and Diego are already seated, talking with the person I identify as 'their mother'. Politely, I offer her my greetings. I've heard Klaus talk about her a few times, with obvious detachment. I know what 'she' is, and I don't know if she's an incredible miracle or an immense sadness. I don't say anything and instead follow Klaus across the room and we sit at the table close to his siblings. The air smells of eggs and bacon, as though it's breakfast time. I raise an eyebrow: really, didn't she realize what time it is?
"This midnight brunch is cool", Klaus says with a wary look, to which Allison comments immediately:
"This was already the menu for this lunch. In soft-boiled egg version".
Diego shakes his head in denial.
"Who cares, it looks delicious, Mom."
A short silence settles in, while Klaus places his opened pack of cigarettes on the table. They're just cigarettes. For the moment he is holding up. I sit down next to him as 'Mom' returns to her pan of scrambled egges.
"So, Klaus", Allison starts, but he stops her with a wave of his hand.
He doesn't seem interested in conversing. Instead, he pulls out a cigarette, lights it, and soon the smoke lazily drifts above the table. The pained unease beneath the smoky incandescent lamps is hard to ignore, and Klaus leans towards me.
"You doing okay? I'm not".
Speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, his tired voice echoes in the room. Allison rolls her eyes in exasperation, watching him exhale a long column of smoke.
"I will be fine. I'll eat... bacon and eggs then I'll go to bed. Yeah. I'm fine, don't worry."
In reality, my feelings are more complicated than I want to reveal, being here among the Hargreeves during their father's mourning days. We've all experienced the feeling of being invited for a sleepover at a friend's house and feeling out of place while dining at the parents' table. Except that here and now, it's even more uncomfortable. More discreetly, Klaus adds just for me:
"Seriously, if you're feeling overwhelmed, give me a shout, and we can eat shawarma somewhere else, y'know"."
"Nah it's ok".
Mom places the huge dish of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me. It seems like she cooked enough for ten people. I serve myself and then pass the dish to Klaus. I hesitate before asking:
"Is there a room... I could use for sleeping?"
The 'anywhere' answer that Klaus gave me earlier doesn't quite work for me, and I don't think he will help me further on this issue.
"The mansion has forty-two bedrooms", Mom says with a red lipstick smile while standing next to the table, "you can sleep in room 34".
Klaus looks up at her, his face briefly lighting up, despite something clearly being wrong with her.
"Oh, that's my room".
Allison looks up from her plate, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Klaus," she sighs, "Rin doesn't ~want~ to sleep in your room."
I nod in agreement.
"The bed smells and there are dirty tissues everywhere."
It's a fact. Honestly any other room would do the job, even the bathrooms and cupboards. Allison and Diego exchange a glance, Allison attempting to suppress a painful smile. Today is not really a day for laughing. Klaus takes a deep breath of cigarette smoke, exhales, and smiles.
"You are merciless".
"Thanks".
Allison comments, while cutting her bacon.
"However, it would be smart to find her a room nearby".
"You can have my room".
Everyone turns to Diego, who confirms with the utmost seriousness:
"That's probably what Mom intended. Room 33 is mine, and it's the closest one to Klaus's".
Klaus looks away, a faint smile still on his face.
"And where are you going to sleep?" I ask Diego.
I don't want to mess all the organization of the house up.
"I don't live here anymore", he answers with a look that leave no doubt that he's doing just fine this way, "I'll be back tomorrow morning".
Mom claps her hands and concludes, radiant:
"We'll ensure you have everything you need in room 33. It's absolutely wonderful!"
I don't really know how to react to her effusions of sparkling joy: in fact, she seems even more displaced than me. I nod.
"Thank you."
I glance at Klaus. He finished his cigarette but is not eating. I give him a little shrug.
"Hey, eat something. You need some food. Plus, it's likely much tastier than the meals at rehab."
He shrugs.
"I was really wanting to eat shawarmas...".
I eat my eggs and bacon silently: they aren't as bad as I thought. Allison is now questioning Klaus about the rehab again, and he looks so exasperated. Actually, it's my fault if she does.
"Oh yeah, yeah it was nice", he says to her, and when it comes to Klaus, you never know if it's a sarcasm or a real experience.
"It was just like the last time, a genuine summer camp experience, except my little roommates kept peeing on the floor from the top bunk beds.".
"Have you taken part in support groups?"
Allison is thinking ahead but Klaus is kind of pissed and ironic now.
"Yeah, and I told them about all my fucking ~traumas~ for sure."
"Did you tell them stuff about your family?"
"Allison you really don't give a shit about him, uh? It's ridiculous."
Diego objected to this sharply, seemingly somber and particularly annoyed at sitting here with his sister. I suspect he's primarily here to prevent us from being alone with Mom, although I don't know why.. Mom is the only person he is interested in. Besides, she approaches me, all smiles.
"Do you want more of these delicious eggs?"
I quickly look at her over the plate I just finished and politely decline. Obviously, she is used to overfeeding 'the children', and she doesn't seem aware of what's going on at this table. Holy cow, this situation is incredibly uncomfortable. I could be watching a soap opera with my grandmother right now... Klaus waves his hand in a dismissive gesture and Allison sighs.
"Oh I know", says mom excitedly, "Let's change the topic! Something happy! What is the most fabulous and interesting thing you learned today, children?"
"Damn, I'd rather hear about rehab", Diego mutters under his breath.
Obviously, they all endured this 'game' during numerous childhood dinners, but Klaus seems to effortlessly seize this opportunity to escape the conversation.
"Oh I have one", he says as he finally starts eating his eggs.
"Rin, here. She shares our birthday too".
Diego's fork skids on his plate which is stamped with an umbrella, producing a terrible screeching noise. Allison opens her eyes in astonishment. She forgot to swallow. And I... well, I'm left speechless too. What? So it's that simple? On the side table, Mom hums as she unwraps a massive chocolate cake.
"Wait, what are the odds of that?" Allison asks, raising her eyebrows. "The exact same birthday?" Diego adds, and his expression still shows disbelief.
Klaus chuckles.
"Just as true as the answer to the universe is 42: on October first, 1989".
Everyone looks at me while Mom serves me a nice piece of the cake, certainly too sumptuous for these days of mourning. I nod to confirm.
"At the twelfth hour of the day".
This information is not trivial. Not for them anyway. There is a silence. Both Diego and Allison take a moment to process this information, then suddenly, Diego bangs his fist on the table "Why didn't you tell us that earlier, Klaus?" he asks, his voice rising.
He must know we've been friends for ages.
"How could you have not told us that before?"
Before Klaus can answer, Allison speaks up, placing a hand on her brother's arm.
"Calm down, Diego".
She's still staring at me. And for once, I can come to Klaus's defense.
"He only really realized today", I say, "In recent years he was too high to really discuss it."
Upon hearing my words, I sense the atmosphere in the room shift. Allison shakes her head.
"Yes, I bet he was".
Diego takes a moment to collect himself and clear his mind, while Mom also serves him a slice of cake: the one with the cherry on top. He lets out a heavy sigh.
"So you're... ~one of us~?"
I look at Diego, maybe for too long. Then, I cautiously set my spoon down on the plate next to my piece of cake and begin to get up. *Crack!* In a flash of blue light, I teleport behind another chair that I pull so sit down again. Both Allison and Diego look at me in surprise, an expression of shock on their faces. I reclaim my cake by sliding the plate back onto the table.
"... What?!" Allison exclaims, her voice sounding confused.
Diego stutters something I don't understand, but I can see in his eyes that what surprises him is not that I can do this, but rather how similar it is to 'someone else'. Mom puts a hand on his shoulder and he finally manages to say, his voice sounding shaken:
"You... you jump just like Five".
Allison looks at him with a frown on her face but before she can add anything, Klaus cuts in:
"Yes, ~of course~ she does!", he says with an air of absolute obviousness.
In ten years, he had much more time to get used to seeing me jump like this.
"Yeah maybe just like him", I say, because actually I don't know.
"That's what I do."
There is another moment of silence, quite long, then Allison finally sighs, putting down her spoon.
"Honestly, at this point nothing surprises me anymore".
Diego confirms with some hesitation.
"True, true..."
For once he agrees with his sister. Klaus is now eating his cake, and it seems that his appetite has returned at full speed. He has a small smile on his face.
"A piece of cake for her", he says. "That's pretty cool, even if it feels like déjà vu." "I'm just like a cool instant delivery service for you", I say, but I'm smiling somewhat.
And before anyone asks me, I repeat what I already told Klaus:
"Nobody adopted me. I grew up with my mother and my grandmother. A life... as normal as possible".
Of course, all the nuance lies in this 'as possible'. Allison looks at me with a small, curious smile on her face, and I know what's in her mind. She's wondering why I'm here, in The City just like them. Actually, it's a question I've asked myself numerous times. Countless times. Diego takes a small bite from his cake before he speaks again, his tone sounding more calm than before.
"So... Space jumps, huh? What about time?"
I nod.
"Yeah, space. I don't want to jump through time; it's a massive blunder."
So far, nothing that Five could not do. But...
"I can also turn myself intangible, invisible, or both."
And as far as I know, Five was not doing this.
"~Of course~, intangible and invisible", Klaus adds again theatrically.
Allison and Diego stare at you in disbelief, clearly intrigued now.
"What? Really?", Diego says, and Allison asks:
"So, you can just... turn invisible right now?"
Klaus is also listening intently, and I've seen that expression on him before, every time he's about to say that he's 'as useless as a motel shower cap'. But that's okay, I going to put an end these little demonstrations once and for all.
A blink, and nothing sits above my chair anymore but thin air. Apparently. Because I'm still here, I'm just invisible, and as a joke, I go and steal Klaus's cigarette that yet remains visible. I'm making it dance in front of his eyes for a moment, and my laugh can be heard.
"H-Hey...give that back," Klaus says, his tone sounding playful, "this is UNFAIR."
I can see Allison and Diego's eyes searching for the invisible as they silently observe my antics. Klaus waves his hand in the air to where the cigarette is, trying to grasp the smoke as I keep it out of his reach. And suddenly, he manages to catch me. I may be invisible, but I'm not intangible at this moment. Maybe we both get burned a little by the cigarette, but we laugh and I turn myself visible again. Mom looks like she doesn't fully understand what's going on, but she still smiles. I return to sit in front of my piece of cake. This time everyone look at me, and my smile falls. I sigh.
"I swear this side of the power encouraged me to do ~a lot~ of stupid things."
Because a power always comes with its share of problems. Always. I can feel their gaze on me because they all understand the gravity of my words. Klaus lights another cigarette and he takes some cake again.
"Did the power manifest when you were a teenager?", Diego asks, his tone sounding véry interested, now.
"Before that", I answer honestly, "maybe... at three or four. It started with invisibility. For my mother, it was... hellish".
And the word is weak.
"Oh, the cake is good".
I'm the one willing to escape the conversation, now, but Allison looks at me in a completely different way now.
"Yeah, I bet it was difficult for your relatives to handle", she says. "Especially your mother, not expecting her four-year-old kid to suddenly go invisible anywhere, at the supermarket or in the street. Oh god".
Obviously, her experience as a mother makes her shiver with fear at certain thoughts. Diego nods for several seconds, as Klaus enjoys his cake.
"And how did you learn how to control your powers?"
I look down to the table.
"By being slammed, literally and figuratively. I swear it encourages to use immateriality and to rush headlong."
Allison watches me closely, her expression still showing a maternal kind of empathy. But finally, she crosses her hands and says:
"You seem to make the most of your powers".
Klaus blows out a long column of smoke, and chuckles a bit. Because he knows. He knows about me. I shake my head slowly.
"Actually... I've stolen stuff and broken into lots of places without permission. I've spied a thousand times... and even got paid for it."
I look at Allison, Diego, then Klaus.
"I'm not proud of that. I stopped a long time ago. About nine or ten years ago. Sometimes we do what's easy in the moment, and it takes a little effort to do otherwise."
Yes, maybe this is indirectly aimed at Klaus, but I do understand his struggles: yes I do. An expression of vague sadness briefly appears on his face, but he's not angry at me, not at all. He would have said something. There's a moment of silence, and finally Allison speaks again.
"What changed?", she asks, "what made you change?"
My gaze focuses on her.
"My mother died when I was twenty. Cancer, just the shit of life. The time I had with her, I screwed it up. I didn't want to screw up the rest."
My words hang heavily in the air, and I feel the weight of the ensuing silence. I notice the pain on Allison's face and the hint of exasperation in Diego's expression as he witnesses her strong reaction.
"I'm sorry about your mother", she says, "I'm sure she was proud of you regardless".
I remain silent. I'm not entirely convinced that she's right. With a sigh, I finally speak:
"Really, the cake is delicious."
Klaus clears his throat loudly, interrupting.
"Mom's a pretty good baker, right, uh?"
I smile.
"Yes she is. She truly is".
In my eyes, there is a silent expression of gratitude towards him, because he has just provided me with a way out. I look at Mom who is no longer listening to us, her eyes lost on the wall, and I smile at them all. To Klaus, Allison and Diego. To them who welcome me and listen to me, despite their quarrels, despite the recent death of their father.
"Thank you friends".
I finish my cake.
"Maybe I need to go to bed."
And *Crack!* I teleport away, right into the nearby bathrooms, where I breathe, breath, again and again.
Notes
Have you noticed that 'Mom' only knows how to cook breakfasts and cakes, even in the middle of the night? Something must be wrong with her...
Chronological markers: this scene also fits like a deleted scene from the first episode of season 1, around 10:00, just after the events of my chapter 1 "Caught in a spiral".
Any comment will make my day!