TEST DRIVE MEME #17

[penancemods]

Arrival

You remember a dream.

Or maybe nightmare is more accurate.

It was full of hellfire nipping at your skin and a sensation of being pulled down no matter how much you struggle or cry for help. There's a voice that feels like it's coming from all around you at once. Contrasting with the nightmare unfolding around you, it's smooth as silk. It makes you want to listen with every bit of attention you can muster in the moment.

"Judgement has come upon you, but not to worry. It can still be undone."

The voice promises you redemption for your sins. It promises you a better life and everything you could ever want, if only you just stop struggling so much.

And so you do.

Everyone wakes up in the same room initially. The room is done up in red with a cushy bed, a window, an old TV in the corner on a desk, and a few Hieronymus Bosch paintings lining the wall. There's a bathroom to clean up in and any belongings will be sat around the room to be gathered later. There's a duffel bag provided for your convenience.

After feeling a sensation of falling or dropping onto the bed, characters wake up feeling like they've just slept for a week. Their body will feel heavy and stiff, and they'll have a massive headache at first.

They'll quickly notice the list of their sins written with their blood on a bedside table on an old piece of parchment. This will mean the list is tied to them and can't be changed or tampered with. They'll also receive their device to connect with others and the network. It won't be anything terribly fancy. As a matter of fact, it looks like a very old Blackberry type phone.

Once characters are ready to leave the room, they'll head down long, winding halls. They're dimly lit and have an ominous feeling. They may encounter fellow sinners or demonic staff that will direct the newcomer down to the lobby to get their actual room key to settle in. The staff may be pushy, or they may border on courteous. It really just depends on the mood of the staff at the time and how they're treated in return. Eventually, everyone comes to stairs that lead downward.

Once down to the lobby, you'll notice the front desk manned by a demon who looks bored out of its mind. To the side of him is the door to the kitchen, where guests may help themselves. To the right is a small duty free shop that seems to have a surprisingly normal, expected stock of items. Look around a bit further, there will be a tiny bar tucked in through a corner door. It seems pretty well-stocked and best of all, there's a demonic bartender who seems to know how to mix any drink you can imagine (and a few you can't). Of course there's some seating, bar games, and a jukebox tucked in the corner if you'd rather stay and socialize a bit. There's also a new addition of a karaoke machine.

Please note that all the songs on the jukebox are appropriately hell-themed. Hopefully Sympathy for the Devil is universally loved.


Stand Your Ground

The weather has grown only more harsh outside when guests, new and old alike, wake this fine morning. The chill in the air is biting, unforgiving, and the hotel never seems to ever be quite warm enough to be comfortable. Heat is on the fritz, it seems, but the staff is too preoccupied to really worry about it. No one will die from a bit of cold, so stop complaining!

While the feel good feelings from weeks ago are starting to fade and business is getting back to the status quo, there's still a strange lethargy hanging in the air for the demons. They seem rather worn down and worried. Perhaps it's the strange Devil's Cross tattoos people were waking up with after disappearing for unknown periods of time, or maybe it's the fact that the past few months have gone hard and heavy. Maybe it's something else entirely, but they seem rather tight-lipped.

Either way, there's probably no reason to let your worries linger on that, dear guests! No, instead, focus your attention on gathering the extra blankets being supplied in the lobby or visiting the warm drink station set up in the kitchen. It seems pumpkin spice has made a comeback for some of the food and beverages, but it isn't quite as all encompassing as it was the previous year! It seems the goblins have learned what balance is, thank goodness.

That does not mean, however, that you are free from the horrors of such concoctions as pumpkin spice pizza or pumpkin spice bacon. It will be very hard to say no when eager little goblins look so anxious for approval, won't it?

While Hell seems to have skipped pleasant Fall-like weather right into bitter cold, guests may start to notice strange-looking pumpkins sat around everywhere. They'll be carved into novel designs ranging from the usual jack'o'lantern to tentacle monsters to designs that may seem to prey on sinners' actual fears. They'll appear in suites throughout the hotel, as well as outside, and range in color from orange to purple to black. At least it's not dolls this time! The staff also assures they will not be animated anytime soon.

Those who are sensitive may notice that there is something a little bit magical about them. Something that feels beckoning. Probably nothing to worry too much over though. Move along!

Observant sinners may notice the skeletal guards on duty around the gates of the Penance community. While these are guests sent from Lucifer's colleagues in other areas of Hell, they seem to keep to themselves for the most part since their arrival.

At least until now! Those who are curious enough to venture close enough to these eerie guards may notice the hidden anguish that seems written in the hollow sockets of their eyes or see the way their decayed flesh is stretched so thinly across brittle bone, ripped in some parts to reveal what's underneath. In short, they're dried, humanoid husks who seem to be suffering for it

They fear nothing, according to rumor. They have seen all horrors known to Hell and beyond. It's said that they live in a constant state of agony that gives them their strength and drive. No one can hurt them worse than they already ache, so they are perfect soldiers. Be careful! They truly are some of Hell's most fearsome soldiers. They will not play if tormented enough. Generally though, they seem rather content to just ignore sinners making jackasses of themselves.

Any mentions of the Veiled Order from this point on seem hushed without question, sharp glares sent to anyone who dares speak the name. If asked, the demons will say it is for Lilith's comfort. She went through trauma, so have some sympathy, will you?

It feels like there may be more to it than that, but the demons of Penance seem desperate to just get back to normal.


Prompt I: Spirits

Was anyone truly under the impression that they could get through this month without something odd just under the surface? If the pumpkins didn't do it, well... guests may start to notice sudden cold spikes while they're wandering around the Penance community, wherever they may be. It starts off as just a creeping cold sensation and may grow into a feeling of someone watching.

Odd.

The demons of Penance seem to be setting up some sort of festival as well. Nothing extravagant. There are a few vendors set up selling warm apple cider, others selling novelty items such as t-shirts (Who doesn't want some 'I was damned to Hell and all I got was this shirt' type things?) as well as various magic trinkets. These likely won't work, but will have various claims such as promises of attracting love or fortune, or even promises the charms will keep at bay the Mares or other nasties.

There's also plenty of food. The whole theme of this festival seems to be geared towards gluttony. Guests may find themselves inclined to eat and eat, even to the point of being sick, if they allow themselves to be carried away by the sweet smell of food around them. They may also be inclined to try food they've never been fond of before. At least there's no public frying of tiny little animals this time around?

Besides food, there are a few random attractions such as bobbing for apples, squonk racing (They let the little guys go through makeshift obstacles to see who achieves the goal of burrowing in a hole and crying their ugly little hearts out first), and strangely enough an offering table.

It's asked that sinners leave trinkets or food items to appease the spirits. They may also leave little notes of respect, if they so choose. If asked why the spirits need to be appeased at all, the demons will inform the guests that this is Lucifer's bidding. He wishes to make good with the damned, disembodied spirits to help keep an eye on things outside the gates in places where even Lucifer's eyes can't reach. All eyes, everywhere, will surely keep them safe.

It's not a huge deal! Nothing to worry about. The night is ended with a lantern ceremony. Floating lanterns will be released into the air come night time after guests have written small notes to attach to them. These notes can be names of those they miss or regrets they'd like to let go of, anything. It's specifically for cleansing purposes, so let go!

Apparently there was a slight oversight? The ghosts may be appeased, but when guests return to the hotel that night, it seems the odd activity they've noticed has only grown worse. What was just a creeping sensation becomes a deep sense of being unsafe in vulnerable places such as the shower or anywhere one is generally alone and unreachable. It may get to the point where it feels like even closing your eyes may be a gamble not worth it, even if it's just to rinse shampoo out. Guests may also experience odd scratches and bruises they won't be able to explain.

At night, they may feel someone who isn't there cuddling up next to them or just sitting there watching them, even if they're alone. There may be, occasionally, frisky hands wandering over bodies...

Nothing is more unsettling than waking to phantoms you can't see beyond the odd glimpse from the corner of your eye, doing things to you that you can't anticipate.

While nothing seems overtly menacing other than a bit of poltergeist activity, it does seem the hotel is experiencing a bit of a haunting that shows no signs of stopping.

The staff, however, will advise against using any means to contact these spirits. The longer sinners entertain them, the harder it will be to get them to leave when the time comes. They're a bit of an annoying menace to the staff, too, so they'd appreciate them not overstaying their welcome.

You try cleaning blood dripping down the walls all the time!

Guests may find oujia boards and seance materials down in the basement if they're really curious, however... Ghosts will be rather chatty given the opportunity. Conversations can range from threatening to odd, some ghosts may warn "It's coming!" or beg for others to "Come join the other side, we're so cold!". They seem to be trying to beckon guests outside the safety of Penance, actually...

Those who just want peace may find staying together seems to keep the spirits at bay, as well as putting salt circles as long as the circle remains unbroken and one remains within it. It may be inconvenient, but at least sinners won't have to worry about the activity for a bit, right?


Reach Up High

WARNINGS: mutilation, blood, torture.

Lucifer's voice rings out as it always does, compassion and warmth clear despite his words. It lingers in guests' ears even as they're forced into a dark room by demons and shown an ominous looking device just waiting for them.

"Welcome, my honored guests! Since some of your ilk have displayed an alarming tendency towards secrecy and outright lying, I've come up with a way for you to practice frank discussion instead. What I ask of you won't be an easy task, but it will be a lesson that's valuable to learn. When the device before you turns on it will display a sin one of you are guilty of. You will be given exactly one minute to begin explaining what happened and how. Do be frank about it, and fair warning: if either of you refuse... you're unlikely to be unhappy about the result."

Guests won't have the option of refusing this daunting task. Demons drag sinners in, easily overpowering even the strongest if only for long enough to secure them in the seat and shove their hands into the opening of the device. Once secured, sinners are unable to remove their hands as a typing noise begins sounding out. After a moment, a sheet of paper will then pop out of the top of the device for guests to read. One sin off their list is printed neatly on it. Guests have one minute to begin explaining what it means and how it happened or why it's a sin of theirs.

Should the guest refuse or fail they will hear the contraption start up. An ominous sound of something shifting rings out before a sharp pain shoots up their finger and ricochets through their body. Each time a person fails their turn they both lose a fingernail. this will keep going until they've lost all ten (or however many the guest may have) or they answer a satisfactory number of sins. It really just depends on which sort of torment the guests are content with suffering through and how much they want redemption.

[Note: How many sins characters have to explain to be released will be left up to player discretion!]


Follow Me Down

Prompt I: Lost My Shirt and My Heart

WARNINGS: sex, drugs, alcohol, aphrodisiacs, body changes, potential kinks, violence, potential non-con or dub-con.

Club Penance seems to be trying out something new! Themed nights. This night's theme is: Anything But Clothes. Guests who enter the adult oriented side of the club will notice the incubi and succubi who serve in it are entirely without clothes (and any ounce of shame!). They're very encouraging of others to do the same whether it be immediately or in sexy strip shows.

On their trays, they offer drinks and drugs of all sorts. Shows are being put on on the stage as usual, the offer of sex demos with guest participation are still on the table.

As usual, these demons play under respectable rules, safe words and all. They will also gladly exit the stage and let guests entirely run the show. They're on their best behavior tonight, even if the natural aphrodisiacs they give off seem to be amped up

Guests who refused to undress may also find their clothes randomly disappearing, or being torn off by some eager patron or demon who is a bit too into the theme! Ah, well, no need to worry too much. There will be costumes and lingerie to slip on to go home in. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a walk of shame back to the hotel in nothing but a thong, they'll assure. It's just another night in Hell.

For those who are really adventurous, there are also special concoctions that the club offers. These include:

Frenzy ○ The drug will be given to anyone anyone who asks for it. It can be snorted, injected, taken in pill form, or smoked given user preference.

Despite the questionable name, guests who partake really will feel the best they've possibly ever felt. They won't need sleep or to rest, but they won't necessarily feel the strain on their bodies either. They'll be full of energy and their mood will be amazing with no hint of nightmares or dreams anywhere.

The demons won't let anyone come down either, not once they've started and not until they're told a guest doesn't want any more.

Even then, they may still try to convince them otherwise. It's a party for as long as you can go, or until you completely burn out, it seems.

But with all good things come bad. It seems a side-effect of the drug is an actual frenzy as well. A frenzy for sex or violence or anything a character might want that they deny themselves on the regular. They'll feel this growing hunger, this ravenous need to have and to claim everything they think is theirs.

Some may even fade away into an almost animalistic sort of state.

The more the guest takes, the more they'll experience this sensation. Fighting it won't help either. Though they did sort of bring that one on themselves, didn't they?

Other symptoms of coming down won't be too different to those of other drugs. Fatigue, depression. Guests will begin to feel the effects of staying up for so long without rest or stopping to take care of themselves. They may also feel a certain longing for more, but it can be fought off with enough strength of will.

The drug isn't free either. The succubi expect to be paid in energy or through actual work in the club.

Bond ○ A potion that will bond guests together the minute one speaks to the other. The encouragement is that this should be done consensually, but the demons won't necessarily be checking. Once bonded, guests will feel what the one who took the potion feels. This includes pain and pleasure both with effects lasting a full night. Give someone the most intense pleasure of their lives or torture them until they beg for mercy!

For a really intense experience, both participants can consume the potion with mutual effects.

For the dance oriented portion of the club, the theme is a little more lax. Instead of outright nakedness, patrons may be offered revealing clubwear instead. Things that will look mesmerizing in the lights of the club ranging from neon colors to clothes that seem to flash on the dance floor. The music will be thrumming in the air, pumping down to your very bones as you dance the night away, and all patrons will feel good. It will feel as if they could actually dance all night if they so wanted, even without the aid of any drugs.

It will be an all night rave with all the party drugs and drinks one could want! Live music plays all night. The band also loves to receive requests, so knock yourself out! They seem to strangely know any song they're asked to play.

Knock yourself out, give up any care in the world and have fun. You're already in Hell, so don't you deserve to feel good for a while?


Wildcard/Misc.

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Klaus Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy | cw: flash-photo gif/eye manip pic; anxiety description/tbd

[bestfuneralever]

I. Spirits {Can't escape all these spirts chasin' after me {A} Roommates, family, or people likely to be in his room It's taken some getting used to, and some long-term proof of it, to adjust to not having ghosts swarming him at all hours of the day and night. Klaus chalks it up to being dead, and in Hell, and he can't very well access the plane of the dead when he's one of them, can he? The reprieve of it all has been damn near blissful, the kind of thing he only dreamed about before he ended up here. A life without haunted voices screaming for him had only been a fantasy before, and now that he's had a taste of it, God, he'd never give it up. So as the days stretch on and grow colder, and something in the air seems to prickle at his skin an in an inexplicable way, he doesn't even begin to consider it might mean something more than the usual games Hell tends to play. They'd all had those feel good vibes running under the frame of things toward the end of the month, right? This is just the shock back to awareness of the way things always were coated in a little bit of dark and twisty here. It's a nightmare, at first, he's sure of it. Trapped in the crypt surrounded by ghosts screaming his name, pawing at him, begging him to pay attention and help them. He almost doesn't notice the man made of eyes in the midst of them all. The shuddering breath that comes out of him as he jolts up in bed wracks his wiry frame and it takes him a few minutes just sitting there to realize it's fine. It was a dream. It was-- Something cold curls around his shoulder and he squeezes his eyes shut, terrified to turn and see who-what might be there. But he didn't have to see it, because the spirts made themselves known with a chorus of noise in his ears that he couldn't escape. "Klaus." "Klaus!" "KLAUS!" A hiss of words: "KLAAAAAUUUSSSS help uussss" "Save me!" comes what seems to be the terrified cry of a little girl. "Klaus." "Klaus!" "KLAUS!" "Be warned," came the warning of a woman. "it's coming!" "Join us on the other side, Klaus--!" comes one voice. "--it's where you belong, after all," finishes another, identical voice. "Klaus." "Klaus!" "KLAUS!" He whimpers against the voices, curling into himself and trying to hide from them all. {B} OTA Unable to stand being alone in his room with a parade of ghosts he hasn't been able to get rid of (and he tried-- he tried so hard, begging some pills out of a demon here, drowning himself in booze there, and it didn't help, not like it should have-- they were still there), Klaus takes to wandering all hours of the day, but especially at night. The ghosts are more active then, which isn't a surprise but it's made sleep exceptionally hard. He might be found idly wandering the halls more often than not; otherwise one might find him at the bar or leaving either of his siblings' rooms at various points through the ghosts' tenure in the hotel. More than anything, he's just trying to find something that makes the spirts quieter, even if that just means distractions in form of conversations with others. Anything is better than listening to them scream. {C} Steve Rogers / Harlan Halliday Still some nights, his feet carry him to familiar spaces; it's become all but a default routine to wander down the hall to #203 when he's bored, can't sleep, or otherwise needs the company of someone he can trust. He doesn't wait for anyone to answer, instead just lets himself inside the suite and further still, into Harlan's room. He isn't home when Klaus finds his way there, so he sets up perching at the top of the bed near the pillows in a lotus style while he waits. Another time, Steve answers the door when he comes knocking, looking shaken and exhausted. He doesn't bother explaining, instead he just follows wherever the other man might lead him.

B;

[doggish]

[Okay, see, he hadn't actually meant to scare anyone.

It's not his fault that his eyes are built differently than humans'. It's not his fault they glow in the dark. And it certainly isn't his fault that a human happens to be wandering down the halls the same time as him.

All of this to say: at 2 AM, all poor Klaus can see is a figure in a darkened hallway, eyes flashing and gleaming as they stare at him.]

They're out of ice, [the apparition intones, sounding put out.] If that is what you're up to find.

[bestfuneralever]

[Klaus is distracted, not quite in a trance, but so, so very aware of the shifts in the air when some part of the hallway he's been traveling along becomes so much colder suddenly and he's doing his damn level best to not turn his attention to. He knows what he'll find there, and he doesn't want to look. (Hell's spirits are so much worse than the ones back home). He pauses mid-step when he sees the flash of eyes in the distance of the darkened hallway, eyes a little wider than they were seconds ago, heartbeat already thudding too quick in his chest. And then the disembodied-looking eyes speak and it's a race to what will happen first-- his heart bursting through his chest or coming up from his throat. When he speaks, his voice is tight and he stands completely still.] Nope, I'm good on ice...

[doggish]

Simply stretching your legs?

[Asks the apparition of sleepless nights yet to come. Those eerie eyes blink once, twice; it's hard to see them unless they catch the light, but oh, once they do . . . it's like looking at a cat.

Still: spirits may have creepy eyes, but it's rare they shift their weight to one leg so they can stretch the ankle of the other.

Fenris approaches. He's a little eager for company, but it's always rotten to be alone with your thoughts in the middle of the night. Even in hell. Especially in hell.]

What troubles you?

[It'd be hard to miss that tone.]

[bestfuneralever]

Yup.

[His voice is still tighter than he'd like. It blinks and the eyes keep shifting, darkened til it's almost impossible to see and then-- light catches them and they're this perfect pair of eerie reflections in the darkness.

He doesn't like it.

The figure moves closer, and his eyes can at least make a shape of a person out in the dimly lit hallways now. It relaxes him a little, at least.]

Uh-- [A scoff of a laugh.] what doesn't, honestly.

[doggish]

Yes, we're in hell, that's expected. But right now, I mean.

[He actually glances behind him, because, you know, who the fuck knows what's going on in hell, maybe there's a monster? But he sees nothing. And if he sees nothing, it's unlikely a probable-human sees more.]

[bestfuneralever]

You haven't seen the ghosts? [His voice hits a higher octave, a dead giveaway at his fear. He'd hoped it was a hell thing, and not a him-thing, but this doesn't bode well for that right now. If he hasn't seen them, then that just means that for some reason, Hell hadn't seen fit for him to have access to his powers until now, and the mystery behind why now? is unsettling.]

[compelledtoprotect]

"Come in."

Steve took the man by the hand and drew him into the suite, then towards his bedroom. Once they were alone and safe, he'd ask. Until then, words could wait. He settled Klaus on the side of the bed and made a sign to stay put, then went out for a few minutes. When he came back, he had drinks and snacks that he set aside, just in case.

He sat on the bed, sliding his arm around Klaus' shoulders and cuddling the man close, "Ok Klaus. Let's have the basics and then we can get under the covers if that's what you need most. Talk to me, hmm?"

[bestfuneralever]

He doesn't fight being guided into the suite, past the common shared spaces and into Steve's personal room. He doesn't struggle as he's eased to the bed, and only gives a slightly confused frown when Steve makes to disappear, only to have understanding and realization dawn when he returns, snacks and water at the bedside, just in case. He can't help the smallest tug at his lips at the gesture. Unnecessary, but so, so sweet.

When Steve wraps his arm around his shoulders, there's a relief in the pressing weight of that feeling. The kind of thing that he wants to curl up inside and never leave. He can't do that, though, so instead he just leans further into Steve's side; how does he always know what he needs?

"The ghosts're back'n I can't sleep." He mumbles, turning to bury his face against Steve. "They won't leave me alone."

[compelledtoprotect]

Taking care of people made Steve happy. The idea that he could make life better for even one person was just . . . It made him happy dammit. And Klaus needed all the love and support he could get. He cuddled the man against him, stroking one hand through Klaus' hair while the other curled around that skinny body.

"Does it help to talk about them, or is it better to try and forget they exist?" Steve would do whichever was the easiest for the guy. At the moment, offering physical comfort seemed to be the best, so he just kept Klaus close and waited for more information.

[bestfuneralever]

He leans easily into that touch, soaking up the comfort from it, from the solid warmth that Steve provides, a reminder of the living.

He shakes his head, “Doesn’t matter, really... they just bug me all the time. They hadn’t been— I hadn’t seen any of them since I got here. I- I don’t understand...”

[compelledtoprotect]

"Stuff happens here baby. Sometimes things that used to plague us go away, and sometimes they get so much worse. When you say they went away, do you mean that you just didn't see any ghosts at all in the hotel? And when you say they came back, what does that mean, exactly? What do they do to you Klaus? Can they hurt you?"

He cuddled the man, comforting him with real joy. Making someone feel better just . . . lit him up inside in the best way possible. It really made him desperately happy. And that Klaus had come to him at all made him both happy and sad. It was a different Klaus, but it still was Klaus. Happy and sad . . .

[bestfuneralever]

He shakes his head a little. "No, no I hadn't seen any at all since I've been here. I don't know if they can hurt me, but they can touch me, so-- I don't know, maybe?" He shrugs a little.

He makes a soft noise in the back of his throat and shifts from his place beside Steve to crawl over to the pillows at the top of the bed and lay down. Given his penchant for helping, and offering a steady presence whenever he needed one, he's pretty sure Steve might just follow him. And if he does, he's just going to be clambered half-on-top-of, and used as a pillow.

B;

[callidus]

[ given that five has now been living with other people for a few weeks now, someone at the door shouldn't be a terribly surprising thing (even if he's not been overly social so far, that means nothing about his roommates). even this late at night. but it's quiet and the suddenness of it does surprise him (startles him a little, even, but who would really admit to something like that?).

five sighs and pushes himself up off of his bed. really though, there's not much reason for him to really be acting so put out as he heads for the door. he's been laying on his bed for the past hour or more wide awake. a visitor might actually be a good distraction from the fact that he can't sleep.

when he pulls open the door, his brows furrow as he looks up at his brother ] Klaus, what are you doing here? Are you okay?

[bestfuneralever]

[Are you okay? It's the kind of thing this family rarely bothers with, and it almost trips him up with how much he feels those words sink straight into the cavity of his chest. But before he can even find the words, he's shaking his head.]

They're back, Five. [Whether he'll actually understand that without further explanation is debatable, but it seems to be all he can manage around the lump in his throat.]

[callidus]

[ there's something about klaus tonight that made it feel like a question that was demanding to be asked. maybe klaus seeking him out late at night means nothing, maybe he's simply bored and wandering the hallways and happened upon five's room. maybe the question will turn out to be unnecessary, wasted at a time that will turn out to be overall unimportant. or maybe-

when klaus answers him, five backs away from the door to let him inside before he even so much as considers what that simple statement may mean. it's sort of automatic, as though some baser instinct got there before his mind did ] Who are-? [ he pauses for a brief moment, rubbing the back of his neck as he thinks ] Wait, I thought you said you couldn't see them here?

[ he's seeing the dead? ]

[bestfuneralever]

[He moves inside as soon as Five steps aside to allow him to, fingers twisting nervously together. His words come out in a rapid fire rush.]

I didn’t— this whole time, I never saw even one, ex-except when the nightmare stuff happened but that’s hardly a surprise but— I don’t know... I thought it was over but they’re back and they’re worse here.

[His voice drops down even quieter.] They keep asking me to join them...

[callidus]

[ five closes the door once klaus is inside and turns to face his brother. he slips his hands into his pockets and leans back against the door, listening as klaus talks. five is trying to appear more relaxed than he feels right now. the nervous energy that klaus brought into the room with him is getting to five a little, but klaus clearly doesn't need that right now. he's not here because he wants someone to share in his anxiety of once again seeing things that he thought he was free of.

five bites back the urge to ask about the nightmare stuff that klaus mentions, and especially the comment he almost makes about 'of course they're worse here, if this is supposed to be hell'. another thing that klaus just doesn't really need right now.

he pushes himself away from the door and moves to close the distance between himself and klaus (not that there was much yet anyway) ]

What do you mean they're asking you to join them? Klaus, you can't.

[bestfuneralever]

I don't- I don't know. That's just what they keep saying. I... [He looks up at Five, that choking terror he always feels around ghosts reflected in his eyes.] I don't want to, but... I don't know what they're like here, Five. What if... what if they can take me, somehow? I...

[He feels small and helpless and he wants this all to go away, for everything to go back to the way it was a few weeks ago when he was living in the blissful ignorance of believing he just couldn't see ghosts any more.]

c

[ghostlocked]

[Harlan doesn't spend much time in his suite. He really only comes here to sleep or, occasionally, to hole up in the bathroom with a knife. Tonight though, he's feeling okay. The ghosts haven't bothered him all that much—in fact, he sort of likes having them around. Ghosts are familiar, even if they always annoyed him back home. He could do without the random groping, but otherwise, they just remind him of nights spent hanging around with Hettie, the both of them trying and failing to shoo away her house's resident spirit.

In any case, he doesn't amble back into his bedroom until after midnight. He's been up on the roof playing guitar, and now he's very much looking forward to crawling into bed, so suffice to say he's not expecting a visitor. He starts when he sees Klaus perched there waiting for him.]

Oh, jesus, hey.

[He sets his guitar down against the dresser and shrugs off his jacket.]

What are you doing in here?

[bestfuneralever]

Sorry... [He mumbles when he realizes he scared him. He probably is quite a site— he looks like a skeleton half the time himself. He fidgets with his fingers in his lap. His voice stays quiet, and there’s a tightness in it, and in his chest.] Couldn’t sleep...

[He doesn’t have his usual high energy magnetism to get caught up in; instead, the air around him is much more subdued, tainted with a choking sort of anxiety. Now, not alone— or at least not without another living person in the room, he can’t seem to sit still, knees bouncing, fidgeting.]

I hate this place. [He breathes out, running a hand through his hair, knees dragging up, and lacing his fingers behind his head.]

[ghostlocked]

[Harlan shakes his head at the apology. He doesn't mind the intrusion. He would if it was pretty much anyone else, but he and Klaus have an understanding.

But, oh, something is definitely wrong. The presence of ghosts crosses his mind, as he remembers Klaus hates his ability, but the ghosts Harlan has encountered haven't been particularly troublesome. He doesn't jump straight to that conclusion, then.]

What's going on?

[He's here to be a good friend and all, but he is sleepy, so it's PJs time. Sort of. He'll decide in a moment how much he wants to commit, but for now he's unbuttoning his flannel, leaving him in just a black t-shirt. It's not a new sight given that he and Klaus spent a month living in a tiny dorm room together, but he's accumulated a few more injuries and scars since the last time Klaus would've seen him without sleeves. Most notably, his right forearm is neatly bandaged. It doesn't need to be anymore, not really, but he wants to bury his name under as many layers as possible for as long as he can get away with it.]

[bestfuneralever]

["Klaauuusss."
"Go to the basement."

"We need your help, Klaus."

He groans and slides his hands up the side of his face, clamping them over his ears, pressing hard against them like it might save him from hearing the chorus of raspy, hollow voices surrounding him.

"You're weak."

"Useless."
"Just like daddy always told you."

"Shutupshutupshutupshutup." He mutters under his breath, eyes squeezing shut tightly. For that moment, it's like Harlan isn't even there, like Klaus is in a world all his own; and in a way, maybe he is-- the world of the dead that he's been trying to escape since he was thirteen. (Younger than that, even, probably, but the hardest efforts started then, anyway).

The deep breath he tries to take in comes in staggered and ragged, shaky in a way Harlan hasn't seen out of him. But then, he hasn't seen Klaus dealing with ghosts, either, has he?]

It's so much worse here. They're worse. More insistent. They just... look... awful. I didn't think it could get worse than bullet and stab wounds still looking bloody, but who knew-- Hell's more creative. [A laugh titters out of him, but it's empty, hollow, has no mirth to it and doesn't feel right hanging in the air behind the words that came just before it.

But that's when everything shifts suddenly, a sharp slam on the brakes at the flash of white amid the darkness of the room and Harlan's t-shirt. A bandage, He frowns and leans forward like he might see better from where he is if he does; points to clearly indicate what he's talking about-- ]

What's that? What happened?

[There could be a million things that filed in behind that question, and Klaus didn't like any of the ones his mind supplied at all.]

[ghostlocked]

[Shit, so it's ghosts after all. Harlan hesitates, wanting to help though he's not sure how. He buys himself some time to think as he neatly folds his shirt to set atop his dresser. Distractions are good, probably. That's what he usually wants. And Klaus has even pointed one out for them, although Harlan isn't sure the story of what happened to his arm will be terribly comforting right now.]

Someone cut up my arm because the cult told them to. It's nothing serious. I'm fine.

[He shrugs. It's true, too—he's mad about the scar it'll leave, but the discomfort of it doesn't bother him.]

...Are you seeing things now? In here?

[Harlan does his own quick pan of his bedroom, though of course he doesn't see anything. He's seen ghosts around, sure, and he's felt them more than anything, but he knows Klaus probably has a different view of things given how he's talking.]

[bestfuneralever]

Sounds like my childhood. [The words come out flat and detached, and a little flippant. Like his trauma-filled childhood was really something to joke about. He just doesn’t ever really know how else to talk about it, and it’s such a habit to lean into self deprecating humor.

The glance around mime from his friend is a terribly familiar sight when he says he’s seeing things. People. Things that once used to be people, anyway. It’s almost comical because he knows Harlan probably won’t see them.]

There’s at least four of them in here. They want me to go... somewhere. Follow them... join them

[A shudder runs down his spine at the thought and he tugs his knees up close. He feels so small, so weak, and he misses the earlier days of Hell when he thought he couldn’t reach the dead here.]