The Killing Game

[quaerit]

Who: The Raven crew: Gansey, Blue, Adam, Ronan and Noah
What: Blue targets Gansey during the Assassin event
Where: The Raven House.
When: During Rage's Assassin event
Warnings: Attempted murder, the full list of swear words known by Ronan Lynch, teenage angst.

[ As far as Gansey knows, it's an ordinary morning in their house. He's yet to venture outside, and hasn't seen any of his friends emerge from their rooms. Given that his own is the living room these days, and also given that he struggles to sleep most nights, he typically finds himself wandering around alone in the mornings. This isn't a place with a great prevalence of cereal boxes, and his beloved car is still at home, so his usual methods of distracting a wakeful mind are unavailable.

That's why, on this particular morning, his friends will arrive to discover Gansey has built some approximation of the Eiffel Tower out of a range of the house's cutlery. There may have been one or two minor crashes, when his efforts collapsed on him, but really, that should just make everyone glad that he didn't decide to use the plates. This is a lot harder than it looks. He's in the kitchen, minding his own business, and setting this monstrosity up on one of the counters. There's also some indeterminate can of something being warmed in the microwave; let no one say he never attempts to cook for his friends.

Oblivious to what's started to happen around the city, Gansey goes innocently about his model building, and waits for the first of them to wake up. ]

Comments

[casperdisaster]

[Noah nods. He had no intention of leaving the house unless she came to it, then he'd have to make a run for it to lead her away. Until then he'd prefer to hide amongst friends.]

She couldn't control herself. It wasn't her fault. I'm just scared, not ... mad. You know?

[The echoing of Adam's thoughts is unintentional. Noah truly believed that himself, and seeing others falling under the influence of this anger just drove that belief in more.]

[unknowable]

Nobody seems to be able to control themselves right now. Just... let me know what she says when it's over, all right?

[Because Adam is - somewhat reluctantly - willing to forgive people for hurting his friends if they had no choice. It doesn't mean he'll trust or like them, but he won't freeze them out the way he would otherwise. But if they're not sorry, he absolutely will.

He doesn't take that sort of thing lightly. Whelk is a good example. Greenmantle is an excellent one.]

[casperdisaster]

[Noah nods. He'll have to talk to Sharon eventually - if nothing else to tell her that he isn't mad at her, that he doesn't blame her for not being able to control herself.

It's hard though, after what he saw her do. Even without her actively trying to kill him, he can't unknow that now.]

It was like... like when you bring Cabeswater, but it was something dark.

[unknowable]

She told me a little about her powers.

[And of course, that isn't his secret to tell. The knowledge he has won't make a difference if it comes to a fight, not really - so he may as well keep Sharon's secrets.]

I don't know if I could fight her, but if she comes here, find me, okay? Cabeswater could help.

[casperdisaster]

[Noah nods, but it's a hesitant thing. His plan for if Sharon found him here was to just... run. Again.]

I don't want to put you all in danger.

[unknowable]

We don't want you to put yourself in worse danger.

[And at least if he sticks around they might be able to do something, even if it's just talk her down.]

I'm sure she knows by now something's influencing her.

[casperdisaster]

I hope so. Enough people want to go on a murder spree, you'd think, but -

[But some people are so used to being angry they don't really question it. Noah's used to feeling afraid so much that he doesn't really question that when it happens.]

As long as you run if it gets too dangerous. You already got hurt.

[unknowable]

I will, don't worry. I ran when this happened, too.

[He's not the sort of person who'll try to be brave for bravery's sake. Survival is far more important.]

But I might be able to do something. I can at least try.

[casperdisaster]

Okay.

[The agreement is quietly spoken. Noah admires Adam's bravery, Noah's pretty sure he'd just run if their positions were reversed.]

Anything else I can help with?

[unknowable]

It'll be ready soon. Get us some bowls?

[There's canned pasta sauce he warmed up too - that was easier, you don't really need two hands for that.]

[casperdisaster]

['Bowls' Noah mouths in repetition. He always ends up having to open two or three cupboards before he finds them in spite of having lived here for months now. The little necessities still trip him up. But he gets them, and forks as well, setting them on the counter.]

Thanks for cooking, Adam. Even though you were doing that already. You know.

[unknowable]

No problem. One of us has to make sure there's warm food occasionally, anyway.

[Because even Adam is inclined to survive off granola bars and fruit if he doesn't remind himself to cook actual food sometimes.

He strains the pasta, gets the sauce, makes bowls for the both of them. There's leftovers - Adam always makes more than he needs, partly because he can do it without worrying about the cost and partly because then there's leftovers if Ronan or Gansey get hungry.]

[casperdisaster]

[It's a good plan. Still, Noah figures it's better to remember to thank people than to start taking it for granted. He tries not to.

A good meal with a friend can go a long way to making the oppressive blanket of terror seem a little less bad.]