umbrellajackassery | [Tidying Up with the Hargreeves

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[Tidying Up with the Hargreeves | Ota! ]

[ ooc: These are just some ideas for starters but feel free to go wild and make new ones, thread around, run into other characters at the mall who aren't part of the family...have fun ♥. For the mall, feel free to assume they all have money to spend from their inheritance and the like. ]

A) Ashes to ashes

Five honest to god considered just burning everything his father owned. It was a thought not only motivated by his early conversation with Grace -and following breakdown- but years of neglect and all kinds of abuse inflicted on the whole family. He only refrained from it because Grace had suggested putting the old uniforms and badges in boxes instead, and he wanted to show her that they cared about her opinion. Five also had the suspicion that Luther might get upset if they ruined all their father's things, so he was willing to reach a compromise.

The teen has been space - jumping through the rooms of the house all morning, moving things and humming to himself the song Ding dong! The witch is dead, with his puppy trailing after him. Not everything was garbage though, there were clothes and furniture that they could give to charity, both because it was a nice nice to do and because it would have pissed off their father to no end. Sometimes, nothing fueled Five more than pure spite.

Some books he put aside for Ben to keep, knowing how much his brother liked to read and how adverse their father had been to the children touching them. He also kept a pair of suits for Klaus, just in case they needed them in the future.

The painting, though, the painting had to go immediately.

He took it down from the living room's wall and dragged it to the backyard. Five had managed to find a barrel -scavenging was his thing, after all- and threw the damned picture of his father inside it, frame and all. Now it was only a matter of finding some alcohol to burn and a lighter, maybe his siblings could help with that.

B) New home & Shopping Mall trip

Forty-two bedrooms in the house and not one for their mother. That was something that had to change, it was time Grace had a place to call her own. Moving her favorite paintings into the right room and redecorating it was a matter of time, first she had to pick one she liked.

'With windows' had been the only request she has given Five, and that gave them plenty of places to check around the house. They moved around the mansion, opening doors and windows, eyeing the rooms critically -mostly Five- and being open to suggestions.

A little later, once a choice was made, they only need to turn the room into a really comfortable place with new furniture, bedding, and curtains.

Miraculously, they all managed to fit in the minivan and, for once, Five had no issue letting one of the others drive. He didn't want to get stopped by the police, not now that they had managed to get mom out of the house so she could pick out all the things she wanted for her new bedroom and the house as a whole. All of them could use new clothes too, maybe that way Klaus would stop stealing Allison's clothes and Five could wear pants that actually reached his ankles.

The mall was simply huge: cosmetic shops, toys stores, rows and rows of clothing stores, furniture stores, a giant bouncy castle in one of the kid's sections, Ice Cream Parlour & Fast Foods...so it came as little surprise when in a matter of minutes they all scattered around the place, doing their own thing. Sometimes trying to reign in this family really was like herding cats, Five concluded as he stared with light apprehension at the number of people around the mall.

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Dahlia is, very slowly, trying to adjust to being in this house. She's pretty glacier-slow at it, because apparently that's just what happens when you spend thirteen years being little more than a science experiment. She's chosen a room-- as close to the Klaus that found her as she could manage-- but she hasn't done anything to personalize it or make it her own. Partially because it doesn't feel like hers, partially because Dahlia really isn't sure who she is as an individual person in her own right anymore.

She'd found some old coloring books somewhere and is sat in the middle of the bed with it in her lap, a splay of colored pencils next to her when a strange snap-pop! sound accompanied with a blue-white light that disappears as quickly as it had appeared makes her head snap up with a gasp, finding a boy standing in the place where the light had come from. She hadn't met everyone yet, there were too many people, and she was mostly isolating herself so far anyway. "Where did you come from?" Her voice has a light sound, almost child-like in nature, though she's the same age as everyone else.

"Wrong room." Five says out loud, more to her benefit than anything. He hasn't realized this one had an occupant already but he knew about the girl because Klaus mentioned someone staying over. Probably for the best, Five doesn't like strangers much, not if he doesn't know if they are a threat. But his brother had insisted that she was a friend and Five gave him the benefit of the doubt.

He turns towards Dahlia, hands in his pockets and an air of disinterest that is totally purposeful. Five doesn't want to alarm her further so the best way to act is as if nothing special is going on.

"From the west wing." Not a lie this time, he had been there before teleporting, but Five knows that's not really what she's asking. "I'm Klaus' older brother, Five. He mentioned you."

The coloring books and the juvenile voice doesn't seem to match her age but he is the worst person to start pointing fingers. "What's your name?"

"Older." She repeats, squinting at him. He makes something hum in the back of her mind, but she isn't sure what it means. It's harder to suss out with people she doesn't know, but she supposes, given enough time, she might pinpoint it. "How much older?"

She doesn't seem to find him an immediate threat, regardless, and she goes back to her coloring page, picking up a new pencil as she answers. "Dahlia. Klaus saved me." She offers it like a fact, like she does every time she says it. Grass is green, the sky is blue, Klaus saved her. Period. There's no room for argument that it was ever anything else.

"Older than any of us would like me to be. It's irrelevant." It's too complicated to explain too, she doesn't need that kind of headache nor is Five inclined to share. He's in a good mood and those are too rare to waste.

The casual way she admits that Klaus got her here and how he can just accept it without question makes Five wonder if there's anybody out there with a normal life. He moves a little closer to get a look at what she's doing but not enough to cross into her personal space.

"Nice drawing. Do you have any family, Dahlia?"

She shrugs at the obvious brush-off. It doesn't bother her, if he doesn't want to tell, that's his choice.

When he moves closer, she tips her head to one side to look up at him. "Thank you." She gives him a small smile, but it fades at his question. "I used to... I don't people who are assumed dead can have family any more, though." She admits sadly.

Five appreciates not being pressured with questions, his family has an awful tendency to do that and then they never like the answer he gives them. It's a waste of time for everyone involved.

"Welcome." He gives a smile back. Dahlia caught him in one of those rare moments here Five isn't in a rush to do anything stressing or important and there's also a kind of loneliness to her that makes his heart ache a little due to the familiarity. "Sure they can, look at me. People thought I was dead too, most still do. You can get a new family."

He looks around the bedroom, it's been a while since he's been in this one. The house is so big that most of them are unused, clean but empty.

"We will be going shopping to get mom things for his new room. Do you want anything?"

She looks up at him, her eyes squinted a bit curiously at him as she tries to decide if he was being serious about that comment. After a moment, she decides he doesn't seem like the type to make a joke in that taste, so she eases her features into a small smile. "I guess you're right."

"Oh.. um--" She looks almost flustered at the vast array of choice that open-ended question leaves in front of her. She isn't entirely sure where to begin. Wanting wasn't really allowed where she had been before, so even that is hard to pinpoint into an answer that would make sense for him. "I don't know." it's becoming a familiar set of words in her mouth as she keeps finding herself presented with things to decide upon. "I guess I'm okay." She could certainly be comfortable with the furnishings of the room all on its own and didn't feel like it was her place to request things-- even if he was asking her.

Five is 90% of the time being serious about everything, so she's right about his tendency to not make jokes. Unless sarcastic comments count as that, of course. There's something about Dahlia that reminds Five about Vanya when they were younger. She had been his favorite sisters, if a little too quiet.

"I'm often are about the things that matter." The boy says again with ease but he offers a smile in return. He can be patient too when it matters and it looks like Dahlia needs some time to think about the question so Five moves to the desk and sits on the table, looking at her expectantly.

"You could be better than okay. Maybe you would like new clothes? Or more books to color and read? The duvet is clean and all but it's probably old, I'm sure they make nicer ones nowadays."

"Clothes would be nice... it is kind of a hassle having to borrow things all the time." Not that she minds, but her own clothes would be nice, still. Something occurs to her a moment later, and she frowns as she tries to suss something out for herself before she turns her attention back to him. "I don't have any money-- are you sure you want to make such big, vague offers? Or will you require something else in turn?" Nothing is free, right?

"Yes, I know how that is." Rather than borrowing, he had to scavenge them in the past but the point still stands. It's a hassle not to have what you need close and available.

"Don't worry about the money, we have enough. You don't have to give us anything back but if you don't my word, you can ask Klaus about it." He says that kindly and without judging Five's not big on trusting people either, so he can understand being wary of such offers. "There's no rush either. You could make a list of the things you need or that you'd like to have, just write it all down and we will see what can be done about it."

She takes in what he says and mulls it over for a moment before nodding a little. "Okay. Thank you." She smiles warmly at him before she starts setting her books and markers away, swapping it out for a pen and a spiral journal. "I'll let you know when I'm done? You can... do whatever it is you were trying to do before?" She really isn't sure what the boy had been doing, but she knows for a fact she interrupted him from it.

"It's no problem." He also didn't mean that she had to stop drawing to start the lit but maybe Dahlia doesn't want to forget about it.

"I was checking the available rooms for mom. He still doesn't have a bedroom for herself." There's some bitterness to that statement but Five isn't directing at Dahlia. His father just was a bastard in so many different levels that he didn't even bother giving Grace a place to be. Dahlia's suggestion seems like his cue to leave, though, so he puts his hands on his pockets and straightens, ready to teleport away.

"I won't bother you anymore but if you need anything, my room's down the corridor by the north wing, the green door."

Burn baby burn
Klaus, of all people, could definitely help with starting a fire, and while he couldn't be entirely sure that's what Five was going to do with the portrait that he'd dragged down the hall, it was what Klaus would be doing with it, and figured it was much the same for his brother.

Which was why he arrived not long after with a bottle of lighter fluid, an entire box of kitchen matches, and a stack of smaller pictures. The ones from the hall outside everyone's childhood bedrooms and partway up the stairs, the ones with the simple picture-book illustrations of vicious fighting techniques, not the kind of thing that most children's picture books depicted.

He'd already replaced them with pictures from the party, mostly those taken with the cardboard photo ops, but also a few others that had just been taken during the festivities.

"Waiting for anybody else?" He asked as he handed over the lighter fluid, rattling the box of matches himself, figuring they had enough for what they were planning.

I'm gonna pop some tags...
Klaus had agreed to come on this trip for three reasons, one: mall cinnamon roll. Sure, Mom's cinnamon rolls were great, amazing, even, but there was just something about mall cinnamon rolls that homemade, from scratch, with love couldn't match. And maybe it was because of the love. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he needed one.
The second reason: candy store, and he was going to drag at least one sibling along with him, either as a voice of reason or because he knew they would be in a similar state of needing a sugar fix. Of course, he was also going to pick up a few things there for other people, but nobody needed to know that until the time came.
Thirdly -and most secretly of all- he was there to keep an eye on Grace, the same as the rest of them, and make sure they didn't go home until somebody got the all-clear from Peter while they were out.
Of course, even with those three missions, he was likely to be found just about anywhere else during the trip as well, his wardrobe and room decor weren't sparse by any means, but could always use freshening up.

Five looked more than a little bit delighted when Klaus showed up with all the necessary to set the painting ablaze. He also didn't fail to notice the pictures, nodding in approval. Those had been useful back then but also another sign of how weird and twisted their childhood had become. The new photographs that were put in its place made Five smile, even if he wouldn't admit it easily.

"Yes. We should wait a bit more until the others show up." Because this is supposed to be cathartic and the more people present the better. "I was looking for the fire extinguisher just in case something went wrong and when I couldn't find it I remembered that you threw it at me."

"Oh. Yeah we should probably replace that." He replied, though he was smiling at least a little, "And maybe get more than just the one for the kitchen? Especially now that there's more people living here, we should have one on every floor at least." He wasn't sure if there was some kind of fire-marshal's regulation on that, but common sense was one for every floor and maybe an extra for the kitchen.

"We can use the garden hose though, right? Do we even have one of those?" For as tidy-enough as everything was, he figured they must have, though he wasn't sure if he'd ever seen one.

"Those are good ideas." Credit where credit is due, Klaus needed some recognition for his help. "We need to add more than one to each floor, Charlie might need one in her bedroom alone."

Fire powers were cool and all except when you burned all your things. Five also had no idea where exactly one had to go to find a fire extinguisher. He would be happy leaving that task to his brother.

"We must have it somewhere. I talked to mom during the party and she mentioned wanting a small garden to tend to. She's showing more preferences now that Dad isn't controlling her every move."

Five eyed Klaus carefully, almost daring him to say something negative about it. He doubted that his brother from all people would be against mom showing more individuality but even Luther had his stupid moments when it came to mom. One never knew for sure with this family. He was in a good mood, though -burning dad's things and getting rid of your traumas helped- so he gives Klaus a smile. "She needs new clothes, maybe you could help her with that?"

That was definitely not something he was going to be negative about, if anything he was thrilled by this turn of events, she deserved the freedom to make her own decisions just as much as the rest of them did, more so, even, since they'd had the chance to and she hadn't yet.

"I can help, yeah. I mean, mom and me definitely don't have the same sense of style, but we're supposed to get her out of the house for a while anyway, I foresee a mall trip in our future." A twitch of a smile, "Let's just hope it goes better than it did when we were younger." They hadn't really gone to the mall as kids, but they'd made a few public appearances at shopping malls, and he didn't remember any of those as having been particularly well-organized.

Five figured that was the case but it never hurt to double check. His mind is wired all wrong now, messed up almost as much as his body, and a 'machine' gaining full sentience and freedom to him isn't a problem or strange. More so because Mom was more human to him that their father ever was.

But the world is full of people who might freak out about it or try to hurt mom, they need to make sure she doesn't get that kind of negativity. If he has Klaus and Diego to back him up and watch Grace's back, all the better. Five's suspicion is replaced by a pleased smile and a nod at that answer.

"Good, just don't try to put mom on anything with black leather. Imagine that." Five tries to remember the shopping mall appearances Klaus is talking about but his memory is a bit fuzzy. "Did we fought some criminal in the mall during Christmas? Or it was Diego getting into a fight with one of the Santa Clauses?

There were certainly some cases where Klaus would be wary about a machine gaining some kind of sentience and free will. The refrigerator, for instance, or any of the other appliances, really. But Mom was... well, she was Mom, so her having her own opinions about things seemed right.

"Shoes, maybe, or a purse, but no, no clothes" He commented, almost idly before he was distracted by the question, and his brow furrowed, gnawing at the corner of a thumbnail as he tried to recall, finally concluding: "I think it was both? But it wasn't Santa, it was the elves. Diego recognized one of them from the news or a police blotter or something." He shook his head, a small, nearly-fond smile catching at the corner of his mouth for a moment, "And of course he didn't actually tell us anything just dove in and the rest of us had to act like we knew what was going on."

He didn't quite remember how it had turned out, all he remembered was that they'd thwarted whatever the guy had in mind and that was really all that mattered.

The refrigerator coming alive is something Five never considered but if it happened, he probably also would be just as freaked out for a few seconds, then shrugs. Living in a wasteland and then meeting a woman who can freeze time kind of desensitizes you for most things.

As he listened to Klaus, Five starts to pour the bottle of lighter fluid over the painting, maybe far more gleefully than any 13 years old should look. Five doesn't like the smell of things burning or ashes in the air, they bring back unpleasant memories, but for this, he will happily withstand it.

"Luther needs new clothes too. Maybe we can find something that first him that doesn't look like it was made on the XIX century." There's was a glint in Five's eyes that maybe Klaus might remember form when they were children and Five wasn't feeling too proud to join his siblings in causing mischief. Sure Klaus can help him to find something colorful for Luther to wear.

"That sounds very on brand for Diego, now I remember. They banned us from the mall for 3 weeks. Boy, was Allison mad."

There was a bark of a laugh, then, "I'd managed to forget that until just now," His impression of Allison wasn't exact, but close enough, emphatic arm gestures and everything: "We just saved you all and we're the ones getting banned and he's the one getting his job back?" He shook his head, "How could I have forgotten that. Three week ban right in the middle of prime Christmas Shopping time."

Not that they'd ever really had a Christmas, not the way most families did, but Mom usually made a gingerbread house or two, and made sure they had a seasonally appropriate snack during their half hour of frivolity closest to the actual holiday date. But they also, somehow, almost always managed to get each other something, and unsurprisingly Allison had usually been the best at gifts.

"So did I." Five only had Dolores to talk with and bounce ideas off and while she was good company, she hasn't been present when Five was a kid.

There were a lot of stories he had forgotten and talking to his siblings helped remind him of the little terrors they all had been. Five tried his best not to laugh at Klaus' impression of their sister but it was a lost cause.

"She was so indignant and with a good reason. Did you know she made me space jump her to the mall after they closed? Allison never let me see what presents she was getting but we raided the candy store once we were done. And I got books of quantum physics that Dad never let me buy."

It wasn't like Christmas, Christmas, but it was still a special time of the year regardless of how much of an ass his dad was being to them. Not everything was bad about their childhood. That thought prompted Five to look around but it seemed their other siblings were too busy. Oh well.

"I don't think the others are coming." Five gestured to the painting, then to Klaus' lighter. "Do you want to do the honors?"

If someone deserved to give Reginald the metaphorical middle fingers after all the suffering he had caused, that was Klaus.

He gave a shrug, even as he bent one of the combat stance signs and lighting it to use as a fire-starter, letting it get a good flame before sticking it in the barrel with the painting, "You know they're just going to wait until we get a good blaze going so they can come out here and tell us to be careful." He replied, though he was watching the flames climb slowly up the painting, licking up the frame first before skirting out across the painting itself, the varnish and the paint beneath starting to soften and then blister and sizzle.

It was difficult to say for sure if he was watching just to make sure the flames didn't get out of hand, or if Five had been right about who should be the one to start the fire and Klaus was just trying his hardest to lay one last curse on Reginald's metaphorical grave.

"Could be. My best guess is that Luther will be the one to do that." Always the first to defend their father, their Number One. Five hopes it's only a matter of time until Luther realizes Reginald screwed him up just as much as everyone else and starts to heal properly. At least he has no more illusions about the importance of his mission on the moon.

As much as Five detested Fire, he was very accustomed to its presence. He didn't even take a step back when the frame started to creak and the painting turned unrecognizable, there's was an immense kind of satisfaction at seeing it get destroyed. His eyes were still trained on the flame when he addressed Klaus again.

"You okay?"

He mused that Allison might come down to check on them if it was solely a safety concern, and maybe Mom, but he doubted that either of them would actually try to put a stop to it.

It was only once the frame actually collapsed into the barrel, taking the remains of the canvas with it that Klaus actually answered, though it was quiet, and short: "Yep." He offered over one of the stack of signs, "You want one of these?" Because if not he was going to fold them into interesting shapes to toss in the barrel one at a time just to see how they burned.

Five shock his head. "Be my guest."

He was happy enough watching one of his siblings get, if not closure, some enjoyment from this. He would have liked it more if Klaus decided to speak to him some more but Five knew all too well that some wounds were too deep to address them.

"Every day we are one step away from him, you know."

"Yeah we are." He replied, already folding the first sign in on itself, "We just have to remember that, remind each other of it if someone forgets." And really that was going to be the hardest part, just recognizing when one of them needed the reminder.

It was one Klaus knew he was going to need, and likely often, but even just not having the portrait glowering down judgmentally at them all would be a help, especially if they replaced it with something better, like a basketball hoop.

A room of her own

After breakfast and time enough to tidy up (or delegate to those willing to help with the washing up), Grace takes a moment to circuit the house. It's difficult to do so while actively looking at each room and wondering if it's one she'd like for herself. She doesn't need much, she never has but the idea appeals. It's also a good opportunity to take a solid inventory of the home- decide what it is they ought to keep and what they ought to clear out for more space as they've an additional handful of bodies to house.

Any room with a view has her pausing, peering through the glass, soaking up sunshine. Moving her charging station here won't be difficult, Pogo has already agreed to assist but- does she want to be close to the children? Does she want to be close to the security room, the attic, the courtyard, the observatory? She doesn't need to linger near the telescope, peering through the black, hoping to see some sign of her oldest any longer with Luther home. Doesn't need to stare out at the street and wish for Five's return. Without specific parameters, it's...difficult. She wastes time lingering, looking, pacing through the space, attempting to envision a world where this room is for her and her alone. Perhaps she should simply decide how they made her feel?

Dress up Montage

Her clothing, while styled and impeccable, is limited. Only so many options for outfits that rarely needed tending or replacing as she didn't sweat or create odor, didn't cause many of the reasons clothing would wear, tear, or smell like actual human women. To have so many options available is daunting. To be outside among so many people is astounding, unheard of. Reginald never let her leave the house, never let her explore the world or deviate from his exacting idea of how it is she ought to look or behave. To that end- her curiosity is endless. What do women wear now? What looks best? What fits? A million calculations and questions she'd never have to consider before as she stares at rack upon rack of modern, colorful clothing. After a few false starts she simply finds a fitting room and tells those that want to watch her or have opinions her size and lets the children bring her articles of clothing.

It's easier.

Having gotten one of his own errands finished, and promise of the second before they left, Klaus was ready to help, catching up with the entourage after the second or third store, he realized how easily overwhelmed Grace was getting, which he knew none of them intended to do.

He was familiar with that kind of overwhelmed, though, and knew from experience that it could lead to energy burnout, and so when they found somewhere with more variety and Grace had attached herself to a dressing room, he had appointed himself the Clothing Liaison, collecting bundles of what might make good outfits from the items the rest of them brought back, never vetoing anything outright -that was Grace's prerogative and he wasn't about to take it from her- and even making suggestions himself as to what items or other colors might be needed.

"Day wear guys, day wear." He said even as he made two different stacks of shirts to go with two different pairs of pants, all of which he passed off to Grace with a smile, "Not your usual, I know, but give it a try, you might find out you like it."

She's never worn slacks, not truly. Reginald had a narrow, specific view of how femininity and motherhood ought to be presented and she stuck to them to the letter- she'd never had any other options. Staring at them she has to wonder, a little, at the notion. "It would have made chasing you down in the halls much easier if I had these."

Less skirt and tulle to get caught on furniture, less volume to alert the children of her arrival. She slips into the changing booth and carefully hangs her dress and petticoat off to one side, slidig into the new clothing. Cotton, not polyester, cut to hug her hip an thigh and that's- different. The shirt is likewise nipped in and a different texture and- she feels light without the flounce around her hips an thighs.

But not in a way that's uncomfortable. Buttoned up she steps back out, arms open for Klaus to examine. "It's different." Eyes on herself in the mirror- she can't quite peg what's missing, but it feels as though something is.

"Well, there's still Elle and the younger me, so your chasing kids down days might not be over yet." He replied with a smile.

He tilted his head, when she emerged again, gnawing at his thumbnail as if considering, the fit was definitely good, and made her look taller somehow, more like he remembered her looking back before he could reach the countertops, but that was a good thing as far as he was concerned, "Something's missing." He said, "It's good, it looks great, but it doesn't look finished, you know?"

Which was why he waved down the nearest sibling with a furtive and yet still somehow frantic movement of his hand, "Look at this." A gesture to Grace's outfit with his other hand, "What's wrong with this picture? What's missing?"

The nearest sibling happened to be the old-man-child carrying three different dresses for Grace to try. Some were a bit more colorful and extravagant that usual but summer was approaching and wasn't this the whole point? To let their mom's personality shine through the clothes she wore? Besides, Five just found the cutest shoes to go with the dresses, it was only a matter to see if Grace liked them too.

"Hm...?" He stood in front of them, arms full of clothes and staring at Grace up and down. She looked lovely with the new clothes and the colors looked nice with her skin and hair. Maybe they matched too well. Five's eyebrows went up, the metaphorical light bulb going off in his mind. "Hold this."

The boy all but dropped the clothes and shoes on Klaus arms before space jumping away. He returned a few seconds later with a colorful foulard and gestured for Grace to lean over so he could wraps it around her shoulders and neck.

Klaus beamed at that, catching Five's shoulders and kissing the top of his head quickly before letting him go with a singular gentle shake , "Five, you are a brilliant fifty-eight year old baby genius. Color. It was missing color."

He turned back to Grace then, "How's it feel now?" It wasn't that the outfit had been drab before, it was just that it had been monochrome, too much of one color, which Five had fixed in one fell sweep.

"Not a baby."

Came the quick reply, followed by a frown. But Five didn't immediately reciprocate that kiss with immediate violence, even if his cheekbones turned red, so there was an attempt to stay civil. He's been making an effort to control his bad temper and he too wanted to know what Grace thought about the color addition.

Vanya shuffled around awkwardly, hands in her pockets as she trailed behind Five through the mall. The mall itself was a little too bright and loud for her tastes, and every shrieking kid and squeaky-wheeled shopping cart was all too stark in her ears.

Plus, there was the fact that shopping for Mom was a lot different than if she were shopping for herself. She knew her own tastes and they were pretty minimal; it made it easy to grab stuff and get to the checkout aisle. Mom was different, and a lot more girly than she was. Stuff like that was more Allison's style.

"You ever wonder if Mom likes all that retro 50s housewife stuff on her own?" she mumbles, glancing at the shelves. "Or if that was just what Dad programmed into her? Maybe a little both. It's hard to tell with her."

Five himself wasn't that used to being surrounded by so many loud people. Back in the Post Apocalypse the only noise was made by either himself or storms, and it as one of the reasons why he started to talk to Dolores out loud. The silence was driving him nuts, reminding him every day that there were no more conversations, no more music, no more life.

The noises that came with people gathering together was usually comforting but now it was also making him a little twitchy. He managed to focus by keeping a close eye on Vanya and picking a different kind of colorful clothes or accessories, Klaus wasn't the only one in the family with fashion sense. How questionable was that fashion sense was still in the air. Not all the clothes Five was selecting were for Grace, if the way he eyed Vanya was any indication.

"I think she likes it to a degree, the dresses are pretty. But after almost 30 years wearing the same kind of clothes, it must get tedious. She seems to get more autonomy now that Dad's not around to impose himself, I think it's a good thing."

And that sentiment went for Vanya as well. She deserves more freedom to be herself without the shadow of their father torturing them. After a hum, Five reaches out for an emerald sweater, casual but elegant at the same time and held it up in front of Vanya. "Do you like this color? I think it will look nice with your skin."

Edited (fixed a typo, sorry) 2019-04-29 12:53 (UTC)

"I guess you're right. She gets to be her own person -- robot -- whatever she wants to be," Vanya says, still eyeing the different shelves. "And if she still likes the same stuff, hey, nothing wrong with that."

She glances at the sweater Five is holding, not immediately understanding the question. Her skin? It takes a second to sink in, and with a surprised look, she says, "Oh, uh -- I mean, aren't we just shopping for Mom, right now?"

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[Tidying Up with the Hargreeves | Ota! ]

A; space-jumping gathering

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Burn baby burn

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Dress up time!

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Shopping mall trip

OH SHIT SORRY FOR THE DELAY

IT'S OK BB <3