The leaves are electric. They burn on the riverbanks. - Open to anyone

[pyrotechnist]

Warren isn't sure if he believes in callings and shit, but he knows something told him he needed to come to this place. He's not grown up under a rock, so he's heard of the Umbrella Academy, but his mom wasn't real big on encouraging him to play with the toys and all. His lunchbox had ninja turtles on it and he'd sold it to some kid for his first pack of smokes when he was... well, let's just say much too young.

Pretty much right around the time that he'd lit his first fire, and when the scent of tobacco was better than the slightly crispy leaves and wood burning smell that sometimes lingered around him.

He's not blind to who and what they are, but despite his own ability, he's never thought of himself as one of them. They're heroes. He's a kid that causes fires, and not everyone survives that.

The last few days he's been creeping around the place, talking to literal ghosts and checking things out. It's definitely different, and he's still adjusting to the whole thing where he's seen multiple people with the same face and picking up that somethings gone pear shaped and wonky. It left him hopeful, but when he did some research, his fire still happened, Baron was still in prison, and his mom... still is just answering his texts with single syllables so whatever. He might as well be here then.

Most of the time he's curled up in a padded window seat, guitar resting against his body and toying with the strings. The more focus he has, the less likely he's been to just start random fires. So he lays there, toying with the guitar and considering what it is that drew him here. Even being one of them, he just never been the saving the world type.

Comments

[youshouldbrunning]

She doesn't live here anymore. Hasn't in some time, but since the birthday party, she's been coming around off and on. Here to see the others, or just talk to some of the new people who have shown up. Things have really gotten wild around here, huh.

When she enters the place, the sound of someone messing with a guitar catches her attention. Was one of the Klaus' starting to learn to play or was it someone else? Either way she followed the sound to see someone sitting in a window seat, fiddling with it.

For a long silent moment she just watched, then... "You're new."

[pyrotechnist]

His head bowed over the guitar, Warren knows he's not alone. He knows there's another in the room but he doesn't look up, doesn't even stop playing. He's seen others crossing around the mansion, but for the most part he's just pretending as if he's not there and no one seems to mind.

Glancing up though she speaks, offering a kind of crooked half smile. "Just as old as everyone else around here," he says, intentionally taking her words wrong. "I kind of..." He stops playing entirely, sitting up straighter. "It sounds stupid but I felt like I had to be here. Figured out a while back I was probably one of the kids but my mom never said anything."

At least it explains why he's just wandering around a house he doesn't belong in.

[youshouldbrunning]

Her brow raised as he twisted her words, but she got that he understood her meaning. That it was just a joke. Ah, one of the 42 as well.

She came in closer, hands in the pockets of the hoodie she borrowed from Ben, and came to look at the stranger a bit closer.

"It doesn't sound so stupid to me." She said lightly, head tilting as she watched him. "I had that same feeling not long ago." For her though it was a return to a place she hadn't been at for too long. She's on the rocks with her boyfriend and this seemed like the logical place to hide for a bit.

"You got a name?"

[pyrotechnist]

He's glad when she assuages that concern, knowing the kids that had worn costumes and wanted to be one of the Umbrella Academy. From moment one, he's been hoping he is anything but one of them, but he's been denying it for too many years to keep pretending now.

"Well, glad to know the creepy Shining-esque calling isn't just for me," he says, meaning it despite the crap jokes. Shifting to set the guitar down at his feet, he rises and offers his hand.

"I'm Warren, and I kind of got let in like three days ago and just hung out since then. Ben, the one that's still apparently dead?" Damn he's still trying to get used to this. "He said some have been doing that."

[youshouldbrunning]

"I think I was fourteen when it hit me the first time. It hit me a few days ago again and here I am." She said with the faintest of smiles.

When he stood and offered a hand she hesitantly reached out to take his in return. Her hand seemed hot, more so than a normal humans, giving a short shake. "Liz. good to meet you, though just a heads up, if you're some weird Umbrella stalker and I find out you're bothering the others here, you'll regret it."

"...Kidding." She said as she let his hand go, tucking it back into a pocket. "I believe you." And then she frowned, one brow raising over her eye. "Great, so Ben is still dead in one form? The Multiple appearance of people is starting to get out of hand."

[pyrotechnist]

"Huh. Braver than I would have been then. I think fourteen was the year I was hiding. Shot up four inches, voice was cracking again," he says with a snort, rolling his eyes. "And I kept fucking shit up without meaning to."

Because wet dreams and nightmares of his past meant catching his mattress on fire not once but twice.

He blinks though at that, head cocking to one side. "Wait, seriously? I mean, I know they had fans when they were kids but..." He winces. "It's like Leia and the bikini. Cult following shit," he says, nose wrinkling thinking about it.

He nods though at that. "All see through and crackling with energy in that chair over there," he says, pointing. "You seen a second you?" He's really hoping that's a whole thing reserved for the actual Academy kids, but he doesn't know enough about it to really know.

[youshouldbrunning]

"Not sure it was brave, really. Just... needed." She understand fucking up though. She went from institution to institution from eleven to fourteen until she landed here. Mostly for fire reasons as well. She's not sure that's something she can admit to a stranger just yet though.

After all, it's not like others would understand nightmares and pyros, right?

"There were a few incidents. Not to mention crowds out front of the place. I'm not sure if I would call it a cult following, but there was a major fan base."

Her hands tucked back into her pockets and hung low on her belly. At least he was easy enough to chat with. Liz was terrible at small talk. But she glanced to the chair pointed to, brow lifting. She can generally see ghosts but she was unsure at the moment. "Mmm, no. I haven't seem myself yet. Thankfully. I'm pretty sure one of me is enough for this planet. How about you?"

[pyrotechnist]

It's something you learn not to talk about. Even if superhero kids that whispered the truth and could crush things with skinny little kid stick arms is considered acceptable in your world, you still don't just go around talking about making fire out of nothing and the damage it causes.

"How... utterly creepy," he says, chuckling though his nose wrinkles. "No but seriously, they were kids. That's... Nope," he shakes his head, suddenly more thankful than ever that his mom didn't sell him over to the circus then.

"Just me, and only me, and kind of with you on the thank God for small favors train," he admits, shaking his head. "I think it would end up being a duel to the death. Winner take all."

[youshouldbrunning]

Not talking about it tended to be the easiest way around it all, wasn't it?

"Apparently the public loves super heroes. At least until they do something wrong, and then the turn on you" She said with a roll of eyes. The public wouldn't be too fond to know that 'monsters' and 'demons' were protecting the world from mythological dangers, hmm?

"Oh? Would you end up fighting yourself?" She asked, looking from him to the room, pacing a bit as they spoke. "I'm pretty sure I'd end up sitting with myself and just watch the world go by."

[pyrotechnist]

"People are fickle monsters, whether they were born at the same moment on the same day or not," he says, shrugging. It's a cynical view of people, and he knows he's likely wrong but it's some of the things that go through his head sometimes.

"It's a Highlander reference," he says, smirking. "There can only be one. Still glad I haven't met me yet, but we'll see." He arches a brow. "Why just watch the world go by? Why not go out and do something?"

[youshouldbrunning]

It might be cynical but it's also fairly true. Or at least Liz thinks so. "Funny how they tend to think we're the monsters, huh." See, he wasn't the only cynic here.

"Ah, I'm terrible about pop culture references. Forgive me. But I am glad there is, so far, only one of me. I don't think the world could stand the heat of two." Fire reference. "But yes, just watch it go by. I've already seen enough of it to last a life time, I think. Too many things going on makes the mind muddy." She said, a hand raised near her head and wiggling as she said it.

[fireandthread]

"Settling in okay?"

Charlie's gotten used to the constant influx of random people showing up, so she's essentially just decided to give them the space and peace they need to get used to their surroundings. And the absolutely insane family they now live with.

"I know of a guitar shop about six blocks from here that sells music, stands. It's strictly guitar and string instruments."

In case that's info he needs.

"And I'm going to the store, if you need anything."

[pyrotechnist]

It's odd to him, all the people in this place that are so friendly and accommodating, and it's really odd to him but not unappreciated given everything he's been through before coming to this place.

"Huh, good to know. So you grew up in the Addam's Family mansion?" It's what he's assuming if she knows the area that well.

"Uhmmm, I don't have a whole lot of cash on me," he admits, smiling though. "So I'll make a run and do what I can find. Don't want to be that kind of a bum. Just the one crashing here."