maskormenacelogs | We're happy as can be

Entry tags:

We're happy as can be

WHO: Matthew and any Gangseys
WHERE: in the magical place that is the Raven base of operations
WHEN: Backdated to the seventh/eighth-ish? Shortly after Matthew's arrival
WHAT: Matthew is in ur dream house, pleasantly invading ur space
WARNINGS: Probably Ronan's expansive vocabulary, will update if needed (doubtful???)

[ Fact: Matthew loves this place and has decided to give it a thorough exploration. Finding himself on a magic dream farm is indeed so outstanding, it overshadows all of his concerns about Russians and being kidnapped to another world and superpowers and aliens and time travel and Kavinsky and just-- all that business. So he's wandering around very cheerfully, very untiring, very Matthew. ]

INSIDE
[ There's so much to look at. What the heck is up with this thing? That thing? Where does this door go? Maybe he can't open it--maybe he mistook someone's bedroom for a bathroom or something. In which case, oops, he's not TRYING to be rude.

He could be in the kitchen, where he's stopped to eat something (whatever you Ravens have around here, sorry if he took something you were saving. At least he will offer to share.) Or perhaps you've caught him peering out one of the windows that are as perpetually sunny as he himself can be, smiling to himself and holding his palms up to catch the warmth of the light. ]

OUTSIDE
[ There are chickens, there's a duck pond, there's a vegetable garden, sort of! All of these things would draw his attention so feel free to find him nosing around wherever. He's also got to make his way out to the barn to meet Henrietta at some point. ]

OR CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE and Matthew will stumble across you

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Gansey is lying on his bed - not sleeping, of course, because that would be ridiculous, but with a book in hand. On hearing the noise from downstairs, he gets up and goes to his balcony, which overlooks the lower floor. Catching sight of Matthew, he smiles and waves to him. ]

Matthew! I see you down there. I knew you'd get here eventually. Are you coming up?

[ There's probably a need for a house tour, in fairness, unless Ronan has already done it. Or perhaps Henrietta would oblige. Gansey can start it, anyway. ]

[ It takes Matthew a second to locate the source of the voice, but eventually he turns his head in the right direction. ] Oh, hey Gansey! [ He waves back. ] Yeah, hang on one second.

[ He disappears from view and then eagerly thump-thump-thumps his way up to the balcony area that is Gansey's space, casting his eyes around with charming curiosity even before he's all the way up the steps. ]

This is your room?

[ That much is obvious, really. Matthew might not have hung out at Monmouth a great deal but one would only need to see the inside once or twice to be able to pick up on the similarities here. And he only knows one person who makes cities out of cereal boxes. ]

[ Said cereal box model is currently spread out on Gansey’s pool table. This time it’s not Henrietta, but De Chima, and nearby there’s a few other boxes piled up. The rest of Gansey’s space includes a sofa bed, which has been pulled out into a bed and stays that way, and a few storage areas that hide his clothes. There are books everywhere, some new and some the older, dogeared kind that imply they belong in a library. Gansey smiles around at the place. ]

It is. It feels much more like home than our old government house. That’s Blue’s.

[ He points to a door in the ceiling, with a ladder leading up to it. There is in fact a sign on the door which Mark’s it as Blue’s and advises the boys to keep out.

That’s one rule Gansey disregards, with frankly alarming frequency. There’s also a futon off to one side, which is housing what looks like a very large fluffy cat bed. Gansey lifts this off to make space for Matthew to sit. ]

So, what do you think? I have to apologize for all the animals, by the way. They’re not mine.

[ Matthew tips his head back to take note of the door and the sign, and if he finds it at all strange that her room and Gansey's are so close together, he doesn't say anything about it. On his way to the futon he passes by the model of De Chima and reaches out to give one of the buildings a featherlight touch, unselfconsciously admiring the level of detail in Gansey's sleepless craftsmanship (not that Matthew knows when or why he puts these things together.) Then he's done looking and happily plopping himself down on the futon in the space made available for him. ]

It reminds me of the Barns. Even though it's different, they feel the same, you know?

[ Safe. Inviting. Unreal, one might say, if one were unaccustomed to being surrounded by dream things. Needless to say, Matthew fits right in. ]

Oh no, I like them. I wish we could have animals at Aglionby. Do you need help taking care of them?

[ Of course Matthew likes animals, Gansey thinks. Matthew is endearing beyond reason. It would be shocking if he didn't like them.

Gansey drops down onto the bed and smiles, seeming at ease. ]

We could certainly use the help.

[ It would get Matthew around here more often, and Gansey feels sure Ronan would like that. In another world, this place would literally be his family home. ]

Come by whenever you like. You know you're always invited. It's not like we're short of rooms, or beds, or anything like that. I'm sure you've noticed.

[ He doesn't say 'some beds look like dinosaurs', or 'some rooms are full of dream things', because it's obvious enough to anyone who knows what they're looking for. Matthew either knows, or he's desensitized enough to dream things that it won't matter. ]

I'd be glad to help. It's been forever.

[ Forever, or, you know, a year and some months since Matthew last lived in a place with animals. Either way he's plenty eager to make himself useful, particularly if that means getting to spend time with all the kittens, ducks, Chainsaw, etc.

He almost laughs at the comment about being short of rooms. ]

Yeah, I did notice that. There are way too many beds in this place. [ And then he's tilting his head, still smiling, but more thoughtful. ] I think Ronan wants me to stay here. Like, maybe stay here, stay here.

[ He says that with some care, because he's not going to invite himself in to live or anything. This is obviously a place that belongs to Ronan and his friends, sort of like how Cabeswater is theirs. Matthew knows he isn't unwelcome (he's never been unwelcome anywhere in his entire life), but he's not a full-fledged member of their gang either. ]

Edited (BEDS, NOT BEES, I'M SORRY GANSEY) 2016-03-20 04:01 (UTC)

[ That's not a surprise to Gansey. Matthew had lived at Aglionby at home, but this is an entirely different world. Given all that's happened, it's no remote surprise that Ronan would want his brother close by. Gansey doesn't blame him at all. ]

I'm not surprised. You're his brother. He'd want to have you close, and anyway. It's better we all stick together here, don't you think?

[ Which means that it's fine with him. After all, this place is where The Barns should be, and The Barns had always been Matthew's home, too. ]

There's plenty of spare rooms, anyway.

[ Matthew nods, his curls bouncing gently. He's grateful that Gansey sees it that way too, though he was hardly expecting Gansey of all people to kick him out. It's just always nice to know there aren't any disagreements to navigate around. ]

There are a lot of things here that we're not used to.

[ He's not anywhere near as alarmed as he had been on his arrival, and continues on rather enthusiastically-- ]

I already met an alien. I didn't see him or anything, but we talked on the phone.

[ Communicator... things. Do aliens fall within Gansey's range of curiosity? Thane might not be Glendower, but he told Matthew all kinds of interesting things. ]

[ That draws a bright smile from Gansey. He might have been here for months by now, but he still wouldn't say he's used to the fact that there's so many aliens around. It still delights him. ]

Did you? I've talked to a few myself. It's fascinating to me, meeting people from such different cultures.

Who was it you met?

[ He wonders if it's Saint Walker, who is a particular friend of Gansey's. ]

[ Oh yes, good, Gansey is smiling. Matthew gets excited about being able to share now, perhaps a little pleased with himself for having had such an interesting experience. ]

His name is Thane. He's a Drell.

[ Matthew assumes he's a 'he", at least. That might not even be a thing with Drell, for all he knows. ]

He was telling me about these things in space, they're like-- [ he lifts his arms, indicating something of great size ] --giant machines that can shoot people around the galaxy.

[ He drops his arms again. ]

He said there's one in our solar system, too, that it got left behind by some other aliens a long time ago.

So that's how they travel?

[ That's fascinating. Gansey has never heard of either Thane or Drells, but he's definitely interested. He smiles. ]

It sounds like something from Stargate to me. Did he say what they were called?

[ That aliens are brought to this world along with humans doesn't really surprise Gansey. He thinks he would be more surprised if they weren't. He does wonder, though, how many of them - if any at all - exist in his own universe. That part isn't clear to him. ]

Yeah, it's pretty cool, right? Real sci-fi.

[ Matthew has it pretty firmly in his head that Thane is from their universe, not because he has a single shred of proof but because one of Thane's passing remarks made it seem possible, and Matthew really wants it to be possible. He's just choosing to believe what he wants, here. ]

He did mention it a couple times. [ He touches his chin and looks up at the ceiling, trying to recall the term. ] Some kind of relay. "Mass Relays", I think.

[ And looking back to Gansey again. ]

Unless you meant the aliens who built them in the first place. I don't know what they were called.

Mass Relays.

[ Which, at least, is evidence of what Gansey meant. Of course, he's never heard of these Mass Relays before, but as names go, it's a good one. ]

I wonder if they have them in our universe. That would be quite a thing, wouldn't it? Imagine if people could find something like that.

We've not even landed on Mars.

They might be in our universe. He said he was from the future, so maybe it's just no one's found them yet.

[ Specifically, he said he was from "what would seem to be" Matthew's future, but let's not split hairs, here. ]

And he said that there's a galactic alliance, of humans and lots of other aliens. It's weird, but cool. I wasn't even sure aliens existed before now.

No, really? Of course they do!

[ Gansey’s smile is wide, and he aims a vague, expansive gesture towards the window. ]

The sky is full of hundreds of millions of stars and planets. In this galaxy alone, can you imagine the odds of there being only one, tiny planet, on which there’s life? And that’s only our galaxy. There’s dozens of others. The idea that we’d be alone in the midst of all that…it seems unlikely. At least, it does to me.

[ Of course it does to him. Gansey is a person who wants to believe in all the stories, especially the ones in which he’s not alone. He really can’t help himself. ]

[ Well, when Gansey puts it that way, it's hard to be convinced of anything else. ]

I've heard some people talking about it at church. They weren't so sure.

[ Matthew's beliefs are a lot more simple, but also dearly held, and when he hears something at church, it tends to carry some weight for him. Not that he's arguing in any way, which would be a very silly thing to do now that the alien debate has been quite decidedly settled. Obviously, Gansey is right, and a handful of the parishioners at St. Agnes are in for a big surprise.

Matthew flops against the back of the futon, relaxed and smiling. ]

Everything keeps getting bigger, doesn't it?

[ Magic in his family, aliens on other planets, entirely different worlds--it's so much more than he could've imagined a year ago. ]

[ It doesn’t surprise Gansey to hear that of churchgoers. It makes him smile, in fact. ]

Sometimes, even people who believe in something, don’t want to believe in more than what they know. Not everyone wants the universe to get bigger.

[ Which is the difference between those believers, and Gansey. He’s always looking for something more. He always has been. He’s never been able to settle with one discovery and leave it there. ]

The thing is, it’s always growing, always expanding. We can either close our eyes to that or embrace it, and I know what I prefer. I want to know more.

[ It's such a Gansey thing to say, and Matthew laughs a little, in fondness. ]

Like with Glendower.

[ It's not a question. Gansey's quest is a well-known one. ]

Seems like it'd be silly to pretend that things aren't happening when they are.

[ Says a boy whose very nature lets him do just that when bad things happen, whose thoughts might be gathered up at the end of the day and fail to fill so much as a pillowcase, much less reach out across the ever-expanding universe. Is it hypocritical if he was literally made that way? ]

[Chanticleer is a rooster. He's Ronan's rooster. Ronan was (forcefully) given him by the animal shelter he worked for, because no one else wanted to deal with the creature anymore and he was attacking people with his unusually well-developed spurs.]

[Chanticleer is loose. He's running through the grounds of the Meadows, clucking wildly and looking for a new target. Turning a corner, he sees Matthew watching the duck pond. He clucks menacingly and stares Matthew down, as though trying to decide if the boy or the ducks are a better target for his gallinaceous fury.]

Edited 2016-03-17 19:54 (UTC)

[ Matthew does not want to pick a fight with a rooster, particularly this one. But he does not want to be witness to a vicious rooster vs. duck battle either, so he takes a small step sideways to place himself between the birds. ]

Hey.

[ Talk to the rooster, Matthew. That will totally work. ]

You need to calm down.

[ He's sort of accidentally adopting the same gentle-but-firm tone Aurora used to use when her boys were acting up. Your move, Chanticleer??? ]

[ Adam is by his vegetable patch.

He's staring at it, his eyebrows furrowed in the center of his forehead, a watering can held firmly in his grip. He looks up when he hears footsteps on the grass, the frown smoothing away to something of a small smile. ]

Hey.

[ He's never really socialised with Matthew, but now is a good enough time as any. ] Settling in?

[ Matthew's smile, as he tromps over to the older boy, is bright and easy, perhaps seeming even more so than usual in comparison to Adam's more reserved one. ]

Yeah, this place is great. I couldn't keep track of where all the doors go so I just came outside.

[ He shrugs cheerfully, like being unable to remember which doors are which is probably not going to be such a big deal, and looks over Adam's vegetable patch, curious as a puppy. ]

You guys have a garden, too?

They're a little hard to get, I know. Lynch - Ronan, he made it so some of them only open to certain people or certain ways. [ Adam had adored it, knowing that he'd cared enough to allow him that little bit of privacy and freedom he always craved. ]

Yeah. [ He takes a step back, eyeing it up. ] Well, it's mostly just dirt and more dirt right now. [ He shrugs a shoulder. ] I'm trying to look after it without my power.

[ Had he mentioned that to Matthew? Probably not. He feels a little wrongfooted around him as it is. ]

[ Perhaps Matthew will just have to be sure-footed enough for the both of them in this situation, which, luckily enough, happens to be how Ronan made him. ]

Oh, is that what it is? I was kind of wondering why some of them wouldn't open.

[ As for the vegetable-slash-dirt patch, he's quite cheerily optimistic about it. ]

That's how they all start, though. [ He drops down, keeping his knees off the ground, and peers into the dirt, looking for green things. ] What is your power?

[ It's on the tip of his tongue to explain it. But then Adam is hit by a burst of something and he snaps his mouth closed, motioning forward with one hand.

He concentrates, seeking out the nearest seed and seizing hold of it. It feels like an extension of Cabeswater and the power he had there, a strange other limb that feels instinctual but wastes away without use. Slowly though, Adam encourages it. And the smallest of shoots appears. It's like a time lapse video, fast forwarding through growth, the stalk wriggling further and further upward, sprouting leaves and buds as it goes. He holds on to it until it's bigger, stronger, winding above them

His smile is a little wild, proud as he grins down at Matthew. ] That's my power.

[ Matthew's delight grows in time with the plant. He isn't sure what he's seeing for the first moment or two, as the little shoot struggles to come up out of the dirt--to make something more of itself--but by the time it's as tall as his hand he's figured out what's going on and is gloriously enthused. He quickly forgets that he was trying to keep his clothes from getting dirty and drops his knees to the ground so he can lean forward, get closer to this amazing thing that's happening.

As the bean plant grows over his head he scrambles back up to his feet so he can watch as it goes even higher, curiosity urging him to reach out and touch it briefly. One of fresh tendrils tries to curl around his finger and he laughs, pulling his hand back. Eventually he manages to tear his eyes away and look over his shoulder, just in time to see Adam's smile. ]

That is so cool.

[ That's all he has to say for the moment because, seriously, Adam. So cool. ]

[ Adam can't stop smiling.

It's a rare thing, bright and pleased and proud. He doesn't get to do this, not much anyway. Anyone who has seen his power before knows how it reacts to his moods and so he doesn't let it run free. Matthew hasn't seen the way he can make trees shed their leaves with a twist of his heart or vines creep inside the house seeking him. ]

I thought so too.

[ It had reminded him of Cabeswater, at first. But this power doesn't try to control him. ] But I'm trying not to rely on it. [ Shaking the watering can in an obvious motion. ] If I lose my power I want to know we still have something to fall back on.

[ Matthew hasn't seen a lot of Adam, not enough to know about his powers, not enough to know just how rare that smile is. Which doesn't mean he is unaffected; Adam's happiness still pleases him almost as much as the plant itself. ]

Right, clever! That makes sense.

[ He says that like he can imagine a scenario in which they actually have no other options for food besides the vegetable patch. (For the record, he cannot realistically imagine this. But still, it sounds like Adam knows what he's talking about.) ]

So does that happen, then? People losing their powers.

The Russians had a way.

[ He doesn't know if Ronan has told his brother about how he and Gansey were kidnapped, and Adam's not about to. But he can explain around it. ] And I don't see this war between them and us just going away. I think we're safe out here, or safe enough, Kaplan's warded it pretty tight and it's Ronan's. But the Porter cities could still be affected.

[ Which is why vegetable patch. They could hide out here next time. ] I just want us to be prepared. [ He won't lose Gansey or Ronan again. ]

[ Parts of that explanation should probably unsettle him, but it's hard to be afraid of Russians stealing his powers--whatever they are--so soon after watching someone grow an actual magic beanstalk straight out of the ground. At least, for Matthew it is. Besides, Adam says it's safe here and Matthew's had that impression from the moment he arrived.

It's astonishingly easy for him to forget about that whole "people have been kidnapped" thing. ]

Kaplan...?

[ He knows that name. ]

He's the guy with reality bending powers, right?

[ Still not sure exactly what that means, but it sounds impressive. ]

Yeah.

[ Also, Adam is trying to keep his Billy Kaplan jealousy at a minimum level. It doesn't always work, but here's hoping. ]

He's magic. And pretty good. [ Better than Adam at protecting his friends. ]

[ Matthew nods, completely oblivious about the complexities here. ]

He said he'd help me, if I ended up having trouble with my powers.

[ Which he appreciated, because he's watched plenty enough tv to know what happens when people have magic or superpowers that get out of control. But hopefully his aren't going to be anything like that. ]

How'd you figure out how to use yours?

[ Probably not by losing his file on the first day, Matthew. ]

[ Well, that jealousy quickly reaches past its minimum level and swallows him whole.

He'd liked Billy, once upon a time. But then there had been an awkward kiss and his best friends had been kidnapped and Adam has slowly fallen into aggressive dislike. He had been powerful, with Cabeswater at his side. But they'd ripped that from him upon arrival and now he has to contend for attention with actual fucking wizards. ]

I don't know.

[ God, that kills him to admit. Those little beanstalk leaves are definitely wilting at the edges now. ]

I can think about it and sort of push? But it still reacts to stuff even if I don't want it to.

[ Matthew considers this for a second. ]

Must be pretty powerful if you don't even have to think about it.

[ That's how he sees it, at least. He turns back to the plant, and again reaches out to touch one of the leaves, a little concerned about the wilting. Don't leave him, beanstalk. You're so great! Such a tall, proud, magical plant. ]

I guess it's one of those things you've just got to practice.

[ Spoken like a person who has a lot of experience with not being very good at things right away. ]

[ Adam smiles but it's the kind that doesn't reach the eyes. ]

I'd be more powerful if I could control it.

[ He's not often the one to vocalise his own flaws. He knows people see them and he spends a good amount of time chastising himself. But he also can't accept false praise. And that's what this feels like. ]

Have you figured out what yours are yet?

[ Here's a spoiler for you, Adam: Matthew is too dumb for false praise, and he very rarely judges people for their flaws. Everyone has them, right? There's no point in focusing on those things. ]

Not yet, [ Matthew tells him, pulling his hand away from the wilting leaves again. ]

I guess it could be anything, huh?

[ Adam grows plants, Ronan does that thing with the birds... Well, not on purpose, but still. ]

[ He seems suddenly aware that the leaves are looking shabby. The sigh that falls from him is short, but sharp. There's nothing he can do in this mood. He might as well get back to watering the others. ]

Could be.

[ There's a too long list of powers here. Adam couldn't even hope to figure them all out if he wanted to. ]

You haven't noticed anything strange happening around you?

Mm... Just the birds, but I know that's Ronan's thing.

[ Not that he'd been overeager to admit it, when the songbirds first appeared, preening Matthew's curls and fluttering their wings and hopping lightly over his hands and shoulders like something straight out of a Disney movie.

There was also that one weird moment on the first day when Matthew thought Adam might be lying to him and didn't know why, but the single, brief experience was not enough for him to be sure it had anything to do with powers. ]

The birds.

[ That has Adam's smile looking wide and amused. ] Jesus, the birds. [ Looking back, he now knows the origin of the dozens of times he had flocks of songbirds nearby. He'd thought it was strange at the time.

But Ronan likes him. ]

I thought having plants give off my emotions was a shitdeal, but jesus. Ronan has it bad.

I think it embarrasses him.

[ There's definitely a hint of amusement in Matthew's smile now, too, the brotherly kind, at Ronan's expense. Matthew adores him, and he adores the birds, for that matter, but that doesn't mean he can't laugh. ]

Do they really react to his emotions, too? I thought they just like to hang out around him.

[ And yell important bird things at him. ]

[ Those dying leaves? Suddenly perking up. ]

The first time I saw it happen he was super pissed off. [ That might have been because the songbirds were all sweet around Adam, but who knows. ] And I think it's a reaction thing? There's definitely been a bunch of people who've earned Ronan's ire and then had revenge enacted by bird shit.

[ It's amazing. Adam is strangely enthralled by it. ]

[ A moment passes in which Matthew considers whether or not he thinks Ronan would tell his birds to shit on someone he disliked on purpose.

Hmm. ]

He got mad when I asked him if he was doing it, too. [ Not mad at Matthew, of course, just mad in that usual posturing Ronan sort of way. ]

One pooped on me, too, but I think it was more, like. A regular bird thing.

[ Matthew is fascinated by Ronan's new power in his own way, as well. He also sounds way too amused for someone admitting to being crapped on by a sparrow. ]

Well, I guess he can't stop the call of nature. Just direct it.

[ Which is hilarious to Adam, who occasionally likes being the same kind of shithead as his boyfriend is. Finished with the watering of his little garden, he wipes the palm of his hands against his jeans and gives Matthew a small smile. He's really trying to be a little bit more accommodating to the younger boy. ]

Listen, I have to get ready for my shift at the auto shop. But if you need anything just give me a text. [ He can do that now. Text. ]

[ Matthew snorts and promptly claps a hand over his mouth, but his eyes are still laughing loudly as Adam finishes with the garden. ]

Right, yeah--okay! [ He lowers his hand again, switching from "amused smile" back to "cheerful smile". Don't think he won't take Adam up on the offer to text sometime. ]

Thanks again for showing me your power. It's cool. I like it.

[ Simple, uncreative, honest Matthew. ]

[ He definitely seems pleased, so Matthew has at least managed that. Knowing that he has this power is all well and good but Adam is a complicated creature who craves praise like nobody's business. ]

Thanks. Yours will be too. [ Except when they figure out he can tell if a person is lying, Adam probably won't think so. That too, is complicated. Because he is naturally leery of telling the truth. Still, Adam gives him a smile and then leaves, taking his gardening tools back to where they're stored before heading back into the house to change. He has successfully navigated a conversation with his boyfriend's brother. Score one for him. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We're happy as can be

no subject

Feel free to correct me if I make any false assumptions about this place!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

he can never forgive you matthew

GANSEY, NO, HE IS SORRY

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

outside: in which i rp a chicken.

Ronan you've changed

( outside. )

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

did matthew tell him about his powers idk idk idk i'm so bad at this

NO WORRIES, Matthew's still clueless so we're good |D

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject