02 | VIDEO; small backdate to the 12th

[dreamkid]

[ The video starts with a blurry shot of grass and Matthew, speaking from behind the camera, in the middle of a sentence. There's also shouting in the background, laughter--the event being (rather inexpertly) filmed is a party involving five teenage boys, cake, and a giant slip-n-slide. ]

--got it, I got it!

[ The feed shakes as he tries to get the camera pointed where he wants it, revealing a number of the people involved. Here's a glimpse of a rather smudgy boy, eating a piece of cake with something like reverence on his face. There's Adam Parrish, cupping his hands around his mouth and hollering-- ]

Gansey, take off the damn sunglasses!

[ And then the camera fixes on the ridiculously long slip-n-slide itself, and coming down it right now? Yes, that is Richard Campbell Gansey III. That is Richard Campbell Gansey III wearing swim trunks and rocketing down the slip-n-slide from hell (more accurately, the slip-n-slide of dreams), and he's smiling like a king and somehow manages to make this look almost dignified. Though he did, in fact, fail to remove his sunglasses first; think of that what you will.

This is raven boys having fun. Matthew gives a shout of delighted laughter, and Chainsaw chimes in from offscreen but close by with a loud kerah!, which snags Matthew's attention.

The camera turns when he does and someone else comes into view--shaved head, tattoo clawing up the back of his neck, fierce-eyed raven on his shoulder. But this is Ronan Lynch as rarely ever seen--relaxed, unguarded, all posturing abandoned because who needs posturing to throw their little brother a birthday party?

Matthew sounds very excited. ]

Hey, hey, Ronan, I just realized. Since I'm old enough now, do I get to drive the Camaro?

It's up to Gansey, shitheel. If he's okay with it, I don't care.

[ "Shitheel" is in fact a term of affection, and you can tell because the easy smile on Ronan's face is one reserved for very, very few people. ]

Yes, I'll ask him if-- Huh? Oh.

[ Matthew laughs again, this time at himself, and the video shakes again as he pulls his communicator closer to his nose. ]

I must've hit the wrong button. I think everyone can see this.

[ Ronan's expression changes abruptly and his shoulders square up, because being video broadcast to a shit-ton of strangers absolutely does require posturing. ]

Matthew--

No, no, I got it. I'm just gonna-- Sorry, guys!

[ That's an apology to you, imPorts. Matthew's laughing again when he shuts off the feed. ]

Comments

video;

[brushoff]

Well! [ Dorian an't help but respond with a small laugh ] Looks like all of you are having a grand time.

video;

[dreamkid]

[ And here's Matthew at his most Matthew, practically glowing with happiness. He's definitely taken his own turns on the slip and slide, as evidenced by his bare shoulders and damp curls. ]

Ronan threw me a birthday party. I didn't mean to put the video on here.

[ Sorry, sorry, though he's far too cheerful right now to be properly embarrassed. ]

video;

[aberth]

[ :| ]

We are.

[ And you're not invited. ]

This guy first for ease

[inmyothertights]

Oh, hey.

Happy birthday.

Is that Gansey-Gansey?

[Not a clone????]

[dreamkid]

[ Billy gets a bright, enthusiastic wave. ]

Thanks! I'm old enough to drive the Camaro now.

[ Everyone already heard, Matthew. ]

And yeah, that's Gansey. Do you wanna talk to him?

[ For obvious reasons, Gansey might not have his own communicator on him at this exact moment, but Matthew's more than willing to share his own if needed. ]

Text

[dirtyredneck]

So the asshole's name is Ronan. He told me it was Lynch.

[He's not going to let anyone see how much the sight of the kid having a good time makes him smile. He was glad to see Lynch had found his family.]

video;

[dreamkid]

[ Yeah it's weird to reply to a text with video but Matthew's been using video so far and he doesn't switch gears easily sometimes. He laughs. ]

It is, it's both. Ronan Lynch. I'm Matthew Lynch; I'm his brother. How do you know Ronan?

[ You know what else is weird? How about the fact that this golden sunshine kid and fight-picking Ronan Lynch are related. ]

Text

[quaerit]

[ This is delayed, because Gansey needs to actually realize this has been broadcast before he starts trying to fix it, but eventually: ]

That asshole is my friend. How do you know him, exactly?

video

[rathercommon]

[ Laughing - ]

Oh, no. You all are too cute.

video

[aberth]

no.

video; later, when he gets his phone again!

[quaerit]

[ And once Gansey is actually aware of the situation, here he appears, still wearing sunglasses, but now with a fluffy towel around his neck. ]

I'd like to go on record to state that we didn't tell him to do that. Sorry for disturbing your afternoon.

video;

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew appears a bit late, also laughing, a smudge of icing on the corner of his mouth now because he's bouncing between the cake and the slip-n-slide way too quickly to be anything like healthy. (Also, unlike certain other boys, he has no objections to being called 'cute'.) ]

Hey! You're Kitty, right? You're coming over?

[ He just heard from Gansey. ]

( action. )

[aberth]

[ Adam is not going on the slip-n-slide ...

( Let's be real, he's going on the slip-n-slide, the same way he gets in moving dollies and shopping carts. )

But he is enjoying himself. At least until he hears the tail-end of Matthew and Ronan's conversation. Did his accent slip? Was he 90% more hick that he usually is? Christ. Still, he calls out Ronan's way. ] At least everyone knows you're back now? You don't have to make your own.

[ ... Small ... mercies ... ]

[quaerit]

[ Gansey has managed to invite two extra people in the space of around thirty seconds, someone take the phone away from him.

He is, however, ignoring it again by the time he appears besides Adam. ]

As if he ever planned to announce it.

Anyway, Parrish! [ Gansey is in the sort of mood that normally sees him dragging people around the mountains with 'Excelsior!' on his tongue, so you should probably beware. ] You, slip-n-slide. Go on! If I did it so can you.

[unguibusetrostro]

[Ronan is right at the top of slip and slide hill.

This is his dominion. He is practically ready to light a fire and go down holding a torch. But he doesn't. Instead he launches himself down the monster slip and slide, swirling down to the bottom, looking supremely pleased with himself.

That's when Chainsaw decides to do it too, curling her feet up and tumbling down the water slide, and he catches her at the bottom.]

Wet feathers don't fly, dumbass.

[quaerit]

[ Gansey is waiting for them at the bottom, half amused, and half judgmental because who takes a raven on a slip-n-slide, Ronan?! What's wrong with you.

(Among the things not wrong with Ronan, actually, was the idea for today. Matthew is clearly loving it all, and even Gansey has to admit he's having a good time.) ]

That is not made for birds.

All right if Billy and Kitty join us? They're friends. Kitty was one of your friends, actually, from before.

[ Kind of. That's a very long story, but the end result of it was friendship. Or the closest thing Ronan comes to that, anyway. ]

[admemoriam]

[Noah stumbles down the last feet of the hill, wet grass on his feet and a grin on his face. The borrowed swim trunks tied around his waist are too large, but his mood has vastly improved from earlier in the week. He reaches out to feel Chainsaw's feathers - chasing every single sensation - and tells her, ]

It's okay, he didn't mean it.

[aberth]

[ Later, when Adam's shoulders are a little more pink with the sun and his stomach hurts from laughter, he finds Ronan. And while he doesn't so much as grab his wrist and run, the intent is firmly written on his face, a soft but daring thing that catches at his eyes and mouth.

He jerks his head a little, towards the house. ] I need your help a second.

[ HELP WITH WHAT? WHO KNOWS.

All casual, as he moves barefoot through the grass and to the more secluded parts of the Meadows. ] You comin'?

audio;

[irassible]

[ Someone is being slightly unsociable, so no video, but his voice should be recognizable - as well as VERY AMUSED. ]

I hear it's someone's...birthday?

Congratulations.

video;

[dreamkid]

[ Someone else is feeling quite sociable, and has been videoing everything today (intentionally or not). When Matthew replies he's up at the top of the slip-n-slide himself, and he's delighted to hear the recognizable voice. ]

Hey! Six!

[ Now, to his credit he would have handed off his phone before going down this giant wet slide again but right in the middle of windmilling an enthusiastic wave at the screen, it just so happens he slips-- ]

Oh shi--

[ And slides! Somehow he manages to hold on to the phone all the way, his arm stuck straight up in the air to keep it dry, and treating Six to a video that is no doubt hilarious. Matthew also thinks this is hilarious, and by the time he reaches the bottom he's laughing so hard he can barely speak, much less sit up again. ]

Th-- Thanks!

[ For the birthday wishes. ]

( audio )

[chancetoatone]

[There's an easy tone to his voice when he responds, though he still hasn't enabled the video. Not yet.]

It's good to see you've settled in well, Matthew.

( video agaaaain )

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew is thoroughly excited to hear that distinctive voice again. ]

Thane!

[ He beams at the camera, damp and tousled from his own attempts at the slip-n-slide. ]

Yeah, I have, thanks. Ronan left but he came back again, everything's great.

[ He did not actually mention Ronan to Thane in their first conversation but he's forgotten that by now. ]

action;

[dreamkid]

[ What a great birthday. Matthew's laughter is inescapable. He's fully charged, constantly on the move, either stuffing his face with yet another helping of cake or wrestling around with his brother or trying to get more people--looking at you, especially, newcomers--to go on the slip-n-slide. By themselves or with him, whichever. Either way is great!

He's made the trip a number of times himself, including once with his phone (that was an accident) but there's no chance of him tiring out before everyone else, or letting the sunburn on his nose and shoulders take anything away from his joy. ]

[unguibusetrostro]

[The party is halfway through when Ronan grabs him, tugging him up to the newly-ramped slip-n-slide.]

If we go together we can give Declan a heart attack from a different universe.

[Mostly he wants to go down the slip n slide with his little brother.]

action again; Matthew and Ronan again

[dreamkid]

[ Later, after Kitty and Billy leave, the sun has set and the other raven boys have gone inside to shower and get dressed and tend sunburns or whatever else is part of their regular evening routines. The brothers are still outside, making a pleasantly tired, half-hearted effort to find Matthew's shoes ("I know I put them... somewhere"), when Matthew suddenly stops, looks over in Ronan's general direction, and prompts him with-- ]

So. You and Adam, huh?

[ It's difficult to see his expression in the dark but one can hear the smile in his voice. ]

[unguibusetrostro]

[He knew this was going to happen eventually. He knew it and he didn't prepare so much as a single word in reply.

He looks over, though, very mildly annoyed.]

Yeah. Me and Adam.

[It's only mild annoyance, and he might get surly with Matthew sometimes, it's never nasty or rude, not really.]