𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 - 𝑓. ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑠

003. SLIPPERY SLEEP SLOPES

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SLIPPERY SLEEP SLOPES ☂︎︎

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TW: drug use

A FEW MOMENTS IN THE HOUSE confirmed that Charlotte did not need to worry about her accommodations.

The monkey explained it all to her with a soft smile.

"I've converted the spare room for your use." he said, a smile coming to his face. "Something less... medically suited and more comfortable."

Charlotte nodded. "Thank you..."

"Pogo." he responded, his eyes following Vanya as she stepped into the entryway. He nodded over to her but Charlotte stopped him once more, the burning question leaving her lips. "Pogo... why did I wake up here?"

The monkey's smile seemed to fall as he looked down awkwardly. "Sir Hargreeves did so many... complicated things in his life. He always had a reason. He took good care of you, Miss. Charlotte. You could have been stuck in Vancouver for a long time."

She could feel herself growing unsatisfied. "Then why not wake me when he figured out how? He's dead and I was woken by a boy in school shorts."

Pogo sighed, a string of thoughts running through his head. "That is something I was never given the answer to. Perhaps you should ask the boy what he knows."

With that he took off towards Vanya, cane thumping the ground with each step. Charlotte huffed, wondering what on Earth she should do. She was stuck inside a house. A strange house with strange people who fought each other at funerals.

Her stomach led her to the kitchen where Five stood rummaging once again through the cabinets. She was tempted to ask about what he knew but afraid that his stand-offish behavior would get in the way. Reluctantly, she asked, a clear demand in her voice. "Why did you wake me up?"

The boy stopped, turning to her with the same expression he typically wore on his face that was beginning to irritate her. Unlike the rest of his siblings, he was practically unreadable and that bothered her more than it should. "Reasons."

"And those being?"

He smiled, turning back to the cabinets. "My own."

She held back a groan. "You're infuriating."

"So I've been told," he replied.

Charlotte sneered. "You can't just wake me up and expect me not to have questions."

Five sighed, forcing a polite smile on his face. His facade was dropping, perhaps only slightly but it was noticeable in her eyes. He seemed... stressed. But why? "Fine. But can I get myself some coffee first? The old brain's starting to slow without it."

"Ditto." she mumbled.

"You take?" he asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah. Decaf."

He looked over at her with a surprised look on his face. 'Why?"

She pushed a grin on her face. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I can see and control the particles of reality and have a hard enough time controlling it without the use of stimulants?"

"Good point." he replied. His face changed to a softer expression and for once his eyes held a sort of sincerity in them. "I'm sorry, though. That must suck."

"Yeah." she replied, softly. "But it's only bad because I have to go without espresso."

He smiled at that. Even after only moments of knowing him she could tell he didn't smile often. He should smile more sincerely, she thought. The look brought a pleasant warmth to her heart.