maskormenace

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[ the feed comes on to show a boy with very tall hair and a much shorter girl with scratches on her face over her eye, one looking rather cheerful and the other less so. ]

Hi hi hi everyone, I have an important question. [ he holds up a finger, tilts his head as if a thought had just occurred to him. he's so preoccupied he was going to launch himself into his spiel without even introducing himself. ] I'm being rude. I am Henry Cheng, and we were wondering —

[ the not so tall and in fact very short girl interrupts. ] We're looking for someone we know! [ she pulls a little face, looking over at Mr. Henry Cheng. ] A few people, actually. [ okay, maybe that was a little rude. she murmurs something unintelligible and takes a step back. please, proceed. ]

And that was my lovely friend Blue. [ he gestures with a flourish toward her, shoots her a wink, absolutely unbothered by the interruption or her outburst. ] As she said, we are looking for someone. Multiple someones. I'm sure this place has a list of sorts, yes? A quick way to CTRL-F a friend's name and find out their status?

[ he looks a bit more serious, then, like underneath the cheerfulness he's exhausted. his next words are very earnest. ]

We would appreciate any info. Thank you.

[ in the background, Blue begins tromping away, shedding dead leaves for some reason, and can be vaguely heard to say 'maybe we should've mentioned Gansey by name' before the video ends. ]

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[ It's weird, maybe, but Blue could relate to that right now. She has some very mixed feelings about Kitty already, after all. Blue thinks she likes her. It's clear she's a good person, otherwise she's pretty sure Adam wouldn't be working for her, doing what he's doing. But it's weird. She's a part of everyone's life here and Blue isn't a part of that life yet. Henry's a part of Blue's life at home, but not a part of everyone's lives here. They're both intersecting each other's personal timelines in a very strange way, Blue and Adam.

Her smile fades away and she looks more serious again. ] I don't, I'm sorry. [ She doesn't like to toss out apologies willy-nilly, but this is a big thing. ] I don't even know what I don't know. But I'll try, okay?

[ She tugs on one of her hair spikes, which sends some more dead leaf matter scattering over her shoulder. ]

It's okay.

[ It is. He'd rather have her here like this than not at all.

Anyway, something else has caught his attention. If anything Adam is used to in this world, it is dying plants. He is constantly surrounded by them unless it is a day where Ronan smiles at him. He definitely wants to talk to her about that. ] We'll figure it out. We always do.

Listen, I'm going to head back? But I'll see you when you get there, okay? We should probably do this in person.

[ Adam says, "it's okay" and Blue's tempted to believe it. She wants to believe it, that is. Any other day and she'd be feeling differently, maybe bantering with a bit more energy. Threatening some indeterminate consequences for the people who did this to her and all the rest of them. But she can still feel Gansey's cheek under her hand and...

Not yet. ]

We always do. [ She reiterates this and nods. More leaf litter. They should really talk about that. ] Let's talk more when we're both there, okay? [ She'll be looking forward to that. Gansey first, then she needs to see the others. And will. ]

[ Kitty lets him go early but still he waits it out. He lets Gansey give them the guided tour of the Meadows while he goes to check on his vegetable patch. It's doing fine for someone who has never grown anything without the use of Porter given magic before. But eventually he finds Blue alone and he smiles as he leans against the doorjamb. ]

Hey.

[ In person the marks on her face are much worse. Already he feels questions crowding in his throat. ] So, what do you think? I almost wouldn't believe it's Lynch's. [ Except it is wholly Ronan's right down to the sunshine streaming through the windows. ]

[ Everything is a whirlwind. There's so much to absorb, somehow. Some of it will clearly have to happen piecemeal, over time. But Blue tries to pack as much of it into her head at one go as possible.

And she stays glued to Gansey's side as long as she can. And then a little longer than that. But.

Eventually, she is alone and then there's Adam saying 'hey.' She grabs a handful of her shirt and tugs on it, then gives him a brief wave. ] Hey.

[ She's smiling too. If it's Adam or this place or the comment, who knows. But she is. ] It's exactly his. [ She thinks of the Barns and nods once. ] You can tell, because it's just as impossible as he is. It's really something though, isn't it?

It is.

[ He really needs to show Blue his room. It's perfect for Adam, small and uncomplicated, a place that can easily be cut off from the rest of the house in the rare event he needs it. The first time he saw it he'd felt something strange and sweet go over him. ]

You like your room?

[ It's a bit princess in the tower but he at least now knows why it's right above Gansey's. ]

[ That brightens her smile a bit more. Blue's getting a bit tired of thinking things are weird, so instead of thinking about how it's strange she has a room here that's all hers and was here for her before she was here, she's decided to focus on how much she likes that it is. ]

I did. [ She crosses her arms loosely, which occupies her hands so she's not rubbing at her face. ] I like it.

[ She'd love to see his room. She wants to see everything. And she wants to see nothing at all. It's hard to know what she wants most, but she's a woman of action! Lying in bed moping isn't really her way. ] Kind of feels like I'm lording over you all, but that's all right.

[ There. A hint of Blue Sargent energy. ]

[ Adam laughs without meaning to, his amusement not entirely appropriate for the situation but it's such a very Blue statement that he can't help it. ]

It wouldn't be any other way.

[ She pretty much needs to be so she can keep them all in line. ]

So.

[ He comes over, sits down near her. ] Where do you want to start? [ He has something of a list. ]

[ Blue doesn't seem to take offense, which is kind of novel. She smiles somewhat knowingly. That fades away slowly at his question, but she settles in. Clears her throat. ]

I don't know. [ She leans forward, shifting so her chin is in both hands and her elbows are on her knees. ] You start. [ She sort of figures there's a list. ] Wherever.

You're from the future, right? Like Gansey and Noah?

[ Because he thinks he would remember her being hurt. He thinks he'd have known and done something about it. Unbidden his gaze flicks to her eyebrow and back down her face, discontent swirling uselessly in his stomach. ]

They keep telling me it's fine, but --. [ But she's hurt, and he's not stupid. The others have been changed too. ]

[ She can't help it. Her hand comes to cover her eye for a second and she frowns. Once she seems to realize what she did, she drops her hand like it got burned. ]

Yeah, I am. [ This is just the strangest thing to have to explain to someone. ] I don't know how far ahead or anything... [ She sort of didn't want to ask. ]

You asked both of them? [ It's not an answer at all, but she wonders. ] What'd they say? Just that it's fine?

I'm from the cave.

[ If that helps. ] With your mom and Artemus. Noah said he was a little along but I got the feeling he didn't want to talk much. Gansey's only been back a little while and I --. [ He pauses, guilt seeping into his stomach. ] I had some other stuff I was trying to deal with. [ Fighting with Ronan, mostly. ]

You're hurt though. [ And he doesn't like it.

He knows enough to try and curb the instinct it inspires, because if anything Blue Sargent would kill him for trying to be protective. But he still doesn't like it. ]

[ Her mouth forms a small o-shape. That was awhile ago. Or was it? It feels like years. ]

Noah's... [ She breathes out, then shrugs. Like that's supposed to explain something. ] He's different here. Really different. [ That doesn't explain anything. Not even a little. ] It literally just happened. Right before we got here. A lot of things at once. I was right there. You, Ronan, Henry, Gansey, we were all there. [ Not Noah. ] Then bam, I'm here. I'm still trying to process it or something.

[ She's right about the protectiveness, but she's also in such a state of mind right now. Honestly, she's probably in shock still. ] I'm okay. It looks worse than it is. [ Vague gesturing at her face. ]

Is Gansey --.

[ He stops himself short. He doesn't want to think about it even though he knows he should. Logic dictates that their friend makes it. But logic doesn't have any place in a world like this. Hell, Kavinsky died and he's up and walking around like he owns the place. Adam knows he has to ask. And he knows Blue's the only one who can answer him. She's the only one who shares the same dreadful knowledge he does, the name on a list someplace in Fox Way.

So when he speaks his voice is hushed and awful and he's trying to keep it together because it has no place here. ] Is he okay? [ Does he live? Does he make it? ]

[ Of course he wants to know. Of course. There's probably a treatise on time travel somewhere that says she shouldn't answer this or some nonsense, but it's Adam and he deserves to know. He helped her carry that secret around, even if it ended up they weren't really keeping anything from Gansey himself.

She breathes out again. ] He's alive. [ Is he okay? That, she doesn't quite know. Her bottom lip disappears between her teeth. Which is good, because this way it won't tremble. She hasn't said as much aloud yet, has she? Hasn't yet reassured herself it's true. ]

He is.

Is it over?

[ Gansey surviving up to a certain point is all well and good, but if the clock is still ticking than Adam will not be able to rest. He doesn't want to pretend that things will be fine. He doesn't want to lie to himself.

So even though Blue looks like she'd rather disappear into the ground than have this conversation, he has to push, just a little, just enough to be sure. ]

[ Blue fidgets intensely with one of her hair spikes before nodding once. ] It's over.

[ Part of her does want to disappear. But part of her wants to spill the whole story, because he ought to know. But maybe if he knows now, he can figure out how to do things better...

No, that's silly. They did the best they could, right? Things were going to be okay. Would've been, if she hadn't ended up here along with everyone else. No. C'mon, Blue. You know too much about meddling in magic to be that foolish. You can't just blurt things out without thinking.

She's thinking so hard it looks like she might set something on fire. Possibly one of the little pile of dead leaves collecting on her head. ]

Okay.

[ He wants to ask more, part of him thinks he should ask more. But Blue's agitated enough and so instead he focuses on the things he can deal with here and now. Namely the fact that she's shedding. ]

Your power? [ Reaching up to pluck a leaf from that pile on her head. ]

[ If things calm down, maybe she can figure out how she should say more of it. Maybe.

For now, the distraction is appreciated. ] Oh. Apparently. [ She frowns at the leaf. If she had laser vision, you can bet it'd be disintegrated right now. ] It's not very funny.

[ Oh right. But Adam wouldn't... know about that. ]

They said I can make armor from it or something, but that keeps happening instead.

It's your mood.

[ Adam delivers it without inflection, because if there's one thing he knows it's how quick Blue can be to snap. He doesn't want her to think he's accusing her of anything. Lord knows he's smarter than that. But he's been here before. He's the one with moss and thorns and dead vines creeping their way around him more often than not. ]

I think it's because you're tied into nature, right? You have to be calm for things to keep living? [ He looks her way, turning the leaf over by the stem and then smiling slightly. ] Watch.

[ He twists it again and then slowly, slowly, colour starts seeping back into the leaf. The edges smooth out, the green goes light and bright again, the veins on the leaf gain their life. ] That's my power.

[ Blue listens, about to protest the first comment, who are you to tell her she's moody, Adam Parrish, but then she spots what he's doing to the leaf and hears the rest of what he's saying.

A bit spontaneously, she reaches for his hand, gently turning it this way and that to look at the leaf. ]

You brought it back to life. [ She sounds awed? Curiously distant? It's hard to say. Eventually, she looks at him, expression half-curious and half-confused. ] Like a mood ring, but with plants.

[ Hey.

Gansey called her a Starbucks table, so. ]

You should see me on my bad days.

[ It's a joke, and one he makes quite deliberately. Because Adam has never liked the obviousness of his powers. If the door of his bedroom isn't crawling with vines when he's upset, then his floor is littered flowers when he's happy. He's not sure which is worse. But he wants Blue to not feel so alone. ]

I can make a forcefield too, but it's not as prominent as this. I couldn't turn it off even if I wanted to.

[ She gives him a little smile. It's one of those sympathetic but not pitying expressions. One she's kinda mastered lately. She's really grateful for Adam being here right now. Not one to hide things in quite the way Adam does, it's hard to imagine how he must feel, having his emotions on display like that. But she can sort of envision it and she knows she wouldn't always be thrilled with the idea... so he probably hates it. ]

So is it hard to learn to control these things? Because I have some kind of amplification too and I think I'm getting used to how that works at home. But this...

[ She's not used to this at all. ] This is new.

[ Hesitating over that word makes it sound a little weird. Well, it's true. The tree thing is new, but not new to here. ]

[ He definitely hates it. But he's lucky in that it's still growth. Even with the vines, he can usually reign in back in and make everything green again. And maybe, if he's honest with himself, it's been stopping him from getting too bleak. There's nothing better to calm a person down than having moss eating away at the house and curious looks thrown his way. ]

A lot of things will be.

[ New, he means. ]

A lot of the time all I can think is what the fuck and I've been here since September. [ A pause. Adam is not usually the #teamwork person.] We help each other though.

[ That's a pretty optimistic way of looking at things. Adam Parrish, are you getting a little bit optimistic? ]

I've thought that a few times already. [ She lightly scuffs her toe against the ground at her feet. ] Thank you, Adam.

I need something to put my head back on straight, honestly. [ Little does she know what's coming. ] I guess focusing on this will help. I almost wish I'd come back in time to go to school.

[ She says that, but her face says, 'But not really.' ]

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shall we action spam the reunion?

let's do this thing

lmk if this needs editing

this is perfect

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