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"Asher!" Luther hollers to me after who knows how much time has passed. In reality, not much. But staring at the ceiling watching the fan go round and round until you get dizzy or it suddenly doesn't even look real anymore while finishing off a bottle of tequila... time moves slower.

"What?!" I shout back annoyed.

"Meeting in the living room." He says and I sigh, wishing I could skip, knowing I can't. I'm the one who actually still lives here. It's everyone else that needs to leave. So, I guess let's get this over with...

I heave myself off the bed, throwing the empty bottle on top of a pile of clothes and stomp to the door, Luther waiting for me at the top of the stairs as Allison's heading down.

Here we go.

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I blow out a puff of air, hanging upside down from the couch as I rest my head on a pillow.

Silence.

Silence is all that's been heard for the past few minutes. Well, other than glass clanking as Klaus makes him and I drinks at my bar across the room. Diego's staring off to space from his chair, Allison takes a sip of her drink adjacent from him, Luther's on the opposite end of the couch from me, and Vanya's unfortunately across from us.

"Um..." Luther finally speaks us, rising to his feet. "I guess we should get this started."

"What else are we waiting on?" I mumble, ready to get this show on the road so I can go up to the roof and smoke, maybe throw some rocks and acorns... days still young, but withering away with this pitiful meeting.

"So, I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown." Luther suggests. Sundown?! Might as well just kill me now.

It's... odd having everyone back, here at the same time. Itchy, and uncomfortable. I prefer my individual time with most of them, separately. All everyone wants to do with each other is argue.

And leave.

Honestly, the last time I think all six of us were together was before-

"Say a few words, just at Dad's favorite spot." Luther continues, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Dad had a favorite spot?" Allison baffles.

"You know, under the oak tree." Luther tells her at the same time I throw out, "Yeah, other than his office."

Allison looks off, lost in thought.

"We used to sit out there all the time, right Asher? None of you ever did that?" Luther looks at the rest.

"Will there be refreshments?" Klaus speaks up, coming through with a cig and three drinks, one for me, two for him. "Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner." He smiles, stepping around Vanya he leans over with my drink.

"Ooo, what about little chocolates? Or petit fours?" I raise the glass up to him and his eyes shine in agreement.

"What? No. And put that out. Dad know didn't allow smoking in here." Luther shuts Klaus down, causing him to roll his eyes.

I look up to him, raising a brow. "He did me. Mhmm?" I reach my hand out towards Klaus and he nods, riffling through his jacket haphazardly.

"Is that my skirt?" Allison jumps in.

"What?" I laugh at her question, my eyes traveling down to Klaus' bottom half. It is indeed her skirt.

"Ah." Klaus passes me a cigarette, causing Luther to sigh, before he turns to her. "What? Oh, yeah, this. I found it in your room." He paces, words muffeled from his cig. "It's a little dated, I know, but it's very breathey on the bits." He motions down and I crack up as I flick my finger, lighting my cig, letting the small flame dance on my fingertip.

"Listen up." Luther snaps everybody back. "Still some important things that we need to discuss, all right?" Ugh, maybe he needs a drink. I swear the moon made him more cranky.

"Like what?" Diego asks.

"Like the way he died." Luther turns to him. I let out a small groan, taking a drag.

"And here we go." Diego trails off. Klaus finally takes a seat beside Vanya, melting into the couch.

"I don't understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack." Vanya takes a turn to speak.

"That's what they say." I mumble quietly, stretching my fingers around as the flame slowly drips down my arm.

"Yeah, according to the coroner." Luther says.

"Well, wouldn't they know?" Vanya questions. You'd think... But I don't trust them.

"Theoretically." Luther answers.

"Theoretically?" Allison cuts back in. Here we go...

"I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened." Luther argues. "Asher, back me up here."

"Mmm." I wave him off, sending the flame into thin air. "Don't drag me into this."

He gives me a look before gazing back up. "The last time that I talked to Dad, he sounded strange."

"Oh, quelle surprise!" Klaus gurgles his drink.

Luther looks unamused. "Asher, you've been here." Mmm, thanks for that. "Has he been acting strange lately?"

"Strange how?" Allison questions.

"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust." Luther admits.

I toss my head side to side. "Doesn't he always sound on edge?" It was, perhaps, a bit strange he sends me off to Hawaii right before he dies. I mean... he couldn't have waited at least to kick the bucket when I got back... no?

"Luther." Diego tries again, standing as well. "He was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles."

"I don't know, his marbles were still pretty tight." I shrug, finally take a sip of my drink. Mmm! Damn, Klaus always does good.

"You are not helping." Diego points at me. I scoff.

"No. He must have known something was going to happen." Luther insists.

"Ugh, Luther." I huff, swinging my legs down to sit up fully on the floor. "You're going to drive yourself insane, if not me first."

"Asher's right." Diego tells him.

"Always am." I sing, earning a side eye from Diego. Well, I am.

"Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad." Luther aims to Klaus whose eyes widen as he points to himself. Allison scoffs.

Klaus looks like he's in distress now, tossing his head side to side now before sitting up. "I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just... stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take quick call?"

I snort once again. He would play tennis with Hitler wouldn't he? Stalin could be the ball boy, Napoleon keeping score.

"Since when?" Luther snaps. "That's your thing." He points out. Well, he does have a point there.

"I'm not in the right... frame of mind." Klaus argues.

"You're high?" Allison instegates.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Klaus laughs. "I mean, how are you not, listening to this nonsense?" He throws his hands out at Luther, sitting back.

"Amen." I mutter into my drink.

"Well, sober up." Luther demands. "This is important." He stresses causing Klaus to sigh. "Then there's the issue of the missing monocle." Oh, goddamnit. He gonna drive me up the fucking wall with this, isn't he?

If I could kill myself, I would.

"Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle." Diego grumbles, looking down, and my eyes travel over to him, studying him closely.

"Exactly." Luther agrees and I raise a brow. "It's worthless." He shrugs, looking at Diego. "So whoever took it, I think it was personal." Mmm. Is that so? "Someone close to him." Luther's eyes scan the room. "Someone with a grudge." Is he accusing one of them?

Klaus rears his head, taken aback. "Where are you going with this?"

He is, isn't he?

"Oh, isn't it obvious, Klaus?" Diego says smugly, staring at Luther. "He thinks one of us killed Dad." Luther grunts softly, quick to argue, but also quick to shut his mouth.

I chuckle. Holy shit, he does.

He glances at the other three.

"You do?" Klaus gasps.

"How could you think that?" Vanya asks and I jolt slightly, forgetting she was here.

Luther's mouth opens, no words coming out.

"Great job, Luther." Diego speaks slowly. "Way to lead." He gruffs, shoving past him.

"That's not what I'm saying." He tries to defend himself. Well, too late for that.

"You're crazy, man. You're crazy." Klaus points, getting up he goes to leave too. "Crazy."

"I'm not finished." Luther raises his voice.

"Okay. Sorry, I'm just gonna go murder Mom. Be right back." Klaus sasses. I chuckle to myself. Vanya follows him out.

"That's not what I was saying. I didn't-"

Allison starts out too, breezing past him, giving him the cold shoulder. "Allison. Jeez."

He sighs, turning to me. "That went well."

I hum, dusting myself off as I stand. "Could've been worse. Nobody left bleeding." I shrug, making a very notable point.

"You too?" He asks as I start off.

"Hmm? Oh, no I'm not mad." I chuckle, placing my hand over my chest. "It just- well, we're done." I've got nothing else... clearly no one else does either, right? Ha.

"You know I didn't-" Luther tries.

I wave him off. "Oh, pff. Ignore them." I shake my head. "They couldn't take the heat."

"I didn't mean you." He offers, trying to make it better.

"Course you didn't. I couldn't have. I wasn't even here." And with that I spin on my heel leaving him with that, heading to my room. I raise my glass in the air on my out. "Great meeting!"

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𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hey, heyyy!! Welcome back to Adusttt!! The NEW & improved Adust as there is now a new (and much needed) BOOK COVER!! AHHH!!

The previous cover, while an 'updated' version, I use lightly bc it was still OLD from rewrite phase & neooottt gewdddd... I absolutely LOVE the new oneee, omg!! It is exactly what I always envisioned for the book cover to be <3

Anwyasss, sorry for the delay of update & no TUA Thrusday updat yesterday!! I was going to do a double update for this book & another one bc it was that book's 1 year anniverary, but I was SO tired & done after that I pushed this to today!

Soooo... WHAT'D Y'ALL THINK?! I truly loved writing this chapter & loved Asher in it lmao, she's such an instigating pot stirrer lmao. I loved getting to write a chapter with all of them in it, getting to write Asher with the different dynamics was SO fun!! And can we all agree Klaus carried this scene?! LMFAO, he had SO many iconic lines here!!

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!! Y'all know what's coming NEXTTTT, EEKKK!! So until next time ;)