maskormenace | Entry #004

[ Here is Gansey, looking a little strange. He’s wearing a navy-blue sweater emblazoned with a raven – an Aglionby school sweater, over what appears to be ordinary clothes. His shoulders and hair are damp, like he’s been rained on, and he looks strangely pale. Despite that, he’s displaying a welcoming smile, and his hazel eyes are bright and vital with some emotion he’s holding back. ]

Apparently, I vanished yesterday.

I say apparently because it feels more like several weeks ago, but according to this – [ he holds up one of De Chima’s daily newspapers – a tabloid, headlined with speculation about the upcoming import elections ] – it’s only been a day.

A lot can happen in a day. Sometimes things that give you perspective.

Can I ask – the school year is almost over. Some of you will be graduating. I will. Which is odd, because I was here for eight months, and then I went home and it was Fall again, and Senior year was just beginning. I’m not completely sure what age I am now. I turned eighteen a couple of months ago.

[ Which, he actually never mentioned. It had seemed like there were more important things to be getting along with, and the thought of getting older in the wrong world had annoyed Gansey anyway. He’d kept quiet. Now, if he could do that over again, he thinks he’d celebrate it more – even though he’s only mentioning it now because it’s relevant to this. ]

Then I go home, and I’m seventeen again, so now I don’t even know what counts. Graduation will, though, I know that much.

So: to everyone else who’s graduating. Or even if you’re not, even if it’s just that you see change coming for you. What are your plans? Will you work, will you travel? What would you like to do, ideally? I think I’m ready for it to be summer again.

Private to: Billy Kaplan, Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch, Noah Czerny, Matthew Lynch

[ This part goes to everyone’s private inboxes. Gansey’s smile is less presidential here, but his eyes are even sharper. He seems energized, like he’s on the edge of something. His voice is trying not to sound like it. ]

Hey, everyone. I very much hope I didn’t worry you. I think I was mid-conversation with you, Billy. I’ll have to blame my rudeness on the Porter.

Listen, I’m on my way home. Could someone bring the car and pick me up? I’m getting pizza from that Italian place near the porter in De Chima. I’m absolutely famished.

I’d…like to know if anyone else vanished, too. Ronan, Adam?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Oh christ, it's this asshole.

Dorian's behaving though, as he responds solely with a small nod and a simple ] Welcome back.

[ ...Dorian Gray.

Of course, this couldn't just be simple. ]

Thank you.

Keeping well, Dorian?

You were only gone for a day or two, [ Dorian can't help but remark, a small little smirk of a smile on his face. It's less malicious, more teasing. ] Nothing went entirely to hell during that time.

[ look at him, being polite and keeping things calm. After that last fight with Gansey, he's DEFINITELY doing his best to be calm and polite and not confrontational in the slightest, surely that one fight was a fluke, right? Right. ]

[ Gansey points at him. That's not malicious either, though. He's not as warm as he once was with Dorian, but he's not being aggressive, either.

He's being quite polite. That may or may not be a bad sign, depending on your perspective. ]

You'd be surprised what can happen in a day. Even here.

You're still a bachelor, then?

Does it really count as still being a bachelor if you're to be married in less than a week?

[ That's the answer. Yes, he technically still is a bachelor. ]

Yes, it still counts. I'm assuming you're ready not to be, though. I can't actually believe so little time has passed.

[ He feels changed to the core, and yet he's here, and everything is still the same. It feels quite wrong. ]

That's how this place works, though. [ Dorian mused, with a small little laugh. ] A year and a half ago I ported home for a week here but it was seven years back home.

Jesus, seven years in a week. That must have been strange, when you got back. How long have you been here?

[ Strange, that Gansey isn't sure. He knows it's been a while, though, the same as with Billy. ]

Two years, this July.

[ It's just stated so nonchalantly. Yeah, two years, whatever, no big deal, Dorian doesn't have any particular feelings about it one way or the other. ]

A drop in the ocean in the life of an immortal.

How do you deal with the memories, though? Fitting seven years into the space of a week couldn't have been easy for you.

I had a hell of a confusing time, that's for sure. [ and then, Dorian just shrugs. ] It was odd, but I simply had to deal.

As easily as that.

[ No, it's going to be fine. It has to be. These last twenty-four hours have been horrendous for Gansey. Once he gets past the shock of that, the rest will fall into place. Logic tells him so.

He'll be fine. ]

I suppose I'll get used to it. Always best to move forward, in any case.

[ Not as easily as that. That seven years Dorian mentioned? He died during those seven years. Died, then came back to life thanks to a lovely little deal with Satan and a few murders. It's a testament to how much of a good actor Dorian is (or how nonchalant he can seem) that he just brushes past that fact, burying it under simple statements of how it was 'odd' or how it was 'confusing.'

Gansey's not going to learn the real truth, after all. ]

As easily as that. The human body can adjust to a remarkable amount of things—granted, nobody expects anybody to adjust to seven months in a day or seven years in a week, but we learn to make do.

[ Gansey isn’t sure he’ll ever feel that nonchalant about what just happened to him. He’s not sure it’s possible.

He might be able to fake it, though. All things considered, that’s probably the best he can hope for. ]

A few weeks in a day should be childsplay compared to that. Anyway, thank you, Dorian. I’d best go and wait for Ronan.

[ Oof. Dorian can't help but wince a little bit as Gansey mentions Ronan. ] Best of luck trying to explaining your absence to the others.

[ ...what the hell is that expression, Dorian? ]

There's not much I can do about the Porter's mechanics. They'll understand that.

[ Hopefully. ]

[ it's the "Dorian knows that Ronan is a fuckwit" expression ]

If they're sensible about this, they will.

[ key words being 'if they're sensible......' ]

[ He knows what you're implying. ]

I suppose you're right. Thank you for the vote of confidence, in any case.

It's the least I can give you.

[ literally. ]

Entry #004 | Video

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;