Mass Video | OTA

[n5]

[ Five is in the garden, sitting on the grass with a big golden retriever seemingly sleeping on his lap, effectively pinning him in place. The dog's eyes are closed, but if one is observant, they might notice the tail wagging lazily behind him. Five has one hand on Sammy's head, gently scratching him between the ears as he tries to come up with what to say now that he's decided to announce his presence again.

He came back a few days ago after what feels like a lifetime away. He's found his other self, but he's been afraid to ask who else is around. Afraid about who might not be. But he's never been keen on wasting time, and while his memories are still fuzzy, it's better to rip the metaphorical ban-aid once and for all. ]

Ey, so...it's been some time. [ He's grown up, grown older, and even though it can't be seen because the dog is on his legs, Five left the damn shorts behind him a few years ago. There's also a tiredness in his eyes that wasn't there before. ]

I have two important questions;

Number one, who's not dead?
And number two, do we have any lint rollers?

[ As people can see by the sorry the state of Five's suit, now covered in fur, wearing dark clothes, and having a golden retriever as a pet is a bad combination. ]

Comments

[n5]

[ Whoever might have thought Five could not be affectionate has just had been proved completely wrong by these two. All they needed was some cute pets attuned to their moods to let their softer side show up. Not that they couldn't be like that with their siblings, but it's more difficult.

He didn't know what to think or how to feel when he made the open call to his siblings, but Five's mood is definitely improving thanks to the conversation he's having. He nods after seeing the other sigh and gives him a smile. Five hopes it says enough about how he feels about all this, his own relief. ]

True, but it would have been, let's say...Klaus there, I doubt he would have bothered reading any of the books. Or maybe he would have been interested in the bodice-ripper romance novels. There were worse places to end up; at least it wasn't the bowling alley. And no, I haven't checked your office.

[ Since he was trying not to be a total gremlin and respect people's spaces But eyyy, now that he's been given free rein... ]

Really? I'll check them out for sure. There's that book we read, about that teenage girl who had psychic powers and was fighting monsters from a different dimension...the one with the burned cover and the missing last chapters? I never managed to find it, and to this day, I still want to know how it ends.

[ It's the same for Five. Back in his timeline, he got a place near the library and visited it often, but it wasn't quite the same as it had once been, of course. For good or bad.

He looks pleased as one of the other Five's cats on his twin agrees to let him pay. Yes, he knew the other was doing it because they knew each other too well, but still, small victories. ]

Yes, that's it. I know Klaus will want some for sure, teenagers' stomachs are bottomless. Plus, Luther. [ When is their brother not hungry? the poor man, with his size, it's no surprise. ] You've got yourself a deal, you used the magic word coffee.

[oldmanfive]

[ Five hadn't really set any boundaries when he invited his counterpart to stay with him. He didn't really have anything to hide and his twin is probably the only other person that he can trust completely. Especially since they weren't suffering from paradox psychosis. ]

I don't think I've gotten my hands on that book yet, but we can always look for it together. Besides going to the library sales, I've been checking out local book shops too. It's bound to be in one of those places.

[ It's a pet project and small labor of love. But he would be happy to share it with his twin, since he would get it. He smiles, it's nice to see the other Five smile, since he knows better than anyone that he's been depressed. ]

Alright, should we guess what kind of donuts they would like or ask for preferences?

[ Certainly it would be easier to guess, but maybe some flavors and kinds are more popular among their siblings than others. ]

Coffee is always a good reason to go anywhere. It isn't as good as the personal blends I've been making, but is damn good coffee in any case.

[n5]

[ Not suffering from homicidal rage is sure a plus. Frankly, if their situation were reserved, he would have done the exact same thing. Not only do they think alike because they are the same person, but they know how to take care of themselves and, by extension, their other selves.

Maybe they don't always take good care of themselves, Five knows he has a fuck ton of unhealthy habits, but when you see them in someone else, you want to fix those. So they can end up helping each other in ways others would never be able to. It's nice, great even. ]

Pity. The burned pages were right when things were getting interesting. Ohh library sales and bookshops. Maybe one day we can ask Viktor or Ben if they want to come with us? They like reading too.

[ Lookie them, acting like old men excited about these things. It sounds like a good, quiet time to Five, and yes, trying to find the book would be another good bonding experience. It will help keep his mind off of darker topics and focus on the here and now. ]

If we ask them what they want, we will end up with a dozen different requests, most of them ridiculous. But yes... we should ask. [ And make it more clear that they care about their sibling's preferences for things as well as their tastes. Now, Five's not saying they have to buy all the shit they ask for. Klaus, especially, can have some questionable taste. ]

Stop tempting me with those, you're already making me thirsty. That reminds me...we need to buy coffee ice cream.

[oldmanfive]

If we can't find the physical copy, we can resort to looking for a digital one. I do have a kindle. I just don't use it very often, since I like having a physical book in my hands.

[ Five chuckles, quite happy with the idea of sharing the book shopping journey with two of their favorite brothers. Though he's not sure if Viktor would be that interested, since many of his interests have changed once he fully embraced himself. ]

I bet Ben would be interested, not sure about Viktor since a lot of his interests have changed. He doesn't even play violin anymore.

[ He says with a bit of a sadness as he does remember that he and Viktor had kind of grown a part when Viktor moved to Canada and started his bar. Though they were here now, so maybe they could fix that distance. The sadness only last a moment as he does smile when they decide on asking the others about donut options. It was always good to have a reference point. ]

I'm in the kitchen right now. Come have some coffee. You know there are always pots on when either of us are here.

[n5]

I like books better too; they feel more real. Tactile experience and all. If we only find a digital copy, we can always print it.

[ In true Old Man fashion, Five has to bring up that idea. ]

That's a good point about Viktor. I feel like I don't know him so well these days. I want to work to fix that if the opportunity arises, hence the suggestion of spending more time together doing whatever. 

[ That's sadness and regret that Five can understand, so he gives his twin a sympathetic look. He misses that too—the connection they used to have, even if it was different back then. Five is glad that Viktor can finally live as he wants and be more true to himself, but regrets how it seems to have driven them apart as well. Time to find a common middle ground. ]

I'll be there in a moment, I can always use more caffeine.

[oldmanfive]

That's a good idea. We can totally print out a digital copy, if we don't find a physical one.

[ Definitely Five thinks that is an excellent idea, since he really does prefer physical media to digital media. ]

Hopefully we do get the chance to fix things with him and any of the others that we haven't been close too.

[ It's not lost on him that they all drifted apart once they had no powers and were living in Reginald's ideal world. ]

Alright, I'll be here.

[n5]

Or a couple. I know bookbinding so giving it a proper cover won't be difficult.

[ That way they can each have one, in case they decide to re-read it at the same time, or they want to keep it in their rooms. ]

Maybe, who knows? It never seems to get any easier when it comes to that. One would think we would all learn form our mistakes, and then...Luther is often the best at finding ways to get us all together. [ Or at least the one who tries the hardest, even if it gets annoying on occasion. ]

See ya soon.