Duplicity App
Jun. 17th, 2020 10:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Name: No. 6: Ben Hargreeves Door: Door Pass: Mini baguette: Dominant Canon: The Umbrella Academy (tv) Canon Point: End of S1. Age: 17/30 (Died at seventeen, just kept hanging around.) Appearance:  History: Wikia History Personality: - Detached Ben is very detached from himself and the world. He's spent his nearly half his existence dead and unable to interact with the world at large except talking to his brother Klaus and the occasional interaction with other dead folk. Even before his death, Ben never got to make choices about his own life, or even what he did hour to hour, his entire life was scheduled and mapped and controlled by Sir Reginald. To survive the things he was made to do, he detached from the world and himself, giving him the air of being quiet and aloof, when really, he's just disconnected entirely from life and the world. - Complaisant Having had his entire life micromanaged and controlled and dominated by Sir Reginald (and Luther on his behalf), Ben tends to just go along with what he's told to do. He was forced to unleash the Horror against people time and time again, which aside from causing some pretty horrifying trauma, left him feeling that he couldn't make the right decision, since his decision would be to not let them out. But when he did, he would be praised and briefly accepted, so he just learned to go with what he was told. Later, he would try and help Klaus, get ignored, so he just goes with it and hopes it makes others happy, since it's going to happen anyway. - Unsympathetic Yeah, you're going through withdrawal and it sucks, but at least you're feeling something. Missing an arm? Well, guess that sucks for you. Ben isn't unkind, but he's not really sympathetic. He can be empathetic at times, but lacks anything like sympathy. Shit happens. Deal. + Kind Despite being resigned to his existence and unsympathetic, Ben is a helper. He cares. He will do what he can to help someone, or help in an emergency, because it's been hard wired into him that if he can help, he must help. And he keeps trying to help, even when he's dead. He talks Klaus through his withdrawal, acts as a look out for him when he can, he has little sympathy for the shit Klaus gets himself into, but he'd never abandon him during it. He's always trying to mediate between his siblings and get them to help each other since he can't, because he still cares. Powers and Abilities: Trained from birth as part of a superhero team, Ben is an expert hand to hand fighter, well educated in wilderness survival, emergency responses, first aid treatment and is highly athletic. He knows a lot about illegal drug use, the ways drug distribution networks operate and other likeminded criminal enterprises, how to survive on the streets and more than he ever wanted to about both withdrawal and weird sex (thank you, Klaus). The really notable thing is the tentacles. Ben is some kind of conduit for an eldritch dimension, or creature, or maybe something else. It manifests as tentacles that reach out from his stomach. These are inhumanly strong, extremely violent under pressure and Ben's control of Them is sometimes shaky. They react to his emotions and thoughts, but unfortunately he was never encouraged to understand and work with them, meaning he can direct them, summon or dismiss them, but can't really control what they choose to do unless he stops thinking about it and lets himself go with it. Being dead has given them a slightly better relationship, since they weren't constantly bombarded with Ben's terror of being a monster and losing control. There is some suggestion that the Horrors were somehow involved with Ben's death. Inventory: A complete set of Umbrella Academy action figures (including limited edition "The Monocle"), his memorial statue, team painting of the Umbrella Academy without him. Samples: TDM 01 TDM 02 |
Expansion: Personality Traits
Date: 2020-06-18 03:23 am (UTC)Ben is very detached from himself and the world. He's spent his nearly half his existence dead and unable to interact with the world at large except talking to his brother Klaus and the occasional interaction with other dead folk. Even before his death, Ben never got to make choices about his own life, or even what he did hour to hour, his entire life was scheduled and mapped and controlled by Sir Reginald. To survive the things he was made to do, he detached from the world and himself, giving him the air of being quiet and aloof, when really, he's just disconnected entirely from life and the world. Being dead has just made him more detached about things, and even having a body again is going to be a disconnect between the majority of his existence and now. Even as early as thirteen or fourteen, when Five goes missing, Ben spends the entire argument and Five storming out with his nose buried in a book, as though he isn't even there.
- Complaisant
Having had his entire life micromanaged and controlled and dominated by Sir Reginald (and Luther on his behalf), Ben tends to just go along with what he's told to do. He was forced to unleash the Horror against people time and time again, which aside from causing some pretty horrifying trauma, left him feeling that he couldn't make the right decision, since his decision would be to not let them out. But when he did, he would be praised and briefly accepted, so he just learned to go with what he was told. Later, he would try and help Klaus, get ignored, so he just goes with it and hopes it makes others happy, since it's going to happen anyway. We see this start at the bank scene, when he's about twelve, and the others on the team pressure him into going into the vault to deal with the robbers in there and he emerges soaked in blood and asks if they can go home now.
- Unsympathetic
Yeah, you're going through withdrawal and it sucks, but at least you're feeling something. Missing an arm? Well, guess that sucks for you. Ben isn't unkind, but he's not really sympathetic. He can be empathetic at times, but lacks anything like sympathy. Shit happens. Deal. We see him do this a lot with Klaus, especially when his brother has been kidnapped and is being tortured and then goes into withdrawal. Ben doesn't enjoy his suffering, but he calls Klaus a wimp and to suck it up, because at least he's alive and all of this is really something he did to himself. He has another go at Klaus when he's in withdrawal and is prepared to abandon Luther to his own breakdown because it's too hard, telling him that Luther would drop everything to come and find him (which may or may not be true) while Klaus is again only thinking of his own pain (and grief from losing his lover).
Expansion: How He Thinks
Date: 2020-06-18 03:34 am (UTC)This time, Klaus was washed out pale, his hair tips bleached and dyed in random colours and he was wearing a dress that had seen better days and an owner four sizes bigger than he was. He smelt like the sewer he probably slept in and grinned like the cheshire cat.
Ben hugged him anyway. He was used to the smell of death and gore; Klaus was no worse. "You're too skinny."
"Your face," Klaus retorted, smacking a loud, wet kiss on Ben's forehead. "You've stopped growing! It's amazing."
"Shut up." Ben pushed Klaus' face away with a hand. "You also smell. You need a shower, then a bath, then some food. Are you staying here tonight?"
"Maybe." Which was usually no, unless Ben distracted him until he was ready to sleep. "I came to spend time with you, not bathing. Oh! Great idea! Let's go get donuts! And waffles! I could really go waffles. With a milkshake. You said I'm too skinny, take me out for food."
"Klaus, it's not really a good idea." Already, Ben could feel that crawling sensation, the fear of what would happen. "How about we stay in, we can get Mom to make us something, I bet she'd make chocolate chip pancakes if we asked."
"Nooooo, you're a recluse, Ben, come out with meeeee. You didn't used to be a wet blanket. You're as bad as Luther."
Ben huffed his breath. He loved Klaus, but he wasn't easy to deal with. "Please, Klaus, I just don't feel like going out."
"You never feel like going out anymore." Klaus flung himself into Ben's arms and then ducked and slithered around to hang off his shoulders. "Beeeeennnnnnyyyyyyy, come out with me for waffles, it's not like it's a club, it's Griddy's."
It was Griddy's. He'd been there lots of times, it was daylight, but it was mid morning, not too busy. "Just us two? We could ask-"
"Oh. My God. Yes, just us, Luther won't come, Luther doesn't want to come, Luther wants to do press ups and sit ups and drink health shakes or something, it's like he and Diego are competing for who can be the most boring health nut."
"They're compensating for you and Allison," Ben retorted, but it was working, damn Klaus. He was starting to smile and his shoulders were dehunching a little.
Klaus was grinning wider, recognising defeat. "Waffles. Milkshakes. Quiet diner-"
"Quiet as anywhere gets as soon as you walk in," Ben interrupted.
"Quiet except for us! Come on..."
Ben sighed. "Fine... but I don't have any money."
"I do! I was getting paid for kisses," Klaus enthused, and Ben had no doubt that was a complete lie, but he probably didn't want to know where the money came from. "We could go shopping!"
"No, no shopping. Griddy's, nothing more, okay?" Ben curled his hand on Klaus' arm and felt his gut churn. He hoped it was just anxiety. "I'll come to Griddy's."
"Yay!" Klaus smacked a loud, wet kiss onto Ben's cheek and let go of him. "Just let me change into something clean!"
"And use deodorant!"
Klaus tripped away with a noise and a wave of the hand.
Ben waved a hand, but it was to clear the lingering smell.
"Was that Klaus?"
Ben looked back at Luther, giving a small smile. "Yeah, he's changing, we're going to get food."
"He's been missing for three days, Father needs to know he's back!"
"He's not going to stay, Luther." Ben shifted, feeling uncomfortable under Luther's disapproval. "For me, Luther, please."
Luther came closer, laying a hand on Ben's shoulder and squeezing. "Will you be okay? You know it's dangerous to go out, in case there's an incident. You could kill someone, by accident."
"I know, but I don't usually have problems with Klaus. There's barely anyone there at this time of day, it's familiar, he keeps me relaxed." He laid his hand on Luther's. "You could join us..."
"I can't, I have training scheduled, but, only go if you're sure, okay? Don't let him bully you."
"I won't." They didn't hug as a family, but Ben patted Luther's hand as his brother drew away. "I know, you worry, but I'll be okay with Klaus."
"If you're sure." Luther moved off again with a glance down and back at Ben, who just shrugged his coat further onto his shoulders.
Klaus wasn't long, bounding down the stairs in a skirt that might have been his, a shirt that was probably not and heels- "Those are Allison's."
"Yeah, I know, they're not a great fit, but they're Louboutin, Ben. I'll suffer for that." He wrapped an arm around Ben's shoulders, tugging his hood up with a laugh. "You should let me dress you, in something other than black."
"I like my clothes, and that wasn't the point I was making about the shoes, she's going to kill you-"
"No, she won't, because she's in LA right now, doing a role in that teen girl tv show thing. So unless someone tells her, she won't ever know." He started dragging Ben towards the front door. "Seriously. I get black for the super heroing shenanigans, but you could try wearing colour. Or less layers. Or colours with less layers. Or more layers, you could go for homeless chic, wear everything you own at once."
"Klaus, I like not standing out. I like jeans and hoodies. They're comfortable. They're practical."
"Oh My God, you're going to be wearing old man cardigans next season and trying to justify that. No, Benny, no, I simply can't let you do that. You're cute, baby bro, you should flaunt it."
"Klaus, stop it." Ben shoved ineffectually at his brother, hating that he was going red, that Klaus did things like this just to make him blush. "I already agreed to go to the diner, don't make me change my mind."
But somehow, in that time, Klaus had got Ben out the door and into the street. Ben felt the usual spike of emotion and pain in his stomach, his hand sliding into his pocket to surreptitiously rub over the portal, trying to ease the pain. Or ease the agitation there. Or something.
Griddy's wasn't too far away, given the Academy occupied the entire block it sat on. Klaus talking aimlessly the whole time, greeting people on the street that Ben was sure he didn't actually know, trying to push Ben forward to meet others that Ben was sure he himself didn't want to know.
By the time they got in the front door of Griddy's, it was a relief to see the familiar face of the donut lady (Agatha? Agnes? Abigail? It was an 'A' name) and her ever unchanging "What can I get you boys?"
"Waffles!" Klaus leaned on the counter with a grin. "I want waffles, with maple syrup and chocolate syrup and ice cream and a chocolate thickshake and I want one of those donuts!" He pointed at something bright pink with sprinkles and the promise of jam inside. "Benny! What do you want?"
"Waffles with strawberries and vanilla ice cream, thank you." He tried to remember manners, like if he was polite enough, maybe They would be polite too. "And a-"
"Lime milkshake," the lady finished for him with a smile. "You boys have been coming here for what, four years? And you always get the same thing, sugar."
Ben blushed and shrugged, hands going deeper and looking at his feet.
"He's just shy. And not at all adventurous. But he's not like our other two brothers, who won't come here at all anymore because 'sugar is bad for you, Klaus' and 'deep frying things is unhealthy' and 'Father won't like it' and all that rubbish." Klaus was already dragging Ben to a booth where he knew Ben would feel comfortable sitting. Even though there was only a very tired looking homeless man in a far corner sipping coffee, Ben preferred some distance between him and 'people'.
"She remembers us."
"She remembers you. Because you always look the same, the same hair, the same clothes-"
"We wore uniforms when we came here."
"Until like, a year ago, when you started wearing black and haven't stopped. Are you mourning? For the life you could have had? You can still have it, Benny!"
Ben pushed Klaus away with a hand on his face. "Stop it. I like black. It hides a multitude of sins."
"Sex stains," Klaus agreed.
"No! Klaus!" Ben buried his face in his arms on the table, groaning. "Why are you like this? Why can you never not bring it back to sex?"
But he was secretly glad, and Klaus knew it. When he was groaning about Klaus' sex life and how he was, he wasn't thinking about the actual sins black could hide, couldn't get lost in his anxiety and regrets.