hadriel_logs | hang on to your dreams

Entry tags:

hang on to your dreams

Who: Adam Parrish (

unknowable) and OPEN
What: Catch-all log for the month of February!
Where: Around the city
When: February 12-29 - put a date in your thread header if it matters!
Warnings: General stupid teenage boy-ness, swearing probably, possible mentions of violence

[a: scavenging]

[With a house full of teenage boys (and one raven) to feed, it's pretty normal for Adam to make supply runs, picking up whatever he can find from one of the many stores scattered around the city. It seems like the offerings are different every time he goes out, which at least makes it interesting. The basics can be counted on: strange, unfamilar fruit with occasional apples or oranges or bananas mixed in, cans of odd soups, boxes of various other foods. Right now, Adam is holding a box of cereal. The front says Fruit Spins in cursive print, and there's something that resembles a toucan but definitely isn't one.]

Well... I guess that's close enough.

[Adam's tone is extremely doubtful, but he looks like he's planning to take the box anyway.]

[b: park]

[It's not a forest, and it's not Cabeswater, but the trees in the park are real, and that offers Adam some kind of comfort. He misses home the same way he always has - shamefully, resentfully, angry at himself for letting Henrietta and the doublewide trailer he spent most of his life in have such a hold on him. He's always wanted to get out, desperately, always worked for that, but he wonders sometimes if there's no real way to shake the dust off his shoes. If, no matter where or how far he goes, there will always be some disgusting part of him that misses it.

But there's nothing wrong with missing Cabeswater. Well, it's with him, even now, but not the real thing. He can't walk under the trees or feel the pulse of the ley line. This is the closest he can get.

He lays on the grass under one of the trees, looking up at the light through the leaves. Like this, he can almost pretend he isn't in a cave. He can let his thoughts drift, let himself just be.

He almost falls asleep, until the sound of a footstep jolts him out of his reverie. He sits up, suddenly, and looking in that direction, a bit like a startled deer.]

[c: at home]

[Plenty of things to do at the raven boy house, which is not and never will be named something silly like Monmouth II. Adam tries to keep it a few steps below 'disaster area', which is not so very easy to do when they're all teenage boys and one of them is Ronan Lynch. He also tries to make sure they have food and other supplies - not out of a desire to take care of his friends, but out of his basic practical nature. Ronan doesn't care about these things at all, Gansey is too easily caught up in books and new amazing things, and Noah is a ghost. Adam might as well try to make sure they have dishes to eat off of and food to eat from those dishes.

Anyway, he does better when he has things to do. At home, Adam barely had an hour or two of free time here and there. Here, his time is free unless he fills it with things, and so he does, because he doesn't really know how to handle actual free time anymore.

Right now, he's in the kitchen, mundanely washing dishes. He figured the sink out long ago, at least, so that's good. He'll come to the door, if it's knocked on, or he'll allow himself to be disturbed, but otherwise - today Adam Parrish will be playing the part of underpaid (well, unpaid) dishwasher.]

[d: let me know if you'd like to do something else and I'll write up a starter for you!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah. After all this...

[He shakes his head. It's not pleasant to think about. Accidental cannibalism is one thing, turning into a horrific monster because of it is something else. But both of them have avoided that fate so far, which is something to be happy about.]

Oh, this way.

[He leads her to the kitchen, which is reasonably clean. They have supplies too - Adam threw out anything with meat in it that he'd collected from the past couple weeks, just to be on the safe side, but they've still got a decent amount of food. Adam does most of the cooking, though, so he'll be more than happy to not have to for awhile.]

Is there anything you need?

[Yeah, let's...not think about cannibalism. Z's seen a lot of things, but man, this one is one she'll be happy to put in the past. She really hopes everyone gets to Hope's temple to get healed.

To think she'd kind of liked Rage. Z's not quite so sure which of the gods she kind of likes anymore, if any of them.

She follows Adam into the kitchen and swings her bag onto one of the countertops.]

Just water to get this veggie stew going. I've got a ton of spices and my favorite veggies here. Potatoes, carrots, and celery, of course, but also parsnips and chickpeas and sweet peas. If you don't like any of those, we can swap it out for something else, if you want. Or we can leave it out altogether.

There really isn't anything I don't like. I'm not a picky eater.

[He thinks that's the sort of thing only rich people can be - or anyway, only people who have enough money to not have to worry about whether they'll be able to afford groceries. When you haven't got that, you pretty much need to learn how to stomach anything, which Adam has gotten pretty good at. He won't turn his nose up at vegetables.]

Help yourself to all the water you want.

[He gestures at the sink, which he's pretty sure is the same as whatever she's got in her apartment. Figuring out how everything worked took time, but now that they've got it down, it's not too bad.]

It sounds great.

[That's definitely something Z understands. She ate a lot of questionable things when she was homeless. Usually she and Jack were able to avoid having to scavenge, but they weren't always so lucky. There are still people who aren't, the very same ones she and her teammates fight for. Hope is lucky Z's such an optimist as far as getting home goes, because by now, most people would've given up on that.

In any case, having new friends to kind of look after while she's here certainly helps matters. Adam's house may be bigger than Z's apartment, but the layout is kind of a glorified apartment kitchen, so it's easy to guess where Adam and his roommates may have stored things. She finds a big pot on her first try and starts to fill it with water, shooting him a smile when he gives her the green light.]

Wanna help me get those cans open?

[When she's got the pot filled halfway, she shuts off the tap and takes the pot to the stove. Now that she's comfortable with the way the appliances here work, turning it on is easy peasy.]

My best friend Jack and I used to make soup a lot. Scraps and some boiling water will make one heck of a meal.

Sure.

[He rummages through their drawers to find the can opener, then gets to work, opening cans and setting them on the counter for her. He doesn't quite smile when she says that, but it's definitely familiar. Not a great memory, but not a totally awful one, either.]

Yeah, and you can stretch it pretty far. Keep the leftovers, add a little more water to fill it out and then maybe whatever you can find - stuff that's about to expire or something extra you have.

[Eating while poor is something Adam has plenty of experience with. He doesn't talk about it much - certainly not to his friends from home, all of whom are rich and have never had to worry about reheating soup until you can barely identify what's in it - but that doesn't change where Adam's from. He'd like to forget it, but at the same time it's comforting to find someone else who sort of understands.]

You mentioned Jack before. You two must be really close.

[Z can't help the way her smile softens at the thought of Jack, how her gaze turns fond as she thinks back to those days. They'd been hard, and there had been times when days would go by between meals, but they'd fit perfectly together, scavenging and stealing as if they had some psychic link.]

Jack's like a brother to me. I don't think I would've survived if we hadn't found each other, you know? He's really level-headed and smart, has the biggest heart in the world, would rather starve or freeze than see anyone go hungry or without a jacket.

[She works as she talks, tipping the contents of the open cans into the water and adding spices to make the broth taste good. Garlic and crushed onions, mostly, and a bit of pepper.]

At first we just used to look out for ourselves, make sure we were fed and safe. It helped that we have powers -- I can replicate and he can phase through things. Then one day, Jack gave all he'd found to these scared-looking aliens we ran into on our way to where we were staying at the time, and he started talking about helping whoever we could. So we, um... played Robin Hood, pretty much. We got really good at it. 'The Parkington Market Thieves,' they called us. Things were hard, but we were happy. Now we're both SPD, and he's our team leader. He's great at it.

[Once all the ingredients are in the pot, she searches for something to stir it with, pulling open the first drawer she sets eyes on.] I bet if he were here right now, he'd be out there trying to save people. He'd probably convince me to help him, too. Can you imagine? Three of me holding one of those monsters down so Hope can cure it?

[He thinks it sounds - not good, exactly, because being homeless could never really be good, but okay, maybe. She had someone to look out for her and someone to trust, and Adam thinks that must make all the difference in the world. No wonder she's still able to be so kind and generous. He doesn't really have that capacity, but he's always admired it in Gansey, and he admires it in her, too.]

Spoons are in the next drawer over.

[He reaches over, slides it open for her. Making himself useful, since she's the one doing all the work.]

I can imagine it, but it would be pretty scary. I haven't even really seen one of those things - just heard the shrieks when they're hunting.

[And that's enough for him to have decided it's a good idea to stay inside for now. Anyway, that's where his friends are, and he might not be much of a fighter, but he'll do what he can to keep them safe.]

He must have been pretty inspiring, to be able to talk you into all of that.

Oh, yeah, it'd be terrifying. But with Jack there, I would feel safe.

[Inspiring is sort of right, sort of not. Both Z and Jack had grandiose ideas, but Jack is more down to earth, and Z wants what she does to have a bigger impact. In her own way, she inspired and motivated him too. They're perfect partners in crime (literally). They've saved each other's lives more times than she can count. He taught her to open her heart a bit more, and she taught him to dance.]

He's like-- Have you ever met someone who just seems calm all the time, and who kind of takes the tension out of a room?

[She grabs the biggest spoon she can find -- a long wooden one -- and starts to stir the pot. The watee is starting to boil now. Won't be long before they eat.]

That's Jack. Or, I dunno, maybe he's just like that for me. And now the rest of our teammates trust him, too. So I guess... yeah. You're right.

[She glances at Adam, smiling.] I bet you'd like him. I haven't met anyone who doesn't.

Yeah. I should introduce you to Gansey.

[Who isn't quite the same, he thinks - Gansey doesn't exactly make Adam feel safe. Ronan's a little better at that, considering Adam is well aware Gansey fails at simple things like throwing punches. But Gansey makes him believe in things, makes him think the impossible might be possible. Gansey believes in things so deeply and fully that even doubtful Adam has to agree, and Adam would follow him anywhere. It's less safety than a kind of inspiration, something that Adam needs.]

He's good at that sort of thing, too. If I hadn't met him I wouldn't have any friends at all.

[Really, if he hadn't met Gansey, Adam might be dead. Or he might have had his ambition and stubbornness beaten out of him, which would amount to the same thing.]

If Jack ever shows up here, I'd like to meet him, definitely.

[He leans against the counter, watching her cook.]

I mean, I hope he doesn't, though. No one deserves to be here.

[Ronan hears the clatter in the kitchen first and cracks open an eye from where he'd been lounging in his room with headphones on- the music had been high enough to obscure the voices, but not quite enough to completely drown out the sound of metal-on-metal.

He thinks about it and decides that he's hungry enough to interact with other human beings and kicks his way up off of the bed, tugging the headphones down over his neck- still playing, of course- and poking his head out his door.

He's expecting Adam to be puttering around in the kitchen, or Gansey maybe, or perhaps even Noah, but seeing Z there is a surprise. Ronan is not exactly used to company, and it takes him a moment before he decides that he's already upright and halfway out of his room, might as well make it the rest of the way.]

What's for dinner?

[He asks Z this as he leaves his room, closing the door behind him.]

[This is nice. This is almost normal, chatting about old friends to a new friend. This, and having sword fighting lessons with Rainier, are the best she's felt since arriving here all those months ago. She's relaxed as she stirs the vegetables in the pot, shooting Adam a smile.]

I'd love to meet your friend. And if Jack ends up here one day, I'll be sure to bring him over. I'd rather just go back home, but... well, we'll deal with whatever happens, I guess.

[It's in the short lull that follows that Ronan walks in and asks his question.] Hey. Long time no see. She nods at the pot.] One hundred percent vegetarian soup. There'll be enough to feed maybe ten people. You interested?

[It is nice, sort of relaxing, for all that Adam isn't particularly good at making new friends. He smiles at her in return, careful but good-humored, then redirects that smile at Ronan, letting it grow a little more fond as he wanders in.]

You went to the trouble of getting up, you might as well stay and eat with us.

[It's always a roll of the dice whether Ronan will be decent company to anyone else, but Adam likes having him around, and Z is easy to get along with. The chances of things exploding are relatively low. They met before - Adam was aware of that much at least, though he doesn't know much more than that.]

Oh - you two haven't fought or anything, right?

[The question doesn't seem particularly urgent. Just a polite inquiry, 'if we're going to eat together I may as well know what to expect in advance', that kind of thing.]

Don't tell me that a little cannibalism put you off of meat.

[Which is... mostly a joke, but he'd be lying if he said that he wouldn't be tempted to take a burger if it was offered right about now.

Ronan lifts a sharp brow toward Adam at the question though- and he sort of wants to be offended, but it's not like it isn't warranted, with the amount of people he fights around here. Fortunately, Z is one of the few people that he hadn't immediately antagonized upon meeting, and who hadn't quite managed to piss him off enough to go and try to do it on purpose.]

She's fine. [He shrugs, the movement bumping the headphones and the tinny sound of shitty EDM music that echoes out of them. The next question, he addresses to Z.]

You came here just to make food?

[Don't worry, Ronan. Z gets it, and responds with a suitably sarcastic smirk and an archd eyebrow.] Maybe if it didn't have such nasty side effects, I'd consider it.

[Actually, no. Her stomach turns at the mere thought. Better to focus on the vegetables.

She almost laughts at Adam's question, but manages to hold it back when it clicks that he's being serious, if relaxed about it. This... must be normal for them, Ronan getting into fights with people they may or may not both know.] Guess I should be honored the answer is no?

[She makes no comment about the music, though it does take her back a bit. With her first paycheck, she'd bought herself a good music player and headphones, things she'd longed to have for years. Back then, she'd managed to skim a few half-defective ones off a truck, but the ones she actually paid for? Man, those were nice.

Things like that, things like what's going on at night in this city, give Z perspective enough not to be bothered by a teenage boy's attitude. Besides, she's been dealing with Sky for almost a year now. She'll be fine here.]

I came here to cook and talk with Adam for a while. The people in my spire are nice and all, but I offered Adam to come over and cook, so I figured I should make good on that promise.

[And also, should check to make sure he's okay. After the blizzard and the yetis, he's been on her 'look out for' list. Their conversation when he'd been buried alive had only solidified his place there.]

Why, did you have plans to make a big, fancy dinner tonight?

[He's not bothered by Ronan's attitude. He knows how it comes off to people, and that Ronan does it on purpose, and sometimes it does get on his nerves - is it so hard to be polite? - but Ronan's become so familiar to him that he generally doesn't actually get bothered by it anymore. Luckily Z seems to be taking it in stride too, because Adam is actually not all that great at smoothing things over between Ronan and the world. He tends to either get annoyed and leave Ronan to it - or take Ronan's side, which just makes everything worse.

He's aware of that. It doesn't stop him.

It's unnecessary right now, and he leans against the counter, looking between the two of them.]

I'm pretty sure we never have plans for big, fancy dinners. Whatever you make will be more than welcome. We might have some bread in the cupboard, too.

[Weird braided bread that he'd never seen before he found it in one of the shops here, but it tastes fine, and unless one of the others ate it they should still have some left.

He directs his next words at Ronan, just careful information. He knows Adam wouldn't let just anyone in, but still.]

Z's helped me out a couple times. Actually, I probably owe her a meal.

[Ronan is well aware of the fact that he can be abrasive, but it doesn't really stop him from acting out like that anyway. He's not going to hide how he feels about something and unfortunately, most of what he feels towards things veers on the negative side. He has no reason to let anyone in and so he doesn't, and while he's not generally a bully, he'll certainly throw a punch or two to back up his side of an argument.

So far, Z has managed to not bear the brunt of his temper so far, likely due to a combination of luck and her easygoing nature. Still, there's always time for Ronan to fuck something up.]

Excuse you. I was planning a fancy dinner, [he shoots back, though his eyes grow a little darker at the idea of Z helping Adam. It's nothing bad, and he's glad that Adam is okay, but Ronan doesn't enjoy the thought of Adam- or any of his friends, really- needing help and then Ronan not delivering on that. Even if it'd be impossible for him to, the idea of someone else butting in makes him stupidly possessive.

So, his gaze shifts back toward Z and he nods toward her.]

And just how have you saved Parrish's ass?

[Is that a little tension in the air, or is Z just not reading their silent communication well? Either way, she decides to tread carefully, if only for Adam's sake. She does relax a little when Ronan picks up her fancy dinner joke, and though his tone isn't markedly different when he asks his question, Z senses he's more serious than not.

Still, she doesn't let is ruffle her feathers, shrugging as she answers nonchalantly.] We fought off a yeti together during the blizzard, no biggie.

[It had been kind of a biggie, actually. She was scared, but she'd channeled that into energy that fueled her so that she and Adam could make it home safe. They'd been lucky when walking back to his place, and she'd been lucky on her way back to her apartment, but yeah, that had been a thing.]

Mostly you fought the yeti and I tried not to get in the way.

[There's a note of amusement in Adam's voice, but really he's just being honest. After all, there's no way Ronan, of all people, would buy that Adam successfully fought a yeti - not when he knows just how awful Adam is when it comes to that sort of violence. Something he should work on, really, if he ever had the time and safety to do so.

Adam moves away from the counter, opening one of the cupboards and going through it to find the bread. He knows what Ronan is like - he knows that Ronan would rather not leave the protection of his friends to anyone else, but he also doesn't want that to be solely on Ronan's shoulders.

Adam shouldn't be facing down yetis in the first place, but if he does, it shouldn't be Ronan's responsibility to protect him. It's not Z's, either, but he has to be grateful for the help.]

So I owe her one. At least one.

[Ronan lifts an eyebrow at the explanation and doesn't push the issue further. It annoys him that someone else had to protect Adam, just like it annoyed him that he hadn't known to help dig up Gansey or he hadn't been there when Noah had been killed. He doesn't like leaving the safety of his friends to strangers, even well-intentioned ones.

But even Ronan knows when he's being unreasonable sometimes, and getting angry with someone for helping his friends crosses that line and so he pushes the thought back and nods.]

Then I guess we all owe you for saving our prodigal son.

[He smiles, but there's nothing particularly friendly about it- all sharpness, no affection- and Ronan crowds Adam at the edge of the kitchen a little, reaching a little rudely for the bread when Adam sets it down. Someone doesn't want to wait for dinner to eat.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

hang on to your dreams

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject